Romans 3 (Pt 2)

Romans 3:9-11 (ESV)

[9] What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, [10] as it is written:

“None is righteous, no, not one;

[11] no one understands;

no one seeks for God.

Prejudice is not limited to White America. All over the world there is prejudice toward “others,” those who are different from us. In the first century the Jews thought of themselves as better than others. The Greeks thought of themselves as better and more civilized than others. The truth is that none of us are better than anyone else.

When the Romans expanded their empire into northern Europe they fought the “barbarians” of the north. They were called barbarians because their lifestyle was different than that of the Romans. They were considered less refined, and therefore less human. The same is true of the American West. When it was settled by the White Man, the Indigenous Peoples were considered savages. Their lifestyle was different. Their style of warfare was different. Their justice systems and systems of government were different, and therefore considered inferior to the White Man’s systems. They were considered less than human, savages.

But the truth is that we are all, in some way less than human. Created in the image of God, we were designed to reflect the character of God. The Fall of mankind changed all that. Rather than righteousness, Romans 3 concluded, “There is none righteous.” Rather than understanding and seeking God, “No one understands; no one seeks for God.” We are divided by sin, and yet in some ways we are also united by sin. That is, we are all in the same boat concerning our relationship to God. There are no favored people. There are no better people. We are all under sin.

Perhaps the solution to class and race division is to stop recognizing the faults in others, and acknowledge our own faults, but the real solution comes in another way. Romans 3:20 reminds us that, “by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.” Romans 3:23-24 hold the solution to division and prejudice. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” Redemption is what unites us. Restoration to God is not the result of Critical Race Theory, nor political agreement, nor restoration and reciprocation. Restoration to God and therefore to others comes as a gift.

We all stand guilty before God. Justification and redemption are gifted by God when we believe. It is our faith that unites us despite differences in color, culture, or communication. It is faith in Christ that causes us to realize that we had no more to offer God than anyone else. It is faith in Christ that reveals the uncomfortable truth that we stood as guilty before God as anyone else. It is faith in Christ that not only unites believers, but causes us to love unbelievers as Christ does, who gave his life for them. It is not philosophy, politics, socialism, or democracy that will break down the walls between people. The gospel has already done so. Let us live what we say we believe.