GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR MAN FROM START TO FINISH

Part II: Man's Need For God's Righteousness, Romans 1:18-3:20

D. The Complete Condemnation Of All Men

(Romans 3:9-20)

I. Introduction

A. Though Paul taught in Romans 1:18-3:8 that pagan, moral and Jewish men stand condemned before God for sin, some evangelicals claim "God's wrath, newly defined, 'never means sending people to an eternal hell.'" (R. Albert Mohler, Jr., "'Evangelical': What's in a Name?" in John H. Armstrong, gen. ed., The Coming Evan. Crisis, 1996, p. 34 in citing Robert Brow, "The Evangelical Megashift," Christ. Today, Feb. 19, 1990, p. 13)

B. Such a view opens the door for universalism, the belief that all men in the end will be saved. (John F. Walvoord, Jesus Christ Our Lord, 1974, p. 186; A. H. Strong, Systematic Theology, 1970, p. 1047)

C. Yet, Romans 3:9-20 notes lost man hopelessly infuriates God so that, due to God's infinite righteousness, He must punish lost man by eternal judgment, countering the universalism of Liberal Theology (as follows):

II. The Complete Condemnation Of All Men, Romans 3:9-20.

A. Paul's question, "What shall we conclude then? Are we any better?" in Romans 3:9a NIV is meant to reflect the view of Paul's Jewish readers who felt they were more preferred by God, Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 449.

B. In answering this question, "Not at all!" (Romans 3:9b NIV), Paul asserted that God did not give Jews "preferential treatment," for he had already established that all men, Jewish or Gentile, stood "under sin's power and control and under the condemnation that results from it (cf. 1:18; 2:5)," Ibid.

C. To validate this accusation of all men, Paul referred to Old Testament claims on the subject, Romans 3:10-18:

1. First, Paul noted how the totality of the human race stood condemned of sin before God, Romans 3:10-12:

a. Paul alluded to Psalm 14:1 to claim that there is not even a single righteous person, Romans 3:10.

b. He alluded to Psalm 14:2a,b to claim that no man understood God, Romans 3:11a.

c. Paul alluded to Psalm 14:2c to claim that no man sought after God to worship Him, Romans 3:11b.

d. He alluded to Psalm 14:3a to claim that all men had turned aside from following God, Romans 3:12a.

e. Paul alluded to Psalm 14:3b to claim that all men together have become useless, Rom. 3:12b; Ibid.

f. He alluded to Psalm 14:3c to claim that not a single man does good (in God's estimation), Rom. 3:12c.

2. Second, Paul noted how totality of each lost man's body is corrupted by sin, Rom. 3:13-18; Ibid., p. 449f:

a. Paul alluded to Psalm 5:9b to claim that the throat of all men was an open grave, a reference in the context of human speech in the verse to the corruptive nature of man's speech, Romans 3:13a.

b. He alluded to Psalm 5:9c to claim that all flatter with their tongue, voicing deceit, Romans 3:13b.

c. Paul alluded to Psalm 140:3b to claim all men damage others with their speech as if the harmful poison of asps was under their lips, Romans 3:13c.

d. He alluded to Psalm 10:7 to claim that the speech of all is filled with cursing and bitterness, Rom. 3:14.

e. Paul alluded to Isaiah 59:7a (ESV) to claim that the feet of all men were swift to shed blood, Rom. 3:15.

f. He alluded to Isaiah 59:7c (ESV) to claim that desolation and destruction are in all men's ways, v. 16.

g. Paul alluded to Isaiah 59:8a to claim that the mind of all men had not known the way of peace, v. 17.

h. He alluded to Psalm 36:1 to claim that there was no reverence for God in the eyes of all men, Rom. 3:18.

D. Paul then added how all lost men are conscious of their sinfulness before God, Romans 3:19-20:

1. Addressing his fellow Jewish readers, Paul asserted that every Jew knew that the Law's "pronouncements" were given to the Jews who were under the Law, Romans 3:19. There was thus no escaping the duty of every Jew before God then to obey God's Law, Ibid., p. 450.

2. However, as Paul had explained in Romans 2:17-24, the Law's purpose was that of exposing the sin in those who were under the Law (Romans 3:19b) that the whole world might become guilty before God.

3. Indeed, by the deeds of the Law, no one can be justified in the eyes of God, for the Law due to the sinfulness of man can only expose man's sin, Romans 3:20. [Note how Peter admitted that neither his generation of Jews nor the past generations of the forefathers had been able to keep the Law, Acts 15:10!]

Lesson: In summarizing the state of the lost before God, Paul showed from Scripture that every human, be he pagan, moral or Jewish, stands totally and hopelessly eternally damned before an infinitely righteous God.

Application: (1) There is no universal salvation for all men, for all men in themselves stand utterly condemned to eternal damnation before a perfectly righteous God. (2) May we then trust in Christ and call others do likewise.