Rom 1:18-23 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
Rom 1:28-32 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
Rom 2:1-8 Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.
Rom 2:11-12 For God shows no partiality. For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.
Rom 2:14-16 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.
Rom 3:9-18 What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
Rom 3:21-27 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith.
Job 4:17 ‘Can mortal man be in the right before God? Can a man be pure before his Maker?
Job 9:2 “Truly I know that it is so: But how can a man be in the right before God?
Job 25:4 How then can man be in the right before God? How can he who is born of woman be pure?
While reading a devotion by Steven Cole –
Is everything right between you and God?
I read this question this morning. How is a person to answer this? How do people answer it? What does the bible say in relationship to being right with God? Paul shows here that if salvation depends on our works, we face two impossible barriers: the righteousness and glory of God. How can we who have sinned be reconciled to the righteous God of all glory? How can we who have dishonored Him enter His holy presence?
We all need to be right with God because we all have sinned and fall short of His glory. It is all nice and good to hear of God’s grace, mercy, and love, but apart from the basic understanding of God’s righteousness and our sinfulness, it is meaningless. God’s righteousness refers to His absolute holiness or separateness from all sin and all that is wrong. How can a person, you, me, get right with the righteous God in view of a person’s, yours and mine, sin? You don’t have to examine your heart and mind very deep to see that sin is rooted there. Treasures and pleasures of this world consume us and for the most part, we prefer them over knowing and understanding the holiness and glory of God. It is pointless to talk about God’s grace, mercy, and love apart from His glory and holiness and our sinfulness and our need for redemption.
All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. And yet, sinners can be right with God! Faith in the redemption from sin and its consequences through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for our sin results in our sins being covered over and removed as far as the East is from the West. For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
People who do not see the need for redemption, salvation, and forgiveness have not heard of their need or have rejected it. You do not have to look very hard at our culture to see the lack of or desire for God and things of God. Mankind is without excuse. Someone wrote; “if you don’t think you’re sick, you won’t go to the doctor and though you may be sick you are void of any diagnosis”. You happily go about your day without giving it any thought. However, “We have to accept the diagnosis that we are sinners before we welcome the cure of God’s grace, mercy, and love in and through Jesus Christ.
TO BE JUSTIFIED MEANS THAT GOD DECLARES US TO BE RIGHTEOUS.
To justify does not mean to make someone righteous, but to declare him to be righteous. It is a forensic or legal term that means to obtain the verdict of acquittal. Charles Hodge defined it (Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans [Eerdmans], p. 102), “Justification is pronouncing one to be just, and treating him accordingly, on the ground that the demands of the law have been satisfied concerning him.” It is something that God does to us, not something that we do for ourselves. It is not a process, but a judicial action. The process of becoming righteous in character and behavior follows the judicial act of God declaring us to be righteous.
“By His grace you have been justified!” If an earthly judge declares a guilty murderer “not guilty” and in addition awards him a healthy judgment and then says, “I wanted to give him what he did not deserve,” we would say, “That’s unjust!” So how can God be just when He declares guilty sinners to be justified when they don’t deserve it? With grace, you get undeserved favor. That’s grace. God justifies sinners who deserve His wrath freely by His grace.
“Redemption” means to buy something back by the payment of a price, or to release someone by the payment of a ransom. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Through His death, Jesus paid the price/penalty that God righteously imposed for our sins. Thus God’s justice was satisfied. Jesus was our substitute, paying what we should have paid so that we go free at His great expense. Thus, justification is completely free for us, but it was costly to Jesus who redeemed us with His own blood.
Faith, trust, belief, and reliance on Jesus Christ for redemption, salvation, and forgiveness justifies us (makes us right with God). You must specifically put your trust in Jesus Christ for what He did on the cross. There is no past action in a person’s life that the Blood of Jesus will not cover. No person needs to despair that they are too far gone. All fall short, all have sinned, none have been righteous, no one seeks God, all have turned away, no one does good, and all are worthless in the light of God’s glory and holiness. (Cole)
When the gospel is presented in a way that is void of the holiness and glory of God, and our sinfulness, His judgment (eternal separation – Hell) how is a person made right? How are they to believe the need for redemption, salvation, and forgiveness if this is missing? Have you heard the invitation to come to God said like this;
Are you having financial problems?
