Now, returning back to our study
here in Romans chapter 3, Romans chapter 3 verse 19. Now, let
me give this introductory statement to you on these verses. I want
to try to look at Romans chapter 3 verse 19 down through verse
23 if we can get that far. Now, here is the introductory
statement. It has been said by many well-known
preachers of the present and the past that these verses found
here in the book of Romans form one of the clearest declarations
of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. And verse 19 down to
verse 28 especially form one of the clearest declarations
of the gospel of Christ declaring how God can be just in justifying
the ungodly and at the same time honor His holy law and glorify
himself in saving sinners in a way that's honoring to his
holy character. That is the beauty, the mystery,
and the power of the gospel of Christ. unto salvation. This is what we read here in
these verses. If you can concentrate and just bury yourself in this
word and these verses and ask the Lord to teach you the gospel
and reveal the gospel unto you, it's so clearly said here, we
need eyes to see it. Look at verse 19, now we know.
Here's what every believer knows, we know. that what thing soever
the law says, and I'm talking about the whole, what we call
the mosaic law, the ceremonial law, the moral law, the Levitical
law. It's said to them that are under
the law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world
become guilty before God. Now we know the law is of God. He gave it. He's the author of
it. He's the power of it. Now in
our study last week we learned just how depraved we are. The
scriptures clearly pronounce all men are sinners. There's
none righteous, no not one. They're all guilty before God. Remember that in verse 10, Romans
3 verse 10. There is none righteous, no not
one. If you would sum up all humanity,
all humanity, all men everywhere that have ever lived, and that's
a whole lot of people, there is none righteous, no, not one. What's wrong with humanity? S-I-N, we are sinners, sinners
through and through. Now we know, now we know, it
says in verse 19, it's not what we think is right, I've heard
people in the past say, well, I don't know what the Bible says,
but I know what I think. Well, here's your problem. You're
thinking wrong. By nature, we think totally contrary
to the Word of God. It's not what we think is right,
it's what the Lord says is right. Shall not the judge of all the
earth do right? Now we know that what thing soever
the law says Here's what we know as revealed in the light and
the revelation of the testimony of God. The law of God declares
every sinner guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty before God. What is your standing before
the law? Guilty. Guilty before God. The holy law
of God pronounces all men everywhere sinful, totally sinful, and full
of guilt. Sin is the transgression of the
law. The law of God does not demand
the best we can do. The law of God demands perfection
or death. Now, the mystery and the beauty
of the gospel is how can this sinner be perfect? How can this
sinner or how can any sinner be perfect? The law does not
demand the best we can do. The law demands the best God
can do. It demands perfection or death.
It says the guilty must die. Ezekiel 18 says, the soul that
sinneth, the soul that sinneth shall die. Romans 6.23, the wages
of sin is death. The law says that those who do
not worship God perfectly must die. I've never worshiped God
perfectly. I've never done anything perfectly. And the scriptures teach, Leviticus
22, 21, it must be perfect to be accepted in the sight of God. Those who do not love God Almighty
perfectly must die eternally. The law declares every sinner
guilty. Guilty. No need to justify yourselves. It says there to stop your mouth.
