Now I’m going to take the time, because I get so many, asking "Well, how do I experience this salvation that you’re talking about?" I always feel as though I make it plain, but evidently I’m not making it that plain, plain enough for a lot of people. And so again we’re going to stop for a few moments and just show how to enter in to this great salvation that is completed at the moment that we’ve received it by believing it. We’re not just partially saved, but we have to do it God’s way. Not some denomination’s idea. Not my idea, but God’s Way. And the best way is to just go back and search the scriptures. But also remember that Salvation also covers our Redemption so in effect its a two part operation the second and greatest blessing is when we enter into Salvation God's Way.
Alright let’s go back again to where we were in, in Romans chapter 3. And this is a point that someone reminded me of just the other day. They said, "Bill, do you realize that most people do not understand that they’re lost from the day of their birth?" Well, I always thought that was a given. "No," he said, "Most people don’t realize that. They think that they’re pretty good and that until they really start living an awful life that then they can recognize they’re sinners." But, that’s not the way the Book puts it.
The Book tells us that because of Adam every human being born into the human race is a sinner and it matters not what country, nationality, ethnic grouping or religious back ground we're from, for all are in a state of sin at the moment of conception. And we know that God’s Grace covers those ‘little ones’ and they’ll be in glory, I’m confident of that. But as soon as a human being gets to an age of understanding right from wrong, he becomes responsible and he is guilty until God declares him innocent. Alright, let’s chase these Scriptures down. And again we have that flipside word, "But." Even though the Law ( as we just saw this means teaching or to tutor), up there in verses 19 and 20 was only good for making mankind guilty.
Romans 3:21
"But now…"
You see Paul uses those two words over and over. Ephesians chapter 2 is another one. "But God." And in chapter 2 verse 13, "But now." Why? Because all of a sudden on this side of the Cross, on this side of His resurrection power, my it’s a different ballgame! See, that’s why I maintain that Christ couldn’t preach this kind of a Gospel in His earthly ministry, He hadn’t died yet. And the disciples had no idea that He was going to die, even though He knew; they didn’t. But on this side of the Cross, now it’s a proclaimed Truth that He has died for the sins of the world and we're counted as being in Him. How and when did this take place during the Marriage Feast of the Lamb known as the Passover or Lord's Supper or Lord's Table and then the garden cup where He said "not my will but They Will be done" (Matthew 26:39, 42; Luke 22:32) then In His death, burial, resurrection and His ascension. Do we receive this teaching and then show our having received it by our trusting or believing it?
Romans 3:21
"But now the righteousness of God (not man’s righteousness, but God’s righteousness) without the law is manifested, (is put up in the spotlight. And of course, we’re not going to throw our Old Testament away because all of this that I’m teaching has it’s roots back there in the Old Testament, its teaching.) being witnessed by the law and the prophets;"
The word "witness by" simply means that the law and the prophets speak [they point to it, and by:when at the appointed time] of the sacrifice of Christ. Now for the word "law" here it can mean the Law as given through Moses or the law given through this Gospel of the Kingdom-Life, or the principle of either. But just here; that’s the writers of the Old Testament, they pointed to the revelation or teaching. Verse 22.
Romans 3:22
"Even the righteousness of God which is by faith (or the trust placed in) Jesus Christ. (He is the epitome of our trusting system and it goes,) unto all and upon all them that believe ( we're to have first received the package, the teaching, in order to believe plus what? Nothing! There’s nothing more added!) for there is no difference."
Well, of course Paul is writing to Hebrews as well as Roman Gentiles and the fact and reason that the Hebrews had a hard time swallowing it was that now in this Age of Grace, there’s no difference. A Hebrew has to be saved just exactly like we Gentiles. He has to come the same way because of this “no difference.” Now then verse 23, which I call the first step of saving faith. This is where every one of us who have been saved now, for however long, this is where we all began. That is that we had to recognize that according to God’s Word and according to God’s look at who we are, we were sinners, a slug or worm or lump of dirt. Separated from God's presence, not seen nor heard by God because of the veil of sin as thin as smoke that separates God from us in our natural or mere human state. Though known by God as He knows all things. But He can't look upon sin.
Romans 3:23
"For all (not just some. Even the best of the human race, even those who are so benevolent, charitable and they are so good but their nature is sin oriented and so all) have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."
I think maybe some other translations put that all have "missed the mark." We haven’t hit the bull’s eye, we’re missing the mark. We're in lawlessness, in iniquity.
Romans 3:23
"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."
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