The Road Of Faith Romans 3 The Appian Way Preaching through Romans February 24, 2013

Last week we were told that God is not looking for religious behavior in people. He wants commitment, wholehearted full commitment. Religion to him is an attitude that leads to a faithful life.

Today, God’s plan comes together in verse 19… 19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world held accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

1 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision?

Jews are condemned because they had God’s revealed law. Try as hard as they did, they couldn’t keep it. So God’s rules just condemned them.

The gentiles had a conscience. Even without God’s specific revelation, they still knew right from wrong. And so they too are condemned by God’s rules.

So what is the value in having a people specially chosen by God?

2 Much, in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. 3 What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God?

4 By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, “That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged.”

5 But if our Jewish failure serves to show God’s perfection, can we then say… that God is unjust in punishing us? (I am using a human argument here.) 6 No way! For how then could God judge the world?

There are two extreme views that have been held about Jews. One – that Jews are cursed by God. That is not true! God used them to bring his message of law and love to creation. They are the ancestors of the Messiah For that we should always respect and thank them.

The other extreme view is that Jews are specially loved and blessed by God. That also is not true! The modern nation of Israel does not have some special privilege status. There is no special route of salvation for Jews. They stand and fall by the same standard as the rest of humanity.

7 But if through my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? 8 And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.

If God is glorified because his truth is made more clear by my lie, why would God condemn me as a sinner? Why shouldn’t we rather say; “We should do evil so good can come from it”? This is exactly the slanderous rumor some people have been using to misquote us. And if that was what we were actually teaching, then their criticism of us would be correct.

We have now come to the climax of sin and God’s judgment. And it ends with this bevy of Bible to prove the point

9 What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already determined that everyone, both Jews and gentiles, are equally sinners, 10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”…

Enough said about sin and punishment. We now come the point of it all…

19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

God’s rules are not the ladder we use to climb to reach him. They are the blocks of the wall we build separating us from him. God did not give us his rules to bring us close to him. Their purpose is to condemn – only condemn us.

They show where we fail – not where we succeed! So That… We are all accountable. We are all culpable. We have all failed. No one can boast. No one can complain. Everyone is justly condemned!

21 But now the righteousness of God has been made clear apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.

Good News – Good News …this is the Good News! Everything in the Old Testament – everything God wants us to know, points to this simple wonderful fact. Jesus brings God’s blessing to everyone who believes!

There is a red……thread running all the way through the Bible It is died red by the innocent blood of Jesus Christ who suffered and died for our sins. And whenever you read the Bible that red… thread flows off the page and wraps itself around your heart. It pulls you into God’s will

For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ, 25 whom God put forward as a payment by his blood, to be received by faith.

There is no difference. Jew or gentile; good or bad, we have all failed. There is no difference. Jew or gentile; good or bad; it is not about who we are or what we have done – it is about what God has done for us in Jesus Christ!

All you need do is reach out with faith. “God put Jesus forward as the payment to be received by faith.” That “faith” is trusting in Jesus alone for your salvation.

This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

God is holy, God is just. The proof of both divine characteristics is the suffering of Jesus on the cross Every sin for every sinner has its just punishment. That punishment was suffered by God the Son on the cross.

27 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law…

. 31 Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold God’s law.

So now it is not about you – it is about God’s love and mercy and grace and forgiveness brought by Jesus. It is not about what you do and do not do, but all about what Jesus had done for and offers to you.

The Old Testament Law merely demonstrated faith. And that faith is in the justice of God which was fulfilled in the sacrifice of Jesus. 28 For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from keeping the law.

And the peace of God which surpasses all human understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Amen