All Have Sinned, Righteousness through faith.

Intro:

Over the past few weeks we have been in our new sermon series in the book of Romans called “The Church Defined”.

We have looked at how through salvation we are separated to the Gospel as slaves of Christ to serve His purposes. Last week, we looked at how mankind through rejection of God’s rule and reign are storing up for themselves wrath through ungodliness and unrighteousness.

This morning we are going to pick up in Romans 3. To give a bit of context for todays message, let me give you a brief overview of what Paul is teaching leading up to this verse. In the end of Romans 2 Paul is confronting the notion that circumcision ( sign of the covenant) by itself is what justifies a man before God.

The Idea of Covenant. The term "covenant" is of Latin origin (con venire), meaning a coming together. It presupposes two or more parties who come together to make a contract, agreeing on promises, stipulations, privileges, and responsibilities.

Covenants in the old times were signified by a cut. Typically, in a sacrifice of an animal. In the Covenant God made with Israel, and before Israel as a people, God made covenant with Abraham, and the sign of the covenant was circumcision.

God made a covenant with Israel at Mt. Sinai after he led them out of Egyptian slavery, and the continued sign of the covenant was circumcision. God supplies the law that was meant to govern and shape the people of Israel in the promised land. Keep the law of the covenant produced blessing, disobeying produced the curse.

In Romans 2:25 Paul says, “For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.”

What he is talking about is the covenant the Jews have with God. Essentially, they were puffed up in pride because they had the covenant with God, but were not obeying it. He is conveying to them that the covenant (circumcision) was only profitable if you keep the law. If you violate the covenant then you are the same as the uncircumcised (those who are outside the covenant).

He goes on to say in Romans 2:28–29 “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.”

These verses are referring to the need for salvation and faith in Christ. The historical books of the Old Testament show that man was incapable of keeping the law of the covenant. Even though they knew they faltered in the covenant through disobedience. They pridefully believed they remained superior to everyone else because they had covenant with God.

Their confidence outwardly was misplaced. Paul was teaching them that they needed more than the sign of circumcision in the flesh. What they really needed was the conversion of their heart by the Spirit.

This truth reminds us that we do not set the standards of righteousness. It is God alone who has set the standard and we will be judged by that standard, not our own.

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Submit:

Now with that understanding what I am about to tell you will seem like an elementary teaching to those who have been in the church for any length of time, but it needs to be said for those who may not know. Every person born into this world must be born again by the Spirit of God.

John 3:3 “Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.””

That may seem like an elementary teaching, but I cannot tell you how many times I have had conversations with people, and overheard conversations where people are discussing the eternal resting place of individual. In those conversations, when the salvation of the person was in question, I often hear this statement made.

“I know they are in heaven because they were such a good person.”

This statement is often followed by a list of reasons why they would be specially qualified for entrance into the kingdom. This is what we would define as self-righteousness. Self-righteousness is based in good works.

Listen to what Paul says in Romans 3:9-12.

Romans 3:9–12 “What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.”

This is a vital truth to understand. There are none who are good apart from salvation. If our works were enough Jesus would never have came in the first place. The word tells us that there is one way into the kingdom.

Jesus made this statement in John 10:9 “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.”

Jesus is the only way to the father John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

The letter of the law was given so that man would gain knowledge of sin, because before the law was given sin was hidden from our understanding. The law revealed the righteousness of God, and the guilt of the whole world.

Romans 3:20 “Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”

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Apply:

The result of this revelation is that we need a savior. Romans 3:21-26.

Romans 3:21–26 “But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

Let’s break this down. Righteousness comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. The law and the prophets give witness to the salvation to this truth. The righteous standard in the law placed all under sin, and as a result all have fallen short of the glory of God.

The beauty of the cross is that salvation was made possible to all. When we put our faith in Jesus we are justified (found to be in right standing). Jesus’s shed blood on the cross was the propitiation (means of our forgiveness) for our sin.

God demonstrated His righteousness towards us by passing over the previous sins to demonstrate that He was just, and the justifier of the one who puts their faith in Jesus.

With this in mind, no one can boast in themselves or base their salvation in their own works. The outward circumcision of the flesh is of no value in the context of righteousness. Romans 3:27-28.

Romans 3:27–28 “Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.”

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Closing:

Knowing that we are not made righteous by our own works, what then is our aim?

1. Be born again. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

2. Through the renewal of the mind with the word we focus on the change of the inward man. 1 Peter 3:3-4.

1 Peter 3:3–4 “Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel—rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle (humility) and quiet (well ordered) spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.”

3. We place no confidence in the flesh (our works).

Philippians 3:3 “For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh,”

4. We put off the body of sins in the flesh. Colossians 2:11-13.

Colossians 2:11–13 “In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,”

5. Seek the things which are from above. Colossians 3:1-3.

Colossians 3:1–3 “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

Altar:

Salvation: