God Glorified in the Cross (Romans 3:25b-31)
INTRODUCTION:
When you and I think of the cross and the death of the Lord Jesus Christ we look at it from man’s point of view. We look at it from what we gain from Christ’s death, we look at Jesus as our Savior, that He died for sinners. He died for our salvation, He died so our sins can be forgiven, He died so that we can have eternal life. He died to rescue us from judgment and hell. All of these things are true, and they should bring us great joy and peace and we should celebrate what the cross means for us.
But what if we looked at the cross of Jesus Christ from God’s perspective? The first thing that we would understand and acknowledge is that Christ died for God. We cannot understand the atonement unless we understand this fact. All those things that we think of from our point of view are true but they all hinge on this fact that Christ died for God. Christ’s death on the cross was to glorify God. Everything that Jesus Christ did while He lived on this earth was to glorify His Father in heaven, and even in His death He was glorifying God the Father. I have said more than once that the chief end of man is to glorify God, and Jesus did this perfectly in His life and in His death. Heaven is prepared for those who put their faith in Jesus Christ so that we might glorify God for eternity. But man cannot satisfy God’s righteous demands, so Paul in the book of Romans is giving us the heart of the gospel, that it is not up to man, man’s efforts to be righteous are worthless, but there is hope in the doctrine of justification by faith alone in response to God’s grace. This truth is seen and taught through the death of Christ and how His death glorified God. Our passage this morning teaches this truth, and the basic truth is simple: Justification (being declared righteous) for sinful mankind was made possible by God’s grace through the death of God’s only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and this justification is imputed or credited to men when they place their faith in Jesus Christ. Christ’s death on the cross affects those who trust in Jesus Christ by giving them eternal life. Through faith in Christ’s death and resurrection Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 1:10 that Jesus rescues us from the wrath to come. The cross affected Satan, his power over the earth was broken, Christ’s death rendered him powerless who had the power of death. Jesus Christ was affected by the cross as in obedience to the will of His Father He took upon Himself the sins of the world and suffered the agony of paying for all the sins of all mankind, paying the penalty for sin which was death. That God was divinely satisfied with His death is seen in that He raised Him from the dead. God the Father and the Holy Spirit were affected by the cross because of their perfect oneness with God the Son.
In our passage this morning Paul shows us four ways in which the cross of Jesus Christ glorifies God, first by demonstrating God’s righteousness, second by revealing God’s grace, third by providing God’s salvation to all, and fourth by establishing God’s Law. Let’s pray and then read our passage.
--PRAY--
SCRIPTURE:
Turn in your Bibles to Romans 3. We will be looking specifically at the second half of verse 25 through verse 31, but to pick up the context let’s begin reading at verse 24. Please stand if you are able in honor of the reading of God’s Word.
Romans 3:24-31,
“…being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Where then is boasting? It is excluded. 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. 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. Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.” (Romans 3:24–31, NASB95)[1]
THE CROSS DEMONSTRATES GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS (Romans 3:25b-26)
The cross demonstrates God’s righteousness in that through the sacrifice of His Son, God provided the punishment for sin, punishment that was sufficient to pay for every sin ever committed by sinful humanity, even the supreme sin of crucifying God’s Son. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross satisfied God’s wrath against sin, the righteous demand of the Law had been met, sin had been paid for by death.
Paul goes on to declare that this demonstrated God’s righteousness because in His forbearance He passed over sins previously committed. What does this mean? First of all, it does not mean that God is unaware of sin or that He condones sin. Forbearance speaks of God’s patience, by understanding God’s righteousness we know that no sin will go unpunished, but at the same time no sin is beyond His forgiveness. So God was able to pass over the sins committed in the past knowing that they would either be paid for by the sinner himself in the form of eternal death and torment in the lake of fire forever and ever or his sins would be paid for him because he placed his faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on his behalf. God could have destroyed mankind when Adam and Eve first sinned, but He passed over their sins until the death of Jesus Christ when those who believed in the past would have their sin paid for.
We have already learned that from the beginning that God’s eternal power and divine nature were clearly seen in the things that He had made, but Paul goes on and declares that through the incarnation of Jesus Christ, through His death and resurrection we have God’s ultimate revelation of Himself, this is the demonstration of His righteousness at the present time. It is in the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ on earth, His perfect fulfillment of the Law, His perfect obedience to the Father even going to the cross and dying for mankind, this is why God can be both just and the justifier of the sinful, unworthy person who has faith in Jesus. He is just because the righteous demands of the Law were met, sin is paid for with death. He is the One who can justify because the death of the perfectly righteous and sinless Son of God paid for the sins of those who have faith in Him.
