WITHOUT A LEG TO STAND ON
Romans 3:9-20
“I’m tired of all the negative news!”
“You’ve been telling us that this is a book of “Good News!” yet so far all you’ve given us is BAD news!”
Cal Thomas comes to town with more bad news about the condition of our society!
When do we get to hear some good news?
Before we can understand how good the good news is, we must understand how bad the bad news is!
Therefore, Paul starts with the bad news:
1:18-3:20: The necessity of the gospel
1st: demonstrates pagans are guilty 1:18-32
Problem with pagan people:
Pagans don’t acknowledge God–in spite of evidence–they know–shut it out!!
Pagans aren’t grateful to God for what He’s done for us
Pagans do what comes naturally–they know right from wrong, but they do wrong anyway–and even praise those who do wrong!
2nd: good people are guilty 2:1-16
Problem with “good” people
God’s standard: you must consistently do good!–all the time!
Problem: NOBODY consistently does good!–even good people can’t consistently obey God!
Whether they learned their standards from God’s law, from what’s recorded in their heart, or from a written code, people don’t do what we know we’re supposed to do.
THE JUST IN GOD'S SIGHT
AREN'T THOSE WHO HEAR THE LAW
BUT THOSE WHO DO WHAT THE LAW SAYS
Since no one consistently DOES it, we all have a problem:
3rd: Religious people are guilty 2:17-3:8
Israel’s condition represents spiritual condition of all religious people
Though their code comes from God, they’re guilty because they don’t live by the code!
PRIVILEGED + EXTERNAL ≠ INTERNAL
POSITION RITUAL TRANSFORMATION
Though religious people go through motions–do lots of “religious” things–heart still has problem.
Queen Mary: Luxury liner carried +/- 2000 passengers across the Atlantic 1001 times; impressive 81,000 tons of steel; 3 smokestacks 36 ft. long; 23 ft. wide; made of sheets of steel over an inch thick; 30 coats of paint.–when lifted off, they crumbled–external appearance was hiding internal reality!
Jesus said that was the Pharisee’s problem!
–dishes polished on the outside
–whitewashed tombs
Religious people–though pretty on outside– still rotten on inside!
External rituals don't change internal condition.
So, if pagans are guilty, . . .
if good people are guilty, . . .
if religious people are guilty, . . . Who does that leave?
Summary declaration 3:9
All humanity is lumped together under one verdict: "Guilty!"
We’re all guilty!
We’re all “under sin”– enslaved by it! We deserve God's judgment.
We all deserve to die!–as much as any terrorist!
Each one receives his own well-deserved verdict from the Just Judge: GUILTY!
Billy Sunday: about to begin meetings in a large city. He wrote the mayor and asked for names of individuals he knew who had a spiritual problem and needed help and prayer.
He was surprised when the mayor sent him phone book!
[ Verdict confirmed in O T ] --not new discovery.
From beginning, God has always affirmed that man is a sinner.
Quotes from OT—mostly observations in Psalms—to demonstrate why all people are guilty:
Because of our CHARACTER 3:10-12
David repeats description on two occasions:
Ps 14 and again in Ps 53, David depicts heavenly scene:
God is looking down on earth out of heaven.
Similar to 2 Chron 16:9, that many claim for our personal encouragement: “The eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth, looking for those whose heart is totally His, who are totally committed to Him.”
God looks to see if anyone understands the truth—if anyone seeks Him.
His conclusion: Not one! No one is looking for Him!
Every one wanders off in our own direction, totally corrupt, trying to live for ourselves.
O.T. declares repeatedly: man is a rebel!
No one is righteous. No one understands the truth. No one seeks God
All have gone astray.
All have become useless.
Not one single person does what is right! Not one!
What a negative view of rebellious character of humanity!
People say they knew a person who spent their whole life seeking God and died without finding Him.
Or, they know someone who lives more righteous than many Christians, though he’s never trusted Jesus Christ.
How should we understand such cases in the light of this passage?
Who is right? Paul, speaking for God, or these people?
How should we apply this when we approach family and friends that don't know Christ?
Unless God prepares the heart, there’s NOT A CHANCE they’ll turn to Him.
The only reason any of us turn to God is because He draws us to Himself.
Our character is dead set against it!
[ 2nd reason O.T. gives to show all people are guilty is . . . ]
Because of our CONDUCT 3:13-17
David again says: 5:9 “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.”
140:3 “The poison of vipers is on their lips.”
Unidentified psalmist: 10:7 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
Isaiah joins the chorus: 59:7 f “Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.”
Picture of humanity Paul paints isn’t pretty!
All human activity is contaminated, from head to toe!
Our throat smells like an open grave. What a putrid odor comes out from it!
Our tongue lies. Our lips produce poison.
Our mouth is full of cursing and bitterness–it flows from it!.
Our feet rush to kill and to harm others.
We know nothing about how to find peace!
In every sense of the word, the human race is in sad shape!
We’re rushing headlong toward death.
