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Let's go to Romans chapter 4. 
Romans chapter 4. Our focus tonight specifically 
is verse 25. But verse 25 caps an argument 
that begins actually in chapter 3 at verse 21. But we'll pick 
up reading in chapter 4 at verse 1. Paul the apostle writes, what 
then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according 
to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified 
by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? 
Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. 
Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but 
as debt. But to him who does not work 
but believes on him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted 
for righteousness. Just as David also describes 
the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness 
apart from works. Blessed are those whose lawless 
deeds are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Blessed is 
the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin. Does this blessedness 
then come upon the circumcised only or upon the uncircumcised 
also? For we say that faith was accounted 
to Abraham for righteousness. How then was it accounted? While 
he was circumcised or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while 
uncircumcised. And he received the sign of circumcision, 
a seal of the righteousness of the faith, which he had while 
still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those 
who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness 
might be imputed to them also, and the father of circumcision 
to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also 
walk in the steps of the faith, which our father Abraham had 
while still uncircumcised. For the promise that he would 
be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed 
through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For 
if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void, and 
the promise made of no effect, because the law brings about 
wrath. For where there is no law, there 
is no transgression. Therefore, it is of faith that 
it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be 
sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, 
but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is 
the father of us all. As it is written, I have made 
you a father of many nations. In the presence of him whom he 
believed, God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things 
which do not exist as though they did, who, contrary to hope, 
In hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations. 
According to what was spoken, so shall your descendants be. 
And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, 
already dead, since he was about 100 years old, and the deadness 
of Sarah's womb. He did not waver at the promise 
of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving 
glory to God, and being fully convinced that what he had promised, 
he was also able to perform. And therefore, it was accounted 
to him for righteousness. Now, it was not written for his 
sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall 
be imputed to us who believe in him, who raised up Jesus our 
Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses and 
was raised for our justification. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our 
Father in heaven, we thank you very much for what this passage 
affirms concerning your graciousness, your kindness in delivering up 
your own son, raising him up again from the dead, stationing 
him at your right hand as the mediator, as the savior for those 
who have been chosen by God, those who in time believe the 
gospel. We thank you for the gospel of our salvation and pray 
now the Holy Spirit would encourage us as we look to specifically 
verse 25, that you would fill our hearts with fond thoughts, 
with glorious meditations concerning our beloved Savior and His cross 
work on our behalf. and on that empty tomb, on the 
reality that He is risen. Our Father, we just thank You 
for this great Gospel. We thank You for a saving interest 
in it. Fill us again with Your Holy 
Spirit, we pray, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Well, 
this, like many of Paul's writings, is a very dense portion of scripture 
that would certainly take a long time to try and unpack. But I 
do want to give a bit of an overview of this particular section because, 
as I suggested earlier, verse 25 caps off the entirety of what 
had been said up to this point. Paul begins his presentation, 
or rather defense, of the doctrine of justification by faith alone. 
at chapter 3, verse 21. Now in that particular place, 
he's already summarized the reality that all men everywhere are guilty. 
They're liable to God's wrath and punishment and curse because 
they have broken His law. And in verse 21 of chapter 3, 
he says, but now the righteousness of God apart from the law is 
revealed. You have to see in chapter 1, 
verse 18, he starts by saying, the wrath of God is revealed 
from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. Why? 
Because they suppress truth in unrighteousness. They exchange 
the glory of the incorruptible God for the creature, and they 
worship and serve the creature rather than the creator. And 
so Paul discourses at length in chapters 1 to 3 presenting 
the doctrine of man's just condemnation under a holy God. He shifts directions 
in 321 with that as the backdrop to present the righteousness 
of God. And here the righteousness of 
God being that righteousness which God demands and provides 
to sinners. They receive it by His grace 
through faith in Jesus Christ. So in 321 to 425, Paul's treatment 
of justification by faith alone. Specifically in chapter 3, verses 
21 to 26, justification and the righteousness of God. How can 
it be the case that God does justify guilty, vile, helpless 
sinners? Well, we see in verse 26, for 
instance, of chapter 3, that after this propitiation is rendered 
by our Lord, this satisfies God's law, it satisfies the demands 
of justice, and this indeed enables God, according to verse 26, to 
demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might 
be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. 
