The Sermon: Romans 3:19-25,28

Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. ²⁰ For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. ²¹ But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it– ²² the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith… ²⁸ For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

Theme: MEAT AND POTATOES

Summary: Justification by Faith is the meat and potatoes of Scripture. This is the Bible’s central doctrine that a person is declared righteous before God not by their own works, but by faith in Jesus Christ. God’s Law requires righteousness and declares that all people are condemned by their sins. God’s Gospel is the good news that, in love, God has supplied His righteousness through the substitutionary payment (propitiation) of His Son Jesus Christ.  When a person is given faith in Jesus Christ, the righteousness of Christ is imputed (credited) to him. This imputed righteousness is the believer’s certain assurance of eternal life. We pray to the Lord to never stop feeding us with this meat-and-potatoes doctrine, Justification by Faith, and to help us keep this most important doctrine at the center of our preaching and teaching.