Lawson Romans 3

The Heart of the Epistle- Romans 3:21-26

OnePassion Ministries July 27, 2017

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But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus (Romans 3:21-26). Martin Lloyd-Jones, arguably the greatest expositor of the twentieth century, said that these are the greatest verses in the entire Bible on the gospel of Jesus Christ. That is quite a strong statement coming from quite a noted man. This section is all about the doctrine of justification. In fact, when he edited his famous series through Romans, Lloyd-Jones began putting his messages into print not with chapter one and verse one, but with these very verses. He believed that this paragraph is that important to the message of the entire book of Romans. I agree with the Doctor. Beginning in Romans 1:18 and extending through 3:20, those verses constituted the first section of this epistle. There, Paul presented his case for the condemnation of the entire sinful human race. All mankind that finds itself outside of Christ is under the wrath of God. The apostle argued a devastating case, indicting mankind. As we come to Romans 3:21, there is a dramatic shift as he proceeds from condemnation to justification. Justification is the total opposite of condemnation. The first two words of verse 21 are “But now,” which signals a dramatic pivot in the flow of this letter. Martin Lloyd Jones has said, “Praise God for the buts in the Bible.” “But now” turns the corner from the condemnation of the entire human race to the justification of all believers in Jesus Christ by the grace of God. The first time the word “justification” or “justified” is found in the book of Romans is in verse 24, “being justified as a gift by His grace.” To this point, everything in this letter to the believers in Rome has been preparation for this extraordinary truth of justification. Martin Luther, who was used by God to recover this doctrine 500 years ago in the Reformation, has said that this doctrine of justification is “appointed for the rise or the fall of the church.” By this assertion, Luther meant that every true church teaches and preaches this doctrine. But conversely, he declared any church that does not hold to this doctrine is a false church that lies outside the kingdom of God. The doctrine of justification is that important. It is a watershed truth that separates the true gospel from the false gospel. There is no room for any equivocation whatsoever when it comes to holding fast to this truth. John Calvin said that the doctrine of justification is “the hinge of the gospel.” In other words, it is the tipping point. Our right understanding of salvation turns with this truth. It is that critical. J. I. Packer has said that the doctrine of justification is “the mighty atlas that upholds the entirety of the gospel.” The gospel truth is held up by this singular doctrine. None of us can afford to be wrong at this point. To be right here is to be right with God. To be wrong here is to be wrong with God and remain under His condemnation. We simply cannot overstate the importance of these verses. As we look at verses 21-26, I have nine headings that I want to give you. I want to walk through this phrase by phrase. Here are nine watershed truths about justification by faith alone. I. Justification is Apart from the Law (3:21a) The first point that Paul states is that justification is apart from the Law. The apostle begins, “But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been revealed” (verse 21). This announces that the righteousness we desperately need cannot come by our attempt to keep the Law. “The righteousness of God” means the righteousness that God requires. Paul says that it is “apart from the Law.” It is apart from any works of the Law that we could ever hope to perform or achieve. This righteousness cannot be achieved by our keeping the Ten Commandments. A right standing before God is entirely apart from the keeping of the requirements that God has revealed in His written word. There is no way by our own efforts that we can meet the high mark that God requires to enter into heaven. What God requires is absolute perfection. God will not grade on the curve. God will not look for the happy medium. God has established the standard of His own perfect holiness, and He will not lower it one iota. In fact, at the end of verse 23, Paul says, “All have sinned and fell short of the glory of God.” The standard of measurement is the glory of God, which is the moral perfection of His own holy character. We are not going to be measured against the morality of other people. We are not going to be measured against our own expectations for ourselves. It is by the unattainable standard of the glory of God that we are weighed in the balances and found to be wanting. We could never achieve the righteousness that God requires by our attempts to keep the Law. It is not within any person to be able to meet the standard that God has set for us. Justification is apart from the Law. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves” (Ephesians 2:8). We bring absolutely nothing to the table. We make no contribution to our own salvation, other than our sin that was laid upon the Lord Jesus Christ as He hung upon the cross. As the old hymn says, “In my hands, no price I bring, simply to Your cross I cling.” Justification is apart from the Law. II. Justification is Witnessed by the Old Testament (3:21b) Second, justification is witnessed by the Old Testament. Paul goes on to say, “Being witnessed by the Law and the prophets” (verse 21). This is a summary statement that encapsulates the entire Old Testament from Genesis to Malachi. Paul says that the whole Old Testament bore witness of the righteousness that God requires and that He provides in the gospel. Paul wants us to know this is not a new message. What he is teaching is as old as the Old Testament. This truth is as old as the book of Genesis. This is not a new way of salvation. This is not a new way for Gentiles to come into the kingdom of God. There is only one way of salvation, whether in the Old Testament or the New Testament, whether you are a Jew or a Gentile. There is only one saving gospel, and it is justification by faith. Paul made this announcement at the very outset of Romans. He told us in the second verse of this book that the gospel was witnessed by the prophets and recorded in the Old Testament Scripture long ago. In Romans 1:2, Paul wrote about the gospel, “which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures.” By this, the apostle declares that the gospel and the righteousness that was required was clearly made known in the Old Testament. A Survey of the Old Testament  In Genesis 15, we see a clear statement of how the patriarch Abraham was made right before God. The gospel was preached to Abraham, who looked forward to the day of Christ. “Then he believed in the Lord and He reckoned it to him as righteousness” (Genesis 15:6). That is the doctrine of justification by faith alone taught crystal clear in the Old Testament.  The righteousness that Abraham so desperately needed in order to find acceptance with God was provided by God Himself. God credited divine righteousness to the account of Abraham. It was imputed to him on the basis of faith alone. Abraham knew that salvation would be in the Messiah, the One who would come in the fullness of time, the Lord Jesus Christ. Abraham had Christ preached to him, and he believed. The righteousness of God was deposited to his account on the basis of his faith. To give you another Old Testament passage in which we find this imputation of the righteousness of God, David writes, “How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit!” (Psalm 32:1-2). God does not impute sin to the one who puts their faith and trust in Him. Instead, God imputes the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ. “Impute” is not a word that we use in our daily English language, but it simply means ‘to credit to the account of, to reckon to the account of.’ It is a legal term in which a judge declares one who stands before his judgment bar to be acquitted of all charges and to be declared to receive the righteousness of God in Christ. Isaiah 53 is the highest mountain peak of the entire Old Testament. This chapter rises to become its loftiest summit. Isaiah records, “As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; by His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities” (Isaiah 53:11). This refers to the suffering servant of Jehovah, the Messiah who would come and “justify the many,” who will believe in Him. Once again, this is the doctrine of justification by faith alone taught in the Old Testament. This seminal truth was witnessed by the prophets, and there are many other passages which could be sited. Paul wants us to know, as he enters this section on justification, that this gospel truth was distinctly taught in the Old Testament, both in the Law, referring to the first five books of the Old Testament, and in the prophets, referring to Joshua through Malachi. They all bore witness of this doctrine of justification by faith throughout the Old Testament. III. Justification is Provided by God (3:22a) Third, justification is provided by God. At the beginning of verse 22, Paul says, “Even the righteousness of God.” In this instance, this statement is not referring to the righteousness that belongs to God, but the righteousness that comes from Him. In other words, God is the Source and Giver of this righteousness. The righteousness that God requires is the righteousness that He gives. He is the Source of the righteousness He demands. The righteousness that is imputed to us does not come from us, but from outside of ourselves. It comes from outside of the church, and outside of this world. It is a righteousness that comes down from the throne of God. It is what Martin Luther called a “foreign righteousness” or an “alien righteousness.” It is a righteousness that is foreign to man. It comes from a far away country in the heights of heaven. Only God could provide that which He requires, because the standard to be received into His presence is absolute moral perfection to His Law. We must come to God to receive this righteousness. He alone can give to us. We cannot go to a preacher. We cannot go to a priest. We cannot go to a church. We cannot go to a denomination official. We cannot go to an association. We cannot go to a ministry. We have to go to God to have this righteousness that He alone can give. We have to do business with God to have this righteousness. This righteousness from God is the very heart of the gospel message. IV. Justification is Received by Faith (3:22b) Fourth, justification is received by faith. Paul goes on to say in verse 22, “Even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ.” The only way to receive this righteousness is by exercising saving faith in God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith is only as good as its object, and it is only faith in Jesus Christ that will give to us the righteousness of God. If you put faith in anything or anyone else, there will be no righteousness from God. God will only deal with us on the basis of our faith in His Son. What is saving faith? It is the firm commitment of a person’s life to Jesus Christ. The faith that saves is nothing less than this. It is more than the mere head knowledge about God, Jesus Christ, and salvation. It is more than the emotional feelings of conviction of sin and affections for Christ. Saving faith is the exercise of a person’s will to turn away from self-righteousness and entrust his life to Jesus Christ. It is to enter through the narrow gate. It is to come to Christ and entrust all that you are to all that He is. A half trust will not get you there. There must be the reliance of your entire soul upon Jesus Christ. You cannot hold back any part and try to contribute some portion of your salvation through your own good works a right acceptance before God. Faith is real when you come all the way to trust Jesus Christ alone. Faith Alone There are some people who try to straddle the fence. They want to have faith in Christ and their baptism. They think that faith is in Christ and their church membership. Or they are relying upon faith in Christ and their good works to commend them before God. It is not until you burn all these other bridges behind you that you truly rely upon Jesus Christ to save you. You must turn away from all else and embrace Jesus Christ exclusively. You must put your full confidence in Him. That is when you receive the gift of the righteousness from God. You cannot play all ends into the middle. Faith is when you take that decisive step to leave behind the world system and commit your life to Jesus Christ alone. You leave behind dead religion and you entrust yourself to Jesus Christ. Saving faith begins when you know the truth of the gospel, the truth about yourself, the truth of the fact that you are under the wrath of God, and that salvation is found exclusively in Jesus Christ. You have to know this or you cannot be saved. You also must be convinced of your need for salvation and the truthfulness of its message. The Holy Spirit has come into the world to convict men of sin and righteousness and judgment. Then as an act of your will, you take that step of faith and come all the way to Jesus Christ and embrace Him as your Lord and Savior. The righteousness of God in justification is received by faith alone. Paul will belabor this point throughout the rest of this section. The emphasis he will make is on faith alone, not faith and, but faith alone. You will notice the repeated stress upon faith throughout the rest of this section. In verse 25, the apostle writes, “It is in His blood through faith.” At the end of verse 26, he states that the one who is justified is “the one who has faith in Jesus.” In verse 27, he insists justification is received “by a law of faith.” In verse 28, he affirms, “A man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.” In verse 30, he reinforces, “God will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.” In verse 31, he reiterates, “Do we nullify the Law through faith? May it never be!” The point is so well made that it cannot be misunderstood. Paul later says, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). “For by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves is the gift of God and as a result of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8). This is the distinguishing mark of the true gospel of Jesus Christ. Every other religious message in the world is a message of human works as the basis to earn salvation in which man makes some contribution to his own righteousness. