FAITH RECKONED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS

Rom. 4:20-21 ... "With respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what He had promised, He was able also to perform."

      For many years after Christianity was launched in the world at Jerusalem in 33 A.D. it had a very strong Jewish identity. Within the church the influence of Jewish thought and customs was indeed powerful and posed no little challenge to Gentiles who came into the church without this mental and cultural baggage. One of these challenges specifically centered on the doctrine of justification. Jews thought that because they were genetically descended from Abraham justification was their birthright. Abraham was their spiritual hero, being the "father of the faithful" and having the distinction of being called "the friend of God," (Jas. 2:23). His faith was the epitome of human response to divine promise, so much so that Gen. 15:6 reports that "he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness," (quoted by Paul in v.3). Since all of Israel were genetically in Abraham, (cf. Heb. 7:9-10), when righteousness was conferred upon him in reward for his faith, it was conferred upon every unborn Jew as well. To be born, therefore, in descent from Abraham was to be justified from the day of one's birth. The Jews also thought they accumulated righteousness through the scrupulous performance of the rituals and other religious acts taught in the Mosaic Law. The Pharisees carried this doctrine to the ultimate, hedging the Law about with endless deductions from Mosaic statutes to ensure that everything would be done that could be to increase one's righteousness by participation.

      In Romans 4 Paul refutes the entire Jewish doctrine of justification. He points out that Abraham was not saved by works, but rather through his faith which prevented him from "wavering" as he considered "the promise of God." Even the works that he did, in response to God's commandments, were not the works of the Mosaic Law, for that law was still some four hundred years in the future after Abraham. In the previous chapter (vs. 28-29) Paul had argued that being a Jew genetically was unimportant. What mattered was being a Jew spiritually, an identity available to anyone through faith in Christ and obedience to His gospel.  The same logic applies to being a "child" of Abraham. There is no distinction in being lineally descended from Abraham; his righteousness is not inherited by his offspring. It is only when, like that patriarch, we put our faith in God who "raised Jesus our Lord from the dead," that our own faith is reckoned to us for righteousness, (see vs. 23-24). Although this faith involves obedience (Rom. 1:5), it is not meritorious obedience that obligates God to save.

      The lesson we must learn from this is that we cannot construct a doctrine of justification to suit ourselves. We must study the Scriptures to see what is taught there about the problem of human sin and how it may be forgiven. As our text says, what God has promised, He is also able to perform. But the crucial point is "what God has promised." It is not for me or anyone else to speak for God and demand that others accept my word about justification. God has already spoken clearly and has given us the intelligence to understand what He has said. He will be pleased if, like Abraham, we respond in simple faith to the gospel. When we have done that, just as He has promised, He will reckon our faith unto us for righteousness, and we will be justified in the Lord Jesus Christ.

THE REALITY OF SIN

Rom. 3:23 ... "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

      One of the arts cultivated by people of the twentieth century is that of denial. We have become masters of the ability to deny the existence or the active influence of certain things that people in former times readily, though often painfully, confessed. Our sophistication, our pride in humanity's advances in certain areas, and our feeling that we have been liberated from old superstitions have together blinded us to realities. And when some rather persistent entities refuse to disappear through our denial, we just hide them behind a cover of redefinition. One of these entities is sin.

      Although there is abundant evidence that people have always tended to deny the existence of sin in their own lives, generally they admitted that sin itself was a reality in human life. Sermons from the pulpit were often devoted in their entirety to the subject of sin. Specific attitudes and behaviors were identified as sin. People who held those attitudes, or who practiced those behaviors, were said plainly to be sinners. There was public consciousness of sin, even among those who did not profess religion or attend church. In recent decades, however,  this awareness and understanding has changed. An attitude has been established that sin, in the traditional sense, is a bogus concept. Few are willing to admit that sin is resident in their lives. It has become publicly offensive to apply the label of "sin" to any attitude or behavior, and to call someone a "sinner" is considered a terrible insult, almost, in fact, sufficient grounds for a lawsuit. Today we hide the reality of sin behind a cover of redefinition. Instead of being a sin, the action is an "error in judgment," a "social malfunction," a "disease," an "inherited trait," a "syndrome," or any other of multiple terms current in our lexicon.

