[𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘴𝘰 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘖𝘋 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘫𝘰𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘭𝘺 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘺 𝘢 𝘧𝘦𝘸 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘨𝘰. 𝘞𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘡𝘰𝘰𝘮 𝘰𝘯 𝘛𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘌𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘶𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦, “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘴”, 𝘣𝘺 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘮 𝘔𝘢𝘤𝘋𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘥. 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘗𝘢𝘶𝘭’𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘦.]

The beginning of Romans 3 is a continuation of Paul’s comments at the end of chapter 2, where he addressed those of Jewish descent who believed themselves to enjoy special standing in the eyes of GOD simply by being born to Jewish parents and by keeping the laws of circumcision. 

Paul clearly stated that being right with GOD was a matter of the heart, not merely obeying the letter of the law, but a change of heart produced by GOD’s Spirit (2:29).

Seemingly anticipating the next questions to be posed, Paul used this section of his letter to present a possible dialogue:  

• Is there, then, any benefit to being a Jew?  Is there any value in circumcision? (3:1). Yes! The very oracles (truths) of GOD were entrusted to Israel (3:2).  
• However, many Jews were not faithful to follow the truth they were given.  Does this mean GOD will not be faithful to His promises to them? (3:3).  Of course not!  Though every man be found a liar, GOD will be found to be true (3:4).
• Well, if our sinfulness helps others see the true righteousness of GOD, should He punish us for simply living the way we cannot help but live in our sinful natures? How can He condemn us if our dishonesty highlights His truthfulness and brings Him more glory? (3:5, 7).
• How could you suggest such a thing?  Of course GOD will be just and fair, how else would He be qualified to judge the world?  Those who believe it is better for them to sin more deserve to be condemned! (3:6, 8).  The truth is all men, Jew or Gentile, are under the power of sin and stand guilty before GOD (3:9, 19).

Paul then turned to the Old Testament to show how Scripture confirms that all men fail to meet GOD’s righteous standards:

• No one is righteous.  No one seeks GOD.  No one does good. (Psalm 14:1-3)
• Their words are foul and dishonest, full of cursing and bitterness. (Psalm 5:9, Psalm 140:3, Psalm 10:7)
• Their ways are characterized by murder, destruction, and misery.  They find no peace. (Isaiah 59:7-8)
• They have no fear of GOD. (Psalm 36:1)

Paul concluded “the entire world is guilty before GOD” and incapable of being made right with GOD by keeping the law (3:19-20).  This strengthened Paul’s plea in the previous chapter that all men and women desperately need to hear the gospel – the good news that they can be made right in GOD’s eyes through faith in JESUS, apart from the law.

So, how does this work?  Especially important for the Jewish people to understand, how does the law they have held in such high regard fit into this new understanding of GOD’s story of redemption?  In the second half of Romans 3 (and the following chapters), Paul addressed these questions.  

He reiterated that the prophets promised GOD’s plan all along – that GOD Himself would make a way for men and women to be made right with Him without keeping the requirements of the law, by placing their faith in JESUS CHRIST (3:21-22).  Does this render the law useless?  Of course not!  It is only when we place our faith in JESUS that we truly fulfill the law (3:31).  But, how?

In Romans 3:23-26, Paul spelled out what many consider to be the heart of his letter – how a holy GOD can justify sinners.

In our study (pp 34-35, 38), William MacDonald recounted Paul’s explanation this way:

“The law declares all men guilty before GOD.  The law is good when it is used to produce conviction of sin, but is worthless as a deliverer from sin.

Because GOD is holy, He cannot condone sin or overlook it.  He must punish it.  And the punishment for sin is death.  Yet GOD loves the sinner and wants to save him – there is the dilemma.  The gospel reveals how GOD can save sinners without compromising His righteousness.  

The righteous plan was witnessed by the Law [here, referring to the Pentateuch] and the Prophets.  It was foretold in the types and shadows of the sacrificial system that required the shedding of blood for atonement, and it was foretold by direct prophecies (see for example Isaiah 51:5-6, 8; 56:1; Daniel 9:16, 24).

It is obtained through faith in CHRIST (complete reliance on the living LORD JESUS CHRIST as one’s only Savior from sin and one’s only hope for heaven).  Faith is based on the revelation of the person and work of CHRIST as found in the Bible.  

