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Ryan Fullerton

Romans • Sermon • Submitted 7 years ago

Romans 3:27–31

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No More Boasting

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Boasting

I want to begin this morning with a definition of something you are always hearing, but have never maybe stopped to really think about or define. I want to begin this morning with a definition of boasting. What is it? Boasting, is the “self congratulations, self exultation, the bragging that comes from priding ourselves on something God has given us as if we had earned it.” Let me say that again, “Boasting is the self congratulations, self exultation, the bragging that comes from priding ourselves on something God has given us as if we had earned it.”

Or a more memorable way to think about boasting comes from the character Pigeon Toady in the animated movie Storks. I have not seen this movie, but my kids quote Pigeon Toady to me all the time. Pigeon Toady from all I can tell seems like a pretty geeky character, sort of a loser, but in one scene he imagines himself with a fine suit, a fine car, and he boastfully sings, “How do you like me now?” Boasting is when we look at our strength, our cultural heritage, our race, our power, our wisdom, our success and we say before God and others, “How do you like me now?” And on a side note this kind of boasting knows no cultural barriers, both Toby Keith the Country Star and Kool Moe Dee the old school Hip Hop MC both have bragging songs called “how do you like me now.”

Of course, it’s not always that obvious. Most people don’t want to come out and say what Hussain Bolt and Mohammed Ali have both said. Most people don’t want to come right out and say, “I am the greatest.” Most people find ways to lift themselves up, to congradulate themselves in more subtle ways. One of the ways we see in our day, on social media has become known as the humble brag. The little twitter, or facebook post that says something that sounds humble but is really boasting. Like, “I just got gum on my shoe, who drops on a red carpet.” Or, one Tim Challies suggested would be, “Man are my fingers tired from typing my memoir all day.” All of this is of course back door bragging, another way of congradulating yourself, exulting yourself, priding yourself on something God has given you.”

Of course boasting is something we see in the Bible too. We see the obvious kind like when King Nebuchanezzar looked out over the great city of Babylon and he said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” Sometimes it can be more like the #humblebrag like when the Pharisee when to pray in the temple, even to thank God in the temple and used it as opportunity to justify himself with boasting, “ The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.” It’s everywhere.

30 and the king answered and said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?”

11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

But it’s in us to isn’t it. Boasting is something that can plague Christians too. We are not above name dropping names so people know how important we are. We are not above telling people how many years of experience we have in this or that field so that they know how wise we are. We are not above getting our identity from who we know, what we know, what we can do. We are not above boasting about our race, our culture, our accomplishments. No, in the NT we find Christians drifting back again and again into boasting in something other than the Cross. The Corinthians boasted in who their favorite preachers were. I am of Paul, I am Apollos, now we would have I am Piper, I am of Chandler, I am of Platt, and then someone would come with “I am not into celebrity preachers.” We lift ourselves up by who we like or by who we don’t like. Or again the Corinthians they lifted themselves up by treasuring their spiritual gifts above others. I have this gift and I don’t need you. Bragging has a terrible way of creeping back into the Christian life.

Boasting Barometer

Let me give you a questions that might take your pulse, and see if it beats with bragging and boasting. Let’s start with a hard one.

How do you feel when you are compared to someone you consider sinful? The other day I was confessing a sin to my wife and the discipline of the Lord, and she wasn’t trying to be mean, but she just said, “that’s just like so and so.” I didn’t like that. It took about 30 seconds of swallowing my pride before I could agree. How do you feel when you are compared to someone you consider sinful? If it bothers you it may be a sign that your soul still boasts in your own righteousness.

How do you feel when you are around someone poorer than you? Do you tend to think they are not as hard of a worker as you? Paul told Timothy there a haughtiness that can tempt wealthy Christians. Rather than being blown away by God’s good gift of money and work ethic, they can despise those who don’t work as hard. If we look down on the poor it is probably a sign that we inwardly boast in our work, our strength, our wisdom to earn and save.

Or how do you feel around someone wealthier than you? Or someone getting more promotions than you? Do you feel like a failure. Do they threaten your ability to boast in yourself because they expose your lack of talent and hard work. Do you stay away from people like that? Do you stay somewhere your boast is more comfortable?

