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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 because of our justification. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our 
Father in heaven, we thank you for the written word. We thank 
you for the doctrine of justification by faith alone. We acknowledge, 
Lord God, that this is the only means whereby guilty sinners 
will ever enter in to the presence of a holy God. We thank you for 
the life and death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus. Thank you 
for the glorious gospel of free grace. As we eat this bread tonight, 
as we drink this cup, As we proclaim the Lord's death, may it be a 
time to strengthen, a time to edify, a time to nourish us as 
we are once again refreshed on the glorious truths connected 
to Christ and Him crucified. How we praise you that there 
is forgiveness with you, and how we praise you that we have 
been forgiven, cleansed in that precious blood. We ask now that 
you would wash us afresh from all sin and transgression and 
iniquity. We ask, Lord God, that wherever 
this gospel is preached, sinners, by grace, would be called out 
of darkness into marvelous light to confess that Jesus Christ 
is Lord and Savior. Fill us now with your Holy Spirit, 
and we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Well, we'll focus, 
as I said tonight, on verse 25 under two considerations. First, 
we'll note the redemptive purpose of the death of Christ, and then 
secondly, the redemptive purpose of the resurrection of Christ. But prior to that, we need to 
understand something about the context of Romans 4. We know 
that Paul is dealing with the doctrine of justification by 
faith alone. He begins this in Romans 3, verse 
21, and there continues to the end of chapter 4. And if we've 
read Romans right up until that particular point, we'll know 
that it must be justification by faith alone, because Paul 
outlines the problem of mankind. In Romans 1.18 to Romans 3.20, 
the precursor to his discussion of justification by faith, Paul's 
argument there is that all men everywhere are under sin. All men everywhere have violated 
the holy law of God. All men everywhere have transgressed 
that law, they have lacked conformity to that law, and there is none 
righteous, no, not one." He summarizes his whole argument there at the 
end of Romans chapter 3, and then in 320 he says, therefore, 
by the deeds of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight. 
In other words, flesh, man, woman, boy, girl, because of sin, because 
of this in Adam-ness, we only do that which is evil and wicked 
before a holy God. And so therefore, by the deeds 
of the law, no flesh will be justified in His sight. And then 
he goes on to say, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 
So the law brings about or the law makes known the sin that 
we have. And hopefully it points us to 
the Redeemer, that one in whom there is forgiveness. So that's 
the broader context, justification by faith. And then when he gets 
to chapter 4, he deals specifically with the case of Abraham. Now 
Abraham is called the father of the faithful. Abraham believed 
God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Genesis 15, 
6. That was a decisive time in biblical 
history demonstrating to us the way of approach to a holy God 
is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. was looking 
forward to the coming of the Lord Jesus. He had promises sufficient 
to feed his faith and direct him to that particular Messiah. So Abraham and that discussion 
is summarized in verse 23 in chapter 4. Notice, 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." 
So the reference to God's raising up Christ from the dead in verse 
24 leads to His summary statement in verse 25 and its application 
to all believers. We have in verse 25 the sum and 
substance of the Christian gospel. In fact, the commentator Matthew 
Poole said this one verse is an abridgment of the whole gospel. Charles Hodge in his commentary 
said 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 see how Paul 
does link these two events. death of Christ and the resurrection 
of Christ. Typically we don't associate 
justification with the resurrection. We are, according to Romans 5, 
justified by His blood. We are, according to other places 
in the book of Romans, we are justified, Romans 3, freely by 
His grace. And so when Paul says that he 
is raised because of our justification, it is important to examine and 
to investigate this and to see what the apostle is dealing with. 
