Romans 3:20

For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.  Romans 3:20 ESV

In the previous verse, Paul talked about those who were under the law - condemned. Now, he elaborates a little on the law itself. We need to remember that the "law" can refer to the written laws in the Old Testament given to the children of Israel (including the 10 commandments), and the moral law written on our hearts and detailed throughout the New Testament.

The sole purpose of any "law" given to us by God is to reveal His character, who He is.

In verse 20, there are some very important facts that Paul writes about the law:

1. The law cannot save, but brings knowledge needed in order to be saved.

2. The law is not about doing, but about knowing.

We will apply these to the verse as we break it down. 

For by works of the law no human being will be justified in His sight

In verse 19, Paul told us that we will all be held accountable to God. We saw that this is a serious tragedy for anyone who is still under the condemnation of the law, not covered and set free by the blood of Christ. Now, Paul describes two things about this law that all sinners are under:

1. The law cannot justify - it is not possible for us to be saved through the law, through doing things.

This is because the law must be satisfied perfectly, we must measure up to God's standards, according to His character, in order to satisfy the law. The only one that did this was Jesus Christ. By the mercy and grace of an all-loving God, this standard has been met on our behalf as a gift to us - so that we don't have depend on our works to experience justification!

 Any attempt to pay God back for His gift, given in pure grace, is disrespectful and sinful.

2. This law cannot be satisfied by works, we cannot do anything that will set us free from being under the law - condemned. The law is not about doing anything.

The definition of "works" (also translated "deeds") is also important to note:

to work; toil (as an effort or occupation); by implication an act: - deed, doing, labor, work.

When Paul says that "works" cannot satisfy the law, he encompasses every aspect of the word. No effort put forth by us, no doing, no act at all can do anything to free us from the condemnation of the law.  

If the purpose of the law is to reveal who God is, we should humbly realize that nothing we can do will actually be of any worth when compared to our perfect and holy God. 

There are many other verses throughout Scripture that accompany and verify this fact about works:

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Eph 2:8,9

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. Romans 3:27

Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone,  Romans 9:32

But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace. Romans 11:6

yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.  Gal 2:16

who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began 2 Tim 1:9

he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit  Titus 3:5

Attempting to satisfy the law, or be justified by doing things that the law commands, is to attempt to measure up to the character of God. Not only is this impossible, but also a very sinful thing - driven by pride and selfishness, refusing to accept the fact that:

We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. Isa 64:6

since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

Now that we see what the law cannot do - it cannot provide justification for us, due to the fact that it cannot be satisfied by our works, or effort - we can see what the law does do. 

The law provides knowledge. Through the law (God's perfect character revealed), we become knowledgeable about God's pure righteousness and our sinful unrighteousness. 

So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.  

Gal 3:24

"Guardian" is also translated schoolmaster, and refers to an instructor, also a servant who took the children to school.

This sheds light on the purpose of the law. God did not reveal who He is by giving us laws and commands throughout the Bible so that we could attempt to be justified by keeping these commands. He revealed who He is throughout the Bible so that our pride would crumble, so that we would humbly realize it is impossible to live perfectly according to God's standards. 

In this way, the law is an instructor, a schoolmaster guiding us to see our desperate need for someone who can satisfy the law, who can live up to the perfect standard of God, on our behalf. That someone is Jesus Christ, and His satisfaction of the law is complete and deposited on behalf of all those who trust in His blood alone as the perfect and finished work. 

If God had not revealed Himself through the laws and commands, we would not truly know who He is, we would never see how sinful we are in our inability to even begin to live by His standards, and we would never be broken over our need for a Savior. 

While it cannot provide salvation, the law is an important for salvation. We need this knowledge in order to be broken over our sin, to be driven to repentance, to cling to the blood of Christ, and to live a life of thankfulness for God's grace and mercy.

For the Christian, we need to immerse ourselves in the Bible - opening our hearts and minds so that we can have a correct understanding of who God is, based on His inspired Word alone. Through this He will reveal our sin to us in light of who He is. He will strengthen us to die to ourselves - leaving these sins behind as we draw close to Him.

For those who have not yet accepted Christ, you continue to be under the condemnation of the law. You will be judged according to the perfect character of God, and will fall horribly short. You cannot experience a relationship with Him now, without trusting in the blood of His Son for forgiveness, and you will never be able to experience a relationship with Him if you die without His Son as your Savior. 

