Romans 3

1. Background

Paul has set an intellectual but caring trap for the Jews who would be reading his letter.  In chapter one, Paul would have had everyone, particularly the Jewish Christians in Rome, nodding in agreement with him as he set out to explain sin and what sinners do.  But in Chapter two Paul sprung his trap as he concluded the Jews also to be condemn under the same sin they happily condemn others for.  The result of Paul’s argument leaves Jews and Gentiles on an even plane as the result of sin.  For Jews who saw themselves as more valuable subjects in God’s kingdom because of their race would have taken offense at Paul’s arguments.  

So Paul begins to deal with the Jew’s objection before they even have a chance to raise a question. It is as if Paul could hear their return arguments in his mind as he writes and so chapter three begins with the question, “Then What advantage is there to being a Jew?”  Paul will repeat this kind of argumentation through his letter, asking question in the place of those who would object and give an answer.  It would doe us well to remember that Paul has already explained his concern for people and his desire is to see them come to knowledge of God rather than to simply win arguments (see Rom 1:14-16).

1. Theological Observations (What we learn about God):

The exhibition of God’s faithfulness and righteousness is of utmost importance to God.

^“4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.” 

Paul has self-imposed the question in verse three,”For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?” Or in other words: “since there are unbelieving Jews, does that mean God is not trust-worthy?”

The Old Testament Word of God was given to the Jewish nation, but many of them have stumbled upon it, rejecting it and rejecting God. Their rejection resulted in their captivity into Babylon. At the time of this letter to Rome, the Jewish nation is under Roman tribute and the leaders still widely reject God having just recently murdered Jesus Christ. Paul’s question comes into play as some might see the Jew’s rejection of God has a sign that God is not trust-worthy, either in His own promises, or His power to maintain a nation in unity with Himself.

Shouldn’t the Almighty possess enough power within Himself to maintain a peoples allegiance to Himself? The answer in verse four tells us that God is deeply concerned about His name, particularly the trustworthiness of His name. The reason why there are those who reject God even after handling His word is because of sin, which is the summarizing point of all of chapter three.

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Verse 23

The ultimate day of revelation for this truth is the day that verse four is alluding to, a great judgement when all men will be shown to be liars and God be true. The focal point of judgement day is God and His faithfulness, His righteousness in contrast to man’s unfaithfulness and rebellion.

The fall of humanity began when we questioned God’s character. We found what seemed to us to be a logical reason to cast aside God to be free of His authority. We suppose that God must not be all that good after all if He should deny me something so sweet as the object of my lust. Further on, we suppose there is no God because of the delay of His judgement.

All sin and rebellion against Him is predicated on the suspicion of God’s faithfulness and goodness. This depravity deepens into complete denial of Him altogether as we place ourselves on His throne. All humanity is guilty of this. All have sinned and come short, so let it be shown once and for all on that day that all men are liars and only God is just.

Our ability to remain self-centered even as we read the Bible makes us to only see ourselves in God’s day of judgement, as though that day is focus on self and what we’ve done. But the main character of God’s day is God when all knees will bow and confess He is indeed Lord before the celestial court.

“For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”

Romans 14:11

If then the judgement is more about God than it is about us, how then should we prepare for such a day? If only those who were heading to judgement would think on this truth for any length of time, they might consider what is required of us from His perspective rather than our own. Does not the world religions revolve around doing “good” deeds that we define as being good or bad? But what if the God who judges us doesn’t agree with our moral standards? Will we be able to stand against Him in our day in court with Him, as He opens the books to our lives?

What hope do I have then if I already am already convicted of sin headed for that day of judgement? What argument will God accept on my behalf?

Only God is good.

“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:”

Romans 3:10

Usually when modern people say that someone is a good to them, they mean that person is particularly kind or generous. And while God certainly is those things, the goodness given in the scope of Romans three is a standard of which no one else can attain to. This good standard is what God’s own sinless perfect characterizes. You’ll see from Paul’s own rhetorical objections that he is speaking about the moral character of God being “good”.

I paraphrase Paul’s own refuting questions: “Can God judge us if our sin is used by Him to show His own goodness and glory? Will He remain faithful to His own promises even though some of His own people reject Him? ” He has rhetorically asked in verse five, “Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance?” and again answer his own question with another rhetorical question in verse six, “then how shall God judge the world (if He isn’t good, then how is He qualified to judge?) All of the above questions all have a common denominator, “Is God good”?

This has been the bottom line for humanity since Genesis 3 all the way through human history. Adam and Even began doubting God’s goodness in garden of perfection. The could not see past the one prohibition to see the perfect life they have been given (and when I say they, I mean “we”). Even when God gives the Hebrews salvation from Egypt and gives them good gifts, humanity still manages to find ways to doubt God’s goodness and sin against God.

God has chosen the Hebrew race, but does that make them superior to others? No, because all are found to be sinners before Him. People have mistakingly judged the sinners of the Bible has “them” and failed to see that the story speaks of “us”. God has concluded all to be sinners, not just the ones we read about.

