Is God distant and holy? So holy that he cannot approach us because of our sins? Or, put another way, does our sinful nature separate us from God like a deep chasm which only the cross can bridge? Is it only the Christian, washed in the Blood of Christ who has any access to the Father? Is that what Jesus meant when he said, No one comes to the Father but by me! (John 14:6)? Read the rest of this entry »
Here is my basic, rough, far from complete understanding of the logic and flow of Paul’s letter to the Romans, my favorite book yet a sometimes frustrating challenge. I see it as a great and important insight into Paul’s big picture of God’s Covenant Faithfulness which is much misunderstood.
So remember, you are free from Moses’ law and need not fear condemnation because God has done the work to welcome us and dealt with the power of sin on the cross. Not only that, our renewed minds and way of life is regulated by the Spirit, not the sinful body, so we are focussed on and destined for life and peace.
Now our bodies are still infected by Sin but God will overcome this deadly disease and give us life by forming us for good deeds through the guidance and power of his Spirit. If we obey the lingering sin we must die but the Spirit helps us overcome it and obtain life because all who are children of God are led by the Spirit (and vice versa).
We need not fear, but can call God our father, because of what the Spirit is doing. This spirit-led-life confirms our status in his family and, of course, our share in Jesus suffering so that we can obtain the reward this brings. But these sufferings are small in comparison to the reward and all creation looks hopefully towards the time when we will fully inherit the earth, have new bodies and all will be restored and renewed.
This is all a future hope for the earth, something we do not yet see but wait for in patience. But, as I said, God’s Spirit is working in us and we love God so we know it will all come to a good end. God sees his plans through so that we can all follow the path Jesus laid down through obedience to true sonship. This path started before we were born and, now that we are called and welcomed, we look forward to future hope and glory in the New Creation.
I repeat: this is God’s plan and work and we are his servants. Who can thwart his plans, overcome us if he’s working in us or condemn us if it’s him who approves of us? Regardless of setbacks and suffering I am convinced nothing at all can defeat God and thus nothing created can separate us from him and his love.
<< Romans 7 | Romans 9
Now, many of you Jews know and love the Torah and are afraid of abandoning its precepts. But remember that laws apply only as long as one is alive; just as a woman, whose husband has died, may legally remarry. In the same way as physical death releases men from worldly laws, our baptism is releases us from a Jews-only detailed obedience to Moses i.e. Torah. Think of baptism as the end of one life and the beginning of a new Life in obedience to Jesus.
Previously, under Sin our bodies produced the kinds of things which deserve destruction and the Torah condemned them. But now, as slaves to God, through allegiance to Jesus, we are to produce worthy “fruit” which God will approve of – good works which lead to Life with a capital ‘L’.
The Law of Moses was part of our enslavement to Sin because it condemned us and held us captive. But it was nevertheless a good law because our deeds were evil and needed showing up. Indeed some evil deeds, like envy and coveting, would have remained hidden without the law to reveal them. The problem is not the Torah but it’s ability to show me up for what I am and condemn me.
Sin’s power over us was evident: We were puzzled at how we did the things we hated and could not do the things we knew were right. We thus confirmed the goodness of Moses’ commands but became tragically aware of our bondage under sin. Only God could and can rescue us from this dilemma through Jesus and free our minds to serve him in conflict with the sin which still lingers in our bodies.
You can see that our welcome is by grace, while we were still sinners. Does this mean that sin is no longer condemned by God? Shall we continue to sin so that God’s grace is more evident? No, no, no! Remember I have been speaking of the initial welcome into God’s family. Now that we are his children we must behave accordingly. Just as we had our part in the Adam-curse we have a part to play in the Jesus-blessing. In fact, I interpret baptism, to be our participation in Jesus’ death so that, putting the old life behind us, we are raised with Jesus to a new life. You could say our old sinful life was put to death and we are like slaves who are freed from the master called Sin.
But the story continues, we are not simply “free” to live or even sin as we like, but, like Jesus, we now live for God. Our bodies belong to him and should be serving him, not the old master. I am so thankful that you were freed from Sin and became obedient to our teaching and fully committed to righteous living. You now see that the old way was doomed and the new way makes you holy in preparation for the new life. The old master could only give us destruction but the new master graciously gives us a new, eternal, life – a life in participation with Jesus, our King and Lord.
So now, because we are all included in God’s family and are reconciled thanks to Jesus, we know we are on the path to victory and glory as befits God’s children. Even our sufferings are not our shame but produce in us perseverance, character and hope. This is confirmed by the love of God we perceive in our hearts because we have his Spirit.
Again, our acceptance, is confirmed in that God welcomed us while we were still sinners. Surely this dispels any fear that we must earn his acceptance and reminds us that it was achieved not by us but by Jesus? Indeed, if Jesus death absolved our sins, surely his resurrection is confirmation that we too will see a new life?
Now we know sin and death came into the world when Adam disobeyed and that we inherited this death as we continued in similar disobedience. But Jesus was not like Adam, he acted in complete obedience and obtained for us forgiveness and welcome to annul the curse of Adam. These are large events in which all humanity is cursed or blessed because of a single man. But, in between these great events, the Jewish Law was given to highlight sin so that we might see our own part in this story. Fortunately the grace which came in Jesus was greater than the sin so that God ultimately conquers all death and welcomes us into the fullness of life.