When God receives us to Himself by grace, through faith in the 
Lord Jesus, He doesn't relax the law, He doesn't suspend the 
law, but it's because Christ satisfied the demands of the 
law, both by His obedience in terms of His perfect life and 
by His sacrifice. bearing the penalty and condemnation 
of God that was due to us. So Paul deals with justification 
and righteousness, and then justification by faith alone in verses 3-27 
all the way to the end of chapter 4. Now, Abraham is a bit of a 
test case. Abraham is a bit of a man that 
Paul is able to refer to in history that had a very similar situation. 
He believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. David, 
likewise, was another man. Notice in chapter 4, verse 6, 
just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to 
whom God imputes righteousness apart from works. Blessed are 
those whose lawless deeds are forgiven and whose sins are covered. 
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin." So 
David, Abraham, they are test cases or rather examples or proofs 
or evidences that the believer today is justified by faith. 
That's always been God's way. It's not as if Abraham or David 
were saved in some other way. They were saved the same way 
by the same Savior as we are, and so they serve as helpful 
reminders of that particular fact. And now as Paul begins 
to bring this section to a conclusion, notice what he says in verse 
23. Well, backing up just a bit to 
verse 22, and therefore it was accounted to him for righteousness. 
So the reality is Abraham lived at a time when God gave him a 
promise that seemed absolutely, incredibly outlandish. God told 
Abraham, you are going to be the father of many nations. Abraham knew enough biology to 
realize that things were not looking well in terms of him 
and Sarah with reference to the fulfillment of this particular 
promise. But contrary to hope, nevertheless, 
in hope he believed. all the odds physically, all 
the odds in terms of everything known by men was stacked against 
Abraham. But God had promised, God was 
faithful, Abraham believes God. And so that brings us to verse 
23, therefore it was accounted to him for righteousness. Now 
Paul's point in verses 23 to 25, now it was not written for 
his sake alone that it was imputed to him. It's not simply for Abraham, 
he believed God and therefore righteousness is imputed to him, 
received by faith alone. It's not just a situation peculiar 
to Father Abraham, but notice, but also for us. Verse 24, it 
shall be imputed to us this righteousness that we desperately need. It 
shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our 
Lord from the dead. who was delivered up because 
of our offenses and was raised for our justification. So you see, Paul is saying that 
Abraham, David, they're not unique in redemptive history. This whole 
idea of the forgiveness of sins and the imputation of Christ's 
righteousness received by faith alone is not a new development. It is an old doctrine, and Paul 
says this is the basis upon which you and I stand, by grace, through 
faith, in our Lord Jesus Christ. Matthew Poole summarizes verse 
25 this way. He says this one verse is an 
abridgment of the whole gospel. I don't think he's wrong. Charles 
Hodge says this verse is a comprehensive statement of the gospel. The 
denial of the propitiatory death of Christ or of His resurrection 
from the dead is a denial of the gospel. And we have both 
those concepts present in verse 25. He was delivered up because 
of our offenses and was raised, I think, that for our justification 
makes a bit of better sense in this particular context. He was 
delivered up because of our offenses and was raised for our justification. We're going to look at two things 
specifically. First, the redemptive purpose 
of the death of Christ, and secondly, the redemptive purpose of the 
resurrection of Christ. But notice, back in verse 24, 
Paul says, but also for us, it shall be imputed to us who believe 
in him, who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead. And then 
in verse 25, who was delivered up because of our offenses. So 
verse 24 introduces the concept that God, the Father, raised 
up Jesus from the dead. That might suggest to some, well, 
why was he dead? Why was he in the grave? Why 
did He need to be erased from the dead? And that brings Paul 
in verse 25 to indicate He was delivered up because of our offenses. It was not in the first place 
an example. Now, there is a bit of an exemplary 
function in terms of the atonement, in terms of the cross. We see 
that in 1 Peter chapter 2, verses 18 to 25. We're called to suffer 
the way our Lord Jesus suffered. But there are some who take the 
cross and make it strictly exemplary. They make it strictly an example, 
and that is not legitimate. That is not right, and we must 
refuse that and resist that. 1 Corinthians 1, 23 to 24, Paul 
says, we preach Christ crucified to the Jews a stumbling block 
