Letter to the Romans -- Chapter 3
After Paul has seemingly torn down the act of circumcision in the previous chapter, we are left with this lingering question: So was circumcision useless in the old covenant of Abraham? Not at all. Circumcision was abused and corrupted when men made it into an act that man accomplished himself, and therefore, in defense of circumcision in the old covenant, Paul declares one of the most important yet overlooked ideas expressed in the Scriptures: “What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? Much in every way! First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words of God. What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God's faithfulness? Not at all! Let God be true, and every man a liar. As it is written: ‘So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge’” (Romans 3:1-4). Here Paul beautifully declares that the Word and promise of God stands above man in every single way. Circumcision in the old covenant was very important. Why? Because it was founded by the very Word and promise of God to His people: “This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you…Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant” (Genesis 17:10-11, 14). Even though men failed to have faith in God’s promise and covenant it did not change or nullify God’s Word. Man’s perversion of circumcision (making it an outward act of self-justification instead of a covenant to be received by simple faith) in no way lessens the promise behind it. “Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave” (1 Kings 8:56). “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Luke 21:33). “For the word of Yahweh is right and true; he is faithful in all he does” (Psalm 33:4). Therefore with Paul we declare: “let God be true and every man a liar.” When God gives His Word to us it is unbreakable. Even if we despise it and toss it away the Word itself is faithful and never fails.
God in fact uses His Word of circumcision to enlighten us. Thru this abused covenant we see a perfect illustration of man’s faithlessness and thereby the light of God’s faithfulness shines even brighter: “Our unrighteousness brings out God's righteousness more clearly” (Romans 3:5). Our faith therefore does not determine the Word of God, our faith (that He creates in us) merely receives the Word of God. Though men abuse God’s Word and promise, His Word still remains ever true and faithful. This important truth is now reflected in the new covenant of Jesus Christ where we have been given the sure and unfailing promise of God that thru our Baptism we die to sin with Jesus Christ and are raised in faith with Him: “In Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions” (Colossians 2:11-13). No matter how much the world abuses and rejects Baptism they can never nullify God’s Word and promise given thru it. Even though our faith is lacking and our unbelief despises God’s Word, He will be proved true and men will be shown as liars. It is not man that makes Baptism, it is God and His Word in Jesus Christ.
Having proved that God is faithful despite our abusing Him, Paul continues on to address the questions of the sinful nature which will persistently try to abuse God because of His never-ending faithfulness and grace. “But if our unrighteousness brings out God's righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.) Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world?” (Romans 3:5-6). Because our rebellion against God brings out the clarity of God’s righteousness our sinful nature wants to think that our rebellion is something that in fact “helps” God, that we are only “doing Him a favor.” In order to justify our faithlessness we are often eager to rationalize: “Someone might argue, ‘If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?’ Why not say—as we are being slanderously reported as saying and as some claim that we say—‘Let us do evil that good may result’? Their condemnation is deserved” (Romans 3:7-8). Thru these wicked arguments men desire to avoid the consequences of their wickedness before God almighty, and desire to continue following their selfish paths. Paul however firmly shoots down these sinful questions. It is absolutely absurd for us to desire to “do evil so that good may result.” It is this mentality of our judging, sinful selves that hates and rejects God so adamantly. Instead of letting God alone be judge we are eager to validate what we do so that we can continue to follow our corrupt will and desires. To abuse God’s mercy, grace, and faithfulness in such ways is without a doubt deserving of God’s condemnation and damnation.
Therefore, having destroyed any notion that external works and obedience make man righteous and showing that thru God’s Word man is shown to be faithless, Paul continues on and concludes his major proclamation of the law to the Romans with commanding authority: “What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin” (Romans 3:9). Is Paul claiming to somehow to be better than all those He is admonishing with God’s law? Not at all! It is because he sees his own sin in the sinfulness, hypocrisy, and arrogance of others that he is so eager to help them. Paul understands his place with his fellow man and he sees that he also is in the same predicament that the rest of us truly are. All men are bound in slavery to their sinfulness. “As it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one. Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know. There is no fear of God before their eyes’” (Romans 3:10-18). By quoting the Prophets before him, Paul firmly proclaims once and for all that all men are completely fallen and worthless, with no man even seeking the true God. In the blindness and unbelief of our sin every thought, word, and deed is done in rebellion against God. No matter the outward appearance of our life the end truth is that there is no fear, love, or trust of God in our hearts. Not a single man lives up to the staunch demands of the law: “Love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your self and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5). “What does Yahweh your God ask of you but to fear Yahweh your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your self and to observe Yahweh’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?” (Deuteronomy 10:12-13).