How do you feel when you are around people who are with someone smarter than you? Are you quiet so you wont look like a fool. Is your silence a way of guarding your inner boasting. Or if you are a smarter one, do you speak to serve or to shame. Do you use your smarts to exult me and to boast in yourself?

That’s just a few questions to maybe prepare us for the soul surgery the Holy Spirit wants to do on us this morning. I hope it is enough for each of us to see that we are either immersed in boasting if we are an unbeliever, or battling it if we are a believer.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Boasting

Boasting is Everywhere

Boasting is Excluded

, Excluded

Excluded How - - Every aspect of the gospel Paul preaches can only be held onto by a humbled and even shamed hand. A boastful mouth cannot sip these truths, it is already full of the praise of self.

Personally - Our

though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

English Standard Version Chapter 6

14 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Boasting in Excluded by a Law of Faith

Boasting is Excluded by Justification by faith alone

Boasting being excluded will make you burst forth with real boasting!

When you grab ahold of the gospel it is not like boasting will be gone from your life, no actually it will not decrease it will increase. And the Bible wants this, writes, “

23 Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.” The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

We are to boast, but not in ourselves. Instead of saying I am awesome person who has really served in so many ways and blah, blah, blah, we now boast and say I am not righteous, but thanks to Jesus I have righteousness. I could not pay my price but he did. It’s all about Him.

Beloved when we come to Worship every Sunday morning this is what we are doing we are training ourselves to boast not in ourselves. After every failure, every promotion, every good week and every bad we gather here and we make ourselves sing songs like,

I will not boast in anything /No gifts, no power, no wisdom /But I will boast in Jesus Christ / His death and resurrection / Why should I gain from His reward?/I cannot give an answer /But this I know with all my heart / His wounds have paid my ransom.

No gifts, no power, no wisdom

But I will boast in Jesus Christ

His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?

Oh brothers and sisters let us awake each every morning and take some time to praise Jesus. To boast in Him. The greatest cure to praising yourself is to praise the Lord of the gospel that is where boasting will be excluded from your life.

I cannot give an answer

But this I know with all my heart

His wounds have paid my ransom

Boasting being excluded means you can be deeply convictional but not a hater. You can be humble.

I was talking to two of the young men in my neighborhood that I have had a relationship with for a number of years and the topic of homosexuality came up, one of the guys was watching alot of the Fosters, a show about Stef and Lena (a lesbian couple) and their foster kids. I asked these guys if they thought gay marriage was wrong.

They said no. I asked why? They said well if they love one another.

I asked, “What if a 5 year old loves a 25 year old can they marry”

They answered, “No”

I asked “why not” Well one is underage.

So people can love one another as long as one another as long as they are both old enough? Who decides who is old enough?

They changed their tack.

Obama made it legal.

So if a president makes something legal is it okay? (notice I have not called into question gay marriage at this point, I am just asking questions about the authority they are relying on and they are finding their own authorities unsatisfying).

So if a president makes something legal is that okay? No

But the Supreme Court said it was okay? So if the Supreme Court says something is okay it’s okay.

What about when the Supreme Court was racist? Was that okay? No

So what decides what is okay? They said the Bible

Now notice this new tact? One of my friends then said, Doesn’t God forgive. (Now notice we are dealing with two young guys who know the Bible a little but not a lot but they know it has authority and as soon as they get to the Bible, they know God forgives).

But I said, yes but if you say he needs to forgive them then you are saying it is wrong.

It was around here I got to make the gospel clear. I do believe God forgives, but we have sinned and that is why we need forgiveness. Not just those in homosexuality we need forgiveness.

I got to say a few more things about how unnatural and unhealthy and bodily deeply damaging gay sex is and then came this last question.

Now the last question gets to my point I want to make this morning. One of my friends asked me, but are you okay with them, like do you like gay people. he wasn’t super clear in the way he asked it, but I think what he was asking was “are you a hater.” Does your strong conviction that homosexuality is wrong make you hate these people? No? Not at all.

And you know why? I have nothing to boast about over them. I am not better than them. No Christian is better than them. In fact many Christians were them. Christianity makes you firmly convictional, doctrinal, even dogmatic, but humble. There is a God and he is holy but he has saved by my his grace and grace alone!! That’s convictional but humble.

