Romans 3: 1-8

"(1) What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? (2) Much in every way! First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words of God. (3) What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God's faithfulness? (4) Not at all! Let God be true and every man a liar. As it is written: "So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge." (5) But if our unrighteousness brings out God's righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human arguement) (6) Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world? (7) Someone might argue, "If my falsehood enhances God's truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?" (8) Why not say - as we are bing sladerously reported as saying and as some claim that we say - "Let us do evil that good may result"? Their condemnation is deserved."

In chapter 2 not many people are exempt from Paul's criticism. First he says don't judge others - we all fail there - then he talks about not being a hypocrite - we all fail there too. He starts chapter 3 by asking what's the point in being Jewish? Ancient Jews knew that they were God's chosen people, but with the death and ressurection of Jesus, everyone gained access to God. It probably made Jews feel like there wasn't any point in being Jewish, but Paul points out that Jews had one major advantage - they had the word of God since the beginning of time thus they were more familiar with it than the average Gentile. Paul continues by saying that even if some Jews didn't have faith, God is still faithful to them. I don't really get the rest of verse 4 so I'm going to skip ahead to verse 5. In verses 5-8, Paul talks about some arguments for not following God's law. Here's the reasons that other people have thrown out there:

1. God can't judge us because our unrighteousness makes God look better (verse 5)
2. God can't judge us because or lies make him appear more truthful (verse 7)
3. God can't judge us because our evil brings good to others (verse 8)

Wrong, wrong, wrong. It may be true that our sin makes the contrast between man and God all the more sharp, but what we need to remember is we'll be judged in the end. If we do evil in some misguided attempt to make people understand the nature of God, God will make no distinction between that sin and the sin of someone who didn't have God on their mind. No excuses people!