The Two Most
Important Words in the Bible
Romans 3:1-26
1.
Earlier this year a study was released by the
Australian National University on the effects of smoking. The study
found:
a.
Two thirds of deaths in current smokers can be
attributed to tobacco use
b.
Smoking reduces life expectancy by 10 years
c.
Light smokers also face double risk of early
death
2.
In response to this study, the tobacco industry
released a statement:
“These findings, haven’t been substantiated by our own
research.”
3.
In a similar fashion, people will often put up a
smokescreen when asked about their eternal destination …
a.
“I believe in God… I’ve been good… I’ve tried to
live a good life…” would be the typical response...
4.
But Paul has blown away that smokescreen, being
the equal opportunity offender:
a.
The immoral person: You’re guilty of sin
and deserve judgment!
b.
The moral person: You’re guilty of sin and
deserve judgment!
c.
The legalist: You’re guilty of sin and
deserve judgment!
d.
Even the Jew, who have the law and the prophets:
You’re guilty of sin and deserve judgment!
5.
Harsh stuff? We need to realize that Paul isn’t
on a mission to destroy people, or drive them into depression…
a.
“I’m such
a terrible person, I should just slit my wrists and end it all!”
b.
No Paul is leading up to something, something
big, something important that he wants the reader to understand.
6.
Paul is like a prosecutor in a courtroom, taking
the jury on a journey of facts leading up to the closing argument.
a.
In his closing argument Paul will reveal what
may be the two most important words in the bible. (Want to know what they are?
I'll tell you a little later!
b.
But in the lead up to his closing argument, Paul
poses some rhetorical questions, questions that he perceives the reader may
ask, and then he proceeds to answer those questions:
#1 What’s the point?
3 What
advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? 2 Much in
every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God.
7.
“If the law can’t save me, what's the point in
having the law?”
a.
Even though the law cannot save you, it doesn’t
mean that the law is without value.
8.
There is great value in the law, to the Jew and
non-Jew alike
a.
When the bubonic plague swept through Europe,
killing ⅓ of the population, the Jewish community was largely untouched.
Why?
b.
Because of the hygienic and dietary restrictions
contained in the law, the Jews were largely protected from coming in contact
with the disease.
9.
There is benefit for the person who is not
Jewish:
a.
The principles found in God’s word regarding
property rights, financial stewardship, interpersonal relationships are
beneficial to anyone who practices them, even if they don’t believe in God!
b.
Most of our legal system is based on the Ten
Commandments!
10. But
of greater significance, the law was given so that we could clearly see that
we’re not capable of saving ourselves - it
was given to show our need for a Savior!
#2 what about all those who
don't believe?
3 For
what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God
without effect? 4 Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar.”
11. “But
what about the fact that even though the Jews have the law, many of them don’t
believe in Christ, does that mean that God isn’t able to save them, that He
isn’t able to reach them?”
a.
ANSWER: Certainly not!
12. “What
about that tribe of pygmies deep in the Amazon? Well Paul has shown that
God revealed Himself to the pigmy through creation.
a.
One pigmy may say “the trees are our god, let’s worship them”
b.
Another pigmy may say “there is an unseen God who is revealed in creation, let’s worship Him”
13. Here’s
the point: If all pygmies choose to worship trees, God was faithful in
revealing himself to them.
a.
… they are liars, God is true.
14. This
also answers the person that says “I reached
out to God, and He didn’t answer”
a.
Well that can’t be true, because if you truly
seek Him, you will find Him.
if
from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him
with all your heart and with all your soul. Deut 4:29
b.
Paul is saying “Someone is lying, and it ain’t God!”
15. So
doesn’t matter whether only one person believes; seven billion believe, or none
believe, God is still God!
16. Then
Paul quotes from Psalm 51:4
As it
is written: “That You may be justified in Your words, and may overcome when You
are judged.
17. In
other words God is going to hold court, and it will be just, because God is righteous
and just.
a.
When the final judgment of those who have not
accepted Christ occurs (the Great White Throne judgment), no one will be able
to complain that their judgment was unjust.
b.