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the only message of pure grace in which righteousness is received by faith alone. Man must receive the righteousness of God by the empty hand of faith. V. Justification is Needed by All (3:23) Fifth, justification is needed by all. Paul writes, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (verse 23). Every person in the history of the world, whether past, present, or until the end of the age, has sinned and falls short of the glory of God. That is a simple definition of what sin is. There are many different definitions for sin used in the Bible. This is one of those, which is to fall short of the perfect holiness of God. By this high standard, God is not comparing us to our neighbor, or to someone you think is further away from God than you are. If you can picture a set of scales and on one side of the scales is placed your life. On the other side of the scales is the glory of God, which is the sum and substance of all of the perfections of God. We are weighed in the balances and measured against the absolute purity of God. By this standard, we have fallen woefully short of the glory of God. This is why every person in the world desperately needs the saving righteousness that only God can give. There is no other means by which we may have a right standing before Him. Whether you live a moral life or an immoral one, whether you have heard the gospel or never heard the gospel, whether you grew up in church or have never darkened the doors of the of church, whether you are religious or are irreligious, no matter who you are or what you are, you have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. You desperately need the righteousness of God in order to be right with God. There is not a person who does not need the righteousness of God that is found in the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is needed by all. VI. Justification is Declared by God (3:24a) Sixth, justification is declared by God. At the beginning of verse 24, we read these two words, “being justified.” This is a passive verb, which means we are passive in obtaining this righteousness and someone else is active. We cannot justify ourselves. Someone else is the justifier. We are the one being justified. Who is this One who justifies us? The answer is stated very clearly two verses later in verse 26, “So that He [God] would be just and the justifier.” It is God and God alone who can justify us. God the Father alone can bring the gavel down and declare us to be His righteousness. All that matters is what God does and says on this matter. Justification is a forensic declaration. This pictures a courtroom scene in which God, the Judge, makes a legal declaration. He declares the guilty sinner to be righteous on the basis of the righteousness that Jesus Christ has secured for us. This pronouncement of righteousness is an immediate and irrevocable act. It takes place in a split second the moment the sinner believes in Jesus Christ. Our sanctification is progressive throughout the rest of one’s life. Our glorification will take place in a moment and will last throughout all eternity. But justification takes place in the twinkling of an eye when one believes in Jesus Christ. It is possible to walk into a Bible study, lost, under the wrath of God, and condemned. Then, in the middle of that Bible study, the truth is being made known to you. Suddenly, you put your faith in Jesus Christ. Before you even get up out of your seat, you are immediately justified by God. And it is an irrevocable act by God. This divine proclamation by the high court of heaven can never be reversed. What God has declared stands forever, permanently entered into the records of the Supreme Court of heaven. There is no higher court that could overrule the declaration of God in heaven on this matter. This justification is full and complete. You can never be more justified than you are the moment you believe in Christ. When God declares you to be His righteousness, you are as justified as anyone else who believes in Jesus Christ. Justification is the reversal of His pronouncement of condemnation. Before you believe, you are under the wrath of God. Then, the very moment you believe, you are immediately justified by God. You go from being under the curse of the Law to the blessing of Jesus Christ. This is the very heart of the gospel, and it is the heart of this epistle. It is that which puts us in right standing before God. A Divine Deposit into Our Account The divine act of justification is more than the removal of the penalty of sin. It is more than being forgiven of your sin. That is only the removal of the negative that separates you from God. Justification, moreover, brings the acquisition of the positive righteousness of God. By faith, you are given a positive righteousness before God. We need far more than the forgiveness of sin. All the pardon of sin does is bring us back to point zero, and zeros do not go to heaven. Forgiveness washes away sin, but in order to have a right standing before God, we must be more than a clean slate. We must be brought higher than merely ground zero. There must be deposited into our account the positive, saving righteousness of God. What forgiveness does is wash away the debt that we owe to God. This simply brings us back to square zero. With divine forgiveness, we reach a zero balance in our account. Divine pardon removes the debt we have incurred against God. But in order to go to heaven, there has to be a positive deposit that is made into our standing before God. In other words, we need more than the removal of our debt to God. We also need the positive deposit of divine righteousness. What must be put into our account is what only God can deposit into our account. He must justify us and impute His righteousness to us. This transaction takes place in a split second in justification by faith, when we believe in Jesus Christ. VII. Justification is Given as a Gift (3:24b) Seventh, Paul says in verse 24, “Being justified as a gift by His grace.” In order to understand the thrust of this, we must remember the difference between wages and a gift. Wages are that for which you work hard. You earn your salary. You deserve them because you have labored for them. By your own efforts, your employer gives to you what is rightfully yours. You earned it. A gift, on the other hand, is the total opposite. There is nothing you can do to deserve a gift. You do not work for it, but it is freely given. You have done nothing to deserve it. A gift is solely based upon the mercy of the giver. He chooses to give something which you have done nothing to deserve. In this case, God gives His righteousness freely to those who have done nothing to work for it. They have earned nothing. They have no merit of their own. They have no basis by which to make any claim on His perfect righteousness. They are weak, fallen sinners who have done nothing to work for it. They have done nothing to deserve it. In fact, it is the very opposite. They, in their life, have done everything to deserve condemnation. But God freely gives an undeserved gift. When He gives His righteousness as a gift, Someone else has paid for it. It is a prepaid gift, paid in full by Another. You cannot so much as contribute anything. You cannot even pick up the tip. It is not like God will pay for the meal and you pay for the parking. There is nothing you can add to the gift of God. It is already paid for and accomplished by Jesus Christ, which leads to the next heading. VIII. Justification is Acquired by Jesus Christ (3:24c-25) Eighth, justification is fully acquired by Jesus Christ. God the Father has sent Jesus Christ into this world to pay for this gift that the Father will give to all those who believe in His Son. In verse 24, we see that this righteousness has been acquired by Jesus Christ. Paul writes, “Being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus” (verse 24). “Redemption” (apolutrosis) means ‘the payment of a ransom in order to secure the release of one who is held captive under the tyranny of another.’ It represents ‘a releasing effected by payment of a ransom.’ It indicates ‘a deliverance, a liberation procured by the payment of a ransom.’ Jesus Christ, when He entered this world, invaded the slave market of mankind. He came into the prison house of this world and, through the perfection of His sinless life and His substitutionary death upon the cross, Jesus Christ purchased in full the redemption of sinners who were held captive by the chains of sin under the cruel tyranny of the devil. The Lord Jesus paid the ransom price in order to secure the release of those imprisoned by their sin. You will never hear any better news than this for the rest of your life. Everything else is secondary. This truth is what is primary. The entirety of this redemption was purchased by Jesus Christ. There is not a drop of saving grace outside of the Lord Jesus Christ. The righteousness of God is not found in the church. It is not realized in the pulpit or the pew. It is not in the elders or the deacons. It is not in any teacher. It is not in a denomination. This righteousness is not discovered by merely attending a worship service. It is not merited by our good works. It is not earned in the baptistery. It is not purchased by holding the communion cup. It is not earned by taking the bread in the Lord’s Supper. It is all secured by the person and work of Jesus Christ. Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. It is acquired by Jesus Christ. Wrath Satisfied in Christ In verse 25, Paul writes, “whom God displayed publically as a propitiation in His blood through faith.” This propitiation through blood refers to the death of Christ Jesus. “God” identifies God the Father as the One who “displayed publically” Jesus. In other words, it was the Father’s plan to send His Son into this world, into the public spotlight before the eyes of His generation. Jesus came to make “a propitiation in His blood through faith.” “Propitiation” (hilasterion) means an ‘appeasement, a satisfaction.’ The death of Christ satisfied the righteous wrath and anger of God toward those who believe. The cross not only did something for us, it did something to the Father. It placated the vengeance of God toward those in Christ. The death of Christ bought us out of our slavery to sin. Never will we return to that former state of slavery again. Jesus said, “If the Son shall set you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). But the cross also did something toward God the Father. The death of Jesus placated His righteous anger toward those who believe in Him. It appeased the vengeance, fury, and wrath of God toward all that is violently offensive to His own holiness. Let me remind us, God is angry with the wicked every day (Psalm 7:11). God has indignation towards the wicked every moment. They are presently under His wrath (Romans 1:18). It is the death of Christ on behalf of all who will put their faith in Him that propitiates the righteous anger of God. Romans 8:1 says, “There is now therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” There is not one drop of eternal anger that God has for believers in Christ. Christ bore the curse of the Law upon the cross (Galatians 3:13). When Jesus died upon the cross, God the Father transferred our sins to Him. “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us” (2 Corinthians 5:21). When Jesus became sin in our place, the Father unleashed the fury of His wrath upon Jesus Christ as He bore our sins. God the Father unleashed His vengeance upon His Son, as He bore our sins in His body upon the cross (1 Peter 2:24). The only people who can comprehend what that is like are the damned souls in hell who are suffering the eternal punishment of God. The full force of divine wrath deserved by those for whom Christ died was unleashed upon Him in a moment. A tsunami of wrath swept across Jesus Christ as He bore our sins. There is now no more wrath for those who have put their trust in Jesus Christ. A Triangle of Salvation I want you to think of a triangle. At the top is God the Father, at the lower left corner is God the Son, and in the lower right corner is all who will believe in Him. The death of Christ is in the middle of the triangle. On the left line connecting God the Father and God the Son, that is the propitiation in the blood of Jesus. In His death, God the Son propitiated the wrath of God the Father. Propitiation had nothing to do with us. It had everything to do with satisfying the righteous anger of God the Father. On the bottom line of the triangle, connecting God the Son and believers, is the truth of redemption. This truth is between Jesus and those who trust Him. Jesus Christ has redeemed us out of the slave market of sin. On the right line connecting God the Father with believers is the doctrine of justification. By this truth, God the Father declares believers to be the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ. Understand this simple triangle, and you will understand the three theological words that are found in this passage – propitiation, redemption, and reconciliation. To summarize, justification (verse 24) occurs between God the Father and the sinner. Propitiation (verse 25) occurs between the God the Father and God the Son. And redemption (verse 24) occurs between God the Son and the sinner. In the very middle of this triangle of salvation is the death of Jesus Christ that He accomplished on the cross. Each of these three theological words reveal the multidimensional value of the death of Jesus Christ on our behalf. We need more than merely justification. We need more than only propitiation. We need more than simply redemption. We need all three of these realities. There are other theological words that we will examine like reconciliation in Romans 5. IX. Justification is Designed by God (3:25-26) Ninth, justification is declared by God. In verse 25, Paul concludes this section, “Whom God displayed publically as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness.” If we are to be released from our sin, the justice of God demanded that there be One who would suffer in our place. God could not wink at our sin and sweep it under the carpet. Sin had to be eternally dealt with in full. Paul adds this explanation, “because in the forbearance of God, He passed over the sins previously committed” (verse 25). This refers to the stay of judgment upon all the saints in the Old Testament. Through the future death of Christ upon the cross, God was able to pass over all their former sins from the era before His coming. The end of verse 25 refers to the past, while verse 26 refers to the present hour. The apostle states, “For the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (verse 26). That God is just means He must punish our sins. That He is the justifier means that He has devised the plan whereby a Substitute would stand in our place and bear our sins. He would suffer our punishment and endure the wrath that is deserving believers. By this means, God can justify sinners who trust in His Son without forfeiting His own justice. God’s justice is executed at the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. How could God be both just and the justifier? Only in the cross of Jesus Christ. Paul concludes this section with the same emphasis that he has been making, “All this is by faith in Jesus” (verse 26). Once again, he stresses that we must put our trust in Christ. Let me make this more personal. You must renounce your own self-righteousness. You must turn away from any self-efforts to commend yourself to God. You must repent of a life pursuit of sin. You must turn to God through Jesus Christ and commit your life to Christ. When you do that, God immediately declares you to be righteousness based upon what Jesus Christ accomplished at the cross. Understand these verses and you understand the gospel. Herein is the heart of this epistle.

The Final Verdict- Romans 3:9-20

OnePassion Ministries May 25, 2017

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What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; as it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one. Their throat is an open grave, with their tongues they keep deceiving, the poison of asps is under their lips; whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; their feet are swift to shed blood, destruction and misery are in their paths, and the path of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin (Romans 3:9-20). As we approach Romans 3:9-20, this is Paul’s summation for this first major section of the book of Romans. This opening section establishes the condemnation of the entire human race. The apostle began his argument in 1:18, and these verses present the final crescendo of this section. This message of the wrath of God is critically important because there is no good news of our salvation until we first know the bad news of our condemnation. There is no understanding of the salvation that God has for us until we understand from what we have to be saved. That is the airtight case that Paul is laying out for us in this opening section. As we come to this concluding paragraph in Romans 3:9-20, Paul is arguing his case like a skilled lawyer in a courtroom. Those whom he is prosecuting are the entire human race. The supreme judge and the deciding jury is God Himself. Paul is simply the prosecutor who is bringing God’s indictment. This is, in reality, God’s prosecution of every member of the human race. The witnesses being called to the stand are the Law and the prophets in the Old Testament. The moral law of God is the standard by which the human race is being measured and found guilty as charged. All humanity is under divine condemnation. No one is excused. There is no court of higher appeal. The verdict rendered is irrevocable and fixed. As we look at these verses, they lay out as a dramatic courtroom scene. In verse 9, Paul makes the charge. In verses 10-18, he presents his case. In verses 19-20, there is the condemnation of all. As Paul makes the charge, he does so on behalf of God. Then he will bring his case with irrefutable evidence. Then, finally, the condemnation is declared, which is the divine verdict of the court. This is as dramatic an ending as there could be to this opening section of the book of Romans. I. The Incriminating Charge (3:9) Paul begins verse 9 with the charge. The actual charge is found at the end of verse 9, but first there is a build up. Paul begins by asking, “What then?” In other words, what more could be said than what has already been presented? The apostle adds, “Are we better than they?” There is a difference of opinion concerning the identity of “we.” Does it refer to the Jews, or is it an editorial “we”? Does this refer to Paul and all the believers in Rome? I prefer, in this context, it refers to the later. In the previous verse, “we” is used twice. “We are slanderously reported” and “as some claim that we say” (verse 8). Then in verse 9, Paul says, “Are we better than they?” The meaning of “we” pulls forward from verse 8 to verse 9. Paul is saying, “Are we Christians any better than those who are not Christians?” Paul emphatically replies, “Not at all” (verse 9). That is, any difference in believers is only by the grace of God. It is not that we are better than anyone else. We are what we are by the grace of God. “All Under Sin” Paul continues, “we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin” (verse 9). This points back to Romans 1, 2, and the first part of 3. When Paul says “Jews and Greeks,” he is being inclusive by putting his arms around the entire human race. His sweeping charge applies to every person who has ever been born in the history of the world. This indictment goes all the way back to the first man who was formed by the hand of God.  No one escapes this charge. When Paul asserts, “For we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin” (verse 9), there is no other line for anyone to stand in. There is no other category of humanity. The entire world population is under sin. To be “under sin” means to be under the just penalty of sin. It means to be held captive under the power of sin. It means to be defiled with the pollution of sin. To be “under sin” is to be enslaved to and dominated by sin. In no uncertain terms, Paul is maintaining that all people are under the tyranny, domination, and condemnation of sin. It is as if they are under the whole pile of sin, and they cannot escape from underneath it by their own efforts. This is where Paul’s charge begins. It will be repeated and reasserted in Romans 3:23, when Paul says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” This is a devastating charge to be brought against all. II. The Irrefutable Case (3:10-18) Lest there be anyone who would disagree with this charge, Paul argues his case with irrefutable evidence. In verses 10-18, Paul will present a litany of Old Testament citations. The reason Paul is quoting the Old Testament is twofold. Number one, this shows that this is not Paul’s case, but God’s case. He is simply quoting the word of God. This is not Paul’s opinion or thoughts, but those that belong to God alone. This is not the voice of social conscience or cultural mores. This is God’s own prosecution against mankind. This is God’s indisputable case against the human race. The second reason that Paul quotes from the Old Testament is to show that this prosecution is nothing new. This case was embedded in Old Testament Scripture all along. What Paul writes is simply an echo, or a repetition, of the case that has already been submitted by the Law and the Prophets. In verses 10-18, Paul quotes eight Old Testament verses in rapid-fire succession. Some of these biblical texts are repeated from different texts in the Old Testament. For example, Psalm 14:1-3 is repeated in Psalm 53:1-3. This means that there are more verses being quoted than what initially meets the eye. If you have a reference Bible, you will see the cross references listed in the margin. Paul is bringing witness, after witness, after witness to the stand. What we have in verses 10 through 18 is the signature passage in the entire Bible for the total depravity of the fallen human condition. This is the supreme passage for the doctrine of total depravity. The Depravity of Humanity Most of you have heard this theological label, total depravity. Some refer to it as radical corruption. It means that the depravity of sin has extended to the totality of the human condition. From the top of our head to the bottom of our feet, every inch and every ounce of us has become poisoned with the deadly venom of sin. Total depravity does teach that every person is as totally depraved in their lifestyle as they could possibly be. Some people, such as Adolf Hitler, the German madman, display a far greater expression of evil than an unconverted grandmother. However, total depravity means that Adam’s sin nature has been passed down to the entire human race and has radically corrupted the totality of a person’s being. The mind, heart, and will is plagued by the pollution of original sin. No part of man is left unaffected by sin. Consequently, the mind is unable to think properly about God and self. A person cannot come up with their own understanding of how bad off they are. Likewise, the heart loves what it should hate, and it hates what it should love. Further, the will is held captive by sin. That is the debilitating effect of total depravity. There are some Christians who think the mind and the heart are affected by sin, but the will is still free. That is a naive understanding of the human condition that lacks biblical instruction. The will is simply a handmaiden of the mind and the heart. Wherever the mind thinks and the heart desires, the will chooses. The will never operates independent of the mind and the heart. The will is the tail, and the mind and affections are the dog. The tail is not wagging the dog, but is following the head and the torso. The entire human nature is depraved. It is naïve, if not foolishness, to think the will is unaffected by sin. To presume that the will is untainted by sin and can somehow operate independent of the mind and the affections is sheer emptiness of thought. The Human Condition In Romans 3:10-18, we find Paul’s masterful use of the Old Testament to build his case against mankind one brick at a time. I want to give you an overview of these verses before we walk through them carefully. In verse 11, Paul addresses the mind and the heart. In verse 12, he speaks to the will. In verse 13, he indicts the throat, the tongue, and the lips. In verse 14, he charges the mouth. In verses 15-17, he condemns the feet. In verse 18, he denounces the eyes. As we proceed through these verses, we can identify the many different parts of the body, testifying to total depravity. They represent every human faculty. They describe the human condition in dreadful terms. They condemn human character with excoriating words. They speak of the human conversation that flows out of the character. They depict human choices as the tragic result of the fallen character. What Paul represents here is a comprehensive autopsy of the spiritually dead sinner. If we were to take a dead corpse and lay it out on a table, and start at the top of the head and work our way down to the soles of the feet, every different body part represents some aspect of the human personality and the human nature. Here, we will see that human depravity is from the top of the head to the bottom of the feet. There is no part of the human psyche that is untouched and untainted by sin. There is not a human body part that is not poisoned by the deadly venom of sin. It is like having a glass of water, taking a syringe, and injecting cyanide into the glass of water. The toxic cyanide will permeate the whole of the glass. There will not be any part of the water that is unpoisoned by the fatal potion. Similarly, when we were conceived in the womb, the sin nature of Adam was injected into us. It was like a snake with its fangs injecting its venom into us as its victim. We came into this world with every faculty of our innermost being poisoned by deadly sin. “There is None Righteous” (3:10) Paul begins by quoting the Old Testament. He says, “as it is written, ‘There is none righteous, not even one’” (verse 10). There could not possibly be a more comprehensive statement than this. Not one single person meets the divine standard to gain acceptance with God. As Paul will soon say, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). The word “righteous” means ‘conformity to a standard.’ Paul says, “There is none righteous,” that is, none measure up to the divine standard of His perfect holiness. Then, to be even more emphatic, he adds, “not even one.” There is no exception to this all-inclusive statement. This is why Jesus had to be born of a virgin so that the deadly fang of sin and its fatal venom would not be injected into Him. In the womb of Mary, He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, not by Joseph (Luke 1:35). God had prepared a body for Him (Hebrews 10:5), and though He had all of the faculties of human nature (Luke 2:52), He was without sin (1 John 3:5). Verse 10 serves as the topic sentence in this important paragraph on the judgment of God upon the depravity of man. When Paul writes, “There is none righteous, not even one,” this is the sweeping indictment of the entire human race. Paul starts with the bottom line and then presents his case, step by step. The Depravity of the Mind (3:11a) Paul begins with the darkened mind of fallen man, “There is none who understands” (verse 11). There is none who understands how holy God is and how sinful they are. There is none who truly understands how guilty and condemned they are before God. There is none who understands that their only way of escape is by the grace of God. Their mind cannot function regarding spiritual matters. It does not matter how smart they are. It does not matter how high their IQ. They may be a professor at the university writing the textbooks and be the most brilliant person in their office. But they simply do not get it. In earthly matters, they can be a genius, but in spiritual matters, their mind and their brain cannot understand. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2:14, “For a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him.” The word “foolish” comes from Greek word moria from which we derive the English word ‘moron.’ This means the unconverted man has no spiritual capacity to intellectually process the information of divine revelation that is being put before him. He cannot add up and come up with the right bottom-line conclusion. Paul says, “He cannot understand them” (1 Corinthians 2:14). The difference between ‘may’ and ‘can’ is the difference between permission and ability. The unregenerate man cannot understand spiritual truth and how it relates to him. Explaining the gospel to him is like describing a sunset to a blind man or a symphony to a deaf person. He cannot see it, hear it, or understand it, because biblical truth is spiritually appraised. The Depravity of the Heart (3:11b) Paul next proceeds to describe the darkened heart of the human race without Christ. “There is none who seeks for God” (verse 11). To seek God represents a true spiritual desire for God. It represents a love and passion for God. When Paul says “there is none who seeks for God,” this includes every person who follows a false religion as well. People sometimes say, “But they are so sincere. They are seeking God in their own way.” To the contrary, they are not seeking God, but instead are running away from Him into idolatry. They have succumbed to an idol of their own creation. It is their way of turning away from the one true, living God, who has created all that there is and before whom all the world is accountable. “All Have Turned Aside” (3:12a) Paul adds in verse 12, “All have turned aside.” The verb “turned aside” (ekklino) means ‘to deviate, to shun.’ The idea is that the unconverted person is on the wrong path and going in the wrong direction. This person is on, as Jesus said, the broad path that is headed for destruction (Matthew 7:13). Sin will always take a person in the wrong direction. Sin will always cause him to make the worst decisions, spiritually speaking. He always makes the wrong choice. He always turns away from God. He may know how to pick a good house in which to live. He may know how to match up his tie with his suit. He may know how to do math as a CPA. But in spiritual choices, he will inevitably make the wrong decision, because he is spiritually dead. Paul goes on to say, “Together they have become useless” (verse 12). Here, he gives a summation of the entire human race. “Useless” (achreioo) means ‘to become unprofitable, to render unserviceable.’ This is an intentionally demeaning word that means the unconverted man is of no value in pleasing or serving God. As it relates to the kingdom of God and eternal things, he makes a zero contribution. Jesus, in Luke 14:34, compared such a person to salt that has lost its savor. He is not even useful for the dung pile. He is like milk that has turned sour, that no one could drink. Then Paul adds, “There is none who does good, there is not even one” (verse 12). This is an emphatic declaration. Though the unregenerate person may occasionally do some horizontal good such as do some charitable things, everything he does as it relates to commending himself to God and gaining His approval is not good. This is yet one more proof that the Bible is the word of God, because man would not condemn himself like this. Man will always try to present himself better than what he is. But he will always fall short of God’s glory. He will always fail to meet the divine mark. He will always over-promise with his words and under-deliver with his life. A man without Christ will always buy high, sell low. He will always try to dress himself up better than what he is. This indictment of the entire human race surely shows that these are the words of God, because no man would bring such a unilateral condemnation upon himself in this manner. Depravity of the Throat (3:13a) In verses 13-14, the focus shifts to the depravity of the mouth. Paul declares, “Their throat is an open grave” (verse 13). He is talking about everyone’s throat, who is outside of the kingdom of God. Graves that contain corpses are not left open, but are sealed up. If it is not sealed up, but remains open, the stench, decay, and wretchedness would be so odious and foul that no one would come anywhere near the burial plot. For it to be open would be similar to an open sewer line with its filth that is being pumped out. The throat is lower than the lips or the tongue, showing that what is said comes up out of the wickedness of the heart. This is a devastating picture that Paul is assembling here. The mouth is simply a window into the heart. There is an old saying, “What is down in the well comes up in the bucket.” That means, what is down in the heart comes out of the mouth. Sometimes a person will say something they should not and exclaim, “I cannot believe I said that.” In reality, he should be amazed that he does not say more. Knowing what is down in the heart, it is quite remarkable he shows the restraint that he does, given what else is in his heart. The more he talks, the worse it is. The more he speaks, the more he slanders. The more he pontificates, the more arrogant he sounds. The more he converses, the more he corrupts others. The unregenerate mouth is like an open grave. Depravity of the Tongue (3:13b) Then Paul asserts, “with their tongues they keep deceiving” (verse 13). “Deceiving” (dolioo) means ‘to use trickery.’ It was used to bait a hook so as to lure a fish to bite it. It is luring a prey by deception. This deception that comes from their mouth is nonstop. It began as soon as they were born. They came out of their mother’s womb lying and deceiving. Depravity of the Lips (3:13c) Then the apostle explains, “The poison of asps is under their lips” (verse 13). An asp is a snake, and its poison is its venom. Once the fangs are ejected and bite into a person, they release a poison, which spreads and can lead to death. Their lips are injecting death into others. Their words bring others down, destroy their reputation, ruin their credibility, and harm their prosperity. This imagery that Paul uses reminds us of Satan, when he first slithered onto the page of Scripture with his lies (Genesis 3:1-6). The imagery of the snake and the serpent is picked up here. Again, this is a part of the total depravity that is all being pumped out of the heart. Depravity of the Mouth (3:14) Paul continues in verse 14, “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.” “Cursing” refers to intense hatred. To curse someone is to desire to bring judgment down upon them. “Bitterness” is open hostility against an enemy. Their mouth is not partially full of such filth, but is “full” of it. That is, it is filled to overflowing. Depravity of the Feet (3:15-17) In verse 15, Paul moves on to describe their feet. “Their feet are swift to shed blood” (verse 15). He has proceeded downward, from the mouth, throat, lips, and tongue to the feet. Do you see how this is all connected? Sin cannot be compartmentalized to only one part of a person’s life. Sin in one area, like a deadly cancer, spreads to the whole body. When Paul says “their feet are swift to shed blood,” the idea is that they are sprinting to cause harm to others. The feet indicate the course of a person’s life. It represents the direction of their life, the path that they have chosen to take in life. They are not slow or hesitant to wreck havoc to others. They are not dragging their feet or shuffling to do harm to those they encounter.  They are not walking or crawling to inflict their damage. They are “swift,” because their heart is driving them to “shed blood.” This pictures them killing another person. Jesus said that hatred in the heart is murder (Matthew 5:21-22). The animosity found in the heart is propelling the feet. There is no disconnect among their vile body parts. In verse 16, Paul continues with this imagery of the feet with the path they travel. He says, “Destruction and misery are in their paths” (verse 16). There could not be a more devastating description of their path they travel. “Destruction” speaks of the harm that they cause other people. They bring destruction to their business partners, spouse, children, friends, and enemies. The highway of their life is filled with the destruction they bring to others. Their sin always affects someone else. Children are left to deal with the decisions of their unsaved father or mother. The result of the destruction they cause is “misery.” No one is immune to it. They only wish they could be numb to it. They feel the pain of it as this unsaved person is causing people to suffer “misery.” Verse 17 continues the imagery of the feet as Paul says, “The path of peace they have not known.” They have no peace within themselves. They are internally restless and, therefore, cause trouble for everyone else. They have not known peace with anyone else. They are trouble looking for someplace to happen. They create stress and suffering for everyone else. This is why a believer needs to marry another believer. What fool would marry a destructive person like this? No one would want to be tied up with this for the rest of their life. You better marry someone who has been born again by the Spirit of God, whose life is dominated by the peace of God. Otherwise you have bought into major trouble for the rest of your life. Depravity of the Eyes (3:18) In verse 18, Paul moves on to the eyes. He says, “There is no fear of God before their eyes” (verse 18). This is categorically true. There is not one drop of the fear of God within them. There is no reverencing of God. There is no taking God serious. There is no humility before God. There is no dread of the final judgment. There is no cringing at the thought of hell. If there was such a healthy fear of God within them, they would be running to Christ. They may be losing sleep at night. If they truly feared God, they would flee to the Savior and believe in Him. They would be quick to place their trust in Him. The mere fact that they remain in unbelief is proof positive that there is no concern for God within them. They do not take God or His word seriously. When Paul writes, “before their eyes,” this carries the idea of how they see themselves and the world around them. This is their worldview, or their whole life perspective. No matter where they look or at what they are observing, there is no fear of God before their eyes. Whether they are at