"You Are Justified" (Part I)

Sermon Preached By Kendrick D. Weaver - February 13, 2005

Romans 5:12-19

        As a result of Paul writing this epistle, he placed himself in an antagonistic position between the Jewish-Christians and the Gentile-Christians of Rome.  These two groups were engaged in a power struggle over defining Christianity, and each group, not surprisingly, wanted to define the emerging religion based on what they were already doing.  It would be like the United Methodists saying, ‘you are not a real Christian unless you have meetings everyday of the week.’  It would be like the Baptists saying, ‘you are not a real Christian unless you have two and one-half hour worship services.’  It would be like the Catholics saying, ‘you are not a real Christian unless you have communion at every service.’  The Jewish-Christians said, ‘you are not a real Christian unless you eat how we eat, and the Gentile-Christians said, ‘you are not a real Christian unless you  partake in the culture in which we partake.’  Paul wrote this letter and said, “stop the arguing, diatribes and resentment because both of you have some vital commonalities.”

I. You Aren’t Worthy

Verse 12

Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man and death through sin, in this way, death came to all men because all sinned. 

Paul said, through this one man you were infected by sin and through sin you were infected by death. The man Paul alluded to was Adam.  In some contexts, Adam was referred to as  the first person created; in others, it referred to the first man or men in general, but in this particular verse Adam referred to human nature. Paul said, because of you being you, because of your very make-up, your nature, you were placed in sin.  You were placed in a state of separation from God.  This sin, this separation brought death into your life.  Before you get on that high horse of yours, before you begin to distinguish how you are so unique and better, neither one of you are worthy.

• You are not good enough.
• You are not smart enough.
• You are not charming enough.
• You are not diligent enough.
• You are not pious enough.
• You are not strong enough.
• You are not pretty enough.
• You are not handsome enough.

Because you are not all these things, you have missed the mark.  You have failed.  You are inadequate.  

Approximately forty states in the year 2004 received some type of challenge to the teaching of evolution at the state or local level.  One of the challenges used was that any teaching of the origins of life is inadequate without acknowledging some type of Creator.  No matter how you think the world has come about, no matter what theory resonates with you,  whether you think anti-matter and matter collide or sub-atomic particles or chemicals are the basic building blocks for life, your hypothesis will be incomplete without accounting for some Being to initiate the process and provide the material.  This challenge points out that the theories of evolution have attempted to explain the world excluding and apart from God, and because of that, they have failed in being logical and coherent. 

The reason why you are not all these things, the reason why you have missed the mark, the reason failure and death are inevitable is because you have tried to exist apart from God. You have tried to exist with sin present.  Stop fighting, bickering and judging one another because  none of you measure up. 

II. Your Associates Aren’t Worthy

Verse 14

Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a commandment, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come.  

Paul said,  that sin and death was not a new condition, it infected people in Adam’s time, Moses’ time, and all the people regarded as so great.  Not only are  you not worthy, but the people who have come before you that you praise and honor so much aren’t worthy either. 

Even the people who you think are good enough, smart enough, charming enough, diligent enough, pious enough, pretty enough, handsome enough, aren’t worthy either because they experienced sin and failure just like you.  Stop fighting each other because none of you is worthy nor are you associated with anyone who is worthy. 

III. Not Worthy, but Justified

Paul showed the Jewish-Christians and the Gentile-Christians their commonalities through what they lacked, and then he went on to show a few more commonalities based on what they possessed. 

Verse 15-16

But the gift is not like the trespass.  For if  many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many.  16)  Again the gift of God is not like the result of the one man’s sin:  the judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 

You are not only connected to each other through sin and death.  You are not only connected to each other based on your inadequacies, but you are connected to each other through the grace that God has extended to you.  What both of you have in common is that God has sent his son, and his son has justified you even though you are not worthy of it.