Because when the books are opened, and the
secrets of men’s hearts are revealed, it will be clearly apparent to all that
God’s judgment is just.
18. But
that raises another question:
#3 How Can God Judge Me?
(We’re going to
get a little deep here…)
5 But
if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we
say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? (I speak as a man.) 6 Certainly not! For
then how will God judge the world? 7 For if the truth of God has increased
through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? 8 And why
not say, “Let us do evil that good may come”?—as we are slanderously reported
and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just.
5 “But,” some might
say, “our sinfulness serves a good purpose, for it helps people see how
righteous God is. Isn’t it unfair, then, for him to punish us?” (This is merely
a human point of view.) 6 Of course not! If God were not entirely fair, how
would he be qualified to judge the world? 7 “But,” someone might still argue,
“how can God condemn me as a sinner if my dishonesty highlights his
truthfulness and brings him more glory?” (NLT)
19. Here’s
the argument: “So if the fact that God is going to judge my sin proves that God
is just, then isn’t it true that my sin helps to demonstrate God’s
righteousness, so how can God judge me for my sin, when it’s beneficial to
Him?”
a.
This is kind of like the person that says
“Because evil exists, God must have created evil, and since God is good, evil
must be good.”
b.
In other words - it’s circular reasoning, it’s
philosophical poopy!
c.
It’s like the criminal that rationalizes in his
mind “Rich people having so much stuff is bad for society, so I’m going to
steal some of their stuff, and in doing so I’m really helping people!”
d.
That dog won’t hunt!
20. Paul
even brings in some unnamed group of people who apparently were accusing Paul
of teaching that “it’s OK to sin because it shows God’s grace, so let’s sin!”
a.
Paul’s response: “Really? You're going
answer to God for that!”
b.
It is a common argument that some legalists will
make “if you preach grace, people will
sin! It’s sloppy Agape! We can't have that!"
#4 So then, you think you’re
better than me?
9 What
then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both
Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin.
21. Paul,
being a Jew, includes himself in the statement “are we any better than they
heathen sinner?” NO!
10 As
it is written:
“There
is none righteous, no, not one;
11
There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God.
12 They
have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none
who does good, no, not one.”
13
“Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit”;
“The poison of asps is under their lips”;
14
“Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”
15
“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16
Destruction and misery are in their ways;
17 And
the way of peace they have not known.”
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,
that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before
God.
22. These
quotations from the Psalms (Psalms 14:1-3; 5:9, 140:3, 10:7 and 36:1) and from
Isaiah 59:7-8 all support his opening statement:
a.
“There is
none righteous, no, not one.” (Eccl 7:20)
b.
In these snippets of scripture, Paul is like the
physician looking at the human condition from top to bottom.
c.
He begins with head and moves all the way down
to the feet.
d.
You could call this “An X-ray study of the lost
sinner, from head toe”
e.
The diagnosis: Guilty! Top to bottom!
23. Now
Paul is drawing near to his summation: Here is the conclusion of what the law
does: It declares us guilty!
20
Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for
by the law is the knowledge of sin.
a.
The law is like straight edge, when we place our
life beside it, it shows us how crooked we really are!
24. As
you read through this it’s pretty depressing. What’s the point?
a.
Paul is drilling deeper and deeper, driving the
nail farther and farther to help us to understand one thing: We are
completely unable to save ourselves.
b.
The fall of mankind has affected every part of
our being… like a cancer that has spread through the entire body.
25. Now
if Paul were to give us that diagnoses and leave us there, that would be a
terrible and wrong thing to do.
a.
That would be like the doctor coming in and
giving you a fatal diagnosis, then walking out without giving you the cure.
b.
“I’m sorry
to tell you, you’re going to die. Oops, it’s time for lunch…”
26. But
Paul doesn’t leave us hanging - he gives us the answer to our dilemma, he
prescribes the treatment to our sickness in two words:
a.
Justification, and Propitiation.
21 But
now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by
the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in
Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for
all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely
by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set
forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, 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.
