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. 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.
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.
Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. (Romans 3:19-28 NIV)
Happy Reformation Day! I have to admit, I’m a little embarrassed today. I’ve been a Lutheran pastor for 8 years, and I realized that I have never preached a sermon on Romans 3. So what? This is what it’s all about! If you listen to people today, you might think that Christianity is all about ending abortion. Or Supreme Court justices. Those are worthy causes, but that’s not what it’s all about. There’s a message—one message—at the heart of Christianity. It’s a message that the Lutheran Reformers called the “chief article in all Christian doctrine” and “the teaching on which the Christian Church stands or falls.” It’s what we hear in Romans 3: Justification by faith.
That’s a big word—“justification.” Do you know what it means? The word “justify” is a courtroom word. Justify means to “declare not guilty.” It’s when the judge says “not guilty” and slams down his gavel and the handcuffs are released and the door is opened and the prisoner is free… Justified. Not guilty! Is that you? Romans 3 takes us into God’s courtroom. It tells us a sad truth: “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.” There’s not much suspense in God’s courtroom. Are you and I guilty? Yes! “All have sinned!” There’s no excuse. “Every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.” Guilty!
Except someone shouts, “Objection!” At least that’s what they do on TV, right? “Objection!” Know who that someone is? You. When the Bible condemns our sins, we want to jump out of our seats. “Objection! I’m not that bad! I’ll tell you who’s guilty. The man who drove 100 mph on Lombardi Ave. and killed three innocent people, that man is guilty! Not me! The man who murdered two people here on the east side, that man is guilty! Not me. Every mouth be silenced? Come on. Not me. I try to be kind. I work hard. I care for my family. Look at all the good I do!”
That’s the problem. If you trust in the good you do, that’s the problem. Listen to how it works in God’s courtroom: “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.” No one has done enough good to be saved. Still disagree? Imagine a drunk driver killed your best friend. You go to the courtroom for his trial. Imagine if that drunk driver stood up to defend himself: “Come on. 99% of the time, I drive sober. I only drive drunk 1% of the time. What’s the big deal?” What would you be screaming? “Punish him. Punish him!” 99% of the time isn’t good enough. And who here has been good 99% of the time? No way. How many people are ready to accuse you of your sins?
You’re starting to squirm. We haven’t even heard the prosecution make their case. Here’s what comes right before our lesson. It’s God’s charges against humanity. “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one. Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know. There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Romans 3:11-18). God rests his case. What can we say? Every mouth is silenced by God.
In fact, the more you read the Bible, the more sinful you realize you are. “Through the law we become conscious of our sin.” You invite your boyfriend to move in, like everyone does. Save money. Smart right? But then you read, “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral” (Hebrews 13:4). You like to say “Oh my God” or text OMG! But then you hear, “The Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name” (Exodus 20:7). You get angry at other people. They deserve it, right? Except Jesus says, “Anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment” (Matthew 5:22). Laws don’t make people good. Laws shows us our sin. This is what God’s commands in the Bible do: “Through the law we become conscious of our sin.”
In the early 1900s, a British newspaper asked its readers, “What’s wrong with the world?” What would you say? A Catholic theologian sent in his response. “What’s wrong with the world?” He wrote: “Dear Sirs: I am.” He got it. In the midst of all the blaming, here’s the truth: The biggest problem in my life is my sin. No amount of good that I do could ever undo the sin I’ve done. “No one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law.” Do you get it? If you’re trusting in your goodness, here’s the verdict in God’s courtroom: Guilty. You? Guilty. You? Guilty. You way in the back? Guilty too. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
That should be the end of it. But before the gavel is slammed in God’s courtroom, a man, smiling, stands up and says, “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’s a righteousness that doesn’t come from you. In God’s courtroom, being good doesn’t come from being good. Being not guilty doesn’t depend on being not guilty. “This righteousness of God is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.”
What does that mean? There’s a verse way back at the beginning of the Bible about Abraham. It says, “Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness” (Genesis 15:6). Abraham wasn’t righteous—good—because of what he did. He was sinful. But when Abraham trusted in God’s promise of a Savior, God counted that faith as righteousness. God declared him “Not guilty!” not by his works, but by his faith in Jesus. And that’s not just the way it works for Abraham. “This righteousness of God is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.”
