Romans 3:19-31
God’s law measures us by God’s perfect righteousness. God's law is just and righteous and it declares all must do what is right. Law demands we be virtuous, upright, people of integrity, honorable, honest and morally good. That same law also demands justice be served for those who fail; however slight the infraction. Laws are virtually of no value if they do not demand justice. The very purpose of any law is justice. Law also demands recompense, reparation, redress and compensation when broken.
Romans 3:19-20
Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. (NIV)
God's law is right and just, but it cannot make men right with God. God's law condemns us when we do wrong and it demands justice. Law in and of itself cannot make us right for once the law is broken the law declares us unrighteous. The law cannot make us right once we have done wrong. God's law can only declare us guilty and hold us accountable to God.
Romans 7:9-10
Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. (NIV)
Looking at the antonyms for the word justice may help us to clearly see the purpose of the law. Immorality, dishonor, corruptness, unfairness, partiality and bias are the things law seeks to set right.
Romans 3:21-26
But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished--he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. (NIV)
Although the Jews had every advantage they failed to live up to their potential. They spent their energies priding themselves in their advantages. Many Jews boasted that they were Abraham’s descendants; they felt that being a descendant of Abraham was the means of their salvation. They also felt that merely possessing the law gave them special privilege as God’s children. Some of Judaism’s principle errors stemmed from a false sense of security, due to their physical descent from Abraham and their possession of the law. Paul reveals both Jew and Gentile are lost without Christ.
Romans 3:25-27
God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished--he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. (NIV)
Seeking self-justification through the law makes us the center of our world. We begin to look at ourselves as the power that creates and sustains the world. We begin to believe that we have a power within ourselves to give purpose, meaning, and significance to life. This type of attitude results in boasting.
Romans 10:2-3
For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. (NIV)
Luke 16:15
He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight. (NIV)
Often we endeavor to create loopholes in the laws or array one law against another in an effort to seek justification. But the due penalty will eventually be paid.
Deuteronomy 32:46-47
"Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. They are not just idle words for you--
GOD BLESS.
