In this thought-provoking episode, we dive deep into Romans chapter 3 with a focus on the concept of justification by grace. As we explore the struggles with sin and addiction, we address how understanding an external source of forgiveness transforms lives. Our discussion revolves around the contrast between humanity’s inherent sinfulness and the grace extended to us through Jesus Christ, challenging common misperceptions about self-redemption and worthiness.
We’re looking at a very interesting passage in Romans chapter 3. It’s so interesting in regard to addiction and struggles with alcohol or drugs or other addictions, because it is telling us what has happened to us outside of ourselves in Jesus Christ, and as we focus on what is outside of us in him, things begin to change inside. So let’s look at this passage again. We’ve already worked on it a little bit, but we’ll continue now. It says in Romans chapter 3, the righteousness of God Apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed to by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe, for there is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Now, we worked on this somewhat last time, but let’s concentrate now on the last part of the verse, 23, and then verse 24. There is no difference, for all have sinned. You remember what we said last time, that it is a past tense at a point of time, that phrase in the Greek, all have sinned, and therefore it should read, all sinned. at a past time, a specific point of time, and that is therefore referring to the specific time in which mankind sinned in Adam at the creation of the world. For all sinned and fall short, that is continually fall short, that’s in the continuous tense in the Greek, continually fall short of the glory of God, being justified, That’s a dependent clause being continually justified, that is declared innocent, freely by his grace. So let’s think about this for a bit. First of all, we need to recognize that when a baby comes into the world, it’s under the power of sin and death. I’m not talking about children being thrown into hell or anything like that. I’m simply talking about humanity not being innocent. It is broken down. It is separated from God. We have inherited the tendency to separate ourselves from God, and be separated from him right from childhood. And so all sinned, and as that child grows, it becomes aware of its sinfulness, doesn’t it? As children grow, they discover they’re no longer innocent. They can not only be naughty, but rebellious and sinful. That is the nature of humanity. Again, this is against all humanism, which likes to think that human beings are basically good and they just learn to be bad, and that they can learn to be good. No, it is ingrained in us now because of the fall. So, all sinned, we need not only to look at our sins, our individual personal sins, but also the fact that we carry the burden of Adam’s sin. Now, when you think of your human nature and your emotions and you feel depressed sometimes and stressed at other times and guilty on other occasions and ashamed and afraid, understand that you are not only carrying your own sins, the burden of your own sins, you’re also carrying the burden of Adam’s sins. What an awful thing that is. And that’s why you and I need Jesus Christ, because once we believe in him and recognize what he has done for us, we realize at last that we are no longer carrying the burden of our human nature. That is, we’re no longer carrying the burden of Adam’s sins and inflicted upon us. But back to the condition of humanity, all sinned in Adam and inherited that and were under the judgment of that and continually fall short of the glory of God. Now anybody struggling with sin listening to this program, anybody struggling with addiction knows that he or she continually falls short. I would wager that most people listening to this broadcast, and I don’t want to be offensive, don’t go to church because they feel the burden of sin is too heavy for them and they’re not worthy of going to church. Is that a possibility? Is that why you’re listening to this program instead of going to a live church with a live preacher and live people sitting next to you? It is possible, isn’t it? that we have been so overwhelmed by our defeats and failures that we feel no longer able to go to church. We continually fall short. But this is where it gets interesting. Verse 24 says, well, let’s read the last part of verse 23 for connection. For all have sinned and continually fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by his grace. Now, that means that while a person is continually falling short, God is continually declaring innocent that person by his grace through the redemption of Jesus Christ. Isn’t that utterly amazing and very, very encouraging? That even though you and I are falling short, and it may not be specific sins, it may simply be the absence of doing good. We may be so overwhelmed by our own mortality and brokenness and isolation and loneliness and depression that we simply do not do good where we should do good. because we’re so taken up by the dark and wounded emotions of our own soul. But, according to this, while that’s going on and we are continually falling short, either by sinning or not doing good, we