The Gospels provide us with four independent accounts of the life and times of our Lord Jesus Christ. The book of Acts describes the birth of the church and the spread of the gospel from Jerusalem and Judea to Rome. The New Testament Epistles are letters written to various churches, usually intended to address and correct specific problems. The Book of Romans is unique in that it is a systematic summation of the doctrine of salvation, as seen throughout the Bible, and as proclaimed in its fullness in the New Testament.
The epistle begins with man’s sin (chapters 1-3a), for which provision is made by the atoning work of Jesus Christ on man’s behalf, as received by faith alone (chapters 3b-5), resulting in a forsaking of sin and the pursuit of righteousness as one walks in the power of the Holy Spirit (chapters 6-8). All of Old Testament history is summed up, beginning with Adam (chapter 5), continuing through the history of Israel, currently resulting in the salvation of the Gentiles, and ultimately consummating in the restoration and salvation of the Jews (chapters 9-11). The unfolding of God’s salvation in human history is a manifestation of God’s infinite wisdom (11:33-36). The doctrine of salvation is to be lived out by the saints, as described in chapters 12-16. In this one book, Paul “puts it all together” so that we see the salvation of God from an eternal perspective.
There are no truths more important than those set down in this great Epistle to the Romans. Here is a study which should not only enhance your understanding of the gospel, but should stimulate your worship as well. The material in these sermons is available without charge for your personal study and to assist you in living, teaching and preaching God’s Word.
Years ago a friend of mine was preaching through the Book of Romans. He had reached the middle of the book, Romans 6-8, on the Sunday when a visitor attended the service. As the service came to a close, a woman sitting nearby turned to the young man and engaged him in conversation. After learning a little about him, the woman asked, “How long have you been a Christian?” The young man thought for a moment, looked down at his watch and said, “About ten minutes.” The Book of Romans was, for this man, a life-changing study.
The study of the Book of Romans has often proven to be a life-changing exercise. Throughout the history of the church, lives have been radically transformed through the impact of Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. Augustine, in 386, was sitting in the garden of a friend, weeping, as he considered making a radical change in his life. The words of a young neighborhood child singing a tune reached his ears, words which invited him to “Take up and read.” He took up the scroll nearby, a scroll which contained these words from Paul’s Roman epistle: “Not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof” (Romans 13:13b-14).
Augustine later wrote about his response to these words from the pen of the apostle Paul: “No further would I read, nor had I any need; instantly, at the end of this sentence, a clear light flooded my heart and all the darkness of doubt vanished away (Confessions, viii. 29).1 The impact which Romans would have on Augustine, and the impact which Augustine would have on the world, can still be seen.
Many years later, in November of 1515, Martin Luther, an Augustinian monk who was a professor at the University of Wittenberg, began to expound the Book of Romans to his students. The more he studied the Epistle, the more he recognized that the Pauline doctrine of justification by faith was central and crucial to the argument of the Epistle. But he found himself struggling to understand it. He describes his struggle with this Epistle and his dramatic conversion when the message came clear to his mind, heart, and soul:
I greatly longed to understand Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, and nothing stood in the way but that one expression, ‘the righteousness of God,’ because I took it to mean that righteousness whereby God is righteous and deals righteously in punishing the unrighteous … Night and day I pondered until … I grasped the truth that the righteousness of God is that righteousness whereby, through grace and sheer mercy, he justifies us by faith. Thereupon I felt myself to be reborn and to have gone through open doors into paradise. The whole of Scripture took on a new meaning, and whereas before ‘the righteousness of God’ had filled me with hate, now it became to me inexpressibly sweet in greater love. This passage of Paul became to me a gateway to heaven.2
Over two-hundred years later, John Wesley was transformed by this same Epistle. As he wrote in his journal, he:
… went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading Luther’s Preface to the Epistle to the Romans … About a quarter before nine while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for my salvation; and an assurance was given me that he had taken my sins away, even mine; and saved me from the law of sin and death.3
Again, in the early twentieth century, Karl Barth, pastor of Safenwil in Canton Aargau, Switzerland, published an exposition of Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. Once again, Paul’s words had a powerful impact upon Barth, and his exposition, we are told, fell “like a bombshell on the theologian’s playground.”4
While not all have experienced the dramatic changes which the Book of Romans has produced in the lives of some, biblical scholars are virtually unanimous on the towering significance and contribution of this Epistle:
Luther, in his preface to the Roman letter, wrote:
‘This Epistle is the chief book of the New Testament, the purest gospel. It deserves not only to be known word for word by every Christian, but to be the subject of his meditation day by day, the daily bread of his soul … The more time one spends in it, the more precious it becomes and the better it appears.’ He spoke of it as ‘a light and way into the whole Scriptures, …’ Calvin said of it ‘when any one understands this Epistle, he has a passage opened to him to the understanding of the whole Scriptures.’ Coleridge pronounced Romans ‘the most profound work ever written!’ Meyer considered it ‘the greatest and richest of all the apostolic works.’ Godet referred to it as ‘the cathedral of the Christian faith.’ … Gordon H. Clark recently wrote of Romans that it is ‘the most profound of all the epistles, and perhaps the most important book in the Bible …’ Hamilton, in his recent commentary on Romans, calls it ‘the greatest book in the Bible.’5
Just what is it about this book of the Bible which makes it stand out and have such impact? At the conclusion of this lesson, I would like to suggest several possibilities, some or all of which may provide the answer to this question. Our answers must come from the text of Romans itself, and thus we shall press on to our study with great anticipation.
The purpose of this first lesson will be to get a “lay of the land,” to survey the territory of this text as a whole in order to obtain some sense of its nature, its argument, and its areas of emphasis. We will begin by attempting to learn as much as we can about the church in Rome and to determine Paul’s relationship to these saints. We will then briefly trace the argument of the book through the entire book. On the basis of this study, we shall seek to discern and identify at the conclusion of this lesson what makes Romans unique, that which sets it apart from the other 65 books of the Bible which has enabled Romans to dramatically impact so many lives down through the ages.
After our survey in this lesson of the Book of Romans as a whole, we will look at Romans section by section. We will seek to identify the major sections of this Epistle and to study each of these, devoting one lesson to each major section. Finally, we will undertake a chapter by chapter, verse by verse study of the book.
As we begin this study of Romans, I would challenge you to do three things. First, pray that God would use this book in your life, in a powerful way, as He has done in the lives of countless others before you. Expect God to speak to you, and pray that He will. Second, set some specific goals for your own study. Determine when and how you will study Romans during the week. Establish a goal for how many times you will read the book clear through, and when during the week you will commit yourself to this reading. Also, purchase those study helps which will assist you in your study. Third, follow through with your study of the Book of Romans. Let these lessons be the starting point and the stimulus for an intensive study of your own. I am convinced that those whose lives were transformed were those who worked hard at studying Romans. Do not expect God to transform your life apart from your own diligent search of these Scriptures. May these words of wisdom be your motto as you begin your study:
My son, if you will receive my sayings, And treasure my commandments within you, Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding; for if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding; if you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will discern the fear of the Lord, And discover the knowledge of God (Proverbs 2:1-5).
We are told that Jews and Jewish proselytes from Rome were present at Pentecost (Acts 2:10), but no one actually knows when the church of Rome was founded or by whom. It would seem clear that the Holy Spirit did not want us to focus on men as the founders of this church. It is a great encouragement to me that this church may have been founded by the testimony of ordinary Christians, rather than celebrities like Paul. Such was the case with the church at Antioch (Acts 11:19-21) and probably with a number of other churches as well.
We do know that at the time of Paul’s writing, there was a church in Rome made up of both Jews and Gentiles. It was a church that seems to have been spiritually prospering. Paul commended this church for its reputation:
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world (Romans 1:8).
From secular history, we know that in Rome the Jews were not well thought of nor kindly treated at various times. Claudius, for example, expelled the Jews from Rome (Acts 18:2) which was not the only time this happened.6 It would be only a few years after this Epistle to the Romans was written that Rome would be destroyed by fire and that Christians would serve as scapegoats for this atrocity. Soon would come the day when Christians would be fed to the lions at Rome. This may have set the scene for the martyrdom of both Peter and Paul, as well as many others.
Paul had wanted to visit Rome and the saints there, but up to this point in time he had not been able to do so:
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world. For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you, always in my prayers making request, if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you. For I long to see you in order that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine. And I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented thus far) in order that I might obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles. I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. Thus, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome (Romans 1:8-15, emphasis mine).
For this reason I have often been hindered from coming to you; but now, with no further place for me in these regions, and since I have had for many years a longing to come to you whenever I go to Spain—for I hope to see you in passing, and to be helped on my way there by you, when I have first enjoyed your company for a while—but now, I am going to Jerusalem serving the saints. For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. Yes, they were pleased to do so, and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them also in material things. Therefore, when I have finished this, and have put my seal on this fruit of theirs, I will go on by way of you to Spain. And I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ (Romans 15:22-29, emphasis mine).
Paul had nothing to do with the founding of the church in Rome nor had he yet been to Rome at the time of the writing of his Epistle to the Romans. He had heard reports about the faith of the Romans (1:8). He had made the Roman church a matter of persistent prayer. He looked forward to the day when he could visit the church in Rome to minister to these saints, as well as to be encouraged by their faith. His Epistle to the Romans was apparently written because of his delay in reaching Rome and perhaps in preparation for his coming. It is most interesting that one of Paul’s longest and most fully developed books was written to those whom he did not know personally.
If Paul had not been to Rome and did not personally know many of the Roman saints, he did have a fair knowledge of this church. In Acts 18 Paul’s path crossed that of Priscilla and Aquila who had just come to Corinth from Rome:
After these things he left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. He came to them (Acts 18:1-2).
Paul must have gained a great deal of information from Aquila and Priscilla about the church in Rome. Paul’s concern for the saints at Rome would likely have grown because of his contact with this couple. If those named in Romans 16:3-16 are all saints living in Rome, Paul knew a great deal about the individual saints in Rome. Paul’s desire to visit these Roman saints continued to grow. When he was at Ephesus, he expressed his intention of going through Macedonia and Achaia to Jerusalem and from there to Rome (Acts 19:21).
Paul eventually reached Rome but not in the way he might have expected. He arrived as the “guest” of the Roman government, as a prisoner who was appealing his case to Caesar as a Roman citizen. Upon his arrival, he was warmly greeted by the brethren and encouraged, as he had hoped:
… and thus we came to Rome. And the brethren, when they heard about us, came from there as far as the Market of Appius and Three Inns to meet us; and when Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage (Acts 28:14b-15; compare Romans 1:11-12).
Paul’s first visit to Rome lasted, it seems, for two full years (Acts 28:30). While Paul was not free to travel about Rome, he was free to have visitors at his rented quarters, and so he was able to minister to all who came to him (28:30).
The time and place of the writing of Romans is a matter which is generally agreed upon and which has a fair degree of certainty. Paul’s comments in Romans 1:8-15 and 15:22-29, when compared to the events of Acts 18:1-2 and 20:3, 6, 18, definitely point to a time late in 57 or early 58 A.D. The place of writing seems quite clearly to be Corinth.
How Paul’s Epistle to the Romans must have warmed the hearts of these saints and paved the way for his reception when he reached Rome. Paul’s epistle had a lasting effect on the Roman church and on saints beyond Rome. Not only this epistle but also others were circulated among the saints:
The copy which was taken to Rome was certainly treasured in the church of that city, and survived the persecution of AD 64. About AD 96 Clement, ‘foreign secretary’ of the Roman church, shows himself well acquainted with the Epistle to the Romans; he echoes its language time and again in the letter which he sent in that year on behalf of the Roman church to the church in Corinth. The way in which he echoes its language suggests that he knew it by heart; it could well be that the Epistle was read regularly at meetings of the Roman church from the time of its reception onwards … From the beginning of the second century Paul’s letters circulated as a collection—the corpus Paulinum—and not singly.7
The predominant theme of the Book of Romans is the righteousness of God. We will survey the subject of God’s righteousness by tracking this theme through the Epistle. Since later study will consider the text on a verse-by-verse basis, we will pass by all but the main thrust of each section. We will also briefly deal with the introduction (1:1-14) and the conclusion (16:1-27) of the Epistle.
While the first 15 verses of chapter 1 have much to say about Paul’s relationship to the saints in Rome, they have even more to say about his relationship to the gospel. Paul was saved and set apart for the gospel (1:1). In particular, he was given the privilege and responsibility of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles. Among the Gentiles reached by the gospel, the saints of Rome are included. The gospel transformed their lives in a way that resulted in the report of their faith in distant places (1:8). Their common faith in the gospel, in fact, is the bond which unites Paul and the saints in Rome. For this reason he had long wished to visit them but had been prevented from going to them. He still looks forward to the time when he will see them face to face, there to proclaim the gospel and to fellowship with these saints.
Romans 1:16-17 introduces the theme of the righteousness of God. The righteousness of God is directly linked with the gospel. If the gospel was Paul’s calling, the joyful experience of his readers, it was also the revelation of God’s righteousness. In these two introductory verses, Paul asserts his confidence in the gospel and gives us two reasons for his boldness in proclaiming it. First, the gospel is the “power of God for the salvation” of both Jews and Gentiles. Second, the gospel reveals the righteousness of God. The rest of the Epistle, as I understand it, is Paul’s explanation of this fundamental truth: THE GOSPEL REVEALS THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD.
We shall now set out to see how Paul develops this fundamental truth.
In the following verses, I believe Paul is laying out the gospel in a very orderly, sequential way. In essence, Paul is setting before us a theology of the gospel in a way that demonstrates the righteousness of God. He begins with man’s sin, moves to God’s solution, and then expands the gospel to its logical and necessary goal—sanctification: the living out of God’s righteousness through the lives of those who believe in the gospel.
Paul’s purpose in this section is not only to demonstrate man’s sin, and thus his need for a righteousness that is of God, but to show us that man’s sin actually demonstrates God’s righteousness. This is precisely what Paul concludes in chapter 3:
But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? … (Romans 3:5a).
Paul’s point is made with two major thrusts. The first is given in 1:18-32; the second follows the first in 2:1-8. The first thrust seems to be directed toward those who might be considered the “heathen,” the pagans. A self-righteous Jew would certainly think of the sinners described in chapter 1 as Gentiles. We might call the first category of sinners “self-indulgent sinners.” The second group of sinners I would call “self-righteous sinners.”
The “self-indulgent sinners” of chapter 1 are those on and through whom the wrath of God is presently being revealed (1:18). The wrath or judgment which they are said to be experiencing is the result of their being “given over” (1:24, 26, 28) by God. These sinners have rejected the natural revelation of God, that which can be known about God through His creation. The result of this rejection of the revelation of God through nature is being turned over to that which is unnatural.
The “self-righteous sinners” of chapter 2 are those whose judgment is viewed as future (2:5). The sinners of chapter 1 seem to have lives of chaos and disorder as the present consequence of their sin. The sinners of chapter 2 seem to be living quite well. They are not aware of their sinfulness. They actually feel righteous. They misinterpret God’s present kindness, thinking it is their reward for righteous living. They do not understand that it is the result of God’s long-suffering. He is delaying judgment to give opportunity for repentance (2:5). The “self-righteous sinner” occupies himself with judging others (2:1). He certainly believes in sin, but not in his own.
God’s righteousness, Paul contends, is demonstrated by His judgment of sinners, sinners of either kind—the self-indulgent or the self-righteous. God’s righteousness is seen not only in the fact that He judges sinners, but also in that He judges them impartially. This principle of impartiality is put forward in 2:9-11 and is played out in the remainder of this section.
The righteousness of God requires His wrath to be expressed toward unrighteousness. This Paul has maintained. But now he sets out to show how God’s wrath is expressed impartially, toward all sinners, both Jew and Gentile. The Jews prided themselves in their privileged position and in their possession of the Law, but they failed to practice it. In the remaining verses of chapter 2, Paul shows that possession of the Law (symbolized by circumcision) was of no value unless the Law was also practiced. In fact, there is even greater condemnation for those who have the greater revelation of the Law and yet fail to meet its demands. The hypocrisy of claiming to uphold the Law, while actually rejecting it, is exposed and condemned. The Jew, therefore, cannot attain righteousness by means of law-keeping. He, like the pagans he condemns, is only revealed to be a sinner by the Law. The outward symbol of circumcision was of no value to the Jew apart from possessing a true righteousness, a righteousness which law-keeping could not achieve.
If God’s righteousness is seen by the fact that God condemns man’s unrighteousness, Paul also teaches that God’s righteousness is revealed by the way that He judges unrighteousness. God condemns sinners without partiality. He has no “favorites” whose sin He overlooks, nor are there those whom He dislikes whose condemnation is contrived. He judges men impartially and righteously in that He judges men on the basis of the revelation given to them. Thus, Jews are judged by the Law they possess, while others are judged only on the basis of natural revelation (chapter 1).
Paul has rejected the basis on which the Jew found himself superior to the Gentile. Neither the Gentile, without the Law, nor the Jew, with the Law, could achieve his own righteousness. The truth of God revealed in nature and the truth of God revealed in the Law both served to demonstrate God’s righteousness and man’s unrighteousness. Paul’s teaching to this point raises three questions which he asks and answers before coming to the conclusion of his first major point.
The first question concerned the benefit of being a Jew. If the possession of the Law did not make the Jew better than anyone else, “then what advantage has the Jew?” (Romans 3:1). Paul’s answer was that while being a Jew did not make one pious (righteous), it did give one the great privilege of being entrusted with God’s Word.
The second question follows the first. Does man’s unbelief, man’s unfaithfulness to God, reflect on God’s faithfulness to man? If the revelation of God in nature and in the Law has not made any man righteous, but has only proven man to be unrighteous, what does this say about God? Has God failed? Not at all! Man’s failure has demonstrated the righteousness of God. Furthermore, as the next section will demonstrate, man’s failure has not frustrated God’s purposes but has fulfilled them, paving the way for God to demonstrate His righteousness by providing a righteousness the Law could never produce.
Finally, does the unrighteousness of man suggest unrighteousness on God’s part? Can God be righteous when He has created men who are sinners, and when He has provided a revelation which only seems to produce unrighteousness rather than righteousness? Has God’s purpose of revealing His own righteousness by demonstrating man’s unrighteousness backfired, so that God is made to look evil? Such a question hardly deserves an answer, and so Paul merely states that the condemnation of such people is just (3:8).
Having spoken to these three concerns, Paul now draws the first section of his argument in Romans to a close. In Romans 3:9 he concludes that Jews are no better than Gentiles and that both are unrighteous, guilty before God. He then, in verses 10-18, draws together a series of quotations from the Old Testament which describe man’s fallen, sinful condition, a condition which is universal and which is true of Jew and Gentile alike.
The point of this section is now summarized in 3:19-20. The Law was given to those under the Law, not to make them superior to those who did not have the Law, nor to make them righteous, but to demonstrate their unrighteousness. The Law reveals man’s need of righteousness; it does not provide men with righteousness. The Law is not the solution, the cure. The Law is to salvation what an x-ray is to a cure. The Law and the x-ray both reveal the problem and the need for a cure, but they do not produce the cure in and of themselves. The Law reveals man’s problem: He is unrighteous, under the wrath of a righteous God. Man’s unrighteousness demonstrates God’s righteousness. How, then, is man ever to obtain righteousness? In the next section, Paul shows how the gospel not only reveals man’s unrighteousness, but it reveals God’s righteousness in Jesus Christ.
If God was shown by Paul to be righteous by His response to the unrighteousness (sin) of men in judgment (1:18–3:20), He is now shown to be righteous by His response to man’s sin in providing salvation (3:21–5:21). Just as God is just in judging men impartially, He is also just in saving men impartially. In this section, God’s righteousness is revealed by the gospel, since the gospel is the good news of God’s salvation in Jesus Christ, apart from man’s works, and in spite of man’s unrighteousness.
Because the Law could not produce righteousness, but could only expose man’s unrighteousness, God provided a righteousness for men that is not dependent upon man, but has been accomplished in Jesus Christ. This righteousness is described initially in Romans 3:21-31. The righteousness God has provided is that which Jesus Christ accomplished, a righteousness based upon His person and His work. If God is to save men in a way that demonstrates His righteousness, He must first deal justly with man’s unrighteousness. He cannot bestow righteousness upon unrighteous men without first removing their unrighteousness. This He accomplished by the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. He bore the wrath of God which God’s righteousness required. And then, having satisfied God’s righteous wrath (a process known as propitiation, see 3:25), He bestows His righteousness on those who believe in Jesus Christ by faith. This righteousness is that which men receive as a free gift, as a gift of grace, and not as the result of human effort or Law-keeping. Since this righteousness is independent of man’s works, and since it is offered to both Jews and Gentiles alike, men have nothing to boast about when they are declared righteous. In saving men in this way, the righteousness of God is revealed, just as in His condemnation of men.
The Law should not be seen as something worthless, as something which only condemns men, and thus to be rejected and despised. In chapter 4 Paul seeks to show how in the Old Testament, as in the New, righteousness came through faith and not through Law-keeping. Paul chose Abraham as an example of Old Testament “justification by faith.” Abraham was a man who lived and who was declared righteous before the Law was even given to men. He could not be saved by Law-keeping, because the Law had not yet been given. He was saved by faith, faith in the promise of God. His faith, not his works, was reckoned to him as righteousness. Abraham was not the exception to salvation by faith, but an example of Old Testament salvation by faith. David also is pointed out as one who believed that his righteousness was in spite of his sin, and due to God’s forgiveness by grace through faith (Romans 4:6-8).
Circumcision was, with the coming of the Law, to become a necessary part of the Mosaic Covenant. The self-righteous Jew, who thought his righteousness was the result of Law-keeping, saw circumcision as a meritorious act. The rite of circumcision was a testimony to one’s submission to the Law and an evidence of one’s commitment to keep the Law. If righteousness were the result of works in the Old Testament, then surely Abraham’s salvation would be linked to his circumcision. But since his righteousness (like that of every other Old Testament saint) was obtained through faith, the conversion of Abraham is declared as having taken place a number of years before he was circumcised and apart from any works. Abraham was reckoned to be righteous because he believed in the promise of God, the promise of a son, through whom the awaited Messiah would come. Abraham was saved by faith, just like a New Testament saint. The only difference is that Abraham believed in God’s promise that Messiah would come, while New Testament saints believe that the Messiah, Jesus Christ, has come.
Abraham is shown to be the “father of faith,” not just for the Jews, but for all who believe God’s promise and provision of salvation. Circumcision for Abraham was the fruit of his faith, not the root of it. Righteousness, living according to the standards of God’s righteousness, as revealed in the Law, is the result of faith and not the result of works. Works are the result of righteousness, not the cause.
Furthermore, Abraham’s faith, like ours today, was a “resurrection faith” (3:19-25). Abraham knew that although God promised him and Sarah a son, this was physically impossible at their age in life. They were too old to bear a son. Abraham realized that when it came to child-bearing he and Sarah were “as good as dead.” God would have to virtually “raise the dead” to provide them with the son He promised. And so He did. Thus, Abraham’s faith was in the promise of a God who was able to “raise the dead”; it was a resurrection faith. Abraham’s “resurrection faith” will face its ultimate test on Mount Moriah, when God tests him by instructing him to sacrifice his son, Isaac (Genesis 22; see also Hebrews 11:17-19).
And so Paul has shown us that the gospel has not really changed from the Old Testament to the New. This is why both Jews and Gentiles are saved in the same way, by the same gospel. This is why both Jews and Gentiles are saved by faith, apart from Law-keeping. The Law only condemns; it only shows how far short of God’s righteousness men fall. But faith rests in the person and in the promises of God. Faith believes God and receives the forgiveness of sins and the gift of righteousness through Jesus Christ. The gospel which Paul preached, and which the Roman saints had received, offered the same righteousness (the righteousness of Christ) through the same means (faith), apart from works.
Saving faith and its resulting righteousness is not a “fair weather faith.” The salvation which God provides is permanent, lasting. It proves even more certain in the trials and adversities of life (5:2-5). The more we see God’s grace preserving us through trials, the more confident we become of the certainty of our ultimate victory. But more than this, we are assured of the permanence of our salvation because of the way God provided our righteousness. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins, to make us righteous, while we were still sinners. If God did this for us while we were still His enemies (the greater work), then surely He will now keep us and preserve us from His wrath now that we are forgiven and are His children (5:8-10). If we are saved by sharing in the death of Christ, think of what will result from our sharing in His life!
Paul concludes this section with a second “greater than” argument. The work of Jesus Christ is “greater than” the work of Adam. Adam’s sin had great and terrible repercussions. Adam’s sin made all men sinners, and resulted in man’s separation from God. Man’s universal unrighteousness was described in chapters 1 and 2 as the result of man’s rejection of the truth. Now, in the final verses of chapter 5, man’s unrighteousness is taken back to its original source—the sin of Adam.
Who is the greater of the two, Adam or Christ? Christ is the greater of the two, far greater. If this is so, then we can be assured that the results of Christ’s righteousness overcome and overshadow the results of Adam’s unrighteousness. If Adam’s act resulted in sin and death for all his descendants, for the human race, then Christ’s work results in life and peace for all those who are in Him, all who are, by faith, His children. If tragedy was the result of Adam’s act, triumph is surely to be the result of Christ’s work. Thus, the salvation which God has provided for men is not only good; it is permanent, lasting, and sure.
If Adam’s sin was multiplied, as it were, through the human race, so righteousness was multiplied even more, through Jesus Christ. Paul derives from this a universal principle of God’s economy: The grace of God always exceeds man’s sin. There are some serious potential abuses of this truth, however, and Paul will take this up in the next section.
In his Epistle to the Ephesians, Paul very clearly indicates not only what we have been saved from (Ephesians 2:1-3), but also what we have been saved for (Ephesians 2:10). While our efforts to produce good works can never save us, when God provided salvation, He provided us with a salvation that results in good works. In Romans 6-8 Paul takes up his argument at the point of salvation, showing that salvation requires righteousness, which is beyond our own capabilities, but that God has given us provision for righteous living.
In the briefest of terms, Romans 6 instructs us that righteousness is a requirement for the Christian. Romans chapter 7 teaches us that while righteousness is required, it is nevertheless humanly impossible, due to the weakness of our flesh and the power of sin. In Romans 8, Paul explores the divine provision for righteousness—the Holy Spirit, by whose power Christians can fulfill the righteousness which the Law commanded and which God still requires. Let us now survey these three chapters with a bit more detail.
Paul ended chapter 5 with an important principle: WHERE SIN ABOUNDS, GRACE ABOUNDS ALL THE MORE (Romans 5:20).
In the context, this principle applies particularly to the sin of Adam and to the grace of God in Christ. But it is also a universal truth. God’s grace is greater than all our sin. We even have a hymn with words to this effect: “Grace that is greater than all my sin …”
Chapter 6 begins with the question, “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” If grace outruns sin, then why not continue in sin so that grace can increase in greater measure? Once we have been saved, our sins forgiven, and heaven has become a certain hope, why not continue to live as we once did? Paul has a very definite answer to this question.
Salvation occurs when men are identified with the person and work of Jesus Christ. This is accomplished by Spirit baptism and then is symbolized by water baptism. Paul shows that continuing in sin is living in a way utterly inconsistent with Christ’s work, a work in which we have become participants. If Christ died to sin and we died in Him, how can we now go on living in sin? If Christ was raised from the dead, to live a new and glorified life, and we were joined to Him, how can we avoid the conclusion that our lives too must be transformed?
Our union with Jesus Christ at the time of our conversion requires that sin be rejected and renounced and that righteousness be served. Our lives should reflect a “deadness to sin” and an “aliveness to righteousness.” A decision is called for by Paul, a decision to cease presenting our bodies as instruments for accomplishing sin and to present our bodies to God as instruments of righteousness. We are the slaves of that to which we give ourselves. We will either become slaves of righteousness or slaves of sin. Paul urges us to become slaves of righteousness.
There is a problem, however, which Paul describes in chapter 7. Positionally speaking, our death to sin in Christ freed us from the bondage of the Law, so that we may serve God by the prompting of the Spirit, rather than by the demands of the Law. But our positional change leads to some very practical problems. Now, in Christ, we have the desire to do what is right but no power to accomplish it. Sin still gets the best of us. We do what we hate (sin), and we cannot do what we love (righteousness). The Law is not the problem, for we agree with what the Law requires and forbids. The problem is with our flesh, which cannot overcome the greater power of sin. The righteousness for which we were saved, and which we are obligated to perform, we are unable to achieve.
Man’s inability has a divine solution, expounded by Paul in chapter 8. God has provided His children, those whom He has saved, with the power of the Holy Spirit. Those who walk in the Spirit are able to overcome the power of sin and to practice that righteousness which God requires through the Law (see Romans 8:4). This same Spirit, who now indwells and empowers every Christian, is the Spirit who raised the dead body of Jesus Christ to life. He can and will raise our “dead” bodies to life as well, not only in the physical sense, but in giving us the ability to live righteously. Just as Abraham and Sarah were “dead” so far as producing a child, but were “made alive” to do so (Romans 4:19), so we who are “dead” with respect to living righteously are “made alive” to do so by His Spirit.
The provision of the Holy Spirit should not be understood in such a way as to suppose that perfect righteousness will be experienced in this present, evil world. Our righteousness will not be complete until we are in heaven. We will continue to fail and to fall short of all that God requires. The shed blood of Christ provides for our forgiveness in such cases. But the world in which we live is imperfect as well. It too awaits the day of its complete restoration and perfection, a day which is referred to here as “the revealing of the sons of God” (8:19). Until that day, there will be suffering and groaning, in the saints as well as in the creation. The Holy Spirit is God’s provision for our present inadequacies, helping us in our time of weakness, interceding for us with God, even when we are not able to express our groanings with words.
All along in Romans Paul has been dealing with both Jews and Gentiles. God shows no partiality toward the Jews, whether this has to do with His condemnation of sin or with His provision of salvation. Impartiality does not mean that one deals with everyone alike in every respect, however. For example, we may be impartial or just in dealing with our children, but we need not treat every child in exactly the same way. Each child should be dealt with as an individual. God is impartial in condemning sin, but He deals differently with those He condemns. Those who have not received the revelation of God’s righteousness in the Law are judged apart from the Law and only in accordance with what has been revealed to them. Those who have received the Law are judged by its standards (Romans 1 and 2). Throughout history God has always dealt impartially with men, but He has also distinguished between the Jews and the Gentiles. This matter of God’s dealings with the Jews and the Gentiles is now taken up, to show that in distinguishing between Jews and Gentiles, God has been impartial; thus the righteousness of God is revealed by His dealings with men in history. These dealings of God with men in history are summed up in chapters 9-11.
There is a very evident problem. God had made certain promises of salvation to the Jews in the Old Testament. The nation Israel had rejected Jesus as their Messiah, and now the gospel was being proclaimed to the Gentiles as well. The churches, such as the church in Rome, had some Jewish Christians and (usually) many more Gentile saints. While God deals impartially with Jews and Gentiles, and He both condemns and saves them justly, are there not some unfulfilled promises to Israel which should be fulfilled? And why is it that God started His program of salvation and blessing through the nation Israel only to set them aside? This seems to be the problem which Paul is addressing in Romans 9-11.
In verses 1-5 of chapter 9 Paul begins by revealing his own heart with respect to the Jews. What he is about to say, he will say as a Jew. He is not anti-Semitic, and he loves His people so much that he wishes he could suffer God’s condemnation in their place. He desperately yearns for their salvation. These are a privileged people, but the restoration of Israel and the fulfillment of God’s promises to this nation will not be fulfilled until later in history, as Paul is about to demonstrate.
In chapter 9 Paul defends the righteousness of God by expounding the doctrine of election. In proportion to the Jewish population, only a few Jewish saints could be found. This seemed to puzzle the Jews, because they thought that the promised blessings of God would be poured out on all the descendants of Israel (Jacob). In fact, they seemed to think that being the physical seed of Abraham assured them of these blessings (see Matthew 3:9; Romans 4:10-17).
What Paul sets out to show us is that God’s blessings were never promised to the Jews, based solely upon their physical descent from Abraham, or from Jacob (Israel). Thus, he sets out the principle in verse 6, “They are not all Israel who are descended from Israel.” Through the principle and process of election, God continued to restrict His blessings to some of the descendants of Israel, but not to all. In verses 7-13 Paul gave the specific example of God’s sovereign choice of Jacob and His rejection of Esau, both sons of Isaac. God set Jacob over Esau, in spite of the fact that Esau was born first. God’s choice was not based upon the works of either child; it was a sovereign choice.
Does God’s election disturb some? Are we troubled that at God’s sovereign discretion some are chosen to be the objects of His favor while others are the objects of His wrath? Does divine election seem unfair, unjust, unrighteous? It is exactly the opposite. Election is precisely that means of God’s blessing some which demonstrates His righteousness.
Think back with me for a moment to recall the principle Paul has already laid down, the principle of rewards, which is the basis for divine condemnation:
There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to every man who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no impartiality with God (Romans 2:9-11).
God’s standard of justice is that all who do good will receive glory and honor and peace, while all who do evil receive tribulation and distress.
By verse 20 of chapter 3 Paul has concluded that there is none who does good, and that all men (Jew and Greek alike) do that which is evil. This means that the justice of God requires that all men be punished, and that none deserve God’s blessings of glory, honor, and peace.
At this point in Romans we see that God’s mercy joins forces with His justice, so that salvation is provided, in a way that satisfies both God’s mercy and His righteousness. Jesus Christ, God’s beloved Son, died for sinners, bearing the Father’s wrath toward sinners. God has therefore maintained His righteousness by following through with the wrath that sin requires. He has also provided His blessings through a righteousness which He provides, in Jesus Christ. God is therefore righteous both in the saving of some and in the condemning of others.
But on what basis is the decision made? How is it determined who will receive God’s blessings and who will receive His wrath? There are two answers to this question, provided in Romans 9 and 10. In Romans 9 Paul tells us that God chooses those whom He will bless, and those who will continue on the path to their own judgment. The basis of this choice is crucial, for the righteousness of God is at issue.
God cannot choose to bless men on the basis of their “goodness” or on the basis of the good works that they will do, for we have already seen that all mankind is sinful, unrighteous, and falls under divine condemnation. Men will be blessed on the basis of the righteousness of Christ, not on the basis of their own works. For God’s blessings to be bestowed righteously, the objects of His blessings must not, in some way, be shown favoritism. Thus it is that God’s blessings have always been bestowed on some, on the basis of God’s sovereign, unconditioned choice, by His sovereign election.
God did not choose to bless every descendant of Israel because this would be favoritism toward the Israelites. It would be unfair. God has chosen to allow some to suffer the consequences of their unrighteousness—to become “vessels of His wrath.” He has chosen others to be the objects of His blessings—to become “vessels of His mercy.” All men could have been righteously condemned, because all sinned. No one should have been blessed, for none merited God’s blessings. But God chose to pluck some from the wrath and destruction their sins required and to bestow His blessings upon them, based upon the death of Jesus for their sins, and His righteousness. To have the choice rest only with God is the only basis on which God’s blessings and cursings could be righteously imparted.
Thus, from eternity past it was not God’s purpose to save every physical descendant of Abraham, or Isaac, or Israel. It was His intention to save some. It was also His intention to save some of the Gentiles as well. This was foretold by the prophet Hosea (Romans 9:25-26). Not all Israel was to be saved, nor needed to be, but only a remnant, through which the promises of God could be preserved and fulfilled. Isaiah spoke of this remnant (Romans 9:27-29). Thus, from the beginning God planned to save some Jews and some Gentiles, based upon His sovereign choice. God is just in judging some sinners, and He is both merciful and just in saving and blessing other sinners. And God is just in saving and rejecting both Jews and Gentiles so that He shows no partiality.
On what basis are some saved and others condemned? The first answer, of Romans 9, is that the basis is the sovereign choice of God—divine election. The second answer, found in chapter 10, is human responsibility: men are condemned because they reject God’s revelation and His provision and choose to persist in striving on their own. Why are some men blessed? Because God chose them for blessing. Why are some men blessed? Because God’s offer of blessing was offered them, and they accepted it, by faith. Why are some men condemned to eternal suffering? Because God chose to allow them to suffer the consequences of their own choices and not to override their condemnation with salvation and blessing.
Thus, while Romans 9 emphasizes the sovereignty of God, Romans 10 emphasizes the responsibility of men. Men are not responsible to seek out God’s righteousness, for it has been prophesied in the Old Testament and has been revealed to them in the person of Jesus Christ (Romans 10:6-8). Men do not need to seek for the righteousness of God, but only to accept it, by faith (Romans 10:9-10). And men are also under obligation to proclaim this offer of righteousness to others, so that they can hear the gospel and choose to accept or reject it (Romans 10:13-15).
The Jews, like the Gentiles, did not all accept this salvation. And this rejection of the Jews should not have come as a surprise, for their rejection was prophesied in the Old Testament, along with the salvation of a number of the Gentiles. What the Roman Christians saw happening around them was exactly what God had said would happen (Romans 10:18-21).
God’s promises to Israel in the Old Testament are still valid and will eventually be fulfilled, because His election and calling are irreversible (Romans 11:29). God has not utterly forsaken His people. What He has done is to devise a plan whereby both Jews and Gentiles would be offered the blessings of God, and some would enter into them. God always preserved a remnant of His people Israel, through whom His promises could be fulfilled. There was always a remnant of the righteous, even when it seemed otherwise (Romans 11:2-6). Just as He saved some for blessing, He hardened others for condemnation. This hardening of Jewish hearts was also foretold (Romans 11:8-10). This hardening has opened the door for Gentile evangelism. After God has saved those He has chosen from among the Gentiles, He will turn back to His people to bless them.
The method God is using is incredible. God purposed to use the unbelief of Israel to accomplish His plan. This led to the crucifixion of Jesus and His atoning work on Calvary. It opened the door for the gospel to be proclaimed to the Gentiles. The Gentiles, however, should not become arrogant about the blessings God has showered upon them, for they are unmerited blessings. At this present time, God is using the proclamation of the gospel to the Gentiles, and the pouring out of His blessings on those Gentiles who are saved, to provoke the Jews to jealousy. Eventually, God will cause the hearts of His people to turn back to Him, so that the Jews will experience the blessings He has promised.
Paul cannot move on until he has, as it were, fallen before God in worship, adoration, and praise, for the wisdom of His all-encompassing plan. Who would have ever thought of this plan? Who would have believed it, unless we were told? Truly God is not only righteous, loving, and merciful; He is also infinitely wise!
We will very briefly survey this last section of Paul’s argument here, for we will consider it in detail later in our series. The righteousness which men lacked in chapters 1-3a, which God imputed to believers in chapters 3b-5, and which He has required and empowered in chapters 6-8, is now described in more practical terms. The righteousness of God is to be reflected (partially and imperfectly) in His children. The broad forms this righteousness should take are outlined by Paul in chapters 12-15.
Paul begins by taking up the sacrificial imagery and terminology of the Old Testament. The Christian’s righteousness should not be viewed as a reluctant compliance with what God has demanded, but as a grateful response to all that God has bestowed upon us in His mercy. Gratitude is the basis of the service of which Paul speaks here.
Rather than presenting animals and other items as a sacrifice, we are to present ourselves (much like Paul called us to do in Romans 6). We are to serve God by setting aside those attitudes and practices of the world in which we live, and to be renewed in our minds with the knowledge of that which is the will of God, which is both good and pleasing to Him (Romans 12:1-2).
The first area of sacrificial service is in using the spiritual gifts and enablements which God has given us for service. Every gift is to be employed in a way that will serve God and benefit others. The pitfalls of exercising our gifts are also suggested (12:3-8). Chapter 12 ends with more general principles which are to guide us in our conduct and in our relationships with others (12:9-21).
In chapter 13 Paul turns to the Christian’s practical righteousness in relationship to the government which God has placed in authority over him (13:1-7). The Christian is to regard the authority of government as having come from God, and thus one should obey government as unto the Lord unless there are very exceptional circumstances. In verses 8-10 conduct is described in terms of fulfilling one of the two major commands of the Old Testament—to love your neighbor as yourself. The final verses (11-14) speak of the Christian’s conduct in the light of the Lord’s return.
In Romans 14:1–15:3 Paul lays down principles for relating to one another as Christians when we see things differently, based upon our maturity or upon different convictions. We are to live in accordance with our own convictions and not impose these on others. We are not to exercise our rights in ways that would cause another to stumble. We are to strive to strengthen others, not to hinder them. We are to use our strength to serve the weak rather than to benefit ourselves.
Chapter 15 closes in much the same way Paul began this Epistle. Whatever Paul had to say to us individually about the “strong” and the “weak” must have had a more collective element as well. He moves therefore into a discussion about the relationship between the Jews and the Gentiles. Christians are to accept one another and not fall into disunity and divisiveness. If God shows no partiality, then we too must avoid racial prejudice and tensions.
As Paul began by speaking of his ministry as an apostle, and of his calling to proclaim Christ among the Gentiles, so he ends by telling of the ministry God has given him in preaching the gospel to Gentiles (15:15-21). His final words speak, once again, of his desire to come to visit them, and then to press on to other places which have not yet heard the good news.
In many ways Paul has concluded his argument in chapter 15. Chapter 16 is primarily Paul’s closing of this letter with personal words of greeting and with final words of exhortation. While Paul may not yet have reached Rome, he knew of many of the saints there by name. His concern for the saints in this city was far from minimal.
As we conclude this survey of the Book of Romans, I want to return to a question which we raised at the beginning: What is it about the Book of Romans which helps us understand its great impact on the lives of men and women throughout the past two thousand years? Let me suggest several factors for your consideration.
Jesus cautioned the Pharisees about “straining gnats and swallowing camels.” How often we find ourselves preoccupied with the minutia of life, and even of Scriptures, rather than with the most important matters. Romans is a book that deals with the major themes and doctrines of the Word of God and which does not focus on others. Perhaps no other book of the Bible is so all-encompassing in its outlook and approach:
James I. Packer of England states:
there is one book in the New Testament which links up with almost everything that the Bible contains: that is the Epistle to the Romans, … In Romans, Paul brings together and sets out in systematic relation all the great themes of the Bible—sin, law, judgment, faith, works, grace, justification, sanctification, election, the plan of salvation, the work of Christ, the work of the Spirit, the Christian hope, the nature and life of the Church, the place of Jew and Gentile in the purpose of God, the philosophy of the Church and of world history, the meaning and message of the Old Testament, the duties of Christian citizenship, the principles of personal piety and ethics. From the vantage-point given by Romans, the whole landscape of the Bible is open to view, and the broad relation of the parts to the whole becomes plain. The study of Romans is the fittest starting-point for biblical interpretation and theology.’8
In other epistles, the message is often more problem-centered. The author will address his readers in the light of current events. This is both necessary and important. But when we study the texts which take this approach, we may have to go through several steps to uncover the basic underlying principle. Only then can we begin to make application to ourselves. In Romans, Paul deals with the principles, and he does not begin with the particulars.
This may take you by surprise, but there is a sense in which the most “practical” texts of Scripture may be those which seem less practical and less edifying than those more “applicationally oriented.” In the light of Romans and Paul’s teaching on the Law, let us beware of wanting some kind of “rule book” approach to the Christian walk. Too often we want God’s Word (or preachers) to tell us precisely what to do and how to do it. Romans is not that kind of book, and it is because of this, in part, that it has had such an impact on men and women down through the ages.
Under the Law, men were told what to do, and then were encouraged to meditate on the Law to discern the underlying principles. In the New Testament, we are given the principles as guidelines, and then called upon to meditate upon them in order to determine what it is we are to do. This means, for one thing, that while all Christians should avoid immorality, some Christians might conclude that they should conduct themselves differently than others. This is especially applicable in the areas of spiritual gifts (for example, Paul and Barnabas, Acts 15:36-41) and of personal convictions (see Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8-10).
Christians can become so entangled in the particulars of Christianity that they lose sight of the great principles. So it was, for example, just before the Reformation. When the principles of “sola scriptura” (the Scriptures alone are our source of authority) and “justification by faith” were once again discovered in the Book of Romans, men’s lives and Christianity as a whole were radically impacted.
Not only do we find in Romans the exposition of the great doctrines of the faith, but we find the eternal purposes of God. We tend to become locked in on our own times, our own problems, our own sense of needs, and we lose sight of the big picture. It is the “big picture” which Romans constantly expounds and explains. Thus, in Romans we are told of God’s eternal purposes (Romans 9-11), of Adam’s fall (Romans 5), and of the restoration of the earth (Romans 8). It is not our task and calling to seek to persuade God to adjust His program and purposes to suit our needs, but our calling is to conform our attitudes and actions to His revealed will (see Romans 12:1-2ff.).
Thus, Romans is a “great” book, because it deals with “great” matters. Two of these “great matters” will follow.
One of the “great themes” which the Book of Romans expounds and emphasizes is that of the gospel. Paul’s introduction and conclusion are dominated by the theme of the gospel. Everything in between them is an exposition of the gospel. There is no other book of the Bible which so fully expounds the gospel as Romans. If you would understand the gospel, go to Romans.
Have you believed this gospel? Do you recognize that you are among the “all” who are judged to be sinners, and who are destined for God’s wrath? Do you know that Jesus Christ died so that your punishment would be His, and so that His righteousness could be yours? Have you ceased trying to earn your own righteousness and received His righteousness by faith? That is the offer of the gospel, but it is an offer that you must receive.
Surely the gospel is the most vitally important message a non-Christian can ever hear. But why (in Romans 1:15) does Paul say he desires to preach the gospel to his audience in Rome, when they are already believers? I think there are a number of reasons.
(1) The gospel is never understood as fully by the Christian as it could and should be. We can never hear the gospel too often. We can never understand it too well.
(2) The gospel is constantly being distorted. In our own sin, we are inclined to distort it, both in its application to ourselves, and in our representation of it to others. The gospel as defined in Romans is a standard, against which we must constantly measure our own concept of the gospel. Romans is the perfect standard; ours is the imperfect.
(3) The gospel is not only that truth by which we are saved and that truth by which others are saved as we bear witness, it is also that truth which is the standard for our daily lives. Paul said to the Colossians, “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him” (Colossians 2:6).
Why is the gospel so important? Paul has already told us, at the beginning of his epistle. The gospel is “the power of God unto salvation,” and it “reveals the righteousness of God” (Romans 1:16-17). No wonder the gospel is so prominent in the Book of Romans.
How often we make man the center of our “universe,” wanting to put God into orbit around us, waiting for Him to meet our needs and to make us happy and comfortable. It is God who is to be central and preeminent, not men. It is we who are to orient our lives to Him. When you read through the Book of Romans, you will be constantly reminded that it is God who is most prominently displayed here.
The character of God, in many of its facets, is displayed in Romans, such that Paul will pause to praise and adore Him for who He is (see Romans 8:31-39 and especially 11:33-36). There are many of the attributes of God described in this great Epistle, but none greater or more prominent than that of God’s righteousness. I would like to suggest that the righteousness of God is that attribute of God’s character which makes His other attributes all the more glorious. Think of a God who is all-powerful, but who is not righteous and just. It is a horrifying thought. Power without righteousness is terrifying. Think of a God who is “loving” but who is not also righteous. This would be mere sentimentalism, something like the favoritism of Jacob toward Rachel and her two sons. A love rooted in justice is a marvelous thing. Think too of a merciful God, who was not also righteous …
The righteousness of God. What a marvelous truth. What comfort! What discomfort! May we see more and more of God’s righteousness in Romans, in the church, and in our own lives, to the praise of the glory of His grace.
1 F. F. Bruce, The Epistle of Paul to the Romans (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, [photolithoprinted] 1969), p. 58.
2 Cited from Luther’s Works, Weimar edition, Vol. 54, pp. 179ff., by Bruce, p. 59.
3 Cited from Works, Vol. I, p. 103, by Bruce, p. 59.
4 The words of Roman Catholic theologian Dr. Karl Adam, as cited by Bruce, p. 60.
5 Cited by David N. Steele and Curtis C. Thomas, Romans: An Interpretive Outline (Phillipsburg, New Jersey: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company), p. 1.
6 “… four Jews of Rome, led by one who professed to teach the Jewish faith to interested Gentiles, persuaded a noble Roman lady, a convert to Judaism, to make a munificent contribution to the temple at Jerusalem, but appropriated it for their own uses. When the matter came to light, the Emperor Tiberius expelled all resident Jews from Rome.” Bruce, p. 93.
“In AD 57, the year in which Paul wrote his Epistle to the Romans, Pomponia Graecina, the wife of Aulus Plautius (who added the province of Britain to the Roman Empire in AD 43), was tried and acquitted by a domestic court on a charge of embracing a ‘foreign superstition’, which could have been Christianity. But in the eyes of the majority of Romans who knew anything about it, Christianity was simply another disgusting Oriental superstition, the sort of thing that the satirist Juvenal had in mind sixty years later when he complained of the way in which the sewage of the Orontes was discharging itself into the Tiber.” Bruce, p. 16.
8 James I. Packer, Fundamentalism and the Word of God, p. 106f., as cited by David N. Steele and Curtis C. Thomas, Romans: An Interpretive Outline (Phillipsburg, New Jersey: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company), p. 1.
When I think of shame, I think of a 1973 Pontiac. It was one of the ugliest cars I have ever seen, but it was a means of transportation for a friend. The car ran even worse than it looked; some would have said it should have been in “intensive care” while others would have thought its proper place was the morgue. It would barely run, and when it did, it backfired often sounding a little like the car in “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” only this engine sounded more like: “Put put put, bang!” I drove the car to my house to have the use of my tools, pacing myself carefully to avoid stopping at traffic lights.
In the process of taking the car to my house, I needed to pick up two of my daughters at their school. My friend drove my car, just behind my two daughters and I in the Pontiac. As we drove past the school, where a number of the girls’ friends were still outside, the car faltered, then sputtered, and suddenly backfired. Instantly, without a word spoken, both girls ducked down, laying on the seat, hoping upon hope no one had even so much as seen them riding in that car. It was a horrible embarrassment to them. They were ashamed.
All of us have had a time in our lives when we were deeply ashamed, and we may or may not have had the luxury of being able to hide. There are a number of Christians who are ashamed of the gospel. It is not a new problem nor is it a rare one. Paul found it necessary to write Timothy twice, and it is very evident that this young man struggled with being ashamed of the gospel (see 2 Timothy 1:8, 12, 16). Even though he traveled with Paul, he still was tempted to “keep a low profile” as a Christian.
While it is not stated in our text, it is very likely that some of the Roman Christians were ashamed of the gospel. Christianity was becoming less and less popular in Rome. It would not be long before Rome would burn to the ground, and the Christians would be blamed for it. Soon, the Christians would be fed to the lions before cheering crowds in the coliseums of Rome. And because of its association with Judaism, the church was probably already under suspicion. How easy it would have been for the Roman Christians to become less vocal and less visible about their faith in Jesus Christ.
But it was not so with Paul. We see Paul’s first major argument in Romans introduced with these words:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek (Romans 1:16).
What was it that caused Paul to be so bold about his faith? What was the difference between Paul, who was not ashamed of the gospel, and others, even Timothy, who struggled with shame and timidity? Paul tells us in this section: the gospel itself is the key to Paul’s boldness. The gospel was not only Paul’s message, it was his motivation. As Paul expounds it in Romans 1-3, let us take a closer look at the gospel, which not only results in the salvation of sinners, but in the boldness of those who believe, both in their lives and from their lips.
Romans is not as easy to divide neatly into sections as one might think. Often, a verse or verses may serve as the conclusion to a preceding section while also introducing the next section. We see an example of this in Romans 1:15. Typically, Romans 1:1-15 is set apart as the first section of the epistle, with 1:16-17 then understood as the “theme of Romans.” Romans 1:18–3:20 would then be the first major argument of the book, describing the sinful condition of all mankind, which demonstrates the need for a salvation independent of man’s merits. Usually, chapter 1 is seen as Paul’s demonstration of the “sins of the Gentiles,” while in chapter 2 he turns to the “sins of the Jews.” There are reasons for viewing these verses this way, but there are also some problems and limitations in doing so.
Allow me to begin with a slightly different outline, one that does not even follow exactly the structure I suggested in our first lesson. Note the overlap of verse 15 in this outline:
(1) Paul’s relationship to the Romans (1:1-15)
(2) An explanation for Paul’s eagerness to evangelize at Rome (1:15–3:26)9
In our first lesson, we sought to gain an overview of the entire Book of Romans with the purpose of determining Paul’s main emphasis and the way in which this is communicated and developed. We also attempted to identify some of the features and emphases of Romans which have had a dynamic impact on men and women throughout the ages of the history of the church. As we first looked at Romans as a whole, in the next several lessons we will devote ourselves to getting a feel for each of the major segments of the Book of Romans and attempt to identify the major thrust or point of each section, along with the way in which Paul develops his point. At the end of our introductory study of these sections, we will turn back to the beginning of Romans and begin a more detailed, verse-by-verse study.
Paul’s greeting, recorded in verses 1-7, beginning with, “Paul, a bond servant of Christ Jesus, …” and ending with, “Grace to you and peace from God, …” is the longest of all his greetings in any of his epistles. In this greeting can be found clues to that which Paul will emphasize in the body of the epistle.10 Important here, I believe, is the fact that Paul explains the bond which he has with these Roman saints, even though he has not yet visited Rome. It is the reason for his eagerness to visit them and the reason for his writing this epistle. Paul was called to be an apostle (1:1). He was set apart for the gospel and for its proclamation among the Gentiles (1:5). The gospel is not unexpected nor distinct from God’s dealings with Israel (1:2-3), although it was fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ (1:3-4). It was a gospel which was to result not only in a profession of faith, but in the practice of faith, in the “obedience of faith” (1:5). The Roman saints were, by and large, Gentiles, and thus they fell within Paul’s calling. He was called to bring Gentiles to faith, and these Gentiles had come to faith. Here was a common bond between them.
Paul wanted to visit these saints and to have fellowship with them. He looked forward to the encouragement they would give him, and he was also eager to minister to them. While Paul had not been the instrument through whom these saints had come to faith, he still felt an obligation to them. Since preaching the gospel was to result in far more than a profession of faith, Paul was eager to visit the church in Rome and to proclaim the gospel to them (1:8-15). He had attempted to visit them before but was prevented until now. He was planning to visit them in the future, and his letter was a kind of introduction to the ministry among them which he hoped to have.
Verse 15 begins with the word, “thus,” informing us that it is a conclusion, a summation of what has gone before. Paul was an apostle to the Gentiles, and many of the Roman saints were Gentiles. Paul was writing these saints, just as he hoped soon to visit them and minister to them in person. To sum it all up, Paul was “eager to preach the gospel” to the church in Rome.
Verses 16, 17, and 18 each begin with the word, “for,” which informs us that we are about to hear an explanation of Paul’s statement in verse 15. In verses 16 and following Paul intends to explain to his readers just why he is eager to preach the gospel in Rome. In verse 16 Paul tells us he is not ashamed of the gospel—indeed he is eager to proclaim it—because the power of God works in and through the gospel in such a way as to save men. (This salvation is for Jews and Gentiles, and it is a salvation which is obtained by faith.) The gospel is not a cause of shame, but the cause of confidence, for it is mighty to save because God’s power is at work in it.
Verse 17 provides us with yet another reason for Paul’s eagerness to preach the gospel: the gospel is not only that through which God works so as to save men; the gospel is that through which God’s righteousness is revealed to men. The gospel reveals not only God’s power to save, but His righteousness in saving men. As Romans 1:18–3:20 will show, God is shown to be righteous in His condemnation of all men as sinners. As Romans 3:21-26 indicates, God is likewise shown to be righteous in the way He has provided a righteousness for men, a righteousness that is obtained not by works but by faith.
As Paul starts to systematically expound the gospel, he begins by demonstrating the universal sinfulness of all mankind, Jews and Gentile alike, without exception, and without distinction. It is man’s unrighteousness which requires God’s righteous judgment. It is man’s lack of righteousness which necessitates the provision of righteousness apart from human merit or works.
Four things become apparent when we begin to study the sinful condition of man as described in Romans 1:18-31.
First, there is a panorama of sin described. There are various types of sin described, showing the infinite variety and variation in man’s sinfulness. Not all sin takes the same forms nor manifests the same symptoms. Sin is much like cancer; it is deadly, and it can infect any part of the body and in a variety of forms. Three categories of sin seem to be described by Paul in Romans 1:18-31. The first category manifests itself in idolatry (1:18-23). The second category manifests itself in unnatural immorality, in perversion (1:24-27). The third category manifests itself in self-righteousness, in pride, and in an infinite array of evil deeds (1:28-31).
Second, there is a pattern evident in sin. While sin manifests itself differently in men, the way sin grows reveals a common pattern, a common pathology. In each of the three examples which Paul gives of the sinfulness of man, the sin is described as beginning with the rejection of some revelation concerning God. In the first category, God’s nature is revealed to all mankind by creation. God’s “eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen” (1:20). In the last case, God’s righteousness is revealed by the Law of God, even more clearly than that revealed by creation (1:32; 2:1-29). The revelation which God has given to men is rejected by men in every case. What has been revealed to men about God is rejected by men. That revelation is replaced or exchanged (1:23, 25, 26) for that which is untrue, that which is false. Man’s rejection of the truth is due to sin (see 1:18), and it also results in even greater sin. When men reject the revelation and exchange the truth for a lie, God “gives them over”11 to their sin, which results in even greater evil-doing.12
Third, there is some kind of progression evident in Paul’s description of man’s downward plunge in sin. Things seem, in some ways, to go from bad to worse. For example, Paul seems to move from the present consequences of sin (“the wrath of God is being revealed,” 1:18, NIV) to the future, eternal judgment of God on sin (“you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,” 2:5). Paul seems to show a progression from those who are unrighteous to those who are self-righteous (in human terms). Those first described reject God’s revelation; those last mentioned actually affirm and profess to accept God’s revelation in the Law. The first group sets their worship of God aside, so to speak, choosing to worship created things in His place. The last group actually takes God’s place themselves. While God is described by Paul as the Judge of the earth, Paul indicts those in chapter 2 for setting themselves up as judges.
It is necessary to point out who is at the “bottom of the barrel,” those who are the most guilty of those mentioned. It is not the heathen who have only the natural revelation of the creation. It is not those who are guilty of perversion, as serious as this sin is. The most guilty are those who know more about God than the others, but who do not obey, worship, nor serve Him, in spite of all that they know about Him.
I have heard it taught that the expression “God gave them over” means, “God gave them up.” Usually, the group of those who are “given up” are the homosexuals. Some would have us think that these folks are beyond help, beyond salvation. Paul does not teach this nor does the Scripture suggest this anywhere. Indeed, Paul speaks of those who have been saved from such sin (see 1 Corinthians 6:9-11). The expression “God gave them over” does not mean that God has given up on saving such sinners. The point of this section is not to show that some men are “unsaveably” lost, but that all men are universally lost. But the grace of God and the work of Christ is greater than all our sins. Thus, while men are given over to sin, they may also be delivered from their sin.
I believe that being “given over” to sin may actually be an evidence of the grace of God, as well as an evidence of His wrath. Being “given over” to one’s sin may be a part of the process by which God saves men from their sins. The prodigal son, for example, was “given over” to his sin, so that in the pig pen he would “come to himself” and return to his father for forgiveness. Those who seem to be in the greatest peril are those who are sinners but who are not “given over” to the grossest manifestations of sin. Thus, in 2:1-5, Paul addresses those who think they are better than others, who think of others as sinners and of themselves as righteous. The great danger for those whose lives are relatively successful and trouble-free is that they believe this is an evidence of their righteousness and of God’s resulting favor. Paul warns such people that the “riches of His kindness” are really His “forbearance and patience,” which should “lead them to repentance” (2:4).
As I read through the pages of the gospels, I see that the sinners, those who have been “given over” to their sins, are those who come to Jesus for help, for healing, and for forgiveness. It is the righteous who shun Jesus and who stay away. They believe they do not need mercy nor grace, because they believe they are worthy objects of divine favor. How wrong they are!
Fourth, there is the appearance of two categories of sinners: the Jews and the Gentiles. Actually, there is only one category for sinners, and all of mankind falls into this category, whether Jew or Gentile. So too there will only be one category of the righteous into which men will enter through faith in Jesus Christ, whether Jew or Gentile.
I have often heard it said (or have read) that Romans 1 demonstrates the sinfulness of the Gentiles, and that Romans 2 demonstrates the sinfulness of the Jews. There is an element of truth here, but there is also a great deal of inaccuracy to such a statement. Notice that Paul does not find the Gentiles guilty of one kind of sin and the Jews guilty of another. Paul indicts the self-righteous Jew for doing the very same things he himself condemns, of not doing the very things he teaches others to do. In his concluding summary of Romans 3:10-18, where Paul gathers together a collection of Old Testament texts (mainly from the Psalms) to show the sinfulness of man, Paul makes no distinction between those who are Jewish sinners and those who are Gentile sinners. Indeed, Paul makes a point of saying that there is “no difference” (Romans 3:9).
Somewhere in the course of this study a very important fact came to mind, one which has never been so clear to me before. THE MAJORITY OF THE JEWS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT DID NOT BELIEVE THEIR WORKS WOULD MAKE THEM RIGHTEOUS BEFORE GOD. MOST OF THE JEWS WERE NOT REALLY LEGALISTS, IN REALITY. It was only a small group of Jews who were legalists, who thought that by their good works they could obtain righteousness. This small group of legalists was the Pharisee party. THE MAJORITY OF THE JEWS THOUGHT THEY WERE WORTHY OF GOD’S BLESSINGS BECAUSE OF WHO THEY WERE, NOT BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY DID. The Jews basked in the glory of their calling. They thought God chose them for blessing and that all others (the Gentiles) would get His eternal wrath. Paul exposes this mentality in his rebuke of Peter: “We are Jews by nature, and not sinners from among the Gentiles” (Galatians 2:15).
The Jews thought of sinners in terms of nationality, in terms of race, not in terms of conduct. The label “sinner” was synonymous with the term “Gentile.” Gentiles were “sinners”; the Jews were “righteous.” The Gentiles deserved God’s wrath and did not deserve God’s grace (see the Book of Jonah for a dramatic example of this mindset—Jonah being typical of the mindset of the Jews). The Jews, however, deserved God’s favor and did not need to worry about His eternal wrath, which was for sinners.
The fact was that the Jews believed God dealt with them on an entirely different basis than He did the Gentiles. God, they believed, had chosen the Jews as the objects of His favor and the Gentiles as the objects of His wrath. Being a Jew was sufficient grounds for God’s blessings; being a Gentile was sufficient grounds for His wrath. If God were to bless any Gentiles, they had to become Jews, proselytes. That was the way most Jews seemed to view the matter of God’s blessings and God’s judgment.
The Jew did not wish to be judged according to his works, but only according to his parentage. “We are the children of Abraham” was their cry. Their possession of the Law was proof to the Jews of their favored status. The fact that the Gentiles did not possess the Law was evidence of their rejection. While the possession of the Law was vitally important to them, the practice of the Law was quite another matter. Therefore, there were few legalists among the Jews—those who believed that by keeping the Law, without failure, they could merit God’s blessings. There were many, however, who felt that being a descendant of Abraham was their ticket to heaven, all they needed for God’s blessings.
Let me attempt to illustrate how this mindset actually undermined obedience to the Law. The same kind of attitude and action is a constant temptation to those who are commissioned to enforce the law—to be policemen. Over a period of time, a police officer can become very rigid in the way he enforces the law. He may hold to the very “letter of the law” when it comes to the offenses of others. But he (or she) can easily become lax about his own obedience to the law. While in seminary, I had the opportunity to ride with a policeman. He was a very nice fellow and a conscientious officer. But I noticed he was not as careful to stay within the speed limit as I was, for example. Who would arrest him? One of his friends, his fellow-officers? Not likely. And so it is that those who view themselves as the possessors of the law, and its enforcers, can become lax as to their own obedience to it. So it was, I believe, with the Jews.
And this is precisely why Paul indicts those who felt they possessed the Law13 and who sought to hold others to it, yet without obeying it themselves (chapter 2). Beginning with the first words of chapter 2, Paul turns to the self-righteous Jews, stunning them with his indictments. He has paved the way for this, but they did not seem to see it coming.14 Now, Paul’s charges fall on his readers like a ton of bricks.
But why would Paul come on so strong against Jews if his readers are primarily Gentile? I believe this can be answered from the context of the entire New Testament. The Jews continually sought to “Judaise” the church. Many, if not most, of Paul’s warnings and corrections were those pertaining to Jewish errors and distortions of the truth. By speaking so strongly on this matter, Paul shows this mindset to be evil, and thus he sets about to correct it. The Judaisers must have lost a great deal of their influence with the arrival of this epistle. And when a Jew wrote it, it may have had an even greater impact.
In laying down his indictment, in condemning the Jews as well as the Gentiles, Paul found it necessary and proper to specify, in print, the basis for divine judgment:
But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to every man according to his deeds: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to every man who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God (Romans 2:5-11).
The basis on which all men are judged by God is their works. Those who practiced righteousness could expect God’s blessings. Those who did not practice His righteousness, but who practiced unrighteousness, could expect God’s judgment. On the basis of this standard, no one could be found righteous, and all mankind falls under the condemnation of a holy God. Judged according to their practice, all men fail to meet God’s standard of righteousness.
There is none righteous, not even one (Romans 3:10).
In judging men this way, the righteousness of God is seen in two ways. First, God is righteous in holding all men to His standard of righteousness and in condemning all who fail to meet the standard. Second, God is righteous in judging all men without partiality, without showing favoritism. If God condemned the Gentiles but blessed the Jews, He would be unjust, because neither the Jews nor the Gentiles are righteous and have earned His blessings. When God condemns Jews and Gentiles alike, both according to their works, He is seen to be a just Judge.
While God judges Jews and Gentiles by their deeds, He is also seen to be fair in dealing with men differently. There is a world of difference between judging men with partiality and judging men differently. Not all men have the same revelation of God, and thus it would not be fair to judge all by precisely the same standard. God judges all men on the same basis, and He also judges all men on a different (individual) standard. The standard is that knowledge which men possess which governs their practice. The Gentile, who does not have the Law, is not judged by the Law, but rather in accordance with the revelation he has received (see Romans 1:18-32). The Jew, who possesses the Law, is judged by what he has learned from the Law (Romans 2:12-24).
It is not the possession of the Law which makes one righteous, but the practice of the Law. The Law did not make any Jew righteous. Though they boasted in the Law, though they taught it to others, though they condemned others by it, no Jew ever fulfilled its requirements. Thus, the Jews, like the Gentiles, failed to attain righteousness by their works. A man’s works are always sufficient to condemn him, but they are never sufficient to make him righteous.
The Jews took great pride in circumcision. Circumcision was a sign to the Jews that they were under the Law, that they placed themselves under the Law of Moses. Paul closes out chapter 2 by showing that in the light of the Jew’s failure to fulfill the Law, circumcision was of no advantage to them. The right of circumcision was only of value if one could keep the law. But since no man could keep the Law, circumcision without obedience to the Law was worthless. As a token of faith, circumcision had great meaning. As a token of one’s efforts to please God by law-keeping, it was worthless. And since physical descent from Abraham was of no help in earning righteousness, circumcision was of no help in identifying one as a Jew, a son of Abraham, either (2:25-29).
These words came as a severe blow to the pride of the Jews. If being a Jew, being circumcised and possessing the Law, did not give the Jews an edge on the Gentiles, if it could not make them righteous, what good were these things? What was the advantage of being a Jew in the first place? This is the question which Paul raises first in chapter 3. Being a Jew is a great privilege, for God chose the Jews to be His instruments through whom His Word was revealed. They were privileged to be used of God, but they were not privileged to be dealt with on a different basis than the Gentiles. How blessed to be used by God. What a privilege!
“But,” Paul continues, “if the nation Israel was found to have many sinners in its ranks, what does this say about God and His faithfulness? Does the sin, the condemnation of Jews, not reflect badly on God?” Not at all, for this was all a part of the plan and purpose of God. It was not God’s intention to make a believer of every Jew. As Paul will later spell out, it was only His plan to preserve a small remnant, through which His plans, purposes and promises could be fulfilled (see Romans 9-11). God is faithful regardless of man’s infidelity. God’s character is not contingent upon man’s character. God is found to be righteous by His condemnation of sinners, just as much as He would be by His rewarding of the righteous (Romans 3:4).
Another objection is raised by Paul in verse 5 of chapter 3: “If man’s unrighteousness proves God to be righteous, then isn’t God benefiting at man’s expense? Can such wrath toward sinners be righteous on God’s part?” Paul makes it clear that such a profane question is only for the purpose of clarification. If God were unrighteous, as implied, He could never judge the world.
There remains one final objection spelled out in verses 7 and 8: “If God is shown to be righteous by His condemnation of me and my sin, why does He still judge me?” The thought seems to be this: God is gaining glory at my expense. If God comes out ahead in the deal, then why does He still intend to follow through with my judgment? In fact, why should I not be free to think that in such a case God’s lot would be even better if I actively pursued sin? The more I sin, the more righteous God appears. Therefore, I might as well multiply my sin. Such a response is so evil, even on its face, that Paul simply replies, “Their condemnation is just” (Romans 3:8).
Now it is time for Paul to sum it all up. When men are judged by what they do with what they know, all men fail to meet God’s standards of righteousness. All men, whether Jews or Gentiles, are found to be under the divine sentence of condemnation. And so, in summation, Paul cites a series of Old Testament quotations, all of which point to the universal sinfulness of men, Jew and Gentile.
as it is written, “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.” “THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING,” “THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS”; “WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS”; “THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD, DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS, AND THE PATH OF PEACE HAVE THEY NOT KNOWN.” “THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES” (Romans 3:10-18).
Then, in his own words, Paul sums up the matter:
Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin (Romans 3:19-20).
The Law, in which the Jew boasted and the possession of which the Jew took for righteousness, is not able to make any man righteous but only to show him unrighteous. The Law points out the need for righteousness, but it does not provide that righteousness. The Law spells out those works which a righteous man would do, but it did not enable sinful man to do them. The Law is a wonderful standard, but the Law can only show men need to be saved. The Law, like an x-ray machine, can point out the problem, but it cannot make men well.
After such depressing news, Paul now points to the good news of the gospel. What men could not do, and what the Law could not do for men, God did in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ (Romans 3:21-26). The wrath of God had to be satisfied. God could not simply overlook sin; it had to be judged. And so God provided men with salvation in such a way that He demonstrated His righteousness and satisfied His wrath, all at the same time.
Jesus Christ, God’s Son, came to the earth, adding humanity to His deity (Romans 1:3-4), so as to be qualified to die for the sins of men. Because He was perfect, without sin, His death was for no sin of His own. In punishing Jesus, God’s wrath toward the sinner was satisfied. All of the sins of those who believe in Jesus, those who lived before Him, and those who live after, are punished in Him. And the righteousness which He possesses is offered to those who will believe in Him, by faith. What man could never do by his own efforts, God has done in Christ. Everyone who believes is offered the gift of salvation in Jesus. And because this offer is to all men, Jews and Gentiles, there is no partiality in God’s blessing. He will save all who trust in Jesus. In this way, God has made salvation available to all men and demonstrated His righteousness at the same time. Truly the gospel does demonstrate the righteousness of God!
Paul was joyful at the salvation of the saints in Rome. Bringing Gentiles to faith was his calling in life, as an apostle. Their salvation therefore was good news for Paul. He desired to visit them, to share the fellowship of a common faith and mutual ministry. He desired to come to them to proclaim the gospel. He was eager to do so, because the gospel is God’s mighty means of saving men. The gospel is also the revelation of God’s righteousness. His righteousness is seen in His wrath toward sin. God judges all mankind sinful, Jew and Gentile. His basis for condemning men is their practice of what has been revealed to them. The greater the revelation, the greater the guilt and condemnation.
The Jews were glad to pronounce all Gentiles sinners. They thought themselves to be God’s favorites, God’s “pets.” They possessed the Law of Moses, and they were proud of it. They taught the Law to others, and they condemned men by its holy standards. But they did not feel obliged to meet its standards themselves. They did not believe that God would judge them by their practice of the Law. They expected to be blessed because of their possession of the Law. They took pride and found their confidence in possessing the Law and in their circumcision, which was a token to them of their favored status. Paul, in showing God’s judgment to be impartial, and to be based upon what men did with what they knew, took all of this away. In doing this, every Jew, along with every Gentile, was shown to be a sinner, failing God’s standards, and deserving His condemnation.
Because all mankind is found to be unrighteous, under a divine sentence of death, God Himself accomplished salvation for men. He satisfied His holy wrath by punishing His Son, in the place of the sinner. In Jesus Christ, God offers men the righteousness which He requires and which men can never attain through their own works. All who believe in Jesus Christ are saved. In all of this, the righteousness of God is demonstrated.
There are several vitally important principles taught in our text which have great relevance to our own lives. Let me conclude by pointing out some of these principles and suggesting some areas of application.
Principle Number One: God does not judge us on the basis of who we are, or on the basis of how much we know about Him, but rather on the basis of what we do with what we know.
The Jews knew more about God than the Gentiles, but that did not mean they were righteous. In the final analysis, the Jews had the greater guilt because they had the greater knowledge, but they did not live in accordance with God’s revelation.
So far as divine judgment is concerned, God judges men on the basis of their response to His revelation, not just their receiving it. Men do not have to hear the gospel in order to be condemned. They have sufficient knowledge about God from the creation (see Psalm 19). Revelation requires our response; it requires our obedience. That is why Paul did not say that he was called as an apostle to bring men to a profession of faith, but to the practice of their faith, to the “obedience of faith” (Romans 1:5).
And so I must ask you this question, my friend. If only from what you have read from this message, you know enough of the gospel to be saved. What have you done with what you have heard? It is not enough to know that you are a sinner, and that your deeds render you guilty of sin before a holy God. It is not enough to know and to believe that Christ died for your sins, bearing your punishment and offering you His righteousness. You must personally receive the gift of salvation by placing your trust in Jesus as God’s provision for the forgiveness of your sins and for the righteousness you need to enter into His kingdom. If you have never trusted in Jesus Christ for your salvation, I pray that you will act on this offer now, that you will receive God’s gift of forgiveness and eternal life.
And for those of us who are Christians, this principle has some very strong words of warning. Many “Bible believing Christians” think that righteousness is more a matter of what you know than of what you do. Many think that if they possess a great deal of knowledge they are righteous before God, even though they do not practice the truth. God is more interested in what we do with what we have learned than in mere learning alone. May we practice what our Lord Jesus, Paul, and the apostles preached.
Principle Number Two: The Gospel assumes that men are sinners, condemned by their works, and unable to save themselves.
The gospel is only for those who are hopelessly lost. There is no one too needy, too sinful for salvation. There are many who are too good for salvation, not because of any weakness in the gospel, but because those who are righteous do not need forgiveness or divine grace. Self-righteousness is the most dangerous form that sin can take, for it is the fatal disease which seems to need no cure. The gospel is no gospel at all if it does not have, as its starting point, man’s utterly hopeless condition in his own sins. Those who are lost can be saved, but those who are not desperately ill and dying think they need no cure. There are those who think that the gospel should make much of the love of God but that the wrath of God should be played down. This is not the same gospel which Paul proclaimed.
Principle Number Three: There is no status among sinners, just as there is no status among saints.
The principles underlying divine judgment and salvation remove all possibility for any sense of pride or superiority. The Jews felt superior to the Gentiles, but such pride was foolish and ill-founded. The Jews, like the Gentiles, were sinners, condemned by their own sins. And just as there is no basis for pride among sinners, neither is there any basis for pride among saints. There is nothing which men can do which merits God’s favor or blessing. Salvation is made available to men on the basis of what Jesus Christ has done. We receive salvation by faith. And so the only basis for boasting is in Christ. He is exalted by saving men; men should be humbled by their sin and by their salvation. Status seeking is not only sinful, it is rooted in error and deception, not in the truth.
Principle Number Four: The Gospel is our motivation, as well as our message. The Gospel is not only the means of saving men, it is the means by which God makes his children bold to proclaim and to practice their faith.
Paul was saved by the gospel, as well as called to preach the gospel. He was eager to do this. If he could not reach the city of Rome personally, he would write these saints. He was not ashamed of the gospel, as some were, but was eager to evangelize. The key to his boldness was the gospel itself. The gospel is God’s means of manifesting His power, resulting in the salvation of men. The gospel is God’s means of revealing His righteousness to men. God’s righteousness is revealed in the condemnation of sinners and even in the pouring out of His wrath on His Son. His righteousness is revealed by the way in which He chose to judge men, as well as to justify them. God does not show partiality. He has no favorites. Only those who acknowledge their own sin and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ by faith are forgiven their sins and given His righteousness.
Paul was bold to proclaim Christ and eager to evangelize in Rome. The reason for Paul’s eagerness is to be found in the gospel itself and not just in Paul. The gospel is God’s powerful means of saving men. It is God’s means of manifesting His own righteousness to men. It is the only means whereby sinners can be forgiven and enter into God’s promised blessings.
No wonder Paul wanted to preach the gospel to the Romans. Our lack of boldness in proclaiming Jesus Christ to lost men is, in large measure, the result of our failure to understand the gospel, or to believe it. May God grant that our lives may be so dominated by the gospel, both in its message and in its motivation, that we become as eager to evangelize as Paul was.
Thus, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you … (Romans 1:15).
9 The fact of the matter is that the rest of the epistle explains Paul’s eagerness to evangelize (proclaim the gospel) at Rome. The gospel alone saves lost men, whose sins place them under divine sentence by the righteous God (Romans 1-5). The gospel alone requires and enables men to live righteously in a sinful world (Romans 6-8). The gospel alone explains God’s dealings in history with the nation Israel (Romans 9-11). And the gospel alone motivates men to serve and worship God (Romans 12-16).
10 We will look at this in much greater detail in our verse-by-verse exposition later on in our series.
11 For an interesting study of the use of this term “give over” elsewhere, see Romans 4:25; 6:17; 8:32; 1 Corinthians 5:5; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 4:19.
12 The results of being “given over” are often strikingly appropriate to the sins which caused them. For example, the sin of rejecting the revelation of God’s self-revelation seems to lead to practices which are unnatural, those which are perverted.
13 I was tempted to use the term “Jews” here, and well I could have. But Paul did not use the term. I think I know why he used the more generic term “man” (see 2:1, 3). Since God does not distinguish between Jews and Gentiles in the way He judges them, why should we make such distinctions? Paul begins his argument by making some distinctions, but only because this is the way his readers thought. When Paul concludes, he will speak of man’s universal condemnation in general terms, not racial terms. God is just because He does not distinguish between Jew and Gentile. The Jews were wrong because they thought that He did and thus they expected His favor, and they were lax about their obedience to His Law.
14 The Jews were just as guilty as the Gentiles of the sins condemned in chapter 1, which is precisely Paul’s point in chapter 2 (see 2:1-2). In Romans 1:32 Paul spoke of those who “know the ordinance of God” (1:32) but did not practice it, who even encouraged others to disobey as well.
I recently had the privilege of visiting an elderly man who was thought to be dying. When I arrived at the hospital, it was believed that he had only a couple of days to live. He was lying in his bed, almost asleep, when my wife and I entered his room. Unsure of how mentally alert and coherent he was or even if he would remember me, I introduced myself to him as though he would not know me. He was almost offended that I would think he had forgotten who I was. I was surprised when he said, “You remember that you have a job to do.” The “job” was his funeral. The last time I had visited him he requested that I perform his funeral service, and we had discussed his relationship with God and matters concerning his service. Most certainly he had not forgotten me, and he hoped that I had not forgotten him nor the job I had promised to do for him.
Knowing that he could be near death, and yet not knowing this for certain, I was reluctant to speak of his funeral as though it could be imminent. Choosing my words carefully so as to be honest and yet cautious, I responded, “Well, when the time comes, I’ll be glad to do it.” This delightful 95-year old man looked at me, not nearly as fuzzy in his thinking as I was in my speech, and replied, “Well, we don’t live forever, you know.”
What an encouragement the directness of this elderly man was to me as he faced his own death—and yet how unusual. I have seen many deny any thought or reference to death, even when death was imminent. I have watched a dying woman refuse to even talk with me about her death, blocking out her thoughts by reading movie magazines and talking of trivial matters as though she would live forever. Dealing honestly with our own death truly frees us, enabling us to go about our lives realistically and with hope, especially when we have come to faith in Jesus Christ, who is the Resurrection and the Life.
Our text in Romans deals with much more than death. The argument of the Book of Romans is not the development of one single idea; it is more like a musical composition, in that it is the development of a number of themes, all intertwined. A musical composition has a dominant musical theme, combined with other themes which accompany and complement the melody. Each of Paul’s sections seem to have a primary theme, which in that section becomes the melody line. The other themes are interwoven with the central melody, but in a subordinate role. In a musical composition, different melody lines emerge, and then subside, so that the final piece gives prominence to different themes at different times. So, too, in Romans. As the book unfolds, each of the book’s theme are strengthened and enhanced.
Some of the more prominent themes in Romans are: (1) the righteousness of God; (2) the sinfulness and condemnation of man; (3) the righteous shall live by faith; (4) the equality of Jews and Gentiles in Christ; (5) the distinct ways in which God has dealt with Jews and Gentiles in history; (6) the sovereignty of God; (7) the obedience of faith; (8) the role of the Old Testament Law, and (9) the relationship between faith and works. There are other themes as well.
In this particular section, the “melody line” is the theme of boasting. The prideful boasting of the Jews is rebuked in chapter 2 and shown to be without biblical basis in chapters 3 and 4. In chapter 5 Paul gives the Christian three legitimate avenues of boasting, all boasting in the Lord—in His faithfulness, in His love, and in the assurance of entering into the blessings of justification by faith which He has promised.
While chapters 4 and 5 dovetail to form one message, they each also have a unique emphasis, so that the two chapters can be seen in distinction to each other. Consider the following distinct points of emphasis:
Chapter 4 |
Chapter 5 |
Abraham and his children |
Adam, Jesus Christ, and their children |
Man’s required faith |
God’s faithfulness |
The basis of justification |
The benefits of justification |
Abraham’s resurrection faith |
Our resurrection faith |
Boasting denied |
Boasting defined |
Our approach to this study of the Book of Romans will cover the content of Romans 1-16 three times. In the first lesson, we looked at the Book of Romans as a whole. Now, in lessons 2-6, we are surveying Romans section by section:
Lesson 2 |
Romans 1:1–3:26 |
Lesson 3 |
Romans 3:27–5:21 |
Lesson 4 |
Romans 6:1–8:39 |
Lesson 5 |
Romans 9:1–11:36 |
Lesson 6 |
Romans 12:1–16:27 |
Finally, from lesson 7 on we will be studying Romans verse by verse, beginning with a study of Romans 1:1-17. My purpose in the present sectional overview (lessons 2-6) is to trace the flow of Paul’s argument through the entire Book of Romans, section by section.
As we survey Romans a section at a time, it is not possible to put the material together in a neat, sermon-like package. A sermon generally seeks to develop one theme. While this approach has its advantages, it simply will not do justice to Romans, and to the ongoing development of a number of important biblical themes. Thus, I find myself agonizing a great deal in my efforts to communicate my understanding of the argument of Romans. I have chosen to press on with our survey of the sections of Romans in this way: (1) To identify what the sections of Romans are; (2) to summarize the main thrust of each section; (3) to look at the section as a whole, noting the themes which Paul has woven together, and how they flow from the preceding section to that which follows; (4) to attempt to gain a sense of Paul’s emphasis; (5) to begin to explore the practical implications of Paul’s primary concepts.
Our purpose in this lesson will be to identify the major thought segments or paragraphs in this section of Romans (3:27–5:21). We will then summarize the main point which Paul is trying to communicate in each segment. Next, we will seek to trace the argument as Paul develops it. Finally, we will try to determine the main points of emphasis or principles conveyed by the passage as a whole, pointing out some suggested applications in the process.
In this we find ourselves in one of the richest portions of God’s Word, so let us proceed prayerfully, carefully, and in dependence upon God’s Spirit for illumination, understanding, and implementation (application).
The last verses of chapter 3 (27-31) serve as a transition, linking what Paul has just said in 1:1–3:26 to the following chapters. Three major questions are raised and only briefly answered. More complete answers follow in chapters 4 and following. Chapter 4 focuses our attention on Abraham, and specifically on his faith, a faith which is virtually identical with the faith of New Testament believers in Jesus Christ. Chapter 5 provides us with a fuller description of our justification, along with its present and future dimensions. In the last half of chapter 5, Paul draws our attention to two men: Adam and Jesus Christ, showing that the painful consequences of Adam’s sin have been overcome and even reversed by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
We can therefore outline our text in this way:
(1) Transition—No Basis for Boasting (3:27-31)
(2) Abraham—No Basis for Boasting (4:1-25)
(3) Boasting in the Lord (5:1-21)
This transitional paragraph follows up Paul’s teaching on man’s need for justification by faith. It proceeds to build on the doctrine of justification by faith in Jesus Christ to explore the nature of justification.
All mankind, due to their rejection of God’s revelation, have been given over to sinful practices, which are a manifestation of divine wrath. Jews and Gentiles alike fail to meet God’s standards, and thus are worthy of His wrath. When Jesus died at Calvary, He suffered the wrath of God, divine condemnation, which all mankind deserves. Every sinner, Old Testament or New, Jew or Gentile, is justified by faith in Jesus as their sin-bearer. In His death Jesus Christ satisfied God’s righteous anger (propitiation is the theological term for the satisfaction of God’s anger, see Romans 3:25), and He also offers justified sinners a righteousness which men could never merit or earn by their works.
Paul now raises three crucial questions in verses 27-31 to which he initially gives a very brief answer. In chapter 4, Paul will begin to answer these questions in much greater detail. The first question is found in verse 27, where the question of boasting is raised. Given the condemnation of all men, Jew and Gentile alike, and the fact that justification is based upon faith in Christ’s work and not our own works, how can any man find reason to boast on his own behalf? In chapter 4, Paul turns to Abraham, to show that even this saint of old was justified by faith and not by his own works. If Abraham could not boast, then how could any Jew boast because he was a descendant of Abraham?
The second question is found in verses 29: “Is justification by faith only for the Jews?” If so, then the Jews could boast in having something which Gentiles did not and could not possess. Paul’s answer is that salvation is offered to all men, whether Jew or Gentile, and that salvation is always based on faith. There is no distinction between Jew and Gentile in justification, just as there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile in condemnation.
In Romans 4:9-17, Paul uses Abraham to prove that even in Old Testament times, God did not save only the circumcised (only His “chosen people,” the Jews). Abraham lived before the Law had been given through Moses. He also was declared (reckoned) righteous on the basis of his faith and not as payment for his works. Furthermore, Abraham was not even circumcised at the time he was reckoned as righteous in the sight of God. We might say that he was saved as a Gentile. Can the uncircumcised be justified by faith, as well as the circumcised? Abraham was uncircumcised, and he was justified by faith. And so the answer to the question raised, and briefly answered by Paul in Romans 3:29-30, is given a more complete answer in chapter 4.
The third question, raised and answered in verse 31 is this: “If justification is by faith, apart from Law-keeping, then is the Law useless and worthless?” The answer is short and to the point: “Not at all! We affirm the worth and value of the Law.” The value of the Law of Moses will be spelled out in several different ways, beginning in Romans 4 where Paul tells us that apart from the Law, sin is not defined, and thus the men of those times were not charged with any specific sin. In order for sin to be dealt with and put away, it would first have to be defined. The Law performed this task well. This will be taken up in chapters 5-8.
Paul’s teaching from the life of Abraham in Romans 4 falls into three major sections:
(1) Abraham’s child: by faith, not works (4:1-8)
(2) Abraham’s “children”: by faith, not works (4:9-17)
(3) Abraham’s “children”: and resurrection faith (4:18-25)
In Romans 1, Paul virtually confessed to the Roman saints that the purpose of his letter was to “boast” about the gospel. He did not say this directly, but I believe this is what he implied. After all, to be ashamed is the opposite of boasting. If Paul was “not ashamed of the gospel” (1:16), then he was eager to boast of it. Elsewhere in this epistle (see 15:17), and in his other epistles (see 2 Corinthians 10:17; Galatians 6:14), Paul boasts only in the Lord and in that which He has accomplished. In Romans 2 Paul turned to those Jews who prided themselves because of what they viewed as their privileged position and chided them for boasting, first, in God, because they have the name “Jew” (2:17), and Second, in the Law (2:23). After showing all men to be sinners, under divine condemnation, judged or justified without partiality, Paul challenges man’s boasting by asking who could dare to boast (3:27). Men have nothing to boast in, at least before God.
Has Paul successfully demonstrated that men dare not boast in their own works, that all men are condemned by a righteous God? There may still be some who would attempt to boast in their ancestry. At least some Jews boasted in their physical descent from Abraham. In the Gospels we find them boasting in their identity as “the sons of Abraham” (Matthew 3:9; John 8:33, 39). And so, in chapter 4, Paul turns to Abraham. He begins by raising the question as to whether or not Abraham could boast in his works. If so, then justification by faith would be of no need or value. But if it can be proven that even Abraham could not boast in his righteousness, then none of his descendants could boast in Abraham either. If Abraham could not boast himself, how could any offspring of Abraham boast for being his offspring?
Abraham was not an exceptional case. Paul therefore also turned to Psalm 32, written by David, to show that David, like Abraham, understood that men were made righteous by God, through faith, and not by human effort or works. David’s psalm, based on his own experience, testified to his painful knowledge of man’s sinfulness. In spite of his great sin, however, David could rejoice as one of those whose “sins” and “lawless deeds” were forgiven. This was not by the doing of any good works or by law-keeping, but solely on the basis of God’s grace. Neither Abraham, nor King David, dared to boast about their standing before God as righteous men, for they had not earned it; they were reckoned righteous because of their faith.
Nevertheless, some Jews might still seek to squeeze a little pride out of their ancestry by convincing themselves that whatever the basis for Abraham’s righteousness, it was a righteousness available only to his physical descendants. Righteousness by faith, some Jews might argue, was available only to God’s chosen people, the “seed of Abraham.” Thus, in some collective way, the Jews had access to righteousness, while the Gentiles did not. Were this true, then the Jews would have some basis for boasting. Paul will make very short work of this kind of thinking.
Paul responds by calling attention to the setting and the circumstances of the occasion when Abraham’s faith was “reckoned as righteousness” by God (4:5). Abraham lived before the Law was given through Moses, so he could not be a Law-keeper. Furthermore, he was justified while he was uncircumcised. The promise of a son was first given to Abraham at the age of 75 (Genesis 12:4) and more specifically in a later appearance by God (Genesis 15:1-6). It was at this time that Abraham was said to have believed in God’s promise and that his faith was reckoned to him as righteousness. He would have had to have been no more than 86 years of age at this time (see Genesis 16:16). Abraham was not circumcised until after the birth of Ishmael, when he was then 99 years old and Ishmael was 13 (17:23-25). Nearly 15 years separated Abraham’s conversion from the time of his circumcision. And all of this time Abraham was a believer, justified by his faith. For Abraham, as for all believing Jews, circumcision was only an outward sign or symbol of the justification by faith he already possessed.
Abraham was promised that he would be a “father of many nations” (see 4:17). Paul here declares that he was not to be boasted in as a “father” in a mere physical sense; rather, he would become the “father” of anyone who, like him, exercised faith in God. Those who can legitimately claim Abraham as their father are those who have exercised the same faith. And so not all Jews are truly “Abraham’s children.”15 Likewise, those Gentiles who have trusted in Jesus Christ for justification are truly “Abraham’s sons.” As “Abraham’s seed,” these sons all look forward to the blessings which God promised to Abraham and to his “seed.” Truly he was the “father of many nations.”
Paul has shown Abraham to have been justified by faith and not works, and apart from the works of the Law or the ritual of circumcision. He has shown that those who are his physical descendants may not really be his children, while all those who have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ are his children. Now Paul will conclude by showing just how close the relationship between Old Testament faith and New Testament faith really is. He will show that New Testament believers (Jew or Gentile) are not only linked to Abraham by faith, but that they are linked to Abraham by the same kind of faith—resurrection faith.
Abraham believed God’s promise concerning his “seed” and concerning God’s blessings through his “seed.” Initially, this meant Abraham must have a son. Abraham, by faith, believed he and Sarah would bear a son, even though they were too old to do so. On the basis of Abraham’s faith, he was reckoned to be righteous by God. But a number of years would pass before this promised son was born. Abraham and Sarah were up in years when the promise of a child was first given. They were “as good as dead” with regard to having children by the time Sarah actually conceived and gave birth to Isaac. For Abraham to believe that God would give him and Sarah a son was to believe in a God who could give life to the dead. This is resurrection faith, the same kind of faith which Christians must exercise today. As we see often in the Book of Acts (23:6-20), it was the resurrection which caused the Jewish unbelievers of Paul’s day such difficulty.
In Romans 4, Abraham has been used as an example of Old Testament faith in such a way as to show that the Jews cannot boast in their physical descent from this man. In order to be declared righteous by God, they must forsake any claim to Law-works or to a privileged status. They must, like Abraham, the uncircumcised saint, be justified by faith. They must recognize that both Jews and Gentiles can claim Abraham as their father if they have a resurrection faith, like Abraham’s. There are no grounds for boasting as a descendent of Abraham. The proper grounds for boasting will be laid down in chapter 5.
Another Melody Line
Before we consider the three categories of boasting Paul encourages, let us carefully note another development, another “melody line.” Until now, Paul has spoken mainly of our sin, of its resulting condemnation, and of the righteousness of God in condemning sin in men, and also in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ, thus providing for man’s justification. Just exactly what justification involves has not yet been explained in detail. Paul will now begin to undertake that explanation, and he will continue to do so throughout the remainder of this epistle. By faith we have received justification, Paul has said. But so far, justification has been a kind of package, one which has not yet been opened. Now, in chapter 5, Paul begins to unwrap the package and to display the blessings and benefits of all that it contains.16 At the beginning of chapter 5, Paul describes the benefits of justification as “peace with God” (verse 1) and an “introduction by faith into the realm of grace” (verse 2), a realm in which we are firmly footed (“stand,” verse 2).
The theme of boasting is not immediately evident in Romans 5:1-21. This is because of the way in which the various translations of the Bible have veiled Paul’s references to “boasting” by their translations of verses 2, 3, and 11 of chapter 5. Below, you can see the different ways in which three of the major translations of the Bible have rendered the same term17 in the original text of Romans:
Reference |
King James |
NIV |
NASB |
2:17, 23 |
boast |
brag |
boast |
3:27 |
boast |
boasting |
boasting |
4:2 |
glory |
boast |
boast |
5:2 |
rejoice |
rejoice |
exult |
5:3 |
glory |
rejoice |
exult |
5:11 |
joy |
rejoice |
exult |
15:17 |
glory |
glory |
boasting |
In its various forms, the term “boast” is found 58 times in the New Testament. All but two of the verses in which the term is found are in the Pauline epistles (the other two are found in Hebrews and James). Of its 58 occurrences, the term is rendered “boast” (or “boasts,” “boasting,” etc.) 46 times. “Exult” is a rendering found only four times in the New Testament, three of which are found in Romans 5 (verses 2, 3, 11). Note from the chart above the ways in which the same term is rendered in three translations. In chapter 5, the NIV (“rejoice”) and the NASB (“exult”) at least translate the term in all three verses with the same English word; the KJV renders each of the three terms differently (“rejoice, glory, joy”).18
In his introduction, Paul has already expressed his desire to boast about God (by not being ashamed of the gospel, but rather wishing to proclaim it in Rome and around the world). He has also rebuked the Jews for boasting in their “Jewish distinctives” (the name “Jew” and the Law). Having shown that Abraham could not boast, because he was justified by faith, Paul has also prevented the Jews (who descended from Abraham and who boasted in him as their father) from boasting in being the “sons of Abraham.” Now, in chapter 5, Paul turns to those things in which a true “son of Abraham” can and must boast.
The three categories of boasting which Paul describes are introduced in verses 2, 3, and 11 by the term almost always rendered “boast” elsewhere, but here by the term “exult” (NASB; “rejoice,” NIV). We are to boast (1) in the “hope of the glory of God” (verse 2); (2) “in our tribulations” (verse 3); and (3) “in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ” (verse 11). Viewed from the perspective of time,19 our boasting is future, present, and past. We can boast in the future, confident that we shall spend eternity enjoying the “glory of God.” We can boast in the present—even in tribulation—for it confirms our hope of the future and deepens our grasp of God’s love. And we can boast in the past, when Jesus Christ died and was raised again on our behalf, canceling out the effects of Adam’s sin and our identity in him. Let us now consider these three avenues of boasting.
Those who have been justified by faith may first of all boast in the glorious future which awaits them. This future is summed up in the expression, “the hope of the glory of God” (verse 2). In chapter 2, Paul spoke of the reward of the righteous as “glory,” “honor,” “immortality,” “and eternal life” (2:7) and “glory” and “honor” and “peace” (2:10). None of this was ever earned by man, for all mankind is justly declared to be unrighteous and thus unworthy of these blessings. Paul sums up what man has lost in chapter 3: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
That which all mankind has lost hope of gaining, due to sin, is summed up in the expression, “the glory of God.” And so now the benefits of justification are referred to as “the hope of the glory of God.” What men could never hope for because of sin, Christians may now boast in by being justified by faith in Jesus Christ.
Justification promises far more than “pie in the sky, bye and bye.” Justification results in a boasting in our present circumstances, even when they are grim and painful. Paul does not speak of “peace and prosperity” here, but of hope in the midst of adversity. Tribulation is not seen as the unusual experience of the few, but as the normal experience of the many. As he wrote elsewhere, “And indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12).
In Romans 5, Paul is speaking of far more than simply the adversity of rejection and persecution of fallen and unbelieving men to which he is referring in the passage above. He is speaking of the sufferings which are the result of living in a fallen world, as described in greater detail in Romans 8.
Affliction causes the roots of our faith to sink deep into the soil of God’s character and His promises. The trials of this life turn us toward God, and when we do turn to Him, we find Him faithful. The more we suffer, the more we must turn to Him in utter helplessness and dependence. The more He proves Himself faithful, the more confident we become of His faithfulness. And thus, the more sure our future hope becomes, because of His faithfulness in the hardest times of our lives (Romans 5:3-4).
For the Christian, adversities in life are the “test track” on which God’s work in us is shown to endure and on which He is shown trustworthy. Just as the automobile manufacturer puts their new products to the test, to show that they are roadworthy, so God puts His children to the test, to perfect our faith, and to prove His faithfulness. Present tribulation strengthens our faith and our hope of the “glory of God.”
Our hope is also strengthened in the present by a growing understanding and appreciation for the love of God (5:5-10). The Holy Spirit indwells the believer, and one of His tasks is His ministry of dispensing the love of God in our hearts. As we go about our daily lives, the Holy Spirit turns our attention to the love of God which has been poured out within our hearts. The basis of this love is the work of Jesus Christ on our behalf.20
God loved us “while we were yet sinners.” He did not wait until we were holy. (If He had, He would still be waiting). He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to the earth to identify with humanity by adding humanity to His deity. He died on the cross of Calvary, taking the place of the sinner, and bearing the penalty for sin, enduring God’s wrath. This is love of a much higher kind than men can comprehend. Few men would die for one who was righteous or for a good man, but no man would die for a reprobate. This Jesus did, as the expression of God’s love. And if God loved fallen men this much, how much greater His love will be toward His child! This reality is that which the Holy Spirit conveys internally to the child of God. The love of the Father is seen through the Son, on the cross of Calvary, and this love is conveyed by the Holy Spirit to the believer.
I have always been amused by the eagerness of the Jews of Jesus’ day to identify themselves with Abraham, to be viewed as his children. I have noted that none of these Jews ever wanted to be identified with Jacob (whom God named Israel, Genesis 35:10). Paul has shown in chapter 4 that any Jew or Gentile can be identified as a son of Abraham, but only by faith and not by works. Now, Paul turns to the matter of one’s identity and shows that it is a matter of one’s choice between two individuals, Adam or Jesus Christ, the “first Adam,” so to speak, or the “last” (see 1 Corinthians 15:45).
Did the Jews wish to boast in Abraham as their father, in such a way as to set themselves apart and above others? Let them go all the way back, to their first father, indeed, to the father of all men. Our righteousness cannot be derived from one of our forefathers, like Abraham, but sin is a different matter. The sinfulness of all mankind, Jew or Gentile, shows us that the problem of sin must be traced back to its roots. The roots of sin and death are to be found in our first father, Adam. It was his one sin which has resulted in the sinfulness of the race, and in death for all men. All men, by virtue of their birth, are the “children of Adam.” As such, they are under the bondage of sin and are subject to death.21
The gospel is good news because it offers men an exchange of identity. The federal government has a witness protection program. Those who enter into this program are offered a new identity, with their past wiped out. They can start life all over, regardless of what they were before. God has a far better offer: men may change their identity, from being a “son of Adam,” under sentence of death, to being a “son of God,” destined for eternal life. Men are what they are—sinners, subject to death—because of who they are, the sons of Adam. But no one needs to remain a son of Adam. By faith in Jesus Christ, any man, woman, or child can renounce their old identity in Adam, and become a son of God through Jesus Christ. This is the good news of the gospel.
Adam’s sin, and its consequences, were, in one sense, a type of what would happen in Christ, the “last Adam.” But on the other hand, his sin and its consequences were quite different in two ways. First, the work of Christ was much greater than that of Adam. Second, the work of Christ on man’s behalf was for man’s good, while Adam’s act was destructive. Adam committed one sin, and this brought sin and death on the whole race. Jesus bore all of man’s sins, and as a result He made salvation and life possible for all men, through faith in Him. Adam’s sin brought misery and death; Jesus’ sacrifice brought with it life and hope of the glory of God.
The Law had a role in all of this. The sins of men could only be “prosecuted,” as it were, if they were defined as sin. The Law was given to define sin, to cause it to be clearly seen, and thus even to increase. The increase was not to promote sin, but to deal it a death blow, through the work of Jesus Christ.
Let me conclude by pointing out some of the themes which I see Paul developing more fully in our text and then suggest some areas of application.
Beginning at Romans 1:18 and concluding in chapter 3 (verse 20), Paul has been showing man his need for a righteousness other than his own. The problem is man’s sin. Whatever revelation men have received from and about God, they reject, exchanging the truth for some other “truth” of their own making and more to their own liking. In Romans 5, Paul traces sin back to its roots, to Adam and his sin. In chapters 4 and 5, Paul also plays out the devastating consequences of Adam’s sin for all men—death.
Death will become a very prominent theme in the Book of Romans. Surprisingly, death is not nearly as prominent in the first three chapters as one might think. The theme of death22 is distributed in the following way, by a calculation of the number of verses in which the theme of death occurs.23
Death in Romans |
|
Romans 1 - 3 |
2 verses |
Romans 4 - 8 |
42 verses |
Romans 9 - 16 |
5 verses |
In chapters 4-8, the theme of death is a dominant one. This is because death is not only a problem for sinners, but for saints. The great tests of Abraham’s life were directly related to death. Abraham lied about the identity of his wife, Sarah, because he feared that men would kill him to marry her (Genesis 12:13; 20:1). The barrier to Abraham and Sarah having a child was the “deadness” of their old age (Romans 4:19-21). The ultimate test of Abraham’s faith was the command to sacrifice Isaac, his son—to put him to death, the one through whom all of God’s promises were to be fulfilled (see Genesis 22; Hebrews 11:17-19).
Death is a great problem for all men. The fear of death haunts all men (Hebrews 2:9-15, especially verse 15). Death is the last enemy which must be overcome before the kingdom of God is established (1 Corinthians 15:26). It is the “deadness” of our flesh which renders us unable to overcome sin (Romans 7:24; cf. 8:11). As the death and resurrection of our Lord are the basis for our justification, so we shall soon see that these are also the basis for our sanctification. It is for this reason than death is so prominent in chapters 4-8.
The need for justification by faith was a principle theme in Paul’s first section in Romans, the climax coming in Romans 3:21-26. Justification by faith eliminates all grounds for personal pride and boasting. Justification by faith has always been God’s way of making men righteous (chapter 4). In chapter 5, Paul begins to expand upon all that justification by faith provides. It not only provides men with the forgiveness of their sins, and with the righteousness of Christ, it gives them a certain hope of the “glory of God.” It also assures them of God’s blessings in the present, among which are a growing sense of God’s love, ministered to the saint by the Holy Spirit. After expanding upon the benefits of justification by faith in chapter 5, Paul will next move to some of the obligations of justification in chapter 6.
As his motto, Paul chose the words of the Old Testament prophet, Habakkuk, “the righteous man shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17; Habakkuk 2:4). Paul had also spoken of his mission to bring Gentiles to the “obedience of faith” (Romans 1:5). Faith is therefore one of the principle themes of the Book of Romans. Faith has been shown to be the only means of attaining righteousness, because by our works we only earn God’s condemnation (Romans 1-3a). Justification by faith is the way in which God can justly save lost sinners. Old Testament saints were justified (and lived) by faith, just as we are called to do. Both Abraham and David believed in justification by faith (Romans 4). Abraham’s faith, like ours, was such that it believed in God’s ability to do as He promised, even to the extent of bringing the dead to life. In Romans 6-8 we will see how directly applicable this is to our living by faith in the matter of our personal sanctification, for our bodies are dead so far as our ability to live righteously is concerned (Romans 7:24). We are as dead to living righteously as Abraham and Sarah’s were to bearing children.
Paul’s boldness and eagerness to preach the gospel are the result of his desire to boast in God and about Him. The Jews were entirely wrong to boast in themselves, in their identity as Jews and in their possession of the Law. Because all men are condemned by the Law of God, and because justification is by faith, and not works, there is no basis for boasting by men or in men. Our only ground for boasting is in the Lord. It is in our identification with Jesus Christ that we are justified. It is in our union with Him that we are released from our identification with Adam, with sin, and thus from our bondage to death.
Our boasting is related to the matter of our identity. It is not related in the way we would naturally think, however. The Jews saw Abraham as a celebrity, and thus they wanted to identify with him and to share in his glory. They wanted to boast in their privileged function as stewards of God’s revelation, the Law. They wanted, if possible, to glory in their own personal achievements. But in the final analysis, the identity of every man, woman, and child is tied to the first Adam or to the last Adam, Jesus Christ. Adam is our father. Because he sinned, we are stricken with this malady (by our own decision). Because he sinned, we find ourselves subject to death. Jesus Christ came to give us a new identity, by faith in Him. When we gain our new identity (from being “in Adam” to being “in Christ”), we discover that our boasting is now in God.
It does not matter what you think of yourself. The question is: “Are you in Adam (you got there by birth)? Or are you in Christ? Once you settle the issue of identity, you solve the problem of boasting. Men boast in their identity as unbelievers in terms of who they are or what they do. Those who have trusted in Christ boast in their identity in Jesus Christ, and they find no other grounds for boasting than Him—Christ and Christ crucified—because He is the One who has the glory. He is the One who is the glory, and He is the One in whom we boast and about whom we boast.
The glory which we seek, and for which we hope, is not our own glory, but the glory of God. God revealed His glory to mankind in and through His creation. We rejected His glory and exchanged it for those created things in which we wish to glory. We did not boast in God, but in the works of our own hands, and in our own wisdom. The gospel offers us a second chance, a last chance. By faith in Christ, the full and final revelation of God to men, we can be forgiven and justified. We can boast, but only in what God has done for us in Christ. We can boast in God’s promised future blessings, the hope of his glory. We can even boast in present adversity, for in our tribulations God’s love is manifested, and our hope is assured.
We find that it is not just the Jews who had an “identity problem,” which resulted in false boasting. Our own culture is bent upon establishing an “identity.” Self-image has become not only the explanation for what we are and what we do, but also the quest of men’s efforts, the focus of their attention. I must tell you, my friend, that the only identity that matters is your identity in Christ. No matter what you think of yourself, no matter who you think you are, you are a child of Adam, a sinner, condemned by God. The only identity in which you can boast is an identity in and with Jesus Christ. You can change your identity by simply trusting in the death of Jesus Christ on your behalf, and by accepting His righteousness in place of your unrighteousness. This is the good news of the gospel. And for this one act of faith, God promises not only justification, but peace with Him, a standing in His grace, the infusion of His love through the Holy Spirit, and the certain hope of His glory.
While sinful boasting is prohibited and foolish, godly boasting—that is, boasting in God—is most profitable, to us and to others. The more I ponder this thought, the more I see much of what Christians are commanded to do in terms of boasting. Paul’s preaching was really his boasting—in God. Evangelism, for all of us, is just that—boasting about God. Edification (the building up of fellow-believers) is boasting too. The only things which really build up the saints are those which focus men’s attention, devotion, and obedience toward God. Worship is yet another form of boasting, and corporate worship is Christians boasting about God together.
If our worship is not what it should be, if our proclamation of Jesus Christ as Savior (evangelism) is infrequent and timid, if our words and actions toward other believers are of little value, it may very well be because we are failing to boast in God. And our failure to boast about God may reflect a diminished appreciation of our justification and of the God who has accomplished it. If our heart toward God grows cold, our boasting will turn to shame.
I am beginning to see Paul’s teaching in Romans as being like a rock which is thrown into a pond. It enters in one place, then makes ever-widening ripples which eventually affects the entire pond. In biblical terms, I am reminded of these words of Paul found in his Ephesian Epistle:
For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, … that He would grant you, … that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fulness of God (Ephesians 3:14-19).
The gospel is so rich, so immense, simply because it is a reflection of God. Paul’s desire to “preach the gospel” is not simply a desire to repeat the same truths concerning salvation (as often seems to happen today), but a passionate desire to expose the Romans to the riches of the gospel, and thus to the glory of God, in all of its vast dimensions: its height and depth; its length and width. In the Book of Romans Paul takes those themes he has introduced at the beginning of his epistle, and returns to them, filling in more and more detail, and exposing the reader to the wealth which is in Christ. It is an inexhaustible wealth, and thus one into which Paul may probe more and more deeply. We are thus enriched by his labor.
I want to conclude by asking a few simple questions which are meant to encourage you to consider the application of these Scriptures to your own life:
(1) Where is your identity found?
(2) Upon what or whom is your self-concept based?
93) Where is your hope?
(4) In what, or in whom, do you boast?
(5) Are you a “son of Adam” or a “son of God”?
(6) Does adversity and tribulation deepen your love for and your trust in God?
(7) Are you finding the gospel of Jesus Christ and your riches in Him to be higher and deeper, wider and longer each day?
(8) May God use these inspired words of Romans 3:27–5:21 to enrich your life.
16 In chapters 6 and following, Paul will also point out some of the responsibilities which come with this “package” of justification. The sequence is significant, however, for Paul does not speak of the responsibilities of justification until after he has spoken of its rewards.
17 There are several different forms of this Greek root, which is typical. The same Greek root may be found in the form of a noun, a verb, a participle, an adjective, or an adverb. Thus, in order to do a thorough search of a term, one must search for the term in all of its forms. The root concept of boasting has three forms in the New Testament, and so my study includes all three forms.
18 It is understandable that translators would wish to translate the original term differently, since there is a great deal of difference between carnal “boasting” and “boasting in the Lord.” Nevertheless, if a different expression is used to translate the same original term, it would be very helpful to the Bible student to have an indication that the different renderings all are based upon the same original term. This would make tracking a certain theme (like boasting) less difficult.
19 One might also note in these three “boastings” that all three members of the Trinity are included.
20 The love of God the Father is manifested in the heart of the believer by the Holy Spirit, based upon the work of our Lord Jesus Christ.
21 That we are subject to death because of Adam’s sin is seen by the fact that all men from Adam’s day to the time the Law was given through Moses died, and yet the Law was not in force and thus they could not be indicted for their sins. The only sin of which they could be guilty was to disobey the command given Adam, not to eat the forbidden fruit—and none of them sinned in this way. See Romans 4:15; 5:12-14.
22 This is only an approximation, based upon those verses in Romans in which the terms “death,” “die,” “died,” “dying,” and “dead” occur. There may well be other references to death also. My intention here is only to give a sense of proportion, to show where the theme of death is most prominent.
23 It should be pointed out that in any one verse, more than one term or reference to death may be found.
Some years ago I was asked by a couple to baptize their son. The young man had requested baptism, and his parents seemed eager for him to do so. As is our practice, the one who wishes to be baptized must first be interviewed. This is to make certain that the one seeking baptism understands the gospel and has come to a personal faith in Jesus Christ. It is also to make certain that this individual understands the meaning of baptism.
On this occasion, I did something I almost never do—I invited the young man’s father into my study to accompany his son as I talked with him. Usually I speak to children alone so that parents will not be tempted to prompt their child and so the child will not feel any pressure to please his parents. The mother waited for us in another room. I shall never forget that interview.
As usual, I first set out to put the boy at ease by asking him a few conversational questions, eventually coming to the critical issues. I said to him, “Suppose you were to die right now, and you found yourself at the gates of heaven. Suppose also that St. Peter happened to be the gate-keeper, and he asked you why he should let you into God’s heaven. What reason would you give Peter for letting you into heaven?”
The boy stumbled. He made a few feeble attempts to answer, but he really did not seem to have any grasp of what it meant to be saved. It was a very awkward situation. His father wanted to help his son out, and so I let him give his answer, which went something like this: “I would tell Peter that I hoped I had done enough good works and that these outnumbered my bad deeds, so that God would let me into heaven.”
At this point things became even more awkward, for I now realized that neither the boy nor his father truly understood the gospel. As simply and clearly as I could, I explained the gospel to them, much as Paul has explained it in Romans 1-3. By our works, we cannot earn God’s salvation or enter God’s heaven. Our works only condemn us; they can never save us. I told them that God has provided the way for us to get to heaven by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to the earth. Jesus died to take our punishment on Himself and to give us His righteousness. All we need to do is to admit that we are a sinner, deserving of God’s punishment, and to believe by faith that Jesus has been punished in our place and that His righteousness is now ours.
Even though they knew I could not baptize the boy at the next baptism, to my surprise and relief neither the boy nor his father seemed upset. Instead, they appeared to be almost excited. Wondering what I would say to the mother, we returned to where she was waiting. I was searching for the right words when the husband suddenly spoke up in a way I would never have expected.
“Wow,” he said to his wife, “did we ever flunk that test,” explaining to her that neither he nor their son had been able to correctly answer the question I had asked. And then he said to his wife, “Say, let me ask you the same question, dear. If you were to die right now and find yourself at the gates of heaven, and you were asked why God should let you in, what would you say?” Without a moment’s hesitation, she responded confidently: “Good works!” “Wrong,” the husband blurted out, “You flunked, too! You’re wrong just like we were!”
This father had come to understand that no one gets to heaven by good works. Unfortunately, his thinking reflects that of all too many people who suppose that heaven can be gained if our good works only outweigh or outnumber our sins. This is precisely the point Paul has made in the first three chapters of his Epistle to the Romans. On the basis of one’s works, no one can be pronounced righteous by God. Our works show all of us to be under divine condemnation and deserving the penalty of death. The righteousness which we cannot earn, we can receive by faith, because of what Jesus Christ has done in behalf of sinners.
For those who have been saved, who have been justified by faith in Jesus Christ, the subject of good works is still very important. If God does not save men on the basis of their works, does this mean that the deeds of the Christian do not matter? Can the Christian then live in any way he or she pleases, since we can never meet God’s standard of righteousness by our works?
The relationship between faith and works is an important one, and it is an issue which is presently causing Christians to disagree and debate among themselves. It is commonly known as the question of “lordship salvation.” The fundamental issue is the relationship between faith and good works. On the one side are those who wish to stress that justification is by faith alone, “apart from works,” just as Paul teaches (Romans 4:1-6). On the other side are those who insist that salvation is “unto good works,” just as Paul teaches (Ephesians 2:10). The fact is, both “sides” are correct, but each stresses one side of the issue more than the other.24
In Romans 6-8, Paul will turn our attention to the good works which should result from our justification. It is a very important matter we are about to consider. Let us listen well to Paul’s words on the relationship between faith and works.
We shall approach our text in the light of its context. Consider this suggested structure for the first eight chapters of Romans:
(1) Man’s sin and need for justification — Chapters 1-3a
(2) The nature of justification: its basis and its benefits — Chapters 3b-5
(3) Justification and the goal of righteousness — Chapters 6-8
God’s righteousness requires Him to condemn sinners and to reward the righteous. The problem with this is that all men are sinners, and that there is not even one who is righteous (3:10-20). In order to pour out His blessings on some and yet to remain true to His righteousness, God purposed and provided a salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ. God’s righteous anger was poured out on Him, not for His sins, but for ours. God’s righteousness, in Christ, is offered to all men who will believe in Jesus Christ for eternal life.
Having shown man’s need for justification in chapters 1-3a, Paul moved on to the nature of justification in chapters 3b and 5. Justification is granted to men—reckoned to them—on the basis of faith, not works. Because of this, no man can boast in his standing before God as righteous. This “justification by faith” is the way in which God has always dealt with men. As examples, Paul spoke in chapter 4 of both Abraham and David who were justified by faith. Turning to the benefits of our justification in chapter 5, Paul gives the Christian three avenues of boasting: (1) our sure hope of “the glory of God”; (2) our hope in present tribulation; and, (3) our boasting in God through Jesus Christ.
The section we are studying in this lesson (Romans 6-8) contains three chapters. We can roughly summarize the section by chapters:
(1) The necessity of sanctification — Romans 6
(2) The impossibility of sanctification — Romans 7
(3) The certainty of sanctification — Romans 8
While this gives us a fair approximation of the flow of Paul’s argument, it is not as precise as it should be. Almost always, Paul provides us with clear structural clues to the way in which he has developed his argument. Such is the case here. The question, “What shall we say, then?” appears three times in chapters 6-8 (6:1; 7:7; 8:31). In the first two instances, his question is a misconception of Christian doctrine and practice, based upon an abuse of the truths he has just taught. In both cases, Paul’s response is a strong and immediate, “May it never be!” (6:2; 7:7). In the third instance, however, Paul himself speaks out in response to the truths he has just laid down, showing us the proper response to the provisions which God has made for our sanctification. The structure of our text can thus be summarized in this way:
(1) The necessity of personal righteousness — Romans 6:1–7:6
(2) The source of our problem and God’s solutions — Romans 7:7–8:30
(3) The appropriate response to these things — Romans 8:31-39
Identifying the message of this section, seeing how this fits into the argument of Romans thus far and how it prepares the way for what will follow will be our purpose in this lesson. We shall also try to determine exactly how Paul builds his case in chapters 6-8. We will seek to probe the application of the teaching of this section as we investigate the relationship between Paul’s teaching and our own lives.
I would hope that each of us, as we study this section, would move either from the casual view found in 6:1-2, or from the agony of chapter 7 (verses 7-24), to the confidence, joy and praise of 8:31-39. I believe this will happen as we turn our eyes from ourselves, others, and this fallen world (6:1–8:27) to God, His faithfulness, His love, His sovereignty, and His promises (8:31-39). May we find ourselves, at the end of this study, where Paul is found, exulting in God and caught up in His praises.
Paul’s emphasis in this section on the necessity of good works is not new nor did he intend it to come as a surprise. Paul has been laying a foundation for the doctrine of sanctification, beginning in chapter 1. In the introduction to this epistle, Paul told the Romans that his apostleship was not merely to evangelize sinners, but rather to bring about the “obedience of faith” (Romans 1:5).25 Having shown that justification is not the result of works, Paul will now set out to convincingly prove that justification was intended to result in good works.
At the conclusion of Paul’s discussion about Abraham’s faith, Paul spoke of Christ’s death as being related to man’s condemnation and His resurrection as being related to man’s justification (4:25). The final words of Paul in chapter 5 again point to that “newness of life,” which is to be the result of the work of Christ:
That, as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 5:21).
Grace is seen to reign through righteousness, not through sin. Paul understood justification to result in righteousness, in good works, in the lives of those who have been justified by faith.
Paul has also prepared us for his teaching in chapters 6-8 by the questions he has previously raised. The matters which Paul now addresses have already been “put on the agenda” in the form of questions already raised. In chapter 3, Paul raised this question:
But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner? And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say), ‘Let us do evil that good may come’? (Romans 3:7-8a).
This question is now raised again (in only a slightly different form) by Paul at the beginning of chapter 6:
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase? (Romans 6:1)
Does grace give the Christian license to live any way he or she pleases? Can the Christian keep living just as they once did as an unbeliever? The response, “May it never be!,” makes short work of such folly. But Paul will press on to thoroughly document why such thinking is inconsistent with the gospel.
There is yet another question, which Paul previously brought up, which is raised again in Romans 6-8:
Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law (Romans 3:31).
This is a very important question. And the answer to it is not well understood or even believed. Many Christians have concluded, because of the abuses of the Law of Moses, and because of some New Testament teachings concerning the Law (many of which are from Paul), that the Law is now utterly useless, and perhaps even evil. In Romans 6-8 Paul will show how the Law is set aside in one way, but he will also show the continuing beneficial role of the Law in several other ways. We dare not deny Paul’s teaching here, that the Law is established, not abolished, by the gospel. Just how that is true will be seen shortly.
Having established once for all that man’s works do not contribute to his “justification by faith,” Paul now sets out to show them to be a most necessary manifestation of justification. God does not justify men only to get them to heaven or to keep them from hell. God justifies us to make us righteous, not only in principle, but in practice. God hates sin, and in His holiness He must condemn sinners. When God provided for man’s salvation, He provided not only for his justification but for his sanctification as well. The necessity of sanctification is now taken up by Paul.
Chapter 6 begins with a question and a strong response:
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? (Romans 6:1-2).
This question suggests several things which we must note if we are to understand Paul’s teaching here:
(1) Paul is not speaking in the realm of the theoretical, but he is bringing up a real problem. The danger Paul addresses here is a real danger.
(2) There are two major possibilities of error here, as I understand it. First, there may be those who would use God’s grace as an excuse for sin.26 We know this to be a real danger (1 Peter 2:16; cp. Jude 1:4). Second, Paul has already indicated that some enemies of the gospel (probably Jews) were accusing him and others of advocating living in sin, so that grace would abound (see Romans 3:7-8).
(3) Justification does not rid the Christian of sin altogether. Justification deals with the penalty of sin, but not its power. Paul’s words here certainly suggest that Christians still have a problem with sin. We will see from chapter 7 that sin still is a problem for the Christian. Justification is not the eradication of sin.
(4) Paul’s choice of terms27 indicates more than excusing a passive or occasional falling into sin, but an active pursuit of sin, over a period of time.
(5) There is the inference here that just as unbelieving men would distort the truth of God, exchanging it for a lie, so Christians will be tempted to interpret and apply the Scriptures in such a way as to excuse their sin. (Some of us are even so clever as to distort the Scriptures in such a way as to make our sin look like obedience to God’s commands.)28
I believe Paul raises the question about remaining in sin as strongly as he does for two reasons. First, it is because Paul and others were actually accused of teaching such practice (a legalist could understandably come to such a conclusion). Paul has already alluded to such charges in 3:7-8. Second, Paul knew that either this error was already held by some or that it would soon be. There actually was a danger that some Christians would adopt this position and practice. There surely would be false teachers who would advocate such heresy in the church (see Jude 1:4).
The structure of this subsection (6:1–7:6) is indicated in at least two ways. First, it is indicated by the subject matter. Each of the three paragraphs in this segment of Scripture have a distinct subject:
(1) Baptism — Romans 6:1-14
(2) Slavery — Romans 6:15-23
(3) Marriage — Romans 7:1-6
Furthermore, each of these subjects is introduced by the same question:29
(1) “Or do you not know?” — Romans 6:3
(2) “Do you not know?” — Romans 6:16
(3) “Or do you not know?” — Romans 7:1
In Romans 6:1-14, Paul’s first argument is that living in sin is entirely inconsistent with the gospel. Living in sin is the opposite of what justification is all about. Salvation is accomplished when the Holy Spirit baptizes a person into the person and work of Christ (see 6:3; 1 Corinthians 12:13). By this baptism we are joined with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. Water baptism is but an “acting out” of that which has already occurred in our Spirit baptism. Paul now appeals to this baptism, what it achieved, and its implications.
Our union with Jesus Christ shows us that “continuing to live in sin” is outrageous, shocking, and detestable.30 If we, in Christ, died “to sin,” how is it that we could even entertain the thought of continuing to live “in sin”? Beyond this, in Christ, we were raised to new life. Jesus, by His resurrection, was transformed. He died once, but He now lives forever in righteousness. If we are in Christ, how can we persist in living as we once did as unbelievers? Our conduct as Christians should be consistent with what took place at our conversion.31 Continuing to live in sin is inconceivable, because it is inconsistent with all that took place when we were justified by faith in Jesus Christ. Therefore, Paul calls upon his readers to live in a way that is consistent with this reality, so that sin must no longer be allowed to reign over us. Instead we should present our bodies to God as instruments of righteousness.
The second argument which Paul gives for ceasing to live in sin is found in Romans 6:15-23.32 Those who would advocate “living in sin” would do so under the banner of “liberty.” Paul refutes this error by raising the banner of “slavery.” “Freedom,” Paul argues, is a misnomer. In reality, everyone is a slave and must choose one of two masters. Unsaved men are the slaves of sin. They have no choice, though they think of themselves as free (this is a part of Satan’s deception).
One’s choice to become a slave can be either conscious or unconscious. To continue to present oneself to sin is to remain a slave to sin. Very few people choose to become drug addicts. They begin by sampling drugs, by dabbling with them. They think they are in control, but soon the drug controls (enslaves) them, and they are no longer free. So it is with sin. To dabble with sin is to become enslaved to it. And to be enslaved by sin is to put oneself on the road to death. Paul points out the two options, slavery to sin and slavery to God, with their very different destinies: death and life. Put in this light, remaining in sin is remaining a slave to sin, and pursuing death.
Paul’s third argument against “living in sin” is found in the first 6 verses of chapter 7. It is really just an extension or illustration of his previous argument, based upon the relationship between marriage and the law. A woman who is married is not free to remarry, because the law forbids it. Only death frees the woman to remarry another man. If her husband dies, she is freed by his death.
We have died, in Christ, so that we now have the freedom to choose a new master. While sin once ruled over us, it need not do so any longer. We are freed from the dominion of sin by death.33 Now, we can be joined to another—Jesus Christ. While the fruit of one’s union with sin is death, the fruit of one’s union with Christ is righteousness, resulting in life.
There is something very interesting and important about what Paul has said in verses 1-6 of chapter 7. The Law played a part in our bondage. But it was not the Law which was “put to death,” so to speak, we were put to death. The inference is an important one, for it is not the Law which is the ultimate problem; it is us. It is the weakness of our own sinful flesh. This will be taken up in the next segment of our passage.
For now, we can see that justification was never intended to serve as a license to sin. Justification has, as its goal, righteousness, which leads to eternal life. To think that one who is justified can continue to live as he used to is outrageous, inconceivable, and disgusting. Let no one dare to think such thoughts.
While the legalist is wrong in thinking that the Law is a deterrent to sin, the libertine would love to conclude that the Law is, itself, the problem. The libertine hates rules, especially God’s rules (see 8:7), and therefore he is eager to name the Law as the source of man’s problems. “If we could but pronounce the Law “evil” and could thus abolish the Law and rid ourselves of it altogether,” the libertine reasons, “what a better place this world would be.”
“Not so!,” Paul will object in Romans 7. The problem is not with the Law; the problem is with us. Romans 7:7-24 takes up the matter of the Law and the role it plays in dealing with sin in the Christian’s life. The question which Paul raises concerns whether the Law is, itself, evil. If the Law is the culprit, then we would best be rid of it. The Law of God is not evil to Paul, but “holy and righteous and good” (see 7:12). The Law34 of God, Paul has already affirmed, is not nullified by the gospel but is rather to be established by it (3:31).
Paul first affirms the goodness of the Law by pointing out its valuable role in defining and exposing sin (7:7). An x-ray is not evil because it reveals the presence of a tumor; neither is the Law evil because it points out sin in our lives. The Law performs a valuable function in this regard. Sin takes advantage of the Law and uses its own evil purposes. Sin actually uses the Law to create an appetite for sin. Sin takes the command not to covet and uses it to produce coveting of all kinds within us (7:8).
In his inner man, Paul agrees with the requirements of the Law. As a Christian, he desires to obey the Law, and he sees its demands as “holy, righteous, and good” (7:12). He desperately desires to do all that the Law commands and to avoid that which it condemns. And so, as a Christian,35 Paul finds the Law to be a good thing. His problem is that while he wants to obey the Law and to meet its demands, he finds that he does not and he cannot live within the Law even though he has the desire to do so. The “spirit is willing,” so to speak, but “the flesh is weak.”
The problem which Paul (and every other Christian, as well) experienced is the problem of the weakness of the flesh. Sin is extremely powerful, and the flesh is incredibly weak. The desire to obey God’s Law can be present, while the ability to do so is not. This leads to great frustration. In contrast to the apathy of the one who would “continue in sin” (Romans 6) is the agony over sin which others experience, an agony Paul has summed up in this way:
Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? (Romans 6:24).
As Abraham and Sarah were “dead” with respect to having a child (Romans 4:19), so the Christian is “dead” with respect to obeying God’s Law.
This is the dilemma of the Christian. Here is the root problem, the explanation for sin in the life of the Christian. The problem is not in the Law of God, but in my own weakness, the weakness of the flesh. Sin has the power to use good things, like the Law, to overpower the flesh of the Christian and to produce sin.
The dilemma of the Christian, described by Paul in Romans 7, is not unlike the dilemma of the non-Christian in Romans 1:18–3:20. Just as the unbeliever cannot produce righteousness by his own works, neither can the Christian. The difference between the Christian and the unbeliever is that the Christian actually desires to please God, but is not able to do so, while the unbeliever could care less about obeying God (see 8:7-8).
The solution to the problem of the “deadness” of the Christian’s flesh is spelled out in Romans 8. What the Christian cannot do in his own strength, God does. The solution to Paul’s problem in Romans 7 is found once again, at the cross of Calvary, in the death of Jesus Christ on our behalf.
The first problem which Paul deals with is the problem of sin and of its guilt. Justification takes place when a lost sinner turns to God in faith, believing in the person and work of Jesus Christ. But what provision is there for the sins of the saint, the sins to which Paul has referred in chapter 7? Paul tells his readers the good news, that the shed blood of Jesus has paid the penalty for all the sins of the believer. There is therefore “now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” Being “in Christ” means that we are obligated to live our lives differently (Romans 6:1–7:6). We will often fail to do so, and in our own strength we will always fail do so. But being “in Christ” means we have no condemnation. The Christian will still sin; he will now (for the first time) struggle with sin, but he will not be condemned.
It is indeed good news to know that when we fail, as we surely will, that our sins will be forgiven. It is great news to know as well that God has provided the power necessary for the Christian to obey Him and to produce good works. The power to do this is provided through the ministry of the Holy Spirit:
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you (Romans 8:11).
Often, sin in the life of the Christian causes doubts. “How can I be a child of God and do what I do?” Another ministry of the Holy Spirit is to bear witness to our union with Christ, to bear witness to the fact that we are a child of God:
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow-heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him (Romans 8:16-17).
The Holy Spirit is, among other things, a “Spirit of adoption” (8:15), who testifies to our sonship. Our “sonship” is two-fold. It is a present sonship, in that we become a child of God at the time of our conversion (8:14-17). But there is a future dimension to our “sonship,” which is spoken of as well:
For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God … For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one also hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it (Romans 8:19, 22-25).
The “revelation of the sons of God” refers to that time when the kingdom of God will be established on this earth, when the earth will be transformed, and when sin will be removed (see Hosea 1:10, in context). This day is still future. And so we are, in one sense, “sons of God” now, but we will someday experience the full “sonship” which is yet to come. To this “sonship” the Holy Spirit bears testimony, from deep within us.
Because of the present “imperfection,” both in ourselves and in this fallen creation, the Holy Spirit performs yet another ministry. We, like the creation, find ourselves groaning in our own imperfection, and groaning for that perfection which is to come (8:22-23). Often, our groanings are inexpressible. We cannot even put words to them. The Holy Spirit does. He conveys these groanings to the Son, who “searches our hearts” and who intercedes for us with the Father (8:27).
And so in our own imperfection (Romans 7), and in the imperfection of this fallen world, we have God’s provisions for living in obedience to His Law, and for living in hope and joy, confident of forgiveness, of sonship, and of the certainty of His kingdom which is yet to come.
We have another comfort as well—the comfort of the character of God Himself. This is the final (and in many ways the ultimate) comfort for the Christian. It is the comfort of knowing that while we are fallen (albeit forgiven) creatures, living in a fallen world, we have a sovereign God whose plans and purposes will all be fulfilled. These plans have been formed in eternity past (“whom He foreknew,” 8:29) and they extend to eternity future (“these He also glorified,” 8:30). And these plans move on, from one stage to the next, without a hitch or a failure, and without the loss of any who are a part of that plan. All whom He foreknew, He predestined, and all He predestined, He called, and all He called, He justified, and all He justified, He glorified.
Do we live in a world which groans? Do we find ourselves fallible? We have every reason for confidence, for we are “sons of God.” His plans are not dependent on our perfection, our complete obedience, our sinlessness, to be realized. His plans include “all things,” including our collapses, including Satanic and demonic opposition (8:38), including every obstacle (8:38-39). God as easily uses opposition and failure to accomplish His purposes as He does our obedience. How, then, could we doubt the certainty of our sonship, and of all that God has purposed to accomplish? We can fail, but His purposes cannot. And since His purpose includes our glorification, we know that we shall experience “sonship” to the full, in His kingdom.
Twice before in this section, Paul has asked the question, “What then shall we say?” He then went on to suggest wrong answers, which needed to be corrected. But now, when he asks the same question, Paul gives us a response which should serve as the pattern for our response to God, for God has not changed, nor will He change. All that Paul has said of God is just as true today as it was when Paul wrote then. Let us look at the last paragraph of chapter 8, not so much as a text to study, but as an expression of the worship which God deserves, and which we should delight in rendering to Him.
Paul now draws together all of God’s provisions, along with the attributes of His sovereign power and love.36 When seen together, these attributes of God result in an undefeatable combination. God’s character is here viewed from the perspective of the saint, whose obedience is imperfect, and who lives in a fallen, chaotic, groaning world. Nevertheless, the One in whom we trust is the One who has purposed not only our salvation, but our glorification, not only our present “sonship,” but our full and final “sonship.” It is therefore impossible that God’s purposes and promises should fail. It is impossible that we, as His children, should ultimately fail to gain that which God has promised and for which He has made every provision.
The conclusion is simple and obvious. If God is on our side, who could possibly assemble against Him, and us, so as to defeat us? If God has already given up His beloved Son to save us, what will He not do, if necessary, to keep us? He has already made the ultimate sacrifice. If God does not condemn us (because of His Son), who is there who could do so? Who can separate us from God and from His love? While life will have its sufferings, its hardships, its persecutions, and its troubles, none of these will come between us and our loving God. And we will not merely endure; we will triumph, in Him. We will “overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us” (8:37). Neither the forces of nature, nor the combined forces of heaven and hell, can separate us from the love of God. What love! What power! What confidence! What security! What grace!
There is no better place to end a study than here, on our knees, in the praise of the One who saved us, in whose love and power we endure and conquer. Let us conclude this study by taking note of some important truths.
First, let me suggest yet another summary of this text. We have already summarized the message of Romans 6-8, but allow me to suggest another summation for your consideration. It views these three chapters in terms of the impossible. In Romans 6-8, three things are impossible:
(1) It is impossible to be saved and to continue to live in sin, as we formerly did.
(2) It is impossible to be saved or to live righteously in our own strength.
(3) It is impossible for the Christian, who will sin, to be condemned, to be separated from the love of God, or to thwart the plans and purposes of God.
Second, note the expanded role which the gospel plays in Paul’s writings. Unfortunately, to many the “gospel” is the preaching of “hell-fire and damnation,” occasionally to sinners, but more often to a church full of saints (at least those who think they are saints), who hear the gospel and delight in thinking they have arrived—after all, they have accepted Jesus as their Savior. The gospel is more than a message which God uses to save lost men and women—though it is that (Romans 1:16). It is one means by which God’s righteousness is revealed to mankind and the angels (see Romans 1:17). The gospel is that standard by which Christians ought to live (Romans 6; Colossians 2:6; etc.). The gospel also is the means by which we can live as saints (Romans 8). And the gospel is our motivation for the way in which we live (Romans 1). No wonder Paul wanted to preach the gospel to the Romans, even though they were saved people. We can never understand the gospel in its fullness. Thus we find Paul continually expanding the gospel, higher and deeper, wider and longer.37 The gospel is an unfathomable wealth of truth. It is a well from which every saint may draw, from now to eternity, without ever exhausting it. Let us ever draw from it!
Third, consider the implications of our text for the doctrine and practice of the spiritual life of the believer. The spiritual life (sanctification—godly living) is not seen as the “higher path” of the few, the committed, the dedicated; it is that path which is expected of every believer. Sanctification is the expected outcome of justification. We dare not excuse ourselves from pursuing this path. If we do, we will be very much like those who say, “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?”
The spiritual life is not only required by God, it is enabled by Him. God does not require of His children that which He does not enable them to do. The Christian life is impossible, in the power of the flesh, but it is possible in the power of the Holy Spirit. Those who seek to rationalize their sins with the excuse, “I’m only human,” fail to grasp or to apply Romans 8. God expects us to live supernaturally, not by our own efforts, but through His enablement. Why is it that we Christians can only think of human ways to go about the Christian life and ministry?
On the other hand, expecting God to accomplish the miraculous in and through us does not mean that we expect or demand that God do the spectacular for us or through us. Notice that while Paul speaks clearly of this power, he does not talk of “signs and wonders,” or “spectacular gifts or phenomenon,” of those manifestations of the Spirit over which Christians disagree. He speaks of the power of the Spirit manifested through those who “walk in the Spirit” (8:4). He speaks of the ministry of the Spirit in convincing us of our sonship (8:14-17), of His ministry in communicating our groanings to the Lord Jesus (8:26-27). I am not seeking to prove here that the spectacular manifestations of the Spirit cannot happen in this age, but only to show that these are not the means Paul is speaking of which enable the Christian’s walk.
We know that all who are the “sons of God” are led by His Spirit. I urge you to take note of the fact that in this chapter it is emphatically stated that this leading of the Spirit is not only into tribulation and suffering and groaning, but also through it. The presence of the Holy Spirit is not the promise of prosperity and ease, but the promise of comfort and joy in the midst of our trials.
The spiritual life is not stimulated by thoughts of insecurity (such as losing one’s salvation), but by the assurance of our security, not due to our own efforts but due to the sovereignty and love of God. It is God’s faithfulness, not our own, in which we have absolute confidence. And it is in this confidence that we can stand and serve, with absolute certainty that what He has purposed, He will complete.
Our text makes it crystal clear that while God has fully achieved our justification through Jesus Christ, and while He rightly expects and is producing our sanctification, we will not be perfect in this life, nor will the world be perfected until that future time when the kingdom of God is established on the earth. For the time being, God’s provisions enable us to live with faith, hope, and love in an imperfect world, as imperfect Christians. God’s power and character are not a promise of present prosperity nor of present perfection.
God’s provision for the spiritual life—for our sanctification—does not include a set of rules, or of formulas. While Romans 6-8 is perhaps the most thorough exposition in the New Testament on the doctrine and practice of the spiritual life, there are few “how to’s.” We are simply told that we are to “walk in the Spirit.” How this will work out in our experience is something each of us must learn as the Spirit leads and enable us.
While there will always be those legalists about, who insist that an emphasis on rules is a deterrent to sin, Paul teaches otherwise. The Law actually increased sin so that it could be defeated by Christ on the cross (5:20). While the Law does not and cannot solve the problem of sin, the Law has a valuable role to play in the life of the believer. The libertine would love to throw the Law out altogether, but this is equally wrong. The problem we have with the Law is in our own weakness. And that problem has a provision: the power of the Holy Spirit. Thus, those who are “in Christ” are, on the one hand, freed from the Law (7:1-6), and on the other, freed to be able to keep the Law (see 8:4).
Finally, I want you to notice the change in focus in these three chapters. The focus was initially on man. The focus was on the obligation of men to live differently than they did before they were justified. The focus was on the utter inability of man to keep God’s Law and to live a holy life, due to the strength of sin and the weakness of his flesh. There is little that can come from this focus except frustration and distress, which is exactly what we find in Romans 7. It is only when the focus shifts to God, to His love, to His sovereignty, to His faithfulness, that we move from agony to ecstasy.
Why is it that even Christians seek joy and peace and fulfillment from within themselves? Why is it that we keep looking inward and backward (to our past and to the injustices done to us), rather than God-ward, upward, forward, to that which will surely come to pass, based upon God’s character, God’s purposes, and God’s promises? It is in God that we find justification, sanctification, and sonship. It is in God that we find confidence and joy. It is in God that we rejoice. It is in God, and God alone.
May we not step away from this text without joining Paul, one more time, in worship and adoration. To God be the glory, great things He has done, great things He will do!
24 One of the interesting features of the Book of Romans is that when there are two sides to a coin, Paul stresses both sides, and usually in close proximity. Paul, for example, makes an emphatic point in Romans that by his own works, man cannot save himself, attain righteousness, nor enter into eternal life. On the other hand, Paul will make it very clear that those who are saved are saved “unto good works”. To Paul, it is inconceivable that one would be delivered from sin and death only to return to it, like a pig to the filth of his sty.
Yet another example, which we shall take up later in our study, is the way in which Paul handles the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man in relationship to man’s salvation. In Romans 9, Paul stresses the sovereignty of God in man’s salvation—specifically in relationship to the doctrine of election. Yet in Romans 10 Paul stresses human responsibility, in receiving the gospel by faith, and in proclaiming the gospel. When there are truths which must be held in tension, Paul makes this tension clear, yet without sacrificing either aspect of that truth. Our temptation, on the other hand, is to stress only one side of the issue and to oppose those who would stress the other side of that same issue. The “lordship salvation” controversy, in my opinion, is an example of this.
25 I take it that by this expression Paul is referring to one’s initial obedience to the gospel in saving faith and also to one’s subsequent lifestyle of obedience as well.
26 Indeed, the wording of the question would suggest something even worse. The question raised was not, “Can we continue in sin … ?”, but “Shall we continue in sin … ?” The first question implies the possibility; the second implies almost a necessity, as though one should do so.
27 Very similar expressions are found in Romans 11:22; Colossians 1:23, and 1 Timothy 4:16, all of which refer to an active, aggressive, and persistent continuance, with effort.
28 It is altogether possible to serve our own interests with poured-out devotion. It is possible to serve the flesh even while engaged in the most intense sort of religious activities. The very fact that our activities are religious will sometimes disguise the presence of the rankest kind of selfishness. Signposts, A Collection of Sayings from A. W. Tozer, Compiled by Harry Verploegh (Victor Books: Wheaton, IL), p. 12.
29 Technically, only 6:3 and 7:1 contain the identical question, “Or do you not know?” In 6:16 the expression is not identical in the original expression, but it is very similar. The sense is the same, and thus I see these three questions indicating the structure of Paul’s segment.
30 The expression, “May it never be!”, is used 15 times in the New Testament. Fourteen of these 15 occurrences are found in Paul’s writings. The other is found in Luke 20:16, where the people in the temple are shocked to hear Jesus teach that the “vineyard” (Israel) will be given over to others to keep (the Gentiles), because of the sins of Israel. In 13 out of 14 of Paul’s use of the expression, it is in response to a question which Paul has raised, which takes the truth of his teaching too far, and thus needs to be corrected. Of the 14 times Paul uses this expression, 10 are found in Romans (3:4, 6, 31; 6:2, 15; 7:7, 13; 9:14; 11:1, 11). In every instance, the expression conveys shock, horror, and dismay at what has been suggested.
31 It is interesting to note that in the New Testament Paul only seldom uses the terms employed for “repentance” (Romans 2:4; 2 Corinthians 7:9, 10; 12:21; 2 Timothy 2:25). Repentance is found only one time in Romans (2:4). Nevertheless, the concept of repentance is frequently found. It very much underlies what Paul is teaching here, in Romans 6. When we were saved, we repented; we not only admitted our sin, but we turned from it. Would we now turn back to sin? “May it never be!”
32 This second proposal, “Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace?” (6:15), is only slightly different than the first, “Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase?” (6:1). How often we attempt to justify our sin by rationalizing the reasons for doing so. We keep trying to rearrange our reasons until they are convincing enough to us or others, but in the final analysis we are simply justifying what we already have determined we want to do or will do. No wonder our excuses for sin are not very original.
33 Is it not interesting how God works? On the one hand, death is the curse, the consequence of sin. Yet, in the wisdom and mercy of God, death is also the cure. Dying is therefore both the consequence of sin and the cure for sin. The latter is Paul’s point in Romans 7:1-6.
34 Technically, the commandment is holy and righteous and good. There may well be a distinction between the commandment and the Law. If so, we will take this matter up later in our series. Nevertheless, Paul is defending the Law as good, not evil.
35 Some would argue that Paul is here speaking of the experience of an unbeliever. We will deal with this matter in more detail later in this series. But, on the face of it, I find two major objections to this view. First, it does not seem to fit into the context. Paul has already dealt with sin and justification earlier. He is now speaking about sanctification. Sanctification is an issue for Christians, not unbelievers. Second, I have yet to see a verse of Scripture which speaks of the unbeliever’s love of God’s Law or of an unbeliever’s agony over his inability to live up to the Law. This agony, in my estimation, is that which only a Christian knows. One of the best evidences of one’s salvation is one’s agony over sin.
36 In Romans (see chapters 5 and 8), the love of God is that which is offered as a comfort to the Christian and linked with God’s sovereignty. It is not, in Romans, used as a motivation, a “lure”, to draw the lost. When man’s sin is in view, God’s righteousness is the attribute which is central. The righteousness of God focuses the attention of the unbeliever on his own sin and on the judgment which that sin requires. This leads to a conviction of sin which drives the sinner to Christ for forgiveness (compare John 16:7-11).
37 In Romans 5, Paul pressed justification beyond its description in chapters 1-4. He took justification back to Adam, and its benefits all the way forward to the glory of God. In chapter 8, Paul goes even further. He presses justification back to the elective choice of God in eternity past, and the ultimate goal of our salvation to our glorification in eternity future.
Although it was over twenty years ago, I can still remember the first time I taught Romans 9-11. I believe it was the second sermon I had ever preached. There was a great response to that message. Never had so many requests come in for tapes on the Book of Romans—tapes, that is, by Dr. S. Lewis Johnson. Dr. Johnson, a great student of the Scriptures, had taught Romans a number of times. No wonder so many people ordered his tapes on Romans. If my sermon, years ago, prompted people to study Romans more carefully, it was worthwhile.
If this message results in your own study of Romans, it will be well worth the effort. Although messages (including this one), tapes, and printed materials may prove very helpful, nothing is more valuable than discovering for yourself the riches of the Book of Romans. I could eat a delicious steak and tell you of its delights, or I could send you personally to the restaurant to experience the meal for yourself. Eating a good meal yourself is far better than hearing someone tell about their own feast. As I share some of the great truths of Romans 9-11, I urge you to feast for yourself. If this study gets you into the Bible, it has accomplished its purpose. If it keeps you from your own study of the Book of Romans, it will have been a miserable failure.
Romans 9-11 is, by far, the most controversial section in the book. Christians differ over whether there is a future for Israel, which is distinct from that of the church. There are many who differ strongly over the teachings of Romans on divine sovereignty and human responsibility. The doctrine of election is taught here, and many find it perplexing and distressing. While this lesson will not end all of these debates, we shall attempt to clarify some of the issues and their implications.
There are some very emotional issues addressed in Romans 9-11, but they are also very important issues (is that not the reason we are so emotional about them?). Because of this emotional overlay, you may come to this text with your proverbial “guns” loaded and cocked, ready to find my teaching inconsistent with your own. It may be that my understanding is incorrect. It may also be that your understanding of this passage is wrong. We might even both be wrong! The real question is not, “What do I want it to say?” or even, “What do I think this passage says?” but, “What does it say?” The Spirit of God did not inspire this text to confuse us. The teaching of this passage is vital to the gospel and to our own spiritual walk.
I must emphasize that while we come to Romans 9-11 in search of Paul’s explanation of God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility, this is not the primary issue Paul is addressing. The issue which Paul raises is this: Does Israel’s unbelief and present alienation from God mean that God’s Word has failed, and that God’s promises to Abraham and his children are now invalid?
The answer which Paul will give to this question is emphatic: While Israel has failed miserably, the Word of God is perfectly fulfilled in terms of Israel’s history and her present condition. And concerning all that God has promised Israel, which has not yet been fulfilled, we may be confident of its fulfillment, based upon the sovereignty of God and the faithfulness of His Word.
What Paul teaches here concerning divine sovereignty, election, grace, and human responsibility is clear and convincing. He himself will raise the very issues and objections which cause great concern. These he answers emphatically. But when all is said and done, Paul is found on his knees, praising God for who He is, based upon the doctrines he has just taught. Let this also be our goal. Let us not seek to gain ammunition with which to refute others, but to join Paul, on our knees, praising God. If we understand and accept the teachings of this section, this is what we must do.
What Paul will teach in Romans 9-11 is based upon that which he has already written in chapters 1-8. It will culminate in the exhortations of Paul in chapters 12-16. Let us briefly review how Paul has prepared us for what we are about to study in our text for this lesson.
Paul is a Jew, a converted Jew who dramatically came to faith by the grace of God. Paul was called as an apostle to the Gentiles, to bring them to the “obedience of faith.” Because of his faith in Christ, his love for the brethren, and his calling to minister to the Gentiles, Paul was eager to go to Rome and to preach the gospel there. Paul had been prevented from traveling to Rome, and thus he wrote this epistle, hoping that it would prepare the way for a visit in the near future. He was “not ashamed of the gospel” but was bold to proclaim it, because it is God’s powerful means of saving men, and because it is a revelation of God’s righteousness (Romans 1:1-17).
The gospel which Paul preached was God’s good news for sinners. The righteousness of God requires that He condemn sinners. In His righteousness, God judges all men on the basis of their deeds, in the light of the revelation they have received. Judged by this standard, all men fall far short of the righteousness God requires and come under His condemnation. All men fall short of righteousness, both Jews and Gentiles. The Jews bear an even greater responsibility because they have received the revelation of God’s righteousness in the Law, the Law which they affirm to be true, and by which they judge others. All mankind is thus under sentence of death, due to their sin.
In the Old Testament, God promised men salvation from sin and outpouring of His blessings, through a Messiah who was yet to come and to die for the sins of His people. This was provided in the person of Jesus Christ. The righteousness and salvation which God has provided is not by law-keeping and good works, but on the basis of simple faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He was innocent, and yet He died for sinners, taking their punishment and bearing God’s righteous wrath. God is therefore able to save sinners and yet still be true to His righteousness. All who trust in Him are justified by faith; they receive the forgiveness of their sins and the righteousness of God in Christ (Romans 3:21-26).
Justification by faith is not new. Abraham was not justified by his works, but by his faith. He believed in God’s promise of blessings through a child he and Sarah would bear, even though they were “as good as dead” in their old age (so far as child-bearing was concerned). Abraham’s faith, like ours, was a “resurrection faith.” The physical offspring of Abraham cannot boast in him, nor are all his descendants the “seed” of Abraham from God’s point of view. Those who are truly Abraham’s sons are those who are like him—those who believe in God’s promises, by faith. These “sons of Abraham” can therefore be either Jews or Gentiles (Romans 4).
Justification is by faith, based upon the person and work of Jesus Christ. Those who are justified have peace with God (He is not angry about their sin any more), and they can boast in God, in His character and in His deeds, past, present, and future. In Christ, we can boast in the “hope of glory,” in our present “tribulations,” and “in God.” In Christ, the devastating consequences of Adam’s sin have been overturned, and replaced by blessings which are far better (Romans 5).
While men cannot be saved by their own righteousness, God justifies men in order that righteousness will be the outworking of their daily lives. Those who have been justified have died in Jesus Christ to sin and to its consequences. Those who are “in Christ” have also been raised to newness of life in Him. Because of this, justification is designed by God to produce significant changes in the lifestyle of the Christian. We dare not entertain the thought of continuing to live in sin as we formerly did. Rather, we should present our bodies to God for righteousness. To fail to do so would be to persist in slavery to sin and to pursue a course leading to death. Our death “in Christ” has freed us from our bondage to sin through the Law (Romans 6:1–7:6).
It is not the Law which hinders the Christian from living righteously. It is the weakness of our own flesh. In our own natural strength, we are unable to resist sin or to live righteously. While we will agree with that which the Law forbids and commands, we find ourselves unable to live as we desire. Sin, due to its power and the weakness of our own flesh, uses the Law to tempt us to sin. We find ourselves trapped in a body that is “dead” with respect to living as God’s righteousness requires (Romans 7).
God has provided the solution. We are to live godly lives, not by our own striving (as seen in chapter 7), but by trusting in Him and in His provisions for our righteousness. The death of Christ has not only accomplished the forgiveness of our past sins, before salvation, but also our sins as Christians. “There is therefore now no condemnation” for saints, even when they sin. The power for living righteously, which we lack in our flesh, God provides, through the Holy Spirit. The Spirit who raised the dead body of Jesus from the grave is the One “who will also give life to your mortal bodies.” He also assures us of our sonship, in both its present and future dimensions. And when we groan in our own imperfection, and that of the world in which we live, the Holy Spirit communicates those groanings to the Lord Jesus, who intercedes for us with the Father. We also find comfort in knowing that while we live in an imperfect world, God is sovereign, working out His purposes through “all things,” which includes fallible saints and opposing sinners, even satanic and demonic opposition. Because of God’s sovereignty, we can rejoice, knowing that we will be triumphant, through Him (Romans 8).
Romans 9-11 provides us with an illustration of the sovereignty of God in the history of His people, Israel. God has a purpose and a destiny for Israel, one which was planned and purposed in eternity past and which was promised through His covenants (such as with Abraham) and His prophets. In the Old Testament, God promised to bless Israel, and through Israel, to bless all nations (see Genesis 12:1-3). Studying the history of Israel, one would wonder how these promises could be fulfilled, given the persistent rebellion and unbelief of Israel. Looking at the condition of the Jews in Paul’s day would give one cause for wondering if there was any future left for these people. Paul will show us how Israel’s condition is the fulfillment of His promises and purposes, and how God’s promises concerning Israel’s future blessings and hope are yet going to be fulfilled, not due to Israel’s faithfulness, but due to His faithfulness (Romans 9-11).
Based upon our salvation (justification), upon God’s requirement for righteous living, upon His provisions for it, and on His sovereignty, Paul will conclude by spelling out how righteousness is to be worked out in the daily walk of the believer (Romans 12-16).
Our text can be summarized by the following outline:
(1) Israel’s Condition and Paul’s Response — 9:1-5
(2) Israel’s Condition and the Sovereignty of God — 9:6-29
(3) Israel’s Condition and the Responsibility of Men — 9:30–10:21
(4) Israel’s Condition and the Certainty of Her Restoration — 11:1-32
(5) Paul’s Praise — 11:33-36
The first five verses of chapter 9 are vital to our understanding of this section. They draw our attention to the problem at hand—the fallen state of Israel in her unbelief and rejection of the gospel—and of Paul’s attitude toward this condition. The problem which Paul will raise in verse 6 is due to the condition of the nation Israel. Paul’s perspective on Israel’s condition, as revealed in these introductory verses, shows him to be well qualified for this task.
Israel’s condition was most distressing to Paul. After the fall of man in the garden of Eden, God promised a Savior, through Eve’s seed (Genesis 3:15). Later, God narrowed down the source of His blessings to the “seed” of Abraham, and the recipient of these blessings to be Abraham’s “seed” and to “all the families of the earth” (Genesis 12:1-3). As time went on, the lineage of the “seed” was even more specifically indicated (see Genesis 49:10; 2 Samuel 7:12-13; Isaiah 9:6-7). This “seed” was Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus was rejected by His people, and ultimately He was crucified. After His resurrection, the nation as a whole still persisted in their unbelief, persecuting those who believed in Him and who proclaimed salvation through the Lord Jesus. In Paul’s day, the clock was winding down for Israel. The world was taking a dim view of the Jews. Rome was persecuting the Jews. Soon, the Romans would sack Jerusalem, and the Jews would be dispersed. Israel’s mere existence seemed doubtful, much less the fulfillment of God’s promised blessings.
This fallen condition of Israel is what Paul is referring to in Romans 9:1-5. He speaks most of the privileges which Israel has been granted, while he avoids a graphic description of her unbelief, sinful rebellion, and opposition to the gospel. He only indirectly refers to the condition of Israel as “accursed, separated from Christ” (9:3).38 We know that in Paul’s day Israel had rejected Jesus as their Messiah, and that the destruction of Jerusalem and the dispersion of the Jews was imminent.
Paul’s attitude is that of a “true Jew.” He is a Jew who has experienced the promised blessings of salvation through the Messiah. He looks forward to the blessings which lie ahead for his people. But his heart is broken due to the unbelief of his fellow Jews. Paul writes with “tears in his eyes.” He does not delight in Israel’s chastening any more than God does. While the words which he writes are painful, they are true. He is an “apostle to the Gentiles,” but he is still a Jew. His heart goes out to his people, knowing that his own disobedience and opposition toward the gospel was the same as that of his fellow-Israelites. He had experienced God’s grace, and he desired this for them as well.
The problem underlying this entire section is rooted in Israel’s condition (9:1-5) and is raised by Paul in verse 6:
But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel (Romans 9:6).
In spite of all of God’s promises that He would bless Israel, and through them bless the world, Israel is in unbelief, separated from Christ, while the Gentiles are entering into her blessings. Is this a “failure” of God’s Word? Has God’s Word failed to accomplish what was promised? Paul does not even ask the question (and follow it with a “May it never be!”); he begins with the statement that Israel’s condition is not the result of a failure on the part of God’s Word.
The rest of chapter 9 and all of chapter 10 are devoted to explaining Israel’s present condition. Paul’s teaching will stress three things:
(1) God’s election of only some Israelites for blessing—the sovereignty of God.
(2) Israel’s rejection of God’s righteousness in Christ—human responsibility.
(3) The faithfulness and reliability of God’s Word, which foretold Israel’s disobedience and the salvation of the Gentiles.
In chapter 11 Paul will describe how, according to God’s Word, Israel’s future blessedness will be brought to pass in the sovereign will of God.
Romans 9:6-29 explains Israel’s condition as the result of divine election. God never promised to bless all of Abraham’s physical offspring; He promised to bless one of his descendants—Isaac. In the process, God set Ishmael aside, not blessing him or his seed in the same way. So also with Isaac’s two sons. God promised to bless Jacob, and He cursed (hated) Esau. God’s choice of one above another was not based upon the works of either son, nor according to normal custom or tradition (such as picking the oldest son for the position of privilege). Those who received God’s blessing were therefore a matter of divine choice and divine designation, and not based on human merit.
God should not be considered unjust for choosing to bless some and to punish others. Both those chosen for blessing and those rejected are under divine condemnation. The difference is that Christ suffered the wrath of God in the place of those who are blessed. Those rejected must simply bear the punishment which their sins require. Blessings are a matter of divine grace, and punishment is a matter of justice. Thus, one cannot accuse God of injustice for bestowing grace on some, when all (under justice) deserve to suffer for their sins. Justice and grace are two separate (but related) means of dealing with the sins of men. God can therefore deal with men either way He chooses and, in so doing, be both just and merciful. God can show mercy to whom He chooses, and He can harden whom He chooses (9:14-18).
Because God’s blessings are bestowed on the basis of grace, and not works, they cannot be earned. Since grace is granted to sinners, it matters not whether they are Jews or Gentiles, and thus God’s blessings by grace are available to both.39 The fact that many Israelites would not believe and that Gentiles would be blessed was clearly and repeatedly foretold in the Old Testament (9:24-29).
The first explanation for Israel’s condition is given by Paul in Romans 9:6-29—God has always bestowed His blessings selectively and sovereignly, by means of election and on the basis of grace. Some Jews were chosen for blessing, and many were not. Some Gentiles, too, have been chosen for blessing. The second reason for Israel’s condition is given by Paul in Romans 9:30–10:21—Israel’s condition was also the result of unbelief. If many Israelites were condemned because God had not chosen them (9:6-29), they were also condemned because they had not chosen Him (9:30–10:21).
The state of things is summarized by Paul in 9:30-33. The Gentiles, who were not actively seeking righteousness, nevertheless found it, by faith. The Jews, who were “working hard” at earning righteousness, failed to obtain it. This was because Israel would not accept righteousness “in Christ.” To receive righteousness “in Christ” meant that the Jews would have to admit their own sin and to accept God’s righteousness as a gift, as “charity.” This was too great a blow to the pride of a self-righteous Jew. The offense to Israel, of obtaining righteousness through Messiah, was predicted in the Old Testament when Isaiah spoke of the Messiah to come as a “stone of stumbling” (9:32-33; citing Isaiah 8:14; 28:16).
Those who sought to obtain a righteousness of works thought they could do so through keeping the Law of Moses. Moses did speak of “living” by keeping the Law (9:5; Leviticus 18:5; Nehemiah 9:29; Ezekiel 20:11, 13, 21), but not of being justified by such law-keeping. In his final words to Israel (and after Israel’s repeated rebellion against God and their disobedience of His Law), Moses spoke to them of a righteousness which would come from God, by grace, without works, and simply by faith. This was that salvation which God would provide through faith in Jesus Christ. This righteousness was available to any who would believe (10:6-13). In refusing to believe, the Israelites rejected the only righteousness which would assure them of God’s blessings.
The Israelites were not only called upon to believe in the Messiah, by faith, for righteousness, they were also called upon to proclaim this good news (the offer of righteousness by faith in Messiah) to the Gentiles (10:14-15). Not only did the nation reject the Messiah, and the righteousness He offered, but they refused to share the good news with the Gentiles.40
Once again Paul wants his reader to see that Israel’s behavior is a fulfillment of the Old Testament Scriptures. In Romans 10:16-21, Paul shows that the righteousness of God (in Messiah) would be rejected by His people, and that the Gentiles would receive this righteousness, provoking Israel to jealousy. God’s Word has not failed with respect to Israel; it has (once again) been fulfilled. Israel’s unbelief and resulting judgment did not take God by surprise. The fact that God warned Israel about this rebellion and judgment makes disobedient Jews all the more responsible. If God judges men on the basis of their response to His revelation (and He does), then Israel was indeed guilty, for their rebellion was revealed to them long before their sin was committed.
The Word of God had not failed, though Israel had. God did not choose them, and they refused His righteousness, in Christ, the “stone of stumbling.” All of this was foretold in Scripture. God’s Word is shown by Paul to be accurate and completely reliable. What, then, of all those promises which God made and which are not yet fulfilled? Paul’s answer, in Romans 11, is that they will certainly be fulfilled.
Israel’s future is certain and secure. This is not due to Israel’s faithfulness, for they have consistently been unfaithful and disobedient. It is because God chose them and committed Himself to bless them, and the world through them. The certainty of Israel’s future blessings is based upon God’s promises, God’s character, and His sovereignty. As Paul will say, “the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (11:29). Israel’s future rests upon the faithfulness of God and is not prevented by the unfaithfulness of men.
Israel’s hope does not lie in the numbers of those in its ranks but in a faithful remnant. All that is necessary is a remnant of Israelites, through whom Israel’s hopes are preserved. Elijah mistakenly thought otherwise. He thought only he was left, a faithful Israelite. He was wrong. The remnant was much bigger. There were 7,000 faithful Israelites through whom God’s purposes and promises were assured. In Paul’s day, too, there was a remnant (of which Paul himself was a member), and so there was still hope for Israel (11:2b-6).
The blindness of Israel was, on the one hand, a willful ignorance on the part of the Jews (see chapter 10). It was also a judicial blindness, imposed on Israel for her persistent rebellion and unbelief. It was the same blindness of which the Old Testament writers spoke (11:8-9, citing Isaiah 29:10; Deuteronomy 29:4; Psalm 69:22-23).