      To deny a sin is also to deny the Bible, for it explicitly declares both that sin is a reality and that it is universal in human experience. So, it is not unexpected that the Bible is another thing which a great many people have also come to deny. And to deny the Bible as truth and authority in human life is to deny God who gave us the Bible. Ultimately, therefore, to deny the reality of sin is to deny the reality of God. Through His wisdom revealed in the Bible, God has repeatedly declared that certain attitudes and behaviors in people are sin. Furthermore, He has stated that every person holds some of these attitudes and frequently engages in various of these illicit behaviors. Such is the message of Rom. 3:23, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

      It does a person no good to deny that sin exists in his life and that he is a sinner. To admit guilt of sin does not harm the psyche; much the rather, it is the first step to the salvation, reclamation, and reconstruction of a healthy soul. God has a perfect cure for sin, but He will apply it only to the person who confesses his sin and seeks that cure. We are assured in I Jno. 1:9 that "if we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Sin is truly an insult to a person, and to be declared a sinner is disturbing. But a person insults himself far more by denying the reality of sin in his life and not seeking God's help in removing it. Sin is our greatest enemy, for its impact upon our souls is eternally destructive. The wisest thing anyone can do is to confront his sin and then appeal to God for salvation by obedience in faith to His gospel, (Rom. 1:6,16).

THE FULLNESS OF CHRISTIAN IDENTITY

Rom. 2:29 ... "He is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God."

      After Paul opened the Letter to the Romans with greetings and a prayer, (1:1-15), followed by a statement on the theme and text of the gospel, (1:16-17), he proceeded to establish the fact that not only Gentiles but Jews also were sinners before God, (1:18-3:23). The conclusion is stated in absolute terms in 3:23, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." With all mankind reduced to the same miserable level before God, the need for the salvation offered through the gospel is thus emphasized. Beginning with 3:24 Paul systematically presents the nature of that gospel. The lead text above is a part of the argument that Jews are as guilty of sin as Gentiles and have an equal need for the gospel. For their part, however, they by no means accepted this declaration of their spiritual condition. They prided themselves that they were the chosen people of God, the inheritors of the promises made to the patriarchs, and the stewards of the Holy Scriptures. In their minds they were guaranteed God's special favor and eternal salvation just because they were Jews by race. Even Paul did not deny that there were indeed great racial privileges in being Jewish, (see 3:1-2). But these advantages did not include salvation. This great blessing was available to them on exactly the same terms it was to Gentiles.

      In vs. 28-29 the apostle is defining what a true Jew is spiritually rather than racially. Racially, a Jew was a person descended from Abraham according to the promise in Gen. 12:2. But here Paul emphasizes that, spiritually, a Jew is one whose commitment to God is from the heart and not from the flesh. Notice the contrast between "circumcision that is outward in the flesh" and "circumcision that is of the heart." Judaism emphasized external rituals, but the gospel emphasizes the state of the mind and heart. Later in this letter Paul will write, "Be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect," (12:2). These statements echo the constant insistence of Jesus during His ministry among the Jews that a person's character is based in the heart, that one's personality reveals the condition of his heart, and that good and evil flow outward from a person's life according to the good or evil state of his heart. The "letter" of the law addressed the external life, one's visible behavior; but the "spirit" of the law addresses the all-important inner nature. Religion which emphasizes external things has a view toward the praise of men, while religion which emphasizes the inward character is more concerned with the approval of God, for "the Lord looks at the heart," (I Sam. 16:7).

      Although the message in vs. 28-29 was directed to Jews, the principle involved is still applicable to Christians. There is always a tendency to place great value upon and confidence in things external, such as rituals, forms and methodology. We can make our religion Pharisaical by emphasizing these externals and forgetting the spirit of the gospel. We must not rest our case in proper terms and names and visible orthodoxy, while we forget that God is interested in the perfection of our hearts as well. As Jesus said in Mat. 23:23, "these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others." Our Christianity must embrace the totality of our being, the inward as well as the outward. We must be Christians both in name and in truth, in letter and in spirit.

A FAITH WIDELY PROCLAIMED

Rom. 1:8 ... I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world."

      Paul's letter to the church in Rome is generally reckoned to be the most profound book of the New Testament, and the most systematic presentation of the gospel. It differs from the rest of Paul's epistles in that he had never been to Rome and had nothing to do with the founding of the church there. However, he was planning to visit Rome on his way to Spain, (Rom. 15:24). Paul felt a great urge to be with the disciples there in order that "I may obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles," (v.13). It is not known who founded the church at Rome, but we do know that "visitors from Rome" were present in Jerusalem on the Pentecost when the church was established, (Acts 2:10). It is likely that some of them were among the 3000 who obeyed the gospel that day and were added by the Lord to the church, (Acts 2:47). When they returned to Rome, they would have taken their new-found faith with them, thus introducing the church to the Roman capital. The Christian community in Rome seems to have been very active in the years before Paul came to them with their first apostolic ministry. The historian Suetonius mentions the zeal of people devoted to one Chrestos, (probably Christ).  It is reported in Acts 28:15 that as Paul was being conducted as prisoner up the Appian Way from southern Italy, "the brethren, when they heard about us, came from there (Rome) as far as the Appian Forum and Three Taverns to meet us; and when Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage."

