Sermons on Romans 3:27-31
The various sermons below converge on the central theme that Romans 3:27-31 robustly excludes boasting in any form, emphasizing that justification is by faith alone—a divine gift rather than a human achievement. They collectively affirm that the law’s primary role is to reveal sin and point to Christ, not to serve as a means of earning righteousness. A notable nuance is the treatment of the phrase “law of works,” which some sermons interpret broadly as any human effort to justify oneself, not merely the Mosaic Law, while others insist on a more traditional understanding tied closely to Old Testament law. Another shared insight is the rhetorical strategy Paul employs, using clarifying questions to unpack the gospel’s implications, which some sermons highlight as a way to expose the futility of boasting and the universality of God’s salvation. The theological theme of God’s oneness and the leveling effect of justification by faith—removing distinctions between Jew and Gentile, circumcised and uncircumcised—is also a common thread, underscoring the gospel’s inclusive scope. Additionally, several sermons stress that faith itself cannot be a ground for pride because it is a gift that looks away from itself toward grace, reinforcing the radical humility embedded in the gospel.
In contrast, the sermons diverge in their emphasis on how justification by faith relates to the law and the Christian life. Some sermons focus on the law’s fulfillment through the Spirit-empowered believer, portraying justification as not nullifying but establishing the law’s true purpose, and highlighting the supernatural empowerment that enables believers to “ride” rather than “climb” toward righteousness. Others emphasize the linguistic and theological precision of Paul’s use of “law,” debating whether the “law of faith” is a new principle or the true teaching of the Old Testament itself. There is also a difference in how the sermons handle the psychological dynamics of boasting: some explore the mechanics of boasting and faith’s self-effacing nature in depth, while others focus more on the historical and doctrinal implications of justification by faith alone, including critiques of alternative theological perspectives like the New Perspective on Paul. The treatment of God’s oneness varies as well, with some sermons framing it as a philosophical and evangelistic foundation that simultaneously challenges religious pluralism and supports peaceful coexistence, while others concentrate more narrowly on its soteriological implications. Finally, the degree to which the sermons engage with the existential and pastoral dimensions of assurance and hope in justification ranges from detailed analogies about faith as a gift to broader doctrinal affirmations about the sufficiency of Christ’s righteousness—
Romans 3:27-31 Interpretation:
Excluding Boasting: Salvation Through Faith Alone (Westminster PCA, Atlanta) interprets Romans 3:27-31 as Paul’s invitation to take a “closer look” at the gospel, using the analogy of a child seeing a cow up close for the first time to illustrate how familiar truths can become awe-inspiring when examined in detail. The sermon uniquely emphasizes Paul’s rhetorical method of circling around gospel declarations with clarifying questions, each designed to expose new facets of the gospel. It highlights the phrase “law of works” as an unusual Pauline expression, suggesting Paul uses “law” here in a broader, metaphorical sense—referring to any principle or system of human effort, not just the Mosaic Law. The sermon also notes the stylistic, rather than theological, difference in Paul’s use of “by faith” and “through faith” for Jews and Gentiles, respectively, dismissing any substantive distinction. The preacher stresses that even faith itself is not a ground for boasting, as it is a gift from God, not a self-generated work, and that the exclusion of boasting is total—even about one’s faith. The sermon further clarifies that the law’s true purpose was never to save but to reveal sin and point to Christ, and that using the law as a means of justification is actually a misuse that “overthrows” its original intent.
Justification by Faith: Freedom Through the Spirit (Desiring God) interprets Romans 3:27-31 by employing a vivid metaphor of climbing a hill with planks and rails to represent the futility of trying to achieve justification through works of the law. The preacher contrasts “climbing” (self-effort) with “riding” (resting in the Spirit), arguing that justification by faith does not nullify the law but “establishes” it, because only through faith and the Spirit can the law’s requirements be fulfilled. The sermon draws out the tension in Paul’s argument, noting how critics accused him of nullifying the law, and explains that Paul’s answer is that justification by faith alone actually upholds the law’s true purpose. The preacher also explores the Greek phraseology, particularly the distinction between “law of works” and “law of faith,” and how the latter eliminates boasting by making faith a unique, non-meritorious response.
