Overview

1. Introduction: The crux of the gospel is God’s gift of righteousness for all who believe
2. You are God's workmanship—made righteous in Christ to proclaim His glory
3. Receive the gift of God’s righteousness that brings the fruit of the Spirit
4. Jesus’ obedience, not your own, has made you righteous once and for all
5. Define yourself by your righteous standing in Christ, not by your actions or emotions
6. Where you fall short, God’s grace superabounds
7. The gospel of Christ is the only answer to overcoming sin in our lives and in the world
8. Christ has paid for 120% restoration for your sins against God and others
9. The Lord not only compensates for what you have lost but restores much more to you
10. Salvation Prayer
11. Closing Prayer
12. OWN THE WORD (life application)

Introduction: The crux of the gospel is God’s gift of righteousness for all who believe

Today, we celebrate all mothers. Blessed Mother’s Day to all moms! Thank you for all that you do!

In today’s sermon, we are picking up from where we left off last week.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”
— Romans 1:16 NKJV

“I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ” — The gospel of Christ is so good and powerful that there must have been forces trying to make Paul feel ashamed for preaching it. These were usually in the form of people who did not like the message of God’s gift of righteousness being given to man by grace instead of man attaining righteousness himself (Eph. 2:8–9 KJV). These people were trying to establish their own righteousness instead of submitting to the righteousness of God (Rom. 10:3).

“I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:”
— Galatians 1:6 KJV

“removed from . . . the grace of Christ unto another gospel” — We can see that the gospel of Christ preached by Paul (Acts 20:24) is the gospel of grace as he rebuked those who had begun preaching a different gospel.

Grace is not a subject or teaching but the person of Jesus Christ. When we preach grace, we are preaching the beauty of Jesus’ person and the perfection of His work at the cross. This revelation will transform us into people who will glorify Jesus.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.””
— Romans 1:16-17 NKJV

“it is the power of God to salvation” — Salvation is not only from eternal damnation, but also refers to healing, welfare, provision, and protection. The power of God that brings all these blessings is released through the preaching of the gospel of Christ.

“in it the righteousness of God is revealed” — Many people think that the gospel provides us with a revelation of our sins which convicts us. However, the crux of the gospel is the revelation of God’s gift of righteousness made available to every man because of Christ’s finished work at the cross. This righteousness can only be received through faith (Rom. 1:17 RSV).

“For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins?”
— Hebrews 10:1–2 ESV

“once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins” — There are those in the church who think we need more preaching on sin. Yet the Bible says that once you are cleansed, you should no longer have consciousness of sin in your life.

Some people feel that the more conscious you are of your sins, the more you can do something about it. This could not be further from the truth! When you are conscious of your sins, you will simply see the reality that you cannot overcome your sins in and of yourself.

It is only through the gospel of Jesus Christ and accepting the gift of righteousness that you can receive grace to overcome sin!

You are God's workmanship—made righteous in Christ to proclaim His glory

“For he hath made (‘poieó’) him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made (‘ginomai’) the righteousness of God in him.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV

While the word “made” appears twice in this verse, they are two different words in the Greek translation:

1. “For he hath made (‘poieó’) him to be sin for us” — The word “made” here is the Greek word “poieó,” which means “to fashion.” It has the idea of creating something beautiful, especially a work of art. In this context, it describes how it took great artistry and beauty for God to love us so much that He poured our sins into Jesus, making Him to be sin for us at the cross.

We also see a derivative of this word “poieó” in Ephesians 2:

“For we are his workmanship (‘poiéma’), created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
— Ephesians 2:10 KJV

“we are his workmanship (‘poiéma’)” — The word “workmanship” is the Greek word “poiéma,” which comes from the root word “poieó.” This is where we get the English word “poem.” You are God’s work of art—a living, breathing poem declaring the beauty, excellence, and glory of our Lord Jesus everywhere you go!

You are God’s workmanship, not your own creation. My friend, stop trying to better yourself by your own efforts but instead, look to the Lord. He is the One who was made to be sin at the cross so that your life can be made beautiful.

