Romans 3:1-31

Overview - Jewish Objections (Vs. 1-8)

In chapter 3, Paul now answers the objections he knew would come from the Jews after reading the truths in the previous verses. Paul himself was a Jew, and therefore wanted to answer these objections in a direct and straightforward manner, so that every Jewish person could understand that their objections were not biblical. What were their objections?

The first objection was, what advantage did a Jew have over the Gentiles? (Vs. 1-2)

Paul wrote, “What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God” (Rom. 3:1-2). Paul explained that even though the Jews and Gentiles were exactly the same in regards to their sin and disobedience to God, yet the Jews did have advantages in being chosen by the Father. What were these advantages? God first chose Abraham and the Jewish people to display His love and grace to the world, and to show them His great mercy. He also blessed them greatly by allowing them to possess the oracles of God, which was His moral law (Deut. 7:6-8; Deut. 10:15). This was a tremendous advantage over the Gentiles, even though these privileges did not profit them because of their disobedience.

These were not the only advantages the Jew possessed, and so Paul revealed further benefits in Romans 9:4-5, which I will address when we get to that portion of the epistle. However, this chief advantage of knowing God’s Word opened the door to every other privilege and blessing God intended for His people. The Word of God gave them a clear understanding of the character and nature of God, and was also the agent that produced faith in their hearts. Remember, faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Rom. 10:17). The Word also gave them an understanding of His promises, which offered them His abundant grace, mercy, and forgiveness. Therefore, the Jews had a great advantage, but with that advantage came a greater responsibility. This responsibility is also one that each of us who know His Word possess today.

Every Christian has also been given a tremendous advantage over all the people of this world. You have been given great and precious promises, and the truths that can lead you to real life and godliness in this life, and one day into eternal life (2 Peter 1:3-4). This is an incredible privilege that has been given to you. But you too have a corresponding responsibility that goes along with knowing God’s truth. Jesus declared to His disciples, “For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more” (Luke 12:48). What will be required of you? The Lord’s expectation for you is that you would believe His promises, walk with Him by faith, obey Him, and be a witness to those around you. In fact, the more you know of God’s truth, the more He will ask of you. What a tremendous responsibility we have! Think of it, you know the God who created the universe, and you know the truths of His Word that can bring someone from death to life. Jesus taught His disciples, “Blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it” (Matt. 13:16-17). Don’t take for granted this privilege that you possess! Don’t hide your light under a basket, but let it shine to all those around you (Matt. 5:16).

The second objection was, is God to blame if some don’t believe? (Vs. 3-4)
Paul explained, “For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written: ‘That You may be justified in Your words, and may overcome when You are judged” (Rom. 3:3-4).

But what if some of the Jews did not believe; would their unbelief reveal that God was really not faithful to His promises, or that His faithfulness was not powerful enough to effect change in them? Has God failed? Or let me say it another way. What if a Jew thought to himself, God has given me His Word, which should produce faith in my heart, so God must be to blame since I am not a believer. This is the natural tendency of the sinful nature of man, to blame God or others for their own failures and unbelief. This is classic blame-shifting.

Paul answers this assertion with an emphatic “No, certainly not!” These words, certainly not, literally mean, perish the thought. In other words, men should never entertain this thought in their minds that God is at fault for any failure or sin they have committed. If anyone was to blame, it would be the Jew, or any other person who chose not to believe the Word of God. All men, Jews and Gentiles alike, make their own choice to believe, or not to believe. Paul declared in 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 why men will be judged in the last days. He wrote, “And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” Notice that men will be condemned, because they did not believe the truth, but they had pleasure in unrighteousness. Therefore, God cannot be blamed for the choices that men make of their own free will.

Paul then quotes King David’s assertion in Psalm 51:4 that God is the only one who is true and just in His dealings with man, and will always come out justified when He is judged by man. Note David was not blaming God for his adultery with Bathsheba; he was asserting the righteousness of God and his own weakness. David declares, “I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight-- that You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge” (Ps. 51:3-4).

Each of us must be so careful that when we fail and sin, that we don’t make the mistake of trying to blame God or others for our own disobedience. Yet, I have heard many say to me, “I wouldn’t have fallen into this sin, if God had not allowed this or that to happen.” The important thing to remember is, God will forgive an honest confession for any sin, but He won’t forgive an excuse that blames Him or others for my failure. John wrote, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” (1 John 1:9-10). The Jews were doing a whole lot of blame-shifting, and Paul wanted to put a stop to it right here.

