Romans 3:1-8
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. What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, “That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged.”But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) By no means! For then how could God judge the world? But if through my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.
Being Jewish meant living very differently from the Roman world. It meant being singled out and treated different. Paul has just got through explaining that no matter how hard you try to keep the law the law cannot save. If that is the case what is the point of being Jewish? What is the point of keeping the Sabbath and eating kosher and washing hands and all the things they had to observe?
As Christians, we are also called to live different. And similarly, the sins we avoid and the good we do have nothing to do with our salvation. What good is it then spending time and energy on going to church and reading the Bible and prayer when none of that can save?
Our religion does not save us but it is valuable. What greater treasure could there be than the thoughts of the Creator? We have His thoughts about us in the Bible. The Jews were blessed to have the Law of Moses to know how God desired them to live. We are blessed to have the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the indwelling Holy Spirit that leads us into all truth.
Is this only valuable if I perceive its value? What if I fail to understand that God’s way is best? What if, though saved, I fail to live out a Christian life? Does that mean that God’s grace has failed? To answer this Paul quotes from Psalm 51:4 which reads, “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.” God’s way is the best way no matter what.
God is faithful and true by nature and name.
2Timothy 2:11-13, “The saying is trustworthy, for:
If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he also will deny us;
if we are faithless, he remains faithful—
for he cannot deny himself.”
Revelation 19:11, “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.”
Our unfaithfulness and unrighteousness stands in stark contrast to the faithfulness and righteousness of God. We could say that the blackness of our sin makes the righteousness of God shine forth. But does it? In the beginning when God said, “Let there be light.” He was the only light in the universe and shone forth with perfect brightness and clarity. Our paltry acts, though our sins are completely destructive to us, neither add nor detract one bit from God’s perfection.
The message of salvation by grace through faith is often accused of being soft on sin. Or it is resented by those who have worked hard at good works and feel that they have earned some measure of God’s favor. Like the older brother of the Prodigal they are unable to enjoy the freedom of God’s love and forgiveness. This can even lead to accusations that preaching grace actually promotes sin. The thief on the cross who died next to Jesus was saved through faith by God’s grace and nothing he did or didn’t do mattered. Those who would enslave us by rules and requirements will find they have fallen into their own snare. John 5:24, “Truly, truly, I 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.”
brotherpayne 