SHOWERS

Romans, Chapter 5, Part 4

Romans 5:15 – But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.

In our prior post we saw Paul making a comparison between Adam and Christ. Adam allowed sin into the world. Whether by imputation or by actual trespass, sin was found in every single human being after Adam. And since sin results in death, every person ever born is under the physical and spiritual curse of death. That’s the bad news.

Now Paul will discuss the good news – the work of Jesus overcomes death and brings life to those who trust in him. The life he brings is much more powerful than sin. In verses 15-17, Paul shows how the free gift of God bestows blessings that are far beyond the consequences of Adam’s offence (sin).

GENERAL SUMMARY: Paul is in the midst of a comparison between the effects of Adam’s sin and the effects of Christ’s sacrifice. His main point is to show that the benefits of salvation are far, far greater than the evils of sin.

There is a greater measure of grace procured by Christ than of condemnation given through Adam. Grace abounds because salvation doesn’t just cancel out our sin, it showers us with additional blessings.

DIGGING DEEPER: But the free gift is not like the trespass: The trespass mentioned in this verse (your translation may say offence) refers to the fall of Adam from his state of obedience into a state of sin.

The free gift Paul is talking about is the righteousness of Christ, which justifies us in the sight of God. We call it grace or salvation. It is a gift from God to us:

Ephesians 2:8 - For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

As with all gifts, it is free to the one who receives it. In other words, we didn’t contribute to our own salvation in any way. We did nothing to deserve it or earn it. There was no way we could purchase it. Paul is especially pointing out that the Jews can’t obtain it by being circumcised or keeping the law (neither can the Gentiles, for that matter).

All we did was accept the gift by faith in Christ. Through his obedience and sacrifice, he paid the full price for our justification.

Question: What does Paul mean when he says the trespass and the free gift are ‘not like’ each other?

Answer: He means they differ in scope and extent, as explained below.

For if many died through one man’s trespass: ‘Many’ means the whole human race, both Jews and Gentiles (Romans 5:18). Paul asserts that as the result of Adam’s initial sin, death reigns in the life of every person on earth. He doesn’t say how this was done (through imputation or trespass), he simply states the undeniable truth of the situation – through one sin, the whole human race was doomed.

Much more the grace of God: Grace is the divine favor, kindness and mercy of God which he bestows on mankind. Grace includes salvation.

Salvation is not simply the forgiveness of sin. As Paul has already shown, it includes forgiveness, peace, joy, hope of future glory, the gift of Holy Spirit, an assurance of a future in heaven, restoration of our relationship as God’s children, the ability to rejoice in God himself (his attributes) and much more.

Now pause here for a minute and consider what you know about our heavenly Father. Based on his attributes, his word and what you personally know about him, what level or measure of grace would you expect him to give us? Would he be stingy and miserly or would he be generous and bountiful?

Obviously, because of the nature of God, we would expect him to grant us an overflowing, super-abundance of good. We have every reason to believe that the amount and scope of the grace/good things he gives us through Christ will FAR exceed the evil that resulted from sin. And that is exactly what we find:

Sin separated us from God. Salvation not only grants us forgiveness, it exceeds evil by giving us an intimate relationship with God and full access to his presence.
Sin brought death to every aspect of our lives – our finances, our relationships, our health, etc. Salvation not only gives us life, it far exceeds evil by restoring what was lost and blessing our future.
Sin made us hopeless for the future. Salvation not only gives us hope, it exceeds evil by giving us purpose:

Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

We might also look at it this way – Adam was a mere mortal man. If his sin was able to bring wrath upon his natural seed (mankind), how much more will the obedience of Christ (who is fully God as well as fully man) be able to impart immeasurable life and blessing to all his spiritual seed.

And the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ: Paul’s main point centers on the phrase ‘one man’. He is drawing a parallel between Adam and Jesus. By one man (Adam) sin and death entered the world. Also by one man (Jesus Christ) God has brought salvation PLUS other amazing blessings as well. These are available to the whole world. They are obtained by faith in Christ.

Romans 8:32 – He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

Has abounded: Again, note Paul’s emphasis on the abundance of gifts and blessings given to us through Christ. God never gives us barely enough; he is a God of abundance. He gave us a tsunami of mercy and grace which overwhelm the evil that plagues mankind.

We can’t help but notice that Adam’s sin was selfish. He was motivated by a desire to satisfy his own lust and to obtain good things for himself. He rebelled against God to get what he wanted:

Genesis 3:6 – So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

Jesus’ sacrifice was selfless. He was motivated by love and compassion and a desire to reconcile mankind to the Father, saving us from eternal death. In order to do this, he made himself completely obedient to the Father, even though that obedience meant death on the cross:

Philippians 2:8 – And being found in human form, he [Jesus] humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

So we see that the restoration brought by Christ was for the good of the entire race; it has abounded for many.

Romans 5:16 – And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification.

GENERAL SUMMARY: Here is another way in which the effects of the work of Christ differ from the effects of the sin of Adam. Specifically, guilt and judgment came upon all people through the one sin of Adam. The one sacrifice of Christ covers all/every sin that people have ever or will ever commit.

In other words, the gift of Christ exceeds the sin of Adam in sheer volume.

DIGGING DEEPER: The free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin: Paul points out another way in which the effects of the work of Christ differ from the effects of the sin of Adam.

Just to reiterate, the ‘free gift’ refers to the benefits resulting from the work of Jesus (including salvation/forgiveness). The ‘result of one man’s sin’ refers to the original sin of Adam; sin came from that one crime.

For the judgment following one trespass: In this verse judgment is used in the traditional sense – the sentence passed by a judge for guilt. It is the declared penalty for wrongdoing. Specifically, it refers to the sentence which God passed upon Adam for his one offence, which left the human race in ruin.

Brought condemnation: The effect of the one sin of Adam was to produce condemnation for mankind; all of us were placed under the sentence of the law and declared transgressors. Thus, all humans are subject to both physical and spiritual death.

But the free gift following many trespasses brought justification: While the judgement and sentence from a single sin result in guilt and condemnation, the free gift takes the form of justification for multiple sins. What a glorious contrast!

The justification of Christ absolves us not only of the guilt of Adam’s original sin, but of the countless offences we commit throughout life. In other words, the sacrifice of Christ is so powerful, it can forgive every single offence committed by every single person for the entirety of time.

Furthermore, it doesn’t matter what the sin/offence is; there is no sin which cannot be forgiven. Christ offers freedom and deliverance and restoration from murder, envy, lust, greed, gossip, lying, hate, (insert your sin here), etc.

The fact is, every single fault and offence committed by the entire human race for all time is atoned for by the one, single sacrifice of Jesus Christ:

Hebrews 10:10 - …we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Hebrews 9:12 - Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he [Jesus] entered once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

God’s people can rejoice knowing that Christ forgives our past, present and future sins. Just as we keep sinning, he keeps forgiving us when we repent. He does not do this with stinginess; he freely and liberally justifies us because we are loved by the Father, Son and Spirit!

Clearly, grace abounds! Clearly the one single sacrifice of Christ is far superior and far more powerful than the one, single sin of Adam!

Here is something else to consider: Since the sacrifice of Christ was more than enough to atone for all sin, then his sacrifice defeated death and as a result we would expect all people to be raised from physical death on the last day. This is exactly what we find in scripture:

1 Corinthians 15:21-22 - For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

(See also John 11:24, I Corinthians 15, Mark 12:18-27, etc.). However, resurrection from physical death does not guarantee spiritual life. All of us will be resurrected physically; some to eternal spiritual life and some to eternal spiritual death:

John 5:28-29 - …an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

What is the status of your relationship to God? Are you in intimate fellowship with the Father, Son and Spirit or has your relationship grown cold as the result of neglect? How much do you read his word? Do you hide it in your heart? Do you recognize sin in yourself, or do you think you have achieved perfection? As you meditate on the superior benefits of the gift Christ provided, you might want to take an inventory of your own life and make some changes, if necessary.

Romans 5:17 – For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

GENERAL SUMMARY: This verse is a reiteration of what was said in verse 16. It might be stated this way – Christ far surpasses Adam. The sin/rebellion of one is overcome by the righteousness/obedience of the other; the curse of one is made void by the grace of the other. The death which comes from one is obliterated by the life which the other bestows.

Why would Paul repeat himself? I believe he wants the reader to stop and reflect on the goodness of God. He wants us to realize or be mindful that the grace of God is FAR superior to the power of sin. This will add joy and fullness to our everyday lives. It will give us yet another reason to share Christ with others. It will result in spontaneous praise and worship to God. Also, it brings us to the conclusion that each person must trust in Christ rather than in his own works/righteousness. This was especially important in the early Roman church.

DIGGING DEEPER: For if, because of one man’s trespass death reigned through that one man: The result of Adam’s one sin was death for all people. As we already noted, death is personified as a king who relentlessly pursues the destruction of mankind, one person at a time.

Much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness: Paul once again points out that if one man’s sin caused death for all, how much more do we have reason to believe that those who are delivered from sin by Christ are accepted of God and will reign with him in life.

It should be noted that the free gift of righteousness does not refer to personal holiness (that is obtained through the ongoing work of Holy Spirit), but to the righteousness of Christ which we receive by an act of faith. This gift leaves no room for personal boasting. Instead, it gives us reason for thankfulness.

Reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ: Life stands opposed to the state of death that reigned because of Adam’s sin. Life is complete freedom from condemnation as well as temporal and spiritual death. This life is available to us through the work of Christ.

After he imparts life to us, we will reign with him. This is the eventual and certain outcome of the saints of God:

Revelation 22:5 – And night will be no more. They [Christians, servants of God] will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

The word ‘reign’ is often applied to the saints in heaven (Revelation 5:10, 20:6). It means that Christians will be exalted to a state of complete bliss in heaven – we will be triumphant over all enemies, we will have ultimate victory, and we will eternally share in the splendors of heaven along with Christ (Revelation 3:21). Hallelujah!

Let me offer you some encouragement, relief and strength:

Has your spiritual life become ho-hum, mundane or even boring? If so, perhaps you’ve forgotten that the grace of God is not simply the forgiveness of sin. It is so much more!!

The grace of God is overflowing and abundant. It opens doors for victory in this life, for meaningful work in his kingdom, and for restoration of the dead areas of your life (just to name a few). All these benefits (and more) are freely available to us through the work of Christ.

If you are not experiencing excitement in your salvation, then now is the time to remind yourself of the benefits God has freely given to you.

What would you like to accomplish in this life for the kingdom? What dead area of your life do you want to see restored? Where do you need a victory? What is your purpose in life? Who is the person you want to introduce to Christ?

Remember, all things are possible with God! Begin to lean into him and follow the promptings of Holy Spirit so you can live the exciting, joyous, fruitful, victorious life that Christ has provided for you.

I Corinthians 15:57 - But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans, Chapter 5, Part 3

Romans 5:12 – Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned –

Welcome back, dear readers! So far in this letter, Paul has shown that man has no means to justify himself in God’s sight. But there is good news. He has also clearly established the doctrine of justification by faith in Christ. He is now in the midst of showing us the benefits of this doctrine. Here is what he has shown so far:

Justification by faith produces peace (Romans 5:1).
Justification by faith produces joy in us because of the assurance of future glory (Romans 5:2).
The joy and assurance we receive sustains us during afflictions and hardships (Romans 5:3-4).
Justification by faith includes the invaluable ministry of Holy Spirit in our lives (Romans 5:3-4).
Justification by faith guarantees our salvation, because Christ died for it (Romans 5:6); this is the highest expression of the love of God for us (Romans 5:7-8).
Justification by faith restores the relationship between God and man, making us the children or friends of God (Romans 5:9-10).
Being the children/friends of God gives us peace and joy; it allows us to rejoice in God himself (his character and attributes) (Romans 5:11).

As we move on, here is something to keep in mind: many bible scholars consider the rest of this chapter to be one of the most difficult passages in the entire New Testament. It is highly unlikely that we will fully understand every single nuance of meaning that Paul is expressing in this passage. Nevertheless, there is still benefit in studying it. Whatever level of wisdom and insight we discover is not only useful now, it can also be used as a foundation for future study. So, let’s dig in.

Beginning in verse 12 Paul gives us the bigger picture. He shows the great evil which was introduced into the world by sin, and then proceeds to prove that the benefits of atonement/justification are far greater than the evil mankind allowed into the world. Keep this in mind – it is the general scope of the remainder of this chapter.

Paul’s goal is to call our attention to the work of Christ and the plan of justification he brought forth. Paul will show that as evil as sin is, the atoning work of Christ is far superior. It is bigger, greater, deeper, richer, fuller and more glorious than anything we have considered so far. It is the greatest gift that has ever been given.

His point is made through a comparison of the ‘first’ Adam (who allowed sin into the world – see verse 12) and the ‘second’ Adam, Jesus Christ (who brought life and righteousness into the world – see verse 17). Through some complex reasoning, Paul proves what was lost by Adam is fully restored by Jesus. As a secondary theme, Paul also continues to show that both Jews and Greeks/Gentiles find redemption through Christ.

GENERAL SUMMARY: Adam was responsible for allowing sin into the world. Sin, in turn, brought death into the world. From that moment forward, every single person who was born was born a sinner. Because we are all sinners, we are all under the curse of death.

DIGGING DEEPER: Just as sin came into the world through one man: Most of you reading this blog are familiar with the sin of Adam and Eve. However, now is a good time to give ourselves a quick reminder of the facts.

God created Adam from the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7). He made Eve using the rib of Adam (Genesis 2:21-22). This couple was given the task of managing the garden of Eden on behalf of God (Genesis 1:27-28, Genesis 2:15). They were allowed to eat all of the produce of the land with one notable exception: They were not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil which was in the middle of the garden:

Genesis 2:16-17 – And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

(Keep this verse in mind because it plays a central role in Paul’s discussion.) Through the serpent, Satan planted seeds of doubt in Eve’s mind/heart about the goodness, truthfulness, faithfulness and love of God. She apparently relayed these thoughts to Adam and the two of them chose to rebel against God by eating from the tree (Genesis 3:1-7). Through their actions, sin entered the world and it affected the entirety of creation – mankind, the animal kingdom and the earth itself. This is often called the original sin.

It might be argued that Eve was the first to sin, so she should be used as Paul’s example. But the thing to keep in mind is that Paul is not showing the order in which sin entered the world, but how it was propagated or passed down to future generations. Since man sows his seed into the woman and thus propagates the next generation of humans, sin is said to be passed through Adam.

And death through sin: The end result of sin is always death (Romans 6:23, James 1:15, I Corinthians 15:56). In fact, sin and death are inseparable; they are like Siamese twins, so when sin came into the world death automatically came too. This is true in both a physical and spiritual sense.

Physically, every single person will die. In some sense, we could say that we are physically born into death, because death is the final outcome for every person.

The same is true spiritually. We are born into sin, which has alienated us from God. Unless we are justified by faith in Christ Jesus, we will remain under the curse of spiritual death for eternity.

So death spread to all men: In our current study, the critical thing to understand is this: Adam was more than just an individual. He was the father of the human race. Everything he did affected his offspring.

At the beginning of creation, Adam received the gifts of God, the calling/authority of God (as manager/steward of the earth) and the favor of God on behalf of all mankind. In other words, these blessings were to be transferred from him to all future generations of his offspring.

Therefore, when Adam rebelled against God and embraced sin/death, this became part of the legacy that he passed on to every single human offspring.

Think of it this way: You can’t give someone something you don’t have. You might desire to give your kids a million dollars, but if you don’t have it, you can’t pass it on. Once Adam corrupted his own nature with sin, there was literally no way he could produce sinless offspring because he himself was no longer sinless.

Thus, every single person is born under the curse of sin and death; it is the inheritance of our forefather Adam.

Now before you start grumbling about Adam, keep in mind that each one of us has made the exact same choice multiple times. Every sin we commit is by way of our own free will; we too choose to rebel against the righteous commands of God. By choosing death over life and rebellion over obedience we have sealed our own destruction without any help from Adam.

Because all sinned: Here is where the difficulties begin. This small phrase has sparked decades of argument and differences of opinion among Christians. These concepts will be discussed more fully in verse 13, so fasten your seatbelts!

Romans 5:13 - … for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law.

Before we jump into this verse, I want to make sure we understand that the thought Paul began in verse 12 is not actually completed until verse17. The verses in between (13-16) are regarded as a parenthetical; they give us more detail about the ways in which man sinned.

Taken together, the main thought in the last half of this chapter goes something like this:

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned …[how] much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

Paul is comparing the consequences of one man’s sin (Adam) to the consequences of one man’s sacrifice (Jesus). It is important that we keep this in mind, as Paul’s argument will take a few twists and turns along the way, and we don’t want to lose sight of his main point.

GENERAL SUMMARY: Some of Paul’s readers might argue that you can’t break the law if there isn’t any law to break. People undoubtedly sinned before the law, but how could they be liable to death, since they couldn’t be charged with a violation?

DIGGING DEEPER: For sin indeed was in the world before the law was given: The ‘time before the law was given’ refers to the period of time between the creation of Adam and the giving of the Mosaic Law on Mount Sinai, after Israel was rescued from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 19-20). This is a time period of approximately 2500 years.

There can be no question that during this time, men sinned. Evil and wickedness were rampant in the generation of Noah, at the Tower of Babel, in the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, in the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) and their families, in the Egyptians, and in the Canaanites. Sin and corruption were firmly rooted in the human race as a whole.

But sin is not counted where there is no law: Someone might argue that even though mankind obviously sinned during this period, they could not be held guilty because sin is a violation of the law and where there is no law there can be no violation.

It is true that there must be a law in place before that law can be violated. For example, in our previous discussion we pointed out that if there is no posted speed limit on a particular road, drivers cannot be cited for speeding no matter how fast they go.

However, sin was obviously producing death, so some law must have been broken by someone at some point. Bible commentators differ in their interpretation of what occurred and what law(s) were broken. Let’s look at the main theories.

One - Some bible commentators believe the ancient world was governed by the law of nature/conscience. This refers to a sense of right and wrong written on the hearts/minds of every person. Any violation of conscience was a sin.

Under this theory, men and women in the ancient world broke the law of their conscience, which would result in a charge of sin which automatically triggered a sentence of death. In other words, each person was held accountable for their own personal sin.

Two - Other scholars point to what is known as the ‘positive law of God’. This refers to the direct commands of God given to mankind. For example, God expressly forbid Adam and Eve to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil:

Since Adam and Eve broke the specific command God gave them, it was sin. Under this theory, failure to keep any of the positive or revealed laws of God would result in sin and eventual death.

