Romans 3 - Agape

Chris Cannon

Romans • Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago

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Summary So Far

Paul has introduced himself and his apostleship - remember he has never been to visit the church in Rome.

Paul has introduced the Gospel, and it’s power and glory, and summarized this in a thesis statement

Romans 1:16–17 ESV

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Paul began with the Gentile (Romans 1:18-32)

Discussed how Gentiles have the knowledge of God revealed through creation.

Discussed the depravity of Gentiles and their culpability for their sins

Then, Paul turns to the Jew in Romans 2

Many Jews during this time may have believed that their special covenant with God, that circumcision and the law would save them at the time of judgement

But Paul points out that relying on the law while being a person who is disobedient to the law is foolish and sure to fail

Basically, Paul’s opening argument is that Jews and Gentiles are EQUAL before God when it comes to salvation, no matter the specific law system each was under, all people have fallen short.

So WHY choose a people?

Romans 3:1–8 ESV

Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, “That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged.” But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) By no means! For then how could God judge the world? But if through my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.

Paul basically answers arguments from Jews who would say that condemnation in the face of their covenant with God. But Paul answers it is the Jews who are unfaithful to the covenant, and Paul brings receipts to show why this condemnation is just from Psalm 51:4

A Jew might say WHY have we been so worried about the law for all these generations, if in the end we are condemned the same as a Gentile? Paul answers that the purpose of the nation of Israel is to bring God’s message to the nation (Romans 3:2), not simply to be justified.

Finally, Paul begins to address the idea that, if our unrighteousness, our sin, causes the glory of God’s righteousness, His free redemption, to be seen more clearly, then why shouldn’t we continue to sin? Paul does not complete this answer here, but will come back to it in Romans 6.

Equal Before the Law

Romans 3:9–20 ESV

What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

Paul basically reiterates here that all people, Jew and Gentile, kind and cruel, are equally condemned before the law. He brings more receipts (Ps. 14:1-3, Ps. 5:9, 10:7, Isa. 59:7-8, Ps. 36:1)

Righteous Through Faith

No we get to see what Paul has set up so far in Romans, the solution that God has provided to the sin issue that Paul has identified.

Romans 3:21–30 ESV

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.

Diagram this paragraph