the office, at home, or at recreation, there is no fear of God that governs how they see what is around them. They are irreverent when it comes to God. Given how Paul paints this picture of human depravity, how could anyone argue against the doctrine of total depravity? III. The Indicting Condemnation (3:19-20) At last, Paul comes to the condemnation of the entire human race outside of Jesus Christ. This is the divine verdict as heaven’s gavel comes down hard. Every Person Accountable (3:19a) Paul says, “Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law” (verse 19). Please note the function of the Law continues, even in the New Testament. Every commandment in the Law is a revelation of the holiness of God and the sinfulness of man. The Law testifies in the divine courtroom that we have disobeyed and fallen short of the glory of God. The Law is also intended to be used evangelistically, to point people to Jesus Christ. When the rich young ruler asked, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?,” Jesus answered with the Law. When on another occasion, a lawyer asked, “Who is my neighbor?,” Jesus used the Law. Paul is doing the same in this passage. The Law cannot save, but it does bring a person to the point where they know they need to be saved. The Law is a tutor that takes us to Christ. “Those who are under the Law” speaks of every person who has ever lived. Even Jesus was “born under the Law” (Galatians 4:4). To be “under the Law” means to be in direct accountability to the Law. Jesus was the only one to obey the Law perfectly. This He did on our behalf. We will address the obedience of Christ in future studies. But at this point, what Paul stresses is that everyone is under the Law, accountable to the Law, and judged by the Law. Every Mouth Closed (3:19b) Paul explains why the Law is so important, “so that every mouth may be closed” (verse 19). There can be no excuses before God on the last day. There can be no self-justification, self-vindication or cry of mistrial. Every mouth will be closed because of the irrefutable indictment that the Law brings. Everyone will be speechless. “All the world will become accountable to God” (verse 19) and must answer to God in the final judgment. Every Life Condemned (3:20) Paul concludes this section in verse 20, “Because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight.” Of the texts in the Bible that clearly state that you cannot earn your salvation, this may be the most clear. This text teaches that no one can work their way to heaven. The cross is not a ladder by which you pull yourself up to God through your own morality. When Paul says, “no flesh will be justified in His sight,” he means just that. To be justified is to be declared righteous by God and find perfect acceptance with Him. He concludes verse 20 by saying, “For through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.” There is no sin that will not be exposed by the Law in the final judgment. Conclusion This case is closed before the Supreme Court of heaven. All humanity is found guilty as charged and condemned to eternal death. This is why everyone needs the Lord. This is why you must be born again, or you will not even see the kingdom of heaven. This is why you and I must tell others about Christ. This is why we have got to reach the world for Christ. To be delivered from this death sentence should bring a deep sense of humility and gratitude to every one of our hearts. That we would be out from under this indictment is the greatest offer ever extended to us. The noose of the Law was around our neck. We were at the gallows. They were ready to put the hood over our head and face. They were ready to remove the trap door beneath us, and we were about to be hung. Then God intervened. He sent His Son to die in our place, that we would be set free. If the son shall set you free, you shall be free indeed.

Answering Objections – Romans 3:1-8

OnePassion Ministries May 11, 2017

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Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God. What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it? May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written, “That You may be justified in Your words, And prevail when You are judged.” But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.) May it never be! For otherwise, how will God judge the world? But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner? 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 (Romans 3:1-8). As we look at Romans 3:1-8, this is the final passage before Paul wraps up the first major section on God’s condemnation of the entire human race in its sin. Romans 3:9-20 is his summation of total depravity and the condemnation of the human race. But before Paul comes to the summation beginning in verse 9, he answers some objections in the first eight verses of chapter 3. In these verses, we learn that Paul could be easily misunderstood in what he has taught about the Jews. This tells us that every teacher of the word can be easily misconstrued in what he says. Every teacher can be subject to false conclusions that his hearers may draw. There are always listeners who can run ahead of you and wrongly assume that you must be saying what you do not mean to imply. Every teacher can have his words twisted by his listeners or readers. Every teacher can have words put into his mouth that he never intended. I have certainly faced that. In my many years of ministry, I have had to address misunderstanding in public meetings involving the congregation in front of the entire church. This has been in response to false accusations that were brought against me regarding things I taught that were misinterpreted. I have faced these false charges in elder meetings. I have faced accusations in deacon meetings. I have faced them in the lobby of the church after I have preached. I have faced them in the parking lot as I step into my car after church. I have faced them all my life. It goes with the turf of being a public teacher of the word. If you are going to stand up and be a teacher, you are a large target for others to fire their charges. Although there may be times when I have not taught with clarity, there nevertheless are people who do not listen well to what I have said. There are people who do not think well. They jump to wrong conclusions irrationally based upon what I have said. The apostle Paul was facing these same challenges. In an initial reading of Romans 3:1-8, this is a question and answer session with the apostle Paul. He is raising the questions that he anticipated were on the minds of many of his readers. He knew what they were thinking, and tried to answer their questions based upon what he had previously written. With some of the questions, he is simply anticipating what they are thinking. However, some of the complaints he has already heard. In verses 7 and 9, Paul addressed some slanderous charges that had been brought against him. They falsely accused him based upon what he taught. In verses 1-8, there is a back-and-forth dialogue, much like the volley of a tennis match. In this passage, Paul will raise eight questions. Each one is in the odd-number verses, which are verses 1, 3, 5, and 7. There are two questions that Paul raises in each of these verses. These are questions that Paul were in the minds of his readers. The answers follow in the even-number verses, which are verses 2, 4, 6, and 8. In total, there will be eight questions and four answers. The eight questions are, in reality, four questions that are stated twice. At the end, there will be a ninth question, as Paul answers a question with a question, which, in reality, is a statement. That is how the flow of this passage unravels. As I have studied the Bible, I have found that sometimes it is passages like this, which appear to be the most oblique and obscure, that yield the greatest blessings. There is a joy of discovery in learning the truth in a passage like this, because it forces us to think. This is one of those passages that is challenging to understand. We must carefully follow the thought pattern of the apostle Paul. The comprehension of these verses is not laying on the surface. I.    The First Objection (3:1-2) Beginning in verse 1, the first objection that Paul addresses is that he is being falsely accused of being against his own people, the Jewish people. The apostle can easily anticipate that the believers in Rome are jumping to a wrong conclusion about what he has previously written. Some were accusing him of being anti-Jewish based upon what he said in chapter 2. Paul has warned the Jew that his national identity would not get him anywhere with God unless he believes in Jesus Christ. Paul is going to address this anti-Jewish accusation in verses 1-2. What is the Advantage? Verse 1 begins with the word “then,” which means that what follows is in response to what Paul has previously said. What follows is in response to the immediately earlier section in Romans 2:17-29. Paul writes, “Then what advantage has the Jew?” (verse 1). In other words, what profit is it to be a Jew if being Jewish does not guarantee your salvation? When Paul states “What advantage has the Jew,” he is addressing questions raised by Romans 2:17-24. Then Paul returns to the subject of circumcision, which is a follow-up to what he previously asserted in Romans 2:25-29. He asks, “Or what is the benefit of circumcision?” (verse 1). Paul has just belabored that circumcision does not save the Jew. He has made it clear that it is only a symbol and sign of salvation. Circumcision is simply the cutting of the human body, but it does nothing for the soul. What advantage was that? Paul can anticipate that people are going to misconstrue that he is against the Jew. Worse, they will presume that he is against what the Old Testament required for their circumcision. We could ask ourselves the same question in this way: What advantage was it to grow up in a Christian family? If that does not guarantee your salvation, what is the profit? What advantage is it that you went to a Christian school, if that does not put you in the kingdom of God? What advantage is it for you to go to a good church, a Bible-teaching church, if you can be in church where the word of God is being preached and you still are not saved? What is the advantage? We should all ask ourselves these questions. Entrusted with the Truth Paul gives a positive answer in verse 2. He says the advantage in being a Jew is “great in every respect” (verse 2). It is a huge advantage, Paul says, to be subject to circumcision. He then explains, “First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God” (verse 2). The “oracles of God” refers to the Bible, specifically the Old Testament. It refers to special revelation from God that saves. This refers to the message of the gospel and the way of salvation that was made known in the Scripture. Paul says this knowledge was an enormous advantage that the Jew grew up hearing the word of God, because no one can be saved unless they know the truth of saving grace. Paul answers this first objection, that he is being anti-Jewish, by saying that there is great advantage to being a Jew. But merely knowing the gospel in the head does not make anyone a Christian. The application for us is that just being a Baptist does not get you into heaven. Merely being a Presbyterian does not get you into the kingdom of God. Simply going to a Bible-teaching church does not automatically put you in Christ. However, this exposure to the truth does give you a great advantage, because you now know what is required to be saved. You are responsible to act upon the truth and believe in the gospel. An enormous advantage has been afforded to you that other people have not had. You have had the advantage of all advantages, because the truth has been made known to you. Before I move on, I want to make a very simple statement. The mere fact that you are in this Bible study is an enormous blessing from God. This very millisecond, you are exposed to that which billions of people in the world have never heard. You are in a very privileged place, in that you have access to the Bible. It is being opened and explained to you. You are in a privileged place. The Privileged Few This is the first objection that Paul answers. He is not down on being Jewish. He is simply saying the Jew has an advantage that the Egyptians, Babylonians, Assyrians, and many Roman citizens did not have until the gospel finally reached them. At this time, the Aztecs never had the gospel preached to them. Neither did the Eskimos. We could go around the globe, listing places that never had access to the gospel at this time in history. I want us to pause here for a moment and internalize the profundity of this truth. Most of you in this room go to churches were there is a pastor who stands up with an open Bible and reads the text, explaining and applying it. Most of you go to a Sunday School class or receive teaching beyond the pulpit in which the word of God is made known to you. You are a privileged person. You are the tip of the iceberg, and the whole rest of the human race is submerged below water level. You are blessed and favored by God, just like the Jew who had the oracles of God entrusted to him. There is great advantage to being exposed to the truth. That is the first objection Paul addresses. II. The