GOD REMAINS JUST
Romans 3:1-8
Twelfth in the sermon series, “Romans: Gospel Blueprint.”
Paul has just said something scandalous to his Jewish readers: that God judges Jew and Gentile alike, and that an obedient outsider may fare better on judgment than a disobedient insider. Naturally, the objections come flying. Then what’s the point of being God’s people at all? Is God being unfaithful? Is He even being fair to punish us? Paul then stages a courtroom drama. Sinful humanity puts God in the dock, hurls accusations at Him, and demands that He answer for Himself. And by the end, the verdict is reversed. As one of David’s psalms put it, God is “justified” in His words and prevails when He is judged. Let’s watch the case unfold in three movements.
God’s Faithfulness
Paul anticipates his interlocutor’s accusation: If God judges His people impartially, has He gone back on His promises? Note that the Jew believes that he has a special standing before God. The Jew has the advantage, but not in the manner they think. So, Paul’s answer is emphatic. There is still a great advantage in belonging to the covenant people, and chief among the blessings is that His people were “entrusted with the oracles of God.”[1]
Romans 3:1-4: 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 every one were a liar, as it is written,
“That you may be justified in your words,
and prevail when you are judged.”
Notice the asymmetry here. Human unfaithfulness is real, but it does not cancel His faithfulness. God’s reliability does not rise and fall with human performance. He is not faithful because His people are faithful; He is faithful because He is God, and He cannot deny Himself. This is the bedrock of the whole gospel: His promises are anchored in His character, not in people.
God is Not Unrighteous
The second anticipated accusation is more cunning: If my unrighteousness actually shows off how righteous God is, then surely God is unfair to punish me; after all, I’ve made Him look good! Paul even pauses, almost embarrassed, to say, “I am speaking in a human way.” The logic is twisted, and Paul knows it. His answer is a NO. God judges righteously.[2]
Romans 3:5-6: 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?
The argument collapses under its own weight. If God could not condemn sin simply because His condemnation displays His justice, then He could never judge at all. A God who cannot distinguish good from evil is no righteous Judge worth the name. God’s justice is not God’s cruelty; it is the guarantee that wickedness will not have the last word.
No Excuse to Sin
The third anticipated accusation is the most dangerous, because it dresses itself up in piety: If my lie magnifies God’s truth and brings Him glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner? Pushed one step further, it becomes the slogan Paul says his enemies slandered him with: “Let us do evil that good may come.”
Romans 3:7-8: 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.
Paul had repeatedly heard this slander because his grace-centered, Torah-free gospel was accused of promoting disobedience, and he answers it by pronouncing a sober sentence: “Their condemnation is just.”[3] The reasoning behind the slogan makes God out to be fickle, treating the most beautiful truth, that God brings good even out of evil, as a license to keep sinning. But grace that leaves you comfortable in your sin is not the grace of God; it is a counterfeit.
Application
1. Let us build our assurance in Christ, not our own works. If ever we sin, let us confess our sins to him and receive His forgiveness and cleansing. Our life in Him is about Him, not about how good we are. Let us persist in trusting Him.
2. Stop putting God on trial. Much of our quiet bitterness toward God is a low-grade version of the courtroom in this passage. We have no right to cross-examine Him over a loss, a delay, an unanswered prayer, convinced He owes us an explanation.
3. Let us not abuse His grace. Real grace humbles and transforms; it never licenses. Let the kindness of God lead you not to presumption but to repentance (Romans 2:4), and let gratitude, not loophole-hunting, be our guide.
[1] Frank S. Thielman, Romans, ed. Clinton E. Arnold, Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Zondervan Academic, 2018), 3:1-4.
[2] Michael J. Gorman, Romans (Eerdmans, 2022), 3:1-8.
[3] Michael F. Bird and Scot McKnight, Romans (Zondervan Academic, 2016), 96-97.
HIS WORD IS JUST by Ed Pilapil Jr Now, is there value in the Old Were the Jews in the Lord’s sheepfold? Do they have any advantage? Yes, but with a certain vantage They have the oracles of God But they chose a holy facade Twisting truth to justify sin Unfaithful to the Lord within God is righteous, and we are not Know this: do not say, “I forgot” But there is no excuse to sin Trust the work of His grace within Why accuse God? His word is just Use some intelligence and trust Study His word diligently Believe the gospel completely
Study Guide
1. Explain the first set of anticipated questions. What is Paul’s response? (Ro 3:1-4)
2. Explain the second set of anticipated questions. What is Paul’s response? (Ro 3:5-6)
3. Explain the third set of anticipated questions. What is Paul’s response? (Ro 3:8-9)