The third objection was, is God unjust who inflicts wrath (Vs. 5-6)

Paul writes, “But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? (I speak as a man.) Certainly not! For then how will God judge the world?” (Rom. 3:5-6). Paul continues now with another twisted rationalization within the Jewish mindset. He has already established the fact that God is true whenever He judges anyone, but let me give you some examples of this faulty reasoning. Some would say that if the Jewish rebellion against God opened the door of salvation to the Gentiles, then how could God righteously punish the Jews? Their unrighteousness and disobedience actually promoted God’s ultimate plan of salvation. Or, some may reason, if the betrayal of Judas actually fulfilled the prophetic Word, and salvation resulted for the world through the death of Jesus, how could God righteously punish Judas? The answer is very simple. In both of these examples Judas and the Jewish people still did what was evil. When men do evil, God will justly judge them, which reveals just how righteous God is in His nature. Does His action of judging these people make God unjust. No! Because if God cannot judge the unrighteousness of men in the above circumstances, then how can He judge anyone in this world? Remember, God is always just and righteous in every judgment that He makes.

The fourth objection was, can my lie bring glory to God? (Vs. 7-8)

Paul writes again, “For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? And why not say, ‘Let us do evil that good may come’? --as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just” (Rom. 3:7-8). Let me explain this corrupt rationalization this way. If my failings ultimately bring glory to God and reveal His righteousness, how can God turn around and judge me for my unrighteousness? This is very similar to the third objection, with just a slight twist. Think of this objection this way. If I lie to someone and misrepresent the gospel, but that person surrenders to the Lord, does the end result of their salvation justify the means? No! This is a very old form of a reasoning that we have all heard many times. Does the end justify the means? Never! Even though a person’s sin and unrighteousness may bring glory to God, their behavior will still be judged, because what they did was still wrong. Why will the Lord judge in this manner? Because God always judges sin. No matter what the result is, the behavior was still sinful and unrighteous.

In verse 8, Paul warns his readers that some have said that his teaching on grace was promoting this kind of corrupt thinking. He declared that some were slanderously saying that his teaching promoted the philosophy, “Let us do evil so that good may come.” Yet some do teach this way even today. They declare that you can live anyway you please, sin however you wish, and God’s grace will cover it. I personally remember a man who taught this way saying to me, “God’s grace is like the ocean, and your sin is like pouring a glass of milk into it. The milk is dissolved and disappears in an instant. So, don’t sweat your sin, just enjoy yourself. God takes no notice of your sin.” Ultimately, Paul explained that those who teach this philosophy that the end justifies the means, or that you can continue in sin that good may come, that their condemnation was just. Later on in Romans 6, Paul answered this objection in even more detail.

The bigger question is why do people use these rationales to blame God for their unrighteousness? These rationales all result from men who do not want to admit that they are sinners, and that they are in need of a Savior. They simply want to do as they please and think God’s grace will erase all their sinful behavior. But Jesus taught His disciples that one day many people will come to Him wanting to enter the Kingdom and will be refused. Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Matt. 7:21-23). Why will He reject them? Because they practiced lawlessness.

Solomon also understood this same truth about the nature of men when he wrote, “The foolishness of a man twists his way, and his heart frets against the LORD” (Prov. 19:3). The Hebrew word for foolishness refers to man’s corrupt sinful nature. Therefore, man’s own sinful desires are what twists his way. The word twists means, that which leads a person astray, or that which brings him to ruin. Then, after men yield to their foolish sin nature and experience ruin, they turn around and fret against the LORD. The word fret means to become angry or enraged. How twisted is this! A man’s sinful desires corrupt his way, he experiences the fruit of his own doing, and then he gets angry with God for the results! This is the twisted thinking of all mankind apart from the Lord. But God in His mercy and patience endures such contradictions within us with much longsuffering by attempting to turn us to His truth.