Boasting being excluded means you can have greater confidence in prayer.

Think about what hinders us in prayer. It is our sin. It is our sense that we have been bad, we have sinned, and what do we have when we have sinned, we have nothing to boast about. We can’t go to God and say I was a bold evangelist, or I never lost my temper, or I never grumbled, we do not have a boast, but that should not kill prayer. Prayer actually is born when we get boasting out. The Centurion who Jesus listened to in said to Jesus, “Lord I am not worthy to have you come under my roof.” And Jesus said, be gone, no he said, “no where is Israel have I found such faith. He was unworthy, nothing to boast about and jesus heard him. Instead of pulling back from Jesus because you are not worthy and have nothing to boast about you should draw near. Go to him, even though you must confess sins every day and he will draw near to you.

Boasting being excluded means we can have greater sweetness in fellowship

I mentioned earlier that Christian communities often get infected by boasting. When they do, the sweetness of the fellowship breaks down. Instead of all loving Jesus, we rally around those who love our favorite preachers, our favorite flavor of political engagement, our favorite foods, our favorite spiritual gifts. Sadly, one of the most long standing divisions in the Church is along the lines of different people groups. In Rome there was serious division in the Church between Jews and Gentiles. In the history of this country there have been many divisions, Blacks and Jews, Latinos and Whites, the list goes on, but no division has stood out in our history as long as the division between blacks and whites.

In order for that division and all of those divisions to come down in the Church there must be a complete exclusion of boasting on all sides.

The history of this country has shown that whites who embrace justification by faith alone, have not always followed out the implications of that. They have not treated blacks, especially black brothers and sisters in Christ as equals. The sin of the slave trade, the terrible abuses of slavery, the Jim Crow South all of these happened in cities full of Churches, often these abuses were committed by and justified by Churches. The very best we can say about these Churches is that they did not fully appreciate that they were not to have any boast in their race, their color, or their culture because of the gospel. And, when whites today are insensitive the struggles in the black experience and many minorities

There can be no sweet fellowship in the Church while whites hold on to the idea that they have something to boast about in their color or culture.

At the same time blacks and other minorities do not come into the Church with any sense of self righteousness because they have been sinned against. Yes whites have sinned against blacks, but this does not change the fact that blacks are sinners, and when we come into the Church we do not come in with any righteousness of our own. I hate white racism, but I am discouraged when my black brothers and sisters say things about protecting their own, or about how hard white people are, things that no white person could say, or should say.

No, if there is going to have sweet fellowship we come in as equals with nothing to boast about, nothing to make us worthy. Ironically that actually puts us in the best position to appreciate the best of the cultures we were saved out of. White culture has been wicked and sinful but there have been graces. And Black culture, latino culture, asian cultures have all been sinful but there have been graces. Only in the gospel can we come in as equals and appreciate God’s graces in one another.

Boasting being excluded means all people everywhere are included

Boasting being excluded means the Law is upheld

Paul tells us that his gospel, where God has done everything for our salvation, is one that excludes boasting. The gentiles he told us in were handed over to boasting. The Jews he told us in boasted in having God’s righteous Law (even though they didn’t obey it). Now he tells us that His gospel utterly excludes it.

Well what is it? Well boasting is the self congratulations, self exultation that comes from priding ourselves on something God has given us. When we boast we take a gift God has given us and we act like the glory of that gift is shining out of us. We take the physical strength God has given us, or the mind God has given us, or the powerful circumstances God has given us, or moral standards God has given us and we boast about them. The Jews said, look at this Law see how righteous it is, doesn’t that make me awesome and special. King Nebuchadnezzar looked over Babylon and said is this not the great Babylon that I have built. Whenever an athlete starts talking about how “I am the greatest” without giving God all the credit. Whenever Hip Hop artist start battling about who is the greatest MC you’re hearing it. It is everywhere.

It is particularly prevalent in religion people, in people who think they are in good with God. Religious people seem to think that God likes the humble brag, the boast that makes you look humble, like in when a man is praying, and not just praying but thanking GOd and he says,

God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’

He expected God to say, man your awesome. He expected God to join him in his boasting.

