On Sunday, I discussed how we as human beings struggle with what many call selfism. Selfism is a philosophy, teaching, or tendency that is selfish. One of the major problems with this philosophy for Christians is that we have let it influence the way we think about the Gospel. Many have made the Gospel self-centered when the true Gospel, in fact, centers on God.
In Romans 3:25-31, Paul takes a different approach then we often do when sharing the Gospel. Instead of explaining how the cross benefits man, he reveals how it profits God. Below is the outline of Sunday’s sermon.
1) THE CROSS MAKES THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD KNOWN (vv. 25b-26 v. 31)
25This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
In this passage, Paul is anticipating the objection that the cross would make God appear to be unjust and unfair because guilty people would be able to be forgiven. What Paul shows, however, is that the cross is a perfect demonstration of God’s justice. Through the cross, God provided a punishment for sin. John MacArthur affirms that through the cross we learn that "no sin will ever go unpunished” (218).
Paul also addresses the question concerning former sins. He affirms that even though God withheld judgment (forbearance), this did not mean that He was being unjust. God was merely anticipating the work of Christ on the cross, which is where He has dealt with sins (past, present and future) in a permanent and final way.
Just as God is always just and upholds that which is right we should as well. Many people have concluded that salvation frees “me” from the restrictions of the law because God’s forgiveness reveals that He does not take the law seriously. Paul silences that opinion showing that the cross makes the righteousness of God known and answers, 31Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.
2) THE CROSS MAKES THE GRACE OF GOD KNOWN (vv. 27-28)
27 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.
Paul also explains that even though God takes sin seriously, man’s attempt at living a moral life by his own power is futile. When we think of the cross we should remember that we are in need of Grace. According to MacArthur, through the cross we learn that "no sin is beyond forgiveness” (218) because our salvation is in Christ who knew no sin (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Paul then asks, “Where then is man’s boasting?” He answers by affirming, “It is excluded.” Because the power of salvation is in the cross of Christ alone, we can by no means take credit. We are made right with God by our faith alone and that has always been the case. Paul explains that not even Abraham, the father of God’s chosen people, was justified by works (Rom. 4:2).
3) THE CROSS MAKES THE UNIVERSAL PLAN OF GOD KNOWN (vv. 29-30)
29Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.
Although the central truth of the Jewish faith was that there was only one God, many of the Jewish people believed that God was the God of the Jews only. Paul, however, corrected them by affirming that God is one, but is the God of both Jew and Gentile. He also asserts that because this is the case, both Jew and Gentile are justified in the same way, which is by faith in Jesus Christ.
We mustn't fall into the same trap as that of the early Jewish Christians. There is no doubt that God has blessed America, but sometimes we are so self absorbed that we fail to see that God wants to be known by all people. We hear about other countries where believers are being persecuted for their faith and are without evangelical churches and Bibles and conclude that there is nothing we can do. Let us remember that there is one God, however, He is not only the God of America, but of the entire World and wants to be known by all people through faith in Jesus Christ.
Conclusion:
It is important to remember that thinking about what the cross means for “me” is not a bad thing. The Bible clearly addresses how believers benefit from the cross. What is wrong is when we make the cross all about us because the Gospel is God-Centered. Salvation is needed because we have sinned against a Holy God, it is made available to us because the righteous and merciful God of the Bible sent His son and the goal of salvation is to bring sinners to God. Peter affirms, "Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God" (1 Peter 3:18).
MacArthur, John. Romans 1-8. The MacArthur Commentary. Chicago: Moody Publishers. 1991. 211-229.
