Good morning Church!
Another step forward in the book of Romans today. Romans 3. Church, this is test match cricket, not T20 cricket – this is a marathon, not a sprint.
I know we like things to be byte sized nowadays. We like our food fast, we like our entertainment immediate and on demand. But this, is a slow burn. Stick with us, the pay off, will be, God willing, worth the slog – but patience is key.
An amusing verse popped up in my study this week – kinda not super related to our passage this morning but I thought worth sharing – you don’t have to go there – but in the book of 2nd Peter, Peter is writing, about the writings, of Paul – now these two obviously knew each other, I wouldn’t say they were besties, the bible records some of their altercations – and here is a little zinger that popped out at me
2 Peter 3 from verse 15 – This is Peter writing, about Pauls writings - listen:
15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand
Now that made me smile. Bit of acknowledgement – even from Peter himself, that some of these things are not easy to follow.
Let's pray and ask God to give us understanding this morning.
Pray Heavenly Father we give thanks and praise for the morning we’ve had so far – we have lifted you up in praise and song, we have remembered Christ as HE has commanded us to. We have brought our requests to you in his name. Lord as we now look upon your marvelous word we ask simply that you would speak to us, you would give us understanding, that you would reveal your heart to us. Amen
Now in the first two chapters of the Book of Romans, Paul begins by introducing himself and his mission to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. He emphasizes that the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, both Jews and Gentiles. Paul immediately addresses the sinful condition of humanity, stating that God's wrath is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth. He explains that although God's existence and divine nature are evident through creation, people chose to ignore Him, leading to idolatry and moral corruption. As a result, God "gave them over" to their sinful desires, which include a wide range of immoral behaviors.
In chapter 2, Paul turns his attention to those who judge others, warning that they are also guilty and will not escape God’s judgment. He stresses that God’s judgment is impartial and based on truth, not on heritage or knowledge of the law. Paul argues that simply hearing the law is not enough; what matters is doing what is right.
Today's passage from the beginning of Chapter 3:
God’s Faithfulness
3 What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? 2 Much in every way! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God.
3 What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness? 4 Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written:
“So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge.”[a]
5 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.) 6 Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world? 7 Someone might argue, “If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?” 8 Why not say—as some slanderously claim that we say—“Let us do evil that good may result”? Their condemnation is just!
So then, if we said, Gods judgement is impartial. If we said, last week that God does not play favourites… We are all equal – Jew, Gentile alike…
Check out how chapter three starts…
What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? 2 Much in every way
Come on man… Sigh, why did I agree to this passage. Peter was right, these words are hard, because it sounds like the author has just literally contradicted himself. Are the Jews favoured or not? Do they have an advantage or not? They are Gods special people – that’s what they are called throughout Scripture, so in what sense are they special? Are they special at all, in the context here of the opening chapters of Romans. Remember - Romans All have sinned an fall short – Romans, there is no excuse.
What exactly is going on here? Because we can quite easily pluck that verse out of context, and pluck say, verse 9 (if you cast your eyes further down the page) where it says the exact opposite. Just go, look – so clearly this book is full of contradiction and should not be trusted.
Church we need to go deeper than just plucking if we want to understand this properly.
Paul is developing an argument. He is building a foundation for the early church recipients. This is bigger and stronger than one or two sentences. You’ve got to read the whole thing. He is testing ideas – John Stott likens it to him arguing with himself – or the old Paul arguing against the new Paul – HE will resolve. It might take his a few paragraphs, or in some cases a few chapters to land the plane, but that narrative will flow until you get the resolution. You need to stick around for the whole game, all five days.
As an example – he says Firstly, and then he goes on to list exactly one reason. That is it.
Do you know when He continues to list the rest of the so called advantages? Chapter 9 – miles away.
So firstly, leading reason, the only one listed in a piece of the argument here – They have been entrusted with the very words of God.
Yes. Correct, Old Testament Scripture sits with them – it was revealed to them – the human authors are from their people
So of course they are better off, in a sense – they are less in the dark. They have had God revealed directly to them. Mighty stories of their heritage, tales of their famous ancestors interacting with the living God – deliverance, protection, provision, incredible victories in battle – tender moments of care and intimacy with the Living God. His special people? That does indeed all sound, very special. God gives His special people his word, gives them the permission to bear his name. Interacts with them. This is a very strong sounding argument for advantage isn’t it….
