Romans 3

I see a series of questions and answers in Chapter 3. I think they are incrementally building towards what Paul is going for:

Paul starts this chapter with the question "what's the advantage of being a Jew?" and he then goes on to answer that with "they were entrusted with the whole revelation of God."
However, just having that revelation and letting that revelation CHANGE them were two different things. A man with a revelation who does not act on it, is no better off than the man with no revelation at all. Sinning is never right, even if it highlights God's holiness. There's a reason he chose to use the church as the main way for reaching the world, and we should be reflecting HIM not our own sin to highlight Him. Doing the works of the law without a faith in the God that law reveals to you is a dead religion. I think this is where Paul begins the balancing act between faith and works of the law. Why is the revelation of God important? Because HE, not the law, was what would actually make the way for salvation by actually taking our sins away and not just showing us how sinful we were.

Our sin is examined in the next question he poses, "should we conclude that Jews are better than others?" He answered with "no, because no one is righteous, Jew or Gentile." Receiving a revelation does not make the receiver better than others, only MORE RESPONSIBLE. I think this goes back to the thought that says "of whom much is given, much is required." The Jews were given the law, and through it, were required to do many things... but these things ultimately worked to their benefit in many ways, and especially if they let it lead them to a faith in God, especially when Jesus came fulfilling that law.

(A side note here, is that Paul keeps bringing up dishonesty and lying in his examples. The first answer is attached to the example of a "dishonest person highlighting the truthfulness of God." The second question is answered with a quote from scripture that says "Their tongues are filled with lies." This reminds me of James 3:2 "Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way." Sin is, again, linked to the tongue... Interesting how The Bible highlights the use of words in different mediums for judgement- but actions for reconciliation. The law, the book of life, the spoken words of the Pharisees- but then mercy triumphs over judgment with Jesus' one action of extreme obedience.)

Then in verse 19 I see some things that give me questions:

19 Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. 20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.

I see two things here. First, the law was given to the Jews, but it shows the guilt of the entire world. Apparently, then, it applies to Jews, but if it shows the guilt of all, does that mean all will be judged by the law? Didn't Paul say in the previous chapter that those who have the law will be judged by the law but that those without the law will perish? So then, the law doesn't make anyone right, but it judges. It applies to those it was given to, who will be judged by it, and those without it will also be shown guilty by it and perhaps perish. If the point of the law was to teach us how to do things correctly and to show us how sinful we are, but not to save us, would you say that the law is the morality of God, the right and wrong balance that we are given only as a backdrop to help pattern our lives and show us how desperately hopeless we are without something more... and that something more would be the drive we need to get to faith in Jesus?



27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. 28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.

There is nothing we can do that will compensate for our sin enough for us to be in the presence of a holy God. So here's what I think I see? Works never make us right, but they do make us more wrong? We are born in sin and continue sinning and the law exists to show us how bad we are compared to righteousness so that we can ONLY give credit for our salvation to Jesus.


His next question is:

29 After all, is God the God of the Jews only? Isn’t he also the God of the Gentiles? Of course he is. 30 There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. Whether you have the law or not, then, you must have faith to be made right... but what initiates in faith then continues on into good works, not to earn salvation, but to please God out of a heart motivated by love for Him. Faith saves, the law guides.


And he continues with:

31 Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.

The whole point of the law is to lead us into a deeper relationship with Christ, ultimately, but you have to have faith to take the first step. The law proves that we can do NOTHING on our own, and our reliance on Christ, our understanding that we have to completely die to ourselves and live through His Spirit, leaves us not relying on the law for salvation, only on Christ.

The law and faith work together: The law proves that we need Christ, who we only can accept through faith, and then, only through faith will we take the steps to study the law to better understand God's nature and learn discernment and His ideas for morality, right/wrong. Doing those things then shouldn't increase our pride in ourselves, but highlight just how much more we have to live through faith because the law is consistently reminding us of how sinful we are on our own.... and the circle of thought continues wheeling around in this pattern. If I were to draw this out, I would make a circle with arrows pointing at how faith influences the works of the law which then influences faith which then..... I think you get the point of how I see it in my head.

Romans 2:12-29

¹² When the Gentiles sin, they will be destroyed, even though they never had God’s written law. And the Jews, who do have God’s law, will be judged by that law when they fail to obey it. ¹³ For merely listening to the law doesn’t make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight. ¹⁴ Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. ¹⁵ They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right. ¹⁶ And this is the message I proclaim—that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone’s secret life.

So, basically, God's law exists, both in words and in the conscience of man, and man, when left in an environment where he can listen to his own conscience, intrinsically knows right and wrong, though he may not always choose the correct way?

Something puzzling, then, I find here: "27 In fact, uncircumcised Gentiles who keep God’s law will condemn you Jews who are circumcised and possess God’s law but don’t obey it." At first this seems paradoxical: how can you keep the law by not being circumcised, which was a part of the law that you are keeping? Is this where it is meaning you keep the heart issues behind the law as opposed to the legalistic letter of the law? How can you possess a law you do not obey? 

