Romans 3:19–28

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¹⁹Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. ²⁰For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. ²¹But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— ²²the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: ²³for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. ²⁶It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. ²⁷Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. ²⁸For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

What should I do?

What is right in this situation?

How can I be a better person?

I wish someone would just tell me what to do?

What are the rules?

Aren't there any guidelines to follow?

By nature we are people of the law. We want law. We need law. We are insecure without laws. We need someone to tell us what to do; to show us how to act. The law gives us security because it tell us how to act in almost any situation. So we continuously make up laws, rules, codes, regulations and guidelines. We have rules about how to act in every situation; procedures to follow for everything we do in life. When we face a new situation that there is not a rule for, we make new guidelines for that situation. In the end our lives, our thinking, our moral compass is based on laws.

We love law so much that we use the law to try to be more holy, more righteous in God's eyes, more acceptable to God. We measure how good a person we are by how well we obey laws. We compare ourselves to others by what good things we do. We think that by obeying God's laws we become more righteous. Most religion is based on the principle that doing works to makes you more holy. That was the situation in 16^th Century Europe. What must I do to escape hell and get into heaven? And the more people asked, the more rules were made for people to obey. If people were good enough perhaps they would go to heaven. Hopefully the good would outweigh the bad. But how many good works does a person have to do? Just how good do you have to be in order to go to heaven? Have I done enough? Is one good deed a day enough, like a boy scout? Or what about buying my way into heaven. Can I just buy indulgences? How many must I buy to spring my grandmother form purgatory? These were the questions on people's minds in the 16^th Century. Such a law oriented mankind!

But God tells us through the Apostle Paul in our text, "The law speaks to those under the law so that every mouth may be stopped." In other words, "shut up all you who brag about how good you are." He says, "Obeying the law doesn't make you a better person. Following the rules doesn't make you righteous. For the law only makes you more accountable to God for your sins." "By works of the law no human being will be justified in God's sight." That's a future tense verb. It is looking toward judgment day. That is to say, "Obeying all the rules and regulations, following all the procedures and guidelines, doesn't make you one bit better than anyone else, and it won't help you one smidgen on judgment day!" So shut your mouth all you who boast about how good you are. This is what God is saying in verse 19.

In verse 20 God tells us that the law you become aware of your sin. The law binds you. It makes you a slave. It is a chain around your neck and it casts you into the sea. The law does not advance you on the path to holiness. The law cannot make you more righteous, quite the contrary, it increases your sins! It condemns you. According to the law you are God's enemies. According to the law you are dead in your trespasses and sins. Law crushes you. It kills you. It leaves you six-feet under in a cold, dark, lonely grave. For the law says you are a sinner, and the wages of sin is death! Period! You are dust, and to dust you must return. For when Adam sinned, death entered into the world and passed to all men, because all sinned (Rom 5). That's it, you have sinned. It is done. It's an historic fact. You can't go back and change it. You are now a sinner. You sinned and are condemned. Paul tells us in Galatians, "...by works of the law no one will be justified." Doing what the law says can never make you a better person or justify you before God, because the work of the law is to kill! It only works death. It is not capable of giving life. So no reason to boast about the good you do, it doesn't make you any better.

Once, I committed a crime. I was arrested and taken to court. I was found guilty. Then came the sentencing phase. I got the death penalty.

Dear God, help me! Save me! I have sinned. I'm condemned to die! What can I do to be a better person? What law must I obey to become righteous in your sight?

(Pulpit)

But now, apart from the law! the righteousness of God has been manifested. God has had mercy! They told me I had to come the next day at 10:00 am for the execution. But, I already had a doctor appointment at 10:00 am the next day. Now what do I do? I can't show up to the electric chair. I said to myself, "I know what I'll do. I have a friend. I'll ask him to go in my place, while I'm at the doctor's office." So my friend went to the electric chair for me. His name was Jesus. And because he was punished for the crime, God has dropped the charges against me. God changed my verdict from guilty to innocent! because someone else died in my place. God has now declared me righteous, but not because I obeyed any law, rather, because someone else obeyed it for me and suffered the punishment.

Jesus became sin for you. He absorbed your sin into his flesh and crucified it on a cross. He obeyed God's law perfectly, and then gave you his righteousness. You are not righteous because you obeyed the law. You are not made righteous by doing good works. You are counted righteous by God's decree. He has declared you righteous on account of faith in Jesus.

He declares righteous all who believe in Jesus Christ, apart from the law,... apart from good works,... on account of faith. For all have sinned and lack the glory of God, but you are justified by God's grace as a gift to you. The law does not advance you on the path to righteousness! Doing good works does not make you righteous. Only the works of Christ are righteous. And his righteousness was given to you by baptism, as God tells us in Galatians, "As many of you as were baptized into Christ have been clothed in Christ." God has clothed you with the fine linen of Christ's righteousness. You are made right with God through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. This is the message of the Reformation. This is the message of the Scriptures. This is the message of the Apostles. This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the eternal gospel which the angel flying overhead proclaims to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people.

Those who rely on works of the law are under a curse; as it is written, "...All who rely on works of the law are under a curse;....(Gal 3:10)." But, God has declared you righteous on account of faith. He says in Galatians, "Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness." Faith counts as righteousness.

So now, it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for "the righteous shall live by faith." You once were bound by law, slaves to law, but now you are set free. Yesterday you were a Canaanite soul bent over by sin; today you have been made straight by the Word. Yes, like that paralytic, you were flung upon a bed, exhausted and paralyzed; today you are raised up from your bed and take it up. Yesterday you were like Lazarus lying in a tomb; today you have heard to loud voice of Jesus, "Lazarus, come forth," and you were loosed from your grave clothes.

The chains of law have been broken. You are free! "If you remain in my word, you are my disciples and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free." (John 8:31). You were once dead in your sins, now are raised from the dead and made alive unto God.

You were made alive in baptism. In baptism you died with Christ and the Holy Spirit came into you to create a new person in you and raise him up from the dead. Today you are a new person. The Spirit of God did not just fix the old you, he killed the old you and created a new you in its place. He has set you free from the law of sin and death (Rom 8:2). Free to love others. Use your freedom for love. Since your baptism the powerful Spirit of God is at work in you to create love for others. We do not preach that if you are a Christian you should love, rather we preach that love will happen, because Jesus Christ died for you. The Spirit is powerful, he is active. He is mighty. He has breathed new life into those old, dead bones. Expect great things from him. Expect great changes in your heart, your love, your attitudes, for the Holy Spirit is at work mightily in you. God has declared you righteous in his eyes. So as long as you remain in faith, the Holy Spirit will continue to do good works in you and through you.