Sovereign Grace Chapel, located
at 135 Annabel Lane in Beaver, West Virginia, invites you to
listen to a gospel message concerning Jesus Christ our Lord. All right, so if you wish to
follow along, turn to Romans chapter three. Romans chapter three. I just have two verses that I
want to read this morning, and it is Romans chapter three, verses
19 and 20. Romans three, 19 and 20. Paul
is continuing, of course, and he says in verse 19, now we know
Now we know that what things, soever the law saith, it saith
to them who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped,
and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore,
Paul says, we come to this conclusion because of this. Therefore, by
the deeds, of the law, there shall no flesh be justified in
his sight, or that is, God's sight. For by the law is the
knowledge of sin. Consider this phrase. Now we know. That's the title of my message,
but it's not my subject. My subject, I pray to God Almighty
this morning, will be the person and work of his dear son. But
consider, now we know. I think these three words, as
we begin to go into this, I think these three words will help us
in the understanding of what Paul writes in these two verses. And just as a way of introduction,
Consider this, now we know, these two words first. Now we know. There are some things we as believers
know because scripture resounds with their truth. And we know
that all things work together for good to them that love God,
to them who are the called according to his purpose. We know this
is true. We don't always understand how
it's true, but we know that it's true. Here's another, here's
the second one. And we know that the Son of God has come and has
given us an understanding. John says that in 1 John 5 and
verse 20. Here's a third one. But we know
that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall
see him as he is. John writes those words in 1
John 3 and 2. Here's a fourth one. For we know
that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth. Groans and travails. Paul writes that in Romans chapter
eight, verse 22. So I believe I am safe in saying
that there are some things that we know, right? There's some things that we know,
but here's my fifth point of introduction. Some wise anchor
then decides to quote 1 Corinthians 8, verse two, which says, no
man knoweth anything, yet is he ought to know it. And I say
with a resounding affirmation, that is true. We know nothing
yet as we ought to know it, but that does not negate the truth
that we know all things work together for good. That we know
that the Son of God has come and given us an understanding.
But we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is. For we know that the whole creation
groans and travails even until now. Yes, but here's the problem. Spiritual jaundice. Spiritual
jaundice is hell-bent on finding some kind of fault with the person
that stands behind a public podium and seeks to preach the truth
of God. Henry Mahan once said, and it
will not be an exact quote, but Henry Mahan once said, if you
come to the service seeking to find the fault, you will find
the fault. You are but listening to fallen
men who stand here and preach to you. If that's what you're
looking for, you'll find the fault. But if you come actually
seeking God to bless your soul and to feed you with the gospel,
then you will be fed. Again, consider what our text
says. Paul says, now we know. Now, let me paraphrase it, let
me change a little, but I will not change the context or the
meaning. Paul wrote, now we know. I can say it this way, now God's
people know, correct? That's who he's talking to, we
know. I realize most people think this
Bible is written to everybody in the world, but it's just not
so. Now we know, now God's people
know, or I could put it this way, now believers know, and
that's why he says, now we know that what things soever the law
saith, it saith to them who are under the law, that every mouth
may be stopped. Has it been? Has every mouth
been stopped? Are there not still men and women
who boast before God even in this day of their merits before
God? So what's Paul talking about?
Most people think that when Paul wrote, whatsoever things the
law saith, it saith to them or under the law that every mouth
may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God.
Let me put it this way. Every mouth has been stopped
as far as God is concerned. And every person is guilty before
God, but they don't know it. Do you hear what I'm saying?
Do you understand what I'm getting at? They don't know it. Paul
says, now we know this. God's people know this. Believers
know this. What do we know? Let me give
you just a few things. We know that all are under sin.
All are under sin, doesn't he say that? He says that in what
is it, verse nine, what then? Are we better than they? No,
in no wise, for we have before proved, both Jews and Gentiles,
that they are all under sin. And all are under sin whether
they realize they're under sin or not. All are under sin, all
are guilty, all are full of demerit, even if it's unknowingly so. Even if they are personally unaware
of the situation. Here's the second thing. All
are under the law in heart and conscience, but they do not know
it. Do you understand what I'm saying?
