Romans 3:1,2

Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. Romans 3:1,2 ESV

First of all, I would like to do a very brief review of where Paul has taken us so far in Romans.
1. Paul laid out his purpose...to spread the gospel of God
2. Paul explained the importance of the gospel...it is God's righteousness revealed, brings salvation
3. Paul thoroughly explained the complete sinfulness of man in his lost state, corrupt mind and heart
4. Just in case they didn't get it, Paul told the Jews they were as sinful as those previously described
5. Paul explained to the Jews that the law was not a path to salvation, but revealed sinfulness
6. In the last verses Paul laid out that salvation is by the Spirit, not by the law

So - after completely destroying the foundation of what the Jews believed their salvation was tied to, namely keeping the law and the fact that they were God's chosen people, as proven through circumcision - Paul anticipates the next question...

 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision?

We can't fault the Jews for this question...they were most likely becoming frustrated, and understandably so. They had been taught from their childhood the rituals of being a Jew, their parents had probably explained to them how fortunate they were to be Jews, the chosen people of God, and they were no doubt taught from their teachers in the synagogs throughout their youth that the law was of great importance, and keeping this law was a part of being a Jew...and a part of salvation. 

Then, here comes a guy named Paul - who actually used to be just like the Jews, observing and believing everything that they did with passion - and now he is saying that all of that is wrong, and actually (in verse 24 of Chap 2) is destroying the name of God. How would we respond if suddenly everything we had been taught, everything we thought was right, was proven to be wrong? I think I would respond the same way the Jews did...with frustration and lots of questions!


So Paul responds to this anticipated question with a solid and encouraging answer:

Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God.

The Jews had the most amazing privilege of being given the Word of God, in which the Holy and Perfect Nature of God was revealed. Unfortunately, as man so often does, they had taken something pure and good and, through selfishness and pride across many generations, turned it into something completely different.

The law given to their forefathers had gone from glorifying God through revealing man's sinfulness and inability to glorifying man by watering down sinfulness in order to feel capable of keeping this law.

Paul was confronting this issue boldly and bluntly. He knew that they wouldn't like what they were hearing, but - as was Paul's style - he also knew that there was no advantage to skirting around the edges of the truth in order to please man's itching ears. The Truth is clear, and their opposition to the Truth was just was clear and needed to be dealt with. 

Today, we as Christians enjoy the same privilege the Jews in Paul's day did. We have free and easy access to the Word of God, it's the highest selling book of all time. However, with that privilege comes a serious responsibility.We need to make sure we learn from the mistake the Jews made and don't fall prey to the same thing -

We cannot allow what we believe to influence how we read the Bible, the Bible alone must be the sole foundation of what we believe and why.

The Jews had this backwards, and through the generations what probably began as a slight misinterpretation of God's word became a massive problem with many people led astray through false teaching - to the point that they could no longer even grasp the Truth!

It's our responsibility to be in the Word constantly, to know why we believe what we believe based solely on the Bible. It's the only solid and perfect Truth that we have and everything we believe must be tested against it. We can be confident that all that is written in the Bible- from the Old Testament to the New, from beginning to end - is inspired by God - and is packed with Truth and relevance for all people through all time and all cultures.

We need to get into this Word! We need allow this word to shape every belief that we have - we cannot trust man's opinion or teaching to shape what we believe, as the Jews did. We need to hold each other accountable to this - as God's children - so that we can all be used as effectively as possible by Him for His glory, so that we can step out with confidence and boldness in a lost and dying world. 

Please share any experiences or insight you have on these verses or any part of Romans! Looking forward to Chapter 3.

Next Post: 2.2.13

Romans 2:25-29

For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law. For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God. Romans 2:25-29 ESV

It seems that, after bluntly stating that the name of God was blasphemed because of the Jewish leaders, Paul expects them to bring up the fact that they are in a covenant w God because of their circumcision, as passed down to them from Abraham. So, Paul addresses this issue, which is a major stumbling block for these Jews.

