Lesson 4: Universal Conditions

Even with a sacrifice provided, a sinner would be hopeless without God’s grace working in his heart. The sinner is spiritually dead in his sin, controlled by wrong desires, and under the rule of Satan (Ephesians 2:1-3). He is powerless to change his behavior (Romans 7:18-19). How can he respond to the gospel with repentance and faith?

Theologians have tried to explain how the grace of God responds to man’s condition.

John Calvin believed that because man is totally depraved, he cannot choose to respond to God.Therefore, God is the one who chooses who will be saved and who will not. Because God chose only some people to be saved, the atonement is provided only for them and not for all people. These people are not able to choose. With a grace that cannot be resisted, God causes them to repent and believe. They can never fall away from salvation because their will is under the control of God. This was Calvin’s concept of the sovereignty of God.

John Calvin [1]

Calvin did not believe that saving grace is available to everyone. He believed that nobody could repent and believe without special grace, and he believed that this grace was not given to most people.

Calvin believed that a person cannot do anything good, such as keeping a promise or loving his family, without help from God. He believed that God gives all people grace that enables them to do good things. He called this grace “common grace.” He did not believe that common grace could bring a person to salvation.

John Wesley had a different view of God’s grace. He saw that the Bible constantly calls people to respond to God. Because of that, he believed that man’s choices are real. Like Calvin, he believed that man is depraved and cannot respond to the gospel without help from God, but he believed that God gives that help to everyone. He believed that God gives people the desire and ability to respond but does not irresistibly save them. God makes human choice possible. This is the first grace that comes to every person. Theologians have called this “prevenient grace,” which means “the grace that comes before.”

God’s grace reaches into the heart of the sinner, convicting him of his sins and showing him that he is to blame for his separation from God. God’s grace causes him to desire forgiveness and gives him the ability to respond to God.

Without grace, a sinner couldn’t even come to God. Grace comes to every person before he begins to seek for God, even though he hasn’t done anything to deserve it.

Remember Ephesians 2:1-3, what a hopeless description it gives? But look at the two verses that come after that description.

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved (Ephesians 2:4-5)."

If a person is not saved, it is not because he never had grace, but because he would not respond to the grace that he had.

► Which comes first, man’s search for God or God’s work within man? How would you describe it?

[1] Image: “Portretten van Johannes Calvijn...”, from the Rijksmuseum, retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=85920383, public domain.

In this lesson, we finish Part 2 of Romans. We have seen how the Gentiles rejected the knowledge of God and turned to idols. The Jews had the law of God but did not obey it. Now, the apostle summarizes the condition of the people of the world.

Main Point of 3:1-20

Everyone in the world is a sinner and stands condemned in God's courtroom.

Summary of 3:1-20

This passage summarizes the larger passage of 1:18-3:20. 3:19-20 summarizes the smaller passage, as well as the larger passage. The law shows that all the world is guilty; therefore, nobody can be justified on the basis of his actions.

The reason for making this point is so that every mouth may be stopped (3:19), which means that no one has an excuse or basis for justifying himself. 3:9 shows Paul’s line of logic: he has shown both Jews and Gentiles under sin. Since nobody has an excuse, God is just in dealing with all people as sinners.

► A student should read Romans 3:1-20 for the group.

Notes Verse-by-Verse

(3:1-2) Paul has shown that the Jews will not be saved just because they are Jews; they will be judged for their works just like the Gentiles will be. A natural question then would be, “Is there really any benefit for the Jew?” The great benefit is that they were the ones to receive the scripture. Almost the whole Bible was written by Jews whom God inspired. (Other benefits are listed in 9:4-5.)

The same question could be asked about any form of religion or means of grace, such as baptism, church membership, communion, or other religious customs. They cannot give assurance of salvation, so a person might ask, “Then what good are they?” The answer is that forms of worship are given to assist our faith. When we practice them in faith, we receive grace. But, if we practice them without faith and as a substitute for obedience, they are worthless.[1]

(3:3) What if some were unfaithful? Does their unfaithfulness make God's faithfulness worthless? The questioner is implying that if God did not save the Jews who disobeyed, God’s promise was not fulfilled.

They thought God’s favor should be unconditional to the Jews. They thought they could accuse God of unfaithfulness even though they failed to meet the requirements.

