Old Testament: Deuteronomy 15 & 16
Poetry: Job 35
New Testament: Romans 3
Remember that time that you held an imaginary debate or argument in your mind with either an imaginary figure or your spouse, coworker, boss, or friend? We have all been there before. Evidently, Paul has been there before as well. Except this time, Paul records this imaginary debate in Romans 3. How exciting!
Romans 3:1-8 gives the impression that Paul is debating an imaginary figure on how the Jews fit into the bigger picture. Paul’s conclusion to this mini debate is that the Jews are not better off, “For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin,” (Romans 1:9 ESV). There we have it. All of mankind is under sin. This conjoins the Jews and the Greeks together. If you don’t believe Paul, no need to worry. Paul has plenty of ammunition to help prove this point. Paul quotes a number of scriptures from the Old Testament in the following verses to bring home this point.
After Paul’s introduction, his letter to the saints at Rome has been rather gloomy thus far. However, verse 21 is where we start to see a shift. Paul recognizes that we are all under sin… “BUT NOW…”. This is where it gets fun! This passage in Romans 3:21-31 can preach! Essentially, this is a teaching on the doctrine of salvation, as the righteousness of God is revealed through faith in Christ Jesus for all who believe.
Many are able to quote Romans 3:23: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Paul is only halfway through his sentence when we have a verse break. Don’t forget about verse 24: “And are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” Paul compares God’s grace to a gift. Whenever you are given a gift from someone, you have two choices: you can receive it and open it or you can deny the gift. I have many memories as a child of receiving gifts from my parents for Christmas, my birthday, or other special occasions. Not once did I ever reject a gift that my parents gave me; I openly received the gifts every single time. Nearly every child receives the gifts they are given without a second thought. We need to mimic the attitude of a child here and gladly receive God’s gift of grace with open arms. How do we receive God’s grace? Well, fortunately for us, Paul tells us exactly how to receive that grace in the following verse. Paul tells us that it is “to be received by faith,” (Romans 3:25).
Paul crams a lot in this short passage to conclude chapter three, as he talks about our salvation. You can sum up Paul’s discussion in the following formula: sin + grace + faith = justification. Paul will later reveal to his audience that the justification leads to eternal salvation. For you math nerds out there, that’s a pretty awesome formula. For those of you not interested in math, trust me, that’s still a pretty awesome formula.
As we go through our lives, let’s remember to keep our arms open wide ready to receive God’s free gift of salvation.
-Kyle McClain
Reflection Questions
- Have you ever rejected a gift given to you? Have you rejected or gladly received God’s free gift of salvation? Who do you know who might need some more information or encouragement to receive this gift?
- How would you define and describe each of the words in the following formula: Sin + Grace + Faith = Justification. What is the importance of each one?
- In the gloomy moments of your life, how can Romans 3 lift your spirits and bring joy, hope and peace?
Seek Grow Love 