The difficulty with this theory is that while we know all people from Adam to Moses died, we can’t be sure that every single one of them knew about the positive commands of God.

Three – Theory number three moves straight to the fact that death existed in the world and since death is the result of sin, then by default man broke some kind of a known law which existed in the ancient world.

It could have been a positive law of God or it could have been the law of nature, or some suggest it could have been the law of tradition (right and wrong as taught by your parents), or maybe even a law we don’t know about. The breaking of this law was sin which resulted in death.

Think of it this way: Let’s suppose that you went out into your backyard this spring and you discovered a nest of baby bunnies. You look around, but you don’t see any adult rabbits. However, we know that baby bunnies are the result of the union between an adult male rabbit and an adult female rabbit. Therefore, even though we don’t see these rabbits or know any details about them, we can be 100% certain they exist, because we see/experience the results of their existence – the baby bunnies.

Now let’s circle back to the scripture at hand. It is a well-established truth that sin brings death. Since people living in the time period between Adam and the Mosaic law suffered death, then by default they sinned by breaking a known law. According to this theory, we don’t necessarily have to pinpoint the exact law(s) they broke; we just know they broke them.

Four – Theory four says that individual sins could not be directly charged against people because there was not a universal law known to all. This theory maintains that the original sin of Adam (rebellion against a positive/direct command of God by eating from the tree) was imputed or charged to every single person who was an offspring of Adam.

In other words, sin was imputed to each individual member of the human race as a result of Adam’s sin; every person born of the seed of Adam is born into sin. Again, the thought is that once Adam sinned, he could not pass on a sinless nature to his children. Everyone received a nature already tainted by sin and already infected with death.

This does NOT mean that each individual during the specified time period (from Adam until the Mosaic law) was innocent of personal transgression. Obviously, we know that is not true.

Rather, it means that through Adam’s transgression, all people are born with the seeds of corruption and death already rooted within their natures. People are not only born into sin, they add to that sin by nurturing and watering those seeds with every conceivable form of moral depravity and rebellion.

Regardless of which theory you believe to be correct, the bottom line is the same: As the result of sin, death reigned over all of mankind.

Side Note: Paul proves that the law is not the cause of death. The law merely defines our sin and pronounces the appropriate penalty for it. It is obvious that sin is the cause of death, since sin and death existed in the period between Adam and the Mosaic Law.

Romans 5:14 – Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.

GENERAL SUMMARY: The Jewish Christians believed that redemption by Christ was a kind of counterpart to the Mosaic law. Paul shows that redemption was something much, much greater - it was the counterpart or remedy for all sin/evil (including death) introduced by Adam. ‘All’ includes every sin whether or not it was a violation of a positive command of God.

DIGGING DEEPER: Yet death reigned: Death (the wages of sin) reigned over all of mankind from Adam until Moses. Therefore, one of two things must be true – there was some kind of known law that each person broke or Adam’s sin was imputed to all of his offspring. Regardless of how the sin was manifested, it brought death to everyone.

In this passage, death is personified as a king who rules over all generations with a cold iron fist. No one wishes to be in his presence, for his only gifts are grief, woe, tears and desolation. His reign is absolute and universal; whether young/old, rich/poor, male/female, slave/free all eventually bow down to him - no one escapes.

Paul’s point is this: The fact that people died is full proof that they were sinners.

Side Note: The reign of death would be eternal, if it weren’t for the gospel and the salvation purchased by Jesus Christ. Hallelujah!

I Corinthians 15:26 – The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

From Adam to Moses: As we already noted, the time period in question is a span of about 2500 years. The bookends for this period are the positive law of God given to Adam in the Garden of Eden (don’t eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil) and the Mosaic Law given to the children of Israel at Mount Sinai.

Even over those whose sin was not like the transgression of Adam: Adam’s sin was the breaking of a positive command of God.

But that was not the case for every person who lived during that 2500 year time period. Some of them sinned by breaking the laws of nature/conscience. Some broke the laws of tradition. Some may have broken a revealed law of God that we do not know about.

Alternatively, all may have been counted as sinners through the imputed sin of Adam.

Regardless, in all cases the end result is the same: Sin which resulted in physical and spiritual death.

Who was a type: In this case, type means pattern or parallel. Paul uses the word ‘type’ to show that there were certain similarities between Adam and Christ:

Adam was created by God in a sinless state; Christ was born into this world pure and free of sin.
Adam was created to be the ruler of the garden/world; Christ is the King of kings and Lord of lords. All things are subjected to his authority (Hebrews 2:8).
Adam was the covenant head to all his offspring. In other words, he entered into an agreement with God to steward the creation and this covenant was passed to his offspring. Christ entered into an agreement with God to justify creation. He is the covenant head of salvation, which he passes down to all who are his offspring (all who place their faith in him for justification).

Perhaps more importantly, we find a pattern or parallel between the results of the conduct of Adam and the results of the work of Christ:

Adam was the root of sin. By his disobedience death came upon all men.
Jesus is the root of holiness. By his obedience, life is restored to all men.

Of the one who was to come: This phrase was commonly used by the Jews as a reference to the Messiah (Luke 24:21, John 11:27, Hebrews 10:37).

Again, Paul is pointing out a similarity between the results of the conduct of Adam and the effects of the work of Christ. In Adam all die; in Christ all are made alive. Since death came into the world by man (Adam), so by man (Jesus) also came life/resurrection:

I Corinthians 15:21-22 – For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection on of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

Thus, what was lost by Adam’s sin is restored by Christ’s righteousness. The work of Christ is much, much more than just a counterpart to the law. Because he is the remedy for all sin of every kind in every generation, salvation cannot be limited to the Jews.

God, who is more ready to pardon than punish, made salvation available to all who fell under sin - all of mankind.

Let me offer you some encouragement:

With the exception of Jesus, the sin of Adam affected every person who has been or will be born. The things you and I do are not quite so powerful, nevertheless we too have the ability to affect those around us.

Our actions have often been compared to a rock thrown into a still pond, which causes ripples to travel across the entire body of water. This is an accurate analogy, because the things we do and say have the power to affect others.

This very day, you and I have opportunities to speak to others. Instead of speaking death and destruction, let’s choose to speak words of encouragement, righteousness and life.

This very day, you and I have opportunities to help/minister to others. Instead of passing by, let’s choose to stop and be good Samaritans, showing the love of Christ to those who have been beaten down by evil.

May everything we say and do today be a rock which causes ripples of God’s love to touch those around us.

Let me offer you some relief and strength:

As we noted in today’s post, Bible scholars have argued for years and years about the propagation of sin in the lives of mankind. Was Adam’s sin imputed to us, or were men charged with individually breaking the law?

In the end, it really doesn’t matter. Facts are facts – all of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The only really significant question before us is this: What will we do about our sin?

If you are reading this blog and you have never given your life or Christ, or if you were a Christian at some point but your love and service to Christ have grown cold, today is the day to make things right:

II Corinthians 6:2 - …Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

Don’t let the author of death, chaos and confusion (Satan) rule your life anymore. Bow your head now and cry out to Jesus for forgiveness. You can speak to him in your own words; just sincerely confess your sin and ask for his forgiveness. Acknowledge his atoning sacrifice and invite him to be the Lord of your life.

If you need help, you can use this prayer as written or as a guide to help you:

Lord, I admit I am a sinner. I need and want Your forgiveness. I accept Your death as the penalty for my sin, and recognize that Your mercy and grace is a gift You offer to me because of Your great love, not based on anything I have done. Cleanse me and make me Your child. By faith I receive You into my heart as the Son of God and as Savior and Lord of my life. From now on, help me live for You, with You in control.
In Your precious name, Amen

Romans, Chapter 5, part 2

Romans 5:6 – For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

In our prior post, we discovered that Christians who are justified through faith in Christ receive a number of benefits from our heavenly Father. These include peace with God, admission into the grace and favor of God, and the hope of future blessings/glory of God. All of these things give us reasons to rejoice.

We can also rejoice during trials and afflictions because of the fruit they produce in our lives - patience, character and hope.

In today’s post Paul gives us further reasons to rejoice. Not surprisingly, these too are based on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Let’s take a closer look.

GENERAL SUMMARY: No human being has the power or strength to produce their own justification and thus reconcile themselves to God. However, through the death and resurrection of Christ, God provided a solution which magnified his mercy by securing our salvation while at the same time honoring his hatred of sin and fulfilling his divine justice. Only God could do such a thing! His love for us is clearly displayed in this work.

DIGGING DEEPER: While we were still weak: In the original Greek, the word translated ‘weak’ is usually used in a physical sense. It is applied to people who are sick, feeble or touched by disease (Matthew 25:39, Acts 5:15, etc.).

However, in this verse it is used in a moral sense. Paul is specifically using it to say that no one had the power or strength to resist sin. Neither did anyone have the ability to justify themselves/atone for their sin, or to deliver themselves from the wrath of God.

Obviously, this situation describes mankind as a whole, because in Romans 1-2 Paul proved that both Jews and Gentiles were unable to live righteous lives.

But we can also apply this truth to each individual person. Each one of us were born into sin and found ourselves under the wrath of God from day one. Because we have no power to justify ourselves, we remained enemies of God until the time when we accepted Christ by faith.

So, the time ‘we were still weak’ refers to the period of time that each of us spent apart from God. It began when we were born (or reached the age of accountability) and it ended once we were reconciled to God through Christ.

For some, this was a short time span, perhaps under ten years. For others, it may have been decades. For the person who did not accept Christ until on their death bed, it could be classified as an entire lifetime.

At the right time: This phrase has several interpretations.

First, it may be viewed as the ‘proper’ time – the time when all of mankind’s efforts to keep the Law or to live righteously under the law of nature proved futile. Despite the enlightened reason of the Greeks and Romans, and despite the efforts/works of the Jews, nothing was found which could save mankind.

Had Christ come immediately after the fall of Adam and Eve, the pride of mankind would no doubt have insisted that we could have eventually redeemed ourselves. In this scenario, we would never have fully realized how desperate and hopeless our circumstances were/are.

On the other hand, had Christ delayed his coming until the final moments of time, the faith of the church may not have withstood such a long test.

But God, who is perfect in all of his ways, sent Christ into the world at the ‘proper’ time.

Second, it may be viewed as the ‘fixed’ time – the time which God had appointed for the coming of his Son. This time was established by the wisdom of the Trinity before the world was formed, and had been spoken of by the prophets.

Galatians 4:4-5 – But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

(See also Genesis 49:10, Daniel 9:24-27, John 8:20, 17:1, 13:1).

Third, it might be viewed as the ‘most favorable’ time – the time when the societies of the world were best positioned for the spread of the gospel. At the time of the incarnation, most of the world was governed by a single empire (Rome). Thus, there was a single currency, an official language, and a consistent set of laws. Plus, there was a large portion of the world living in at peace. This, coupled with an amazing system of roads, made it possible for the rapid spread of the gospel throughout the known world.

Any or all of these explanations can define the ‘right’ time. What we can say for sure is that God knew exactly when to send Christ into the world to provide redemption for us.

Christ died: The death of Christ is an undisputed fact. It was foretold in prophesy, it was exemplified in the blood sacrifices of the temple, it was revealed by Christ himself both before his death and after his resurrection. It was the bedrock of the ministry of the apostles. It is one of the great articles of the Christian faith. Even his enemies have never denied it.

The death and resurrection of Christ is also the most tangible, distinct and infallible proof of the love of God for mankind. Take a moment to think about it – Jesus is an equal part of the divine Trinity, yet he agreed to leave the splendor of heaven, set his glory aside, and limit himself by taking on a human body of flesh. He came to earth out of love for us, but when he offered himself as a sacrifice for our sin, mankind rejected, abused, mocked and even cursed him. God appointed him (and he agreed) to suffer the full penalty of God’s wrath for a group of ungodly, unworthy, and rebellious people. What further proof of his love could God possibly give us?

For the ungodly: The ungodly are simply sinners, whether Jews or Greeks/Gentiles. They are the same people referred to as those ‘without strength’.

Just how ungodly was mankind? Scripture gives us an idea of the terrible progression of sin and rebellion in our lives:

Mankind’s fall from God: Having fallen into sin, mankind is without the spiritual strength to live in the state of holiness and righteousness in which we were created.

We then progress to a state of ungodliness: Having lost the ability to do what is just and holy, we no longer have the ability to worship/serve God as we should. We no longer allow God to constantly abide in our hearts or minds. Thus, we move further and further away from righteousness while falling further and further into sin and depravity (see Romans chapter one).

From ungodliness we move into a constant state of sin: We no longer have a true moral or spiritual foundation. True rest and satisfaction are only found in God, but since we don’t know him, we search for these things in the world. This results in frustration, futility and deception. The ultimate outcome is even more transgression against God, which results in us earning even more wrath.

Eventually, we become enemies of God: Because we have indulged in sin, it has increased in strength; it is now fixed and rooted in every aspect of our lives. Our hearts and minds have been poisoned with it to the point that we hate God and are cruel to our fellow man.

In the midst of all our rebellion and evil, Jesus died for the benefit of (or instead of) the ungodly (see also I Timothy 2:6, Luke 22:19, etc.). Why would he agree to do that? It was love that motivated him:

Ephesians 5:2 - And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us, and has given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling fragrance.

As a side note, let’s ask this question: Have you ever noticed that some sinners are more evil than others? Why is that? Why doesn’t everyone sink to the lowest possible level of depravity?

The answer is that even though all of us were born with seeds of evil in our hearts, we cultivate them differently. Some people are restrained from utter evil by societal, parental or religious restraint. Some people listen to their consciences, while others do not. Some people have more freedom/opportunity to sin than others. This results in different levels of sinfulness and depravity.

The good news is that there is no sin which God cannot forgive. Anyone can be touched by the power and influence of Holy Spirit, who convicts us of sin and calls us to repentance, thus breaking the cycle of evil in our lives:

John 16:8 - And when he [Holy Spirit] is come, he will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment…

Romans 5:7 – For one will scarcely die for a righteous person – though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die –

GENERAL SUMMARY: Verse six showed the immense love of God by sending Jesus to die for our sin. Verses 7-8 show just how remarkable that love is by comparing the love/actions of God towards us (John 3:16, Galatians 2:20) to the love of one man for another.

Paul concludes that there may be an instance where a person would lay down his life to save that of a friend, but that friend would have to be an extraordinary individual of eminent worth or goodness (in our eyes). The implication is that no human is going to be willing to die for a person who has no goodness or worth; yet that is exactly what Christ has done.

The love of Christ, displayed in his sacrifice for sinners, far transcends any human example of love; it is matchless and unparalleled.

DIGGING DEEPER: For one will scarcely die: It is possible that at some point during the course of history we could find a person who laid down their life for another. But that event would be very rare. When it did occur, it would only happen with great difficulty soul-searching.

For a righteous person: The ‘righteous’ or ‘good’ person mentioned in this verse refers to a man or woman who appears to be righteous/good in the sight of others because of good works, or because they promote the public good, or because they have produced some benefit to mankind (like a scientist who makes a medical break-through). It doesn’t refer to someone who is righteous in God’s sight.

As ‘good’ as this person may seem to be by our standards, the vast majority of people would still not die so that ‘good’ person could live.

Though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die: Again, although it is highly unlikely, a circumstance might arise in which a person would lay down their life for another individual which they consider ‘good’ – a person who exhibits kindness, goodness or charity; perhaps a person who is our friend. The average person would be much more likely to die in place of a friend than an enemy, or even someone they don’t know.

John 15:13 – Greater love has no one that this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

Some bible commentators suggest that the friendship of David and Jonathan may have risen to this level, but this is speculation because neither man died for the other. The bottom line is that it is extremely rare for someone to die in place of another person.

Romans 5:8 - … but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

GENERAL SUMMARY: God is very different from man. He proved his love for us by sending his beloved Son to die for us, even though we were neither righteous nor good.

DIGGING DEEPER: But God shows his love to us: God manifests his love to us in a remarkable and amazing way – by the death of his beloved Son. This action has so fully demonstrated his love, that there can be no doubt about it.

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

This action firmly establishes both the love of Christ, who was willing to be born in the flesh and give up his life, and the love of God, who was willing to give up his Son for us. It also implies the love of Holy Spirit, because the Trinity is always in perfect agreement.

In that while we were yet sinners: As we saw in verse seven, there is a remote possibility that a man (or woman) might possibly die for another person if that person had some notable goodness in their life.

God, on the other hand, sent his Son to die for us even though we were corrupt sinners with no redeeming value.

It should also be noted that God’s love (which is certain, pure and perfect) was not a response to the love of man. He loved us before we had any interest in him at all (I John 4:19). God’s love originates in his divine nature and it is poured out upon us as a result of his sovereign will and pleasure. We did nothing to earn or deserve it.

I John 4:10 – In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Christ died for us: Christ died in our place; by dying on the cross he made it possible for us to be justified in the sight of God, and to be delivered from God’s wrath. This is the ultimate proof of God’s love for us.

Romans 5:9 – Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

GENERAL SUMMARY: God’s love to man is expressed/proved in the gift of Christ. Through the death of Christ mankind is justified in God’s sight. Through the resurrection and life of Christ, mankind experiences salvation and escapes the wrath of God.

DIGGING DEEPER: Since therefore we have now been justified by his blood: As you know, we are justified in God’s sight through the atoning death of Jesus Christ. This statement focuses our attention on the fact that it was the DEATH of Christ that provided justification for us.

Much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God: This statement focuses our attention on the fact that the RESURRECTION/LIFE of Christ provides for our salvation.

The connection between the life of Jesus (his resurrection after the crucifixion and entombment) and our salvation is clear. Because he lives, we live also:

John 14:19 - Yet a little while, and the world sees me [Jesus] no more; but you see me: because I live, you shall live also.

The resurrection of Christ was a confirmation that God was pleased with his obedience. His ascension and life are confirmation of his role as the Mediator between God and man. In his role as Mediator, Jesus will function as our advocate before God. If (or more accurately when) we sin, Jesus will intercede for our pardon based on his blood sacrifice:

I John 2:1-2 – My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

Simply stated, in verses 9-10 Paul is pointing out the difference between justification (which is associated with Christ’s death) and salvation (which is associated with his resurrection/life).

