On the contrary, we establish the Law

Romans 3:9-31 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; ¹⁰ as it is written,

“There is none righteous, not even one;
¹¹ There is none who understands,
There is none who seeks for God;
¹² All have turned aside, together they have become useless;
There is none who does good,
There is not even one.”
¹³ “Their throat is an open grave,
With their tongues they keep deceiving,”
“The poison of asps is under their lips”;
¹⁴ “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”;
¹⁵ “Their feet are swift to shed blood,
¹⁶ Destruction and misery are in their paths,
¹⁷ And the path of peace they have not known.”
¹⁸ “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

19Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are  under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God;  ²⁰ because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.by the Law and the Prophets, ²¹ But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God;  ²² even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction;²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; ²⁵ whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; ²⁶ for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

²⁷ Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. ²⁸ For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. ²⁹ Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, ³⁰ since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.

³¹ Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.

Today’s text says:  as it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one;
There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God;  All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good,
There is not even one.”  “Their throat is an open grave, With their tongues they keep deceiving,” “The poison of asps is under their lips”;  “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”;  “Their feet are swift to shed blood,  Destruction and misery are in their paths,  And the path of peace they have not known.”  “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”  Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are  under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God;  because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.by the Law and the Prophets, But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God.      Paul establishes that the Jews were not saved by the Law. In fact, no one is saved by religion. People are not saved today because they are Christians. All the world is accountable to God, whether they acknowledge it or not, and all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The psalmist said:  There is none who does good, There is not even one.   Many would argue that there are many people who do good things; many who are good by the standard of the world. Yet what matters is not the standard of the world, but rather the standard of God to whom all the world is accountable. In Leviticus 11:44-45 God says:  “I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy… you shall be holy, for I am holy.’”  In Leviticus 19:2:  “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.”  Leviticus 20:7:  “You shall consecrate yourselves therefore and be holy, for I am the Lord your God.”   God’s standard is holiness and righteousness. It is more than doing good. It is being like God. 1 John 1:5 says:  God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. Of Jesus, Hebrews 4:15 says:  We do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.   The holiness and righteousness of God, to be like Jesus, without sin, is the standard to which we are all accountable. It is the standard to which there are none who measure up.  Paul says the answer; the solution to our inability, through works or religion to measure up to God’s standard of goodness, holiness and righteousness is:   the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,  being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;  whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. 

So what then, if we have faith in Christ; if we believe, do we no longer need the law or religion. We are not saved by either the law or our religion, but religion is: the service and worship of God or the supernatural - a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices - a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith.  Religion is the practice; the walking out of our faith. It is the system of attitudes, beliefs and practices that we hold to with ardor because of our faith. Ephesians 2:8-10 says: By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;  not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.   We are not saved by our works or our religion, but rather in response to our salvation by grace in faith through Christ, we are recreated in Christ, to be like Him, for good works which God prepared for us and prepared us for in Christ. We are made holy and righteous in Christ and so we should walk in holiness and righteousness. The text says: Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.   In Matthew 5:17-20 Jesus says:  “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”  We too then, like Jesus, should live as the fulfillment of the law; establishing the law. Jesus taught us to pray saying:  Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  More than just praying that prayer, we are to be the answer; the working and walking out of that prayer. Living holy and righteous lives here on earth as God the Father and Jesus are holy and righteous in heaven. Jesus says:  “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ; precious Holy Spirit; thank You for the gift of grace, that I might be saved through faith in Christ; not by my own works but by the finished work of the cross. In Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, may I live up to Your standard. May I be holy as You are holy. May I walk in Your righteousness. May I practice my faith with ardor, letting Your light shine before others. May Your kingdom come, may Your will be done, in and through my life, to Your glory.  Amen.