Israel’s fall was neither complete (there was always a remnant) nor was it permanent (there is still hope). There will come a day when all of God’s promises will be fulfilled, in and through Israel, whether by means of her obedience, or her disobedience. Since Israel would not believe and receive God’s righteousness, and since they would not proclaim the good news to the Gentiles, God purposed to save the Gentiles through Israel’s sin and rebellion. When the Jews rejected the gospel, it was taken to the Gentiles. This was Paul’s consistent practice, as seen in the Book of Acts. He operated on the principle, “to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16). And so, because of Israel’s unbelief, the gospel was taken to the Gentiles.
God had ordained that the Gentiles would be blessed through Israel. Through Israel’s unbelief and rebellion, the Gentiles were blessed with salvation. Paul’s readers might well ponder what kind of blessings God would pour out on the world through the obedience of Israel, if the blessings were so great due to her unbelief (11:11-12).
There is need for a word of warning at this point, for the failure of the Jews also posed a danger for the Gentiles. The Jews took pride in their privileges. They forgot that God’s blessings were the result of God’s grace and not their own merit. Consequently, they began to take credit for what God had done, and to boast in themselves, rather than in God. It was for this reason that God gave them over to their blindness and rebellion. The same danger faced the Gentiles. Let the Gentiles not pride themselves for receiving the blessings of God. Blessings are the result of God’s grace, not man’s goodness. If God separated Israel from Him and His blessings for their false pride, He could surely do the same with the Gentiles (11:18-24).
I am not at all surprised to find Paul on his knees, so to speak, praising God at the conclusion of this section which stresses the fulfillment of God’s Word and the sovereignty of the God who spoke the Word. God can foretell future events with perfect accuracy because He is sovereign; He is in control. Sovereignty means that God never says, “Oops!” God never “goofs.” His purposes are never frustrated, and His plans never fail, because He is in complete control so that nothing can prevent Him from accomplishing what He sets out to do.
What does surprise me, however, is that for which Paul specifically praises God. In verses 33-36, Paul does not praise God for His great power but for His infinite wisdom. Why is the wisdom of God so vital to His sovereignty? The answers to these questions are important. Let us consider them, so that we might better appreciate Paul’s praise and its relationship to what he has said in chapters 9-11.
(1) Sovereignty is essential to the rule of a king. For a king to be able to rule over his people, he must be sovereign. He must have clear and unchallenged authority, and he must be in control. To the degree that a king lacks control, his rule will suffer. The “kingdom of God” is to be fulfilled in God’s future rule over the whole earth. If God is not sovereign, then the “kingdom of God” is mere wishful thinking. God must be in control of His creation, so that He can overthrow His enemies and establish His rule. God must also be in control to continue to rule over His kingdom. Sovereignty is, therefore, essential for a king to rule over his kingdom. Since God has promised that there will be a coming kingdom, He must be sovereign to establish and maintain it.
(2) The sovereign rule of a king is dependent upon the king’s wisdom. When Solomon was selected to be the king of Israel, God granted him a request. Solomon’s request, to his credit, was not for wealth or for power, but for wisdom. He asked for wisdom because he knew that wisdom, more than power or wealth, was the basis for a godly kingdom and the great need for a godly king. The Book of Proverbs is written to those who will reign (Solomon had much to do with its writing). There is little wonder that the main subject of the Book of Proverbs is that of wisdom.
(3) Wisdom enables a king to be in control (to be sovereign) without the constant use of force. The more wisdom is lacking, the more force is required. The more that wisdom guides and governs in a kingdom, the less force is required. The wisdom of God is the key to understanding how God can be in complete control (sovereign) over His creation, even though men fail or rebel against Him. Allow me to explain how I believe this works.41
In God’s infinite wisdom, He knows all that has happened, all that is presently happening, and all that will happen. He knows all things actual. But in God’s infinite wisdom, He also knows all things possible. That is, He knows exactly what would happen in any given set of circumstances. He knew, for example, that given the circumstances which Judas experienced, he would betray his Master. God knows exactly how much we can take and at what point we would collapse. While this enables Him to promise us that He will never give us more than we can handle as Christians (1 Corinthians 10:13), it also means that He knows with perfect accuracy the sins which men will commit under any circumstances.
In His wisdom, God knew that Israel would not obey Him, and that they would reject the Messiah, through whom righteousness was made available. In His wisdom, God determined a plan whereby Israel would fail, and the Gentiles would believe, through Israel’s disobedience, rather than through her obedience. This was His plan. This was what He foretold throughout the Old Testament. In chapters 9-10 Paul has shown how this plan was being fulfilled in his day.
God told Abraham that his descendants would spend 400 years as strangers in a distant but unnamed nation. He assured Abraham that they would come forth from that nation with much of its wealth (Genesis 15:13-16). This is exactly what happened years later. The way in which the nation Israel reached Egypt would never have been imagined. It was not through the obedience of Jacob and his sons, but through Jacob’s bad parenting, through the jealousy and strife of Joseph’s brothers, and even through Joseph’s less than perfect use of authority over his brothers. By means of these less than noble acts, God brought Jacob (Israel) and his sons to Egypt, just as He promised. That is sovereignty, and it is based upon God’s infinite knowledge and wisdom. He not only knew what any man would do under any given circumstances (knowledge), but in His wisdom he knew how to orchestrate all things to bring about the actions required to achieve His purposes.
It is God’s limitless wisdom, linked with His power, love, and grace, which assures us that what God promises, He will do, in spite of (and often by means of) man’s sin. God’s wisdom undergirds His sovereign control, and His sovereign control assures us that His promises will be fulfilled. And this is why Paul must fall to his knees in praise and wonder.
Summing up this section, we see that God’s Word has not failed because Israel has failed and is under divine judgment. Although Israel has failed, God’s purposes have been accomplished. God’s sovereign plan determined who would enjoy His blessings and who would not. In all that had happened, God’s Word was fulfilled to the letter. And in all that will yet happen, God’s purposes and promises will be entirely accomplished. Israel’s hope of her restoration and blessing is assured.
In conclusion let us draw our attention to several observations about what Paul has taught here, and then suggest some practical implications and applications of these truths.
(1) Paul’s main emphasis in this section is on the absolute reliability of God’s Word. God gave His word (Word) that He would bless Abraham’s “seed” and that through his “seed” He would bless all nations. If the blessing of Israel and the nations was one stream of Old Testament prophecy, so was the disobedience and judgment of Israel. If the salvation of Israel was promised, so was the salvation of the Gentiles. Israel’s rebellion and state of separation from God was but a testimony to the trustworthiness of God’s Word. When one views Israel’s condition from a biblical perspective, the faithfulness of God and His Word is awesome. This is Paul’s major emphasis in this section.
(2) Paul teaches clearly and emphatically that the sovereignty of God is the reason for the reliability of His Word. In our text, Paul’s words imply a direct link between the reliability of God’s Word and the sovereignty of God. God’s Word was perfectly fulfilled in the events which transpired in Israel’s history, including her unbelief, her rejection of Messiah, and her opposition to the gospel of God’s grace. God’s sovereignty is so great, so complete, that He can make very specific promises concerning future events and bring them to pass precisely as promised.
(3) Paul teaches the sovereignty of God in relationship to man’s responsibility, not in opposition to it. While men may seek to separate the doctrines of divine sovereignty and human responsibility, God joins them. We dare not seek to choose one of these truths and reject the other. God is sovereign, and yet men have choices to make for which they are responsible.
(4) Paul teaches that because God is sovereign, He can and does use sin (as well as man’s obedience) to achieve His purposes, yet without forcing men to sin or excusing their sin.
(5) Paul teaches that the sovereignty of God is closely related to the knowledge and wisdom of God.
(6) Paul’s response to the sovereignty of God is praise, not protest.
(7) Paul teaches the doctrine of election in a context of Christian faith and conduct, not in the context of evangelism. Paul’s order suggests that election is not a part of the gospel we need to proclaim to the lost, but a part of the gospel we need to proclaim to the saved.
Based upon Paul’s teaching in Romans 9-11, and the observations we have just considered, the following principles can be distilled from this text, principles which are verified in other biblical texts.
(1) Prophecy is an indication of sovereignty. Paul proves that the Word of God, far from failing, has been perfectly fulfilled by Israel’s unbelief and divine judgment. Paul directly links the reliability of the Word of God with God’s sovereignty. Stated in the form of a principle, we would say: Prophecy is only as good as the one who had promised it. God’s prophecies in the Bible are specific because He is sovereign, able to carry out His plans, purposes, and promises to the letter. The “prophecies” of false prophets will always be vague and filled with loop holes, because it is not God who is making the promise.
(2) God is sovereign in man’s salvation. Paul points to man’s salvation as being under God’s control, a manifestation of His sovereignty. If God is not sovereign in every area, He is not sovereign at all. As someone has said (in a somewhat different context), “If He is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at all” (see John 6:44, 65; 8:47; 10:26-29; 15:16).
(3) God’s sovereignty in salvation is executed by means of divine election. In Romans 9:14-18, Paul links the sovereignty of God with divine selection (election).
Divine election is two-fold. First, God chooses those whose judgment He will allow to stand, those who will be “vessels of wrath.” God chooses to allow some, who are worthy of death, to suffer this penalty. Second, God chooses some, who are worthy of death, to become objects of His mercy, “vessels of mercy.” One should not try to “soften” the doctrine of divine election by saying that God chooses only those whom He will save. Paul stresses God’s sovereign choice of both those whom He will save and those on whom His wrath will fall. It was Isaac, not Ishmael; Jacob, not Esau; Moses and the Israelites, not Pharaoh and the Egyptians. If God is able to save all men and chooses only to save some, He has also chosen not to save. God’s election is two-fold, of those whom He will save, and of those whom He will punish.
The two-fold destiny of mankind, based upon the two-fold election of God, makes possible the manifold aspects of God’s character, including His mercy and His justice. The terms “demonstrate” and “make known” (9:17, 22, 23) inform us that God’s election is a manifestation of His character. If there were not “vessels of mercy” and “vessels of wrath,” God’s full character would not be displayed.
(4) Divine election does not keep any righteous soul from heaven. Election never keeps a good person out of heaven. Man’s rejection of God’s revelation and his sinful actions keep him from heaven. God elects some men to go to hell, because they deserve it, and because they have chosen it. God would only be unjust if He kept any deserving soul from heaven. This He does not do.
(5) Divine election is the only way any sinner will ever get to heaven. If God did not sovereignly bestow His grace in saving some, no soul would ever see heaven. If God “looked down the corridor of time” (as some would say) to look for all those who would choose Him, He would find not one soul. We are “dead in our trespasses and sin,” in bondage to sin and Satan (Ephesians 2:1-3). There is not one righteous soul, not one who does good, and not one who seeks God (Romans 3:9-18). If God did not elect some for salvation, none would be saved. Why is it that we get hung up on the fact that God condemns some sinners to hell, rather than to rejoice in the fact that His election makes it possible for some sinners to go to heaven? If it were not for divine election and divine grace, no one would be in heaven. Election is the means, the only means, by which anyone can ever enjoy the blessings of God. Election is independent of men, and of their actions, because it must be. If God dealt with men on the basis of their works, they would all be barred from heaven. Because grace is bestowed sovereignly, God is free to save.
(6) The election of some as “vessels of mercy,” who will experience God’s blessings, is a matter of grace, not of justice. Those who would protest that election is unfair are mistaken, because mercy is not a matter of justice but a matter of grace. Justice demands that sinners be punished. Grace provides for sinners to be forgiven and blessed, because Jesus has been punished. If we insisted on all men being treated with justice, all men would be immediately put to death. A man who is guilty of driving 100 miles-per-hour in a 20 mile-per-hour zone does not plead for justice, but for mercy, when he stands before the judge. Thank God we are “vessels of mercy,” and God does not deal with us only on the basis of justice, but also on the basis of grace.
(7) The justice of God is not contrary to His mercy, but foundational to it. In some ways, justice and mercy appear to be opposites, but we should not conclude that they are opposing truths. They are really complimentary. Mercy cannot function apart from justice. Twice in Romans 9-11 Paul makes this point. In chapter 9, Paul wrote that while God was willing to demonstrate His wrath, He delayed it, so that He might make known the riches of His grace (9:22-23). Also, in chapter 11, Paul taught that “God has shut up all in disobedience that He might show mercy to all” (11:32). Mercy cannot be granted until justice has pronounced the sentence of condemnation. A man cannot be pardoned until he is first convicted and sentenced. Mercy cannot be granted until judgment is pronounced. Thus, justice and mercy are not enemies.
(8) That which God has “joined together” men dare not separate. This may seem like a strange statement to make, in the context of God’s sovereignty, but I believe it to be accurate. We have a strong tendency to try to “separate” that which God has joined together. We want to separate divine sovereignty from human responsibility, justice from mercy, grace from law, and faith from works. In each case, there are differences, but these differences do not force us to choose one and reject the other, or to emphasize the one but not the other. Faith comes apart from works, but it must result in works. Grace is distinct from Law, but Law shows men their need for grace, and that standard of righteousness which grace can produce. God is sovereign in salvation, but in His sovereignty God requires men to make a decision, and He holds men responsible for their decision. Let us not seek to separate that which God has joined together. These seemingly contradictory elements are really complimentary. There are not “incompatibilities” which call for a “divorce,” but “differences” which make for a good “marriage.”
To sinners who are self-righteous, grace is not only unacceptable, it is offensive. Self-righteous sinners want to earn their way to heaven. They want to work for their righteousness, so that they can boast in it. This was much of Israel’s problem, according to Paul in chapter 10. They were striving to attain their own righteousness, and thus they rejected God’s righteousness in Christ. The self-righteous despise grace, because it is an offense to them. They do not wish to admit they are sinners, and they do not want charity (grace) from God.
(9) The sovereignty of God is the reason He can use sin without causing it or excusing it. God’s sovereignty enables Him to use every kind of human attitude and action, because He is in complete control. The things which are taking place in His world are governed by His infinite knowledge and wisdom. His knowledge and wisdom enable Him to orchestrate the affairs of men so as to achieve His purposes, and yet without causing men to sin.
(10) The sovereignty of God is the basis for man’s freedom. Sovereignty is not opposed to freedom but is the basis for freedom. The greater the control (sovereignty), the greater the freedom that can be granted. God gives men certain freedoms and choices because He is sovereign. If His sovereignty were not complete, He could not do so. Human dictators dare not let their subjects have too much freedom, lest they lose control. God’s control is so great He can give men freedom. Whatever men might choose to do, God can use it to achieve His purposes. We do not diminish God’s sovereignty by acknowledging the freedom which He gives to men.
(11) The sovereignty of God requires faith to believe that God is in control. If God’s total control is evidenced, in part, by the freedom He grants men, then faith will be required to believe that God is in control. If God grants men freedom, they have the freedom to fail, to sin, or to rebel. Men are presently doing all of these. But as we look about us, seeing that failure, sin, and rebellion seem to be ruling the day, we might wonder if God is truly in control. We can look to the Bible and see how God has used sin and failure to achieve His purposes (such as the sins of Joseph’s brothers which took him to Egypt). We may be able to see how God has used past failures in our lives to achieve His purposes. But in the final analysis we must look to the Word of God, which tells us that He is in control (sovereign), and we must believe this by faith. In a world that appears chaotic and “out of control,” we must believe, by faith, that God is in control, because His Word says so, and all of history has borne testimony to this truth.
(12) The sovereignty of God is not an excuse for sin. God is in control, but He does not make men sin. Men sin because they choose to reject God’s revelation and to disobey God’s commands.
Based upon the observations we have made from Romans 9-11, and the principles we have derived from this text, let us now consider several areas of application.
(1) The sovereignty of God and the faithfulness of His Word should produce praise, not protest. I hope that you are saying to Paul, at this moment, “Move over, Paul. I want to praise God with you.” If you cannot praise God for His sovereignty, for the faithfulness of His Word, and for the certainty that all of His promises will be fulfilled, something is wrong. Something is wrong with my teaching, or with your understanding of God’s sovereignty, or with your response to it. May we praise God for His sovereignty.
(2) The sovereignty of God is the solution to worry, fear, and frustration. For Paul, the painful and unpleasant circumstances of his people, the Israelites, was distressing but not depressing. Paul showed that the condition of Israel perfectly fulfilled God’s prophecies concerning her condition. Paul showed also that in spite of these unpleasant realities, God’s purposes were being achieved and that all of His promises were in the process of being fulfilled.
Are there things in your life that are distressing, confusing, or perplexing? No doubt there are. There were these things in Paul’s life too (see 1 Corinthians 4:6-13; 2 Corinthians 4:7-12; 6:3-10). The difference is in your perspective, in how you view these things. If you view these as a defeat, as a failure of God’s Word and of His promises, then you are wrong. These are the outworking of God’s purposes and promises, in the best way possible. These have been planned, and purposed, and permitted in the knowledge and wisdom of God. When we worry, fuss, fret or blow up, we are simply revealing our unbelief that God is in control, or rebelling against His control. Worry is proof that we doubt the sovereignty of God. Peace is the evidence that we have faith in His sovereignty.
To some, the difficulties of this life are somehow outside of God’s loving care or control, something which must be endured. These difficulties are not seen in relationship to the blessings of God, but as opposed to them. The doctrine of God’s sovereignty informs us that the difficulties and trials of this life are God’s means for bringing about our blessing, now (Romans 5:1-11), and in the kingdom of God.
(3) The sovereignty of God should put aside all pride and boasting in our own efforts and works, and lead us to praise and adoration. We cannot take credit for what God is doing. The doctrine of the sovereignty of God requires us to give God credit for “working all things together for good” (Romans 8:28). If things go well, to God be the glory. If things do not go well, this will ultimately be for our good and for His glory too, so we need not agonize over past failures and sins. God can and does use all things to achieve His purposes.
(4) The faithfulness of God’s Word should motivate us to a much more serious and diligent study of His Word. His Word explains what God is presently doing in our world today. It reminds us of what He has done in the past. It assures us of what He is certain to do in the future. And it assures us of His character, so that we know that what He has promised, He will perform. Paul was a “man of the Book.” In Romans 9-11, Paul virtually oozes with the Old Testament Scriptures. This is what gave Paul insight into his own day and time. This is what made him bold. This is what drew him closer to God and enhanced his faith. Let us be, like Paul, men and women of the Word.
(5) The sovereignty of God should give us comfort concerning the lost, and especially our lost loved ones. The sovereignty of God in salvation means, among other things, that those whom God has purposed to save will be saved. All Israel will be saved because God purposed and promised it. It also means that there will be those who are not to be saved, but who will suffer God’s wrath. While this is not a comforting thought in and of itself, it should be comforting to know and to believe that the God who saved us consciously decided the fate of our lost loved one. In eternity we will fully be able to grasp that this was good.
(6) The sovereignty of God in salvation means that we need not make pests of ourselves, trying to force conversions that God has not purposed. It means that, after the gospel has been faithfully proclaimed, we can be silent, and that we can take up this matter with God in prayer, who determines the fate of all men.
For those of us who are Christian parents, the sovereignty of God in salvation means that we cannot take credit for the salvation of our children, nor can we ultimately bear the blame for their rejection of the gospel. We are not required to save anyone, but only to proclaim the gospel. We are not guilty for the eternal torment of those who reject the truth of the gospel (see Acts 20:25-27). We cannot produce “godly children”; we can only strive, by the grace of God, to be godly parents. How often we hold fast to the doctrine of election, only to set it aside in relation to our own home. God is sovereign in the salvation of our children, just as He is in the salvation of others.
(7) Finally, the sovereignty of God in salvation will be no excuse for your unbelief and rejection of the gospel when you stand before Him. Paul raises the question of man’s responsibility in the light of God’s sovereignty (9:19), and he answers it emphatically in the rest of this section. God does choose some and reject others, but He also gives us a choice. If it is true that we are not saved because He did not choose to save us, it is just as true that we will perish because we have refused His provision of righteousness in Jesus Christ. Have you trusted in Him? Have you been born again? The only way into God’s heaven is to be justified by faith in Jesus Christ—to trust in Jesus who was without sin, but who took the penalty for your sin upon Himself. You must renounce any righteousness on your own part and cling to that righteousness which He offers to you, by faith. Just as I am under obligation to proclaim the gospel, you are under obligation to respond. Will you receive God’s gift of salvation in Jesus Christ?
38 Paul does not actually say that Israel is “accursed, separated from Christ.” He says, rather, that he wishes he could be “accursed, separated from God”. In saying this, I think Paul is telling his reader that he wishes he could change places with unbelieving Israel, so that they could experience the salvation which he has obtained through faith, and so that he could take on their separation and curse, brought about by their rejection of God’s Word. The curse which Paul was willing to bear was the curse that unbelieving Israel deserved.
39 The text which Paul uses to prove that God’s grace was promised to Gentiles, as well as to Jews, is most interesting. In Romans 9:25-26, Paul cites texts from Hosea, chapters 1 and 2. His point is that God has promised to make those “not His people” “His people.” This can be applied to Gentile salvation, as Paul does here. But in context those referred to as “not God’s people” are the disobedient Jews, whom God would disown for a time. Those who were “not God’s people” and then later called “His people”, were, in the context, disobedient Jews. And so disobedient Jews become, for all intents and purposes, Gentiles. Both unbelieving Jews and unbelieving Gentiles must pass through the same door (of faith) to God’s blessings, as Gentiles. This is exactly Paul’s point in Galatians 2:11-21.
40 Note in the Book of Acts how unbelieving Jews not only rejected the gospel of Jesus Christ, but they resisted its proclamation to the Gentiles. Initially, even the church leaders in Jerusalem resisted the preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles (see Acts 11:1-3).
41 I am deeply indebted to Dr. Charles Ryrie who first introduced me to this concept when I was one of his students in seminary.
“Aha,” someone is surely thinking, “we have finally come to the practical part of Romans.” We are a people who like to cut through the formalities and “get to the bottom line.” And so we read the last chapter of a mystery first, or we quickly glance down through a financial report to see the “bottom line.” This final section of Romans may be what we have been waiting for, because we think it is the practical part of
“Aha,” someone is surely thinking, “we have finally come to the practical part of Romans.” We are a people who like to cut through the formalities and “get to the bottom line.” And so we read the last chapter of a mystery first, or we quickly glance down through a financial report to see the “bottom line.” This final section of Romans may be what we have been waiting for, because we think it is the practical part of the book.
I can identify with Paul as he comes to his “application section.” If I had just taught what Paul has in Romans 1-11, I wonder what I would have written by way of application. For many Christians, the success of the sermon is judged by the relevance and practicality of the applications.
Some years ago, a friend who was a seminary student informed me that I had departed from the “approved system of preaching” which I had been taught. This approach calls for the preacher to study the biblical text, determine its interpretation, decide upon the applications of this truth, and then develop his message which drives homes these applications. In other words, the sermon is constructed on the applications the preacher has predetermined, rather than on the message the author has, by divine inspiration, written.
I have some difficulties with this method and so through my years of study, I have chosen to use a different approach. I study the passage, attempting to determine what the text is teaching. I then endeavor to determine how this text fits into the argument of the entire book and the theology of the entire Word of God. I strive to identify some of the principles which the passage teaches or illustrates. In my preaching, I attempt to take the audience through the same steps of observing, interpreting, and applying the passage which I have taken in my own study. It is my goal to teach not only the message of the text, as I understand it, but the method by which it was determined. The applications which I make are suggestive and illustrative. The process of studying the text and identifying the principles which it teaches are my primary thrust.
For some, if there are no immediate, practical applications in a sermon, it is judged a failure, and the message is thought irrelevant. I believe that Paul’s application section, here in Romans 12-16, can teach us a great deal. Not only will it provide practical applications, but it will give us insight into the kind of application Paul feels is important. It will also provide us with insight into how we should seek to apply the Word of God as students of the Scriptures.
Very honestly, I have struggled more over this final section of the Book of Romans than with any other section. I have had more difficulty arriving at the message of this section, and thus have had problems with its application. For me, this passage presents at least two tensions of the text.42
The first tension is this: Why does Paul not seem to be making a direct connection between the things he has taught in chapters 1-11 with the applications taught in chapters 12-16? Why am I having so much trouble finding a direct connection between the principles taught in the first eleven chapters and the applications found in the last five chapters? Why did Paul not apply the principles he taught at the time he was teaching them?43
The second tension for me is: Why, if the Book of Romans is an exposition on the gospel, does Paul not place any emphasis on personal evangelism in the application section? Would you not think that a man who set out to “preach the gospel” to the Romans (see 1:15-17) would want to urge these Roman Christians to share their faith? Why is there nothing said about the importance of soul-winning?
Let us keep these two tensions in mind as we study this concluding section of Romans. No doubt there are other questions which will come to your mind. Let us see not only what Paul says by way of applying his teaching in Romans, but how Paul approaches the matter of application. I believe we will find the meaning and the message of this section important for us to consider.
Paul’s teaching in chapters 12-16 is primarily the application of what he has just taught in chapters 1-11. It is therefore necessary to briefly review the first 11 chapters of Romans as a reminder of what has already gone before, and especially as the basis for Paul’s exhortation.
Paul was a converted Jew, called by God as an “apostle to the Gentiles,” not just to convert them but to bring them to the “obedience of faith” (1:5). Paul saw his calling as an obligation to all the Gentiles (1:5). Paul therefore sensed a responsibility toward the saints in Rome. In partial fulfillment of his obligation, he persisted in praying for them, but he also purposed to visit them. He had been prevented from visiting Rome, and so he was writing this epistle until God granted his desire to see them personally, to minister to them and to be encouraged by them (1:1-13).
Paul had a deep and intense desire to preach the gospel. His desire to visit Rome was prompted by this desire to preach the gospel to them. He felt a great boldness in preaching the gospel, for it was God’s means for bringing men and women to saving faith. The gospel was also a demonstration of the righteousness of God, a righteousness which is received by faith, and which grows to an even greater faith (1:14-17).
The righteousness of God is revealed by the gospel in more than one way. It is revealed first in God’s condemnation of all men. All men have received some revelation about God, a revelation which they have rejected. Because of man’s rejection of this revelation, God gives them over to corrupt thinking and practices which are themselves a form of judgment and which lead to even greater judgment. While some have received more revelation than others—especially the Jews—no one has lived in obedience to it. Thus, God’s righteousness requires the universal condemnation of all men (1:18-3:20).
But God’s righteousness is revealed in yet another way in the gospel. The righteousness of God is revealed in His provision for man’s salvation through Jesus Christ. The righteousness which all men lack, and the penalty which all men deserve, has been dealt with in a way that satisfies the requirements of God’s righteousness. When Jesus Christ died for sinners, the righteous anger of God was satisfied because He bore the penalty of God’s wrath for sinners. The righteousness which all men lack is reckoned to all who receive it through Christ. To receive the forgiveness of sins and the blessings of God, men must simply receive God’s provision for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, who achieved for us that which we could not accomplish by our own efforts (3:21-26).
Justification by faith eliminates all boasting by men, for no one earns it. It is not for Jews only, for they too have failed to earn it. It is available to any sinner who will receive it. And while it accomplishes what the Law could not, it does not make the Law useless and obsolete. It actually enables the Law to be of great benefit (3:27-31).
Justification by faith is nothing new. It is the way God has always justified men, qualifying them to be the recipients of His blessings. Abraham was justified by faith, a very similar kind of faith (a resurrection faith). Because of his faith, and apart from works, he was reckoned to be righteous by God. Abraham could not boast, for he was justified by faith; neither can his descendants boast. Abraham’s “seed” are not his physical offspring but those who, like Abraham, believe in God by faith.
Justification by faith does result in boasting, but of a very different kind. It is not a boasting in men, but of justified men boasting in God. We who have been justified by faith have peace with God, and boast in the hope of His glory. We boast in the certainty of those blessings which are yet future, in seeing the glory of God, revealed finally and fully in His kingdom. We boast also in our present tribulations. There will be present tribulations, but in these the faithfulness and love of God are demonstrated in such a way that we have an even greater assurance of His love and care. Finally, we boast in God Himself, through the person and work of Jesus Christ (5:1-11).
We boast in God because justification by faith results from the work of Jesus Christ, which releases us from our identification with Adam, his sin, and its consequences. Since we all (Jew and Gentile) are “sons of Adam,” we all share in his fall, and in the penalty of death. Jesus Christ is the “last Adam,” who has undone all that Adam did, who has not only fixed the ruin brought about by his sin, but who offers us blessings which far exceed the consequences of his sin. Those who, by faith, are in Christ, have a new identity, in Him, and not in Adam. What Adam did, Christ has undone. In place of death, Christ gives life. In place of sin, Christ brings righteousness. The grace which our Lord Jesus offers men far exceeds the sin and condemnation which Adam brought upon us (5:12-21).
If the “good works” of men cannot produce righteousness (and they cannot), the righteousness of God in Christ can and does produce good works in and through those who have believed in Him by faith. It is inconceivable to think that, having been justified by faith, the Christian would continue to live in sin. The one who has been joined with Christ by faith was joined with Him in His death to sin, as well as in His resurrection to newness of life. Salvation therefore necessitates sanctification. Justification is intended to produce good works. One who has been justified by faith must never again live in sin. To do so would be to return to one’s former slavery to sin, a bondage from which Christ’s death and resurrection has set us free (6:1-7:6).
The Law has served a very beneficial function for the Christian. It has defined sin and righteousness, and it has shown that we can never be righteous by our own works. It also provides the Christian with a standard of righteousness, by which he should live. But there is one thing the Law cannot do—the Law does not empower men to do what it requires. Thus, those things which the Law forbids, the Christian still finds himself doing. The things which the Law commands, the Christian fails to accomplish.
The Law is not evil due to this fact. The “Law is holy,” and the “commandment is holy and righteous and good” (7:12). The fact that the Christian agrees with the Law bears testimony to this. The Law is not the source of the problem. The real problem is the strength of sin and the weakness of our own flesh. Sin actually abuses the “Law” in such a way that it entices us to do what is evil. If sin is to be overcome and righteousness is to be practiced (as we know that it must), then there must be a provision of power greater than that which we find in ourselves (7:7-24).
There is! The work of our Lord Jesus Christ is not only the basis for our justification; it is the basis for our sanctification (growing in holiness) as well. The death of Christ cleanses us of all our sins, and therefore we are not under condemnation, even when we fail as Christians (7:25–8:1). What our flesh cannot do, God’s Spirit enables us to do. The Law, which we could not keep in our own strength, God’s Spirit enables us to obey (8:2-4). The “deadness” of our own flesh with respect to God’s righteousness is overcome by the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit (8:11). The Holy Spirit assures the Christian that he is a “son of God.” This sonship has both a present dimension, which is imperfect and partial, and a future dimension, which is full and complete (8:14-25). During the time of our present sonship, God’s Spirit will convey the groanings of our own spirit to the Lord Jesus, who is interceding for us with the Father (8:26-27).
As “sons of God,” we not only have a power that we never had before, we have a completely different perspective. We now realize that God is in complete control (He is sovereign), even when the world around us appears to be chaotic and confused. Because He is sovereign, God is able to orchestrate everything that happens, so that His purposes are achieved, and so that His promises are fulfilled. This means that even the present tribulations and difficulties of life are actually working together for our good. The God who chose us in eternity past, and who purposed our sanctification, will complete His good work, resulting at last in our glorification, and without losing any along the way (8:28-30). This is cause for the Christian’s confidence and security and rightly results in praise and adoration. When God has taken our side, no one will ever separate us from Him or keep us from experiencing His promises (8:31-39).
If God is sovereign and His purposes and promises are sure to be fulfilled, how can we explain Israel’s failure as a nation? There has been no failure with respect to God’s Word. To the contrary, God’s Word has been perfectly fulfilled with respect to Israel’s present unbelief and the salvation of the Gentiles. God’s promises have always been selectively bestowed. He has selected some of Abraham’s offspring, but not all, as Israel’s history shows. God chose Isaac, not Ishmael; Jacob, but not Esau. He chose to save Moses and the Israelite nation and to destroy Pharaoh and many Egyptians. The large scale unbelief of the Jews and the salvation of many Gentiles was in part God’s sovereign plan, which was foretold clearly in the Old Testament (9:1-29).
Israel’s state of unbelief and separation is also the result of her own unbelief and rejection of the gospel. Rather than accepting God’s righteousness, by faith, as many Gentiles were doing, self-righteous Jews were insisting on earning their own, and so they failed to obtain that righteousness which God offered in Christ, Israel’s prophesied “stumbling stone” (9:30-10:13). And just as men are responsible to respond to God’s offer of righteousness by faith, so God’s people are responsible to proclaim it (10:14-15). This Israel also refused to do. And so, due to Israel’s unbelief, about which they were warned, God chose to bring about His purposes and promises through Israel’s disobedience, rather than through her obedience (10:16-21).
In spite of all this, God has not given up on Israel, because His “gifts and calling are irrevocable” (11:1, 29). Those whom He has chosen in eternity past have a bright and glorious future. Israel’s unbelief was never complete, for there was always a remnant preserved through whom God’s promises could be fulfilled. And her unbelief will not be permanent. Through her unbelief, the gospel has gone out to the Gentiles. (One can hardly fathom what blessings the world will experience when Israel turns to God, by faith!) The arrogance of the Jews is a very real danger for the Gentiles. They too must be on guard against boasting in that which God has done, as though it was through their own deeds and goodness. Finally, when God has finished His saving work among the Gentiles, He will once again turn to Israel for her blessing. Then, all Israel will turn and be saved. What wisdom God has in bringing these things to pass, through Israel’s disobedience, rather than through her obedience! How marvelous are God’s ways! How far above and beyond our own wisdom or counsel (11:1-36).
Based upon God’s gracious dealings with men, which Paul will sum up in the expression, “the mercies of God,” Paul will turn to the application of the gospel in the lives of individual saints and in the life of the church (chapters 12-16).
I suggest three “grids” by which the structure of chapters 12-16 may be considered.
The first “grid” is found in Paul’s use of the expression, “I urge you.” This expression is used three times in the Epistle to the Romans. It first occurs in Romans 12:1, where Paul introduces the subject of the Roman’s responsibilities to others, both saints and sinners. The second occurrence is found in Romans 15:30, where Paul turns to the Roman’s responsibility to him, as an apostle and a preacher of the gospel. The final occurrence is in 16:17, where Paul speaks of the Roman’s responsibility to shun those who are trouble-makers.
The second “grid” is that of the Christian’s relationships and corresponding responsibilities. Romans 12:1-2 links our responsibilities to God and to the world in which we live. It relates our worship to our conduct and service. The rest of chapters 12-16 spell out what some of these relationships are. In Romans 12:3-16, Paul speaks of the Christian’s relationships with fellow-believers, in the church, the body of Christ. In Romans 12:17–13:14, Paul speaks of the Christian’s relationships with those who are unbelievers—with the world. This includes one’s enemies (12:17-21), government (13:1-7), one’s neighbors in general (13:8-10), and one’s relationship to worldly sins and fleshly indulgence (13:11-14).
In chapters 14 and 15, Paul turns back once again to the Christian’s relationship to fellow-believers, but now he will do so in the context of differences. Paul deals here with differences of convictions between the “strong” and the “weak” (14:1–15:4) and with differences between those who are Jews and those who are Gentiles in the faith (15:5-13).
In Romans 15:14-33 Paul deals with the Romans’ relationship with him, as an “apostle of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles.” Their relationship with Paul should result in their participation with him in his ministry, even as he has endeavored to be involved with them. This involvement should include others, like Phoebe, whom Paul commends to them for hospitality and ministry (16:1-2).
Their relationships with one another should be enhanced (16:3-16). Paul knows many there in Rome quite well, especially for a man who has not yet visited Rome. The Romans should know one another even better than he. Is it possible that some of these groups shunned others? Paul’s instructions to greet these folks put them on the spot to repair any broken relationships.
Paul’s encouragement that Christians welcome one another has limits. Just as the saints need to accept one another, to welcome visitors, and to meet pressing needs, they must also avoid contact with those who reject the truth and who would mislead the church. Such “trouble-makers” Paul speaks of in 16:17-20, warning the saints to stay away from them.
The third “grid” which I propose for your consideration of these chapters is that of the Christian’s obligations, based upon God’s provisions, in the context of relationship. This grid is outlined on the following page.
Grid Three: The Christian’s obligations, based upon God’s provisions, in the context of relationships:
Text |
Basis |
Context |
Obligation |
12:1-2 |
Mercies of God |
The world |
The worship of service |
12:3-8 |
Spiritual gifts |
The body of Christ |
Exercise spiritual gift |
12:9-16 |
The love of God |
The body of Christ |
Live in truth and love |
12:17-21 |
The grace of God |
Our enemies: Not a grudge, but grace |
God will judge |
13:1-7 |
God ordains gov’t |
Citizenship in world |
Obey government as God’s rule |
13:8-10 |
The O.T. Law |
Our neighbors |
Love seeks no harm of neighbor |
13:11-14 |
Time is short, the kingdom is near |
Fleshly lusts |
Make no provision for flesh |
14:1–15:4 |
Jesus is Lord |
The church: Stop judging, stop using liberties which offend brother |
Edification of the weak and the strong |
15:5-13 |
God’s purposes for Jews & Gentiles |
The church |
Harmonious praise of Jews and Gentiles in one body |
15:14-33 |
Paul’s ministry |
World evangelism |
Participation in Paul’s ministry |
16:1-16 |
Unity in Christ |
The church |
Welcoming and greeting the saints |
16:17-20 |
Holding to truth |
Trouble-makers |
Identify them and turn from them |
We will not study these final chapters of Romans thoroughly until the next phase of our study of the Book of Romans. Here we will attempt to gain a sense of the “lay of the land,” to survey the areas of application to which Paul refers. Let us press on to survey these chapters by viewing Paul’s exhortations to the Romans as a description of the ideal church, the characteristics of the congregation which lives by the gospel.
A gospel church is one that is so indebted to the grace of God that it is characterized by worship. This worship is based upon a divine perspective of life and is expressed not only at Sunday worship, but in a life of service in practical Christian living according to the Word of God. It is a life which manifests the grace of God to the world, through the church.
A gospel church is one whose congregation is made up of saints who are individually enabled by God’s grace for special areas of service and ministry (spiritual gifts). These saints honestly appraise their gifts and employ them in service to one another. These gifts are exercised with the godly motivations and attitudes which befit and enhance them.
The gospel church is one that is not only empowered by God’s grace, but which manifests graciousness in all areas of its life and ministry. The guiding principle is that of love one for another. This love never compromises the truth, but adheres to it while shunning evil. It is active and aggressive in serving others,44 giving preference to others above mere self-interest.45 Brotherly love is sensitive to needs and eagerly meets them in a way that will edify and build up the faith of the other. It is humble and does not hesitate to associate with those who are “lowly.” Those who have been humbled by God’s grace manifest this grace in dealing with other “unworthy” people.
Here, Paul moves from one’s Christian brothers in 12:3-16 to one’s enemies in 12:17-21.46 The gospel church is to be characterized by grace, not grudges. Its members are obliged to forgive personal offenses and not to punish them. The Christian is a debtor, like Paul (see 1:14), but there is one debt he need not worry about paying back, and that is the debt of revenge. This is one debt which God Himself will pay. If God is the One who will judge the earth, then let us wait for Him. Let us leave judgment to Him. These are the days in which God’s grace and mercy are to be manifested through us. What better occasion than in relationship to one who has hurt us. If grace is greater than sin, then our graciousness should outrun the sins others have committed against us.
The gospel church is to be characterized by its obedience to civil government and by its submission to its authority as God-ordained. The Jews historically rebelled against foreign rule. Rome was beginning to lose its patience with the Jews. They had already been forced to leave Rome at least once (Acts 18:2). Rome would soon attack and destroy Jerusalem, and they would also soon be feeding Christians to the lions in their coliseums. If it were at one time to the advantage of the church to be associated with Judaism (see Acts 18:12-17), this day would soon be over. While Christians should never set themselves out to overthrow government, they should be especially diligent to show their submission to Rome. The church would face enough trouble without having some of its members acting as revolutionaries. Paul taught that government is God-ordained. Any government which exists is ordained of God. To resist any government is to resist God. Government is to be obeyed (unless it commands us to do that which God has clearly commanded otherwise), and the price of government—taxes—is to be paid.
In addition to being characterized by its “brotherly love” (12:9-16), the gospel church is to be known for its “neighborly love.” This neighborly love was commanded in the Old Testament as one of the fundamental duties of God’s people. It is the kind of love which does not seek or devise the harm of one’s neighbor.47 Neighborly love is the mark of the gospel church.
The gospel church is characterized by its eager expectation of the Lord’s return and its rejection of fleshly indulgence. The saints know that the Lord’s return is drawing ever near, and with this in mind they endeavor to deny fleshly lusts and to pursue godliness (see 2 Peter 3:11-12).
The gospel church is to be known by its unity in diversity. This unity is to be preserved by the recognition of differences and by a godly response to them. These are not differences in terms of crucial doctrines, but differences stemming from personal convictions or from differing racial or cultural origins. There are, in any church, those who are more acquainted with Christian liberties than others. Those who “can” think of themselves as the “strong” and are tempted to look down on those who think they “cannot,” seeing them as “weak.” Paul deals with these differences in the context of Christian unity and love. He instructs the strong to cease judging the weak and looking down on them. Since Jesus is Lord, He is the One who judges all. Therefore we ought not judge others, as to whether they are strong or weak. It is before Him that we all shall stand to give account, and praise (14:1-12).
We must be attentive and responsive to the convictions of others, not so that we can judge them and “tear them down,” but in order that we might build them up (edify them). If our conscience permits, we may exercise our freedom. If our conscience condemns, we dare not exercise this freedom. And if the exercise of our freedom weakens or offends the conscience of a brother, we dare not exercise our liberty. Our liberties ought to be readily and happily set aside, for our own good, or for the edification of another. The principle which should govern the exercise of liberties is that of edification. We ought to do only that which builds others up in their faith, and avoid that which causes stumbling. Since convictions are personal, we should not seek to convert others to our own point of view. The strong ought to serve the weak, not oppress them (14:13–15:4).
God has purposed to demonstrate a unity in the church that surpasses mere uniformity or conformity. It was for this reason that He long ago purposed and promised the conversion of Jews and Gentiles. His purpose was to bring these groups together in unity and harmony to praise Him. One cannot sing the praises of God when there is no harmony. Thus, Paul appeals to the saints at Rome to preserve their unity, to promote their harmony, so that as a result God may be praised (15:5-13).
A gospel church is characterized by its participation in the spread of the gospel. Paul’s calling as an apostle was a compelling force in his life. Because of the gospel, Paul wrote this epistle and would some day visit Rome. Paul believed that the cause of the gospel was also the basis for the involvement of the Romans in his ministry. After laying out his goals for his future ministry, Paul urged the Romans to involve themselves in his ministry by praying for him as he proclaimed the gospel. Those who have received the gospel are eager to share it with others and to support those whose lives are devoted to the proclamation of the gospel.
A gospel church is a hospitable church, overflowing with love and hospitality. I am not certain that the church in Rome was as harmonious and like-minded as it should have been. The differences and tensions between the various elements of the church may have caused some divisions (this was surely true at Corinth, from where Paul was writing to the Romans). Various house groups and individuals are named by Paul, and the saints at Rome are urged to greet all of them. This may appear to have been a very simple task, but if these groups were in any way at odds with each other, this would have been a difficult thing to do. Paul’s request may have required some factions to reconcile.
A gospel church is always on guard against false teaching and practice. While we are to be hospitable to the saints, and gracious to our enemies, we must also be on the alert for false teachers so that we can stand apart from them. Paul’s final words to this church are words of warning. Let those who would be loving and tolerant of differences in the areas of convictions and culture be very intolerant toward any compromise of the gospel and its outworkings.
As we conclude this lesson we will concentrate on the applications which Paul has made in these chapters as a whole. What can we learn from Paul about the practical application of the gospel, and more generally, the Word of God? What does Paul stress? What does he avoid? Let us conclude with the following observations and suggestions.
(1) Romans 12-16 follows Romans 1-11.48 This is a very elementary observation, is it not? And yet it is so simple we tend to pass it by unnoticed. Here, and elsewhere, Paul lays down teaching and doctrine first, as the foundation for the practical applications which will follow. The importance which Paul places on Bible doctrine can be seen by the fact that it is taught first, in the lengthier portion of his epistle.
The expression, “I urge you,” found three times in Romans (12:1; 15:30; 16:17), is found first in Romans 12. Paul does not exhort Christians concerning their conduct until after he has taught them the doctrines and principles which motivate, regulate, and empower their conduct. This is especially evident in Romans, Ephesians, and Colossians.49
Romans, like all of Paul’s writings, emphasizes the inter-relationship between biblical doctrine and daily living. It is wrong to view doctrine as boring and impractical, and Paul would never tolerate such thinking. Practice which is not based upon the doctrines of God’s Word is ill-founded and dangerous.
The vast majority of books on the shelves of Christian book stores start, so to speak, at Romans 12. They are quick to get into the “practical” applications, without first having laid a biblical foundation. It is for this reason that many of these “how to” books are faddish at best, and blatantly unbiblical at worst.50 Biblical doctrine is practical. It is also foundational.
How sad it is that most preaching and teaching today begins with man’s felt needs, rather than truth. We search for the truths which meet our needs, rather than to search the Scriptures to determine our needs.
(2) In Romans 12-16, like Romans 1-11, Paul’s teaching and exhortations are based upon the Old Testament Scriptures. Romans 12-16 contains the applications which Paul gives to his teaching, based on the Old Testament Scriptures. The only authority Paul finds necessary for his applications is the teaching of the Old Testament Scriptures. Notice the texts to which Paul refers, as indicated by the NASB:
Romans Text |
Old Testament Citation |
12:19-21 |
Prov. 20:22; 21:29; 25:21; Dt. 32:35; Ps. 94:1 |
13:9 |
Ex. 20:13f.; Dt. 5:17ff.; Lv. 19:18 |
14:11 |
Isa. 45:23 |
15:3 |
Ps. 69:9 |
15:9-12 |
Ps. 18:49; 2 Sam. 22:50; Dt. 32:43; Ps. 117:1; Isa. 11:10 |
15:21 |
Isa. 52:15 |
Even when Paul refers to the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ, he does so by citing Psalm 69:9, as a prophecy which was fulfilled by Him. Paul was not one of those who walked with Jesus, as did the other apostles. But even when Paul referred to the earthly life of Jesus, he did not quote one of the apostles or eye-witnesses who observed Jesus. Instead, Paul quoted the Old Testament, which bore witness to Him in the form of prophecy.
Those who would view the Old Testament Scriptures as dispensationally irrelevant should take careful note of Paul’s use of the Old Testament. They should note that Paul uses the Old Testament for far more than finding prophecies which have been fulfilled, or which are still to be fulfilled. Paul also uses the Old Testament as the basis for Christian conduct, by appealing to the Law (13:9). If not the only basis for Paul’s desire to preach to those who had never heard the gospel, the Old Testament at least taught the principle (15:21). Paul’s exhortation to give up revenge and to forgive one’s enemies is based upon the teaching of Proverbs and other Old Testament texts (12:19-21).
When Paul wrote of the profitability of “all Scripture” in 2 Timothy 3:15-17, he was speaking primarily with reference to the Old Testament Scriptures. In our passage we find Paul saying something quite similar:
For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope (Romans 15:4).
Let us therefore recognize that the Old Testament Scriptures are not only inspired, inerrant, and infallible, they are authoritative, profitable, and applicable. Most New Testament teaching is not “new,” but “review.”
(3) The applications of Romans 12-16 are all-encompassing. Paul does not restrict the implications and applications of the gospel to a small slice of life. He does not compartmentalize Christianity into categories such as “secular” and “spiritual,” “ministry” and “work.” Paul’s applications are broad in scope because the gospel was intended to impact and to transform every area of the believer’s life. While application is based upon the teachings of God’s Word, their implementation is as broad as the world in which the believer lives. Let me review a few of the areas which are covered in Paul’s application section.
(4) All of the applications of Paul are self-sacrificing, rather than self-indulging. Few of us eagerly seek those practical applications which require self-sacrifice and faith. We want “helpful hints,” inspired suggestions, which make our Christian walk easier, more successful and enjoyable. We want to find principles which work to make our lives happier and more fulfilled. Paul’s applications are not comfortable and not self-indulgent. They require love and self-denial (see 13:11-14).
(5) The application of Romans 12-16 grows out of Romans 1-11, but in a more general way than we might expect. A friend challenged me with an excellent question about Romans 12-16. He asked, “What direct links are there between the doctrines taught in chapters 1-11 and the applications found in chapters 12-16?” This question caught me unprepared. Not because I had not thought of the question, but because I still did not have an answer. I think I now have an answer, which I would share with you for your consideration.
In our “bottom line,” “get to the point” world, we want to quickly get to the application, and to see a direct and immediate connection with our lives. In preaching, there is a tendency (indeed, almost a necessity) to seek to find the meaning of a text, and then to drive home its application, its immediate and earth-shaking relevance to our lives. There are times, of course, when this can and should happen. But there are many other times when this is neither possible nor desirable.
We look for the practical applications of the Scriptures, indeed, we demand them, because we want to be shown that these truths are practical and relevant to us. But the relevance and applicability of God’s Word may not necessarily be that quick or that apparent. Paul’s teaching in Romans 1-11 is something like a stew. Paul has blended a number of biblical themes. He has added various doctrinal truths to his epistle like we add carrots and celery and potatoes to a stew. Paul does not attempt to apply just the carrots; he seeks to drive home the implications of the whole of his teaching, and not just a part of it.
The importance of this is especially evident when we recall that some of the truths which Paul taught seem to be contradictory. Paul taught the grace of God, but he would not nullify the Law. He taught the sovereignty of God, but he would also teach the responsibility of man. If we attempt to link a doctrine with an application, we may very well fall into the trap of emphasizing only one element of the truth, rather than the sum total of the truth. Thus, Paul’s applications are based upon the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man.
Perhaps Romans 12:1-2 most clearly illustrates what I am trying to say. The Scriptures are not given to us to throw out all rules (as the legalist would fear, and as some libertines would advocate). Neither were they given to us as a set of rules to rigidly follow (as the libertines would charge, and as some legalists would advocate). The Scriptures were given to us so that, through them, we might have our minds transformed (12:2). The Bible was not given to us merely to provide us with a list of practices we must perform, or sins we must shun. The Bible was given to us to provide us with more than a series of principles (as important as these are). The Bible was given to us to change our perspective, to transform our way of seeing things, so that we may see life from God’s point of view.
This new perspective, this new point of view, I believe to be the “renewed mind” of which Paul speaks. It is the basis for a transformed life. And so it is that there is not always a direct line between a particular teaching or doctrine and a certain application. Biblical truth is to not to be understood and applied in isolation, but in context—in the total context of God’s Word, and in the context of our own lives.
If you do not come away from this message with a concrete area of application—fine. That does not bother me. I would hope that our study of the entire Book of Romans would change your perspective significantly, and that this would overflow in a lifestyle that is radically different from that of the world, and from what you formerly practiced.
(6) The Book of Romans ends without a single exhortation to practice personal evangelism. Isn’t it interesting, as a friend pointed out to me, that this book, a book in which Paul expounds and applies the gospel, ends without urging people to evangelize? Please do not misunderstand me. I am simply making an observation. Paul seems more interested in urging Christians to live the gospel than to preach it. An evangelistic effort without a gospel lifestyle will produce little. A gospel lifestyle will inevitably lead to evangelistic opportunities. When unbelievers see the gospel in action, and see that the gospel works, then the gospel will be a welcome topic for conversation. Just as it is easier to profess to be a Christian than it is to practice Christianity (see the Book of James), it is easier to preach the gospel than to practice it. Let us take Paul’s words of exhortation to heart.
May God grant us renewed minds, which result in transformed lives, lives which worship Him through service that stems from gratitude.
42 I have used the expression, “tension of the text,” for several years now. By this expression, I refer to the questions which are raised in a biblical text. Sometimes these are only questions of my own, due to my lack of understanding or insight into the text. But many times these are tensions which are purposely built into the text by the Holy Spirit. These questions, or tensions, give the student of Scripture grounds for further study, for prayer, and for meditation.
At one time, I used to begin my study by making observations. I now begin my study of the passage by looking for the questions, the problems, the “tensions of the text.” When I arrive at a satisfactory answer to these questions, I often have found the key to understanding the text. I suggest that as you study your Bible, you look for the “tensions in the text” and then write them down. Keep praying, reading and meditating on these until the answer comes.
43 To some extent, I think Paul did suggest the application in general terms, but the fuller application is delayed until chapters 12-16.
44 Notice that love here in 12:9-16 is focused upon fellow-believers. It is brotherly love (12:10). The love described in 13:8-10 is “neighborly love,” focused upon the world at large. Paul’s exhortation concerning brotherly love deals with aggressive, positive expressions of love. Paul’s exhortation concerning “neighborly love” is negative, focusing upon that which a good neighbor would not do—namely, seek the harm of another.
45 One cannot help but see here a death blow to the false teaching and preoccupation with self-esteem and self-love. By its very nature, love is a preferential act. God loved Jacob and hated Esau (Romans 9:13). When a man loves his wife, he cherishes her above others. When a Christian loves others, he gives them preference over himself. If the very essence of love is showing preference, how is it that some can say that we must first love ourselves, so that we will be able to love others? We cannot love ourselves and at the same time love others, because we must give preference either to ourselves or others. Self-love gives preference to self. Loving others gives preference to others. We must either love others or love ourselves, but we cannot love others by loving ourselves. Self-love is nothing less than self-indulgence (see Romans 13:11-14), and those who teach it are “trouble-makers” from whom we should turn away (Romans 16:17-20).
46 Some do not seem to see the shift from brothers to enemies here, but this seems clear. In 12:9-16 Paul speaks of “the saints” (v. 13), of “one another” (vv. 10, 16), and of having “the same mind” (v. 16). This is surely speaking of fellow-believers. But in 12:17-21, the terms change dramatically to “anyone” and “all men” (v. 17), and “enemy” in verse 20. This indicates a change of context, from that of the church to that of the world at large.
47 It is possible that Paul is progressively dealing with the subject of dealing with one’s enemies. In 12:17-21, evil is countered by grace, so that good might overcome evil. In 13:1-7, government’s role is emphasized. If one is ill-treated by an individual, not only will God judge him in the future, but government may be expected to deal with him in the present. That is what government is ordained to do. The Christian should leave punishment to God and to government. Finally, the Christian will not seek the harm of his “neighbor,” even if that person has harmed him.
48 Said another way, five chapters which deal with application follow eleven chapters of preparation.
49 In 1 and 2 Corinthians, Paul does exhort sooner in his writings, but this is because Paul has already taught these believers, in person, or by his writings. Not only was Paul in Corinth, so that he had already taught them the doctrines on which his later exhortations were based, he also had written an earlier (lost) epistle to them (see 1 Corinthians 5:9).
50 For example, see my comments on “self-love” in footnote 45.
How many times have you heard a master of ceremonies say, “And now it is my pleasure to introduce to you a man who needs no introduction …”? Why are the longest introductions often for those who “need no introduction”? A good introduction will accomplish several important tasks. It will arouse the interest and attention of the audience. Also it can build a relationship between the speaker and his audience. This is especially important if the speaker is not well-known by his audience. The introduction can also acquaint us with the speaker’s message and his method so that we can follow him as he speaks.
In the days when I listened to sermons rather than preached them, I had a “five minute rule.” It was a simple rule applied to preachers during the first five minutes of their message: the speaker had five minutes to get from his introduction to the text in the Bible. If, in that five minutes, the speaker had not begun to expound the Scripture text, I knew he would never get there. And so I would mentally turn the speaker off and read from my Bible for the rest of the sermon.
As my five minutes are passing quickly, let us turn our attention to our text in Romans 1:1-17. This is Paul’s introduction to the entire Epistle to the Romans. While all of Paul’s epistles have introductions, this particular introduction is especially important. The church in Rome was not founded by Paul. The Roman saints had not been brought to faith through the preaching of Paul. He did not seem to be well-known in Rome.51 Paul had not yet been to Rome, and most of the saints there would not recognize him if they saw him.52
Our study of Paul’s introduction will concentrate on the reasons Paul gives for writing this epistle, which will also prove to be the reasons why the Romans should read and heed his words. Paul’s introduction will also help to explain why the Romans did receive Paul’s epistle, and why this epistle has continued to bless and to impact the lives of men and women down through the ages of church history.
Beyond this, I believe Paul’s introductory words provide us with a “mentality of ministry,” which is a bench mark for every believer. Paul’s words describe, as the title of this message indicates, “Paul’s Motivation for Ministry.” Before we hear so much as one word of preaching from Paul, he lays out for us his “perspective.” Paul will tell his readers how much he cares for them, how often he has tried to come to visit them, and how long and diligently he has prayed for them. Paul will tell all of his readers “where he is coming from” and “where he is going” in the rest of his epistle.
I believe that Paul’s perspective, as revealed in his introduction to Romans, is a model for every Christian. If our ministries were motivated by those things which inspired Paul in his ministry, our ministries would take a different form and would have a much greater impact on others. Were our ministries to be patterned after Paul’s ministry to the saints at Rome, we would not have to work so hard to get a hearing from those we are striving to reach with the gospel.
You and I should not need to be convinced that this epistle is worthy of our diligent study or that its message is desperately needed today. We will find, however, that we are drawn to Paul as a person as we read his words of introduction. Here is a man with a heart toward God, toward the saints, toward Israel, and toward the lost. Even though this man lived centuries ago, we shall find ourselves drawn to him as a person and his proclamation of the gospel. Let us listen well to these inspired and heart-warming words.
Our text is composed of three segments. The first segment (1:1-7) is Paul’s greeting which identifies both the writer and the recipients, and their relationship. The second segment (1:8-13) explores the relationship of Paul with the saints at Rome in greater depth, describing both his prayers and his plans concerning them. The final segment introduces the theme of this epistle, which is the key to Paul’s motivation and his ministry.
1 Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, 4 who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles, for His name’s sake, 6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; 7 to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Have you ever seen one of those long limousines, the “stretch” kind that looks like the car has been cut in two with a third section sandwiched in between? They are unusual, and they catch our attention. Paul’s greeting, in verses 1-7, is what I call a “stretch version” of his usual greeting. It is the longest greeting of any of his epistles. Here is a sampling of his more typical greetings:
Paul and Silvanus and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace (1 Thessalonians 1:1).
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope; to Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord (1 Timothy 1:1-2).
Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, to the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 1:1-3).
Paul’s other greetings range from one to four verses, while his greetings in Romans take a whopping seven verses. Why such a long greeting here? Let me suggest an explanation.
When you compare the greeting in Romans to those in Paul’s other epistles, you will see that all of the greetings begin and end in a similar way. What is unique in this greeting in Romans 1:1-7 is Paul’s synopsis of the gospel in verses 2-4. Why would Paul give a synopsis of the gospel here, in the introduction?
The reason seems to be clear when you consider the uniqueness of this situation. Paul had never been in Rome. He had never previously taught these saints, as he had those in all the other churches to which he wrote epistles. And until now he had never written to them. In his other epistles, Paul was writing to those who knew him, those whom he had led to Christ and whom he had taught. Here, Paul was writing to those whom he had never met, who did not know him and did not know his doctrine. Because the purity of the gospel is vitally important, Paul immediately sought to demonstrate that his gospel was the same as that which the saints in Rome had believed, resulting in their salvation. In very few words, Paul highlights several of the fundamental elements of his gospel:
(1) Paul’s gospel was based upon the belief in a triune God. Paul was a trinitarian. In verses 2-4, Paul refers to all three members of the Godhead: the Father (verse 2), the Son, who was of David’s seed, and who is exalted in the heavens, ready to reign over God’s kingdom (verses 3-4), and the Holy Spirit (verse 4).
(2) Paul’s gospel was established by the resurrection of Christ from the dead (verse 4).
(3) Paul’s gospel was not “new,” but was the fulfillment of that which God had promised His people through the Old Testament prophets (verse 2).
(4) Paul’s gospel was God’s provision for the salvation of both Jews and Gentiles (verses 5-6).
(5) Paul’s gospel was a sovereign calling, a calling to salvation, a calling to service, and a calling to a Christian lifestyle, a lifestyle of obedience (verses 5-7).
Paul’s gospel was an orthodox gospel. It was the same gospel which the other apostles preached and which the Roman saints had believed. Since Paul professed and preached the same gospel, the Roman saints could welcome him as a fellow-believer, and they could welcome his ministry in person or by letter.
Christians today, I fear, are too quick to accept those whom they do not really know to be fellow-saints. Satan deceives the saints and corrupts the church by sending his “false apostles” as “angels of light” (2 Corinthians 11:12-15). Paul urged the saints to be on guard for such false apostles, and he gladly articulated the gospel which he preached. We should be as careful as Paul. We should know what gospel men preach, before we heed their teaching.
When we began to meet as a church, one of my fellow-elders and I met with a man who had just come to our city. He had the reputation of being a Christian and following Christian principles. Nevertheless, my fellow-elder asked this man to share his testimony with us. He was right to do so. We should be very careful to check out the doctrine of those who would have us welcome them as fellow-believers. The church would be spared much grief and error if it were more careful in this regard.
The first and most fundamental bond which Paul had with the Roman saints was the bond of a common faith. There was yet another link between Paul and the Roman saints which he wanted to set out at the beginning of his epistle. His ministry was the result of a divine call and of divine enablement. He was called and set apart as an apostle, to proclaim the gospel of God (verse 1). The specific focus of his apostleship was to proclaim the gospel to the Gentiles, leading to their “obedience of faith.”53
Paul was divinely designated and set apart to proclaim the gospel to the Gentiles. He was to bring about “the obedience of faith” among all the Gentiles (1:5), which included “Greeks and barbarians,” both the “wise and the foolish” (1:14). Many of the saints at Rome were Gentiles (1:6). Paul saw his specific calling and ministry as obligating him to minister to the church at Rome. His calling (as an apostle to the Gentiles) and their condition (as Gentiles) was a link Paul could not and would not overlook. He was obliged to minister to them in some way.
Before we move on to the next segment to see how Paul did minister to the saints at Rome, let me point out three observations from verses 1-7. Each of these three observations is inferred by our text, and each has to do with Paul’s perspective.
First, we find in these verses Paul’s strong sense of calling and his resulting authority, balanced with an equally strong sense of servanthood and humility. Paul manifests a boldness and authority which comes not from himself, but which is the result of his calling as an apostle.54 He begins this epistle by referring to his calling, and thus, indirectly, to his apostolic authority. And yet this authority does not “go to his head.” Paul is equally conscious that his calling is to the role of a “bondslave” to God and to a life of service to men. Paul is greatly humbled by his calling and authority. Paul’s words in Romans reflect both a boldness and a humility.
Second, we find in Paul’s words here a strong sense of unity and continuity. Paul ties together the gospel which he proclaims and the promises of God made through the Old Testament prophets. He joins together both the Jews and the Gentiles. Paul will not allow a misguided polarization (taking of sides) between the Jews and the Gentiles. He stresses that the gospel unites all believers. He emphasizes the continuity between the Old Testament and the New.
Finally, Paul emphasizes what he possesses in common with the saints at Rome, while at the same time recognizing his unique calling and ministry. Paul shares with the Roman saints a “like precious faith.” He shares in being divinely called of God unto salvation. But Paul also has a specific calling. He, unlike the Roman saints, has been “called as an apostle,” and “set apart for the gospel.”
The recognition of his unique calling and ministry as distinct from his common calling is vitally important. Paul will call upon all the saints to live up to their common calling. And he will (in Romans 12:3-8) call upon each saint to live up to their specific and unique calling. But Paul will not urge the saints at Rome to do all that he does as a part of his unique calling. Paul hopes to go by way of Rome to Spain, but he will not urge the Roman saints to accompany him, only to accommodate him while he is in Rome, and to pray for him as he takes the gospel to unreached places and peoples (see Romans 15:14-33). How often I hear saints urging other saints to imitate their ministry and calling. We dare not ignore our individual calling, nor dare we impose it on others who have their own gifts and calling from God (1 Corinthians 7:7).
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world. 9 For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you, 10 always in my prayers making request, if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you. 11 For I long to see you in order that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; 12 that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine. 13 And I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented thus far) in order that I might obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles.
Verses 1-7 establish Paul’s authority as an apostle and declare the basis for Paul’s ministry to the saints at Rome. On this foundation of Paul’s creed and his calling, Paul will establish yet another basis for his ministry to the Roman saints. What Paul will say here, in verses 8-13, will warm the hearts of the Romans, so that they will be eager to hear what Paul has to say to them.
Paul had been a believer and an apostle for a number of years. It was approximately ten years earlier that Paul, and Barnabas, were “set apart”55 for “the work to which God had called them” (see Acts 13:2). He had never before visited or written the saints at Rome. Why should the Roman saints give him a hearing now? Granted, he was orthodox, and he had apostolic authority. But what did Paul know about them? And what evidence was there that he cared about them? Much indeed, as Paul is about to inform them.
Paul’s interest and involvement in the church at Rome can best be seen in his prayers for them. Paul’s prayers include praise and thanksgiving for this church in Rome. Paul knows a great deal about this body of believers, even though he has not yet been to Rome. Paul has kept track of this church, of its witness, and of its progress. He was thankful to God because their faith was being proclaimed throughout the whole world (verse 8). These saints not only had come to faith in Jesus Christ, their faith was being practiced and proclaimed. The gospel which had come to this church was now going forth from it.
This very positive statement from Paul must have been an encouragement to the Roman saints. It would have been an encouragement to hear that their faith was evident and was being shed abroad. It would also be an encouragement to hear from Paul that his letter (not to mention his appearance, in days to come) was not occasioned by problems in the church, but with a view to their progress. This letter to the Romans was not a “trouble shooter’s” attempt to fix a problem in the Roman church, but rather it was to encourage this church. When Paul was able to come to them, he expected also to be encouraged by their faith (1:12).
Paul’s ministry of prayer was much more extensive than his recent prayers of praise. He had, for some time,56 been eager to visit Rome and to spend some time with them. While he persisted in trying to get to Rome, he was consistently prevented from doing so (1:13). He looked forward to his visit as an occasion for mutual ministry, one to another.57 Paul did not have to be physically present to minister to those in Rome, however. For a long time Paul had been praying for this church. Included in his prayers was his petition to visit Rome. If Paul’s absence suggested to any that he did not care much about the saints at Rome, Paul’s petitions and his plans indicate otherwise. If he could have visited Rome before this, he would have.
In Paul’s absence, there were at least two ways which he found to minister to the saints at Rome. The first was to pray for these saints, as he prayed for all the churches (see, for example, Ephesians 1:15-19a; 3:14-19; Philippians 1:3-5; Colossians 1:9-12). The second was to write them an epistle, in which he would convey those truths which he wished to teach in person and which he had taught the churches where he had ministered in person. Paul’s letter was not an impersonal gesture, but the most personal ministry he could provide at the moment. It was the outgrowth of his love, interest, concern and prayers for these saints.
The saints in Rome could listen to Paul because he was an apostle, an apostle whose ministry was to all the Gentiles. But they would listen to Paul because he was a man who cared much for them, who had (unknown to them before now) invested heavily in their faith and ministry. They would hear Paul, and they would hear him gladly. He was a man with a heart for God and for God’s people. He was a man whose love and concern ran deep.
Three years before Paul arrived at Rome in person, he had taken up his pen to write those “beloved of God in Rome,” one of the most profound and powerful epistles ever written. And long before Paul took up the pen, he had been on his knees in prayer for them. One can hardly avoid concluding that the ideas which Paul put into words in this epistle were the product of his prayers and also the answer to them. How often we find that God uses us to have a part in the answer to our own prayers.
I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. 15 Thus, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.”
There was one consuming passion in Paul’s life—the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was by means of the gospel that Paul was saved. It was for the purpose of preaching the gospel that he was called and set apart. It was for the world-wide proclamation of the faith of the Romans that Paul gave thanks to God. It was to preach the gospel that he desired to go to Rome. For Paul, the gospel was everything; it was the all-consuming focus of his life and ministry.
The gospel is also the subject matter—the theme—of his epistle to the Romans. In verses 14-17 Paul speaks to the Romans about the gospel and its impact on his life and ministry. In so doing, Paul distills for us the central themes of his epistle and prepares us for what will follow in this epistle.
In verses 14 and 15 Paul explained his eagerness to reach Rome: The gospel made him a debtor, a debtor to the Gentiles through the grace of God. Works-righteousness always seeks to get ahead, to have a “positive balance” of righteousness on account with God. The righteousness of God, obtained by faith, places one in eternal debt. The righteousness which we receive by faith is that which we do not deserve. We are debtors to God for having received it. We are, and eternally will continue to be, debtors to God’s grace.
This debt of grace was no duty, thrust upon Paul; it was a debt of love. If we are indebted to love others (Romans 13:8), we are first indebted to love God. Paul looked upon himself as a debtor, a debtor to God, and a debtor to all men. Paul especially saw himself as a debtor to all the Gentiles, among whom were some of the saints at Rome. His eagerness to minister to the Romans was the result of God’s grace, an overflow of the grace which had saved him.
To Paul, the gospel was much more than a means to men’s salvation, though it was surely that (see 1:16). The gospel was the message which Paul was compelled to proclaim to those who were in Rome and who were saved. I am convinced that Paul is not saying that he wanted to reach Rome so that he could hold revivals in the church, or so that he could hold an evangelistic campaign (though he might have done so, if he could). I believe Paul wanted to proclaim the truths of the gospel to Christians, because this was profitable for them.
Why would this be so? Why do Christians need to hear the gospel, when they are already saved? I believe there are several reasons. First of all, we are inclined to forget. How often in the New Testament the writers will speak of the need for and the benefits of being reminded.58 God warned the Israelites that they would tend to forget God’s deliverance and, in the process, would forget that it was by His grace and not due to their own goodness or works that His blessings had been poured out upon them (see Deuteronomy 8:11-20). We tend to forget that God’s blessings come as a result of His grace, and thus we need to be reminded. This is why we, as a church, remember His death on a regular, weekly basis (see Acts 2:42, 46; 20:7; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34).
Second, the gospel is a truth which is so vast we will never grasp or fathom it, though we spend our whole lives studying it. The gospel to which Paul has referred in 1:2-4 is that which has its roots in the Old Testament, its fulfillment in Christ, and its ultimate consummation in eternity. The gospel is a simple message, which men must believe in order to be saved, but it is a vast sea of truth which men will forever seek to fathom (see Romans 11:33-36; Ephesians 3:14-19; Colossians 2:1-3). Those who love God and who rejoice in His gospel will never tire of exploring its riches.
Third, the application of the gospel involves far more than just repentance and faith, leading to salvation. The gospel, as Paul will show in Romans chapters 6-8, provides both the motivation and the means for our sanctification, as well as our salvation. The gospel is not only the message by which we enter into salvation; it is the motivation and the means by which our salvation is lived out. The gospel is a part of God’s eternal plan and purpose, which is still being worked out. And thus, as Paul will show in Romans 9-11, the salvation of the Gentiles is happening now, so that God can save and bless Israel.
Let me pause for a moment to share an insight which I think is valid and which may be profitable to you as well: Evangelists do far more than evangelize, or to teach others to do so; they focus attention on the gospel. I have always thought the role of the evangelist in the church to be two-fold. First, the evangelist evangelizes; that is, the evangelist preaches the gospel to those who are lost so that some are saved. Second, the evangelist promotes evangelism. Often (I speak out of my own experience), the evangelist tries to get other Christians to evangelize (usually in the ways he thinks we should). Some would-be evangelists browbeat the saints, motivating them by guilt, and teaching them the certain stereotyped methods whereby souls can be saved.
I believe that one of Paul’s spiritual gifts was probably that of evangelism. I doubt that many would argue this point. Yet in his epistles, Paul spent very little time urging the saints to evangelize. The final chapters of Romans do not, surprisingly enough, urge personal evangelism. Paul does not try to teach any methods of evangelism. And yet Paul was an evangelist! If Paul was an evangelist, why did he not do what we think an evangelist should do? Here is something to ponder.
I now see Paul as the model evangelist. Paul, the evangelist, sought to focus men’s attention on the gospel. He sought to turn the attention of lost men to the gospel, so that they could be saved. He sought to turn the attention of the saints back to the gospel, as the means, the motivation, and the goal for our lives. So it was for him. So he wishes it to be for us. Evangelists see the gospel as “home base,” so to speak, and they seek to continually “turn our hearts toward home.”
In verses 16 and 17, Paul explains his boldness in proclaiming the gospel. He was “not ashamed of the gospel,” negatively speaking. He boasted in the gospel, positively speaking (see Romans 15:7-19). One reason for Paul’s boldness was the power of the gospel message itself. The gospel is “the power of God unto salvation,” for both the Jew and the Greek (verse 16). Here is a truth which we profess, but which we fail to practice. The message of the gospel is the means by which God’s power is implemented so as to save men.
In our own time, it is often not our message itself which is primary, but our method. We have more faith in our marketing techniques than we do in a simple gospel message. As a result, we tend to water down and compromise the message, subordinating it to our “Madison Avenue” methods.
I watched an interesting television program this week. The program, “Nightline,” was addressing the image of the American automobile as inferior in quality to the Japanese automobiles, even though many of the Japanese cars are made in America, by American labor. It was an interesting discussion. No spokesman could be found to speak up for the American automobile manufacturers. It was generally agreed that the Japanese cars were, overall, better cars. The question was raised, “What is the difference? If many Japanese cars are made here, by American labor, how is it that they can be so much better than American cars, made by American labor?” My suggestion is that we have so much confidence in our methods of selling a product that we have slacked off in our efforts to design and build a good product. We believe that with just the right marketing technique, we can sell snowballs to Eskimos (or lemons to Americans).
I fear that this same “marketing mentality” has gained a strong foothold in the church of Jesus Christ. Most of the fund-raising programs employed by churches and Christian ministries are identical to those developed and used by those who sell soap, toothpaste, cat food and cars. Paul rejected the smooth and subtle tactics of the “merchandisers” of his day (see 2 Corinthians 2:17; 4:2). Paul’s desire was to be clear, simple, and bold (see 1 Corinthians 2:1-5; Ephesians 6:18-20; 2 Thessalonians 3:1-2). If the gospel is, itself, mighty to save, the power of God resulting in salvation, then we need but to proclaim it, in simplicity, in purity, and in dependence upon God, who will by His Word save men.
Finally, in verse 17, Paul explains his boldness to proclaim the gospel in terms of what it reveals about God. The gospel, Paul says, reveals “the righteousness of God.” The gospel displays God’s righteousness. It reveals God’s righteousness in His standards of holiness, as revealed by the Law. It reveals God’s righteousness by declaring God’s condemnation of sin. It reveals God’s righteousness by the way in which He saves men, by faith, and by pouring out His wrath on the Lord Jesus, so that sin’s penalty is paid.
The righteousness of God is revealed in other ways than by saving sinners. The righteousness of God, Paul says, is revealed “from faith to faith” (verse 17). The righteousness of God is revealed when men come to faith, but it is also revealed as men live by faith. The righteousness of God is revealed through men, as they live out the gospel. The expression “from faith to faith” is interesting and important. Faith has its origin, but it also has its outworkings. The Christian life begins with saving faith, and it initiates a life which is characterized by an ever-growing faith. Faith is the means by which men are saved, it is also the means by which saved men live, and it is the outworking of men’s faith.
Let me attempt to illustrate this with another concept—love. Love is the basis for marriage. Love leads to marriage. Marriage then becomes the context in which a man’s love for his wife (and her love for him) grows. Marriage begins with love and continues to grow and express itself in love. Married life is “from love to love,” just as the Christian life is “from faith to faith.”
This is the point of the passage Paul cites from Habakkuk 2:4: “But the righteous man shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17; Habakkuk 2:4). Habakkuk had protested to God that Judah was corrupt, that God’s Law was ignored, and that justice was swallowed up by violence and wickedness (Habakkuk 1:1-4). He asked God why He had not come to save His people (1:2).
God responded, in a way that Habakkuk never imagined (1:5-11). God was going to chasten His people with a strong and cruel people—the Chaldeans. They would sweep down on Judah and take these rebellious people into captivity. The cruelty and sin of the Chaldeans would not be excused or overlooked, however, for God would punish this people for their pride and arrogance (1:11).
Habakkuk was horrified. He could not understand how God could use wicked men to achieve His purposes. The Chaldeans, in his mind, were even more wicked than the people of Judah (1:12-17). He determined to “file a protest with God.” He knew he would be rebuked, but he planned to challenge God’s rebuke as well (2:1). In Habakkuk’s mind, God had a lot of explaining to do.
God’s answer was extensive. We shall only refer to a portion of His response. He assured Habakkuk that God’s plan was fixed, certain, and coming without delay (in spite of his protest—see 2:2-3). The proud soul, God said, is “not right” (2:4a). This might have included Habakkuk, as well as the Chaldeans. But the righteous man, God said, must live by his faith (2:4b).
As I understand these words, God was telling Habakkuk that he would have to live his life, day by day, by faith. He might not see the day of Israel’s restoration and blessing, but by faith he must believe God’s promises would be fulfilled. His days might be lived out beholding the victory of the Chaldeans and the defeat of his people, but this too must be handled by faith. He must, by faith, understand that Judah’s defeat by the Chaldeans was the chastening by God and was the outworking of God’s good plan and purposes for His people. Faith was, for Habakkuk, and for every other Old Testament believer, the rule of the day, the rule for life. So it is for the New Testament saint as well. All who are justified by faith must continue to live by faith.
In his words of introduction, Paul has explained why he is writing to the Roman saints. He is a man with a mission, an apostle with a commission to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, leading to the “obedience of faith.” He is also a man with a heart for the saints at Rome. He has rejoiced at the reports of their testimony, which has gone abroad throughout the world. He has prayed for them and has petitioned God to grant him to visit them, so that he might minister the gospel to them. This gospel is not only the theme of his epistle, it is Paul’s motivation, his message, and his calling. It is the shaping and driving force in his life.
There is no doubt that Paul is committed to the gospel. There is no doubt that Paul is also committed to his audience. He loves them, has invested in them over a period of years, and he intends to visit them as soon as possible. Paul’s love for the gospel is already becoming contagious. With an introduction like Paul’s, who would not be ready to “read on,” to learn more of the gospel and of the God who has purposed and provided it, and who is working it in accordance with His eternal plan?
Our text suggests a number of implications. As I conclude, let me summarize some of these for your consideration and further study.
(1) Paul sought to conform his life to his calling. As the basis for his ministry, the very first thing to which Paul referred to was his divine calling as an “apostle” and his being “set apart” for a ministry of the gospel to the Gentiles. Paul was absolutely convinced that he was called to the work which he was doing.
I do not see that same sense of “calling” today. The only “call” which I hear much about today is the mystical and curious “call to the full-time ministry” or a “call to the mission field.” These callings seem to be man-made categories, and I am suspicious of the way in which we use them. In the Scriptures, I see that the Christian has a common “calling,” along with all other saints, and a specific calling to a particular ministry for which God has gifted us, and to which the Lord has directed us (see 1 Corinthians 12).
Our common “calling” is, first of all, a call to faith in Jesus Christ, resulting in salvation (see Romans 8:28; 1 Corinthians 1:9). You may not yet have responded to this call. If not, you may “call upon the name of the Lord” and become one of the called (see Romans 10:9-13). All who have been called to faith are also called to holiness (1 Corinthians 1:2; 1 Thessalonians 4:7; 2 Timothy 1:9), to peace (1 Corinthians 7:15; Colossians 3:15), to freedom (Galatians 5:13), to hope (Ephesians 1:18; 4:4), and to eternal life (1 Timothy 6:12).
In addition to a common calling, which every Christian is to live up to, there is an individual calling as well. Each Christian has a specific calling, which may not necessarily be declared in the specific and unusual way that Paul’s calling was revealed to him (see Acts 9:15-16; 22:21; 26:14-20). Nevertheless, God reveals our calling by the spiritual gifts He has bestowed upon us and by His leading in terms of our ministry (see Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12, especially verses 4-6).
Paul referred to his calling as an “apostle to the Gentiles” as a gift of God’s grace (1:5, 11; see also 12:3). Our calling is also evidenced, I believe, through the gifts of grace which God has given us (see above). God always enables us to do that which He has called us to do. Thus, by considering our spiritual gifts, we have insight into our calling. If God gave us the gift of teaching, we can be certain He has called us to teach (see Romans 12:7). Christians also have a sense of their “calling” by virtue of their place and function in life at the time of their conversion (see 1 Corinthians 7:17-24). In spite of this, few Christians have a definite sense of God’s calling, and so their lives are lived aimlessly, without the purpose and direction which we see in Paul’s life and ministry.
Paul’s calling was to “the gospel.” I believe that Paul is teaching us that the gospel is our calling as well. Paul’s calling to the gospel was, more specifically, a calling to apostleship and to ministry to the Gentiles. Our calling, with respect to the gospel, may be teaching a Sunday school class or ministering in a retirement home. The specific task God has given us to do must be seen as a part of the general mission, the mission of practicing and proclaiming the gospel. The greater our sense of calling, the clearer our sense of direction and purpose.
Paul’s calling with respect to the gospel had both its visible, public manifestations (his preaching and teaching), and its private manifestations. Many years were spent by Paul praying for the church at Rome before he ever wrote or visited them. Paul’s public ministry was “the tip of an iceberg.” Whatever was seen was but a small part of what was unseen, but very much a part of the whole. And, in addition, Paul’s ministry was also underwritten by the prayers of other saints, on his behalf (Ephesians 6:18-20).
(2) Paul’s motivation and basis for ministry was not a “healthy self-image,” but the certainty that he was called to play a part in the divine plans and purposes of God. Everywhere we turn these days, a “good self-image” is said to be the basis for life. The sad thing is that Christians are buying this error as readily as unbelievers, and then preaching it as a kind of “gospel.”
Paul’s ministry was not founded on a healthy self-esteem, but on a healthy view of God and His purposes. Paul was not caught up by his own worth, but in his work. He was not thinking in terms of his status (bondslaves have no status), but in terms of his service to the Lord and to others. Paul did not think in terms of his credits, but in terms of his indebtedness. Paul’s life was not self-absorbed, but dominated by the gospel. Paul’s life was in Christ. The gospel is not an excuse to “find ourselves,” but to “lose ourselves” in the grateful “service of worship.”
(3) Paul’s words and actions, even his Epistle to the Romans, display the sovereign providence of God. Paul had a clear sense of the purposes of God but not of the details of God’s plan. Paul was convinced that God is sovereign, that He is in complete control, and that His purposes will be achieved. He knew God too well to think any man could anticipate how God would achieve His purposes. Paul believed that he would go to Rome, but he surely did not know how God would arrange for his transportation.
The Book of Romans is an illustration of the providence of God, using what seems to be a hindrance to the gospel to actually promote the gospel. Paul yearned to go to Rome. For years, he petitioned God to let him go (Romans 1:10; 15:22-23) but was prohibited. The result of this was the fullest exposition of the gospel in all the Word of God—the Epistle to the Romans. In Paul’s other epistles, he wrote to those whom he taught previously, thus his other epistles are based upon previously taught truth. Romans is not based on previous teaching, because Paul has neither written to nor taught these saints before. Because of this, Paul’s foundational teaching, not recorded elsewhere, is recorded for us in Romans. And all because Paul was prohibited from going to Rome personally. Paul’s prohibition (which must have caused him some agony) is the source of our prosperity—in the riches of the Book of Romans. Thank God, Paul could not make Rome until after writing this book for all of us to read. The depth of his teaching is preserved here for saints throughout the ages.
(4) The gospel is God’s provision for all of our needs. The gospel is far more than the message through which the power of God works to save men—though it surely (and thankfully) is this. The gospel is God’s provision for all our needs. The gospel is the means through which God overcomes and overturns all of the “fallout” from Adam’s sin (see Romans 5:12-21; 8:18-26). It is the Christian’s motivation and means for godly living (Romans 6-8). It is the key to understanding world history (Romans 9-11). If there is a “need” which the gospel does not meet or address, I doubt that it is a valid need at all. The gospel is God’s provision for sinful men who live in a fallen world. The gospel should be our motivation, our mindset, our message, and our means. As J. B. Phillips has suggested, “our God is too small.” As Paul indicated in Romans, our gospel is too small, too restricted, too seldom considered, taught, and practiced.
(5) Ministry is a long-term matter. As I read through Paul’s introduction, it becomes more and more evident that the writing of Romans and Paul’s involvement in ministry to the church was not a short-term commitment. Paul had kept up with this church, its witness, its growth, and its needs for many years. He desired to visit Rome for years. He prayed and he planned for a long time before he ever wrote, and then he was “delayed” three more years until he could visit.
As I look at this “long-term” dimension of Paul’s ministry, I am convicted by the “short-term” thinking of Christians (including myself) today. Perhaps we excuse this by our conviction that the time of the Lord’s return is near, but Paul believed this, too. Too much of what we do is last minute, poorly conceived, poorly planned, and shabbily executed. The Book of Romans may have been written in a relatively short period of time, but it was conceived over a period of years, I am convinced. Good meals take time to simmer. Good things take time to accomplish. God is not in a hurry, and He does not need last minute programs. Paul looked much farther ahead than we do, and I am convinced that he was right.
(6) Ministry requires preparation and introduction. Ministry takes time because it requires preparation and introduction. Paul’s prayers prepared him for the writing of this epistle. Much of our ministry plans and programs look for quick results. We have a kind of “fast foods” approach to ministry and to evangelism. Paul’s ministry through the pen was preceded by years of ministry through his prayers. His introduction to his epistle drew the attention of the Roman saints to his perseverance in prayer for them. Paul’s words to the Romans were preceded by his prayers to God on their behalf. There is too little preparation for our ministry, and our “messages” to others have little or no introduction by way of prayer or service. I am rebuked by the prayer life of Paul. Paul prayed long and hard before he preached the gospel. The effectiveness of his preaching was, to some extent, the result of his prayers.
(7) Those who are used of God to communicate His heart to men are men who have a heart for God. Paul’s exposition of Romans is not only his expounding on the gospel, but his expression of the heart of God. As I think through the books of the Bible, I find that those men who were chosen to explore the heart of God in depth were those men who had a heart for God. Those whose expression of God’s heart were the most thorough (as seen by the length of their book, or by the number of books they wrote) were those who themselves had a heart for God. This list of authors includes Moses (the Pentateuch—the first five books of the Old Testament, including Psalm 90), David (many of the Psalms), Isaiah, Jeremiah, Paul, John, and Peter.
It is not surprising to me that Jonah is a short book. Jonah, like Israel whom he represented, did not have a heart for God. In fact, Jonah found God’s heart irritating and disgusting. He protested against God’s mercy and compassion and resisted having a part of it (see Jonah 4:1-4, 9-11). Jonah could not reflect God’s heart, but he was more than able to reflect the hard heart and the stiff neck of His people.
I believe that God desires to manifest His heart to men and women today. He does so through the gospel. He does so through men and women who have not only been saved by the gospel, but who have been transformed by it, so that the gospel has become their mindset, their motivation, and their message. May God incline our hearts toward Him, through the gospel.
51 Notice, for example, the words of the Roman Jewish community in Acts 28:21-22, which imply that they knew little about Paul prior to his arrival in Rome.
52 In some ways, not knowing a great deal about Paul and his ministry may have been an advantage. Wherever Paul went there seemed to be trouble. In Philippi, Paul was thrown in prison because he was accused of advocating belief and behavior which was against the (Roman) law (Acts 16:19-21). In Ephesus, much of the city was in an uproar because of the presence and preaching of Paul. Paul could have appeared to be a troublemaker. Some churches might not have wanted him to visit because he might stir up trouble for them.
53 I understand the expression, “the obedience of faith” to be broad and all-encompassing. There is the initial “obedience of faith,” of repentance and calling on the name of the Lord for salvation. This initial conversion will lead to a life of obedience, stemming from faith.
54 We see this, for example, in Romans 15:15-16.
55 This is the same basic expression as we find in Romans 1:1.
56 From Romans 15:23, we learn that Paul had been eager to come to them “for many years.”
57 It is interesting that Paul did not seem to know which “gift” he would bestow on these saints (1:11), just as he did not know which “fruit” would result (1:13). Both of these matters would only be evident in time and in the sovereign outworkings of God’s plan. Paul did not presuppose what God would do, or should do, through his visit.
58 Consider, among others, these texts footnoted:
“But I have written very boldly to you on some points, so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me from God” (Romans 15:15).
“For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church” (1 Corinthians 4:17).
“Therefore, I shall always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you. And I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder” (2 Peter 1:12-13).
“This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder” (2 Peter 3:1).
A few years ago my wife and I were waiting at a stop light in our Pinto station wagon. We were waiting alongside a Corvette. He had eight cylinders; I had four. He had a high performance engine; I had a pathetically powerless engine. I knew full well that as soon as the light turned green, the driver of that Corvette was going to accelerate, pass me on the right, and then cut in front of me. It had happened too many times before with cars much less powerful than this one. I knew I did not stand a chance.
Nevertheless, when the light changed, I put my foot to the floor and gave that Pinto all it had. I shifted like Andy Granatelli. In spite of my best efforts, the Corvette eased by me effortlessly. My wife Jeannette knew exactly what was happening. Turning to me, she said, “You were trying to race him, weren’t you?” I could not deny it. I replied, “Yes, and the worst of it is, he didn’t even know it!”
God is doing a work today, and few even know He is doing it. He is presently revealing His wrath on “all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men” (Romans 1:18). God is judging men for their sin today, and few even know it is happening. Unbelievers are unaware of God’s judgment, because they do not know God, nor are they alert to His presence and power in the world today. This is to be expected. But many Christians are equally ignorant of God’s present judgment of sin. They think of God’s judgment only in terms of the future. And they think of the sinner’s present self-indulgence in terms of pleasure, not punishment.
Recently the Mardi Gras was observed in New Orleans once again. On the evening news, a commentator’s brief description of this annual event summed up the spirit of our age. Quoting one young person in New Orleans for the celebration, the commentator reported: “It is sin and degradation, and we love it!”
Many Christians look upon the sinfulness of our culture in about the same way one of the psalmists of old looked upon his culture—with envy.59 Instead of grieving over the sins of others, as Lot did over the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah (see 2 Peter 2:7), we are tempted to envy sinners, as though they are privileged to enjoy pleasures we Christians are denied. And so, very much as Satan implied that God was withholding good from Adam and Eve (see Genesis 3), we are tempted to believe that God is withholding something good from us. We try to console ourselves with the thought that though we must suffer now, we do so in order to enjoy better pleasures in heaven.60
Paul’s words in Romans 1:18-32 may take many of us by surprise. We are not inclined to believe that God’s judgment has a present, as well as a future, manifestation. And even if we do believe in a present judgment, the form which this judgment takes, according to Paul, is not that which we would expect. Paul’s teaching in our text will force us to re-evaluate much of our thinking on the judgment of God.
In addition to teaching us a vitally important lesson on the judgment of God, our text provides insight into the nature of sin. While Paul is seeking to demonstrate in this section (Romans 1:18–3:20) that all men are sinners, under divine sentence of death, he is also providing us with a definition of what sin is. We will see in our text a most vital and often neglected dimension of sin which must be included in a biblical definition of sin.
This text is powerful and enlightening. We must have divine illumination to understand it, and we must have divine enablement to apply it. Let us petition God for the ministry of His Spirit, as we approach this most important passage.
To understand Romans 1:18-32, we must learn how it fits into the context into which it has been placed. We must see how it follows Paul’s teaching in Romans 1:1-17, and how it paves the way for 2:1-29. In particular, it is essential that we see the distinct message and emphasis of 1:18-32 in relationship to 2:1-29. That we shall endeavor to do as we consider the structure of this text.
There is a clear change evident in Paul’s teaching at Romans 2:1 and following, as compared with 1:18-32. First, there is the change from commending sin to condemning it. In Romans 1:32, Paul speaks of those who “give hearty approval” to those who practice sin. Now, in Romans 2:1, Paul describes those who condemn those who practice sin.
Second, there is the shift from a general indictment of sinners in Romans 1 to the specific indictment of individuals as sinners in chapter 2. In Romans 1:18-32, we find the more indirect pronouns such as “they,” “their,” and “them.” In Romans 2:1 and following, Paul becomes more specific, pointing his finger at “you.” The condemnation of all mankind in 1:18-32 seems to be of man collectively, while the condemnation of chapter 2 is much more individual, based upon the revelation each man has received. In chapter 1, Paul seems to be laying a foundation; in chapter 2, he zeroes in for the “kill.” One can almost see the heads of Paul’s readers nodding in agreement with Paul’s indictment of “them,” while their eyes begin to pop out in chapter 2 when Paul becomes personal and individual, turning to “you.”
The sin of all mankind is described in more general terms in chapter 1. Man’s sin is the rejection of that which God has revealed. In chapter 2, man’s sin is viewed in an individual context, in terms of what God has revealed to each person and in terms of what that person has done with what he knows.
Third, there is the shift from the present wrath of God in chapter 1 to the future wrath of God in chapter 2.61 Throughout 1:18-32, the wrath of God is described as being presently revealed.62 In chapter 2, Paul speaks of God’s wrath as that which is future:
But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God (Romans 2:5).
The wrath of God is thereby separated into two different categories: (a) that wrath which is presently being revealed against sinners, and (b) that coming wrath of God which is yet to be revealed against sinners. The differences between these two dimensions of divine wrath are explored later in this message.
These are the major contrasts I find between Romans 1 and 2. Let us pause to consider a distinction which some find between these two chapters, but which I do not accept. Some think Romans 1:18-32 is describing the condemnation of Gentiles, while in chapter 2 Paul focuses on the condemnation of the Jews as sinners. I disagree with this analysis of Romans 1 and 2. Instead, I find Paul indicting both Jews and Greeks in both Romans 1 and Romans 2. There are a number of reasons for my conclusion which are briefly summarized below for your consideration.
(1) Paul’s choice of words at the beginning of both major sections (the first section is Romans 1:18-32, and the second is Romans 2:1-29) are deliberately general and universal, so that both Jews and Gentiles are included:
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18, emphasis mine).
Therefore, you are without excuse, every man of you who passes judgment, for in that you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things (Romans 2:1).
(2) In 1:18-32, neither Jews nor Gentiles are singled out by name; in 2:1-29, Paul refers to both Jews and Gentiles.
(3) The indictment of 1:19-20 would seem to apply most directly to the Gentile heathen, while that of 1:32 seems to be aimed more directly at the Jews. The minimal amount of revelation is that which can be seen from creation. This is referred to in 1:20. The greatest revelation of God’s character is that found in the Law, and this is referred to in 1:32. Thus, everyone from the bush man in some remote jungle to the unbelieving Jewish Rabbi is under divine sentence for rejecting the revelation which God has given him. Romans 1:18-32 therefore indicts both the Jews and the Gentiles—and not just the Gentiles.
(4) The Bible does not divide sin into “Gentile sins” and “Jewish sins.” If one reads the history of Israel and especially the indictments of the Old Testament prophets, it quickly becomes apparent that Israel’s great failure was in not being a “holy,” “peculiar” people. They were instead constantly imitating the sins of the Gentiles, including those which seemed most abominable to the Jews. Many of the sins of Romans 1:18-32 are those for which the Israelites were rebuked by the prophets and chastened by God.
The distinction between the Gentiles and the Jews is not the key to understanding the structure of chapters 1 and 2. Three repeated concepts provide us with the key to understanding the structure of Romans 1:18-32. The terms are not always identical, but the concepts are the same. These three concepts are:
Given this frame of reference, we can see the structure of Romans 1:18-32 unfolding:
15 Thus, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.”
In verse 15, Paul expressed an eagerness to preach the gospel to those who lived in Rome. In verses 16 and following, he gives some of the reasons for his zeal. Verses 16 and 17 give the positive reasons for Paul’s boldness in proclaiming the gospel: men are saved, and God’s character is revealed. The gospel is “the power of God unto salvation” (verse 16), and it reveals the “righteousness of God” (verse 17). Beginning at verse 18, Paul gives yet another reason why he is so eager to proclaim the gospel: all mankind are sinners, condemned by a righteous and just God, and under the sentence of death. The gospel is the only hope for condemned sinners.
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.
This paragraph is a general statement, describing the present wrath of God as the necessary response of a righteous God to man’s sin. The principle is stated in verse 18: God’s wrath is presently being revealed against all the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. All mankind is guilty before God and deserving of His wrath, because men are suppressing God’s truth by means of their own sin.
Verses 19-23 document the statement of Paul in verse 18 with some necessary proofs and explanation. God has made known to men that which could not otherwise be known about Him. God is invisible, and His attributes or characteristics can only be seen indirectly. This is achieved through God’s creation, through His intervention in human history, and through His revealed Word. This revealed knowledge of God is evident and undeniable (verse 19). Some have more knowledge than others, but there is a minimum amount of knowledge evident to all, and this is the knowledge of God revealed through God’s creation. This knowledge has always been available to man, since his creation was the final act of God’s work at creation (see Genesis 1 and 2). David spoke of the revelation of God through creation:
The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their utterances to the end of the world. In them He has placed a tent for the sun, Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; It rejoices as a strong man to run his course. Its rising is from one end of the heavens, And its circuit to the other end of them; And there is nothing hidden from its heat (Psalm 19:1-6).
God is invisible, and thus His attributes can only be seen through the revelation of His world, His work in the world, or His Word (Psalm 19). His world clearly reveals God’s “eternal power and divine nature” (Romans 1:20). Because these truths are self-evident, man is without excuse. Man’s response to these truths about God is also self-evident. God’s character, as revealed in His creation, prompts men to honor Him and to give thanks to Him (1:21). This, men did not, and will not, do. As a result of man’s sin, the truth of God is perverted, and exchanged for that which is more suited to man’s liking. Thinking themselves to be wise, men foolishly exchanged “the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures” (1:21, 22). Man was made in God’s image, to reflect His glory. Instead, man bows down to his own glory, and then to the creatures over whom he was commanded to rule. The order God established at creation has thereby been turned upside-down.
Sin has many faces, and thus God’s wrath takes various forms. In Romans 1:24-32, Paul describes three manifestations of God’s present wrath, which are the result of man’s sin. There are various ways to understand the three paragraphs which follow (verses 24-25; 26-27; 28-32). One way is to see them as sequential, as a kind of downward spiral.63 This does not seem to be Paul’s intent.
I am inclined to see three different “ fallen conditions” to which God has “given men over,” as a manifestation of His present wrath. These three states of condemnation are not necessarily all the forms which God’s judgment takes, but a sampling of them. All three judgments share three things in common. First, each group has received some revelation about God. Second, each group has rejected that revelation, exchanging it for some perversion of that revelation. Finally, each group is given over to some form of sin, which the sinner desires and deserves, as a manifestation of God’s wrath. We will briefly consider each of these three conditions as described by Paul in verses 24-32.
24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored among them. 25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
The first manifestation of God’s present wrath is described in verses 24 and 25. Men have rejected the truth of God and exchanged it for a lie. They have chosen to worship the creature, rather than the Creator (verse 25). Because of their rejection of God’s revelation of Himself, God “gave them over” to their own natural, fleshly lusts. The result of this judgment is that men, by sinning in this way, dishonor their own bodies. Would men refuse to honor God? God gives men over to their own lusts so that they dishonor themselves. Would men honor themselves, by exchanging the glory of an “incorruptible God” for their own corruptible image and likeness (1:23)? God will give them over to sin, so that their image is dishonored. How men treat God, in God’s justice, becomes the standard for the way in which God allows men to treat themselves.
26 For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.
Man perverts the revelation of God in nature. Man’s worship of God is perverted to the worship of nature, rather than of the God who created all. Is it any wonder that God would choose to turn men over to sin in such a way as to let men act in an unnatural way? And so, while some men are given over to their natural desires (normal sexual appetites and unions with the opposite sex), others, described in verses 26 and 27, are given over to unnatural, perverted desires (appetites and sexual unions with the same sex).64 The resulting defilement is represented by Paul as a divine judgment: “receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error” (verse 27).
28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; 32 and, although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.
Sin involves both a man’s morals and his mind. What a man thinks and how he lives are very much interrelated. Rejecting the truth about God (mental) led to moral depravity. Immoral conduct also affects the mind—man’s ability to think straight. And so the rejection of God’s revelation has led, Paul writes, to “futile speculations” and a heart that is “darkened” (verse 21). When men reach the point that they refuse “to acknowledge God any longer,” they are given over “to a depraved mind” (verse 28), leading to the practice of those things which are improper. If men will not act properly toward God, based upon His self-revelation, then God will give men over so that they fail to act properly toward one another. Men now, by their conduct, not only defile and dishonor themselves, they are a plague to society. The outcome is a long list of sinful attitudes, dispositions, and practices, all of which are destructive. The sins range from those which we do not take too seriously (gossip, for example—see verse 30), to those which we consider abominable (murder, for instance—see verse 29).
In this passage, Paul deals with some very weighty topics. As I conclude, let me turn your attention to several important subjects. I shall seek to show how Paul’s teaching in our text contributes to each of these subjects. I shall also seek to suggest some ways in which Paul’s teaching impacts our lives.
As I have studied Romans, and this text in particular, there has been a growing sense of Paul’s emphasis on the attributes of God. We see in our text a clear reference to God’s attributes, which brings the subject to mind:
Because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse (Romans 1:19-20, emphasis mine).
There is much more emphasis on God’s attributes in this text and in Romans than just a reference to them. The attributes of God are a dominant factor in Paul’s motivation, in his ministry, and in his message here. Let me begin by drawing your attention to some of the attributes65 of God to which Paul refers in Romans:
In Romans 1, the attributes of God play a significant role in God’s program, and in Paul’s life, ministry, and message. The gospel is not only the message by which men are saved, it is one means by which God’s character is displayed. Through the proclamation of the gospel “the righteousness of God is revealed” (1:17). Because of this, Paul is eager to preach the gospel and bold in his proclamation of it (1:15-17). The judgment of God not only stems from His righteousness, but is an expression of it (1:18ff.).
It is apparent, I believe, that God has purposed to reveal Himself to men. He has done this universally (to all men) through His creation of the world. Through His creation God has revealed some of His invisible attributes, made visible through the work of His hands. Among these attributes are His “eternal power and divine nature” (1:20). He has also revealed Himself through His Word. His Word includes the Law, given through Moses, the rest of the Old Testament Scriptures, the “Living Word,” the “Word made flesh”—Jesus Christ, and the New Testament Scriptures.
The revelation of God’s attributes to men has several purposes, as I understand Paul here, and as I look at the Scriptures as a whole. First, the revelation of God’s attributes enables men to know God. The invisible God is made known to men by the revelation of His attributes to men. Thus, Paul can say of those who are able to behold His creation that they “knew God” (1:21). He can further say that because they knew God, they are “without excuse” because His attributes were “clearly seen” (1:20).
Furthermore, the attributes of God instruct men as to how they should respond to God. God’s creation was not made with “messages” attached to the trees or strategically placed around the world like traffic signs and bulletin boards. Men do not walk in the woods and find a sign fixed to a tree, reading, “Worship God” or “Praise the Lord.” Why not? How does God expect men to worship, praise, and honor Him, if He has not specifically instructed them to do so? Because, I believe, the attributes of God make man’s proper response to God self-evident. If God is divine, and we are human, should we not honor and serve Him? If He is incorruptible and we are corruptible, should we not worship Him, rather than that which is corruptible? If God is eternal and all-powerful, should men not bow down to Him? The attributes of God show His perfection and our imperfection; His power and our weakness; His holiness and our sinfulness. The attributes of God inform us that He is the Lord, and that He alone should be worshipped and served.
God’s attributes, then, are the basis and the standard for our behavior:
But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY” (1 Peter 1:15-16, citing Leviticus 11:44, etc.).
Without ever being told, men understand that God’s character has very direct implications for their conduct. Time after time I have observed that men who have just been cursing and telling dirty stories suddenly change their behavior when I come on the scene, known to them as a preacher. Who told these men that God is holy and is displeased with ungodly behavior? Indeed, why do we refer to sin as ungodly? We know that God’s character brings with it certain obligations regarding our conduct.
This is why God gave the Israelites the Law. God gave Israel His Law, but not merely as a list of do’s and don’ts. God’s Law was a definition of God’s holiness and of the holiness which He required of His people, who were set apart to manifest His character to men. God revealed His attributes, His character, to Israel in His dealing with them and with the Egyptians when He brought them out of their bondage. He revealed who He was, and then He gave them the Law, so that they might know what holiness looked like, what form it would take in their daily lives. The Law was a definition, a description of the holiness which Israel must preserve and practice if they were to reflect the God who had made them His people. The character of God is the standard for the conduct of those who call upon His name, and who have been called to reflect His character in a fallen and sinful world.66 God’s commands were rooted in His character, just as our conduct must be. While His attributes do not reveal His standards in nearly as much detail, they do reveal God’s standards in general terms. And for rejecting and violating these standards, men are judged as sinners.
It is assumed here that acknowledging the existence of “God” brings with it the commitment to submit, to serve, and to worship Him. To do otherwise is a most serious offense. The attributes or character of “God” determine the nature of our worship and service. False “gods” or “idols” are “gods of our own making.” Rather than serving the God who fashioned us with His hands, we create a “god made by our hands.” The character of this “god” sets the standard for our conduct. For good or bad, we imitate the God whom we acknowledge and serve. It is little wonder that men wish to remake God, to reshape and redefine Him so as to diminish His holiness and thus to lower the standards for our own life. Heathen religion goes so far as to make its “gods” immoral, so that they can imitate this immorality. They can thereby carry out their sinful desires as though it were an act of worship. The heathen fertility gods gave the pagans good reason to want to “go to church.” Fallen men therefore want to redefine God, to reject His attributes and to exchange them for less noble ones. And in so doing, they bring upon themselves the wrath of God. How often the “God” who is preached by the liberal preachers of our day is a redefined “God,” a “God” of our liking, and not the God of the Bible. The ultimate step is to deny God altogether, and thus to throw off any standard for our conduct altogether.
In Romans, the attributes of God are referred to as the means of knowing God, as the motivation for our worship and service, and as the standard for our conduct. In Romans 1 Paul will use the attributes of God as the standard by which God judges men and by which sin is defined. To fail to live in accordance with God’s character (as defined by His attributes) is sin. This leads to our next subject.
The attributes of God are fundamental, because they set the standard by which sin can be defined. In Romans 2, Paul will define sin in more precise terms, as man’s disobedience to the commandments of God (at least so far as the Jews are concerned). But in Romans 1 sin is defined much more broadly: sin is practice which does not conform to the attributes of God. Sin is believing and behaving in contradiction to the character of God. Given this definition, we can understand how Paul can write, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
God is a God of glory. Men, to be like God, must conform to His glory. But we fall far short of His glory. And thus we are sinners. The Law reveals God’s character, as well as the character and conduct which men must have to manifest His attributes to men. When we fail to live up to all that God is, we sin.
Sin, according to Paul in Romans 1, is failing to live in a way that is consistent with the character of God. Though God is invisible, His attributes are visible and clearly seen. The attributes of God are revealed in nature and in His Word. We cannot claim ignorance of this knowledge, though we may reject or distort it. According to our text, sin is …
Man’s sin may wear a cloak of scholarship and wisdom, but it is really folly. Those who reject God’s revelation think themselves to be wise, but they are really fools. We should therefore look for sin in the academic and scholarly circles and not just in the slums and the gutters.
All sin is a perversion. Some may reject the knowledge of God altogether, but even these men, by their conduct, reveal their perversion. Unbelieving man’s belief and behavior is a perversion of all that God meant men to be and to do. While homosexuality is specifically mentioned in our text, it is but one of many forms of perversion. Many, who are not homosexuals, would like to think of this sinful behavior as the only form of perversion. Our text indicates that all sin is a perversion of that which God is, and of that which God created us to be.
Finally, I believe that Paul teaches here that sin is both a cause and an effect. Sin is both the cause of God’s wrath and a manifestation of His wrath. Simply put, sin brings God’s judgment, and sin is God’s judgment. We shall explore this further in our final subject.
The primary topic of our passage is the wrath of God, God’s righteous indignation occasioned by sin and expressed in divine judgment. God’s righteousness (one of His attributes) requires His judgment upon sin. God is holy, and in His holiness and justice, He must deal with sin accordingly. If I understand our text correctly, not only does God’s wrath respond to man’s sin, but it corresponds to his sin. There is a kind of poetic justice or irony to God’s judgment. When men pervert God’s revelation, God turns them over to various perversions. When men reject the revelation of God in nature, He turns them over to that which is not natural. When men do not honor God, He turns them over to sin which dishonors them.
God’s wrath, according to Paul’s teaching, is both present (1:18-32) and future (2:1ff.). In addition to the factor of God’s timing in judgment, there are several other clear distinctions between God’s present wrath and His coming wrath:
(1) While God’s present wrath is largely passive, His future wrath is active.
(2) God’s present wrath allows sin to increase; God’s future wrath will put an end to sin, causing it to cease.
(3) God’s present wrath is often not recognized as such, and Christians must believe it by faith; His future wrath cannot be missed.
(4) God’s present wrath is reversible; His future wrath is not.
Strange as it may seem, God’s present wrath punishes men by giving them what they want. God’s present wrath gives men more rope, so to speak, allowing them to plunge more deeply into sin.67 This may seem to be wrong, but a little thought will explain why God deals with sin this way. I am reminded of the parable of “the wheat and the tares” in Matthew 13. The evil one comes, sowing tares among the wheat which has already been sown. The workers notify their master, who tells them to let both grow up together, and when they have matured, both the wheat and the tares will be evident, so that the tares may be pulled up and burned.
So too with sin. God allows sin to increase, to the point where it becomes more visible. When sin is seen for what it is, men may, in the providence and grace of God, desire to be delivered from it. It is those who have drunk most deeply from the cup of sin who may be ready to give it up, who are sickened by it and who want to be forgiven and delivered. The prodigal son was allowed by his father to plunge deeply into sin, and it was in the pig pen that this son “came to himself,” repented, and returned to his father.
God’s present wrath is really a gracious gesture on God’s part. It is not permanent, and it is not irreversible. When God gives men over to sin, He is not giving up on men. Giving men over to sin is God’s way of encouraging men to forsake their sin and to be saved. While God’s future wrath, once in force, cannot be reversed or escaped, God’s present wrath can be reversed, and men can escape. The reason for this is that God has already poured out His “future wrath” on Jesus Christ. This is the good news of the gospel. God’s anger toward sin has been satisfied in Christ because His wrath was poured out on Him, at Calvary. Have you accepted God’s forgiveness in Christ? Those who have trusted in Christ have already been punished, in Him. No man needs to suffer God’s eternal wrath, for Christ has suffered it for us. But only those who trust in Him may share in God’s salvation through Him. God’s future wrath falls only on those who reject the suffering of Jesus Christ, bearing God’s wrath, in their place. How tragic!
Men have chosen to reject God, they refuse to acknowledge Him, and they desire to live their lives without Him. In the Great Tribulation, God will give men their desire in even greater measure (see 2 Thessalonians 2). The God who “holds all things together” (Colossians 1:17) will remove His hand, and all of the universe will become chaotic. Men will not know if the sun will rise or if the planets will collide (see Matthew 24:29). It will be a frightening day when God gives men what they want. But this time of tribulation will be God’s instrument of turning men and women to Himself in faith and in repentance.
Those who do not see sin as a judgment will have difficulty understanding how God can allow men to fall more deeply into sin. But sin is a judgment. Sin is not a reward, but a curse. And thus to allow men to drink more deeply from the cup of sin is a judgment.
Christians need to get their thinking straight here. Sin is not a blessing, but a curse. We dare not envy the sinner, as though they are enjoying that which is good. We dare not think of God as holding back something good from us by prohibiting sin. This is like Adam and Eve thinking that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was really “good,” when it was something to be avoided. Hell is that place where God will give men an eternity to wallow in the sins which they desired, as though they were a delight. Heaven is the place where saints will eternally practice that which is good and perfect and a delight to the righteous. In heaven we will be occupied with the eternal joy of worshipping and praising God and serving Him (just as men should be doing now, but which sinners refuse to do). We can experience some of heaven now by occupying ourselves with these very things, even as God’s Word challenges and instructs us (see Romans 1:21).
God not only reveals His wrath by giving the unbelieving men what they want; He sometimes chastens Christians by giving them what they want, out of their lusts and sinful desires. Paul does not tell us that God only reveals His wrath presently on the unbelieving, but rather that He is presently revealing His wrath toward “all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men” (1:18). I believe Paul includes the sins of all men, both saved and unsaved, in this statement. A God who is righteous takes all sin seriously, including the sins of His people:
They quickly forgot His works; They did not wait for His counsel, But craved intensely in the wilderness, And tempted God in the desert. So He gave them their request, But sent leanness into their soul (Psalm 106:13-15, following the marginal reading of the NASB at verse 15).
There are times when our desires are not godly desires, but simply fleshly lusts. We may deceive ourselves about these, thinking that they are from God. We may persist in praying that God give them to us. And He might just do just that. But it is sometimes the discipline of God and not a blessing. It may be that God is allowing us to have our fill of some desire, only to see how empty it really was. God may give us what we desire, in order to change our desires.
Finally, the wrath of God should be a motivating truth. It should be a fearful reality, a deterrent to sin. It should be, for the unsaved, a motivation to turn in faith to God for salvation. It should also be, for the Christian, a great source of encouragement and hope. We who pray for the coming of His kingdom, so that God’s will might be done on earth, as it is in heaven, should find comfort and joy in the wrath of God, which will not only punish sin, but which will remove sin, once and for all, from the earth. What a day that will be!
I believe that Paul’s teaching on the present wrath of God has several implications for parents. Letting men have their way is giving men over to their sin and is a divine judgment. Those who are given over to sin are those who know the truth, but reject it. I believe that there are times when the parents of older children must give them over to sin, much like the father of the prodigal son did (see Luke 15). I do not think that we should remove restraint from young children. How often I see parents letting their children have their way, deceiving themselves that this is an expression of love. We must, as parents, reflect the righteousness of God. We must hate sin and must punish the sinner. Letting our children have their own way is a clear disobedience to God’s Word.
There is another way in which this passage speaks to parents. It speaks, I believe, to those parents who have lost an infant through death.68 It speaks, as well perhaps, to those who grieve (rightly) over the murder of millions of unborn children, through abortion.
If I understand Romans 1-3 correctly, every person who falls under divine condemnation, who falls under the wrath of God, has received some specific, clear, undeniable revelation about God, which they have refused and rejected. I understand the Bible to imply that those (unborn, infants, mentally incapacitated) who have not received any revelation about God, and who have not therefore rejected Him, are not under the wrath of God. I believe, on the basis of statements like those of David in 2 Samuel 12:23, that we will see our infants in heaven. I believe, on the basis of Romans 5, that the death of Christ reverses the curse which Adam’s sin brought on mankind. And since no one will be condemned to hell because of Adam’s sin, infants will go to heaven because of Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection. Only those who have received clear revelation about God and who have rejected it will suffer the eternal wrath of God.
59 See Psalm 73:3, compare 37:1.
60 There is an element of truth in this. See, for example, Hebrews 11:24-26.
61 The contrast between God’s present wrath and His future wrath is even more striking than it first appears. From the standpoint of our experience, God’s “present wrath” takes place in the present time, and God’s “future wrath” is yet to come upon sinners. But in verses 18-32, Paul speaks of the “giving over” of men to sin as a past act, “God gave them over,” rather than as a present “giving over.” I am not entirely certain of all that Paul meant by this. It may be that he is speaking of this judgment from the standpoint of God’s eternal plan, in a way that might be similar to the purposes and plans of God for our salvation, described in Romans 8:28-30.
62 The most accurate rendering of Paul’s words in verse 18 is evident in the translation of the NASB, but is most emphatically rendered by the NIV: “the wrath of God is being revealed …”
63 If there is a downward progression evident in these verses, it is this: men move from a correct knowledge of God (1:19), which they distort and pervert, to a state of mind in which they do not even acknowledge God at all (1:28).
64 It is hard to overlook the fact that women are first mentioned as having departed from natural sexual desires and practices, and then men. Is Paul suggesting by this that God’s natural order of leadership is also overturned?
65 For further study of the attributes of God, I recommend: Arthur Pink, The Attributes of God (Baker Book House, 1975); J.I. Packer, Knowing God (Inter-Varsity Press, 1973); and Stephen Charnock, The Existence and Attributes of God (Sovereign Grace Publishers, 1971).
66 This truth has a great deal of bearing on the current “Lordship Salvation” debate. Lordship salvation (I do not care for this label) is not about man’s commitment, at the time of his salvation, nor about the faithfulness and obedience of the one who is calling upon God for salvation. Lordship salvation, in my opinion, should focus on the Lordship of the God on whom we call for salvation. We have focused on the wrong thing. Men should not focus on themselves, on the amount or the quality of their faith, or on the kind of life that they will lead as Christians (though these are matters to consider). The real issue should be this: What is the nature of the God on whom I am calling for salvation? How big is the God to whom I am looking for salvation? If He is not Lord, the sovereign God of the universe, then why do I think He can save me? And if He is all that His attributes declare Him to be, how could I possibly expect Him to save me, and to serve me, when He is the Lord whom I should serve? Let us focus more on the God who is Lord, than on the men who call upon Him. Who He is is what matters most.
67 See, for example, Genesis 15:16.
68 My wife and I speak from experience here, for we lost our first and only son to crib death at the age of three and one-half months.
When I was growing up our family had a dog, a collie we named Prince. Prince was not a mean dog, but he was very protective of the members of our family. On those rare occasions when Prince felt duty called on him to protect us, he did so in an unusual way. A Doberman pincsher or a German shepherd will likely attack by confronting the intruder face-to-face, snarling and growling with every bound. Being a collie, Prince did not attack from the front. His practice was to come up from behind, very quietly, without giving any notice. The first indication of his presence was the painful sensation of his teeth, sinking into your back side.
In the Book of Galatians, Paul’s approach in his defense of the gospel was that of a Doberman Pincsher. At the very outset of the book, he informed his readers that he was greatly upset and was on the attack. In the first two chapters of the Book of Romans, Paul’s approach is quite different—more like that of our collie. Here, Paul prepares to “attack,” but without letting his reader know what is coming. Suddenly, in the first verses of chapter 2, the “teeth” of Paul’s indictment sink into the reader, catching him completely unprepared.69
The sins of the Gentiles were obvious, even blatant. They openly practiced idolatry, immorality, sexual perversion, and other evils. Jewish sins were less obvious and more devious. Jewish sins were concealed by “fast talk” or “fine print.” They were often justified as acts of righteousness. This is plainly seen in the gospels where our Lord strongly rebuked the Jewish religious leaders for their hypocrisy.70 The self-righteousness of the Jews made it extremely difficult to convince them of their sinfulness, even though their sins were (in some cases) greater than those of the Gentiles. Because of their “blindness” and “hardness of heart,” Paul found it necessary to catch the Jews off guard by attacking them from behind.
Paul’s attack is skillfully executed in Romans 1 and 2. Beginning at Romans 1:18, Paul set out to show that all men are sinners, based upon their rejection of God’s revelation through His creation (1:18-23). All men can clearly see some of God’s invisible attributes through observing His creation. They can see His “eternal power” and His “divine nature” (1:20). Men should respond to this revelation of God’s nature by honoring Him as God and by giving Him thanks (1:21). Instead of worshipping God and serving Him, men rejected His revelation and became corrupt in their thinking and actions, worshipping the creature rather than the Creator (1:21-23). As a result, God gave them over to sin as a manifestation of His wrath.
God’s present wrath can be seen by the corrupt thinking and behavior to which men have been given over due to their rejection of His revelation (1:24-32). Men have been given over to immorality (1:24-25), to sexual perversion (1:26-27), to a depraved mind and to improper conduct (1:28-32). Those given over by God have become corrupt in both their minds and their morals. Such men not only persist in practicing their sins (knowing that such conduct is worthy of death), they even encourage others to do likewise (1:32).
The self-righteous Jew was so blind to his own sin that he failed to recognize that Paul’s indictment in Romans 1:18-32 was a universal indictment. The revelation of God’s nature through creation was given to the Gentiles and the Jews. The same sins for which Paul indicts the “heathen” are also committed by the Jews. As they read Paul’s words, their minds unconsciously replaced Paul’s general references (which would have included the Jews) with specific references (identifying only the Gentiles). They mistakenly assumed that Paul was in perfect agreement with them. After all, Paul was condemning the Gentiles as sinners, proving them to be worthy of divine wrath and retribution. And to this they could say a hearty, “Amen!” Let the Gentiles be condemned. They deserved it. Little did they expect Paul to turn to them next, indicting them for precisely the same sins. This he does in the second chapter of Romans.
The second chapter of Romans is vitally important. In this passage Paul must demonstrate the sinfulness of the Jews if he is to validate his conclusion in chapter 3 that “all” (both Jews and Gentiles) “have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (3:23). The condemnation of the Gentiles is demonstrated by their rejection of God’s self-revelation through His creation (1:18-32). The greater guilt and condemnation of the Jews is evident in their rejection of an even greater revelation of God, not only in nature, but through the Law, and the gospel (see 2:16, 17-20). Paul must show all mankind to be unrighteous and in need of God’s righteousness, in Christ. Proving the self-righteous Jew to be a sinner is Paul’s most challenging task.
Paul’s Jewish readers should be humbled by the words of the apostle, who was also a self-righteous Jew until his conversion (see Philippians 3). Paul’s Gentile readers will also be helped by this indictment of the self-righteous Jew. The “Judaisers” were constantly at work to impose their errors upon the churches (see, for example Acts 15; Galatians; Philippians 3:2ff.; Colossians 2:16ff.; 1 Timothy 1:3-7; Titus 1:10-16). Exposing the errors of Judaism would serve as a preventative, or at least a caution, to the Gentiles to avoid such teaching and practice.
Understanding Paul’s indictment of self-righteous Jews in our text can be a great help in understanding other Scriptures. Paul’s accusations in Romans 2 are but a summation of the indictments of the Old Testament prophets. The mindset of the self-righteous Jew, as described in our text, enables us to understand the constant tension which existed between the Jewish religious leaders and Jesus, prominent in all the Gospels. Jesus’ indictments of the self-righteous Jews, recorded in the Gospels, are more easily understood in the light of Paul’s words in our text.
A study of Romans 2 will also dissolve many of the alleged “tensions” between the theology of Paul and that of James. We hear sometimes that Paul emphasized faith while James emphasized works, and that each was stressing one dimension of the truth. When I compare Paul’s words in Romans 2 with those in James 1-3, I find hearty agreement. Paul’s teaching in Romans 2 will underscore and affirm the teaching of James and will stress the importance of good works. What we will find is that it was the self-righteous Jews (and not Paul) who failed to see the importance of good works. The reason for this failure is fascinating and instructive.
No one should take sin more seriously than the Christian. Paul’s indictment of mankind should ring true in our hearts and cause us to see sin in its more subtle forms. In particular, we should see that the sin of self-righteousness is not just a “Jewish sin.” There may be no greater need in the church of Jesus Christ today than that of a deep conviction of sin in our midst. When revival breaks out among God’s people, it usually begins with an eye-opening encounter with the depth of our own sin. Paul’s words here are for self-righteous sinners such as ourselves. As we study Paul’s teaching in Romans 2, our goal will be to identify the nature of the belief and behavior which Paul is condemning as sin. We will also seek to isolate the causes and the cure of the sin of self-righteousness. May God open our hearts to comprehend and to respond to His Word.
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do (Hebrews 4:12-13).
Romans 2 must be studied, interpreted, and applied as a whole. The unity of Paul’s argument in chapter 2 can be seen as Paul’s indictment comes full circle in the chapter. At the beginning of the chapter, he indicts the Jews for judging and condemning the Gentiles, while both practice the same sins (see 2:1-2). At the end of the chapter (2:27), Paul informs the Jews (who have been circumcised, but have not obeyed the Law) that they will be judged by the Gentiles (who have not been circumcised, but who have kept God’s Law).
Paul’s indictment of the self-righteous in chapter 2 is a “two punch” argument. In verses 1-16, Paul proves the Jews are guilty of sin, based on their own standard, as seen in their judging of others. In verses 17-29, Paul exposes the sin of the Jews, as seen in their teaching of others. Thus, by their judging and by their teaching, the Jews are shown to be guilty of sin.
1 Therefore you are without excuse,71 every man of you who passes judgment, for in that you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 2 And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. 3 And do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment upon those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? 5 But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who WILL RENDER TO EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS:72 7 to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; 8 but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. 9 There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace to every man who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
11 For there is no partiality with God. 12 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; 13 for not the hearers of the Law are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. 14 For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, 15 in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness, and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, 16 on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.
The arrangement of these verses above suggests my understanding of Paul’s argument in verses 1-16. Verses 1 and 2 contain the indictment: “You Jews are guilty of violating the same standard by which you have condemned the Gentiles.” Verses 3 and 4 are both questions. Paul suggests two issues which the Jews have neglected to think through carefully. Verses 5-10 establish the standard for man’s conduct by which God judges men, to reward the righteous or to condemn the sinner. Verses 11-16 focus on God’s impartiality, which is evident in His judgment of men. We might summarize Paul’s argument in verses 1-16 this way:
Verses 1-2 |
Jewish judges—judged for hypocrisy |
Verses 3-4 |
God, the Judge, and His coming judgment |
Verses 5-10 |
Man’s deeds—the basis for divine judgment |
Verses 11-16 |
Impartiality—the distinctive of divine judgment |
Paul’s indictment, in verses 1 and 2, is stated in general terms. It is an indictment which does not condemn men by “class” (Jew or Gentile) but rather by conduct. All who judge others guilty of sin, and who practice the same sins, are themselves guilty, based upon their own actions. It just so happens that many (if not most) of those thus judged are self-righteous Jews. As the chapter proceeds, Paul’s focus becomes more and more directed toward the Jews, who felt smugly superior to the Gentiles and who eagerly condemned them as sinners.
Those who enthusiastically condemned the Gentile “heathen” as sinners, on the basis of Paul’s argument in 1:18-32, were self-condemned. They practiced the very same things which they condemned in others (2:1, 2, 3). The words of our Lord certainly apply to Paul’s readers:
“Do not judge lest you be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you” (Matthew 7:1-2).
Did the Jews really sin in the same way as the Gentiles? Were the Jews guilty of immorality, sexual impurity and perversion, idolatry, robbery, and even murder? The answer is a clear and undeniable, “Yes!” The historical accounts of Israel’s past actions prove Paul’s accusations to be true (see, for example, Exodus 32 and Numbers 25). The Old Testament prophets indicted the Jews of old for the same sins that Paul names in Romans 1. Consider these texts:
My soul waits in silence for God only; From Him is my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken. How long will you assail a man, That you may murder him, all of you, Like a leaning wall, like a tottering fence? They have counseled only to thrust him down from his high position; They delight in falsehood; They bless with their mouth, But inwardly they curse. Selah.
My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be shaken. On God my salvation and my glory rest; The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah.
Men of low degree are only vanity, and men of rank are a lie; In the balances they go up; They are together lighter than breath. Do not trust in oppression, And do not vainly hope in robbery; If riches increase, do not set your heart upon them. Once God has spoken; Twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God; And lovingkindness is Thine, O Lord, For Thou dost recompense a man according to his work (Psalm 62:1-12, emphasis mine).73
How the faithful city has become a harlot, She who was full of justice! Righteousness once lodged in her, But now murderers. Your silver has become dross, Your drink diluted with water. Your rulers are rebels, And companions of thieves; Every one loves a bribe, And chases after rewards. They do not defend the orphan, Nor does the widow’s plea come before them” (Isaiah 1:21-23, emphasis mine).
Woe to those who enact evil statutes, And to those who constantly record unjust decisions, So as to deprive the needy of justice, And rob the poor of My people of their rights, In order that widows may be their spoil, And that they may plunder the orphans. Now what will you do in the day of punishment, And in the devastation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your wealth? (Isaiah 10:1-3, emphasis mine).
“Behold, you are trusting in deceptive words to no avail. Will you steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and offer sacrifices to Baal, and walk after other gods that you have not known, then come and stand before Me in this house, which is called by My name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’—that you may do all these abominations? Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,” declares the LORD (Jeremiah 7:8-11, emphasis mine).
“You have despised My holy things and profaned My sabbaths. Slanderous men have been in you for the purpose of shedding blood, and in you they have eaten at the mountain shrines. In your midst they have committed acts of lewdness. In you they have uncovered their fathers’ nakedness; in you they have humbled her who was unclean in her menstrual impurity. And one has committed abomination with his neighbor’s wife, and another has lewdly defiled his daughter-in-law. And another in you has humbled his sister, his father’s daughter. In you they have taken bribes to shed blood; you have taken interest and profits, and you have injured your neighbors for gain by oppression, and you have forgotten Me,” declares the Lord GOD. “Behold, then, I smite My hand at your dishonest gain which you have acquired and at the bloodshed which is among you.”
“Son of man, say to her, ‘You are a land that is not cleansed or rained on in the day of indignation.’ There is a conspiracy of her prophets in her midst, like a roaring lion tearing the prey. They have devoured lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in the midst of her. Her priests have done violence to My law and have profaned My holy things; they have made no distinction between the holy and the profane, and they have not taught the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they hide their eyes from My sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. Her princes within her are like wolves tearing the prey, by shedding blood and destroying lives in order to get dishonest gain. And her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD,’ when the LORD has not spoken. The people of the land have practiced oppression and committed robbery, and they have wronged the poor and needy and have oppressed the sojourner without justice” (Ezekiel 22:8-13, 24-29, emphasis mine).
Listen to the word of the LORD, O sons of Israel, For the LORD has a case against the inhabitants of the land, Because there is no faithfulness or kindness Or knowledge of God in the land. There is swearing, deception, murder, stealing, and adultery. They employ violence, so that bloodshed follows bloodshed. … Gilead is a city of wrongdoers, Tracked with bloody footprints. And as raiders wait for a man, So a band of priests murder on the way to Shechem; Surely they have committed crime. In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing; Ephraim’s harlotry is there, Israel has defiled itself. Also, O Judah, there is a harvest appointed for you, When I restore the fortunes of My people (Hosea 4:1-2; 6:8-11 emphasis mine).
On the other hand I am filled with power—With the Spirit of the LORD—And with justice and courage To make known to Jacob his rebellious act, Even to Israel his sin. Now hear this, heads of the house of Jacob And rulers of the house of Israel, Who abhor justice And twist everything that is straight, Who build Zion with bloodshed And Jerusalem with violent injustice. Her leaders pronounce judgment for a bribe, Her priests instruct for a price, And her prophets divine for money. Yet they lean on the LORD saying, “Is not the LORD in our midst? Calamity will not come upon us.” Therefore, on account of you, Zion will be plowed as a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins, And the mountain of the temple will become high places of a forest (Micah 3:8-12, emphasis mine).74
Not only do the Old Testament Scriptures prove that Paul’s accusations were accurate concerning the Jews of Old, the New Testament Scriptures indicate that the Jews of Jesus’ and Paul’s day were guilty of the same sins. In Matthew 23, our Lord charged the scribes and Pharisees with hypocrisy (23:13, 14, 15, 23, 25, 27, 29), stealing (23:14, 25), murder (23:31, 34, 37), self-indulgence (23:25) and lawlessness (23:28). Furthermore, Paul’s list of Old Testament indictments in Romans 3:10-18 is applied to the Jews of his day, to show that they were guilty of just such sins:
As it is written, “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE. THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING, THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS; WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS; THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD, DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS, AND THE PATH OF PEACE HAVE THEY NOT KNOWN. THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES” (Romans 3:10-18).
The minds of the self-righteous Jews were as darkened by their sin and rejection of God’s revelation as were the minds of the Gentiles. In verses 3 and 4 Paul draws attention to two major problems in the thinking of the Jews. He challenges those who would listen to consider their folly. First, did they really think that God would judge Gentile sinners for their sins and not judge the Jews for the same sins (verse 3)? How does a righteous God condemn the unrighteousness of some, but not all men, if they both practice the same sins? Second, would they disdain and disregard God’s kindness, failing to see it as His grace, calling them to repentance (verse 4)? They erred in seeing God’s wrath as focused only on the “heathen” and in viewing God’s reprieve as a reward for their righteousness, rather than as the opportunity for their repentance.
In verses 5-10 Paul establishes the basis on which divine judgment is meted out by God. God judges men according to their works. Paul makes several important statements about men’s works, which are the basis for divine judgment:
(1) Man’s deeds are the result of what is in his heart (verse 5, see also verse 8).75
(2) God’s judgment will be according to man’s deeds (verse 6).
(3) God’s judgment of men, according to their deeds, includes both Jews and Gentiles (verse 9-10).
(4) God’s judgment of men, according to their deeds, is both for blessing and for punishment (verses 7-10).
The possibility of a man being declared righteous on the basis of his own works is mentioned here, but it is only hypothetical as Paul will demonstrate. There is no problem here with Paul speaking of men being rewarded with eternal life for their (own) righteousness, because no man will ever attain this high standard of conduct. No man’s good works are ever sufficient to save him, but every man’s sinful works are sufficient to condemn him.
Just as the self-righteous have judged the “heathen” to be sinners on the basis of their works, so God judges the “righteous” by their works, and they fail the test. The self-righteous fail to live up to the standard which they require of others. And thus, while these “judges” are right in concluding that those they judge are sinners, they are foolish not to see themselves as sinners as well. When the standard for judgment is a man’s works, every man fails to meet the standard.
The problem with the self-righteous is that they had a double standard. They did not use the same standard to judge their own conduct as they did to condemn others. The self-righteous were banking on God judging them with partiality, according to a different standard. Thus, after stressing the standard for God’s judgment in verses 5-10, Paul moves to the impartiality of divine judgment in verses 11-16. God not only judges men on the basis of their works (verses 5-10), He judges them impartially, on the basis of what they do with what they know (verses 11-16).
The Jews thought that their possession of the Law placed them in a separate category, one which was higher than that of the Gentiles. Paul sets out to prove that the mere possession of the Law is not what matters, but the practice of the Law. The Jews, by virtue of their possession of the Law, were not thereby deserving of God’s blessings. The Gentiles, by virtue of the fact that they did not possess the Law, were not thereby deserving of God’s wrath. Having the Law did not make one holy, any more than not having it made one a sinner.
God is impartial. He does not judge men on the basis of who they are (Jew or Gentile). He judges men on the basis of what they have done (deeds) with what they have been given (revelation). It is not the possession of God’s standards which makes men holy, but living in obedience to these standards. Conversely, men are condemned for rejecting the revelation of God which they have received.
Those who possess the Law—the Jews—are judged in terms of their obedience to the Law. The Gentiles, who did not receive the Law, are judged according to that which they know to be right and wrong. The Jews can thereby be judged by their obedience to the objective standard of the Law, while the Gentiles are judged by their obedience to the subjective standard. Only God knows the hearts of the Gentiles, and thus only He can judge them. This is an indictment against the Jews, who would judge the Gentiles by their Law (even though they had not received it), but would not judge themselves by it (even though they had received it).
17 But if you bear the name “Jew,” and rely upon the Law, and boast in God, 18 and know His will, and approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law, 19 and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind,76 a light to those who are in darkness, 20 a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth, 21 you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one should not steal, do you steal? 22 You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God? 24 For “THE NAME OF GOD IS BLASPHEMED AMONG THE GENTILES BECAUSE OF YOU,”77 just as it is written.
25 For indeed circumcision is of value, if you practice the Law; but if you are a transgressor of the Law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26 If therefore the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? 27 And will not he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will he not judge you who though having the letter of the Law and circumcision are a transgressor of the Law? 28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly; neither is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. 29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.
Paul’s indictment now becomes pointed and specific. He is clearly referring to the Jews. Verses 17-20 describe the perspective of the self-righteous Jew, especially as it relates to their possession of the Law. Verses 21-24 contain Paul’s indictment: they fail to practice what they preach and teach. In verses 25-29 Paul clarifies the value and significance of circumcision, concluding by pointing out that “true circumcision” is not an external matter, but a matter of the heart. We can outline the argument of verses 17-29 this way.
(1) The Law and the Proud Jew (vv. 17-24)
(2) Circumcision and the “True Jew” (vv. 25-29)
In verses 17-20, Paul describes the self-righteous pride which the Jew found in his possession of the Law. The Law was one of the “badges” of piety which the Jew proudly wore. Possession of the Law led the Jew to conclude that he was superior to a Gentile. The description of verses 17-20 is not a picture of reality; it is a caricature of the puffed-up Jew and his distorted perception of his own superiority.
The self-righteous Jew thought of himself as one who relied upon the Law. As such, he boasted in God. Possession of the Law somehow gave the Jew a privileged relationship with God, with a resulting assurance of His protection and blessing (verse 18). Possessing God’s Law also gave the Jew an inside track on knowing the will of God. He knew the mind of God, His plans and purposes (the Gentiles, of course, did not). He had a grasp of what really mattered, guided as he was by the Law (verse 18). The Law gave the Jew the edge, superiority, and thus he was capable of leading the blind and of guiding those with less illumination—those who were still “in the dark” (verse 19). The Law gave the Jew the superior knowledge necessary for teaching the uninformed and the immature. The Law was, for the Jew, the embodiment of all knowledge and truth (verse 20). The possession of it put one above all others.
Paul was not impressed with what the Jew thought of himself. He did not deny that the Law was a great source of truth, wisdom, and guidance, for so it was (see Psalm 119, especially verses 97-100). The real issue was not the virtue of the Law and its precepts, as taught by the Jew, but the Law as practiced by the Jew. It was not the possession of the Law which made one righteous. It was not even the teaching of the Law which made one righteous. Righteousness (according to the standard set out in the Law itself and by Paul in verses 5-16) was the result of keeping the Law. It mattered not if one taught that it was wrong to steal, to commit adultery, or to worship idols. It mattered only that one obeyed the Law by refraining from these sins. If the Jew did not keep the Law, it would only condemn him.
It is implied by Paul’s questions that these “teachers of the Law” did not keep the Law themselves. The result was that rather than glorifying God and demonstrating His righteousness, these disobedient Jews dishonored God, blaspheming His name before the Gentiles. Did the Jews foolishly suppose that the Law made them better than the Gentiles? Their rejection of God’s Law made God look bad before the Gentiles.
Paul cites a passage from the Old Testament which expresses this reality and which also shows that Israel’s disregard for the Law is in keeping with the “stiff-necked nature” of this “stubborn and rebellious people” (see Romans 2:5): “For ‘THE NAME OF GOD IS BLASPHEMED AMONG THE GENTILES BECAUSE OF YOU,’ just as it is written” (Romans 2:24).
This quotation can be traced back to several Old Testament texts, including Isaiah 52:5 and Ezekiel 36:20-21. In both cases, God is mocked by the Gentiles on account of Israel’s disregard for and disobedience of the Law. They have been cast out of the land of Israel and have been sent into captivity. The Gentiles were chuckling to themselves because the Israelites’ God appears to be unable to give them the land He promised them. They do not know that God disciplines His people for their disobedience. God’s deliverance of His captive people would be for the sake of His name, not on account of the Jew’s piety or faithfulness (see Ezekiel 36:22-24).
The present condition of the Jews was also a reproach to the name of God. They professed to believe in God’s Law, and they were proud to “possess” it, but they did not practice it. Far worse, when they were confronted by the “Living Word,” the “incarnate Word,” Jesus Christ, they rejected God’s final revelation, putting Him to death (see John 1:1-18; Hebrews 1:1-3; 1 John 1:1-3). Paul’s reference to this quotation from the Old Testament may have been a veiled warning, for this disobedient people would once again be thrust out of the land, and God’s name would be, for a season, blasphemed among the Gentiles.
Circumcision was the sign of the Abrahamic Covenant (see Genesis 17:9-14; Exodus 4:24-26). After this, circumcision was mentioned only casually in the rest of the Pentateuch (Exodus 12:44, 48; Leviticus 12:3). But for the Jew, circumcision was a mark of distinction. It was that which distinguished the Jew from the heathen. Consequently, the Jews took great pride in circumcision. Because circumcision was linked with the self-righteousness of the Jews, Paul used this rite to clinch the point he was making—that the Law was not only to be possessed, professed, and proclaimed; it was to be practiced.
Circumcision identified a man as a Jew. It was, as it were, a physical profession that one was a Jew. This profession of circumcision had no value unless it was backed up by the practice of the professor. For one to demonstrate by his practice that he was indeed a Jew made his profession by circumcision a valid distinction. Otherwise, circumcision was of as little value as placing a Mercedes Benz hood ornament on a broken down Volkswagen.
Disobedience to the Law nullified any value which circumcision might have had.78 Obedience to the Law made circumcision of value. A circumcised Jew who did not keep the Law was no better than a Gentile. The converse was also true. If a Gentile were to live in accordance with the Law (even though he might not possess it or know its demands), his lack of circumcision was no detriment. Practice of the Law’s requirements was all that was needed, and such a Law-keeper was as good as circumcised.
Startling though they might be, Paul has strong words for the self-righteous Jew. Did they think their role in life was to look down upon the Gentiles and to use the Law to condemn them? While God would judge or justify Gentiles apart from the Law, an uncircumcised Gentile who kept the Law would judge the disobedient Jew (verse 27). The self-righteous Jew was to be judged by an uncircumcised Gentile, whom he condemned, but whom God would justify on the basis of his obedience to the Law.79
The only circumcision that counts is the inner “circumcision” of the heart. The “true Jew” is the one whose heart has been circumcised. This “surgery” is not that which is performed by man, but by the Holy Spirit. And the praise which results is not the praise of men, but of God. This is that circumcision spoken of by Moses and the prophets (see Deuteronomy 10:16; 30:6; Jeremiah 4:4; 31:31-34; Ezekiel 36:24-27).
How could the Jews be so wrong? How could those who were given so many privileges and who were so often blessed by God stray so far from Him? How could those who were given the revelation of the Law, and now Paul’s gospel (see 2:16), become so completely off base in their thinking? The sin and resulting condemnation of the Jews as described here in Romans 2 is the result of several serious errors. As we conclude this lesson, I wish to focus on the major errors which I find evidenced and exposed in our text. Each of these errors has its own contemporary forms, and thus they plague us, as well as those to whom Paul was referring.
If there is one term which sums up the sin of the Jews, it is probably the term “hypocrisy.” The Jews were hypocritical in holding to a double standard. They held a very high standard for others (especially the Gentiles) by which they condemned them as sinners. But at the same time they held a much lower standard for themselves, which excused them from the same sins committed by the Gentiles. The Jews were also hypocritical in redefining their sins in such a way as to make them appear to be pious acts of religious devotion. I believe this was true of the way in which they went about “stealing widows’ houses” (Matthew 23:14) and in which they converted the temple precincts into a “den of thieves” (Matthew 21:12-13). They placed too much emphasis on external appearances and not enough on the heart.
There is a big difference between a “heathen” and a hypocrite. The heathen rejects high standards of conduct and lives (unhypocritically) as a pagan. The hypocrite holds to the high standard but does not live by it, and thus he has double standards and lives a double life. Hypocrisy is often an ailment of the religious.
God’s holiness was the basis for Israel’s holiness. God revealed Himself to Israel when He delivered them from Egyptian slavery. After He had led them through the Red Sea, God gave His people the Law. This Law was, first and foremost, a declaration of God’s character, of His attributes (a much fuller revelation of His attributes than His creation supplies—see Romans 1:18-23). Israel’s privilege, as God’s chosen people, was to demonstrate God’s character to others. Prominent among His attributes is God’s holiness. Israel’s responsibility, as God’s people, was to live their lives in accordance with God’s Law, so as to demonstrate His holiness to the world: “Be ye holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:44, 1 Peter 1:15).
God’s holiness was to be evident in the lives of His people, not just by what they professed but by what they practiced. Israel was to be a “priestly nation” (Exodus 19:5-6), whose task was to point men to God. They were not to be a nation of judges, who condemned the sins of those about them. Any condemnation or judgment should be the result of their personal godliness. Holiness was not to be a matter of “lip-service” but of lifestyle.
For the Israelite of old, and for the Christian of today, obedience to God’s revealed standard of conduct is necessary for the demonstration of God’s holiness in the midst of a sinful, unholy world (see 1 Peter 1:15). In the Old Testament and the New, God has prohibited certain conduct, because it is sinful and unholy. He has likewise commanded us to practice godly conduct, because it is holy. Our good works will never be sufficient to make us righteous or to win God’s approval. Our failure to produce good works is, however, sufficient basis for condemnation. When we are justified by faith, we are saved “unto good works” (Ephesians 2:10), because God’s purpose in saving men (in part) is to manifest His righteousness to the world through His saints. Holy conduct is necessary for God’s people to manifest God’s holy character. Israel’s sins (and ours) blaspheme the character of God before men (see Romans 2:24).
A mere profession of faith is not enough. A genuine profession of faith should be accompanied by good works, not as the basis of our salvation but as a result of it. John the Baptist called upon the Jews to demonstrate the genuineness of their repentance and faith by producing “fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matthew 3:8). James, in his epistle, demanded that a profession of faith must be accompanied by good works as the evidence of genuine faith (see James 2:14-26, etc.). Our Lord also required “fruit” as the result of true faith and as a manifestation of His presence and power:
“This is my commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends, if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you. This I command you, that you love one another” (John 15:12-17, emphasis mine).
The apostle John, likewise, expected love to be evidenced not only by words, but by works:
Do not marvel brethren, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has the world’s good, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth (1 John 3:13-18).
The self-righteous Jews were in error concerning divine judgment. They were wrong in failing to distinguish between God’s present wrath and His coming (future) wrath. One purpose of God’s present wrath is repentance, leading to salvation. The primary purpose of His future wrath is retribution. There is no turning back from this judgment. Future wrath spells the sinner’s doom; present wrath may produce the sinner’s repentance and salvation. Thus, to look upon those whom God has “given over to sin” as reprobates, who are eternally doomed, is just as incorrect as looking upon those who are presently experiencing God’s “kindness” as assured of eternal blessing. For now, both God’s kindness and His severity are directed toward man’s salvation, not his destruction.
The righteous yearn for righteousness to reign upon the earth and for sin to be removed from the world. The righteous desire to see justice prevail, which includes the punishment of the wicked. On the other hand, the righteous also recognize their own sin and realize that they are worthy of divine wrath. They know, as well, that God’s present judgment of sin is welcome, because it delivers the sinner from God’s final, future wrath. And thus the sinner prays for his sins to be exposed, condemned, and removed through God’s grace. For the Christian, divine wrath is welcomed, not just so that others will be punished, but so that we will be purified (see Psalm 19:7-14; 51; 119, etc.).
Failing to understand God’s present purposes (both with regard to the Gentiles and with regard to the Jews) led the self-righteous Jews to a wrong conception of their duty and obligation toward other sinners. They seemed to think their task in life was to condemn, to judge sinners as guilty, and to write them off for all eternity. Israel’s God-given task was to be a “light to the Gentiles” (Luke 2:32; Acts 13:47; 26:23). They were first to receive the good news of the gospel by faith, and then to bear the good news to the lost. But the self-righteous Jews, typified by the prophet Jonah, did not want to be a part of saving Gentile sinners.
Contrast the eagerness of the Jews to judge “sinners” with the teaching and practice of our Lord. He repeatedly stated that He did not come into the world (in His first coming) to judge men but to save them (see John 3:17; 8:15; 12:47-48). When Jesus was put on the spot to pronounce judgment and execute the sentence of death upon a woman caught in the act of adultery, He refused, not because she was innocent, but because He came to die for her sins—to save sinful men and women like her (see John 8:10-11). Condemnation and salvation are two opposite activities. We, like our Lord, are to presently occupy ourselves with the latter, and to leave the former to Him, in His good time.
Jesus took on the self-righteous “judges” of Israel, many of whom were the scribes and Pharisees, at the outset of His earthly ministry. Matthew’s account of the Sermon on the Mount illustrates this clearly.80 Jesus began by emphasizing the “hidden world” of the spirit, in 5:3-9. In the remainder of Matthew 5, Jesus sought to show that sin is “more than skin deep.” Sin has its external manifestations, but it also has its internal roots. The internal, unseen sins of the heart are just as evil as the outward manifestations. Thus, murder is not only sin (the external act), but so is anger (the internal source of murder). Adultery (outward) is sin, but so is lust (internal).
In Matthew 6, Jesus went on to teach that righteousness is “more than skin deep.” External acts of “righteousness” may only be men-pleasing deeds, designed to obtain man’s praise (6:1). The giving of alms (6:2-4), praying (6:5-15), and fasting (6:16-18) can all be motivated by sinful desires, and not by the desire to please God. Righteousness, therefore, cannot be judged only on the basis of the outward act, but must also take into account the motivation of the heart.
No wonder Matthew 7 begins with our Lord’s warning about judging others. If men cannot know the hearts of other men (or their own hearts), how can they judge that which is righteous and that which is not? Judging others sets the standard for our own judgment, by God. The only way that men can see clearly is to be judged by God and to have their own sin exposed and remedied. This will not enable us to know the hearts and motives of men, and to make those judgments which only God can make, but it will help us see clearly enough to know those who are “dogs” and “swine” (7:6), so that we do not waste that which is holy on those who disdain it.
Being righteous, God must judge sin. Being righteous, God must judge sin righteously. Thus, He must judge sin impartially.81 There is no partiality with God, Paul teaches. The Jews simply did not believe it. They held to a double standard because they thought God judged men by a double standard. The Jews judged the Gentiles by a standard which they did not apply to themselves. This became the basis for Paul’s indictment in Romans 2:1-16. If God judges impartially, then God will judge us by the same standard which He uses to judge others. If God judges us by the standard we hold for others, we must meet that same standard.
The Jews did not want God to deal with them impartially. They wanted preferential treatment from Him. Impartiality would put the Jews on the same level as everyone else, and they wanted to be superior to the rest. I remember talking to a “lifer” in a maximum security prison who was not a Christian. I asked how he liked prison life after various prison reforms had been instituted. He replied that he liked the old way better. He could manipulate the old system so that he would be given preferential treatment; now he was treated like everyone else. Israel too wanted preferential treatment. God’s judgment is, however, impartial. His standards do not change.82
The Jews also misunderstood the grace of God. They did not see God’s present wrath as gracious, leading some to repentance. Neither did they recognize their present reprieve from punishment as a gift of God’s grace, leading them to repentance (see Romans 2:4). Perhaps the greatest error of the Jews was that they mistook the privileges of God as an evidence of His preference.
It is this confusion over privilege and preference which is the key to understanding the hypocrisy of the Jews. The Jews had a double standard for judging because they confused their privileged status with a preferential status. They believed God judged them differently than others. They thought that who they were was more important than what they did. Since they thought that merely being a Jew made them holy, there was no other standard of holiness which needed to be applied to them. The Gentiles, however, had to earn their holiness, by keeping the Law.
Let me seek to illustrate this. Have you ever worked, as I have, for a business where the owner’s son was a fellow-employee? All too often, the owner’s son regards himself as a special case. If the standard for performance is putting out 30 pieces of work an hour, he will hold you to it, but may not be concerned if he only puts out 15 pieces per hour. He may say to himself, “It doesn’t matter whether I work hard or not. I’m the boss’s son. Dad won’t fire me.” The “privilege” of being the owner’s son distorts this worker’s thinking and behavior, supposing that he can live by a different standard than the rest. That was Israel’s attitude. They were the chosen people of God. They had an “inside track” with God, and they also possessed the Law. This made them better than the Gentiles. While the Gentile must live within the Law, the Jew was above the Law.
Congress has provided us with additional illustrations of this evil. During the Reagan administration, Congress passed a massive tax reform bill. The purpose of this new law was to “close the loopholes” which were in the previous tax laws. Many of the loopholes were closed, but that very legislation contains, I am told, many exceptions and exemptions which are for the exclusive benefit of a very few people—all of whom are friends or supporters of one of the politicians who had a hand in writing the law. The same is true of the civil rights reforms which Congress has recently passed. Can anyone explain why Congress would forbid racial discrimination by all employers except themselves? Congress, I am told, has exempted itself from living under the law it passed. That is hypocrisy! That is a double standard. That is thinking of yourself as a special case. That is the abuse of one’s privileges.
When it came to their own standing before God, many of the Jewish religious leaders were not legalists but hypocrites. They believed God would deal with them according to a different standard because of who they were, and because they were better than the rest. That is not only hypocrisy; that is arrogance.
The gospel will simply not allow men to place themselves above other men. The gospel is the great equalizer of all men. The gospel finds all men equal in their lost condition, and the gospel makes all men equally righteous, in Christ. This is exactly what offends the status-seeker. To deny this fundamental equality among men is to deny the gospel.83
Such pride of the self-righteous Jews is also found among the Gentiles, even among those who have been saved by grace. And thus the warning of Paul in Romans 11:17-21. Whatever we are, whatever blessings from God we have received, whatever privileges have been granted to us, all are the gifts of God’s grace. They do not prove us to be better than other men. They do not place us in a special category which receives preferential treatment from God. If anything, privileges bring greater responsibility on our part. The privilege of possessing the Law did not make Israel less obliged to keep it; it gave them greater obligation to live by it. Of those to whom much is given, much is required (see Luke 12:48; James 3:1).
In the light of Paul’s words in Romans 2 we can say that the response of the Jews to the revelation they received was the same as the response of the Gentiles to the revelation which they had received. Whether through the creation or the Law, God’s revelation was a revelation of His character. It was intended to demonstrate His righteousness, His power, His eternal nature. The only legitimate response to such revelation is man’s humble response of giving Him thanks and praise, through our worship and service. This the Gentiles did not do, and thus they were brought under God’s condemnation. They perverted God’s revelation and began to worship in a way that was self-serving. As a result, God gave them over to sin, as a present manifestation of His judgment.
The Jews were guilty of the same sin, but in even greater measure. The Law revealed God’s character much more fully. It also spelled out the conduct and worship which God required of those who were chosen to serve and glorify Him. The Jews did not give thanks to Him nor did they glorify Him by keeping His commandments. They also perverted His revelation. Instead of seeing the Law as a standard for personal holiness, they used it only as a standard for judging others. And instead of seeking to serve and worship God, they turned Judaism into a self-serving religion. They become proud, not humble. They spurned His revelation, rather than to obey it.
How much more responsible are we who have the full revelation of God in the Holy Scriptures? We are indeed “without excuse” in that we cannot plead ignorance to His standards and His commands. And yet, we, like the Jews, are more inclined to use the Bible to prove how sinful others are than to see our own sin. Christian activism may be called for in this sinful age. But the principle way we are to condemn the sins of our society is not by pronouncing judgment upon it, like the Jews, but by living godly lives, as God called Israel to do. It is our personal holiness which must effectively display the righteousness of God and which reproves sinful men (see 1 Peter 2:11-12; 4:1-19).
I do not believe Christianity has ever been more self-seeking and self-serving than it is in our own day. We do not seem to respond to God’s revelation in the Scriptures with worship and adoration, but we look to the Scriptures to make us happy, prosperous, and fulfilled. We have lost sight of the primary goal of His revelation. Does our knowledge of His Word turn us toward God, in selfless praise, adoration, and service, or does it turn us inward, seeking our own selfish desires? How easy it is to see the sins of others and to fail to see our own.
Paul’s words in Romans 2 come to life as I read our Lord’s indictment of the Jewish religious leaders in Matthew 23. In the first verses of His indictment (23:1-4), Jesus accused the scribes and Pharisees of “seating themselves in the chair of Moses” (verse 2). That is, they assumed a position of authority, as teachers and judges. It was not what they taught which Jesus chose to differ with so strongly, but the hypocrisy with which they taught it. He urged the people to do what these leaders taught, but not to imitate their practice (verse 3). Their teaching laid heavy burdens on others, but they themselves did not live by their own teaching nor did they give any help to those so burdened (verse 4). They were hypocritical.
These leaders did not possess any authority on the basis of their own obedience to the Law (or their teaching of it), but on the basis of other factors such as external appearances. They were constantly “putting on a pious face” by their external garb, by their public appearances, and by taking places of prominence (verses 5-7). Jesus warned His followers of the danger of setting up leaders who held such authority. Establishing human leaders who live above the Law was dangerous and forbidden:
“But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. And do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. But the greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted” (Matthew 23:8-12).
The preoccupation of the scribes and Pharisees with their own authority was revealing and condemning. They aspired to positions of authority, so that they might rise above the Law and its requirements, and in so doing they were sinning. Such positions, Jesus taught, should not exist.84 Like their leaders, the self-righteous Jews began to think of themselves in this lofty, elevated way (see Romans 2:17-20). This is not the mind of Christ.
As I have considered the relationship between authority and the Word of God, I have come to recognize an important principle: Those who are preoccupied with having authority tend to place themselves above the authority of the Scriptures; those who see themselves as under the authority of God and His Word are those who exercise the greatest authority.
Many of David’s greatest deeds took place at those times when he was not conscious of having authority but was overcome by a sense of God’s authority. How many of David’s psalms, I wonder, were written as a young lad, a lowly shepherd boy? The defeat of Goliath was the result of David’s faith in God, even though he was no match for this giant. When David became the king of Israel and seemed to be impressed by his own authority, he got into the worst trouble of his life. He stayed at home (in bed), rather than going to battle with his army (2 Samuel 11:1-2). Was he now so powerful that he did not need to go to war? Had his authority become so great that he could defeat his enemies from his bed? Did he possess so much authority that the Word of God no longer applied to him, as it did to others? So it would seem.
Even the authority of our Lord was the result of His sense of being under God’s authority (see John 7:28; 8:42). In particular, I would like to suggest that His authority in teaching the Scriptures was based upon His sense of being under them, not above them. At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, as recorded in Matthew’s Gospel, the people took note of the difference in Jesus’ teaching compared to that of the scribes:
The result was that when Jesus had finished these words, the multitudes were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes (Matthew 7:28-29).
Matthew is not speaking of a kind of dogmatism here, for the scribes possessed plenty of that. I believe Jesus taught the Scriptures as the basis and source of one’s authority. Further, I believe He taught the Scriptures with the deep conviction that they not only had authority over His audience, but over Him.
The basis of our Lord’s authority, as referred to in Matthew 7, can be found in Matthew 4. In his efforts to tempt our Lord, Satan sought to persuade Jesus to act independently on His own authority, as the Son of God, rather than in submission to God’s authority. Satan used the Scriptures (by twisting them) to attempt to shore up his evil propositions, but our Lord saw through this. Each time Jesus was tempted, He responded with Scripture, and each time His response to Satan revealed His sense of the authority of the Scriptures.
To our Lord, obedience to the Scriptures was more important than bread, because the Scriptures are the source of true life (Matthew 4:3-4). To our Lord, the Scriptures were not given to men so they could put God to the test, but they were given by God to test them (4:5-7). To our Lord, His purpose in life must not be self-serving. The Word of God revealed to Him that one’s life is to be spent in worshipping and serving God (4:8-10). The authority our Lord evidenced in His teaching of the Word was the result of His own submission to the authority of the Word. God’s Word must, first of all, have authority over us. When we use the Word of God with authority, we use the Word of God as those under its authority. If this was true of our Lord Himself, how much more so should it be true of us?
When I look at the Psalms, I do not find the psalmists viewing God’s Law as the basis for judging others, but as the means by which God judges them. If they see in the Law the character of God, they see also their own sinfulness. But they see as well the grace of God and His provision of righteousness and forgiveness. To the psalmists, the Law not only revealed and condemned their sins, it held forth the means of their salvation.
Notice the response of David to the revelation of God through His creation and through His Word, as recorded in Psalm 19:
The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands, Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their utterance to the end of the world. In them He has placed a tent for the sun, Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; It rejoices as a strong man to run his course. Its rising is from one end of the heavens, And its circuit to the other end of them; And there is nothing hidden from its heat. The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them Thy servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward. Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. Also keep back Thy servant from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me; Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be acquitted of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Thy sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer (Psalm 19).
How different is David’s attitude and response to the Word of God. He does not use the Law of God to prove his own righteousness and to condemn sinners. Instead, he reads the Law to discover his own sinfulness and to find, as well, God’s gracious provision of salvation and forgiveness. And then, instead of condemning other sinners, he shares with them that grace which he has found in God’s Holy Word.
This same spirit toward God and His Word can be seen in the words of the unnamed psalmist who penned Psalm 119. Note the first few verses of this Psalm:
How blessed are those whose way is blameless, Who walk in the law of the LORD. How blessed are those who observe His testimonies, Who seek Him with all their heart. They also do no unrighteousness; They walk in His ways. Thou hast ordained Thy precepts, That we should keep them diligently. Oh that my ways may be established To keep Thy statutes! Then I shall not be ashamed When I look upon all Thy commandments. I shall give thanks to Thee with uprightness of heart When I learn Thy righteous judgments. I shall keep Thy statues; Do not forsake me utterly! How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Thy word. With all my heart I have sought Thee; Do not let me wander from Thy commandments. Thy word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against Thee. Blessed are Thou, O LORD; Teach me Thy statutes. With my lips I have told of All the ordinances of Thy mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of Thy testimonies, As much as in all riches. I will meditate on Thy precepts, And regard Thy ways. I shall delight in Thy statutes; I shall not forget Thy word. Deal bountifully with Thy servant, That I may live and keep Thy word. Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Thy law. I am a stranger in the earth; Do not hide Thy commandments from me. My soul is crushed with longing After Thine ordinances at all times. Thou dost rebuke the arrogant, the cursed, Who wander from Thy commandments. Take away reproach and contempt from me, For I observe Thy testimonies. Even though princes sit and talk against me, Thy servant meditates on Thy statutes. Thy testimonies also are my delight; They are my counselors. My soul cleaves to the dust; Revive me according to Thy word. I have told of my ways, and Thou hast answered me; Teach me Thy statutes. Make me understand the way of Thy precepts, So I will meditate on Thy wonders. My soul weeps because of grief; Strengthen me according to Thy word. Remove the false way from me, And graciously grant me Thy law. I have chosen the faithful way; I have placed Thine ordinances before me. I cleave to Thy testimonies; O LORD, do not put me to shame! I shall run the way of Thy commandments, For Thou wilt enlarge my heart (Psalm 119:1-32).
The psalmist holds to the standard of holiness which God’s Law requires (verses 1-4), and yet he learns from the Law his own sinfulness (verses 5-8). The Law is not used to prove the psalmist’s righteousness and to condemn others as sinners. The Law is seen by the psalmist as the revelation of God Himself and of every man’s sinfulness. The Law reveals not only man’s sin, but God’s grace. The Law is a treasure, a delight, which should be shared with other sinners.
To sum up this matter of one’s perspective toward the Scriptures, allow me to conclude by referring to the words of James, in the first chapter of his epistle:
This you know, my beloved brethren. But let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. Therefore putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does (James 1:19-25).
To use the analogy which James has suggested, the self-righteous Jews of Paul’s day (as well as the self-righteous “saints” of our own) should not think of the Word of God as a magnifying glass, but as a mirror. Those who would rather judge others take up God’s Word as a magnifying glass and go about in Sherlock Holmes fashion inspecting the lives of others, condemning them for the sins they find.
The Word of God was meant to be a mirror, to reveal our own sins, even more than it was meant to be a magnifying glass, to discern the sins of others.85 So it was to the psalmists of Old. So it is to the saints of every age. So it should and must be to us.
Establish my footsteps in Thy word, And do not let any iniquity have dominion over me. … I hope for Thy salvation, O LORD, And do Thy commandments. My soul keeps Thy testimonies, And I love them exceedingly (Psalm 119:133, 166, 167).
69 Paul’s indictment of the self-righteous in Romans 1 and 2 is similar to that of Nathan, the prophet, when he indicted David for adultery and murder. For the full account of David’s sin and the rebuke of Nathan, read 2 Samuel 11 and 12. The similarities in these two indictments are well worth pondering.
70 For example, see Matthew 5:20; 23:1-39.
71 The expressions “therefore” and “without excuse” (verse 1) are found here for the second time in Romans. “Therefore” points to a conclusion based upon what has previously been said. Romans 1:24 begins with this term, indicating that men are “given over” to sin by God because they have received revelation from and about Him, which they have rejected. The “therefore” in Romans 2:1 informs us that the indictment which Paul is making is based upon the sins previously mentioned in chapter 1. This is confirmed by Paul’s argument in 2:1-3.
