245 - Les Feldick Bible Study Lesson 2 - Part 1 - Book 21 - Redemption and Justification

https://lesfeldickbiblestudy.com Through the Bible with Les Feldick LESSON 2 * PART 1 * BOOK 21 REDEMPTION AND JUSTIFICATION - ROMANS 3:25-4:8 Now back to Romans Chapter 3. So let's begin in verse 20 for a little review. Romans 3:20,21 Remember the Old Testament was under predominately the economy of Law, to the Nation of Israel who were under the Law with all their Temple worship, their priesthood, and their sacrifices. You won't find it in the Old Testament because this is part of that "revelation" that Paul is constantly talking about. I've used this illustration many times, and I'll repeat it again. Look at verse 21 again: Romans 3:21 "Even the righteousness of God (what does that really mean? God can never do anything amiss, otherwise He couldn't be God. So whatever God does is going to be absolutely fair, just, and right) without the law is manifested (is laid out in the open), being witnessed by the law and the prophets;" You don't throw the Old Testament away. I've had many people tell me that they never look at the Old Testament because that's all outdated. The Old Testament is still applicable. Romans 15:4 Not doctrine but rather our learning. Look at verse 4 again. Romans 3:22 "Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe; for there is no difference:" Between Jew and Gentile. Now verse 23, and this is the capstone of everything that God laid out in chapters 1 and 2. The immoral man, the moral man, the religious man; it didn't make any difference. Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" No person that has ever lived can merit favor with God on his own. It's impossible, for The Book says "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." People have a hard time understanding that. We are born sinners. Romans 3:24a "Being justified..." To bring it into the scriptural realm, justification is that judicial act of God whereby He declares the sinner who believes, "Just as if he had never sinned." That's hard for us to swallow, that once God justifies us, He sees us just like He saw Adam before he fell? In other words God didn't finally get back in a corner and say, "Okay, I'll justify you, and declare you just as if you have never sinned because you deserve it." God justifies us freely. Romans 3:24 We're justified freely by His grace. Very few church people understand this word `Grace.' Grace is that attribute of God whereby He, in His love and mercy, pours out on Sons of Adam the opportunity for eternal life if they will just believe the Gospel. I Cor. 15:1-4) Now that's Grace. I always like to use the Apostle Paul as an example when he was on the road to Damascus as probably the most perfect picture of the Grace of God in all of Scripture. No, he was yet breathing slaughter, and threatenings against those believers and God zapped him with eternal life, and confronted him. Completely hopeless. Did God say, "Well hurry up and build bridges?" No! God said almost the ridiculous didn't He? Open the Red Sea. Now that's Salvation Oh it's so beautiful, if only people can understand that we are in that hopeless situation because we are sons of Adam, we're sinners. Romans 3:24 "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:" First, justification whereby God declares the sinner just as if he had never sinned. By redemption, and what's redemption? Paying a price. I have a little illustration about redemption that goes like this. The little lad was just aghast, and said, "Momma, there's my boat!"There was no way the little lad could afford to pay for his boat, and his mom wasn't going to. So he determined that he'd go home and work and save his money until he had enough to buy his little boat back. I made you and now I've bought you back." God's Grace can be appropriated and that is the price that had to be paid for our redemption. The basic Greek word used in redemption is "Exagorazo" - which means to buy out of the market. And naturally we are picturing a slave market in Paul's day. As sons of Adam falling short of the glory of God every human being is in Satan's slave market whether they know it or not. The only hope is that they are bought out of that slave market. And that's exactly what the Blood of Christ did, that Blood paid the price of redemption. A rich Roman goes down to the slave market and he sees a young teenager that is healthy and strong so he buys him and takes him home. Once Christ has paid the price of redemption, and not only bought us out of the slave market of Satan, but He also sets us free. It's because His shed Blood has paid the price of our redemption. Go to I Peter Chapter 1. I Peter 1:18,19 #LesFeldick #BibleStudy #Bible