Class Lesson March 15, 2020

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE

I am an American, but I have Middle Eastern characteristics. So when I was leading a trip to Egypt, it was easy to assume I was a native-born Egyptian. On one occasion, a man walked up to me and immediately began speaking Arabic. He seemed to be in a panic when it became obvious I was confused by his words. I was in a situation I could not resolve and needed a mediator. Thankfully a translator stepped in and did just that: he served as a go-between and made conversation possible. Mediators are often needed to get two parties on the same page. Businesses use them, legal disputes sometimes call for them, and unfortunately, many marriages need them. When we need reconciliation, a mediator can “save the day.”

One area where we all need a mediator is in our relationship with God. While the Egyptian and I were separated by language, we are separated from God by our sin. It’s a rift we cannot fix. We desperately need a mediator to step in. Thankfully, God has provided a mediator in Jesus.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Romans 3:20-22

20 For no one will be justified in his sight by the works of the law, because the knowledge of  in comes through the law. 21 But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, attested by the Law and the Prophets. 22 The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, since there is no distinction.

We can spend much of our lives striving to get noticed and approved. We work at school to receive adequate grades and accolades. We work hard at our jobs in hopes of being noticed, approved, and even rewarded. We do all we can so our family members will return the love we show them at home. Our goal is to be validated for a job well done. Many people approach a relationship with God the same way: “I’m going to do a lot of good things so God will notice and approve of me.”

Jesus told a parable of an arrogant Pharisee who prayed, “God, I thank you that I’m not like other people—greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector” (Luke 18:11). This is a dangerous viewpoint because the person is not holding himself up to the right standard.

The right standard is God’s perfect law. In theory, keeping the law would bring us into a right relationship with God, but the reality is none of us can keep the law. The law requires absolute perfection. When we compare our efforts with the demands of a perfect law, we all fall short. The law reveals our sinfulness and points us to Christ who perfectly fulfilled

the law.

In this passage, Paul was writing to a group who believed their birthright allowed them special access to God. They were God’s chosen people, and He had given them—and them alone!—His law. But possessing the law was not the same as keeping the law, and in that regard, they were no different than the worst sinner. “There is no distinction.”

Question 2:

How do people define or determine right and wrong in our culture?

But righteousness is still possible! The law is definitely a part of God’s redemption story. By revealing our inability to achieve righteousness, it points to the grace of God and what Christ has done to achieve righteousness for us. Jesus was born into the world. He is righteous and never sinned. He lived a perfect life, yet He died a sinner’s death. Jesus kept the law perfectly but died in the place of we who could not keep the law. He is completely righteous, and He imputed His righteousness to us. The sin He died for was ours and His death atoned for all the wrongs we had committed. Through His sacrifice for us, we are declared righteous by faith in His blood. 

The law helps us put into words why we are not able to measure up and make ourselves righteous before God. The law clears out any notion of self-sufficiency. It is through faith in Christ alone that we are declared righteous. “The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, since there is no distinction” (v. 22).

Romans 3:23-24

23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 24 They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

Romans 3:23 is a wonderful verse many of us memorized quite early in life. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” What an important truth! No one is able to reach the standard set by a holy God. We all end up under God’s judgment.

But verse 24 is just as important. In the midst of humanity’s wreck, God stepped in and introduced righteousness to those who believe. Redemption is the act of clearing a debt in order to take possession of something. That is what Christ did for us; it is through Christ that those who believe are redeemed. Christ paid our debt. Consequently, we were able to take possession of some things too: forgiveness, freedom, and eternal life.

God’s justification is given freely to all who believe in His Son, Christ Jesus. God’s free gift is hard for us to fully understand. People can give a gift, but they often have a subtle — or not so subtle! — expectation that they will get something in return. Free offers from businesses often come with hidden costs. And who gives a gift to someone who doesn’t even like him? Yet God freely gave for our justification!

While Christ’s work of justification is free, it is not cheap. God would not declare anyone righteous without dealing with that person’s sin. Enter Jesus! Christ willingly gave His life to bring us back to Himself. His sacrificial act allows us to be in a deep, saving relationship with the God of the universe.

