WELCOME TO FELLOWSHIP OFFERINGS fellowshipconway.org • text “give” to 501-434-4449 PRAYER REQUESTS fellowshipconway.org • text “prayer” to 501-434-4449 PRAYER TEAM Resources "THE ANTHROPOLOGICAL AND SOCIOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS "THEOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS OF CHRIST'S DEATH" OF GOD'S FREE, GRACIOUS JUSTIFICATION OF SINNERS" (Romans 3:21-26) (Romans 3:21-26) (Frank Theilman) (Frank Theilman) Paul also emphasizes the socially unifying nature of Gods righteousness. It comes to all who believe One of the most important descriptions of God's character in the Old Testament affirms that he is without distinction. Since all without distinction have sinned, God in his righteousness has made justification both merciful and just, but not in equal measure. His mercy is more typical of God's character than his freely available to all without distinction as well (3:22-24c, 27-30). This free, gracious justification of every justice. He describes himself to Moses as human being who believes has both anthropological and social implications. Merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping On the anthropological side, it means that no one can boast in his or her "works." Justification is given to steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no those who rely on God to provide release from punishment and reconciliation as a free gift, not to those who means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's work for it by means of obedience to the law. Paul has shown that justification by means of obedience to the children, to the third and the fourth generation. (Exod. 34:6-7) law's requirements is impossible, whether the Mosaic law for Jews or the law written on the heart for gentiles (2:15; 3:20, 22). How can God both forgive sin and refuse to clear the guilty? One answer might be that God forgives those who renounce their sin and turn away from it, just as he expects his people to forgive In practical terms, this means that human beings cannot be in a proper relationship with God if they are one another. This is certainly true, but we learn from Romans 3:24-26 that more is involved in the trying to manipulate God into giving them eternal life. Membership in a particular social group, whether an ethnic group, a nation, a political party, or a particular religious group, including the visible church, does not forgiveness of sin than a willingness to look past the wrong that has been done and to allow the sinner convince God to give them eternal life. God is not persuaded to bless people when they take particular to make a fresh start. As 1:18-32 has demonstrated, the consequences of sin are profound, often theological, social, or political positions. A human being stands in a right relationship with God (is "justified") affecting not just the sinner who repents but leading to generations of people who refuse to worship when he or she relies upon God's promise to reconcile himself to human beings through the death of Christ ...BELIEF God and hate him (Exod. 20:5; cf. Exod. 34:7). For God to be both just in acknowledging the Jesus. As Paul will explain later and as he hints in his comment on not canceling the law in 3:31, the good that profound consequences of human evil and yet gracious in releasing those who have rebelled against believers do flows from a relationship with the triune God that begins with this trust in the gospel, but Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer him from the punishment they deserve, someone must bear the consequences of human sin. obedience to the law does not generate the relationship and therefore it provides no ground for boasting. Already in Exodus 34:6-7 there is a hint of the identity of this person. When God describes himself On the social side, justification by faith alone means that God's people will come from all ethnic groups as forgiving iniquity he uses a Hebrew term (nasa) that can mean "carry" or "bear." The same term and all walks of life. Within the church, any discrimination among people on the basis of their social status, appears both in Leviticus 16 for the scapegoat who "bears" into a remote area all the iniquities of the their economic resources, or their ethnic origins, for example, emerges from a serious misunderstanding of people of lsrael, and all their transgressions, all their sins" (16:21-22) and in Isaiah 53:12 for the the gospel. This was the problem in the Corinthian church, which was caught up in a competition of social suffering servant who "bore the sin of many." The Old Testament implies, in other words, that God one-upmanship based on the skills and knowledge of the Christian leaders that various groups claimed as himself bears the punishment involved in preserving his righteous character while forgiving human their own (1 Cor. 1:10-4:21). Although Paul's reply to the Corinthians is complex, it is summarized in 4:7, transgression against him and against others. In Romans 3:24-26 Paul shows us precisely how God did "What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not this. Through the death of his Son, God demonstrated both his commitment to justice and his even receive it?" The only boasting that was appropriate for them was boasting in the Lord, who had given them greater commitment to mercy. everything that really mattered in life (1 Cor. 1:30-31). To the extent that churches today have become Theology exclusive clubs for people of a certain income bracket, social group, or How can God bear the consequences of sin when it is his Son political persuasionApplication they are not bearing faithful witness to Paul's teaching who dies? As Martin Hengel has said, "We can only talk about the on justification by faith alone. saving significance of the death of Jesus in appropriate theological Paul also reminds believers in this passage that if they are boasting in terms if we talk of him in a 'trinitarian context." It is because of the their social group, they are failing to bear witness to the unity and unity of God the Father with God the Son that Paul can say, "God sovereignty of God (3:29-30; cf. Deut. 6:4). The implication of living as if commends his own love to us because while we were still sinners one particular group has some ground for boasting before God is that Christ died for us."(Rom 5:8) God is the god only of that group, not the one God who created all the The understanding of the atonement that Paul articulates in peoples of the earth and who looks forward to that day when many nations 3:24-26 should remind Christians of God's commitment to justice, of shall join themselves to the LORD... and shall be my people" (Zech. 2:11). his great mercy, and of the serious consequences of human sin. Like Churches today need to make sure that they make it easy for people of God, Christians too should be committed to justice and should be various economic brackets and ethnic groups to worship and work characterized by mercy. In addition they should allow the together. Cultivating an atmosphere within the church that welcomes implications of this passage about the seriousness of sin to give social diversity is often complex and difficult, but it is also a necessary part them pause before taking sin lightly. of the church's witness to the gospel. DEFINITION RESULTS (Meaning) Hamartiology (Consequences) Summary The Doctrine of Sin 1. Immediately - sin brings Sin is any failure to conform to the INTER-DEPENDENT pain, alienation and conflict moral law of God in act, attitude, - Gen. 3:8-24. or nature (1 Jn 3:4). In these 2. Imputation - we are guilty ways we fall short of God’s glory and separated from God - (Rom. 3:23) and break relation- Rom. 5:12-21. ship with Him. IMPUTATION OF SIN INHERITANCE OF SIN 3. Inheritance - We sin and are sinners - Ps. 51:5. (Guilt through Adam) (Nature through Parents) 4. Death both physical and Old Testament Words spiritual is a central conse- af*j** “Imputation” Defined Scriptural Support quence of sin - Gen. 2:15; Chata - to hit the wrong mark Rom. 5:12-13; Eph. 2:1-3. ur* A Latin term used to reflect the meaning of Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 5. When a Christians sins his Ra - inferior, wicked, injurious the greek word ⌦μ⇤⌦ - logizomai - mean- Ephesians 2:3b legal standing before God uv*p* ing “to reckon”, or “charge to one’s account”. Surely I was sinful at birth, does not change (Rom 8:1) Pasha - revolt, rebelion sinful from the time my mother conceived me. but fellowship is broken /w)u* Psalm 51:5 Three Biblical Imputations (1 Jn 3:21) & discipline is Awon - crooked, iniquity, guilt Even from birth the wicked go astray; a response of a loving God gg*v* 1. Adam’s sin imputed to all - Rom. 5:12-21 from the womb they are wayward and speak lies. Shagag - to err, go astray, sin Psalm 58:3 (Heb. 12:6-10). inadvertantly 2. Man’s sin imputed to Christ - 2 Cor. 5:19 6. A believer living in persis- uv*r* 3.