19-20 All Are Conscious of Sin

Well, we're going to pick it up in chapter 3 and verse 19 and 20 today. So I just ask you to turn there. Chapter 3 of Romans and verse 19 and 20. And this verse 19 picks up the thought from where verse 9 left off and it was briefly interrupted with verse 10 through verses 10 down through verse 18 and Hal took the first part of that section there 10 through 18 and then Bob wrapped up verses 10 through 18 for us for us last week so let's just read let's read I want to read this kind of together and we'll read verse 9 and then we'll skip 10 through 18 and then we'll go right into verse 19 and 20 So it says, What then?

Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin. Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may become accountable to God. Because by the works of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight. For through the law comes the knowledge of sin.

So you can easily see how these three verses flow together. 9, and then 19, and then verse 20. And it brings out these three big pillars of the culmination of this chapter 1, verse 18, all the way through chapter 3, verse 20. This is kind of the culmination of the whole thing, that the whole world is condemned, and all are guilty, and all are conscious of their sin. So verse 9 points out to us that all are under sin, verse 19, that every mouth may be closed and that all the world may become accountable to God. This is going to be the two final verses regarding this culmination of the condemnation of mankind. Then next week we start into the good news of salvation by faith through grace alone. As we get into verse 19, let's just simply ask this question.

We know that whatever the law says, so who is the we referring to there? Who do you guys think that the we is referring to there? Thoughts? Believers? Yeah, that's right, yeah. Hal did an exhaustive lesson for us three weeks ago about that, and it was It was awesome, we took a whole class to go through verse 9, establishing that the we wasn't the Jews and it wasn't the Gentiles, but it was the believers, the church. So I state there verse 3, 8 through 9, the we referred to the believers, the church, see how it's in lesson 21. So in verse 19 it's the same thing, we is also referring to the believers or the church.

Okay, so we see that we, we know that whatever the law says, so this no here is in the perfect indicative and in the Greek it's oida and it means to know absolutely or to have a sure knowledge. So it's not something that they're kind of wishy-washy on, well I'm not sure I know, I might know, it depends on what day of the week it is I might know. No, this is something that they really know, it's an absolute knowledge, it's a sure that they know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law. So the next phrase there, that whatever the law says, we know that whatever the law says.

So then the question has to come up, what does the law say? That's a huge question. I've got a couple of points on my paper, but what do you guys think? What does the law say? What's the first thing that comes to your mind when you think, what does the law say? Thou shalt not? Yeah, thou shalt not do this and this and this. Yeah, absolutely. What else?

When you think about what does the law say, what comes to your mind? Okay, let's go to, oops, wrong way. Let's go and look at that Exodus in chapter 19. I think this sets the stage for us when we consider the law and what it says. So Exodus chapter 19 and verses 3 down through verse 8.

Lavin, would you read that for us? And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the sons of Israel, You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings, and brought you to myself. Now then, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, then you shall be my own possession among all the people, for all the earth is mine. And you shall be to me a kingdom of priests, Okay, so we see there that if you obey, then you will be blessed, and perfection was required.

Hold your place there in Exodus 19, but let's flip over to this James passage, just real quick. Hold your place there, put your hand there, finger there, but go over to James in chapter 2, and let's look at this passage as well. James 2 and verse 10. It says, for whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. So we're talking about the Mosaic Law here and its requirements. You wasn't like, well, if you keep 75% of it, then you're going to be okay. No, the standard was perfection. 100% was what was required of keeping this law. So flip back to Exodus chapter 19. Notice this in verse 5.

It says, now then, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my commandments, then you shall be my own possession among all the people for all the earth is mine. So notice there, if then. If you do this, then this will be true. If this is true, then this will be true. So there is this conditional relationship that is established here with the law. were conditioned upon obedience. That's clearly established by the law.

We'll go over it in chapter 20. Verse 3, you shall have no other gods before you. Verse 4, you shall. Verse 5, you shall. Verse 7, you shall. Verse 8, remember the Sabbath day. Honor your father. 13, you shall not murder. 14, you shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness. Verse 17, you shall not covet. That's basically the Ten Commandments there. Now the law is much more involved and exhaustive than that. But there's this condition.

