Well, I invite you to turn tonight to the book of Romans. We're continuing our study in the book of Romans and we come to chapter 3 tonight, a large section we're taking as we have spent some time returning to this, looking at this first section of Romans, which deals with the depravity and the sinfulness of mankind. And so we're looking at verses 1 through 20, found on page 1118 in the Bibles that are in front of you. This is Romans 3. Let's give our attention tonight to God's holy word. Beginning at verse 1. Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? Much in every way, to begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? 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. 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. By no means. For then how could God judge the world? But if through my lie God's truth abounds to His glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? And why not do evil that good may come, as some people slanderously charge us with saying, their condemnation's just. 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. As it is written, none is righteous, no, not one. No one understands. No one seeks for God. All have turned aside. Together they've become worthless. No one does good, not even one their throat is an open grave they use their tongues to deceive the venom of asps is under their lips their mouth is full of curses and bitterness their feet are swift to shed blood and their paths are ruin and misery and the way of peace they have not known there is no fear of god before their eyes 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 for by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight since through the law comes the knowledge of sin and there will end the reading of god's word well just how bad are things and how seriously does god take sin we're looking at this great subject tonight. Tonight is a very important section in the book of Romans because what we have here, we don't have to wait till the last day to know God's verdict regarding sin and regarding human nature and regarding us in our fallen state in Adam. God is giving us a whole conclusion to the matter regarding sin. That's why I took the longer section tonight to sort of see the big picture God is helping us with that and as you know it takes a great work of the Holy Spirit in somebody's life to accept this diagnosis nobody just accepts this diagnosis in fact we fight against this diagnosis and we really cannot even begin to appreciate the good news in Christ Jesus that he is about to explain in the book of Romans and open up for us which is the glorious section that is to follow until we have and accept God's very verdict and diagnosis regarding the human heart regarding sin regarding our fallen state in nature but as you know this is the most difficult truth to accept because by nature sort of innately the way we view ourselves is that of a positive one we take a positive view of our hearts we take a positive of view of who we are and we live in a world that incessantly tells us even after the things like yesterday they see with their open eyes that humanity is basically good and that it's on this trajectory of getting better and that ultimately we will overcome these problems if we just have enough unity and togetherness to accomplish this but until we accept god's diagnosis until we listen to him on his terms we will never be able to understand what we need to be saved from and what love even means we throw around the love of god so generally today but the reason it hasn't hasn't been appropriated and understood like it should is because we've had the difficult time accepting this diagnosis so the aim here in romans chapter 3 tonight is to give us god's final verdict, God's final diagnosis regarding sin, and then to lead us to the great solution to this problem. Again, the cure is only as radical as the disease itself. Whatever we believe about the diagnosis and whatever we believe we need will directly affect the cure that then follows. And this is exactly why if we have in the church, if we do not take the diagnosis seriously, then everything we do becomes light and off balance and missing the mark in terms of aiming to help people where they need God's grace the most. This is extremely important that we hear God's verdict on this matter because that's essentially what Romans chapter 3 tonight is giving us. He is giving us the verdict and the final diagnosis to the terrible predicament that we are in by nature in terms of being able to accomplish and do righteousness before a God that he will accept. He's perfect. He's holy. And who really has a conception of that? Who really appreciates that? We say God is holy, but who really knows the depths and understanding of that? Well, that's why this is so important tonight. The outline is very simple tonight in Romans chapter 3. Paul is making a few crucial arguments here that have developed in answer to what he has been presenting so far in the book of Romans to show that Jew and Gentile alike are under sin that's the great thing that he has been developing in the first chapters of Romans and now this crucial thing that he's doing tonight that he's developing is simply to say that none of the spiritual advantages of the Jews or you might say religious people or those who we might say are closest to God or how we view righteous people deals with all these advantages that we have. None of those ultimately are the solution to deal with the problem. He is going to push us to faith in Christ. He's going to call us to faith in Christ to receive the righteousness that we need. But tonight he addresses this and we're looking at the protest of the jews to what he has said that's sort of the first point tonight a great protest that the jews make to him on the points that he has made the problem that he explains and the final conclusion on the matter and that leads us then to the glorious section