What are the consequences of the glorious truth of Justification by Faith Alone? Paul tells us that it Eliminates Boasting, Abolishes Distinctions, and Establishes the Law. The truth humbles us and gives all the glory to God!
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Justification Through Faith Alone
Romans 3:27-31
The truth of justification by faith is one of the most important truths in all of Scripture. It is one of the doctrines that separates evangelicals from Roman Catholics. Martin Luther went so far as to say that it was the article on which the church stood or fell. He wrote, “Justification by faith is the head and cornerstone of the Church, which alone begets, nourishes, builds, preserves, and protects the church; without it the church of God cannot subsist one hour. Neither can anyone teach correctly in the church or successfully resist any adversary if he does not maintain this doctrine.”
The Reformers of the 16th Century organized their protests against the Roman Catholic church under 5 “Alones”. Christ alone – Grace alone – Faith alone – Scripture alone – glory of God alone. Many of the early Reformers were willing to be burned at the stake rather than deny this important truth.
So, exactly what do we mean by “justification by faith alone”? We mean that a man is made right with God and credited with God’s righteousness, not because of any good deeds that he performs, but only because of faith in Jesus Christ.
When Martin Luther translated Romans 3:28 into German, he put it this way, “So, we hold that a person is justified without works of the law, through faith alone.” He was severely criticized by the Catholic church for adding the word “alone”. His critics charged him with adding a word to his translation that was not found in the original. And they were right. The word “alone” is not in any of the Greek texts. This was his response, “If your papist makes much useless fuss about the word “alone”, tell him at once, ‘Doctor Martin Luther will have it so… are they (the Papists) doctors? So am I. Are they learned? So am I. Are they preachers? So am I. Are they theologians? So am I… Therefore the word “alone” shall remain in my New Testament, and though all papal donkeys get furious, they shall not take it out.” Even though the word “alone” was not in the Greek text, it does gives us the sense of what Paul was communicating in Romans 3:28. As a result of the Protestant Reformation, justification through faith alone, became one of the great, accepted, established evangelical doctrines of the faith.
In our text today, Paul teaches us that there are three blessed consequences of the doctrine of justification by faith alone: 1) It Excludes Boasting; 2) It Abolishes Distinctions; 3) It Establishes the Law.
1. It Excludes Boasting (3:27-28)
“Where then is boasting? It is excluded.”
The word “then” refers back to all Paul has said in 3:21-26. He has told us that now apart from the Law, the righteousness of God has been manifested. This righteousness is the very righteousness of God which comes through faith in Christ. All men have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory, so all men desperately need this righteousness. It comes to men as a gift by God’s grace through the cross of Christ, whereby we were redeemed (set free) and God’s wrath was appeased. Paul’s emphasis throughout this entire section is that faith is that which receives this wonderful righteousness. We have done nothing to earn or deserve it. We did not gain this righteous standing by keeping the Law. That’s what Paul has told us in 3:20, “because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight…” But God Himself has provided the remedy! No one deserves this righteousness, but all may receive it through faith in Christ. Furthermore, it is faith and faith alone that receives the blessing of salvation. That’s what Paul is stressing in verse 28, “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.” Justification comes by faith with no mixture of works or law-keeping. So, if this gift of righteousness comes through faith and not through any works of our own, then there is no place for boasting at all.
All of us have a tendency to enjoy boasting in our accomplishments, don’t we? There was a sign in front of an Atlanta restaurant featuring fried chicken which said, “If the Colonel had our chicken recipe, he’d be a General!” Muhammad Ali used to love to declare, “I am the greatest!” If we were justified by our works, we would boast about those works. Heaven would be filled with a multitude of people boasting about what they had done in order to achieve heaven. One guy would talk about his great sacrifices, another about the sufferings they endured, another of their prayer life, another about his many good deeds.
Well, men may enjoy boasting, but God hates it. In fact, God designed that salvation would be through faith and not of works, so that no one would ever be able to boast! “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Consider 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, “ For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.” Boasting is just a verbal expression of pride. Pride was the sin that got him cast out of heaven. If pride re-emerged in heaven again, God would have to do the same thing all over again. All boasters would be cast out.
“By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.”
The reason boasting is excluded, is because we are saved through faith, not works. Faith eliminates boasting. Faith in Christ eliminates any idea of self-help, self-improvement, or self-salvation. It looks away from itself to Christ as Savior. The one who stresses works expects salvation to come from within, from below. The one who emphasizes faith looks away from himself to God, and expects salvation to come from Him, from above. Matthew Henry put it this way, “Faith is a depending, self-emptying, self-denying grace and casts every crown before the throne.” Imagine a person who is drowning being saved by the lifeguard. When he revives, he starts bragging about how great he trusted the lifeguard. He says, “You should have seen how I went limp in his arms, and how I let him save me. It was radical!” You say, “Brian, that’s ridiculous!” You’re right. It is! But it is even more ridiculous to boast about your faith. Faith refuses to take any glory to itself, and instead delights to give all glory to God. The songwriter said it best, “Nothing in my hand I bring – Simply to Thy cross I cling – Naked come to Thee for dress – Helpless look to Thee for grace – Foul, I to the fountain fly – Wash me Savior or I die.” The reason God chose to design salvation through faith, is so that redeemed sinners could never boast in themselves.
