ADDRESSES ON ROMANS
over: the court scene comes to a close: "every mouth" is "stopped": and "all the world" is "guilty before God": "for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." He re~ quires righteousness: man has none of his own: he can not keep God's holy law. Some expect to be saved because of church membership, the observance of sacraments, good works, and morality. .J3fil. Paul tells us that "by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin." There are men in Los Angeles today who would pay thousands of dollars to buy their entrance into heaven: yet they refuse to acknowledge their unrighteousness, and be saved by grace. They refuse to accept God's photograph of what they are. Many church members belong to this class. While I was a pastor in Texas, I was preaching one Lord's Day on this subject-how God makes guilty people righteous. I explained about Calvary and how the death of Christ was substitutionary for us. After the service I decided I would stop the first ten people I met going home from church, and ask each one what he was depending on for his salvation. All of them gave every answer except the real one; they were depending upon being morally good and doing good works. Yet Paul declares emphatically that no man can be justified in this manner. In chapter 3: 20 the announcement is made final that by the deeds of the law shall no man be saved. As W. R. N \' .:II has aptly said in commenting on these words: "We can never do anything to improve ourselves. We may be justified in our own eyes. or in the eyes of our friends, but not in the sight of God. After we have done our best, we shall still be guilty before God. We have failed to reach the standard God demands. This demands a penalty: our sin must be fully pun~ ished. How can a few, paltry 'good works' justify us? Paul cuts off any self~recovery. We are all going to certain judg~ ment before God. If anything is done for us, it must be done by God Himself. We are condemned criminals! Page 42]
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