THE PROBLEM WITH SIN
Text: Rom. 3:9-20
Introduction
1. Illustration: One of the greatest powers of rationalization ever seen is the ability of people to explain away their sin. Our society finds all types of excuses, like poor parenting, social disadvantages, mistreatment by others and so on. Very few admit the truth we are all guilty and accountable for our actions" (Grant Osborne, 85).
2. Not only do we excuse our sin, but we brag about it! And if you don’t believe me go watch the Super Bowl half-time show.
3. Proposition: Paul’s point in our text today is that when it comes to sin, we are all in it together. We are all sinners and stand guilty before God.
4. Paul talks about…
a. The Inclusion of Sin
b. The Reprobation of Sin
c. The Solution of Sin
5. Let’s all stand together as we read Rom. 3:9-20.
Transition: First, Paul talks about…
I. The Inclusion Of Sin (9).
A. Under The Power Of Sin
1. Paul states, as he has several times already in this letter, that Jews and Gentiles are all in the same boat. We are all sinners and stand guilty before God.
2. In v. 9 he says, “Well then, should we conclude that we Jews are better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are under the power of sin.”
a. Paul begins with another rhetorical question, Well then, should we conclude that Jews are better than others?
b. Paul said in v. 2 that there is benefit in being a Jew, but he has made clear numerous times now that there are not better than others because, in the end, we are all in the same boat.
c. So, in answer to the question he says, No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are under the power of sin.
d. Just because there is benefit in being a Jew does not mean they are not held accountable for their sins.
e. In fact, it's just the opposite, the words of God have shown that they are just as guilty before God as the Gentiles.
f. Paul here describes sin as having a power over all people.
g. A British Bible scholar, John Stott, puts it this way, he says sin is a "cruel tyrant who holds the human race imprisoned in guilt and under judgment. Sin is on top of us, weighs us down, and is a crushing burden."
h. There is no getting around it, or away from it, we are all sinners.
i. We cannot help ourselves, and we are all the same in this regard. We are all sinners in need of God's grace and forgiveness.
B. Prisoners Of Sin
1. Illustration: Our sins are debts that none can pay but Christ. It is not our tears, but His blood; it is not our sighs, but His sufferings, that can testify for our sins. Christ must pay all, or we are prisoners forever (Thomas Brooks)
2. We are all locked in the prison of sin; Jesus holds the key.
a. Galatians 3:22 (NLT2)
22 But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ.
b. It doesn’t matter who your parents are.
c. It doesn’t matter how good of a job or how much money you own.
d. It doesn’t matter how old or how young you are.
e. It doesn’t matter how much education you have or have not achieved.
f. We are all sinners and stand guilty before a holy and just God.
g. Not only are we all sinners, but we are all in bondage to our sins.
h. There is only one key to your prison, and Jesus holds it!
Transition: Next Paul talks about the…
II. The Reprobation Of Sin (10-18).
A. No One Is Righteous
1. In this section Paul a list of OT Scriptures that verify the sinfulness of the human race with his typical as the Scriptures say...
2. In vv. 10-12 it says, “As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous— not even one. 11 No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. 12 All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.”
a. He begins with the fact that none of us is righteous.
b. What he means by this is that given the choice between God and our own selfish desire we are always going to choose ourselves.
c. He also says, no one is truly wise; no one is seeking God.
d. The idea of seeking here is a way expressing what is really important to us.
e. This kind of seeking means training ourselves to turn to God for help, to fill all our thoughts with his desires, to take his character for our way of behavior, and to serve him in everything.
f. According to this verse from Psalm 14 none of us, in and of ourselves, does this without God first reaching out to us.
g. As a result, All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.”
h. This is the natural result of sins power over us.
i. Those who have no righteousness and reject God in favor of ourselves are naturally going to fail to do good.
j. The self-centered person without Christ will do only what's good for themselves.
k. The golden rule of the world is "do unto others before they do it to you!"
3. Next Paul moves on to what we say. In vv. 13-14 he writes, ““Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with lies.” “Snake venom drips from their lips.” 14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
a. Here Paul focuses on the way we sin with our mouths.
b. He begins by saying that our talk is foul, like the stench of an open grave.
c. This is an appropriate metaphor for that which continually produces unclean things.
d. Everything that comes out of our mouths produces nothing but decay and death.
e. We have all probably encountered people who can't seem to finish a sentence without using a curse word.
f. Perhaps some of us in here today have been in that same state until Jesus came into our lives, and some of us may from time to time find ourselves slipping back into that kind of language.
g. But the Scriptures tell us that we will be held accountable for every idol word that comes our of our mouths.
