ROMANS: 3: 1- 20 OBJECTIONS REFUTED AND VERDICT GIVEN.
Paul has painted a depressing picture for us all whether were Pagan or humanitarian Gentiles whether were religious Jews all of us are condemned by our own actions. We have seen that the law holds up like a mirror what are lives are really like, as we all break the law. Is there any hope? The law we have seen certainly condemns us all but the law is not the basis of our hope. But the instructor to lead us to that hope. 3:20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. Because God himself is our hope!
In verses 1 - 4 Paul opens up with a diatribe, it was typical way philosophers of their day would communicate to their students poising questions and answers ; it’s in the form of imaginary persons offering questions up to Paul with Paul supplying the answers. It is an apologetic form of communication, being able to give answers to those who may have valid questions in regard to the faith and supply a reasoned response. In Pauls case its probably questions that have been poised at him during his Jewish evangelism in the synagogues Acts 17:1, 18:4, 19:8.
• It reminds me of my time in the Open Air Mission when we would get hecklers especially when we went down to London for the week. One of those days was spent at Hyde Park, speaker’s corner. You could be guaranteed a number of professional hecklers gathering around you to barrage you with an endless supply of OBJECTIONS some of which were boarding on the absurd others were worth responding too as they were genuine, and often when answered correctly could substantiate your point, this is exactly what Paul does here............
And we to must be those who are.... 1Peter 3: 15. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have.
1. THE FIRST OBJECTION REFUTED BY THE SCRIPTURES. V1-2
3:1. “Okay what advantage is there being a Jew and having the law , if only breaking leads to condemnation and only the inward work of circumcision that counts, then what’s the point in being a Jew at all, what is the advantage Paul were coming under judgement just like everybody else?”
You could well imagine Paul saying simply “YEP there is no advantage!” but Paul says quite the opposite v2 Much in every way. There is an advantage of being a Jew. First of all they have been entrusted with the very words of God. He is referring to the OT they have in their possession; A privilege no other nation had been entrusted with.
But having the Word does not save you – Observing its rites does not save you - but do not think there is no point. Because you have been entrusted with the very mind of God an opportunity to know it and live it out this is indeed is a unique advantage. No other nation had this advantage the Jewish nation had.
Let’s just consider our position in the UNITED KINGDOM or the USA with the pilgrim fathers, we too take for granted this book the Bible, we too consider ourselves a Christian nation with a rich heritage. Since the 16th Century we too have had in our possession a Bible translated into the English language. Tyndale’s Bible was the first English translation to draw directly from Hebrew and Greek texts. Yet what did we do with the man who brought us it?
Well in 1535 Tyndale was arrested, jailed in the castle of Vilvoorde outside Brussels for more than a year, tried for heresy and treason and then strangled and burnt at the stake and destroyed all smuggled Bibles there were. Tyndale’s final words, spoken at the stake with a fervent zeal, and a loud voice, were reported as "Lord! Open the King of England’s eyes.” Of course the Kings eyes were eventually opened and even the common plough boy was able to have a Bible.As he believed. But shouldn’t that prayer be extended to us living in the 21st century in the United Kingdom. Do not people’s eyes need to be opened to the wondrous truths found in the Bible? To the immense privalege we have in our posession the oracles of God.
Here we have the very oracles of God. 2Timothy 3:16. All Scripture is God breathed. In our possession is not this an immense advantage? Luke 12: 48. As Jesus said “ from everyone who has been given much; much will be demanded and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”
2. THE SECOND OBJECTION REFUTED WITH AFFIRMATION: V3 -4
“Okay, then Paul but doesn’t your teaching nullify God’s faithfulness? What if some do not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness?” Because lets face it, it’s true that some Jews have not proved faithful to the law and have not embraced Jesus by faith. The way you are conveying God to us Paul means “ that if there are those who have been entrusted with Gods promises do not respond to them in trust, will their lack of trust destroy Gods trustworthiness, if Gods people are unfaithful does that mean He is?”
Paul replies with an emphatic V4 “Not at all, (A.V God forbid!) John Ziesler suggests that “not on your life” or “not in a thousand years” gives something of the flavor of what Paul is saying. Human unfaithfulness cannot detract from the Faithfulness of God. They may well live in disobedience to the law and deny Jesus as their Messiah by faith. But God will remain faithful and true that’s His character it doesn’t change “LET GOD BE TRUE AND EVERY MAN A LIAR Psalm 116: 11 .” Even when a person is liar God is still true
Firstly we see a positive affirmation: Of Gods continuing faithfulness to the people of Israel despite their unfaithfulness. Paul insists here that they have not been totally rejected by God. As we can see from Romans 11:1-2 and who one day will be saved Rom 11:25 -26.
Consider the lost today the faithless the same is true today, although there are countless people in the world today, living without God, breaking His law, living in disobedience, doing their own thing without a thought for God. God is still true to himself and will remain faithful to his promises and will redeem people who are lost and bound in sin.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Also For the found: When they are faithless backslidden God remains faithful to his promises: Maybe you’re in need of positive affirmation today? and you feel your faith ebbing away… 2Tim 2:11-13 Here is a trustworthy saying if we died with him we will also live with him, if we endure we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will disown us v13 If we are faithless, he will remain faithful for he cannot disown himself.
