"How Do We Become Acceptable To God?"
Weekend of October 15, 2000
Sermon on Romans 3:19-24
Saint Mark's, Watertown, WI
Pastor Karl Walther
Scripture assures us: Because of his great love for us: God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ-- even when we were dead in transgressions; it is by grace you have been saved! Amen.
God's Word for our special consideration this morning is Romans chapter three, verses nineteen through twenty-four. Here the Apostle Paul writes, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit:
Now
we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so
that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law;
rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.
But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
This is God's Spirit-inspired Word of Jesus Christ.
Introduction & Theme: Our Consideration of the Second Article Asks:
"How Do We Become Acceptable To God?"
Dear fellow Christians-- carrying that name because Christ means everything to you:
Starting this year, every year at about this time your pastors have plans to review with you through a series of sermons the teachings you have learned from the Bible by way of Luther's Small Catechism. We have started this year with what's probably the chief part of the main part of the six parts of the catechism-- the Second Article of the Apostles Creed: dealing with Jesus Christ.
Two weeks ago Pastor Heiges reminded you, on the basis of the Bible, that Jesus Christ is God and man who reconciled you to God. A week ago Pastor Werner reminded you, on the basis of the Bible, that Jesus Christ was anointed prophet, priest, and king, in order to accomplish his saving work. This week we're aiming to take an even closer look at Jesus' work itself.
As we do so, you and I are going to consider the question: * HOW DO WE BECOME ACCEPTABLE TO GOD? Now, as we consider that question, "How Do We Become Acceptable To God?" I suppose there are two other things we'll need to deal with-- namely: (1) WHY IS THAT QUESTION AN IMPORTANT ONE? and (2) HOW SHALL WE ANSWER THAT QUESTION (How Do We Become Acceptable To God)?
Part One: Why Is It Important To Ask:
"How Do We Become Acceptable To God"?
"How Do We Become Acceptable To God?" Does that strike you as an important question? Probably so! But let me suggest to you that not all that many people care to wrestle with it these days. Take your average Joe or Jane on the streets. How much are they really concerned with the question: "How Do We Become Acceptable To God?" How much have they really struggled with that concept? Aren't they probably more concerned with paying bills, or being happy, or making a name for themselves?
I suggest to you that they are! And furthermore, I suggest to you that their attitude has infected you and me. Aren't we often inclined to be more concerned with paying the bills, or gaining happiness, or making a name for ourselves-- than we are concerned with becoming acceptable to God? That's why I consider my first task this morning to prove to you why it's important to ask: "How Do We Become Acceptable To God?"
• "How Do We Become Acceptable To God?" That's an important question, first of all, because there really is an almighty, eternal God. It's obvious, isn't it? The grass outside our church, the river down the hill, the trees beyond that, the mountains, the oceans, the sky-- they didn't just happen. God made them. And the same God that made them was here before them, and he'll be here after them. What’s more: after our death we'll live either along with or apart from that almighty, eternal God. Scripture declares: The body returns to the ground it came from; the spirit returns to God who gave it.
• "How Do We Become Acceptable To God?" It's an important question because God indeed exists-- and secondly, there are some things that are not acceptable to him. That's obvious, too, isn't it? God does not accept lawbreaking; people get punished in prison for that. God does not accept perversion; people get punished with disease for that. God does not accept harm done to another person; guilty consciences prove that. And our guilty consciences prove God does not accept idolatry; God does not accept our failure to worship him; God does not accept our lackadaisical attitude toward his Word. Scripture declares: I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God-- punishing the children for the sins of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me.
• "How Do We Become Acceptable To God?" It's an important question because God exists, and he punishes sin, and finally: there is nothing we ourselves can do to change it. That's obvious, too, isn't it? If I've got a perfect, holy, righteous God -- and I most assuredly do -- then he will be satisfied with nothing less than perfection, holiness, and righteousness on my part. I mean: it's good that I'm faithful to my wife-- but unless I never ever lust, it's not going to be good enough for God. It’s good that I love my kids-- but unless I never ever lose my patience, it's not going to be good enough for God. It’s good that I work hard to serve you-- but unless I never ever fail to care about you, it's not going to be good enough for God. Scripture declares-- and this is God's Word to us today: Now we know that whatever God's law says, it says to us who are under God's law, so that every mouth may shut up and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight -- found acceptable to God, brought into conformity with God's will -- by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our many sins.
Part Two: How Shall We Answer the Question:
"How Do We Become Acceptable To God"?
So: "How Do We Become Acceptable To God?" It's an important question because there is a God, and he doesn't accept sin, and being sinners: there's nothing we ourselves can do about this sad situation. So: if there is a God, and if he doesn't accept sin, and if there's nothing we sinners can do to improve the sad situation-- it brings us to the next point: How shall we answer the question: "How Do We Become Acceptable To God?"
