Romans 3:20 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.
There is a movement in this country to eliminate the police, prisons, and the whole justice system. Then it could be rebuilt in a fashion that would be more fair and equitable. Like a celebrity who recently gave permission to poor people to steal because they are poor.
There is a solution: just take away the laws that forbid stealing, armed robbery, rape, assault, drug dealing and possession, kidnapping, fraud and murder. Then no one would end up in prison in the first place. Take away the definition of the crime, and the crime goes away! Magic!
This doesn’t mean these crimes wouldn’t take place, but just that they couldn’t be prosecuted since there would be no law that was broken. People would still be hurt, but no one would have to take responsibility for the pain inflicted. Taking away the definition doesn’t make people behave better. It only takes away any corrective pressure that might exist. Some people actually don’t commit some crimes because they are afraid of the punishment.
Imagine that, people don’t want to go to prison, so they behave in ways that are more socially acceptable. They are kinder and more respectful. Now that would be a good outcome for everyone!
In this section in the Letter to the Roman church, Paul is making his closing argument that everyone is guilty before God. No matter their background, we all miss the mark. This is a conclusion that is sad by true. Even the best of us fail.
The best of Paul’s time were the Jews. They had the guidance provided by their history with the Judge of the Universe as revealed in the Old Testament. They had seen His hand at work in their rescue, repeatedly! They knew what God expected of them, but they still failed to follow those directives.
The problem is not with the Law, but with the humans who are trying to gain standing with God through the exercise of their wills. Instead of seeing the Law as a flashlight into their souls, pointing out their shortcomings and driving them to their knees in an act of seeking mercy, they instead made it a ladder they attempted to climb in an effort to rise above others. Their efforts rather than God’s grace and mercy became the center of their devotion.
Our text points this out. The Law shines the light into our souls, illuminating every hidden thread of deceit and pride. The Law raises our awareness; it points out our failings.
And this is Paul the Apostle writing this. Before he became a Christian, he was on the fast track to the earthly hall of fame of righteous people. He seems to have been doing everything he could and should to rise to the challenge of meeting the impossible standard of keeping the Law. People looked up to him. He was their example of someone who was getting it ‘right’ in their life.
But his encounter with the living Jesus changed all that. He went from a prosecutor to a proclaimer. His life went from one of “accepted” to one of “weirdo” and “outlier”. If he were alive today, he would have been banned by Twitter and Facebook. His views were not acceptable.
How about you? Do you have a sense that doing the right things gives you a step up in your spiritual life? Or are the right things a response to the grace and mercy at work in your life?
The Arnold Journey 