But God hates boasting. He turned Nebuchanezzer into something like a cow, he rejected the #humblebrag pharisee, he threw Satan out of heaven, he condemns both Jews and Gentiles for boasting. says, “The boastful shall not stand before your eyes, you hate all evil.”

And his gospel excludes it. How does the gospel exclude boasting? Well remember boasting is the self congratulations, self exultation that comes from priding ourselves on something God has given us as if it was something we had earned. And what God has done is to give us something in the gospel that we cannot possibly be proud of. He has given us something in Christ, that if we receive it forces us embrace our shame.

Think about it, in Christ God has given us righteousness, well what do I have to admit to receive his righteousness. I have to admit that I have no righteousness of my own. He has justified me. What do I have to admit if I receive his justification, that I have not lived the moral life of love for God that would justify myself, all my righteousness is just like filthy rags. He has redeemed me. Which means he has paid a price to free me from my sin. Oh there is so much here. If I receive his redemption I am saying I am in bondage, a situation I can’t get out of. I am not strong enough, or powerful enough, or strong enough to bet myself out of my sin, so I have to rely on someone else. And not just rely on them to pay my bail, or to pay for my ticket or something, but to pay my death penalty. And I have to admit that God is angry with me, righteously angry with me and that the only reason he accept me into his presence is if he pours that anger on to the one man who never deserved it. When you receive that, there is no bragging.

There is no, well I am Jewish, or I am Black, or I am white. There is no ‘I am strong’ or ‘I am so smart’ or anything of the kind all boasting, “ Well remember boasting is the self congratulations, self exultation that comes from priding ourselves on something God has given us as if it was something we had earned.”

In fact the exclusion of boasting is excluded by the very way we receive the gospel. Notice Paul asks, “by what kind of law?” Well he is saying here, by what kind of principle, and he says, by a principle or works or a principle of faith. Of course he is highlighting the principle that God’s Law covenant with Moses worked on. It worked on a principle of works

15 Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 17 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Boasting is Excluded

By a law of a particular kind

Not a law of works

But a law of faith

Why? Because we hold that one is justified apart from works of the Law.

Or, is God the God of Jews only - as would be the case if one was justified by the Law

No of Gentiles also

SINCE GOD IS ONE

HE is the one God who will justify the circ. and uncirc. by faith

Does this justifying faith overthrow the Law

No it establishes it.

KEY THEMES - Boasting, law of works, law of faith, justification apart from works of the Law, One God, One Salvation, Establishing the Law.

Boasting - Can happen in prayer ( ), Can happen in public (Muhammad Ali), Can happen on social media, Can happen secretly, Can happen before God, orients the soul to the source of pride (Jeremiah, ), takes the glory of God he will not give to another, pride of life, Nebuchadnezzar, Absent in Paul ‘ God forbid that i should boast’, absent from true Christian worship (I will not boast in anything), encouraged by high standards and self effort, flourishes in meritocricy, feeds off of our devotion to the self, “I need to be great, a leader, a standout, a snowflake.” If it is most humbled by one God justifying us without our works, then it is most exalted by each of us justifying ourselves by our own works. Boston Strong - silliness. Wise men exult themselves above the Word of God. Jefferson over the last generation. Men desire to lift themselves up through diets, works, wisdom, strength, power, since God does not matter we are often happy with an audience of one. It is the Spirit of Satan to boast and of Christ to be humble. The wicked Irony is that all Satan has is a stolen gift and all Christ has is inherantly his. Boasting is a great wickedness because it is a lie, it says I am responsible for what I have rather than acknowledging that God is responsible for what I have. Boasting is a great theft for it takes the glory that belongs to God alone and attributes it to me. Boasting is an act of coveting for I long to have by merit what is mine by grace. Boasting is a great adultery for I love the created gifts I have rather than the giver. Boasting is false worship since I glory in myself rather than in God.

