STEP THREE
Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood him.
[FONT=TimesNewRoman,Italic]But now righteousness from God, apart from law, has been [/FONT][FONT=TimesNewRoman,Italic]made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.[/FONT]
[FONT=TimesNewRoman,Italic]This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus[/FONT]
[FONT=TimesNewRoman,Italic]Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have [/FONT][FONT=TimesNewRoman,Italic]sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.[/FONT]
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In our step three effort we begin to lean not on our own understanding but on the God of our understanding! God’s righteousness is apart from law! In other words we cannot expect our salvations by merely being good followers of the law. The essential purpose of the law is to make sinners (us) aware of our sin. Sin is the breaking of the law (cf. Romans 3:20). ‘God’s righteousness has been made known,’ draws attention to the appearing of Jesus Christ in human history (c.f.2Tim.1:10), and especially to the fulfillment of God’s saving purpose in Him! God’s righteousness becomes an operative in human life through faith in Jesus Christ! The reason all must come to God through faith in Christ is that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God! God’s glory is the majesty of His Holy Person! To be cut off from this fellowship is the great loss occasioned by sin. Sinners are justified freely! If freely is the manner in which
justification operates, and if grace is its basis, the redemption that came by Christ Jesus is the means that a gracious God employed to achieve this boon for human kind!
