Spoken at SGBC

8-31-97

Romans #14

3:1-8

"God is Faithful"

(Romans 3:1-8 NASB) Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? {2} Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God. {3} What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it? {4} May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written, "THAT THOU MIGHTEST BE JUSTIFIED IN THY WORDS, AND MIGHTEST PREVAIL WHEN THOU ART JUDGED." {5} But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.) {6} May it never be! For otherwise how will God judge the world? {7} But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner? {8} And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say), "Let us do evil that good may come"? Their condemnation is just.

This chapter begins with an objection posed by Paul's imaginary Jew. His objection has to do with what was said in the last chapter. As you may recall Paul taught that the Jews would not be saved by possessing the Law, keeping the Law, because of ancestral connections or by circumcision. The imaginary Jew to whom Paul is speaking objects by asking this question. If what you say is true then "What advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision?"

Paul's answer is found in verse two. (Romans 3:2 NASB) {2} Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God."

The Jews advantage over all the people on the earth was great in every respect! The first and foremost advantage the Jews had was that God had entrusted them with His Law. Hear the words of the Lord found in Psalms 147:19-20 NASB. He declares His words to Jacob, His statutes and His ordinances to Israel. {20} He has not dealt thus with any nation; And as for His ordinances, they have not known them. Praise the LORD!"

Israel had in their possession the law of God! The revelation of the will of God for man. The promise of the coming Messiah to redeem His people from their sin! The rest of the world, the Gentiles, had not been given this advantage.

Paul summarizes the Jew's advantages in Romans 9:3-5 NASB.

"For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, {4} who are Israelites, (Paul was a Jew by blood and longed for the salvation of all his kind.) to whom belongs the adoption as sons and the glory (A reference to the Glory of God that visited Israel in the wilderness on many occasions.) and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, {5} whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, (Christ is of Jewish descent.) who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.

What a list of advantages! The greatest or the first among them, says Paul, is their having been entrusted with the oracles of God, the scriptures.

Matthew Henry has some useful comments here, he writes; "The old testament was deposited in their hands to be carefully preserved and transmitted down to posterity. The Jews were the Christian's library keepers. They were entrusted with the sacred treasure for their own use in the first place and then for the advantage of the world. In preserving the letter of the scripture, they were very faithful to their trust. They did not loose one letter of the alphabet that makes up the whole. We acknowledge God's gracious care and providence in preserving His law by their hands. The Jews had the means of salvation in their hands but not a monopoly on that means. The word was merely entrusted to them that it might be latter the means of salvation to men of all nations." (end quote)

To possess God's word is the greatest of privileges for the scriptures are able to make one wise unto salvation. This is the testimony of 2 Timothy 3:14-17 NASB.

Paul is speaking to Timothy and says, "You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them; {15} and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings (The Old Testament scriptures.) which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (The Jews had in their possession the Gospel, the Good News that Jesus saves believing sinners.) {16} All Scripture (At the time Paul wrote this letter the "Scripture" consisted of the Old Testament only.) is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; {17} that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work."

The Jew had God's word along with many other blessed advantages. So when Paul says that the Jews will not be saved by the law, ancestry, or circumcision he is not saying these things were of not value to the Jew at all. They were of great value.

The second question along with Paul's response is found in verses three and four. (Romans 3:3 NASB) {3} What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it? {4} May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written, "THAT THOU MIGHTEST BE JUSTIFIED IN THY WORDS, AND MIGHTEST PREVAIL WHEN THOU ART JUDGED."

Ok, says the Jew, we have many great advantages. But let me ask this question. "Since the majority of Jews have failed to believe the law and the prophets will God also abandon His promises to us? That is, will God respond to Israel's unfaithfulness by being unfaithful to us in return?

The Jew of Paul's day believed what many Jews and Protestants of today believe. That God has promised to save every single Jew. Our discoveries in reference to circumcision revealed this belief. Paul, in chapter two, has taught that the Jew and the Gentile are on level ground as concerns salvation. He has taught that if the Jew sins he will be treated just like the Gentile who sins, both will perish in hell forever. So what's the truth? The Jew is confused. Are you telling me that God has gone back on his word and promises to the Jewish people?

Paul responds in earnest. "May it never be!" "To the Devil with such a thought!" "How could you even ask such a question!" God will always be found true and faithful to all He has promised even if every man on earth proves to be an unfaithful liar. God will be true to His promise of blessing and of punishment both of which He made to the Jews. Perhaps the reader has forgotten this truth. Lets consider the character of the covenant made with Israel.

(Leviticus 26:3-39 NASB) 'IF you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments so as to carry them out, {4} then I shall give you rains in their season, so that the land will yield its produce and the trees of the field will bear their fruit. . . {6} 'I shall also grant peace in THE LAND, so that you may lie down with no one making you tremble. I shall also eliminate harmful beasts from the land, and no sword will pass through YOUR LAND. . . {9} 'So I will turn toward you and make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will confirm My covenant with you." This is the essence of the blessing promised but that is not the end of the matter. If Israel did not keep God's law there would be dire consequences. Look at verse fourteen.

{14} 'But IF you do not obey Me and do not carry out all these commandments, . . {17} 'And I will set My face against you so that you shall be struck down before your enemies; and those who hate you shall rule over you, and you shall flee when no one is pursuing you. . .{27} 'Yet IF in spite of this, you do not obey Me, but act with hostility against Me, {28} then I will act with wrathful hostility against you; and I, even I, will punish you seven times for your sins. . . {32} 'And I will make the land desolate so that YOUR ENEMIES WHO SETTLE IN IT shall be appalled over it. {33} 'You, however, I WILL SCATTER AMONG THE NATIONS and will draw out a sword after you, as your land becomes desolate and your cities become waste."

