How does justification by faith alone shape the church? See how Romans 3:27–31 answers: it humbles sinners, unites peoples, and upholds the law.
Introduction: Go Where the Gospel is Preached
“Do not go where it is all fine music and grand talk and beautiful architecture—those things will neither fill anybody’s stomach, nor feed his soul. Go where the Gospel is preached, the Gospel that really feeds your soul, and go often!”[1]
That’s what C. H. Spurgeon told his congregation back in 1885 and what I want to continue saying to you as we enter our twenty-sixth year of life together.
The “gospel” or good news that Jesus Christ saves sinners is the most important thing in the world to the child of God. It’s like manna from heaven that satisfies hunger; like water from a rock that quenches thirst; like wine that gladdens our hearts (Ps. 104); like sweet honey to our lips (Ps. 19). Go where the Gospel is preached! That gospel of Jesus is what Romans is all about.
Illustration: Let me bring this home right from the beginning this morning. Every church has a culture, even if nobody writes it down. I’d be curious to know what you think our church culture is! You can feel a church’s culture when you walk-in. In some places, the culture says, “You matter here if you’re polished.” In other places, “You matter here if your family has been here forever.” In others, “You matter here if you know all the right words, have all the right opinions, and can keep up the appearance that you have it all together.” Which of these describes our church culture? NONE OF THEM!
The gospel creates a totally different kind of church culture. In a church where the gospel takes root, the ground at the foot of the cross is level. Nobody stands closer to Jesus because of pedigree. Nobody gets in by performance. Nobody has a privilege for being part of the right tribe. Whether you’ve been here all twenty-six years or walked in twenty-six minutes ago, we all come to Christ the same way: as sinners justified by God’s grace alone, through our faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone.
Brothers and sisters, that’s what Paul shows us in 3:27–31: justification by faith alone isn’t only how sinners are accepted by God; it’s how he shapes the life of this church.
Thesis: Here’s Paul’s point: The gospel of justification by faith humbles sinners, unites peoples, and establishes a life of grateful obedience.
Summary: where we’re at in Romans and where we’re going in this passage.
Let’s recap where we’re at. In 1:17 Paul said in the preaching of the good news of Jesus the “righteousness of God” is revealed. God is righteous—he judges perfectly and impartially. We must be as righteous as he in order to stand acceptable before him. But therein lies our problem. We’re unrighteous.
But Paul gave us the good news in 3:21–26. God’s righteousness is not only a demand but a gift to us unrighteous sinners. It is “manifested apart from the law” (3:21)—apart from the demands of the law but by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. This gospel was proclaimed in “the Law and the Prophets”—the entire Old Testament (3:21).
Verses 21–26 have been deep and tense. We can take a breath this morning in verses 27–31.
Theme
Here Paul makes justification practical: how does this doctrine that we’re justified by faith alone shape church life?
Transition: The theological bridge into 3:27–31 is that universal sin (“all have sinned”) means we all have a universal need of the same righteousness (“fallen short of the glory of God”), therefore there is one universal gospel of righteousness that is offered to all on the same basis. This makes boasting impossible and ethnic superiority illegitimate. If all have sinned, then no one can boast. If righteousness is received by faith and not achieved by works, then the first thing justification does is bring the sinner low and humbles each one of us before God. The gospel of justification by faith humbles sinners, unites peoples, and establishes a life of grateful obedience. Let’s look at that first way justification shapes church life.
The Gospel Silences Boasting
Children: It doesn’t matter whether you get one small present or one hundred presents, how does it make you feel after opening them up? Do you say to yourself, “I deserved that new bike?” No, you get up and run over to your parents or grandparents and give them huge hugs and say “thank you!” When God gifts us with his righteousness, he accepts us as his children into his family. This should lead us to profound humility.
Look at Paul’s question in verse 27: Then what becomes of our boasting? Why’s he asking this?
Because it’s a question he no doubt asked as he came to faith in Jesus as a Jew and it’s one his opponents were asking.