Watch this space – we’re gonna come back to this in just a few verses time.
Verse 3 follows another question? You notice how many questions are listed here
I counted 8 question marks. In 8 verses!
3 What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness?
Remember last week, our speaker, what a guy, he did an incredible job, clearly taking us through a detailed argument how even though the Jewish people (including Paul himself) were recipients of the Law, recipients of the oracles of God. Paul could quite easily poke holes in this and expose their actual – behavior relative to that standard.
So now Paul asks a rhetorical question - in fact first of a pair - what is the effect of mans sinfulness on the Glory of God and on the Faithfulness of God.
So man has clearly been unfaithful – does that make God unfaithful? Will God be faithful to his promises – even in the face of the lack of faithfulness of his people?
Does God change? As a result of mans rejection? No. of course not – God is always faithful and true, and let’s be honest, as you might not want to hear it – against that standard – every man – every man is a liar.
And then you have this reference - slipped in:
“So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge.”[a]
Ring any bells? Where’s that from – anybody? That’s from Psalm 51. The famous Psalm 51 – yes, that one with David and Bathsheba – After Nathan has come to him and hes fessed up about the adultery with Bathsheba.
The very verse before these two verses in Psalm says the following:
3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.
So there’s a few reasons why that verse is an excellent enforcement for Paul to his argument
- Coming straight out of the text – David rightfully says against you only have I sinned. Sin isn’t a relative thing - between men. It is a transgression of a Holy God. What mans regards as evil is one thing, what matters really is what God regards as evil.
- David here is a picture of Israels rebellion. It’s a type, if you will. And while David has to suffer the consequences of his earthly actions, he goes into exile etc – ultimately he is restored – in Gods forgiveness, in his patience and mercy. He acknowledge his guilt before Holy God alone and is brought back – a picture of what Christ does with his church – which leads to the third
- Third reason – Does God retract his covenant with his people – because of Davids sin? Is the deal off? NO – God remains faithful – He is no less faithful to his promises, despite the wandering unfaithful people of God.
So look to David, says Paul. As it is written. God remains the righteous Holy Judge, and is right when he speaks (let God be true) and he prevails when He Judges.
You are seemingly lifted up when your people represent you well – but you know what, even when they don’t you are still righteous and in your judgement of them, your holiness and your faithfulness remain. They have to. If God DIDN'T judge and condemn sin, He wouldn’t be just.
So Paul bats that one to the boundary too – if that was the outswinger – here comes the inswinger – a possible argument (remember Paul is bringing out these worldly arguments himself to deal with) from the exact opposite side.
So if Man’s unfaithfulness doesn’t minimized Gods Faithfulness – does it maximise anything?
5 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.) 6 Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world? 7 Someone might argue, “If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?” 8 Why not say—as some slanderously claim that we say—“Let us do evil that good may result”? Their condemnation is just!
Very similar words to Romans 6. What a crazy thought? Lets do some more sinning to make God look better. We would never believe that, right?
Let me tell you a story – I know you love my stories.
Back in my early student days we helped run a Friday night youth group in this very hall, man it was a lot of fun. Many of the church family teenagers would come out and hang out with us, we knew them and could relate to them well. There was a season, I remember well, where we had a group of kids from Hanover Park and Parkwood – across the M5 join us. Kids from very different background – and we did our best to connect to these kids but it was such hard work. We had so little in common.
We were sharing these thoughts with friends at an Easter camp (we used to share a camp with other churches over Easter, also good times) and Tim van Stormbreok, who many of us know – got hold of us and said, there’s this guy, you MUST invite to share with your crowd, he has such a powerful testimony, all about how God saved him out of Gangsterism and Drugs, and he talks about his upbringing etc etc – and Tim passed us his number.
The group decided that I was the youth leader who had to run with this. Great, all I had was a phone number – phoned him, hello sir, you don’t know me, but we’d like to invite you to come speak to our youth kids on Friday night – having a testimony type sharing evening?