Understand that the real problem with salvation was not the matter of getting sinful men to a holy God but the problem was getting holy God to accept sinful man without violating His justice. His justice was satisfied through the cross of Jesus Christ as it provided a just redemption for sinful men. In the cross we have the great truth that God is forever supremely just and supremely gracious. Christ’s death on the cross was proof to the world that God’s holiness and God’s justice will always be perfect as God Himself is perfect, they will never be diminished because Christ’s death satisfied the justice of the holy God. John MacArthur writes, “The most unfathomable of all spiritual mysteries is that of the holy and just God providing redemption for sinful men and in the gracious act, not violating any attribute of His nature, but bringing supreme glory to Himself.”[2]
THE CROSS REVEALS GOD’S GRACE (Romans 3:27-28)
The cross of Jesus Christ glorifies God by revealing that it is only by God’s grace that we can be saved from God’s wrath against sin. The cross is God’s proof that man trying to come to God in his own way and by his own power is utterly futile. Paul as if carrying on a conversation asks a number of questions and answers them for us. First, he asks, “Where then is boasting?” and then immediately answers with, “It is excluded.” The power of salvation is found in the cross of Jesus Christ alone, Christ death paid the full price, there is nothing more to be paid, man can do nothing to add to the salvation that is provided by God’s grace through the death of His Son. There is absolutely nothing that man can boast about, nothing that he can congratulate himself about when it comes to salvation it is totally a work of God alone.
Paul continues his questions and answers by asking, “by what kind of law or principle is boasting excluded? Is it excluded by a law of works?” Again, Paul immediately answers his question by writing, “No, it is not by a law or principle of works, it is by a law or principle of faith.” Paul in the next chapter of Romans is going to remind us that not even the Old Testament saints were saved by works, he will teach that not even Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation was justified or declared righteous by works. Paul wrote to the Ephesians believers in Ephesians 2:8-9, “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.” (Ephesians 2:8–9, NASB95)[3]
There is a lie that Satan has spread across the whole earth, this lie forms the base of all cults and false religions, the lie is that by certain works of man’s own doing, he is able to make himself acceptable to God. The problem with this lie is that it is an impossibility to do anything to make yourself right with God, we have just spent weeks proving that all people are sinners and helpless and powerless to save themselves. The great evil that results from belief of this lie is that it robs God of His glory. God’s grace is glorified in the cross, the only thing that can make us right before God.
Paul in one statement obliterates the lie of works righteousness when he declares, “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.” (Romans 3:28, NASB95)[4] Here when he speaks of the Law, he is referring to God’s Law, the Law given to Jewish people, even the good works done in response to God’s Law will not save. Remember how Isaiah described our righteous acts in Isaiah 64:6, “For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.” (Isaiah 64:6, NASB95)[5] All righteous acts done in the flesh are tainted with sin.
What is this faith that justifies that is completely apart from works? This faith is seen in a person who loves God, who has repented and has a hatred for sin, who is humble, recognizing that their salvation is not of themselves, but totally from God. This person with true saving faith will be devoted to God’s glory, understanding that God deserves glory in all things and all circumstances. A person with true saving faith will be a person of prayer. True saving faith is seen in our love for others, especially for other Christians. True saving faith is seen in the fact that you are in the world, but you are not part of the world system, you are set apart from it and do not participate in it. True saving faith will result in spiritual growth and obedient living. Though we are not saved by works we have already discussed the fact that the result of salvation is good works produced in us by the indwelling Holy Spirit.
THE CROSS PROVIDES GOD’S SALVATION FOR ALL (Romans 3:29-30)
The cross of Jesus Christ glorifies God in that it provides salvation for all. Fundamental to the Jew was that God is one. One of the first statements taught to Jews is from Deuteronomy 6:4, ““Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!” (Deuteronomy 6:4, NASB95)[6] Even though this truth was central to their faith, many Jews in Paul’s day and before believed that Gentiles were excluded from anything that had to do with “their” God. They had come to consider God as belonging only to them, rather than themselves belonging to God as His people. Even though within their own Scriptures there were examples of Gentiles who found favor with God. (Rahab, Ruth, Naaman, the Ninevites who repented to Jonah’s preaching to name a few). Paul anticipates the question being asked by someone, so he asks it himself, again as if he is in a conversation with someone. “Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? There is only one obvious answer, even for a Jew who considered God to be the Jew’s God. Yes, of Gentiles also,” (Romans 3:29, NASB95)[7] If there is only one God then He had to be the God of the Jews and the God of the Gentiles also. He has to be the God of everyone. Paul had told the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 8:5-6, “For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.” (1 Corinthians 8:5–6, NASB95)[8] One God existing in three persons, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Having already established that the Jews had God’s law given through Moses and that the Gentiles had the law written on their hearts and consciences and now having established that there is one God for all mankind, Paul declares that salvation by faith is available to all when he writes, “since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.” (Romans 3:30, NASB95)[9] Paul is saying that just as there is only one God, there is one way of salvation for Jew and Gentile alike, it is by or through faith in Jesus Christ. Paul has made it very clear that all men are condemned by God for their sin, but at the same time they are all equally offered God’s salvation by grace through faith alone in His Son, Jesus Christ. Listen to Paul’s words to Timothy in 1 Timothy 2:3-6, “This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.” (1 Timothy 2:3–6, NASB95)[10] Salvation is available to all through faith in Jesus Christ. As I said earlier, we will see later on beginning in the next chapter that salvation by faith has always been the only way of salvation.