Is anyone better than anyone else? (Vs. 9-20)

In verses 9-20, Paul answers another objection: A Jew might think to himself, First you declare that we are just as guilty as the Gentiles. Then you turn around and say we have an advantage because we possess the Word of God, so aren’t you saying, we really are still better than the Gentiles? Paul answered this assertion by simply quoting nine Old Testament passages that clearly declare that we all, Jew and Gentile alike, are equally under the control of sin. Paul writes, “What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. As it is written: ‘There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one. Their throat is an open tomb; with their tongues they have practiced deceit; The poison of asps is under their lips; Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; destruction and misery are in their ways; and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.’ Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Rom. 3:9-20).

Paul answers this Jewish question with the facts of Scripture, revealing that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin (v 9). Each verse that Paul quotes reveals the universal sin and need of all men before God. He begins with the strongest proof from Scriptures declaring that, “There is none righteous, no not one. There is none who understands. There is none who seeks after God. They have all gone out of the way. They have together become unprofitable. There is none who does good, not one.” In the first three verses Paul quotes passages that use the word none four times, and the word all once, underscoring the fact that no one is excluded from these statements. We all need a Savior, because we are all sinners! The pastor I grew up under used to say, “It doesn’t matter if you are at the top of the pile of sinners, or the bottom of the pile; you’re still in the pile! We are all sinners! Some of us were more refined in our sinful ways, and others were more gross in the sins we engaged in, but we all still sinned. So, when you hear someone say, “I’m a good person,” or “I wasn’t that bad,” make sure that you quote these verses to them, and explain to them that not one of us can ever claim that we were a good person, or we have some inherent goodness. This concept of man’s depravity and our human problem with sin, is the first step on what many have called, “The Roman’s Road to Salvation.” To ever begin any movement toward salvation, I must admit my sinfulness and utter depravity of heart before a holy God.

Paul also taught in Rom. 3:11 that, “There is none who understands.” This is God’s answer to every philosophy of man that has tried to understand Him or know Him apart from Jesus Christ. There are multitudes of human philosophies in the world today, but God declares in His Word that none of them understand Him. For us to know Him, He must reveal Himself to us. Paul stated, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself” (Eph. 1:7-9). God’s redemption and grace have been offered to all men through His entry into this world in the flesh of a man. This is how He has made known to us the mystery of His will by His own purpose and grace. Thank you, Lord, for revealing yourself to me!

Paul further proved this fact, that no one understands Him by stating, “There is none who seeks after God” (Rom. 3:11). Now this verse might bother some of you, because you might think to yourself, I was seeking the Lord, and I finally found him. Not so! No one seeks after God. You may then think, What then was I seeking? You were seeking relief from the misery of your sin, and from the torment you were experiencing from your empty soul. But, what about all those who have been supposedly seeking the truth in the other religions? They appear to be seeking God, but again, the answer is no! Why do I say this? Because other religious systems are set up for us to justify ourselves from guilt, through good works. Every religious system other than Christianity is simply man trying to be good enough for God. If you study them closely, that is the end result of each one of these religious systems. This is far different from seeking a holy God for who He is. No sinner who is in his right mind would ever seek a holy God. Do you know why? Because man is a sinner, and wants to hide from a holy God, just as Adam and Eve did in the garden (Gen. 3:8). God was the only One who was seeking them (Gen. 3:9). God is still seeking fellowship with men, and this is why He sent His Son to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10). Jesus said that the Father is still the One Who is seeking men to worship Him (John 4:23)! Thank you, Lord, for seeking me!

Paul continued to describe our corrupt and totally destitute situation when he declared, “They have all gone out of the way, they have together become unprofitable (Rom. 3:12). This word unprofitable means spoiled or rotten fruit. What good is rotten fruit? What do you do with rotten fruit? You throw it in the trash because it’s worthless. This is the state of the natural man apart from God.

From Romans 3:13-18, Paul continues to use Scripture as his proof that men continually practice deceit apart from Him, that their hearts are full of bitterness, that they bring misery to others, because they have not known the way of peace, and neither have they known the fear of God. If men did have any fear God, this would have motivated them to change their ways, and turn from their sinful behavior (Ps. 55:19; Prov. 8:13). But we didn’t change until the Lord made Himself known to us by His sovereign will.

How can men ever be justified before God? (Vs. 19-31)

Can men be justified by keeping the law? To answer this question, Paul first wanted to make sure that every one of his readers were absolutely clear on the fact that no one could ever be justified from their sin by keeping the law. He declared, “Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Rom. 3:19-20).  

