ROMANS CHAPTER 3 VERSES 19-23 - MESSAGES IN ROMANS – WAS THE LAW OF MOSES ABLE TO FIX MAN’S PROBLEMS? HELP US! - MESSAGE 11
[A]. ALL MOUTHS SILENCED FOR ALL ARE GUILTY AND CONDEMNED
{{Romans 3:19 “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,”}}
When I was younger, a long time ago, some speakers used to deal with these passages on the Law as if they applied to us. By “us” I mean non-Jews, Gentiles, if you like. There were expressions such as, “The Law was not able to save us because we were unable to keep the Law.” Well, that sentiment was correct, only misapplied. As Gentiles we were never under the Law of Moses, and therefore that statement about not being able to keep the Law was invalid, because it applied ONLY to the Jews.
Paul most clearly focuses that fact in the opening of verse 19. The Law “speaks to those who are under the Law.” Right at the end of the chapter, the Apostle speaks a little more of the Law’s position, but in this verse, the attention is turned to accountability. That is the big issue here.
I suppose we may legitimately ask the question, “Why did God give the Law to men to keep when He knew that no one could keep it? That is a very good, and quite a difficult question. In our belief system, there are questions that we sometimes find difficult to answer. The honest thing is to admit we don’t know the answers to many things. Just to mention one for example, “Why did God create Lucifer when He knew what would happen and that it would lead to the whole of redemption and suffering for the Son of God who was born in the flesh as perfect Man and perfect God? OR a related question – “When Lucifer sinned, why did not God exterminate him so that sin was gone forever?”
The opening to verse 19 is simple, needing no explanation – the Law was for those to whom it was given, that is the Jews. The second half of the verse addresses the reason for the Law. Paul affirmatively states the purpose of the Law is to shut every mouth and therefore bring in accountability. That talks about a standard.
A standard is necessary for harmony and function. For example, those of you who have played any sport know that it is impossible to play that sport if there were not rules setting out procedures to maintain a standard. I used to play cricket at a higher level. I know that most Americans don’t know much, if anything, about cricket but in India and Australia and Bangla Desh, New Zealand (so many other places) most would know what I am speaking of.
When you have a standard clearly set out by rules, then everyone knows right and wrong. For those who follow cricket, as another example, there is a rule some don’t know about, and this is the rule. If a fielder stops the ball, or picks up the ball and has a cap in his hand or a piece of clothing and that comes in contact with the ball while stopping it, the batsman is awarded 5 runs. As opening batsman, that happened to me once.
Now what I just said leads to a problem. Dispute! Some will dispute the umpire’s decision to award 5 runs to the batsman if there is an infringement of the rules, as in the case above. However all the amount of argument is invalid if the rule is stated there as part of the code. That is what Paul means by, “that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God.”
The Law is God’s “code or standard”. To achieve righteousness then here are the rules and the code you must live by. The Law spelt that out, but man was utterly unable to keep those rules. Therefore, the Law revealed a serious problem. That problem did not lie with the Law but with the inability of those to keep the Law. The Law revealed, exposed, the sinfulness of man. That is what Paul means by “every mouth may be closed” because the person has no ground on which to stand. The sinner is therefore utterly undone before God.
The Law did not just condemn and leave it at that. It provided the ways and means for man to be right (acceptable) before God, and for sins to be covered over. However in the longer term, that was the problem – sins were covered over, not eternally forgiven, and forgotten, or judicially dealt with. That is covered more in verse 25.
Verse 19 closes with that fact of accountability. Once God exposes your sin and who you truly are, that makes you accountable. That is the part the world hates. It hates the finger of God on its pulse, but the pulse is sinful, and God puts His finger there to bring the person to a proper realisation of his and her true condition so he may turn to God and be converted.
In the judgement that will come to all unsaved sinners at the great white throne, not one will have an excuse and all will be accountable. All those who know cricket know that when a batsman has infringed the rules, in other words, has missed the mark by being bowled out, or caught, or run out, or stumped, then as a sign of the “penalty” the umpire raises his hand with the index finger up. THE BATSMAN IS OUT!
How terrible it will be to stand before God, and to use a cricketing term, “God raises His finger to declare you have failed,” and you have missed out. Where is the Umpire in this? The verse here answers that – {{Acts 17:31 “because He has fixed a day in which HE WILL JUDGE THE WORLD IN RIGHTEOUSNESS THROUGH A MAN whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”}} Accountability looms large in this chapter of Romans and 3:23 is one of the primary markers.
