Romans 4 - Proof for a radical gift of righteousness

In Chapter 3, Paul introduced a new radical concept that there is a righteousness based on faith and not on what we do (our works).  This claim flies in the face of our experience and expectations.  Even for Christians who have begun in faith and have known no else, there is a tendency and draw to living our lives in an achievement-oriented way.  Everything in the world around us is based on the concept of working hard to receive a benefit and this is indeed a Biblical value (Proverbs 14:23).  There is even a saying that many attribute to the Bible "God helps those who help themselves" (but is absolutely not Biblical) that reflects and feeds into this feeling.  Paul had to rebuke the Galatian believers for starting in faith and then trying to continue on in the flesh (Galatians 3:3).

So when Paul introduces this "new righteousness" that is an unearned gift from God, he has some explaining to do.  And that is exactly what he does in chapter 4.  In 3:21 he had even claimed that the Law and the Prophets testify to this type of righteousness so now he is demonstrating this.  He is building a proof for his claim so he brings two witnesses (Deut 13:15) and gives two examples from the Old Testament: 1) Abraham's righteousness by faith 2) David's testifying of the blessedness of one whose sins are forgiven (here the person is not righteous on their own, but they are forgiven).

Paul spends the most time discussing Abraham, proving that this righteousness by faith applies not just to those who are circumcised (Jews) but to gentiles as well.  That is great news for me and you!  God is forgiving our sins when we trust in him who rose Jesus from the dead and make him our lord, he who was delivered up for our sins and raised from the dead for our justification!

So Can We Go On Sinning?
The tricky question then comes "If I am declared righteous as a gift and not by what I've done, can I then continue sinning and it doesn't matter?"  Paul clearly answers this as "NO!" in chapter 6.  He says that we should obey Christ's law and call for holiness, but that this obedience and our actions are not the basis of our righteousness nor our salvation.  If we try to trust in our goodness or our obedience to save us, then we will fail!  All we can do is keep putting our faith and trust in Jesus.  But true faith will produce obedience, works done in a response of love.  As James says "faith without works is dead" (James 2:17).  The difference is that our faith in Christ is what saves us and by which we are declared righteous so that we cannot boast or be proud of our righteousness (because it is not something we did or earned) (Romans 3:27).  The works then flow from our love and obedience to the God who saved us, and who changes us and gives us the ability and desire to obey (Phil 2:13).

Thank you Father for your love!  Thank you Jesus for your love and sacrifice!  I am truly blessed that you have forgiven my sins, though they are many and though I have done nothing to deserve your forgiveness!  I trust in you, believe in you and you are my lord and king!

Romans 3 - Jewels of God's Wisdom

If you've ever seen a raw gemstone you know that it can be not very interesting or beautiful to look at.  But when someone takes the time to cut and polish the stone, it can become very beautiful and amazing. This chapter (and others in the letter to the Romans) has some hard to understand terms but when one takes the time to dig in and understand them you can find some amazing and beautiful gems!

Propitiation - what is that?
One such term is "propitiation" in verse 25 ("whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith" - ESV).  In the context of verses 23-24 ("For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,"-ESV) we see that Paul is saying that

1. We (Jews and gentiles (non-Jews)) have all sinned 
2. We don't live up to God's requirements - his glory.  Not only that but we also then miss being able to see, reflect and experience God's glory - we are separated from him because of sin.  
3. But because he loves us he gives us a gift - being justified (another big term meaning that we have been declared righteous or as some have said we have been declared "just if I'd" never sinned)
4. Justification comes through redemption (meaning we were purchased back from our prison of death and sin) by what Jesus did for us in his death and resurrection
5. God put forward Jesus as a propitiation (a sacrifice that turns away wrath) by the blood of Jesus.

