romans6
We’ve been on the book of ROM for a # of weeks now and we’ll probably be on it for several more weeks. Last time we were on ROM 3 and we ended with V 22, but I want to take a look at Vs. 21-22 for just a moment.
I. ROM 3:21-22
A. Our righteousness does not come by the law but it comes by putting our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
B. Let’s go on to V 23.
1. If all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, that sounds like we are lost and without hope.
2. (GAL 3:22 KJV) Says, “But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.”
a. What is the promise that he is talking about here?
b. It’s the promise of Salvation or Justification and it all comes by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ.
3. HEB 9:19-22
a. God had to find someone that was righteous to give His life and shed His blood for mankind.
b. Sin cannot enter into heaven, and it can not have fellowship with God.
i. God had to 1st break Satan’s power and 2nd remove Adam’s sin by getting someone, who was righteous to shed His blood.
4. HEB 9:23-26
a. Jesus appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
b. (2 Corinthians 5:21) Says, “For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (KJV)
i. Yes, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
ii. But now through the shed blood of Jesus, we have been made the righteousness of God in Him.
C. ROM 3:24
1. In this V he says, “Being justified freely by his grace.”
a. Salvation is a free gift of God. As we have been reading it’s not by works, it’s not by keeping the law it’s by God’s grace that we are saved.
b. (EPH 2:8 KJV) Says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: {it is} the gift of God:”
D. ROM 3:25
1. The word “propitiation” means “An atoning victim.” It also means “to appease.”
a. Jesus was the 1 that had to pay the price for our sins, but Jesus did much more then atone for our sins.
i. The word “atone” means “to cover up.” Jesus did not cover up our sins but He cleansed us from our sins.
b. This V also bears this out.
i. In the middle of (V 25) Paul uses the term “remission of sin.”
ii. “Remission” means “washed away” or “Forgiveness,” but there is something that is very interesting here.
iii. This word “remission” is used in a very different sense here. This word “remission” means “a passing over.”
2. In the book of EXO. the death angel was going to take the life of the 1st born in each house unless the blood of the lamb was applied.
a. If the blood was applied to the door post, the death angel pasted over and everyone was safe.
b. The same is true for us today, the blood of Jesus must be applied to the door post of our hearts, then the judgment of sin passes over us and we are saved from death. (Spiritual death)
3. ROM 3:26
a. This is a little unclear to us in the KJV, the NIV translation says, (ROM 3:26 NIV) “He did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”
b. Jesus went to the cross to satisfy the judgment of sin.
i. Not that Jesus ever sinned, but justice had to be served, someone had to pay the price for it.
ii. Not only did the cross of Jesus satisfy the claims of justice, but it also provided righteousness for all those that put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
II. ROM 3:27
A. Paul says, “Where {is} boasting then? It is excluded.”
1. This is the way it is with salvation. Salvation does not come by anything you have done or anything that you can do.
a. It comes only by what Jesus has done, and by receiving it. (When was this work done?)
2. ROM 3:28-29
a. In (V 28) Paul said that a man is justified by faith.
i. The word “justified” means “declared righteous.”
ii. In other words, Paul said God has declared us to be righteous because our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
B. ROM 3:30
1. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you have done in the past. Everyone is justified by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. V 31
a. This is a very interesting statement given by Paul.
i. Paul is saying that our faith has not made the law void, but our faith had made the law established even the more.
ii. Jesus said in (MAT 5:17), “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.”
b. There are 2 different schools of thought on this verse.
i. The 1st 1 says that the “Law” in this V is referring to the “Mosaic Law” The purpose of the Mosaic Law is fulfilled and it is confirmed when it leads an individual to faith in Jesus Christ
a. Paul repeatedly affirmed that faith, not works of the Law, is the way of salvation. He wrote the word “faith” eight times in Romans 3:22-31.
ii. The 2nd school of thought is that the “Law” is referring to the “Moral Law.”
iv. A footnote to the Moffatt’s translation says, “We are to keep the Moral Law, not in our own strength, but in the power of the Spirit in our new life.”
b. Now that we’re justified by faith, we are not to live like the Devil, we’re still to live holy before the Lord.
III. Let’s start chapter 4 ROM 4:1-8
A. In these Vs he’s saying that if we could be justified by works, then we would have something to glory or boast about what we did.
1. But it was nothing that we did and it was all what Jesus did for us.
2. In (V 3) It says, “For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.”
i. That is a quote from (GEN 15:6) which says, “And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.”
ii. It’s not keeping the Moral Law or the Mosaic Law that is going to get someone saved but it is by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
3. There are so many people that are trying to keep the Moral Law in themselves, even Christians, but we can’t live that holy, moral life in ourselves.
i. Some of you might be struggling with that, trying to do it yourself.
ii. You need to cast that care upon the Lord, Let the Lord work it through you.
iii. Don’t try to do it in yourself, do it in the power of the Spirit.
12/19/90 Wed PM and WOLCC Thurs. 7/13/95