Romans

Friday, 15 March 2013

…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,… Romans 3:23

Guilty! Paul laid out a clear and concise argument demonstrating that all people, both Jew and Gentile, are under the same condemnation. There is no person who has attained to God’s glory, either innately or through works, that can expect to be exempt from His righteous judgment.

Every person ever born was born through man who originally traces back to Adam. Thus, without even committing any misdeeds, we have already inherited his sin. As we are in a continuum of time which is ever moving forward, we cannot go back before Adam to reverse the fall. David’s words from the 51st Psalm remind us that we were “sinful at birth.”

And as shown, not only did we inherit sin, we have added sin upon sin thus further separating us from the glory of God. This verse today, taken in conjunction with John 3:18, clearly lays out our hopeless state –

“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already,…” John 3:18

The following truths are revealed – 1) All people, Jew and Gentile alike, inherited sin which separates us from God. 2) Our inherited state condemns us. There is nothing we need to do to be condemned, it is a fact of our birth. 3) There is no way for us to improve our station before God; our works cannot please Him and only further condemn us.

Were it up to us, all hope of reconciliation and restoration would be futile. But as we’ve seen and as we will continue to see, God has done the work for us. He has restored the bridge over the chasm. He has worked salvation by Himself. All of it has been done by Him and all of it will glorify Him. It is Jesus, Jesus, Jesus! All hail the name of Jesus!

Life application: When you look at others don’t forget today’s verse, but instead remember it and use it as a tool to prompt you to tell them about Jesus. Without Jesus, they will never know peace and reconciliation with God, but will instead be eternally separated from Him. Your words and your actions toward them may have eternal consequences, so don’t be silent about Jesus.

Lord God Almighty, I know that I have sinned and acted in a way which sets me against You. There is a chasm between us which I could never cross, but in Your goodness You sent Your Son, Jesus, to restore the breech. Now I know He can put His divine hand upon You and His human hand upon me and make peace between us once again. Thank You for Jesus. Amen.

Thursday, 14 March 2013

…even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; Romans 3:22

It will help to understand this verse better by returning to verse 21 along with it –

But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference…

“The righteousness of God” noted here is not a law-based righteousness in and of itself, although the law does play a part in it. Paul says it is “apart from the law” though, so this must be carefully considered. To us the righteousness of God is a faith-based righteousness. Paul has shown that all are under a sentence of condemnation because of the law (be it natural or Mosaic); we simply cannot measure up to what God has revealed to us.

However, Jesus could and did. He was born without inherited sin and He lived perfectly without ever violating God’s law. Now, by faith in His work the righteousness of God is imputed to us. This goes back to the concept of being declared righteous simply by taking God at His word. This was the case with Abraham in Genesis 15:6 –

“And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.”

By simple faith in what seemed otherwise impossible, God declared Abraham righteous. This is the consistent theme throughout the Bible. God knows our weakness and so He asks for us to trust Him and His promises. When we do, “the righteousness of God” is revealed in us and it is based on faith in what Jesus Christ did.

Many translations state here “through the faith of Jesus Christ” instead of “through faith in Jesus Christ.” Actually, it is possible to have the faith “of” Jesus Christ by faith “in” Jesus Christ and so either is possible. The phrase “faith of Jesus Christ” is in what is known as the genitive form. Therefore, this is speaking about Jesus’ faith which He imparts to those who believe.

In order to understand this, we can go to Ephesians 2:8, 9 –

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

The grace and the faith combined are the gift of God and they are bestowed upon us because of the merits of Jesus Christ “to all and on all who believe.” Simple faith is the key to reconciliation with God the Father and it is faith in the accomplished work of Jesus. What a great bargain!

This verse ends with “For there is no difference…” This thought continues on into the next verse, but the idea here is that there is no “distinction.” Things can differ without having any real distinction. But there is more than just difference between Jew and Gentile and natural law and the Mosaic law; there is a distinction which is made – until Jesus enters the picture. When He does, all distinctions are set aside.

Life application: Today, take time to look back over your life – at the innumerable things you’ve done which are contrary to what is good. Little lies, secret faults of the heart, open rebellion – whatever it may be. Your sins have separated you from your God. And yet all of that is washed away, cleansed, and purified by Someone else’s work, by simple faith in what He did. Think on this and give God the glory for the giving of His Son for you.

Lord Jesus, how can it be that You would give Your perfect life in exchange for my imperfections, flaws, and open rebellion? I stand amazed at what You have done for me. And yet it is more than just me, but anyone who will simply call out to You in faith. Every soul who looks to You will stand spotless and pure because of Your work… amazing. Thank You, Lord. Amen.

