Screenshot from the 2019 ComeUntoChrist.org Video.
Paul loved the Roman Saints and wanted to help them be unified through their faith in Jesus Christ. Both Jewish and Gentile converts needed help understanding their reliance on Jesus Christ and how to receive the blessings of His Atonement. This lesson can help you better understand the need we all have to be forgiven of our sins, or justified, through Jesus Christ.
All need Jesus Christ
Consider drawing a depiction of the following scene in your study journal:
Imagine you are on a path to a highly desirable destination. As you move along the path, however, you find a barrier or wall blocking the way. The barrier blocks any further progress and is impossible to get past on your own.
Label the destination God’s presence.
Why is returning to God’s presence something that you desire?
Church members in Paul’s day came from different cultures and backgrounds. One thing they all had in common, however, was that they had sinned and therefore were unworthy to enter God’s presence. As you study Romans 2–3, seek to understand what Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son have done so that all people can overcome the barrier that prevents them from returning to God’s presence.
To better understand Paul’s teachings to the Romans, the following definitions may be helpful:
Justification, justify, justified: “To be pardoned from punishment for sin and declared guiltless. A person is justified by the Savior’s grace through faith in Him. This faith is shown by repentance and obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel. Jesus Christ’s Atonement enables mankind to repent and be justified or pardoned from punishment they otherwise would receive” (Guide to the Scriptures, “ Justification, Justify,” scriptures.ChurchofJesusChrist.org).
Faith: “Confidence and trust in Jesus Christ that lead a person to obey Him” (Guide to the Scriptures, “ Faith,” scriptures.ChurchofJesusChrist.org).
The law: This term refers to the law of Moses and its associated outward actions, or “works” (see “August 7–13. Romans 1–6: ‘The Power of God unto Salvation,’” in Come Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: New Testament 2023; see also Guide to the Scriptures, “ Law of Moses,” scriptures.ChurchofJesusChrist.org).
Grace: The blessings, mercy, help, and strength available to us because of Jesus Christ’s Atonement (see Bible Dictionary, “ Grace ”).
Read Romans 3:10–12, 20–23, and look for how Paul describes the barrier between us and God.
What phrases from Paul’s teachings help us understand what the barrier is?
Write these phrases on the barrier in your drawing. Read the following statement by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then of the First Presidency, and look for additional understanding of what the barrier represents:
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Official portrait of Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, 2006. Called as Second Counselor in the First Presidency, 3 February 2008. Made official portrait in 2008 replacing portrait taken in 2004.
Because we have all “sinned, and come short of the glory of God” [Romans 3:23] and because “there cannot any unclean thing enter into the kingdom of God” [1 Nephi 15:34], every one of us is unworthy to return to God’s presence.
Even if we were to serve God with our whole souls, it is not enough, for we would still be “unprofitable servants” [Mosiah 2:21]. We cannot earn our way into heaven; the demands of justice stand as a barrier, which we are powerless to overcome on our own.
(Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “The Gift of Grace,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 108)
Think about areas in which you fall short or sins you are striving to overcome.
Read Romans 3:24–28 (notice the Joseph Smith Translation in verse 24, footnote a), and look for what Paul taught about the only way we can be justified, or forgiven of our sins.
One truth you can learn from these verses is that through faithful acceptance of Jesus Christ, all mankind may be justified through His grace.
What thoughts or feelings do you have when you reflect on this truth?
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught how the Atonement of Jesus Christ can change how we see our sins and imperfections:
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Official portrait of Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, 2006. Called as Second Counselor in the First Presidency, 3 February 2008. Made official portrait in 2008 replacing portrait taken in 2004.
The Savior’s infinite Atonement completely changes the way we may view our transgressions and imperfections. Instead of dwelling on them and feeling irredeemable or hopeless, we can learn from them and feel hopeful. The cleansing gift of repentance allows us to leave our sins behind and emerge a new creature.
Because of Jesus Christ, our failures do not have to define us. They can refine us.
(Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “God among Us,” Liahona, May 2021, 8–9)
How does your view of your own mistakes and imperfections compare to what Elder Uchtdorf described?
Add to your drawing by illustrating how Jesus Christ helps us overcome the barrier.
1. Answer the following questions in your study journal:
How can understanding that we all sin and fall short of salvation change how we see Jesus Christ?
What insights, feelings, or impressions do you have because of what you have learned in this lesson?
Optional: Want to Learn More?
How can I better understand justification?
Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught the following about the meaning of justification:
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Portrait of Elder D. Todd Christofferson. Photographed in March 2020.
Because of “the infinite virtue of His great atoning sacrifice,” Jesus Christ can satisfy or “answer the ends of the law” on our behalf. Pardon comes by the grace of Him who has satisfied the demands of justice by His own suffering. … He removes our condemnation without removing the law. We are pardoned and placed in a condition of righteousness with Him. We become, like Him, without sin. We are sustained and protected by the law, by justice. We are, in a word, justified.
Thus, we may appropriately speak of one who is justified as pardoned, without sin, or guiltless.
Watch the video “Why We Need a Savior” (2:15), available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Did sin interfere with Heavenly Father’s plan?
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then of the First Presidency, taught:
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Official portrait of Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, 2006. Called as Second Counselor in the First Presidency, 3 February 2008. Made official portrait in 2008 replacing portrait taken in 2004.
Our Heavenly Father knew before we came to this mortal existence that negative forces would tempt us to drift from our course, “for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” [Romans 3:23]. That is why He prepared a way for us to make corrections. Through the merciful process of true repentance and the Atonement of Jesus Christ, our sins can be forgiven and we will “not perish, but have everlasting life” [John 3:16].
What did Paul mean when he said that “Gentiles … do by nature the things contained in the law”? (Romans 2:14)
“Paul recognized that some Gentiles intuitively lived moral lives. … These Gentiles were following the Light of Christ, which is ‘an influence for good in the lives of all people (John 1:9; D&C 84:46–47)’ [Guide to the Scriptures, “Light, Light of Christ,” scriptures.ChurchofJesusChrist.org]. Though they did not have the law of Moses, Paul said they had ‘the work of the law written in their hearts’ (Romans 2:15)” (“Romans 1–3,” in New Testament Student Manual [2018], 337).