Propitiation versus Atoning Sacrifice

Some argue that the term "propitiation" isn't quite an accurate translation because in common English, it implies a deity that is wrathful and vengeful and has a thirst for blood.  This certainly isn't accurate as we look at the context since God is the one who is going out of his way to sacrifice himself and give himself up for us.  The NIV translates this word as "atoning sacrifice" which is perhaps a better choice.  Atonement and "atone" come from putting together "at" and "one" and was "created" by William Tyndale when translating the first New Testament into English and there wasn't an English word that held the correct meaning.  Literally it means that we were brought into a condition of peace with God - being "at one" with him - because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

God's Justice

The reason is this 1) we have sinned and our sin hurts not just us but others 2) God is completely just and cannot leave wickedness go unpunished.  It would be an injustice to let a murderer/rapist go free with no punishment.  So how can God be both "just" and proclaim us guiltless with no need for punishment ("justify")? (this is the question that Paul asks and answers in verse 26).  The reason is this: Jesus became a substitutionary (atoning) sacrifice for our sins.  He paid the penalty and took the punishment and turned away the wrath of the punishment.  Therefore God can be both completely just and the justifier of the one who puts their faith in Jesus.

And as Paul further says, we cannot boast because it is nothing that we did to achieve salvation or righteous but it was a free gift that God gives to us when we put our trust completely in Jesus!  That is an amazing gift and a beautiful set of jewels of God's wisdom!   Thank you Father for your indescribable gift!

Romans 2 - Pride and Hypocrisy in Religious People

Whenever I read the Bible I know that there is a dangerous tendency to consider myself like the "good guys" or hero's and not like the "bad guys" or those with bad or sinful attitudes or actions.  The truth is that we are often like the "bad guys".
 

In Romans chapter 2, Paul is talking about and warning those who are proud and judge others, those who consider themselves better than others.  However if we don't consider how we do this and think that it is just those other "bad people" who are like this, then we are in fact demonstrating the very behavior he is warning about.

This type of hypocritical behavior was demonstrated by the religious Pharisees of Jesus time, and it is demonstrated by us, the religious Christians of our time.  As Paul says, "The name of God is blasphemed among the gentiles because of you." (v 24).  Paul was writing to believers in Jesus Christ in Rome and warning them about these attitudes and it is a warning to us who follow Jesus today.  Our hypocritical behavior causes God's great and precious name to be spoken against.

Lord Jesus have mercy on us and show us our pride and hypocrisy!  May we see our sin and folly and turn to you for forgiveness and grace!

Romans Intro

 We are moving on to Romans!  I got a bit behind in blog posts with the busyness of the summer youth/singles trip and then school getting started, and I know that many are further ahead in their reading of the book of Romans, but I'll start here at the beginning.

I already did one post for Romans 1, but I decided to give a bit of an intro before going on to Chapter 2.

We saw in the overview of Paul's travels and writings that Paul wrote the Letter to the Romans around AD 56-56 and very likely from Corinth since he mentions two Corinthian residents in his letter (Phoebe and Erastus).  This is on his third missionary trip where he spends three months in Greece (Acts 20:03) and Corinth is the main city he visited in Greece.

At this point Paul is heading to Jerusalem where he will be imprisoned and then taken to Rome as a prisoner. So when Paul writes in chapter 1 of Romans that he is longing and praying to go to Rome (Romans 1:10-11) his prayer does later get answered, just not in the manner that we would be too excited about. It certainly does explain some of why Paul views his imprisonment in a positive way: He had been wanting to go to Rome, and Jesus appeared to Paul and spoke to him and said that he would testify to Jesus in Rome (Acts 23:11).

This letter is Paul's longest letter and it has very extensive theological discussions about the nature of salvation, comparing those who try to attain salvation by good works and their own efforts (which is impossible) to those who receive the mercy and grace of Jesus and are then rescued from their sins.  Some of the sentences in this letter are extremely looong and complex and require careful reading (and at least for me, reading several times :) )

There are several big thematic breaks in the book.
In chapters 2-8 he is focusing on salvation as I had mentioned coming from God's mercy and gift to us in Jesus versus following the Law of Moses (The Chapter 7-8 transition is a major climax)
In chapters 9-11 he focuses on the nation of Israel and how they fit into God's plan still
In chapters 12-16 are more of the practical implications of how to live out the salvation that is a gift from God.

Romans 1 - Can our Nation Survive?

