Just and Justifier

Romans 3:21-31

“But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known...” (NIV, 1984)

How can a person be right or righteous without obeying the rules?

People who do not obey the rules go to jail. Of course, since you and I are not in jail, we are obviously rule keepers. We are okay. As a matter of fact, we are good people. We pay our taxes, are faithful to our spouses, go to work every day and even go to church on Sundays. Surely, we are better than those paying for their crimes by spending time in jail. It would be unjust to lock you or me up since we have not committed any crimes. In addition, it would be unjust to let a murderer or a rapist off without consequences. Neither of these would be right.

So, how is it that God, who is supposed to be just, can let people off without penalty who have sinned and admit they have sinned?

First, to answer this question, we must consider the nature of sin.  Romans 1:18 through Romans 3:20 discusses the nature of sin. Sin is discussed in view of the question, “How can a person be right with God.” The answer is “...no one will be declared righteous by observing the law...” In other words, no one keeps the rules so perfectly as to avoid the penalty. Romans 3:23 states quite plainly:

...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God... (Romans 3:23)

We all have sinned, and God says the penalty of sin is death.  Romans 3:18 explains the problem of sin as being a basic problem in the heart when it says:

"There is no fear of God before their eyes." (Romans 3:18 ESV)

Therefore, rule keeping is not the answer.

Isaiah 40:21-23 describes God by saying:

Do you not know? Do you not hear? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in; who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness. (Isaiah 40:21-23 ESV)

At the beginning of his ministry, Isaiah had a vision of God. This is what he says about what he saw:

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!" And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!" (Isaiah 6:1-5 ESV)

To sin is to offend this holy, great God. It is not enough to say, "God is great." Words cannot capture nor can our minds hold the splendor of His majesty.  Psalms 145:3 tells us that no one can fathom God’s greatness.  He is too great for us to truly understand.

How is it then that “There is no fear of God before their eyes?”

Let’s consider this question for just a moment.

In the Garden of Eden, when the serpent tempted the woman he started by telling her she would become “like God.” This desire to be “like God” still resides in the heart of men and women. Pride is a heart problem that no one can be free from apart from Jesus Christ. Our desire to be like God somehow blinds us to the greatness of God. How ridiculous to imagine that we could ever be like God!

 The statement "...by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight," is offensive to our pride. (Romans 3:20 ESV) After all, we are good people.

Let’s consider the example of the best people law could produce, the consummate rule keepers.

The Pharisees were experts in the Law of Moses. Their purpose was to be justified by the law. Paul, a Pharisee, said of himself, “as to righteousness under the law, blameless.” (Philippians 3:6 ESV) This was how the Pharisees viewed themselves, blameless.  In addition, they considered themselves to be guides to the blind, (Romans 2:19) and instructors to the foolish. (Romans 2:20) In other words, they were proud of the righteousness they were able to gain through keeping the law.  However, as we said, the Scriptures make it clear, “by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight...”

In Matthew chapter 15, Jesus confronts the hypocrisy of the Pharisees saying:

"'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'" (Matthew 15:8-9 ESV)

Jesus’ disciples warned him, asking, “Do you realize you offended the Pharisees by what you just said?” (Matthew 15:12 ESV) Part of Jesus’ response was:

They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch. (Matthew 15:14 NLT)

Jesus offended the Pharisees because the Pharisees were proud. They were proud of the righteousness they had, and in their pride, Jesus says they were blind. The rule keeping of the Pharisees fed their pride, so they boasted in their righteousness. In actuality, their pride made them blind.

In explaining how the gospel works, the book of Romans strips away every means of righteousness by works and says:

But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. (Romans 3:21-22 NLT)

Because of our pride and our desire to be “like God,” this simple truth of being made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ is a stumbling block to many. This stumbling block is explained in verse 27, which says:

Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. (Romans 3:27 ESV)

What is this “law of faith” that excludes any boasting? It is covered in the preceding verses. These verses clearly tell the heart of the gospel, and in so doing these verses show how God can be both just and the justifier of those who have broken the rules. Romans 3:23-26 says:

...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:23-26 ESV)

Several things stand out about the law of faith as stated in these verses.

First, we are justified as a gift. It is by grace. It is not anything that we have done. Boasting is excluded because we are not justified by any works of righteousness that we have done. No one is justified by the works of the law, no one.

Second, it is received by faith. We must believe, and we must trust. That is all. There is no room for pride because this righteousness does not depend on anything we do. Strangely enough, we find there are those who are proud of their great faith. However, this only shows that they do not understand. Our justification is entirely a work that God has done. It shows His greatness not ours.

Third, the law of faith shows God’s great love. In Romans 3:23-26, the Scriptures say that God put forward Jesus Christ to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. In other words, Jesus paid the price for our sins. This was not the appeasing of an angry deity but rather the paying of the legal penalty for sin.  In the Garden of Eden, God told Adam, “In the day you eat thereof you shall surely die.” The Bible consistently teaches that the legal penalty for sin is death. Jesus paid that penalty.