Why then did God give the law? Was the Law given so that someone could say, “I have not set up idols up in my house; I’ve never killed anyone, never committed adultery, and never stolen anything? I have kept the law.” No, God never wanted anyone to ever think that they were righteous when they considered the law of God. Here are four simple reasons that Paul revealed concerning God’s purpose in giving the law. 

• God gave the law to reveal the knowledge of sin(Vs. 20). The Law was not given to make a person feel self-righteous, but it was given to make him realize that he had broken the law. Paul will explain later in this epistle that the law is spiritual, and deals with the heart of man (Rom. 7:14). Paul thought he was a very righteous man until he understood the last commandment which dealt with coveting (Ex. 20:17). He declared, “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, ‘You shall not covet’” (Rom. 7:7). When Paul understood that the law addressed the covetousness of his heart, he realized that he was continually breaking the law. This is why Jesus taught His disciples that the law forbidding murdering or committing adultery were actually to address the hatred and lust of men’s hearts (Matt. 5:21-28).
• God gave the law to reveal that every man was guilty. When you realize that you have broken God’s law, then you come to the conclusion that you are guilty before Him (Vs. 19). If you realize your guilt, this should bring you to my third point.
• God gave the law to show a man that he could not be justified by trying to keep it. Obviously, if you can’t keep the law, then you would never think that you could be justified by trying to keep it. This was a message that Paul taught everywhere he went. He taught in Galatians 6:13 that, “not even those who are circumcised keep the Law.” But if you can’t keep the law, then how could anyone be saved and justified from their sin? This brings you to my last point.
• God gave the Law so that all men might see their need for a Savior.If no man can keep the law, and we are all guilty before God, this would naturally turn a person’s heart to look for a Savior outside of himself. This was the purpose of these first three chapters of Romans up to this point, which then brings his readers to verse 21. From this point in the epistle forward, Paul now begins to explain to the Roman church God’s solution for their guilt and sin.

How can a man be saved? (Vs. 21-31)

From Romans 3:21, this entire epistle changes direction. The words, “But now” reveal this sharp contrast from all that came before this point. Paul turns from proving that the Gentiles and Jews are guilty before God, to explaining the good news of the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord. This gospel reveals the righteousness of God, what He has done for each of us, and how we can be saved and obtain His righteousness placed on our account. Romans 3 began with the charges that men have made against the righteousness of God, but now Paul details for us the truth of how gracious, loving, and righteous God is by providing a way for our redemption.

Paul explained, “But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 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, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Rom. 3:21-26).

This revelation of God’s righteousness explains several things. First, the gospel is an unveiling of God’s righteous character and nature that has pursued ungodly men and women. Second, the gospel reveals the righteous work God has done through His Son, by righteously punishing sin that He might be just and the justifier of those who believe in Christ. Third, the gospel reveals the righteousness that God gives to all who will believe in Jesus. Faith in Jesus as our justifier is what transforms the guilty into those who now possess a righteous standing before the Father. This righteousness is imparted apart from any attempt to keep the Law. All these truths were foretold and witnessed by the law and the prophets.

Witnessed by the Law and the Prophets (Vs. 21)

Paul began with this point so that no one will think that the ideas he is about to teach are anything but what is revealed throughout the Old Testament Scriptures. In other words, these concepts were not Paul’s ideas. How can we be sure of this fact? Let’s consider several of the proofs Paul gives in his assertion.

First, God’s plan to save men by faith was witnessed by the Old Testament sacrificial system given in the Law. Many times people ask, “What was the purpose of all those animals being sacrificed, and that blood being sprinkled on the altar?” These sacrifices revealed that someone had to be punished for sin, and that God would accept a substitute instead of condemning men. The penalty for sin was death, which God made clear to our first parents in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:16-17). The New Testament taught the same truth (Rom. 6:23). But, most importantly, a person had to believe what God commanded concerning offering a sacrifice, and by faith bring the sacrifice to offer. In the same way Christians today must believe that Jesus was the substitutionary sacrifice for us, becoming the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

