Written ~ 07-15-2024
Read Romans Chapter Three
Romans 3
As we begin chapter 3, let’s remind ourselves that the Book Romans is a letter Paul wrote to the believers in Rome. His letter was not divided in chapters and verses, it’s all one letter, one thought. Thinking of it that way will bring a much more personal touch to this letter. Sure he was writing to the Roman believers in the first century, but he is just as much writing this letter to you and to me. Personalize it as you read it through. The topics Paul speaks of… sin, condemnation, punishment, faith, belief, righteousness… all those things apply to us today, maybe now even more and with a bit more urgency as we see the state the world is in today. So think about ways to personalize the Scriptures as you read your Bible, allow the words on the pages to become alive in your mind and consider their application to whatever your situation is at this very moment.
Romans chapter three is a direct continuation of what Paul was saying in chapter 2 verses 17-29, but let’s start from verses 2:28-29 and read through 3:1-2…
Romans 2:28-3:2…
28“For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. 29No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people. 1Then what’s the advantage of being a Jew? Is there any value in the ceremony of circumcision? 2Yes, there are great benefits! First of all, the Jews were entrusted with the whole revelation of God.”
In our study from Romans chapter two we discussed how it really doesn’t matter if you were born into a Christian family, that doesn’t make you a Christian. But the advantage of growing up in a Christian family gives you many more opportunities to know who the Lord is and come to faith in Him, possibly at a younger age (not always, but sometimes). So when Paul asks the question in Romans 3:1, “What is the advantage of being a Jew?” How do we answer? Let’s apply this question to being raised in a Christian home. You may have had more consistent access to the church and Bible Study, you could have had firsthand knowledge to the power of prayer. All those things are of great value when you are considering giving your life to the Lord. Back in the Old Testament, the Israelites were entrusted with the Law of God, He spoke directly though His oracles (prophets). God’s Word was carried on through them, whether they knew it or not, they were “entrusted with the whole revelation of God.” When you entrust something to someone, you are placing your complete trust in that person to hold dear to what you are giving them. In this case, it was God’s very Words! By God entrusting His Words to those people so long ago, He expected them to obey what His Words said. But even having the Word of God, or being raised in a Christian home doesn’t guarantee your heart will be given over to the Lord. Sadly, we can have every bit of knowledge we need to know who the Lord is, right at our fingertips, and still not understand or accept who Jesus is.
Romans 3:3-4…
3True, some of them were unfaithful; but just because they were unfaithful, does that mean God will be unfaithful? 4Of 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.” (Psalm 51:4)
So what did the Israelites do with the entrusted Word of God? They disobeyed, they did not rely on the Words written in Scripture to keep them faithful. Think about your own life. You have access to the Word of God, do you treasure it within your heart? Do you obey the Words written in your Bible? Have to put your full trust and faith in the Lord Jesus? Just as Romans 3:3 says, “…some were unfaithful…” Are you unfaithful?
Here are some synonyms found in the dictionary for the word unfaithful:
- Disloyal
- Untrustworthy
- Irresponsible
- Uninterested
- Undependable
So think of those words in relation to the Word of God! Do you ever find yourself uninterested in picking up your Bible? Is the way you live your life irresponsible in respect to the instructions given in the Scriptures? When God hands you the gift of Salvation through His Only Son are you undependable to care for that gift? The attributes of an unfaithful heart comes from our sinful nature, we can much too easily set our focus on the things of this world instead of the revelations given to us by the One and Only God! But even if at times we are unfaithful, “Does that mean God will be unfaithful” to us because we choose not to honor Him? In verse 3:4 Paul answers that question with, “Absolutely NOT!” Even though we sometimes don’t keep our promises, or like verse 3:4 says, “Even if everyone else is a liar,” can we still rely on God? Absolutely YES! “God is true,” God keeps His promises, God cannot lie. Verse 3:4b quotes Psalms 51:4…
“You will be proved right in what You say,
and You will win Your case in court.” (Psalm 51:4)
We cannot escape the Truth of God’s Word and the Fairness in God’s judgment of sin. God’s truth will always win, no matter what we try to rationalize as being “OK.” We cannot continue to sin in order to show we have a fair and just God. Verse 3:7 says, “…how can God condemn me as a sinner if my dishonesty highlights His truthfulness and brings Him more glory?” This is a twisted lie of the Enemy, to make us think we are actually doing good by sinning so God’s glory can shine through our sin. The Word of God is given to us so we have no excuse for living a life of sin and rebellion against God’s Law, the Law shows us how sinful we actually are (Romans 3:5-20).
