Universal Need for Christ: Righteousness Through Faith

Devotional

Day 1: True Righteousness Comes from Relationship, Not Rituals

The possession of God's word and religious rituals, while beneficial, do not equate to salvation. True righteousness comes from a relationship with Jesus Christ, not from external observances. Many people find comfort in religious practices and traditions, believing that these actions alone can secure their standing before God. However, the essence of faith is not found in rituals but in a genuine relationship with Jesus. The Jewish people, despite having the Oracles of God, were reminded that their heritage and ceremonies were not enough for salvation. This truth challenges us to examine our own lives and consider whether we are relying on religious activities or truly seeking a transformative relationship with Christ. [03:37]

"For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings." (Hosea 6:6, ESV)

Reflection: Are there religious practices or traditions you rely on for your sense of righteousness? How can you shift your focus to deepen your relationship with Jesus today?

Day 2: God's Faithfulness Stands Firm Amidst Human Unbelief

Human unbelief does not invalidate God's faithfulness. Our faith should not be dependent on others' acceptance of the gospel. We are called to trust in God's truth, even when others reject it. In a world where skepticism and disbelief are prevalent, it can be challenging to maintain faith. Yet, God's truth remains unshaken by human response. Paul reminds us that our disbelief does not nullify God's faithfulness. This assurance encourages us to hold steadfast in our faith, trusting in God's promises even when those around us may not. [05:57]

"If we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself." (2 Timothy 2:13, ESV)

Reflection: Is there someone in your life whose unbelief challenges your faith? How can you reaffirm your trust in God's faithfulness today, regardless of their stance?

Day 3: God's Justice and the Fallacy of Excusing Sin

The argument that our sin highlights God's righteousness and thus excuses us is flawed. God's justice remains intact, and He will judge sin righteously, regardless of how He uses it for His purposes. Some may argue that their wrongdoing serves a greater purpose by highlighting God's righteousness, but this is a dangerous distortion of the gospel. God's justice is not compromised by human sin, and He will judge all sin righteously. This understanding calls us to take responsibility for our actions and seek God's forgiveness, rather than justifying our sins. [12:26]

"Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?" (1 Corinthians 10:22, ESV)

Reflection: Are there areas in your life where you find yourself justifying sin? How can you seek God's forgiveness and align your actions with His righteousness today?

Day 4: The Law Reveals Sin, But Salvation Comes Through Faith

All humanity is under sin, and no one is righteous on their own. The law reveals our sinfulness but cannot save us. Our hope lies in the righteousness that comes through faith in Jesus Christ. The law serves as a mirror, reflecting our sinful nature and our need for a Savior. It cannot save us but points us to the One who can. This realization humbles us and leads us to place our faith in Jesus, who offers the gift of righteousness. [27:00]

"For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin." (Romans 3:20, ESV)

Reflection: How does understanding the purpose of the law change your perspective on your need for Jesus? What steps can you take today to deepen your faith in Him?

Day 5: Embrace Grace and Abandon Self-Reliance

Salvation is not earned by our deeds but received as a gift through faith in Jesus. We must abandon self-reliance and embrace the grace offered through His sacrifice on the cross. Many strive to earn their way to salvation through good deeds and self-effort, but true salvation is a gift from God, received through faith in Jesus Christ. This truth invites us to let go of our self-reliance and embrace the grace that Jesus offers through His sacrifice. [38:50]

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God." (Ephesians 2:8, ESV)

Reflection: In what areas of your life are you relying on your own efforts for salvation? How can you embrace the grace of Jesus more fully today?

Sermon Summary

In Romans chapter 3, we delve into the profound truth of humanity's universal need for Jesus Christ. Paul systematically dismantles the false securities that people often cling to, whether it be the blatant immorality of those who ignore God, the self-righteousness of the morally superior, or the misplaced confidence of the religious. He emphasizes that none of these can make us right before God. The Jewish people, despite being entrusted with the Oracles of God, are not exempt from this truth. Their possession of God's word and religious ceremonies, while advantageous, do not equate to salvation.