THE CROSS ESTABLISHES GOD’S LAW (Romans 3:31)
God is glorified in the cross of Jesus Christ because it establishes His Law. Paul knew that he would be charged with speaking against the Law of Moses so he puts forth the question that he knew would come. “Do we then nullify the Law through faith?” (Romans 3:31a, NASB95)[11] In other words, if man is saved by faith alone, then the Law must be useless, it must have always been useless. Paul answers this question with the strongest negative in Greek, translated in the King James Version as “God forbid” in the NASB as “May it never be!” Paul says that the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ through which justification by faith is made possible does not nullify the Law of God but establishes it or confirms it.
The salvation that is preached in the Gospel does not replace God’s Law because the Law was never a means of salvation. The Law was given to show the standard of God’s perfect righteousness and to show that those standards are impossible to meet by sinful man’s own power. The purpose of the Law was to point men to Christ, to drive them to God in faith. If you remember Jesus’ sermon on the mount beginning in Matthew 5. He said that God’s righteous standards were even higher than what was written in the Law of Moses. Murder was condemned in the Law, but Jesus equated murder with hating someone, adultery was condemned in the Law, Jesus said if you had lustful thoughts about someone you had committed adultery with them. It is impossible to fulfill the Law of Moses and even more impossible to keep the spirit of the Law that Jesus taught.
The cross of Jesus Christ establishes the Law in three ways. The Law is established in that the penalty of sin which is death was paid. The penalty of death was required by the Law for anyone who failed to fulfill the Law perfectly and completely. When Jesus speaking in Matthew 5:17 said that He did not come to abolish the Law and prophets but to fulfill them, He was speaking not only about fulfilling them in His sinless life, but also fulfilling the demand of the Law in His sin-bearing death.
The Law is established in the cross by fulfilling its purpose of driving men to faith in Jesus Christ. We had already learned from this book that by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified because our works are all stained with sin. James wrote in James 2:10, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.” (James 2:10,
NASB95)[12] Paul wrote in Galatians 3;24, “Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.” (Galatians 3:24, NASB95)[13]
Finally, the cross of Jesus Christ establishes that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in those who have put their faith in the atoning death of Jesus Christ. Listen to Paul’s words in Romans 8:3-4, “For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (Romans 8:3–4, NASB95)[14] Christ’s death condemned sin in the flesh, the requirement of the Law was fulfilled in us who put our faith in Jesus Christ. We have died with Him and are alive in Him.
CONCLUSION:
Jesus Christ’s death on the cross was to glorify God, because His death demonstrated God’s righteousness in that the demands of the Law were fulfilled so that God’s righteous justice was satisfied and He would be just, but at the same time atonement had been made for sinners and He could justify those sinners who have faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ’s death on the cross glorified God because it revealed God’s grace, without the cross, without Christ’s death God would not have been able to extend grace to sinful mankind, but because of the death of Christ God was able to retroactively extend grace to those who believed in faith before Christ’s death and from the point of Christ’s death forward God is able to extend grace to all who put their faith in Jesus Christ. The death of Jesus Christ on the cross glorified God by being the provision of God’s salvation to all. There is one God and His salvation is available to everyone regardless of nationality, language, tribe. God’s salvation is available to all. The death of Jesus Christ on the cross glorifies God by establishing or confirming God’s Law, that the Law’s demands for sin were met, the death penalty was paid for man’s failure to keep the Law perfectly, the Law was established in that its purpose was fulfilled of driving men to faith in Jesus Christ, and through the death and sacrifice of Jesus Christ on our behalf the requirements of the might be fulfilled in us, who now walk by the Spirit and not by the flesh because of our faith in the Son of God who died in out place. When we look at the cross of Jesus Christ from God’s perspective, we understand that all of our spiritual benefits from Christ’s death hinge on the fact that He died as an atoning sacrifice to the glory of God.
Jesus lived His life and died to the glory of God, and as God’s children our desire should also be to bring God glory in everything that we say and do. May we be able to echo the words of Paul that he wrote to Timothy near the end of his life, he wrote in 2 Timothy 4:6-8, “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:6–8, NASB95)[15] Paul had fought the good fight to the glory of God, he had finished the course to the glory of God, he had kept the faith to the glory of God. He was ready to depart this earth to the glory of God.
[1]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[2]MacArthur, John F., The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, Romans 1-8. Chicago, IL : Moody Press, 1991
[3]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[4]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[5]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[6]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[7]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[8]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[9]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[10]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[11]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[12]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[13]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[14]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[15]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. La Habra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995