GUILTY!

Read Romans 3.

Paul has systematically laid out the case of crimes against God for the violations of His holy law. In Romans 1, the Apostle states the evidence for the crimes of the heathen—their blatant debauchery.  In chapter 2:1-16, he shares the proof of crimes by the hypocrite—having a veneer of morality, but rotten at the core. From 2:17-3:8, Paul lays out the facts for the guilt of the Hebrews—who having God’s law, nevertheless have not heeded it. So, he concludes by summarizing God’s verdict on all humanity—GUILTY!  We all have sinned. There is none good—not even one.  No flesh can be justified through their own effort.  We have missed God’s mark.  His glory—God’s perfection—is the bull’s eye that we must hit.  No matter how hard any of us try, the arrow of our effort falls short of the target. Most don’t even get close.  Some may not miss it as much.  One thing is true of all—none will, nor can hit it.

Imagine that God stood us all at the edge of the Grand Canyon and said, “If anyone jumps over it, I will allow you into heaven.”  Some poor old granny just falls over the edge.  I wouldn’t jump far.  A teen could jump farther.  An olympic long jump champion would jump much farther. But, one thing is true of all—we would all fall short.  It wouldn’t even be close—and the distance between sinful humanity and God’s holiness is much wider than the Grand Canyon.

So, what hope is there?  Hope for everyone!  For our guilt there is His grace!  “But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Rom.3:21-26‬)

The righteousness demanded that we cannot get in our work, is given by Christ’s work.  We receive that grace through faith—not in what we do, but in what Jesus has done.  That is the promise of God!

DOES GOD GRADE ON THE CURVE?

Read Romans 2.

I loved teachers who would grade on the curve.  My IQ was high, but my study habits were not. I preferred hobbies to homework and sports to study. I thought school was for socializing instead of scholarship.  However, when the teacher graded on the curve, I could pass the class with little effort.  I wasn’t graded on the objective truths of the textbook, but the subjective comparison to other students. I would get A’s and B’s while breezing through the course.

Some people think God grades on the curve.  They will admit they aren’t perfect, but compared to many, they don’t look too sinful.  I mean they aren’t serial killers or bank robbers.  In fact, some people are very moral outwardly, and seem religious enough.

But, not to God.  God does not grade on the curve.  Paul is dealing with that argument in Romans 2.  He has pointed out the sinfulness of the heathen in chapter 1.  He knew a lot of folks would say, “Sure, they deserve the judgment of God!  Look at how bad they are! But, I’m a good person.”  So, now the Apostle will move to the guilt of the hypocrite—who says more than he does—who is comparison to unholy people seems good enough, but compared to Holy God cannot measure up.  If we read the text—the Bible—objectively, we flunk.

In chapter 1, Paul appeals to the witness of creation to God’s existence and power—a witness outside us, and now He points in chapter 2 to the witness of conscience to God’s existence and purity.  If we will get beneath the surface level, where we may not appear that bad compared to others, and consider the guilt we carry inside us, then we must admit our need of a Savior—and the good news is that we have One—Jesus Christ.