GRACE UNVEILED, #24, “The Dominion of Grace” | Jim Hammond
Recap
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!”
Dive Deeper
Across the body of Christ, the concept of New Testament righteousness has been misunderstood. Once you ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, you receive a gift that comes by way of the cross and resurrection. That gift is righteousness from God.
This New Testament righteousness doesn’t have anything to do with Old Testament righteousness. It has nothing to do with the good or bad things you do.
This gift of righteousness gives you the ability to have a relationship with God. The Strong’s Concordance defines New Testament righteousness as “Justification.” In God’s eyes, you are justified.
Greek scholar, E.W. Kenyon said, “Well, then the definition of New Testament righteousness is if you’re justified, you have the ability to go before God without any guilt or inferiority.”
Someone might ask, “What’s so great about that?” Because if you go before God with guilt, inferiority, condemnation, you’re not getting your prayers answered. There is no faith behind your prayers. Most likely, there’s fear behind your prayers. Or you’re praying out of guilt. It says in Hebrews, a guilty conscience is flat out an “evil conscience.”
When we believe and confess, “Yes, I believe He died for me. I believe He forgave my sins. I believe He’s the Son of God and rose from the dead. I believe it.” It’s at that moment that your account with God registers “not guilty.” In the courtroom of heaven, you have been made righteous before God.
Pastor Jim said, “At that point, there is no hung jury. It’s not a split decision. It’s not about you being tried again. In the courtroom of heaven, you are justified!”
You can’t earn it. You can only receive it by believing in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And if you believe it, it’s “imputed” to you.
What does impute mean? The word impute is used throughout the book of Romans. It’s important to know what it means. Once you get saved through faith, it’s like God says, “We’re opening an account and in that account we’re putting that in there for him.” And the way a believer withdraws the benefits of the gift of righteousness is simply by believing.
You get that “account” through faith.
Most of the body of Christ does not have this understanding of New Testament righteousness. When most of the preachers across America teach about righteousness, they apply the Old Testament definition to it. That’s why most believers do not understand this concept.
Pastor Jim said, “You’ll never understand Romans unless you know the definition of the gift of righteousness. And that you have to have faith for it. What is the result of not knowing about New Testament righteousness? The Bible says you perish from a lack of knowledge.”
It is a fact that we are righteous and acceptable to God, yet all the while, we retain a literal genetic sin nature. So we’ve been declared “not guilty” by God. Yet we still have a sin nature. Every one of us!
When you become born again, God is not through with you in regard to what He does about the sin nature in you.
The first three chapters of Romans hammers into us that we are all sinners. Without Jesus Christ, we are all going to hell! No one escapes it.
Salvation through Jesus Christ saves us from hell and separates us from the ultimate penalty… which is eternity in hell.
When you sin, the Bible says we can confidently and boldly go to the throne of God and receive mercy for your sins. Jesus was already judged for that sin.
What is mercy? Mercy is not getting the bad things you deserve. God says, “Come to Me. Come to the throne of grace. Receive mercy for your sins and mistakes.” And then He says, “Find grace.” This is bringing your sin to God. This is acknowledging your sin.
Pastor Jim said, “I once heard a minister say, ‘When you sin, you lose contact with God. You lose your connection with God. You lose everything you have with God. And then you go to Him and you confess your sins and then you get that relationship back.’ Wrong! Wrong all day! Then there is no gift of righteousness. He doesn’t give you a gift and then snatch it back.”
This is about the gift of righteousness. This is about your justification. You never lose your connection. That’s a gift from the cross. Otherwise, we’re no different than the Israelites making animal sacrifices back there in the desert.
Dealing with the sin nature in your life is a process. It’s called sanctification. When you’re saved and you’re justified, you’ve been acquitted by God. God declares you “Not guilty.” It’s imputed to you because you believe.
Discussion Questions
Can you describe the difference between New Testament righteousness and Old Testament righteousness?
What is the Strong’s Concordance definition of New Testament righteousness?
Describe what the word “impute” means?