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Outline

1. But Now!
2. The Righteousness of Another.
3. A Righteousness Apart From The Law

Introduction

Most of us who drive have driven past one of these electronic speed limit signs that are out there. There’s one in downtown Apex right on Salem Street where the speed limit is 25 miles per hour. And when you are going past it normally it’s going to read 22 or 26 or 23 of something in that range. But sometimes when you’re driving a little too fast it just starts blinking: Slow Down! Slow Down! Slow Down!

It really does get your attention and that’s actually a good message for all of us. Slow Down! Besides driving our vehicles we should learn to slow down and be present, slow down and enjoy the relationships with family and friends and church. Slow down and think not just of temporal things but most importantly of eternal things. Things that will last forever!

The book of Romans could be called Paul’s Magnum Opus (a large and important work of art, music, or literature, especially one regarded as the most important work of an artist or writer.) Now all of Paul’s letters in Scripture are very important but many theologians would state the book of Romans as his most important work. By word count it’s his longest book.

And as we come to this single verse this morning we have the opportunity to slow down and consider these two words: But now! But now there is a way to be right with God. This is a most glorious truth which we must not assume on or lose sight of. This verse deals with the most fundamental issue and question of human existence. How can a person become right with God?

Can mortal man be in the right before God? Can a man be pure before his Maker? Job 4:17

Our text tells us today, yes, there is a way to be made right with our Maker.

If you’re here today and you are not a Christian I hope that this message will help you understand at a deep level that the most important thing in your life is to be right with God. The God who is both loving and holy; merciful and just. He is a Savior to those who come to Him in faith and a Judge to those who don’t.

And for all who are here this morning who are Christians my hope for us would be that we would grow in living in the good of this glorious truth that through Christ we have been made right with God.

I. But Now!

My three points are: But Now (It significance)! We are made right through The Righteousness of Another; and Apart from Works.

And before we get into this first point let me remind us that In the life of the Christian there are two foundational works that God does. One is the work of justification - that’s what we are going to talk about this morning. How does one become saved? How is one made right with God? The second foundational work of God in a Christian’s life is sanctification. That is the process of one growing in godliness and holiness, in love, n being made more like Christ. This work of sanctification starts the minute you become a Christian and continues until you go home to be with the Lord.

It’s good to remember this morning and in the coming weeks that we are teaching on this subject of justification, this glorious act of God saving us, reconciling us to himself through Jesus Christ and his work on our behalf. And as we discuss this free gift of grace in our salvation there will be the tendency in our minds to link this to sanctification and say But, But, But.

Don’t do that. O we believe in sanctification. It’s one of our core values = spiritual growth. But don’t link it to salvation. Keep these two works of God separate in your mind. Yes if a person is truly saved he/she will want to grow in godliness. But this is not what we are talking about this morning. Our text is about the glorious truth that there is a way to be made right with God apart from our own works or righteousness.

So let’s look at this phrase: But Now. In this verse Paul is stating that But Now the righteousness of God is manifested or revealed apart from works. You could restate this verse this way: “The way to be right with God has been revealed and it is not connected to our own goodness or works.” In all our sermons in the book of Romans we are trying not to get ahead of ourselves and into the verses and chapters (sermons) right ahead of us. But if we go back we can look back to Romans chapter one verse 16-17 I think it confirms this idea that the righteousness of God has to do with a right standing with God..

Romans 1:16–17 (ESV) — For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

What we see in these verses is that in and through the gospel is the power of salvation. And that this salvation involves the righteousness of God which comes to us by faith. We are made righteous or right with God through faith.

Here, and through the rest of this argument, it means the divinely-granted, and righteous, acceptance of believers.

• David Seccombe: Romans: Dust to Destiny

Now there are a number of similar But God phrases throughout Scripture (Ephesians 2:1-5; Genesis 8:1; Romans 6:23; Acts 13:28-30; Romans 8:1; Romans 5:6-9; Genesis 50:20). Places where God’s people were in dire straits and then the Lord showed up. And I think that one could make the argument that this But Now here in Romans 3 is the most significant phrase of all of them. Why do I say that? Well remember the setting of our text. In Paul’s most important book and in his most important argument we have reached the depths of despair and alienation from God.

See Paul is not just briefly stating the gospel message here in the beginning of Romans. He does that in other letters that he wrote as does the Apostle Peter in his epistles. Here is an example of that:

1 Peter 3:8 (ESV) — Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.

Paul is not doing that here in the book of Romans. He is thoroughly stating the message of the gospel and what he has done in the past two plus chapters is to state the “bad news”. The bad news is actually part of the good news message.

And so in very clear and stark descriptions he has laid out the prosecution of God and of Justice against all people. Think about this scenario: you are brought to a public trial and all your thoughts and words and deeds were exposed. People who thought you were a pretty good person or at least an OK person would be aghast. And that would be true for all of us.