Think of it this way: Justification is an instantaneous act of God, based on the death of Jesus. When we embrace the sacrifice of Christ as payment for our sin, God instantly marks our account ‘paid in full’. We are released from the debt of our sin because Jesus paid the price for it.

Salvation, however, is not instantaneous. It is a process:

Philippians 2:12 – Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

I Peter 2:2 – As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby:

Hebrews 12:1 - …let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which does so easily ensnare us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.

Even though we are children of God, we will continue to experience trials and temptations. We will continue to stumble and fall and get up again as we grow from spiritual babies into mature spiritual soldiers in the kingdom of God.

Our salvation will only be fully realized once we are separated from our fallen natures/sinful flesh – in other words when we reach heaven. In the meantime, Paul wants us to rest assured that if God was willing to justify us through the death of Christ, he will also, without question, guarantee our salvation/freedom from his wrath, through the resurrected life of Christ.

Romans 5:10 – For if, while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

GENERAL SUMMARY: Verse ten is really a repetition of verse nine. Paul is making two points here:

Jesus redeemed us from sin through his humiliation and death on the cross.
Now that Jesus lives and reigns in the place of exalted power and dominion, there is NO WAY that he will abandon us; his life is the guarantee of our ultimate salvation.

DIGGING DEEPER: While we were enemies: The work of justification was undertaken when we were still enemies of God. This is significant because it shows that God was the one who initiated the work. We know that whatever good work God begins, he always completes. Thus, we have the assurance that God will perfect our salvation.

We were reconciled to God: Christ removed the barrier between us and the Father, making it possible for us to be reconciled.

He satisfied the demands of the law (which called for payment of our debt) and so upheld God’s justice. He also subdued, changed and sanctified our hearts delivering us from rebellion and bringing us into submission to the authority of God.

Thus, Jesus broke down the barriers on both sides, producing reconciliation. Now we are the children of God, not his enemies.

By the death of his Son: The reconciliation just discussed was possible only through the death of Christ. It could not be produced by the works of man or by the law.

Much more now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life: We were justified by the death of Christ. We live or are saved by the resurrected life of Christ.

Hebrews 7:24-25 - …but he [Jesus] holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

John 14:9 – Because I live, you shall live also.

Once again, verses 9-10 say the same thing:

Reconciliation is the initial act that happens when we are justified in God’s sight. It entails the removal of our sin and guilt which is made possible by the death of Christ.
Salvation is a process. It is the means by which we are transformed into the image of Christ. Salvation is guaranteed by the continued working of the risen Savior, through the power of Holy Spirit. It is made possible by the life and power of the risen Christ.

Romans 5:11 – More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

GENERAL SUMMARY: We not only rejoice in peace, in the hope of glory, and in tribulation (verses 2-3), we also rejoice and glory in God himself, who has become our God and merciful Father through the work of Christ Jesus.

DIGGING DEEPER: More than that: Reconciliation is only the first of the blessings we receive when we have faith in Christ. We can now rejoice that God is our Father because all enmity between us and God has been fully removed by Jesus Christ.

We also rejoice in God: Our relationship with the Father is cause for rejoicing. He is the fountain of all grace, peace, blessings and salvation.

We can rejoice in his attributes like justice, mercy, truth, love, wisdom, faithfulness and holiness. We can rejoice that God is omnipotent, omniscient, immutable and sovereign. We can rejoice that he holds the keys of death, hell and the grave. We can rejoice that we are sons and daughters of the Most High God.

We can rejoice that God is who he says he is, and that he will do what he says he will do!

We can rejoice that our relationship with God is not passive. In other words, it doesn’t only consist of receiving atonement - atonement is just the beginning! Our relationship with him will forever grow and change as we learn more and more about him. We will never run out of reasons to rejoice in God!

One of the functions of Holy Spirit is to produce a full conviction of the love of God in our hearts/minds. This conviction produces our rejoicing and assures us of our final salvation.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom we have now received reconciliation: The only reason we can rejoice in God is because Jesus made it possible through his death and resurrection. Only through him do we have a future hope.

Let me offer you some encouragement:

Scripture tells us that God has prepared things for us that are so amazing and wonderful, we can’t even imagine them:

1 Corinthians 2:9 - But as it is written, ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him.’

If you are going through a difficult time right now, encourage yourself with the thought that you are a child of God. One day, Jesus will return to earth and escort us to heaven where there will be no more pain, sorrow or tears.

Once there, we will NEVER be separated from God again!

Let me offer you some relief and strength:

Scripture tells us that we are not ignorant of Satan’s tactics. We all know that he constantly tries to get us to take our eyes off of God and look at our circumstances instead.

If he is successful, we will become fearful, depressed and anxious. Our faith in the promises of God will waver. If we aren’t careful, he will steal our joy and our victory.

The moment you realize that you are looking at the impossibility of your circumstances instead of the power of your God, stop and begin to rejoice.

Remind yourself that God is all powerful, that he reigns forever, that he loves you, that his blessings are endless, and that he never fails. Before you know it, you will be living in faith and walking in victory!

Romans, Chapter 5, Part 1

Romans 5:1 – Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

GENERAL SUMMARY: Sinners are the natural enemies of God (Colossians 1:21). Being an enemy of your Creator naturally produces anguish, turmoil and fear. But once we place our faith in the atonement provided by Christ, our relationship with God is restored and peace replaces fear.

DIGGING DEEPER: Therefore: Having been justified by faith, the Christian receives a number of benefits from our heavenly Father. The first benefit Paul mentions is peace with God.

Since we have been justified by faith: Once again, it is prudent to clarify this phrase. The act of believing does not justify us. If it did, then in a sense we could say that our justification was the result of our own works.

When Christians use the phrase ‘justified by faith’ what they really mean is that we are justified by God (Romans 8:33) through the death/shed blood and resurrection of Christ (Romans 5:9). Faith is simply the way in which we receive that justification.

You might think of it this way: We often say that eating nourishes us, even though it’s the food (not the act of eating) that gives the nourishment. The act of eating is the way we receive that nourishment.

We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: Sinners are the enemies of God (Romans 8:7, Ephesians 2:16, James 4:4). Because of this, the mind of an unrepentant sinner can never enjoy peace or rest. Instead, the sinner is often agitated, anxious, fearful and hopeless because deep down, they are worried about the coming judgment/punishment of God; they have no hope for this life or for eternity.

Isaiah 57:20-21 – “But the wicked are like the tossing sea; for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up mire and dirt. There is no peace”, says my God, “for the wicked.”

But when a sinner embraces the atoning sacrifice of Christ, everything changes! Peace and calmness suddenly overtake his heart and mind, like sunlight breaking through storm clouds. Tranquility saturates the Christian’s entire being, because he (or she) is no longer under the judgment/wrath of God; they have passed from death to life:

John 5:24 – Truly, truly, I [Jesus] say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

The peace of God replaces all the fear and worry of judgment/condemnation that filled the sinner’s heart and mind prior to being forgiven:

Philippians 4:7 – And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

(See also John 14:27, John 16:22, Acts 10:36, Galatians 6:15-16, etc.). True peace comes exclusively through Christ; the world has absolutely nothing to do with it. Because the world doesn’t give (or even contribute to) peace with God, it can’t take it away either.

It’s no secret that as a Christian, you will still experience trials, hardships, loss and disappointment in this life. However, because worldly circumstances cannot affect the peace that Christ brings us, we will always have peace during the storms of life. What a comforting thought!

Romans 5:2 – Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

GENERAL SUMMARY: A second benefit to justification by faith is our admission into the grace and favor of God.

DIGGING DEEPER: Through him: Admission into the grace and favor of God comes only through Jesus Christ.

Many commentators maintain that this is an even greater blessing than the peace previously mentioned by Paul. Those who hold this view point out that a traitor may be pardoned by the king without receiving his favor or being admitted into his fellowship.

For example, Absalom was pardoned by his father King David, but he was not allowed to see his father’s face (II Samuel 14:24). This meant that Absalom had no real relationship with the king; he did not have the right to come into his presence, and he certainly did not expect any favors or blessings from David.

Likewise, God could have pardoned us from our sin without showering us with his favor and blessings. Can you imagine how different life with be if that were the case?

We have obtained access by faith: I know it’s annoying for me to keep repeating this, but I’m going to do so nonetheless… Faith is not an act which earns us a reward. If it was, then we would technically be saved or blessed by our own works.

Faith does not make us deserving of pardon; it merely positions us to be eligible to receive that gift. In the same way, faith makes it possible for us to receive the favor and blessing of God, which are provided to us through Jesus Christ.

Have you ever noticed that in scripture, Jesus is described as ‘the way’?

John 14:6 – Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

In other words, Jesus is the way or the means by which we can receive the blessings and favor of the Father. He is the Mediator between God and man. He introduces us into his Father’s presence, gives us a chance to come before his throne with our requests, and makes our service acceptable to him. It is his intercession before the throne of God allows us to continue in our justified state. Simply stated, all access to the Father (and his blessings) comes through faith in him.

Into his grace: Grace is the divine favor of God towards mankind. It includes love, kindness, mercy, pardon/reconciliation, etc.

In which we stand: To stand is to constantly and firmly abide. This indicates that faith is not a fickle belief that changes from day to day, nor does it dry up when trials come. True faith is firmly rooted in the heart and it endures throughout life. It allows us to stand firm against all the attacks of Satan and the temptations of the flesh. It allows us to have boldness, courage and freedom from fear as we submit to the will of God.

Because we stand in faith, we constantly and firmly abide in the grace/divine favor of God. Again, this is an incredible blessing. Because of Christ’s mediation, every justified person is not only forgiven, they abide in the grace and favor of God.

And we rejoice: Justification in God’s sight naturally brings joy into our lives:

Isaiah 12:3 – With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

(See also Isaiah 35:10, Isaiah 52:9, John 16:22-24, Acts 13:52, Romans 14:17, I Peter 1:8, etc.). There is an old song that says, “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart” - and how true that is!

Every Christian should be living in a state of joy because we have been freed from sin and death. As if that weren’t enough, God has chosen to shower us with blessings both now and in the age to come. If you want some joy right now, think about this: God has unknown heights and depths of blessing waiting for us in heaven!

In hope: Hope is a complicated emotion. It consists of two parts: a desire for something and an expectation of obtaining it. If either of these elements is missing, hope cannot exist.

For example, suppose you wanted to keep a full-grown lion as a pet. The desire for the lion is there, but there wouldn’t be any reasonable expectation of obtaining one, because it is illegal for a private citizen to own a wild animal. So, you don’t have any real hope of having a lion as a pet.

The opposite is also true. Suppose you were one of the 10 richest people on the planet, but you had no desire to own an expensive car. Even though you would have a reasonable expectation of getting any automobile you wanted, hope would not be present because you had no desire for it.

In the present case, Paul is saying that Christians have hope for the glory of God. In other words, we have both an earnest desire for it and a confident expectation of obtaining it. Let’s investigate this further.

Of the glory of God: Glory means splendor, magnificence, distinction or honor. In this passage, it refers to the everlasting honors, blessings and happiness which God has prepared for his people. (It’s not the magnificence of God himself). These honors and blessings have been promised to us by God, and he will give them to us through Christ.

1 Corinthians 2:9 - But as it is written, eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him.

We will receive the full honors and blessings of redemption after we triumph in the completion of our earthly work, after we are finally free from sin and after God has wiped away every tear and removed all our pain. In other words, we receive them once we get to heaven.

We are pilgrims here on earth, yet we know that a future inheritance awaits us in the next life. As a Christian you should definitely have a desire to obtain that inheritance. We serve God out of a motivation of love, but at the same time there is nothing wrong with encouraging yourself with thoughts of the joys of heaven. Your desire for the blessings of heaven is one-half of your hope.

The other half of hope is a reasonable expectation of receiving what you desire. Since God is the one that has promised us these blessings, we know that they are guaranteed to us. Thus, we have hope for the glory of God!

Romans 5:3 – Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,

GENERAL SUMMARY: Clearly, Christians have solid reasons to look forward to the future blessings/glory of God. But we also have reasons to rejoice now. Although it seems strange on the surface, trials and afflictions give us reasons to rejoice because of the fruit they produce in our lives.

DIGGING DEEPER: Not only that: The future (eternity with God) holds many promises of blessing and rejoicing. But believers have reasons to rejoice in this life too.

But we rejoice in our sufferings: Let’s begin by examining the word translated as ‘suffering’.

Some bible scholars limit the definition of suffering to tribulations/difficulties that arise as a direct result of being a Christian, such as slander, abuse, punishment, discrimination, death, etc.

For example, in Acts 16 Paul and Silas were beaten and put into prison for casting a demon out of a slave girl. Under the first definition, this would qualify as suffering.

Other bible scholars believe that suffering includes all the trials of this life, even those situations that are not directly related to the gospel.

For example, if you got into a car accident on your way to Walmart and you were permanently injured, that would qualify as suffering under the second definition.

You are obviously free to decide which definition to believe, but for the purposes of our study, we will adopt the second definition – all suffering (even that which is not the direct result of the gospel) can result in rejoicing because God uses it to produce fruit in our lives.

Romans 8:28 – And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Knowing that suffering produces endurance: Our study uses the English Standard Version of the bible, which uses the word ‘endurance’. Your translation may say ‘perseverance’ or ‘patience’. All these terms can be used interchangeably.

The question is, how does God use suffering to produce fruit in our lives? It’s important that we know, so when hardship or suffering comes, we can view it correctly and rejoice in what God is doing.

Let’s begin by looking at the bigger picture. How do trials/hardships affect Christians? How do they affect sinners? Is there a difference between the two?

We will examine the position of the sinner first. When a hardship or trial comes their way, they are irritated and troubled. It is their natural inclination to murmur, complain, and blame others.

Their trouble produces impatience and frustration, which leads to perplexity, despair, discontent and confusion. This is natural because they do not enjoy the comfort, joy and assistance of God. In fact, they often blame God for their situation, becoming more and more rebellious and acting out against him in anger. The longer the hardship lasts, the more brutal, desperate and self-centered they become.

Where will they turn for help? They have only two resources – mankind (who is not always reliable, helpful or merciful) and Satan who is their father (who isn’t going to help because he loves death and despair). For the sinner, there is no guarantee that anything good will come out of their trial.

Now let’s examine the position of the Christian. When we experience a trial or hardship, we recognize that that situation did not sneak up on us while God was asleep. Rather, it was filtered through him first. Therefore, his hand is in it and since God only gives good gifts to his children, that hardship holds some kind of value for us.

In addition, we have somewhere to turn for help. Holy Spirit, who came to abide with us when we trusted in Christ for justification, will be our constant companion and guide as we work through that circumstance with peace and joy. With his help and guidance, we can:

Learn to develop patience/endurance.
Draw closer to the Father.
Practice hearing his voice more clearly.
Learn to restrain our sinful passions and gain control of our flesh.
Allow Holy Spirit to produce his fruit in our lives.
Build a testimony to unbelievers.

For example, let’s suppose you went to the doctor and received a bad report. That qualifies as a hardship. The Christian will enjoy the benefits of support from family, friends and other Christians. But more importantly, they can turn to their heavenly Father, who not only loves them but has the power to intervene in their situation. The Christian realizes that God didn’t cause that disease, but he allowed it to touch their life. Therefore, it is under his control and can be used for good.

The Christian will grow closer to God as they search his word, meditate on his promises, and seek him in prayer for healing and guidance in how to treat the disease. As they spend time in his presence, they will learn to listen more closely to God’s voice. They will find more and more reasons to praise him as they experience his presence through the trial.

It is likely that Holy Spirit will change some of their attitudes or shift their priorities. He will take away their pride, their self-reliance, and other sinful passions. He will use this opportunity to grow spiritual fruit (love, joy, meekness, etc) in their lives.

In the end, the Christian won’t just have ‘head knowledge’ of God as a healer and provider, they will have experiential knowledge that God heals/provides! This results in an amazing testimony which they can share with others. Through their trial, others may come to know Christ.

So, we find that it is not the tribulation itself which causes us to rejoice, it is the benefits we get from it – sanctification, growth of spiritual fruit, building a testimony, experiencing God’s presence and provision, etc.

Think of it this way: When precious metals are refined, they are passed through fire which burns out the impurities. In the end, the metal is more pure, more desirable and more valuable. Similarly, with the help of Holy Spirit, trials burn the impurities out of our lives. This makes us more like Christ, makes us more valuable for service in his kingdom and results in greater blessings for us in heaven. These are all reasons to rejoice.

Finally, it should be noted that sometimes God develops patience in our lives by making us wait for the fulfillment of a promise. This essentially has the same spiritual effects as enduring a trial.

Hebrews 10:36 – For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.

Romans 5:4 - … and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,

GENERAL SUMMARY: Paul goes on to show that our faith has progressive benefits. When we are patient in trials, it produces character. Character, in turn, produces hope.

DIGGING DEEPER: Endurance produces character: The ESV translation uses the word ‘character’. Your translation may say ‘experience’.

Paul is showing us a progression in our faith. Patient endurance of trials/hardships produces character (strength in moral excellence; strength in our faith). It gives us practical spiritual experience.

In the prior verse, we brought up the example of metals purified by fire. However, fire doesn’t just purify metals; it is also used to test the genuineness of the metal. Something may appear to be made of gold or silver, but when it is put under the test of fire, it may be revealed to be something entirely different.

In this case, our suffering acts like fire – it tests our faith. It proves to us that our faith/belief in God is genuine. Through the practical experience of suffering, we learn to trust in God’s intervention in our lives. Repeated hardships prove to us that God is who he says he is, and that he does what he says he will do. Our character is developed and strengthened when we prove that He is utterly trustworthy.

Because we know that God has been faithful in the past, we have no fear of the future. We know he will be faithful no matter what comes our way. In other words, experience produces undeniable proof that our religion is true.

1 Corinthians 1:9 – God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

And character produces hope: Testing refines and confirms our faith, and through that faith springs hope. Our hope is not static; it increases and becomes stronger by the experiences of hardship and the subsequent knowledge that God is faithful.

I Peter 1:6-7 – In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith – more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire – may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Thus, the Christian has hope in two distinct ways and in two successive stages of the Christian life. First, we receive hope immediately on believing along with a sense of peace and full access to God. Second, we receive another infusion of hope after the reality of our faith has been proved through afflictions/trials.

Romans 5:5 - … and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

And hope does not put us to shame: As we noted previously, hope consists of two parts – a desire for something and a reasonable expectation of obtaining it.

