Grace Unveiled: For the Promise to Be Sure  #12 | Jim Hammond
 
Recap
Pastor Jim gave his 12th installment on his series entitled, “Grace Unveiled.” The Old Testament law always produced the wrath of God as a consequence for disobedience. No one outside of Jesus Christ had the ability to keep Old Testament law! Yet there are many Christians that try to live their lives according to Old Testament law. And they are failing. Pastor Jim went on to explain why in his message subtitled, “For the Promise to Be Sure.”
 
Dive Deeper
 
The message starts at Romans 4:15: “Because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.” Old Testament law, a.k.a the Old Covenant, will always produce the wrath of God as a consequence for disobedience.
 
The Bible says no one outside of Jesus Christ when He walked the earth could keep Old Covenant law fully. No one! In fact, it wasn’t meant for anyone to succeed in following OT law.
 
The first three chapters of Romans deal with the fact that no one can keep OT law to its fullest extent. If you can’t keep it, you’re under it. A Christian is someone that believes in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. If that Christian gets out from under that NT covenant and places himself under the Old Covenant, then it will produce the wrath of God for that person.
 
The book of Galatians speaks about this. Under the law, God judges those that disobey that law. There are about 600 laws in the Old Testament… plus the 10 Commandments.
 
The point? If our relationship with God is on the basis of the Old Covenant (the do’s and don’ts), then the ultimate result for us is to experience the wrath of God. Under the law, you have to be perfect… and no one is perfect!
 
Gal 3:4–5, “Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” The law brought us to Christ.
 
The Gospel means “good news.” It’s talking about good news in regard to Jesus literally paying with His body for our blessings by giving His lifeblood. Jesus came to earth so that we could appropriate the blessings of God.
 
This righteousness that’s credited to you as being “not guilty” in God’s eyes comes through the resurrection. This gift didn’t come to us as charity, because it was actually paid for by Jesus Christ who paid for it with His very life.
 
Romans 4:16, “Therefore, it is of faith that it might be by grace that the promise might be sure.” People are not walking in the promises that come with salvation. It is of faith that it might be by grace that the promise be made sure. And so it’s coming by grace, which means “unmerited or undeserved favor.” Your faith is in the fact that it is coming through favor you don’t deserve. Is your faith in the grace of God when you’re believing or asking Him for His promises?
 
Verse 16: “Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace.” Your faith is in the fact that it comes by grace to the end.
 
Verse 20: “He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God.” No unbelief or distrust made Him waver concerning the promise of God.
 
Verse 21: “and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.” This is why Abraham’s faith was credited to him… as though his relationship with God was good, or in “right standing,” with Him. How God sees you will be granted to you who believe and trust and rely on God.  
 
Verse 25: “Who was delivered up because of our offenses and was raised because of our justification.” This means you are acquitted in the courtrooms of heaven. But you have to know and understand this. The Bible says people perish for a lack of knowledge.
 
Read About It
 
Rom. 4:15, “Because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.”
 
Gal 3:4 –5, “Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.”
 
Rom. 4:16–25, “Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all 17 (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; 18 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” 19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. 22 And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 23 Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, 24 but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.”
 
Discussion Questions
 
In the Old Testament Law, there were over 600 laws that were to be obeyed. How many people do you know that were able to obey all the Old Testament laws?
 
Under the Old Testament laws, you had to be perfect. Yet, no one is perfect! What, then, was the point of the Old Testament laws?
In your own words, what does the word “gospel” mean?
Share
Share
Share

Recent Sermon Notes

The Impossible Dream | Mac Hammond

Jan 12, 2025

Pastor Mac taught the first message in his new series entitled, “The Impossible Dream.” He said “the impossible dream” is a good message for the outset of a new year. However, it’s a good message for all to hear at any time during the year. He began the message by asking a rhetorical question: “Do your dreams fall only within the realm of logical possibility. Or do your dreams require the element of the miraculous in order to be realized?” He went on to explain how God-given dreams will always necessitate the supernatural power of God in order for them to be fulfilled.

GRACE UNVEILED, “Dominion of Grace” #25 | Jim Hammond

Jan 5, 2025

This past Sunday, Pastor Jim gave the 25th installment to his teaching series entitled, “Grace Unveiled.” In the past messages, we’ve been studying Romans 3, 4, 5, and 6. Before teaching on chapter 7, Pastor Jim wanted to break down these chapters again in a way we have not heard them before. He said, “You’re going to hear these chapters taught in a different way.” So far, we focused on the gift of righteousness. And we focused on justification. But there is a third subject that Pastor Jim wanted to focus on before we moved on to the next chapter.   

GRACE UNVEILED, #24, “The Dominion of Grace” | Jim Hammond

Dec 17, 2024

Pastor Jim was back and gave his 24th installment of his study on the book of Romans called “Unveiled Grace: The Dominion of Grace.” By now, the congregants that have been following Pastor Jim’s teaching on Romans should have a clear understanding of what justification is and what it means to the believer. There are many benefits to this justification. It’s a gift of New Testament righteousness. But this righteousness is something you must be established in. And fortunately, by the time this study on Romans has been completed, you absolutely will have been established in it. Because, as Pastor Jim said, “I’ve been hammering it and hammering it and hammering it!” 

How to Finish the Year Strong 1 | Mac Hammond

Dec 10, 2024

Pastor Mac gave a message entitled, “How to Finish the Year Strong.” We’re at the end of the year and many use this time as an occasion to pray about what the Lord would have them do in the coming year…to set their sail in Christ, so to speak. They want the Lord to help them identify the marks they are to press toward in order to finish their race. To that end, Pastor Mac spoke to us about “finishing strong.”

Releasing the Anointing | Releasing the Anointing

Dec 3, 2024

Special guest Dr. James Tan continued his message entitled, “Releasing the Anointing.” He used Hebrews 5:14 as his text: “But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” Dr. James said, “This tells us there is solid food available, but it only belongs to those who are full age.” If there is full age, then that means these is a half age, or partial age, or young age. God’s goal for us is that we grow and mature into “full age.”