“ . . . This is the law of the sin offering . . . It is most holy.”
— Leviticus 6:25 NKJV

“sin offering . . . is most holy” — In the book of Leviticus, the burnt offering (a picture of Jesus laying down his life in all His beauty and righteousness to glorify God) is called a holy offering. But the sin offering (a picture of Jesus becoming sin for us at the cross) is called the “most holy offering.”

1. “that we might be made (‘ginomai’) the righteousness of God” — The second time the word “made” is mentioned in 2 Corinthians 5:21 is the Greek word “ginomai,” which means “to come into being” or to “become” (2 Cor. 5:21 NKJV). It has the idea of being birthed forth, where we get the idea of being born again.

“and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”
— ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4:24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“put on the new man . . . in true righteousness and holiness” — When you are born again, you are born as the righteousness of God in Christ. This is now your new nature.

“that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”
— Ephesians‬ ‭4:22–24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man . . . be renewed in the spirit of your mind . . . that you put on the new man” — The earlier verses tell us that the way we move away from the sinful habits and destructive ways of the old man, and instead embrace our new nature as the righteousness of God in Christ, is to “be renewed in the spirit of your mind.” Today, God wants us to fix our thoughts and our consciousness on the fact that we are righteous in Him.

At the cross, God made Jesus to be sin for you, that you might become a new creation created in true righteousness and holiness.

Receive the gift of God’s righteousness that brings the fruit of the Spirit

“For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.”
— Romans 10:3 KJV

“going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God” — You can either receive God's righteousness, which is a gift, or go about establishing your own righteousness. You cannot do both.

Trying to establish your own righteousness brings you into a downward spiral of failure, depression, and darkness. But receiving God's righteousness brings joy, peace, and the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22–24).

It is when a person tries to establish their own righteousness and feels they have done well that they often begin comparing their efforts with others, becoming proud and having a holier-than-thou attitude. However, receiving God's gift righteousness causes one to feel humbled and full of thanksgiving because they know their righteousness is not of their own doing, but a gift.

“Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound.”
— Romans 5:20 NKJV

“that the offense might abound” — God did not give Man the law so that he could keep it, but so that the offense might abound and Man would see his sinful nature. The sinful nature needs the law to trigger its pride to try to keep the law. However, the more a person tries to keep the law, the more it becomes obvious that the sinful nature can only produce corruption and moral degradation.

Establishing your own righteousness means that you are unable to submit yourself to, and receive, the righteousness of God. My friend, choose to receive God’s gift of righteousness!

Jesus’ obedience, not your own, has made you righteous once and for all

“For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.”
— Romans 5:19 NKJV

“by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous” — You are not made righteous by your own obedience, but by Christ’s obedience to the Father. Christ was obedient in that He chose to die on the cross for our sins.

“ . . . bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,”
— Corinthians 10:5 NKJV

“to the obedience of Christ” — The Bible tells us that spiritual warfare is bringing your thoughts to the obedience of Christ. In other words, always focusing on the fact that it is Christ’s obedience that made you righteous.

“by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners” — Every one of us is born a sinner because of the first man Adam’s disobedience to God. It is because of this that sin has been in the blood of mankind ever since. By the same token, God sent His Son to be the second Adam. When Jesus died on the cross, His obedience to the Father made all who believe in Him righteous.

Today, look to Jesus’ obedience on the cross and not your own obedience or efforts to receive your righteousness in Christ!

Define yourself by your righteous standing in Christ, not by your actions or emotions

But what happens when we fail? There will be times when you don't obey God as you should or you fall into sin. Take heart, because just as your obedience did not make you righteous, neither does your disobedience make you unrighteous!

By putting our righteousness on the basis of Jesus' obedience alone, God has taken Man’s obedience and efforts out of the equation completely. We can only be deemed unrighteous if the enemy is able to remove Jesus from the throne of grace.

“But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down . . . ”
— Hebrews 10:12 NKJV

“ . . . priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices . . . ”
— Hebrews 10:11 NKJV

“But this Man . . . offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down” — Today, Jesus sits down on the throne because His work is done. Once and for all, He offered one sacrifice for sins forever. This is in contrast to the priest in the Old Testament who “stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices.”