Fourth, the law of faith shows God’s justice.  Romans 3:26 says, “...so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” God passed over a lot of injustice and wrongdoing before Jesus died on the cross, and He continues to pass over sins of all kinds. God forgives my sins and your sins because Jesus paid for those sins. It would be unjust for God to require payment for sins that have already been paid for. This is why John 3:18 says:

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. (John 3:18 ESV)

Not believing in Jesus means that His payment of the penalty of sin is not applied to the unbeliever's account. This is the law of faith that says we are justified freely by His grace through faith in His blood.

There are two enemies of this law of faith.

One enemy is the devil. He roams about like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour.  We have no fear of him. He is defeated. The Bible tells us to be alert and ready but we are not ignorant of his schemes. By guarding our hearts and minds with faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, we are safe.

The second enemy of this law of faith is pride. Yes, believer, we can fall prey to the devil because of the pride in our hearts, any one of us can. This is why the Apostle Paul says:

As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Galatians 6:14 NLT)

We are going to study and learn more about the law as we go through Romans, but so far, we have learned that through the law we become conscious of sin and the law of faith upholds the law. In admitting that we have not perfectly kept the law, we admit that the law is holy and righteous and good, and we acknowledge that Jesus has satisfied the righteous requirements of the law.

The grace by which God saves us teaches us not to be proud but:

...to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. (Titus 3:1-2 ESV)

What Makes One a Sinner?

Romans 3:10-20

The law shows us how sinful we are.

This week the world is talking about war.  The Assad regime in Syria used gas on its citizens.  Of course, these citizens are of a different ethnic group so the regime does not consider them “their” people.  The regime is fighting to put down a rebellion, and gas was the quickest way to get the rebels to give up.  However, the Assad regime denies using poison gas, and Russia and Iran support Assad.  Israel bombed the base from which the gas attack was launched.  Britain and France joined with the United States and launched attacks in response to the gassings.  The world is focused on this one conflict involving multiple countries.  However, let’s consider a few other conflicts.  The United States has treaty and military commitments in conflicts involving North Korea, China, Afghanistan and ISIS.  In 2017, just less than 150,000 people died as a direct result of war.^[1]

These conflicts involve the leaders and rulers in our world, the ones we look to for answers, stability and responsibility.  We could talk about human trafficking, sex trade, murders, rapes and organized crime if we wanted to delve into the problem of evil even more.  We all agree there is evil in the world, even though our opinions may differ as to what is evil and what is not evil.  Although we see it all around us, evil is a difficult subject for us to address.  What do we mean when we say “evil”?  The dictionary tells us that evil means: “profoundly immoral and malevolent.”^[2] The Bible teaches us that the Devil is the prince and power of the air (Ephesians 2:2, KJV), and that he is now at work in the sons of disobedience.  Certainly, we can blame the Devil for the evil in the world today; however, people are still responsible for their actions.  People are the “profoundly immoral and malevolent” actors in the atrocities we see.  The Bible tells us:

“For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander.”  (Matthew 15:19 NLT)

According to this, evil originates in the heart.  However, most of us are not as bad as we could be.  Therefore, we do not consider ourselves“profoundly immoral and malevolent,” and most of us do not fit that definition. 

The Bible tells us, “Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart.”  (1 John 3:15 NLT)  Can we agree that murder is evil?  This is why the New Testament teaches us that:

“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.”  (Galatians 5:24 NLT)

It is not that we do not experience sinful passions and desires, but we have submitted those passions and desires to Christ.  We have and are presenting our bodies as living sacrifices to God.  (Romans 12:1-2).

Nevertheless, God’s analysis of the condition of man’s heart was established in Genesis, where it says:

“The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil.”  (Genesis 6:5 NLT)

The Bible calls this evil that resides in people’s hearts “sin.”  In general, people do not like to talk about sin.  Going back to our definition of evil, most people do not want to think of themselves as being “profoundly immoral and malevolent.”  We need to understand, the Bible does not teach that everyone is as bad as he or she could be.  However, the Bible does teach that everyone is a sinner.  What makes one a sinner?  Why does the Bible say, “all have sinned?”

Romans 3:10-18 shows us three features of our person that reveal the evil in our heart and then names that evil.  The three features are: 1) the heart, 2) the mouth and 3) the feet.

The first feature is the heart.  Romans 3:10-11 says, “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.”  The problem pointed out here is that no one seeks for God.

Why is this evil?

Why is this sin?

Why say no one is righteous and point out not seeking God as the problem?