You see there are two sides to the story. Obey and live, disobey and be rejected by your God. But who among the Israelites could keep His law perfectly? The answer of course is not one of them. The only way a person, Old or New Testament, could be found perfect in God's eyes was by faith in the promised redeemer Jesus Christ. This has always been the case. Life and blessing are promised to those who exercise faith in God while judgement and misery is reserved for the faithless. Only a small remnant in the nation Israel were true believers.

You see the promises have never belonged to the person who is a Jew by blood only. Rather, the promises of God's eternal blessing and favor belong to the real Jew, the person who comes to God by faith in His Son.

The words of Romans chapter nine will help us think through this. Look with me at verses six and following.

(Romans 9:6-8 NASB) But it is not as though the word of God has failed. (Remember, many of Paul's readers must have been bewildered. For Paul is saying there is no salvation in Judaism. One cannot be saved by trusting in his ancestry, law keeping or circumcision. True salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone. Again, the Jew wrongly concludes that if this is true then God has failed to keep His promises. THE REAL TRUTH IS THAT THE JEWISH PEOPLE HAVE FAILED TO UNDERSTAND HIS PROMISES AND TO WHOM THEY WERE MADE. Paul explains . . .) For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; {7} neither are they all children (God's children) because they are Abraham's descendants, (that is, blood descendants). . ."

In other words, God's promises of blessing are to the real Jew, the real children of God, believers in Jesus. God's promise of punishment and misery are for those who are disobedient and faithless. We must remember what so many forget there were two promises made in the Leviticus passage we read earlier. Blessing to the faithful and judgement to the unfaithful.

So, far from proving God unfaithful, the condemnation and judgment of the sinner PROVES THE RIGHTEOUSNESS AND FAITHFULNESS OF GOD to His threats.

To Illustrate that God's judgement proves God's faithfulness Paul quotes from Psalm fifty one which is David's confession of adultery and murder. (Romans 3:4 NASB) May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written, "THAT THOU MIGHTEST BE JUSTIFIED IN THY WORDS, AND MIGHTEST PREVAIL WHEN THOU ART JUDGED."

David had committed adultery with Bathsheba and then he had her husband murdered to cover up his sin. Through the prophet Nathan David was convicted of his sin and said, "I have sinned against the Lord." In judgement for this sin God took the life of the child born to him and Bathsheba as a result of their adulterous relationship.

Psalm fifty one is David's confession of sin and his declaration of the rightness of God's actions in judging him so severely. His words on that occasion were these. (Psalms 51:2-4 NASB) Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. {3} For I know my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me. {4} Against Thee, Thee only, I have sinned, And done what is evil in Thy sight, So that Thou art justified when Thou dost speak, And blameless when Thou dost judge." In other words David says, "In judging me like you have you have shown yourself to be the righteous and blameless God." Can you not see that God's integrity and glory is displayed by when He saves AND when He judges?

For He has promised both to man.

Verse five of our text proves that the reader, the imaginary Jew, had caught on to what Paul was teaching.

(Romans 3:5-8 NASB) But if our unrighteousness, (through God's punishment of it . . .), demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath (punishment for sin) is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.) (Paul answers) {6} May it never be! For otherwise how will God judge the world? (The Jew speaks again.) {7} But if through my lie (unfaithfulness) the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner? (Paul answers) {8} And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say), "Let us do evil that good may come"? (Of anyone who would say or teach such a thing Paul says . . .) Their condemnation is just."

The argument goes like this. If God is glorified by human unrighteousness, as it shows forth His faithfulness in punishing sin, isn't God acting unrighteously when in punishing the sinner? Surely He cannot rightly condemn those who have served to bring Him glory, can He? If by my sin God is made to look good then why am I still being judged?

The answer to the question is that God is faithful to His promises of blessing and judgement.

Israel as a nation has broken every covenant and law ever made or handed down by God. Therefore, God must reject them as a nation. He must be true to His warnings and promises of judgement otherwise He would be unjust and no God at all. Yes, their sin has resulted in God's glory but that does not nullify their sin.

Look with me at verse eight. Here Paul answers, it seems, sarcastically. (Romans 3:8-9 NASB) And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say), "Let us do evil that good may come"? Their condemnation is just."

The idea is this. If you continue with this kind of logic you will come to believe what some accuse Christianity of teaching. That men ought to sin, the more the better, so that God's forgiveness and grace may be revealed all the more when He passes by that sin and saves them anyway. In another place it is put like this. "What then shall we sin that grace may abound?" Paul's answer there is the same, "God forbid!"

Believe it or not this teaching is alive and well today. I speak of the "Carnal Christian" teaching that is so popular. Those who hold to this heresy believe that a person can be saved and never turn from their sin, never bear the fruit of the Spirit in their lives. In the end they will be saved anyway because of the greatness of God's grace. Of course the Bible says just the opposite. (Hebrews 12:14) Pursue peace with all men, and holiness without which no one will see the Lord." Salvation changes people from the inside out. They will not and cannot continue in their old sinful ways. People who are born again have new hearts. People with new hearts have new likes and dislikes. The saved love God and His truth and always seek to live lives of holiness for His glory and honor.

The lessons in this passage are many and they are all important. However I want you to leave with one thing fixed in your mind and that is this, "God is faithful." He has promised that whosoever believes in His Son Jesus for salvation will be saved. He has also promised that all who do not trust in Jesus for salvation will be cast into an eternal hell for their sin. But no matter what the case God will be glorified. In the salvation of believing sinners God's love, grace and mercy are made evident and He is revealed as a loving Father. In the damnation of all who die in unbelief, His justice, wrath and the integrity of His threats are made evident and proven. All things fall out to the Glory of God. I pray that He will not be glorified by your eternal destruction but by your salvation through faith in Jesus Christ the Lord.