Second, the fact that righteousness came by faith was also witnessed by the prophets. All through the Old Testament the prophets witnessed that the Messiah who was to come, would die, and would be raised again from the dead (Dan. 9:25-26; Ps. 16:9-10; Is. 53:1-9; Is. 53:10-12). In these verses, the words cut off refer to capital punishment, and are used this way throughout the entirety of the Scriptures. These prophets taught that if anyone would believe on the coming Messiah, that they would be safe (Is. 28:16). Habakkuk exhorted that if a man wanted to be just before God, then he had to live by faith (Hab. 2:4). Jeremiah similarly taught that a blessing would be on the man who trusted in the Lord (Jer. 17:7). Nahum encouraged that the Lord would be a stronghold in the day of trouble, and that God knew those who put their trust in Him (Nahum 1:7). These are just some of the passages that prove that if men would trust in the Lord, they would experience His blessings, power, and salvation.

To whom is this salvation given? (Vs. 22)

This awesome salvation is given to all who choose to believe in the sacrificial work of Christ. This salvation is not given to those who seek to deserve it by offering to God their good works. Jesus once said to a woman who sought His forgiveness and salvation, “Your faith hath saved you. Go in peace” (Luke 7:50). She had nothing to offer to Jesus except her faith and devotion, and she left with exactly what she desired, His salvation.

But, what things must you believe? (Vs. 23)

You first must believe that you have sinned, and come in confession of your sin to Him, just as the woman did in the example above. As Paul declared, “For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” The word “all” means that there is no difference between us as sinners. None of us have committed special sins that might keep us from being forgiven and redeemed. To be forgiven and justified before God, you must admit that you are in the “all” who have sinned, before you can be in the “all” who are redeemed. Confession of your sin is how you come into agreement with God about your guilt before Him. This is why the Apostle John stated, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” (1 John 1:9-10). The word confess means to admit or to agree with God over your sin. The word confess is also in the present tense which means that we must continually confess and admit our sin before Him daily. Why? Because the words fall short in this verse are also in the present tense, meaning that we are continually falling short of the glory of God’s will for us.

Understanding your incredible need before God should cause you to cry out, “Lord, I need Your grace applied to my life every single day, because I am continually falling short.” No one who truly sees themselves in the light of God’s Word should ever become self-righteous. If we do, it only means that we have deceived ourselves.

By grace alone (Vs. 24)

Once you have acknowledged your sin before Him, then you can be “justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” You receive His grace through believing prayer. The plan of salvation and all that you receive from Him is by grace alone. There is no work, no effort, no goodness that you could ever bring to satisfy God’s justice. You are justified freely, which literally means “without cost,” or “for nothing.” There is no price that you can pay for this salvation. You also have nothing to bargain with! But sometimes believers try to bargain with God. They pray, “Lord, I’ve done all these good things for You, so why are you blessing that person more than you are blessing me?” We come with something in our hand to bargain with, to try to obligate God. You can’t come with anything in your hand, because you have nothing to offer Him. Remember, you are a guilty sinner that deserves His wrath. If there is anything good that is happening in your life, it is directly caused by His grace. Don’t try to bargain with Him; it is fruitless to do so. Don’t try to bring something to God in order to pressure Him to do what you want. Just come to Him and say, “Lord, I have nothing to bring to You. I only offer my heart up to You. I simply need Your grace, and more of it, so I can follow You.” To this heart, God declares, “Grace abundant will be given!” That person will leave his prayer time justified before Him. Remember the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector? The Pharisee justified himself by bringing up all his good deeds, but the tax collector said, “God be merciful to me a sinner.” What was the result? Jesus declared the tax collector justified before Him (Luke 18:9-14). Do you approach God as the Pharisee, or as the one who cried out for mercy? If you want to receive God’s grace then you need to come confessing your need and trusting Him for His mercy.

Faith in His blood (Vs. 25)

Paul explained that you must place your faith in one critical issue in this verse. He taught that you must place your faith in His blood for the propitiation for your sins. He declares that, “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.”

