Lesson 15 - Romans 3:27-31

Read - Romans 3:27-31

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 3

27Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.

28For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.

29Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also,

30since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.

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

Discuss:

Tell of a time when you witnessed a person do something incredible.

Paul wraps up chapter 3 by reminding us of the incredible grace of God. Like what we just shared it was not us who did this incredible feat it is all God and we have no room to boast about anything. Faith removes any boasting by man what so ever and these final verses teach us 4 absolutes about Faith.

Vs 27 -

Does the law provide opportunity for us to boast?

Do our abilities or the work and good deeds we do for God provide us a means to boast?

If we are believing by Faith what are we believing in?

If God is the one who has done everything for our salvation then what are we boasting about?

Who then deserves all the boasting?

Faith Absolutely removes all our boasting.

Vs 28 -

What does conclude/maintain mean?

What does Faith absolutely nullify?

Faith Absolutely removes the law from any justification equation.

Vs 29+30 -

What do 1Cor. 8:6, Acts 17:26-28, Eph. 4:6 tell us about God?

If there is only one God what do Rom. 3:30, 1Tim.2:5, Acts 10:34, Acts 15:9, Rom 2:11, Tell us about who HE justifies?

Faith absolutely makes all men equal before God.

Vs 31 -

Faith in Jesus doesn’t eradicate the law it does 3 things:

Matt. 5:17 -

Rom. 8:3 -

Gal. 3:13 -

What does the believer’s faith do to the law: Gal.3:19, 22, 24, Rom. 10:4, 9+10.

Faith Absolutely upholds and establishes the law.

Application:

#1 - We easily bring such boasting into our relationship with God. In addition to being sinful, it carries two great dangers. (1) It stifles our worship, (2)False confidence in our own abilities instead of dependence on the Lord. would you agree? what do we do about this? (Moo, D. J. (2000). Romans (p. 142). Zondervan Publishing House.)

#2 - Am I willing to absorb the cost of wrongs done to me by others so that I might extend Mercy to them as God has extended mercy to me? What verse tells us to do this?

#3 - When I encounter standards which, in my flesh, I do not want to obey or think are inappropriate, do I rebel and get obstinate, or do I allow them to motivate me to seek God’s enabling to do the right thing?