With Paul’s proclamation of the law crushing every single attempt of ours at self-justification and self-righteousness, he concludes by reiterating the purpose of the law he has proclaimed so boldly: “Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin” (Romans 3:19-20). The law of God holds us accountable to God, shows us our sin, and silences any effort of self-righteousness on our behalf. The law is given to open our eyes to our sin, to our rebellion, to our wickedness, to our selfishness, to our judging, and to our false sense of security. As painful as the discipline of the law is, however, it is truly an immeasurably important blessing: “God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:10-11). God has given us the discipline of the law so that we might not be eternally condemned in our sin, but that we might be broken and humbled before the law. It is here to godly sorrow and helplessness that Paul has graciously been trying to lead us so that we might be brought to repentance. “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation” (2 Corinthians 7:10). It is in this repentance, in this despair of self, that we are prepared for God’s mercy and grace. The final goal and purpose of the law is always to kill us in our sin so that we might live in Christ. Like everything else that is good in this life, the law has one true and final purpose: to point us to Jesus Christ. “The law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith” (Galatians 3:24).
After two and a half chapters of relentless preaching of the law Paul finally gets to where he has been pointing all along. Because he realized the utter importance of building up to the gospel by initially breaking man down with the law, Paul has faithfully been pouring upon his readers a steady diet of the proper understanding of God’s wrath and sin. Though the first two and a half chapters of Romans may make us uncomfortable it is very important that we do not skip them but that we continually recognize their need in properly understanding everything else that Paul has to say in this letter. Without this foundation and proper build up all is lost concerning what is ahead. Having proclaimed God’s Word of the law and His condemnation of all sinful men, Paul moves on to the sweet center of his message: “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify” (Romans 3:21). Here in these few introductory words we have three very important points: 1) A righteousness from God, not from man, has been revealed. 2) This righteousness is apart from the law, apart from any effort or doing of our own. 3) All of the Law and the Prophets up to this point have been ultimately pointing to this; this is nothing new, but is only the fulfillment and culmination of the promise God made to Adam and Eve after they had rejected Him in the Garden of Eden. Paul continues: “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe” (Romans 3:22). By his wording Paul shows here that faith is not a condition of God’s righteousness, but that faith is merely the receptacle by which each person receives righteousness for the sake of Jesus Christ. Faith does not cause forgiveness or bring forgiveness; faith merely receives the forgiveness that was already bought 2,000 years ago on the cross for every single one of us.
Paul summarizes the human condition: “There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23-24). Elaborating further that this is a 100% free and unconditional gift of grace, Paul proclaims that there is no inherent difference between men. All men (sinners!) stand alike before God and are completely helpless to save themselves. By means of Christ Jesus however we are sought out and saved, being brought to faith, receiving the free justification of the incarnation, the cross, and the empty tomb. The objective nature of Christ’s sacrifice is touched on here as Paul does not say “all have sinned and can be justified freely by grace” but instead very clearly states “all have sinned and are justified freely by grace.” Paul is simply stating how Christ has objectively redeemed all of mankind in the incarnation, the cross, and the empty tomb. In his second letter to the church at Corinth Paul brilliantly reiterates this point: “Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again…All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15, 18-19). This message that men are justified, bought, and reconciled in the manger, cross, and empty tomb of Jesus Christ before and apart from anything from ourselves, is what the Gospel is truly all about. This “ministry of reconciliation” that looks completely to Jesus Christ and His merit and work is what sets the true Christian faith apart from every other “religion” in the world.
Paul continues: “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:25-26). How did Jesus Christ of Nazareth save us? Jesus Christ saved us by becoming the sacrificial Lamb of God who was butchered on our behalf to pay the ransom for our sins. “Behold! The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). “It was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:18-19). Jesus Christ was the complete propitiation of our sins because thru His blood He atoned for all of our sin. Jesus Christ took upon Himself the full wrath, punishment, and fury of God that was directed toward our sins and sinfulness. “Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and Yahweh has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:4-6). “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24). Though God left the sins of mankind unpunished for ages, He showed His perfect justice and perfect mercy by punishing all sin once and for all in the cross of Jesus Christ. “Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” (1 Peter 3:18).