George Washington in his farewell address said that democracy requires morality: "Virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government." (Smithsonian Art Museum Link). After reading Romans Chapter 1, it struck me that we in the United States are at risk of losing this critical underpinning of our government.  In absence of this can our government, even our nation, survive?

Don't get me wrong, I love the United States and I consider myself blessed to be a citizen and live here in this nation that clearly God has blessed.  But I believe that the blessings and freedom came because of a foundation built on a commitment of the founders to loving and serving God and loving and serving one another.  We are moving to a society of loving and serving ourselves and the creation over/above and instead of the creator.

Downward Spiral
Paul describes in Romans 1 verse 21 and following downward steps that occur in individuals as they move away from God. Our society is made up of individuals and as each of us goes, so goes the whole of society. At the first step people know God, but don't honor him or thank him.  This causes futile thinking and darkened hearts. In the next step down people think that they are wise apart from God but actually become fools.  Then the next step down is the worship and honor of the creatures (created things - everything in the universe) rather than the creator.  God is removed from the picture and so people, animals and the material universe are viewed as all that exists and all that should be recognized.  The result of this is that God gives people over to the impure desires in their hearts, to dishonoring their bodies among themselves.

There are more downward steps to go, but let's stop and consider the gravity of those statements!

Giving Over to Ourselves
First God giving people over to themselves and their evil desires is a very scary proposition! God doesn't force us to worship or follow him because he gave us a freewill.  He created us and he loves us so much that he gave up his life to rescue us from destruction (John 3:16). But for us to love him in return, we must have a free choice since true love cannot be forced. But here is described a stage in the relationship where rather than speaking to us, warning us of dire consequences ahead and running after us, he effectively says,"OK, if that is what you truly want, I'll give you over to your own decisions" and he lets us go.  Imagine parents of an unruly teen who is getting into trouble, hanging out with the wrong crowd, staying out past curfew etc. Finally after the teen refuses to listen and refuses all help and effectively says to the parents "You are dead to me", the parents reluctantly let the teen go out on his/her own.  Obviously what happens in such a situation is that the teen jumps headlong into a lifestyle and choices that are harmful and will potentially kill them. The bad behavior escalates and grows worse and all one can hope is that the teen will come to their senses before they get killed.  That is effectively the situation where God gives us over to our own sinful, impure desires.

The second part of note is the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves.  Obviously there are strong sexual connotations in this statement as Paul describes sexual sin as a sin against our bodies (1 Cor 6:18), but there are other ways that we degrade and dishonor the temple of our bodies - drugs, tattoos, cutting and other mutilations.

So we must ask ourselves, "Are we going down these spiraling downward stairs?"  If so, can we identify how far down we've gone?

The Spiral Continues Down
But Paul goes on and says that because we've worshiped the creation rather than the creator, he gave us over to dishonorable passions - homosexuality (verses 26-27).  While homosexuality is a current hot-button in our society and Christians often react very negatively against it, in reality it is part of the spiral of sin just as adultery, heterosexual fornication and lust are, each one of them destroying our lives, dishonoring our bodies and leading us to destruction.  I intentionally say "us" and "our" because it is far too easy to point the finger at others.  We look at the unbelievers or we look at other Christians and see their sins but we don't look at our own lust, greed and deceit.  Look at the end list that Paul gives: "They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless" (Romans 1:29-31).  We need to look at our own envy, deceit and gossip first!  Judgement begins with the house of God! (1 Peter 4:17).

Do we have hope?
When I look at this list, I see that it really describes us and our nation to a greater and greater extent each day.  And if that is true, can this nation stand without a moral base? I think that the cracks that we are currently seeing in our economy, government and place in the world are a testament to the fact that we cannot. Our only hope is to be like an unruly teen who comes to their senses - similar to the prodigal son that Jesus spoke about (Luke 15:11-32).  But we cannot be waiting and looking for others to change first - we must make a change.  Though I don't take Michael Jackson as a source for life direction, I believe his song "Man In the Mirror" said it right - "If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make a change."  It starts with you and with me.

"If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14). Amen!  Let us humble ourselves, pray, seek God's face and turn from our wicked ways!  Let us get back to the top of the steps and honor and thank God!  We need God to forgive our sin and heal our land!