Called Into Righteousness Series

Romans 3:1–8. Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? 2 Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. 3 What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? 4 By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, “That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged.” 5 But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) 6 By no means! For then how could God judge the world? 7 But if through my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? 8 And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just. (ESV)

Hans Christian Andersen’s story of The Emperor’s New Clothes is timeless because of its humor and because of the point it so aptly makes. In the story a certain emperor was very fond of appearances and clothing (Sounds like a certain Prime Minister I know). So, when certain clever philosophers (actually they were con men) offered to weave him a rare and costly garment, he was quite receptive. He especially liked their promise that the garment would be invisible to all but the wise and pure in heart. The delighted emperor commissioned his new clothing at great cost, and the con men sat before the empty looms and pretended to be weaving. Soon the emperor’s curiosity became such that he sent his chief minister to see how things were going. Seeing no cloth on the busy looms, and not wanting to be thought unwise and impure in heart, the official returned with a report about the fabulous beauty of the cloth. After a time the weavers asked for more money. Again, the emperor became impatient, sending his second chief minister, who returned with an even more enthusiastic report. Next the emperor went himself. Though he too saw nothing, he did not want to appear stupid, so he proclaimed the clothing excellent and beautiful. He even gave the weavers medals. Finally, on the day set for the grand parade, the con men dressed the emperor in his nakedness and then skipped town. As the emperor paraded before his people au naturel, the whole populace joined in praising his beautiful new clothing, lest they be thought of as fools and knaves. Thus, the absurd parade continued—until in a moment of quietness a child was heard to say, “The emperor has no clothes!” At once everyone knew the truth, including the emperor. One innocent but honest remark by a small child who did not know enough to keep his mouth shut stripped away the hypocritical pretense of the entire nation.

The Emperor’s New Clothes is such a great story that we use the term proverbially to describe a common tendency: We remain quiet while a fallacy is being promoted to which everyone is subscribing, because we do not want to be thought of as fools. As we approach the third chapter of Romans, we must keep in mind that it well describes the condition of the Jews whom Paul has just been addressing. The Jews imagined themselves to be clothed with a righteousness that was actually nonexistent. They were duped by a misleading religious confidence. So, Paul, like the little boy, stripped away their layers of delusion. They believed that because they possessed the Word of God they were safe. They saw themselves as guides to the blind, correctors of the foolish, teachers of the immature. But Paul undressed them, proving that having God’s Word is no guarantee of life. Paul also stripped away their errant confidence in circumcision, showing that religious affiliation does not save one from God’s judgement (Hughes, R. K. (1991). Romans: righteousness from heaven (pp. 70–72). Crossway Books.).

As he undressed his fellow Jews, he also undresses us, stripping away our misleading confidence in having God’s Word and our “right” affiliations. For all humanity, Jew and Gentile alike, true righteousness is a matter of the heart! “… a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code” (Rom. 2:29). That is why in Romans 3:1-8, the Apostle Paul counters false belief to show how someone is Called into Righteousness. This call changes three things that we can see here It changes one’s understanding of their 1) Relationships (Romans 3:1-2), 2) Responsibility (Romans 3:3-4) and their 3) Righteousness (Romans 3:5-8)

When someone is Called into Righteousness it changes their:

1) Relationships (Romans 3:1-2)