“Why Jesus Died”
Romans 3:21-26
February 29, 2004
Dr. Jerry Nelson
Romans 3:21-26
“But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished-- 26 he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
At the close of WWI tens of thousands of soldiers were stationed in Europe waiting for orders that would allow them to go home.
Conditions were relaxed and the men were taking every opportunity to see as much of Europe as possible before they left.
Near a village about a hundred miles from Paris was a group of American soldiers - about 40 of them with a lieutenant in charge.
The Lieutenant received permission to take a two-day leave and turned over leadership to his sergeant.
While the Lieutenant was gone a motorcycle messenger brought news that General Pershing was seeking 2700 men who would march in victory parades in London, Paris, Brussels and Rome.
That possibility excited most of the men - what a way to see Europe.
But there were two conditions to qualify:
1. You had to have a clean record - no courts marshal.
None of the men had been even indicted. They all qualified.
2. You had to be at least a certain height - and the regulation height was given in metric measure.
The sergeant and another soldier looked at each other as they read the orders and then they asked each other - “Do you know how tall that is? - “No, how about you?” “No, but at least I’m taller than you.”
When the news spread through the camp about the possibility of being in the victory parades the same discussion broke out everywhere - “How tall do you have to be” “At least I’m taller than you.”
And there they were standing back to back all over the camp and soon every man knew his height relative to every other man.
And there was a tall fella named Slim telling a shorter man named Shorty how he’d send him a postcard from Rome and how he’d take a look at all the English girls for those too short to make the trip.
These men did what comes naturally - because they didn’t know the true standard, they set up an artificial standard and compared themselves to themselves.
But the Lieutenant came back and when he saw the orders he, knowing some French, went into the village to get a meter stick.
With it he made a mark on the wall and made the men stand up to it to see who qualified.
No longer could they measure themselves against themselves
Now they had an unchangeable standard.
Some didn’t even try - knowing they were too short.
But to everyone’s surprise not even Slim, standing as tall as he could, could measure up to the mark.
Not one of those soldiers qualified for General Pershing’s parade army.
Though there was a relative difference between Slim and Shorty they both equally failed to measure up. (story paraphrased from Barnhouse Romans Vol 2 p72ff)
Romans 3:23 says that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
For most of the first three chapters of his letter to the church in Rome, the Apostle Paul gave very bad news.
Basically the bad news is that there is a holy and just God who is incapable of tolerating sin and we are sinners.
In chapter 1 Paul writes that even those who have never heard of Christ, those who have no access to the Bible, are condemned by a holy God because they have refused the truth about God they do have - truth that comes from their own consciences and from what God has created. (1:18-32)
1:18 “the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth…”
Then in Chapter 2 Paul writes that even the religious people who have had access to more truth are condemned by a holy God because they have refused the truth about God they have - truth that comes from the Bible.
2:5 “Because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath when his righteous judgment will be revealed.”
Paul then summarizes all he had written thus far by pointing out in repeated terms that no one can stand before a holy God.
Why? Because God is righteous and we are unrighteous.
God is holy and we are unholy.
God is sinless and we are sinners.
Chapter 3:10 “There is no one righteous, not even one.”
No one has the righteousness necessary to stand before God.
When God judges people at the end of time - everyone will be found to have sinned and fallen short of the glory, the righteousness, the holiness, which is the standard of perfection of God.
No one will measure up!
Bishop Moule wrote: "The harlot, the liar, the murderer, are short of God's glory; but so are you. Perhaps they stand at the bottom of a mine, and you on the crest of an Alp but you are just as little able to touch the stars as they." (Moule in Stott p 109)
That’s the bad news.
Look now, please, at 3:21.
The late English preacher, D. Martin Lloyd-Jones called these the two most wonderful words in the Bible: “But now!”
We were condemned - “but now”.
We were under the wrath of God - “but now”.
We were helpless and without hope -
“But now a righteousness from God has been revealed”
The thing we most need, righteousness, has been made available!
What we are going to see from the Bible in the next few minutes are the most important words in the Bible and the very foundation of everything we believe.
This is the heart of the Bible - the very central, core, fundamental, basic truth that sets Christianity apart from every man-made religion.
Learn these six verses and you will know the Gospel - you will know fundamental Christian theology.
All of Scripture revolves around this one truth.
If all of Christianity was boiled down to its essence - this would be it.
