Romans 3 B Righteousness By Faith

ROMANS 3B,  RIGHTEOUSNESS BY FAITH
ROMANS 3:21-26 
Introduction:   
Duct Tape or a Nail?
A man dies and goes to heaven. St. Peter meets him at the Pearly Gates and says, "Here's how it works. You need 100 points to make it into heaven. You tell me all the good things you've done, and I give you a certain number of points for each item, depending on how good it was. When you reach 100 points, you get in."
"Okay," the man says, "I was married to the same woman for 50 years and never cheated on her, even in my heart."
"That's wonderful," says St. Peter, "that's worth two points!"
"Two points?!"
"Well, I attended church all my life and supported its ministry with my tithe and service."
"Terrific!" says St. Peter. "That's certainly worth a point."
"One point!?!!"
"I started a soup kitchen in my city and worked in a shelter for homeless veterans."
"Fantastic, that's good for two more points," he says.
"Two points!?!!"
Exasperated, the man cries, "At this rate the only way I'll get into heaven is by the grace of God."
"Bingo! 100 points! Come on in!"
We often try to fix problems with WD-40 and duct tape. God did it with a nail. Only by the blood of Jesus!

We addressed the first 8 verses on Wednesday evening.
Brief recap
I am going to read through verses 9-20.
Paul is wrapping up the charges that all are under sin, that there is no one righteous.
Everyone has turned their own way.
He says that the whole world is held accountable to God.  vs. 19
Our text today begins with the two words, But now….
Many say that this passage is the heart of the Epistle.
From chapter 1:18 to this point Paul has been expounding the idea that all people deserve wrath and judgment.
This passage turns the corner.
We begin to see and read about the saving righteousness that is made available through Jesus Christ. 
So Paul is telling us to throw the duct tape and wd 40 away and grab the nail scared hands of Jesus.
Let’s hear what Paul has to say about this righteousness of God.

I.    The revelation of the righteousness  vs. 21

A.    But now
That three letter word but is a very big word.
I remember years ago a time that Sis Douglas was speaking right here.   I remember 2 words that she shared that she emphasized in her message.   But God!
I now that she referenced several situations in the Bible sharing that they were one way but God and things turned out differently. 
But now takes us today into a new area of the book of Romans. 
We are moving beyond, through, on the other side of the law.
There is a new kid, a new man, a new boss in town. 
There is a new factor to be reckoned with.
The new man, this new factor in town is the righteousness from God.  
A key is that this righteousness from God has been made known. 
It has been revealed.
The light has been turned onto it.
It is not something that is talked about coming at some time.
This righteousness of God is now right before their eyes and heart.

B.    The two sides of this righteousness
The one side is the verdict against sin.
Establish justice and righteousness by calling out the verdict against sin.
The word righteous very often occurred in the context of ruling or judging in the OT.
Genesis 18:24-26  Abraham is pleading the case for Lot and Sodom and Gomorrah.  Will you not spare the place if you find 50 righteous?  You won’t kill the righteous with the wicked will you?  Will not the judge do right?  God do right and judge our enemies.
Yet we do not want God to judge us.   Psalms 142:1   “I cry aloud to the LORD; I lift up my voice to the LORD for mercy.”
The verdict against sin says God do what you need to do against sin but spare me. 
The other side is vindication. 
It is the deliverance from sin. 
We want God to clear us.
Psalms 51:1-17

C.    Paul is telling us here that the righteousness from God has come to do just that. 
We see that the righteousness of God then consists both of God’s desire to establish his justice throughout the earth and his deliverance of the sinful.
It holds in balance both God’s wrath to condemn evil and his love to save.
Paul is going to expand deeper here in Romans God’s love to save.

II.    The Availability of God’s Righteousness to all on the basis of faith (vv. 22-23)

A.    Through faith in Jesus Christ
Faith
Faith means firmly believing and trusting in the crucified and risen Christ as our personal Lord and Savior.
Faith involves repentance, in true sorrow turning from sin.
Faith includes obedience to Jesus Christ and His Word as our way of life.
Faith includes a heartfelt personal devotion and attachment to Jesus Christ.

B.    To all who believe
The all includes the Jew and Gentile alike.
This fulfills the promise made to Abraham in Genesis 12:3  “All peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
Your race or religious background does not matter. 
As Paul said to the jailer in Acts 16:31,  Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved and your house.
Here in Romans 10:13 Paul says for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

C.    The key that makes this all inclusive is that all have sinned.
Everyone is in the same boat.
We are lost sinners condemned to die.

III.    The source of God’s righteousness,  Vs. 24,25a

A.    The source is the provision of Christ for our sins on the cross.
 There are 4 key phrases in these two verses that show us the source of this great righteousness.
Through faith in His blood.  
The object of our trust is the blood of Jesus.
Now that is interesting because a crucifixion is not a very bloody act.
The blood refers to a blood sacrifice.
In the OT the animal would pay the price for the one offering the sacrifice.
God dwelt with our sins by transferring them to Christ.
A sacrifice of atonement
Propitiation  or to appease
A holy God can not stand sin.
A holy God has to deal with sin in a judgmental way.
Christ took the beating for us for our sin. 
Redemption that came by Christ Jesus
We have a tendency to think of redemption as a football player who drops a pass and then turns around as the game is winding down and catches the winning pass.
In the Bible redemption is the requirement of someone else to step in.
If you lost your land to debt another family member could step in a redeem or buy your land back.
Israel’s redemption from Egypt was done by none other than God.
The one who intervened for us was Christ.
These three combined provides our justification freely by God’s amazing grace.
Faith in His blood that was offered by Christ Jesus as an atonement for our sins graciously provides for us justification before God.
We can not do it alone.
We need to go to the source.

B.    Thank God for his amazing grace.

Conclusion:   
I hope that you are not still trying the duct tape and WD 40.
We need faith in the blood of Jesus that was offered by Christ Jesus as an atonement for our sins providing that justification for us.
Invitation: