2011 GLCC 15th ANNIVERSARY 2011 GLCC 15th ANNIVERSARY MESSAGE SERIES 3: THE GOSPEL MESSAGE SERIES 3: THE GOSPEL REVIEWEDREVIEWED

I. I. INTROINTRO

II. II. THE GOSPELTHE GOSPEL

III. III. 7 IMPORTANT TRUTHS OF THE 7 IMPORTANT TRUTHS OF THE GOSPELGOSPEL

1) 1) No One Is Declared Righteous No One Is Declared Righteous Before God by Observing the Law Before God by Observing the Law (vv. 19-21).(vv. 19-21).

2) 2) There is a Righteousness from God There is a Righteousness from God That Is Apart from Law That Is Apart from Law (v. 21).(v. 21).

3) This Righteousness from God Is Received Through Faith in Jesus Christ (v. 22).

Faith is the hand by which the righteousness of Christ is received.

~ Faith itself has no merit; in fact, by its nature it is self-emptying.

~ It involves our complete renunciation of any confidence in our own righteousness and a relying entirely on the perfect righteousness and death of Jesus Christ.

The word The word faithfaith is a noun and has no is a noun and has no verbal form in English. verbal form in English.

~ Instead the word ~ Instead the word believebelieve is used, as is used, as in Acts 16:31.in Acts 16:31.

~ What does it mean to believe ~ What does it mean to believe inin Jesus, that is, what is it we are to Jesus, that is, what is it we are to believe? believe?

~ WE ARE TO BELIEVE THAT AS ~ WE ARE TO BELIEVE THAT AS THE SON OF GOD, CLOTHED IN THE SON OF GOD, CLOTHED IN OUR HUMANITY HE LIVED A OUR HUMANITY HE LIVED A PERFECT LIFE AND THEN DIED PERFECT LIFE AND THEN DIED ON THE CROSS FOR OUR SINS. ON THE CROSS FOR OUR SINS.

~ This message is called the ~ This message is called the gospelgospel..

JESUS HIMSELF IS ALWAYS TO BE JESUS HIMSELF IS ALWAYS TO BE THE OBJECT OF OUR FAITH. THE OBJECT OF OUR FAITH.

~ ~ It is more accurate to say we are It is more accurate to say we are saved by God’s grace through saved by God’s grace through

faith.faith.

~ ~ Faith, again, is merely the hand Faith, again, is merely the hand that receives the gift of that receives the gift of

God, and God, and God through His God through His Spirit even opens Spirit even opens our hand our hand to receive the gift.to receive the gift.

This doctrine of trusting in Jesus Christ This doctrine of trusting in Jesus Christ alone for one’s salvation is alone for one’s salvation is a basic a basic truth of the gospel.truth of the gospel.

~ Without acceptance of it there is no ~ Without acceptance of it there is no salvation.salvation.

~ ~ But it is important to realize that But it is important to realize that we were not only saved by we were not only saved by

faith at faith at a particular point in a particular point in time, but we time, but we are to live are to live by faith in Christ every by faith in Christ every day of day of our lives.our lives.

~ This means that I MUST CONTINUE ~ This means that I MUST CONTINUE TO RENOUNCE ANY CONFIDENCE TO RENOUNCE ANY CONFIDENCE IN MY OWN GOODNESS AND IN MY OWN GOODNESS AND PLACE MY CONFIDENCE SOLELY PLACE MY CONFIDENCE SOLELY IN CHRIST EVERY DAY OF MY IN CHRIST EVERY DAY OF MY LIFE, NOT ONLY FOR MY LIFE, NOT ONLY FOR MY ETERNAL SALVATION, BUT FOR ETERNAL SALVATION, BUT FOR MY DAILY ACCEPTANCE BEFORE MY DAILY ACCEPTANCE BEFORE A HOLY GOD.A HOLY GOD.

See Gal 2:20See Gal 2:20..

~ The context of Gal 2:20 is ~ The context of Gal 2:20 is justificationjustification..

~ So when Paul wrote that he lived by ~ So when Paul wrote that he lived by faith in the Son of God, he was faith in the Son of God, he was

not in not in that passage referring to that passage referring to a a dependence on Christ for dependence on Christ for spiritual spiritual strength, strength, but to a but to a dependence on dependence on Him for Him for his his righteous standing righteous standing before before God on a day-to-day basis.God on a day-to-day basis.

4) This Righteousness Is Available to Everyone on the Same Basis, Since All Have Sinned and Fall Short of the Glory of God (vv. 22-23).

God’s plan of salvation treats all God’s plan of salvation treats all people equally, since all are sinners.people equally, since all are sinners.

~ Any sin, however small and ~ Any sin, however small and insignificant it may seem to us, is a insignificant it may seem to us, is a violation of God’s holy law and violation of God’s holy law and subjects us to the penalty of death.subjects us to the penalty of death. 