Apart from Christ, we are all under sin, we are all under the condemnation of the law - none of us measure up to God's character.  He is selfless, perfect and holy, full of grace, mercy, and love - and He desires a relationship with every single one of us!

Next Post: 3.2.13

Romans 3:19

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. Romans 3:19

When studying God's Word, context is so important. So we need to look back at what Paul wrote previously to understand the full meaning of this verse. Before Paul gave us his Old Testament references of man's wicked nature, he wrote verse this in verse 9:

For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin

Paul was explaining in a nutshell what he had been writing about since verse 18 in Chapter 1 of Romans - the universal sinfulness of man. Verse 19 today parallels what Paul wrote in verse 9, and then adds a serious truth that opens the door to the rest of Chapter 3.

Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law,

There are two questions we have to ask ourselves when we read this line:

What is the law being discussed here?

This refers to both the written law handed down to the Jews through Moses, and the moral law written on the hearts of the Gentiles (as Paul has earlier described in Chapter 2)

Who is under this law?

All unsaved people are under the law - the law itself reveals our total imperfection in light of the perfect character of God. 

This means that all people, across the entire history of the earth, have been under the law at some point. This is a very serious and tragic truth, because when one is under the law their condemnation is guaranteed. Jesus said in Mathew 5:18:

For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

Jesus was speaking here of the fact that He didn't come to destroy the law but to fulfill it. In order for us to experience a relationship with a perfect and holy God, every bit of the law must be satisfied. 

This is something that we as humans cannot do, and therefore must put our faith in Jesus and the fact that He was able to completely satisfy the perfect requirements of the law!

Fulfilling the law should not be viewed as performing rules and rituals, but rather living according to the perfect character of God - which is revealed through the 10 Commandments, the laws of the Old Testament, and the moral commands in the New Testament - and was lived out in the flesh by Jesus Christ.

It's also important to realize that, as Christians, we need to ask God where we transgress the law in our daily lives. Anything that is in opposition to God's character is sinful and needs to be addressed, as our relationship with God can't grow unless we are actively purging sin from our lives.

so that every mouth may be stopped

The fact that all people are condemned under the law removes any opportunity for excuses. We are all equally condemned, without any respect to who we are, where we are from, or how "good" we think we are.

I think that one thing we love to do as lost sinners (and even as Christians), is look around for someone who is doing worse things than we are - and then convince ourselves that we aren't really as bad as the Bible says we are. The Bible is very clear that there will be no excuses before God - every mouth will be stopped.

While every excuse will be laid aside, the Bible is also very clear about what every tongue will be doing:

for it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God."  Romans 14:11

and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Php 2:11

By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: 'To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.'  Isa 45:23

I believe that on the final day, all those who failed to put their faith in Christ will be unable to even muster any of the excuses that they relied on throughout their life. When they see God, in all of His Glory, they will only be able to bow in His presence - confessing Him as God - unfortunately too late to be robed in the righteousness and forgiveness of the perfect Lamb.

and the whole world may be held accountable to God

We need to understand that we will not be held accountable to our neighbor, our family members, our coworkers, or our brothers and sisters in Christ. We will be held accountable to the holy standards of an almighty God. The law reveals these standards by displaying the character of God - perfect in every way. 

If we are all to be judged by the holy standards of God, according to His character, we can plainly see that we are all justly condemned. None of us - lost or saved - can live a life of perfection and righteousness. Even as Christians we will battle our sin nature until the day we die. This reveals our need to be washed in the blood of Jesus, who gives us His forgiveness and righteousness.

If our faith is in the finished work of Christ, on the day that we are held accountable to God, we will be seen as perfect and holy, righteous and without blemish, able to be in the presence of our glorious Father forever!  

It's not a scary thing to be held accountable to God when we cling to blood of Jesus.

Next Post: 2.27.13

Romans 3:15-18

"Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes."  Romans 3:15-18 ESV

In these four verses, Paul references the Old Testament several more times as he brings finishes his barrage of evidence that man is completely, utterly, hopelessly foolish, evil, and lost without the grace and mercy of God.

