Romans 3
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3 Then what [a]advantage does the Jew have? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? 2 Great in every respect. First, that they were entrusted with the actual words of God. 3 What then? If some [b]did not believe, their [c]unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it? 4 [d]Far from it! Rather, God must prove to be true, though every person be found a liar, as it is written:
This reminds me of what we’ve been studying in Exodus, how God spoke to Moses, who then wrote the first five books of the Bible so that future generations would have God’s words, too. I am so thankful that Moses wrote these things down, and I am thankful that the Jews carefully preserved the Scriptures so that we could read God’s words.
In the larger context of this passage it would seem that the Jews were in danger of bringing more condemnation upon themselves for not believing- whilst they had such advantage!
We ought to rejoice for the great privilege of accessibility to the very words of God that we have today. We also must not take such for granted. We must not quench the working of faith by the Holy Spirit through the hearing of the word. Though we hear it, especially the gospel, let us not be dull or hard of heart, weak in faith. Let us see to it that we “receive with meekness the engrafted word that is able to save our souls”.
James 1:22-25
2 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not just hearers who deceive themselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 25 But one who has looked intently at the perfect law, the law of freedom, and has continued in it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an active doer, this person will be blessed in what he does.
“So that You are justified in Your words,
And prevail [e]when You are judged.”
5 But if our unrighteousness [f]demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking from a human viewpoint.) 6 Far from it! For otherwise, how will God judge the world? 7 But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner? 8 And why not say (just as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), “Let’s do evil that good may come of it”? [g]Their condemnation is deserved.
9 What then? [h]Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; 10 as it is written:
“There is no righteous person, not even one;
11 There is no one who understands,
There is no one who seeks out God;
12 They have all turned aside, together they have become [i]corrupt;
There is no one who does good,
There is not even one.”
13 “Their throat is an open grave,
With their tongues they keep deceiving,”
“The venom of [j]asps is under their lips”;
14 “Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”;
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood,
16 Destruction and misery are in their paths,
17 And they have not known the way of peace.”
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
19 Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are [k]under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; 20 because by the works [l]of the Law [m]none of mankind will be justified in His sight; for [n]through the Law comes [o]knowledge of sin.
Justification by Faith
21 But now apart [p]from the Law the righteousness of God has been revealed, being witnessed by the [q]Law and the Prophets, 22 but it is the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those [r]who believe; for there is no distinction, 23 for all [s]have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God displayed publicly as a [t]propitiation [u]in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, [v]because in God’s merciful restraint He let the sins previously committed go unpunished; 26 for the demonstration, that is, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who [w]has faith in Jesus.
27 Where then is boasting? It has been excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. 28 [x]For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from works [y]of the Law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since indeed God who will justify the [z]circumcised [aa]by faith and the [ab]uncircumcised through faith is one.
31 Do we then nullify [ac]the Law through faith? Far from it! On the contrary, we establish the Law.
Footnotes
- Romans 3:1 Lit is the advantage of the Jew
- Romans 3:3 Or were unfaithful
- Romans 3:3 Or unfaithfulness
- Romans 3:4 Lit May it never happen! And so throughout the ch
- Romans 3:4 Or in Your judging
- Romans 3:5 I.e., by requiring His judgment
- Romans 3:8 Lit Whose
- Romans 3:9 Or Are we worse
- Romans 3:12 Or depraved
- Romans 3:13 I.e., venomous snakes
- Romans 3:19 Lit in
- Romans 3:20 Or of law
- Romans 3:20 Lit no flesh
- Romans 3:20 Or through law
- Romans 3:20 Or recognition
- Romans 3:21 Or from law
- Romans 3:21 I.e., the Old Testament
- Romans 3:22 Or who believe. For there is
- Romans 3:23 Or sinned
- Romans 3:25 I.e., a means of reconciliation between God and mankind by paying the penalty for sin
- Romans 3:25 Or by
- Romans 3:25 Lit because of the passing over of the sins previously committed, in the restraint of God
- Romans 3:26 Lit is of the faith of Jesus
- Romans 3:28 One early ms Therefore
- Romans 3:28 Or of law
- Romans 3:30 Lit circumcision
- Romans 3:30 Lit out of
- Romans 3:30 Lit uncircumcision
- Romans 3:31 Or law
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This is a great reminder for all christians- new and mature. Whether you have just been saved or have been saved for many years, salvation is by faith and not at all by works. Sometimes the more you grow in your walk with God, the more you focus on what you are doing for God. And you can easily forget that your salvation and God’s love for you do not change based on your works.
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