The Finished Work of Christ - Ch. 4 & 5

All, going out on a limb today. Chapter 4 is relatively short so I'm going to prepare for and hopefully get through both chapter 4 AND chapter 5 tomorrow.

I. Introduction

A. Recap of chapter 3
B. Chapter 4 - The Whole World Guilty
C. Chapter 5 - Justification After the Cross

II. Recap of Chapter 3 - The Person with the Bible - Guilty

A. Thank-you Charlie for leading us through chapter 3
B. Bottom line - person with the law just as guilty as person without the law
C. Jews in Paul's time, Christians of today both are guilty of breaking the law
D. Leads us into first half of lesson today - conclusion of Paul's almost three full chapters of why we are guilty.

III. Chapter 4 - The Whole World Guilty

A. Paul reminds us that we're all EQUALLY guilty
1. Schaeffer says he was often asked "do you mean a member of the Christian church is just as guilty as a Communist?"
2. Let's update that by 40-50 years - "do you mean a member of the Christian church is just as guilty as a Muslim jihadist, a terrorist?"
3. Either way the answer is an undeniable YES!

B. All are Sinners - none are righteous
1. Paul quotes old testament - several passages from Psalms and Isaiah
2. Read Isaiah 53:6
3. Moral corruption is the result of individual immoral desires

C. Paul's indictment (ch 3:13-18)
1. Shows just how bad we are!
2. Barclay references C.J. Vaughn who said this indictment pointed out three types of short-comings (sin)
a. Character flaws - ignorance, indifference, crookedness, and unprofitableness
b. Tongue - destructive, deceiptful
c. Conduct - oppression, injury, and greed

D. Schaeffer then destroys arguement of existentialists
1. Existentialists believe man is pathetic, hopelessly damned.
2. Schaeffer points out man is not pathetic, he's a rebel. Man chooses between right and wrong.
3. We must accept responsibility for who and what we are.

IV. Chapter 5 - Justification After the Cross

A. Our sin in incurable because of whom we have sinned against.
1. Sinned against a holy God.
2. This chapter, for me, paints the whole picture of who we are, who God is, and why we need Jesus!
3. God is infinitely holy.
4. Just one sin and we stand before him condemmed.
5. People need salvation because they are totally under the wrath of a holy God.

B. God can't just forgive our sins, for every wrong a price must be paid
1. There is a moral absolute, right vs. wrong
2. God can't just wink and say it's OK, because that would not be moral.

C. God understood this and provided the answer - JESUS!
1. Paul, in ch. 3:21-30 explains how we can claim that salvation
2. Can't earn it!
3. Can't just 'believe in God'

D. Justification
1. Comes only from God declaring that the price of our guilt has been paid by the finished work of Jesus, the Christ.
2. However, not all are justified.
3. Only those who come to believe and accept can be justified.
4. Christ's death doesn't cover all sin, only sins of those who believe

E. God's Love
1. Lot's of people can't understand how God can be a loving God but still condemn us for our sin, show wrath to unbelievers.
2. Once again Schaeffer explains it in a way we can understand
a. Because we live in a moral universe, God can't forgive sin
b. But he can provide a way to cover our sins. JESUS.
3. God sent Jesus to pay the price and cover the sins of all who come to believe
4. John 3:16
5. It is because Jesus was perfect (without sin) that this is possible

F. Conclusion - Two Factors in Salvation
1. Basis
a. The Finished Work of Jesus
b. Basis of our Salvation is His death on the cross
2. Instrument
a. Our Faith
b. Faith that accepts the gift of salvation, God's grace.
c. Works of faith will not save us.

G. Next Week - Chapter 6, Justification Before the Cross

BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. The Finished Work of Christ, 1998, Francis Schaeffer, Good News Pubishers, Wheaton, IL
2. The New Daily Study Bible - The Letter to the Romans, 1955, William Barclay, Westminster Press, Louisville, KY