L. UNDERSTANDING THE MESSAGE OF THE BIBLE

On the University of Oregon campus, a student was discussing the understanding of being a sinner. They pronounced that they were a good person and could not believe God would judge them harshly.  A fellow student asked, “How many laws do we need to break to become a lawbreaker?” The answer was one. The question continued, “So if we break one law of God, what does that make us?

A lawbreaker was the answer. To understand more fully, they went to the Bible to understand what this means. They looked at:

Romans 3:19-24

¹⁹ Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. ²⁰ Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

²¹ But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. ²² This righteousness is given through faith in^[a] Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus

1. Where do you think the law is from in this paragraph?

2. What does the law establish about every mouth?

3. What does it mean that no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight?

4. What does the law do?

5. What have we learned from the Law and the Prophets about righteousness?

6. How does one then become righteous? What does it mean that there is “no difference between Jew and Gentile”?

1. In verse 23, what do we discover about everyone?

2. How does one become justified from the guilt of our sin or disobedience?

3. What areas of understanding are still not clear about the Human condition?

4. What is provided for us to take away our guilt?

5. What do you need to do to understand grace?

6. How can you understand redemption more clearly?

7. Are there any steps you need to take to understand the human condition?