Sermon Tone Analysis

We have been a long time now in Romans under the darkness of sin.

From Rom 1:18

Through Rom 3:20

Paul has throughly brought us all under condemnation.

There are none righteous, no not one.

Whether Jew or Gentile all are under sin.

So Paul words “But now” bring with them the light of hope like the sun flooding into the darkness of our condemnation.

But now the righteousness of God without the law in manifest and it is righteousness which is by faith of Jesus Christ.

This Paragraph (vs 21-26) Dr. Leon Morris says is “possibly the most important single paragraph ever written” It reveals the righteousness of God which Paul briefly mentioned in Rom 1:17 is revealed from faith to faith.

I’m certain that I can not add anything to Paul’s words but if you will continue with me this morning as I attempt to expound this passage then perhaps by lingering here for a moment we might meditate on these words so that we may get a glimpse of the power of them.

that statement made in vs 20 was a very strong statement leading up to our passage this morning

So we see here this word “justified” which we find repeated several time throughout the rest of this chapter.

What does this word mean?

The opposite of justification is condemnation.

They are both legal terms and they are both pronounce over a person by a judge.

The Judge of the world will either declare that you are condemned or you are justified.

To be justified is not the same as being pardoned.

To be pardoned means that despite your guilt you will not be punished because you have been pardoned from your crimes.

To be justified means that you have been declared righteous or just and it would be unjust to punish you because you are righteous.

So Paul says that no flesh will be declared righteous on the day of judgement by the Judge of the world by doing the deeds of the Law.

Rather the righteousness of God without the law is revealed.

Although it was testified of in the Law.

That is, the law foretold that this would be the way that the righteousness of God would be revealed.

Then here is the statement which changes everything that was ever known about God’s righteousness and out justification

Lets just meditate of that for a moment, God’s righteousness is revealed so right now this is concerned not with our righteousness but God’s righteousness.

And God’s righteousness is revealed

By faith of Jesus Christ.

How is it revealed?

firstly unto all them that believe.

That is all those who by faith believe in Jesus Christ witness the righteousness of God.

We have the righteousness of God revealed unto us through this gospel.

Because he is not an unrighteous judge who pardons sins rather he is a righteous judge who justifies sinners.

And secondly, upon all them that believe.

That is through faith is Jesus Christ God’s righteousness in revealed by being imparted to those who have believed.

So it is revealed in me as well as to me.

Unto and upon.

This is a big statement and worthy of explanation and so Paul expands on this statement.

So he says for there is no difference.

No difference in what namely Jews and Gentiles so he says that unto all and upon all that believe because all need righteousness.

Why? because

It doesn’t matter who you are all have sinned.

It doesn’t matter is you are Jew or Gentile all have sinned.

Are there degrees of sin and therefore degrees of sinners?

Sure, but let’s put this into perspective.

Let’s say that the very worst sinner is in the very lowest part of the earth the deepest valley and let’s say the the very best person that have ever lived is in the highest peak the top of Mount Everest.

There may be a vast difference to us between the two.

However, the glory of God is the farthest galaxy away and the person on Mount Everest has no better chance of reaching that glory than the person in the lowest valley.

Therefore there is no difference because all come short of the glory of God.

Many don’t like the word sin, many don’t understand the word but this verse gives us a clear definition.

The Greek word translated sin is “hamartano” ham·ar·tan·o and it means literally to miss the mark.

So this verse says all have missed the mark and come short of the glory of God.

We were created in the image of God but ever since Adam fell we no longer reflect the image of God, The image is marred.

So sin is missing the mark of the glory or image of God.

Simply put anything in our life that does not reflect the image of God’s holiness and righteousness misses the mark of our created purpose and is therefore sin.

so because all fail to reflect God’s glory all need this righteousness revealed.

Freely By Grace

Freely here does not mean without cost.

I believe that that is a great misconception of the Gospel.

If it cost nothing then it is worth nothing.

It cost Jesus His life on the cross which he will continue on to tell us.

And it cost me my life in return.

The word freely here means undeservedly meaning not earned.

Rather it was by His grace or favour, loving kindness.

This is in contrast to it not being by the deeds of the law.

Not of works but freely by His grace.

Then he says that it’s “through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”

Redemption is payment or a ransom.

He goes on to clarify this payment or ransom that was made.

God has set Christ forth to be a propitiation by His blood, remembering again that it is the righteousness of God that is being revealed.

So what is a propitiation?

The word used here is the same word used in the Septuagint for the mercyseat.

The mercyseat it the place on top of the ark of the covenant where the high priest would sprinkle the blood of the atonement once every year as ransom for the people of Israel.

The blood of the sacrifice was offered in place of the blood of the people because the wages of their sins was death.

The sins of the people were ceremonially transferred from the people to the sacrifice and the animal was kill so that divine justice could be satisfied.

What Paul tells us here is that God in his forbearance passed over their sins until the fulness of time when He would set forth Jesus to be our sacrifice.

So God revealed His righteousness by making a just and righteous way in which He could take our sins and place them on Jesus Christ so that His death could satisfy divine justice and then He could put Christ’s righteousness on us so that we would be justified or made righteous.

Thirdly The righteous of God is revealed...

By Justly Justifying

This is the most amazing thing about the Gospel.

God revealed His righteousness by being both just and at the same time the justifier of those who have faith in Jesus.

Because He set forth Jesus to be our sacrifice, transferring our sins to Him so that he could die on the cross for our sins and transferring His righteousness to us then He is able in His righteousness to declare us righteous.

Not to pardon us but to justify us.

Now the day that this officially occurs in on the day of judgement because thats when the Judge will pronounce us righteous if we have believed in Jesus.

But this is not sanctification the process by which we are made to be holy.

Paul clarifies this a bit later look in...