Eternal Rewards – 3b

Justification

Matthew 7:21-23 (NIV84) 21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

Hell comes as a surprise to many!

John 3:3-6 (NIV84) 3  In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." 4  "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" 5  Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.

This is an absolute.

No one can see or enter the kingdom of God unless they are born again.

Entrance into the kingdom of God is not all inclusive.

In this series on Eternal Rewards, we will now begin to learn about justification and what that means.

Romans 3:9 (NIV84) 9  What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin.

Paul does not say that all people “commit sins,” as if doing things contrary to God’s will is just an occasional problem.

Nor does he even say that all people are “sinners,” suggesting that sin is a pervasive problem. Rather, he says that all people are “under sin.”

Paul uses this kind of language to speak of a situation of domination or even slavery.[1]

Galatians 3:22 (NIV84) 22  But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.

The human plight is not that people commit sins or even that they are in the habit of committing sins.

The problem is that people are helpless prisoners of sin.[2]

Romans 3:10-20 (NIV84) 10  As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; 11  there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. 12  All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." 13  "Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit." "The poison of vipers is on their lips." 14  "Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness." 15  "Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16  ruin and misery mark their ways, 17  and the way of peace they do not know." 18  "There is no fear of God before their eyes." 19  Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20  Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

No one can become righteous on their own, based on their own efforts and merit.

No unregenerate man is righteous before God.

No unregenerate man understands or seeks God.

All unregenerate men have turned away from God nor does good, not even one!

rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. While the law cannot save, it does serve to spotlight how far short of God’s standard of perfection we all fall.

The law points us to Christ, who alone saves.[3]

Romans 1:16-17 (NIV84) 16  I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17  For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."

Two and a half chapters of Romans describes the sad story of the ruin of the human race because of sin.[4]

Two verses stand out in the beginning that speak of the gospel, which is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.

The gospel is the inherent, omnipotent power of God operating in the salvation of a lost soul that accepts it.[5]

This precious gospel reveals a righteousness that comes from God and not through man's inadequate works.

After reading Romans 3:9-20, we see a great transition from the hopelessness of ever being able to stand before an absolutely holy God to a righteousness (being able to have right-standing before a holy God) that is being made known to mankind!

Romans 3:21 (NIV84) 21  But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.

But now! One expositor calls them “the great turning point” in God’s dealings with the human race, and a turning point in the letter.1

Another calls them “God’s great ‘nevertheless’ in the face of man’s failure.”2

If we had not looked at the first two and a half chapters of Romans carefully, we would not be in a position to appreciate these words, because the change they speak of would not seem to be a change at all.

With no understanding of the past, we can never appreciate the present.[6]

Martin Luther claimed that this section was “the chief point, and the very central place of the Epistle, and of the whole Bible.”1 Quite a claim![7]

Romans 1:17 and Romans 3:21 are very similar:

"For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed…" (1:17)

"But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known…" (3:21)

The supreme problem of life is:

How can we get into a right relationship with God?

How can we feel at peace with God?

How can we escape the feeling of estrangement and fear in the presence of God?

The Law’s answer was:

‘You can attain to a right relationship with God by keeping meticulously all that the law lays down.’

This simply says that there is no possibility of anyone ever attaining to a right relationship with God, for it is not possible to keep every commandment of the law.

What then is the use of the law?

It makes people aware of sin. It defined sin: right and wrong.

It is only when they know the law and try to satisfy it that people realize they can never satisfy it.

The law is designed to show us our own weaknesses and our own sinfulness.

The way to God is not the way of law, but the way of grace; not the way of works, but the way of faith.[8]

Romans 3:22-26 (NIV84) 22  This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24  and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25  God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished-- 26  he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

[1] Douglas J. Moo, Romans, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2000), 121–122.

[2] Douglas J. Moo, Romans, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2000), 122.

[3] R. C. Sproul, The Gospel of God: An Exposition of Romans (Great Britain: Christian Focus Publications, 1994), 72.

[4] James Montgomery Boice, Romans: Justification by Faith, vol. 1 (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1991–), 339.

[5] Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: For the English Reader, vol. 2 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), 24.

1 D. M. Lloyd-Jones, Romans: An Exposition of Chapters 3:20–4:25, Atonement and Justification (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1970), p. 23.

2 Ray C. Stedman, From Guilt to Glory, vol. 1, Hope for the Helpless (Portland: Multnomah Press, 1978), p. 87.

[6] James Montgomery Boice, Romans: Justification by Faith, vol. 1 (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1991–), 340.

1 Margin of the Luther Bible, on 3:23ff.

[7] Douglas J. Moo, Romans, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2000), 125.

[8] William Barclay, The Letter to the Romans, 3rd ed. fully rev. & updated., The New Daily Study Bible (Louisville, KY; London: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002), 66–67.

[9] Leadership Ministries Worldwide, Romans, The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 1996), 86.

[10] Frank J. Matera, Romans, Paideia Commentaries on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2010), 109.

[11] Frank J. Matera, Romans, Paideia Commentaries on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2010), 111.

[12] Michael F. Bird, Romans, ed. Scot McKnight, The Story of God Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2016), 142–144.

[13] Michael F. Bird, Romans, ed. Scot McKnight, The Story of God Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2016), 144.

[14] John F. MacArthur Jr., John MacArthur Sermon Archive (Panorama City, CA: Grace to You, 2014).

[15] Got Questions Ministries, Got Questions? Bible Questions Answered (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2002–2013).

[16] John F. MacArthur Jr., Romans, vol. 1, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1991), 265.