27. Ever
notice that some people will talk about God in a general way, but they never
want to get into a real conversation?
a.
I believe this is because deep down they fear
God is going to judge them, and condemn them for their sins.
b.
Deep down they know that if God is real, He must
be righteous.
i. Matter
of fact, they need God to be righteous, because if He’s not, they’re in big
trouble!
c.
Deep down they know that if God is real, He must
be just.
i. Matter
of fact, they need Him to be just, because no one thinks evil should go
unpunished!
28. This
is why they may say they believe in God, but they’re only willing to tiptoe
around the edges of who God really is.
a.
Because once you start asking questions, once
you open the dialog, without fail you will come to the same conclusion, it is
inevitable:
b.
God is righteous, God is just, and we’re guilty!
29. So,
if God is righteous and just, and we’re guilty, where does that leave us?
a.
You know it - We need something from God! We
need forgiveness; we need redemption.
30. Paul
is here to tell us that God is indeed righteous, He is indeed just, we are
indeed guilty,
a.
But there is one more very important fact:
He is gracious! God forgives!
b.
See, He is SO righteous: He is perfect, there is
no evil.
c.
He is so just that no evil deed, no matter how
small, will go unanswered.
d.
But thankfully He is so gracious, that He has
provided a way for us to be forgiven, to escape His justice.
e.
We can be acceptable to God without having to
cut corners or bend the rules!
31. How?
Through His Son Jesus Christ.
justified
freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God
set forth as a propitiation by His blood,
32. By
the grace of God, unmerited favor, through
Jesus Christ we have justification, through propitiation.
a.
Yes these are theological words,
"churchy" words, so let me explain.
33. Justification
is the STATUS: Having right standing with God, been declared to be in a
state of righteousness, “just as if I had never sinned.”
34. Propitiation
is the PROCESS: The method through which we obtain the status of
justification.
a.
My wife has been declared a Real Estate Broker
in NC, there was a process through which she obtained that status
b.
When a person becomes a doctor of medicine,
there is a process through which they obtain that status.
35. Now
stay with me: Paul has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that our current
status is: GUILTY before God,
a.
If we want to change that status to one of being
INNOCENT before God, there is a process through which that can happen:
Propitiation.
36. Illustration:
Imagine
you’re a criminal, and over the years you’ve committed multiple crimes, to the
point that you’re brought before the judge as a repeat offender. The
judge happens to be your father. As you stand before your father, because
of his sworn oath to uphold the law, he must sentence you to execution by
firing squad. But he is allowed to give you a single chance: He’ll give
you probation for one year, and a $1M fine. if you can stay out of
trouble for one year, and bring back $1M, your sentence will be commuted -
expunged from the record, you’ll be a free man. So one year later you
return to the courtroom, stand before your father the judge, and he examines
the record. Sure enough, you’ve committed several more crimes, and you
don’t have $1M. You plead “Dad, please go easy on me…” But he cannot.
He shakes his head, “I’m the judge, I cannot show favoritism.” But
then he gets up, removes his robe, walks out from the bench, and stands beside
you. “Now I’m your father, and I knew you couldn’t obey the law, but I
did, and I’m going to give you credit for it. I know you don’t have $1M,
but I do, and I’m going to pay it for you. You’re my son, and I am going to
offer you freedom at my expense.”
a.
Would you reject that offer? That is what
the person who rejects the gospel is doing.
37. That
is what God did for us:
a.
We could not obey the law, so God became flesh,
came to this earth, and lived without sin for us.
b.
We couldn’t pay the penalty for our sin, God’s
wrath, so God became flesh, came to this earth, hung on the cross, and endured
His own wrath so that we would not have to.
For our sake
he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the
righteousness of God. 2 Cor 5:21
38. The
answer to our dilemma: Jesus Christ, His
body broken, beaten, scourged, then hung on a cross.
a.
Not the worst of it: The full wrath of God, for all sin, for all
people, poured out on Jesus, taking the full penalty in our place.
through faith
in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe.
Copyright
© 2013 Clay Ritter. This data file is the sole property of Clay Ritter. It may
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