1. Romans 3
9 What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. 10 As it is written:
“There is no one righteous, not even one; 11 there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.

2. 12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” 13 “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their lips.”

3. 14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness
14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 ruin and misery mark their ways, 17 and the way of peace they do not know.” 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

4. 19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

5. “The righteous will live by faith” “By faith from first to last”
“But Now” Romans 2:17 – 3
“The righteous will live by faith”
“By faith from first to last”
Today we are going to add more substance to the salvations story

6. Correct actions make you righteous You did it!
Righteousness
O. T. -- an action taken
Correct actions make you righteous
You did it!
N. T. -- a state of being
Paul is going to contrast the now and the new now

7. Romans 2
17 Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and brag about your relationship to God;

8. 19 if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— 21 you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself?

9. Romans 2
21 …do you steal?
22 …do you commit adultery?
…do you rob temples?
23 …do you dishonor God by breaking the law?

10. The Apostle Paul states the obvious No one is able to obey the Law

11. Romans 3
9 What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin.

12. Paul places Jews and Gentiles on a level field
We are all law breakers and all sinful
Jew or Gentile, we are all imperfect

13. Romans 3 
“There is no one righteous, not even one; 11 there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. 12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

14. If there is a question about the ultimate purpose of the Law
Paul answers this once and for all
The law is designed to show we are unable to obey

15. 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

16. The law could only point to our imperfection
It highlights what we do wrong
However, it could not save us
But now…
God has creating a new covenant of righteousness

17. 21 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.

18. By faith: believing in Jesus
Righteousness:
a saving relationship with God -- it is a state of being not an action!
We were in trapped in our sins without hope, but now we can be in a state of salvation
By faith: believing in Jesus

19. Faith opens the doors of grace: God's unmerited love and benefits
By faith:
Believing in Jesus
Faith opens the doors of grace:
God's unmerited love and benefits
God’s grace through Christ justifies us:
God declares us not guilty; not just from sin but the guilt of sin

20. There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace…

21. We are justified because we have been redeemed:
Ransomed – Jesus robbed Satan of the power of death and sin
Legally - Someone has to pay
The payment was the blood of Christ: death and sin are defeated for us who believe in the blood (death)

22. There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.

23. Grace brings Justification
Faith brings grace
Grace brings Justification
Justification is possible through the redemption process
Jesus paid the redemption price on our behalf…
Jesus redeems us from the past, present and future
We accept this gift by faith

24. The beauty of all this is…
It has nothing to do with what we ourselves accomplish

25. 27 Where, then, is boasting. It is excluded. On what principle
27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. 28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.

26. Our salvation is a beautiful gift from God
We can not earn it in any way
The law stands but not as something to be obeyed to the letter
Rather, the law points out our need for redemption

27. 29 Is God the God of Jews only. Is he not the God of Gentiles too
29 Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, 30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. 31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

28. The law has done what is was supposed to do
Reveals our sins, our weakness and our need to trust God at a different level – by faith
The law invites us to run to God to accept his gift

29. Putting it all together
We live in a world of judgments, evaluations, measurements
No such values can be placed on our salvation
We are not qualified to judge other peoples salvation

30. Putting it all together
We are brought into a relationship with God through Christ by faith
That faith leads to justification by the redeeming blood of Christ
It affords us forgives from sin, guilt and shame; past, present and future

31. Putting it all together Because salvation is a gift
We can not brag about our goodness
Nor can we make others feel less saved because of their behaviors

32. Imagine
A relationship
Keeping score Or
Unmerited love

33. In the past we were under the law But now
We are under the grace of God
Which comes by faith
Which justifies us
through Christ’s redemption on the cross and the blood He shed

34. We are the Federated Church. Our Mission is to…
Seek Christ, Serve Christ and Share Christ.