Therefore no one will be justified in His sight by works of the law. For the law merely brings awareness of sin.Because by the works of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight; for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.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.because by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for through the law cometh the knowledge of sin.
6 sermons cite this verse
This is the teaching found throughout Paul's letters. We saw in Romans 3.20, for the work by works of the law, no human being will be justified in his sight. Galatians 2.16, we know that a person is not justified by works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ. You see the contrast, not this but that. So if it's not this but that, you can't say it's that with a little bit of this. Galatians 3.11, it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for the righteous shall live by faith. Philippians 3.9, not having a righteousness of my own that comes through the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ Jesus. does. Famously, Martin Luther emphasized that Romans 3.28 means we are justified by faith alone. And it's true that that precious gospel doctrine was obscured, but I don't want you to think that it was the invention of the Reformers. Several church fathers and medieval theologians understood verse 28 in this way. For example, one of the commentaries that I'm using through this series is from John Chrysostom, the most famous preacher from the fourth century, so the 300s. Here's what he says. What is the law of faith? This is Chrysostom, Fourth century, commenting on verse 28. …
… that it's the doers who will be justified, and he will reach then the conclusion in chapter 3, verse 20, that by works of the law, by doing, no one will be justified in his sight. So, he is introduced before this topic of justification and hinted at it, certainly, in verses 16 and 17 of chapter 1. But now, in the remainder of this dense and wonderful paragraph, he's going to explain to us, okay, if not by works of the law, if not by doing, how then will anyone be justified? It can be a little hard to follow since verse 24 in the English just continues with this sentence. But Paul is talking about no distinction between Jew and Gentile. Verse 21 introduces that the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law. So, he's not saying that all are justified in verse 24, but as he's carrying this argument, he's thinking specifically about those who receive the righteousness of God. There's no distinction with them, for every one of them has fallen short of the glory of God. And now he continues here thinking about the Christian. …
… and leaves the whole world guilty before God. Romans 3 verse 20, next verse. 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. The law gives us the knowledge of sin. It tells us what sin is. 1 John 3 verse 4 says, sin is transgression of the law. Romans 7, verse 7, over the page somewhat. Listen to what the apostle Paul said. I had not known sin, but by the law. Paul said, I didn't know what sin was until the law told me. In Galatians 3, 24, the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Another function of God's law is to act as a schoolmaster to bring us to Jesus Christ that we might be justified by faith in his blood. The law doesn't help us, it just leaves us helpless. It doesn't justify us, it just leaves us guilty before the judgment bar of a holy God. …
… Romans 3.10, there is none righteous, no, not one. In verse 20, therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in his sight. for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Galatians 2.16, a man is not justified by the works of law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. Even we have believed in Christ Jesus that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law. For by the works of the law, no flesh will be justified. You can't do it. So what we could not do, God did. That's the beauty of it. That choice in the garden, the sin that was brought into the world was resolved in another garden the garden of Gethsemane and the cross very near where Jesus hung taking upon him the sin of all of the world and in the same way that snake that bronze snake was a symbol of judgment the cross is to us today what it was to them as they had been bitten by the snake. …
… through them rapidly, but they mean something very, very significant. There is the sin, therefore. That's in Romans chapter three, verse 20. Romans talks a lot about sin. We're natural born sinners. I am. So are you. We offer God nothing. Let me say it again. We offer God zero zip. Then there is the therefore of salvation, Romans chapter five, verse one. God saw our dilemma caused by sin. He did something we don't deserve. It's called the mercy of God, the mercies of God. Mercy is when I get what I don't deserve. God sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins and rise again, thus autographing, if you wanna keep this word picture going, in blood paid in full. So the Son of God, Jesus Christ, has paid the price for all of your wrongdoings and mine. There's also the therefore of security. If you're wondering, once we're saved, we're in. If we mean it to the best of our ability, we pray and ask Christ to come in, that's it. …
… all stand guilty before God in sin, deserving of eternal separation from him. This is where Romans 3.20, I just picture Paul in tears. like putting the pen down just weeping then I picture him like picking up that pen wiping in tears and saying but now a righteousness from God apart from the law has been made known and this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe there is no difference for all have sinned and fall short of the what? glory of God and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God has presented Jesus as a sacrifice of atonement through faith in his blood. What that means is God has chosen to pour out the judgment due sent upon his son in the place of sinners. Truth number five, God has made a way of salvation for the lost. God has made a way. We have all sinned against God. Every single person in this room, at other campuses, every single person in the world. …