Righteousness for the Ungodly
It is an ugly picture and it is
one that most of us do not want to view about
ourselves.
All are sinners. All have turned away from God. All are ungodly. All are helpless to save themselves. All are unrighteous. "There is none that does good."
That is the way the apostle
Paul began the greatest book written on a saving
relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Now believe it or not, that is
good news! We need to hear the bad news before we
can receive the good news.
It is good news because God
justifies the ungodly. God has a righteousness for
the unrighteous. But God must do it. God looked upon
us in our iniquity and demanded that sin be dealt
with in justice. It was on the cross that God in the
person of His Son took upon Himself the judgment
that the ungodly sinner deserves and paid the
penalty in full. We deserve to die because we are
guilty. “The wages of sin is death . . .” (Rom.
6:23a). But Jesus Christ, the just and the holy One,
died as our substitute on the cross (5:6, 8).
The Son of God, who is pure and
holy, just and sinless, died because of your sins
and mine as though He had been just as corrupt,
wicked, and ungodly as we are. He took my judgment
that I deserved and died in my place. He drank the
depths of the cup of my judgment. “God forsaken of
God.” Who can understand what Jesus Christ suffered
for the ungodly except God alone?
“He [God] made Him [Jesus
Christ] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so
that we might become the righteousness of God in
Him” (2 Cor. 5:21).
Christ died for our sins, and
God raised Him from the dead for our justification.
God has provided the solution for our sin problem in
the death and resurrection of Christ (Rom. 5:6, 8;
10:9-10).
Give up your all pretense of
self-righteousness and put your confidence in the
death of Jesus Christ to cover all your sins and God
will justify you right now. God justifies the
believing sinner who puts his faith in Christ alone
to save him.
Are you bad enough to be saved?
There is no salvation for the self-righteous, but
there is salvation for the ungodly. Are you an
ungodly sinner? Congratulations. If you will accept
the finished work of Christ, God will justify you.
You are the kind of person God justifies.
“Now to the one who works, his
wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due.
But to the one who does not work, but believes in
Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited
as righteousness” (Rom. 4:4-5).
What must the ungodly sinner do
to be pronounced righteous by a holy God? The Bible
tells us there is only one thing you can do. You
must believe on Jesus Christ as the one who died for
you and rose from the dead. “Believe in the Lord
Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your
household” (Acts 16:31). John 1:12-13 says, “As many
as received Him, to them He gave the right to become
children of God, even to those who believe in His
name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of
the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” Yes,
“the wages of sin is death,” but the rest of the
sentence says, “but the free gift of God is eternal
life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23).
Believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ and God the Father will declare you right in
His sight.
Selah!
Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006
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Unless otherwise noted "Scripture quotations taken from the NASB."
"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE" © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://www.bible.org/. All rights reserved.
Wil is a graduate of William Carey University, B. A.; New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Th. M.; and Azusa Pacific University, M. A. He has pastored in Panama, Ecuador and the U. S, and served for over 20 years as missionary in Ecuador and Honduras. He had a daily expository Bible teaching ministry head in over 100 countries from 1972-2005. He continues to seek opportunities to be personally involved in world missions. Wil and his wife Ann have three grown daughters. He currently serves as a Baptist pastor and teaches seminary extension courses in Ecuador.
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