Paul continues: “Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law” (Romans 3:27-28). What is this boasting that Paul refers to? This boasting is man looking at anything from himself and thinking that it is good enough to please God; this boasting is man thinking that he has something good he can offer God to atone for his sin. It is not the law or our status as Jew or Gentile that justifies us men; it is God who justifies us men who receive Him thru simple faith. The greatest tragedy of the Christian world occurs when men pervert faith (the very thing which excludes all boasting!) thinking that faith is something pleasing to God that we can offer to Him. The faith that Paul proclaims however excludes all boasting because this true Christian faith passively receives the total, complete, and sufficient work of Jesus Christ incarnate, crucified, and resurrected. Once again, faith is not a condition of salvation and forgiveness (i.e. the false teaching that “Christ paid for my sins only if I believe”), faith is merely the means by which God communicates to us His complete saving work. C.F.W. Walther said it very well: “What God’s Word really means when it says that man is justified and saved by faith alone is nothing else than this: Man is not saved by his own acts, but solely by the doing and dying of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of the whole world. Over against this teaching modern theologians assert that in the salvation of man two kinds of activity must be noted: in the first place, there is something that God must do. His part is the most difficult, for He must accomplish the task of redeeming men. But in the second place something is required that man must do. For it will not do to admit persons to heaven, after they have been redeemed, without further parley (talk). Man must do something really great – he has to believe. This teaching overthrows the Gospel completely.” As Walther says, if we claim that our faith is something we must contribute to the salvation equation then we overthrow the entire message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Johann Gerhard also expresses the truth about the faith Paul and the rest of the Scriptures proclaim: “It is one thing to be justified on account of faith and another to be justified by faith. In the former view, faith is the meritorious, in the latter, the instrumental cause. (There must be an organ by which I come into the possession and enjoyment of what some one offers me.) We are not justified on account of faith as a merit, but by faith which lays hold of the merit of Christ.” Faith is not something that makes God give us His grace, faith merely receives the grace God has already given us in the work of Jesus Christ.
Therefore, if we dare cling to anything but Jesus Christ and His incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection then we make His work all for naught! “I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” (Galatians 2:21). The Jews were guilty of doing this by thinking that their receiving of God’s law had made them better than the rest of the world. “Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith” (Romans 3:29-30). Paul makes it perfectly clear that God is the God of both Jew and Gentile and that He freely justifies them the same way: thru faith in Jesus Christ. The law is not what makes a man righteous in God’s eyes, it is Jesus Christ. So do we then toss away God’s law as something worthless and negligible? “Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law” (Romans 3:31). Paul’s answer is powerful: Not at all! We do not nullify or throw out the law because of faith in Jesus Christ. On the contrary, because of Jesus Christ we now gladly and willing uphold the law. Christ is not the destroyer of the law; He is the fulfillment of the law. “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17).
God in fact uses His Word of circumcision to enlighten us. Thru this abused covenant we see a perfect illustration of man’s faithlessness and thereby the light of God’s faithfulness shines even brighter: “Our unrighteousness brings out God's righteousness more clearly” (Romans 3:5). Our faith therefore does not determine the Word of God, our faith (that He creates in us) merely receives the Word of God. Though men abuse God’s Word and promise, His Word still remains ever true and faithful. This important truth is now reflected in the new covenant of Jesus Christ where we have been given the sure and unfailing promise of God that thru our Baptism we die to sin with Jesus Christ and are raised in faith with Him: “In Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions” (Colossians 2:11-13). No matter how much the world abuses and rejects Baptism they can never nullify God’s Word and promise given thru it. Even though our faith is lacking and our unbelief despises God’s Word, He will be proved true and men will be shown as liars. It is not man that makes Baptism, it is God and His Word in Jesus Christ.
Having proved that God is faithful despite our abusing Him, Paul continues on to address the questions of the sinful nature which will persistently try to abuse God because of His never-ending faithfulness and grace. “But if our unrighteousness brings out God's righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.) Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world?” (Romans 3:5-6). Because our rebellion against God brings out the clarity of God’s righteousness our sinful nature wants to think that our rebellion is something that in fact “helps” God, that we are only “doing Him a favor.” In order to justify our faithlessness we are often eager to rationalize: “Someone might argue, ‘If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?’ Why not say—as we are being slanderously reported as saying and as some claim that we say—‘Let us do evil that good may result’? Their condemnation is deserved” (Romans 3:7-8). Thru these wicked arguments men desire to avoid the consequences of their wickedness before God almighty, and desire to continue following their selfish paths. Paul however firmly shoots down these sinful questions. It is absolutely absurd for us to desire to “do evil so that good may result.” It is this mentality of our judging, sinful selves that hates and rejects God so adamantly. Instead of letting God alone be judge we are eager to validate what we do so that we can continue to follow our corrupt will and desires. To abuse God’s mercy, grace, and faithfulness in such ways is without a doubt deserving of God’s condemnation and damnation.
