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March 22, 1998
Drawing on Paul’s discussion of mankind’s sinful state, Alistair Begg addresses the question that we all ultimately face: How is it possible for people to be put in right standing with God? Many people think they know the answer already, believing that a good God will receive decent people who are trying to do their best. Yet as Romans 3 makes clear, our “good” is never good enough. True righteousness comes from God alone.
1Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? 2Much in every way. To begin with, xthe Jews were entrusted with ythe oracles of God. 3zWhat if some were unfaithful? aDoes their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? 4By no means! bLet God be true though cevery one were a liar, as it is written,
d“That you may be justified in your words,
and prevail when you eare judged.”
5But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict fwrath on us? (gI speak in a human way.) 6By no means! For then how could hGod judge the world? 7But if through my lie God's truth abounds to his glory, iwhy am I still being condemned as a sinner? 8And why not jdo evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.
9What then? Are we Jews1 any better off?2 No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both kJews and lGreeks, are munder sin, 10as it is written:
n“None is righteous, no, not one;
11no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”
13o“Their throat is pan open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive.”
q“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
14r“Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
15s“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16in their paths are ruin and misery,
17and tthe way of peace they have not known.”
18u“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
19Now we know that whatever vthe law says it speaks to those who are under the law, wso that every mouth may be stopped, and xthe whole world may be held accountable to God. 20For yby works of the law no human being3 will be justified in his sight, since zthrough the law comes knowledge of sin.
21But now athe righteousness of God bhas been manifested apart from the law, although cthe Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22the righteousness of God dthrough faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. eFor there is no distinction: 23for fall have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24gand are justified hby his grace as a gift, ithrough the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25whom God jput forward as ka propitiation lby his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in mhis divine forbearance he had passed over nformer sins. 26It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
27oThen what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28For we hold that one is justified by faith papart from works of the law. 29Or qis God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30since rGod is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and sthe uncircumcised through faith. 31Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.
Copyright © 2024, Alistair Begg. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.