By the time we go through the testing associated with trials/afflictions, we have developed a very practical trust in God. We have a firm confidence that God will keep his promises to us. Since we are fully persuaded that he will keep his promises regarding our everlasting future and since we greatly desire to have these blessings, we have hope.

This hope will never bring us shame; it will never disappoint us or deceive us. Because our hope is based on the promises of God (who never fails), we are assured of obtaining the object of our hope – the eternal blessings set aside for us in heaven.

It is possible that Paul had Psalms 22 in mind when he was writing to the Romans:

Psalms 22:4-5 – In you [God] our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

Because God’s love has been poured into our hearts: To be poured out is to be abundantly, generously or copiously given. In this case, it means that God’s love is generously given to each and every Christian. By the working of Holy Spirit, the children of God are conscious of the intense love of God for us. His love fills us, quickens us, and invigorates us. It is the motive for our obedience, and the reason we love God:

1 John 4:19 – We love him [God], because he first loved us.

This love sustains us in our tribulations and afflictions.

The same concept (that of abundant/generous pouring out) is used to refer to the influence of Holy Spirit which is poured upon or abundantly imparted to mankind (Acts 10:45).

Through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us: As Christians, we often say that ‘Jesus lives in our hearts’. That is not exactly the case. Scripture tells us that it is Holy Spirit who actually indwells our hearts:

I Corinthians 6:19 – Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?

Holy Spirit enters our hearts the moment we embrace justification by faith in Christ. From that very moment he begins to work in our lives. He is the effective agent in our progressive walk with God:

Holy Spirit sanctifies the believer, assisting us in circumcising our hearts.
Holy Spirit transforms us into the image of Christ.
Holy Spirit strengthens us and comforts us.
Holy Spirit produces spiritual fruit in our lives.
Holy Spirit helps us with prayer and intercession.
Holy Spirit empowers us for service in the kingdom of God.
Holy Spirit enlightens our understanding of the word of God.
Holy Spirit imparts spiritual gifts to every believer.
Holy Spirit is the one who pours God’s love into our hearts and fills our minds with peace, love and joy.

The presence of Holy Spirit within our lives is clear proof that God loves us and that it is his will that we should be saved. In fact, Holy Spirit seals us until the day of redemption; he marks us and keeps us until the time comes for us to receive the fulfillment of the hope we have for eternity.

Ephesians 4:30 – And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, by whom you are sealed unto the day of redemption.

Through the working of the Spirit our hearts are infused with the love of God, which produces peace, love and joy in the hearts of believers, regardless of outward circumstances.

Let me offer you some encouragement:

Here is a comforting thought: Paul was near the end of his life when he penned the letter to the Romans. By this time, he had faithfully endured as much or perhaps more suffering than most other people (II Corinthians 11:16-33).

And what conclusion did he reach? His testimony was that faith in Christ was sufficient for sustaining him in even the most severe trials. If God’s grace was sufficient for Paul’s trials, it will be for ours too.

Let me offer you some relief:

Although it sometimes seems like the trials and sufferings of this life will never end, the truth is that they are temporary. The day will come when either God calls you home, or Christ returns to earth and takes you directly to heaven. In either case, your suffering will be over and you will receive the blessings God has in store for you!

Let me offer you some strength:

The world cannot rejoice in affliction because they have no guarantee that they will endure the trial or that anything good will come from it. This is not the case for the Christian.

As a Christian, you will endure just as many (if not more) hardships than sinners. But your hardships are different. You have hope. You know that these afflictions are working to purify your faith and draw you closer to God.

So, the next time a hardship comes your way, don’t whine or complain or get angry. Instead, partner with Holy Spirit to receive the most benefit from your experience.

Romans, Chapter 4, Part 4

Romans 4:17 - …as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations” - in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.

GENERAL SUMMARY: Abraham’s being the ‘father of many nations’ was part of the covenant that God made with him when he called him out to be the father of the Hebrew nation (Genesis 17:4-5).

God was able to speak of him as the father of many nations long before he ever even had a child because God knew those things would exist in due time; he himself would bring them into existence by his omnipotent power.

DIGGING DEEPER: As it is written: This is a quote from Genesis 17:4-5. Paul uses it to justify calling Abraham the ‘father of us all’ back in verse 16.

I have made you the father of many nations: As we noted in our last post, Abraham is not only the physical father of the Jews, he is the spiritual father of all who believe in God’s promises by faith. This would include Jews as well as Gentiles from all parts of the world. Thus, he is the father of many nations.

Notice that this statement is in the past tense. At the time this statement was made, Abraham had NO children. Yet, God spoke of him as already being the father of many nations.

In the presence of the God in whom he believed: God declared that Abraham was the father of many nations long before he was so in the natural realm. God is able to do this because he is not limited by time.

As humans, we have a one-way ticket through life. Once we begin the journey through time, we can’t stop it. We can’t reverse it. Much as we would like to, we can’t go back and re-live yesterday or do things differently. Neither do we know exactly what the future holds, because we can’t see it or visit it.

For ages man has daydreamed of time machines which would allow us to do these things, but that will never happen because God has placed us in chronological time and we can’t alter that.

God, however, is not limited by time; he transcends it. Think of it this way: If God held out his hand with his palm up, and you drew a line from one side of his palm to the other, that line would represent time. God is not bound by that line. He exists eternally outside/above it. He is sovereign over it; time does not control God, he controls time. God existed eternally before he created time and he will exist forever after time is all used up.

God can see all the parts of the line on his palm simultaneously. This means that he can see all the events of time all at once. At the moment of your birth, he can see the moment you will enter eternity and all of your actions between those two days. This concept is true for the entire earth – everyone and everything in it. Scripture describes it as God knowing the end from the beginning:

Isaiah 46:9-10 – Remember the former things of old; for I am God and there is none else; I am God and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure…

God was able to testify that Abraham was the father of many nations even though he was childless at the time that statement was made, because he already saw what Abraham would eventually become through the fulfillment of the promises he made to him. In other words, God was looking at the outcome of his intervention in Abraham’s life. The moment he made that promise to Abraham he already saw the fulfillment of it.

We could also think of it this way: The things which God promises are so certain, he can speak of them as if they were already in existence. Nothing can stop God from fulfilling his promises or exercising his will. He is even able to give life where death exists.

Who gives life to the dead: In this particular instance, Paul’s statement that God gives life to the dead may refer to several things:

He may have been referring to the physical bodies of Abraham and Sarah, which could be considered dead because they no longer had the ability to bear children.
He could have been referring to the life of Isaac. In a sense he could be considered dead because his parents were too old to conceive. It would take an act of God to bring him life.
He may have been speaking about the Gentiles (or mankind in general) who are dead in trespasses and sin with no way to attain spiritual life by themselves.
He may have been referring to the resurrection of the dead, which God will bring to pass on the last day.

Perhaps Paul had all four examples in mind, because they all show that God’s power and authority are limitless. He has the power to bring life where death exists.

FYI, it is always good to remind ourselves that Satan has limited power. He can steal, he can kill, and he can destroy (for a limited time), but he can never give life. That power belongs to God alone.

And calls into existence the things that do not exist: God called Abraham the father of many nations when in the natural realm, he was not. Likewise, God called the Gentiles his offspring before they had even heard the message of the gospel (I Corinthians 1:27-28). They were not yet his children during the time of Abraham, but he called them so and by his power and grace made them so.

We could also put it this way: Abraham believed that God was omnipotent (all powerful). That omnipotence is proved or shown by the two results it brings about:

One, God is able to bring what is dead to life again. We just looked at four examples of this (the bodies of Abraham and Sarah, all mankind being resurrected on the last day, etc.).
Two, God can cause something that never existed previously to come into existence. For example, in creation he made all things out of nothing (let there be light). God simply spoke and it was done; He commanded and creation sprang into being.

Abraham believed in the power/omnipotence of God, and he applied that to his personal situation. Because he believed that God could raise the dead, he could believe that God would bring new life to his (and Sarah’s) dead reproductive system(s). Because he believed that God could create something out of nothing, he could believe that God would give him seed/offspring/children even though he had none at the present time.

Furthermore, Abraham could also believe that God would make the Gentiles his people, even though that was not the present case:

Hosea 2:23 - And I will sow her for myself in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them who were not my people, you are my people; and they shall say, you are my God.

Can we now apply this concept to our own personal lives, like Abraham did?

God can be trusted to keep his promises and covenants because he is almighty, eternal and unchanging. He is the Creator, who makes things out of nothing. As such, he can both raise the dead to life and guarantee the existence of things which are not yet as if they already existed. One word from his mouth and his creative power will fulfill his will/every command.

Therefore, regardless of how impossible it seems, the promises God gives us are both credible and possible, because He is the one who made them.

It was impossible for Abraham to have children; it was impossible for Gentiles to become children of God, yet God made both things happen.

What promise seems impossible to you? Do you have a son or daughter who is still dead in trespasses and sin? God is able to bring them spiritual life. Do you have a health problem that science can’t cure? God is well able to restore you. Are your finances or your relationships or your reputation dead? Is your ministry failing? Does the situation seem impossible? That’s okay – if you have faith in the promises of God, he can restore those things or open up a door to something new.

Romans 4:18 – In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.”

GENERAL SUMMARY: We know that Abraham was considered righteous before God because of his faith in the power of God to keep his promises. Specifically, Abraham believed in the promise of the Messiah, who was to come from his seed. It was through the Messiah that ‘many nations’ (the Gentile world) would also become the children of God.

DIGGING DEEPER: In hope: When Paul says ‘in hope’ he refers to probable evidence or a reason for hoping which comes from nature. It is based on carnal reasoning; it reflects that which seems possible in the natural realm.

For instance, if you’ve performed your job well this year, you might hope to get a raise. There wouldn’t be anything supernatural about your hope; it is a reasonable possibility based on what you’ve done.

He believed against hope: This use of the word hope signifies faith in God, regardless of how incredible/impossible the thing itself seems to be.

In other words, Abraham was fully aware of the apparent impossibility of having a son, but he believed in the promises of God nonetheless. He kept his eyes and his mind focused on the power of God, believing for what was contrary to all human hope.

That he would become the father of many nations as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be”: Specifically, Abraham believed he would have a son, and eventually his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky or the sand on the seashore.

Romans 4:19 – He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was a good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb.

GENERAL SUMMARY: Abraham’s circumstances dictated that he and Sarah would never have a child (they were both well past the age of having children). But Abraham’s faith did not fail when he considered the impossibility of his situation.

DIGGING DEEPER: When he considered his own body… or the barrenness of Sarah’s womb: If you looked at Abraham’s situation in the natural realm, you would say it was completely hopeless. He was almost 100 and she was 90:

Genesis 17:17 – Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”

Not only was Sarah well into menopause, she had been barren all her life! From the standpoint of procreation, it could truly be said that both of their bodies were ‘as good as dead’ (Genesis 18:11). This was a true and fair assessment of their situation.

He did not weaken in faith: Nevertheless, Abraham did not allow his circumstances to weaken his faith. He did not consider his (or Sarah’s) age to be an obstacle that was too hard for God to overcome. He firmly believed that Jehovah was omnipotent and as such, he was perfectly capable of giving him a son.

Let’s make sure we understand what was happening here. Abraham wasn’t hiding his head in the sand or pretending his problems didn’t exist. He fully acknowledged his situation, but at the same time he refused to believe that God was powerless to help him. He put his circumstances exactly where they belong – under the authority of God – by focusing his heart and mind upon the God who makes all things possible (Ephesians 1:17-22).

You can bet that Satan tried again and again to get Abraham’s eyes/focus off the Lord and back onto the impossibility of his situation. If he could successfully trick Abraham into doing that, he would win the victory.

But time and time again, Abraham refused. He continued to place his faith in God’s sovereignty and at the appointed time, he was rewarded for it. (It should be noted that the promise took many years to reach fulfillment, which means Abraham had lots and lots of time and multiple opportunities to slip into doubt, but he never did. He is an example we need to keep in the forefront of our minds.)

‘Weakness of faith’ is something that every Christian must battle. When we are faced with an impossible situation, we often vacillate between faith and fear or between confidence and doubt. This arises from a conflict between our fallen nature (fear & doubt) and our spirit (faith & confidence). Fortunately, God gives us the ability to cast down doubt and fear. When we do, faith takes hold of the promise of God and makes us victorious.

Matthew 21:21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If you have faith, and doubt not, you shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if you shall say unto this mountain, Be removed, and be cast into the sea; it shall be done.

Here is the key: Doubt looks at what man is incapable of doing and gives up all hope. Faith looks at the strength, power and authority of God and embraces victory.

Romans 4:20 – No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God,

No unbelief made him waiver concerning the promise of God: Abraham was not moved, perplexed, uncertain or concerned. He believed that God would fulfill his promises - period.

Indeed, there is no reason for any of us to experience uncertainty about the promises of God, because they are made by our Father, who is all powerful, unchanging, completely truthful and utterly faithful. With him, all things are possible (Mark 10:27, Luke 1:37).

Knowing who God is made it possible for Abraham to believe God without discouragement or doubt. The same is true for us. If you are having difficulty holding on to your faith in a particular situation, take some time to read and study the nature of God. You will soon move back into the realm of faith.

But he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God: When we think of giving glory to God, our first thought is a verbal offering of praise. But this phrase does not necessarily refer to that. It can be said of anything which brings God glory, whether in word, thought or action.

In this case, Abraham glorified God by the firmness with which he believed in his promises. This conduct honored God because it was a witness that God was worthy of full confidence and implicit trust. Every Christian who fully believes in the promises of God honors him in the same way. The sheer number of believers is a testimony to the lost that God is trustworthy and faithful.

Romans 4:21 - …fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.

Abraham had full assurance of faith that even though the promise was made long ago, and even though there were numerous obstacles in the way, nothing was too hard for God Almighty. This was the undeniable fact upon which his faith rested.

Romans 4:22 – That is why his faith was ‘counted to him as righteousness.”

Scripture tells us a lot about the life of Abraham, including the following:

He was NOT considered righteous because God appeared to him/called him out to start the Hebrew nation (Acts 7:1-3).
He was NOT considered righteous because he left Ur and wandered in the land of Canaan.
He was NOT considered righteous when he built an altar to God and worshipped him (Genesis 13:18).
He was not considered righteous when he defeated the alliance of kings, rescued Lot and gave a tenth of everything to Melchizedek (Genesis 14:14-24).

It was only later, when He glorified God by believing his humanly impossible promise of a seed (Savior) that his faith was counted as righteousness.

Now we see more clearly how faith brought righteousness to Abraham – he rejected the circumstances which opposed God’s word and instead leaned into the promises of God. He trusted in the goodness, power and faithfulness of God to give him the blessing of a son (Savior), when he could not produce this miracle in his own power. This is a blessing which he otherwise had no right to claim.

The concept of righteousness by faith is also reflected in God’s ‘bookkeeping’:

Daniel 7:9-10 – “As I [Daniel] looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment and the books were opened.

Now obviously, God has no need to keep written records. He knows everything about us including our thoughts, actions and motivations. He can instantly review every moment of our lives at any time. The analogy of the record book is for us – it helps us understand certain spiritual principles, like justification by faith.

In an accounting ledger there are debits (negative cash flows) and credits (positive cash flows). If we were making a spiritual comparison, sin would be debits. The number of debits in each person’s account is astronomical. We are drowning in the debt of sin.

This is the point where Satan steps in to deceive people. He tries to convince mankind that our works are recorded as credits. According to his lie, if you do enough good works, this will cancel out the sinful debits, and you will earn your way into heaven.

Let me stress once again - this is a blasphemous, demonically inspired lie. As the apostle Paul has so clearly shown, good works DO NOT count as credits that offset your sin. The truth is that there is no way for you to have anything ‘credited’ to your spiritual account.

The ONLY thing that will credit/remove debits from your account is the blood of Jesus Christ the Messiah. When you surrender your life to him, he uses his blood to pay for the debits in your personal account. Because of faith/belief in him and his atoning work, we are freed from the bondage of sin and the curse of the law. Christ makes it possible for us to enter heaven where we will spend eternity with the Trinity.

Abraham, the father of faith, understood that there is absolutely nothing within us that will make us righteous; faith in the promises of God is required. Righteousness can only be obtained through the spotless lamb of God, who was ordained to be our Savior before the foundation of the world.

And once again Paul proves to his readers that the doctrine of justification by faith through the imputed righteousness of the Messiah is not a new doctrine. It is as old as the foundation of the world (I Peter 1:19-20) and it was revealed back in days of Abraham.

Romans 4:23 – But the words, ‘it was counted to him’ were not written for his sake alone,

The faith of Abraham is not recorded merely as a historical fact. It was not preserved solely as a reason to honor him. It has a much larger purpose.

I Corinthians 10:11 – Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come…

This truth applies to the whole of the Old Testament. It was written for the use, learning, instruction and profit of the saints under the New Testament dispensation. This is particularly true of Abraham’s faith for receiving righteousness and/or the imputation of righteousness of faith to him for justification.

Abraham is a type or example of how mankind can be accepted in God’s sight – through faith in the promise of the Redeemer.

Romans 4:24-25 - …but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

GENERAL SUMMARY: If Abraham was the only person who was to be justified by faith, then it is a cruel punishment to emphasize his justification so much in the scriptures. Fortunately, that is not the case. We too can be justified by faith in God’s promise of a Savior who died for our sin and was resurrected on the third day for our justification.

DIGGING DEEPER: It is very unlikely that God revealed to Abraham the exact way he planned to work out salvation for mankind. Although Abraham firmly believed the limited revelation God gave him, it is doubtful that he knew who Jesus Christ was or that he would die on a cross and be resurrected on the third day.

Obviously, we have a fuller/more complete understanding of God’s plans:

Atonement for sin can only by made with a blood sacrifice (Leviticus 17:11, Hebrews 9:22).
God loved mankind so much, he was willing to give his only Son a blood sacrifice for us (John 3:16). This event was foreshadowed by the Old Testament temple sacrifices, especially the Passover lamb.
Unlike animal sacrifices, Jesus paid for sin once and for all (Hebrews 9:12).
After his death, God raised him up as the first fruits of the resurrected life that all believers will experience (Acts 10:40, I Corinthians 15:20-23).
Jesus now sits at the right hand of the Father, serving as not only our Savior but our Mediator (I Timothy 2:5).
We are justified by faith in his atoning work.

The bottom line is that the principle of faith has not changed. Abraham exercised a firm belief in the limited revelation he received, and he obtained justification because of it. We are also justified by a firm belief in the revelation we received; it’s just that our revelation of God’s plan of salvation is much greater than anything Abraham enjoyed.