So faith is pretty important, huh? What’s faith? It’s not knowledge. It’s not knowing stuff. Faith is trust. Faith is trusting in God’s promises. Like, “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). Faith is trusting God’s grace. “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). Faith is trusting in Jesus’ sacrifice. “All are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Faith is trusting that what Jesus did, he did for you.
This past August, a 13-year-old boy in Nigeria was sentenced to 10 years in prison for using foul language against Allah. 10 years! There’s been an outcry. In fact, 120 people around the world have offered to each sit in prison for one month to fulfill his sentence for him. That’s what Jesus did for us. Except, he didn’t sit in jail for a month. He gave his life. “God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith.” God is a just God who needs to punish sin. God is a gracious God who wants to save sinners. How? Punish sin and save sinners? How? At the cross of Jesus. The cross is where God’s justice and grace meet.
Jesus justified the world at the cross. Sometimes people say that “justified” means “just as if I’d” never sinned. Have you heard that? It’s memorable. But the truth is even better. Jesus didn’t just take away your sins. He doesn’t just give you a fresh start. He gives you his righteousness to wear all the time. God declares you “Not guilty!” once and for all. Not, “one day you might be forgiven.” Not, “try harder and we’ll see how it goes.” Not, “in heaven it will be better.” Now. Forgiven. Justified. Today! When Jesus died and rose, it was like the gavel slamming down. “Not guilty.” You. “Not guilty.” You. “Not guilty.” The handcuffs are off. No more guilt. Free!
By faith. By faith! Don’t think for a second that you have to earn it. Don’t think for a second that it depends on you. The Bible does everything it can to convince us that it’s all by faith. Just look at all the little phrases: Apart from law (21)… Freely (24)… Apart from the works of the law (28)… Given through faith (22)… To all who believe (22)… To be received by faith (25)… Who justifies those who have faith in Jesus (26)… By faith (28)… Could God possibly be any more clear? By faith in Jesus. “A person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.” By faith!
That’s the only way troubled consciences find peace. By faith in Jesus. That’s the only way you can face death without fear. By faith. A sad email went to WELS pastors this week. An old, beloved pastor in our church body is dying from COVID. He’s a professor whom every pastor has heard preach or speak. The email was short. No calls. No visits. But he’s content in his dear Savior, looking forward to being with him. He asks all to join in prayer to Christ, asking Him for a blessed departure. This old man, struggling to breathe on his deathbed, can’t do anything. But he doesn’t have to! Jesus already did. Jesus did everything. He is saved. He is justified by faith.
Can you see how this message is our most precious treasure? This is the teaching on which the Christian Church stands or falls. “All religions are the same,” we hear. What a lie! All religions are not the same. Because all gods did not come into our world to die to save their people. Just One did: Jesus. Every other religion describes how by doing good, you go to God. Christianity describes how God came to us. It’s not what you do that saves. It’s what Jesus did. The world says, “Do!” Jesus says, “Done!” The world says, “Guilty!” Jesus says, “Justified.” By faith.
This is why Christians ought to be the most humble people on the face of the earth. “Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.” It seems like Christians are learning to be arrogant. How? Everything—everything!—depends on Jesus. The apostle Paul, who did more good than all of us together said, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14).
Martin Luther, at the start of the Lutheran Reformation, wrote a little book about these verses. He called it, “The Freedom of the Christian.” This is what sets you free—“Justification by faith.” You are right with God. By faith. You are forgiven of every sin. By faith. You have eternal life. By faith. That means that you are free. Free from sin. Free from guilt. Free from fear. Free from the expectations of the people around you. This is the freedom of the Christian. No matter what happens on Election Day. No matter what direction this country goes. The freedom of a Christian comes from Jesus. “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.” The freedom of a Christian!
This is what it’s all about! When you pray, don’t just pray that your children would be healthy. Pray to God that they believe in Jesus. Pray to God that he keep us steadfast in his Word, because it if were up to us, we would have lost the truth long ago. Pray to God that there would continue to be churches and pastors who teach about justification by faith, which “is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” Pray to God that when you are on your deathbed, this may be your dying thought: “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.” This is what it means to be a Lutheran. It’s to trust in Jesus by faith alone.
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