Engage

Why would God do this? When we consider our sinfulness and rebellion against a holy God, the only answer comes down to His perfect love. His work was provided by His grace but it was motivated by His overwhelming love for us! We didn’t measure up. We were hopelessly lost and utterly incapable of fixing our problems, but while we were still messy and broken, God gave us the incredible gift of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Question 3:

What evidence have you seen of the truth of our fallen nature?

It is Jesus Christ who allows us to experience redemption. It is Jesus Christ who has given us the opportunity to be brought back to God and have our relationship with Him restored.

Why would we not be incredibly thankful for someone who fully paid the debt we owed?

We all need people to step into our lives and help us—and that is certainly true regarding our salvation. We have all fallen short, but God being rich in mercy, sent Jesus to take our place. With this truth and the promise of Jesus’ love for us, God provided a way for anyone who believes in His Son to be justified. It is through that justification that we are redeemed as sons and daughters of the King.

Romans 3:25-28

25 God presented him as an atoning sacrifice in his blood, received through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his restraint God passed over the sins previously committed. 26 God presented him to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so that he would be righteous and declare righteous the one who has faith in Jesus. 27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By one of works? No, on the contrary, by a law of faith. 28 For we conclude that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.

God has come alongside us through Jesus Christ and offered us an opportunity for reconciliation—a payment for our wrong done. We call this atonement.

Atonement typically involves two parties in which one has to make amends for wrongdoing. Our sin created a separation between God and us. But in His overwhelming love, God Himself made a way for us to be redeemed and our sin atoned for; He did this through the sacrificial death of His son, Jesus.

We had no role in this atonement for our transgressions. We did nothing to merit Christ’s intervention; He provided salvation purely out of His grace and love.

We lose the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ when we try to add something of ourselves to the equation. This is not to say our actions are unimportant; on the contrary, our works are vital, but only because they are an expression of the faith we have already placed in the work of Christ. “Faith, if it doesn’t have works, is dead by itself” (Jas. 2:17). Our works are not a part of atoning salvation, but they are a meaningful expression of our faith in the One who saved us.

Question 4:

How would you describe what it means to have faith in God?

Righteousness can only be achieved through faith in Christ, and that excludes any kind of boasting on our behalf (Eph. 2:8-9). The law was put in place to reveal our shortcomings; therefore it gives us no grounds for boasting.

Thankfully, we can be justified through faith. Faith is our complete trust in Christ. Our faith is in the One who has completely satisfied God’s righteous and holy demands. That, and that alone, is our salvation.

Question 5:

How can our group help one another be more effective in leading others to salvation?

LIVE IT OUT

God has paid the ultimate price for our restoration through Jesus’ death on the cross. What will you do with that truth?

Choose one of the following applications:

• Believe. Turn to God in faith and place your trust in Christ. Turn from yourself and turn to Christ who offers salvation through His death and resurrection. If you need help with this, read the inside front cover of this book.
• Confess. Examine your life for any boasting about who you are and what you’ve done. Confess that to God, and thank Him for His forgiveness. Recognize that anything you have or do is all from His grace.
• Proclaim. This good news is not intended to be kept to yourself. Identify someone you know with whom you can share the gospel of God’s salvation.

You’ve probably been in plenty of situations where you really wished you had someone to step in for you. But none were so desperate nor so consequential as the need you had for a savior for your soul. Thankfully God didn’t just stand by; instead, He stepped in.

Hope to see you on Sunday!

In His Love,

David & Susan

Teacher's Notes:

How would you explain the word SALVATION?

• preservation or deliverance from harm, ruin, or loss. (Cultural)
• deliverance from sin and its consequences, believed by Christians to be brought about by faith in Christ. (Spiritual / Theology)

This photo captures the attitude of what I’m talking about.

Just labeling something “wheelchair accessible” doesn’t make it so. Sure, the right set of stairs has fewer steps, and it is certainly an easier climb. But for those who can’t navigate steps, a few steps can be just as insurmountable as many.

So, what does that have to do with the church?

In the evangelical church, we do well in saying salvation is all by faith in Christ. You can’t earn or work your way into heaven; just trust Christ.

