God vs. Humanity | Part 2

Do we want God to treat us fairly?

Listen to Adrian Rogers. Welcome to Love Worth Finding featuring the timeless messages of beloved pastor and Bible teacher Adrian Rogers. In Romans chapter 3 Paul writes as a prosecuting attorney bringing the human race before the judgment seat of God. In part one of today's message Pastor Rogers began to explain our indictment, the evidence against us, and our guilty verdict. And yet, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

How does God justify us as His children? If you have your Bible turn now to Romans chapter 3 as Adrian Rogers concludes this convicting message, God versus humanity. Paul opens this book and he begins to lay down the problem so we can see it and understand it. So first of all he talked in chapter 1 about the sin of the heathen, those who've never heard. And then in chapter 2 he talks about the sin of the hypocrite, those who've heard but those whose lives are full of duplicity. And then in the last part of chapter 2 he talks about the sin of the Hebrew, those who thought because they were God's chosen, because they'd heard the Bible, because they knew the truth, that somehow sin did not affect them. And so after he deals with the sin of the heathen, and the hypocrite, and the Hebrew, then he just sums it up and he comes to the sin of humanity, all of us. And he says there's no difference between the Jew and the Greek for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. What Paul is doing is this, he is becoming a prosecuting attorney and he is bringing the human race before the judgment bar of Almighty God and he's making an indictment. And the case is this, God versus humanity. And since you're human it's an indictment against you so it would pay you well to listen.

I want you to hear the indictment as it's stated when Romans chapter 3 verses 9 and 10. What then? Are we better than they? Better than the heathen?

Better than the hypocrite? Better than the Hebrew? What then are we better than they? No in the wise, for we had before proved. Now the word proved here is a very interesting word.

It is a legal term which means to make an indictment and prove it. We have therefore proved both Jews and Gentiles that they are all under sin. As it is written, there is none righteous, no not one. Now the word under sin literally means dominated by sin, ruled by sin, subjugated to sin. It is not only that we sin but we serve sin, that we have become slaves of sin. You know the irony of it is that the sinner boasts about his freedom. He's so free.

That's so ridiculous. He is a slave to his sin. He is free to do what he wants but he's not free to do as he ought. And he is the servant, he is the slave of sin. It doesn't matter about his ethnic background, whether he's a Jew or a Gentile, white or black, young or old, rich or poor, he is a sinner.

Sometimes we think that because of our environment, our pedigree that we are excused. I preached one time in a church and a lady could hardly wait to get to see me because my name is Rogers. And she said, you, sir, are a Rogers. And she said, I am a Rogers. I said, my father was a Rogers and my maiden name was Rogers.

And then she just smiled and threw her shoulders back and she said, you are a Rogers. You know, I have studied our family background and you will be pleased to know that we came over on the Mayflower. And I said, well, that's interesting. I said, I traced it back further than that. She said, you did. I said, yes, we have come all the way from a crooked farmer and a drunken sailor. The farmer was Adam and the sailor was Noah. And we go all the way back. And, friend, we are sinners by birth, by nature, by heritage.

It doesn't matter about our race or our background. So, first of all, you see the indictment that is given. That's the indictment as God versus humanity in verses 9 and 10.

Have you got that? Now, what good is an indictment without evidence? God makes the indictment. And then God brings the evidence. And then God gives the verdict.

He doesn't depend upon a jury. He himself is the judge. Here is the verdict. Look at if you will in verses 19 and 20. Now we know that what thing soever the law saith, it says to them who are under the law, now watch it, that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God.

The verdict of the court is guilty. And it goes on to say as a result of that in verse 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. The law was not given to save you. The law is given to condemn and convict you. The law cannot save you. God has given his holy law. But the law is given to show us that we're sinners for sin is the transgression of the law. And we realize that God has given his holy law.

And we have come short of God's holy law. So what is the wisest thing that you could do today? What is the wisest thing you could do today? Shut up and plead guilty. Shut up and plead guilty. That's what Paul is saying. And I know boys and girls that if we use the word shut up in the wrong sense, we ought not to do it. But listen, here's what he's saying in the last part of verse 19, that every mouth may be stopped. God says shut your mouth and that all the world may become guilty before God.

Now you're never going to get saved until you admit your guilt before Almighty God. I remember reading in Luke chapter 18 about a Pharisee who came and he prayed and he said, God, I thank you that I'm not as other men are. He was so full of himself. But Jesus said that there was a publican, that means he was a tax collector and a naive dishonest. The Bible says he bowed his head. He would not so much as even lift his eyes to heaven. He smote himself upon the breast and he said, God, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. Literally the Greek language says he said be merciful to me, the sinner.

I'm the guy, be merciful to me, the sinner. And Jesus said this man, the publican went home justified rather than the other, the religious man. There are two ways you can go from church today. Some of you will go home dignified and some will go home justified.

