Why on earth would God still love Israel?

3 So what advantage does the Jew have? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? 2 Considerable in every way. First, they were entrusted with the very words of God. 3 What then? If some were unfaithful, will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness? 4 Absolutely not! Let God be true, even though everyone is a liar, as it is written:

That you may be justified in your words
and triumph when you judge.

5 But if our unrighteousness highlights God’s righteousness, what are we to say? I am using a human argument: Is God unrighteous to inflict wrath? 6 Absolutely not! Otherwise, how will God judge the world? 7 But if by my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner? 8 And why not say, just as some people slanderously claim we say, ‘Let us do what is evil so that good may come’? Their condemnation is deserved!

Romans 3:1-8

Introduction

There is a scene in the book of Deuteronomy (11:26-29; 27-29) that has captured my imagination. I want to describe it to you.

Moses stands before the people of Israel, on the verge of entering the Promised Land. He commands that six of the tribes of Israel must stand on Mount Gerizim to the South, they represent blessings. And the other six of the tribes must stand on Mount Ebal to the North, they representing curses.

Imagine for a moment the scale. The book of Numbers says there were 601,730 men ready to enter the Promised Land. The total population of Israel may have been two and a half million, including women and children.

Picture the Israelites in your mind’s eye standing in the valley of Shechem, flanked by two great mountains—Gerizim, lush and alive, and Ebal, stark and barren. The Ark of the Covenant in the valley’s heart, a silent witness to the covenant between God and His people. On either side, thousands upon thousands of Israelites—men, women, and children—stand on the slopes of the mountains. Their voices rise in unison as the blessings and curses are shouted back and forth, echoing across the valley like the voice of thunder. After each declaration, all the people respond with a resounding ‘Amen!’ Their voices joining together, affirming their allegiance to God’s commands and their awareness of the stakes. The weight of the moment presses on them.

And yet, a question looms in the discerning readers mind. How can these people ever hope to live in the blessings of God? You see, as the covenant unfolds, a paradox emerges. The curses that will inevitably come upon Israel because of their unfaithfulness. And God already knows their hearts, their tendency toward rebellion, their beginning from their end, the judgment they will surely face. How can God bless the very people who are destined to bring curses upon themselves?

This paradox—God’s promise of blessings amidst inevitable curses—is at the heart of Paul’s argument in Romans 3:1-8. In fact, as the passage develops the paradox will deepen. How can God remain faithful to His promises when His people have been so unfaithful? How can God reconcile His justice with His mercy?

His people remain privileged

So what advantage does the Jew have? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? Considerable. First, they were entrusted with the very words of God.

The questions raised in verse 1 arise because In Romans 2:12-29, God’s impartial judgment of both Gentiles and Jews is revealed as based on deeds rather than external religious markers, and so the righteous must experience spiritual heart transformation. Gentiles and Jews are going to be treated the same at the judgment. So, is there any benefit remaining for God’s people? Any privilege left for the Jews?

Theologically, does Romans 2:28-29 mean that the Church has replaced Israel? For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, and true circumcision is not something visible in the flesh. On the contrary, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart—by the Spirit, not the letter. That’s what Paul addresses in Romans 3:1.

The reason why this matters at all is because the church in Rome is a multi-ethic community made up of both Jews and Gentiles. Emperor Claudius had expelled all Jews from Rome (Acts 18:2). When believing Jews returned after Claudius’s death (AD 54), they found a church dominated by Gentiles. In Romans 3:1-8, Paul addresses Jewish concerns regarding their role and privileges, reassuring them of God’s faithfulness to His covenant promises.

Paul says, no one can take away what you have. You’re God’s people, and the recipients of the very Words of God.

Israel, remains Israel. God’s people. The apple of His eye.

What about the secular state of Israel today?

Since Jews will be judged the same as Gentiles have they lost their privilege? No, they have been given God’s revelation. That can’t be taken away.

His promises are forever

What then? If some were unfaithful, will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness? Absolutely not! Rather Let God be true, even though everyone is a liar, as it is written: That you may be justified and triumph.

Jews took pride in their covenant status, symbolised by circumcision, and reception of the Law of Moses, which set them apart as God’s chosen people (Deuteronomy 7:6-8). This lead to legalism, belief that salvation came from doing the Law, and hypocrisy, because they were unable to maintain the perfect standard of the Law. They had been unfaithful (The Ten Commandments). In Romans 3:1-8, Paul clarifies that while they were greatly privileged, they weren’t exempt from judgment.

Paul wants them to see their unfaithfulness, and its remedy. So he gives them an example they would understand. (note on Biblical citations) Romans 3:4 is a quotation from Psalm 51:4. In Psalm 51, David confesses after Nathan confronted him about when his sin with Bathsheba. In Psalm 51:4, David acknowledges God as altogether righteous. In Romans 3:4, Paul remind his readers of the prime example of a Jewish man who broke God’s Law, and because He understood he faced God’s righteous judgment, repented out of a broken and contrite heart.

In Romans 3:9-20, Paul charges that both Jew and Gentile are guilty of sin, brings evidence against them, and declares the verdict, guilty as charged. In Romans 3:1-8, Paul explains that God’s faithfulness to His covenant promises don’t exonerate the unfaithfulness of His covenant people.

