Scofield Notes on Rom. 4-5-6

CHAPTER 4

4:2 Cf. Jas. 2:24. These are two aspects of one truth. Paul speaks of that which justifies man before God, viz.: faith alone, wholly apart from works; James of the proof before men, that he who professes to have justifying faith really has it. Paul speaks of what God sees—faith; James of what men see—works, as the visible evidence of faith. Paul draws his illustration from Gen. 15:6; James from Gen. 22:1–19. James’ key-phrase is “ye see” (Jas. 2:24), for men cannot see faith except as manifested through works.

4:25 Christ died under our sins (1 Pet. 2:24; 2 Cor. 5:21); that He was raised and exalted to God’s right hand, “now to appear in the presence of God for us” (Heb. 9:24), is the token that our sins are gone, that His work for us has the divine approbation and that we, for whom He suffered, are completely justified.

CHAPTER 5

5:12 The “wherefore” relates back to Rom. 3:19–23, and may be regarded as a continuation of the discussion of the universality of sin, interrupted (Rom. 3:24–5:11) by the passage on justification and its results.

The first sin wrought the moral ruin of the race. The demonstration is simple. (1) Death is universal (vs. 12, 14), all die: sinless infants, moral people, religious people, equally with the depraved. For a universal effect there must be a universal cause; that cause is a state of universal sin (v. 12). (2) But this universal state must have had a cause. It did. The consequence of Adam’s sin was that “the many were made sinners” (v. 19)—“By the offence of one judgment came upon all men unto condemnation” (v. 18). (3) Personal sins are not meant here. From Adam to Moses death reigned (v. 14), although, there being no law, personal guilt was not imputed (v. 13). Accordingly, from Gen. 4:7 to Ex. 29:14 the sin-offering is not once mentioned. Then, since physical death from Adam to Moses was not due to the sinful acts of those who die (v. 13), it follows that it was due to a universal sinful state, or nature, and that state is declared to be our inheritance from Adam. (4) The moral state of fallen man is described in Scripture (Gen. 6:5; 1 Ki. 8:46; Psa. 14:1–3; 39:5; Jer. 17:9; Mt. 18:11; Mk. 7:20, 23; Rom. 1:21; 2; 3:9–19; 7:24; 8:7; John 3:6; 1 Cor. 2:14; 2 Cor. 3:14; 4:4; Gal. 5:19–21; Eph. 2:1–3, 11, 12; 4:18–22; Col. 1:21; Heb. 3:13; Jas. 4:14). See 1 Cor. 15:22.

5:14 Broadly, the contrast is: Adam: sin, death; Christ: righteousness, life. Adam drew down into his ruin the old creation (Rom. 8:19–22) of which he was lord and head. Christ brings into moral unity with God, and into eternal life, the new creation of which He is Lord and Head (Eph. 1:22, 23). Even the animal and material creation, cursed for man’s sake (Gen. 3:17), will be delivered by Christ (Isa. 11:6–9; Rom. 8:19–22).

5:21 “Sin” in Rom. 6, 7. is the nature in distinction from “sins,” which are manifestations of that nature. Cf. 1 John 1:8 with 1 John 1:10, where this distinction also appears.

Scofield, C. I. (Ed.). (1917). The Scofield Reference Bible: The Holy Bible Containing the Old and New Testaments (pp. 1196–1198). New York; London; Toronto; Melbourne; Bombay: Oxford University Press.

God’s wrath

Romans 5:9 NASB95

Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.

In our previous “Sound Thoughts” newsletter I presented my thoughts about God’s legal system and what “justified by His blood” means. In this newsletter I want to make a parable that gives my thoughts on what the “wrath” of God is, as far as we Believers are in this world are concerned.

In this parable you are a teenage driver who has been ticketed for speeding (50 MPH), on a rainy, dark Friday afternoon, through a 25 MPH school zone, with children walking home from school. Your father is the local traffic court judge. You are to present yourself before this traffic court at 8:30 AM next Monday morning. You pray that the Rapture will occur before Monday, but that doesn’t happen. You show up in your “hoody” and sunglasses. The line-up of offenders is thankfully long, and you keep trading your place in line with late-comers, but about noon-time you are at last standing before the judge, your father. He asks you to remove your glasses and hood, and you are “busted” in all your dis-glory. The silence is thick and heavy. The Judge begins to read aloud the particulars of your rain-stained ticket; . . . 50 MPH (a church bell tolls from afar—(BONG!), . . . in a school zone (BONG, BONG!). . . , rainy and dark weather (BONG, BONG, BONG!), . . .children present (BONG, BONG, BONG, BONG!).

“Son (or daughter), you have heard the charges against you. How do you plead?

“Your Honor, (at last you are showing some good sense), I am pretty much guilty, I guess, but I was late for basketball practice and coach said he would kick me off the team if I was late again, and so. . . . “ (the bell loses all control now, tolling crazily, BONGing again and again. . . has someone died?)

“Son (or daughter), this is not the time and place for me to lecture you on traffic safety. You have pleaded guilty to these charges. The traffic laws of this city stipulate that you are to pay fines totaling $800. As your father, I am not angry with you, only very saddened. As judge of this court, I must uphold the law, which is very clear, and its demands just and sensible. After your fines are paid, the law will be satisfied, and you will be free to go.”

This parable is offered to illustrate only one principal, that God is not filled with angry emotions. He is not angry with you. He is not relating to you on the basis of your good or bad behavior. With His precious Son beside Him there in heaven, He is satisfied.

But the Laws of heaven are strict, demanding of penalty for sin, and that is the wrath of God . That is why Jesus went to the cross. His blood payment is on deposit. That well will never run dry. It pays for the just demands of the Law, the wrathful demands of God. It pays every penalty.

Your part and my part in this legal system is to trust the efficacy (the ability, the value, the depth) of Jesus’ blood payment. Control your thinking. Never doubt it. Never fear that your sins are too deep, too bad, too ugly, too numerous, too chronic.

Do you want to honor God? Well, honor the sacrifice of His Son. Trust it, trust it, trust it.

Do you want to love God with all your heart, all your mind, all your soul? Trust the blood sacrifice of His Son.

Do you want to serve your Lord Jesus? Trust His blood sacrifice. Never doubt it. Never be afraid. Teach others to trust it. It is our hope. It is our joy. This is how we stand strong in the storms. This is how we arm ourselves against Satan’s attacks. This is how we give Him praise.