Romans 3. In Romans 1-2 we saw that gentiles and Jews alike are not able to have a right relationship with God because of sin. The Apostle Paul summarizes this nicely in the opening of chapter 3, “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.” (3:9-12) All people are trapped in a sin cycle and guilty before God. The result is the destruction of a relationship with our Creator God, damage to other relationships, and condemnation due to our guilt. We deserve death and we are separated from God.

But now (3:21) – this is an important turning point in Paul’s discourse – “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law… the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus… to be received by faith.” (3:21-25).

Let’s look carefully at this section:
But now – something has changed, and it’s changed from this point forward.
A right relationship with God is available that is separate from keeping the law.
This right relationship with God is available through faith in Jesus Christ.
It is available for all who believe.
All have sinned and all can also be justified and have a right relationship with God.
It is available by faith, as a gift to us, because of the grace of God.

Just to be clear – because sometimes Paul is not super clear and has too many clauses and twisty references – Paul restates this truth. “We hold that one is justified by faith apart from the works of the law” (3:28). All people are sinners, and all people stand on equal footing before God. Being Jewish or gentile, making a good effort to keep the moral law or being an adulterer, your skin color or nationality – none of these things are significant. A right relationship with God is available to all people, as a free gift, through faith in Jesus Christ. “God is one – who will justify the circumcised and the uncircumcised by faith.” (3:30)

That’s worth an amen and a hallelujah! The opportunity to be in a right relationship with God is available to all of us! We all need it! It’s a free gift that only requires faith and repentance!

What about you? Have you ever seen yourself as a sinner? Is the depravity of your own soul, your tendency to idolize things other than God, your selfishness – is this evident to you? It is true, whether you recognize it or not.

Or do you struggle with the free gift and the faith alone, not by works part of God’s offer? Do you tend to think if you are good enough, do enough kind things, keep all the rules – then that will put you in a right relationship with God? Ponder the great truths of Romans 3 today.