We greet you once again in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is our Prophet, Priest and King!
In the first part of the book of Romans, Christ is showing himself a prophet. He is, through the pen of Paul, teaching us our sin. After the introduction in Chapter 1, Paul speaks over and over again of every kind of sin. He shows that all are sinners and that no outward religion will do. One thing all religions (except true faith in Christ) have in common is that they are religions based on the works of man. Paul is inspired by God to write in such a way that we must see that there is only one way of salvation; and that by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
By what Paul stated in Romans 1:17, " the just shall live by faith", he is trying to bring us to that faith, taking away every false hope. He is proving to us that we have all sinned. As we read in Romans 3:23, we cannot be saved by what we do. This should show us the foolishness of all idolatry or idol worship which is all based upon what we do.
Paul shows in chapter 3 verse 1 and 2 that there is a blessing in having God's way know to us. The Jews first of all had God's ways shown to them. Paul asks in verse 1, "what advantage then hath the Jew?" His answer is given in verse 2, "much every way chiefly because that unto them were committed the oracles of God. Although the Jews rejected God's way, their unbelief did not make the faith of God without effect. God never changed his way. Paul could only say, let God be true but every man a liar. Though God's ways have been refused by men and nations, His way still stands as the only way of peace with God.
Paul comes back once more and shows in Romans 3 verses 9 through 18 that all are under sin and then quoting from the old testament scriptures in Psalm 14 he states, "There is none righteous no not one." It makes no difference what kind of religion we may have, no matter how good we may think we are doing. All that can be said of all of it is, "There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God." It is only when He seeks us by the word of the gospel, the good news of God's Son the Lord Jesus Christ, will we be found. Unless we have all of our false foundation taken away, we will not go to Him for salvation.
Salvation is being saved from our sin and helplessness. If we could work for a satisfaction before God, then we would be commended. But, since there is none good - no not one - we all have to be condemned and then saved. Saved by faith alone. Paul is making this very clear in Romans 3.
God's way stands but we have fallen. We are described very plainly in verse 12, "they have all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable, there is none that doeth good, no not one."
He keeps telling us this truth over and over but very few come to believe this. Even many in the church still seem to think that they have done something by which they are accepted of God. There is but one place for us until we are saved by Christ alone and that is guilty before God. Oh how plainly this is shown in verses 13 through 18. "Their throat is an open sepulcher, with their tongues they have used deceit." Oh, even the lips that should be giving thanks to God are full of cursing and bitterness. We may sometimes speak good things but it is often done in deceit. We pretend to be good but even our mouth is an opening to our heart. God shows that heart as a sepulcher filled with deadness. Dead in our sin without hope and without God. Only if we come to know by faith that there is another way of righteousness other than our own, can we ever be saved from the destruction and misery which is our way.
We are so sinful that even our mouth must be stopped. We must stand guilty before God agreeing with him that we have nothing good in word or deed. That is where he saves us and gives us the Lord Jesus Christ by faith. Then we can say with Paul and all those who are God's children, "Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1
We can only have peace when we know that the wages of sin which is death has been satisfied. Christ died for our sins. Do you believe that he died for you?
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