In case you think I am departing from scripture, think of our forefather, Abraham. Was he welcomed by God because of race or conformance to Jewish Law? Did Abraham have anything to be proud of? Rather, instead of having earned God’s approval, Abraham simply believed God’s promises of blessing. Here we have a man who did not know God, being chosen, blessed and welcomed with only his trust in God to commend him. God did not require that Abraham become a circumcised Jew before the blessing and welcome – it was given by grace prior to all this – and this is the model of all Abrahams descendants: granted welcome and blessing before any effort or special practices on our part.
How could it be any other way? If God promises to bless the whole world then it cannot be simply the Jews who observe Torah who get this blessing! It must be for the world as it was for Abraham: just believe God and be received and welcomed by him, obedience comes later.
Well, now is the time, because of Jesus’ sacrifice, for everyone who believes to come to God and be welcomed, and to know that they are accepted by him. His resurrection confirms that we are accepted just as his death confirms our forgiveness.
So what is so special about being a Jew or being circumcised? Well, we were entrusted with God’s explicit plan to bless and save the whole world in a way in which non-Jews are not privileged. We’ve not been especially true to that vision but that can’t thwart God’s plan: He will succeed even if we are disloyal.
Now some might say that our disloyalty will only serve to highlight God’s majesty and power because he succeeds in spite of our failure and betrayal. But I tell you: God cannot and will not condone our failure because of this – that would be against his nature – and we are guilty of faithlessness.
Indeed we stand condemned as sinners with non-Jews because we are all under a kind of bondage to sin. Think of our holy writings which condemn our ancestors and document our failure to follow God’s way! It’s talking to Jews and so we are definitely no better than Gentiles all things being equal. Fortunately God is able to work despite our failings and will call together a people regardless of their knowledge or adherence to Jewish Law (the Torah) which, contrary to popular belief, did not make us holy but served to show us our sin.
Indeed, that is the wonderful news: God’s faithfulness is not dependant on being Jewish, he is now revealing himself to all nations just as our scriptures foretold. This revelation is made known and implemented through the faithfulness of Jesus to and for all people (not just Jews) who believe because we’ve all sinned and missed God’s calling but are graciously welcomed into his new family because of what Jesus achieved for us. Jesus death was God confirming his commitment to his plan and to us and showing that our sins are forgiven.
So let us no longer boast, as Jews, of a privileged status before God which is vanity. Rather let us recognise that God’s faithfulness is what puts us right and that His grace welcomes us, and all non-Jews, to him. How could it be otherwise? Surely God is the God of all and welcomes all who are faithful regardless of race or bodily things like circumcision. This is all in line with God’s revelation in scripture, in harmony with his Law and it’s basic requirements: faithful obedience by all men to the one God.
But, as Jews, we have tended to see this problematic behaviour only in our enemies, the “gentile sinners”, and been blind to our own sin. We need to realise that we are in the same boat and that God will call us to account for our own behaviour. We need to understand that we are not exempt from God’s judgement and remember that unrepented sin leads to punishment. Conversely anyone who strives to do good will be rewarded with the fullness of life in the age to come.
As Jews, our possession of the Law is no talisman: we need to obey the law just as non-Jews need to obey their conscience (which is like a law written on their hearts) in order to be accepted by God. Indeed part of my good news is that God will judge every man: justice will come and the oppressed will be vindicated and freed.
And so, my Jewish brothers, if you really want to be the true Israel, called to be a light to the world (as Isaiah wrote and Jesus commanded) and a blessing to the nations (as was God’s plan in Abraham), look to yourselves first before you criticise failings in others and consider God’s mercy to you when you feel like judging. Remember how Isaiah and Ezekiel wrote that our sins are dishonouring God before the nations and consider that your special status with God was a calling to real holiness and obedience for a purpose outside of our borders for the world.
So “Jewishness” and things like circumcision are not talismans or some kind of special exemption from condemnation but a sign of our vocation which only is legitimatised if we keep God’s commands. Ironically, non-Jews who keep God’s commands will be regarded as His people even though they are not circumcised: what counts is obedience as evidence of a pure heart.
I, Paul, am a messenger and servant of Jesus the Messiah, chosen to spread news of something wonderful he promised us Jews long ago in our holy writings. This is the good news about his chosen one, the Messiah upon whom the hope of Israel rested. God has raised Jesus from the dead to show that he is the Messiah and I am one of those blessed and sent to spread the word to even the non-Jewish nations and to call everyone to allegiance to the true King of Israel and of the World.
I write to you in Rome who have already heard this message and am so grateful that you have believed it because your commitment to Jesus is being reported all over the empire. I wish you peace and remember you in my prayers as often as I hope to visit you to strengthen you, and you me.
This message, the gospel I am so proud to announce, is about God revealing his power to save everyone who is faithful regardless of race – whether Jew or non-Jew – a division which no longer exists as you shall see.
It is important to realise that knowledge of God was never a complete secret, revealed only to the Jews: every person who looks at creation can see that a good and powerful God created it and values beauty, truth and goodness. But as we rebelled and ignored God, becoming ungrateful our very minds became confused and our sense of right and wrong inverted. We began to value, even worship, things which are secondary or detestable and our whole lifestyle reflected our deranged state as we see today in all kinds of perversions and lustful behaviour. Yet even in this state people know deep down that these evil things will bring destruction and are torn between behaviour and conscience.