It pleases the Lord when you appreciate the gift that He has given you. Beloved, appreciate His gift of righteousness by believing and living it out, enjoying the fact that you are forgiven and justified in His eyes!

Even if you experience nagging temptations or sin, keep on confessing that you are the righteousness of God in Christ. The devil always wants to define you by your habits and failures, but these things do not define who you are.

While you are still on a journey, the fact is you have been made the righteousness of God the moment you were born again.

When you confess your righteous standing in Christ, who you are will overcome what you do.

Pastor Prince shares an important principle: Who you are is your standing, but what you do is your state. Sometimes you may feel depressed or rebellious, and other times you may feel like you want to do something good—this is your state and it can fluctuate day to day. Your state does not define who you are. Therefore you should never judge your standing by your state. Always judge your state by your standing because your standing is permanent.

Your standing as the righteousness of God never fluctuates; it remains forever!

When you are confident in your standing as the righteousness of God in Christ, you can face your mistakes head-on and say, “They don’t define me. I am not a resentful, depressed, or fearful person. This is not who I am. I am the righteousness of God in Christ.” My friend, don’t let the devil tell you that your state (your actions or emotions) defines you. Instead, remember every day to judge your state by your standing!

Where you fall short, God’s grace superabounds

“Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded (’pleonazó’), grace abounded much more (‘huperperisseuó’),”
— Romans 5:20 NKJV

“the law entered” — The law entered on the side, was added as an addendum to the unconditional covenant God made to Abraham. Abraham did not have to behave to earn the blessings of the covenant as God gave it to him by promise.

Grace can be described as an unconditional covenant, meaning that the only party that will execute it is God. Your part in the covenant is simply to believe in His work.

Another way to identify grace is seeing that grace is God’s doing, while law is Man’s doing. Whenever you find that the demands are on you, you are under law. Instead of achieving things by your own effort and strength, see God working through you, supplying all that you need.

“But where sin abounded (’pleonazó’), grace abounded much more (‘huperperisseuó’),”
— Romans 5:20 NKJV

While the word “abounded” appears twice in this verse, they are two different words in the Greek translation:

1. “where sin abounded (’pleonazó’)” — The word “abounded” here is the Greek word ‘pleonazó,’ which means “increased.” It can be quantified.
2. “grace abounded much more (‘huperperisseuó’)” — The word “abounded” here is the Greek word ‘huperperisseuó.’ This comes from the word “perisseuó,” which means “overflowing,” an amount too large to quantify. The word “huper,” from which the English word “hyper” is derived, is added to the word “perisseuó,” making the overflow even greater.

“where sin abounded” — The word “where” indicates the location of where grace abounds.

“ . . . My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness . . .”
— 2 Corinthians 12:9 NKJV

The area in your life that you face the greatest difficulty in is the area that God's grace superabounds in!

Pastor Prince shares that the area he faced the greatest difficulty in during secondary school was his stammering. Though he felt speaking in front of others was his biggest weakness, it is the area in which God’s grace superabounds. Today he is preaching the gospel to the world!

But won’t people be encouraged to sin more if they hear that where sin increases, grace superabounds? Pastor Prince shares that this conclusion is a result of logical reasoning from the human mind. However, God moves by divine reasoning.

The Bible contains many examples of people who experienced superabounding grace in the areas they fell short in:

1. Out of all of David’s sons, God chose Solomon to become king (1 Kings 1). Solomon was the son of Bathsheeba, the woman with whom David had committed adultery. While Pastor Prince or Paul are definitely not condoning adultery, this story shows that in the area that one falls short, grace superabounds when one looks to the Lord instead of his sin. David looked to the Lord and trusted His grace, and Solomon was the result.
2. Peter denied knowing the Lord three times with cursing and swearing (Matt. 26:69–75). Yet because he turned to the Lord, God used the same mouth that denied Him to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:14–39), and 3,000 people were saved (Acts 2:41b).

Instead of looking to your sin or weakness and feeling like it disqualifies you, look to the Lord.

