Bible Study - Unvarnished (3) - One Great Problem - Romans 3:9-12, 19-20, 23 - September 18, 2016

Bible Study – Unvarnished (3) – One Great Problem – September 18, 2016

This is lesson three (3) in our series entitled “Unvarnished Truth: Life’s Greatest Story.”

Our focus scripture is Romans 3:9-12, 19-20, 23.

Without CHRIST, we are condemned forever.

As you recall, the Apostle Paul wrote Romans. Paul had never visited Rome but he planned to visit at some point. It is thought that his letter to the Christians in Rome was his way of introducing himself to his fellow Christians in Rome and making known to them his understanding of the gospel of CHRIST.

He made an assertion that concerned the Christian Jews. Paul stated that no one is righteous before GOD. All are condemned. The Christian Jews took issue with that assertion because many Jews relied upon their ancestral heritage as GOD’S chosen people to be in right standing with GOD.

I do not hear as much today as I did years ago that many people consider themselves Christians because their parents are Christian. Sorry, but every person has to come to a saving knowledge of CHRIST individually.

Paul planned to visit the Christians in Rome, which he did but as a prisoner. Consider the hand of GOD in Paul’s life. Paul wrote this detailed treatise regarding the Christian message of salvation. We study it today and are blessed and guided by it as we ponder and probe the depths of the gospel. The one great problem that must be dealt with all humans is sin. Original sin must be dealt with because all have sinned and fallen short of GOD’S righteousness.  Let’s explore!

Let’s read Romans 3:1-8: (Background)

Paul Answers an Objection:

Some were teaching that in order for a person to become a Christian he or she had to first become a Jew and the males had to be circumcised according to Jewish law. Those touting such a doctrine were referred to as Judaizers. The Apostle Paul was setting the record straight that a person did not have to go through the ritual of Judaism before becoming a Christian.  Being a Jew had no advantage over being a Gentile except the Jew was conscience of the law and what the law required. Let’s explore!

1 So what advantage does the Jew have? Or what is the benefit of circumcision?

2 Considerable in every way. First, they were entrusted with the spoken words of God.

GOD entrusted HIS spoken Word to the Israelite's and covenanted with them on Mount Sinai – Old Testament. GOD chose them to be HIS people and in turn the Israelite's chose GOD, thus the covenant was made.

3 What then? If some did not believe, will their unbelief cancel God's faithfulness?

Rejection of GOD by some does not cancel GOD’S eternal covenant as Paul states in the next verse.

4 Absolutely not! God must be true, but everyone is a liar, as it is written: That You may be justified in Your words and triumph when You judge.

Self justification is a lie and will not get a person to heaven or avoid the judgment of GOD.

5 But if our unrighteousness highlights God's righteousness, what are we to say? I use a human argument: Is God unrighteous to inflict wrath?

6 Absolutely not! Otherwise, how will God judge the world?

7 But if by my lie God's truth is amplified to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?

8 And why not say, just as some people slanderously claim we say, "Let us do evil so that good may come"? Their condemnation is deserved!

Some people claim that the more evil we do, more grace will abound. This is total nonsense. Those who state such nonsense deserve condemnation. GOD will judge those who sin whether Jew or Gentile.

Let’s read Romans 3:9-12:

The Whole World Guilty before God

9 What then? Are we any better? Not at all! For we have previously charged that both Jews and Gentiles are all under sin,

Are Jews more favored by GOD? NO! Why? Paul answers the question in verse 10.

10 as it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one;

The very best in us as humans is not enough to make us righteous before GOD. That leaves all humans in a helpless state. So what is the answer? Paul responds using the authority of scripture “as it is written.”

Two resources on this are:

(1) Herschel Hobbs Commentary, fall 2016, page 29, published by LifeWay, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0175:

[As it is written emphasizes the authority of the words. This was more than Paul’s opinion or even traditional teaching. This was divine revelation. The full collection of passages, mostly from Psalms and Isaiah, continues through verse 18. The quotations may have come from the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament. Therefore the wording may vary some from the Old Testament passage in our English Bibles. Some interpreters think the verses had originally been collected by Jewish rabbis to point out the unrighteousness of the Gentiles. If so, Paul turned the tables by using them against the very people who considered themselves righteous.]

(2)  In the Advanced Bible Study, fall 2016, page36, published by LifeWay, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0175. Dr. John Dent wrote:

[Although Paul answered the questions What then? and Are we any better? in verse 9, he supported his answer in verses 10-18 by stringing together a series of seven Old Testament quotations. These come from the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament (in this order: Pss.14:1-3; 53:1-3; 5:9; 140:3; 10:7; Isa. 59:7-8; Ps. 36:1) with the usual it is written as the introduction.]

11 there is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks God.

People in general fail to see the need for GOD and as a result they do not make an effort to seek GOD. Ignorance is bliss but eternity is a reality.