Paul tells us, what does he say? For when the, chapter two, verse
14. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, that means
they were not overtly being taught the law, they had no law. They
had no prophets, they had no tabernacle. For when the Gentiles,
which have not the law, do by nature those things contained
in the law, these having not the law, look at it, are a law
unto themselves. Now I did read some of the commentaries
on verse 19. And they, I won't say they argue,
but they vary in opinion. Well, who is actually under the
law? According to the Apostle Paul in chapter two, even the
Gentiles, which have not the law, have God's law written in
their heart and mind, so they are under that law, correct? And then he goes on in verse
15, which show the work of the law written in their hearts,
their conscience also bearing witness in their thoughts, the
meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another. So while the commentators
may disagree as to who's under the law, God says the whole world's
guilty under the law. And God says the whole world's
mouth is to be stopped. And one day it will be. One day
it will be. Here's the third thing. None
have anything to boast in before God. Every mouth has been stopped
as far as God and His law is concerned. And yet men and women
still continue to boast in their will, in their way, and in their
works before God. Number four, law deeds do not
justify before God, do they? Now let's read it again. Now
if you read it that this is talking to everybody without exception,
and this is saying that everyone's been made aware of this, then
you'll not get the import of what Paul's saying. Now we know,
do you see it? Now we know, they don't know.
This unbelieving world don't know, but we know. Now we know
that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are
under the law, that every mouth may be stopped and all the world
may become guilty before God. Therefore, by the deeds of the
law, there shall no flesh be justified in his sight. Does
everyone understand that? Of course not. There are still
countless thousands upon thousands that are seeking to justify themselves
before God. That's the fourth thing. Law
deeds do not justify before God, yet legalists still exist. And
legalists even know the law, correct? They read from the law,
they talk about the law, they'll mention specific commandments
in the law, and yet they still think they can be justified before
God by their keeping of the law. So has the law failed? If you look at it from the standpoint
of this in a universal way, you'd have to say it has failed. But
this is not universal. And we know. We know this, although most all
other men and women do not. Here's the fifth thing. The law
defines what is sin, does it not? For by the law is the knowledge
of sin, right? And yet there are men and women
today who still sin. I still sin, you still sin, you
still sin, right? But if the law gives us the knowledge
of sin, why wouldn't we just stop sinning? As it is written. There is none righteous, no,
not one. What I'm trying to point out
is no matter how much I or you or anyone else teaches we fallen
sons and daughters of Adam the law in and of itself has no effect
on us other than our own depravity seeking to keep that law for
justification before God. Think about this. I wanna make
a statement. I will try to explain it. Not the words themselves,
but I'll try to give an example of this. God's holy law is no
demigod. You know what a demigod is? It's
like a little god. God's law, holy law, is no demigod. The law itself, the law alone,
does not work. Personal, felt, experienced guilt. Because thousands deal with the
law daily. They try to keep the law daily.
And they have no personal guilt. They actually think they have
merit before God. So is the law weak? Come on. Is the law weak? Yes. through the flesh. And that's
an exact quote of what the Apostle Paul says. So what am I getting
at? Here's what I'm getting at. The law is not a part of our
justification or our redemption or our salvation any more than
the Roman soldier and the spear that he held that pierced the
side of Christ. Do you attribute your salvation
to the Roman soldier and the spear and Christ? Or do you attribute
your salvation to Jesus Christ alone? Yes, the law stops every
mouth in itself. Yes, the law shows that all are
guilty before God in itself. Yes, by the deeds of the law,
no flesh shall be justified in God's sight in itself, for by
the law is the knowledge of sin in itself. But most men and women
are dead in trespasses and in sins. Think of this passage,
Romans five. Turn to it if you want to follow along. Romans
chapter five and verse 20. What I'm trying to point out
here this morning, Let me stop a minute and slow down. Men talk
about needing a law work. Men talk about the work of the
law in the soul, and it's simply not the truth. Listen to what
Paul wrote, Romans 5 verse 20. Moreover, the law entered that
the offense might abound. In other words, the law was given
and clearly shows anyone with eyes to see what sin really is,
correct? It actually exposes sin for sin
and as sin. But look, moreover the law entered
that the offense might abound, but where sin abounded, the law
came in and exposed it. Is that what it says? Look at
it, moreover the law entered that the offense might abound,
but where sin abounded, what does it take to save a sinner?