Proclaiming God's Oneness: A Call to Evangelism (Desiring God) interprets Romans 3:27-31, especially verses 29-30, as a declaration of God’s oneness and the universality of justification by faith. The sermon offers a philosophical argument for monotheism based on Romans 11:36, reasoning that the definition of God as the ultimate source of all things necessitates that there can only be one God. It further interprets the “oneness” of God as coherence and unity in God’s character and plan, not just numerical singularity. The preacher uses the analogy of “amnesty” to describe the gospel’s offer to all nations, and likens faith to drinking lemonade when thirsty—emphasizing its non-meritorious, receptive nature. The sermon also broadens the meaning of “circumcision” and “uncircumcision” to include any perceived advantage or disadvantage before God, arguing that justification by faith alone levels all such distinctions.
Faith Alone: Embracing God's Grace for Justification (Desiring God) offers a unique interpretive angle by tracing the logic of Paul's argument in Romans 3:27-31, especially the rhetorical leap from justification by faith to the question of whether God is the God of Jews only. The sermon highlights that if justification were by works of the law (i.e., the Jewish law), then only Jews would have access to salvation, making God the God of Jews alone. Instead, justification by faith apart from works opens the way for both Jews and Gentiles, demonstrating God's oneness and universal sovereignty. The preacher defines "works of the law" as anything done to get right with God apart from faith, emphasizing that such works inherently support boasting, while faith, by its very nature, looks away from itself and toward grace. The sermon also explores the psychological and spiritual mechanics of boasting, arguing that faith cannot be a ground for boasting because it is both a gift from God and, by definition, refuses to look at itself. The analogy of "faith having eyes for grace" is used repeatedly, and the preacher draws a sharp distinction between faith and works by likening works to earning a wage (which leads to boasting) and faith to receiving a gift (which excludes boasting).
Faith Over Pride: The Exclusion of Boasting (Desiring God) provides a notable linguistic insight by focusing on the repeated use of the word "law" (Greek: nomos) in Romans 3:27-31. The sermon argues that the translation of "law" as "principle" in some English versions loses the nuance Paul intends. Instead, the preacher insists that Paul is intentionally using "law" to refer to the Old Testament, and that the "law of faith" is not a new principle but the true teaching of the Old Testament itself—namely, that justification is by faith, not by performing works. This interpretation is distinguished by its insistence that the Old Testament, rightly understood, always pointed to justification by faith, and that the "law of works" is a misreading of the Old Testament as a checklist for earning righteousness.
Justification by Faith: The Heart of the Gospel (Ligonier Ministries) offers a distinctive interpretive approach by using the philosophical distinction between "necessary" and "sufficient" conditions to explain the difference between the Protestant and Roman Catholic views of justification. The sermon uses the analogy of oxygen and fire to clarify that, for Rome, faith is necessary but not sufficient for justification, whereas for Paul (and the Reformers), faith is both necessary and sufficient (when properly directed to Christ). The preacher also critiques the "New Perspective on Paul," arguing that it dangerously narrows "works of the law" to ceremonial or boundary markers, rather than seeing it as all human effort to achieve righteousness. The sermon further distinguishes itself by tracing the history of the word "alone" in translations of Romans 3:28, showing that the concept of "faith alone" is present even when the word is not explicit in the Greek, and by emphasizing the double imputation of Christ's righteousness to the believer.
