The letter to the Romans leads its readers step by step to the gospel. It begins by presenting the existence of the one true God, then it declares that man has a tendency to turn away from God, then it convicts everyone of sin, then it explains that humans can't make themselves righteous through obeying rules or performing good works. At this point Paul's readers who have not yet converted to Christianity may well be in a panic. What can be done? Is there any way to be made right with a holy God? Is their case hopeless? Today Paul assures them it is not hopeless. The righteous God provided a way for mankind to have good standing with Him, and that way is through His Son: the Lord Jesus Christ.
Isn't this the same step by step method that leads everyone to Christ? First we must realize that there is a God. When we acknowledge His existence, we become aware of how holy He is and how different we are from Him. Then we come to the conclusion that we have sinned against Him. Our first thought is to try and offset our wicked deeds with good deeds, but then we have to admit that no matter how hard we try we are still going to mess up sometimes. How will we ever know if we've performed enough good works to outweigh the bad? We study the Scriptures for the answer only to learn that God doesn't weigh our deeds on a scale. This is not the path to righteousness. Righteousness depends not on works, but on faith. Good works will flow from a heart that is devoted to the Lord, but it is faith that saves.
Paul now provides the solution to his readers' dilemma. There is a way to be made right with God even though they fail to live up to His standards from time to time. "But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." (Romans 3:21-24) When we concluded yesterday's study we found Paul saying that the law's job was to show us our sinfulness. How were the Old Testament saints made right with God, seeing they couldn't keep the law? Through faith. When a person realized he could never perfectly keep the law without sinning, he had to trust God to do the rest. He had to bring the proper atonement offerings in a spirit of repentance, and God accepted the blood of those offerings on behalf of the person who brought them. Now at last God has provided an atonement offering that is effective for all time. The blood of Christ is acceptable to God, and it is by our faith in Christ and in what He did that we obtain righteousness in the sight of God.
"God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of His blood---to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished---He did it to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus." (Romans 3:25-26) God would have been just if He had destroyed us all, yet at the same time Paul tells us God would not be just if He had not provided for us a means of redemption. This is such a deep statement that we could spend an eternity studying it and never get to the bottom of its mystery, for I think it has to do with the unfathomable wisdom and mercy of God. God had the right to find us guilty (because we are guilty) and to sentence us to an eternity far from His loving presence. But since He is the lawgiver and it is His laws we have broken, this gives Him the sovereign authority to choose the method by which our debt to Him can be paid.
Since righteousness can never originate with us, we won't enter the gates of heaven proclaiming, "I got myself here! I worked hard and I made up for all my sins." I think when we enter the gates of heaven we will immediately fall to our knees and give all the glory and honor to the Lord who accomplished our salvation for us. Paul believes the same thing. "Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law." (Romans 3:27-28)
Since no one can rightly claim he has made himself holy in the sight of God, this puts Jews and Gentiles on equal footing. None of us has the right to look down on someone else. If Jews were perfect, then maybe they'd have the right to look down on Gentiles. If Gentiles were perfect, then maybe they'd have the right to look down on Jews. If I had lived a perfect life, and my neighbor across the street had not, maybe I'd be justified in shaking my head in scorn over his shameful sinful state. But we are all sinners. Thankfully, though, the same God created us all and the same God offers redemption to us all. "Or is God the God of the Jews only? Is He not the God of the 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)
Salvation is offered to every human being on the face of the earth. Our nationality doesn't matter. Our genealogy doesn't matter. Our past doesn't matter. The Lord doesn't harbor prejudice against anyone and He doesn't play favorites. Christ gave His life for all and, through Him, salvation is freely offered to all.
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