72 Psalm 62:12; see Psalm 28:4; Job 34:11; Proverbs 24:12; Jeremiah 32:19; Ezekiel 33:20.
73 This psalm is especially important because Paul cites the final verse (verse 12) in Romans 2:6. It must have been very much in Paul’s mind as he wrote these words.
74 See also Isaiah 3:13-15; Ezekiel 22:1-14, 23-29; Micah 2:1-4; 3:1-12. Several things catch my eye as I read these prophetic indictments of Israel. The first is that the leaders of the nation are singled out as those who are especially culpable, for their own sins and for leading others after them. The second observation is the “institutional nature” of their sins. It is by means of “unjust decisions” (Isaiah 10:1) that the helpless are oppressed and robbed. It is the “house” of the Lord which has become a “den of robbers.” I take it that the sins of the leaders of Israel were often sanctified by legislation and institutionalism. They did not take a widow’s house away forcibly nor did they snatch purses. They passed laws which made it impossible for widows to keep their houses, and then probably bought them at a fraction of their value. They set up money-changing tables in the temple area, thereby ripping off pilgrims with unfair rates of exchange. It was all done on the “up and up,” but the result was robbery.
75 The reason why no emphasis is placed on man’s heart here is that men cannot know their own hearts or the hearts of others. The self-righteous, whom Paul condemns here, judge men on the basis of their deeds. Since men’s deeds are the fruit of what is in their hearts, this visible standard of conduct and of judgment is emphasized.
76 The Jewish religious leaders wanted to think of themselves as “guide[s] to the blind,” but Jesus called them “blind guides” (Matthew 23:16).
77 Isaiah 52:5; Ezekiel 36:20-21.
79 In truth, no Gentile ever kept the Law, so as to be declared righteous, any more than the Jews. But the statement is true in principle at least, based upon the standard which Paul has put forth above (verses 5-16). In reality, it will be those Gentiles who have been justified by faith who will judge the unrighteous, self-righteous Jews, along with all other sinners (see 1 Corinthians 6:2).
80 I wish to point out that my summation of Matthew 5-7 is very sketchy, but I think the point I am seeking to make is a valid one.
81 An example of God’s impartiality can be found in His dealings with the people who lived in Canaan. God told Abram that He would expel the Amorites for their iniquity, when their sin became fully developed (Genesis 15:16). When God led His people into the land, to dispossess the Canaanites, He held the same standard of conduct for them, promising to expel them if they practiced the same sins. They did, and He did. God is impartial in His judgment of sin.
82 The requirements change, because God, in fairness, judges men on the basis of the revelation they have received. Men are therefore judged in accordance with what they have done with what they have received.
83 See Acts 15; Galatians 2; James 1.
84 This is a very significant reason why our church leadership is based on a plurality of elders and not on a singular authority. There is great danger in giving any one man too much authority. There is a great temptation to elevate him above the Word of God, when all men should equally fall under the authority of the Word.
85 To couch this thought in more biblical terms, we are to use the Word of God as a mirror, first, to deal with the beam in our own eye. Then, and only then, can we use the Word of God as a magnifying glass to discern sin elsewhere.
When I taught high school in a state prison, one of my colleagues related to me an incident of his teaching days in prison. There was a rule in the prison high school that no one could sleep in class. As he walked about the room one day, he discovered one of his students sleeping and gently nudged the young man to awaken him. The student continued to sleep. My colleague made a second pass and nudged the young man once again. Still the slumbering student did not awaken. On the third try, the teacher nudged him even more vigorously, and this time it worked! The young fellow jumped to his feet, exclaiming to the teacher, “If you ever do that again, you’re going to get it!”
Such discipline problems had a ready solution. His name was Mr. Look, a very husky, unthreatened guard, who stood outside in the hall. Mr. Look came into the class and escorted the student to the “hole” (solitary confinement, more delicately referred to today as “administrative segregation”). The student spent 30 days in the hole before being allowed to return to his classes. On the day of his return, he lingered after class to talk to my colleague. “I didn’t really mean to say, ‘You’re going to get it,’” he explained, “What I really meant to say was, ‘If you ever do that again, you might get it!’”
This was surely something less than an apology, and it certainly was not genuine repentance. The self-righteous Jews’ response to Paul’s indictment as recorded in Romans 1:18–2:29 was hardly repentance either. Indeed, it was a rebuttal which served as even further evidence of the willful rebellion of God’s people, the Jews. Instead of admitting their sin and repenting of it, they seem to admit their sin and to question God’s righteous judgment.
The Jews have already been condemned by Paul in chapters 1 and 2. Paul taught that all mankind is worthy of God’s righteous wrath, because all men have seen irrefutable evidence of God’s “eternal power and divine nature,” through His creation. This revelation they have rejected and perverted. As a result, God gave men over to various forms of sin (1:18-32). The Jews were even more guilty than the Gentiles, because they had been given the Law, the revelation of God’s character and of His standards for man’s conduct. They professed to adhere to this Law, teaching and judging others by it, but they did not practice it themselves (2:1-24). Paul taught that the Law does not profit the Jew if he does not practice it, and neither does God penalize the Gentile who lives by it (even though he does not possess it). Circumcision too is of no benefit to the Jew unless he keeps the Law, just as uncircumcision is no liability to the Law-abiding Gentile (1:25-29).
In Romans 3:1-8, Paul shows that instead of acknowledging their sin and repenting, the Jews acknowledged their sin but protested against God’s way of dealing with it. This section is a series of questions and answers, all of which arise out of Paul’s indictment in the previous verses. The questions are those which Paul articulates, but they are clearly the questions which his Jewish readers would have raised. No doubt these are questions which Paul heard many times as he taught in the synagogues of his day. But in this epistle, his readers cannot respond as they would if Paul were speaking to them in person. Consequently, Paul raises their questions for them. These “condemning questions” reveal the depth of the unbelief and rebellion of many of the Jews and serve as further evidence that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” including the Jews.
Paul’s purpose in writing these verses is to add a third “knockout punch” to his two previous indictments of the self-righteous Jews as sinners, along with the Gentiles. There is, however, a much broader application of these verses. Paul’s words in our text provide us with principles which are vital to our Christian walk, principles which should cause us to rejoice in God’s grace and in the certainty that He will accomplish what He has purposed and promised to do. The questions which Paul has raised here, and the attitudes which underlie them, expose some very dangerous and detrimental perspectives. False teachers seek to convince saints to hold and to practice these perverted perspectives. Some saints actually believe these perspectives to be both true and biblical. Thus, this text contains both encouragement and admonition.
We will begin our study by making overall observations about our text which lead to some conclusions concerning the structure of the passage. Next we will consider our text verse-by-verse and then the interpretation of the text in its context. Finally, we will seek to discern the application of this text to Paul’s original audience and to us as well.
(1) The context of our passage is God’s condemnation of all men as sinners. Paul has already demonstrated that mankind in general (1:18-32), and the Jews in particular (2:1-29), are sinners, guilty before God and deserving of His wrath. In the verses which follow our text (3:9-20), Paul will further document man’s universal fallenness and then sum up his indictment. In Paul’s own words, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Paul’s words in our text are not a digression; they are an intensification of his indictment of the self-righteous, especially of the Jews. The principle subject of Romans 3:1-8 is sin and divine condemnation.
(2) Paul uses questions as his primary tool for exposing the sin of the Jews in these verses. As I understand Paul’s words here, the questions86 he asks are more prominent than the answers he gives. It is the questions which reveal the rebellious and distorted thinking of Paul’s opponents. His answers are very brief and to the point. The questions Paul articulates in verses 1-8 are those which are raised in the minds of his Jewish readers by his teaching in chapters 1 and 2.
(3) There is a very distinct “flow” to the questions as Paul has arranged them. These are not randomly chosen questions. Paul has arranged them to “flow” so as to make a very strong point.
(4) The questions are also arranged in such a way as to indicate the structure of the passage. The text falls into two sections, verses 1-4 and verses 5-8. There are several indications of this arrangement in our text itself. In verses 1-4, the verbs tend to be in the past tense; in verses 5-8, they are predominantly in the present tense. In verses 1-4, Paul speaks of the Jews in the third person (“they,” “them”); in verses 5-8, Paul switches to the first person (“we,” “our”). In verses 1-4, Paul asks “acceptable” questions, and the outcome is the statement of biblical principles. In verses 5-8, Paul asks questions which are really inappropriate and which reveal the sin of those who ask them. Paul finds it necessary to qualify his question (“I am speaking in human terms,” verse 5). The outcome of verses 5-8 is the realization of how evil, in attitude and application, the Jews have become, as evidenced by the perversions of God’s truth in their thinking and practice.
1 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? 2 Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God. 3 What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it? 4 May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written, “THAT THOU MIGHTEST BE JUSTIFIED IN THY WORDS, AND MIGHTEST PREVAIL WHEN THOU ART JUDGED.”87
While there are technically two questions asked in verse 1, it is really the same question restated. Both questions arise from what Paul has just said in Romans 2:25-29. Circumcision is of value only to the Law-abiding Jew, and non-circumcision has no liabilities for the Law-abiding Gentile. “Jewishness” is, in the final analysis, not an external matter but a matter of the heart. Because of their conduct, the Jews were no better than the Gentiles. Indeed, their guilt seems greater, because the revelation which they received from God was much more complete—that which came through the Law.
It is not difficult to imagine the response of a Jew to Paul’s words in Romans 2. “What good does it do me to be a Jew?” “If circumcision is of no value and a Gentile can be looked upon by God as a ‘Jew in heart,’ why should a Jew feel blessed to be a Jew?” It is a legitimate question. It is surprising that a Jew would not already know the answer, but the question appears to be appropriate. Paul makes no apologies for asking it (as he does in verse 5). Paul’s first response, “Great in every respect” (verse 1), indicates that there are many benefits of being a Jew. Here he will indicate but one blessing.88 His words give the Jew pause for further thought and consideration. Let them think of some of the other privileges which are theirs as Jews.
Their being entrusted with the “oracles of God”89 was the privilege to which Paul wished to draw the Jews’ attention. The Old Testament Scriptures were given through the Jews and to them. These Scriptures were God’s very words. They reveal the perfections of God’s character. They reveal God’s unique relationship to the Jews. They contain God’s purposes and promises of His blessing for His people. They define sin and its consequences, as well as righteousness and its rewards.
The privilege of the Jews went much further than simply having this revelation from God. They did not just possess the Scriptures, they were entrusted with them. The truth of God was not given to the Jews to keep for themselves as though they exclusively possessed it. The truth was given to be used, to be shared. The Jews were privileged to be used of God so that His blessings might be poured out on all nations, not just upon Israel. Abraham was to be the source of blessing to all the nations (Genesis 12:1-3). What a privilege it was to share a part in God’s program! The Jews were granted the privilege of receiving God’s Word, of practicing it, and of proclaiming it to the nations.
Here is where the sin of the Jews begins to become evident. They did not see their stewardship of the Scriptures as a privilege but as a punishment. They did not want to share the blessings of God but wished to hoard them only for themselves. Like Jonah of old, they strenuously resisted God, trying to escape their duty as stewards of God’s revelation. If at all possible, they would keep the “unworthy” Gentiles from enjoying the benefits and blessings of the “deserving” Jews.
The Scriptures with which the Jews were entrusted contained God’s promises concerning the restoration and blessing of God’s people, the Jews (which Romans 9-11 will describe in much greater detail). But if Paul is right, and the Jews are “sinners” too, like the Gentiles, then will God’s purposes and promises be nullified by the sins of some? The “advantage” of the Jews (being entrusted with the oracles of God) which Paul has spelled out in verse 2 would be nullified if these blessings were dependent upon the faithfulness of the Jews. And so Paul asks, “If some did not believe, their unbelief90 will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it?” (Romans 3:2).
Paul’s response provides us with one of the most encouraging truths in the Bible, which can be summarized as a principle: God’s promises are not dependent upon man’s faithfulness, but on His faithfulness, and thus God’s promises are not thwarted by our unfaithfulness.
The expression, “May it never be,”91 indicates Paul’s strong reaction to the possibility that God’s promises might be nullified by Israel’s unbelief and unfaithfulness. The error of this kind of thinking is several-fold. First, the question supposes that only some men are unfaithful, when, in reality, all men are unfaithful. The assumption on the part of the questioner was that “some” did not believe (or were unfaithful, verse 3). Paul’s assumption is that all men are unfaithful. “Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar” (verse 4).
Paul challenges his readers: “Do you think only some are sinners, that only some men fail? Think again.” He will not be content to show that only some men are sinners. His purpose is to demonstrate that “all” men, without exception, are sinners. Thus he will not allow this limited view of man’s sinfulness to stand.
Second, assurance of the fulfillment of God’s purposes and promises, revealed in His Word, is not dependent upon man’s faithfulness, but upon God’s. God’s faithfulness is independent of man’s unfaithfulness. God’s character is not diminished by man’s sin nor are His purposes set aside by man’s sin.
Third, God’s faithfulness is assured not only in terms of His blessings but also in terms of divine judgment. Paul has assured us that God’s faithfulness is independent of man’s unfaithfulness. He has stated that God is true, although every man is a liar. God’s faithfulness in fulfilling His promises includes not only His promised blessings but also His promised judgment. He demonstrates this from a most interesting text as he cites the words of David recorded in Psalm 51:4: “that thou mightest be justified in thy words, and mightest prevail when thou art judged.”
Paul has not left the subject of divine condemnation. Would the Jew wish to be assured that God’s promised blessings (as found in the “oracles of God”) are true? Let him also be assured that God’s promised judgment is certain. Man’s unfaithfulness will, without a doubt, bring divine judgment.
These words, written by David, are found in the psalm which records his confession and repentance. As the heading to the psalm indicates, the occasion was Nathan’s rebuke of David, due to his adultery with Bathsheba. When confronted by the prophet, David acknowledged his sin and repented. Psalm 51 is David’s poetic account of his repentance. In the midst of his repentance, David acknowledges not only his sin, but God’s righteousness in pronouncing judgment on his sins. David’s confession is a model of repentance, a standard by which true repentance can be measured. His confession is also a dramatic contrast to the rebellion of the self-righteous Jews whom Paul is indicting.
David does not seek to offer any excuses for his actions. He has no word of defense for his sin. His sin only served to highlight the righteousness of God. God was absolutely just and righteous in pronouncing sentence on David’s sin. When God pronounced judgment, His verdict would prevail. The faithfulness of God was David’s only hope. He did not speak of his good works nor did he promise future good works. The Law did not even make a provision for the forgiveness of the sin he had committed. He was worthy of death. But it was God’s faithfulness, combined with His mercy and compassion, which gave David cause for hope. He appealed to Him for forgiveness and restoration, not on the basis of the Law, but on the basis of God’s character.
Verses 1-4 provide the humble sinner with heart-warming truth. God’s Word is His gracious gift, a very great privilege, but a privilege which brings added responsibility. The promises of God’s Word are not dependent upon our perfect obedience but upon His faithfulness. God can be trusted to be true to His Word, even though every man is a liar. David’s repentance in Psalm 51:4 is both instructive and encouraging. David saw God’s judgment as just, and God as completely vindicated in His indictment through the prophet Nathan. But more than this, David saw God’s judgment as the occasion and opportunity for his repentance. In simple faith, and without dependence on any good works, David called upon His God to forgive him and to save him. This should be the response of every true Israelite. But sadly, this was not the case. The questions Paul raises in verses 5-8 reveal a rebellious response to Paul’s indictment of sin and his condemnation of the self-righteous. These verses demonstrate how just God’s condemnation on unbelieving and rebellious Jews is.
5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.) 6 May it never be! For otherwise how will God judge the world? 7 But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner? 8 And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say), “Let us do evil that good may come”? Their condemnation is just.
In verse 5, Paul turns from the sublime to the ridiculous. He changes from the past tense to the present tense and from the impersonal (“they”) to the personal (“we,” “us”). He moves from those principles which are the ground for rejoicing to the perversions of God’s truth which demonstrate the justice of God’s judgment. He turns from those questions which are legitimate to those which he reluctantly asks for those who would question the character of God. He leaves behind the confession and repentance of David and moves on to the rebellious response of the self-righteous Jews to God’s judgment.
The evils of verses 5-8 are those advocated on the basis of the truths of verses 1-4. While the attitude of the objector in verses 5-8 is completely different from that of David (verse 4), the doctrinal or theological foundation of both is the same. If the “heathen” have rejected God’s truth and exchanged it for a lie, the “self-righteous” have received God’s truth and perverted its perspective and practice to the point where sin is advocated and God is indicted for wrong-doing. What an incredible thing to behold.
Paul’s words in verses 3 and 4 assure us that God’s purposes and promises will be fulfilled, because He is faithful even though men fail. God’s promises for Israel are thus assured, whether the Jews obey Him or not. David’s words seem to go even further. They suggest that when men sin (as David did) God’s words are justified, and His judgment prevails. God comes out the Victor. God gains when men obey, and God gains when men disbelieve and disobey. I believe this premise is true. Due to His sovereignty, God is just as able to profit from man’s obstinateness as He is to gain from his obedience. Satan’s opposition will, in the end, further God’s program. The same can be said of the actions of men. God can “use” the rebellion of a Jonah or the treachery of a Judas so that His purposes and promises are fulfilled. God has determined to use both “vessels of mercy” and “vessels of wrath” to His glory (see Romans 9:21-23).
What the self-righteous Jew in our text does with this premise is incredibly evil. Paul begins by stating the premise in the first person: “Our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God” (verse 5). He then asks a question, hardly daring to ask because of its irreverence and blasphemy. He clearly qualifies the question as one which he asks in behalf of others and not for himself. The question93 is this: “How can a righteous God punish men for their sin if He benefits from their unrighteousness?”
Paul begins his response with an indication of his own revulsion and dismay that such a question should ever be raised (“May it never be!,” verse 6). His rebuttal is simple and short. It plays out the logical implications of the heresy which has been suggested. If God could not righteously judge men for their sin because He benefited from it, then He could not judge anyone. He gains from the unbelief and disobedience of all men. No one has, or ever will, sin with the result that God has to “cut back” on His program or promises. No sin has ever diminished the character of God. From an eternal perspective, no sin ever tarnishes God’s reputation.94 Thus, if God only judged those whose sins did Him damage, He would judge no one.
This goes much further than the self-righteous Jew intended. These Jews delighted in judging and condemning the Gentiles as sinners. They would also delight in seeing God execute His divine wrath upon them.95 They wanted God to judge the (Gentile) world and to overlook their own sins. By pointing out that the premise of his questioners would eliminate all judgment, Paul took the wind out of their sails.
In verses 7 and 8, the same question is restated96 so that the goodness of God’s judgment is questioned and the practice of sin is promoted. The objector says, in effect, “Grant the fact that all men are liars, as Paul has suggested (verse 4). If my lie does demonstrate the truthfulness of God, then God has gained and (it would seem) my sin has been beneficial to Him.” This is nothing other than situational ethics. To the evil mind, the end justifies the means. The questioner seems to be saying, “Why does God (as you represent Him, Paul) have the nerve to judge me, after all the good I have done Him?” Imagine it, the sinner seems to be expecting a pat on the back and a word of thanks, rather than the death penalty!
We may observe such reasoning by this illustration. An employee is fired by the owner of the company for stealing some of its funds. In anger, the employee burns down the plant. He is arrested and about to stand trial for his crime. The employee then hears that the owner had insured his business for one million dollars more than it was worth. The employer gains from the employee’s crime. And so the employee contacts the employer, expecting all charges to be dropped, and asks for a share of the “profits”! So too the Jewish sinner thinks he has done God a favor and expects God to drop all charges against him. For God to do otherwise, he proposes, would be unjust.
But wait, there’s more. Once again, Paul takes their proposal to its illogical conclusion. It was effective because Paul took their position to a conclusion which they had already rejected, evident by their accusing him of this very teaching (see verse 8).97 The error of his Jewish opponents would lead them to ask this question, “If a little sin benefits God, why not benefit Him even more with an abundance of sin?” Why not make sin a lifestyle, and why not encourage others to join in? This was precisely where the thinking of Paul’s opponents led.
Paul has but one answer. It was an answer with which his opponent should agree: “The condemnation of those who would advocate this is just indeed.”
Without realizing it until now, Paul has brought his Jewish opponents full circle. The Jews were quick and eager to judge the Gentiles and to condemn them as sinners. In so doing, they condemned themselves, because they failed to live according to the standard by which they had judged and condemned others (2:1-29). When it became evident that they too were condemned as sinners, they (unlike David) refused to repent. Rather than seek to deny their sin, they chose to attempt to defend it. And rather than be judged by God, they set themselves out to put God on trial for judging them. Is it any wonder that “their condemnation is just”? Is there any doubt that the Jews, like the Gentiles, are sinners under divine condemnation?
This text does much more than vindicate Paul’s indictment of the Jews as sinners. While it does prove the Jews are sinners, it also lights the way to their salvation and restoration. And these truths, which point the way to the Jews, also point the way for those of us who are Gentiles. Let us consider some of the universal truths of this passage as we conclude.
(1) The Word of God is both a great privilege and a great responsibility. For the Jew who wanted to know what benefit there was to being a Jew, Paul would have him know that the benefits were many. But the one benefit which Paul chose to mention as the premier privilege was the gift of divine revelation. To the Jews and through the Jews, the “oracles of God” were given.
Our perception of the blessedness of this gift depends upon the value we place upon God’s Word, and ultimately upon our estimation of God Himself. What good is the revelation of a God whom we dislike, whom we have rejected? What good is the revelation of His character and of His standards for our conduct if we esteem God little, and we loathe godliness? God’s Word is a blessing to those who yearn to know more of God and who wish for His Word to search them and to reveal their sins. God’s Word is a privilege to those who would desire to know Him and to be like Him.
The Jews had the added privilege of stewardship. The Law was given to the Jews to reveal God to them, and as the means by which they might know and serve Him acceptably. But in addition to this privilege, they were given the Law, not only to possess and to practice, but to proclaim to the world. They were to be a “light to the Gentiles.” They were to use the truth, not to usurp it. The Jews chose to condemn the Gentiles but not to deliver them from judgment. Herein was one of their great failures.
If the Old Testament Scriptures were such a privilege and a responsibility for the Jews of that day, how much greater is our privilege and responsibility today? We have God’s full and final revelation (cf. Hebrews 1:1-3; 1 Peter 1:10-13; 2 Peter 1:16-21); they had only a partial and incomplete revelation. If we would know the measure of our own appreciation for the privilege of possessing the Scriptures, let us consider how well-worn the pages of our Bibles are. Do we look at the Bible only as a set of do’s and don’ts, or do we look at the Scriptures as the source and sustenance of our lives? Do we study them to know our God better so that we may serve Him more faithfully? I fear that for many of us, the Bible is viewed no differently than the Jews looked at the Scriptures in Paul’s day.
We too have been given the Scriptures as a stewardship. We are not only to possess and to practice His Word, but we are to proclaim it to those who are in bondage to sin. The paradox is this: the more we seek to hoard the Scriptures, and the blessings they offer, the more we forfeit them. The more we seek to share the grace of God with others, the more we experience it ourselves. It is not what we keep that matters so much as what we use and what we give away. The truth of God is a personal blessing, but it brings added responsibility, for “to whom much is given, much is required” (Luke 12:48).
(2) The unfaithfulness of men will never frustrate the faithfulness of God. Though every man is a liar and will fail, God is true, and He will never fail. The certainty of all God’s promises rests on His character, not on our faithfulness. God’s plans and promises are certain, because of the One who promised. No one has put it better than this:
For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable (Romans 11:29).
If we are faithless, He remains faithful; for He cannot deny Himself (2 Timothy 2:13).
“I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6; Joshua 1:5; Hebrews 13:5).
When the Israelites worshipped the golden calf and were unfaithful to God, Moses did not appeal to God on the basis of Israel’s faithfulness. He appealed to God on the basis of His promises and His character. God cannot deny Himself, and thus when His people fail Him, He will not—indeed, He cannot—fail to do as He has promised. The certainty of the promises of Scripture rests not on the faithfulness of His people, but on the faithfulness of God.
Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass (1 Thessalonians 5:24).
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful (Hebrews 10:23).
Therefore, let those also who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right (1 Peter 4:19).
And I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True; in righteousness He judges and wages war (Revelation 19:11; see also 1:5; 3:14).
And he said to me, “These words are faithful and true” (Revelation 22:6a; cf. 21:5).
These promises and the certainty of their fulfillment are not an excuse for our failure or disobedience but a reason for our obedience. The God who promised to bless us is the same God who promised to chasten us for our sins.
The principle of the reliability and trustworthiness of God’s Word, based upon God’s faithfulness, applies to those who are unsaved. God’s Word promises His judgment upon those who reject His revelation. This is just as certain as His promise to bless those who believe and obey. How many times I have heard people seek to defend their rejection of the gospel by pointing to all the “hypocrites” in the church. Listen carefully, my unsaved friend. This text informs you that God is true though every man be a liar (or a hypocrite). If the steward who possesses the truth fails in his practice or in his proclamation of the truth, the Word of God is still true. We must receive or reject God’s Word, in spite of the failures of those who profess to believe it. The issue is not their unbelief or sin, but ours. If every television preacher were a hypocrite, the Bible would be no less true, you would be no less condemned, and your need for salvation through Jesus would be no less urgent. God is true, “though every man be a liar.”
This should also be an encouragement to those of us who wish to proclaim the gospel but who know that we are hypocrites (as we all are, to some degree). Who among us lives in perfect harmony with what we profess? Satan seeks to remind us of this (and others too), so that we will draw back from speaking to men and women about their need of salvation. Paul’s words are for us. The truth of God’s Word is not reduced by our unfaithfulness to His Word. God’s truth in the gospel is “the power of God for salvation,” whether that is proclaimed by an obedient saint (at the time), a prodigal prophet like Jonah, or a self-seeking preacher (see Philippians 1:15-18). If we wait to proclaim the gospel until we have perfectly obeyed it, we will wait for all eternity.
(3) The rejection of God’s revelation and the practice of sin darkens the mind so that man’s thinking is twisted, resulting in the perversion of the truth in practice. It is amazing to note that those who knew the most about God were those who seemed farthest from the truth. To them the righteousness of God had been revealed, and yet they questioned His righteousness when it came to His judgment of their sins. They did not deny their sins, but defended them, as though sinning was doing God a favor. They did not view God’s Word from His perspective, but from their own. While God acts on the basis of His righteousness (among other things), they viewed life from the perspective of self-interest. They felt that if they gained (by sin) and God gained at the same time, God should be content to let them live in sin, without judgment. Nothing could be further from the truth. When we reject God’s truth, God gives us over, not only to perverted practices but also to perverted thinking. Justifying your own sin and condemning God’s judgment is about as perverted as one can become. There is nothing more dangerous than the logic of the sinner. Sinners can turn the truth inside-out, so that it becomes a mandate for sin, rather than a deliverance from sin.
(4) God’s judgment is not only just, it is gracious, for all who will repent and find His forgiveness. The words of David, taken from his confession in Psalm 51, are music to the ears of God and to the sinner. David acknowledged his sin, as God exposed and condemned it through the Law and through Nathan, the prophet. David admitted that God was completely just and justified in condemning his sin and that he had no excuse. But David also knew that God is gracious and compassionate. David knew that God not only judges sin but that He forgives sin as well. Because of this, David cast himself upon God and upon His grace. In so doing, he found mercy and forgiveness. You can find that same forgiveness by confessing your sin, and by trusting Jesus Christ, who died for your sin. How wonderful the justice of God is to those who have been forgiven and to those who would be free from the burden of their sin. This is the forgiveness which many of the Jews of Paul’s day rejected and which all Israel will someday receive, when they first acknowledge their sin and that God’s judgment on them is just.
A rebuke goes deeper into one who has understanding than a hundred blows into a fool (Proverbs 17:10).
86 Paul uses questions a great deal in his writing. In the Book of Romans, I have counted 84 questions. The distribution of his questions by chapter is interesting. The highest incidence of questions (17) is found here in chapter 3. The second highest use is found in chapters 9 and 10, both of which contain 10 questions. There are two passages in Romans where Paul “clusters” his questions, and both are here in chapter 3 (3:1-8; 3:27-31). Elsewhere, Paul uses questions as transitions to his next point or to make a point of clarification. Here, Paul’s questions help to establish vitally important principles (3:1-4) and to expose some very wicked misapplications (3:5-8).
87 The editors of the NASB have chosen to render the citation from Psalm 5:4 in this way. This suggests that it is God who is being “judged.” In this case, God will be proven righteous when He is “judged” by men. There is another option the translator must consider which would render the citation as it is found in the Old Testament text. This would read, “And blameless when Thou dost judge.” In either case, it is God who will be proven right.
88 In Romans 9:4-5, Paul will cite other privileges granted to the Jews by God.
89 This expression is unusual, found only three times elsewhere in the New Testament (Acts 7:38; Hebrews 5:12; 1 Peter 4:11). It seems to contrast God’s direct, spoken revelation with the more indirect revelation of His creation referred to in Romans 1:20 (see also Psalm 19:1-6).
90 The term rendered “unbelief” here can, as the marginal note in the NASB indicates, also be translated “unfaithfulness.” The term conveys the idea of “unbelief” and/or that of “unfaithfulness.” I think both senses are intended here. The Jews did not believe God nor did they believe in Jesus, the Messiah. And neither were they faithful as stewards of His revelation.
91 The expression rendered, “God forbid,” in the King James Version occurs here for the first time in Romans. It is found ten times in Romans (3:4, 6, 31; 6:2, 15; 7:7, 13; 9:14; 11:1, 11). It is almost always an expression of horror, in response to an improper conclusion, based upon a valid biblical truth or principle. It is the illegitimate extension of a legitimate premise.
92 See the excellent chapter by this title in R. C. Sproul’s fine book, The Holiness of God.
93 Satan loves questions. It seems he would almost rather ask a blasphemous question than to make a blasphemous statement. Asking a question which raises doubt concerning one’s character is very effective. Satan first used this approach in the Garden of Eden, and it worked so well he has continued to employ it. It is much easier to ask hard questions than to answer them. Faith is not built upon questions, but doubt is.
94 It is true that Israel’s sins caused the name of God to be blasphemed among the heathen (see Romans 2:24). These blasphemies say much more about the heathen than they do about God. But when all of this is viewed from an eternal perspective, God will only gain. Even the mockery of men will, in time, turn out to His praise.
95 We see a clear illustration of this in Jonah’s actions when he prepared to watch the destruction of Nineveh (Jonah 4:5-11).
96 There is a change here which should be noted. Paul’s first question employed the plural, “our,” speaking of Israel’s sin in a collective way. Now, in verse 7 the focus is individual, singular (“my,” “I”). Verse 8 returns to the plural. The effort is to justify individual sin and then to promote sin among the rest. It is a virtual return to the very charge which Paul expressed in 1:32. They practice sin, knowing God’s ordinances, and knowing that the death penalty is required, and in addition they encourage others to join with them in sin.
97 As I see Paul’s argument, the Jews were willing to go so far as to expect God to overlook their sins, because they believed that God profited from them. They would never dare to say, “Let us do evil, that good may come.” In fact, they accused Paul of teaching this. But by their previous reaction to the charge that Paul did teach this, they had already shown they believed this application to be wicked. If they could not accept such teaching from Paul or others, how could they propose what they did which logically led to the same thing?
What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; as it is written, “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.” “THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING,” “THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS”; “WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS”; “THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD, DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS, AND THE PATH OF PEACE HAVE THEY NOT KNOWN.” “THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.” Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.
Paul declares in Romans 1:18-32 God’s condemnation of all mankind. This condemnation is based upon man’s rejection of God’s self-revelation through creation. Enthusiastically, the self-righteous Jews accept Paul’s words as an indictment of the Gentiles, failing to recognize they too are condemned. In chapter 2 Paul pointedly turns to the Jews, condemning them on the basis of their hypocrisy. They neither live in accordance with the standard by which they judge others guilty nor in accordance with what they teach. Paul presses on in chapter 3 to show the sinfulness of these self-righteous Jews as they justify their own sin, while questioning God’s justice for judging them. In this concluding section of Romans 3:9-20, Paul seeks to silence once and for all the self-righteous Jews. He does this by proving from the Old Testament Scriptures that Jews and Gentiles alike are under sin and worthy of divine judgment. Comparing themselves with others is certainly no basis for their own justification. He reminds the Jews of the function of the Law in their lives: the Law was not given to make them righteous; it was given to show them their unrighteousness.
Needlessly, a Colombian Boeing 707 crashed on Long Island, New York this year killing 73 of the 159 people on board. The tragedy occurred due to the absence of one critical word which might have easily prevented the crash. Adverse weather conditions had backed up air traffic, and the airliner had failed in its first attempt to land. With their fuel supply almost gone, the control tower needed only to hear the word, Emergency, and priority would have been granted to land ahead of other planes. Cockpit transcriptions of the conversation between the pilot and co-pilot revealed that more than once the pilot instructed the co-pilot to inform the tower of an emergency. Asked if air traffic controllers had been informed, the co-pilot assured the pilot they had. But the co-pilot had not used the English word for emergency, but a word which indicated a less serious problem. For the lack of one critical word, 73 people died.
Unintentionally, the co-pilot’s choice of words minimized the problem which caused air traffic controllers to place the plane’s landing on a lower priority. When fuel ran out, the plane went down. How sad! And yet the condition of mankind is even more critical than that of the Colombian airliner. Men are sinners, under God’s condemnation, heading for eternal destruction! Minimizing the problem is even more disastrous than the Colombian co-pilot’s tragic error.
“Emergency!” might well caption our text in Romans 3:9-20. Due to sin, all mankind is in a state of emergency. For men, time is running out. Life is fleeting and uncertain. The return of our Lord and the day of judgment draw near. Failing to see our critical condition has eternal consequences. Because of this, Paul sums up the condition of all mankind in the words of Old Testament Scripture, showing both Jews and Gentiles “under sin” (verse 9) and in desperate need of God’s salvation.
Our text is Paul’s punch line, and therefore it is especially important. It is the conclusion of all that Paul has been attempting to explain in Romans 1:18–3:20. On the basis of Paul’s assessment of man’s problem, the solution is offered in the next major section of Romans. While the condition of mankind is critical, there is hope for all who receive God’s provision of righteousness in Jesus Christ.
Once more, in verse 9, Paul raises the question of superiority for the sake of his audience. After a very brief answer (verse 9b), he turns to the Old Testament Scriptures as proof of his response (verses 10-18). After showing the universal sin and condemnation of all mankind, both Jew and Gentile, Paul concludes in verses 19-20 with a summary statement concerning the role of the Law in revealing man’s unrighteousness.
We may thus summarize the structure of our text:
(1) The question of superiority (verses 9-10a)
(2) The testimony of the Old Testament (verses 10b-18
(3) The condition of man in general (verse 10b)
(4) The sinful condition of man (verses 11-12)
(5) The sinful conduct of man (verses 13-17)
(6) The self-confidence of man (verse 18)
(7) The task of the Law (verses 19-20)
9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin.
The self-righteous Jew simply wanted to be better than the Gentiles. Judging and teaching others the Law did not accomplish this goal. This only raised the standards so that the judges and teachers of the Law failed to live up to it themselves. The advantages of being a Jew did not help either. Added privileges brought with them added responsibilities. The questions Paul raises in chapter 3 continue to become more and more pointed. One might even call them crass. In verse 9, the question is plainly asked: “Are we better than they?” This they had hoped for, but Paul’s answer forbids any such thought.
“No way!” is the essence of Paul’s answer in verse 9. He has already charged both Jews and Greeks to be under sin. Why does one condemned sinner wish to compare himself with another in order to show himself better? Imagine three men on death row, all convicted murderers. The man in cell one was a drug dealer, who ordered the death of many of his rivals and whose drug dealing destroyed countless lives. The man in cell two killed five fellow-employees in a fit of anger. The third condemned criminal hired an assassin to murder his wife. The human tendency is for the man in cell two to compare himself with the man in cell one, judging himself the better man. The man in cell three compares himself to the other two and feels he is better than both. But on the day of execution, what difference does it make? They have all broken the law, and they are all sentenced to die.
The real issue is not the appraisal of men but the judgment of God. If a Jew is better than a Gentile, God must say so. He has not said so. In fact, God has continually condemned the Jews and the Gentiles for their sin. God has treated the Jews and the Gentiles impartially. God has condemned the Jews and the Gentiles equally. Paul turns to the Old Testament Scriptures to prove his point.
As it is written, “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; 11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; 12 ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.” 13 “THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING,” “THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS”; 14 “WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS”; 15 “THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD, 16 DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS, 17 AND THE PATH OF PEACE HAVE THEY NOT KNOWN.” 18 “THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES” (Romans 3:10-18).
Our study of verses 10-18 begins by making some observations concerning the segment as a whole.
(1) Verses 10b-18 are not actually Paul’s words; they are his citation of portions of the Old Testament.
(2) The Scriptures Paul quotes are almost all from the Book of Psalms, with one citation from Isaiah. Texts cited are:
Verses 10-12 |
Psalm 14:1-3; 53:1-4 |
Verse 13 |
Psalm 5:9; 140:3 |
Verse 14 |
Psalm 10:7 |
Verse 15-17 |
Isaiah 59:7ff. |
Verse 18 |
Psalm 36:1 |
(3) The broad context into which these Old Testament quotations are cited is that of man’s sin and God’s righteous judgment. After Paul’s introduction in Romans 1:1-17, we come to the first major section of the book (1:18–3:20). This section establishes man’s need for a righteousness other than his own. Paul’s concluding words concerning man’s sin and condemnation are found in Romans 3:9-20. The dominant theme of our verses must therefore be man’s sin and God’s righteous wrath.
(4) These texts are cited by Paul to prove his statement that “both Jews and Greeks are all under sin” (verse 9). The condemnation of the Gentiles is a point readily acceptable to the Jews. Paul’s major effort has been to convince the Jews of their own sin and to show that they too are under sin. These passages from the Psalms and Isaiah prove that God’s condemnation of man’s sin, as stated in the Old Testament, is universal, including both Jews and Gentiles.
(5) These Scriptures are not randomly cited but are woven together to prove Paul’s point. They suggest the following structure:
(6) These citations begin and end with man’s disregard for God. In verse 11, we read “there is none who seeks for God.” In verse 18, we read, “there is no fear of God before their eyes.”
(7) Sin plagues the whole human race, without exception. The sinfulness of man is universal, including both Jews and Gentiles and excluding no one. All mankind is described as “under sin.” There are no exceptions.
(8) Sin plagues the whole man, without exception. Every man is affected by sin. Every man is affected by sin in every dimension of his life. Consider the various types of cancer. Some cancers are contained, so that cancer can be eradicated by surgical removal. Other cancers are systemic, wide-spread. Sin is systemic. There is not one area of our life free from the devastating effects of sin.
(9) The verses cited by Paul describing the sinful conduct of men focus on two parts of the anatomy: the mouth and the feet. From “head to foot,” man is a sinner. Men even succeed in putting their foot in their mouth. Paul’s selection of the mouth and the feet imply the totality of sin’s penetration and devastation.
(10) These texts describe man as purposefully and persistently practicing sin. Sin is not described as a condition which flares up from time to time but a condition which is continually active and evident. Man does not slip up; he is on a continually down-hill slide.
(11) There is not so much as a word concerning man’s goodness, or a hint of optimism concerning man’s hope of improvement or deliverance, due to his own efforts.
(12) In the context of these cited passages, there is a certainty concerning God’s judgment of sinners.
For Thou art not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; No evil dwells with Thee. The boastful shall not stand before Thine eyes; Thou dost hate all who do iniquity. Thou dost destroy those who speak falsehood; The Lord abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit (Psalm 5:4-6). Do all the workers of wickedness not know, Who eat up my people as they eat bread, And do not call upon the Lord? There they are in great dread, For God is with the righteous generation (Psalm 14:4-5).
There the doers of iniquity have fallen; They have been thrust down and cannot rise (Psalm 36:12).
Therefore, justice is far from us, And righteousness does not overtake us; We hope for light, but behold, darkness; For brightness, but we walk in gloom. We grope along the wall like blind men, We grope like those who have no eyes; We stumble at midday as in the twilight, Among those who are vigorous we are like dead men. All of us growl like bears, And moan sadly like doves; We hope for justice, but there is none, For salvation, but it is far from us. For our transgressions are multiplied before Thee, And our sins testify against us; For our transgressions are with us, And we know our iniquities: Transgressing and denying the Lord, And turning away from our God, Speaking oppression and revolt, Conceiving in and uttering from the heart lying words. And justice is turned back, And righteousness stands far away; For truth has stumbled in the street, And uprightness cannot enter. Yes, truth is lacking; And he who turns aside from evil makes himself a prey. Now the Lord saw, And it was displeasing in His sight that there was no justice (Isaiah 59:9-15).
(13) There is, in the context of all the texts cited, a deep sense of confidence and hope, based upon the person and the provisions of God.
But let all who take refuge in Thee be glad, Let them ever sing for joy; And mayest Thou shelter them, That those who love Thy name may exult in Thee. For it is Thou who dost bless the righteous man, O Lord, Thou dost surround him with favor as with a shield (Psalm 5:11-12).
The Lord is King forever and ever; Nations have perished from His land. O Lord, Thou hast heard the desire of the humble; Thou wilt strengthen their heart, Thou wilt incline Thine ear To vindicate the orphan and the oppressed, That man who is of the earth may cause terror no more (Psalm 10:16-18).
Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord restores His captive people, Jacob will rejoice, Israel will be glad (Psalm 14:7).
Thy lovingkindness, O Lord, extends to the heavens, Thy faithfulness reaches to the skies. Thy righteousness is like the mountains of God; Thy judgments are like a great deep. O Lord, Thou preservest man and beast. How precious is Thy lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Thy wings. They drink their fill of the abundance of Thy house; And Thou dost give them to drink of the river of Thy delights. For with Thee is the fountain of life; In Thy light we see light. O continue Thy lovingkindness to those who know Thee, And Thy righteousness to the upright in heart (Psalm 36:5-10).
And He saw that there was no man, And was astonished that there was no one to intercede; Then His own arm brought salvation to Him; And His righteousness upheld Him. And He put on righteousness like a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head; And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing, And wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle. According to their deeds, so He will repay, Wrath to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies; To the coastlands He will make recompense. So they will fear the name of the Lord from the west And His glory from the rising of the sun, For He will come like a rushing stream, Which the wind of the Lord drives. “And a Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” declares the Lord. “And as for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the Lord: “My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring, nor from the mouth of your offspring’s offspring,” says the Lord, “from now and forever” (Isaiah 59:16-21).
(14) These passages which Paul cites are not unusual in the Psalms or the rest of the Old Testament. By citing these texts, Paul seeks to prove that which is clear, emphatic, and repeated in the Old Testament Scriptures. Paul did not need to grasp for a few straws or a few obscure texts. He simply cited some of many passages he might have used to make his point.
Having considered verses 10-18 as a whole, let us now look at these verses one by one. Verse 10 informs us that Paul is citing Old Testament Scripture to prove his point that both Jews and Greeks are under sin. The last half of verse 10 is the beginning of Paul’s citation from Psalm 14:1-3 and 53:1-4.98 The introductory statement, “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE,” very nicely sums up the matter. It serves as a kind of title for the remainder of his quotations.
Verses 11 and 12 then proceed to describe the condition of fallen man. “THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS,” we read in verse 11. Understands what? No one understands virtually anything. At best, man only sees things from his own limited perspective. He cannot fathom the wisdom and knowledge of God. He cannot fathom God’s ends or His means. He cannot fathom His mercy and compassion. And so man would never have predicted what God performs (see Romans 11:33-36). Man can only see from an earthly, human vantage point and from the perspective of time. God sees and knows all and views all things from the perspective of eternity. At best, we see “in a mirror dimly,” and we “know in part” (1 Corinthians 13:12).
In addition to man’s natural limitations, there is the hindrance of sin. Sin dims our eyes and dulls our mind so that our grasp of reality becomes greatly distorted. The unbeliever, in his or her sin, does not see well at all, and so their knowledge and understanding is defective. This is true of the Gentiles:
This I say therefore, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality, for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness (Ephesians 4:17-19).
And it is also true of the Jews:
But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; BUT WHENEVER A MAN TURNS TO THE LORD, THE VEIL IS TAKEN AWAY (2 Corinthians 3:14-16).
Satan blinds the eyes of sinners (2 Corinthians 4:4) so that their understanding is defective. No wonder there is none who understands.99
Fallen man does not see clearly—he does not understand. Neither does he seek correctly. Sin is evident in men because we do not seek God. Fallen men continually seek after the wrong things. From the beginning of time, man has looked upon God as One who withholds from him that which is good, rather than the One who is good and who is the source of all that is good. Man’s turning from God and his twisted understanding go hand in hand.100 It is a sad but certain fact that when men reject the knowledge of God which could save them, their minds are made dull, and their lives are given over to sin (see Romans 1:18-32; 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12).
Verse 11 speaks of man’s sin as expressed toward God; verse 12 speaks of man’s sin as expressed toward men. “ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE,” the psalmist states. Men do not just miss the truth, as though they failed to see it. Men turn aside from the truth. It is a conscious rejection of truth. And so Paul can say of those who thus turn, “they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).
Sinful men have turned from the truth to what is false and from serving God to serving themselves. Men have also changed themselves. They have changed from a creation of God, which He looked upon and called “good” (Genesis 1:31), to that which has become “useless” (Romans 3:12). This term describes food which turns bad and becomes corrupt. It is used of milk which turns sour. The usefulness of man has been turned to corruption by sin. And so Paul can say, in the words of the psalmist, “THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD,101 THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE” (Romans 3:12).
Man’s condition determines and directs man’s conduct. Samplings of the conduct of sinful men are given in verses 13-16. Two parts of the anatomy are in view: man’s mouth and his feet, his words (verses 13-14) and his works (verses 15-17). Man’s mouth is selected because it is the most difficult member of the body to control (see James 3:1-12). While men struggle with sin in different areas of their lives, all struggle with sin in the matter of their speech. Sin is perhaps nowhere as evident and as commonplace as in man’s speech.
Man’s throat is like an “open grave.” Not merely foul and corrupt, it is actually defiling, as an open grave was to the Jew. The tongue is not used for conveying the truth as much as it is used to deceive, to give people the wrong idea. The mouth is not only defiling and deceiving, it is deadly. The lips are like those of the serpent. Underneath is a sack of poison, poison administered “by mouth.” Cursing and bitterness flow profusely from the mouth. Sin finds no more willing servant.
From the head to the foot, man is sinful. And so the psalmists speak of the feet of the sinner, symbolizing our lifestyle, our walk. Violence and hostility are found everywhere in fallen mankind. Men’s “FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD” (verse 15). This is part of the reason so much violence is found in the media. Media experts know men love violence, and so they give men what they want. Those of us who are not violent as criminals often wish violence upon the criminals. Man’s violence may be sanctified by such expressions as “self-defense,” “upholding the law,” “punishment” or “military action,” but it is very often simply our own violence and eagerness to shed blood. Everywhere man’s inhumanity to man is apparent. While the word is too commonly used today, abuse often describes man’s relationship with his fellow-man. The opposite is peace. The “PATH OF PEACE” is not known to sinful man (verse 17).
Verse 18 is the last Old Testament citation in our text, summing up the condition of mankind: “THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.” This appears to be the flip side of the coin. In verse 11, Paul turns our attention to the psalmists’ statement, “THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD.” On man’s part, there is no positive attraction to God, and thus man does not seek God.
Now Paul refers to Psalm 36:1, in verse 18, informing us that sinful men is not afraid of God either. Men are not attracted to God so as to seek Him (verse 11) nor are they fearful of God’s holiness and judgment. Thus, men feel free to go about their sin with no sense that they will be judged for their sins. For the sinner, God is thought to be unworthy of man’s worship and devotion and unworthy of man’s fear and reverence. With these perceptions of God, man is free to go about furthering his own interests without regard for God or man. Truly, man is sinful and worthy of the wrath of God.
19 Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may become accountable to God; 20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.
Our passage began with a question concerning the superiority of the Jews over the Gentiles. Paul brushes this question aside as he reminds his reader that condemned men should not trouble themselves with the futile activity of comparing themselves with other condemned men. All men, Jew and Gentile, are unrighteous. All men are under divine condemnation. Comparisons among condemned men are foolish and useless. The universal condition of condemnation has been demonstrated from the Old Testament.
The possession of the Law made the self-righteous Jew feel superior to the Gentile. Paul has just used the Law to show the Jews how far short of its standard of righteousness they fall. The Law was not given to the Jews to cause them to feel superior to the Gentiles or so they could earn righteousness by their good works. The Law was given to men to show them how far short of God’s righteousness they fall. The Law was given to men to show them their need for a righteousness which was not their own. The Law was given to men to show them their need for grace.
While the Law was given to the Jews to shut their mouths (verse 19), the Jews used the Law as an excuse to open their mouths. They opened their mouths in teaching the Law and in judging others by it. They opened their mouths, objecting to their equal treatment with other sinners. In these final verses of Paul’s argument (verses 10-18), it is the Law which is speaking. When the Law speaks as it has here, men’s mouths should be closed. Not one word should be spoken in objection. Not one word should be spoken in self-defense. The guilty sinner should listen to the sentence which God has pronounced in silence. Too much has already been said by the self-righteous. It is time to be quiet.
Had the Jews any respect for the Law at all, they would cease to speak words in their own defense or in judgment of others. They would be silent since the Law has spoken, condemning them of sin and showing how far short of God’s required righteousness they fall.
Man’s sin is a far more serious problem than any man can comprehend. Not only is all mankind stricken with sin, but there is no human cure for it. Perhaps worst of all, sin is self-concealing. Sin blinds the heart and mind of the sinner to where he is unwilling or unable to admit that it even exists. Sin is also something like the disease of leprosy, which affects the nerves of the body so that pain is no longer recognized. The leper can do great harm to himself, without knowing it until it is too late. Sin is like this. It dulls the senses and the mind so that the sinner fails to sense his own guilt before God. Sometimes the sinner even looks at God as the guilty one.
Like the crew of the Colombian airliner, the critically important matter is recognizing the seriousness of the dilemma and acting accordingly. Men must cease comparing themselves with others, and see themselves in comparison to God and to His Law. Men must cease to make excuses for themselves and raise questions concerning God’s righteousness and justice. We must admit that we are unrighteous in God’s sight, and that He is righteous in judging us. Men must cease striving to earn their own righteousness and receive the righteousness God has provided for us in the person of Jesus Christ.
Men are so fallen, so unrighteous, so sinful, that they do not even recognize their own condition nor grasp the good news of the Gospel. We are so desperately twisted in our thinking and in our values that we do not even recognize the truth, let alone respond to it. This is the bad news.
The good news is that God has pronounced judgment on man’s sins in order that some might be saved. God pronounced judgment on Jesus Christ, punishing Him in the sinner’s place so that a man’s sins can be forgiven, and he can be declared righteous on the basis of the righteousness of Jesus Christ! Christ Jesus came to accomplish this on the Father’s behalf. The gospel has been given and is being proclaimed to lost men so that they might hear the good news. The Holy Spirit has been sent, to “convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment” (John 16:8-11). God brings to life those who were “dead in their trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1-7). God gives the blind eyes to see, and the deaf ears to hear, so that they may understand and be saved.
Recognizing the severity of man’s sin problem is of vital importance. For then we see the immensity of the task of saving men from their sins, to which God committed Himself and which He fulfilled. It also informs us of the radical transformation which salvation brings in a person’s life. Salvation is much more than believing a few facts about God and man. It is much more than admitting our sin. It is more than simply asking God to help. It is the complete abandonment of all of our self-righteousness. It is knowing our own utter helplessness. It is recognizing the immensity of our sin and its offense toward God. It is trusting in Jesus Christ as God’s only provision, and as our only hope. It is the transformation from darkness to light, and from death to life. It is not a decision to be taken lightly, but a decision of the most serious consequence.
Becoming a Christian begins by placing our faith in Jesus Christ, but it is only the beginning of a lifetime of change, of growth, of transformation. Because of the depth of our sin, our thinking must be turned upside-down and inside-out. Our actions must be drastically transformed. Our motives must be exposed and exchanged for those consistent with the heart of God. Recognition of the severity of our sin is an indication of the radical change which trusting in Jesus Christ should produce. Easy believism minimizes the depth of man’s sin, of God’s love and grace, and of the change which God has purposed to produce in the life of the Christian.
It is not surprising that lost sinners do not and cannot understand all that Paul is saying in this text. What is disappointing is that all too many Christians do not really believe Paul’s words either. Do we really believe that “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE”? Do we believe that “THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS GOD”? Why then do Christians talk of children as though their hearts were predisposed to love and to seek God? Children are foolish and gullible. The Bible teaches this, especially Proverbs. Children do not seek God any more than adults do. Children are lost and must be convicted and converted, just like adults. Conversion is humanly impossible, but divinely provided, promised, sovereignly purposed and supernaturally accomplished.
God’s Word informs us that all sinners have turned from God and have become useless. Why is it Christians say of lost men and women, “If they were ever to become a Christian, they could do great things for God”? Apart from God’s provision, men cannot be saved. Apart from God’s provision, men are of no use to God. While we are responsible to believe and to obey, it is His work of salvation, and the glory is to be His as well.
It is not at all surprising to find lost sinners looking inward to find self-love and self-acceptance. But it is greatly puzzling to me how anyone who professes to have come to faith in Jesus Christ can deny the gospel by doing likewise. What is there about us that we should feel good about, if these words from the Psalms and Isaiah are true? What is there about ourselves that we should love? If God cannot accept us just as we are, why should we try to do so? If man’s condition required the suffering of Jesus Christ on the cross as punishment, of what is there to boast? If God cannot accept us as we are, why are we trying to accept ourselves? It is God’s acceptance in Christ which we desperately need and in which we should boast. Let us cease looking inward for something about ourselves to love and about which to boast.
Let us even cease looking inward to scour our souls, to scrutinize the depth of our sin, and to rid ourselves of it. As I understand this text, and the Bible as a whole, such effort is folly. The psalmist looked to God. As he beheld God’s righteousness, his own sin became evident. And as his own sin loomed before him, the grace of God and His provision of salvation overwhelmed him. We do not need to focus in-ward; we need to focus God-ward. When we look to God we see Him as He is, we see ourselves as we are, and we see His grace and salvation as an ever increasing bounty of His blessings.
Let us not linger here, in the mire of our own sins or in those of our fellow-men. Let us press on to the glory and the grace of God as displayed in the gospel, in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ.
98 You will notice that these two psalms are very similar, but not identical.
99 Even the Christian’s understanding is imperfect and partial (see 1 Corinthians 13:12).
100 Paul has already pointed out the relationship between man’s turning from God and his darkened mind (see Romans 1:19-22, 28).
101 The term rendered “good” here is not the usual one. The idea here is a mixture of “right” or “righteousness,” “goodness,” “kindness,” and “generosity.” It is used both of God (see Romans 2:4; Titus 3:4) and of men (see 2 Corinthians 6:6; Galatians 5:22; Colossians 3:12). While men may do those things which appear to be good, the basic motivation for doing them is evil and self-seeking. Sinful men do not seek God’s interests nor those of their fellow-men, but only those things which further self-interest.
19 Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may become accountable to God; 20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin. 21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.102
The righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel (1:17). His righteousness is demonstrated in His judgment of sin (1:18–3:20). It is also demonstrated by His provision for man’s salvation—when the penalty for men’s sins was borne by our Lord Jesus Christ, who suffered God’s righteous wrath in man’s place (3:21-26). All men, both Jews and Gentiles, are unrighteous sinners, with no human hope of entering into God’s kingdom to delight in the glory of God for all eternity. The righteousness God requires for eternal life, which all men lack, God has provided in Jesus Christ. In His provision of righteousness and salvation for condemned sinners, God’s righteousness was publicly demonstrated.
As men, we see God’s provision of righteousness from a human point of view. As fallen men, we distort even what we see in God’s provision of His righteousness by looking at it merely from a human perspective. Romans 1:18–3:20 is thought of in terms of our need for righteousness, and Romans 3:21-26 is seen as God’s provision of righteousness to meet our need. Although true, this is not the primary emphasis of our text. Here Paul examines the doctrine of salvation from God’s point of view. Man’s salvation through God’s provision of righteousness becomes here a secondary theme. The primary theme is the demonstration of God’s righteousness, through His provision of righteousness for sinners. God is in the spotlight, not men.
One of my college professors served in the armed forces during World War II. While he and a handful of men were stationed on a remote Pacific island, they suddenly were surrounded by thousands of Japanese troops. There was no fight. The American troops only managed to sabotage some of their equipment before the Japanese troops overpowered them. Eventually my professor was taken to a remote location in Japan as a P.O.W. It was many months before the war’s end and his release. Determined to keep their minds active and alert, he and other P.O.W.’s organized classes and discussion groups. One class, taught by the captain of the Queen of England’s royal yacht, held many interesting stories of the royal family. Another class, American History, was taught by a British professor, from a British point of view.
Each of us views life from a certain perspective. That perspective is shaped in part by our experiences, our decisions, and our character. Certainly a British subject would view American history from a different perspective than an American. North Vietnamese and American historians would see the history of the Viet Nam war quite differently; yet a different perspective would be held by a Swiss historian as his country was not involved in the conflict. Our perspective has everything to do with the way we understand history.103
The death of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary is the most important event in all of human history. The cross of Calvary is understood in many different ways, even by Christians. As men, all of us tend to view the work of Calvary differently than Paul presents it here in Romans 3:21-26. We think mainly of Jesus Christ, the second Person of the Godhead. Yet in our text, Paul speaks primarily of the first Person of the Godhead, God the Father. We think mainly of God’s provision of that righteousness which we lack and which we need for eternal life. Yet Paul speaks primarily in this passage of the righteousness of God which is demonstrated in the redemption of fallen sinners. While we see the cross from a human point of view, Paul’s words here enable us to view the cross from God’s point of view. The way we live as Christians is greatly influenced by this significant difference in perspective. A life-changing truth is taught in this marvelous text. Let us consider it carefully, and diligently seek to understand our salvation from God’s point of view.
19 Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may become accountable to God; 20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.
Romans 3:21 begins a new section in the Book of Romans. Our study must start by reviewing what Paul has already taught which prepares us for his new line of thought. After his introduction in 1:1-17, Paul lays a foundation for his epistle by establishing man’s sinful condition, resulting in divine condemnation. Paul summarizes man’s condition in these words: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Man’s unrighteousness is evident in his rejection of the revelation of who God is, of what He is like, and of His standards for man’s conduct. God’s righteousness is evident in His response to man’s rejection of the truth and his rebellion against God; God’s righteousness is manifested in His wrath toward sin.
Because man rejects or distorts that which God reveals about Himself in creation, and chooses to worship something other than the Creator (1:18-32), all mankind stands guilty of sin. Paul is not willing to stop here; he is not content to speak only in general terms of man’s sin and condemnation. He is all too aware of the pride and self-righteousness of his Jewish brethren, according to the flesh. While more than willing to acknowledge and condemn the Gentile’s sins, many Jews were unwilling to admit their own sin. Some even boldly admitted their sin, while still expecting God’s blessings despite their condition and conduct. In chapter 2, Paul charges the Jews with hypocrisy, as they fail to live by the same standard they hold in their judgment and teaching of others. Paul deals in chapter 3 with some of their objections (3:1-18), turning to the Old Testament Scriptures to show that both Jews and Gentiles fall under divine condemnation as sinners (3:10-18).
Paul seeks to silence once and for all the self-righteous Jews. His words are intended to prevent them from offering any further objections or excuses for their sin. The two closing verses of his first major argument (verses 19 and 20) turn the Jews’ attention to the Old Testament Law, the Law in which they take great pride, believing it will make them righteous while it condemns the Gentiles as sinners.
If man’s rejection of the revelation of God in creation is sufficient to condemn the Gentiles, the Jews’ rejection of the Law brings even greater guilt and condemnation. The Jews used the Law as a standard for judging and condemning the Gentiles, failing to live by this standard themselves (see 2:1ff.). Paul now reminds the Jews that the Law “speaks to those under the Law,” so that every mouth may be shut and every man be shown to be a sinner (3:19). The Law speaks to the Jews and not to the Gentiles. The Law speaks to those under the Law and not to those without the Law. The Law condemns the Jews and renders them speechless and defenseless before a righteous God. To the Jew’s list of guilty sinners, which included all the Gentiles, Paul adds all the Jews, condemned by the very Law in which they take great pride. All the world now stands condemned before God.
Contrary to Jewish thinking, the Law did not provide them with a means of earning righteousness. Paul teaches that the Law served only to demonstrate man’s lack of righteousness and his need for a righteousness obtained apart from law-keeping. The Law was not meant to save but to condemn. Thus, salvation does not come through the Law but “apart” from it. Paul proves precisely this in Romans 3:21–5:21.
As we reach this new section in Romans 3:21, the righteousness of God now becomes evident in salvation. God saves men by judging their sin in the Person of His Son, Jesus Christ. God provides the righteousness of His Son, received by faith, so that men may be justified in His sight. The relationship of Paul’s argument in Romans 3:21–5:21 to what he has already taught in Romans may be summed up this way:
21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God through faith104 in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
The key phrase of verse 21 is “apart from the law.” According to Paul’s words, the105 righteousness of God is “now” evident is some new and different way, “apart from the106 Law.” The “apartness” from the Law, Paul informs us, is not a total “apartness.” The righteousness of God “now” revealed is that to which the Law and the Prophets bear witness. There is then a clear relationship between the righteousness of God and the Law. Precisely what the relationship is between the righteousness of God now revealed and the Law must be carefully determined and defined. The following statements concerning the demonstration of the righteousness of God and the Law serve to define this relationship.
(1) The present demonstration of the righteousness of God is that to which the Law bears witness. Righteousness is defined by the Law. Because it defines righteousness and unrighteousness, the Law condemns all mankind, for no man will ever meet God’s standard of righteousness as laid down in the Law. Furthermore, while the Law informs men of their inability to attain righteousness by their own works, it promises a righteousness God Himself provides (see, for example, Deuteronomy 5:29; 9:4-6; 18:14-19; 29:4; 30:1-20). When the righteousness of God was revealed through the Person and work of Jesus Christ, the standard which the Law laid down was met. The Law continues to bear witness that Jesus is righteous, and that He is the Righteous One whom God promised would come to save His people from their sins. Jesus could rightly appeal to the Law as His witness, as proof of His identity as Messiah. The Law therefore defines true righteousness and declares that this righteousness would be manifested apart from the law-keeping of the Israelites, in God’s time.
(2) The demonstration of the righteousness of God is not accomplished by law-keeping. Keeping the Law cannot justify men or reveal the righteousness of God. While the Law defined righteousness and declared that it would come, the Law did not produce this righteousness. The Law’s function is something like the role of the Olympic judges. The judges recognize the best performance and announce the winner, but the winning performance is achieved apart from the judges. The judges cannot perform that which they praise; they can only identify that which is praiseworthy. The judges can take no credit for the excellence of the performer.
(3) The righteousness of God was manifested “apart from Law” and thus independently of Judaism. Judaism did not contribute to or produce the promised righteousness of God. The Jews boasted in their possession of the Law. They should not have done so. It made them neither more righteous nor better than the Gentiles. A standard far too high for any Jew to live up to, the Law condemned the Jews as sinners just like the Gentiles. Paul emphasizes this in verses 19 and 20. But here, Paul shows that the demonstration of the righteousness of God has come about independently of the Law, so far as its accomplishment is concerned.
God’s righteousness was not being revealed for the first time. His righteousness is evident in everything He does. God’s righteousness is evident in His giving men over to their sin, as a present manifestation of His wrath toward sin (see 1:18ff.). But now, with the earthly appearance of Jesus Christ, God’s righteousness is revealed in yet another way. It is revealed in Jesus Christ and in His work of redemption.
While this present manifestation of God’s righteousness in Christ is new in terms of time (“But now,” verse 21), it is not utterly new in kind. In the past, God’s righteousness was revealed by His wrath toward sin as it was poured out upon sinful men. The present manifestation of God’s righteousness is revealed by the outpouring of His wrath on His only Son, who bore the sins of the world.
Paul emphasizes not only that God has supplied the righteousness which all men lack, but he emphasizes the way in which God has supplied it. God’s righteousness has been provided in a way that is righteous. In Paul’s own words, “… that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:26b). The words “just” and “justifier” are both renderings of the root term for righteous. And so we could render Paul’s words, “… that He might be righteous and the One who makes the one who has faith in Jesus righteous.”
The righteousness which God provides for sinners is not bestowed with partiality, as many Jews supposed. God’s righteousness is given to men as a gift, on the basis of faith, and not on the basis of works. It is offered to all men, because all are sinners, both Jews and Gentiles. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “All” men, without distinction, are condemned sinners, and consequently, they have no human hope of heaven (“the glory of God,” see Romans 5:2). Since no man can justly be declared righteous on the basis of his performance, righteousness is freely given, by grace, on the basis of the righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ (3:24).
God has established and declared His standards for men. He has defined both the conduct which He declares to be righteousness and its rewards. He has also declared that conduct which is sin, the penalty for which is eternal judgment:
5 But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who will render to every man according to his deeds: 7 to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; 8 but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. 9 There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace to every man who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11 For there is no partiality with God (Romans 2:5-11).
All men fail to meet God’s standards for righteousness. All men deserve God’s wrath. For God to save men righteously, the penalty for their sins must be paid, and the righteousness they lack must be provided. This has been accomplished through the work of Jesus Christ. He was without sin, yet He bore the sins of men. He endured the righteous wrath of God on Calvary. He offers men His righteousness as a free gift, apart from human merit. His death redeems fallen men, because He paid the price; He suffered the penalty for man’s sin.
“Redemption” (verse 24) refers to the price that was paid and the debt that was canceled, due to our Lord’s sacrificial death on Calvary. “Propitiation” (verse 25) refers to the satisfaction of God’s righteous anger, so that He can now deal with men graciously and benevolently. The concepts of “redemption” and “propitiation” are used to demonstrate and draw our attention to the justice of God. God has set the sinner free through Christ, but He has not done so by setting aside the rules. He has set the sinner free in Christ by satisfying the demands of God’s justice in Christ. Due to sin, a penalty was to be meted out and a price was to be paid. Christ paid that price and suffered that penalty (“redemption”). God’s divine wrath had to be appeased, due to man’s sin; Christ has appeased that wrath (“propitiation”).
The penalty which our Lord endured on the sinner’s behalf was suffered publicly:
Being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus (Romans 3:24-26).
God had passed over many of the sins of men. He did not immediately execute the death sentence, though men deserved to die. Had he done so, all opportunity for guilty sinners to be saved would have been lost forever. Thus, God withheld His full and final punishment in order that some might be saved (see Romans 9:22-23). His passing over sin is seen in various times and places (see, for example, Genesis 15:12-16; 18:22-33;107 Acts 14:16; 17:30). The most dramatic illustration of this passing over of man’s sins is seen in the annual Day of Atonement (see Leviticus 16), when punishment for the sins of the nation Israel was delayed yet another year (see Hebrews 9:1–10:18).
God publicly demonstrated His righteousness in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, in the sinner’s place. In the Person of Christ, sin was publicly punished so that the righteousness of God might be demonstrated, for all to see. So too the final judgment of the world will be very public. Since the demonstration of God’s righteousness was God’s purpose, no private execution of our Lord was possible.
God provided men with a righteousness which would result in their salvation, and He did so in a way that demonstrated His righteousness. God spared nothing, not even the incomprehensible suffering of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, in providing a salvation for men. At Calvary, righteousness was much more than provided; it was demonstrated.
Here, I believe, is the heart of Paul’s message: the demonstration of God’s righteousness. Careful consideration of our text brings amazement at what is emphasized and what is not. Now that salvation is in view, one would expect that God the Son would be the most prominent Person of the Godhead. Such is not the case. God the Father is referred to in our text approximately twice as often as God the Son. Paul is emphasizing the demonstration of God’s righteousness, through the Father’s provision of His righteousness for men, in His Son. The cross of Calvary is indirectly alluded to in our text but never specifically mentioned. Neither is the resurrection of our Lord referred to in this passage.
Two prominent concepts are repeatedly mentioned and emphasized: (1) the righteousness of God; and, (2) the visible, public demonstration of this righteousness.108 Paul’s emphasis falls not so much on the righteousness which God has provided in Christ as the righteousness which God has demonstrated through Christ. This distinction may seem subtle, but it is one of great significance.
When we choose to look at salvation from a merely human perspective, we see salvation from the standpoint of what it does for us. God becomes the One who “meets our needs.” While God does meet our needs, the focus is all wrong. At its core, this focus is selfish and self-centered. God as the Giver should not be our focus, but God as the Gift. He is to be our great reward and not just our rewarder (Genesis 15:1, NASB, margin).
The Jews lost their perspective of that salvation which God was to provide and began to see it from their own point of view. Thinking salvation belonged only to them, they determined to keep it for themselves, not sharing it with others, with undeserving sinners. Like Jonah of old, they did not want to see the heathen blessed with God’s salvation. They wanted the wicked to perish. And in the process, they forgot that they too were sinners, just like the Gentiles. They forgot that they must receive God’s salvation just as the Gentiles, by faith, rather than by works. Mistakenly, they supposed that their possession of the Law was their assurance of possessing God’s salvation, a confirmed reservation for entrance into God’s kingdom. They, like Jonah, assumed God was obligated to bless them, even when they were disobedient. They saw salvation and God’s blessings as their right and not as His grace.
Israel was given the Law of God as a stewardship. They did not own it; it was given as a sacred trust. They were to use the revelation of God to them to demonstrate His righteousness. This they were to do by believing, and obeying, God’s revelation in the Law. They were also to proclaim the good news to the lost. How could the Jews become so twisted in their thinking? How could they view God’s salvation as something they alone possessed which they could withhold from Gentile sinners?
Paul’s words of warning for the Gentiles in Romans 11 strongly suggest that we today are in grave danger of repeating Israel’s error. We may begin to see God’s gracious provision of righteousness in such a way that we think more of our righteousness than of His. Christians too have been given God’s revelation. The revelation we have received is full and final. It is a stewardship with which we have been entrusted. We must first believe God’s Word and obey it, and then we must proclaim it to sinners.
As faithful stewards, we must view all of life through the eyes of our Master. We must understand God’s purposes and then act in the light of them. We must seek to fulfill God’s purposes in a way consistent not only with His causes but with His character. We must pursue God’s goals in ways consistent with God’s character. It is impossible to be a good steward unless we view our task through the eyes of our Master. Paul thus portrays God’s provision of righteousness from the divine point of view, fixing our attention on God’s purpose for saving men: the demonstration of His righteousness.
Christians say things which greatly disturb me, because they sound all too much like the thinking of the Jews. I hear Christians say, “If I were the only person on earth (to receive it), Christ would have died for me.” What Scripture teaches this? Why do we look at God’s salvation in such a self-centered way? Do we see God’s work of salvation as though it were only for us? Such thinking is alarmingly similar to that of the Jews in Paul’s day. It turns men from an awareness of God’s grace and from a response overflowing with humble gratitude. It inclines us to think of God as showing us some partiality. We delight in seeing and thinking of ourselves as special, rather than as sinners. God has not chosen us because we are special,109 but because we are lost. There is no basis for boasting in this.
“God loves me and saved me, just as I am,” some foolishly say. No, He does not! God condemns us, just as we are. God cannot be righteous and accept the unrighteous into His kingdom. God is righteous, because He condemns the unrighteous. God does not even accept us in spite of who we are. God accepts us because of who Christ is. If we are truly saved, we have been punished for our sins, in Christ. If we are saved, we have died, been buried, and raised from the dead, in Christ. We are what we are, in Christ. We are accepted by God, through Christ, and not because of anything we are or anything we have done in and of ourselves.
When we view salvation from a merely human perspective, we distort it and abuse it. We begin to look at salvation as though God accomplished it primarily for our benefit, rather than for His benefit. How then do we explain the fate of all those whom God did not purpose to save, those whom Paul refers to as “vessels of wrath” (see Romans 9:21-23)? Are we saved because we are better than they? Are they condemned because they are worse than we?
To illustrate, suppose I am a passenger on a ship bound for New York City. My ship explodes deep within its hull and sinks. I alone survive, floating helplessly in the ocean with only my life jacket to sustain my life. I know it will only be a few hours, and I will die. I can do nothing to save myself. I am doomed. A ship suddenly appears on the horizon. Somehow, someone on board that ship spots me, floating helplessly in the ocean. The ship turns from its course and stops to rescue me.
I should be grateful that I have been spared. No matter where the ship is bound, I should be overjoyed to be alive and to land there. But should I begin to believe that the ship’s main purpose and duty was saving me, then I will begin to think that the ship should sail in the opposite direction to take me to New York, even though it is bound for Europe. I may even have the gall to expect the captain of the ship to accommodate me. Because I am focusing on myself, I have lost sight of the purpose of that ship and of the small part I gratefully have in the ship’s purpose.
We fail to grasp the great purposes of God! We have reduced God to the status of being the servant of men, a God whose principle purpose is to make us happy, and not a God actively displaying His righteousness. We forget the purpose for which we have been saved.110 We have succeeded in looking at salvation as “our salvation” and as God’s primary task. It is not! It is but one part of His eternal plan and purpose to display His splendor, His glory, to all of creation, including the heavenly hosts.
In his Epistle to the Ephesians, Paul speaks to Christians of the salvation God has graciously bestowed upon them. But at the very outset of this epistle, Paul is emphatically clear that God’s primary purpose in history is the demonstration of His splendor and majesty, of His glory:
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, 8 which He lavished upon us. In all wisdom and insight 9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him 10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth. In Him 11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, 12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.
I now understand Paul’s introductory words, contained in the first 15 verses of Romans, to be an illustration of the great truth he is teaching us here in Romans 3. Paul does not view his salvation as the incorporation of God into his life, but as God incorporating him into His eternal plan and purpose. Paul views his conversion as a dramatic turning point in his life. Until the time of his salvation, Paul was religious, but he sought to “use God,” while believing he was serving God. Now, after his salvation, Paul sees himself as being saved by God, to be used by God as God chooses. Paul’s life was turned inside-out and upside-down, so that he now sought as his compelling mission fulfilling God’s purposes in the world. He had not added God to his agenda; God had added him to His agenda, for which Paul would eternally praise Him. To the Christian, this fundamentally different mindset is the result of our perception of God’s salvation. The believer must see his salvation as the demonstration of God’s righteousness and himself as subservient to His plans and purposes. When we see our salvation as God’s meeting our needs, we see God as subservient to us. The distinction between these two perspectives is fundamental and crucial.
I wonder, were Christians to see salvation as Paul does, would there be a debate over the issue of “lordship salvation”? Were believers to understand that God’s purpose in the world is to demonstrate His righteousness, would we dare to think it does not matter to God whether or not we live righteously?
God condemns men to eternal damnation, to demonstrate His righteousness. Likewise, God saves men from damnation, to demonstrate His righteousness. The determining factor in God’s choices and actions is not man’s salvation, but the declaration of His righteousness. God’s righteousness is displayed in everything He does and in everything He does not do. When we make our salvation the focus, we take the focus from God and put ourselves in His place. We take the sun from the center of the solar system and make earth the point around which all of the solar system revolves.
Only when we see the demonstration of God’s righteousness as primary, and man’s salvation as secondary, can we see our salvation from God’s point of view. Let us earnestly seek by God’s grace and by His Word to change our own thinking and preferences to those which conform to God’s ways.
The wonder of it all: that God would choose to save any of us, for we are all deserving of His wrath. For those who are truly convicted of their sin and of their desperate need for righteousness, God’s provision of righteousness will be gratefully received, even though it is not flattering to us. We will gladly receive His grace, knowing that it suits and serves His purposes. Will you receive that righteousness which God has provided in Jesus Christ? If you do, your salvation will be a demonstration of His righteousness. If you do not, your condemnation will be a demonstration of His righteousness. God’s righteousness is not at stake. Your eternal destiny is. If you have already received that righteousness which God has provided in Jesus Christ, is the demonstration of God’s righteousness central in your life? It should be.
While the resurrection of our Lord is not mentioned in our text, it too is a demonstration of God’s righteousness.111 Consider these words, spoken by our Lord and recorded in the Gospel of John:
“And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you no longer behold Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged” (John 16:8-11).
We celebrate the resurrection of our Lord on Easter Sunday. The resurrection is not only a fact of history, it is a truth with profound significance. Among the implications and applications of our Lord’s resurrection is the demonstration of our Lord’s righteousness. The empty tomb of our Lord continues to testify to His righteousness. Our Lord’s resurrection, like the condemnation of some deserving sinners and the salvation of some undeserving sinners, is a demonstration of the righteousness of God. Is the demonstration of God’s righteousness central in your life? It should be.
102 I believe Paul’s areas of emphasis in this text are: 1) the public demonstration of 2) the righteousness of God. Verses 19 and 20 are included because they are a vitally important reminder of the context of Paul’s words here.
103 History, ironically, has everything to do with our perspective. Apart from a divine perspective, we would be hopelessly trapped by our own experience.
104 The original text literally reads, “through the faith of Jesus Christ.” This is the way in which the translators of the King James version understood and rendered it. Is the faith of Christ the emphasis here, or is it the faith of the believer? Paul’s precise wording would suggest the former, the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. It was Israel’s unfaithfulness which was the problem. It was Christ’s faithfulness which was the solution. In chapter 4 Paul will turn to the matter of men’s faith in Christ, but that does not seem to be the thrust of Paul’s words here.
105 The definite article is not present in the text. Thus, the text could be rendered, “a righteousness of God.” The sense of the statement does not change significantly, regardless of the translation. In the light of what Paul is about to say, however, it may be best to render the expression normally: “a righteousness of God.” From Paul’s teaching and perspective, the righteousness of God had been revealed before “now” in His condemnation of sin. His righteousness is “now” being revealed in a different way, through the redemptive work of Christ on the cross of Calvary.
106 Technically, the definite article rendered “the” is not present in the original text. Thus, it should perhaps be rendered, “… apart from law a righteousness of God has been manifested …”
107 Here, it is very clear that God would have delayed His judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah in order to save a handful of righteous men. The judgment of the wicked is delayed for the salvation of the righteous, just as Paul says in Romans 9:22-23.
108 Two emphatic themes are evident by the emphasized words and phrases in our text, as found at the beginning of this lesson.
109 A thoughtful reading of 1 Corinthians 1 and 2 is indeed humbling, because far from teaching us that God chose us due to something special in us, He chose us because of our particularly pitiable and weak condition, thus bringing praise and glory to Himself.
110 For additional study, see 2 Corinthians 5:14–6:10.
111 I heard another “Christian” song this week which was incredibly off course in its theology. It had to do with the resurrection of our Lord. It did not attribute our Lord’s resurrection to His holiness, or to His righteousness, but to God’s love for us. It went something like this: “If God did not love us so much, Christ would still be in the grave.” How self-centered. How sad. How unbiblical.
A scene in one of my favorite movies, Return to Snowy River, depicts Mr. Patton, a banker, talking with a British officer. Their discussion involves the ancestry of the movie’s Harrison family. According to Mr. Patton, the Harrison family certainly could not have come from such aristocratic stock as he; they were obviously inferior. After asking a few questions about his family line and listening politely, the officer silences the snobbish Mr. Patton with one remark: “As I remember, Patton, my ancestors used to hunt down people from your family line and hang them as horse thieves!”
Is it not amazing how people remember only the noble side of their ancestry? If ever there were a people proud of their ancestry, it was the Jews. They took particular pride in being descendants of Abraham, believing that this physical descent made them better than others. They even believed their ancestry assured them of eternal life in the kingdom of God.
Many of the Jews even believed they possessed salvation solely on the basis of being Abraham’s descendant. Beyond this, they thought they determined who was eligible for salvation, because they owned it. Before the coming of Christ, they shared salvation only with those willing to become Jewish proselytes. When proselytes converted to Judaism, they must be circumcised and place themselves under the Law of Moses.
With the coming of Christ, Christianity was altogether rejected by many Jews. They did not believe Jesus was the Messiah, and they opposed the preaching of Jesus as the Messiah even to the Gentiles. Jews who converted to Christianity wanted to obtain ownership and control, just as they had done in Judaism. The Jews insisted that to be saved, Gentiles needed not only to believe in Jesus as the Messiah, but they must be circumcised and keep the Law.
In virtually all the churches he founded or to which he wrote, Paul found it necessary to refute and correct the errors of the Judaisers. This included the church at Rome. Throughout the Book of Romans, Paul deals with the misconceptions and heresies of Judaism. He has already shown that “all,” Jews as well as Gentiles, fall short of the glory of God. In order to be saved from their sin and condemnation, all are in need of a righteousness not their own.
Some of Judaism’s principle errors stem from a false sense of pride and security, due to their physical descent from Abraham. To the Jews, Abraham was their father. They took great pride in looking upon themselves as the sons of Abraham. Paul must correct some of their views concerning Abraham. The entire fourth chapter of Romans is therefore devoted to Abraham. Paul does far more than show the Jews to be mistaken concerning the righteousness of Abraham; Paul shows that Abraham was justified by faith, apart from works, and that he is the “father” of all who believe, Jew or Gentile. Abraham’s righteousness is precisely the same righteousness which God has made available to men today, and on the same basis.
Paul begins in chapter 4 to answer the three questions he has raised at the end of chapter 3. These questions begin to interpret and apply Paul’s teaching in the first three chapters of Romans and serve as an introduction to what follows. Those three questions are:
The entire fourth chapter of Romans surrounds Abraham, the Old Testament patriarch. Abraham’s faith in God’s promise of His blessings through Abraham’s seed is the central issue. This promised “seed” would come about through a son, whom he and Sarai would have. His belief in God’s promise of this son was reckoned to him as righteousness. Chapter 4 can be divided into three major segments:
In the Old and New Testament, Abraham113 is named in 230 verses. References to Abraham (or Abram) in Genesis 11–25:10 disclose biographical incidents in the life of Abraham. From this point on, the 135 remaining references to Abraham point back to these historical events. Paul’s argument in Romans 4 assumes some grasp of the events of Abraham’s life. As a background to our study, we must consider a brief overview of the major events in the life of Abraham, the father of our faith.
Originally Abram114 came from the land of Ur of the Chaldeans (Genesis 11:28). Terah, Abram’s father, took Abram and Lot as far as Haran where they settled. God instructed Abraham to leave Haran and go to the place He would show him. There, God promised to bless Abraham by making of him a great nation, and by blessing the entire world though his seed (Genesis 12:1-3). Abram obeyed, taking along Lot, his nephew. When a famine occurred in Canaan, Abram went to Egypt. Fearing he might be killed and his still beautiful wife might be taken in marriage, Abram passed off his wife Sarai as his sister. This put at risk the promised “seed,” which would come through Abram and Sarai. Pharaoh took Sarai into his harem, but God prevented a consummation of this “marriage.” Pharaoh learned Sarai was Abram’s wife and rebuked him, escorting him back to the land of Canaan (12:10-20).
After Abram and Lot were separated (Genesis 13), Lot was taken captive, and Abram went to his rescue. After Lot’s successful recovery, Abram met Melchizedek, a mysterious king to whom Abram offered a tithe (Genesis 14). Reiterating His covenant with Abram and promising him a son, Abraham believed God’s promise, and his faith was reckoned to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:1-6). God further told Abram of the 400 years his descendants would be mistreated in a foreign land, after which they would possess the land of Canaan (15:12-21).
As the years passed, Abram and Sarai became concerned, since no son had yet been given them by God. They decided that it was only necessary for Abram to father the child and that Hagar could serve as the mother of the child, in Sarai’s place. At age 86, through Hagar, Abram and Sarah had a son, Ishmael. This son was not the “son of promise,” but God would care for the land as He had said (16:1-16).
At age 99, 24 years after God first promised a “seed” for Abraham, God reaffirmed His covenant with Abram and Sarai. He changed Abram’s name to Abraham and Sarai’s name to Sarah. The next year, God promised, they would have a son. God commanded Abraham to be circumcised and to circumcise all the males in his household. Circumcision was to be a sign of God’s (Abrahamic) covenant for all generations to come. Thus, years after he was declared to be righteous, on the basis of his faith (Genesis 17),115Abraham was circumcised.
God told Abraham, His friend, what He was about to do with the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18 and 19). Abraham pled with God to spare these cities, if but a handful of righteous were found. The cities were destroyed, with only Lot and his immediate family spared. Watching from afar, Abram’s spirit was very different from that of Jonah many years later (compare Genesis 19:27-29; Jonah 4:1-11). After repeating his sin of deception in Gerar before Abimelech (Genesis 20), Abraham and Sarah had Isaac (Genesis 21). Sacrificing this son of promise was the greatest test of Abraham’s life, but it revealed that Abraham had finally come to trust in God as the One able to give life to the dead. Abram no longer needed to lie or to be afraid (Genesis 22).
At the age of 127, Sarah died (Genesis 23). Abraham lived yet another 38 years, married again, and fathered more children (25:1-4). Sarah’s burial was a demonstration of Abraham’s faith, for it was necessary to purchase the piece of land which would serve as the family burial site, in Canaan. That land which God had promised to give to Abraham someday was not yet his. He nevertheless bought the parcel of land, on which Sarah, and he, and his descendants could be buried (chapter 23).
As Abraham’s days drew to a close, he became very concerned about finding the right kind of wife for his son, Isaac. Commissioning his most trusted servant to secure a wife for his son, she was not be from among the Canaanites nor was Isaac to be taken back to the land from which he had come. Guided by the hand of God, his trusted servant found Rebekah as a wife for Isaac, from Abraham’s relative, Bethuel (Genesis 24). After this, Abraham died at the ripe old age of 175 (Genesis 25). Chapters 11–25 of Genesis portray 100 years of Abraham’s walk with God, as a sojourner in the land his descendants would one day possess. One fourth of this century of Abraham’s walk was spent in waiting for the son God had promised.
Abraham’s name is mentioned many other times in the Old Testament. Most often in the books of Israel’s history God’s name is mentioned to demonstrate that God’s actions were in fulfillment of His promise to Abraham. The consistency of God’s promises and program in history is clearly demonstrated. This same faithfulness is emphasized in the Psalms:
Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually. Remember His wonders which He has done, His marvels, and the judgments uttered by His mouth, O seed of Abraham, His servant, O sons of Jacob, His chosen ones! He is the LORD our God; His judgments are in all the earth. He has remembered His covenant forever, The word which He commanded to a thousand generations, The covenant which He made with Abraham, And His oath to Isaac. Then He confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, To Israel as an everlasting covenant, Saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan As the portion of your inheritance,” When they were only a few men in number, Very few, and strangers in it. And they wandered about from nation to nation, From one kingdom to another people. He permitted no man to oppress them, And He reproved kings for their sakes: “Do not touch My anointed ones, And do My prophets no harm” (Psalm 105:4-15).
When Isaiah spoke of the righteousness and salvation God was to provide, as He promised, He called upon His people to think back to their beginnings, in Abraham and Sarah:
“Listen to Me, you who pursue righteousness, Who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were hewn, And to the quarry from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father, And to Sarah who gave birth to you in pain; When he was but one I called him, Then I blessed him and multiplied him.” Indeed, the LORD will comfort Zion; He will comfort all her waste places. And her wilderness He will make like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the LORD; Joy and gladness will be found in her, Thanksgiving and sound of a melody. “Pay attention to Me, O My people; And give ear to Me, O My nation; For a law will go forth from Me, And I will set My justice for a light of the peoples. My righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth, And My arms will judge the peoples; The coastlands will wait for Me, And for My arm they will wait expectantly. Lift up your eyes to the sky, Then look to the earth beneath; For the sky will vanish like smoke, And the earth will wear out like a garment, And its inhabitants will die in like manner, But my salvation shall be forever, And My righteousness shall not wane. Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, A people in whose heart is My law; Do not fear the reproach of man, Neither be dismayed at their revilings. For the moth will eat them like a garment, And the grub will eat them like wool. But My righteousness shall be forever, And My salvation to all generations” (Isaiah 51:1-8).
Jeremiah too spoke of Israel’s future deliverance and salvation in terms of the fulfillment of God’s covenant with Abraham (see Jeremiah 23:19-26). Ezekiel likewise called upon Israel to trust in Him, by faith. They were to remember that Abraham, who was but one man, became a great nation because of God’s faithfulness to His promise (see Ezekiel 33:23-29). The final words of Micah’s prophecy remind God’s people of His faithfulness to His covenant promise to Abraham and to his descendants:
“Shepherd Thy people with Thy scepter, The flock of Thy possession Which dwells by itself in the woodland, In the midst of a fruitful field. Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead As in the days of old. As in the days when you came out from the land of Egypt, I will show you miracles.” Nations will see and be ashamed Of all their might. They will put their hand on their mouth, Their ears will be deaf. They will lick the dust like a serpent, Like reptiles of the earth. They will come trembling out of their fortresses; To the LORD our God they will come in dread, And they will be afraid before Thee. Who is a God like Thee, who pardons iniquity And passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in unchanging love. He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, Thou wilt cast all their sins Into the depths of the sea. Thou wilt give truth to Jacob And unchanging love to Abraham, Which Thou didst swear to our forefathers From the days of old (Micah 7:14-20).
These Old Testament prophets spoke of the righteousness and salvation God would provide in fulfillment of His promise to Abraham. That righteousness, like the righteousness of Abraham, was not a righteousness which men earned by their law-keeping, but a righteousness which God Himself would provide through His Messiah, the coming Savior.
Abraham is also a very prominent person in the New Testament. Especially in the Gospels do we see the distorted thinking of the Jews concerning Abraham. The Jews took pride in their physical descent from Abraham, believing that being his seed was synonymous with salvation. John the Baptist immediately challenges this thinking as incorrect:
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance; and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you, that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. And the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. And His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3:7-12).
Believing they had confirmed reservations in the kingdom of God, the Jews saw the Gentiles as those who would never enter into the blessings promised Abraham. They were wrong. Jesus’ teaching must have rocked the boat of Jewish exclusivism. Consider these instances of Jesus’ teaching which must have horrified the Jews. Note especially Jesus’ references to Abraham, the blessings of God, and the kingdom.
Jesus marveled at and commended the faith of the Gentile centurion:
Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled, and said to those who were following, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel. And I say to you, that many shall come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven; but the sons of the kingdom shall be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:10-12).
Because of his faith, the centurion would be at the banquet table, along with Abraham, but many of the “sons of the kingdom” would be cast into hell. Here was a revolutionary thought to the Jews, but one completely consistent with the Old Testament and with the gospel.
A similar shock was in store for the Jews when Jesus told the story of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). According to Jewish thinking, the rich man would surely go to heaven while the poor man was surely destined for hell. Jesus reversed the destinies of these two. The rich man was found in hell, and the poor man, Lazarus, went to heaven. Most shocking are the words of the rich man when appealing for mercy:
“Now it came about that the poor man died and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. And in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried out and said, ‘ Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue; for I am in agony in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, in order that those who wish to come over from here to you may not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, Father, that you send him to my father’s house—for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ But he said, ‘No, Father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’ But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead’” (Luke 16:22-31, emphasis mine).
Imagine this scene and the Jews’ horror at these words from the lips of our Lord. Heaven was, not unexpectedly, “Abraham’s bosom” (Luke 16:22). But the rich man, who called out from hell, called out, “Father Abraham” (see verses 24 and 30). Priding themselves that Abraham was their physical forefather, the Jews were self-assured that they would enter into the promised kingdom and the blessings promised Abraham. And now, from the depths of hell, they call out to “Father Abraham.” Surely Jesus was teaching precisely what John the Baptist before Him, and Paul after Him, were teaching: that physical descent from Abraham does not assure anyone of salvation. Salvation is attained through faith and not through the fatherhood of Abraham.
The great showdown between Jesus and the Jewish religious leaders was over Jesus’ relationship to Abraham:
Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s offspring, and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You shall become free’?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. And the slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed. I know that you are Abraham’s offspring; yet you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. I speak the things which I have seen with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father.” They answered and said to Him, “ Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you are Abraham’s children, do the deeds of Abraham. But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do. You are doing the deeds of your father.” They said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.” Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me; for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar, and the father of lies. But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me. Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.” The Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?” Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. But I do not seek My glory; there is One who seeks and judges. Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.” The Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets also; and You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word, he shall never taste of death.’ Surely You are not greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets died too; whom do You make Yourself out to be?” Jesus answered, “If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God’; and you have not come to know Him, but I know Him; and if I say that I do not know Him, I shall be a liar like you, but I do know Him, and keep His word. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” The Jews therefore said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.” Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself, and went out of the temple (John 8:31-59, emphasis mine).
In this passage we see that the Jews emphatically boasted that Abraham was their father (verses 33 and 39). But clearly it was not Abraham who would save the Jews, but the Son (8:36). The Jews in reality, as evidenced by their unbelief, were sons of the devil (verse 44). Those who were truly Abraham’s seed would believe in Him and obey His words. In so doing, they would never see death (verse 51). Did Jesus think Himself better than Abraham, the Jews challenged? Jesus’ final response was, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I AM” (verse 58).
In preaching the gospel to the Jews, Jesus was presented as God’s only provision for entering into the kingdom and experiencing the blessings God promised to provide through Abraham’s seed (see Acts 7:2ff.). Paul adds a very significant note to this whole matter. He points out that the “seed” of Abraham, through whom the blessings were to be poured out on all who believe, Jew or Gentile, was singular. The “seed” was one Person—Jesus; it was not plural, the nation Israel:
Brethren, I speak in terms of human relations: even though it is only a man’s covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds conditions to it. Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” referring to many, but rather to one, “And to your seed,” that is, Christ (Galatians 3:15-16).
No wonder Paul devotes an entire chapter to Abraham’s justification by faith! Not only does Abraham’s justification prove the Jews wrong for trusting and boasting in Abraham as their physical forefather, but it proves Abraham to be the father of all those who believe in God, by faith!
27 Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. 28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one. 31 Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.
Thus far, Paul has shown that all mankind fails to meet God’s standard of righteousness, all have fallen short of God’s promised blessings and have come under divine condemnation. Jews and Gentiles alike are under God’s wrath and the sentence of death. In His righteousness, God condemns the sin of men. In His righteousness, God has made a provision for man’s justification, by punishing Jesus Christ in our place on the cross of Calvary. All who believe in Jesus Christ and accept His provision of righteousness by faith, are justified, saved by grace.
What does all of this mean? Paul raises three questions at the end of chapter 3 in verses 27-31 which pursue the practical implications of his teaching. He asks and answers each question very briefly. He wants the answer to each question to be clear in the mind of his reader. He then follows up each answer, briefly provided in verses 27-31, with a more extensive explanation in his teaching which follows. Chapter 4 deals directly with the answer to the first two questions. Chapters 6-8 expand on the role of the Law in the life of the believer.
The first question, found in verse 27 is this: What basis does anyone have for boasting concerning salvation? There is no basis for boasting. Men cannot boast about receiving something which they did not earn. Men are saved by faith, on the basis of what God has done through His Son, Jesus Christ. Anyone who boasts in his salvation does not understand grace and may never have received salvation in the first place.
The second question is recorded in verse 29: Are God’s dealings with men universal, or are they restricted to Jews only? Paul’s question seems to extend beyond salvation alone to God’s interest and involvement in the lives of men. The Jews may have thought God’s only interest was in them and that He could care less about the Gentiles. The Gentiles would be like the outcast class in India,116 which neither receives the privileges of the upper class nor is even regarding as existing by those of a higher cast. Perhaps the Jews thought God looked upon the Gentiles in this same way. But Paul is quick to affirm that “God … is one.” God deals with both Jews and Gentiles on the same basis. This is because Jewishness and Gentileness is irrelevant to the issue of salvation. The only determining factor in salvation is the absence or presence of faith.
The third question is found in verse 31: Is the Law of no use or value, now that faith has come? Does entering into a relationship with God by faith set the Law aside? Not at all. Abraham’s faith was before the Law. The faith of men like David was evident in his love for and obedience to the Law. The Law was never meant to save. In one sense, the Law was as useless in Old Testament times as it is today. The Law could never save. The Law does have a positive role to play, however, and thus it is not to be rejected. Our Lord said He did not come to destroy the Law but to fulfill it. Righteousness delights in the Law, but sin disdains it.
1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about; but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” 4 Now to the one who works, his wage is not reckoned as a favor, but as what is due. 5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness, 6 just as David also speaks of the blessing upon the man to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works: 7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, And whose sins have been covered. 8 “Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account.”
Do we have any grounds for boasting? More particularly, do the Jews have grounds? Our study of Abraham, especially in the Gospels, revealed that the Jews believed they did have grounds for boasting: Abraham was their forefather. But what if Abraham himself could not boast? If Abraham could not boast, could his descendants boast? By going back to the “first father” of the Jews, at least in their minds, Paul caused the whole Jewish system of pride and boasting to collapse with one well-placed blow. By demonstrating that Abraham himself had no grounds for boasting, no Jew could boast in Abraham or in being his descendant.
Performance is the only basis for boasting in oneself. Had Abraham’s righteousness been rooted in his works, he would have grounds for boasting, though in comparison with God his accomplishments, no matter how great, would be insignificant. If Abraham was justified by faith, then he could take no credit at all for his righteousness, for it would be a gift from God.
The Word of God instructs us that such was the case. Paul turns our attention to Genesis 15:6 and the statement made by Moses, “AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.” Abraham’s works were not the basis for his justification; his faith was the basis. Abraham’s faith was in God and in His promise of a son. Therefore, the one person about whom Abraham could boast was God. Abraham’s faith, and his justification, were a favor from God and not a payment for services rendered on God’s behalf. Works and grace are two very distinct entities. Men can only boast when they receive payment for their works. Men cannot boast when they receive grace.
Abraham’s faith alone did not save him. God saved Abraham by means of faith. But more than this, Abraham’s faith was in God’s promise and in God’s provision. Abraham believed God. Specifically, Abraham believed God when He promised him a son. Abraham’s faith was faith in God, in God’s promise, and in God’s ability to provide that which He promised. For the Jews, Abraham was the star of the show. To Paul, God was the center of attention. The greatness of Abraham’s faith is not in view, but the greatness of the God in whom he trusted. Indeed, we need not look far to see how frail and fragile was Abraham’s faith. How often his faith lapsed! He believed God, and yet he lied about the identity of his wife to Abimelech (Genesis 20).117 He believed God, and yet he had a son by Hagar (Genesis 16).
The process or transaction by which God justified Abraham is known by theologians as imputation.118 In our text, the term used for this imputation is “reckoned”7 (verses 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 22, 23, 24).119 In general, the term means to “reckon,” “consider,” “compute,” or “take into account.” The reckoning process is essential to man’s salvation. It enables God to deal with men in a way which saves them and which demonstrates His righteousness. In our text, Paul stresses that God’s imputation is a coin with two sides. The imputation by which God saves sinners is two-fold.
First,120 God imputes the righteousness of Jesus Christ to men. Men cannot attain to God’s standard of righteousness. Men can never become righteous by their good works. Their righteousness must come from another source. Paul cites Genesis 15:6 to show that God reckoned Abraham to be righteous. He immediately follows this statement with another in verses 4 and 5 which stresses that this was not something which Abraham earned, but rather favor which God bestowed upon Abraham.
Second, the imputation which results in man’s salvation has another side: not only does God impute the righteousness of Christ to unrighteous men, He also does not impute men’s sins to them. God saves men by not imputing their sin to them and by imputing the righteousness of Christ to them. From what Paul has already said, and what he says elsewhere, we know that this is possible because Christ has taken our place. Our sins have been imputed to Christ, so that He was punished in our place. His righteousness has been imputed to us, so that we are regarded and treated as righteous by God, since we, by faith, are in Him.
The imputation of righteousness to men is illustrated by the justification of Abraham, who was reckoned righteous by God because of his faith. The non-imputation of sin to men is illustrated by the experience of David, as described by his own words in Psalm 32. This is his psalm of confession. His sin was that of adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, Uriah. The Law was in force, which pronounced sentence upon David. But the Law made no provision for David’s salvation. It could only pronounce him guilty and worthy of death. David knew the grace of God, and he pled for mercy and forgiveness. On the basis of his faith in the promise of salvation, and in the character of God, David pled for forgiveness and received it. God did not impute his sin to him, though he deserved to die. Men are saved because God imputes righteousness to them, but not their sin. God saves men through the process of imputation, on the basis of the work of Christ on Calvary, and in response to faith.121
Abraham’s righteousness then was not due to his Law-keeping or to his good works, but only to God’s grace. On the basis of faith alone, apart from works, God reckoned Abraham to be righteous. Abraham believed God’s promise and was saved. Abraham had nothing to boast about, other than God’s grace. His offspring could not boast either.
9 Is this blessing then upon the circumcised, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say, “Faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness.” 10 How then was it reckoned? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised; 11 and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be reckoned to them, 12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised. 13 For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified; 15 for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, neither is there violation. 16 For this reason it is by faith, that it might be in accordance with grace, in order that the promise may be certain to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17 (as it is written, “A father of many nations have I made you”) in the sight of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.
Paul’s first question and answer recorded in Romans 3:27 has been documented by the experience of Israel’s most revered patriarch, Abraham. Paul now moves to the second question (3:29-30): Is God only the God of the Jews, or is He the God of both the Jews and the Gentiles? Paul’s opponents might be willing to concede that God has always justified men on the basis of faith and not by works. But just who is eligible for justification? The Jews viewed themselves as a privileged group, with exclusive access to God’s blessings. If a Gentile wanted to be saved, he must first convert to Judaism. He must be circumcised, and then keep the Law of Moses (see Acts 15).
In verses 9-17 Paul will turn to events in the life of Abraham, the “Father of the Jews,” to show that he is even more so “the father of all believers.” Paul turns to the rite of circumcision, which was the sign of the Abrahamic Covenant.122 He reminds his readers that Abraham was justified apart from works, without the Law, and years before he was circumcised. By Jewish definitions, Abraham was really a Gentile when he was saved.
The first recorded promise of a son in the Book of Genesis was given at the time of Abraham’s call (Genesis 12:1-3). At that time, Abram was 75 years old (12:4). In Genesis 15 we are told of a more specific promise of a son, of Abram’s belief, and of his justification by faith. It is almost as though we have been watching a motion picture. Suddenly, Paul shouts, “Stop the projector!,” right at Genesis 15:6. He now asks the question, “Was Abraham circumcised here, at the time he was reckoned as righteous by God, or was it later?” We all know it was years later. Abraham’s circumcision is recorded in Genesis 17, and we are told that he was then 99 years old. Abraham was justified by faith, apart from works, the Law, or circumcision. Let’s face it; Abraham was a Gentile when he was justified by faith. God is the God of all men, and not just of the Jews.
Circumcision did not contribute in any way to Abraham’s salvation. It could not have done so. It was merely a sign, a seal. Circumcision played much the same role in Abraham’s day as baptism does in our day. It is only a visible token or sign of an invisible change, of salvation. Abraham’s circumcision testified to his justification by faith, apart from works. His circumcision, like his salvation, meant something very different than what the Jews made of it. If Abraham could be saved without being circumcised, so the Gentiles could be saved, apart from circumcision, the Law of Moses, or Judaism.
Just as circumcision did not contribute to the salvation of Abraham, neither did the Law. The Law of Moses would not be given for more than 400 years. It did not exist at the time of Abraham’s justification by faith. And even if the Law were in existence at that time, it could not have saved Abraham. The Law cannot save. The Law cannot make any man righteous. The Law can only condemn men as sinners, worthy of God’s eternal wrath. If the Law could justify men, it would nullify faith. Faith, however, does not nullify the Law. Faith brings about the imputation of the righteousness which the Law defines and demands, but which it cannot produce. The Law required perfect obedience; God’s promise requires only faith.
Faith enables God to save men, because it enables God to deal with men in accordance with grace. The wrath which the Law demands has been suffered by our Lord on Calvary. Having satisfied God’s holy anger (propitiation, see 3:25), God can now deal with men in accordance with mercy and grace. God can prevent men from suffering the wrath they deserve and deal benevolently with men by giving them blessings they do not deserve.
Abraham is therefore shown to be much more than the “father of the Jews.” He is the “father of us all,” the father of all believers. This too is in fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham, that he would be “A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS” (verse 17, citing Genesis 17:5). Abraham’s faith was faith in God. He believed that God is able to “give life to the dead.” Abraham’s resurrection faith is the last topic of Paul’s teaching, as recorded in Genesis 4:17-25.
17 (as it is written, “A father of many nations have I made you”) in the sight of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist. 18 In hope against hope he believed, in order that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” 19 And without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; 20 yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully assured that what He had promised, He was able also to perform. 22 Therefore also it was reckoned to him as righteousness. 23 Now not for his sake only was it written, that it was reckoned to him, 24 but for our sake also, to whom it will be reckoned, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 He who was delivered up because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.
Verse 17 serves as a transition, linking Paul’s argument in verses 18-25 with his previous teaching in verses 9-16. This verse is therefore included in both sections. In this last section of chapter 4, Paul strikes a final blow against the errors of Judaism. Turning to the life of Abraham one final time, he shows that Abraham’s saving faith was a “resurrection faith.” His faith, like ours, was in a God who was able to raise the dead.
The doctrine of the resurrection of the dead was a serious problem for the Sadducees. They did not believe in the resurrection, or in the afterlife, in heaven or hell, in angels or demons. They were anti-supernaturalists. The Pharisees had a different problem. They were supernaturalists. They did believe in heaven and hell, angels and demons, and the resurrection of the dead. Their problem was that while in principle they believed in the doctrine of the resurrection, they rejected it in the person of Jesus Christ. They refused to admit that Jesus had been raised from the dead. To do so would have meant they were wrong. This would prove that Jesus was the promised Messiah, and that God had shown His divine approval of His earthly ministry.
Jesus staked His entire ministry on His ability to rise from the dead (see Matthew 12:38-41; John 10:15-18). The apostles preached the resurrection of Christ as a fundamental element of the gospel, which must be believed in order for men to be saved (Acts 2:22-42; 3:14-15; 4:2; 17:18; Romans 10:9). The writer to the Hebrews teaches that all the Old Testament saints believed in the resurrection of the dead (Hebrews 11:13-40, especially verses 13-15, 19, 35, 39-40). Paul finds in Abraham’s life a dramatic demonstration of his “resurrection faith.”
Abraham “believed in God, who gives life to the dead, and calls into being that which does not exist” (verse 17). Abraham’s faith did not cause him to close his eyes to reality. He knew that so far as bearing children was concerned Sarah and he were “as good as dead” (verse 19). And yet he considered also that God’s promises are as certain as God’s power to fulfill them. And so he believed God’s promise of a son, even though this would take, as it were, a resurrection of the dead (he and Sarah, speaking in terms of their ability to reproduce). He knew that “what He promised, He was able to perform” (verse 21). It was because of this very faith, a resurrection faith, that righteousness was imputed to him (verse 22).
In verses 23-25, Paul links the “resurrection faith” of Abraham with the faith of every true believer today. Justification comes to all who, by faith, believe in God who raised His Son, Jesus Christ, from the dead. In the final verse of his argument (verse 25), Paul speaks of the work of Christ in such a way as to show the absolute necessity of the resurrection of Jesus, and in the sinner’s need to believe His resurrection, for salvation. The sacrificial death of our Lord, Paul writes, was required by our transgressions. Christ had to die, because “the wages of sin is death.” Our justification requires His resurrection, Paul writes:
He who was delivered up because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification (Romans 4:25).123
If anything is clear in this chapter it is this: Abraham’s justification by faith is precisely the same as that which the gospel offers to all men, Jew or Gentile, today. It is justification based upon the person and work of God, believed by faith, accomplished by imputation. It is a free gift, available to those who are uncircumcised and who are not under the Law of Moses, like Abraham.
Justification by faith is God’s only way of saving men. It is also the same way in which men have been saved from the beginning of human history. Men were not saved by works in Old Testament times and are now saved by faith. Men have always been saved by faith, apart from works. Abraham is an excellent example of justification by faith because he lived in a day when neither the Law of Moses nor the rite of circumcision existed as a part of Israel’s religion. He was saved apart from any works, apart from circumcision, and apart from the Law. His justification, like ours, was based upon God’s faithfulness to His promise and not on human performance. It is a gift of God’s grace and not something earned.
Abraham’s life teaches us important lessons about faith. We learn from Abraham’s justification that faith is the only means by which men may obtain righteousness. We also see that while men have faith in God, it is not perfect faith. Abraham’s faith faltered when he lied about his wife and when he attempted to produce a child through Hagar. His faith continued to grow, throughout his life, as he came to appreciate more and more the faithfulness of God. His faith enabled him to see life as it really was (he was as good as dead with regard to having a child with Sarah), but he saw God as powerful and His promises as sure. His faith was a reasoning faith. He did not have to be told that God was able to produce life from death; he reasoned that God was able to do as He promised.124
The faith of Abraham and the birth of Isaac remind us that even when we have faith in God’s promise there is no assurance that God’s promise will be immediately fulfilled. Abraham believed God’s promise of a son, but he still waited 25 years for that son to be given. The story of Abraham’s life makes it very clear that God had a certain time for that son to be born. God’s “delay” was a time for Abraham’s faith to be tested and strengthened. Why is it that some tell us that if we have not immediately received the answers to our prayers, we do not have enough faith? Faith may not remove all doubts, and it certainly does not remove all delays.
As I have studied this text, I have been reminded of the importance of remembering our roots. We dare not forget how it was that God saved us, and for what purpose we were saved. Abraham was hopeless and helpless, and God, in His great mercy and grace, saved him, apart from any human merit or contribution. Abraham’s justification, like ours, should result in humility, gratitude, adoration and worship. Abraham’s response to God’s revelation (the Abrahamic Covenant, and specifically God’s promise of a son) was belief, growth in faith, and giving glory to God (verse 20).125
Because of their unbelief and rejection of God’s full and final revelation in Christ, the minds of the Jews were darkened (see 2 Corinthians 3:12-18), so that they distorted Abraham’s conversion to that which fit and which sanctioned their own unbelief and self-righteousness. The Israelites forgot that the blessings of God upon them were not due to their own righteousness or status, but due to God’s grace. They failed to recall that the righteousness which God requires is also that which He provides, by imputation. Thus, there can be no boasting. There is no basis for pride. There should only be humble gratitude and thanksgiving to God for His unspeakable gift.
I challenge you to think through the Scriptures, Old Testament and New, and to recall all of the times when God instructed His people to remember their roots, in order that they might be humbled and serve God in truth. How easy it is for us to forget that we are what we are by the grace of God, apart from anything we have done, or will do. To God be the glory!
112 I include verse 17 in the last two segments because it serves as a transition between the two.
113 This does not include references to “Abram,” prior to the time when God changed his name to “Abraham” in Genesis 17.
114 The name Abram means “exalted father”; Abraham means “father of a multitude.”
115 Abraham was first promised a “seed” in Genesis 12:2 at the age of 75 (12:4). A more specific promise was given in Genesis 15:4. Abram was between 75 and 86 (16:16) when he was reckoned to be righteous by God, as recorded in Genesis 15:6. Isaac, the son of promise, was born to Abraham and Sarah when Abraham was 100 years old, and Sarah was 90 (17:17; 21:5).
116 I can well remember my first impression of this, while stranded at the airport in Bombay. One of the outcast class was sweeping the sidewalk with a primitive broom. This woman would not even look up at me, and those who passed her by would not even look at her, to acknowledge her as a person. She was not only looked down upon; she was not even looked at.
117 Abraham made it clear to Abimelech that this was not just the second time he had passed off Sarah as his sister. He explained that this was the agreement they had made long ago which they consistently practiced everywhere they went (see Genesis 20:13). It was Abraham’s foreign policy, based upon his fear of death. His resurrection faith would soon outrun his fear of death (see Genesis 22).
118 The verb rendered “reckon,” according to Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, p. 379, is used 31 times in the New Testament. Of these 31 instances, Paul employs the term in all but 4 occurrences. Eleven of the 27 uses by Paul are found in Romans 4. Imputation is a dominant theme in chapter 4.
119 In verse 8 the expression is “take into account,” but the marginal note in the NASB points us to the fact that we have the same term rendered “reckon” throughout this passage.
120 So far as the order of our text is concerned.
121 Paul will elsewhere emphasize that even our faith is God’s gift and not some work of our own (see Ephesians 2:1-10).
122 The rainbow was the sign of the Noahic Covenant (Genesis 9:8-17). Circumcision was the sign of the Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 17:9-14). The Sabbath was the sign of the Mosaic Covenant (Exodus 31:12-17).
123 There is a great deal of discussion in the commentaries about the exact meaning of the term twice rendered “because of” in Romans 4:25. Regardless of the meaning we give to this term, the point remains: both the death and the resurrection of our Lord were necessary for man’s salvation.
124 The “reasoning of Abraham’s faith” is even more clearly stated in Hebrews 11:17-19. In this case, it was Abraham’s reasoning in relationship to the command of God to offer up Isaac as a sacrifice. I believe Abraham “reasoned” that God was able to “raise men even from the dead” (11:19) on the basis of Isaac’s birth. If Abraham and Sarah were “dead” with respect to child-bearing, then God gave life from death in the conception and birth of Isaac. If God could, as it were, raise Isaac into existence, from the dead, then Abraham reasoned that God could raise him back to life, after he was offered up to God as a sacrifice. How often men want God to tell them exactly what to do when God desires for men to reason it out by faith. I do not believe God is as pleased with unthinking obedience as He is with reasoned obedience, an obedience based upon the reasoning of faith. Faith not only has its reasons, it reasons.
125 I see here a deliberate contrast between Abraham’s “giving glory to God” (verse 20) and the unbelief of men as described in chapter 1: “For even though they knew God, they did not honor [literally, “glorify,” see marginal note in NASB] Him as God, or give thanks (1:21). While these unbelievers became increasingly darkened in their understanding of God and of reality (1:21-22), Abraham saw God and life ever more clearly (4:19-21).
Having bought and repaired numerous broken cars for my family, I have learned something about myself which may be true of all of us. It seems that no matter how hard I try to be objective, I see any car as better than it really is, especially a pretty one I would really like to have. One recent sports model, with a sun roof, seemed to have a lot of potential. Although it had neither an engine nor a transmission, I lifted the hood to look inside. While thinking about how the car might be repaired, I rested my foot on the front bumper. It gave a little. In pursuing the problem, I discovered something I had not noticed before—the frame was cracked.
Probably most of us have bought something, convinced of its great value, only to discover with time and observation that it was not all we expected it to be. Even when purchasing a new automobile, before signing the contract the salesman persuades us to buy an extended service policy. Before the car is even driven off the showroom floor, we must begin to worry about the car breaking down!
There is only one exception—the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel of Jesus Christ promises men the forgiveness of their sins and the certainty of a relationship with God that will last through all eternity. Once we have entered into this relationship with God, through faith in Jesus Christ, we discover a whole new world of blessings we had not anticipated, all flowing out of our justification by faith. In Romans 5:1-11, Paul enumerates some of the benefits of justification.
There is a vast difference between the “hype” of our world and the “hope” of the gospel. This world’s “hype” always lets us down. But the hope of the gospel only grows. Paul’s words in these verses offer some of the most comforting words a Christian will ever hear. For those who love God and who desire to explore the riches of His grace, Romans 5:1-11 is a gold mine of Biblical truth. Paul speaks here not only of the hope of future blessing, in heaven, but the hope which the Christian finds in the very midst of trials and tribulations. For the Christian living in this world so filled with despair, this message of hope is sweet indeed. Let us revel in the hope of the gospel as we study this passage.
After explaining his relationship to the gospel (1:1-17), Paul sets out to show the righteousness of God as evident in the gospel. God’s righteousness is revealed in His righteous judgment of sin. Presently, God’s wrath is revealed in His response to sin. It will finally be revealed in the eternal judgment of men at the second coming of Jesus Christ. Both Jews and Gentiles have failed to produce the righteousness God has required, and thus all are under the sentence of divine condemnation (Romans 1:18-3:20). God also demonstrates His righteousness in the salvation of men. His wrath toward the sinner was poured out on Jesus Christ who died in the sinner’s place. God’s anger was appeased in Christ, and thus God is able to save and to bless everyone who believes in Jesus Christ and who receives His salvation by faith.
Paul looks more closely in Romans 3:21–5:21 at this justification available to men through faith in the work of Jesus Christ. In Romans 3:21-26, Paul views justification from God’s point of view, focusing on the public demonstration of His righteousness. In Romans 4, justification is viewed from man’s perspective, focusing on the faith by which God’s righteousness is imputed. Now as we come to chapter 5, justification is viewed from an even broader perspective. The first verses of 1-11 look at justification as the basis and the beginning of all of God’s blessings for the believer. Verses 12-21 then look at justification as God’s means of reversing the curse of sin and death brought about by Adam and overturned by Jesus Christ.
Romans 5 falls into two clear segments, verses 1-11 and verses 12-21. If one understands the main theme of verses 1-11 to be “boasting” or “exulting,” the structure of these verses could be seen as follows:
If “the benefits of justification” is the theme of these verses, then the following structure would be preferred, based upon the repeated expression, “having been justified” (verses 1, 9):
Our study will follow this second outline of the structure of the text.
1 Therefore having been justified by faith, we126 have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith127 into this grace in which we stand; and we exult128 in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit129 who was given to us. 6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Verses 1-11 sound somewhat like one of those $19.95 television commercials which begin by promoting such items as a salad machine. Before revealing the price, a set of knives, a glass cutter, and a 35-blade pocket knife are included—all for the remarkably low price of $19.95!
Paul begins Romans by showing the fallen condition of mankind and the righteousness of God in revealing His wrath toward sin. He then shows how God, in righteousness, has provided for man’s salvation, through the person and work of Jesus Christ. It is as though Paul is now saying, almost literally, “But wait, there’s more!” And there is more indeed. All of the blessings and benefits Paul describes here are those which accompany, and which are a result, of our justification by faith. Paul begins with the blessing of peace with God (verse 1) and ends with the praise of God (verse 11). He starts in the past, with the redemption Christ accomplished on the cross of Calvary, and ends in eternity future—in our escape from divine wrath (verse 11) and our enjoyment of the kingdom of God (verse 2).
Justification by faith might be compared to the gift of an admission ticket to Six Flags Over Texas. The admission price covers the price for all rides and amusements inside the park. So it is with justification: the atoning death of our Lord Jesus Christ purchases not only our salvation but every spiritual blessing, both now and in the future.
Chapters 3 and 4 describe the gift of justification by faith, largely in terms of the salvation it provides. Now, in these first 11 verses of Romans 5, Paul begins to expound some of the many benefits which accompany our salvation and which flow from our justification by faith. Let us consider these benefits of our justification by faith.
(1) The benefit of peace with God (verse 1). As a result of our justification by faith, Paul writes, we have “peace with God” (verse 1). “Peace with God” is very different from the “peace of God” (see Philippians 4:7). The peace “of God” is that inner tranquillity which God gives to the Christian, even when there is external turmoil. Paul himself evidences this peace as he writes Philippians. But “peace with God” is different. It is that peace which marks the end of our hostility toward God and of His hostility toward us (see Ephesians 2).
“Peace with God,” from the human point of view, is similar to propitiation, from the divine point of view. Our sin brings about divine indignation, divine wrath. The Lord Jesus Christ endured the wrath of God toward the sinner, thus satisfying and appeasing God’s wrath toward those who are in Christ by faith (see Romans 3:25). Since God’s animosity toward the believer has been appeased, God now deals graciously with those who have been justified.
From man’s point of view, the hostilities have ended. The one who has been justified by faith can now breathe a sigh of relief. The war with God is over. Peace has been declared. We have been reconciled to God. Peace is that prerequisite which is followed by many other blessings. All of the benefits described in this passage are first and foremost the result of justification and Second the result of the outgrowth of peace with God.
(2) The benefit of an introduction, by faith, into a standing in grace (verse 2a). Justification opens the door to God’s dealing with men on the basis of grace and not on the basis of works (see 4:16). Since justification is based upon the sacrificial death and righteousness of Jesus Christ, God can deal graciously with men, in spite of their sin. Justification by faith enables God to deal with men in accordance with grace, not in accordance with works. It enables God to bless men who were worthy of death and who deserve His wrath. Justification by faith gives men a place of standing, a place of security. There is no “iffyness” about our standing in grace. Because God deals with us by grace, our justification and our sanctification cannot fail, for it is contingent not upon our performance but upon His grace. And this standing in “grace,” which justification accomplishes, is merely the beginning. Paul calls it an “introduction.” Justification removes the wrath of God and gives us peace with God. We are taken out of the arena of our performance and placed in the arena of divine grace. A whole new world commences as a man is justified by faith, and as time passes, more and more of God’s plans and promises are unveiled before the wondering eyes of the believer.
(3) The benefit of the jubilant hope of a glorious conclusion (verse 2b). Justification by faith is a glorious beginning, but this same justification by faith is also the basis for our confidence in a glorious conclusion. Through the justification which God accomplishes on our behalf, we have confident assurance and joyfully exult in the “hope of the glory of God” (verse 2). The “glory of God” is the promised blessing of enjoying eternity in the presence and glory of God, in His kingdom. It is that reward offered to the righteous (2:5-10) to which all men, due to sin, have fallen short (3:23). That paradise lost by man’s sin, of which we had no human hope, is now a certainty for the one who has been justified by faith.
(4) The benefit of a jubilant hope in present tribulations130 (verses 3-8). Justification gives the Christian a glorious beginning of peace with God and of entrance into the realm of God’s grace, assuring the Christian of a glorious ending—the glory of God. But it also gives confident hope in the present, so that from beginning to end, hope characterizes the Christian life.
Paul does not speak of the present circumstances of the Christian as many religious hucksters do—of peace and prosperity, of health and wealth. Rather, Paul characterizes the normal Christian life as Jesus and the apostles did—a life in which one encounters tribulation (see Matthew 13:21; John 16:33; Acts 14:22; 2 Corinthians 4:17; 6:4; 7:4; 8:2; Colossians 1:24; 1 Thessalonians 1:6; Hebrews 10:33; compare 2 Timothy 3:12).
We hardly need to be convinced to rejoice in times of peace and prosperity. But establishing that Christians can and should boast in their tribulations takes proof. Paul sets out to do just this in verses 3b-8 as he demonstrates the basis for boasting in tribulation on two different grounds. The first proof is found in verses 3b-4, where Paul informs us that we can rightly boast in what God produces in us, by means of our tribulations. The second proof is given in verses 5-8 as Paul writes of that which God has done within us, through His Holy Spirit, based upon our justification.
The Christian should rejoice in his tribulations because of what these are producing in him (verses 3b-4). Tribulation produces “perseverance.” God’s resources are more than sufficient to sustain the Christian, even as he faces adversity and difficulty. As a result, endurance over time produces perseverance—staying power. Likewise, perseverance produces “proven character.” Over a period of time, endurance becomes a state of mind and reflects one’s true character. What we really are becomes most evident in our response to adversity over the long term. Proven character, in turn, produces “hope.” Seeing that we can endure, and that our character has been strengthened in the process of facing life’s trials, we become more and more certain of the future. As we see God’s provisions for the present sustaining us, even in the most difficult circumstances, we become confident that God will surely sustain us to the end. He is the Author, the Sustainer, and the Finisher of our faith (see also Hebrews 12; James 1:2-4, 12; 1 Peter 4:12-19; 5:9-10; 2 Peter 1:3-11).
Facing tribulation might be compared to boot camp where the young recruit is taught to take orders and to obey them, under great adversity and in great personal discomfort. The recruit learns to obey, no matter what. As he does, endurance and character develop, and he gains confidence in his ability to perform his duties as a soldier. Or perhaps tribulation could be compared to jogging. In agonizing pain, our bodies cry out in protest. But when we endure, we gain strength of character and improved physical strength and stamina. We feel better and become convinced that we will benefit if we persist.
Although not emphasized here, Paul clearly is not teaching that we gain self-confidence by persevering in tribulation. Rather, we gain confidence in God as we stand amazed at His working in us. A friend related the adversity he faced while working on his car. Nothing was going right. Everything seemed to be going wrong. “Now I know I am a Christian,” he said, with great joy. “Before I was saved, I had a long list of words I used in times like these, but I don’t even use them any more!” My friend saw the change in his own life and recognized that it was the result of God’s grace. Seeing God’s grace at work in his life in times of tribulation assured him that God would finish that work in him which He had begun. And so it should be for every Christian. As our faith endures through life’s tribulations, we become more and more hopeful of that which God has promised to do in the future. Tribulation produces perseverance, and perseverance, proven character, and these produce hope.
Tribulation not only develops our character, it also reminds us of God’s character, bringing assurance that our hope will neither disappoint nor will it fail (verses 5-8). And the reason it does not, and cannot, fail is that it rests on the character of God Himself. Our hope is specifically backed by the love of God. God’s love was “poured out within our hearts” (verse 5) at the time of our justification by faith. It was “poured out” by the Holy Spirit, who was given to us at the time of our salvation.
As we reflect on God’s great act of love—our justification—our hope grows greater. For we see the “timing” of this act of love, which Paul urges us to consider. It was the “right time,” when we were “helpless” and “ungodly” (verse 6). Christ loved us “while we were sinners,” while we were worthy only of His eternal wrath. It is unlikely that one would be willing to die for a righteous man. Perhaps, though, one might be willing to die for a “good” man.131 But our Lord died for the unrighteous and the no-good. “While we were yet sinners,” Christ died for us (verse 8, emphasis mine). Now we begin to comprehend that the love of God was dramatically displayed in our justification. His love was poured out in our hearts. And this same love assures us of the hope we have in God’s future promises being fulfilled.
9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
In many ways, verses 9-11 simply continue the theme of the benefits of justification. Some interesting changes do occur, however. Verse 1 began, “Therefore having been justified by faith …” Verse 9 reads a little differently: “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.” Let us carefully note the changes which can be briefly summarized.
(1) Verse 9 exchanges the “therefore” of verse 1 for the expression, “much more then.” This change is based upon the argument Paul has just laid down in verses 6-8. If God demonstrates His love for us while we were yet sinners, surely God’s love for us will be even more evident as His children, by faith. The benefits of justification are spoken of now as even more certain. The “now,” not found in verse 1 but added in verse 9, furthers this same argument. If God did so much for us then, out of love, how much more will He do for us now?
(2) Verse 1 speaks of our justification as the result of faith; verse 9 speaks of justification as the result of the redemptive work of Christ—“by His blood.” While both are true, Paul is now stressing that our justification originates with God, as a demonstration of His love. How incomprehensible! That which God did for us, out of His love, was at the cost of the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
(3) Verse 2 spoke of the Christian’s exultation in the hope of heaven, “the glory of God”; verse 9 speaks of being spared “from the wrath of God.” Verse 2 speaks of the positive hope of heaven; verse 9 speaks of the avoidance of hell.
(4) In verse 1 Paul speaks of the believer’s peace with God; in verse 11 Paul speaks of the believer’s exulting in God. It is one thing to cease to dread the wrath of God; it is quite another to delight in God. The former seeks to avoid God’s presence; the latter seeks to draw near to Him, in adoration, love, and praise.
(5) The Christian’s hope in present tribulations is the dominant thrust of verses 1-8, while the dominant thrust of verses 9-11 is the Christian’s hope of deliverance from the tribulation of God’s future wrath.
Justification by faith in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ brings about even greater blessings described in verses 9-11. Justification, based upon the shed blood of Jesus Christ, assures the Christian that God’s wrath has been satisfied, that the penalty for sin has been paid and we no longer need fear divine condemnation. Through faith in the work of Christ, we are saved from the coming wrath of God (verse 9).
The basis for the confidence of verse 9 is given in verse 10. We were enemies of God, yet we were reconciled to God through the death of Jesus Christ. Now, having been reconciled by His death, we are free to enjoy the benefits of His life. If by His death we were reconciled, surely by His life we will be saved from wrath. The death of Christ was an event in time and history with great benefits for the believer. But the life of our Lord is endless, and the benefits of His life hold promise of even greater things in store.
Based upon the redemptive death of our Lord, Jesus Christ, verse 11 concludes by pointing to the exultation which the Christian has in God. If our sin and God’s righteousness caused us to avoid God (as Adam and Eve hid from Him in the Garden of Eden), the death of Christ took away this fear, because justification produced peace with God. The life of our Lord now causes us to delight in God and in His presence. Now we boast in Him. As a result, we find God Himself our great reward. All of this has been accomplished through the cross of Calvary. And all of this is the result of justification.
Several very important truths emerge from our study, along with some practical implications.
(1) The work of Jesus Christ on Calvary is the basis of all spiritual blessings. The prerequisite and basis for all spiritual blessings is justification. For the believer, the work of our Lord Jesus Christ is the well from which are drawn all of the blessings of God. In Christ, God has chosen to save the world and to bless believers. Jesus Christ and His work are central; they are the core of all that is important. He is the Author and the Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). For now, and in eternity, He is the source of our blessings. He should be the focus of our attention, our adoration, and our obedience. He alone should be the subject of our boasting:
But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD” (1 Corinthians 1:30-31).
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body the fulness of Him who fills all in all (Ephesians 1:18-23).
For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man; so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fulness of God (Ephesians 3:14-19).
And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fulness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach (Colossians 1:17-22).
For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf, and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face, that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:1-3).
If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory (Colossians 3:1-4).
Why, if Christ is our righteousness, our Savior, our sufficiency, our source of all spiritual blessings, do some Christians keep looking inward, rather than upward? Why are we so intent on our self-concept—if our salvation, our security, and our blessings are all found in Him? Can it be that we have subtly been turned from Christ in our attention, our focus, and our devotion? I fear this is so. It is not in understanding ourselves that we find it possible to understand God, but in focusing upon Him that we begin to understand ourselves.
Since Christ is the source of all spiritual blessings, then rejecting Him is renouncing and rejecting all the blessings which He alone provides. How tragic the loss if you have rejected the salvation God has made available in Christ! This need not be so. Will you not consider His death on the cross of Calvary which has paid the debt of your sin? Will you not accept the righteousness God has provided in Christ and be justified “by His blood,” saved from the wrath of God through Him?
I find in Paul’s words here, a focus upon the work of Christ at Calvary, not on the individual conversions of the justified. In a previous lesson, I urged Christians to consider their origin, their beginnings. Here I must emphasize that our focus should not be so much on our conversion experience as on the redemption event, the cross of Christ.
A well-known Christian teacher has urged people to “drive a stake” by a commitment of faith. If doubts arise in the future, they can go back to the stake they have driven. This is wrong! We dare not go back to our experience or to what we have done. We must always go all the way back, to the cross, for this is the source of our salvation and our security. The work of Christ, and its benefits, is Paul’s emphasis. May our emphasis be the same.
(2) Our text teaches that Christ’s work is not only the basis for all our spiritual blessings but also assurance of the certainty and security of all these blessings. God’s love in Christ is the assurance of our hope. Our hope rests in Him and in His work—and thus our hope is certain and secure. Hope is not mere wishful thinking, but assurance, based upon God:
For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers (1 Timothy 4:10).
He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life (Titus 3:5-7).
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1).
knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God (1 Peter 1:18-21).
The world in which we live exists from day to day on hype, not on hope. Hype promises much, but it delivers little. Hype sustains for a moment, but it fails with time and scrutiny. Hype always sounds too good to be true, and it is. Hope is solidly based upon who God is, on what He has done, and on what He has said. That for which we hope in God is even better than we could ever think, imagine, or ask:
but just as it is written, “THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND WHICH HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM” (1 Corinthians 2:9).
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen (Ephesians 3:20-21).
Christian hope is that blessed assurance which no unbeliever can experience. It is, however, something which the Christian can demonstrate and explain:
But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence, and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong (1 Peter 3:14-17).
(3) Christian hope, in the Lord, is not only demonstrated by our endurance in the midst of tribulation, but tribulation actually strengthens our hope. Unlike the misguided and deceiving “good-life gospelizers,” Paul does not sell hope by promising peace and prosperity—a beef steak on every plate and two Mercedes in every garage (beside the pool). Paul says that Christian hope is developed, and God’s love is displayed, in the context of tribulation! Who would ever have thought of this? But it is true. When prosperity comes our way, our hope and affections too often become fixed on the blessings, rather than on the one who blesses, God Himself (see Deuteronomy 8:11-20; 1 Timothy 6:17). When adversity comes our way, we are cast upon God, upon His work, and upon His promises. Who could ask for anything more than this? In such times of trial and testing the love of God, displayed so dramatically on Mount Calvary, is brought to our hearts and minds. Hope which does not fail in tribulation will not fail at all!
Many Christians want God to prosper them, to give them hope. But God sends adversity, which produces hope. Many want God to give them hope so they can endure the tribulations of life. But God gives us the tribulations of life to produce endurance and hope in us. Many want God to prosper them so they will be assured of His love. But God assures us of His love by the cross of Calvary and in the times of our deepest difficulties. How God’s ways surpass our own!
Pressing still further, the tribulations of life actually create in the believer a hunger for heaven:
Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).
(4) The goal of our hope is the praise of God—our boasting in Him. The last words of our passage tell us that because of our justification by faith, we “exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation” (Romans 5:11). The blessings God bestows upon us are not intended solely to bless us; they are intended to also produce praise toward God. All too often we view God’s actions from a man-centered point of view. We look at God as though His primary purpose is to “meet our needs” and to bring us joy and happiness. God’s purpose in the world is to demonstrate His glory and to promote His praises. For men, this would be a selfish goal. But not for God; it is for His glory and our highest good.
(5) The blessings resulting from justification are not expounded until after the redemptive work of Christ. The blessings God has in store are not expounded to the unbeliever but to the Christian (note the “we” throughout our text). Why, in our efforts to evangelize the lost, do we emphasize the fringe benefits of justification by faith, rather than justification itself? I fear it is because we are trying to “market” the gospel rather than to preach and proclaim it. I am concerned that we “tempt” people with the benefits of belief in Christ more than we confront them with the straight truth of the gospel, relying on God to convince and convert them.
Let us not forget that in the Gospel of John our Lord promised His disciples that the Holy Spirit would “convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment” (John 16:8). These are the truths we should be proclaiming to lost men. The benefits of justification are those treasures which believers will continue to discover and explore all of their lives, indeed, throughout all eternity. Let us learn from Paul that the true gospel is the message of God’s righteousness, of man’s sin, and of God’s provision through Jesus Christ. The love of God and the blessings of justification can only be understood and experienced by those who have first accepted Christ and have experienced justification by faith. Have you accepted the salvation God has made available in Christ and been justified by faith in Him? May you do so today.
126 The emphasis is now on all Christians, as a whole, and not on Jews and Gentiles. In previous chapters there was a strong emphasis on “they” and “you,” or on Jews and Gentiles. Here, Paul deals with all believers, because the gospel removes all distinctions. Having shown all men to be sinners, Gentiles and Jews, and all to be saved, by faith, without distinction, Paul now refuses to speak of Jewish believers and Gentile believers. Now, it is simply “we.”
127 Paul mentions faith for the last time in verse 2, until it is taken up again in 9:30. Faith, so important to our salvation and Christian life, is nevertheless set aside as a dominant theme in chapters 5-8.
128 The term rendered “exult” here is most often rendered “boast” elsewhere. The term is found three times in our text. Each time, the NASB renders it “exult.” The NIV renders it “rejoice.” The King James Versions renders it “rejoice” (verse 2), “glory” (verse 3), and “joy” (verse 11). It is most important to remember that Paul uses this term in context. Previously, Paul has spoken of that boasting of men in their own achievements, which is improper (see 2:23; 3:27; 4:2). Now, Paul speaks of that boasting (exulting or rejoicing) in God, which is not only proper, but necessary (5:2, 3, 11).
129 All three persons of the Godhead—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—are referred to in our text.
130 Note the use of the plural here: “tribulations.” I take it that by using the plural, Paul is suggesting that tribulation in this life is not the exception but the rule.
131 It is interesting to note the way Paul distinguishes between a “righteous man” and a “good man.” The “good man” is obviously a better man than a “righteous man.” We might call the “good man” a “good old boy.” Given the “self-righteous” whom Paul has been indicting, the “righteous man” is not spoken of in a very flattering way, and rightly so. No matter how “righteous” some may feel themselves to be, others do not look on them as “good.”
My wife and I watched with fascination as the impact of one man upon the world was being described on television. The man was Christopher Columbus. According to research, Columbus was responsible for introducing many new things to America: horses, cattle, pigs, goats, and, if I recall correctly, small pox. Columbus brought not only some of Europe to America, he also took some things from America back to Europe. Among these were smoking and syphilis. Whether for the good of mankind or for his detriment, this one man made a great impact on his world.
Over the centuries of mankind’s history, many men and women have significantly impacted the destiny of those who followed after them. None, however, has had greater impact than Adam, the first man. In our text, Paul shows just how great the impact of Adam’s “fall” has been upon mankind. Paul stresses this impact to demonstrate that in spite of the curse, which Adam’s sin brought upon the human race, God has provided a cure in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
To the unbeliever, this passage promises and offers not only the forgiveness of sins, but a new beginning, in Christ. To the Christian, there are no more encouraging words than those found here. These words speak not only of the salvation which God has accomplished for us, in Christ, they also lay the foundation for the next section of Romans in chapters 6-8, for the basis for sanctification is found in the truths which Paul expounds here. The words of our text are words of life and hope for all mankind.
After explaining his relationship to those at Rome, his desire to visit them, and his purpose for writing this epistle (1:1-17), Paul sets forth the great dilemma: the righteousness of God and the rottenness of men (1:18–3:20). In His righteousness, God must condemn sinners. In his rottenness, every human being, Jew or Gentile, is under divine condemnation because each has rejected that revelation of God which he or she has received. The solution to this dilemma is the cross of Calvary. There, Jesus Christ took upon Himself the sins of the world and bore the righteous wrath of God for sinners. God’s righteous anger was thereby satisfied, and there His righteousness was made available to all men, through faith in Jesus Christ.
Viewed from a divine perspective, salvation was provided by God through Jesus Christ so that God’s righteousness might be revealed (3:21-26). This righteousness is imputed to men on the basis of faith, not works, as seen in the biblical account of Abraham’s life (Romans 4:1-25). The account of Abraham’s faith reveals that he was saved by faith alone, apart from works, and at a time when he was uncircumcised and thus, a Gentile. His faith, like ours, was in a God who had the power to raise the dead.
In Romans 5, Paul views the justification of men by faith from yet another, much broader, perspective. Paul first portrays man’s salvation as the grounds for exultation and boasting in 5:1-11. We may boast, confident in the certainty of entering into the “hope of the glory of God” (verses 1-2). We may boast even in our present tribulations, assured of God’s love, on the basis of Christ’s death, and through the ministry of the Holy Spirit (verses 3-10). We may finally boast in God, through the person and work of Jesus Christ (3:11).
In Romans 5:12-21, Paul views salvation from the curse of Adam to God’s cure in Christ. Adam’s one act of disobedience brought both sin and death upon mankind. Christ’s one act of obedience, on the cross of Calvary, brought about the solution to this curse. The work of Christ offers all men not only the promise of the forgiveness of their sins, but a new identity and a new beginning, in Christ.
Our text falls into three sections. Verses 12-14 describe the similarity between the act of Adam and that of Christ. Both men are “federal heads” of mankind, whose actions affect all men.132 Verses 15-17 emphasize the many significant contrasts between the act of Adam and the act of our Lord. The similarity between these two men is the basis for the work of our Lord. The differences between them are the basis for His becoming the cure for the curse which Adam brought upon the human race. Verses 18-21 sum up the results of the work of our Lord, in relation to those which stem from the action of Adam. Paul also defines the role which the Law played, in relation to man’s sin and God’s grace.
We can therefore summarize the structure of our text as follows:
(1) The link between Adam and Christ (verses 12-14)
(2) Distinctions between Adam and Christ (verses 15-17)
(3) Christ’s work, man’s sin, and the Law (verses 18-21)
12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—13 for until the Law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.
Paul sets out to establish two very important connections in these verses. The first link is that between Adam and mankind. The second is between Adam and Jesus Christ. These connections are essential, for they explain the way in which God purposed to save men from their sins. In particular, the work of Christ is presented as the reversal of the work of Adam. The curse which Adam brought on the human race has its cure in Christ.
Adam was regarded, rightly so, as the source of sin’s entrance into the world. With his act of disobedience, sin first entered human history. No believer would disagree with this. But Adam’s sin did much more than this—it brought guilt upon all mankind. Adam’s sin and resulting guilt was imputed to all his descendants. Adam sinned, and because of this he died. Adam sinned, and because of this, all men die. All men die because they sinned, in Adam.
Adam’s sin, along with its guilt and penalty, was imputed to all those who were born of Adam. Adam’s sin and death were imputed to mankind, for all mankind have come from Adam. In some way that is difficult to understand, all mankind sinned in and with Adam.133
Paul explains this more fully in verse 13. “The wages of sin is death,” both for Adam (Genesis 2:16-17) and for all others (Romans 6:23). All those who lived from the time of Adam until the time of Moses, when the Law was given, died. They did not die, Paul tells us, because of their own sins, for the Law was not yet given, and their sins were not a transgression of God’s commandments. Sin existed in those days, but it was not imputed, because there was no law. Why then did all those from Adam to Moses die? Because they all sinned, in Adam, and were therefore guilty and worthy of death.
It is very important that we understand what Paul is not saying here, as well as what he is saying. Paul is not saying that we all sin because Adam sinned, though this is true.134 Paul is saying that we all sinned when Adam sinned. Paul is saying that we are all guilty of sin, in Adam, and thus we fall under the divine death penalty. The period of time between Adam and Moses best demonstrates this, because those who died during this time period did not have their own sins imputed to them.
The point then is this: Adam’s sin and its consequences included and involved the entire human race. This does not really sound fair, does it? Come on, admit it. This sounds, at first, like a terrible injustice. Why should we suffer because of Adam?
There is a solution to our problem. First, we must understand and interpret Paul’s words here in the light of what he has already written. Men are not guilty sinners only because Adam sinned, corrupting and implicating the rest of the human race. Paul has already taught in chapters 1-3 that all men, without exception, are guilty sinners, because each of us is guilty of unbelief and disobedience toward God. All men have received some revelation about God from His creation. Some men have the added revelation of God’s Law. But regardless of how much men have had revealed to them about God, they have rejected Him and refused to worship or to obey Him. As a result, Paul has said, all men are guilty sinners, worthy of death.
Are we guilty sinners because Adam sinned? Yes, we are. But we are also guilty sinners because we have sinned. We are not under divine condemnation only because Adam sinned; we are condemned as sinners because we have sinned. Adam sinned, and we are guilty (Romans 5:12-14). All have sinned and are also guilty (Romans 3:23).
Does the curse of sin on the entire human race, due to the act of one man, trouble us? Then we must press on to the second link which Paul makes in our text. Not only is there a link between Adam’s sin and mankind’s universal guilt, there is a link between Adam and Christ. In verse 14, Paul informs us that Adam “is a type of Him who was to come.” Adam is a type of Christ.135
What seems to be bad news becomes very good news. There is a correspondence between Adam and Christ. Adam, we are told, is like Christ. It is this likeness, this link, which enabled our Lord Jesus Christ to die on Calvary, and to rise from the dead, and in so doing to free men from the curse brought upon them by Adam. Adam’s curse has its cure, in Christ, who is like Adam in some way. Before Paul will play out this “likeness,” he will first show how our Lord was distinct from Adam. It is in His “unlikeness” as well as in His “likeness” that our Lord provided men with the opportunity to be saved from their sins.
15 But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. 16 And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. 17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.
If the link between Adam and our Lord is established clearly in verses 12-14, the distinctions are emphatically put forward in verses 15-17. Verse 15 begins with the word “But,” informing us at the outset that Paul is changing his focus, from the similarity between Adam and Christ to the distinctions between these two. Twice, in verses 15-17, the expression, “is not like” is found (verses 15 and 16). What delightful differences these are, between Adam and our Lord. Let us briefly consider them, as explained by Paul.
Christ’s work is distinguished from Adam’s in that His work is referred to as a “gift,” while Adam’s work is summed up in the term “transgression” (verse 15). Adam’s act was a transgression, bringing guilt to mankind and its penalty of death. Christ’s act was one flowing from God’s grace and resulting in grace to men. The first distinction between the work of Adam and the work of Christ is the difference between guilt and grace.
In verse 16, Paul adds two more distinctions between Adam and Christ. Adam’s act was but one act of sin and disobedience. Our Lord’s saving work at the cross was prompted by our many sins. Adam’s act was one sin that made the many sinners. Christ’s act was one act, but in this one gracious act, our Lord gathered up all the sins of mankind and suffered the penalty for them. While Adam's sinful act resulted in the condemnation of all mankind, our Lord's saviing work resulted in the salvation of all who receive this provision for their sin.
In verse 17, two further distinctions are presented by Paul. The first distinction is indicated by the expression, “much more.” The action of our Lord is greater than that of Adam.136 This becomes more evident in the light of the next distinction, which we find in this verse. Adam’s sin led to the “reign of death.” Adam’s sin brought sin and death upon all men. Christ’s act brings about the “reign of righteousness in life.” Adam’s sin brought life to an end; Christ’s act dethrones death and enthrones righteousness, which is evidenced in life. And since this life is eternal life, righteousness will reign forever. Adam’s sin ends life; Christ’s act extends life, forever, as a context in which righteousness will reign.
Whatever the similarity may be between Adam and Christ, the distinctions are far greater. Both the link and the distinctions between Adam and Christ make it possible for Christ to act in such a way as to undo the damage done by Adam and to shower upon men grace in place of guilt, righteousness in place of sin, and life in place of death.
18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. 19 For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. 20 And the Law came in that the transgression might increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The link between Adam and Christ is that both persons, though one man, have acted in a way that affects all men. Adam sinned, and his transgression brought condemnation upon all men. Christ’s act was one of righteousness, resulting in justification and life. Adam’s disobedience makes sinners of many; Christ’s obedience will make many righteous.
Having summed up the impact of Adam and Christ, Paul returns to the subject of the Law. Already Paul has said that those who lived before the Law (from Adam until Moses, verse 14) died because they sinned in Adam. Sin is not imputed to men without law (verse 13). The absence of the Law, for those who lived before the giving of the Law, was a kind of blessing. Without the Law, sin, other than that of their sin in Adam, was not imputed to them. Now, Paul must pick up the subject of the Law and its impact on men after it was given.
The giving of the Law did not solve the problem of sin. The Law was not given in order to reduce or remove sin but to increase it. While this sounds incredible, this is exactly what Paul says. And the reason: so that grace could surpass sin, abounding to men in righteousness and salvation. The Law increased sin, our Lord Jesus bore the penalty of that sin, and the grace of God is multiplied. The Law was not to deliver men from sin but to declare men sinners so that the sin introduced by Adam could be remedied in Christ.
How differently things look now! It first appeared that God might be unfair, condemning us as sinners, in Adam. But now we see this was in order that He might receive us as saints, in Christ. If the imputation of Adam’s sin to all mankind resulted in condemnation, the imputation of Christ’s righteousness results in justification. The means for man’s justification is the same as the means for man’s condemnation—imputation. The work of one man both condemns and saves men.
How Paul’s words must have shaken those self-righteous Jews, who believed they were righteous by virtue of their identification with Abraham and their possession of the Law. Being of the physical seed of Abraham did not save anyone. Being of the physical seed of Adam, however, condemned them. They were not righteous, in Abraham, but they were sinners, in Adam. And since Adam was the head of the whole human race, there is no distinction between Jews and Gentiles. Every son of Adam is a sinner, guilty, condemned, and subject to the death penalty.137 Being a “son of Abraham” did not change this.
Possessing the Law was no salvation for the Jews. The Law did not remedy the problem of sin but only caused sin to increase so that the problem became more dramatically evident. The Law not only increased sin; it made sin a personal matter. Now, those under the Law were not only sinners, in Adam, they were shown to be sinners on their own merits. Not only were the Jews guilty sinners, in Adam, they were also guilty sinners, on their own, as defined by the Law. The Law did not deliver any from sin, but it did declare many to be sinners. In these verses, Paul knocks the props out from under Jewish pride and boasting, in Abraham and in having the Law. If the Jews rejected Jesus as their Messiah, they rejected the only cure for the curse. Only Jesus could reverse the curse and make sinners saints. For them to reject Christ was to be left guilty, in Adam.
When the apostle Paul presented Christ as the cure for the curse of mankind, brought about by Adam’s sin, he removed all basis for boasting and pride. Those who are sinners, in Adam, can hardly boast about this. Those who are saved, in Christ, are saved by the work of the Lord Jesus and thus can take no credit themselves. As James Stifler writes,
Adam is a figure of Christ in just this respect: that as his one sin brought death to all, even when there was no personal sin, so Christ’s one act of obedience brings unfailing righteousness to those who are in Him, even when they have no personal righteousness.138
Contextually, Romans 5:12-21 serves a very important purpose. It lays the groundwork for Paul’s teaching on sanctification in Romans 6-8. If the work of Christ provides sinful men with a solution to the problem of God’s righteous wrath, it also provides men with a solution to the problem of the reign of sin and death.
Because of our own fallenness, we even tend to look at the work of Christ in a selfish, self-centered way. We who are saved delight in the certainty that, in Christ, our individual sins are forgiven. Our past, present, and future sins are all forgiven in Him, because of His death, burial, and resurrection on our behalf. But Christ’s work does much more than give us the forgiveness of our sins; by means of the cross, He has also provided freedom from the dominion of sin. This freedom from the reign of sin is the subject of Romans 6-8.
We might say that the work of Adam was a bad beginning for the whole human race. But the work of our Lord Jesus Christ offers men a new beginning. Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection does much more than to allow us to go on living just as we have in the past, but knowing that the sins we commit are forgiven. The work of our Lord makes it both necessary and possible for us to begin living in a whole new way, not as the servants of sin, but as the servants of righteousness. The work of our Lord not only forgives the sins of our past, it wipes out our past, and gives us a new future. What hope and encouragement for the sinner! In Christ, God offers men a whole new life, a new beginning, a fresh start. What good news this is—to the ears of a repentant sinner.
Taken in a broader perspective, Romans 5:12-21 explains much about the coming of our Lord. How important, and how fascinating some elements of the gospel accounts become when we see our Lord’s coming as being for the purpose of offering a cure for the curse which came through Adam. Was Adam a man? So Jesus was a man as well. The genealogies of the gospels make a point of this, and Luke specifies that Jesus was both the “son of Adam” and the “son of God” (Luke 4:38). While Adam brought sin upon the world, our Lord was proven to be without sin, so that He could die in the sinner’s place (2 Corinthians 5:21, see also Hebrews 4:15; 7:26; 1 Peter 2:22; 1 John 3:5). While Adam was only a man, who could bring the guilt of sin on the world, Jesus was the God-man, whose righteousness could be imputed to men, by faith (Romans 3:21-22). Adam was tempted and failed (Genesis 3), but Jesus, though tempted, resisted sin (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13). All of the “sons of Adam” are born sinners; Jesus was the “seed of the woman” (Genesis 3:15), and His conception and birth were of divine origin, through the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:34-35). Every aspect of Jesus’ birth, coming, life, death, and resurrection corresponded to that which was necessary, due to Adam’s sin, to save the human race.
By implication, a number of important principles become evident and are exemplified in our text. As we conclude, let us consider four of these principles.
(1) God takes sin seriously. Throughout the Bible, and in the world about us, men are constantly trying to minimize sin and its consequences. But the Bible constantly emphasizes the seriousness of sin. Our text dramatically illustrates the seriousness of sin. Look at the devastation one sin brought to the human race: Adam’s sin brought about his own death, but it also condemned all mankind to death. Who can say that sin is not serious?
Adam’s transgression was not even such that most people would call it sin. At best, men might look upon Adam’s sin as a misdemeanor, something as evil as spitting on the sidewalk (still illegal in some towns and cities, I am told). Adam simply ate the fruit of a tree.139 What was the problem? The problem was that God had commanded Adam not to eat of the tree (Genesis 2:16-17). An act which men would hardly even think of as sin becomes the cause of man’s downfall. God does take sin very seriously, and so must we.
It is not surprising that those who deny Jesus Christ as God’s Savior would tend to minimize sin. But it is greatly disappointing that Christians do likewise. Why do many of us ignore some of God’s commands—because we do not think they apply to us, or because we disagree with God’s commands, or simply because we do not want to obey? Here is but one illustration. The Bible has some very clear words to the church about the role which women should play in relation to their husbands. Why has the majority of Christendom found compelling reasons to utterly ignore such commands, as though they did not exist? God does not command us to do those things with which we agree, or in the doing of which we find good reason to obey. God tests our obedience by commanding us to do that which is contrary to our intellect, emotions, and will but which is consistent with His character and His Word. Let us beware of setting aside God’s commands. Adam did, and we died. Jesus was obedient, and thus we live.
(2) Our identity is found either in Adam or in Christ. Self-esteem has become the watchword of our age. Sin is now defined by at least one preacher as poor self-esteem. Sinful acts are said to be rooted in poor self-esteem. The highest good seems to be to have a “good self-image.” And thus the world, joined by many Christians, occupies itself by constantly looking backward and inward, into self, to develop a healthy self-love. Paul will have none of this. For Paul, looking backward, even to those things in which he once took great pride, meant he now saw them as dung (Philippians 3).
Ultimately, our identity and our worth are wrapped up in one of two persons: Adam or Christ. All that we are in and of ourselves, we are in Adam. We may contemplate and fabricate our own worth as much as we like, but we are, in Adam, sinners, worthy of death. Why do we keep trying to make something good of something the Bible calls bad? The identity of the Christian is in Christ. Let us dwell upon Him. Let us look to Him. Let us keep Him central in our hearts and minds. This is the consistent exhortation of the Word of God, and especially of the New Testament epistles.
(3) Those who are the victims of Adam’s sin are also guilty of personal sin, of their own doing. The word “victim” is rapidly becoming one of the most popular terms in our English vocabulary. We are considered victims of an infinite array of abuses. As “victims” we are absolved of all guilt and responsibility. We not only are justified in blaming others, we are urged to do so. We are told we are victims, and thus we say, “It isn’t my fault, I was victimized.”
In one sense, all mankind is the victim of Adam’s sin. But let us remember that while Paul seems to speak of mankind as a victim of Adam’s sin in Romans 5, he also says that we sinned in Adam. We are not relieved of our own guilt and culpability in the matter of sin. Even those who lived before the Law was given were sinners. We who have the full revelation of God in Christ and in His Word are even more accountable. But beyond this, we must not forget that in Romans 1-3 Paul finds every man guilty before God, not because of what Adam did, but because each individual has rejected the revelation of God given to him or to her. Yes, we are guilty because Adam sinned (Romans 5), but we are also guilty because we have sinned (Romans 1-3, especially 3:23).
In Romans Paul does not dwell on men as victims but on men as responsible individuals. We are, first, responsible for our decision concerning the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are, as Christians, responsible for our actions. Let us not over-emphasize the victim aspect of life but rather the fact that in Christ we are victors, “more than conquerors” (Romans 8:37).
(4) Birth is both the cause and the cure for man’s sin. In studying this Romans passage, it occurred to me that perhaps no other New Testament text better explains the words of our Lord, spoken to Nicodemus, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). John introduced this man Nicodemus as a “Pharisee” and as a “ruler of the Jews” (John 3:1), but Jesus referred to him as, “the teacher of Israel” (3:10). No doubt this teacher, this renowned teacher, had taught about Adam, about his fall, and the downfall of the human race. But Nicodemus, if he was like the rest of the Pharisees, trusted in his physical descent from Abraham and in the possession of the Law. What a shock it must have been for Nicodemus when Jesus told him that entrance into God’s kingdom required a second birth!
Yet this expression, “born again,” should not have been a foreign thought to Nicodemus. It should have caused him to think in those terms in which Paul is speaking in Romans 5. How was it that the human race fell into sin? It was on account of Adam. But how did each individual fall under the curse? It was by being born. Birth made one a son of Adam and thus a sinner (see David’s words in Psalm 51:5-7). The solution to the guilt of sin, encountered at birth, was another birth, a second birth. In order to be saved, men must exchange their identity with Adam (by which they are condemned) to an identity with Christ (by which they are justified). As birth was the source of a man’s sin, so another birth is the solution.
This is what the gospel is all about. Jesus Christ came to the earth to offer men a cure for the curse which Adam’s sin brought upon all mankind. The gospel confronts us with a choice. Will we remain in Adam, subject to the penalty of death? Or will we accept God’s provision for a new identity, in Christ? Being “born again” is our Lord’s way of speaking of that point in a person’s life when they acknowledge their own sin, their own guilt, and the just sentence upon them of death. It is ceasing to trust in what we are and clinging to who Jesus Christ is. It is finding our identity in Christ, rather than in Adam. It is turning from condemnation to justification, from death to life, and from Adam to Jesus Christ.
Have you been born again? As it was necessary for Nicodemus, a famous religious leader and teacher, it is necessary for you. Will you choose death or life, Adam or Christ? There is no more important decision you will ever make than this. The salvation which God has offered in Jesus Christ is not automatic. It must be received (Romans 5:17). Receive it today.
132 I have chosen my words carefully here. While the sin of Adam brings sin and condemnation upon all men, the death of Christ does not save all men. Paul clearly states in verse 17 that the blessings which are the outflow of the work of our Lord are for those who receive them, in and through Christ. I do believe, however, that there are certain aspects of our Lord’s work on Calvary which affect all men. For example, I believe that His resurrection from the dead is the basis for the resurrection of all mankind, some to everlasting life, and others to everlasting torment (see John 5:28-29; Revelation 20).
133 An illustration of the concept of federal headship can be found in Hebrews 7, where Aaron and his descendants (the Levitical priesthood) are said to have paid tribute to the greater priesthood in Abraham, when he gave a tithe to Melchizedek. In Abraham, the Levitical priesthood offered a tithe to Melchizedek, acknowledging the superiority of this priesthood over their own.
134 Our sin nature is the result of Adam’s sin, and thus, we sin because we are sinners, thanks to Adam.
135 Adam is the only person who is specifically identified as a type of Christ in the Bible. While others, like Joseph, Moses, and even Jonah, may have served as types in certain regards, only Adam is identified as such in God’s Word. Isaac is the only other person who is spoken of as a type (Hebrews 11:19). His return to his father, as one who seemed doomed to death, was a type of the resurrection of our Lord.
136 Allow me to illustrate this by likening the work of Adam to the captain of the Valdez and the work of Christ to the clean-up operation. It really was not that hard to run the oil tanker aground, to rupture the ship’s storage tanks, and to contaminate a vast area. What was hard was cleaning up the mess. Adam’s sin was like the grounding of the ship. Christ’s work will bring about a perfect “clean-up.” Christ’s work is vastly greater than that of Adam’s, just as the work of the clean-up crews is much greater than that of one man, the captain of the Valdez.
137 I understand Paul’s reference to death to include both physical and spiritual death.
138 James A. Stifler, The Epistle to the Romans (Chicago: Moody Press, 1960), p. 97.
139 Let me suggest a matter for further thought. In our text, it is Adam’s sin to which Paul refers, not that of Eve, even though Eve first ate the fruit. Why did Paul not blame Eve, like Adam did? In 1 Timothy 3, Paul tells us that Eve was deceived. Here, perhaps, Paul focuses on Adam as the transgressor, since he is the one to whom the commandment was given (see Genesis 2:16-17). Paul seems to be very consistent with his premise that guilt is only imputed to those who have received God’s commandment.
Chuck, a friend of mine who is an Air Force doctor, was based during his residency in the middle of the Mojave Desert. There in the desert Chuck loved to ride his motorcycle. While riding alone one day, he crashed, breaking his leg. To get the medical attention he needed, Chuck was forced to ride his motorcycle back to the base. But there were problems: his hand brake had broken off in the crash, and his broken leg was on the side of the footbrake. Chuck finally made it back to the base, but he could not and he did not stop at the gate. As he slowly passed by, the sergeant standing guard naturally felt compelled to stop him. Chuck was not in uniform when the guard caught up with him and began to flaunt his authority, rebuking him for not stopping.
In pain, Chuck had finally taken enough, and with his southern drawl he interrupted the Sergeant: “Now, just hold on, Sahgent. Befoe you go on, I think there are three things you ‘otta know. First, Ah’m a Majah. Second, Ah’m a doctah. And, third, Ah’ve got a broken leg.” “Yes, Sir!” the Sergeant responded, “Let me help you to the hospital!”
There are times when knowing a few facts can have great impact on our decisions and our actions. Most of us have “gone off half-cocked,” only to discover later that we acted without some very pertinent information. In our text, Paul is pointing out to his Roman readers some very important facts they must know,140 which will serve as the basis for their lifestyle.
The verses in our lesson (6:1-14), and their context of chapters 5-8, deal with one of the most important aspects of the Christian life—the subject of sanctification.141 Perhaps no other epistle in the New Testament is more thorough on the subject of sanctification than Paul is here.142 An accurate understanding and implementation of these verses is vital. Paul’s own words in our passage indicate that it is not difficult for the Christian to take a biblical truth to a most unbiblical extreme in practice. The doctrine of the spiritual life is not just controversial; it is a doctrine which is often not biblically based. We must make it a matter of diligent in-depth personal study, meditation, and prayer.
I strongly urge you to devote yourself to an intense personal study of Paul’s words here in Romans, as well as in other biblical texts. I also encourage you to read and study chapters 5-8 as a whole and discourage you from the study of any text in isolation. Let us look to the Lord to speak to us in our study, through the ministry of the Word and His Spirit. Let us be eager to learn what He will teach us about the spiritual life.
This lesson will begin with an overview of the Book of Romans, up to our text and on through chapter 8. We will also briefly outline the structure of our text before considering it a section at a time. Finally, we will seek to identify the message of the text and some of the principles and areas of application found here.
The classic structural division of Romans 1-8 is usually as follows:
(1) Romans 1:1-17 — Introduction
(2) Romans 1:18–3:20 — Condemnation
(3) Romans 3:21–5:21 — Justification
(4) Romans 6:1–8:39 — Sanctification
The more I have considered the Book of Romans in our study, I have come to view the division of the chapters a little differently. The major difference centers around the role of Romans 5. While chapter 5 may serve as a conclusion to Paul’s teaching on justification by faith,143 it is clearly the introduction to Paul’s teaching on sanctification.
Several reasons exist for my change of mind regarding the structure of chapters 1-8 in relation to chapter 5:
(1) Romans 5:1-11 introduces the subject matter Paul deals with in chapters 6-8. At the beginning of chapter 5, Paul instructs us that we have an “introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand” and that we “exult in hope of the glory of God” (verse 2). Paul concludes the section in Romans 8 by himself exulting in our standing and in the certainty of the “glory of God” which is to come. In Romans 5:3-10, Paul speaks of exulting in our tribulations, discussed again in greater detail in chapter 8. The ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer, introduced in Romans 5:5, becomes a dominant theme in Romans 8. A strong sense of continuity exists between the subject matter of chapters 5 and 8.
(2) Romans 5 lays the foundation for what is taught in chapters 6-8. The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ does much more than to forgive individuals of their sins and to assure them of eternity in heaven. The work of our Lord at Calvary is the basis for the restoration of the whole world and for the establishment of God’s promised kingdom on earth. Romans 5:1-11 looks primarily at the believer’s present exultation in tribulation and at his hope of the glory of God in the future. Romans 5:12-21 establishes the future restoration of God’s creation on the relationship between Adam and Christ. As Adam’s act brought sin, death, and chaos into the world, infecting every human being, so Christ’s act at Calvary is the basis for the solution. Apart from the foundation laid in Romans 5, nothing spoken of in Romans 6-8 would be possible. Thus, Romans 5 is closely linked with Romans 6-8.
(3) The major transitions from chapters 1-4 and 6-8 occur in chapter 5. The specter which hangs over men’s heads in Romans 1-4 is the righteous wrath of God. Man need not dread the specter which hangs over men’s heads in the wrath of God because His wrath was satisfied at Calvary, in the death of Jesus Christ. All who believe in Jesus Christ by faith are justified by faith and saved from the wrath of God. The specter found in chapters 5-8 is the reign of sin and death, brought upon the world by Adam. The righteous act of our Lord Jesus Christ has overthrown the reign of sin and death. The death of Christ for sin in Romans 1-4 changes to the death of Christ to sin in Romans 5-8. The “we/they” distinction between Jews and Gentiles found in Romans 1-4 disappears in the light of the cross in chapters 5-8. The salvation of individual men and women from their sins in chapters 1-4 becomes the salvation of men and of creation in chapters 5-8. Deliverance from the penalty of sin in chapters 1-4 becomes deliverance from the power, and eventually the presence, of sin in chapters 5-8.