(3:4) The scene is as though God and man were opposite in a courtroom. God's faithfulness in contrast to man's unfaithfulness will be proved. The apostle does not say that we should not examine God’s justice. He says that when we examine God’s actions, we will see that he is just and righteous in all that he has done.[2]

Later in the letter, we see that because salvation is conditional, God's justice is demonstrated both when he saves and when he condemns.

(3:5) The apostle raises the question that someone might ask: “If our sin shows that God is just, then it accomplishes something good. Then, is it wrong for God to punish us for it?”

► How would you answer the question in 3:5?

(3:6) No, because if human sin should be excused because it shows God's righteousness, no sin could be judged. This would deny the final judgment, which is an essential doctrine to anyone who believes in a just God. Furthermore, God's justice is demonstrated in the clearest light when he punishes sin, but he could not punish sin if sin is justified on the basis that it shows his justice. The objection refutes itself.

(3:7) Again the idea is proposed that since even our sin will be used to glorify God, the sinner should not be punished. This is an attempt to evaluate actions according to their ultimate outcome. However, that is contrary to the fact that judgment will be according to motives (2:15-16). Also, the credit for bringing good results from wrong actions belongs entirely to God. The sinner did not accomplish good by his sin. Sin brings only bad results except where God intervenes.

(3:8) Paul simply says that sinners and those who excuse sin deserve their condemnation. He also denies the false accusation that Christians teach that because our sin may accomplish good through God’s grace, we should just admit it and remain sinners. To acknowledge your sinfulness is not enough. A person must repent; but in order to truly repent, he must see his sin as truly evil.

(3:9) “We” refers to the Jews. They do not automatically have spiritual status. All are under sin; they have committed sin and are under its condemnation.

(3:10-18) These verses quote from the Psalms and Old Testament prophets.[3] Some people quote 3:10 and say it means that nobody is righteous, even a Christian. However, 3:10-18 could not possibly describe a Christian. If anyone thinks this describes a Christian, imagine putting the name of a Christian you know into these sentences. For example, “Pastor Aaron’s mouth is full of cursing, his feet are quick to murder, and he has no fear of God.”

These verses describe the general condition of those who have not been converted. It is similar to the description in 1:29-31. Paul's purpose is to show that nobody can merit salvation by his works. Romans 3:10-18 shows that nobody is righteous without having received God's righteousness.

► How would you respond to this statement: “Nobody should claim that he is living in victory over temptation because the Bible says that nobody is righteous”?

3:19-20 summarizes not only 3:1-20, but 1:18-3:20.

(3:19-20) The law was not given to show people how to be justified, but to show that everyone is already guilty. The law is not a means of justification, but condemnation. “That every mouth may be stopped” means that no one has an excuse or basis for justifying himself. He cannot defend himself in the divine courtroom.

A person who thinks he must keep the law to be accepted by God is under the law. Being under the law does not refer to the historical period of the Old Testament. Any person is under the law if he has not received saving grace; because if he were to go to God’s judgment, he would be judged for breaking the law. A person is no longer under the law if he is saved because he is accepted by God on the basis of grace.

► What does it mean to be under the law?

[1] Recommended reading: Sermon by John Wesley, “The Means of Grace,” available from https://holyjoys.org/the-means-of-grace/

[2] See the “God’s Justice on Trial” in Lesson 9.

[3] Psalm 14:1-3, Psalm 53:1-3, Psalm 5:9, Psalm 140:3, Psalm 10:7, Isaiah 59:7-8, Proverbs 1:16, Psalm 36:1

It is necessary for every person to understand how a sinner may be justified before God. There can be no true peace or secure joy while we are enemies of God, either in time or in eternity.[1]

People were made in the image of God and were holy, just as God their creator is holy. As God is love, so man and woman, living in love, lived in God, and God in them. They were pure, as God is pure, from every spot of sin. They knew no evil but were inwardly and outwardly sinless. They loved the Lord their God with all their hearts, minds, souls, and strength.

God gave Adam, an upright and perfect man, a perfect law. God required perfect obedience, which was completely possible. Yet Adam and Eve disobeyed God (Genesis 3:6).

Immediately Adam was condemned by the righteous judgment of God. God had warned Adam that the penalty for disobedience would be death (Genesis 2:17). The moment Adam tasted the forbidden fruit, he died. His soul died because he was separated from God. (Without God the soul has no life.) Likewise, his body became mortal. Since he was dead in spirit, dead to God, and dead in sin, he rushed on toward eternal death; to the punishment of both body and soul in hell’s fire, which is never to be quenched.

“Sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). Sin came through Adam, who was the father and representative of us all. Because of this, all people are dead—dead to God, dead in sin, living in mortal bodies that will soon disintegrate, and under the penalty of eternal death. By one man’s disobedience all were made sinners (Romans 5:19) and “…one trespass led to condemnation for all men…” (Romans 5:18).

All people were in this condition—sinful and condemned—when God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that we might not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16). God’s Son became Man, a second head of the human family, a second representative of the whole human race. As such he bore our griefs (Isaiah 53:4), and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:6). He was pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities (Isaiah 53:5). He made his soul an offering for guilt (Isaiah 53:10). He poured out his blood for sinners. He made a completely satisfactory sacrifice for the sins of the whole world.

Because the Son of God has tasted death for everyone (Hebrews 2:9), God has now reconciled the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them (2 Corinthians 5:19). “…As one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men” (Romans 5:18). Because of his Son’s suffering for us, God now guarantees to cancel the punishment we deserve for our sins, to put us back in his favor, and to restore our dead souls to spiritual life, giving us the assurance of eternal life. This promise has only one condition, which he enables us to meet.

► What is the one condition mentioned in the last paragraph?

[1] This section is adapted from Wesley’s sermon, “Justification by Faith,” available from https://holyjoys.org/justification-by-faith/

How a sinner may be justified before God is a question of importance to every man; for there can be no true peace or secure joy while we are enemies of God, either in time or in eternity. Yet, how little has this important question been understood! What confused ideas many have had about it![1]

Man was made in the image of God, holy as he that created him is holy. As God is love, so man, living in love, lived in God, and God in him. He was pure, as God is pure, from every spot of sin. He knew no evil, but was inwardly and outwardly sinless. He “loved the Lord his God with all his heart, and with all his mind, and soul, and strength.”

To this upright and perfect man, God gave a perfect law, to which he required perfect obedience. No allowance was made for falling short, for man was equal to the task.

To the law of love written in man’s heart, God added a law: “Thou shalt not eat of the fruit of the tree in the midst of the garden;” connecting to it the penalty, “In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die.”

Man did disobey God. He ate of the tree which God had forbidden. In that day he was condemned by the righteous judgment of God. The penalty of which he was warned began to occur. The moment he tasted that fruit, he died. His soul died and was separated from God, without whom the soul has no life. Likewise his body became mortal, so that death took hold of it. And being dead in spirit, dead to God, dead in sin, he rushed on toward eternal death; to the destruction both of body and soul in the fire which is never to be quenched.

Therefore “by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin. And so death passed upon all men,” through him who was the father and representative of us all. Therefore, all are dead, dead to God, dead in sin, living in a mortal body soon to disintegrate, and under the penalty of eternal death. For as, “by one man’s disobedience,” all “were made sinners;” so, “judgment came upon all men to condemnation” (Romans 5:19, etc.).

We were in this state along with all of mankind, when “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that we might not perish, but have everlasting life.” He was made Man, another Head of mankind, a second Representative of the whole human race. As such “He bore our griefs,” “the Lord laying upon him the iniquities of us all.” He was “wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities.” “He made his soul an offering for sin:” He poured out his blood for sinners. He has redeemed me and all mankind; having made a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world.

Because the Son of God has “tasted death for every man,” God has now “reconciled the world to himself, not imputing to them their" former "trespasses.” And so, “as by the offense of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation, even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justification.” So that, for the sake of his Son’s suffering for us, God now guarantees, on only one condition (which he also enables us to meet), to cancel the punishment due for our sins, to reinstate us in his favor, and to restore our dead souls to spiritual life, giving us the assurance of eternal life.

► What is the “one condition” mentioned by Wesley in the last paragraph?

[1] The paragraphs in this section are condensed from Wesley’s sermon, “Justification by Faith.”

► What grace and spiritual experience were available to the people who lived in Old Testament times? Why is this question important?

Some people believe that people in the Old Testament could not be converted and experience the work of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, they do not see the importance of the Old Testament for believers today. They think that salvation by grace through faith started with the New Testament. They think that people in the Old Testament could be saved by the law and sacrifices.

The fact is that nobody was ever saved either by keeping the law or by making sacrifices (Hebrews 10:4). Then how were they saved? By grace through faith.

