3:1-9 THREE QUESTIONS THAT THE JEW MIGHT ASK
3:1 "What advantage hath the Jew?"/ Answer 3:2 / entrusted with the Oracles of God in spite of their unfaithfulness! The were given God’s Revelation. The "Oracles of God" or the perfect law of God.
3:3 "For what if some did not believe...?"/ Their unbelief does not change the truth /
Heb. 4:2-3; 6:13; 2 Tim. 2:13;
3:4 Deut. 32:4; Psalm 100:5; 119:160; John 3:30; Tit. 1:2 / any unbelief on man’s part does not change the character of God.
"is God unrighteous to take vengeance"
Rom. 12:19; 2 Thess. 1:6; Rev. 16:5
3:5 Psalm 51:4 / Paul makes the Jew call what they have done, wrong - unrighteousness!
National disobedience from Sinai onward (Acts 7:37-39)
Neglect of God Word (Josiah)
Pride: we are the chosen people
Terrible ignorance of the spiritual meaning of the law
*If our failure gives God the chance to show His righteousness, glory, and mercy, should not God excuse our condemnation? NO!
3:6 If God is unrighteous in judging the Jew, how can He righteously judge the world?
Gen. 18:25; Job 8:3; Psalm 9:8
3:7 By my lie it came to pass that God’s truth became more obvious, and as a result God received glory.
3:8 Paul was accused by the Jews: *"you do evil things in order to do good things"/ Paul answers basically: we are reported by slander not truth! Paul preached justification by faith and the Jews did not like it. I Pet. 3:16
The Jews, deluded by pride, absolved themselves from judgment because of their religion and works. Don’t fall into the same trap! Whole multitudes of people today, sheltered in their imagination by the fact that they have joined some church, resent this very same doctrine.
If God paid no attention to the claim of the Jew to be exempt from judgment, neither will He pay attention to the claim of the Baptist, etc. For all men alike are common sinners and guilty before God. But some have found the truth and responded. Rev. 3:20
3:9 Paul shows both the Jew and Gentile as under sin by using 7 Old Testament references - Psalm 14:1-3; 5:9; 140:3; 10:7; 36:1; Prov. 1:16
Old Testament indictment
3:10 General - all unrighteous
3:11-12 Disorders of the heart
3:13-14 Disorders of man’s words
3:15-17 Disorders of man’s actions
3:18 The cause of all that precedes
no fear of God, no reverence, no respect
3:19-20 Summary of the case that has been presented up to this point:
Paul teaches that all are under sin and guilty, the Jew cannot escape, he speaks to all who are under the law that every mouth will be stopped (no leg to stand on), all the world is under the judgment of God, the law cannot provide righteousness but condemnation, and man has already been condemned.
Highest Expression of The Gospel
Romans 3:24-25
INTRO: Read Romans 3:20-28 / Explain man’s lack of righteousness (3:10,23) and God’s gift of His righteousness
"Justification" - To have been declared righteous by the personal action of God after believing by faith in the Gospel. As the Lord spoke and the world was created, so He now speaks to recreated the sinner into a new creature! It is the great sovereign act of God to pardon the sinner completely, and impart the perfect righteousness of Christ.
Fruits of Justification:
1. Forgiveness of sins: "...through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: and by him all that believeth are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." Acts 13:38-39
2. Have the peace of God: Rom. 5:1
3. Possess holiness and eternal life: Rom. 6:22
4. Made righteous: 5:18-19
5. Heirs of Christ: "That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." Titus 3:7
3:22 The righteousness of God became ours when we believed the Gospel of Christ. Our faith was the "empty hand" that received God’s eternal gift.
3:23 Exegete simply / It is not the degree of sin, but the fact of sin that makes the Gospel a necessity.
"all"/ Rom. 3:9
"come short"/ fail, destitute, etc.
HOW CAN WE BE CLEARED OF THIS GUILT?
3:24 "justified freely" by the grace of God, Through the redemption that is in Christ!
3:25 "Whom God hath set forth"/ proeqeto / Lit. "to place before something or someone with a definite purpose as a sacrifice, examined as perfect - sent forth in public display - for public vindication of God’s righteousness!
"to be a propitiation"/ ilasthrion / to cover over - mercy seat - perfect and satisfactory sacrifice for sin. Blood atonement in the Tabernacle - illustrate
"Heb. 10:19 "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new a living way."
Rev. 5:9 "And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou was slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood."
Rom. 5:9 "Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him."
*No mere human could take the wrath of God the Father upon himself for the sins of the world - only the God-man!
Christ’s voluntary sacrifice, and the shedding of His blood met the righteous demands of the Father, so that the judgment of God would not fall on those who believe the Gospel. "He that believeth on him is not condemned."
"through faith / Gal. 2:16
"in his blood"/ the blood of Christ that was the full and satisfactory payment for the sin of man. Heb. 9:22
"to declare his righteousness"/ Lit. "manifested as an act" as proof and evidence
"for the remission of sins"/ Lit. "passing over" of sins - Exodus / The wages of sin is death, the declaration of Christ’s righteousness in us is life everlasting! This gift of the righteousness of Christ removes the penalty of sin and death and replaces it with the life of Christ!
This gift of righteousness can be yours. To receive the free gift, come to Christ today. You can be set free from sin and possess the gift. Why not choose Christ today?
3:26 cf. Romans 5:6; I John 5:11
3:27 "Where is boasting then?"/ Is their any glorying on the part of man? God has provided everything for people who deserve nothing, and He has completed His work for people who are incomplete.
"it is excluded"/ Omitted, disavowed / if salvation is from the grace of God, then man has no personal merit to stand in.
"by the law of faith"/ Rom. 3:19; 4:2; 8:2; 9:32; 11:6
3:28 "conclude"/ calculate by logic and reason, to deliberate by weighing all the facts / the Word deals with reality and fact, not superstition.
3:29-30 If salvation is by the law then one might think that God is only the God of the Jews. But, because of the faith of the Gentiles He is one-God for all, who justifies both the Jew and Gentile by faith.
3:31 Do we then nullify the law or make it void? On the contrary, we establish the law. The penalty of the law has been executed by faith. Jesus died, tasted death for every man, and the penalty was executed.