The whole world is under the same condition of sin, but God promised to send the Justifier through the line of Abraham.
Romans 3: God's Righteousness Upheld
1 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision?
2 Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God.
3 What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God?
4 By no means! Let God be true though everyone were a liar, as it is written, "That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged."
5 But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.)
6 By no means! For then how could God judge the world?
7 But if through my lie God's truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner?
8 And why not do evil that good may come?---as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.
No One Is Righteous
9 What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin,
10 as it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands; no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one."
13 "Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive." "The venom of asps is under their lips."
14 "Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness."
15 "Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 in their paths are ruin and misery,
17 and the way of peace they have 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, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.
20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
The Righteousness of God Through Faith
21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it---
22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
25 whom 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.
26 It 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.
27 Then 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.
28 For we hold that one 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 God is one---who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.
31 Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.
Romans 4: Abraham Justified by Faith
1 What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh?
2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.
3 For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness."
4 Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due.
5 And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,
6 just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:
7 "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;
8 blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin."
9 Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness.
10 How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised.
11 He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well,
12 and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
The Promise Realized Through Faith
13 For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith.
14 For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void.
15 For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.
16 That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring---not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,
17 as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations"---in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
18 In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, "So shall your offspring be."
19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb.
20 No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God,
21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.
22 That is why his faith was "counted to him as righteousness."
23 But the words "it was counted to him" were not written for his sake alone,
24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord,
25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
29 But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.
Things to think about…
1. I love hearing from Paul’s heart. Look what he says in Rom 3:1-8. The Jews had the law, the oracles, circumcision etc. Some were saying that Paul was making these things irrelevant with his preaching. Not true. He says both Jews and Gentiles were unrighteous before God. The Jews just had the blessing of receiving God’s righteous requirements. They were ‘trustees’. But even though they were trustees they still broke the law that they were entrusted with. Hence his statement in Rom 3:9 “Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin”. Let’s apply that to ourselves as Christians – are we any better? No, the only difference is grace.
2. Is there anyone in the human race that misses out on being described in Rom 3:10-18. I think we know the answer. No-one, we have all broken God’s law. Paul quotes Psalm 14, Ps 53 and bits and pieces from other Psalms as well as Isaiah 59. But look at the description. Consider the fact that Paul is describing you. Park there a while, it’s important. Who can save such a wretch? Paul describes the desperate condition of mankind and yet points to the Answer – Jesus, Rom 3:22.
3. Praise God there is a righteousness that comes to both the Jew and Gentile through Christ – Rom 3:21-27. Can we now reject the law? Paul gives the answer in Rom 3:31, certainly not. Faith upholds the law, but justification of the law comes only through Christ. This is the central truth and freedom of the gospel.
4. Paul clarifies his argument by using Abraham as an example Rom 4:1-12. Not only was Abraham before the law (of Moses) but he was also justified and made right before God before he was circumcised. How? By faith. Not faith in anyone or anything, but faith in the Lord – he believed in the Saviour to come. Note the difference between believing in God and having faith in God. Satan believes in God, but those who are made right with Him, have faith in God. Remember Job said that his redeemer lives and would stand upon the earth. Job by faith believed he would see Him face to face, Job 19:25-27. But it is also interesting to compare what Paul says about Abraham and his “righteousness” and what James says in James 2:18-24. James says Abraham was justified by faith and works. As has been said, Luther struggled with this concept from James and called his letter “an epistle of straw”. We would say that as a result of the gift of faith we are now created for “good works in Christ” Eph 2:8-10. Works follow grace. If works do not follow, the question needs to be asked as to whether God’s grace was applied the heart to begin with?
5. Paul goes on to say in Rom 4:13-25 that those who have faith rather than those who have ‘the law’ are the ones who are justified before God. The Jews are still blind to this today, and so are some Christians. Even though the Lord has wonderful promises installed for the Jews, the blood that runs through their veins does not save them or make them right before God. That requires a work of grace through the gift of faith – in Christ. Some Christians, even though they are justified by grace through faith, still embrace works as their identity. Our works are as filthy rags as Isaiah tells us, Isa 64:6.
6. It is interesting what Paul says in Rom 4:20, 21 that Abraham did not waiver in his trust of God’s promises. If this was not the case, why did Abraham accept Sarah’s offer of Hagar as a wife and allow the promise to be compromised through the birth of Ishmael? Just a thought. Is Paul a bit myopic here to prove a point? Possibly, but the sovereign hand of God allows the history of Abraham to point to spiritual truths in Christ. The blessing would come through Isaac, the promised heir and Isaac was in many ways a type of Christ. The Saviour to come, who was raised from the dead, Rom 4:24, for our justification, vs 25.
Vision Point for cell groups
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
Sermon title was “Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem” - from 2 Kings 25:1-21
1. Zedekiah feared man. He listened to his nobles and officers that encouraged him to resist the Babylonians rather than listen to God and surrender to the Babylonians. Has there been a situation where you have feared man and the consequences of obeying God and have not done what you knew to be right.
2. Jeremiah the prophet told Zedekiah that if he surrendered to the king of Babylon his family would be spared and the city would not be burned. He did not listen and in the end tried to escape when it was too late. The city and the temple were destroyed and he lost his family. Discuss how you know for certain that the Lord is leading you one way or another and that you are walking in obedience.
3. Jay mentioned 2 Christian men who fell in love with women who came from Muslim families. There were 2 different outcomes. Discuss the challenges of marrying someone who does not believe what you do.
Prayer Points
1. Mark Torrington (Zac’s dad) peacefully passed away last night. Please uphold his wife Sharon, Tessa, Zac, Bec and the family in your prayers. Their peace is in Christ.
2. Growth in our kids and youth ministries
3. Pray for testimonies that people will be giving every second week. Please consider when you would like to do yours when the pastor asks you to share yours.
4. Pray for other building projects – café roof, the repair of the house roof.
5. Witness over the Christmas season.
6. Growth, conversions, joy in the Word and Spirit to remain and increase.
Praise Points
1. Churches have been recognised as essential services and will be allowed to operate without restriction after new vaccination restrictions come in.
2. People encouraged by Sunday’s message.
3. Worship team and technical team. Thankyou Zac, Jean, Dan and Melinda.
4. More visitors and spirit of joy on Sunday.
Announcements
1. Members meeting Sun 28th Nov after the service.
2. Country Carols, monster trucks, fire works – Sat 11th Dec. Feel free to park at CBC if required.
3. Kids@church back. Please check your rosters
4. Recharge Youth – back on Friday 6:30pm at church all high schoolers.
5. Church bank details bsb:- 704 913 and Acc number:- 4000 4388 1
