Life & Death
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Introduction
Introduction
You can open your Bibles and turn to Paul’s letter to the Romans. We’ll be in 3:9-18. Last week Paul began a question and answer monologue where he asked questions about God’s character. And what we found was that when it comes to God—His character remains intact, but humanity is found lacking.
Today we’ll dig in deeper to just how bad that corruption is. In the framework of the gospel—the good news of Jesus Christ—this is the bad news portion.
Takeaway: Outside of Jesus We Are Spiritually Dead
We’ll see I. The Recipients of Spiritual Death (9), II. The Results of Spiritual Death (10-12), III. The Totality of Spiritual Death (13-18), and IV. The Reversal of Spiritual Death
Let’s read the passage and then walk through it.
What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”
“Their throat is an open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive.”
“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
“Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
in their paths are ruin and misery,
and the way of peace they have not known.”
“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
I. The Recipients of Spiritual Death (9)
I. The Recipients of Spiritual Death (9)
Romans 3:9 “What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin,”
Romans 3:9 “What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin,”
Last week we talked about the advantages that the Jews had in being the chosen people of God. They carried the promises of God. But salvation isn’t their advantage.
Paul wants that to be crystal clear—to his original audience and us.
When it comes to salvation—no person, tribe, or tongue has an advantage over the other.
What does that mean?
Greater proximity to the gospel is not a greater chance of salvation.
Salvation does not happen by chance; it comes by the move of God.
The problem of our lostness is not just that we lack an opportunity to hear the gospel—
“Well don’t people need to hear the gospel to be saved?”
How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
The gospel has to be preached in order for people to be saved because God has ordained that it by the preaching of the gospel that He will save people through Jesus by faith. BUT...
People are exposed to the gospel everyday in the world by the tens of thousands and yet “the road is narrow and few find it”.
Why? The default state of man is spiritual death.
Sin doesn’t bring distraction; it brings death.
People aren’t spiritually distracted; they are spiritually dead.
They don’t need an opportunity—they need salvation.
If anyone was going to be saved—because of their proximity to God’s truth it would have been the Jews—or those who saw the messiah in the flesh.
But that’s not what we see in the Bible—that’s not what we see in our world.
Why? Because the state of people is far worse than we want to believe. Romans 3:9 continues...
Romans 3:9 “What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin,”
Romans 3:9 “What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin,”
Adam and Eve fell in sin and death entered the world.
Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—”
You may have room for complaint if you didn’t agree with their decision.
Everytime you sin you agree with Adam and Eve’s rebellion against God.
This broken world is my fault and your fault.
That’s not good news, but it is reality.
We pray for God to open people’s eyes to their spiritual reality as we proclaim the gospel to them.
So let’s dive in a little deeper. We see that all people are recipients of spritual death. Now let’s look at...
II. The Result of Spiritual Death (10-12)
II. The Result of Spiritual Death (10-12)
as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
Outside of Jesus there are no righteous people.
Humans love to try and define righteousness but the problem is that our definition never matches God’s.
Human righteousness is...
niceness: I’m not saying don’t be nice. I am saying niceness is not righteousness.
fairness
unspoken judgment. “A person without judgment is without thoughts.”
generous
Church, Hell will be full of nice, fair, generous people with unspoken judgments.
Why? Because...
Righteousness means sinlessness—and the nicest, fairest, most generous person is still a sinner! They are still in great need of righteousness.
None are righteous.... “But what about”…NO.... “Yea, but this person”…NOT ONE.
The reality is—is that no amount of “good deeds” will earn a person heaven.
Dr. Donald Pinkel—cured childhood Leukemia: From a 90% mortality rate to a 4% mortality rate. As far as good deeds go that is a pretty good one. But it won’t save Him.
So none are righteous and...
Romans 3:11 “no one understands; no one seeks for God.”
Romans 3:11 “no one understands; no one seeks for God.”
What is Paul saying? Salvation doesn’t come by knowledge...
No one is saved because they figured it out.
No one is seeking for God.
“No, I sought out God. I remember.”
I don’t doubt that, it’s my own story too. But we didn’t seek God before God sought us.
We were dead in sin, not seeking God, having no understanding…And that’s not all...
Romans 3:12 “All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.””
Romans 3:12 “All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.””
“All have turned aside...”
We turn away from God to idols.
“Together they have become worthless”
We were created with a purpose but spiritual death in sin makes us worthless to that purpose.
How much worth does a flat basketball have? A spoon with a hole in it? A fruit tree that bears no fruit?
These things are worthless to their created purpose.
Worthless is a harsh word, but Paul wants us to see that spiritual death is a harsh reality...
What’s Paul’s verdict? “No one does good, not even one.”
All people are the recipients of spiritual death, the result of this death is that no one is good, and now we see...
III. The Saturation of Spiritual Death (13-17)
III. The Saturation of Spiritual Death (13-17)
As Paul continues we see that this death affects every area of our lives...
“Their throat is an open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive.”
“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
“Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
in their paths are ruin and misery,
and the way of peace they have not known.”
Everything the person outside of Jesus’ says and does is saturated with a sinful nature
Outside of Jesus spiritual dearth encompasses who we are.
And the final result of this saturation of sin is that there is no fear of God in people’s eyes.
And the final result of this saturation of sin is that there is no fear of God in people’s eyes.
Romans 3:18 ““There is no fear of God before their eyes.””
Romans 3:18 ““There is no fear of God before their eyes.””
Isn’t that a good thing? “Why would we fear God? Isn’t fear bad?”
Fearing God is a posture of life. And the lost don’t have it. They should, all of humanity should, but the result of sin is that we don’t have a posture of fear before our God.
What does this posture of fearing God look like?
What does this posture of fearing God look like?
Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always,
but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.
A lack of fear is characterized by a hardened heart—to fear God is to have a heart ready to be led by Him.
It’s a recognition that he is majestic—he is God—and we are not.
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Fearing God is to recognize his power.
God is working powerfully in us. We should fear to work against Him.
Are you working against God in any area of your life? Fear that, the heart behind it, the consequences of it.
IV. The Reversal of Spiritual Death
IV. The Reversal of Spiritual Death
Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned...
Romans 5:17 “For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.”
Jesus Christ reverses spiritual death.
Have you put your trust in Christ?
Takeaway: Outside of Jesus we are spiritually dead, but in Jesus we are alive.
Discussion Question: Who is someone that you personally know that is dead in sin and needs life in Christ? Pray for them.