— by Pastor Temilolu Oluwasijuwomi
So we stopped at Chapter 1 vs 18 for good reason. To understand what and why Paul wrote from 1 vs 18 to 2 vs 29, I believe we have to check out Chapter 3 verses 4 to 8. It seems to me in chapter 3 : 4 – 8 that news had been making rounds that Paul was through his gospel was encouraging people to commit sin. This is not far fetched especially as it concerns those who passionately proclaim the Gospel of Grace.
As a matter of fact, it is impossible for you to preach the gospel of Grace and not be mistaken for someone who promotes licentious and sinful living as Paul was. So from chapter 3:
8 Some people are actually trying to put such words in our mouths, claiming that we go around saying, “The more evil we do, the more good God does, so let’s just do it!” That’s pure slander, as I’m sure you’ll agree. We’re All in the Same Sinking Boat. MSG
From the above, I was able to put down a few point Paul raised to assure his hearer he is a firm believer in the following from chapter 1 verses 18
1. God exists, cannot be denied but can only be ignored 1 vs 19
2. God’s wrath is sure on unrighteousness and those who hold the truth in unrighteousness. Whether it was him (Paul) or us in the grace circle today. 2:5
3. That the gentile world gave God up to their detriment. God in turn gave them up to
a. uncleanness 1 vs 24,
b. vile affection 1:26
c. a reprobate mind 1:28
Paul lists a couple of sins to show his disdain for such acts as should any preacher of the Gospel of Grace.
4. Peradventure any gentile wanted to excuse himself as morally upright and as such judge those who practice such acts, Paul declares that the mere act of Judging anybody is condemning yourself because it is only the goodness of God that brings repentance and not the goodness of man 2:1-4. As such everyone my humble themselves
5. There is sure reward for all who do evil or good and God will judge without respect for any one. 2:6-11
6. The tool that God will use to judge the Gentiles will be their conscience and the tool for judgement of the Jews under the Law was the Law itself. 2: 15 and 13 respectively.
In point 6, God will judge to Gentiles under Conscience with their conscience and those under the law with the Law
With the points listed above, Paul clearly dissociates himself from being a promoter of sin since he believes sin is bad, God hates sin and will most definitely judge sin.
Everything Paul wrote from 1:18 to this point goes to show that both the Jews who thought Paul was promoting sin and the Gentiles were not guiltless.
From the above, every single person on Earth only has one person to thank if we ever find freedom JESUS CHRIST, and his Precious Grace that he so LAVISHED ON US
Having established all this, he concludes by affirming from 2 vs 17 to 29 that even the Jews who brag in the law are even condemned by the law.
Paul throws it in everyone’s face that no matter you want to justify yourself outside God’s grace WE ALL STOOD GUILTY. Check out Message translation
8b as I’m sure you’ll agree. We’re All in the Same Sinking Boat
9 So where does that put us? Do we Jews get a better break than the others? Not really. Basically, all of us, whether insiders or outsiders, start out in identical conditions, which is to say that we all start out as sinners. Scripture leaves no doubt about it:
10 There’s nobody living right, not even one,
11 nobody who knows the score, nobody alert for God.
12 They’ve all taken the wrong turn; they’ve all wandered down blind alleys. No one’s living right; I can’t find a single one.
13 Their throats are gaping graves, their tongues slick as mud slides. Every word they speak is tinged with poison.
14 They open their mouths and pollute the air.
15 They race for the honor of sinner-of-the-year, (this is comical)
16 litter the land with heartbreak and ruin,
17 Don’t know the first thing about living with others.
18 They never give God the time of day.
19 This makes it clear, doesn’t it, that whatever is written in these Scriptures is not what God says about others but to us to whom these Scriptures were addressed in the first place! And it’s clear enough, isn’t it, that we’re sinners, every one of us, in the same sinking boat with everybody else?
20 Our involvement with God’s revelation doesn’t put us right with God. What it does is force us to face our complicity in everyone else’s sin. God Has Set Things Right
Paul summarized everything with the popular Rom 3 :23
23 Since we’ve compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us,
In summary, the Gentiles and the Jews are both as guilty as they come. The fact that the Jews had the scriptures only goes to show that they as guilty of sin as the gentiles and in need of a SAVIOUR.
Vs 24 GOD DID IT FOR US.
You should deeply and practically praise God for this statement. Thank God that in Christ, He DID IT FOR US. I’ll leave you with this thought until the next part when we examine how God did it from the following verses.
Spend the night thanking God that HE DID IT FOR YOU AND ME.
HALLELUJAH!!!
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