This is the "Good news" the "Gospel"
Bible scholar, Leon Morris declared, this may be "possibly the most important single paragraph ever written." (Morris in Stott p 109)
We are going to study this passage by answering four questions:
1. What does this righteousness from God do for us?
2. Where does it comes from?
3. How is it possible?
4. And how does it become ours?
But we need to start with what this “righteousness from God” is.
It is God’s action whereby he gives us a righteousness which is not our own but his.
Have you ever gone to a place that charges an entrance fee and discovered that you didn’t have any money?
The next thing you notice is they don’t take Visa or MasterCard.
And then you fish around in your wallet and find an old Mexican five peso bill - Sorry you have the wrong currency.
The “currency” of heaven is righteousness.
Access to a holy God requires holiness.
God the Son, became a human being and lived a perfect life.
He obeyed the law of God in every detail.
God the Son was perfectly righteous and he offers that righteousness of his to us.
1 Corinthians 1:30 "Christ has become for us wisdom from God - that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption
The “righteousness from or of God” is God’s own holiness - God’s perfection.
1. Now the first question: what does this “righteousness from God” do for us?
V24 gives the answer. By it we “are justified”.
If you are following the text carefully even as I speak, and I hope you are, you will notice that I skipped right over V23.
Actually I didn’t skip over it - I started the sermon with it.
You will notice that Paul handles V23 like a parenthetical statement - reminding his readers of the major point he had made in chapters 1 & 2 -
Everyone is equally in trouble with God -
there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles or the religious and the heathen - all have sinned and fall short of the glory, the holy standard of God.
So when Paul starts V24 who is the subject? Who is justified?
?Is it the “all” of “all have sinned?
That can’t be - for we know from the Bible that not “all” will be saved.
The ones who are justified must be the “all who believe” of V22.
So it is those who believe who are justified.
But that takes us back to the first question:
What does the “righteousness from God” do for us?
The answer is that by it we are justified.
When we are granted God’s righteousness, God’s holiness, we are justified.
But what does it mean to be justified?
If we say someone was justified in doing something, we mean that such a person should not be held accountable for the action.
How does the “righteousness from God” justify us?
There are at least two aspects to it: Justification takes something away and it gives something.
First of all it takes something away.
In chapters 1 & 2 God said that we are condemned - guilty and sentenced to the wrath of God.
In 3:9 Paul said we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are under sin.
To be justified is to have the charges dropped.
To be acquitted of all charges.
We were condemned BUT NOW we are justified - declared 'Not guilty'
The guilt is removed.
That is why the term "justified" is sometimes cleverly defined as "Just as if I'd never sinned"
But to be justified is not just to be pardoned.
To be justified means we are given something.
In 2Cor 5:21 it says, we have become the righteousness of God in Christ.
In Isa 61:10 we read, "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall be joyful in my God: for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness."
The great English theologian John Owen said that Christ makes an effectual grant and donation of a true, real and perfect righteousness unto all who believe and God accounts it as theirs thus absolving them of the penalty of sin and giving them title to eternal life. (In Huldane p143)
To be justified means both something taken away and something given:
Someone wrote, "The voice that gives forgiveness will say: 'You may go; you have been relieved of the penalty which your sins deserve.' But the same voice also says 'You may come; you are welcome to all my love and my presence." (In Stott P110 - paraphrased)
May we never become inured, accustomed, unmoved by the significance of this act of God in justifying us.
When the “righteousness from God” is given to you, you are justified, declared by God to be “not guilty” - no longer under the wrath of God
AND you are declared “righteous” - the goodness, holiness and righteousness God has been given to you so you may come into the very presence of a holy God.
But I must move on -
2. Where does this “righteousness” come from?
Now the obvious answer it is “it comes from God”.
But I am getting at something deeper.
Look at V24 again “and are justified freely by his (that is God’s) grace”
The text says we are justified "freely”.
The word "freely" is the adverb form of "gift" - justified as a gift.
This righteousness from God comes not as a reward or payment but solely because of God's choice.
In Ephesians chapter 1 we are told that the basis of the gift is God's choice based on something in him not based on anything in us.
Ephesians 1:5,7,9 In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will… 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace…9 And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure…”
That same concept is repeated back in Romans 3:24 when Paul writes we are justified freely by God’s GRACE.