and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called both 
Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 
We're not to take the cross and make it just this example of 
love, though it certainly displays that, or an example of suffering, 
though it does display that. We need to see in the first instance 
that the cross is about the satisfaction of divine justice. by the only 
Mediator of God's elect, the Lord Jesus Christ, the only Redeemer 
of God's elect, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is in the first place 
atonement, propitiation, sacrifice, substitution, Christ bearing 
the wrath of God Almighty on behalf of all those whom the 
Father had given Him, Christ satisfying divine justice by 
His sufferings and death. That's the purpose, and Paul 
specifies that very clearly in that first clause in verse 25, 
who was delivered up because of our offenses. It was not for 
offenses in general, sort of sins out there, but it was for 
the sins of all those whom God had given to the Son. It was 
for the sins of the elect. It was for the sins of those 
who would ultimately believe the gospel by grace through faith. There's a beautiful analogy of 
this in the book of Leviticus. Remember on that day of atonement, 
when the high priest would go into the Holy of Holies. When 
he went into the Holy of Holies, he shed the blood or he sprinkled 
the blood from the goat on the mercy seat. He did that probably 
three or four times for his own sin, for the sin of the people, 
for the temple or tabernacle or altar itself, and then there 
was a second goat in that situation. That was called the scapegoat. 
And on that particular day, the high priest would lay his hands 
upon the head of that scapegoat and he would confess the sins 
of Israel. He wouldn't confess the sins 
of the Hivites or of the Hittites or of the other Canaanites. It was particular redemption. 
And we need to appreciate that. When we see Paul say, who was 
delivered up because of our offenses, these are offenses in the concrete, 
not the abstract, not sort of sin out there, but the sins that 
you and I were guilty of, the sins that you and I had committed, 
the sins that you and I justly deserve God's punishment and 
wrath and condemnation as a result of. It was for our offenses, 
the kinds of sins outlined in chapter 1, beginning in verse 
18, all the way to chapter 3 and verse 19. In fact, turn to one 
specimen section in chapter 1, just to see the sorts of offenses 
that are in view here in 425. He was delivered up because of 
our offenses, our transgression of the law of God. Notice in 
chapter 1 at verse 29. Well, let's go back to verse 
26. For this reason God gave them up, two vile passions, for 
even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against 
nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the 
woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men, committing 
what is shameful and receiving in themselves the penalty of 
their error which was due. and even as they did not like 
to retain God in their knowledge. I think that particular clause 
is somewhat similar to what we saw in 1 Kings chapter 14. You 
remember when God comes to deal with Jeroboam. When God, through 
the prophet Ahijah, comes to deal with Jeroboam. God says, 
through the prophet, that you provoke me to anger. And then 
he says to Jeroboam, you cast me behind the back. Almost as 
if God was a piece of trash. Jeroboam had opened his candy, 
he took the candy, put it in his mouth, and he took that wrapper 
and he cast it behind his back, easily discarding the God of 
heaven and earth. I kind of feel like this passage 
in verse, not that I kind of feel like is any exegetical warrant, 
but if you notice there in verse 28, the same idea I think is 
present. And even as they did not like 
to retain God in their knowledge. Isn't that offensive and disgusting? We don't like to retain God in 
our knowledge. We will cast Him behind the back. We will discard Him as if He's 
a candy wrapper. We will simply treat Him as if 
He is not even there, even as they did not like. to retain 
God in their knowledge. God gave them over to a debased 
mind to do those things which are not fitting. Now notice, 
being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, 
covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, strife, 
deceit, evil-mindedness. They are whisperers, backbiters, 
haters of God. violent, proud, boasters, inventors 
of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, 
unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful, who knowing the righteous judgment 
of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of 
death, not only do the same, but also approve of those who 
practice them. So when we get to this statement in chapter 
four at verse 25, who was delivered up because of our offenses, we 
ought not to scratch our head and say, I wonder what he means. 