      Paul must have often thanked God for the strong faith and great zeal of the church in Rome, for the lead text above finds him opening this letter with another expression of thanks to God for them. They were to be highly commended because their faith was "being proclaimed throughout the whole world." Although one would expect the church in the first city of that vast empire to be known far and wide, it is still to their great credit that their faith was remarkable. And here is a lesson for each congregation of the Lord's church today. We face the challenge to develop our faith to the level where its expression is obvious. Faith that is worthy of the name makes itself evident in the deeds that it accomplishes in Christ's name.

      Some think that a major emphasis in this epistle is that God's grace dominates everything, paling man's participation in the divine drama to nothing. But one must observe that as early as the fifth verse of the letter Paul mentions "the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles." God's grace is the only context in which man's salvation and union with God are possible, but within that context man must participate by "obedience of faith." That is, faith must lead us to obey God's instructions and commands. That is what the brethren in the church at Rome had done to the extent that the results were known across the empire. The same can, and should be, the case with each congregation of Christians today. Although a given congregation, especially a small one, may not obtain a reputation that is known around the world, or even across the nation, it can still make a good name for itself that is known beyond its local setting. And to do that, it must devote itself to building up strong faith among its members that expresses itself in sustained obedience to the requirements of God in all things.

THE SECT SPOKEN AGAINST EVERYWHERE

Acts 28:22 ... "We desire to hear from you what your views are; for concerning this sect, it is known to us that it is spoken against everywhere."

      After a long, difficult journey by sea that included shipwreck and spending the winter in refuge on the island of Melita, Paul at last was able to reach Rome. For many years he had planned to visit Rome to preach the gospel of Christ, (Rom. 1:15-16).  Now he had arrived and would do this work for the Lord, but not under the circumstances he had expected. Paul would spend the next two years in Rome as a prisoner and would minister only through those who were allowed to visit him.

      As soon as possible Paul called the Jewish leaders of the city to come to him so that he could explain the reason for his being there under arrest. They answered him, "We have neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brethren come here and reported or spoken anything bad about you," (v.21). From this report it seems that Paul's bitter enemies in Judea lost all interest in his case once he was in a far distant land out of their sphere of influence. Then the Roman Jews said, "We desire to hear from you what your views are ... concerning this sect ... that is spoken against everywhere."  Here we are given an interesting insight into current public opinion regarding Christianity. In most of the New Testament records we are told how the Lord and also godly men in the church thought of Christianity. Their statements, of course, speak of Christianity, (often called "The Way"), in the highest, most complimentary terms. We would expect that outside the brotherhood of disciples there would be a very different assessment, and this frank statement of the Jewish leaders in Rome reveals it to us. First, they call it a "sect" as though it were an upstart religious movement similar to the many that were then making their appearance throughout the Empire. They did not see Christianity as a unique system from God and not from man. Second, they said that Christianity was "spoken against everywhere." There still survive many ancient sources which bear out the truth of this report when the church was young.

      It is necessary for Christians to live in such a way that their conduct makes a good impression upon society at large and draws credit to their religion. Jesus instructs His disciples in Mat. 5:16 to "let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven." In spite of our best efforts and most beneficial effects upon the world, however, the Way of Truth will still be maligned, opposed, and even persecuted by some people. Even the perfect, exemplary life of Jesus drew heavy criticism and hostility so great that it led to His crucifixion. Sometimes the excellence of one's life is indicated as much by the resentment it provokes as by the praise conferred upon it. To be denounced by worldly, ungodly people is to be expected in the great struggle between good and evil. We should therefore never be discouraged or dissuaded in our efforts to live for Christ when we are criticized, ridiculed, or even ostracized in our world. With an understanding of the nature of our struggle and our hope fixed on the glorious rewards in store for those who continue "faithful until death," we must with humility and perseverance hold out resolutely for the glorious Lord we honor and worship.

THOSE WHO SAVE IN TIMES OF PERIL

Acts 27:42-43 ... "The soldiers' plan was to kill the prisoners, that none of them should swim away and escape; but the centurion, wanting to bring Paul safely through, kept them from their intention."

      Paul had spent nearly two years in prison in Palestine and had endured many hearings and trials before he appealed his case to the Emperor in Rome. Along with other prisoners he was turned over to a centurion named Julius and a contingent of Roman soldiers. Leaving Caesarea, they sailed in a ship of Adramytium as far as Myra of Lycia, where they transferred to a ship of Alexandria carrying grain from Egypt to Rome. All went well until they reached Fair Havens, a port of Crete. It was already late autumn, and the storms of winter were threatening. Any day sailing on the Mediterranean would become hazardous, if not impossible. So Paul advised Julius to winter the ship at Fair Havens. The centurion, however, took the advice of the ship captain, who wanted to make a run for Phenice, a more commodious port of Crete. Hardly had the great ship set sail than a tremendous storm swept it into the open sea, where the sailors had no reference points and were virtually lost. For the next two weeks the ship was blown helplessly about, so that almost all on board lost hope of ever reaching land again. Having been visited by an angel, Paul assured the people they would reach land, if they followed the instructions of the Lord.