Romans 3:27-31 Theological Themes:
Excluding Boasting: Salvation Through Faith Alone (Westminster PCA, Atlanta) introduces the theme that the exclusion of boasting is so radical that it even encompasses faith itself—faith is not a human achievement but a divine gift, and thus there is no ground for pride, even in believing. The sermon also presents the idea that the law’s true function is to reveal sin and point to Christ, and that insisting on law-keeping for justification is actually a subversion of the law’s original purpose. It further develops the theme of God’s utter consistency in salvation history, arguing that justification by faith upholds, rather than overthrows, the law’s intended role.
Justification by Faith: Freedom Through the Spirit (Desiring God) adds the distinctive theme that justification by faith alone not only frees believers from the futility and bondage of self-effort but also empowers them, through the Spirit, to fulfill the law’s requirements. The sermon stresses that Christianity is a supernatural religion, not a willpower religion, and that the fruit of the Spirit (especially love) is the true fulfillment of the law, which cannot be achieved by “climbing” (self-effort) but only by “riding” (Spirit-empowered living).
Proclaiming God's Oneness: A Call to Evangelism (Desiring God) presents the unusual theological theme that the Christian doctrine of God’s oneness is both a spiritual threat to religious pluralism and a political foundation for peaceful pluralism. The sermon argues that the exclusivity of Christ as the only way to salvation undermines pluralism at the spiritual level but simultaneously supports the right of others to believe differently, because the gospel spreads by persuasion, not coercion. It also emphasizes the “amnesty” of the gospel as a universal offer, and the radical leveling effect of justification by faith, which removes all ethnic, religious, and social distinctions.
Faith Alone: Embracing God's Grace for Justification (Desiring God) introduces the theme that faith, by its very nature, is self-effacing and cannot be the basis for boasting because it is both a gift from God and essentially oriented toward grace rather than self. The sermon adds the nuanced idea that even the act of believing is not a ground for pride, since true faith refuses to look at itself and is itself granted by God, thus removing the last possible ground for human boasting.
Faith Over Pride: The Exclusion of Boasting (Desiring God) presents the theme that the exclusion of boasting is not merely a byproduct of justification by faith, but is central to God's redemptive purpose. The preacher argues that the entire structure of redemption is designed to eliminate pride and boasting, and that any system of salvation that allows for boasting undermines the gospel at its core. This sermon also uniquely frames the "law of faith" as the true intent of the Old Testament, not a new principle, and thus sees continuity between the Testaments in the doctrine of justification.
Justification by Faith: The Heart of the Gospel (Ligonier Ministries) develops the theme that the doctrine of justification by faith alone is not only the heart of the gospel but also the only possible answer to the universal human problem of sin and pride. The sermon uniquely emphasizes the existential importance of this doctrine, arguing that if justification required any merit or sanctification on our part, no one could have assurance or hope. The preacher also highlights the double imputation of Christ's righteousness as the only sufficient ground for justification, and insists that any addition of human merit subtracts from the sufficiency of Christ.
Romans 3:27-31 Historical and Contextual Insights:
Proclaiming God's Oneness: A Call to Evangelism (Desiring God) provides historical context by comparing the pluralistic and debauched nature of the first-century Roman world to modern America, arguing that the early church faced far greater religious diversity and moral challenges. The sermon notes that Paul’s insistence on the oneness of God and the universality of justification by faith was a direct challenge to the prevailing pluralism of his time, and that the early Christians’ willingness to die for this exclusive claim was a key factor in the spread of the gospel. The preacher also references the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4) as the daily confession of Jewish monotheism, which Paul uses to argue for the inclusion of Gentiles in God’s plan.
Justification by Faith: The Heart of the Gospel (Ligonier Ministries) provides extensive historical context by detailing the debates of the 16th-century Reformation, especially the Council of Trent's response to the Protestant doctrine of justification by faith alone. The sermon explains the Roman Catholic distinctions between condign, congruous, and supererogatory merit, and how these concepts shaped the Catholic understanding of justification and the Treasury of Merit. The preacher also references the practice of indulgences and the controversy surrounding them, situating Paul's teaching in Romans 3:27-31 as a direct challenge to any system of merit. Additionally, the sermon discusses the translation history of Romans 3:28 in German and Italian Bibles, showing that the idea of "faith alone" was recognized even in pre-Reformation Catholic translations.