(1) The New Testament says that the gospel is in the Old Testament.

• The Old Testament teaches salvation by faith in Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 3:15).
• Abraham had the gospel and was justified by faith (Romans 4:1-3; Galatians 3:6, 8).
• David described justification by faith (Romans 4:6-8).
• The gospel was first; the law was later (Galatians 3:17).
• Old Testament people had the gospel preached to them just as we have (Hebrews 4:2).
• Jesus implied that Nicodemus should already know about the new birth from his study of the Old Testament (John 3:10).
• Righteousness given because of faith (Romans 1:17) is witnessed to by the law and prophets (Romans 3:21)

(2) Not much knowledge is necessary to receive grace by faith.

Jesus preached repentance for forgiveness but did not explain the atonement. People were saved by believing his message (for example, the Samaritan woman at the well, John 4:39-42).

The Old Testament believers did not understand the atonement, but they only needed to believe that God was providing a basis for forgiveness. They could then be saved by grace through faith, not by their works or sacrifices. Their sacrifices and obedience were a demonstration of their faith, just as with us.

If a person reverences God, God will show him the way to come into relationship with him. Psalm 25:14 says, “The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.” 

(3) God’s commands make grace necessary.

Jesus said in Matthew 22:37-40 that the most important commands are to love God with all that you are (Deuteronomy 6:5) and love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18). These commands cannot be obeyed without grace. Did God command the impossible for Old Testament people, or did he enable obedience by grace?

Do not return evil (Proverbs 24:28-29). Do good to those who do evil to you (Proverbs 25:21-22). Return an enemy's ox when you see it wandering away (Exodus 23:4-5). Do not rejoice when your enemy falls (Proverbs 24:17).

(4) God expected Old Testament people to live in obedience.

Deuteronomy 27 and 28 list blessings on the obedient and curses upon the disobedient. These curses cover everything imaginable. If there was not grace to make obedience possible, these people were doomed to receive all of the curses and lose all of the blessings.

(5) God provided a work of grace to change their hearts.

Deuteronomy 30:6 says that both they and their descendants could be circumcised in heart, so they could obey and live. In Deuteronomy 30:11-20 we see the following points. They were not to say it was impossible to receive, because it was in their mouths and hearts ‒ a statement quoted by Paul in Romans 10:6-8 to refer to grace received by faith. The issue would be decided in their hearts (Deuteronomy 30:17). Love for God would lead to obedience (Deuteronomy 30:20).

(See also Deuteronomy 10:12, 16.) What God required was total love and consecration of the heart. Circumcision of the heart would make it possible.

(6) The real people of God in any time are those who love and serve him.

Romans 2:28-29, Colossians 2:11-12, and Philippians 3:3 all say that a true Jew is a spiritual one. The prophets said the same. Salvation depended upon the heart's obedience, and sacrifices did not justify a wicked heart. Stephen accused the Jews of his time of being like their Old Testament ancestors who were uncircumcised in heart and ears (Acts 7:51). There was never a time when forms of worship were all God required.

David prayed, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable” (Psalm 19:14).

(7) There are many Old Testament examples of grace.

• Job feared God and rejected evil (Job 1:1).
• Noah was righteous and blameless in his generation (Genesis 6:9).
• Isaiah experienced a heart cleansing (Isaiah 6).
• David prayed for complete cleansing of his sinful nature (Psalm 51).

The evidence shows that salvation and a pure heart by faith were available in the Old Testament. That means that the Old Testament is important to us. God’s directions for righteous living in the Old Testament were directions from a holy God to people who were supposed to live in grace. Obviously, many commands were special for that time and situation and do not apply to us the same way. In Lesson 7 is a section that explains how we should apply Old Testament scripture to our lives.

(1) Explain Calvin’s concept of “common grace.”
(2) Explain Wesley’s concept of “the grace that comes before.”
(3) In Romans 3:19, what does it mean for every mouth to "be stopped”?
(4) What great benefit of the Jews is mentioned in Romans 3?
(5) How do forms of worship benefit us?
(6) What does Romans 3:10-18 show?
(7) Who is under the law? (Romans 3:19-20)

(1) Write a page (about 450 words) about one of the following topics:

• Prevenient grace
• Grace in the Old Testament
• The reason that sinners need to be justified by faith

You can use a variety of scriptures besides Romans if needed.

(2) Remember that you need to preach three sermons or teach three sessions for other groups during the time of this course.