The Cry for Help from All Mankind (Romans 3:1–20)

[Stephan Choe]

October 30, 2026

Key Verses 19–20: “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. For no one can be justified in His sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law comes the knowledge of sin.”

Jesus Christ said: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have come to call sinners, not the righteous” (Mark 2:17).

One might conclude from this that it is unnecessary for someone who has committed no sin to believe in Jesus Christ.

However, Paul points out that there is not a single human being who is free from sin; therefore, all people are inevitably in need of the Gospel. Today, let us recognize this truth and gratefully accept the Gospel.

1.  Questions and Answers Regarding God’s Ways (1–8)

To explore the question of whether all people need salvation through the Gospel, Paul poses several questions and provides the answers himself. In doing so, he clarifies why the Gospel is necessary for every human being.

His first question is: “What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision?” (1).

As Christians, we might ask ourselves: “What advantage is there in being a Christian, and what value does baptism hold?”

We must understand his answer correctly. The term “advantage” generally implies a benefit or a privilege. If someone possesses an advantage, others are typically at a disadvantage.

How does Paul respond to this question?

He answers: “Much in every way! First of all, the very words of God were entrusted to them” (2)—and, by extension, to us Christians as well.

We should take note of the word “entrusted.” God has granted both the Jews and us Christians the privilege of receiving the Gospel—so that we, whether Jewish or Christians, may use it to serve others. The intention behind this is for both the Jews and us to experience God’s blessing and to pass the Gospel on to the people of the world in a credible way—so that as many people as possible may receive God’s blessing.

However, the Jews misunderstood God’s will regarding this privilege; they assumed that God loved only them and had therefore chosen them to be His own people.

Unfortunately, we Christians often make the same mistake as the Jews and live selfishly. Regrettably, we frequently love ourselves more than we love our fellow people, and we place a higher value on money or our possessions than on God. For this reason, some are referred to as "nominal Christians," "paper Christians," or "Sunday Christians."

We must, however, realize that God loves us and all other people equally—even though we were the ones who received the Gospel first. Therefore, we should love our fellow people as our own brothers and sisters. We ought to value people more highly than money or worldly things and share the Gospel with them.

This is a great advantage for us. With this privilege we are called to work as salt of the earth and light of the world. As the salt of the earth, we should use our influence – as children of God – to protect our fellow people from moral and spiritual decay. And as the light of the world, we are to illuminate those around us with the joy of the Gospel.

Now the second question arises: "What then? If some have broken faith with God, will their unfaithfulness nullify God's faith?" (3).

I would rephrase this question as: “Does our injustice prove that God is also unjust?”

To this, Paul replies: “By no means! Rather, God remains truthful, while all human beings are liars—just as it is written in the Old Testament: ‘So that you may be proved right in your words and prevail when you are judged.’” (4–5; cf. Psalm 51:4).

Some people say they cannot believe in God because of the poor behavior of Christians. Naturally, we Christians bear some share of the blame for the unbelief of non-Christians, and in doing so, we bring upon ourselves a corresponding divine judgment. Nevertheless, non-Christians cannot shift their own responsibility for their unbelief and sin onto us. Before God, every single individual remains personally accountable for their own actions.

The third question is: “But if our unrighteousness brings God’s righteousness into the light, what shall we say? Is God—and I speak in a very human way—unjust to punish us for our sin?” (5).

The question arises as to whether God is unjust—given the fact that He uses our unrighteousness to highlight His own righteousness, yet still punishes us.

But Paul responds: “Certainly not! For how else could God judge the world?” (6).

God is perfectly righteous, and His righteousness remains clearly discernible even amidst human unrighteousness. Because God Himself is perfectly righteous, He is able to pass judgment upon sinful human beings.

Now the fourth question is posed: "For if the truth of God has abounded to His glory through my lie, why am I still being judged as a sinner?" (7).

Some people today claim: "The more I sin, the more grace I receive." Following this logic, they sin without restraint and take advantage of divine grace.

To this, Paul responds: “Does it ultimately mean—as we are slandered and as some claim we say—‘Let us do evil so that good may result’? Such people are rightly condemned” (8).

With this response, Paul makes it clear that we must not misuse the grace of God. For God condemns those who deliberately use His grace as an opportunity to sin even more. We are to accept the grace of forgiveness and—with a grateful heart—strive to sin no further.