Are you lonely?
Are you angry?
Are you anxious about the world around you?
Do you want rest from worry?
Do you want peace of mind?
Do you want joy?
Do you want purpose and meaning in your life?
Does something seem to be missing in your life?
Do you want God’s grace, mercy, and love?
Do you want hope for today’s and tomorrow’s problems?
Do you want clarity in the confusion?
With all heads bowed and eyes closed, if you want XXXX then raise your hand, I will not call you out or embarrass you, I just want to pray for you. Raise your hand if you want it. Is this being saved, born again, being made new? Is this salvation? Is this the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
All of what is stated above is offered and freely given by God through Jesus Christ in various ways that only God knows. However, do you notice that God’s glory, holiness, righteousness, and judgment, and our sinfulness and the need of redemption, salvation, and forgiveness are missing? When an invitation is given in such a way that God is presented like an ATM machine and the magic card for you is to raise your hand and claim the withdrawal, then I fear for their souls. Being made right with God must address His glory, holiness, and righteousness in light of our sinfulness before any of these other blessings have any bearing in our lives. Our sin must be addressed first.
I think it is good to talk about the blessings God bestows on believers. It opens the doors to many conversations that can lead to being able to clearly proclaim the Gospel. A shallow approach to our need results in a very limited understanding of God’s grace, mercy, and love, not to mention the fullness and purpose of the sacrifice made by Jesus Christ.
To tell someone that they deserve God’s judgment, death, and eternal separation and torment does not seem to be preached much anymore, if at all. How can the fullness of grace, mercy, love, and blessings of God be fully understood without knowing His wrath, anger, and judgment and what separates us from Him? It can’t.
People who are weak in their understanding of God’s grace, mercy, and love and the things of God are far too common. Time in God’s Word is little to non-existent. There is little difference in the way they are living compared to those who have no knowledge of the Gospel. It is very easy to fall into the trap of pretending to be right or trying to perform in the right ways to be made right with God. This is the logical conclusion of a shallow approach to the true need for Jesus Christ’s salvation, redemption, and forgiveness.
If, while on my wondering around life, lost, I met someone who said there is a great big canyon just ahead and if you can get to the other side you will find safety, but if you don’t get to the other side soon you will die a terrible death, wouldn’t I go to the canyon to find an escape from my current state? Once there I would find the canyon far too wide to jump, far too treacherous to climb, and absolutely impossible to achieve. If while standing on the edge of the canyon a person offered to take me to the other side I would jump at the offer. If I asked what’s the cost or why are you doing this? They would say the cost is free and because I love you. Facing an impossible task and certain death wouldn’t I be thankful and forever grateful for the rescuer who found me and led me to safety? Such it is with those who come face to face with their sinfulness in light of the glory and holiness of God.
Why is God’s Word so neglected in the lives of many Christians? Why are so many complacent in their walk with Him? How can the Holy Spirit lead, guide, convict, encourage, etc… if God’s Word is neglected? Continually growing in our understanding of the grace, mercy, and love of God should never end this side of eternity. This will never be accomplished when the Word of God is neglected. Oh, we try to fill the void and make ourselves feel good by listening to Christian music and attending church, but the Word of God takes second or third place to things of this world and what it has to offer. Do you see a famine of God’s Word around you or in you? How foolish would it be to stand in the most ripe and lush fruit and vegetable garden and then starve to death because you did not eat of it? How foolish would it be to stand at the water well and die from dehydration because you did not drink from it? And yet, this is what happens when the Word of God is neglected and not cherished, read, or studied. How are we to honor and glorify Jesus Christ in all of our thoughts, words, and actions if the Word of God is not cherished, read, and studied?
We do well to examine our lives in light of how we are honoring, glorifying, and worshipping Jesus Christ in all of our thoughts, words, and actions.
