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Turn with me in your Bibles to 
Romans chapter 3. Romans chapter 3. I'll just read 
the chapter and our focus this evening will be on verse 20. 
So Romans 3 beginning in verse 1. What advantage then has the 
Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? Much in every way. chiefly because to them were 
committed the oracles of God. For what if some did not believe? 
Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? 
Certainly not. Indeed, let God be true, but 
every man a liar, as it is written that you may be justified in 
your words and may overcome when you are judged. But if our unrighteousness 
demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is 
God unjust to inflict wrath? I speak as a man. Certainly not, 
for then how will God judge the world? For if the truth of God 
has increased through my lie to his glory, why am I also still 
judged as a sinner? And why not say, let us do evil 
that good may come, as we are slanderously reported and as 
some affirm that we say? Their condemnation is just. What 
then? Are we better than they? Not 
at all. For we have previously charged 
both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. As it is written, 
there is none righteous, no, not one. There is none who understands. There is none who seeks after 
God. They have all turned aside. They have together become unprofitable. There is none who does good, 
no, not one. Their throat is an open tomb. 
With their tongues they have practiced deceit. The poison 
of asps is under their lips, whose mouth is full of cursing 
and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed 
blood. Destruction and misery are in their ways. In the way 
of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before 
their eyes. Now we know that whatever the 
law says, it says to those who are under the law that every 
mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before 
God. Therefore, by the deeds of the 
law, no flesh will be justified in his sight, for by the law 
is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of 
God, apart from the law, is revealed, being witnessed by the law and 
the prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in 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, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His 
blood through faith to demonstrate His righteousness, because in 
His forbearance, God had passed over the sins that were previously 
committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, 
that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has 
faith in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is 
excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but 
by the law of faith. Therefore, we conclude that a 
man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. Or 
is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not also the God of the 
Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also. since there is one God 
who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised 
through faith. Do we then make void the law 
through faith? Certainly not. On the contrary, 
we establish the law. Amen. Well, let us pray. Father, 
we thank you for this evening. Worship, we thank you for this 
time to come into your presence and to sing your praises, to 
look to Holy Scripture, to be reminded concerning our blessed 
Lord Jesus and the work he did as our perfect law keeper, the 
one who died on the cross and rose again, the one in whom all 
blessings and all benefits flow. We thank you for so great a salvation. We thank you for redeeming grace. We thank you for your mercy and 
your goodness and your kindness. And we pray now that your Holy 
Spirit would be at work in this place. We pray that you would 
draw out our thoughts to consider how glorious our Savior is. Help us as well to appreciate 
the great disparity or the great demerit that was ours and the 
salvation wrought for us. Truly, this celebrates or magnifies 
the sovereign grace of God Most High. We ask that you would bless 
this time together and we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Amen. Well, since we started the Ten 
Commandments last week, I mentioned in that sermon last week that 
there are lawful uses of God's law. 1 Timothy 1, verse 8, the 
Apostle Paul says, we know that the law is good if one uses it 
lawfully. In chapter 3 here in verse 20, 
we see an unlawful use and a lawful use of the law of God. Not every 
lawful use, no one Bible verse that deals with the law necessarily 
includes every particular thing that you can say about the law. 
But certainly Romans 3.20 would be a helpful proof text or a 
helpful text to confirm what is called the pedagogical use 
of God's law. But more on that in a few moments. First, I want to look at the 
contextual position of verse 20 in Paul's argument, and then 
secondly, we'll move to the role of the law. But note first the 
contextual position that Romans 3.20 finds itself in. The larger context begins in 
chapter one at verse 18, and you may turn there. Chapter one 
in verse 18, after the apostle sets forth The thesis statement 
for the entirety of the book, which is verses 16 and 17, if 
you want to know what Romans is about, verses 16 and 17 announces 
the theme or gives the topic or gives the main idea of the 
book. He then gets into a presentation 
of the bad news. Before he gets to the good news 
or the gospel, he presents the reality that there is the universal 
reign of sin. All mankind everywhere is justly 
condemned for having violated the righteous standards of God. 