And you say, hey, I thank God I'm not as other men are. And when the pastor gives the invitation, you'll crane your neck to see if any of those old sinners go down there to get saved. May God have mercy. May God have mercy?

Paul says shut your mouth. Plead. Guilty. Guilty.

The verdict of the court has been given. There's a story that tells about a king that visited a slave ship. It was a galley, a slave galley.

You know where they chain men to the oars and they row and a man beats the drum and another man has a lash to make them reach. And they would take the prisoners of the state and not just let them languish in prison, they put them to use and made them pull on the oars. And the king visited one of these slave ships, went below the decks and began to talk to those who were chained to the oars. And he asked one man, why are you here?

And when they arrested everybody, they got me and I'm innocent. To ask another, he said, why are you here? The king asked another. He said, oh, sire, noble king, he said, I have enemies who have lied about me. And he said, I'm not really guilty, but I'm the victim of false witnesses who have lied about me.

And the king went through and each one of them had some reason why he was innocent, should not be there. He came to one man and he said, why are you here? I said, sire, I'm here because I deserve to be here. He said, I've sinned.

I'm guilty. I'm receiving the just recompense for my sin. I've sinned against my God. I've sinned against my king. And now I'm paying the penalty for my sin. When the king heard that, he stepped back and he said, you knave. You rascal. You scum.

What are you doing here among so many honest men? Guards release him and get him out of here. Not until we admit our sin are we going to know the mercy and the forgiveness of the king. God says, be quiet. Paul says, be quiet.

Every mouth, shut up. Plead guilty. Now, here's the final thing I want you to see today. Not only the verdict, but I want you to see now the mercy that is available. You see, God is not fair. Don't ever get the idea that God is fair. God is not fair. You know what fairness means? It means, look, like we go to eat and we sit down and there's a piece of pie.

A lady gives it to us both and I cut it and take the biggest half. Hey preacher, that wasn't fair. That wasn't fair. In other words, we get the idea that we deserve something, that it is ours. And when we get it, we just think we're getting what we deserve. We're not thankful when we get it.

We're just upset we didn't get it sooner and doubly upset if somebody gets more than we got. God is not fair. God is just.

Just. God doesn't owe us anything. He's the God of mercy. But you will never, never, never, never plead for mercy until you see the justice of God. As long as you're praying about God being fair, you're not going to cry out for mercy. But when you see that God is a just God and we're guilty and we deserve judgment, then we can say, God, have mercy.

You understand that? There's an old story about a lady who went to a photographer to have her picture made and when she got it, she didn't like it. The reason she didn't like it is it looked like her. So she took it back to the photographer and said, you'll have to do this picture over. And he said, well, lady, what's wrong with it? She said, it doesn't do me justice.

He looked at it and looked at her and said, lady, you don't need justice. What you need is mercy. Friend, God is just, but we need mercy. We need the mercy of God.

We need the mercy of the court. But it is not until the indictment is made and the evidence is given and the verdict comes down that then we throw ourselves upon the mercy of the court and we're ready for God's amazing grace. Then we're ready for salvation. And if you've never, ever come to the place where you've seen yourself as a sinner lost before almighty God and cried out to him for mercy, you've never been saved. You may waltz down somebody's church isle and cry out for mercy. Have you ever joined a church, gotten baptized and turned over a new leaf? But have you thrown yourself on the mercy of the court? Have you said, Lord, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. Do you remember what a preposition was in school?

I barely do, but I do. I want to give you some prepositions and I want to show you what God's mercy is. Now listen to these prepositions of, by, unto, through, in, and with. Here's the mercy. Here's what we're going to get. Notice we're in chapter 3 now and look if you will in verse 21. But now, and, boy, thank God for that. Just draw a circle of but now. He's changing the subject.

But now, now, now, now. That man sees he's a sinner. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets. This righteousness is of God.

That's the first preposition. of God. What is justification? Justification is an act of God. No court can ever justify anybody. If you go into court, all they can do is prove you guilty or innocent. They may pardon you.

They may fail to sentence you, but they can't justify you. Only God can make the unclean clean. It is of God. Justification is the way that God declares us righteous in His sight. He puts the righteousness of Christ on our account and places and takes and bears our own sinfulness. No one but God can do this. Number two, not only is it of God, it is by faith.

Look again in verse 22. Even the righteousness of God which is by faith. And I'm so grateful that God doesn't require anything else. If He required anything else, some wouldn't make it.

If He required baptism, if He required money, if He required good works, some would be disqualified. Now, faith in the natural realm is a very common thing. You get on an airplane, that's faith. You take a prescription, that's faith. You eat a meal cooked out, that's faith.