If you do this, if you abide by these, then this is going to be then you will be blessed. So I think when we talk about what does the law say, that in essence boils it all down to, like we say, you shall or you shall not. It puts people under a condition in relation to their walking with the Lord and their relationship with God.

Now, this does not nullify God's grace in the Old Testament. I think that's important that we point that out. But it did bring in the element of conduct preceding blessings. Israel was under the law, and we in the church are not under the law, but we're under grace, which is true. But that doesn't mean that God was not a gracious God in the Old Testament. I think oftentimes it's easy for us to make a mental shift there that the grace of God wasn't prevalent in the Old Testament. It was.

If we go through the Old Testament, the grace of God stands out. And time again, how He was patient with people, how He was loving with people, and He was merciful with people, even in the Old Testament, despite the fact that He did give the Mosaic Law.

It's important for us to keep that in mind. Any other thoughts there regarding, you know, We could do a huge study of this on its own, the law, what is it, but I think we need to at least address it somewhat here, being that Romans is talking. Any thoughts or questions? Well, when you read verse 19, you just wonder how anybody allowed themselves to be put under the law.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Sure. Well, if you look in Exodus 19, it said Moses got this from the Lord, so then Moses takes it back to the people, and he tells it to the people, and the people say, all that the Lord has commanded, we will do. Israel did it back then. People have done it for years and years and years since, and it's very easy for us to do it today. Absolutely. You got it. Why do you think it's easy for that to happen? Just step into this law-oriented relationship with the Lord. Why do you think that's... Sometimes it's people like that better than walking under grace, it seems like. Why do you think that?

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. A little more concrete, maybe? I don't know. Sure. The law is clear of the world system. Yeah, no doubt. Carol? If I can do that, then I can count myself on that. Yeah, then it will give me grounds to post on. I'm in control of my destiny, kind of thing. Or like, if I do that, I deserve salvation, I deserve the God kind of thing. That's right. So it's easy to accept the law, so to speak. It's the world system.

If you work hard, If you do what you're supposed to do, then you're going to be successful. I was in band in high school, and if you practiced a lot, and you did a good audition, then you had a good chance of getting first or second chair in the band, in concert band. So there's the principle. If you work hard, if you do well, then, if, then, and we see it all the way back in Exodus.

So it's so easy for us to If you go to college, then you're going to end up with a good job. It isn't that way all the time, but that's the mindset of the world. It's the way we adopt it, and then we can boast of ourselves and exalt ourselves because we've done well. Do you think that's kind of how the world has to operate, though? Just thinking about the job, obviously your work's not going to give you more work unless the work that you're giving, you're not doing it well. But it seems like, I mean, that makes sense. Anything else? Once? Twice? Alright.

So then the law speaks to those who are under the law. So then as I was studying this through, the question has to go, is this the Jews only or is this also the Gentiles? I had to think about, I think we need to think about that, this question here. So now we know that the law, whatever the law speaks, it speaks to those who are under the law. So what do you think? Is this speaking directly to the Jews who are the ones who are under the law? Or do you think this is also including the Gentiles? What are your thoughts about that? Yeah, Carol? I can't stand Carl.

But there are imperatives in the New Testament, but they just indicate the results of God's work on our lives that bring us about. Not still not the self-effort that's going to do anything, but they're there. Right. you know, Paul says, in the space of the commandments, but in the sense that this is what will result in our loss. So, are you saying that because there are those imperatives in the New Testament, and the New Testament was written to the audience of both the Jews and the Gentiles, that it includes both?

Is that what you're saying? I don't want to put words in your mouth. No, I'm just saying that it sounds like those are the laws, but in fact, When Paul speaks of commandments, it's really addressing the results of the law that the Lord will bring about. I see. But it sounds like, certainly, they sound like commandments. Right, right, right. Sure, sure. Yeah.

If the law didn't apply to the Gentiles, then where do they fall? I mean, they're not believers, they're not Jews, so where... It seems to me that the law has to apply to anyone who's not a believer. Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. I don't see any other options for them. To us, a non-believer is a non-believer. It doesn't matter to us. Whether they're a Jew or whether they're a Gentile.

