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

I. I. INTROINTRO

II. II. THE GOSPELTHE GOSPEL

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

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

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

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

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

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

6) 6) This Justification Is “Through the This Justification Is “Through the Redemption That Came by Christ Redemption That Came by Christ Jesus” Jesus” (v. 24).(v. 24).

Charles HodgeCharles Hodge: : RedemptionRedemption means means “deliverance effected by the payment of a “deliverance effected by the payment of a ransom.... That from which we are ransom.... That from which we are redeemed is the wrath of God; the price of redeemed is the wrath of God; the price of our redemption is the blood of Christ.”our redemption is the blood of Christ.”

~ Though justification was totally free ~ Though justification was totally free to us, it was in fact “purchased” by to us, it was in fact “purchased” by Christ with His blood. Christ with His blood.

~ ~ Christ paid the ransom that Christ paid the ransom that redeemed us from God’s just and redeemed us from God’s just and holy wrath.holy wrath.

At this point it will be helpful to At this point it will be helpful to distinguish between justification and a distinguish between justification and a mere pardon. mere pardon.

~ A pardon is excusing an offense ~ A pardon is excusing an offense without exacting a penalty. without exacting a penalty.

~ In God’s plan of justification, justice ~ In God’s plan of justification, justice has been satisfied; the penalty has has been satisfied; the penalty has been fully paid by the Lord Jesus been fully paid by the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ.

~ ~ In a sense, to justify is to declare In a sense, to justify is to declare that the claims of justice have that the claims of justice have been fully met.been fully met.

We need to dwell more on the work of We need to dwell more on the work of Christ as it satisfied the demands of God’s Christ as it satisfied the demands of God’s law.law.

~ It is a concept we need to become ~ It is a concept we need to become acquainted with in our daily lives. acquainted with in our daily lives.

~ When our consciences are smiting ~ When our consciences are smiting us us because of our sin, it is important to because of our sin, it is important to

reflect upon the fact that, though our reflect upon the fact that, though our sins are real and inexcusable, sins are real and inexcusable, nevertheless God’s justice has nevertheless God’s justice has already been satisfied through the already been satisfied through the “satisfaction of Christ,” that the “satisfaction of Christ,” that the penalty has been fully paid by penalty has been fully paid by Him.Him.

7) 7) God Presented Jesus as a Sacrifice God Presented Jesus as a Sacrifice of Atonement Through Faith in His of Atonement Through Faith in His

BloodBlood (v. 25). (v. 25).

NIV footnote: NIV footnote: “sacrifice of atonement” – “sacrifice of atonement” – “as the one who would turn aside his “as the one who would turn aside his [God’s] wrath, taking away sin.”[God’s] wrath, taking away sin.”

~ The atonement, then, assumes the ~ The atonement, then, assumes the wrath of God against sin, and our wrath of God against sin, and our consequent liability to His holy and consequent liability to His holy and just wrath. just wrath.

~ Rom 1:18; Eph 2:3~ Rom 1:18; Eph 2:3

~ ~ “wrath of God” – “wrath of God” – not uncontrolled not uncontrolled passion and hatred passion and hatred

~ ~ D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on the wrath on the wrath of God: “His settled opposition to all of God: “His settled opposition to all that is evil, arising out of His very that is evil, arising out of His very nature.... His nature is such that He nature.... His nature is such that He abhors evil, He hates evil. His abhors evil, He hates evil. His holiness of necessity leads to that.”holiness of necessity leads to that.”

Some Bible translations use the word Some Bible translations use the word propitiation.propitiation.

~ ~ Propitiation in the context of Propitiation in the context of salvation means that which salvation means that which

appeases the wrath of God appeases the wrath of God against against sin.sin.

Two important points about Christ’s Two important points about Christ’s propitiationpropitiation

First, First, GodGod presented Him, or set presented Him, or set Him forth as an atoning sacrifice.Him forth as an atoning sacrifice.

~ When we are acutely conscious of ~ When we are acutely conscious of our sin and think that God’s wrath our sin and think that God’s wrath must somehow be hanging over us, must somehow be hanging over us, we need to remember that we need to remember that God the God the Father Himself is the One who Father Himself is the One who devised a way whereby His wrath devised a way whereby His wrath against sin might be fully executed against sin might be fully executed apart from our experiencing the apart from our experiencing the force of that wrath.force of that wrath.

The second point is that this The second point is that this propitiation is appropriated by us as propitiation is appropriated by us as sinners through faith in His blood.sinners through faith in His blood.

~ The blood of Christ, referring to His ~ The blood of Christ, referring to His death, is to be the object of our death, is to be the object of our

faith faith by which we appropriate by which we appropriate His His propitiation.propitiation.

~ Heb 9:14~ Heb 9:14

~ 1Jn 1:7~ 1Jn 1:7

~ Heb 10:10 ~ Heb 10:10

Therefore when we are smarting Therefore when we are smarting under the conviction of sin, when we under the conviction of sin, when we realize we’ve failed God one more realize we’ve failed God one more time, perhaps even in the same sin, time, perhaps even in the same sin, we must resort to the cleansing we must resort to the cleansing blood of Jesus.blood of Jesus.