He means those violations of God's holy law that we have seen 
outlined or detailed in chapter 1. Now, you and I may not have 
been practicing homosexuals. That's condemned in chapter 1. 
We may not have been murderers. We may not have been some of 
the more evil sorts in that particular list, but we are in that list, 
brethren, every last one of us. Those offenses are the reason 
the Father delivered up the Son. That's the emphasis of the Apostle, 
who was delivered up because of our offenses. So we ought 
to appreciate that the cross that teaches us that God is merciful, 
the cross that teaches us that God is gracious, the cross that 
teaches us that God is just, that God is righteous, that God 
is holy, also teaches us something concerning the exceeding wickedness 
of sin. Trinity Hymnal number 192, Thomas 
Kelly. It says, ye who think of sin 
but lightly, nor suppose the evil great. Here may view its 
nature rightly, here its guilt may estimate. Mark the sacrifice 
appointed, see who bears the awful load. Tis the word, the 
Lord's anointed, Son of Man and Son of God. So those are the 
offenses. He was delivered up because of 
our offenses. But it was the case that he was 
delivered up. Now, certainly in our studies 
in Matthew's gospel, our Lord's Supper sermons, we can all answer 
the why as to this. God's justice demands that we 
be delivered up to hell for our sins and rebellion. I mean, that 
is the just punishment for those who offend the living and the 
true God. See, the thing about the Bible 
is that hell ought not to surprise any one of us. Heaven should. Not so much heaven as the habitation 
of God, but that any of us will ever enter into heaven. That 
is far more surprising than the doctrine of endless punishment. I mean, persons are absolutely 
offended at the thought of an eternal hell. Why? Why would 
we be offended at the fact that the wages of sin is death? Why 
would we be offended at the fact that sin must be punished, that 
guilt must be punished? That is not a surprising reality. The surprising reality is that 
guilty, vile, helpless we, spotless Lamb of God was He, full atonement 
can it be, hallelujah, what a Savior. The surprising thing is not hell, 
the surprising thing is heaven. for anyone like us. So God's 
justice demands that we be delivered up to hell because of our sins. 
God, in His grace, provides Christ the satisfaction for our sins 
through the substitutionary sacrifice of His Son. I think there's this 
idea that it was Jesus' love that propitiates the wrath of 
his nasty father. It was love that procured this 
whole scenario. It was the love of God that sent 
forth his son. Notice in chapter 3 at verse 
24, I'm sorry, verse 25, whom God set forth as a propitiation 
by his blood through faith to demonstrate his righteousness 
because in his forbearance, God had passed over the sins that 
were previously committed. The father and the son are perfectly 
unified in this whole arrangement. The father's love is expressed 
at Calvary. The father's love is demonstrated 
in the sending of his son. In fact, Paul in 5.8 says, God 
commends his own love toward us in that while we were still 
sinners, Christ died for us. So it's not the case that Jesus 
is the gracious and kind and merciful one that is just dealing 
with this sort of, you know, unmitigated terror of His Father. No, they're in perfect harmony, 
blessed unity with reference to the design behind the atonement. So God's grace provides satisfaction 
for our sins through the substitutionary sacrifice of His Son. And that 
Son is the perfect, spotless Lamb of God who died in the place 
of guilty sinners. Now, before we move on to resurrection, 
we ought to appreciate the divine initiative here. Who was delivered 
up because of our offenses? Now, in our studies in Matthew, 
we see the act of the betrayer. I mean, Judas was a wretch, wasn't 
he? He comes to that conspiracy, that mob of men that are conspiring 
to commit murder, and Judas says, how much are you willing to give 
me if I deliver him up to you? That language of delivering up, 
we see it used by Judas. We see it used with reference 
to that mob of conspirators. We see that he was indeed delivered 
up by the rage and the wickedness and the malice of men. But that 
was according to the plan of God. It was the Father's will 
that the Son come. It was the Father who delivers 
Him up. It was the Father who set His Son upon the cross. In 
the language of the prophet Isaiah, He was pleased to bruise Him. The language is, Yahweh was pleased 
to bruise Christ in order to save us from our sins. So as 
we look at that particular statement, He was delivered up, because 
of our offenses, He was delivered up by the Father. That's the 
referent. Now the Son was certainly willing 
and compliant every step of the way. So that's the purpose of 
the death of Christ. So verse 24, also, for us, it 
shall be imputed to us who believe in him who raised up Jesus our 
Lord from the dead. Should anyone say, well, why 
was he dead? The first part of verse 25 highlights that. He 
was delivered up because of our offenses. Now notice the redemptive 
purpose of the resurrection. The fact of the resurrection 
is stated. He was raised because of our 
justification. He was raised from the dead. 