The knowledge that we are declared righteousness by the ‘gift righteousness’ of God given us through Christ places us in a right standing with God that excludes all boasting. We are given the most glorious standing (righteous in His sight) while contributing nothing but sin to our standing. We have everything we need in order to stand before God and to await the glory of God but we have done nothing for it. His redemptive Cross paid the price for our sins and set us free. His propitiatory sacrifice appeased his wrath and rendered him propitious. And, this righteousness, redemption, and propitiation vindicates his character as righteous even as it vindicates our character in mercy. This whole exchange draws all praise and glory and Honor to Him. He is the supremely righteous one having punished all the sins of his people on Himself, and He is the supremely merciful one having justified His people by the gift of righteousness acquired by His blood. All of his righteous and merciful action for us and for our salvation leaves no reason for boasting. In fact it leaves all human boasting looking trite and condemnable. What is the price an athlete pays for a crown compared to the price Christ has paid for sinners? What is the death of a bull or a goat compared to the propitiatory sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ? What is the righteousness of Mother Teresa, or Billy Graham compared to the perfection of the Lord Jesus Christ. To compare them is to blaspheme. There is no one like Him so no one can boast in His sight!

Our boasting is excluded, but not by a Law of works? When a person works to receive a right standing with God then the right standing is not a gift of grace it is what you are owed. The wages of good works are not counted as a gift but as due to us. The Law does not end boasting because men use the Law to establish a righteousness of their own. This is what Paul did before his conversion, it is what the Jews did in . This is what Muslims, Catholics, Buddhists, Hindu’s and Legalistic Christians do, they seek to obey enough of God’s Law to be righteous, the problem is this not only fails to make people righteous, it actually succeeds in making them boastful. They boast in all that God has given them rather than confessing they have no righteousness of their own, but they can boast in His that he gave them.

It is the Law of faith that destroys boasting most effectively. Faith looks at what someone else has done, it marvels at what someone else has done. Faith sees itself and despairs but sees God and hopes. Faith does not look at itself, trust in itself, and therefore does not boast in itself. Furthermore, faith looks at Christ, trusts in Christ, and therefore boasts in Christ. As a result faith destroys self boasting and ignites God boasting.

How does it do that? By what it lays hold of. Our gospel holds that one is justified by faith apart from the works of the Law. The Law (which tends in sinful to produce self righteous boasting) cannot finally justify. You are too sinful to earn what the Law promises to the righteous. Justification, not coming from the Law, excludes boasting.

The Law cannot be the way of justification because GOd is not simply the God of the Jews. The Law was only given in its fullness to the Jews and so cannot be the way of worldwide salvation. If justification came by the LAw only Jews could be justified and only Jews could boast, but all boasting in excluded by the one God who justifies jews and Gentiles not by Law but by faith.

Does this new law of Faith overthrow the Law? On the contrary it upholds it. It upholds in and honors it. Faith does not come and say, “the Law is no good, it was an accident, God mispoke, it is of no importance, forget about.” No faith upholds the Law, faith sees that we have not personally obeyed the Law and so we cannot inherit the Law’s promises. Faith does not ignore or overthrow those promises, it acknowledges them and upholds them. It does however uphold the Law as condemning and itself as damned. It upholds it. And then faith is driven by the Law to Christ. Faith also upholds the Law when it looks at Christ, for Christ did not come as a plan B to forget the Law, he came under the Law to fulfill the Law, to give its obedience and to receive it’s curse. Christ does not set aside the Law but fulfills it, lives under it, obeys it, takes its curse and gives its blessings. In no way is the Law undone, forgotten, or overthrown, in every way it is upheld.

How do you get a state established in righteousness? You can lie and convince yourself that your cause is just. Or you can admit you are unrighteous and have no claim to a throne. God establishes a Kingdom where he is both Just, having punished all sin and justifier having made his citizens righteous and worthy to rule.

3:29–30. The next two questions cover the same issue of Jewish distinctiveness from a different angle. Because the Gentiles worshiped false gods through idols, the Jews concluded that Yahweh, the true and living God (), was the God of Jews only. That was true in the sense that the Jews were the only people who acknowledged and worshiped Yahweh (except for a few proselyte Gentiles who joined with Judaism). But in reality Yahweh, as the Creator and Sovereign of all people, is the God of all people. Before God called Abraham and his descendants in the nation Israel to be His Chosen People () God dealt equally with all people. And even after God’s choice of Israel to be His special people, God made it plain (e.g., in the Book of Jonah) that He is the God of everyone, Gentiles as well as Jews. And now since there is “no difference” among people for all are sinners () and since the basis for salvation has been provided in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, God deals with everyone on the same basis. Thus there is only one God (or “God is one”). Paul no doubt had in mind here the “Shema” of Israel: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord [Yahweh] our God [‘lōhîm], the Lord [Yahweh] is One” (). This one God over both Jews and Gentiles will justify all who come to Him regardless of background (circumcised or uncircumcised) on the same human condition of faith.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 3:27–28

