August 8, 2021
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Reading along with us in Romans? Here’s today’s reading:
Romans 3 (NIV)
God’s Faithfulness
1 What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? 2 Much in every way! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God.
3 What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness? 4 Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written:........Continue Reading
“20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.”
The law is important…we need to know right from wrong and when we are sinning but thank you Jesus for the redemptive power of your blood shed for me! There is no way we could be saved by our works as we saw in Judges we are so quick to fall back to sin but God knew that and made a way for us.
We don’t live by the law to get to heaven but rather to live a life pleasing to the one who saved us. It is out of fear of the Lord, reverence, respect, and appreciation for ALL He has done for us and ALL He continues to do….following the law is really the least of what we can do in return!
Romans 3
Romans 2&3
But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. – Romans 3:21-24
And as all of us are sinners, both those under the law and those outside of it, what hope do we have? What source of righteousness do we look towards if we are insufficient?
Romans 3
Like I said in chapter 2, the Jews have a benefit in being entrusted with the word of God, but we know full well that they didn’t do a good job obeying it. But God is still faithful and righteous in spite of their unfaithfulness. But because of that we can’t somehow justify that somehow God is better glorified by us doing wrong. No, all of us are unrighteous and not only that, but God has a right to judge us because of that. But He has chosen not to do that. Now since He could not look to us to provide our own righteousness, He provided a way for us to attain righteousness by faith, by believing in something. And more than a something, a someone, namely Jesus and the atonement He offered on the cross. He took our place so our sin could be cleansed and His righteousness could be credited to us.
And you know what that does? It nullifies boasting. What could we ever take credit for or be prideful about in a salvation that is so gracious and free and void of human effort. But you know what it doesn’t nullify? The law. The same law that was insufficient to save us becomes the standard we live by because we want to please and follow the One who revealed His love so clearly.
Everyone, Jew and Gentile alike, is declared unrighteous under the law. We are unable to completely obey the law in order to achieve a righteousness before God. We cannot stand before God in our own righteousness, we must stand before God in Jesus.
“But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”