It's getting to be more and more. What is the difference in saving faith? It is in the source and the object. God gives us that faith. And then we place our faith in the Lord Jesus. It is of God. It is by faith. And now thirdly, it is unto all. That's the next preposition, unto all. Look, if you will, in verses 22 and 23 again. 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. All people need to be saved. And thank God all people can be saved. Listen to me, precious friend, there's nobody so good he doesn't need to be saved and nobody so bad they cannot be saved. That was a good place for an amen. Listen, it is unto all. Whether you are Nicodemus or the Samaritan woman, you can be saved. And God sent me here to tell you that today.

Now here's the next thing. It is through grace. Look, if you will, in verse 24. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ. You see, grace is the most beautiful word in the Bible other than Jesus. Grace is what makes God love us when there's nothing lovely about us. God committed his love toward us and while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. It is grace that makes God love the unlovely. We are not loved because we're valuable.

We're valuable because we're loved. That, friend, is God's amazing grace. It is through grace. Now watch this, it is in Jesus. Look, if you will, now in verses 24 and 25 of this being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

I love him today. I love Jesus. Friend, it's in Jesus. It's not in the church. It's not in good deeds. This amazing grace is in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Redemption in Jesus. I've read that Abraham Lincoln, who hated slavery, was in the slave market. He saw a beautiful young slave girl being auctioned off. Electress men were bidding on her to make her their dirty plaything.

Though she's not dirty, but I'm talking about their dirty deeds. Abraham Lincoln began to bid for this girl. One man would bid on another and he'd bid for her. And he'd bid for her. And he'd bid for her.

Finally, she was sold to Abraham Lincoln. She lifted those beautiful sad eyes to him, not knowing who he was. She walked over to him knowing that he now owned her. He took the certificate of the sale and handed it to her and said, you're free. She said, what? He said, you're free. She said, what do you mean free? He said, you're free. She said, free to do what I want to do? He said, yes. Free to say what I want to say? He said, yes. Free to go where I want to go? He said, yes. She said, then I'm going with you.

I'm going with you. That's the way I am with Jesus. Friend, he made me free. That's the redemption.

The word redemption there means to buy out of the slave market. I have been redeemed by his precious blood. It is in Jesus and I am going with him. He loved me. He died for me. He redeemed me.

Thank God for this justification. Now, it is also with justice. Look, if you will, in verse 26. To declare, I say, at this time, his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. You see, that's the gospel.

The whole thing is based on the law. God is a holy God. God will be true to his own honor.

God will be true to his own law. Why doesn't God just overlook sin? Why doesn't God just say, well, all right, that's okay, you're sinners, I'm a loving God, come on, come on up to heaven. Why can't God do that? Because sin must be paid for. Sin is an affront to a holy God. And if God were to let sin go unpunished, God would be unjust.

God would topple from the wilderness. They say in a court of law, when a guilty man is acquitted, the judge is condemned. But on the cross, Jesus paid the full price. And because of Calvary, God is both just and the justifier of those that believe in him.

It is in Jesus. And it is with justice. God doesn't overlook our sin. He pardons it freely by his grace.

Listen carefully. It is my solemn duty to tell you that there's no other way for you to be saved. You cannot be saved by your good deeds. If righteousness comes by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. That's what Paul says in Galatians.

God is just, but he's a God of mercy and grace. And by the cross, he will save you. But I want you to know this, that your sin will be pardoned in Christ, or it will be punished in hell, but it will never be overlooked. Now, if you have questions regarding how to place your faith fully in Jesus Christ, we'd love to offer you an insightful resource. Go to our website and click discover Jesus at the top of the page. There you'll find answers you may need about your faith.

We have a response section there as well. Tell us your testimony or share how this message has impacted your life. Go to lwf.org slash radio and click the tab that says discover Jesus.

We can't wait to hear from you. Now, if you'd like to order a copy of today's message, call us at 1-877-LOVEGOD and mention God versus humanity. This lesson is also part of the insightful foundations for our faith series.

For that complete collection, all 27 powerful messages, call 1-877-LOVEGOD or go online to order at lwf.org slash radio, or you can write us at Love Worth Finding Box 38600, Memphis, Tennessee 38183. Well, thanks for studying this important Bible passage with us today. Remember God is just and he doesn't owe us anything, yet he is full of mercy that we can only receive after we see we deserve judgment. As Adrian Rogers said, the fear of God is a reverence, a holy awe.

It is love on its knees. Please join us next time for more timeless truth right here on Love Worth Finding. Well, here at Love Worth Finding Ministries, our mission is to share the profound truth of the gospel so simply that anyone can understand. That's why we're proud to tell you about our newest book, His Story, rooted in the timeless teachings of Adrian Rogers. This book will help you learn practical ways to increase your head knowledge and heart knowledge of Jesus.

Learn about God's purpose and plan from Genesis to Revelation in this insightful new resource. To order a copy, go to our online store at lwf.org slash radio. Again, lwf.org slash radio to order your copy of His Story. Or you can write us at Love Worth Finding, Box 38600, Memphis, Tennessee 38183. Thank you for your continued support of Love Worth Finding.