Turning away the wrath of God by offering Him something He likes.
Did you notice all the offerings required by the Jews in your Old Testament? The New Testament says not one of them could take away sin. They were prescribed by God to point His people to the once and for all offering of His own Son as the perfect sacrifice “In Whom I am well pleased” to use God’s own words. The perfect offering of Someone he loved eternally, made God very happy with us!
That’s propitiation. Great word. Wonderful idea.
Romans 3:26. How is God both just and justifier?
Consider ancient King Arthur. He had a serious problem. His wife, the Queen, was unfaithful. She was therefore guilty of treason. She had to die. How can Arthur save His wife, be the justifier, that is, and yet rule his people in righteousness, or, be just?
The answer? Lancelot. The “Savior” figure of my parable sweeps into town, with Arthur’s blessing, takes her to a safe place, yet satisfies the justice of the realm.
Not a perfect picture. But consider our Savior. God’s problem was how to judge sin, which must be judged, and yet save people from their sins at the same time.
Jesus was the answer to the dilemma. He would come, die in the place of all who have ever sinned, placating God’s wrath and need to be judge of sin. And all the actual sinners, if they so desired, would go free. God could love all who were interested in His salvation, yet still have punished iniquity. What a marvelous plan!
Romans 3:31. How is the law established by faith?
Paul’s detractors surely wanted to know this one. They were sure that the Law of Moses was being destroyed by these Christians. What, you could simply believe in this Jesus’ sacrifice, and no more guilt for sin? No sacrifices have to be offered, no other Mosaic observances? How can this be?
It can be, because Jesus fulfilled all the sacrificial practices and other demands of the Law. Faith directed toward this Jesus establishes the real justice of God, not just the pictured justice of the Mosaic system.
Romans 4:3, James 2:21. How was Abraham justified? What Scripture do both men use? Gen 15:6
See number 11 above. Also, note that both Paul and James are using Genesis 15:6, where Moses reports that Abraham believed God, and God placed righteousness on his account as a result.
Paul says, that’s the pattern. You believe God, you are righteous! James says, that faith you have, if truly from the Spirit, truly saving faith, produces works: see how Abraham did what God told him to do?
The difference is this. You and I both know of people who try so hard to “get saved” by doing things for Him, impressing Him. Then there are others who have received a wonderful impartation of forgiveness, healing, joy, and they spend the rest of their lives thankfully working for God. Two different ways of looking at God’s grace.
One is fatal.
Romans 4:9 ff. What is Paul’s argument from the timing of Abraham’s circumcision?
If indeed God justified Abraham before he was circumcised, it is obvious that justification is not based on that circumcision. Faith was the determinant factor, not some action he performed. Similarly today we are told to be baptized, not that water saves, but in obedience. Our own justification comes when God plants His faith in our hearts, not after we have “done” something.
Romans 5:14. How did death reign from Adam to Moses?
First he says that “sin is not imputed when there is no law.” That is, if I sin in ignorance, there is no record of it in my conscience. But death reigns anyway. From Adam’s sin until Moses gave the laws defining sin, death reigned. Why? Sin produces death, whether I know it or not. The poison kills, whether I know it is mixed in with my drink or not. Sin is sin. The wages of sin will always be death. We’ve all drunk the poison. In Adam we will all die.
Romans 5:15. How is Adam’s fall so different from Christ’s gift?
The comparison Paul draws is striking:
One act of sin in the Garden produced all the evil in the world.
One act of righteousness on Calvary produced all the taking away of that sin.
One act of Adam causes many to die.
One action of Christ causes many to live.
Adam’s actions condemn us all.
Christ’s actions justify the believer.
Romans 5:20. Why the law?
The Law comes in to define the transgressions that were already taking place. The “Thou shalt not” served to make the carnal nature desire sin even more. The Law is holy, but because of our fallen state, it multiplied evil within and among us.
Romans 6:15 ff. What is Paul’s message to the lawless?
Many Christians have accepted the notion that since we are, in their words, “free from the Law,” we can just do whatever we want now. He uses the picture of slavery here to point out that if one offers himself to a slave master, that master will control everything he does. Paul encourages us to offer ourselves to the Master Jesus, who is holy and pure and wants us to be the same. This, as opposed to the offering of ourselves to ourselves, our own desires and sins, the very ones that got us in such trouble to begin with.
Lawlessness is the nature of the antichrist. To be without God’s law is to be on Satan’s team. When we yield ourselves to God, He works out the Law of God within us.
Romans 7:1 ff. Who was our first husband?
In another picture, to help us understand, he calls all of us who are now the Bride of Christ, ex-wives of the Law. We were married to the Law, trying our best to please our husband, but unable to do so. He died. Or, changing the picture a bit, we died to the Law. Now we are to be married to Christ, to serve Him in the Spirit, in a new and better way.
Romans 7:13. What good thing does the law do for me?
It opens my eyes to my utter depravity, my utter inability to be pleasing to a Holy God. I see myself, and the sin that is in me, for what it is. And I loathe it, and desire God’s change in my heart.
Romans 7:22. Is there something of God in me before I am saved?
There is, somewhere in there, a desire to be right. To do the right thing. But in the mix also is the antagonist, the flesh, that wants me to do wrong. The senses all are taking in impressions that are opposed to this inward desire. And the flesh is stronger than my inner desire to be right. I continue to lose.
Romans 8:1-4. Is the “flesh” destroyed at rebirth?
Wouldn’t that be nice. I am free from sin. I do not have to sin. But sin is always a possibility. We can walk according to the flesh or according to the Spirit. Much of the New Testament is given to us to show us how to fight the fight of faith against that flesh and for that Spirit. If it were automatic from the beginning, we would not need these exhortations, or the Bible, or the Church, or prayer. God has given us the means to overcome, and expects us to do so.
Romans 8:4. Does the Christian keep the Law?
Yes, that is what Paul is saying. If we walk in the Spirit, following His leads every day, we will be keeping the righteous Law of God. We will be pleasing to Him because His Law will be written in our hearts.
Romans 8:13. How do we crucify the flesh by the Spirit?
Starved and neglected life forms cannot live. Your desire to commit adultery will wither and die if you do not feed it, and feed instead the Spirit man who is calling you to faithfulness. We feed the New Nature with prayer, the Word, fellowship. Where those things abound, sin does not have a chance to fester and grow and control. The things of the Spirit, the Spirit Himself, gives the death blow to the things of the flesh.
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