Romans 3:10-18

Read Romans 3:10-18

Helpful Background Information: 

• As Christmas Day is this week, it’s fitting to follow up on Pastor Matt Boyer’s suggestion that we meditate upon the Scriptures he gave in his sermon. These Scriptures emphasize our desperate need for a savior, and should push us to overwhelming thankfulness towards and reliance upon Christ. Hence, we will look at the Scriptures Boyers suggested, and then shift gears to look forward to the December 28th sermon. 

• For our passage today, the Apostle Paul gives a summary of mankind. Apart from God, all human beings are under the power of sin and stand guilty before God. Mankind is dead in sin; they never desire by themselves to come to God, they love their sin, they have no righteousness, and everything they do in some way is motivated by sin. We were set on our destruction, and without God’s grace, we would’ve walked straight into it. As Paul says in verse 19, the law of God shows us the extent of our sinfulness. And all humans are without excuse - every human being will be held accountable for their sin. 

• It is this problem Jesus came to solve. He saw our desperate state and came to save us from the penalty we had earned. He came to die, to rise, and to change our hearts by his Spirit towards loving God instead of our sin. If we’re to appreciate Christmas, we must recognize how desperate humanity was for his saving work. Without Christ coming into the world, there would be no hope. 

Reflection Questions: 

• How does understanding humanity’s helpless and sinful condition deepen your appreciation for Christ’s coming at Christmas?

• In what ways do you still see the pull of sin in your own life, even as a believer? In what ways have you seen Christ pull you away from your sins - changing your heart from enjoying those sins to hating them? 

• Given mankind’s sinful condition, how does this impact how you view God’s grace? Write down 3 devotional thoughts on the goodness of his grace, especially as it relates to you.