Paul addresses the skepticism of those who question God's faithfulness in light of human unbelief. He asserts that God's truth stands firm regardless of human response. Our disbelief does not nullify God's faithfulness. Paul challenges us to maintain our faith even when others do not believe, emphasizing that God's plan is not thwarted by human rejection.

The sermon also tackles the flawed reasoning that suggests our unrighteousness somehow highlights God's righteousness, thus excusing our sin. Paul refutes this by affirming God's justice in judging sin, regardless of how He might use it for His purposes. The notion that our sin could somehow benefit God is a dangerous perversion of the gospel.

Paul's message is clear: all humanity is under sin, and no one is righteous on their own. The law serves to reveal our sinfulness, not to save us. Our only hope lies in the righteousness that comes through faith in Jesus Christ. This righteousness is not earned but received as a gift. The sermon concludes with an invitation to trust in Jesus, abandoning self-reliance and embracing the grace offered through His sacrifice on the cross.

Key Takeaways

1. The possession of God's word and religious rituals, while beneficial, do not equate to salvation. True righteousness comes from a relationship with Jesus Christ, not from external observances. [03:37]
2. Human unbelief does not invalidate God's faithfulness. Our faith should not be dependent on others' acceptance of the gospel. We are called to trust in God's truth, even when others reject it. [05:57]
3. The argument that our sin highlights God's righteousness and thus excuses us is flawed. God's justice remains intact, and He will judge sin righteously, regardless of how He uses it for His purposes. [12:26]
4. All humanity is under sin, and no one is righteous on their own. The law reveals our sinfulness but cannot save us. Our hope lies in the righteousness that comes through faith in Jesus Christ. [27:00]
5. Salvation is not earned by our deeds but received as a gift through faith in Jesus. We must abandon self-reliance and embrace the grace offered through His sacrifice on the cross. [38:50]
** [38:50]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:14] - Introduction to Romans 3
[01:04] - The Guilt of the Religious Skeptic
[02:34] - The Advantage of the Jews
[03:50] - Unbelief and God's Faithfulness
[05:41] - Man's Unbelief and God's Plan
[07:16] - Let God Be True
[10:26] - Questioning God's Justice
[12:53] - The Fallacy of Excusing Sin
[15:18] - Responsibility for Sin
[17:10] - God's Righteous Judgment
[19:00] - Misunderstanding Paul's Message
[21:44] - Salvation by Grace
[24:21] - The Depravity of Twisting the Gospel
[27:00] - All Under Sin
[31:48] - The Fear of God and Sin
[35:24] - God's Solution to Our Problem
[38:50] - Righteousness Through Faith
[41:28] - Seeking Salvation Apart from the Law

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Romans 3:1-20
- Psalm 14:1-3
- Isaiah 59:7-8

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Observation Questions:

What advantages did Paul say the Jewish people had, and why were these not enough for salvation? [01:37]
How does Paul address the skepticism regarding God's faithfulness in light of human unbelief? [05:41]
What flawed reasoning does Paul refute concerning our unrighteousness and God's righteousness? [12:26]
According to Paul, what is the purpose of the law, and what can it not do for us? [38:00]

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Interpretation Questions:

How does Paul’s argument in Romans 3 challenge the idea that religious rituals or heritage can save us? [03:37]
In what ways does Paul suggest that human unbelief does not affect God's faithfulness? How might this be comforting or challenging to believers? [05:57]
Why does Paul consider the argument that our sin highlights God's righteousness to be a dangerous perversion of the gospel? [12:26]
How does Paul’s description of humanity’s universal sinfulness in Romans 3:9-18 impact our understanding of the need for salvation through faith in Jesus? [27:00]

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Application Questions:

Reflect on your own life: Are there any religious rituals or traditions you rely on for a sense of righteousness? How can you shift your focus to a relationship with Jesus instead? [03:37]
Have you ever felt discouraged by the unbelief of others around you? How can you maintain your faith in God's truth despite this? [05:57]
Consider a time when you might have rationalized a sin by thinking it could lead to a greater good. How can you align your understanding of God's justice with your actions? [12:26]
In what ways can you remind yourself of the truth of God's word when your feelings or thoughts contradict it? [09:45]
How can you practically demonstrate a fear of God in your daily life, ensuring that your actions reflect respect and reverence for Him? [32:02]
Identify an area in your life where you have been trying to earn righteousness. What steps can you take to fully embrace the gift of righteousness through faith in Jesus? [38:50]
Think of someone in your life who might be struggling with the concept of grace. How can you share the message of salvation as a gift, not something to be earned, with them this week? [21:57]