Let's look at these verses here. Chapter 2, verses 12-16. I think it sheds a little bit of light and helps us out. And I think Hal talked through this. I looked back through his notes. I think what happened was, I think I taught Chapter 2, 1-10, and it got so confusing. Do you guys remember that? And he got so involved that Hal was going to do 11-16, But then he included a wrap-up of 1-10, so I think he didn't necessarily address 11-16 in the depth I would have liked him, because he was trying to clear up the confusion that I caused the week before. So anyways, let's read down through this, verse 12-16 of chapter 2.

For all who have sinned without the law will also All who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law. And all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law will be justified. For when the Gentiles who do not have the law do instinctively the things of the law, these, not having the law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness, and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus. Even though the Gentiles are not, in a sense, quote, under the Mosaic Law, I think that this is some evidence that they are under the principle system of Scripture, that they put themselves under a self-imposed law, so to speak.

And we do the same thing as well. That's a whole other topic, how we put ourselves under these self-imposed laws. So I think this is showing some evidence that yeah, the Gentiles, that this verse here in 19 is also including the Gentiles. And let me make this comment too.

Before the cross, if a Gentile wanted to come into a relationship with God, they had to come through the Jewish law. Is that right? That's the way that they had to come. And so in a sense, they are, I think as you were pointing out, that's right. So that was the means that God set up.

Now, He gave it to the nation of Israel, but for anybody who wanted to come, that's the way that they had to come. Gentiles were not given the promises through the law. We have to maintain a clear distinction between Israel and the rest of the world, the Gentiles. Yet, if they wanted to enter into a relationship with God, they had to come through Judaism. They had to come through the Jewish law. Absolutely. That's right. Absolutely. We're not trying to muddy the waters there at all.

But God did set up a way for mankind to have a relationship with Him through the Jews. And if anyone wanted to come, they had to come through that way. So therefore, it seems that it is the Jew and the Gentile being included here. When I think about it, as I looked at it. When we go back to verse 19, it says, now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law. I think it's talking about the Jews and the Gentiles. Does that make sense? Is that clear? Questions? Challenge that conclusion?

And then notice, later on in the verse, that every mouth may be closed and that all the world may become accountable to God. So there we see that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God. So this clearly is including the Jews and the Gentiles. So the end result is that everybody, the Jews and the Gentiles, are going to become accountable to God and that their mouth is going to be stopped.

And this little word here, under, it speaks to those who are under the law. It's a little preposition, a Greek preposition, and those referred to are within the sphere of the law. So it's talking about they're under the sphere of the law here is what it's getting at with that term. Thoughts? Questions? Okay, so then, let's just take the next phrase here.

It speaks to those who are under the law, so the law speaks so that two things may happen. Number one, so that every mouth may be closed or that it may be stopped, I think as the KJV used the word stop there, and that all the world may become accountable to God. So the law spoke for two reasons. Every mouth may be closed or stopped and that the whole world would become accountable unto God. So let's talk about this first phrase first. Every mouth may be closed or may be stopped. Before we move on there, I just made a little note.

Says and speaks are both verbs and they're both in the present active indicative. And it's a little different usage of the word Lego there for say or speak. I didn't get into too much detail about that, but if you want to know why they use different words as far as say and speak, I can get you that information.

It's always a challenge, you know, how detailed do you go and when do you just cut it off and say, okay, this is what we're going to present for our lesson because we only have 50 minutes and we're always kind of pressed for time anyways. Okay, every mouth may be closed or stopped.

Okay, first of all, just simply put, all mankind is included in this, not just the Jews, not just the Gentiles, all of mankind. is included in this. And the meaning of this is to be fenced in, to be closed or to be stopped, meaning fenced in, or to block up, stop up, or to close up, is the meaning, the idea of what we're getting at here. And Mu says this, and I read him and I like a lot of what he has to say, but you need to read him with discernment, just for what it's worth. If you're interested in reading him at all, he does have a lot of good things, but as always, read with discernment, and so forth. He phrases it this way, which I thought was good.

A courtroom setting where the defendant has no more to say in response to the charges brought against them. So think about the charges being brought against somebody in a courtroom setting. There's charges, there's charges, evidence upon evidence upon evidence upon evidence upon evidence, and the guy's just like, I have nothing to say. My mouth is stopped. My mouth is closed. I'm blocked. There's no word for me to say to try to get around.