So as I said, we'll take up the two parts of the verses under 
two considerations. Note first the redemptive purpose 
of the death of Christ. And we see, first of all, the 
reason for his death. So the statement, verse 24, he 
raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, tells us the fact, 
tells us the reality, tells us the indicative, and now verse 
25a tells us why Jesus died. In other words, why did this 
wonderful son of God come into this world to die? Why did the 
one who was altogether lovely and chief among 10,000 die? Well, 
verse 25a answers that question. He was delivered up because of 
our offenses. We need to notice first that 
this means he wasn't simply an example. Some persons try to 
take Jesus and they try to take the gospel and they try to make 
it one big example of how we ought to live our lives. Brethren, 
there is no way under God that we can ever live our lives the 
way that Jesus Christ did. Certainly we are to pursue Him 
as an example. We are to see Him as the embodiment 
of virtue. We are to see Him as the one 
who is excellent and morally upright and certainly seek to 
pattern our example after Him, our lives after Him, but we'll 
never be Christ. We will never be that one fit, 
according to Psalm 15, to ascend the mountain of the Lord, to 
stand in the presence of God Almighty. He was not delivered 
up in the first place simply as an example. However, turn 
to 1 Peter 2 for just a moment. There, the example of Christ 
is set forth, and as I said, we ought to follow Christ as 
an example, but that does not exhaust the meaning for which 
Jesus came. 1 Peter 2, 18 to 25, very specifically, 
we are told to follow His example. 1 Peter chapter 2, we are told 
to be submissive, we are told to deal with the various troubles, 
trials, difficulties that we face. And then in verse 21, he 
says, for to this you were called, because Christ also suffered 
for us, leaving us an example that you should follow His steps. 
So he is an example. That's not all he is. In fact, 
25a in Romans 4 tells us in the first place he's not an example. I think Paul brings this out 
in 1 Corinthians chapter 1. You can turn there. Again, whenever 
you consider the Bible, you need to consider specific context, 
what's called the analogy of faith, what the entirety of Scripture 
says. And while some want to reduce 
Christ and His gospel simply to the level of example, we can 
never allow such a thing. The emphasis in the gospel is 
on blood atonement. The emphasis in the gospel is 
on without the shedding of blood there is no remission. The emphasis 
is that Christ is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of 
the world. Notice in 1 Corinthians 121, 
for since in the wisdom of God the world through wisdom did 
not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the 
message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request 
a sign and Greeks seek after wisdom, but 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." So going back to Romans 4.25, 
he was delivered up because of our offenses. In other words, 
if it wasn't in the first place exemplary or as an example, we 
need to emphasize what it was for. It was for our sin. It was 
for our transgression. The New King James translates 
it properly. He was delivered up because of 
our offenses. In other words, Christ died because 
of our sins. Christ died because of our transgression. Christ died because the Father 
heaped upon Him the sins of His people, and there He bore the 
punishment on Calvary's tree for his people. The emphasis 
is clear. It was not for offenses in general, 
but for the sins of the elect in particular. And if we go back 
to Romans 1, beginning in verse 18, and we follow out the train 
of thought to Romans 3, verse 20, we'll see the sorts of sins 
that Paul says Jesus was delivered up for, the kinds of sins that 
you and I commit, the breach of the Ten Commandments, the 
idolatry, the blasphemy, the Sabbath-breaking, the insubordination, 
the murder, the adultery, the theft, the lies, the covetousness. Those were the concrete sins 
that Jesus was delivered up because of. Our sins committed against 
a holy God. God says, do this, and we do 
the opposite. God commands us to engage in 
love to Him and love to others, and we engage in hatred to Him 
and hatred of others. And it's not just those blatant 
breaches of the Decalogue, but as Jesus teaches us in the Sermon 
on the Mount, it's not just the external act that the Father 
looks at, but it's the internal disposition. So I would submit 
that all of us, at least at some time or other, have probably 
been guilty of the Sixth Commandment. You say, well, I've never shot 
anyone in the head, I have never strangled anyone, I have never 
engaged in that sort of cessation of another human being's life. 
But in our hearts, we have called people names. We have had unrighteous 
anger toward others. We have resented. We have been 
bitter. We have had that sort of animosity 
toward our fellows, and that is condemned or prohibited by 
the Sixth Commandment. So when we read here, He was 
delivered up because of our offenses, we need to understand what that 
entails. We need to understand that the 
cross is not simply an expression of God's mercy, grace, and kindness, 
but of His justice. In fact, that's one of the things 
that is being emphasized in this particular context. How does 
God maintain His justice, His holiness, and His righteousness 
in light of the fact that wretches, like those members of the Free 
Grace Baptist Church, are going to enter into the presence of 
God? Well, notice in Romans 3.25, it says, whom God set forth as 
a propitiation by His blood through faith to demonstrate His righteousness. You see, I don't think we focus 
on this clause or this emphasis enough. We look at the cross 
and therein we see mercy. Therein we see grace. Therein 
we see forgiveness and kindness and love. And we ought to see 
that. I am not suggesting otherwise. 