Let me offer you some encouragement:

It seems like we never run out of science fiction stories or movies that speak about time travel. This is understandable, because my guess is that each one of us would love the opportunity to go back in time and change something we did or said (or didn’t say/do).

However, as we noted in today’s post, God chose to limit us to chronological time; we will never be able to travel to the past or the future. In light of this, today is a very important day! So, what are you doing today? How are you spending your time? King Solomon gives us this advice:

Ecclesiastes 9:10 – Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.

In other words, whatever you are doing, make sure you are giving it your full attention and doing your best. Only then can you enjoy the benefits of a job well done – satisfaction, joy, increased knowledge, improved skills, praise from others, etc.

If you find that you are too busy to do a something the ‘right’ way, then perhaps you are too busy!

Let me offer you some relief:

Sadly, Satan has convinced a lot of people that if they are ‘good people’ (they don’t murder anyone and they do good works), they will make it to heaven. He makes that system sound plausible and simple. But the truth is, it’s faulty bookkeeping. It’s also a vicious trap. For example, how many good deeds does it take to make up for a little lie? How many for a big lie? How many good works are required to atone for a one-time marital infidelity, verses living in sexual sin?

A person living under this system would never be able to experience peace or confidence in their salvation, because they could never know if they were doing enough to outweigh their sin.

Thankfully, in the first four chapters of Romans, the apostle Paul makes it very clear that our works can never ‘cancel out’ the debt of our sin. Instead, we can surrender our lives to Christ. When we place our faith in him, he pays the debt we owe, removes us from under the curse of the law and makes us co-heirs with him in the kingdom of heaven.

Even better, we don’t ever have to wonder about our salvation – he guarantees that anyone who believes in him will not fail to inherit eternal life.

I don’t know about you, but I find that to be an immense relief!

Let me offer you some strength:

We all go through different periods in life. Sometimes the sun is shining, and things seem to work out perfectly for us. At other times, our faith is being tested and things are more difficult.

But one thing never changes – at all times and in all circumstances, we have the assurance that God loves us, no matter what! His love is steady and consistent and perfect. It is NOT based on your performance or your bank account or even your works. God loves you because perfect love is a part of his character.

So regardless of what you are facing this week, remember that God loves you so much, he sent Jesus to be the atonement for your sin. The whole point behind that love is to welcome you into his eternal kingdom one day!

Romans, Chapter 4, Part 3

Romans 4:13 – For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith.

We might say that in these next few verses Paul is ‘beating a dead horse’. In other words, he continues proving that justification before God cannot be through the law, but only through faith.

It may seem tedious to us to see this over and over in different ways, but it is actually very important because it firmly and fully establishes the doctrine of salvation by faith in Christ, which is the very foundation of the Christian life. This message needed to be set forth in a manner that could never be questioned or challenged, and Paul does exactly that.

Again, we must remind ourselves that the early New Testament church had some serious issues with unity between Jews and Gentiles. If God did not fully and firmly establish that these two groups were both equally sinful in his sight and equally justified in the same manner (apart from the law), we may very easily wound up with two churches – a Jewish one and a Gentile one.

With this in mind, let’s see what the apostle has to say.

The promise: The promise in verse 13 is that Abraham would be the heir of the world. What does that mean?

It can’t mean that he inherited a title or kingship making him the supreme ruler of the earth, because we know that did not happen. As far as we know, he didn’t rule over anything other than his own household (and even then, his wife clearly had some influence).

It can’t mean that his father passed down ownership of vast amounts of land and resources to him, because that didn’t happen either. As far as we know, the only land Abraham owned was a tiny, insignificant burial cave in the land of Canaan, which he bought from the Hittites (Genesis 23).

How can Paul say that Abraham was heir of the world?

He is indicating that Abraham would be the channel through which the mercy of God would be communicated to the world. This happens in two ways.

One, his example of obtaining justification by faith shows the rest of mankind how to obtain that same gift from God.

Two, he is the ancestor of the Messiah, who is the heir and ruler of the world both physically and spiritually:

Hebrews 1:2 – …but in these last days he [God] has spoken to use by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

We might say that Abraham is represented as having the world as his inheritance because it was through his offspring (Jesus) that the whole world obtained mercy and blessing; in a sense he passed that blessing down to future generations as a kind of inheritance.

We might also say it this way: Heir of the world is equivalent to being the father of many nations; Abraham was the representative of all the believing world and made the heir of an inheritance (justification by faith) which would be made available to the world in general (all who believe, both Jew and Gentile).

Here is something that will make your day: As if the blessing of justification weren’t enough, God gives us even more. In Romans chapter 8, Paul will show that Jesus is the Son of God and he owns all things. Because he made us children of God too (through justification), then we are considered co-heirs with Jesus!

Romans 8:16-17 – The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God, and if children, then heirs – heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Just let the implication of that sink in for a moment!

To Abraham and his offspring: The promise was to Abraham and his descendants. Abraham has two lines of descent. In the natural realm, the Jews were his physical children/offspring. In the spiritual realm, all those who grasp the promises of God through faith are his spiritual children/offspring.

That he would be heir of the world: An heir is a person who is legally entitled to take possession of an estate after the death of its owner. An estate can include many things, like money, possessions, land, authority or even titles.

In this case, the world or the earth is the estate which the offspring of Abraham will inherit.

First, let’s look at this from the viewpoint of Abraham’s physical descendants, the Jews. If you mentioned ‘inheriting the world’ their minds immediately jumped to their inheritance known as the Promised Land – the choicest spot of ground on earth. How did they obtain that inheritance?

The first step in giving them this land for an inheritance was to free them from slavery to Egypt. This deliverance was not accomplished by the power of the Jews; they had absolutely no way to free themselves. Their only hope for release was to trust/have faith in the promise of God that he would bring them out of Egypt by his might and power, as he said he would:

Exodus 6:6 – Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment.’

Once they were freed by the miraculous power of God, he led them through the wilderness to the land he set aside for them. He was continuously with them in all of their battles, until they obtained victory and possessed the land:

Exodus 6:8 – ‘I [God] will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the Lord.’

Even a cursory reading of Old Testament history shows that the Jews did not accomplish this victory through their own power, or through their adherence to the law. If anything, history shows us how unworthy and helpless the Jews were; their victory was obtained only through the mercy and grace of God.

Now let’s look at this issue from the viewpoint of Abraham’s spiritual descendants, those who accept justification by faith in Christ Jesus. As you know, events of the Old Testament are shadows or types of God’s plans under the new covenant of the gospel.

For example, slavery in Egypt was a picture of our bondage to sin. None of the Jews could rescue themselves from the grip of the Egyptians. In the same way, no person can rescue themselves from sin through their own works or adherence to the law. The only way for the Jews to be delivered from Egypt was to trust in the promises of God. The only way for mankind to be delivered from sin is to have faith in the promise of the Redeemer.

In the natural realm, Israel had to fight to obtain the full expanse of the Promised Land. God assisted them in this fight; victory was obtained through him (Joshua 10:24-25). In the spiritual realm, Christians fight to expand the kingdom of God on earth:

Matthew 11:12 – From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.

God assists us in this fight; victory is obtained through him.

The Promised Land was a place that flowed with milk and honey; it was the place of great blessing and peace. The Promised Land is a type/picture of heaven (Hebrews 11:8-10, 16).

At the perfect time, God brought the physical descendants of Abraham into possession of the Promised Land. Likewise, at the perfect time, God will bring the spiritual descendants of Abraham into heaven to be with him, where we will experience full and complete eternal blessings and peace.

Here is the point: No Jew would ever claim that deliverance from Egypt and possession of the Promised Land came through their own abilities or through perfect obedience to the commands and laws of God. That would be utter blasphemy. They acknowledged, without question, that they received these blessings by faith – trusting and leaning on the promises of God.

This example in the natural realm shows that the spiritual offspring of Abraham will receive forgiveness of sin (freedom from the curse of the law) and entrance to heaven by faith in the promised Messiah.

It works like this: Step one – faith in the promise of God (justification through the Messiah). Step two – receiving the imputed righteousness of Christ. Step three – gaining access to the Messianic kingdom and all its privileges and blessings.

Did not come through the law: The promise of inheriting the earth did not come through observance of the law; it was independent of both the Mosaic law and the rite of circumcision. This has already been unquestionably proved by Paul.

But through the righteousness of faith: The promise of Abraham’s descendants inheriting the earth can’t be limited to his natural Jewish descendants inheriting Canaan. That example is far too small to be the complete fulfillment of God’s promise. Rather, that inheritance in the natural realm was a picture of Abraham’s spiritual descendants who will inherit all things (including heaven) by faith through their relationship to Christ.

Galatians 3:28-29 – There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.

So, using the type/shadow/example given in the historical context of the Old Testament, Paul shows that heirship was given to Abraham, not because he deserved it by keeping the law, but because he had faith in the promises of God. It was faith that justified him in God’s sight.

Hence, it logically follows that because justification is a matter of faith based only on the goodness and mercy of God, then that benefit must belong to the Gentiles just as much as the Jews.

Romans 4:14 – For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void.

As we have noted before, faith and works are opposites. If people could obtain righteousness and life by works/adherence to the law, then faith serves no purpose – it is redundant, useless and futile.

If salvation is by works, then there is no reason for God’s Son to die a humiliating and painful death on the cross and no reason for men to believe in him.

As Paul has already proven, you can inherit under the law – but your inheritance will consist of bondage to sin and a sentence of eternal death. Faith, on the other hand, is the key to the inheritance of life and blessing. It unlocks grace and grace is open to all mankind, both Jews and Gentiles.

Romans 4:15 – For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.

Where there is no law, there is no transgression: Suppose you are driving in through a nearly deserted area, and there is no posted speed limit. Under those conditions, you could go as fast or slow as you wish, because there is nothing which says you can’t do so. If there was a police officer nearby, he would not be able to give you a ticket, because you weren’t breaking any speed limit laws.

In the same way, if God had not given us the law, then there wouldn’t be any rules to break, and so there couldn’t be any sin. If there was no sin, then naturally there couldn’t be any penalty for doing whatever you wanted to do.

The law brings wrath: However, as we are all well aware, every city has speed limit laws. If the speed limit is 35 mph and you choose to drive 70 mph, the authorities can determine that you broke the law. At that point, they have the right to issue you a citation, which declares your guilt and outlines your punishment (a fine, points on your license, etc).

In the same way, God’s law is important because it establishes the baseline obligations of the moral life God demands of us. When our actions are compared to his law, our guilt becomes evident and the penalty of the law automatically pronounces judgement against us.

So obviously, the law has limits. By its very nature, it can only condemn us. Specifically, the law has the power to do three things:

One, it uncovers or exposes our sin. It does this by comparing our lives to the commandments of God.
Two, it convicts us or pronounces us guilty of breaking God’s laws.
Three, it sentences us to the correct punishment – it puts us under the wrath of God which results in spiritual death.

Simply stated, the thing which condemns us does not have the power to justify us. Because the law condemns the sinner for his transgressions, it can never, ever be the instrument or means of our justification. It can never, ever offer us grace or mercy. It can show us what holy living should look like, but it cannot give us the power to live holy lives.

If faith and works of the law are opposites, and the law only has the power to condemn, then by default faith is the sole means of salvation/justification.

Romans 4:16 - Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the descendants; not to those only who are of the law, but to those also who are of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

Therefore: In view of the argument or line of reasoning that has been presented in verses 13-15, we can reach a logical conclusion.

It is of faith that it might be by grace: Justification by faith is the plan which God has devised for the salvation of mankind. This means that redemption is solely based on God’s grace and mercy; it has nothing to do with our efforts.

To the end: The reason why justification is by grace and not works is so the promise might be sure and that it might be open to all (see below).

The promise might be sure: If we obtained the promises of God by works, then we would always be unsure/uncertain if we had them or if we were even able to receive them because of our weakness and failure in adhering to the law. This would naturally produce uncertainty, fear of failure, inactivity/timidity, and frustration.

But thankfully, that is not the case. As Paul once again points out based on the logical arguments presented here, the promise of justification is built upon the foundation of God’s mercy, favor and grace. Because God never fails or changes, Paul could confidently say that the promise is sure or guaranteed or firmly established. We never have to wonder about our salvation; it is guaranteed as long as we trust in Christ.

To all descendants, not to those only who are of the law: By now we have figured out that those under the law are the Jews. The promise of justification is still open to the Jews, if they are willing to let go of their works and accept it by faith. The good news is that the gift of righteousness before God is no longer limited just to them.

But to those also who are of the faith of Abraham: Since Abraham was justified by faith apart from the law, then Gentiles (who are also apart from the law) can be justified in the same way.

The father of us all: Once again, Paul establishes the fact that Abraham is the father of all who believe – both Jews and Gentiles.

And once again, we have cause to marvel at the wisdom and sovereignty of our God!

He knew there was no way we could be justified by our own efforts. He also knew that the price of sin must be paid; his holiness and perfection would never allow for anything but complete justice.

By having his Son pay the price of our sin and by giving us the opportunity to embrace Christ’s righteousness through faith, God has perfectly displayed his mercy and grace to us while fully satisfying the requirements of divine justice.

Not only that, his process of justification through faith includes ALL mankind – all those under the law as well as all those outside of his law. Praise his glorious name!

Let me offer you some encouragement and relief:

Through Christ we have become the children of God, which makes us heirs of all his blessings. These include his glory (John 17:22), his riches (II Corinthians 8:9) and ‘all things’ (Hebrews 1:2).

We will ultimately receive the entirety of our inheritance once we reach heaven:

I Peter 1:3-4 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you…

So be encouraged today. In this life you will have difficulties and trials but remember – you are a child of God. You are precious in his sight, and you will inherit the kingdom of heaven.

Let me offer you some strength:

Abraham was a spiritual example to all his descendants, both physical and spiritual. You can be the same. In fact, you probably already are.

If you consider yourself a Christian the people around you (family, friends, colleagues at work, etc.) are watching your life, whether you realize that or not. This is especially true of those who are not yet Christians.

They are looking to see if your actions line up with your words. They are looking to see if faith in Christ produces joy and peace or the same old turmoil and anxiety they have now. They want to know if prayer really works, or it’s just a farce. They want to know if the God you serve is 100% dependable or if he only shows up for you occasionally.

So be aware of your example. Does your daily life mirror the hope and victory of Christ, or does it reflect the same broken promises found in the world? Does your conversation line up with the victory Christ procured for us, or do your words reflect defeat?

No one is perfect all the time. I understand that, because I fail too. Nevertheless, today is a good day to remind yourself that you are an Abraham – so let’s strive to be the example that draws others into the kingdom!

Romans, Chapter 4, Part 2

Romans 4:5 – And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,

In our last study, we discovered that faith and works are opposites. In verse five, Paul continues his discourse on this same subject.

GENERAL SUMMARY: If you seek/accept justification by faith in Jesus, you are considered righteous in God’s sight without any help from your works.

The opposite is also true - if you believe you are justified by works, then your faith is useless because it has no effect on your salvation.

But unless you are perfect, you can’t be justified by works of the law. Most people, when confronted with the facts, will admit they are not perfect. They need another way to be justified or counted as righteous in God’s sight so they can avoid the penalty of eternal death which the law placed on them.

The one who does not work: The one who does not work is the one who does not rely on perfect adherence to the law for their justification. This was the case for Abraham; God called him when he was an ungodly idolator, yet he was freely justified when he believed in God. It is also the case for you and I, if we have trusted in Christ as our Savior.

But believes on him: That is, believes or trusts in God; believes that the Messiah will atone for his/her sin, making them righteous in God’s sight.

Before we go any further, let’s stop and ask this question: What is the relationship between faith and righteousness?

It is important to remember that faith is not the cause of our righteousness. In other words, we don’t ‘earn’ righteousness by faith. Faith is the means by which we attain or grasp the righteousness which God freely gives us, even though we are not worthy of it.

Who justifies the ungodly: To be ungodly is to be polluted by sin or wickedness; to be disobedient to God. All of us are ungodly:

No human being can be justified by works, because all of us have sinned. Therefore, if justification takes place at all, it must take place on behalf of the ungodly.
At the time when God justifies us, he knows full well that we are morally bankrupt. We deserve none of his favor, yet in his great mercy he resolves to forgive us and welcome us into his family. Despite our best efforts, we will continue to be ungodly as long as we are in the flesh.
When God judges, he does not judge as if we were pure. Rather, he regards us exactly as we are – ungodly sinners who are united by faith to Jesus. Because of that relationship, God treats us as his children even though we are, have been, and always will be personally undeserving of this favor.

What does this tell us about righteousness?

This means that the righteousness of Christ is not transferred or somehow infused into us so that it is personally ours (moral character is non-transferable). In other words, until Christ returns, we retain our sinful nature. Just take a look at the conduct of Christians around you, and you will realize this is true.

Thus, we find that we (the ungodly) are considered righteous solely because of our relationship with Christ. On the basis of his sacrifice, God treats us as though we ourselves had obeyed the law or that we are righteous in his sight.

His faith is counted as righteousness: We often say that eating nourishes us, even though it’s the food (not the act of eating) that gives the nourishment. The act of eating is the way we receive that nourishment.

In the same way, we often say that we are justified by faith, when in reality we are justified by Christ. Faith is the way we receive that justification.

Here’s the bottom line - Abraham was an ungodly man, but through faith he became righteous in God’s sight. Since Jews and Gentiles alike are in the exact same situation (ungodly), both must be justified in the same manner - by faith in Christ. There is no other way to be justified.

Romans 4:6 - …just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:

GENERAL SUMMARY: Paul’s main point is that our salvation is, in all cases, dependent upon grace – the undeserved favor of God. We did nothing to merit it.

He used the example of Abraham to show that the doctrine of salvation by faith was not a new doctrine, but that it was an integral part of the Old Testament. He will now give another Old Testament example – that of David.

Here’s why these two examples are so significant: Abraham lived before the law was given, while David lived after. This shows that justification by faith began before the law, and it continued even after the law was given. Justification by faith was NOT replaced with justification by works.

In Psalms 32 David describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness (the righteousness of the Messiah/Mediator/Savior) without any works of merit.

DIGGING DEEPER: David also speaks: Paul now gives another example of justification by faith in the Old Testament. This time it comes from one of the nation’s most beloved kings – David.

Of the blessing: The happiness or desirable state/condition of a person.