Now the scriptures are filled with references to that resurrection. We don't have a whole lot of 
time, so I'm just going to give you the outline here in terms of how we can trace 
or what we know concerning the resurrection of Christ. He appeared 
first to the women who had left the tomb, Matthew 28, and then 
to Mary Magdalene in John 20. He appeared to Cleopas and the 
unnamed disciple on the road to Emmaus, Luke 24. He then appeared 
to Peter sometime that same afternoon. He appeared to the twelve, minus 
Judas and Thomas, on that day of resurrection in the upper 
room. He invited his disciples to touch him and he ate broiled 
fish and honeycomb among them. He appeared a week later to his 
disciples, this time Thomas was present. Again, Jesus invites 
Thomas to touch his wounds. He appeared to seven of his disciples 
by the Sea of Tiberias, or the Sea of Galilee, and prepared 
and ate breakfast with them. He appeared to the eleven on 
a mountain of Galilee. This occasion could have possibly 
been the one when he also appeared to more than 500 people. He appeared 
to James, his half-brother. He appeared again to the eleven 
on the occasion of his ascension into heaven. He appeared to Saul 
of Tarsus sometime later. So, there is no shortage of references 
to the idea that Christ was raised from the dead. According to the 
Old Testament testimony, according to Christ's own prophetic word, 
according to the power demonstrated when He raised, say, for instance, 
Lazarus. So, the Lord Christ was raised 
the third day. This is Paul's way of saying 
what we declare with the gospel writers, he is risen as he said. Now, the verb employed by Paul 
here at the end of verse 25 is a passive verb. He was raised 
because of or for our justification. The passive verb suggests that 
it was the father who raised the son. Now, there are certainly 
instances where we see that Jesus refers to the fact that He will 
raise Himself, John 2. Destroy this temple and in three 
days I will raise it up again. He says essentially the same 
thing in John chapter 10. But the Father is emphasized 
in this particular passage parallel to the reality that it was the 
Father who delivered Him up, it was the Father who raised 
Him up again. Turretin makes this observation, 
although the resurrection of Christ is often ascribed to the 
Father, it does not follow that it cannot be ascribed to the 
Son, because whatever the Father does, the Son in like manner 
does. And as the resurrection is an outward work, it ought 
to be undivided to the whole Trinity. So it is a work proper 
to the persons of the Trinity. And in this particular instance, 
it is attributed to the father. Again, to parallel the thought 
that he was delivered up by the father because of our offenses, 
he's raised up by the father for our justification. Now, in 
terms of the historical fact of the resurrection, it is a 
doctrine that is essential and must never be compromised. It 
must never be compromised. The empty tomb is a reality, 
a foundation stone upon which the gospel is grounded. As Hodge 
said, quoted earlier, the denial of the propitiatory death of 
Christ or of His resurrection from the dead is a denial of 
the gospel. In fact, look at 1 Corinthians 
chapter 15. 1 Corinthians 15. These particulars are outlined 
here specifically. Notice as Paul comes to define 
for us or describe for us or encapsulate for us what the gospel 
involves or includes, notice in 1 Corinthians 15. In fact, 
1 Corinthians 15 as a whole is Paul's grand apologetic for the 
resurrection. That's the point of 1 Corinthians 
chapter 15, the resurrection of Christ, and as a result, the 
resurrection of Christ's people. This is what this entire chapter 
is focused upon. Notice foundationally what Paul 
says in 15.1, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to 
you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which 
also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached 
to you, unless you believed in vain." We see it is a message 
that is received by faith. It is a message that must be 
appropriated by faith. Paul links salvation with belief. Verse 2, "...by which also you 
are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you, 
unless you believed in vain." So what's the correlate? If you 
didn't believe in vain, then you are saved. Salvation has 
always been by grace alone, through faith alone, and Christ alone. 