next time of chapter three that begins to explain the righteousness of god verse one of chapter three begins with a question. What advantage then has the Jew? It's a good question. It's an important question. He's asking that because what he's been doing in the book of Romans so far is taking down any confidence that someone might put in religious advantages. Now think about this for a minute. it's really important for us tonight what advantage you might even put it in in this kit in this sort of terms what advantage do we have in being christians what about all the religious advantages that we have what about all the the things that we have that we can talk about that are are good things do they prove that we're good with god do they prove that we are okay this is what he's working with this is what he's thinking about having addressed the law think of privilege tonight think of all the privileges that we have enjoyed we could even say in our whole community Having addressed the law, what the law requires, remember in chapter 2, perfect obedience. Perfect and complete obedience, quoting the Westminster Confession. That is the standard of God. The doers of the law will be justified, he said, if we could meet that standard. That standard hasn't changed. The absolute necessity for perfect and complete obedience. And so he wrestled with that and he helped us with that. then he addressed last time circumcision and he begins wisely with what he knows would be the jewish protest to all this what would be their protest to all this anyone who teaches spiritual truth has to constantly anticipate objections so paul does it here he anticipates real objections to everything he's been presenting and he begins in verse one what then what advantage has the jew or what is the value of circumcision much in every way of course there's great value in this he says to begin with the jews were entrusted with the oracles of god it's exactly what the jews would have said what do you mean we are in a dangerous predicament we have the law we have the scriptures god gave them specially to us what does this say of God who would give all these outward advantages all these good things what does it say of God if he would do all of this and then some are lost now hold that it's an interesting objection isn't it doesn't that say something negatively about the faithfulness of God? Doesn't it? He would give all this to us and then some are lost? Well, this anticipates Romans 9. This anticipates what he's going to deal with with the doctrine of election, predestination. He spends a great deal of time on that. But Paul wants to initially answer this because he knew what was behind their thinking. He was a Hebrew of Hebrews. He understood how they thought. Here's the protest. What if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? Will it nullify the faithfulness of God? Will it call to question the faithfulness of God? And you'll notice how he initially responds here. Certainly not. Indeed, let, you know this great verse, let God be true and every man a liar. Let God be true, though everyone were a liar. Notice what he follows up with, that you may be justified in your words and prevail when you are judged, taken from David in this great Psalm 51. Such an important point here. The argument goes something like this. You're acting, Paul, as you indict us. I mean, we're the righteous. You're acting as if all of this has no benefit. You're acting as if all of this doesn't mean anything. You're emptying out the significance of all these things that we have. You're almost saying God gave them, but what you're really doing is attacking all these advantages as if they don't matter. what does that say about God when you talk this way, Paul? It's important, isn't it, to wrestle through this. What is even the benefit of being a Jew? We could make the same application for Christians. I have been baptized. I have heard all these sermons. I've had my children in church. I get to church. I make that a priority. You realize what you're saying about God here? He would not be faithful if he doesn't deliver us since all these things are from him. And Paul says, yeah, of course they're profitable. They're profitable in every way. No one denies that. Having his word is greatly profitable. In every way, these benefits are profitable. he's not going to slide on his promises but where do you think all this should lead you now think of this morning to the sermon on the mount what jesus was doing where do you think all this outward advantage should lead you it's privilege it's blessing he most certainly will save those who believe but here's the problem you're not listening It's essentially what Paul says here. You're not listening. Everyone, when they have these advantages, this is a striking claim, is a liar. You're all liars. It's a huge point. Let God be true and every man a liar. Here's the problem. Apart from divine grace, which he's about to explain, what do people do with all this? Apart from faith, which is a gift, what do people do with all this? They lie. They lie. Everyone who has all these benefits, apart from grace through faith, alone, just plays with them. They just play with them. No one is using them in the way that they intended. God intended. That's a problem. It's a real problem. Apart from grace through faith, everyone's a liar. Everyone will put on a sham religion. Because they're sinful. This is what he's building with. This is what he's been working with. By nature, you could have every spiritual advantage. You could have every spiritual advantage. But have they led you somewhere? What have you done with them is his point. I can give you the example we all know. I grew up in the body of Christ. I was always catechized. I was always in church. I was baptized. I was catechized. I had good parents who loved me. I had a friend growing up who had none of this. And we had become friends in the community. And one