So far, so good.

We’re not like those other groups with all their rituals and rules: Orthodox Jews with their strict adherence to the law … Muslims with their rigid prayer five times a day and other requirements … cults with their requirements of giving, mission work, deeds that move you higher up the path. Instead, the Christian church is all about grace.

But Christians have a lot of unwritten rules.  These “rules” vary from congregation to congregation. Staunch fundamentalist groups preach grace while expecting church members not to listen to certain styles of music … put their kids in public schools … play the lottery … smoke. Other churches can be more subtle in their expectations. To make a difference in the church and community you don’t drink (in public) … support liberal causes … hold to reformed theology … speak in tongues. The unwritten list varies as you drive down the street from church to church.

Now it’s a safe assessment that no pastor promotes this. (Well … most don’t.) But we have something ingrained in our old nature that says we still play a part in our salvation. That means after we come to Christ — after we’re saved and a part of His church — we still have certain things we have to do to make the cut.

• 36% of evangelicals believe their actions partly contribute to earning a place in heaven [State of Theology Research]. If there are twelve people on your pew next Sunday or in your Bible study group, odds are that four of them believe to some degree they’ve got to do their part to make it to heaven. That’s like saying, thanks to Jesus, Christians don’t have as many steps to climb. But to those of us disabled by our own faulty efforts, one step to climb is one too many steps.

If you google salvation you will find the explanations we’ve already seen and you will find the question how is salvation achieved:

How is salvation achieved?

• For some, the most important way to achieve salvation is through doing good works, such as giving to charity. However, other Christians focus on worship and faith. Most Christians believe that people can achieve salvation by following God's law, which is found in the Bible.

Paul declared that all people — Gentiles and Jews, “good” people and “bad” people — needed salvation because no one could live up to God’s standard of righteousness. Rather than despair, he pointed to the solution. God’s standard of righteousness was met in Jesus Christ, and when anyone places faith in Christ, His righteousness is credited to them.

Romans 3:20-22

20 For no one will be justified in his sight by the works of the law, because the knowledge of sin comes through the law. 21 But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, attested by the Law and the Prophets. 22 The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, since there is no distinction.

In this passage, Paul was writing to a group who believed their birthright allowed them special access to God. They were God’s chosen people, and He had given them — and them alone! — His law. But possessing the law was not the same as keeping the law, and in that regard, they were no different than the worst sinner. “There is no distinction.”

How do people define or determine right and wrong in our culture today?

• We can spend much of our lives striving to get noticed and approved. We work at school to receive adequate grades and accolades. We work hard at our jobs in hopes of being noticed, approved, and even rewarded. We do all we can so our family members will return the love we show them at home. Our goal is to be validated for a job well done. Many people approach a relationship with God the same way: “I’m going to do a lot of good things so God will notice and approve of me.” Jesus told a parable of an arrogant Pharisee who prayed, “God, I thank you that I’m not like other people — greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector” (Luke 18:11). This is a dangerous viewpoint because the person is not holding himself up to the right standard. The right standard is God’s perfect law. In theory, keeping the law would bring us into a right relationship with God, but the reality is none of us can keep the law. The law requires absolute perfection. When we compare our efforts with the demands of a perfect law, we all fall short. The law reveals our sinfulness and points us to Christ who perfectly fulfilled the law.

Is the law a part of God’s redemptive story?

• The law is definitely a part of God’s redemption story. By revealing our inability to achieve righteousness, it points to the grace of God and what Christ has done to achieve righteousness for us. The law helps us put into words why we are not able to measure up and make ourselves righteous before God. The law clears out any notion of self-sufficiency. It is through faith in Christ alone that we are declared righteous. “The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, since there is no distinction” (v. 22).

1.    We are declared righteous by Christ, the One who is righteous.

Romans 3:23-24

23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 24 They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

What an important truth! No one is able to reach the standard set by a holy God.

·       All have sinned — we have missed the mark of what God expects.

·       Because of sin, we are unable to bring glory to God.

·       In Christ alone are we justified before God and set free from sin.