In Paul's day, especially with his audience, this passage was extremely important. We no longer hold to these specific beliefs (circumcision being a part of being in a covenant with God) because of everything that was fulfilled through Christ. However, the main points that Paul makes are doctrinal truths, that cannot be ignored.

Circumcision was required of the people of Abraham by God in Genesis 17:11:
You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you.
The covenant that was made is laid out in the verses leading up to verse 11 in Genesis, and circumcision was an act of obedience that served as a reminder of this covenant.



For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision.

The Jews thought that the outward act of circumcision was of value, but Paul states that circumcision is a part of the law, and is only of value if every other part of the law is satisfied. In other words, the only way we could rely on the law for salvation is if, in some way, we could satisfy every part of the law. Paul then says that if we, or the Jews, break even one part of the law, then any part that we were able to keep is of no avail.

I thought this quote I read by a commentator on this verse summed up quite well how foolish it is to attempt to gain God's acceptance through keeping the law:

"for it always happens, that those who dare to set up their own merits against the righteousness of God, glory more in outward observances than in real goodness; for no one, who is seriously touched and moved by the fear of God, will ever dare to raise up his eyes to heaven, since the more he strives after true righteousness, the clearer he sees how far he is from it"

So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law.

The focus here shifts to the Gentiles (anyone who is not of Jewish descent) who are true believers. True believers, Jews or Gentiles, who trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, who cling to His shed blood alone, are completely forgiven and credited with His holy and perfect righteousness - all of this apart from any reliance on the law. Jesus fulfilled every part of the law perfectly, on our behalf!

This truth condemns all people, from the Jewish leaders of Paul's day putting their faith in circumcision to any person today that puts their faith in any action rather than Jesus Christ.

For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. 

Salvation is a "matter of the heart" which is changed from stone to flesh by the grace of God, not by obedience to the law on our part. Paul reveals in 2 Corinthians 3:6 what the law (the letter) does:

For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

The entire purpose of the law is to reveal that we can never measure up to the righteousness of God, and as a result should drive us to cling to the blood of Christ. Yet, the Jewish leaders Paul was addressing attempted to cling to, and rely on, outward things such as the law without addressing the sad inner situation of their heart. Jesus had some harsh words for them:  

And the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. Luke 11:39

We can equate the circumcision of the Jews in Paul's day to our baptism as Christians today. Circumcision was, and baptism is (when viewed correctly) an outward act of obedience (signifying the cutting away of, or cleansing of sin). This obedience is produced by a heart that has been regenerated, and now desires to glorify God. Neither act can cause salvation to take place - just like the Jews then, anyone today could "proclaim" to be saved and be baptized, yet without saving faith still be lost and condemned.



His praise is not from man but from God.

Speaking of the true believer, the praise sought after is from God.

Whenever man attempts to gain acceptance from God through actions, the focus automatically shifts from what God has done to what man can do.

As Christians, seeking to glorify God in all that we do, it is our responsibility to ensure that we do not hold to or encourage the false belief that any action, including baptism, gains us acceptance from God. It is easy to fall into this trap, as humans we are geared to think that by doing this I get something in return - it's how our society works. However, this is not how God's plan of salvation works - and when we are in constant prayer, seeking God's guidance in His Word, He will faithfully keep us in the right perspective.

These are tough verses, they go against the grain of the natural human mind, so I look forward to and encourage any shared wisdom that could shed further light on this doctrinal truth that the law is death and the Spirit is life!

Romans 2:21-24

you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. For, as it is written, "The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you." Romans 2:21-24 ESV

In the previous post, we saw that Paul described how the Jewish leaders viewed themselves, and, previously being one of them, he was spot on in his description. Paul touched on the fact that these leaders knew the law very well, they relied on it. They considered themselves lights in a world of Gentile sinners, they considered themselves influential teachers, guides, and instructors of this law.