And so, chapter 1, verse 18, all the way through here to chapter 3, verse 19 and 20 has done that. There's been evidence upon evidence, compounding, and then these quotes out of the Old Testament, in verses 10 through 18, has brought us and all of humanity to the point where That's it. We can't say anything else. There's nothing else to say.

May be closed is a verb and it's aorist and passive subjunctive and the idea there of the passive brings about the idea that the law is the one that is coming in and is stopping the mouth. There's been so much evidence, and the law has spoken so that the mouth may be stopped. So the law of speaking, it's the one that is causing the mouth to be stopped. That's the idea there of the passive. Let's look at Galatians chapter 3, verse 21. Galatians 3, 21. Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be.

For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on the law. But the scripture has shut up all men under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which is later to be revealed." So, here in Galatians, we're seeing both. We're seeing shut up under the law, and we're seeing faith which comes through Jesus Christ, or faith in Jesus Christ. So, what I want to point out, though, is verse 22.

The Scripture has shut up all men under sin. That's the same thing that we're seeing here in Romans, in chapter 3, in verse 19. Shut up under sin. It's spoken, and it's brought everybody under this. position of sin. In verse 23, But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which is later to be revealed. So the idea there of judicial collation is reinforcing the idea that every mouth is stopped and every mouth is closed before the Lord. Questions, thoughts? Before we move from the phrase that every mouth is closed or stopped.

Okay, so the next one is that all the world may become accountable unto God. Go back to Romans 3. All the world may become accountable unto God. Again, all mankind is included in this. accountable or answerable to or liable to prosecution. And again, I came up with, I thought that mood did a good job in kind of putting this into a good picture phrase for us. So God is both the one offended and the judge who weighs the evidence and pronounces the verdict. We are all become accountable in the sense that we have done something that we have lived under sin, which has wronged God. and we are also accountable to pay the penalty before God. So there's, in a sense, a dual action that's going on there. We wronged God, and we're accountable to pay. And we know that we can't pay. That's the whole point of the Gospel, that Christ can't pay the penalty that we ourselves could not pay.

It's the only place that this word appears in Scripture, and I thought that was interesting. to point out, and may become verb, aorist, middle, subjunctive. A difference there between the middle and the passive, the middle means that we are more involved in becoming accountable, because we're the ones that have done the action. We're the ones that have been involved in the sin, which has wronged God, and has also brought us into a position where we're going to be liable to God. So that's the difference there between the middle and the passive. voice with those words. Alright, real quick summary here.

The law spoke, therefore every mouth is closed and all the world became accountable to God because, we get this in verse 20, because by the law no flesh is justified in the eyes of God. Guilty, guilty, guilty. This is the final verse of verses 1, chapter 1, 18 through 320. This is the final verse that we're moving into here. So verse 20 tells what the works of the law, or doing right, cannot do, and what it can do. Let's read verse 20.

So because by the works of the law no flesh will be justified in his sight, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin. It's interesting We're seeing the word law mentioned in these two verses four times. So the theme is coming out about there's nothing that we can do, no good works, no good deeds, nothing that we can do in and of ourselves that is going to be able to make us in a right standing or in a right relationship to God. So it seems like after chapter 1, verse 18, And he's done all of this, just unpackaging how all of mankind is guilty before God.

He's summarizing, saying, there might be one last guy in the back row that says, well, you know, wait a minute, what about me? I haven't done this, and I have done this, and despite all that you've said, isn't there a way that I can get around all that you've said? And so he's summarizing by saying, absolutely not. No way.

And I think by using the word works of the law here, four times within two verses he is just, he is shutting everybody's mouth. He is blocking everybody up from any claims that they might have to being able to justify themselves. So let's look at the first one first. The law or doing right cannot make man justified in God's sight. Okay, the works of the law is repeated in Romans chapter 3, 28 and down through these other ones. Let's look at these. This really drives home the point that we're talking about today. So chapter 3, go over to verse 28.

