Romans 3

Greetings again!

The memory verse for Romans 3 includes a verse that many people have had memorized since childhood:

Romans 3:20-24
²⁰ For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. ²¹ But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— ²² the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

This passage is longer, but I couldn't find a good place to stop before v24. I usually try to keep the memory passage from 1 to 3 verses, but there will be exceptions.

The theme for chapter 3 is Righteous Justification by Grace.

Paul continues arguing the contrast between Jew/Gentile, Law/Faith, Earn/Gift. Apparently some were teaching that by our sin, God is glorified; so the more we sin the more God is glorified. Paul rejects this teaching. God's righteousness is. Our unrighteousness does not increase His righteousness, but it reveals the casm between the two.

Paul then quotes from Psalm 14 and others to drive home this point: on our own, we don't seek God. Which leads to the memory passage. Nothing we can do will justify us to God, but He justifies us through His grace, as a gift, through the work of Christ.

And verse 27 gives us our theme: "Then 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. "

May you rest in His grace and live by the law of faith,

Ethan