The first purpose of God’s method The first purpose of God’s method of salvation through Christ’s death of salvation through Christ’s death is to deliver us from guilt, and is to deliver us from guilt, and though all people are not equally though all people are not equally guilty, all guilty, all are guilty.are guilty.

~ This eliminates ~ This eliminates any room for any room for comparison of ourselves comparison of ourselves

with with others others who may who may appear more sinfulappear more sinful — or at — or at least less holy — than we least less holy — than we are. are.

~ Rather ~ Rather we must measure we must measure ourselves ourselves against God’s perfect against God’s perfect standardstandard and and daily confess that daily confess that we have sinned we have sinned and fallen and fallen short of the glory of God.short of the glory of God.

5) All Who Put Their Faith in Jesus Christ Are Justified Freely by God’s Grace (v. 24).

To be justified is to be absolved To be justified is to be absolved from any charge of guilt and to be from any charge of guilt and to be declared absolutely righteous.declared absolutely righteous.

~ We are not only discharged from all ~ We are not only discharged from all liability to God’s wrath because of liability to God’s wrath because of our guilt; our guilt; we are personally we are personally accepted by Godaccepted by God because of Christ. because of Christ.

~ Justification is like the two sides of a ~ Justification is like the two sides of a coin. coin.

~ On the one side we are declared “not ~ On the one side we are declared “not guilty” before God, and on the other guilty” before God, and on the other we are positively declared to be we are positively declared to be righteous through Christ. righteous through Christ.

WE MUST KEEP IN MIND THAT OUR WE MUST KEEP IN MIND THAT OUR JUSTIFICATION BY GOD IS BASED JUSTIFICATION BY GOD IS BASED SOLELY ON THE MERITORIOUS SOLELY ON THE MERITORIOUS WORK OF CHRIST AND OUR UNION WORK OF CHRIST AND OUR UNION WITH HIM.WITH HIM.

~~ That is, God sees us legally as so That is, God sees us legally as so connected with Christ that connected with Christ that what what

He He did, we did.did, we did.

~ Christ stood in our place as our ~ Christ stood in our place as our representative, both in His sinless representative, both in His sinless

life life and His sin-bearing death. and His sin-bearing death.

To live by the gospel, then, means To live by the gospel, then, means that we firmly grasp the fact that that we firmly grasp the fact that Christ’s life and death are ours by Christ’s life and death are ours by virtue of our union with Him.virtue of our union with Him.

~ What He did, we did.~ What He did, we did.

~ Rom 8:1, 8, 31, 33~ Rom 8:1, 8, 31, 33

These statements by Paul are These statements by Paul are objective truths; that is, objective truths; that is, they are true they are true whether we grasp them or not. whether we grasp them or not.

Justification is a completed workJustification is a completed work as as far as God is concerned. far as God is concerned.

~ The penalty has been paid and His ~ The penalty has been paid and His justice has been satisfied. justice has been satisfied.

~ ~ But it must be received through But it must be received through faith and must be faith and must be

continually continually renewed in our renewed in our souls and applied souls and applied to our to our consciences every day consciences every day through faith. through faith.

There are two “courts” we must deal There are two “courts” we must deal with: the court of God in Heaven and with: the court of God in Heaven and the court of conscience in our souls. the court of conscience in our souls.

~ When we trust in Christ for salvation, ~ When we trust in Christ for salvation, God’s court is forever satisfied.God’s court is forever satisfied.

~ Our consciences, however, are ~ Our consciences, however, are continually pronouncing us guilty. continually pronouncing us guilty.

~ ~ Therefore, we must by faith bring Therefore, we must by faith bring the verdict of conscience into the verdict of conscience into

line line with the verdict of Heaven.with the verdict of Heaven.

~ We do this by agreeing with our ~ We do this by agreeing with our conscience about our guilt, but then conscience about our guilt, but then reminding it that our guilt has already reminding it that our guilt has already been borne by Christ.been borne by Christ.

This justification is said to be given This justification is said to be given to us freely by His grace.to us freely by His grace.

~ The word ~ The word freelyfreely signifies without signifies without payment of any kind.payment of any kind.

~ Isa 55:1 ~ Isa 55:1

Grace is the undeserved favor of God Grace is the undeserved favor of God shown to those who deserve His wrath. shown to those who deserve His wrath.

~ Grace presupposes guilt on our part. ~ Grace presupposes guilt on our part.

~ By definition, it is ~ By definition, it is sovereign gracesovereign grace; ; that is, God is under no obligation that is, God is under no obligation

to to grant to any of us such grant to any of us such undeserved undeserved favor.favor.

~ ~ The decision to grant such favor The decision to grant such favor to us originated solely within to us originated solely within

His His own goodness.own goodness.