Author
Ben Fetterolf
Follower of Jesus | Husband | Father | Pastor at Hampton Park Baptist Church of Greenville, SC
User since 2019
Ben's proficiency badges
Ben's published pages
The gospel is a comfort. But the gospel is also a call on our lives as believers. We need to hear both: the comfort AND call of the gospel.
Romans 8:1-9
How do you view God? Do you view him as angry at you? Or committed to you? This prophet helps us see how we *should* view God.
Obadiah 1-21
Livestream is a technological gift. But have we adequately thought through the potential downsides to this particular methodology?
Hebrews 10:24-25
I have died. The significance of that statement can't be overstated. I must believe it and live in light of it in order to truly live.
Romans 6:1-14
There are two realms (or kingdoms!) in which to live. The realm where death reigns and the realm where righteousness reigns.
Romans 5:12-21
Most conversations about biblical manhood/womanhood go to a few NT texts. But what God says in the very beginning sets a solid foundation.
Genesis 2:18-25
In what or whom do you find your joy? Does it last through the varying circumstances of life? Where can true, enduring joy be found?
Romans 5:1-11
"No list of sins I have not done; no list of virtues I pursue; no list of those I am not like can earn myself a place with you..."
Romans 4:1-12
What do your words say about your heart?
James 3:3-12
Trials bring dark days. But those times are most important to remember who God is and who we are.
Hebrews 10:32-39
What do you feel you are lacking today? Are things spinning out of control? Anchor yourself in God's character and promises.
Psalms 23:1-6
How do you respond to disappointments and discouragements? Do you run from them? Avoid them? Paul teaches us how God intends to use them.
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Grace, gift, faith. These are the words that dominate this foremost text on how to be made right with God.
Romans 3:21-31
How highly do you view your words? Are you more likely to encourage others to listen to you or to listen to God?
James 1:19-21
Why do you call yourself a Christian? Your answer to that question is significant and identifies where you rest your hope.
Romans 2:17-29
Have you ever thought about how many sermons you've heard in your lifetime? Knowing is useless apart from faith and repentance.
Romans 2:1-16
We often think of God's wrath on the last day. But how is his wrath manifest in the present day?
Romans 1:18-32
Why do you like spending time with other Christians? Because you have mutual interests? Or because you long to see God at work among them?
Romans 1:8-17
Why did Paul write Romans? What is Romans about? These important questions are answered from the very start of the letter.
Romans 1:1-7
What role, if any, do works play in being made right with God?
Romans 4:1-5
Does God keep you in His love? Or do we keep ourselves in His love? Jude answers this very specifically.
Jude 17-25
Contending for the faith initially seems external. But the greatest battle for the faith may need to happen in my own heart.
Jude 8-16
You're probably familiar with loving others on Sunday. But what does love look like on Monday through Friday?
1 Thessalonians 4:9-12
Has your evangelism been fueled by guilt? Why not fuel it with joy?
1 John 1:1-4
view all (25 total)
The Law of God's Righteousness
Romans 3:1-20
What is the role of the law in the life of a believer? And what does the law teach us about God?
#righteousness
#law
#life
Published March 6th, 2020; Updated March 6th, 2020
Author
Share / Groups / About Author
Main point summary
Bracket
Summaries
notes
Main point summary
The law proves that (1) God is faithful, (2) man is sinful, and (3) that man is unable to be justified through the law.
Bracket
editing
NT
Romans 3:1-20
esv
mine
Then what advantage has the Jew?
Then is there any special value to being born a Jew?
Or what is the value of circumcision?
Or on the other hand , is circumcision beneficial in any way?
alternative
Much in every way.
Yes to both!
To begin with, x the Jews were entrusted with y the oracles of God.
For to start with, the Jewish nation was God's chosen people to whom he revealed himself.
ground
questionanswer
z What if some were unfaithful?
Now , if some of those Jews nevertheless turned away from God,
a Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God?
then does that fact mean that God himself is unfaithful?
conditional
By no means!
Absolutely not!
b Let God be true
For God and His Word nevertheless remain true
though c every one were a liar,
even if everyone in the whole world were unfaithful,
concessive
as it is written,
even as David says of God (in Psalm 51),
d “That you may be justified in your words,
"That you may remain righteous in all your judgments,
and prevail when you e are judged.”
and above reproach when judged by others."
series
ideaexplanation
But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God,
( Objection 1 ) But if the unfaithfulness of the Jews leads to a display of God's righteousness,
what shall we say?
then what is the appropriate response?