All of this leads me to view Romans 5 as the introduction to chapters 6-8 even more than as a conclusion to chapters 1-4. Chapters 1-8 would thus be summarized:
Chapters 5-8 would then be outlined as follows:
In Romans 6:1–7:6, Paul establishes the basis for Christian behavior. He demonstrates why the Christian must no longer continue to live as he once did, in servitude to sin. Consider the imagery Paul’s uses to demonstrate this:
In Romans 7:7-25 Paul defends the Law, showing that it is “holy,” “righteous,” and “good” (7:12). The Law is not the cause of our defeat by sin but the weakness of our flesh. The solution to this problem is the Spirit of God who empowers us for godly living (8:1-11). Paul then shows how the Spirit ministers to Christians who live in this fallen world, giving them hope and power so that they may be faithful and obedient until He returns. The sovereignty of God and the work of His Spirit give the Christian confidence that God’s purposes and promises will be fulfilled and that we shall be “more than conquerors” in Christ (7:28-39).
Romans 6:1-14 divides into three main segments. Verses 1 and 2 contain Paul’s question and a very concise answer. Verses 3-11 establish the basis for his answer. Verses 12-14 lay out the application to Paul’s teaching.
1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?
Paul’s question in verse 1 suggests that there should be a response to what he has just taught in chapter 5. God gave the Law, not to defeat sin, and not even to reduce it, but to cause it to increase. The Law made sin more evident, and it increased the problem faced by mankind. But it also meant that the grace by which sin was to be dealt a death blow was also to increase. Since grace always surpasses and exceeds sin, the greater sin is, the greater grace must be. Increasing sin through the giving of the Law served to increase the grace bestowed to rid God’s creation of sin.
There is a corollary to the principle that grace always outruns and exceeds sin, and it is this: SIN ALWAYS SEEKS TO USE THAT WHICH IS GOOD TO PROMOTE EVIL.
The question Paul raises in verse 1 is an illustration of this. Paul’s answer makes it clear this is not something he would suggest or promote, but that some do. Even Christians use grace as a pretext for practicing sin. And so Paul asks the question, “Are we to continue in sin, that grace might increase?” If God caused sin to increase by the giving of the Law, with the result that grace abounded all the more, why should His children not do likewise? What’s good enough for God should be good enough for His children, should it not?
“May it never be!” is Paul’s response, and as always, it is an expression of shock, horror, and disappointment. It is an expression of his dismay that someone could take a valid truth—grace always outruns sin—and make it an excuse for doing evil. How could anyone who has become one with Christ, by faith, possibly suggest a lifestyle that is a continuation of the sins of the past? Would not anyone who is united with Christ not find this totally inconsistent with the work of Christ at Calvary? What an utterly preposterous suggestion! For a Christian to continue in sin, because his sins are forgiven and because grace will abound, is an abominable thought to Paul—and it should be to us.
Paul spends more time spelling out the reasons for his answer because he wants his readers to be very clear about his response. Justification was not intended as a license to sin, but as liberation from sin. It is God’s provision not only to be declared righteous but to live righteously. In verses 3-11, Paul employs the rite of Christian baptism as the basis for his negative response to the question raised in verse 1.
3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin, once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
In preparation for further study of the passage in greater detail, some general observations of this text should be made:
(1) Paul is speaking to Christians. Paul is assuming that those reading his words here are genuine Christians who have been justified by faith in Jesus Christ. He makes no distinction between Jewish and Gentile Christians. He seeks, however, to strongly contrast the Christian’s lifestyle with his conduct in the past as an unbeliever.
(2) In verses 3-11 Paul seeks to amplify and document his statement in verse 2 that we have “died to sin.” Paul’s answer, in verse 2 to the question of verse 1 is predicated on the fact that those to whom he is speaking have “died to sin.” Verses 3-11 expound on the origin of our death to sin.
(3) The lifestyle of the Christian is the issue addressed. Paul teaches that conversion should change the conduct of one who has come to faith in Christ.
(4) The basis for Paul’s teaching is the gospel, specifically the cross of Christ. Paul does not leave the gospel behind, once he has taught justification by faith. He now seeks to apply the gospel, as it relates to Christian living. Christian conduct must be consistent with Christian conversion.144
(5) Paul assumes that a knowledge of the gospel is the basis for the Christian’s belief and behavior. There is a strong emphasis on knowledge145 in these verses. Ignorance of biblical knowledge is deplorable to Paul, just as the neglect of this knowledge is deplorable. What we do should be consistent with what we know to be true.
(6) Paul bases his teaching on the fact that every believer in Christ has been united with Christ and His work on the cross.
(7) The imagery used by Paul is that of baptism.
(8) The emphasis here falls on the death of Christ and its implications for the believer.
In Romans 5, Paul spoke of the identification of all mankind with Adam, with his sin, and with the penalty of death which God pronounced as the penalty for his sin. He also spoke of Jesus, the “last Adam” (see 1 Corinthians 15:45), and the salvation which He accomplished for all whose identity is found in Him, by faith. Paul now plays out the implications of the Christian’s union with Christ, which is initiated by the baptism of the Holy Spirit, publicly professed in water baptism, and which is to be lived out in a radically different lifestyle.
Fundamental to understanding Paul’s teaching in verses 3-11 is knowing what he means by baptism in these verses. By and large, the New Testament writers speak of baptism in two ways. First, there is the physical rite of water baptism. John the Baptist required men and women to be baptized as an outward evidence of their repentance (see Matthew 3:5-6). Jesus’ disciples likewise baptized men, those who repented of their sins, in preparation for the coming kingdom of God (John 3:22). Those who came to faith in Jesus as the Messiah were baptized as a testimony to their repentance and faith in Jesus (see Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38; 9:18; 10:47-48; 19:5; 1 Corinthians 1:13-16).
Water baptism was much more than an outward rite of washing (see 1 Peter 3:21; Titus 3:5-6). Baptism is an act of identification (see 1 Corinthians 10:2). Water baptism is but a symbol of the baptism of the Holy Spirit by which one is joined with Christ, by faith, in His death, burial, and resurrection. Spirit baptism is a fundamental work of the Spirit of God in one’s salvation (see 1 Corinthians 12:12; Galatians 3:27). When Paul refers to baptism here, in Romans 6, I believe he is referring to both water baptism and Spirit baptism, but his emphasis is on the latter.
Baptism, according to Paul here, brings about identification or union with Jesus Christ, in His death, burial, and resurrection. To be baptized into Christ is to be baptized into His death. The “old man”—the person we once were in Adam—died in Christ. Our body, in bondage to sin, was rendered ineffective by our death in Christ. Our Lord’s death at Calvary was not only a death for sin, but a death to sin. His death for our sins accomplished propitiation and the forgiveness of our sins. His death to sin achieved a separation from sin. Sin has no power over one who has died. We died to sin in Christ, and thus sin has no claim on us.
Death could not hold our Lord in its grip, and so He was raised from the dead. He was raised to newness of life. Since we have been united with Him, we were raised to newness of life in Him as well. Christ’s resurrection was accomplished, Paul tells us, “through the glory of the Father” (verse 4). Surely His resurrection was likewise to the glory of the Father. To continue to live as we once did, in sin, would not in any way be consistent with our death and resurrection in Christ. A godless lifestyle is therefore incompatible with our union with Christ in His death and resurrection.
The death of Christ ended an era in our lives. It closed that ugly chapter of our lives marked by sin and destined for death. It was but one event, ending the death-grip of sin on our lives. But the resurrection of Christ commenced a whole new and eternal life. The death of Christ was one event in history, a death to sin “once for all.” The life of our Lord is for all time, an endless succession of living toward God.
Living in sin is entirely inconsistent with the work of Christ on the cross of Calvary. It is entirely inconsistent with who we are and what happened to us, in Christ. Our death to sin and aliveness toward God is a fact which we must reckon as true. Just as we must receive the atoning work of our Lord as His act accomplished for us, personally, so we must also accept His death to sin, resurrection, and life toward God personally. We must regard ourselves as dead to sin and alive toward God. To do so is to agree with Paul that to continue to live in sin is inconceivable, in the light of our death to sin and resurrection to life, in Christ.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts, 13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law, but under grace.
Up to this point, Paul was willing to grant the possibility of ignorance. Perhaps the Roman saints did not fully grasp all that had happened to them at the time of their conversion. But now they did know. Now, mere mental assent to this knowledge is not enough. Paul challenges his readers as to what this knowledge requires of them, in action. Since sin’s grip on us has been broken by our death in Christ, we must no longer allow sin to reign in our mortal bodies. If some would dare to advocate “going with the flow” of sin, so that grace might abound, Paul would teach just the opposite. The sin which once controlled us must be brought under control. We dare not hand the keys over to our bodily lusts, to serve and obey them.
Instead of continuing to present the members of our bodies to sin, as instruments of unrighteousness, we must present our bodies to God, as those who have been raised from the dead. Now that we are Christians we must present our bodily members to God as the instruments which He may use to produce righteousness, in and through us. It is not enough to forsake sin; we must aggressively pursue righteousness.
The final verse of our passage, verse 14, serves as a conclusion to the section, as well as the introduction to the next section. Paul changes the imagery from baptism to slavery. If we are no longer under the bondage of sin, we are no longer the slaves of sin. Sin is not our master any longer. This, Paul writes, is because we are “not under law, but under grace.” The meaning of this statement will be explained in the next verses.
Several important truths are brought into focus by Paul’s words in our passage. Let us conclude by considering some of these truths.
(1) Man’s sin corrupts that which God has created, turning what is pure into that which is profane. God created a world of wonder and beauty, a world at peace and harmony. As we read frequently in the first two chapters of Genesis, “… it was good.” But then Adam and Eve sinned. From that point on in time, ugliness, chaos, and devastation have been the rule of the day. No longer does the description “good” seem to fit in our fallen world.
Our passage reminds me of the great impact which Adam’s sin has had on our world and on mankind in particular. Everything which man touches, man corrupts, including the splendor of the salvation which God has provided in Jesus Christ. Our righteous God cannot tolerate sin, and so, in His holiness, He condemned sin and sinners. In His mercy and righteousness, He provided for man’s salvation, by pouring out His holy indignation on His Son, Jesus Christ. God provided unrighteous men with His own righteousness, and what does man immediately do? He seeks to turn God’s grace into a license for sin. God’s salvation is distorted, so that salvation now becomes an excuse, even a mandate, for sin. The questions Paul has raised in Romans 6 only remind us of how desperately evil our hearts are, that we would seek to excuse sin as though we were serving God.
Sin blinds the unbeliever, but it also distorts the vision and the perspective of the believer. Paul’s words in our text serve as a strong caution, reminding us of the effects of sin which remain, in us. Paul informs us that even the truth can be distorted and perverted so that sound doctrine is twisted to excuse and to advocate sin. Let us beware of the danger here. How easily we can deceive ourselves and excuse sin in our lives. How easily doing what is wrong can be justified as serving the purposes of God. We must constantly be on the alert to this danger.
(2) The cross of our Lord Jesus Christ is the basis for our conduct. The Christian conduct which Paul advocates and requires in our text is that which stems from a genuine conversion. In previous chapters, Paul was speaking of the fallenness of mankind. He was demonstrating to all men that all are lost and worthy of divine wrath. All men must come to faith in Jesus Christ to avoid the wrath of God they deserve. Paul’s words of condemnation apply to all men.
But Paul’s words here are addressed to believers. The “we” of our text refers to those who have come to faith in Jesus Christ. All those to whom he speaks here Paul understands to have been united with Christ in His death and resurrection. The conduct which the gospel requires is required of those who are saved. Sanctification is a subject appropriate for those who have already been justified. As we move into the subject of Christian conduct, let us not forget that Paul is assuming a Christian conversion. The lifestyle which Paul advocates is a Christian lifestyle, possible only for those who have been justified by faith.
(3) The cross of Jesus Christ is the standard for our conduct. Paul teaches that the gospel is not only the basis for our conduct, it is the standard. When the possibility of continuing to live in sin is raised, Paul refutes it by taking us back to the cross. Christ died to sin and was raised to newness of life. When we were saved, we were united with Him in His death, burial, and resurrection. How then can those who died to sin live in sin? The cross is the standard for our conduct. God saved unrighteous men, not in order that they could continue to live in sin, but to enable them to live in righteousness. We must live in conformity to God’s purposes and provisions and not in conformity to our former lusts.
I believe Paul views the gospel as the core of truth by which all other doctrine and practice must be judged. There is a contemporary song with words something like: “God didn’t teach us to swim to let us drown.” The point is that God prepares and provides for us to fulfill His purposes. Perhaps we should add these words to the song: “God didn’t save us to let us sin.” The purposes and provisions of the gospel set a standard. When this standard is violated by some teaching or practice, we must adhere to the standard and reject the practice or teaching.
(4) Those who would advocate turning back to previous practices are strongly warned in the Bible. The Bible does talk about those who would turn back to their former sins. Such people are called “dogs” and “hogs” and are spoken of as those who are lost and who were never saved (see 2 Peter 2:22). Let us beware of turning back to those sins which once bound us.
(5) Paul teaches “positional thinking,” not “positive thinking.” A great deal of positive thinking is being peddled today, much of it in Christian circles as though it were a Christian practice. Paul is not teaching “possibility thinking.” This kind of thinking seeks to envision what could be. If we but capture the thought, the reality will be created. Paul’s “thinking” is entirely different. The thinking Paul advocates is that which is rooted in the cross of Christ. It is not based upon what might be, or even upon what we presently perceive, but on what God has already done, according to His Word. Positional thinking is that thinking which reasons and which behaves on the basis of who we really are, in Christ. Compared to “positional thinking,” “positive thinking” is what Paul would call a “myth” and “speculation” (see 1 and 2 Timothy).
(6) The gospel of Jesus Christ does not offer forgiveness for those who would continue in sin, but salvation for those who would be delivered from their sins. When you read through the Bible, you will discover that God never proclaimed the gospel as a means by which sinners could continue to sin, but the means to have the assurance of forgiveness and eternal life. The gospel begins with a condemnation of sin and sinners, by a righteous and holy God. It offers men the solution for sin in Jesus Christ, a solution which includes both forgiveness of sin and freedom from sin. The gospel which the apostles preached did not make it easy for men to advocate living in sin as saints. Even so, some sought to pervert the gospel, even in Paul’s day.
Conversion is a radical change. It is not a man-made decision to “put God on our agenda,” but a divinely energized birth which tears up “our agenda,” and rearranges our lives to conform to God’s agenda.
In our own day and time, our presentation of the gospel has become so “soft sell” that it is very easy for people to believe that God sent His Son to Calvary so that sinners could sin and be forgiven, rather than knowing that God sent His Son so that sin could be remedied and removed from this earth. Christ did not come to sanction sin, but to defeat and dethrone it. When we seek to “merchandize” the gospel, to make it marketable and appealing to men, we will always play down those things which do not appeal to men and to their flesh. And when we preach this kind of gospel, we make it easy for the kinds of error which Paul abhors in our text to be advocated and accepted, even among the saints. A diluted gospel is a polluted gospel. The gospel offers deliverance from sin. Let us preach it this way.
(7) God turned the curse into the cure. I was preparing this week for a funeral service which I had been asked to conduct. The man had asked me before he died to come and visit him to talk about his funeral service. During my visit with him, I read these familiar first verses of John 14:
“Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way where I am going.” Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me” (John 14:1-6).
Jesus was celebrating the Passover with His disciples, just before His death. In this “upper room discourse,” found only in John’s Gospel, Jesus gives us, along with His disciples, a whole new outlook on death. He had just told His disciples in chapter 13 that He would be betrayed by one of them and that He would die. He further told them that where He was going, they would not be able to come for a while.
The disciples were greatly distressed. To them, the death of our Lord was the end, not the beginning. His death was the cause for their separation from Him. No wonder they had always struggled with His words about His coming death. No wonder Peter would rebuke our Lord for talking of death. To them, death was the curse, the cause of a separation they did not want.
What they did not yet understand was that in the wisdom of God, the curse was also to be the cure. Jesus comforted His disciples in this discourse by telling them these two things (among others): (1) Though physically absent from them, He would be present with and in them through His Spirit. They would, in His absence, enjoy an even greater intimacy and union with Him. He would not be with them, but He would be in them. This was even better! (2) His death, though the cause of a temporary separation, was the cure for a permanent separation.
Allow me to expand on this second truth. Death was the curse, the penalty for sin. Death is separation from God. But when our Lord died, He endured that separation. When He died, He died to sin as well as for sin. Our Lord’s death was the means whereby sinners could live in eternal fellowship with God. Our Lord’s going was not to “build a place” for His disciples in heaven but to prepare a way for them to get to heaven. He was the way, and His death and resurrection were the means. What a glorious truth!
These disciples, who resisted hearing of our Lord’s death before His crucifixion and resurrection, were the same men who celebrated His death afterwards. We celebrate the death of our Lord every week in our church because God took the curse and made it the cure. No wonder Paul could speak of death in terms of hope and joy. For those who are in Christ, death does not separate us from God; it joins us with Him.
For I know that this shall turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I shall not be put to shame in anything but that with all boldness, Christ shall even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Philippians 1:19-21).
Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord—for we walk by faith, not by sight—we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore also we have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him (2 Corinthians 5:6-9).
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, “FOR THY SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:31-39).
140 The word “know” appears in verse 3; “knowing” is found in verses 6 and 9.
141 I understand sanctification to be the process by which God increasingly manifests Himself in and through the saints to His glory.
142 There are many other important Old and New Testament texts dealing with the sanctification of the believer. Some of the important parallel passages in the epistles, written by Paul, are Galatians 2-5, Ephesians 1-5, and Colossians 1-3.
143 We can thus entitle the chapter “the fruits of justification.”
145 For further texts which emphasize the importance of knowledge as the basis for belief and behavior, see Ephesians 1:17; Colossians 2:7; 1 Peter 1:3ff.; 2 Peter 1:2-3, 12-21.
Most Americans find it easy to rejoice as we observe many nations throwing off the shackles of totalitarianism and dictatorship and moving toward democracy. We are elated to see some European nations, formerly held captive by a Communist dictatorship, cast off the shackles of slavery. But all is not well with these newly liberated nations. Freedom is difficult to obtain and even more difficult to maintain. Political liberation neither immediately nor automatically leads to democracy. Once a dictator is overthrown and his government toppled, the newly liberated people often find they are not equipped to handle freedom nor the governing of themselves. And so all too often, one dictatorship may fall, followed by anarchy, and later by yet another dictatorship.
The Christian life is something like this. Salvation brings immediate forgiveness for sin but not immediate freedom from sin. When a person is “born again,” or justified by faith in Jesus Christ, they are loosed from the bondage of sin. And yet sin soon seems to gain the upper hand once again. Sometimes a saint plunges headlong into sin, supposing that their salvation is a kind of sanction to sin. This appears to be the case with those whose questions Paul raises in Romans (see 3:5-8; 6:1, 15). Others struggle with sin, hating it and yet falling victim to its pull and its power, even as Paul will describe in Romans 7 (see verses 15-25).
In Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, the apostle spends more time dealing with the Christian’s victory over sin than he does with the forgiveness of his sins. While Romans 5-8 deals with the subject of sanctification (the lifelong process of our growth in grace, to God’s glory), its teaching is much broader. These chapters are rooted in our justification by faith (chapters 3b-4). Chapter 5 begins with the blessing of peace with God and the confidence of exulting in the “glory of God” in eternity (5:1-2), and chapter 8 ends with the complete restoration of this fallen and chaotic world. Romans 5-8 describes the roots of sin and the restoration of the creation from the ravages of sin.
Romans 6:1–7:6 provides the believer with a biblical basis for turning from sin to godly living, from the practice of sin to the pursuit of righteousness. In this text, Paul provides three lines of evidence in support of godliness. In Romans 6:1-14, Paul calls the Christian’s attention to their “baptism into Christ,” which unites them with both His death and His resurrection. Our union with Christ prohibits us from living in sin, because this would be inconsistent with and contrary to the work of Christ on the cross. In Christ we died to sin, and thus we must not continue to live in sin. In Christ, we were raised to newness of life, and thus we must live a new and different life in and through Him.
In Romans 6:15–7:6 Paul continues to drive home the truth that justification leads to sanctification. Paul uses two analogies in these verses to articulate and illustrate his point. He first turns to the analogy of slavery in 6:16-23. He then uses the analogy of marriage to show that our union with Christ frees us from our bondage to sin, which the text sustains and supports (7:1-6). We will seek in this lesson to understand the meaning and the message of Paul’s words in Romans 6:15–7:6 as it relates to our own practice of our justification by faith. In our next lesson we will concentrate upon the goodness of the Law and the ultimate source of our struggle with sin as we study Romans 7:7-25.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts, 13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law, but under grace.
Paul’s words in Romans 6:12-14 serve a dual purpose: they serve as a conclusion to Paul’s teaching in 6:1-11 and as an introduction to Romans 6:15–7:6.146 Because we have died to sin and have been raised to newness of life in Christ, we must not let sin reign in our bodies. Rather than to present our bodies as servants of sin, we must present our bodies as instruments of righteousness.
As a conclusion to Paul’s teaching in Romans 6:1-11, verses 12-14 inform us that we are obliged to live in the light of our union with Christ. As an introduction to Paul’s teaching in Romans 6:15–7:6, Paul’s words in verses 12-14 lay the foundation for what he will teach next. Verses 12-13 prepare the way for 6:15-23. Verse 14 introduces the subject which Paul will take up in 7:1-6. For this reason, I have begun our study here, to remind us that what Paul is teaching in verse 15 of chapter 6, he has prepared us for in the immediately preceding verses.
15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! 16 Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification. 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. 22 But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
In verse 14, Paul assumes the fact that the believer’s union with Christ takes him from one domain and places him in another. Justification by faith removes one from the dominion of sin and places him under the dominion of grace. In verse 14, the word “under” implies authority and power. That is why Paul speaks of sin no longer “reigning” in the body of the believer (6:12). The believer has been freed from the Law and now lives by grace. Because of this, sin shall no longer be our master (6:14).
Some may be tempted to take this truth and twist it into an excuse for sin. If sin is no longer my master, they challenge, can I master sin? If sin can no longer use me, can I use sin? Is the overthrow of sin an excuse to sin? Most definitely not! Paul again responds with horror to such a thought. “God forbid! May it never be!”
Verse 16 sums up Paul’s argument in verses 16-23. Several fundamental truths are implied or stated in verse 16 which are more fully expounded by Paul in verses 17-23. Consider these foundational truths which forcefully explain why a Christian should not sin.
(1) Sin is stupid. My words may seem to be a bit strong, but I am convinced they are no stronger than those of Paul. When he begins, “Do you not know?” he is saying the same thing. In Paul’s world and in ours, sin is not thought of as stupid but as sophisticated. Put differently, the unbelieving world thinks that righteousness is stupid, not that sin is stupid. When men reject the revelation of God in nature, they become fools but they think of themselves as wise (Romans 1:22). No wonder Paul puts the matter strongly. Paul’s words which follow this statement give us some of the reasons why sin is stupid.
(2) Sin is enslaving. Sin is like using crack cocaine: it only takes one dose, and you are hooked by it. We cannot master sin, but sin can master us when we choose to obey it. Paul traces a carefully thought-out argument in these verses. He bases his conclusion that sin is enslaving upon these premises:
(3) Salvation is liberating, breaking the believer’s enslavement to sin. The Romans were once enslaved by sin, but that all changed when they came to faith in Jesus Christ for salvation. They once were slaves to sin, but no longer was this so. Their bondage to sin was broken in Christ (see verse 17).
(4) The salvation of the saints in Rome was the beginning of an obedience to teaching which condemned sin. The conversion of the Romans to faith in Christ was an act of obedience. They became obedient to Christ and to His Word. Their conversion was an act of renouncing their allegiance and servitude to sin and a commitment to obey God. The demands of discipleship were no surprise to these saints. They knew what they were getting into at the time of their conversion.
I wish I could say the same for the saints today. The gospel which is often proclaimed today is watered down. It minimizes commitment and repentance which requires a drastic change of lifestyle. It speaks of God as though He wishes to serve men, rather than to men, urging them to submit to God and to serve Him. When the demands of discipleship are later discovered by the new believer, they are often taken aback and sometimes even angry. What a sad commentary on the gospel we preach. Paul’s gospel, and that which the Romans received, was no such gospel. Our Lord and His apostles let men know where salvation leads. They did not play down the cost of discipleship.
(5) Turning back to sin is stupid, because in so doing we return to that slavery to sin from which we were liberated in Christ. If salvation liberated men from their bondage and enslavement to sin, the practice of sin is a return to that very bondage. Returning to sin, rather than resisting sin, is like “A DOG [THAT] RETURNS TO ITS OWN VOMIT” or a pig that returns to “wallowing in the mire” (see 2 Peter 2:22; Proverbs 26:11).148
(6) To turn back to sin is to turn away from grace. Sin is stepping out of the realm of grace. Sin rejects God’s grace and incites God’s righteous wrath. Sin removes one from that realm where mercy and forgiveness may be found and leaves one in that realm in which condemnation and death are meted out. Sin, like circumcision, according to Paul, is “falling from grace” (see Galatians 5:4). This is not to say that the Christian who sins can lose his salvation, but he can and does place himself in a position where he is dealt with more severely. Paul does not want the Christian to doubt his salvation or to think he will lose his salvation, but he does wish the believer to take sin seriously.
(7) To turn back to sin is to walk in the way which leads to death, rather than to life. Returning to sin is especially stupid in the light of where sin always leads. “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). To leave the path of righteousness and to turn back to the path of sin is to leave the path which leads to life and to return to the path which leads to death. If we accept the premises of the Bible, the consequences of sin are such that sin is stupid, and only living in righteousness makes sense.
I want to pause at Romans 6:23 for just a moment. How often we use this text evangelistically, applying it to the unbeliever. This is well and good, for the principle is true and surely applies to the unbeliever. For the sinner to stay on the path of sin is fatal and foolish. But let us not overlook the fact that Paul is here applying the principle to the saint, not the sinner. He is applying the principle to the Christian who may be toying with sin, not the unbeliever who is living in sin.
It may be that the question raised in Romans 6:1 refers to a contemplated or proposed lifestyle of sin, while the question of 6:15 is less sweeping, referring to an occasional departure into sin. Most Christians know better than to try to excuse a heathen lifestyle. But most of us also find it very easy to excuse intermittent sin. We do not try to lapse back into our heathen lifestyle, but we do want to dabble with it once and awhile. If this is the case, Paul is telling us here that one little sin is like one fix with crack cocaine. One dose is addictive and enslaving. Thus, we must not surrender to sin at all. It is lethal! It is addictive! It is stupid!
The application of Paul’s teaching in this section is found in verse 19. Just as they had formerly presented their bodies149 in service to sin, now they were to present themselves as slaves of righteousness, the result of which is sanctification.
As we conclude this lesson, let us look back over some of the lessons Paul has taught here and reflect upon some of the implications of his teaching.
(1) Biblical doctrine is meant to be practical. The questions which Paul raises in Romans 6 (“What shall we say then?” verse 6; “What then?” verse 15) imply that we should say something in response to his teaching. Furthermore, both major sections of Romans 6 include a clear command to put this teaching to practice. Verses 1-11 are applied by Paul in verses 12-14, and verses 15-23 have a clear command in verse 19.
(2) It is often at the point of application that Christian heresy surfaces. Paul would not ask the questions he does in Romans if he did not expect Christians to misapply truth. Paul’s questions in chapter 6, along with his response to them, strongly suggest that there are Christians who will be orthodox in what they believe, but heretical in what they do. The statement, “May it never be!” found twice in chapter 6, suggests that Christians will take truth to sinful conclusions. Often, right doctrine is twisted to justify sin. Our practice, Paul insists, must be consistent with biblical doctrine.
Perhaps an additional comment should be made here. Just because one’s application of the truth is wrong, we cannot automatically conclude that their doctrine is wrong. If truth can be misapplied, then misapplication does not prove one’s beliefs are wrong. Those beliefs must be subject to scrutiny, but we dare not jump to the conclusion that wrong application always proves wrong doctrine.
(3) Romans 6 teaches us a great deal about sanctification—the lifelong process of spiritual growth which takes place in the life of the Christian, resulting in the glorification of God. By inference, our text teaches us that sanctification is surely not automatic. Once we have been saved, we are not predisposed to always do God’s will. Growth does not occur by accident. The Christian is faced with decisions and choices. While there is boasting and great confidence, there is also agony and struggle. The struggles and tribulations are a part of the process.
Sanctification is not immediate, and it is not easy, but it is remarkably simple. Paul’s words in Romans 5-8 are not that scholarly nor are his points difficult to grasp. We do not struggle with sanctification because it is so hard to understand, but because it is so hard to do. The reason for this struggle will be explained in Romans 7. The means for living righteously are yet to be expounded in Romans 8.
Sanctification is rooted in the cross of Jesus Christ. We were saved from sin and unto righteousness. Our sanctification is grounded in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He died not only for sin, but to sin. Since we have been baptized into Christ, we must not live in sin; we must die to sin. Our lifestyle must radically change as a result of our union with Him and His work at Calvary. Our sanctification is necessitated by the cross, and it is provided for by the cross. The cross of Christ is the key to our salvation and our sanctification.
(4) In our text, Paul teaches us a great deal about sin. As we have seen, sin is stupid. It is stupid because it leads to slavery, slavery to a cruel taskmaster. To choose to obey sin is to turn back to the dominion of sin from which we were delivered in Jesus Christ. It is like a dog returning to its vomit and a pig to its mire. It is returning to that path which inevitably leads to death rather than to life.
Sin is stupid only when it is viewed from a biblical perspective. Our world invites and encourages us to view sin very differently—as a great delight and an act of sophistication and wisdom. We will never see sin as stupid unless we see it from God’s point of view.
Sin is an addiction. I must admit that this realization has come hard to me. I have tended to react to this truth because it is one that has been a prominent theme in contemporary psychology. Every human malady seems to be the result of an addiction. People are now viewed not only in terms of their addiction to chemicals and other substances but also to other people (co-dependency).
According to Paul’s words in our text, sin is an addiction. While modern psychology may be right in drawing our attention to our addictions, it fails in many ways to deal with sin as it should. First, psychology tends to avoid the fact that addiction is sin. Often, the label of addiction serves as an excuse for sin and not as an identification of sin.
Psychology is also wrong in the way it seeks to deal with addiction. Its “cure” for addiction is really a curse. Jesus Christ is the only cure for our addiction to sin, any sin. The many “Twelve Step” programs which seek to deal with addiction refer to a “higher power,” but they do not point to Jesus Christ and the cross of Calvary alone as the means of deliverance. Man’s help comes from a “higher power,” a “god” of our own definition. Man will find no deliverance here.
Deliverance from the addiction of sin comes only from our Lord Jesus Christ, and His death, burial, and resurrection. Whatever your bondage or addiction might be, it is rooted in sin, and its only resolution is the cross of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ died for sin, bearing the penalty of God’s wrath for sin. He also died to sin, delivering men from the power of sin. Have you trusted in the work of Jesus Christ? Here is the only deliverance from the addiction of sin God has provided for men. Jesus Christ is not a way; He is the way, the only way:
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me” (John 14:6).
The secular means by which men and women are told they can rid themselves of addiction is to “take responsibility and control of your own life.” This is not God’s way. Man can never get control of sin, because it is bigger and more powerful than we are (see Romans 7 for a dramatic example). Deliverance from sin does not come by our mastering sin, but by a change in our master. In our sin and unbelief, sin, and ultimately Satan, is our master. We cannot master sin, but we can submit to Jesus Christ as our Master. When we do so, we not only die to sin in Christ, but God’s power and victory over sin becomes ours.
There is a contemporary slogan which expresses the best “deliverance” the world can offer from addiction: “Just say no.” This is no different than the legalism of the Judaizers. As Paul will make clear, we are not able to say no. Adding rules does not remedy sin; it even promotes sin. The only remedy to the addiction of sin is “Just say yes,” to the offer of salvation in Jesus Christ. Have you received God’s deliverance from sin’s penalty and power? I pray that you will.
(5) Slavery is not the only picture of salvation. Paul does not leave us with slavery as the only analogy of salvation. Paul has employed this particular analogy because of the weakness of his readers (see verse 19). Our relationship to God through Jesus Christ does involve servanthood (or slavery—Paul uses this imagery often), but many other dimensions are also involved. In Romans 7:1-6, Paul speaks of our deliverance through the imagery of marriage, a much more intimate and tender relationship. Later, in Romans 8 he will describe our relationship to God in terms of sonship. It is a great privilege to be a slave of our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul often uses this expression for his own apostleship. But we are also the bride of Christ and the sons of God. To God be the glory, great things He has done!
146 Because of this dual purpose of Romans 6:12-14, one must deal with these verses twice. They must be dealt with as the conclusion of verses 1-11, and again as the introduction to 6:15–7:6. This is true of many other transitional portions of Scripture as well. In preaching and teaching the Scriptures, it is therefore difficult to present a neat package which deals with each text but once.
147 Note the “either … or” statement in verse 16. We are either slaves of sin or of righteousness. We are the slaves of one or the other.
148 One might argue that this statement is referring to one who was never saved. Even so, the principle is the same, and the folly of returning to sin is evident.
149 I understand the expression “your members” (verse 19, see also 6:13) to refer to the members of the physical body. “Members” is simply a way of referring to our body, in terms of its individual parts, many of which have different roles to play in the service of sin. It is no wonder that Paul will exhort his readers to “present your bodies as a living sacrifice” in Romans 12:1.
A number of years ago a very tragic boating accident resulted in the loss of two lives. A family enjoying a day at the lake made a turn in their boat, and the daughter fell overboard. Quickly turning the boat around, the father jumped into the water to save his daughter as it approached the drowning girl. The father could swim, but for some unexplained reason he quickly drowned, leaving the little girl still thrashing about in the water. No one on board knew how to operate the boat, and it continued to drift away as the father and daughter were perishing.
Nearby, a man was fishing from a small rowboat. Seeing the accident, he began to row to the scene to help in any way he could. Paralyzed from the waist down, the man’s ability to help was limited. Approaching the struggling girl, he held out an oar for her to grasp, but he could do no more because of his condition. Unable to hold on to the oar, the girl slipped beneath the surface of the water while the man watched helplessly, unable to do anything more to help her.
All of mankind is very much like the drowning girl. We are overcome by sin and unable to save ourselves. The Law of Moses, and any other system of rules, is very much like the paralyzed man attempting to rescue the girl. His intention was sincere and commendable, but he lacked the power to save the drowning girl. The Law is good, but it cannot save the sinner. Neither can the Law release the Christian from his bondage to sin. As a matter of fact, it is the Law which somehow sustains man’s bondage to sin. The solution to the problem of sin is therefore to be released from the Law and thus from sin. This release is described by Paul in our text.
Paul’s teaching on the relationship between righteousness and the Law comes to a dramatic climax in Romans 7. Man’s fundamental problem is his lack of righteousness. As Paul concludes in Romans 3:10, “There is none righteous, not even one” (quoting from Psalm 14). Because of man’s universal unrighteousness, the Righteous Creator of the universe is presently manifesting His wrath toward sinners. In judging sin, God demonstrates His righteousness. God also manifests His righteousness by saving some men from their sins. He has accomplished this by pouring out His righteous wrath on His own Son, Jesus Christ, who bore the sinner’s punishment. All who believe in Him by faith are declared righteous by faith alone, apart from works, including works of the Law. The Law cannot save anyone; it can only condemn all who are under it for failing to meet God’s standard of righteousness. The Law can only define righteousness and bear witness to the righteousness of God which has been manifested in the person of Jesus Christ. Man’s justification (being declared righteous before God) is by faith alone, apart from works:
21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus (Romans 3:21-26).
Even Abraham, the honored patriarch of the Jews, was justified by faith and not by his works. He was declared righteous purely on the basis that he believed God’s promise, years before he was circumcised and centuries before the Law was given to Moses at Mt. Sinai (see Romans 4).
The Law could show men to be sinners, but it could not justify sinners. The Law can condemn, but it cannot save. It is just as helpless to produce righteousness in the lives of those who have been justified by faith. Put differently, the Law is as completely powerless to sanctify men as it is to save men. The self-righteous Jew of Romans 2 found that the Law in which he boasted could not justify him but only condemn him. Paul now adds that the Law was not brought in to reduce or to rid mankind of sin, but to cause the transgression of Adam to be multiplied many times over so that the guilt of every individual could be imputed to them, with the result that grace would abound even more than sin:
20 And the Law came in that the transgression might increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 5:20-21).
If the Jews were inclined to overestimate the value of the Law as a deterrent to sin, there were many (often Gentiles) who twisted the grace of God into an excuse for sin.150 It is the evil of lawlessness which Paul addresses in Romans 6 as he proves that it is stupid for a Christian to sin. It is a contradiction of his union with Christ, to his death to sin and his resurrection to newness of life (6:1-11). It is also a return to that very bondage from which faith in Christ set him free, and a return to that path which produces shame and death (6:15-23).
We were not saved in order to live in sin. We were justified, declared righteous through the person and work of Jesus Christ, so that God might manifest His righteousness through us. To this, the legalist would shout a hearty, “Amen!” But it is here that the legalist goes astray from the truth of the gospel. The legalist seeks to solve the problem of sin by introducing the Law. “If you want to reduce sin and produce righteousness,” the legalist would say, “you must introduce rules.” Righteousness, to the legalist, is a matter of keeping the rules.
The gospel teaches just the opposite. To be freed from sin, you must be freed from servitude to the Law. Listen once again to Paul’s words found in Romans 6:14: “For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law, but under grace.”
To the legalist, grace was the cause of sin, and the Law was the solution for sin. To Paul, legalism promoted sin while grace alone could overcome it. To be free from the mastery of sin, the Christian must be freed from the mastery of the Law.151
Throughout history, the two extremes of license and legalism have existed with each pointing to the other as the justification for their own error. The Law did not save Abraham, for it was not given at the time he was justified, by faith alone (see Romans 4). It was not the Law which saved Israel from Egyptian bondage, for the Law was not given until after God’s defeat of Egypt and Israel’s crossing of the Red Sea. Law-keeping would never save any Israelite but only faith.
When the Son of God added humanity to His deity and began His earthly ministry, He immediately distinguished His teaching and that of the Law from the false teaching and legalism of the scribes and Pharisees (see Matthew 5-7). All through His earthly ministry, scribes and Pharisees debated with Jesus and opposed His interpretation of the Law. The apostles and leaders of the church in Jerusalem had great difficulty concluding that the gospel was to be offered to the Gentiles and that Gentile saints were not to be placed under the yoke of the Law and made Law-keepers (see Acts 10-11; 15; Galatians 2:11-21). The apostles had to battle against both license and legalism as contrary to the gospel and to the grace of God. In Romans 6 Paul has shown license to be contrary to the gospel and to the grace of God. Now, in Romans 7:1-6, Paul will show us that legalism is contrary to the gospel. Paul will not only teach us that legalism is contrary to the gospel, but that in Christ we died not only to sin but also to the Law. Just as the Law could not save anyone, as we see in Romans 1-4, it cannot sanctify anyone either as shown in Romans 5-8.
The argument of Romans 7:1-6 is built upon all that Paul has taught before in the first six chapters of Romans. Man’s unrighteousness is the reason for God’s judgment and for His provision of righteousness, by faith, in Jesus Christ. Righteousness is not only that which the gospel provides, but what it requires. Those whom God has justified, He has saved, to live out His righteousness before men. The Law, however, is not the solution. It can neither save sinners nor sanctify them. Just as God’s righteousness was provided to save men, apart from the Law (3:19-26), God’s righteousness is produced in the Christian apart from the Law (7:1-6). The Law can define sin, and even increase it, but it cannot reduce or remove sin. When men are united with the person and work of Christ by faith, they not only die to the penalty of sin, they die to the practice of sin, and to the power of the Law over them, by which sin binds them (7:1-6). The real culprit, however is not the Law, for the Law is “holy, righteous, and good” (7:12). The real culprit is the flesh, which sin dominates (7:14-25). And the power which enables our dead bodies to overcome sin is the power of the Holy Spirit, the same power which gave life to the dead body of our Lord, raising Him to life (8:1-11).
The argument and structure of Romans 7:1-6 is apparent. In verse 1, Paul states the general principle, that the law only has authority over those who are alive. In verses 2-3 Paul demonstrates his point using the illustration of the woman whose husband dies, thus freeing her from the law and from her previous marriage, and enabling her to be married to another man. In verses 4-6, Paul applies the principle of verse 1 (and its illustration in verses 2-3) to the union of the believer with Christ and to his liberation from the Law. We can summarize the structure of our text in this way:
1 Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives?
The question, “Or do you not know?” repeated here in verse 1, links Paul’s words with the context. He has asked virtually the same question in 6:3 and 6:16. What Paul is saying in verses 1-6 of chapter 7 must be understood in connection with what he has previously said, especially in chapter 6.
The question, “Or do you not know?” underscores the continuity of Paul’s teaching. The term “brethren,” along with the parenthetical comment of verse 1, indicates the uniqueness of verses 1-6. Paul is here speaking particularly to the Jews, his “brethren.” These “brethren” are those who “know the law.” If the Gentiles are those most likely to abuse grace as an excuse for license to sin, the Jews are those who are likely to be the advocates of legalism. Jewish Christians, even the apostles, were inclined toward legalism. Imposing the Law of Moses on the Gentiles was a tempting way to try to overcome their heathen ways (see Acts 15).
Paul has already made the statement, “You are not under law, but under grace” (6:14). He will now begin to expound this truth. How is it that Christians are no longer “under law”? They are freed from the law by death. The law, whether this be the Law of Moses or any other law, only applies to men while they are alive. Dead men are released from the law.
To illustrate, imagine a hearse speeding on its way to the cemetery and racing through a radar trap. In hot pursuit, a motorcycle policeman speeds after the hearse. When the hearse pulls over, the policeman does not go to the driver, but he goes to the back door of the hearse where he opens the casket and slips the traffic ticket inside. Pretty ridiculous, is it not? No one can expect the law to have authority over a dead man.
Joe Bayly wrote a very excellent little book, originally entitled, “A View From the Hearse.” The title was changed in a later edition, but I like the original title best. Life does look different from the vantage point of death. Paul views sanctification “from the hearse.” He takes us back, once more, to the cross of Calvary, to the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord. Because every Christian is joined, by the baptism of the Holy Spirit, to Christ in His death and resurrection, Paul draws our attention to our own death, in Christ. In Christ, we died to the penalty of sin (Romans 3). In Christ, we died to the practice of sin (Romans 6). In Christ, we also died to the Law and its power over us. Our union with Christ in His death frees us from the Law. If those who have died are free from the Law, we are free from the Law because we died in Christ.
2 For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband. 3 So then if, while her husband is living, she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress, though she is joined to another man.
Paul illustrates the principle just stated in verse 1 with a practical example in verses 2 and 3. A married woman is bound to her husband by law. Because of this legal bondage to her husband, she is not free to marry another man. To marry another while her husband is alive would make her an adulteress. But death changes everything. The death of her husband nullifies the law, so far as her remarriage is concerned. Now, freed from the law,152 she may marry another and bear offspring to him.153
The principle is very simple: The law has authority over those who are alive. The authority of the law is set aside by death. Death frees one from the law and its bondage. This general principle, and Paul’s illustration of marriage, will now be applied personally, as it relates to the death of the Christian in Christ to the Law and the liberty which this brings.
4 Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit for God. 5 For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. 6 But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.
The title I have given to these verses sounds a little repetitious, does it not? I believe Paul meant to be repetitious. He does not want any Christian to miss the point: We are not under Law; we are under grace (6:14). When a person enters into justification by faith, the Holy Spirit baptizes them, joining them to Jesus Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. In Romans 6:1-11, Paul showed that being thus baptized, Christians have died to sin and have been raised to newness of life, in Christ. Here, Paul reminds us of another dimension of our identification with Christ. In Him, we also died to the Law and to its dominion over us. In so doing, we are freed from that which binds us to sin and its penalty—death.
Paul’s argument in verse 4 is stated differently than in Romans 6:1-11. In Romans 6, Paul speaks of our union with Christ as one union. We were united with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. Now however Paul speaks as though there were two unions. We were united with Christ, our sin-bearer, in His death to sin and to the Law. We died with Christ, which freed us from our bondage to the Law. Having died to the Law, we are now freed to be united with another Master, Jesus Christ, who was raised from the dead.
If I understand Paul’s argument correctly, Jesus is both our “former husband,” from which we were freed by our death to the Law, and He is now our “present husband,” to whom we are joined, and through whom we bear the fruit of righteousness to God. The Christ who died and the Christ who rose from the dead are the same Christ, but with two very different roles. The Christ who died became “sin” for us: “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
The Christ who rose from the dead was Victor over sin and death. Neither sin, nor death, nor the Law had any claim on Him. And so, having died in Christ, we are now freed from the Law, freed to be joined with the resurrected Christ, so that we might bring forth the fruit of righteousness to God. Our union with Christ as the sin-bearer made possible our union with Christ, the source of righteousness. Our union with Christ in His death is the basis for dealing with the negative aspects of sin, death, and the Law. Our union with Christ in His resurrection is the source of that which is positive, the source of righteousness. In the words of the secular song, our union with Christ in His death “eliminates the negative,” while our union with Christ in His resurrection “accentuates the positive.”154
In verses 5 and 6, Paul goes farther than he has before showing us that the Law promotes sin rather than putting it down. We have already seen one way in which sin is increased by the Law in Romans. Note the argument of Paul in these verses:
14 For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified; 15 for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, neither is there violation (Romans 4:14-15, emphasis mine).
12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—13 for until the Law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come (Romans 5:12-14, emphasis mine).
17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. 18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. 19 For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. 20 And the Law came in that the transgression might increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 5:17-21, emphasis mine).
Apart from law, there is no violation of law and thus no basis for condemnation. Adam and Eve had but one “law,” the commandment not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Their violation of this “law” Paul refers to as “the transgression” in Romans 5:17. Those who lived in the time period between Adam and Moses, when the Law of Moses was not yet given, died because they all sinned in Adam. When the Law of Moses was given, men now became sinners because they violated God’s Law. Thus, “the transgression” of Adam was increased by the Law of Moses to “many transgressions.” The Law of Moses therefore increased sin and did not reduce it.
In Romans 7:5-6, Paul speaks of yet another way in which law155 increases sin. All men are sinners, born in rebellion against God. We naturally reject His revelation. We even reject His grace. When commandments are given men by God, our sinful nature is eager to rebel. Thus, any commandment, even though it comes from God,156 is a temptation to further sin. The more rules from God, the more our rebellion against God.
In our natural, unsaved, state (“in the flesh,” verse 5), the Law157 arouses sinful passions, resulting in sin and death. The Law was not a cure and could mistakenly be considered a curse. This is a matter Paul will take up in Romans 7:7-25.
The Law poses a problem for the Christian and does not solve the problem of sin. Thus, the Christian must die to the Law, to be freed from the bondage to sin it facilitates. The real problem is indicated in verse 5, having been hinted at previously (see for example, “body of sin” in Romans 6:6). It is the problem of the flesh. The solution is to be found in the Spirit (verse 7). The role of the Holy Spirit will be expounded in detail in chapter 8.
The Law of Moses, or any other inferior law, can never save anyone. It can only define sin and condemn men for practicing it. The Law points out the problem, but it provides no solution. The Law did bear witness to the righteousness of God in Christ. The salvation which He provided on the cross of Calvary was not through the Law but apart from it. The Law cannot justify sinners.
The Law of Moses does define righteous conduct. God saved us in order that we might manifest His righteousness. Thus, the lawlessness of our former lifestyle must not continue on, now that we have been justified by faith, identified with our Lord Jesus Christ in His death (to sin), burial, and resurrection (to newness of life). The righteousness which our salvation requires cannot be produced by law-keeping, by rules and regulations. Here, in sanctification, as was also true in regard to our justification, the Law cannot produce righteous living and even passively promotes sin. Sanctification, like justification, comes about apart from the Law.
Our bondage to sin is linked to our bondage to the Law. The solution to this problem is the cross of Calvary. In Christ, we died to the Law and to its reign over us. In dying to the Law, sin no longer has mastery over us. Death to the Law, and its strong pull on our fallen flesh, is to be replaced by a life lived through God’s Spirit.
Before Paul expounds this new life in the Spirit, he must speak a word in defense of the Law. This he does in Romans 7:7-25. He will show us that the Law itself is “holy, righteous, and good” (7:12), but that sin uses the Law to appeal to our flesh and to overpower us. Then, in chapter 8, he will explain how the power of God, manifested through the Holy Spirit, enables us to serve God in spite of sin and the flesh.
How foolish and ignorant are those who would suppose that the work of Jesus Christ on Calvary was accomplished on our behalf, so that we could continue to live in sin. How foolish also are those who would say that the righteousness which God requires can be produced through law-keeping. The cross of Calvary forbids both lawlessness and law-keeping as a way of life. Walking in the Spirit is the only way of sanctification. Law-keeping will not save us and neither will it sanctify us.
Romans 6:1–7:1-6 has many implications and applications for Christians in our day. Before we conclude, allow me to step back and view our text in its broader context, suggesting some of the applications of Paul’s words to our own lives.
(1) Paul does not portray living in sin as a life of pleasure and delight, given up for the sake of a monastic existence. All too often, Christians seem to think of the Christian life negatively, in terms of all that they have given up. The former life of sin, which the Christian must leave behind, Paul views as that of which we should be glad to be rid. Before our salvation, we lived in ways that now make us ashamed (6:21). We were on a path which led to death (6:23), and we were enslaved to a cruel master (6:17). Christians who give up sin have given up nothing of value. We have lost nothing and have gained everything. Too many Christians view the Christian life differently. They seem to think that they have given up a great deal and that their gains are minimal. Giving up sin is not a sacrifice. We should agonize as little over giving up sin as we do over taking out the trash.
(2) Paul does not speak of obedience to Christ and living righteously as the high road which some Christians take and which the majority reject for the lower road of mere salvation. I know it is popularly taught that salvation and discipleship are separate issues. Thus, they say, one can be saved without being informed about and making a commitment to obeying Christ as Master. This simply does not square with Paul’s teaching in Romans. He says that when these saints were saved, they committed themselves to teaching which informed them of what salvation and sanctification involved (6:17). Paul does not speak of “two paths for Christians,” one of mere salvation and the other of discipleship. He speaks of two paths, the path of sin, leading to death, and the path of righteousness, leading to eternal life. The low road is the path of sin. The high road is the path of righteousness, leading to life. Whenever the Christian departs from this “high road,” he does not lose his salvation, but he does leave the path of life. No wonder Paul warns the sinning saint about death (see 1 Corinthians 5:5; 11:30).158 Just as the New Testament never conceives of a person coming to faith in Christ apart from submitting to baptism, so the New Testament never conceives of someone coming to faith in Christ apart from turning from sin and practicing righteousness.
(3) God sent His Son to provide sinners with the forgiveness of sins, and freedom from sin, but not to provide freedom to sin.
(4) To Paul, the cross is the central truth of the gospel, the key not only to our salvation but also to our sanctification. Over and over, Paul returns to the cross of Calvary. “In Christ” is the not only one of the most common expressions found in Paul’s epistles, it is the key to Christian living. We are justified, in Christ. We are sanctified, in Christ. We are enriched with all spiritual blessings, in Christ. We are eternally secure, in Christ. We are victorious, in Christ.
In the minds of many Christians, it is not like this. Christ is seen as the starting point, but that is all. Christ is the beginning and the end, the Alpha and Omega, and everything in between. All things are from Him, through Him, and unto Him (Romans 11:36). Many Christians have begun with Christ, only to endeavor to find victory over sin through some other means. The cross of Christ is the only means of salvation, and it is the only means of sanctification. All things are summed up in Christ (see Colossians 1 and 2). Let us turn to no other than Christ and His cross. No wonder Paul’s only message was concerning Christ, crucified and raised from the dead (see 1 Corinthians 1 and 2). Christ alone is sufficient. Christ alone is our strength. Christ alone should be the object of our instruction, our devotion, and our dependence.
(5) Legalism is one of the great threats to the Christian of our day, not just to those of Paul’s day. It is certainly true that we can find ample evidence of license and libertinism in the church today. But the danger about which Paul warns us in our text is legalism. Legalism is not the cure for license. Grace is not an excuse for sin, but it does provide the cure for sin. It is not Law but grace which the church needs more of today.
When I speak of legalism, I am not speaking only of the danger of those who would seek to put all Christians under the bondage of the Law of Moses. I am speaking of the temptation to put Christians under rules and regulations, thinking that obedience to these rules will defeat sin and result in righteousness. Paul says in our text that legalism may look good but that it utterly fails to produce righteousness. This is consistent with his teaching elsewhere:
If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” (which all refer to things destined to perish with the using)—in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence (Colossians 2:20-23).
Legalism will take forms in the church which have, as Paul states above, “the appearance of wisdom,” but which are of no value at all so far as overcoming the flesh. I wish to mention one current emphasis in Christian circles which, although it may have some elements of truth, is a teaching which tends toward legalism. It is the teaching concerning “accountability” to one another.
I believe the Bible clearly teaches our responsibility to one another, but I do not see the Scriptures teaching accountability in the way it is being presently taught and practiced. It sounds pious and encouraging to hear of one teen calling another to see if they have had their devotions, but is this a form of legalism? Are we accountable to God or to men? I am not saying that such teaching is completely wrong, but I am saying that it has the potential for legalism. Let us be on guard for legalism, whatever the form it may take. Rules and regulations do not make men righteous. Christ died to Law, that it might no longer bind us and so that we might be free, not to live in sin, but to be joined to Christ and to bear the fruit of righteousness.
(6) While the Law does not solve the problem of sin, neither is the Law evil. The Law is a problem. Legalism is an error with dangerous and deadly outworkings. Nevertheless, let us not wrongly jump to the conclusion that the Law is entirely evil and useless. The Law is “holy, righteous, and good” (7:12). Paul does not say that the gospel utterly condemns the Law, but that it “establishes the Law” (3:31). Those who walk in the Spirit “fulfill the requirement of the Law” (8:4). Paul will clearly defend the Law in the remainder of chapter 7. I simply remind you here of the goodness of the Law, even though it cannot save or sanctify men.
As I conclude, let me say a final word to any of you who may not yet have come to faith in Jesus Christ for salvation. Christianity has always had its hypocrites and its bad examples. There are those who would abuse the grace of God, making it an excuse (perhaps even a mandate) for their sin. They are wrong! There are also those who would seek to put Christians under a long list of rules, usually Don’ts. These folks are wrong too. Justification by faith is God’s solution for sin and its consequences. Justification by faith is God’s provision of righteousness, so that men might be saved, and so that they might manifest His righteousness in their lives. If you would be free from the burden of your sin, receive God’s gift of salvation in Jesus Christ. Trust in Him as the One who died in your place, bearing the punishment for your sins. Receive from Him that righteousness which you can never produce by your own efforts. Forsake your unrighteousness, and turn to Him who alone can make you righteous. Do it today.
150 See, for example, Romans 6:1, 15; 1 Peter 2:16; 2 Peter 2.
151 The translation of Romans 6:14 and 7:1 in the NASB and most other versions fails to indicate that the same term is employed in these verses. This term is rendered “be master over” in 6:14 and “has jurisdiction over” in 7:1. I do not argue at all with the translation, for it conveys what Paul said. It is helpful, however, to know that Paul is using the same term, and in doing so he is informing us that the mastery of sin is directly linked to the mastery of the Law. This, of course, he says in 6:14, and he expounds upon in 7:1-6. One cannot be free from sin until he is free from Law. This message was the opposite of what Judaism and the Judaisers taught. If Paul has corrected the libertine in chapter 6, he is also correcting the legalist now. Lawlessness (license) is wrong, and so is Law-keeping (legalism).
152 Her husband is surely not the Law, as some commentators hold. Her husband is hardly in view. It is not that her husband is so bad, for this is never stated. The point is only that she is not free to marry anyone else. Her bondage is a bondage which the law imposes on her. Death frees her from the law and the limitations it poses on her. The bondage Paul spoke of in 6:15-23 is bondage to sin. The bondage to sin is now linked with the law.
153 At first, it may seem that Paul’s illustration is flawed. For Paul’s illustration to fit the Christian’s experience, should the wife not die? First, Paul is not illustrating the Christian’s liberation from the Law in Christ here but the general principle stated in verse 1. The Christian’s experience in Christ is expounded in verses 4-6. Second, our freedom from the law has not been achieved by our own death but by our death to the Law, in Christ. We died to the Law by means of the death of another (Jesus Christ), just as the wife died to the law by means of the death of her husband.
154 Even that line which I can hardly remember, “and don’t mess with Mr. In Between,” seems to apply here, because the libertine seems to be tempted to live in sin, while calling on grace. Paul says that we must declare ourselves, recognize that there are only two masters, and choose whom we will serve.
155 This refers to any “law,” whether it be the Law of Moses, or some man-made rule.
156 Or perhaps we should say, “especially if it comes from God.”
157 Here it may well be that Paul is speaking particularly of the Law of Moses. Remember that he is speaking to “those who know the law” (7:1).
158 I want to be very clear on this point. A Christian cannot lose his salvation by sinning. But sinning is inconsistent with salvation, and it is turning from the path of life to the path of death. Paul does not try to motivate Christian living by holding salvation over the heads of the saints, as though sin might cause them to lose it. He begins his teaching on sanctification by underscoring the certainty of salvation and its benefits (Romans 5) before ever moving on to its obligations (Romans 6ff.).
One feels mixed emotions toward the Law when it is encountered in the Book of Romans. For in Romans we find both “good news” and “bad news” pertaining to the Law. Consider the two very different perspectives of the Law indicated by Paul in this book:
(1) The Law contains the “oracles of God” (3:2)
(2) The Law defines sin and righteousness (7:7) and bears witness to the righteousness of God in Christ (3:21-22)
(3) The Law was given to result in life (7:10; see Leviticus 18:5)
(4) The Law is spiritual (7:14); it is holy and righteous and good (7:12)
(1) Knowing the Law apart from obeying its commands only makes one more guilty (1:32–2:29)
(2) The Law cannot save man but can only condemn him (3:9-20)
(3) The Law brings about God’s wrath (4:15)
(4) The Law came in that sin might increase (5:20)
(5) The requirements of the Law are fulfilled by those who walk in the Spirit (8:4)
(6) Sinful passions are aroused by the Law (7:5, 8)
(7) Sin used the Law to kill us (7:11)
It comes as no surprise that sinners have no love for law, especially the Law of God. All men are born sinners, dead in their trespasses and sins. They hate God and His Law (see Ephesians 2:1-3). The natural man cannot understand it (see 1 Corinthians 2) and seeks actively to oppose and overthrow it (Romans 8:7-8). Yet unbelievers’ disdain for the Law of God is not surprising. What is distressing is the number of Christians who disdain the Law of God. The Law of God is seen by some Christians as something evil, something of which we would do well to be rid. Such thinking at best perceives of the Law of God as obsolete, superseded by grace.
Many sins, on the other hand, are looked upon as something good and desirable. This is surely true of the unbeliever. But here again even Christians may be tempted to view sin as something good and desirable, just as Eve saw that deadly tree as desirable, not only to look at but to eat from so that she might be like God, knowing good and evil. God’s Law consistently receives bad reviews from the world, while sin is heralded with great reviews. The Law is looked upon with disdain, or with mere toleration, while sin is thought to be desirable and appealing. If we must give it up, for God’s sake, we will, but only reluctantly.
While our text in Romans 7 is not the only passage we could use to show the hideousness of sin and the beauty of God’s Law, it is one of the most emphatic biblical statements concerning this reality. Paul’s words in Romans 7:7-13 are intended to convince his reader that the Law is a wonderful gift from God in which the believer can and should delight, and that sin is a horrible malignancy which the world would be better off without. As we study Paul’s words, pay special attention to those things which show us the beauty of the Law and those which show us the ugliness of sin.
Paul has focused on the topic of justification in the first four chapters of Romans. Now in chapters 5-8 our attention is turned to the outflow of justification—sanctification. Chapter 5 is foundational. In the first 11 verses Paul describes the benefits of justification. In verses 12-21 he expounds on the basis for righteous living. The righteousness of Jesus Christ overthrows and overcomes the sin of Adam and its consequences for all who believe in Christ by faith. In chapter 6 Paul shows the necessity for us to live out the righteousness of Christ and the folly of persisting in slavery to sin. In Romans 7:1-6 Paul turns to another dimension of the work of Jesus Christ on our behalf—His death not only to sin but to the Law. We died to the Law, in Christ, and we are freed from sin’s mastery over us (see 6:14).
Paul’s words indicate a very close connection between sin and the Law. Because of this, one might wrongly conclude that the Law itself is evil and indeed that the Law is our ultimate problem. Such a conclusion would be welcomed especially by the libertine who would like to do away with the Law altogether. If the Law is sin, then we would be right to reject it altogether.
The connection between the Law and sin is close, but to conclude that the Law is sin would be a horrible error. In verses 7-13 Paul seeks to show that while the Law and sin are associated, they are very different. The Law is righteous; sin is hideously evil. The evil nature of sin is evident in that it seeks to use the Law, which is good, to achieve its own evil purposes.
If Romans 7:7-13 clarifies the relationship between sin and the Law, verses 14-25 explore the relationship between the Law and the flesh. Here Paul contrasts the spiritual nature of the Law with the fleshly nature of man. This matter will be taken up in our next study.
The structure of our text revolves around two questions which Paul asks and answers in Romans 7:7-13. “Is the Law sin?” the first question, is found in verse 7. The second question is recorded in verse 13: “Is the Law responsible for my death?” Both questions, if answered in the affirmative, would imply that the Law is a mistake, something men would be better off without. Paul adamantly rejects both propositions and shows the goodness of the Law and the maliciousness of sin.
7 What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “You shall not covet.” 8 But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead. 9 And I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive, and I died; 10 and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me; 11 for sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, deceived me, and through it killed me. 12 So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.
Had we asked Paul the question, “Is the Law sin?” his strong and immediate response would have caused us to instantly regret asking such a thing. No one should ever conclude that the Law is sin! The Law does have a close relationship to sin and death. Why else would death to the Law (7:1-6) be the means by which we are freed from the mastery of sin (6:14) and the penalty of death (see 7:10)? Paul will demonstrate the goodness of the Law by pointing out its benevolent intent (7:7-13) and its spiritual nature (7:14-25).
Paul’s approach in our text is to contrast the Law and sin. He will first show the benevolent intent and purpose of the Law, as given by God, and then contrast the sinister use to which the Law has been put by sin. The Law was intended to define sin and to thus make sin evident (7:7-8). Sin abused the Law, using it to multiply sin (7:8). The Law was intended to preserve and promote life, but sin used it to murder us (7:10). The Law was given to men to reveal the truth to men; sin used the Law to deceive us (7:11).
Is the Law something evil, something of which we would do well to be rid? Most definitely not! Indeed, the Law is the means by which sin is identified so that we can reckon with sin. Paul insists that he would not have come to know specific sins without their being identified as sin by the Law. The Law marks out the spiritual mine fields which we will encounter in life so that we might avoid them. The Law does not identify that which is good as sin so that we might be kept from enjoying it, but that which is evil so that we might be kept from suffering sin’s consequences. The Law posts warning signs around poisoned waters so that we might not drink of them.
Paul’s words in verses 8-10 contrast the Law’s relationship to sin and the Law’s relationship to Paul. Before the Law came, sin was dead. After the Law came, sin came to life. Before the Law came, Paul was alive. But after it came, Paul was dead. This contrast can best be represented as follows:
Sin is dead |
Paul is alive |
|
The Coming of the Law |
||
Sin is alive |
Paul is dead |
Paul chose a specific sin, and a specific commandment, to illustrate his point that the Law identifies sin. That commandment is: “You shall not covet” (Romans 7:7, see Exodus 20:17; Deuteronomy 5:21).
Here Paul is summarizing the commandment which is spelled out in greater detail in the Law. In both Exodus and Deuteronomy where this commandment is recorded, God gives examples of the coveting which was forbidden: coveting your neighbor’s house, his wife, his servant, and so on.159 This commandment gives us a definition of coveting: to covet is to desire to have that which belongs to another, which cannot legitimately be ours. The command not to covet identifies as sin the desire to wrongfully possess that which belongs to another and instructs those who would obey God not to entertain such evil desires.
As good as this commandment is, sin twists and perverts it, using it in such a way as to produce coveting of all kinds. The very commandment not to covet, which was given to reveal the sin of coveting, sin has used to reproduce itself many times over. The commandment which was given to manifest sin was abused by sin to multiply it.
Paul’s point is thereby made: The Law is good. Sin is evil, as is evident in the way it uses the Law to produce further sin and death. The Law is not sin, because the Law reveals sin. Just as an x-ray is not a tumor simply because it reveals a tumor, the Law is not sin because it reveals sin. That which is good cannot also be evil. The Law is good.
Why did Paul choose the commandment forbidding coveting rather than some other command? Did he randomly choose this command, or was there a particular reason for his choice? I believe Paul deliberately chose the commandment pertaining to coveting for very significant reasons. Consider these reasons why coveting is such a serious and significant sin.
(1) Coveting is a matter of the heart. It is not a matter which can be judged by outward appearance. Murder and stealing are visible sins which are immediately apparent to anyone who sees the evidence of a dead body or missing goods. Coveting is a sin of the mind and heart. We can covet, and no one may ever know it. Legalism tends to dwell on externals, while true Christian liberty is a matter of the heart.160 Paul therefore avoids an external example, choosing instead an invisible, internal sin.
(2) Coveting is one of the characteristic sins of the flesh. Our flesh has its appetites which often come into conflict with God’s revealed will.161 These appetites, or desires, are often forbidden lusts (see Galatians 5:16, 19; Ephesians 2:3; 2 Peter 2:10). Sin frequently overpowers our flesh by appealing to its lusts.
(3) Coveting is a root sin which is often the cause of other sins. Coveting in and of itself seems to do no harm to anyone, but it very frequently provides the motivation for stealing and even murder. To put a stop to coveting is to “head other sins off at the pass.”
(4) Coveting is a sin which best illustrates Paul’s statement, “I would not have come to know sin except through the Law” (verse 7). Not all sins are crimes. Murder, perjury, and robbery are sins, and they are also considered crimes by society. Almost anywhere in the world, one will find laws against these sins. Society’s laws serve to signal us that if these activities are crimes, they must be wrong.
Coveting is a sin which is almost never considered a crime. I know of no government which has a law forbidding coveting. Part of the explanation for this is the difficulty of identifying coveting and proving that this offense has taken place, since it is a sin of the heart and mind. Another reason is that most people do not think coveting is really wrong. In some societies, like our own, many forms of coveting would actually be commended rather than condemned.
All of this powerfully demonstrates Paul’s point. Unless God’s Law had identified coveting as a sin, we would never have recognized it as such. Coveting is like a tumor hidden inside our body. Because it is not external, like murder, we do not recognize its deadly existence and nature. The Law is like an x-ray, exposing it for what it is and warning us that we must deal with it.
(5) Coveting is used by Paul not only as an illustration of the principle he lays down in verse 7 but also as a link to his illustration from his own personal experience in verses 9-11. Coveting seems to lie at the root of the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. In the account of the fall, every tree in the garden was “pleasing to the sight and good for food” (Genesis 2:9). Adam and Eve were given possession of virtually everything in the garden with the exception of one tree, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the fruit of which they were forbidden to eat (see Genesis 2:16-17). Satan successfully focused Eve’s attention and desire on the fruit of this tree. The result was that she seemed to focus only on the fruit of this forbidden tree as “pleasing to the sight and good for food,” and, in addition, “able to make her wise” (Genesis 3:6). Her first sin, therefore, seems to be that of lust—desiring that which she did not possess, which could not rightfully be hers.
It seems in my understanding that Paul uses the sin of coveting as an illustration because it prepares the reader for his illustration recorded in verses 9-11. Consider Paul’s words in these verses carefully:
9 And I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive, and I died; 10 and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me; 11 for sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, deceived me, and through it killed me.
These words are indeed puzzling. There are a number of attempts to explain them. Upon reflection, however, I think Paul’s meaning can be understood162 with a considerable measure of confidence.
Verses 9-11 are Paul’s version of a “murder mystery.” Paul tells us he was murdered. He gives us all the important facts of the case and then challenges us to solve the case given these facts. Paul gives us these facts to solve the mystery:
There seems to be only one interpretation consistent with the context and the facts supplied by Paul as outlined above: Paul was speaking of his personal experience, in Adam, at the fall, described in Genesis 2 and 3 and Romans 5.
Paul, like every other human being, sinned in Adam. Adam’s experience is the experience of every human being, every son of Adam. In Adam, all sinned, and all died (Romans 5:12). In Adam, Paul was once alive, apart from the Law. Only Adam in his unfallen state could correctly be described as alive apart from the Law. Other than Adam and Christ, no other person can ever be spoken of as alive, apart from the Law. We are all born sinners (Psalm 51:5). From the day of our birth we are “dead in our trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1-3). We have never been alive, other than in Adam before the fall. We will never be alive, other than in Christ and His work on the cross.
The law came to Adam (and thus to Paul) in the form of one commandment:163
“From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:16b-17).
To eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil would result in certain death. To eat of the tree of life, which was also at the center of the garden, would result in life eternal (see Genesis 3:22). Thus God’s commandment was intended to result in life for Adam and Eve. Disobedience would result in death.164 This is just as Paul described his experience, in Adam.
In the Garden of Eden, Adam was not deceived, but Eve was (see Genesis 3:13; 1 Timothy 2:14).165 Satan deceived the woman as to the nature of God, the truth of God’s Word, and the consequences of disobedience of His commandment. Eve and her husband partook of the fruit of this tree and died, just as all those who have sinned in Adam have done ever since.
This illustration shows us how personally Paul took the sin of Adam. It also illustrates the goodness of God’s Law and the sinister nature of sin. Hindsight shows us that God was gracious in forbidding man to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It was a good commandment. Obedience to this commandment would have kept Adam and Eve from tasting death. On the other hand, the fall of man in the Garden of Eden shows just how evil sin is, using God’s command to tempt men, to produce coveting, then disobedience, and finally death.
No wonder Paul can conclude his response to the first question with these words in verse 12: “So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.”
The Law is precisely the opposite of what the question in verse 7 implied. The Law is not sin. The Law reveals sin. Obedience to the Law was to result in life. The Law is good, righteous, and holy. Sin is evil. Sin results in death. Sin is sinister. Those who love the Law hate sin. Those who love sin hate the Law. While the Law cannot save us or sanctify us, it is a gracious gift from God.
The Law is like an x-ray. It cannot cure cancer, but it can point cancer out when we otherwise would not have been aware of its existence and its ominous threat to life. The Law points out sin so that God’s grace and mercy can provide the righteousness we lack in another way—through Jesus Christ, by faith, and apart from human merit. To those who have experienced God’s surgery, which has removed the cancer of sin and prevented death, the x-ray of the Law is a wonderful and gracious gift. The Law is not sin but a sign, pointing to sin and warning us of its deadly consequences.
13 Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? May it never be! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by effecting my death through that which is good, that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.
The question of verse 13 is the result of confusing the evil-doer and the instrument. It results from confusing the one who pulled the trigger with the gun which the evil doer fired, taking the life of another. Many people want to curb violence and crime in our neighborhoods by getting rid of the guns, rather than by dealing with the criminals. So it is with sin. Paul’s question indicates that some would like to do away with the Law in the hope of solving the problem of sin and death, when the source of the problem lies elsewhere. Blaming the Law for death, rather than sin, is like watching a policeman appear at the scene of a murder only to seize the murderer’s weapon and then release the murderer with a pat on the back.
“The Law is holy, righteous, and good.” Sin is incredibly evil. The fact that sin would use the Law to kill us is further evidence of the sinister nature of sin. Sin’s use of the Law to kill us is like a doctor deliberately misusing an x-ray machine to radiate a patient to death rather than locating the deadly tumor within the patient. The more holy, righteous, and good the instrument which sin uses to produce death, the more sin’s wretchedness is evident. Sin is sinister, hideous, and ugly. The Law is lovely—“holy, and righteous, and good.”
We may summarize the thrust of Paul’s words in our text this way: It is sin that is evil and the Law of God that is good. While the Law has its limitations and weaknesses, it is not evil, and it is not synonymous with sin. There is a close relationship between the Law, sin, and death, but the Law and sin are very different. The Law is “holy, righteous, and good,” while sin is sinister.
In the light of our text, as well as many other Scriptures in the New and Old Testament, this fact should not come as any great revelation to the Christian. Yet it is true that many Christians seem to have forgotten or ignored it. And those of us who may agree with Paul’s conclusion in principle are often tempted to deny it in practice.
Our culture166 would have us believe that sin is beautiful and that the Law (or God’s rule) is ugly. Consider this illustration. There is vehement opposition of gay rights and pro-abortion advocates to any legislation which would limit their freedom to do that which is not only sin but abnormal and perverted. The prohibition of these sins is seen as interference in the rights of individuals to live as they please. In other words, sinners want no laws which prohibit their sinful lifestyle or which even define their activities as sin. Any Scriptural reference to such practices as sin are written off as narrow, primitive and prohibitive (there are many, in particular and/or in principle).
It is no different today than it was in Paul’s day or at any other period of history. Unsaved men reject God’s revelation and God’s rule. They hate His Law. As Paul put it,
And although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them (Romans 1:32).
This takes us back to the principle which Paul laid down in our text: apart from God’s divine definition of sin in the law, we would not know sin to be sin.
If this is true—and it surely is—then the Law is of great importance, not only to those who have lived before us, but for Christians today. The Law of God points out sin which we would never have recognized as such apart from His revelation.
Let us pause to pursue the implications of what Paul has said about God’s Law and our ability to recognize sin. The Law of God is necessary precisely because of our inability to recognize it in and of ourselves. The Law calls those attitudes and actions sin which we would not have understood to be sin.
Our sin often results from the deception that convinces us that a certain action or attitude cannot be sin since it does not make sense to us that it is sin. I believe a good part of Eve’s deception was that she did not really believe eating from the forbidden tree was sin. God must have been mistaken. After all, the tree was desirable. How could eating its fruit be sin? It looked so good.
This is precisely the reason God had to give Adam and Eve the commandment not to eat of this tree. If we would not recognize sin as such, and it can only be revealed by divine revelation, then we must, by faith, believe God’s revelation. To reject God’s Law because it does not make sense to us is to fail to remember why the Law was given in the first place: because we will not recognize sin apart from the Law.
How distressing it is to see the commandments of God’s Old Testament Law and even the commandments of our Lord, rejected or set aside as irrelevant by Christians today, simply on the basis that they do not make sense to us. We insist that we must first agree that the actions and attitudes God forbids are really evil before we will accept His command and obey. This is to deny the very reason for the existence of divine revelation in the first place.
Let me cite just one example. It is not enough to observe in the practice of our Lord, in the clear precepts of the apostle Paul, and in the teaching of the Old Testament that women are not to rule over men or to teach them (see 1 Timothy 2:9-15; 1 Corinthians 14:34-36). Because we do not understand why this would be wrong, many Christians today refuse to obey. This is exactly the sin of Eve which led to the sin of Adam. God’s Law is given to us because apart from revelation, we cannot recognize sin. We must, like those of every age, believe God’s Word by faith, and obey it—not because we understand why an action or attitude is sin, but because we do not and cannot understand.
The Law of God is just as vital for Christians today as it was in the days of old. It reveals sin and righteousness, which we would not otherwise know. As a means of salvation, the Law is of no value. It cannot justify men nor can it sanctify men. But the Law is of infinite value as God’s definition of sin and as an indicator that sin is present and must be dealt with.
The Law is neither evil nor obsolete. It is God’s gracious gift to man. David’s words are as true for Christians today as they were for the saints in his day:
Forever, O LORD, Thy word is settled in heaven. Thy faithfulness continues throughout all generations; Thou didst establish the earth, and it stands. They stand this day according to Thine ordinances, For all things are Thy servants. If Thy law had not been my delight, Then I would have perished in my affliction. I will never forget Thy precepts, For by them Thou hast revived me. I am Thine, save me; For I have sought Thy precepts. The wicked wait for me to destroy me; I shall diligently consider Thy testimonies. I have seen a limit to all perfection; Thy commandment is exceedingly broad. O how I love Thy law! It is my meditation all the day. Thy commandments make me wiser than my enemies, For they are ever mine. I have more insight than all my teachers, For Thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the aged, Because I have observed Thy precepts. I have restrained my feet from every evil way, That I may keep Thy word. I have not turned aside from Thine ordinances, For Thou Thyself hast taught me. How sweet are Thy words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth! From Thy precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way. Thy word is a lamp to my feet, And a light to my path. I have sworn, and I will confirm it, That I will keep Thy righteous ordinances. I am exceedingly afflicted; Revive me, O LORD, according to Thy word (Psalm 107:89-107).
The truth which David states in the Psalms is affirmed by our Lord and His apostles:
“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished” (Matthew 5:17-18).
in order that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit (Romans 8:4).
Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law, For this, “YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; love therefore is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:8-10).
For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope (Romans 15:4).
Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come (1 Corinthians 10:11).
Let the women keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but let them subject themselves, just as the Law also says (1 Corinthians 14:34).
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
If the Law of God is so good, may I ask how much time you have spent in His Law this past year? There has never been a time when God’s standards of holiness are more needed than today.
Several other lessons may be inferred from our text as we conclude:
(1) We often fail to see our struggles with sin as having their beginning in our experience in Adam, or our deliverance in our experience in Christ. As I have interpreted verses 9-11, Paul takes the sin of Adam, and Eve, very personally. I do not think that most Christians are like Paul in this regard, and I challenge you, along with myself, to follow his example. The sin of Adam in the Garden of Eden and the righteous act of Jesus Christ in history are not just historical facts. They are our experience as well. If you are not saved—if you have never trusted in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins—then you have only experienced sin and death, in Adam. But if you have trusted Jesus Christ, you have died and been raised to newness of life in Christ. These are more than historical facts, recorded in a book; they are your experience. It is on the basis of this experience that you must live. We must take these two historical events far more seriously and personally, if we are to be like Paul.
(2) In our text, the enemy is sin, not Satan. If indeed Paul’s experience described in verses 9-11 was the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden, then “Satan” has been replaced by “sin.”167
Why is it that Satan is not described as the source of sin and death in our text? Why is it that Satan is hardly mentioned at all in Romans? Why is it that Satan is not more prominent in the Old Testament and even in the New?
I believe the reason is significant. It is true that we struggle not against “flesh and blood,” but against “the schemes of the devil,” against “rulers and powers and spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:11-12). But this cosmic struggle is not that which receives the greatest prominence or proportion in Scripture. This is because our great struggle as Christians is with the flesh.168 “The world, the flesh and the devil” are not three independent opponents of the Christian. Rather, the devil and the world oppose the Christian by their appeal to the flesh. Thus, in Romans 7, Paul focuses in on the flesh as the great battleground for the saint.
I point out this biblical emphasis on our struggle with the flesh, rather than with cosmic forces, so that we might not lose a biblical perspective of “the spiritual warfare.” It is popular today to focus on the cosmic struggle to the avoidance and neglect of the great personal war going on within ourselves, between the Spirit and the flesh. We would rather blame the devil or the demons for our sins than our own flesh. Let us beware of giving so much attention to the cosmic struggle that we neglect that war which Paul emphasizes in our text. Satan’s victories in our lives will come through sin’s appeal to our flesh.
Incidentally, we might also imply from our text that Satan takes special pleasure in achieving his sinister work through that which is good, even more than by using that which is evil. Satan seems to find special pleasure in using that which is “holy, righteous, and good.” Would he not find great delight in using the saints to achieve his purposes?
(3) Covetousness is a key and crucial evil, and it must be taken most seriously by the Christian who desires to please God by living righteously. Covetousness is that sin which Paul chose to highlight as a deadly evil which the Law exposes. I do not think we take it seriously enough. I doubt that we understand how much our culture has incorporated coveting into the social values of our day, as though it is beneficial, even virtuous. Television give-away game shows train us to covet things. Capitalism can use covetousness as a positive force which motivates men to work hard in order to earn money. American advertising considers itself successful if it has been able to produce coveting in a potential customer.
Coveting comes in other forms, especially in those which appear to be spiritual. The preachers of the “gospel of the good life” appeal to the covetousness of men by promising them all that their hearts desire, if they but give to their ministry. Coveting can also occur when we focus our attention on that which we do not possess. How often today the word “need” occurs in the vocabulary of the Christian. We present Christ as the “need-meeter.” We spend a great deal of time and energy trying to surface and explore our needs. These “needs” all seem to be things which we do not possess. Is our “need exploration” only producing coveting? If I understand the Scriptures correctly, God has met all our needs in Christ. That which we do not have, which we think we need, may either be that which God has graciously withheld, or it may be that which He has already provided but which we have failed to receive or to appropriate by faith. I fear that we are far too “need” conscious.169
The need for a definition of sin and righteousness has been met by the gracious gift of God’s Law. Let us gratefully receive it as such.
159 There is a slight variation between the commandment as stated in Exodus 20:17 and as stated in Deuteronomy 5:21. I think this is to underscore that these specific areas of coveting are merely illustrative.
161 For example, Satan attempted to appeal to our Lord’s appetite, striving to tempt Him to act independently of the Father’s will in order to satisfy His appetite. Jesus’ response was that there were things more important than physical bread or the satisfying of physical appetites (see Matthew 4:1-4).
162 Whatever interpretation you might decide is most consistent with the context and Paul’s precise words, the point of his illustration is clear and irrefutable: sin misused the Law to bring about Paul’s death.
163 “The commandment,” see verses 8, 9, 10.
164 The commandment which God gave to Adam (and thus to Paul as well) is an excellent illustration of the role of the Law, which was never to save those who obeyed but to define sin, showing men their need for salvation. Law-keeping would not have saved Adam and Eve. It would not have enabled them to earn eternal life. The commandment which God gave them was not to eat of the fruit of the tree of life, which would have resulted in eternal life (Genesis 3:22), but it was to avoid eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. To have obeyed God’s law would have prevented Adam and Eve from the death sentence, but it would not have provided them with eternal life. Meditating on the deeper meaning of the law they had been given would have led Adam and Eve to conclude that they should find life in eating from the fruit of the tree of life, which they could have done, by faith.
165 Paul’s statement, that sin deceived him, was the one objection I had to the interpretation that Paul was speaking of his personal “fall” in Adam. How could Paul say that he was deceived, when Eve was deceived, but not Adam? Before now, I have always thought of my sin and its consequences as coming only through Adam. Yet, in the inspired account of Genesis, Eve’s participation in the fall is prominent. Just as Adam’s sin has consequences for men, Eve’s sin has consequences which fall on all women. The fall therefore was the collective result of the sins of Adam and Eve, and the consequences of the fall come from the actions of both. Thus, Paul can rightly say that he was deceived, when speaking of his participation in the fall.
166 The Bible would call the influence of our culture “the world.” See, for example, John 15:18, 19; 16:33; 17:9, 11, 14, 16, 18, 21, 23, 25; Romans 12:2; 1 John 2:15-16; 4:5; 5:4.
167 If we cannot interchange the Law and sin, we can much more easily interchange Satan and sin, which Paul seems to have done in our text.
168 There is a great deal of difference between “flesh and blood” (literally blood and flesh in the text of Ephesians 6:12) and “the flesh.” “Flesh and blood” is a term used synonymously with “men,” mere mortals. “We struggle not against human enemies, but against cosmic forces of evil.” In Romans, “the flesh” is our old fallen nature which is weak and which is easily overcome by sin.
169 I highly recommend the book, Need—The New Religion by Julian Anthony Walter (Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press, 1985).
In her book, Joni, Joni Ericson Toda describes her first distressing realization of the grim reality of her paralysis. Joni was only 15 when she was permanently paralyzed from the neck down as the result of a diving accident. She was rushed to the hospital for extensive tests and x-rays to determine the extent of her injury. As she lay unclothed on a hospital cart, the sheet covering her slipped to the side leaving her partially exposed. In her modesty, Joni desperately wanted to cover herself, a small task easily and quickly accomplished before her accident. But now, as much as she wanted to make her arms and hands move, they simply would not respond. Joni knew in her mind exactly what she wanted to do, but her body was totally unresponsive. You and I can only taste of Joni’s struggle in small portions. My body generally does what I ask it to do nowadays, although to my chagrin, it does it slower and not nearly as well. It is threatening that some day it might not even respond to my requests at all.
Paul describes in the Book of Romans a much deeper frustration—one with which only Christians can identify and one with which all Christians can identify. The Christian’s agony comes from realizing that our sinful flesh refuses to respond to the requirements of God’s Law. Those things which we as Christians despise we find ourselves doing. Those things which we as Christians desire we fail to accomplish. No matter how much we may wish to serve God in our minds, we find ourselves sinning in our bodies. As Paul describes his frustration in Romans 7, with his mind he desires to serve God. He agrees with the Law of God and rejoices in it. He wants to do what is right, but his body will not respond. He watches, almost as a third party, as sin sends a signal to his body, and as his body responds, “What would you like to do?” Paul finds, as we do, that while our fleshly bodies refuse to obey God and do that which we desire and which delights God, they quickly and eagerly respond to the impulses and desires aroused by sin.
Joni’s difficulty only partially describes the analogy of Romans 7, for it is one thing to have our body not do what we tell it to and quite another to realize that our body is very obedient to something else. That is the frustration of Paul in Romans 7. Every Christian who reads Romans 7:14-25 should immediately identify with Paul’s expression of frustration and agony due to the weakness of his fleshly body: “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24). We are confronted with a dilemma as we try to live righteously. If there were no answer for this question, we would hardly dare to press on. But there is an answer! Thanks be to God, there is a solution!
Some of our most tender nerves are touched by Paul’s teaching in verses 14-25. For the truths taught here could be taken as the most depressing and hopeless realities of our lives. But Paul does not dwell on the weakness of our flesh in order to discourage us. Rather, Paul exposes the weakness of our flesh as the root problem which prevents Christians from living the kind of lives God requires and which we, as Christians, desire in our innermost being. Paul exposes the weakness of our flesh to prepare us for God’s provision for godly living, the solution found in Romans 8. Those of us willing to honestly identify with the agony of Romans 7 will be ready for the ecstasy of God’s gracious provision for living righteously in Romans 8. If Romans 7 takes the Christian to an all time low, Romans 8 takes us to a refreshing high. Let us welcome these words of encouragement as a revelation from God, for these verses are God’s good news for sinners.
Paul lays down his argument in Romans 1-11 as he builds to three peaks. The first peak is found in Romans 3:21-26 where in verse 21 Paul, with great joy and enthusiasm, presents the good news: God has provided the righteousness which all men lack and which God requires for eternal life. In Romans 8:1-17, we come to the second peak of the book when Paul tells the Christian that God has provided the means for righteous living which all Christians lack. Finally, in Romans 11, Paul tells us of God’s work among His people, the Jews, in bringing about their righteousness by means of the Gentiles in His sovereign program for His people.
In each case, only after Paul demonstrates the need for righteousness and man’s inability to produce it by his own works does Paul introduce the righteousness which God provides and produces. In Romans 1:18–3:20, Paul demonstrates the universal sinfulness of all men, Jews and Gentiles. Man’s desperately sinful condition is summarized in Romans 3:10-18, where Paul employs the Old Testament Scriptures themselves to prove his point that all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory.
Romans 7:14-25 is similar to Romans 3:10-18. These verses sum up the Christian’s utter inability to live righteously, in his own strength. Rather than citing the Old Testament Scriptures here, Paul refers to his own experience as we read of his final cry of despair in Romans 7:24. The darkest hour of Romans 5-7 comes just before the dawn of Romans 8.
Romans 5 begins by assuring the Christian of the certainty of salvation and of its many blessings in which we boast. The basis for our struggle with sin (in Adam), as well as the basis for our victory over sin (in Christ), is exposed in the last half of chapter 5. Romans 6 stresses the necessity of living righteously, not in sin as we once lived before our salvation. Romans 7:1-6 speaks of our death to the Law and the freedom this grants us to be joined to Christ and to produce the fruit of righteousness. In Romans 7:7-13, Paul establishes the goodness of God’s Law and the wickedness of sin. Now, in Romans 7:14-25, Paul brings us to the root of the problem, the cause of our constant defeat by sin: our own flesh, the “body of this death” (verse 24).
This portion of Scripture is fraught with problems and different interpretations, and even some would say that this is a description of Paul as an unbeliever. Many of us are uncomfortable with the fact that Christians struggle, and yet it seems that one must begin by saying this is the struggle of a Christian. In the Book of Romans we are not in the salvation section but in the sanctification section. Christians and non-Christians alike struggle, but they struggle with very different things. The non-Christian’s enemy is God and ultimately the struggle of the unbeliever is his struggle with God. His distress and troubles are a manifestation of the wrath of God. We were born in our transgressions and sin; we were at enmity with God—sin is not the problem. For the Christian, sin is the enemy. And that changes only at conversion so that the struggle Paul is describing is his personal struggle with sin as a believer.
Before considering Paul’s teaching verse by verse, we need to make several observations concerning this text as a whole.
(1) Paul changes from the past tense in verses 7-13 to the present tense in verses 14-25. This change strongly suggests (as other evidence will confirm at least to my satisfaction) that while Paul speaks of his experience as a non-Christian in verses 7-13, he is now speaking of his experience as a Christian in verses 14-25.
(2) Note the progression in our text which presses on to the problem which is the source of the spiritual struggle of every Christian—the awesome power of sin. Paul begins by stating that the problem is not with the Law of God but with his own flesh (verses 14-16). He then goes on to show that the real culprit is sin and not the flesh (verses 17-23). Sin is evil; the flesh is weak.
(3) In our text, Paul is describing his own personal struggle with sin. This is the most dramatic testimony of Paul’s struggle with sin. We have little difficulty believing that we struggle with sin or that others like Peter struggled, but Paul somehow seems above it all. This is a misconception, as our theology should remind us, and as Paul’s words instruct us. Paul’s struggle is a deeply personal struggle, with sin and with his own flesh. It is a war within. It is a war which results from his conversion, a war which did not exist until he was saved.
(4) Paul is not able to understand or to precisely analyze his own struggle with sin. I remember reading Don Baker’s book, Depression, in which he describes his own deep depression, hospitalization, and recovery from what we would call a nervous breakdown. Baker had no quick and easy explanation either for his breakdown or for his recovery. Paul tells his reader that he does not understand what he is doing (verse 15).
We tend to think of Paul as the man with all the answers. If anyone can understand sin and our struggle with it, it would be Paul. But in our text Paul is the one struggling, and he does not offer a quick and easy explanation. This is because sin cannot be understood. Sin is irrational. We try to rationalize our sinful actions to make it appear that we have reasons, good reasons, for our sin. But there is no good reason for sin. Sin is an irrational act which has no easy, rational explanation.
(5) Paul is not trying to supply us with the solution to his problem but simply describing the immensity of the problem of sin and the intensity of his struggle with it. The solution to the Christian’s struggle with sin is explained in Romans 8. The struggle is described in Romans 7. While we are eager to hear God’s solution, we must first be convinced of the seriousness of the problem. Drastic situations require drastic measures. This situation is drastic, as are the measures God outlines in chapter 8.
14 For we know that the Law is spiritual; but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. 15 For that which I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. 16 But if I do the very thing I do not wish to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that it is good.
In Romans 7:7-13, Paul has shown that God’s Law is “holy, righteous, and good” (7:12). In verse 14, Paul makes a very significant statement: “The Law is spiritual; but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin.” Paul seems to be saying this: “The Law is not the problem, I am.” We might paraphrase it this way: “The Law is spiritual. I am carnal.” Both statements catch us somewhat off guard. Both need explanation and clarification.
The Law has already been shown to be “holy, righteous, and good.” Now Paul tells us something more, “The Law is spiritual.” Just how is the Law “spiritual”? How does being “spiritual” differ from being “holy, righteous, and good”? To understand and agree with Paul’s words, we must take several important matters into account:
(1) Paul is speaking specifically of the Law of Moses and not just “law” in general.
(2) As such, the Law of Moses was given by God. God was the Author of the Law.
(3) The Law of Moses is Scripture, “… inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16; see also Romans 15:4).
(4) The Law defines and reveals sin, showing men to be sinners, under divine condemnation and in need of a righteousness not their own.
(5) The Law reveals the character of God to men. It also anticipates and bears witness to the righteousness of God as revealed in the person of Jesus Christ.
(6) It defines sins and determines their penalties so that those who break the Law can be punished (see 1 Timothy 1:7-11).
(7) Far more than being a mere set of rules, the Law is suggestive, giving those who seek God much fuel for meditation, prayer, and praise.
(8) The Law cannot be understood apart from divine illumination (see Psalm 119, especially verses 8, 26-27, 32, 33-34); 1 Corinthians 2:6–3:3). No man can understand God’s revelation apart from the Spirit of God. The Law is spiritual; it therefore requires the Spirit to interpret it to unspiritual men.
(9) The Law is not concerned merely with externals but with man’s heart and spirit.
(10) The Law turns men from trusting in themselves and points them to God, in Whom alone they must trust and worship.
The Law is not Paul’s problem. Paul tells us that he is the problem. The Law is “spiritual,” and he is not. He is “of flesh.” His nature, by birth and by virtue of his union with Adam, is fallen. His fleshly nature is hostile toward God and friendly toward sin. Nothing good dwells in his flesh. His nature impairs not only his ability to comprehend the Law of God but inclines him to disobey it even if he did understand.
Imagine that I had been stricken with a fatal ailment, and I would soon die. I learn that an Hispanic doctor has discovered a cure—if only I can contact the doctor, my cure is certain. But there are problems: the doctor is in Mexico and speaks only Spanish. I live far away and speak only English. I am also intensely prejudiced against Hispanics and even if I could understand him, I would be completely unwilling to accept this man’s cure.
Paul’s flesh is in “bondage to sin” (verse 14). Because of this, the standards set by the Law are not met. Those things which the Law requires, Paul finds himself failing to do. Those things which the Law prohibits, Paul finds himself practicing. He does the very things he hates (verse 15). One thing can be learned from Paul’s confusing and chaotic condition and conduct: if not in his actions, at least in his attitude, Paul agrees with the Law of God, confessing it to be good (verse 16). Paul hates those sins which the Law condemns. Thus Paul is in agreement with the Law. Paul wishes to do what the Law commands. Paul is, once again, in fundamental agreement with the Law. Paul’s mind is in agreement with God’s Law, but his flesh is opposed to it. The Law is not the problem; Paul is.
17 So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which indwells me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the wishing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. 19 For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish. 20 But if I am doing the very thing I do not wish, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. 21 I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wishes to do good. 22 For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, 23 but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?
Paul recognizes his fundamental agreement with the Law. As he has shown, this testifies to his own appraisal of the goodness of the Law (verse 16). But the problem goes even farther than this. His agreement with the Law shows that the source of the problem is not Paul, but the strength of sin. Nothing good indwells Paul’s flesh, but sin is present in him.
Paul’s flesh is naturally opposed to God, to His Law, and to anything righteous. Paul’s flesh is responsive to sin. Paul’s flesh (his fallen nature—all that he was before he came to faith in Christ) has become sin’s sanctuary. In one sense, Paul is a prisoner of his own flesh. Deep within himself, Paul wishes to do that which God’s Law defines as good. He desires not to do that which the Law calls sin. His desires conform to God’s Law. His deeds reject and resist God’s Law. He is almost schizophrenic in his spiritual life.
But Paul’s agreement with the Law of God in his mind shows that he is not really the one practicing sin. He is being held as a hostage by sin, in his own flesh! What he is doing, he is doing against his own will! Paul has been taken prisoner by sin. Sin has taken advantage of the weakness of his flesh and has perverted the Law to entice men to sin, rather than to keep them from sin.
Paul’s flesh is weak, and he is overpowered by sin. Paul’s escape and deliverance must take place by his deliverance from his own sinful flesh, his “body of death.” Listen once again to his agonizing cry for help:
Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? (Romans 7:24).
If there is anything clear in this text it is the intensity of the problem. The desperate struggle in the life of the Christian to do what is right on his own power leads to complete frustration and failure - even the apostle Paul says this is his experience.
25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.
Paul’s deliverance from the power of sin which takes advantage of him by means of his weakened and fallen flesh is through Jesus Christ and His cross. Just as the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ was God’s provision for the righteousness we lack for eternal life, so the cross of Christ is God’s provision for the righteousness He requires of His saints. We will find the explanation in chapter 8, but Paul does not leave us hanging with no hope.
Paul’s condition is repeated once more in verse 25. He is living two lives. In his mind, Paul agrees with the Law of God and submits himself to it. But in his flesh, Paul finds his body in service to sin. I am reminded of the way I felt during a radio pledge week a few years ago. My family was committed to the support of this Christian radio station but found the making of a pledge contrary to our convictions. We also had strong reservations about having our names and the amount of our donation broadcast. As we were listening to those who pledged to give, to our utter amazement and chagrin we heard our own daughter’s name. Unknown to us, she had called in to make a pledge. I felt something like Paul, knowing that he had unwillingly become a part of something he did not agree with or desire.
This text is foundational to our view of the Christian life. As we conclude, allow me to point out some important truths and their implications for our lives.
(1) There is an intense struggle going on within the Christian. Conversion to Christ does not instantly solve all our problems. It even results in some problems we had never experienced as unbelievers. Before our salvation, we were never in opposition with sin. We were unknowingly the slaves of sin, all along thinking we were serving our own interests. Before our conversion, we were enemies of God. Our struggle was the result of our opposition to Him and His present judgment in our lives. As a result of faith in Christ, our animosity toward God ended and a new animosity—toward sin—began. The struggle which Paul is describing in Romans 7:14-25 is the result of his conversion.
(2) An overwhelming sense of despair over our struggle with sin and our defeat by it is an essential step in the solution to this problem. Paul’s despair was legitimate and even necessary. Until we hate sin, we will not turn from it. Until we reach the end of ourselves, we will not look to God. Just as unsaved men and women must come to the end of themselves in order to receive God’s gracious provision of righteousness, by faith in Christ, Christians too must come to the end of themselves to find the solution, once again, at the cross of Calvary.
(3) The problem with many Christians is not their despair, like that of Paul, but their lack of it. If coming to the end of ourselves is essential to turning to God for our deliverance, then many Christians will never turn to God for victory over sin because they do not recognize their true condition or take it seriously enough. It was the self-righteous scribes and Pharisees who did not come to Jesus for forgiveness simply because they did not think they needed it. It is the “smooth-sailing saints” who do not come to the cross for deliverance from the power of sin in their lives because they do not agonize over their condition as Paul did. My concern is that I lack the kind of agony that Paul has. I lack the kind of intensity that Paul has.
Why is it I do not feel the struggle as much as he does? How can Christians fail to identify with Paul here in Romans 7? Let me suggest several reasons.
We fail to agonize over sin because we have redefined our old sins, giving them new Christian labels. Aggressive, self-assertiveness, once condemned as sin, now becomes “zeal for the Lord.” These are the same vices, the same sins, but we now sanctify them by putting Christian labels on them.
We live superficial, hypocritical lives, which deny the reality of our sin, and our failure to live as God requires.
We ignore and reject God’s Law, as though it were “of flesh,” while we are the ones who are spiritual (the exact opposite of what Paul says in verse 14).
We teach Christians to “cope” with their sin. Paul never teaches Christians to cope. In effect, we say to Christians that they need to learn to live with the agony. Paul says, “No, you don’t. You need to have that agony so intense that you can’t live with it, and you can only turn to God.”
We seek to convert our socially unacceptable sins to those sins which are socially acceptable. We know that robbery and murder are unacceptable to society, and so we redirect our sinful energies in areas which serve our own self-interest, but in ways which bring us the commendation of others, rather than their condemnation. We give up those sins for which society puts men in prison and take up those sins for which society will make us president.
We appeal to unholy motives in order to produce conduct which appears righteous. We use pride, ambition, greed, and guilt within the church, making these illicit motives the reasons for acceptable conduct.
We cannot stand to see people “putting themselves down” and thinking of themselves as wretched creatures, and so we attempt to build their self-esteem. We would not turn Paul to the cross for the solution to his problem; we would rebuke him for his poor self-esteem, and put him in a class or program which made him feel good about himself.170
Those of us who are Christians and can identify with Paul are blessed. Those of us who cannot identify with Paul are to be pitied. It is not that we are plagued because we think too little of ourselves, but because we do not take sin seriously enough. The agony of Romans 7 is a prerequisite for the ecstasy of Romans chapter 8.
(4) Sin is complicated, but its solution is simple. Paul has already said it—sin is beyond our comprehension. We do not understand it. We cannot understand it. But we do not have to understand it in order to solve the dilemma it poses.
I know a young man who was converted to Jesus Christ. He was a homosexual before his conversion, and he also practiced homosexuality as a Christian. He found the solution in the cross of Jesus Christ. In speaking to a group of ministers, he said something very important. “Do not try to understand, and please do not try to identify with me in terms of my homosexuality. You cannot and should not understand. You do not need to understand. Identify with me on the level that we all struggle with—sin, due to the weakness of our flesh.”
He is absolutely right. Whatever form sin might take, the solution is the same. The solution to sin is not to be found in understanding it. The biblical solution to sin is not to be found in any other provision than that of the cross of Calvary, the teaching of God’s Word, and the enablement of His Spirit. Let us look for no other solution. Let us receive that which God has provided, in Christ.
How great is your struggle? How great is mine? I think if our struggle is as great as Paul’s we will in desperation give up all self-help efforts, and we will turn to the cross. God has provided a righteousness we cannot produce by ourselves. That righteousness Jesus Christ offers to us through the power of the Spirit. “Who will deliver me from this body of death?” The answer is to come in Romans 8. The very Spirit that raised the dead body of Jesus Christ from the grave is the Spirit that dwells in you and will give life to your mortal bodies. God has the solution. The solution for Christians is the walk of the Spirit. But we will never get to that point until we have come to the desperation of Paul in Romans 7.
My prayer is that you may begin to grasp the immensity of the struggle with sin. May you forsake all efforts to serve God in the strength of your flesh. May God help each of us to acknowledge that our flesh is a body of death from which we must be delivered. May God help us to understand as we proceed in our study of Romans the walk of the Spirit, the provision that God has made for us to live in a way which is pleasing to Him.
If you, my friend, are reading this and your struggle ultimately is not with sin but with God, I pray that if you do not know Jesus Christ personally you will today acknowledge your sin, acknowledge that there is nothing you can do to earn eternal life, and that you will trust in Jesus Christ who has been punished on your behalf and who offers to you the righteousness which God requires.
Whether your struggle is with God, as an unbeliever, dominated by sin, or it is a struggle with sin, as a Christian, the cross of Christ is God’s provision. I urge you to accept it.
Verses 14-16 make the first statement as Paul says something I think most of us do not believe. The Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin.” I think contemporary Christians would say just the opposite if this verse were not staring them in the face. If you asked many would say, “I am spiritual, and the Law is carnal. I am spiritual and the Law is a matter of mere externals.” That is not what Paul says. Paul says the problem is the Law’s basic essence; it is spiritual and my basic essence is that there is no good that dwells within me. We are on two different wave lengths: First, I can not understand the Law, and second, even if I could understand it I would not do it because I am operating in the flesh, and there is no good that dwells in my flesh. My flesh resists the Law. It hates the Law.
In what sense then do we say the Law is spiritual? First we must say the Law (the Law of Moses), is spiritual because it is God’s Word. It is divine revelation, “the oracles of God”—it is God’s revelation to men. Can we not say that the Law is Scripture? When we come to 2 Timothy 3: All Scripture is inspired, God breathed and profitable for teaching, etc., most people tend to say, “Yes, Pauline Epistles, New Testament, maybe the Gospels, but maybe some of the Old Testament.” But in essence much of that Scripture which was in the hands of those who received that statement was Law. The Law is Scripture, the Law is God-breathed, the Law is profitable. The Law speaks to men at the spiritual level. This is where the legalistic Sadducees and Pharisees missed the point. Because they were not spiritual, they could not understand the Law. Jesus kept saying to those who were the experts in the Law, “Have you not read? Have you not understood? You are greatly mistaken.” Why did He keep saying that to those who were the most expert in the Law? Because they did not understand that the Law was spiritual, and they were not. Unspiritual men cannot understand spiritual law. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus is saying the Law does far more than address mere externals. The Law addresses man’s spirit.
So over and over again Jesus kept taking the Law to its innermost part, to its spiritual dimension, which went right over the head of those who were most expert in the Law. That is why we fail to read 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 where Paul is saying: “But just as it is written, ‘THINGS WHICH EYE HATH NOT SEEN AND EAR HATH NOT HEARD AND HAVE NOT ENTERED INTO THE HEART OF MAN—it is above us and beyond us—it is spiritual—beyond our dimension—these things God has prepared for those who love Him.’ For to us God revealed them through the Spirit for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.” No man can understand God’s revelation apart from the spirit of God—the law is spiritual; it therefore requires the spirit to interpret it to unspiritual men. We must have the Spirit of God to understand the spiritual dimensions of the Law. That is why David the Psalmist says, “Oh, how I love Thy law; it is my meditation day and night” because it did far more than say, “Do this,” “Don’t do that.” That is why David said, “Open my eyes that I may behold wondrous things from Thy law.” There was much more in the Law than simply the external commandments. There was that addressing of the heart. “The Law is spiritual. I am of flesh.”
In my deepest humanity apart from God I am simply flesh. There is no good thing that dwells within me. The mind set on the flesh, Paul says, is death. It is opposed to God—opposed to His rule and His reign. And therefore I find that in my own nature that I am opposed to that which is true of God and His Word. “The Law is spiritual; I am of flesh; sold into bondage to sin.”
When Paul says “I” he sometimes means “I” the new creation in Christ and at other times he is saying “I” the old me in Adam. If you are honest, don’t you sometimes wonder as a Christian which of you is doing it? Sometimes, isn’t it really hard to know even when you are doing those things which seem so pious—you ask yourself, which one of me is doing this? Is it the legalistic me who thinks that somehow in the external act of reading the Bible, of preaching, of praying, of ministering to others, that I am really serving God. That is what often Pharisaism was all about: “Have we not cast out even demons in your name. Have we not done all of these things?” But they did them not unto God, but for themselves.
170 I appreciate these words from John R. W. Stott, on this text in Romans: “Indeed, an honest and humble acknowledgment of the hopeless evil of our flesh, even after the new birth, is the first step to holiness. To speak quite plainly, some of us are not leading holy lives for the simple reason that we have too high an opinion of ourselves.” John R. W. Stott, Men Made New (Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press, 1966), p. 74.
Our family was on vacation during the fuel crisis a number of years ago when we ran short of fuel in a remote western part of the United States. In the small town where we found it necessary to spend the night, only one motel was available, and my children still laugh about the night we spent in the Alpine Lodge. Our room had no private bath; the bathroom down the hall had saloon-type doors one could see over and under. The flashing red neon sign outside our windows illuminated our room all through the night. Downstairs we checked in at the bar of a tavern. At that bar sat a man well under the influence of already-consumed liquor. I could not help but overhear the man’s conversation with the bartender. This drunken man was actually witnessing to the bartender about his need to trust in Jesus Christ for salvation. Imagine a drunk telling a sober bartender he needed to get saved!
A radical change is expected and required when a person comes to faith in Jesus Christ. When no change becomes apparent, we begin to wonder if there has been a genuine conversion or if the one who was truly saved understands God’s Word concerning sanctification and discipleship. Charles Colson, in his excellent book, Loving God, entitles one of his chapters, “A Christian Gangster?” Gangster Mickey Cohen had made a profession of faith, and it was hoped that he had sincerely come to faith in Jesus Christ. Time evidenced that Mr. Cohen wanted to continue to live as a gangster with the assurance that he would go to heaven when he died. For a man like Cohen, genuine conversion to Christianity would require some radical changes in his mindset, motivation, and methods.
That change is both necessary and radical for anyone who comes to faith in Jesus Christ. The libertine extreme seeks to minimize the change which is required, wanting to avoid any rules or commands. They want to speak only of grace and not of righteousness or God’s Law. They want to continue to live in sin just as they did as unbelievers. This view is described and rejected in Romans 6. The legalist, on the other hand, wants to bury the convert to Christ with rules and regulations. He does speak of righteousness and holiness, but of the kind men define which is accomplished by human effort and not divine enablement. Paul discusses this point of view in Romans 7, showing legalism to be both sinful and impossible.
In Romans 6, Paul tells us that righteousness is required of those who have been justified by faith. Those who have died to sin must no longer continue to live in sin. They must no longer present their bodies to sin, but must present their bodies to God as instruments of righteousness. Paul shares in Romans 7 from his own experience as he shows that living a righteous life is humanly impossible. The Law is not the problem, for the “Law is holy, righteous, and good.” The problem is the weakness of our flesh. Unaided by God, the best a Christian can do is to serve God with his mind but to serve sin with his flesh. Great agony over this condition causes the Christian to cry out to God who alone can deliver him from the body which is dead with respect to achieving righteousness.
Chapter 7 ends with a very desperate cry for deliverance and a brief summary of the nature of that deliverance: “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin” (Romans 7:24-25).
Paul will explain in Romans 8 the nature of God’s provision for our deliverance. The words of our text in verses 1-17, along with those which follow in chapter 8, are some of the most encouraging words in all of the Bible.
“Spenner is reported to have said that if holy Scripture was a ring, and the Epistle to the Romans its precious stone, chap. viii. would be the sparkling point of the jewel!”171
Those who can identify with the agony of Paul in Romans 7 will rejoice with him in the ecstasy of Romans 8. Do you desire to serve God and to obey His commands and yet find it impossible to do so? If not, then you should go back to the beginning of Romans and start reading again. Either you are not a believer in Jesus Christ, you fail to understand what God requires, or you do not see the futility and inadequacy of merely human effort. But if you have come to that point of despair of which Paul speaks, then you have come to the point of dependence upon God. Read on, my friend. There is more good news for you. The solution to your problem is now the topic under discussion in Romans 8.
Let us look to the Holy Spirit, of whom theses verses speak, to enlighten our minds concerning those things which we would never grasp apart from His divine illumination (see 1 Corinthians 2:6-16).
Romans 8 may be seen as falling into three distinct but closely related segments. Verses 1-27 describe the ministry of the Holy Spirit in relationship to the believer. The sovereignty of God is stressed in verses 28-30. Verses 31-39 contain Paul’s spontaneous outburst of praise in response to the security of the saint and the certainty of God’s purposes and promises.
In our text the following structure can be observed:
Verses 1-4 |
The Holy Spirit, God’s Provision for (1) escape from condemnation, and (2) enablement to fulfill the Law |
Verses 5-11 |
The necessity of walking in the Spirit, rather than walking in the flesh |
Verses 5-8 |
Why walking in the flesh cannot please God |
Verses 9-11 |
Why walking in the Spirit will please God |
Verses 12-17 |
Paul’s words of application |
To better understand our text in Romans 8:1-17, it may prove helpful to make a few overall observations concerning the Book of Romans, this chapter, and its larger context.
(1) Romans is a logical, systematic treatment of the gospel. In this epistle, Paul deals with the gospel in terms of its necessity, its basis, its nature, and its outworkings. Paul is not writing to a church he has founded or visited, but to a church he hopes to visit in the future. He is not writing to address and correct specific problems but to provide this group with a solid foundation, a foundation for their Christian lives and for his future ministry among them.
(2) Romans is the most systematic treatment of the doctrine of the spiritual life in all of the New Testament. Thus, what Paul includes and what he omits in this epistle must be taken very seriously in terms of what is important to the Christian life.
(3) Paul’s teaching is based on the assurance of the salvation of the saint, their possession of the Spirit and the certainty of their sanctification. Paul does not try to motivate the Christian to trust and obey out of doubt or fear but out of confidence, assurance and gratitude for what God has done and will do. The mood throughout is that of the certainty of the saint based on the sovereignty of God (see 8:1, 9, 11, 15-17, 28-39).
(4) The Holy Spirit is the prominent subject and the most prominent person of the Godhead in this chapter.172 While there has already been considerable attention given to the flesh prior to chapter 8, there have been very few references to the Holy Spirit. This chapter is, by far, the most concentrated teaching on the Holy Spirit in the Book of Romans. The term “spirit,” which can refer either to man’s spirit or to the Holy Spirit, occurs only four times in Romans before chapter 8 (1:4; 2:29; 5:5; 7:6). Of these four previous occurrences of the term “spirit” in Romans 1-7, one instance is a clear reference to a man’s human spirit (Romans 1:4). The second reference (2:29) is debatable. The third reference (5:5) is a rather clear reference to the Holy Spirit. The use of “Spirit” in Romans 7:6 is somewhat debatable as well (capitalized in the NASB, but with a footnote with the alternative rendering, “spirit”).
In Romans 8, the term “spirit” occurs 18 times in the NASB and 19 times in the King James Version (see the translation of Romans 8:1 in the King James Version for an additional use of the term). This term occurs but 7 more times in Romans 9-16 (9:1; 11:8; 14:17; 15:13, 16, 19, 30). Thus, the term “Spirit” or “spirit” occurs in chapter 8 over 60% of the time when it is used by Paul in Romans.
(5) The Holy Spirit is God’s provision for holy living in the life of the Christian. The Holy Spirit is the answer to the problem of the Christian’s “body of death,” a body dominated by sin and dead with respect to producing any work which is righteous, according to the definition of the Law of God. Romans 8 deals with the ministry of the Holy Spirit pertaining to the salvation and sanctification of an individual. It is in Romans 12 that Paul approaches the subject of the ministry of the Holy Spirit for service and ministry when the subject of spiritual gifts is addressed. Why do some want to talk of the gifts of the Spirit in relationship to salvation and to sanctification when Paul does not even raise the subject of spiritual gifts until it comes to the matter of serving others?
(6) Every Christian receives all of the Spirit he or she needs, at the time of their salvation. Nowhere does Paul say that the Romans need to receive the Holy Spirit, nor receive more of the Spirit, as though they did not possess the Spirit. The question is not whether the Christian possesses the Spirit but whether the Spirit possesses the Christian. The question is not having the Spirit but walking in the Spirit.
(7) The ministry of the Holy Spirit is diverse, affecting virtually every aspect of one’s life. There is not just one ministry of the Holy Spirit described here by Paul, but many. The Spirit is involved in our salvation (8:1-2) and in our sanctification (8:3ff.). The Spirit initiates, guides and empowers our actions, so that the righteousness God requires is fulfilled (8:9-14). He also assures us of our sonship, as the Spirit of adoption (8:15ff.).
(8) In Romans 8 there is very little specific (some would call it “practical”) application given by Paul. Paul does not give commands, but exhortations. He speaks here in terms of the Christian’s obligations. His teaching is more in terms of principles than specific practices. His application likewise (see verses 12-17) is general. I find it most interesting that Paul has chosen to separate (for good reason) his teaching on the spiritual life in Romans 6-8 from his specific applications in chapters 12-16.
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
Paul’s condition, as described in the last half of Romans 7, was agonizing and frustrating. With his mind, he served God, but with his flesh he served the law of sin (7:25). Paul’s dilemma is two-fold. First, there is the matter of his sins, committed as a Christian. Second, there is the problem of righteousness. What can deliver him from his sins? What can enable him to be righteous? Verses 1-4 deal primarily with the first problem and briefly allude to the second, discussed more fully in verses 5-11.
Paul’s first problem was that of his sin and of the condemnation which sin brings upon sinners. The solution to the problem of sin Paul describes here may be summarized in this way: For all who are in Christ, by faith, there is no condemnation for sin, but rather the condemnation of sin in the flesh.
Paul’s teaching in Romans 8:1-4 is fundamental to the Christian life. The Christian need not be overcome by guilt or by fear, due to his sins. The cross of Jesus Christ is the solution from sin and its condemnation, for all who are justified by faith. The death which Christ died was for all of the sins of the one who receives His work, by faith. Pre-Christian sins and post-conversion sins are covered by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. This is no license to sin, as Paul shows in Romans 6, but it is the assurance that through the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ Christians have been delivered from divine condemnation. The forgiveness of sins Paul describes in Romans 3:21–4:25 applies to all the sins of the one who trusts in Christ.
There is no condemnation! What a wonderful truth to the ears of every believer. But there is more. The death of Christ has delivered us from condemnation. While our Lord’s death at Calvary delivered us from condemnation, it also delivered sin to condemnation. In Christ, God condemned sin. God condemned sin in the flesh. The flesh was sin’s stronghold. It was the “handle” which sin found by which to lay hold of us and to bring us under condemnation. When God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, He came in the flesh. He came in the likeness of sinful flesh.173 And when He suffered the wrath of God and the penalty of death in the flesh, sin was condemned in the flesh. In that very realm of the flesh, in which it seemed sin could not be defeated, God overpowered sin, condemning it in the flesh. Because of Jesus Christ, we are not condemned. Because of Him, sin is condemned, and in the flesh. For the Christian, the shackles of sin are surely broken.
Paul’s first problem is that of sin and its consequences. The second problem is that of righteousness. The sin which Paul wished to avoid, he committed, in the flesh. The righteousness which Paul desired to practice, Paul avoided, due to his flesh. The problem was with his flesh. With his mind he could serve God, but in his flesh he could not produce the fruit of righteousness. If sin dominated him through his flesh, then something greater than him must empower him to live righteously in his fleshly body. The solution is the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
The problem was not with the Law and its requirement. The “Law is holy, righteous, and good” (7:12). The flesh is simply not able to achieve what the Law requires (for reasons Paul is about to spell out in 8:5-8). The Holy Spirit is able to empower us to do that which the Law required (8:4). The righteousness of God is accomplished, not by walking according to the flesh, but rather by walking according to the Spirit. God’s righteousness cannot be achieved by the flesh, but it can be accomplished by means of the Spirit of God. Paul is soon to explain how and why this is so.
The foundation for Christian living, living righteously, has been laid in verses 1-4. The Christian is not under condemnation because he is in Christ Jesus, who bore the penalty for all our sins. Sin is under condemnation, through the flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ. The righteousness which the Law requires and which we find impossible to achieve, God achieves in and through the Christian, through the prompting of and power of the Holy Spirit. In Christ and through the Holy Spirit, God has delivered us from the penalty and the power of sin.
The truth Paul gives in verse 4, which he explains in verses 5-11, is not new. Centuries earlier, the Lord told the prophet Zechariah: “‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of Hosts” (Zechariah 4:6).
God’s work is never accomplished by human effort but only by divine enablement. It has always been this way.
The righteousness which the Law requires cannot be realized by walking according to the flesh, but only by walking according to the Spirit. Verses 5-11 are devoted to explaining and illustrating this truth, so that Christians will forsake seeking to please God by means of the flesh and walk according to the Spirit. Verses 5-11 give us two sides of one coin. Verses 5-8 explain why it is impossible to please God by means of the flesh. Verses 9-11 explain why it is possible to please God by means of His Spirit.
5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so; 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
The futility of walking according to the flesh is spelled out in these verses. The conclusion to Paul’s argument, developed in verses 5-8, is stated in verse 8:
The basis for this conclusion is developed in verses 5-7. Here, Paul gives us three reasons why it is impossible for those in the flesh to please God. Let us consider each of these reasons.
First, those who are174 “according to the flesh” have their minds set on the flesh. They have a one-track mind. They are like an AM radio which can receive only signals on this band. FM signals are not received and cannot be. The spiritual dimension of life—that unseen realm which is only grasped by the enablement of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:6-16) and which can only be believed by faith (Hebrews 11:1)—is only perceived by those who are in the realm of the Spirit, by faith in Jesus Christ. Those who are “according to the Spirit” have their minds tuned to the things of God and to His Spirit.175
If a Christian is walking “according to the flesh,” his mind will not be on spiritual things but only on earthly things. When Peter rebuked our Lord for speaking of His death on the cross, our Lord rebuked him for having his mind set on the flesh:
“Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s” (Mark 8:33).
Jesus’ words here also make it evident that Peter’s fleshly mindset was a reflection of Satan’s views and values.
In verse 6 Paul gives the second reason why those who are in the flesh cannot please God. “For the mind set on the flesh is death, while the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.” It took me a long time to take the verb is seriously. Elsewhere Paul tells us that sin leads to death, and righteousness leads to life. Here Paul says that the mind set on the flesh is death. There is a significant difference between that which leads to death and that which is, in and of itself, death.176 God’s wrath is both present (Romans 1:18) and future (Romans 2:5). God’s salvation likewise has a past, present and a future dimension (Romans 5:1-11). So too death is both present and future. Death is much more than physical death. Death is separation from God. The fleshly mind is so alienated from God that those whose minds are set on the flesh are dead, alienated from God, limited only to the physical world and their distorted perception of it.
Third, those who are in the flesh are not merely ignorant of God and unaware of His existence; they are actively hostile toward God and toward His Law (verse 7). Fallen men hate God, they reject His authority, and they resist His Word:
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest (Ephesians 2:1-3).
Those who are unsaved are “in the flesh,” and as those in the flesh they serve Satan, in mind and body. They may not consciously serve Satan, but they do consciously seek to indulge their flesh, fulfilling its lusts. And in so doing, they reject God and rebel against Him.
No wonder it is impossible for anyone to please God by walking according to the flesh. The flesh cannot and will not comprehend the things of the Spirit. The mind set on the flesh is death. The flesh hates God and rebels against His authority and His Law. And even if unsaved men wished to do right, they could not do so.
Consider these illustrations. Serving God in the flesh is like trying to manufacture sophisticated silicon computer chips in a garbage dump, rather than in a “clean room.” Pleasing God in the flesh is as impossible as trying to train a wolf to be a sheep dog. Being righteous in the power of the flesh is like trying to teach a corpse to dance. It simply cannot be done.
Now we know why Paul was not able, in the flesh, to keep God’s Law, even though in his mind he agreed with it and desired to obey it. Now we know why those who would fulfill the requirement of the Law cannot do so by walking “according to the flesh.” Let us next turn to verses 9-11, where Paul explains why those who walk according to the Spirit can fulfill the requirement of the Law and so please God.
9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. 10 And if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you.
How different is Paul’s approach to the spiritual life from that of many today. Paul does not seek to motivate Christians by questioning their salvation or by suggesting that, by sin, they can lose it. He does not suggest that unspiritual living is the result of failing to possess the Spirit but bases his teaching on the certainty that every Christian is indwelt by the Spirit. And he does not appeal to guilt or fear but to grace and assurance. Chapters 5 and 8 especially underscore this. Paul assumes that his readers are genuine Christians. If they have been justified by faith, then they have the Spirit dwelling within. If they do not possess the Spirit, then they cannot be saved. Christians, according to Paul, do not need to receive the Spirit, but to respond to the Spirit, in faith and obedience for assurance, guidance, empowerment, and a host of other ministries.177
Paul, and every Christian, faces two problems as dealt with in our text: first, the problem of sin; second, the problem of righteousness. Our problem with sin is that we do it. Our problem with righteousness is that we do not, and cannot, do it. God solved the first problem by condemning sin in the flesh through the death of our Lord at Calvary. Now, in verses 9-11, Paul tells us how God has provided the solution for the second problem.
God’s Law reveals the standard of righteousness. The Law tells us what righteousness is like. The Christian agrees with the Law of God, that it is “holy, righteous, and good.” The problem is the strength of sin and the weakness of our flesh. As Paul has shown in verses 5-8, the flesh cannot please God. God has provided the means for Christians to live in a way that enables them to fulfill the requirement of the Law and to please God. God’s provision—for Christians only—is the power of His Holy Spirit, who indwells every Christian.
The flesh is dead, because of sin. But the Spirit178 is alive, living within us, so that righteousness will result. The Spirit, who indwells every true believer, is the same Spirit who raised the dead body of our Lord from the dead (verse 11). Our problem, as Paul says in Romans 7:24, is “the body of this death.” Our bodies, which are dead due to sin, so far as doing that which is righteous, the Spirit will raise to life, as He raised the body of our Lord to life. And so the problem of righteousness has been solved. We cannot, by the flesh, please God and do that which is righteous. We can, by means of the Spirit, fulfill the requirement of the Law and please God.
And so the two problems (1) of sin and (2) of righteousness have been solved, by God, through the work of our Lord Jesus Christ and the ministry of the Holy Spirit. There is no condemnation for sin for all who are in Christ, by faith. Sin, on the other hand, has been condemned in the flesh. The righteousness which we could not do, because of the deadness of our fleshly bodies, God accomplishes through His Spirit, who raises dead bodies to life.
Romans 8:12-17 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,179 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him.
In verses 12-17 Paul applies the principles he has just taught in verses 1-11. The application to Paul’s teaching is given in verse 12. Verses 13-17 provide the support for the application.180 Verse 17 serves both as a conclusion to verses 12-17, as well as an introduction to Paul’s next topic, sonship, suffering, and glory, discussed in verses 18-30.
Paul gives his readers no specific commands. He lays down no rules. After all, the Law has set the standard. Those things which Paul will lay down as specific applications find their biblical basis in the Law (see Romans 13:8-10). Instead, he speaks of the Christian’s obligations. Paul’s words in verse 12 inform us that we have no obligation to serve the flesh and strongly imply that we do have an obligation to serve God in the Spirit. This reiterates what he has already taught in verse 4 and explained in verses 5-11: We shall fulfill the requirement of the Law when we walk according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh.
One thing has puzzled me as I have attempted to understand Paul’s words in verse 12: Why does he apply his teaching by speaking to his reader in terms of obligations? Why not duty? Why not obedience? Why obligations? I think I am beginning to understand what he means. We feel obligated to another only when we believe they have done something for us. “One good turn deserves another,” we say. When someone does us a favor, we feel obligated to them. When someone does us harm, we do not feel an obligation at all. Traveling overseas offers an illustration of this. When a car comes to an intersection and has to wait for a moment, a man may very well push through the crowd, get out his small array of equipment, and begin to wash your windshield. When he has finished, he hopes you will feel obligated enough to him to give him some money. We feel obligated when someone has rendered us a service.
Thus, Paul speaks of obligations. The fact is many Christians feel obligated to the flesh. This is why Paul must remind us that we have no obligation to the flesh. The flesh has done us no favors. It has acted independently of our minds, causing us to sin and to fear divine condemnation. The flesh is instrumental in our doing things of which we are now ashamed (see 6:21). We owe the flesh nothing.
Why then do we feel obligated? Why is it necessary for Paul to tell us we are not obligated to the flesh? The reason, as I understand it, is simple: even though it is not true, we feel that the flesh has performed some beneficial service for us. Let me suggest some ways Christians might come to this false conclusion.
There are those who tend toward the libertine extreme of error, supposing that God’s grace in Christ is a license to sin. They believe that once they have been justified by faith, they can continue to live as they formerly did—in sin—with no guilt or condemnation. If Christ paid the price for our sins, they reason, then why not sin all you can? The false assumption is that the pleasures of sin and the lusts of the flesh are really good. Thus, living in sin is good for the present, and the forgiveness of sins is our guarantee of heaven in the future. Those who foolishly think and behave in this way wrongly conclude that they owe the flesh something because it has been so good to them.
The legalist feels the same obligation to the flesh as does the libertine but for what seems to be the opposite reason.181 The legalist may sincerely believe he is avoiding sin and practicing righteousness, but he is doing so through the flesh and not through the Spirit. Legalism tries to fulfill God’s Law by means of human effort and not by walking in the Spirit. The scribes and Pharisees believed they were overcoming the flesh, but they only appeared to do so and this by means of the flesh. It is the outward appearance which the legalist judges and not the heart (see Luke 16:15). The outward appearance of righteousness may very well be the result of serving God in the flesh. I am reminded of a song I once heard: “Workin’ like the devil, servin’ the Lord.”
We do not owe the flesh anything. The flesh accomplishes nothing which is righteous. The flesh is subject to sin and to death. Whether the flesh produces self-indulgence or self-righteousness, it cannot please God. We owe it nothing. In fact, it is so hostile to the Spirit that we are obligated to put to death the deeds of the flesh. All too many Christians, including myself, are far too busy catering to the flesh rather than crucifying it.
Having summarized our obligations, both negatively and positively in verse 12, Paul goes on to support his exhortation with two arguments. The first argument is not new, but simply a summarization of what he has already said. The second argument is new to this chapter. The first argument has to do with the consequences of living according to the flesh or according to the Spirit (verse 13). The second introduces the doctrine of the Christian’s sonship (verses 14-17).
Verse 13 gives the first reason why we are obligated to the Spirit but not to the flesh. It all comes down to the consequences of following the one or the other. If you are living according to the flesh, you must die. “The mind set on the flesh is death” (8:6). “The wages of sin is death” (6:23). When one chooses the path of the flesh, it is a one-way street, and its destination is death. To follow the flesh leads to death as certainly as Interstate 35 North leads to Oklahoma City and beyond. I cannot go south to Houston and be on Interstate 35 North. I cannot reach righteousness and life by living according to the flesh. This is a certainty, as evident in the word “must.” “… if you are living according to the flesh, you must die” (verse 13).
Just as certainly, living by the Spirit leads to life. Paul says this in such a way that it presents us with a paradox:
If we seek to live according to the flesh, we will surely die.
But
If we, by the Spirit, put to death the deeds of the flesh, we will live.
Paul’s point here agrees with the teaching of our Lord: “For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it” (Matthew 16:25).182
Paul’s words in verse 13 indicate that the Christian is to be far from passive in living out his life in the Spirit. We are not to be striving to be righteous in the strength of our flesh, but we are to be putting to death the deeds of the flesh through the Spirit. Furthermore, Paul’s words indicate not only a strong distinction between the flesh and the Spirit but an intense animosity. This is stated emphatically in Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians:
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please (Galatians 5:16-17).
There is no peaceful co-existence with the flesh. We will either walk according to the Spirit or according to the flesh. If we walk in the Spirit, we will wage war against the deeds of the flesh which seek to dominate and destroy us. We must take this struggle seriously. We must choose sides. We dare not choose the flesh. We are obligated to walk according to the Spirit. Therein is righteousness, life and peace.
There is yet another reason for our obligation to the Spirit—our sonship as those who have been justified by faith. This sonship has both a present and a future dimension. In verses 14-16, the present dimension of our sonship is predominant. In verses 17ff., the future dimension of our sonship is in view.
In verse 11 Paul argued that those who are saved have the Holy Spirit living within them. Now in verse 14, Paul argues that all who are being led183 by the Spirit are God’s sons. Walking in the Spirit not only means walking in the power which the Spirit provides but walking in accordance with the prompting of the Spirit. As Paul has said elsewhere, “… it is God who is at work in you, both to will and work for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). From our text in Romans, we know that the Holy Spirit is God’s instrument through which this work is accomplished.
Before going further, we must pause to be certain that we understand the meaning of the expression, “son of God.” What does Paul mean when he speaks of being a “son of God”? Let us consider this expression from the context of the Bible as a whole and then go on to see how Paul is using sonship in the context of Romans 8.
Luke’s genealogy of our Lord begins with Joseph,185 and it ends with Adam. The final words of the genealogy read: “the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God” (Luke 3:38).
Adam was “the son of God” we are told. He was the son of God in that He was the creation of God. God was, so to speak, Adam’s Father. Adam was created in the image of God and as such was commissioned to rule over God’s creation (Genesis 1:26-28). By his sin, Adam rebelled against the authority of God. He could never rule over God’s creation as a reflection of His image. There would have to be another “son of God.”
Adam and Eve lost the right to rule, but they were given the promise of deliverance through a son (Genesis 3:15). With the passage of time, it became evident that God was raising up another son—the nation Israel. At the exodus, this “son” was begotten:
“Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Israel is My son, My first-born. So I said to you, ‘Let My son go, that he may serve Me’; but you have refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your son, your first-born.”’” (Exodus 4:22-23).
This nation, this “son,” was to be a “kingdom of priests” (Exodus 19:6). Speaking of Israel’s exodus, the prophet Hosea wrote: “Out of Egypt I have called My son” (Hosea 11:1).
Paul recognized this “sonship” of Israel, and so he wrote: “For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons …” (Romans 9:3-4a).
The Jews had a strong sense of their sonship, but in a distorted way:
“You are doing the deeds of your father.” They said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God” (John 8:41).
Like Adam, the nation Israel failed to rule as God had commanded. They rebelled against God, over and over. And so God removed their right to rule. Though they claimed to be sons, they did not act like sons. There would have to be some other “son of God.”
God gave Israel a king as they requested. He gave them Saul (see 1 Samuel 8). After Saul was removed and replaced by David, the man after God’s heart, God made a covenant with David known as the Davidic Covenant. In this covenant God promised David,
“When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.” (2 Samuel 7:12-16.)
The words of verse 14, “I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me,” are very significant. The relationship between God and His appointed king was described as a father/son relationship. When the descendant of David was coronated, it was with the words, “Thou art My son” (see Psalm 2:7).186
A king from the line of David was to be the “son of God” through whom God’s rule was to be established over the whole creation. This “son” was not to be David nor would it be Solomon. Both David and Solomon sinned, as did all of their sons who reigned on the throne of David. If there was to be a “son of God,” it would be a very special “son of God” indeed. As the Old Testament revelation continued to unfold, it became evident that this “king” who was to be God’s “son” would be a very special person. He was described as being both divine (see Isaiah 9:6-7; Micah 5:2-5) and human (“son of man,” see Daniel 7:13-14 and also Psalm 2:7-9). Whoever this “son of God” was to be, he would be a very special and unique person. And so He was.
Adam failed as a “son of God,” as did Israel and all the kings from David on. All hopes for God’s rule on the earth focused upon the coming Messiah, the Seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15; see also Galatians 3:16), the Son of David (2 Samuel 7:12-16), the Son of Man (Daniel 7:13-14) and the Son of God (Psalm 2:7). The “Son of God” was not to be Israel, as a nation, but Jesus of Nazareth. And so, when Jesus was brought from Egypt to Israel by His parents, Matthew cited this text from Hosea as being fulfilled by the return of our Lord from Egypt: “Out of Egypt did I call My Son” (Matthew 2:15, citing Hosea 11:1).
Jesus was the “Son” for whom every true believer had been waiting. It is little wonder that at His baptism the Father would speak these words: “This is My beloved Son …” (Matthew 3:17).
It is also little wonder that the temptation of our Lord resembled the testing of Israel in the wilderness or that our Lord’s responses to Satan’s solicitations should come from the Book of Deuteronomy (see Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-12). Satan’s great effort in the temptation of our Lord was to divert Him from His role as the Son of God.
When Peter made his great confession, it was the confession that Jesus was the Messiah, the promised Son of God: “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (Matthew 16:16).
At His transfiguration, God the Father again identified Jesus as His beloved Son (Matthew 17:5). The writer to the Hebrews makes it clear that Jesus was unique in His identity and role as the “Son of God” through whom salvation would be accomplished and who would subdue the earth and rule over all creation.
God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high; having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they. For to which of the angels did He ever say, “THOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN THEE”? And again, “I WILL BE A FATHER TO HIM, AND HE SHALL BE A SON TO ME”? And when He again brings the first-born into the world, He says, “AND LET ALL THE ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP HIM.” And of the angels He says, “WHO MAKES HIS ANGELS WINDS, AND HIS MINISTERS A FLAME OF FIRE.” But of the Son He says, “THY THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER, AND THE RIGHTEOUS SCEPTER IS THE SCEPTER OF HIS KINGDOM. THOU HAST LOVED RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HATED LAWLESSNESS; THEREFORE GOD, THY GOD, HATH ANOINTED THEE WITH THE OIL OF GLADNESS ABOVE THY COMPANIONS” (Hebrews 1:1-9).
Jesus Christ is the “Son of God” through whom all of God’s promised blessings are fulfilled. All who are justified by faith are joined with Him in an inseparable union (see Romans 6:3-11). By faith in Jesus as God’s Messiah, men may become sons of God:
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:12-13).
John answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).
Sonship, therefore comes to all of those who have a new birth, through faith in Jesus Christ.
It is to this sonship that the Holy Spirit, who indwells every Christian, bears testimony:
So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy (Romans 9:16).
We are God’s children, sons of God, by faith in the Son of God.
Our sonship has both a present and a future dimension. In verse 17, this future dimension is introduced and is the subject of Paul’s teaching in verses 18-30. While we enter into sonship by birth—the new birth—our entrance into the future blessings of sonship comes by adoption.
For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body (Romans 8:19, 23).
The Lord Jesus Christ is the “Son of God,” but His return to the earth to subdue His enemies and to rule over all creation is yet future. Our part as sons of God is future as well. Paul speaks of this future hope in Romans 8:18-25. As Paul explains in Galatians 4:1-7, there is a time when a son is kept under guardians and managers until the time comes for him to be put in authority. This process Paul refers to as adoption. When Christ returns to the earth to rule over it, we will receive our full adoption as sons and rule with Him. It is for this future dimension of sonship that we wait in hope. Our present sonship is a marvelous blessing and privilege, but there is much more to come. The blessings of our future sonship show our present sufferings in identification with Christ to be a small thing in the light of the glory yet to come.
With this survey of what it means to be a son of God, we return to our exposition of the text. Paul begins in verse 12 to make application of his teaching by speaking to the Christian concerning his obligations. The Christian is not obligated to the flesh, but he is obligated to the Spirit. In verse 13, Paul gives the first reason for our obligation to the Spirit but not the flesh: living according to the flesh leads to death; living according to the Spirit leads to death for the deeds of the flesh, but life for us.
Verses 14-17 continue the contrast between these two ways of walking. How different they are. Walking according to the Spirit is described in verse 14 in terms of being led by the Spirit. How different this is from the way of walking in the flesh. Walking according to the flesh is slavery, and its motivation is fear (verse 15). Walking according to the Spirit is not serving a slave master but obeying our Father as He leads us by His Spirit. It is not a matter of slavery but of obedience, rooted in a deep sense of love, gratitude, and thus, obligation.
How different are these two ways of walking. When we walk according to the flesh, we serve as slaves motivated by fear. We are overpowered and overrun by it. When we walk according to the Spirit, we are led. We serve our Father out of a deep sense of obligation, not fear. We owe the flesh nothing. We owe our Father everything.
As we leave Paul’s words of application in verses 12-17, let me point out that the very spirit in which Paul applies his teaching is consistent with his teaching. The Christian’s walk according to the Spirit is a walk of obedience, based upon our obligation to God, based upon His goodness and grace to us. There are no harsh words, no dictatorial commands. Paul is not a sergeant here addressing new recruits but a brother reminding us of the goodness of our Father. God’s Spirit is a gift from the Father to every Christian. He reminds us that we are sons. He leads us and empowers us so that we may act like sons to the glory of the Father.
Sonship is a glorious position with great privileges. Sonship does not come without suffering however. If we are to identify with our Lord in His future manifestation as the Son of God, we must now identify with Him in His rejection and suffering. It is this dimension of sonship to which Paul turns in verse 17. The ministry of the Holy Spirit in the midst of our struggles Paul will explain in verses 18-27, matters which we will consider in our next lesson.
I must ask you: Are you a son of God? Have you become His child by faith in the Son of God? If not, why not become His son now? All you must do is acknowledge your sin, your desperate need for the forgiveness of your sins and your need for the righteousness which God requires for eternal life. That forgiveness is found in Jesus Christ, who died in the sinner’s place, bearing the punishment of God. That righteousness is found in Jesus Christ, whose righteousness God will impute to you on the basis of faith alone, apart from any works you might do, apart from any merit of your own. To receive God’s gift of salvation in His Son is to become a son of God.
If you are a son of God by faith in Jesus Christ, this passage is foundational to your Christian life. Let me conclude by summarizing some of the major truths Paul teaches in this text and suggest some ways these truths apply to us as Christians.
(1) The Christian life is possible because our sins have been forgiven, our guilt has been removed, and God’s Spirit has been given. What was impossible for us to do as unbelievers, and even impossible for us as Christians in our own strength, is possible through the enablement of the Holy Spirit of God.
(2) The Christian life is impossible in the power of the flesh; it is possible only in the strength of the Holy Spirit. The unbeliever can only live according to the flesh by which he is enslaved. The Christian has a choice. The Christian can live in the realm of the flesh or in the realm of the Spirit. He will live in one of these two worlds. He will walk in accordance with one of these two ways—the way of the flesh or the way of the Spirit.
(3) From the Christian point of view, there is no good reason to walk according to the flesh and every reason to walk according to the Spirit. The mind set on the flesh is death. The one who walks according to the flesh must die. To walk in the Spirit is life and leads to life. To walk in the Spirit is to be assured that God is your Father, and the Spirit is your guide and your strength. To walk in the Spirit is to be assured of your present sonship and an even greater sonship in the future. We are obligated to walk according to the Spirit, but there is no obligation to walk according to the flesh.
(4) There is no middle ground between walking in the Spirit and walking in the flesh. We are either walking according to the Spirit, or we are walking according to the flesh. Many Christians seem to think there is some neutral ground.187 Jesus said it long ago: there are but two masters; we will either serve the one or the other (Matthew 6:24). We will love one and hate the other. We will live to the one and seek to put to death the other.
(5) The flesh and the Spirit share nothing in common. They are incompatible. Indeed, they are mortal enemies (see Romans 8:13; Galatians 5:17). Why is it then that one of the key words in the Christian world today is integration? For example, many are trying to integrate psychology and theology.188 Why? Is there something necessary to living righteously which God has omitted either in His Word or in His provisions for us? Peter does not think so (2 Peter 1:3-4). Neither does Paul (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
(6) The distinction between the Spirit and the flesh is fundamental and foundational in the Scriptures because it provides us with a biblical basis for separation. All too often we make distinctions but the wrong ones! For example, we distinguish between that which is “secular” and that which is “spiritual.” Herein lies the false assumption that those in “full-time ministry” are working at that which is spiritual while those with “merely secular” jobs are involved in that which is not spiritual. Falsely we assume that certain activities (like prayer, worship, and Bible study) are spiritual, but others (like washing dishes, changing diapers or the oil in the car) are not.
Paul’s teaching in Romans 8 says this is wrong. Consider this principle: IT IS NOT WHAT WE DO THAT MAKES SOMETHING SPIRITUAL OR FLESHLY, BUT HOW AND WHY WE DO IT.
Whether we work at preaching, painting houses, or washing dishes the issue is whether we are doing it by means of God’s Spirit or by means of the flesh.
Some of the activities which appear most spiritual are those which can be, and often are, done in the flesh. For example, prayer can be accomplished in the flesh, or in the Spirit:
“And when you pray, you are not to be as the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners, in order to be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will repay you. And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition, as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words” (Matthew 6:5-7).
You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures (James 4:3).
But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith; praying in the Holy Spirit; (Jude 20).
Preaching the gospel can be done in the flesh or in the Spirit:
Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will; (Philippians 1:15).
If therefore there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, (Philippians 2:1-5).
The great danger faced by the church today is not that of “secular humanism” but that of “religious humanism”—seeking to serve God and to please Him in the power of our own flesh, rather than “according to His Spirit.” There are those who would advocate that the Christian can continue to live in sin, because of God’s grace, manifested in the person and work of Jesus Christ. But the greater danger is that of appearing to be spiritual and religious in the power of the flesh. As I conclude, I want to ask you to note the strong distinction which the Scriptures make between that which is of the flesh and that which is of the Spirit. May God grant us the ability to distinguish the two and to choose to walk according to the Spirit putting to death the deeds of the flesh.
For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, that the cross of Christ should not be made void. For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:17-18).
And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God (1 Corinthians 2:1-5).
But thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God (2 Corinthians 2:14-17).
Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some, letters of commendation to you or from you? You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human hearts. And such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life (2 Corinthians 3:1-6).
Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart, but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing (2 Corinthians 4:1-2).
But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they were saying to you, “In the last time there shall be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.” These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith; praying in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life (Jude 17-21).
171 Cited by F. L. Godet, The Epistle to the Romans (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House [reprint], 1969), p. 295.
172 The Holy Spirit is referred to approximately 29 times in the Book of Romans. One cannot be more definite about this number because the King James Version has one more reference to the Holy Spirit than the NASB, due to an additional phrase in Romans 8:1 which refers to the Holy Spirit. Also, because some references to the Holy Spirit use only the term “Spirit,” there is a difference of opinion in some instances as to whether or not the Holy Spirit is referred to (see, for example, Romans 7:6; 8:15).
These small matters in mind, we can come to a general sense of proportion as to the frequency of references to the Holy Spirit in Romans. At most, there are but 4 references to the Holy Spirit in chapters 1-7 (1:4; 2:29; 5:5; 7:6). There are 18 references to the Spirit in chapter 8, 3 references in chapters 9-14 (9:1; 11:8; 14:17), and 4 references in chapter 15 (verses 13, 16, 19, 30). Sixty-two percent of all references to the Holy Spirit are found in chapter 8.
Note that while the Holy Spirit is the most prominent person of the Godhead in these verses, His ministry is closely associated with that of the Father and the Son.
The flesh is the other prominent theme, although it has been more prominent than the Spirit in chapters 1-7.
173 Paul is choosing his words very carefully here. Jesus Christ was God manifested in human flesh. At the birth of our Lord, sinless humanity was added to His perfect deity. He was not sinful, nor was His flesh (human nature), but having taken on our sins, He must be described as being “in the likeness of sinful flesh” (8:3). Paul’s words are carefully chosen to maintain the sinlessness of our Lord who came in the flesh, and yet to reflect the fact that He took our sins upon Himself.
174 I see a distinction between those who “walk according to the flesh” (which includes Christians), and those who “are according to the flesh” or are “in the flesh.” The first category has to do with the way people live; the second category has to do with who people are. Verses 5-8 therefore describe the unbeliever (though a Christian can live like an unbeliever). Verses 9-11 describe the believer.
175 This is not to suggest that Christians are so spiritually minded that they fail to grasp earthly things. The Book of Proverbs illustrates that having your mind fixed on the Spirit enables you to better understand the earthly and physical realities of life as well.
We might illustrate this way. The non-Christian can only think and comprehend reality in a very narrow band width, while the Christian can view life through the entire spectrum of truth and reality. To change the analogy, the non-Christian is “color blind” to those hues which are in the realm of the Spirit.
176 Note, also, that Paul does not say, “The mind set on the flesh is dead.” Instead, he says, “The mind set on the flesh is death.”
177 It would be a very profitable exercise to list all of the ministries of the Holy Spirit to the Christian referred to in Romans 8.
178 In my opinion, the context requires that the “spirit” (see NASB, verse 10) be understood as the Holy Spirit, who indwells every believer and empowers him to fulfill the requirement of the Law.
179 By inference, verses 14-16 provide us with a helpful insight concerning our assurance of salvation. The doctrine of eternal security assures us that we are saved once for all. If you would, “once saved, always saved.” Eternal security is objective, and it does not change, no matter how we feel. Our assurance of salvation is more subjective. Assurance deals with how certain we feel about being saved. I may be saved and eternally secure, but lack assurance. Those who are being led by the Spirit are the sons of God. The Spirit witnesses within us, that we are God’s sons. If we do not walk in the Spirit, this assurance is not realized. If I am not walking in the Spirit, and thus being led by the Spirit, my assurance of salvation will likely be deficient and defective. Those who are being led by His Spirit have the assurance that they are sons of God.
180 Note that verses 13, 14, and 15 all begin with “for,” indicating that they explain the reason for Paul’s statement in verse 12.
181 In reality it is the very same reason: living according to the flesh is self-serving and beneficial.
182 Interestingly enough, these words of our Lord follow Matthew’s account of Peter’s rebuke of our Lord for talking of His sacrificial death, and our Lord’s rebuke of Peter for “setting his mind on man’s interests” (16:21-23).
183 The present tense, “are being led,” rather than “are led,” suggests that the leading of the Spirit is an on-going process, not a one time or an occasional experience.
184 There is, of course, a great difference between “a” son of God and “the” Son of God. Our Lord Jesus Christ alone is “the” Son of God. Every Christian is “a” son of God (see Galatians 3:26).
185 Luke carefully informs us that Joseph was only thought to be the earthly father of our Lord. The gospel writers have already informed us that God was the Father of the Lord Jesus, since He was conceived by the Holy Spirit (see Luke 1:34-35; compare Matthew 1:18-20).
186 I am strongly inclined to understand that Proverbs was written especially to those who would reign as God’s king, and that the expression, “my son” often found in Proverbs, is evidence of this. See, for example, Proverbs 31:2-9.
187 If there were such an in-between place, it would not be that which should give us any comfort (see Revelation 3:15-16). In reality, there is no middle ground between the Spirit and the flesh. You are either in the Spirit or in the flesh—saved or lost. You are either living according to the Spirit or living according to the flesh.
188 In my opinion, psychology must be subordinated to theology in some cases and rejected as unbiblical in most.
My wife and I have been thinking a great deal this week about our daughter Amy. In part we are thinking of her because she has just left us to attend college some distance away. But primarily we are thinking of Amy because she is presently in the wilderness of northern Wisconsin on the high road program.
One of this country’s finest, the high road program is a part of the curriculum of Wheaton College. It is designed to place students in circumstances where they must do those things which seem completely beyond them. Dividing into small groups, each student is given a pack containing wilderness living essentials. Under the watchful eye of trained leaders, they are then sent out to trek through the wilderness. They are instructed how to use their compass before being given a destination at which they should arrive within a certain number of days. Cooking their own food over an open fire, they wear the same clothes day after day and brush their teeth with nature’s toothbrush. Traveling by canoe more miles than one can imagine, they portage over land carrying the canoe over their heads189 and rappelling from wilderness cliffs.
Amy’s venture marks the second time my wife and I have attended the wilderness orientation session for participants and their parents. This second time was much more fun as we knew what to expect from our first daughter and another friend’s experience. First-time uneasy parents expressed concern with the safety and well-being of their children while others were curious about how good the food would be and the height of the cliffs their child would rappel. One young girl wondered where she would plug in her hair dryer! How I would love to observe some of the primpy, preppy youngsters come to grips with the grimy realities of wilderness living!
But the intent of the high road program is not to make students suffer. It is a purposeful, constructive program with demands and hardships designed to strip away the superficialities of life and bring the individual down to the basics. Hopefully it will press the person beyond his or her own abilities and help them to trust in God. Two weeks of wilderness adversity reveal a great deal about one’s true character and ability to relate to others. While the program may seem unnatural and unreal, it is just the opposite. Superficiality is pushed aside, and reality is vividly exposed. Amy will remember for a lifetime the experiences of this week at high road.
High road scrapes off the barnacles on the boat of one’s life, forcing the individual to face reality and to deal with it. For many Christians, there are more barnacles than boat. Our life easily becomes so cluttered with characterizations, platitudes, and formulas that we can hardly identify the core of Christianity. What does it mean to be a Christian—to think like a Christian—to act like a Christian? What does it mean to “walk in the Spirit”?
Like high road, Paul’s words recorded in Romans 8:18-27 strip away the artificial and superficial views of the Christian life, leaving us with the core of what it means to live in this present world as a Christian. His words will not conform to much, if not most, of Christian thinking and teaching. His words will not be those we would naturally be inclined to welcome as God’s truth. But they are God’s truth. If we are to live our lives as those who are and will be the “sons of God,” we must live in accordance with reality. The reality of Christian living is exposed and explored in our text. Let us hold very loosely to our preconceived ideas and hold fast to the inspired and inerrant Word of God as we consider this text.
Paul has written in chapters 1-4 of man’s great need for righteousness and justification and of God’s provision of it through Jesus Christ. What sinful men cannot do for themselves, God has done for them in Christ. We are forgiven of our sins and declared righteous, not by striving to please God by our good works, but by trusting in Jesus Christ, by faith.
In chapters 5-8 Paul speaks to those who have been justified by faith concerning their walk as believers in Jesus Christ. The general subject is sanctification—that process by which sinners who have been justified by faith are being transformed into saints so that their lives reflect the righteousness of God. That righteousness which all men lack, and which some have been granted by faith in Jesus Christ, is now to be lived out in the daily walk of the believer. The first half of chapter 5 (verses 1-11) is a description of the benefits of justification by faith. The second half (verses 12-21) is an explanation of the basis of justification and sanctification. Chapter 6 is a compelling explanation of the need for a dramatic change in the lifestyle of the Christian, of death to sin and living out God’s righteousness before men. Chapter 7 reveals the weakness of the Law and ultimately of our own flesh, making it humanly impossible to live righteously in and of ourselves.
So far as the spiritual walk of the Christian is concerned, Romans 8 is the high water mark of Romans. For those who have been justified by faith, the condemnation for sin has been borne by our Lord Jesus in His death on the cross. The powerlessness of the flesh to obey God’s Law and to live righteously has been overcome by the Holy Spirit, who not only raised the dead body of our Lord to life but who will also raise our own dead bodies to life so that we may live in a way that pleases God.
The Holy Spirit is God’s provision for godly living. Not only does the Spirit empower the Christian, He also assures the Christian of his position in Christ as a son of God. While our sonship is the assurance of sharing in the glory of God in His coming kingdom, it also requires present suffering for Christ’s sake. This suffering is not divorced from our sonship but a prerequisite to the glory which is to come. In Romans 8:14-17, Paul introduces the subjects of sonship and suffering. Romans 8:18-27 explains in greater detail the ministry of the Holy Spirit to suffering saints. This present life inescapably involves suffering and groaning as we look forward to the glory of God and the full benefits of our sonship at the return of our Lord. During our days of groaning, the Holy Spirit ministers to us so that we may endure our present afflictions. The subject of our text is the certainty of suffering and of God’s sustaining ministry through His Spirit.
While the focus of this lesson is on Romans 8:18-27, a broader portion of the text must be considered in analyzing the structure of our passage. We will consider the structure of verses 14-30, outlining our text in this way:
(1) Transition—The sons of God will suffer (verses 14-17)
(2) Truths which sustain the suffering sons of God (verses 18-27)
(3) The benefits of sonship outweigh its sufferings (verse 18)
(4) Suffering is the experience of all creation (verses 19-22)
(5) Suffering is a prerequisite to sonship (verses 23-25)
(6) The Holy Spirit ministers to us in our suffering (verses 26-27)
14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him.
Paul explains in Romans 8 the provisions which God has made for the Christian to live righteously, as both the Law and our conversion require. The deadness of our bodies with regard to deeds of righteousness, vividly described in chapter 7, is solved by the Holy Spirit who indwells the Christian and who raises our dead bodies to life just as He raised the dead body of our Lord Jesus to life (8:11). The Holy Spirit is also the Spirit “of adoption.” Through His ministry we become God’s sons. Furthermore, He bears witness to our spirit that we are the sons of God (8:15-16). He is also the Spirit who sustains and strengthens us in our sufferings.
While verses 14-17 teach many important truths, two truths in these verses lay the foundation for what Paul will teach in verses 18-27. Let me underscore these two foundational truths Paul emphasizes:
(1) The Spirit of God is the Spirit of sonship. Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, we are joined with Christ so that we become the sons of God. Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, we are also assured of our sonship as He witnesses to our spirit concerning this relationship. This relationship of sonship is the opposite of slavery. Rather than being subject to sin and to death, we will reign with Christ,190 in life.
(2) Suffering is a necessary prerequisite for entering into the full benefits of sonship. While we become the children of God the moment we believe in Jesus Christ (see John 1:12), our full and final sonship awaits us when the Lord returns and when our bodies are fully redeemed (Romans 8:23). Paul tells us in verse 17 that “we are fellow-heirs with Christ if we suffer with Him.” He says also that we must suffer “in order that we may also reign with Him.” Suffering is seen as the experience of every son of God.191 It is this suffering—and the sustaining ministry of the Holy Spirit during our suffering—of which Paul writes in Romans 8:18-27. The final words of verse 17 turn our attention to the suffering which our sonship requires and to the ministry which the Holy Spirit provides for every son of God.
18 For I consider192 that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
Verses 18-27 all deal with the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the context of suffering and sonship. In verse 18, Paul supplies his reader with the first word of encouragement: our sufferings in preparation for our sonship do not compare with the glory we will share as sons. In simple terms, the benefits of sonship far outweigh the price we are called upon to pay as sons of God. Paul reflects his deep, personal conviction of this in his words to the Corinthians:
Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light afflict is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).
Paul’s words in verse 18 are consistent with this biblical principle: First suffering, then glory. It was true of our Lord Jesus. He was first to suffer and then to enter into His glory. This puzzled the prophets of old who did not know that this principle would require two “comings” of the Messiah:
As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful search and inquiry, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look (1 Peter 1:10-12).
One phrase in verse 18 is of particular interest. Paul speaks of the future glory we will enter into as God’s sons as that which “is to be revealed to us.” Surely this glory is still future while our sufferings are in the present. But the glory in verse 18 is that which God will reveal, meaning that this glory is not presently seen (see also verses 24-25). It also strongly suggests that this glory is not brought to pass by men. We do not bring in the kingdom of God as some Christians think. God brings about His kingdom. God will reveal it to us in His time and in His way.
19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.
Paul introduces in this paragraph the concept of “groaning” (verse 22). Here Paul refers to the “groaning” of the creation. In verse 23 he speaks of the “groaning” of the Christian. And finally in verse 26 he speaks of the intercessory “groanings” of the Holy Spirit. Groaning is the glue which gives unity to our entire section of verses 18-27.
What is groaning? Groaning is a deep, inward response to suffering. It is both personal and intense, an agony so deep it cannot be put into words. Groaning is a universal language. Groaning will be swallowed up by the glory of the sons of God which is yet to come. For the Christian, groaning directs our hope heavenward to that which is not yet seen.
In verse 17 Paul links groaning with sonship, for suffering is a part of God’s preparation for those who will reign as sons of God. But suffering and groaning are not just the experiences of Christians alone. Groaning is the universal experience of all of God’s creation. It cannot be avoided. In verses 19-22 Paul therefore informs us that our groaning is part a part of the bigger whole—the groaning of all of creation. Several important truths are taught here for us to consider:
(1) The groaning of creation is universal. All creation groans. It is a universal expression of agony (verse 22).
(2) The groaning of creation is the result of man’s sin. Adam did not consult with the animal world nor did he involve the rest of creation in his decision to disobey God. Innocent though it was, all creation suffers the backwash of Adam’s sin. Creation suffers not only due to the initial sin of Adam, but creation also sufferings from the on-going sin of mankind. Pollution is but one evidence of man’s sin which causes the suffering and groaning of creation.
(3) The groaning of the creation is due to a divine sentence of corruption and futility. Creation has been in the process of deterioration193 since the fall of man. Our own bodies bear testimony to the process of corruption. My body is on the downhill slope of its existence—my hair falls out—my stomach sticks out—my brain blanks out more of the time. Creation groans because of the irreversible process of deterioration and decay. In essence, like men, the earth is dying.
Corruption and deterioration results in a life characterized by futility. Futility is the opposite of hope. Futility means that no matter how hard we try to resist or reverse the process of corruption, it is inevitable. We may buy a new house, but soon termites find it and begin the process of decay. If not, mildew or dry rot begins to appear. Then there are earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters. Our new car soon begins to leak oil. The transmission starts to slip. The seat covers become soiled. Rust begins to work away at the metal. Sooner or later, the car will find its way to the wrecking yard and then to the crusher. The work of our hands, in the long run, is futile.
The sentence of creation to the principles of corruption and futility is a divinely imposed condition. Creation did not bring suffering upon itself. Man’s sin is the immediate cause, and God’s sovereign subjection of creation to suffering and groaning is the ultimate cause. Just as creation’s splendor and majesty display the splendor and majesty of God (see Psalm 19), so creation’s corruption and futility bear witness to man’s sin. God decreed that it would be so. Creation did not get in this condition because things got out of hand—out of God’s hand. Creation is the way it is because God subjected it to futility and corruption. Even in its suffering, creation is subject to God and to His purposes.
(4) Creation, though now subjected to corruption and futility, has a sure and certain hope. Creation’s present subjection to corruption and futility is the result of a divine decree by God. But Paul pointedly writes that God subjected creation to corruption and futility “in hope” (verse 20). Just as the Christian’s present condition of suffering and groaning is temporary so is the suffering and groaning of creation. Creation awaits the day of its own redemption from the chaotic consequences of sin when its present condition will be set aside. Just as Adam’s sin subjected creation to corruption, death, and futility, so the righteousness of Jesus Christ will redeem it. There is hope for creation. God’s purpose for subjecting creation to corruption and futility was not to destroy it but to deliver it.
Groaning is not a response of despair but a response to pain and suffering. Paul writes not of a groaning over what will be but over what now is. If creation’s groaning is present, its hope of glory is focused on the future. Hope is a prominent theme in our text with six references—one in verse 20 and five references in verses 24-25. The pangs which creation presently suffers are like birth-pangs for they promise a glorious delivery. These pangs lead not to death but to deliverance, life, and liberty. There is hope for creation.
(5) Just as creation’s downfall came through man, so its deliverance will come through man. Creation, Paul tells us, “waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God” (verse 19). The Lord Jesus took on human flesh, not only to take man’s place on the cross of Calvary but to take man’s place as the Son of God ruling over God’s creation. All who are justified by faith in Christ become sons of God and look forward to a share in our Lord’s inheritance. The “revealing of the sons of God” in my understanding is that time when our Lord returns to the earth with the saints to subdue His enemies, to establish His throne, and to rule over God’s creation. At that time, creation will glory in the rule of the sons of God. When redeemed and perfected men rule with Christ, the earth will not suffer; it will prosper. The creation awaits its own day of redemption in hope, for God will bless the earth through the rule of men just as He presently causes the creation to share in the curse as the result of sin. Just as men, once enslaved by sin, are set free by the work of our Lord, so the earth, once enslaved due to sin, will be set free.
23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. 24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one also hope for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.
The condition of the Christian in these verses is very similar to that of creation. Like the creation, we who have been justified by faith suffer and groan. Our groaning is due to the present corruption and futility we see both within us and without. Sin, dwelling in our flesh and in this fallen world, causes us to groan. The contrast between what we presently are and what we shall be someday as adopted sons intensifies our groaning. At this future time, our bodies will be redeemed. Our earthly bodies, subject to corruption and to sin, will be put away, and we will be given redeemed bodies free from sin, corruption, and death (verse 24, see also 1 Corinthians 15:35-58; 2 Corinthians 5:1-4). At this time we will receive our full adoption as sons and reign with Christ over all creation.
Those who believe the presence and ministry of the Holy Spirit brings only ecstasy, jubilance, and rejoicing194 need to consider more carefully Paul’s words in verse 23. The suffering and groaning the Christian is said to experience in verse 23 is linked to the believer’s possession of the Holy Spirit. This groaning is not the full manifestation of the fruit which the Spirit produces, but it is a part of the first fruits. Apart from God’s Spirit, the groaning of which Paul speaks would be impossible for any man. This groaning is due to sin and its consequences. The Spirit within us bears witness that we are sons of God. He also bears witness that the world in which we now live is surely not the kingdom of God. The Spirit’s presence and power produce groaning in the Christian because we understand not only what we now are, but what we will someday be. Presently we are aware that something is very wrong with the way we are and the way our world is. The Spirit testifies to this, producing groaning from deep within us.
Does the creation presently groan in hope of its future deliverance? So does the Christian (verses 24-25). Here the veil is lifted slightly for the Christian to see one of the purposes for our present suffering and groaning. God causes us to groan over the present conditions under which we now live so that our hope will be directed toward God’s coming kingdom. Our present suffering and groaning is based upon our own experience, upon our own condition. Our future glory is based upon the work of Christ at Calvary and causes us to eagerly anticipate His return to rule over creation.
Because he is a Christian, one is not exempt from suffering and groaning. Indeed, the Christian’s suffering and groaning is intensified because he is a Christian and because the Spirit of God dwells within. The presence of the Holy Spirit in each believer is the source not just of groaning but the source also of great comfort. This ministry of the Spirit Paul explains in verses 26 and 27.