Romans 3:27-31 Cross-References in the Bible:
Excluding Boasting: Salvation Through Faith Alone (Westminster PCA, Atlanta) references several passages to support its interpretation of Romans 3:27-31. It cites 1 Corinthians 2:11-14 and Romans 8:7 to argue that faith is a gift of the Spirit, and Ephesians 2:8-9 to emphasize that salvation and faith are both gifts from God, excluding all boasting. Galatians 6:14 is used to illustrate that the only legitimate boasting is in the cross of Christ. The sermon also references Deuteronomy 6:4 to highlight Jewish monotheism, and the preamble to the Ten Commandments to show that the law was given to a redeemed people, not as a means of earning salvation.
Proclaiming God's Oneness: A Call to Evangelism (Desiring God) draws on Romans 11:36 to philosophically argue for monotheism, Acts 17:26 to assert that God created all nations, Revelation 5:9 to show God’s intent to redeem people from every tribe and nation, and Psalm 96:1-4 to emphasize God’s desire to be known among all peoples. The sermon also references John 18 to argue that Christ’s kingdom is not of this world and thus does not spread by coercion, and Romans 3:21-26 to reinforce the universality of justification by faith.
Justification by Faith: Freedom Through the Spirit (Desiring God) references Romans 6:1-2, 6:14-15, 8:2-4, 13:8-10, and 7:6 to show how Paul develops the argument that justification by faith leads to Spirit-empowered obedience rather than lawlessness. The sermon also alludes to Galatians 5 (fruit of the Spirit) and 1 John 5:3 (“his commandments are not burdensome”) to reinforce the idea that love, produced by the Spirit, fulfills the law.
Faith Alone: Embracing God's Grace for Justification (Desiring God) references several passages to support and expand on Romans 3:27-31. Ephesians 2:8-9 is cited to show that faith itself is a gift from God, reinforcing the exclusion of boasting. Philippians 1:29 is used to argue that both suffering and faith are granted to believers, further underlining the gift-nature of faith. 1 Corinthians 4:7 is quoted to emphasize that everything the believer has is received from God, not earned, and thus boasting is excluded. The sermon also alludes to Romans 4:4-5 to explain the difference between working for a wage (which leads to boasting) and believing in the God who justifies the ungodly (which leads to grace).
Faith Over Pride: The Exclusion of Boasting (Desiring God) draws on a wide sweep of Romans 1:18–3:20 to trace the theme of pride and boasting as the root of human sin and alienation from God. The preacher references Romans 4 and the example of Abraham to show that justification by faith is rooted in the Old Testament. The sermon also alludes to Romans 1:18, 2:5, and 3:18 to illustrate the consequences of pride and the wrath of God, and to Romans 4:2 to show that if Abraham were justified by works, he would have something to boast about, but not before God.
Justification by Faith: The Heart of the Gospel (Ligonier Ministries) references several biblical passages to reinforce the message of Romans 3:27-31. The preacher cites Paul's statement elsewhere, "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord," to show the proper object of Christian boasting. The sermon also references the "double imputation" taught in Romans 4 and elsewhere, where Christ's righteousness is credited to believers and their sin is credited to Christ. The preacher alludes to the great commandment ("Love the Lord your God with all your heart...") to illustrate the impossibility of self-justification by the law, and to the role of the law as a "schoolmaster" (Galatians 3:24) that drives us to Christ.
