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| Rev. Jonathan Griffiths |
Senior Pastor, The Metropolitan Bible Church, Ottawa, ON.
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Podcast of CFRA broadcast on Sunday, July 9th, 2017:
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Broadcast Notes:
Our heartfelt thanks to all those who support us financially. Today, we would like to thank Kathryn and Ellard Perry for sponsoring this program!
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Guilt Removed
Reference passage:
9 What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. 10 As it is written:
21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in[h] Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,[i] through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 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.
Romans 3 (NIV)
God’s Faithfulness
3 What
advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in
circumcision? 2 Much
in every way! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of
God.
3 What
if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness? 4 Not at all! Let God be true,
and every human being a liar. As it is written:
“So that you may be proved right when you speak
and prevail when you judge.”[a]
and prevail when you judge.”[a]
5 But
if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly, what shall
we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human
argument.) 6 Certainly
not! If that were so, how could God judge the world? 7 Someone might argue, “If my
falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I
still condemned as a sinner?” 8 Why not say—as some slanderously claim that we
say—“Let us do evil that good may result”? Their condemnation is just!
No One Is Righteous
9 What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. 10 As it is written:
“There is no one righteous, not even one;
11 there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.”[b]
13 “Their throats are open graves;
their tongues practice deceit.”[c]
“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”[d]
14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”[e]
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 ruin and misery mark their ways,
17 and the way of peace they do not know.”[f]
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”[g]
11 there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.”[b]
13 “Their throats are open graves;
their tongues practice deceit.”[c]
“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”[d]
14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”[e]
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 ruin and misery mark their ways,
17 and the way of peace they do not know.”[f]
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”[g]
19 Now
we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so
that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 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.
Righteousness Through Faith
21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in[h] Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,[i] through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 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.
27 Where,
then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires
works? No, because of the law that requires faith. 28 For we maintain 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 only one God, who will justify the
circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.
31 Do we, then, nullify
the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.
Footnotes:
1.
Romans 3:4 Psalm 51:4
2.
Romans 3:12 Psalms
14:1-3; 53:1-3; Eccles. 7:20
3.
Romans 3:13 Psalm 5:9
4.
Romans 3:13 Psalm 140:3
5.
Romans 3:14 Psalm 10:7
(see Septuagint)
6.
Romans 3:17 Isaiah
59:7,8
7.
Romans 3:18 Psalm 36:1
8.
Romans 3:22 Or through
the faithfulness of
9.
Romans 3:25 The Greek
for sacrifice of atonement refers to the atonement cover on the ark of
the covenant (see Lev. 16:15,16).
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NOTES:
We all have a deeply built-in sense of fair play.
One of the most
comforting truths of scripture is the truth that God is indeed a god of
complete and perfect Justice.
In Romans 3 verse 10
it says, "There is no one righteous not even one."
And so, if God is a
god of perfect Justice and if we are all wrong-doers, then actually we are all
in a great deal of trouble.
Here's the vital
question: "How can a just and holy God pardon the guilty?"
God's glorious
solution is none other than the Cross of Christ. At the cross, God justified sinners.
This is the one area where we are simply unable to manage on
our own. When it comes to securing our righteous standing before God --the
judge-- not one of us is able to do the job ourselves.
But the glorious good news at the heart of the Christian
message is in verse 21: "But now, a righteousness, a right standing with
God, apart from the law has been made known."
This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus
Christ to all who believe.
Verse 25 shows us the means by which God achieves this
astonishing feat. God presented Jesus as a sacrifice of atonement through faith
in his blood.
Some texts show the word "propitiation" in place
of "sacrifice of atonement". Propitiation addresses, satisfies, and
turns away anger. Propitiatory sacrifice is an "anger-bearing
sacrifice".
The God of the Bible is a God of perfect Holiness, a God of
uncompromising Justice. And when it comes to evil and rebellion, He is a God of
righteous anger as well.
But while God's anger at our sin and rebellion is real and
dangerous to us, God at the same time tells us how to address his anger and
secure our safety.
This option is not a lifestyle choice but rather a means of
survival.
If we see that the cross is first and foremost an urgent
Rescue Mission to save us from the Judgment of God, then we'll have a realistic
sense of urgency about the decision.
The astonishing good news of the Cross is that because Jesus
died as our propitiation, as our anger-bearing sacrifice, if we belong to him
and we trust in him, we enjoy perfect safety before God the judge.
Our guilt has been addressed fully and finally. The anger of
God has been dealt with, for us, and we have nothing else to fear from the Judgment
of God.
Through the cross God
justifies sinners. At the cross God justifies his perfect Justice.
Since we are all sinners, there is nothing we can do to save
ourselves, that is why, verse 27 states, "Where, then, is the boasting? It
is excluded."
Justice was carried
out for you, two thousand years ago at the cross of Calvary.
For those who feel
ready to make the response of accepting, through faith, the righteousness given
to us by Jesus on the cross, let me invite you to pray this prayer with me:
Lord God, I admit that
I have sinned against you and rightly deserve to face your Judgement. But, I
believe that Jesus died in my place to secure my forgiveness. And so, I come to
you now, in faith, turning from rebellion and ask you to forgive me and accept
me on the basis of what Jesus has done for me. In Jesus name, AMEN.
Rev. Jonathan Griffiths
2176 Prince of Wales Dr, Nepean, ON K2E 0A1
Phone: (613) 238-8182
www.metbiblechurch.ca/
www.metbiblechurch.ca/
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