That’s what Paul has done up to our passage this morning. He describes the sinfulness of man whether they are Jew or Gentile. By the time he gets to chapter three he is saying things like None is righteous, no, not one; 1 no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” In verses 19-20 he tells us that all people are accountable to God and that no human being can be saved by his/her own righteousness or goodness.

The picture Paul is painting is not a pretty picture. It’s painting a clear description of the rebellion, sinfulness and depravity of man. Man in his fallen state under the judgment of God..

And so after Paul has as Daniel described two weeks ago, after he has rested his closing argument in the verses leading up to our text - Then it's as though he walks from one side of the courtroom(the side where he was the prosecuting attorney) and he moves to the other side of the courtroom where he now become our defense attorney.

And he begins with this glorious exclamation: But Now there is a way despite all our sins and failures there is a way to be made right with God. It is a “But now” that rings through salvation history and through eternity. This is good news! It is the turning point of the book of Romans. From the depths of depravity and despair Paul turns us upward to the glorious good news of the gospel But Now!

This But Now is (or should be) the song of the Christian, the joy of his/her heart. I am a sinner, “but now” I am right with God through faith apart from works.

But now God has made a way for me to be right with Him apart from me being good enough, but now ;my sins our forgiven, but now I am an heir with God but now I have peace with God but now there is no condemnation but now sin is no longer master over me but now I am a daughter or son of God. O let us not move on too quickly from those two glorious words: But Now!

You might ask, Mike, is all of that in this one verse this one expression. Yes, because when we are made right with God through Christ all His wonderful promises follow after it. 2 Corinthians 1 tells us that For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. And in the coming chapters of Romans we will hear more of all of these wonderful benefits of being in a right relationship with the Lord.

Yet now he has done something to secure for those who will have it a verdict of ‘not guilty’, and to grant them a righteous status in his presence now and for all eternity.

• David Seccombe, Romans: Dust to Destiny

II. Through The Righteousness of Another

As we move to our second point this message of good news keeps getting better and better as we continue in this verse. (some churches - our own electronic signs) First of all we hear that now there is a way to be made right with God. And then we hear it’s through the righteousness of another. How do we know that? Well our verse goes on to tell us it’s apart from our works. That tells us that it’s not our goodness that’s involved in being right with God. There’s someone else’s righteousness that makes us right with God.

When verse 21 tells us that the righteousness of God was manifested it’s speaking of the righteousness of Christ which we receive by faith. Now I won’t peek into any of the remaining verses in Romans 3 but I will jump way ahead to Romans 8 that tells us this:

Romans 8:3–4 (ESV) — For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Justice smiles and asks no more. This righteousness of another was the righteousness of our Savior. When Jesus suffered and died and was raised two very important things happened for all who would believe upon Him. He took the wrath of God for all our sins and thus we are forgiven of all of our sins. And also His righteousness, His sinless life was credited to us. 2 Corinthians 5 tells us that He who knew no sin became sin that we might become the righteousness of God.

Now that statement that it’s not our goodness that’s involved in being right with God.is a scandalous statement! The gospel makes some scandalous claims and this is one of them. To non-Christians and even to our natural mind that does not compute. That our goodness is not involved in us being made right with God. (But, but, but). This is really important - if you want to be happy as a Christian you must live in the good of this truth. Your acceptance before God is based on the righteousness of Another.

O beloved that is enough truth to keep us happy for the rest of our lives. Here's why: If you are a Christian, if God has saved you and put His Spirit in your life (Christ abiding in you) then you have a God given desire to please Him and to be right with Him. And even when we tarnish that desire through our disobedience and fleshliness it still remains. And this truth that we are accepted by the righteousness of another should be a constant assurance and joy.

And you might say yes Mike but I feel that tarnishment of my sin (even though I battle against it). When that happens we should use it as an opportunity to run to the Savior and cling to Him (that’s what saving faith does) and confess that it’s His righteousness that makes us right with God. It tells us in Revelation 12 that the way that we defeat the accuser of God’s people (who does so day and night) is through the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.

Martin Luther writing to a friend to encourage him in his fight against the temptations and accusations of the Devil said:

Say this: “I admit that I deserve death and hell. What of it? Does this mean I shall be sentenced to eternal damnation? By no means. For I know One who suffered and made a satisfaction in my behalf. His name is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Where He is, there I shall be also.”

• Martin Luther

A Righteousness Apart From The Law:

Our third point is again very good news! It is that we can be made right with God apart from our goodness from our obedience to the law. It’s not that the Lord doesn’t want us to obey His word, his laws and statues. But we could never attain acceptance by God through doing so.

After Adam’s fall man was never able to be justified by obeying the law. One of the purposes of the law was to convict man of his sinfulness and his utter inability to keep the commandments. So when Paul says that the righteousness of God is apart from the law he is saying that there is a different way to be made right with God.

• Steven Runge

And it’s interesting when we look at the context of our verse, when we look at the chapters that have led up to this point. Paul has not just been saying that we have failed to keep enough of the law to be right with God. It’s not like we’ve kept 80% of the law and falter on the remaining 20%. (He’s saying way more) In chapter one Paul seems to be highlighting the flagrant in your face sinning of the Gentiles in Romans 1 and the hypocritical sinning of religious Jews in chapter 2.