2.    We are redeemed by Christ and brought back to God.

Romans 3:25-28

25 God presented him as an atoning sacrifice in his blood, received through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his restraint God passed over the sins previously committed. 26 God presented him to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so that he would be righteous and declare righteous the one who has faith in Jesus. 27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By one of works? No, on the contrary, by a law of faith. 28 For we conclude that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.

Listen to what Paul is saying:

• God’s righteousness has been fully revealed and demonstrated in Jesus Christ.
• To be declared righteous — to have right standing with God — we must place our faith in Jesus.
• We choose whether we will live according to the principle of good works or the principle of faith in God.
• No matter the quantity or quality of our good deeds, they give us no reason to boast about the salvation that comes by faith alone in Christ alone.

God has come alongside us through Jesus Christ and offered us an opportunity for reconciliation—a payment for our wrong done. We call this atonement.

3.    Through our faith in Him, our sins were atoned for by Christ.

Why would God save us by faith alone?

• Faith eliminates the pride of human effort, because faith is not a deed that we do.
• Faith exalts what God has done; not what people do.
• Faith admits that we can’t keep the law or measure up to God’s standards – we need help.
• Faith is based on our relationship with God, not our performance for God.

So, why do Christians feel the need to work or in some way help in achieving their salvation?

Let me be clear: In Christ, there are no steps to climb. Zip. Zilch. Nada. Jesus climbed those steps for us and now He reaches back, holds out His hand, and says, “Trust Me.” And He lifts us up to be with Him.

Stop climbing—just walk with Jesus. And stop expecting others to climb by your set of rules.

THE POINT: Jesus made it possible for us to be righteous before God.

Added Question: What does it mean to work out salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12)?

In Philippians 2:12-13, Paul writes, “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed – not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence – continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his purpose.”

This text is often misused to instill fear into people, warning them that it means that they can lose salvation. What does it mean to work out our salvation with fear and trembling? Paul can hardly be encouraging believers to live in a continuous condition of nervousness and anxiety. That would contradict his many other exhortations to peace of mind, courage, and confidence in the God who authors our salvation. The Greek word translated "fear" in this context can equally mean "reverence" or "respect." Paul uses the same phrase in (2 Corinthians 7:15) where he refers to Titus as being encouraged by the Corinthians’ reception of him “with fear and trembling,” that is, with great humility and respect for his position as a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul himself came to the Corinthian church in “weakness and fear, and with much trembling” (1 Corinthians 2:3), mindful of the great and awesome nature of the work in which he was engaged.

The sense in which we are to work out our salvation in fear and trembling is twofold. First, the Greek verb rendered “work out” means "to continually work to bring something to completion or fruition."

We do this by actively pursuing obedience in the process of sanctification, which Paul explains further in the next chapter of Philippians. He describes himself as “straining” and “pressing on” toward the goal of Christlikeness (Philippians 3:13-14).

The “trembling” he experiences is the attitude Christians are to have in pursuing this goal—a healthy fear of offending God through disobedience and an awe and respect for His majesty and holiness. "Trembling" can also refer to a shaking due to weakness, but this is a weakness of higher purpose, one which brings us to a state of dependency on God. Obedience and submission to the God we revere and respect is our “reasonable service” (Romans 12:1-2) and brings great joy. Psalm 2:11 sums it up perfectly: “Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling.” We work out our salvation by going to the very source of our salvation—the Word of God—wherein we renew our hearts and minds (Romans 12:1-2), coming into His presence with a spirit of reverence and awe.

What is Salvation?

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In Class Question: What will a believer's judgment be like? What will we be held accountable for? 

What does the Bible say about when God will judge us?

There are two separate judgments. Believers are judged at the Judgment Seat of Christ (Romans 14:10-12). Every believer will give an account of himself, and the Lord will judge the decisions he made—including those concerning issues of conscience. This judgment does not determine salvation, which is by faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9), but rather is the time when believers must give an account of their lives in service to Christ. Our position in Christ is the “foundation” spoken of in 1 Corinthians 3:11-15. That which we build upon the foundation can be the “gold, silver, and precious stones” of good works in Christ’s name, obedience and fruitfulness—dedicated spiritual service to glorify God and build the church. Or what we build on the foundation may be the “wood, hay and stubble” of worthless, frivolous, shallow activity with no spiritual value. The Judgment Seat of Christ will reveal this.

