Romans 3:1-4 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the
value of circumcision? 2 Much in every way. To begin with, the
Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. 3 What if some
were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? 4 By
no means! Let God be true though every one were
a liar, as it is written, “That you may be justified in your words, and prevail
when you are judged.”
When Paul raises the question of the advantage a Jew might
have he confronts us with the same question. What advantage is there in being
raised in an average American household? The answer to that question is very
important. Today in the United States of America about half of the households
were not influenced by the Bible. Barna Research has conducted its annual state
of the Bible survey. In it they found
several interesting facts about how American families are impacted by the
Bible. Interestingly enough, a little over half of Americans are “Bible users”.
“Bible users” are defined as people who engage with the Bible
on their own. Among the other findings in the survey, two-thirds of Americans express Bible curiosity. More than half of
those who use the Bible monthly report that reading the Bible has resulted in a
self-perceived willingness to engage in their faith and to show more loving
behavior towards others. 58% of Americans believe that the Bible has
transformed their life. This news should
be encouraging to us all.
As we look at the third chapter of Romans, we must keep in
mind that it describes the condition of the Jews that Paul had to deal with.
The Jews imagined themselves to be clothed with a righteousness that was
actually nonexistent. They were duped by a misleading religious confidence. So
Paul stripped away their layers of delusion. They believed that because they
possessed the Word of God they were safe. They saw themselves as guides to the
blind, correctors of the foolish, teachers of the immature.
Remembering the words of Moses…
Paul’s question confronts the Jews. Let’s look at Deuteronomy 32:45-47. And when Moses had finished speaking all these
words to all Israel, 46 he said to them, “Take to heart all the
words by which I am warning you today, that you may command them to your
children, that they may be careful to do all the words of this law. 47 For
it is no empty word for you, but your very life, and by this word you shall
live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.”
The people of God in all ages share a common heritage and
consequent responsibility. The Jews of the first century had the responsibility
of teaching their children the words of God handed down to them. The word of
God was not empty it was filled with life. Resting in the word of God would
allow them to live long in the place God put them. They had not received a set
of suggestions!
The Jews had received the living
Word. Let’s look to Moses’
words found in Deuteronomy 4:7-8. For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call
upon him? 8 And what great nation is there, that has statutes
and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today?
Just before he departed the scene Moses spoke to the people
about how God had changed them from a class of slaves into a great nation by
being near them. Unlike the false gods,
the God of the Jews was near them and his ears were open to their pleas. The
God of the Jews gave them (and us) a written word. The law God set before them
gave them righteous direction. Unlike
other nations, the Jews possessed the living words of God not the mumbo jumbo
of the false religions.
It is very important that God’s people rehearse the living words
lest they forget all that God had done for them. The instructions given by
Moses apply to us today. Our children need to hear the stories of God’s
faithfulness to his people. We should take time in our family moments to
discuss the Bible. The stories told in the Bible should be part of the memory
of our children.
The Bible tells us what God is like. Let’s turn to Jeremiah 9:23-24. Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his
wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast
in his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he
understands and knows me, that I am the Lord
who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in
these things I delight, declares the Lord.”
It would literally take days in order for me to give a
comprehensive list of the attributes of God. Jeremiah, who was living out the
last days of the independent nation of Judah, understood the necessity of
knowing about God. One of mankind’s greatest problems is focusing on human
achievements. So Jeremiah gives us God’s word on the subject. The wise man
should not boast in his wisdom. The strongman should not boast in his strength.
The rich man should not boast in his riches. What these representative men should
do is boast in the Lord.
We are not just to know God or know about God we should
desire to understand God. In Jesus’ high priestly prayer recorded in John
chapter 17 we find these words, “this is
eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you
have sent.” (John 17:3) Peter, in his second letter, asked that grace and
peace be multiplied to us in the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ our Lord.
In fact, Peter said God has granted to us
all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who
called us to his own glory and excellence. (2 Peter 1:3)
During those last few days on earth,
Philip asked Jesus, “show us the Father?” In Jesus’ reply, he answered the question with a question, “have I been with you so long, and you
still do not know me?” (John 14:8-9). The only safe information we have
about God is found in God’s book, the Bible! We should read it in its entirety
in order to really know God. We should read the Gospels with a view to
understanding who God is because the Gospels tell us about Jesus and Jesus said
that those who saw him saw the Father! Do you want to know God? Study His book
and especially study Jesus! The Bible not only tells us about God…
The Bible tells us what man is like. Let’s go back to the beginning and
read Genesis 1:26-27. Then God said,
“Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion
over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the
livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on
the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the
image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
God — Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit — said, “Let us make man in our image,” therefore any understanding
of what man is like requires us first to know what God is like. Adam was created like God so that he could
represent God on earth. Beginning with the concept of the likeness to God we
can move forward in our understanding.
When the creator of the universe wanted something “in his
image,” something more like himself than all the rest of creation, He made us.