26 And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Some use verses 26 and 27 as a proof text for speaking in tongues. But this text can hardly be understood to refer to speaking in tongues whether as a prayer language or not. Consider the following observations:
(1) These verses are found in the context of the ministry of the Holy Spirit, in the light of the glory of our future adoption as sons and of our present suffering and groaning.
(2) The ministry of the Spirit is to us in our weakness. Our weakness lies in our complete inability to verbalize our groanings—or to know what to ask in prayer. Our groanings are beyond the ability of words to communicate—any words. If the gift of tongues is the ability to speak in some language, then even speaking in tongues could not convey our groanings. With respect to tongues, it is not the Spirit who puts words in our mouths. The Spirit intercedes for us, communicating our groanings to God. He conveys to God what we cannot put into words, and He also intercedes with requests which are consistent with the will of God. When we cannot speak, the Spirit speaks for us, to God. The Holy Spirit is the communicative link between our own heart and the heart of God. He ministers to us in our present weakness.
As strange as it may sound, groaning characterizes the life of the Spirit-filled Christian. All creation presently groans. Every Christian should be groaning. Even the Spirit groans on our behalf. This is because our redemption, while certain, is not yet complete. We are living in a world subject to corruption and futility. We are living in bodies subject to corruption and futility. We should be struggling with our own sin and imperfection. We know that what we are presently falls far short of what God yet intends to make of us when He completes His redemptive work in us.
Do not misunderstand; it should not be said that our lives as Christians are characterized only by suffering and groaning. We have peace with God, presently. We have joy in the midst of sorrow. We have the benefit of many blessings which come from the hand of a gracious and loving God, now, as well as those yet to come in the future. But when all is said and done, God does not intend for us to be content with what we are. Our present imperfection and groanings are designed to prepare us for our future sonship. We must first be tested and proven character must be developed in us before He gives us the privilege of reigning with Christ. Suffering is preparatory to sonship. Groaning is a prerequisite to glory. We must place our hope in things to come, those things which God has promised. Because this hope is not presently seen, we must fix our hope by means of faith and not by sight. God intends for those things we see as wrong within us and in the world in which we live to create in us a hunger for heaven.
Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light afflict is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven; inasmuch as we, having put it on, shall not be found naked. For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed, in order that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge (2 Corinthians 4:16–5:5).
Some hold a view of the Christian life and walking in the Spirit which finds groaning inappropriate. Being Spirit-filled is synonymous with constant effervescence and an almost giddy happiness all of the time. Suffering and groaning are thought to be the experience only of the lost or of the unspiritual. Sad though it may be, only the lost can expect life to be lived without sadness and suffering and groaning. When those who are successful and comfortable in this life see life as a bowl of cherries, they are not looking at life as it really is. They are looking through eyes which are blinded to the imperfection of this world due to man’s sin.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus reversed the views of the unsaved world and of lost men. He did not say, as many of the scribes and Pharisees believed, that the rich, the successful, and the happy are those who are blessed. Instead, Jesus taught that those who suffered and groaned were blessed:
And opening His mouth He began to teach them, saying, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Matthew 5:2-6).
Why are those who suffer blessed? Why, by inference, are those whose life seems to be smooth sailing not blessed? It is because we tend to trust in ourselves when we are doing too well. Prosperity and ease does not tend to turn us to God but away from Him. This is why God warned Israel concerning the dangers of the prosperity into which they were about to enter (see Deuteronomy 8:11-20). Israel cried out to God in their sufferings. God heard their groanings (see Exodus 2:24; 6:5; Judges 2:18). When men prosper, they tend to trust in earthly things and not in God (see 1 Timothy 6:17). Suffering and groaning tests us and turns our heart toward God.195
Asaph, the ancient choir director, needed to learn to thank God for his groanings. In Psalm 73 we see Asaph agonizing over the prosperity of the wicked and the suffering of the righteous. He was bitter and angry toward God. He was acting like a beast, he tells us. It was only when he saw life from a broader perspective that he came to his senses and gave thanks to God for His goodness. He saw that earthly prosperity is temporary and that it tempts men to turn from God. He also saw that his own suffering turned him toward God and that the nearness of God in his affliction was good.
Has suffering and groaning found its way into your life? Are there deep inner agonies you cannot even verbalize? Your experience is not unique. It is that of all creation. It is that which should be happening to every Christian at various times and with various levels of intensity. You should not feel guilt-ridden or unspiritual over your groanings. If you have come to recognize your own fallenness and that of the world in which you live, you have come to see life as it really is. You are sharing in that same kind of suffering and groaning which our Lord experienced as the Son of God.
The question is not whether you are groaning, but what good this suffering and groaning is producing in you. Does your groaning give you a hunger for heaven? Does it make you discontent with this life and the way things are? Does it focus your hope on the things of God which are presently unseen? Good! That is the work of the Holy Spirit in you, producing in you a heart for God. That is the Spirit’s work in you preparing you for the glory of your full adoption as a son of God to reign with Christ when He returns to the earth in glory and power.
In the day of the revelation of the sons of God, all creation will cease its sighing and experience that to which it has been looking forward. All creation will enter into the praise and worship of God. I do not know precisely how creation will enter into the praise of God, but I do believe it will happen.196 What a day that will be!
In this life, we are not what we wish to be or what we ultimately will be nor is creation. This produces in creation and in the Christian suffering and groaning as well the hope of that future redemption which God has promised. This is what Paul is teaching in our text. Consider these very important implications of this truth:
(1) The suffering of God’s children is a dominant theme in the teaching of Scripture. Why then is it not more prominent in the teaching of many preachers and churches? Why are people invited to come to faith in Jesus Christ to escape suffering and to enter into peace and prosperity? Why do we seek to persuade men to trust in Christ by offering them the good life? Neither Jesus nor the apostles offered men peace and prosperity in this life. They warned men of the suffering and persecution which would result from turning to Christ in faith and following Him. They urged men to “count the cost” of following Christ (see Matthew 5:10-12; Luke 9:23-25, 57-62; Acts 14:22; 2 Timothy 2:12; 1 Peter 1:3-9; 2:20-25; 3:14-18; 4:12-19; 5:10-11). Our Lord graciously brings adversity to us in this life to turn our hearts toward Him. He graciously continues to bring adversity into our lives as Christians to prepare us for our adoption as the sons of God, to keep us looking to Him and to His promised kingdom (see 2 Corinthians 12:1-10; Hebrews 12:1-13).
(2) How does one explain the current emphasis on positive thinking, on man’s great potential, and on victorious living? We need to be very careful not only about what we teach but about the teaching of those to whom we listen and believe. Many are those who offer victorious living but carefully avoid the subject of suffering and groaning so prominent in Paul’s teaching in Romans and elsewhere. Paul does not wish us to become cynical or skeptical about this life, but he does wish us to be realistic.
Christian living must be based upon reality. The reality is that we are fallen creatures living in a fallen world. As such, creation is subject, by divine decree, to corruption and futility. Those who would serve God by walking in the Spirit must come to grips with this matter of our corruption and the futility of life. This is precisely why the power of the Holy Spirit is necessary to live as God requires. But the Spirit does not magically remove all of our suffering and groaning; He undertakes in such a way as to communicate our groanings to God. Walking in the Spirit does not eliminate the fallenness of this world or even of our own flesh. This will be eliminated when Jesus comes again and the sons of God are revealed.
(3) If God graciously sends suffering and groaning into our lives, why in our prayers do we ask God to remove our suffering and pain? Why do we not pray for strength and endurance and for our hope to be set on heaven? Why do we not pray, “Thy kingdom come”? Our prayers are often inconsistent with the purposes of God. When our suffering is the greatest, we cannot even articulate the problem or a solution. In these times we must depend upon the Holy Spirit to intercede for us, to communicate to God on our behalf the things of our spirit which are consistent with God’s will.
(4) The so-called “mid-life crisis” is that time when men come to grips with the reality of the futility and corruption of fallen creation. In reflecting on this text it occurred to me that the “mid-life crisis” is simply men coming to a realization of what Paul is teaching here. It is possible for us to deceive ourselves about life for a number of years. In our youth, we are full of strength and optimism. We believe we can change the world. And then somewhere in mid-life or at a point of crisis we come face to face with stark reality. We see our bodies beginning to succumb to corruption. We see that our efforts are ultimately futile—unable to permanently change us or the world. Some cannot handle this reality and try to suppress it by having an affair, by turning to various sins, or by dulling their senses with alcohol or drugs. They live in a false world, denying the reality of sin and its devastating consequences. They do not turn to God in faith. They do not set their hope on those things which God has promised but which are not seen.
If we would live life to the full, we must come to grips with the reality of sin and its devastation on us and on our world. We must cease trusting in ourselves and turn to God’s salvation in Jesus Christ. Moses learned this lesson:
For we have been consumed by Thine anger, and by Thy wrath we have been dismayed. Thou hast placed our iniquities before Thee, Our secret sins in the light of Thy presence. For all our days have declined in Thy fury; We have finished our years like a sigh. As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, Or if due to strength, eighty years, Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; For soon it is gone and we fly away. Who understands the power of Thine anger, And Thy fury, according to the fear that is due Thee? So teach us to number our days, That we may present to Thee a heart of wisdom. Do return, O LORD; how long will it be? And be sorry for Thy servants. O satisfy us in the morning with Thy lovingkindness, That we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Make us glad according to the days Thou hast afflicted us, And the years we have seen evil, Let Thy work appear to Thy servants, And Thy majesty to their children. And let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; And do confirm for us the work of our hands; Yes, confirm the work of our hands (Psalm 90:7-17).
Asaph also learned this lesson:
When my heart was embittered, And I was pierced within, Then I was senseless and ignorant; I was like a beast before Thee. Nevertheless I am continually with Thee; Thou hast taken hold of my right hand. With Thy counsel Thou wilt guide me, And afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but Thee? And besides Thee, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For, behold, those who are far from Thee will perish; Thou hast destroyed all those who are unfaithful to Thee. But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge That I may tell of all Thy works (Psalm 73:21-28).
King Solomon, the richest and most successful man who ever lived, concluded that life is futile and that only seeking and serving God makes sense:
Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, “I have no delight in them”; before the sun, the light, the moon, and the starts are darkened, and clouds return after the rain; in the day that the watchmen of the house tremble, and mighty men stoop, the grinding ones stand idle because they are few, and those who look through windows grow dim; and the doors on the street are shut as the sound of the grinding mill is low, and one will arise at the sound of the bird, and all the daughters of song will sing softly. Furthermore, men are afraid of a high place and of terrors on the road; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags himself along, and the caperberry is ineffective. For man goes to his eternal home while mourners go about in the street. Remember Him before the silver cord is broken and the golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the well is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed; then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “all is vanity!” (Ecclesiastes 12:1-8, 13-14).
May the reality of sin and its consequences cause you suffering and groaning. And may this turn your heart to God and your hope toward heaven. May you know as the psalmist that “the nearness of God is my good” and the sufferings of this life but a small thing in light of the blessings awaiting you in that day of the revelation of the Son of God and the sons of God.
189 Our older daughter Beth tells how she and her partner in this venture got their canoe lodged between two trees. She and the other girl had a good cry and then went on.
190 As pointed out in our last lesson, sonship involves reigning over God’s creation. For the Christian, this means sharing in the reign of Christ over all creation when He returns in power and glory.
191 Let us not forget that suffering was also a necessary part of the preparation of the Son of God (see Hebrews 5:5-10).
192 The same term is employed here by Paul as is found in Romans 6:11, numerous times in chapter 4, and elsewhere in Romans.
193 The carbon dating process, for example, is one which measures time according to the rate of deterioration of the materials being dated.
194 The Holy Spirit does, of course, produce these happy and upbeat experiences. But this is not the only evidence of the Spirit’s presence and power. The Holy Spirit can also produce groaning, as Paul teaches us here.
195 Prosperity should turn our hearts to God as well, in grateful thanksgiving and praise.
196 There are a number of biblical texts which speak of creation’s role in praising God. See, for example, Psalm 96:11-13; 97:1; 98:8; Isaiah 44:23; 49:13; 55:12; 1 Chronicles 16:30-34. When Jesus entered into Jerusalem as the Son of God, Israel’s Messiah, the people praised Him. And when the Pharisees told Jesus to rebuke His disciples and to stop them from their praise, He responded, “I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out” (Luke 19:4). I wonder if in the revelation of the sons of God, the rocks will actually cry out. Somehow, I believe, all creation will enter into the praise of God.
28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
The story is told of an airliner which began to develop trouble in mid-air. One engine began to smoke. Over the speaker came the pilot’s reassuring voice informing the passengers of a small problem. One engine had caught fire, but it had been extinguished. With three remaining engines, the plane would easily reach its destination. Then a second engine failed. Once again, the pilot calmly assured the passengers there was no danger; two engines would suffice. A third engine failed. Now the pilot informed the passengers that it would be necessary to land short of their destination. Finally, the fourth engine failed, and from their windows the passengers saw the plane’s crew in parachutes descending to the earth.
The pilot’s calm and reassuring voice again came over the speaker: “Ladies and gentlemen, we are having a problem with the airplane. We will need to make an emergency landing. The pilot and crew have abandoned the plane and are parachuting to safety. There is no need to panic. The plane is operating on automatic pilot, and everything is under control … control … control …”
There are times in life when things seem to be out of control. At those times atheists and agnostics are quite convinced, following our analogy, that the plane has no pilot. If ever there was a pilot, he has bailed out, leaving them to themselves to face threatening dangers.
We who are Christians believe there is a God. When life goes smoothly for us and God’s blessings are evident, we are tempted to believe we are in control. We may even think we do not need God. When the bottom falls out and the trials of life seem to be swallowing us up so that we seem to lose control, we may still believe that God is in the cockpit. But we may begin to question whether God is really in control. We may be tempted to think God’s control over creation might be limited and fallible.
When Paul speaks of the spiritual life in Romans 8,197 he speaks much of suffering. We who are in Christ need not suffer from guilt or fear, for our sins have all been forgiven. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (8:1-4). When we sin as Christians, we need never doubt that we are justified by faith because God’s Spirit dwells within us, bearing witness that we are God’s sons. Further, because the Spirit of God indwells us, He not only leads us to do the will of God, but He empowers our dead bodies to do so (8:5-17).
Justification by faith and the ministry indwelt and empowered by the Holy Spirit are not promises of present perfection. We are still fallen creatures with mortal bodies, awaiting our future adoption and bodily redemption. Not only are we imperfect beings, but we live in a fallen and imperfect world resulting in suffering and groaning in this life as we await that which is perfect. This will only come when our Lord Jesus Christ appears on the earth again to overcome His enemies, to renew the earth, and to rule over it. As sons of God, we will share in this reign, but we must be prepared and proven by suffering, just as Christ had to suffer. We are comforted by the certainty of the hope of glory, and we are sustained by the ministry of the Holy Spirit until that day.
Paul turns in verses 28-30 to yet another truth which should sustain the Christian in the midst of the suffering and groanings of this present life—the sovereignty of God.198 Whatever the Christian sees happening, we may be assured that it is not only under God’s control, but its purpose is to produce what is for God’s glory and for our good. When life’s trials cause some to wonder if God even exists, and others to wonder whether He is in control, the Christian may be assured that God is there. He is in charge of bringing about His purpose for His glory and our good. Let us savor the truth of God’s sovereignty. While His sovereignty brings terror to the hearts of unbelievers, it is music to the Christian’s ears.
The broad context of the Book of Romans is the gospel of Jesus Christ; a major theme of the book is God’s righteousness. God’s righteousness requires the condemnation of sinners. God’s righteousness is provided for those whom He justifies. It is also required of all who have been justified so that they would honor God by obeying His Word. Our text is a part of the section pertaining to the sanctification of the Christian found in chapters 5-8 of Romans. Romans 8:28, our text in this lesson, is quite near the conclusion of this section. Chapter 8 contains Paul’s description of God’s provisions for righteousness in the lives of those who are the sons of God. The immediately preceding section, Romans 8:18-27, deals with the suffering and groanings of this life, especially of the Spirit-filled Christian. Verses 28-30 serve as a transition between Paul’s dealing with suffering and groanings (verses 18-27) and his concluding words of praise (verses 31-38). Verses 28-30 provide the Christian with the key to understanding how life’s problems should lead to our praise of God. Our study will show us how and why.
While verses 28-30 constitute one paragraph and should be understood as a whole, we must focus our attention in this lesson on verse 28 and consider verses 29 and 30 in our next lesson. Verse 28 is a general statement concerning the implications of God’s sovereignty for every Christian: God’s sovereignty means that all of life’s experiences are orchestrated by Him to produce that which is for our good. The particulars of the general statement in verse 28 are spelled out in more specific terms in verses 29 and 30. The entire process from the beginning to the end of the Christian’s life is described here. It begins with God’s sovereign election or choice and ends with God’s divinely purposed conclusion—our glorification. We may therefore summarize the structure of our text in this way:
God’s greatness assures us of our good — Romans 8:28
(1) In choosing to save us
(2) In guaranteeing our godliness — Romans 8:29
(3) In drawing us to Himself
(4) In declaring us righteous
(5) In securing our glorification — Romans 8:30
Even though our approach to the study of this verse may seem unusual, it is absolutely necessary. Every passage of Scripture should be studied in this way, although often we do not do so in the actual exposition of a text. We will study this one verse phrase by phrase, in some instances considering even a single word. Every word is packed with meaning; we dare not overlook any detail.199 After studying the text in this way, we will seek to draw out the lessons of the text with several summary statements and then suggest some practical implications of what Paul has taught in this one verse.
“And”200
This word “And” hardly seems to be worthy of notice. What can it tell us? A great deal! If the first word of this verse was “therefore,” we would look for a conclusion. If it were, “but,” we would look for some kind of contrast to what had just been written. If it were “for,” we would expect an explanation or some supporting evidence. “And” tells us that Paul wants us to see the connection between what he has been saying and what he is about to say. The sovereignty of God, of which Paul is speaking in verses 28-30, must be understood in relationship to the spiritual life and specifically to suffering (verses 18-27). The sovereignty of God has many avenues of application, but here Paul applies it to suffering.
When Paul comes to verse 31 he begins with the phrase, “What then shall we say to these things?” Here he has come to the conclusion and climax of his teaching in chapters 1-8. Before praising God, the last thing Paul talks about is God’s sovereignty and His love. When these two attributes merge, along with His other attributes, there is every reason for praise.
“We Know”
Paul does not say here, “I know.” He says instead, “We know.” The “we” speaks of both Paul and the entire Roman church. Paul is saying, “All Christians know this …” The truth of which Paul speaks is a truth he believes is universally held by all Christians. It is also appropriate to infer that the truth taught here is not one understood or believed by non-Christians. That truth of which Paul is about to speak is known to all believers, but not to those outside the faith.
“We Know”
“We know …” A definite note of certainty is here. Paul does not say, “we think,” or “we hope,” but rather, “We know.” Other matters were more inferential, less clear and certain, or matters of personal interpretation and conviction not to be argued about or imposed on others but kept to oneself (see chapter 14). Paul was convinced that all, including him, knew and believed God’s sovereignty.
Paul wanted to teach the Romans a number of truths, truths which, it would seem, he doubted they knew. Why else would he bother to write this very systematic, theological epistle? There were things the Romans either did not know or seem to have forgotten. Thus Paul sometimes writes, “Or do you not know?” (6:3, 16; 7:1). Here the sovereignty of God is something Paul presumes all his readers know.
The sovereignty of God must therefore be a very foundational and fundamental doctrine. It must be a doctrine clearly taught which every Christian should know. It should not be obscure, hidden amid other truths. It is not a doctrine which only the mature can extract from the Scriptures. The sovereignty of God is a truth every Christian is assumed to believe and understand. Somehow many Christians today fall far short of what Paul assumes to be the case in his own day. He does not assume that Christians knew all the truth, but he did assume that the Roman saints knew of the sovereignty of God.
How did these Roman Christians, and Paul, know of the sovereignty of God? On what basis could Paul assume this? I wonder if the sovereignty of God is not so self-evident in one’s salvation that no one can miss it. How could Paul, for example, not have concluded that God was sovereign in His salvation as he considered the way in which God brought him to Himself (see Acts 9:1-30)? Had the Romans not found in their own salvation that it was God who sought and saved them and not they who sought Him? Does Paul see the sovereignty of God as so evident in the truths he has taught in chapters 1-8 that one could not reasonably think otherwise? In the next major section of Romans, Paul illustrates, clarifies, and defends in very specific terms the sovereignty of God in the context of God’s dealings with the nation Israel (Romans 9-11). Surely the sovereignty of God is self-evident both in His dealings with us and with others as seen in the Scriptures.
“God Causes …”
A comparison of several Bible translations discloses a fairly significant difference in the way verse 28 begins:
And we know that all things work together for good … (KJV).
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him … (NIV).
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good … (NASB).
There is a significant difference between “all things work together for good,” and “God causes all things to work together for good.” The difference in the translations represents the translator’s decision of what the original text actually said. The vast majority of the original texts support the rendering of the King James Version. A few manuscripts, which some scholars believe to be superior, support the rendering of the NIV and the NASB.
When all is said and done, it hardly matters. Whether or not the words in the original Greek text literally indicate God is the source of the good which comes to the Christian, the inference of the text is clear and undeniable.201 God causes. God is in control. As Paul states in verses 29 and 30, God is the one who chooses us to be saved. God is the one who purposes our sanctification. He is the One who calls us to Himself and justifies us. He is the One who glorifies us. And, to be more precise, He is the One who has done all these things so that they are as good as done, even if their final consummation is yet future. This is why he uses the past and not the present or future tense.
“God causes all things to work together”
We must be careful to note that God is not the cause of all things. In particular, He is not the cause of sin.202 God is the Creator. As such, He created the universe, including this earth and all that is in it. God is the originator of many things. But in this verse, Paul is not speaking of those things which God brings into existence; he is referring to God as the orchestrator and controller of all that takes place in this world. God has given certain tasks and responsibilities to men. He has ordained governments to punish evil doers and to reward those who do what is right (see Romans 13:1-7). He has even given a certain degree of liberty to Satan (see Job 1 and 2). While God permits things to happen which displease Him, He does not allow anything to happen which is contrary to His sovereign purpose.
Taken individually, the events and circumstances God allows may not, in and of themselves, appear to be of any value or good to the Christian. But Paul does not say that each event is good or even that each incident will produce that which is good. He informs us that all of the events, working together, produce what is good.
To illustrate, the ingredients which go into a cake are not very tasty when eaten individually. Flour, sugar, shortening, eggs, salt, baking powder, and spices are not something we want to eat one ingredient at a time. But mix all of these together in just the right proportions, and then bake the combined mixture, and you have a delicious treat. Each event in our life is like one ingredient in a cake. It may not seem good, by itself, but when mixed by God with other correct events, it will surely produce what is good.
Paul speaks here of God’s sovereignty in terms of His choosing and blending of all of our experiences, in such a way as to produce that which is good. God causes all things to “work together” for good. This means we cannot judge the goodness of God’s work until His program is finished. Have you ever been too hasty in testing the cake batter? Almost always the result is unsatisfactory. Until God’s recipe for our lives is complete, we dare not judge God’s cooking. We had best entrust ourselves to Him as the cook, knowing that He always blends the right ingredients, at the right time, in the right way, and in the right proportions.
When God causes all things to “work together” for the good of His children, His “working together” is such that one believer is not blessed at the expense of another. All that God brings to pass, or allows, in my life is for my ultimate good. More than this, when God works in behalf of the good of His children, He does not “rob Peter to pay Paul.” He works in the lives of each believer in such a way that other believers are benefited as well.
In war, a commanding officer may be required to sacrifice some of his troops for the good of the cause. He may send one group to fight a losing battle to divert attention from another group by which he hopes to win the victory. God’s sovereignty far surpasses this kind of control. God does not work in such a way as to bring about the casualty of one believer so that another believer will be blessed. God works so that the good of each and every Christian is accomplished.
Think of the incredible power of God suggested and required by the truth of His sovereignty. Since all things “work together” then the more things included in the category of “all things,” the greater God’s power and control must be. It is difficult for anyone to orchestrate several different events at one time—just try patting your head and rubbing your stomach at the same time. But God controls all of the events in the life of every believer. More than this, God controls what He is doing in the life of one believer in such a way as to harmonize with what He is doing in the lives of all the rest. Such a task is beyond human comprehension. It is a task only a God with infinite power can accomplish.
“God causes all things to work together”
We have seen that “all” means that everything which affects the life of the Christian is under God’s control and thus is a part of God’s will for us. God causes “all things” to work together for our good. We are much more willing to attribute the pleasant events of our life to the hand of God than we are the painful experiences. We find it difficult to believe that an act of deliberate cruelty intended by the offender to hurt us is really being used by God for our good.
If we are to take Paul’s words in Romans 8:28 literally and seriously, we must face the fact that “all things” includes those things which we find painfully unpleasant. We may even think they are unbearable. “All things” includes the sin of others and even our own sins. “All things” means there is nothing which falls outside of God’s control and which works contrary to our good. Not one thing falls outside of God’s control. “All things” are caused to work together so that God’s will—our good—is accomplished.
“God causes all things to work together for good”
The word “for” is significant. God does not necessarily bring into our lives those things which are, in and of themselves, good. He often brings into our lives those things which are painful which cause us to groan. Often these unpleasant experiences are the result of our own folly or sin. Sometimes we may suffer through no fault or failure of our own. Our Lord’s suffering was not due to any sin on His part. The chastening of the Father is not necessarily that which we have experienced because of our sin or disobedience (see Hebrews 12:1-13).
It is vital that we understand the term “good,” or we will completely reverse the meaning of this verse. Asaph, the psalmist who penned Psalm 73, went through a period of great anguish and anger toward God because he failed to understand the meaning of “good.” A portion of this psalm is cited to illustrate the importance of correctly defining the term “good.”
A Psalm of Asaph. 1 Surely God is good to Israel, To those who are pure in heart! 2 But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling; My steps had almost slipped. 3 For I was envious of the arrogant, As I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 4 For there are no pains in their death; And their body is fat. 5 They are not in trouble as other men; Nor are they plagued like mankind. 6 Therefore pride is their necklace; The garment of violence covers them. 7 Their eye bulges from fatness; The imaginations of their heart run riot. 8 They mock, and wickedly speak of oppression; They speak from on high. 9 They have set their mouth against the heavens, And their tongue parades through the earth. … 12 Behold, these are the wicked; And always at ease, they have increased in wealth. 13 Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure, And washed my hands in innocence; 14 For I have been stricken all day long, And chastened every morning. 15 If I had said, “I will speak thus,” Behold, I should have betrayed the generation of Thy children. 16 When I pondered to understand this, It was troublesome in my sight 17 Until I came into the sanctuary of God; Then I perceived their end. 18 Surely Thou dost set them in slippery places; Thou dost cast them down to destruction. 19 How they are destroyed in a moment! They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors! 20 Like a dream when one awakes, O Lord, when aroused, Thou wilt despise their form. 21 When my heart was embittered, And I was pierced within, 22 Then I was senseless and ignorant; I was like a beast before Thee. 23 Nevertheless I am continually with Thee; Thou hast taken hold of my right hand. 24 With Thy counsel Thou wilt guide me, And afterward receive me to glory. 25 Whom have I in heaven but Thee? And besides Thee, I desire nothing on earth. 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. 27 For, behold, those who are far from Thee will perish; Thou hast destroyed all those who are unfaithful to Thee. 28 But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge, That I may tell of all Thy works (Psalm 73:1-9, 12-28).
Asaph’s first words were “God is good to Israel.” He is also good to those who are pure in heart. But Asaph was wrong in his definition of “good,” for he thought good must be understood in terms of peace, prosperity, and a comfortable life. He thought of good in terms of pleasure and the absence of pain and more in terms of this present life than of eternity.
Asaph thought this way until he came to the sanctuary of God. There he began to view life from the divine perspective and from the vantage point of eternity rather than in terms of this present age. From the divine perspective, the good life of the wicked was uncertain and incredibly short. He now saw “good” in terms of intimacy with God. He could say, “the nearness of God is my good.” He recognized that while his sufferings drew him nearer to God, the prosperity of the wicked only drew them further from Him. Asaph’s definition of “good” changed from a warm, fuzzy feeling now to enjoying God’s presence, now and for all eternity. He saw that if suffering draws one nearer to God, it is not evil but good. He recognized that if prosperity and the absence of pain turns one from God, that is evil. His definition of “good” made the difference. We must be very careful to define “good” as Asaph came to understand it, in terms of eternity and in terms of intimacy with God.
The “good” God brings to pass is the result of the “all things” which God has brought into our lives. The “good” may therefore be viewed presently in terms of our attitude toward God and in terms of the faith and perseverance which trials are intended to promote and produce. But most of all, “good” must be viewed in terms of our full adoption as sons when our Lord returns to the earth.
God is represented as the source of that which is good. Paul does not tell us that God causes everything. He surely does not tell us that God causes evil. He does tell us that God causes that which is “good.” This is consistent with the teaching of our Lord and of James:
“Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” (Luke 11:11-13).
Let not one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt any one. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then, when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow (James 1:16-17).
The “good” which God brings about is His “ultimate good” or “final good” for us. Since God causes all things to work together for good, we dare not assume that every individual event or circumstance will be perceived as good at the moment. It will only be recognized as good at the end of the process, when God is finished with His work in and for us. In the light of verses 29 and 30, we can reasonably say that the “good” of which Paul speaks here is the “good” of His purposes and promises. The “good” of which we are assured is that good which God long ago planned, predestined, and presently is bringing to pass. We cannot see this good with our physical eyes, but God’s promises and His prophecies set it out for us to see through the eyes of faith. Such was the faith of the saints of days gone by:
All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them (Hebrews 11:13-16).
The rejection of Jesus by His people, Israel, and His subsequent sham of a trial, conviction, crucifixion, and death can hardly be seen as good—apart from His resurrection and the salvation which His work at Calvary achieves and assures. The persecution of the apostles, and of Christians down through the ages, is good only in the light of God’s approval, His eternal blessings, and His rewards for those who have been faithful.
The “good,” which God is presently bringing about for us through His control and arrangement of all our circumstances and experiences, is the good which He has purposed. It is the good which His Word has promised. It is not present pleasure or happiness. It cannot be found in one or a few experiences, divorced from the rest of life. It is the culmination, the climax, of all the experiences and events of our life. It is a good that is so good we cannot even fathom it. We would not even know what we should ask for because it is beyond our mental grasp:
But just as it is written, “THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND WHICH HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM” (1 Corinthians 2:9).203
“To those who love God”
“To those who are called according to His purpose”
These two statements must be understood together and separately. Together, these two phrases inform us that those who are the recipients of the good God is bringing about are the sons of God, those who have been justified by faith. Those who are the enemies of God look forward to a very different end: “… wrath … in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who WILL RENDER TO EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS” (Romans 2:5-6).
The expression, “those who love God,” is a description of Christians with respect to their response toward God. Unbelievers are born sinners with an innate anger and hostility toward God:
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature, children of wrath, even as the rest (Ephesians 2:1-3).
Of all the expressions which describe the relationship of the Christian to God, why this one? Why does Paul describe the believer as one who loves God? I think we will better understand when we consider the references to loving God in the Old and New Testaments:
“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5).
“Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments” (Deuteronomy 7:9).
“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require from you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 10:12).
“You shall therefore love the Lord your God, and always keep His charge, His statutes, His ordinances, and His commandments … And it shall come about, if you listen obediently to my commandments which I am commanding you today, to love the Lord your God and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul … For if you are careful to keep all this commandment which I am commanding you, to do it, to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and hold fast to Him” (Deuteronomy 11:1, 13, 22).
“You shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the Lord your God is testing you to find out if you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 13:3).
“If you carefully observe all this commandment, which I command you today, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in His ways always—then you shall add three more cities for yourself, besides these three” (Deuteronomy 19:9).
“Moreover the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, in order that you may live … In that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that you may live and multiply, and that the Lord your God may bless you in the land where you are entering to possess it” (Deuteronomy 30:6, 16).
“Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God and walk in all His ways and keep His commandments and hold fast to Him and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Joshua 22:5).
“So take diligent heed to yourselves to love the Lord your God” (Joshua 23:11).
And I said, “I beseech Thee, O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who preserves the covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments” (Nehemiah 1:5).
And I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed and said, “Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments” (Daniel 9:4).
And He said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37).
“But woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithe of mint and rue and every kind of garden herb, and yet disregard justice and the love of God; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others” (Luke 11:42).
“But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves” (John 5:42).
Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me; for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me” (John 8:42).
But just as it is written, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).
But whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him (1 John 2:5).
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins … If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also (1 John 4:10, 20-21).
By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome (1 John 5:2-3).
From these texts, we may draw the following conclusions:
(1) Loving God is the essence of what God desires of men, whether that be in Old Testament times or in the New. It is God’s principle and primary commandment to men (see Deuteronomy 6:5; 19:9; Joshua 22:5; 23:11).
(2) Loving God is inseparably linked with the keeping of God’s commandments (Deuteronomy 7:9; 11:1).
(3) Loving God and loving men sums up the requirements of the Law (Matthew 22:37).
(4) God’s blessings are poured out on those who love Him (Nehemiah 1:5; Daniel 9:4; 1 Corinthians 2:9).
(5) Loving God is not the natural response of men toward God, but that response which God Himself makes possible through the work of His Spirit (Deuteronomy 30:6).
Loving God sums up the relationship which God desires for His children. His initiating love, shown to us, is reflected in our love for Him. And our love for Him is reflected in our obedience to His commandments. If we but love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, then we will love others, and we will keep His commandments. In so doing, we will show ourselves to be His sons. And because we are His sons, He works all things together for our good.
The other side of the coin of our sonship is that we not only love Him but He has called us according to His purpose. It is very important to understand that God does not adapt or modify His purpose in order to bless us. God blesses us, He brings about our good, in accordance with His purpose. Our good is subordinate to the purpose of God.
This is not always the way God’s relationship to His people is represented. There are some who see God as a lonely God, desperately in need of our fellowship and love. God does desire our love, as this text informs us, but He does not need our love so that He caters to our wants and needs to obtain it. As we shall see in very dramatic terms in chapters 9-11, God is in charge. God saves some, to the praise of His glory. And God passes over others, to the praise of His glory. His grace is sovereign grace, determined by His own sovereign will and purposes, and not determined or directed by men. We do not use or manipulate God. God uses us, to His glory—some as vessels of mercy, others as vessels of wrath (see 9:21-23).
In our text, Paul does not speak of the purposes (plural) of God but of His purpose (singular). Why is this? I believe we must conclude there is only one all-encompassing purpose. That purpose is not to save men or to bless those who believe in Him, but to manifest His own glory, not only to men, but to the heavenly hosts as well. Paul makes much of this in the first chapter of his Epistle to the Ephesians:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fulness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory (Ephesians 1:3-14, emphasis mine).
God’s singular purpose is to display His glory. His subordinate purpose for those who are His children is to save us, which involves that process outlined in verses 29 and 30. It begins with our divine election and ends with our final glorification. God’s purpose is to save us, to the praise of His glory. In accordance with this purpose for us, He controls all those things which touch our lives, bringing about only that which is good for us in the final analysis.
God is sovereign. He is in complete control of every event and of every circumstance in His creation. He does not cause all things, such as evil, but He does control all things so that His will is accomplished. God’s sovereign control extends to the acts of unbelievers, of angels, fallen or unfallen, and even to Satan. The sovereignty of God is specifically applied in our text to those who are Christians—those who have been justified by faith in Jesus Christ.
God exercises His sovereignty toward the Christian in such a way that everything that touches our lives has been allowed or brought about by Him. Those things which would prove to be detrimental to our good have been kept from us. Those things which will work together for the “good” God has purposed for us, God arranges and controls in such a way as to produce that good. Everything which touches the life of the Christian is purposed and designed for accomplishing the “good” God has purposed for us.
The “good” which God purposes for the Christian is primarily that which is still future and which we cannot presently see. It is a good we can hope for based upon God’s Word and believed by faith. That “good” includes our salvation, sanctification, and our future full adoption as sons of God. This will take place after we have been prepared and proven by suffering, and at the time when our Lord returns to this earth to subdue His enemies and to reign over the whole creation as God’s king. The “good” which is spoken of here is not so much our present happiness as our holiness.
The “all things” which God causes to work together for our ultimate good includes everything which touches our lives. In the context of Romans 8, it includes suffering and groaning. Our faith and obedience are a part of that which God uses to bring about our ultimate good. The well-intentioned deeds of others is also a part of God’s program. But the “all things” of Romans 8:28 includes our failures and our sins. It includes not only our innocent suffering, for the cause of Christ, but that suffering which results from our sin and stupidity. “All things” includes the malicious things others do to us. It includes, at times, Satan’s attacks by which he hopes to destroy us, but which God allows for our own growth (see Job 1 and 2).
The “all things” includes events which took place before we were even born, such as our divine election which Paul is about to describe. “All things” includes those things which happened before we were saved. It surely includes the things which have come about after our conversion and also those events yet to come. The “all things” over which God has control and which He is causing to work together for our good includes the minute details of our lives and not just major decisions and actions.204 God is not a distant Creator who has distanced Himself from His creation and allowed it to run by itself. God is in control over His creation, assuring that all that happens works together to achieve His purpose.
The truth of God’s sovereignty which achieves our good sheds light on other biblical texts. For example, Romans 8:28 helps to explain this command from the pen of Paul written to the saints at Thessalonica: “In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
Romans 8:28 gives us one very important reason why we can give thanks to God in all things: God causes all things to work together for our good. There are many things for which we will find it very difficult to give thanks apart from the truth of our text in Romans.
Another verse is closely related to our text as I understand it:
Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come (2 Corinthians 5:17, NASB).
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (NIV).
I like the way the King James and the New International versions have rendered this verse:
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new (KJV).
Let me suggest a new way of looking at this old and well-known truth based upon the implications of Romans 8:28. When one is in rebellion against God as an unbeliever, all of his deeds, without exception, are worthy of death. None of his deeds meet God’s standards or merit His approval or blessing. Thus, as Paul has said in Romans 6:21, there is no benefit from anything we have done as unbelievers. Indeed, their only outcome is shame and certain death.
I would like to suggest that when we come to faith in Christ, God causes all these “old things” to become “new” in a wonderful way, based upon the truth of Romans 8:28. When we come to faith in Jesus Christ, not only are our former sins forgiven, but the things of our past are now changed with us, in such a way as to work for our good. Think of Paul as an example. His religious zeal and activities as an unbeliever were really fighting against God. But once Paul came to faith, his background as a Jew became a help to him and not a hindrance. Paul could see, as a Christian, that he had been set apart as an apostle while he was still in his mother’s womb (Galatians 1:15). Thus, at his conversion, his past changed from that which condemned him to that which helped equip him to preach the gospel. In Christ, the “all things” encompasses not only those things which come into our lives after our conversion, but those things which were a part of our lives before our conversion.205
There is a third biblical text which Romans 8:28 helps us to understand more clearly:
No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it (1 Corinthians 10:13).
Since every event in our lives has been ordained of God to bring about His purpose and our good, then no temptation which arises in our life will destroy us. God does allow temptations to come to us to test us. Satan brings temptation into our lives, hoping to destroy us. 1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us that God always provides the means by which life’s temptations may be endured, without sin, to the glory of God. Temptations, along with all of our other experiences in life, work together for good. God allows them, and He also enables us to overcome them. If we should fail, He remains faithful. The chastening and suffering which God may very well send our way because of our failure to trust and obey Him will also work to bring us to maturity. God sometimes allows us to be tempted, but He always provides the means to overcome the temptation. In this way, God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.
The truth of Romans 8:28 is illustrated in the lives of many biblical characters. Let me suggest three illustrations for your future consideration and meditation. First, consider Joseph as a very positive illustration of Romans 8:28. Joseph was cruelly sold into slavery by his brothers. They acted sinfully out of jealousy. Joseph was treated badly by others. He was not kindly treated by his father (his favoritism was no favor to Joseph). He was not treated fairly by Potiphar, and especially by Mrs. Potiphar. He was not treated kindly by the king’s cup bearer. He could have wallowed in the suffering which he experienced. And yet Joseph seemed to understand the truth of Romans 8:28 better than we. He could tell his brothers, “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good” (see Genesis 45:5; 50:20). Belief in the sovereignty of God, at work for his good in the midst of his suffering, encouraged Joseph to be faithful, to look to God and to the future for his final “good.” It enabled him to forgive his brothers, knowing that God’s gracious hand was behind their sinful actions.
We can see a more negative illustration of Romans 8:28 in the life of Jonah. Jonah was a man who came to expect and even demand “good” from God. The “good” which he demanded was his own pleasure and comfort and the destruction of those who were his enemies, even those who were innocent. He forgot that the “good” God is bringing about is the result of His grace and not human merit. God was good to Jonah, by working in his life through a great fish, through pagan seamen, through a plant, and even through a worm. God was gracious not to destroy the Ninevites but even more so not to destroy Jonah. He was gracious to allow Jonah to suffer so that his sin might become more evident and repentance might result (whether it came or not, we do not know).
These two men, Joseph and Jonah,206 provide us with contrasting illustrations of the truth of Romans 8:28. Joseph is a good example of acting in accordance with the truth of our text. Jonah is a good example of God’s acting in accordance with the truth of our text in spite of Jonah’s sin. In both cases, however, let us remember that God’s will was accomplished, just as He had purposed and promised. God fulfilled His promise when Joseph was faithful. He also fulfilled His promise and purpose when Jonah rebelled. God’s purposes are always fulfilled.
If you are a Christian, the good which God promised you will surely be accomplished. It is as certain as the fact that Jonah arrived at Nineveh. You cannot prevent God from fulfilling His promises to you and His purposes for you. Whether in spite of your sin, like Jonah, or with your cooperation and obedience, like Joseph, the good God has purposed will be accomplished.
I have said, “You can get to Nineveh first class or tourist, but when God purposes for you to go to Nineveh, you will arrive there.” If you choose to sin and to disobey God, there will be many painful experiences. You will not recognize God’s hand, but He will be at work causing all things to work together for your good. If you choose to obey God, you will still suffer tribulation as Joseph did. The difference will be that you will know God’s hand is at work and that God’s purpose and promises are certain to be fulfilled. In disobedience, you will fail to experience the joy and the hope which God gives to those who trust and obey Him.
Let me seek to conclude this lesson with some very practical suggestions. First, let me speak to any who are not sons of God by faith in Jesus Christ. You can never have the hope of the “good” which God has promised those who love Him who are called according to His purpose. For you, there is only the frightening fact that God’s sovereignty assures your eternal doom. Just as surely as God will bring about the good of those who are His sons, He will eternally punish the wicked who reject Him. Let me urge you, at this moment, to trust in God and His provision for your good. Jesus Christ is that provision. By trusting in Him, God will forgive your sins, give you a new future, a new and living hope. He will cause all things to work together for your good.
Second, I want to call your attention to something from your past you may have interpreted wrongly as the reason for your failure and as the cause of evil in your life. The word abuse is one of the overused terms of our culture. There is psychological abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse and on and on the list of abuses grow. It does not surprise me that non-Christians seek to scour their past, looking for explanations or excuses for their failures. They look upon these past tragedies as crippling. If these childhood disasters can be surfaced and understood, they believe they will get better.
If I understand the truth of Romans 8:28 correctly, no Christian can point to any past experience as the cause for his failure and the explanation or excuse for his sin. Every experience of our life God has allowed. Each experience in our past God is working together with every other experience in order to bring about our good. Whatever experience in our past we think to have been devastating, God meant it to develop us.
I challenge you to think of those experiences which have been your excuses for failure or sin. I urge you to identify the things you have been blaming God for bringing into your life, as though He meant to destroy you. I challenge you, like Joseph, to trust God, that He has brought this experience into your life for your good even though those who were responsible for your suffering meant it for evil.
I often hear Christians speak of some failure in their past for which they were responsible and which they consider to be the source of a life-long purgatorial existence outside the “perfect will of God.” It may be moral impurity, marriage to a non-Christian, or failure to respond obediently to God’s leading. But Romans 8:28 informs us that such failures cannot keep us from that “good” which God has purposed and promised. If our deeds cannot earn us the “good” God has promised, our failures cannot keep us from the “good” which is all of God’s grace. No sin can ever wipe out the Christians’ hope for the “good” for which God has chosen us and to which He has appointed us. We may fail. We will fail. For this we may very well suffer. But God’s purpose will never fail. Our failures will never separate us from God and from the good He has purposed.
For every Christian, his eternal hope is certain and secure. The sovereign God intimately involves Himself in the events of this world and of our lives, preventing anything that would destroy us and causing all things to work together for our good. With this certainty, we may live confidently, not because of our infallibility but because of His infallibility. What He began, He will finish (see Philippians 1:6). Our eternal “good” is certain because it rests on the promise and on the power of the God who is sovereign.
197 Do not forget Romans 5:1-11 deals with suffering as well.
198 The sovereignty of God will be explained more fully as we progress in our study. For now, let us understand God’s sovereignty to refer to God’s absolute control over all things.
199 A friend of mine taught a Sunday school class for an entire quarter, twelve lessons, on Romans 8:28. The first lesson was on the first word, “And.”
200 The Greek word, rendered “and” here is de and not kai. Either way, the point of the term is to indicate that what is said here in this verse is related to what has been previously taught. God’s sovereignty must not be understood apart from the context of suffering and the spiritual life.
201 It may be that the reading which names God as the source of the good is the result of a scribe’s conviction that the context was compelling proof of this fact, and thus he may have paraphrased the passage to highlight this truth.
202 See, for example, James 1:13-15.
204 We see this in the Old Testament, for example, in 1 Kings 19 when God spoke to Elijah through a still, small voice (1 Kings 19:11-14) or when God cared about the lost axe head (2 Kings 6:1-6). It can also be seen in the New Testament, when our Lord spoke of God’s concern for the sparrows and for us, even to knowing the number of hairs on our heads (Matthew 10:29-31).
205 There is some danger of being misunderstood here, and I want to try to guard against this. I am saying that while one may have had a former life of sin or crime, those acts must still be viewed as sin. But these sins are nevertheless a part of the “all things” which God causes to work together for our good. One who has been saved from a life of crime may find that he has been prepared by God to minister to those who have lived a similar life of crime. What Satan meant for evil, while we were still in his grasp, God meant for good. Furthermore, if loving God is the highest calling of the Christian, then those who have been forgiven much love much. The greater our sin in the past, the greater the forgiveness, and the greater our love and praise.
206 A third illustration of the truth of Romans 8:28 would be Job. Job was a righteous man, a man whom God could point to as a model man (see Job 1:8). Nevertheless, God allowed Satan to bring suffering into his life. It soon became evident that Job was not perfect. Job grew in maturity and in his walk with God as a result of his suffering. In the end, God blessed him even more that at first.
It is Job’s friends, however, who are noteworthy. They did not seem to understand the principle taught in Romans 8:28. I believe they were legalists at heart. To them, every act had an equal and opposite reaction. Good deeds were thought to bring immediate rewards. Sinful deeds were expected to produce suffering. Consequently, when Job was allowed to suffer, his friends felt compelled to find a reason. They were looking for a direct cause-effect relationship. Romans 8:28 indicates otherwise. Every event in our lives cannot be viewed as the result of some act on our part. While they attempted to link Job’s suffering with some specific sin, our text suggests that this suffering was but one thing among the “all things” which God will cause to work together for our good. Legalists do not like the teaching of Romans 8:28, because it keeps them from linking suffering with sin and prosperity with piety, thus providing a formula for success and a quick and ready explanation for failure and suffering. Romans 8:28 simply tells us there is a plan and a purpose, that the outcome will be good, but the particulars may be inexplicable and their reasons and role may not be apparent in this life.
For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren (Romans 8:29).
As a part of a school administration, I learned a painful lesson some years ago. Upon later reflection, I saw that the suggestion I made to the vice-president of the school was actually me telling him how to do his job. Recognizing this long before I did, he stunned me with his directness: “Are you running this school, or am I?” When he presented it that way, I saw his point. He was in charge. Now we both knew it.
Knowing who is in charge is important. I remember well Dr. James Dobson’s film series on raising children when he asked the pointed question: “Who is in charge here?” In the home, the parents are to be in charge. In other contexts, someone else is designated to be in charge. We must learn who is in charge to respond appropriately.
In our text, Paul informs us that God is ultimately and totally in charge of all things. His authority is without limits. All of creation is under the control of the Creator and Sustainer of the universe (see Colossians 1:15-18). There is no limit to His power, and nothing is beyond His ability to control. We refer to this unlimited control as the sovereignty of God. When we say that God is sovereign we are saying He is in complete control.207
Only one who is sovereign can predict the future in specific terms and with complete accuracy. One who is sovereign is also able to reveal what He is committed to accomplish. Conversely, one who is not sovereign can neither predict nor determine the future specifically or with accuracy.
In Romans 8:28 Paul makes a general statement concerning God’s sovereignty and its goal with respect to the Christian. God’s sovereignty assures Christians He is working all things together for their ultimate good. Romans 8:29 expands what Paul has said in verse 28, for in this verse, he sums up God’s eternal purpose for the saints established in eternity past. He also speaks of God’s goal of glorifying Himself, through His saints who become like Christ. In verse 30, Paul describes the outworking of God’s program for individual saints, in time.
The focus of this lesson will be verse 29, and we will begin by defining the two key terms, “foreknew” and “predestined.” After laying down a method to define these terms, we will try to discover how they contribute to our understanding of this text. Their contribution must be explored individually and in relation to each other. Paul also indicates in this verse the purpose or goal of these two actions on God’s part. We will finally explore some implications and applications of the truth Paul is teaching in this particular verse.
To correctly interpret this text and articulate the doctrine Paul teaches here, we must first determine the meaning of the terms he uses so we can communicate his doctrinal beliefs. Verses 29 and 30 contain five crucial terms. The definitions of these terms shape the doctrine which results from our study. These terms are: foreknowledge, predestination, calling, justification, and glorification. In this study we will consider only the first two terms found in verse 29.
Christians differ over the doctrine taught in this passage, largely because they define the terms found in our text and in other texts differently. Inaccurate definitions often result in one of two errors or a combination of both. The first error is coming to a term with a preconceived, predetermined definition based on a particular theological commitment. We all come to any text with our own presuppositions, and we are inclined to interpret the text in a way that confirms our biases. The second error is in using a sloppy methodology in attempting to define the term.
For the Scriptures to change our prejudices rather than confirm them, we must have a radical revision in our way of thinking and our approach to the Bible. The first and greatest need is for the ministry of the Holy Spirit, who will illuminate our minds to understand that which is contrary to the flesh and to our old way of thinking and behaving. The renewing of our minds takes place when our minds are saturated with the Scriptures and illuminated by the Holy Spirit (Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 2:6-16). We must come to the Scriptures recognizing the weakness and distortions of the flesh and convinced of our dependence on God’s Word and His Spirit to transform us—to renew our minds. At the same time, we must recognize that studying the truths of the Bible requires a methodology committed to and consistent with the way God has revealed His Word.
Many Christians accept doctrinal distortions because they allow others to do their studying and their thinking for them. Because much doctrinal error is the result of sloppy methodology, we must first identify the method we will use before defining these terms. The following principles govern the method employed in this lesson in defining the five crucial terms of our text:
(1) We will give some consideration to the root meaning of the term, although this has its dangers. The original meaning of a word may be quite close to its root meaning, but over the passage of time, the meaning of a word may change. The original root meaning may fade, or it may change drastically.
(2) We will seek to identify the whole range of meanings for this term—based upon its use. The uses of the term in the Bible are of primary importance. A term’s usage elsewhere must also be taken into consideration where this information is available and profitable. Most terms have various shades of meaning and thus several possible definitions. This is easily seen by consulting an English dictionary. Before isolating one meaning or definition, we must first determine our options.
(3) The author’s use of the term will be given particular attention and weight in determining its definition. Each author tends to understand and use specific terms with a given range of meanings. The author’s use naturally must be given primary consideration in determining what definition he intended for us to understand. If the author, in this case, Paul, has a meaning which is more predominate, then this meaning will be given very careful consideration.
(4) We will try to determine which meaning most closely conforms to the theology of the Bible and to this author.
(5) We will seek to determine which meaning best fits the specific context in which the term is found.
Using these guidelines, let us now proceed to define these terms so crucial to our understanding of this passage.
The exact term rendered “foreknow” in our text is found only seven times in the New Testament. The verb form is found in Acts 26:5; Romans 8:29; 11:2; 1 Peter 1:20; 2 Peter 3:17. The noun form is found in Acts 2:23 and 1 Peter 1:2. The only two times Paul uses this term is in his Epistle to the Romans. These verses are recorded below with the term “foreknow” underscored for your consideration.
“Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know—this Man, delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death” (Acts 2:22-23).
“So then, all Jews know my manner of life from my youth up, which from the beginning was spent among my own nation and at Jerusalem; since they have known about me for a long time previously, if they are willing to testify, that I lived as a Pharisee according to the strictest sect of our religion” (Acts 26:4-5).
For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren (Romans 8:29).
I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? (Romans 11:1-2).
Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you (1 Peter 1:18-20).
You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard lest, being carried away by the error of unprincipled men, you fall from your own steadfastness (2 Peter 3:17).
The root meaning of the word is easily determined. To foreknow is to “know” (knowledge) “beforehand” (fore). Looking at the above verses, we see that this root meaning, “to know before,” seems to be intended in Acts 26:5 and 2 Peter 3:17. It is noteworthy to observe that in both these texts, it is man’s “foreknowledge” which is in view and not God’s. In both texts, Romans and 1 Peter 1:20, this root meaning simply will not suffice. It is for this reason the King James Version renders the term in 1 Peter 1:20 “foreordained,” rather than “foreknown.” 1 Peter 1:2 seems to fall somewhere in the middle, between “to know about ahead of time” and “to foreordain.”
The key to understanding this term as Paul uses it is to better understand the way in which God “knew” men in the Old Testament. The English word “know” can be the translation of several terms (both Hebrew and Greek). Its meaning can range from simple knowing to a much more intimate knowledge. For example, we are told that Adam “knew”208 his wife Eve, so that she conceived and gave birth to Cain (Genesis 4:1). This knowledge is much more than mere intellectual awareness.
Of special interest is the Old Testament’s use of “know” to refer to God’s choice of certain individuals:209
And the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed? For I have chosen him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice; in order that the Lord may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him” (Genesis 18:17-19).
Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:4-5).
If the term “know” sometimes means to “choose,” then it should not come as a surprise to find the term “foreknow” used of God’s choice ahead of time—His foreordination. This is precisely the case in Paul’s (only) two uses of the term in Romans 8:29 and 11:2. This becomes clear and compelling when considered in the light of Paul’s theology and of its context in Romans.
Two major elements of Paul’s theology become evident in Romans, both bearing on the meaning of the term “foreknew” in our text. The first element of Paul’s theology is the doctrine of the depravity of man. Man is not sick, weakened by sin and in need of divine assistance; he is dead in his trespasses and sins, in need of life. As Paul summed up man’s condition in Romans 3:10-18, all mankind, without exception, is alienated from God and hostile toward Him, not seeking Him but rebelling against Him.
The second major element of Paul’s theology is the doctrine of the sovereignty of God. God is in complete control. He gives men commands which they may obey or disobey. He also gives men choices to make and the freedom to make bad decisions. But in spite of all this freedom and certain failure, Paul has just stated that God causes all these things and more to bring about the ultimate good of the Christian. While men are not in control and surely do not live consistently in conformity to His Word, God’s purpose is still being achieved.
For any who would understand the foreknowledge of God as only His prior awareness of future events, but not His prior determination of these events, these two doctrines pose an insurmountable problem. Those who hold a weakened, minimal definition of “foreknowledge” believe that in eternity past God looked down through the corridors of time, taking note of all those who would come to Him in faith and then decided to choose them. The word “foreknew” in our text is synonymous with “chose.” It informs us that God first chose those who would believe.
In light of the teaching of Romans and of the self-evident doctrine of the depravity of man, if God had looked down the corridors of time to see all who would choose Him, He would not have seen one single soul. There is none who seeks after God, and none righteous, not even one (Romans 3:10-11); thus no one would choose God who had not first been chosen and called by Him.
If God is both righteous and sovereign, and men are unrighteous and out of control, how could we suppose men would first choose God? How can God be sovereign in man’s salvation if He is subject to our will rather than our being subject to His? If God can only choose those whom He knows will choose Him, He is far from sovereign. He is dependent upon the will of men. But Romans teaches that our salvation and blessings depend on Him and on His will. It is by His sovereign grace that we are saved and not by anything we have done. He is the Initiator; we are those who respond.
The immediate context of Romans 8:28 demands that even though “foreknow” may sometimes refer to merely knowing in the past, before something else, it cannot be understood in this way in Romans 8:29. If God is the One who causes all things to work together for good to those who are His children, then it is God who is in control. It is God who “causes” the good which is His purpose. To foreknow is to determine or choose ahead of time. For God to “foreknow” us to be His children is for God to sovereignly choose to save us. Foreknowledge is therefore virtually synonymous with election. The intimate association of these two terms—God’s choice and God’s foreknowledge—is therefore pointed out in 1 Peter 1:1-2.
The Greek term rendered “predestined” in our text occurs six times in the New Testament.210 In addition to appearing twice in Romans 8, verses 29 and 30, the term appears in the texts below:211
“For truly in this city there were gathered together against Thy holy servant Jesus, whom Thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Thy hand and Thy purpose predestined to occur. And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Thy bond-servants may speak Thy word with all confidence, while Thou dost extend Thy hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Thy holy servant Jesus” (Acts 4:27-30).
Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom, which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; but just as it is written, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:6-9).
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fulness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ should be to the praise of His glory (Ephesians 1:3-12).
The root meaning of predestination can be determined by linking the prefix, meaning before, and the root word which is found five times in the New Testament.
“For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!” (Luke 22:22).
“Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know—this Man, delivered up by the predetermined [definite] plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death” (Acts 2:22-23).
“The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; neither is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all life and breath and all things; and He made from one, every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times, and the boundaries of their habitation, that they should seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His offspring.’ Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man. Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:24-31).
Concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 1:3-4).
This Greek term has a range of meanings including: “fix,” “determine,” “appoint,” “set,” “definite,” “designate,” “define,” “to set limits,” “explain.” We might paraphrase the term with the expressions, “to make official” or to “set in concrete.” There is the overall sense of careful definition, a clear and definite decision, and of being put into force. Collectively, the term describes the process by which a bill would be written and made into law by congress. A more personal illustration might be the prearrangement of one’s burial.
The Old Testament has prepared us for this concept. The God who is sovereign is the One who has “prearranged” history. God sometimes tells men of His plans, as He told Abraham of the blessing of mankind through his seed (Genesis 12:1-3) and of His destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:16-21). When the prophets foretold men of God’s predetermined plans, they often used the past tense212 to highlight the certainty of the event. The coming of Messiah is but one prophetic theme progressively unfolded in the Old Testament, with increasing detail, as God’s predetermined plan is unfolded.
Paul and Luke are the only two New Testament authors to use the term “predestined” and its root word as we have seen in the Scriptures above. Since these two men traveled and ministered together, they likely understood the term in the same way. Every use, in Luke, Acts, or in one of Paul’s epistles, refers to God’s prearrangement, His predetermined plan. Only God is sovereign—in complete control, and thus predestination can only originate from the will and purpose of God.
In Acts 4, God’s predestining of the death of Christ is shown to be consistent with Israel’s sin of rejecting Him and crucifying Him. The sinfulness of man does not and cannot hinder God from accomplishing what He has purposed and promised, because God is sovereign. He is in control of all things. He is able to cause all things to work together to achieve His purposes and to fulfill His promises. The events of history testify, without exception, that those promises which have already been fulfilled were fulfilled precisely as God promised. This awesome fact assures us that His future promises will also be fulfilled to the very letter of biblical prophecy.
Predestination and foreknowledge are inter-related. We find the pair linked in Romans 8:29. We find them also linked, in reverse order, in Acts 2:23. God’s foreknowledge seems always to be directed toward the people God chooses, and His predestination seems to be directed to the plan or program He has prearranged for them. God’s sovereignty in both areas is required for Romans 8:28 to be true. God must be sovereign in the choice of who will be saved. He must also be sovereign in bringing about all of that for which saved men and women hope.
We began this study by focusing on two of the most crucial terms in this text. We first considered the methodology employed in seeking to define them. From there we defined “foreknowledge” and “predestination” in accordance with the method explained. Now we must move on to the meaning of the verse as a whole before concluding with some observations and practical implications from our text.
(1) Romans 8:29 was written to help explain how Romans 8:28 can be true. The word “For” at the beginning of this verse shows its connection to verse 28. In this verse Paul offers an explanation of how Romans 8:28 can be true. God can claim to be working all things together for the good of His own because He is sovereign. His sovereignty is evident in His eternal decree, His eternal purpose which He determined before time began. His purpose included the choice of those whom He would save (“Those whom He foreknew”). In His sovereignty, God predetermined and prearranged the plan by which all whom He chose would be conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. The God who chooses to save some has a plan and a program by which His purpose to sanctify His children will be accomplished.
(2) In our text, it is God and not man who is active and predominant. Why, when we speak of the process of sanctification, do men become prominent when it is not so here? Man is prominent in chapter 7. So is the flesh, failure, frustration, and death. God is prominent in chapter 8, and so is the Holy Spirit, life, and hope. Sanctification, like salvation, is something men cannot produce through their own efforts. Sanctification is the work of God, for men, and through men. We are involved in the process, but God is prominent. Sanctification is not something we do for God but something God does for us. In our context, sanctification is that which God accomplishes through suffering. God is also prominent in our passage because He is ultimately the one for whom sanctification is being accomplished. Our holiness is not so much for our happiness as it is for His glory which we will see later.
(3) The sovereignty of God enables Him to establish a plan in eternity past and to carry out that plan perfectly in time. The tense here is past. Both God’s “foreknowledge” and His “predestination” are already determined, and the program has been set into motion. At best, men can only plan and work for future events. God alone can plan them, promise them, and be certain that His plans will be accomplished. Only a God who is sovereign, a God who is in complete control, can plan the past, make promises in the present, and assure us that it will be achieved in the future.
(4) God’s foreknowledge seems to be directed toward those people whom He has chosen; His predestination is directed toward the plan or the program He has foreordained for His people. God does not choose to save some only to hope that all works out well for them. God has a specific goal in mind, a goal for which He has chosen them, and a goal to which He has made certain they will attain. Some people think of God as a warm, “people person” who loves men and delights in blessing them. They fail to appreciate that God’s blessings are only certain if He is sovereign and if His purposes are certain. Predestination provides the plan by which God’s people are to be blessed.
(5) In Romans 8:28-29, God’s foreknowledge and His predestination are intertwined. In Acts 2:23 and here in Romans, God’s foreknowledge and His predestination are linked together. They are inter-dependent. God’s ultimate goal is not to save men but to glorify Himself. In order to do this, God purposed to save some. Those He purposed to save, He also determined to sanctify. He is glorified when those He saves are like Christ. God’s eternal decree, His all-inclusive plan established in eternity past, had to include not only the choice of those whom He would save but also the process through which He would bring them into conformity to the image of Jesus Christ.
It seems inappropriate to consider one element of God’s eternal plan apart from the other. I am afraid, for example, that we make too much of a distinction between salvation and sanctification. Paul presents the argument in Romans that sanctification is the goal of salvation. God is represented as purposing both the salvation and the sanctification of those whom He has chosen. If you are saved, God’s purpose is to sanctify you.
Why then do we hear some talk as though there were “two roads” for the Christian to take, the “high road” and the “low road”? The “high road,” we are told, is the path of discipleship. The “low road” is that of spiritual mediocrity. Discipleship is separated from salvation, as though it were a second step, distinct from our salvation. As I read this verse, I hear Paul saying that all those whom God chose to save, He predestined to sanctification. There is no separation between salvation and sanctification. There are not two roads. There is one. Those who are chosen were chosen to be saved and to bear the image of Jesus Christ. While some may rebel against God, our text assures us that all who are saved will ultimately be sanctified. There are no dropouts, not because we are faithful but because God is sovereign.
(6) Verse 29 indicates God’s immediate purpose for us. God’s purpose for choosing us and the goal of the program He has predestined is our conformity to the image of Jesus Christ: “to be conformed to the image of His Son.” This goal is also stated in Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians:
And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature of which belongs to the fulness of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-13).
How often we hear the gospel presented in terms of our good but not in terms of our godliness. I believe Paul wants us to understand that godliness is our ultimate good. I fear that we think of happiness as our good. God’s purpose for us is to make us godly, which is for our good and also for His glory.
(7) There is a corporate emphasis here and not just an individual application to Paul’s words. All whom He has foreknown, He has incorporated into His predestined plan, which will result in the sanctification of each and every believer. How often we stress the individual side and omit the collective side. Ephesians 4 stresses that corporate side. God is not building up only individuals as He conforms them to the image of Christ; it is the church as a whole which is being built up. God uses the individual members of the body in the process of building up the church. In our individualistic age, we must beware of individualizing our salvation, or we may fail to grasp the corporate dimensions. I encourage you to study Ephesians 2:11-22 and 3:9-11 to better understand your life in the corporate plan of God.
(8) The final words of verse 29 call our attention to the ultimate purpose of God’s foreknowledge and predestination—His glory, through the exaltation of Jesus Christ. The word “that” in verse 29 brings us to God’s highest goal, His own glory: “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren.”
The “first-born” was the first of others, often many others in the Old Testament. The first-born was the son who received the birthright, who received a double portion, and to whom the headship of the family passed. The position of “first-born” was one of preeminence, prestige, and power. That is the goal of God for His Son, Jesus Christ. God is at work causing all things to work together for the good of His sons (8:28). He has not only chosen them in eternity past, but He has predetermined a plan whereby all His sons will be conformed to the image of His “first-born,” Jesus Christ.
Our Lord’s likeness, His image, is majestic, holy, and awesome as revealed in John’s description of Him in Revelation 1. But it does not seem to be this likeness which Paul has in view. Rather, it is the character of our Lord which so beautified Him in the days of His appearance on the earth. His character, evident in His body, the church, brings glory to Him, and thus glory to God. By being like Christ, we honor Him and bring glory to God. God’s ultimate purpose for working all things together is not for our good, though it does accomplish this, but for His glory. Those who understand God’s grace gladly stand out of the spotlight so that God receives the glory He deserves, which He planned and purposed in eternity past and which He is presently working. To God be the glory!
(9) The sovereignty of God is the basis for our security—and our assurance of the certainty of our hope. If our hope were based upon our own faithfulness, we would be, of all men, most miserable. Focusing on ourselves brings us to the despair of Romans 7, a chapter in which man is prominent. Focusing on God brings us to the certainty, hope, and rejoicing of Romans 8. In this chapter, God is prominent—not men. It is His sovereignty which assures us that His promises are certain.
I am reminded of an incident in the history of Israel in which this same confidence in God is illustrated.
Now when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people assembled about Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” And Aaron said to them, “Tear off the gold rings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” Then all the people tore off the gold rings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. And he took this from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, and made it into a molten calf; and they said, “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” Now when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.” So the next day they rose early and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play. Then the Lord spoke to Moses, “Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. They have made for themselves a molten calf, and have worshiped it, and have sacrificed to it, and said, ‘This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!’” And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, they are an obstinate people. Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them, and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation.” Then Moses entreated the Lord his God, and said, “O Lord, why doth Thine anger burn against Thy people whom Thou hast brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, ‘With evil intent He brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Thy burning anger and change Thy mind about doing harm to Thy people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Thy servants to whom Thou didst swear by Thyself, and didst say to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens, and all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’” So the Lord changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people (Exodus 32:1-14).
From outward appearances, it would seem as though God were about to turn in His resignation and give up on Israel. Moses pled with God for his people. I believe God spoke as He did to bring Moses to the place where he could appeal to Him on the basis of His character, His glory, and His promises. I think it was Moses who wanted to resign, and God simply beat him to the punch.
These words of Moses are the basis for our security. They are the assurance of every imperfect saint. They direct our attention to the fact that we will reach the goal God has purposed and promised because God’s glory depends on it.
Moses could not plead with God for His blessing on his rebellious brethren on the basis of their deeds. He could not even plead with God for their lives. But He could appeal to God’s character and to His purpose. God had both purposed and promised not only to free the Israelites from slavery in Egypt but to bring them safely into the land of Canaan. The issue here was not the goodness of the Israelites or even their sin. The issue was God’s glory. His glory rested on the fact that He would complete what He started. He promised to bring them into Canaan. He must do it—not for Moses’ sake and not for the sake of the sinful nation Israel. He would do it for His own sake. Because God’s glory is at issue, if for no other reason, He will complete what He started.
This promise was not only for Israel. It is a promise God has given to us as well: “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).
His glory is linked inseparably to our good, and we can be sure that He will accomplish His purposes—for our good to be sure, but most of all for His glory.
I offer one final word. If God is this committed to conforming us to the image of Christ so that He will be glorified in Him, do we dare to think that our sanctification is anything less than certain? If God’s glory is linked to our sanctification, how seriously do you think He takes sin in our lives? The sovereignty of God is no excuse for sloppy, sinful living. It is the reason for our security, our certainty, and our sanctification. Let us eagerly seek Him and His purposes, so that He may be glorified.
207 “The term ‘sovereignty’ connotes a situation in which a person, from his innate dignity, exercises supreme power, with no areas of his province outside his jurisdiction. A ‘sovereign’ is one who enjoys full autonomy, allowing no rival immunities.
“As applied to God, the term ‘sovereignty’ indicates His complete power over all of creation, so that He exercises His will absolutely, without any necessary conditioning by a finite will or wills. The term does not occur in Scripture, although the idea is abundantly implied.” H. B. Kuhn, “Sovereignty of God,” The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1975, 1976), Vol. 5, p. 498.
208 The NASB indicates the literal meaning, “knew,” in a marginal note but renders the term, “had relations with.”
209 God’s “foreknowledge” in this same sense also seems to apply to nations. Consider these texts as well: 2 Samuel 22:44; Psalm 18:43; Matthew 7:23.
210 Acts 4:28; Romans 8:29, 30; 1 Corinthians 2:7; Ephesians 1:5, 11. The root word, without the prefix, is found in Luke 22:22; Acts 2:23; 17:26, 31; Romans 1:4.
211 In the texts cited, the underscoring is my own emphasis indicating the specific term under consideration.
212 Bible scholars refer to this as the “prophetic perfect.”
And whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
A friend of mine had quite a disturbing experience while attending a Dallas Seminary Lay Institute class. One evening before going to class, he stopped at the restroom just outside the library stairs. As he was about to leave a few moments later, he heard the sound of two women’s voices growing louder and louder as they approached. Realizing that within seconds they would be entering the same restroom, my friend was horrified. Panic-stricken, he wondered if he had entered the wrong restroom, or were the two women about to make a serious mistake?
Making a quick decision, my friend raced back into the restroom, entered one of the stalls, closed, and locked the door. Quickly lifting his feet so his shoes could not be seen, a certain giveaway that one of them was the wrong gender, he waited until the two ladies left. When he felt they were out of sight, he made a dash for the door.
Unfortunately, two other ladies were about to enter. He repeated his same evasive tactics. He could not get out quickly enough when they left. Safely outside the restroom, he courageously peered over the doorway to see the sign. To his great relief and bewilderment, it read, “Men.”
The custodian was standing nearby, and my friend could not help but ask, “Is this the men’s restroom or the women’s?” Casually the custodian responded, “Oh, it’s the women’s. I change the sign every week, but I just didn’t get around to it tonight.” A matter of casual indifference to the custodian had become for my friend a matter of great distress.
Changing the labels can make a very significant difference. The terms of our text, “called,” “justified,” and “glorified,” are all theological labels. Their definitions are not a matter of unanimous agreement. Some differ over these labels out of conviction. Others, like the custodian, are simply too casual as though it hardly matters. But people’s lives are greatly affected by the way we understand the calling, justification, and glorification of the people of God. It is for this reason that we are taking one lesson to study these three terms.
Each of these three crucial terms in Romans 8:30 could be the subject of a separate study, but here we will deal with the terms together in one single study. Each term will not receive the same amount of attention. Rather we will consider these three words not so much in terms of their importance as in terms of our ignorance or misunderstanding of them.
Justification will receive the least amount of attention for two reasons. First, Paul has already clearly taught the doctrine of justification in Romans 1-4. A second reason is that Christians generally understand and agree on what is meant by this term. Because its meaning is not nearly as well understood or agreed upon, the term “called” will receive more attention. Also poorly understood is the term “glorified,” not so much out of informed disagreement as out of ignorance.
The three terms will be studied individually before we seek to understand them in relationship to each other. As we come to an understanding of the meaning of this verse, we will then interpret and apply it in the context of verses 28-30 of chapter 8 as a whole, and in light of the argument of the entire Book of Romans.
The term “called” is used in the Bible in a variety of ways, with the usage in the New Testament closely following its use in the Old. Consider the following summary of some of the major categories of the use of the term “call” in both the Old and the New Testaments.
(1) To call into existence, to create (Isaiah 41:4). Certain events are said to be called into existence by God, such as weeping (Isaiah 22:12); drought (Haggai 1:11); famine (2 Kings 8:1; Psalm 105:16); rain (Amos 5:8); and the sword (Jeremiah 25:29).
(2) To give a name.213 In the first chapter of Genesis, God named day and night (1:5, 8). In the next chapter Adam, who was created in God’s image, named the animals (2:19) and his wife (2:23). The one who gives the name is greater than the person or thing named. God names that which He has created (see Isaiah 40:26).
(3) To give a new name. God not only names, He renames. God changed the names of Abram and Sarai to Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 17:5, 15). The Lord Jesus changed Simon’s name to Cephas or Peter (John 1:21). The new name given is indicative of a new destiny, brought about by God who controls men’s destiny (see Isaiah 56:5; 62:2, 4; 65:13-15; Jeremiah 19:6; Daniel 1:7; Revelation 2:17).
(4) To some, God gives His own name (see Deuteronomy 28:10; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Isaiah 43:7; Revelation 3:12; compare Isaiah 63:19).
(5) God calls by name (Isaiah 43:1; 45:3-4). The word “call” is specific. This call may be of an individual (like Abraham, Isaiah 51:2) or of a group (see Isaiah 45:4; 48:12; Jeremiah 1:15).
(6) There is a more general call which is a broad invitation. This “call” may be rejected by men (see Proverbs 8:1, 4; 9:3, 15; Isaiah 66:4; Jeremiah 7:13; 35:17; Matthew 22:14). The use of “call” as a general invitation is rare in the Bible, Old Testament and New.
(7) To sovereignly summon. Most often in the Bible, the “call” of God is one that is sovereign. When God calls, that which is called responds:
Surely My hand founded the earth, And My right hand spread out the heavens; When I call to them, they stand together (Isaiah 48:13).
This call is purposed from eternity (Isaiah 41:4). In time, the call may come while one is still in the womb (Isaiah 49:1).
(8) God’s sovereign call is for a purpose. It is not an aimless call but a call to a certain destiny (see Isaiah 42:6; 43:7). That purpose is related to God’s glory (Isaiah 49:1-3; 55:5).
(9) God sovereignly calls men individually to salvation (Romans 1:6-7; 8:28, 30; 9:11, 24-25) and to service (Exodus 31:2; 25:30; Acts 13:1; Romans 1:1). The sovereign call of God is rooted in His choice (Isaiah 41:9; 45:4).
(10) The sovereign call of God is irrevocable, and thus it is the basis for our confidence in what He has purposed and promised (Isaiah 54:6, in context; Romans 11:20).
(11) God’s call is always an expression and outworking of His righteousness (Isaiah 41:2; 42:6).
Having considered the broad range of meanings the term “called” can have in the Bible, what meaning did Paul intend for his reader to understand here in Romans 8? From Paul’s use of the three terms related to calling in his epistles,214 we see that Paul consistently used this term to refer to the sovereign call of God. In particular, he used this term in the sense outlined in category nine above.
In the Book of Romans, not one instance of the term can be found which is inconsistent with the overwhelming sense of God’s sovereignty that prevails throughout the Bible. Note these references, for example:
Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God (Romans 1:1).
Among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 1:6-7).
As it is written, “A father of many nations have I made you” in the sight of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist (Romans 4:17).
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).
For though the twins were not yet born, and had not done anything good or bad, in order that God’s purpose according to His choice might stand, not because of works, but because of Him who calls (Romans 9:11).
For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable (Romans 11:29).
It could not be any other way than for the sovereign God to summon sinners to faith in Jesus Christ. We were not righteous. We were not seeking Him. We did not understand (see Roman 3:10-18). God chose us in eternity past (“whom He foreknew,” Romans 8:29). For all those whom He chose, He predetermined a plan which would result in our good and His glory (“predestined,” Romans 8:29, 30). How could a sovereign God leave our salvation to us when we would never choose Him? How could He leave our salvation to chance (if there was such a thing)? The salvation which God sovereignly purposed in eternity past for those He chose, He started in motion in time by calling men to faith in Himself. God’s call is not merely an invitation; it is an irresistible summons. When He speaks thus (“calls”), His creation responds—in such a way as to do His will.
Do you find this kind of sovereignty troubling? It should not be. Apart from this kind of sovereignty, you would never have become a child of God. Apart from it, all the events which touch your life would not work for your ultimate good and for His ultimate purpose. If God’s purposes are to be fulfilled, He must be in charge at every step. And so He is. The calling of God is God’s sovereignty at work in drawing men to faith. Our salvation is not only the result of His work of redemption in Jesus; it is also the result of His sovereign calling.
We must state here that this sequence, laid out in Romans 8:29-30, is not all-encompassing. Paul is not attempting to trace out every element in the outworking of God’s purposes but rather to trace out the hand of God in achieving in the lives of His sons that which He purposed. Those whom God chose in eternity past, and whom He also calls in time, must also call upon Him for salvation (see Romans 10:8-15). But man’s role in salvation is not Paul’s emphasis here. Paul’s purpose here is to stress the security of the believer and the certainty of God’s promises. This cannot be achieved by focusing on man, but upon God. And so the sequence of events involved in man’s full and final salvation (including his sanctification and glorification) is laid out only in terms of that which God does. Romans 8:28-30 is a sketch of God’s sovereign and gracious activities which result in the salvation of sinful men.
Justification is the result of being called, and it is the basis for our glorification. Just as divine calling is necessary because we do not, cannot, and will not seek God, so our justification by God is necessary because we cannot justify ourselves.
Paul has already said much about justification in chapters 1-4 of Romans. Because of this, here we need do no more than review his teaching on the subject of justification. The doctrine of justification, as Paul has taught it to the Roman Christians in this Epistle, is set out below:
(1) Justification is God’s declaration that we are righteous. Man will be declared righteous if and when he lives according to the standard of righteousness which God has set down in the Law (see Romans 2:13, 23, 27).
(2) Righteousness is the basis for justification, and glory is its promised reward. To be declared righteous, one must be righteous. The hope of glory is promised to all who are righteous (see Romans 2:7, 10).
(3) God’s standard of righteousness is too high for men. Because we are sinners, there is no way that we can live in perfect obedience to the Law. The Law therefore justifies no one; it only serves to condemn us for our unrighteousness (Romans 3:10-20).
(4) Because all men are unrighteous, they have no hope of attaining to the glory of God by their own works (3:23).
(5) In His kindness, God provided a means for making men righteous and giving them eternal life. God made a way to forgive men, to give them eternal life, yet in a way consistent with His righteousness. God sent His own sinless Son to die for our sins. God’s wrath was poured out on Him, and His righteous anger was satisfied (propitiated). In Christ, God’s righteousness was made available to all who will receive it. Man receives God’s righteousness by faith, apart from works (Romans 3:21-26).
(6) The divine call of God opens men’s eyes to the truth of the gospel and their hearts toward Him. God’s call irresistibly draws men to Christ by faith, a faith which we are given by God (see Ephesians 2:1-10).
(7) Justification by faith eliminates all boasting in ourselves, and gives us ample basis for boasting in God, in His salvation, in the hope of glory, and even in present adversity (Romans 5, 8).
(8) This justification by faith is not an excuse for continuing to live in sin as we once did; rather it is the basis for living in obedience toward God, for living righteously (Romans 6).
We have come to the conclusion of Paul’s words in verses 28-30, to the culmination of the process God purposed in eternity past, and to the highest good known to man. Our glorification is the conclusion of the process Paul has been describing. It is the “good” of which Paul has spoken in verse 28. Because our glorification is so little understood, we will pursue at length this theme through the Bible.
Essentially there are but two kinds of glory in this world. There is the matchless, untarnished glory of God, and there is the tarnished, temporary glory of man. If we would understand our glorification, we must understand it in the context of the glory of God and against the backdrop of man’s glory.
The theme of the glory of God is best understood as it has been revealed. God has progressively revealed to us the doctrine of His glory, of its hope and promise for all who are the sons of God, and of its terror for all others. We will therefore endeavor to trace the theme of God’s glory from eternity past to eternity future. Only then can we understand the magnitude of that glorification which yet awaits those of us who know God in Christ.
We will consider the premises which should guide and govern our study, as well as the conclusions we will reach, before we begin to study the glory of God. These premises enumerated here are based upon the teaching of Paul in the Book of Romans.
(1) Glory and glorification must be understood in relationship to each other. Our glorification is to be understood in the light of Paul’s teaching about glory in Romans.
(2) Our glorification, while spoken of in the past tense, is yet future.
(3) Our glorification involves the redemption of our bodies and our adoption as sons (8:17-25; 9:4).
(4) Our glorification is certain (5:2), yet unseen (8:24-25).
(5) Our present suffering is preparatory and prerequisite to our future glorification (5:17).
(6) Our future glorification is God’s promised reward for the righteous, the “glory” of which Paul writes in Romans 2:7 and 10.
(7) Our future glorification is an extension or expression of God’s glory (5:2).
(8) The glory is that which God promised Israel and which Paul still speaks of as belonging to Israel (Romans 9:4).
Having set these premises before us, let us now trace the “glory of God” through the ages as described in the Bible. No more noble endeavor will ever come our way. Let us ask God to open our hearts and minds to His glory. It is indeed a transforming subject.
Satan was a magnificent being with a splendor second only to His Creator. But his reflected, secondary glory was not enough for him. He wanted more. He wanted God’s glory (Isaiah 14:12-14). Because of his greed for glory, Satan fell. All history is evidence of his continuing effort to tempt men to pursue a “God-like glory,” not by trusting in God but by striving to be like God.
When God made the heavens and the earth, He created Adam and Eve in His image. They were to reflect God’s image and His glory by ruling over creation. Satan tempted them to reach for a greater glory, the glory of being like God (see Genesis 3:5). When they followed Satan and disobeyed God, Adam and Eve fell, and all mankind fell with them (see Romans 5:12-21).
God created the universe as a showcase by which He could display His glory. Men were to see God’s glory in nature, and were obliged to glorify Him in worship. They refused, choosing rather to exchange the glory of God for a lesser glory, one which was like unto their own image. Because of this, men have shown themselves to be worthy of divine condemnation (Romans 1:18-23).
In the beginning, God’s glory was reflected in His creation and in man. Sin has tarnished the reflection of God’s glory. God chose a people to whom and through whom He could display His glory—the nation Israel. God’s glory was evident in His deliverance of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage (Numbers 14:22). It was evident in the wilderness, especially when the people sought to rebel against God (Exodus 16:7, 10; Numbers 14:10; 16:19, 42). God’s glory was revealed at Mt. Sinai, when He gave the Law to Moses (Exodus 24:16-17). It was also evident in the garments of the priest (Exodus 28:2, 40). It filled the tent of meeting (Exodus 29:42-43; 40:34-35; see also Leviticus 9:6, 23). Seeing God’s glory was the highest ambition and desire of Moses, a desire which God granted to him, in part (Exodus 33:18–34:8). When Israel went to war, God’s glory accompanied them in conjunction with the ark (see 1 Samuel 4:21-22).
Israel’s sin resulted in the manifestation of God’s glory in judgment (Exodus 16:7, 10; Numbers 14:10; 16:19, 42). Eventually God removed His glory from the midst of this people, as a judgment for their persistent sin (see 1 Samuel 4:21-22). When the tabernacle was replaced by the temple, the glory of God filled it (1 Chronicles 16:10; 2 Chronicles 7:1-3).
Israel’s glory was her God (1 Samuel 15:29). Glory belonged only to Him (1 Chronicles 29:11). Israel’s response to God’s glory was to glorify Him in worship (1 Chronicles 16:29). Even sinners were to give glory to God (see Joshua 7:19; 1 Samuel 6:5). Israel was not to worship idols because this would give glory to mere images, rather than to God. But beyond glorifying God in worship, Israel was to tell the nations of God’s glory (1 Chronicles 16:24). This is the heart of evangelism, then and now.
Israel did not glorify God. They turned from the God of glory to man-made idols. They did not obey His law. Justice and mercy were forgotten; worse yet, they were trampled under foot. Through His prophets, God admonished His people but they would not listen. God warned of a coming day of judgment at the hand of heathen nations. Beyond the day of God’s judgment was a day of redemption and restoration. There would come a time when Israel would be brought to repentance. God would then rule over them and even over the other nations.
All of this was described in various ways in the prophets. One of the prominent themes in the prophets was that of the glory of God. The theme of the glory of God as related to Israel’s sin, her judgment, and then her deliverance and future restoration are described by the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah. Below are a sampling of the verses which play out the theme of God’s glory:
And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory” (Isaiah 6:3).
For Jerusalem has stumbled, and Judah has fallen, Because their speech and their actions are against the Lord, To rebel against His glorious presence (Isaiah 3:8).
“I am the Lord, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images” (Isaiah 42:8).
“‘For as the waistband clings to the waist of a man, so I made the whole household of Israel and the whole household of Judah cling to Me,’ declares the Lord, ‘that they might be for Me a people, for renown, for praise, and for glory; but they did not listen’” (Jeremiah 13:11).
“Now therefore, behold, the Lord is about to bring on them the strong and abundant waters of the Euphrates, Even the king of Assyria and all his glory; And it will rise up over all its channels and go over all its banks” (Isaiah 8:7).
Now it will come about in that day that the glory of Jacob will fade, And the fatness of his flesh will become lean (Isaiah 17:4).
How the Lord has covered the daughter of Zion With a cloud in His anger! He has cast from heaven to earth The glory of Israel, And has not remembered His footstool In the day of His anger (Lamentations 2:1).
And Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, the glory of the Chaldeans’ pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah (Isaiah 13:19).
But now the Lord speaks, saying, “Within three years, as a hired man would count them, the glory of Moab will be degraded along with all his great population, and his remnant will be very small and impotent” (Isaiah 16:14).
“The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim, And sovereignty from Damascus And the remnant of Aram; They will be like the glory of the sons of Israel,” Declares the Lord of hosts (Isaiah 17:3).
In that day the Branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth will be the pride and the adornment of the survivors of Israel (Isaiah 4:2).
Then the Lord will create over the whole area of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, even smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory will be a canopy (Isaiah 4:5).
But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles (Isaiah 9:1).
Then it will come about in that day That the nations will resort to the root of Jesse, Who will stand as a signal for the peoples; And His resting place will be glorious (Isaiah 11:10).
Then the moon will be abashed and the sun ashamed, For the Lord of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, And His glory will be before His elders (Isaiah 24:23).
In that day the Lord of hosts will become a beautiful crown And a glorious diadem to the remnant of His people (Isaiah 28:5).
Therefore a strong people will glorify Thee; Cities of ruthless nations will revere Thee (Isaiah 25:3).
“And you will swear, ‘As the Lord lives,’ In truth, in justice, and in righteousness; Then the nations will bless themselves in Him, And in Him they will glory” (Jeremiah 4:2).
“The beasts of the field will glorify Me; The jackals and the ostriches; Because I have given waters in the wilderness And rivers in the desert, To give drink to My chosen people” (Isaiah 43:20).
Shout for joy, O heavens, for the Lord has done it! Shout joyfully, you lower parts of the earth; Break forth into a shout of joy, you mountains, O forest, and every tree in it; For the Lord has redeemed Jacob And in Israel He shows forth His glory (Isaiah 44:23).
Before leaving the theme of the glory of God in the Old Testament, several important observations should be stressed:
First, Israel’s glory was to share in the glory of God. Israel did not have a glory of her own. Israel was, by divine design, established for the glory of God. God’s presence among His people was glory to Israel. The righteousness of God manifested in and through His people was the glory of God.
“In the Lord all the offspring of Israel will be justified, and will glory” (Isaiah 45:25).
“No longer will you have the sun for light by day, Nor for brightness will the moon give you light; But you will have the Lord for an everlasting light, And your God for your glory” (Isaiah 60:19).
“I bring near My righteousness, it is not far off; And My salvation will not delay. And I will grant salvation in Zion, and My glory for Israel” (Isaiah 46:13).
Second, God’s glory is as evident in His judgment of sin as it is in the manifestation of His righteousness through His people. When Israel sinned, they were unrighteous. This did not glorify God. God’s glory was therefore manifested in His wrath toward sin. Whether in her obedience or in her disobedience, God would be glorified through His people, Israel.
Third, Israel’s glory was not to be hoarded but to be shared with and by the other nations. Israel quickly began to think of her glory as her glory. While God would not share His glory with any other “gods,” Israel was to share her glory with the nations. This she refused to do. When God spoke of the glory that was to come, Israel would be glorified, but the nations would also have a share in it.
Behold, you will call a nation you do not know, And a nation which knows you not will run to you, Because of the Lord your God, even the Holy One of Israel; For He has glorified you (Isaiah 55:5).
Surely the coastlands will wait for Me; And the ships of Tarshish will come first, To bring your sons from afar, Their silver and their gold with them, For the name of the Lord your God, And for the Holy One of Israel because He has glorified you (Isaiah 60:9).
For I know their works and their thoughts; the time is coming to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and see My glory. And I will set a sign among them and will send survivors from them to the nations: Tarshish, Put, Lud, Meshech, Rosh, Tubal, and Javan, to the distant coastlands that have neither heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they will declare My glory among the nations (Isaiah 66:18-19).
Fourth, Israel’s glory would ultimately be brought about by Messiah Who would first suffer and then enter into His glory. Israel, God’s servant, failed. She had proven that she was unable to be the servant God required. The Messiah was to take Israel’s place and to become the Suffering Servant. Only in Him could Israel be justified. Only in Him could Israel be glorified:
Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry out or raise His voice, Nor make His voice heard in the street. A bruised reed He will not break, And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not be disheartened or crushed, Until He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law (Isaiah 42:1-4; see also 52:13-15; 53:1-12).
Our Lord Jesus Christ is God’s revelation of His glory. If the creation manifests the glory of God, far more does the One who created it—God manifested in the flesh:
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14).
And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high (Hebrews 1:3).
It is no wonder that glory accompanied the announcements of Christ’s coming:
And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened (Luke 2:9).
“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased” (Luke 2:14).
“A light of revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Thy people Israel” (Luke 2:32).
This “glory” of our Lord was often veiled during the days of our Lord upon the earth. It could be seen by His mighty deeds,215 and by His character, but most were unable to see it, even His disciples. And so, from time to time, God lifted the veil. Such was the case at our Lord’s transfiguration:
Who, appearing in glory, were speaking of His departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions had been overcome with sleep; but when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men standing with Him (Luke 9:31-32).
Throughout His earthly life, Jesus did not seek men’s glory but rather He sought to glorify His Father.216 In His high priestly prayer for His disciples in those last hours before His crucifixion, Jesus prayed:
“And now, glorify Thou Me together with Thyself, Father, with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was” (John 17:5).
“And the glory which Thou hast given Me I have given to them; that they may be one, just as We are one” (John 17:22).
“Father, I desire that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am, in order that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me; for Thou didst love Me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24).
Because the nation Israel had rejected God, they also rejected His Son. They crucified Him, nailing Him to the cross of Calvary. By means of His innocent suffering and death, God provided the only means by which sinners could be saved. Jesus bore the wrath of God in the sinner’s place. Jesus provided the righteousness of God, which the sinner could never produce. Because of His suffering, God glorified the Lord Jesus:
Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-11).
The glory of our Lord has its present dimensions for which the Christian can now rejoice.
But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was, how shall the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory? For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory. For indeed what had glory, in this case has no glory on account of the glory that surpasses it. For if that which fades away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory (2 Corinthians 3:7-11).
But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:18).
We who have seen the glory of God in Christ have also been given the privilege of proclaiming the glory of God displayed in the gospel:
In whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4-6).
We have the privilege while waiting for the coming of His glory to live our lives to His glory:
For all things are for your sakes, that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God (2 Corinthians 4:15).
Wherefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God (Romans 15:7).
As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; as for our brethren, they are messengers of the churches, a glory to Christ (2 Corinthians 8:23).
We, along with Israel of old, look forward to the full revelation of the glory of God in His kingdom at the return of our Lord Jesus Christ:
When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory (Colossians 3:4).
Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus (Titus 2:13).
Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed (1 Peter 5:1).
After these things I heard, as it were, a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God (Revelation 19:1).
And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. And the nations shall walk by its light, and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into it (Revelation 21:23-24).
Having briefly traced the theme of the glory of God through the Scriptures, we may now draw some conclusions as to the meaning of “glorified” in Roman 8:30.
(1) To be glorified is to enter into the blessings of the full glory of God which we now experience in part.
(2) To be glorified is to receive our adoption as sons and the redemption of our bodies.
(3) To be glorified is to be free from the corruption of sin and death.
(4) To be glorified is to experience the goal for which we were chosen, called, and justified.
(5) To be glorified is to obtain that “good” for which God has been causing all things to work together (Romans 8:28).
(6) To be glorified is to have a share in the glory which belongs to Israel.
A number of implications which have very practical outworkings in our daily lives may be drawn from our text.
The glorification of the believer is a sure and certain hope. As Paul said earlier, “we exult in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:2). God purposed and promised it. God is sovereign, and He controls each step in His program to assure that it is accomplished. God’s reputation and glory are at stake. All three of the crucial verbs in our text are in the past tense: “called,” “justified,” “glorified.” Even though this final step of glorification is still future, it is a certain hope.
God is the One who is at work. He is the One who is the subject of all three verbs: He “called,” He “justified,” He “glorified.” Because God is sovereign, in complete control, His purpose of glorifying us will be accomplished. The certainty of our hope of glory is rooted in the sovereignty of God. Just as we have been called and justified, so we shall be glorified. God’s infinite wisdom and power are in control. God’s plan is progressing toward that goal.
Some try to motivate Christian service and faithfulness by fear, doubt, and guilt. Paul never does, and neither does any writer of the sacred Scriptures. The security of the believer and the certainty of glory is the basis for faithful service.
The glory of God is the highest good. We must always view our good as subordinate to the glory of God. We must make the glory of God our ultimate goal. Our glory is always subordinate to His glory. Our glory is His glory. There will always be a “vain glory,” a glory which Satan promotes and which men pursue, but this is not the glory of God. Let us, like Moses, yearn to see His glory and to seek it as our highest good.
The glory of God is the standard for our every thought and deed. If we seek a guiding principle for our lives, let the glory of God be of paramount importance. Whatever we do, it should be to the glory of God: “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
The glory of God is the perspective from which life should be viewed and lived out. Satan would have us seek our own glory and the glory which men give one another. God would have us seek His glory alone. Seeking the glory of God gives us a perspective by which all of life can be viewed. In the context of Romans 8, the glory of God is that which gives the Christian hope and confidence in the midst of our sufferings and groanings. Elsewhere, Paul tells us that the glory of God makes our present sufferings seem insignificant:
Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven; inasmuch as we, having put it on, shall not be found naked. For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed, in order that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord—for we walk by faith, not by sight—we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore also we have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him (2 Corinthians 4:16–5:9).
The glory of God helps explain a command of Scripture which many find distasteful. More than ever (due to the current drift of our culture), Christian women are perplexed and even distressed at Paul’s command that women refrain from a prominent leadership role in the church. The following texts are usually the source of their dismay:
Let the women keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but let them subject themselves, just as the Law also says. And if they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church. Was it from you that the word of God first went forth? Or has it come to you only? (1 Corinthians 14:34-36).
Let a woman quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being quite deceived, fell into transgression. But women shall be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint (1 Timothy 2:11-15).
In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word; they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior. And let not your adornment be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God (1 Peter 3:1-4).
I believe that the “glory of God” gives us the perspective which not only explains the reason for this biblical imperative but can also give us joy in obeying it. Note the way in which Paul uses the term glory in this text:
But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ. Every man who has something on his head while praying or prophesying, disgraces his head. But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying, disgraces her head; for she is one and the same with her whose head is shaved. For if a woman does not cover her head, let her also have her hair cut off; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her cover her head. For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man; for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake. Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. However, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as the woman originates from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman; and all things originate from God. Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a woman to pray to God with head uncovered? Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him, but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? For her hair is given to her for a covering. But if one is inclined to be contentious, we have no other practice, nor have the churches of God (1 Corinthians 11:3-16).
Many efforts have been made to explain this text. Many have failed. In spite of this, I urge you to reconsider Paul’s words in this text in the light of our study of the glory of God. God alone is worthy of glory. God prohibits men from giving glory to anyone or anything other than Himself, yet He does grant us a share in His glory. Satan, on the other hand, wants to tempt us to seek our own glory rather than to give glory to God. He even tried to tempt our Lord to pursue a lesser glory:
Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory; (Matthew 4:8).
If we view God’s glory as the highest good, our highest good, then we will not seek any lesser glory. We will gladly give to God the preeminence, position, and praise which He alone deserves. This is precisely the premise on which the New Testament writers base their instruction to Christian women. God has given men the task of reflecting His glory. They are therefore to assume positions of leadership and preeminence in the church. Women are to reflect the believer’s response to the glory of God. They are not to seek that which gives them glory but are to gladly conduct themselves in a way that focuses the glory on their husbands. The husband then uses his glory for the benefit of his wife. This is but a picture of God’s relationship with His children.
Why is there such an outcry today about this biblical instruction? I would like to suggest that there are at least three reasons. First, our culture is adamantly opposed to God’s ways. Second, Christians have become enticed to seek their own glory as though it were a virtue, rather than a vice. Finally, they have completely failed to understand the command that women avoid preeminence (including leading and teaching men and getting attention from their clothing or demeanor), in the light of God’s teaching on glory. The doctrine of God’s glory should cause one to delight in surrendering that which we do not deserve and seeking by this to glorify God. God’s glory gives us a new perspective concerning any glory we might seek for ourselves.
Paul’s words, found in the eleventh chapter of Romans, provide us with our concluding thought to hold in our minds: “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen” (Romans 11:36).
213 See Isaiah 49:1 where “called” is used interchangeably with “named.”
214 For the verb form, Kaleo, see Romans 4:17; 8:30; 9:7, 11, 24, 25, 26; 1 Corinthians 1:9; 7:15, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 24; 10:27; 15:9; Galatians 1:6,15; 5:8, 13; Ephesians 4:1, 4; Colossians 3:15; 1 Thessalonians 2:12; 4:7; 5:24; 1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Timothy 1:9. For the other two (adjective and noun) forms, see Romans 1:1, 6, 7; 8:28; 11:29; 1 Corinthians 1:1, 2, 24, 26; 7:20; Ephesians 1:18; 4:1, 4; Philippians 3:14; 2 Thessalonians 1:11; 2 Timothy 1:9.
About the only time I play golf is when we visit my family each year in Washington State. My dad and I try to play at least once each trip north. On one occasion, we were walking to the club house just before we were to tee off. Knowing I had not played for some time, my father offered me a word of advice: “Bobby, until you build up your confidence, why don’t you drive with an iron at first?” “Pop,” I responded, “I have all the confidence in the world. What I lack is ability.”
Confidence can be a very good thing. It can also be a mill stone around one’s neck. Being confident simply is not enough. The crucial issue is in whom, or in what, is our confidence. Ill-founded confidence is deadly. Well-founded confidence is proper and good.
Some Christians have no confidence at all, believing that with one slip, one sin, they are out of the faith. Agonizing their way through life, they hope no sin has gone unnoticed and unconfessed; if so, they fear they will not get to heaven. These Christians desperately need the confidence of which Paul speaks in Romans 8:31-39.
Other Christians have great confidence but in the wrong thing. The lyrics of a popular “Christian” song say something like: “I have determined … to be invincible …” This song writer has far too much confidence—in himself. The writer should spend some time in Romans 7 and 8 where the fallibility of the Christian is in view. When the reality of Romans 7:24 settles in on the believer, self-confidence is seen to be both foolish and sinful.
In our text, Paul gives us every reason to be confident, not in ourselves but in our salvation and in the sovereign God who is accomplishing it. Heed well Paul’s words here. They offer hope and confidence in the midst of a fallen world. To everyone who is in Christ by faith, they are words of comfort and reassurance.
We begin this lesson by making some general observations concerning the text as a whole. We will then look at the text a question at a time, exploring each question, along with Paul’s answer and the implications of his answer.
Paul makes two main points in our text which provide us with the key to the structure of his argument. In verses 31-34, the emphasis is on “no condemnation.” In verses 35-39, Paul stresses “no separation” from the love of Christ our Lord. The structure can be outlined in this way:
(1) No condemnation (verses 31-34)
(2) No separation (verses 35-39)
Beginning with some general observations of our passage as a whole will provide additional insight to our study.
(1) This passage is a conclusion. These verses are the final verses of Paul’s argument in Romans 5-8 dealing with the present and future outworkings of justification by faith. In Romans 9-11 Paul will deal with Israel and the Gentiles in God’s eternal plan of salvation. These final words of chapter 8 are thus the conclusion, not only to chapter 8 but to the first 8 chapters.
(2) The closing verses return to the theme with which Paul began chapter 8—“no condemnation.” Verse 1 began by assuring the Christian that there is “no condemnation.” Verses 31-39 close with that same assurance.
(3) The mood of the passage is that of confident praise.
(4) This passage is God-centered. Paul speaks of a confidence and assurance based in God.
(5) The confidence and assurance is for Christians, for those who are in Christ. “We” and “us” refer to Christians. Paul is writing to Christians concerning the confidence they have in Christ. No confidence or assurance is offered to the non-believer here or elsewhere in the Bible.
(6) Those things which are dreaded, and from which the Christian is delivered, are all the consequences of sin. Accusation, condemnation, and separation from God are all divine judgments for sin. Our text thus offers the Christian assurance that he is delivered from the consequences of sin.
(7) The cross of Jesus Christ is the basis for our deliverance and confidence. God’s love for us is evidenced at the cross. Our justification was achieved at the cross. Our confidence is in God and in the cross of Christ.
(8) Paul uses a question and answer format. Verses 31-35 all contain one or more questions. The questions are personal, “Who?” rather than impersonal, “What?” The confidence and comfort Paul wishes his Christian reader to experience results from the fact that there is no answer. The question, “Who will bring a charge against God’s elect?” (verse 33), gives great comfort because there is no answer. No one will bring a charge against us. This is true also of his other questions.217
What things is Paul referring to by the expression, “these things”? Since verses 31-39 serve as the conclusion to all of chapters 1-8, we could rightly think of “these things” as Paul’s teaching on the sinfulness of man, the salvation of God, and the hope of the Christian. In the more immediate context of Romans 8, we could include the promise of no condemnation (8:1), the provision of the Holy Spirit (8:4-27), and the sovereignty of God in salvation (8:28-30). I personally believe Paul is referring primarily to the sovereignty of God in our salvation which he has just taught in Romans 8:28-30.
The question Paul asks here explores the implications of what he has been teaching to this point. It also conveys a very important inference: REVELATION REQUIRES MAN’S RESPONSE. Paul does not ask, “Shall we say something?” Instead, he asks, “What shall we say …?” In Paul’s mind, it is necessary for us to say something in response to what God has revealed through him. God’s Word is not information to be filed away. It is not given to us as an academic exercise. The Word of God is given to us to act upon and to obey. Romans 8:31-39 is the bottom line of the doctrines taught thus far.
The “if” here is not “iffy.”218 It could just as well be translated “since.” The New Jerusalem Bible renders Paul’s question this way: “With God on our side, who can be against us?”
The first part of the question is therefore the premise. The second part of the question is the conclusion. Let us consider the premise first.
God is for us. In the context, the “us” must mean, “those of us who are in Christ.” God is “for” His children. He is “for us” in the sense that He has chosen us, predestined us to be conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ, and He has called and justified us (Romans 8:28-30). He is at work, causing all things to work together for our good. Our “good” includes our present process of sanctification and our ultimate destiny in our adoption as sons of God. God is bringing about the good which He has purposed for us.
This statement, “God is for us,” cannot be interpreted or applied apart from His purpose (8:28). God is not “for us” in some nebulous, undefined way. We do not have the promise that God will deal with us in any way that we ask or desire. The prosperity gospelizers promise a God who is a kind of magic genie, as though we need but inform Him how He can serve us. God is “for us” in a way that produces the “good” He has purposed and prepared for us in eternity past. It is God’s prerogative to define “good,” not ours.
Based upon the premise that God is “for us,” Paul presses us to consider the implications. “If God is for us [as He most certainly is], who is against us?” Paul is not suggesting that we have no opposition. We all know that the Christian will have many adversaries. Paul’s question is designed to point out the puniness of any opponent in light of the fact that God is our proponent.
One of my favorite movies, “The Bear,” has in the final scenes a little grizzly cub being attacked by a mountain lion. The life of the little cub seems to be in great danger as the mountain lion moves in for the kill. Suddenly, the baby bear rears up on its hind legs letting out the fiercest growl it can muster. Amazingly, the mountain lion shrinks back! The camera then slowly draws back to reveal just behind the cub a massive grizzly, reared on his hind legs, delivering a fierce warning to the mountain lion. The cub’s enemy was great. But in the protective shadow of the great grizzly, that mountain lion was nothing. With the giant grizzly as its protection, who was this mere mountain lion? With God on our side, who could possibly be an opponent who would cause us to shrink back in fear? The sovereignty of a God who is “for us” provides a new perspective on anyone or anything which threatens to oppose or destroy us.
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32).
The certainty of God’s faithful provision for all of our needs is in view in this question. It is an argument based on the greater and the lesser: if God did not hesitate to give us the greatest gift of all, certainly He can be counted on to freely give us lesser gifts. The New Jerusalem Bible renders Paul’s words this way:
Since God did not spare his own Son, but gave him up to benefit us all, we may be certain, after such a gift, that he will not refuse anything he can give.
Mortal minds will never fathom the sacrifice which the Father made to bring about the redemption of His chosen ones. For the Son, it meant the rejection of the nation Israel, the physical agony of the cross, and the ultimate pain, the separation from His Father which was the penalty He paid for our sins. For the Father, it meant giving up His Son, allowing sinful men to nail Him to a cross, and having to pour out His wrath on His beloved One.
The Son willingly endured the agony of the cross in order to do the will of His Father and to bring glory to Him. The Father willingly gave up His Son so that by means of His sacrifice the Son might be glorified (see John 17:1-5; Philippians 2:5-11). Imagine the heart of the Father as He heard the plea of His Son in the Garden of Gethsemene. Amazing love, how can it be, that Thou, My God, should die for me?
Contemporary theology, using the term loosely, tries to make the cross of Christ the measure of our worth to God: “We were worth so much to God that He sent His Son to die for us.” This misses the point altogether. It turns the spotlight, the focus, from God to man. The cross of Calvary is not the measure of our worth; it is the measure of God’s love. That is what Paul wants us to see here. The cross imputes worth to sinners who receive the gift of salvation. The cross is not the evidence of our worth but the source of our worth. We are worthy because Christ died for us. Christ did not die for us because we were worthy.
Having gone this far, allow me to question another popular, but erroneous, theme in contemporary Christian thinking. How many times have you heard someone say something like: “If I were the only one in the world to believe in Him, Christ would have died for me.” This is man-centered thinking. This is sentimental foolishness! It is not biblical truth.
We know from Romans 8:28-30 and other biblical texts that it was a sovereign God who purposed to save men. It was this God who chose some for salvation. Those whom He foreknew, these He called, justified, and glorified. Christ did not die to save an unknown group of people. Christ died to save those whom He chose. Thus, Paul writes here in verse 32 that God “delivered Him up for us all.” He died to save “all” those whom He purposed to save. For any Christian to think that God sent His Son to save only one is to give oneself far too much credit. God knew whom He would save, and when He gave up His Son, it was to procure the salvation of “all” those whom He chose. Let us realign our thinking with the Scriptures, and cease to rearrange the Scriptures to suit our self-centered preferences.
If God gave up His beloved Son, His precious Son, then it is not difficult to believe that He will “freely” give us “all things.” The “all things” must, however, be limited to all those things which are essential to bring about the “good” He has purposed for us. And these things are freely given “with Him.”
In a cafeteria, you may take any item of food you like and pay for each one. In a restaurant, various main dishes are listed, usually under a meat dish. Whether you order fish, pork chops, or a T-bone steak certain foods come with it. With your meat order, there is the choice of a salad or soup, some form of potato or rice, a vegetable, rolls or bread. You pay for the meat, as it were, and the rest is given freely.
That is the way it is with the blessings of God. The “meat” is justification by faith, through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Along with Christ’s provision, God supplies every other need, “all things.” This He does freely. We dare not ask for the extras if we have not ordered the meat. We dare not expect God to bless us and provide for our needs unless we have received His gift of salvation in Christ. There are some who like their religion “cafeteria style.” They would like to pass up the meat, Jesus Christ, and take those blessings of God which fulfill their desires. It cannot be done. God will not allow it. We must, as our Lord said, seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness, in Christ, and then all these things will be added (see Matthew 6:33).
Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies. Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, FOR THY SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:33-39).
These verses have a distinctly judicial flavor. We are being taken into a court of law so that we may be shown that there is no condemnation for those who are “in Christ Jesus” (see 8:1). Imagine that we are in the courtroom as we attempt to grasp the message Paul conveys in these verses.
Most of us know what the courtroom is like from watching Perry Mason on television. At the front of the courtroom, the judge is seated. He will be the one who hears the testimony, views the evidence, and pronounces the verdict.219 To the left of the judge, the prosecution is seated. The task of the prosecutor is to make accusations against the accused and to prove that they are legitimate charges. To the right of the judge sits the defendant—the one who is to be accused. And at the side of the accused is seated the counsel for the defense, whose job it is to argue on behalf of the accused in his defense.
Before considering the courtroom scene Paul describes here, we must first be reminded of a fundamental truth without which Paul’s words fail to make their point. Just as God has ordained that there is no other Savior than Jesus Christ, so there is no other Judge than Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ has two roles. The first is that as Savior. The second is that of Judge. All who receive Him as Savior need never fear facing His sentence of condemnation as the Judge of all the earth. Those who reject Him as Savior most certainly will be condemned by Him as their Judge. These two roles of our Lord—Savior and Judge—are both claimed by our Lord:
“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world should be saved through Him” (John 3:17).
“For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son” (John 5:22).
“And He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man” (John 5:27).
And straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” And she said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go your way; from now on sin no more” (John 8:10-11).
“And if anyone hears My sayings, and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. He who rejects Me, and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day” (John 12:47-48).
At first it seems that our Lord’s words are contradictory. He did not come to judge, and yet He will judge. This difficulty is easily explained in the light of our Lord’s two comings. The purpose of our Lord’s first coming was not to come as the Judge to condemn sinners. The purpose of His first coming was to make an atonement for the sins of men. When He came the first time, He came to save. This is why He would not condemn the sinful woman caught in the act of adultery. But when He comes again, He comes to judge the earth and to condemn all who have rejected God’s salvation through His shed blood. The Lord is either one’s Savior or one’s Judge. If He is your Savior, He will not be your Judge, who will pronounce God’s condemnation upon you. If you reject Him as Savior, He will most certainly be your Judge. In fact, you are already condemned according to our Lord.
It is this truth—that God has made Jesus either one’s Savior or his Judge—that Paul builds upon in verses 33 and 34. Ponder this courtroom scene for a moment. Outside of faith in Jesus Christ, every man is a guilty sinner. When judgment day comes, he must sit in the defendant’s seat, the seat of the accused. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Judge, the One whom the sinner has scorned and rejected. The Lord Jesus is also the prosecutor. The accused sinner has no defense. He is, as Paul has said earlier in Romans, “without excuse” (1:20; 2:1).
But salvation changes all this. The courtroom scene becomes vastly different. The forgiven sinner need not sit in the defendant’s chair. This is because the prosecutor cannot press any charges. The Father, the Judge, has already pronounced us to be righteous, justified by faith. How could the Judge condemn us? Jesus Christ has already been condemned in our place. He was raised from the dead, and He now is at the right hand of the Father interceding for us.
The picture is something like this. The Father’s beloved Son, who would have been our prosecutor, has taken our place and has paid the penalty for our sin. More than this, having been raised from the dead, the prosecutor has left His seat and has seated Himself beside us, committed to our defense and pleading with the Father on our behalf.
The force of Paul’s argument now begins to emerge. The only One who could have accused us has resigned His post. The only One who could have condemned us as a righteous Judge has brought about our salvation. Our dreaded foe, viewed from the perspective of the unbeliever, has now become our beloved Defender. The only one who can mete out divine punishment has meted it out on His own Son so that we might be saved. Who, then, can accuse us? Who, then, can condemn us? No one can legitimately accuse us. No one can rightfully condemn us. The One who was our Judge has become our Justifier.
C. K. Barrett, in his commentary on Romans, has caught the force of Paul’s argument. It is reflected in his translation of these verses:
Who can bring a charge against God’s elect? God—who justifies us? Who condemns us? Christ Jesus—who died, or rather was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who actually is interceding on our behalf?220
Paul’s theology and terminology are hardly new and not exclusively New Testament. Note the similarity in thought of these words, found in the Old Testament prophecy of Isaiah:
The Lord God has given Me the tongue of disciples, That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple. The Lord GOD has opened My ear; And I was not disobedient, Nor did I turn back. I gave My back to those who strike Me, And My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting. For the Lord God helps Me, Therefore, I am not disgraced; Therefore, I have set My face like flint, And I know that I shall not be ashamed. He who vindicates Me is near; Who will contend with Me? Let us stand up to each other; Who has a case against Me? Let him draw near to Me. Behold, the Lord God helps Me; Who is he who condemns Me? Behold, they will all wear out like a garment; The moth will eat them. Who is among you that fears the Lord, That obeys the voice of His servant, That walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God (Isaiah 50:4-10).
The important thing to notice in this passage is that the One who is the “disciple” is none other than Israel’s Messiah. His confidence in God is the basis for His boldness in enduring the rejection of men. Because God is on His side, he does not fear ill-treatment from men. He is willing to commit His life to the God who is His Defender. With God on His side, the Messiah was both willing and able to face a world that would reject and persecute Him. This confidence, which sustained our Lord, is that same confidence which is also able to sustain every saint.
In Deuteronomy 28, God tells Israel that the very things Paul has named are those which God has promised to bring upon His people, if they do not obey His Word:
“Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and a glad heart, for the abundance of all things; therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the Lord shall send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in the lack of all things; and He will put an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you (Deuteronomy 28:47-48).
Adversity in the life of the believer should stimulate him to some introspection, to give thought as to whether God might be disciplining him for some known sin. This, I believe, is implied in the New Testament as well:
Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him (James 5:14-15).
Even when God does bring adversity into our lives because of sin, it should not result in doubts concerning the love of God. Discipline is an evidence of God’s love as the writer to the Hebrews makes clear (see Hebrews 12:1-13).
But besides correction for specific sins, God has yet another purpose for affliction and calamity. It is a constructive purpose. It is a purpose designed to produce our good, just as Romans 8:28 says. God has not only purposed adversity for correction but also for the advancement of the gospel. Paul’s quotation from Psalm 44 in verse 36 emphasizes the role of the suffering of the righteous in the accomplishment of God’s purposes. Note the broader context of the verse which Paul has cited:
Psalm 44 (For the choir director. A Maskil of the sons of Korah.) O God, we have heard with our ears, Our fathers have told us, The work that Thou didst in their days, In the days of old. Thou with Thine own hand didst drive out the nations; Then Thou didst plant them; Thou didst afflict the peoples, Then Thou didst spread them abroad. For by their own sword they did not possess the land; And their own arm did not save them; But Thy right hand, and Thine arm, and the light of Thy presence, For Thou didst favor them. Thou art my King, O God; Command victories for Jacob. Through Thee we will push back our adversaries; Through Thy name we will trample down those who rise up against us. For I will not trust in my bow, Nor will my sword save me. But Thou hast saved us from our adversaries, And Thou hast put to shame those who hate us. In God we have boasted all day long, And we will give thanks to Thy name forever. Selah.
Yet Thou hast rejected us and brought us to dishonor, And dost not go out with our armies. Thou dost cause us to turn back from the adversary; And those who hate us have taken spoil for themselves. Thou dost give us as sheep to be eaten, And hast scattered us among the nations. Thou dost sell Thy people cheaply, And hast not profited by their sale. Thou dost make us a reproach to our neighbors, A scoffing and a derision to those around us. Thou dost make us a byword among the nations, A laughingstock among the peoples. All day long my dishonor is before me, And my humiliation has overwhelmed me, Because of the voice of him who reproaches and reviles, Because of the presence of the enemy and the avenger. All this has come upon us, but we have not forgotten Thee, And we have not dealt falsely with Thy covenant. Our heart has not turned back, And our steps have not deviated from Thy way, Yet Thou hast crushed us in a place of jackals, And covered us with the shadow of death. If we had forgotten the name of our God, Or extended our hands to a strange god; Would not God find this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart. But for Thy sake we are killed all day long; We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. Arouse Thyself, why dost Thou sleep, O Lord? Awake, do not reject us forever. Why dost Thou hide Thy face, And forget our affliction and our oppression? For our soul has sunk down into the dust; Our body cleaves to the earth. Rise up, be our help, And redeem us for the sake of Thy lovingkindness.
In verses 1-3, the psalmist expresses confidence in God based upon His past deliverances. It was God who brought Israel into the land, drove out their enemies, and planted His people in their place. In verses 4-8, the psalmist expresses confidence in God to do the same in his own time. Verses 9-16 introduce the dilemma. The psalmist’s experience has not been that of his forefathers as described in verses 1-3. God has not delivered His people as expected (verses 4-8). Instead, Israel has been defeated and oppressed. Many of the calamities listed by Paul in Romans 8:35 have come upon Israel.
The psalmist’s great problem is now laid before God in verses 17-22. If Israel had sinned, then these calamities would be understandable. If Israel had rejected God and rebelled against His law, then the defeat of Israel at the hand of her enemies would be understandable. But Israel had not rebelled, for once. Israel was trusting in God and obeying His law. In spite of their trust in God, the psalmist described their condition:
But for Thy sake we are killed all day long; We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered (Psalm 44:22).
The solution to the psalmist’s agony is to be found in the words “for Thy sake.” Suffering is not always for sin’s sake (discipline). Suffering is also for God’s sake. Suffering is one of the means through which God achieves His purposes. It must be so if God causes “all things” to work together for good. It was true for the Messiah. He must suffer much at the hands of His people in order to make an atonement for sin. The experience of our Lord was not an exception, but rather a pattern, an example:
Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable. For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a man bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, (1 Peter 2:18-21).
Paul’s words in verse 37 of our text spell out the principle which underlies Psalm 44: “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.”
It is a paradox, but it is true. It is consistent with the way God works. We save our lives by giving them up. We lead by serving others. We conquer by being conquered. Our Lord’s death at Calvary seemed to be a defeat, but in God’s wisdom it was the defeat of Satan, sin, and death.
Christians want to think of victory in terms of winning. We like to think that Christ’s power and purposes are most evident when we win, when we overcome our opponents. Paul simply underscores a principle which has always governed God’s work: God uses apparent defeat to produce ultimate victory. God uses the suffering of His saints to make them conquerors—more than conquerors.
We overwhelmingly conquer “in all these things”; we conquer through these things. We are victorious when we suffer the calamities of life, in faith, trusting in God, knowing that He is accomplishing His purposes through our affliction. If suffering was God’s will for His sinless, beloved Son, is it not also His will for His sons, the sons of God? And the very One who is giving us the victory is the one “who loved us,” who loved us through the suffering and death of His Son. Our confidence must not end when the going gets tough. The testing of our faith really begins here.
The expression “overwhelmingly conquer” needs to be pondered. The Bible does not promise to make “copers” of us, but conquerors. It is not enough to muddle through life merely enduring our adversity. God does not promise to take us out of our afflictions, but He does promise that we will emerge from them victorious. We will be victorious in the sense that we will grow in our faith, hope and love. We will conquer in that we will become more like Christ due to our sufferings. We will conquer in that God’s purposes will be achieved through us and others will see the grace of God at work in our lives.
But we do not just conquer; Paul says that we will “overwhelmingly” conquer. How does one overwhelmingly conquer? I think I have a small grasp of what this means. I believe we overwhelmingly conquer as the sons of God. When God created man, Adam and Eve, and put him on the earth, he was created to reflect God’s image. The fall greatly marred this image of God in man. God has purposed our salvation to restore this image. Paul has written in verse 29 that we are predestined to become conformed to the image of Christ. Man was originally to reflect the image of God by subduing the earth and ruling over it, in God’s name. We, as the sons of God, with Christ, will have a part in the conquest and restoration of the earth. This is that for which all of creation eagerly awaits (8:20-23).
Paul now tells us that no created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ (8:30). Creation will not overcome us, Paul is saying; we shall overcome it. Not only will we safely endure and grow in the midst of any opposition or suffering which part of this fallen creation imposes on us, we will eventually overcome it and have a part in ruling over it, with Christ. That is what I believe Paul means when he says “we overwhelmingly conquer.”
Verses 38 and 39 list some of the dimensions of created things which will not overcome us. The list is intended to be all-inclusive, and so it is. Neither “death” nor “life” shall overcome us.221 For some, death is the dreaded enemy. Christ came to deliver us from the “fear of death” which holds men in bondage (Hebrews 2:15). For others, life is the dreaded enemy, and death seems to be a door of escape. Those who think this way are tempted by suicidal thoughts.
The next category of created things is that of “angels and principalities.” If Paul is following the pattern he established above with death and life, then he is attempting to encompass the entire spectrum of celestial beings. He would especially be referring to those angelic beings which are fallen and which seek to destroy us. Satan would be included in this category.222
The next category of created things is that of events, whether “present” or future (“things to come”).223 It is interesting to think of events as something created, but in a very real sense they are. If God is sovereign, as He surely is, and He has mapped out history from eternity past then we must say that God created history. Prophecy is based upon this fact. Thus, in light of Romans 8:28, we must say that the events we presently face, along with those we shall face in the future, have been created by God for our good. And so it is that these things cannot separate us from the love of God in Christ.
The list of created things ends with “powers, height, depth, nor any other created thing.” There is considerable question as to what Paul meant by the term “powers.” It may refer to mighty works of power, miraculous works, or it may refer to powers. I am presently inclined to understand Paul’s words as Barrett does when he renders Paul’s words here,
For I am confident that neither death nor life, neither angels nor their princes, neither things present nor things to come, nor spiritual powers, whether above or below the level of the earth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.224
God is the Creator. He is also the sovereign ruler over all creation. Nothing happens but that which He has ordained to bring about His purpose. Nothing in all creation falls outside of His control, and thus we can be assured that His purposes will be achieved. We can have absolute confidence that we will be more than conquerors regardless of what may come our way.
This confidence is the possession of every Christian, of every one who is the object of God’s love. And this love of God is manifested only in and through Jesus Christ. We cannot be assured of His love apart from faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus is the evidence of God’s love. He is the sole expression of God’s love with regard to salvation. To reject Jesus Christ is to spurn the love of God. To receive Jesus Christ as Savior is to be confident that nothing in all the world can separate us from His love in Christ.
Having studied our text of Romans 8:31-39, let me leave you with some avenues for future thought, study, prayer, and application.
First, the sovereignty of God is the basis for our security. We dare not be confident in ourselves. This would be folly. We dare not doubt that we shall be more than conquerors. This would be to deny His Word and to distrust God. We, like Paul, should be absolutely convinced concerning these things, based upon the Word of God. Our security is rooted in God, in His sovereignty, and in His unfailing love.
Today self-confidence is looked upon as a virtue and lack of self-assurance as a vice. Even in Christian circles we are being told how we can raise our children so that they feel good about themselves, are self-assured, and confident. The Bible calls for humility, not pride; for dependence on God, not self-sufficiency. Let us beware of seeking that which God’s Word condemns. Let us look to God, to God alone. He is our refuge and strength. In Him, and Him alone, is our confidence.
Second, our security and confidence in God is the basis for our service. It is not doubt, nor fear, nor guilt which should motivate our service, but a confidence in God mixed with deep and abiding gratitude. Because we are secure in Christ, we may serve. We need not focus on ourselves but on Him. Since He is the “author and finisher of our faith,” we must “fix our eyes on Him” (Hebrews 12:1-2).
Third, our security is never an excuse for sloppiness. Some would abuse the doctrine of God’s sovereignty and the believer’s security. They would sinfully suggest that since God is in control, it matters not what we do. This is just the opposite of the truth. God’s sovereignty is the basis for our diligence and obedience. If we trust in ourselves, this would be folly, because we will fail. But when we trust in God, we know that we ultimately cannot fail and that our efforts are not in vain.
Fourth, the Scriptures never raise any doubt that God will finish what He started at salvation (see Philippians 1:6). The question raised in Scripture is not, “Will the saints endure to the end?” The question is rather, “Are we sure that we are in Christ?” The security of the believer is never brought into question in the Scriptures. Whether or not we are a believer is a question which is raised, and rightly so.
Fifth, the basis for our salvation and our security is found in the work of Christ on the cross of Calvary. Did you notice that every fear, every dread, in this text is the result of sin? And did you notice as well that every cure goes back to the cross of Calvary? Here is God’s means of redemption. Here is the measure of His love. Here is the assurance and confidence that God’s purposes and promises will never fail. No wonder we must continually go back to the cross. We should never grow weary of going back to the cross. Here is where our salvation began. Here is where it was finished. That God sent Jesus to the cross is the measure of His love for us. That God would raise Jesus from the dead is the measure of His power. When such love and power meet, we, as sons of God, have every reason to be confident.
Finally, the security of the believer requires a response. Paul’s conclusion reminds us that biblical revelation requires a response. The security of the believer in the sovereign love of God should produce humility, gratitude, dependence, confidence, and praise. Let us ponder these closing words of Romans 8, especially in contrast to the agonizing cry at the end of chapter 7. Let us savor our security, and let us stand fast, knowing that our labor in the Lord is not in vain.
217 This is the basis for the title of this lesson, “Comforting Questions.” Usually we think of questions for which there are no answers as disturbing questions. That is not so here. The very lack of any answer is the basis for great comfort and confidence for every Christian.
218 The Greek language quite precisely indicates the degree of certainty or the “iffiness” of some occurrence by the uses of three different grammatical constructions. The “if” here is a first class condition indicating certainty.
219 I am assuming that this is not a trial by jury, since God’s judgment will not be such.
220 C. K. Barrett, The Epistle to the Romans (New York: Harper and Row, 1957), p. 171.
Stifler expresses the more common view: “It is God that justifieth His own elect; can wicked men or lost spirits or Satan himself call again to account those whose case has been favorably decided in the highest place of judicature? Even to speak against God’s people impeaches the Judge and is contempt of court—Heaven’s court.” James M. Stifler, The Epistle to the Romans (Chicago: Moody Press, 1960), p. 150.
221 It is interesting, is it not, to think of life and death as created things? But they are. God created life as we see in the Book of Genesis. God also created death as the consequence of sin.
222 It is noteworthy that Satan is not mentioned by name. Satan, I believe, is a publicity-seeker. Paul is not willing to give him any press here. In the final analysis, this angel who wanted to take God’s place is left unnamed, lumped in with all other created beings. Satan, the glory-seeker, must not like this at all.
223 Paul does not mention events of the past. This is especially noteworthy in the light of the present psychological emphasis on past events as the source of our present problems. I believe Paul does not mention the past because the cross of Christ has dealt with our past. Old things have passed away, and new things have come (2 Corinthians 5:17).
The minister of Pollyanna’s church was a hell-fire and damnation preacher. If you have heard the story of Pollyanna, you may remember that week after week the preacher assailed the congregation with threats of God’s wrath. Pollyanna’s father had been a preacher, and in her innocent, child-like manner, Pollyanna informed the minister that when her father preached, he looked for the “glad texts.” The “glad texts” were those passages which spoke of God only in comforting, reassuring ways and which focused on happy thoughts. The preacher took her advice and all ended well.
When a minister preaches topically, he has the luxury of choosing his texts. Although few and far between, some do preach of hell and damnation. Most preach the glad texts. But when preaching through the Bible book by book, chapter by chapter, and verse by verse, no such luxury is allowed. Rather, one must deal with the subjects God has selected. They must be taught in the order and the proportion He has both determined, which by inspiration He has inscripturated.225
Teaching through the Book of Romans emphasizing only the glad texts would be quite interesting indeed. One surely would have to omit the first chapters of Romans (1-3a), because they speak of man’s sin and of God’s righteous wrath. The next chapters (3b-4) speak of justification by faith. These are glad texts, aren’t they? Those who want to earn their salvation and boast in their own efforts will not think so, for the salvation which God has provided is for sinners, by grace, and apart from works. Salvation by grace is never appealing to the self-righteous.
The requirement of living righteously (chapter 6) and the agony of failing to do so (chapter 7) surely might not be considered a glad text either. The text least likely, however, to be called a “glad text” is the one we are about to study—the ninth chapter of the Book of Romans. Some choose to pass over this chapter; others wish they could.
The doctrine of divine election troubles many Christians. But I believe we will discover this is a doctrine which can neither be dismissed nor denied. I hope to demonstrate that the sovereignty of God and the grace of God require the doctrine of election. This is not a doctrine which Christians should reluctantly accept with gritted teeth. Nor should we hold this doctrine in secret, as though it were unseemly for God to determine the destiny of men.
Romans 9 and the doctrine of election is indeed a glad text, a text which should lead us to rejoice. When understood correctly, and in relationship to other biblical truths, this doctrine provides great confidence, great humility, and great gratitude for the Christian.
Let us refresh our memory as we notice just how the entire section of Romans 9-11 ends:
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen (Romans 11:33-36).
Let us determine in studying this passage to set aside preconceived prejudices and emotions, and seek to know God as He is. Let us rejoice and be glad, for He is God, the sovereign God of the universe! Who better to be in total control? Who better to be in control of our lives?
The first five verses of chapter 9 are introductory. Verses 1-3 describe the heart of the apostle Paul in relationship to Israel. Verses 4 and 5 describe the privileges which God granted to Israel. Verses 6-13 explain Israel’s failure in terms of divine election, using Isaac (verses 7-9) and Jacob (verses 10-13) as examples. The structure of the text may therefore be outlined in this way:
(1) Introduction (verses 1-5)
(2) Paul’s Love for Israel (verses 1-3)
(3) Israel’s privileges (verses 4-5)
(4) Israel’s Failure and the Principle of Divine Election (verses 6-13)
The entire section which begins with chapter 9 and ends with chapter 11 concerns Israel and her future hope. Paul relates the purpose of God for Israel with His purpose for the Gentiles; he shows that here too God is causing all things to work together for Israel’s good. Paul’s teaching concerning Israel is based on her condition at the time of his writing. We would do well at the outset of this study to review Israel’s condition as revealed in Scripture and with our knowledge from history.
The Jews were not in good standing with Rome. During the time of our Lord and the apostles, we know that Israel was under the rule of Rome. Rome governed the land of Palestine by dividing it into various political regions and placing Jewish and Roman officials over the people. Some of the Jews were eager to throw off Roman rule. While the rest might not be willing to resort to violence to gain their freedom, they would welcome it. Many of the Jews refused to admit they were a subject people (John 8:33). As time went on, Rome seemed to become more and more exasperated with the Jews. In Acts 18:2 Luke records that Claudius commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. It will be only a few years before Rome will have had enough and utterly devastate Jerusalem, killing thousands of the Jews and scattering the rest. Politically speaking, the days of the Jews and of Jerusalem are numbered.
But all of this is more than just a matter of political unrest. It is a part of the divine plan of God. It will be the result of Israel’s sin, and specifically of her rejection of Jesus as the Messiah. Jesus was the promised Messiah who had come to save His people and to reign on the throne of David (see Luke 1:32-33, 46-55, 68-75). His own people rejected Him, however, and finally crucified Him with the help of Rome. During His earthly life, Jesus warned Israel of the judgment which lay ahead for them (see Luke 21:20-24). Jesus wept over Jerusalem, because she would be destroyed for rejecting Him:
And when He approached, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. For the days shall come upon you when your enemies will throw up a bank before you, and surround you, and hem you in on every side, and will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation” (Luke 19:41-44).
God was gracious in that His judgment was not immediate. The resurrection of our Lord was proof that He was God’s Messiah. It was also a warning to Israel that judgment day for them was near. Peter’s message on the day of Pentecost was but an example of the warning of the apostles and a final offer of forgiveness before the day of judgment came upon Israel (see Acts 2).
Paul had been a powerful witness to the Jewish nation. For some time he had been the foremost leader in opposing Christianity. Then suddenly he was converted. This one who formerly persecuted the church was now preaching Christ. No matter how much they opposed him, they could not silence him. And their efforts to kill him were frustrated.
The clock was running for Israel and little time was left. In a very few years (less than ten), Rome was to destroy the city of Jerusalem, and the nation which said, “His blood be on us and on our children” (Matthew 27:25) was about to be judged. Israel had failed. They had failed under the old covenant, and they had rejected the new covenant. All of the promises God had made concerning Israel seemed to be in vain. Was it all over for Israel? Had God’s Word failed too? How could Israel’s present state be explained? Paul sets out to explain just that in these three chapters.
I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh.
Imagine, if possible, Adolf Hitler writing a history of the Jews. It could hardly be taken seriously by anyone wanting to read an objective, historical account of this race. How could a Jew-hater and a Jew-killer be trusted to deal truthfully with the historical material?
After his conversion, Paul was viewed as a traitor at best by his fellow Israelites who had been his colleagues in earlier years. Reaction to Paul was immediate and intense, as seen in Luke’s account of what took place in Damascus after Paul’s conversion:
Now for several days he was with the disciples who were at Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” And all those hearing him continued to be amazed, and were saying, “Is this not he who in Jerusalem destroyed those who called on this name, and who had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?” But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ. And when many days had elapsed, the Jews plotted together to do away with him (Acts 9:19b-23).
It did not get better as time passed; it only got worse. The more Paul grew, the more boldly and broadly he proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah. And the more the gospel Paul preached was received by Jews or Gentiles, the more their opposition and animosity grew. Paul refused to separate himself from Judaism but rather proclaimed the gospel as the fulfillment of God’s promises to Israel:
“For this reason therefore, I requested to see you and to speak with you, for I am wearing this chain for the sake of the hope of Israel” (Acts 28:20).
It would all explode when Paul made his way to Jerusalem, not long after he penned this Epistle to the Romans:
And when the seven days were almost over, the Jews from Asia, upon seeing him in the temple, began to stir up all the multitude and laid hands on him, crying out, “Men of Israel, come to our aid! This is the man who preaches to all men everywhere against our people, and the Law, and this place; and besides he has even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place” (Acts 21:27-28).
Paul is about to explain the failure of Israel in the light of God’s eternal purpose for His people in Romans 9-11. Paul recognizes that his words will not have nearly the impact they could unless his readers know his heart with respect to the Israelites, his people according to the flesh. Consequently, in verses 1-3 Paul lays a foundation by expressing his deep love for his people and his heartfelt desire for their salvation. While his own people have rejected him and sought to kill him, Paul still loves them deeply and yearns for the day when they will know God as he has come to know Him.
In verse 1, Paul solemnly testifies that what he is about to say is the truth. He is not lying. While one’s conscience can be hardened or deceived (see 1 Corinthians 8:7, 10, 12; 1 Timothy 4:2; Titus 1:15), the Christian’s conscience can be cleansed, so that the Holy Spirit bears witness through our conscience (see 2 Corinthians 1:12; 1 Timothy 1:5; 3:9; 2 Timothy 1:3).
With all honesty, Paul can say in verse 2 that his response to Israel’s unbelief and very real peril is that of sorrow and grief. These are the responses of love, not of bitterness or vengeance. In spite of all the Jews have done against Paul, he still loves them and finds no joy in their downfall.
Paul’s love goes far deeper than this as he tells us in verse 3. It is not enough for Paul to feel sorry for his people. He wishes he could demonstrate his love in an even more active way. If it were possible, he would wish to be like Christ, sacrificing himself for the salvation of his fellow-Jews. If he could bear the wrath of God in their place, he would. While this would not be nor could be, Paul nevertheless unveils his heart toward the Jews. This history of God’s people was written by a man whose heart was on Israel’s side. If he must speak ill of this people, he will find only grief and no pleasure in doing so. Paul writes of the downfall of this nation as a writer would tenderly pen an article about the death of a loved one.
Paul is unlike Jonah who desired to see his enemies sizzle in the flames of divine judgment (see Jonah chapter 4). He is like Abraham who had compassion on the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah and pled with God to spare the city for the sake of a few righteous (see Genesis 19:16-33).
Who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.
Not only was Paul for his fellow-Israelites, they had many other things going for them. Before he turns to their failure, Paul enumerates those things belonging to Israel which were a great privilege. While some people attempt to explain their sin by pointing back to their lack of privileges and opportunities, Israel could never do so. Her failure was in spite of many blessings, many privileges which Paul outlines in verses 4 and 5. Let us briefly define each privilege.
(1) They are Israelites. To be an Israelite was a great privilege in the mind of a Jew. They were Israelites, and this was an honor, a position of honor and distinction.
(2) To them belongs the adoption as sons. The adoption of sons was the privilege of reigning over creation in the kingdom.
(3) To them belongs the glory. The glory as I understand it is the revealed glory of God. This glory was evident on the face of Moses. It was also the Shekinah glory manifested in the tabernacle and the temple. It is the glory which will descend upon and abide in the heavenly Jerusalem.
(4) To them belongs the covenants. Note that covenants is plural. The covenants made to Israel would be the Abrahamic covenant (Genesis 12:1-3), the Mosaic covenant (Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 5), the Davidic covenant (2 Samuel 7), and the New covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34).
(5) To them belongs the Law. The Law is the Law of Moses. To possess this was to possess the Word of God, which revealed the righteousness of God and the righteousness He required of His people. It was not a burden but a blessing. The Law was food for meditation and the basis for learning much about God and His ways (see Psalm 119).
(6) To them belongs the temple service. The Israelites were given the privilege of God’s dwelling place among men in Jerusalem. Because of this, they were also greatly blessed to be able to worship Him, the only true God.
(7) To them belongs the promises. The promises would be those commitments God made to His people, not conditioned by men’s obedience but founded upon God’s sovereign decree. The promises were Old Testament prophecies pertaining to Messiah, to Israel’s judgment and restoration, and to the kingdom of God which was to come.
(8) To them belongs the patriarchs. Israel’s heritage was great indeed. In their family tree were the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Those with whom God made and confirmed His covenant, and through whom God worked to form the nation Israel, were the forefathers of the Israelites.
(9) To them belongs the lineage of Messiah. In pointing to the patriarchs, Paul was looking back in time. In pointing here to the Messiah, Paul is looking at the present and the future. The Messiah had come to the earth as a Jew, an Israelite, and had lived among the Israelites presenting Himself to this nation as their King. What a privilege to be able to point to the Messiah as One who came from your own people.
These are the privileges which Israel possessed and which set them apart from the rest of the peoples of the earth.226 These privileges gave Israel great opportunities for blessing. They also brought with them great responsibility. Israel’s failure was in spite of these great privileges. This makes her unbelief and divine discipline even more tragic. Her condition in Paul’s day must be viewed in light of all the Israelites had and all God had promised.
Not only are the Gentiles grafted into Israel, and into her privileges and blessings, but these blessings are represented in the Book of Hebrews as “better” than that which Israel possessed. If Israel is greatly privileged, we are even more privileged.
Before we too quickly condemn Israel for failing to make use of her privileges and enter into the blessings of God, let us pause to reflect on the privileges and blessings God has bestowed upon us, in Christ. Have we fully entered into God’s blessings? Have we been good stewards of the blessings and opportunities He has bestowed upon us? If not, then we are no better than the nation Israel. Perhaps no other people have been given more privileges and opportunities than we who believe in Jesus Christ today.
6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; 7 neither are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants, but: “through Isaac your descendants will be named.” 8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants. 9 For this is a word of promise: “At this time I will come, and Sarah shall have a son.” 10 And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac; 11 for though the twins were not yet born, and had not done anything good or bad, in order that God’s purpose according to His choice might stand, not because of works, but because of Him who calls, 12 it was said to her, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 Just as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
Paul clearly assumes one thing—Israel had failed. They had failed to recognize or to receive their Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. They had failed in their rejection and crucifixion of Him. They had failed after His resurrection to admit their guilt, to repent, and be saved. They had failed to enter into the blessings of the kingdom of God as offered to them by Jesus and His apostles. Their hour of judgment is near. Israel’s grade on a report card would have been an “F.”
How can their failure be explained? It was one thing for them to fall short of the glory of God. But what of God’s purposes for Israel and His promises to them? God’s Word had not been fulfilled. Instead of a kingdom, Israel is on the verge of extinction. What does this say about the reliability of the Scriptures? Paul’s first answer is short and to the point: Though Israel had failed, the Word of God had not (verse 6a). His second explanation follows immediately: “They are not all Israel who are descended from Israel” (verse 6b).
God’s promises were made to Israel. If “Israel” has fallen short of these, have God’s promises failed? Not at all! The solution to the problem is to understand who Israel is. Here, Paul tells us who Israel is not: The “Israel” to whom God’s promises have been given, and for whom they will be fulfilled, is not every person who is a physical descendant of Israel.
Not all Israelites according to the flesh are true Israelites. Paul will have more to say about those who make up true Israel, but here he is indicating that true Israel is a smaller group than physical Israel. Paul’s words might be illustrated by visualizing a large circle called “Physical Israel” with a smaller circle inside called “True Israel.”
It is also true that “true Israel” is made up of Gentile believers and Jewish believers. Paul has already taught this truth in Romans 4:
Is this blessing then upon the circumcised, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say, “Faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness.” How then was it reckoned? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised; and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be reckoned to them, and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised. For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified; for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, neither is there violation. For this reason it is by faith, that it might be in accordance with grace, in order that the promise may be certain to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, (as it is written, “A father of many nations have I made you”) in the sight of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist (Romans 4:9-17).
That there are fewer “true Israelites” than there are physical Israelites comes as no surprise to anyone familiar with the Old Testament. God continually narrowed down those to whom He promised His blessings. Think about this for a moment. God promised Adam and Eve that one of the woman’s “seed” would destroy Satan and would bring salvation and deliverance to the human race (Genesis 3:15). By means of the flood, the human race was pruned down to the “seed” of Noah. A part of this seed was put under a curse (see Genesis 9:18-27). Then, the “seed of promise” was narrowed down to the “seed” of Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3). The “seed” was later narrowed down to the “seed” of Isaac, then of Jacob. The promised Messiah would come from the “seed” of Judah (Genesis 49:10). Later, this ruling seed was designated as the “seed” of David (2 Samuel 7:10-17). Finally, the seed through whom God’s blessings would be poured out upon Israel and all the nations was narrowed down to a single person, Jesus the Messiah:
Brethren, I speak in terms of human relations: even though it is only a man’s covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds conditions to it. Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “AND TO SEEDS,” as referring to many, but rather to one, “AND TO YOUR SEED,” that is Christ (Galatians 3:15-16).
Paul has set out to explain the failure of Israel in the light of divine election. He has already stated that the true Israel of God is a smaller group than the physical seed of Israel. There are more descendants of Jacob than there are true Israelites. The reason is divine selection or election. In verses 7-13, Paul illustrates the principle of election with two examples from the Book of Genesis. He first turns to God’s choice of Isaac, and by inference, His rejection of Ishmael, in verses 7-9. He then turns to the example of God’s choice of Jacob and His rejection of Esau in verses 10-13. Let us consider these verses and the examples Paul has selected to demonstrate divine election in the history of Israel. Through this selective process, God reduces the ranks of those who will be recipients of His blessings.
Neither are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants, but: “through Isaac your descendants will be named.” That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants. For this is a word of promise: “At this time I will come, and Sarah shall have a son.”
Ishmael is not named by Paul, but he is clearly referred to in contrast to Isaac, the child of promise. Abram and Sarai were unable to bear children. When God promised Abram that he would become a great nation and that all the nations of the world would be blessed by his “seed,” the implied promise was that he and Sarai would bear a son. God continued to reaffirm this promise, although as the years passed by it appeared to be humanly impossible for them to have a child by Sarai. Consequently, they attempted to produce a child by their own fleshly efforts. Abram took Hagar, Sarai’s maid, and slept with her, and she conceived. Abram then proposed to God that this son be his heir. God refused, insisting that the child He had promised would be a child born to him and Sarai. Isaac, born some time later, was the child of promise, not Ishmael.
Both Ishmael and Isaac were the physical offspring or seed of Abraham, but only one of these two sons was the child of promise. It was only through Isaac that the promised line of descendants would be preserved and propagated. God chose one and rejected the other. God promised one and not the other. Abraham’s seed were counted only through Isaac. God chose Isaac and rejected Ishmael for this privilege. Not all Abraham’s children were to become sons of Abraham in the sense which God had promised to bring blessing to, and through, his seed.
And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac; for though the twins were not yet born, and had not done anything good or bad, in order that God’s purpose according to His choice might stand, not because of works, but because of Him who calls, it was said to her, “The older will serve the younger.” Just as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
The case for divine election is even more dramatically demonstrated by the offspring of Isaac and Rebekah in verses 10-13. In the case of Isaac and Ishmael, Abraham was the father of both boys, but Sarah was the mother of Isaac while Hagar was the mother of Ishmael. With Jacob and Esau, both boys were the children of the same parents. They were both conceived and born at the same time. The choice was made and announced before the boys were born. The choice had nothing to do with the works which the boys had done or would do. The choice of Jacob over Esau was contrary to the preference and efforts of Isaac. It was also contrary to tradition and practice, for the older son was to be given preference in the culture of that day. In spite of these factors, God chose to make the seed pass through the line of Jacob and not Esau. In addition, Jacob come to faith, while Esau seems to have rejected this faith (compare Hebrews 11:21 with 12:15-17).
It is indeed amazing that God would have chosen Jacob over Esau and that he would later be an example of divine election. Jacob was a man who all through his life sought to control his own destiny, even though this involved dishonesty and deception. He was always working against tradition. He was the younger brother, yet he schemed and thereby obtained his brother’s birthright. He stole his father’s blessing by deception. He did not hesitate to make use of a well which was not his (Genesis 29:4-10, especially verse 10). He made every effort to marry the younger daughter first, knowing that the older daughter was to be given first in marriage (Genesis 29:13-30).
As much as Jacob wrestled with life, and even with God in a vain effort to control his own destiny, God was in control. The events of Jacob’s life were tragic. He lost all control, and it seemed to him that all hope of God’s promise was lost (see Genesis 42:36). God was in control. God had already changed Jacob’s name to Israel, reiterating at that time that He would bless him, his descendants, and the world as He had promised Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 35:9-15).
It was not until the end of Jacob’s life that he began to fathom the sovereignty of God and His grace. He came to the point of realizing that God’s choice of him had nothing to do with his works but was in spite of them. He came to understand and to appreciate divine election. It is little wonder that the one act of faith on the part of Jacob recorded in the Book of Hebrews is the blessing he pronounced on Joseph’s sons (see Hebrews 11:21). Moses tells us that Jacob did this with crossed hands, an acknowledgment of his understanding and appreciation of divine election, that election by which God had chosen him over his older brother, Esau.
Paul gives us the reason for His choice of Jacob over Esau:
“… in order that God’s purpose according to His choice might stand, not because of works, but because of Him who calls, it was said to her, “The older will serve the younger” (Romans 9:11-12).
God did this to express His sovereign control over history. He wanted to make it very evident that His blessings and His grace are bestowed on those whom He chooses and not on those who work hard. The God who is at work to demonstrate His glory reveals that glory by means of His election of one and His rejection of another, based solely on His choice. This is divine election: God’s sovereign choice of whom He will bless and whom He will not.
As we come to the conclusion of this lesson, I must remind you that this is only the beginning of what Paul has to say about Israel’s unbelief in Romans 9-11. This is not Paul’s final word on the subject but his first. As such, we should recognize the message of our text as fundamental, and therefore, of great importance. Let us consider what we have learned from this passage and ponder some of the implications of the truths Paul has taught here.
(1) Paul teaches that being a true Israelite is not synonymous with being a physical Israelite. There were those in Israel who supposed that mere physical descent from the patriarchs assured one of entrance into the kingdom of God. John the Baptist rejected this (Matthew 3:9-10), and so did Jesus (John 8:39). Paul strongly states here and elsewhere that being a physical Israelite does not make one righteous and does not assure one of a place in God’s kingdom.
It is a different “birth” which accomplishes this, and it is a different “seed.” The “seed” who was to bruise Satan’s head (Genesis 3:15) and bring blessing to all the earth (Genesis 12:3) was but one Person, the Lord Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:16). All who are the “seed” of Jesus Christ are saved and assured of eternal life. To be His seed, one must be joined with Him, by faith. This is the second birth of which Jesus spoke in John 3.
(2) This text teaches election. Receiving God’s blessings is not the result of one’s works but a gift given to those whom God has sovereignly chosen.
(3) This text teaches individual election. Some seek to water down Paul’s words and the doctrine of election by suggesting that the election spoken of here and elsewhere is the election of a nation, a group, and not individuals. This is quite contrary to Paul’s teaching. In fact, the very concept of group election is the error Paul is trying to correct here. Many Israelites thought they were assured a place in the kingdom of God based solely on their physical descent as Israelites. Paul’s words in our text make it patently evident that “true Israel” is a smaller group than “physical Israel.” Those who are true Israelites are such by divine choice.
In Paul’s examples, individuals are chosen or rejected.227 Isaac was the child of promise; Ishmael was not. Jacob was the child of promise; Esau was not. Moses was chosen of God—to know, to worship, and to serve Him. Pharaoh was hardened.228 The reason Israel had not succeeded nationally was that God had purposed only to save some.
(4) This text teaches double election. Some try to take the edge off of election by saying that God’s election is only of those whom He will save. The fate of the non-elect is not a matter of God’s sovereign choice, they say. This simply cannot be true. It is not logical, and more importantly, it is not biblical. For God to choose to save some when He is capable of saving all, and when He alone is capable of saving any, is to choose that the rest will perish. Throughout this chapter, Paul speaks of both sides of the coin. It was Isaac, not Ishmael (inferred). It was Jacob, not Esau. It was Moses, not Pharaoh. There are “vessels of wrath” and there are “vessels of mercy” (9:22-23). The fate of the lost, as well as that of the saved, is first and foremost a decision made by our sovereign God.
(5) This text causes mental anguish and even protest from some. Non-Christians are repulsed by what Paul has to say here. Even some Christians react similarly; others are simply ashamed of this teaching. But those who know God as a sovereign God, and who understand His grace find this a truly “glad text.” For those who know God, Paul’s teaching becomes the source of great comfort and joy. The reasons for this are supported by stating some principles which emerge from Paul’s teaching in our text.
Divine sovereignty does not exclude or reduce human responsibility. Why do many not believe in Jesus Christ? First, Paul says, because God has not chosen them. Second, Paul will say in chapter 10, because men have not chosen God. These two truths—the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man—are incompatible in our minds. In God’s mind, they are compatible. How can Jesus be fully human and fully divine at the same time? I cannot explain this either, but the Bible teaches it, and I believe it. The sovereignty of God does not make robots of men.
The sovereignty of God means God is in control. All of God’s promises are contingent upon one fact: God is in control. If there is one message which permeates biblical prophecy, it is this: God is sovereign. The sovereignty of God is our assurance that He will do what He has promised. If God is not in control of everything, including man’s salvation, then God is not sovereign, and His promises are not certain.
The doctrine of election is essential to divine sovereignty. Paul’s words in verse 11 link God’s election with His sovereignty:
For though the twins were not yet born, and had not done anything good or bad, in order that God’s purpose according to His choice might stand, not because of works, but because of Him who calls.
How could God be sovereign, in complete control, and not be in control of this matter of salvation? If God chose some for salvation in eternity past and predestined them to be conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29), He must be sovereign to save or else His purposes would never be accomplished. To be sovereign at all, He must be sovereign over all. Election is the expression of sovereignty. Take away election, and you take away sovereignty.
Divine grace cannot be granted apart from election. Just as God’s sovereignty necessitates election, so God’s grace requires election. Divine grace must, of necessity, be sovereign grace. Grace is that which is undeserved, unmerited. Any reward, any divine blessing, is a gift of God’s grace. God’s grace is granted to all men in the form of sun and rain (see Acts 14:17). Men do not deserve it, but God graciously grants it. God’s saving grace cannot be earned nor can man do anything which would incline God to grant it. That is Paul’s point in Romans 9:11. If men deserve God’s wrath and do not deserve His favor, how is it than God can bestow His grace on men? Only by election, by a choice which comes from God, uninfluenced by the deeds of those whom He chooses. Apart from election, grace would be impossible. All of God’s grace is, therefore, sovereign grace, grace sovereignly bestowed based on God’s elective choice, made independently of those on whom He bestows it.
The divine election is essential for the salvation of men’s souls. Evangelism requires election. Since all men are sinners, and none could or would come to faith on their own (Romans 3:10-18; Ephesians 2:1-3), the only way any would ever be justified by faith is if God sovereignly intervened in bringing about that which men hate and oppose.
The doctrine of divine sovereignty and election is the basis for our prayers for the lost. Years ago I was discussing election with a Christian leader who did not believe in the sovereign choice of God in the election of men. I asked him this question: “Brother, do you pray for the salvation of the lost?” “Of course I do,” he responded. “Why?” I asked. “According to your view, God did all He could do when He sent His Son to the cross. If God does not choose those whom He will save, and if He does not sovereignly draw them to Himself, then He has done all He can, and everything is now up to you and the one who is lost.”
The doctrine of divine election is a tremendous incentive for prayer for the unsaved. When we pray to God asking Him to save the lost, we are praying to the One who is able to save, to the One who chooses whom He will save. We are praying to a merciful and compassionate God who does not wish that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.229 Who better to cling to than He who can save and He who does save those whom He chooses?
The doctrine of divine sovereignty is a great comfort concerning the lost. It is a great comfort to come to a loving, gracious, and sovereign God beseeching Him to save those who are lost. But we know it is not God’s purpose to save all men. Many have experienced the deep grief of the death of an unsaved loved one. We may feel some guilt that we should have shared our faith or should have been more aggressive in witnessing. But we must also remember that none of those whom God has chosen will fail to come to Him. He who is sovereign sees to it that His purposes are fulfilled, even when we fail. Those whom we love, who have died outside of Christ, did not “slip by” without God’s knowledge. Their death, and even their unbelief, was a part of the sovereign plan and purpose of God. Only in eternity will we be able to say, as we most certainly will, “Thou doest all things well.”
The doctrine of divine sovereignty is the basis for the Christian’s assurance of salvation and of his eternal security. We are sanctified and glorified on the same basis that we are saved, by grace, due to the sufficiency of Christ and His work at Calvary (see Colossians 2:6). The One who saved us is also the One who will bring that work to its completion (Philippians 1:6). The author of our faith (by divine election) is also the finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).
The doctrine of divine sovereignty is of great comfort to sinners and the source of much consternation for those who are self-righteous. It is incredible that the doctrines of grace, which must include the sovereignty of God and election, are an offense to some Christians. Divine election should be music to our ears. It should cause us to rejoice and to praise God just as it did Paul (see Romans 11:33-36). It should be the basis for gratitude, praise, humility, and service.
When Jesus came to this earth, the express image of the Father, He was “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). It is interesting to observe the different reactions to the grace of God revealed in Jesus Christ. Sinners were drawn to Him for they knew they were sinners, and they yearned for His grace. The grace of God means that no matter how undeserving men might be, God’s salvation is available on a basis apart from human merit and works. The self-righteous were jealous of the attention Jesus gave sinners. They believed they deserved His attention and they deserved God’s blessings.
This is why the prophet Jonah was so angry that he tried to run from his task of preaching to the lost sinners of Nineveh. He knew that God was gracious and compassionate, and he hated it (see Jonah 4:1-4). Why would Jonah hate grace? Because these unworthy sinners, the Ninevites, would be blessed by God’s grace. And also because he believed that he, and the nation Israel, deserved God’s favor on some basis other than grace.
For the self-righteous, grace is “charity,” and they will have none of it. For the sinner, grace is the hope of God’s favor in spite of our sin. “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me …” Can you sing these words? I pray that you can, and that you will, by God’s grace, and to His glory.
225 This is my coined term meaning revealed in Scripture.
226 Some of Israel’s privileges belonged to Israel exclusively. These include being the physical seed of Israel, possession of the Law, the temple service, the patriarchs, and being in the physical line of the Messiah. Other privileges, such as the adoption of sons, the glory, the covenants, and the promises are blessings which the Gentile can enter into, along with the Jew.
227 I do not wish to debate at this time the purpose for which individuals were chosen. My point is simply that it was individuals who were chosen or rejected.
228 Moses and Pharaoh are truly counterparts. It was Moses who was in the position to be the next Pharaoh.
229 The Word, from 2 Peter 3:9 and similarly stated in 1 Timothy 2:4, does not inform us that it is God’s sovereign will or purpose to save all men, but that it is His desire. We may not wish to spank our children, but we warn them that we will if we must. So too God does not take pleasure in the eternal damnation of sinners, but it is His will that sinners must perish. In His grace, He saves some. In His righteousness, He punishes the rest.
If you have been following along in our study of Romans, the doctrine of election230 should come as no great surprise to you. In the first three chapters of his epistle, Paul has shown that all men, without exception, fall short of God’s standards for righteousness and thus are under divine condemnation. The Gentiles are guilty before God, because they rejected that which God revealed concerning Himself in creation. Instead of worshipping God, they exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshipped man-made images or images in their own likeness. In judgment, God has given them over to their sin. The Jews are even more guilty, for they have received the revelation of God through His Law. While they teach the Law and judge others by it, they fail to live up to its standards themselves. Consequently, both Jews and Gentiles are under divine condemnation (see Romans 1:18–3:20).
In the last part of chapter 3 and all of chapter 4, Paul describes the salvation which God has provided for men, apart from works, based solely on God’s grace in the person and work of His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus died in the sinner’s place, bearing the wrath of God and thus satisfying the requirements of His justice. The benefits of Christ’s death for sinners is gained by faith alone, apart from human works or merit. All those who believe in Jesus Christ are justified by faith and become “sons of Abraham,” saved in the same way Abraham was—by believing God’s promise (see Romans 3:21–4:25).
Paul discusses in chapters 5-8 the consequences of justification by faith. Justification by faith results in great rejoicing. We rejoice over the certainty of the hope of glory which was once lost due to sin. We rejoice in our present trials and tribulations, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts. We rejoice also in God through our Lord Jesus Christ (5:1-11).
The salvation which God has provided in Christ deals with sin at its very roots. It was in Adam that we sinned and came under the sentence of death. In Christ, all that Adam did to condemn us has been overturned. While Adam’s sin resulted in death for us, Christ’s righteousness assures us of forgiveness and eternal life. Sin reigned because of Adam, but life reigns through Jesus Christ. The outcome is that no matter how great sin might be, God’s grace is always greater (5:12-21).
We were not saved to live as we once did in our transgressions and sins. Not only were we declared righteous, in Christ, we were prepared to live righteously in Him as well. Continuing to live in sin is inconsistent with what happened to us when we died in Christ, to sin, and when we were raised to new life, in Him. While once we were slaves to sin, we are now set free to live holy lives which glorify God. We are thus expected and exhorted to present ourselves as slaves to God and to regard ourselves as dead to sin (6:1-23).
There is a problem. No matter how much we wish to please God and no matter how hard we try to do so, we fail. We fail because we do not have sufficient strength to overcome the sin which reigns in us through our own flesh. Like Paul, we want to serve God and to obey Him, yet we find ourselves disobeying Him instead. Like Paul, we wish to avoid evil, but we find that we do it anyway. As necessary as it may be to live righteously, we cannot do so in and of ourselves (Romans 7).
The solution is found, once again, in the work of our Lord on the cross of Calvary. If we are in Christ, we need never fear divine condemnation for He has delivered us from it. We are assured through the Holy Spirit that we are the sons of God. While we suffer and groan, due to the sin which remains in the world and in our own bodies, we are assured of that day of full release and victory over it. All creation groans with us and eagerly awaits the day of our full adoption as sons of God when the effects of sin will be reversed. The Holy Spirit ministers to us by interceding for us with the Father. Because He is sovereign, we are assured that God’s purposes and promises will be fulfilled. He not only chose us in eternity past, but He has already planned out our lives. He controls all things so that His purposes for our lives will be accomplished. Because of God’s sovereign power and His great love, we know that nothing can separate us from His love or keep us from the good He has purposed for us (Romans 8).
In Romans 9-11, Paul now turns to the role which the Jews play in God’s program. He is explaining Israel’s failure, her rejection of Messiah, and her persecution of the church. He is also explaining how God has incorporated the Gentiles into His program so that both Jews and Gentiles will be saved. In concluding this section, Paul tells us how, in God’s wisdom and sovereignty, He is using the salvation of the Gentiles to bring about the salvation of the Jews.
We are now at the half-way point of Romans 9. Paul began by expressing his great love for his own people, the Jews, his grief over their unbelief, and his willingness to sacrifice himself if it would bring about their salvation (9:1-5). In verses 6-13, Paul has pointed to the doctrine of election as his first explanation for Israel’s unbelief. Not all of physical Israel is that “Israel” which God purposed to bless. God has always selected some to bless and chosen to leave others in their state of unbelief, destined for the judgment they deserve. Paul has already given us two examples of divine election. God chose to bless Isaac, not Ishmael; He loved Jacob and hated Esau.
In our text of Romans 9:14-23, Paul will press his point even further. In verses 14-18, he will contrast God’s choice of Moses and His hardening of Pharaoh. In verses 19-23, Paul will move from specific individuals to two broad groups—“vessels of wrath” and “vessels of mercy.”
All along in his epistle to the Romans, Paul has made use of questions. If I have counted correctly, 75 questions are asked in this epistle. In our text, Paul raises two questions in response to his teaching on the sovereignty of God in salvation and its outworking in divine election. The first question is recorded in verse 14:
What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there?
The second question is raised in verse 19:
You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?”
Our text centers around these two questions, both stemming from Paul’s teaching on the sovereignty of God and on divine election. The premise in both cases is the same: God chooses some for salvation while the rest He has appointed for wrath. The two questions are different, however. We should take note of these differences before we begin to look at each question separately.
(1) The questions are phrased differently:
(2) The questions are raised by different people. The first question is raised by Paul. It deals with the response of Christians (“we”). The second question is raised by another (“you”).
(3) The questions reveal a very different spirit on the part of the questioner. The first question is posed from the perspective of faith and submission to God. The second question is raised in rebellion against God.
(4) The two questions approach the justice of God from a very different point of view. The first question accepts the justice of God and wishes an explanation which assures that it is in no way compromised by His grace in election. The second question challenges the justice of God as unjust. The second questioner would like to misuse the doctrine of election to throw out divine judgment altogether.
(5) The questions are answered differently. The first question is answered without rebuke and with documentation from the Old Testament. The second question is not actually answered at all.231 Instead, the questioner is rebuked for being out of order.
The difference between these questions is evident. The contrast is deliberate. After we study these questions independently, we will seek to explore the differences and to learn the lesson Paul teaches by putting them side by side.
What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I raised you up, to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth.” So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.
