Responding To Failure (Romans 3:1-18)
I remember playing basketball as a kid. My team was always pretty good. We won most every game. We would usually end up in the county championship. But, for some reason, we never won. We worked hard, practiced all the time, and had the talent on the team. It didn't matter. When the time came to win, we always choked.
Sports is a mental game as much as it is a physical game. If you don't carry yourself with the right attitude when you make a mistake, you will get beat every time. Life is similar. Today, we are going to be talking about the attitude we carry ourselves with in our spiritual journey. I'm going to carry this sports analogy through to make sense of what we are reading in our own language.
The Greatest Advantages
Can you imagine losing the championship game, and someone tells you, "It's your fault." That wouldn't feel good. No one wants to be the reason the team loses. We might try to argue with them. We would explain how we worked really hard and knew more about our sport than anyone else. But they would respond with facts that were irrefutable. That's what Paul does in Romans 3.
Romans 3:1–2 (CSB) — 1 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.
Advantage 1: They Had the Greatest Leader
He's talking to the Jews and saying "You had the greatest and only true God." Israel had, "The very words of God." They were taught righteousness from the one who created all of the universe. There is no better source than that. We can see in this text the enormous grace God has given to Israel. To be considered His special people and to be trained and instructed by him would be like Michael Jordan coming over every day to help Joseph or Kade learn to play basketball. He would share all his knowledge and understanding of the game. They had the greatest coach possible sharing His whole playbook and all His tactics.
Advantage 2: God Never Stopped Trying
The second great advantage that the Jews had is that God never gave up on them. In other words, "God was completely faithful to them."
Romans 3:3–4 (CSB) — 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.
God never stopped being faithful, even when Israel disobeyed. Have you ever had someone who was able to patiently endure your mistakes and keep giving you opportunity after opportunity? I think about Brent in the training program, and I think about my mom. It's mother's day, is that something that characterizes your mother? Did you know that God has more patience and long-suffering than anyone.
The Worst Responses To Failure
God’s faithful grace overcomes our failure, but we often dodge it with terrible excuses. Imagine losing that championship game and refusing to own up. Instead, you point fingers or demand a trophy you didn’t earn. That's what some Jews were doing in Romans 3, and Paul calls them out for the worst responses to failure.
Romans 3:5–8 (CSB) — 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!
Some tried to dodge guilt by saying, “Our sins make God’s righteousness shine, so He shouldn’t judge us.” Paul replies, “No way!” God’s grace doesn’t excuse sin—it rescues us from it. His faithfulness stays steady, but He cannot become unrighteous to make us righteous.
The response of these Jews is that of a spoiled brat. They are taking their advantage too far. From this section we learn two things about the Jews and about ourselves.
1. It's their fault we failed
It’s their fault we failed. Some Jews said, “Others were unfaithful first, so it’s not our fault!” Sound familiar? We’ve all blamed someone else for our sins—maybe a friend, a situation, or even God. We say, “God stopped helping us!” But Paul says, “No way!” God’s faithful grace never quits, even when we fail. He’s like a coach who keeps showing up for every practice, no matter how many games we lose. The Bible says we don’t get what we want sometimes because we ask with selfish motives (James 4:3). God’s not the problem—our desires pull us away, but His grace is ready to rescue us if we own our part.
This is who God is.
2. You would be evil if you judged me
Others went further, saying, “Our sins make God’s righteousness look good, so He shouldn’t judge us!” That’s like losing the game and expecting the coach to take the fall and somehow bribe the refs for a trophy. Paul shuts this down: “Absolutely not!” God’s faithful grace doesn’t excuse sin—it rescues us from it. He’s a just judge who won’t let sin slide, but His grace is deeper than we can imagine. That grace comes through Jesus, who takes our failures and gives us His victory. Presuming on God’s kindness won’t work—it’s like thinking you’ll win the championship by skipping practice.
These responses—blaming others or expecting a free pass—only dig us deeper. God’s like a coach who says, “Owning your failure is the only way I can help you win next time.” His faithful grace is ready to lift us up through Jesus. So, when you sin this week, don’t make excuses—confess it to God, trust Jesus to forgive you, and let His grace get you back in the game.
The Harsh Reality of Sin
We’ve been using this basketball game to talk about life, with God as our coach. The Jews had every advantage—the best coach, the perfect playbook, and His unending faithfulness. But they still lost the game of righteousness. And here’s the harsh reality: so do we. Romans 3:9-18 lays it out plain.
Romans 3:9–18 (CSB) — 9 What then? Are we any better off? Not at all! For we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin, 10 as it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one. 11 There is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. 12 All have turned away; all alike have become worthless. There is no one who does what is good, not even one. 13 Their throat is an open grave; they deceive with their tongues. Vipers’ venom is under their lips. 14 Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. 15 Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 ruin and wretchedness are in their paths, 17 and the path of peace they have not known. 18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.
He piles on Old Testament quotes to make his point clear. From our thoughts to our words to our actions, sin messes up every part of the game. It’s in our homes, our workplaces, our hearts—everywhere. Nobody gets a pass, no matter how hard we try to play well. It’s like every player on the court, from the star to the rookie, keeps missing shots, fumbling passes, and breaking rules. We’re all in the same losing game. But here’s where God’s faithful grace shines: this reality isn’t the end. Sin shows we can’t win on our own, but God’s grace through Jesus steps in to win for us. So, when you see sin in your life this week, don’t pretend you’re scoring points—admit you’re losing and turn to Jesus, who’s ready to give you His victory.
Conclusion
So, here we are, just like that basketball team I played on as a kid—full of potential but choking when it counts. Romans 3:1-18 shows us why: we all lose the game of righteousness because of sin.
But it also shows us God’s faithful grace overcomes our failure. Like the Jews, we have the greatest coach ever—God Himself. He’s given us His Word, the ultimate playbook, and His faithful love never quits, even when we fail.
Yet, we’ve seen how we respond, blaming others or expecting a free pass. The harsh reality? Sin has us all on the losing team, and we will never win so long as we avoid the truth—nobody’s righteous, not one.
So, what do we do? Don’t waste time making excuses or pointing fingers. Turn to the God whose grace is bigger than your worst loss. He’s faithful, and through Jesus, He’s already won the game for us.
If you recognize your sin, confess it to Him, and trust His grace, you’ll find His love pouring out, with the Holy Spirit helping you fight the real battle against sin. This week, when you feel like you’ve lost, pray this simple prayer: “Jesus, I’ve failed, but I trust Your faithful grace to make me new.” That’s how you start winning with Him.