September 29, 2024 – Romans 3:24 – 4:25

Lesson Date: September 29, 2024

Focal Scripture Passage: Romans 3:24 – 4:25

AIM: To lead students to learn what justification is and who can experience it, and to encourage any who have never accepted this wonderful gift to do so today.

Before class: Read the notes on Romans 3:24 – 4:25 found in the Sunday School Teacher Book.  Write the word “Justify” on the board.

INTRODUCTION (Create Learning Readiness): Direct everyone’s attention to the word “Justify” written on the board.  Ask the students to suggest definitions for the word, and then tell them that a dictionary definition of “Justify” is, “to prove or show to be just, right, or reasonable; to show to have had a sufficient legal reason.”[i]

Tell the class that we often think of the word “Justify” in regard to giving a reason why we did something, particularly if we are confronted about something we have done wrong.  Ask: “Have you ever tried to justify your actions by explaining why you did something?” (everyone has done that at some time).  Explain that the word “Justify” can also be used in a legal sense to mean that someone has been declared innocent of wrongdoing.

Tell the students that the same secular dictionary cited earlier also defines the word “Justify” as, “to judge, regard, or treat as righteous and worthy of salvation.”[ii]  Tell them that’s the way we usually use the words justify or justified, and it’s the way God uses them in His Word, the Bible.  Explain that according to the Bible, someone who has been justified has been declared to be completely innocent as if they had never sinned, and therefore put in right standing with God.  Tell the class that the word justified (or a variant of it) appears 17 times in the book of Romans, but 7 of those 17 are found in the passage we will study today.

Tell the students the title of today’s lesson is Who Can Be Justified?  Tell them that question has been debated and argued for centuries, but today we will discover God’s answer from the Bible.

HEART OF THE LESSON (Bible Study):