You can rejoice in the areas you fall short in because the Lord makes His grace superabound in those very areas!

As you receive this grace, your life glorifies the Lord and becomes a powerful testimony of His power!

We have received many testimonies from people who were once bound by addictions and sinful habits but today are truly delivered, sanctified, and have no desire to continue in these destructive ways. You can read these testimonies here.

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?”
— Romans 6:1–2 NKJV

“How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” — Many people who quote this verse see it as telling people to stop sinning, as though it is still within their power to do so.

However, God’s way is to see living in sin as an impossibility once the person has died to sin. You may fall here and there and commit sin, but you cannot continue a protracted lifestyle of being in that sin. A person living in sin needs to be born again.

The gospel of Christ is the only answer to overcoming sin in our lives and in the world

“And why not say, “Let us do evil that good may come”?—as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just.”
— Romans 3:8 NKJV

“Their condemnation is just” — Paul did not mince his words when he spoke about false accusations against the gospel of Christ. These accusers accused him of preaching that people should sin more so they could experience more grace.

The judgments are severe for people who come against the gospel of grace (Acts 13:8, 11). Paul was much harsher towards the Galatians who were turning away from the gospel of grace and trying to keep the law (Gal. 1:6, 8–9) than to the Corinthians who were steep in immorality (1 Cor. 1:2a, 7a, 9, 3:16).

Nowadays, we are seeing all kinds of immorality as the world plunges into deeper darkness. The answer is not to come against all these sins but to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world! Let us not be more conscious of darkness and sin than we are of Jesus and His righteousness.

Pastor Prince shares a testimony of a brother in Texas who became involved with drinking and partying in his teenage years. Eventually, he began to desire a change in his life and discovered Pastor Prince’s preaching. As the gospel of grace was unveiled to him, he experienced a deep transformation in his life and desire for the Lord, and now attends and serves actively in church.

Truly, it is only by the power of the gospel of Christ that we can overcome sin in our lives and we must not allow anything to hinder it from being preached to the world!

Christ has paid for 120% restoration for your sins against God and others

A misconception held today is that Jesus came simply to cancel all the wrong that Adam did and complete what Adam was supposed to do. However, God is not satisfied with a mere restoration of something that was lost.

“If a person acts unfaithfully and sins unintentionally against the Lord’s holy things, then he shall bring his guilt offering to the Lord . . . And he shall make restitution for that which he has sinned against the holy thing, and shall add to it a fifth part of it and give it to the priest.”
— Leviticus 5:15–16a NASB

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “When a person sins and acts unfaithfully against the Lord, and disavows the rightful claim of his neighbor regarding a deposit or a security entrusted to him, or regarding robbery, or he has extorted from his neighbor, or has found what was lost and lied about it and sworn falsely, so that he sins regarding any of the things that people do; then it shall be, when he sins and becomes guilty, that he shall restore what he took by robbery or acquired by extortion, or the deposit which was entrusted to him, or the lost property which he found, or anything about which he swore falsely; he shall make restitution for it in full and add to it a fifth more. He shall give it to the one to whom it belongs on the day he presents his guilt offering.
— Leviticus 6:1–5 NASB

In the Old Testament, if a person sinned against the Lord or another person, he would need to make restitution of the amount lost, with an additional 20 percent. This is known as the guilt offering.

Jesus Christ became the guilt offering for us on the cross (Isa. 53:10 ESV). In doing so, Jesus makes Himself liable to restore what he did not take away (Ps. 69:4 KJV). This includes restoring all that we have robbed God of, as well as the cost of our sins against others. Not only does Jesus restore the full price but He restores 120 percent of what was lost.

We have robbed God of the glory, obedience, worship, and love due to Him but Jesus has restored it all on our behalf. Today, God has become a gainer because of all Jesus has restored. Beloved, would you love, thank and praise the Lord for all that He has done for you?

Jesus is also your guilt offering that covers all you have robbed from people around you, such as time, appreciation, or obedience. Know that because you are the righteousness of God in Christ, as you look to Him, your mistakes are covered by His guilt offering.