The question of verse 14 is introduced with the same expression as found in Romans 6:1; 7:7; and 8:31. It implies that a response to the sovereignty of God, particularly to divine election, is expected. The question assumes the reader has rightly understood Paul’s teaching that God chooses to save some and not to save others. The question also suggests that the teaching Paul is engaged in here is difficult to understand and that it may raise questions which should both be asked and answered. The doctrines of the sovereignty of God and divine election do raise questions. It is not wrong to raise them and to look to God for a resolution to the difficulties they raise.232
The construction and translation of the question Paul raises (“There is no injustice with God, is there?”) indicates that the questioner does not doubt God’s justice. The question merely expresses an area of tension in the mind of the one listening to Paul’s teaching here. How do we square God’s justice, which we know and believe to be true, with God’s sovereign election of some and not others? If we have no problem here, others surely will, and they will press us for the answer.
Paul’s response (“May it never be!”) is indicative of his conviction that God’s justice is not tarnished or violated by election. Just as the questioner is reluctant to ask the question for fear it may be irreverent, the apostle is quick to affirm the justice of God. God is surely not on trial here as He appears to be when the second question is raised in verse 19.
Paul’s explanation follows in verses 15-18. It has two parts, each introduced by the explanatory word “for” in verses 15 and 17. His explanation covers both sides of election, election to salvation and to condemnation. Moses is chosen of God as an object of divine mercy and compassion (verse 15). Pharaoh is chosen of God as an object of divine wrath (verses 17-18). Verse 16 separates the two illustrations, both coming from the days of Israel’s birth as a nation and deliverance from bondage in Egypt. It spells out the implications of sovereign grace.
The question raised in verse 14 pertains to the righteousness of God due to the fact that He does not treat all men equally. The tension which Paul recognizes in his day is even more pronounced in our own. Equal treatment is required by the law, and inequality quickly is pointed out and protested against. Women who perform the same tasks as men expect to be paid equal wages. One race expects equal treatment with another. How is it then that God can get away with treating people differently? How is it that God can be righteous in justifying one person and condemning another? How is it that God can deal with men differently and ignore their performance?
Paul’s response is recorded in verse 15. He turns to the history of Israel and to God’s dealings with Moses as recorded in Exodus 33. He cites these words which God spoke to Moses: “I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.”
We must understand the context in which they were spoken if we are to understand these words. God has led His people out of Egypt. They are now camped at the foot of Mt. Sinai. While God was giving the Law to Moses on the mountain, the Israelites became impatient. Under the leadership of Aaron, they made themselves an idol and began to worship it in a most heathen way (Exodus 32:1-6). Initially, it is God who is angry and Moses who appears to be trying to persuade God to be gracious to His people. When Moses appealed to God on the basis of His reputation, God relented of the destruction of the entire nation (32:7-14).
When Moses went down from the mountain and saw the wickedness of the Israelites, he became angry with them. He strongly rebuked his brother Aaron and ordered the people who would obey to kill those who were out of control. The sons of Levi responded, killing about 3,000 (verses 15-30). Moses then sought to intercede for the nation and to make an atonement for their sin. He even offered himself to God for this purpose (verse 32).
After this follows a series of pleas by Moses in which he besought the Lord to forgive the Israelites as a whole, to abide with them, and go with them into the land of Canaan (32:31-34:9). God persistently assured Moses that he had found favor with Him and that He would go with him (see 33:14,17). Moses persistently pressed God to forgive the nation as a whole and to deal graciously with all of the Israelites, just as He was dealing with him (see 33:12-13, 15-16; 34:9).
A period of time passed before God revealed to Moses and to the people how He would deal with them. During this time and after, as God had instructed (33:4-6), the people stripped off their jewelry as a sign of their mourning and repentance. God continued to show His favor toward Moses but not toward the people. Moses pitched a tent outside the camp. The people stood in respect as Moses entered the tent. When he was in the tent, the cloud descended upon it, stationed at the entrance to the tent. It was here that God communed with Moses face to face, causing his face to glow. While he was in the tent, they worshipped. God was with Moses in intimate communion, but He remained distant from the people (33:7-11).
Moses wanted even more of God than speaking with Him face to face. He wanted to see God face to face. This was not possible, but God did permit him to see His glory, partially veiled. He granted Moses to see Him from the back side, sheltered by a rock and by the hand of God (33:18-23; 34:6-8). Both when this request was granted Moses and when God’s glory was revealed to him, God spoke to Moses concerning His mercy:
“I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion” (Exodus 33:19).
Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations” (Exodus 34:6-7).
Several things command attention in these words which God spoke to Moses. First, God’s glory, which Moses asked to see (Exodus 33:18), is seen partially in His goodness. This is why God caused His goodness to pass before Moses. Second, God’s glory is evidenced in His sovereign grace. Moses knew that all Israel was guilty and worthy of death. He could not ask for justice; he could only plead for grace. But Moses asked for too much. Moses asked God to be gracious to every Israelite. God’s response is found in the words by Moses cited above. God’s grace, in order to be grace, could not be granted to every Israelite. It must be sovereignly granted to some.
There is a third element in God’s response: His goodness is not only revealed in forgiveness but in condemnation. God’s grace was shown to thousands whom He forgave. But His grace cannot be extended to all lest justice be set aside. God’s goodness includes not only grace but justice. Thus, while God may sovereignly bestow His grace on some, He must also sovereignly punish others. He will not “leave the guilty unpunished” (34:7). When Moses asked for grace to be granted to every Israelite, he was asking for that which would have been unrighteous. God’s justice requires that He punish sinners. His grace enables Him to sovereignly forgive some. It is not failing to save all which would be an injustice, but failing to judge many. God’s sovereign election of some to salvation is completely just.233
Paul will take up this matter of God’s justice and divine condemnation in verse 17. Before he moves on to this side of God’s goodness, he underscores the implications of divine election in verse 16:
So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.
Divine election in no way impugns the righteousness of God. This is a wrong inference, an incorrect implication of what Paul has been teaching. The implication Paul wants to leave with the Christian is this: our election does not depend upon us at all, but upon God.
Paul is not content to have his point understood in general. His words in verse 16 span the whole spectrum of human works. He specifies that our election is not determined by either our will or our works.234 God did not elect some based upon our commitment to Him or our resolution to be faithful. Neither is our election based upon our faithfulness in carrying out that which we have willed. Running is an exercise of endurance. While we should run the race with patience,235 it is not our endurance which secures our election.
What a glorious truth! God’s choice of men, and the salvation which He has purposed, is not dependent upon man’s will nor his works. This is precisely what John’s Gospel teaches:
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:12-13).
Divine grace, as evident in election, assures us that God is just and that we are justified. Salvation is God’s work, all of grace. We are saved by grace. We are sanctified by grace. By His grace we are kept eternally secure. For this, we shall be eternally grateful.
Few will struggle with those whom God has chosen to be recipients of His grace. The problem for most is with those whom God rejects, those whom God has destined for eternal torment. Many things can be said on this point. For example, it must be said that all those whom God “hardens” (to use the terminology of Paul in our text) have also hardened their own hearts. God does not condemn any who are innocent236 to eternal torment, but only the guilty. Likewise, those whom God chooses to save are also guilty, but are granted His grace. No one goes to hell simply because God arbitrarily determined they would, but because they have rebelled against God and against His law. This is what Romans 1-3 is all about. This is also what Romans 10 is about.
But here, Paul chooses Pharaoh to illustrate that God’s election is not only positive (saving grace), but negative (divine hardening and condemnation). Pharaoh is the counterpart of Moses.237 Pharaoh was the enemy of Israel. He is the one whom God raised up to resist Him and to persecute His people. Moses was the one whom God raised up to deliver His people. Just as God loved Jacob and hated Esau (verse 13), so He chose to manifest His grace to Moses and His wrath toward Pharaoh.
The hardening of Pharaoh’s heart had one thing in common with God’s favor toward Moses—both were purposed to promote the glory of God. Why did God raise up Moses and the nation Israel? To demonstrate His power and to proclaim His name to all the earth. God’s power was dramatically demonstrated when Pharaoh stiffened his neck and said, “Who is the God of Israel, that I should obey Him?” (Exodus 5:2). The plagues were God’s response to Pharaoh’s stubborn refusal to let the Israelites go. The plagues were a dramatic demonstration of God’s power, a power vastly superior to the power of Pharaoh and of Egypt. Because of what God did to Pharaoh and to Egypt, God’s name was proclaimed. The nations with whom Israel would come in contact knew all too well of God’s power, and they feared it (see Exodus 15, especially verses 14-16).
Paul’s point will go even farther than this, for now it is the hearts of the Israelites which God has hardened. He is about to show his readers that just as Pharaoh’s hardened heart was the occasion for the salvation of the Israelites, so Israel’s stubborn unbelief has become the occasion for God’s salvation of the Gentiles. If God would not be glorified by Israel’s faith and obedience, He will be glorified by her obstinate unbelief and persecution. The Book of Acts makes it abundantly clear how this took place (see Acts 8:1, 4; 11:19-21).
Verse 18 brings us to the second “so then” of our passage:238
So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.
Paul concludes here not so much by pointing out something new as by restating the premise with which he began. His readers have heard him correctly. God is sovereign. He determined a plan before time began. He chose some to be saved, to be plucked by grace from the path which leads to destruction. He chose to harden others, to allow them to persist in their unbelief and to plunge themselves into hell. The choice, as Paul will later point out, is one which men themselves make. The choice, as Paul here points out, is a choice which God first makes. God’s sovereignty not only tolerates election but necessitates it.
You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?” On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use, and another for common use? What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so in order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory.
As pointed out at the beginning of our study of this text, the question raised in verse 19 is very different from that which we find in verse 14. The first question was raised humbly, out of genuine concern; this question is raised arrogantly, in defiance toward God. We might paraphrase it this way:
So what is the big deal? What is God’s problem? Why does He blame me for those things which He made me do?
Notice first what is said or implied by the question raised in verse 19. The assumption is that God does condemn men for their unbelief and their sins. “Why does God still find fault?” God still has not given up. He still persists, stubbornly they seem to think, in finding men guilty of their sins. In addition, the assumption is granted that God is indeed sovereign: “Who resists His will?” Notice further that the assumption is that it is wrong for God to condemn men, even though He has done so and persists in doing so.
Additionally the whole orientation is wrong. God is acknowledged to be the One judging men, and yet the questioner has taken the seat of the judge by asking this question. And the questioner has seated God in the seat of the defendant, the accused. Now God is expected to explain His actions to men. God is being judged and condemned by men for condemning men! How amazing is Satan’s work of turning things upside down.
The answer to this question is not given here, not because the issue raised should not be aired. The problem is the spirit with which it is raised. The question assumes that if God is sovereign and He has determined all that will happen, then men are no longer responsible. The premise is correct: God is sovereign. God does choose whom He will save and whom He will harden. The conclusion is entirely wrong. The question assumes that if God is sovereign, men are not to be held accountable for their deeds. The answer given later is that God’s sovereignty is such that it gives men a choice and holds them accountable for it.
Notice three significant things about Paul’s response here:
(1) Paul in no way backs off of what he has taught. He does not try to soften his teaching nor does he feel the need to clarify or defend what he has previously taught. This is an important point because the question is only valid if the premise is valid. The premise of the question is that God is sovereign, and that He does choose to save some but not others. If the premise was wrong, then Paul would have corrected it here and now. But he does not correct the premise. This further confirms that Paul is teaching the doctrine of individual election, one which determines the destiny of all men, including those whom God purposed to save as well as those whom He chose to harden.
(2) Paul indicts the questioner for talking back to God. The question and the questioner are out of order. Here is a question which should never have been asked.
(3) Paul refuses to answer this question at this time. Paul’s response here is not an answer to the question. As in Jesus’ days, no matter how true, how self-evident Jesus’ answers were the unbelieving heart would not accept them. To answer this question here and now would have been to respond to a fool according to his folly. Here Paul puts the questioner in his place in verses 20 and 21 and then restates his teaching in broader terms in verses 22 and 23.
Paul intends to put men in their place in verses 20 and 21. God is the Creator; we are creatures, created by God. In such a world, God, not men, gives the orders and passes judgment. When men begin to judge God, something has gone desperately wrong.
I taught school in a state prison where the guards wore white shirts and the inmates wore brown shirts. Whenever one of the inmates complained or criticized Mr. Look, the guard, he would respond, “Well, well. They told me that in this place the men who wear the white shirts got to tell the men in the brown shirts what to do.” Following Mr. Look’s logic and terminology, God is wearing a white shirt, and men can only wear brown.
(4) Paul’s response to this question assumes that God is the Creator of human life, and thus He has the right to use men as He chooses, including the determination of man’s eternal destiny. The imagery of the potter occurs several times in the Old Testament.239 The two texts from which Paul seems to draw, and to which he refers in Romans 9:20-21, are found in Isaiah and Jeremiah:
“Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker—An earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth! Will the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you doing?’ Or the thing you are making say, ‘He has no hands’? Woe to him who says to a father, ‘What are you begetting?’ Or to a woman, ‘To what are you giving birth?’” Thus says the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker: “Ask Me about the things to come concerning My sons, And you shall commit to Me the work of My hands. It is I who made the earth, and created man upon it. I stretched out the heavens with My hands, And I ordained all their host. I have aroused him in righteousness, And I will make all his ways smooth; He will build My city, and will let My exiles go free, Without any payment or reward,” says the Lord of hosts (Isaiah 45:9-13).
The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord saying, “Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I shall announce My words to you.” Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something on the wheel. But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make. Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, “Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel. At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to destroy it; if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it. Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant it; if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it. “So now then, speak to the men of Judah and against the inhabitants of Jerusalem saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Behold, I am fashioning calamity against you and devising a plan against you. Oh turn back, each of you from his evil way, and reform your ways and your deeds.”’ But they will say, ‘It’s hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart’” (Jeremiah 18:1-12).
The Isaiah 45 text draws our attention to a very important truth which relates to Israel. The image of God as Creator goes beyond His creation of Adam and Eve in the garden or even of God as the Creator of all men. God is described in the Old Testament as Israel’s Creator as well (see Isaiah 44:2; 45:11; 54:5). Just as God made man from the dust of the earth—ignoble stuff that it is—so God made Israel from less than noble stuff. Israel’s origin from such humble stuff should have undermined any false pride she might have. But beyond this, since God created this nation He has the right to do with it as He chooses. He may, if He chooses, use this clay vessel as a vessel of mercy or as a vessel of wrath. He, as Israel’s Creator, can deal with her as He chooses.
This truth brings the blood of many, especially unbelievers, to a boil. “What right does God have to deal with men in such a cavalier way? Who does He think He is?” God’s sovereign right, as the Creator and Ruler of the universe, to save some and condemn others is seen as shameful. And yet, my friends, many of those who would protest against God’s sovereignty, demand the same sovereignty for themselves. They want to be “like God,”240 yet they don’t want God to be like God.
I am speaking specifically here of the so-called “pro-choice” movement, those women who insist that they have the right to decide, without any outside influence or intervention, the fate of the child in their womb. They believe that they have created the child and that it is theirs to dispose of as they wish. They do not call the child “clay” but “the tissue of human conception.” All in all, they believe the decision concerning the life or death of the unborn is their sovereign choice. “Privacy” is really a synonym for “sovereignty.” Is it not amazing that the very thing which the abortionists would condemn in God they commend and even demand for themselves!
The text in Jeremiah is specifically applied to God’s sovereignty as it relates to salvation. While Paul may not quote directly from this text, he is surely referring to it or at least to the lesson which it was meant to convey to Israel. For just a moment, follow me through the message of Jeremiah to see how his words serve to reinforce Paul’s argument in Romans.
In Jeremiah’s text, there is a potter who makes a vessel which does not turn out in a way that pleases him. The potter therefore sets the pot aside and makes another. No one would quibble with his right to do so. After all, he is the potter; the pots are mere clay. God is likened to the potter and Israel to the clay pot. When Israel failed to live up to its task, God was free to set Israel aside and to create another vessel to accomplish His purposes.
The right to do this is not based solely on the fact that God is the Creator, the potter. God’s right to do this is based upon a principle governing the way God deals with men—all men. The principle, which is defined in this text from Jeremiah, might be summarized in this way:
God’s promised blessings and judgment depend upon our response to His Word. Those who repent and request God’s mercy will receive it; those who resist and refuse it will be judged.
Israel presumed upon the grace of God. They seem to have forgotten that God’s promised blessings were based upon His grace. When the nation turned from God, it supposed that God owed them His favor. They thought His blessings would flow to them regardless of what they did. They also supposed that God’s wrath was to be poured out on the Gentiles regardless of what they did. In this text, God makes it clear that He pours out His grace on sinners who repent of their sin and call upon Him for mercy. His wrath is poured out on those who resist and refuse His grace and who persist in their sin. His promised blessings therefore flow to those who will receive them, as undeserved favor. His wrath is poured out on the disobedient who wish to live their lives independently of God.
God’s blessings are promised to any sinner who will receive them, as grace and by means of faith. God’s wrath is promised to all who reject His grace. Worked out, this principle explains why God has rejected Israel for a season and why so many Israelites are in unbelief and under divine judgment. This principle also explains how God could, through Jonah, prophesy coming wrath upon the Ninevites and then forgive them when they repented.
God has the right to do as He chooses with men whom He has created. But God’s dealings with men are not capricious. They are based upon those principles which He Himself has declared. The Israelites, who were promised His blessings, are now in unbelief and under divine condemnation. They are so, not because God is arbitrary and unpredictable in His dealing with men, but because He consistently keeps His Word and deals with men in accordance with the principles He has laid down. So too God is presently pouring out His favor on Gentiles because these Gentiles have repented and requested His grace. God is dealing with men in accordance with the principles given by Him in His Word.
While Romans 9 has a strong emphasis on the sovereignty of God, as implemented through divine election, it does not ignore the doctrine of human responsibility which will be much more fully developed in chapters 10 and 11. If the objector who raised the question in verse 19 were to study Jeremiah 18, he would understand why God deals with Israel (and with mankind in general) as He does. God’s sovereignty does not rule out man’s responsibility. God is sovereign, and man is responsible. The two truths are compatible. The premise of the objector (If God is sovereign, man is not responsible) is incorrect.
The doctrine of election is spelled out in broader terms in verses 21 and 22. These individuals (Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob and Esau, Moses and Pharaoh) are not exceptions; they are examples. They illustrate the principle of divine election, a principle which extends and applies to every human being. Ultimately there are only two categories, only two destinies: By divine choice, a man is either a “vessel of wrath” or a “vessel of mercy.”
Notice that Paul’s statements in these two verses are posed as questions. They are not statements, per se, but questions. These questions seek to put the questioner in his place, or rather, to remind the questioner of what his place is. God is the potter; we are the clay. The clay does not have the right to question the potter.
As I understand these verses, Paul is refusing to explain God’s actions and is rebuking the questioner for raising the question. It is not that Paul has no answer. Man is eternally condemned, not only because God has not chosen him (Romans 9), but because he has not chosen God (chapter 10). God’s sovereignty is so great that He can allow men to make choices and still be in complete control. When we make our choice, we are responsible for that choice. We dare not seek to blame God for our sin or for the judgment which it brings on us. When we choose to sin, the “Devil did not make us sin,” and neither did God (see James 1:13-15). When all other explanations are set aside—indeed, even if there were no other explanation for divine election—God is God, and therefore He can do as He chooses with those whom He created, for His glory and for His purposes. God did not create men so that He might serve our purposes, but that we might serve His purposes.
Verse 23 puts this whole matter of “vessels of wrath” and “vessels of mercy” into perspective. Verse 22 speaks of God as enduring with much patience the “vessels of wrath” which He has created. Why does God let the wicked go unpunished so long? Why does God not deal more quickly with the wicked? This divine delay in judging sinners is often the source of great agony to the true believer (see Psalm 73, for example). Paul gives us one answer to this question: God’s delay in judging sinners is for the benefit of the elect.241 Both the glory of God and the judgment of God are future events. God has chosen to delay judging sinners because, as I understand it, this is a part of the revelation of His glory. God is therefore glorified not only by the salvation of the elect but by the condemnation of the non-elect.
Some Christians seem to think God is glorified only by the salvation of sinners. This is not the case. God is equally glorified by the condemnation of sinners. Moses and the exodus of Israel from Egypt glorified God. Pharaoh’s hardened heart and his resistance against God and His people also glorified God. All of God’s creation will ultimately bring glory to Him. The ultimate question is not whether God will receive glory. The ultimate question for you is whether He will be glorified by your salvation or by your condemnation. God has nothing to lose and everything to gain. You have everything to lose or everything to gain.
The principle laid down by Jeremiah still holds today. God has promised to forgive and to bless those sinners who repent and who will receive His mercy. God has promised to judge those who resist and reject His grace. Will you cry out for His grace and be saved?
There are many who misapply the doctrine of election. They reason something like this:
“Either God has chosen to save me, or He has chosen to reject Me. It really doesn’t matter what I do; it only matters what God has chosen to do.”
If you put the blame on God for your condemnation, you are responding to God in the same way as the questioner in verse 19. And Paul’s rebuke to him rightly applies to you. The offer of salvation has been given. Those who receive Christ by faith will be saved. Those who reject Him will be condemned. What is your choice?
One of the key words in our passage is the word “mercy.” In tracking the use of this word in the New Testament, I learned something very significant: No one ever called upon our Lord for mercy and was turned away.242 No one ever came to our Lord and asked for mercy and received a response like: “Well, you are not one of the elect. I’m sorry, you’ll have to go away.” Every individual who asked Jesus for mercy in the gospels received it. Those who spurned His grace were condemned.
The doctrine of election is true. It is vitally important. But the doctrine of election is not brought up by Paul until Romans 9. It is a doctrine every Christian needs to understand. It is not a doctrine every unbeliever needs to know. Unbelievers need to know that they are sinners and that the wrath of God awaits them. They need to know that God has provided a way of escaping His wrath and of entering into His promised blessings. That “way” is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6). No one comes to the Father except through Jesus Christ. By His death, Jesus suffered God’s wrath on the sinner. By His life, you can be given new life. Receive this gift. Call upon Him for mercy, and He will forgive; He will save.
There is only one instance in the gospels when a request for mercy was made and denied. It is so important I want to remind you of it:
“Now there was a certain rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, gaily living in splendor every day. And a certain poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. Now it came about that the poor man died and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. And in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue; for I am in agony in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, in order that those who wish to come over from here to you may not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, Father, that you send him to my father’s house—for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ But he said, ‘No, Father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’ But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead’” (Luke 16:19-31, emphasis mine).
When the day of judgment has come or when the day of our death comes, there will no longer be an opportunity for mercy. The time when God’s mercy is extended to sinners is now. The day of judgment rapidly approaches. Do not delay, my friend. Plead for mercy, and He will grant it. God’s justice will be executed. We must not doubt this. God’s mercy is now offered. Take it, today.
Allow me to conclude this message with a final thought to ponder. The doctrine of election is not obscure; it is not hard to prove. It is only hard, for some, to accept. Those who may be predisposed to reject divine election would like us to think that this doctrine is not taught in the Bible. In our text, it is taught clearly, emphatically, categorically, repeatedly. If men reject this doctrine, it is not because it is not taught in the Bible, but because men will not accept it. Nothing is clearer in our text: the sovereign God chooses some and rejects others, and He does so in a way that reflects His sovereignty and preserves man’s responsibility.
230 In short, the doctrine of election is the teaching of the Bible that God chooses to save some men from their sins and to allow others to face the condemnation which their sins deserve. The doctrine of election focuses on the divine side of salvation. It is two-sided, in that God both chooses whom He will save and whom He will condemn.
231 The question raised in verse 19 is answered with a barrage of questions from Paul. Those who genuinely seek to know and to obey God have many (not all) of their questions answered. Those who do not merely end up with a longer list of unanswered questions. Jesus often answered the questions of his opponents with one or more questions (see, for example, Matthew 21:23-32).
232 This does not mean, however, that we can explain every difficulty to our satisfaction. In some cases we must simply accept the truths which are taught, even though we may find it impossible to completely harmonize them with other truths. The sovereignty of God must be accepted, along with the doctrine of human responsibility. The deity of our Lord Jesus Christ must be accepted, along with the doctrine of His humanity. How the two blend together may be a mystery, but both truths are clearly taught in Scripture and must therefore be accepted as true.
233 Let us not forget what Paul has already told us in Romans 3. By punishing His Son on the cross, God is both just and the justifier of those sinners who believe by faith in Jesus (3:26).
234 Compare here Philippians 2:13 where willing and working are both the result of God’s work in us.
236 We know from Romans 3 that all are guilty before God. We are sinners by birth (Psalm 51:5; Ephesians 2:1-3) and by choice (Romans 1:18-3:20).
237 We should recall from the account of Moses in Exodus that Moses was taken into the household of Pharaoh and made a member of Pharaoh’s family. For all intents and purposes, Moses could have been Pharaoh (see Hebrews 11:24-26).
238 The first “so then” came in verse 16. Both times this expression indicates the outcome or result of God’s sovereign election.
239 Isaiah 29:16; 41:25; 45:9; 64:8; Jeremiah 18:6.
240 See Genesis 3:5 and Isaiah 14:12-14.
241 It is interesting to look at the context of Exodus 9:16, which Paul has cited above. In verses 15 and 16, we find these words which agree with the point being made here in verse 23: “For if by now I had put forth My hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, you would then have been cut off from the earth. But, indeed, for this cause I have allowed you to remain, in order to show you My power, and in order to proclaim My name through all the earth” (Exodus 9:15-16).
242 See for example, Matthew 15:21-28; Luke 17:11-19; 18:35-43.
My father and my uncle were golfing when one of them hit his golf ball into a swamp close to land. Perhaps it is a family trait, but neither of them were willing to lose that ball. Uncle Roy reached out into the murky water as far as he could, but he could not quite reach the ball. Calling to my Dad for help, he said, “Byron, why don’t you hold onto your club, and hold it out so I can hang on to it and reach the ball?” Bracing himself, my Dad extended his club over the water. Uncle Roy then suspended himself over the water clinging to the golf club blade.
I am not sure who made the fatal error, but somehow both my dad and my uncle ended up in the swamp, laughing uproariously as they emerged soaking wet. Up on the hill, the golf pro giving lessons watched the fiasco, shaking his head in disbelief. “What a couple of clowns,” he must have muttered to himself.
Since neither my dad or my uncle give up easily, they plucked the ball out of the water, along with several others, and proceeded with their game. What the pro saw next completely astounded him. Stepping up to the ball, my uncle hit it toward the flag a good distance away where it sank neatly into the cup. My dad then stepped up and did precisely the same thing.
Seeing such a thing happen twice in a row must have been quite a surprise. The clown-like behavior of those two golfers before they accomplished such a feat must have made the sight even more incredible. How many shots like this had the pro ever made? Indeed perhaps he had never made such a shot in his life. And he worked so hard at the game. How could two clowns make such incredible shots when he had not? Without even trying, those two were successful when others had tried hard and failed.
When someone succeeds without even trying, we try to be gracious, especially if we have failed with great effort. We are naturally inclined to resent the success of those who do not strive for it. This is precisely the case with the Gentiles and the Jews. In the final verses of Romans 9, Paul summarizes the state of affairs with both Israel and the Gentiles. He says that the vast majority of the Jews have labored hard to earn their own righteousness while the Gentiles have attained righteousness with no effort at all. Does this make sense? Does it seem fair? How can this be?
The ninth chapter of the Book of Romans was written with this dilemma in mind. Chapters 9-11 of Romans were written to explain Israel’s condition in the light of God’s promises and in the light of the salvation of many Gentiles.
In verses 1-5, Paul introduces this section by conveying his deep love for his own people, Israel, his grief over their unbelief, and his willingness to give himself up for their salvation if this were possible. Paul does not display a kind of cool objectivity as though the fate of his fellow-Israelites does not matter to him. No; he is on Israel’s side. But first and foremost he must be true to God and to His Word. Later he will explain how his ministry to the Gentiles contributes to the salvation of the Jews. For now he wants us to understand his great love for his people and his grief over their unbelief.
In verse 6, Paul raises a concern which highlights and demonstrates his method as he explains Israel’s unbelief in contrast to the salvation taking place among the Gentiles. The issue at hand is this: … it is not as though the Word of God has failed (9:6).
This is a very legitimate response. We know that in the Old Testament, as in the New, salvation comes to those who believe God’s Word. The writer to the Hebrews sums up the faith of the Old Testament saints in these words:
All these died in faith, without receiving the promises but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth (Hebrews 11:13).
Paul goes to great effort in Romans 4 to show that Abraham was justified by faith and not by works. He believed in God’s promise, and on the basis of faith, he was justified.
Just as individual salvation is based upon the promises of God, Israel’s hope as a nation is based on God’s Word. God has made promises to the nation which may appear to have failed in the light of Israel’s unbelief. In chapters 9-11, Paul sets God’s promises to Israel and Israel’s history side-by-side. His whole purpose is to show the reader that all that has happened to Israel is in complete harmony with God’s Word concerning Israel. Israel’s present condition does not prove to be an embarrassment to anyone who believes God’s Word. Israel’s condition is evidence of the faithfulness of God’s Word and of His sovereignty in history as He brings about the fulfillment of His every promise.
The matter of the faithfulness of God’s Word is not important only to the Jews. The Christian serves the same God of the Old Testament. The Christian receives God’s promised blessings as a true son of Abraham. We who are Gentile believers are blessed by God’s grace in bestowing on us those things which He promised the true Israelite. If God’s Word, as revealed in the Old Testament, has proven to be unreliable, then His Word in the New Testament is unreliable as well. Every Christian should be convinced of the faithfulness of God’s Word. Nothing proves it more convincingly than Paul’s inspired words in Romans 9-11.
Our attention will be focused on verses 24-33 in this lesson. These verses fall into three main divisions:
(1) The salvation of Gentiles and the Old Testament Scriptures — Verses 24-26
(2) The preservation of the Jews and the Old Testament Scriptures — Verses 27-29
(3) Israel’s failure, the salvation of the Gentiles, and the Old Testament Scriptures — Verses 30-33
Our approach will be to study verses 24-33 in the light of Paul’s goal, expressed in verse 6, and in the light of Israel’s condition described in verses 30 and 31. Quotations from the Old Testament constitute the majority of our text. Paul cites from the writings of two prophets, Hosea and Isaiah, showing that the unbelief of the Jews and the belief of the Gentiles perfectly fulfills God’s Word. Israel’s state of affairs demonstrates the faithfulness of God’s Word. God’s Word has not failed; it has been fulfilled.
Israel’s unbelief should not be viewed as an unexpected event nor should her failure cause one to doubt the faithfulness of God or His Word. The Old Testament Scriptures explain Israel’s condition and her future. They provide several lines of explanation for Israel’s failure. Paul lays out these lines of evidence in Romans 9:16-33 and beyond.243 First, Israel’s unbelief should be viewed in the light of divine election, a principle which governs God’s relationship to Israel and which continues to govern His relationship to all those on whom He bestows divine grace. God never promised to bless all of the seed of Abraham. He selectively blessed Abraham’s seed. Thus, God chose Isaac and rejected Ishmael (9:7-9). God chose Jacob and rejected Esau (9:10-13). God chose to use both Moses and Pharaoh to proclaim His name and to demonstrate His power. He chose to use Moses as a “vessel of mercy” and Pharaoh as a “vessel of wrath” (9:15-18).
God’s selection of some for blessing and others for condemnation is independent of the merits of those whom He chooses. His choice is a sovereign choice. His blessings are granted in accordance with grace and not works. This means that our salvation and our enjoyment of God’s blessings do not depend upon our worth or our works but on God (9:16).
What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so in order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles. As He says also in Hosea, “I will call those who were not My people, ‘My people,’ and her who was not beloved, ‘beloved.’” “And it shall be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘you are not My people,’ There they shall be called sons of the living God” (Romans 9:22-26).
Paul is dealing with the difficulty of the widespread unbelief of the Jews. Only a small minority of Israelites have believed in Jesus as their Messiah, contrasted with a larger number of Gentile saints. How can it be that God has made so many promises to the nation Israel which have not been fulfilled and which appear at the moment to have little hope of fulfillment? Does Israel’s failure to trust in Jesus not only mean that the Israelites have failed but that God’s promises have failed as well? Is Israel’s failure also a failure of the Word of God? Is God’s Word reliable? Could they count on it; can we? Can we stake our eternal future on the promises of God in His Word?
Paul answers the question concerning Israel’s failure and the trustworthiness of God’s Word in several parts in chapter 9. His first answer comes in verses 6-23 as he begins to explain in verse 6 that God’s promises were more selective than some might think. God did not promise to bless all of the physical descendants of Israel, but only some. The blessing was passed down through the descendants of Abraham, with God designating the line through which they would pass. Abraham’s blessings were passed on through the seed of Isaac but not Ishmael. Though Isaac had two sons and Esau was the elder son, God designated that His blessings would be passed down through Jacob and not Esau.
Were some troubled that most of the Jews had not come to faith and had not experienced God’s blessings in Christ? God did not promise to bless all, but only some. God chose some, and He rejected others. The first explanation for Israel’s national unbelief is found in the doctrine of divine election, as we studied in our previous lesson. Not all physical Israelites are true Israelites. Not all Jews were promised God’s blessings or chosen to receive them.
We realize when we reach verse 23 that there are two kinds of Israelites: those who were promised God’s blessings and those who were not—those who were chosen and those who were rejected—those who were chosen as “vessels of mercy” and those who were appointed to be “vessels of wrath.” Physical Israelites fall into two groups—the larger group is that of the non-elect; the smaller group is made up of those whom God purposed to save. And so we see one reason why so many Israelites have failed to come to Jesus Christ for eternal life.
If in verses 6-23 Paul has focused on the Jews, in verses 24-26 he turns to the Gentiles. One reason for the Jews’ unbelief is that God did not choose to bless every Jew. The reason for the salvation of the Gentiles is that God did purpose to bless some Gentiles, as well as some Jews.244
To prove the faithfulness of God’s Word, Paul turns to the Old Testament prophecy of Hosea, showing that Hosea had prophesied the salvation of the Gentiles. Paul cites from Hosea 2:23 and 1:10 to show that God long before had promised to make those who were “not God’s people” “God’s people.” Paul uses this text in his argument to show that God promised in the Old Testament to save some of the Gentiles and not just Jews.
Paul means much more than this when he cites from Hosea’s prophecy. In their original setting, Hosea’s words were not spoken to Gentiles. Neither were they intended to inform the Jews that God was soon going to save many from among the Gentiles. This is clearly taught elsewhere.
Hosea’s prophecy was written to Israel. The nation of Israel was divided into two kingdoms after the reign of Solomon, during the reign of his son Rehaboam.245 Ten tribes rebelled against Rehaboam and followed Jeroboam, becoming known as the northern kingdom of Israel. The other tribes followed Rehaboam as their king and became known as the southern kingdom of Judah with Jerusalem as its capital. The northern kingdom of Israel was disobedient to God, and her judgment was to be carried off by the Assyrians. These Israelites were carried off and dispersed among the nations, not returning to the land of Israel. The Jews of Judah, the southern kingdom, were later taken captive by the Babylonians, and a remnant of them returned to their land to rebuild the temple and the city of Jerusalem. The ten tribes of Israel were dispersed, virtually lost or assimilated into the heathen nations where they were taken as captives.
Hosea’s task was to expose Israel’s sin and to warn this northern kingdom of the judgment of God about to come upon them. He was to inform Israel that because of her sin, God was going to disown her for a time and deal with her as though she were not His people. God dramatically illustrated this through the prophet Hosea. Hosea was instructed to marry a harlot. Although Gomer married Hosea, she continued to live as a harlot and bore “children of harlotry” (1:2). Because of her harlotry, no one could really know who the father of her children were. Jezreel, the name given the first son, meant, “God will scatter.” This child was a warning of the impending captivity of Israel. The second child, a daughter, was named, “Lo-ruhamah,” meaning “no compassion.” God was not going to have compassion on Israel when He sent the Assyrians to devour Israel as His chastening rod. The third child was a son named “Lo-ammi,” meaning “not My people.” It was as though Hosea was saying, “This son is no child of mine!” So too Israel was no longer God’s “son.” Her sonship was taken away. Israel would be dealt with as though she was no longer God’s chosen.
If chapter 1 of Hosea has a message of doom, chapter 2 follows with a word of hope. After a time of chastening, God promised to restore Israel to a place of blessing. Those who were shown “no compassion” would later receive compassion, and those who were declared, “not My people,” would be called, “My people” (2:1).
Those who were “not God’s people” would become “His people.” Those who were called, “not My people” and who would later be called, “My people,” were Israelites, not Gentiles. But in the process of divine judgment, the Israelites were so absorbed into the Gentile nations that they were considered “lost”—the “lost tribes” of Israel. These Israelites were far more than figurative Gentiles; they were literally Gentiles because of their sin and the judgment God brought upon them.
And yet there was hope for these rebellious and sinful Israelites. Though they would become Gentiles, they were still promised restoration to God’s favor and blessings. These “non-Israelites” were to become, once again, the people of God. What a word of hope for Israel!
Paul simply took the principle underlying God’s dealings with Israel and applied it to the Gentiles. If God could declare heathen Israelites to be Gentiles and then later declare them to be His people, He could do the same for Gentiles. God had promised to make “non-Israelites” into “Israelites.”
What a word of hope to a believing Jew. It was the promise of Israel’s future restoration and blessing. What a distressing word to an unbelieving Jew. They believed that in order for a Gentile to enter into the blessings promised to Israel, the Gentile must first become a proselyte, a Jew. They believed the door through which any Gentile must pass to enter into God’s blessings was marked “Jews Only.” The Jews believed that only by circumcision and submission to the Law of Moses could any Gentile be blessed of God.
The Jew had to realize that he must be saved in virtually the same way as a Gentile. How humbling! Jews and Gentiles must enter into God’s blessings by one door, and that door is the Lord Jesus Christ. That door cannot be entered by works or by clinging to one’s physical line of descent. It can only be entered by faith. The gospel is the great equalizer. Jew and Gentile, slave and free, male and female are on the same level as far as obtaining righteousness by God’s means.
Paul’s citation from Hosea is powerful evidence that God purposed to save the Gentiles and that this was recorded in the Old Testament Scriptures. It was stated in God’s promise to Abraham early in the Book of Genesis (12:3) and reiterated much later in the prophecy of Hosea. God purposed to bless both the Jews and the Gentiles. He would do so by sending His Messiah, born of the Jews. While Israel was to be the source of God’s blessings, both Israelites and Gentiles were to be the recipient of these blessings.
In verse 6 Paul teaches that only some Israelites are true Israelites. He goes further in verses 25 and 26, showing from the Old Testament prophecy of Hosea that those whom God will bless come from among the Gentiles as well. “Not My people” is extended by Paul to mean not only the Israelites, whom God rejected for a time, but the Gentiles. Unbelieving Jews are no better than unbelieving and disobedient Gentiles. Both fall within the category of “not My people.”
And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that will be saved; for the Lord will execute His word upon the earth, thoroughly and quickly.” And just as Isaiah foretold, “Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left to us a posterity, we would have become as Sodom, and would have resembled Gomorrah.”
In Paul’s day, a Jewish believer or a Gentile believer might look about and see but a handful of Jewish Christians. With so few Jewish saints, how could God’s promises be fulfilled? Paul teaches in verses 27-29 that Israel’s future requires only a remnant to be saved. Israel’s hope does not depend on large numbers of Jewish believers; her hope depends upon God, who has always kept their hope alive by preserving a righteous remnant.246
Paul now turns from Hosea’s prophecy to the prophecy of Isaiah. Hosea’s prophecy was addressed to the northern kingdom of Israel concerning their coming captivity at the hands of the Assyrians. Isaiah’s prophecy is directed to the Jews in the southern kingdom of Judah concerning their captivity at the hands of the Babylonians. Though the Jews of Judah were many (like the “sand of the sea,”247 Isaiah 10:22), the judgment of God would reduce their numbers to but a small remnant. Only a remnant would return to their land.
This remnant was due to the grace of God and to His faithfulness in keeping His promise to the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Jews of Judah were judged by God for their sin and rebellion against Him, just as the Israelites of the northern kingdom had been. If God had dealt with the Jews of Judah as their sins deserved, there would be none left; there would be no remnant. Judah’s fate is both compared and contrasted with that of Sodom and Gomorrah. Judah’s sin was like that of Sodom and Gomorrah (see Isaiah 1:7-10). If God had dealt with Judah as He dealt with Sodom, there would be no one left. But God preserved a remnant so that His promised blessings might be poured out on the Jews in the future.
Did some struggle because so few Jews had trusted in Jesus as the Messiah? The fact is there are some who believe. There is a remnant left so that God’s purposes and promises will be fulfilled. It only takes one Jewish man and a Jewish woman for the nation to survive. Where there is a remnant, there is hope. God promised to preserve a remnant, and those in Paul’s day could rejoice that there was still a remnant in their own day. Divine discipline reduced Israel’s numbers considerably. Divine grace preserved some so that God’s promises are sure.
What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, just as it is written, “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.”
Israel’s condition, along with that of the Gentiles, is now summed up and is the basis for Paul’s extended discussion in Romans 9-11. The causes of this condition are also identified.
Gentiles248 have attained righteousness without even having sought for it. Israel on the other hand has pursued righteousness through law-keeping and yet has failed to attain it. Without even trying, Gentiles have been made righteous; trying as hard as they could, the Jews have failed.
How could this be? How could the Jews with all of their privileges and persistence not succeed at attaining righteousness? How could Gentiles stumble onto righteousness with no effort at all? It hardly seems fair, at first. Surely it poses a problem. What did the Gentiles do right which the Jews did wrong? The answer is given in verses 32 and 33.
God bestows righteousness as a gift on those He has chosen. It is granted as a gift of grace rather than a reward for hard work. Paul has already taught in Romans 1-3 that all mankind fails to achieve the righteousness God requires. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Those declared righteous are those who have forsaken their own good works and received God’s gift of righteousness in Christ, by faith (Romans 3:21-26). Even Abraham, the father of the faith, was justified by his faith and not by his works (Romans 4). Those who are children of Abraham are those like Abraham who believe and accept God’s promise of salvation in Christ.
The difference between the Gentiles who have attained righteousness and the Jews who have not is the difference between faith and works (see 9:30). The Jews wanted to work for their righteousness. The Gentiles were willing to accept divine charity. In the final analysis, righteousness is gained or lost in Jesus Christ. In rejecting Jesus as their Messiah, the Jews rejected God’s provision for righteousness. In receiving Jesus as Messiah, Gentiles were made righteous.
This too was foretold in Old Testament prophecy. Paul quotes from two texts in Isaiah’s prophecy which show that Israel would stumble over Jesus Christ as God’s provision for their salvation. Paul combines Isaiah 8:14 and Isaiah 28:16, which speak of a “stone of stumbling” for the nation Israel.
These words were spoken by God through Isaiah at a very critical time in Israel’s history—days not unlike those in which Israel was found in Paul’s day. The northern kingdom of Israel was about to be destroyed by Assyria. In sheer panic, the Palestinian nations and Syria were trying to form an alliance to defend themselves against Assyria. Ahaz, the king of Judah, refused to join this alliance, and so Syria and Israel invaded Judah to forcibly bring about this alliance (see Isaiah 7:1-2).
“What can we do?” That was the question Ahaz, king of Judah, along with all the people of Judah, wished to know. Some wanted to form an alliance with Egypt (see Isaiah 30:1-3). God’s answer, through Isaiah, was simple. Summarized, it was: “Trust in Me, and not in men. Trust in the Messiah who is to come and through whom you will be saved.”
“What can we do?” Nothing. Striving to save themselves would be futile. The threat of Israel and Syria would soon pass. God would deal with them Himself. The power of Assyria and later of Babylon was not to be resisted, because these nations were God’s chastening rod on the disobedient Jews of Israel and Judah. In time, God would judge these nations and put them down. For now, they were accomplishing God’s purposes.
Israel’s ultimate deliverance would come through Messiah. He was the “rock” of their salvation. But He was also a “stone of stumbling.” Those who would be saved must forsake self-effort and self-righteousness. They must acknowledge their sin, God’s judgment, and their inability to save themselves. They must wait on the Lord and look for the Messiah to come, through whom they would be saved. For the self-sufficient and self-righteous, this was highly offensive. The Messiah to come was a “stone of stumbling.” Many did not wish only to believe; they wanted to work. And so the One who came to save became to Israel a “stone of stumbling.” This brought about the downfall of Israel, not their deliverance. Israel’s salvation would be by faith—believing in the promised Messiah—and not by works (making human alliances). All who would believe would be saved. All who would not would be judged.
Isaiah prophesied of the Messiah who was to come and through whom Israel could be saved. Isaiah spoke of salvation in precisely the same terms as the Old Testament writers, Jesus, Paul, and the apostles. Salvation was by faith and not by works. It was receiving God’s salvation through believing in Jesus and not by trusting in one’s own works.
Isaiah’s words had both a present and a future application. For those Israelites who lived in his day, Isaiah urged them to patiently endure the chastening of the Lord and to wait for the day of His salvation through the Messiah. Those of Paul’s day must do likewise. They must recognize that Israel was to undergo divine judgment, not through the armies of Assyria or Babylon, but by means of the invasion of Roman armies. Those who would be saved must look to Jesus and wait for the day of deliverance and blessing which He would bring.
In this ninth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, Paul has given several explanations for the condition of Israel in his day and in our day as well. Israel’s widespread unbelief and rejection of Jesus is explained by the doctrine of divine election. God did not promise to bless every descendant of Israel but only those to whom He gave the promise. Not all the physical descendants of Israel are true Israelites but only those whom God has chosen as such (9:6-23).
The salvation of the Gentiles is also explained in that God had both purposed and promised to save some Gentiles as well as some Jews. God’s promise to Israel through Hosea was also a promise for the Gentiles, who like Israel, are “not God’s people,” due to their sin, but who can become God’s people by His grace (9:24-26).
The small number of believing Israelites is no problem to God or to the fulfillment of His promises. God promised to judge the sins of His people, and in so doing many Jews were destroyed. But God also promised to restore and to bless His people, and consequently He has assured the Jews that He will preserve a remnant, insuring the fulfillment of His purposes and promises (9:27-29).
The salvation of the Gentiles and the failure of the Jews is also explained in the Old Testament. God has always saved and blessed men by faith and not by works. Believing Gentiles have been saved by faith in Jesus Christ. Unbelieving Jews are condemned for their lack of faith and for their determination to be declared righteous through law-keeping. For those who believe in Him, Jesus is God’s rock of salvation. Jesus is, for those who reject Him, God’s “stone of stumbling” (Romans 9:30-33).
We can sum up verses 6-33 another way: “Not all Israel is Israel” (verse 6). Not all those who are “not Israel” are Israelites. “Not Israel” includes the Gentiles. Thus, God has purposed to save Gentiles by faith as well as Jews (verses 24-26). Not all Israel must be saved in order for God’s purposes and promises to be true and certain. Only a remnant needs to be preserved. All through history, God has preserved a remnant so that Israel’s hope is secure (verses 27-29). The difference between the true Israelite and all others is that of faith, faith in Jesus as God’s rock of salvation. For all who refuse to believe in Him and to receive God’s righteousness in Him, He is a “stone of stumbling,” the means of our destruction rather than our deliverance.
What kind of a “stone” is Jesus to you, my friend? Is He the rock of your salvation, or is He a stone of offense? Is Jesus the basis of your stumbling or the source of your salvation? Do not leave this passage without making your decision about this most crucial question. It matters not whether you are Jew or Gentile, rich or poor, but only if you are trusting in Jesus alone for salvation and not in your own merit and works.
As we conclude this lesson, let us dwell on several important truths summarized for your consideration.
(1) The Word of God is not frustrated by history, but it is fulfilled in history. In verse 6 of Romans 9, Paul raised the question which the failure of the nation Israel might suggest to some: “Did God’s Word fail because Israel failed?” The answer is an emphatic “No!” God’s Word did not fail because of Israel’s unbelief and the salvation of Gentiles; it was fulfilled by them.
The majority of Romans 9:6-33 is made up of Old Testament quotations. It was by His Word that God selected some and rejected others. God promised a son to Abraham. He revealed by His word His choice of Jacob and His rejection of Esau. He even spoke through the Scriptures to Pharaoh (see 9:17). It was God’s words, spoken through Hosea and Isaiah, which told of the salvation of the Gentiles and of the preservation of the Jews through a remnant (9:24-29). In His Word God spoke of Jesus, the Messiah, as the “stone of stumbling” (9:32-33).
The Word of God is not called into question by the events which have taken place among the Jews and the Gentiles. The Word of God is confirmed through these events. It is not as though one could have precisely predicted history through the Old Testament Scriptures, but once history was made, the hand of God and the faithfulness of His Word become apparent to all who will study His Word.
God’s Word has always been the basis for His works. God’s Word has always been the basis for man’s blessing and salvation. God’s Word has also been the basis for divine chastening. The Word of God is absolutely reliable. It is completely trustworthy. We can find nothing else to reveal God’s character, His purposes, and His promises. We can study nothing which is more profitable. Let us learn from Paul to reverence the Word of God and search the Scriptures for His promises and for His salvation.
(2) Paul’s words give us guidelines for studying the Old Testament. From Paul’s words in Romans 9 we gain not only a sense of certainty in the faithfulness of God’s Word but also Paul’s example as to how we should interpret and apply the Old Testament Scriptures. It is most unfortunate that some look at the Old Testament Scriptures as obsolete, superseded and replaced by the New Testament Scriptures. This was surely not Paul’s conviction. Paul saw the New Testament as the fulfillment of the Old. Paul viewed the Old Testament as the explanation for the New Testament. He would not conceive of trying to understand God’s working in his own day apart from God’s Word spoken in the Old Testament.
Some seem to think that because the Old Testament was written a long time ago and addressed to a different people these Scriptures are irrelevant to 20th century Christians. If we really believed this, we would have to set aside the New Testament Scriptures on the same grounds. Unfortunately, some do precisely this, setting aside all that seems irrelevant or, more often, all we do not want to hear.
Paul’s approach to the Old Testament makes it relevant and applicable to the New Testament saint. Paul does not avoid the particulars of the passage, but he looks for the principle underlying the passage. Thus, while Hosea’s prophecy was not directed toward the Gentiles, it applies to us. Those who are “not God’s people” can be called “My people.” Isaiah’s words, written long ago to the people of Judah, likewise apply to us, for they lay down the principle of the righteous remnant. Just as God’s purposes and promises were assured in Old Testament times by the preservation of a remnant, so Israel’s future hope is assured by the preservation of a remnant today.
Paul’s use of the Old Testament is illustrated by his use of Deuteronomy 25:4 in 1 Corinthians 9:9.
I am not speaking these things according to human judgment, am I? Or does not the Law also say these things? For it is written in the Law of Moses, “YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE HE IS THRESHING.” God is not concerned about oxen, is He? Or is He speaking altogether for our sake? Yes, for our sake it was written, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing the crops. If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too much if we should reap material things from you? If others share the right over you, do we not more? Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we endure all things, that we may cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ (1 Corinthians 9:8-12).
Paul uses God’s command to Israel not to muzzle their oxen when they tread grain to demonstrate the right of the preacher to be supported in his proclamation of the gospel, a right which Paul will set aside. After citing Deuteronomy 25:4, Paul points out that God is not really giving this command for the benefit of oxen as much as he is for the instruction of His people. The principle underlying the command is simply this: “The laborer is worthy of his wages.” Though we do not have oxen who tread grain, the principle is as valid today as it was centuries ago. Thus, Paul refers to the passage to expose and illustrate the principle.
Paul deals with all of the Old Testament in this way. All of the Old Testament comes to life with great relevance and practicality for Christians today by using this approach. Let me seek to illustrate this by referring to another Old Testament text, one which at first seems to be utterly irrelevant:
“You shall bring the very first of the first fruits of your soil into the house of the LORD your God. You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk (Exodus 34:26, see also Deuteronomy 14:21).
Who would ever think that this command not to boil a kid in its mother’s milk could apply to men today? Let me assure you, it does! The milk of a mother goat was given to sustain the life of her offspring, her kid. How inappropriate to cook a kid in the milk of its mother! It is using that which was given to sustain the life of the kid to take away its life. It is like beating a drowning man over the head with a life preserver.
The womb of the mother is like the milk of a mother goat; it was designed by God to protect and sustain the life of the infant within. And yet pregnant women go to the abortionist to destroy that very life in the womb which the womb was meant to protect. When once we see that the womb was meant to protect the life of the child, taking the life of the child in the womb is revealed as the atrocity, perversion, and great and horrid evil it is. This seemingly irrelevant text, when understood in the light of the underlying principle, now becomes most relevant, most applicable to us. Oh, that more men and women would take it seriously today!
(3) The sovereignty of God is another prominent theme in this chapter. Initially, I thought the sovereignty of God was the major theme of the chapter but I have since changed my mind. The trustworthiness of the Scriptures is the main theme and the sovereignty of God is a supporting theme. How can God’s Word be reliable when sinful men persist in their rejection and rebellion against it? There is but one answer: the sovereignty of God. God’s sovereignty—His full and complete control over all of creation—is that which assures us that what He has purposed and promised, He will do. The sovereignty of God means that what God promises, God fulfills. It means that what God says He will do, He will do. It means that our hope of glory is certain and secure. It means that we may live our lives on the basis of what God has said rather than on what we see with our eyes at the moment. There is no greater certainty than this, that the words of a sovereign God will be fulfilled.
(4) We would do well to reflect on Israel’s error as a warning to Christians today. In the tenth chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul refers to Israel’s failures as a warning to Christians. Israel’s failures should not be misinterpreted or misapplied so that we become proud and self-confident toward God’s grace and toward others, even as the Jews did. Israel’s error should be instructive to the Christian. Let us reflect on those ways in which we fail just as they did.
(5) Finally, let us recognize that we are a part of God’s righteous remnant, and only a remnant. A few years ago an organization known as the “moral majority” was founded. The assumption was that the values of the Christian were held by a majority of Americans. All that was needed was for this silent majority to speak up. This is neither true to life nor true to the Scriptures. Jesus said,
“Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)
We deceive ourselves if we suppose that the “vessels of mercy” will be in the majority. Christians will be a minority and often a minority not looked upon with favor. Why do we seek to find comfort or assurance in numbers? Why do we wish to be a part of a large, growing group? Why do we gauge the success of a church or a group by its numbers? Why do we suppose that being among many others gives us assurance? It is in God we must trust. God works through a remnant. Let us not this aside and find safety, security, or significance in numbers. That is what Israel and Judah sought to do in their unbelief. Let us not do likewise. The righteous are a remnant.
243 We should take note that Romans 9-11 is the most extensive explanation in the New Testament of the role of the Jews and the Gentiles in God’s plan for mankind. Paul’s explanation is laden with Old Testament texts drawn together to demonstrate that God’s program is going according to plan and is certain to be completed.
244 This is seen in God’s covenant with Abraham in Genesis 12:3. God promised Abraham that his “seed” would be a blessing for all the nations of the earth. The Jews quickly forgot that while they were privileged to be the means by which God would bless all the nations, they were not the sole object of His blessings. God gave Israel the privilege of being the people through whom Messiah would come. But His coming was to be a blessing to all. Israel soon came to view God’s blessings as their own private possession which they had no desire to share with the Gentiles.
245 The account of this division is recorded in 1 Kings 12 and 2 Chronicles 10.
246 This was part of Elijah’s problem. He thought that Israel’s hope required the turning of the entire nation to faith. This Elijah sought to do and failed. And when God called on him to explain his despair, Elijah responded by speaking of Israel’s widespread apostasy, adding, “I alone am left” (see 1 Kings 19:10, 14). God reminded Elijah that He had preserved a much larger remnant than one sole prophet. He had 7,000 in Israel who had not bowed the knee to Baal (1 Kings 19:18). This remnant preserved Israel’s hope. It was not Elijah’s responsibility to bring the entire nation to repentance, but only to faithfully perform that which God had given him to do.
247 Note this same expression, “the sand of the sea,” used in Hosea 1:10, to speak of the size of the nation when God’s hand was on them in blessing. Hosea speaks of the great numbers of Israelites who will be blessed; Isaiah speaks of the great number of them who will be judged.
248 Paul does not say that all Gentiles have found righteousness, but some Gentiles have—more than the few Jews (the remnant) who have found it.
The camp where our church recently held a men’s retreat had a shooting range, so I took along my .22 caliber rifle which I had never fired. I also enthusiastically encouraged several friends to bring along their guns.
On Saturday afternoon the camp director gave us instructions on how to use the shooting range. Only one person was allowed to shoot at a time. Each person was to select his target and then inform the director at which tin can he would aim. After each shot, the director would tell the shooter whether he had hit his target or by how much he had missed. It was a safe, methodical operation of a shooting range, set up by the camp director for teaching young children how to shoot.
There was only one problem. A few of us had already enjoyed an “informal” shooting session much earlier in the day—away from the watchful eye of the camp director. Mind you, we had not knowingly broken the rules. We were simply ignorant of them. That morning those of us who had brought our guns had eagerly headed toward the shooting range. We asked a camp worker where the range was located and assumed we were receiving permission to use it. Arriving at the range, each of us loaded the limit each weapon would hold. Then, standing side by side, we began to fire.
Our shooting started out something like the beginning of a musical arrangement. At first there was a solo: one .22 rifle firing a number of shots in succession. The pace steadily quickened and became a duet. Another weapon joined in until several .22 rifles were firing as tin cans began to fly. The bigger guns then came out with the deer rifle firing a considerably louder report. When the .45 semi-automatic joined our symphony of shooting, we sounded a bit like World War III with cans spinning in the air.
Just as the .357 magnum was about to fire, our obviously distressed camp director arrived on the scene. His beginning words were easy to recall: “We’ve never done this before!” He continued, “This is only a .22 rifle range. We do not allow larger caliber guns.” Very patiently he asked us to end our “informal” shooting and wait for “official” target practice that afternoon. As the afternoon activities began, he announced that target practice would be held at 3:00 p.m., along with horseback riding and other sports. I decided to test his sense of humor about the morning’s events: “Do you think we could combine horseback riding and target practice and ride by the shooting range to fire at the targets?” Thankfully, he smiled kindly. Only later did I hear that we had become known as the “vigilante group” from Dallas! I am sure he breathed a great sigh of relief as we—and our large assortment of firearms—departed.
Certainly the camp director’s view of how the target range should be used was vastly different from ours. Undoubtedly, his view was correct. It is possible to misuse a good thing. I fear this is what we unknowingly did. Our text demonstrates that it is also certainly possible to misuse the Old Testament Law, for purposes for which it was never intended. Unfortunately, this is what happened with many of the Jews. God gave the Law for one purpose, but the Jews used it for another. The Law, which was never given as a means of attaining righteousness, was used by the Jews for this very purpose. The result was that the Jews, though working hard to keep the Law, failed to attain righteousness, while the Gentiles who did not even seek righteousness or possess the Law, did attain it. How could this be? How could things have gone so wrong for Israel? Paul deals with this problem in the tenth chapter of his Epistle to the Romans.
In verse 1 of our text, Paul begins by exposing his own heart toward his people in verse 1, much as he did in verses 1-5 of chapter 9. Verses 2-4 explain Israel’s failure in terms of her ignorance and rejection of God’s righteousness. Verses 5-10 contrast “faith righteousness” and “works righteousness,” using as illustrations two Old Testament texts. In verses 11-13, Paul summarizes the true gospel of salvation by faith, using two Old Testament texts.
The outline of our passage is then:249
(1) Paul’s kind intentions toward Israel (verse 1)
(2) Israel’s ignorance and self-righteousness (verses 2-4)
(3) Works righteousness versus faith righteousness (verses 5-10)
(4) The gospel summarized (verses 11-13)
Israel’s condition has been summarized by Paul at the end of chapter 9:
What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, just as it is written, “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed” (Romans 9:30-33).
Israel was seeking righteousness and striving hard to attain it, but she had failed. The Gentiles, neither seeking nor striving for it, did attain righteousness. In terms of the gospel, Israel was failing where many more Gentiles were succeeding.
What explanation could there possibly be for Israel’s unbelief and the Gentile’s turning to Messiah? In Romans 9 Paul answers from the divine perspective: the many who failed to become true Israelites were not chosen. God had purposed to save a small remnant of the nation, as the basis for Israel’s future restoration. Those whom God chose not to save, He would nevertheless use to demonstrate His power and His glory.
Paul’s next line of explanation for Israel’s unbelief begins late in chapter 9 and extends into chapter 10: Israelites were lost in unbelief not only because God had not chosen them (chapter 9) but also because they had not chosen God. In trying to earn their own righteousness, Israel rejected God’s righteousness as revealed in the Scriptures and in the Son of God, the Messiah.
Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation.
Paul’s heart is in the right place. The desire of his heart and his prayers offered in Israel’s behalf dwell on her salvation. While Israel failed in regard to salvation, Paul has not failed in his hopes and prayers for their salvation. His persistence in desiring and praying for Israel’s salvation is well-founded, for God will someday bring this to pass. Israel’s disobedience and failure is temporary. Paul’s love and his desire for restoration is like God’s for this people. Paul reaffirms his hope for Israel based upon God’s character and purposes, at the beginning of each major section (9:1-5; 10:1; 11:1-5).
For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. For not knowing about God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
Being religious is not the same as being righteous. Israel’s failure concerned righteousness. Although Israel might be commended for her religious zeal, she would be condemned for her lack of righteousness. The Jew’s zeal, in their minds, was a zeal for God. Paul knew this from his own experience.
Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you. Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh (Philippians 3:1-6).
Israel’s zeal was a misinformed, ignorant zeal. Paul tells us they were ignorant concerning God’s righteousness. How could this be? Israel had first-hand experience with God and with His righteousness. Israel had the Law, which was the revelation of His righteousness. And most recently Israel had witnessed the righteousness of God in the person of Jesus Christ. No people had more revelation concerning the righteousness of God. How could they possibly be ignorant of His righteousness?
Paul provides the explanation: Israel’s problem was self-righteousness. Self-righteousness blinds men to God’s righteousness. Israel wanted to establish her own righteousness. She did not want to receive righteousness as a gift of grace, but she wanted to earn it as the wages of her own good works. In seeking to establish her own righteousness, Israel refused to submit to the righteousness of God as revealed and offered in Jesus Christ. Like Israel, those who wish to stand on their own merits will not submit themselves to the righteousness God provides. Israel did not want charity. The offer of righteousness was not overlooked as much as it was resisted and rejected. Israel’s “ignorance” was willful.
Israel failed to grasp that “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Romans 10:5). All Christians do not agree on what Paul means by these words. Some understand them to say that the Law has been put aside for all time, cast away as an ancient relic with no value at all to Christians. But Paul’s teaching in Romans makes clear that he does not agree with this interpretation.
According to Paul, the Law was a blessing from God—“they were entrusted with the oracles of God” (Romans 3:1-2). The Law was given by God as a revelation of His righteousness and as His standard for righteousness. By means of His Law, men are shown to be sinners (3:19-20). The Law bears witness to the righteousness of God in the person of Jesus Christ (3:21). The Law was given to define sin so that men might recognize it as such, something they would not have been able to do without the Law (7:7). According to Paul, the Law is “spiritual” (7:14); it “is holy, righteous, and good” (7:12). The Christian loves that which the Law requires and desires to do what the Law says (7:14-17). Our failure to live up to the standards of the Law demonstrates the weakness of our own flesh and the evil of sin (7:17-22). The Law’s requirements are met by those who walk in the Spirit (8:4). Those who love one another fulfill the Law (13:8-10).
The Law is hardly annulled by the coming of Christ. Our Lord Himself stated that He did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). As I understand the teaching of the New Testament, Christ is the “end of the law” in at least two ways. First, Christ is the “end” of the law in the sense that He is the fulfillment of the Law. He is the goal to which the Law pointed. His is the righteousness to which the Law bears testimony. The same righteousness which the Law defined, Jesus demonstrated. The same righteousness which the Law demanded, Jesus offers to sinful men; He produces His righteousness in those who believe in Him. He is the end result, the fulfillment of the Law’s demands for everyone who believes in Christ and who receives His righteousness. He is the One who produces righteousness in the lives of believers, in fulfillment of the Law’s requirements.
There is also a second sense in which the Lord puts an “end” to the law. Not only did the Law provide a standard and make demands, it pronounced a curse on all those who are unrighteous. The “wages of sin is death” (6:23). The death penalty pronounced on sinners by the Law is done away with in Christ for every believer. Christ died in the sinner’s place. Christ bore the curse of the Law. All those who have believed in Him have died, in Him, to the curse of the Law. The Law no longer pronounces a curse against us. While the standard of the Law remains, the curse of the Law has been done away with once for all, in Christ, for all who believe.
For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law shall live by that righteousness. But the righteousness based on faith speaks thus, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down), or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).” But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
Paul’s message in these verses is very clear. His method is another matter. Paul’s conclusion cannot be missed, but his use of two Old Testament texts may cause us to scratch our heads. Because of the difficulty of this text, let us come to it in the reverse of our normal approach. Let us begin with Paul’s conclusion which is clear, and then backtrack to see how Paul used these two texts from the Law to establish his point.
The Jews failed to attain righteousness Paul has already informed us, not because they did not try but because they did try. The Gentiles attained righteousness without trying. What is the difference? The difference is between faith and works. The Jews tried to earn righteousness by law-keeping; the Gentiles attained righteousness as a gift, by faith in Jesus as the Messiah. Men are saved by believing in Jesus, not by behaving good enough to earn God’s approval.
In verses 5-10, Paul seeks to contrast “works righteousness” with “faith righteousness.” In attempting to prove his point, Paul draws our attention to two Old Testament illustrations. The first illustration comes from a statement found initially in Leviticus 18:5 and repeated frequently thereafter. The essence of this statement is, “Do this and live.”250 The converse of this statement might be stated, “Do this or die.”251
Neither of Paul’s allusions to the Old Testament are direct quotes. In verse 5, Paul refers to what Moses has written, but there is no direct quote given as indicated by the editors of the NASB.252 In verses 6-8 Paul cites some of the words of Deuteronomy 30:12-14 but not in their exact form. In fact, Paul significantly modifies or restates the words of this passage. Before looking at these Old Testament passages as Paul has used them in Romans 10, let us look at these passages in their context in the Old Testament.
I view this preliminary step as especially important because of the modification Paul makes in citing these texts. It is also important because I wish to underscore that the Old Testament writers never conceived of the keeping of the Law as a means of attaining righteousness. In studying this passage in Romans, I was distressed to see several commentators speak of two different ways of salvation: (1) the Old Testament way of salvation by law-keeping and (2) the New Testament way of faith. This is simply not true. No Old Testament writer conceived of anyone being saved by their works. Salvation in the Old Testament, as in the New, was always by faith. This is what Paul underscored in Romans 4 when he showed that Abraham was saved by faith, apart from works.
While the Bible emphatically does not teach two ways of salvation, fallen man has always sought to be saved by his works. Thus, in Romans 10 Paul contrasts two kinds of righteousness—“faith righteousness” and “works righteousness.” The first (“faith righteousness”) is God’s only means for man’s salvation. The second (“works righteousness”) is man’s self-made system of salvation, a system which is neither biblical nor effective. When men strive to be saved by their own works, they do so in disobedience to the Word of God—not in obedience to it. Reviewing the context of these two Old Testament statements Paul refers to in our text will help us see how they were originally meant to be understood.
From early on in her history, Israel had been involved in idol worship. Rachel stole the household gods from her father, Laban (Genesis 31:19, 30-35). In Egypt, Israel was involved with the gods of that place, and they brought some of those gods with them, worshipping them in the wilderness (Ezekiel 20:5-8; Amos 5:25-26). While Moses was on Mt. Sinai, receiving the Law from God, the people persuaded Aaron to help them make an idol which they then worshipped (Exodus 32:1-6).
God had promised to lead this nation into the land of promise. There was a very practical problem, however: “How can a righteous and holy God dwell in the midst of a sinful, rebellious people?” As God said to them, if He would go up with them, He would destroy them on the way (Exodus 33:3).
God made several provisions for His people to enable Him to dwell in their midst—in a way that would not result in their death due to His holiness and their sin.
First, God provided the Law. The Law of Moses prescribed the conduct necessary for Israel to live in God’s presence without offending His righteousness. If they lived in accordance with His Law, they would not offend Him, and they would live. If they failed to keep His Law, they would die. The statement, “Do this and live,” might just as easily be stated, “Disobey this and die.”
Second, God provided the people with a sacrificial system. When there was sin, there was also death. The sacrificial system was instituted so that the sins of the people could be atoned for temporarily, by the shedding of the blood of a victim in the sinner’s place. The sacrificial system assumed the people would sin and that some provision for their sins must be made. The annual Day of Atonement assumed that this system of daily sacrifices would not be sufficient and that some sins would either be unrecognized or there would be no atonement for them. Thus, annually a general atonement was made for the people, putting off the payment of sins for a later time—that time when the Messiah would come and die once for all for the sins of His people.
Third, God provided the people with the tabernacle, a provision whereby a holy God could dwell in the midst of a sinful people without putting them to death for their sins. The tabernacle was a kind of corporate veil, shielding the holy God from a sinful nation. Were they to approach Him too closely, they would die. God dwelt within that tabernacle, and the high priest alone was allowed to enter into the holy of holies.
If law-keeping were God’s means of attaining righteousness, why was it necessary for these elaborate provisions to be made? If Law-keeping were God’s means of making men righteous, then why was it necessary for Christ to come to the earth and die in the sinner’s place? The Old Testament gave every indication that law-keeping was not going to justify anyone. Law-keeping was never a second way of salvation. It was something self-righteous men sought to do, in defiance of God, and in rejection of His provision of righteousness through faith.
Deuteronomy 30 is the second text to which Paul refers in Romans 10. These words are addressed to the second generation of Israelites, the children of those who were led out of Egypt by Moses. Their parents all died in the wilderness because of their unbelief and rebellion at Kadesh-Barnea (Numbers 13 and 14). Now, after the 40 years of wilderness wandering in which the first generation died, this generation was about to enter the land of promise.
Moses restated the Law in Deuteronomy 5. The people promised to obey, but God knew otherwise as He said to Moses:
“And the LORD heard the voice of your words when you spoke to me, and the LORD said to me, ‘I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken to you. They have done well in all that they have spoken. Oh that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear Me, and keep all My commandments always, that it may be well with them and with their sons forever!’” (Deuteronomy 5:28-29).
In Deuteronomy 28-30, we find the key to Israel’s history and to the teaching of the Old Testament prophets. We shall briefly review Moses’ words spoken to the Israelites in these crucial chapters. In Deuteronomy 28:1-14, God spoke of the blessings He would pour out on His people if they would but love Him and keep His commandments. In a much larger and more extensive passage (28:15–29:29), Moses spelled out the consequences for disregarding God and His law. They would be cursed, and they would ultimately be sent into captivity (see 28:25, 32-33, 36, 41,49-50, 64, 68).
There are two key texts in chapter 29 to which I draw special attention:
“Yet to this day the LORD has not given you a heart to know, nor eyes to see, nor ears to hear. The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law” (Deuteronomy 29:4, 29).
In the first text, Moses indicates the source of Israel’s failure to trust and to obey God: the problem is one of the heart (see also Deuteronomy 5:28-29 cited above). Not until God changes the hearts of His people will they be able to keep His law. In the second text (verse 29), Moses calls Israel to give heed to what God has revealed in His law, rather than to seek to learn that which God has concealed. In the words of Jesus, centuries later, they were challenged not to “strain out a gnat and to swallow a camel” (Matthew 23:24), but to take heed to the “camels” which God had revealed in His law.
In chapter 30, Moses begins to speak of the restoration of Israel. The turning point in Israel’s history will come about when God changes the hearts of His people, enabling them to hear and to understand His law:
“Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, in order that you may live …” (Deuteronomy 30:6).
We know these words to be an early promise of the New Covenant, and the work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of God’s people, enabling them to love God and to keep His commandments. The prophets will pick up on this promise and speak of it in greater detail (see, for example, Jeremiah 24:7; 31:31-34; 32:38-40; Ezekiel 36:26).
It is after all this, in the sequence of Deuteronomy 28-30, that the words to which Paul refers are recorded in Deuteronomy 30:11-14:
“For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’ Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’ But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it.”
In context, I believe Moses is picking up on his statement in Deuteronomy 29:29. He is warning the Israelites not to concentrate on that which is unknown, unrevealed and speculative, and exhorting them to focus on that which has been clearly communicated through the law. No one has to search out this truth. No one needs to work to obtain the message from God. He has not hidden His truth; He has revealed Himself clearly in the law He is giving. The people are challenged to receive the Law which Moses is stating for them as God’s revealed will. They do not need to strive to obtain it, either by going into heaven (for God has spoken from heaven) or by going across the sea. They need but to receive it and believe it, as He has revealed it in His law.
With regard to the statement found in Leviticus 18:5 and elsewhere, Moses never intended for the Israelites to receive it as an offer of righteousness by works, by keeping the law.253 In the second reference, this was not a clear-cut statement of the gospel. It was speaking not of Christ but of the commandment Moses was giving to this people.
These two Old Testament references are not, in their context or in the sense of their original meaning, a declaration of two ways of attaining righteousness. They are not two ways of salvation. Both are the words recorded by Moses. They must be understood in the light of their context. Paul’s use of them in Romans is not an explanation of them, as they were originally meant to be understood in the light of their context. How he meant to use them is our next consideration.
Having considered the Romans 10 texts Paul refers to in light of their original meaning, we now must seek to understand how Paul used them and meant for us to understand his use. The use of the Old Testament in the New Testament is of great interest and importance. Having studied Paul’s use of the Old Testament for a semester in seminary, suffice it to say that our Lord and the New Testament writers used the Old Testament Scriptures in a variety of ways. Our trouble in understanding the use of the Old Testament by the New Testament writers is often rooted in our narrow grasp of how the Old Testament was interpreted and applied by those in New Testament times.254
In this portion of his Epistle to the Romans, Paul’s purpose is to contrast “works righteousness” with “faith righteousness.” His main point is Israel’s failure to achieve righteousness because she tried to earn it, by law-keeping, while the Gentiles attained righteousness by faith. The first principle, referred to in verse 5, may be summarized: “Do this and live.” This is not what Moses taught. It was what Israel concluded. This was their slogan. Since Moses was their hero, they would be inclined to abuse his words. Thus, Paul takes this slogan, “Do this and live” and makes it the motto of the legalist. Moses’ words were not meant to teach works righteousness, but they could be used to epitomize this error. Paul is not citing these words to prove that Moses taught works righteousness, but rather that Judaism supposed him to teach it. A legalistic interpretation and application of the Law of Moses could well be summarized: “Keep the law and live.”
The second reference to the words of Moses found in Romans 10:6-8 is perplexing. Let us begin by placing the two texts side by side so that we may compare them:
Deuteronomy 30:11-14 |
Romans 10:6-8 |
11 “For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach. |
6 But the righteousness based on faith speaks thus, “DO NOT SAY IN YOUR HEART, ‘WHO WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN?’ (that is, to bring Christ down), |
12 “It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’ 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’ |
7 or ‘WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).” |
14 “But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it.” |
8 But what does it say? “THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching. |
Several observations are necessary before we begin to understand how Paul is using the words of Moses.
(1) Paul does not introduce these words as though they were a quotation from Moses or from the Old Testament Scriptures. He introduces this reference to Deuteronomy 30 with the words, “But the righteousness based on faith speaks thus” (Romans 10:6). In Deuteronomy 30, Moses is speaking. In Romans 10, righteousness is speaking.
(2) Paul quotes some of the Deuteronomy passage, but not all of it. At best, Paul’s reference to Deuteronomy 30:11-14 is fragmentary. It is but a partial reference. Some might even call it an allusion, rather than a quotation.
(3) Paul changes the wording and the imagery of Deuteronomy 30. In Deuteronomy 30, the questions asked pertain to going up to heaven and going across the sea. In Romans 10, the questions pertain to going up to heaven and descending to the abyss. There is a substantial difference between the words of Moses and the words of Paul in regard to the second question.
(4) Paul changes the subject from the “commandment” to “Christ.” Deuteronomy 30 refers to the “commandment”255 which Moses is giving the people. Paul applies these words to Christ, first in His incarnation and Second in His resurrection.
(5) Paul adds interpretive statements which greatly modify the meaning and application of the text. The two statements contained in verses 6 and 7 are represented as parenthetical in the NASB. I think this is rightly so. But in making these two parenthetical statements, Paul changes the meaning and application of Deuteronomy considerably.
(6) The words of Moses in Leviticus 18:5 are used to illustrate “works righteousness,” while his words in Deuteronomy 30:11-14 are used to illustrate “faith righteousness.” The Jews were constantly trying to pit Moses against Jesus, Paul, and the other apostles. Paul pits Moses, as understood by the Jews, against Moses, as rightly understood by the apostles.
What then is Paul trying to achieve by referring so loosely to Deuteronomy? I think Paul is using this passage not as a prooftext but as an illustration of his point. He is not trying to make this Deuteronomy passage conform to his point in every detail, but rather to show how it illustrates his point in several important particulars.
If the words of Moses in Leviticus 18:5 (repeated by others elsewhere) can be twisted by legalistic Jews to justify their belief in “works righteousness,” his words in Deuteronomy 30 can be understood as illustrating the belief of Moses that men can only be saved by faith, apart from works.
Exchanging “the commandment” of Deuteronomy for “Christ,” Paul proceeds to make his point alluding to the words of Moses in Deuteronomy 30. Whether applied to “the commandment” or to “Christ,” the words of Moses taken up in part by Paul make the same point: “You do not have to do anything; just believe what God has revealed to you.” In the original words of Deuteronomy 30, Moses was warning Israel concerning self-effort. Those who heard these words did not need to “work” to obtain God’s revelation or His righteousness. They needed only to believe what God had said. In the context of Deuteronomy 30, they must trust in God to change their hearts, which would enable them to love God and to keep His commandments. Paul modifies the words of Moses to refer specifically to Christ. The Israelites did not need to initiate God’s salvation nor did they need to strive to attain it. They needed only to believe that God has sent Jesus from heaven and that He has raised Him from the dead. It was not doing which was necessary, but believing. Thus, Paul could freely use the words of Deuteronomy 30, because the point of the original passage and of Paul’s modification were the same: “Do not strive; just trust.” While the Old Testament text focuses more generally on the law, Paul’s modified reference focuses specifically on Christ, who was the “end of the law.” Thus, the modification made by Paul was completely legitimate. Paul simply brought this text up to date. He filled in the detail, “Christ,” which the law only anticipated.
Paul now draws upon the imagery of his illustration from Deuteronomy 30 to spell out the gospel which Israel must believe in order to be saved.
For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law shall live by that righteousness. But the righteousness based on faith speaks thus, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down), or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).” But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation (Romans 10:5-10).
Paul’s expression of the gospel is derived from the imagery and terminology of his words in verses 5-8. Salvation is based in Christ. It was He who descended at His incarnation. It was He who was raised in the resurrection. It is He who is the righteousness of God, who is offered to all who will believe in Him.
Saving faith involves both the heart and the mouth. We must believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead. We must confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord. That which must be believed and confessed can be summed up in two simple statements:
These two simple statements have such profound depth of meaning and implications they will take more than a lifetime to comprehend. Nevertheless, Paul finds it possible to sum up the content of our faith in these two major lines of truth: (1) Jesus as Lord; and, (2) Jesus has been raised from the dead. What do these two statements mean? Both are difficult for the unbeliever to accept and profess, whether Jew or Gentile. Both will require the believer to stand apart from his own culture and his own contemporaries.
The statement, “Jesus as Lord,” was deeply significant to a Jew or a Gentile. The Greek term, rendered “Lord” here, was a term used in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) to refer to Yahweh, the God of the Old Testament.0 For the Jew, this confession was the acknowledgment that Jesus was God and that He was the promised Savior. As such, He was to be trusted in and to be obeyed.
The implications of this confession for the Gentile were also profound. The Gentile was accustomed to thinking of Caesar as “Lord.” When a Gentile came to faith in Jesus, He recognized Him to be in the place of highest authority. It meant that obedience to Caesar must be subordinate to obedience to Christ. Because the Roman emperors viewed this as atheism, many Christians were put to death for their confession. Neither Jew nor Gentile could take these words lightly. Their culture would not allow it. To confess Jesus as Lord was to take a stand with Him and against their own culture. It was a confession that put the believer at risk. It was a confession which could only be made by faith. Such a confession set the believer apart from all others (see 1 Corinthians 12:3).
Belief in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead was the second requirement of the gospel, as defined and declared by Paul and the apostles. The Jews had rejected Jesus as a fraud and had insisted on His death. To admit that God had raised Jesus from the dead was to admit that they were wrong in their rejection of Jesus. To the Gentiles, resurrection from the dead was foolishness (see Acts 17:32). But as Paul insists in 1 Corinthians 15, the resurrection of our Lord from the dead is a fundamental doctrine at the very heart of the gospel. Our Lord Himself staked all of His claims on His resurrection from the grave and even His opponents knew it (Matthew 12:38-40; 27:62-66). It is the basis for our hope of eternal life. It is proof that the work of our Lord was acceptable to the Father (see Romans 4:25). The resurrection of Jesus from the dead was central to the preaching of the apostles, who were witnesses of His resurrection (see Acts 2:24, 32; 3:15, 26; 4:10; 5:30; 10:40; 13:30, 33, 34, 37; 17:31).
For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call upon Him; for “Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Paul explained Israel’s failure as a failure in the area of faith. The Jews who had a zeal for God “tried harder” to be righteous but failed because they sought to earn righteousness by their law-keeping. The Gentiles attained righteousness because they accepted it by faith. The way of works and the way of faith have been contrasted by Paul in verses 5-10. The words of Moses have been used to contrast these two approaches to righteousness. Now, in verses 11-13, Paul states the gospel in very simple terms, showing that the gospel proclaimed by the apostles is the same way of salvation proclaimed in the Old Testament. He does this by citing two Old Testament texts which proclaim the same gospel as that preached by the apostles. Using these two texts as the framework for his argument, Paul stresses two essential characteristics of the gospel.
Paul buttresses the statements he has made in verses 9 and 10 by citing these two Old Testament texts in verses 11-13. The two requirements of salvation—belief and confession—are shown to be Old Testament requirements. The necessity of belief is shown by Paul’s citation of Isaiah 28:16. The necessity of confession is demonstrated from Joel’s words in Joel 2:32, where “calling upon the name of the Lord” is tantamount to “confession.”
In addition to documenting the Old Testament requirements of belief and confession, these two Old Testament texts spell out two fundamental characteristics of the gospel. These characteristics of the gospel are not only fundamental, they are the very elements of the gospel which made it repulsive to the Jews. These are the two primary reasons why the Jews would have none of Jesus and none of the gospel He or His apostles proclaimed.
The first characteristic of the gospel, as proclaimed in the Old Testament and the New, is that righteousness is offered and attained on the basis of faith alone, and not by works. In the context of Joel’s prophecy and that of Isaiah, it is faith alone, and not good works, which is required for salvation. The prophets did not call upon Israel to work harder at law-keeping, but to simply believe in God and in His provision for righteousness and salvation in the Messiah who was to come. The new covenant promised salvation through a work which the Spirit of God would bring about in the “stone hearts” of lost men. Salvation, both then and now, comes only when men cease to trust in themselves and turn in faith to that salvation God has provided in Jesus Christ.
The second characteristic Paul stresses from the Old Testament is that the gospel is universal. The gospel is not for Jews only, but for all who will believe. Salvation has nothing to do with one’s race, but only with faith. As the prophet Isaiah put it, “whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed” (Isaiah 28:16). Joel is Paul’s second witness. He likewise offers salvation to “whoever calls on the name of the LORD.” The key word in both quotations is “whoever.”
The Jews thought God’s salvation was exclusively for Jews. They at least wanted to insist that Gentiles come to faith through Judaism. God will have no part of this. The gospel is for all men, all who will believe that Jesus is God’s Messiah, whom God raised from the dead. All who will confess Him as Lord and who believe He was raised from the dead shall be saved. In its most concise terms, this is the essence of the gospel.
The reasons for Israel’s unbelief and the salvation of many Gentiles are now before us. We see first that many physical descendants of Israel (Jacob) are not saved, because God has not chosen them for salvation as told in chapter 9. But there is more to the story. In chapter 10 we are given the “rest of the news.” Israel is in a state of unbelief, because those who are lost have rejected the gospel. Because they do not wish to receive righteousness as a gift, undeserved, and on the basis of faith alone, they have rejected God’s righteousness in Christ Jesus.
When men perish eternally, there are two causes. First, God did not choose to save them from their sins. Second, they chose to sin and to compound their sin by rejecting God’s provision for sin, Jesus Christ. Divine sovereignty and human responsibility together explain Israel’s plight.
Men reject the gospel because it does not suit them; it does not conform to the way they wish to be saved. The gospel will give no credit to man for attaining righteousness; it will only give glory to God. The gospel is God’s offer of righteousness and salvation through the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. He came down to the earth and added sinless humanity to His perfect deity. He took upon Himself the sins of the world, and by His death on Calvary, He bore the penalty for sin which each one of us deserve. He offers to sinners not only the forgiveness of sins, but the righteousness of God. Anyone who believes that Jesus is God’s Messiah, who has died and been raised from the dead, and who confesses Him as Messiah God, will be saved. You may be Jew or Gentile; it matters not. What does matter is that you believe in the Lord Jesus and confess Him before men.
There are some who wish to make salvation a private matter. For them, spiritual matters are very personal, and they politely suggest that we mind our own business when we speak to them about their personal relationship with God. The gospel is a personal matter, for each individual must decide in his or her heart what he or she will do with Jesus Christ. The gospel cannot be and must not be a private matter. The gospel requires not only that men make a decision, but that they take a stand. It was never conceived in the New Testament that one would make a private decision to believe in Jesus and yet not take a public stand in baptism.1 The gospel as Paul proclaims it does not give men the option to believe without taking a public stand for Christ.
Confession is not a work we do which merits God’s favor. It is simply an act of obedience and an evidence that one really does believe in Jesus Christ. Confession is necessary because there are, by popular opinion at least, two ways of attaining righteousness—the first by faith in Jesus Christ and the second by good works. The second of these is neither biblical nor legitimate, but it is the “way” which unbelievers choose. Confession that Jesus is Lord acknowledges that we have changed sides, that we have forsaken self-righteousness and turned to God for His righteousness, by faith. In a world in which there are only two sides—those for God and those against Him—salvation requires that we declare that we are now on God’s side. It is the evidence of our faith.
It may be that you have not yet trusted in Jesus Christ as God’s provision for your salvation. You may well believe the right things about Jesus and yet never have believed in Jesus. Do you believe that Jesus is both God and God’s Messiah, that He has come to the earth, died for your sins, and been raised from the dead for your justification? Have you confessed Him as Lord before men? All who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. Do it today. No one will be turned away who calls upon Him in faith and who professes Him to be Lord in simple obedience.
I dare not leave our text without calling your attention to a very distressing fact. Those whom Paul refers to as not only unbelievers but as “ignorant” are the Jews, the most well-informed people on the face of the earth. They had the Old Testament revelation of the Law and the Prophets. They had seen and heard the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. They could not deny the empty tomb, and they heard the gospel as proclaimed to them by the apostles. Those who refused to believe in Jesus were not uninformed, but they were ignorant. How could this be?
Paul talks more about this later in Romans 10. The ignorance of the Jews was willful. But for now, let me suggest a few principles pertaining to “biblical ignorance.” I hope these will be helpful and challenging.
(1) You may be ignorant of the Scriptures, even though you are zealously religious. Paul grants that the Jews were zealous. He even grants that they were “zealous for God” (verse 2), but they were lost. And they were ignorant. They were ignorant of God’s righteousness and of that which they must have to be saved. Religious people will be found in hell. Zealously religious people will be there. Religion that does not conform and submit to the Scriptures is false religion; it is idolatry; it is damnable religion.
(2) You may be ignorant of the Scriptures even though you are a biblical scholar. The Jews were hardly ignorant of the Scriptures. They knew them well. They considered themselves to be experts concerning the Law (see Romans 2, especially verses 17-24). But in the final analysis, they were ignorant concerning the Law. The gospel which they rejected is that which Paul has taught from the Old Testament.
Those who took it upon themselves to oppose and correct Jesus were the religious leaders and the biblical scholars of that day. And yet Jesus repeatedly rebuked them for their ignorance concerning the Scriptures (see, for example, Matthew 5; 12:23-33). Why was it that the scholars were so ignorant and that people whom they considered “ignorant” (see Luke 10:21; Acts 4:13) were able to understand the Scriptures?
(3) You may be ignorant of the Scriptures when you reject that which is clear and compelling, but choose to focus on that which is unrevealed, obscure, or trivial. The Deuteronomy 30 text to which Paul referred gives three vitally important principles which should guide us in our study of the Scriptures, particularly in our study of the Old Testament of which the Jews were ignorant.
First, we must study the Scriptures not as an academic exercise of the mind, but in order to know and to practice what God wants us to do.
Many wish to study the Scriptures as an intellectual exercise. They wish to deal with truth academically and philosophically. They do not wish to obey as much as to know (see Hebrews 5:13 and 14). It is ironic that in the very words which the unbelieving Jews used as their slogan, “Do this and live,” their problem was revealed. They were to do something, but it was not, first and foremost, to keep the Law; it was to believe in God. This is precisely what Jesus told the Jews of His day:
They said therefore to Him. “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent” (John 6:28-29).
Their “work,” that is, their responsibility, their obligation, was to believe what God had revealed. Their righteousness was to be the result of faith. Biblical scholarship can become deadly if and when it ceases to approach the Scriptures as the revelation of God, His righteousness, and His grace. When we view the Bible as something to only know, rather than as something to believe and to do, we have lost sight of its purpose.
Secondly, we should study the Scriptures in terms of that which God has said clearly, emphatically, and dogmatically, and not in terms of what is not revealed.
In Deuteronomy 30, Moses directed the Israelites to focus on what God had clearly revealed. They did not have to ascend into heaven or to cross the sea to know His will; He had revealed it to them clearly in His Word. They did not need scholars to tell them what it meant—its meaning was clear. And those things which God had not revealed clearly were not to be given great thought or effort.
How we have failed to follow this divine directive! We are not to “strain out a gnat and swallow a camel” (Matthew 23:24). We are to devote ourselves to the “camels.” The Jewish myths and fables, that false teaching and emphasis of the Judaisers of which Paul consistently warned the church, was almost always speculative and theoretical. Its attention was focused on what God had not said, rather than on what He had clearly revealed (see 1 Timothy 1:5-8; 2 Timothy 2:23).
I see the same tendency among Christians. We often want to delve deep into that which is mysterious, unclear, and even unrevealed. Often we have a fetish about prophecy for this very reason—we love mysteries. We are constantly into conspiracy theories and other types of intrigue. God simply wants us to focus on what He has said in His Word—clearly—repeatedly—and emphatically. Let us not wander off into the realm of the obscure.
Thirdly, our study of the Scriptures should focus on God and the righteousness and salvation which He provides in Christ.
Those who correctly searched the Scriptures found Christ there. Those who searched for Christ in the Old Testament Scriptures looked for His coming and recognized Him when He appeared. Our study of the Old Testament should be Christ-centered. Those who are ignorant will approach the Scriptures from a self-centered perspective. From this perspective, they will always miss the truth and remain ignorant of that which was meant to produce life and growth.
I do not wish to leave the impression that striving to be a biblical scholar is wrong. Israel’s failure was not in studying the Scriptures but in how they studied them. May God grant that we would study the Old Testament more to find there the same gospel revealed in the New Testament. And may we find there, more and more, the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. May we dwell on what God has revealed, rather than on that which He has not. To God be the glory.
249 I like the outline of the entire chapter suggested by Stifler: “The chapter contains four topics: (1) Israel failed to see that Christ was the end of the law (vv. 1-4); (2) the free character of salvation (vv. 5-11); (3) its universal character (vv. 12-18); and (4) they failed to see that all this, as well as their own rejection, was the prediction of their own Scriptures (vv. 19-21).” James A. Stifler, The Epistle to the Romans (Chicago: Moody Press, 1960), p. 173.
250 See Leviticus 18:5; Nehemiah 9:29; Ezekiel 20:11, 13, 21.
251 See, for example, Deuteronomy 28:22, 25, 26, 45, 63, 66.
252 If it were a direct quote, the NASB would have put the words quoted in capital letters. This can be seen in verses 6-8. Only the words found in the Old Testament passage are in capital letters. The other words, supplied by the author citing the Old Testament, are printed normally.
253 Note how Joshua’s final words to Israel in Joshua 23 and 24 parallel those of Moses, his predecessor, and how they indicate that Israel will never obtain righteousness by law-keeping.
254 There is also a very profitable area of study to be found in the use of the Books of the Law by the prophets. The use of the exodus motif in Isaiah 40-55 was the subject of my master’s thesis.
255 Note that “commandment” is singular and not plural (“commandments”). The commandment, however, seems to encompass all the commandments, all the law. The “commandment” is to love God and keep all His commandments.
0 “‘Lord’ (Kurios) was used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament (Septuagint) to translate the word for ‘Jehovah’ (Yahweh), the peculiar name for the true God of Israel. It is His saving name (see Exod. 3:7-22), especially v. 14; literally, ‘He will be that [which] he will be’; Jehovah was revealing himself as the one redeeming Israel from bondage. When used of Jesus in the strictly Christian sense, it means that he is Jehovah in flesh for man’s salvation. No Jew would confess ‘Lord Jesus’ who did not really believe it.” Herschel H. Hobbs, Romans (Waco: Word Books, 1977), p. 135.
1 In the Book of Acts, taking a public stand and identifying with Jesus Christ literally did “save” those Jews who believed and were baptized. Baptism marked the new believers out as Christians. The result was a separation from their old way of life, and from those who rejected Jesus. The result also was a joining in with the church, with other believers. When a person became identified with Christ and with His church, they suffered persecution for their faith and profession. The persecution which arose against the saints in Jerusalem drove them out of the city (see Acts 8:1ff.) and spared them from the destruction of the city by Rome, which was a divine judgment against Jerusalem for its unbelief and rejection of Jesus as the Messiah.
I have heard some pretty weak excuses in my time. There was the little girl who sought to explain her wet pants to her parents saying, “I sweat my pants.” When I taught in a prison, one of the inmates tried to convince the guards that he was “feeding the birds” when he was caught with a home-made hypodermic needle for his drug use. Another inmate was sleeping in class when his fellow-inmate pinned a note to his back addressed to the guard: “Mr. Look, I am not sleeping; I am just checking my eyelids for holes.” One of the most amusing excuses was a young man who explained to the judge that his high performance car engine simply would not idle under 35 miles per hour.
When I preached on this passage, I asked the congregation to share some of the poorest excuses they had heard. A friend who had taught in a Christian school shared this tardiness excuse with us: On the way to school there was a railroad crossing on which a train passed by each morning. Being late forced the students to wait for the train to pass, making them even more tardy. One young man turned the train into a creative, “spiritual” excuse explaining to the principal that it was not the train that had made him late. No; he was late because he “took the time to witness to the conductor.”
One lady had seen unscrupulous people try to dishonestly take money from the bank where she worked, most often by using the drive-through window. One day a woman drove her car up to the window and attempted to cash a bad check. When the teller routinely asked to see her driver’s license for identification, the woman, still sitting at the wheel of her car at the drive-through, exclaimed, “Drivers license? Why, I don’t even know how to drive!”
This final illustration is my favorite. A father told the congregation how he and his wife had forbidden their son to eat the sweets in the refrigerator because he needed to regulate his diet. When caught standing in front of the refrigerator, with the door wide open and his hand inside, he was accused of breaking the rules. “Oh, I’m not eating,” he responded, “I’m just cooling my hand!”
All of us have attempted to justify our actions at one time or another with some very pathetic excuses. Israel’s rejection of the gospel is inexcusable as we shall see in our text. Paul demonstrates this by exploring every excuse possible, but he is forced to conclude that Israel has no excuse. It is for this reason our lesson is entitled, “Without Excuse.”
Both Jews and Gentiles had only to “call on the name of the Lord” to be saved (see verses 9-11). Only two possible excuses could be offered for Israel’s unbelief. The first would be that Israel never heard the gospel—that God’s terms for salvation were not spelled out. The second would be that although Israel heard the gospel, they did not understand it. In either case, there would be an excuse for Israel’s unbelief. Paul will raise both of these possibilities and conclusively demonstrate that Israel had both heard and knew the issues. Her unbelief was not out of ignorance but out of rebellion against God and against His Word.
Israel knew the truth, but she did not obey it. In approaching this text, we come to the revealed Word of God and to God’s proclamation of the gospel. Let us not forget that God will hold us responsible for the truth we learn from this text. God wants us to take this text as seriously as He does and to heed these inspired words from the apostle Paul.
Paul has established Israel’s guilt in the early chapters of this Epistle. In chapters 1 and 2, he indicts mankind in general and the Jews in particular. Through creation, God revealed His divine nature to mankind. Men should have received this revelation and responded by worshipping Him. Instead, man exchanged the truth of God for a lie and chose to worship the creature rather than the Creator. Because of this, mankind is guilty before God and deserving of divine wrath. This is the essence of Romans 1:18-32.
In chapter 2, Paul indicts the Jews in particular for taking great pride in their possession of the law but failing to practice it. In chapters 3 and 4, he demonstrates that law-keeping cannot save anyone. The law reveals that all men are sinners, under divine condemnation. The law shows man’s need of righteousness, but it cannot provide that righteousness. Salvation must come, apart from men, apart from law-keeping. Salvation has been provided by God, through Christ.
In chapters 5-8 Paul presses on to explain God’s provision for righteousness in Jesus Christ and its implications. As Paul comes to the end of Romans 8, he encourages his readers by assuring them that their lives are secure in the hands of a God who is sovereign. God causes all things to work together to accomplish His purpose for those who love Him, and for those who are called in accordance with His purpose (8:28). In eternity past, He chose (foreknew) those whom He would save. He also mapped out (predestined) His plans for our lives in Christ. In time, God calls those whom He has chosen to Himself, justifying them through the blood of Jesus Christ. When Christ returns to establish God’s kingdom on earth, we shall be glorified.
As an example of God’s sovereign control of history, Paul turns in chapters 9-11 to God’s purpose for both the Jews and the Gentiles. At the time of Paul’s writing, the Jews as a nation had rejected Jesus as their Messiah. With the cooperation and assistance of the Roman government, they put Him to death on the cross. And even after His resurrection from the dead, the Jews refused to repent and acknowledge Jesus as Messiah and Lord. The day of Israel’s judgment is drawing very near. Soon, as Jesus forewarned (see Luke 21:20-24), Jerusalem would come under siege by the Roman armies, and would fall, in judgment for her rejection of Messiah.
Meanwhile the Gentiles were coming to faith in greater numbers. In the Gospels, a small handful of Gentiles were shown to have faith in Jesus. After the saints were forced from Jerusalem and scattered abroad, a number of Gentiles came to faith in Jesus. Soon, Gentile believers outnumbered Jewish saints. In these three chapters, Paul seeks to show how God used the unbelief of Israel to achieve the salvation of Gentiles. He also shows how the salvation of the Gentiles is used to bring Israel to repentance and restoration. All of this is just as God said it would be as recorded in the Old Testament. Romans 9-11 is laden with Old Testament quotations and allusions. The unbelief of Israel and the salvation of the Gentiles is nothing other than the fulfillment of God’s plans and purposes and of His promises in His Word. “Let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, …” (Romans 3:4).
The question before the reader in Romans 9 and 10 is this: “How have so many Israelites rejected Jesus as the Messiah while so many Gentiles have come to faith in Him?”
Paul’s answer in Romans 9 stresses divine sovereignty: “Many Israelites do not believe because God has not chosen them.” The answer of Romans 10 stresses man’s responsibility: “Those Israelites who do not believe fail to believe because they have rejected God.” Romans 9:30–10:21 describes Israel’s condition from the standpoint of its human cause. The Jews have worked hard to earn righteousness by means of keeping God’s law. They failed because they underestimated God’s standard of righteousness and because they overestimated their own “righteousness.” The Gentiles, who were not seeking, obtained righteousness, receiving it by faith and not by law-keeping.
In the first 13 verses of Romans 10 Paul has shown that in order to be saved, men need only to believe in Jesus Christ. All who believe in Him and confess Him as Lord shall be saved. Now in verses 14-21 Paul demonstrates that there is no excuse for Israel’s unbelief. Above all else, Israel dare not plead innocent due to ignorance. Let us see how Paul proves unbelieving Israel’s guilt beyond any shadow of doubt.
Our text can be divided as follows:
How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings of good things!” However, they did not all heed the glad tidings; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
In the immediately preceding verses, Paul has shown that salvation will come to anyone, Jew or Gentile, who “WILL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD.” Verses 14-17 expand on this. Several observations concerning these verses can be made, along with some important implications which flow from them.
(1) The first two verses are a series of questions.3 There is no command here. Our text is not a reiteration of the Great Commission. If anything, it is an explanation for the necessity of the Great Commission. Many see these verses as a “missions text.” While missions may be inferred or implied from what Paul is teaching, missions is not the goal. If missions were the goal, we would not be finding questions here but commands. These questions all point to the conclusion Paul expresses in verse 17.
(2) The verbs employed in these questions indicate steps in a process necessary for salvation. The gospel begins with sending, then there is proclamation, then there is hearing. This should result in heeding, as one calls upon God for salvation. God is sovereign. He is able to overrule the laws of nature, and occasionally He does so. But God usually works through normal processes rather than avoiding them. A process is outlined in Romans 8:28-30; a process is also explained in Romans 9-11. There is a process involved in our spiritual growth which involves suffering (see Romans 5, 8). We often pray asking God to take us out of the process or to give us what we request apart from the process. God’s work, as outlined in the Bible, is a process. We err greatly when we expect the “God of miracles” to avoid the processes He has ordained.
(3) The process as outlined by Paul in verses 14 and 15 starts with God and ends with man.4 Paul is stressing that while men are responsible to respond to the gospel, God is the One who initiates its proclamation, who sends out those who proclaim it, and who personally speaks through them as they do so.
(4) The two Old Testament texts Paul cites in verses 14-17 both come from the prophecy of Isaiah, and both are found within a chapter of the other in a strongly messianic context. In verse 15, Paul quotes from Isaiah 52:7. In verse 16, Paul cites Isaiah 53:1. The most well-known and loved messianic text of Isaiah is recorded in Isaiah 52:13–53:12. Isaiah 52:7 precedes this, and 53:1 falls right in the middle of this text. No wonder Paul can use these texts with reference to the gospel.
In their original setting, these verses speak of the divine deliverance God will bring about, allowing the Jewish Babylonian captives to return to their land, particularly to Jerusalem where they will rebuild the city left in shambles. Paul uses these verses to refer to the final, ultimate deliverance of Israel and the Gentiles from their sins.
We must pause momentarily to consider how Paul can apply this text to a different time and to a different deliverance. Biblical prophecy is based on the assumption of continuity. That is, prophecy assumes that God is changeless and that men have not changed over time either. Prophecies of divine deliverance in the Bible therefore tend to look back to past deliverances and forward to future ones (see Isaiah 41:22-23). In Isaiah 40-55, there are many allusions to the exodus, to the deliverance of Israel from Egypt, as proof of God’s ability to deliver His people from bondage (see, for example, 43:1-2, 15-16, 19-20; 44:27; 51:9-11; 52:4).
Just so, the deliverance of the Jews from their bondage in Babylon will become further testimony to God’s power to save. And so the deliverance of the Jews from Babylon will be added to the list of past deliverances, which point ahead further to the ultimate deliverance of God’s people from their sins.5 And so, in the midst of His promise to deliver the Jews from Babylon, God speaks of the final and full deliverance which will be accomplished by Messiah. This deliverance is described in Isaiah 52:13–53:12.
When John the Baptist commenced his ministry as the one who was to announce the coming of the Messiah, he took up the words of Isaiah 40:
A voice is calling, “Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God …Get yourself up on a high mountain, O Zion bearer of good news, Lift up your voice mightily, O Jerusalem, bearer of good news; Lift it up, do not fear. Say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!” (Isaiah 40:3, 9; compare Matthew 3:1-3; John 1:23, 36).
Jesus, by His every word and deed, was fulfilling Isaiah 52:6 (not to mention 52:13–53:12). He was declaring, “Here I am.” He did so at the beginning of His ministry at the synagogue in Nazareth, His home town, by citing Isaiah 61:1-2 and then saying to those gathered, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:16-21). He did so when He said to the woman at the well as she was speaking of the coming Messiah, “I who speak to you am He” (John 4:26). He did so in His miracles and His teaching. He declared Himself to be the Messiah at His triumphal entry into Jerusalem (see John 12:12-19). He declared Himself to be the Messiah before the Sanhedrin and before Pilate (see Luke 22:70; 23:3; John 19:7). God declared Him to be Messiah before His birth (Luke 1:26-33, 67-75), at His birth (Luke 2:8-14), at His presentation at the temple (Luke 2:29-32), at His baptism (Luke 3:22), at His transfiguration (Luke 9:28-36), at His crucifixion (Luke 23:44-48), and at His resurrection (Acts 2:36).
(5) The two texts from Isaiah which Paul cites both seem to have a secondary inference, along with their primary use as a proof text. Paul cites Isaiah 52:7 to show that God uses messengers to proclaim the good news. He has done this in Israel’s past as recorded in the Old Testament. He has done this in the gospel as well, fulfilling the requirement that the gospel be proclaimed so that men may be held accountable for their unbelief.
There is an implied secondary meaning contained in Isaiah 52:7, in addition to the primary meaning. Those who proclaim the gospel are, in contemporary language, “beautiful people.” Isaiah says the feet of those who proclaim the gospel are beautiful.6 The one who receives the gospel as good news gladly receives the messenger as having beautiful feet. Like the woman in the New Testament, they would wash the feet of the messenger of good news with great joy and love.
As a messenger of the gospel, Paul viewed his task as one of great privilege. So should every other messenger. But, on a national scale, Israel was to be God’s messenger of good news. The good news of God’s grace was to be proclaimed among the Gentiles, by the Jews. This did not happen. Not only did the Jews reject the message and the Messenger, they rejected their calling to be a messenger as well.
Beyond the joy of the messenger and those who welcome the message, Christ is not only spoken of by the messenger, He speaks through the messenger. Notice the words of Isaiah 52 in context, and compare them with Paul’s citation:
“Therefore My people shall know My name; therefore in that day I am the one who is speaking, ‘Here I am.’” How lovely on the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who announces peace And brings good news of happiness, Who announces salvation, And says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices, They shout joyfully together; For they will see with their own eyes When the LORD restores Zion (Isaiah 52:6-8).
In the text of Isaiah, it is God who speaks, who says, “Here I am.” There are also watchmen who are messengers, and they will also announce the arrival of Messiah. In Isaiah 52:7, the messenger is one—“him.” In Paul’s citation, the messengers are plural, “those” (Romans 10:15). When Paul speaks of the messengers being “sent” in verse 15, I believe he wants us to understand they were sent by God Himself and not the church. When Paul speaks of the gospel as the “word of Christ” in verse 17, I believe he means the word which Christ Himself proclaims, concerning His provision of salvation which He speaks through His messengers. When we proclaim the gospel to men, it is not just us speaking to men about Christ, it is Christ speaking to men through us. When the gospel is proclaimed to men, Christ is speaking, saying, “Here I am.”7
The argument of verses 14-17 can thus be summarized. In order for God to hold men responsible for their response to the gospel, the gospel must be proclaimed, and proclaimers must be sent (verses 14-15). This is indeed precisely the case. God has sent forth many messengers. Through them Christ has spoken, and the word concerning salvation through Christ has been proclaimed. The words of Isaiah predicted this; history has shown this prophecy to have been fulfilled. Just as in Isaiah’s day, however, Israel failed to respond to divine revelation as they should have (verse 16). Isaiah saw Israel’s rejection of his message as typical of her rejection of God’s Word, conveyed through His messengers throughout their history (“our report”). Faith, then, cannot be exercised apart from the hearing of the Word, the gospel, which is the basis for faith and repentance. And if heeding cannot be expected where hearing has not taken place, let all Israel know that God has sent forth His messengers to proclaim the gospel to His people, Israel. The “word of Christ” was proclaimed to the Jews, but it was not received by them (verses 16-17).
But I say, surely they have never heard, have they? Indeed they have; “THEIR VOICE HAS GONE OUT INTO ALL THE EARTH, AND THEIR WORDS TO THE ENDS OF THE WORLD.” But I say, surely Israel did not know, did they? At the first Moses says, “I WILL MAKE YOU JEALOUS BY THAT WHICH IS NOT A NATION, BY A NATION WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING WILL I ANGER YOU.” And Isaiah is very bold and says, “I WAS FOUND BY THOSE WHO SOUGHT ME NOT, I BECAME MANIFEST TO THOSE WHO DID NOT ASK FOR ME.” But as for Israel He says, “All the day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.”
The final verses of chapter 10 offer two excuses for Israel’s rejection of the gospel. Here Paul is seeking to put up the best possible defense for Israel. Like a top criminal lawyer who knows his client is guilty, Paul offers the best defense possible. In spite of his best efforts, and Israel’s best excuses, Israel is found guilty—without excuse. As Paul asks two questions and then gives the answers from the Old Testament itself, Israel’s guilt is clearly shown.
Suppose you were given a traffic citation for failing to stop at a given intersection. If you could prove no stop sign was there, you would have a good chance of being found innocent. Following the logic of Paul’s argument, Israel could be found innocent of the charge of rejecting the gospel if only the Jews could demonstrate they had never heard the good news. This is exactly the excuse Paul introduces in verse 18. He seems to state the excuse in a way which gives Israel the benefit of the doubt; the Jews are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty.
If the question gives the Jews the benefit of the doubt, the answer removes all doubt: “Indeed they have: …” The text Paul then cites is most unexpected as he turns to Psalm 19:4 where the subject of the entire psalm is God’s revelation to men. Verses 1-6 of this psalm speak of God’s revelation of Himself to all mankind, through nature. Verses 7-14 speak of God’s revelation through His law. One would certainly expect Paul to indict Israel for ignorance, based on their possession of the Law. Why then does he cite from the first half of Psalm 19 rather than the last?
I believe Paul refused to quote from the last half of Psalm 19 because Israel thought they owned the Law. Their possession of the Law made them better, they thought. Believing they owned it, they thought it was their choice with whom they shared the good news, the “light” of God’s Word. If as the psalmist says “in keeping them [God’s laws] there is great reward” (19:11), Israel could restrict God’s blessings by keeping His Word to themselves.
Paul therefore cites from the first half of the psalm, stressing the universal scope of the gospel which God intended from eternity past. God’s revelation of Himself in nature was to all mankind, not just to the Jews. This is the point Paul has just made in Romans 10:
For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call upon Him (Romans 10:11-12).
Note the universal scope of God’s revelation as stressed in the words of Psalm 19:4: “Their voice has gone out into all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world” (emphasis mine).
God’s revelation, contained in the law, was not Israel’s possession; it was Israel’s stewardship. In using the words of Psalm 19:4, Paul reminds them of the universal nature and intent of God’s revelation. Not only had Israel heard, all the earth had received some revelation concerning God. This is the basis for Paul’s indictment of all men as sinners, under divine condemnation in Romans 1:18–3:20.
Is there any doubt that all Israel had heard the good news? Let us think our way through the Gospels and the Book of Acts. All Jerusalem had heard of the birth of the baby who was Israel’s King, and yet none made the short journey to see and worship Him. This was in contrast to the Gentile magi who came from afar (see Matthew 2:1-6). Word of Jesus’ teaching and miracles spread far and wide, throughout all Israel. Jesus sent the 12 and later the 70 to every village of Israel, informing them that the King and His kingdom was at hand (see Luke 9:2; 10:1). Jesus presented Himself in Jerusalem during festive holidays, where Jews had gathered from all over the world (see John 5:1; 7:2, 14; 10:22-23). He presented Himself as the Messiah in Jerusalem at that fateful, final Passover at His triumphal entry (Matthew 21). After His death and resurrection, Jesus was proclaimed to be the Messiah to the Jews who had gathered in Jerusalem from around the world (Acts 2:5-11ff.). When persecution drove the church from Jerusalem, the saints went abroad with the gospel, preaching primarily to the Jews but also to the Gentiles (see Acts 8:1; 11:19-20). It is virtually inconceivable that any Jew of Paul’s day had not heard something about Jesus. Even in distant Rome, the Jews’ words to Paul indicate they had heard something about Jesus and the gospel:
And it happened that after three days he called together those who were the leading men of the Jews, and when they had come together, he began saying to them, “Brethren, though I had done nothing against our people, or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. And when they had examined me, they were willing to release me because there was no ground for putting me to death. But when the Jews objected, I was forced to appeal to Caesar; not that I had any accusation against my nation. For this reason therefore, I requested to see you and to speak with you, for I am wearing this chain for the sake of the hope of Israel.” And they said to him, “We have neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brethren come here and reported or spoken anything bad about you. But we desire to hear from you what your views are; for concerning this sect, it is known to us that it is spoken against everywhere” (Acts 28:17-22).
Paul could therefore rightly and dogmatically affirm that all Israel had heard of Jesus, and yet they had rejected that revelation. This he does in Romans 10:18.
It seems difficult to believe that Israel would ever seek to excuse themselves on the basis of ignorance. They thought they were the experts concerning God’s law; they saw themselves as the custodians of divine revelation. How could they be ignorant of it?
There is yet one excuse left to the Jews. Perhaps they heard the gospel, but did not understand it. Their problem was not in the hearing of the gospel but in the comprehension of it. Maybe they were ignorant by virtue of misunderstanding. This is the thrust of Paul’s final question voiced in verse 19: “But I say, surely Israel did not know, did they?”
Quickly shooting down the excuse of ignorance, Paul’s answer is almost entirely all Scripture as he begins with the words of Moses recorded in Deuteronomy 32:21 and ends with Isaiah 65:1-2. Paul’s response to the question comes from “the Law and the Prophets.”
The focus of Paul’s words is more than just the revelation of the gospel which has been proclaimed to the Jews. In this final section, Paul turns to the purpose of God and the gospel as it relates to Jews and Gentiles. Israel has been well-informed about the gospel, both from Old Testament prophecies and from the proclamation of those who are God’s messengers. Israel too has been instructed concerning the unbelief of the Jews and the salvation of the Gentiles. Both Moses and Isaiah are cited to show that Israel cannot claim ignorance concerning the present condition of Israel.
Would any Jew attempt to claim that Israel’s unbelief and the salvation of Gentiles is an unexpected turn of events, something about which they had never been informed? This simply does not square with biblical revelation. Those who took such pride in the law were always quoting Moses (see Matthew 19:7; 22:24; John 8:5, 45; 9:29). Now Paul quotes Moses to show that all that has happened has simply fulfilled the prophecies of Moses as recorded in Deuteronomy 28-30.
The words Paul cites from Deuteronomy 32:21 come from a song written by Moses which was to be sung by the nation. The words enable Israel to commit to memory the warnings of the previous chapters. Originally the words appear to have referred to the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities. Israel’s idolatry will be judged when God sends them to an idolatrous land. Those whom the proud Israelite would scarcely call a nation will be their masters. Those whom they think of as foolish will provoke them to anger.
This prophecy applies equally, in the more distant future, to the destruction and captivity of Jerusalem and Israel, and to the time when the gospel will be proclaimed and believed among the Gentiles. This passage sweeps away any claim a Jew might make to being ignorant of God’s working. It predicts that God will use the Gentiles to achieve His purposes for His people. It is consistent with the salvation of the Gentiles and the hardening of the Jews.
Perhaps the most significant expression in the words of Moses is this: “By a nation without understanding will I anger you.”
Did Israel wish to plead ignorance? Would any Jew try to claim they did not understand? Then why is it those “without understanding” have understood the gospel and received it? Ignorance is no excuse. The Gentiles were ignorant, comparatively speaking, and yet they were those who were coming to faith and not the Jews who were much better informed.
The final words of Isaiah’s prophecy deal with both sides of the coin as he speaks both of the belief of the Gentiles and of the unbelief of the Jews. His prophecy precisely predicts that condition Paul has just described in Romans 9:30-33—those who did not seek God found Him; those who did not even ask for God found He was clearly revealed to them. The salvation of the Gentiles could hardly have been more clearly foretold.
The hardening and unbelief of the Jews was a matter of record as well. Isaiah’s words reflect God’s persistent offer of the gospel—of salvation. The offer to Israel of God’s salvation is described as both clear and continual. All day long God stretched forth His hands to His people, beseeching them to come to Him for mercy and grace. His persistence was matched by Israel’s obstinance. God’s offer of salvation was spurned by Israel out of her willful disobedience and obstinance.
Israel could not plead ignorance. They had heard the gospel. They knew the issues. It was not lack of knowledge but lack of submission and obedience which led to Israel’s downfall. Israel was without excuse. Her unbelief was foretold just as the salvation of Gentiles was prophesied. Israel’s stubborn rebellion flew in the face of all that God had said. They did not reject just some of God’s Word, but all of it. They failed to keep the Law, and they failed to heed the prophets.
Why did so many Jews reject the gospel while many Gentiles were turning in faith to the Messiah? The first answer is divine election—the sovereign choice of God. The second answer is Israel’s obstinance and rebellion against God, against the gospel, and against all of divine revelation, Old Testament and New. Israel cannot use God’s sovereignty as her excuse, and neither can she use her own ignorance. Her disobedience was willful rebellion.
While this passage does teach much by way of inference, let us now consider what it emphatically teaches.
First, it reminds us of the sinfulness of man. Those who had received the greatest revelation of all, the Jews, acted in total disregard of that which God revealed to them. While the Law was given to men to define righteousness and to reveal their own sin and need for grace, the Jews were self-righteous and had no desire for grace. While the Scriptures foretold Israel’s sin and rebellion and its consequences, no one paid attention to these warnings. Though God clearly indicated His desire and purpose to save men from every nation, Israel sought to hoard the blessings of God and to keep them for themselves. As clear as the Scriptures are about all that is taking place among the Jews and the Gentiles, the nation Israel has not taken heed. The words of chapters 1-3 of Romans echo in our ears as we read these verses in chapter 10. Surely Paul was correct in saying that the Jews, in addition to the Gentiles, are “without excuse.”
There is no excuse for unbelief, my friend. There is never an excuse for unbelief. When you stand before the judgment seat in the last day, God will not judge you on the basis of what you did not know but on the basis of what has been revealed to you. If you have been following along in this lesson, and even more so in the Book of Romans, you know all that is necessary to be saved. In fact, Paul’s words in Romans 10 are all that you need to know and to obey:
that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call upon Him; for “WHOEVER WILL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED” (Romans 10:9-13)
Imagine standing before God and trying to make excuses for your stubborn disobedience of His Word. What will be your excuse? How dreadful it will be to be without excuse! Call upon the name of the Lord today, and be saved.
Finally, if this text reveals the sinfulness of man, it also testifies to the faithfulness of God and of His Word in spite of man’s sin. If this text teaches us Israel’s disregard for the Scriptures, it also teaches us the reliability of the Scriptures and God’s faithfulness to His Word. All that has happened, God has clearly, repeatedly, and emphatically revealed to His people. Israel’s history should bring us no surprises, for all that God has said has happened or soon will happen.
This text in chapter 10 takes up a question raised in chapter 3 and answers it in definite terms:
What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it? May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar …” (Romans 3:3-4).
God is always found to be true, even though every man be a liar. In fact, the more men are seen to be liars, the more God becomes evident as the God of truth.
God’s Word is true because it is the Word of God. And God’s Word is true even though men may reject it, because He is a sovereign God, the God who is in full control. His sovereignty is so great that it can give men the freedom to make choices and yet in no way jeopardize His plans and purposes. Against the black backdrop of Israel’s sin and unfaithfulness to God is the encouraging truth that God is faithful, and His Word is always fulfilled. Israel’s sin does not challenge the faithfulness of God’s Word; it demonstrates the faithfulness of His Word.
The Word of God is a two-edged sword. On the one hand, it is the basis for our belief and behavior. It is that revelation of truth on which we must base our faith and on which our lives should be built. On the other hand, it is that truth for which we are held responsible, and according to which our actions will be judged.
It is all too easy for those of us who are Gentiles to shake our heads at the stubborn unbelief of Israel. But let me ask this question: Are we doing any better than they? Those of us in our area often regard ourselves as living in the “Bible belt.” We think we know the Scriptures better than others. But how much of the truth that we profess are we practicing? How much are we doing with that which we think we know? Paul will have a great deal to say to those of us who are Gentiles in chapter 11 concerning our repetition of Israel’s sin. For now, let us be on guard against looking down on the Jews in the same way they despised the Gentiles. Let us be men and women of the Word, not only in studying but in obeying God’s Word.
2 I realize the NASB and the NIV separate these verses so that verses 14 and 15 are a separate paragraph, while verse 16 begins a new paragraph. I have divided this text as indicated for two main reasons. First, verse 17 seems to be a concluding summary statement reiterating what Paul has been saying in verses 14-17. The NIV seems to agree, at least in part, for it begins verse 17, “consequently.” Second, the structure of the remainder of the passage is indicated by the phrase, “But I say …” with which Paul twice suggests a possible excuse for Israel’s unbelief. The first excuse is offered in verse 18, and the second is raised in verse 19.
3 Notice all the questions which can be found in our text. Each division of our text, as I have outlined it, begins with a question. Verses 14 and 15 begin with a sequence of four questions. Verses 18 and 19 raise two more questions. The answers are strong affirmations from none other than God’s Word in the Old Testament. The Bible has the answers to our questions.
4 From the standpoint of Paul’s presentation, he begins with man’s “calling upon the Lord” in verse 14, and ends with the preachers who are “sent” in verse 15. From the standpoint of the process involved, the preachers are first “sent” and those who hear and heed their message “call upon the Lord” for salvation.
“These words were spoken in the first instance of those who carried the good news home to Jerusalem from Babylon that the days of exile were past and restoration was at hand. But in the New Testament this whole section of the book of Isaiah, from chapter xl onwards, is interpreted of the gospel age. The deliverance from Babylon under Cyrus, like the deliverance from Egypt in the days of Moses, is treated as the foreshadowing of the greater and perfect deliverance wrought by Christ. The voice of Isaiah xl. 3 which calls for the preparation of a way through the desert by which God may lead His liberated people home to Zion becomes the voice of John the Baptist, calling together in the wilderness of Judaea a people prepared for the Lord; the ‘acceptable year of the Lord’ (Is. lxi. 2) is proclaimed by Jesus at the outset of His Galilean ministry; and further examples of the Christian fulfillment of these chapters appear in the verses that follow.” F. F. Bruce, The Epistle of Paul to the Romans (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1963), p. 208.
6 Some translations use the word “lovely.”
7 Is it possible that when Isaiah said, “Lord, who has believed our report?” he was speaking of the message which was being proclaimed both by himself and by Christ?
Prayer was requested one Sunday during our worship meeting for Torrey Robinson, one of our seminary students. Torrey was on his way to a city in the South for a summer internship when his Volkswagen developed engine trouble. We were asked to pray for the car repairs and Torrey’s safe arrival. As an aside, the man requesting prayer commented, “Maybe we should just send Deffinbaugh down there to fix the car!” My quick response was, “Brother, I can heal sick automobiles, but I sure can’t raise the dead!”
Some failures in life are beyond repair. I well remember my early days on a computer when mistakes were not only more frequent but sometimes fatal. Most distressing was the message, “Fatal Error,” on my computer monitor. Whatever work I had done and not saved to disk was lost forever. My daughter’s less technical words when the screen went blank were, “Daddy, it went away!”
Fatal errors may not even be big mistakes. Even seemingly insignificant mistakes can bring disastrous results. Some may think of the coming of the kingdom of God as though it were the launching of the Challenger space vehicle. Even a very small problem can scrub an entire launching effort. If errors cause men to abort missions they very much desire to accomplish, can human error prevent the kingdom of God from being established on the earth?
The question of our text in Romans 11 is this: “Is Israel’s failure a fatal error?” At this point in Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, there is no question that Israel has miserably failed. Worse yet, they are without excuse for their rejection of Jesus as their Messiah. The remaining question is simple: “Is there any hope for Israel in view of her willful rebellion against God and her rejection of God’s Messiah?” The answer to this question is quite confident: Israel’s hope is sure. The God who started His work with Israel will bring that work to completion.
The words of our text are not only for Jews. Paul will apply the failure of the Jews to Gentile saints in verses 13-32. Better yet, the reasons for Israel’s blessings are also applicable to the Gentiles. The basis for Paul’s hope and confidence for the nation Israel is also the basis for the Christian’s hope and confidence. One can read many books on success, but no more encouraging commentary on failure can be found than here in our passage. Let us listen well to find that hope which rests in God alone.
Paul has been dealing with the gospel as it relates to the Jews and the Gentiles. In his day, as in our own, the Jews have failed to attain righteousness before God, not because they failed to work at it but because they did work for it. Gentiles, on the other hand, attained righteousness because they did not work for it but simply received Christ’s righteousness by faith. The Gentiles have gained without effort what Israel failed to gain by her efforts.
Israel’s condition, from the perspective of God’s sovereignty, is the outworking of God’s sovereign choice (or election).8 Those who do not believe in Jesus as God’s Messiah are those whom God has not chosen to become true Israelites, true sons of Abraham.9 God has nevertheless chosen a small remnant of “true Israelites,” who believe in Jesus as their Messiah, and who guarantee the hope of Israel by preserving this nation for a time of future restoration and blessing. This is the thrust of Romans 9.
Israel’s condition must also be explained in terms of human responsibility. While it is true that those who are not “true Israelites” were not divinely chosen, it is also true that they rejected the Messiah. Israel’s unbelief is also the result of her willful rejection of the truth of the gospel, which God revealed in the Old Testament and again in much fuller detail in the New.10 The Old Testament Scriptures often spoke of Him who was to come to save condemned sinners. The prophets who spoke of Him were rejected, persecuted, and even put to death. And when Jesus came and presented Himself to His people as their Messiah, they rejected Him as their King. “We have no king but Caesar,” their leaders cried out to Pilate (John 19:15). Their guilt was undeniable and inexcusable. This guilt Paul stresses in Romans 10.11
Now that the causes of Israel’s unbelief have been explored in chapters 9 and 10, Paul turns to the consequences of her unbelief in chapter 11. Does Israel’s willful rebellion and rejection of the gospel mean that God has written off this people? Are all of Israel’s hopes for the future gone? Does Israel’s failure mean God is finished with her?
The consequences of Israel’s failure to believe in Jesus as their Messiah is taken up in chapter 11. In verses 1-12, Paul explains why Israel’s hopes are very much alive. In verses 13-32, Paul turns to the Gentiles, pointing out the lessons they need to learn from Israel’s failures. In verses 33-36, Paul concludes the argument of chapters 9-11 with an outpouring of praise, based upon the wisdom of our God.
We shall view the structure of our text in light of the structure of the entire chapter. Verses 1-12 deal with Israel’s future, which is just as bright and just as certain as ever. Verses 13-32 are lessons Gentile believers should learn from Israel’s failures. Verses 33-36 contain Paul’s expression of praise and adoration, based upon God’s character and nature as evidenced in His eternal plan for saving both Jews and Gentiles. The chapter can therefore be outlined:
(1) Israel’s future hope is certain because it rests in God — verses 1-12
(2) Implications from Paul’s teaching: Lessons the Gentiles should learn from Israel’s failure — verses 13-32
(3) Paul’s Response: Praising God for His infinite wisdom and sovereign grace — verses 22-26
I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
The question Paul raises here is very logical. Israel’s hope for the future seems quite dim indeed. Israel has willfully and inexcusably rejected Jesus as her Messiah. While it is true that Israel has always been “stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears” (Acts 7:51), this time the Israelites have rejected the Messiah in person. As the parable which Jesus Himself told before says, they have rejected the servants of God (the prophets), but now they have rejected the Son (see Matthew 21:33-46). Have they gone too far? Is it all over for Israel?
Who would ask such a question? It would hardly be unbelieving Jews. They were (and are today among the orthodox Jews) confident that their Messiah was and is still coming, and that God would bless them as He had promised. It could be that believing Jews would ask such a question for their hopes as Jews are involved. It seems most likely that believing Gentiles would raise this question. After all, if God does not literally keep those promises He has made to the Jews, how can we be assured He will keep His promises to us?
But there is more to the question than this. In the broader context of the entire chapter, it is very clear that Paul is speaking principally to Gentiles. Paul’s application, beginning at verse 13, is to Gentiles, particularly warning them against pride (see verses 18, 20). The expression, “do you not know …” employed in verse 2 implies a gentle rebuke to the Gentiles. I believe that as the Gentile Christians observed and reflected on the failure of Israel, feelings of disdain for the Jews began to arise. A sense of smugness and superiority was already becoming evident among the Gentile believers. They were beginning to look upon the Jewish pagans in the same way Jews looked upon the Gentiles as pagans. If God had truly rejected Israel, then the Gentiles would be their replacement. The Gentiles and the church would replace the Jews. God’s purpose was much broader, including both Jews and Gentiles as Paul emphasizes in this chapter.
Strong disagreement still exists among evangelical Christians over the answer to the question, “Has God rejected His people?” Along with Paul, dispensationalists emphatically answer “No!” In defending their point, they may go too far in pressing the differences between Israel and the church. The covenant, or non-dispensational position, holds that the church has permanently replaced Israel and that all of God’s promises to Israel will be fulfilled through the church. This view does not seem to square with the clear thrust of Romans 11. In stressing the unity, or continuity, between the two Testaments, this position seems to ignore the distinctions evident between God’s dealings with the Jews and His dealings with the church. In trying to defend their positions and disprove their opponents, both dispensational and non-dispensational positions have taken their positions to extremes. As in the body of Christ, there is both unity and diversity. God’s dealings with Israel are consistent with His dealings with the church, but they are not synonymous. Having now displeased and disagreed partially with the two major segments of evangelicalism, I press on.
Let us look more carefully at the exact words Paul employs in phrasing the question in verse 1. The question is not asked from the standpoint of Israel’s merits. Neither is Israel the center of attention. Look at the words once more with the emphasis I have given to them: “I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He?”
God is the center of attention. Israel’s future does not depend on her, but upon God. It is not Israel’s failure which is paramount, but God’s faithfulness. Israel’s future rests in God.
God has already committed Himself to finishing what He has started and that which He has promised His people:
“For the LORD will not abandon His people on account of His great name, because the LORD has been pleased to make you a people for Himself” (1 Samuel 12:22).
Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for light by day, And the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; The LORD of hosts is His name: “If this fixed order departs From before Me,” declares the LORD, “Then the offspring of Israel also shall cease From being a nation before Me forever.” Thus says the LORD, “If the heavens above can be measured, And the foundations of the earth searched out below, Then I will also cast off all the offspring of Israel For all that they have done,” declares the LORD (Jeremiah 31:35-37; see also 33:25-26).
Israel’s future rests in God and in His faithfulness to perform that which He promised. As Paul states later in this eleventh chapter of Romans,
For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable (Romans 11:29).
Paul’s response, “May it never be!” seems to be a reflection of two things. First, it expresses Paul’s strong reaction to the mere possibility that God might fail to fulfill His promises: “How could anyone even conceive of the thought that God would fail to fulfill His Word?” Second, it expresses Paul’s strong reaction as a Jew. Paul thus reminds his readers that he is a Jew and that Israel’s hope is his own hope. Paul’s reaction is equally appropriate for any Gentile believer. If God fails to fulfill His promises to the Jews, how can any Gentile feel secure about the promises God has made for Gentiles? Let there be no doubt about it, God will fulfill His promises. Verses 2-12 explain the reasons for Paul’s strong affirmation.
God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? “Lord, they have killed Thy prophets, they have torn down Thine altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.” But what is the divine response to him? “I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.
Israel’s failure is self-evident. Her guilt is both evident and irrefutable. She is without excuse. But does this also mean that Israel is without hope for the future? Is God finished with Israel? Is it all over for Israel? Certainly not! There is but one reason for Israel’s hope which is spelled out and illustrated in verses 2-6: Israel’s hope is certain, because her salvation and restoration are not dependent upon fallible, sinful men but on the sovereign grace of God. To demonstrate this central truth, Paul turns first to the eternal purpose of God (election). He then draws a principle from an incident in the ministry of Elijah in verses 2b-4, which he applies to Israel’s present condition (verses 5-6).
Israel’s future is certain because God chose them as a part of His eternal plan and purpose (verse 2a). Here in but a few words we find a very fundamental principle. It is the basis for Israel’s hope. It is likewise the basis for the hope and security of every believer, regardless of the dispensation in which they live.
The principle is this: Man’s salvation, security, and eternal hope rest in God, rather than in man.
There is only one basis for man’s salvation, sanctification, and security: God’s sovereign grace. Satan has often offered, and fallen man has persistently attempted, to establish a second way—man’s righteousness attained through his own good works. This means of attaining righteousness is not biblical, and it has never worked. It cannot work because “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” It cannot work because “there is none righteous, not even one.” It cannot work because the law of God cannot save men but only condemn them (See Romans 3:1-20). Man, by his own efforts, is not able to save himself. Man’s salvation, sanctification, and security rest in God, in God alone. This is precisely what Paul wants us to understand and what he means when he writes at the end of this chapter:
For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things (Romans 11:36).
He is the “author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). He is the One who began the “good work” in us, and He is the One who will perfect it (Philippians 1:6).
Thus when Paul writes, “God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew” (verse 2, emphasis mine), he need say no more. Indeed, there is nothing more that can be said. God made a choice in eternity past to set Israel apart, to bring blessing to the world through this people, and to establish an eternal kingdom in which they would play a significant part. On the basis of His eternal purpose, God continually made promises to His people in the Old Testament. The fulfillment of these promises12 does not depend on the faithfulness of fallible men but on God. If men cannot earn or merit these blessings by their good works, neither can they frustrate the purposes and promises of God by their failures. The foreknowledge of God refers to His plans, His purposes, and His people which He has chosen in eternity past.13 It is this foreknowledge which is the basis for Israel’s hope. Whatever failures Israel has made, God’s Word never fails. Thus His purposes and promises are certain.
Verses 2b-6 provide us with an Old Testament illustration of the doctrine of sovereign grace. Paul turns to an incident in the ministry of Elijah to illustrate his point.
Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? “Lord, they have killed Thy prophets, they have torn down Thine altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.” But what is the divine response to him? “I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal” (Romans 11:2b-4, referring to statements contained in 1 Kings 19).
We would do well to refresh our minds concerning the context of these words. Elijah was a prophet to the nation Israel. Due to the sin of this people, God’s judgment was pronounced upon the nation just as Moses had warned in Deuteronomy 28-31. Specifically, Elijah’s ministry began with the announcement that there would be no more rain in the land until he gave the word (see 1 Kings 17:1). Elijah was then sent into hiding until the time when God would send the rains (17:2-24). After considerable time passed, God commanded Elijah to present himself to king Ahab and to announce that the rains were coming (18:1-15).
When Elijah stood before Ahab, he challenged the false gods of Ahab and Jezebel, his wicked wife, to a contest on Mt. Carmel.14 In this contest, the false gods were exposed when God revealed His power by sending fire from heaven and consuming the watered-down sacrifice offered by Elijah (18:19-40). In spite of these events on Mt. Carmel, Israel did not repent as a nation, and Ahab and Jezebel remained in power. Worse yet, Jezebel vowed to put Elijah to death (19:2). When Elijah saw15 that his ministry had proven to be a failure, he turned and fled.
Elijah was wrong.16 We should all agree on this. But Paul wants us to focus on one aspect of Elijah’s error and how God corrected it. Do you notice that in the New American Standard Bible (as well as the New International Version and the King James Version) Elijah is said to have pled with God against Israel and not for Israel (verse 2)? Why did he not plead with God for Israel? Because Elijah had given up hope for Israel. The question Paul has raised in verse 1 (“God has not rejected His people, has He?”) is not an idle one. Elijah, in his moment of despair, thought that it was all over for Israel. He ran away because he believed God had, or should have, given up on this rebellious people. After all, he had just dramatically demonstrated the sin of their idolatry. He had presented to them the God whom they must trust and obey. But in spite of his ministry, which proved they were guilty and without excuse, they did not repent and turn to God.
From the words which Paul cites in verse 3, we can see why Elijah gave up hope. His focus was all wrong. Look at this verse as I have chosen to place the emphasis:
“Lord, they have killed Thy prophets, they have torn down Thine altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.”
Elijah’s focus is on Israel and on himself, but not on God. Because he has fixed his eyes on man rather than on God, Elijah can only see failure. He, as a prophet, has failed (see 1 Kings 19:4).17 Israel too had failed. Since all Israel had rejected him and since he alone was left as a prophet, in his thinking at least there was no hope for Israel. In Elijah’s mind, man’s failure, both his and Israel’s, had nullified the purposes and promises of God. Israel’s hope was gone Elijah wrongly concluded, because man had failed God.
God’s answer corrected this error, and His subsequent actions proved that Israel’s hope rests not in the faithfulness of men but in the faithfulness of God:
But what is the divine response to him? “I HAVE KEPT for Myself SEVEN THOUSAND MEN WHO HAVE NOT BOWED THE KNEE TO BAAL” (Romans 11:4).
Notice that while Elijah’s words are man-centered, God’s response is God-centered. It mattered not that Elijah had failed or even that most of the nation Israel had failed. God was in control. Though most of the nation had failed, including Elijah, God would not allow man’s failure to hinder His purposes and promises for Israel, the people whom He had foreknown. Because of this, God preserved for Himself a remnant of 7,000 people. It was through this remnant that God’s purposes would be carried out.
Elijah was a prophet, but he was not infallible. He was wrong about Israel’s future. He was wrong because he linked the hope of Israel to the works of Israelites rather than to the sovereign grace of God. God always finishes what He starts. Because of this, God preserved a remnant. It was not man’s faithfulness which kept the hope of Israel alive, but God’s faithfulness.
The principles by which God has dealt with Israel in the past hold true to the present.18 Thus Paul can and does extend the principle he has just established to Israel’s present condition.
The principle is this: God will finish what He starts, on the basis of His sovereign grace, achieved through a remnant of those whom He chooses and preserves.
Those who might lose hope for Israel in Paul’s day needed only to be reminded that there was a remnant of “true Israelites” in their own day, just as there had always been down through Israel’s history. This remnant was the assurance that God’s purposes for this people would be fulfilled sometime in the future. Numbered among this remnant was none other than Paul himself (see verse 1). This remnant was a remnant “according to God’s gracious choice,” that is, a remnant in accordance with the principle and working of sovereign grace.
We must contemplate the implications of this remnant according to grace. Paul plays out the implications in verse 6. Since it was a remnant according to grace, Israel’s future was not dependent upon good works but upon God, whose purposes and promises are based on grace. Because the future of Israel is based upon God’s grace, it cannot be earned by man’s good works, and neither can it be lost by human failure.
The failure of Israel could not nullify the sovereign purpose of God to bless His people, Israel. While Israel’s hope is a future hope, it is a certain hope based upon the principle of grace and upon the character and power of God. As the words of one song say, “More secure is no one ever, than the loved ones of the Savior …” Praise God for this assurance.
What then? That which Israel is seeking for, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened; just as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes to see not and ears to hear not, down to this very day.” And David says, “Let their table become a snare and a trap, and a stumbling block and a retribution to them. Let their eyes be darkened to see not, and bend their backs forever.”
Would anyone wonder if Israel’s failure would frustrate God’s purpose for this people He has chosen? Paul’s words in verses 2-6 should lay any such worry to rest. But if in verses 2-6 Paul has said that man’s failures cannot hinder God’s purposes, verses 7-12 go even farther. Here Paul will demonstrate that Israel’s failure fulfills God’s Word. Rather than hinder God’s cause, Israel’s failure back-handedly served to fulfill it. We shall see how Paul shows this to be true as he turns to the prophecy of Isaiah and to a psalm of David.
Israel’s present condition, both at the time of Paul’s writing and at this time 2,000 years later as well, is summarized in verse 7. History has shown that Israel has not yet obtained that blessing for which the Jews have hoped. Those who were chosen (or “foreknown,” see Romans 8:29; 11:2) have obtained it,19 and the rest were hardened. This statement is but a further clarification of what Paul has already taught in Romans 9:6-13; 22-24. The emphasis on God and on His sovereign grace remains.
In verse 8 Paul turns to Isaiah 29:10 to show that Israel’s present hardening is a fulfillment of prophecy. The context of Isaiah 29 is instructive. The chapter begins with a pronouncement of woe upon Jerusalem (here called Ariel, meaning Lion of God—verses 1-2). God warns of a very sudden siege on the city. This attack will take it by surprise (verses 3-8).
Because of her willful rebellion and disobedience of the truth which He has revealed to His people, God warns that He will bring upon the Jews a blindness and dullness to the truth. Those who would not obey the truth will become ignorant of the truth.20 One means by which this dullness will be brought on the Jews is the removal of the prophets (also called “seers,” verse 10), who formerly explained God’s Word and His will. While a warning concerning the judgment of Jerusalem is in view in the first part of this chapter, there is also the promise of Israel’s future restoration (verses 17-24). In that day the deaf will hear, the blind will see, the afflicted will be made glad, and the needy will rejoice in the Messiah, the Holy One of Israel (verses 18-19).21 So too the wicked will be punished (verses 20-21). There will be in that day a great repentance and turning back to God (verses 22-24).
In referring to Isaiah’s words, Paul establishes several important points which undergird his argument in these verses:
(1) Israel is presently blinded, unable to understand what God is doing and thus hear or heed God’s Word. They have “eyes to see not and ears to hear not.”
(2) Israel’s blindness and dullness is a divinely imposed judgment for her sin and disobedience. “God gave them a spirit of stupor.”
(3) Israel’s blindness is a long-standing condition, a pattern which has existed for a long time. Isaiah spoke of Israel’s dullness as “down to this very day.” Even in Isaiah’s day, Israel’s dullness was a long-term condition. We know that this condition existed while the Israelites were slaves in Egypt:
“Yet to this day the LORD has not given you a heart to know, nor eyes to see, nor ears to hear” (Deuteronomy 29:4).
Centuries later Paul can use these same words to describe the nation in his day. In our own time, 2,000 years later, these words still describe Israel’s condition.
Paul refers to verse 10 of Isaiah’s prophecy as being fulfilled by Israel in his day. The hardness of their hearts, their rejection of Jesus as Messiah, their opposition to the gospel, and especially their blindness to the gospel (particularly as revealed in the Old Testament) are all a fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy concerning Israel’s chastening.
Has Israel’s disobedience and unbelief somehow thwarted God’s plans and purposes for Israel so that His promises to His chosen people will never be fulfilled? Hardly! God, through the prophet Isaiah, promised to chasten His people for their sin by making them dull toward the truth and blind toward the gospel. But in the same prophecy, God promised to restore Israel in the more distant future. Judaism in Paul’s day fit the description given by Isaiah centuries earlier. Was God’s Word frustrated? No, it was fulfilled. Prophecy was fulfilled by Israel’s disobedience.
Isaiah is not the only Old Testament witness to Israel’s condition. David too wrote of the day of Israel’s divine judgment. In verses 9 and 10 of this chapter Paul cited from Psalm 69, verses 22 and 23. A few observations concerning this psalm will help us to understand how Paul used these words to support his point.
(1) This psalm is a psalm of David.
(2) It is written out of David’s personal experience of being opposed and attacked by his own countrymen who apparently wish to overthrow his reign (see verses 1-3, 7, 8, 12, 20).
(3) It is a messianic psalm in that it looks beyond David’s personal struggles to those of the Messiah to come (see verses 9, 20-21, 26).
(4) While David recognizes and confesses his sinfulness, the suffering and opposition he is facing here is not due to his wrong-doing but is the result of his faithfulness to God (see verses 7, 9).
(5) David therefore petitions God to respond to the persecution and injustice being brought against him by punishing his enemies and by delivering him (see verses 22-33).
(6) In this psalm, David affirms that righteousness cannot be obtained by works and that God’s blessings are granted by grace (see vv. 16-19, 32-33).
(7) It is a psalm which beseeches God for salvation by means of mercy and grace, not works (see verses 13 and 16).
(8) It realizes that heart obedience is better than legal sacrifices and rituals (see verse 31).
(9) It looks forward to the salvation of Zion (see verses 34-36).
In the light of these general observations of Psalm 69, we now turn our attention to Paul’s citation of verses 22 and 23. Much like the prophet Elijah, David is pleading to God against his fellow-Israelites, at least some of them. By rejecting him as their king and resisting his rule, they are resisting God. Their opposition to David is really opposition toward God. Because of this, David pleads with God to deal with these rebels as their sin deserves.22They do not want grace—they loathe it—so let them have justice.
If the appeal of David was appropriate, how much more so was the divinely imposed judgment of God upon Israel in Paul’s day, after the Israelites had rejected the Messiah Himself? Look at the broader context of David’s petition to see that it is strongly messianic, pointing more to Messiah than to David:
Reproach has broken my heart, and I am so sick. And I looked for sympathy, but there was none, And for comforters, but I found none. They also gave me gall for my food, And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. May their table before them become a snare; And when they are in peace, may it become a trap. May their eyes grow dim so that they cannot see, And make their loins shake continually. Pour out Thine indignation on them, And may Thy burning anger overtake them. May their camp be desolate; May none dwell in their tents. For they have persecuted him whom Thou Thyself has smitten, And they tell of the pain of those whom Thou has wounded (Psalm 69:20-26, emphasis mine).
If divine judgment was poured out on the Israelites for their previous sins, how much greater was the guilt of those who rejected God in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ? No wonder Paul can use David’s words from this psalm. This psalm not only foretold Messiah’s rejection by His people, but it foretold the divine consequences for this great evil which Israel had committed against God. Israel’s failure did not take God by surprise; it was foretold long before it happened. Israel’s failure does not frustrate God’s purpose, but fulfills prophecy.
I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous. Now if their transgression be riches for the world and their failure be riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be!
The best part is yet to come. Paul has demonstrated that Israel’s disobedience has not destroyed their hope as a nation. If Israel’s sin has not forever doomed and damned this disobedient nation, it has done something very positive—it has brought about the salvation of the Gentiles.
The question posed in verse 11 is virtually the same as that raised in verse 1. I understand Paul to be reminding us that Israel’s future hope is still the issue at hand. Has Israel’s failure ruined her hope for the future? Not at all! Paul has already provided two lines of evidence in support of his answer. Paul’s first argument stated in verses 2-6 is based upon the doctrine of sovereign grace: Israel’s failure cannot thwart God’s purposes and promises because these were never dependent upon men but upon God. God’s promises to bless Israel and the whole world were not dependent upon man’s good works but upon divine grace. Second, in verses 7-10 Paul argues that Israel’s disobedience has not frustrated God’s plans but has fulfilled divine prophecy. Even when Israel disobeys God, it is seen to have been in the divine plan all along. And now in verses 11 and 12, we come to Paul’s third and final argument. Israel’s failure has brought about the salvation of the Gentiles; one can barely grasp the blessings which will follow when Israel comes to trust and obey God by turning to Messiah for salvation!
God’s purpose, determined in eternity past, was to bring salvation to all nations, not just Israel. Israel was to be the instrument through which God proclaimed the good news to the rest. Israel not only rejected the gospel for themselves, they refused to take the gospel to the Gentiles. This is evident in the rebellion of Jonah as described in the prophecy of the Book of Jonah. It is also seen in the opposition of the Jews toward the gospel (including Paul, in his former days) and especially toward its proclamation to the Gentiles (see Acts 22:18-22).
God, in His infinite wisdom, was not taken back by the rebellion of Israel. If the Jews would not believe the gospel and would not take the good news to the Gentiles so they might be saved, God would use the rejection of the gospel and the unbelief of Israel to bring salvation to the Gentiles. Paul’s words focus on this very thing—the triumph of God’s plans and purposes, not just in spite of Israel’s disobedience but by means of it. God uses even the wrath of men to bring praise to Himself (see Psalm 76:10).
Because of their disobedience of God’s law, their rejection of the Messiah, and their opposition to the gospel, the Jews have brought upon themselves divine judgment for a time. If Israel’s disobedience has brought judgment on the Jews, it has also brought salvation to the Gentiles. Even the turning of the Gentiles to Messiah will have a beneficial effect on the Jews. God will use this to provoke the Jews to jealousy. This jealousy will eventually lead to salvation for the Jews. When this comes about, the whole world will be blessed even more greatly through God’s chosen people. If the disobedience of the nation Israel has resulted in salvation for the world, one can only imagine what their repentance and faith will produce for the world.
Israel’s present condition is the result of God’s sovereign choice (chapter 9) and Israel’s willful decision to disobey God and to reject His Messiah (chapter 10). Her guilt is inexcusable. But her future blessings are nonetheless certain, because they are based upon God’s sovereign grace and not on human merit (works). Israel’s present dullness of sight and hearing is a divine judgment and the fulfillment of God’s repeated warnings. Her failure has opened the door for the evangelization of the Gentiles. Better yet, her future repentance and restoration will, by God’s grace, produce even greater blessings for the world. God has not given up on Israel! Israel’s hope is secure, because it rests in God and not in men.
The relationship of Jews and the Gentiles to God’s blessings as promised throughout the Old Testament is the topic of Romans 9-11. Paul’s conclusion is that in the end God’s purpose of saving both Jews and Gentiles will be accomplished, in ways men would never have imagined. The sovereign grace of God is the basis for our certain hope that these things will be finally and fully accomplished. I want to lock in on this crucial doctrine of sovereign grace as we conclude.
For unbelievers, the sovereignty of God is an offense. “If God is sovereign,” they say, “then why does He allow suffering and evil and injustice?” And beyond this, the unbeliever cannot begin to think that God is the One who ultimately controls the eternal destiny of men. Sinful men wish to be autonomous, the “captain of their own soul” and the “master of their fate.” While their rejection of God’s sovereignty is understandable, it is a manifestation of their sin and rebellion against God’s authority and control. God’s right to rule, and thus to make the rules, has been the issue since Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
For unbelievers to chafe at the sovereignty of God is not difficult to explain. But why do so many Christians find the sovereignty of God offensive? There are several answers. First, while we remain in these fleshly bodies we still exhibit the sinful tendencies we had as unbelievers. Some of our difficulty with this doctrine is but the hangover of our sin nature. Second, we simply fail to understand God’s sovereignty, especially as it intersects with human responsibility.23 In this area we find a key to the uneasiness which some believers have with divine sovereignty.
Too many Christians do not comprehend that grace, by its very nature, must be sovereignly bestowed since it cannot be merited by our good deeds nor can it be forfeited by our failures. Sovereign grace is the basis for our hope as Christians. If God’s promises rested on our faithfulness, no one would ever attain them, not even one. Sovereign grace is the basis for our salvation, and it is also the basis for our security. Beyond this, it is the basis for certainty concerning our future hope. Divine sovereignty is not some bitter pill which Christians must swallow, in spite of its taste. Divine sovereignty should be a “sweet sound,” music to the believer’s ears.
In Romans 11, I believe Paul is expounding the doctrine of sovereign grace and its implications for men. In the first half of the chapter, through verse 12, Paul uses divine sovereignty to give Christians a new perspective on failure. In the last half of the chapter, Paul uses divine sovereignty as the framework from which we gain a new perspective of success.
Have you ever thought through the Bible considering its emphasis on failure in proportion to its emphasis on success? The Bible speaks far more about failure than success. For example, Genesis begins with the failure of man in the Garden of Eden. From this point on, man’s failure is more prominent than man’s success. Chapters 28-32 of Deuteronomy speak much more of Israel’s failure than her faithfulness. In reading through the history of Israel in the Old Testament, much more text is given to the description of man’s failures than of man’s faithfulness. In the New Testament, we see the failure of the nation Israel to receive Jesus as the promised Messiah and the failure of the disciples to comprehend what His teaching and ministry was all about. We observe that virtually all the churches described in the New Testament have problems and failings (see Revelation 2 and 3).
Why the emphasis on man’s failures rather than on his faithfulness? Simply because this is true to life. Man has been tainted by sin. There is absolutely nothing we do which is not tainted by sin. I may (someday) preach a message you may think is an exegetical and homiletical masterpiece. But I may very well preach it out of less than perfect motivation. And even if I felt I did well and was rightly motivated, only God knows my heart and its deceitfulness. You may witness to a fellow-worker and that person may come to faith in Christ. But your service is not free from the taint of sin. If your ministry is effective, it is due to the grace of God. Your message, and method, and motivation will be tainted by sin.
The reason that we must exchange these earthly bodies for heavenly bodies,24 and that this earth must be destroyed by fire and made anew,25 is due to sin’s permeation of all of creation so that it is doomed to fail. These bodies in which we live, and love, and serve God are dying. Our groaning as Christians, of which Paul speaks in Romans 8, is due to the futility of this world. Fulfillment and perfection are yet to come. And so the Bible calls it like it is and speaks more of failure than of faithfulness and success simply because we are fallen creatures who live in a fallen world.
I did not say the Bible has nothing to say about success, and blessing, and fulfillment. When there is success in this life, it is because God has accomplished it, by His grace. When the Bible speaks of perfection and freedom from failure, it speaks of heaven. Men and women of faith do not look for perfection here on this earth but in the kingdom of God which is yet to come:
All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them (Hebrews 11:13-16).
And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they should not be made perfect (Hebrews 11:39-40).
Why, then, when the Bible speaks so much about failure and the fallibility of men, do Christians keep thinking, talking, and reading about success in this life? All of us would love to escape the groanings of this life, but that is not what God has called us to do. Just as Jesus came into this world to endure its imperfections (Hebrews 5:7), and to suffer, so we are called to groan and suffer (Romans 8:18-23; see also 1 Peter 2:21-25).
The emphasis of the Bible on human failure is for several reasons. First, human failure is the reality, the norm. The Bible views and deals with life as it is. The only place in this world you will see perfection is in the commercials which offer and depict perfection in place of failure, and all for the price of the product being advertised. Second, failure is the point at which grace is required and at which grace alone is sufficient. Jesus came to this earth to welcome sinners and to bestow His grace on them, because we are needy sinners. Sinners came to Jesus while the self-righteous shunned Him. Man’s sin is the occasion where grace alone will suffice and will save.
Third, because God’s grace is sovereign grace man’s failures do not thwart His purposes and promises. Our good works do not earn His favor (grace), and our failures do not forfeit it. Grace is unmerited, independent of our works or our worth.26 Praise God for that. God’s sovereignty is such that He can accomplish His purposes through our obedience or our disobedience, through our faithfulness or through our failures. He saved the Ninevites as easily through a willful and disobedient Jonah just as easily as He saved many Gentiles through a willing Paul.
Finally, when God’s grace is revealed at the point of man’s failure, it is God who receives the glory:
For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are, that no man should boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption (1 Corinthians 1:26-30).
On behalf of such a man will I boast; but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in regard to my weaknesses. For if I do wish to boast I shall not be foolish, for I shall be speaking the truth; but I refrain from this, so that no one may credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me. And because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me—to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I entreated the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me (2 Corinthians 12:5-9).
When you stop to think about it, all through the Bible, from beginning to end, God seems to have used men more in their failures than through their faithfulness. Even the great men of the Bible seem to have experienced more failure than success. Oftentimes what seem to be failures may not be due to sin in the life of the individual. David, for example, spent a considerable period of his life fleeing from Saul and later fighting to maintain his reign due to opposition even from his own family.
Think about your own life for a moment. How many times have you seen the hand of God working through your own failures? Is this not how you came to Christ in faith? Is this not how you have come to depend on Him more fully and to serve Him and praise Him more faithfully? How many times have you seen the gracious hand of God at work in your life because of the failure of others?
As I look at my life, the lives of others, and at the Scriptures, I find that when God accomplishes that which is good, it seems often to be almost accidental, coincidental, or unknown and unrecognized by those whom God has used as the instruments of His grace. The difference between God’s use of Israel in her disobedience and His use of us is not that we are faithful and they were not. They were unknowingly used of God; we can be knowingly used. Christians too may be used unknowingly. This may be because we are selfless in our service (for example see Matthew 25:34-40) or because we are disobedient and therefore dull in heart and mind to the hand of God (see Jonah).
The sovereign grace of God requires that Christians look at life in an entirely different way than the unbeliever views life. If “God causes all things to work together for good” for His children (Romans 8:28), then we must agree this includes not only our own failures but the failures of those who have touched our lives. Have we been mistreated? God meant it for our good. Have we been abused? This too God has granted for our good. The sovereignty of God is the believer’s basis for viewing failure, our own and that of others, differently than others do.
Our failures are never fatal when they cause us to turn to the sovereign grace of God. They are for our good. They are for His glory. Sovereign grace views failure in an entirely new light.
I will not ask you if there are failures in your life. I know the answer to this question. But I will ask, “Have you thought that God has given up on you because you have failed?” Do you think that God is only interested in you when you succeed? Then you have completely failed to understand the grace of God. Sovereign grace means that man’s failure is the occasion for God’s grace, if we simply acknowledge our failure, our need, and receive His grace. Grace is never more sweet than it is to one who has failed. Grace is never so distasteful than it is to one who thinks he has been successful.
One last thing must be said. The grace of God is never to be abused as an excuse for our sin or as an excuse for living our lives carelessly, as though our failures and our sin do not matter. Our failures cannot hinder or frustrate the work God has purposed and promised to do. But our failures are always costly to us personally. When we sin, we suffer. We who trust in Christ shall not suffer God’s eternal wrath, for we have been delivered from His wrath, once for all. But we will suffer the consequences of our own sin. We also suffer because we live in a world which has been contaminated by sin. It is never worthwhile to sin. But when we do sin, we do not frustrate God’s purposes or His promises. Praise God!
Our concluding thoughts in this lesson must focus for a moment on the implications of divine sovereignty as it relates to human failure. Our next lesson will focus on the sovereign grace of God as it relates to success.
8 The term used in Romans 8 and 11 for divine election is “foreknew” (Romans 8:28; 11:2).
10 In the Old Testament, one was saved by believing that God would provide the means for his salvation. This provision was to be in the person of the Messiah who was yet to come. In the New Testament, men are offered God’s salvation through faith in the Messiah who has come—Jesus Christ. In both the Old and New Testaments, salvation is by faith, not works, and it is based upon the work of Jesus Christ. Old Testament faith looked forward; New Testament faith looks back. Both look to the cross of Calvary (see John 8:56; Romans 4).
11 Technically, Paul begins to lay the foundation for human responsibility in chapter 9, beginning at verse 19 and building up to an indictment in verses 30-33. This is then explained much more fully in chapter 10.
12 It should be noted that there are two types of promises in the Old Testament, conditional promises and unconditional ones. But in this context we are speaking of those unconditional promises which form the basis for Israel’s hope.
13 For a more thorough definition and explanation of the term “foreknew” see Lesson 24, where this is discussed in much greater detail in the exposition of Romans 8:29.
14 I am personally not at all convinced that Elijah did that at God’s command. There is no such instruction found in the text. All the Scriptures tell us is that God commanded him to announce that there would be no rain and then later that there would be rains. The New Testament Scriptures speak of Elijah’s prayers concerning the rains (James 5:17-18) but not of his contest on Mt. Carmel. Was this Elijah’s idea which God merely tolerated? I think this is a distinct possibility. Not all agree with me on this point.
15 As the marginal note for 1 Kings 19:3 reads in the NASB, the text can either be translated, “And he was afraid,” or “And he saw.” I believe the second rendering is to be preferred. While Elijah may have become frightened, he was not afraid to face Ahab, all of Israel, and 450 false prophets the day before. If he was “afraid,” it was because he “saw” that his attempt to turn the nation around had failed.
16 From the overall context of 1 Kings 17-19, I believe Elijah was wrong in three major premises, all of which God seeks to point out and to correct in chapter 19. Paul does not mention all of these in our text, because he is seeking to establish one point in particular. Nevertheless, let me suggest the three avenues of error exposed and corrected by God in chapter 19. First, Elijah confused that which was spectacular with that which was successful. He thought the spectacular confrontation at Mt. Carmel would convince and convert the nation. It failed. God was not found in the spectacular wind, earthquake, and fire, but rather in the gentle sound of the wind (19:11-13). Success is not to be equated with the spectacular. Second, Elijah equated his significance to God as a person with his success as a prophet. God was more intimate with Elijah in his failure (19:5ff.) than He was with him in his success (contrast 17:2-16). God personally served Elijah hot baked bread (with butter?) after he failed, while before this Elijah was fed by unclean ravens and a Gentile widow (see Luke 4:25-26). Third, Elijah equated his personal success as a prophet with Israel’s prosperity and blessing (18:22; 19:4, 10, 14). God humbled Elijah by instructing him to select his successor and by appointing less than godly men, through whom God would bring about His purposes for the nation Israel (19:15-17).
17 When Elijah says, “I am no better than my fathers” (19:4), I believe he means, “I am no better than the prophets (fathers) who have preceded me.” He was a prophet. He wrongly supposed he was the only prophet left alive (see 1 Kings 18:4). The term “father” was applied to one’s forefathers, but it was used in reference to the prophets (see 2 Kings 2:12; 13:14). Elijah somehow expected to surpass all of his predecessors, when the fate of a prophet was to be rejected (see Acts 7:51-52).
18 Paul sees a continuity, not only to the character of God, but to the way in which men respond to God and in the way in which He deals with men. Thus, those who would conclude that all hope for Israel is lost fail to see that Israel’s present dilemma is little different from where they have been many times in the past. The cycles so evident in the Book of Judges continue on down through Israel’s history.
19 I take it Paul means by this that their future entrance into God’s promised kingdom are assured (see Hebrews 11:13-16; 39-40). The past tense is often employed in the Old Testament to speak of future events which have not yet occurred, but which are viewed as a certainty and spoken of as though they had already happened.
20 Notice that in verse 16 of Isaiah 29 those who were deprived of a clear understanding of God’s Word were the very ones who were so bold in their unbelief as to accuse God of having “no understanding.”
21 The words of Jesus in Matthew 5:3-6 have a very familiar sound in the light of Isaiah’s words in Isaiah 29:18-19.
22 I wonder if David is petitioning God for divine judgment on the basis of the words of Moses in Deuteronomy 28-30. These prophetic words certainly give David’s petition a biblical basis.
23 There is a danger here of separating divine sovereignty and human responsibility into that which is “divine” and the other which is “human.” Divine sovereignty focuses on God and on His infinite power and control of all things. Human responsibility is that accountability which men have to God for their actions and attitudes. Human responsibility is the responsibility which men have toward God.
26 So much then for those who say that God sent His Son to die for us, because we are of such value to Him. This is a denial of grace and a backhanded claim that men do not need grace. It is sloppy sentimentalism and not Scriptural truth.
When I was in the sixth grade, I learned the hard way the difference between being privileged and being favored. My friend Ricky and I were projectionists. It was a position of privilege; it was also a privilege because we got out of class to run the projector for other classes. However, Ricky and I did not live up to our position of privilege. We raced the projection cart, with the projector, down the empty halls of the school while everyone else was in class.
On one occasion, just as I was banking a curve with the skill of Andy Granatelli and making record time down the hallways, I collided with one of the teachers. Unfortunately for me, the teacher was my father. Although I was his son, this did not make things easier for me; in fact, it made things much worse. Because I was his son, he gave me a double dose of discipline. My racing days were over, at least in the school halls where my father might be encountered.
The nation Israel was God’s “son” in the sense that God had chosen this people to be the source of blessing to all the world (see Exodus 4:23; Hosea 11:1). The Jews quickly began to forget that God’s blessings and their privileged status were gifts of God’s grace, something for which they could take no credit. They began to presume on God’s grace, supposing that because they were privileged they were exempt from God’s chastening. They believed in the “kindness and severity of God.” They also believed they deserved and were assured of God’s kindness, and that the Gentile heathen deserved God’s severity. Israel’s pride became her downfall.
The downfall of Israel and the salvation of Gentiles is the subject of Romans 9-11. Two primary questions are asked and answered in these three chapters:
(1) Has the Word of God failed because Israel has failed (see 9:6)?
(2) Is there any hope for the nation Israel, or was her failure fatal and final (see 11:1, 11)?
Paul’s answers to these questions are clear and confident. His answer to the first question is this: The Word of God has not failed; rather, God’s Word has been fulfilled. The Old Testament clearly reveals that God never intended or promised to save and to bless every physical descendant of Abraham. God chose to bless some and not others. Those who have failed are those whom God has not chosen; the faithful remnant are His chosen ones. It is men who have failed because the gospel was proclaimed to the nation Israel, and they willfully rejected it. For their disobedience, they are without excuse.