The word propitiation is a word that the Jews would have clearly understood, because it came from the Old Testament sacrificial system. The word atonement, used 99 times in the law and the prophets, and the word propitiation were used as synonymous terms in Scripture. The word propitiation was also translated mercy seat in the Greek Septuagint. The mercy seat was the place of atonement, or the place of forgiveness. Where was the mercy seat to be found in the sacrificial system? The mercy seat was the lid over the Ark of the Covenant, which was a 2x3 foot box that was overlaid with gold, and sat in the Holy of Holies within the temple. This mercy seat covered what was inside the Ark of the Covenant, which was the Law of God. Above this ark were two angels facing each other with wings covering their faces. Hovering over the mercy seat was the Shekinah glory of God or the visible presence of God. The high priest came into the Holy of Holies once a year with the blood of a sacrificial goat, and he sprinkled this blood on the mercy seat, which satisfied the sin of men breaking God’s law. This mercy seat is right where the blood was applied. Every Jew put their faith in this sacrificial blood that was shed for them. This is why Paul declared that everyone of us must have faith in the blood of Christ as our propitiation which brings atonement for our sins. This is also why we can’t come to God with faith in the fact that we have been baptized, or have put our faith in the fact that we have been a faithful member of our church, or that we are not such a bad guy. Placing our faith in these things will only promote self-righteousness, and deny the righteousness of God who has done the work to redeem us all. We must come with faith in one thing, His shed blood. The mercy seat was the only place of meeting between man and God. The mercy seat was the only place where the blood could be applied for men to have any fellowship with God. Similarly, Jesus is the only place where men can have fellowship with the Father. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no man comes to the Father but by Me” (John 14:6). The author of Hebrews adds, “But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance” (Heb. 9:11-15).

God is therefore just and the justifier of those who trust in Him (Vs. 26)

Why has God done all these things to redeem mankind? Paul explained, “To demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” What does this mean, that the Lord is demonstrating His righteousness, and that He is just and the justifier of those who will believe? God sent Jesus to do all that was required to redeem any and all who would come by faith to Him. This action demonstrated that there was no possibility for men to ever charge God with being uncaring or unrighteous by leaving men to try and redeem themselves. No! The Father has demonstrated that He cared enough to give His own Son for the redemption of the entire world (1 Tim. 2:3-6). He has also demonstrated that He is just by laying the punishment for the sin of the world on His own Son, which satisfied His righteous requirement that sin must be accounted for and punished. But He also provided a way that Jesus could justify all who chose to come to Him by faith. What an awesome and amazing God! He planned and executed this incredible means for our salvation, and for all who would receive His Son!

Paul’s preliminary conclusions (Vs. 27-31)

Paul now stops his explanation of these truths to give three summary conclusions so that his readers would not miss his main points. He declared, “Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law” (Rom. 3:27-31). What are these three summary points?

First, if men are justified by faith, then all boasting is excluded (Vs. 27-28). Faith is trusting what God has done; therefore, my boasting should be in His work alone. I can never boast of something I have done, because God is the one who provided the means of redemption, and accomplished this salvation by Himself. The author of Hebrews declared this fact by showing that Jesus by Himself accomplished this work. He wrote of Jesus declaring, “Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Heb. 1:3). Paul also wrote to the Galatian church, “But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Gal. 6:14).

Second, our one God has one method of justifying both the Jew and the Gentile. This is simple logic. We have one God, and all people have the same need, because we have all sinned and fallen short of His glory. Therefore, He has sent His one and only Son to be the one sacrifice to put away sin forever. Scripture states that God has, “Now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself” (Heb. 9:26). In addition, the Father has determined that there is one way for both Jew and Gentile to access this salvation, which is by faith alone. As Paul just stated that all boasting is excluded by the law of faith (Rom. 3:27).

The third summary is that this plan of salvation does not make void the Law of God, it actually establishes it. Jesus established the Law by fulfilling the requirements of the Law. He fulfilled the Law by living a righteous life all of His days here on earth, and then established the law by paying the penalty that the Law required to take our sin upon Himself. Jesus clearly taught that this was His intention for coming to this earth when He taught His disciples, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled” (Matt. 5:17-18).

My hope and prayer for you who have just read this study is that you will quit trying to be good enough to earn the grace of God. Quit trying to deserve what God has freely given to you. Simply surrender your heart to Him and declare, “Thank you Lord for what you have done. I will receive your grace and mercy by faith.” His grace is sufficient for whatever your need is, or will ever be in the future. As Jesus told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). Therefore, just receive His grace today, and serve Him all the rest of your days!