      The next day the sailors saw land ahead and made a dash for shore. But quite a distance from it, the ship struck something like a reef or bar. Although the pounding waves demolished the stern of the ship, it was close enough to land, a beach on the island of Melita, that the people could swim or float there on debris from the disintegrating vessel. But the soldiers, fearing that the prisoners, whom they guarded with their own lives, should escape, advised their commander to kill them. Then comes a very significant statement:  "But the centurion, wanting to bring Paul safely through, kept them from their intention."

      The lives of the other prisoners were spared because of the presence of one man, the apostle Paul. For the past two weeks Julius had observed the godly and virtuous behavior of this unusual prisoner and had learned to respect both his counsel and his trust in the God he worshiped. There is a great lesson here for every Christian. In Mt. 5:13 Jesus said to His disciples, "You are the salt of the earth." Since salt is primarily a preservative, this indicates that Christians should be saving agents of their environment and the people about them. Most of the 276 men on the Alexandrian freighter were unregenerate sinners, but the Lord was willing to spare their lives for the sake of Paul. Because Paul had the attitude, behavior, and speech that befitted a committed Christian, he so influenced Julius, the officer in charge, that this man acted to save all the other prisoners. Christians today are surrounded by a host of people who are either irreligious or indifferent to religion. Our world is becoming more sinful and ungodly with each passing day, increasingly ripe for destruction as divine retribution. But the presence of a few faithful, stalwart Christians may be just the key agents that are staying God's hand. Except for these occasional lights in a dark world of evil, God would at once extinguish the whole. This realization should encourage Christians to redouble their efforts to live pure and holy lives, reflecting through them the glory of the Lord Jesus.

ALMOST PERSUADED

Acts 26:28 ... "Agrippa replied to Paul, 'In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian.'"

      After Paul had spent about two years in prison in Palestine, he appealed his case to the Emperor in Rome. But before Festus, the Roman governor, could send Paul to Caesar it was necessary that he prepare the formal charges against him. To Festus this was very difficult, for it seemed as though the issues centered more on religious differences than on criminal conduct. When King Agrippa came to welcome Festus to his office, the governor now thought he had access to valuable help. With Agrippa being both a Jew and a Roman functionary, Festus thought surely he would be able to fathom the intricacies of this challenging case. He therefore set a time for the apostle to present his case before Agrippa. Thus we read that "on the next day, when Agrippa had come together with Bernice, amid great pomp, and had entered the auditorium accompanied by the commanders and the prominent men of the city, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in," (Acts 25:23).

      It is noteworthy that, when Paul was given license to speak before the court, he did not launch out into a vigorous refutation of the charges against him nor eagerly defend his character, motives, and behavior. Rather, he first gave a brief account of how he had been converted from a champion of the Jewish persecution of Christians to an advocate for Christ. Then he began what was, in effect, a basic gospel sermon designed to appeal to the dignitaries arrayed in their finery before him. His message was interrupted by Festus with a declaration that Paul's great education had made him mad. Paul denied this with the statement that all he had just said was a matter of open knowledge which could easily be verified by witnesses. Then, turning directly to the king, he asked, "King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets?" (26:27). Paul was suggesting that a man of Agrippa's erudition should be able to see that Christianity is the fulfillment of ancient prophecies. Also implied in his question was the idea that such perception should induce one to obey the gospel and become a Christian. Agrippa at once perceived Paul's motive and answered, "In a short time you will persuade me to be Christian."

      The king's answer may be interpreted in either of two ways. It could be he was flippantly casting aside Paul's appeal to him. That is, he was sarcastically saying, "Paul, do you really think you can persuade me to become a Christian during this short session? (The sense of the NAS used here.) Or, it might be that Agrippa had been cast into a serious frame of mind and was telling Paul that he had brought him almost to the point of conversion. (The sense of the KJV.) Actually, it does not matter whether the king was serious or being sarcastic. The important point is that he did not accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. He assumed the tragic position of anyone, then or now, who is given an opportunity to renounce sin and accept salvation but chooses instead to continue in the course of sin to which he is accustomed.  To be "almost persuaded" is to be lost. To exchange eternity in heaven for whatever hinders you from accepting Christ as Savior and Lord is a bad trade, one that will be bitterly regretted forever.