God Speaks
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.
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.
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, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. 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 makes sinners 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.
Source: New Living Translation: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding Romans 3:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
1. God must judge all sin (even those of His special people).
2. People always sin, every single one except Jesus.
If God is going to judge everyone, what advantage do Jews (and others who believe the Bible) have? For one thing, they were chosen by God to receive His laws and directions for life, but you could say that most (including me) aren’t faithful in following them. Doesn’t our sinfulness show off God’s holiness, our lies contrast and magnify His truth? If Jews and other believers in God sin like other people, what is their advantage? Even the Hebrew Bible says, “No one is righteous–not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.” Their talk is full of lies, cursing, bitterness, destruction, misery, and all kinds of fear (except the proper fear of God). (Romans 3:10-18 NLT) So whether we are Jewish or not, “no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.” (Romans 3:20 NLT) That’s all bad news! But the Good News is this: God, who is always righteous, just, and fair, has made a way to declare us not guilty. If we, each one, believe in our hearts that Jesus, the Son of God, shed His blood and sacrificed His life in our place, God will declare us righteous and set us free from the penalty of our sins. It’s not by our being “good enough.” It’s all by faith in Jesus.
Prayer: Dear Gracious God, thank You for choosing me and giving me the Bible so that I can know and follow You. But even with the Bible, I still mess up and sin. Lord, I admit that my sin caused Jesus to suffer and die. I believe that He rose from the dead just as He said He would. By faith I accept as fact that Jesus paid the death penalty that all my sins deserved, including _______ (name specific ones). Holy Spirit, You use the blood of Jesus to cleanse me of all the sin I bring to You. Then You come into my very being to take control over my life, making it more and more like Jesus. Therefore, by faith, I declare I am set free! I’m so filled with joy over this new sense of freedom in Christ that I want to share it with everyone. From here on You, Holy God, will give me the courage, stamina, and wisdom I need to do whatever You say for the sake of Jesus’ name and to honor Him. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, which one of these He wants you to work on or something else more personal that He points out.) With the help of God’s Holy Spirit:
- I will thank Jesus for suffering and dying on the cross for my sins.
- I will ask for the Holy Spirit’s power and instruction in how to live this new life.
- I will look for other people who have been set free by Jesus to be friends with (in a church?).
- I will tell friends and family members _______ (specific people) about this so that they can be free, too.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.