A. INTRODUCTION
1. For the past four weeks we have studied the apostle Paul's withering attack on the notion that it is possible for any person to be "good enough" to withstand the judgment of God. Utilizing every intellectual, philosophical and theological teaching tool available, Paul in Romans 1:18-3:20 assembles an airtight case against his two most persistent philosophical opponents:
a. Gentile moralists who practice "righteousness by w __ __ __ __" and
b. Jewish legalists who practice "righteousness by l __ __."
2. Paul's argument is summarized in Romans 3:9-18, a passage used by the Reformation leaders as the Scripture reference for the doctrine of the t __ __ __ __ d __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ of man.
3. Paul charges in Romans 3:9 that all people -- Gentile and Jew alike -- are "u __ __ __ __" sin:
- under the j __ __ __ __ __ __ __ of sin;
- under the w __ __ __ __ __ of sin;
- under the p __ __ __ __ of sin.
a. "We speak this way, somewhat metaphorically. When we get behind in our work, or behind in our payments, or whatever, when we have lost that sense of being on top of things, we say we are underneath it all. Being 'under' suggests the metaphor of being weighted down by a terrible burden, a heavy obstacle that seeks to crush us. We think, for example, of John Bunyan's imagery of the pilgrim, Christian, who goes through life stumbling underneath the dreadful weight of sin that is crushing him. It is only when he comes to the foot of the cross and meets the Saviour that the burden rolls off his back and he is able to stand upright, free, once again. Paul is saying that everybody, Jew and Gentile, is under sin." - R.C. Sproul: Romans
b. "Paul appears almost to personify sin as 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." - John Stott: Romans: God's Good News for the World
c. "Under sin is a crucial motif in Paul. The apostle, of course, believed that persons were responsible for individual transgressions, but such transgressions were only symptoms of an inner grip of evil on the human race. Paul seldom speaks of sins (as individual acts), but rather of sin as a singular nature, which he tends to personify. Sin is an external power which enslaves humanity (6:16), and indeed all creation (8:21). Sin is more than a composite of human evil, more than a simple equation that sin equals the sum of human badness. In Paul's thinking sin carries two paradoxical and unresolved tensions: people sin willingly, but inevitably. Sin is freely chosen (otherwise it would not be sin), but there is a 'gravitational pull' to sin, a tyranny or domination against which humanity is powerless to contend. Humanity, in other words, is not free not to sin. Sin is thus not an occasional slip or mistake, but a personal collaboration with a suprapersonal power (Eph. 2:2) which overshadows and tragically infects the world." - James Edwards: Romans (Vol. 6: New International Biblical Commentary)
4. Last week's text passage was concluded in Romans 3:19-20. Two powerful images are set forth in these verses.
a. V.19 declares the whole world g __ __ __ __ __ before God. Of what is all mankind guilty? The answer is: u __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __. The evidence is so overwhelming, so well-documented, so completely convincing, that the only possible correct response to it by every person, Paul insists, is s __ __ __ __ __ __.
(1) "Paul is drawing a courtroom scene, and God is sitting on the bench. The indictment is being read to the defendant -- fallen man. Can you imagine being brought into a courtroom, having an indictment read and then having the judge say to you, 'How do you plead?' As you start to give a defense, suddenly the judge cuts you off in mid-sentence and says, 'You may not speak!' There is a certain sense in which the judgment scene of the human race will happen like that." - R.C. Sproul: Op. cit.
(2) Psalm 46:10 contains the familiar "Be s __ __ __ __ and know that I am God." We most often think of this phrase as one which invokes a quiet stillness, in optimistic anticipation of some encouraging, praise-worthy Word from God. This is a misplaced understanding of the passage. The Hebrew language used here is extremely strong, and is most correctly seen in the context of Romans 3:19. The psalmist is having God say, "Shut up! Be quiet! Not another word! Don't you get it? I AM GOD!"
b. The conclusion drawn in v.20 is seen as a "universal negative." Not a single person of all the people on earth can be justified by the law. Its primary function has been misunderstood. It is not a vehicle for attempted righteousness, but a universal standard. The law displays the holiness of God and, by contrast, the knowledge that no one can meet that standard except God Himself. By law, Paul concludes, is the knowledge of s __ __.
B. TEXT: ROMANS 3:21-31
1. This passage changes the direction of the discussion completely, and does so by means of the comforting conjunction "But....." Having shown the need of both Jew and Gentile for the righteousness of God which is revealed in Scripture (1:16), Paul now explains how that need is supplied by God and, in v.27-31, he presents three implications for us in light of this truth.