Paul’s answer to the second question is this: Israel’s hope is still future, and it is just as certain as God’s Word is reliable. Israel’s disobedience and God’s chastening was long before foretold by Moses in Deuteronomy 28-31. Israel’s history is but the playing out of prophecy. Since God’s promises to Israel are not based upon human merit or works but on sovereign grace, they are unthreatened by Israel’s disobedience. Just as no amount of good works could merit God’s grace, no amount of sin and rebellion can thwart His grace.
The conversion of many Gentiles bears testimony that Israel’s sin has resulted in the fulfilling of God’s purpose to save men from every nation. Israel was to be a “light to the Gentiles.” It was their privilege and responsibility not only to believe the gospel but to proclaim it to the nations. They neither believed it nor proclaimed it. Because of Israel’s disobedience, the good news of the gospel has been extended to the Gentiles, and many have come to faith. All this has happened through Israel as a disobedient people. One can hardly fathom what blessings will come to the world when Israel repents of her sin and comes to faith in Jesus as the Messiah.
The spotlight has been on Israel up to this point. Paul does not want her failure to produce the wrong result in the hearts and lives of his Gentile readers. The Gentiles are no different than the Jews, for all have sinned. The failures of Israel should serve to warn the Gentiles against committing similar sins. Paul fears that in focusing on the failures of the Jews, some Gentiles might become puffed up with feelings of pride, looking down on the Jews. As a result, Paul turns from explanation to application in verse 13 of Romans 11. He wishes for his Gentile readers to learn from Israel’s failures. He desires that they respond to God’s grace with humility and praise toward God rather than with pride.
In verses 25-32, to be considered in our next lesson, Paul will turn to Israel’s future restoration. He will direct our attention to the fulfillment of God’s promises to His people, the Jews, as it relates to God’s present dealings with the Gentiles. Finally, in verses 33-36, Paul will fall on his knees, praising God for His infinite wisdom as revealed in the outworking of His plan to save both Jews and Gentiles.
It is probably best to view our passage as falling into two major sections. Verses 13-16 focus on Paul, on his identity as a Jew, and on his ministry to the Gentiles. Verses 17-24 focus on Paul’s Gentile readers, who may misinterpret the failure of the Jews and the blessings which God has been pouring out on the Gentiles. Here Paul warns his Gentile readers of the folly and consequences of pride as seen from Israel’s history.
The structure of our text can be summarized:
(1) Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles as a faithful Jew — Verses 13-16
(2) Paul’s words of admonition to the Gentiles, based upon the failure of the Jews — Verses 17-24
13 But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify27 my ministry, 14 if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them. 15 For if their rejection be the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16 And if the first piece of dough be holy, the lump is also; and if the root be holy, the branches are too.
Currently, Israel is to be characterized by her unbelief. She is under divine discipline as seen by her dullness to the truth of the gospel. Nevertheless, in spite of Israel’s present unbelief, there is hope for the Jews. This hope is based upon the faithfulness of God to His Word and not the faithfulness of God’s people. Israel’s failure is partial, for God has preserved a faithful remnant. Her failure is not permanent, for she will be restored in the future.
In coming to faith in Christ, Paul has not denied his Jewish heritage. His conversion was no denial of his Jewish hopes but an entrance into them through Jesus, Israel’s Messiah. Therefore, in chapters 9-11 Paul has pointed to his roots and affirmed his loyalty to both his heritage and his hopes as a Jew.
This raises a question: If Paul is a faithful Jew, what is he doing ministering to Gentiles? If there is still hope for Israel, how can Paul justify ministering to Gentiles rather than to Jews?28 Paul’s answer is given in verses 13-16. His response proves that his ministry to the Gentiles is completely consistent with His Jewish heritage and hope.
Paul acknowledges that he is an “apostle to the Gentiles” (verse 13). This is not a ministry which he takes lightly. Indeed far from minimizing his ministry, he seeks to magnify it. He seeks to enlarge and to enhance this ministry to the degree that God enables him. Paul does not take this ministry on half-heartedly or perform it begrudgingly.
Although not stated in our text, I believe there is a very good reason why Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles is fully compatible with his identity as a Jew. Paul might be thought of as some kind of exception, some deviation from the norm. Some might think his ministry to the Gentiles was a unique calling. It was not. Israel had been chosen to become the source of blessing to all nations. Israel was not only to believe the gospel but to proclaim it to the nations, to the Gentiles. They both refused the gospel and resisted its proclamation among the nations.29 When Paul obediently preached the gospel to the Gentiles, he was simply doing that which every faithful Jew was called to do—to take the light to the Gentiles. While Paul’s actions may seem to be the exception, God had instructed that they be the rule. Paul’s ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles was completely consistent with his calling as a Jew.
Paul also understood that his ministry to Gentiles was not in conflict with God’s purposes for the Jews or with his hope as a Jew. He saw his ministry as playing a role in God’s purpose and program for the Jews at that point in time:
Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them (verses 13b-14).
His preaching to the Gentiles certainly did provoke the Jews to jealousy, as we can see in the Book of Acts:
“And he said to me, ‘Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’” And they [the Jewish mob gathered at Jerusalem] listened to him up to this statement, and then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he should not be allowed to live!” (Acts 22:21-22).
The Jews did not want the gospel, but neither did they want Paul to preach this gospel to the Gentiles.
Provoking the Jews to jealousy was fulfilling God’s purpose for Israel at this time in history, as a divine response to their rebellion. This was fully consistent with the prophecy of Deuteronomy 28-31, which not only foretold of Israel’s disobedience but of the divine discipline God would bring on His people:
‘They have made Me jealous with what is not God; They have provoked Me to anger with their idols. So I will make them jealous with those who are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation’ (Deuteronomy 32:21).
Isaiah’s ministry as a prophet of God to the Jews was not to bring this willful nation to repentance but to proclaim its guilt and even add to it (Isaiah 6:1-10).30 Paul’s ministry was not to turn this willful nation around but to play a part in provoking it to jealousy. In this way, some would be saved. And in this remnant, Israel’s hope was assured.
Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles was not in conflict with God’s promises to Israel. His ministry was perfectly consistent with all that God had said. Paul was confident of this, and thus he could magnify his ministry among the Gentiles knowing that in the long run it was for the good of his fellow-countrymen.
There is a vitally important point to be noted here. Ministry is like spirituality: appearances are often deceiving. To the unbelieving Jews, Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles appeared to be a betrayal of his heritage. He looked to the unbelieving Jews like a traitor to the cause of Israel. They were wrong, because they looked only at the appearance and not at the truth.
In Luke’s Gospel, our Lord warned the Pharisees about judging on the basis of appearances.
And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God” (Luke 16:15).
Outwardly, the appearance was that Paul was unfaithful to his Jewish heritage and calling. The unbelieving Jews thought they were “keeping the faith.” In reality, they were doing just the opposite. The unbelieving nation of Israel did not believe in Jesus as their Messiah, and they did not proclaim the good news to the Gentiles. Paul did so, and in being obedient to his calling (both individually and as a Jew), he provoked his brethren to jealousy and some came to faith.
Who would ever have thought Jewish evangelism would have been achieved by Gentile evangelism? Who would have imagined that by turning to the Gentiles Paul was doing Israel a great service? No one. But this is the way God works. In verses 33-36 of this chapter, Paul concludes by praising God for His wisdom, a wisdom which far surpasses anything men would have devised or even imagined. Who would have imagined that the salvation of the Gentiles would have been accomplished through Israel’s disobedience rather than her obedience? Yet this was God’s way. In achieving His purposes His way, God receives all the glory.
We have here a very important lesson to be learned. Frequently, we are called to achieve God’s purposes in ways which may seem contrary to His purposes. In biblical terms, we are called to walk by faith and not by sight, to walk in obedience to His Word, even when doing so seems contrary to God’s purposes.
For example, how could one ever imagine that God’s promise to Abraham would be fulfilled by obeying God and putting his son to death as God commanded him (see Genesis 22)? Faith required Abraham to obey, trusting in God rather to live by appearances. God calls upon us to give up our lives in order to gain them, to take up our cross in order to serve Him. Obedience to God’s Word by faith may often seem inconsistent with what He has promised to accomplish, but God’s ways are often accomplished by the most unlikely means.
The church has been commanded to “make disciples of every nation” (Matthew 28:18-20). This command necessitates evangelism, preaching the gospel (see Romans 10:14-15). Often there are often those who lay a guilt trip on every believer, insisting that we obey the Lord’s command by doing what appears to be evangelistic. And so every Christian is urged to do those things which on the surface seem to be evangelism. If we are not passing out tracts, going door to door, or doing what others expect of us, we can often feel guilty. If Paul had done what appeared to be necessary to evangelize the Jews, he would have been aggressively pursuing Jewish evangelism. He did actively pursue Jewish evangelism, by going to the synagogues and preaching Christ. But he also saw that his ministry to the Gentiles was playing a part in Jewish evangelism too even if it did not appear so.
A young man may be out mowing the church lawn on a hot Saturday afternoon. As the heat of the sun bears down upon him, he may wonder if he should be mowing the grass when he could be out witnessing. But it may be the neatly-kept lawn which attracts and encourages a passerby to visit the church and thus hear the gospel. A housewife making a plate of cookies for an ailing neighbor may very well be playing a part in God’s plan to bring that neighbor to faith.
God has given each member of His body, the church, different gifts and a different ministry. We must exercise our gifts and fulfill our ministry, even though it may not “look” spiritual or appear to be directly related to God’s purposes. It is only when we see our obedience to Christ’s calling as a part of the larger program and purposes of God that we are able to “magnify our ministry,” knowing that God will use it to achieve His purposes.
Paul performs his ministry to the Gentiles in hope—not only the hope of saving some Gentiles, but in the certain hope that all Israel will be restored to a place of belief and blessing. This hope is expressed in verses 15 and 16. The specific meaning of Paul’s words here provokes great discussion, but the general intent of his words is very clear: Israel’s rejection of the gospel has led to the universal proclamation of the gospel to the whole world. Thereby, reconciliation to God has been offered to all the world. Whereas the offer of the gospel was initially restricted to the Jews (see Matthew 10:5-7; 15:24), their rejection of the good news caused the preaching of the gospel to be universal. Reconciliation is available to all who will receive it, by grace through faith.
If Israel’s rejection of the gospel has brought about the “reconciliation of the world,” how much more the world will be blessed by Israel’s acceptance of the gospel (verse 15). It will bring about not only reconciliation but “life from the dead.”31 This argument from the lesser to the greater is but an elaboration of what Paul has already said in verse 12.
Paul turns in verse 16 to two other illustrations which affirm the hope of Israel. The first illustration is the imagery of the first-fruits as God prescribed these offerings in Leviticus 15. The first-fruits were the offerings of the first part of the greater quantity which was yet to come. The first small portion of grain harvested was offered to God, acknowledging that He had provided it and that He would provide the full harvest which was still to come. If the first portion of “dough” is “holy,” it is assured that the rest of the “lump” will be holy. Whether the first-fruit to which Paul refers is that of Abraham (and perhaps the patriarchs), or that of the remnant of true Israelites, the point is clear: God has saved some, and these are the evidences that a greater harvest is to come.
The second illustration Paul uses in verse 16 is that of the tree, its roots, and its branches. This imagery will be the basis for Paul’s admonition in verses 17-24. But here he wishes to show that the well-being of the root is the basis for the well-being of the limbs and their fruit.
Paul is seeking to establish and to demonstrate two major principles by his words in verses 15 and 16. First, he is arguing that the good which we presently see God doing through Israel’s disobedience is insignificant in comparison to the good which God is yet to do through Israel’s repentance and restoration.
Second, I believe he is seeking to tie the welfare of the Gentiles to the well-being of the Jews. If the Gentiles should be so foolish as to rejoice at the downfall of Israel, they are mistaken. They have benefited from Israel’s downfall, but they, like Paul, should seek the restoration of Israel, for the restoration of Israel is the basis for even greater blessings for the Gentiles. The blessings of the Gentiles are always linked to their root in the Jews. The more God blesses Israel, the more we Gentiles are blessed. We Gentiles, like Paul, should be cheering for the Jews. Their blessings are the basis for our own. Only a fool would rejoice in Israel’s failure or in God’s divine chastening of these His chosen people.
17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; 21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you.
22 Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in; for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more shall these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?
Now having laid the foundation, Paul brings his Gentile readers to the point of what he has been teaching them. Using the analogy of the fig tree and its branches, Paul shows the folly of spiritual pride and the need for a deep sense of humility and holy fear. Before interpreting the meaning of Paul’s words, let us first lay a foundation to guide us and keep us from pressing the meaning of Paul’s imagery too far.
First, Paul is speaking of Israel and the Gentiles collectively more than he is speaking of men individually. While there are individual dimensions to Paul’s words, he is primarily speaking here collectively of God’s dealings with the Jews and the Gentiles. The thrust of Paul’s teaching in these verses is not to speak of the salvation of individuals so much as the privileges and blessings of two groups: the Jews and the Gentiles.
Second, Paul is speaking generally of the privileges and blessings which God bestows on His people. While salvation is surely a blessing which God bestows by means of His grace, the blessings of which Paul speaks here are more general, including salvation but not restricted to it.
Third, the larger context of Romans 9-11 stresses the sovereignty of God and the certainty of His blessings in spite of the failure of His people. Paul has stressed the security of the believer, and here in these verses it is most unlikely that he is attempting to do so now. Paul is striving to discourage pride and to encourage humility.
Fourth, the problem underlying these words is that Gentile believers, like the Jews, may soon forget that God’s blessings in their lives are by His grace through faith and not of works.
Having determined the general sense and thrust of this passage, let us now try to understand in greater detail by looking more closely at Paul’s words of warning to the Gentile Christian based upon Israel’s failures.
In the early chapters of Deuteronomy, God warned the Israelites they would soon forget that His blessings were based upon grace and not upon their worth. The Israelites were a greatly privileged people:
“Indeed, ask now concerning the former days which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and inquire from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything been done like this great thing, or has anything been heard like it? Has any people heard the voice of God speaking from the midst of the fire, as you have heard it, and survived? Or has a god tried to go to take for himself a nation from within another nation by trials, by signs and wonders and by war and by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm and by great terrors, as the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? To you it was shown that you might know that the LORD, He is God; there is no other besides Him. Out of the heavens He let you hear His voice to discipline you; and on earth He let you see His great fire, and you heard His words from the midst of the fire. Because He loved your fathers, therefore He chose their descendants after them. And He personally brought you from Egypt by His great power, driving out from before you nations greater and mightier than you, to bring you in and give to you their land for an inheritance, as it is today (Deuteronomy 4:32-38).
But God knew that once the Israelites began to taste of God’s grace in the land of Canaan, they would forget that all His blessings were bestowed on them by grace in spite of their sin:
Beware lest you forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments and His ordinances and His statutes which I am commanding you today; lest, when you have eaten and are satisfied, and have built good houses and lived in them, and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and gold multiply, and all that you have multiplies, then your heart becomes proud, and you forget the LORD your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. He led you through the great and terrible wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water; He brought water for you out of the rock of flint. In the wilderness He fed you manna which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do good for you in the end. Otherwise, you may say in your heart, ‘My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.’ But you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day (Deuteronomy 8:11-18).
The Israelites did not heed these words of warning. Over and over in their history, they turned from God to idols. They spurned God’s grace and became proud in heart. They believed God blessed them because they were superior to the Gentiles. Their pride was but self-righteousness. In their self-righteousness, they ignored or denied their sin, and thus they felt no need for grace (a rich man needs no charity.) And so, when Jesus came, offering grace and forgiveness to “sinners,” the majority of Israelites did not think they needed Him nor did they want a Messiah like Him. They disdained and rejected the salvation He offered to sinners. Ultimately, they put Him to death, with the help of the Romans.
Now the Jews and the Gentiles have changed places. The Jews are the heathen, and the Gentiles are being offered forgiveness and salvation by grace through faith. As Gentiles believe and enter into the blessings of God, all too soon they too will forget that God’s blessings are by His grace alone. They will begin to look down on the Jews who have not believed and who are suffering divine discipline. They will become arrogant about their privileged status. They will repeat the sin of the Jews.
Following the imagery of the olive tree and its branches, Paul illustrates two forms which Gentile arrogance may take. The first form of error is exposed and corrected in verses 17 and 18, and the second in verses 19-21. In verses 22-24, Paul returns to the crux of the matter, the basis for all of God’s blessings. His words in these verses, if believed, will produce humility and dependence.32
In verses 17 and 18, the first form of Gentile error is exposed. A Jewish branch is broken off from the tree. A Gentile branch, which is inferior—a “wild” olive branch, is grafted into the tree. The Gentile branch begins to feel arrogant toward the branches. He fails to see that he is grafted in among the Jewish branches (verse 17). He does not understand that
Israel's failure is both temporary and partial. It is as though there are no branches, other than Gentile branches. This is exactly how the Jews felt toward the Gentiles. If one were to enter into God’s blessings, one had to become a Jew.
And when the Gentile branch realizes that there are Jewish branches, he begins to feel superior to them. Paul reminds the Gentile branch that he is a “wild olive branch,” an inferior branch, as far as fruit-bearing is concerned. Grafting in such an inferior branch is contrary to nature (see verse 24). God grafted the Gentile branch into the tree in spite of its “roots” and not because of its superiority.
Does this Gentile branch reason that God has removed Israel from His plan and purpose? Does he think it is all over for the nation Israel, from the question asked in verses 1 and 11 of chapter 11? Does he suppose God’s Word has failed (9:6)? Let him recall that he is the branch, and Israel is the tree. It is not a Gentile tree which may support a few Jewish Christians, but a Jewish tree which supports some Gentiles.
I am reminded of the relationship between a flea and a dog. Israel is the dog, and the flea is a Gentile Christian. How foolish for the flea to despise the dog and to suppose that the dog is dependent on him. All the flea does for the dog is make him itch. All the Gentile does for the Jewish unbeliever is make him jealous. How foolish for fleas to look down on the dog. How foolish for Gentiles to disdain the Jews!
A second form of Gentile pride is described and corrected in verses 19-21. If the first error was in misunderstanding the relationship of the grafted branch to the tree, the second error is in misunderstanding the relationship between the “broken off” (Jewish) limb to the “grafted in” (Gentile) limb.
A Jewish limb is broken off. A Gentile limb is grafted into the trunk of the olive tree. The Gentile limb begins to reason something like this:
“A Jewish limb was broken off. I, a Gentile limb, was grafted in. I took the Jewish limb’s place. I must be a better limb than the Jewish limb. God removed that limb in order to put me in its place. I am better than the Jewish limb!”
The breaking off of the one limb and the grafting in of the other has nothing to do with the worth of the limb. There is really no difference between an unfruitful “natural” limb and a worthless “wild” limb. It is the case of the “pot calling the kettle black.” The issue is not the Gentile branch’s works or its worth, as compared to the other Jewish branch. The issue is faith. The Jewish limb was removed because of unbelief. The Gentile limb was grafted in because of faith. Grace, working through faith, does not bring glory to the sinner who is saved by grace but only brings glory to God who is gracious. The Gentile limb is in error by comparing itself to the Jewish limb when the Gentile limb should be looking to the trunk—God. Salvation by grace gives no believer any basis for pride.
Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For indeed Jews ask for signs, and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are, that no man should boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD” (1 Corinthians 1:20-31).
In verses 22-24 Paul brings the issue to a head as his words turn men’s attention from themselves to God. His words specifically turn men’s attention to the two ways in which God deals with men in His incomprehensible workings: “Behold … the kindness and severity of God.” Let us consider Paul’s words here in the light of Jeremiah’s words, centuries before:
Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in; for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more shall these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree? (Romans 11:22-24).
Then the word of the LORD came to me saying, “Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?” declares the LORD. “Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel. At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to destroy it, if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it. Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant it, if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it. So now then, speak to the men of Judah and against the inhabitants of Jerusalem saying, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Behold, I am fashioning calamity against you, and devising a plan against you. Oh turn back, each of you from his evil way, and reform your ways and your deeds.”’” (Jeremiah 18:5-11).
God’s dealings with men cannot be segregated racially. He does not deal with the Jews kindly and the Gentiles severely, as the Jews like to think. Neither does God deal kindly with the Gentiles and severely only with the Jews, as the Gentiles would like to think. God deals with men either kindly or severely, based upon man’s belief or lack of belief.
The Gentiles, like the Jews before them, are tempted to abuse the grace of God by thinking that God’s blessings are poured out on those who are better than others. God’s blessings are bestowed upon men by His sovereign grace, on the basis of faith alone. Since men cannot ultimately take credit for their faith, it is to God alone that glory and praise belong. God’s kindness is the outpouring of His grace on all who believe. God’s severity is the outpouring of His righteous wrath on all those who reject His grace, on all who will not believe.
Whether Jew or Gentile, God’s favor is always a matter of grace. Whether Jew or Gentile, God’s kindness is poured out on those who believe in Him. His wrath or severity is for those who refuse to believe. There is no basis for pride when men become the benefactors of His grace. There is only basis for humility—and even fear.
Those branches which were cut off were removed because of their unbelief. Those branches which were grafted in were grafted in because of their faith.33 The branches which have been grafted in should not feel smug and secure in their own strength or goodness. Arrogant self-sufficiency was the reason for the removal of the branches. No Gentile should be comfortable in his arrogance either. Paul is not trying to teach that those who are saved can lose that salvation. He is saying that those who are saved should remember they are kept in the same way they are saved, by trusting in God. Those who are self-sufficient must not be granted the luxury of feeling secure in their self-sufficiency. They must abide by faith.34
Paul’s word of warning to the self-righteous here are also words of hope for Israel. If God is severe toward those who do not believe, then they too may be delivered from God’s wrath and enter into His kindness by simply believing in God, and in His Messiah, Jesus Christ. Jeremiah’s words are both words of warning and words of hope. God’s severity toward Israel will be instrumental in bringing them into the realm of His kindness and grace. All the disobedient and unbelieving Jew (or Gentile) needs to do is to repent and believe in Jesus Christ. Through His sacrifice on the cross of Calvary, God’s righteous anger has been satisfied, and through Him, God’s righteousness has been provided.
What is the bottom line? It is this: God is no respecter of persons. He deals with the Gentiles on exactly the same basis as He deals with His chosen people, the Jews. He forgives and blesses those who believe in Him. He is severe toward those who do not believe. What is it that we must believe? Just what Paul has taught in the previous chapters of Romans. We must believe that we are a sinner, without any hope of God’s favor, deserving only of His eternal wrath. We must believe that God sent His Son to die in our place, to pay the penalty for our sins, and to provide us with His righteousness. We must believe that He has done all that is necessary for our eternal salvation. Have you believed in Him? When time ends and each man stands before God, there will be but one question: “Have you believed in My Son, or are you trusting in yourself?” May you believe in Him today.
A few important truths are taught in this text which we should consider in conclusion.
(1) Privileges and blessings bring greater responsibility, but they do not indicate superiority. Israel in the past, and the church in the present time, have been given great blessings. They have also been given a high privilege which brings with it great responsibility. These privileges and blessings are the result of God’s grace and not an evidence that we are better than others. We should be humbled by the grace of God. Arrogance flies in the face of grace. It is a perversion of grace. Grace is unmerited. Grace is sovereignly bestowed. Grace is given to the needy who believe, not to the self-righteous who think they are better.
What we are, in our sin, our ignorance, and our rebellion, is that for which we are responsible and for which God must deal with us in His severity. What we are, in Christ, is that for which God deserves all the glory. There is no basis for pride in Christ. There is ample basis for praising Him, from Whom, through Whom, and unto Whom are all things (Romans 11:36).
(2) Grace therefore gives the Christian a new perspective on failure and a new perspective on “success.” Failure cannot frustrate the purposes and promises of God. Failure can bring about the severity of God. Our own failures will be forgiven if we turn to God for grace. The failures of others only show that they are no different than we are. The failure of others should serve as a warning to us and must not become a false basis for a sense of superiority on our part.
The truths of this text help explain Paul’s agony described in Romans 7. Our failures remind us of who we are in Adam and of our need to cling to Christ. They remind us that we have not arrived, spiritually speaking, but that we are in a constant struggle with the sin which still indwells us. It is allowed and purposed by God to keep us humble and to keep us clinging to Him and Him alone.
Every success in life must be seen as a gift of God’s grace and not as an evidence of merit on our part. If we “succeed” as a parent, and our children are faithful to Him, it is by His grace alone. If we prosper materially, it is ultimately not our work ethic or our greater determination, but God’s grace. If God blesses our lives and our ministry, it is an evidence of His grace. If God gives us greater knowledge of His Word, it is grace. Every blessing is a gift of grace, which should turn us toward God in humility, dependence, and praise. Why is it that we, like the Jews and Gentiles of past days, seek to take credit for the work of God?
(3) The failures of men in the past are a warning to us in the present. Heeding them may spare us from repeating the sins of those who have gone before us. The Old Testament Scriptures are of great importance and value to the New Testament Christian (see 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:1-13ff.). Let us study them diligently. Let us listen to them and learn.
(4) Our response to the offer of salvation through Jesus Christ will determine whether we eternally enjoy His kindness or eternally endure His severity. The “kindness and the severity of God” are reflected in the person of Jesus Christ during His earthly ministry. Jesus was kind toward sinners, who acknowledged their sin and who received His grace. He said to the woman taken in the act of adultery, “Go and sin no more” (John 8:11). But Jesus was not so kind to those who condemned her and justified themselves. Jesus was severe in His indictment of the Pharisees and those who were self-righteous (see Matthew 5:20; 23:1-39). Jesus stormed the temple and thrust out the money-changers (Luke 19:45-46).
The goodness and severity of God can best be seen in the two comings of our Lord. In His first coming, Jesus came to “seek and to save those who are lost.” He came to be gracious to sinners. When He comes the second time, it will be to judge the wicked. The severity of God will be eternally and irreversibly evident when He returns to reign upon the earth. The grace of God, available to sinners now, will no longer be offered to men. Throughout all eternity, you will either enjoy His kindness or endure His wrath. The difference is determined by belief or unbelief. Do you believe?
(5) Our text, along with the rest of the Scriptures, denies the teaching of “unconditional acceptance,” so popularly discussed today in Christian circles. This is a very warm and fuzzy error, very popular among Christians today. “God accepts me just as I am, unconditionally,” they say. Does He? Did God accept Israel unconditionally, just as they were? Then why did God reject them? God cannot and will not accept anyone who is unrighteous. God accepts only those who are justified—made righteous through the person and work of Jesus Christ. God accepts men only on the basis of faith. If I will not believe in God and in the provision He has made in His Son, I have no acceptance. A righteous God cannot accept sinners. He accepts us, in Christ, and in His righteousness. God accepts me just as Christ is. The only time we can come to Jesus, “just as we are,” is when we come to Him acknowledging our sin and trusting in the shed blood of Jesus. “Just as I am, without one plea, but that Thy blood was shed for me.” God sets the condition for His acceptance of men: believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved. Apart from this, God cannot and will not accept us.
27 This word has the same root as the term “glory.” It could rightly be rendered “glorify” in this context. To glorify is to magnify, to exalt, to enhance. When we glorify God, we are to magnify or enhance His name. And no matter how great our expression of His glory is, He will always surpass our estimation of Him.
28 We must remember that Paul’s consistent practice was to go “to the Jew first” and then “to the Gentiles.” It was only after the Jews of a town or city rejected the gospel that he went to the Gentiles. But over time, the focus of his ministry did change so that his ministry to the Gentiles became more dominant. He was recognized as having a ministry to the Gentiles (Galatians 2:7), just as God had called him to do (Romans 1:5).
29 It is ironic that while Israel did not want the gospel, neither did they want Paul or anyone else to preach the gospel to the Gentiles (see Acts 22:21-23). If they did not want the gospel and threw it out as garbage, so to speak, they did not want the trash men to have it either.
30 Note from Isaiah’s words in verses 11-13 that even at this very low point in Israel’s history, Isaiah was aware that God’s hand of discipline would be but for a season, and then Israel would be restored:
Then I said, “Lord, how long?” And He answered, “Until cities are devastated and without inhabitant, Houses are without people, And the land is utterly desolate, The LORD has removed men far away, And the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. Yet there will be a tenth portion in it, And it will again be subject to burning, Like a terebinth or an oak Whose stump remains when it is felled. The holy seed is its stump” (Isaiah 6:11-13).
31 I take it that “life from the dead” is to be understood as a general principle which has many applications. “Life from the dead” includes: (a) spiritual, eternal life for those who were spiritually dead (see Ephesians 2:1-6); (b) resurrection from the dead, to enter into His eternal kingdom (see 1 Corinthians 15); (c) the restoration of the nation Israel, which was as good as dead but which will be brought to life once again (see Ezekiel 37:1-14).
32 In the puffed up words which Paul has given the arrogant Gentile branch, no mention is made of God. The focus is all inward, selfward. Only in Paul’s correction and admonition does the focus return to God. Grace always looks Godward (see verses 33-36), self-righteousness and arrogance always looks selfward.
I see this same selfwardness in Christians today. When we speak of our salvation, it is just that—our salvation. We should focus on our Savior rather than on ourselves. People say such things as:
“If I were the only one in the world, Christ would have died for me.”
“I was so important to God that He sent His Son to die for me.”
These are frightening words because the sinner is looking to himself rather than to the Savior. These are the evidences of the very arrogance Paul is condemning.
33 Man’s faith is not a work for which he can take credit. It too is a gracious gift of God (see Ephesians 2:8-10).
34 I see here a strong tie to two passages in the Gospel of John. I encourage you to study with this text John 6:29 and 15:1-8.
My friend John stopped by my house one day in his pickup truck. I noticed that a bracket was broken on the truck causing the tail pipe to rattle against the frame. Having just obtained an electric welder which I loved to use at the slightest excuse, I offered to fix the bracket. John seemed grateful for my offer, and I set out to weld the broken piece.
But the task was not easy. The position of the break, along with my inexperience and lack of skill, made the repair difficult. As I proceeded to blunder along, my friend tried to look impressed and appreciative. After a while, I turned to John and asked, “Do you know how to weld?” When he admitted that he did know a little about welding, I suddenly recalled with considerable embarrassment that John had been a teacher of industrial arts. He not only knew how to weld; he had taught others to weld.
It is easy for us to think we are better than we really are. The Jews, to whom God had given the Law, along with the promise of being a great nation and the source of great blessing to others, thought they were better than the Gentiles. The Gentiles who then came to faith began to look down on the Jews who rejected salvation by faith in Jesus Christ. Paul’s words in Romans 11 are intended to bring the Gentiles back down to reality. Paul’s purpose is to teach them the truth, which should turn them from arrogance to humility and from self-congratulation to heart-felt worship.
The Jews had rejected Jesus as their Messiah and, as a nation, they were in a state of unbelief. Already, they were experiencing the judgment of God in the form of hardened hearts, and they would soon suffer a great calamity in the sacking of Jerusalem. A number of Gentiles, on the other hand, were coming to faith in Jesus. The complexion of the churches was changing from an almost exclusively Jewish constituency to a predominantly Gentile membership.
In chapters 9-11 of Romans, Paul explains what is taking place. While Israel has failed, the Word of God has not (see 9:6ff.). Rather, God’s Word has been fulfilled in all that has happened. The principle of divine election, taught in the Old Testament, is demonstrated in the experience of Israel in Paul’s day. Those Jews who have not believed were not chosen (Romans 9). Furthermore, those Jews who are under divine judgment have rejected the gospel, which had been plainly proclaimed among them (Romans 10).
Nevertheless Israel’s future blessings are certain and secure, because God’s promises are not frustrated by man’s disobedience (Romans 11:1-12). Israel’s disobedience is sin, but it is also a fulfillment of the Old Testament Scriptures. Because God’s promises are a matter of sovereign grace and not of human works (11:5-6), Israel’s hope is secure. God has always maintained a faithful remnant, preserving the line He will someday restore and bless.
God’s purpose of bringing the good news of the gospel to the Gentiles, so that men from every nation might be saved, has been accomplished through Israel’s unbelief. If such blessings can come from Israel’s disobedience, one can hardly imagine what blessings will flow from Israel’s restoration (11:12, 15).
Israel’s history is no mere academic exercise, a few facts to be learned by the Gentiles. Neither is her failure to become the basis of Gentile pride. The Gentiles should learn from the mistakes of God’s chosen people, Israel, and they should be humbled. If God has not overlooked the transgressions of His chosen people, surely He will not take the Gentiles sin lightly either. Faith alone is the basis for abiding in God’s promised blessings, and unbelief leads to divine judgment. When the Gentiles begin to be proud, they reveal the same symptoms which led to Israel’s demise. Let them be warned.
There are yet other reasons why the Gentiles should be humbled as they contemplate God’s work among them and among the Jews. These reasons are given in verses 25-32. On the basis of what Paul has said to this point (chapters 1-11), the entire Book of Romans concludes in the praise of God, whose mighty hand and unfathomable wisdom require men to fall before Him in worship with Paul (verses 33-36.)
Essentially our text falls into two major divisions. Verses 25-32 outline Israel’s future and the principles on which it is based. Verses 33-36 are Paul’s concluding words of worship and praise, based upon the wisdom and the works of God, as seen in His gracious dealings with the Jews and with the Gentiles. We can thus summarize the structure in this way:
(1) Israel’s future, as it relates to the Gentiles — Verses 25-32
(2) Concluding praise — Verses 33-36
25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own estimation, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 26 and thus all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.” 27 “And this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.” 28 From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; 29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so these also now have been disobedient, in order that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. 32 For God has shut up all in disobedience that He might show mercy to all.
Paul has already indicated to his Gentile readers that he believes they are guilty, or in immediate danger, of an attitude of arrogance toward the unbelieving Jews (see 11:18, 20). Paul assumes such arrogance will be based upon the Jews’ blind ignorance and the Gentiles’ greater knowledge of the gospel. In truth, any such arrogance Paul believes to be based upon ignorance and not knowledge. For Paul, ignorance is the basis of arrogance. Conversely, humility is based upon knowledge. Arrogance is a distorted view of oneself and of reality; humility is seeing matters as they really are.
Paul’s prescription for Gentile arrogance is to expose and to expound a mystery. Do these Gentiles think they know so much? Then Paul will show them something they are not aware of, something to humble them and lead them to worship and praise God rather than patting themselves on the back.
Before exploring the specific mystery Paul has in mind for his readers, we should arrive at a biblical definition for a mystery, at least as Paul uses this term.35 In its broadest terms, a mystery is that truth which mortal men would never have imagined and which they are unable and unwilling to believe, even when it is revealed to them.
As I have reflected on Paul’s use of this term, I believe God’s “mysteries” have four phases. We might call the first phase of a biblical mystery the “unrevealed phase.” This phase begins in eternity past. The mysteries of God are those plans and purposes God has planned and predestined which have not yet been made known to men. The second phase of a biblical mystery is that phase during which God foretells that which He has eternally decreed. This second phase is a prophetic phase. The fulfillment is yet future, but the revelation of the plan is prophetically revealed. The third phase of a biblical mystery is its actual fulfillment. That which God has purposed, of which He has prophesied, He now brings to pass. The fourth and final phase of a mystery is the proclamation phase: God proclaims to men that which He has purposed, promised, and produced.
A mystery, at each and every phase, is a mystery: fallen men would not have predicted God’s purpose, they would not believe it when it was prophetically revealed, they cannot grasp it even when it is taking place, and they refuse to believe it when its fulfillment is proclaimed.
The greatest mystery of the Bible is the mystery of Christ. In ages past, long before man was even created and placed in the Garden of Eden, God purposed to send His Son to the earth to die for the sins of men and to bring about the salvation of God’s elect. No one would ever have imagined such an amazing gift of grace. No one did. No mortal man existed at the time to even expect it.36
God began to unveil His previously unrevealed plan of sending His Son to atone for the sins of fallen men (see Genesis 3:15) when He created Adam and Eve and they fell into sin in the Garden of Eden. As time passed, more and more clues were revealed concerning the Christ and His coming, until even the place of His birth was revealed (see Micah 5:2). Even so, it was a mystery to men. Even the prophets who foretold of the coming of the Christ were perplexed at what God had revealed through them (1 Peter 1:10-12). Specifically, these prophets could not put together the two streams of revelation: (1) that the Christ would suffer; and (2) that the Christ would reign triumphantly in glory. God’s plan and purpose, though prophetically foretold, was still a mystery to men.
Then, at last, the Christ came to earth. John the Baptist introduced Him as the Savior, the Lamb of God. Jesus identified Himself as the Son of God, God’s Messiah. God the Father bore witness that this One was His beloved Son. In spite of all this, men could not recognize Him as the Messiah, apart from divine illumination. And so He was rejected and crucified, which was also the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies.
When Jesus rose from the grave, His resurrection from the dead was positive proof that He was the Christ, just as He said. In spite of the empty tomb, the transformed lives of the disciples, and the many miracles performed in His name, men would not and could not believe in Jesus as the Messiah. It was still a mystery. And so it is still a mystery, both to Jews and to Gentiles. Only by divine illumination, the illumination of God’s Spirit, can men grasp the work of salvation which God has accomplished and made available in Christ.37 Even Christians can only understand God’s mysteries by means of His Spirit:
Having therefore such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech, and are not as Moses, who used to put a veil over his face that the sons of Israel might not look intently at the end of what was fading away. But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart (2 Corinthians 3:12-15).
For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For indeed Jews ask for signs, and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men (1 Corinthians 1:21-25).
Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom, which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; but just as it is written, “THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND WHICH HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM” (1 Corinthians 2:6-9).
I have come to the conclusion that the term “mystery” applies not to isolated portions of truth, but to all truth which pertains to the gospel. God’s plan and purpose to save men, including both Jews and Gentiles, is one men would never have imagined, would not have asked for, did not understand when it was prophetically foretold, did not recognize as it was being fulfilled, and failed to grasp even when it happened in history. God’s gracious dealings with men are all mysteries which men would never believe or receive unless God divinely intervened and enabled them to do so.
The very mention of revealing a mystery to these Gentiles should prove humbling. Rather than priding themselves in knowing truth which is concealed from others, they must humbly admit that this truth is that which they would never have believed, apart from revelation and divine illumination. The revelation of this truth is a matter of grace and not a matter for which men can take credit.
What then is the “mystery” which Paul reveals to these Gentiles? It is simply this: Israel’s failure is neither full nor final, but rather partial and temporary, and that Israel’s “fall” is not only the occasion for God’s saving the Gentiles, but also for God’s mercy to be poured out on His chosen people.
The Gentiles seemed tempted to conclude that Israel’s fall was full and final. They appear, as some do today, to want to think of themselves as having replaced Israel as “God’s favorites.” They were wrong! God’s purpose was that Israel would only partially and temporarily be hardened. The hardening was partial, because God always preserves a faithful remnant (see 9:27-29; 11:4-6). The blindness of Israel is only temporary, just long enough for God to save the full measure of those Gentiles whom He has chosen.
There is no question that Israel has fallen into sin, but this does not diminish Israel’s future hope. The Old Testament Scriptures which spoke of Israel’s future salvation spoke of her salvation from her sins. The text Paul quotes in verses 26 and 27 (Isaiah 59:20-21)38 emphasizes Israel’s sin and ungodliness. Her salvation is not by works, due to her righteousness, but by grace, because of her great sin. Israel’s future restoration was prophesied as God’s gracious dealings which removed Israel’s sin and made possible the outpouring of His blessings. Israel’s condition in Paul’s day did not therefore present any problem unforeseen by God’s sovereign decree.
Paul presents a new and very different perspective by which his readers should look upon their fallen Jewish opponents. Actually, he presents two perspectives, both of which must be maintained. The first perspective is from the “standpoint of the gospel”; the second perspective is from the “standpoint of God’s sovereign choice.”
From the “standpoint of the gospel,” unbelieving Israelites should be viewed as “beloved enemies.” The Jews did oppose Christianity. Most of all, they opposed God. But their opposition, while ungodly, worked out (Romans 8:28) for the benefit and blessing of the Gentiles. The rejection of the gospel by the Jews opened the door for the salvation of the Gentiles. And so, these “enemies” performed a very friendly service to the Gentiles. The Jews became God’s enemies for the sake of the Gentiles.
The Jews, though God’s enemies, are also beloved of God because of the patriarchs. God made a covenant with Abraham, which He renewed with Isaac and Jacob (Israel). While the Jews had set themselves against God, God was still committed to bless this people because of His promise to their forefathers. God’s judgment on Israel was temporary. His blessings were still to come.
The reason for the security and certainty of Israel’s future blessings is given in verse 29: “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”
This truth was the basis for the appeal of Moses as recorded in Exodus 33. God produces what He promises. God finishes what He starts. God’s commitments to the patriarchs were literal, and so will their fulfillment be. God keeps His promises. He promised to set this people apart, to sanctify them, and through them to bless the whole world. This He has done, in part, through their disobedience. This He will do, in total, through their salvation and restoration.
Two dominant themes are found in verses 30-32. The first is disobedience, and the second is mercy. Both are referred to four times in these verses. Paul wishes to highlight some very important points here.
First, Paul emphasizes that disobedience is the occasion for God’s grace and mercy. As Paul has said earlier, “where sin abounds, grace abounds even more” (see Romans 5:20). The disobedience of men sets the scene for God to display His grace toward sinners by saving them from their sins.
Second, Paul emphasizes that there is really no distinction between the Jews and the Gentiles in that both were disobedient sinners saved by grace.
Third, Paul explains why sin is allowed to persist: so that grace might abound in the salvation of unworthy sinners. Since grace is demonstrated toward sinners, both sin and sinners are allowed to exist so that God may deal graciously with some. Here is one explanation of why a good God would allow sin to exist.
What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so in order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles (Romans 9:22-24).
Viewed another way, Paul stresses that God has chosen to save both Jews and Gentiles by grace. Salvation does not come about as the result of fallen man’s obedience but due to man’s disobedience and God’s grace. Grace is not overcome by sin; sin is overcome by grace. Sin is our enemy. But our sovereign God is able to use sin as though it were His ally, when it is an enemy. God is not limited to using only obedient people in order to accomplish His will. He accomplishes His will through those who are disobedient. There is no basis for pride in this.
Were the Gentiles hopelessly lost in their sins, so lost that they were without hope? So the Jews thought. But God purposed to save Gentiles in spite of their disobedience and by means of Israel’s disobedience. Are the Jews now hopelessly lost in their disobedience? So some Gentiles may wish to believe. But God has purposed to shut the Jews up in their disobedience so that He may save them by His grace.
33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34 FOR WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? 35 OR WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? 36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.
The text of our lesson began in verse 25 by focusing on the puffed up minds of men. Here in verses 33-36 it ends with Paul falling before God in praise, based upon the infinite and unfathomable wisdom of God. These words are a most appropriate conclusion. They conclude not only the argument of chapter 11, and of chapters 9-11, but also the entire argument of chapters 1-11. These words turn our attention to Him who alone is worthy of our praise.
The punctuation of this portion offers a clue to its structure and argument. The statements of verse 33 end with an exclamation mark. These statements are about God. The sentences in verses 34 and 35 end with a question mark. These questions show how far short of God’s wisdom human wisdom falls. Man’s ignorance is thereby contrasted with God’s wisdom. All basis for human pride is swept aside. Verse 36 is almost a benediction, ascribing all glory to God for all eternity.
If history has shown the Word of God to be absolutely trustworthy, both the Scriptures and history have shown God’s wisdom to be infinitely above that of mortal men. All that has happened to Israel and through Israel to the Gentiles is precisely what God purposed and promised in His Word. All of this was, is, and will be a mystery to fallen men, because the wisdom of God is vastly higher and infinitely superior to the wisdom of men.
Who could ever have conceived of such a plan by which sinners, both Jews and Gentiles, would be saved? Who could have been so wise as to devise a means of saving men in spite of their disobedience, rather than based upon their obedience? Who could have planned a means for saving sinful men which would not violate God’s righteousness but would express His grace and mercy? Who could ever have thought of a plan so wise as that which Scripture has foretold and which history has unfolded?
If Paul is lost in verse 33 in the depths of the wisdom of God, in verses 34 and 35 Paul challenges those Gentiles inclined toward arrogance to compare their ignorance with God’s wisdom. These words could be used to rebuke prideful men, but they are employed in worship instead. Man worships God because He is infinitely greater, wiser, and more gracious than men. Seeing ourselves in the light of who God is humbles us. Seeing God in the light of who and what we are necessitates our praise and worship.
Paul’s words of praise are borrowed. The expressions of verse 34 come from Isaiah 40 which deals with the salvation of Israel from her sins. It does not speak of Israel’s salvation in a way that would flatter this rebellious people or incite them to pride. Nevertheless, much of its thrust is against the arrogance of the Gentiles, who prevail for a time over God’s people and who begin to be puffed up with pride, not understanding God’s purposes, nor that He has used them to accomplish His purposes:
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, And marked off the heavens by the span, And calculated the dust of the earth by the measure, And weighed the mountains in a balance, And the hills in a pair of scales? Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, Or as His counselor has informed Him? With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding? And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge, And informed Him of the way of understanding? Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, And are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales; Behold, He lifts up the islands like fine dust. Even Lebanon is not enough to burn, Nor its beasts enough for a burnt offering, All the nations are as nothing before Him, They are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless (Isaiah 40:12-17 emphasis mine).
The words Paul quotes in verse 35 come from the lips of Elihu, spoken to Job as recorded in Job 35:
Then Elihu continued and said, “Do you think this is according to justice? Do you say, ‘My righteousness is more than God’s’? For you say, ‘What advantage will it be to You? What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned?’ I will answer you, And your friends with you. Look at the heavens and see; And behold the clouds—they are higher than you. If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against Him? And if your transgressions are many, what do you do to Him? If you are righteous, what do you give to Him? Or what does He receive from your hand? Your wickedness is for a man like yourself, And your righteousness is for a son of man” (Job 35:1-8).
Sin and righteousness are in view in this text. It shows that righteousness is in spite of our sin and without any contribution from us that is righteous. God’s salvation has not come to us because we initiated it or because we earned it. His salvation comes to us by grace alone. The grace and the wisdom of God not only lead to the praise of God, they strike a death blow to human pride.
One more thing may be said of this text from the Book of Job and from the lips of Elihu. Elihu, along with his other two friends, were wrong in the assessment of Job’s situation. They were not commended by God but rebuked for their words. And yet Paul finds the words of Elihu appropriate to what he is teaching in Romans. Even when Elihu was wrong, his words were right, when correctly applied by Paul. Once again, we see that God is able to use even the failures of men to achieve His purposes.
The final words of this chapter recorded in verse 36 sum up all of human history and show that God is sovereign and in control of history. He is the source, the means, and the goal of all things. This means He is “the author and the finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). It means He is the One who began the good work in us, and He is the One who will also complete it (Philippians 1:6).
But it means much more. This statement goes even further than Romans 8:28. In Romans 8:28, God is seen as the One who is sovereign in the life of the Christian, who controls all that comes into the life of the one who loves God and who is called according to His purpose. Romans 11:36 extends the expression of God’s control to “all things.” God is sovereign in history. While He does not cause men to sin, He has purposed to allow it, and even more to use it to accomplish His purposes and to bring praise and glory to Himself.
What should these words mean to us? What can we learn from them? Much, in every way (to borrow Paul’s words). Let us conclude by considering some of the implications and applications of Paul’s words.
First, we learn that truth is the basis for humility. The Gentiles’ arrogance which Paul sought to correct was not based upon truth but upon a mistaken perception. Arrogance is evident in a “know-it-all” attitude. When once we begin to grasp the infinite depth of the wisdom and knowledge of God, we realize how little we do know. When we begin to grasp the depth of our own depravity, we also begin to understand our resistance to the truth, even when it is revealed. How often Paul attacked arrogance and pride with the words, “Do you not know …?”
True knowledge—a knowledge of the mysteries of God, beginning with the mystery of salvation—should bring us to our knees. False knowledge tempts us to set ourselves above others and even equal with God (see Genesis 3:5). And the humility which true knowledge produces inclines our hearts toward God and our ears to listen to Him. Thus, knowledge produces humility, and humility seeks the wisdom of God (see Psalm 119).
Second, we dare not judge eternity by our circumstances at a moment in time. The Gentiles were tempted to look down on the Jews because of their blindness and unbelief. They were inclined to think that God had permanently set them aside. They judged Israel’s future by the present and not by God’s promises. The eleventh chapter of the Book of Hebrews reminds us that the Christian dare not base his view of the future on what is seen at the moment but on what God has said.
Third, because God’s wisdom is infinitely above and beyond our knowledge or grasp, we should expect God to accomplish His will in a way we would never have imagined. I often hear people pray in a way which suggests that God should accomplish what they think He should and in the way they think He should. This comes dangerously close to attempting to limit God by our weakness. Much better for us to ask God to stretch our understanding and faith by leaving both the ends and the means to Him and asking for those things which He has promised. I suspect most of our prayers would be substantially improved by reducing our petitions and increasing our praise. Our petitions should be for those things that will bring Him praise.
Fourth, the life of faith is trusting God in the midst of the mystery. Because God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts and His ways are higher than ours, we will find that we are unable to reason out what He is doing at any particular moment in time. We shall only understand fully when we are with Him, in heaven. We must live out our lives, trusting God and obeying Him, when His workings are a total mystery to us. Did the Israelites know how they would survive trapped between the sea and Pharaoh’s army? They did not. But when all was done, the sea was the instrument of Israel’s deliverance and Egypt’s destruction. Did Abraham understand what God was doing when He commanded him to leave his homeland and go to an unspecified place? Did he know what God was doing when He commanded him to sacrifice his son? He did not. All Abraham knew was that God was faithful and that He promised him a land, a host of descendants, and blessings for the whole world.
Job diligently worshipped God, and he faithfully offered up sacrifices for his children lest they should sin and God should punish them. And yet in spite of all his precautions, God took all of his children anyway. Job could not understand what God was doing. Throughout his entire life, he never knew why the hand of God had worked in his life at it did. But he did trust in God, and thus he could praise and worship Him when his personal world was in shambles (see Job 1). Job’s sufferings and God’s strategy were a mystery to him, but when he came to grips with God’s infinite wisdom, knowing that God was in control was enough (see Job 38:1–42:6).
Asaph, the psalmist in Psalm 73, could not understand what was happening around him. God had promised to bless the pure in heart (73:1), and yet Asaph observed that the wicked seemed to be prospering while the righteous suffered. It was a mystery which brought him near the brink of doubt and disaster. Only when he began to view time in the light of eternity did he come to his senses. He did not fully understand all that God was doing, but he knew that God was drawing him nearer to Himself, both for time and for eternity. This was enough.
I suspect that God’s work in your life is a mystery at this very moment. You may have lost your job or your mate. You may be facing circumstances which seem to promise only defeat or disaster. But if you are a child of God, you know that He is in control of all things. He is working out your good and His glory by means of the very circumstances that puzzle you. You do not need to know the secrets which God has chosen to conceal. You only need to know what God has promised and to trust and obey (see Deuteronomy 29:29). This is what the life of faith is all about. God is in control. He has promised to bring about wonderful things for His people. And because He is infinitely wise and powerful, He will do it in ways that will bring us to our knees in wonder and praise.
Finally, this text reminds us of the security of God’s chosen ones. Our security rests in our sovereign and all-wise God. It does not rest on our faithfulness or on our works, but on Him who is the Author, the Sustainer, and the Goal of our faith (see 11:36). The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable (11:29). While this principle is applied to Israel collectively, it applies equally to each individual whom God has chosen and called to salvation. The blessings of God are a certainty, in spite of our sin and because of our sovereign God.
What a joy it will be to spend all of eternity exploring the wisdom of God and expressing our gratitude in worship and praise. To God be the glory!
35 Paul often uses the term mystery. It is employed by Paul in Romans 11:25; 16:25; 1 Corinthians 2:7; 4:1; 13:2; 14:2; 15:51; Ephesians 1:9; 3:3; 5:32; 6:19; Colossians 1:26-27; 2:2; 4:3; 2 Thessalonians 2:7; 1 Timothy 3:9, 16.
36 Angels existed long before man was created. I believe the same things which mystify men are mysteries to the angels. Why else would angels stoop to look down, to try to learn what God is doing (see 1 Peter 1:12)? Why else would God be teaching the angels and celestial beings (see 1 Corinthians 11:10; Ephesians 3:10-11)? I believe those angels who announced the coming of the Christ child wondered at the words which they spoke, just as the Old Testament prophets pondered their words (see 1 Peter 1:10-12). I believe there must have been a great silence in heaven during those three days when our Lord’s body lay in the grave. I do not think the angels understood the mystery any more than men did.
38 The citation from Isaiah 59:20 and 21 seems to end with the words, “And this is My covenant with them.” I am not as certain that Paul is directly quoting from Isaiah 27:9 as is indicated in the margin of the NASB.
Sometimes I get disappointed, even upset, when something turns out to be less than represented. For instance, the local A & W Root Beer drive-in used to serve our root beer in large, iced glasses. The root beer was delicious, but the glass was empty after drinking only two-thirds of the root beer. The glass simply did not hold as much as it should have because of the false bottom.
I have also been disappointed at the local farmers’ market. Vendors display their tomatoes in neatly piled little boxes virtually overflowing with tomatoes. One discovers that all the tomatoes are on top with one tomato underneath propping up the rest. I feel cheated every time I buy their tomatoes.
We need not feel short-changed when studying the text of our lesson. Though there are only two verses in our text, the more we investigate, the more we find Paul is saying in these few words. I remember teaching on these two verses over twenty years ago, one of the first texts I taught after coming to Dallas to attend seminary. In thinking on this text over the years, I have realized that I only began to scratch the surface in that first lesson. Twenty years from now, I am sure I will feel the same about this lesson.
Romans 12:1-2 is the transition to the last major segment of this Epistle to the Romans. The doctrinal foundation for the Christian life has been laid down in the first 11 chapters. Now in chapters 12-15 Paul will spell out some of the ways our faith and doctrine should be demonstrated in our daily lives. These transitional verses introduce us to the attitudes and actions which should set the Christian apart from the world in which he lives.
It is vitally important that we know and understand the doctrines Paul has taught in the first 11 chapters of Romans. But we must recognize they are truths God intends for us to put into practice. We must not file these truths away in the back drawer of our minds; we must live them out in our daily walk in the Spirit. These two verses are a call to commitment, a commitment to be worked out by a whole new way of thinking and behaving. Heed well these words. More importantly, be obedient to them. Let us now look for the commitment called for in these verses, and do as Paul urges to the glory of God and to our good.
I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
As we seek to understand Paul’s words, consider these important observations to serve as a guide in our study.
(1) Note that those who are addressed are Christians. Paul addresses his words to the “brethren,” those who have come to faith in Jesus Christ, those who have experienced justification by faith.
(2) Paul’s words are a call to action; they are directed toward application. These words challenge the Christian to make a decisive commitment—to take action.
(3) Paul’s call to action is built on the foundation of his teaching in chapters 1-11. The word “therefore” is most significant. The action Paul calls for in the first verse of chapter 12 is the application of Paul’s teaching in chapters 1-11. But it goes even deeper than this. Chapters 1-11 describe the means whereby the actions called for in chapters 12-15 can be carried out. Chapters 1-11 also provide the motivation for doing so. Not until chapter 12 are we equipped and prepared for the application of chapters 1-11.
(4) Paul’s words are those of urging, of exhortation. These words are not a demand but an exhortation. It is clear that every Christian should do that which Paul calls for in our text. But why the Christian acts accordingly is of utmost importance to God. God does not judge men on outward appearances but on the heart (see 1 Samuel 16:7; Luke 16:15; 1 Corinthians 4:5). God is thus very concerned that our actions stem from righteous attitudes and motives. Some obey God out of guilt and others out of greed or self-interest. As we shall soon see, God wants more.
(5) Grace is both the means and the motivation for heeding Paul’s exhortation. Paul’s appeal is based on the “mercies of God,” mercies which have been described in much greater detail in chapters 1-11. Now Paul urges us to act on those mercies. God’s mercy is evident in His eternal plan to save men from their sins, to declare them righteous, and to assure them of the hope of glory. God’s mercy is evident in that He employs man’s disobedience as the occasion for His grace. God’s mercy is seen in divine election which enables Him to bless men apart from their unworthiness and sin. God’s mercy is personified in the person of Jesus Christ, who suffered and died for sinners. God’s mercy is evident in the life of the Christian in whom His Spirit dwells and through whom He is working out His purposes. All of God’s blessings are the result of His grace and the manifestation of His mercy. In His mercy, God has provided for guilty sinners to be delivered from their sins and destined for His glory. The mercies of God enable us to serve God and motivate us to serve out of gratitude.
(6) The goal of the Christian’s action is pleasing God. Paul calls for a “living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God.” The Christian’s goal should be to please God. Many want to push God as far as they can, stopping just short of making Him angry. They are like our children who press us to the very limit but stop short when they see our anger. Pleasing God goes much farther than this. It avoids anything that might not please Him. It searches for ways to please Him.
When I was growing up, I had a golden retriever I had raised from a pup. Occasionally I ran my dog against other breeds. A word of disapproval was the only rebuke my golden retriever needed; this devastated him enough to bring him to the desired obedience. Other breeds needed considerably more persuasion, and they were known as “hard-headed.” Often the owner would thump the dog on the head just to get his attention. God wants us to be like the golden retriever—eager to please Him and sensitive to His approval or disapproval.
(7) Paul’s call to action is a call to worship. Paul’s worship, based upon the mind of God and the mercy of God, began in chapter 11 and is recorded in verses 33-36. Paul calls the Christian to a commitment and to action in chapter 12. To understand, we must see that the service Paul urges us to engage in is the “service of worship.”
The worship Paul calls for is a rational worship as indicated in the marginal note in the New American Standard Bible. It is unfortunate that this rendering was not the first choice of the translators, because I believe it to be the primary thrust of the term.39 This meaning is entirely consistent with the context in which the Christian’s mind has been a prominent subject of discussion. The puffed up mind of the Gentile believer was to be humbled by the grace of God and the infinitely wise mind of God in chapter 11. The Christian’s transformation, discussed in verse 2 of chapter 12, is the result of the “renewing of the mind.” Thinking is the primary activity in verse 3. In fact, all of chapter 12 has to do with the new mindset of the Christian, as a result of the grace of God. As Christian doctrine was taught in chapters 1-11, it was addressed to the mind. Now Paul calls upon the Christian to exercise his mind to conclude that the worship of sacrificial service is the only proper response. Serving God is the logical thing to do. Disobeying God is illogical and irrational, but then so is sin. Never is the Christian called upon to set his mind aside; rather he is to employ his mind, based upon the truth which God has revealed.
The worship Paul calls for is sacrificial. The Old Testament describes several types of offerings. The sacrifice Paul calls for is not a sin offering, for Christ’s death has paid for our sins once for all. The sacrifice called for is a sacrifice of praise. In gratitude for God’s grace, the believer gives up his life and gives it over to God. The sacrifice belongs to God, to be used to His glory as an act of praise and devotion.
(8) The worship Paul calls for is expressed by our service. Our sacrifice is to be a “living sacrifice.” Death is involved. We can only live for God as a living sacrifice because we have first died and been raised to new life in Jesus Christ:
I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me (Galatians 2:20).
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God (Romans 6:12-13).
The Christian’s life is that life which God has given by His grace. Our response of gratitude must be to give our life back to God as a sacrifice of praise. We do so not by laying on an altar as a dead sacrifice, but by living out our lives selflessly for God. It is a living sacrifice expressed in service. Worship here is seen as a lifestyle.
(9) Paul is calling for a specific decision and commitment, leading to a life of service. The exhortation to “present our bodies as a living sacrifice” is expressed in a way that calls for a decision, a specific commitment.40 Divine revelation requires our response. After 11 chapters of teaching, Paul calls upon us to respond to the mercies of God and to do so by giving our lives to Him as a sacrifice of praise.
As we look at Paul’s words in verse 1, we view them from the perspective of the Old Testament sacrifices. We do so rightly. But when Paul addresses Gentile believers, speaking to them about worship, we must remember what “worship” meant to these former-pagans. Paul’s words here not only compare the Christian’s commitment to serve God to the Old Testament sacrifices, they contrast it with their former lifestyle. Note the contrast evident at the outset of Paul’s teaching to the Corinthians about spiritual gifts and service:
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware. You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the dumb idols, however you were led. Therefore I make known to you, that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed”; and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:1-3).
Pagan worship was often mindless. In many cases it might be associated with drunkenness and immorality. Such was the case in Corinth, and this heathen heritage was brought into the worship of the church with strong words of rebuke from Paul (see 1 Corinthians 10 and 11). The “worship” of the heathen very much involved the body. Immorality was often part of the heathen worship ritual. Christian worship involved the body too but in exactly the opposite way. The body was not to be employed for self-gratification but in self-sacrifice. The heathen’s worship was pagan and unholy. The sacrifice of the Christian was to be “holy” and “acceptable to God.” The worship of the Christian was to be rational, the reasoned response of a grateful soul to the grace of God. Heathen worship was more a matter of magic where one sought to manipulate the “gods” to bring about one’s good. The worship of God is to be focused on the One who shows mercy and bestows grace on unworthy sinners. God blesses us not because we do everything right, but in spite of our failures.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed41 by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:1 and 2 address the Christian personally and individually. Verse 1 calls upon the Christian to actively choose to become a living sacrifice as an act of worship. In verse 2, Paul speaks of the Christian’s obligation in passive terms. First, the Christian is called upon to serve God. Then, in verse 2, the Christian is called upon to change. More accurately, the Christian is called upon to be changed. The Christian life is not to be lived out as we once lived. The change Paul calls for is one that is brought about in the life of the believer. Let us consider this change as we take note of several characteristics of this text.
First, note that the words of verse 2 are closely linked with what Paul has just said in verse 1. The “and” of verse 2 links this verse with verse 1. Presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice to God should result in the transformation of our lives as called for in verse 2. The offering of ourselves to God is a choice which determines whom we will serve and whom we will follow.
Second, the commitment to offer our lives to God as a sacrifice of thanksgiving is intended to result in a process of change, of transformation. When the gospel is proclaimed, repentance is required. Repentance is a turning around, a change in thinking and behaving. The commitment to serve God as a sacrificial offering is also a commitment to change. This change involves the mind and what will shape our thinking. The Gentile mind is darkened and distorted. It must change:
This I say therefore, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality, for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth (Ephesians 4:17-24).
The commitment to become a living sacrifice is a commitment to change. It is a commitment to a radical change, a reversal of our thinking and values, of our motives and methods. It is not a minor repair but a tearing down and complete rebuilding. This change is evidenced in the instructions Paul gives in the rest of Romans.42
Third, becoming a living sacrifice is the commitment to BEING changed. It is not we who change ourselves. In the final analysis, our thinking will be shaped by something or someone outside ourselves. In our sin and unbelief, we like to think of ourselves as “free thinkers.” In reality, we are only thinking like Satan and like the fallen world system in which we live. Our culture constantly seeks to shape us. Like teenage children, we think we are expressing our individuality and independence when we differ with God. In reality, we are merely following the world, the flesh, and the devil in rebellion and unbelief. When we give our lives to God, we give ourselves over to His influence and control. When we turn to God in obedience, we turn away from the world’s shaping influence on us. Its influence should diminish, and God’s infinite wisdom, contained in Scripture and conveyed by His Spirit, should begin to transform our thinking and our actions. Giving our lives to God as a living sacrifice is the decision to be shaped and influenced by God and not by our fallen world.
The end result of our sacrificial offering, and of the transformation which results from the renewing of our minds, is proving out the will of God. We should explore just what this means.
We must first determine what Paul means here by the “will of God.” In Christian circles today, the expression normally refers to the “will of God for my life,” “the will which God has for my life.” Knowing God’s will is a popular topic of discussion.
There may be an element of truth in saying that when we surrender our wills and our lives to God, God will then make it clear to us what He wants us to do. Giving ourselves to God as living sacrifices may very well be a prerequisite to knowing God’s will for our life. Nevertheless, I do not think this is the primary thrust of Paul’s words.
The “will of God” to which Paul refers is described as “good,” “perfect,” and “acceptable.” We are tempted to view these terms from a human perspective. The will of God is “good” for me, it is “perfect” for me, it is “acceptable”43 to me. From all that Paul has already taught in Romans, I believe we would have to say this: The “will of God” is the “good” which He has purposed (Romans 8:28), which is “acceptable” to Him, and which is “perfect.” That which is “perfect” is that which is complete. The “will of God” here then encompasses His comprehensive and all-inclusive will for His creation, for time and eternity. If this be the case, the “will of God” is not “the will of God for my life” or “what God wants me to do in specific circumstances,” but the all-encompassing will of God for His creation. The will of God here has a much wider scope than just me and my choices.
Further, the emphasis here is not so much on “discovering” or “knowing” God’s will as it is in doing God’s will or demonstrating His will. Paul tells us that we will “prove” what the “will of God” is rather than “learn” what it is. In other words, we can be assured we will achieve God’s will and that we will be instruments in His hands to play a part in the accomplishing of His great and mysterious purposes.
The term “prove” not only means to prove out, to demonstrate, but to approve (see Luke 14:19; Romans 14:22; 1 Corinthians 16:3; Ephesians 5:10; Philippians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 2:4). If I understand Paul correctly, he is saying that when we have given ourselves to God as a thank offering and have been transformed by the renewing of our minds, we will not only recognize that God’s will is being worked out in our lives, we will rejoice in this reality. Pharaoh achieved God’s purposes for his life, but he neither recognized it nor rejoiced in it (see Romans 9:17-18, 22-24). Disobedient Israel does not recognize that God’s will is being accomplished through their disobedience, and neither do they rejoice in it. Those who have given themselves to God, and whose minds are increasingly in tune with the mind of God, recognize that He is at work and rejoice in it.
The more I have considered these words of Paul here in Romans 12, the more I see that he has outlined God’s way of reversing the process of mental and moral decay outlined in Romans 1. Read through these verses from Romans 1, and consider them with me in the light of Romans 12, verses 1 and 2:
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. 24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored among them. 25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. 28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; 32 and, although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them (Romans 1:18-32).
In Romans 1, Paul indicted those to whom God had revealed Himself by means of creation. God revealed something of His character and attributes by the creation which is before us. Men should be able to look at creation and see not only that it was created by a Creator, but that this Creator has a divine nature and eternal power. These invisible attributes are visibly demonstrated in His creation (Romans 1:19-20).
This revelation of God’s nature and power requires man’s response. The only proper response is that of man’s worship and adoration. But instead of falling down before God in worship, men either rejected this revelation or exchanged it for that “knowledge” which suited their own sinful inclinations and desires (Romans 1:18, 21, 23). Instead of worshipping God, men chose to worship the creation. In the final analysis, men began to worship their own images, to worship themselves. Men put God down and elevated themselves to His place of honor and glory and praise (see Romans 1:21-25).
God responded to man’s sin by giving them over to their sin. He gave their minds over to depraved and distorted thinking. They began to think themselves wise, but in reality they were becoming fools. They became futile in their speculative thinking and darkened in their ability to see and to perceive the truth (Romans 1:21, 28).
He also gave men over to their sinful passions. God gave fallen men and women over to their lusts, so that they not only lived in excesses, they even began to practice perversion, that which was unnatural and unholy (Romans 1:26-27). In both mind and body, God gave men over to their sin, to its distortions and perversions.
How could this downward spiral be stopped? How could these adverse effects of sin be reversed? Only through the grace of God, manifested in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. He died in the sinner’s place. He offers men not only forgiveness but also restoration and renewal.
The process by which that renewal takes place is outlined in Romans 12:1 and 2. Beyond the limited scope of the revelation of God in nature (Romans 1:18ff.), and the more extensive revelation of God through the Law (Romans 2), God has now revealed Himself in the person of Jesus Christ (see Hebrews 1:1-3). He has revealed not only our sin but His righteousness. He has offered to all who will believe forgiveness of sins and eternal life. To those whom He has chosen, and who have believed the gospel, He has poured out His mercies.
These mercies are the subject of chapters 1-11 of Romans. On the basis of this great revelation of the kindness and severity of God, Paul has called upon believers in the Lord Jesus to respond in a way appropriate to the revelation we have received. We are to respond in worship. We are to offer ourselves as living sacrifices to God. We are to honor and serve Him. We are to live holy and obedient lives. Those who respond in worship as Paul has urged will enter into the life-long process of renewal and restoration. The grip of this age will loosen, and the process of transformation will begin by the renewing of our minds. As a result, both our bodies and our minds will begin to be conformed to Christ and His image.
The steps Paul urges the believer to take in our text are the steps to renewal and restoration, steps required to reverse the devastation of sin.
Much more could be said about this text, but there is one thing Paul urges us to do. The point of this passage is to urge each Christian to offer himself to God as a thank offering, based upon the mercy and the grace of God which has been poured out on those who believe. Have you trusted in Jesus Christ for salvation? Have you experienced the mercies of God? If so, then have you offered your life to Him, as a sacrifice, for His glory and praise? Just as men are called upon to make a decision concerning salvation, Paul calls on believers to make the decision to worship God by offering our lives to Him, and by this to please Him who has loved us and given Himself for us. I urge you to do this today, because of His manifold mercies.
Here is the road to renewal. We must respond to the grace of God, revealed in Jesus Christ. We must first respond by faith in Jesus as our Savior, our Righteousness. We should also respond to Him in grateful worship, expressed in service. We should fall before Him in grateful, loving service, like the woman who washed the feet of Jesus in Luke 7.
Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him to dine with him. And He entered the Pharisee’s house, and reclined at the table. And behold, there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet, and anointing them with the perfume. Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner.” And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he replied, “Say it, Teacher.” “A certain moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him more?” Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have judged correctly.” And turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears, and wiped them with her hair. You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much, but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” And He said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.” And those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?” And He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace” (Luke 7:36-50).
The woman, caught up in the mercy of her Lord, no longer cared what others thought; she was preoccupied with her Savior, expressing her love in that service afforded to her, washing His feet. She is simply demonstrating what Paul is calling every Christian to do.
Here is the road to renewal, both personal and corporate. May we, as individuals and as churches, offer ourselves to the Saviour as an act of grateful worship.
39 The term is employed elsewhere only in 1 Peter 2:2 where its meaning is less clear.
40 When Paul says in Romans 6:13, “do not go on presenting …,” the verb is in the present tense. In Romans 12:2, Paul uses the aorist tense. The inference in our text is that we are called to a specific commitment. That commitment leads to a lifestyle.
41 Note that these two expressions, “conformed” and “transformed,” are both imperatives. They are present imperatives, thus indicating a process. They are passive verbs, indicating that we are being changed by someone or something outside of ourselves.
42 See also Ephesians 4 where the radical nature of this change is indicated. It is the change from death to life, from darkness to light, from self-seeking to selfless service.
43 In most instances, when the term “acceptable” is used in the New Testament, it refers to that which is acceptable to God (see 2 Corinthians 5:9; Ephesians 5:18; Philippians 4:18; Colossians 3:20; Hebrews 13:21).
Gifts are given and received in various ways. One of my Christmas memories is of my grandmother who often made the presents she gave to her family. The only problem was that my grandmother never quite finished anything. When we passed out our presents, we often were not able to take them home with us. If she had made a shirt for me, the buttons might not have been sewed on quite yet. If it was a dress she had made for one of my sisters, it was not hemmed. When my grandmother died a number of years ago, her house was filled with unfinished presents which never quite made it to completion.
The spiritual gifts God gives to every believer are not like those my grandmother gave. God’s gifts are complete. Not only does God give to each of us spiritual gifts by which the body of Christ is supported and sustained, He also gives us all that is needed to carry out those functions vital to the health and ministry of His body, the church. With those gifts, God gives to each of us not only a measure of grace to empower us for service, but a measure of faith as well. Our text will teach us more about these two endowments.
I have yet another Christmas memory of a relative who seldom kept the gift he was given. If we gave him a new shirt for Christmas, he was as likely to give it away as to keep it. He might very well turn to a relative beside him and ask, “Do you like this shirt? Here, take it.” This was frustrating to watch and difficult to accept. And yet, in a sense, he was an example of the way God wants us to receive and share the gifts He has given to us. Spiritual gifts are not to be hoarded and kept only for our own benefit. They are to be used for the benefit of the body. Spiritual gifts are to be given away, in service.
We should first agree that the subject of spiritual gifts is relevant and vitally important to Christians today. Some evangelical Christians believe and teach that spiritual gifts are no longer applicable, that spiritual gifts were given for the church in its infancy. If this is so, why does Paul choose to speak first of spiritual gifts in this portion of Romans? Why does a matter of minimal importance have such a prominent place in this Epistle? If these spiritual gifts are necessary for the functioning of the church, how could they now be extinct? Elsewhere, Paul explains why spiritual gifts have been given and when these gifts will no longer be needed:
Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. When I was a child, I used to speak as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully just as I also have been fully known. But now abide, faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:8-13).
But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, “WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.” (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love (Ephesians 4:7-16).
If I understand Paul’s teaching correctly, spiritual gifts are needed as long as we are living on this earth as members of the body of Christ. Spiritual gifts are those endowments of power which enable us to carry out the vital functions of our body life in Christ as members of His body. These endowments are a supernatural enablement so that supernatural results are produced. It is only when our Lord returns, when the church is taken up into glory and fully perfected, that the need for spiritual gifts will cease. While some may differ as to whether all the gifts are necessary in this age, it is very difficult to understand how none of the gifts are needed. Paul’s teaching assumes that teaching about spiritual gifts is both basic and fundamental to Christian living.44 Peter likewise looked at the exercise of spiritual gifts as a crucial matter.45 We should take spiritual gifts no less seriously than did the apostles.
Let us therefore approach our text with a deep sense of the importance of this teaching on spiritual gifts, observing closely so that we might learn well. May we then be obedient to that truth which we learn, by His grace and to His glory.
In chapters 1-11, Paul laid the doctrinal foundation for the lifestyle he now calls upon all Christians to adopt and to manifest in day to day living. In verses 1 and 2 of chapter 12, Paul has characterized the lifestyle which God’s mercies motivate and which God’s grace enables. The Christian is expected to respond, motivated by the mercies of God. Grace should beget gratitude, and it is on the basis of gratitude that Paul bases his appeal to Christians. Paul calls for a lifestyle characterized by worship, worship expressed in self-sacrificial service. This service must first and foremost be to God, expressed through service to others. Our service of worship should be the logical outflow of God’s Word and His work in our lives. It is a reasoned worship, not at all like the frenzied, sensual, self-indulgent worship of the heathen. To practice this kind of worship, we must cease being shaped by the world around us, and have our minds renewed and transformed so that we look at all things from a divine perspective.
The verses which follow spell out the exercise of this renewed mind in greater detail. Paul outlines in verses 3-8 the Christian way of thinking concerning spiritual gifts. In verses 9-21, Paul describes the Christian’s relationship with others as the outworking of love. This new mind relates differently to human government, realizing that it has been given divine authority (13:1-7). The new mind relates to others out of the obligations required by true Christian love (13:8-14), realizing that strength is given by God to minister to those who are weak (14:1–15:6). It requires Jews and Gentiles to relate in an entirely different way than they have done before (15:7-13).
Our text divides into three main sections. In verse 3, Paul introduces the subject of spiritual gifts with a call to clear thinking. In verses 4 and 5, Paul calls Christians to think corporately. Spiritual gifts must be understood and practiced in the context of the body of Christ. Paul illustrates Christian thinking in verses 6-8 by focusing on the attitudes and actions appropriate to specific spiritual gifts. We can therefore outline the structure of our text:
(1) A call to straight thinking about spiritual gifts — verse 3
(2) A call to corporate thinking about spiritual gifts — verses 4-5
(3) A call for practice consistent with spiritual gifts — verses 6-8
3 For through the grace given to me I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.
Paul begins to address the subject of spiritual gifts by first telling his readers that in the process of teaching on this subject, he also is exercising his own spiritual gift. He speaks through the “grace” given to him, that “grace” to which he referred at the beginning of this Epistle:
Through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles, for His name’s sake (Romans 1:5).
Paul exercises his spiritual gift of apostleship (and perhaps other gifts as well) as he writes these words of instruction and exhortation. Having been prevented from being physically present with these saints for the time being did not keep Paul from exercising his gift “by mail.” This he did not only to the profit of the Roman saints, but to all those who have been blessed by this Epistle down through history. This Epistle to the Romans is an illustration and evidence of the gifts God gave to Paul for our edification.
Paul’s teaching here is universal. His teaching is not addressed to any one individual, nor to some small group, but rather “to every man among you.” These principles apply to every believer. Paul’s words assume that every Christian has been given at least one spiritual gift which is to be exercised for the edification of the church,46 the body of Christ.47
Paul calls for sound thinking and judgment. He has already informed us that we must not be “conformed to this age”; we must instead “be transformed by the renewing of our minds.” Paul warns of the danger of “overthinking” (Greek) or “thinking too highly of ourselves.” Our day regards low self-esteem as the great evil, the cause of all sorts of maladies. But here Paul warns of the opposite—we must not have too high an estimation of ourselves. Low self-esteem is never mentioned. As fallen, sinful creatures, we are great lovers. Among other things, we are lovers of money and lovers of pleasure, evidences that we are lovers of self (see 2 Timothy 3:2, 4).
Thinking too highly of ourselves may be illustrated in the matter of spiritual gifts. First, we may think too highly of ourselves because of the gifts God has given to us. Spiritual gifts are gifts of grace. “Grace” is the root (CHARIS) on which the term “spiritual gifts” (CHARISMATA) is built. Spiritual gifts are sovereignly given as gifts of grace. Spiritual gifts are unmerited and not an evidence of our spirituality. Neither are they a barometer of our worth. Yet when given one of the more visible, more prominent and prized gifts, we may be tempted to take credit for that which God has given us and which He is accomplishing through us.48
Second, our response to being given a less prominent gift may reveal an inflated estimation of ourself. Consider these words of Paul recorded in 1 Corinthians:
For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body (1 Corinthians 12:14-16).
At first I was inclined to think that the “foot” and the “ear” did not regard themselves highly enough, but this is not what Paul is saying. The “foot” does not say, “Because I am a foot, I am not a part of the body.” He says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body.” The “foot” does not think too little of himself; he thinks too much of himself. He (wrongly) thinks that being a “hand” is more important (prestigious?) than being a “foot.” If he cannot be a “hand,” the “foot” refuses to function as a part of the body at all. The “foot” thinks he is better than the gift he has been given. He thinks too highly of himself. There is no sacrificial service of worship here but only self-seeking ambition. The “foot” needs not more self-esteem but more humility and gratitude. The “foot” needs to “die” to himself and to fleshly desires and ambitions.
Paul calls for sound thinking which is based upon humility and faith. Whenever our ego is involved in our thinking, our thinking becomes distorted. Because of our natural self-love, we will always think too highly of ourselves.49 Self-love distorts our perception of reality. As frequently mentioned in the Bible, especially Proverbs, “humility” leads us to see and to accept the truth. Humility is seeing things as they are; pride is seeing things in a puffed-up way, which feeds our ego and our self-love. Grace should lead to humility, and thus we find in our text a consistent emphasis upon that which God has sovereignly given to us as a gift of His grace.
Faith is the basis of sound thinking. This statement needs further consideration, because most of us do not really believe it. We tend to think “rational thinking” is that which the natural man does. We conclude that thinking on the basis of faith must therefore be unreasonable—that thinking by faith must involve the setting aside of the rational mind and acting apart from rationality, apart from sound judgment. Thinking in accordance with faith is thus thought to be at odds with sound judgment. But Paul tells us that thinking by faith is sound judgment, and that “overthinking” is outside the realm of reality, faith, and reason. Sound thinking, according to Paul, involves the mind—it is rational, it is accomplished by the exercise of faith, and it does not go beyond the realm of what is proper and right—it does not overthink.
How can this be so? Let us consider this matter further. To the unbeliever, faith is mere foolishness; it is believing what is not true. To the Christian, faith is believing what is not seen but is true nonetheless:
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible (Hebrews 11:1-3).
Sound thinking is based upon those truths which God has revealed to us, which are unseen, but true. The foundation for mere human thinking is that which is seen or that which appears to be. The foundation for Christian thinking is the Word of God—that which is revealed and which is believed by faith. Sound thinking is thinking based upon the revelation of God, contained and communicated by His Word, and illuminated by His Spirit.
Abraham was thinking soundly when he chose to obey God, even if it involved the sacrifice of his son, Isaac (see Genesis 22). Abraham acted out of faith when he sought to obey God’s command, even though it was the most difficult test of his life. His faith was a reasoned faith, based on “sound judgment.” He had come to realize that God is able to give life to the dead. This is what God had done to enable Abraham and Sarah to have a child, even though they were “as good as dead” with regard to child-bearing (see Romans 4:16-21; Hebrews 11:17-19). Abraham’s obedience was based on sound judgment, and his sound judgment was based upon that which God had revealed which he believed by faith.
But why is faith necessary in relation to spiritual gifts? Why does Paul tell us that we are to think “so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith”? There are several reasons. First, we live and walk by faith. Faith is essential in our service and in the exercise of our spiritual gifts, just as it is in every other aspect of our lives. Second, the results of our ministry may not be evident or apparent to us, or even to others. The results of the ministry of spiritual gifts are spiritual. They may not be revealed until eternity. We must act on the basis of faith, even though the results are not visible to us. The results of our ministry may be unseen, and faith deals with the unseen.
The prophets of old faithfully ministered, and yet most of them appeared to fail in their own lifetime. They did not see many repent and turn to the Lord. They were rejected, persecuted, and even put to death. The results were not immediately evident. Even the prophecies they gave concerning the Messiah were perplexing to them (see 1 Peter 1:10-12). Yet they faithfully persevered with no evidence of success. They served by faith, knowing that God’s Word would not return unto Him void (Isaiah 55:11).
Because the exercise of a spiritual gift may be unseen, faith is required. Most often the ministry of spiritual gifts is described in terms of the function of the human body. In the human body some members are visible and prominent such as the hands and the eyes. But there are other unseen members like the heart and lungs. These unseen members are the “vital” organs. Likewise, the vital members of the body of Christ may very well be unseen; thus faith is necessary.
The analogy of the body should be pursued even further. The work of God is carried out through the body of Christ, the church. God’s work is achieved corporately, as a team, and not just by individuals working independently of others. The hand cannot function alone nor can any other member of the body. God’s work is not achieved directly by any one member but by the body as a whole. The function then of any given member of the body may seem insignificant, even unspiritual, unless viewed in the light of the function of the body as a whole. The one who has the gift of helps may not seem to be doing much in the way of evangelism, but if they are serving in a way that edifies the body of Christ, they have a part in the ministry of the body as a whole. Faith enables us to understand this proper functioning of the body of Christ.
We have at this time a large number of troops in the Middle East. The one peeling potatoes, hauling water, or building outdoor toilets may not seem to be doing much for the cause of world peace. But apart from these vital functions being done, no army could survive, much less win, a military conflict. Each army member has a vital role. Each member of the body of Christ plays a part in the work of the body, as a whole. This the Christian believes by faith.
Only a renewed, transformed mind can think of spiritual gifts as Paul has exhorted here. Our culture would convince us to do the opposite of what Paul teaches. Paul warns us not to “overthink” and not to “think of [ourselves] more highly than we ought to think.” The world tells us we do not have a good enough estimate of our own worth. In the secular way of thinking, we need to think more highly of ourselves. Many tell us there are no limits placed on our abilities except those we impose on ourselves. The solution, we are told, is to believe that within us (not apart from ourselves, enabled by the Holy Spirit) there is unlimited potential for success and achievement. We are told that if we but think more positively, more highly of ourselves, then success is guaranteed—the higher our thoughts and goals, the higher our performance.
The world looks inward to what is within man and finds unlimited potential. The Bible instructs us to look Godward, to look to the Holy Spirit and His enablement, to live our lives in a way that will sacrificially serve God and men. The world believes we cannot think too much of ourselves; Paul warns that thinking too much of ourselves is our natural, sinful, inclination, and that this must be put aside. The world tells us that faith is unreasonable; Paul tells us that faith enables us to think soberly and soundly in a world where our perception of reality is distorted by sin. God’s ways are far from man’s ways.
Thus we are challenged to consider the subject of spiritual gifts with our minds thinking clearly and straight. This is to be accomplished by means of true humility, recognizing that all that we have and are, all that we will ever accomplish, is by the grace of God, and not of ourselves. We will think in accordance with reality, and in accordance with the faith we have been granted. Our thinking must be based upon that which God has revealed in His Word, upon those unseen realities which are not only true, but vastly more reliable than the appearances seen with the human eye. Further and more specific manifestations of this straight thinking are given in verses 4-8. Let us look further, to see how straight thinking manifests itself in the life of the Christian and in the realm of spiritual gifts.
4 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
We live in a very independent, self-centered age. In many ways, we are teetering on the brink of anarchy. The winning governor-elect in a recent state election boasted that people could live without government looking over their shoulder, restricting or condemning individual freedom and choices, choices which clearly included abortion and homosexuality. Marriage is being redefined, because neither the husband nor the wife wish to give up their independence. “Self” is the watchword of our culture. The public good seems to be eagerly sacrificed to individual freedom. Being independent and self-sufficient is viewed as the goal for many. The new evil of our day, from which people need desperately to be delivered, is “co-dependency.”
Paul teaches that Christians must think quite differently. The watchword of our text could be “inter-dependency.” Spiritual gifts are God’s means for sustaining His body, the church. Spiritual gifts mean that I am both weak and strong. I am strong in the area of my gift; I am weak in the areas where others have been gifted. Thus, I must minister to the body of Christ and others out of my strength, and I am dependent upon the ministry of the rest of the body in my areas of weakness.
For the proper functioning of spiritual gifts, we must cease thinking individualistically and begin to think corporately. We cannot look at ourselves as an island, independent of all others. We must see ourselves as a member of the body of Christ, with certain gifts or special enablements which equip us to carry out functions necessary to the equipping and ministry of the body. There is individuality within the body, because there are many members, all with a different role to play. But there is no room for individualism, for we are inter-dependent as members of one body. We must rely on other members of the body just as they must rely on us.
While we have been individually chosen, called, and justified, we have been joined to a body, the body of Christ. We must therefore think and act as members of this body. Spiritual gifts are one of the means by which the body of Christ is sustained and through which the life of our Lord is manifested. Thinking straight necessitates thinking corporately.
6 And since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let each exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; 7 if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; 8 or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
Paul’s expressions, “according to the grace given to us” in verse 6 and “as God has allotted to each a measure of faith” in verse 3, point to an important truth to consider before pressing on in our study. Spiritual gifts have nothing to do with ambition. The spiritual gifts mentioned here and elsewhere are not a shopping list from which we make a choice and then seek to gain that gift. The gift(s) we have received have been sovereignly bestowed by God. We already possess the gifts. God gives to us not only the gift (the grace), but also the faith by which they are to be exercised. When we belittle the gift we have been given, we quibble and question the sovereign will of God which determined the gift given to us, along with the place of ministry and measure of success (see 1 Corinthians 12:4-6).
Each of the gifts given to us, and to the rest of the body, are given in such a way as to provide all that the body of Christ needs to function properly. Given these different allocations of grace and faith, each of us must exercise our gifts in a certain way if we are to please God and be consistent with His purposes. If verses 3-5 emphasize proper thinking about spiritual gifts, verses 6-8 stress those attitudes and actions vital to the proper exercise of these gifts. Verses 6-8 emphasize what we are to do and how we are to do it in the context of spiritual gifts.
The structure of verses 6-8 seems to be indicated by Paul. This is somewhat evident in the English translations and more clearly evident in the Greek text. Allow me to arrange Paul’s words according to the structure I think he intends us to recognize:
And since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us,
let each exercise them accordingly:
if prophecy — according to the proportion of his faith;
if service — in his serving;
or he who teaches — in his teaching;
or he who exhorts — in his exhortation;
he who gives — with liberality;
he who leads — with diligence;
he who shows mercy — with cheerfulness.
Paul’s words in the first half of verse 6 tie what follows with what he has just said in verses 3-5. The last words of verse 6 seem to distinguish two major categories of gift: (1) spoken gifts (prophecy) and (2) serving gifts (service). This same distinction is found in 1 Peter 4:
As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 4:10-11).
Teaching and exhorting both fall under the category of spoken gifts (or prophecy). Giving, leading, and showing mercy, all fall in the category of serving gifts.
The spoken gifts as a group are given one major word of exhortation, one fundamental guideline: “Keep within the boundaries of the revealed Word of God.” The New American Standard Bible and many other translations seem to stress the need to stay within the boundaries of the faith God has allotted us. This is certainly consistent with Paul’s words in verse 3, but why should Paul need to repeat this again? The rendering is also consistent with the lexical definition of the term employed. There is, however, a second meaning, one that seems more appropriate. This meaning is, “in agreement with,” rather than “according to.” This first, more restrictive meaning is totally consistent with the second, more general meaning. I think Paul is cautioning all who speak to do so in a way completely consistent with Scripture. Paul seems to be saying the same thing to the Corinthians when he writes,
Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that in us you might learn not to exceed what is written, in order that no one of you might become arrogant in behalf of one against the other (1 Corinthians 4:6).
Notice that in Paul’s words to the Corinthians the danger of going beyond “what is written” is arrogance, the very thing Paul is warning us about here in Romans 12.
Those who serve are given the exhortation to be diligent in their service. If those who speak are in danger of wandering beyond the prescribed boundaries of God’s Word, those who serve are in danger of wandering outside the context of the service they have been given. Servants are tempted to critique and correct their fellow servants when their God-given calling is to perform their own service (Romans 14:4).
Having given a general exhortation to everyone whose gifts fall under one or the other of the categories he has used, Paul now gives more specific exhortation. He first addresses those in the category of the speaking gifts in verse 7b and 8a, specifying the gifts of teaching and exhorting. He then turns to those who serve in verse 8b, specifying the gifts of giving, leading, and showing mercy.
Those with gifts of service have already been urged, as a group, to diligently devote themselves to their areas of service (verse 7a). In verses 7b and 8a, Paul urges those who have the speaking gifts to likewise devote themselves to doing that which they have been gifted to do. The one with the gift of teaching should devote himself to teaching. The one with the gift of exhortation, to exhortation.50
But why would the teacher need to be exhorted to teach and the exhortor to exhort? Is this not their natural tendency? Our natural tendency is to be self-centered and self-serving. Our service to God is to be self-sacrificing. When our service does not appear to be successful and when our ministry is not self-serving, our tendency is to resign. We, like Elijah and Jonah, want to turn in our badge and give up. Paul urges us to stick with that which God has given us to do, to persevere, because he knows that in the flesh we would give up. Here is where faith and obedience evidence our perseverance.
Those who fall under the speaking gifts category have been urged to stick with it, as those who serve have also been exhorted. Now Paul turns to those in the category of serving gifts to encourage them to exercise their gifts and ministries with spiritual attitudes and motivations which are befitting and edifying.
The one who has the gift of giving is encouraged to give “generously” or, as the marginal note in the NASB indicates, with “simplicity.” I think it is this second sense which is prominent in Paul’s words. Those who give may be tempted to give in a way that “works both ends against the middle.” Giving, in other words, might be done in a way that appears to be generous and sacrificial but which is actually self-serving. Ananias and Sapphira (see Acts 5:1-11) seem to have given with multiple motives and thus became deceptive and dishonest. They were not as generous as they wished to appear. One’s giving should be done for the benefit of the recipient, not the gain of the donor. The emphasis of “giving in order to get” appears to be in contradiction to Paul’s teaching here. Giving, as with the exercise of all other spiritual gifts, is to be a self-sacrificing act of worship and service (see 12:1).
The one who leads is to do so “with diligence.” Because spiritual leadership may not enhance and promote the leader (as spiritual leadership is marked by servanthood, and not lording it over others), he may be tempted to back off of spiritual leadership. Because the rewards of spiritual leadership come from God and not men, and they come at His return and not immediately, Christian leaders may be tempted to exercise their leadership in more “fulfilling” and “self-serving” causes. They may be tempted to go about their tasks casually and half-heartedly. This is not the manner of exercising the gift of leadership in which God takes pleasure.
The one who shows mercy is to do so “with cheerfulness.” All of us have attempted to show mercy at various times. Showing mercy is acting graciously toward those who need mercy. Often, such people are not pleasant to be around. All too often, such people are not even grateful for the mercy they are shown. It may not take long for the one showing mercy to be tempted to have a cynical, sour grapes attitude. Spiritual gifts are gifts of God’s grace, and they are to manifest God’s grace to those whom we serve. The gift of showing mercy (and every other gift as well) must be exercised in a gracious way so that God’s grace is neither distorted nor disfigured by our service.
Paul sees two great dangers in the exercise of spiritual gifts. The first is in not devoting ourselves to doing that which we are gifted to do.51 The second is exercising our gifts in a way inconsistent with the grace of God which is to motivate them and be manifested by them. We are therefore challenged to devote ourselves to the function for which God has gifted us and to the ministry to which He has called us. And we are to do so in a manner pleasing to Him and consistent with the goal of the task in the overall plan and purpose of God.
Paul’s words raise some important questions I call to your attention, for they require answers which only you can give. I will conclude by raising the questions, and I urge you not to leave this text without arriving at some answers.
Paul is speaking to believers about the spiritual gifts God has bestowed upon each of those who have become His children, by faith. First, have you received God’s gift of eternal life? Have you been born again? If not, then the subject of spiritual gifts is but an academic exercise, a purely hypothetical question. If so, then you have received, along with the gift of eternal life, a special enablement to serve God through His body, the church.
Second, is your pursuit and interest in spiritual gifts one of personal ambition motivated by self-interest? Or do you, out of gratitude, wish to offer up your body to God in sacrificial service to others? If you wish to sacrificially serve God by serving others, then spiritual gifts are the means God has provided for you to do so.
Third, have you discovered the special abilities God has given to you and the place of service where these can be employed for His glory? Paul teaches that every believer has a special enablement, a spiritual gift, by which to serve God. You are to be a steward of that gift. Do you know what it is that God has entrusted to you? Have you found a place of service where your gift can be put to good use? If not, why not?
Fourth, how closely are you linked to a local church and to the broader body of Christ, so that your gift may benefit others and so that you may draw from the strengths and gifts of others? Spiritual gifts are not given so that we may set ourselves above or apart from the rest of the body. Spiritual gifts are to be employed by serving the body, and they also cause us to be dependent upon the body for those areas in which we are not strong (gifted).
Using the analogy of the Book of Nehemiah, I ask you very practically, “What is your piece of the wall?” What are you contributing to your local body and to the body of Christ at large? What are you doing in obedience to this passage to fulfill your responsibilities to the body of Christ?
Allow me to assume that you cannot satisfactorily answer my question, and that you are uncertain about what your spiritual gift is and the ministry where your gift can be employed. Spiritual gifts are not intended to be a mystery. The teaching of spiritual gifts is both fundamental and elementary. If you do not know your spiritual gift and ministry, God is not hiding it from you, if you are seeking to be obedient to Him. Three practical suggestions may help you identify and exercise your spiritual gift.
(1) Offer yourself to God as a living sacrifice, out of gratitude for His mercies to you. Give yourself to serve Him sacrificially, selflessly, through serving others. This is the starting place Paul specifies in Romans 12:1-2. It should also be our starting place.
(2) Study the Scriptures which not only name the spiritual gifts, but also describe their function. The gift of exhortation, for example, is illustrated by the life of Barnabas, the “son of exhortation.”
(3) Be obedient to the commands of Scripture. We are commanded to give (verse 13). Pray for wisdom and insight as to how you may give in a way that pleases God. I am convinced that for every vital spiritual gift there is a corresponding command to perform this function. Ask God to open your eyes as to how He wants you to obey in each vital area. As you begin to obey, take note of those things in which God’s blessing is confirmed by others and becomes clear to you. Develop this particular ability further, and seek different ways to implement this gift.
(4) Look for needs, and seek to meet them. Look for those who are weaker than you, and serve them from your strength. Spiritual gifts are given in order to meet the needs of others. Others needs are all about us. We need but the eyes to see them and the obedience to respond to them by God’s grace and power. Look in your church bulletin. Who are those in need this week? What needs are going unmet in the church? Is there a need for Sunday School teachers? What an opportunity if you have the gift of teaching.
I am convinced that the matter of spiritual gifts is not as mysterious as some suggest and as it might seem at first. If you have first given yourself to God, and you are seeking to obey Him in the strength He supplies, you will know what He has given you to do, and you will have the faith and the grace necessary to do it.
44 In addition to Romans 12:3-8, see 1 Corinthians 12-14; Ephesians 4:7-16; 2 Timothy 1:6-7.
46 See 1 Corinthians 12:7, 11; 1 Peter 4:10.
47 When I speak of the church here, I am referring not only to the local church, but to the broader body of Christ of which the local church is but a small part. Each individual believer is thus conceived of as a member of the church universal and as a member of a local congregation of believers. Our ministry should not to be restricted only to the local church. Paul’s ministry, for example, was much broader, although he did minister to the local church.
48 Two serious errors are the root of pride over the possession of our spiritual gifts. First, we may believe we deserve the credit for what God has given us and what He is doing in and through us. We dare not take credit for grace, neither saving grace nor serving grace. Second, the most visible and prominent gifts are not necessarily the most important gifts (see 1 Corinthians 12:22-24). Our vital organs are not visible. So too the vital members of the body of Christ may be the least visible.
49 Even so-called “self-hate” is really “self-love.” We “hate” ourselves because we fail to live up to that which we think we are worthy of and deserving. We hate ourselves for failing to live up to that which our self-love desires and demands.
50 This is not intended to mean that the teacher only teaches and the exhortor only exhorts. All of us are to give, to teach, to encourage, to show mercy, and so on. But the one with the gift of teaching ought to make teaching a priority. One should do most what God has enabled him or her to do best. This is good stewardship (see again 1 Peter 4:10-11).
51 Could this also be because we do not gratefully accept the gift God has given to us, but stubbornly seek to do that which we think is more important, more spiritual, more fulfilling, and self-serving?
Art Linkletter had a television program years ago on which he interviewed children. Out of the children’s mouths came many strange and humorous words which Art captured in his book entitled, Kids Say the Darndest Things. I wish Art Linkletter could interview today’s younger generation and ask, “What is love?” No doubt the answers would be amusing and yet, tragic. Few, if any, would even come close to an accurate definition of love. Worse yet, most adults would not do much better.
“Love” is one of the most common, yet misused and misunderstood words in the English language. On the bookshelf, “love” is synonymous with “romance” and seldom used without a sexual connotation. On television, love is depicted by programs like “Love Boat.” Commercials tempt the audience to pay for a call to a “love connection,” where companions can be matched or where romantic secrets are told.
Even Christians have a very fuzzy grasp of the meaning of love. The lyrics of all too many contemporary Christian songs use the word love in a way that falls far short of that which the Bible defines and describes. “I love the way you love me” are the words of one song. The meaning seems to be, “I love the warm, fuzzy way you treat me and make me feel so good.” Toyota’s television commercial says the same thing: “I love whatcha do for me—Toyota.” No mention is made of God Himself, of who He is. There is no mention of the chastening of the Lord as a manifestation of His love for us (see Hebrews 12:3-13). There is no mention of our subordination or service, to God or to others.
Love is a subject of vital importance, not only because of our fuzzy ideas about what love really is, but because love is a matter of highest priority: “But now abide faith, hope, and love, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13).
For a number of reasons, Paul regards love as greater even than faith and hope. To show the magnitude of the importance of our study, allow me to summarize these.
(1) Love is greater than faith and hope because love is eternal, while faith and hope are temporal (see 1 Corinthians 13:8-13). Because that which God has promised cannot presently be seen, faith and hope are necessary in this life. But when the perfect comes, when our Lord returns and we are living eternally in His presence, we will no longer need faith, for we shall see Him and experience all that He has promised. Our hope will be fulfilled. Our love for Him, however, will last for all eternity, inspiring our worship and service in His presence.
(2) Love is the appropriate response to God’s love and grace, in Christ (see Luke 7:42, 47).
(3) Love is the great commandment and one of the distinguishing marks of a true disciple of our Lord (Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:33; Luke 6:27-36; John 13:35; 15:12-13).
(4) Love facilitates and contributes to Christian unity (John 17:20-26; Colossians 2:2; 3:14).
(5) Love is the lubricant which greatly reduces the friction which can build up between us and others (Ephesians 4:2; 1 Peter 4:8).
(6) Love is a key motive for our obedience to our Lord’s commands (John 14:15, 21, 23, 24; 15:10; 21:15-17; 1 John 5:2; 2 John 1:16).
(7) Love is a stabilizing factor in our lives (Ephesians 3:17).
(8) Love is the goal of Paul’s teaching as it should be the goal of all Christian teaching (1 Timothy 1:5).
(9) Love is the one command which encompasses all aspects of our Christian life (Romans 13:8-10; 1 Corinthians 16:14).
(10) Love makes our service more profitable to others and to us (1 Corinthians 8:1; 13:1-13).
(11) Love is a key element in our defenses against Satan’s attacks and devices (1 Thessalonians 5:8).
(12) Our love can and should be constantly growing (Philippians 1:9; 1 Thessalonians 3:12; 2 Thessalonians 1:3; Hebrews 10:24; 2 Peter 1:7).
(13) Our love can grow cold, especially in difficult times (Matthew 24:12; Revelation 2:4).
The vital role love must play in our Christian experience, and the very fuzzy concept of love prevalent today, makes our study one of great urgency and importance. We will search to learn what love is and how love behaves as described by Paul in our text.
Paul focused our attention in chapters 1-11 on the “mercies of God” (see 12:1) which provide the basis and motivation for our Christian conduct. In chapters 12-15, Paul will describe the kind of behavior which the “grace” of God enables and expects. Verses 1 and 2 of chapter 12 are a general call to offer up our bodies as living sacrifices to God through a life of service. The exercise of our spiritual gifts is spoken of in verses 3-8 as one dimension of our sacrificial service. Now, in verses 9-21, Paul describes our sacrificial service as a walk in love. We are to demonstrate love toward the brethren (verses 9-13) and toward those outside the faith (verses 14-21). In this lesson, we will focus on verses 9-1352 and the necessity to walk in love in our relationships within the body of Christ. Paul will give us a working definition of what love is, and especially how love serves others, sacrificially, as unto the Lord.
In the internal structure of our text, I see verse 9 as the general, introductory statement and verses 10-13 as supporting descriptions of how love is manifested in various ways. Verse 10 describes Christian love as subordinating self-interest to give preference to the one loved. Verse 11 describes the energy and diligence which love stimulates, to carry through with those tasks which build up the other. Verse 12 points to the future hope which enables Christian love to endure present hardship and adversity. Verse 13 highlights two particular needs which love should be eager to meet: (1) the need for physical and financial help and (2) the need for hospitality.
A preliminary definition of love will be helpful to prepare the way for our study. The following is a composite definition based upon the teaching of the Scriptures as a whole.
Love is the heart-felt affection of the Christian in response to the love God has shown toward us, especially in the gift of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Love is an affection which prompts the Christian to action. Love is first and foremost directed toward God and then toward others in an order of priority: God, family (especially our mate), fellow-believers, our neighbor, and even our enemy. Love subordinates the interests of the lover to the one who is loved. Love inspires our deliberate, diligent, self-sacrificial service to others, which is intended for their good, at our expense.
Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.
Joseph Fletcher, an advocate of situational ethics, once told the story of a farmer whose daughter was seduced by a traveling salesman. Incensed by the violation of his sister, the girl’s brother was ready to exterminate the salesman with his shotgun. Stepping in, the father admonished his son with the words: “Son, you are so full of what’s right that you’ve lost sight of what’s good.”
Situational ethics is a term which is hardly used any more. This is not because the theory is pass, but because it is so widespread, no one thinks of it as something distinct. Our whole society is situational in its ethics. Situational ethics does not define morality and immorality in terms of biblical revelation, but in terms of “love.” Moral judgment is determined by the existence or absence of love. A sexual union outside of marriage, but which is thought to be the expression of “love,” is considered moral. The question then becomes, “Is it loving?” rather than, “Is it right?” If it is “loving,” it is presumed to be right.
Not so with Paul’s understanding of love. Biblical love cannot be separated from biblical righteousness. Christian love is drawn toward “right” and repulsed by “wrong.” It is attracted to and adheres to that which is “good,” abhorring and withdrawing from “evil.” Christian love is most certainly not “blind.” Biblical love distinguishes between good and evil, and then acts accordingly, cleaving to the good and avoiding the evil.
Christian love is something like a battery. There must be two poles for current to flow. There is a positive terminal and a negative terminal. In biblical thinking, “love” cannot be separated from “hate.” Love is a choice, a decision. It is a decision to choose one thing and to reject another. Jacob could not “love” both Leah and Rachel; he had to “love” one and to “hate” the other.53 So too we cannot serve two masters, for we will inevitably “love” one and “hate” the other (see Matthew 6:24).
Our love as Christians is to be both a response to God’s love and a reflection of His love. Our Lord’s love was a far cry from the hypocritical “love” of the scribes and Pharisees of His day. They spoke of good, but in practice they did what was evil. While our Lord’s love prompted Him to receive sinners, and to suffer and to die for their salvation, it also manifested itself in Jesus’ strong reaction to evil (see Matthew 20:12-17; 23:1-39). Jesus wanted no association with evil, and thus He even forbade the evil spirits to proclaim that He was the promised Messiah (see Mark 3:11-12).
There are Christians today who urge us to emphasize God’s love. This we should do. But if we are to proclaim God’s love, we must distinguish between good and evil. The love of God is that love which clings to the good and abhors the evil. The love of God cannot and does not overlook sin nor the judgment which it deserves and requires. If we would speak more of God’s love, we must speak more of good and of evil. Rebuke and discipline are not a violation of love but a manifestation of it. Love acts in accordance with righteousness.54
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor.
Paul’s words here speak of brotherly love, love expressed one to another, among Christians. Of all the “loves” mentioned in the New Testament, love for the brethren is one of the most prominent (see, for example, John 13:34-35; 15:12, 13, 17; Romans 13:8; 1 Peter 1:22; 2:17; 4:8; 1 John 2-4). This love marks us apart as disciples of our Lord (John 13:35; 15:12-13). This is the brotherly love in view in verse 10.
Love not only distinguishes between good and evil, it distinguishes between us and those we love. Christian love, according to Paul’s words, produces a strong devotion among those who believe in Jesus Christ. Brotherly love gives preference to our brothers in Christ, placing them above ourselves.
A disturbingly false view of love has become popular among Christians. This view holds that “self-love” is essential to, and the prerequisite of, love for others. This way of thinking insists that we cannot love God or others until we have first come to love ourself. Self-love therefore becomes primary, the source of all other “loves.” In Paul’s mind, this is pure hypocrisy.
Christian love, by its very nature, subordinates the interests of the lover to those of the one loved. In Paul’s own words, love is to “give preference to one another.”55 This preference to others has its boundaries. Preference, according to Paul, is to be given others in the realm of honor: “give preference to one another in honor.” “Self-esteem” is to be subordinated to “others-esteem.”
As suggested, there are limits to what Paul is saying. Giving honor to others means that we seek the best interests of others, in love. But this does not mean that our love always takes the form that others may wish or even accept. Sometimes a brother or sister in Christ will expect—even demand—what is “evil” or what is detrimental to their spiritual growth. Sometimes a brother may wish to be affirmed or encouraged when he needs to be rebuked, in love. Love does not always give the other what he or she wants, but rather what is best. Often there is a higher price to pay when our love takes an unwelcome form.
Loving one another means serving others ahead of oneself. But there are times when serving others means choosing not to serve, for the sake of stewardship and the sake of the gospel. Recognizing that I am but one member in the body of Christ and that God has gifted each member means I need not and cannot meet every need that I see. For me to meet a particular need may actually prevent someone else from doing so. Even when one member may do a better job, the gifts of others must be discovered and developed. This can only take place through experience in ministry.
Ministering to one individual could also hinder ministry to a larger number of people. Spending inordinate time with one individual may prevent one from devoting himself to a broader ministry.56 A true servant’s spirit always is willing to help anyone at any time in the most menial task. Nevertheless, we must also maintain a strong sense of our own gifts and calling, exercising wisdom in our stewardship of that which God has given us to do.
And so we see that love engenders the spirit of subordination, promoting servanthood and service one to another.
Not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.
Love energizes service to others. Love not only gives one a willing spirit to serve, but a fervent spirit to diligently pursue the task of serving one another.
Ministry is not easy. One need only look at the saints of old to discover that progress may seem painfully slow and that God’s purposes are not achieved instantly. Very often there is opposition to our ministry. On a few occasions this may be through direct satanic or demonic activity. Often it occurs by means of human agents. Many times our human opponents are unbelievers, but at times even our brethren oppose or resist our service. Sacrificial service must not only be motivated by love but also maintained by love.
Because our service is sacrificial, there may be little immediate hint of personal gain or benefit to us. Love not only inspires us to serve, it encourages and strengthens us to persevere in our service. The confidence that we are ultimately serving the Lord enhances the fervency of our spirit. It is He who brings about the results, and it is He who rewards faithful service.
There is too much talk in Christian circles, I fear, about “fulfillment in service.” In truth, there is probably more frustration in service than fulfillment. The great need is for faithfulness in our service (see 1 Corinthians 4:1-5). Love reminds us that we are serving the Lord, just as we were challenged to do in Romans 12:1. Love provides the staying power to stick with our task. Our commitment to benefit others, strengthened and sustained by love, does not wane when the going gets tough.
We may reverse this principle to learn something about ourselves. If love provides the energy to serve, then we must love that which energizes us. The church at Laodicea was apathetic and complacent. The saints there were far from fervent in their love or their service. Repentance and zeal was needed (see Revelation 3:14-22, especially v. 19). Materialism was the energizing force in the lives of the Laodiceans, loving money and things more than God. What animates your discussion and brings you to life and action? That is probably what you love.
Rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer.
The staying power of love is closely related to its constant companions, faith and hope. Here Paul emphasizes love’s endurance in the midst of adversity. The Christian life is not a warm fuzzy; it is a war. Love must be able to handle the hard times which are sure to come. Because we love God, the world will hate us. We will find that living in a fallen world brings about suffering and groaning. Paul has spoken of this in chapters 5 and 8. Interestingly, love is prominent in these two chapters as well. The love prominent in chapters 5 and 8 is the love of God for us. Now, in our text, Paul turns to our love and its endurance in times of tribulation and testing.
Perseverance in tribulation is accomplished by rejoicing in hope. Paul speaks of the role of hope in a general way but also in the form of a personal testimony:
And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulation, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Romans 5:3-5).
Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).
What contrast there is between Christian love and the “love” of this world. The heathen mind reasons, “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die” (1 Corinthians 15:32; see also Luke 12:19 and 1 Corinthians 10:7). Believing there is no future, the unbeliever must strive to wring out of the present all of the pleasure he can. The Christian is just the opposite:
By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God, than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin; considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward (Hebrews 11:24-26).
The suffering saint may be tempted to think God is far from him in his times of adversity. This is not the case. God is never more near us than in our trials. It is in our sufferings that we find a deeper fellowship with Christ than we would have otherwise known:
Let your way of life be free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,” so that we confidently say, “The LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT SHALL MAN DO TO ME?” (Hebrews 13:5-6).
Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin (1 Peter 4:1).
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing; so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exultation. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you (1 Peter 4:12-14).
that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death (Philippians 3:10).
Contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.
When times get tough, people begin to tighten up and to take fewer risks. Jesus warned His disciples that the love of the saints would wane in the days of tribulation:
And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations on account of My name. And at that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise, and will mislead many. And because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end, it is he who shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end shall come” (Matthew 24:4-14).
False teachers will appear, Jesus warned, leading many astray (verses 5, 11). Wars, earthquakes, and famines will increase, creating racial and national tensions and multiplying physical needs (verse 7). This will be only the beginning of trouble (verse 8). Christians will be the special focus of hate and opposition (verse 9). Many saints will fall away, denying their faith (verse 10). Lawlessness will also increase. Anarchy will prevail. In such times, the love of most will grow cold and sometimes turn to hate (verses 10, 12).
In hard times, love toward the brethren will be needed more than ever. By this love, others will know we are Christians. At the same time, showing love will be more risky and dangerous than ever. Such times seem to be coming upon the church in America today, as they have come upon the church elsewhere. As such times come upon us, the need for love of the brethren increases.
Paul calls for two particular expressions of love for the brethren in verse 13. Both expressions invade the privacy of the Christian, a privacy highly valued in a self-centered, self-indulgent society.57 These two expressions of brotherly love involve first the wallet and second the home. Paul exhorts Christians to “contribute to the needs of the saints” and to aggressively practice hospitality.58 Let us consider both of these expressions of brotherly love.
Times of political tension and religious persecution take a heavy toll on Christians:
But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings, partly, by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated. For you showed sympathy to the prisoners, and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have a better possession and an abiding one (Hebrews 10:32-34, see also Matthew 24:4-14 above).
The consequences for faithfulness to Christ may include the loss of employment, the loss of property, and often the loss of friends and family who may abandon, deny, or even betray us. Persecuted saints often need financial and material assistance. To generously share with others in these times is to give up one’s assets and resources at a time when they may appear to be most needed. Identifying with fellow-believers who are being persecuted may also bring about persecution for us. Sharing with those in need at such times may seem to be too big a risk. For those who have families to support, the risk factor is much greater.59 Taking such risks requires faith, hope, and love. Paul teaches that genuine brotherly love requires just such sacrifices and risk-taking.
Hospitality is the other area of ministry Paul mentions. In those days, there was no Motel Six where Christians could stay when away from home. They were dependent upon the hospitality of those who shared a like precious faith who would open their homes to those believers they knew, as well as those they did not know.
The cost for such ministry can be high, especially in times of tribulation. First, because opening our homes is an invasion of our privacy which we hold as a very high priority. When violence increases and the dangers are great, we want burglar bars, dead bolts, Doberman pinschers, alarm systems, and no strangers. But such times of violence and danger make the needs of the traveler even more intense. Little wonder that both Abraham and Lot were so eager to invite the “angels unaware” into the hospitality and safety of their homes (see Genesis 18 and 19).
I believe Christians have, in many instances, rightly perceived the threat to their families coming from our heathen culture. We are not far behind Sodom and Gomorrah, if indeed we are behind at all! But there is a danger that our homes can become fortresses from which we bar not only our enemies but strangers who profess to know Christ. Practicing hospitality is vital to practicing our love for the brethren. When danger increases, along with the risk factor, love for the brethren becomes an even greater matter of urgency. When the risks increase, our love becomes an even greater matter of faith and hope.
Even when there is no great threat, as there was in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah, there are still reasons why Christians hole up in their homes, refusing to show hospitality by inviting others into their homes. It is an invasion of our privacy as suggested. But it also exposes us as we really are, especially any hypocrisy we sustain by keeping others at arms length. It is an invasion into the intimacy of the home, an intimacy which we should share but would rather not. It allows us to look closer at the needs of the stranger, so that we may discover other needs and thus other obligations to which we must respond. Paul’s exhortation is clear. Hospitality is our obligation. It is one of the manifestations of the Christian’s “love for the brethren.”
One word of clarification should be made here. We are told to be “wise as serpents and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16). We ought not to be naive or foolish as to where we stay nor to whom we invite into our homes. The hospitality which Paul calls for here is hospitality to the brethren. We are not encouraged to invite anyone and everyone into our homes. We should not hesitate to inquire as to the testimony of those whom we bring into our homes, especially if they are invited for more than just a meal. And even those who are saints should be shown hospitality in such a way as to minimize needless, foolish risks.60
The song with the words, “What the world needs now is love, sweet love” is true. The world does need love. It needs the love of God. That love has been poured out in the person of Jesus Christ. Before you can ever be an instrument of God’s love, you must first be a recipient of that love.
The love of God is not the kind of love men naturally desire. That is because God’s love is a righteous and holy love. God’s love, by definition, adheres to what is good and abhors what is evil. Many people want the kind of God who loves men in their sin, who accepts them “just as they are.” God cannot and does not do so, because His love is a righteous love. But in His love, God has provided a way for us to become holy and righteous, so that His love can be shed abroad in our hearts and lives. The provision is the person of Jesus Christ. He died in the sinner’s place, bearing the penalty for our sins. He offers to us that righteousness which we can never achieve in and of ourselves. If you would receive the love of God, receive His righteousness, in Christ.
What the church needs today is “love, sweet love.” There is more talk about love than there is the practice of love. And much of that which passes for love is hypocritical. In the name of love, sin is tolerated in the church, rather than rebuked and removed (see, for example, 1 Corinthians 5:1-5). Sometimes sin is practiced in the name of love. This is especially evident in the rampant immorality which is taking place in the church and among Christians.
The love which God calls for is a holy love, a love which hates sin and loves righteousness. The love God calls for is a sacrificial love. It requires us to subordinate our desires and interests, so that we may serve others selflessly. The love which God calls for is one which looks for long-term rewards rather than short-term pleasure. It endures hardship, suffering, and pain, for the benefit of others and for the service of the King and His pleasure. It is a love which takes risks and which shines forth when others are shrinking back. It is a love which responds to and reflects the love of God for us.
In the context of our lesson, it is a love which gives priority and preference to fellow-Christians—it is a brotherly love. One of my concerns is that we do not see the church (the body of Christ) or our brethren broadly enough. We desperately need more evidences and expressions of love within our own local church. We need to do better at sharing with those in need and showing hospitality. But the body of Christ is bigger than this. The body of Christ is national and international. When have we shared with a needy group of believers of another race or in another place far, far away? The churches in the Book of Acts did this (see Acts 11:27-30; 2 Corinthians 8-9). The church is not only to show hospitality to those whom we know, but to strangers, whom we do not know, believers who have traveled from far away places (see Hebrews 13:1-2).
There is a love for the brethren in our church, but it needs to grow. It needs to grow in quantity and in fervency. It also needs to grow outward, to extend to the broader body of Christ. We are instructed not only to demonstrate this love personally but to challenge and stimulate others to “love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:23-25). May God grant us the grace to do so for His glory.
52 Some translations indicate that the editors of the text understand verses 9-13 as a distinct paragraph; others do not. There are good reasons for dividing verses 9-21 into two paragraphs as I have chosen to do. First, there is a fairly clear distinction in these two paragraphs as to who is being loved. Those whom we are to love in verses 9-13 are quite clearly fellow-Christians. Those in verses 14-21 are at least predominantly unbelievers. (This is not to say that some Christians do not persecute and wrongly treat other Christians.)
Second, the grammar of these verses suggests a significant shift at verse 14. Verse 9 begins with a statement which omits the verb but which nevertheless has imperatival force. All the remaining verbs in verses 9-13 are participles, not imperatives. Verses 10-13, then, provide further explanation and illustration of the implied command of verse 9. An imperative occurs in verse 14, strongly suggesting that Paul indicates a change of focus. And so it is that I have divided the text into these two parts, with verses 9-13 focusing on love as practiced toward fellow-Christians and verses 14-21 focusing on love as demonstrated toward those unbelievers who persecute us.
53 Polygamy is illogical and inconsistent with biblical love. In love, a man chooses to cherish one woman, “above all others.” One can marry more than one woman, but one cannot love them equally. Love is a choice to set someone above and apart from someone else.
54 See also 1 Corinthians 5:1-8; Ephesians 5:1-14; Philippians 1:9-11.
55 This subordination of one’s personal interests to the interests of a brother in Christ is, like submission, to be mutual (see Ephesians 5:21). Each and every Christian is to regard the interests of his fellow-believers as having priority over his own self-interests.
56 There is the danger, of course, of using this as an excuse. In the parable of the good Samaritan, the priest and the Levite would have excused themselves from this menial ministry to the needy victim of crime on the basis of the need for them to minister to the many. Truth can always be abused and even used as an excuse for evil.
57 The issue of privacy was one of the central issues in the Supreme Court decision of Roe v. Wade when abortion was effectively legalized.
58 The original text literally urges us to pursue hospitality, as a hunter would pursue game.
59 Perhaps this is one reason Paul urged the Corinthian saints to think twice about marriage in times of distress (see 1 Corinthians 7:1, 25-35).
60 I have worked with a number of prisoners and prison ministry programs. Naivet in such ministry may not only put the one ministering at risk, but it may also foolishly be a source of temptation to the one whom we are trying to serve. While risks are a part of ministry, they should be minimized as much as possible, without paralyzing ministry.
There are vast differences between Christianity and other religions. The uniqueness of Christianity stands out boldly in the way we treat our enemies. Nikita Khrushchev understood this and graphically illustrated the difference between Communism and Christianity with this paraphrased remark: “The difference between Christianity and Communism is great. When someone strikes you on the face, you turn the other cheek. If you strike me on the face, I’ll hit you so hard your head will fall off.”
Even in the church, the vigilante spirit is alive and well. Christians sometimes attempt to sanctify their anger calling it righteous indignation, but we too are tempted to retaliate against those who mistreat us. Piously, we may pretend to resist evil supposing that God is on our side as we seek to “even the score” by causing hurt or harm to those who have mistreated us. We may even try to use Romans 12:9 as a proof text for our revenge—as long as we read no further in Romans. Our text calls for much more, requiring death to the flesh and the subordination of our personal interests to those of others. Our text requires in particular what Paul has previously called for in general terms:
I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:1-2).
In Romans 12:3-8, Paul urges us to offer our lives as living sacrifices through the exercise of our spiritual gifts within the context of the body of Christ. In verses 9-21, Paul calls on the Christian to exercise love by our response to both “good” and “evil.”61 Verses 9-13 speak more of our love as expressed toward other Christians. Verses 14-21 describe the behavior of love toward our enemies.62
Paul’s teaching in our text is not new. The same essential truths were taught in the Old Testament, and thus Paul cites texts from the Book of Proverbs (20:22; 24:29; 25:21ff.). Our Lord’s teaching calls for the same attitudes and actions (see Matthew 5:38-48; Luke 6:26-38). The teaching of the other apostles is the same (see 1 Peter 3:8-12; 4:7-12; James 3).
As clear, consistent, and emphatic as the teaching of our text may be, it is not popular for it runs contrary to the inclinations of our flesh. We are therefore tempted to try to find a way to excuse ourselves from simple obedience to the commands of the Word of God. Let us be on guard against this temptation as we study this text. Let us look to His Spirit to guide our interpretation and implementation as we seek to present our bodies to God as living sacrifices and as we love and serve Him through loving service to others.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and curse not. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.
Paul is very specific in these verses. Those whom we are to love appear to be primarily non-Christians who have persecuted63 us because of our faith in Jesus Christ.64 Old Testament saints, prophets in particular, knew persecution (see Matthew 5:12; Acts 7:52). Jesus told His disciples to expect the same treatment (John 15:19-21). Paul and the other apostles taught likewise (Acts 14:22; 2 Timothy 3:12). Peter probably has the most extensive teaching on suffering for Christ’s sake. For example, he writes:
Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousals, drinking parties and abominable idolatries. And in all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excess of dissipation, and they malign you; but they shall give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead (1 Peter 4:1-5).
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing; so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exultation. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. By no means let any of you suffer as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; but if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not feel ashamed, but in that name let him glorify God (1 Peter 4:12-16).
We should not forget that when Paul writes about our response to those who persecute us, he writes as an expert on this matter from both sides. Paul persecuted the church of our Lord with a vengeance (Acts 7:58–8:1; 9:1-5; 1 Timothy 1:13). Once he was saved and began to proclaim Jesus as the Messiah, he became the target of opposition and persecution both from the Jews (Acts 9:22-23; 13:50; 14:2, 19; 1 Thessalonians 2:13-16) and the Gentiles (Acts 16:19f.; 19:23f.). Paul’s words come from a man not only inspired by the Holy Spirit but from one who is well acquainted with persecution from personal experience.
Paul tells us in verse 14 that the Christian should respond exactly the opposite from the natural man and the inclinations of the flesh. Instead of cursing, we are instructed to bless those who persecute us. Cursings and blessings are pronouncements of the mouth which address the future well-being of those to whom we are speaking. Cursing expresses our desire for harm to befall the one cursed. Blessing verbally expresses the desire for good to come to that person.
Blessing and cursing are mutually exclusive; we can do one or the other but not both (see James 3:9). We cannot seek blessing for someone and at the same time seek his harm. God is not content to allow the Christian to merely tolerate his persecutors. We must actively desire and seek to bless our adversaries. Jesus gave specific ways this should be done:
You have heard that it was said, ‘AN EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.’ But I say to you, do not resist him who is evil; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any one wants to sue you, and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. And whoever shall force you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you. You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR, and hate your enemy,’ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax-gatherers do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:38-48).
The natural man seeks to pay back those who persecute him, plus interest. He would not be content with “an eye for an eye” but would seek two eyes for an eye.65 This is revenge. The man of integrity seeks only that which is appropriate repayment or retribution. This is justice. The Christian must return blessing for cursing, good for evil. This is grace.
Verses 15 and 16 are puzzling at first and appear to be out of place. What does “weeping with those who weep” or “rejoicing with those who rejoice” have to do with persecution (verse 15)? What does pride have to do with persecution (verse 16)? Verses 15 and 16 almost seem to be misplaced as though they might better fit somewhere in verses 9-13.
Our consideration of these verses begins with an observation. Verses 15 and 16 apply to our response to both believers and unbelievers. In theological terms, the grace we are to show is “common grace.”66 We are to weep with all who weep, and rejoice with all who rejoice. We are not to be proud but humble in mind, not showing partiality to some while discriminating against others.
Consider then, in this light, the command of verse 15: “Rejoice with those who rejoice” and “weep with those who weep.” We can safely say this text teaches us to empathize and identify with those around us, sharing the sorrows and joys of our fellow men.
We are a part of the body of Christ, and so we identify and participate in the sufferings and joys of our brothers and sisters in Christ because their experiences very much affect us:
And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it (1 Cor. 12:26).
We are also a part of the human race. While the sufferings of an unbeliever may not affect us as personally, we are still to share in their sorrow and in their joy.
We should recognize this to be true and the teaching of Scripture. But what does this have to do with persecution? Suffering and persecution often turn men inward. They find their own suffering so great they feel unable to share in the sufferings of others.
Viktor Frankel, a well-known secular psychiatrist, wrote of his incarceration in a Jewish concentration camp, where he was confined to a small room. Through cracks in the boards, he could see the stairway immediately behind his wall. Hearing a thumping sound, he peered through the cracks and saw a German soldier dragging the dead body of his fellow-prisoner down the stairs. So great was his own suffering that Frankel confessed feeling nothing at all; in his own suffering, he had become isolated and emotionally uninvolved in the sufferings of his fellowmen.
Christians can do the same. We can become so caught up in our sufferings that we become isolated from our fellow men. If we would demonstrate the grace of God toward others, we must not sink in the mire of our own suffering and pain. We must identify with others and share their sorrows and joys. This empathy is vitally important for the unity of the body of Christ. It is also essential for ministry to unbelievers.
Paul could readily identify with the Jewish unbelievers who persecuted him, for he once was one of them. He was even better at persecution than they. Identifying with our persecutors enables us to forgive them and to desire to minister to them. Thus Paul and Silas were able to minister to the Philippian jailer even though he had played a significant role in their innocent sufferings. The jailer came to faith in Jesus, and great was the joy resulting from the salvation of his whole household. Great also was his gratitude as he ministered to some of the wounds he himself might have inflicted (see Acts 16:16-34).
The connection between verse 15 and its context is to be found in the relationship between revenge and love. If one’s attitude toward his persecutors is one of revenge, it will be difficult indeed to obey the instructions of verse 15. Revenge would rejoice over the weeping of our persecutor and would weep over his rejoicing. The only way we can weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice is to genuinely seek their good. Our ability to share in the joys or the sorrows of our persecutor is an evidence of our blessing and a test of our obedience to God’s Word.
In verse 16 we come to yet another puzzling statement. Here Paul warns us of the danger of pride. The outcome of obedience to Paul’s teaching should be humility and impartiality. But how does Paul link the danger of pride to the dilemma of persecution? What does persecution have to do with pride or pride with persecution?
Chapter 11 holds the key. In our text, Paul warns, “Do not be wise in your own estimation” (verse 16). An almost identical expression is found only in Romans 11:25:
For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own estimation, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles has come in (emphasis mine).
In chapter 11, Paul identifies unbelieving Israel as an “enemy” with respect to the gospel (11:28). Due to much persecution from unbelieving Jews, it would be easy for Gentile saints to view the Jews as their enemies. So they are, in one sense. But one critical factor transforms Israel’s opposition into a source of blessing: the sovereignty of God. In His sovereignty, God causes all things to work together for the good of His saints (Romans 8:28). “All things” includes the unbelief and persecution of men. God therefore used a willful, hostile, Pharaoh to demonstrate His power and to proclaim His name (Romans 9:17). He also uses the unbelief of Israel to bring about the offer of the gospel to the Gentiles (11:12, 28, 31). The unbelieving Jews may be the enemy of the saints, but in spite of themselves, they have been used by God to perform a great service to the Gentiles. The Jews are an enemy, but a “beloved enemy.”
Why was Paul concerned that the Gentiles would become “wise in their own estimation”? Paul’s warning about Gentile pride (Romans 11) explains the instruction of Romans 12:16. As strange as it may seem, persecution can produce pride. By its very nature, persecution is unfounded and unjust. Because of this, the one persecuted feels a kind of righteous indignation. “I don’t deserve this,” the persecuted victim reasons, and rightly so. The victim is right; the persecutor is wrong. The victim begins to look down on the persecutor and is tempted to become proud. Paul thus warns the Gentiles about the danger of pride and of looking down on Israel.
Persecution is sin, based on pride and the misuse of power. Persecution can reproduce itself in the lives of those who are its victims. A feeling of superiority causes one to look down upon those who are not as blessed and to associate only with those who are as spiritual and worthy as ourselves. Pride results in a falsely based discrimination, the very evil which first caused the persecution.
Our salvation and the gospel have nothing to do with human merit or works but everything to do with God’s sovereign grace. His grace is bestowed upon us solely on the basis of faith, a faith He has given without merit. We have no reason for pride. In and of ourselves, we are no better than any other saved or lost sinner. Grace is given to the needy and the humble with whom we should associate. Those with whom Jesus associated caused the scribes and Pharisees to become jealous and angry (Luke 5:27-32; 6:20-26).
Grace is not bestowed on the basis of our status, worth, or performance. The grace we are to show toward men must be the same. We are not too good to associate with and serve the humble, and they are not too lowly to receive God’s grace. The gospel is the great equalizer of men turning the social structures of society upside down. If we would love our enemies, we will also cast off false pride and reject as evil any form of discrimination based upon human merit or external measurement.
Verses 14-16 command us to do no more than that which the Lord Jesus Himself did in His incarnation and earthly ministry. Consider how our Lord is our example in the things Paul has instructed us to do.
First, we have been commanded not to curse men but to bless them. Peter reminds us of our Lord’s response to the persecution of men when they nailed Him to the cross of Calvary:
For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed (1 Peter 2:21-24).
Second, Paul instructs us to rejoice with those who rejoice and to weep with those who weep. As Jesus approached Jerusalem, soon to be rejected by His people and to be nailed to His cross, He came to the grave of Lazarus where He wept, along with Mary:
Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her, also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit, and was troubled, and said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. And so the Jews were saying, “Behold how He loved him!” (John 11:32-36).
Finally, Paul instructs us not to be proud but to have a humility of mind which enables us to associate with and minister to the unworthy:
If therefore there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:1-8).
Verses 14-16 give us very clear instruction concerning our perspective, especially toward those who have unjustly persecuted us. We are to abhor cursing and bless our enemies, seeking their well-being. How better can this be accomplished than by their salvation? We are to have the kind of love for our enemies which enables us to rejoice with them in their joys and to weep with them in their sorrows. We are also to grasp that both sin and grace make all men equal in God’s sight. Being saved by grace means we have nothing for which to take credit or to be prideful. All men have sinned, without exception, and are deserving of God’s wrath. No man is worthy of His grace nor is anyone beyond the reach of His grace. The grace we manifest must therefore not discriminate as though some are unworthy of it.
17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. 19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
In verses 14-16, the response of the Christian to those who persecute him is more passive in nature. Our love toward our persecutors is to be manifested by blessing rather than cursing. The one who is persecuted wishes either good or evil on his persecutor. But in verses 17-21, the victim is now viewed as the one taking action. It is not just wishes for our enemy, or merely our words, but our works which are in view. If in verse 14, our response to ill-treatment is the pronouncement of a curse or a blessing, in verses 17-21 our response to our enemies is seen as either the doing of “good” or “evil” to our enemy.
The first statement in verse 17 is a general summary statement. Verses 17b-19 lay down a general principle governing our response to maltreatment by our enemies. Verse 20 illuminates the application of these principles with specific examples of how Christian love responds to one’s enemy. Verse 21 contains a summary statement which concludes the argument of verses 9-21.
If Christian love abhors what is evil and clings to what is good (verse 9), then Christian love can never reciprocate by responding to sin with sin. Christian love can never practice what is evil in order to pay back someone for the evil they have done to us. Paul is not talking about justice here, which is the duty of the state (to be discussed in the next chapter), but about revenge. Revenge is returning evil for evil. Revenge is but the perpetuation of sin. It is not overcoming sin but being overcome by it.
Revenge is categorically forbidden—never is it to be practiced nor done to anyone. No exceptions are named; no excuses are accepted. Why? Four answers are given in the verses which follow:
(1) Revenge runs contrary to what society deems to be right (verse 17b).
(2) Revenge does not promote peace but incites men to hostility (verse 18).
(3) Revenge usurps a task which belongs only to God (verse 19).
(4) Revenge succumbs to evil rather than overcoming evil with good (verse 21).
Consider now why revenge is wrong, categorically and without exception, for each of these reasons.
Revenge is contrary to righteousness and to the definition of right which society holds in common (verse 17b). God’s righteousness is higher than sinful men are willing to accept. It is also a higher standard than Christians can meet, apart from God’s grace through the enablement of His Spirit. Unsaved men may often reject the higher standard of righteousness which God has established and which the Law defines. Nevertheless, society has its own standards of right and wrong. Man-made laws define those standards and prescribe the consequences for all who refuse to abide by them.
The Christian has been saved not to continue in sin but to demonstrate the righteousness of God in his daily life (see Romans 6:1ff). We are to live by God’s standards and not those of men. God’s standards are perfect and almost always higher than those of men. We should not disregard human standards altogether. Revenge not only violates the standards God has laid down for us, but it violates the standards of society as well. Revenge takes the law into its own hands. This view is dangerous and unbiblical.
I remember the statement from my college political science class, “We are a nation of laws, and not men.” Vigilante rule is unacceptable. That is why we have police and law-enforcement agencies. Revenge almost always extends the punishment beyond the crime and often promotes further violence. Society forbids revenge and condemns it as an evil. If society views revenge as evil, as God does, we should have regard for its standards. Revenge should not be taken because God forbids it and because society does also. Our testimony as a Christian will be greatly tarnished if we fail to live up to those standards commonly agreed upon by men.67 We dare not seek revenge.
Paul probably had another reason for instructing the Christian to have regard for society’s standards. Persecution is frequently imposed by the state, by the government. The Jewish religious and political leaders joined forces to persecute Christianity, especially in Israel. Before long, Rome would cease to protect Christians and begin to persecute them. Even though this were the case, the Christian should beware of disdaining government (thus Romans 13:1-7) and rejecting all of its standards of right and wrong. If the Christian is to suffer at the hands of human government, let it be for doing right and not for disregarding society’s standards categorically. When we must violate society’s standards by disobeying the law, let us be sure there is a clear and contradictory command from God. We must beware of rejecting all of society’s standards because we must reject a few. The mistreated Christian may be tempted to see a persecuting government as all wrong when it may only be wrong in more restricted categories.
Revenge does not encourage peace but incites men to hostility (verse 18). Peace68 is a priority for the Christian. When Jesus came to the earth, born as a baby, the angels sang, “… on earth peace among men, with whom He is well pleased” (Luke 2:14). Jesus taught His disciples, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9). Peace was to govern the conduct of His disciples (Mark 9:50). Our gospel is the gospel of peace (Luke 19:42; Acts 10:36; Ephesians 2:14-17; 6:15). God is a God of peace (Romans 16:20; Philippians 4:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; 2 Thessalonians 3:16; Hebrews 13:20). Peace should characterize the Christian (1 Corinthians 7:15; 2 Corinthians 13:11; Galatians 5:22). Because peace is a priority for the Christian and revenge promotes hostility, pursuing peace is the antidote to revenge. Pursing peace lays revenge to rest.
Revenge is the wrath of man; Christians must leave vengeance to God to whom it rightly belongs. James said it, and Paul obviously agrees, “The anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God” (James 1:20). Revenge takes the law into our own hands. In seeking revenge, men attempt to execute judgment on their fellow men. Judgment is God’s business as taught by the Scriptures. God has promised to establish justice and to execute His wrath on the wicked. We must believe this by faith. We must wait for His day of wrath and not hasten it by taking matters into our own hands. Just as we must patiently wait for God’s blessings, we must also patiently wait for God’s vengeance. Taking our own vengeance is taking God’s place and exercising His prerogatives.
Taking revenge is being overcome by sin; doing good is overcoming evil with good. Christian love is evidenced by our abhorrence of evil and our cleaving to what is good (verse 9). Revenge is being overcome by sin and is the promotion of evil. The Christian does not “fight fire with fire”; we must not react to sin by sinning. Our sin was overcome by the righteousness of God. The sins of others expressed in opposition to us will not be overcome by our sinful acts. Sin is only overcome by good. As we do “good” to our enemies, we vividly demonstrate to an unsaved world how God defeats sin, complimenting the gospel we are to proclaim. When the sin of others prompts us to sin in return, we have been defeated by sin. When the sin of others prompts us to do good to our enemies in return, sin is defeated and righteousness prevails.
The biblical principles laid down by Paul in this text are not new but are consistent with the teaching of the Old Testament. Thus Paul quotes from the Book of Proverbs, citing Proverbs 25:20, which shows the very practical ways love is to be demonstrated to one’s enemies. When our enemy is hungry, we should feed him. When he is thirsty, we should give him water to drink. Revenge would let him suffer and rejoice in his suffering.
By dealing with our enemies this way, the Scriptures say we “heap burning coals” on their head. Does this sound a little like revenge? It cannot be. We do not do good to our enemy to bring about his suffering; we do good to our neighbor in order to be a blessing to him. Many explanations are offered for the reference to burning coals. I believe these “coals” refer to the guilt and condemnation of a stricken conscience which our good deeds may produce in the sinner’s heart. This is indeed a blessing if the sinner’s guilty conscience leads him to repent and turn to God for forgiveness and salvation. One wonders if Paul’s conscience was not stricken by the response of some of those whom he persecuted. The broader context of our passage makes clear that we do good to our enemies with the purpose of blessing them and not with the hope that we will bring a curse upon them.
Paul’s meaning could hardly be clearer. Such standards repulse our flesh, but they are clear and compelling. The Christian is set apart from all others by the way he responds to his enemies. He does not hate his enemies and seek their suffering and destruction. He loves his enemies and seeks to do good to them. As we conclude this lesson, consider four foundational truths upon which Paul’s teaching is based.
First, Paul calls for attitudes and action toward our enemies which are consistent with the character of God and evidenced in the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. When Jesus came to the earth in human flesh, God became incarnate; God was manifested in human flesh. Our Lord was the exact representation of God. He manifested to men all of the attributes of God—His holiness, His grace, His love, and His other attributes. In His attitudes and actions, Jesus was a perfect reflection of God.
When our Lord ascended into heaven, He left behind the church, His body. It is now through the church that God is incarnate in this world. God’s self-revelation comes through His Word and through His body, the church. Paul calls for an attitude toward others which reflects the attitude of God toward men. In particular, Paul wants us to love our enemies,69 and through this to reflect God’s love for fallen men. We are commanded to love our enemies in order to be like God and in order to be distinct from lost men. In the context of loving our enemies, our Lord Himself said: “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48, see verses 43-47).
Second, Paul calls for that which is consistent with the present purposes of God. All men are sinners, deserving God’s righteous wrath. Those who have received God’s gift of salvation in Christ have been delivered from His wrath. Those who have rejected God experience a present manifestation of His wrath (Romans 1:18). They are also storing up wrath for a future day of judgment as well (Romans 2:5). God has chosen to delay the execution of His righteous judgment, the full outpouring of His wrath, for a purpose. This purpose is put forth by Paul in Romans 9:
What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so in order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles (Romans 9:22-24).
The full power of God’s wrath has been delayed so that He might save those whom He has chosen as the objects of His mercy. At this time, these “vessels of mercy” are pre-dominantly Gentiles. But in the future, God has purposed to turn the hearts of the Jews to Himself (see Romans 11:25-32).
When on the earth, Jesus refused to judge men, insisting that He had come to save and not to condemn (see John 3:16-17; 8:1-11). There will be a future day of judgment, when He comes again at His second coming. Until then, the good news of God’s saving grace is to be proclaimed to the world. Until then, we who are saved are to reflect the saving grace of God to a lost and dying world. We are to leave judgment to God and to the time He has appointed. Now is the “day of salvation.” Let us behave in a manner consistent with God’s purpose for the present—the salvation of lost sinners.
If you have never trusted in Jesus Christ, my friend, do so today. Acknowledge your sin and the fact that you deserve God’s righteous wrath. Receive the gift of salvation God has provided in Jesus Christ. He suffered God’s wrath in your place. All you need do is to receive this gift and be saved. Be assured that there is coming a day of reckoning when all who have rejected Him will be eternally condemned. When He comes, the day of salvation will be past, for all eternity.
Third, what Paul teaches here requires a transformed mind which sees life vastly different than the natural man. The more I study the Word of God, the more I see that God’s ways are not man’s ways and that His thoughts are not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:7-9). Often Christians today talk of integrating secular truth with the truth of God’s revealed Word. What is so beneficial to the Christian from man’s thinking, motivation, and way of doing things? What do we need to know and do which God has not already revealed in His inspired, all-sufficient Word? The church’s great problem today is Christians seeking to live as the world thinks and lives. Our great need is to think and act as God does.
Romans 12:1 and 2 call upon the Christian to live in an entirely different way. We are to offer ourselves to God as living sacrifices. To do so, we must be transformed from what we were and not be conformed to the world. This is done by the renewing of our minds. Our thinking ceases to be in merely human terms but conforms to God’s thoughts. We must realize that to live as Christians, we must first think as Christians. This kind of thinking comes only through the Word of God, illuminated by the Spirit of God. Our text highlights the contrast between God’s thoughts and man’s. Let us be conformed to His thoughts. Let us obey Him by loving our enemies and seeking their benefit and ultimately seeking their salvation.
Fourth, Paul calls for conduct which is possible only in the strength God provides. If God’s thoughts are above ours and His ways are above ours, it is only by His means that we shall live as He requires. The Christian life is impossible to live in our own strength. Reading Romans 12 helps to better understand Paul’s words in Romans 7. No wonder Paul found it impossible to achieve God’s will in the power of the flesh. Only as we walk in the Spirit are these impossible requirements met. May we obey Him as we walk in His Spirit.
61 You will note that love is the general subject, giving unity to verses 9-21. Also note that in the first verse of this text (9) and the last (21) “good” and “evil” are specifically mentioned. Verses 9-21 are all about the exercise of love as it relates to “good” and “evil.”
62 This classification of (1) love toward fellow-believers and (2) love toward unbelievers generally holds true. It should be recognized, however, that some of our “enemies” will be found within the fold of those who profess faith in Christ. See, for example, Philippians 1:15-17; 2 Timothy 3:8; 4:14(?); 3 John 9.
63 Persecution is not as personal an offense as some others. We are persecuted because of Christ and because of our identification with Him (John 15:19-21). The hostages held against their will in Iraq were persecuted for being foreigners. The captive governments had nothing personal against them other than that they were foreigners in general and Americans in particular. We are persecuted not so much because of our theology as we are because of our practice. When our lifestyle threatens or exposes the sinful ways of those around us, they are inclined to retaliate (see Genesis 19:9; 1 Peter 4:3-4).
Men persecute those who threaten them, especially in the areas of wealth or power (see Acts 4:16-17; 5:27-28; 16:19f.; 19:23f.). Usually, persecution is an offense of the stronger against the weaker. Those who are in the majority and who have greater power have a greater capacity to persecute. I suspect this is why cursing is the evil in view here. Those who are overpowered may not be able to strike back physically, but they can always curse. Note, for example, the thief on the cross (Luke 23:39) and the instruction Peter gave to sufferers (1 Peter 2:1, 21-25). Cursing may be the only harm a helpless victim can do to his oppressors.
64 Verses 14-16 appear to have a more restricted group in mind—those who are our persecutors. Verses 17-21 seem more general—our enemies. Our enemies would include all those who have wrongly treated us.
65 The teaching concerning an “eye for an eye” was to establish a fundamental principle on which all justice is based, namely: Punishment should always be consistent with and proportionate to the crime. This principle was given primarily to govern rulers whose task it was to administer justice and not to those who sought revenge.
66 Common grace is the term theologians use to refer to the unmerited goodness of God toward all men, believers and unbelievers (see Matthew 5:45). God’s elective grace is sovereignly bestowed on those whom He singles out for blessing (see Romans 9:6-18).
67 There are many things which our society may permit which the Christian cannot practice. But there will almost always be fewer things which society prohibits which the Christian should feel free to practice.
68 For Paul’s use of “peace” in Romans, see 2:10; 3:17; 8:6; 12:18; 14:17, 19; 15:13, 33; 16:20.
69 There are those who say that God does not love sinners. If this were true, then God is requiring us to do that which He Himself does not do. When we love our enemies, we reflect God’s love for His enemies. God loved us while we were yet sinners (Romans 5:6-8), while we were His enemies. God has a special love for His elect, but He also loves all men, including His enemies.
Over twenty years ago, I taught high school classes in a medium security prison. Early in my teaching days there, I had a very idealistic and unrealistic picture of what was happening in that prison. I thought that “we”—the prison authorities who ran the prison—were in charge. The prisoners were confined within those prison walls and could not escape (with only a few exceptions). The prisoners knew the rules and complied with them enough to avoid punishment.
Over a period of time, I came to see that there were two systems of authority in that prison, not just one. The prisoners had a kind of government of their own inside those walls. They had a system of values, of what was right and wrong.70 They had their own authority structure and chain of command.71 And they had their own means of enforcement. A first-time offender was rudely awakened to these realities in his first few days in prison. “Obedience” to prison authorities within those prison walls was, at best, compliance. Whole-hearted cooperation was exceedingly rare.72
Shortly after my teaching experience ended in that prison, I went to work for a reasonably large company. I discovered over time that this company was not unlike the prison in that there were functionally two authority structures there as well. There was the official chain of command, and there were the official policies of the company. But there was also the unofficial chain of command, and a different set of rules. The unofficial system often proved to be more effective and efficient. Employees always complied with the official rules and policies, but the way to get things done was through the unofficial system. There was compliance, but little cooperation.
Over the years I have found Christians are little different than non-Christians in their attitudes and responses toward authority. Compliance is given, but cooperation is not. For example, I would be just as likely to find a radar detector in the car of a Christian (even one serving the Lord), as I would in the car of an unbeliever. Christians comply with the law. We slow down as we pass the police car with its radar speed detection equipment. We drive carefully and lawfully when the patrol car is following us. But as soon as we are sure it is safe, we drive normally—and illegally.
In Romans 13:1-7, Paul deals directly with the Christian’s attitude and conduct with respect to governmental authority.73 In particular, Paul addresses the Christian’s relationship to civil government.74 There are a number of reasons Christians and civil government might be at odds with one another, and Christians might wrongly twist these into excuses for disrespect and disobedience to authorities.
First, civil government is secular in nature while Christianity is spiritual. Christians are aliens and strangers, just passing through this world (see 1 Peter 1:1). Their citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20). Second, the state can look upon Christianity as competitive, even hostile to its authority. The Christian’s highest authority is God. In Rome, Caesar was “god.” Because of this, Romans considered Christians as atheists. Christianity was eventually seen as treasonous. Third, at times Christians were required to “obey God, rather than men” (see Acts 5:29), which openly confirmed the government’s suspicions. Fourth, government officials, either unconsciously or willingly, used their authority to actively oppose the church and to persecute Christians.
If governmental authorities began to view Christians with suspicion, and even fear, Christians also were tempted to see government as their opponent, and as an enemy of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Civil disobedience might easily become common practice rather than a necessary exception. Submission to governmental authority was a vital topic in a day and time when the Lord’s church and civil government were on a collision course.
The church is on a very similar course today. In the earlier days of our nation, our government was founded on certain Christian assumptions and convictions. If our early government founders and officials were not Christians, at least their beliefs and values were compatible with Christian doctrines and practices. Our culture and our government has strayed over the years farther and farther from Christianity.
Until recently, many Christians thought their views and values were still held by a majority of Americans. Christians only needed to mobilize the moral majority and encourage them to speak out—especially by voting. We could turn things around, we were assured, if only we could mobilize the masses. This view is now for the most part recognized as unrealistic and untrue. Christians and their values are becoming an unpopular minority view. Consequently, government will increasingly regulate, hinder, and even oppose Christian activity. At the same time, some Christians are becoming increasingly disobedient to the laws of our land. Some even teach that if we disagree with a particular law, we are not only obliged to disobey, but we can also justify disobeying other laws in protest.75
Paul’s words were vital in his own day, and they are just as important to contemporary Christians. Let us consider what God requires of us in our relationship to civil government.
Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities.
Paul gives us a very clear, categorical commandment at the beginning of our text. The commandment is addressed to all mankind, without exception. Every person76 is included in this instruction—both believers and unbelievers. Every person is required to be in subjection to the governing authorities. Subjection certainly includes obedience, but it implies even more. Subjection focuses on the spirit or attitude of the individual, which leads to obedience. It recognizes an authority over us to which we are obliged to give not only our obedience but our respect. It implies a spirit which seeks to understand the perspective and purpose of the one who is superior and to seek to enhance that one’s position and purpose.
The authorities in view here are the governing authorities, those authorities which govern us politically. Submission to other authorities (e.g. wives to their husbands; slaves to their masters) is discussed elsewhere. These governmental authorities are assumed to be legitimate, for there are those who claim authority but are illegitimate. A Christian living in a country where a military coup has occurred may have to determine which government is actually in power. Under normal conditions, it is the government which is in place (see verse 1b).
From several Scriptures one might come to the conclusion that there are exceptions to the rule or precept Paul has laid down here. There were times when men had to chose to "obey God, rather than men" (e.g. Daniel 3, 6; Acts 4:19-20; 5:27-32). I would like to suggest to you that while the Christian may not, in good conscience before God, be able to obey the government in every instance, true submission to the government is never actually set aside. Generally, submission is exhibited by one’s obedience. But when one cannot obey, they can still demonstrate a submissive spirit. This submissive spirit should never be set aside when it comes to those in authority over us.
Let me try to illustrate what I mean, using some of the texts which seem to be exceptions to submission. In 1 Samuel chapter 25 Abigail takes a gift to David, and tells him that her husband is a fool. She knew that Nabal would have forbidden her to do what she did. She acted in a way that was contrary to her husband’s will, but not contrary to true submission. She subordinated her interests to those of her husband, putting herself at risk in an attempt to save the life of her husband and the men in her household. By the way, she acted in submission not only to Nabal, but to David, the one she knew was going to be Israel’s next king. She talked David out of doing a foolish thing that would have negatively impacted his reign, yet with a submissive spirit.
In Daniel chapter 3, Daniel’s three friends were commanded to bow down before an image of gold. They refused, and rightly so, for they could not serve God and bow down to an idol. But the way in which they declined to do so demonstrated a submissive spirit. They did not refuse to obey all of the king’s commands, only this one. They knew that disobedience might cost them their lives, and they were willing to pay this price. They did not advocate the overthrow of this government, and they were willing to submit to the death penalty if necessary. The same is seen in Daniel chapter 6, where Daniel will not cease praying to his God. Daniel refuses to comply with a specific law, and even the king agrees with him and hopes for his rescue.
In Acts chapter 5 the Sanhedrin has demanded that the apostles (Peter and John) stop preaching in the name of Jesus. This they cannot do, lest they disobey God. Though they could not and would not stop preaching about heir resurrected Lord, they did not challenge the authority of this body. Their answer was evidence of their submissive spirit and intent: “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20). Submission usually is demonstrated by our obedience, but even when we must disobey, we can and should do so in a submissive spirit and manner.
Therefore submission to the authority of legitimate governmental agents is required by God, at all times and in all cases. Submission usually, but not always, results in obedience. Submission always gives honor to whom honor is due. In the remaining verses of this text, Paul gives us three reasons for our submission to human government.
For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.
Paul’s entire argument is based upon a fundamental premise: God is sovereign. He possesses ultimate authority. He is the sole authority of His creation. All human authority is delegated to men by God.77 No one has authority independent of God.
How do we know that a given government is ordained of God and that He has given it authority? A government’s existence is proof that it is ordained of God and that it possesses divinely delegated authority. Paul says, “those which exist are established by God.” God is sovereign. He is in control of all things. He causes all things to “work together for good” (8:28). In days gone by, He raised up a disobedient Pharaoh (9:17), as well as Assyria and Babylon, as His chastening rod (for example, see Habakkuk 1 and 2). Whether democratic or autocratic, heathen or God-fearing, every government which has the power to rule over its people has been granted that power and authority by God.
Submission to government then is an expression of our submission to God. God has instituted human government to exercise divinely delegated authority over men. We should be subject to human governments for this reason alone. But Paul adds two very practical reasons for our submission and obedience in verses 2-7. These provide additional motivation for our obedience to this divine command.
Therefore he who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath upon the one who practices evil.
In verse 1, Paul has stated that human government has divine authority. Verse 2 seems to emphasize divine consequences, based upon Paul’s statement in verse 1b. Because of these consequences, resistance to governmental authority is also resistance against God Himself. Such resistance eventually brings divine judgment.78
Disregard for government’s authority also has present ramifications. These are described in verses 3 and 4. Government is given an unexpected title in verse 4—“minister of God.” Its task is to serve God by dealing appropriately with those who do good and also those who do evil. God’s purpose for human government is to reward those who do good and to punish those who do evil.
The role of government in punishing those who do evil, and in rewarding those who do good, is consistent with and complimentary to the purposes of the Christian. You will remember that in verse 9 Paul wrote,
Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.
The Christian should abstain from evil and pursue what is good. Government should praise those who do good and punish those who do evil. Therefore God’s purposes for us and for government are in harmony. Government is here to help us do what God has called us to do and what we should desire to do.
Ordinarily, one who is seeking to do good need not fear government. One who is serving God need not worry about government opposition. Christians should be the best citizens, for their calling is consistent with government’s divine commission.
But we should fear government when we choose to do evil. Only the law-breaker looks over his shoulder, wondering where the police are. The Christian should never need a radar detector, nor should he ever fear paying the penalty for speeding. If we would desire to live our lives without fear of punishment, we need only to do what God has required of us, and what government requires as well.
It should also be said that government’s God-given role also frees the Christian from returning “evil for evil” by retaliating against those who persecute or mistreat him (see Romans 12:14-21). God has not given us the task of administering justice or of paying men back for their wrong-doings. God has given this task to governmental authorities. When we “leave room for the wrath of God” (12:19), we leave room for government to deal with the evil deeds of men against us. Government “bears the sword”79 for such purposes. And if government should fail in this task, God will make things right in that day when He judges with perfect judgment.
Wherefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.
Subjection which is based only on the fear of painful consequences is as incomplete as sexual purity based solely on the fear of contracting AIDS. A higher reason for subjection is found in verse 5.
The external motivation that promotes submission is the fear of punishment—at least primarily. The motivation Paul calls for here is internal—that of a desire to maintain a pure and undefiled conscience. The standard which the law sets is the minimal standard for all men. The standard set by our own conscience is personal, individual, and hopefully higher than the minimum set by human government.
What is the conscience? It is an internal standard, defining right and wrong. It is not present only in Christians. All men have a conscience (Romans 2:15). The conscience of one may be stronger than that of another (see 1 Corinthians 8:7, 10, 12). Some consciences have become hardened and insensitive due to sin (1 Timothy 4:2), while the consciences of others are sensitized by obedience (Hebrews 5:14). We must never defile our conscience by doing what it considers evil, nor should we offend others by practicing what their consciences condemn as evil (1 Corinthians 8).
Our conscience is not an infallible guide to good and evil. While we must never do what our conscience condemns, we dare not assume that everything our conscience permits is good, since our conscience can become hardened and insensitive (1 Timothy 4:2).
Paul’s conscience was very important matter to him. He sought to serve God with an undefiled conscience (Acts 23:1; 24:16; 2 Timothy 1:3), which he urged others to do as well (1 Timothy 1:19; 3:9). A clear conscience is a prerequisite for love and service to others:
But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith (1 Timothy 1:5).
I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day (2 Timothy 1:3).
How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:14).
Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water (Hebrews 10:22).
Whenever we violate our conscience we hinder our fellowship with God and our service, to Him and to others. A violated, guilty, conscience makes us less sensitive to sin and more vulnerable to error (see Hebrews 5:12; 2 Timothy 3:6). A guilty conscience makes us more tentative and less bold to proclaim and practice our faith. Due to a defiled conscience, we may tend toward a legalistic, external obedience, based upon appearances rather than on reality (see Luke 16:15).
What does our conscience have to do with submission to human government? Mere outward compliance with the requirements of government is simply not enough. This we can expect from unbelievers, if for no other reason than the fear of punishment. But God desires a fuller, deeper, obedience from the heart. This requires conscientious subjection—submitting done out of obedience to God. Such an attitude of submission enables us to retain the right attitude and actions toward government even when we must disobey specific laws in order to obey God.
An internal attitude of submission stimulates us to obey government even when our disobedience cannot be seen or punished. The actions of verses 6 and 7 are the outflow of an undefiled conscience and a spirit of submission. Paul does not tell us here to “obey the laws of the land,” but rather to honor those in authority and to pay taxes and custom fees. Why are these specific forms of obedience named? I believe it is because these are the very things which are easiest to avoid doing, and the least likely violations to be discerned and punished.
We can be rude and disrespectful to officials and get away with it. We can even more effectively pretend to be respectful and never have our insincerity detected. We can quite easily report our income or our baggage in such a way as to avoid income taxes or customs fees. More often than not, if we are devious, we will not be caught.
But we already know that government has God’s authority and ministers for Him. Thus, when we fail to “pay our dues,” whatever these might be, we disobey God. Even if the civil authorities never catch us, our conscience before God will be defiled. Our fellowship with Him will be hindered. Our service to others will be adversely affected. And so we must live by the higher standard. We must not only comply with the demands of government, we must cooperate in spirit. In so doing our conscience will be clear, our testimony untainted, and our service unhindered by sin and guilt. Living in subordination to divinely ordained government is beneficial to our walk with God and our service to others.
Finally, these things which God requires us to give government officials are those things which facilitate the ministry of public officials. Both honor and money are necessary for public officials to carry out their tasks.80 Our subordination to those in authority not only means that we should do what we are required, but that we should provide all that is necessary so that our superiors can do their jobs. Our submission means that we serve and support them.
This is not the only text in the Bible on the matter of “conscientious subjection.” Paul writes generally of this obligation to Titus (3:1). Peter speaks of submission to human government in the context of suffering (1 Peter 2:13-14). But when Paul speaks of submission to government in our text, he does so in the context of service. This is the main theme of Romans 12:1–13:7. We are challenged by Paul in 12:1-2 to present our bodies to God as living sacrifices, which is our reasonable service of worship. Paul then speaks of our sacrificial service in terms of the church, the body of Christ, and of the exercise of our spiritual gifts (12:3-8). In verses 9-21 Paul writes of our service in the context of love, whether we are serving our fellow-believers or our enemy. Subordination to civil government is discussed in Romans 13:1-7, only to find Paul returning to the theme of walking in love in verses 8 and following.
Paul’s teaching on subordination is no interruption of his theme or emphasis, but rather an extension of it. From verse 1 of chapter 12, Paul has been teaching the importance of subordination. We must subordinate our lives to God, presenting our bodies as living sacrifices to Him. We must subordinate our interests to the interests of others if we are to walk in love. We must also subordinate our lives to those in authority over us as civil servants.
There is a very important principle underlying all of Paul’s teaching on subordination, which we are now able to identify: SUBORDINATION IS A PREREQUISITE TO SERVICE AND A MINDSET WITHOUT WHICH SERVICE IS EITHER IMPOSSIBLE OR UNFRUITFUL.
Recently I watched a television program called “Over My Dead Body.” In this program, a long-time servant was arrested for murder—naturally, he was innocent. In the course of events, a famous author (turned detective) secretly took the servant’s job to try to uncover the truth and expose the real murderer. The true servant’s spirit, as well as his service, was vastly different from that of the short-term “servant.” The true servant saw himself as subordinate to those he served. The one disguised as a “servant” saw himself as better than the job and those whom he served. Without true subordination, loving service is impossible.
Self-interest must be set aside and replaced by a spirit of subordination if true service is rendered. We cannot seek our own interests as a priority and genuinely serve others at the same time. We cannot love ourselves first and love God and others next. It simply does not and cannot work. Subordination is prerequisite to service. This is precisely the point Paul makes concerning our Lord’s attitudes and actions, which should serve as our example:
Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:5-8)
Subordination is the key to loving God and others. It is not the inclination of our flesh. It is not the spirit of our age. But it is what God requires and what the Spirit enables when we walk in Him.
As said earlier, Christians are rapidly moving in the direction of opposing government more than submitting to it and serving it with a pure heart and a clear conscience. We have lost our respect for those in authority and have come to disdain, en masse, those in public office. We have come to view government as God’s opponent rather than as God’s divinely ordained instrument. There may be reason for disobedience to certain laws, but there is no excuse for our spirit of insubordination and for an obedience which is more compliant than it is cooperative and supportive.
Christianity is, at the moment, much more intent upon producing Christian leaders than it is in producing Christian followers. While His disciples had their heads filled with thoughts of position, power, and prestige, Jesus constantly talked to them about subordination and service. While we think much about leaders, Jesus talked most about being followers, disciples. Ironically, the way men become good leaders is by learning to become good followers.
Contemporary Christianity is probably more purposeful and aggressive in seeking to influence government and legislation than ever before. And yet I fear that we are less effective than in previous times. How can this be? On the one hand, we seem to be relying on the “arm of the flesh,” on human mechanisms and motivations, rather than on those which are spiritual. We seem to think that we need large numbers to attract the attention of government officials, and that we will not be able to change men’s minds or voting habits unless we hold over their heads the threat of losing the next election.
Daniel illustrates the truth of Romans 13:1-7 and exposes the folly of our fleshly efforts to affect change in government. Daniel was a young political hostage. He had no credentials or political clout to impress his Babylonian captors. And yet Daniel had tremendous political influence on several kings and administrations over a long period of time. What was it that made Daniel the E. F. Hutten of his day? What made kings listen when he spoke?
I believe the answer is that Daniel subordinated himself to the heathen, human government of Babylon as God’s divinely ordained institution. In the first chapter of Daniel, and again in chapter 6, Daniel had to say “no” to his government, even though it might have meant death. He had to disobey two specific orders because his obedience to government would have been disobedience to God. He refused to eat from the king’s table, because it would defile him and deprive him of a clear conscience. He would not cease praying for the same reason. He disobeyed his government when his faith and his conscience required it.
But our text in Romans explains the positive way in which Daniel maintained a clear conscience. Daniel maintained a clear conscience not only in what he refused to do but also in what he did. While Daniel would not defile himself by eating food from the king’s table, he did submit to the king and his government by showing those in power his respect and by cooperating and supporting that government in every way possible. He was educated in the ways of the Babylonians. He worked hard and was at the top of his class in his studies. He aggressively sought not only to interpret the king’s dream, but also to spare the lives of his heathen counterparts.
Daniel was but a single man, living in a godless society and in a heathen culture. But Daniel was a man who was respected and sought by the political leaders of his day. Why? I believe it was because Daniel was practicing what Paul later preached. Daniel was serving God by his subordination to civil government. As he sought to serve God with a clear conscience, he refused to do only that which was disobedient to God and defiling to his conscience. As he served God, he eagerly cooperated and supported the governmental system under which God had placed him.