[B]. RIGHT AND WRONG? THE LAW REVEALS THE SINFUL CONDITION
{{Romans 3:20 “because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for THROUGH THE LAW COMES THE KNOWLEDGE OF SIN.”}}
Verse 19 covered the standard to bring all men accountable to God, but it leads into this next verse. We just saw accountability and now we see inadequacy because the Law exposed the sin of those who were to keep the Law, namely, the Jews. They failed. Every single person under the Law failed. The Lord Jesus Christ is the only One who has ever kept the Law to its full perfection.
The Apostle James penned these words – {{James 1:23-24 “For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror, for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.”}} He used the image of a mirror to show the natural man, and the mirror would show all the imperfections and problem in a person’s features. A few individuals spend much time before a mirror trying to cover over all the defects the person sees.
The Law was like a mirror. It showed the defects of sin in every individual and made provision for those defects (sin) through sacrifice. A Jew might have tried very hard with a disciplined life to keep the Law but there was a problem and it is this – {{James 2:10-11 for whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.”}} Failure in just one point makes you guilty, and is just as bad as breaking every part because the one who tried keeping the Law, kept missing the mark which is the sentiment behind verse 23.
That brings us to a vital fact. Just one “slip up” leads to condemnation. Some may think God is harsh but that critic fails to understand His character of holiness and righteousness, for that character can not permit any sin. In a pervious message we covered, “The soul that sins shall die,” and that’s because sin has eternal penalty. It is because of man’s continuing failure that in the fullness of time, Jesus Christ came to redeem those under the Law (and then the whole world also). Paul’s own words are - {{Galatians 4:4-5 “but when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”}}
Unless one is shown the standard of expectation then one is ignorant of what is required. Knowledge comes through education and without that, people do not know what is right or wrong. The Law was vital in that, for it educated people in right and wrong thus bringing the knowledge of sin. It is a bit in line with the verse we have in Galatians – {{Galatians 3:24 “Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ that we may be justified by faith.”}} Spiritual awareness always has responsibility whether it is the idol-worshipping pagan or the highly educated man. Once we know what God approves and disapproves, we must follow the right, and the right is to be converted so that we become followers of the living God.
We need to be led to the Light, and the Law was the light to show us what sin truly is, that is, it revealed sin to the Jew, and then it would lead the sinner to the Light. According to Romans 1 the pagan has a guide through conscience but now almost universally, the world has the knowledge of the gospel so none is excused.
In Romans 3:20 we are introduced to a lovely word that has a big place in Romans and that is “justification”. This big word means being acquitted from all negative things; from penalty; from judgement; from spiritual death; and placed in a position that is blameless and whole. It is related to righteousness, which means being in a place of “rightness in God’s sight”. Not one of us can do that for our self. No Jew could do it for the words of the Law condemned the person many times each day. Look at the 10 Commandments (part of the Law) and see how a Jew would have failed daily.
In God’s condemnation of sin through the Law, He gave also provision for that sin. All the animal and bird sacrifices were substitutionary – they died that the person offering them might live. All those sacrifices were forerunners of Christ’s sacrifice that was to come. They never eradicated sin but covered sins over until they could be dealt with. Those who know about painting know that you can paint wood that has untreated mould and untreated rot on the surface so that it is covered over but it is not eliminated. It will then often emerge again. The offerings were like that. For the time they covered over sin but complete eradication came with Calvary.
[C]. THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD CAN ONLY BE REALISED THROUGH FAITH
{{Romans 3:21 “Now apart from the Law THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,
Romans 3:22 even the righteousness of God THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST for all those who believe for there is no distinction.”}}
The righteousness of God has been declared but I want to look at the past and the future. Verse 22 is the future, (from the Prophets’ viewpoint), but the past – we will look at that. What was known about God’s righteousness before the Law? Did men even have knowledge of it?
When Adam and Eve sinned through disobedience we do read this – {{Genesis 3:21 “The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.”}} Right there in the beginning the Lord showed that sin causes death and that sin must have consequences and the provision of the Lord was a covering of skins (I think it was sheep skins, for the lamb (Lamb) would be the sacrifice. That lesson was learned and I believe Adam sacrificed for sin and trusted God after that.