2. In v.21, Paul declares that the righteousness of God:
a. is a __ __ __ __ from the law;
b. can be clearly seen ("is r __ __ __ __ __ __ __");
c. does not represent a "change" in God's plan, since it has been "witnessed by the L __ __ and the P __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (the entire Old Testament)," though only now made crystal clear in Christ Jesus. This same way of salvation -- justification by f __ __ __ __ alone -- was presented to the Old Testament patriarchs. They never heard the name "Jesus," but they believed by faith all that had been revealed to them by God. They heard, believed, and received the promises of God sola fide -- "by faith alone." Paul will further develop this aspect of his teaching in chapter four.
3. V.22 reminds us that those who have come upon the world scene on this side of the cross of Calvary have had revealed to them more of God's promise of salvation: "Jesus Christ, God's Son, Saviour." The righteousness of God -- more correctly translated as "the righteousness from God -- is made available to all those who believe in Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of the promises of the Old Covenant. Our belief must be expressed in the same way as was the belief of the Old Testament patriarchs -- sola fide, "by faith alone."
Further, just as all people -- Jews and Gentiles -- are under sin, to all people -- Jews and Gentiles -- who believe is made available this "righteousness from God."
4. V.23 is one of the most familiar in all the Bible, and is, quite simply, a re-statement of Paul's conclusion to his teaching of 1:18-3:20. But have you ever wondered about the second half of this verse? What is this "glory of God" of which we have fallen so short?
a. the spotless innocence into which the first man and women were originally created;
b. freedom from decay and d __ __ __ __;
c. d __ __ __ __ __ __ __ over God's equally innocent Creation;
d. e __ __ __ __ __ __ __ -- in the very best sense of the term.
e. ref: Romans 8:18
1 Corinthians 15:42-49
2 Corinthians 3:18
Ephesians 4:17-24
Philippians 3:20-21
Colossians 3:1-11
4. V.24 is a simple declaration of the doctrine of j __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ by faith alone, and v.25-26 constitute a compact yet elaborate clarification of that essential doctrine.
a. The doctrine of justification by faith alone must be understood to mean this: justification is by C __ __ __ __ __ alone, and the believer's connection to Christ is the vehicle of f __ __ __ __. Some folks believe the very act of believing is what brings us into the kingdom of God. This is not true. It is the righteousness of Christ which justifies us. We are justified ("called righteous") by God on the basis of Christ's perfect merit. Faith links us to the source of our righteousness, Jesus Christ.
b. We are justified "freely," which could be translated "without any cost to us." God makes available to us His righteousness as a g __ __ __, and does so by His g __ __ __ __. This is revealed in the Gospel of Christ. Hence the splendid slogan of the Reformation: "Sola gratia, sola fide, sola Scriptura, sola Deo gloria." Justification is made available to people "by g __ __ __ __ alone, through f __ __ __ __ alone, by the authority of the S __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ alone, to the g __ __ __ __ of God alone." Hallelujah!
c. "Fundamental to the gospel of salvation is the truth that the saving initiative from the beginning to end belongs to God the Father. No formulation of the gospel is biblical which removes the initiative from God and attributes it either to us or even to Christ. It is certain that we did not take the initiative, for we were sinful, guilty and condemned, helpless and hopeless. Nor was the initiative taken by Jesus Christ in the sense that he did something which the Father was reluctant or unwilling to do. To be sure, Christ came voluntarily and gave himself freely. Yet he did it in submissive response to the Father's initiative.
Grace is God loving, God stooping, God coming to the rescue, God giving himself generously in and through Jesus Christ." - John Stott: Op. Cit.
d. These verses contain a veritable glossary of terms used by theologians to explain what actually transpired on the cross of Christ.
(1) J __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (v.24) is a term borrowed from the legal system of Paul's day. It is the opposite of condemnation, but does not mean the same thing as "pardon" or "forgiveness," both of which might be seen as "negative" terms indicating the remission of a just penalty or debt. Justification is "positive:" the bestowal of a righteous status. This term may well encompass both pardon and forgiveness, but goes far beyond both.
"The voice that spells forgiveness will say: 'You may go; you have been let off the penalty which your sin deserves.' But the verdict which means acceptance [sc. justification] will say: 'You may come; you are welcome to all my love and my presence." - Sir Marcus Loane, as quoted by John Stott: Op. cit.
"To condemn is not merely to punish, but to declare the accused guilty or worthy of punishment; and justification is not merely to remit the punishment, but to declare that punishment cannot be justly inflicted...Pardon and Justification are therefore essentially distinct. The one is the remission of punishment, the other is a declaration that no ground for the infliction of punishment exists."
- C.H. Hodge: A Commentary on Romans
(2) R __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (v.24) is a term borrowed from the slave market of Paul's culture. When a citizen "redeemed" a slave, he paid full price for him or her for the specific purpose of granting full freedom. The price for such a purpose was called by a Greek term often translated as a "ransom." (See Mark 10:43-45)
(3) P __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (v.25) in human terms means appeasing someone who is angry. The human sacrifices of certain pagan religions were offered in order that the anger of the god who is being served will be satisfied. This concept doesn't sit well with Christians who cannot conceive of the notion that Jehovah has a fiery anger which requires placation. Most translations do not use the term "propitiation," preferring in its place "expiation," which would rearrange the elements of Paul's teaching here to mean to "expiate" sin, that is, to annul guilt or remove defilement.