Beginning in verse 18, he says, the wrath of God is revealed 
from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. who 
suppress the truth in unrighteousness. And from this point to the end 
of the chapter, he deals with the guilt of the Gentile. He 
deals with the guilt of the heathen, those who were apart from God's 
law, those who had not received the oracles of God. In chapter 
2, he turns his attention specifically to the Jews. Notice in 2.1, therefore 
you are inexcusable, O man. dealing with probably Jewish 
people here, and then down in verse 17, Indeed, you are called 
a Jew, and rest on the law, and make your boast in God, and know 
his will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed 
out of the law, and are confident that you yourself are a guide 
to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness. an instructor 
of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge 
and truth in the law. You therefore who teach another, 
do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should 
not steal, do you steal? You who say, do not commit adultery, 
do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob 
temples? You who make your boast in the 
law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? For the name 
of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you, as it 
is written." So Paul, having stated his thesis statement, 
that he's not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of 
God unto salvation. For everyone who believes, to 
the Jew first and also to the Greek, before he ever gets to 
the presentation of that good news, he starts with the bad 
news. He starts with the fact that 
man is justly liable to God's punishment for having broken 
His righteous law. Notice, the immediate context, 
Paul summarizes all that has preceded, beginning in chapter 
3 at verse 9. He says, What then? Are we better 
than they? Not at all, for we have previously 
charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. 
That is his assertion. All men everywhere are under 
sin. He now demonstrates that reality 
with the biblical witness in verses 10 to 18. He deals with 
the depravity of man in general, verses 10 to 12. This is an apt 
description of what man looks like, whether he's a Jew, whether 
he's a Gentile. We don't understand. We don't 
seek after God. We've all turned aside. We have 
become unprofitable. There is none who does good. 
No, not one. Then he turns to specific sins of the tongue in 
verses 13 and 14, and then sins of violence in verses 15 to 18. Now, he brings his argument to 
a conclusion here, specifically in verses 19 and 20. The liability 
to punishment for having violated God's law is summarized in verse 
19. Now we know that whatever the 
law says, it says to those who are under the law that every 
mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before 
God." Now that is a terrible reality for those outside of 
Jesus Christ. That is probably one of the most 
menacing statements in all of the Bible concerning those who 
are unbelievers, those who have not trusted, those who have not 
come, those who have resisted, those who have rejected. Look 
at what Paul says on that great day of judgment. He says, now 
we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are 
under the law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world 
may become guilty before God. Those men, those women, those 
boys, those girls who do not come to Christ in this life, 
and verse 19 and verse 20 have to do with our acceptance or 
our status before God Almighty. Those persons will have no argument 
on that day. There will be no reasons that 
one can offer as to why you did what you did. Your mouth will 
be silenced, the books will be opened, the scroll will be read, 
and the sentence will be pronounced apart from me, I never knew you. Verse 19 is a terrifying view 
of the judgment to come. The liability to punishment is 
seen for all Jews and all Gentiles, who have rejected the offer of 
grace in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now notice how verse 20 functions. It concludes, therefore, Paul 
says, this indicates that this is an implication from what precedes. It summarizes the entirety of 
the larger context and it confirms the statement in verse 19. For 
those who might believe that they'll escape what verse 19 
says, notice the definitive nature of verse 20. Therefore, by the 
deeds of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight. For 
by the law is the knowledge of sin. The therefore is the implication 
from what precedes. It is summary and confirmation. 
As well, the verse serves as an excellent transition into 
the next section. Remember how Romans 1.18 begins. For the wrath of God is revealed 
from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who 
suppress the truth and unrighteousness. Paul then goes on to highlight 
that this is true of all men, Jew and Gentile. He summarizes 
his whole argument concerning the universal condemnation of 
all men because of sin here in verses 3, the end from 3.19 to 
9 to 20. And now he shifts direction in 
verse 21 and says, but now the righteousness of God apart from 
the law is revealed being witnessed by the law and the prophets. 
