Romans 3.11-God Takes the Initiative and Seeks After the Unbeliever
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Wednesday October 17, 2007
Romans: Romans 3:11-God Takes the Initiative and Seeks after the Unbeliever
Lesson # 83
Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 3:10.
Last Thursday, we began a study of the third part of the second major section of the book of Romans, by noting Romans 3:9.
This second major section in the book of Romans is contained in Romans 1:18-3:20 and deals with the universal need of the righteousness of God.
The third part of this second major section in the book of Romans is contained in Romans 3:9-20, and can be treated like a court room trial.
Romans 3:9-20 can be divided into four parts: (1) The Arraignment: The entire human race is brought before the Supreme Court of Heaven to answer to the divine indictment (Romans 3:9). (2) The Indictment: The entire human race faces the charges of crimes against a holy God (Romans 3:10-17). (3) Motive: The motive for man’s crimes against God (Romans 3:18). (4) The Verdict: The entire human race stands condemned before a holy God (Romans 3:19-20).
So last Thursday, we studied the arraignment of the entire human race in the court of heaven, which is contained in Romans 3:9.
In Romans 3:9, Paul states that both Jew and Gentile are under the power of the old Adamic sin nature and thus under eternal condemnation.
On Sunday morning, we began a study the thirteen count indictment brought against the entire human race by God, which is contained in Romans 3:10-17.
In Romans 3:10-17, the apostle Paul inspired by the Holy Spirit employs six Psalms and Isaiah 59:7-8 to present a thirteen count indictment against the entire human race, which demonstrates that they are enslaved to the old Adamic sin nature and thus totally depraved and in need of salvation in the eyes of a holy God.
On Sunday, we studied Romans 3:10, in which Paul lists the first of these thirteen charges, which states emphatically that there is absolutely no one in the human race that is righteous in the eyes of God.
Last evening we noted the second and third charges in this thirteen count indictment against man that appear in Romans 3:11, which is that there is absolutely no one in the entire human race who comprehends or seeks to learn about God’s character and nature, His will or His ways.
Romans 3:10-11, “As it is written, ‘THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE. THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD.’”
This evening we will study that absolutely no one in the entire human race seeks after God but that God takes in the initiative and seeks after man.
This is illustrated in the Garden of Eden where the Lord sought out Adam and the Woman after they had sinned against Him and ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Genesis 3:1-9, “Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, ‘Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’? The woman said to the serpent, ‘From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’ The serpent said to the woman, ‘You surely will not die!’ For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, ‘Where are you?’”
The Lord not only sought out the first two sinners in the human race but He seeks out the entire human race without exception and distinction since He desires all men to be saved (John 3:16-18; 1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9).
This is called the “call of God,” which is simply God the Father’s offer or invitation of salvation through faith in Christ (See 1 Thessalonians 2:12; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14; 2 Timothy 1:8-11; 1 Peter 5:10; 1 John 3:1).
John 6:44, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.”
This invitation to the entire human race is also called “common grace,” which is grace that the entire human race receives when God the Holy Spirit makes the Gospel message, which is a spiritual language, understandable to the spiritually dead unbeliever in order that they can make a decision to believe in Christ or reject Him for salvation.
God wants everyone to be saved but not everyone will be saved because God in His perfect integrity has provided everyone with a free will or volition and thus some will choose to reject God’s invitation to salvation through faith in Christ while others will accept it.
1 Timothy 2:4, “God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (Bible Doctrine, the mind of Christ).”
The Father draws a human being to Himself through the Person and work of Christ.
He attracts men to Himself through the love that He and the Son demonstrated at the cross.
The Lord drew Old Testament Israel to Himself with His love.
Jeremiah 31:2-3, “Thus says the LORD, ‘the people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness -- Israel, when it went to find its rest.’ The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.’”
Some men are attracted to Christ and His cross whereas others stumble over Christ and His cross and others consider it ridiculous.
1 Corinthians 1:23-24, “but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”
The Father presents this offer or invitation through the presentation of the Gospel.
The Gospel is the good news that Jesus Christ died for every sin ever committed in the human race-past, present and future and that by believing in Him you can have eternal life.
The Gospel message at the point of salvation is God’s victorious proclamation of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection, which delivers the believer positionally from the power of the old sin nature and the cosmic system of Satan and eternal condemnation.
Romans 1:16-17, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek for in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.’”
The Gospel is the good news to the human race that God has made a peace treaty with them and the terms of that peace treaty is accepting the Gospel message through faith alone in Christ alone.
John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His uniquely born Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
John 3:17, “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world (Christ would die in their place), but that the world should be saved through Him (faith alone in Christ alone).”
John 3:18, “He who believes in Him (the Lord Jesus Christ) is not judged. He who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the uniquely born Son of God.”
John 3:36, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life, but he who does not obey the Son shall not see eternal life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
When the unbeliever hears the gospel message of salvation through faith alone in Christ alone, the Holy Spirit convicts them of three things, namely, the sin of not believing in Christ, the righteousness of Christ and the judgment of Satan.
John 16:7, “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.”
The “Helper” is a reference to God the Holy Spirit according to John 14:26.
John 16:8-11, “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment, concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.”
The statement “concerning sin because they do not believe in Me” refers to the rejection of Jesus Christ as Savior.
The statement “concerning righteousness because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me” refers to the righteousness of Christ who is the only sinless Person in all of creation that can approach the Father on His own merits.
The statement “concerning judgment because the ruler of this world has been judged” is a reference to the fact that the Christ’s death on the Cross judged Satan.
The moment a person believes in Jesus Christ as their Savior, the Holy Spirit makes their faith “effective” for salvation, which is called in theology, “efficacious grace.”
2 Corinthians 6:1-2, “And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain-for He says, ‘At the acceptable time I listened to you, and on the day of salvation (the day that you believed in Christ) I (God the Holy Spirit) helped you,’ behold, now is 'the acceptable time,’ behold, now is ‘the day of salvation.’”
The fact that God seeks after the sinner rather than the sinner seeking out God is perfectly illustrated by the parables of our Lord that are recorded in Luke 15.
Luke 15, “Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, ‘This man receives sinners and eats with them.’ So He told them this parable, saying, ‘What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!’ In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.’ And He said, ‘A man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ So he divided his wealth between them. And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living. Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him. But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.’ So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.' And they began to celebrate. Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.’ But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him. But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’ And he said to him, ‘Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’”