Page 23 - Romans Student Textbook.doc

Study Session 4: Chapter 3 - Everyone is a Sinner

4.1 Connect
One of the most important starting points in witnessing to a lost person is to help them
understand that they are a lost person. A person does not need a Savior if he considers himself
pretty good. Most lost people believe that if you do enough good deeds, they will offset the bad
deeds you have done. If the scale tips to the good side, then they get to go to Heaven.

As you know, the Bible says that all the righteousness of a person is nothing but filthy rags to
God. So, a good person’s deeds are not sufficient to save him as they are nothing to God.

A good way to share with a person is to ask them if they believe in the Ten Commandments. Most people
will say they are a good moral law to abide by. Actually, they are God standard of perfection. So, ask the
person if they have ever told a lie, or stolen anything, or used the Lord’s name in vain. They will see, by
comparing their life to the righteous law of God, they are lacking. Then ask, if God judged you based on
his perfect moral law, would you be innocent or guilty? Most of the time they will say, “guilty.” Now they
know they are lost. Chapter 3 of Romans makes it very clear that everyone is lost in their sin. Start with
quoting or having them read some passages out of this chapter.

4.2 Objectives
1. Students should be able to explain how the Law cannot save without faith.

2. Students should be able to describe how the unfaithfulness of Israel does not nullify the
faithfulness of God.

3. Students should be able to explain that all people (Jew and Gentile) have sinned and will be held
accountable for breaking God’s law.

4.3 The Passage: Romans 2:17 – 3:31

But if you call yourself a Jew and rely upon law and boast in God and know the will approve
the superior instructing and of the law, being persuaded yourself to be a guide to the blind, a
light in darkness, a corrector of fools, a teaching of infants, having the outward from of
knowledge and the truth in the law. The one therefore, teaching others, do you teach
yourself? The one preaching ‘Do not steal,’ do you steal? The one saying, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ do you
commit adultery? The one detesting the idols, do you rob temples? You who in law boast, through the
breaking of the law you dishonor God; for the name of God on account of you is blasphemed among the
Gentiles, just as it is written. For circumcision is a value if you do law; but if a breaker of the law you are,
then the circumcision has become uncircumcision. Therefore, if the uncircumcised keeps the decrees of the
law, will not his uncircumcision be considered unto circumcision? And the out of nature uncircumcised
obeyer of the law judges you, the through the written text and circumcision breaker of the law. For not the
one who in visible appearance is a Jew neither the one who in appearance in flesh is circumcised, but the
hidden Jew, and circumcision of heart by Spirit not by written text, whose praise is not out of men but out
of God.

Physical circumcision (law-keeping) is of no value unless it is combined with faith that comes from the Holy
Spirit’s circumcision of a person’s heart.

Therefore, what is the advantage of the Jew or what is the benefit of circumcision? Much according to
every way. For first that they have believed the message of God. For what? If a certain one failed to

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