Therefore, having destroyed any notion that external works and obedience make man righteous and showing that thru God’s Word man is shown to be faithless, Paul continues on and concludes his major proclamation of the law to the Romans with commanding authority: “What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin” (Romans 3:9). Is Paul claiming to somehow to be better than all those He is admonishing with God’s law? Not at all! It is because he sees his own sin in the sinfulness, hypocrisy, and arrogance of others that he is so eager to help them. Paul understands his place with his fellow man and he sees that he also is in the same predicament that the rest of us truly are. All men are bound in slavery to their sinfulness. “As it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one. Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know. There is no fear of God before their eyes’” (Romans 3:10-18). By quoting the Prophets before him, Paul firmly proclaims once and for all that all men are completely fallen and worthless, with no man even seeking the true God. In the blindness and unbelief of our sin every thought, word, and deed is done in rebellion against God. No matter the outward appearance of our life the end truth is that there is no fear, love, or trust of God in our hearts. Not a single man lives up to the staunch demands of the law: “Love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your self and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5). “What does Yahweh your God ask of you but to fear Yahweh your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your self and to observe Yahweh’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?” (Deuteronomy 10:12-13).
With Paul’s proclamation of the law crushing every single attempt of ours at self-justification and self-righteousness, he concludes by reiterating the purpose of the law he has proclaimed so boldly: “Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin” (Romans 3:19-20). The law of God holds us accountable to God, shows us our sin, and silences any effort of self-righteousness on our behalf. The law is given to open our eyes to our sin, to our rebellion, to our wickedness, to our selfishness, to our judging, and to our false sense of security. As painful as the discipline of the law is, however, it is truly an immeasurably important blessing: “God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:10-11). God has given us the discipline of the law so that we might not be eternally condemned in our sin, but that we might be broken and humbled before the law. It is here to godly sorrow and helplessness that Paul has graciously been trying to lead us so that we might be brought to repentance. “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation” (2 Corinthians 7:10). It is in this repentance, in this despair of self, that we are prepared for God’s mercy and grace. The final goal and purpose of the law is always to kill us in our sin so that we might live in Christ. Like everything else that is good in this life, the law has one true and final purpose: to point us to Jesus Christ. “The law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith” (Galatians 3:24).
After two and a half chapters of relentless preaching of the law Paul finally gets to where he has been pointing all along. Because he realized the utter importance of building up to the gospel by initially breaking man down with the law, Paul has faithfully been pouring upon his readers a steady diet of the proper understanding of God’s wrath and sin. Though the first two and a half chapters of Romans may make us uncomfortable it is very important that we do not skip them but that we continually recognize their need in properly understanding everything else that Paul has to say in this letter. Without this foundation and proper build up all is lost concerning what is ahead. Having proclaimed God’s Word of the law and His condemnation of all sinful men, Paul moves on to the sweet center of his message: “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify” (Romans 3:21). Here in these few introductory words we have three very important points: 1) A righteousness from God, not from man, has been revealed. 2) This righteousness is apart from the law, apart from any effort or doing of our own. 3) All of the Law and the Prophets up to this point have been ultimately pointing to this; this is nothing new, but is only the fulfillment and culmination of the promise God made to Adam and Eve after they had rejected Him in the Garden of Eden. Paul continues: “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe” (Romans 3:22). By his wording Paul shows here that faith is not a condition of God’s righteousness, but that faith is merely the receptacle by which each person receives righteousness for the sake of Jesus Christ. Faith does not cause forgiveness or bring forgiveness; faith merely receives the forgiveness that was already bought 2,000 years ago on the cross for every single one of us.
Paul summarizes the human condition: “There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23-24). Elaborating further that this is a 100% free and unconditional gift of grace, Paul proclaims that there is no inherent difference between men. All men (sinners!) stand alike before God and are completely helpless to save themselves. By means of Christ Jesus however we are sought out and saved, being brought to faith, receiving the free justification of the incarnation, the cross, and the empty tomb. The objective nature of Christ’s sacrifice is touched on here as Paul does not say “all have sinned and can be justified freely by grace” but instead very clearly states “all have sinned and are justified freely by grace.” Paul is simply stating how Christ has objectively redeemed all of mankind in the incarnation, the cross, and the empty tomb. In his second letter to the church at Corinth Paul brilliantly reiterates this point: “Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again…All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15, 18-19). This message that men are justified, bought, and reconciled in the manger, cross, and empty tomb of Jesus Christ before and apart from anything from ourselves, is what the Gospel is truly all about. This “ministry of reconciliation” that looks completely to Jesus Christ and His merit and work is what sets the true Christian faith apart from every other “religion” in the world.