Now, in these verses that follow, Paul explains to them that no matter how much we try to convince ourselves that we are able to satisfy God's commands, even the most righteous people fall tragically and horribly short.


you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself

Paul starts by calling them out on the fact that, while boasting in their knowledge of the law, they completely missed what the purpose of the law was. Instead of relying on the law to reveal to them their sinfulness, they used the law as a way to lift themselves up - as a means of salvation.


While you preach against stealing, do you steal?

While some of those being addressed may have actually been thieves behind closed doors, I believe this accusation goes much deeper and addresses the heart. As Christians, we recognize that we are not to steal, and it's fairly easy for most of us to go into a place and not take something without paying for it. However -

Do we steal from God? Do we rob Him of our time? Do we rob Him of our finances, our tithe? Do we rob Him of His glory by trampling His amazing grace?

When we realize that our sinfulness is much deeper than just simple actions, we begin to see that the law addresses things that are much harder to control. Most people can go into a place and not steal, without the power of the Holy Spirit to help them. It is impossible, however, to even begin to address the deep effects of our sin nature without God working, revealing, and empowering us.


You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery

Again, it's fairly easy for most Christians to not commit adultery (although this number sadly seems to be decreasing). When we look at this command from God's perspective, though, we see that adultery is much deeper than relations outside of our earthly marriage. Jesus addressed adultery in Matthew 5:28:

But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

We can see here that Jesus was explaining how adultery is even the lustful thoughts of another woman is adultery within the heart in God's eyes. Now, when we apply this to our walk with God, the law begins to reveal a very real issue -

 Do we commit adultery on God with things of this world? Do we put things before Him? Do we allow other things to occupy our minds, to guide our decisions? Do we worship earthly or material things (by allowing them to take priority over Him?)

While adultery from an earthly perspective is serious, and can lead to devastating consequences, adultery in our walk with God is much more serious, and much deeper than we can imagine. The Jewish leaders were committing adultery with the law, placing it above their reliance on God. We need to make sure that God is our one and only top priority, in our hearts, minds, and actions.


You who abhor idols, do you rob temples

I'm not sure how this plays out in our lives today, but I read a commentary that explained this may have been referring to some of the Jews in Paul's day who actually were robbing pagan temples and selling off the idols and vessels for personal gain - which was in opposition to God's command in Deuteronomy.
I would appreciate any added insight on Paul's point here!


You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law.

After laying out a few ways that Jewish leaders were missing the point of the law, Paul hits them with this very serious accusation. Their very confidence in the law, their reliance on the law to improve their standing with God was a dishonor to Him because they transgressed the law in many ways without even recognizing it.

Not recognizing our sinfulness is a very sad place to be, yet none of us really grasps how perfect God is and how sinful we are in light of His holiness. Therefore, it is crucial that we plead with God to reveal to us the depths and true purpose of His law, and as a result reveal to us our transgressions. He will give us the strength to deal with these things as He reveals them, and will lead us to a closer walk with Him!


The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you

Paul quotes Isaiah 52:5 here. In the Old Testament context, the foreign rulers despised God while His people, the people of Israel, where in bondage. In Romans, Paul explains that by ignoring the commands of God in their own lives while preaching them to others, the Jews were full of hypocrisy. This hypocrisy was blasphemy to God, and sadly these Jews were in opposition to God just as the foreign rulers of the Old Testament were.

Can you imagine how this was taken by the Jewish leaders that would have heard it? In the past verses, back to verse 17, Paul took everything they stood for and described it as a false belief system. This was a very bold and serious accusation, which shows the seriousness of their situation. Paul loved them, and desperately wanted them to see the error of their ways.

We must, in pure love, confront any false teaching and those who hold to it or preach it. We must do this for the good of our brothers and sisters in Christ, for the good of our personal relationship with God, but by far most importantly for God's glory.

I look forward to any added insight on these or any verses!

Next post:1.26.13

Romans 2:17-20

But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth--  Romans 2:17-20 ESV

In these four verses, Paul has moved from addressing the Gentiles (or those without the written Word of God) to addressing the proud Jews, who did have the written law, and were proud of it. While most of us are not Jews, as Christians we can easily insert ourselves as the target audience here because we do have God's written word, and we do know His commandments.