How can we remain grateful to God for His grace and avoid sin? By reflecting deeply on what God has done for us. He sacrificed His Son to redeem us. When we fully embrace His grace and are grateful for it, a thankful heart will move us to shun sin. Of course, we can never be as perfect as Christ; nevertheless, we will always joyfully follow Jesus’ desire and strive to cleanse ourselves from sin ever more thoroughly. This is the process of our sanctification. That is why we pray: “Lead us not into temptation…”

2. All People Are Guilty (9–20)

Up to this point, Paul has examined both non-believers (1:18–32) and believers (2:1–3:8) and established the reality of their sin. He now asks: “What then? Do we Jews have any advantage?” (9a).

He answers himself:

“Not at all! For we have already proven that all people—both Jews and Greeks—are under the power of sin, as it is written: ‘There is no one who is righteous, not even one’” (9b–10).

The conclusion to the investigations conducted thus far is this: all human beings are sinners and find themselves in a desperate situation—condemned to hell—and no human being can save us from this.

Our actions, words, and pursuits bear witness to our desperate situation.

Regarding our actions, Paul says:

“All have turned away from God and have thereby become useless to God. There is truly no one who does good—not a single one” (12).

And what of our words? He says:

“Their throats are open graves; with their tongues they practice deceit; and their words are poisonous. Their mouths are full of curses and vile language” (13–14).

And our pursuits? He testifies:

“They are quick to shed blood; wherever they appear, devastation and misery follow. They do not know the way to peace, because they have no fear of God.”

Paul summarizes his observations thus far in verses 19–20:

“Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God, because no human being can be justified before God by the works of the law. For through the law comes the knowledge of sin.”

Through the law, we are able to recognize sin as sin (20), for the law defines what is wrong and what is right. The law itself, however, lacks the power to help us keep it. In fact, the law often acts as an incentive to break the law.

The following story illustrates this:

A mother placed some ice cream in the refrigerator and told her children, “You must not eat this ice cream. It will make you fat.” Yet her prohibition only whetted the children’s appetite even more. When the mother is away, the children cannot resist the temptation of the ice cream.

We have all broken some law at one time or another, and before God, we have no excuse to offer. Consequently, there is, unfortunately, no way for us to be recognized as righteous on the basis of our own doing.

Why, then, did God give us the law?

It is important that we correctly grasp the role of the law.

Through the law, God’s first intention is to show us our lost condition.

We are very quick to come up with excuses for our sin; all people are masters of this art.

While we may be able to hide our sin from other people, we cannot hide it from God. Consequently, we will fall silent before Him and await His righteous judgment.

Secondly, God intends, through the law, to point us toward the grace of Christ.

The law leads us to the recognition of our sin and our lost condition. Yet, God has no desire to condemn us. Rather, He takes pleasure in forgiving us and accepting us as His children. For this reason, God uses the law to lead us to His grace in Christ Jesus.

By recognizing our lost state in light of the Law and gratefully accepting God’s offer of grace in Jesus Christ.

The Bible consists not only of the Old Testament but also of the New Testament. The Old Testament reveals God’s Law to us and promises the coming of Christ. It shows us that we are sinners and that we ought to wait for Christ. The New Testament reveals the coming of Christ and God’s grace, so that through Jesus Christ we may receive forgiveness and become children of God.

All people must one day die and subsequently face the judgment of God (Hebrews 9:27). Once we stand before the judgment of God, it will be too late to obtain forgiveness. However, because Jesus Christ has already come, we now have the wonderful opportunity to escape God’s judgment and experience His grace. We should embrace the truth that God loves us so much that He sacrificed His Son, Jesus Christ, for our sins. When we accept Jesus Christ as the Son of God and our Savior, God forgives us and warmly welcomes us as His children.

Therefore, the Apostle Peter says:

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12).

Only Jesus Christ can set us free from sin and grant us eternal life as well as the kingdom of heaven. All that is required is repentance and faith in Christ as our Savior and the Son of God. This is God’s good news for all people.

Therefore, Paul says to us: “Behold, now is the time of grace; behold, now is the day of salvation!” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Let us accept God’s grace right now and rejoice in Him. Hallelujah!