Friday, October 12, 2012

Friday, October 12th

Today's passage from the Chronological Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Matthew 11.
Today's scripture focus is Romans 3:5-8.

But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.) Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world? Someone might argue, “If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?” Why not say—as we are being slanderously reported as saying and as some claim that we say—“Let us do evil that good may result”? Their condemnation is deserved.

Paul began this chapter by answering the questions he knew they would ask after saying that the Jew's heritage, the Law and circumcision would not save them.  They wanted to know what the benefit was of being a Jew, of being God's chosen people.

The biggest benefit was the fact that they were given the very Word of God.  Having the Word did not save them, of course, but they possessed what would lead them to salvation if they bothered to read, study and understand it.  Which is also the only advantage to the church today - that is where the Word of God is being spoken and taught, leading the way to salvation through faith.

They also would argue that God was breaking His promise to the Jewish people.  And Paul declared unequivocally that that was not so.   God will keep His Word despite their unfaithfulness.  But He has postponed the fulfillment of the covenant, and it will happen, as Zechariah says, when they look upon the one they have pierced and mourn for Him as an only son.

That brings us to their third objection which is that God is glorified in spite of their sins.

MacArthur explains the argument this way....
 this was the heart and soul of the message of grace that in our sin God forgives us and gains glory because of His forgiveness....If our sin makes His holiness stand out by contrast, makes His righteousness stand out by contrast, then you're saying sin glorifies God and you have attacked the holy nature of God....The more wretched we are, the more lovely He looks. The more sinful we are, the more gracious He appears. The more faithless we are, the more faithful He will be. The more we lie, the more His truthfulness will be made clear. So, our motto for life is let us do evil that good may come.

Typical human reasoning (as Paul points out in the parenthesis) because man is always trying to justify his sin.  They had even accused Paul of this very thing (v8), that the gospel message of grace, mercy and forgiveness that he preached was a license to sin.  And some people really do abuse this reality.

But Paul once again vehemently denies this and says there definitely is sin and their definitely is righteousness and God will judge. And one of the very things He will judge is the attitude that says that I will sin because it glorifies God. Their condemnation is deserved.

all men are rendered guilty. All arguments are silenced. The pagan man, Paul finished him off in chapter 1. The moral man, in the first part of chapter 2. And the Jew in the last of chapter 2. And now he answers all his arguments. God's people have a great advantage, they have the Scriptures. God's promises are valid, the character of God demands it. God's purity is intact, the function of God's judgment and the evil sin of man reveals it. So he's not speaking against God...


God sets a whole nation of people before the tribunal, as it were, in Romans 2 and 3, the Jews. And he says all of your religious accoutrements, all of your religious activities, all of your religious artifacts, all of your religious ceremonies and customs and traditions add up to nothing if it isn't in your heart. Verse 29 of chapter 2, it's got to be in your heart. And I believe that is the single most important issue facing the church in the world today. Our message to people is simply this, you must know God intimately, personally through Christ in your own heart and, believe me, the churches of America and the religions of the world are jammed full of people who are counting on the system to be their salvation. And it is not...it is not. In fact, it will damn them to a deeper damnation because many of them sit in the place where they have the advantage of the Scripture and they reject it. If you are depending on anything, anything other than a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you're lost...you're lost. The only advantage you have in being in the church is the Scripture.
And that's why I tell people so often, if you're sitting some place in a church where they do not teach the Scripture, you've got no advantage at all. You might as well get out of there because that's all the church can offer you. It cannot redeem you by its organization or its ceremony. And the saddest example of wasted privilege was Israel. And the parallel is today, the people who sit in the church lost...lost. It's a crime against privilege and against opportunity.


J.A. Alexander...

"There is a time, we know not when, a point we know not where marks the destiny of men to glory or despair.
There is a line by us unseen that crosses every path, the hidden boundary between God's patience and His wrath.
To pass that limit is to die, to die is if by stealth, it does not quench the beaming eye nor pale the glow of health.
The conscience may be still at ease, the spirit light and gay, that which is pleasing still may please and care be thrust away.
O where is this mysterious born by which our path is crossed, beyond which God Himself hath sworn that he who goes is lost?
How far may we go on in sin, how long will God forbear, where does hope end and where begin the confines of despair?
An answer from the skies is sent, ye that from God depart, while it is called today repent, and harden not your heart."

He was calling us to an awareness that there's a line out there somewhere and you may cross it and not even know it, and it's the line between God's patience and His wrath and you've stepped over and you're lost. You can cross that so easily sitting in the church and rejecting the Christ the Scriptures teach. That was the folly of Israel and many fools have followed in their trade... 

only by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ can you be redeemed. And that does not attack God's nature in any way. There is still advantage to being a Jew and being in the church, the Word of God. And God is still faithful to all of His covenants and promises and will fulfill them some day when hearts turn to Him. And because God triumphs over and receives glory in spite of your sin is no excuse for your sin. What you must do is follow the path of the Scripture to Christ, give Him your life.

Tomorrow's scripture focus: Romans 3:9-18
Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage passage: Matthew 12:22-50

1 comment:

Miriam said...

Excellent post, Tammy.