Verse 20 concludes and confirms what has preceded. Verse 20 now 
sets up the presentation of the good news or the gospel that 
is expounded upon by Paul in Romans 3.21 and following. But now, verse 18 of chapter 
1, the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness 
and unrighteousness. But now the righteousness of 
God apart from the law is revealed. But now there is an offer of 
grace and mercy. But now there is a righteousness 
provided. It is not secured by your works 
or by your law keeping. But now this righteousness comes 
through faith in the righteous Savior, the law keeper, the one 
who did what the Father laid upon Him. and the one who died 
for sinners at the cross and the one who was raised the third 
day. But now the righteousness of 
God, apart from the law, is revealed. Hodge says that Paul's whole 
design is to prove that men cannot be justified by their own righteousness 
in order to prepare them to receive the righteousness of God. This 
is crucial. Sometimes we wonder how we can 
present the gospel to sinners. Well, at some point in that gospel 
presentation, we need to tell them the bad news. We need to 
tell them that they are sinners. We need to tell them that they, 
like sheep, have gone astray. That they have violated a holy 
God. That they are liable to the punishment of a holy God. 
that they are justly condemned because of both their position 
in Adam and their activity according to that position. We need to 
tell them that the bad news or what the bad news is because 
without the bad news there is no good news concerning a crucified 
and risen Savior. Now notice secondly the specific 
role of the law when it comes to justification. You saw this 
title on Sermon Audio, The Role of the Law and Justification. 
Hopefully you would know that the role of the law and justification 
certainly does not mean that we keep the law for our justification. Let's look first at the unlawful 
use of the law in verse 20. Therefore, by the deeds of the 
law, no flesh will be justified in his sight. Deeds of the law, 
this is greatly debated and discussed and written about even more so 
of late because of what's called the new perspective On Paul, 
they maintain that what these deeds of the law are, are basically 
Jewish observances to the ceremonial law of Moses. Things like circumcision, 
things like badges of national identity. I believe they're absolutely 
wrong. Paul is not dealing here with 
that particular issue. Paul is dealing with our acceptance 
with God. Paul is dealing with verse 19 
and verse 20 realities. He is not dealing with the Jews 
dealing with their circumcision, but rather what we have is the 
things done by men in obedience to the law. When Paul says, by 
the deeds of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight, 
he means those things we do in compliance with the law. The 
idea being is that we do not comply with the law as we ought. Douglas Moo explains this particular 
phrase according to the correct interpretation. He says, works 
of the law then, as most interpreters have recognized, refers simply 
to things that are done in obedience to the law. And it's a very definitive 
statement that the apostle issues forth here. Therefore, by the 
deeds of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight. What 
does he mean by justified in this particular context? It means 
to declare righteous, to justify. It is a legal or a forensic term. Paul is not dealing with transformation. Paul is not dealing with how 
you look to your neighbors. Paul is dealing with your acceptance 
with God on the day of judgment. So it means to declare righteous, 
to justify the Westminster Confession or Catechism as we often recite 
speaks of that justification being in two aspects, the pardon 
for our sins and the imputation of righteousness received by 
faith alone. What he goes on or what this 
particular lexicon goes on to say concerning justified, to 
declare righteous, to justify Future, the future tense that 
is used may indicate that this will never be the case. The whole context has reference 
to a judicial trial and verdict. It is juridical in nature. Again, 
Paul is not dealing with how we perform or how we do or what 
we engage in. Paul is not dealing with sanctification 
in the life of the believer. That will come later after he 
expounds justification by faith alone. This has to do with our 
acceptance with God and it's only by Christ, not the deeds 
of the law. And then as well, the verb employed 
by Paul will be justified in his sight. It's a passive verb. 
And if you've been here for any time, you know that a passive 
verb is that the action of the verb is done to the subject. In other words, will be justified. 
It's not that we justify ourselves. It's not that we are the orchestrators 
of justification. It is passive. And most interpreters 
call this a theological passive, which indicates that it's God 
who does the justifying. Now, notice as well the focus 
of Paul's concern. This is important. Therefore, 
by the deeds of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight." 
