I can just see Paul sitting at a table with only the light from an oil lamp to light his writing. He starts out kind of lukewarm. It's an old, familiar position for him -- all this talk about circumcision. Then he starts to build toward a crescendo and the next thing you know, the chapter begins to read like a dash to the finish line at the end of the 31 verses. He makes his points. He weaves in and out of the rebuttals he perceives could be forthcoming. One by one, he neutralizes them all. And he leaves the Romans with one thought -- it is Paul's hallmark point -- it's grace from God. You can't earn your way into paradise. You just can't do it.
Ah, but the Jews keep hanging onto this notion that the circumcision is their guaranteed ticket that will get them into heaven.The Jews still practiced circumcision -- but Paul is saying they do this for reasons other than an act of faith. Rather, as we read previously in this chapter, the Jews figured that if they continued to uphold the act of circumcision according to the old laws handed down to their ancestors, then God would see them as faithful followers.
And because they were faithful followers, they would get their entry invitation into paradise.
Now, along comes Paul who is telling them that there's something more that they need to do. Circumcision is one thing. If they practice it with faith in their hearts, then they'll be okay. But if they practice it as a kind of "cost of admission," then they're not getting into heaven at all.
Paul brings a new meaning to the word "righteousness." And it's God who is able to make man righteous.
Now comes this concept of grace. It's a new word to expand the vocabulary of the Jewish people. Well, all people actually.
What Paul seems to be trying so hard to do here is integrate the Jewish people and the Gentiles into one believing group of faithful followers. But the first thing that the Jewish people have to do is reconcile this notion of theirs that circumcision makes them more better than the Gentiles.
That's what their ancestors taught them and they believed that's what God expected of them. And if the Gentiles weren't circumcised, then they were somehow flawed only because -- or so it appeared to the Jews -- they had not or would not enter into the same covenant relationship with God that the Jews had done.
And if they hadn't, then they couldn't have God's covenant or blessing.
It was a tremendous hurdle for Paul to get beyond. Fortunately for him, he had the guidance of the Holy Spirit who was putting the words in his mouth.
Paul says in verses 9-18: What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all!
We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin.
As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one;
"There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.
"All have turned away, they have together become worthless;
"there is no one who does good, not even one.
"Their throats are open graves;
"Their tongues practice deceit.The poison of vipers is on their lips.
"Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.
"Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.There is no fear of God before their eyes."
So out of this rather long list of things gone wrong with sinful man, the last verse says they don't even fear God. That is, there is no reverence and it's this reverence of God that initiates man's godliness.
But in verse 19, Paul says the whole world is accountable to God.
So if the whole world is accountable, Jews and Gentiles alike, how are the Gentiles going to be held accountable since they never had the Mosaic law to obey in the first place?
Read what Paul says in verse 20: Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.
Shame recognition. It's about shame recognition. How many times have I counseled children and had them discover that yes, indeed, they knew they had done something wrong at the point of shame recognition. Children have to learn this; otherwise, it's just white stuff falling out of an overturned glass and cascading onto the floor below. They learn not to tip over the glass of milk -- not that it was purposeful misbehavior -- just something they ought not to be doing. Just hearing that "Oh, for crying out loud" from mom or dad, who had to clean up the mess is often enough for children to make sure it doesn't happen again.
Adam and Eve became aware of their nakedness -- shame recognition.
The law, says Paul, makes us conscious of our sin (verse 20b).
And here comes the gospel message, restated powerfully for the Romans, in verses 21-25: But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
The playing field just got leveled. The Jews go to worship on the Sabbath and they sit right next to Gentiles who are also worshiping with them. It's not going to be like it used to be when the Gentiles -- if they were allowed in the synagogue at all -- had to sit somewhere not close to the Jews. The Gentiles were pagans. Probably not even supposed to be in the synagogue.
Now, here comes this guy -- Paul -- who's telling the Jews that they're just like the Gentiles and it doesn't matter whether they're circumcised or not, because it's not like it used to be in the old days.
So this Jesus Christ had come down from heaven. He was the Son of God and he would die on the cross. No more would anyone on the face of the earth need to make a sacrificial atonement on the altar at the temple because Christ's blood was shed for the sins of every man, woman and child on the planet.
And the blood of Christ was shed for Jew and Gentile alike. We only have to believe in Jesus Christ who brought God's righteousness to us all. It justifies us -- all of us who have faith in Jesus Christ (verse 26).
So how do we get some of this faith? It that's all it takes is faith, where does it come?
Paul brings this promise from God in verse 30: [S]ince there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.
And here comes the big question at the end of this chapter: Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law (verse 31).
Discussion:
It seems to me that Paul was anticipating an accusation in this last verse. That accusation could come from false apostles running around Rome telling the believers that Paul is telling them they didn't have to obey the law anymore.
In fact, a similar message had been misinterpreted in Corinth and it took some doing for Paul to get in there and explain what he meant.
As we get further into this letter to the Romans, we will get a fuller explanation of Paul's explanation of this position.
When it comes to sin, do you think there are some sins that are worse than others? For instance, do you think it's more wrong to kill someone than it is to commit adultery? Or maybe more sinful to rob a bank than it is to tell lies about someone? These are sins against the 10 Commandments and yet we tend to think of some sins as being more serious than others.
Truth is, we are all sinners. And our sins are sometimes perceived as bigger ones; sometimes smaller ones. But we need to let the blood of Christ wash over us and cleanse us from our sins. All of them.
Think about how important it is to wrap our hearts around this notion of Christ's atonement for us -- especially in this season of Lent. Do we hang onto our guilt and shame so that Christ can't get across the barrier we've put between him and our sin?
Forgiveness is ours for the asking. God promised. It is so. Believe it.
We pray: Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for the gift of salvation that is mine because you sent your Son, Jesus Christ, to die for my sins. All my sins. The big ones and the little ones.
Please help me see that in your eyes, a sin is a sin and I pray that you will help me get away from this keeping score that I've been doing. I pray that you will send your Holy Spirit into my heart to clean out all the cobwebs of misguided thinking so that I can let you into every nook and corner of my heart and my soul.
I pray that you will be with me as I go through this day and I thank you for your guidance and care and love. I pray that you will surround all those I love to keep them safe.
I pray that you will seat good Christian leaders into places of governance throughout the world. I thank you for all your blessings. Amen.
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