Wednesday, 13 March 2013

But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, Romans 3:21

After two chapters of laying out a defense against the possibility of man somehow being justified before God on his own merits, Paul now brings in words of amazing relief to the fallen soul. The word “but” is used to show the contrast between the case he has so meticulously laid out and the introduction of new evidence which can be submitted in man’s defense. However, the new evidence is actually something “witnessed by the Law and the Prophets.”

This term, the “Law and the Prophets” is used to indicate the entire body of Scripture known as the Old Testament. In other words this new evidence is not being introduced apart from Scripture, instead it has been continuously proclaimed throughout Scripture. The evidence is new to Paul’s argument, not to the basis for it.

What he submits now is that “the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed.” The law has done its job; it has revealed man’s fallen and condemned state before God. There is no hope of being justified before Him without something “apart from” it, but there is in fact something apart from it. The necessary righteousness has been revealed and so we are taken right back to Romans 1:17 –

“For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith.’”

The faith is for “everyone who believes” the gospel of Christ (see verse 16). It is this act which brings the righteousness of God to fallen man. Now that this is understood, it is necessary to evaluate what this actually means. There is a sharp divergence of thought at this point between the ideologies of John Calvin and Jacob Arminius. Calvinism teaches that it is an imputed righteousness, whereas Arminius claims it is an imparted righteousness.

Imputation means to “ascribe” or “credit” something. This then would mean someone is counted as righteous, whether they actually are or not. Impartation signifies “to give” something. If righteousness is imparted, it would me that the believer is infused with righteousness; they actually “become” righteous. To understand more clearly perhaps it is best to turn these two into statements of declaration –

Imputation: I believe the gospel and therefore I am counted as righteous.

Impartation: I believe the gospel and therefore I am righteous.

The body of evidence is that Christ’s righteousness is imputed to the believer actually at this time, but that Christ’s righteousness is imparted to the believer potentially, being actually reserved for a future time. Man is justified before God by faith in Jesus Christ, but he is not actually righteous at this time. He continues to sin after salvation (a good example of this in Peter is found in Galatians 2:13-16 and in Paul see 2 Corinthians 11:29).

However, Paul indicates that in God’s mind we are both glorified (Romans 8:30) and seated in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 2:6) even though we are actually still on earth and living out our lives. What has been accomplished in the eternal state is still future to us in our temporal reality. Hebrews 11:39, 40 is another set of verses which show us that this is so –

“And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.”

These things may seem like hair-splitting, but they are of great importance when thought through. Our current relationship with God, our ability to lose our salvation, our rewards and losses are all contingent on such issues. Having incorrect ideas concerning these things can only lead us down unhappy avenues in our Christian life and so it is good to get them right.

Life Application: Are you now righteous because of Christ’s work, or are you counted as righteous because of Christ’s work? Others are evaluating you and making their decisions about Christianity based on your attitude, and this is reflected in what you believe to be true. Don’t think more highly of yourself than you should lest you fall and bring discredit upon Jesus’ name.

O God, I know that even now, even after having called on Jesus as Lord, I am unrighteous in and of myself. My thoughts stray, my actions often belie the Name I bear, and I fail you continuously. And yet in Your rich goodness to me, You have counted me as righteous because of the work of Jesus. Help me to be conformed to His image more and more each day so that I reflect the goodness You have already lavished upon me. Amen.

Tuesday, 12 March 2013

Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Romans 3:20

“Therefore” indicates Paul’s final conclusion of the issue he has been addressing. The case has been presented and the lawyer has given his closing argument. Now comes the final statement, “Therefore…”

Paul has been speaking of the law in two ways, natural law as revealed to the gentile and the Mosaic law as revealed to the people of Israel. It wouldn’t logically follow that this verse suddenly drops the natural law to speak only of the law of Moses. Therefore, “by deeds of the law” is certainly speaking of man’s efforts to please God under either law.

In other words, someone who isn’t under the law of Moses who goes about doing good stuff cannot expect to be justified in God’s sight. Nor can someone who is under the law of Moses expect to meet its requirements and thus be justified before God. In both cases, “by the law is the knowledge of sin.”

For the gentile, the natural law tells us internally that there is a gap between us and God. There will always be a state of uncertainty about our eternal state because deep inside we know that the things we’ve done have separated us from Him. For the Jew who has the written law, there is the same knowledge. When they objectively look at the law and then compare their deeds to what it calls for, the honest soul will acknowledge that they haven’t measured up.