My friends, any religious system that fosters human pride, self-righteousness, or boasting in human accomplishments is a false religious system. If you are in a religious system that tells you that you are better than others because of how many doors you knock on and how many magazines you give away, it is false. If you are in a religious system that gives you the impression that you are better than others because you abstain from coffee, tea, and alcohol, and go on a two year missionary trip, it is false. If you are in a religious system that tells you that you are acceptable to God because you pray 7 times a day on your prayer rug facing Mecca, it is false. If you are in a religious system in which you are right with God because of your Law keeping, it is false. If you are in a religious system that teaches that you can reach Nirvana through your effort and rigorous discipline, it is false. Basically all the religions of the world teach that the way to be right with God is through human efforts of some kind. Only Christianity teaches that we are right with God through faith alone. Only Christianity teaches that our reconciliation with God takes place through His efforts. True Christianity humbles the sinner, and exalts God to His rightful place as Sovereign Majesty over all. It glorifies God, because it declares that our salvation is all of God!
2. It Abolishes Distinctions (3:29-30)
“Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.”
Basically what Paul is saying here is a restatement of what he has already said in Romans 3:22, “even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Paul says, “there is no distinction.” That’s what he’s emphasizing again here in Romans 3:29-30. The Jews saw God as the God of the Jews only. Instead of seeing themselves as belonging to God, they saw God as belonging to them!
In Romans 2:17, it says that they boasted in God. I think that means that they boasted that God was their God. He wasn’t in covenant with any other nation, but them. They felt they had a monopoly on God. So, Paul asks the rhetorical question, “Is God the God of Jews only?” Some Jews may have answered, “He is the God of Jews only!” But Paul’s answer is “Wrong!” God is the God of Gentiles also. There is only one God, if He is the God of Jews only, then who is the God of Gentiles? It would have to be another God. But if there is only one God, then He has to be the God of Jews and Gentiles. And if He is the God of all people, then it only makes sense that He has one way of salvation for all. What is that way of salvation? Paul answers it in verse 30 – “He justifies the circumcised (Jews) by faith and the uncircumcised (Gentiles) through faith. In other words, God saves all people, Jews and Gentiles, the same way – through faith.
Paul is teaching his readers that the gospel is the great Leveler. All people, Jews and Gentiles, stand on the same level at the foot of the cross. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. All need God’s righteousness. And the only way for any and all to receive God’s righteousness, is through faith in Jesus Christ. Thus, there is no distinction. You no longer have Jews as the privileged nation, and all others as underprivileged nations. All peoples are lost sinners, and all can be saved the same way, through faith in Jesus Christ.
Now, there are a couple of obvious applications we can make from this truth. First, it is unbiblical for any nation to see themselves as superior to all others, and look down on other peoples. Whether it is the Whites looking down on the Negroes, or the Germans looking down on the Jews, or American settlers looking down on American Indians (savages), it is all unbiblical and contrary to the gospel of Jesus Christ. And the tragic thing is that this racial prejudice has taken place by people who confess to believe in and follow the Word of God. Whites in the deep South in the 19th century, believed that they were superior to the Black slaves because God had cursed the black race with the mark of Cain, and that they were inferior and couldn’t ever hold the same jobs as Whites. The Germans looked on the Jews as “parasitic vermin”, like rats or cockroaches, and that’s why they did their best to exterminate them in World War 2. Now, we may not have those same extreme opinions, but there are still racist people, and many of them try to justify their racism from the Bible. My friend, racism and prejudice is contrary to the spirit of the gospel. Racism is the setting up of one race as better, superior, or closer to God than another, which is all a lie. The Bible teaches that all lost people, no matter what race they are from, are on exactly the same playing field. They are dead in their sins! And my friends, that includes the Jews today. There are even some today that teach that the Jews are still God’s chosen people and are therefore closer to God, or more privileged than others, and that all of them will be saved. This text in Romans 3 utterly refutes all that racial bigotry. My friends, much of the hatred and violence in the world would completely disappear if racism were no longer around. Be honest this morning. Do you have any seeds of racism lurking in your heart? Do you think that you are superior to people from certain other races? If you do, repent! That is not of God. The Word of God teaches that you are just as in need of Jesus Christ as any other person on the planet!