Down through history, men like Daniel have had a profound impact on kings and government officials—even though they served God and even though they were in the minority. John the Baptist was a man who stood for what was right and who did not shrink back from pointing out Herod’s sin. And yet, Herod found himself strangely drawn to John and his teaching. He listened intently to him. He would not have put him to death except for his drunkenness, his foolish offer, and his foolish pride (see Mark 6:14-29).
Jesus had the attention of the governmental leaders of His day. They were eager to see Him face to face. It was only reluctantly that they played a part in Jesus’ death. Paul too had a spiritual impact on some of the political leaders of his day. Even today, men like Billy Graham are sought out by presidents and powerful political figures. Why? Not, I think, because they control votes, but because they are subject to God, to His Word, and to the government under which He has placed them.
We do not need to muster more votes or more political clout. We need more “moral clout,” gained by simple obedience to God, to His Word, and to the institutions He has ordained. May God grant that we will present ourselves to Him as living sacrifices, as we subordinate ourselves to others and to the government He has ordained.
70 This system of values differed significantly from the value structure of society, however. For example, an inmate who was serving time for killing a police officer would normally be very highly respected by his peers. This was a “status offense.”
71 Strange as it might seem, this authority structure included both inmates and prison staff, as well as guards. A guard might be lower in this structure than an inmate. Because of this, certain inmates could issue commands to certain guards and expect to be obeyed.
72 One of the joys I have had in working with prisoners down through the years is to see newly saved Christian inmates begin to manifest genuine obedience from the heart, because of the work of the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit in their lives.
73 Submission to civil authority is but one facet of the much broader issue of authority. Authority has been one of man’s prominent problems down through the ages. Satan rebelled against God’s authority and then tempted Adam and Eve to do likewise (see Genesis 2 and 3). Jacob was always seeking to resist or manipulate authority. Joseph had to learn what authority meant, and especially how he was to use it. David struggled with his authority as the promised king of Israel and with Saul’s authority as king until the time of David’s coronation. Israel’s kings, priests, and prophets all struggled with the proper use of their authority. Often those in positions of power misused their authority.
When Jesus came to the earth, He rebuked the scribes and Pharisees for their misuse of authority (see Matthew 21:23-46; 23:1-39). His disciples were preoccupied with acquiring positions of authority. Jesus had to continually contrast the servanthood which was to characterize the Christian in power to the self-seeking of the unbeliever who abused his power (see Mark 10:35-45).
74 Paul speaks of “rulers” (verse 3), of “taxes” and of “custom” (verse 6).
75 Thus, a law which permits abortion is viewed little differently from a law which requires it. In protest against abortion, some Christians feel compelled to trespass and to commit other violations of the law in order to make their point. It becomes very difficult to define where civil disobedience must stop. Is it right, in order to save the unborn from the murderous and mercenary hand of the abortionist, to burn down an abortion clinic? These are now issues Christians are debating among themselves. All the while, civil government is looking at us as its opponent.
76 For this same expression, see also Acts 2:43; 3:23; Romans 2:9. All of these expressions seem to imply “all without exception.”
77 See Isaiah 30:30; Jeremiah 5:31; John 19:11; 1 Corinthians 15:24; Ephesians 1:21; Colossians 2:10.
78 The rendering “condemnation” in the NASB and “damnation” in the KJV strongly suggest divine retribution. The more neutral “judgment” of the NIV leaves the interpretation somewhat undefined. When Paul uses this same term in Romans 2:2, 3, he adds the expression, “of God” in both instances. Elsewhere in Romans the term is used in 3:8; 5:16; and 11:33. The context seems to require us to take “judgment” here as divine judgment. Government will also penalize men for their wrong-doings, but this is a more indirect form of divine chastening. What government fails to judge properly in this life, God will make right in the final judgment.
79 One can safely imply that government’s authority to judge the evil-doer extends to the degree of capital punishment. I believe that the reader of Paul’s day understood “the sword” in verse 4 to include capital punishment. Having said this, let us not lose sight of the many offenses for which capital punishment was the penalty in the Old Testament. If we were to follow the Old Testament in the matter of capital punishment, we would all live in dread fear. Capital punishment is not the focus of Paul’s teaching here, and so we should be careful not to overlook the “camels” in this text because we are straining at the “gnat” of capital punishment (see Matthew 23:24).
80 In the context of church “ministers,” both honor and financial means are also to be a token of our submission and of our support (see 1 Corinthians 9:3-14; Galatians 6:6; 1 Timothy 5:17-19; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13; Hebrews 13:17). It is interesting that in 1 Timothy 5:17 the word “honor” itself has this two-fold sense of honor and remuneration.
Imagine how you would feel if you were told that you had only a few months to live. You might try to cram a lifetime into those last days. You might travel to places you have always wanted to see. You might do things for which you had never found the time before. It would not be difficult to understand why you would want to spend your last days indulging yourself.
In Romans 13:8-14, Paul proposes a radically different response to a similar type of deadline—one every Christian must face. He reminds the Christian that his time is limited because the day of the Lord’s return is daily drawing nearer. In the light of this reality, he calls upon him to deny his fleshly lusts and to live for God. He challenges the Christian not to indulge himself, but to give himself sacrificially in serving others and in seeking their good. In this way, the Christian fulfills the Old Testament Law and its standards for godly conduct.
Our text in Romans is particularly significant in that, at the moment, our future is dominated by a deadline—January 15, 1991. This is the date which the United Nations has set for Iraq to retreat from Kuwait or face the threat of attack. The Middle East crisis draws our attention to the deadlines in life. This crisis could play a significant role in the final events which pave the way for the coming of our Lord to judge the earth and to establish His kingdom.
But even though our text in Romans draws attention to life’s ultimate deadline—the coming of our Lord—it challenges us to do more than be preoccupied with it. The important thing is to be found faithful when our Lord returns. We are to watch, wait, and work until He comes, whenever that might be.
We can accomplish this by adopting the mindset which Paul explains in our text. It is a mindset that denies fleshly lusts and refuses to make provision for them. It casts off the evil attitudes and actions which characterized us before our salvation and which are typical of the unbelieving world in which we live.
In this text of Scripture, Paul calls attention to a lifestyle appropriate for the Christian living in the light of Christ’s approaching return and reign. It applies to us all and demands the careful attention of each of us.
In Romans 12, Paul turns from laying a doctrinal foundation (in chapters 1-11) to challenging the saints to action based on the truth he has been teaching. Romans 12:1-2 set forth the primary theme of chapters 12-15: Out of gratitude for the grace of God in our salvation, we should present our bodies as living sacrifices in worshipful service. This will entail a whole new way of thinking and acting—a transformed life—which is the outflow of a constantly renewed mind.
Our obligation to God as expressed in 12:1-2 is simply a reiteration of the primary theme of the Old Testament as emphasized by our Lord Jesus: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 22:37, etc.). It is not new, but it is easily forgotten, and so the need for another reminder.
The verses which follow Romans 12:1-2 articulate and apply the second great theme of the Bible—our obligation to love God by loving others. In Old Testament terms, once again reiterated and confirmed in the New, this obligation is: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22:39; Romans 13:9, etc.). Love for our neighbor is a dominant and cohesive theme in Romans 12:3–15:13. Love must inspire and govern our ministry to one another within the body of Christ as we exercise our spiritual gifts (Romans 12:3-8).81
In Romans 12:9-21, Paul shows how love is to govern our relationships, not only with our fellow-believers, but also with our neighbors and even our enemies. In these verses, Paul speaks of the good which love inspires—even if the recipients persecute the Christians who practice such love.
Beginning in our current passage, Romans 13:8-14, Paul looks at the flip side of love. He directs our attention to what love will not do.82 Specifically, love does no wrong to our neighbor (13:10). Verses 11-14 again turn our attention God-ward, providing both the motivation and the means for living in love. Paul directs us to think both of our initial salvation and of our final salvation, and of the limited time which we have to offer to Him our service of worship in this life.
Later when Paul turns to the strong and the weak in Romans 14 and 15 (14:1–15:13), he is still applying the principle of love. This can be seen by his words in Romans 14:15: “For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love.”
Love is not only the motivation which inspires our actions, it is the principle by which our actions are governed. Loving God and loving men is therefore to be the outgrowth of salvation and of sound doctrine. These themes give unity to the entire section which we are studying.
But how, you may wonder, does Romans 13:1-7 fit into this picture? How does our obligation to obey government relate to the themes which Paul has been developing in this section? Let me suggest three ways in which verses 1-7 fit into the overall argument so as to pave the way for the words we are about to consider in this study.
First, Romans 13:1-7 explains why we can return good for evil to our enemies rather than seeking to retaliate (see 12:17-21). Judgment should be left to God rather than taken into our own hands. God’s judgment has several forms. One is His future day of judgment when all injustices will be rectified, all evildoers will be punished, and the righteous will be rewarded (see Romans 2:5-10). There is also a present form of divine wrath in which men are turned over to their sin (see Romans 1:18-32). But in addition to this, government has been instituted to serve as a “minister of God” to reward those who do good and to punish those who do evil (13:1-4).
Second, verses 1-7 remind us that all those in power have been ordained of God, and thus carry out their tasks as God’s ministers with His authority. To resist governmental officials (except in those times when they require us to disobey God’s Word) is to resist God (13:2). Romans 12:1-2 is a general call to obedience toward God. Romans 13:1-7 is a specific call to obey God through our obedience to the government which He has ordained.
Third, verses 1-7 directly relate to the theme of loving others which precedes and follows Paul’s teaching about human government. In Romans 12:9 he has instructed that love pursues that which is good and avoids what is evil. In Romans 13:1-7 he reminds us that government’s role is consistent with our own calling. Just as we are to abhor evil and cling to what is good, government is to reward those who do good and to punish those who do evil.
If for no other reason, men ought to obey the government out of fear, knowing the power which it has to punish evil-doers (Romans 13:3-4). But obedience based on fear is the “low road.” Love is the “high road,” and it is the relationship of love to law which Paul discusses in Romans 13:8-10.
Of course, we can refrain from doing harm to our neighbor because we will get in trouble with the law. But those who love their neighbor need not fear the law. Much more than this, love inspires us to do good to our neighbor, thus both fulfilling and surpassing the minimum standards set by the law. It is love, therefore, and not law which should motivate and guide us in our dealings with our neighbor. When we walk in love, we also keep the law.
8 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. 9 For this, “YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; love therefore is the fulfillment of the law.
The expression, “owe nothing to anyone,” can be easily misunderstood. J. B. Phillips, in his usually excellent paraphrase of the New Testament, renders this phrase: “Keep out of debt altogether.” I feel that his paraphrase misses the mark in this passage. The term which is rendered “owe” is used a number of times in the New Testament in several forms. Most often, it is not employed in the sense of a financial debt or obligation. Usually it is used in a broader sense of obligation or duty, which would best be conveyed by the word “ought.”83
Although Paul is speaking about the Christian’s sense of obligation to others, it would be a mistake to conclude that any obligation other than love is evil and therefore forbidden. As Paul has stated previously, because of God’s mercy and grace we are obligated to present our bodies to God as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1-2). Paul was obligated to preach the gospel “to Greeks and to barbarians” (Romans 1:14). We are obligated not to live according to the flesh (Romans 8:12), but to serve others and seek their good—even our enemies (12:3ff.). We are obligated to honor those in authority (13:7).84 And we will see in future lessons that the strong are obliged to bear the weaknesses of those who are weak (15:1).
As I understand Paul’s words in Romans 13:8, he is teaching us that our highest obligation toward men is our obligation to love them. There are other obligations which we will always have toward men, but these obligations are to be subordinate to our obligation of love. Paul doesn’t exclude all other obligations, but rather subordinates them to our highest obligation. Loving God is our first level of priority. Loving others is second. All other obligations (in their own levels of priority) are subordinate.
Let me play out the implications of this truth for just a moment. If I understand Paul correctly, my obligation to government is subordinate to my obligation to love others. But when I love others, I fulfill the law (not only God’s Law, as seen in the Old Testament, but government’s laws as well—see Galatians 5:23). If, however, the government orders me to do to others that which is contrary to love, I would have to disobey government. For example, a German citizen who was ordered to betray known Jews so that they could be exterminated would have had difficulty doing so in a way that could be viewed as loving his neighbor.
Romans 13:8-10 not only gives my obligation to love others a higher priority than by other obligations (such as to obey government and its laws), but it explains why this can be true: When I love others, I fulfill the law. Fulfilling my higher duty assures that I will obey my other duties. Loving God will not hinder me from loving others, and loving others will not keep me from my obligation to obey the law.85
Love fulfills the law, Paul tells us. This is no new revelation. Paul’s proof comes from Leviticus 19:18. Jesus taught the same thing (see Matthew 22:34-40). Love would never permit the things the Old Testament Law forbade. Love would not commit adultery or murder, nor would it steal or covet.
Why is the emphasis of these verses so negative? Why does Paul speak of what love will not do, rather than of what it will do? In the first place, Paul has already spoken a great deal about the positive outworking of love in Romans 12:3-21. Paul is now speaking of love in its relationship to the law. Whether this “law” be the Old Testament Law or the laws of the land in which we live, law tends to be more negative in nature. The law tends to prohibit men from those actions which would harm their fellowman. The law focuses more on the prevention of evil than it does on the promotion of good.86
The four evils which Paul names are all found in the Old Testament Law of Moses in exactly the order Paul has listed them.87 Adultery, murder, theft, and coveting are all categorized as actions which would harm others.88 Few would debate that murder and stealing wrong our neighbor.89 But the two sins of adultery and coveting are less universally condemned.
Today in America, adultery is hardly considered immoral, let alone illegal. In fact, adultery is often justified by asserting that there was not love in the marital union but there is love in the extra-marital one. Our world accepts (and sometimes commends) adultery because it believes it is the expression of love. The Bible condemns adultery as a violation of love. How do we explain the difference?
We must begin by affirming that adultery is sin simply because God says so, forbidding it in His Holy Law. We must also agree with Paul that some sins (he specifically names coveting) would never be recognized as sin unless God divinely forbade them as such (see Romans 7:7).
But adultery is considered sin in our text because it harms our neighbor. Adultery involves our neighbor in sin, which carries with it divine condemnation (see 1 Corinthians 6:9-10). It does great damage to the individuals and families involved. It destroys the intimacy of the marital union. It ultimately produces no good and brings much evil. Because of this, adultery is condemned as sin and contrary to love. You do not commit adultery because you are in love; you commit adultery as a sin against love.
Coveting is also harmful to my neighbor. The Old Testament Law says we are not to covet our neighbor’s house, wife, property, cattle, possessions, and servants. But how can coveting the possessions of my neighbor harm him in any way? In the Sermon on the Mount (see Matthew 5:21-48), Jesus taught that those attitudes which lead to sinful actions are just as sinful as the actions themselves. Anger is forbidden because it leads to murder. Lust is forbidden because it leads to adultery. Coveting, too, is evil because it leads me to wish that my neighbor were deprived of something he owns so that I could possess it.
Coveting anything which belongs to my neighbor is wishing he did not possess what God has given him. Coveting his possessions is desiring my good and my gain at my neighbor’s expense. This attitude is that which will hinder me from seeking or contributing to his good.
To illustrate this, suppose my neighbor has an antique which I want badly. I covet this antique and wish I had it rather than my neighbor. I learn that he has suffered some serious setbacks and is likely to go bankrupt. I could give or loan my neighbor enough money to prevent his bankruptcy or even offer to buy the antique at fair market price. But if I covet it, I will be tempted to do nothing good to help my neighbor to escape financial disaster—then buy the antique at a liquidation auction at a fraction of its value. Coveting predisposes me against doing good to my neighbor in order to gain at his expense. Coveting, even though only an inner attitude and motivation at first, is harmful to my neighbor.90
Paul’s teaching in verses 8-10 may be summed up in this way: We are to view our neighbor from the perspective of love. When we do, we will seek his good, avoid doing what is harmful to him, and thus fulfill the law.
Even more, the Christian should look beyond himself to others with a spirit of obligation, an obligation rooted in gratitude toward God and in love toward others. Unfortunately in our culture, we look to others with a very different attitude. We might be able to capture the essence of this attitude with the term “expectation.” In our sinful, self-seeking flesh, we do not look upon others with an obligation to serve them at our expense, but to be served by them at their expense. We live in a day of expectation, not obligation.
We just celebrated Christmas, supposedly a joyous season and a time of giving. Why is it, then, that Christmas is almost always followed by an upsurge in mental depressions? I think it is because we all come to the Christmas holidays with a spirit of expectation. We hope that others will give us those things which will make us happy. We expect our times of gathering to be personally enriching. We desire and expect to gain more than we give, and then it does not happen. Our expectations are unfulfilled, and we are frustrated and depressed.
If our outlook were one of Christian love, we would approach Christmas (and every other day) as a time of obligation—when we can give of ourselves to others and set aside selfish desires. If our attitude were one of obligation to others, there would be no time for us to be frustrated or depressed, for there will always be more than enough opportunities to serve others at our expense.
Sadly, Christians have taken on the attitude of the world rather than being renewed in their minds to think and act like our Lord. We look around to see if others are affirming us and meeting our needs. We look back at the past, not so much to consider the obligation and debt which we owe to our parents, but to see how “dysfunctional” our family was and to contemplate how family members failed us. We look back with expectation, not with obligation. We look around, not with obligation, but with expectation. This is not the way of love.
Love subordinates self-interest in order to serve others. It seeks others’ gain at our expense. Emotionally and personally speaking, we are not producers; we are consumers. And, I fear, we are on the verge of relational bankruptcy. God’s way is the higher way. His way is the better way; His way is the way of love. When we choose this path, we will more than fulfill the requirements of the law—both God’s law and man’s.
11 And this do, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. 12 The night is almost gone, and the day is at hand. Let us therefore lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.
Let’s begin by considering the connection between verses 8-10 and verses 11-14. I see three links between these two paragraphs. First, the one text immediately follows the other. Proximity alone tells us these two paragraphs are logically related. Second, the first words of verse 11 point back to the previous verses. Paul begins verses 11-14 with these introductory words, “And this do …” Thus, loving others (verses 8-10) has much to do with “knowing the time” (verse 11). Finally, when we consult parallel texts we see that loving others is linked with considering the time of Christ’s return and with forsaking our former lifestyle.91
Paul speaks about walking in love in chapters 12 and 13. Verses 11-14 are written, I believe, to bring us back to the bedrock basis for walking in love. Paul’s words turn our attention both to the motivations which inspire love and the means which help it function.
Paul’s teaching in these verses is predicated upon that which he has already taught us in chapters 1-11. There are two principle themes dealt with in Romans 13:11-14 whose foundations have been laid in the earlier chapters of Romans. These two themes are salvation and love. Let us briefly review what Paul loads into these words, for their meanings will be assumed in our present passage.
Salvation has two dimensions in Romans 1-11. The first dimension is that of our initial salvation, the point in time when we were transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light—when we who were God’s enemies became His sons. In Romans 1-3 Paul taught that we are all in need of salvation and under the sentence of divine condemnation because we have rejected the revelation we have received about God. By our deeds we have shown ourselves to be unrighteous, unworthy of His favor, and deserving only of His wrath.
The Lord Jesus Christ made salvation possible for those who were chosen (see Romans 8:28-30; chapter 9), for He died in our place and suffered the penalty for our sins (Romans 3:21-26). When we believed in Him by faith, His righteousness was imputed to us and we became His children. That salvation changes not only our future, but also our present conduct. We must no longer live in sin, but rather live righteously (Romans 6).
Our salvation also has a future dimension. While we presently have the forgiveness of God and are declared to be righteous in Him, we have a future hope. We now look forward to His blessings rather than His wrath (see Romans 2:5-10). This is our hope of glory in which we presently exult (Romans 5:2). While we presently groan because of our own imperfection and that of the fallen world in which we live, we look forward to that day when our full “sonship” will be realized, when our bodies will be redeemed, and when God’s kingdom is established on the earth (Romans 8:14-25). This future day of full and final salvation will come not only for the Gentiles, but also for the Jews (Romans 11:25-32).
Paul speaks also of love, which originates from God and finds expression as it reflects in the saints. God manifested His love in the death of Christ by which He drew many to Himself and to salvation (Romans 5:5-11). The love of God is that certainty which gives the Christian joy, hope, and assurance, even in the midst of present trials and adversity (Romans 8:31-39).
The love of God, so evident and so secure for the saint, should also be reflected by the saints. Thus in Romans 12, Paul turns from God’s love for us to His love expressed through us to others. It is this love which we must have for our fellow Christians, our neighbors, and even our enemies (Romans 12:3-21). It is this love which prevents us from doing harm to our neighbor (Romans 13:8-10). This love, however, must be motivated and sustained. The motivations and means for Christian love are described in verses 11-14, based upon the previous teachings of Paul.
Our motivation for love is presented in the context of time. We are to love others “knowing the time.” Paul uses the well-known symbols of “night and day,” “darkness and light,” and “sleep and waking up.” We usually go to bed at night when it is dark. The coming of light indicates the passing of night and the beginning of a new day. The coming of the dawn is an indication that it is time to wake up, get up, and get about the deeds of the new day.
What Paul describes in verses 11-14 has happened to me all too often. I go to bed at night. Then in my first waking moments I become increasingly aware of the light. Suddenly it dawns upon me. It is morning! Good grief, what time is it? I grab the clock. Oh no! I have overslept. The day has begun, but I have not. I shed my bed clothes and hastily dress, running from my bedroom to get to the day’s duties.
I think this is the picture Paul is painting. We have been oversleeping. We need to wake up. The night has passed. The new day is dawning—the day of our Lord’s return. We must get about doing those things which remain to be done. We must put off our night clothes and put on clothes appropriate for the work our Lord calls us to do.
Here Paul is looking at time from two perspectives. In the first place, he is looking at that time which has elapsed between our initial salvation and the present. The time which has passed should have produced growth and maturity and greater sensitivity to both good and evil. Another passage, Hebrews 5:11-14, describes the danger of stunted spiritual growth:
Concerning him [Melchizedek, see 5:1-10] we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for some one to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For every one who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil (emphasis mine).
The Hebrew saints had been saved for some time. Time should have meant growth and progress, greater sensitivity to good and evil, and greater ability to assimilate truth. But the reverse seems to have been true, and for this the writer rebukes his readers.
In our text in Romans, Paul is saying something similar. He is indicating that these Roman saints have been saved for some time now. They should be growing in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. But they still seem to be “sleepy Christians,” not fully awake and alert. It is high time they wake up and grow up!
Time is also viewed in a second way. If, on the one hand, Paul says that too much unprofitable time has passed by, then the time they have left is slowly eroding away. The Roman saints must hasten to demonstrate their love. Paul does not say here that the day of salvation, the day of the Lord’s return, is imminent. What he does say is that the time left between the day of their initial salvation and the day of their final salvation is diminishing. And for us too, there is less time to serve the Lord now than there was when we were first saved. There is no time to waste!
Paul reminds us of our initial salvation and of the coming day of our full salvation to stir us up to love and good deeds. Our focus is not only to be upon others, but upon God, His grace, our salvation, and the rapidly approaching day of His return. This will mean glory for us and rewards for faithfulness. It will also mean condemnation for the lost. Let us not waste this time, but rather serve God faithfully and so be found faithful when He returns.
Two things are stressed in verses 11-14. The first is why we are to increase in our worship of service through loving others—the day of Christ’s return draws closer every day. The second is how we are to do so. Given the proper motivation to serve God by loving others, how do we do it? We know from Romans 7 that while Paul was properly motivated to serve God, he was not able to do so in his own strength. The problem was not the law, but Paul’s weak, sinful nature, and sin, which took advantage of his flesh.
If one is to walk in love, putting service to others above his own interests, how does he do it? It cannot be done in the flesh. In fact, the flesh must be crucified—put to death. Paul describes the means for walking in love in both its positive and its negative dimensions:
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts (Romans 13:14).
Positively, we must “put on the Lord Jesus Christ.” Negatively, we must “make no provision for the flesh.”
When we put on the Lord Jesus Christ we will manifest Him through our lives. When we do so, we will manifest His love, a love for those who had offended Him and who were His enemies. Putting on Christ means depending on Christ to live His life, His grace, and His love through us by means of His Spirit. There is no human means for Christ-like living. God has provided for us that which we lack. We must simply walk in the Spirit, by faith.
On the negative side, we must make no provision for the lusts of the flesh. Love and lust are opposites. They are incompatible with each other. The world equates the two, so “making love” is satisfying the lusts of the flesh. But in a biblical sense, “making love” is living in love, as described in Romans 12 and 13. Satisfying our lusts is the opposite of living in love. Living in love requires that we present our bodies, with their lustful desires, as living sacrifices to God.
Paul instructs us to “make no provision for the flesh.” The term which is rendered “make provision for” here is found only one other time in the New Testament, in the Book of Acts. Tertullus, an attorney who was the spokesman for the Jews who opposed Paul, spoke these flattering words to Felix:
“Since we have through you attained much peace, and since by your providence reforms are being carried out for the nation, we acknowledge this in every way and everywhere, most excellent Felix, with all thankfulness” (Acts 24:2b-3, emphasis mine).
The term “providence” above is the same one used by Paul in our text in Romans. It implies forethought, planning, and activity. In Greek literature outside the New Testament, the term is used of a premeditated crime.
Sin seldom just happens; most of the time it is premeditated. Sin is a link in a chain of events.92 When we surrender to the lusts of our flesh, it is often not a sudden collapse, but rather the culmination of a process. The sins of our flesh are those sins about which we have given much thought (here we see the role coveting can play), and for which we have made provision. If we would be victorious over sin and the flesh, we must cease to make provision for it.
I am reminded of the story of an alcoholic who was bemoaning his sin to an evangelist. He explained his frequent downfalls by saying, “When I pass by that tavern on my way home from work, I go in, and then I later find myself with a hangover.” When questioned by the evangelist, the alcoholic admitted that the tavern was not on his way home from work at all. He had to go several miles out of his way to pass by it. This man, like us, made provision for the lusts of his flesh, and so he fell.
If we are to live in love, we must be motivated by our love for God and our gratitude for His grace. We must do so out of a sense of obligation toward others, and not expectation from others. We must do so knowing that more than enough time has passed for us to have grown and to have changed and that less time than ever is available to faithfully serve the Lord.
Rightly motivated, we must also be rightly enabled to serve God by loving others. We must positively “put on the Lord Jesus Christ,” and we must negatively cease to “make provision for the lusts of our flesh.” Only by His grace can these be done, but they can be done. Let us by His grace seek to do them—for His glory and for the good of others—until He returns for us.
81 Granted, love is not yet mentioned specifically in verses 3-8, but it is immediately introduced in verses 9 and following. Verses 9-21 spell out the way love enhances our ministry, just as Paul elsewhere emphasizes love (1 Corinthians 13) in the context of spiritual gifts and the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12-14). Thus, while love is not yet mentioned in verses 3-8, it is implied and assumed.
82 This two-sided dimension of love is consistent with, and the outworking of, Paul’s statement in Romans 12:9: “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.” Love acts both positively and negatively.
83 As the term is translated in the King James Version, out of 34 occurrences, it is translated in the following ways: ought 15 x; be a debtor 1 x misc.; renderings 7 x; owe 7 x; be guilty1 x; be bound 2 x; be indebted 1 x. When the idea of monetary debt is involved, the reference most frequently occurs in the gospels. Paul frequently uses this term (in several forms). He employs it 19 times in his epistles (Romans 1:14; 4:4; 8:12; 13:7, 8; 15:1, 27 twice; 1 Corinthians 5:10; 7:36; 9:10; 11:7, 10; 2 Corinthians 12:11, 14; Ephesians 5:28; 2 Thessalonians 1:3; 2:13; Philemon 18). The term is seldom used of a financial obligation (see Philemon 18), but of a higher, more general, obligation or duty. To use this passage as a proof text against borrowing money would be a failure to understand the broader connotations of this term (here rendered “owe”) in its occurrences, and in its specific use here in Romans 13:8.
84 The expression, “what is due,” in Romans 13:7 is the same root word, in a slightly different form, as is used in verse 8, rendered “owe.”
85 There are exceptions to the latter portion of this statement, but here we are dealing with the rule, not the exception.
86 The Old Testament Law had a great deal to say about the good which we should be willing to do for others, and it had commandments with specific applications. Even here, however, the Law sought to prevent harm to others, while looking to love as the incentive for doing good.
Under most human governments, the law is concerned more with prohibiting evil than with promoting good deeds. One exception might be socialism, which seems skeptical about love and human kindness. It does not expect men to voluntarily do good toward others. Consequently, socialism somewhat forcefully causes men to do good to others. For example it takes (taxes) money from some and distributes it to others.
87 The King James Version includes a fifth prohibition: love will not bear false witness. The reference to bearing false witness occurs between the prohibitions of stealing and coveting, just where it occurs in the Old Testament Law (see Exodus 20:16; Deuteronomy 5:20).
88 As a friend of mine pointed out, all of these offenses deprive others of something (coveting wishes so) in such a way that we gain at the expense of others. In this sense, we are under an illicit obligation to them. Some of these debts can be paid back in some form of restitution. Others (like adultery) cannot.
89 Some do, however. I have seen, in prison ministry and elsewhere, that some excuse murder as doing society a favor. For example, a “hit man” might excuse his murder by contending that he is a social garbage collector, removing those people from society who are detrimental to it. There are those who rob from the rich, justifying their actions by accusing their victims of having wrongly acquired their wealth or of wrongly using it. Sin is often logical to the sinner. The mind has a way of excusing what the wicked heart desires and the hand performs.
90 Ironically much of our economy (and certainly much of our advertising) is based upon coveting.
91 See Galatians 5:13-26; Ephesians 4:22-24; 5:6-16; Colossians 3:1-17; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11; 1 Peter 4:1-11; 2 Peter 3:8-15.
92 James describes this “chain” of events in the first chapter of his epistle (James 1:13-15).
I remember reading an anecdote in Reader’s Digest a number of years ago entitled, “Keeping the Faith.” A Roman Catholic priest told of his encounter with a mugger in a dark alley—in back of the church at Notre Dame. As the priest was making his way down the alley to his parked car, a man suddenly emerged from the shadows, thrusting the muzzle of a revolver into his ribs demanding, “Hand me your wallet!”
Offering no word of protest, the priest immediately began to comply. As he reached into his inside pocket, his clerical collar became evident in the dim light, catching the robber off guard. “Are you a priest?” he exclaimed. “Yes, I am,” the priest replied. “Oh, I don’t rob priests,” the thief responded, “I’m Catholic, too.”
Greatly relieved, the priest withdrew a cigar from his inside pocket and offered it to the penitent thief. “Oh, no!” I can’t do that,” the thief exclaimed, “I’ve given them up for Lent.” This thief was a man with convictions, which he refused to violate.
We all have our convictions. Sometimes others may wonder about them, and sometimes our convictions may be detrimental to others. Personal convictions are very important to the apostle Paul. Three chapters are devoted to this subject in 1 Corinthians (chapters 8-10) and nearly two chapters to this same subject in Romans (14:1-15:13). In the vitally important application chapters of Romans (12-15), no subject is dealt with in greater detail than our convictions concerning Christian liberties.
Paul began his argument in the Book of Romans by showing all men to be sinners, deserving of God’s eternal wrath and without hope of attaining righteousness and God’s blessings by human effort (1:18–3:20). After declaring man’s sin and condemnation, Paul explained God’s way of salvation in Romans 3:21–4:25. God has provided forgiveness by sending His Son to die for our sins, bearing our punishment in our place. He offers His righteousness to us, so that we may enter into God’s presence and blessings. We cannot earn this forgiveness and righteousness; we can only receive it as a gift, by faith, by trusting in Jesus as our Savior.
As Christians, we now have hope—the hope of our future blessing and even a hope in the midst of present suffering and distress. We have this hope knowing that all the adverse effects of Adam’s sin have been overruled and overcome by Jesus Christ. Those who are “in Christ” by faith need not fear the condemnation of those who are “in Adam” (Romans 5).
Being saved by faith requires a new lifestyle. We can no longer continue to live in sin as we once did. We must die to sin and live to righteousness, for when we were joined with Christ by faith we died to sin and were raised to newness of life, in Him (Romans 6). Our good intentions do not make us holy. We are just as powerless to be righteous as Christians as we were before our salvation. Our flesh is weak and subject to sin’s power (Romans 7). Our deadness to good deeds is overcome by the Holy Spirit, who dwells within each Christian. By walking in dependence upon Him, and in obedience to God’s Word, we fulfill God’s requirements. As sons of God, we have the Spirit of God dwelling within us. He strengthens and sustains us as we continue to live in this fallen, imperfect world, assuring us of the hope of our full and final deliverance from sin and its effects (Romans 8).
God’s promises to Israel have not been forgotten or forsaken, even though many Gentiles have trusted in Christ and many Jews have rejected Him. God has faithfully preserved a remnant of believing Israelites, preserving the hope of Israel. Because the Jews refused to be a blessing for all nations by their obedience, God has used their disobedience to bring the gospel to the Gentiles. The preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles is not contrary to God’s promise to bless Israel. Rather, it serves to provoke the Jews to jealousy. When God has completed His purpose of saving many Gentiles, He will once again turn to His people, Israel, to bless them with salvation. Then He will have shown mercy to all men (Romans 9-11).
In the meantime, we are to live righteously, not out of fear but out of sincere gratitude for God’s mercy and grace. Our gratitude should be expressed by worshipful service to God. Our worship is expressed by our sacrificial service, performed through our mortal bodies, once dominated by sin and self-interest (Romans 12:1-2).
Our service is divinely empowered. The Holy Spirit has endued each and every Christian with special abilities, spiritual gifts, which we are to employ for the benefit of others.
Christians are to “walk in the Spirit” (8:4) and also to “walk in love” (see 14:15). Love motivates us to flee evil and to pursue what is good. This “good” includes not only our brother in Christ but our enemy (12:9-21). In addition to the inward motivation of love, which inclines us toward good and away from evil, we have the external influence of human government. Human government is God’s divinely ordained means for rewarding those who do good or for punishing evil-doers (13:1-7).
Love and law are not enemies. They are not opposed to each other. Love “fulfills the law” (13:8-10). Far from the worldly definitions of love, Christian love denies fleshly lusts, choosing to live now in the light of eternity (13:11-14).
Love fulfills the law, but it goes beyond the law as well. Love not only prompts us to fulfill the law, it guides and governs us in those areas of conduct not governed by law—the areas we shall call personal convictions. Romans 14:1–15:13 is Paul’s explanation of how love should govern the exercise of our Christian liberties. Where law has no guidance, love does. I have therefore chosen the title “Love and Liberty” for this section.
I understand our text to have four major divisions (14:1-12; 14:13-23; 15:1-3; 15:4-13). The first two divisions, in chapter 14, are more negative in nature. The last two, in chapter 15, are positive. This is because love is both negative and positive in its manifestations. “Love does no wrong to a neighbor” (Romans 13:10; see also 13:9). It also seeks to do what is good and “right in the sight of all men” (12:9-21).
In chapter 14, Paul focuses on the negative outworkings of love. Love does not judge others concerning their convictions in the area of Christian liberty (14:1-12). Beyond this, love prevents me from exercising what is, for me, a liberty when this would cause a weaker brother to stumble (14:13-23).
In chapter 15, the positive outworkings of love are described in relationship to Christian liberties. Those who have liberty, who are strong, will employ their strength in serving the weak and in bearing their infirmities, rather than seeking to please themselves (15:1-3). In so doing, Christian unity is practiced and preserved, thereby facilitating the harmonious praise of God (15:4-13).
Four pictures sum up the message of this vitally important section of Scripture. These pictures are like symbolic traffic signs. The first picture is a circle, with a judge’s gavel in the center and a diagonal line passing through it—No judging! The second picture is a circle with three feet in the center. One foot is tripping the other two. There is a diagonal line through this circle—No tripping! We are not to be the cause of our weaker brother’s stumbling.
The third picture is a circle with a crutch in the center. There is no diagonal line. We are to help bear up our weaker brother in his infirmity. Pleasing is required! The fourth picture is a circle with a choir in the center. The faces are those of men and women, Jews and Gentiles, rich and poor, all singing praises to God in unity and harmony! Harmonious praise is certain, in eternity.
The written exposition of Paul’s teaching on love and liberty will be in two parts. In this first lesson, we will consider Paul’s teaching in Romans 14; the theme of this chapter is “Liberties Love Will Not Take.” In our next lesson, we will study Romans 15:1-13 where the emphasis is positive: “What Love Will Do.”
Our Romans text deals with the matter of Christian convictions. Although the term “conviction” is found only once in Romans 14 (verse 22), the expression “personal convictions” best describes the areas of difference among Christians which threaten the unity of the church at Rome. To understand Paul’s teaching in our text, we must first have a general idea of the problem he is addressing; thus we must understand what convictions are. Briefly outlined are some of the characteristics of convictions, especially as they relate to our text.
(1) Convictions are strongly held beliefs. According to Webster a conviction is, “a strong persuasion or belief.”93 In our text, Paul urges each of his readers to be “fully convinced in his own mind” (14:5). Convictions are beliefs which are held with conviction.
In the overall complex of our belief structure, we need to recognize the place convictions play. Consider the following spectrum or hierarchy of beliefs, as I understand them:
(2) The convictions of which Paul speaks are behavioral beliefs.94 In Romans and 1 Corinthians, convictions are beliefs which govern our behavior. Convictions here are not as much a decision concerning what is true as a decision about what we should or should not do. Our convictions determine whether we will or will not eat meat, drink wine, or observe certain holidays.
(3) Convictions, by their very nature, are inferential. Convictions are not necessary concerning murder. Murder is sin.95 It is also against the law, whether God’s Law or man’s. Convictions are conclusions we reach when there are no hard and fast answers, no moral absolutes. Almost always, these convictions are inferential—the extension of certain beliefs we hold to be true and pertinent to a given circumstance or choice.
(4) Christian convictions do not define what is “right” and “wrong.” God’s Word defines what is right and what is wrong. Biblical revelation is not a matter of personal discretion.96 It is not a conviction to believe that murder is evil or that loving our enemy is good. Convictions take up where biblical revelation and human law leave off. Convictions determine what my conduct should be in those areas not specifically prescribed by Scripture. My convictions draw the line between what I will do and what I will not do as an exercise of Christian liberty.
Convictions reach the conclusions of “should” and “should not.” The question is not so much, “Can I do this or that?” but “Should I do this or that?” In Hebrews, we are told:
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us (Hebrews 12:1).
Further, Paul writes in 1 Corinthians:
All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything (1 Corinthians 6:12).
Within the category of “all things which are lawful,” there are things which do not contribute to my own spiritual life and growth or that of others. Even though I “could” do some of these things, I may decide I “should” not do them—not because they are evil, but because they do not promote what is good.97 I believe these decisions fall into the category of my convictions.
(5) Christian convictions are matters of conscience.98 Convictions are the result of the interaction of several factors. One factor is knowledge—a grasp of biblical teaching and doctrine. Another is that of conscience, our “inner umpire” which causes us to feel either guilt or moral affirmation.
However not all men have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled (1 Corinthians 8:7).
(6) Christian convictions are matters of faith. Knowledge and conscience are factors which determine our convictions. Faith also plays a vital role in our convictions. We should only practice those liberties we can do in faith. If we doubt (the opposite of faith), we are condemned by doing what our conscience does not approve.
The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin (Romans 14:22-23).
The strength or weakness of our faith greatly influences our convictions (see Romans 14:1-2). Since this may be the measure of faith given by God,99 there is no indictment of those whose faith is weak nor commendation of those whose faith is strong.
(7) Christian convictions are a reflection of one’s strength or weakness. Christian convictions differ, in part, according to the strength or weakness of the individual who holds them. In Romans 14 and 15, Paul distinguishes between those who are weak in faith (14:1-2) and those who are strong (14:2; 15:1). In 1 Corinthians, Paul refers to the brother whose conscience is weak (8:7).
How is one believer weak and the other strong? How is one weak? How is another strong?” Two areas are suggested. First, one may be weak in his understanding and grasp of the gospel.100 Second, one may also be weak in the strength of his convictions. The brother who is weak regarding the strength of his convictions is more likely to cave in to peer pressure and to do what his faith does not endorse and his conscience condemns.
The “weaker brother,” then, is not the one who simply disagrees with what I do, or who gets upset by my freedom; the weaker brother is the one who is likely to imitate me in what I do, violating his own conscience and convictions. The weaker brother is the one more likely to sin because he gives in to another’s convictions rather than living by his own.
(8) Christian convictions concern those practices which, in and of themselves, neither contribute to our spirituality nor take away from it. Neither doing nor abstaining from the practices Paul mentions commend us before God. We are not spiritually strengthened by eating meat, but by God’s grace (Hebrews 13:9). Neither does abstinence make us more spiritual (Colossians 2:20-23). Both the legalist and the libertine tend to err here.
(9) In our text, Paul does not talk about convictions in general but of convictions concerning Christian liberties. Christian liberties are those practices the Christian is free to engage in, those practices which are not identified as sin. These are not “gray” matters, but practices God has granted us freedom to enjoy, if we can do so with a clear conscience.
(10) Christian convictions are private and personal. Convictions are those decisions about Christian liberties which each person holds and practices before God. They are private and personal. Our convictions should not be the subject of criticism or debate, nor should we seek to impose our convictions on others (see Romans 14:22 above, also 14:5-9). Nowhere does Paul seek to shape or change the convictions of another. Our convictions may change as we mature, but God is the One who achieves this in the heart of His children through the work of His Spirit.
(11) While the possession of one’s convictions is personal and private, the practice of liberties is not. The exercise of our convictions may be either beneficial or detrimental to others. Therefore, while we are urged to hold our convictions firmly, we are not urged to practice every liberty which our convictions allow.
(12) Christian convictions are necessary because of the grace of God. The grace of God has been an emphasis of Paul’s teaching in Romans. Opposed to the principle of grace is that of works or legalism. Legalism has a rule for every occasion. A study of Judaism in the time of our Lord reveals how the Judaizers distorted the Old Testament Law so that, interpreted and applied by them, the Law became nothing but an intricate system of rules.101 No decisions had to be made about what was right or wrong; for virtually any situation, there was a rule.
Grace is different. Righteousness is not a matter of external rules nor even of external compliance to them (see Luke 16:15). Grace starts with the heart (see also, Mark 7:14-23). Grace first motivates men to obey God. Grace gives men choices to make out of a desire to please God. Paul would have had no need to write the text we are studying were it not for the grace of God.
Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions. One man has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only. Let not him who eats regard with contempt him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and stand he will, for the Lord is able to make him stand. One man regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Let each man be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God. For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, “AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD.” So then each one of us shall give account of himself to God.
Verse 1 clearly lays down the point of the paragraph. The weaker brother is to be welcomed into the fellowship of the saints, but not so that he might be harassed about his personal convictions.
We must keep several things in mind as we consider this command.
(1) Paul is speaking to Christians about their relationship to other Christians.
(2) Paul is speaking about personal convictions concerning Christian liberties.102
(3) The strong believers have more faith and a greater grasp of grace and Christian liberty. Those who are weak are weak in faith and therefore fail to grasp the full implications of the work of Christ. The weaker saints are inclined to be legalistic. The weaker saints tend to be those who think they cannot do what God’s Word allows.
(4) While the strong and the weak differ over their convictions, both are tempted to think too highly of themselves, looking down upon their brother and passing judgment on his convictions.
(5) Differences in their convictions concerning Christian liberty seems to have created strife and dissension in the church. There seems to be a problem of disunity at Rome, as is evident elsewhere as well, such as in Corinth. Corinth, you will recall, is the city from which Romans was penned.
(6) While differences in personal convictions should never cause Christians to separate from one another, there are a few good reasons for separation. There are times when Christians are to exclude professing Christians from fellowship. Church discipline, due to persistent, willful sin, divisiveness, or false teaching is one such time (see Matthew 18:15-20; 1 Corinthians 5; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15; Titus 3:9-11; 2 John 7-11). Paul himself calls for separation from those who would call themselves Christians in his closing words in this Epistle to the Romans:
Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting (Romans 16:17-18).
When it comes to differences in convictions, Paul would have us know this is not an acceptable basis for excluding a brother from fellowship.
Paul provides two illustrations of differing convictions in verses 1-12 of chapter 14: eating meat (14:2) and the observance of certain holidays (14:5). The meat-eater is the stronger believer while the vegetarian is weaker. Both the strong and the weak are tempted to sin against their brother. The danger for the strong believer is to look upon his weaker brother with contempt: “How could he be so shallow in his grasp of God’s grace and of Christian liberty?” The weaker brother stands in danger of condemning his stronger brother for his liberty in Christ: “How could he be so liberal? Does he not believe in separation?”
Both of these brothers, the strong and the weak, are represented as judging the other. Both are looking down on each other, while at the same time thinking too highly of themselves. Paul offers several reasons why judging our brother concerning his convictions is evil.
First, judging a brother because of his convictions is an offense against God. Judging is wrong because it takes God’s place as the One who is each man’s judge: “Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls” (14:4). It is also wrong because the man who judges sets himself above God’s Law. Convictions deal with those freedoms which the Law allows. Thus, in judging a man’s convictions, we become judges of the Law, setting standards even the Law refuses to establish (see James 4:11).
In this context, judging our brother goes even further. It either ignores God’s verdict or sets it aside. God, the Judge of all mankind, has accepted every person who comes to Him by faith in Christ. When we refuse to accept a fellow-believer, one whom God has accepted, we act contrary to God Himself. How dare we refuse to accept one whom He has accepted?
God’s acceptance goes beyond this. He who began the good work is also He who will complete it (Philippians 1:6). When we pronounce judgment on a fellow-believer, we are pronouncing his downfall. Paul reminds us that he will surely stand, “for the Lord is able to make him stand” (14:4). Judging our brother concerning his convictions is a most serious error on our part, an act of rebellion against God and His gospel. While the matter over which we differ may be insignificant, the manner in which we differ, judging, is most significant.
Second, judging our brother is wrong because we are distracted from paying attention to our own convictions and conduct before God. In verses 3 and 4, Paul focuses on our sin in judging a fellow-believer, showing that it is not our role to serve as our brother’s judge, but God’s. Now in verses 5-12, Paul places the spotlight where it should be—on our own convictions, not our brother’s. Tending to our brother’s business causes us to neglect our own. Paul clearly teaches us here to mind our own business.
“Let each man be fully convinced in his own mind,” Paul urges. After citing his second example of differing convictions in the first half of verse 5, Paul now urges each Christian to expend his energy in considering his own convictions, rather than those of his brother. If convictions are not a legitimate matter for public scrutiny and debate, they are a most important consideration in our personal walk with God. Convictions are private matters, between each Christian and his God, whether one exercises a liberty or refrains from it:
He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God. For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s (14:6-8, emphasis mine).
Nothing could be more clear or more emphatic: convictions are not a matter of public scrutiny and debate; they are a private matter between each believer and God. The important thing is not whether we do or do not practice a given liberty, but whether in exercising or refraining from our liberty we do so as to the Lord.
With these words, Paul redirects our focus. Cease from judging your brother, and concentrate on examining yourself. Jesus is Lord, Lord of both “the dead and of the living” (14:9). Whether by living or by dying, we should do so as to the Lord. Paul was not speaking in purely theoretical terms. Shortly, he would be informed that going to Jerusalem would mean “bonds and afflictions” for him (see Acts 20:22-24). Later, when Paul was imprisoned and awaiting the outcome of his trial before Caesar, death was a very real possibility. Listen to Paul’s words to the Philippians which exemplify the attitude he calls for in our text in Romans:
For I know that this shall turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I shall not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ shall even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Philippians 1:19-21).
Why this emphasis on life and death, living and dying (see verses 7-9)? Because this makes Paul’s teaching all-encompassing. Life and death circumscribe the whole of life—nothing lies outside these boundaries. Therefore, nothing we do, or choose not to do, lies outside the realm of our service to God.
Further, I am not convinced that when Paul speaks of “living” and “dying” his words are intended to be restricted to literal life and death. Paul has made much of our death to sin, in Christ, and our new way of life as Christians, in Him (see Romans 6). The deeds of the flesh must be mortified, put to death, and we must live so as to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” (see Romans 13:11-14).
Judging our brother in the matter of his personal convictions is wrong. It condemns the one God has justified; it refuses to receive the one God has accepted; it doubts the survival and sanctification of a brother whose ultimate standing has been accomplished and assured by God. Yet one more blow must be struck against a judgmental spirit in the church stemming from differing convictions. This blow is dealt in verses 10-12: we who would judge a brother should not overlook that full and final judgment comes when each of us stands before God, where we must give account for our own convictions and conduct.
Paul rebukes both the “strong” and the “weak” in verse 10 for judging his brother. The “strong” looks on the “weak” with contempt. The “weak” condemns the “strong” for the exercise of liberties he cannot accept. Both need to be reminded that God is the Judge, and before Him each of us will stand and give account.
Isaiah 45:23 is cited in verse 11. To those familiar with Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians (Philippians 2:10-11), these words are not new.103 They are a solemn reminder of the account each of us must give to God for our attitudes and actions. How could we be so preoccupied with judging others, which is not our task or calling, when we will all have to stand before God as our judge? Since we must each give account of ourselves, let us take heed to our own convictions, and cease judging our brother.
13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this—not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way. 14 I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him104 it is unclean. 15 For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died. 16 Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil; 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then let us pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. 20 Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense. 21 It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles. 22 The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. 23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.
Verse 13 brings a distinct shift in focus. In verses 1-12, Paul calls for Christians to give up pronouncing judgment on the convictions of their brother, because such judgment is wrong. In verses 13-23, he calls for the obedient Christian to give up the practice of any liberty which would be detrimental to a brother. Paul thus moves from “no judging” to “no tripping.”
Paul begins verse 13 by underscoring the main thrust of the first 12 verses. Stop judging your brother.105 Ceasing from this practice is not enough. Paul presses his reader to replace this detrimental practice with a beneficial one. We are to “determine106 not to put an obstacle or stumbling block in a brother’s way.”
We dare not contribute to the downfall of a brother in Christ. What does Paul mean by “putting an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way” (verse 13)? He means we are not to exercise any liberty which encourages a weaker Christian to sin by following our example and thereby violating his own conscience.
Paul has chosen his words carefully, and rightly so. Some Christians may disagree with our convictions. They may very well be upset that we have acted as we have. But unless these Christians are so weak that they follow our example, and thus violate their own convictions, they are not the “weaker brother” to whom Paul is referring. If I am fully convinced it is right to eat meat, and I do so in front of some believers, they might be upset by my actions, but they will not do as I have done. A weaker brother is one who thinks it is wrong to eat meat, but who does so because he has seen me do so, thus violating his own convictions. When the exercise of my liberty causes a weaker brother to stumble, I have sinned in exercising my liberty, even though it is consistent with my own convictions.
In verse 14 Paul pauses to clarify why the exercise of my Christian liberty is sinful for me if it causes a brother to stumble. It is not because of any uncleanness in the act itself. Christian liberties are clean.107 There is no defilement in their exercise. But to the one whose conscience forbids the practice of a certain liberty, this practice becomes evil. It becomes evil only because he thinks it is evil, and thus it is something he cannot do in faith.
Be sure to note that what Paul says one way, he does not reverse. If we think a certain matter of liberty is wrong, then for us it is wrong—because we cannot do so in faith. Merely thinking something is right does not make it right. Committing adultery is always wrong, no matter whether I think it is right or not. Thinking something is right does not make it right, but thinking something is wrong does make it wrong, for me.
In verse 15, Paul lays down two powerful arguments which support his teaching that one should surrender any liberty when it harms a brother. Two standards are set down to govern our conduct. The first is the standard of love. Love, as Paul has already said, “does no wrong to a neighbor” (13:10). Walking in love does not allow me to harm my brother by letting my liberty be the cause of his stumbling.
The second standard is that set by our Lord Himself at Calvary: We dare not allow our liberty to destroy a brother whom Christ died to save. Paul sets before us the dramatic contrast between the outcome of our self-indulgence and that of Christ’s ultimate self-sacrifice. By demanding to exercise my liberty to eat meat, I could destroy a brother. My brother could be destroyed by my self-indulgence, by my eating one T-bone steak. How could I even conceive of exercising this liberty when my Lord gave His very life, His all, on the cross of Calvary to save my brother—and me! If Christ gave His all to save my brother, surely I can sacrifice eating meat, so as not to destroy him.108
Verses 16-18 sum up the essence of the matter. What is “good” for me should not bring about “evil” for another (verse 16). Eating meat, or not eating it, is not where true life is for the Christian. For the unbeliever, who has no hope for eternity, life consists of “eating, drinking, and being merry” (1 Corinthians 15:32). For the Christian, “the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit” (verse 17). In the light of these blessings, whether or not there is meat on our plate should be seen as a matter of no great gain or loss.
Love does not take liberties; it surrenders them for the benefit of a brother. To surrender a liberty for the benefit of a brother is to serve the Lord and to gain approval by men (see also Romans 12:17). Surrendering our liberties offers each of us great benefit for ourselves and for others, at very little cost. Demanding our liberties threatens great damage and promises little benefit to us. Surrendering our liberty is a great investment; spending them is a dangerous form of self-indulgence.
So then let us pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense. It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles. The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.
Paul shifts gears in the transitional verses of 19-23 and moves from a negative to a positive emphasis. He moves from what we should stop doing to what we should pursue. We must stop judging one another (verses 1-12), and cease from exercising any liberty which causes your brother to stumble (verses 13-23). Instead, we should “pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another” (verse 19). Pursue those things which promote the kingdom of God, and put aside those things which hinder it.
Christians are in the building business—not in the demolition business. Judging others and demanding the right to exercise our liberty, regardless of its affect on others, tears others down. In the abstract, all things are clean for the one whose faith is strong and whose conscience is clean concerning their exercise. Yet these “good” things become “evil” for the strong if and when they cause another to stumble.
How quickly and easily sin corrupts! For those who are strong in their faith, every Christian liberty is clean. But the moment my “good” causes “evil” for another, it becomes evil for me also. Any liberty I exercise at the expense of a brother becomes a sin for me (verse 20). Therefore, it is “not good” for me to exercise any liberty (here, Paul illustrates with eating meat and drinking wine) by which my brother stumbles (verse 21).
The strong Christian then is left with two principle concerns. He must first be certain of his own convictions. The first danger is that he might exercise a liberty to the detriment of a weaker brother (verse 21). The second danger is that he might be tempted to approve that which God does not—to press his liberty too far. To him, Paul says, “Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves” (verse 22).
The weaker Christian is left with one exhortation: “Don’t act out of doubt, but only out of faith.” The principle governing his actions is simple: “Whatever is not from faith is sin” (verse 23). Doubt is the opposite of faith. Actions which proceed from doubt are not of faith, and thus are sin.
Let us reflect on some important principles Paul has underscored in this passage of Scripture as we conclude this lesson.
(1) Convictions concerning Christian liberties are necessary and important. For the sake of conscience, and for the sake of our walk before God, we need to carefully consider our convictions. In Paul’s words, we need to be “fully convinced in our own mind” (verse 5). We need to be careful that we do not approve that which God does not approve (verse 22). Each of us will stand before God and give account of our lives. One thing for which we will give account is our convictions and how we have lived by them.
(2) We need to recognize our convictions as convictions. Convictions should be beliefs we have thought through carefully and hold firmly. As strongly as we may hold them, true convictions are not the test of true piety. And the convictions which we hold are not the fundamentals of our faith. Rather, they are the outworking, the implications, of our faith. We dare not confuse convictions with truth, with God’s commands, or with fundamentals of the faith.
(3) We must recognize that our convictions are a private matter, between us and God. The convictions which we hold are to be held privately. We are not to seek to impose them on others. Neither are we to judge a brother regarding his convictions. “The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God” (Romans 14:22).
(4) We must also recognize that the exercise of our convictions is a public matter, between us, others, and God. The convictions we hold are a matter between us and God. The practice of those liberties which our convictions allow are not private, but public. My practice sets a precedent and an example for others. Those who are weak in faith may be influenced by my example and encouraged to violate their own convictions by doing that which their conscience condemns. Thus, while the convictions I hold are a private matter, the convictions I practice are not. I am therefore free to believe as my faith and my conscience dictate, concerning Christian liberties. But I am not free to behave only in accordance with my faith and conscience. My behavior is governed by love as I consider the effect my conduct will have on others, and as I surrender my liberties for the good of my brother.
(5) In our text, Christian love is defined in a way that is distinct from the “love” of those who do not know Jesus Christ. How vastly different Christian love is from all other “loves.” Christian love does not take liberties when doing so is detrimental to others. Christian love surrenders liberties, for the good of others. Christian love does not indulge the flesh, but denies fleshly desires and appetites (such as the desire for meat, or wine) when the enjoyment of such things comes at the expense of others. How different Christian love is from the “love” of this world, which seeks pleasure at the expense of another and knows nothing of self-control and self-sacrifice.
May each of us give serious thought to our convictions. May we each be fully convinced in our own minds. And may the practice or setting aside of our Christian liberties be done as to the Lord.
93 Webster’s Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary (Springfield, Massachusetts: G. & C. Merriam Company, 1965), p. 183.
94 I do not think that all convictions fall within this category of behavior, however. There are other categories as well. For example, Christians must reach certain doctrinal convictions. Convictions are required wherever the Scriptures are not quite specific or dogmatic on a given point of theology. Wherever there is a lack of clarity or certainty, convictions are necessary. For example, in the theological category of eschatology (the doctrine of future things), some Christians are pre-tribulational; others hold to a mid-tribulation rapture, and others are post-tribulational. Each of these positions is, in my opinion, a theological conviction. Many of the differences between Christians fall in this area of theological or doctrinal convictions.
95 The pro-abortion movement persists in trying to persuade us that abortion is a matter of personal convictions. To do so, they must reject and ignore biblical revelation—the Bible.
96 This is necessary since right and wrong are matters of revelation, not reason. Note Paul’s words on this matter in Romans 7:7.
97 It is interesting to compare this with Romans 8:28. God employs those things which ultimately work for our good. We should do likewise, considering whether the exercise of a particular liberty promotes what is good, for us and for others.
98 The term conscience does not appear in Romans 14 or 15, but in a related passage in 1 Corinthians 8-10, the term occurs five times in those three chapters (8:7, 10, 12; 10:29 2x). I would define “conscience” as man’s internal moral referee, which condemns us for doing that which we believe to be wrong, and commends us for doing that which is right. All men possess a conscience (Romans 2:14-15). One’s conscience may rightly discern “good” and “evil” even without God’s Law (Romans 2:14-16). Our conscience should conform to the definitions of “good” and “evil” as defined by God’s Law and biblical teaching (see 1 Timothy 1:5ff.) and the laws of the land (Romans 13:5). Our consciences are cleansed by the shed blood of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 9:9, 14; 10:22; see also 1 Peter 3:21). The verdict of our conscience can be confirmed by the Holy Spirit (Romans 9:1). It can be trained and sensitized by obedience (Hebrews 5:12-13) and desensitized and corrupted by sin (1 Timothy 4:2; Titus 1:15). One’s conscience can also be weak (1 Corinthians 8:7) and susceptible to wounding by another (1 Corinthians 8:12). The ideal for the Christian is to have a conscience that is clear before both God and man (Acts 23:1; 24:16; 2 Corinthians 1:12). In this way we are free to serve God (Hebrews 9:14). When Paul taught, he addressed himself to the conscience of those he taught (2 Corinthians 4:2). His goal in teaching was to inspire love, which could only occur in those whose consciences were pure and undefiled (see 1 Timothy 1:5).
99 See Romans 12:3; 2 Corinthians 10:13; Ephesians 4:7; 1 Peter 4:11.
100 “Their ‘weakness’ is expressed in a number of abstentions which will be noted in detail below; it attests a failure to grasp the fundamental principle, which page after page of this epistle emphasizes, that men are justified by faith alone—or, better, by God’s own free electing grace, faith being man’s recognition that all is dependent not upon himself but God. So strong is this emphasis that it comes as a surprise to find that Paul recognizes that both strong and weak have a place in the Church, and that both can stand before God and be accepted by him.” C. K. Barrett, The Epistle to the Romans (New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1957), pp. 256-257.
101 In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus challenged this pharisaical system of interpreting and applying the Old Testament as inconsistent with the meaning and use of the Law of Moses as given by God. There were rules, do’s and don’ts, but these were intended to teach us principles, and it was by these principles that men were to be guided. A study of the entire sermon reveals how much Jesus challenged His audience to think. Legalism does the opposite. You do not have to think as a legalist; you only have to find the right rule and keep it. Legalism therefore has no category labeled, “convictions.” It needs none.
102 This will change in Romans 15:2, where the application widens from one’s brother to one’s neighbor.
103 If the translation of this verse in the NASB is correct—with emphasis on praise and not just confession—then Paul is making an additional point. Not only will we stand before God to give account for our own convictions and how we have used them, but we will also give praise to God as the one who alone deserves praise. While we are liable for our sins, we are not worthy of praise for any of our good deeds. If we sin in the area of convictions, we will give account to God. But there is no merit in this area of convictions for which we will take any credit. When we stand before God, only He will be praised, for in the final analysis, any good done through us is that good which God has accomplished in us (see Romans 15:17-19).
104 It is only unclean to him, not to others. Thus, we dare not impose our conviction on another.
105 The expression, “let us not judge one another any more” clearly implies that passing judgment was a wide-spread practice at the time. This is not some hypothetical evil which was to be avoided. It was an evil practice which was to be abandoned.
106 The word “determine” found in the NASB is a translation of the term which is derived from the same root rendered “judge” earlier in this verse. Paul employs a deliberate play on words. He urges us not to “judge” our brother but to come to the “judgment,” the verdict, that we will not do anything which will cause our brother to stumble.
107 Paul’s use of the terms “clean” and “unclean” give us the hint of some Jewish involvement here. The terms are seldom used apart from a Jewish context.
108 My self-indulgence could be the cause of a brother’s destruction. Self-discipline is often the key. Self-discipline enables me to “just say no” to my fleshly appetites when exercising my liberty might destroy a brother. This matter of self-indulgence and self-discipline is spelled out much more fully in 1 Corinthians 9:24–10:13.
Our high school band, in which I played the trumpet, marched in several parades each year. If I were to look in my high school annual for a picture of our band marching, I could almost guarantee that one of our band members—a trombone player named Pete—would be out of step. Almost every picture of our band caught Pete out of step. I can still see Pete shuffling his feet, trying to get back in step with the rest of the band.
Marching requires unity—people doing the same thing at the same time. Although a band or an orchestra has many instruments and many different parts, it must have a central unity for a harmonious end result. The same is true of a choir. Our text in Romans 15 finds Paul speaking of the church of our Lord as though it were similar to a choir. The great task and privilege of this unique choir is singing praises to the glory of God. For this to be accomplished, there must be both unity and harmony.
Because these verses are Paul’s closing statement concerning our convictions and the exercise of our liberties within the body of Christ, they are significant. They represent Paul’s formal conclusion to the argument of the entire Epistle to the Romans. Although the remainder of chapter 15 and all of chapter 16 are important and are related to Paul’s previous teaching in Romans, for all intents and purposes Paul completes his argument in our text.
This vitally important text is like the last chapter of a mystery, for this chapter tells us where Paul has been heading since his first introductory words in chapter 1. Listen closely to his final words, asking God’s Spirit to make their meaning clear to our minds and hearts to the glory of God.
The topic of Romans 14:1–15:13 is love and Christian liberty. Paul is addressing the conflict which differing convictions have brought into the church. The strong tend to look down on the weak, and the weak often condemn the strong because of their liberty. Paul forbids all such judging, whether by the strong or the weak (14:1-12).
In 14:13-23, Paul urges the strong not to become a stumbling block to the weak by exercising liberties which might cause the weak to stumble. If they are walking in love, the strong will gladly surrender the exercise of their liberties for the good of the weak. The benefits which our liberties offer are so small, and the blessings for limiting our liberties are so great that this should not be an agonizing decision.
Christian love is not just negative. It requires much more than the giving up of judging and certain liberties. On the one hand, “love does no wrong to a neighbor” (Romans 13:10). But this is not nearly enough, and so love not only “abhors what is evil,” it clings “to what is good” (Romans 12:9). Love refuses to do that which is harmful to others, and it aggressively seeks to do “good” and “what is right in the sight of all men” (see Romans 12:9-21).
In Romans 14, Paul’s emphasis is negative. He urges us not to judge one another regarding our differences in convictions (verses 1-12). He also exhorts strong believers not to offend a weaker brother by exercising any liberty which might cause him to stumble by doing likewise, against his convictions (verses 13-23).
Paul’s shift to a more positive emphasis begins in Romans 14:19: “So then let us pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.”
In chapter 15, this positive thrust becomes the primary emphasis. Two major topics dominate verses 1-13: pleasing others instead of ourselves (verses 1-3) and praising God in unity and harmony (verses 4-13).
Another shift of emphasis in our text is not readily apparent. Throughout chapter 14 Paul speaks of the Christian’s relationship to his fellow-believers, using the most frequent term “brother.” In Romans 15:2, Paul sets the term “brother” aside and employs instead the term “neighbor.”109 Thus, Paul broadens the application of his teaching on love and liberty.110 Love not only requires that I do good to my “brother,” but that I do good to my “neighbor,” including my enemy (see Romans 12:17-21; Matthew 5:43-48).
In considering these verses, let us listen and obey God’s instructions here for all who would live according to love.
1 Now we who are strong111 ought112 to bear113 the weaknesses of those without strength and not just114 please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to his edification. 3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached Thee fell upon Me.”
Christianity turns the world’s thinking upside-down concerning the “strong” and the “weak.” The world thinks those who are strong should use their strength to take advantage of the weak—the vulnerability of another is seen as an opportunity for the strong to gain at the expense of the weak. Such thinking and behavior may wear the garments of social respectability, but it is evil.
The Bible turns this mindset inside-out. It requires a transformed mind regarding the strong and the weak. Those who are strong have an obligation to the weak. They are not to victimize the weak but to come to their aid. This mindset is evident in the Old Testament Law where the widows, the orphans, and the aliens were given special consideration, protection, and benefits. Not only were these helpless people not to be taken advantage of, they were to be helped.
Jesus taught the same truth. The leaders of the nation Israel were to serve the people and to protect the helpless. They did not do so. In the Gospels, Jesus has strong words of rebuke for Israel’s leaders who abused their power (see Matthew 23). He taught His disciples that while the Gentile leaders misused their power, causing the weak to serve them, His disciples were to use their power as leaders to serve others just as He Himself did (see Mark 10:35-45).
Both Peter and Paul taught this same perspective on power. Peter instructed elders not to “lord it over” the flock, but to be “examples” to the flock (1 Peter 5:1-4). Paul instructed those who had once been thieves to steal no longer, but to work with their hands so that they could give to others in need (Ephesians 4:28). If nature demonstrates the “survival of the fittest,” the gospel emphasizes the obligations of the strong to the weak. The strong should not prey upon the weak to prevail over them, but instead should come to their aid. We see this same principle evident in the exercise of spiritual gifts. Spiritual gifts are given to each believer so that each may minister out of his strength to those who are weak in this area (see Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12-14; Ephesians 4:7-16; 1 Peter 4:10-11).
The strong, Paul tells his Roman readers, are not to harm the weak (by judging them and causing them to stumble—chapter 14) but to help them. The strong are to bear the weaknesses of those who lack strength. Rather than putting the weak down, the strong are to bear up the weak, in their areas of weakness.
Such service must be sacrificial, a denial of self-interest and of self-serving. This should come as no surprise (see Romans 12:1-2). If we are to “bear the weaknesses of those without strength,” we must not and cannot “please ourselves” (15:1).
Whether, then you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God; just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of the many, that they may be saved (1 Corinthians 10:31-33).
In the context of these two chapters in Romans, how might Paul have wanted us to understand “pleasing ourselves”? We could please ourselves by avoiding those whose convictions differ from our own, even to the point of excluding them. We could also please ourselves by accepting them, but only for the opportunity to judge, to criticize, and to try to change their convictions.
Paul’s command here to please others may seem to contradict his statements elsewhere which condemn pleasing men:
For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God, Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ (Galatians 1:10).
But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men but God, who examines our hearts (1 Thess. 2:4).
How do we resolve this tension? When is it right to please men, and when is it wrong? The solution to this problem is very simple; it is found in the alternative to pleasing men. When we must choose between pleasing others or pleasing ourselves, it is right to please others. But when the choice is between pleasing others and pleasing God, pleasing others is wrong. Here, Paul instructs us to please others and not ourselves.
Before considering what Paul does say about pleasing others, let us note what he has not said. He has not said we should please our neighbor in any way our neighbor dictates. We are to please our neighbor as God dictates. We are not instructed to make our neighbor feel good about himself, to make him comfortable, and to fulfill his desires or expectations. God is the One who defines what is pleasing to our neighbor—not our neighbor. As we shall soon see, doing what is pleasing to our neighbor may not “please” him at all. Paul is speaking of pleasing in a long-term, eternal sense—not in a short-term way.
We can see then that Paul’s instruction to please others needs clarification. Our text provides that clarification as Paul defines what pleasing others means by setting down three qualifications in verses 2 and 3. We please others by
(1) … working toward the good of others
(2) … working toward the edification of others
(3) … pleasing others as Christ Himself pleased men.
The first qualification for pleasing men is that we must please our neighbor for his good. The “good” of our neighbor must be understood in the light of God’s eternal purpose for His elect as spoken of in Romans 8:28:
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
Seeking the “good” of our neighbor must first begin by seeking his salvation, for only those who love God and are the “called according to His purpose” can expect or experience His eternal good—His salvation and His kingdom. This “good” is not to be confused with our neighbor’s comfort or his pleasure. In order to enter into all the goodness of God, we must endure suffering and tribulation (see Romans 5:3-11; 8:12-39).
Our neighbor’s “good,” which begins with salvation, should then press on to his edification. We must cease and desist from every attitude and action which would tear down our neighbor, pressing on with those things which will build him up in his faith (verse 2; see also 14:19-20).
Paul turns our attention to the example of our Lord in verse 3. We are not to please ourselves, but to please others just as Christ has done. He did not please Himself, but instead sacrificed Himself so that He might bring about both our good and our edification.
The text which Paul chooses to prove his point is most interesting: “The reproaches of those who reproached Thee fell upon Me.” This text comes from Psalm 69:9. Two things are striking about this Old Testament quotation.
First, it is an Old Testament quotation. Why did Paul not refer to the historical event of Christ’s self-denial and self-sacrifice as he did in Philippians 2? Why does Paul prove his point from prophecy rather than from history? Because inspired prophecy is as good as history. When God said something would happen, it was as good as done. One can rely on prophecy as though it were history.115
Second, Paul’s reference to Psalm 69:9 is fascinating because Christ’s gracious, saving work is spoken of in this psalm as that which was not pleasing to men. His work was done to please God and men, but only those who trust in Him by faith find His work of atonement pleasing. Thus many responded to His grace with reproaches rather than with praise and gratitude.
When we seek to please men, we must do so as our Lord did. We must begin by giving up any effort to please ourselves. We must further seek to do that which will lead to the salvation and building up of believers in Christ. But in so doing, let us not fool ourselves by thinking that most men will be pleased by our efforts to please them. If we seek to please men as our Lord did, our efforts will often be as happily received as a child’s effort to please his mother by “weeding” the garden, pulling up all the flowers in the front yard.
To apply Paul’s words in the context of Romans 14 and 15, we please our neighbor by putting up with the reproaches of those who would criticize our convictions and seek to change us, rather than to accept us. Pleasing others includes putting up with the grief others bring to our lives. This surely was true of our Lord who endured the reproaches of men and pressed on to bear our burdens on the cross of Calvary.
From the example of our Lord, we see that pleasing our neighbor is not easy nor is it immediately rewarding. Co-dependency is the topic of great discussion these days. I have many misgivings about the overuse of such terminology and thinking, but I believe our Lord’s example clearly demonstrates that pleasing others as God requires is not at all like the man-pleasing of those who are “co-dependent.”
Those who are co-dependent in today’s thinking, as I understand the term, must have the approval of others. Consequently, they are constantly trying to please those whose approval they feel they desperately need. The “good” they do to please another is determined by the whims and wants of that other person, whether good or evil, whether right or wrong. The “good” which the Christian should do to please his neighbor may very well produce not only disapproval but even reproach. Pleasing others as Paul teaches is nothing like the man-pleasing which is really selfish and self-serving co-dependency.
For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus; that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Wherefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God. For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers, and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is written, “Therefore I will give praise to Thee among the Gentiles, And I will sing to Thy name.” And again he says, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people.” And again, “Praise the Lord all you Gentiles, And let all the peoples praise Him.” And again Isaiah says, “There shall come the root of Jesse, And He who arises to rule over the Gentiles, In Him shall the Gentiles hope.”
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (emphasis mine).
Before beginning our exposition of verses 4-13, some preliminary observations on these verses as a whole may be helpful. First, verses 4-13 are not only Paul’s conclusion to his teaching on love and liberty in chapters 14 and 15, they are the conclusion of his argument in this Epistle to the Romans.116 Second, note the strong emphasis on the Scriptures; a substantial portion of this passage is made up of Old Testament Scriptures which Paul cites. Third, there is a strong emphasis on Jews and Gentiles, and especially on the unity of their combined praise of God. Finally, there is a strong emphasis on hope. Verse 4 speaks of the hope which comes from perseverance and from the Scriptures. Hope is found also in verses 12 and 13. In verses 4-13, Paul begins and ends with the subject of hope.
Keep in mind as we study verses 4-13 that we are reading Paul’s closing argument. He is drawing together in these words all that he has been trying to say throughout the entire epistle, and also in the final section on love and Christian liberty. Paul’s words here cannot be understood apart from the message he has been seeking to convey throughout this epistle.
Paul’s overall message and emphasis is the relationship of the Jews and the Gentiles to the gospel. No wonder he concludes with a recitation of Old Testament texts, speaking of the combined, harmonious praise of Jews and Gentiles as they glorify God together! To form a backdrop to Paul’s conclusion, let us briefly review the recurring theme of the Jews and the Gentiles through Romans.
Paul, a Jew, is called as an “apostle to the Gentiles.” It is because of this calling that he desires to visit Rome but has thus far been prevented. He expresses his concern for the Roman saints by writing this epistle to them to build them up in their faith. This letter ministers to them in his absence and announces his commitment to come to Rome as soon as other obligations are fulfilled.
Paul demonstrates that both the Gentiles and the Jews are sinners, under sentence of divine condemnation due to their rejection of the revelation God has given them. Both the Jews and the Gentiles are equal in their lost and helpless condition. Neither can save themselves by their own efforts.
What no man is able to do to save himself from sin, God has done in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus, who was without sin, died in the sinner’s place, bearing his punishment, and thus satisfying the holy wrath of God aroused by sin. The righteousness God requires is available in Christ to anyone who will receive it by faith. This salvation by faith has always been the way God has made men righteous, so that He could save and bless them. It was so with Abraham, and everyone who, like Abraham, believes in God’s promise of salvation. By faith, one becomes a son of Abraham. Circumcision and Law-keeping did not save Abraham; faith did. So it is for all men, throughout all times.
The salvation God offers to all men, in Christ, is more than temporal—it is eternal. Having been justified by faith, we have great joy, and the certain hope of glory, the hope of God’s promised kingdom. We also have hope in the midst of trials and adversity. What God has done for us in Christ gives us hope for the future and hope in present distress.
The righteousness God has provided in Christ is not just positional—something judicially decreed. Salvation in Christ paves the way for a practical demonstration of righteousness in our daily lives. This is possible because Jesus Christ has reversed the effects of the fall of Adam, for all who are in Him. Thus, we need not, indeed we dare not, continue to live in sin. Since we died to sin in Christ and have been raised to newness of life in Him, we should live a new kind of life, a life of righteousness.
Daily righteousness can no more be accomplished by human effort than salvation could be earned by works. As Christians, we agree with God’s standards as defined by His Law. We even delight in His Law. But we cannot, in and of ourselves, live up to the standards set by the Law. The problem is our flesh, which is weak and constantly overcome by sin’s power. Even though we want to do what is right, we fail to do so. Though we try not to sin, we persistently fail and fall into sin. We are as helpless (in and of ourselves) to live righteously as Christians as we were helpless to save ourselves as unbelievers.
The solution to our sin, weakness, and inability to live according to God’s standards is found in the person and work of Jesus Christ. There is no condemnation for sin for those who are in Christ. Our sins as Christians find the same forgiveness we found initially at the time of our salvation. What we cannot do in the power of our flesh, God has enabled us to do as His sons, by the power of His Holy Spirit who now indwells us. His Spirit indwells and empowers us and assures us that we are His children. Until that day when His kingdom is established on the earth, His Spirit works in us, assuring us of our future hope and interceding for us as we groan in the imperfections of this present world.
Neither the license of the Gentiles nor the Law-keeping of the Jews is pleasing to God. The righteousness God requires of us as Christians comes as a result of being in Christ and walking in His Spirit. The righteousness of God in Christ is provided to replace the unrighteousness of lawless Gentiles and the self-righteous legalism of unbelieving Jews.
From eternity past, the plan of God was to save men from every nation. Israel was promised God’s blessing, and part of her blessing was that she was to be God’s channel of blessing to the other nations. Through Israel, God’s Law and the rest of the Old Testament Scriptures were revealed. Through the seed of Israel (and his descendants, including Judah and David), the Lord Jesus came to save men. Through this Jewish Messiah, Israel and the nations are saved, by faith.
Israel, as a nation, rejected Jesus and brought about His death, with the help of the Gentiles. Not only did the Jews reject the gospel, they opposed it so that wherever Paul and the apostles proclaimed it, the church was persecuted. Paul himself was a leader of this opposition until his conversion.
As far as the Old Testament Scriptures are concerned, Israel’s unbelief comes as no surprise. Not all of the seed of Israel were chosen, and thus not all were saved. Indeed, often only a small remnant was preserved, thus assuring Israel’s hope of a future salvation and blessing. Israel’s unbelief has not terminated God’s plans for Israel nor has it frustrated His promises.
Indeed, Israel’s unbelief has fulfilled the Scriptures. And her unbelief has become the instrument through which God has brought the gospel to the Gentiles. Israel’s unbelief and opposition to the gospel only served to promote the gospel among the Gentiles. If her unbelief has brought such blessings to the Gentiles, one can only wonder what blessings her belief and obedience will bring.
When God’s purposes and promises for the Gentiles have been fulfilled, He will cause the Jews to repent and to believe in the Lord Jesus as the Messiah; thus both the Jews and the Gentiles will experience forgiveness and God’s blessings. God’s way of accomplishing this is far beyond human wisdom. What a wonder the wisdom and the grace of God is to the believer!
Such grace and mercy should overwhelm the true believer, inspiring him to offer himself to God in grateful, sacrificial worship. This worship is not just the kind which occurs in church; it is the kind of worship which is evident in daily living. We serve God by serving others. The manifestation of this service is best summed up by the word love. We are to love God first, and then others, including our enemies. Love is reflected in our pursuit of what is good and our hatred and avoidance of what is evil. Love manifests itself toward fellow-believers, toward our unsaved neighbors, and toward our enemies. Love manifests itself by our doing no harm to others and by our actively promoting their good.
Walking in love is evidenced by the way in which we hold and practice our convictions. In our desire to cling to the good and abhor what is evil, we must seriously consider the Scriptures and their implications, determining those liberties which we can exercise in good conscience and faith. We must not judge our brother concerning his convictions nor seek to change them. We should, however, surrender the use of our own liberties whenever this would result in our brother’s stumbling by following our example, contrary to his faith and conscience.
We should not allow differences in convictions concerning Christian liberties to create friction with a brother or the fall of a brother. Even more than this, love prompts the Christian to come to the aid of a weaker brother and to bear with him and his weaknesses. Love prompts us to bear the burdens of our brother’s weakness.
It is God who gives grace to deal in this way with a weaker brother. His grace enables us to persevere. His Scriptures give us hope, hope for endurance and perseverance in this life, and the hope of experiencing His blessings in eternity. The Old Testament Scriptures repeatedly speak of that future day when Jews and Gentiles will worship and praise God together, in unity and harmony. This certainty encourages us to live in unity and harmony with our fellow-believers today, even though we may have many differences.
Paul’s teaching on love and liberty in Romans 14:1–15:3 sets down three obligations of the strong toward their weaker brothers. First, the strong are not to judge their weaker brother concerning his convictions (as the weaker brother is not to condemn the strong, 14:1-12). Second, the one who is strong is not to cause a weaker brother to stumble by the exercise of a Christian liberty (14:13-23). Third, the strong are to use their strength to sustain and uphold the one who is weak, rather than to tear him down (15:1-3). How can any one do this? What enables the Christian to give up pleasing himself in order to please his neighbor? Paul provides the answer in Romans 15:4-13.
In verse 3, Paul has just quoted Psalm 69:9 to illustrate how our Lord did not please Himself but pleased others, for their good. That citation seems to be in Paul’s mind as he writes the words of verse 4:
For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
The cluster of four Old Testament quotes in verses 9-12 seems to follow up on verse 4.
Old Testament Scriptures are biblical accounts of those things which happened before our time. This biblical history is more than history, however. It was divinely inspired and preserved so that we might have hope. Hope, according to verse 4, is the result of two things: (1) perseverance and (2) the encouragement of the Scriptures.
Hope is the result of perseverance, as Paul has already demonstrated in chapter 5:
And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope (Romans 5:3-4).
The same hope which comes from perseverance is also produced and promoted by the Old Testament Scriptures.117 How do the Scriptures encourage us so as to produce hope? In two ways, I believe. First, in those Scriptures which are historical, we are taught that God never failed to fulfill His promises to His people. The Scriptures teach us the faithfulness of God and the certainty of His promises.
Second, the Old Testament Scriptures contain prophecies. Some of these prophecies have already been fulfilled, just as God promised they would take place. Other prophecies are still awaiting the day of their fulfillment. The promises and prophecies of the Old Testament give the child of God hope, because hope is our expectation of that which is future and not yet seen (see Romans 8:23-25).
Hope which comes from the Scriptures encourages us in such a way that we will suffer present persecution and deny ourselves of short-term pleasures (pleasing ourselves) because we are certain of the eternal blessings which lie ahead for us as God’s children.
By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God, than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin; considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward (Hebrews 11:24-26).
Both perseverance and hope come from God who supplies them to His saints (verse 5).118 Perseverance and hope are not man-made; they are a gift from God. So it is also with unity. Unity is not something we are to produce. Unity is that which God has produced by the work of Jesus Christ (see Ephesians 2:11-22). Unity is that which we are to preserve and to practice (Ephesians 4:3).
The goal of this unity is the harmonious praise of God, by both Jews and Gentiles, singing together to the glory of God which Paul seeks to emphasize in verse 6 (and extended in verses 7-12). If personal convictions become the basis for conflict and discord, our unity and harmonious praise will be adversely affected.
The tone of verses 7-12 changes from the tone of verses 5 and 6. In verses 5 and 6, Paul looked to God to supply perseverance, encouragement, and hope. These verses are a kind of benediction or blessing. Paul does not look to us to accomplish these things, but to God. And there is no doubt in his mind that God will provide them.119 Verses 7-12 focus, once again, on the Christian and his responsibility to trust and obey. The “wherefore” at the beginning of verse 7 indicates that the exhortation or instruction which follows is the outcome, the result of what he has been saying. It is Paul’s conclusion, his practical application, his final application.
Verse 7 returns to the matter of accepting the weaker brother, introduced initially in 14:1: “Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions.”
In chapter 14, the emphasis falls upon the purposes for which we are not to accept others. We are to accept our weaker brother, but not to argue with him about his convictions or to judge him for them. We are also not to accept our weaker brother, only to cause him to stumble by the irresponsible exercise of our own liberties. In Romans 15, Paul turns to the positive purpose for which we should accept our weaker brother. We are to accept others for the glory of God.
Once again, Christ is our example. His life and ministry provide us with both the motivation and the means for accepting those who are weak. Our Lord accepted us, for the glory of God.120 Our Lord became a servant. He was a servant to the Jews, in order to confirm the promises God had given to the patriarchs, the fathers (verse 8). He was also a servant to the Gentiles, for our good, and ultimately for the glory of God, due to His mercy (verse 9).
All of this comes as no surprise. The salvation of the Gentiles is not some alternative plan, required by Israel’s unbelief and rebellion against God. This is all in accordance with the plans and purposes of God, determined in eternity past and repeatedly revealed in the Old Testament Scriptures.
Verses 9-12 contain four Old Testament quotations. In verse 9, Paul cites from 2 Samuel 22:50 (repeated in Psalm 18:49). Verse 10 comes from Deuteronomy 32:43; verse 11 from Psalm 117:1; and verse 12 from Isaiah 11:10.
Why four quotations? First, Paul wants us to understand that he is not desperately grasping for proof texts here. God’s purpose to have the Jews and the Gentiles joining in harmonious praise is frequently repeated in Scripture and not merely dredged up from some obscure text. Second, this eternal purpose was revealed throughout the Old Testament in different passages, at different times, and in different ways. These four quotes encompass virtually every part of the Old Testament: the Law (Deuteronomy 32:43); the historical books (2 Samuel 22:5); the Psalms (Psalm 117:1); and the prophets (Isaiah 11:10).
There may well be some individual emphasis provided by each text. There may also be a progression of thought through these four quotations. For our purposes, we should simply note that the Old Testament Scriptures repeatedly and emphatically stress the divine and eternal purpose to save both Jews and Gentiles, thus bringing about their united, harmonious praise of God.
There is a common thread running through each of these four Old Testament quotations, which give a unity to Paul’s argument. The praise of God is the central theme and focus. The participants in each case are both Jews and Gentiles. Their praise is united and harmonious.
Paul’s words are very much related to the context and to the argument which he is pressing here. Consider, in context, the impact of what he is saying to us.
(1) This is what God purposed from eternity past. The combined and harmonious praise of Jews and Gentiles is God’s will.
(2) This is what will be—a certainty—in eternity. These verses Paul has drawn from the Old Testament are a description of what heaven will be like. Prophecy will become history. Prophecy is as sure and certain as history.
(3) This is a description of what should be evident now in the church of Jesus Christ. Here is the ideal for the church of our Lord Jesus Christ. Unity and harmony should be one of the evidences of the grace of God in our lives, the result of His work on the cross of Calvary.
(4) This is why we must walk in love and not let our convictions become the basis for conflict and strife. If unity and harmony between Jews and Gentiles is God’s purpose, God’s will, a certainty in and for eternity, the standard and ideal for the church today, then walking in love is a necessity. Specifically, we dare not accept others in order to judge them or in order to cause them to stumble; we must accept others in order to build them up so that we may all, in unity and harmony, praise God according to His purpose and for His glory.
Verse 13 contains Paul’s final words of his formal argument in Romans. They are a benediction. They look to God and not to men for fulfillment and realization. May the God of hope fill each believer with all joy and peace, so that we may abound in hope.
Paul’s hope is that God will fill the believer with all joy and all peace. There is no joy nor peace which does not come from God. And the joy and peace which come from God are experienced by faith. Thus, Paul says that we are filled with joy and peace “in believing.” Nothing in the Christian life is pleasing to God which is not by faith. Being filled with all joy and peace is no different, for it comes by “believing” in God as well.
An additional Source of hope is introduced here—the Holy Spirit. God is the God of hope. He produces hope through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures. He also produces hope through the Spirit who indwells us (see also Romans 5:5; 8:1-27).
These closing verses of Paul’s argument in Romans are both similar to and different from his other concluding remarks elsewhere in Romans. Let us refresh our memories concerning his two earlier conclusions:
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, “For Thy sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:31-39).
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen (Romans 11:33-36).
The similarity between our text and those above from Romans 8 and 11 is that in every instance, Paul’s argument concludes in praise. Paul speaks to us first about avoiding evil and then about seeking our neighbor’s good. But he concludes with the emphasis on His glory and the praise which this should inspire. In our text, as he often does elsewhere, Paul sees all good things as coming from God, as their Source. He sees all good things taking place through God, as their means. He sees all good things as being unto God, for His glory and praise. This is what Paul has said in Romans 11 above. It bears repeating:
Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen (Romans 11:35-36, emphasis mine).
Is it not interesting that we Christians are eager to get to the application? I fear that often this is because we are self-centered. Application focuses on us—we think. If we think this, we are wrong! Paul’s application focuses our attention on God and our praise toward God. That is where it belongs. That is where our focus always belongs. That is where our focus eternally will be. That is where our focus should be now.
There is also a difference in the praise of God found in our text when compared to Paul’s previous praise in Romans. Before, Paul was praising God; we could identify with him in his praise, but it was his praise. We could even join with him in praise. But here, in this final word of praise, it is the combined praise of all the saints from all ages. It is the combined praise of both the Jews and the Gentiles. It is that yet to be fulfilled in eternity. It is that which should warm our hearts now and turn our hearts toward God, where we find salvation, peace, joy, hope, love, and all that is worthy of praise.
It is not our convictions which should consume us. Nor should it be the differences we have with our fellow-believers. It is God who should consume us. May we be caught up—lost in Him—in His glory, honor, wisdom, and power. Let us not leave this text without joining Paul and all of the saints of all the ages, in praising God. To God be the glory, great things He hath done!
109 This term, rendered “neighbor,” is used by Paul in Romans 13:9-10; 15:2; Galatians 5:14; Ephesians 4:25. In my estimation, the term “neighbor” is more general, referring to one’s fellow-man. It would include one’s “brothers” in Christ as well as unbelievers.
110 In 1 Corinthians 8-10, Paul’s emphasis falls much more heavily on our obligation toward unbelievers. Paul speaks specifically to the Corinthians about how he surrenders his liberties for the sake of the gospel, so that he will not hinder any from coming to faith in Christ.
“For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, that I might win the more. And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law, though not being myself under the Law, that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some. And I do all things for the sake of the gospel, that I may become a fellow partaker of it” (1 Corinthians 9:19-23).
“Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God; just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of the many, that they may be saved” (1 Corinthians 10:32-33).
111 It is interesting that Paul includes himself among the strong. Rightly so. But I am not convinced that the “strong” here are necessarily those who are “strong,” but perhaps only those who think themselves to be strong. “We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor” (1 Cor. 4:10; see also 2 Corinthians 13:9). Paul’s argument might go something like this: “All right, so you think you are strong and your brother is weak. Let me tell you your obligation to the weak, if you are indeed strong.”
112 “Ought” indicates obligation. Obligation has been a prominent theme, especially in Romans 12:1 and following. Love should be our primary obligation, the basis and source of all legitimate obligations (Romans 13:8).
113 The term “bear” has more than one connotation. It sometimes means “to endure” or to “put up with.” Elsewhere, it means “to carry.” In our text, I believe both meanings are intended. We are both to accept, or put up with, the weaknesses of those who are without strength, and we are to help bear their burdens. I believe our Lord evidences both types of “bearing” in His earthly life as recorded by the Gospels. He not only put up with our weaknesses (often with a sigh—see Mark 7:34; 8:12), but also by bearing our sins on the cross.
114 The word “just” in verse 1 has been supplied by the translators of the NASB. It is not found in the NIV nor in the KJV. I think this is one of the few times the NASB has gone too far. Literally rendered, Paul’s words make good sense. “We who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength, and not please ourselves.” When Paul gets to the example of our Lord in verse 3, the word “just” is not supplied. Why not? Because Jesus did not seek to please Himself at all, just as we must not seek to please ourselves. Pleasing self and pleasing others are mutually exclusive. Either you do one or the other, but not both. (The same should be said of loving oneself and loving others.)
115 Indeed, this is the reason for the frequent use of the “prophetic perfect” in the Hebrew text of the Old Testament. A past tense verb is often employed to speak prophetically of a future event. God spoke of future events in the past tense because they are as certain as history.
116 The remainder of this epistle is profitable reading, but his formal argument seems to end at Romans 15:13. Romans 15:14-33 focus on Paul, his purpose and calling, his past ministry, and his plans for the future. Romans 16:1-33 contains Paul’s final greetings and exhortations.
117 See also, in a similar context, 1 Corinthians 10:11.
118 Notice the clue to Paul’s structure here. Verse 5 is a kind of invocation or benediction. So too is verse 13. Both verses begin in the same way: “Now may the God of …” (see the marginal note in the NASB at verse 5).
119 Because of the form of the verbs in verses 5 and 13, some have referred to these as Paul’s wish. In a sense, they are. But the term “wish” has become too wishy-washy (if you will pardon the pun). It is too iffy. Paul does not doubt, either that God can accomplish this or that He will. Therefore, it is more a pronouncement of blessings than a wish for God’s blessing.
Mark Sellers, our youth director, brought a list of excuses into our church office. Unedited, these were excuses a public school had received from parents for their children’s absences.
(1) “My son is under the doctor’s care and should not take P.E. Please execute him.”
(2) “Mary could not come to school today because she was bother by very close veins.”
(3) “Please excuse Ray Friday. He has loose vowels.”
(4) “Please excuse Roland from P.E. for a few days. Yesterday he fell out of a tree and misplaced his hip.”
(5) “Please excuse Sarah for being absent. She was sick and I had her shot.”
(6) “Please excuse Tom from being absent yesterday. He had diarrhea and his boots leak.”
(7) “Please excuse Jimmy for being. It was his father’s fault.”
While quite different from the parent’s excuses, our text is also an absence excuse. After years of hoping to visit the saints in Rome, Paul offers an excuse for his absence:
9 For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you, 10 always in my prayers making request, if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you. 11 For I long to see you in order that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; 12 that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine. 13 And I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented thus far) in order that I might obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles (Romans 1:9-13).
Paul had good reason to offer an excuse for not yet having reached Rome. Although his introduction to the Romans indicates he had wanted to visit these saints for years, he had not done so. Now Paul writes this epistle to them from Corinth, some 600 miles southeast of Rome, as the crow flies. He admits to having preached the gospel as far as Illyricum,121 just across the Adriatic Sea from Italy. During his ministry in Illyricum, he could have been less than 400 miles from the city of Rome.
But now as close as he is to Rome and as eager as he is to visit the saints there, when he leaves Corinth Paul plans to head not northwest toward Rome, but southeast, traveling more than 800 miles back to Jerusalem. Though so close, he does not press on the remaining distance but turns around and goes in the opposite direction to Jerusalem.
From all appearances, it seems as though Paul may never reach Rome; some might wonder if he really wants to go there. Paul’s excuse explains his absence even though he is close to Rome at the time he writes this epistle. If the Epistle to the Romans is Paul’s ministry to these saints in absentia and by mail, Romans 15:14-33 provides his excuse for his prolonged absence when he could have visited with relative ease.
One may wonder why this excuse is even preserved in the text of the New Testament. How can Paul’s excuse possibly be of value to us? In most cases, an ancient excuse would not be of value to those of a much later day; yet Paul’s excuse has great value. Indeed, his reasons for not having visited, and his future plans to visit, are most instructive. Here Paul reveals his priorities for living out his life and the basis of his plans for future ministry. Paul informs his readers how he determined on a practical, daily basis the will of God for his life.
In his introduction of this major section of Romans, Paul speaks of knowing God’s will as the result of having our minds transformed:
I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:1-2, emphasis mine).
Paul’s explanation of his delayed arrival, his past ministry, and future plans in Romans 15:14-33 provides an excellent illustration of how God’s will becomes evident—as our minds are conformed to the mind and will of God, and as we live our lives in accordance with our gifts and calling.
Paul’s words may be an excuse, but they are included in the Scriptures for our edification. May we look to the Spirit of God to guide our study and application of these important words.
Romans 15:14-33 contains four paragraphs:
(1) Verses 14-16 — Paul’s Reasons for Writing Romans
(2) Verses 17-21 — Paul’s Reasons for His Absence
(3) Verses 22-29 — Paul’s Reasons for Another Delay
(4) Verses 30-33 — Paul’s Requests for Prayer
In verses 14-16, Paul explains his reasons for writing this Epistle to the Romans. Verses 17-21 describe Paul’s priorities and principles which shaped his ministry up to the time of his writing. These verses explain Paul’s absence in the past. Verses 22-29 spell out his plans for the immediate future which will delay him from coming to Rome until he commences his ministry to Spain. He will then be able to visit Rome on his way to Spain. Finally, in verses 30-33, Paul requests prayer for some specific matters, closing this section with the benediction of verse 33.
14 And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able also to admonish122 one another. 15 But I have written very boldly to you on some points, so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me from God, 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, that my offering of the Gentiles might become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
Compliments are not handed out by Paul without good reason. His epistles contain a number of instances with strong words of admonition and rebuke. Paul informs his Roman readers in verse 14 that his reason for writing this epistle is not their immaturity or any serious doctrinal deficiency. I must confess his words take me somewhat by surprise. My mistaken impression was that these Roman Christians were not well taught, and that this epistle was Paul’s prescription for their ailment.
According to Paul, these saints scored well in their spiritual attitudes and aptitudes. In verse 14, Paul mentions three specific areas of strength. First, they were “full of goodness.” This seems to speak of their disposition toward God and toward men. They had “good will” toward God and others. They were rightly motivated. Second, they were “filled with all knowledge.” Doctrinally, they were well taught with no grave deficiencies in their biblical and theological knowledge. Third, they were “able also to admonish one another.” There seems to be a sequence to these three commendations. The Roman Christians’ “goodness” and “knowledge” qualified them to “admonish” one another.
For those familiar with Dr. Jay Adams and his approach to biblical counseling, this phrase, “able to admonish,” is the basis for his book, Competent to Counsel. Several inferences from this text pertain to biblical counseling. First, being “competent to counsel” requires that one be filled with both “goodness” and “knowledge.”123 Second, biblical counsel involves more than just admonition, which is but one element of counseling (see, for example, 1 Thessalonians 5:14-15). Third, we would infer from this text that counseling is not the private duty of a very few “counselors.” It is viewed by Paul as a “one another” function in which all Christians are to be involved. It is also a reciprocal function—not just a one-way activity. Most counseling of which I am aware, including so-called “Christian counseling,” is of a different kind than that which our text describes.
If these Roman Christians did not need to be taught or corrected, why did Paul write this epistle—one of the most extensive, systematic expositions of doctrine in all the Bible? Were his words wasted on this group of saints? Not at all! Paul understood men and their needs precisely. He did not write this epistle to inform as much as to remind. He did not write Romans to innovate as much as to reiterate.
This is a very difficult but vital principle for those of us who devote our lives to teaching the Bible. I personally find great exhilaration when I learn something new, and I find great pleasure in sharing this new insight in my teaching ministry. Such insights seldom focus on the fundamentals of the faith but on incidentals. To the degree that we innovate, we depart from the fundamentals which we are responsible to reiterate.
New and novel “truth” is a dangerous thing:
Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was beholding the city full of idols. So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present. And also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him. And some were saying, “What would this idle babbler wish to say?” Others, “He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is which you are proclaiming? “For you are bringing some strange things to our ears; we want to know therefore what these things mean.” (Now all the Athenians and the strangers visiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new.) (Acts 17:16-21)
I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you, and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed (Galatians 1:6-8).
The apostles emphasize the fundamentals as those truths which are a part of the old, old, story which needs only to be retold rather than replaced with something new:
Therefore, I shall always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you. And I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder, knowing that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you may be able to call these things to mind. For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased”—and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. And so we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep (2 Peter 1:12–2:3).
The great danger for Christians is similar to that which faces athletes—in focusing on the fine points, one can forget the fundamentals. In their prime, the Dallas Cowboys could pull off a “flea flicker” or a “double reverse,” but such plays did not win football games. Football games are won or lost because teams execute or fail to execute the fundamentals of the game.
So it is with the fundamentals of the faith. The great danger for Christians is that we may lose our focus on the fundamentals and begin to pay too much attention to the fine points. In the words of our Lord, we may “strain out a gnat and swallow a camel” (see Matthew 23:24). Paul wrote Romans to remind these growing Christians of the fundamentals of their faith. There is little “new” in Romans, but all of it is vital.
The concept Paul highlights at the end of verse 15 and all of verse 16 is fascinating! Here, he explains his motivation for writing the Book of Romans. If his purpose was to remind the Roman Christians of the fundamentals of the faith, his motivation was to carry out his God-given mission and calling as an apostle to the Gentiles:
15 But I have written very boldly to you on some points, so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me from God, 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, that my offering of the Gentiles might become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
Paul was fully aware of his purpose. God made his purpose most evident at the time of his conversion (see Acts 9:15-16; 22:21; 26:15-18). Paul sets out this purpose at the beginning of this Epistle to the Romans:
Through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles, for His name’s sake (Romans 1:5).
Notice that Paul perceived his calling to be a very broad one. He was not just called to evangelize among the Gentiles; his words indicate he was called to bring about “the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles.” Paul sensed a responsibility to all the Gentiles, even those he had not seen before and those he had not led to Christ. His responsibility was to minister in such a way as to encourage and facilitate an obedience which stems from faith. Paul’s calling included all the Gentiles, encompassing the broad category of discipleship—and not just evangelism.124 This is precisely why he wrote this epistle to the Roman saints: to challenge them to the obedience which stems from faith. This is also Paul’s reason for placing so much emphasis on personal convictions—because these are matters of faith.
The imagery in verse 16 is most interesting. Paul speaks of himself as a “priest” who is “offering” a sacrifice to God—the sacrifice of the Gentiles. His desire and motivation is to present the Gentile believers at Rome to God as a sacrifice which is acceptable to God through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. His ministry, whether from a distance by this epistle, or in person, is directed toward the edification and sanctification of the church to the glory of God. We see similar language used elsewhere in Paul’s epistles:
I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness; but indeed you are bearing with me. For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin. But I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:1-3).
Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations; but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. And we proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, that we may present every man complete in Christ. And for this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me (Colossians 1:25-29).
Paul’s priestly imagery is not simply a graphic illustration or the use of symbolism. In using this imagery, Paul reveals his understanding of the union of his personal calling with that of Israel’s calling as a nation. He speaks of himself as a priest because he is a Jew, a true Jew, one who is carrying out the priestly ministry which God gave to the nation Israel.
Let us go back to the beginning of Israel’s history to recall the ministry and calling of the nation Israel, as God Himself defined it:
And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself. Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel” (Exodus 19:3-6, emphasis mine).
Israel was chosen by God to be a blessing to the nations. They were to bless the nations in a variety of ways, but one of those ways was by serving as a kingdom of priests. As a kingdom of priests, Israel was to minister in such a way as to proclaim God’s salvation to the Gentiles and to offer up Gentile converts as a sacrifice to God. When Israel failed to do this,125 her priestly role was given to the church; thus, at the present time we see the same terminology applied to the church:
And coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected by men, but choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For this is contained in Scripture: “Behold I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, And he who believes in Him shall not be disappointed.” This precious value, then, is for you who believe. But for those who disbelieve, “The stone which the builders rejected, This became the very corner stone,” and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy (1 Peter 2:4-10; see also Revelation 1:4-6).
And so when Paul speaks of himself as a priest, offering up the Gentiles as a sacrifice to God, he understands that his individual calling as a Jewish Christian is not unique, but typical—typical of the calling of every Jew. Unfortunately it was a calling which the Jews, as a nation, rejected. When the Jews repent and are restored, they will once again play their priestly role among the nations:
Then they will rebuild the ancient ruins, They will raise up the former devastations, And they will repair the ruined cities, The desolations of many generations. And strangers will stand and pasture your flocks. And foreigners will be your farmers and your vinedressers. But you will be called the priests of the LORD; You will be spoken of as ministers of our God. You will eat the wealth of nations. And in their riches you will boast. Instead of your shame you will have a double portion, And instead of humiliation they will shout for joy over their portion. Therefore they will possess a double portion in their land, Everlasting joy will be theirs (Isaiah 61:4-7, emphasis mine; see also Isaiah 66).
Romans 15:15-16 therefore expands on Romans 12:1-2. In chapter 12, we are told that we should present ourselves as living sacrifices to God, sacrifices which are pleasing and acceptable to Him.126 Now in chapter 15, we see that as members of a kingdom of priests we are also privileged to present other believers as sacrifices to God as well. Our goal in ministry should be to edify and build up our fellow-believers, so that we might present them to God as a pleasing offering. Here is a dimension of the “priesthood of every believer” which is hardly ever discussed. As we can see from his life and ministry, Paul understood his priesthood well.
17 Therefore in Christ Jesus I have found reason for boasting in things pertaining to God. 18 For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed, 19 in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. 20 And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, that I might not build upon another man’s foundation; 21 but as it is written, “They who had no news of Him shall see, And they who have not heard shall understand.”
After years of hoping to see Paul, some of the Roman saints may have begun to wonder if he was ever coming at all. Other churches seemed to have questions about his coming as well. Some may have accused Paul of being scatter-brained or fickle. Thus, Paul felt the need to explain his absence not only here but elsewhere (see 2 Corinthians 1:15–2:4).
Paul intends in verses 17-21 to demonstrate that it was his commitment to his calling and ministry that kept him from Rome—his priorities kept him from Rome. Since his ministry is his defense, it is necessary for Paul to describe this ministry. In verses 17-19, Paul points to the success of his ministry, not to boast in his own accomplishments but to give glory to God and show that God’s hand of blessing was evident in that ministry. Some use their ministry as an excuse for avoiding other obligations. Paul points to the hand of God in his ministry to show that he was acting in the will and the power of God.
Paul’s ministry among the Gentiles bore the evidences of God’s blessing and power. His success was the result of God’s working through him. And so, as he went about proclaiming the gospel, the Holy Spirit bore witness to God’s presence and power by signs and miracles.
This should not be twisted to suggest God’s power will always be evident in such miraculous ways. Remember Paul’s ministry was that of an apostle. He took the gospel to places where the name of Christ had never been heard. The signs and wonders accompanying his preaching were proof to pagans that God was in their midst and that Paul’s message was one to be taken seriously. These “signs and wonders” were God’s accreditation of Paul as an apostle:
I have become foolish; you yourselves compelled me. Actually I should have been commended by you, for in no respect was I inferior to the most eminent apostles, even though I am a nobody. The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles. For in what respect were you treated as inferior to the rest of the churches, except that I myself did not become a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong! (2 Corinthians 12:11-13).
In the last part of verse 19, Paul indicates his conviction that his task was nearly finished. “From Jerusalem … to Illyricum” Paul said he had “fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.” This is an incredible statement. We might wish that we could say this of our block or our neighborhood. Paul said it concerning a large portion of his world.
Understand that Paul in no way claims to have preached to every single person living in this vast area. Paul is simply claiming to have fulfilled his task as an apostle. His task as an apostle was to lay a foundation. His mission was to preach Christ and to establish churches in crucial locations so that the gospel could then be proclaimed by believers from these outposts. His mission was to set out lights in that darkened part of the world. These lights127 were local churches, strategically placed so that the gospel would resound from these outposts. And resound it did:
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world (Romans 1:8).
Knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you; for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything. For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1:4-10).
Assured that he had fulfilled his mission as an apostle from Jerusalem to Illyricum, Paul’s eyes now look to the horizon of his world. His desire was to preach the gospel where it had not been heard before. He did not wish to build on the foundation of another. He found the words of Isaiah 52:15 descriptive of his calling, and thus he quotes them in verse 21: “THEY WHO HAD NO NEWS OF HIM SHALL SEE, AND THEY WHO HAVE NOT HEARD SHALL UNDERSTAND.”
Someone might easily misinterpret Paul’s desire not to build on the foundation of another. Is Paul being petty? Is he saying he wants to preach where he has control and where he alone gets the glory? Is he demonstrating some kind of autonomous, independent spirit? Not at all! Paul is reflecting his grasp of his calling as an apostle. He did not wish to build on the foundation of another because his calling as an apostle was to lay a foundation:
According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But let each man be careful how he builds upon it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:10-11).
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together is growing into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit (Ephesians 2:19-22).
Paul’s words explain why a visit to Rome was not high on his list of priorities and thus why he had not yet reached Rome. His calling as an apostle was to lay foundations where the gospel had not yet been proclaimed. The church at Rome had already been planted, and the saints there were full of “goodness” and “knowledge.” To go to Rome would have been going where the foundation was already laid. Paul was too busy laying foundations from Jerusalem to Illyricum to go to Rome—yet. He is finally considering a visit to Rome in his plans for future ministry as described in the next verses.
22 For this reason I have often been hindered from coming to you; 23 but now, with no further place for me in these regions, and since I have had for many years a longing to come to you 24 whenever I go to Spain—for I hope to see you in passing, and to be helped on my way there by you, when I have first enjoyed your company for a while—25 but now, I am going to Jerusalem serving the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. 27 Yes, they were pleased to do so, and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them also in material things. 28 Therefore, when I have finished this, and have put my seal on this fruit of theirs, I will go on by way of you to Spain. 29 And I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.
Verse 22 concludes Paul’s excuse of verses 17-21 and introduces his next topic—his plans for the future and their bearing on his visit to Rome. The good news of this paragraph is that at last Paul is planning to visit Rome. The bad news is there is yet one more delay.
Paul had been “hindered” from visiting Rome, hindered by his calling and his ministry. His delay was not accidental but purposeful. As much as he wanted to visit Rome and to enjoy the fellowship of these saints, he had to stick to his post, to his calling. Now that Paul’s ministry as an apostle in the region from Jerusalem to Illyricum is nearing completion, he is making plans for the next phase of his ministry.
Given his principles and priorities as an apostle, Paul must go somewhere the gospel has not yet been proclaimed (see verses 20-21 above). His sights are set on Spain, which meets his specifications for ministry. Since Rome will be a stopping place on his way to Spain, he tells the Roman saints he plans to stop there on his way to Rome. After a time of fellowship, he plans to proceed on to Spain.
One final task must be accomplished, however, before he sets out for Spain. This task will take him back to Jerusalem, and from there he will set out for Spain. This may seem like needless back-tracking. Paul will have to travel another 2,000 miles or so before he reaches Rome when he could go directly to Rome some 600 miles distant. It is apparent that this mission to Jerusalem must be a high priority, and so it is.
In one sense, Paul’s task is finished. He has preached the gospel and laid a foundation from Jerusalem to Illyricum. But the gospel has not yet come full circle. The unity of the Gentile Christians with Jewish Christians needs to be demonstrated and strengthened. The Gentiles have the opportunity to do so, because the saints in Jerusalem are presently in dire straits. The gospel required that the Jews in Jerusalem proclaim the good news to the Gentiles in distant places (see Acts, chapters 10, 11, and 15). Now, the gospel required the Gentiles to minister to the Jews in Jerusalem in material things.128 Paul was taking a collection from the churches, along with an appointed representative from these churches, to the saints in Jerusalem. To Paul, this was a very important mission, demonstrating and reinforcing the essential unity between Jews and Gentiles who have been brought together in one body, the church. Only when this task was completed would Paul feel free to press on to Rome and ultimately to Spain. This one more delay was needed.
30 Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me, 31 that I may be delivered from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints; 32 so that I may come to you in joy by the will of God and find refreshing rest in your company. 33 Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.
Paul’s priorities are seen not only in his previous ministry but in his plans for the future as well. They are also reflected in his prayer requests, recorded in verses 30-32, along with a benediction in verse 33.
We should first recognize that it was not only appropriate, but essential, for Paul to ask the Roman saints to pray for him. Just as Paul was ministering to them in his prayers for them (Romans 1:8-10), they should reciprocate by praying for him (15:13). Their prayers, like Paul’s, should be motivated by the Lord Jesus Christ and by the love which the Holy Spirit generates (see Galatians 5:22). In praying for Paul, they are actually participating with him in his ministry; they are, in Paul’s words, “striving together with him” (verse 30).
First, Paul requested that these saints pray for him that he “might be delivered from those who are disobedient in Judea” (verse 31). He does not ask that they pray for the salvation of these unbelieving Jews. They have had their opportunity. Judgment now awaits them. Paul does not see this journey as an evangelistic campaign among the unbelieving Jews but as a ministry to the saints in Jerusalem (verse 26).
Paul may have already been warned of the dangers which awaited him in Jerusalem, as he would be after he left Corinth:
“And now, behold, bound in spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me. “But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, in order that I may finish my course, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God. “And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will see my face no more” (Acts 20:22-25).
The danger ahead did not deter Paul from pressing on to Jerusalem, but it did prompt him to ask the Roman saints to pray for him. I do not think Paul wanted their prayers for his safety as much for his sake as for the sake of the gospel (compare Philippians 1:19-26).
Second, Paul asked the saints in Rome to pray that his service to the saints in Jerusalem might be effective, that it might be “acceptable to the saints there” (verse 31). The Gentiles gladly gave to minister to the Jewish saints, but would the Jews gladly receive these gifts? Paul asked for prayer that they would.
Finally, Paul asked for prayer that with “joy,” and in “the will of the Lord,” he would come to them and find “refreshing rest” in their fellowship (verse 32). He did wish to be with them, but this was a lower level priority, not only in his plans and ministry but even in his prayer request. How this prayer was answered is another story recorded in Acts 20-28. Once again, God worked in ways beyond human anticipation. Paul would indeed be delivered from the unbelieving Jews and arrive safely in Rome, thanks to his arrest and the Roman government. God works in wondrous ways.
A benediction is pronounced in verse 33: “Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.”
If Paul had not been able to be with the Romans, and if his coming to them was still to be delayed, they could find great comfort in knowing that the “God of peace” was with them, always. Paul was absent; God was not.
We probably could all agree Paul’s excuse should be accepted. In the light of Paul’s calling and ministry priorities, the church at Rome must be put lower on the list of Paul’s priorities than more pressing matters. The irony is that in his so doing, the whole world has been greatly blessed by the Book of Romans. The epistle to the church at Rome was the result of Paul putting off his visit to Rome. Because of this, not only the church at Rome, but the church throughout the centuries has been blessed by this mighty epistle. It has changed the course of many lives; it has changed the course of history, specifically, through the Reformation. Thank God, Paul knew better than to visit Rome but chose to write a letter instead. In knowing and keeping his priorities, we are the benefactors of this letter.
Paul’s Epistle to the Romans teaches us the power of the pen to minister to saints we may never see. His letter was written to a church he had never visited and to many individuals he had not yet seen. It has also ministered to many “unseen” saints throughout the history of the church. Our ministry, like Paul’s, needs not be limited to those who are nearby; I know of many who minister to missionaries far away by simply writing to them. I know of those who minister to those in prisons around the country by simply writing. To whom could you and I minister with a letter, if we but had Paul’s vision and commitment?
What a commentary Paul’s words provide on knowing the will of God! Paul was convinced that it was not the will of God for him to visit Rome until he had completed his mission to the Gentiles and the Jews, from Jerusalem to Illyricum. Paul would not allow his desire to be with these saints to keep him from his mission, his ministry, his calling.
Paul knew the will of God because he understood his calling. While some of his calling was individual and unique to him, much of his calling was common to the calling of Israel as a priestly nation and to all Christians in general. Often we agonize over specific decisions when our general mission and calling make such decisions self-evident. Let us join with Paul in considering our calling and walk in a manner consistent with that calling. In so doing, we shall discern the will of God for most of life’s decisions.
May the cause of Christ and His gospel so dominate our lives that, like Paul, we will live our lives to the glory of God and to the furthering of His kingdom.
121 “There is no mention of Illyricum (the Roman province bordering the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea) in Acts or in any of the Pauline Epistles up to this time. But the interval between the end of Paul’s Ephesian ministry and his setting out on his last journey to Jerusalem was probably greater than might be inferred from a casual reading of Acts, where it is compressed into half a dozen verses (Acts xx. 1-6). There is reason to think that Paul crossed to Macedonia in the summer or autumn of AD 55 (cf. 2 Cor. ii. 12f.) and spent the next fifteen to eighteen months in Macedonia and Achaia. It must have been within this period that he traversed Macedonia from east to west along the Egnatian Road, to the frontier of Illyricum, possibly crossing into Illyricum and preaching the gospel there, for such a journey cannot well be fitted into his itinerary at any earlier point.” F. F. Bruce, The Epistle of Paul to the Romans (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1963), p. 261.
122 The term rendered “admonish” or “warn” is used as a verb in Acts 20:31; Romans 15:14; 1 Corinthians 4:14; Colossians 1:28; 3:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:12, 14; 2 Thessalonians 3:15. The noun form is used in 1 Corinthians 10:11; Titus 3:10; Ephesians 6:4.
123 I take it the “knowledge” to which Paul refers here is primarily biblical and doctrinal knowledge but it may also very well include practical knowledge, which the Book of Proverbs would call wisdom. In order to counsel, we need to have goodwill toward men, wisdom concerning life, and sound biblical doctrine (not necessarily in this order).
124 Paul understood well the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20. He grasped that evangelism was not all our Lord commissioned the church to accomplish, but rather that ministry which led to the obedience of all that He had commanded.
125 The prophet Jonah is one of the most striking and dramatic examples of Israel’s refusal to accept her God-given role as a priestly nation. Jonah was typical of the attitudes and actions of the nation as a whole.
126 See also, Romans 6:13 and 2 Timothy 2:15.
127 I think this is what our Lord meant when He referred to the seven churches of Asia as “lampstands” in Revelation 1:12ff.
A friend of mine had an opportunity to become involved with Billy Graham and his ministry. While attending a breakfast with Mr. Graham and a number of other influential men, my friend was impressed with Mr. Graham’s conduct in two areas. First, he was impressed when the bill was presented that the evangelist quickly reached for it rather than waiting for someone else to take it, as often happens. Second, he was impressed with the way Mr. Graham responded to the waiter.
The waiter asked Mr. Graham if he would sign the bill and if it would be all right for him to keep it as an autograph. Even though it had been over a year since Mr. Graham had eaten in the restaurant, he was able to call the waiter by name and ask specific questions about his family.
I am amazed that anyone has that kind of memory for names. Even more, I am impressed when a prominent public figure, one of the best known men in the world according to a recent survey, takes the time to show interest and concern for someone who is not nearly as important in the eyes of the world.
Similarly, I am impressed with Paul, the apostle, the man with a vision for the world, when I read Romans 16:1-16. Paul has already succeeded in preaching the gospel from Jerusalem to Illyricum (15:19), and he now has his heart set on preaching in Spain. Yet, Paul pauses to take time to write this monumental epistle to a church he did not found and which he has not yet visited. In spite of this, Paul is able to greet many of these saints by name. In these few verses, twenty-nine people are mentioned specifically. He seems to be able to identify these people in the groupings of which they were a part. He also is able to give some personal information about many of them.
Frankly, many Christians would be hard-pressed to name as many people and be as specific about them if these were people in their own church. Paul is able to do this in writing to a church he has never yet visited. His greetings are a most impressive feat.
These saints whom Paul greets have long since died, and their names and the information Paul supplies may seem irrelevant. But the Holy Spirit has not only inspired these words, He has preserved them for our edification. Our task is to determine why these words have been preserved for us and what they have to teach us. It is a task well worth the effort. Let us look to Him who inspired these words to open our eyes to their meaning.
Our text falls into three main divisions:
(1) Verses 1-2 — A Commendation of Phoebe
(2) Verses 3-15 — Greetings to the Saints
(3) Verse 16 — Greeting One Another, A Corporate Greeting
In verses 1 and 2, Paul commends Phoebe to the church at Rome, urging them to receive her in a manner worthy of a saint and to help her as she has helped others. Verses 3-15 contain a long list of greetings to individuals and groups in the church at Rome. Verse 16 sums up the greetings by telling the saints at Rome they are to greet one another with a holy kiss and then sends greetings from all of the churches with whom Paul has had contact.
1 I commend to you our sister Phoebe,129 who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea;130 2 that you receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and that you help her in whatever matter she may have need of you; for she herself has also been a helper of many, and of myself as well.
The thrust of Paul’s words in the first two verses of chapter 16 is to commend Phoebe to the church at Rome so that she will be welcomed and helped during her stay at Rome. This however is not the main point of interest to Christians or to the commentaries. The question of greatest interest to many is this: “Was Phoebe a deaconess of the church at Cenchrea?” Stating the matter more broadly, “Is there an office of deaconess in the New Testament church?” Many think there is.131
The arguments for such an office, and for Phoebe being the only “deaconess” ever named in the New Testament, are few and far from convincing. Nevertheless, I mention them because they are so often and so dogmatically stated by the supporters of this position. First, they inform us that the term used here (diakonon) is feminine in gender and thus best rendered, “deaconess.” Second, they suggest that this verse, found in 1 Timothy 3, most likely refers to “deaconesses”:
Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things (1 Timothy 3:11).
Third, they would tell us that such a position was necessary because of the need to minister to women.
Functionally speaking, I would not be very distressed that any church would determine there is such an office as that of “deaconess,” so long as Paul’s teaching on the role of women132 was not set aside by this practice. I have no problem with women exercising leadership over women or children in the church. But there is a serious problem in the lack of biblical evidence in support of the view of deaconess and the way in which the Scriptures are used. At best, the conclusion that the Bible indicates there is such an office as that of “deaconess” should be tongue-in-cheek and admitted as having no compelling evidence in its support. I am inclined to think those who “see” such teaching want very badly to find it. It is hardly a position the evidence compels us to hold.
I would therefore wish to offset the confidence of those who believe Phoebe was a deaconess with evidence which strongly points in the other direction, namely that there is no such office, and that Phoebe most certainly was no more than a “servant” of the church.
(1) The use of the root term strongly argues against a formal office. There are three Greek terms used in the New Testament which share a common root. Altogether these three terms are found 101 times in the New Testament (in the King James Version). Out of these numerous occurrences, the term is rendered “deacon” only three times. Apart from this one occurrence in Romans 16:1, the translation, “deaconess,” would never be considered an option. Even so, “deaconess” is the marginal reading of the NASB and the NIV. In the text itself, both versions render the term in question, “servant,” and rightly so, for this is the most natural rendering. Some of those versions which translate more loosely do render the term “deaconess.” J. B. Phillips, for example, renders it this way. The statistics strongly argue against this.
(2) The offices of elder and deacon are leadership and management positions, and this is precisely what women are forbidden to do by Paul (see 1 Timothy 2:12).
(3) Women were not appointed to oversee the care of the widows in Acts 6; men were. It is often argued that deaconesses are not given authority over men but only over women. They argue that this leadership role is necessary because of the special needs of women, to which women can better minister. This may be true, but when the feeding of the “widows” in Jerusalem became a problem, the apostles did not appoint women to oversee this matter; they appointed seven men. If there was ever a case when a deaconess seemed to have been needed, it was at this time. But women were not put in this leadership role, even though the ministry was a ministry to women.
(4) The one verse in 1 Timothy 3 which is used to support the “deaconess” position seems rather to argue against this position.
Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things (1 Timothy 3:11).
None of the terms related to the office or function of deacon are used in this verse. The term is one which can be rendered either “women” or “wives,” as the marginal notes indicate. As the text is laid out, the most logical explanation is that this verse refers to the character of the wives of both elders and deacons. Surely a man’s wife can make or break his ministry in leadership. We would expect to find some reference to the wives of both elders and deacons. Here it is.
If this one verse refers to deaconesses, as some maintain, why are the qualifications for a deaconess so few? Why, when the qualifications for elders and deacons are nearly identical, are the qualifications for a deaconess so different? It is a very long reach to say that verse 11, which is a somewhat parenthetical verse, refers to some new category of office. If this is indeed an office, why is it not clearly identified as such somewhere? And why, if it is an office, in addition to that of elder and deacon, does Paul slight the deaconesses at Philippi by greeting only the elders and deacons (see Philippians 1:1)?
(5) Phoebe’s reception by the church in Rome has nothing to do with her office (of deaconess); she is to be received “in a manner worthy of the saints” (v. 2). Paul did not seek to set Phoebe apart from or above other saints; he urged the church in Rome to receive her as a saint, not as a deaconess. Leadership has nothing to do with being welcomed into the church and helped by the saints. It has everything to do with being a saint. Paul’s use of the term in question is to characterize Phoebe as a “servant” and to encourage the church to serve her as well.
(6) Paul’s description of Phoebe’s ministry in verses 1 and 2 is not that of deacon-like duties but that of faithful service. Paul specifically mentions her service to him. Did she serve him as a deaconess? I think not. She simply served.
(7) Ministry in the New Testament is not rewarded by bestowing an office or a title on someone. Ministry is simply service. Why do we think that a person who is faithful in their service deserves an office, as a kind of reward? Why do we equate ministry with an office or a title? This concept is not foreign to the church today, but it was foreign to the church of Paul’s day.
(8) The post-apostolic church fathers were neither divinely inspired nor inerrant in their practices, and thus the existence of deaconesses (or their likeness) in the post-apostolic church is not proof this office has apostolic sanction. Often the writings of the church fathers are cited to show how the early post-apostolic church functioned. I do not doubt the accuracy of their description of how things were, but this does not make it biblical. If church history proves anything, it demonstrates how quickly the church departed from its biblical form and function to that of human design.
Now that we have addressed this issue, let us press on to consider what Paul is doing here. First, Paul was honoring faithfulness in service. Second, he was honoring the service of a woman. Third, Paul was endorsing this woman and urging the church to come to her assistance, in whatever form that might need to take. Paul is hardly the chauvinist some today accuse him of being. He was a man who appreciated faithful service, who commended it, and who encouraged others in their service to the saints.
Specifically, the words of Paul recorded in verses 1 and 2 are similar to a letter of commendation. This is not a letter of church membership, which is better known in our time. Paul’s letter was a letter of recommendation, identifying Phoebe as a true and faithful believer who should be welcomed into the church at Rome. I wonder if Phoebe’s service to Paul included hospitality for him and his companions. Now Paul seems to urge his readers to deal with her in a similar fashion. Now she is the traveler. Now she should be the guest who receives the hospitality of the saints (see Romans 12:13).
On the one hand, the church was urged to show hospitality to Christian travelers:
Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brethren, and especially when they are strangers; and they bear witness to your love before the church; and you will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support such men, that we may be fellow workers with the truth (3 John 5-8).
On the other hand, there were false teachers and deceivers going about representing themselves as Christians. Such people were to be identified and avoided. They were not to be shown hospitality:
For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch yourselves, that you might not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds (2 John 7-11).
A letter of commendation was a very practical solution to a very sticky problem—the need to identify true saints and distinguish them from false teachers. We would do well today to make better use of such references. If we did so, we would be spared many problems which are the result of indiscriminate acceptance of strangers who are wolves in sheep’s clothing.
3 Greet Prisca and Aquila,133 my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who for my life risked their own necks, to whom not only do I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles; 5 also greet the church that is in their house. Greet Epaenetus, my beloved, who is the first convert to Christ from Asia. 6 Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junias,134 my kinsmen, and my fellow prisoners, who are outstanding among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me. 8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and Stachys my beloved. 10 Greet Apelles, the approved in Christ. Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus. 11 Greet Herodion, my kinsman. Greet those of the household of Narcissus, who are in the Lord. 12 Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, workers in the Lord. Greet Persis the beloved, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, a choice man in the Lord, also his mother and mine. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the brethren with them. 15 Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them.
Before we look at these greetings themselves, let us remind ourselves of several pertinent facts.
(1) Paul did not establish the church in Rome; indeed he has never been to Rome.
(2) Paul had a substantial ministry, taking him to many cities and countries and introducing him to countless numbers of people. Paul had the perfect excuse for forgetting names and details about individual people. He was a busy, important, and successful man.
(3) Paul had goals which were global. He has already fully preached the gospel from Jerusalem to Illyricum. Now he is about to commence a new ministry to Spain. A man with such visionary goals could be excused for not knowing much about the people in a church he had never visited.
(4) Of all the epistles we would expect to be cold and distant, Romans would come close to the top of the list. The Book of Romans is a meticulous, systematic exposition of the gospel and of biblical theology. If one considers doctrine to be cold and personal, surely Paul might be expected to be distant, academic, and aloof here. One might not expect to find any personal greetings. How warm can a systematic theology be?
In the light of these observations about the man Paul, and the excuses which could be made for an impersonal letter, consider the following characteristics of the greetings found in verses 3-15.
(1) The term “greet” is found 16 times in verses 3-15 (plus one more occurrence in verse 16).
(2) This greeting section is, by far, the largest of all of the epistles, larger than all the others combined.
(3) Including Phoebe, 25 people are mentioned by name.
(4) Two other individuals are specifically referred to, but not by name—Rufus’ mother, in verse 13, and Nereus’ sister in verse 15.
(5) Paul’s words imply that he had a personal acquaintance or relationship with at least 10 of those mentioned.135 Prisca and Aquila are the most obvious of Paul’s personal acquaintances (see Acts 18:2; 1 Corinthians 16:19; 2 Timothy 4:19).
(6) Of the 15 individuals named, whom Paul seems not to have known personally, Paul nevertheless describes them in a way that reveals he does know a good deal about them.136
(7) Paul grouped his greetings. There are at least nine groupings in these verses of more than one person. Paul not only knew a number of people personally and knew about others individually, his greetings indicate he knew of the Romans by the groups to which they belonged. Each time the word “greet” occurs in this section, it is followed by one or more people. Each greeting separates one individual from the rest or suggests that those individuals listed between greetings were a part of a group. Paul groups individuals by family relationships. Husband and wife, brother and sister, mother and son are listed side-by-side. Paul also referred to groups by household (verses 10 and 11), and he identifies at least one house church (verse 5). There are other groups not so clearly defined, other than by the expression, “those with them” (see verses 14 and 15). Paul’s grouped greetings are amazing, something like Joseph’s placing of his brothers by their birth order when they sat at his table (see Genesis 43:33).
(8) Paul’s greetings are all-inclusive rather than exclusive. Those named or referred to in this list of individuals to be greeted seem to encompass a very broad spectrum. In Paul’s list we find men and women, Jews and Gentiles, leaders (see verse 7) and servants, slaves and nobility,137 and (very likely) rich and poor. I am reminded of Paul’s words in Galatians when he wrote:
For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:26-28).
(9) Paul’s greetings are so extensive, personal, and detailed that some have questioned whether they are addressed to the saints at Rome. There are some who hold that these greetings must have been addressed to the saints at Ephesus, not Rome.138 Such a view does not take the text seriously enough, nor does it do justice to the great heart of the apostle, but at least it realizes how unusual Paul’s relationship with the church at Rome was.
I believe Paul did know the church at Rome that well. How this is possible is not such a great mystery as it may seem at first. Consider these factors:
(1) Paul had known about this church in Rome (and they of him, it would seem) for a number of years (see 15:23). What seems impossible over a short period of time is possible given much time. Paul had much time to learn about the saints in Rome.
(2) There was considerable mobility in those days, and thus people were able to travel a great deal. Prisca and Aquila lived and ministered in a number of places. Phoebe, who was perhaps a single woman (like Lydia in Acts 16?), nevertheless traveled from Cenchrea (a port city about 9 miles from Corinth) to Rome. Paul traveled near and far (see 2 Corinthians 11:25-26). And so, whether by his travels or those of other saints, relationships could have been formed with those now in Rome without Paul ever having set foot in Rome.
(3) Paul frequently sent others to visit churches about which he was concerned. Paul sent Timothy to Ephesus (1 Timothy 1:3) and elsewhere (see 1 Thessalonians 3:2; Philippians 2:19) and left men like Titus in Crete (Titus 1:5). He sent others, like Tychicus, to Ephesus (Ephesians 6:21-22). Sometimes the church sent men to Paul, as was the case with Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:25; 4:18).
(4) Letters were sent to Paul and by him, keeping track of the churches and their condition, and giving instruction and admonition where needed (see 1 Corinthians 5:9-13).
(5) Paul seldom worked alone but went out as a team, often sending some ahead and leaving others behind. In Romans 16:21-23, we see there were a number of men with Paul as he wrote this Roman epistle. This “network” of men provided Paul with much more information than he could have gathered by himself.
(6) Paul’s greetings are as personal and specific as his prayers, which may very well help to explain the intimate knowledge Paul had of the saints in Rome.
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world (Romans 1:8).
We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel, which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth; just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit. For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light (Colossians 1:3-12).
We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you (1 Thessalonians 1:2-4; see 2 Thessalonians 1:3).
I wonder, were we to take this list of greetings and place it alongside Paul’s prayer list for Rome, if we would not see a great deal of similarity. My opinion is that Paul prayed daily for those whom he is now greeting. It would not have been difficult for him to come up with such details if he upheld them daily in prayer.
16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.
In verses 3-15, Paul has conveyed his personal greetings to a number of the saints in Rome. Now, in verse 16, Paul does two things. In the last part of the verse he conveys greetings from “all the churches of Christ.” He does this because of the essential unity which exists between all of the churches of Christ, because of our union with our Lord and in Him (see Ephesians 2). He can convey greetings on behalf of these churches because he has had direct contact with many of them and indirect contact with virtually all of them (see 2 Corinthians 11:28). In addition to Paul’s involvement with all the churches, he was in the process of taking up a collection for the saints in Jerusalem, and each contributing church seems to have sent a personal representative along with Paul (see 1 Corinthians 16:2-4). If any of these representatives were with Paul at the time of the writing of this epistle, Paul’s words would be even more literal in meaning.
The first part of verse 16 conveys a command, to “greet one another with a holy kiss.” Paul sends his personal greetings (verses 3-15). All the churches send their greetings (verse 16b). Those with Paul send their greetings (verses 21-23). And now, Paul tells the Romans to greet one another among themselves (verse 16a). A Christian greeting is the manifestation of Christian unity. Therefore greetings must be intra-church (within the church), as well as inter-church (between churches).
Paul tells the church at Rome not only to greet one another, but he tells them how this greeting should be expressed—“with a holy kiss.” This command is not found only once; it is found five times in the New Testament. In addition to our text, it is found in 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:26 and 1 Peter 5:14.
Does this mean that in order to obey the Word of God we should all pucker up? The answer is not quite as simple as it might first appear. Let me explain.
(1) Every Christian should be willing to obey the Scriptures, exactly as the command is given.
(2) In many instances—more than we might like to admit—this is exactly what we should do, without excuse or modification. Simple obedience to God’s commands ought to be our desire always and our response most often.
(3) When there are commands, there is the danger of stark literalism, mixed with legalism, which we must avoid. Obeying God is more than just “keeping rules.” Righteousness requires keeping the rules, obeying God’s Law and man’s laws, but such obedience must be properly motivated. Keeping the rules is not to be merely external but internal as well. Obedience must come from a pure heart and a clean conscience.
The Sermon on the Mount was our Lord’s attack on the stark legalism (“rule-making” and “rule-keeping”) of the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus, throughout His Sermon, stressed that men must think beyond the rules to their reasons; they must press beyond the precepts to the principles underlying them. Paul understood this very well. He understood, for example, that the command “not to muzzle the ox” was based upon a principle with broad ramifications (see 1 Corinthians 9:9, in context).
If one is going to “obey the law” in a way that pleases God, then this must be consistent with the principles underlying it. It will also mean that obedience to the principle may occasionally require what looks like disregard for the precept or rule. For example, Jesus “appeared” to violate the Sabbath. He defended His actions by reminding His opponents of an important principle, “Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:8). The Sabbath was instituted for man’s benefit, and thus for Jesus to heal on the Sabbath was legal, even though it was work (see Matthew 12:1-8). David ate the sacred bread and gave it to his men, a thing which was not lawful to do. But a higher principle made this apparent disobedience right conduct (Matthew 12:1-5). The legalists could only see the rules, but Jesus taught His disciples to look for the reasons and to obey in the light of the reasons.
(4) I believe there are reasons—higher principles—which may require us to obey Paul’s command in a different way than actually going about kissing one another.139 The higher principle is this: “Avoid every appearance of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:22). In our culture, kissing means something quite different from what it meant in the days of Paul. If kissing one another would cause some to stumble or cause unnecessary offense to the gospel, then it may not be the thing to do.140
(5) When a certain (commanded) practice seems to violate the principle on which it was founded, then we should seek to obey in the best way possible, in the way which best fulfills the principle.
(6) The fundamental truth underlying our text and Paul’s command is that of Christian unity. The command to “Greet one another with a holy kiss” is given to assure that unity is demonstrated in the church. The opposite of this is to refuse to receive others, especially those who differ with us in the matter of convictions (see 14:1; 15:7). In Paul’s day and in his culture, “Greeting one another with a holy kiss” caused Christians to do that which was unnatural and even culturally unacceptable.
Let me seek to demonstrate what I am saying. In the State of Texas we recently had elections for state officials. The governor’s race was an especially heated and ugly campaign. At a particular function, the two major candidates, Ann Richards and Clayton Williams, met face-to-face. Ann Richards held out her hand to Clayton Williams. He refused to shake her hand. Public reaction to his action may have contributed to his loss of this election.
A handshake is symbolic. It is not nearly as intimate as a kiss. A kiss is an even more intimate gesture. In the East, this kiss is often between men. Because of the war in the Middle East, we have seen some of the political leaders of the Middle East greeting one another with a kiss. Can you imagine one of Israel’s top political leaders greeting Saddam Hussein with a kiss? Hardly. Muslims and Christians do not greet this way. Muslims will greet Muslims with a kiss. And Eastern Christians would greet Christians this way. A holy kiss is a token of unity, of oneness.
Paul has worked very hard to demonstrate the unity which exists between all Christians, whatever their race, economic status, or sex. The command to greet one another with a holy kiss is an exhortation to demonstrate this unity in a tangible way and in a way that is naturally repulsive and detestable. We know the saints whom Paul greeted in Rome were male and female, Jew and Gentile, and likely slave and free. For people who were so different, so inclined toward animosity toward their counterparts, this command was a real test of obedience. Imagine the impact of walking in the streets of Rome and watching an Arab Christian greeting a Jewish Christian with a holy kiss. Paul is calling for nothing less than this.
In our culture, Christian unity may not be best demonstrated by a kiss. There may not be a way for us to greet others with a kiss which is truly holy. If not, then let us find some way in which to demonstrate our unity. One way is to open our homes to those believers who would not normally be invited into the intimacy of our restricted privacy and fellowship. Culturally, this would be shocking to those who wish to preserve and promote our differences. For Christians, it would be an excellent way to demonstrate the greater unity we have in Christ in the midst of our differences. Some outside the faith, who would claim us as a part of their culture or group, will undoubtedly be angered. Let it be so. Christian unity must be something we not only declare in concept but demonstrate in our conduct.
“Greet” is the dominant word (and concept) of our passage. Every Christian is to greet other Christians. In some way or other, our brothers and sisters must be shown that we accept them and receive them into our fellowship, because we are one in Christ. Our “greetings” are but one expression of our unity. There should be various expressions.
Greeting visitors to our church is not just a courtesy, a polite gesture which we perform. It is an essential expression of who we are in Christ and of our unity with all others who are in Christ. To exclude fellow-believers (except in cases of church discipline) is sinful disobedience. To fail to warmly welcome is only a more socially acceptable form of the same sin. We must take this matter most seriously. We dare not leave it to others. It is our personal obligation.
In addition to our unity in Christ, there are several other reasons for such an emphasis on greeting in the final words of Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. Let me conclude by explaining why I believe Paul devoted so much time and effort to these final greetings in Romans, based upon his teaching and practice elsewhere in his epistles to other churches.
People are to be our priority. We are to love and serve God, above everything and everyone else. But our service to God is to work itself out in loving and serving others, putting their interests above our own, seeking to please them, and not ourselves. In this way, we are pleasing God. We are to offer our own bodies as living sacrifices to God, and as a result we are also to offer up to God those whose lives we have touched for good, for His glory and kingdom.
Paul is very much concerned about right doctrine in Romans. But right doctrine is not to be viewed in isolation. Right doctrine is important because it accurately reflects the character of God and the conduct which is pleasing to Him. Right doctrine is important, not only because the truth is important but also because people are important. This epistle which gives such priority to doctrine also gives priority to people. Let us hold both in high esteem.
People who come to know God and to serve Him faithfully are the Christians’ joy and reward. They were for Paul, as he was careful to tell them. He cherished them and his relationship with them. He yearned to be with them and experienced sorrow in separation from them.
Therefore, my beloved brethren whom I long to see, my joy and crown, so stand firm in the Lord, my beloved (Philippians 4:1).
But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children. Having thus a fond affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us. For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers; just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. And for this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received from us the word of God’s message, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe. For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews, who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out. They are not pleasing to God, but hostile to all men, hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved; with the result that they always fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them to the utmost. But we, brethren, having been bereft of you for a short while—in person, not in spirit—were all the more eager with great desire to see your face. For we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, more than once—and yet Satan thwarted us. For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? For you are our glory and joy (1 Thessalonians 1:7-20).
I hope and pray our church is known for our love for God, and that we are careful to be faithful to the Word of God in all that we believe and practice. But in addition to this, I hope and pray we are a church marked out by our love for one another, demonstrating that we are disciples of our Lord.
129 “Nothing else is known of her, though her name (Phoibe) means bright or radiant.” A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1931), IV, p. 425.
130 “Cenchreae (RV, RSV, NEB) was one of the two seaports of Corinth, situated on the Saronic Gulf (cf. Acts viii. 18). The church there may have been a daughter-church of the city-church of Corinth.” F. F. Bruce, The Epistle of Paul to the Romans (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1963), p. 270.
131 “The only question here is whether it is used in a general sense or in a technical sense as in Phil. 1:1 and I Tim. 3:8-13. In favour of the technical sense of ‘deacon’ or ‘deaconess’ is the addition of “tes ekklesias” (of the church). In some sense Phoebe was a servant or minister of the church in Cenchreae. Besides, right in the midst of the discussion in I Tim. 3:8-13 Paul has a discussion of gunaikas (verse 11) either as women as deaconesses or as the wives of deacons (less likely though possible). The Apostolic Constitutions has numerous allusions to deaconesses …Whether the deaconesses were a separate organization on a par with the deacons we do not know nor whether they were the widows alluded to in I Tim. 5:9f.” A. T. Robertson, p. 425.
132 Teaching such as that found in 1 Corinthians 11:2-16; 14:33-36; 1 Timothy 2:9-15. See also Peter’s words in 1 Peter 3:1-6. The historical precedent is the fall in the Garden of Eden. The principle is that of headship, which a woman is denied to exercise over men in the church. A woman not only exerts headship by teaching or preaching and leading men in the church, but by being preeminent. This is done not only by her speech, but by her demeanor and dress. Our culture is incensed by this teaching, and many Christians have succumbed to secular thinking, rejecting the biblical teaching out of hand.
133 “The first persons to whom Paul sends greetings here are his friends Priscilla and Aquila. When we last heard of them, either in Acts (xviii. 26) or in Paul’s correspondence (1 Cor. xvi. 19), they were resident in Ephesus, where they had a church in their house, as they have here. In the absence of any hint to the contrary, we may presume they were still in Ephesus.” F. F. Bruce, p. 267.
134 “It is impossible to decide whether the second of these names is feminine, Junia (as in AV), or masculine, Junias (as in RV, RSV, NEB).” We know nothing of these two apart from Paul’s reference to them here, … they had shared one of Paul’s frequent imprisonments (2 Cor. xi. 23)—where, we cannot say; certainly not in Philippi, quite possibly in Ephesus. Moreover, they were ‘of note among the apostles,’ which probably means that they were not merely well known to the apostles but were apostles themselves (in a wider sense of the word), and eminent ones at that …” Bruce, pp. 271-272.
135 For example, when Paul refers to Mary, he simply says that she “has worked hard for you” (verse 6). Paul seems to claim only to know about her but not to know her personally. But when he refers to Ampliatus as “my beloved in the Lord” (verse 8), he implies that there is a more personal acquaintance and relationship.
136 Mary, in verse 6, Paul knew to be a woman who “worked hard for the Roman saints.” Apelles, in verse 10, was identified by Paul as “the approved in Christ.” Tryphaena and Tryphosa Paul referred to as “workers in the Lord,” and Persis Paul called “the beloved, who has worked hard in the Lord” (verse 12).
137 The last two categories are inferential and thus speculative, but I do think the inference may well be present. For example, those who had households may well have been either well-to-do or influential or both. Herodion may have been tied to royalty, and some of the female names seem to have been common names for slaves.
138 “It has been widely held that this final chapter was directed not to Rome but to Ephesus—that it was for Ephesus that Phoebe was bound and that the friends to whom Paul sends greetings lived in Ephesus.” F. F. Bruce, p. 266.
139 At this point, I should probably point out that whether or not we should “greet one another with a holy kiss” may be a matter of personal conviction, such as those discussed in chapters 14 and 15.
140 I think my reasoning here is biblical, but it may not be as necessary with this one command as with some other. We are not simply told to “Greet each other with a kiss,” but to “Greet one another with a holy kiss.” There are many “kisses” in our culture, but they are most often a Hollywood kiss, not a “holy kiss.” If we cannot obey Paul’s command exactly, then we dare not try to obey it at all, if our kiss brings about evil rather than good.
I visited a woman in the hospital over a period of time who was dying of cancer. Often when I arrived, friends or relatives were visiting with her. One day after a visitor left, the dying woman remarked to me how insignificant their conversation had been to her. This dying woman had little time or appreciation for small talk. When we talked, her questions were about death, life after death, and eternal salvation. Rightly, she wanted to talk about those things of eternal importance.
A person’s final words often reveal what is truly important to him or her. Final words can also be weighty. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans is regarded as a monumental work. Paul weighs his words throughout the epistle because the gospel of Jesus Christ is so vitally important. His closing words draw attention to those things of vital importance to Paul, and they should be of importance to us as well.
Romans 16:17-27 are Paul’s final words of the epistle, and I have the strong impression Paul is well aware of their significance. Although Paul’s style conforms to the normal forms of his day, this closing is not simply the repetition of some standard form. His conclusion begins with a solemn word of admonition as Paul warns of those who would seek to undermine the very truths and practices he has taught in this epistle (verses 17-20). He then passes on the greetings of those men with him in Corinth (verses 21-23). Finally, in verses 25-27, Paul closes with a benediction focusing the believers’ attention on God as the Author, Source, and Finisher of their faith.
Let us regard carefully these weighty and solemn words in Paul’s conclusion to this magnificent Epistle to the Romans.
17 Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. 18 For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting. 19 For the report of your obedience has reached to all; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good, and innocent in what is evil. 20 And the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
Paul’s intention throughout this epistle has been to carefully expound the truth of the gospel and to explain its practical implications and obligations. Early in the epistle he alluded to those who would encourage others to live in a way that offends the righteousness of God:
And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and, although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them (Romans 1:28-32).
It would seem that those to whom Paul refers in this text are Jews, those who know right from wrong based upon the revelation God has given in the Law. They also know the penalty which sin deserves and requires. Nevertheless, they not only persist in practicing such sin, they “… give hearty approval to those who practice [such things]” (verse 32). Elsewhere, Paul refers to a distortion of the truth of the gospel of God’s grace:
And the Law came in that the transgression might increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? (Romans 5:20–6:2).
Now, in his final words to the Roman saints, Paul specifically addresses the problem of those who would distort the truth and destroy some saints who have received it by faith.
Our Lord Jesus warned about those who would come as “sheep in wolves’ clothing.” His words apply to those of whom Paul speaks in our text:
“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit; but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:15-20).
In order to identify those whom the saints at Rome are to “keep an eye on” Paul indicates three “fruits of falsehood” which characterize those who pose a threat to the saints.
The first fruit of falsehood is strife. Paul says we are to “keep an eye on those who cause dissensions” (verse 17). The old adage, “divide and conquer,” seems to be one of the fundamental tenants of those aligned with falsehood. In Romans and elsewhere in Paul’s teaching, strife is condemned, and Christian unity is upheld. While retaining the distinct identity of the Jews and their future hope, Paul has sought to demonstrate the unity which Jews and Gentiles experience in Christ. In Romans 14 and 15, Paul has forbidden debate and tension which can arise out of differing convictions. But just as communism has sought to expand by fomenting strife, so Satan seeks to further his cause by adding fuel to the flames of friction and discord.
Teachers who depart from sound doctrine engage in speculation and argumentation which results in strife and friction:
If anyone advocates a different doctrine, and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain (1 Timothy 6:3-5).
But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels (2 Timothy 2:23).
In his Epistle to the Galatians, Paul contrasts the fruit of the Spirit with the fruit of the flesh. He shows that strife and discord are the fruit of the flesh, while unity and harmony are the fruit of the Spirit:
For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, take care lest you be consumed by one another. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another (Galatians 5:13-26).
James points out this same contrast between the fruit of righteousness and the fruit of the wicked:
Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace (James 3:13-18).
The second fruit of falsehood is stumbling. Our Lord Jesus had severe words for any who would be the cause of the stumbling of another, especially one of His “little ones”:
“And whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to stumble, it would be better for him if, with a heavy millstone hung around his neck, he had been cast into the sea” (Mark 9:42).
In Romans, Paul has just taught that we dare not be the cause of a brother’s stumbling:
So then let us pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense. It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles. The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin. Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to his edification (Romans 14:19–15:2).
The strong should help the weak, and they should not cause them to stumble. Those who are promoters of falsehood are a cause of stumbling. The weak are their prey, those not well versed in Scripture or alert to the dangers of false teaching.
The third fruit of falsehood is the attack against biblical teaching. The Scriptures are the standard by which all teaching must be evaluated and to which all teaching must be subordinate:
“If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you to find out if you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall follow the LORD your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him. But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has counseled rebellion against the LORD your God who brought you from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, to seduce you from the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from among you” (Deuteronomy 13:1-5).
Years ago, a godly and faithful minister of the Word said, “Every cult is either the Bible plus or the Bible minus.” False teaching either seeks to subtract from the Bible or to add to it. Paul warns the Romans that the peddlers of error will always be recognized by their departure from the doctrines the Scriptures teach, which now includes Paul’s epistles.
Although Paul speaks of a departure from the truth of the Word of God, it is manifested in a wide variety of forms. It can be a departure in either beliefs or behavior, but most likely both. It can take the form of legalism (works righteousness) or license. It may openly distort or deny clear-cut doctrines of the faith, or it may more subtly turn our attention and devotion away from our Lord Jesus Christ to something else.
There is a direct link between a person’s motivation, his message, and his methods. Paul has informed us about the fruit of the wolves who prey upon the saints. He also tells us about the motives and methods of these wolves. We will first consider their motivation and then turn to their methods.
The wolves of whom Paul warns are like many drug dealers; they are hooked on the same stuff they peddle to others. Wolves seek to turn Christians from self-denial to self-indulgence, from self-sacrifice to self-service. While Christians should consider themselves slaves to Jesus Christ, these wolves are slaves of their own fleshly appetites. They seek to satisfy their fleshly desires, rather than subordinate them to the cause of the gospel and service to God. Either they were never delivered from their bondage to the flesh or they have returned to it (see Romans 6:15-23; 2 Peter 2 and 3, Jude).
Willingly, they are servants of the flesh. It may be unknowingly, but they are thereby servants of Satan himself, furthering his purposes:
And they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will (2 Timothy 2:26).
Paul alludes to this in verse 20 of our text, indicating that Satan stands behind these wolves, using them to achieve his purposes.142 He indicates as well that Satan’s full and final defeat is certain, although still future: “And the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.”
Satan, through his “wolves,” may nip at our heels now, but in the end he will be crushed under our feet. The one who promotes strife and disharmony is to be destroyed and defeated by the “God of peace.”
In Paul’s brief warning about wolves, he speaks of three of the methods they employ.
First, wolves prey upon those who are vulnerable. Satan has his ways of attacking the “strong,” but wolves tend to prey upon the “weak” and more vulnerable sheep in the flock. Paul informs us that these wolves prey upon “the unsuspecting.” Those whom we would assume to be “unsuspecting” would be new Christians, those who have not yet learned the fundamentals of the faith nor the cunning and treachery of Satan.
Sadly, new Christians are not the only ones who fall into this category. The “unsuspecting” includes those whose consciences have been dulled or hardened by sin or overwhelmed by guilt (see 2 Timothy 3:6-7). It includes those who are controlled by the flesh and its impulses, rather than by the Spirit. It includes those who have become too attached to the world and its pleasures. For one or more of many possible reasons, these people are not sensitive to the ever-present dangers posed by Satan and his servants.
Second, wolves deceive. Like Satan, their master, they are cunning, skilled in the art of deception. While they are sometimes bold enough to make a frontal attack, most often they seek to undermine and subvert from within. They are deceptive as to their identity and allegiance. They do not identify themselves as instruments of Satan but more often profess to be believers. They appear as “angels of light”:
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their deeds (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).
As our Lord warned, they come as “wolves in sheep’s clothing” (Matthew 7:15).
They are deceptive as to their message. If they were to advocate license and fleshly indulgence, they would very likely do so under the banner of “grace” (see Romans 6:1ff., Jude 4). If they were to advocate legalism, it would be put forth under the banner of “obedience” or “spirituality” (see 1 Timothy 4:1-5). They, like Satan, promise one thing but deliver another (see 2 Peter 2:19).143
Third, wolves seduce with their speech. These wolves are enslaved to the flesh (verse 18, see 2 Peter 2:2-3, 7, 10-14; 3:3). They seem not to possess the Spirit (Jude 19) or at least to have turned from His leading and power.144 They do not draw upon the Spirit’s guidance and power. Neither do they appeal to others to do so. Instead, they seek to motivate and enable men by appealing to the flesh.
For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error, promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved (2 Peter 2:18-19).
In order to entice men and women to follow, they employ “smooth and flattering speech” (verse 18). Their words “go down easy,” but they are “bitter” in the end.
Paul does not tell us these things about wolves without reason. We are told what they are like and how they can be detected so that we might take appropriate action. The action we are to take is laid down in verse 17:
Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them.
Satan is the “serpent” of old (see Genesis 3; Revelation 12:9). He and his servants are to be dealt with just as we would deal with a venomous snake. Paul tells us we are to “keep our eye on” them and “turn away from” them.
When you walk along where snakes might be found, you always carefully watch where you are walking. You are “suspecting.” You “keep your eyes open” to catch the presence of any snake. Once you spot a snake, you “keep your eyes on” it. You see where it is going, and you “turn away from” it.145
Such is the way we are to deal with those of whom Paul speaks. We are to be alert to the dangers which they pose. We are always to be on the lookout for them. When we spot one, we are to keep our eyes on them and turn away from them. In this way, they will not be able to do us harm.
It seems that Paul’s instructions are both private and public, both individual and corporate. They apply to each of us individually, as Christians, but also to the church collectively. The church is to watch out for wolves and to avoid them. We are not only our own keeper in this matter but our brothers’ keeper as well.
Note also that we are not commanded to attack wolves but to avoid them. We are not told to defeat or destroy them but to deny them fellowship among us. Their defeat is certain. It is also described as future. It is a defeat in which we will, in the future, play a part. God will crush Satan under our feet (verse 20). We must be careful not to go further than Paul’s words allow or command. Christians sometimes speak of “binding Satan” and of defeating him. Our task is to avoid him and his helpers and to resist him if need be. We ought not attack him until the day of his defeat is at hand, and that day is still future.
While the subject does not change in verses 19 and 20, there is a shift in tone and emphasis. Paul’s words in verses 17 and 18 are a warning, rooted in Paul’s understanding of the “wiles of the devil” and the fallibility of men. The report Paul received of the Roman saints was a positive one. They were known abroad for their obedience. For this they were to be commended. At this very point (of obedience) Satan will be sure to strike, just as he first did in the Garden of Eden.
The Garden of Eden and the fall of man is very much in view in the imagery and expressions Paul has chosen.146 Paul knew well the devastating impact of Adam’s fall on the world (see Romans 5:12-21). He sees Satan as ever present, ever seeking to bring about the fall of others. He knows Satan uses men to further his purposes. The wolves of whom Paul has been warning us are such servants. The saints in Rome are to be “wise in what is good and innocent147 in what is evil” (verse 19). The wolves try to prevent the practice of what is good and promote instead what is evil. Let the saints in Rome continue in obedience, as they have been doing. But let Satan not achieve his purposes by turning them from obedience to God’s Word to the seeking of knowledge and experience contrary to the Word.
In contrast to the wolves who serve Satan and bring dissension and stumbling, Paul promises that the “God of peace” will someday destroy Satan and end his opposition. The “God of peace,” who is characterized by peace, produces and promotes peace.
21 Timothy my fellow worker greets you, and so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen. 22 I, Tertius, who write this letter, greet you in the Lord. 23 Gaius, host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer greets you, and Quartus, the brother. 24 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Verses 3-16 contain the names of those in Rome to whom Paul sent greetings. Verses 21-23 contain the names of eight men who were with Paul in Corinth and sent greetings along with him. One might wonder why those greeted were named earlier in this chapter, while those sending greetings are listed later, separated by verses 17-20.
We may confidently say that Paul intended to keep these two groups—those sending greetings and those greeted—separate. I think he wanted us to keep both groups separate in our minds. Paul wanted his Roman readers to realize that he was not alone, either in Corinth or in his ministry to the churches. These men played a significant part in his ministry, and he wanted due credit and attention directed to them.
Paul was a team player. While he was not closely associated with the original apostles in his ministry, he was no “Lone Ranger.” The unity and harmony he urges the churches to preserve and practice is that which could be seen in his own ministry. The men whom he names include both Jews (“kinsmen”) and Gentiles. This team seems to be as broad-based in composition as those to whom greetings are sent above. This is exactly as it should be. Paul’s letter came not only from his hand, but from that of Tertius, his letter writer. Paul’s words came not just from his heart but from the hearts of those who were one with him in ministry as well.
25 Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, 26 but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith; 27 to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.
These last verses are a kind of benediction; they are not to be viewed in isolation but must be understood in context. In particular, these words counterbalance what he has written in verses 17-20. Verses 17-20 are a warning about wolves. Paul does not wish to close off this epistle without warning the Romans saints about a very real danger. The negative thrust of verses 17-20 is offset by the positive note of verses 25-27. In these final verses, Paul turns the believer’s attention and focus toward God rather than men. If wolves will cause Christians to divide into factions and to stumble, God alone is the One who unites men and who makes them stand. Wolves seek to destroy our foundations; God is the One “who is able to establish” us. It is with this Godward focus that Paul closes the epistle.
The emphasis is Godward, not manward. God is the One from whom all blessings originate. He is the One through whom all blessings flow. He is the one to whom all blessing and praise should be directed.
God is the source of all blessings. It was in eternity past that God determined His plans and purposes for all mankind and for His creation. This was known only to God, until the time when He chose to reveal it to man. It was a mystery, “which has been kept secret for long ages past,” from the time of its conception in eternity past to the time of creation.149
This mystery was a plan which the “only wise God” (verse 27) predetermined. It was a plan men could not have imagined or planned and which cannot be fathomed apart from divine enablement. It was foretold by the Old Testament prophets and then accomplished in the life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. The mystery is now proclaimed as accomplished in Christ, through the preaching of the gospel. This gospel, proclaimed by Paul and others, is preached to both Jews and Gentiles. That the Gentiles would be offered salvation in Christ is a part of the mystery which was revealed. The goal of the gospel (as well as of Paul himself, see Romans 1:5) is the obedience which originates from faith (verse 26).
The purpose of God in this mystery was not just to save both Jews and Gentiles, resulting in the “obedience of faith.” The purpose was to bring glory to God. The gospel is from Him (His eternal purpose and decree), through Him (through the work of Christ and the preaching of the gospel), and to Him. And so in the final verse of Romans, Paul praises God for His infinite wisdom and glory, through Jesus Christ.
Salvation is God’s doing. It was His plan and purpose before man was even created. It was His doing, as revealed by the prophets, accomplished in Christ, and proclaimed through the gospel. It is thus God alone who should receive man’s praise and adoration.
As we leave this great epistle, let us leave it as Paul does, with our eyes fixed on Him who is “the author and finisher of our faith,” with our minds overwhelmed by His infinite wisdom, and with our hearts overflowing with gratitude, wonder, and praise because of His grace. To God be the glory!
141 Compare Paul’s warnings here with other warnings elsewhere, such as: Jeremiah 14:13-14; Ezekiel 22:23-31; 34; Matthew 7:13-23; 24:23-28; Mark 13:21-23; Luke 2:8-9; 17:22-24; Acts 20:17-35; 2 Corinthians 2:17; 4:1-4; 10:1ff; 11* (note esp. v. 3). Galatians 1:6-10; 6:11-17; Philippians 1:15-17; 3:1-3, 17-21; Colossians 2:8-23; 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12; 2 Thessalonians 2; 1 Timothy 1:3-11; 4:1-5; 6:3-5; 2 Timothy 2:14-26; chapter 3; 4:1-5; Titus 1:1-16; 3:8-11; James 3 (note especially verses 13-18); 2 Peter 2 and 3; 1 John 2:18-29; 4:1-6; 2 John 7-11; Jude; Revelation 2:12-17, 18-29.
142 For the connection between false teachers and Satan (or his demons) see also 2 Corinthians 11:12-15; 1 Timothy 4:1-5.
143 Other references confirm the hypocrisy of these wolves. They are “springs without water,” “clouds without water,” and “trees without fruit” (see 2 Peter 2:17; Jude 12). In each of these instances, they promise something which they do not deliver. Not only do they fail to produce what they promise, they seek to rob us of that which God does provide.
144 The difference between those who do not possess the Spirit and those who have turned from Him is that of salvation. Those without the Spirit are lost, those whom our Lord “never knew” (see Matthew 7:23). Even more tragic are those who have tasted of Him and turned away in their sin. In the passages which speak of wolves, the line between those who have believed and those who have not is not always clear. I think this is deliberate. Those who are saved, yet have chosen to live according to the flesh, are not given great assurance about their eternal security. Those who have been saved are eternally secure, but in their sin they are not necessarily assured. While they may be saved, and certain to enjoy eternity with God, they should not feel smugly secure as they go their own way.
145 A similar analogy can be found in the recent Middle East war. The Iraqi forces were confronted and defeated. Victory was certain. But a permanent cease fire had not yet been formalized. No aggressive attack was to be made on Iraqi forces; only defensive action was allowed. Allied soldiers were commanded not to enter enemy bunkers to satisfy their curiosity or obtain souvenirs. There were too many unseen dangers, such as booby traps and unexploded grenades and ammunition. Even as soldiers made their way across the desert, they had to “keep an eye out” for mines, and “avoid them.”
146 The “smooth and flattering speech” of the wolves is similar to Satan’s cunning way with words seen from the Garden of Eden on. The reference to “good” and “evil” also appears to be an allusion to the fall. Finally, the statement that God will “soon crush Satan under your feet” is most clearly an allusion to Genesis 3:15.
Having pointed out these allusions, let me underscore they are just that—allusions. Satan does not get the publicity from Paul he would like. Indeed, Satan does not get the “press” he would desire from any writer in the Bible. While sufficient teaching about Satan, his character, his methods, and his ultimate doom are provided by the Scriptures, he is not given as much space as a creature with his appetite for attention would desire. I think we should learn from the economy of words in the Bible referring to Satan. In Romans, Satan is viewed as a very real creature with devious methods and damnable conduct. Nevertheless, he is given little publicity. Contemporary Christianity has failed to note the “principle of proportion” as it relates to Satan. We give him too much credit and far too much publicity. Let us “keep our eyes open” for his presence and his destructive work in our midst, but let us not give him too much credit or attention. He will gratefully accept any attention given to him, especially if it is not merited, and most happily if it distracts us from concentrating on Christ.
147 It is interesting and noteworthy that Paul contrasts “wise” with “innocent.” Wisdom, as portrayed in the Bible, combines knowledge and insight with experience and practice. “Innocence” here may especially highlight the experiential side, something like “simplicity” in Proverbs. To be “simple” is to be inexperienced. While Paul wishes us to be both knowledgeable and skillful in matters of goodness, he desires us to know of sin only from afar, but not by experience. Living skillfully in obedience to God’s Word is the goal.
148 Verse 24 is omitted by some of the more recent translations, because it is a virtual repetition of the end of verse 20. This is not to say that the repetition must be considered an error, something not intended by Paul. It is possible that a copyist repeated the expression, as can be demonstrated elsewhere. In the final analysis, the outcome either way does not change the message or the interpretation of the text.
149 I understand Paul to mean this was a mystery from the time of the inception of the plan to the time when God created the heavens and the earth, and man. I do not think he means it was a mystery during Old Testament times, but rather that it was a mystery before Old Testament times.