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.
Introduction
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.
Redemptive Purpose of Christ's Death
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,
Christ Died for Our Offenses
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,
Divine Initiative in the Delivery
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-Ã -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.
Redemptive Purpose of the Resurrection
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
Justification Defined
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.
Resurrection Declares Christ's Divine Sonship
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.
Resurrection Confirms Sacrifice Accepted
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.
Resurrection Confirms Satisfaction Rendered
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.
Resurrection Confirms Redemption Accomplished
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.
Application: Peace with God
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.
Closing Prayer
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.