The Motive of Salvation
Romans 3:25-26
October 28, 2007
Last Sunday morning we saw,
Despite the fact that there is none righteous
Despite the fact that being religious can’t help
Despite the fact that you can’t obey the Law enough to help
Despite the fact that we are spiritually bankrupt
THERE IS A WAY TO BE SAVED
Romans 3:21 “But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,”
There is a way to be saved apart from being good enough to be saved.
God’s righteousness can be achieved by sinful man.
God’s righteousness is achieved by faith in Jesus Christ.
Romans 3:22 “even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction;”
God will grant you His righteousness if you will place your faith in Jesus.
Last Sunday night we began to examine
How this righteousness works.
HOW CAN A WICKED PERSON BE SAVED APART FROM OBEDIENCE TO THE LAW?
Because salvation doesn’t rest upon man’s ability,
But upon the Redemptive Attitude of God,
And the Redemptive Action of Jesus.
Romans 3:23-24 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;”
Salvation is available to sinful man
Because God chose to be forgiving,
And because Jesus paid the penalty of our sin.
And that is wonderful news, but it does still bring up another question that Paul seeks to answer her in our text.
WHY WOULD GOD BE WILLING TO DO THIS?
WHAT WAS GOD’S MOTIVE?
It is beyond our human comprehension to understand
Why God would punish His Son for something you and I did.
And really, this is no small question.
WHAT IS THE MOTIVE OF SALVATION?
Well some motives we are very familiar with,
In fact we speak of them often.
1) LOVE
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
Romans 5:7-8 “For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
2) MERCY / GRACE
Ephesians 2:4-7 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”
We talk about the motive for salvation,
These are usually the first two motives listed.
But this morning, I want to show you a THIRD MOTIVE
God had for giving salvation in this way.
It is a motive that is commonly overlooked,
But it still remains vitally important.
So let’s pick back up with the salvation Paul has been revealing to us.
There are three things I want to show you in our text this morning.
#1 A PUBLIC DISPLAY
Romans 3:25a
“whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith.”
And there again, we have said a mouthful.
And when that verse is read with verse 24,
We know that we are talking about Jesus.
God made a public display of Jesus as a propitiation.
A propitiation that is available “in His blood through faith.”
And let’s talk about that for a second.
First, Paul says that “God displayed publicly”
“displayed publicly” is actually one word in the Greek
PROTITHEMI (prot-ith-ee-mee)
PRO – means before
TITHEMI – means to place
And so the idea is that God literally placed Jesus before everyone. He set the death of Jesus on display.
What happened to Jesus was not private,
It was not done behind the scenes.
God wanted to make sure that everyone was aware of it.
It was done publicly.
In fact, you would be hard pressed to find a more public time
Than at Jerusalem during the Passover at 9:00am.
This was as public as it gets.
AND WE KNOW IT WORKED.
On the road to Emmaus
Luke 24:18 “One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, “Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?”
When Paul witnessed to Agrippa
Acts 26:26 “For the king knows about these matters, and I speak to him also with confidence, since I am persuaded that none of these things escape his notice; for this has not been done in a corner.”
The point is God did it out in the open.
Jesus was “lifted up” for all to see.
We tend to hide things that would appear to be a blemish.
We tend to sweep embarrassing things under the rug.
We don’t particularly like to suffer open shame.
But here was Jesus stripped, beaten, mocked, crucified,
And in the most public way possible.
Paul is still teaching us more here.
“whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith.”
“propitiation” translates HILASTERION
(hil-as-tay-ree-on)
It means appeasement
WHAT IS INTERESTING ABOUT IT IS HOW IT IS USED.
In every religion in the world, since man has offended deity,
It is up to man to offer appeasement or propitiation.
But Christianity is exactly opposite.
Even though man offends God,
It is God who is offering the appeasement.
It is God who is bridging the gap between God and man.
AND THERE IS STILL SOMETHING ELSE
The Septuagint (The Greek Old Testament) uses this very same word in translating “Mercy Seat”.
In other words the mercy seat is called the HILASTERION
WHY IS THAT SIGNIFICANT?
Exodus 25:21-22 “You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony which I will give to you. “There I will meet with you; and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak to you about all that I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel.”
