The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown (122 page)

Hence Jews as well as Gentiles deserve God's wrath (2:5). Though the Jews preach and teach the law, they fail to obey the law and thereby dishonor God and blaspheme his name. Circumcision, likewise, grants no protection against divine judgment and was rendered meaningless by the transgression of the law (2:25). Conversely, an uncircumcised Gentile who keeps the law of God should be viewed as a circumcised Jew and a member of the covenant people (2:27). The true Jew whom God will praise in judgment is one who has been internally transformed (2:28-29).

Jews do possess certain advantages over Gentiles. God chose to grant them the OT Scriptures, and he has remained faithful to his promises to Israel (3:1—4). Still, God's justice is not compromised by his punishment of the sins of Jews, but it would be diminished if he failed to punish their sins. Although the sinfulness of humanity accentuates the glorious righteousness, faithfulness, and truthfulness of God, it does not excuse sin, nor does it encourage it (3:7—8).

In fact, the descriptions of the Jews in the OT itself demonstrate their intense sinfulness and show that Jews are no better than Gentiles (3:9). The law that Israel possesses is not a means of salvation. Rather, it demonstrates man's sinfulness so that he despairs of saving himself by his own righteousness. All people, both Jews and Gentiles, are justly condemned as sinners by God (3:19—20). Grace can come only when people see their desperate need for it; those who are spiritually poor will inherit the kingdom of heaven (Matt 5:3).

B. God's Gift of Justification (3:21—4:25)
Having established the universal sinfulness of Jews and Gentiles alike—the “plight” of humanity—Paul proceeded to state the solution: justification by faith in Jesus Christ. The present section elaborates more fully on Paul's comments in the introduction. Both the Law (esp. Gen 15:6; see below) and the Prophets (esp. Hab 2:4; see above) testify that God declares sinners righteous in his sight if they believe in Jesus Christ (1:1—2, 16—17), and he did this for those who failed to keep the law. In a startling pronouncement, Paul declared, “But now, apart from the law, God's righteousness has been revealed—attested by the Law and the Prophets—that is, God's righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ, to all who believe, since there is no distinction. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (3:21-23).

The phrase “apart from the law” introduces a stunning disjunction between the previous point of reference of God's people—the law—and his new gracious act of saving people on the basis of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. God's declaration of righteousness precludes any human pride and places Jews and Gentiles on an equal footing (3:22). Jesus sacrificial death displayed the justice of God in declaring sinners to be righteous on the basis of faith alone (3:25). If God were simply to overlook the sins of his creatures, he would not be righteous. However, in Jesus’ death for sinners, God's righteousness was beautifully expressed because sin was punished (see 2 Cor 5:21)
and God
was able to forgive and justify sinners without compromising his own holiness.

At the same time, the gospel that righteousness comes through faith in Christ rather than by keeping the law does not dispense with the law altogether—though it did put its role into proper perspective (see esp. 10:4 below). On the contrary, it affirmed what the law had said about salvation all along (3:31). The law states plainly that Abraham, the father of the Jews, was declared righteous in God's sight through faith (Rom 4:3, citing Gen 15:6; cf. Gal 3:6). This righteousness was not a standing that Abraham achieved through his good works but a gift he received. Psalm 32:1—2 also describes this imputed righteousness. Hence the OT Scriptures upheld the gospel preached by Paul.

This righteousness was imputed to Abraham before he was circumcised (4:10). Thus God credited this righteousness to a person based on faith alone, apart from circumcision. This righteousness was also credited to Abraham before the Mosaic law was given, further demonstrating that God granted this righteousness on the basis of faith and not observance of the law (4:13—15). The promises to Abraham's offspring (which included receiving a righteous standing and life in the world to come) were granted to believers, both Jews and Gentiles, in fulfillment of the promise that Abraham would be the father of many nations (4:18).

