lawless?

Good morning sisters and brothers,
Today's reading begins to wrap up this first section of the letter. Paul says Jews do have an advantage since as a community they have heard God speak to them over a long period of time and therefore have a great chance to know his will. The fact that some have not followed doesn't change God's calling. Then he addresses what seems to have been a common accusation against the church. It seems that people claimed because Christians believed in God's loving forgiveness that they stopped caring about behaving the right way. Paul shoots down this argument immediately. Paul believes that God's grace is what matters for forgiveness, but that God's calling is to a new life free from sin. God still calls us to follow and still pours out forgiveness and love freely. Listen for his voice today in your life.

God bless,
Sam

Romans 3:1-18

Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? 2Much, in every way. For in the first place the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. 3What if some were unfaithful? Will their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? 4By no means! Although everyone is a liar, let God be proved true, as it is written, “So that you may be justified in your words, and prevail in your judging.” 5But if our injustice serves to confirm the justice of God, what should we say? That God is unjust to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) 6By no means! For then how could God judge the world? 7But if through my falsehood God’s truthfulness abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? 8And why not say (as some people slander us by saying that we say), “Let us do evil so that good may come”? Their condemnation is deserved!


9What then? Are we any better off? No, not at all; for we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under the power of sin, 10as it is written: “There is no one who is righteous, not even one; 11there is no one who has understanding, there is no one who seeks God. 12All have turned aside, together they have become worthless; there is no one who shows kindness, there is not even one.” 13“Their throats are opened graves; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of vipers is under their lips.” 14“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” 15“Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16ruin and misery are in their paths, 17and the way of peace they have not known.” 18“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”