The mercy seat is where the sacrifice was presented for the Day of Atonement, and it was there that God promised to meet sinful man.
Now Paul says, that Jesus is our HILASTERION.
His blood is the place where God meets sinful man.
AND GOD DID IT PUBLICLY.
WHY PUBLICLY?
Certainly God wants His salvation to be well known.
But there is another reason God made a public sacrifice of Jesus.
First a Public Display
#2 POWERFUL DEMONSTRATION
Romans 3:25b-26a
WHY DID GOD MAKE A PUBLIC DISPLAY OUT OF THE CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS?
“This was to demonstrate his righteousness”
Again in verse 26, “for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time,”
When we speak of the sacrificial death of Jesus,
We often speak of God’s love and grace to offer it
Both His love and grace have been appropriately labeled, “Amazing”.
But don’t forget the other thing God was wanting to reveal,
And that is His righteousness.
In order to remind us that He is righteous,
He publicly displayed Jesus as a sacrifice for sin.
WERE PEOPLE FORGETTING THAT HE IS RIGHTEOUS?
Look at what Paul said,
“because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed;”
Adam and Eve sinned…
Noah sinned…
Abraham sinned…
Moses sinned…
David sinned…
And yet God did not punish them for it.
(At least not with the punishment they deserved, i.e. “hell”)
BUT DIDN’T THEY OFFER SACRIFICES?
Sure, but:
Hebrews 10:4 “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”
Everyone in the Old Testament had sinned,
But God did not send them all to hell for it.
Because they had faith, “He passed over the sins previously committed;”
But there sin was still unatoned for.
CERTAINLY THAT MAKES GOD LOOK MERCIFUL,
BUT IT DOESN’T REALLY MAKE HIM LOOK RIGHTEOUS
Some may even begin to see God as a pushover
People start saying things like,
“I don’t believe a loving God would send anyone to hell.”
Ecclesiastes 8:11 “Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil.”
That is what happens in our day.
That is what was happening in the days of the Bible.
People were aware of God’s mercy.
Exodus 34:6 “Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth;”
Psalms 86:15 “But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, Slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth.”
The only problem is they became so consumed with His mercy
That they forgot that He is also holy.
We saw it in the Old Testament.
Zephaniah 1:12 “It will come about at that time That I will search Jerusalem with lamps, And I will punish the men Who are stagnant in spirit, Who say in their hearts, ‘The LORD will not do good or evil!’
We saw it in the New Testament
Romans 2:4 “Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?”
And we also see it today
PEOPLE TODAY GET SO CONSUMED WITH GOD’S MERCY
THAT THEY AREN’T EVEN CONCERNED WITH HIS HOLINESS.
The lost have been told so many times about the mercy of God,
That even they don’t really believe God is going to judge mankind.
THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD HAS SEEMINGLY DISAPPEARED
God is only seen as merciful, but seldom seen as angry.
God is only seen as loving, but seldom seen as holy.
God is only seen as gracious, but seldom seen as Judge.
AND THAT IS TRAGIC
FOR GOD IS HOLY
Take that passage in Exodus that spoke of His mercy
And read further:
Exodus 34:6-7 “Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”
BECAUSE MANKIND SO EASILY FORGETS
THAT GOD WILL JUDGE SIN.
GOD SACRIFICED JESUS PUBLICLY
Yes the cross teaches mercy
Yes the cross teaches grace
Yes the cross teaches love
BUT THERE WAS ALSO NEVER A BETTER TEACHER
OF RIGHTEOUSNESS THAN THE CROSS
God hates sin so much, not only would He kill His own Son
He would do it publicly…
He would add to the severity…
He would turn His back on Him…
He would be pleased to do it…
When Jesus was on the cross, God turned His back on Him.
Matthew 27:45-46 “Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?” that is, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?”
We also know that when Jesus was on the cross,
Darkness covered the land from high noon until 3:00pm.
When the light shined back on the cross mankind held their breath.
For they had beaten Jesus, they had mocked Him,
But by the time God got through with Him,
He didn’t even look the same.
Isaiah 52:13-15 “Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted. Just as many were astonished at you, My people, So His appearance was marred more than any man And His form more than the sons of men. Thus He will sprinkle many nations, Kings will shut their mouths on account of Him; For what had not been told them they will see, And what they had not heard they will understand.”