night, he knocks on the door. It was 1 in the morning. And he had been running from the police. And that night, his dad was a bad father. His dad would beat him growing up his whole life. So he was beat often, pummeled. He was abused. And one night, he snapped and he took a baseball bat to his dad. and his dad became a quadriplegic his dad was he went to prison for some time but on that path he came to the house and he knew we were christians and he knew my dad had a good reputation in the community and and so he knocks on the door and he comes in and he's just bawling he had no advantages growing up I had all kinds of advantages if you put this in the terms of Romans 1 and 2 right now he was Romans 1 I was Romans 2 this is what Paul's doing here as what he's trying to do is show that all alike are under sin he was Romans 1 I was Romans 2 or you might put me as an early teacher in the Continuation High School in Visalia. Where all those young people were in gangs. I told you I was even tempted to be stabbed there. And then I went to the Christian school and taught. Two radically different worlds. Romans 1 world and Romans 2 world. This is what Paul's doing. A lot of advantages. A lot of advantages. I was converted at 21 for all those years I had had many advantages but I never believed any of it was I in a better position absolutely of course I was in a better position but what did it mean what should i have done with all those advantages had i been called to count at 20 by god and had stood and died as some of my friends did in in car accidents and things and i had stood before the terrible justice of the lord and we use that question evangelism explosion it still works why should i let you into my heaven i would not have been able to say because of christ here's what i would have said trembling well what do you mean i've been baptized i went to the christian school I was in church I had good parents what was missing? faith I had not appropriated any of that by faith those were good things they put me in the right position but I had to believe it now would God have been unjust to condemn me? absolutely not that's what Paul is saying I had never believed any of it and my sin was not dealt with all that could have been said of me was listen I was lying I was a liar I bore the name of Christ i had never repented and believed the gospel that's paul's answer to the first objection god is justified in his in his word blameless when he judges that's what david said when he saw his sin if god had entered into judgment with me and this is the test here it would be right i deserve it that's the first objection here that's the first objection then comes the second major objection and you'll notice in verse five 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 by no means for then how could god judge the world but if through my lie god god's truth abounds to his glory why am i still being condemned as a sinner and why not do evil that good may come as some people are slanderously charged us with saying their condemnation is just if if our sin then paul okay following your line of reasoning here if our sin brings about the grace of god in our lives how could he ever judge us that lie is used our sin produces a good end isn't god wouldn't he be unjust to inflict wrath in that case paul recognizes this is total manipulation here he knows exactly what they're doing as if god's judgments are not fair but he gives an emphatic certainly not and he elaborates on it in verse 7 if through my lie God's truth abounds to his glory why am I still being consent condemned as a sinner and why not do evil that good may come as some people slanderously charges with saying their condemnation is just if God's truth is more revealed through my sin to his glory why would I be judged it's a sort of perennial classic charge made against protestants by the way reformed people have often been accused of it the more we sin the more you are glorified lord if if you're saving us by grace apart from the law what does it matter what is it what does it even matter what does it matter what we do how we live if you're elect it really doesn't matter then i mean you can put all these in here at this point god's will will be accomplished anyways his glory will be shown how we live doesn't matter sin doesn't really matter it serves that purpose and you see how paul's answering that you know how he answers that there are condemnations just anyone finds themselves thinking that way that sin is good and okay then in this great plan they're not christians christian hates sin a christian wrestles with sin christian fights against sin a christian desires righteousness that'll come up again in the book it's a big big issue in the book of romans so so so those are the two objections that are raised right at the beginning of chapter three um he has shown us here that not they're not the externals that save there are no arguments that can avert and remove paul is saying here the reality of god's coming judgment you can't play that game with god you can't you can't say those things to god you can't get away with it with god that way he anticipates all these objections that people give to make an excuse instead of coming as we heard this morning so what does this mean then not only for the pagan but for the religious person what does this mean for the for the gentile romans 1 and the jew romans 2 well at this point it's as if paul wants everyone to hear directly from god on the matter right let's go to what god says about this matter let's let's listen to what god has said all throughout the word on this matter and he gives a sweeping conclusion to the problem you'll notice in verse 9 that he gives this great conclusion what then are we jews any better off you see that's that's what he's wrestling with are we better off no not at all for we have already charged that all both jews and greeks are under sin now he's going to say in