Grace did much more abound. I hear a lot of talk in this
day about the law, the law, the law this, the law that. Our message
is Jesus Christ. You remember what I told you
a couple, maybe last week, I don't remember for sure. If the Bible
tells you this is true, and you have a thus saith the Lord, okay? If it says this is true, thus
saith the Lord, then you begin to surmise and say within yourself,
well, since this is true, then that must be true. But if in
God's book the that is never a thus saith the Lord, it is
nothing more than human opinion. We looked at it when we looked
at chapter three, the first part, first few verses. God uses even
the rebellion of men to fulfill his purpose. That's a this. The human flesh says, well, since
this is true, then men ought to do evil that good might come. Right? That's what this world
thinks. That's the way they think. Well,
if God used even the wickedness of Joseph's brothers to bring
about good, wasn't it right for Joseph's brothers to do the evil? The answer is no. No. And even
so. When Paul says that every mouth
may be stopped and all the world become guilty before God and
by the law is the knowledge of sin, should we then preach the
law? There's the question, right? Huh, come on, somebody answer
me. Should we preach the law? No. because the law is powerless
apart from the free and reigning grace of God in Christ. Here's
another verse. I said the law is no demigod.
Romans chapter seven, verse nine. This is Paul speaking. And Paul
is speaking about a period of time here, or that time when
he once was unregenerate, he once was dead and trespassed
in sins, and something happened, and he began to realize his desperate
estate. And he writes these words, for
I was alive without the law once. What does that mean? He didn't
know the law? He was steeped in the law. He was a Pharisee
of the Pharisees. How was he alive without the
law? When he was unregenerate, he
did not really know what the law was saying. He thought the
law was a set of do's and don'ts, that if you did the do's and
you didn't do the don'ts, you were accepted of God. And he
felt alive before God. Now was he really alive? No,
because Ephesians 2, that same man says we're born dead in trespasses
and sins. For I was alive without the law
once, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. But did the law, does the law
have its own will? Does the law concoct its own
purpose? Now the law has a purpose, don't
get me wrong. But did the law do some work
for Paul? God did a work for Paul. That's
what I'm trying to say. If we take what Paul says here
as the thises, and they are God's inspired word. And we try to
kind of conclude, if the commandments got to come before man really
knows he's dead, then shouldn't we be preaching the law? This
is the summarization of all the false religion. Since the law
shows men what sin is, then let's preach the law. No, Christ is
to be preached. And only God can enable an individual
to see the commandment for what it is. Let's go to one more,
Galatians chapter three. Galatians chapter three. It seems to me in this day there
There are some who are trying their best to find some way to
marry law and grace. Trying their best to find some
way to marry law and grace. Even here, sometimes this happens. Try to marry law and grace. Listen
to what Paul says, Galatians 3 and verse 24. Wherefore, the law was our schoolmaster,
Now I want you to notice those next few words. Do you see what
it says? To bring us. Do you see it? Those are in italics. There are those who teach that
it takes the law to bring a man to Christ. That is not what Paul
said. He said these words. Wherefore
the law was our schoolmaster unto Christ that we might be
justified by faith. But after that faith is come,
we're no longer under a schoolmaster. The law didn't bring you to Christ.
God's grace brings you to Christ. That's what the book teaches.