Second Objection (3:3-4) In verse 3, the second objection is stated in the form of two more questions. Paul says, “What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it?” (verse 3). “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. God is Faithful and True Paul’s response in verse 4 is an important answer. He exclaimed, “May it never be!” In the Greek language, these words are me genoito, which is the strongest, most emphatic “no.” There was no stronger negative denial in the Greek language. This could be translated, “No way!” or “Not at all!” It is a dogmatic refuting of the very idea. May never be that God is unfaithful to the promises of His word. The apostle continues, “let God be found true, though every man be found a liar” (verse 4). Paul is asserting that God will fulfill all of His promises to the Jewish people. If every man in the world says that God is unfaithful to His word, this can never negate His faithfulness to His covenant promises. It does not matter what man says. All that matters is what God says. This is the argument that Paul is setting forth. It is an important truth for us to remember. It does not matter what the majority of people say on any moral issue. The majority of the religious crowd has always been wrong. The majority has never been right. All that matters is what does God say. As we live our Christian lives, we must resist being squeezed into the mindset of this world. We must remember that even if the entire world is unanimous about a matter, God alone holds the truth. God speaks truth in His word. Paul is addressing this because he said in Romans 2 that Israel is lost and perishing without Christ. The Jews must be thinking, “Is Paul saying that God not going to keep His word?” Paul cuts off that erroneous conclusion and says, “Listen, before we go any further with that kind of foolish talk, you need to understand that if the whole world were to speak with one voice, and God alone said something is true, be assured that God is true and the whole world is full of liars.” We need to know and believe what God says. Paul declares, “May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar” (Romans 3:4). He states elsewhere that “it is impossible for God to lie” (Titus 1:2). God Will Prevail Next, Paul quotes from the Old Testament to make his point. He cites Scripture to show that what he asserts is true. Quoting Psalm 51:4, he writes, “As it is written, that You may be justified in Your words, and prevail when You are judged” (verse 4). “Justified” means ‘to be proven to be right.’ Paul is saying that God’s authoritative word will prevail in judgment on the last day. Man will not be judged by what men say. The final judgment will be according to the standard of the word of God. In light of this, we should have the highest confidence in the word of God and how reliable are His words. As we live our Christian lives, and as we chart the course for the path that we follow, all that matters is what God says on any matter whatsoever. I know that is what you believe, which is why you are in this Bible study and are not off at a coffee shop poling people on what they think about a particular issue. III. The Third Objection (3:5-6) The third objection is raised in verse 5 as Paul expresses what he anticipates people are assuming. He knows human nature and knows that people will think he is arguing against the righteousness of God. So, he must refute this wrong assumption. This third objection is Paul answering those who assume he is attacking the righteousness of God. The objection is stated in verse 5 and, once again it comes in the form of two questions. Paul writes, “If our unrighteousness,” meaning the sin and the unbelief of the Jewish people, “demonstrates the righteousness of God,” meaning enhances the glory of God. This is inverted logic that says, if our sin brings glory to God, then why do we not just sin more? If God is glorified in everything, that would include sin. Then why do we not sin all the more? Paul will address this specific thought again in Romans 6. Paul continues, “What shall we say?” (verse 5). “We” refers to the imaginary objector. Paul is, in essence, quoting them. He can hear this objector say, “The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He?” (verse 5). Paul knew that some were drawing the faulty conclusion that God’s judgment and wrath is unjust. They were thinking, “If God’s righteousness is demonstrated in man’s unrighteousness, how can God be righteous to pour out judgment?” How can man be held responsible in the judgment? That is the track that Paul is on. Then parenthetically, Paul says, “I am speaking in human terms,” meaning human logic. This conclusion is not divine reasoning, but human logic. Paul corrects that fallacious thinking in verse 6, and he again says, “May it never be!” Paul brings the sledgehammer down on that faulty argument. This could be translated “Nonsense!” or “God forbid!” Paul explains why this is a wrong conclusion to draw, “For otherwise, how will God judge the world?” (verse 6). Paul argues that following this logic, God would be barred from judging the world. If the unrighteousness of man enhances the righteousness of God, then God could never judge sin justly. To the contrary, God will judge all unbelieving Jews, just like He will all unbelieving Gentiles. Let there be no mistake, there is no special exemption for anyone who is outside of the Lord Jesus Christ to escape the judgment of God. God is righteous in His judgment of sinners, and this includes Jews. IV. The Fourth Objection (3:7-8) The fourth objection follows in verse 7, and it also comes in the form of two questions. It addresses a supposed attack by Paul against the holiness of God. He writes, “But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory.” In other words, people have said the more Paul tells lies, it causes God’s truth to stand out even more. This line of reasoning is much like the illustration of the black velvet backdrop enhancing the luster of the sparkling diamond. The darker the velvet backdrop, the more the diamond sparkles. In like manner, the darker the sin, the more it causes the glory of God to shine more brightly. This is a serious objection that is being raised against Paul. This one is not an imaginary objection, as we will see in verse 8. This is what people are actually saying as they slander Paul and falsely accusing him of teaching a contorted view of man’s sin enlarging God’s glory. But Paul certainly never taught this. People were not correctly assimilating his teaching. They were claiming that he taught, “through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory” (verse 7). In other words, the more he lies, the more God is glorified. Then it follows that he is teaching people to sin. By such reasoning, the logical conclusion is, “Why does God still want to judge me if my sin brings Him greater glory? It is bizarre how people can take Paul’s teaching and draw bizarre conclusions. It is hard to understand the demented thinking of the objectors in verses 1, 3, 5, and 7. These people have so perverted what Paul has taught in chapters 1 and 2 that it is hard to grasp the twisted thinking of these questions. They are far away from the truth and nowhere near what Paul was saying. Yet nevertheless that is the reality that Paul was facing and compelled to address. Misunderstood Teaching Paul rebuttals, “And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say)” (verse 8). He cannot stop the rumor mill concerning what people are saying behind his back. All he can do is attempt to correct people’s flawed thinking. The more these people repeat their wrong views about Paul’s teaching, the more they drift further away from what he actually said. They have a multiplying effect at work as they talk among themselves. With every conversion, they are moving further and further away from the sound teaching that Paul was actually giving. I have certainly experienced this in my years of ministry. For example, any time I teach on the doctrine of sovereign election, people falsely assume, “He is anti-evangelism. He is anti-missions. He is anti-prayer. He is anti-personal holiness. He is anti-human responsibility.” But everyone of those accusations are a misrepresentation of what I said. I never even implied that. But people will take what you say and then come to wrong conclusions. Then, as they talk among themselves, they exasperate their misunderstanding, moving them further away from the truth. It finally reaches the point that they actually slander the teacher because they have gotten so far away from what his words actually were. Quite frankly, Paul’s critics were not well-taught enough to be able to rightly connect what he was saying. They were drawing wrong conclusions based upon the truth that was being taught. There were so many gaps in their understanding of his position, that they were incapable of processing the truth. They were like little children playing with a loaded revolver. They knew enough to be dangerous. “Their Condemnation is Just” Paul will answer this objection at the end of verse 8. In fact, he answers so abruptly that he does not even want to honor the bad assumption. The objections are so far removed from the truth that the apostle will not waste the ink to give a detailed answer. He simply asserts, “Their condemnation is just” (verse 8). Now, we should ask the question: Whose condemnation is just? The answer is: The people who are asking these questions. Paul refuses to allow them to lay these charges at his feet. Instead, he lays the condemnation at their feet. They will be judged by God for such foolish talk and misconstrued conclusions. Paul cuts it off right here. In essence, this is the end of this discussion. Paul has nothing more to say, other than to turn them over to God. Their condemnation is just. Conclusion I understand that these are challenging verses. It is a challenge to get our arms around Paul’s thinking in these verses. We question, “Who in the world would think that way?” It is so far off that we think, surely, it must be hypothetical. Yet it is not hypothetical. Paul would not waste eight versus in the book of Romans to talk about something that is superfluous. Every verse is important. This was obviously important enough that it finds itself permanently recorded in the book of Romans. Every time this book is opened, down through the centuries, these false conclusions will be read. To be sure, it is profitable for all believers to give careful thought to what Paul is saying. Here is the application, the “so what.” I have already said it, but I want to make sure we get it. First, the mercy of the providence of God. Many of us have been unspeakably blessed to be soundly taught the word of God. Perhaps you have been favored to have grown up in a Christian family with Christian parents. Maybe you have been exposed to the truth through strong pulpits and Christian ministries. Let us not let this reality pass our notice without giving thanks to God. The argument that Paul makes with the Jew is the same argument to be made for each and every one of us. We live on an island of truth in the midst of an ocean of lies and apostacy. What a privileged, small, little plot of land in which we find ourselves. We are not the only ones to be taught the truth, but it is rare. I do not know that we can fully comprehend how privileged we are. You need to thank God that in the goodness of His providence He has given you access to churches and Bible studies where the truth is being made known to you. Second, the reliability the word of God. All that God has said is true. Every promise will come to pass. Every prophecy will be fulfilled. The prophet announced, “The grass withers, the flower fades away, but the word of God abides forever” (Isaiah 40:8). Let every man be found a liar who disagrees with God. All that matters is what God has to say. A one-word synonym for “truth” is ‘reality.’ It is the way things really are, and the way things really are is what God says in His word. Man is what God says man is. Sin is what God says sin is. Salvation is what God says salvation is. Salvation is received as God says it is to be received. Heaven and hell are what God says heaven and hell are. The final judgment is what God says the final judgment is. That is reality, and anything that disagrees with the word of God is a lie from the pit of hell. That is the second thing that we take from this. Third, the certainty of the wrath of God. This is where Paul began this opening section in Romans 1:18. He returns to it in Romans 3:5-6. These two passages serve as bookends around this first section that both starts and concludes on the wrath of God. God is the One who inflicts wrath. Hell is not air-conditioned. Hell is a real place that will go on forever. The vengeance of an angry God will be poured out with full, unmitigated fury upon damned souls in hell forever. Fourth, the equity of the justice of God. We see in these verses that the condemnation of the unbeliever is just. At the end of verse 8, we note that all of God’s judgments are right and true. There is never any injustice with God. God never handles sinners with inequity. God always administers an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. The divine punishment will always fit the human crime. The judgment and condemnation of sinners is perfectly just.