Of the one to whom God counts/imputes righteousness apart from works: The happy or desirable state David mentions occurs when God treats a person as righteous (or entitled to his favor), in a way other than conformity to the law (works).

The whole scope of Psalms 32 is to show the blessedness of the person who is forgiven:

Their sins are not charged to their account; they are free from the punishment they deserve. Being thus pardoned, they are treated as though they were righteous. Such a person is admitted into the favor of God and is treated as though he had not sinned. He partakes of the benefits of Christ’s atonement and therefore is treated as a friend of God, rather than like a sinner.

Obviously, those who have Christ’s righteousness are happy/blessed - they are justified from all sin and freed from all condemnation. They and their service are acceptable to God. This is only possible by the grace and mercy of God. It could never be achieved through works.

Romans 4:7-8 – “Blessed are those whose lawless deed are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”

GENERAL SUMMARY: Take a moment and think back to your childhood. I don’t know about you, but I had parents who had to discipline me and my siblings from time to time for breaking the house rules. When that happened, it wasn’t uncommon for my mom to delay punishment until she discussed the situation with my dad when he got home from work.

This meant we (my siblings and myself) had to spend all day under the burden of knowing that punishment was coming. I can tell you truthfully, that if I could have somehow found a way to be seen as innocent in my mom’s estimation and thus delivered from the punishment I knew was coming, I would have been the happiest kid in the world!

King David is saying something very similar about the spiritual realm. He declares that anyone who was formerly under the curse of death because of breaking God’s law, is happy when his transgressions are forgiven/hidden because they realize that they are free of the punishment they deserve.

DIGGING DEEPER: Blessed are those: In verses 6-8 Paul references Psalm 32, which was written by King David. In it, the king speaks of people who are blessed.

The word ‘blessed’ means holy or consecrated. It can also mean to be highly favored or to be given undeserved favor and to be blissfully happy and content as a result. Those who are blessed experience unbridled joy and gladness; they live in a state of felicity.

Whose lawless deeds are forgiven/whose sins are covered: Let’s remind ourselves of the occasion on which this psalm was penned by David. As you recall, David had committed sexual sin by having an affair with Bathesheba. As if that wasn’t grievous enough, he had her husband murdered in order to cover up his sin. But he couldn’t hide his transgression from God, who sees and knows all things. Eventually, God sent the prophet Nathan to confront David about his wickedness (II Samuel 12:7).

David was in absolute misery because of his sin. Although there were devastating consequences for his actions, his misery was chiefly related to the fact that his sin separated him from fellowship with God. David knew that he had sinned and he deserved judgement. He expresses his pain, sorrow, grief and remorse in Psalms 51.

The good news is that David confessed his sin and repented. When he received forgiveness, he wrote Psalm 32 which details the joy and gladness he experienced from once again being justified in God’s sight.

Psalms 32 is written in poetic form. This means that the two phrases quoted by Paul (whose lawless deed are forgiven/whose sins are covered) mean the exact same thing. Specifically, David deserved the severest punishment, but instead God forgave or covered his sin.

Take note of the exact words that David uses in this Psalm. Sins are not abolished (annulled or made void), they are forgiven. This correctly implies that they didn’t just disappear. The debt we owed was paid in full - by our Redeemer.

David likens our forgiven sins as something that is covered up or hidden. Indeed, scripture tells us that God casts our sin behind his back (Isaiah 38:17) and into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19). He removes them from his sight which means he will never see or remember them anymore!

Psalms 103:12 – …as far as the east is from the west, so far does he [God] remove our transgressions from us.

In fact, God not only removes our sin from us, he clothes us with robes of righteousness and garments of salvation:

Isaiah 61:10 – I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness…

Blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin: This clearly shows what Paul meant by faith verses works. No man or woman is capable of living a perfect life – not Abraham, not David, not you and certainly not me! Therefore, we can never be justified on the basis of our works. But, praise God, we can place our faith in the atonement of Christ.

When we do, Christ pays the debt we owed for our sin. Because the debt is paid, we will never be charged. We can now appear before the throne of God because he considers us justified/righteous in his sight.

When this happens to a person, they are eternally happy beyond measure, because they are free from the penalty of eternal death which the law placed upon them.

Here is something you might find interesting: Psalm 32 is a ‘maskil’ – a psalm of instruction or understanding. This Hebrew word is often used in passages that relate to the future of Israel.

In this case, we can see that hundreds and hundreds of years before Paul spoke to the Roman church, Holy Spirit prompted King David to write Israel a memo of understanding which clearly states that man is justified before God by faith, not by works. How amazing is that?!

Romans 4:9 – Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness.

GENERAL SUMMARY: Having proved that the Jews (the circumcised) can only obtain righteousness by the mercy of God, the apostle now goes on to show that the Gentiles (the uncircumcised) are justified in the same way.

In the next few verses, Paul will stress that Abraham was considered righteous in God’s sight before the law was ever given. Since that is the case, it was impossible for him to have been justified by works of the law.

Furthermore, if Abraham was justified without conforming to the Jewish law, it logically follows that the Gentiles can also be justified in the same way.

Paul will enlarge that train of thought to show that if Abraham was justified without being circumcised, so can the Gentiles.

DIGGING DEEPER: This blessing: The blessing of being justified or made righteous in God’s sight.

Only for the circumcised or also for the uncircumcised: The overall question under consideration is this: Is the blessing of being justified in God’s sight available only to the Jews (the circumcised), or is it available to the Gentiles (the uncircumcised) too?

Paul uses the terms ‘circumcised’ and ‘uncircumcised’ here because circumcision is essentially the initial work of righteousness according to the law and most Jews trusted in it as a meritorious act. In other words, the Jews believed that being circumcised made them just in God’s sight.

For we say that faith was counted to Abraham for righteousness: Paul used David and Abraham as examples of men who were justified by faith.

As we know, David lived during the era of the law. Therefore, the Jews might argue that even though he was justified by faith, works still played some role in his justification. Or they might argue that you must be circumcised first in order for your faith to be acceptable to God.

Abraham, however, lived before and after the covenant of circumcision was instituted.

If it could be shown that he was justified after being circumcised, then the Jews would still be able to argue that his justification was the result of a combination of faith and works.

But if it could be shown that he was justified in God’s sight before he was circumcised, this would be undeniable proof that justification is based solely on the mercy/grace of God.

Romans 4:10 – How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised.

GENERAL SUMMARY: What does the scripture reveal? Was Abraham considered righteous in God’s sight before or after he was circumcised?

DIGGING DEEPER: How was it counted to him, before or after he was circumcised? It was not after, but before:

Question – What condition was Abraham in when he was justified in God’s sight - was he circumcised or uncircumcised?

Answer – He was uncircumcised!

The timing of these events can be found in Genesis chapters 15-17:

Abraham was counted as righteous by faith in Genesis 15:6. At that time, he had no children (Genesis 15:2).
A year or so later, we find that Hagar gave birth to Ishmael (Genesis 16:15-16). At that time, Abraham was 86 years old.
The rite of circumcision was instituted in Genesis 17:10-11. At that time, Ishmael was 13 years old and Abraham was 99 (Genesis 17:23-26).

Thus, we find that Abraham was not circumcised until 14-15 years AFTER he was counted as righteous in God’s sight.

Here is the significance of that fact:

One – Circumcision plays no part in being justified by faith.
Two – Since that is the case, both Jews and Gentiles are equal in God’s sight. Both are ungodly sinners who can obtain salvation through faith in God’s promise of a Savior.
Three - There are no ‘second class citizens’ in the church/family of God (as the Jews believed). All are equal whether they are circumcised or uncircumcised.

Romans 4:11 – He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well…

GENERAL SUMMARY: Circumcision was not the cause of Abraham’s justification. It was the sign or seal that testified to the justification he had already received by faith.

God had events unfold this way to show that, from the very beginning, he intended to justify ALL mankind, Jew and Gentile alike, through his mercy and the sacrifice of Christ.

DIGGING DEEPER: He received the sign of circumcision: A sign/seal is a visible stamp or impression used to authenticate a contract or official document. Seals were commonly made by dripping wax onto a document and then molding the wax into an official pattern with a stamp. The seal or stamp was often worn as a ring on the hand of the king (Esther 8:8, Genesis 41:42, etc.).

It was vital for the Jews to understand that circumcision could not justify a person in God’s sight. In other words, it was not the cause of righteousness. Nevertheless, it had an important purpose. Circumcision was a visible sign/seal of righteousness by faith.

Genesis 17:11 – You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me [God] and you [Abraham/the Jews].

A seal of the righteousness that he had by faith: Circumcision was a sign/seal to Abraham and his descendants that faith was the means by which sinners could obtain righteousness in God’s sight.

Remember, God promised to bless the world through the offspring of Abraham (Genesis 12 and 15). This promise included the coming of the Messiah, who would atone for sin. Justification in God’s sight would come through him. When Abraham believed or placed his faith in these promises, God declared him righteous (Genesis 15:6).

However, the actual Messiah would not come to earth for hundreds of years. So, God chose to institute the rite of circumcision, which was a seal or sign that a redeemer would come and through him man would be justified in the sight of God by faith. It was a sign that was to be passed down to all subsequent generations, until the promise arrived; it was a perpetual reminder of God’s promise of justification by faith.

We could correctly say that circumcision was a sign/seal of the gospel covenant.

This brings up another important point: once the promise had been obtained the sign was no longer necessary. Circumcision pointed to salvation, but it was not a requirement for being justified.

While he was still uncircumcised: Circumcision was a sign/seal or reminder that righteousness is obtained by the grace of God through a Redeemer. It pointed to the promises contained in the gospel. Righteousness was imputed to Abraham by faith before he was circumcised, to show the Jews that absolutely no works were associated with becoming righteous in God’s sight.

There was another essential reason as well:

The purpose was to make him (Abraham) the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well:

Gentiles are referred to as the uncircumcised. Since Abraham received justification in God’s sight through faith without being circumcised, so can we!

This makes Abraham the spiritual father of the Gentiles. Since he is also the clear spiritual father of the Jews, it can rightly be said that he is the father of all who believe.

Romans 4:12 - …and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

GENERAL SUMMARY: Faithful Gentiles are considered the spiritual children of Abraham. But this does not negate the privilege of the Jews. They are Abraham’s children according to the flesh and the spirit too, if they walk in faith.

DIGGING DEEPER: Father of the circumcised… who also walk in faith: In the natural, Abraham is the father of all the Jewish people. In the spiritual realm, he is the father of all those who are justified by faith.

This means he is the spiritual father of all Gentile believers as well as all Jewish people who embrace (and walk in) faith to justify themselves in the eyes of God.

Let me offer you some encouragement:

We know that we cannot be justified in God’s sight through works. Nevertheless, this is not a license to sin. God still requires us to be as holy as possible:

I Peter 1:16 – Because it is written, you will be holy; for I am holy.

Through the sign of circumcision God indicated the way we were to strive for that holiness - by spiritually cutting off whatever is according to the flesh/against the Spirit.

Although I have no personal experience, I’m going to go out on a limb and assume that circumcision is painful. We should expect spiritual circumcision to be the same.

If we are honest, we will admit that we all have sins we enjoy. We think we can keep them under control or hidden, so there is no real need to prune them from our lives. We often justify them by pointing out that they are not as bad as the sins of others.

But this is wrong thinking. The Jews had to change their thinking about circumcision in the natural realm. We must change our thinking about circumcision of the heart. We must face the fact that all sin is an abomination in God’s sight, and it must be cut out of our lives.

Interestingly, this is not just a New Testament command. In the book of Deuteronomy Moses spoke of circumcision of the heart (Deuteronomy 10:16), and Paul will enlarge on this topic later in the book of Romans.

Let me offer you some relief:

King David declared that anyone who has been forgiven by God will abound in joy and happiness because they realize they are free from the punishment they deserve.

So whatever else is going on in your life today, you have reasons to rejoice – you have been forgiven and one day you will find yourself in heaven with Jesus!

Let me offer you some strength:

The life of Abraham teaches us many lessons, but perhaps one of the most important is this: Faith without works is dead.

There is no question that Abraham was counted as righteous in God’s sight by faith alone. Yet, the faith he had in those promises affected the way he lived. He knew he was only a pilgrim wandering in the Promised Land, but he lived as one who was fully persuaded that his offspring would be the owners of it.

Abraham fully believed that Isaac was the son God promised him; the son through whom all of his descendants would come. In the midst of that faith, he did not flinch at taking his son and offering him as a sacrifice.

How is your faith reflected in your everyday life?

Romans, Chapter 4, Part 1

Romans 4:1 – What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh?

Welcome back to our study of Romans. At the end of chapter three, Paul concludes that we are justified by faith, not according to the works of the law.

To you and me, this is a normal, everyday statement which makes perfect sense. But to the Jews of Paul’s day, it was a bombshell which absolutely rocked their world! They were completely stunned and shaken up by this revelation.

Remember, even the Jews within the church had strong, lingering ties to their Jewish roots. From infancy, they had been taught that their adherence to the Jewish rites and laws were of the utmost importance; these were the things which separated them from all other nations, made them God’s special people, and guaranteed them entrance into God’s kingdom. It was quite a blow to them when they suddenly discovered that none of these works justified them in the sight of God.

So, take a moment and put yourself in the place of these early Jewish believers. Certainly, they were saved through faith in Christ, but just as certainly they had a residual belief that their works somehow played a part in their stance before God. If you were just firmly confronted with the unyielding truth that your works did nothing to merit your justification in God’s sight, what would your reaction be?

For many of the Jews their first reaction was disbelief. Their minds naturally searched for reasons why Paul’s arguments were false and should be abandoned. One of the first excuses they came up with was that the idea of justification by faith alone was not part of the holy scriptures (Old Testament), so it was not a concept that originated with God and therefore it should be cast aside as a false teaching.

However, as we saw in chapter three, Paul proved conclusively from the Old Testament writings that justification by faith was not new; it had been there all along. The Jews were just blind to its existence.

Habakkuk 2:4 - …the righteous shall live by his faith.

So, to further help them understand and grasp this truth, Paul will now prove his point by giving the Jews true-life examples or illustrations from two of their most revered ancestors – Father Abraham and King David.

Although Paul could have used any number of examples, the two he chose were very strategic. One of the top points of boasting for the Jew was that he or she was an offspring of Abraham, who was the father of the Jewish faith.

If Paul could prove that Abraham, a man so famous for works, so eminent in holiness and so consistent in obedience, was justified by faith, then what argument was left to the common Jew? To claim that they could be justified by works would be to claim that they were superior to Abraham in every way, and no Jew would dare say that!

The case of David was also very compelling. What Jew did not revere and honor their greatest king, a man after God’s own heart? If David affirmed that works did not earn justification in God’s sight, the Jews would be forced to admit that Paul was correct.

Deuteronomy 19:15 - One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sins: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.

Before we move on to look at these two examples, let’s just take a moment to address the reasons why this concept was so important to the early church.

First, as we already mentioned, the Christian Jews in the Roman church were true believers, yet they had lingering assumptions that works also played a part in their salvation. It was important for this false idea to be rooted out of the church in its early stages.

Secondly, for every Jewish believer in the church, there were many more Jews who did not accept Christ as the Messiah. Without a doubt, every Jewish Christian had members of their own family who had disowned them for ‘abandoning’ their Jewish faith. These Christians needed to understand the full argument for justification by faith so they could impart this truth to others, when given the chance. They needed to be able to defend their Christian beliefs.

Third, because the early Christians were ostracized by their fellow Jews, they needed full assurance in their hearts and minds that they were truly justified in God’s sight. (The Jews had very strong family ties. Imagine how awful it would be to be disowned by your family because you were a Christian.)

Finally, in the early church it was common for the Jews to consider the Gentiles as a kind of ‘second class citizen’ in the kingdom of God. This viewpoint was the result of their national identity, which was centered on works. In order for the Jews to realize that everyone in the church was an equal child of God, they needed to understand that acceptance rested on God’s grace alone, not on works.

DIGGING DEEPER: What then shall we say: In other words, in the case of faith verses works, what can we conclude based on the testimony of Abraham?

Abraham our forefather: As you well know, Abraham was considered the father of the Jewish nation and rightly so, for he was called to that role by God himself:

Genesis 12:1-2 - Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get you out of your country, and from your kindred, and from your father's house, unto a land that I will show you: and I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing:

Abraham was revered by the Jews not only as the head of the nation, but as the one to whom the rite of circumcision was given (Genesis 17:9-11). The Jews considered it an honor to be his descendants. In fact, they regularly boasted about being the children of Abraham (Matthew 3:9, Luke 3:8, John 8:39, Acts 13:26, etc.).

As the most revered patriarch of the nation, any argument drawn from his example would have been very forceful in the minds of the Jews. Because Abraham is also the father of the Gentiles (many nations – Genesis 17:4-5), his example was also very important and influential in the thinking of the Gentile believers.

So, we find that Paul uses the example of Abraham as a pattern of righteousness which is common to the whole church. If he was pardoned by faith, then his offspring, both Jew and Gentile should expect the same.

According to the flesh: What is Paul referring to when he uses the word ‘flesh’?

Some bible commentators believe he is speaking specifically about circumcision, while others believe he is talking about natural earthly strength and wisdom. Still others believe he is talking about obedience to the law or works. Based on the current topic, the third answer would be most likely, although all three could be correct.

What has Abraham found: By asking this question, Paul invites the reader to consider what they know about Abraham and discern for themselves how he was justified in God’s sight.

Paul’s question might be rephrased this way: What did Abraham discover about being justified in God’s sight? Did it come from being circumcised, or through his own strength/wisdom or by obedience/adherence to the law (works)?

The apostle is confident that after examining the facts, the unbiased reader will admit that their most beloved ancestor was not justified by any of these things, but exclusively by faith.

It stands to reason that if that was the case for Abraham, then his offspring will need to be justified in the same manner – by faith alone.

Romans 4:2 – For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.

GENERAL SUMMARY: However high and honorable Abraham was in the mind of the Jews (mankind), in the eyes of God he was nothing more than a sinner.

DIGGING DEEPER: If Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about:

In the minds of the Jews, Abraham had some basis for boasting. By all human accounts, he lived a pious life of obedience and service to God. His devotion to God was so great, he was willing to offer his beloved son Isaac as a sacrifice to God (Genesis 22). He was the one who entered into the initial covenant with God (Genesis 15); he was the one who received the rite of circumcision as a sign of that agreement (Genesis 17). There is no doubt he was supernaturally blessed by God.

