Good morning! We have a lot to cover today so today I have just a quick question for you...
Question of the Day: When did you become a Christian or a Seventh-day Adventist?
So today we are going to attempt to cover chapter 3. Yep all of it! So let's get going.
READ: Romans 3
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:
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.
We are going to divide this chapter into three sections. The first two are pretty straight forward so I hope we get to spend most of our time on the last section.
1. Verses 1-8: Is there an advantage to being a Seventh-day Adventist, other than being saved?
Why are you a Seventh-day Adventist?
If the greater our transgressions the greater His grace... then why not live it up?
2. Verses 9-20: Let's re read verse 20.
a. No one will be declared righteous! Do we really believe this? Sometimes I know I fall into one of two traps. Either thinking, "I'm doing all right!" or "Wow I wish I had the faith or goodness or had it all together like _______. "
Both of these are traps. Anytime I look to anyone other than Jesus I am in trouble. When I compare myself to others I loose the vision Christ has for me!
NO ONE WILL BE DECLARED RIGHTEOUS!
b. The law shows us our need for Christ! Our need for Christ is paramount here! If we get caught up in gaining righteousness or being righteous and focus on the law as the checklist for our goodness, then we miss the whole point. The law is to bring us to an understanding of our need for Christ. If it does anything else we are missing it! In this passage point a. and point b. are so connected. As soon as we turn to working on being righteous we turn away from Christ. As soon as we focus on the faults of others we turn from Christ.
3. For this section I would like for us to read the first section without the verses marked. Just read it as you would a book. Sentence by sentence. So I have copied it below without the verses marked.
But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, 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— 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.
So why did I have us read it that way and why does it matter?
What is the most recognizable verse in this passage?
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Right! We know it recite it, use it. But now go back and look at it above and pay attention to the punctuation.
That is not a sentence on it's own. There is no period after God. There is a comma. This comma is extremely important. This comma is perhaps one of the most important comma's ever used in literature! I'm serious. This comma tells us there is more! The story doesn't end there, the sentence doesn't end. It doesn't end at our failure! It doesn't end with our sin!!!
Now let's read the entire sentence.
There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Why is it that all of us can recite the piece in the middle, the phrase, but not the sentence? Why did we stop at the comma instead of going on until we come to the period.
Jesus doesn't leave us hanging. Jesus doesn't leave us without the solution. Without the answer!
This comma IS one of the most important commas in all literature!(Yes I know I already wrote that, but it needs repeating.) This comma gives us the answer, the good news, the hope. This comma gives us the free gift of Jesus.
I want to challenge you! I want to challenge us! I want to challenge us to memorize the entire sentence, not just the verse! Never again let, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" sit in the air or in our minds without the conclusion of the sentence, "and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." Let's put this sentence back together the way it was intended to be. Let's keep the comma there!
To wrap up this chapter I would like for us to look at verse 27-31 in the Message. It is longer and written in a clear and interesting way.
"So where does that leave our proud Jewish insider claims and counterclaims? Canceled? Yes, canceled. What we’ve learned is this: God does not respond to what we do; we respond to what God does. We’ve finally figured it out. Our lives get in step with God and all others by letting him set the pace, not by proudly or anxiously trying to run the parade.
29-30 And where does that leave our proud Jewish claim of having a corner on God? Also canceled. God is the God of outsider non-Jews as well as insider Jews. How could it be otherwise since there is only one God? God sets right all who welcome his action and enter into it, both those who follow our religious system and those who have never heard of our religion.
31 But by shifting our focus from what we do to what God does, don’t we cancel out all our careful keeping of the rules and ways God commanded? Not at all. What happens, in fact, is that by putting that entire way of life in its proper place, we confirm it.
I want to end this lesson with two thoughts.
1. Let me make it very clear. I am NOT in anyway saying the law isn't of vital importance for us a Christians and that we don't need to think about it. I am in no way saying that. The law isn't the problem! Our striving for perfection with the law as our frame work without Jesus is a huge problem. The law brings us to our knees. The law shows us our need for Christ and then it is what He does in us that is beautiful! Jesus doesn't just cover our sins! He doesn't just give us salvation, He gives us transformation! Ellen White writes it beautifully, "The atonement of Christ is not a mere skillful way to have our sins pardoned; it is a divine remedy for the cure of transgression and the restoration of spiritual health. It is the Heaven-ordained means by which the righteousness of Christ may be not only upon us but in our hearts and characters" (Letter 406, 1906).
It is not just Jesus on us, but in us! It is both!
2. The next time you are consumed with your unworthiness or your failures recite and soak in the whole sentence. The next time you are falling into the trap of looking at others and either their failures or their successes, turn your gaze to Jesus. The next time you start thinking you have all the answers for you and those around you, get on your knees, praise Jesus for who He is and get your focus back on Him. Your righteousness will disappear and His glory will shine bright!
I am so thankful to serve a Savior who isn't content with just saving me, but He also wants to transform me. He isn't satisfied with anything less then bringing me spiritual health right here and now. Being a Seventh-day Adventist, a Christian isn't just about eternal life, it is about healing me today! It is about taking my brokenness and turning it into something beautiful today! It is about really living a redeemed life now, and forever!
The answer is Jesus!
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