Paul writes these four verses in order to set the context for the verses to follow. He describes what characteristics of his audience he is about to discuss. As we go through these verses, we need to pray for God to reveal if we are being described here in any way. If we are, then we need to pay very close attention because in the verses to come (next post), God is going to provide some instruction for us through Paul.


But if you call yourself a Jew 

The Jews being addressed were very proud of their heritage, and even looked down on those who weren't Jews. We may not fall into this trap as much today, because we know that Christ died for all nations.

However, we must keep ourselves from looking at someone and subconsciously judging them - determining if it's worth our time to share the gospel with them based on their appearance or situation. All people need to hear the gospel of God proclaimed.

and rely on the law and boast in God 

The Jews were relying on the law in order to lift themselves up. They felt that they did a pretty good job keeping the law, and as a result were good examples to those around them. They even boasted in God - not in a humbling way as God had intended - but in a proud way, as though their God was not for every one, but for them alone. They didn't want to share their God.

There is a very subtle point here about relying on the law that is very important. The Jews knew the law, and how detailed and intense it was. Yet they looked at themselves and considered themselves able to satisfy the demands of the law.

As Christians, we cannot rely on the law to satisfy our need to feel accepted before God. No amount of self sacrifice or commandment keeping will gain us acceptance before God - we are completely accepted based on Christ's blood alone.

and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law

Paul acknowledges that the Jews had an extensive and deep knowledge of the law. Then knew what it said word for word. Unfortunately they completely missed the point behind it.


and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children

Paul describes here the way the Jews viewed themselves.  They saw themselves as leaders, lights in the darkness, instructors, and teachers. In their vanity, they saw themselves as great examples of what God's law was to look like being lived out. It's a good thing to look at our life and see what God has done. We are called to live as examples, and God working in our lives provides a perfect example to those around us.

However, when we view what God has done with the awareness that our sin is continually being revealed and the work that remains, we have a different perspective. We are humbled and thankful instead of proud and vain.

having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth

Here again, Paul acknowledges the fact that the Jews had everything laid out in front of them. They knew God's commands laid out in the law very well. They were consumed with keeping the commands as perfectly as possible, keeping the law defined who they were. 

Are we consumed with living a Christian life, do we strive to keep God's commands perfectly?

For what purpose?

Has keeping God's commandments become the source of our identity?

Is this what we live for?

If so we need to repent - the purpose of Gods commands is not to provide a source of identity for His children, but to reveal who we are in our sinfulness. We are to be consumed with pursing a relationship with God - that is what we are to live for. As we draw close to God, the desire to turn from sin will follow, leading to sanctification. As God's children, our identity is in Christ and the fact that He lived a life that did perfectly satisfy the commands of our perfect and holy God.

 Our love for God alone should define who we are.

We will touch on the main points of this post next time as Paul reveals the error of the Jews' way of thinking (and ours at times, perhaps?)

Next post:1.23.13

Romans 2:16

on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. Romans 2:16 ESV


This verse is a continuation of Paul's description of the conscience and how we are able to train it to go from convicting us of our actions to excusing us of our actions. Here, Paul says that there is a day coming when we will be held accountable for that. There are two things in this verse that Paul brings up that I would like to dig into a little bit: according to my gospel and God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.


according to my gospel

Paul makes it clear that on that judgement day, man will be judged according to the gospel that he preached. It's very important that we understand how serious it is that we believe the true gospel.

Previously in Romans we talked about what this gospel is, and Calvin left a comment on one of those posts that completely summed up the gospel perfectly:  

"The gospel is held in the significant, and purposed, nature of Christ's: birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension. Each is an integral and inseparable part of the whole." 

- thanks Calvin! The gospel is entirely about Jesus Christ, and Him alone. 

