Sermons on Romans 8:3
The various sermons below share a common focus on the limitations of the law and the necessity of Christ's role in salvation. They emphasize that the law, due to human weakness, cannot impart righteousness or life, a point illustrated through the analogy of a shovel with a wooden handle. This shared interpretation underscores the idea that salvation is entirely the work of God, achieved through the sending of His Son. Additionally, the sermons delve into the Greek text to highlight the sacrificial nature of Christ's mission, interpreting the phrase "for sin" as "sin offering," which aligns with Old Testament foreshadowing. The sermons also agree on the real and sinless nature of Christ's incarnation, emphasizing that His human nature was free from sin, which was crucial for fulfilling the law and bearing the punishment for sin.
In contrast, the sermons diverge in their thematic emphases. One sermon highlights the Trinitarian nature of salvation, emphasizing the eternal plan of God involving the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and introduces the theme of assurance of salvation, suggesting that believers can have certainty in their eternal security. Another sermon focuses on the role of understanding Christ's sacrifice in the process of sanctification, arguing that true holiness stems from a deep comprehension of doctrinal truths. Meanwhile, a different sermon introduces the theme of Christ as the second Adam, emphasizing the creation of a new humanity distinct from the fallen race of Adam, and highlights the significance of Christ's sinless nature in this new creation.
Romans 8:3 Interpretation:
God's Salvation: Triumph Over Sin Through Christ (MLJTrust) interprets Romans 8:3 by emphasizing the inability of the law to enable humans to fulfill its requirements due to the weakness of human flesh. The sermon highlights that the law cannot impart righteousness or life, which is only possible through God's action of sending His Son. The preacher uses the original Greek text to explain that the law was "weak through the flesh," meaning it was ineffective because it had to work through human weakness. The sermon uses the analogy of a shovel with a wooden handle to illustrate the law's inability to achieve its purpose due to human frailty.
Sanctification Through Understanding Christ's Sacrifice (MLJTrust) interprets Romans 8:3 by emphasizing the phrase "for sin" as meaning "as an offering for sin." The sermon delves into the Greek translation of the Old Testament, the Septuagint, to show that "for sin" was often used to mean "sin offering." This interpretation highlights the sacrificial aspect of Christ's mission, aligning with the Old Testament's foreshadowing of Christ as the ultimate sin offering. The sermon also distinguishes between the condemnation of sin in the flesh and the destruction of sin, arguing that the former refers to God's judgment and punishment of sin in Christ's body.
The Incarnation: God's Perfect Plan for Salvation (MLJTrust) provides a detailed analysis of the phrase "in the likeness of sinful flesh," emphasizing that Christ's incarnation was real and not merely an appearance. The sermon argues against the heresy that Christ's human nature was sinful, using various scriptural references to assert that Christ's human nature was free from sin. The sermon also discusses the importance of Christ's incarnation in the likeness of sinful flesh for fulfilling the law and bearing the punishment for sin.
Romans 8:3 Theological Themes:
God's Salvation: Triumph Over Sin Through Christ (MLJTrust) presents the theme that salvation is entirely the work of God, not dependent on human effort. The sermon emphasizes that God's plan of salvation was conceived before the foundation of the world, highlighting the eternal nature of God's purpose. It also stresses the importance of understanding salvation as a Trinitarian work involving the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The sermon also introduces the theme of assurance of salvation, arguing that because salvation is entirely of God and not dependent on human effort, believers can have certainty and assurance of their eternal security.
Sanctification Through Understanding Christ's Sacrifice (MLJTrust) presents the theme that understanding the doctrine of Christ's sacrifice is essential for sanctification. The sermon argues that true holiness and Christian living stem from a deep understanding of doctrinal truths, particularly the nature of Christ's sacrifice as a sin offering.
The Incarnation: God's Perfect Plan for Salvation (MLJTrust) introduces the theme of Christ as the second Adam, starting a new humanity. This theme emphasizes the creation of a new race through Christ, distinct from the fallen humanity of Adam, and highlights the importance of Christ's sinless nature in this new creation.
Romans 8:3 Historical and Contextual Insights:
God's Salvation: Triumph Over Sin Through Christ (MLJTrust) provides historical context by explaining that the law was never intended to save humanity but was given to highlight transgressions and increase awareness of sin. The sermon references the early church heresy of Arianism to emphasize the importance of understanding Christ as the eternally begotten Son of God, not a created being.
Sanctification Through Understanding Christ's Sacrifice (MLJTrust) provides historical insights into the use of the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, during the time of Christ and the Apostle Paul. The sermon explains how the Septuagint's translation of "sin offering" as "for sin" informs the understanding of Romans 8:3.
The Incarnation: God's Perfect Plan for Salvation (MLJTrust) discusses early church heresies that denied the true incarnation of Christ, such as the belief that Christ's body was a mere appearance. The sermon highlights the importance of the early church's efforts to counter these heresies and affirm the reality of the incarnation.
Romans 8:3 Cross-References in the Bible:
God's Salvation: Triumph Over Sin Through Christ (MLJTrust) references several biblical passages to support its interpretation of Romans 8:3. It cites Romans 6:2 and 6:6 to explain the concept of dying to sin and living a new life in Christ. The sermon also references 1 Corinthians 15:47 to contrast the first man, Adam, with the second man, the Lord from heaven, emphasizing the uniqueness of Christ's divine nature. Additionally, it mentions John 3:16 and Hebrews 1:3 to highlight the significance of Christ as the only begotten Son of God.
Sanctification Through Understanding Christ's Sacrifice (MLJTrust) references several passages to support the interpretation of Christ as a sin offering, including Galatians 1:4, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 2:9, and 1 Peter 1:19. These passages emphasize Christ's role in delivering humanity from sin and condemnation through his sacrificial death.
The Incarnation: God's Perfect Plan for Salvation (MLJTrust) references multiple scriptures to affirm the sinlessness of Christ's human nature, including Luke 1:35, Matthew 1:18-20, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 4:15, and 1 Peter 1:19. These references collectively argue for the uniqueness of Christ's birth and nature, free from sin, and his role as the head of a new humanity.
Romans 8:3 Christian References outside the Bible:
God's Salvation: Triumph Over Sin Through Christ (MLJTrust) references early church creeds to emphasize the doctrine of the eternal generation of the Son, countering the Arian heresy that viewed Christ as a created being. The sermon also mentions Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones, whose teachings are the basis for the sermon, to underscore the importance of understanding salvation as entirely the work of God.
The Incarnation: God's Perfect Plan for Salvation (MLJTrust) explicitly references the views of Karl Barth, a prominent Swiss theologian, who argued that Christ's human nature was sinful. The sermon critiques this view, emphasizing the scriptural evidence for Christ's sinless nature and the importance of this doctrine for understanding the incarnation and salvation.
Romans 8:3 Illustrations from Secular Sources:
God's Salvation: Triumph Over Sin Through Christ (MLJTrust) uses the analogy of a shovel with a wooden handle to illustrate the law's inability to achieve its purpose due to human weakness. The sermon explains that while the shovel (representing the law) is made of iron and strong, the handle (representing human flesh) is weak and prone to breaking, thus rendering the shovel ineffective.
The Incarnation: God's Perfect Plan for Salvation (MLJTrust) does not provide any illustrations from secular sources.