Now, he deals with the specific content of that gospel message. Verse 3, For I deliver to you, 
first of all, that which I also received, that Christ died for 
our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that 
He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. and that he 
was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that he was seen 
by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater 
part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After 
that he was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last 
of all he was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time." 
You see, we cannot relax when it comes to this doctrine. We 
cannot hold it with a limp wrist. This is one of those particular 
truths that we need to grip hold on and not let go. Fasten your 
grips, as Spurgeon would say, upon the doctrine of the resurrection. With reference to the redemptive 
purpose of the resurrection of Christ, first place, the fact 
of the resurrection. Secondly, we ought to appreciate 
the historical link between death and resurrection. See, these 
are inseparable events. Paul uses a convention at the 
end of this particular passage that is a bit curious or a bit 
sort of off the beaten path. He typically likens, or rather 
links, the justification by faith alone to the death or to the 
cross of our Lord Jesus. Here he links resurrection and 
justification. Before we see that theological 
connection, we ought to appreciate the historical link between death 
and resurrection. You don't have the death of Christ 
without his resurrection. The two are inseparable. You 
can't have one without the other. And I think that helps us to 
appreciate how he can tell us that he was raised for our justification. B.B. Warfield made this observation. That he died manifests his love 
and his willingness to save. That he rose again manifests 
his power and his ability to save. We are not saved by a dead 
Christ who undertook but could not perform and who lies there 
still under the Syrian sky, another martyr of impotent love. If we are to be saved at all, 
it must be by one who did not merely pass to death in our behalf, 
but who passed through death." In one word, the resurrection 
of Christ is fundamental to the Christian hope and to the Christian 
confidence. All our assurance of salvation 
is suspended on this fact. John Fesco makes this observation, 
Christ's death atones for the sins of God's people. His resurrection 
is the evidence that death had an illegitimate claim upon him, 
for he lived his life in perfect obedience to the law. Attempt 
to extract one of the three, life, death, or resurrection, 
from justification and our redemption collapses. So if we ask the question, 
perhaps you haven't, but I'm just speculating that you might, 
why does Paul link resurrection and justification? Because of 
that historical inseparable link between the two events. You don't 
have a dead Christ, you have a death and resurrection. And 
now let's tease out finally some theological connections between 
resurrection itself and the doctrine of justification by faith alone. Now, several commentators approach 
this in several different ways. I've just tried to modify and 
give us a few thoughts in conclusion here. with reference to the theological 
connection between resurrection and justification. In the first 
place, the resurrection testifies that Christ is indeed the Son 
of God with power. Look at Romans chapter 1. Romans 
chapter 1. Paul, a bondservant, verse 1, 
of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the 
gospel of God, which he promised through his prophets in the Holy 
Scriptures concerning his son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was 
born of the seed of David according to the flesh and declared to 
be the Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness 
