Romans 3

Monday, 18 March 2013

…to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Romans 3:26

As a demonstration of what has occurred in and through Jesus Christ, Paul says “At the present time.” This is the Greek en to nun kairo and it establishes a link to what was said in the previous verse – “God had passed over the sins that were previously committed.” The type of time Paul is speaking of is an on-going movement of time, such the running of a watch as it clicks forward.

As time progressed, God often passed over the sins of the people without bringing judgment on them. This doesn’t mean that God “overlooked” them, but that judgment was merely withheld. All sin will be judged, but out of His mercy, and looking forward to the cross, He stayed His hand of judgment. During this time, as noted in the previous verse, God either didn’t fully punish sin in men or He withheld punishment through an impermanent system of offerings. This was enacted through the nation of Israel as a temporary system of atonement.

Being temporary in nature they only looked forward to something far better. This is the propitiation mentioned in verse 25; it is the shed blood of Jesus. Christ’s offering “at the present time” demonstrates God’s righteousness – looking back on those of the past and forward from the time of Calvary.

This demonstration of His righteousness is that “He might be Just…” What Paul is saying here isn’t speaking of His benevolence, but rather that the integrity of His nature is in no way violated. He remains Just though the sacrifice of Jesus; nothing is morally compromised. This is the very heart of the gospel. God’s perfect character is maintained and yet fallen man is reconciled to Him in the process. It is the highest point of the turning of the universe and to which nothing in the continuum of time could ever compare.

The integrity of the law is maintained through Jesus because He fulfilled the law. Further, because the law already gave the precedent in the doctrine of substitution – an innocent animal in place of man’s sin – the doctrine may satisfactorily continue on and be complete in the more perfect sacrifice of Jesus. All of the moral character of God is seen on display in this great act. Nothing is compromised, nothing is overlooked, and what occurred displays the absolute perfection of God’s plan and the infinite wisdom He possesses.

And not only is He Just in this action, but He is also the “Justifier” in what occurs as well. The One who retains His moral integrity through the giving of Jesus, is also the One who has accomplished all things through Him. Apart from Him, there can be no justification and thus Jesus’ words in John 14:6 can be more clearly understood –

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

No other avenue is available to be restored to the Father because no other avenue can maintain His integrity. Thus what Jesus said about the narrow gate and the wide gate in Matthew 7:13 is easily seen to be true. Jesus is that gate and apart from Him there is only a wide highway to the narrow confines of hell. But through Him is the avenue to the splendid and wide expanse of heaven’s glory. All of the majestic wonder of this paradise is available in only one way – to “the one who has faith in Jesus.”

The gospel is so simple that people miss it time and time again. They trip over the stumbling block. The words of Paul today show the demarcation line. On one side are those who attempt to be justified on their own merits, and on the other are those who depend on faith alone in the works of Christ Jesus for their salvation. There is nothing we can add to it and there is nothing that can be subtracted from it. At one moment in the history of man, God did what was otherwise impossible and He reconciled us to Himself.

Life Application: God asks for faith in what He has done. Nothing else can satisfy our sin-debt because nothing else can meet His perfect moral standard. Take time today to reflect on the cross of Jesus. Understand that it alone is God’s provision for your soul. Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord and in the glory of His cross.

Oh God, I look at the splendor of Your creation and I marvel at its beauty. And yet the creation can never meet the splendor of the Creator. How infinitely beautiful You are. I long to gaze upon Your glory for all eternity, and I know that I can because of the work of Jesus. Thank You O God… thank You for Jesus. Amen.

Sunday, 17 March 2013

…whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, Romans 3:25

Continuing from the previous verse, Paul says that “…the redemption that is in Christ Jesus whom God set forth.” This term in Greek is proetheto and signifies a public display of some sort. In the case of Jesus, it was the cross of Calvary where He was exposed to public humiliation and death. This wasn’t done in a back alley where no one could witness it, but it was done in the public setting of the people of the law, the temple of God, and in the presence of the angels who ministered to Him. God set forth His own Son for all to see and understand the action for what it was – “a propitiation by His blood.”

The term “propitiation” is of immense importance here. It is the Greek word hilasterion. It is a sin-offering or a “covering” of sin by the blood which is shed. Its purpose is to bring together parties at odds with each other and to restore a favorable relationship; to make things propitious again. This word is used only one other time in the New Testament, in Hebrews 9:5 where it is translated as “mercy seat” –

“…and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.”

It is the same word which is used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament in Exodus 25:17 (and elsewhere) when describing the Hebrew word kapporeth, or “mercy seat.” The mercy seat is where the covering of blood was applied to the Ark of the Covenant on the Day of Atonement and which restored felicity between God and His people for another year. But the Day of Atonement, like all of the Bible, required something more than rote ritual. It required faith that it would accomplish what was intended. As a demonstration of that faith, the people were told to fast and confess.