What does the law do then? He actually stated it in verse
23. But before faith came, we were,
what? Kept under the law. Here's what the law does. Shut
up. Now, you get it? Shut up. That
means to bar, to hold in confinement, and it also means shut your mouth,
like Paul said in Romans 3 verse 19. But before faith came, we
were kept under the law. Shut up unto the faith which
should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore, the law is our schoolmaster,
up unto Christ. You could put it that way. Do
you see it? Does it make more sense now? The law don't bring
you to Christ. It's the goodness of God that
causes repentance, that leads us to repentance. Now, having
said that, Paul makes it clear in our text. Go back to Romans
chapter three. Paul is dealing with a lot of
thises, that men were surmised demands of that. But the only
that we could have is a thus saith the Lord. Paul makes it
clear. God's grace in Christ is our
salvation. We don't say, well, the law and
Christ saved me. No, Christ saves me. And Christ
only saves me. Look at what it goes on to say.
I'll read 19 and 20, and then the rest are more of the context,
not the rest. Now we know, we know, remember
we know, not everybody knows. Now we know that what things
whoever the law saith that saith to them are under the law, that
every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty
before God. Therefore, by the deeds of the
law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight, for by the law
is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of
God without the law, now without the law in what way? Without
the law on our part, on our part. But now the righteousness of
God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and
the prophets, even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of
Jesus Christ, not faith in Jesus Christ. We will see faith in
Jesus Christ in a few more words. Here's what I thought about faith
in Christ. My righteousness, your righteousness, your righteousness
is the very faithfulness of Jesus Christ himself. Even the righteousness
of God, which is by the faith of Jesus Christ unto all. Now we're gonna look at our faith,
our believing. Unto all and upon all them that
believe for there is no difference. Why? For all have sinned. Whether they know it or not,
it doesn't matter. Whether they see it or not, it doesn't matter.
For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We don't need a law work, we
need a God work. We don't need a law work, we
need a grace work, being justified freely by His grace through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus. The law will never force
you to Jesus Christ. Only grace will. The law will
shut you up and make you to know you have no hope in the law if
God so opens your eyes. But the law won't bring you to
Christ nor either force you to Christ. It shuts you up unto
something or someone without of yourself. someone to come
in and fill the gap. And Paul right here is saying
he filled the gap. Do you see it? Look, being justified
freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ
Jesus, whom God has set forth to be a perpetuation through
faith in his blood. And there, it is God the Father's
faith in the Son's blood, not our faith in his blood. through
faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission
of sins that are passed through the forbearance of God. To declare,
I say at this time, his righteousness that he might be just and the
justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is bragging then,
is it? Where is boasting then? It is
excluded. By what law? Of works? That is, is it the law of works?
No, he says. but by the law of faith. Therefore
we conclude that a man is justified by faith, what's those next words,
without the deeds of the law. That's without your deeds of
the law, and that's without the law trying to do something to
you. You're not saved by the law any more than you're saved
by the crown of thorns that was on Christ's head. You're saved
by the Christ upon whom the thorns were placed. Do you get it? Men
look for that all over the place because a this is there. But
only the this is. Only the thus saith the Lord
stands. Are we saved by that cross on
which Christ hung? There are people who actually
think we were. There's a song. Henry Mahan said something along
this one time. He said, if you sing this song
and you believe it, you're an idolater. And it's called The
Old Rugged Cross because it says, I will cherish the old rugged
cross on which the Prince of Glory died. No! You cherish the
Prince of Glory who died on that cross. That cross itself does
not save me, though die on that cross he had to. When somebody
says you're playing with words, that's exactly what we're doing,
because we're talking about God's word. Paul goes on. Where is
boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? The law of works? No, but by
the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a
man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Is he the
God of the Jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles?
Yes, of the Gentiles also, seeing it is one God. which shall justify
those who are circumcised. That's what it's all about. Justify
the circumcision by faith and uncircumcision through faith.
Do we make void the law through faith? God forbid. We establish
the law. Men and women can get caught
up with the law. But remember, the book of God
says that the law deals with the flesh. Now, I want to read
you a passage. Now, everybody here is familiar
with it, but turn to Philippians 3. I'll finish my statement,
and then I'll read it. Philippians 3, and I'll close
with this. Again, I say men and women get caught up with the
law. When you're caught up with the law, you're caught up with
the actions of the flesh. And what does the book of God
tell us to do with our flesh? Improve it? Somebody just preached
for me, didn't they? Mortified, isn't that what the
book says?