Even though sin has seriously affected our God-likeness
all humans still reflect the image of God. This has serious consequences
concerning how we treat other people. Everyone who has ever lived on this earth is an image-bearer! If we would take
that into consideration whenever we are confronted by a person we find
difficult to deal with life would be easier for both of us!
What advantage did the Jewish nation have? And, what
advantage is there in growing up in a home where the Bible is used today? I
will use Paul’s initial answer to that question, “Much in every way”! Let’s look at a few of those many advantages
strung together in Old Testament quotes first…
The Bible reveals man’s character. Let’s turn to Romans 3:9-12. What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all.
For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as
it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one
understands; no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside;
together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”
For anyone who thinks they are somehow worthy Paul assures us
none is righteous! Not even one! No one understands! No one seeks God! ALL have
turned aside! All have become worthless! No one does good! And then he nails it
down with NOT EVEN ONE! Our character is simply stated we have no righteousness
of our own and because of that…
The Bible condemns man’s conduct. Let’s read on Romans 3:13-14. Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues
to deceive. The venom of asps is under their lips. 14 Their
mouth is full of curses and bitterness
Beginning with the open grave which is the throat and moving
out to the tongue and then to the lips the speech of those without God is like
the door of a tomb. The speech of those without God is often filthy, sometimes
deceiving and often as deadly as the cobra’s bite! The conduct of mankind is
ungodly in every way.
The Bible condemns our conduct and…
The Bible reveals man’s corruption. Let’s read on Romans 3:15-18. Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 in
their paths are ruin and misery, 17 and the way of peace they
have not known. 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
Swift to shed blood. That sentence could describe most of the
“entertainment” in our culture. One of the news sources that I watch on TV is
Headline News. One of the things that turn
me away from it is the advertising concerning CNN! A large part of the
programming on CNN is rehashing criminal cases. Swift to shed blood certainly
describes most of that programming. The way of peace they have not known!
In his commentary, Romans: righteousness from heaven, R.
K. Hughes wrote: “Man’s depravity is seen in his rush to violence. Will Durant
wrote in his Lessons From History:
“In the last 3,421 years of recorded history only 268 have seen no war.” During
World War II it was estimated that it took $225,000 to kill one enemy soldier.
I wonder how much is being spent by the major nations today. Man loves violence!” Paul wraps up his Old
Testament quotes with, “no fear of God”! The Bible has much to tell us but the
most important is…
The Bible tells us how to be saved. This set of scriptures from Romans are
often referred to as “The Roman Road”! Let’s begin with Romans 3:23. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
everyone, no matter how socially acceptable, has sinned. This is bad news! When
Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden they condemned all their
unborn children to an existence of death! There have been two men and one woman
who existed without sin. The first two, Adam and Eve, had no sin until they
rebelled against God. The third person, our Lord Jesus, lived his entire life
having no sin of his own so that he could pay the price for our sin on the
cross and give us the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). Next,
Romans 6:23a For the wages of sin is
death, The Good News
Translation renders this passage “For sin pays its wage — death;” and this is
worse news. I have often heard people say “I don’t deserve this.” When talking
about some problem or uncomfortable situation. If I know them well enough to do
so I remind them that they may not deserve whatever is bothering them at the
moment but the truth is we all deserve death and hell! Everything else is
pretty much up from there.
Before we get carried away with the idea that it is all bad
news we remember…
Romans 5:8 God shows his love for us
in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. The greatest demonstration of love
that has ever been is the death of Jesus
Christ! Jesus went through great agony! He was beaten almost to death, then he
was nailed to the cross and lifted up above the earth and left to die. But that
wasn’t the greatest agony that he experienced. The greatest agony is Jesus —
with no sin of his own — became sin for us so that we could become the
righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21) There is good news and we
find it summarized in…
Romans 10:9-10 because, if you
confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God
raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the
heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. A confession, not an admission of
guilt, but a proclamation that Jesus is Lord! Confessing Jesus as Lord happens
only because the person making the confession believes with all his, or her, being that Jesus took our sin, nailed it to the
cross, buried it in the grave, and left it there! And when we believe with all
our being and confess Christ as Lord we are saved! This is not some idea that I
came up with it is this truth stated in God’s word. Everyone that thus calls on
the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:13). We learn everything we really
need from the Bible. We need to read it and believe it because it’s true!
After moving to upstate New York one of the first things that
I became aware of was the lack of Bible knowledge. Several times in those first
years I met adults who did not own a Bible. They never had and wasn’t sure what
the Bible was. Then I began to understand why witnessing here was so difficult.
Today, if anything, the problem is more severe! Children would have once been
at least exposed to the Bible in the public school. Today, in the public school
the Bible is seldom mentioned except as a possible book of myths. Unbelief is
very common in a world where the Bible is not respected. About half of the
families in America are not influenced by the Bible in any way at all. It is
very important that we get the word of God into the hands of people.
All scriptures quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English
standard version. 2001. Wheaton, Ill, Standard Bible Society.
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