By faith not by works.

Introduction

Reading Rom 3:20-26

What do we have to do to go to heaven?

If we asked this question to every single person in the UK, every boy and girl, every man and woman, I could almost guarantee that the number one response would be; “by being a good person.” “By being honest.” “By treating others as you want to be treated.”

Maybe there are some here this afternoon that would give a similar answer. In our reading in the Word of God we see that this answer is completely wrong. In verses 20-22 The Apostle Paul basically says that no one is justified, no one is made right with God, by the works of the law, by being a good person. But instead it is by faith in Jesus Christ. In a sentence Paul says under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit; not by works, but by faith.

Its not by what we can do but by faith in what Christ has already done.

Paul makes this statement and then in verses 23-25 he gives two reasons why this is true.

I. All have sinned v.23

II. Justifcation is a free gift from God v.24-25

Paul says the only way to be made right with God is not by works but by faith in Jesus Christ and it is crucial for each of us to grasp this truth because the difference is literally between heaven and hell. If faith in Christ is the only way to be made right with God we need to be convinced of this so that we do not trust in our own works but in the finished work of Christ. This is what Paul sets about to do in these verses. Convince people it is by faith in Jesus Christ and not by trying to be a good person.

The first reason given by Paul is ‘All have sinned’

I. All have sinned v.23

Paul says that people are accepted by God not by good works but by believing in Christ.

Then he says “ For there is no difference. V.23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

In this verse to put it simply Paul is saying its not by being good because no one is good enough.

For all have sinned.

This verse is a summary statement of the point Paul has been making in the previous chapters. From 1:17-3:20 Paul has been showing the church at Rome that both Jews and Gentiles are all under sin and guilty before God.

There are a few things in verse 23 that we must emphasise and explain.

Firstly I want us to notice that little word “ALL”

The word of God says “for ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

This means that what Paul is saying is universal. It covers every single person who has ever lived, except the Lord Jesus Christ who alone committed no sin neither was deceit found in his mouth as it says in 1 Peter.

This means to put it simply and personally every person in this room is included in this verse and to put it more personal still, it means you are included in this verse. For all have sinned.

So this verse is speaking about everyone but what does the word of God mean when it says we have sinned.

The word sin means to miss the mark.

My brother recently got married and we had a day out to celebrate. During the day we did axe throwing. There is a wooden target with a bulls eye on it and you have to stand behind the line and throw the axes at the target and try to get as close to the bulls eye as possible. Lets just say I missed the bulls eye more than I hit it. I missed the mark.

The word sin means to miss the mark that God has set. God has given us his law, he has written his law on our hearts, that is why we have a conscience, that is why we know right from wrong. But despite us knowing God’s standard we constantly fall short of it by breaking God’s commands.

God has said you shall not lie and so when you tell a lie you are breaking God’s command, falling short of God’s standard, missing the mark, you are committing sin.

This verse says everyone has done this in one way or another.

Now this is serious. The Bible tells us that the wages of sin is death. God is a good God and a holy God and because of this God must punish sin, and he must punish it severely. The Lord Jesus himself taught us that the punishment for sin is hell.

In the final part of v.23 Paul explains why sin is so serious but before we look at it I want to ask you; are your sins forgiven? Has your sin been paid for by Christ on the cross? Is Jesus Christ your Lord and Saviour? or do you think you are a good person and do not need Jesus Christ? A good person is someone who has never ever committed a single sin.

Why is sin so serious?

well there are many reasons but one of them is given by Paul at the end of verse 23.

v.23 says “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Sin is serious because when you sin you fall short of the glory of God.

What does it mean to fall short of the glory of God?

When God created the first man and woman he created them in his image. Human beings are made in the image of God, and because of this we were made to reflect God’s glory in some way to the rest of creation. We were to reflect the perfections of God.

But when we sin we fail to do so, we fall short of God’s glory, we fail to represent the God who made us in his image.

For all of this we need God’s forgiveness and this is not to be found in trying to be good because we are not good. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

The only place where we can find mercy and forgiveness is in the Lord Jesus Christ. Only by believing in Christ can we be forgiven for our sin and made right with God. Do you believe in Jesus Christ?

So the first reason given by Paul why it is not by works but by faith in Christ is because all have sinned.

The second reason he gives is that justification, being made righteous before God, is a free gift from God.

Justification- a free gift from God

II. Justification- a free gift from God.

Look with me at verse 24 it begins;

“being justified freely by his grace...”

Because we have sinned we need to be justified by God. The word of God says that people are justified freely by God’s grace.

