(Romans 3:21-22) A Workless Salvation - Faith in Christ! (v2)

INTRODUCTION:

How many of you are afraid of heights?

There is one man who I can guarantee who is not afraid of heights.

In 2013, a man went out to a canyon near Grand Canyon called “Hell Hole Bend”, or more commonly referred to as the “Little Grand Canyon”. (Nik Wallenda)

And he tight roped across this canyon on national television.

- The Canyon walls descend 1500 feet - taller than the Empire State Building.

- And being in AZ, there was gusts of wind around 30 mph.

- And he wore no safety harness.

Now, that is amazing feat,

but I want you consider how much trust this man had in the cable crossing the canyon.

It is not like this man was a bird - who could defy gravity and fly.

- If that cable snapped or broke off, he would have plunged 1500 feet his death.

- So literally he is trusting his life to this line, he is putting all of his faith in it.

You can imagine what kind of double checks he must of made.

- He probably researched the line to make shore it could withstand the stress of the wind and distance.

- Once he had the line, he would have inspected the line itself to make sure there were no defects.

- And finally,

I am quite confident he didn’t just use tent stakes to hold the line.

he would of double checked the fastening of the rope to each end of the canyon.

And After being reassured that this line would hold him,

he placed all of his trust,

in fact his very life

To that line.

Today I want you consider what you trust eternal life too.

What do you place all of your trust in for eternal life?

We marvel at the boldness of this man’s death-defying act,

but how foolishly do we fail to consider what we trust our eternal life to.

Friends,

May I suggest that the consequences of eternity far outweigh consequences of life-and-death in this world.

So if you would have double checked your line to be sure your line will hold if you crossed the canyon,

then how much more should we be sure about what we place our eternal life in will actually give you eternal life.

Questions you might ask -

> Does everybody go to Heaven?

> If not everybody, then Who goes to Heaven?

> And who does not go to heaven?

Some years back I preached a series through the book of Romans.

Along the way. I noted in

Romans 1:21-23 that we can’t just worship God any way we want.

Romans 1:21–23 ESV

21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

Further - Romans 2:7-8 promises punishment for failing to live righteous and Holy life.

Romans 2:7–8 ESV

7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.

Paul says there is wrath for those who fail to live righteously.

So let’s Take a moment to understand what God’s wrath - is like.

For the sinners who reject Christ - Wrath is

A Place of Consciousness (Luke 16:23, 24)

A Place of Torment (Luke 16:23, 24, 28)

A Place of Darkness (Matthew 8:12)

A Torment of Memories (Luke 16:27, 28)

Eternal Separation from loved ones who are believers (Luke 13:28)

Without the Slightest Hope of Release (Matthew 25:46, Hebrews 6:2)

("Hell is", Tan, Paul Lee. Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times. Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc., 1996.)

That is the consequences of those who break the Law of God.

And In particular - Romans 3:20 tells us terrible news.

That none of us are righteous enough to go to Heaven, or to receive eternal life.

Romans 3:20 ESV

20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

That means none of our works are good enough.

All of us are smeared with sin and guilt.

Now that could be the worst news you have ever heard.

But thankfully that is only 1 half of the truth.

You see the Gospel is not about me perfectly living for God, but instead that Christ makes me perfectly righteous.

Romans 3:22–24 ESV

22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

Our Passage this morning challenges -

We ought to trust our eternal life to Christ alone.

And this text gives us 3 reasons to put all of our trust in Christ all-sufficient sacrifice.

Lets pray***************************************************

The first reason we should put our trust in Christ.

1) The Gospel Marks a Change in Salvation History. (Romans 3:21a)

This point is drawn from two little words, “But Now”.

Paul summarizes Romans 3:20.

Romans 3:20 ESV

20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

Whether Gentile or Jew,

none of us can be justified by our works.

That has been Paul’s drum beat in the first three chapters of Romans.

- whether we are doing spiritual and religious works

- whether we are commited servants to our community.

- or even in the midst of our families.

In every way - we have either demonstrated sin, or at least shown the impurity and capacity for sin.

- Our choices bear this,

- our conscience bears this,

- And others obedience bears witness that we know better.

And that is depressing.

Who want’s to be told there not good enough?

Or be told how awful they are?

However, the first truth you must know to be saved by Christ,

>>>>> is to know we are sinners who will be held accountable.

After all - Christ came to save the lost, not the righteous.

And Paul has purposely put us in a place of shame and condemnation,

for these words - “but now”

The “but now” marks a change in Salvation history.

For centuries,

Faithful obedience to God included -

- a law keeping that we could never keep

- sacrifices that always had to be sacrificed again because of sin and unrighteousness before God.

We were literally setup by God to fail.

And all to help to prepare us for the words - “but now”.

What has changed in Salvation history ....

- is that though we can never keep either the Mosaic Law or the law of our conscience,

but there is now a way for us to be justified, or made righteous, apart from obeying the law.

The 2nd reason we should place our trust in Christ.

2) The Righteousness Apart from the Law is Now In Effect. (Romans 3:21)

ILLUSTRATION:

Have you ever had a new business move in that you were excited about?

And so you waited, and waited

>>>while they renovated the inside building, hired employee's

My Kids love chickfilee - when I was going to Seminary in MN they started building one.

And after waiting, and waiting - we finally saw the sign >>> “Open Now”

And they rejoiced because there favorite restaurant was finally open.

That is what is being pronounced here.

Certainly more important than the pleasures of our consumerism,

>>> but the salvation that was promised in the Old Testament is “Now Open” for business.