The Jews had the Law, they kept the law, etc. but then they rejected Jesus Christ who came to fulfill the law in that He came to make it complete--to make it not just a ritual obedience, but add love, mercy, forgiveness and to be the sacrifice so that we can be observers of the law without having to sacrifice an animal every-time we sin.

Circumcision was a sign for men to know that they were Law-keepers, but if they accepted Jesus Christ and they started obeying the Law out of love for God instead of as a work to atone for themselves, the physical sign of circumcision lost its importance. Instead of taking off a part of their flesh, more importantly Jesus came so that we would have the power to die to all of our flesh. We see this addressed in Acts 15:10 when Peter addressed the sect of (probably) Pharisees who were trying to force the Gentiles to be circumcised as a work to earn salvation:

¹⁰ So why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believers^]"[b] with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear? ¹¹ We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.”

There is something between possession of the law and obedience of the law that we have to grasp. It is addressed in verse 29:

"29 No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by God’s Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people."

The law changed the flesh and modified the outward signs of obedience. Love for God changes the heart before it is ever manifested in our actions.

If I'm honest about my struggles, one of the greatest lessons I feel God has been teaching me this past year is how to love other people.This verse really hit a nerve. A changed heart can love others without needing it back from them because it is only reflecting what God has already given us. It is not seeking praise or affirmation from other people. This is too easy to put into words and not to practice. Especially lately, God has brought people into my life that He has used to help me see His love through them instead of only judgment, (and yes, now I can see so many ways it was there all along.) The next step seems to be finding ways to show that to other people... which is not what comes naturally in the face of judgment! But it all boils down to this: Love isn't deserved. It just is. God gives it without any earning and He expects the same from us toward others... in fact, He gives/gave it while actively hated. If need be, He wants us to go that far, too. I'm learning what a proud, selfish and fearful person I am and how so much of that is able to change if I let God mold my life instead of closing myself off in a shell... and learn to "seek praise from God, not from people."

This portion of Romans challenges us to question our own motives. Whose praise are we seeking? If we truly seek God's praise, it will then be manifested in our actions... and the  only way to truly achieve this is through a heart that has been changed by God's Spirit. I am convinced that this heart change is a process of God pruning things by degrees and carefully eliminating self until we are made into this form of "true circumcision."

Romans 2:1-11

The end of chapter 1 listed so many things that people do when they fail to acknowledge God and give Him the place He deserves in their lives, and all of it goes back to a worship of something other than God, sometimes literal idols, sometimes self, in His place. So, when chapter 2 begins with:
"You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things." we can see that anyone who judges struggles with putting themselves in the place of God as well... so by judging, we become a type of idolator.
We know that the only one with the right to judge is God: ⁵ ... "For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. ⁶ He will judge everyone according to what they have done." and we should never take this place. This is also shown in verse 8:  But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness." Living for self also implies putting one's self in the place of God... and we all are guilty of this at some point in our lives.

⁴ Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?
I wish I could see this verse manifested in the life of some of the people I love. If they could ever really see just how balanced and gentle God's nature is, it could revolutionize their view of love and then the way they interact with others. Of course, I say this realizing that there's so much I don't even understand yet, but I want to, and I want to find a way to share it with them, too. God is kind. Who knew?

^"9 There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile.^{a]"[a] 10} But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. ¹¹ For God does not show favoritism."
I have to admit that I find these verses paradoxical... like the argument that "anything separate is inherently unequal," something being "first" and it not showing favoritism goes against what we would consider "fair" in our understanding. But we also know that we do not see the whole picture and that in reality, we don't deserve anything but judgment, whether first or otherwise, and that God can not be unjust.

The last part of verse 7, then, shows what we should be motivated to: ⁷ He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers.

Romans 1:18-32

¹⁸ But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.^{[i] 19} They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. ²⁰ For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.²¹ Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks.

So what I hear being said here is that God exists, you can tell this just by studying nature and more than just his mere existence, you can see his "eternal power and divine nature," or, that this world was created by someone not bound by time or human constraints. Because it is so obvious in nature that God exists, the question isn't then "does God exist" but rather "how will I acknowledge this God that exists?" Paul says that these people knew He was there, but denied His deity and were not grateful for His blessings.

Isn't that normally how it works? Pride inhibits gratefulness which leads to denying God His rightful place in our lives. Ouch.

Paul has some very strong words here against particular sins. He goes from atheism and idolatry to homosexuality and "every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip."

This makes me wonder if the Romans in particular were struggling with this in their society? "So God abandoned them" are some very chilling words. " ³² They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too."

Doesn't it always seem to be that misery and sin love company? Where when one person goes down the slope of abandonment of God, they try to drag as many people with them as they can.

I suppose then, our challenge is to do the opposite: as we climb  the pathway trying to become more like God, we should show His love to as many of those around us as we can and try to take THEM with us!

There are a lot of serious thoughts in this portion of the 1st chapter.