Romans 3:21-31 (Wednesday Evening Bible Study)

Romans 3:21-31

• What point has Paul made so far in the first 3 chapters of Romans when it comes to being righteous before God??
  • Job asked,  But how can a man be righteous before God? (Job 9:2)
• This is not just a question from Job, but it’s the crucial question of the Bible. How can a Holy God get a sinful people into Heaven and not compromise who he is?
• In our passage tonight from Romans 3 Paul tells us God’s answer for our righteousness. 
• This is where we left off  last week.
  • Romans3:20 20 For no one will be justified in his sight by the works of the law, because the knowledge of sin comes through the law.
  • There is no one who doesn’t deserve God’s judgment
• If law keeping cannot make us right before God, what can we do?
  • Nothing…God does something….God provides another way to be right with Him. If we are going to declared righteous before we leave the framework of the law and pursue another way….
  • The way of grace.
  • Here is how the grace system works:
    • Keep The Commandments, But suffer the penalty
    • Break The Commandments, But escape the penalty
    • Which part do we play in the grace way?
      • The 2nd line
    • Who plays the other part in the grace way?
      • Jesus He kept the commandment and suffered the penalty. 
• Romans 3:21-23
• 21 But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, attested by the Law and the Prophets. 22 The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, since there is no distinction. 23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;
  • Does this righteousness being given have anything to do with the law?
    • None at all…totally apart from the law…and that would be whatever law you think can save you. In other words, it will be apart from any human effort or ability. Therefore 100% of it will be based on the grace of God. Our salvation isn’t based on us or on the law or a combination of the two plus grace, but is 100% the grace of God.
  • Where does this righteousness found in grace come from?
    • Comes from God…Jesus satisfied all of the law’s requirement, even the part were sinners be punished, accomplished in our place. So this righteousness is bestowed upon us as a gift.
  • How has this righteousness apart from the law been made known?
    • The Greek word is where we get our word apocalyptic. It means to make known or reveal. God has revealed in the gospel…Jesus dying on the cross, Jesus’ resurrection
  • What or who is testifying to this righteousness from God?
    • The law and the prophets…The law? The law is a witness to the righteousness that comes from God. The purpose of the law is to show us our sin. The problem of the law is we can never keep it. So the law points to the coming of one who could keep it–Jesus–who would die for our sins. The promise of the law is God’s promise for a Messiah. The law and the prophets both testify to the coming of Jesus. When Jesus was transfigured which two Old Testament characters appeared beside him? They were Moses and Elijah–Moses the great law giver and Elijah the great prophet. They were putting their seal on the fact that Jesus fulfills the Old Testament. 
  • How do we receive this righteousness from God?
    • See verse 22 Faith in Jesus Christ in, who He is and what He has done…Faith is trust. Our faith is in Jesus who died for us. That have all sinned so the remedy is the same as well
• Romans 3:24-25
• 24 they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as the mercy seat by his blood, through faith,
  • Who is justified?
    • All those who believe from verse 22
  • What does it mean to be justified?
    • Justify is a legal term it has to do to one’s relation to the law.  To justify mean to declare righteous…not make righteous but declared. We are justified in Christ, declared righteous as though we have keep right standing with the law.  Because of the righteousness of Christ who died for us God has declared us righteous. It’s like we’ve never sinned and kept all the laws perfectly. We are not righteous in ourselves but are declared righteous.
  • Do we deserve being justified by grace?
    • No…it is given freely, totally undeserved and unearned, that is why it is called grace…God’s favor to us.
  • What does it mean that Jesus redeemed us?
    • The Greek word refers to buying a slave in order to set the slave free. The slave has been redeemed. A payment had to be paid. In sin, there is a debt that must be paid because the wages of sin is death. Our debt is paid at the cross and we go free. Someone has to die and that someone was Jesus.
  • Justification from our point of view comes to us freely but what about God’s point of view?
    • It is anything but free…God the Son paid the ultimate price, the equivalent of eternity in Hell for the whole human race.
  • What does it mean that God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement?
    • Much the same idea as redemption but the picture here is something from the O.T. Blood was put on the atonement cover; the lid of the Ark of covenant the place where mercy seat was to avert the wrath of God. The word used to describe this is propitiation. Wrath averted from us and put it on God’s Son.
  • How is redemption and sacrifice to be received by us?
    • By faith. The results are not automatic or unconditional…Faith is needed
• Romans 3:25b-26
• to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his restraint God passed over the sins previously committed. 26 God presented him to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so that he would be just and justify the one who has faith in Jesus.
  • How could God leave sins unpunished?
    • God was waiting patiently. God will demonstrate His justice with Jesus on the cross. It’s work will be retroactive and future active. The sin left unpunished refers to sin God  forgave prior to the cross
  • Would God be righteous if He did not punish sin?
    • No
  • How is God just and justified?
    • Sin is punished on Jesus…justifying only those who have faith in Jesus
• Romans 3:27-31
• 27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By one of works? No, on the contrary, by a law of faith. 28 For we conclude that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, 30 since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then nullify the law through faith? Absolutely not! On the contrary, we uphold the law.
  • What kind of boasting is Paul referring to?
    • No one can say they are responsible for their own salvation.
  • How are we justified?
    • Faith in Christ. Is there any other way to be justified? No
  • We have one God and how many ways to be saved?
    • One. Faith in Christ
  • How do we uphold the law?
    • By not using it for something that is was not intended…the law cannot save…it shows our sin. Jesus fulfilled law as we live for him following Him we are fulfilling the law as well not for salvation by in the way we live.
• TAKE AWAY
  • Being good enough, earning salvation, having a special deal with God based on your own merit will not make you righteous before God
  • There is only one way to be  righteous and justified before God- Faith in Christ
  • Jesus took our punishment, we gain His righteousness?