This morning, we looked at the section in the confession on 
good works. And when we were studying that 
section on good works in the morning hour, the teacher referred 
us, for those who weren't here, Steele taught for us. We're trying 
to give him some opportunities to teach, and he did a fine job. But he referred us to James chapter 
2. And James 2 is not our justification with God, our acceptance by God, 
but James 2 is what we look like to others. I think James 2, 14 
to 26, makes this manifest. It is very clear the verbs that 
are used are about show me and demonstrate and indicate. They're 
all things that have an external arena. There is a sense where 
certainly the justified believer must have works, not in order 
to be saved, but because he is justified, he will work and others 
will see that and understand that God has been at work in 
his heart. That's not what's in view here. In fact, let me 
just quote Manton. I think he gives us the sense 
between James and Paul very splendidly in his commentary on James. Manton 
commenting, in this whole discourse speaking about James, the apostle's 
intent is to show not what justifies, but who is justified. That's 
James. It's not what justifies, that's 
what Paul's dealing with, but who is justified. Not what faith 
does, but what faith is. In Paul's sense, a sinner is 
absolved. In James' sense, a believer is 
approved. Now, certainly that is a vital 
aspect of our Christianity. We profess the true religion. 
We say we've been justified by faith. There ought to be sanctification. There ought to be good works. 
James White commenting on James, this exhortation of Christians 
is not addressing how the ungodly are declared righteous. before 
God, but how that declaration is shown outwardly in the Christian 
life. I think James and Thomas are 
absolutely correct on explaining James there. Paul is having to 
do with our justification before God. Now, please take this to 
heart. Please receive my encouragement. 
You may look good to your parents. You may look good to your children. You may look sterling in a sin-cursed 
world where persons engage in all manner of wickedness. You 
may be viewed at your workplace as an upstanding specimen of 
a human being. You may be viewed within the 
context of the local church as an upstanding specimen of a human 
being. But that's not what Paul is talking 
about. He's talking about our acceptance 
with God. He's talking about our justification 
in His sight. And what Paul says is crystal 
clear. By the deeds of the law, no flesh 
will be justified. You can work your fingers to 
the bone, you can try as you might, you can labor, you can 
toil, you can spin, you can do whatever, but what Paul says 
is true. By the deeds of the law, no flesh 
will be justified in his sight. This is the focus of Paul's concern, 
our acceptance with God. That's why in 321 he shifts gears 
and he says, but now the righteousness of God apart from the law is 
revealed. This look at what man is, this 
bad news, prepares the reader, prepares the hearer, prepares 
the sinner to see and realize what it is Christ has done in 
fulfilling all that the Father had laid upon Him. So the specific 
unlawful use of the law condemned here by Paul in Romans 3.20 is 
to seek justification by one's obedience unto the law. That 
is legalism, strictly and narrowly defined. We bandy that term around 
a lot. He's legalistic, she's legalistic, 
they're legalistic. We need to define our terms. 
Legalism, strictly speaking, is an attempt to garner the favor 
of God by working, by doing, by seeking to keep the law of 
God, the deeds of the law. Now certainly in sanctification 
we can be legalistic, adding to the Bible where God says not 
to, or taking away. That needs to be clearly delineated. But this legalism, this approach 
to God via law is categorically denounced by the Apostle Paul. The entire argument is a clear 
presentation of the fact that no man ever can render personal, 
entire, exact, and perpetual obedience to the law because 
he is in Adam, Romans 5. And as a result, he conducts 
himself as a son of Adam, Romans 1 to 3. So that is an improper 
use of the law. So you cannot leave from the 
church on Sunday and say, you know, I'm going to try harder, 
I'm going to do better, I'm going to work harder, and somehow I'll 
earn my way to heaven. This is faulty. This is fallacious. This is wrong. This is heresy. You cannot reform your life in 
such a manner so that God will accept you. Use the illustration 
before. Say you're 20 years old and you 
determine from here on out You will always obey God's law. You 
will do it perfectly, exactly, perpetually, entirely. All those 
things that our confession states. And let's just suppose for the 
sake of argument, though this could never happen, that you 
actually did that. Again, it's not going to happen. 