The word justified means to be declared righteous. If you stand before a judge and you are innocent for the crime you are accused of, when this comes to light and the judge lets you go, then you are justified, you are declared innocent, you are declared righteous.

This is our greatest need. We are not righteous as we have just learned in v.23 so we need to be declared righteous. We need to be justified, we need justification.

Paul says this is not possible by doing good works.

Rather the complete opposite is true.

Listen again to what the word of God says; “being justified freely by his grace.”

being declared righteous is a free gift from God.

The verse says freely by his grace. The word grace means unmerited favour, or undeserved kindness. Of course grace means that it isn’t by works, otherwise grace wouldn’t be grace.

How can God justify people freely by his grace? How is that fair? That doesn’t sound like a good justice system.

Well Paul continues “being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by his blood through faith.”

God justifies freely by his grace because he sent Jesus Christ to redeem people from their sin by shedding his blood on the cross. When Christ shed his blood he was a propitiation.

In a sentence God can freely justify sinners because of what Jesus Christ accomplished by his death and resurrection.

There are two key words that are used here to explain exactly what the death of Christ means for those who believe in him.

Firstly Paul says “through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus”

The word redemption comes from the slave market and means to buy back or to pay a ransom. It also comes from warfare, when prisoners are taken captive to pay a price in order to free them is to redeem them, you have provided redemption for them.

Paul is saying that when Christ died upon the cross he paid the price of our redemption.

He died to set us free from our sin and from the condemnation of our sin.

says “knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot”

God can freely declare us righteous because Christ died to pay our ransom by his precious blood.

The New King James Version. (1982). (). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

The second key word is in v.25 “whom God set forth as a propitiation by his blood, through faith.”

The word propitiation could be translated a wrath atoning sacrifice.

God sent Christ do die in our place in order to remove his wrath from us.

When Jesus Christ died upon the cross he took our punishment on our behalf and therefore satisfied God’s righteous anger at sin for those who believe. Three days later God raised Jesus Christ from the dead to show that he accepted the price that Jesus had paid by his death on the cross.

Sin puts people under the wrath of God but God sent Christ to remove the wrath from those who repent and believe.

Again this is not by our works but by the finished work of Jesus Christ. He alone redeems people from their sin and he alone removes the wrath of God from them because he took it upon himself when he died upon the cross.

All of this is received only by faith in Jesus Christ. V.25 says “whom God set forth as a propitiation by his blood, through faith.”

We are only made right with God by faith in Christ, it is not by our good works but by God’s free grace that he has shown us in Christ who was sent to redeem people and be a propitiation on their behalf.

App-

Have you put your faith in Jesus Christ? are you redeemed by the blood of Christ? Has Christ removed God’s wrath from you?

says “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

Do you believe on the Son of God is he your Lord and Saviour? Have you submitted your life to him?

If you haven’t then you must.

Conclusion

We started thinking about the question what do we have to do to go to heaven?

As we have seen in our passage, it isn’t about what we can do but it is about what Christ has done.

People are made right with God not by trying to be a good person, not by the works of the law but by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, by trusting in him to take away our sin and make us right with God.

God’s word here gives us two reasons why.

Firstly- For all have sinned. No one is good enough

Secondly- Justification is a free gift from God. God makes us good enough in Christ

Those of us who are here today that believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, we who are born again by the Spirit of God, we should rejoice at these truths. Our acceptance with God does not depend upon our performance but upon the finished work of Jesus Christ.

The New King James Version. (1982). (). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

The only way to be made right with God is by faith and not by works. Firstly because all have sinned. Secondly, because we are justified freely by God’s grace.

Yes we are to be holy but this comes from a desire to serve the God who saved us and not a desire to save ourselves.

But if you are here today and you do not believe in Jesus Christ, you are not trusting in his death and resurrection to take away your sin and make you right with God, then you need to turn from your sin and believe in Jesus Christ.

Trying to be good will not take you to heaven. Lots of people have gone to hell by trying to be as good as they can possibly be. God demands perfection but you are not perfect, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

However, you can stand before God on the day of judgement as though you were perfect. God justifies people freely by his grace if they repent and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, who died to redeem people from their sin and to remove the wrath of God from them.

I want to ask you will you stop trusting in your own good works and start trusting in Jesus Christ today.

The Bible says “Today is the day of salvation.”

The Bible says “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.”

Let us pray.

III. God demonstrates his righteousness

V.25b- 26 say “to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

Here Paul says that we are made right with God not by works but by grace through faith because this way God demonstrates his righteousness.

Then he gives two reasons how this demonstrates God’s righteousness

Firstly Paul says salvation by grace through faith no by works demonstrates Gods

The New King James Version. (1982). (). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.