The King: His Justice
Romans 3:23-26
December 3, 2023
Jay Haugh
Jesus’s First Coming: His justice absorbs the wrath of God.
Jesus is both loving and just.
“You shall love the LORD your God will all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” —Deuteronomy 6:5 ESV
God expects us to love Him as He loves us.
We have all loved other things more than we love God.
Sin is dishonoring God by preferring (and acting on) other things over God.
…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. —Romans 3:23 ESV
Sin is neither insignificant nor small because it’s against a mighty and infinite God.
The wages of sin is death. —Romans 6:23 ESV
God’s love is willing to meet the demands of His justice.
Jesus’s love meets the demands of death by absorbing the wrath of God.
In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. —1 John 4:10 ESV
“Propitiation” refers to the removal of God’s wrath by providing a substitute.
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. —2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. —Romans 3:23-25 ESV
God has provided a wrath-absorbing substitute. His name is Jesus.
Faith alone in Jesus as our substitute is how we escape God’s wrath and spend eternity with Him.
Jesus’s Second Coming: All injustice is fully removed.
Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. —Revelation 19:11-16 ESV
BIG IDEA:
God’s perfect love is willing to meet the demands of His perfect justice.
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Memory Verse: Isaiah 9:6 NIV
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
The goal of these questions is to foster meaningful discussion and to encourage participants to reflect on God’s Word to lead to heart transformation. Feel free to modify or expand upon these questions based on the dynamics and needs of your Small Group.
Read Deuteronomy 6:5. In what ways can you relate to the struggle of loving God with all of your heart, soul, and might? Is there something that tends to rise to a higher place than God in your life? What causes this to happen? Do you see this as idolatry? Discuss why or why not.
Read Romans 3:23. Do you ever have difficulty recognizing yourself as a sinner? Can you easily identify or feel when you are being sinful? What value does community bring when considering accountability to our thoughts and behaviors? What does it take for you to be transparent and share your sins with others?
How does the statement of “all have sinned” align with the cultural emphasis on relativism and individual morality? In your opinion, if there was universal recognition of this truth, would it lead to a more compassionate and understanding world? Why or why not? How does keeping the sinfulness of others at the forefront of your mind impact your perspective and actions?
Read Romans 6:23. In your experience, how does society often downplay the seriousness of sin? Do you ever make excuses or pass blame for your sinful thoughts/actions? Why is sin such an egregious thing? Are all sins equal before God? Why can He not ignore sin?
God’s love is willing to meet the demands of His justice. Read 1 John 4:10. What does justice demand? How does God meet that demand? How have you personally experienced God’s love? What impact does God’s love have on you? How did your understanding of God’s love influence your initial response to the Gospel?
Read 2 Corinthians 5:21. In what ways has your understanding of sin and righteousness evolved since accepting Christ into your life? Share about an experience where you have felt tension between your old sinful nature and your new identity in Christ. How has growing in your knowledge of Christ grown you in your practice of the faith?
How can you ensure that God’s wrath against you is satisfied? How have you heard others answer this question? Why is salvation by works alone never going to be sufficient to get someone to heaven? Why does thinking we can earn or buy our salvation degrade the work of Jesus on the cross? According to Scripture, what is the role of our works?
Read Romans 3:23-25. What primary tenets of Christianity do you hear in this passage that you can use to share the gospel? What methods can you use to share the concept of righteousness through Christ with those who may not yet understand or accept it? Share a personal experience of how you have witnessed the transformative power of the gospel in someone’s life.
Read Revelation 19:11-16. Why was Jesus’ first coming necessary? What will He accomplish in His second coming? Christmas is a time set aside to honor and remember Christ’s first coming. How can we use this holiday to share and remind people of His second coming? Who is someone you will share the gospel message with this season?