Foundations 9 Jesus Is Our Propitiation — Romans 3

Romans 3:19-28

1. Background:

Paul is convincing Jewish Christians within the church there is not difference between them and gentiles.  All are sinners before God and all are saved through Jesus Christ through faith.  Paul is concluding in these verses that all are saved through faith and not by earning favor by obeying the law.  

2. What can we observe about God?

God wants our focus to be on His goodness and not our own.

What means do we have to prove our own goodness?  Do we do good things in front of other people to show others and prove to ourselves how good we are?  Sometimes when we think or feel something we know is wrong, we may go looking for something nice to do to prove to ourselves once again we’re not really bad people.  So what shall we do to prove our niceness? 

The religions of the world  can prescribe a number of good deeds that can make you feel better about yourself.  But we have a problem when someone comes to the Bible.  That is because rather than trying to make us feel better about ourselves, the Bible accuses us of guilt.

Imagine you are standing in a courtroom and before you have had the chance to say anything, the judge reads off what you are accused of and the court intends to find you guilty. What might you say?  Before you even begin to speak, the judge begins reading a record of everything thought, attitude, and action that was impure, wrong, or inappropriate. The records details records every embarrassing moment you thought know one else could possible know about. 

“How does the judge know I was thinking that about someone else’s wife?”  “Am I really that selfish?”  “I completely forgot that I said those things”.

Usually when we are accused, our first reaction is defend ourselves.  Even when there is truth in the accusation, we still try to say something to lessen the guilt of the accusation.  

“Yes, I may have did that, but I only did it because they did something first.”  The defensive posture will not do.  If we are going to have God’s blessing, we must give up our excuses and defensive attitude.

“Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. “

Verse 19

God wants to do something good in your life, but if you want God, you must first humbly agree to His terms.  That means we cannot earn His favor by keeping the law or doing nice things.  The reason God gave us the law is for us to recognize and admit our sin before Him.

“Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”

Verse 20

Why does God insist we give up our own goodness?  Why won’t God accept any of our excuses?  Doesn’t He know we aren’t perfect? 

When obey and admit our own unrighteousness, then He will show us His righteousness that comes without the law.

“But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets.”

Verse 21

God’s remedy is to replace our unrighteousness with His righteousness. God will only do this when we admit to Him our righteousness needs to be replaced. Many will be unwilling to do that simply because they want keep the idea of their own goodness.  God wants us to focus on His goodness, not our own.

3. How does this point to the Gospel and Jesus?

God’s goodness towards us is in Jesus Chris.

Many people in many religions attempt to build their own goodness and righteousness, but God gave the law to stand in their way.  The Law became a wall their goodness could not climb over or overcome.  So God give us righteousness without the law:

“But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets  Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference.”

Verses 21-22

The righteousness God wants to give us isn’t our own but it is the righteousness of Jesus Christ.  Without Jesus Christ, we are all condemned sinners.  But in Jesus Christ we have redemption from sin.

^” For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”

Verses 23-24

Jesus Christ is our propitiation.

“Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.”

Verse 25

Even though God wants to give us His righteousness, our sin still had to be forgiven.  Just like crime in society, so our sin carries a punishment, separation from God.  He will not ignore sin that we commit, and like a judge, He will require punishment.  But because God is good, He is willing be punished for us.  Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross is punishment enough for all your sin.  His blood is a propitiation to forgive your sin.

The law and the judge has to be satisfied before a criminal can be set free.  This is what Jesus did for sinners on the cross. So now justly God can release you from your sin through Jesus Christ.

^“To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”

Verse 26

4. Application:

You can be free from guilt and punishment of sin. Agree with God and admit your sin before Him.  Trust in Jesus Christ for forgiveness.  Jesus is proof of God’s love for you.  The death, burial, and resurrection of Christ is enough to forgive you of sin and give you new life that is unblemished by sin.  Focus and praise God’s goodness.  We could do nothing to save ourselves or anyone else.  Lets boast in His goodness everyday!

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

1 John 4:10