Romans Explained Part 1 | Heathens, Hypocrites & JesusSample

| Romans 3:19-31 | Justified by Faith

Welcome back to Romans 3, and the trial of your life. We left off with the verdict. The entire courtroom - everyone - found guilty:

“There is no one righteous. Not even one” (Romans 3:10).

Paul laid down the law, and in verse 19, he explains the purpose of God’s law:

“…that every mouth may be silenced, and the whole world held accountable to God” (3:19).

In other words, God’s law quiets your mouth. It voids your excuses, cancels your alibis, and holds you accountable. Religious people take note. God’s law can’t make you good, it can only show you that you are not good. That’s where religion alone falls short. Knowing what’s right does not make you righteous. And you can’t change a sinful heart just by attempting some good works. In verse 20:

“Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin” (3:20).

Back here in court, the consciousness of sin sets in on the courtroom like a thick blanket of guilt. Do you know that feeling - that awful, sick weight on your soul - when you fully realize you are guilty? And nothing you can do will take it away.

Only one thing remains. Sentencing.

But then… a glimmer of hope. Pay attention here. What follows changes everything. Donald Barnhouse drew a heart around this passage and said, “…these verses are the most important verses in all of Scripture.” Leon Morris called it “the greatest paragraph ever written.” Beginning in verse 21:

“But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known” -

that means a way to be right with God – “to which the Law and the Prophets testify” - that means it was in the Old Testament, it was always God’s plan (3:21).

“This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe” (3:22).

That is the gospel! That is the good news. Faith in Jesus makes you right with God.

“There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (3:22-23).

Look around the court. Everyone is guilty. Religion can’t save you. Excuses can’t save you. All have sinned and fall short, verse 24:

“And all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (3:24).

Redemption means that Jesus bought your freedom, and he paid full price. Verse 25:

“God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his - blood to be received by faith” (3:25).

This is it. Atonement. Atonement means at-one-ment. When you are not right - with your wife or husband or best friend - when that wall is up and you know, you did it. And you wish for something, anything, to make it right. That thing is called atonement.

Back in the courtroom, when you stand guilty, remember - this is not a philosophical argument. This is not some intellectual game. If you have ever stood trial, you know, the stakes are real. This is you and me - on trial - the verdict is in - sentencing is moments away.

And Jesus steps in. And his life, His blood, is that one thing to make you right with God. Atonement. Back in verse 25:

“(God) did this to demonstrate his righteousness…” (5:25)

That means He showed that He’s good. If God is righteous, then He has to punish sins. And for a long time, he left sins unpunished. So on the cross, Jesus took that punishment. Verse 26:

“He did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus” (3:26).

Now justify means to declare righteous, to prove someone good. And this is the great miracle of the cross. How can God be both just and forgiving? How can he be good if he justifies bad people? Here is God’s brilliant plan. God does punish, and Jesus takes the punishment, so that He is just to forgive.

Well, that’s Part 1, but Paul’s not done. The rest of Romans is awesome. So keep reading! You can find audio guides for all of Romans on the Through the Word app, or sign up for Part 2 right here on this app.

For today, read Romans 3, and consider: what plea you will make when your trial comes? Will you stand on your own, or put your faith in Jesus? You can get right with God, right now. Call on Jesus, and be saved.