For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. Now that's getting into the faith side, how someone is justified. But again, it's reinforcing what we're talking about here in verse 20, that a man is not justified, or cannot be. There's no possible way that he can be justified by the works of the law. Back to Galatians, chapter 2 and 16. Nevertheless, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have belief in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law.

Since, by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. It's just driving home this point, reiterating this point. For the sake of time, I'll let you look those other ones up on your own, because the clock is ticking fast. Actually, if we were to read it, it reads, all flesh will not be justified. There's a little preposition, passa, which is left out of our translations, and in this context, this word passa, it means all. So, it doesn't come across in our text, if you go back to Romans chapter 3 verse 20, Because by the works of the law, no flesh will be justified. It really reads, because by the works of the law, all no flesh will be justified. So it brings out that point of the inclusiveness of all mankind. Does that make sense? All flesh will not be. And they seem to have left that out in our English translations.

Okay, the will be justified is a verb, it's future, and passive, and it's indicative. The idea here of justified, the root of this word is the same as the Greek word which is translated often times righteous, or righteousness, justification, just, or the justifier, and we're going to see this in just a minute. So we talk about that no flesh will be justified There's tons of definitions for what is justified or justification.

A couple of them are to be declared righteous by God and to be viewed by Him as if one has never sinned. That's probably my favorite one. That's the one that has seemed to have stuck with me through the years. To be declared by God righteous. So, Vincent makes this comment, that the act or process by which a man is brought into a right state as related to God. And I thought that also was very good.

Therefore, the law, as we are seeing, cannot be the act or the process by which one is brought into this right relationship with God. Therefore, Doing right cannot be the act or the process by which one is brought into a right relationship with God. Nothing, no right deeds, no efforts of man can bring someone into a right relationship with God. Let's read down through chapter 3 and verse 21 through 31, and it really drives this point home. unpack this section extensively over the next few weeks.

It says in verse 21 of chapter 3, But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets. So notice, right away comes this huge but. But, apart from the law. See? Not by the law is this righteousness of God going to come.

So verse 22, Even the righteousness of God, through faith in Christ Jesus for all those who believe, for there is no distinction. So there he brings in faith, he's bringing in his obedience, and he's making a distinction between the law and faith. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith, this was to demonstrate His righteousness because in the forbearance of God he passed over the sins previously committed. For the demonstration, I say, of his righteousness at the present time, that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus Christ. Where then is boasting?

It's gone. It's excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. And 28 is key in relation to what we're talking about in verse 20. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. Or is God the God of the Jews only? Is he not the God of the Gentiles also? Yes, of the Gentiles also. Since indeed God will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.

Do we then nullify the law through faith? May it never be. On the contrary, we establish the law. I think that, you know, we're going to get to that in detail starting next week, but that's really helping us to see more clearly that by doing right and by adhering to the law, there's no way that a man can be justified before God, brought into the right relationship with God.

Talking about being justified before God, not talking about being justified before man, pretty obvious point, but I thought we needed to at least make a mention of it. Any thoughts? I kind of rolled through a lot of information there. Questions or thoughts? Is this pretty familiar stuff to you? No man, it can be justified by the works of the law. I can't do anything right to help me out. So now mankind is ready for salvation based on faith. And so, whosoever believes would not perish, but have eternal life.

Section there of John 3.16. We're no longer under the law, but we are under grace.

Romans 6.14. For by grace are we saved through faith, and not of ourselves. It is the gift of God. Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 8. So, this ends this section of chapter 1.18 through 3.20.

And so, next week we make this huge turn of stepping away from proving all of mankind guilty and condemned before God, to showing all of mankind now how they can enter into a relationship with God. So, we'll make a big turn. I'm pretty happy about that. I remember when we started verse 1, chapter 118, we said we were going to be talking about condemnation until March, and that was back in December. And so, next week, I think Bob's going to lead us into making the turn towards seeing how we're, by faith, in a relationship with God. Alright, that's it.

Let's pray. Lord, thanks for your word, and thanks for just leading us and guiding us into all truth, and bringing these things to our remembrance, and as we have chances to interact with people throughout the week, I pray that your spirit would lead those times, would lead those conversations, would lead those words that might come from those. And so, thanks be to the Father, and as he shares out of Isaiah, in your name we pray. Amen.