Romans 1:18 (ESV) — For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

Romans 1:22–23 (ESV) — Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

Romans 2:5 (ESV) — But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

Romans 2:21–23 (ESV) — you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law.

The law of God exposes all types of sin. It reveals where we have fallen short. It shows us also where we have blatantly gone our own rebellious way. And it also reveals when maybe we have done the right thing but with wrong motives. It even shines a light on the times where we have sought to do the right thing for the right reason but we didn’t do it perfectly or that ideal way we wish it had happened (the law is like that blinking sign = you have fallen short!).

As Christians we know that we are not saved by works of the Law but we can still be affected by that sentiment. We sing a song written by John Newton called Let Us Love and Sing and Wonder. There’s a line in it that declares that Christ has “hushed the law’s loud thunder”. Yes He has but we sometimes can still hear that loud thunder of the law. We must realize that we will never be able to perfectly obey the law. The law, our conscience, the devil and even other people can remind us all the time that we fall short. One of the things that can greatly help us hush the loud thunder of the law is God’s word. One verse that helps me is from Romans 6:

Romans 6:14 (ESV) — For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

We must learn to speak to ourselves and whatever loud thunder (or sometimes it’s a whisper) is in our mind:”Hush”. Hush I am not under the law. Oh I seek to obey God’s word and commands but I am not under the law; it is not my master. Christ is.

The righteousness God revealed in the gospel has nothing to do with us doing the right thing; it is ‘apart from the law’. Nor is it a new standing brought about by our punishment, as will become clear. Rather it is a new and positive standing given to believers as a gift (‘freely’) because of what God has done in Jesus to satisfy the demands of justice. It is an acquittal, although we are actually guilty, a kind of amnesty, which makes possible the creation of a new community. This new righteousness affects our relationship with God first. We can now look him in the eye and walk with him through life as friends.

• David Seccombe, Romans: Dust to Destiny

Remember in Jesus' earthly ministry. He was a friend of sinners and He is still a friend of sinners. Sinners who He has redeemed by His own righteousness.

Paul ends our verse with this statement: “although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it.” So even though this righteousness of God that is available to us is apart from the law, the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it. Throughout all of the Old Testament Scripture the plan for God’s people to be justified by the righteousness of another was clear though at the same time it was somewhat hidden.

In a sense it was hidden in the Levitical ceremonies of blood sacrifices of animals and in the types and signs and symbols within the Old Testament. They pointed to a coming lamb who was slain, a goat who would carry away all their sins, a Prophet like Moses, a kinsman Redeemer like Boaz, a Suffering Servant and a King riding into Jerusalem mounted on a donkey.

But it was also very clear in prophecies like Isaiah 53 arguably one of the most explicit descriptions of the work of Christ in the Bible (Old and New) which Isaiah wrote 700 years before the birth of Christ:

Isaiah 53:4–5 (ESV) — Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

Why did the Jews not realize or see the clear prophetic announcement of a Savior who would bear their sins and give them His own righteousness? They were blinded by their sin as were we until we heard the message of the gospel and the Holy Spirit worked salvation in our lives.

Romans 10:2–4 (ESV) — For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

If you are not a Christian I would appeal to you today that the only way you can be right with God is to come and trust in Christ for your righteousness. The old hymn tells us nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling. Come to Him today, Turn from your sin, turn to the Savior, put all your trust and hope in Him—and He will save you.

Closing

As do many people I do a lot of my work in my office at home. And some days especially in the spring or fall I’ll be working away not really aware of what the weather is like outside. I am busy with the tasks of the day but sometimes I will take a break and go outside. Maybe it’s to mail a letter or fill up our bird feeder. And when I step outside I realize it’s 72 degrees and sunny and beautiful out.

And I will think or even exclaim it is wonderful to live in North Carolina. It might be late October or early November and it’s a beautiful world outside. It reminds me of how wonderful it is to live, to be alive even in a fallen world. This is how it should be when our lives are centered around the gospel message that we have been made right with God apart from works. We should live in the warmth and glory of being in right relationship with God because of the righteousness of another. Here are two thoughts on applying that to our lives.

Seek to make yourself happy in God each day through the gospel. This can include in your devotional time of prayer and praise to God, or the memorization and meditation of gospel truth (Romans is full of them).

Keep the truth of being made right with a Holy God in front of you. Don’t let the business of life or even your trials and afflictions blur the freedom of cherishing and walking in the great truth. Build small habits of grace into your life that will help you in this area.

This includes reading good books. I highly recommend Jerry Bridges' The Gospel For Real Life. He had the gift of taking deep spiritual truths and explaining them in a way we easily grasp and yet without losing their power.

Also learn to identify the loud thunder of the law and other voices that seek to take away your joy of being right with God. Don’t keep living with those voices learn (and this includes through the help of others) to hush those voices through the truth of the gospel.