That God is unrighteous to inflict f wrath on us?
Is the appropriate response that God himself is unrighteous to judge us for this?
( g I speak in a human way.)
(I'm speaking in this way to help you understand-though it seems blasphemous to even say it.)
By no means!
( Answer 1 ) Absolutely not!
For then how could h God judge the world?
For how would God be able to be the judge of the world if he could not judge the unrighteous?
But if through my lie
( Objection 2 ) But if it is by my unfaithfulness
God’s truth abounds to his glory,
that God's glory ends up being proclaimed in his righteous judgment,
actionmanner
i why am I still being condemned as a sinner?
then why am I still being judged (since my sin leads to his glory)?
And why not j do evil
And why shouldn't I continue to sin
that good may come?—
in order that good may keeping coming from it (God continuing to get glory)?
actionpurpose
as some people slanderously charge us with saying.
( Answer 2: This is so obviously false it's not worthy of an answer. ) Some people have wrongfully claimed that this is what we teach in order to try to make us look bad.
Their condemnation is just.
The result of this kind of thinking is just condemnation.
actionresult
negativepositive
What then?
How should we process all this?
Are we Jews 1 any better off? 2
Are the Jewish people any better off than other people?
No, not at all.
No, they are not any better off.
For we have already charged that all, both k Jews and l Greeks, are m under sin,
Because we have already stated that every single person regardless of ethnicity is a sinner.
as it is written:
For this is what the Scriptures teach:
n “None is righteous, no, not one;
There is no one who is righteous. No, not even one.
no one understands;
For no one understands the truth;
no one seeks for God.
and no one seeks after God.
All have turned aside;
Rather , everyone has turned aside to his own way,
together they have become worthless;
and along with everyone else become worthless.
no one does good, not even one.”
Therefore , no one does spiritual good. No, not even one.
bilateral
o “Their throat is p an open grave;
They devour others with their words;
they use their tongues to deceive.”
they use their tongues to deceive others.
q “The venom of asps is under their lips.”
Stinging venom (ready to strike) hides underneath their lips.
r “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
Their mouth is full of sinful and hateful speech.
s “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
And their feet rush to do physical harm to others;
in their paths are ruin and misery,
they walk on roads of ruin and misery,
and t the way of peace they have not known.”
and they do not walk on the road of peace.
u “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
In summary, they have absolutely no fear of God in their hearts.
Now we know
Now we know
that whatever v the law says
that when the law speaks,
it speaks to those who are under the law,
it is speaking to those who are hearing/reading it
temporal
w so that every mouth may be stopped,
in order that no excuses may be made
and x the whole world may be held accountable to God.
but rather that everyone may be held accountable by the God who gave the law.
For y by works of the law no human being 1 will be justified in his sight,
Therefore , it is clear that no human being will be able to be justified through the law
since z through the law comes knowledge of sin.
because the law provides distinct evidence of everyone's sin.
discourse
Summaries
1-4 : Even though the Jews were blessed by God and nevertheless went on to be unfaithful, God remains faithful and righteous in all he does . 5-8 : God is not unjust to punish sin, and my sin is not excused because it ultimately leads to God's glory . Argument 1 (Is God just to punish us?) - If our unrighteousness demonstrates God's righteousness, then is God unrighteous to punish us since through our sin we are demonstrating his righteousness? Answer - Obviously not since God as judge has to judge the unrighteous. Argument 2 (Am I unjust to continue in sin?) - If you are saying that my sin leads to God's glory (in judgment), then why wouldn't I continue to sin since it leads to God's glory? Answer - It goes without saying that this is false and that any who believe this will be condemned. 9-18 : Jews (while blessed) are no better off. FOR all are guilty of sin. In fact, absolutely no one is righteous, not even one , as the Scriptures make clear. 19 : AND the law was given to make our sin and our accountability to God clear. 20 : THEREFORE, no one is able to be justified through the law .
Comments
Disclaimer: The opinions and conclusions expressed on this page are those of the author and may or may not accord with the positions of Biblearc or Bethlehem College & Seminary.