3:29–30. The next two questions cover the same issue of Jewish distinctiveness from a different angle. Because the Gentiles worshiped false gods through idols, the Jews concluded that Yahweh, the true and living God (Jer. 10:10), was the God of Jews only. That was true in the sense that the Jews were the only people who acknowledged and worshiped Yahweh (except for a few proselyte Gentiles who joined with Judaism). But in reality Yahweh, as the Creator and Sovereign of all people, is the God of all people. Before God called Abraham and his descendants in the nation Israel to be His Chosen People (Deut. 7:6) God dealt equally with all people. And even after God’s choice of Israel to be His special people, God made it plain (e.g., in the Book of Jonah) that He is the God of everyone, Gentiles as well as Jews. And now since there is “no difference” among people for all are sinners (Rom. 3:23) and since the basis for salvation has been provided in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, God deals with everyone on the same basis. Thus there is only one God (or “God is one”). Paul no doubt had in mind here the “Shema” of Israel: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD [Yahweh] our God [‘lōhîm], the LORD [Yahweh] is One” (Deut. 6:4). This one God over both Jews and Gentiles will justify all who come to Him regardless of background (circumcised or uncircumcised) on the same human condition of faith.

Witmer, J. A. (1985). Romans. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 452). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 3:29–30

3:29–30. The next two questions cover the same issue of Jewish distinctiveness from a different angle. Because the Gentiles worshiped false gods through idols, the Jews concluded that Yahweh, the true and living God (Jer. 10:10), was the God of Jews only. That was true in the sense that the Jews were the only people who acknowledged and worshiped Yahweh (except for a few proselyte Gentiles who joined with Judaism). But in reality Yahweh, as the Creator and Sovereign of all people, is the God of all people. Before God called Abraham and his descendants in the nation Israel to be His Chosen People (Deut. 7:6) God dealt equally with all people. And even after God’s choice of Israel to be His special people, God made it plain (e.g., in the Book of Jonah) that He is the God of everyone, Gentiles as well as Jews. And now since there is “no difference” among people for all are sinners (Rom. 3:23) and since the basis for salvation has been provided in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, God deals with everyone on the same basis. Thus there is only one God (or “God is one”). Paul no doubt had in mind here the “Shema” of Israel: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD [Yahweh] our God [‘lōhîm], the LORD [Yahweh] is One” (Deut. 6:4). This one God over both Jews and Gentiles will justify all who come to Him regardless of background (circumcised or uncircumcised) on the same human condition of faith.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 3:31

The purpose of the Mosaic Law is fulfilled and its place in God’s total plan is confirmed when it leads an individual to faith in Jesus Christ (cf. v. 20; Gal. 3:23–25).

Romans: Crossway Classic Commentaries Verses 21–31

27. In this and the following verses the apostle presents the tendency and results of the glorious plan of salvation, which he had just unfolded. It excludes boasting (verse 27); it presents God in his true character, as the God and Father of the Gentiles as well as of the Jews (verses 29–30); and it establishes the law (verse 31).

Note connection with the above

The Epistle to the Romans a. “By Faith Alone”: Initial Statement (3:27–31)

Paul moves quickly through several implications of and arguments for justification by faith.

Not all boasting is bad

Romans: Crossway Classic Commentaries Verses 21–31

The word boasting is used to express the idea of self-congratulation with or without sufficient reason.

Romans: Crossway Classic Commentaries Verses 21–31

Paul means to say that the result of the Gospel plan of salvation is to prevent all self-approbation and self-congratulation and exaltation on the part of the sinner. He

Romans: Crossway Classic Commentaries Verses 21–31

Paul means to say that the result of the Gospel plan of salvation is to prevent all self-approbation and self-congratulation and exaltation on the part of the sinner.