The moment you resolve, you're done. It's just that way. Have 
you ever made a resolution to do something in five minutes? What happened? Isn't that interesting 
about the covenants prior to the new covenant? Isn't that 
amazing that as soon as there were covenant ratification ceremonies 
in Israel, or with Noah, or with Abraham, or with David, there's 
sin subsequent to those particular things. What happens in Exodus 
24? When they ratify the old covenant, 
The people swear fidelity to Yahweh. The people say, all that 
he says, we will do. Isn't that typical of our heart? 
Isn't that the way we conduct ourselves? Isn't that our function? Certainly, God, I will do whatever 
you command. Several chapters later, they're 
dancing before a golden calf and celebrating him as the one 
who brought them out of Egypt. You see, let's just suppose that 
at age 20, right now, you go out and you attempt to keep the 
law, and let's just say you did it. You've got 20 previous years 
full of sin that is enough to condemn you to hell for a million 
eternities. Therefore, by the deeds of the 
law, no flesh will be justified in His sight." The problem is 
not with the law. The problem is not that it's 
faulty. The problem is not that it's 
bad. In fact, in Romans 7, verse 12, Paul says, therefore, the 
law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. The 
problem is not God's law. The problem is our hearts. That's wherein we fail, because 
we do not keep that law personally, entirely, exactly, and perpetually. It's because we fail, we reject, 
we transgress, we do not conform. We do those things that God says 
not to do. So understand, the problem is 
not with the law, the problem is with you. That's wherein the 
fault lies. So you need to let this passage 
ring in your heart. Therefore, by the deeds of the 
law, no flesh will be justified in his sight." Now notice, secondly, 
under this second major category, the lawful use of the law. We 
saw last week there's the civil use, the pedagogical, and the 
normative. The specific use in view here 
is the pedagogical. And praise God for this use of 
the law. It shows us our Savior, doesn't 
it? It shows us our Jesus. It points us to the cross. It 
drives us to Calvary. It bruises us. It batters us. It bloodies us. Again, not because 
it's bad, but because we are. And when we come up against it, 
it always wins. But it shows us, it declares 
for us the Lord Jesus. The specific use here is the 
pedagogical. Note in the first place, the 
law defines sin. Paul says, for by the law is 
the knowledge of sin. See, it doesn't follow that if 
there's an unlawful use, there are no lawful uses. Paul has 
set forth an unlawful use, therefore by the deeds of the law, no flesh 
will be justified in his sight. Does that mean we get rid of 
the law? No! The law has function, the law has import, the law is 
useful for people. And in this particular instance, 
it defines sin. The law defines God's righteous 
standard and thereby shows us how far short we come. Turn over 
to Romans 7 for just a moment. Romans chapter 7, when Paul discusses 
these things on an experiential level. Notice 
in Romans 7 verse 7, what shall we say then, is the law sin? Certainly not. On the contrary, 
I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would 
not have known covetousness unless the law had said, you shall not 
covet. You see how important the law 
is? Machen says something to the effect that what we need 
today is a powerful proclamation of the law. Why? Because when the law is properly 
understood, it makes men seekers after grace. We need to understand 
the demerit. We need to see the definition. We need to see wherein we transgressed. I've thought this about the Western 
world. You know, we come to people and 
we say to them, I mean we generically, Christians, we say, you need 
Jesus. You really need Jesus. And sometimes 
that presentation of the gospel sounds like you need Jesus for 
a happier life or for betterment or for personal achievement or 
for personal wholeness and health. We're telling that to people 
who make, you know, however much money a year, who have boats, 
who have cars, who have big houses. They're thinking, why would I 
need Jesus? I'm already happy. I've already got everything I 
could imagine. I summer in the wherever, and 
I winter in the wherever. I don't know where people... 
I would always want to do it backwards. When it's real hot, 
I want to go somewhere cool. Actually, when it's cool, I'd 
stay where it's cool. Just not snow. Thankfully, we live in 
BC. There's not a lot of snow here. 
We're presenting the gospel as a means to happiness when people 
are very happy because they're blessed and affluent in the West. But when we come and tell them, 
you need Jesus because you're a sinner. You have violated God's 
law because you have had other gods before him. Because you 
have been an idolater and are currently one. Because you are 
a blasphemer. Because you are a Sabbath-breaker. 