In Galatians, there was a group of people who tried to add to the what Paul was teaching. They didn't say that the gospel that Paul taught was wrong, they just tried to add a few things to it. Paul had blunt warnings for anyone who tries to change the gospel by adding to it or taking away from it in any way:

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. Gal 1:8 ESV

As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. Gal 1:9 ESV

Twice in a row, Paul condemns anyone who would try to change the gospel as it is laid out in Scripture. As Christians, we tend to make things more difficult than they really are, and that's what many of the false teachers were doing in Paul's day. They understood that if they took the truth and mixed it with a little bit of false teaching, many could be deceived. Satan was behind that, and it's his biggest weapon within the churches of today. Paul had something to say about that as well:

 A little leaven leavens the whole lump. Gal 5:9 ESV

In order to ensure that what we believe is the true gospel, we must be in the word and in conversation with God constantly. Each of us has a responsibility to test everything that we hear or read to make sure that it lines up with the gospel, and if it doesn't, it is to be rejected. In 1 John 4:1 we read:

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 

It's important that we take this responsibility to test the spirits seriously, so that we do not become deceived by the many false prophets, who are wolves in sheeps clothing - unrecognizable apart from the lies they have woven into their teaching of the gospel. They will even proclaim the gospel in the name of Jesus Christ, and do many powerful miracles in His name - but Jesus warned us what their outcome will be:

 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?'  And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'

False teachers hide themselves among God's children, and the only way to recognize them is for each of us to test what is being taught against the Word of God, and that alone. Paul laid out a very simple litmus test when dealing with some who tried to make him look silly with their elegant speech. 

For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 1 Cor 2:2 ESV

The gospel that Paul taught, the "gospel of God" as he described it in the first verse of the book of Romans, points to Christ alone and Him crucified for our sins. This truth leads us to the second part of today's verse in Romans.

God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus

We see here that Jesus Christ is the ultimate truth that we will be judged by. All of the Old Testament points to the coming of Jesus, and all of the New Testament points to Jesus, what He did, and how we are to respond. If we think it is about anything else, we are dead wrong and will pay the penalty. 

We know that ALL Scripture is inspired by God, and ALL of Scripture is important: 

 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16,17 ESV

knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 1 Peter 2:20,21 ESV

Since we know that Scripture cannot be wrong, does not contradict itself, and teaches us the truth about Jesus - the One that God will judge us by - we MUST discern EVERYTHING according the the perfect Word of God. 

I heard an excellent sermon on how we as Christians tend to think that, once we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we need to move on from there in order to serve God better or be "good" Christians. The truth is we never move past Jesus Christ - He is who it is all about, always.

My heart breaks, and I get angry and frustrated with the evil one when I see people who are passionate about serving their god, but are deceived about who the God of the bible is - even Saul, before he became Paul, was doing what he thought was right as service to God as he persecuted true believers. 

My plea is that each one of us would continue to dig into the Word, take it upon ourselves to test every Spirit, and shed light on those who are falsely teaching, revealing their error for their good and for the good of those who are deceived.

Next Post: 1.19.13

Romans 2:14,15

For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them. Romans 2:14,15

In the verses just before this, Paul described two audiences - one that had been given the law and one that had not. In these two verses, he focuses on the group of people that have not been given the law. In his day, they were described as Gentiles, any person other than the Jews that had not been handed the law of Moses. Today, this audience is any group of people, or person, who has limited or no access to God's Word.

A quick review of what "the law" does - both the Old Testament law of Moses and the moral law of God laid out in the New Testament reveal God's perfect and holy character. 

who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law.

According to this verse, those who do not have the law in writing before them still know the law, and naturally do what that law requires.

They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts

Here, Paul explains that the reason those who do not have the written law in front of them still have knowledge of the law is because it has been written on their hearts at some point.

He has already touched on this in Chapter 1, verses 19 and 20:

For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

Now, Paul takes it a step further.




what is "good"

God is the reference point of what is "good" and what is not. Whatever is "good" is of God, whatever is not of God is not "good." True good is holy and selfless, pointing to God for His glory, anything that we do that is good is always God working through us.

