Message: Romans 3 can be a bit confusing if you just read a few verses. It would almost seem like Paul is arguing with himself or in contradiction. What is really happening is that he is evaluating two different extreme mindsets. One as an attitude of lawlessness and the other as an attitude of religiousness. One represents Jews and the other represents the Gentiles. He is not favoring one over the other. He is explaining the importance of understanding both so that we understand how they work together . The gospel wasn’t throwing out the old law. The old law was a way pointer to the new covenant. This is so important to understand or else we find ourselves rejecting one in order to follow the other. We don’t circumcise anymore as an obedience to being Jewish. We now circumcise the heart. This is a step above following rules because now we have to care. The law revealed our sinful conscience and our deceitful tendencies and the new covenant prevents us from creating loopholes to get out of obedience. What a beautiful collision of truth!