Stop your mouth. We have no excuse, no alibi,
no appeal. We have no defense. You can hire
the best defense attorney. It's still guilty. The Senate's
come back guilty of charge. before the court of God's holy
law. Our only plea is guilt. Now, the good news of the gospel
is grace is for the guilty. Grace is for the guilty. Now,
if we understand something of what the law says in verse 19,
let every mouth be stopped, all the world guilty. Now, verse
20, therefore, Therefore, now that looks back
to what had just been said. Therefore, by the deeds of the
law, by any effort to say that you're going to obtain righteousness
by doing the law. Therefore, by the deeds of the
law, there shall no flesh be justified. What does it mean
to be justified? Cleared of all guilt. Cleared
of all guilt. There shall no flesh be justified
in His sight. Now you might look pretty good
to me and you might justify yourself before me, but I'm not the judge. God Almighty is the judge. Therefore
by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in
His sight for by the law, now watch this carefully, by the
law is the knowledge of sin. It doesn't say by the law, is
the removal of sin. By the law is the redemption
of sin. By the law is the knowledge of
sin. The knowledge of sin. By the
deeds of the law, works of the flesh, no sinner can be justified
before God by any vain attempts to satisfy God's law. Now, Galatians
chapter 3 verse 10, You know what the law says? The law says,
Cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things which are written
in the book of the law to do them. Not to admire them, to
do them. To do them perfectly so as to
satisfy God. Now, we must all confess we have
not obeyed the law One time, we have not obeyed one law, one
time. You say, well, I've never murdered
anyone. Yes, you have. You're guilty. You're guilty before God. We
have not obeyed the law one time, and we have no ability to do
so. Now, people look at those Big
Ten, the Big Ten. That's just a summation of the
780 other precepts of that law. 790 precepts of that law. We
have not obeyed one law one time and have no ability to do so. Now notice it says here, by the
law is the knowledge of sin. That's what the law revealed
and shows us. Turn to Romans 7. Romans 7, 7. What shall we say then? Is the
law sin? Is the law sin? No, the law is
holy, just, and good. God forbid, but nay, I had not
known sin, but by the law. For I had not known lust, except
the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. You see, the law is
a revelation. The revelation of sin. The law
can only reveal that we're sinners. It cannot remove our sin and
it cannot make atonement for our sin or provide a justifying
righteousness for us. The law having a shadow, remember? I studied from Hebrews 10. The
law having a shadow of good things to come. With those sacrifices
made under the law, there is no man justified by the blood
of bulls and of goats. Now, look at verse 21. And here's the good news. But
now, oh, oh, but now, But now the righteousness of God. Now this is not talking about
the essential character of God. He is holy, no doubt about this.
But this is the righteousness of God that's provided for guilty
sinners. Now how How good do I need to
be to stand before God justified? I need to be as good as God.
Well, how can that be? Right here is the answer. But
now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested
or revealed being witnessed by the law and the prophets. Now, here is the glory and beauty
and power of the gospel. But now, it reminds me that verse
over in Roman, or rather Ephesians chapter 2, where it describes
in verse 1, down through verse 3, everything we are by nature,
dead in sin, children of wrath, children of disobedience, and
then it says, but God, who is rich in mercy, for his great
love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sin, hath
quickened us together with Christ. The righteousness of God. You
see those four words, the righteousness of God. One of the most significant
statements found in the book of Romans concerning the gospel
of God. Now, we've seen this before.
Turn one page back, Romans chapter 1, verse 16, I'm not ashamed
of the gospel of Christ, For it is the power of God unto
salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew and also to the Gentile.
For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to
faith as it is written." Romans 1, 17. The righteousness of God
revealed from faith to faith as it is written, the just shall
live by faith. Now, hold your place here in
Romans 3 and look at Romans 10. Romans chapter 10. the righteousness
of God. Now, I not only need my sin removed,
and we have that in the blood atonement of Christ, don't we?
We're redeemed with the precious blood of Christ. I not only need
my sin removed, but I need something else. I need a righteousness
charge in my account. And we have both of those in
Christ. He is our Redeemer. He is Our righteousness before God.
The righteousness of God. Now, Romans 10. I told you to
turn there, right? Romans 10. Brethren, verse 1.
My heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they
might be saved. For I bear them record. that
they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For
they, being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about
to establish their own righteousness, had not submitted themselves
unto the righteousness of God. Now look at verse 4, Christ is
the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believe it. Blessed is a man whom the Lord
imputeth righteousness without works." Now, this is talking
about the justifying righteousness revealed in the gospel of the
Lord Jesus Christ, provided through the Lord Jesus Christ by his
obedience unto death, by his substitutionary sacrifice that
satisfied the justice of God. 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 the faith of
Jesus Christ. Now, without the law is manifested,
that is, without your personal obedience unto the law, without
your personal righteousness. Stack all your so-called goodness
and righteousness up, and God said it's filthy rags. It's filthy
rags in God's sight. So it's without your obedience,
without your righteousness, but rather by the obedience of the
Lord Jesus Christ who honored the law of God for us. Now, I've
said this many times over the years. bears repeating, the Lord
Jesus Christ honored the law of God for us. God just didn't
dismiss His law. The law had to be honored. The
law had to be magnified. The Lord Jesus Christ honored
every precept of that law. All those 800 precepts, He honored
every one of them. God said He did. This is my beloved
Son in whom I'm well pleased. The Lord is well pleased for
His righteousness sake. He will magnify the law and honor
it. You remember from Matthew 5,
17, He said, I didn't come to destroy the law, I came to honor
the law of God for us. So He satisfied every precept
of that law in His life, and in His death, He satisfied the
penalty of that law. Now I told you a little while
ago the law demands perfection or death, right? The Lord Jesus
Christ dies on Calvary's tree with the sin of God's people
charged to him. Therefore he's guilty before
God and he dies under the weight and condemnation of that law.
