Read Romans 3:20
In action movies the climax is always the greatest and most intense battle
As Paul reaches his climax in chapters 1-3 he highlights not a victory but the major problem that he’s been working at since chapter 1. That climax is stated clearly and concisely in Romans 3:20.
Romans 3:20 (NIV84)
Therefore no one will be declared righteous in His sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.
What is Paul’s climactic conclusion? No person in the world (past, present or future) can be made right with God by living out the law. What Paul is saying is that no one is good enough to merit their own salvation. No one is good enough so that God will automatically open the pearly gates for them on the day of judgement. This was an incredible slap in the face to the Jews as they thought having the law and keeping the law made them righteous in God’s eyes. It’s a slap in the face too for all the good people in the world who think they’ll be right with God when they die because they’ve never done anything really bad. There may be good people in the world but there’s no one good enough!
The law also has another function. It serves to make us conscious of sin. As Martin Luther the great reformer said in The Bondage of the Will, ‘By the law is the knowledge of sin [Rom 3:20] so the word of grace comes only to those who are distressed by a sense of sin and tempted to despair’. When we become conscious of sin the solution is not to list our good points or to lie to ourselves that we are ‘good people’, but to run to God and to embrace His grace in Christ Jesus. The solution to being conscious of sin can only be found in Christ Jesus. Have you come to Christ Jesus to deal with the sin problem?
Prayer:
Given today’s reading jot down your own prayer points:
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks
Supplication:
¥ Pray that as the Word is preached in your church tomorrow that many people will come to Christ in repentance and faith to overcome the sin problem.
¥ Pray that the service tomorrow in your church will edify believers and equip them to live a life of faith. Pray that the preacher and those involved would be filled with the Spirit and able to lead, preach, sing etc boldly and without intimidation. Pray that God would be honoured and glorified.
Christians can be tempted to fixate on their sin and become depressed or introverted. Satan will use this to stifle our gospel light. The antidote is to dwell on the gospel of grace and not our sinfulness.
1. What role should guilt play in the Christian life?
2. Can you see a difference between good guilt and bad guilt?
3. The world finds talk of sin offensive and even worse, being told that they themselves are sinful! How do we then incorporate talk of sin into our gospel presentation?
4. What happens to the gospel if talk of sin is left out?
Discipleship Moment For Girls
Intro: Ask who is the hunkiest or best star you can think of at the moment. You might know all about that person and have all the posters etc but without a relationship with that person it really boils down to nothing. What matters is a relationship. It’s the same with God.
Share: if possible, how you came to be in a relationship with Jesus.
Read Matthew 23:25-26.
Why do you think Jesus cares about our insides as well as our outsides?
Which is more important, the outside of a person or the inside? Discuss.
Pray: for a growing purity on the inside, in our hearts where it really matters.
Sometimes we try to look really cool in front of our mates. Sometimes we want to impress them. And it’s great when everyone is impressed with what we do or say. But Jesus looks on the inside not just the outside. If we want to impress Jesus, it needs to come from deep within.
Share: how you’ve tried to impress others but failed.
Read Matthew 23:25-26.
Why do you think Jesus cares about our insides as well as our outsides?
Which is more important, the outside of a person or the inside? Discuss.
Pray: for a growing purity on the inside, in our hearts where it really matters.
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