“This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.” Romans 3:22
For the past several days I’ve struggled for words to expound
upon the profound truths of Romans 3, and I’ve decided that since I can’t say
them better, I’ll say them shorter. So,
in summary, here’s what we need to know.
The Bad News—No one
is good but God. “Jews and non-Jews
alike are all under sin…As it is written ‘There is none righteous, not even
one’”(Rom 3:9-10.) Jesus had plainly stated this fact a few years earlier
when dialoguing with a sincere but not-quite-surrendered rich, young
ruler. “No one is good—except God alone,” Jesus said, swiftly and surely
eliminating the possibility that any of us could “be declared righteous in God’s sight by observing the Law”(Rom 3:20). So much for the erroneous idea that if we
have more positives than negatives at the end, all will be well in the end. Not so, “for
all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”(Rom 3:23). Plainly put,
we’re all bad—hopelessly bad, and we can never make ourselves good.
The Good News—Being
right with God is not a result of what we do but what God does. Lots of people try to earn their way to
eternal life, but since such endeavors can’t come close to divine perfection, they
are doomed. But do not dismay! “A righteousness from God, apart from the law, has been made known. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe”(Rom
3:21-22). Note that twice in these short phrases we’re told where
righteousness comes from—God Himself. We “are
justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ
Jesus(Rom 3:25).
God’s list of rules and regulations (called the law) weren’t
intended to save us but to show us who He is and who we are. Knowing that we could never make ourselves
right by trying to do right, God Himself made us right by being right, paying
the penalty for our wrongness, and freely giving us His rightness in Jesus. “God
presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood”(Rom
3:25). Such grace leaves no room for
pride—only praise.
If I had to guess, I would say that nothing you’ve just read—the
bad news or the good news—is new news.
It was most likely, at best, a review of stuff you’ve heard and had in
your heart for years. If this is so,
pause and praise God that you are not one of the several billion people who have
never heard these simple truths of salvation. Thank Him that you are not a member of the
multitudes who wake each day with only an unfounded wishful hope and never a
certainty of heaven. Always remember that the gospel you sometimes take for granted
has been shared with you and believed and received by you only because of the astounding
grace of a sovereign God.
Regardless of how often we read, review, or are reminded of
the truths of Romans 3—that no one is good but God and that being right with
God is not a result of what we do but what He does—we should never deem these
statements as dull dogma but as delightful doctrine which we cherish and carry
throughout each day as the very essence of our certain hope and secure standing
in Christ.
And no matter how many times they’re repeated, the truth of
God’s grace is always great news!
No comments:
Post a Comment