• Even though you weren’t smart enough, you were admitted to that school anyway.
•   Even though you weren’t  the most ideal candidate, you were promoted anyway.
•   Even though you weren’t supposed to leave the hospital alive, you did anyway.
•  Even though you didn’t have all the skills and confidence, you were selected anyway.
• Even though you weren’t the best parent, your children blossomed anyway.
•  Even though you made bad decision after bad decision, your circumstances worked out anyway.
• Even though you weren’t the best spouse, your marriage survived anyway.
• Even though you weren’t worthy.
•  Even though you were inadequate.
•  Even though you were lacking.

God’s grace made you right, God’s grace justified you anyway.

IV. The Gift of Grace

Verse 17

For if by the trespass of the one man’s death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ? 

Paul made it clear in this verse that this gift was extended to all, but it was still up to each individual to accept that gift. 

There was this boy, and all he wanted for Christmas was an F50100 remote control car.  The F50100 was the hottest selling and most expensive remote control car in the stores.  This boy told his parents about this remote control car months in advance.  Every time he had an opportunity to go to the store, he would study the car and learn everything about it.  He even studied the shape of the box the car came in so he could identify the present immediately on Christmas day.   

The boy waited month after month, day after day in eager anticipation for Christmas to come.  December 25^th finally arrived, and the boy woke his parents and ran down stairs.  He scanned the room and saw that there was only one gift under the tree for him, and, as he took a closer look at the g, he noticed that the gift wasn’t shaped like the box the F50100 remote control car came in.  So the boy didn’t open his gift.  He broke his parents’ heart on Christmas because he wouldn’t open the gift.  Days went by, weeks went by, and the boy still didn’t open this gift.  Before his parents realized it, the first week of March came and the boy still hadn’t touched the gift, but his curiosity got the best of him.  The little boy asked his parents, “Mommy, Daddy, what did you get me for Christmas?”  His parents responded, “if you are really interested in knowing what we got you for Christmas, go upstairs and open your gift.” The boy went upstairs and found the gift, ripped off the wrapping paper and opened  the box; and in it there was a note reading, “Your father and I love you very much. Your F50100 remote control car is in the closet.” 

You will never know what God’s grace can provide until you open it up. 

V. Justification Brings Life

Verse 18

Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 

Here, the end result of God’s grace was explained.  As a result of God’s grace, Jesus Christ was sent to the world to justify all, and once one was justified, he or she also possessed life.  Now, in the Hebrew tradition, there were rules and regulations present against eating meat  which had blood in it because blood was a sign of life. To eat something with blood signified you were eating something that was alive in some sense.  Paul said, once one was justified he or she had life.  Once one was justified he or she was covered with the blood that Jesus shed for them. 

Every person has in his or her mind how a pastor should be, and, no matter what you do or how you live as a pastor, there will be someone who doesn’t think you are doing what you should be doing. 

You don’t talk like a pastor should talk.

You don’t dress like a pastor should dress.

You don’t act like a pastor should act.

You don’t associate with the people a pastor should associate with.

You’re too young to be a pastor. 

When people tell me I am not what I should be, when people tell me I’m not worthy,

I respond, ‘ Are you just now figuring that out?  I could have told you that months ago.’ 

I might not be all that people think I should be. I might not be worthy, but I am covered with the blood of Jesus; therefore, I have peace with what I am not.

I have faith in what God is working on.

I have joy in what God will make me. 

You might not be all that people think you should be. You might not be worthy, but you are covered by the blood of Jesus; therefore, you have life. 

THE CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER

Dear God, even though we are not worthy of your grace, it was a gift bestowed upon us. Knowing this can propel us toward remarkable feats or serve to enable apathy.  We either become vehicles for healing, prosperity and deliverance or scapegoats for suffering, lack and bondage.  We either stand as foundations of hope and patience or rationales for failure and inadequacy.  Lead us to choose the way of challenge and growth over comfort and complacency.  Empower us to see difficulties and trials as opportunities for you to work.  Allow us to use this season to witness not only in speech but through our acts of sacrifice.