0910- Righteousness Is a Gift from God to Us 义是神赐给我们的礼物

Romans 5:1,16-17 (NKJV) Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: ………. And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. For if by the one man’s offense death reign through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

While Adam’s act was an offense and one of deliberately going astray, Christ’s deed was one of grace. Adam’s sin resulted in condemnation and death whereas Christ’s deed of grace brought justification and life. Christ’s redemptive work has justified us and we live as if we are in Him by faith. We have the gift of righteousness because the work of the Cross has satisfied all the claims of the divine being and divine throne against sinners.

Our justification or our being declared righteous before God through faith in Jesus Christ is a point in time event. It is a free gift that is given when we first put our faith in Jesus Christ and it has nothing to do with us deserving it but purely based on the abundant grace of God that is poured out on us!

Romans 10:9-10 (NKJV) that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

We turn our focus from ourselves towards God who has accomplished all things for us through Jesus Christ who saved the ungodly. All of us are ungodly because the Bible tells us that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

We need to understand that being declared righteous does not mean that we are perfect or godly. Godliness is a sanctification process and it is our growth in Christ-likeness. It is not a point-in-time event but a progressive experience covering our entire Christian lives from salvation to glorification. It is especially when we are weak in our flesh that we really need to run to the throne of grace to find mercy and grace in time of need.

We are not saying that it is not important to do good works, but good works does not make us right before God. Doing good works is a response to His love and grace towards our lives as we will love others because He first loved us. Only through Christ’s blood can we become righteous before God.

Therefore, let us come to His throne of grace with boldness, resting on the righteousness obtained for us only through Christ’s blood and this is fully a gift from God.

Sermon Series: Coming to the Throne of Grace


义是神赐给我们的礼物

罗马书 5:1,16-17 (和合本) 5我 们 既 因 信 称 义 , 就 藉 着 我 们 的 主 耶 稣 基 督 得 与 神 相 和。16 因 一 人 犯 罪 就 定 罪 , 也 不 如 恩 赐 , 原 来 审 判 是 由 一 人 而 定 罪 , 恩 赐 乃 是 由 许 多 过 犯 而 称 义 。17 若 因 一 人 的 过 犯 , 死 就 因 这 一 人 作 了 王 , 何 况 那 些 受 洪 恩 又 蒙 所 赐 之 义 的 , 岂 不 更 要 因 耶 稣 基 督 一 人 在 生 命 中 作 王 麽 ?

虽然亚当的行为是过犯并且是故意的偏行,基督的行为却是恩典的行为。亚当的罪招致了定罪和死亡,但基督恩典的行为却带来了义和生命。基督救赎的工使我们得了义,并且我们藉由信以义人的身份活在祂里面。我们有义的恩赐,因为十字架上的工已满足了属天存在和属天宝座对罪人的所有声索。

我们称义或因着信耶稣基督而在神面前被宣布为义,这是时间事件中的一个点。义是免费的礼物,当我们信了耶稣基督时就会赐给我们,它与我们是否应得毫无关系,因它纯粹是神在我们身上所浇灌的洪恩!

罗马书 10:9-10 (和合本)9 你 若 口 里 认 耶 稣 为 主 , 心 里 信 神 叫 他 从 死 里 复 活 , 就 必 得 救 。10 因 为 人 心 里 相 信 , 就 可 以 称 义 ; 口 里 承 认 , 就 可 以 得 救 。

我们将焦点从自己转向神,祂通过耶稣基督拯救了不义的,为我们完成了一切。我们所有人都是不敬虔的,因圣经告诉我们所有的人都犯了罪并亏缺了神的荣耀。

我们需要理解被宣告为义并不代表我们是完美的或敬虔的。敬虔是成圣的过程,是我们渐渐成长为基督的样式。它不是时间事件的一个点,而是一个发展过程,贯穿我们基督徒从救赎到荣耀的全部生命旅程。特别是在我们肉体软弱的时候,我们尤其需要跑向施恩的宝座,以便在需要的时候找到怜悯和恩典。

并不是说行善不重要,但善行并不能使我们在神面前得义。行善是对祂给予我们的爱和恩典的回应,我们爱他人因祂先爱我们。只有通过基督的宝血,我们才能在神面前成为义。

所以,让我们坦然地来到祂施恩的宝座前,在藉由基督的宝血而得的义中安息,它完全是神所赐的礼物。

讲章系列:来到施恩宝座前