What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”
“Their throat is an open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive.”
“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
“Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
in their paths are ruin and misery,
and the way of peace they have not known.”
“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. (Romans 3:9-20 ESV)
Paul has just been telling the Romans that those without the law, i.e. Gentiles are judges in their sin, and are not right with God. Then n Chapter 3 he asks then about Jews, if those with the law are any better off. Paul clearly states that none of us are in the good. We have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.
Well that is is turn out the lights, the party is over. We are all going to fry…
Paul tells us that knowing the law doesn’t help us, it actually helps us understand what we have done wrong. “Since through the law comes knowledge of sin.” You see if we do not know the law then we are better off, we can plea no knowledge of the situation. We have plausible deniability. If we don’t know we can’t be held accountable. But Paul covered that earlier in Romans. (I invite you to read that to see what he has to say about those who do not know the law.)
But you see Paul here does give us something. He shows us that the Law can not save us. He plainly says, “For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight.” By following the law to the t does not mean we are in, it does not justify us. We can not earn our way to the party with God. The law serves 2 purposes.
1. To give us civil order. We need order in society so there is not anarchy or chaos, and the law helps to maintain the boundaries of what is allowed and what is not allowed.
2. To convict us of our sins. By knowledge of the law we know what we should and should not do. What is sinful. However that does not mean that if something is not forbidden by the law that it is still not sinful. The law merely is a guide to helping us understand what could be sinful and separate us from God.
When we move to the third use of the law, salvation, is where we get into trouble. The Law can not save us, it will only condemn us. Paul clearly states that if we cling to the list of rules to make it we never will.
It is not about following the rules and being good boys and girls. It is about following Jesus.
So turn out the lights, because with only the law we will not be at the party…
But thanks be to God that the law was not the final word, and Jesus was is and always will be the final word.
aSacredRebel 