These four verses are pulled from three different places in the Old Testament. Proverbs 1:16, Isaiah 59:7,8 and Psalm 36:1. Again, we will briefly look at each of the Old Testament references to understand the context, and then look at how God led Paul in using these verses in Romans.



Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.

Proverbs 1:16-18

for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood. For in vain is a net spread in the sight of any bird, but these men lie in wait for their own blood; they set an ambush for their own lives. 

In this section of Proverbs, Solomon is describing the lost sinner. He explains how, in their wickedness, they will even try to entice God's children to follow their evil ways. When we read this in Proverbs, we see the same picture that David painted of the enemies of Israel in Psalms. We see dark, mean, ill-intentioned people with deceit and murder driving them. As we read through these Old Testament accounts it's easy to think that these people do not relate to us at all...then Paul shows us that we are these people before God changes us!

Isaiah 59:7,8

 Their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; desolation and destruction are in their highways.  The way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their paths; they have made their roads crooked; no one who treads on them knows peace.

The first 15 verses of Chapter 59 in Isaiah describe the sinfulness of Israel, and the way their relationship with God was affected as a result. Throughout the Old Testament, Israel is a prototype of  God's true children - going from completely lost to redeemed.  We see here the sinfulness of Israel, how evil they actually were, and we can apply this to ourselves in our lost state. We have no desire for anything good before God changes our heart. As we read further in Isaiah 59, we see how God reacts to this evil people - He offers redemption!

 There is no fear of God before their eyes.

Psalm 36:1-4

Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flatters himself in his own eyes that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated. The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit; he has ceased to act wisely and do good. He plots trouble while on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not reject evil.

David once again goes into great detail, describing the character of a wicked nation (also describing us as a lost people). I think these verses in Psalm 36 address the most deadly, sinful part of our human nature: pride. As humans we are so proud, we love to lift ourselves up. We crave praise and honor, and do not like to be embarrassed, put down, or humbled. Thankfully, as Christians, the Holy Spirit will continually convict us of our pride issues, but left unchecked this completely hinder our relationship with God. In our lost state, this pride is one of the main reasons we will never seek God - we don't want to submit to an Ultimate Authority, and we definitely aren't looking to be broken and humbled.

As we look now at how God instructed Paul to apply these verses in Romans, we should be driven to our knees. We were the wicked nations, the deceitful people, the proud that did not fear or seek God. We chose evil, and ran from God - refusing to be humbled before Him. Yet, He offered redemption, and even pulled us from the wreckage that we created and loved. He opened our eyes, allowing us to see Him in all His glory! Thank You Father! 

Paul has gone to great lengths in these first 3 chapters of Romans to reveal to us how sinful we really are - driving the point home with examples and Old Testament references that cannot be argued and leave no room for excuses. We must realize that, as lost people, we are completely sinful, and in that sinfulness we refuse to seek God. When we begin to grasp this, we can begin to see our need for God to work a miracle in our heart. 

Next Post: 2.23.13

Romans 3:13,14

"Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive. The venom of asps is under their lips. Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness." Romans 3:13,14 ESV

Paul, being led by God, continues pulling Old Testament scripture and using it to prove how thoroughly sinful and corrupt man is. He leaves nothing on the table. It seems that, after "setting the stage" by addressing both Jews and Gentiles, this is the knockout punch. He has addressed excuse after excuse, and now lets it all out.

Verses 13 and 14 are pulled from Psalm 5:9, Psalm 140:3, and Psalm 10:7. They all address the same sinful situation, so we will discuss them briefly individually to set context, and then as a group.

Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.

Psalm 5:8-10

Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me. For there is no truth in their mouth; their inmost self is destruction; their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue. Make them bear their guilt, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you.

Here, David refers to the enemies of Israel as the evil ones. We see that Israel corresponds to believers, who are God's children. The evil nations that hated God and Israel in the Old Testament correspond to the lost today. We may choose not to view the lost today as evil - some of them are our family and friends - we would never put them in the same category as the evil nations in the Old Testament. However,

In God's eyes, all who oppose Him are slaves to the evil one, and justly condemned.

This is a hard truth, but necessary to grasp as it should awaken in us a burning desire to spread the gospel, that God could use us as vessels poured out for His glory!

The venom of asps is under their lips.

