20241020 Romans 3:1-8 Objections to Salvation by Faith Alone

Welcome to Vertical Church

Acts 2:42 (LSB)

And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers.

As a church we seek to uphold the values of the NT church as seen in Acts 2:42 -

We are Trinitarian - while God is one in essence, He is three in person: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit

We believe in the sovereignty of God - sovereign over all creation, sovereign over the affairs of men, sovereign over salvation

We believe in the authority of the Bible - Scripture alone is the Word of God

We are Biblical in our theology - we are a bible teaching church

We believe that the Church is not a building or a denomination but a people - those who are truly in Christ and embrace the truths that were embraced and confessed by the New Testament Church, the apostolic church.

We are evangelical - we believe that we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

We are a Vertical Church - we believe that all true worship and living is Vertical, God directed and for the glory of God alone.

Scripture Alone, Grace Alone, Faith Alone, Christ Alone, For the glory of God alone - join us on Sundays

Call to Worship - Psalm 19

Psalm 19 (LSB)

For the choir director. A Psalm of David. 1 The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And the expanse is declaring the work of His hands. 2 Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard. 4 Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their utterances to the end of the world. In them He has placed a tent for the sun, 5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; It rejoices as a strong man to run his course. 6 Its rising is from one end of the heavens, And its circuit to the other end of them; And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

7 The law of Yahweh is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of Yahweh is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of Yahweh are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of Yahweh is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of Yahweh is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of Yahweh are true; they are righteous altogether. 10 They are more desirable than gold, even more than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, by them Your slave is warned; In keeping them there is great reward.

12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. 13 Also keep back Your slave from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me; Then I will be blameless, And I shall be acquitted of great transgression. 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Yahweh, my rock and my Redeemer.

Scripture Reading - Romans 3:1-8

Romans 3:1–8 LSB

1 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? 2 Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God. 3 What then? If some did not believe, does their unbelief abolish the faithfulness of God? 4 May it never be! Rather, let God be true and every man a liar, as it is written, “That You may be justified in Your words, And overcome when You are judged.” 5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is the God who inflicts wrath unrighteous? (I am speaking in human terms.) 6 May it never be! For otherwise, how will God judge the world? 7 But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner? 8 And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), “Let us do evil that good may come”? Their condemnation is just.

Prayer

Introduction:

I first attended a church service willingly in January of 1980. I was in school full time and played in volleyball tournaments in the weekend and so I attended church on Sunday nights. The sanctuary was dimly lit and there were wooden pews and a piano on one side and an organ on the other and a choir loft behind the large wooden pulpit

I remember those details but that’s not what I was focused on. I was watching the people.

After Sunday nights later they announced that the entire service would be dedicated to the dedication of the new church organ. And so we sat for an entire hour of organ music. After the service several college students apologized to me but I laughed and said, it’s new organ, your supposed to break it in.

It didn’t phase me one bit. I was still fixated on these kind, wonderful, different people.

When I did start attending in the morning, there were long sermons, and very somber music during communion, and baptisms and missionaries. Sometimes it wasn’t the most exciting place to be but the word of God was preached and each week there caring, kind and godly people who welcomed me and made me a part of their family.

Then in the late 80’s and 90’s church changed. We were told that organs were wrong, pews were wrong, the music was wrong. In some churches choirs disappeared, pulpits disappeared, sometimes sermons that used the Bible disappeared. We were told that church was boring and we needed to be more consumer oriented, more focused on the likes and needs of the unchurched.

Looking back I find it interesting that this movement was primarily led by men who had been raised in church and were bored in church and wanted to change church and make it more entertaining. and I’mm not sure they always had the unchurched and the unreached in mind.

And there I was, completely unchurched until university, with no biblical knowledge, and all I wanted was to study the bible and to be influenced by people who were genuine and people who were truly godly, truly Christian and truly Christ centered, gospel centered.

And I’ll be honest, I still struggle with church boys, young men who only see the problems and not the joy of gathering with Christ’s people and hearing the gospel. Young men who want to be entertained instead of abiding in the presence of Christ. Young men who want to strip the church of its traditions and create a church that looks more like the world of 2024 than the church of Acts 2:42.

The apostle Paul deals with something like this in the opening section of chapter 3. If the gospel is true, if we’re saved by faith alone and justified by faith alone, why do we need church, why do we need traditions like sermons and communion? Maybe we don’t need to raise our children in church, maybe we don’t even need to worry about how we live.

The beginning of chapter 3 is an interesting study as Paul answers the objections of those who struggle with a gospel that teaches that salvation is by faith alone.

Romans (Chapter 7: A Great Advantage (Romans 3:1–8))

We have been following the apostle Paul as he sets before us the wrath of God, which is revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness and ungodliness of men who suppress that truth of God, truth that God so plainly makes clear to every person in the world (Rom. 1:18–20). Paul has told us the consequence for rejecting the knowledge of God is being given over to sin (1:24–32). Paul has also exposed the hypocrisy of his kinsmen, Israel. The Jews boasted in their possession of the law and in the fact that they are God’s chosen people, demonstrated through circumcision (2:1–24). Paul has argued that outward circumcision gets no one into the kingdom of God; it is inward circumcision that marks the children of promise (2:25–29). Afterward Paul anticipates the response of his listener, as he does so many times in his epistles, which is where we resume.

(1) The objection: Church is unnecessary

Romans 3:1 LSB

1 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision?

Paul’s objectors accuse him of betraying the Jewish faith

Romans Chapter 7: A Great Advantage (Romans 3:1–8)

If being Jewish does not save them and circumcision is no guarantee, then where is the advantage? If Paul were writing today, he might mention church membership or baptism as that which does not guarantee salvation. Many place their confidence in the fact that they have been baptized or have joined a church, but our Lord gave weighty, ominous warnings about that.