Pastor Prince specially addresses people who are living with regret for not giving their loved ones the appreciation or honor they deserved, and now cannot make amends because their loved ones have passed away. Take comfort in the fact that because of Jesus’ guilt offering, the Lord Himself would have supplied restoration to the injured parties.

The Lord not only compensates for what you have lost but restores much more to you

If you feel that someone has wronged you or robbed you of something, know that restoration does not often come from the person. The Bible tells us that Jesus is the guilt offering who will not only restore to you the full value lost but give you 120 percent restoration!

Pastor Prince shares two examples of people in the Bible who received 120 percent restoration from the Lord:

1. Pharaoh followed the wisdom of Joseph (a picture of Jesus) to store 20 percent of the harvest. Because of this, he not only survived the famine but was enriched through it (Gen. 41:34).
2. The prodigal son left home, led a licentious lifestyle, and eventually ended up in a pigpen. But when he came home to his father, his father blessed him with the best robe, ring, sandals, and also killed the fatted calf (a picture of Jesus Christ, the guilt offering) in celebration (Luke 15:22–23a). The son became a gainer as he received superabounding grace.

Jesus did not come merely to pick up where Adam left off, but rather He came to restore MUCH MORE (Rom. 5:17) and to enable you to reign in life through receiving His grace and righteousness. We need to have an abundance of the preaching of grace for people to receive the abundance of grace!

Pastor Prince prays for people with the following conditions:

• Joint conditions
• Back conditions
• Waist condition
• A feverish child
• Blurred vision

Salvation Prayer

“Heavenly Father, I confess Jesus Christ is my Lord. I believe Christ died on the cross for all my sins. He was condemned that I might be justified. He was forsaken that I might be forever accepted. Father, I thank you that You raised Christ from the dead when You declared me righteous. Thank You, Father God. I am now the righteousness of God in Christ in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Closing Prayer

“This coming week, the Lord bless you with the blessings of Abraham, the blessings of Deuteronomy 28. The Lord bless you and the Lord keep you and your families throughout this week from the COVID-19 virus, from every sickness and disease, from harm and danger, and from all the powers of darkness in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. He gives His angels charge over you. No evil befall you nor shall any plague come near your dwelling. He will prosper you, He will keep you in all your ways. The Lord lift up His countenance on you and your families, grant you supernatural favor everywhere you go, and grant to you and yours His wonderful shalom-peace in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and all the people said, Amen.”

Own The Word (life application)

Something amazing happens when you focus your mind on the truth that you are righteous in Christ apart from what you do, say, or feel. You will find yourself leaving behind your old sinful habits, mistakes, and former destructive ways, and embracing your new identity as the righteousness of God in Christ who reigns over sin (Eph. 4:22–24).

Not only will you see transformation in the areas you are struggling in, but you will also see great restoration. That is what happens when God’s grace superabounds in the areas of our failings and weaknesses (Rom. 5:20, 2 Cor. 12:9). In fact, we can be assured of receiving 120 percent restoration because it is what Jesus paid for as our guilt offering at the cross (Lev. 6:1–5 NASB, Isa. 53:10 ESV, Ps. 69:4 KJV).

Today, ask the Lord to show you what that 120 percent restoration looks like for you. If it is an addiction you are struggling with, perhaps your 120 percent restoration could be full deliverance and the ability to help many others struggling with the same habit. If it is a health challenge you are facing, your restoration could be a full recovery and greater strength and energy than you’ve ever had before. If you are struggling in your marriage, your restoration could be lasting reconciliation, deeper understanding and appreciation for each other, and love that intoxicates like wine!

As you meditate on the truth that you are in Christ and forever righteous in God’s sight, ask the Lord to give you a hazon vision (prophetic vision) of the restoration He has in store for you so that you can thank Him for it and look forward to it with hope!

We hope these sermon notes blessed you! If they did, we encourage you to get the sermon and allow the Lord to speak to you personally as you watch or listen to it.

© Copyright JosephPrince.com 2021
These sermon notes were taken by volunteers during the service. They are not a verbatim representation of the sermon.