Psalm 140:1-4

Deliver me, O LORD, from evil men; preserve me from violent men, who plan evil things in their heart and stir up wars continually. They make their tongue sharp as a serpent's, and under their lips is the venom of asps. Selah Guard me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from violent men, who have planned to trip up my feet.

The use of serpent or asp is significant - all the way back to the Garden of Eden in Genesis. Serpent is synonymous with deceit, evil, and corruption. The poison of the asp, in the time of Rome, was used in executions. The definition of the Hebrew and Greek words for poison is also interesting:

Hebrew: heat; anger, bottles, hot displeasure, furious heat, indignation, poison, rage, wrath

Greek:  also venom (as emitted by serpents): - poison, rust.

Together, these definitions paint a gruesome picture of venom running through our veins, producing all kinds of things that are in ablsolute opposition to the character of a Holy God. They reveal us as walking death, capable of nothing but producing more death through corruption and sin. 

 This is a clear and Biblically accurate picture of who we are. 

Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.

Psalm 10:7-9

His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression; under his tongue are mischief and iniquity. He sits in ambush in the villages; in hiding places he murders the innocent. His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless; he lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket; he lurks that he may seize the poor; he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net.

This pulls back the curtain, revealing our natural tendency to deceive. The person we most deceive is ourselves, convincing ourselves that we aren't as bad as the Bible says we are - even training our conscience to excuse us (as Paul wrote in Romans 2:15). We can't handle the fact that those we love and interact with daily are this bad, let alone ourselves. Yet, Paul, being inspired by God, uses Old Testament scripture to help us see who we really are. 

We really are this evil, the Bible tells us so.

So, what is Paul's main theme in verses 13 and 14? 

So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 

And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 

For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 

but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

James 3:5-8 ESV

You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

Matt 12:34 ESV

"'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;  

in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'" 

And he called the people to him and said to them, "Hear and understand: 

it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person."

Matt 15:8-11 ESV

Whether we allow ourselves to recongize it, whether God has revealed it to us or not, we are as evil as Paul has described. It is proven in what comes out of our mouth. While we may feel that there are "good" people in the world who aren't Christians, we need to define "good" by God's perfect character. 

Anything that comes out of our mouth that points to anything other than God, to the praise of His glory, is evil and corrupt, robbing God of the glory He so deserves!

As Christians, we still battle this every day. Thankfully we have the Holy Spirit to convict and guide us, to reveal to us our sinfulness. But man, left to himself, without any true compass, is doomed to run headlong into evil deceit and reckless corruption, ending in eternal death and torment...no matter how "good" we try to convince ourselves we can be apart from God. 

The Bible is the inspired Word of God - no matter how blunt and convicting it is!

Next Post: 2.20.13

Romans 3:10-12

as it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one." 
Romans 3:10-12 ESV

Paul now turns to the Old Testament to prove the fact that ALL men lack ANY good intentions - according to God's standard of good. He pulls quotes from several different Psalms to make his point, we will break down verses 10-18 according to the Psalms that Paul references. I think it will help if we briefly look at each Psalm, and then how God directs Paul to use the Psalm in context in his letter to the church in Rome.

These first three verses come from Psalms 14:1-3 and 53:1-3.

Psalm 14:1-3: 

The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does good.  The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.

Psalm 53: 1-3:

 The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity; there is none who does good. God looks down from heaven on the children of man to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all fallen away; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.

As we can see, the first three verses in these two Psalms are nearly identical. The fact  that we would see the universal sinfulness of man laid out twice almost word for word in Old Testament is interesting. One thing I would like to clarify about the context of these Psalms - they describe "fools" who do not seek God. 

fool: stupid, wicked, or vile person. In context, the morality of a person is addressed.

These Psalms are describing man in his lost state, which parallels what Paul described in the first two chapters of Romans. We see here that everyone, everywhere, from the beginning of time, is included. We are all wicked and vile in the sight of God, until we are covered with the blood of Christ. 

Now, to Paul's references of these Psalms. I think it's interesting that God directed Paul to condense these verses from the Psalms, not quoting them word for word, but simple relaying the idea which makes the context very clear. Paul makes one point, EIGHT times in these first three verses!

1. None is righteous

2. no, not one

3. no one understands

4. no one seeks for God

5. All have turned aside

6. together they have become worthless

7. no one does good 

8. not even one.

