-1Romans 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh

be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Romans 3:21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is
manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
Rom 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus
Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no
difference:
Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Rom 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Rom 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith
in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that
are past, through the forbearance of God;
Rom 3:26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he
might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
Rom 3:27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of
works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
Rom 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith
without the deeds of the law.

Martin Luther was a strict Catholic monk seeking to cause

himself to be righteous in the sight of God. No matter how many
religious works he preformed or rituals he observed, he still found
himself to be completely sinful before God. Santa Scala ILL.
On Good Friday Scala Santa is packed with pilgrims who perform penitence by climbing
these 28 wood-covered steps on their knees. According to tradition, these steps were trod
by Christ when he was led to Pontius Pilate for his trial. St Helen, mother of Emperor
Constantine, brought the steps to Rome from Jerusalem. Pope Sixtus V had them placed
in their present position. They are covered in wood so that no foot can touch them, and
this is the reason why the faithful climb up them on their knees.

Then, while reading the book of Romans, his’ eyes were open to
the truth of justification by faith in Jesus, apart from is good deeds.
The truth that he couldn’t be righteous before God on his own. He
needed and declared righteous by God.

‘Here I felt that I was altogether born again and had entered paradise
itself through open gates” Luther

One of the major themes through out the Book of Roman is

justification by Faith and we will begin in vs. 20
Definition: God’s act of remitting the sins of guilty men, and accounting
them righteous, freely, by his grace, through faith in Christ, on the ground,
not of their own works, but of the representative law-keeping and
redemptive blood-shedding of the Lord Jesus Christ on their behalf.

I. The universal need to be justified. Vs. 23

àA. Chapters 1-3 Paul lays out a case for the universal need of
justification, which reaches it’s climax in Ch. 3.
Ÿ Rom 3:9-10 What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise:
for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all
under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Ÿ Ecc 7:20 For there is not a just man upon earth, that
doeth good, and sinneth not.
àB. God presented us with the Ten-Commandments and the other
laws to show us our own sin and guilt in the sight of God
Ÿ Rom 3:19-20 Now we know that what things soever the law saith,
it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may
be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before
God.
Ÿ Rom 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh
be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of
sin.
àC. We are guilty of breaking God’s laws and we must be punished
by God, or else God is not a just God.

Ÿ Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
1. Just as Martin Luther, we know in our own heart that we are
guilty before God and must be justified.

II. The cost for us to be Justified.

Rom 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption
that is in Christ Jesus:
Rom 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through
faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of
sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
A. Being Justified- The Greek verb for justified is in the
passive voice, meaning we are the ones receiving the action and not
accomplishing it for ourselves.
 B. We are justified FREELY by His grace “through” the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus. (Redemption- Release by
payment of a ransom)
C. Propitiation- Sin-offering that appeases the wrath of God.
Blood on the mercy seat. OLD TESTIMENT ILL.
1. It doesn’t cost us anything to be justified, but it came at a
great expense.

III. The way to be justified

Rom 3:26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he
might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
Rom 3:27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of
works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
Rom 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by
faith without the deeds of the law.

In the court-room of heaven, we are the guilty party. We have broken

the law of God and we must be punished, by spending forever suffer
for our sins in Hell.
God is the righteous judge and He cannot simply let us go free,
for somebody must pay for our crimes. He slams His gable down, and
we are pronounced guilty as charged.
Then as the bailiff comes to take us away , the judge steps down
from his bench and says WAIT! I love you and I cannot stand to see
you suffer. My son is willing to be punished in your place, if you will
admit your guilt and allow him to take your place.
The moment we do so, we are pronounced as JUSTIFIED in
God’s sight. Have you been justified?