Romans 3 Bible Study (Watch)

A biblical teaching of Romans 3 –  Bible Study Questions in Romans 3:1-31

Romans 1 & 2 was telling us about this long list of evil deeds from murder, to homosexuality, but then even gossip, arrogance, & disobedience to parents and the point is that the same law applies to everyone and we’re ALL in trouble, so we need to stop pointing our fingers and look for a solution.

Romans is all about condemnation at the beginning and all about rescue at the end. Now chapter 3 starts to give us a glimpse of the rescue.

Now keep in mind as we get started here that in Romans 2 Paul just told them that a Jew is one who is “inward”, it’s about the hears and that salvation is through faith and NOT by the written code (the law).

All the World Guilty

[Romans 3:1-2] 3 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? 2 Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God.

In other words, the profits like Jeremiah & Isaiah who brought the prophecies came from somewhere. They came from Israel. God Chose Israel. That is a HISTORICAL fact. So the only advantage is the message was close to them and they were trusted with the Gospel. We’ll soon see that despite being chosen, many Jews have rejected.

[Romans 3:3] 3 What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it?

In other words “ the Jews didn’t listen. Is God going to change his mind”? And the answer is no. 2 Timothy 2:13 tells us that “when we are faithless God remains faithful”.

[Romans 3:4]4 May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written,

“That You may be justified in Your words,
And prevail when You  are judged.”

[Romans 3:5] 5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.)

We know that God’s wrath only falls on the unsaved because John 3:36 tells us “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”

They’re basically saying “if our unrighteousness is showing off God’s righteousness then isn’t that a good thing and since no one can seek God unless His grace allows us to then is He wrong to inflict wrath on us for it” Stupid question. But Paul is addressing all these questions.

[Romans 3:6-7] 6 May it never be! For otherwise, how will God judge the world? 7 But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner?

So again, a ridiculous question, especially since they are Christians, but Paul is addressing it. These questions would never come up by a legalist gospel presentation.

Asking “should we sin to show off God’s grace” only comes up when someone is preaching what Paul was (grace in its fullness), and people are thinking it’s hyper-grace, and we still call it that today when the full gospel is preached.

If we sin is there grace? YES. Should we sin so grace might increase? NO. It’s not who you are. You ARE a new creation with new desires, though we all stumble. But what would happen if we did, would grace run out? NO. And nor is our fellowship broken.

[Romans 3:8] 8 And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), “Let us do evil that good may come”?

People mislabeling Paul as condoning sin because of his grace message. Slandering him and the other Apostles.

Again, this question is a result of Pauls’s grace message. It’s new to them. They just don’t get it yet. Paul never condoned sinning. People then and even today think this grace message is telling people it’s a license to sin.

Their condemnation is just.

[Romans 3:9] 9 What then?  Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin;

What he’s saying is people have been talking bad about us, but are we better than them. No. We all sin. You are either perfect, or you’re not.

On a school test, we can pass with 80%, but when it comes to salvation it’s either 0% or 100%. There’s no such thing as an A-. And since only GRACE gives us a perfect score we are totally wrong to push the law on anyone. And that’s why we see Paul presenting the message of the FREE gift of grace.  You’ll get”0″ for obedience to law, but you’ll get”100″ for obedience to the faith.

[Romans 3:10-12] 10 as it is written,

“There is none righteous, not even one;
11 There is none who understands,
There is none who seeks for God;
12 All have turned aside, together they have become useless;
There is none who does good,
There is not even one.”

Remember when we talked about the people would be saved if they kept the law, had good works and were righteous? We agreed it was true, but no one could do it.

And that’s what we’re seeing here.

But thankfully there’s a new covenant and it’s free.

[Romans 3:13-19] 13 “Their throat is an open grave,
With their tongues they keep deceiving,”
“The poison of asps is under their lips”;
14 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”;
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood,
16 Destruction and misery are in their paths,
17 And the path 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 closed

He’s saying the law shuts the mouth of those that push the law because they are guilty of it.

We have Christians today that will say we are under grace but we still need the 10 commandments to keep us on the right road. That’s wrong.

Grace does that. The law should shut us up. The law is holy, and it is perfect. But the only thing the law does is condemn us and causes us to sin even more.

[Romans 3:19-20] and all the world may become accountable to God; 20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.

So you have ZERO chance of being justified by the law. Pushing a balance of law and grace is like pushing a balance of sin and grace. The bible teaches us that the law arouses sin and causes it to increase.

Instead of trying to keep the law, we should be trying to walk in the spirit and not the flesh, and amazingly enough, you’ll find that’s what actually helps us to defeat sin.

Justification by Faith

[Romans 3:21] 21 But now apart  from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested,

So the righteousness of God was manifested APART from the law, not with the law or a little bit of it.

[Romans 3:21-22] being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe;

Did he say The righteousness of God came through our works? Nope. That’s what the Pharisees and religious leaders taught.

[Romans 3:23-25] for there is no distinction; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly as a  propitiation in His blood through faith.

So we are justified free, not by a single work of and kind, justification, holiness, sanctification, righteousness are only received by faith.

[Romans 3:25-26] This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

So in His grace, God looked forward to what Jesus would do and passed over the sins of OT people instead of pouring His wrath then and there.

So how do we get right with God? It’s not by works. Walking down an aisle, or giving a tithe. Or even saying a prayer. It’s faith in Jesus, his life, death, and resurrection and his identity.

[Romans 3:27] 27 Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works?

Who can brag about faith? Can one really prove their faith is bigger? (remember the faith of a mustard seed saves us). What would we brag about? Works? You get NO CREDIT. God gets all the Glory.

[Romans 3:28-31] No, but by a law of faith. 28  For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.

[Romans 3:31] 31 Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.

He’s saying that by our works the law kills. It’s only by faith in Jesus that we actually uphold the law. He made us righteous. Your works did nothing. All you had to do was believe. And that’s the true Gospel of Jesus.

So in closing. You can’t have law and grace together. They don’t mix. If you want the law you need 100% on your test, no exceptions.

See Entire Romans Series  Below

Romans 1 - WatchRomans 2 - WatchRomans 4 - WatchRomans 5 - WatchRomans 6 - WatchRomans 7 - WatchRomans 8 - WatchRomans 9 - WatchRomans 10 - WatchRomans 11 - WatchRomans 12 - WatchRomans 13 - WatchRomans 14 - WatchRomans 15-16 - Watch