What Realm do you live in?

Sermon Notes

Romans 3; Luke 18; Luke 19

What Realm do you live in?

The goal of this message is to examine the heart of the gospel, justification by faith alone in Christ alone, contrasting gift-righteousness with works-righteousness.  We are getting at the first part of the gospel prayer: “In Christ, there is nothing I can do that would make You love me more, and nothing I have done that makes You love me less.”

 

Justification by faith …

• “The doctrine by which the church stands or falls.”  -  Martin Luther
• “The righteous shall live by faith.” -  Romans 1:17

 

 

Two Competing Kingdoms …

• Kingdom of Self vs, Kingdom of Christ
• Whose Righteousness are you Seeking?
• Romans 3:9-12, 20-26

 

 

Gift-Righteousness vs. Works-Righteousness

• Self-Righteous Poster Boy -  RYR (Luke 18:17-27)
• Gift-Righteousness Poster Boy -  Zac (Luke 19:1-10)

 

 

He entered Jericho and was passing through.  and behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus.  He was a chief tax collector and was rich.  and he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature.  So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way.  And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for i must stay at your house today.”  So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully.  and when he they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.”  And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor.  and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.”  and Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham.  for the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

 

Notes, Quotes & Scripture References:

Romans 3:9-12, 20, 21-26 …

For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: ‘No one is righteous, no not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.  All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one … For by the works of the law no human being will be justified in His sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the law and the prophets bear witness to it – the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.  For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.  This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.  It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

 

“Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.  Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.  And a ruler asked Him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’  And Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good?  No one is good except God alone.  You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery.  Do not murder.  Do not steal.  Do not bear false witness.  Honor you father and mother.’  And he said, ‘All these I have kept from my youth.’  When Jesus heard this, he said to him, ‘One thing you still lack.  Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come follow me.’  But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.  Jesus seeing that he had become sad, said, ‘How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!  For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.’  Those who heard it said, ‘Then who can be saved?’  But he said, ‘What is impossible with man is possible with God.’

Quotes …

“Religion tells us to go and change; the gospel changes us on the spot.” - Tim Keller

“The only ones who will ever get better are those who know that God’s acceptance of them is not conditional on their getting better.” - J.D. Greear