Likewise, the propitiation God offers through Jesus’ shed blood is “through faith.” It is through faith in what God has done in this final sacrifice of which the temple sacrifices only prefigured. Jesus’ life was given “to demonstrate His righteousness.” This phase is pointing directly to the voluntary giving of His life as the means of obtaining this propitiation. In this offering, the sins of the people are removed from them and they are also removed from God’s presence. It is as if they never occurred. Complete and total restoration is accomplished through the cross of Jesus.

Now that the sin has been removed, the ungodliness of the sinner is remembered no more and God’s wrath at the sin has been appeased in His punishment and death. The blood of Jesus accomplishes all of this; it is a suitable offering for the sins of the world. Because of this, Paul continues on by stating that “in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed.”

What this means is that the sins prior to the cross are dealt with in the cross as well as those are that look back on it. Before Jesus’ offering, God would punish sin in sinful man in various ways – at the Flood of Noah, for example. However, He didn’t fully punish sin because if He had, then all humanity would have been destroyed. Instead, God “passed over the sins” and enacted a temporary system of offerings through the nation of Israel to temporarily atone for their transgressions.

This system, the rituals in it, the items used in the rituals, every detail of them actually prefigures Jesus. The entire picture of the Old Testament comes into focus when looked at through the lens of who Jesus is and what He accomplished. It cannot properly be understood apart from Him.

Life application: As you read the Old Testament, it may seem unnecessary and outdated. But every word and every detail is noted and has been selected specifically to show us the majesty of what God has done in and through the Person of Jesus. The New Testament does not stand alone and it must be evaluated based on what previously occurred. Take time to read and absorb the Old Testament so that you can properly grasp the significance of the New.

Lord God, what happened at the cross of Calvary was done in a public display of Your anger at our sin and how You deal with it. When I see sin’s consequences so revealed, it makes me understand the magnitude of what You did through Jesus. Without Him, there would be no hope, but through Him I know there is complete restoration and that all my sins are washed away. Thank You for Jesus. Amen.

Saturday, 16 March 2013

…being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,… Romans 3:24

This thought ties directly back to verse 22. “The righteousness of God” is bestowed upon all who believe – both Jew and Gentile who alike are under the penalty of sin. Now, because of the grace of Jesus Christ, we are “justified freely.” We, in other words, are treated as if we had kept the law and were perfectly righteous even though this isn’t the case at all. Such is the nature of grace – it is unmerited favor granted to those who demonstrate mere faith in the work of Jesus.

Because it is by grace, we merit no favor at all in the decision; it has come “freely.” The word here is the Greek dorean and it carries the intent of standing in opposition to anything which was purchased or earned through work or industry. No claim of personal effort can be made to that which was granted.  Rather, all the honor and all of the gratitude is to be given to the One who bestows the grace – “To God be the glory.” He has done it all for those who could do none of it. As the psalmist says, so we must say –

Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, But to Your name give glory, Because of Your mercy, Because of Your truth. (115:1)

We now stand justified and free from sin’s penalty “through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” The term “through the redemption” comes from a root word which indicates the price paid to redeem a prisoner of war. It signifies liberty from captivity, bondage, or imprisonment. We are born into sin and we are prisoners of sin, held in bondage by its power and are kept by the master of sin, the devil. This is confirmed by the devil’s words to Jesus in Luke 4 where he stated that “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.” Sin is a firm bond and the devil is a cruel taskmaster. However, Jesus’ mission was to destroy this power. John notes this as the principle reason for His coming –

“He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” 1 John 3:8

Jesus prevailed where Adam failed. What the devil gained through Adam’s disobedience, Jesus regained through His obedience. What God asks is that we simply believe this message, receive His gift, and place our trust in what Jesus has done for us. This is the “redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” This is the marvel of what God has done for us. In Him there is absolute victory and complete reconciliation with God the Father.

Life application: Do you often feel defeated by sin’s power? Jesus Christ has defeated the devil and broken the bonds which held us. We are now free from the power of sin, protected from the penalty of sin, and someday we shall be taken from the presence of sin – all because of Jesus. Take time to reflect on what He has done and then put your thoughts into action by standing on the freedom for which Christ has set you free!

Dear Lord, I look to what You have done through Jesus and I am humbled by it. Through Him, You have cancelled sin’s penalty; through Him, You have defeated sin’s power; and through Him, some day I shall be removed from sin’s presence. I have complete victory through the work of Jesus and the devil has no power or claim upon me. Hallelujah and Amen.

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.