Romans: Crossway Classic Commentaries Verses 21–31

Since sin is odious in God’s sight, it is essential in any merciful plan that the sinner should be made to feel this and know that nothing done by him or for him can in any way diminish his sense of personal unworthiness caused by his transgressions. Obviously this result could not follow from any plan of justification that placed the basis of the sinner’s acceptance in himself or in any special advantages derived from his birth or ecclesiastical links. But his salvation is guaranteed by that plan of justification which places the basis of his acceptance completely outside himself and also requires, as the very condition of that acceptance, an act involving a penitent acknowledgment of personal unworthiness and exclusive dependence on the merit of someone else.

If we do not boast then we do not lift ourselves up and if we do not lift ourselves up then nothing can tear us down. He who has no pride need fear no fall (Bunyan).

Romans: Crossway Classic Commentaries Verses 21–31

Therefore verse 28 is a confirmation of verse 27

We have already seen how utterly subversive this is of the Gospel. The works of the law are not works which the law produces, but works which the law demands, and the law demands all that the Spirit of God does, even in the just made perfect. Therefore, spiritual as well as legal works are excluded. The contrast is not between works produced by the law and works produced by faith, but between works and faith, between what is done by us (whether in a state of nature or a state of grace) and what Christ has done for us.

Hodge, C. (1993). Romans (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

Romans: Crossway Classic Commentaries Verses 21–31

Paul deals with both classes on precisely the same principles. He offers salvation to both on exactly the same terms. Therefore in this teaching the foundation is laid for a universal religion which may be preached to every creature under heaven, which need not, as was the case with the Jewish system, be confined to any one sect or nation. This is the only teaching which suits the character of God and his relation to all his intelligent creatures on earth. God is a universal and not a national God; and this is a method of salvation which is universally applicable. These sublime truths are so familiar to our minds that to some extent they have lost their power. But for the Jew imprisoned all his life in these narrow national and religious prejudices, these truths must have filled his whole soul with wonder, gratitude, and joy. We Gentiles may now look up to heaven and confidently say, “You are our Father, though Abraham does not know us, and though Israel does not acknowledge us.”

The LAw (no matter how it is being used, says Hodge) can be said to be being fulfilled. It’s precepts and doctrines are upheld, its shadows are fulfilled, it’s purpose is fulfilled. In everything it is upheld.

Boasting Totally Excluded

Everyone Totally Included

The Law Totally Upheld

The Epistle to the Romans a. “By Faith Alone”: Initial Statement (3:27–31)

Certainly, the centrality of the law in the Jewish religion rendered Jews very susceptible to such a tendency; but all people, being fallen, exhibit the same tendency: Greeks, boasting in their wisdom (cf. 1 Cor. 1:19–31); Americans, boasting in their “American way of life”; and all too many Christians, boasting in their “good deeds” instead of in the grace of God.

Boasting ends American exceptionalism, educated awesomeness, Christian self-righteousness, etc.

The Epistle to the Romans a. “By Faith Alone”: Initial Statement (3:27–31)

the faith that gains a standing with God is explicitly distanced from the Mosaic law (“apart from the law”; “apart from works of the law”).

Also, faith is apart from Law in

The Epistle to the Romans a. “By Faith Alone”: Initial Statement (3:27–31)

A second interpretation is, then, to be preferred: that Paul is contrasting two different “laws.” On this view, the word nomos, in both its actual occurrences in the verse, has a metaphorical sense: “principle,” or “rule.”

The Epistle to the Romans a. “By Faith Alone”: Initial Statement (3:27–31)

Rather than being entirely metaphorical, then, Paul’s use of nomos embodies a “play on words,” in which the characteristic demand of the Mosaic covenant—works—is contrasted with the basic demand of the New Covenant (and of the OT, broadly understood; cf. chap. 4)—faith.

The Epistle to the Romans a. “By Faith Alone”: Initial Statement (3:27–31)

A serious erosion of the full significance of Paul’s gospel occurs if we soften this antithesis; no works, whatever their nature or their motivation, can play any part in making a sinner right with God.

29–3

The Epistle to the Romans a. “By Faith Alone”: Initial Statement (3:27–31)

Make sure you get the antithesis

SInce the gospel is for all people then we should preach it to all people. What are you doing to preach the gospel to all people?

-I would like to challenge you to to invite 5 unbelieving friends to our first service.