(2) The advantage: the oracles of God

Romans 3:2 LSB

2 Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God.

Protos means first in the sense of supreme or chiefly. Over anything else. While there were many advantages to being a Jew, there was only one that truly matters: the revelation of God

Paul is saying, don’t ever take for granted the teaching of the word of God

Romans (The Oracles of God)

There is no greater advantage for anyone than to be within earshot of the Word of God. The greatest thing you can do is to sit under the teaching of the word of God. The power of the church is the power of the word.

Listen to the words of RC Sproul

Romans The Oracles of God

The power is not in the preacher. The power is not in the program. The power is not in the liturgy. The power is in the Word because it is attended by the Holy Spirit. The Word can cut through our minds and hardened hearts; it can pierce our souls and bring us to Christ. There is much advantage where the Word of God is preached, just as there was advantage to the Israelites in possessing the oracles of God.

Years ago I preached in a church that was part of a denomination that no longer believed in the resurrection and the bible as the word of God and other bible truths. After teaching a simple message on the Jesus the ultimate source of truth, of love, of friendship, two sweet senior ladies came to me and said, we remember when we were young women in the 1960’s that this was the type of message we herd every Sunday . As believers never take for granted the teaching of the Bible

But what if you aren’t a believer and you can attend a bible church, is it a waste of your time? Should we do something else in order not to offend unbelievers.

Jonathan Edwards was the leading theologian of the 1700’s. He believed firmly in the doctrine of election but pleaded with everyone to sit under the teaching of the Bible

Romans (The Oracles of God)

Edwards said, “Be in church every Sunday morning because you do not know that you are not elect, and you should do everything you can do in your fallen condition.” Edwards said there is nothing people can do to incline themselves to the things of God. They cannot muster from their hearts true repentance unless the Holy Spirit changes their souls, but they can hear the Word of God and know that they are going to be judged at the end of their lives.

(3) The objection: But people come to church and nothing happens

Romans 3:3 LSB

3 What then? If some did not believe, does their unbelief abolish the faithfulness of God?

“Some” refers to a portion of the Jews. The apostle is still addressing those who were physically born as sons of Abraham. God has promised in His word that He will save many Jews. That is a part of the Abrahamic covenant. It goes back to God saving Abraham out of paganism, when he began the work of saving a remnant of Jews in every generation down through the Old Testament. It was the intention of God that Israel was to take the saving message of the gospel to the world. But the majority of the nation of Israel had been apostate, hardened in unbelief. The entire generation of the exodus wandering in the wilderness was lost and unconverted. Does that, therefore, mean that the word of God has failed? Does that mean that the faithfulness of God to His own word and promises had failed? That was a question in the first century that needed to be addressed, because the generation in the day of Paul was also lost. They were so hardened in unbelief that they crucified the Lord Jesus Christ.

(4) The answer: God will save, but He will also judge

Romans 3:4 LSB

4 May it never be! Rather, let God be true and every man a liar, as it is written, “That You may be justified in Your words, And overcome when You are judged.”

Paul responds in verse 4 with me genoito, which is the strongest, most emphatic “no.” He says, have you lost your mind?

Ps 51:4 God will fulfill his promise

God will prevail, God will be proven right, Men will try to judge Him but He will be shown to be faithful

God’s word, God’s promises will be shown to be true and perfect

(5) The objection: God is unfair and unjust

Romans 3:5 LSB

5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is the God who inflicts wrath unrighteous? (I am speaking in human terms.)

God knows we are sinners and He knows that sinners sin. So God is unrighteous to judge us.

(6) The answer: God is holy and just to judge

Romans 3:6 LSB

6 May it never be! For otherwise, how will God judge the world?

Nonsense! There is no free pass. Do you think there is no wrath of God?

God is holy and righteous

(7) The objection: Salvation by faith alone means that sin is good and there are no rules

Romans 3:7–8 LSB

7 But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner? 8 And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), “Let us do evil that good may come”? Their condemnation is just.

Paul was accused of antinomianism, no law, no Pentateuch, no old testamen, and of so despising the law of the Old Testament and being so intoxicated by the primacy of grace and the sweetness of the gospel that he had completely dispensed with the law of God.

Such slander went around the community, where people said this Jewish teacher was denying the law of God.

Paul never denied God’s law.

He always understood the proper relationship between the law of God and the gospel of God.

There is no room in Paul’s theology for the carnal Christian, one who takes Christ as Savior but does not take him as Lord.

“Let us do evil that good may come.” Paul never entertained the idea that the end justifies the means. That God is glorified when sinners sin in order to display God’s mercy

their condemnation is just (v. 8). Those who twist his teaching, the apostolic word, and accuse him of teaching antinomianism will be condemned, and justly so.

The answer:

Paul is about to develop the universal guilt of the human race. Jew and Gentile—every last one of us—is under the weight and condemnation of sin. He will turn to the Old Testament to spell that out in detail before he reaches the crescendo, where he brings every human being before the divine tribunal, showing that all need the gospel.

It’s easy to think: who would say this stuff? Do people really think that we don’t need church? That unbelievers don’t need the Bible? That we should live like unbelievers in order to attract unbelievers to the gospel? That a life of sin and confess, sin and confess, reveals the love of God and helps the cause of the gospel?

Yes, and these false beliefs are still in the church today

The goodness and generosity of God our Savior, the renewing power of the Holy Spirit, and the certain hope purchased by Jesus Christ settle over your living, your thinking, your worship, and your dying. Amen.