So honestly, maybe he did have reasons to boast - with respect to other people. Maybe he was the most righteous man of his generation. Maybe he was the most obedient and the most faithful and the most humble. But even then, he had no basis for boasting in God’s sight.

But not before God: Regardless of what mankind thought of Abraham, God (who knows/sees all things, even the hidden things of the heart) knew that Abraham was a sinner just like every other human being. As a sinner in God’s sight, he was under the same curse of the law, and the same sentence of spiritual death as everyone else.

In other words, all of Abraham’s works and obedience and faithfulness were not enough to justify him in the sight of God and therefore, he had no reason to boast.

The reverse is also true - if Abraham had no grounds for boasting, then he was not justified by his works (or by his own strength/wisdom or by circumcision).

So, if Abraham was justified in the sight of God, and that justification was not the result of works, on what basis was he justified?

Answer: Abraham was justified by faith.

Romans 4:3 – For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness.”

GENERAL SUMMARY: Paul will show that scripture, the ultimate source of all truth, testifies that Abraham was justified (counted as righteous) in God’s sight through faith.

DIGGING DEEPER: What does Scripture say: In any discussion, it is essential to have some common ground on which a debate can be launched.

For example, if we were discussing whether cats or dogs make better pets, we might start with the common belief that all pets are beneficial.

Since Paul and his fellow Jews were in complete agreement that the Scriptures were the divine source of all truth, they were not only common starting ground for discussion, they could also be used as the final authority in all earthly matters. Given this, it’s not surprising that Paul used the scriptures to prove his assertion that Abraham was justified by faith and not by works:

Genesis 15:6 – And he [Abraham] believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

Abraham believed God: In Genesis chapters 12, 13, and 15 God makes a number of promises to Abraham. In chapter 15, God specifically promises that he will be Abraham’s shield and great reward (Genesis 15:1). God also promises that he will give Abraham an heir from his own body (Genesis 15:4), that he would multiply Abraham’s descendants (Genesis 15:5) and that all nations of the world (Jew and Gentile) would be blessed through his seed/offspring. This last promise is extremely important.

We know that when God promised to bless the entire world through Abraham’s seed, he was referring to Jesus Christ, the Messiah of the world, who was born through the natural lineage of Abraham.

Galatians 3:16 – Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “and to your offspring,” who is Christ.

The purpose of the Messiah’s coming was to atone for our sin on the cross and thus provide the way for us to be justified in the sight of God.

The key point is this – when Abraham believed God, he was embracing, or placing his faith, in the fact that God was going to send a Messiah into the world to justify sinners in his sight. He may or may not have known that Jesus was that Messiah, but he definitely understood that a Messiah was coming.

Galatians 3:8 – And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.”

Because of Abraham’s belief (the exercise of his faith), in this promise, God treated him as a righteous or justified man.

The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary puts it this way: “… Abraham believed in the promises which embraced Christ, just as we believe in Christ himself; and in both cases, faith is the instrument or means by which we receive the righteousness of Christ and are thus justified before God.”

We might also phrase it this way: Abraham’s faith in the promises of God included the promise concerning the Messiah, so by believing God, he was also believing in the coming of the Savior, who would justify mankind by faith, not by works.

There can be no doubt that Abraham understood and believed in the Messiah, because Jesus himself tells us it was so:

John 8:56 – Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my [Jesus’] day. He saw it and was glad.

Based on the divine authority of scripture, the only conclusion that can be reached is that the righteousness of Abraham was not earned by his works; it was imputed or attributed to him through his faith in the Messiah. Therefore, he had no basis for boasting.

This was a wake-up call for the Jews. If their most revered ancestor was not justified by works but by faith in the righteousness of the coming Messiah, they must seek to be justified in the same way.

Romans 4:4 – Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due.

GENERAL SUMMARY: Paul now proceeds to state his case in another way. He uses the analogy of human work to help explain his point.

When you work, your employer is legally bound to give you what you have earned, whether they want to or not. Gifts are a different matter. The giver has full control of the gift. They are not under any obligation to even give a gift, but if they decide to, they determine what to give, when to give it, how much to give, and who to give it to.

Here is the parallel: If mankind were justified by works, God would be under an obligation to mankind. He would owe us justification whether he wanted to give it to us or not. Fortunately, that can never be the case. Justification is a gift from God to us; he is in full control of it.

DIGGING DEEPER: To the one who works: We are all familiar with work. In the employee/employer relationship, there is a legal obligation for the company to pay you the wages you were promised for any work you performed. If they don’t pay you, you can take legal action against them.

In the spiritual realm, the ‘one who works’ is a person who strives to keep the laws and commands of God with the intention of earning justification through the work he or she has done.

His wages: That which is earned; in this case justification and/or righteousness in God’s sight.

Are not a gift, but his due: If, by some chance, there was a person who perfectly kept the laws and commands of God, then God would be under an obligation to give them what they “earned” – justification/righteousness.

The justification they received would come on the basis of wages – something earned by the worker. Since the person worked for what they are receiving, it is not a gift – it is their due. In this scenario, God would be under an obligation to justify them in his sight.

Now let’s apply this principle to the subject at hand. If Abraham had been justified by his works, the justification he received would have been a payment of what God owed him. If that was the case, then his belief in God’s promises would have had absolutely no part in his justification, and his faith would have been useless.

But that was not the case. The righteousness attributed to Abraham was an act of grace (a gift) on the part of God.

Simply stated, grace and works are opposites. If you earn salvation through works, then it can’t be on the basis of grace. On the other hand, if you receive the gift of grace, then it is not something owed to you for works.

Just to be clear, Paul is expressing a general truth in regard to works. He is NOT confirming that anyone has actually ever received salvation by conformity to the law and thus saved by their own merits. He made that perfectly clear in Romans 1-2.

Let me offer you some encouragement and some relief:

As human beings, we often forgive imperfectly. What I mean is this: We say we forgive the person who offended or hurt us, but we treat them like we are still angry with them.

Have you ever forgiven a friend, but then turned around and ignored them for a couple of days just to show them how displeased you were?

Has your spouse ever expressed forgiveness for a comment you made, but then kept reminding you of your mistake over and over (sometimes in front of other people)?

You get the picture – we forgive, but we still treat the offender differently than we did before.

So let me give you some encouragement and relief – God isn’t like us at all!

When God forgives us, it means full and complete reconciliation. Scripture says that God casts our sins into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:18-19) which means he doesn’t remember them against us anymore.

God delights in mercy; once we are forgiven, he treats us as if we had never sinned in the first place. He does not continually remind us of our failures or give us the ‘cold shoulder’ for a season.

If you are hearing about your past mistakes over and over again, that is coming from the enemy not your heavenly Father. So, tell him to ‘get lost’ and begin to rejoice in the complete forgiveness God has given you.

Let me offer you some strength:

Today’s study is focused on receiving justification in God’s sight by faith. But let’s take a broader view for a moment: ALL of God’s promises are received that way.

What promises are you trying to receive from God? Are you looking for healing, or for restoration of a relationship, or a breakthrough in your ministry?

Whatever the case may be, you will need to grasp that promise by faith and allow it to take root in your mind and heart before you see it come to pass.

Search the scriptures to find out what God has promised to you in the covenant. Then, meditate on these scriptures, mulling them over in your mind. Read them over many times. Think about them when you are going to sleep. Quote them to yourself (speak them out loud). Pray them over yourself. Allow your eye of faith to see them coming to pass in your life.

No matter how long it takes, don’t give up! Faith is always rewarded; at the proper time, God will honor his promise!

Romans, Chapter 3, Part 6

Romans 3:26 – It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

In our last post, we discussed mankind’s misconception that God didn’t really take sin seriously, because if he did, we all would have been punished by now.

Paul refuted that claim by showing that God, in his great mercy, exercised forbearance – he temporarily withheld the punishment we deserved until he sent Jesus into the world as a sacrifice/atonement/ransom for our sin.

The death of Christ proves that the penalty of sin was not eliminated; it was completely satisfied.

GENERAL SUMMARY: God clearly displays his righteousness in the gospel dispensation. He executes perfect justice by requiring the full payment for sin as required by the law, but at the same time he is able to pardon anyone who believes in Jesus. This gives us a clear picture of God’s mercy and justice being in perfect balance.

In other words, because Jesus was the atonement (ransom price) for the sin of the world, God can pardon every soul that believes on Christ without violating his perfect justice.

DIGGING DEEPER: To show his righteousness at the present time: The ‘present time’ refers to the gospel dispensation which is also called the age of grace. This age began when Jesus died and rose again, and we are still living in it today.

As Paul mentioned earlier in this chapter, salvation was not a new concept or plan. Although somewhat obscured, it was an integral part of the Old Testament. It was in place before the creation of earth:

I Peter 1:18-20 - …you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you…

Paul is explaining that all generations had at least some evidence of the righteousness of God (plan of salvation), but now with the coming of Jesus, it was openly revealed. We might say that God’s righteousness appeared brighter and clearer when the Son of righteousness arose.

He might be just: God is now, has always been, and will eternally continue to be just. In times past, his justice was not necessarily seen or recognized by mankind. But now that it has been openly revealed, we can better understand it. Let’s examine this further.

God’s justice required payment for sin. What would happen if God just ‘wiped out’ our sentence of guilt and its accompanying punishment?

If God simply forgave sinners without penalty, then justice would not be served; it would essentially be abandoned. If justice is abandoned, the law ceases to have any authority because the guilty would no longer be punished for breaking it. This would render the law worthless.

Think of it this way: Let’s suppose your city has a law that says there is a 10-year prison sentence for arson. As long as the city continues to enforce that penalty, arson will be rare. But if the city stops prosecuting this crime, pretty soon everyone will be doing it, because there is no penalty. They can just burn down their garage or house anytime and collect the insurance money!

So, ignoring our sin is not an option (in reality, it never was anyway, because God is always perfectly just and he can’t change). Instead, our amazing heavenly Father came up with a way to spare us while still being true to his just nature.

By making Jesus a substitute for us, God continues to be just and righteous by enforcing the penalties of the law. Under his plan of salvation, every violation of the law (every sin you or I commit) still produces a penalty which results in suffering and death. In this way, God upholds the integrity of the law; it cannot be broken with impunity.

The end result is that God proves himself to be true to his own laws while also being a hater of sin, and a just God.

God’s perfect plan ensures that no principle of justice has been abandoned, no threat or penalty of judgment has been modified, and no guilty person has escaped. God is just and moral, true to his own self, to his Son, and to the universe whether he pardons a repentant sinner or sends a rebellious soul to hell.

And the justifier of the one: This is the amazing part of the gospel. In addition to his justice being perfectly fulfilled, God displays his perfect mercy by providing the sacrifice which his justice required. Our God, who is perfectly holy and righteous, can pardon sinners and make them innocent in his sight while still maintaining his pure and holy character.

That has faith in Jesus: The one who places their faith in Christ experiences God’s forgiveness. This is in contrast to the one who attempts to depend upon his own works for salvation - that person will certainly fall under the wrath of God.

This passage shows us the breathtaking perfection of our God. He is inconceivably rich in bestowing his mercy upon us while at the same time he is rigidly inflexible in his justice/vengeance. The gift of grace and the sword of justice each exercise their full scope and power. The holiness of God’s nature and government are not only maintained but magnified in this public display.

As for us, we are not only spared from eternal death but admitted into his kingdom as his children!

This is the full discovery of God’s righteousness: He has a method by which he can show his perfection in both justice and mercy, while still honoring/magnifying his law and saving a lost and dying world.

Hallelujah!

Romans 3:27 – Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith.

GENERAL SUMMARY: In verse 27 Paul is again anticipating and refuting an objection that the Jews would raise if they were with him in person.

The Jews were indeed the people of God, and as such they enjoyed exclusive access to certain privileges (like circumcision, being stewards of the law, etc.). They boasted about having these privileges and about their service/works according to the law. However, Paul has just proven that no one can be justified by works of the law. Justification can only be obtained by faith in Christ.

In the remainder of this chapter Paul will show that justification by faith puts a stop to boasting by laying stress not on works of the law (which were the proper fulfillment of the old covenant), but by laying stress on faith, which is the proper fulfillment of the new covenant of Jesus Christ.

In other words, since all have sinned and all are justified freely by the unmerited favor of God, the Jews have no reason to boast of their own righteousness.

Furthermore, since faith is the true means of justification as opposed to the law, it is open both to Jews and Gentiles. All people are treated equally under grace; there is no longer and advantage to being Jewish.

DIGGING DEEPER: Boasting… is excluded: boasting is excluded for the Jews. As we already noted, the Jews were given to pride and boasting about their exclusive privileges as God’s people.

Plainly stated, Paul is telling the Jews that a new era has commenced. Sinners are saved by grace through faith, not by works or by privilege. This means that the Jews have nothing in which they can trust for acceptance in the sight of God. The law won’t do it, circumcision won’t do it, abstaining from pork won’t do it, being a descendant of Abraham won’t do it, and neither will the observance of festivals or temple offerings.

Likewise, boasting is excluded for the Greeks/Gentiles. They were particularly pleased with (and often placed their trust in) their philosophy, wisdom, learning, self-sufficiency, and authority/power.

But Paul has just blown up the foundation of their pride too. Since all (Jew and Gentile alike) have sinned and are incapable of being saved by works and since all are dependent upon the mercy of God and the work of Christ for salvation, there is no basis for boasting.

Not by the law of works: The law of works is the written law that the Jews formerly relied on. Interestingly, their boasting was not excluded on that basis, for if they were somehow able to fully/perfectly abide by it, they would have been justified by their own works. They would have had every reason to be proud if their salvation could be procured by human virtue and goodness.

The law of faith: Boasting is excluded by the law of faith. The law of faith admits that we have no ability to make ourselves righteous in God’s sight. Salvation is obtained solely by the atoning work of Christ and our faith in his blood. Therefore, since forgiveness is obtained only by the mercy of God, the door of boasting and pride is shut.

Ephesians 2:8-9 – For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Romans 3:28 – For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

GENERAL SUMMARY: Based on the arguments Paul has made from chapter one until now, we can be sure that justification in the sight of God is not obtained by works but by faith.

DIGGING DEEPER: For we hold: Your translation may say ‘therefore we conclude’. Paul is arguing that based on the well-reasoned and logical arguments that have been presented thus far, we can correctly and confidently conclude that mankind is justified apart from works of the law.

One is justified by faith: All who are regarded and treated as righteous by God have obtained that favor through faith in Christ.

Apart from works of the law: In general, mankind has a tendency to depend upon our own works to earn acceptance in the sight of God. But as Paul has logically proven, this is false hope.

At this point, we are going to take a slight detour in our study to look at a related issue. Paul maintains that we are justified solely by faith apart from works, however, the apostle James tells us that faith without works is dead:

James 2:26 – For as the body apart from the Spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

How can we reconcile these two seemingly opposite statements? What is the relationship between faith and works?

First off, let’s be clear on one point – Paul and James are not in disagreement. They are discoursing on two different aspects of faith and works.

Paul is writing to show that justification in the sight of God happens purely by faith. Our works could never play a role in our justification.

James is not writing to reveal how people are justified, but how others (chiefly sinners) can recognize that Christians are justified. In other words, James is showing that a person’s faith or righteousness is proven by the good works they are naturally prompted to do after receiving justification in God’s sight.

Despite what you may hear some critics say, there is no inconsistency between the doctrines of faith presented by Paul and James.

Romans 3:29 – Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also…

GENERAL SUMMARY: The Jews had long believed that they were the exclusive people of God and only they were eligible to receive his favor. They had a very difficult time accepting the fact that God was opening up his family to include the Gentiles.

DIGGING DEEPER: Is God the God of the Jews only: Have you ever heard the phrase ‘national identity’? A national identity refers to a sense of belonging between citizens that is based on common beliefs, traditions, values and even language. These factors are an invisible bond that helps holds the nation together.

Considering the history of the Jewish nation, we can see how they needed a very strong national identity (and the intervention of God) in order to survive. After all, what other people group experienced national enslavement, escaped enslavement to live in a land inhabited by other strong cultures, eventually formed a monarchy which they subsequently lost, went into captivity, exited captivity, and were disbursed throughout the world but remained a distinct people group hundreds of years later?

The answer is none! Without a strong national identity and the help of God, the Jews would have been assimilated into other nations and ceased to exist long, long ago.

The point is that the national identity of the Jews was a strong bond which united them while keeping them separate from others. This was necessary for their survival as a nation.

The Jewish national identity involved things like the rite of circumcision, the tabernacle/temple, their feasts, and the strong belief that they were the exclusive people of God who were stewards of his law.

God of the Gentiles also: Every Jewish person was brought up with this strong national identity. Imagine being part of the generation of Jews who were alive during Paul’s day, who had to let go of that identity and accept a new role – being part of the family of God along with Gentiles. For the Jew, this was almost unthinkable.

But God’s plans were much, much bigger than the Jews imagined. Just because God chose, for a time, to have one particular nation be his representative, that did not negate his original plan to admit all of mankind into his kingdom/family. The time had come to open up the kingdom to ‘whosever will’.

Thus, we find that Paul’s new covenant doctrine clearly shows that ALL (Jews and Greeks/Gentiles) were equally guilty of sin and equally eligible to be justified by faith.

Romans 3:30 - …since God is one – who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised by faith.

GENERAL SUMMARY: Paul uses the unity of God (the trinity) to argue that the same God who made both Jews and Gentiles will unite them under himself by means of the same faith and same atoning sacrifice. There will be one united family of God.

DIGGING DEEPER: God is one - God is revealed to us as a trinity. There are three persons in the Godhead (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), yet God is one in nature and essence.

Paul contends that exclusion of the Gentiles from the family of God would be incompatible with the very nature of God which is that of unity. Furthermore, if the God of the Jews is not the God of the Gentiles too, then either there is more than one God or else God is divided. Since we know neither of these things can be true, we would expect God to allow the Gentiles into his kingdom by the same methods and requirements as the Jews, and that is exactly what we find.

Under the new covenant, God has eliminated all differences between the Jew and the Gentile:

Ephesians 2:13-15 – But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off [Gentiles] are made near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who has made both [Jews and Gentiles} one, and has broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; to make in himself of two one new man, so making peace…

God has eliminated the division between Jews and Gentiles because he desires to create one, single, unified church, which is the body of Christ.