The Implication of Justification – Romans 3:27-31

OnePassion Ministries August 2, 2017

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Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one. Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law (Romans 3:27-31). The book of Romans is the fifth epistle that Paul wrote, but it is placed first among the epistles because it is of first importance. It is Paul’s magnum opus. Romans is of the most primary importance because it is all about the gospel of Jesus Christ. In his other letters, Paul is correcting something that is wrong in a local church. But the majority of the book is an explanation of salvation. Romans is all about expounding the gospel of God. Paul wrote Romans while in Corinth, either at the end of 56 AD or the beginning of 57 AD. At the end of Paul’s first missionary journey, he wrote one letter – Galatians. During the second missionary journey, he wrote two letters – 1 and 2 Thessalonians. And during the third missionary journey, he wrote three letters –1 and 2 Corinthians and Romans. One on the first, two on the second, and three on the third. The apostle Paul had never been to Rome, nor met the people to whom he is writing. But he is burdened that the church there be firmly established in the truth of the gospel. I am going to give you eight words that will summarize the entire book of Romans. First is the introduction in Romans 1:1-17. Then condemnation in 1:18-3:20. Then justification from 3:21 to the end of chapter 5. Then sanctification in chapters 7 and 8. Next is glorification at the end of chapter 8. Then election in chapters 9-11. Next is transformation in chapter 12-16. Then, finally, at the end of chapter 16 is the conclusion. Those eight words – introduction, condemnation, justification, sanctification, glorification, election, transformation, and conclusion – outline the book of Romans. The Implications of Justification We find ourselves in the third section, which focuses upon the doctrine of justification. It immediately follows the section on condemnation, because justification is the reversal of condemnation. Paul began with the bad news of condemnation, and now he comes to the good news of justification. In Romans 3:21-26, we noted that Paul gave us the basic instruction for justification – what it is, how it was secured, and how it is received. We learned that justification is (1) apart from the Law, (2) witnessed by the Old Testament, (3) provided by God, (4) received by faith, (5) needed by all, (6) declared by God, (7) given as a gift, (8) purchased by Jesus, and (9) designed by God. In this lesson, we will look at the implications of justification as found in Romans 3:27-31. In the next study, we will look at the illustrations of justification with Abraham and David in Romans 4. Paul is methodical as he makes his airtight case for the gospel. As we come to verse 27, we come to the implications of justification. What is an implication? It is a logical consequence that is drawn from something else that is true. In other words, if A is true, then B, C, and D must be true. In this section, verses 21-26 are A, and verses 27-31 are B, C, and D. In other words, based upon the truths stated in verses 21-26, what is stated in verses 27-31 must be true. Here is the necessary outcome of what Paul has taught about justification. This is the reasonable deduction of justification by faith alone. Paul gives three implications drawn from the doctrine of justification by faith alone. The first implication is in verses 27-28, the second in verses 29-30, and the third in verse 31. As Paul presents these implications, he is so systematic and orderly. There are three parts to each of the three implications. He makes it easy to follow his train of thought, because he lays this out with first a question, then an answer, followed by an explanation. This didactic approach is much like the question and answer format in a catechism. The Westminster Shorter Catechism asks the question: “What is the chief end of man?” The answer is provided: “To glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” This is how Paul will teach in this section with the following supporting explanation. This is how Paul is operating. There are three implications, and each implication is framed with a question, answer, and explanation. I. All Boasting is Excluded (3:27-28) The first implication of justification by faith is that, unquestionably, all boasting is excluded. Lest any believer assume a smug attitude because he is justified and others are not – or that there is something good about him that makes him better than someone else who is not justified, lest we look down our long nose at others from a self-exalting position – Paul reminds us that this truth of justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone ought to make him unspeakably humble. This truth of the grace of God in justification by faith alone as a free gift ought to drop him to his knees and remove all pride. The Questions (3:27a) Paul begins this section by asking a question, “Where then is boasting?” (verse 27). Boasting is self-exaltation pridefully bragging on oneself, in self-merit, rather than in God and His grace. Boasting is looking in the mirror and exalting in self. It is pride and self-boasting. When Paul asks the question, “where then is boasting?,” it is in relationship to the free grace of God in justification by faith alone. If this is true, then there should not be one drop of boasting in any heart or that ever comes out of any mouth. If justification by faith alone is true, then we ought to be walking in lowly humility. There should be no boasting, no self-elevation, or no self-exaltation. The Answer (3:27a) Next, Paul gives the emphatic answer. He says, “It is excluded” (verse 27). All boasting is excluded. “Excluded” (ekkleio) is a vivid, graphic word that means ‘to shut out something or someone.’ It is the idea of slamming shut a door, preventing someone from gaining entrance into a house. When Paul says, “it is excluded,” he is closing the door on any boasting about our part in salvation. There can be no pulling up ourselves above others. Boasting is completely excluded when salvation is purely by grace. There is no room for any boasting by any believer because of this truth of justification by faith alone. The Explanation (3:27b-28) Then, Paul gives the explanation for what he has just asserted. He says “By what kind of law? Of works?” (verse 27). The “law” in verse 27 is not referring to the Mosaic Law, but rather to a governing principle. By what operative rule does God justify us? In other words, how is it that God has justified us? He then asks the next question, “Of works?” (verse 27). Was it by your human effort that God justified you? Paul comes down hard and responds, “No, but by a law of faith” (verse 27). This “law of faith” is talking about the principle by which God operates in saving sinners. In this instance, law again means a governing principle or the basis of His operation. God operates in salvation not by a works basis, but exclusively by His grace. If it is by faith alone, which means that we had nothing to do with earning or meriting a position of acceptance with God. It is all on the basis of Someone else’s works. We are, in reality, saved by works. But it is not by our works. It is by the works of Another, namely those of Jesus Christ. It is by His sinless life and substitutionary death that we are saved from the wrath of God. “All our righteousness deeds are like a filthy garment” (Isaiah 64:6). It is by the perfect works of Jesus Christ that are imputed to us by faith alone in Christ alone that we are justified by God. Luther’s “By Faith Alone” How can we boast about what we received as a free gift? In verse 28 Paul will continue the explanation by saying, “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith” (verse 28). This verse reminds us that the Reformation of the sixteenth century brought a recovered understanding of what it means. On October 31, 1517, the German professor of Bible at the University of Wittenberg, Martin Luther, nailed his 95 Theses to the front door of the church in Wittenberg. He was converted two years later (1519) in the tower of the Castle Church in the same city. Two years subsequently (1521), he was summoned to the Diet of Worms, where he stood trial for heresy. With his books on a table in the middle of the room, he was asked,  “Martin Luther, are these your books? And will you recant?” The next day, Luther gave his great confession, “How can I recant of my books, they are filled with the word of God. To recant my books would be to recant the word of God itself.” He concluded, “My conscious is bound by the word of God. I can do no other. Here I stand, God help me.” With that bold declaration, the death sentence was issued on Luther’s head. He was given six weeks to put his affairs in order. As he left Worms in route for Wittenberg, Luther was kidnapped by his friends. They put a bag over his head and took him to the Wartburg Castle, where no one would suspect him to be. There, the government officials could not find him and kill him. As Luther sat in the Wartburg Castle, he decided to translate the New Testament into the German language, which is a monumental achievement. Luther’s German New Testament, called the September Bible, was published in September 1522. Luther was meticulous in his translation. When he came to this verse, Romans 3:28, he added a word that was not in the original text. He did so to make it clear for the German-speaking people concerning what Paul is saying. He added the word “alone” – “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith alone.” “Alone” is not in the original text, but the truth of it is obviously clear. Paul continued by saying “apart from works of the law” (verse 28). If justification is apart from the works of the law, it must be by faith alone. The teaching of sola fide is one of the five solas that came from the Reformation known as the material principle. It means that a right standing before God is ‘by faith alone.’ This sola became shorthand for justification by faith alone. It is the very heart founded in this very verse. Justification by faith alone is taught in multiple places in the Bible, for example Romans 1:16-17 and Galatians 3. But this was the defining text for Luther as he translated the Bible into the German language. One of the hallmarks of the Reformation was the mission to produce a Bible in the language of the people. Previous to this, the priests preached in Latin. The problem was, the people did not know Latin, so they went to a church service that might as well as have been in Swahili, as they do not even know what was being said. Luther gave this gift to the German-speaking people while he was sitting in the castle with nothing else to do. Sometimes God uses trials to bring about our most productive work. Faith is a Gift From God Because salvation it is apart from works and is all by faith, how could there be any boasting? Paul writes elsewhere “For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” (1 Corinthians 4:7). There is nothing good in their lives except what God has supplied, and that began with the gift of saving faith. God was at work in their life, imparting to them the faith to believe in Jesus Christ. Even the faith to believe was bestowed by God. It was not that God contributed the grace, and they contributed the faith. Even their ability to believe in Jesus Christ was a gift from God, “not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:9). The whole package of salvation, not only the provision of redemption at the cross, but repentance and faith is an unmerited gift from God. So how could we ever have any pride in ourselves? The flesh is still operating within us and wants to take credit for what God has done. Paul reminds the church in Romans, and he reminds us today, that everything good we have has been