chapter 6 something great has happened to you you are under grace we're not talking about that yet human fallen nature fallen state under sin are we any better beloved than the homosexual sodomite shocking question isn't it are you because you're here tonight not at all both jews and greeks both pagans and religious are all under sin meaning all are under its dominion they'll say in chapter six we are enslaved in this we are corrupted in this totally depraved using the language of scripture and when i say total depravity i'm speaking of sin spreading out to every part of who we are not as bad as we possibly could be for we couldn't even exist if that were the case we're talking about the kind of sin that renders us totally guilty because we don't have a righteousness that can stand before the holy god that's not that bad is it you see why we fight against this all the time this has been the great problem to deal with um in in just doing evangelism and trying to help people understand if you don't cross this bridge you can't get anywhere else with people there has to be a total sense of the brokenness and wretchedness of somebody's life and then their readiness to receive the gospel of jesus christ so think of the argument here god doesn't look down from heaven and say those people are more lovely than others at this point Paul says, let God answer this then. Let's let God answer this great dilemma. Let's think about what God has diagnosed about the human race to solve the problem. Let's bring this to a conclusion on the matter. And so what he does is he strings together three Old Testament texts, sections, to make this point. And who could argue with it after this? Look at what he does. He strings together Psalm 14, 1-3, and Psalm 53, 1-3, and then Ecclesiastes 7 20 and he brings it all together this way verse 10 as it is written we've charged everyone's under sin everyone's under sin as it is written here it comes none is righteous no not one no one understands no one here it seeks god they do not do that what a sweeping indictment they've all turned aside they have together jew and gentile become unprofitable there's no one who does good not even one they've become worthless he said both um psalm 14 and 53 begin a certain way and they break into what we just read what's interesting about psalm 14 is the way it begins the fool has said in his heart there is no god and then he breaks into our quoted text they're corrupt they've done abominable works there's none who does good the lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there are any who understand who seek god they have all turned aside they have together become corrupt there's none who does good no not one you typically when you read psalm 14 and you hear the fool in his heart says there's no God that's sort of our great text to go to prove the atheist the atheist is a fool that's not how the context who's the fool who's the fool of Psalm 14 the fool in his heart has said there's no God. That's not some philosophical warning to atheists. That's a cry against those who refuse to accept God's diagnosis about sin. You see, they're the fools. They're the ones saying in their heart there's no God. So he wants us to take seriously this. I remember years ago in Modesto, a couple from the Netherlands, sweet old couple, and Darcy and I will tell you the story, it was just stunning, we went to their home, they'd been in the church their whole life, and the man pulls me down in the basement, and I thought he was pleasant until his finger came out at me you're preaching about sin we are not sinners that man had been in the church his whole life and he had infected his whole wife with that view who's the fool he wants us to take seriously the diagnosis and the weight of the problem you get nowhere until you accept this. The positions you could take about humanity are three. The positions you could take about us are three. One, that man is basically good. That was Ronald Reagan's burial site. You know that with the inscription right there, I know in my heart that man is good. That was our Christian president. the second is that man is just kind of sick he has a propensity toward evil and as time goes you know he has this disease that he needs to get healed from probably the most common view in the church today third view is that he's totally dead dead to anything good at least in terms of what can please god spiritually discerned he cannot understand or know god the depravity that he inherited from adam and that view makes us completely and totally and utterly dependent upon christ to save you understand that the ministry of the gospel preaching is like going to in the terms of ezekiel is like me standing out at the cemetery and preaching get up get up believe if i went out there and did that they'd all call me a crazy man this is the power of preaching by God's grace it has the power to raise the dead crucial issue to set this in stone he collects a series of Old Testament passages here the Jews would have known or should have known notice in verse 10 as it is written there is none righteous no not one what a statement from God's point of view human beings in terms of doing good before God's righteous standard being able to stand before a holy God there's not one who does good the verse that he's quoting there is Isaiah 64 6 but we are all like an unclean thing all our righteousness are like filthy rags we all fade as a leaf and our iniquities like the wind have taken us away you go to the hebrew on that we have to be direct here that is an administration garment he's talking about that's what your righteousness is like before god that's what god sees offensive i hope so that's how offensive it is to him second there's none who understands even the mind is completely darkened by sin doesn't that just make sense though i mean doesn't that just make sense it's so important if spiritually we could be won over by simple reasoning