Faith is not a leap in the dark.  It demands the surest evidence, and it finds it in the infallible word of GOD.  Faith is not illogical or unreasonable.  What is more reasonable than that the creature should trust his Creator?  In fact, he’s a fool not to believe Him and trust Him!  Faith is not an attempt to earn salvation, but is the simple acceptance of the salvation which GOD offers as a free gift.

The verb “to justify” means to reckon or declare to be righteous.  GOD does not make the believer sinless or righteous in himself.  GOD puts righteousness to his account.  He acquits him from guilt, but also clothes him in Christ’s righteousness. Acquittal means that a person is free from a charge; justification means that positive righteousness is given (imputed) to him.

The reason GOD can declare ungodly sinners to be righteous is because CHRIST has fully paid the debt of their sins by His death and resurrection.

The gospel tells how CHRIST died to pay the penalty of the broken law.  He did not treat the law as a thing to be ignored; rather, He paid the debt in full.  So now, anyone who has broken the Law can avail himself of the fact that Christ paid the penalty on his behalf.  Thus, the gospel of salvation by faith upholds the Law by insisting that its utmost demands must be, and have been, fully met.”

The Gospel Coalition’s study of Romans offers a few additional thoughts:

“Every good gospel presentation must tell us the bad news before it tells us the good news.  This is what makes the good news so good.  There is something terribly wrong with us and with the world.  Thus far in Pauls’ letter to the church in Rome, he has been explaining just what that problem is:  the rebellious transgression of GOD’s righteousness revealed generally in creation, universally in our consciences, and especially and specifically in the Scriptures. 

Paul has revealed and reaffirmed that we are sinners, following our perverted instincts into more and more death.   The only justifiable response to our sin against GOD’s righteousness is His right and just wrath.  But that is the bad news; the gospel means “good news.”  In Romans 3:21-4:25, Paul articulates the heart of this great news of the gospel: GOD’s remarkable and gracious response to our sin, and also how this response does not diminish or contravene, but rather upholds His righteousness.”

As Mr. MacDonald might say, “What is more reasonable than to trust that almighty Creator GOD implemented an eternal plan of redemption that aligns perfectly with the law He has given? 

Would His provision of salvation through His Son not meet His own holy requirements, paving the way for the sinners that He loves to be forgiven and declared righteous because of that offering?” 

Of course, He did!  And we are freely welcomed and urged to place our faith in GOD, in His Word, in the law that reveals His heart and our neediness, and in the Savior who died and rose again to reconcile us to the Father!

Our lesson concluded with one final question (p 40): “How would you use this chapter to enlighten someone who believes they must be a good person to be acceptable to GOD?”

Scripture tells us and our own experience confirms that none of us is good, none of us is acceptable to GOD, not one of us is capable of meeting the requirements of GOD’s law, of being “good” enough.  If it was possible for us to merit His favor on our own, why would He need to send His only Son (the only sinless One) to shed His blood to redeem us?  His sacrifice would have been for nothing.  

No.  This cannot be.  JESUS is our only hope.  Father GOD and His Son went to such great lengths to redeem us and to deliver us from our own helpless situation because He loves us and couldn’t bear for us to be lost.  The Father’s driving force since the beginning of time has been redemption and restoration – through His Son as our Savior, doing for us what we are incapable of doing for ourselves.  

Praise GOD our salvation is not up to us!  Praise GOD for His infinite mercy and grace in providing not only *a* way for us to be accepted by Him, but *the* only, perfect, all-sufficient, once-and-for-all way of salvation through JESUS.  Our faith in His finished work of redemption for us truly is the most reasonable choice we can make.  We would be foolish to refuse this indescribable gift!

For GOD so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.  (John 3:16, NIV)

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of GOD.  (Ephesians 2:8, NIV)

RESOURCES:

“The Letter to the ROMANS,” by William MacDonald, Emmaus Worldwide, 2020, Revised 2023.

The Bible Project, video summary of the book of Romans, Parts 1 & 2.

https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/romans-1-4/

https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/romans-5-16/

“Knowing the Bible: Romans”, by Jared C. Wilson, The Gospel Coalition,  thegospelcoalition.org .