John 3.16, God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten 
son. When you're led to the cross 
or to the consideration of the cross, certainly think love. 
Think kindness, think mercy, think grace and forgiveness, 
but never forget righteousness. The glory of the cross is that 
God is able to maintain his godness, righteous, just, and holy, while 
accepting miserable sinners because of this wonderful doctrine of 
justification by faith alone. founded upon the reality of what's 
called imputation that the apostle will deal with in Romans chapter 
5. In other words, the gospel is foolproof. The gospel doesn't 
just deliver men from their sins, but the gospel maintains the 
righteousness and the integrity and the justice of God Most High. He doesn't relax those righteous 
requirements. He doesn't wink at our wickedness. He doesn't pretend that our sins 
aren't there, but rather because of Him making Him, or God making 
Him who knew no sin, to be sin for us that we might become the 
righteousness of God in Him. So Paul says, he sets him 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. Now notice Romans 
3.26, to demonstrate at the present time his righteousness vis-a-vis 
that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has 
faith in Jesus. God maintains His integrity. God maintains His righteousness 
and His justice through this wonderful gospel. He is both 
just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Notice 
in Romans 4, 5, but to him who does not work but believes on 
Him who justifies, notice, the ungodly. Well, it's not in the 
business of justifying the godly as if there were any, or the 
righteous, or the law-abiding. He justifies the ungodly. Whenever 
you are proud, or whenever you are arrogant, or whenever you 
sit back in your easy chair, say, well, there were good reasons 
why God elected me unto salvation. Look at the description of you 
prior to the cross. Ungodly. So the gospel maintains 
not only the salvation of sinners, but the justice of God. So He was delivered up because 
of our offenses. And then notice that particular 
language that is used there, He was delivered up. It points 
to divine initiative. I mentioned this this morning 
in Matthew chapter 28, 6 and 7. When the angel says that he 
has risen or he was raised, that was a passive verb. I took some 
time to explain an active verb is if I hit the wall, a passive 
verb is if the wall hits me. Well, Jesus was raised up. This points to divine initiative. This points specifically to the 
Father. Again, all three persons of the 
Trinity are involved in this act of the resurrection, but 
here specifically we ought to focus on the Deliverer. We know 
that the Jews were culpable. We know that the Jews were guilty 
and responsible. They were the ones that bartered 
a trade with Judas. We see his complicity in the 
death of the Lord Jesus Christ. We see, of course, Pilate. Pilate 
ultimately gave the execution order. Pilate ultimately said 
yea to the crucifixion. So we see all these human agents 
involved, we see their instrumentality, but behind the scenes is the 
divine agenda. Behind the scenes is the plan 
of the Most High. Behind the scenes is what God 
is doing in order to save His people from their sins. So He 
was delivered up because of our offenses. Notice in Isaiah 53, 
verse 11, Pastor Porter read this at the outset of worship, 
and it points to this divine initiative. It points to this 
delivery of the Lord Jesus up to crucifixion by the Father. Notice, I'm sorry, Isaiah 53, 
10. Yet it pleased Yahweh to bruise him. In the context, the 
him, the one of whom Isaiah is writing, is the servant of the 
Lord. He is the suffering servant. He is the Messiah. He is the 
one announced to come to Israel to save his people from their 
sins. But it pleased Yahweh to bruise him or to crush him, if 
you've got the NAS. He has put him to grief. When 
you make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, 
he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of Yahweh shall 
prosper in his hand. Turn over to Acts chapter 2. 
Just to get this fleshed out in your own minds and hearts, 
who was behind the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ? Jesus 
wasn't passive at the hands of men. Jesus was delivered up ultimately 
according to the plan of God most high. And again, he was 
willing, and he highlights as much in John's gospel. I lay 
my life down." Each of the persons are involved in these particular 
acts, but it's often ascribed to God, the triune God. But notice in Acts 2.22, men 
of Israel hear these words, Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested by 
God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God did through 
him in your midst, as you yourselves also know, him being delivered 
by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God. You see, 
there is this narrative at times that sort of seeps into gospel 
preaching that's very dispensational in nature, which almost posits 
a New Testament God and an Old Testament God. Old Testament 
God is full of wrath. He's full of anger. He's full 
of fury and vengeance. Just read those Old Testament 
prophets or read those Old Testament former prophets specifically. 
