I am free to be better

Romans 3:9-20 Well then, should we conclude that we Jews are better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are under the power of sin. 10 As the Scriptures say,
“No one is righteous—
not even one.
11 No one is truly wise;
no one is seeking God.
12 All have turned away;
all have become useless.
No one does good,
not a single one.”[ Pss 14:1-3; 53:1-3]
13 “Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.
Their tongues are filled with lies.”
“Snake venom drips from their lips.”[ Pss 5:9; 140:3]
14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”[ Ps 10:7]
15 “They rush to commit murder.
16 Destruction and misery always follow them.
17 They don’t know where to find peace.”[ Isa 59:7-8]
18 “They have no fear of God at all.”[ Ps 36:1]
19 Obviously, 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. 20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.

Paul puts together a series of OT scriptures to illustrate how no one is right in God’s eyes. The objector may say that many of these references when read in context are referring to Gentiles so it doesn’t apply to Jews. This is why Paul makes the statement in vs 19. As a mom I find myself saying this type of thing to my kids all of the time. “Adi, what did I just tell Calvin? If he has to share then you have to share too.”
Vs 20 leaves humanity in a dire situation. As F.F. Bruce says, “The law brings out men and women’s sinfulness, but does nothing to cure it.” No one can live up to the standard of God. We all stand before him guilty and in need of grace. Gal 2:16 Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”
Gal 3:11 So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

Vs 21-22 But 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. 22 We 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.
We suddenly have a new way to righteousness before God. We are no longer burdened by the unattainable standard of the law. This new way isn’t just made up. It is foreshadowed and prophesied about in the OT. Ps 32:1-5 David speaks of the forgiveness of sins.
Oh, what joy for those
whose disobedience is forgiven,
whose sin is put out of sight!
2 Yes, what joy for those
whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt,
whose lives are lived in complete honesty!
3 When I refused to confess my sin,
my body wasted away,
and I groaned all day long.
4 Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me.
My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.
Interlude

5 Finally, I confessed all my sins to you
and stopped trying to hide my guilt.
I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.”
And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.

In the next chapter Paul will discuss the specific example of Abraham.
Paul has made it very clear in chapter two that we all are guilty of sin and require the same judgment no matter who we are. Here the converse is true. We are all made right with God if we have faith in Jesus no matter who we are.

Vs 23-26 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet 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. 25 For 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, 26 for 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.
Gen 15:6 says that Abraham’s faith was credited to Him as righteousness. They had faith in the promises they had received from God that someday there would be a way of salvation. God showed His amazing patience and grace by withholding punishment from those who lived before Christ came and died. God’s righteousness demands justice, however so there had to be a payment for sins committed. God vindicated His own character and freed us from the debt of our sin in one act. He gave His son, Jesus, to take our punishment. So even though God withheld judgment from those who showed faith before Christ, it was in anticipation of what God knew was going to happen. Through the death of Christ God displays His mercy and his righteousness because He declares us righteous when we have faith in Him. It wouldn’t work for God to simply overlook our sin. That would compromise His perfection, but because our debt is paid we can be made righteous by believing in what Jesus did for us. Hallelujah!

Vs 27-28 Can 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. 28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.
This reiterates to the Jew that they hold nothing over the Gentile. Everyone is saved by faith in God’s merciful act. Those who have grown up in the church and pretty much all we know is Christianity need to be reminded that we have nothing to take pride in. I love the phrase, “there but for the grace of God, go I.” (Attributed to John Bradford said while watching a prisoner headed to execution.) If it weren't for God's saving grace I would be no different than those headed to hell all around me.

Vs 29-31 After all, is God the God of the Jews only? Isn’t he also the God of the Gentiles? Of course he is. 30 There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. 31 Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.

If salvation could come by keeping the law then God would be the God of the Jews since He gave the law to them. Since salvation comes by faith then God is the God of all who believe. The law is not pointless. It is the first half of the equation. Without the second half we are in dire straights. The law constantly pointed us to our need for a savior. It caused us to become aware of our inability to meet God’s standards. The Gospel is the glorious second half of the equation. It fulfills the law. The sum of the equation is that now, by faith, we are able to do a better job fulfilling the law; not in order to be saved, but as a response to the grace shown us.