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October 31, 2004
Reformation Day
Romans 3:19-28
Pastor Joel Zank

We are Declared righteous in God's Sight!

(Romans 3:19-28) 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 his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.21 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference,23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished-26 he did it to demonstrate his justice 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. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith.28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.

In Christ Jesus, God's sacrifice of atonement, dear fellow heirs of the Lutheran reformation,

A pastor once asked a young man in his confirmation class if he knew whether or not he was "right" with God. In other words, the pastor was asking if the young man was sure that God would take him to heaven when he died. The boy told his pastor that he was absolutely positive that things were right between God and him. He knew that he would be going to heaven. Happy with the boy's confident confession of faith, the pastor thought to ask one more question: "How do you know you are right with God? How can you be so sure that you're righteous in his sight?" Without batting an eye, the boy met the question head on. "Because, Pastor, I did my part and God did his."

Needless to say, the boy's answer gave the pastor cause for concern. The answer smacked of the very pride and self-righteousness that the Scripture so strongly warns against. The pastor decided he'd better point out the student's error right away, so he asked the boy, "What do you mean, you did your part and God did his?" Again, without a moment's hesitation the boy responded, "That's the way it is, pastor, I did the sinning and God did the saving."

Dear friends, though we might hope to find a better way to express this truth, the young man had it right - we do the sinning and God does the saving. The verses of Scripture before us today teach this so clearly, allowing us to see ourselves as we really are, sinners living with the wonderful assurance that we are the heaven-bound children of God. Why? Because we are declared righteous in God's sight - 1) not by observing the law, but as we will plainly see today, we are declared righteous in God's sight only 2) by grace through faith alone.

A famous evangelist prepared for a revival meeting in a large city by writing the town's mayor and asking him to furnish the preacher with a list of people who had spiritual problems and were in need of help and prayer. Imagine the evangelist's surprise when the mayor sent him not a short list of names, but the city phonebook. And why not, for as Paul says in our text, "There is no difference,23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." (Romans 3:2-23).

Sin is a universal problem. With the exception of Jesus, there has never been a person born who has been able to measure up to God's glory -his holiness, the same holiness, the same perfection that he demands of all who want to stand in his presence. God says, "Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy" (Leviticus 19:2). But by what standard does God's measure human holiness? God uses his law with its demand for perfection like a tape measure that he sets along side every person who comes into this world. Those who measure up, keeping the law perfectly in what they say and do and think, they get to enjoy life with God now and forever. But you heard what Paul said-no one measures up. Without fail, every human being falls short of God's glory, and so every human being is a reject, a throw-back, failing to be what God says is right and thereby failing to be right with God.

Ok, so all of us have gotten off to a bad start with God. But there has to be a way we can make things right again. What if we promise to start living better lives? What if we take those commandments God has given us and really make an effort to start keeping them? Starting today, no more lies, no more lust, no more gossip. Would that help? Fellow sinners, I'm afraid it wouldn't be enough. First of all, we can't keep the commandments the way God wants them kept -- perfectly. But even if we could, keeping them from now on wouldn't make up for our past sins. Those sins would still need to be paid for, a debt that each of us would have to settle with God in the debtor's prison called hell.

The law of God with its list of "do's and don'ts" is not the answer to our sin problem. As Paul points out in our text, "...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" (Romans 3:19-20). The commandments of God have but one blunt message for us sinners, "Put up or shut up!" The law says to each of us, "Either keep me perfectly in your thoughts and with your words and actions, or be still and without any louse excuses, face God's anger for breaking me." Obviously this is a message we sinners don't like to hear, but one which we desperately need to hear again and again.

I read recently that when the Betty Crocker Company first came out with cake mixes, they were designed in such a way that all the baker had to do was add water. But guess what - those mixes didn't sell very well. Market research revealed that people wanted to be more involved in making the cake. So the company made one little change. In addition to adding water, the customer would be required to toss in an egg as well. The product took off like wildfire.

In the same way, when it comes to our salvation, we foolish sinners want credit for adding something to the mix, maybe a pinch of self-righteousness, a touch of good works. Maybe you're thinking, "No, I don't do that." Really? Do you ever look around and compare yourself to a neighbor, a friend or family member. Have you ever concluded that God ought to love you a little more than that other person because your language isn't as filthy, your temper isn't as short, your sins aren't as bad? Has there been a period of your life when you felt more deserving of God's kindness than at other times? Based on what? Based on the thought that God must love you more now because you go to church more often than you use to, you do more for him now than ever before? This kind of thinking shows that we're still looking to the commandments to get us to heaven. How dangerous! For whoever tries to live by the law is going to die by its curse instead. So says the Word of God: "...no one will be declared righteous in [God's] sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin" (Romans 3:20).

The law isn't our ticket to heaven. The law condemns us sinners. No one knew this better than the great reformer, Martin Luther. Misled by the church's false teaching, Luther had grown up equating the word righteousness with doing good works, trying to live a holy life. He thought of the commandments as his stepladder to heaven. But at the end of every day Luther found himself condemned by the very law in which he was placing all his hope. Rather than climbing into heaven, Luther felt himself plunging into hell. In other words the law was doing what it's suppose to do. It stripped Luther of all sinful pride and self-righteousness. There was nothing left for him to do but to search the Scriptures in hopes of finding some bit of mercy from a holy and just God. What did Luther find? Not a little bit of mercy, but whole gospel full. As Luther studied Romans 3, the Holy Spirit opened his eyes to see a better righteousness than any we sinners can produce. For the first time ever, Luther realized that the righteousness spoken of here in our text is none other than a righteousness that God provides to undeserving sinners-not a righteousness to earn, but a righteousness to receive as a free gift.

Think of what this means! Are you being haunted by some sin of the past, something you said or did? Are you troubled by the thought that you'll never be able to make things right with God? Are you afraid you may end up in hell? Listen: "...a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which [the Old Testament-] the Law and the Prophets testify.22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference,23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,24 and are justified freely by his grace..." (Romans 3:21-24a).

Friend, you can't make things right with God, but then again, you don't have to. For throughout the whole Bible, our Holy God, the Judge of heaven and earth, declares every sinner justified - not guilty of sin.

But how can God do such a thing and remain righteous. Isn't he breaking his own rule that says, "The soul who sins is the one who will die" (Ezekiel 18:4)? No God isn't breaking any rule. He's not even bending any, because God isn't overlooking sin. It's not that our sins are going unpunished. Listen again. Paul assures us that we "...are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished-26 he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus" (Romans 3:24-26).

God's righteous reputation remains perfectly intact. He is completely just. Sin has been paid for in full, as God requires. It has been paid for by our substitute Jesus, the soul who died in your place and mine. The sin of all people, including the sin of all who lived and died before Jesus' day as well as the sin of all who come after him, all this sin was charged to Jesus who gave his life as a sacrifice to satisfy God's just anger toward us.

So where's the catch? What must we do to enjoy the benefits of Christ's work? There we go again, looking for some bragging rights. But there are none to be had! Paul puts it this way, "Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith.28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law" (Romans 3:27-28). It's all grace my friends - the love God chooses to show to all sinners free of charge. All who trust that Jesus has paid for their sin are righteous in God's eyes. Friend, you are declared righteous in God's sight, not by observing the law, but only by grace through faith alone. God has given you faith to believe that Jesus paid his very life as a ransom to free you from your slavery to sin and death. Your guilt is gone. That sin that haunts you has no business doing so. It was paid for long ago. It has been covered by the blood of Christ, perfectly hidden from God's sight. Believe it, dear Christian! You are right with God always and only for Jesus' sake. Amen.