God’s Faithfulness – Romans 3:1-20
Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision?2 Much, in every way. For in the first place the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. 3 What if some were unfaithful? Will their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? 4 By no means! Although everyone is a liar, let God be proved true, as it is written,
“So that you may be justified in your words,
and prevail in your judging.”
5 But if our injustice serves to confirm the justice of God, what should we say? That God is unjust to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) 6 By no means! For then how could God judge the world? 7 But if through my falsehood God’s truthfulness abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner?8 And why not say (as some people slander us by saying that we say), “Let us do evil so that good may come”? Their condemnation is deserved!
None Is Righteous
9 What then? Are we any better off? No, not at all; for we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under the power of sin, 10 as it is written:
“There is no one who is righteous, not even one;
11 there is no one who has understanding,
there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned aside, together they have become worthless;
there is no one who shows kindness,
there is not even one.”
13 “Their throats are opened graves;
they use their tongues to deceive.”
“The venom of vipers is under their lips.”
14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 ruin and misery are in their paths,
17 and the way of peace they have not known.”
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 under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For “no human being will be justified in his sight” by deeds prescribed by the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.
What does the Passage Say?
V. 12-16 We cannot condem the people, who never heard about the law. The Jews at that time, dispised the people who didn’t live according to the law, but Paul says, “If you sin without knowing what you’re doing, God takes that into account. But if you sin knowing full well what you’re doing, that’s a differnt story entirely” (v. 12 The Message). He also says there are some who hear the law, but never follow. Therefore he is telling the Jews to be obeident to the Law.
V. 17-29 Now Paul’s criticizm toward the Jews start. He says, “if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law” (v. 18 NIV), which means don’t boast that you are a Jew. The reason why he says this is becuase there are many Jews, who know the Law but doesn’t follow it faithfully (v. 20-24).
Then he says, “Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised” (v. 25 NIV) There were some Gentiles, who doesn’t have the circumcision, but still observe the Law. Meaning that circumcision is not the sign of being God’s people, but obedience to follow God’s will is more imporatnt.
What does this mean to us?
When Paul say, ‘it is not important hearing the law, but it is important to follow the law,’ I had to ask to my mind, ‘how much do we know about the law?’
The law means that we know God’s will. Knowing God will only comes from knowing about God through the Bible. However, we live in a Bible illiturate world. How can we follow the word, if we do not know the word.
Lord, help us develop a desire to learn about your law and faithfully follow your will. Let us become a beacon of light in this dark world. In Jesus name, Amen
What is your thought?
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