by the resurrection from the dead. For those investigating 
the hypostatic union of Christ and our propriety in speaking 
of Him concerning His deity, concerning His humanity, here 
is a particular instance of that reality. The one person was born 
of the seed of David according to the flesh, declared to be 
the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness by 
the resurrection from the dead. So we see how that impinges upon 
the doctrine of justification. If we are saved by grace through 
faith, that faith is directed to a particular object. Now, 
as Paul suggests in chapter 4, verse 24, our faith is definitely 
in God as the one who raised up our Lord Jesus Christ from 
the dead. The specific object in terms 
of saving faith is Christ. And so as faith is directed to 
Christ, the doctrine of the resurrection tells us or testifies that Christ 
is indeed the Son of God with power. He is the object for our 
faith, that faith that justifies. Secondly, the resurrection testifies 
that Christ's sacrifice was accepted. Doesn't it? Highlight the validity, 
the acceptability, the beauty, the blessedness, the wonder, 
and the glory that God indeed was pleased with the sacrifice 
of His Son, that the tomb is empty, that that victim raised, 
That that one ascended back on high, that is confirmation that 
it is indeed finished. The sacrifice was accepted by 
God Most High. John Gill says Christ's resurrection 
did not procure the justification of His people. That was done 
by His obedience and death, but was for the testification of 
it. It's a great old word, testify. It was for the testification 
of it that it might fully appear that sin was atoned for and an 
everlasting righteousness was brought in, and for the application 
of it, or that Christ might live and see His righteousness imputed 
and apply to all those for whom He had wrought it out. So the 
resurrection testifies that Christ is the Son of God with power. 
The resurrection testifies that Christ's sacrifice was accepted. And we can praise God for that 
because our lives depend upon that sacrifice. In the third 
place, the resurrection testifies that satisfaction was rendered. And by satisfaction rendered, 
I mean the satisfaction of God's penalty, God's just penalty upon 
sinners. Christ satisfied divine justice 
by his sufferings and death, and the resurrection testifies 
to that. The law was honored. The law 
was magnified. The law was obeyed and kept. As I said before, God doesn't 
suspend the law. He doesn't send the law away. 
He doesn't relax the law. He doesn't lower the law, but 
rather that law is fully satisfied by Christ's life, and in His 
death, He satisfies the justice of God's law that was due for 
sinners. And fourthly, the resurrection 
testifies that redemption was accomplished. In other words, 
that empty tomb speaks worlds of comfort to us. The fact that 
the tomb was empty assures us that we have been blessed with 
every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. If you will, we have justification. We have sanctification. We will 
have glorification based on what Christ has done. That empty tomb 
is a great preacher to the people of God of the benefits wrought 
by the Savior on their behalf. He isn't in it, He didn't remain 
under death, but rather He was raised. And in that, He renders 
the perfect sacrifice, He satisfies divine justice, and He accomplishes 
redemption for His people. And then I would suggest, fifthly, 
the resurrection testifies that the session was initiated. And 
by the session, I mean what we call the current session of our 
Lord Jesus. Christ had the state of humiliation 
and the state of exaltation. What is associated with the state 
of exaltation is resurrection, ascension, and current session. The fact that Christ is no longer 
in the tomb Again, breathes great comfort to the people of God. 
He's enthroned at the right hand of the majesty of God on high. 
