What is the meaning of Romans 3:20? Therefore no one • The statement sweeps every person into one category—fallen humanity. Romans 3:10–12 echoes, “There is no one righteous, not even one.” • This universality rules out any exception based on heritage, morality, or religious zeal; 1 Kings 8:46 notes, “There is no one who does not sin.” • Psalm 14:2–3 confirms God’s own assessment: “All have turned away; all have become corrupt.” • The verse invites honest self-examination, reminding us that we all stand on the same ground before the holy God. will be justified in His sight • “Justified” means declared righteous in God’s courtroom. It is about how He sees us, not how we see ourselves. • Galatians 2:16 affirms, “A man is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ.” • Romans 4:2–3 points to Abraham: if anyone could boast, it would be him, yet “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” • God’s standard is absolute perfection (Matthew 5:48). Anything less fails to meet His sight. by works of the law • The verse shuts the door on any system of self-salvation. Ephesians 2:8–9 insists, “This is not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works.” • Titus 3:5 reinforces, “He saved us, not by works of righteousness that we had done.” • Galatians 3:10–11 warns that relying on law-keeping places one under a curse because full compliance is required. • Even sincere religious activity cannot erase guilt or earn favor; the law exposes shortcomings rather than cures them. For the law merely brings awareness of sin • The law functions like a mirror: it reveals dirt but cannot wash it away. Romans 7:7 states, “I would not have known what sin was except through the law.” • Galatians 3:19 explains the law was “added for the sake of transgressions” until Christ came. • 1 Timothy 1:8–9 shows the law’s rightful use: to unveil wrongdoing, not to bestow righteousness. • James 2:10 underscores the point: “Whoever keeps the whole law yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” Awareness of sin drives us to seek a Savior outside ourselves. summary Romans 3:20 crushes every hope of self-justification and redirects us to God’s provision. No human effort can achieve right standing before Him; the law’s purpose is to expose our need, not to meet it. Recognizing this, we are prepared to embrace the righteousness God freely offers through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:21–22). |
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