Romans 3
1 Then what's the advantage of being a Jew? Is there any value in the ceremony of circumcision?2 Yes, there are great benefits! First of all, the Jews were entrusted with the whole revelation of God.*
3 True, some of them were unfaithful; but just because they were unfaithful, does that mean God will be unfaithful?4 Of course not! Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say about him,
"You will be proved right in what you say,
and you will win your case in court."*
5 "But," some might say, "our sinfulness serves a good purpose, for it helps people see how righteous God is. Isn't it unfair, then, for him to punish us?" (This is merely a human point of view.)6 Of course not! If God were not entirely fair, how would he be qualified to judge the world?7 "But," someone might still argue, "how can God condemn me as a sinner if my dishonesty highlights his truthfulness and brings him more glory?"8 And some people even slander us by claiming that we say, "The more we sin, the better it is!" Those who say such things deserve to be condemned.
All People Are Sinners
9 Well then, should we conclude that we Jews are better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles,* are under the power of sin.10 As the Scriptures say,
"No one is righteous—
not even one.
11 No one is truly wise;
no one is seeking God.
12 All have turned away;
all have become useless.
No one does good,
not a single one."*
13 "Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.
Their tongues are filled with lies."
"Snake venom drips from their lips."*
14 "Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness."*
15 "They rush to commit murder.
16 Destruction and misery always follow them.
17 They don't know where to find peace."*
18 "They have no fear of God at all."*
19 Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God.20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.
Christ Took Our Punishment
21 But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses* and the prophets long ago.22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard.24 Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past,26 for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.
27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith.28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.
29 After all, is God the God of the Jews only? Isn't he also the God of the Gentiles? Of course he is.30 There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles.*31 Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.
We are wrong. Jesus is right. It's a good thing that Jesus is right.
WE ARE WRONG
Look at your life: Yes, the past mistakes, current struggles, and future obstacles. The statement that "we are wrong" is obvious. God uses Paul to say this in Romans 3.
It is obvious that we are all cursed by sin. We have been stained by the filth of this life and our decisions. Look at the statistics. They prove that we are wrong. Verses 10-18 screams of our sinfulness. Verse 15 says that we even run to murder, yes, that includes you. God's word says it. That is powerful, and convicting.
Romans 3:23 is one of the most used, read, taught, and preached scriptures in the history of holy scripture, and for good reason. The fact that we have all sinned and that no one is excluded convicts hearts, breaks egos, and calls us all to repentance. THIS IS GOOD STUFF.
So what?
Jesus is Right
Jesus is not only right, but He is all righteousness summed up in one name. God is good, so is His Son. Romans 3:4 states that God is true. John 14:6 states that Jesus is Truth. Both of the statements are true.
Jesus lived on this earth for 33 years. He did so without sinning. That's tough stuff, and it continues to be true. Jesus was righteous, blameless, good, holy, salvation, right, pure, and everything thing else that can be labeled as good.
So what?!
Jesus being right benefits us
Usually disagreements make people sour. If someone else is right, and we are wrong, it usually does not go over well. This situation should be handled differently. We are wrong. Jesus is right. This benefits us.
23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard.24 Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.
The grace of God should bring tears of joy to our eyes.
We are sinful, Jesus was not, so he could take our place. Don't you get it? If Jesus was not blameless he could not satisfy God's holy and just wrath. Out of love and righteousness, Jesus did something scandalous. He gave us what we didn't deserve. We have reason to celebrate our perfect and worthy King. His name is Jesus.
Chapter 3 can be summed up by saying... God is good. We are not. Jesus is the answer. Boast only in Him, for He alone is worthy.
Let's declare dependence on the one and only Jesus Christ.
AMEN!!!
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