Of course, there are those under both the natural law and the written law who feel they are above what they see; there are those who feel these things don’t apply to them individually; there are those who completely reject the premise; etc. These attitudes in no way negate what is obvious, but merely further demonstrate the righteousness of God who has so revealed Himself.

In the end, Paul says that by “deeds of the law no flesh” – no person who has ever lived – “will be justified in His sight.” The law merely condemns us. It is a sad and seemingly hopeless state in which man finds himself.

“By the law is the knowledge of sin” and, after all, the wages of sin is death. If this were the end of the book of Romans, it would be better for us that we had never been born. Or for those of us who are alive, it would be a pointless existence of knowing that death was coming and which would be followed by an eternal separation from the very Source of our existence. For all eternity our mind would contemplate, “Why did He even create me?”

But Paul’s words do continue and they will show us the magnificence of what God has done for His wayward creatures!

Life application: The divide already exists between God and you and there is no deed or deeds that you can accomplish in order restore the bridge. But God, in His infinite goodness has provided the bridge Himself. As you contemplate your state before Him today, think on the perfection of what He has done through Christ Jesus. What a great God!

Heavenly Father, I know that I have failed You time and time again. I know that the law You have given me only shows me this more clearly. By it, I realize that I need something more to be pleasing to You. I need a Substitute to meet the law in my place… I need Jesus. Thank You for Jesus who did what I could never do. Hallelujah and Amen.

Monday, 11 March 2013

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Romans 3:19

Paul sums up his argumentation in this verse and will draw his final conclusion in the next. “Now we know” is his way of saying – “See, the evidence is clear, it is concise, it is fully substantiated, and it is irrefutable.” And so we know “that whatever the law says” is given to mean whichever law applies to the addressee. To the Jew, it is the Law of Moses and to the gentile it is natural law clearly revealed to us and which Paul carefully explained in Romans 1.

These laws are the facts to be presented in a judicial proceeding. Whatever the law says, “it says to those who are under the law.” Whichever law applies – be it to Jew or gentile – it is spoken to that group. In the case of the Jew, it is actually both laws because despite having the Law of Moses, they also have the natural law. They are accountable in both cases, but by whichever law, the evidence is clear; the charges have been presented and so “every mouth may be stopped.”

This phrase is alluded to in the Old Testament such as in Job 5:16 –

“So the poor have hope,
And injustice shuts her mouth.”

Every mouth being stopped means that the evidence is so overwhelming that no valid reply can be made in response to it. At the judgment, nobody will be able to say, “but I didn’t know.” We have received enough of God’s revelation to condemn us. For the gentile it is conscience mixed with reason – “We exist; we didn’t create ourselves; and therefore, we were created by another who has shown Himself through the rest of His creative works.” For the Jew the argument was drawn directly from the authority they claim as the basis for their culture – Scripture. Paul has demonstrated from the source of what establishes them as a people that they are guilty.

A clear example for us to understand this is to simply change “Jew” to “Christian” and include the New Testament. You who claim to be a Christian, have you met the requirements of being a Christian? There is one source for such a claim – the Bible which tells of Jesus. It is the basis of our faith. If it can be demonstrated from this source that we haven’t met the requirements of the title, then we are found as false Christians.

Paul has shown that no gentile can be saved by natural revelation and no Jew can meet the demands of the law perfectly and therefore “every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.” The term “become guilty” is the Greek word hupodikos. This is its only use in the New Testament. It means to be “liable to the judgment of.”

The sum of Paul’s thoughts to this point then is that when the judgment comes – for both Jew and gentile – the verdict is to be “guilty” and there can be no appeal. God’s revelation of Himself condemns us. If this were the end of the story, it would be a sad story indeed. What value would it be to go on? What purpose would there be in doing any good at all? For what then did God create – just to destroy His creatures? The story would make no sense at all.

The next verse will conclude this line of Paul’s thoughts and will show the utter futility of existence without Jesus Christ. But verse 20 will open a new page for the condemned soul.

Life application: If we somehow feel that we are pleasing to God in and of ourselves, then we have made an immense error. God has given us His law and we have broken that same law. Thank God that the story doesn’t end there. Take time today to reflect on the glory of Jesus Christ. Without Him, there would be no purpose to our existence, but in Him life again has meaning.

Heavenly Father, thank You that the story didn’t end with the giving of the law. Thank you that grace and mercy have been found in Jesus Christ. I fear the law, and rightly so, because it shows my own fallen state. But yet I rejoice in the law as it was fulfilled in Jesus. And so through Him I pour out my praises to You. Amen.