"grace" is God's joyful, delighted, favor toward us - God’s totally unmerited choice of us
The source of our salvation is pure grace.
Paul has been especially intent on nailing this idea down tightly.
We are not made right with God by our efforts - good as they may be.
In light of this clear teaching from the Bible it is distressing to hear so many people even in the church still want to add something to grace.
They insist on stating something they have done that would give God cause to grant his grace.
I try. I want to do right. I have always believed in God. I will do better.
No, no, a thousands times “no”, it is either all of grace or it is not of grace at all.
Listen to this from the largest Christian religion in our country:
Martin Luther had come to the mistaken idea that human nature was so ruined by Adam’s sin that humans were powerless to do anything that would earn God’s favor. In place of any works, Luther would substitute faith - a blind confidence that Christ’s good works were enough for mankind’s salvation. He said Christians need only believe that Christ had saved them. (Pamphlet 39 Catholic Information Service)
Luther is wrong they claim.
That religion goes on to say (and I quote) “it is necessary to make reparation for our sins. This means that we must somehow try to make up for the disorder in our lives and the harm we have done to others by our sin.” And “the ordinary way for us to have our sins forgiven is by the sacrament of penance.” ((Pamphlet “To Sin is to Die” Knights of Columbus) (pamphlet 91 Knights of Columbus).
Again, “No, No, a thousand times no” - The bible says: “By grace we are saved through faith, not of works lest anyone should boast.”
Paul said it so clearly in Romans 3:20 “no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by observing the law.”
Our “righteousness from God” is by grace - and grace alone.
3.Thirdly this morning, How is this possible?
How can the “righteousness from God” be given to us?
How can God justify us freely.
Where is justice?
How can God acquit the guilty?
All through the Bible God says an innocent person must be declared innocent and a guilty person guilty - to do other than that is to pervert justice and make a mockery of God!
So how can God do what he says others must not do?
· Doesn't it demean us as humans - a human being can sin grievously and get away with it?
· Where is justice?
· What reason do we have to do right?
· Isn't lawlessness then as good as law?
· What difference do right and wrong make?
A number of years ago an organization promoting atheism published a pamphlet in which they had rather ugly, sinister, portrait sketches of several of the principle people of the Bible.
Under each picture was the name of the person being referred to and a description of the person.
· Under Abraham was the word “coward” for being willing to sacrifice the honor of his wife Sarah to save his own hide.
· Under Jacob’s name were the words “liar and cheat”.
· Under Moses’ name was “hypocrite” - the man who killed another said ‘thou shalt not kill”.
· Under David’s name were “adulterer and murderer”.
The thing that is noteworthy about all these charges is that they are absolutely true.
And when the Atheist asks “How can a good God forgive such actions?” They are asking an excellent question.
So how can God declare us not guilty?
How can God justify us who are guilty of everything from blasphemy to murder to immorality to selfishness, of any and all of the evil things we do to God and each other.
The answer is found in V24 with a fuller explanation of it in Vv25-26.
V24 says we are justified freely by his grace, THROUGH the REDEMPTION that came by Jesus Christ.
"REDEMPTION" - there’s a 25-cent theological word, right?
Yes it is a theological word but it is also a very common word used by many in our culture.
Redemption simply means to set free through the paying of a price.
Today we can redeem an item we have placed in “hock” at a “hock shop” or “Pawn Shop”
The Hock Shop owner will keep the item we have placed there until we bring the specified price and “redeem” it.
In a similar fashion we are “in hock” because of our sin.
We are slaves to sin and its consequence - the wrath of God.
But God comes and redeems us, buys us out of the situation we are in.
Now that becomes clearer to us when we put the next verses with it and see exactly what it is that God does.
V25 “God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement.”
(The NASB reads, “God displayed him publicly as a propitiation”)
These words “sacrifice of atonement” or “propitiation” come from one Greek word - but what do they mean?
If I harm you and you are rightly angry with me because of my offense, we will be “at odds” with one another unless justice is done.
Unless the offense is atoned for, satisfied, made up for, righteous anger is still appropriate.
But when I sincerely confess my wrong and make whatever reparation is possible; when justice is done, you forgive me, lay down your anger, and we are reconciled.
In the OT times, at God’s direction, the Jews would offer certain kinds of sacrifices to make atonement for the sins of the people.
By offering the sacrifice the people could avert the wrath of God against them for their sin.
