Mans’ state before God may seem grim in light of the information presented in this section. I will not lie, man appears helpless before God.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Here Jesus shows us that we cannot. The Greek here tells us that we do not have the power. It is not that we need permission, it is that we cannot. Man is helpless to save himself. The transition Paul gives us in Romans 3:21 is our hope. How can a man be redeemed? How can he be justified in the eyes of God?
Job 9:2 I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God?
All men are under the curse of the law. All men have sinned in Adam. God gave us His law, but it was not to save us, but was given to point us to our redeemer.
Hebrews 7: 18 For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. 19 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.
Romans 2:13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
The law is weak in that it was given to those who could not do what it contained. What the law contained was righteous. It is holy and just and good.
Romans 7:12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
We could not do it. We need another to do what we could not.
Romans 5:6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
When we were without strength. We will eventually come back to this verse but it shows that we are unable. We have no strength. It is not that we could reach out and take what God was offering, no, we were without strength.
Galatians 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
We were under the curse of the law. We were without strength and the Son of God stepped in. God the Father purposed in eternity that God the Son would come and save a people.
Matthew 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Let us move on from the wages of sin is death to the glorious light of our risen savior and see how Paul lays out the salvation purchased by the blood of Christ and see it for its full/final/effectual accomplishment. Paul moves from verse 20 of Romans 3 saying that no flesh shall be justified to beginning verse 21 with the transition but now!