Brother /Sister Jesus is faithful. He will always stay by our side even when we feel we have no faith left. We may feel faithless at times but Jesus will never leave us or forsake us, he will be with us to the very end of an age. Refusing Christ help might leave us isolated from God, but God will never turn his back from us even though we may do so upon Him.
Yet also we have here a negative affirmation: Of we all have to face up to of God’s just character look what Paul says in V4b. AS IT IS WRITTEN “ So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge.” Paul is quoting David who acknowledged that he had sinned and done evil in the sight of God, Psalm 51:4 it means that God was just and right to judge him and he is just and right to judge us too!
The key of these two affirmations is that God is faithful to all his promises: with obedience comes blessing, with disobedience comes judgment. Deut 30:11 20 MUST READ:
So God’s faithfulness does not preclude judgment of the Jewish people. And if it doesn’t preclude the judgment of the Jewish people it doesn’t preclude us either.
NO MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE: Supreme Court Justice Horace Gray once informed a man who had appeared before him in a lower court and had escaped conviction on a technicality, “I know that you are guilty and you know it, and I wish you to remember that one day you will stand before a better and wiser Judge, and that there you will be dealt with according to justice and not according to law.” Source Unknown
So let’s remember God is faithful and cannot change, when people are faithless he will remain faithful and save a people to Himself, but also remember that God is faithful in his justice if we continue to live without him in sin, he will bring judgment upon people, which is completely Just.
3. THE THIRD OBJECTION REFUTED CATERGORICALLY V 5-8
The third objector is saying, “ look Paul the more sinful we are the MORE GLORIOUS THE GOSPEL” The objector is saying that our unrighteousness benefits’ God because it displays his character all the more BRILLIANTLY. He concludes V5 what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath upon us? He is saying that God benefits form my sin, is it right for Him to punish me because of it? Lets face it they really do him a good turn? Becaue of my sin people admire God more and more… SO HOW CAN HE PUNISH ME?
Paul’s reply v6 “certainly not! If that were so how could God judge the world?” He would after be untrue to his character Because he is the righteous judge of the universe as how can He possibly overlook the sin of the wicked – And if that were the case then it doesn’t matter how any of us lived we would all be free to sin the grossest of sins with impunity without any judgment.
Then the objector continues with an accusation: v7 If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner? V8 Paul confirms this is exactly what some have been saying in regard to the Apostles teaching. That the more you sin the more God likes you – Let us do evil that good may result? He doesn’t even enter into conversation here with such allegations he simply states v8 Their condemnation is deserved.
Paul will later touch on this subject Rom 6: 15.
The idea that we are free to sin without the consequences of the law being applied is the teaching of Antinomianism (from the Greek áíôé, "against" + íïìïò, "law"), in theology, is the idea that members of a particular religious group are under no obligation to obey the laws of ethics or morality as presented by religious authorities.
The ugly fact is that some Christians have actually advocated ‘antinomianism.’ They maintain that since we are no longer under Law, but under grace (cf. Romans 6:15), we go about our Christian lives ‘as the Spirit leads us,’ and that this leading is independent of any form of biblical absolute. Without exception, this has led to careless, sinful living.
So you will get so called Christians who will say, things like, “ we don’t need to worry about sin, after all its Gods job to forgive us.” Or “ God is so loving he won’t judge anybody.” Or “ Sin isn’t so bad - it teaches valuable lessons, after all we do need to stay in touch with our culture” Its far to easy to take Gods grace for granted .
The first three chapters catergorically confirms to us that God cannot over look sin there are no excuses sinners will come under judgment. Remember Abraham pleading with God over Sodom and Gomorrah Genesis 18: 25 Far be it from you Will not the judge of the whole earth do that which is right?”
4. FINALLY THE VERDICT GIVEN 9 – 20 NO ONE IS RIGHTOUS
Whoever we are we are allsinners THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS despite our Christian heritage, despite our good works, despite the rites we have observed and practiced v9 There is no one who is righteous.
This is what Paul concludes. He has systematically taken us through the entire populace from the Pagan Gentile to the Gentile moralizer to the religious Jew and concluded NO ONE IS RIGHTOUS. (means No one is innocent) but all are guilty.
The truth is a bitter pill to swallow: “A prison chaplain writes of a study in which he talked with twelve inmates in the penitentiary. He asked each “Why are you here?” The answers were instructive: “I was framed.” “They ganged up on me.” “It was a case of mistaken identity.” “The police had it in for me.” Not one said he was guilty of something. They were all innocent. An insurance adjuster said that he would estimate 90 percent of the people involved in automobile accidents see themselves as blameless”. (Emerson Colaw. Beliefs Of A United Methodist Christian. Nashville: Tidings, 1972, pp. 44 - 45).
Aren’t we just like that…. Just examine the words they apply to you v10 – 18. Have you ever lied? Hurt someone’s feelings by the words you have spoken or by the tone of voice? Are you bitter towards anybody? Do you become angry with others who disagree with you?
Let’s face the truth about ourselves.. In thought, word and deed you like me and everybody else in this mixed up world stand guilty before God.
V19 So that every mouth will be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God…. V20 THROUGH THE LAW MAKES US CONSCIOUS OF OUR SIN. Have we realized who we are in His sight - alienated sinners, don’t deny it instead allow you desperate condition, point you towards Jesus Christ.
Pastor Aubrey Vaughan
www.cbchurch.org.uk