It's hard to find legitimate Sabbath-keeping in the church 
today. Certainly, if we preached a good 
dose of the Fourth Commandment to the world, God might use that 
to show them. God has put in place a cycle. And in that cycle, God gets His 
due, too. We preach to them the fact that 
they are insubordinate to authority, that they are murderers. Oh, 
but I've never cut anybody's jugular. Oh, yes, but you hate 
people in your heart. You are an adulterer. Oh, I've 
never actually laid with a woman or a man. Oh, but you thought 
about it or you lusted in your heart. I've never actually stolen 
property. How is it that when we define 
theft, people, well, you know, I haven't stolen a yacht or I 
haven't stolen, you know, any big thing. Time theft, that was 
mentioned this morning as well. People that aren't doing what 
they're paid to do. I got news for you, that's called 
theft. You're taking money for services 
not rendered. And the ninth commandment, bearing 
false witness. The tenth commandment, covetousness. You see, the law serves to define 
for us what sin is. I think Machen is absolutely 
right. Without a vital, powerful proclamation 
of the law, we will not see seekers after grace. So the law defines 
sin. But as well, with reference to 
this specific use here, the law demonstrates the gravity of our 
situation. It defines sin for us. I would 
not have known covetousness or lust unless the law said, you 
shall not covet. But it demonstrates the gravity 
of our situation. Listen to Douglas Mooe again. 
Knowledge of sin, on the other hand, does not simply mean that 
the law defines sin. It does mean that, but it does 
not simply mean that the law defines sin. Rather, what is 
meant is that the law gives to people an understanding of sin, 
in the singular, not sins. John Owen once said, we try and 
convince people of particular sins when they're nothing but 
sin. Nothing but sin. Back to Mu. Rather, what is meant is that 
the law gives to people an understanding of sin, singular, as a power 
that holds everyone in bondage and brings guilt and condemnation. The law presents people with 
the demand of God. In our constant failure to attain 
the goal of that demand, we recognize ourselves to be sinners and justly 
condemned for our failures. there is an unlawful use seeking 
to obtain acceptance with God through law keeping, does not 
invalidate this lawful use of God's law. It defines for us 
sin, it describes the gravity of our situation, but as well, 
and thankfully, it points us to the Lord Jesus Christ. We 
ought to praise God for this pedagogical use. We ought to 
praise God that He sent His law, that He brought conviction, that 
He showed us our waywardness, that He showed us our wretchedness, 
that He showed us the fact that we are justly liable to His condemnation. We ought to praise God that He 
did not leave us to ourselves, for we know that in that instance, 
when He shows us that sin, He always shows the glory and the 
majesty of the Redeemer Christ. He goes from this statement, 
by the law is the knowledge of sin, to this declaration concerning 
justification by faith alone. The apostle everywhere in his 
writing sets forth Jesus as the one who did keep the law personally, 
entirely, exactly, and perpetually. And he did this as well, if I 
can add, publicly. He did this as a public person. 
He did this as a representative. He did this as a covenantal head. 
He did this as our champion, as our redeemer, as our savior. 
He always kept the law. He always did what was said. 