The gold, silver, and precious stones in the lives of believers will survive God’s refining fire (v. 13), and believers will be rewarded based on those good works—how faithfully we served Christ (1 Corinthians 9:4-27), how well we obeyed the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20), how victorious we were over sin (Romans 6:1-4), how well we controlled our tongues (James 3:1-9), etc. We will have to give an account for our actions, whether they were truly indicative of our position in Christ. The fire of God’s judgment will completely burn up the “wood, hay and stubble” of the words we spoke and things we did which had no eternal value. “So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12 ).

The second judgment is that of unbelievers who will be judged at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). This judgment does not determine salvation, either. Everyone at the Great White Throne is an unbeliever who has rejected Christ in life and is therefore already doomed to the lake of fire. Revelation 20:12 says that unbelievers will be “judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” Those who have rejected Christ as Lord and Savior will be judged based on their works alone, and because the Bible tells us that “by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified” (Galatians 2:16), they will be condemned. No amount of good works and the keeping of God’s laws can be sufficient to atone for sin. All their thoughts, words and actions will be judged against God’s perfect standard and found wanting. There will be no reward for them, only eternal condemnation and punishment.

What does it mean that there is no condemnation in Christ (Romans 8:1)?

"No condemnation” can be defined in courtroom language. To have “no condemnation” declared means to be found innocent of the accusation, to have no sentence inflicted and no guilty verdict found. By the grace of God, believers in Jesus Christ will not face the condemnation of God. “We have passed from death to life” (1 John 3:14).

The Bible teaches that every human being will be brought before the judgment throne of God for an ultimate and decisive judgment (2 Corinthians 5:10), and Christ Himself will be the judge (John 5:27). We are all naturally under the condemnation of God: “Whoever does not believe stands condemned already” (John 3:18b). But Christians will not be found guilty on Judgment Day (John 3:18a; Matthew 25:33–34).

However, the “no condemnation” involves more than acquittal on Judgment Day. In Romans 8:1 the apostle Paul speaks in the present tense, as evidenced by the word now. Also, notice the word therefore, which points the reader to the previous passage of Romans 7:21-25. In Romans 7 Paul describes his struggle against the sinful nature—a struggle that every believer experiences. Paul writes, “Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me” (Romans 7:21) and, “What a wretched man I am!” (Romans 7:24). Paul is expressing his hatred for the sinful nature which continues to war against his new nature in Christ—Paul hates the sin he commits, but he is also thankful because he has been set free from slavery to sin. He now has the ability to do what is good because Christ has delivered him (Romans 7:25).

Paul takes this a step further in Romans 8 when he teaches believers are not only free from bondage to sin, they are free from the inner emotions and thoughts that tend to bring feelings of condemnation to the Christian when he does commit sin (Romans 8:2). Christians are free from the “law of sin and death,” which means, although they will commit sin, the Law no longer has the power to condemn them. We are not under the Law’s condemnation because Jesus fulfilled (“filled-up, completed”) the expectations of the Law perfectly, and believers are “in Christ” (Romans 8:3). Because believers are in Christ, they have the joy of being counted as righteous, simply because Christ is righteous (Philippians 3:9). Paul also points out that genuine Christians, although they struggle, will not live “according to the flesh”; that is, they will not persist in a constant state of sinful living (Romans 8:5).

Paul encourages us that we need not fear condemnation because we can come to God as our loving, forgiving Father (Romans 8:15–16). Christians who live in shame and guilt over past failures are needlessly condemning themselves when they ought to be “forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead” (Philippians 3:13). Fear can be paralyzing, “but perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:18). As Christians, we must understand that our justification is found in Christ alone—in His finished work on the cross—not in what we do or don’t do (Romans 3:28). Believers can find solace in the assurance that we have been adopted into God’s own family and have been made heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17). Nothing can separate us “from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:39).