Romans (Youth) 3A

Trading God’s Truth for Lie #4 (Jewish) & All People are Sinful

Scripture: Romans 3:1-20

Exposure to Exposition & Exploring the Scriptures: (10-15 mins)

• Bible Drills (Memorization of OT & NT Book order)

• Guide the children to Romans 3:1-20 in the Bible. (Help them as needed, NT vs OT)

• Say: We are going to continue through Paul's letter to the people of Rome.

• We will learn that the gospel is God’s power to save everyone who believes, and we should never be ashamed of Jesus.

• Read aloud. (Ask kids to start their pointer fingers on V1 and follow along)

Opening Question

“Have you ever thought you were ‘good enough’ to make God happy just by being nice, following rules, or being part of the right family? Paul teaches us that no one is good enough; only Jesus can save us.”

We cannot reach Heaven by following rules, laws, or even by the family we are born into, for God looks at the heart. Paul addresses this truth because many believed they could be saved by being good, keeping the law, or relying on being Jewish (God’s chosen people).

From last lesson: Romans 2:28 teaches that being one of God’s people isn’t about what’s on the outside, but what’s in your heart. Circumcision was just a sign of belonging to God, but the sign only mattered if the person’s heart truly loved and followed Him. It’s like baptism today- going into the water doesn’t save you unless your heart really trusts in Jesus.

Kid Point: What matters most to God is your heart, not just an outside sign.

Romans 3:1-20 NLT - God Remains Faithful
1 Then what’s the advantage of being a Jew? Is there any value in the ceremony of circumcision? 2 Yes, there are great benefits! First of all, the Jews were entrusted with the whole revelation of God.
3 True, some of them were unfaithful; but just because they were unfaithful, does that mean God will be unfaithful? 4 Of course not! Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say about him,
“You will be proved right in what you say,
    and you will win your case in court.”
5 “But,” some might say, “our sinfulness serves a good purpose, for it helps people see how righteous God is. Isn’t it unfair, then, for him to punish us?” (This is merely a human point of view.) 6 Of course not! If God were not entirely fair, how would he be qualified to judge the world? 7 “But,” someone might still argue, “how can God condemn me as a sinner if my dishonesty highlights his truthfulness and brings him more glory?” 8 And some people even slander us by claiming that we say, “The more we sin, the better it is!” Those who say such things deserve to be condemned.
9 Well then, should we conclude that we Jews are better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are under the power of sin. 10 As the Scriptures say,
“No one is righteous—
    not even one.
11 No one is truly wise;
    no one is seeking God.
12 All have turned away;
    all have become useless.
No one does good,
    not a single one.”
13 “Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.
    Their tongues are filled with lies.”
“Snake venom drips from their lips.”
14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
15 “They rush to commit murder.
16 Destruction and misery always follow them.
17 They don’t know where to find peace.”
18  “They have no fear of God at all.”
19 Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. 20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.

Paul addresses the lie of trusting in Jewish identity by asking and answering five questions.
Question #1: What advantage was there to being a Jew?

• V1-2 Being Jewish is a blessing BUT it’s not what saves

  • Paul asks: Is there any benefit to being Jewish? Yes- they received God’s Word.

  • Having the Bible is a great blessing- it shows us who God is.

  • But having God’s Word doesn’t automatically save anyone.

  • Kid Point: Having the Bible is a gift-  but we must believe and obey what's in it.

Romans 3:3-4 True, some of them were unfaithful; but just because they were unfaithful, does that mean God will be unfaithful? 4 Of course not! Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say about him,
“You will be proved right in what you say,
    and you will win your case in court.”

Question #2: What makes someone right with God?
It’s not being born into a certain family or group. What makes someone right with God is having faith in Him. God looks at the heart, and everyone must trust Him to be made right with Him.

• V3-4 God is Faithful Despite our Sin

  • Even when people are unfaithful to God, God is always faithful to His word.

  • Example: A Jew- King David even admitted his sin and said God’s judgment was fair (Psalm 51:2-4).

  • God never lies- His words always prove true.

  • Kid Point: God is fair and judges everyone the same, no matter who they are.

Romans 3:5-8 “But,” some might say, “our sinfulness serves a good purpose, for it helps people see how righteous God is. Isn’t it unfair, then, for him to punish us?” (This is merely a human point of view.) 6 Of course not! If God were not entirely fair, how would he be qualified to judge the world? 7 “But,” someone might still argue, “how can God condemn me as a sinner if my dishonesty highlights his truthfulness and brings him more glory?” 8 And some people even slander us by claiming that we say, “The more we sin, the better it is!” Those who say such things deserve to be condemned.