Because of what he’s just said in verses 21–26: God graciously reveals his gift of righteousness to us unrighteous sinners; he did so on the cross where Christ satisfied the demands of God’s righteousness; and now when I receive Christ I’m righteous. As the hymn says,
Let us wonder, grace and justice
Join and point to mercy's store;
When we trust in Christ our fortress,
Justice smiles, and asks no more.
As a reminder, if you think, “I’m not good enough for the gospel” my response to you is that the gospel isn’t for good people but for lost people. 3:27–31 strips away all self-congratulation and self-reliance.
So, how does Paul answer the question? He says boasting is excluded (v. 27). Then the hypothetical question is asked: By what kind of law? By a law of works? Notice how hung up the legalist is. All he can think about is the law. I’m convinced Paul is using their terms to destroy their argument because he answers, No, but by the law of faith (v. 27). What’s a “law of faith?” Exactly! Stop thinking in terms of the law. This is one of our big problems as Christians, isn’t it? We think in such performance categories. I know as a man I do and I know most of you men do, too. “How many people are in your church,” I constantly am asked? “How much money do you make,” you are constantly asked. What are you doing to keep up with the neighbors, whose three kids all have private coaches and private tutors to get an edge?
Paul makes the absolute contrast between grace and faith to circumcision, ethnic privilege, and law-performance.
So, why is there no boasting in the law? For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law (v. 28). Faith and works: you can’t make a more diametrically opposed set of words. Faith simply receives; works try to achieve. Faith is given to us as a gift; works are our trying to gain. Faith reaches out to Christ; works dig deep within self. Application: OURC—in a Christian church like ours that prides itself on having such a clear understanding of the gospel, we should be striving to be the humblest people on the planet! You’re not a Protestant in contrast to those Papists! You’re not a Calvinist in contrast to those dirty Calvary Chapel people! You’re a sinner—a beggar—saved by grace!
Transition: Paul isn’t finished once he’s humbled us. The same gospel that takes boasting out of your heart also takes barriers down between people. When nobody can brag before God, nobody can stand above his brother either.
The Gospel Creates One People
This humility should be joined with unity in us who are justified by faith alone. The gospel creates one people. Paul asks a question of his objectors in verse 29: Or is God the God of Jews only? Remember back in 2:17, one of the Jews’ boasts was that their God was the true God, implying that the Gentiles were all just a bunch of idol worshippers? So, Paul asks, Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also. Note his proof: since God is one (v. 30). The basic confession of faith from the Old Testament is Deuteronomy 6:4: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.” Since there is only one God, he is the God who made all people. But notice Paul’s main point in citing the oneness of God. Since there is one God he has only one method of salvation: he will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith (v. 31).
By faith! This means it doesn’t matter what color you are—God made them all. It doesn’t matter what nationality you are—God determines boundaries That was part of the Galatian heresy: Gentiles need to become Jews to be saved. Today, the Judaizing heresy is with us again as “Heritage Americans”—whatever that is—or those of the so-called “Anglo-Saxon” race are said to be more blessed by God. Of course, all can be saved, but they have to join our culture to get the full benefits. This isn’t just the Judaizing heresy repackaged, it’s false prosperity gospel too!
Children: how many of you have gotten into a fight with your brother or sister? All of you! Did your parents said something like this: “Why are you fighting, that’s your brother, that’s your sister?” Their point was that you have the same parents and the same last name, so don’t fight. In the church it’s the same, but even more so. We’re all unique individuals, but when we place the same faith, in the same Savior, and receive the same gift of justification, we become brothers and sisters. As Paul says later in 12:5, “we, though many, are one body in Christ.”
Application: I want you to pay close attention when you come up to this Communion table, who is in front and behind of you, to your right and left. On any given Sunday, we recognize as brothers and sisters those who have Dutch heritage, Vietnamese, German, Chinese, English, Native American, Irish, Columbian, Mexican, Italian, Ugandan, Salvadorian, Jewish, Chilean, New Zealander, Brazilian, Swedish—that’s just off the top of my head. Who did I miss? God did this! Beloved, this is not just your church; this is your family given by God! As I’ve said before, just as you don’t get to choose your family in life, you don’t get to choose your church family. God did! Someone once asked me after visiting, “Why does your church attract such a motley crew of people?” How did I answer? “Ask God!”