Paul continues: “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:25-26). How did Jesus Christ of Nazareth save us? Jesus Christ saved us by becoming the sacrificial Lamb of God who was butchered on our behalf to pay the ransom for our sins. “Behold! The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). “It was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:18-19). Jesus Christ was the complete propitiation of our sins because thru His blood He atoned for all of our sin. Jesus Christ took upon Himself the full wrath, punishment, and fury of God that was directed toward our sins and sinfulness. “Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and Yahweh has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:4-6). “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24). Though God left the sins of mankind unpunished for ages, He showed His perfect justice and perfect mercy by punishing all sin once and for all in the cross of Jesus Christ. “Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” (1 Peter 3:18).
Paul continues: “Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law” (Romans 3:27-28). What is this boasting that Paul refers to? This boasting is man looking at anything from himself and thinking that it is good enough to please God; this boasting is man thinking that he has something good he can offer God to atone for his sin. It is not the law or our status as Jew or Gentile that justifies us men; it is God who justifies us men who receive Him thru simple faith. The greatest tragedy of the Christian world occurs when men pervert faith (the very thing which excludes all boasting!) thinking that faith is something pleasing to God that we can offer to Him. The faith that Paul proclaims however excludes all boasting because this true Christian faith passively receives the total, complete, and sufficient work of Jesus Christ incarnate, crucified, and resurrected. Once again, faith is not a condition of salvation and forgiveness (i.e. the false teaching that “Christ paid for my sins only if I believe”), faith is merely the means by which God communicates to us His complete saving work. C.F.W. Walther said it very well: “What God’s Word really means when it says that man is justified and saved by faith alone is nothing else than this: Man is not saved by his own acts, but solely by the doing and dying of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of the whole world. Over against this teaching modern theologians assert that in the salvation of man two kinds of activity must be noted: in the first place, there is something that God must do. His part is the most difficult, for He must accomplish the task of redeeming men. But in the second place something is required that man must do. For it will not do to admit persons to heaven, after they have been redeemed, without further parley (talk). Man must do something really great – he has to believe. This teaching overthrows the Gospel completely.” As Walther says, if we claim that our faith is something we must contribute to the salvation equation then we overthrow the entire message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Johann Gerhard also expresses the truth about the faith Paul and the rest of the Scriptures proclaim: “It is one thing to be justified on account of faith and another to be justified by faith. In the former view, faith is the meritorious, in the latter, the instrumental cause. (There must be an organ by which I come into the possession and enjoyment of what some one offers me.) We are not justified on account of faith as a merit, but by faith which lays hold of the merit of Christ.” Faith is not something that makes God give us His grace, faith merely receives the grace God has already given us in the work of Jesus Christ.
Therefore, if we dare cling to anything but Jesus Christ and His incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection then we make His work all for naught! “I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” (Galatians 2:21). The Jews were guilty of doing this by thinking that their receiving of God’s law had made them better than the rest of the world. “Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith” (Romans 3:29-30). Paul makes it perfectly clear that God is the God of both Jew and Gentile and that He freely justifies them the same way: thru faith in Jesus Christ. The law is not what makes a man righteous in God’s eyes, it is Jesus Christ. So do we then toss away God’s law as something worthless and negligible? “Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law” (Romans 3:31). Paul’s answer is powerful: Not at all! We do not nullify or throw out the law because of faith in Jesus Christ. On the contrary, because of Jesus Christ we now gladly and willing uphold the law. Christ is not the destroyer of the law; He is the fulfillment of the law. “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17).
2 comments:
Just another reminder of my pride...I cannot stand it when people abuse or take advantage of me, yet I do it to God constantly! Ever since I read that chapter in Mere Christianity, I have found many, many examples of the pride that I never knew I possessed.
I wish more of us could be like Paul. Pointing out sin in order to help people instead of using it to judge.
Indeed. I completely agree about the Mere Christianity chapter "The Great Sin" and myself have been deeply affected by its powerful insights. Pride never desires something in and of itself, it simply desires MORE or a BETTER portion than our fellow man. Pride doesn't want to be "good", it wants to be better than those around us. Therefore Paul is here to bring God's law to us in order that thru it we might see this sinful pride that oozes its way from every corner of our fallen hearts.
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