Question #3: Is it okay to sin if we think it might make God look better?
No. Some people wrongly thought their sin made God look better—like saying, “I broke the law to help the police!” But that’s not true. Sin is always wrong. God doesn’t ignore sin for anyone, because He is a perfect and fair Judge. He treats everyone equally and judges what is right and wrong the right way. vv. 5-6

Question #4 asks, If sin shows God’s goodness, then isn’t sin a good thing?
Some even thought God should thank people for sinning! Paul answers with a silly idea: if that were true, then we should do bad things all the time so good would come. But that’s not true—sin is always wrong, and God never wants us to do evil. vv. 7-8

• V5-8 Paul Argues Against the Idea that Sin Glorifies God

  • Some people thought, “If my sin shows how good God is, then sinning is good!”

  • That’s wrong- sin is never good.

  • God is always fair in judging sin.

  • Kid Point: We shouldn’t do bad things just so God can forgive us.

Romans 3:9-12 Well then, should we conclude that we Jews are better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are under the power of sin. 10 As the Scriptures say,
“No one is righteous—
    not even one.
11 No one is truly wise;
    no one is seeking God.
12 All have turned away;
    all have become useless.
No one does good,
    not a single one.”

Question #5 So what do we conclude then concerning Jews vs. Gentiles? Are we better than they?

• V9-12 Paul teaches that being Jewish offers no advantage over any other type of person, including himself as a Jew.

  • Paul says: Jews and Gentiles- everyone- are sinners.

  • No one is perfectly good before God.

  • All have turned away from God, and we are useless to Him without Jesus.

  • V10 is one of the most important truths in the Bible. It shows why humans need Jesus. Paul says in Romans 3:10, “There is no one righteous, not even one.” That means no person is good enough to stand before God on their own. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you’re from, or what you’ve done- everyone is born with sin because of Adam. EVERYONE

  • Psalm 51:5 King David proclaims that everyone inherits a sin nature from their parents.

  • This is often referred to as the “original sin,” meaning where sin came from, and why we are sinful.

  • V12 no one seeks God on their own. This is called “total depravity,” meaning there's not a good bone in any of us. We are all 100% sinful.

  • Kid Point: No one is good enough for God on their own.

Romans 3:13-18
“Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.
    Their tongues are filled with lies.”
“Snake venom drips from their lips.”
14     “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
15 “They rush to commit murder.
16     Destruction and misery always follow them.
17 They don’t know where to find peace.”
18   “They have no fear of God at all.”

• V13-18 Our sin nature causes our mouth, feet, and hands to sin.

  • Sin affects every aspect of a person. Proof we are all lost without God.

  • Sin shows up in our words (lying, talking mean).

  • Sin shows up in our actions (hurting others, fighting).

  • Without God, people do not fear Him or follow His ways.

  • Kid Point: Sin affects everything we say and do- we need Jesus to change us.

Romans 3:19-20 “Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. 20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.

• V19-20 God’s Law shows us our sin, like looking in a mirror.

  • God’s Law shows us His perfect standard. You must be 100% perfect to go to Heaven.

  • The Law doesn’t save us- it shows us our sin.

  • We cannot work to be “good enough” and earn heaven.

  • The Law’s purpose was to show God’s standard for Heaven- but no one can keep it perfectly.

  • Kid Point: The Law is like a mirror; it shows us our sin.

Paul showed that all the ways people think they can get to Heaven on their own are wrong—worshiping idols, trying to be good, following rules, or just being born a Jew. In the first three chapters of Romans, he proves none of these can save us.

So, how do we get to Heaven? Paul will answer that as we keep studying Romans.

Observation Questions (What did it say?)

1. What special gift did the Jews have from God? (v.1-2 The word of God)

2. Even when people fail, who always stays faithful? (v.3-4 God is always faithful)

3. What did Paul say about all people, Jews and Gentiles? (v.9-12 All are sinful & seen fairly by God.)

4. What does God’s Law show us about ourselves? (v.1920 Sin.)

Understanding Questions (What does it mean?)

1. Why isn’t having God’s Word or keeping rules enough to save us? (Laws & rules don’t address the sin nature we inherited from Adam)

2. Why does Paul say “no one is righteous, not even one”? (Not one person born of Adam is good on their own)

3. What does it mean that the Law shows us our sin but can’t save us? (Law is like a mirror; we cannot keep all the laws (613). By having the Laws, it shows us we are not good.)

Application Questions (What should I do?)

1. Do I ever think I’m “good enough” without Jesus?

2. How can I remember that God is faithful even when people fail?

3. What does it look like to have a heart change towards God? This week, choose one thing you can do that will help you grow closer to God.

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For Older Kids

Romans (Youth) — Romans (Youth) 3A

Remind them: What is the Gospel?

Jesus’ perfect life paid for the sins of all who believe. Jesus died on the cross as the punishment for sin. But Jesus did not stay dead, three days later He rose to life (resurrection) defeating the power of death. Believe, and you will be saved!

• We are all sinful. We all deserve the consequence of sin- death.

• Jesus is what saves us from the sin we all have in our bodies. And one day, he’ll even give us a new body.

Supporting Truths Kids Can Grasp:

• Having God’s Word is a gift- but we must believe it.

• People may fail, but God never fails.

• All people are sinners-  no one is good enough on their own.

• The Law shows our sin, but only Jesus can save us.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.