Justified By Faith Alone: Romans 3:21-28 (Faithfulness)

Read Galatians 5:22-23:

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

Are you ready to make an investment in the Fruit of Faithfulness?

Typically, how do you receive validation, praise and approval in your life?

For example, do you receive validation through your work, children, friends, accomplishments, the money you earn, your spouse or loved ones, your ideas or things you do for others etc?

List all the ways you currently receive validation, praise or a sense of worth?

Go to video above to listen to Tim Keller's sermon 'Justified By Faith'. Allow for thirty-seven minutes to hear the entire message.

Select Successful when you are finished.

What are your initial thoughts and reactions to this sermon?

As with any Gospel teaching, if we hear it and do not apply it, we will lose it. "But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves" (James 1:22).

This Trail has been designed to make it as simple as possible for you to apply the Gospel. It will move the Gospel from your head to your heart. By 'heart' we mean it will become a part of your beliefs, motives, behaviors and, finally, your character. It will become part of you.

After listening to Tim's message, how much do you want to get this message from you head to your heart?

Let's begin by slowly reading Romans 3:21-28:

'But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood – to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished – he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the ‘law’ that requires faith. For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.'

Select 'Successful' when you are finished.

Free justification is, as Tim Keller explains, 'a gift from God that':

a) Gives us the best possible performance record
b) Opens doors for us
c) Is the end of all our internal and external struggle for worth, value, love, acceptability and approval

Setting aside any unbelief you may be experiencing at this moment, how much would you value a gift of this magnitude?

Can you imagine God showering you with His love, praise, honor and validation? Can you imagine that all He sees in you and your performance record is absolutely perfection?

Take a moment now to imagine that God, the Authority over all Judgment, is bestowing upon you:

All His love
All His praise
All His honor
All His validation

Select 'Successful' when you are finished

In all honesty, how much of God's love, praise, honor and validation were you able to receive?

If your answer was not 'Great Deal', consider going back and spending more time on Step 8. If you cannot imagine being justified by your faith alone, then you will not be able to believe it either.

Are you willing to give Step 8 everything you've got?

In your day to day life, what is the cost of not believing that you are justified by your faith alone? What will your unbelief cost you? Be specific.

Why do you need to get the concept of being justified by your faith alone from your head to your heart?

We all struggle with the reality that there is absolutely nothing we can accomplish that will serve as the basis for the way God will judge us.

Describe this struggle in your life. Specifically, how does it show up in your thoughts and motives surrounding earning God's love and validation?

How frequently do you find yourself serving God or other people because it makes you look good versus doing it purely out of your love for God?

Tim Keller explains that:

Forgiveness means that you may go; God has released you free and clear of your penalty.
Justification means that you may come; you are welcomed to all God's love and presence.

He then points out that people who come in to the church and understand forgiveness, but do not truly understand and apply the reality of being justified by their faith alone, have not received the Gospel. A Christian is, by definition, one who has received the Gospel.

Based on this statement, how important is it that you fully receive the truth of being justified by your faith alone?

He goes on to inform us that what makes you a Christian is not that you repent of your sins (even the Pharisees did that). What makes you a Christian is that you repent of the ways you seek and receive validation, praise and approval separate from your faith in Jesus Christ alone.

Would you like to take a moment now to repent of the ways you have been seeking validation separate from God?

You can do so privately, or in the space provided

Is there anything you would like to thank or praise God for?

If so, you can do so privately or in the space provided.

To help you fully apply the Gospel, and this teaching in particular, consider rescheduling this Trail. The more often you journey down these steps, the deeper the truth of being justified by your faith in Jesus Christ alone will become a part of your beliefs, motives, actions and character.

Now, how much has this Trail increased the level of faithfulness in your present disposition?