The Impotency of the Law

Romans 3:9-31

    What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; [10] as it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one; [11] there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; [12] all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one. [13] Their throat is an open grave, with their tongues they keep deceiving, the poison of asps is under their lips; [14] whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; [15] their feet are swift to shed blood, [16] destruction and misery are in their paths, [17] and the path of peace have they not known. [18] There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

     [19] Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may become accountable to God; [20] because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.

    [21] But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, [22] even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; [23] for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, [24] being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; [25] whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; [26] for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. [27] Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. [28] For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. [29] Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, [30] since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.  [31] Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.  

What the Law does not give you:

Righteousness:  this has to do with our intrinsic nature.  We are born sinners.  It is not that we one day sin and then become a sinner.  King David referred to this.

Psalm 51:5

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.

It is our nature to sin.  Our natural proclivity or bent is to sin.  It is outside the scope of a person’s ability to please God.  Paul references this in Ephesians 2:1-4,

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, [2] in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. [3] Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

The only thing that pleases God, the only action that one might attempt to extend to God that He would accept is righteousness.  Isaiah says that,

But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. Isaiah 64:6

If the Law could have made us righteous, God would not have had to send His only begotten Son to die on our behalf.   

Understanding:

Paul goes on to say in v. 11 that we do not understand God.  If we (mankind) had truly understood God, we would have realized that God doesn’t want our attempts to be good.  He wants us to cry out for mercy, as sinners, and receive the grace and mercy that He grants to us.  We would understand that what God calls us to is to live in His righteousness, not our own.

Desire for God:

Sinners don’t desire God.

This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 1 John 1:5

Sinners quite naturally are opposed to the Light

And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. John 1:5  

And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. John 3:19

Those in darkness don’t have any desire for God to expose their nature:

For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. John 3:20

There is no goodness…we become useless:

There will be those who will answer this with the question, “Then why is it that people are able to do good deeds?”  Paul is not talking about moral goodness.  Moral goodness is a part of the “image of God” that was a part of our creation.  Moral goodness stands behind things like giving relief aid, protective agencies (children, animals, nature and environmental issues, etc.).  My question to these things is, “what is the motive?”  Shouldn’t it be to the glory of God?  Where does one derive the strength to do these things?  Shouldn’t it be in giving God the glory for the strength?  If God isn’t giving the strength, direction, motivation, wisdom for these things, then guess where the glory goes?  Man gets it (pride, self-sufficiency, self-goodness, etc.)

Righteous dealings with others:

What is listed below reveals the truth of vs. 12-15.  Mankind is not getting better.  Mankind outside the scope of God’s grace is spiritually dead and incapable of God’s demands of righteousness.

                                                                                    Based on the final 2004 FBI Crime Statistics 

Freedom from destruction:

Destruction is exactly the end result of the sinful nature. 

Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Matthew 7:13

I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish." Luke 13:5

And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.

John 10:28

For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 1 Thes. 5:3

These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 2 Thes. 1:9

and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 2 Thes. 2:10

Peace:

This is not the peace that is sought after by the world.  The world wants peace among nations.  How can that be?  When vs. 12-15 have already stated the heart motivations of mankind.  Mankind does not understand God, nor does he understand the vast expanse of the destructive nature of sin.  Because sin is so destructive, it cannot at the same time bring peace.  God wants us to be at peace with Him, but that is not possible through human endeavor (living by the Law).

Fear of God:

If there was a fear of God, there would be wisdom and understanding.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Proverbs 9:10

Justification:

Verse twenty could not be more clear.  How can we be justified by the Law, when the Law is shouting with “all its might” that we are sinners.  No sinner in and of his own work can stand before God as God demands. 

What faith in Christ does give you:

Paul turns the corner in his thoughts from that which is impossible to that which has been made possible through the work of Christ.  He declares that the righteousness that the Law demands for each of us has been accomplished outside the boundaries living by the Law.  The righteousness has actually been given to us as a gift  

• We are freed from the bondage of the law

• We are justified by His grace (v.24)  This is a grace/faith issue…not by works

• We come to understand the righteousness of God as it was displayed to us through the propitiatory (rendering one favorably disposed towards another) action of the Lord Jesus Christ  1 Corinthians 5:21 decrees this.

• The law is accomplished in our hearts through faith in Christ 

• Being justified brings peace.  Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, having been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Our hope before God lies in our righteousness.  Our Lord accomplished that for us on the cross.  His righteousness justifies me before God.  It is not by something that I have done, but through faith.  Knowing that we are justified before God, provides the avenue to peace.  (This is where we will pick up next week.)