Paul concludes chapter 3 by clarifying that the Law is still of value, a necessary clarification given how he hammered home how great faith is over the law in preceding verses. We talk about why the law is of critical importance.

Paul writes that God is one. That was specially written for the Jewish members of the church in Rome as a central line in a daily Jewish prayer. We talk about how one true God means he's everyone's God, and not just those who value the works of God.

Paul makes what I think is a brilliant logical argument in verse 29, that if the promise that Abraham would bless all nations is true, then God must be the God of all nations, which means that works of the law cannot be the vehicle of salvation. We talk about how God is an also God.

Paul announces a holding--a pivotal decision for the church--that we are justified by faith alone, apart from our works. We talk about what it means to be justified, and how we can receive that justification from God. (Spoiler alert: it's faith, and only faith.)

Paul circles back to the problem of the Jewish converts in the church in Rome valuing works over faith, and boasting in their works. Paul writes that boasting is out.

Paul writes what might be the central verse of the Bible here in verse 26: that at the cross God's justice met God's love. God is both just and the justifier. He is justice and love. He judges us and provides the means to gain right standing before him. And it's offered to those who have faith in Jesus.

Paul writes that God sent Jesus to turn aside God's wrath--not to lessen the wrath or compromise the wrath, but to turn it away from us and toward Himself. And it's turned away by the blood of Jesus, which is yours to receive. We talk about the difference between receiving and taking.

Paul writes that we are justified by God's grace, and that that grace comes free to us as a gift. It's not something that needs to be earned, but comes freely. 

Paul has a way with words. He sums up pretty much the first three chapters of his letter in this one verse: that all of us sin and that all of us fall short of the glory of God.

Paul went chapters without identifying the fix to the problems of this world that he's spent great efforts to lay out. Now he reveals the fix: faith in Jesus Christ.