It's impossible to argue, after reading these three verses, that Paul believed any human, apart from Christ, has the desire to do anything that would be considered good according to God's standards - including seeking after God. This is spiritual death, as referenced in Ephesians Chapter 2:

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins Eph 2:1

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-- Eph 2:4,5

Everything that has been recorded in the Bible is important, and sometimes things that are repeated at least twice are of special note. The sinfulness of man is not repeated just twice, it has been the underlying theme of Paul's entire letter to the church in Rome this far. Some things that we need to take away from this:

1. As Christians, we need to recognize our sinfulness. We were completely opposed to God in every way while lost, and He saved us from that darkness and confusion. Yet, we still battle the flesh that finds the darkness and confusion natural...we need to draw close to God so that He can reveal areas of our life that are still being hindered by that fleshly opposition to Him. 

2. As witnesses for Christ, it's important to learn from Paul's example. In order for anyone to see the value of what Christ did on the cross, the need must be conveyed. That's why Paul has shown just how sinful man is, and how much we all need forgiveness. We need to do the same, no one will come to Christ without first recognizing their condemnation without Him. 

3. For those who have yet to accept Christ - you remain in the category of the wicked and the vile. All attempts to be "good" apart from Christ are sinful in God's eyes. Those of us who have accepted Christ are no better than you, we are simply sinners saved by God's amazing grace! Accept Christ, and be covered by His blood, and know what it means to experience the peace that surpasses all human understanding...there is nothing in this life that compares!

Romans 3:9

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  Romans 3:9 ESV

Verses 9 - 18 of chapter 3 are a summary of Paul's explanation of the sinfulness of man he started back in Chapter 1. Verses 18 - 32 of Chapter 1 describe man's willful decision to follow the lust of the flesh. We see the sinful nature of man, always choosing darkness, always choosing things that oppose God, always wanting more sin - giving in to the flesh with total disregard for what is known to be true about God. We also see in these verses the depth of man's sinfulness.

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened   Romans 1:21

Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves   Romans 1:24

And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.   Romans 1:28

Our sinfulness reaches far beyond our actions, deep into our mind and our heart. These are the root of our sinfulness, and they are the disease that needs to be cured should we ever hope to desire a relationship with God, who sheds light on our sinfulness. 

It's important to notice that Paul mentions multiple times that "God gave them over" to what they wanted. Man wanted sin, and God allowed them the choice to go that route. God does not force people into sin or a sinful lifestyle...we always choose sin because it is what our heart and mind desire in our lost state - always.



Then, in Chapter 2, Paul goes after the self-righteous Jews who no doubt were quick to say - well we are much better than those sinners you described in Chapter 1. Paul shut the door on that argument very quickly, accusing the Jews of being hypocrites...judging others while practicing the very same things. The Jews didn't get the fact that this sin problem is with the heart and mind. In their attempt to feel good about themselves, they held to a system of "fixing" the heart and mind problem by cleaning up the outward actions. Jesus described this best:

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.   Matt 23:25

We need to address the inner issue of the heart, which needs the power of God to be regenerated. Then, we will see the outward changes begin to show themselves, as the Holy Spirit guides us through the lifelong process of sanctification.


As Paul works through the end of Chapter 2, He describes to the Jews their complete misunderstanding of the law, which they had used as a tool to create lost people who thought they were saved based on their "perceived" ability to keep this law. They had totally misused the law, led many people astray - including themselves, and as a result Paul had these words:

For, as it is written, "The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."  
Romans 2:24

In their desire to justify their in their own minds their ability to live up to God's requirements, they had trampled the very thing that God offered, amazing grace.


Beginning in Chapter 3, Paul addressed the Jews argument that being given the law by God through Moses may not have been of any advantage. Paul proclaims that having the law (or in our case the Bible) is an amazing privilege that allows us to get to know God in a deep and personal way.


Now, to our verse today, verse 9 of Chapter 3:

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

After explaining the Jew's advantage, having been given the law, Paul quickly explains that this does not put them in any better position before God. All people, all Jews and all Gentiles (which sums up the entire population of the earth, for all time) are under sin.

This goes back to those described in Chapter 1, always choosing sin over God, and this includes the self righteous Jews in Chapter 2 who were convinced they were not sinners. 