What we, as fallen creatures, have done is changed the reference point of what is good. We make ourselves the reference point instead of God, and the result is that "good" becomes relative to what each individual thinks. Now, "good" is not a solid truth, but something that is influenced by a person's surroundings, the way they were brought up, who they are in relationships with, etc. When we as individuals try to decide what is good and what isn't, everything points away from God to us.

The point that Paul drives home here is that, even as we try to force the idea of "good" to fit what we believe, we still do things that the law requires.

why is this? 
God has imprinted on each individual's heart His moral law at the point of that persons creation. This moral law points to God, reveals who He is, and proves His existence. This is seen when those who are lost still try to teach their children moral behavior. There are things that, in society, are considered to be "wrong": theft, murder, abuse - these things are considered wrong ultimately based on who God is - but as a lost people this things are considered wrong without any thought of the reference point.


while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them.

Here, Paul explains the role of the conscience in our inner knowledge of God. The conscience is our inner compass that convicts us of right and wrong. Without our influence, the conscience will reveal what God has imprinted on our heart - His moral law.

 This should reveal to us our inability to live up to this law and our need for our Savior.

Instead, we do influence our conscience. We train our conscience to guide us in what is right and wrong based on us as the reference point. This is how the conscience goes from accusing and convicting us to excusing us as we justify our own actions. 

Yet, God is so powerful, and His imprint on our heart at our creation carries power as well. This is why, even in our lost state, we normally attempt to cling to some type of good to feel better about ourselves. We pick a few things that satisfy our inner desire to be good, and the rest we conform or remove so that we can live with ourselves. 

This inner desire to be "good" indicates what God has imprinted on our hearts, while the failure to actually live accordingly is evidence of our lost and condemned state.

To sum these two verses up: all of us have an inner knowledge of God's moral law, it has been imprinted on our hearts. In our lost state, we attempt to satisfy some of this in order to justify who we are without God. We even go so far that we redirect our inner compass, our conscience, so that it no longer uses God as a reference point, but us. As a result, our conscience no longer accuses us but instead excuses us. 

The fact that we can train our conscience to justify our actions must be recognized by us as Christians as well. We are so blessed to have the Holy Spirit, who uses our conscience to convict us of right and wrong with God as the reference point. Through these convictions, God reveals sin in our lives so that we can deal with it and draw closer to Him. 

However, while the Holy Spirit will never leave us (...were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. Eph 1:13,14 ESV), it is possible to dampen or quiet the influence of the Holy Spirit in our lives (Do not quench the Spirit. 1 Th 5:19 ESV).   

Instead, as Christians, we need to continually fuel the Holy Spirit by talking with God and being in His word constantly. We need to open ourselves up to Him, allow Him to work and mold us into the image of His Son by dealing with anything that hinders our relationship with Him!

Next Post: 1:16:13

Romans 2:12,13

For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. Romans 2:12,13 ESV


It's important that, as we break down what Paul was writing, we keep in mind his line of thought. He led into this section by talking about God's righteous judgement, which he went on to explain is free from partiality. Now, Paul carries this one step further - explaining that exposure to the law makes no difference when it comes to God's judgment - there really are no excuses. 


For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law

all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law

These two lines are similar, yet they address different audiences. Both lines deal with "the law," so it seems important that we understand what that is. I feel at the time Paul was most likely referring to the law of Moses, specifically given to the Jews. I would argue that today, however, this refers to the moral law of God, given to all of His children who have access to His Word
 
The law of Moses and God's moral law both accomplish the same thing - they reveal the perfect character of God and, as a result, our inability to perfectly satisfy them. That is why we must cling to Jesus Christ, who, in His perfect righteousness, fulfilled every requirement for us.

So, back to the two audiences being addressed:


For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law

The first audience has not been exposed to the law - they do not have full knowledge of God's perfect requirements in order to be in His presence. As a result, this group of people will not be held accountable for what they have not been taught.