Therefore, by the deeds of the law, no flesh will be justified 
in his sight. But through the law keeping of 
Christ, we have justification. Through the law-keeping of Christ, 
we have every spiritual blessing. Through the law-keeping of Christ, 
we are accepted in the Beloved. You see, someone ultimately needs 
to fulfill the law. It's either the sinner or the 
Savior. And in this instance, it is the 
Savior who has done this. The apostle sets forth Jesus 
as the law keeper and sacrifice in order to secure justification 
by grace alone through faith alone. You can compare Galatians 
2.16 as well. Charles Hodge, in conclusion, 
says this. He says, it, the law, was not 
designed to give life, but so to convince of sin that men may 
be led to renounce their own righteousness and trust in the 
righteousness of Christ as the only and all-sufficient ground 
of their acceptance with God." So there's our exposition, just 
a few thoughts before we transition into the Lord's Supper. In the 
first place, this use, as I've mentioned, this pedagogical use 
ought to make us to be a thankful people. have known lust if the law had 
not said, you shall not covet. I would not have known idolatry. I would not have known Sabbath 
breaking. I would have not had not known insubordination. I 
would not have known murder or adultery. I would not have known 
that unless God in his grace sent his law to plow up my wretched 
and hardened heart. Remember last week, I quoted 
Augustine and Bunyan. Augustine said, through the law, 
God opens man's eyes so that he sees his helplessness and 
by faith takes refuge to his mercy and is healed. Isn't that 
the movement here in our section in Romans? Therefore, by the 
deeds of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight. For 
by the law is the knowledge of sin. Imagine if Romans ended. Imagine if that was it. Imagine 
if Paul said, I hope you all have a good night. Amen. We would 
be battered, bruised, and bloodied. But He doesn't stop there. That 
law destroys in order to press us and to push us and to move 
us to appreciate and to see. But now the righteousness of 
God is revealed. Augustine is right. So is John 
Bunyan. The man who does not know the 
nature of the law cannot know the nature of sin. And he who 
does not know the nature of sin cannot know the nature of the 
Savior. I believe that both Bunyan and 
Augustine get Paul right. I believe the new perspective 
on Paul and much of the federal vision gets Paul wrong. There's a book, I think it's 
Obadiah Sedgwick, isn't it? It's a statement, it's a book 
on the law, and the subtitle is The Old Perspective on Paul. 
That's a great subtitle. It couldn't have been Obadiah 
because he didn't know about the new perspective, but the 
publishers gave it that subtitle. A good Puritan volume on Paul, 
law, grace, gospel, and the subtitle, The Old Perspective on Paul. That's what the Bible teaches. Luther and Calvin were right. Paul is not dealing with sociology 
or ecclesiology. He is dealing with soteriology. He is dealing with our acceptance 
with God on that day of judgment. Verses 19 and 20 are sufficiently 
clear to highlight the reality that this is a juridical thing, 
that this is forensic in nature, And that what Paul wants is to 
push his reader, to push his hearers to the Lord Jesus Christ. Secondly, I want to exhort persons 
who do not take the supper tonight. Now, I would imagine there's 
a variety of reasons why people gather in a church and do not 
take the Lord's Supper. On the one hand, there are those 
who do not understand the Lord's Supper. These are believers. 
Sometimes believers look at the Lord's Supper as a reward for 
a good week rather than grace from God as the householder to 
his needy people. You see, that's what this is. 
God is the father. God is the householder here. God is the sovereign. God is 
the one who cares for his children and cares for his people. So 
what he does is he lays out a table for us, he gives us bread and 
he gives us wine to refresh us, to remind us, to recall us, to 
consider the fact that his son died for our sins. Sometimes 
persons take it as a, as I said, a reward for their obedience. 
I read my Bible five times this week, I'm good enough, I'll take 
the supper. That's a faulty understanding. 
That is a faulty understanding of what the supper is all about. 
Secondly, there might be those who have not dealt with sin as 
a believer. Sometimes believers have done 
some pretty rotten things, and if you haven't dealt with God 
and you haven't dealt with one another, that's a good reason 
for you to preclude observance of the supper. Deal with God, 
deal with men, take the supper. Make sure that that's what you 
understand. But then thirdly, there are a 
class of persons who do not take the supper because they have 
not believed the gospel and are still in their sins. There are 
those who have not believed the gospel and are still in their 
sins. And if that describes you this 
evening, I'm not watching, I'm not looking, I don't sit back 
here with, you know, the binoculars or the bionic vision or the radar, 
you know, who's taking and who isn't and why aren't they? I 
just want to lay this before your conscience. Do not consider 
it a small thing to be dead in your sins. Look at what verse 
19 says. We know that whatever the law 
says, it says to those who are under the law that every mouth 
may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God. That describes your end. That describes your future. That 
describes the day of judgment. You will not be able to tap dance 
your way out of a precarious situation. There are times when 
young people or children, they sin, and their parents call them 
to account. And it's almost as if that child 
has a tourney in his blood, because he's able to wheel and deal, 
and he's able to describe and defend, and he's able to make 
it seem like it wasn't such a big deal. And then the parents say, 
well, not only are we not upset with you, Junior, but we love 
you so much. That's not going to happen on 
the Day of Judgment. There's no crack attorney that's 
going to stand up for you. There's no Johnny Cochran on 
the Day of Judgment. There is nobody that you can 
pay to render a defense for you, because as the Bible says, your 
mouth will be stopped. You will be guilty before God. So rather than think, I want 
to continue in my rebellion, I want to continue in my sin, 
I want to continue to do those things that God and my parents 
and other believers know that I should not do, repent! Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Come to the one who, by God's 
grace, saves all who draw nigh unto God through Him. Do not 
continue to resist, do not continue to reject, do not continue to 
rebel. Lay down your arms! Wave the 
white flag! It's time to surrender! It's 
time to put to death, or put off rather, this sinful inclination 
wherein you would rather have the things of this world than 
the things that God offers in His Word. The blessings of eternal 
life. The blessing of an advocate. 