That's right. And in doing so, He redeemed
us from the curse of the law. You remember Galatians 3 verse
13, where Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, being
made a curse for us, curses everyone that hangeth on the tree. That's
what happened at Calvary. He was hung on the tree under
the curse and judgment of the law. The guilty must die. Now we are set free because He
paid our debt. and set us free. Now, it says
here it's being witness even the righteousness of God. Now
the righteousness of God without the law is manifested being witnessed
by the law and the prophets. Being witnessed by the law of
Moses and the prophets. Now, we read in Acts 10, 43,
"...to him give all the prophets witness." All the prophets, beginning
with Moses. Remember our Lord said, Moses
wrote about me. Even before the law was given,
Abraham, the Lord said, he rejoiced to see my day, he sought and
was glad. Jeremiah, one of the prophets
said, the Lord Jesus Christ is the Lord, our righteousness. David, King David, was justified
before the law of God in God's sight in Christ. For he writes
about it in Psalm 32. Blessed is that man to whom the
Lord will not charge sin. His hope of being justified before
God was not by the works of the law, but by the faithfulness
of the Lord Jesus Christ. By His faithfulness, not ours.
Jeremiah rejoiced in the Lord our righteousness. Abraham rejoiced
in the righteousness given in Christ. We're going to study
that in Romans chapter 4. Moses rejoiced in Christ. David
was justified in Christ. To him give all the law. Being witnessed by the law and
the prophets, they all give that same testimony. We're not justified
by the doing of the law, we're justified in Christ. Adam, the
first sinner, was justified in Christ. How do I know that? Well, you remember Genesis 3,
verse 21, God killed an animal and clothed them before he put
them out of the garden. And that is teaching us substitution,
satisfaction, and a covering, a robe of righteousness, a garment
of salvation. The Lord has always justified
every sinner by the righteousness of Christ charged to them. Turn one page, Romans 4. Look
at verse 3. For what saith the Scripture,
Abraham believed God, it was counted to him for righteousness.
Now to him that worketh is a reward not reckoned of grace, but of
debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that
justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Now it doesn't say that his faith is his righteousness. Faith lays
hold of Christ who is our righteousness, even as David also described
the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputed righteousness
without works. Isn't that good news? Now, I
hope you listen to our radio broadcast in the mornings. And I come over here early on
Sunday morning. about 6.30 or earlier, and restudy
what I've already studied on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
And I always turn on the radio program at 8.30. And sometimes
I click on the false prophet that comes on before I do. And I hesitated turning it on
this morning, but I turned it on in time to hear him make this
statement. I about fell over, but he's saying
exactly what he believes. Here's what he said. He said,
your destiny is determined by how you live. Now you think about
that. Your destiny is determined by
how you live. That's what this whole religious
world believes, and it's a lie. It's a lie. If your destiny is
determined by how you live, why did Christ come? If righteousness
is by the law, Galatians 2.21, if righteousness is by the law,
then Christ is dead and vain. So if the righteousness that
you have before God is by what you do, You have no hope. Now here's
what the scriptures teach. For by grace are you saved through
faith, and that not of yourself, it's the gift of God, not of
works, lest any man would boast. You see God has designed salvation
to exclude all boasting in the flesh. We're going to see that
over here in Romans 3 verse 27, where is boasting
then? It's excluded. It's excluded. Now, by nature, men naturally
think that they're going to earn salvation by what they do. That is totally contrary to what
the scriptures teach. It's not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to His mercy, He saved us. Now, the righteousness of God
without the law is manifested being witnessed by the law and
the prophets. Moses, Abraham, David, Jeremiah,
Isaiah, they all had the same hope. Christ our righteousness,
Christ our justifier. Now look at verse 22. Even the
righteousness of God. Now watch this, verse 22 carefully.
Even the righteousness of God. Now that means, where does it
come from? The righteousness that justifies
the ungodly, that justifies us before God. Where does it come
from? It doesn't say the righteousness of the church. or the righteousness
of your tradition, or the righteousness of your ceremony. It's the righteousness
of God. He provided the righteousness.