4. Then Paul focuses on Scriptures that deal with hurting others. In vv. 15-17 he writes, “They rush to commit murder. 16 Destruction and misery always follow them. 17 They don’t know where to find peace.”
a. Here Paul focuses on the sins of violence. It says, they rush to commit murder.
b. This is a reference to the ease with which we hurt and kill people.
c. The inevitable result is that destruction and misery always follow those that do these things.
d. It's heartbreaking when young people get caught up in gang life and kill as a part of their initiation into the gang.
e. Young people are then sent to prison for years, if not for life, and their lives are ruined.
5. Then Paul gets to the heart of it all, the fear of God. “They have no fear of God at all.”
a. In this verse, taken from Ps. 36:1, the sinfulness of humanity is contrasted with the righteousness of God.
b. In the book of Proverbs, the "fear of God" is the basis for wisdom.
c. And we must remember that in Scripture, fear means more than reverence for God but also the terror of his judgment.
d. To fear the Lord is to recognize God for who he is: holy, almighty, righteous, pure, all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-wise.
e. When we regard God correctly, we gain a clearer picture of ourselves: sinful, weak, frail, and needy.
f. When we recognize who God is and who we are, we will fall at his feet in humble respect.
g. Only then will he show us how to choose his way.
(Barton , 591).
B. Filthy Rages
1. Illustration: Jeff Bridges says, "Christians can never in themselves merit salvation through their personal holiness." Our Righteousness is like a filthy rag before a holy God. One of the early church fathers said, "Even our tears of repentance must be washed in the blood of Jesus.
2. Our own goodness will never be enough to satisfy the righteous requirements of a holy God.
a. Isaiah 64:6 (NLT2)
6 We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.
b. Last week when I went to Pastor Jim Palmer’s funeral, I had this paranoia of being inappropriately dressed. I wore dress slacks, dress shirt, sweater vest and a sport coat, but no tie. As I got there, I saw all these other men dressed in three-piece suits and my heart sank. But then I saw others dressed in jeans and tennis shoes and didn’t feel quite so bad.
c. That’s what it will be like when we stand before the judgment seat of God if we go there without the blood of Jesus.
d. Scripture says that our righteousness is like a filthy rag that is good for nothing other than to be burned.
e. Even at our very best we are not good enough to satisfy the requirements of a holy God.
f. We will be weighed, measured and be found lacking.
g. The only hope we have is the cross of Christ.
h. Without the cross we don’t stand a chance.
i. Without the cross we destined to an eternity in hell.
Transition: However, that leads us to the greatest and most powerful words in all of Scripture…BUT GOD!
III. The Solution Of Sin (19-20).
1. By Doing What The Law Commands
1. Paul concludes this section by pointing to the purpose behind the law, and that is to show us how sinful we really are.
2. He says in vv. 19-20, “Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. 20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.”
a. Now Paul shows how the Scriptures, in this case the OT, shows us our own sinfulness.
b. He says there is a twofold purpose for the law. First, that we would stop making excuses for our sin.
c. The Bible is clear that, no matter who you are, you will one day have to give account for your sin.
d. Scripture tells us that when we stand before God we will not have a defense that means anything, and we will stand guilty except for the blood of Jesus.
e. The point is that no one can be declared right by observing the law.
f. This is the whole concept righteousness by works.
g. None of us will be able to stand before God and say, "God I deserve to be in your heaven because I was a good person."
h. We will never be justified by what we do.
i. At Pastor Jim's funeral this past week, his nephew preached, and he said something very profound, "Good people don't go to heaven; forgiven people do!"
B. But God
1. Illustration: Charles R. Swindoll, The Grace Awakening If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer. But our greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent us a Savior
2. We are prisoners of sin, and guilty before God, but Jesus came to set us free.
a. Ephesians 2:4-5 (NLT2)
4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much,
5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)
b. We are prisoners of sin.
c. Prisoners of greed.
d. Prisoners of lust.
e. Prisoners of gluttony.
f. Prisoners of pride.
g. Prisoners of hate.
h. Like the criminals that hung next to Jesus on the cross we deserve of punishment.
i. But God!
j. He is so rich in mercy, forgiveness and grace, that he has set us free by the power of the cross.
k. He has broken our chains, healed our wounds and declared us not guilty by the blood of Jesus!
Conclusion
1. Proposition: Paul’s point in our text today is that when it comes to sin, we are all in it together. We are all sinners and stand guilty before God.
2. Paul talks about…
a. The Inclusion of Sin
b. The Reprobation of Sin
c. The Solution of Sin
3. THREE THINGS TO REMEMBER…
a. WE ARE ALL SINNERS IN NEED OF A SAVOIR.
b. BECAUSE WE ARE ALL IN THE SAME SITUATION, WE HAVE NO RIGHT TO LOOK DOWN AT OTHERS.
c. DESPITE OUR SITUATION WE HAVE HOPE BECAUSE OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST.
