Romans 3 - But Now...
Two words change everything. Be sure you know them well.
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Romans 3 (ESV)
1 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? 2 Much in every way.
To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God.
3 What if some were unfaithful?
Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God?
4 By no means!
Let God be true though every one were a liar,
as it is written, “That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged.”
5 But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say?
That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.)
6 By no means!
For then how could God judge the world?
7 But
if through my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory,
why am I still being condemned as a sinner?
8 And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.
9 What then? Are we Jews any better off?
No, not at all.
For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin,
10 as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside;
together they have become worthless;
no one does good, not even one.”
13 “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.”
“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 in their paths are ruin and misery,
17 and the way of peace they have not known.”
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
19 Now we know that
whatever the law says
it speaks to those who are under the law,
so that every mouth may be stopped,
and the whole world may be held accountable to God.
20 For
by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight,
since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
21 But now
the righteousness of God has been manifested
apart from the law,
although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—
22 the
righteousness of God
through faith in Jesus Christ
for all who believe.
For there is no distinction:
23 for all
have sinned
and fall short of the glory of God,
24 and are
justified by his grace as a gift,
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood,
to be received by faith.
This was to show God’s righteousness,
because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.
26 It was to show his righteousness
at the present time,
so that he might be
just and the justifier
of the one who has faith in Jesus.
27 Then what becomes of our boasting?
It is excluded.
By what kind of law?
By a law of works?
No, but by the law of faith.
28 For we hold that one is justified
by faith
apart from works of the law.
29 Or is God the God of Jews only?
Is he not the God of Gentiles also?
Yes, of Gentiles also,
30 since God is one—
who will justify the circumcised by faith
and the uncircumcised through faith.
31 Do we then overthrow the law by this faith?
By no means!
On the contrary, we uphold the law.
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Romans 3 Summary
In chapter one, we read about how all people have an instinct to suppress the knowledge of God's truth, which if not corrected leads to God giving them over more and more to sin, which leads to more suppression of the truth, an on and on.
In chapter two, we were remined that 'churchy' people like us are just as sinful, if not worse, than the most vile pagan.
Now just when we think it can't get any worse, it does.
The first half of chapter three indicates that even though God's people have been given God's Word, we've been unfaithful in living according to it, and therefore need grace. Paul then uncorks a brutal string of Old Testament texts to drive home the point that all people are hopelessly addicted to sin.
Thankfully, the good news finally breaks through in v21, with two of the most beautiful words in the Bible:
But now...
Things have changed in a huge way! There is hope because God supplies the righteousness we need for life with Him through Jesus Christ!
Because this righteousness comes completely by faith and not by works, we have nothing to boast about on our own.
Dig Deeper
Verse 23-24 should be memorized by all Christians:
for all
have sinned
and fall short of the glory of God,
and are
justified by his grace as a gift,
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus...
Notice the comprehensive nature of the first claim: all have sinned. There is nobody who's been exempted from this conviction.
But not all people will find salvation from this awful predicament. Only those who have received the free grace of God will be redeemed. As v28 points out, the only way this grace can be had is through faith, and not by earning it on our own.
In other words, only those who are in Christ will be saved. The next 8 chapters of Romans will explain exactly what this means, and how you can be assured of this free gift of salvation.
AAA Prayer:
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our holy Father is the one who will hold the whole world accountable to sin (v20)
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that as you live in faith, you will uphold God's law (v31)
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