Romans 3:27-31 Christian References outside the Bible:
Excluding Boasting: Salvation Through Faith Alone (Westminster PCA, Atlanta) explicitly references several Christian scholars and authors in its discussion of Romans 3:27-31. John Stott is quoted as saying that “all human beings are inveterate boasters” and that boasting is the language of fallen self-centeredness. Douglas Moo is cited for his analysis that Paul’s argument about justification by faith alone excludes all elitism and discrimination, and for his commentary on the stylistic use of prepositions in Paul’s language. Leon Morris is quoted extensively, arguing that the “law of works” covers all doctrines of salvation by works, and that grace leaves no room for satisfaction in one’s own achievement. Morris also notes that to understand grace and faith is to reject pride and boasting. The hymn writer Isaac Watts is referenced with the line “when I survey the wondrous cross, I pour contempt on all my pride,” to illustrate the humility produced by the gospel.
Justification by Faith: The Heart of the Gospel (Ligonier Ministries) explicitly references several Christian theologians and historical figures in its discussion of Romans 3:27-31. The sermon quotes Martin Luther's statement that justification by faith is the article upon which the church stands or falls, and John Calvin's metaphor of justification as the hinge upon which everything in the Christian life turns. J.I. Packer is cited for his metaphor of sola fide as "Atlas holding up the world," emphasizing the foundational nature of justification by faith alone. The preacher also references the Council of Trent and its definitions of faith as initium, fundamentum, and radix of justification, and explains the Catholic distinctions between condign, congruous, and supererogatory merit. The hymn "Rock of Ages" by Augustus Toplady is quoted ("Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling") to illustrate the exclusion of human merit. Augustine is mentioned for his statement that even our best virtues are "splendid vices," highlighting the pervasive nature of sin and the impossibility of meriting justification.
Romans 3:27-31 Illustrations from Secular Sources:
Excluding Boasting: Salvation Through Faith Alone (Westminster PCA, Atlanta) uses a detailed childhood story as an analogy: the preacher recounts how his young sister, after seeing cows up close for the first time, was amazed by their features, exclaiming, “He gots eyes. He gots a nose. He gots a mouth.” This story is used as a metaphor for how familiar truths (like the gospel) can become awe-inspiring when examined closely, paralleling Paul’s method of inviting believers to take a “closer look” at the gospel in Romans 3:27-31.
Proclaiming God's Oneness: A Call to Evangelism (Desiring God) provides a detailed real-life example from the preacher’s own experience: he describes a 30-minute taxi ride in Vancouver with a Sikh driver, during which he shared the gospel and discussed the uniqueness of Christ and the oneness of God. The story illustrates the challenge of communicating the exclusivity of Christ in a pluralistic world and the resistance encountered from those who see all religions as equally valid. The sermon also uses the analogy of drinking lemonade when thirsty to illustrate the non-meritorious, receptive nature of faith, comparing it to simply “taking a drink” when offered refreshment, rather than performing a work.
Justification by Faith: Freedom Through the Spirit (Desiring God) employs the vivid metaphor of climbing a hill with planks and rails to represent the futility and danger of trying to achieve justification through works of the law. The preacher contrasts this with “riding” (resting in the Spirit), arguing that only by being “lifted” and “carried” by the Spirit can one fulfill the law’s requirements. The metaphor is extended to describe the bondage and fear experienced by those who rely on self-effort, and the freedom and empowerment that come from the Spirit. The sermon also references the experience of drinking a cool glass of lemonade when thirsty as an analogy for the ease and joy of receiving salvation by faith.
Justification by Faith: The Heart of the Gospel (Ligonier Ministries) uses the analogy of oxygen and fire to explain the difference between necessary and sufficient conditions in the context of justification. The preacher explains that just as oxygen is necessary but not sufficient for fire (you also need a spark), so faith is necessary but, according to Rome, not sufficient for justification—whereas for Paul, faith in Christ is both necessary and sufficient. This analogy is used to clarify the difference between the Protestant and Catholic views of justification. The sermon also references the historical practice of indulgences and the rhyme associated with Johann Tetzel ("every time the coin in the kettle rang, that a soul from purgatory sprang") to illustrate the concept of the Treasury of Merit and the sale of indulgences in the 16th century.