I am convinced, however, that "propitiation" is exactly what Paul means, although not in the same context as the heathen understanding of the term, which associates it with "gods" who are ill-tempered, moody, and unjust. This does not describe the God we serve. A biblical understanding of "propitiation" takes into account three completely different aspects of what the blood of Christ has accomplished.
(a) God's wrath is just; it is aroused solely by evil. In order for God's perfect justice to be served at Calvary, His holy wrath had to be delivered upon sin. In order for His perfect love to be manifested, He needed to visit that wrath upon sin while sparing the sinner upon whom His mercy and grace rested.
(b) Pagan religions require that man take it upon himself to provide propitiation. The Bible teaches that sinful man can do no such thing. It was God Himself who did for us that which was required of us but which we could not in and of ourselves could not do: He provided the idea, the purpose, the initiative, the action and the sacrificial gift -- the "atonement" or "suitable sacrifice" -- for a propitiation. What incredible love!
(c) The nature of pagan sacrifices involved guesswork. What could we come up with that was sweet enough, innocent enough, sufficiently correct to appease the anger of the gods? The nature of the atoning sacrifice on Calvary's cross was of God and, therefore, perfect. Christ's sacrificial death on the cross was sufficient to provide forgiveness of all the sins of all time committed by all people. Why? God gave His own Son to die in our place, and in so doing, gave Himself. This is the basis for Paul's bold declaration in v.27 that God has demonstrated His righteousness: ...that He might be j __ __ __ and the j __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ of the one who has faith in Jesus.
5. In v.27-31 Paul presents three implications of the doctrine of justification by faith alone.
a. Since sinners are justified by faith apart from observing the law, b __ __ __ __ __ __ __ is banished from the Christian life. The grace of God must crush the voice of human pride and arrogance.
b. Justification comes from the One True God and is made available for both Jew and Gentile, in all places, for all time. Faith in Christ transcends all distinictions of place, race, culture, tradition and history. This might not seem to us a particularly profound doctrine, but to the the first century Jewish believer it was an astonishing revelation -- almost unbelievable. God has always had one plan for salvation. It is efficient in that it provides salvation for all people.
c. Justification reaffirms both l __ __ and f __ __ __ __ (v.31). Many of Paul's critics held that he sought to destroy the law through his teaching of salvation by grace through faith. Paul, however, insists that law and faith can and must exist together. God has given each to mankind for distinct purposes.
C. APPLICATION
1. Mere possession and intellectual understanding of the great doctrines set forth in this passage will produce nothing of eternal impact in the lives of believers. Our church is blessed by the presence of many authentic Bible scholars; I thank God for the depth of the knowledge that exists in our fellowship of believers. These truths, however, are not intended by God simply to inform, but to transform us into "new creatures" who will "walk in newness of life," living lives so different from those of unbelievers as to cause them to inquire of the "living hope" that possession of these great truths provides for us.
2. How shall we live, then, in the light of the tremendous teaching of Paul regarding the doctrine of justification by faith alone? By living lives before the watching world around whichlive which will communicate clearly the three implications -- positive and negative -- of this great doctrine.
a. First, it should h __ __ __ __ __ us: all boasting must be excluded.
b. Second, it must u __ __ __ __ us toward true koinonia: all discrimination must end.
c. Third, it must cause us to uphold the l __ __ of God, living lives which are "set apart" for holiness by obedience to all that which Christ has commanded us.
That's it. No boasting. No discrimination. A life of authentic personal holiness, transformed by the grace of God and conformed in obedience to the moral law of God's Word.
D I S C U S S I O N G U I D E
1. R.C. Sproul states that "the tragedy of the contemporary evangelical church is its failure to know and establish the law of God."
a. What does he mean by this?
b. How can our church (or any local church) correct this condition?
2. Read Romans 3:19-20, 2:12, and 6:14-15.
a. How many purposes of the law can you list from these passages?
b. In what way are Christians not "under" law?
c. In what way are we "under" law?
3. "Antinomianism" means "opposed to law." Antinomian views are those denying that God's law in Scripture should directly control the Christian's life.
a. Read 1 John 3:4-10. State in one brief paragraph your own personal paraphrase of what is being taught in this passage.
b. Read 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. What are the implications of this passage for those who profess faith in Christ but continue in any of these behaviours?
Re-read v.11. Discuss the relationship in the life of the Christian between being "washed," "justified," and "sanctified."
5. Read Romans 3:23-26. How would you communicate to a Jewish seeker that Jesus Christ was, indeed, the fulfillment of the law of God?
