Dr. Cecil A. Fayard - 2001 Sermons
Sunday, March 18, 2001   

As we come to Romans chapter three, Paul concludes that not only are the openly immoral, the self-righteous, and the outwardly religious on the way to hell, but all men are totally depraved and in need of the grace of God. All are sinners (3:9c -1 0).

1. VERSES 1-8 THE JEWS CHALLENGE PAUL
   1. Paul's strong preaching, especially the kind recorded in Romans 2:17-29, which points out that the most religious person in the world is lost without Christ brought about some strong challenges from the Jews.

   2. Verses 1-2, The challenge of Jewish ancestry as an advantage.
      
      1. Verse 1, The challenge
         
         1. If the Jews are lost like everyone else what good is it to be a Jew?
            
         2. The Jews really believed that because they were Jews they were in good standing with God.
            
      2. Verse 2, The answer to the challenge.
         
         1. They had the advantage of the Word. No other nation had been singled out to receive the oracles of God.
            
            1. In the Word was light and knowledge about the Messiah (Deuteronomy 18:15).
               
            2. The Jew was given the scripture to tell them how to escape the wrath to come.
               
            3. The great advantage of having the scripture means that the Jews could see that:
               
               1. He is a sinner.
                  
               2. He is under the wrath of God.
                  
               3. He is in need of the mercy of God for salvation.
                  
         2. Today we have the advantage of the Word.
            
            1. To do mission work.
               
            2. To see the need of salvation.
               
            3. The Bible is no ordinary book; it is the breath of God.
               
            4. Lost person, the Word is nigh unto you (Romans 10:8-14).

   3. Verses 3-4, The challenge of God's faithfulness.
      
      1. Verse 3, The challenge.
         
         1. Does the unbelief of some Jews cancel out God's promises?
            
         2. Will the unfaithful ness of some make God unfaithful?
            
      2. Verse 3, The answer to the challenge.
         
         1. By no means will God ever be unfaithful. He is God, He changes not.
            
         2. "Let God be true, but every man a liar." God will always be true to His Word.
            
         3. Because God is faithful, He will keep His promises to those Jews who are faithful; those who through faith believe.
            
         4. The last part of this verse is a quote from Psalm 51:4. This proves that the extent of wrong does not change God's promises.
            
            1. In Psalm 51, David confesses his sins of adultery, murder and hypocrisy.
               
            2. Notice the opening words of Psalm 51:4 where David says: "Against thee, thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight..."
               
            3. David is very open. Why? Because he wants God's righteousness in judging him to be clear, to stand out. David wants God, to get the glory!
               
            4. David knew that God would pardon and cleanse Him because God is faithful to His Word (I John 1:9). God does pardon, yet there are consequence that follow the sinner.

   4. Verse 5-6, The challenge of God's righteousness.
      
      1. Verse 5, The challenge
         
         1. "Because man's unrighteousness brings out the grace of God, shouldn't God be happy about man's sin?"
            
         2. "Is God not unfair when He takes vengeance on the sin of man?"
            
      2. Verse 6, The answer.
         
         1. "God forbid" or how do you even dare suggest this.
            
         2. God is a righteous judge.
            
         3. God never, in order to bring glory to Himself, encourages or condones sin to bring glory to Himself. If He did this, how could He judge the world?
            
         4. Friend, he reminded that God does and will judge sin.

   5. Verses 7-8, The challenge of antinomianism.
      
      1. Verse 7, The challenge.
         
         1. How can God judge me if through my lying the truth of God is enhanced to His glory.
            
         2. Paul, if that is what you are saying, why am I still judged as a sinner?
            
      2. Verse 8, The answer.
         
         1. Notice the words in brackets. These words tell us that Paul was misunderstood and misrepresented. They said the exact opposite of what he was saying. Friends, that kind of reasoning goes on today.
            
         2. Antinomianism teaches you should sin because grace will take care of it. It perverts the doctrine of salvation by grace. That the law could not save them, so now he is charged with lawlessness. "Go ahead and sin to the full so that grace has a chance to work."
            
         3. Please note Paul's answer to this charge as given in Romans 6:1-2.
            
         4. Those who are saved by grace have had a change within (II Corinthians 5:17).
            
         5. "Whose damnation is just. " Their condemnation is deserved. Those who wickedly misrepresent the doctrine of grace will get what they deserve.

2. VERSES 9-20, THE CLEAR PICTURE OF MAN'S DEPRAVITY
   1. Verse 9, To properly interpret this verse we must figure out who the word "we" is referring to. I believe the answer is found in Romans 1:7. He was writing to the saints. He answered the objections of the Jews, but the letter is addressed to the saints; and he is a saint, one of them. So he says:...... "are we better than they?" The answer is of course: "No, not at all."
      
      1. Sometimes folks begin to flaunt their spirituality; they get to thinking highly of themselves.
         
      2. We need to roll back the curtain and see where God has brought us from.
         
      3. Are we by nature better than the lost? No- but by grace of God, there go I.

   2. All men, Jew and Gentile, are "under sin." Being in sin and under sin are not exactly the same. To be under sin is to be mastered by it for sin to have you shackled.

3. VERSES 10-18, THE SAD CONCLUSION
   1. These verses tell us in plain terms that man is totally depraved. There are fourteen indictments brought against man in these verses.

   2. Verses 10-12, Paul is describing all of mankind in general.
      
      1. Verse 10, This is man's position before God.
         
      2. Verse 11, The natural man has no spiritual perception for dead men do not perceive. Man left to himself does not seek God; he runs and hides.
         
      3. Verse 12, This is how God sees man.

   3. Verses 13-14, Here is described the sin of the tongue for it illustrates the sinfulness of man.

   4. Verses 15-18, Murder, abortion, war proves that man is as depraved today as in Isaiah's day (Isaiah 59:7-8).
      
      1. They do not have peace.
         
      2. They do not fear God (Psalm 36: 1).

4. VERSES 19-20, THE CONDITION IS HELPLESS AND HOPELESS
   1. Verse 19, God's Word, the law, has something to say to us all.
      
      1. It has authority over believers and unbelievers.
         
      2. With guilt exposed, all stand before God silent. Their mouths are stopped.

   2. Verse 20, Here is man's condition: hopeless, helpless, in despair.
      
      1. The law demands moral and spiritual perfection. Something that man in his own power -can never attain.
         
      2. The law says we are guilty!