If we all have failed God, in want sense can we boast against another? If we find our own standards of goodness, then yes, we say I’m not like that sinner over there. But this attitude is completely ignorant that the only standard by which we are finally judged is God’s. If we judge ourselves by any other standard than God’s we will define some in our world as good and others bad. But when we give ourselves over to God’s word and allow Him to define standards the end result is that only He is good and we are not. There is therefore, no reason at all to boast in the supposed superiority of one’s own merits. Even the best of our merits have “fallen short”.

Still if all we have done is weighed the goodness verses the badness of our deeds, we are still missing the point of what we truly need. Humanity does not need to enact “better” morals. Even if we could do better, then whose standard are we using to decide what is better or not? Are we not still ignoring God’s standard? God says in verse eleven, “There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.”

Our greatest fault is also our greatest need. Our greatest need is to seek God and to know Him for that is what we were created to do, and yet herein lies the crux of the human problem. Sin has corrupted us to the point that without an act of God’s power, there is no situation where people seek God on their own. All we seek is our own and if anyone is said to seek God, it is only for the end result of achieving the intentions of our own heart. This is the same result in every religion of the world, no matter its name.

It is this that God refers when He says, “There is none that understandeth”. Sin has blinded our heart to see any further past the desires of our own lusts. Once sin entered in, we forsook God’s definition of good and came up with our own definition for all sorts of things. “Holiness” no longer refers to God’s immaculate perfection that only belongs to Him, but to any deity we deem to be superior and relatively clean. “Sacred” no longer means something that belongs to God’s special use, but to any object or idea that humanity as exalted above ourselves. Many religious leaders learn to control minds through their own definitions of what is sacred and what is not.

To understand what God wants us to understand about our sin, all one needs to do is sincerely match themselves up against God’s law. God gave the law not so we might justify ourselves, but that all would become guilty before Him. With that confess of guiltiness before God, we are one step closer to reconciliation.

“Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them 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 there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”

Romans 3:19-20

Our guiltiness before God should bring us to the conclusion that only He is good. On God’s part (and you can take it from His word directly), in calling out our guilt so plainly is not some form of snobbery where God relishes in His superiority, but rather is a necessary step for sinners to take we might turn to Him in faith. The faith and belief God wants is such that believes that He is good and when we submit ourselves to His will, that is good also. If He should direct our path in a direction we would not normally ourselves take, that too is good. In fact, obeying Him would be better.

When one believes that only God is good and we are not, then our obedience and offerings to Him are willing and reasonable responses to Him, knowing that He works all things to the good of those that love Him.

His Plan Delivers a Blessing Full of Many Gifts

I admit having trouble thinking of a word or title that can adequately define this particular character of God. When God accomplished one particular thing, many things that benefit believers are simultaneously accomplished. Furthermore the benefits to be enjoyed by believers come at a great cost to Him, but no cost at all to us. Is this simply the goodness and love of God? Yes, but it is also the exhibition of His righteousness in the means He chooses to accomplish His will, namely, the propitiation of Christ.

 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;  To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Verses 25-26

The propitiative sacrifice of Christ not only exhibited God’s righteousness, but also imputes His righteousness on sinners who could never dream of be so. He is the Just and the Justifier through the means of Christ.

If you’re wondering what could anyone say that might tarnish God’s holiness, then it is the idea that God could forgiven sins without a just payment for “sins that are past”. But what Paul is revealing is that God was able to forgo punishment on those who deserved it because He was reserving His wrath to be place on the Jesus Christ, our Propitiation. So many good things were accomplished in this one act on the cross, including the defeat of Satan and the fulfillment of God’s promises since Genesis 3:15.

What word is there that could ever really describe this awesome character of God seeing that so many elements are rolled into just a few verses? The only adequate verbiage I have ever seen is recording in Revelation when the hosts fall before God cry out “Holy Holy Holy” in utter amazement.

4. Application

Paul’s application should be mention of course, in verse 29:

 Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also

Verse 29

The disputing between Jews and Gentiles in the Roman church has implication for God’s people everywhere. We have absolutely no grounds to pit one race or kind of people over another. All are sinners equally and all are saved through the same means in Christ. Referring again the Revelation scene around the throne has recorded that all tongues, races, and tribes will be present together in eternity for the worship our wonderful God!

While the world attempts to solve their social problems through human statutes, human princes, and even sheer violent force, the church only needs to be focused on the heart of the gospel until the return of this world’s only true King. Though, in this final age before Jesus’ return, we may strive for a better society through noble means, still, sin corrupts all that men may do. There is no solution outside of God’s plan to create a new heaven and a new earth. The Gospel is the means by which He does so, and we already see the seeds of the gospel taking root in places all over the earth. The fullness of the Kingdom of God will not come until this age is fulfilled and the Lord’s return is fulfilled. So work while you have the light and serve Him with all your heart.