Romans 3:1-20
May Memory Verse: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 NIV
Read: Romans 3:1-20
Verse 20 hit me the hardest, “For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.”
As I read this passage, I am reminded of the wickedness of humans. The wickedness of everyone before they come to know Jesus. The wickedness that many people still walk in today. A wickedness that is:
The reason why we could never be made right with God by doing what the law commands is because we are unable to obey the law. We are not good. The law shows us that we are sinners deserving of punishment.
As we examine this passage, there are two things I want you to be reminded of:
1. If you have a relationship with Jesus, take time to thank Him. Jesus has rescued us from our wickedness. He took our wickedness on Himself when He went to die on the cross for it! We need not to forget or become numb to what Jesus has done for us!
2. Be urgent with the Gospel. There are people we come into contact with everyday who do not have a relationship with Jesus. They may believe that their good works are going to be what gets them into Heaven, but our passage shows that is not true. We have to be willing to get uncomfortable. We have to be people who speak truth, even when it is difficult. But if we love people, we will tell them about Jesus.
Tomorrow is never promised, do you plan to waste your time on earth or use it effectively? Making the name of Jesus known to people is using your time effectively.
What verse from this passage sticks out to you? And, why? I would love to hear about it in the comments below!
By: Brice Stockton
Read: Romans 3:1-20
Verse 20 hit me the hardest, “For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.”
As I read this passage, I am reminded of the wickedness of humans. The wickedness of everyone before they come to know Jesus. The wickedness that many people still walk in today. A wickedness that is:
- Justifying sin to say God is getting glory (v. 5-6)
- Saying, “The more we sin, the better it is” (v. 8)
- Exulting one group of people over another (v. 9)
- Turning from God (v. 10-12)
- Speaking lies and corruption (v. 13-14)
- Not fearing the Lord (v. 18)
The reason why we could never be made right with God by doing what the law commands is because we are unable to obey the law. We are not good. The law shows us that we are sinners deserving of punishment.
As we examine this passage, there are two things I want you to be reminded of:
1. If you have a relationship with Jesus, take time to thank Him. Jesus has rescued us from our wickedness. He took our wickedness on Himself when He went to die on the cross for it! We need not to forget or become numb to what Jesus has done for us!
2. Be urgent with the Gospel. There are people we come into contact with everyday who do not have a relationship with Jesus. They may believe that their good works are going to be what gets them into Heaven, but our passage shows that is not true. We have to be willing to get uncomfortable. We have to be people who speak truth, even when it is difficult. But if we love people, we will tell them about Jesus.
Tomorrow is never promised, do you plan to waste your time on earth or use it effectively? Making the name of Jesus known to people is using your time effectively.
What verse from this passage sticks out to you? And, why? I would love to hear about it in the comments below!
By: Brice Stockton
7 Comments
There is no defense against the guilty verdict God pronounces on the entire human race.
...every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. (Romans 3:19, ESV)
Old favorite there.
Great job Brice!
What stands out to me, because it is so true of human nature, is V. 3:7 about enhancing God's righteousness by sinning. We work so hard to justify the evil in our souls by coming up with the most ridiculous arguments. How great is God's love, to provide the ultimate sacrifice for such a wicked people as us. And how tragic to reject Him.
Verse 20 really drives it home. Regardless of what you think or yourself or what other day of you, the law and Gods holiness humbles and exposes all. The standard of goodness is not your peers but God himself. We are not condemned for our offenses against others but because we offend an infinitely holy God.
Thank God that his Grace is sufficient of us!
This whole passage show the depravity of man. No one is righteous. I'm thankful that it doesn't stop here. If this is all scripture told us, it would be a lost cause. Thankfully we have seen and will continue to see Gods grace in Romans, and we will see the love of God in the work of his son, making a way for us. Praying that I can have that urgency you are talking about, Brice. Great reminder today!
V 18 - there is no fear of God before their eyes. In the past , the church and God was at least respected. Now, it is made fun of/ not even God is respected. In El Salvador ,I was impressed by the respect the gangs had for the church -the only way you could leave the gang was if you were saved and were involved in the church. We have lost that reverence for God as a nation ! It makes me so sad.
V6 is good. God's character is perfect on that He is completely fair and just, making Him the righteous Judge over all