By the sacrifice of atonement God would become propitious, favorably disposed, toward the people - he would be a friend rather than an enemy.
Now Paul has already made it clear in Romans 1 & 2 that God has every right to be intensely angry with us.
We are under his wrath because of our sin.
But what these verses state is that because of his grace God has chosen to give himself.
· Notice who takes action to bring about reconciliation.
· Notice who offers the sacrifice.
· Not us, but God.
He presented himself, in the person of his Son Jesus, as a sacrifice of atonement.
It is not at all that we bring gifts to God hoping to avert his anger.
But that God gave his only Son.
John Stott said it this way: "God gave himself to save us from himself." (Stott p115)
God chose to direct against himself the full weight of his wrath against our sin.
Because of the movie “The Passion of the Christ,” controversy has swirled around the question of who killed Jesus.
Whether you have already or will see the movie or not, don’t let the movie or the controversy around it get in the way of understanding the whole point of Jesus’ death.
Jesus was not a victim of Pilate, the Jews or even of you and me.
He was not a martyr for a cause.
Jesus died because, he, God, gave his life – he was self-offered sacrifice to atone for the sins of his people.
Jesus is God and he came to earth to die, but not as a victim or martyr.
Speaking of his death and resurrection Jesus said in John 10:17-18, “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.”
Isaiah had prophesied it in Isaiah 53:10, “It was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer.”
Peter said in Acts 2:22 “This man (Jesus) was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge…”
And in Acts 4:28, “those who crucified Jesus “did what (God’s) power and will had decided beforehand should happen.”
Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 2:6, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom…”
John said it this way, 1 John 4:10 “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Who killed Jesus? God did!
Don’t misunderstand me to be saying that God the Son was victim of God the Father.
If we keep in mind the full deity of Jesus and the Trinity, we understand that the triune God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) determined before the creation of the world that the Son would lay down his own life for us.
Now why did God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) have to do this?
Why couldn’t he just declare us “forgiven”, “justified”?
V26 answers that question: “He did it (that is, he presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement) to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”
God is just - and he must act in accordance with his nature.
If God overlooked sin he would cease to be God.
God must punish sin.
The problem is that God is also love and he loves us, but we are destined for wrath and eternal destruction.
We were helpless; we couldn’t make up for our own sin.
And so God used the only way possible to justify us, to acquit us, and still remain a just God who punishes sin - he poured out his just wrath on himself - “for God so loved the world that he gave his only unique Son…”
And so God remains “just”.
AND He justifies us.
Why would he do it? Because he loves us.
Why does he love us? Because of His unmerited grace.
Oh, how I wish I had time to address the resurrection this morning.
But suffice it to say that without the resurrection, without Christ’s victory over the sin and death for which he died, his death would have been in vain and as Paul says it we would still be in our sin and headed for eternity under the wrath of God.
But Christ did rise from the dead – he is the victor.
· His death did satisfy the demands of divine justice.
· My sins have been paid for and I can have his righteousness as mine.
· I can be reconciled to God.
4. Lastly this morning, we ask the question:
“How does God’s righteousness become ours?”
How does this “righteousness from God” that I so desperately need in order to stand in the presence of a holy God, become mine?
Most of you know the answer but I want you to see that Paul pours that answer all over these words of his:
V22 “This righteousness…comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.”
V25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement through faith”
V26 (the very end) “the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
Faith in Jesus is placing your trust in him and what he did on the cross as your way to God.
Faith in Jesus is placing no confidence whatsoever in you, your goodness, your efforts, or your standing in the church or community
AND instead placing full confidence ONLY in Jesus and what he did.
Faith in Jesus is acknowledging that apart from Jesus you have no hope - none whatsoever!
Faith in Jesus is acknowledging that with Jesus you have all confidence - the assurance of life with God now and forever.
Faith in Jesus is not faith in your faith:
One theologian wrote: "God justifies the believer not because of the worthiness of his belief, but because of the worthiness of the one who is believed - Christ." (paraphrased from Stott p118)
Faith's only function is to receive the grace offered.
We are justified, we receive the “righteousness from God” by grace alone through faith alone.
I wish to close by having you hear Paul again from later in his letter:
Romans 10:9-11 “If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame."
I ask you, have you made a public declaration of your trust, your faith in Christ alone for your salvation?