- Would you consider giving a friend or neighbor a Christian book or tract. Hey listen I am not trying to give you a book and not talk to you. I wanted to give you a book so maybe if you had any thoughts we could talk.

- Would you consider having a Christianity Explained Bible Study in your home? But I would be too busy, well if a few people said yes, I bet you could say to your GCG hey we are going to miss 6 weeks, just 6 weeks but we need a prayer team would you be that prayer team.

- Could you lead your GCG to take on a ministry project that would aim to share the gospel through words and good deeds.

- Could you lead your GCG to start a list of names, not too long, just one or two each and pray for it until each of those people has heard the gospel.

- Would you consider using some of your vacation time in the next 5 years to go on a short term missions trip. Many missions trips cost about the same as a vacation and they take about as much time and they serve a great purpose, I know rest is important but sometimes a change is as good as a rest. Each year we get better at giving notice, times, and prices, and help in raising funds, why don’t you make it your goal to go. If you come to Indonesia with us we will go share the gospel on a college campus, you can teach the Bible to Missionary Kids at their VBS, and we will probably go climb a non active volcano too. Go!

The Epistle to the Romans a. “By Faith Alone”: Initial Statement (3:27–31)

For, in Judaism, God was the God of Gentiles only by virtue of his creative work, while only the Jews enjoy any meaningful relationship with God; this is expressed in later Jewish text: “I am God over all that came into the world, but I have joined my name only with you [Israel]; I am not called the God of the idolaters, but the God of Israel.” Only by accepting the torah could Gentiles hope to become related to God in the same way as Jews

Is the Law here spoken of in its testifying role (3:19, 21) - Moo says no!

The Epistle to the Romans a. “By Faith Alone”: Initial Statement (3:27–31)

A second objection is more serious. That Paul sees in the OT a witness to his teaching about justification by faith is clear. But when denoting that function of the OT, he uses “the law and the prophets” (v. 21) or the “Scripture” (Gal. 3:8). Nowhere does he use “law” by itself to indicate this witnessing role of the OT. Even in Rom. 4, “law” is used in a negative sense and is not linked with the “witness” of Gen. 15:6. Perhaps most significant is 4:3, which introduces the quotation of this verse by asking, not “What does the ‘law’ say?” but “What does the Scripture say?” These points do not make it impossible that Paul refers here to the testifying role of the law—but they make it unlikely.

Is Law the condemning function (as per 3:19) probably not since that is not the subject of 27-30 which gives rise to the question of 31.

While we cannot be certain, it is likely that Paul means essentially the same thing here: that Christian faith, far from shunting aside the demands of the law, provides (and for the first time!) the complete fulfillment of God’s demand in his law.

Moo, D. J. (1996). The Epistle to the Romans (p. 255). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

In the context the commanding aspect- “law of works” “works of law” - Emphasis on faith suggests it is the Law as fulfilled in Christ.

You should be proud of yourself

We love ourselves - “They can’t take away my dignity”

Learning to love yourself.

The New American Commentary: Romans 1. Received through Faith in Christ (3:21–31)

If people are set right with God through faith, what room is there for boasting? In this context “boasting” should be taken not in the sense of unwarranted self-adulation for meritorious achievement but as justifiable pride on the part of the Jewish nation for having been chosen by God for a special role in the drama of redemption (Rom 3:2; 9:4–5).

But does this (Mounce’s argument) miss the fact that the following example will be from a man who was a gentile and who comes before the Law and has boasting excluded?

The inclusion of the Jew and the Gentile means both are included, both are included because both are sinners, and both are justified as sinners, so in creation, fall, and justification they are equals. We seem to have lost this idea. There is a long history of white supremacy in the Church. One group is more in. They may both be theologically in, but practically like the Gentiles Peter excluded they are not both in. There is also a long history of reverse hatred. But it is no more sinful to hate blacks as it is to hate whitey. Both are sins. When whites hold on to their cultural superiority in the Church they are being sinful just like when the rich were given preferential treatment in the Church James wrote to, so to is it evil to prefer whites in the Church. But it is just as lit by the fires of hell to favor blacks. This is sin.

MLJ disproves idea that salvation is easier now, just something, we can do, ‘believe’. He disproves this with verse 31.

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