But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.)

Romans 3:5

In Romans 3:1-8 Paul raises no less than eight questions, eight questions that people were asking.

The first two questions, about the advantage of the Jews, are reasonable questions. But the remaining questions are so far from the truth, such distortions of the truth, that Paul answers with ringing cries, such as “By no means!” or “Their condemnation is just.”

For example, with our question in 3:5, Paul responds with “I speak in a human way” because he finds the question almost embarrassing to ask. Then he follows that with a sharp retort: “By no means! For then how could God judge the world?” (3:6).

So many times, the enemies of the gospel, both human enemies and demonic enemies, take a truth and distort it. In fact, we ourselves are susceptible to enormous self-deceptions and rationalizations. The only antidote to the lies and distortions of God’s truth is to saturate your mind with God’s mind, to treasure and read and meditate and obey God’s holy Word.

Be alert to the lies of the enemy and the distortions of God’s Word. Lies such as these:

God is not really good. He cannot be trusted.
God is a mean God and he’s mad at you.
Because of your failures, God has written you off.
You can sin and get away with it. There are no real consequences.
You’ve just got to do this sin. You have no choice. You can’t help yourself.
To be happy, you can’t obey God on this command.
God doesn’t hear your prayers. You might as well give up.
You have to earn your salvation by being good.
If you don’t measure up, God will reject you.

O Lord, protect us from all lies and deceptions. Thy Word is truth.