However - this is very important - what does Paul say about these people?

While they do not know the law, they will still perish because of their sin

                                   unless they are covered by the blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

It is very clear that the law does not provide a means of salvation for us - so those are not exposed to the truths of God are justly condemned on the basis of unforgiven sin. 

all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law

The second audience has been exposed to the law - they do have a knowledge of God's perfect requirements in order to be in His presence.  This group of people will be judged according to the knowledge that they have been given through God's Word. Those of us that are fortunate and have easy access to God's Word will be held accountable for what He has laid out in it. 

However - this is very important - a knowledge of the law is not to provide a way of salvation, but to reveal our sinfulness and our inability to perfectly keep all that God requires. 

For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.

In support of what Paul wrote in the previous verse, he explains that hearing the law (having a knowledge of it) has nothing to do with being righteous before God. The fact that Paul describes those who will be justified as doers of the law goes hand in hand with what he wrote in verse 6 of this chapter:

"He will render to each one according to his works"

While we know that performing the works of the law (or any effort put forth by us at all) cannot save us, Paul makes it clear that it is utterly impossible for anyone who lives a life completely void of any good work to be justified and called righteous before God. Those who have been sealed with the Holy Spirit WILL be doers of the law by the power of God.

In summary, these two verses really bring home the fact that knowledge of God's perfect requirements (which are His character revealed) has no power to save us. We are all justly condemned regardless of our scope of knowledge.

I would say, though, that those who have been exposed to a greater knowledge of the Truth, yet do not repent will suffer a greater eternal torment due to the realization that the opportunity to spend eternity with our Heavenly Father was right in front of them...yet they refused.



I would encourage anyone who has spent time studying these verses to share your wisdom in the comments below. These verses can be confusing, so any added clarity would be much appreciated!


Next post: 1.12.13

Romans 2:9-11

There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality. Romans 2:9-11 ESV

These verses need to be viewed in the context of Paul's point in the previous verses. He began by speaking about God's righteous judgement and the fact that it is handed out in accordance, or corresponding to the works evident in our lives. Now, Paul describes another aspect of God's righteous judgement. 

 
There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil
but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good

These two lines are basically repetition of what Paul has already laid out in verses 7 and 8. If  your life is chararcterized by evil (evidence of a lost soul) - your judgement is tribulation and distress, leading to eternal wrath. Then, if your life is characterized by good (evidence of a regenerated heart) your judgement is glory, honor, and peace that can only come from a Sovereign God.

It's important to note that "evil" and "good" used by Paul here are not based on our perspective, but God's. With God as a reference point, evil works are anything that steal glory from Him, and good is God working and creating works through us that glorify Him! We need to remove ourselves from the equation, all glory and honor are to deflected directly to God.

I believe it's no small thing that Paul saw fit to explain this and then repeat it, providing extra emphasis on the fact that how we live our life is a direct reflection of the state of our heart  - a window to our soul.


 the Jew first and also the Greek

I think Paul wrote these words to deal with the fact that many of the Jews were sure that their heritage had something to do with their salvation. Here, Paul is saying that yes, as Jews your ancestors were the first nation to be exposed to the truth, and the condemnation or salvation that stems from that knowledge - but this is by no means limited to you. It has been made available also to the Greek - meaning the rest of the world.


For God shows no partiality.

Another sentence that can be both convicting and encouraging. God does not base our salvation on our wealth, position, influence, or even anything that we do.
This should be convicting if we are of the mindset that I have a better standing with Him because of who I am - a pastor, a Sunday school teacher, a small group leader, an elder, etc.
It should also be convicting if we think something that we are doing is improving our standing with God. No amount of service, giving, or self denial will ever improve our standing with God.
 

If covered by the blood of Christ, we are 100% accepted by our Heavenly Father!

Please do not confuse this with drawing close to God - serving, giving, and dying to self are things that every Christian is to practice as a means of drawing close to God, and building a personal relationship with Him. 

