Have you ever thought to yourself, Well, I'm not too bad. I'm a pretty good person. In this passage Paul assembles seven Old Testament quotations to refute thoughts like that and show that you—like everyone else—stand guilty before God.

1. What is "God's glorious standard" (v. 23)?



2. Why can God not tolerate sin? Why must He be angry at sinful people (See Romans 1:18)?



3. When accused of wrongdoing, what is your reaction? Denial, argument, defensiveness? Are you ready (v. 19) to stop making excuses to God?



4. Has anyone been able to live up to God's standard (vv. 9, 20, 23)?



5. Does the verdict of verse 23 distinguish between "big" and "little" sins?



6. How did God find a way to declare us "not guilty" without condoning our sin (vv. 24-25)?



7. What response does God require from us (vv. 27-28) in order for Him to "drop the charges" against us?



8. Have you admitted that you can't measure up to God's standard and need His help?

Thank God for His gracious kindness in sending Christ to take the punishment for our sins that we deserved.

¹⁰As the Scriptures say, "No one is righteous—not even one. ¹¹No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. ¹²All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one."

¹³"Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with lies." "Snake venom drips from their lips." ¹⁴"Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness." ¹⁵"They rush to commit murder.

¹⁶Destruction and misery always follow them. ¹⁷They don't know where to find peace." ¹⁸"They have no fear of God at all."

¹⁹Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. ²⁰For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. ²¹But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago.

²²We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. ²³For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. ²⁴Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.

²⁵For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, ²⁶for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.

²⁷Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. ²⁸So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.

Prayer for the Week

I admit, Lord, that I deserve Your wrath. Thank you for providing a way for me to be made right with You through faith in Your Son.

				Try an Issue of Men of Integrity Free! Name Street Address City/State/Zip E-mail Address No credit card required. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Offer valid in U.S. only. Click here for International orders. If you decide you want to keep Men of Integrity coming, honor your invoice for just $19.95 and receive five more issues, a full year in all. If not, simply write "cancel" across the invoice and return it. The trial issue is yours to keep, regardless. Give Men of Integrity as a gift Buy 1 gift subscription, get 1 FREE!

FREE Newsletter Sign up for the Men of Integrity Newsletter    RSS Feed   RSS Help