They had been unfaithful, yet God would remain faithful. They had sinned against a Holy God, and God would judge them. This is the twist. This is the paradox. This is the inscrutably complex dilemma. How can God be at once just, and the justifier?

Since Jews have been unfaithful to God will God break His covenant promises to them? No, because God is true and just.

His judgment is certain

But if our unrighteousness highlights God’s righteousness, what are we to say? I am using a human argument: Is God unrighteous to inflict wrath? Absolutely not! Otherwise, how will God judge the world?

How does our unrighteousness highlight God’s righteousness?

Think of Joseph and his brothers. They meant to harm him. They betrayed him, sold him into slavery, and thought they were rid of him forever. Yet God used their sin to save not only Joseph but their entire family—and countless others—during a devastating famine. God’s righteousness and sovereignty were magnified through their evil actions. Did that excuse their sin? Not at all.

Joseph himself acknowledged their guilt, but he also pointed to the greater truth: what they intended for evil, God intended for good. In the same way, Paul reminds us in Romans 3:5-6 that our sin may highlight God’s glory, but it does not excuse us from His judgment. God remains the sovereign and just Judge of all the earth.

Since Jews with face God’s wrath for their sins is God unfair? No, because God was always going to judge the world.

His glory will be magnified

But if by my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner? And why not say, just as some people slanderously claim we say, “Let us do what is evil so that good may come”? Their condemnation is deserved!

Consider a dark, starless night. If someone lights a small candle, its glow seems brighter because of the surrounding darkness. Similarly, our lies and sin may contrast with God’s truth and make His glory appear even more radiant. But does this mean we should celebrate the darkness for making the light brighter? Of course not! God’s truth is glorious on its own; the darkness merely exposes how bright His light truly is. Paul reminds us that while God can use human sin to magnify His glory, we are still accountable for our sin. Like Judas, whose betrayal led to Christ’s crucifixion, our lies and failures may serve God’s purposes, but they never excuse our guilt. God’s truth and glory stand unshaken—our task is to repent and live in the light of His grace.

While God’s glory may abound through human sin, it is essential to understand that God is never the author of sin. His holiness remains untainted, even as He sovereignly overrules and redeems human evil. James 1:13 reminds us, God is not tempted by evil, and he himself doesn’t tempt anyone. This truth reassures us that God’s purposes are always pure, even when they intersect with our brokenness. His ability to bring good out of evil magnifies His righteousness, not excuses our sinfulness.

Since God is glorified as distinct from sinners is it unfair to be judged if I let sin abound? No, because that’s a damnable heresy.

Connect to the gospel

The Mosaic covenant (Deuteronomy 11:26-29) revealed God’s holiness. For I am the Lord your God, so you must consecrate yourselves and be holy because I am holy (Leviticus 11:44). It also exposed Israel’s inability to fully uphold the law. Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48). In Jesus Christ, we see the fulfilment of the covenant conditions. Don’t think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfil (Matthew 5:17), and a clear path to salvation. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes (Romans 10:4). By His death and resurrection, we are made right with God. We are justified, not by our own works under the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ apart from the law (Galatians 2:16).

Application for believers

Have you experienced the faithfulness of God in the Person of Jesus? Have you escaped the judgment which is to come? What now? Are you struggling with sin? Is there anything about God’s faithfulness that might encourage you in the present fight?
God’s promises are Yes and His justice is satisfied in Jesus. This means you have promises to grip on to as you go to war with your flesh.

1 John 1:9, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

2 Corinthians 12:9, But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me.

Philippians 1:6, I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Psalm 103:8-10, The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love. He will not always accuse us or be angry forever. He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve or repaid us according to our iniquities.

Application for unbelievers

Are living in rebellion to God? You are accountable to Him for your sins. The good news is that Jesus Christ, through His death and resurrection, has made a way for sinners to be reconciled to a holy God. Consider the weight of your sin and the reality of judgment. But also understand that there is hope in Christ. He offers reconciliation to God through His sacrifice, and today is the day to respond to this call.

Matthew 11:28, Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Conclusion

The paradox of blessing and curse finds its resolution in the person and work of Jesus Christ. God’s faithfulness to His promises remains unshaken, even in the face of our unfaithfulness. But His faithfulness also means He cannot ignore sin—His justice demands that sin be judged.

So how does God bless the cursed? The answer is Jesus. At the cross, God poured out the curse of sin on His Son, so that those who deserve condemnation might instead receive the blessing of eternal life. As Paul writes later in Galatians 3:13-14, Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us… The purpose was that the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles by Christ Jesus, so that we could receive the promised Spirit through faith.

In Jesus, we see both the faithfulness of God to His promises and the fullness of His righteous judgment. He is the ultimate “Amen” to every promise of God. And because of Him, sinners like us can be justified, forgiven, and blessed—if we repent and turn to Him in faith.

So today, whether you are a believer struggling with sin or someone unsure of where you stand with God, the message is the same: God’s promises are true, His justice is satisfied, and His grace is available through Jesus. Come to Him. Trust in Him. And experience the blessings of a faithful God who redeems the unfaithful through His Son.

Amen.