In case you missed it, here is the sermon audio (including notes) from the message this past Sunday on Romans 5:20-6:4. Here we begin making a transition from understanding the grace-foundations of our justification to experiencing the grace-dynamics of our sanctification. So we are at a hinge in the letter of Romans—a hinge that will make union with Jesus all the more significant and glorious. The Christian life really is ALL of grace, from what God does for us to what he does in us.
In my study today for Sunday's message, I came across a statement in The Reformation Study Bible that I found helpful for those of us entrusted with preaching and teaching. Concerning Romans 6:1-14, the study note says, “So great was [Paul’s] emphasis on the freeness of God’s grace in the face of sin that his preaching had been accused of antinomian tendencies, or ignoring the ethical requirements of the law.” In view of that statement, if my preaching does not evoke a similar charge, I may not be preaching the true gospel of free grace. What a joy, blessing and honor it would be to have even this one thing in common with the apostle. So preachers, let's seek this accusation and be glad that we finally have begun to shine enough light on the cross that our teaching becomes well distinguished from any form of religious moralism. Yet let us also not become proud of the accusations, lest we fail to show how God's work for us in justification provides the new grace-compelled motive and Spirit-fueled power for God's work in us through sanctification. After all, saving and enabling grace are both the work of God and magnify the glory of God.
Today I had lunch with a friend who made a comment that rocked me. He said something to the effect, "The key to sanctification is learning to get used to my justification." That idea really struck me: I am called to get used to being the recipient of extravagant grace. I am called to get used to the fact that I have been fully forgiven, declared totally righteous and am dearly loved as a son. I am called to let that sink in and define me. But to be honest, it is so hard getting used to extravagant grace. I continually feel as if I need to merit God's favor or earn his approval or do pennance when I've blown it so that I can be on God's good side again. However, the cross tells me that there is nothing I can do to improve my status with God and nothing I can do to diminish it. Because of the gospel, I am on God's good side—forever. I am forgiven, righteous and loved—and all by grace. Period. Believing (i.e., getting used to that) is the calling of the gospel in my life every day. Grace. Period. Get used to it!
On Monday, Kristy and I had our monthly "marriage maintenance" phone appointment with our World Harvest mentor/gospel discipler, Stu Batstone. As I was expressing my frustration with how often I seemed to run into a wall in sanctification (2 steps forward and 3, 4, 5 or more steps back... and feeling totally unsaved), he shared an illustration that he had heard from Skip Ryan a while back about how our hearts are like continents that are comprised of various regions, all which are in need of God's transforming grace. Upon conversion, the gospel establishes a beach head on the continent and much celebration ensues among those first converted.
These quotes comparing justification and sanctification are from one of my favorite books, True Spirituality, by Francis Schaeffer.
This morning at our weekly men's Fight Club, we honed in on Romans 2:16, where Paul says, "We know that a person is not justified by works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Jesus Christ, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.”
In light of that passage, we discussed the meaning of justification: “Justification is an act of God’s free grace, wherein he pardons all our sins, and accepts us as righteous in His sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone.” We also discussed the problem with religion and the meaning of faith. Some of the implicaitons that flowed from that discussion involved these issues:
1. Justification is the foundation of the Christian life. But what other things do we tend to make the foundation? Which idols to we stand upon? How does justification address identity issues?
2. Justification is a means to an end. Then what is the “end,” or goal of justification?
3. Justification deals powerfully with performance guilt. Then where is the motivation for obedience?
4. Justification calls me to move from a focus on my works to a focus on the work of Jesus for me. How can I do that? What difference will it make?
5. Why is an attempt to be self-justified a wicked pursuit?
Curious about how we approached these questions? Then join us next Wednesday at 6:30 for Fight Club (guys only / meets at Danny's Restaurant, just over Crown Mountain on the left heading toward GA 400).
