Then what’s the advantage of being a Jew? Is there any value in the ceremony of circumcision? Yes, there are great benefits! First of all, the Jews were entrusted with the whole revelation of God. True, some of them were unfaithful; but just because they were unfaithful, does that mean God will be unfaithful? Of course not! Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say about him, “You will be proved right in what you say, and you will win your case in court.” “But,” some might say, “our sinfulness serves a good purpose, for it helps people see how righteous God is. Isn’t it unfair, then, for him to punish us?” (This is merely a human point of view.) Of course not! If God were not entirely fair, how would he be qualified to judge the world? “But,” someone might still argue, “how can God condemn me as a sinner if my dishonesty highlights his truthfulness and brings him more glory?” And some people even slander us by claiming that we say, “The more we sin, the better it is!” Those who say such things deserve to be condemned. Well then, should we conclude that we Jews are better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are under the power of sin. As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous— not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.” “Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with lies.” “Snake venom drips from their lips.” “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” “They rush to commit murder. Destruction and misery always follow them. They don’t know where to find peace.” “They have no fear of God at all.” Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.
Romans 3:1-20 NLT
We are not as good as we think we are. Most people think they are good people who do good things (most of the time). Even when we do something wrong, we find a way to explain away our mistake, blame others, or say that our motives were right. These verses call us back to reality: we are all sinners in need of redemption. Humans are in the image of God, but the goodness inside of us is broken (and can only be restored by Christ). Even when we do good, it is often with bad motives. We live selfish and self-centered lives. Even worse, those who are religious often use their rule-keeping as an excuse for looking down on others. All people are under the power of sin (v.9); our “goodness” is not good enough.
Jesus loves us and died for us because we needed to be forgiven. Turning to Christ includes turning around and facing the reality that you are not as good as you thought you were. The first step home is repentance: a realization (with the Holy Spirit’s help) that you were wrong, that your attitude was off, and that even when you did good it was often with self-serving motives. The purpose of God’s rules (the law) is not to be made right with God (which we think happens if we follow them “enough”); the purpose of the law is to show us where we are wrong—we need forgiveness (v.20). Once you have accepted His forgiveness in Jesus, you don’t have to pretend to be perfect. You also don’t need to endlessly condemn yourself because Jesus has perfectly forgiven you.
How often do you evaluate your life and ask God for forgiveness? How can God’s forgiveness free you from trying to be perfect or self-condemnation?