These same things are why we should be encouraged by the fact that God shows no partiality. As we draw close to God, we begin to recognize just how sinful we really are. It's not uncommon to go through periods where we wonder how we could ever actually be saved. These are the times when we can boldly and confidently cling to promises like this that God has given us. Our salvation is not based on how good we can be or how high we can climb the ladder - salvation is based solely on the blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

As God's children, I believe that we would greatly benefit by asking God help us grasp that we are co-pletely accepted by Him, as we are. Chris Tomlin has a great song - well, he has many - but these lyrics from one called "Come Home Running" fit perfectly with the topic of acceptance:

Oh child of God so dearly loved
And ransomed by the Savior's blood
And called by name, daughter and son
Wrapped in the robe of righteousness

 So come home running
His arms are open wide
His name is Jesus
He understands
He is the answer
You are looking for
So come home running
Just as you are

As always, I look forward to your thoughts on these or any verses!

Next Post: 1.9.13

 

Romans 2:6-8

He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. Romans 2:6-8 ESV

In verse 5, Paul mentioned the day that God's righteous judgement would be revealed. Now, for the next few sections, we will begin to see what that is all about.

He will render to each one according to his works

In my opinion, this is one of the greatest encouragements as well as one of the sternest warnings in the bible. First, what does accord mean?

accord: to be in agreement/harmony with - also can be described as corresponding with.

So, God will render righteous judgement to each person in agreement with or corresponding to the works that were evident throughout that person's life. It's very important that we don't get this confused with the notion that God will judge based on the works in a person's life.

Works themselves have no power to save or condemn, it's the heart that produces these works that will be judged.

In James 1:17,18 we see how important works are as evidence that a heart has truly been transferred from darkness to light:

So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

The works that are produced throughout our life are a window to what the true desires of our heart are. As Paul said a couple of verses ago in verse 4, God's kindness is meant to lead us to repentance...if our true desire is to honor God, we will show repentance - a turning away from sin. Simply, according to James, a regenerated heart will produce works that in turn prove saving faith.

Paul, then, throughout his letters, explains how these works themselves have no power to save us.  Just a few samples:

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

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

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.  Eph 2:8,9

These verses very clearly show that we are justified by faith alone. So, to recap: we are justified by faith, a gift of God, that produces good works throughout our life. God's righteous judgement then is in accordance to, in agreement with, or corresponding to, these works that have been a window to our heart.

Encouragement:

Back to my original thought - this is a great encouragement to those whose heart's desire is to serve and honor God - for His glory - because...

to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life...

As Christians, when we look at our life, we will realize how much our life has changed and is changing. Sanctification is the never ending process of God molding us into the image of His perfect Son - and this will be evident in our life. We can be encouraged that this is evidence of the Holy Spirit living inside of us - which according to Eph 1:13,14:

who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. 

I heard our Pastor say once that if you want to know if you are saved or not examine your hearts true desire. If you can say without pause that your one and only desire is for your life to point to and glorify God alone, then your salvation is evident. 

Warning...

The flipside of my original thought that this verse is an encouragement is that it is also a very stern warning to those who refuse to repent because...

but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury

If our life is characterized by blatant, habitual sin that goes unaddressed, if we refuse to repent or show remorse for living in opposition to God - then our hearts desire to serve self before God is very evident - as is our eternal destination.

Each one of us needs to continuously examine the desires of our heart, as well as look at the work that God has been doing in our lives. This is important for us to be encouraged, as well as to give God opportunity to reveal areas that need work - so that we could always be moving towards Him and away from sin. 

We are called to examine ourselves now - He leaves no room for excuses on that final day...

Any thoughts? Please share!

I would like to very briefly recap where Paul as taken us so far in these early verses of Romans:

-This is my purpose - to layout and share the gospel of God with you.

-This is who we are in our lost and fallen state - including all of you who think you're not included

-This is God's righteous judgement both on the saved and the lost, according to your works.



NOTE: Next post: 1.5.13