BSF - Lesson 5, Romans 3:1-20

Ha, late in the day again. Better late than never? :) This is a scattered-brained collection of the notes that I took. (I was thinking a lot during the lecture. . . ;)

This week's lesson had just two sections to it:
1. Objections Answered Romans 3:1-8
2. Obvious Conclusion Romans 3:9-20

*A concept that really stuck out to me, brought up in the beginning of the lesson:
We are not sinners because we sin, we sin because we are sinners.
Sin is rebellion against God, rejection of Him, common to all people, and we are born into it. We don't have to *try* to sin, we are inclined to it, it is natural to us. The irony is that we have to try to be good.

In Chapter 3 verse 1, Paul asked his audience what advantage was it to be a Jew?
Much, we find that they had been entrusted with the Word of God. Nancye took a side note and took this question to our level - what have we been entrusted with/given? We have been given the Word, the ability to worship, Christian families and friends, etc. We are given such great priviledges as His people.

God does not need us to sin in order to be righteous. His character is unchangeable and faithful to who He is. When He convicts us, will we be teachable?
A heart that is teachable, and that is the Lord's trusts in the Word of God. Those who believe see it as an absolute authority. We will seek God. Though none will naturally seek Him, He will seek us out. Look at Adam and Eve in the Garden. Disobeyed God. Ran from God. Hid from God. God called for man. God found man. God looks after His chosen.

This passage in Romans goes through vivid descriptions of sinners - 'their mouth is like an open grave' 3:13 - full of cursing and bitterness; 'feet are swift to shed blood' 3:15 - they run to strife, are violent, seek ruin. 'Destruction and misery', 'no peace', 3:16-17.
The greatest offense is that 'there is no fear of God in their eyes' 3:18. They do not acknowledge Him as God, as Omnipresent, Omnipotent, Omniscient.

Verses 19-20 bring us back to the Law. Nancye spoke of the law as a blood test. We get our bloodwork done to help figure out what the problem is. It is not the cure. Likewise, the Law is not the cure for our sin, but it shows what our problem is. No one is ever declared righteous for obvserving the law, it makes us conscious of our sin.