you know if spiritually i if i had the power of rhetorical skill and could actually convince somebody into the kingdom most of us would be most in trouble. Because that would mean you would need the most intelligent in the world who could get it. That would mean it would be the Einsteins entering the kingdom. Those who have the sharpest cognitive abilities. None understand this. Talk to the great wisdom people of this age. They don't comprehend this stuff. Not even the most brilliant Harvard scholar gets it. That's what he just said. The mind is totally corrupted. Third, there's none who seek after God. They have all turned aside. They have together become unprofitable. What an important one to consider in our day that man has the natural ability to seek after God and accept God. What did you just read? What is the diagnosis? No one does. No one has the ability to choose God. They've together become unprofitable. The will is totally corrupt. Whatever free will we have will be to sin. And we're good at that. There's a reason Jesus, when he was preaching, made this very clear. Don't stop murmuring, no one comes to me unless what? The Father drags him. It literally reads, no one seeks God. It's amazing we fight about this when it's so plain here. Fourth, no one does good. No, not one. There's no one in this world before God that does any good that can glorify Him. That's taken from Ecclesiastes 7.20. There's not a just man on earth that does good and does not sin. So there's the diagnosis. And then to sort of set it in stone, verses 13 through 18, their throat is an open grave. They use their tongues to deceive the venom of asps is under their lips their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness their feet are swift to shed blood in their paths are ruin and misery the way of peace they've not known that was just proven last night there is no fear of God before their eyes somebody could stand back and say well that's depressing yeah it's depressing that's the reality the reality we have to hear their open throats spew words of death under their lips of venom like a snake striking their neighbors all the time their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness bitterness toward fellow human beings they're always tearing down this person and that person in bitter jealousy they're quickly to murder in the heart if not physically destruction and misery are their ways and they do not know peace there is no fear of God before their eyes that's what i see says god that's my diagnosis of the human of humanity and so here comes the final conclusion to the matter verse 19 now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those under the law that's jew and gentile so that every mouth may be stopped and the whole world may be accountable to god for by the works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight since through the law comes the knowledge of sin did you hear that when we look at gentiles we might say okay our mouths are stopped look at the horrible things that can go on when we look at israel with the law same thing every mouth is stopped in its own righteousness before god that's his summary no one has it no one can achieve it no one can get it themselves all are guilty all have fallen and he concludes with the greatest problem posed to all of humanity. No one will be justified by the law. For the law was given, beloved, in its primary aim to show you your sin. That we are in a horrible predicament. That's the deepest, most profound, the most serious diagnosis that God gives in the whole Bible regarding human nature. You just heard it. What do you feel? Well, if that were the last word, well, it'd be over. What point is there even to gather here in church? What point is there to sit under what Paul said, the power of preaching, if this were the last word? But it's not. Now we're ready, you see. Now we're prepared, you see, to consider the gospel. You can't get here. You'll never love Christ or the gospel or respond in faith until you've come to grips with this. It's the most important sermon so far in the series. The next words are what in the book? But now. Now I could be like Martin Lloyd-Jones and preach 20 sermons on that, but Dr. Godfrey will come after me if I do that. It might be worth it. There's a way to be freed. There's a way of return. All of us like sheep have gone astray, but there's a way of return to the shepherd and overseer of our souls. That's the subject of the rest of Romans, you see. Christ is the centerpiece of the book, pastorally. He is the righteousness provided from God. He is the light given to us in this dark world. He is salvation from God as a free gift. And that comes in no other way than by faith alone. That's it. And that's really good news for you. the story of redemption starts now so lift up your heads the king of glory is about to enter in in the book of romans may his person and work overwhelm you with tearful joy to see just how much he loved unworthy sinners worthy enough for him to die for but unworthy to attain to a righteousness god will accept how wonderful is our god who would send his son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have as a free gift everlasting life amen and amen let's pray heavenly father thank you for the gift of salvation thank you for caring so much to diagnose what is our problem if we have any sort of insight into this we would agree we see it play out in society every day we saw it play out yesterday but we see it play out in our own hearts oh lord all these advantages are great advantages and blessings but they should lead us to faith in christ so lord forgive our sins be merciful to us turn our hearts in faith to the righteous one the one who would fulfill all righteousness who could endure in body and soul the wrath of god and release others from it because he is truly god and truly man we praise you tonight for so great a gift in jesus christ our lord amen