Accountable to God

Summary Statement of the Study of Romans

If we don’t get the gospel right, then everything else will be wrong in our faith and Christian life. You cannot be wring about the gospel and be right with God. To be right about the gospel is to be right about everything that truly matters. Getting the gospel right is that important.

These to whom Paul is confronting were Jewish moralizers claiming to exist in a superior category to the lesser category of pagans caught in immoral acts, Romans 1:18-32. But while proclaiming their virtues, and lofty ideas, they overlooked the fact they were guilty of the same immorality and inconsistencies.

Objective of Romans 1-3

Paul’s objective becomes our objective in our study of Romans; to proclaim the power of the gospel to change people’s lives, Romans 1:16-17.

Gentiles have a great need of obtaining the righteousness of God.

Jews have a great need of obtaining the righteousness of God.

Jewish people are not God’s favorite! Jews are not an exception to the rule. They don’t receive exemption based on nationality, ethnicity, or religiosity.

Romans 3:19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.

The theme of this section of Romans, Romans 1:18-3:20 is the judgment of God and not salvation.

It is important to understand our position and condition before God, before we can really assimilate what God actually did to change our standing through the work of Jesus Christ.

There is a need within the whole human race for the righteousness of God in order to establish a proper standing before God.

Romans 3:1-9 Paul concludes, the Jews are guilty before God just as the Gentiles or pagans, Romans 1:18-32.

Paul presents four objections to what has previously been written, Romans 2:17-29.

Jews were even more guilty because they had the written law.

These Jews were dishonoring God instead of glorifying God, Romans 2:17-24.

The very law these Jews claimed to obey, was actually indicting them. Paul brings these Jews down from their spiritual high horse, Romans 2:20-24.

You who teach other, do you not teach yourself?

Their hypocrisy dishonored God; also it caused Gentiles to blaspheme God. “Why should we honor God,” Gentiles may have reasoned, “when His Chosen People do even honor God?”

Romans 2:28-29 Form the conclusion of this section which begins in Romans 2:17.

Being a Jew is not a matter of outward or external things.

A genuine Jew is one inwardly and true circumcision is … of the heart and by the Spirit.

Circumcision of heart fulfills “the spirit” of God’s Law instead of mere outward conformity to the Law.

What is the point of being a Jew? Romans 3:1-2.

In this letter to the Romans, Paul names numerous advantages to being a Jew. In Romans 3 he begins the list and does not finish it until Romans 9:4-5.

The Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God, Romans 3:2.

“Oracles,” Gr. word is logion, a diminutive form of the common NT word logos, which is normally translated “word.”

This was special revelation concerning Christ, salvation, and the gospel message, 2 Timothy 3:15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.”

These Jews felt that their unbelief had revoked their privilege of being the repository of truth.

They were still the recipients of special revelation despite them failing to live up to their calling.

Paul was really pressing home the truth of Roman 2, being a Jew was no guarantee of entrance into the kingdom of God, and even the covenant sign of circumcision was no guarantee of getting into heaven.

What advantage do non-believers have in being in the church?

Unbelievers cannot be members of Christ’s church, members are only comprised of truly regenerated people.

The visible and invisible church.

The invisible church is the church made of genuine believers in Christ. It is designated as invisible because of the invisible heart of each of its members.

The visible church is the institution made up of people on the roll of membership of the church.

What advantage does a person have in being a part of the visible church?

Note three circles; Circle 1 represent all human beings, Circle 2 members of the visible church, Circle 3 members of the invisible church.

Circle 2 are those who have made a mere profession of faith. They have gone through the motions, but fail to possess true faith in Christ finished work on redemption. Equivalent to circumcised Jews who were not genuine believers, Romans 3:1.

Equivalent to baptized people who sit in the church, but are not believers in Christ, they’ve just went through the rites.

Circle 2 has access to the means of God’s grace; reference to the benefits and instruments given to the church which God uses to bring about people’s salvation.

What if some did not have faith? Romans 3:3-4.

God judging the Jews, is not this God acting inconsistent with His own promises to the Jews? Did not God promise Abraham to be faithful to the Jewish people? If what God promised and entrusted with the Jews, failed to be trusted and obeyed by these Jews, is their a glitch in the promises of God? If the Jews faith to be faithful, does this mean God is unfaithful or inconsistent?

The outrage of such stupid thinking, Romans 3:4, to think that God is unfaithful, inconsistent, or their is a malfunction in God’s promises.

Man by nature is inconsistent, we naturally break promises, fail to hold up to our end of the deal, we fail.

Does our inconsistencies project that God is inconsistent?

God will fulfill His promises, the only reason for the failure of the Jews is their unbelief.

They can inherit the promises only on the basis of repentance and faith, Romans 9:6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, Romans 9:7 and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named. Cf. Isaiah 55:6-7.

Men are liars in making this assumption, God always right in judgment and what He promises, Romans 2:2 God’s judgment rightly falls…

God’s judgment is actually a witness to His own faithfulness, Psalm 51:4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.

God has every right to condemn sin.

The more we sin, the more God provides His grace, Romans 3:5.

God does not need willful sinning to demonstrate His divine nature, Romans 1:20, His righteousness and glory are demonstrated in so many ways.

Their thinking; our sin, in a certain sense, bears witness to the greatness of God, for the more we sin, the more righteous God appears by contrast.

Their thinking; Is the sinner not doing God a favor sinning if it exhibits the divine nature of God?

Paul say this is exactly how sinners think, this is depraved reasoning, Romans 3:5 (I am speaking in human terms)…

So, God has no real reason to judge us, but rather to reward us, Romans 3:6.

God should let us go one sinning that He can be glorified even more!

God would cease being God if this were true concerning God’s grace.

These Jews were indicating themselves, Paul is arguing on a human level, and they were not discerning.

Why are we being judged for something that glorifies God? Romans 3:7-8.

God can bring good out of evil.

Getting to the right place (God’s Glory) the wrong way (sinning) is never justified!

People who think in such a way deserved to be judged and condemned.

The gospel had been perverted, who argued it provided not only a license to sin, but outright encouragement to do so, Romans 5:20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? Romans 6:2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

This is the doctrine of “Cheap Grace.” That God receives more glory when Christians do evil and then are forgiven. Being bad makes God look good!

Some believers think that as long as God is glorified, it doesn’t matter how He gets glory. So they’ll “stretch the story and give God the glory.”