[ 3rd reason from O.T. which shows that all are guilty is . . . ]
Because of our ATTITUDE 3:18
Ps 36: David describes our attitude: “An oracle is within my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked. There is no fear of God before his eyes. For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin. The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful. He has ceased to be wise and to do good. Even on his bed he plots evil [i.e., he lies awake at night thinking about ways to hurt others]. He commits himself to a sinful course and does not reject what is wrong.”
Paul summarizes small part of David’s words: “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
Underlying cause of our sin:
Our attitude demonstrates we have no reverence for God.
Our eyes don't see anything that might cause us to fear God.
If this is true, then WHAT GOOD IS THE LAW?
THREE REASONS FOR THE LAW 3:19-20 Three things law does:
The law SHUTS US UP 3:19a
The law CONDEMNS US 3:19b
Businessman told Mark Twain, "Before I die I want to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. I want to climb Mt Sinai and read the Ten Commandments aloud at the top."
Twain: "I have a better idea. You could stay here in Boston and keep them."
The law REVEALS OUR SIN 3:20
Law doesn’t resolve the sin problem.It just makes us aware of it!
Law can't help us.
All it can do is condemn us and shut our mouths; it makes us responsible before God; —responsible for our sin.
It can’t justify us before God; it makes us aware of how sinful we are.
Paul’s words show he’s referring to more than just Moses’ law.
NO law will EVER save us, or make us pleasing to God.
Approaching God on the basis of any system of rules and regulations is eliminated (even traffic laws!).
Laws are like a plumb line-- A plumb line just proves that a crooked wall is crooked.
No matter how you use it, a plumb line can't make a crooked wall straight!
Law is God's plumb line, designed to show people we’re crooked, or sinful.
It was never intended to make us straight or righteous--indeed, it never could.
Our own standards, those we use to criticize others, show we’re sinners.
We always come up short.
When we put ourselves under any system of rules,
it becomes apparent we’re sinful rebels.
TOURIST CENTER BY THE SEA
Due to this condition, no one can save himself.
That's why God made a plan to give His Own holiness to those who stop trusting themselves and trust Him.
LAW ONLY SERVES TO:
SHUT OUR MOUTHS CONDEMN US REVEAL OUR SIN
It could never save us!
Henry Moorhouse: Many people have hard time recognizing our guilt. One lady said, `I can't see how a person who breaks just one commandment can be as bad as someone who breaks five, or all of them.' `Suppose you’re hanging over precipice, suspended by chain with ten links. If I smashed every link, where would you go?' `To bottom of the canyon.' `But if I only severed one link, what would happen?'
Jews were depending on the law.
Many people defend selves before God by trying to keep some code of rules and regulations.
Some try 10 commandments,
Some Sermon on the Mount.
Others follow a set of rules other people invented.
What does this passage teach us about this attempt? What will they accomplish?
Even if our code says: “Just be a good father!”
Our spouse, our kids, those who know us best understand that we fail.
You can see it in the look on their faces! Sometimes we blow it!
Key question to ask people trying to make it by any of these systems: How are you doing?
If perfect God, with absolute standard, who knows all there is to know about you from inside out, looks in on you, how are you doing? Are you going to make it?
Humorist Garrison Keillor: “Sometimes you have to look reality square int the face and deny it!”
That’s built-in weakness of law-based systems.
However good the laws may be!
Israel had the best! God Himself gave them!
Problem: they couldn’t keep them!
Problem isn’t the law! The law is perfect!
Problem’s inside me!
Law just proves my guilt!
It shuts my mouth! Makes me aware I’ve blown it!
Does this mean there is no difference? "THE SUPERIOR SINNER”
Some may be better at sinning than others, but we’re all condemned.
The law of the 5'6" policeman--5'5.9" won't do!
People who try to use the law as a ladder to heaven, end up without a leg to stand on!
Law ultimately serves to prove WE’RE ALL GUILTY!
SO WHAT? –WHAT DIFFERENCE SHOULD PASSAGE MAKE IN OUR LIFE?
Our guilt should drive us to Jesus
It should cause us all to realize we can never make it on our own.
Our guilt should stop us from bragging
Those who come to Jesus realize we have no basis for boasting.
We need to remember from whence we’ve come.
Our guilt should make us grateful.
We respond with gratitude because what we’ve received is unmerited.
It’s the gift of God--NOT the wages of our lifestyle.
In short, doing good won’t make it!
We’ll never get there on our own.
We’ve got a big problem.
We need another solution. I sure hope God has a better idea!
The solution man has come up with will never do.
GOOD NEWS!
3:21-22 assures us God has come up with a better idea!
That’s it! There’s good news!
God’s righteousness has been revealed!
God’s righteousness comes through faith in Jesus Christ–to all who trust Him
What I could never do, God has done for me in Christ.
All He asks is that we stop trying to do it ourselves; accept gift He offers.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.
Solution isn’t to get a realistic picture of our sin!
Reverse significance–Cp. Col. 3:1-4
Solution: get realistic picture of what Jesus has done
Then things of earth–what we’ve done–our sin–grows dim, in light of HIS glory and HIS GRACE!
Stop trusting my efforts and trust what Jesus did for me at the cross.
I can do that! What a relief!
Will YOU stop trying to make it yourself and trust Him? Today?