So we find that neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has an effect upon justification by faith; it is the same God who justifies both, and the means of their justification (the righteousness of Christ obtained by faith) is also the same (Philippians 3:8-9).

Romans 3:31 – Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

GENERAL SUMMARY: The Jews might object that the law of faith voids the written law, rendering it vain or useless. Their question might be phrased this way: Did the law of justification by faith remove the obligations of the law? If so, it cannot be of God and should be rejected.

DIGGING DEEPER: First of all, we should note that in this passage of scripture Paul is giving his readers a revelation of the glory of the gospel – specifically, the atoning work of Jesus Christ which both pays the full penalty for sin while setting the sinner free by his imputed righteousness.

The Jews were sure to object that justification by faith makes the law void or useless and our obligation to it is thus destroyed. Here at the end of chapter three, Paul answers that objection only briefly. He emphatically denies that justification makes the law void and gives only a cursory answer as to why. But that is okay, because he presents a full argument/discussion of this topic in chapter six.

Do we overthrow the law by faith: This is a question that has been raised over and over again since the gospel was introduced. Many people have suggested that the law of justification gives people a license to sin; in fact, they believe it encourages sin because forgiveness is guaranteed. By doing so, it voids the law.

By no means: Paul very emphatically denies the tendency of justification to promote further sin and to make the law null and void.

On the contrary, we uphold the law: Bible commentators disagree on exactly what Paul means by the term law.

Most believe Paul is speaking of the moral law. As you well know, the ceremonial law (keeping the Sabbath, temple sacrifices, circumcision) was abolished by the gospel. However, our obligation to God’s moral law (do not steal, do not murder) is still in effect.

Others believe that he means the whole law, since Christ was the fulfillment of all the ceremonies of the law.

In either case, the apostle maintains that the law has been abolished as a means of justifying us by works, but in all other respects it still stands; Christians lie under the strongest obligation to both righteousness and obedience.

We will cover this more in detail later on, but for now we can point to the example of Christ. Jesus honored and respected the law throughout his life. His death proved that God was determined to inflict the penalty for breaking it. His suffering shows the evil of disobeying the law, and strongly motivates us to obedience.

Let me offer you some encouragement, relief and strength:

Today’s post reiterates the fact that God’s Son paid the full atonement price for our sin, allowing us to walk away free - released from the bondage of our mistakes and failures. As a result, thankfulness and love for God no doubt well up within our hearts. That love overflows and manifests itself in praise, worship and (perhaps more importantly) obedience:

John 14:15 – If you love me [Jesus], you will keep my commands.

John 14:21 – Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me [Jesus].

I John 5:3 – For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

According to Jesus, our love for him is displayed in our obedience to his commands. Also according to Jesus, the greatest command is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength (Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30). We generally don’t dispute that command, especially when we are mindful of all that God has done for us.

But what about the second greatest commandment – to love your neighbor as yourself? We often struggle with this command, especially when it involves forgiveness.

In Matthew 18:21-35 Jesus gives us the parable of the unforgiving servant. Basically, there was a servant who owed his master more than he could pay. The master ordered him and his family to be sold into slavery to satisfy the debt. But the servant begged for mercy. The master ended up releasing him and forgiving his entire debt.

Obviously, we see the spiritual parallel between God and ourselves – we had a debt of sin we could not pay and in his great mercy, God provided a way for us to be released from the bondage of that debt (see Romans 1-3).

But as the parable continues, Jesus tells us that the forgiven servant went out and found a colleague who owed him a negligible amount of money. When the second man asked for mercy, the first servant refused and had him thrown into prison.

In the end, the master became enraged at the behavior of the first servant, reinstated his debt and delivered him to the jailers.

Jesus ends the parable by saying this:

Matthew 18:35 – So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.

Wow. That is a strong statement. With that in mind, it’s a good time to examine our own lives and make sure that our love for God is manifesting in obedience to the commandment to forgive.

If we are honest, we will admit that forgiveness is one of the hardest things we are called to do, especially when we must forgive someone who doesn’t deserve it. Nevertheless, there are many good reasons for forgiving others.

The number one reason why we should forgive others is, as the parable shows, because God has forgiven us.

Colossians 3:13 - …bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

Jesus was wronged multiple times in his life, yet he always forgave. Even on the cross, he requested that those who crucified him would be forgiven for their actions (Luke 23:34). Keep in mind, he said this while hanging on the cross paying for the forgiveness we now enjoy. How does that compare to the wrong you have suffered?

Another good reason to forgive others is that it frees you from the poison of bitterness, resentment and even hate (Ephesians 4:31-32) which the enemy wants to sow into your life. Satan’s only interest in you is to steal, kill and destroy. Don’t give him the chance – forgive. By choosing to forgive, you release hurt and resentment and give the Lord an opportunity to heal the damage that was done to you.

Yet another reason to forgive is that forgiveness preserves relationships. Think of this in the realm of marriage. If you are continually keeping a record of offenses, it won’t be long until you are headed for divorce. But where there is immediate forgiveness, the air is clear and love binds the husband and wife together. This principle holds true for other relationships as well.

Not only that, mental health experts tell us that unforgiveness robs you of energy and takes a toll on your body and mind, often resulting in anxiety, depression and stress.

The reasons to forgive just go on and on but let me leave you with this final thought: We need to forgive for our own good.

Professional and pastoral advice/guidance can certainly assist you in the journey of forgiveness. But in the end, healing and release come from our loving Heavenly Father through the work of Holy Spirit. What seems impossible for you, is possible with him.

Romans, Chapter 3, Part 5

Romans 3:22 - …the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:

Our last post ended with a profound, well documented statement from Paul: God had now revealed a way for mankind to be righteous in his sight! This righteousness, which was woven into the fabric of the Old Testament, was completely separate from the law.

Let’s take a closer look at the righteousness which gives all of us reason to rejoice!

GENERAL SUMMARY: Paul stated that purpose of the gospel was to reveal God’s plan of justification. Although this plan seemed new, it had been designed before the foundation of the world. It was just now being revealed to mankind.

Paul then goes on to show that those who seek justification by faith will be rewarded with salvation regardless of their race, nationality, sex, age, social position, individual history, former sins or any other distinctive factor.

DIGGING DEEPER: The righteousness of God: This refers to what we commonly call the plan of salvation; it is God’s way of making mankind righteous in his sight through their faith in Jesus Christ.

It is called the righteousness of God because the plan has its source in God alone. It is declared to be by grace which means it is the result of divine favor, free and undeserved by anyone. This distinguishes it from justification by works which is of human origin (and an utter failure).

Through faith in Jesus Christ: God’s plan for salvation is by faith in Christ. Faith is the means by which we can receive God’s pardon and salvation.

Think of it this way: Paul has proved that we cannot be righteous by our works. We need the help of God himself. By contrast, Christ lived a perfect, sinless life. He was righteous in the sight of God. According to God’s merciful plan, when we put our faith in Christ, his perfect righteousness is transferred to us, making us righteous in God’s sight too.

Scholars often phrase it this way: The effectual cause of salvation (the power to make it happen) is the mercy of God, the foundational cause (the basis for it) is the righteousness of Christ, and the instrumental cause (the tool by which we grasp it) is our faith in him.

But wait… there’s more! Once we have received salvation, we are entitled to claim the limitless number of promises contained in the bible. However, many of these promises are conditional – we are required to meet some standard in order to receive them.

That sounds straight forward enough, but the truth is that while we are saved, we are still far from perfect. Our service to God is often flawed, inadequate or even defective.

However, the imperfections of our efforts are covered by the blood of Christ, just as we ourselves are. In other words, God rewards our works as being perfect, because their defects are covered by our free pardon. This means that the promises of God (which are conditional) can still be ours even despite our flaws/failures. It also means that despite our inadequacies, God will bless our works and cause them to bear fruit in his kingdom. Hallelujah!

For all who believe, for there is no distinction: Paul tells us that the plan of salvation is for ALL:

The plan of salvation is sufficient for all.
The plan of salvation is equally necessary for all.
The plan of salvation is offered to all.

Nevertheless, there will be individuals who are not saved. They will spend eternity in the lake of fire with their father the devil:

Matthew 25:41 – Then he [Jesus] will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’

How can this be, if salvation is for all?

A careful reading of the text shows that salvation is for all WHO BELIEVE. So, we find that in order to receive the promise, it must be accepted or embraced by each individual. Sadly, there will be some who refuse to do so. Thus, we find that even though salvation is open to all, not all will be saved/justified in God’s sight.

The King James version translates this verse a bit more clearly. It says that the righteousness of God by faith in Christ is ‘unto all and upon all them that believe’. The phrase ‘unto all’ indicates that salvation is available to anyone. The phrase ‘upon all them that believe’ clearly indicates that each person must make a clear choice to both believe and trust in the blood of Christ for the remission of their sins.

Belief - In order to receive the righteousness of Christ, you must have a belief in the scriptural testimony concerning Jesus - that he is the Son of God and the long-awaited Messiah, the one appointed to be the Savior of mankind.

Trust – There must also be a trust or confidence in Christ as our personal Savior. This is not merely an intellectual assent; it is a trust that springs from the heart. It signifies a personal relationship between Christ and the sinner.

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

All have sinned: All humans have been born with the guilt of Adam upon us; that sin is inherent to our nature and we cannot escape it. From that fallen nature spring sins of all kinds and degrees.

All …fall short: Though people differ greatly in the nature and extent of their sins, there is no difference between the best and the worst in the sight of God, because even the smallest infraction of the law places a person under the wrath and judgment of God.

Of the glory of God: Although there are differences of opinion on what Paul means when he says, ‘the glory of God’, he is most likely referring to praise that can be conferred/obtained in this life, as opposed to a benefit of eternity. That being the case, he means the praise or approval which comes from God:

John 12:42-43 – Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him [Jesus], but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.

No human being (except Jesus) is deserving of the praise of God, for none of us can meet his holy standards.

Romans 3:24 - …and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

GENERAL SUMMARY: Paul has made it very clear in the first three chapters of Romans that everyone is guilty of breaking God’s laws. Because of our guilt, we are automatically separated from God and sentenced to eternal punishment/death.

However, by virtue of the death and resurrection of Christ, mankind is eligible to receive an astonishing gift – justification by faith. In other words, when we trust in Christ we are judicially/legally acquitted of all charges and therefore discharged from the guilt and punishment that our sin required. Because of the sacrifice of Christ, we are declared to be righteous before God.

DIGGING DEEPER: Justified by his grace: Grace is the undeserved mercy or favor of God upon our lives. Although he has every right to punish us, God chooses to freely exercise love, kindness and pardon towards sinners who repent and trust in Christ. In other words, justification is a gift that is given by the mercy of God.

As a gift: What do we know about gifts? The most obvious thing is that they are free to the one who receives them. It is the giver who incurs the cost associated with the gift.

So it is with the gift of justification. It costs us nothing, but it certainly wasn’t free. Jesus purchased that gift with his own blood.

Hebrews 9:12 – He [Jesus] entered once for all into the holy places, not be means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.

Through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: In the Greek language, the root word translated ‘redemption’ denotes the price paid for a prisoner of war – a ransom. The idea is that the prisoner is held in bondage or captivity until the ransom price is paid. Once the payment is received, the prisoner is set free.

Mark 10:45 – For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

The metaphor couldn’t be any clearer – mankind is a prisoner of sin, and we need someone to redeem us by paying the price for our spiritual freedom. That price was paid by Christ Jesus:

John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

The redemption or ransom that Christ paid is not weak or minimal. We don’t have to cross our fingers and hope it is enough to cover our debt. His blood has the power to liberate us from bondage, captivity or evil of any kind. His redemption pays the full price for all the evil consequences of our sin.

Ephesians 1:7-8 – In him [Jesus] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace which he lavished upon us…

Just to reiterate, the basis for our justification is the free goodness and grace of God. That justification is made available to every sinner through the death and resurrection of Christ. We can receive that gift by faith in Christ and his atoning work.

You may be tempted to think that certain individuals are beyond the grace and mercy of God, but that simply isn’t true. God can and will bestow the gift of justification on anyone who comes to him with a repentant heart.

The purpose of the gift of justification is to demonstrate the divine justice and goodness of God, as described in the next verse.

Romans 3:25 - …whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

GENERAL SUMMARY: The free gift of justification by faith highlights the mercy of God.

DIGGING DEEPER: Whom God put forward: To ‘put forward’ is to publicly exhibit. This phrase refers back to the death of Christ mentioned in verse 24.

The crucifixion was clearly a public event. Jesus was crucified outside the city of Jerusalem on Passover, when the city was overflowing with Jews from all over the known world. The witnesses of his crucifixion included his followers, the Jewish leaders, the Roman guards, other prisoners also being crucified, curious onlookers and even his own mother. Obviously, the ransom payment for our sin was not a private transaction - Jesus was made a public spectacle for the whole world to view.

As a propitiation by his blood: Propitiation is defined as the act of appeasing wrath and conciliating the favor of an offended person. In the case of mankind’s sin, God the Father is the offended party. Our sin separated us from him and his favor. It also brought us under his wrath.

But through the shedding of his blood, Jesus became the mediator between God and man:

I Timothy 2:5 – For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.

His sacrifice appeased the wrath of God and opened the way for us to be reconciled to him. Once we were reconciled to God, the fountain of his favor and blessing once again flowed over us.

Let’s make sure that we clearly understand this concept. It would be a mistake to think that God loved us when we were created, but then hated us after Adam’s sin. Remember, God is immutable; he never changes (Hebrews 13:8). The truth is that he loved us in creation and he has continuously loved us ever since, even after we allowed sin into the world. His love for us does not wax and wane depending on our performance.

God never stopped loving us; we were just cut off from the flow of his favor and love. Now that Christ has removed the obstruction, the love of God can once again freely flow over mankind; neither the wrath of God nor its effects can fall upon anyone who trusts in Christ.

Now here is where things get really interesting. Propitiation is also defined as that which propitiates - an atonement or atoning sacrifice. The word translated as ‘propitiation’ is the same word translated ‘mercy seat’ in the Old Testament (Exodus 25:17).

The mercy seat, located between two cherubim, was the place where God’s presence dwelt among the people (Leviticus 16:2, Exodus 25:21-22). This is why God was said to ‘dwell between the cherubim’ (Psalms 80:1).

Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would sprinkle blood upon the mercy seat as an atonement for the sins of Israel that year:

Leviticus 16:14 – And he [high priest] shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the front of the mercy seat on the east side, and in front of the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.

The Jews reading Paul’s letter would have fully understood the point he was making which was this: Jesus is the mercy seat of the New Covenant; he is the propitiation or atoning sacrifice for our sin. He is the Mediator who establishes a relationship between mankind and God the Father:

I John 2:1-2 - …if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

Now, let’s be honest - the analogy of Paul seems a little odd, because it makes Jesus both the mercy seat where the blood of the sacrifice was sprinkled, as well as the blood of the sacrifice itself. But keep in mind that a similar double reference occurs in Hebrews 9:11-12. In that passage, Christ is identified as both the victim whose blood is shed for the remission of our sin as well as the high priest who sprinkles it upon the mercy seat.

The bottom line is this: Paul is conclusively proving to the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah, the fulfillment of the plan of God for the redemption of mankind that was foretold by the writings of the Old Testament.

It was important for the Jews to understand that the doctrine of justification through faith was not some new idea that Paul came up with; it was the plan of God from the foundation of the world.

To be received by faith: Again, the gift of justification made possible by the goodness of God, and the sacrifice of Christ is received by the sinner through faith.

This was to show God’s righteousness: God’s righteousness refers to his faithfulness in keeping his promise of a Messiah who would ransom us from the bondage of sin. This righteousness (the fulfillment of his promise) was on public display in the death of Christ. Jesus was put to open shame so that God’s righteousness would be made known to the inhabitants of all worlds (this one for sure and probably others we don’t know about).

Why was it so important for Jesus to become a public display?

Think of it this way: Mankind’s natural reasoning says that if we were really under the wrath of God for sin, he would have punished us by now. Since that hasn’t happened, we are tempted to think that God isn’t really keeping track of our sin. Maybe it isn’t such a big deal after all.

Paul informs us that this is not the case. God is indeed keeping track of our sin. But in his great mercy, he chose to postpone judgment until Christ came and provided a way of escape, as explained below.

Because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins: There is no question that mankind sinned and incurred the wrath of God. But God, knowing that we could not save ourselves, withheld or deferred our punishment (the execution of his justice) until the time when Christ came and could make an atonement for our sin.

The idea is that for centuries God was righteous, compassionate, merciful, good and loving in deferring his justice, but he was never publicly acknowledged for doing so. However, the public display of Jesus’ death reveals just how merciful God really is – the judgment that was ours was delayed until it could be poured out upon Christ, allowing us to be spared.

Paul’s comments confirm that Jesus is the ultimate Passover sacrifice. His blood is the only effective agent for the forgiveness of sin whether past, present or future.

While this makes perfect sense to us and it fills us with joy, that was not necessarily the case for the Jews. Remember, from the time they were infants, they were taught to trust in the yearly atonement made by the high priest with the blood of bulls and lambs.

It was very difficult for them to change their thinking and make the transition to Jesus being their high priest and his blood being the permanent sacrifice for not only their sins, but the sins of the Gentiles as well.

Let me offer you some encouragement, relief and strength:

Can we just pause here for a moment?

Romans 3:21-25 is a profound and glorious portion of scripture! Stop and read it once again. What Christian reading these verses doesn’t weep for joy?

Let’s be honest - all of us were sinners headed for death. Just take a moment to reflect on the sins, addictions, bondages and other evils that held you prisoner until the blood of Christ came and set you free! That alone is enough to bring you encouragement, relief and strength for today.

But God’s goodness, love and righteousness don’t stop there. His atonement covers sins that are past, present and even future. Although we are committed to walking the paths of righteousness, we will continue to come short of his glory; we will continue to make mistakes.

When that happens, seek forgiveness through Christ. Remember, his love for you is not based on performance. He hates your sin and he will correct you if necessary, but he will always love you and his Holy Spirit will abide with you forever. One day soon, we will all see him face to face!

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SHOWERS

Romans, Chapter 5, Part 4

Romans, Chapter 5, Part 3

Romans, Chapter 5, part 2

Romans, Chapter 5, Part 1

Romans, Chapter 4, Part 4

Romans, Chapter 4, Part 3

Romans, Chapter 4, Part 2

Romans, Chapter 4, Part 1

Romans, Chapter 3, Part 6

Romans, Chapter 3, Part 5

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