The blessing of one who will defend us. You see, when the 
believer stands up on that day, we have an attorney. We have 
an advocate. We have a better than Johnny 
Cochran. We have one who pleads his case. who puts forth His blood, who 
puts forth His righteousness. And as a result of that advocate, 
that one pleading, that blessed attorney, we will enter in. We 
will hear that blessed declaration, not guilty. We will hear that 
blessed declaration, enter in to the joy of your rest because 
of what the Savior has done, because of what Christ has done. 
Do not seek self-justification. Do not seek self-righteousness. And certainly stop the folly 
and the madness of filling your life with sin and wickedness 
and evil and depravity. It is ultimately going to land 
you in hell. That's it. That's the bottom 
line. That's the definitive end for 
all those who in this life reject the Lord Jesus Christ. It isn't 
purgatory. Men would love it if purgatory 
was true. Men would adore the doctrine 
of purgatory, but it has no foundation in the Bible. Men love the doctrine 
of annihilationism. Oh, a dreamless sleep for all 
eternity? Who wouldn't want that after 
living a life of sin and being justly liable to God's punishment? 
But that's not taught in the Bible. What is taught in the 
Bible is a place of eternal conscious torment. A place of separation 
from all the goodness of God. Not God. You are not separated 
from God. You are separated from the goodness 
of God. But God is ultimately the one 
who makes hell hellish. It is God's place where he punishes. You say, well, I just don't understand. 
And that just seems a bit bizarre, that an infinite God would punish 
a finite being for eternity. It is what the Word of God declares. It is just. It is right. It is holy. That is the end for 
everyone in here tonight who does not believe on the Lord 
Jesus Christ. That's it. It's that simple. It's that plain. It's that clear. So may I say, by the grace of 
God, flee. Look at that law, see how you 
violated it, and may it indeed direct you to that place where 
Christ was crucified, to that place where the Savior died, 
to that place where the Savior bore in his own body the wrath 
and fury of God, as Paul makes clear later in the book of Romans. 
Believe, and you will be saved. Well, let us pray. Our Father, 
we thank you for the Word of God and we thank you for the 
clarity of Romans 3.20. Certainly, we see how self-righteousness 
and a self-justification and a law-keeping for acceptance 
is so clearly condemned by the Word of God. May we never conclude 
that the law, therefore, is useless. It certainly points us to the 
Lord Jesus. When Jesus saves us, he points 
us to the law to define for us that pattern of life that we 
should pursue. And that law does restrain the 
wickedness and the evil of men in society. How we thank you 
for that law, but God even more, how we thank you for that law 
keeper, that one who always did what the Father commanded, that 
one who always went about doing good, that one who never violated, 
never transgressed that holy law. And we thank you that that 
one not only secured that imputation of righteousness, but he secured 
the pardon for sin. in his death, how we thank you 
as well that he rose again, that he sits enthroned at your right 
hand, and that he will come again in glory to judge the living 
and the dead. And may those still in their 
sins look with great fear upon that reality that Christ will 
come to judge. God in heaven, we pray that you'd 
open hearts, we pray that you would save sinners, and we pray 
that in this you would be glorified. And we pray through Jesus Christ 
our Lord, amen.