He is our righteousness. Even the righteousness of God,
which is, read this carefully with me now, which is by faith
of Jesus Christ. Oh! Oh! You mean that a sinner
is justified by the faithful obedience of another, not his
own personal faithfulness? That's exactly what that verse
is teaching. We are justified by the faithful
obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ, by the faith of Jesus Christ. Now, this is not the only place
where this is said, Turn to, if you can find Galatians over
here, past 2nd Corinthians, Galatians chapter 2 verse 16, it says that
again, Galatians 2 verse 16, page 265 in the Cambridge, Galatians
2 verse 16, knowing that a man is not justified by the works
of the law. Well there it is again, you see
that is all the way through the scripture. Not justified by the
works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ. Now I'm making a big deal about
that. If you get you a modern translation of the Bible, they
had changed that word of to in and it changes the whole meaning
of the gospel just in a little word. by the faith of Jesus Christ,
even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified
by the faith of Christ, not by the works of the law. For by
the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. So to make
a statement that my destiny is determined by how I live, Isn't
that sad? That's sad. That man's going
to hell. That man's going to hell. He
just, out of his own mouth, he just condemned himself. Man in his best state is altogether
vanity. There's none righteous, no, not
one. Now, even the righteousness of
God, which is by the faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon
all of them that believe, Oh, you say, well, there it is. There's
the catch. You gotta believe. Well, exactly
right. But where'd you get this faith?
Faith is the precious gift of God. Now stay with me. Faith is the precious gift of
God that He sovereignly gives to whom He will, that's obtained
by the righteousness of Christ. That's what the scriptures teach.
It says that exactly. That's 2 Peter 1, 1. By the righteousness
of Christ, we all have obtained like precious faith. That's why
faith is called precious. You see, we only believe according
to the working of His mighty power. Men by nature do not believe
the gospel of God's grace. Now, they'll lay hold on works. clean up, be the best you can,
straighten up, fly right, pay your bills, treat your wife decently,
be a good neighbor, all those things, I'm going to earn my
way. You're going to hell, plain and simple. You're trusting yourself
for salvation. You see, it's totally contrary
to the gospel. There's no difference Believing,
we believe through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. As
many were ordained to eternal life, believe the gospel. We
believe according to the working of His mighty power. By nature,
we love darkness, not light. Now, verse 23. All have sinned. All are guilty. All are sinners. There is none righteous, no,
not one. Where does that leave me? That leaves me justified in Christ. That's where it leaves me. Look
at the next verse. Romans 3, 24. This is one of
my all-time favorite verses in all the Word of God. Being justified
freely. It doesn't say we're justified by
our doing. Being justified freely by His grace. God saves every sinner whom he
wisely saves by his grace. All have sinned. All have sinned. You see, the scriptures teach
this truth of what we call federal headship. and representation. We're going to see in Roman chapter
5 that in Adam all died. By one man's disobedience many
were made sinners. There's that first representative
man. By the disobedience of one, many
were made sinners. By the obedience of another,
here's another federal head, shall many be made righteous
in God's sight. In Adam we died, in Christ we
are made alive. There is representation that
we have in Christ. God is going to deal with all
men everywhere in those two men. In Adam all died, in Christ all
shall be made alive. Being justified freely by His
grace. His grace His purpose and grace
in Christ given unto us before the foundation of the world being
justified freely by His grace through the means that God has
ordained, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Now,
get a hold of these two words right here. Righteousness and
redemption. We see this right here, don't
we? The righteousness of God that's revealed in the Gospel.
But of him are you in Christ, who of God is made unto us, what? Righteousness. Okay? We need not only a justifying
righteousness, but I also must have my sin put away. I must have a justifying atonement
for sin. Now, how is sin put away? How is sin put away? It's pretty
difficult to put away. The blood of bulls and goats
cannot take away sin. Without the shedding of blood,
there is no remission of sin. How is sin put away? Well, I'm just going to stop
sinning. I'm just going to pray long enough, and I'm going to
repent. I'm going to repent. I'm going
to pray. I'm just going to wish all my sins away. That's what
people think. How was sin put away? He appeared
once in the end of the age to put away sin by the sacrifice
of himself. So I have righteousness in Christ.
I have redemption in Christ. What do I have in Christ? Salvation
by the grace of God.