12 All have turned away, together they have become useless; there is no one who does good, there is not even one.

13 Their throat is an open grave; they deceive with their tongues. Vipers' venom is under their lips.

14 Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.

15 Their feet are swift to shed blood;

16 ruin and wretchedness are in their paths,

17 and the path of peace they have not known.

18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.

Humanity is cruel and does not seek or honor GOD. That is human nature because of original sin handed down from our human ancestors, Adam and Eve. Obeying the law or the very best human effort is not good enough for any person to earn the righteousness GOD requires.

We read in Isaiah 64:6:

6 All of us have become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like a polluted garment; all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind. (KJV)

The very best in us as humans is like filthy garments.

Humans are left helpless and hopeless without GOD’S provision of grace. GOD’S grace can only be obtained by a person placing his or her faith in JESUS and HIS passion.

The proof that JESUS is the only acceptable sinless sacrifice to conquer both sin and eternal death by the shed blood of JESUS is GOD’S resurrection of JESUS from the physically dead. At the resurrection of JESUS, JESUS received HIS New Glorified body to demonstrate that all who place their faith in HIM will also receive their New Glorified resurrected bodies after the second coming of JESUS. Until then Christians will have a special body suitable for heaven and will dwell in heaven until they follow CHRIST to earth at HIS second coming.

JESUS said it best in John 14:6:

6 Jesus told him (Thomas), "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

 Let’s read Romans 3:19-20:

19 Now we know that whatever the law says speaks to those who are subject to the law, so that every mouth may be shut and the whole world may become subject to God's judgment.

The law has no power to save a person from sin and eternal death. There is no point in trying to use the law to make you justified before GOD. All of the world will be judged by GOD. Is there no hope? Let’s keep reading.

20 For no flesh will be justified in His sight by the works of the law, for through the law [comes] the knowledge of sin.

No human will be justified in GOD’S sight by following the law. So of what value is the law? The law makes us conscious of our sin. The Holy Spirit convicts us of how far short we, as humans, fail to meet the law and the Spirit of the Law. There is the letter of the law and then there is the Spirit of the law. All the law does is to reveal the fact that we as humans break GOD’S laws. It is GOD Who pleads with our spirit to draw us to HIM. We either accept and seek HIM or reject and suffer the consequences.  

JESUS addressed this in Matthew 5:28:

28 But I tell you, everyone who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

So what is Paul building toward? Let’s read on.

Let’s read Romans 3:23:

God's Righteousness through Faith

21 But now, apart from the law, God's righteousness has been revealed-attested by the Law and the Prophets

If no human can be justified or made righteous by obeying the law does that mean all humans are domed? The law reveals that no human can do all that the law requires or measure up to what GOD has revealed through the Prophets but GOD has revealed hope for those who place their faith in HIS promised Messiah, JESUS The CHRIST.

22 -that is, God's righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ, to all who believe, since there is no distinction.

All are sinners and in need of redemption from sin and eternal death.

23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

24 They are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

Through faith in JESUS, GOD’S grace comes into effect. GOD declares that all who place their faith in JESUS are redeemed from sin and eternal death. How does that work?

25 God presented Him as a propitiation through faith in His blood, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His restraint God passed over the sins previously committed.

Paul used the word “propitiation.” Propitiation is a powerful word which describes how GOD Who is Holy and Righteous can have an intimate relationship with sinful humans. Sin has to be dealt with in order for this to take place.

The shed blood of JESUS covers over the sins of all who place their faith in JESUS. This redemption occurred when JESUS gave HIS sinless, physical life on the cross. This covering of sin by HIS shed blood for those who come to GOD through faith in JESUS allows GOD to maintain HIS Holiness and righteousness without being made unholy by association with sin. That is the blood of JESUS cleanses those who ask JESUS to forgive them of their sins and for JESUS to come into their lives. When a person makes that decision a miracle takes place and he or she experiences the miracle of rebirth in his or her spirit. This rebirth changes the person’s spirit to Spirit because he or she is born into GOD’S family as HIS Son or Daughter with all the rights and privileges of being the Child of GOD. GOD’S divine Spirit/Sperm unites with the human spirit and Spiritual conception takes place. Those born-again in their spirit are made righteous, thus the human spirit becomes Spirit. Now that is something to ponder! Let’s read on.

26 He presented Him to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be righteous and declare righteous the one who has faith in Jesus.

Paul puts a finer point on this in 2 Corinthians 5:17-21:

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:

19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.

21 He (GOD) made the One (JESUS) who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we (All who place their faith in HIM) might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Why don’t we, as Christians, live as children of GOD? I think, it is because it sounds too good to be true. That is our problem.

Okay, if that is true I will test GOD. That is our first mistake. We can test GOD but with the right attitude toward learning more about HIM and in an effort to build our intimate, personal, loving relationship with HIM. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you to get to know GOD. Not just know about GOD but to get to really know HIM personally. But step one is to acknowledge that you are a sinner in need of salvation. Blessings!!!