Romans 3:21 ESV

21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—

Paul has front loaded the “now part” for emphasis,

but we are going to flip this around and consider it chronologically.

This verse teaches us that

a) Righteousness Apart from the Law Was Promised in the OT.

This isn’t something new that was invented in the 1800s or even in the 1st Century.

God’s promise of a righteousness apart from the law goes back to the beginning of humanity.

And there are hundreds of passages promising a righteousness apart from the Law.

Before the Law there was

The promise of Genesis 3:15 - where God first promises to send humanity a savior, right after Adam and Eve sinned.

The Promise to Abraham in Genesis 17 - All nations will be blessed through Abraham, an eternal covenant.

After the Law there was

The Promise to David 2 Sam 7 - An Eternal Covenant.

And then the promises of the prophets such as Isaiah 53.

All of human history, all of Scripture, has been looking forward to the day when God will provide a way for righteousness outside the law.

Peter put it this way -

1 Peter 1:10–11 ESV

10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.

All Believers for all times - were looking for the day when the Christ would give us salvation apart from the law.

And the great news for us - that day has come.

b) Righteousness Apart from the Law is Now In effect.

Remember that “but now”.

This is what we have been waiting for.

Romans 3:21 ESV

21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—

The Word “manifested” can also be translated “revealed”. That is how our NKJV was translated.

This word is often used of God disclosing his will in Scripture.

And we know this.

The whole of the NT testifies of what?

A Righteousness apart from obeying

- either the Mosaic law

or

- the law of consciousnesses.

John 3:14–16 ESV

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Now Are you following the the thinking of Paul -

Who gets justified to eternal life?

Those who have righteousness.

Who gets condemned to eternal judgment?

Those who are unrighteous.

But Paul has already said in v. 20 - no one will be judged righteous through the law.

So how do we get righteousness if we can’t earn it ourselves?

And That question is answered by v. 22.

3) Righteousness Apart from the Law Comes From the Gospel. (Romans 3:22)

The first observation of our v. 22 - we should note:

a) The Equating of v. 21 and v. 22

V. 21 and v.22 are the same parallel ideas,

but stated differently.

Romans 3:21–22 ESV

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:

And what that does is it equates righteousness apart from the Law

as at the same time being the Gospel that we believe in.

“They are one and the same”.

So,

How is our righteousness accomplished apart from the law?

b) The Way Righteousness is Accomplished Apart from the Law:

Romans 3:22 ESV

22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:

It is accomplished

1. By Faith - “through faith”

Notice what this rules out -

any way outside faith or what might be called faith.

It is not accomplished by me doing something,

it is all by me placing my Faith in Christ,

that is trusting my eternal life to a source outside myself.

ILLUSTRATION:

This is like that man who crossed the grand canyon on a cable

… he was trusting his life to that line, in a total act of dependence.

That is what Scripture means when it tells us to believe or have faith.

And what should be the source of our righteousness - It should

2. Consist of Christ Alone (The Content of Faith)

Romans 3:22 ESV

22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:

This means we are saved -

not by good works.

not by giving enough prayers or the right kind of prayers

Not by attaining a certain spiritual level.

but faith in a an external object - the person of Jesus Christ.

ILLUSTRATION:

As a high-schooler I remember talking to someone about prayer.

They were catholic and in sincerity

>>>they felt they had to pray the way the priests told them.

- because their prayers had to be good enough for God.

But the reality is none of our acts - even prayers, are worthy of God.

The only way to be found right with God is to place your faith in the person of Jesus Christ.

And why does faith - in this other source, Jesus Christ, give me righteousness?

We need to understand The Gospel or Jesus Christ

… in scripture is always a reference to the bigger act of Christ dieing on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins.

Christ took our punishment on the cross and in his perfect obedience gave us righteousness.

Thus, By trusting in Christ’s all-sufficient sacrifice on the cross, we gained righteousness apart from us obeying the law.

CONCLUSION:

So,

Like the man who crossed the Hell Bend Hole,

putting all his trust in a cable to keep him out of hell - that is Hell Bend Hole -

What do you place all your trust in for eternal life?

I didn’t ask if you attended church, are generally a good person, or are fairly a spiritual person.

Because you can have all of those “righteous acts” and be heading to wrath because of sin.

The question we are asking is not about what you do, but what you trust in-

Do you place your trust in Jesus Christ?

ILLUSTRATION:

Consider this, one poll showed

68% of US Christians believed that “The Bible teaches that God helps those who helps themselves”.

And the poll showed an even higher level for Americans in General.

But as one author put it -

“The false idea that “God helps them who help themselves” leads to the false narrative that our actions determine our access to God.”

(Source: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/thepangeablog/2017/07/17/god-helps/)

What an American idea to believe!

As a culture,

We pride ourselves in self-accomplishments,

boasting in how we pulled ourselves up by our boot straps.

But Friends,

that doesn’t work with God.

Romans 3:20 ESV

20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

Trusting in our own abilities,

- our own spiritual obedience ,

>>>will always result in the knowledge sin and God’s holy wrath.

We need a righteousness that is obtained apart from the Law.

And that is exactly what the Gospel is. “a righteousness apart from the law”.

Paul said in 2 Ti 1:12 and echoed in the great hymn “I know whom I have believed”.

2 Timothy 1:12 ESV

12 which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.

Are you convinced that you will be justified in the day of God’s judgement?

Who do you trust your eternal life too?

What do you have faith in to redeem you from the wrath of God?

Given the incredible weight of our decision,

I hope you take the time to consider what you are trusting in.

And if it is anything, but Christ

- then turn from those faulty ways of trying to get right with God

- and instead trust in Christ alone.