The Glory of God's Righteousness

Open: Skeet sheeting yesterday with the guys. Most of us were slow on hitting the target. The young men all came up empty on the first 3 rounds, but then they started finding the targets. Mark Minton, however, started hot and did not miss. He hit every time for about 15 rounds, before he missed, and he clipped that particular clay pigeon with one pellet. I shot 3 rounds using a double-barrell shotgun and missed with all six shots. But we all had a great time!

Transition: We were simply outdoors having a good time shooting skeet and sharing fellowship. We weren’t shooting in a tournament, or even qualifying for one. If the standard for entry was 70%, me and a couple of others wouldn’t get in. If the standard for entry was 95% or better, only Mark would get in. If the standard was 100%, nobody would be able to enter.

I would never be able to enter a tournament on my own shooting merits. What if there was an expert marksman who never missed? What if this expert with 100% accuracy allowed me to have his score? I could not only enter the tournament, but I could win the prize if I had his score submitted on my behalf.

That is the idea of today’s message from Romans 3. No one qualifies through his or her own efforts to achieve right standing before a Holy God. Today’s text shows us how we can have a perfect score submitted on our behalf.

Let’s look together at God’s Word: Romans 3:21-31

God has declared His Righteousness (Romans 3:21)

Explanation: Paul has just finished the section of the letter that dealt with the sinfulness of humanity. He cataloged some of the categories of sinners, and then finished with a blanket condemnation of all mankind in 3:9-20). The picture he has painted is as bleak as it gets, but then he introduces the topic of God’s Righteousness.

Righteousness is the concept of fulfilling a set of expectations. God’s Righteousness is achieved by perfection - a 100% attainment of His expectations. We are aware of the Righteousness of God because He has revealed it to us through His Word.

Creation reveals the Creator, but the Bible reveals the Creator is a God of perfect righteousness. The law in the OT demanded 100% compliance and it also revealed that it is not possible for anyone to obtain it. The Law never saved anyone - it did, however, show them the goal was out or reach.

But now, God has revealed His Righteousness apart from the Law. This is a game changer - this is huge news

Illustration: Receiving a failing grade on the midterm and the final, and then the professor announcing that he is granting a 20 point curve. This is like being on a scrub high school basketball team and being told that Stephan Curry is on your team.

Argument: In His Grace, God is bringing hope to the hopeless. And, make no mistake, we are hopeless apart from Him. Every single human who has ever lived, save Jesus alone, has “sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

This is why the Gospel is such good news. The Gospel of Jesus tells us that God Himself has performed a Divine Rescue Operation. Jesus, because He is God in the flesh, can give to us that which we cannot get through any of our efforts - the Righteousness of God

God’s Righteousness is satisfied by the sacrifice of Jesus (Romans 3:24-26)

Explanation: Paul introduces the idea of justification in v. 24. This is a legal term and carries the idea of a judge passing sentence. Earthly judges have the power to declare a person who has been accused of a crime to be “not guilty.” An earthy judge can only deal with a specific charge, and he or she can never declare a person innocent; the judge is limited to rendering either a guilty or not guilty.

God can and does declare us not guilty of ALL charges. He does not, however, automatically justify all people. Sin has consequences and must be paid for. When a person violates the law of his nation and is convicted of his crime, he must then make restitution - he must pay the debt he has brought on himself through his own actions. If there was no penalty for law-breaking everyone would do it.

God holds people accountable for their actions. He has decreed that the punishment for sin is eternal death. Remember: God is righteous and His standard is 100% sinless perfection. This is why Justification is such an awesome thing - God declares us not guilty “through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (v. 24)

To maintain His holiness, God’s standard of righteousness must be upheld: the penalty for sin must be made. The gospel is the news that the price for sin has been paid by Jesus. Jesus has redeemed us from the slave market of sin.

In v. 25 Paul informs us that Jesus was the propitiation of sin through His sacrifice on the Cross. Propitiation is a big word, but it simply means that sin really does offend the Holiness of God and that His sense of Justice must be satisfied. The supernatural ability of Jesus as the God-Man to carry the penalty of humanity’s sin while remaining sinless (2 Cor 5:21) is the ONLY PAYMENT the propitiates (or satisfies) the wrath of God against sin.

Argument: Jesus IS the Redeemer, but a Gospel message that fails to deal seriously with sin is deficient. When we present Jesus to the lost we are to share with them the Biblical Jesus. Yes, Jesus was and is the greatest Teacher ever; yes, Jesus is the embodiment and the greatest expression of Love, and yes, Jesus is the Role Model for a Moral Lifestyle.

Jesus is also the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29). He removes sin not by simply wishing it away or removing it - He makes payment for it. THIS is the Jesus the lost need to hear of, THIS is the Redeemer, and the ONLY way to being declared righteous before God (cf, John 14:6)

God graciously bestows His Righteousness to those who place their faith in Jesus (Romans 3:22b, 26b-28)

Explanation: Paul has shown that God has revealed His Righteousness apart from the Law. God has done this through Jesus - more specifically, through the sacrificial death of Jesus as a propitiation or payment for sin. The death of Jesus in and of itself does not automatically save people. If it did, all of humanity would be declared right with God and headed for Heaven. This belief system (held by many) is called Universalism, and it is a false teaching

Paul clearly states that “the righteousness of God is by faith of Jesus Christ” (Rom 3:22a) , and he also declares that God is the Justifier of “him which believeth in Jesus” (Rom 3:26b). Paul continues in v. 28 by concluding “that a man is justified by faith.” This emphasis on faith is in keeping with the overall teaching of the NT.

Since Adam & Eve were driven out of the Garden mankind has been trying to restore the relationship with God through self-effort - by doing something, by trying to be good enough. The problem is that this approach to God is IMPOSSIBLE.

Application: The conclusion Paul shared almost 2,000 years ago remains valid for today: fallen humanity is justified by faith alone in Christ alone. When this vital truth is