The Turning Point: But Now
A Sermon on Romans 3:21-31
Originally preached Feb. 22, 1957
Scripture
21But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23For all have …
Sermon Description
When God interrupts human history, everything changes. Up until this point in Romans, Paul has emphasized wrath and judgement for all since all are guilty of sin and under condemnation. The tone of this letter completely changes in this section with these two small words: “but now.” In this sermon on Romans 3:21-31 titled, “The Turning Point: But Now,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones breaks up the text into two main sections, outlining that Paul has finally begun to discuss the way of salvation and the characteristics of the way of salvation. After much talk of wrath and destruction, it seems like a relief to see that the Lord has provided a righteousness and revealed it. This righteousness is by nothing that anyone has done because it is received only through faith. Both Jews and Gentiles can rejoice because this gift was planned before the foundation of the world, entirely by God’s grace, and open to all. Dr. Lloyd-Jones points out that everything about salvation points to the glory of God. Any idea that humanity has concerning salvation should always conform to this one passage of Scripture and nothing about salvation should deny any of these statements.
Sermon Breakdown
- The gospel is entirely God's. It is God's righteousness, God's provision, God's plan.
- The gospel was planned before the foundation of the world. It is not an afterthought. It was witnessed to in the Old Testament law and prophets.
- The gospel provides a righteousness from God, not earned by following the law. It is received by faith alone.
- The gospel is available to all, Jew and Gentile, because all have sinned and fall short of God's glory.
- The gospel is a free gift of God's grace. We cannot earn or deserve it.
- The gospel was made possible through Jesus Christ's redeeming work. He is the means of our salvation.
- The gospel is consistent with God's character, giving Him all the glory. It is not earned or deserved by us.
- The gospel shows God is the God of the whole world, not just the Jews. The righteousness is available to all.
- The gospel honors and confirms the law. It does not do away with the law but establishes it.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Romans 3:21-31: Questions and Answers
What does "But now" signify in Romans 3:21 according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the words "But now" in Romans 3:21 are among "the most vital words in the whole of scripture." They signify two main things: First, they provide a contrast with the previous section where Paul established that no one can be justified by the law. Second, they introduce a time factor - something new has happened that changes everything. Lloyd-Jones says these words mark the transition from the hopelessness of our condition under the law to the hope of the gospel, making them "a kind of subtle and very thorough going test of our whole position as Christians."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones analyze the structure of Romans 3:21-31?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones divides Romans 3:21-31 into two main sections: 1. Verses 21-24: The way of salvation, which includes: - God has provided and revealed a righteousness - This righteousness comes through faith, not works - It is open to all people - It is entirely of God's grace - It is made possible through Christ's redeeming work
- Verses 25-31: The characteristics of this salvation, which:
- Is consistent with God's character (vv. 25-26)
- Gives all glory to God and none to men (vv. 27-28)
- Shows God is God of the whole world (vv. 29-30)
- Honors and confirms the law (v. 31)
What is the relationship between the Old Testament and the gospel according to this sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that the gospel was not an afterthought when the law failed, but was planned "before the foundation of the world." The Old Testament bears witness to and foreshadows the gospel through the law and the prophets. Lloyd-Jones states: "A way of stating the gospel that puts it as a contrast to the Old Testament is entirely wrong." He argues that the Old Testament and New Testament must be taken together, as "what was prophesied there has actually now come to pass." He describes the relationship as "latent in the old, patent in the new," quoting Augustine, and calls the law "our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ" by showing our need and pointing to salvation.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the role of God the Father in salvation?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones expresses concern that modern evangelism often neglects God the Father while focusing exclusively on Christ. He emphasizes that the gospel is "entirely God's" - it is "God's gospel," planned by God, initiated by God, and provided by God. He points out that Paul describes it as "the righteousness of God" and "the gospel of God" rather than merely "the gospel of Christ." Lloyd-Jones insists that sin must be understood primarily as "rebellion against God" and that our central need is "to be reconciled to God." The work of Christ was to "bring us to God" and "reconcile us to the Father," not to glorify Himself but to glorify the Father.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones teach about the importance of the "law work" in evangelism?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that in true evangelism, one must always start with the "law work" - showing people their hopelessness under God's law before introducing the gospel. He references the Puritans and great evangelists like Wesley, Whitfield, Edwards, and McChain who all "convicted first of all." Lloyd-Jones says, "I cannot see how a man can be a Christian without realizing his own utter hopelessness," and criticizes modern evangelism for being "in far too great a hurry to rush people anyhow, somehow to Christ." He insists that "any notion of salvation that leaves out the law work is seriously defective," because the Son of God came specifically "to save us from the condemnation of the law and the wrath of God."
The Book of Romans
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.