The Courtroom

Romans 3

What’s the verdict? Guilty or Not Guilty? In Romans 3, the Apostle Paul has much to say in this seeming courtroom to those trusting in their good works and attempts at righteousness.

“Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? 2 Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. 3 What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? 4 By no means! Let God be true though everyone were a liar, as it is written, “That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged.” Romans 3:1–4 (ESV)

If both Jews and Gentiles are equally guilty before God, some might ask, what’s the advantage of being Jewish? Paul reminded them that the Jewish people had great advantage in that God’s Word was first revealed to them. Even if some rejected that revelation, God would keep his promises to them; a grace-filled and mercy-filled gift from the Father.

As Dr. Tony Evans puts it, “God’s faithfulness is not overcome by our faithlessness, however great it may be. As Paul puts it, Let God be true, even though everyone is a liar. Our very unrighteousness demonstrates God’s righteousness.”

Here, Paul dismisses this objection outright: If God can’t judge, then He is less than God.

“But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) 6 By no means! For then how could God judge the world? 7 But if through my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? 8 And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.” Romans 3:5–8 (ESV)

These questions so reflect an attitude common to the pride of humanity: when God turns our evil toward his good plan, we ask to be let off for our evil. But just because God uses our unrighteousness to reveal his righteousness does not negate the fact that we broke the law. We are all still guilty of breaking the law.

“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. 20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.” Romans 3:19–20 (ESV)

The law is a mirror that reveals our sin; only the blood of Christ can wash away our sin. It is good to do good works, but good works are not good enough to save us.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8–9 (ESV).

Paul continues in the seeming courtroom logically and systematically proclaiming that God’s salvation is lawful and is available only through God’s perfect Son and sacrifice Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

“But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 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, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. 27 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. 28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.” Romans 3:22–31 (ESV)

How can a holy God forgive guilty people? Is that lawful? If our judges did that, society would fall apart. But God, the Law Giver and Judge, obeyed His own law, sent His own Son to die for us, and paid the penalty for our sins as a perfect, unblemished, or sinless sacrifice. The Judge is now the Savior!

Dr. Tony Evans shares an illustration to explain the sin of all: “If two men are running to catch a plane, and one man is an hour late, while the other is one minute late, both men miss the flight! It doesn’t matter if you are “better” than your neighbor. Your neighbor is not the standard. God is the standard, and we all fall short,” “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

He goes on, Romans 3:24: “Justification is a legal concept meaning that in God’s courtroom, he pronounced believer’s innocent of all charges. He does this through what theologians call “imputation”—taking Jesus’s perfect record and crediting it to our accounts.”

“Forgiveness always comes at a cost. A man once owned a Rolls-Royce that started to give him trouble. At his call, the company sent an expert to repair the car. Over time, the man noticed that he never got billed. And when he called Rolls-Royce to check on the matter, they said, “Sir, there is no recorded problem with any Rolls-Royce.” So, what happened to the repair bill? Rolls-Royce absorbed it. Likewise, God sent Jesus to repair our sin problem, but he didn’t leave a bill behind because he absorbed the cost himself. (Tony Evans Study Bible)

Jesus paid it all; all to Him I owe.

Do we … nullify the law through faith? No. When we understand grace, we find that we do the right thing, not because we’re driven to (as under the law), but because we’re grateful. If we really understand grace, we can’t help but worship God, we can’t help but give to him, and we can’t help but love other people. Grace isn’t license to sin; it’s God’s unmerited supply of goodness.
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Have you been silenced by an encounter with Jesus Christ, trusted in Him as Sovereign God, and heard the Father say, “Not guilty” because of your faith in Jesus alone? Are you leaning solely on the work of Jesus Christ—His death, burial, and resurrection—for your eternal salvation, or are you trusting your own abilities and works of righteousness? Today, know that all have sinned, but you are justified or made right with God by your faith and His amazing gift of grace.

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