Part 9

“Now it was not written for [Abraham’s] sake alone that [righteousness] was imputed to him, but also for us. [Righteousness] 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” (Romans 4.23-25).  

The resurrection of Jesus Christ occurred in order to take away our offenses and to make us right with God.  God’s power is demonstrated in His ability to create something out of nothing, to give Isaac to essentially dead parents, and to raise up His own Son from the dead.  God’s power also clears away our sin and declares us righteous.  How could He do this?  He made Jesus Christ who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might have the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5.21).

Abraham believed God.  Do you?  Do you believe that Jesus Christ was delivered up and crucified because of your offenses?  Do you believe He was raised from the dead because of your justification?

How much did Abraham know about Jesus Christ of Nazareth?  Unless the LORD revealed to him something not recorded in the Word, he knew very little.  But what God did reveal to Abraham, Abraham believed.

We have a clear understanding of who Jesus Christ is and what Jesus Christ did for us.  We have a strong framework for faith.  God has made it clear.  Jesus Christ is the One “who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification” (Romans 4.25).  Do you believe that?  It really is that simple.

To others you may produce very little by way of spiritual fruitfulness.  Abraham and Sarah were basically dead.  Yet they had a son, and Abraham clung to that hope because of the God who introduced it.  Improbable?  Most assuredly!  Yet, he believed God.  Contrary to hope, in hope he believed.  And all things are possible for the person who believes.

The gospel for Abraham was, “In you all the nations shall be blessed” (Galatians 3.8).  The gospel for you is that Jesus Christ, the God-Man, “was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification” (Romans 4.25).  He believed.  Do you?

1. No one is justified by works.  Self-righteousness will lead many to perish with or without the law.  You are no longer ignorant of God’s righteousness.  Do not seek to establish your own righteousness.  Submit to the righteousness of God (Romans 10.3).
2. There is no doctrine more important to get right than this one.  Your are justified by faith.  Faith unlocks the door to justification and it opens up a new world to the new creation God made us to be.  “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.”  So now that we are justified by faith let us “watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, and be strong” (1 Corinthians 16.13).