We must realize that being under sin means two things:
 1. All men, apart from Christ, are completely enslaved to and dominated by the power of sin.
 2. The end result of sin is always eternal condemnation, apart from Christ.


In the following verses, through 18, Paul will use the Old Testament to prove his point on the complete and utter sinfulness of man, the depths of which are so hard to grasp.

I think it is good to take a look back at the overall picture that Paul has painted in these first sections of his letter to the church in Rome. He has laid the groundwork in order to share the gospel, revealing the absolute and desperate need of man for a Savior to drag them from the depths of their sinfulness. It will take nothing short of a miracle, the power of a sovereign and almighty God, to change the willful desires of a corrupt heart and debased mind. 

As Christians, we need to remind ourselves daily of the amazing work that God has done in each of our lives, as it says in Col 1:13: He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son ... AMEN!

If you are not a Christian, please take a moment to recognize where you stand today. You carry the baggage of a sinful heart and mind. Your desire to do "good" will always give way to the lust of the heart and mind to pursue sinful things, that drive you from the light of God. Recognize your sin, recognize your need for a Savior to provide a path of forgiveness and regeneration, a path to a restored relationship with an all-loving God that created us with a desire to know us personally!

Jesus Christ is that Savior - pray that God will open your heart to Him!

 "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion."

Hebrews 3:15

Romans 3:5-8

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.) By no means! For then how could God judge the world? But if through my lie God's truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? And why not do evil that good may come?--as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just. Romans 3:5-8

Paul brings to a close (for now) in these verses what he started in the previous two verses - describing God's perfection in His faithfulness and righteousness. This explanation was in response to his anticipation of the arguments that would be made by the Jews as Paul explained truths contrary to what Jewish leaders taught.


But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say?

This truth is so important as we attempt to grasp as human God's plan for His creation. Paul states here that our unrighteousness highlights God's righteousness.

A question I struggled with a few years ago was this: if an all-knowing God knew beforehand that man would ultimately fall, and cause God's perfect creation to become scarred with broken sinfulness, why would God go ahead and create man? Did He do this knowing that some of those that He created would not end up with eternal life, and if so why did He do it?

While I didn't come across vs 5 of Romans 3 at that time, it clearly explains the answer that I was searching for. Ultimately, God will be most glorified, and only He knows what will bring Him the most glory. Paul has shed a little light on that here. In order for God's righteousness to be highlighted, it has to be set on a backdrop of unrighteousness.

Had man not fallen, we wouldn't know God's mercy and grace to the extent that we do when He saves us from that fallen world. 

God knew that we were going to run from Him as soon as we got the opportunity to, and we did, and we do. Yet, in His perfection, God uses our sinful nature to create a situation in which He can be most glorified, through the display of His grace, mercy, and righteousness. One commentary compared it to a diamond displayed on a black cloth. 

That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) By no means! For then how could God judge the world?

Paul knew what argument would come next, and it is an argument that is still used today to question God's plan that includes wrath and judgement. Part of God's character, along with being perfectly good and righteous, is being perfectly just. 

Just because God uses our sinfulness to highlight His holiness does not mean that our sinfulness is excusable, we are rightly damned apart from and act of God!

God will judge the world for its wickedness. Unless we are perfectly sinless and perfectly righteous, we cannot spend a second in God's presence. Those who are not cloaked in these, through Christ, will be justly condemned for their choice to reject the Son of God. 

But if through my lie God's truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? And why not do evil that good may come?

This should be a facetious argument that Paul expected the Jews...to state that we should not be condemned for our sin because our sin serves to glorify God is a blatant attack on God's holiness. Yet, this was an actual argument that Paul was dealing with. We have already covered why we are still condemned for our sin. 

We should expect that a perfect and holy God will use our choice to reject His Son in a way that will ultimately glorify Him in the end. 

as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.

This line shows that there were some that were attacking Paul, accusing him of spreading the lie that, since God has determined that He will be glorified in light of our sinfulness, that we ought to sin more. This is obviously not what Paul taught, and those that accused him of this were justly condemned for their accusations. 

We see a different spin on this argument today...the argument that the doctrine of justification by grace through faith alone, apart from works, allows for a Christian to freely live a life characterized by habitual sin, after accepting Christ.