1. Review.
   • Remind the class that we are studying the New Testament book of Romans.
   • Ask: “What was last week’s lesson about?” (All Have Sinned; we were confronted with the reality that we are all sinners and none of us can save ourselves by our good works).
   • Ask if any volunteer would recite last week’s memory verse (Romans 3:23).
2. Justification is By Grace Through Faith.
   • Read Romans 3:24-25.
   • Ask: “Since we are all sinners (v. 23), how does verse 24 say we can be justified?” (as a free gift of God’s grace).
   • Ask: “What is grace?” (something good that we cannot earn and don’t deserve).
   • Ask: “What does the word redemption mean?” (to buy back, or pay the purchase price necessary to free from bondage).
   • Tell the class that justification is given to us freely (without cost or works) as a gift of grace through the redemption that Jesus Christ purchased for us.
   • Ask: “According to verse 25, why did God send Jesus to earth?” (to be a propitiation).
   • Explain that the word propitiation means a payment for sin.
   • Ask: “How does verse 25 say Christ’s sin payment can be applied to us?” (“through faith in His blood;” in other words, by believing that Jesus’s death on the cross paid our sin debt; see John 3:16).
   • Ask a volunteer to read Romans 3:26-28.
   • Ask: “According to verse 26, who does Jesus justify?” (those who believe in Him).
   • Tell the students that since justification is a gift of grace, verse 27 says we have no right to boast about it.
   • Ask everyone to look back at verse 20, which we studied last week.
   • Ask: “According to verse 20, can anyone be justified by doing good works?” (no).
   • Ask: “What is the conclusion stated in verse 28?” (“man is justified by faith, without the deeds [works] of the law”).
   • Remind the class that the title of today’s lesson is Who Can Be Justified?
   • Ask: “According to the verses we have just read, who can be justified?” (those who have faith in Jesus).
   • Summarize: People all over the world try to do good works to make themselves right with their so-call “gods,” but the Bible makes it clear that justification is only available as a gift of grace received through faith.
3. Justification is Available to Everyone.
   • Ask a volunteer to read Romans 3:29-31.
   • Ask: “According to verse 29, is justification only available to the Jews?” (no, it is also available to Gentiles).
   • Tell the students that there are only two classes of people on earth, Jews and Gentiles.
   • Ask: “According to verse 30, how are Jews (the circumcision) justified?” (by faith).
   • Ask: “According to verse 30, how are Gentiles (the uncircumcision) justified?” (by faith).
   • Tell the class these verses make it clear that Jews and Gentiles can all be justified by faith.
   • Read Romans 4:9-10.
   • Ask: “What question do we find in the beginning of verse 9?” (Is the blessing of justification only available to the Jews, or is it also available to the Gentiles?).
   • Explain the following:
     • The rest of verse 9 says Abraham’s faith was reckoned to him for righteousness.
     • The word reckoned means it was credited to his account.
     • Other Bible words that mean the same thing are imputed, and counted.
     • Genesis 15:6 says Abraham “believed in the Lord; and He counted it to him for righteousness.”
     • Because of Abraham’s faith, he was reckoned, counted, or declared to be righteous in God’s sight.
   • Ask: “According to verse 10, did this happen when he was circumcised or uncircumcised?” (uncircumcised).
   • Explain that Abraham was 85 years old when his faith was reckoned to him for righteousness, but he was not circumcised until he was 99 years old.
   • Read Romans 4:11-12.
   • Ask: “Who does verse 11 say Abraham is the father of?” (all who believe, even those who are not circumcised).
   • Ask: “According to the end of verse 11, what is imputed to those who believe, even though they are Gentiles?” (righteousness).
   • Tell the class that verse 12 says Abraham is also the father of Jews who “walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham.”
   • Remind the class that the title of today’s lesson is Who Can Be Justified?
   • Ask: “According to the verses we have just read, who can be justified?” (Jews and Gentiles who have faith in Jesus).
   • Stress the fact that everyone on earth is either a Jew or a Gentile.
   • Summarize: The Bible makes it clear that justification is available to anyone who has faith in Jesus Christ, regardless of whether they are genetically Jews or Gentiles.
4. Justification is Illustrated in Abraham and David.
   • Tell the students that the next verses we will read tell us that Abraham is an example or illustration of justification by faith.
   • Ask a volunteer to read Romans 4:1-3.
   • Ask: “According to verse 2, if it had been possible for Abraham to be justified by doing good works, what could he have done?” (gloried or boasted about his accomplishment).
   • Ask: “According to verse 3, what about Abraham caused God to declare him righteous?” (he believed God by faith; he took God at His Word and believed His promises).
   • Tell the students that verse 3 is quoted from Genesis 15:6.
   • Read Romans 4:4-5.
   • Ask: “How many of you are now or have ever worked a job?” (probably all of them)
   • Ask: “When you received your paycheck, was that a gift of grace?” (no, it was payment of what your employer owed you for your work).
   • Explain that verse 4 says if it was possible to work to earn our justification, that would cancel out God’s grace.
   • Ask: “According to verse 5, how can we be reckoned or declared to be righteous in God’s sight?” (by believing “on Him [Jesus] that justifieth the ungodly”).
   • Ask a volunteer to read Romans 4:6-8.
   • Tell the class that David is another example or illustration of justification by faith.
   • Ask: “According to verse 6, who did David say was blessed?” (the person to whom God imputes righteousness without trying to earn it by doing good works).
   • Explain the following:
     • Second Corinthians 5:21 says, “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.”
     • That is the greatest transaction in history: Jesus took on Himself our sin and imputed to us His righteousness.
     • Verses 7 and 8 are quoted from David’s words in Psalm 32:1-2.
   • Ask: “Who did David say in verse 7 is blessed?” (those whose sins are forgiven).
   • Ask: “Who did he say in verse 8 is blessed?” (the one to whom God does not impute sin).
   • Summarize: Abraham and David are Old Testament examples of people who were justified by faith, and to whom God imputed
5. Justification Cannot be Achieved By Works.
   • Ask a volunteer to read Romans 4:13-15.
   • Ask: “According to verse 13, did Abraham’s justification come through doing the works of the Law?” (no; in fact, the Law was not given until 500 years later!).
   • Ask: “According to verse 14, if people could achieve justification by doing good works, what would that do to faith and God’s promises of a Savior?” (make them null and void).
   • Ask: “What does the Law (religious works) bring?” (wrath, because our breaking of the Law shows that we are guilty sinners).
   • Ask: “Do the works of the Law earn anyone right standing with God?” (no).
   • Read Romans 4:16-21, emphasizing the words “faith,” “grace,” and “believed” every time they occur.
   • Ask: “Was Abraham justified by good works?” (no, he was justified by faith).
   • Stress the fact that right standing with God (salvation) only comes by faith.
   • Ask a volunteer to read Romans 4:22-24.
   • Ask: “According to verse 22, what was the result of Abraham’s faith?” (“it was imputed to him for righteousness”).
   • Ask: “According to verse 23, is justification by faith only possible for Abraham?” (no).
   • Ask: “According to verse 24, who else can be justified by faith?” (we can).
   • Ask: “What must we do to be justified?” (believe).
   • Remind the class that the title of today’s lesson is Who Can Be Justified?
   • Ask: “According to the verses we have just read, who cannot be justified?” (people who try to earn it through doing good works).
   • Read Romans 4:25.
   • Ask: “Why did Jesus die?” (to pay for our sins).
   • Ask: “Why did He rise again from the dead?” (for our justification).
   • Tell the students if Jesus had not died, then our sins could not be forgiven; and if He had not risen from the dead, then we could not be justified (declared righteous and acceptable to God).
   • Summarize: The Bible makes it clear that justification by faith is not achieved by any works that we might do, but only as a gift of grace paid for by the blood of Jesus.

PERSONAL APPLICATION: Remind the students that the title of today’s lesson is Who Can Be Justified?  Briefly review the lesson by telling them the following:

• Justification is by grace through faith.
• Justification is available to everyone.
• Justification is illustrated in the lives of Abraham and David.
• Justification cannot be achieved by works.

Ask: “Who can be justified?” (anyone of any ethnicity or nationality who trusts Jesus by faith and doesn’t try to earn salvation by doing so-called “good” works).

Ask: “What about you?  Have you accepted Christ’s free gift of salvation and justification?  If so, have you accepted the fact that God views you as righteous?  If you’ve never accepted Christ’s free gift of salvation and justification, will you turn to Jesus in faith right now?”

Ask everyone to bow their head and close their eyes.  Encourage any who have never received Christ’s gift of justification to turn from their sins and commit themselves to Jesus right now.  Tell those who are already saved to thank God for grace, faith, and justification.  Allow a moment for silent prayer, and then voice a closing prayer, thanking Jesus for justification.

CONCLUSION: Ask everyone to memorize Romans 4:25.  Tell them next week we will learn about some of the blessings that come from being justified (saved).

[i] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/justify

[ii] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/justify