And thus the Centurion said, “Surely this was the Son of God”
The Bible says, He was pleased to do it.
Isaiah 53:7-10 “He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due? His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth. But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.”
And perhaps Paul summed it up best:
Romans 8:32a “He who did not spare His own Son,”
GOD PROVED HE IS RIGHTEOUS
If you ever doubted the holiness of God – look at the cross
If you ever doubted that God will judge sin – look at the cross
If you ever doubted that God will judge sinners – look at the cross
So many people today act like God won’t judge them for their sin.
So many people today act like God is too merciful to punish sinners.
THEN HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN WHAT HE DID TO HIS SON?
When sin went on His Son;
God crushed Him, God turned His back on Him,
And God was pleased to do it.
He hates sin, He judges sin, He always has, He always will
God publicly displayed the crucifixion of Jesus
So that He could powerfully demonstrate His righteousness.
#3 PERFECT DESCRIPTION
Romans 3:26b
What a perfect statement.
IT IS WHO GOD IS BECAUSE OF THE CROSS.
DID YOU EVER WONDER WHY GOD WOULD SEND HIS SON TO DIE INSTEAD OF SINFUL MAN?
“so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
Please do not miss the condition on the end of that statement.
We are still only talking about the person
Who places their faith in Jesus.
But to the person who has faith in Jesus,
God reveals Himself as “just and the justifier.”
“Just” = holy.
He is perfectly righteous. His standard always stands.
Sin is never overlooked. Sin is never forgotten.
“Justifier” = merciful.
Man didn’t bring a offering of appeasement to God,
God presented an offering of appeasement to man.
Man didn’t justify himself, God justified man.
THIS IS WHERE GOD’S WISDOM
IS LEAPS AND BOUNDS ABOVE MAN’S WISDOM.
Isaiah 55:7-9 “Let the wicked forsake his way And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.”
And the cross certainly proves that.
We know there are basic core attributes about God.
God is Love
God is Holy
God is Merciful
God is Perfect
BUT HOW DO YOU BALANCE THOSE, WHILE DEALING WITH SINFUL MAN?
How do you remain both holy and merciful?
How do you maintain a strict stance on sin, and yet still reveal mercy?
AND THIS IS THE QUESTION THAT GENERALLY CAUSES FALLEN MAN TO MISUNDERSTAND GOD.
FOR MANKIND USUALLY ACCEPTS ONE TO THE REJECTION OF THE OTHER
Some take the approach that He is holy and not merciful.
And so they constantly try to appease God through self-justification.
They are terribly afraid of this holy God
Who will take pleasure in crushing them
If they miss one single requirement.
(LEGALISM)
Others take the approach that He is merciful and not Holy.
Hence they don’t even worry about the “Thou Shalt Not’s” of Scripture, Assuring themselves that God won’t really judge them.
(LIBERALISM)
MAN DOESN’T UNDERSTAND HOW GOD COULD BE
BOTH HOLY AND MERCIFUL AT THE SAME TIME.
HOW COULD HE?
HE PAID THE PRICE HIMSELF
That is what makes the cross such an amazing and lofty truth.
Because of the cross, God revealed Himself as merciful.
Because of the cross, God revealed Himself as holy.
ONLY OUR GOD CAN MAKE A CLAIM
TO TRULY BE BOTH HOLY AND MERCIFUL
Romans 8:1-4 “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
Only our God is truly Holy, never allowing one single sin to slide.
Only our God is truly Merciful, not giving man what he deserves.
The point is:
MERCY IS AVAILABLE – JUDGMENT IS COMING
2 Peter 3:9-10 “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.”
LET ME BRING IT HOME TO YOU
Mankind is totally wicked and incapable of saving himself (1:18-3:20)
But salvation is possible through faith in Jesus (3:21-22)
Because Jesus died to redeem us (3:23-24)
This reminds us that God is both holy and merciful (3:25-26)
Do not assume you can bargain your way out of hell. God is holy
Do not assume your sin is too great to be saved. God is merciful
GOD WILL MEET YOU AT THE BLOOD OF JESUS
Colossians 1:19-20 “For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.”
