Bad News, Good News

Today’s passage is found in Romans chapter 3 and verses 21-26.

Last week we began a series titled, “First Things” and we covered the core belief that the Bible is the inerrant, infallible and inspired word of God.

Because it is the word of God it has the authority for all things in our lives.

Not only does the Bible teach us about how we are to live it is also a mirror for our lives, helping show us our desperate need for a Savior and an ongoing relationship with Him.

in Romans, Paul has been building a case against all people, showing our universal sinfulness and our universal need for salvation

In verses Romans 3:10–12 “10 as it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one. 11 There is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. 12 All have turned away; all alike have become worthless. There is no one who does what is good, not even one.”

Paul set the stage in chapter 1 by boldly proclaiming, Romans 1:16–17 “16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.”

Let’s look at today’s passage…

Romans 3:21–26 CSB

21 But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, attested by the Law and the Prophets. 22 The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, since there is no distinction. 23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; 24 they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as the mercy seat by his blood, through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his restraint God passed over the sins previously committed. 26 God presented him to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so that he would be just and justify the one who has faith in Jesus.

First the bad news…

None of us measure up to God’s standard - not one.

Paul says we all “fall short” - to be lacking, to be deficient

This is bad enough if it were just a one time failure but the reality is that Paul is saying something more

The words Paul uses means that every person is FALLING short - we are continuously, persistently deficient of God’ standard.

We are not trying to hit some random target, we are especially not try to hit a manmade ideal

We are falling short of God’s glory - His glorious standard of moral perfection, His radiant holiness and it is found in the weight of WHO He is - His character, His purity, His worth

Every human being is persistently deficient when measured against God’s perfect standard.

More bad news…

There is nothing we can do to fix our situation.

Paul tells us why in Romans 3:20 “20 For no one will be justified in his sight by the works of the law, because the knowledge of sin comes through the law.”

The Law was not sufficient to save us - all the Law could do was diagnose our condition, our need

I know this may sound hopeless, and it should… I want us, no, I need us to understand the gravity of our situation.

Our falling short doesn’t just keep us from the nice things in life, it is not just some inconvenience you can manage - It’s an eternal death sentence, complete separation from God.

This knowledge should leave us desperate for help, desperate to find a cure, desperate for a rescue

One of my favorite words in Scripture… BUT…

Jesus did what we couldn’t, He paid what we owed.

There is a great word in verse 25 - CSB translates it as “mercy seat” - the Greek hilasterion or propitiation.

The mercy seat was the lid on the Ark of the Covenant, it was the place God met with His people.

God didn’t figuratively meet with His people, His presence literally came and occupied the seat.

Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would sprinkle blood on the mercy seat to cover the sins of Israel.

Propitiation means the satisfying of God’s wrath against sin. It is not that God was angry and someone calmed Him down - it’s that God’s justice demanded payment for sin.

Jesus was that payment - God’s wrath against sin was fully absorbed and satisfied at the cross

Jesus is where God meets sinners.

Jesus is that mercy seat, the place where wrath is absorbed and mercy flows.

The old sacrificial system pointed forward, Jesus fulfilled it.

A once temporary covering for our sins has been permanently paid in full.

This could only have been accomplished by God Himself - we couldn’t do it, He didn’t send a prophet, or an angel, He came Himself

Salvation isn’t free, it was paid for by the precious blood of Christ.

I know this may sound a little different that what we are used to hearing - how many times have we heard or even said that, “Salvation is a free gift”

It is a gift that is offered to each and everyone of us, we cannot earn it - because God gives it as a gift it is free to us

But it wasn’t free to God. It cost Him His Son.

So, here we are, faced with a hard truth and an opportunity. Every one of is in this room falls short. Not some of us, ALL of us. The Law can’t save us. Good works can’t save us. Religion can’t save us. We stand guilty before a Holy God, and the sentence is eternal separation from Him.

Thats’s the bad news but the good news is that God didn’t leave us there. He sent His Son to be the mercy seat, to take the wrath of God and offer us mercy. Jesus did what we could never do. He paid the debt we owed. It required the blood of the perfect Lamb of God, costing Jesus everything. Now He offers it to you. Not as a wage you earn. Not as a debt you repay. As a gift. All you have to do is receive it.

So, here’s my question, will you? Will you stop trying to earn what’s already been paid for? will you stop running from the One who came to meet you? Will you come to the mercy seat today? Jesus is where God meets sinners. Come, He is waiting for you.