Read Judges, read Joshua, read 1 and 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings. All you ever see is God's wrath 
and fury. And now this God of the New Testament, 
our Lord Jesus, He's so full of love and compassion and mercy. 
The Father gave the Son. The atonement does not procure 
or purchase love, but rather the atonement is the expression 
of God's love. We mustn't ever forget that reality. Back in Romans chapter 3, he 
says, whom God set forth. Why does God, the Father, do 
this with reference to His Son? It is in order to save His people 
from their sins. It's not the cross that purchases 
the love of God. The cross is a manifestation 
of the love of God. I know several years ago, I think 
it was Ian Murray writing for the Banner of Truth, had a series 
of articles on the cross as the pulpit of God's love. I think 
that's a very good way to sort of express that. There's no New 
Testament God, the God of love, that's appeasing the Old Testament 
God of wrath. The one triune God, Father, Son, 
and Holy Spirit work in perfect concert and in unity, expressing 
love, mercy, kindness, goodness, and all those things that we 
are benefactors of. So it is the Father's plan. who 
was delivered up, passive verb, because of our offenses. God's justice demands that we 
be delivered up to hell because of our sins. God's grace provided 
satisfaction for our sins through the substitutionary sacrifice 
of His Son. We are guilty, vile, helpless. The Lord Christ is the spotless 
Lamb of God who has come to take our place, to bear God's wrath, 
and he was delivered up because of our offenses. As I said, Jesus 
was willing. Jesus was active. Jesus says, 
I lay my life down. John Flavel has some beautiful 
words to sort of illustrate the beauty behind the scene. He says, 
he, God, the Father, delivered him as a judge by sentence of 
law, delivers up the prisoner to be executed. I'm sorry. He 
delivered him as a judge by sentence of law, delivers up the prisoner 
to be executed. It is true Pilate delivered him 
up to be crucified, and he also gave himself for us. But betwixt 
God's delivering, Pilate's delivering, and his own, there is this difference 
to be observed. In God, it was an act of highest 
justice. In Pilate, an act of greatest 
wickedness. In himself, an act of wonderful 
obedience. Beautiful. I love that. Leave 
it to Flavel to illustrate these things in such a profound sort 
of a way. So he was delivered up because 
of our offenses. I think before we proceed with 
reference to the latter half of the verse in terms of resurrection, 
how should this affect us? We should appreciate the fact 
that the cross is a display of God's love, but we also ought 
to appreciate the fact that the cross is a display of God's wrath, 
God's vengeance, God's fury, God's judgment against sin and 
sinners. Trinity hymnal number 192, Thomas 
Kelly has taught us to sing, 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 we ought to appreciate he 
was delivered up because of our offenses. Let that underscore 
to us what our offenses appear to God as. There's something 
vile, there's something wretched, there's something evil to be 
sure. And Paul is going to enter into a discussion after Romans 
5, specifically in 6-7 and to a degree 8, on how the believer 
who is justified freely by his grace ought to pursue holiness 
and righteousness. In other words, those who are 
justified vis-à-vis Romans 3 and 4 are certainly going to enter 
into the life of sanctification in Romans chapter 6. We're not 
going to let, you know, sin reign in our mortal members, but rather 
we're going to present our instruments unto righteousness unto God, 
or as instruments of righteousness unto God. You see, brethren, 
we ought to see what God thinks of sin. As well, we ought to 
appreciate the triune God. the work of redemption. The Father 
delivered up the Son, the Son willingly undertakes on our behalf 
in order to save us from our sins. Well let's look now secondly 
at the redemptive purpose of the resurrection of Christ. So 
verse 25a tells us why he died. He was delivered up because of 
our offenses, and then verse 25b tells us why he was raised 
up. I mean it's one You know, sort of reason out of many, and 
was raised because of our justification. The one delivered up because 
of our offenses was raised for our justification. That language 
this morning in Matthew's gospel when the angel says, he is risen. Redeemed ears ought to be very 
encouraged. Redeemed ears ought to delight 
in that empty tomb. Redeemed ears ought to see therein, 
so great a salvation. We see again the passive verb 
indicates that the Father raised Jesus from the dead. We notice 
that Jesus has the ability, and he says as much in John 2, destroy 
this temple and in three days I will raise it up. Now, John 
chapter 10, he has the ability and power to raise himself up, 
but specifically here I think in view is God the Father. But 
commenting on that, the act of the persons involved in the resurrection, 
Turreton says, 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. We see the fact here stated. 