He ever lives to make intercession for us. He is not a dead Christ. He is not a dead Savior, but 
He is alive. He is risen. He is there. We 
can entreat Him. He is our advocate with the Father, 
even Jesus Christ the righteous. So, all of these lines, and there 
are several things more we could say, all converge to show us 
the absolute propriety and the blessed utility of the apostles' 
language here, that He was delivered up because of our offenses, and 
He was raised for our justification. Life, death, resurrection, inseparable 
events. connected to the life and ministry 
of our Lord Jesus Christ, and they are such for us as well. Well, in conclusion, I hope that 
we appreciate we need the death of Christ. We need the death 
of Christ. We need substitution. We need 
a sacrifice. We need one to pay the debt that 
we could never pay. That Sunday school song, he paid 
a debt we couldn't pay. He paid the debt, and I'm botching 
it up. I think you all know it. I'd 
actually have to sing the tune to get the words right, and I 
want to spare you all of that, because that's just not a nice 
thing to do on a Sunday evening. But Jesus paid the debt that 
we owed. Jesus in his death was the Lamb 
of God who takes away the sin of the world. Jesus was the antitype 
that all those bulls and those goats and those animals suffered 
under the Levitical priesthood or died under the Levitical priesthood. They all pointed forward to this 
one who stood in our place and bore the wrath of God and satisfied 
divine justice for us. We need the death of Christ. Secondly, we need the resurrection 
of Christ. The work of satisfaction having 
been accomplished, Christ was no longer under the dominion 
of sin. Romans 6, 9 and 10 tells us that. And the work of satisfaction 
having been accomplished, the Father raised the Son to testify 
the completion of the work. It's connected to our justification, 
as Gil says, as a testification. God accepted the sacrifice. Redemption 
has been accomplished. Redemption will be applied by 
the work and power of the Holy Spirit. The empty tomb is a seal 
and a guarantee of that. Turretin says, but there is a 
peculiar reason why it, the resurrection, is ascribed to the Father on 
account of the obligation which Christ took upon Himself. from 
which he ought to be released by the Father as judge, who as 
he had delivered up Christ to death for our sins, so we ought 
to raise him up again for our justification, in order to testify 
that a full satisfaction had been made by him. And then notice 
Romans 5, verse 1. I touched on this this morning. 
We won't spend a whole lot of time here, but is there any wonder 
that Romans 5, 1 follows what he's just said in Romans 3, 21 
to 4, 25? It's no accident, in fact, that 
therefore links us specifically to the preceding context. Therefore, 
having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through 
our Lord Jesus Christ. The means by which peace is secured 
is through the bloody death of our Lord Jesus and His glorious 
resurrection on the third day. That is the means by which sinners 
have peace with God. And as we conclude, if you look, 
I know I've said conclude twice now. Sorry about that. Jesse 
Van Oort this morning told us they do the same thing in Belize. 
The pastor says, well, finally, or soon I'll be finished. He 
goes another hour. So pastors all over the earth lie, I guess 
is what we're trying to point out here. Soon and close and 
almost. Those just have no meanings for 
pastors or preachers. But look at Abraham in this passage. Abraham, as I said, had everything 
stacked against him. You're going to be the father 
of many nations. And Abraham, you know, Paul says he was already 
dead. I mean, he did not consider his 
own body, verse 19, already dead since he was about 100 years 
old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb. Imagine that. God comes to you, Father Abraham, 
you're going to have a multitude of descendants. There's no way 
other than the God who promised is true. And I think we ought 
to follow this out. Abraham had to look away from 
his own inability. He had to look away from his 
own capabilities. He had to look away from his 
own limitations and that of his wife as well. He had to look 
outside himself to the promise of the God who is faithful. That's 
why who, contrary to hope, in hope believe the promises of 
God. And I suggest there's a parallel 
here. We need to look outside of ourselves. We need to look 
beyond our limitations or our lack of capability. We need to 
look to the one who is delivered up for our offenses. We need 
to look to the one who is raised for our justification. We need to look away from self, 
unto him who is indeed altogether lovely and chief among ten thousand. Romans 10, 9 makes it so clear, 
makes it so plain, makes it so simple that if you confess with 
your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God 
has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Let us pray. Father, we thank 
You for this, Your Word, and we thank You for the doctrines 
of the death of Christ, the resurrection of Christ. We thank You that 
the grave could not contain Him. We thank You for His current 
session at Your right hand. We thank You for the fact that 
He makes intercession for us, and that He is our advocate with 
the Father, and that He is an able Savior for any who come 
to the Father through Him. May the gospel be proclaimed 
throughout the earth, and may sinners everywhere turn from 
their wickedness to the true and living God. May they know 
the blessed joy of being found in Jesus Christ. Go with us now, 
Lord God, and keep us in this coming week, and help us to honor 
and to praise and to worship you, and we ask through Christ 
our Lord. Amen.