Sermon Clips

Paul carefully explained that just having the word of God as God delivered it to the Jewish people, or just having religious ceremonies as God gave the ceremony of circumcision unto the Jewish people, just having the Bible or having religious ceremonies is not enough to make anyone right before God. [00:01:40]

The Jews had the advantage of God's word, but they also had other advantages. Paul will explain these later on in the Book of Romans. That's what we learned from the first two verses, that even though having God's word in and of itself cannot save you or having a religious ceremony in and of itself cannot save you, at the same time, it was a great advantage to the Jewish people because they were entrusted with the very words of God. [00:03:15]

Man's unbelief does not ruin God's plan. It just doesn't. And so what if some do not believe? Well, there's no new thing. There's always been some who have rejected God's word, who have rejected God's message, and you and I, well, we're just going to go on believing even if some do not believe. [00:05:52]

Is your belief in Jesus Christ, is your trust in him dependent upon somebody else? Maybe if your husband or your wife were to just sort of grow cold in their relationship with God, would you grow cold also? Is your belief dependent upon theirs? What if some do not believe? What should be our standpoint? [00:06:10]

Paul here is getting at a very interesting theological point. He's putting himself into place as someone who's trying to trap God or trick God with a clever line of questioning. Some people think they can do that, you know. They think they can throw the whole plan of God into a mess by coming up with just the right question. [00:11:01]

Even when God brings good out of our sin, we're still guilty. I think in theory the most dramatic example of someone who might ask this question is Judas. Can you hear Judas state his case? There he is before the throne of God on the day of judgment that every person will have to face, and God calls out some of Judas's worst crimes. [00:13:07]

Paul says you're totally wrong because if your line of thinking is correct, then you've taken all judgment out of the hand of God, and the Bible tells us very clearly that God is a righteous judge and that he will judge the world. It is true that God will use even the unrighteousness of man to accomplish his work and bring praise to his name. [00:16:10]

Paul preached a free gospel of grace that could be twisted, and if sometimes we are accused of preaching a gospel that is too open and too centered on a simple relationship of faith and grace with God, then we find ourselves in good company with Paul. But for those who would take that message of free grace and twist it, their condemnation is just. [00:23:56]

Paul has demonstrated the guilt of the religious skeptic. Bottom line is what he's been doing since the middle of chapter one up until this point, as he's taken away all of our wiggle room. You can't wiggle away. You can't get away from it. God's word searches us out and it says, you know what, you're not good enough to save yourself. [00:24:45]

We love to look at the notorious sinner and say, well, we're not like that. We are. You put the immoral man and the morally superior man and the religious man and the religious skeptic, you put them all in the same boat because they all belong together the same way. They're all under sin, Paul says in verse 9. [00:26:32]

Paul wants us to understand that we are completely unable to save ourselves because we're fallen men and fallen women, because we're sons of Adam and daughters of Eve. We're fallen, and the fall has touched every part of us, and the inventory of body parts corrupted by the fall demonstrates this. [00:29:24]

The law cannot save us. The law cannot justify anyone. It's useful in giving us the knowledge of sin, but it can't save us. And if you're coming before God saying, well, God, just tell me what to do, you want me to crawl up to Whiteface on my knees over broken glass and then I'll be saved, okay, I'll do that. God says no, that won't work. [00:38:11]

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Universal Need for Christ: Righteousness Through Faith

Devotional

Day 1: True Righteousness Comes from Relationship, Not Rituals

Day 2: God's Faithfulness Stands Firm Amidst Human Unbelief

Day 3: God's Justice and the Fallacy of Excusing Sin

Day 4: The Law Reveals Sin, But Salvation Comes Through Faith

Day 5: Embrace Grace and Abandon Self-Reliance

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Universal Need for Christ: Righteousness Through Faith

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