The heart of the gospel is under threat by the deception of human achievement. Every other religion on earth is an expression of man’s attempt to reach divine righteousness, whether through ritual expression, commanded devotion, sacrifices, charity, or societal expectations. It is Christianity alone, as correctly taught from the scriptures, that reveals the good news of God’s saving and transforming grace.
Observations:
Without faith in Jesus
- Our condition is death
– idolatrous
– indulgent
– ingrained - Our confidence is in self
- Our credit is by works
- Our conclusion is self-righteousness
With faith in Jesus
- Our condition is alive
– saved
– raised
– seated - Our confidence is in Christ
- Our credit is by grace
- Our conclusion is a new-creation
Conclusions:
- Salvation is by grace through faith, not by works
- Those saved by Jesus are God’s new creation to do good works
- God purpose for saving sinners by His grace is to show the glory of God
Application:
- Put to death the striving of self-righteousness
- Place your trust (faith) in God’s gift of righteousness through Jesus
- Discover and walk in the good works that God has prepared for you, by which you will glorify Him
Zechariah 4:6
“So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.”
Revelation 12:9
“The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray.”
Philippians 3:3-9
“For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.”
Matthew 5:20
“For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Romans 5:6-8
“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
(1) Lower God’s Standards (2) Distort God’s Judgment (3) Elevate Ourselves
Genesis 3:1-5
“Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
James 2:10
“For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.”
Luke 18:9-14
“To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Galatians 2:19-3:5
“For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?”
Romans 7:4
“So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.”
Galatians 3:24
“So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.”
Romans 4:4-5
“Now to the one who works, the wages are not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.”