are being justified. Now, how can that be? Well, Paul is obviously talking about a salvation that is outside of us and beyond us. You have to get beyond the thinking of being saved by conversion at this point. Yes, conversion is a reality that takes place. Jesus said no man can enter the kingdom of heaven unless he is born anew, born again, converted and changed and turned around. But that conversion, that turning around, comes about because something else has already happened outside of us. And that is that an atonement, or shall we put it another way, and that is that a substitutionary sacrifice has been made for our sins before ever you were born. And if it was before the cross, before ever Christ came. Christ, you see, Paul is going to constantly refer to this, and when people don’t understand this, then they simply cannot make sense of the book of Romans. Paul is going to talk about an action God took on behalf of the human race before the human race was ever created, and before you and I were ever born. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ as a substitute for the whole world took place outside of humanity, but yet for humanity, on behalf of humanity, and as humanity because Jesus was the Son of Man as well as the Son of God. And so what you and I need to grasp onto is that though we’re struggling like crazy, maybe with one addiction or another, if you are, or maybe it’s not just addiction, maybe it’s depression or anxiety or worry or chaos of your life or family life, maybe, although you may be struggling with all of those things, you are being justified. Being, the word justified means declared innocent. You are not declared innocent once you repent. You are not declared innocent once you are converted. You are declared innocent outside of yourself. In history, long ago, and in a sense outside of history, when Jesus came into the world and was your substitute and the substitute for all humanity and took the judgment of all the world so that all the world is being declared innocent even while it is going through its struggle and even while God may be putting judgments upon you. Those judgments are not unto death. They are not meant for eternal death. That becomes very, very clear when you read the book of Ezekiel, say, from chapter 30 to 39. The judgments upon Israel were not unto death, but that people might know that God is the Lord. And that is the truth about all judgments. Why do we know that those judgments do not lead to death? Because the judgment that led to death Jesus Christ took at the cross. That’s what you and I have to understand. For all sinned in Adam and continually fall short of the glory of God, and are being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. The redemption is not the redemption or a release from drug addiction or alcohol addiction or any other addiction. The redemption that it’s talking about in Christ Jesus is release from judgment, redeemed from judgment, redeemed. from the power of eternal death, so that you are reconciled to God, and the good news of the gospel brings it to you. O Lord, you can say to God, I have been wallowing in the muck and the dirt, and thinking that I cannot be saved until I get out of this muck and dirt. Oh, dear God, how mistaken I have been. Now I see the good news. Now I see the gospel. In the midst of the muck and dirt, I thank you, dear Lord, that I am being declared innocent through the redemption that is in Christ. No judgment is upon me. Now you can say that in the midst of the muck and the dirt, as I just said. And what happens gradually as your faith rises and as you continue to believe this about what Jesus has done for you outside of yourself, you find an inner buoyancy or a buoyancy from your feet upwards that slowly lifts you out of the muck and the dirt. And you say, well, Colin, I can’t believe that. I’ve been in the mess all my life. Oh, yes, you can. Oh yes, you can. To be justified is to be declared innocent. We are justified not because we are innocent, but by the grace, that is the undeserved favor, that comes from God, that brings redemption, that is buying back or pulling out of, that is in Christ Jesus. Jesus Christ is your outside point of reference. Do not look in your heart for whether you are converted or not, or born again, or have been delivered from all of these problems you have. Look, take the outside look, the outside point of reference. And what is that outside point of reference? It is Jesus Christ. He is the one who has declared you innocent, justified you, even while you are falling short of the glory of God. The day will come when Jesus returns and he will bring all God’s glory to you as you continue to believe, so that you will share in the glory of God, free from all of this mess that we are in now. But start believing that it’s already done. AM 670. You can also hear the program, though, on your smartphone at any time of the day or night. Simply download a free app, soundcloud.com or podbean.com, and key in how it happens with Colin Cook when you get there. Please consider a donation. It’s listener-supported radio. I can’t keep going without your help. You can make your donation online at faithquestradio.com. Thank you so much. I’ll see you next time. Cheerio and God bless.