The lesson was passed to his sons but Cain was willful and lived a sinful life. However Abel knew – {{Genesis 4:4 “and Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions, and the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering.”}} Without shedding of blood there is no remission of sin.
Here is an important verse – {{Genesis 6:9 “These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time. Noah walked with God.”}} If Noah was righteous, which he was, then he would have to have known about God’s righteousness. Yes, the righteousness of God was known about, and when it is known, there are consequences. Noah followed God and had life in God’s presence, but the others followed gross sinfulness {{Genesis 6:5 “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually,”}} and they all perished.
God’s righteousness is not a thing to disregard or fool around with or mock or pretend it does not exist. How many people listen these days? How many want to chase after folly? How many want to live the most pleasure filled selfish life dismissing every thought of God? We live in a godless generation but as we have said often in this examination of Romans, sin has consequences.
Abraham was the father of faith – {{Genesis 15:6 “Then he believed in the LORD and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.”}} He understood God’s righteousness. He understood God’s forgiveness through sacrifice – {{Genesis 15:9-10 He said to him, “Bring Me a three year old heifer and a three year old female goat and a three year old ram and a turtledove and a young pigeon. Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, and laid each half opposite the other, but he did not cut the birds.”}}
He understood substitution – {{Genesis 22:13 “Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns, and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son.”}} Yes, the righteousness of God was understood before the Law came in. Sacrifice and substitution were understood.
Apart from the Law, these things were understood. The Prophets speak about the righteousness and cleansing that was to come apart from the Law. There was to be a new covenant made with man that ushered in the Church and the future redemption of Israel when God makes a new covenant with the nation. The whole of the gospel is contained in the Prophets. Even within the Law is the promise of a future Redeemer and all the types and symbols of the Law foreshadowed a time of righteousness that would be through the cross.
Even in the new creation of the new heaven and earth and the New Jerusalem there will be the last act of righteousness – {{2Peter 3:13 “but according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”}}
The gospel was foretold in the Law and Prophets, and the great promises of righteousness were spelled out. It is one thing to state the truth but another to accept the truth. What was more unrewarding than the 120 years of faithful preaching and urging of Noah, that saw not even once convert. God forces no one, for heaven would be a miserable and hurtful place to be for the unconverted soul. He would not want to be there. His evil would hate it. {{Romans 3:22 “even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe for there is no distinction.”}} Note here the wording “for those who believe,” for each man and woman has an individual responsibility to believe or reject, but sadly, the delusion and the sinfulness of sin keep men from responding to the gospel.
[D]. THE GOSPEL IN A NUTSHELL – WELL, THE FIRST STEP
{{Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and (keep) fall(ing) short of the glory of God”}}
We now come to one of the best known verses in the whole bible. Many years ago when some of us were younger – in the 1940s to 1970s – and went to Sunday School, we used to have a memory verse on small cards which we would learn during the week and recite it the following Sunday for points. That was good as we used to learn some verses. I think that practice is almost eliminated in these days. Romans 3:23 was always one of those verses.
Paul is using this statement almost as a summary of what he has been explaining. The verse is simple the way it is written but profound in meaning. The whole human race is now declared guilty under sin, for ALL HAVE SINNED. Through that sin we will never connect with the glory of God. Many think the glory of God means His (own) personal righteousness.
It is true that “all have sinned” can go back to mankind’s initial fall for all of us are painted with that fall and thus are born with it and carry it all our lives. It is also true in a sense that every day we keep falling short of that glory because of who and what we are. We will just never reach the mark. It is something like an archer who keeps firing arrows at a target day and night and will always fall short, or to be brutally honest, comes nowhere near it, not even close.
God’s glory is that which surrounds Him as part of His presence. It is inherently His, eternal, and unknown to human beings. The nearest that man has ever come to it is the appearance to Moses, greatly veiled, and the Mount of Transfiguration, also greatly veiled.
Like rounding up sheep to be penned, Paul has rounded up the entire human race and placed them under sin. It is the condition we are all in. From that point onwards the Apostle will introduce the great words of the gospel such as grace, justification, faith, reconciliation, among others. The gospel of Jesus Christ must always begin with sin and any preaching that bypasses sin and focuses on “good things” and blessing in isolation is a spurious gospel. Sin becomes the whole initial focus of the gospel, for conviction of sin leads to repentance, and repentance leads to salvation. Those steps can not be bypassed.
We will continue with the remainder of Chapter 3 in the next message.
ronaldf@aapt.net.au