It is not our contrition or sorrow for our It is not our contrition or sorrow for our sin, it is not our repentance that sin, it is not our repentance that cleanses us.cleanses us.

~ ~ It is the blood of Christ, shed once It is the blood of Christ, shed once for all on Calvary two thousand for all on Calvary two thousand years ago but appropriated daily years ago but appropriated daily or even many times a day, that or even many times a day, that cleanses our consciences and cleanses our consciences and gives us a renewed sense of peace gives us a renewed sense of peace with God.with God.

IV. IV. PREACH THE GOSPEL TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO YOURSELFYOURSELF

This then is the gospel with which we This then is the gospel with which we need to become thoroughly familiar and need to become thoroughly familiar and that we need to preach to ourselves every that we need to preach to ourselves every day.day.

To preach the gospel to yourself, then, To preach the gospel to yourself, then, means that you continually face up to your means that you continually face up to your own sinfulness and then flee to Jesus own sinfulness and then flee to Jesus through faith in His shed blood and through faith in His shed blood and righteous life.righteous life.

~ It means that you appropriate, again ~ It means that you appropriate, again by faith, the fact that Jesus fully by faith, the fact that Jesus fully satisfied the law of God, that He is satisfied the law of God, that He is your propitiation, and that God’s holy your propitiation, and that God’s holy wrath is no longer directed toward you.wrath is no longer directed toward you.

To preach the gospel to yourself means To preach the gospel to yourself means that you take at face value the precious that you take at face value the precious words of words of Rom 4:7-8Rom 4:7-8::“7 Blessed are those “7 Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered. 8 and whose sins have been covered. 8 blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account.” not take into account.”

It means that you believe on the It means that you believe on the testimony of God that, testimony of God that, “Therefore, there “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”are in Christ Jesus” ( (Rom 8:1Rom 8:1). ).

~ It means you believe that, ~ It means you believe that, “Christ “Christ redeemedredeemed [you] [you] from the curse of from the curse of

the the law by becoming a curse forlaw by becoming a curse for [you], [you], for for it is written: ‘Cursed it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is everyone who is hung on a is hung on a tree’”tree’” ( (Gal 3:13Gal 3:13). ).

~ It means you believe He forgave you ~ It means you believe He forgave you all your sins (all your sins (Col 2:13Col 2:13) and now ) and now ““[presents you] [presents you] holy in his sight, holy in his sight, without blemish and free from without blemish and free from accusation”accusation” ( (Col 1:22Col 1:22).).

Turning to the Old Testament, to preach Turning to the Old Testament, to preach the gospel to yourself means that you the gospel to yourself means that you appropriate by faith the words of appropriate by faith the words of Isa 53:6Isa 53:6: : “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”us all.”

It means that you dwell upon the It means that you dwell upon the promise that God has removed your promise that God has removed your transgressions from you as far as the transgressions from you as far as the east is from the west (east is from the west (Ps 103:12Ps 103:12), that ), that He has blotted out your transgressions He has blotted out your transgressions and remembers your sin no more (and remembers your sin no more (Isa Isa 43:2543:25). (See also ). (See also Isa 38:17Isa 38:17 and and Mic Mic 7:197:19 for other assurances of God’s for other assurances of God’s forgiveness.) forgiveness.)

But it means you realize that all But it means you realize that all these wonderful promises of these wonderful promises of forgiveness are based upon the forgiveness are based upon the atoning death of Jesus Christ.atoning death of Jesus Christ.

~ ~ We must be careful that, in We must be careful that, in preaching the gospel to preaching the gospel to

ourselves, ourselves, we do not preach a we do not preach a gospel without gospel without a cross. a cross.

This is the gospel by which we were This is the gospel by which we were saved, and it is the gospel by which we saved, and it is the gospel by which we must live every day of our Christian must live every day of our Christian lives. lives.

~ ~ Rom 3:24Rom 3:24 – refers to what we might – refers to what we might call our point-in-time salvation, the call our point-in-time salvation, the

day we trusted in Christ. day we trusted in Christ.

~ ~ Rom 5:2 Rom 5:2 – refers to our day-to-day – refers to our day-to-day standing before God as being standing before God as being

on the on the same basis as our same basis as our justification – that justification – that is, on the is, on the basis of grace. basis of grace.

God is the God is the “God of all grace” “God of all grace” (1Pet (1Pet 5:10) and is disposed to deal with us by 5:10) and is disposed to deal with us by grace, grace, but not at the expense of His but not at the expense of His justice.justice.

~ But with justice satisfied, God can ~ But with justice satisfied, God can now deal with us in grace, now deal with us in grace,

both in our both in our salvation and in our salvation and in our day-to-day day-to-day relationship with relationship with Him.Him.