Follow Paul’s Reformation Logic!

1st Sunday of End Time, Reformation, 10/27/19
Romans 3:19-28


Follow Paul’s Reformation Logic!


This coming Thursday is a red-letter day on every Lutheran calendar. It marks 502 years since Luther posted his 95 theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. And the church on earth has not been the same ever since. In fact, even many secular historians maintain that it ranks as one of the most significant events in history. And by the grace of God, we’re recipients of that Lutheran heritage.

But what does that mean to you? Let me put that another way. If you had to tell someone what it means to be a Lutheran, what would you say? If someone wanted to know in one sentence what Luther’s Reformation was all about, what would you tell them? Would you have a meaningful answer ready for them, or would you fumble for some Lutheran-sounding words?

I’m guessing that many of you would be able to say that the Lutheran Reformation means that we are not saved by works. We are saved by faith alone. In fact, you might even be able to quote the three Lutheran Reformation solas: sola gratia, sola fidei, sola scriptura—by grace alone, by faith alone, through scripture alone. Our salvation is all God’s doing; it’s not by our own effort or works.

As I just mentioned, Luther’s Reformation is considered by many to be one of the greatest events in history. You would expect, then, that such a history-making event would have a profound impact on the lives of most people. You would think that most people would be able to point to the Reformation and credit it with changing the way they think about themselves and their way to heaven. You would think that people would not only be expending great effort to hold to Reformation’s saving truth, but also to share Reformation’s saving truth. But you’re not that naïve. You know the reality—that the vast majority of people on earth today reject that truth.

But we believe it! By the grace of God, he has convinced us of his saving truth that we are not saved by our own good works but solely by faith in Jesus. That’s our Lutheran heritage.

But if we’re not only going to cherish that truth ourselves but also pass it on to our children and others, we better know what we believe and why we believe it. God’s Reformation word to us this morning in Paul’s Letter to the Romans chapter 3 gives us that marvelous opportunity. In this section of God’s word, Paul lays out his Reformation logic. Take the next few minutes to delve into that saving logic once again. Follow it with me. Follow Paul’s Reformation logic. And may God open our hearts and minds through his word to his saving truth!

In order to understand Paul’s logic, you need to know the context of Romans 3. Paul has been contrasting the spiritual situation between the Jews and the Gentiles. Historically the Jews were under the impression that they were vastly superior to all Gentiles. Just look at the advantages they had: they were God’s chosen Old Testament people; they had the law of God given to them on Mt. Sinai; they had the prophets sent to them from God; they had the books of the Old Testament. I could go on and on. You would think they had a golden ticket into heaven just because of who they were and these advantages that they possessed.

But Paul crushes that thinking in the verses just before our text. In those verses he quotes from eight different passages of the Old Testament written after God gave the Israelites his law on Mt. Sinai, passages which state in effect: there is no one who is righteous, not even one. For centuries, the Jews even up to and through the time of Jesus prided themselves on keeping the laws that God had given them: they observed the Sabbath day and ate kosher, etc. They thought they were good Jewish people. But they were wrong. So now Paul continues contrasting the Jews with the Gentiles and he argues from the greater to the lesser. If God’s word convicts the Jews, what hope is there for Gentiles, who don’t have the advantages that the Jews did?

The corollary to that point is this: If God’s chosen people, with all their advantages, have no inherent or earned righteousness, then certainly no one else does either. No Jewish person—and therefore surely no Gentile person—could ever state, “I know I’m not perfect, but I’m inherently good. I’m a good person, so there must be a place in heaven for me.” Paul slams shut heaven’s door to people who are under that delusion with these words, “Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.”

Paul’s next logical point is this: Gentiles may choose to follow the natural law in their hearts, or Jews may choose to follow the laws given to them by Moses on Mt. Sinai, but it makes no difference. There is no righteousness by the law. Remember, God gave his law to the Jews, but the Gentiles still had the natural law in their hearts. It told them that murder, adultery, stealing and lying were wrong. And that law condemned them. The Jews had countless laws from God about how to live their daily lives and how to worship him, but that law didn’t commend them; it condemned them.

You see, the law of God never told a single person how good he is. It serves the exact opposite purpose: it makes us conscious of sin. And that’s the next logical point Paul makes. God’s law can’t be used for someone to state, “If I try hard enough, I think I’ll get to heaven; at least I hope so.” The law of God doesn’t do that for us. It condemns us!
So, if no one can claim personal piety before God, if even the most loving, charitable person is still a sinner condemned by God’s law, then we’re hopeless and helpless. And that’s the next logical point that Paul presents to us. God’s law allows no one to escape its damning proclamation: “There is no one righteous, not even one.” And, if we’re helpless on our own to enter heaven, then we need outside help.

And thanks be to God, it’s available! That’s the next logical point for us to consider. Paul says it like this, “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.” Paul hammers home his point once again. Righteousness before God is apart from law. Notice he doesn’t say, “the law” meaning only the 10 Commandments. He simply says “law,” meaning any law that might be followed among human beings. Whatever principals a society or an individual lives by, they don’t earn righteousness before God. So, every person, no matter how pious they might think they are, is still a sinner who is under God’s condemnation and needs outside help from God himself.

And that help is this: “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 glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” The only righteousness there is before God comes from God himself. And there’s the saving truth that Luther re-discovered from the Bible. If we are going to be acceptable to God, then he must make us acceptable to him. If we’re going to be righteous, it can’t come from us; it must come from God. And it does!

Notice once again what Paul states about the only righteousness that counts before God. It comes from God himself. When you’re in the market to buy a replacement part for something you’re trying to fix, knock-offs can save you a good deal of money. But there’s a good bit of security in purchasing and installing a certified manufacturer’s part. The righteousness that counts before God comes from God himself. It’s his own certified righteousness—the righteousness of Jesus himself. There’s eternal, saving security in that truth!

And it comes to you by faith in Jesus. Think about that for a moment. What did you do to receive your faith in Jesus? Absolutely nothing. That was all God’s doing, the saving work of God the Holy Spirit. Once again, there’s eternal, saving security in that truth! The righteousness that counts before God is the righteousness God himself gives us!

Paul closes with this saving, logical conclusion: “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.” There’s the solid truth of the Reformation! You are declared not guilty of all sins by faith in Jesus. There’s nothing left for you to do to be acceptable to God. He’s done it all already in Jesus, who lived the perfect life you don’t and can’t, and then suffered and died as the punishment for all your sins. You are not guilty before God.

So, we know that. We’ve followed Paul’s Reformation logic. We believe it by the grace of God. But we struggle with it. We struggle with that saving truth whenever we tend to think that we’re somebody before God, that the service we render to God and others is worth some special consideration before God. We struggle with it when we’ll admit we’re sinners, but not to the degree that some sinners are.

On the other hand, we struggle with Paul’s Reformation logic every time the pains of guilt wash over us, when our past sins haunt us, when we’re tormented by the mess we’ve made of things. Do you know what I’m talking about?

Go back to Paul’s Reformation logical conclusion. You are justified by faith in Jesus. His resurrection gaurantees it. You are not guilty before God by faith in Jesus. That’s your Lutheran heritage. Hold on to it at all costs every day of your life! Amen.