He was raised because of our justification. I read that section 
in 1 Corinthians 15 this morning. The Apostle Paul says this is 
a truth you cannot compromise. There are those who want to do 
that. They see the gospel records and struggle with the reality 
of a dead body going into the tomb and then being raised again. Some have been content to say, 
well, it really doesn't matter if he physically rose. It's the 
story, it's what it does, it's the existential effect that it 
promotes in the people of God. It doesn't matter if there's 
a body in that tomb or not. It absolutely, positively, 100% 
does matter whether there's a body in that tomb or not. The Lord 
Jesus Christ had prophesied in Matthew 12, Matthew 16, Matthew 
17, Matthew 20, and Matthew 26 that he would die and on the 
third day he would be raised again. If we accept that idea, 
where it really doesn't matter if there's a body there or not, 
it's the feeling, it's the moment, it's the movement, it's the ethos 
that is promoted among the people of God by the idea of resurrection. If we imbibe that, we are denying 
the words of the Lord Jesus and hence denying Him. I love the 
way he says that in Mark's Gospel. He says, whoever is ashamed of 
me and of my words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed. You 
don't deny Christ's words without denying Christ. It is a factual, 
it is a real event that occurred in history. We had all of the 
testimony of those who saw Him dead. We had all of the testimony 
of those who saw Him alive. We have the written record of 
God's revelation given to us. by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It is a fact. It is settled. 
It is true. It is something that we hang 
our souls on, and happily so. Paul says, if Christ is not raised, 
then you're still in your sins. Brethren, this is indeed good 
news. Now notice, the result of resurrection, 
he says he was raised because of our justification. Now justification, 
as it's being used in this particular context, is a specific act. It's a forensic declaration by 
God that the sinner is righteous. Not because of the sinner. but 
because of what Christ has done for the sinner. Justification, 
to use a familiar definition, is an act of God's free grace 
wherein He pardons all of our sins and He accepts us as righteous 
in His sight only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us and received 
by faith alone. So, Paul tells us we're justified 
freely by His grace. Paul tells us that we're justified 
by His blood. Paul tells us that we're justified 
by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. And here, 
he tells us he was raised because of our justification. So, whence 
or how or wherein the connection? because of the historical link 
between the crucifixion and the resurrection. You don't have 
one without the other. You don't have one void of the 
other. If you have the crucified Savior, 
you have the resurrected Savior. The two things are inseparable. The resurrection is the necessary 
follow-up to the crucifixion, such that when Paul says he was 
raised because of our justification, we say yea and amen and thank 
God most high that though he was dead, he was raised up for 
our justification. B.D. Warfield describes it or 
explains it this way. He says, that He died manifests 
His love and His willingness to save. Doesn't it? Listen to 
this, because I think Warfield, you know, just really nails it 
here. He says, that Christ died manifests His love and His willingness 
to save. Now, I might die for you to manifest 
my love and my willingness to save you. But if I'm not raised 
from the dead, all that love and all that desire doesn't avail 
you anything. You could say, what a noble sort 
he was. Too bad he couldn't deliver. 
Warfield continues, 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? 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. Raj adds, the resurrection of 
Christ as an historical fact established by the most satisfactory 
evidence authenticates the whole gospel. As surely as Christ has 
risen, so surely shall believers be saved. That's the emphasis 
in chapter 4, verse 25. He was delivered up because of 
our sins, because of our offenses, because of our transgression, 
because of our lack of conformity unto that law, because of our 
idolatry, because of our blasphemy, because of our Sabbath-breaking, 
because of our hatred toward our fellows. He was delivered 
up because of that. But He was raised up for our 
justification. Now, what's the theological connection 
between resurrection and justification? There's probably a lot more to 
say, just a couple of thoughts, and then we'll conclude our message 
tonight. First, the resurrection testifies that Jesus Christ is 
the Son of God with power. Look back at Romans 1, specifically 
at verse 4. Well, we'll start in verse one. 
Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, 
separated to the gospel of God, which he promised before 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. The resurrection testifies that 
Christ is the son of God with power. Note the beauty of the 
hypostatic union. We have the seed of David, according 
to verse 3. We have the Son of God, according 
to verse 4. Not two Christs, not two persons, but one person, 
two natures. That one who was held by the 
feet, according to Matthew 28.9, was worshiped as God the Lord. This is our Christ. Secondly, the resurrection testifies 
that Christ's sacrifice was accepted. The resurrection testifies that 
Christ's sacrifice was accepted. John Gill explains, he 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, 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 applied to all those for whom He had wrought it out." 
So we see this resurrection affirms, confirms, demonstrates completely 
that the sacrifice yielded up by the Son of God on the cross 
was accepted by the Father. Thirdly, the resurrection testifies 
that satisfaction was indeed rendered. The fact that the sacrifice 
was accepted means that satisfaction was rendered. Meaning, that God 
can be both just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus 
Christ. You see, that is sort of the 
underlying principle, or at least one of them, with reference to 
atonement, the idea of satisfaction. God's justice must be satisfied. It doesn't just get averted, 
it doesn't just get cast away, but rather it is satisfied through 
the doing and the dying of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 
That's why this rich gospel vocabulary that the Bible presents to us 
ought to be learned. It ought to be known. We ought 
to ponder the word propitiation. We ought to ponder satisfaction. We ought to ponder substitution. 
We ought to ponder reconciliation and all these things that show 
us the glorious work of salvation from these various facets so 
that it may thrill the hearts of God's people so that we'll 
sing with happiness, hallelujah, what a savior. Fourth, the resurrection 
testifies that redemption was indeed accomplished. It stands 
to reason, if the sacrifice was accepted, satisfaction is rendered, 
then that means that redemption was in fact accomplished. When our Lord stood before those 
women in Matthew 28, when our Lord stood before others, and 
as He stands before us by faith, as we read the written word, 
we know. that he has accomplished the 
redemption of his people. And in this, brethren, I hope 
we are encouraged. I hope that we are blessed. I 
hope that we will, with the apostles, celebrate this reality that Christ 
was delivered up because of our offenses and he was raised for 
our justification. Praise God Almighty for His glorious 
work on behalf of sinners. We see the blessed effect or 
the result, and we'll end here, in Romans 5.1. Notice that, therefore, 
It just follows beautifully. After this discussion of justification 
by faith, therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace 
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, remember who he's 
talking about. He's talking about those who 
were filled with offenses. He's talking about those who 
were ungodly. He is talking about those who 
are unrighteous, lawless ones, vile offenders of a holy God, 
vile offenders against those who are their fellows. And yet, 
because of God's grace, when He opens our eyes, He opens our 
hearts, He shows us our sins, and He shows us the loveliness 
of Jesus. By His grace, when we believe 
that gospel, Those who are lawless, those who are enemies, those 
who are in opposition to God now have peace through our Lord 
Jesus Christ. Well, let us pray. Our Father, 
we thank You for Your Word. We thank You for this truth or 
these truths taught us in Romans 4.25, concerning the crucifixion 
and the resurrection of our Lord. Certainly it is a great encapsulation 
of all that the gospel teaches. I pray that you would encourage 
our hearts now. I pray that as we take the supper together, 
you would help us to know communion with one another to be sure, 
but to know communion with you, our great and our holy God. How 
we thank you for the forgiveness of sins, how we thank you for 
the righteousness that you have given to us, and how we pray 
that in all of this, in our worship service tonight, God would be 
all in all. As we come to the Father through 
Jesus Christ, the Lord, and the power of the Holy Spirit, God 
would be magnified, glorified, exalted, praised, and worshiped 
in this place. And we ask through Jesus Christ, 
our Lord. Amen.