And he was like cool, come to this address to pick me up at 19h00 on Friday night
Address in some scary area I had no business being in in a Friday night, but nevertheless, drove off, alone, that Friday night, picked up a fairly rough looking chap named Denzil. Didn’t know him from a bar of soap. Had no idea what he was going to say, was a real step of faith, but praise God – the evening went so well, he shared such a powerful testimony of Gods grace to him. His background, his involvement in crime and gangsterism – showing scars of where he had been shot and sharing, while all the kids in the youth group, waited on his every word!
I remember having to like wrap after him – like this young man had just blown the room away with this incredible story of this reformed, reborn actual gang member – and it was like, OK, Andrew, over to you - what’s your story.. anything to add?
Er.. ja…sho, I once was in detention for having long hair and it was a really bad time you guys..….
That’s when you fall into this kind of trap. My faith is so weak, maybe if I had a better back story. Maybe if my sins were a little bit more weighty, you know, a little more serious, then the act of God saving me would be that much more powerful. People would hear THAT story and glorify God more – his grace would abound more.
But Paul, rightfully stamps out that kind of thinking.
As if there is a linear scale between, Jesus and say Satan I guess, and we’re all lined up according to our goodness
Up close to the top, surely, Paul, Peter, disciples - Theres the people of Medway somewhere in the middle – over here, doing so well, aren’t we proud of them - there’s my Gangster man Denzil down there – look at all that extra grace How much further into the pit did Christ had to reach to save – HIM.
That’s not how this works at all.
If there is a line it’s a dividing line, between those who are lost in their sins (all of us, every single one of us, without Jesus), and those who are found in Jesus.
And Gods looks down on high and in his judgement – he doesn’t see – Denzil in the back, and Maurice in the front - he just sees Jesus, and those who are hidden in him. And that group – is born again into his family.
Only good people go to heaven – its actually true you know, the problem is, as Jesus himself said, there is none good but God. Theres no scale.
Only good people go to heaven - It only ever happened one time – to Jesus, and he takes us with him. In him.
This idea of sinning more to magnify Gods grace – just falls aparts then. Gods Grace is fully gloried in his salvation already.
Sinning more, just brings more sin into the world, just brings more sin into our lives. Just makes it harder for us. Harder for us to live. It is morally wrong.
Doesn’t make it harder for God to save us. It still Cost Him his Son. What a sacrifice.
So we need to get away from this human understanding of sin, and try understand, as much as it is even possible through our limited weak, blurry minds.
This is Holy God. A perfect standard.
God who is fully justified in all he does, in all he judges and condemns, no matter how relatively good or bad – we think we are.
I was thinking of the example of Ananias and Sapphira in the early church – do you know the story of this couple? Early church in Jerusalem – I know, it sounds like an old testamenty God type of story – but new testament, early church. This couple sold a piece of land and donated it to the church – what an incredible amazing thing to do – must have been a real, faithfilled, Godly couple. Acts 5 reveals to us that they lied to the apostles about the amount they had given, they said they had given all the proceeds to the church, but they actually hadn’t, they had withheld some for themselves.
Peter confronts them – God strikes them dead – immediately – bang.
Now if you think that is God being petty, or harsh, or unreasonable, you’re probably still, like we are tempted to think sometimes – living here in linear land. Was that soooo bad?
Sjoe these early church founders they must have been so close to the standard. And God zaps them dead! That’s so unfair. The great Moses can’t enter the Promised Land – cause he struck a rock instead of talking to a rock. Uzzah, Uzzah was that guy carrying the ark of the covenant and it stumbles and he reaches out to support it – touches it, struck dead.
So if Psalm 51 then is true, and it is, that He is right in his verdict, and justified when he judges – then there is no difference , Between Peter and Paul, between Ananias and Sapphira, between the the most Holy outward performative best behaving true Jew (from last weeks context), and the the most awful, sinful, despicable man you can think of.
We are all, bang that drum, without excuse.
This advantage Paul speaks of – it is dissolving before our very eyes, if we are talking in terms of judgement and standing before a Holy Holy Holy God.
And on that cliffhanger I will leave you – please by all means read on – to see what the VERY next verse concludes.
But that innings is for someone else, I think our pinch hitter Carlos in a couple of weeks to come and play – I am retiring hurt for now.
Thank you.