In an attempt to deal with this, some hold to the belief that our actions (our works) play a determining factor in our salvation. This idea is created to hold Christians accountable for their actions, by tying them to salvation. The Jews did the same thing - they spend years creating laws that would hold people accountable for their actions.

These two arguments - those in Paul's day accusing Paul of teaching a doctrine of sinfulness, and those today arguing that the doctrine of grace alone through faith alone allows for a life of habitual sin for the Christian - both completely undermine the powerful work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a Christian.

We cannot change or view God's Word, as taught and recorded by those He inspired, in a way that makes sense to us our fits what we think the Truth should be. 

A regenerated heart, led by the occupation and guidance of the Holy Spirit, will produce a life that repents, or turns away from sinfulness. This is a lifelong process, as God reveals our sinfulness to us more everyday in light of His righteousness, yet it is a guaranteed result of God's powerful work of salvation. 

Let's all take some time and submit ourselves fully to the guidance of the Holy Spirit...the results will be nothing short of amazing!

Next Post: 2.9.13

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Romans 3:3,4

What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? 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." Romans 3:3,4 ESV


Beginning in these two verses (and finishing in verse 8) Paul lays out an awesome truth. This truth is a solid foundation for our faith, a rock that will never move.


 What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means! 

The Jews were under the belief that their salvation was tied to the covenant that God had made with Abraham. They believed that this covenant, passed down from generation to generation, was between the Jewish people and God, and they put a lot of faith in their incorrect interpretation of God's promise. When Paul explained the error of their thinking, in Chapter 2 vs 29 (a Jew is one inwardly), they were going to have many questions. This was their mistake:

Rather than question their interpretation of God's promise, they chose to question God's faithfulness to His promise!

God's faithfulness to the covenant He made with Abraham did not depend on the Jews faithfulness. The fact that many, many Jews were not faithful did not nullify God's faithfulness to His covenant. A correct interpretation of God's covenant and promises is what the Jews really needed. 

Today, we can very easily take on the same perspective as the Jews. We may be going through a difficult situation, and begin to wonder if God's promise in Romans 8:28 is really true (And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.). If we are not careful, we will begin to lose sight of the correct interpretation of this promise, which can lead to our questioning of God's faithfulness.

This can play itself out in so many different ways, and God has made many amazing promises that we can cling to - yet an incorrect interpretation of them can lead to questioning, a lack of confidence, and eventually a distraught and complacent Christian. It's very important that we long for the correct interpretation of all that God has laid out in His word. 

Thankfully, God has not based His perfect and complete plan on our willingness, ability, or faithfulness to go along with this plan. Had He done this, His plan would change by the second, and His holy purpose would never get accomplished. 

Rather than base His plan on the actions of a sinful human race, God remains faithful to accomplishing His plan, and fulfilling His promises,  in spite of this sinful human race! 

Let God be true though every one were a liar

This line is so amazing and powerful. As one commentary put it:

"If all mankind were to agree that God had been unfaithful to His promises, it would only prove that all are liars and God is true."

It's awesome that the God we serve is completely unchangeable, so encouraging that H% is the fountain of Truth...no matter how much we mess up, no matter how much we try to make things fit our self serving purposes, God remains true to who He is. 

We can cling to this promise that God made through Paul. God is without a doubt always true, always faithful, always God - no matter what happens on this earth. He will bring to completion everything that He has laid out, everything that He has promised in His Word - nothing will go unfinished. 

as it is written, "That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged."

This quote is from Psalm 51:4, when David was crying out to God after sinning with Bathsheba. We can see David's perspective here. He knew that he had wronged Bathsheba and Uriah, yet the ultimate issue was his sin against God. In his repentance he acknowledges that God's Word is just and God's judgement is blameless. Paul uses this in Romans to reinforce the fact that this is the character of God - just and blameless, in all that He does.

Paul continues to lay out how perfect and righteous God is in light of how imperfect and unrighteous we are in the next few verses. In light of these verses we just went through, and the next few, I would encourage all of us to just meditate with God. Allow this truth that God is completely faithful to all that He has promised without fail to sink in and strengthen our faith.

We should also take this opportunity to ask God to reveal the correct interpretation of His promises to us...that we might be confident in all that we believe.

Please share any thoughts  you might have on these verses. 

Next Post: 2.6.13