Let me also say, in addition to recognizing our unity in Christ, we need to practice unity. How? Through prayer. Are you praying for unity in OURC? Paul goes on to pray in 15:5 that we would be “like–minded toward one another.” Are you praying that everyone who belongs to this family and those not yet would be unified in doctrine? Are you praying that we’d be unified in our inter-personal relationships?
If you’re praying, then recognize something unresolved between yourself and another, as a member of the family you’re obligated to go to that person in love, to bring unity. I talked to a close friend recently who recently took a new pastoral call and had someone leave the congregation because they were unhappy with someone. That’s never happened here, has it? It’s sin. It injures the body. If you’re offended by someone, if you’ve been hurt by someone, say something. Because if you leave and go somewhere else, without resolution, you’ll infect another church and injure it too. If you need help in striving for that unity, find one of our elders.
Transition: The gospel creates one people—what a picture of that here at OURC! But the gospel does not stop there. The same faith that receives Christ also reshapes the life of those who receive him. Justification doesn’t produce pride; it doesn’t produce division; but neither does it produce carelessness. It produces people eager to walk in God’s ways.
The Gospel Establishes Obedience
Justification leads to sanctification. Your being accepted by God leads you to be changed into a godly person. The gospel establishes obedience.
We see this in verse 31 where Paul says justification by faith alone leads to piety, or, godliness: Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? He asks this because he’s just said we are justified by faith and not by works. Do we as Christians believe God’s law in the Old Testament is invalid for us now? Look at his answer: By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law. By no means! Do you remember what that phrase means? We saw it in 3:4 and 3:8 and I said that it is the strongest way to say not merely, “No way,” but, “Not on your life; not in a thousand years!” We absolutely reject the idea that the law is irrelevant for the Christian. We are not antinomian, that is, against the law. We’ll see more of this in chapter 6, but for now, Paul says we actually uphold the law.
The gospel validates the law’s true role rather than using it as a ladder to heaven. How? We uphold the Law in at least three ways:
Because we understand the law’s proper role to show us our sins (3:20)
Because we understand the law’s purpose is Jesus Christ (10:4)
Because we understand the law’s essence is love (13:8–10), which we seek to express to one another.
The law is no longer a ladder for you to climb into God’s favor; in Christ it becomes a lamp for those already brought home.
Transition: Church life is shaped by justification by faith alone: pride is silenced, division is challenged, and obedience is established. This isn’t a dusty formula for theologians. It’s the power of God to form a humble, united, and holy people.
Gospel Bridge
For believers: Come before God low, not loud. The gospel leaves no room for spiritual swagger, pride, or Reformed theo-bro chest-thumping. Your standing isn’t “I kept the law.” In the words of the pristine theological band—The Clash: “I fought the law and the…law won.” Only Christ can justify by his grace.
OURC: Reject every superiority structure the gospel destroys—ethnic, moral, cultural. If God is one and he justifies on one basis, then the church must be a place where boasting dies and fellowship deepens.
If you’re not a believer: Stop trying to present a résumé to God. The gospel is for the guilty, not the impressive. Faith renounces self-salvation and receives Christ!
Conclusion: Justification Shapes the Life of OURC
Justification is so important. It’s important to know, so that you have assurance before God that you are accepted by him, and it’s important so that you can live for him. Justification by faith alone isn’t only how sinners are accepted by God; it’s how he shapes the life of this church.
Once old writer said it beautifully, when he said, “Before justification we have no right to joy; and after it no reason for misery.”[2] Let’s go forth today in the “so what” of our justification, shaped in humility before God, unity together, and piety in acts of love and service to the glory of our Savior!
[1] C. H. Spurgeon, “Hearing With Heed” (August 9, 1885).
[2] John Angell James, “Religious Joy,” in The Works of John Angell James: Volume 15 (London: Hamilton Adams & Co., 1862), 282. As found at http://quintapress.macmate.me/PDF_Books/John_Angell_James_Volume_15.pdf (Accessed September 27, 2015).