The other obvious application that arises from this text is that there is only one way of salvation for all peoples. All people are saved through faith in Jesus Christ, apart from works of the Law. The Jews are not saved by Law-keeping, the Muslims are not saved by praying 7 times a day on their prayer rugs, and Jehovah’s Witnesses are not saved by witnessing to enough people door to door. The Scripture teaches that all people are saved through faith in Christ alone! A lot of times you will hear people say something like, “Well, all believe in the same God. We are just taking different paths to get to Him. The Christian takes one route, the Muslim another, and the Hindu another, but we will all arrive at the same place one day.” That is utter rubbish! Jesus claimed to be the Son of God. He predicted exactly how he would die, and that in three days He would rise again. And this Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” The early Christian preachers of the first century believed this same truth. Peter in Acts 4:12 when dragged before the Sanhedrin said, “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” The universal testimony of Scripture is that God has provided only one way of salvation – the Person and Work of Jesus Christ. Just a little reflection on this will show the absurdity of believing anything else. If a person does not believe on Jesus Christ, how can they be reconciled to God. Sin has separated them. What is going to bring them together? What will atone for their sins? Where will they get a perfect righteousness to stand before God? Where are they going to get a new divine life? Apart from Christ, it is impossible! People who adhere to these other religious systems may be sincere, and generous and kind, but they can’t be saved apart from Jesus Christ. That’s why we need to evangelize all people, even religious people who don’t trust in Christ.
My friends, every cult has this exclusivistic superior spirit to them. They believe that they are the only true Christians on the earth. Whether it is the Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Mormons, or Jehovah’s Witnesses, or Moonies. Even the Church of Christ and the 7th Day Adventist Church has imbibed this exclusivistic spirit. Folks, beware of any church that tells you they are the “One True Church”! When that happens, run!
3. It Establishes The Law
“Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.”
The word “nullify” means “to come to an end; to cause to cease to exist.” Basically what Paul is asking is, “Do we then say that there is no purpose for the Law anymore and that it has come to an end?” Now, why would Paul ask that question? Notice the word “then” – “Do we then nullify the Law through faith?” Well, because of verse 21-22, “But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction.” This gift of righteousness is apart from the Law. Our obedience to the Law has nothing to do with our justification before God. Then in 3:28 Paul says, “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.” In other words, law-keeping doesn’t count at all in your justification. Well then, if my obedience to God’s Law doesn’t even count in my salvation, doesn’t that mean that there is no use to God’s Law? Doesn’t that mean that its purpose in the world has ceased to exist? Is it useless? Does it have no value at all? Paul’s answer is a resounding “No!” May it never, never be! Instead, this way of salvation through faith alone establishes the Law. But what did Paul mean by that?
I believe Paul is referring to exactly what he has already told us in Romans 3:19-20, “Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.” There Paul says the Law does three things: it closes every mouth; it makes all the world accountable to God; and it gives the knowledge of sin. Paul is saying that the doctrine of justification by faith alone establishes the Law in the sense that the Law leads all sinners to the knowledge of their sin so that they will flee to Christ to be justified. Justification by faith alone shows us the value and need of the Law. The Law is necessary to drive sinners to Christ and His cross for justification. It can’t save anyone. But it can show people how desperately they need to be saved. Do we say that a mirror has no purpose or value because it can’t wash our face or comb our hair? No! It has a great purpose. It shows us that our face needs to be washed and our hair needs to be combed! I wake up some mornings and never look in the mirror. Debbie gets up and just laughs at me, because I’ve got hair sticking straight up in weird places all over my head. When I look in the mirror I see clearly exactly where I need to work to get my appearance in shape.
Conclusion
Christian, what does this text have for you? It tells you that the gospel eliminates all boasting. Well, almost all boasting. It eliminates boasting in self. The only boasting that it actually encourages is boasting in the cross of Christ. Galatians 6:14 says, “But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” My Christian friend, renounce your pride. Refuse to boast in your own accomplishments. Give all the glory to God. Be like the Psalmist in Psalm 115:1, “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name give glory because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth.” Or as the apostle Paul put it in 1 Corinthians 4:7, “What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?”
And then again, let me quickly remind you that racism and bigotry are sin. They are contrary to the spirit of the gospel. The cross of Christ has leveled the entire human race. We are all corrupt and fallen and desperately need God’s gift of righteousness. Therefore it is insanity to puff yourself up and tell yourself that you are better than an American Indian or a Negro or a Chinese or a Jew because you are of a particular race. It is not only flat out wrong, it is idiocy. May God give us all grace to humble out, and see ourselves in light of the cross of Christ.
But what about you, my friend who is not in Christ? Has God’s Law ever done its work in your life? Have you come to see your sin and separation from God and need for God to reconcile you to Himself? If you don’t see that, you don’t need a gospel sermon, you need a Law sermon. The Law was given to give us a knowledge of our sin. My friend, have you lied? Have you stolen anything? Have you lusted? Have you committed fornication or adultery? Have you always honored and obeyed your parents? Have you hated others without a cause? Have you always loved God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength? No?! Well, if not, you are a sinner, and are liable to divine justice. You will be brought before Almighty God one day and you will be judged, and if you are outside of Christ, you will be cast into Hell. My friend, take responsibility for your sin, confess it to God, flee to Christ, trust in Him, and you will be saved!
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