Abraham's faith paralleled Christian faith. Abraham believed that God could bring “life out of death,” a promised son out of aged people who were as good as dead (4:19; see Heb 11:12). Christians likewise believe that God raised Jesus from the dead, thereby exhibiting Abraham's faith and receiving the promise of imputed righteousness. Moreover, as Hebrews points out, Abraham also exercised faith in the God who raises the dead when he was willing to offer up Isaac, the promised son, on the altar rather than holding him back because “he considered God to be able even to raise someone from the dead” (Heb 11:19).

IV. The Benefits Conferred by the Gospel (5:1-8:39)

A. The Believer Has Peace, Righteousness, and joy (5:1—11)
In Rom 5:1 Paul began to describe the benefits conferred on the believer through the gospel. This description of benefits occupied his attention for four entire chapters. To begin with, because of justification, believers are at peace with God and joyfully anticipate their full and final transformation (5:1—5). While sinners were in a wretched spiritual condition—weak, unable to save themselves, ungodly, and sinful—Christ died for them (5:6). Through Jesus’ sacrificial and substitutionary death, believers who were formerly God's enemies have been reconciled to God. Those doomed to suffer his eternal wrath have been rescued from condemnation, and those who were judged to be sinners have been declared righteous (5:9—11).

B. The Believer Escapes the Consequences of Adam's Transgression, the Reign of Sin in Death (5:12—21)
The impact of Adam's disobedience on the human race offers a negative parallel to the impact of Christ's obedience on believers (5:12). Due to Adam's sin, all people die. Even those who lived before the giving of the law and who had no explicit commandment to defy died (5:13). Clearly, a single act by one person can have a universal and eternal impact. However, the obedience of Jesus Christ had the power to cancel the consequences of Adam's disobedience. If the disobedience of one man could cause the death of many others, Christ's obedience could likewise grant righteousness and life to many (5:15). Just as the effects of Adam's disobedience were universal, the effects of Christ's obedience were also universal in that Christ granted righteousness and life to those who believe, whether Jews or Gentiles. The law did not introduce death into the world. It offered Adam's descendants explicit commandments to defy just as Adam had done (5:20).
This made sin more rampant and more heinous. This pervasive and intense sinfulness magnifies the abundance and greatness of God's grace (5:21).

Table 13.1: Rhetorical Questions and Answers in Romans 6-7

C. The Believer Is Liberated from. Slavery to Sin (6:1—23)
One should not conclude from this, as some of Paul's opponents charged him as teaching, that sin served a positive purpose and should be continued (6:1—2). The believer's union with Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection is inconsistent with a sinful lifestyle. The person the believer had been has died with Christ (6:3). Now the believer has been liberated from sin's mastery. Eventually, the believer's union with Christ will result in his resurrection and complete liberation from sin. In the present, believers should live in light of the fact that sin's mastery has been broken. They should offer themselves to God as instruments for righteousness (6:11—14). Salvation by grace does not grant license for sinful behavior. The believer has a new spiritual master—righteousness, so he should live as a slave to righteousness (6:18). Slavery to sin grants no benefits to the sinner; it condemns him to die. Slavery to righteousness produces holiness and results in eternal life.

D. The Believer Is Liberated from. Bondage to the Law (7:1—25)
The believer has been liberated from the law. Death nullifies the marriage covenant so that it is no longer legally binding (7:1). After a spouse has died, the surviving spouse is liberated from the law of marriage and free to marry someone else. In a similar way, death nullified the power of the law (7:4). By his union with Christ in his death, the believer was liberated from the law and freed to devote himself to God. Liberation from the law, union with God in Christ,
and empowerment by the Spirit enabled the believer to live a righteous life, something that the law could not accomplish.