Ah! Listen to the rest of God's Word to us today! But now a righteousness from God-- an acceptability to him, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets (the Old Testament) testify. This righteousness from God -- this acceptability to God -- comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
° There's the answer! "How Do We Become Acceptable To God?" -- Through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus! And what's that? What's "redemption"? Well, whenever you hear the words "redemption", "redeemed", "Redeemer", it's always a matter of somebody doing some work or making some payment to set another person free. That's evident from three words that the Old Testament uses for redemption.
In the Old Testament, on the great day of redemption or atonement, in the autumn of every year, the Lord redeemed his people from their sins. He had the high priest shed the blood of an animal in payment to set the Israelites free from their transgressions. And that's what Jesus did for us. On our great day of redemption or atonement, Good Friday, Jesus poured out his blood as a payment to set us free from our sins. That's redemption! That's how we became acceptable to God!
Again: in the Old Testament, a fellow named Boaz redeemed a woman named Ruth from disappearance and death. He made a payment to buy her land and to acquire her as his wife, so that she would lose neither property nor lineage. And that's what Jesus did for us. He redeemed us when he went through hell on the cross; he made the payment so that we'd lose neither our property in paradise nor our eternal lineage. Jesus redeemed us! That's how we became acceptable to God!
And again: in the Old Testament in the Exodus, God became Israel's redeemer. He did the work, he sent the plagues, so that the Israelites were set free from their enemies in Egypt. And that's what Jesus did for us. Jesus lived the life to bring us into conformity with God's standards. Jesus died the death to take away our fatal flaws. Jesus rose again to deliver to us God's declaration that we are now acceptable. Jesus is our Redeemer! That's how we became acceptable to God!
° "How Do We Become Acceptable To God?" Jesus has made the payment to set us free; he paid the ransom price, his blood, so that sin, death, and Satan no longer have us kidnapped. That's redemption. There's another word we ought to look at briefly here, and that's "justification". It says: We are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. And what's that? What does it mean that "we are justified"? Well, the word "justification" means that God considers us to be in conformity with his standards.
It sort of reminds me of a time, fourteen years ago, when I was working at a place called Hy-Tech Tool & Die over in Mequon. I used to machine circuit boards for medical equipment, and it usually just involved drilling holes. But we had standards for those holes. They had to be placed within a hundredth of an inch of the right spot. If we missed, the piece got rejected. (If we missed too many times, we got rejected!)
Well, that's the way it is with us. God's got standards-- and we've got to be right on, according to those standards: perfectly trusting in him, perfectly loving him, perfectly serving him. And that's exactly the way we are now, because God has counted Christ's life as ours. Just as perfectly as Jesus trusted his Father in Gethsemane, just as perfectly as Jesus loved his Father as expressed in his many prayers, just as perfectly as Jesus served his Father despite his many temptations-- that's how holy, righteous, and perfect we now are. Jesus has justified us! We will not be rejected!
° So, "How do we become acceptable to God?" Jesus made the payment to set us free. (He redeemed us.) Jesus did the work to put us into conformity with God's standards. (He justified us.) And to whom does this apply?
Everyone! Absolutely everyone! There's not a soul from five thousand years ago to whom this does not apply, and there's not a soul five thousand years from now to whom this won't apply. Jesus redeemed everyone. There's not a single old soul in Asia today to whom this does not apply, and there's not a single baby born in Africa today to whom this does not apply. Jesus justified everyone. The Bible says here: All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and that same "all" are justified.
Of course, unfortunately, those who reject this good news will receive no benefit from it. It also says here: This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. And those who don't believe include, unquestionably, well over five billion of the six billion people living today. Jesus said: Small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. But today in God's Word, God the Holy Spirit has drawn your heart to believe this message. And in this way you will live with the almighty and eternal God forever and ever.
Conclusion & Application: What Difference Does It Make In Our Life
When We Find Out: "How Do We Become Acceptable To God"?
So then: "How Do We Become Acceptable To God?" It's an important question-- because there is a God, and sin is not acceptable to him, and there is nothing we can do to change that. But Jesus has redeemed us. Jesus has justified us. Jesus has drawn us to trust him. And it makes a difference in your life.
• If you are now acceptable to God through Jesus Christ -- and if that means for you eternal life -- you'll stop at nothing to keep your grip on that message. So, this cannot be the last time we see you in church this month. This cannot be the last you read of God's Word until the next time you're here. Jesus has redeemed you, after all!
• If you are now acceptable to God through Jesus Christ, you are going to live your life that way. You're not going to live in lust or anger or disobedience day after day, and you're not going to lack for contentment or courage or confidence. Jesus has justified you, after all!
• If you are now acceptable to God through Jesus Christ -- and if that's true for others, too -- you're going to tell them. You're going to open your mouths at home and at work, and you're going to open your wallets here at church—in order to get the message out. ...Because Jesus now means everything to you. Amen.
Scripture assures us: God raised us up with Christ, and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus: in order that in the coming ages he might show us the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. Amen.