received from God is an undeserved gift. Therefore, we ought to be the lowly of mind, the humble of heart, and the self-denying. This doctrine of justification by faith should not puff us up, but bring us low in our walk with God. “He Must Increase, But I Must Decrease” As John the Baptist was watching Jesus begin His public ministry, the Messiah’s ministry was increasing, his ministry was decreasing. That was a bitter pill for any preacher to swallow. John’s disciples came to him and said that there are more disciples following Jesus than there are with us. What do we do about this? John the Baptist gave the right answer. He said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven” (John 3:27). Even the ministry we have is a gift from God. Even the fruit that would come from our labor as we serve the Lord is the gift of God. Where then is boasting? There is no room for boasting, because justification is by faith, and even that faith must be given by God. By way of application, this is a call for humility. Let us be reminded that “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5). Do you want a greater grace as this verse promises? God gives grace to only one person. He gives it to the humble. On the other hand, God is opposed to the proud and resists him. God is opposed to the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. Where then is boasting? II. All Distinctions are Removed (3:29-30) Back to Romans 3, we see in verse 29 the second implication, that all distinctions are removed. If justification by faith alone is true, then there can be no classes or levels of believers. All who are justified are equally justified. No one is more justified than another. All believers are imputed with the same righteousness of Jesus Christ. Therefore, there are no distinctions between those who put their trust in Him. The Questions (3:29a) In verse 29, Paul begins with a question, “Or is God the God of Jews only?” This question is asking, “Is God dealing only with the Jews? Is God saving only the Jews? Is God justifying only the Jews? Is He only the God of the Jews? The Answer (3:29b) Paul answered the question with a second question, “Is He not the God of Gentiles also?” That is a rhetorical question, the answer of which is “Yes, indeed, God is the God of the Gentiles also.” For Him to be the God of the Gentiles means that He is also dealing with Gentiles in the same way in justification. God is also justifying Gentiles just as He is justifying Jews. In fact, the reason why God saved Jews was for them to go to the Gentiles with the same gospel message with which they were made right with Him. This clearly demonstrates that there was to be no distinction between Jews and Gentiles in matters of salvation. The Jews were to be the great evangelists to the world and to carry the gospel to the corners of the earth to bring the Gentiles to faith in God through Jesus Christ. But the Jews hoarded it. They kept to themselves this message, that sinners can be justified by faith alone. Hoarding the Gospel for Yourself One specific instance in which God commanded that the saving gospel entrusted to the Jews be taken to the Gentiles was in the case of Jonah and Ninevah. God said to Jonah, “I want you to go to Nineveh and preach the gospel to the Gentiles there,” Jonah went in the opposite direction. He got on a ship and went to Tarshish. That is like being in Dallas and being told to go to New York, but you get on a plane in the total other direction to Los Angeles. Jonah tried to run as far away from the Gentiles as he possibly could. So God had to send a fierce storm and a great fish, and reroute Jonah back to Nineveh. When Jonah brought God’s message, the greatest evangelistic revival to ever occur takes place in Ninevah. What does Jonah then do in response to the Gentile converts? He pouted about it because he did not want Israel’s enemies to be in the kingdom of God. How boastful and prideful he was. Jonah sat under a tree and sulked and pouted, because the Ninevites repented and were converted. He wanted to keep salvation within the Jews. He wanted the holy huddle to remain the holy huddle. However, one of the chief implications of justification is not just Jews being saved, but Gentiles. God has a heart for the world, He desires to reach the world with the saving message of justification by faith alone. There are no more distinctions between Jews and Gentiles. God is not only the God of the Jews, but also the God of Gentiles. The Explanation (3:30) In verse 30 is Paul’s explanation. He does more than merely answer in the affirmative. Like any good teacher, he gives the explanation for his answer. Paul begins, “Since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith” (verse 30). This is referring to Jews who have been circumcised. “The circumcised” is just a way to name those of the nation Israel. How is a Jew saved? Paul makes it clear that he is justified by faith alone in Christ alone. He then adds, “and the uncircumcised through faith” (verse 30). This refers to non-Jews, which are the Gentiles or the rest of the world. They also are justified by faith alone in Christ alone. Here, again, is another supporting text that there is only one way of salvation. There is not one way for a Jew to be saved and a different way for a Gentile to be justified. Both are saved by faith alone in Christ alone. At the very end of verse 30, Paul reaffirms the exclusivity of the gospel, “since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.” What Paul is saying, is God is one. This is a restatement of Deuteronomy 6:4, “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!” The point Paul is making is that because there is only one God, there is only one way by which this one God is justifying sinners. God is not divided within Himself. Jesus said, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). This is the solidarity and unity of God. “For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). Because there is only one God, there is, therefore, only one way of salvation. One Body of Christ Therefore, all distinctions are removed. Jew and Gentile are one in Christ. At the cross, Jesus tore down the dividing wall between Jew and Gentile (Ephesians 2:14-16). There is now only one body of Christ. There is not a Jewish body of Christ and a Gentile body of Christ. Neither is there a Baptist body, a Presbyterian body, an Independent body, a Charismatic body, and a Methodist body. There is only one body of Christ, and it is comprised of those who are justified by faith alone in Christ alone. This is the second implication of justification by faith. There is no other way of salvation, and there is no division between those who come to Christ. It is good for us to hear this, because we have become so fractured in the body of Christ today. It seems that it would take some kind of national or global persecution to weld the different groups of believers back together again. The people of God are like 20,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean that are disconnected. To be sure, there are doctrinal distinctives to each part of the church, and we need to maintain our convictions in sound doctrine. But we also need to remember that we have brothers and sisters in Christ, in other parts of the body, who are one with us. III. The Law is Established (3:31) The third implication of justification by faith is that the Law is established, found in verse 31. The Question (3:31a) The apostle asks, “Do we then nullify the Law through faith?” (verse 31). If we are justified apart from the Law, as Paul said in verse 21, is the Law now nullified? In other words, he asks, “Is the Law of no effect? Is the Law of no good or purpose if we are justified apart from the Law?” Paul wants to head off this wrong conclusion before it can spread in the minds of those in Rome. He again gives question, answer, and explanation. The Answer (3:31b) Paul writes, “Do we then nullify the Law through faith?” (verse 31). “Nullify” (katargeo) means ‘to make of no effect’ or ‘to cause to cease.’ Have we made the moral Law to be cancelled and irrelevant if we are justified apart from the Law? Note Paul’s answer, “May it never be!” (verse 31). This is stated in two words in the Greek, me gnoito, which is the strongest, most emphatic negative that can be conveyed in the original language. It means ‘absolutely not.’ It is not just “no,” but ‘a thousand times no.’ Or ‘not now, not never.’ The Explanation (3:31c) Justification does not nullify the proper use of the moral Law. Rather than giving us a full explanation, Paul, in reality, provides us with more of a confirmation. He states, “On the contrary, we establish the Law” (verse 31). This means it is the total opposite of thinking that justification nullifies the Law. “Establish” (histemi) is a strong Greek word that means ‘to cause something or someone to stand.’ It was used in Acts 2 when the other 11 apostles put Peter forward to preach on the day of Pentecost. They caused him to stand before the crowd. It also means ‘to make firm’ or ‘to cause a thing to keep its place.’ Thus, Paul asserts that his teaching on justification does not nullify the Law, but establishes it. Uses of the Law Let me say a couple things about the Law. In Romans 3, “the law” is used in four different ways, so you have to keep your eye on the ball. One, in verse 19, the law refers to the entire Old Testament. Two, in verse 21, the law refers to the first five books of the Old Testament, because it is distinguished from the prophets. Three, it is used as we saw in verses 27-28 as an operating principle. Four, law is used is to refer to the moral law, which is succinctly summarized in the Ten Commandments. That is how it is used in verses 20, 27, 28, and 31. Obviously, the ceremonial law was fulfilled in the death of Jesus Christ and has passed away. We are no longer brining animal sacrifices to a priest to offer on our behalf on the Day of Atonement. That sacrificial system is over. The ceremonial law was fulfilled at the cross. The civil law was uniquely to govern Israel in the Promised Land. But the moral law of God is still in effect. We are still to have no other gods before us. We are still not to take God’s name in vain. We are still not to have a graven image of God. We are still to honor our father and our mother. We are still not to murder. We are still not to commit adultery. We are still not to steal. We are still not to bear false witness. We are still not to covet. The only commandment that requires some modification is the Sabbath. Granted, it is an in-house debate within Reformed circles as to how the Sabbath relates to the present moment. We will set that aside for another discussion. But here, when Paul says “we establish the Law,” he is referring to the moral law. Paul will continue to appeal to the moral law of God in Romans as a basis for his teaching. The implication of justification by faith is that we are still obligated to obey the moral commands of God. Justification by faith is not a free pass so that you can live however you want. It does not mean you have liberty to do anything and everything that comes into your mind. We are still under the moral imperatives of the Ten Commandments. We are not antinomians, meaning against the law. We are not hyper-grace people, who can live however we want to live. The law of God is still binding upon our lives and we are accountable to Him to obey the commandments. In Romans 7:12, Paul says, “the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.” In verse 14, he says, “For we know that the Law is spiritual.” These are the three implications that Paul establishes to follow his teaching on justification by faith. The fact that we are justified by faith alone should produce humility within us. This doctrine leaves no room for boasting. It should remove all barriers and all distinctions, because we are all justified in the same way and brought into the same kingdom.