The law actually aggravated and aroused sin in unbelievers, but this did not mean that the law was bad
(7:7).
The law was holy, righteous, and good, but the sinful nature used the law as a weapon to destroy the sinner. Paul illustrated this truth by presenting the example of a person striving to obey the law perfectly. He showed that the law still served a positive function by demonstrating the person's utter corruption and slavery to sin. At the same time, the law was powerless to save the person from his slavery to sin (7:13). Anyone who tries to fulfill the law's demands apart from the enabling of the Holy Spirit was engaged in a frustrating exercise of futility. Such a person is caught in a constant tug-of-war between that part of him that delights in God's law and that part of him that is dominated by sin (7:14—25). Only crucifixion with Christ and resurrection with him can resolve this desperate struggle.
⁷⁷

E. The Believer Lives a Righteous Life Through the Power of the Spirit (8:1—17)
Yet the believer enjoys present victory over sin. The Spirit accomplishes for the believer that which the law cannot do. The Spirit, who enables this new life in Christ, thus replaces the old law as a reference point in the life of the believer (8:2; see 10:4). The Spirit liberates the believer from his slavery to sin and moves him to fulfill naturally and spontaneously the law's righteous demands (8:9). The Spirit exercises the same power that he used to raise Jesus from the dead in order to produce new life in the believer. Those who live by God's Spirit are God's children and thus heirs who will share in God's glory (8:17).

F. The Believer Will Ultimately Enjoy Complete Victory over Corruption (8:18—39)
The whole creation eagerly awaits the glorification of God's people (8:18). Believers long for the completion of their adoption through the redemption of the body when their transformation will be complete and their struggle with sin comes to an end. In the present, God works through every circumstance to accomplish the spiritual good of believers (8:28). God's eternal purpose will not be thwarted, and he will unfailingly make those whom he loved from eternity past to become like his Son (8:29—30). The completion of the believer's salvation through his justification at the final judgment and at his glorification are absolutely certain because God will make sure all these things occur for the people he loves.

V. The Righteousness of God and Israel's Rejection of the Gospel (9:1-11:36)

A. Israel Has Rejected Christ (9:1—5)
While Romans 1—8 is primarily concerned with the justification of man—accomplished through faith in Christ on the basis of his atoning death—chaps. 9—11 move on to a more important topic still (anticipated in chaps.
1—8)—the justification of God. By this is meant what scholars call “theodicy,” the demonstration that, contrary to what some might allege, God was just and righteous in all he did. In the present case, the alleged congruity in God's purposes was the fact that the majority of Jews had not believed in Jesus as Messiah. Hence, many Jews charged, God had reneged on his covenant promises.

Not so, Paul countered. Despite what could appear to be a change in God's mode of operation, God's promises to Israel continue unabated. At the same time, God now includes the Gentiles in the Abrahamic promise that in him “all the peoples on earth will be blessed” (Gen 12:3). Hence “it is not as though the word of God has failed” (9:6). In this regard, Paul himself, who was known as the apostle to the Gentiles, was deeply torn within, for he still dearly loved his fellow Israelites. In fact, he says that he could wish that he himself “were cursed and cut off from the Messiah” for the benefit of his fellow Jews (9:3).

B. Israel's Temporary Rejection of Christ Is Consistent with God's Eternal Plan (9:6—29)
Although Israel's rejection of Christ might seem to contradict the infallibility of God's promises and shake the believer's hopes, God's promises to Israel have not failed (9:6). The remainder of chaps. 9—11 is devoted to demonstrating the truthfulness of Paul's assertion. To begin with, not all physical descendants of Abraham are true Israelites. God's promises apply only to those whom he has chosen. His choice, in turn, is based, not on human character or behavior but on God's mysterious purpose (9:14—18).

For this reason one must not charge God with injustice (9:19—21). This would be to reverse improperly the roles of creature and Creator (see the book of Job). God is free to show his mercy to whomever he wills because in his utter sovereignty the Creator has complete authority over his creatures. Nor is it proper to challenge God's character if he glorified himself by expressing his wrath against some people while lavishing his mercy on others. God would have been just if he had saved no one. He is certainly just if by sheer grace he chose to save many without saving all.