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The Christmas Holiday is centered around God sending his Son into the world. It’s important that we not only remember the “what” of Christmas, but also the “why”.

We find in scripture that God sent Jesus into the world as an ultimate sacrifice for sin to:

·         show God’s truthfulness and faithfulness to his word and promises (Rom 15:8)

·         be glorified among the gentiles for His mercy (Rom 15:9)

·         show God’s righteousness (Rom 3:25-26)

·         to save sinners (1 Tim 1:15)

This time of year can be very chaotic, stressful, and anxiety laden. Let’s remember to keep our eyes fixed on the main thing; Christ! And remember God’s good purposes and blessings that accompany the baby in the manger. What a privilege it is to know and serve a truthful God who is righteous and just, and who made a way for sinners to be reconciled to himself. Let us glorify His name forever!

In Romans 3:27-4:8 justification by faith is contrasted against boasting. The problem is that everyone wants to boast in themselves or to receive praise and accolades from others to have courage and confidence for the battlefield of life. This internal thirst for affirmation isn't necessarily bad. What's bad are all of the godless ways we go about trying to satisfy this internal thirst. If justification by faith excludes human boasting, then what can we boast in? The answer is Jesus. Self-centered boasting or the praise of others can't be compared to the roaring approval of God given to all who are united to God through faith in Jesus.

In Romans 3:21-26 we find several different terms that help explain the gospel.

1. Righteousness (3:21, 22, 25, 26). This term describes right conduct in relation to God and others. It means, “fulfilling our obligations.”
2. Redemption (3:24). The word redeem means “to buy out.” It can also mean deliverance or riddance. The term was used specifically in reference to the purchase of a slave’s freedom.
3. Propitiation (3:25). This term carries the idea of appeasement or satisfaction, specifically toward God. Propitiation is a two-part act that involves appeasing the wrath of God and the restoration of a close and safe relationship with Him.
4. Faith (3:22, 25, 26). Faith is belief, trust, and confidence.
5. Justified/Just/Justifier (3:24, 26). A legal term meaning "declared righteous."

Romans 3 makes this stunning declaration, "No one seeks God; no one does good, not even one.” How does that hit you? Our heart reaction will expose whether we live by the law (justifying ourselves) or by grace (justified by God as a gift of grace).

We’re looking at the storyline of the Bible. Rather than the Bible being a connection of disconnected stories, or a collection of moralistic lessons, it’s a single storyline that tells us (1) what’s wrong with the human race, (2) what God has done about it, and (3) how it’s all going to turn out in the end.

Listen to the following sermon about the good news of what God has done about what’s wrong with the human race.

In the first two chapters of Romans, Paul recounts the human dilemma in a profound way. While we might like to turn the chapter and focus on the good news, Paul instead reiterates the problem. Everyone sins, and all are responsible for their sin – religious (Jew), irreligious (Gentile), the churched (those with God’s Law), the unchurched (those without God’s Law). In chapter 2, Paul highlights a less obvious form of sin; hypocrisy and moral superiority that judges others while committing the same sins (Rom 2:1). Are you presuming on God’s patience and kindness, reasoning that your sin (even sin in the heart) is not a problem (Rom 2:4)? Are you relying on religious acts or religious status for righteousness before God (Rom 2:17-24)?

Jesus Christ is the only one who fulfilled the law perfectly. Every person desperately needs His righteousness to stand before God on judgment day. Christ’s righteousness (the righteousness of God) is made available, for free, through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe (Rom 3:21-22).

So far in our series on the big story of the Bible we’ve learned in Genesis about the problem of sin – an explosion of evil into the world that has devastated our relationship with God and us as a human race. How are we going to solve this problem? We find an answer in Romans. We can't do anything to solve our problem of evil and sin. Only God can do something and he has in the gospel. In Romans 1:16-17 we learn... 
- The gospel is good news (not advice) - have you received it?
- The gospel is God’s justification/righteousness (not ours) - have you accepted it? 
- The gospel is God’s power - have you experienced it?

In Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8, we learn how the early church worked through internal controversies about religious convictions on disputed matters. Instead of dividing and polarizing around our specific convictions, the welcome we have received by God in Christ enables us to live in peace and serve together in love. The gospel of Jesus enables us to study the Bible together, worship together, and fellowship together so that we "may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom. 15:6).