Romans 3:21-26…
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.”
These verses have a common theme… That theme: “How to be right with God”
- God has shown us a way to be right with Him
- We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ
- We all fall short of God’s glorious standard
- God, in His Grace, freely makes us right in His sight
- God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin
- God makes sinners right in His sight when they believe in Jesus
Romans 3:23…
“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”
In this Scripture it is very clear that not one of us meets the high standard of Glory that God expects from His people. Our good deeds, our cheerful demeaner, our seemingly perfect lives only cover up the sin that shrouds the glory of God from shining in our lives. But in verse 3:21 it says, “…God has shown us a way…” Deep down within each of us there is a yearning to be right with God. Because of our sinful nature though, it is possible to drown out that yearning by living for ourselves and pursuing the world’s standards instead of God’s. Some hearts may never allow that yearning to come to the surface, where God can strengthen that desire to become right with Him. And the only way to become right with God is through our faith and belief in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son.
Romans 3:22…
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.”
God is making it clear that there is no distinction to who can believe, “…no matter who you are…” So if you think you are too sinful to be made right with God, well… all of us have sinned, so all of us can be made right “…by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes…” And what are we to have faith in and who are we to believe in? “…people are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed His life, shedding His blood…”
What if you don’t think you need the Lord? Well, if you consider you’ll be ok even if you don’t put your faith in Christ, you’ll not only truly miss out on a glorious change in your life, but the most important thing is… When you are not right with God you will not have the Salvation Christ offers so you can be free from sin and death. In other words, not being right with God means an eternity without Him, and a judgment which leads to an eternity in Hell. All of us are free to make this choice but it is God’s desire that everyone would choose His Son and live eternally with Him in Heaven.
It says in 1 Timothy 2:3-6…
3 “This is good and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. 5 For, there is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. 6 He gave His life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time.”
When Paul writes to the Roman believers, the message of Salvation through Jesus was a fairly new concept, it’s only been about 20 years since Christ ascended back to Heaven. For us today, it’s been 2000 years! But guess what? The message is exactly the same! We have Paul’s letters and the rest of Scripture! Paul is speaking directly to the questions that people had way back then, and I would bet the very same questions are asked today. And… you guessed it… the answers are going to be the same as well.
Romans 3:27-31…
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 have to conclude that living a “good life,” following instructions and living by the Law is not what saves us. Right? Do you agree with that statement after reading what Paul has written so far in the Book of Romans? Has it come to your full understanding that the only way to Salvation is by believing and accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior? As we continue to work our way through the Book of Romans, your acknowledgment and belief in who Jesus is, and accepting the purpose God has for your life, will make this journey through the New Testament an absolute explosion of joy! Because your understanding, your faith, your belief will come full circle.
Dear Lord, I pray for those who have not yet realized their need for You in their lives. My prayer today and every day is that You would soften their hearts, to allow the yearning of their hearts to be open to the knowledge of who Jesus is and what He has done for them. My prayer is for Salvation, a complete cleansing of sin and to gain the hope of eternal life. Thank You Father for opening my heart all those years ago and accepting me as Your child when I came to believe in Your Son Jesus Christ. My heart cries out to You now for those who don’t know You personally. Nudge their hearts, softened their rebellion. Have them seek Your presence and find You. With the help of the Holy Spirit have them make the decision to be made right with You. I come to You Lord with praise and honor, in Your Name, Jesus …
~AMEN~