When asked what the most important commandment was, Jesus said:

“‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment.”  (Matthew 22:37-38 NLT)

This is followed by the second commandment to “love your neighbor as yourself.”  According to Jesus, “The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”  (Matthew 22:40 NLT).  The problem of sin begins in the heart.  We do not understand how not seeking God can be the root of our problems or the root of the evil in the world.  Romans 3:11 says, “...no one understands.”  This is what causes us to turn aside and become worthless as it speaks of in Romans 3:12.  It all starts in our hearts and as Romans 6 teaches, we are all slaves, either to righteousness or to sin.  As Bob Dylan said in his song “Gotta Serve Somebody:”

...Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord

But you're gonna have to serve somebody^[3]

The heart as a feature of the person is where sin starts, but the heart reveals its contents through the mouth.  The second feature Romans 3:10-18 speaks about is the mouth.  Romans 3:13-14 says:

"Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.”  "The venom of asps is under their lips.”  "Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”  (Romans 3:13-14 ESV)

Jesus taught us, “What you say flows from what is in your heart.”  (Luke 6:45 NLT)  In grade school, my daughter had a teacher who liked to say, “What’s down in the well comes up in the bucket.”  What a clever way to say, “What you say flows from what is in your heart!”  What causes the “slip” of the tongue anyway?  We all say things in a poor manner from time to time.  The meaning of what we want to communicate gets lost behind our choice of words.  This is not what I am talking about as a slip of the tongue.  The slip of the tongue happens when the wrong word slips out because that is what is really in our heart.  The Bible warns us about our tongues and how much of a problem they are when it says:

“And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness.  The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.  For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue.  It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.  With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.”  (James 3:6-9 ESV)

When the Bible says, “...no human being can tame the tongue,” it is not using hyperbole.  Romans 3:13-14 speaks of mouths full of curses and bitterness, and this is the result of a problem in the heart.  No one can tame the tongue because the problem starts in the heart.  This is also true of a person’s feet.  The feet are the third feature of a person that Romans 3:10-18 speaks about.

Romans 3:15-17 says:

"Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.”  (Romans 3:15-17 ESV)

Another way of saying, “Their feet are shift to shed blood,” is to say, "They are eager to commit murder."  In Ephesians 4:19, the Bible describes the human condition as:

“They have no sense of shame.  They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.”  (Ephesians 4:19 NLT)

In this passage, we see that they are eager to practice every kind of impurity.  The feet represent the decision of the heart.  We refer to this when we say people vote with their feet.

Solomon was a very wise man, quite possibly the wisest man that ever lived (Jesus excepted, of course).  After having examined life and seeking wisdom, he offers this as part of his conclusion:

“Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins.”  (Ecclesiastes 7:20 NLT)

Our feet (our actions) reflect our hearts.  This is also, why the Bible teaches we will be judged according to what we have done.  We do not send people to jail for the evil thoughts they have had, but for the evil deeds, they have done.  However, the evil deeds are always preceded by evil thoughts.  If every second and every action of your life were played on a movie screen before the whole world, would you be found faultless?  According to the Bible, no one would.

These three features of our person, our heart, mouth and feet, convict us of sin.  Romans 3:18 names the root of this evil when it says; “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.  (Proverbs 9:10)  Sin in the heart is at the root of all the problems we see in the world today.  However, at the root of sin in the heart is this accusation of Romans 3:18, “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”  This is why we do not seek God, have evil mouths and are swift to shed blood.

This brings us to the conclusion that is expressed in Romans 3:19-20.  The law does not fix our heart problem.  It only serves to make apparent or obvious the problem in our hearts.  According to Romans 3:20, “...through the law comes knowledge of sin.”

A sinner is not a person who is as bad as he or she could potentially be.  Nor is a sinner a person who we might label as evil.  What makes one a sinner is what is in that person’s heart.  It starts with not having an appropriate fear of God.

The original temptation started with “...you will be like God...”  (Genesis 3:5)  This same drive or desire to be like God sets us against God and makes us His enemies.  The good news is that while we were still enemies Christ died for us.  (Romans 5:10).  In order to be saved from the evil that resides in our hearts, all we have to do is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.  Romans 10:9-10 puts it this way:

...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.  For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.  (Romans 10:9-10 ESV)

---

^[1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ongoing_armed_conflicts. Accessed April 13, 2018

^[2] www.google.com, Google dictionary, evil. Accessed April 14, 2018

^[3] Gotta Serve Somebody lyrics © Audiam, Inc

Is God Fair?

Romans 3:1-9

Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. (Romans 3:1-2 ESV)

The question, “What advantage has the Jew?” comes from the preceding discussion in Romans chapter two.  The author has made the case that being a Jew, having the Law and being circumcised does not make a person right with God.

"What advantage has the Jew?" The answer is straightforward. The advantage of the Jew is that they have been entrusted with the very words of God, the oracles of God. They were given something that no one else in the world had. They were given a great gift.

However, the ancient people of Israel serve to illustrate the problem Romans is addressing, namely “How can a person be right with God?”  We have come to a point in Romans where the question is asked, “Is God fair?”  The exact words of the text are:

But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) (Romans 3:5 ESV)

In other words, the text is asking, “Is God fair?”

I want to take you to a period in Israel’s history, before they had a king, when the people promised they would follow the Lord God.  After Moses led the people to the Promised Land, Joshua led the people in the conquest of the land.  When he was old and knew that his time on earth was drawing to a close, Joshua called all Israel together and gave an impressive speech.  When you have time, you should read it.  The speech is found in Joshua 23 and 24.  It is at this time that Joshua made this famous statement:

And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15 ESV)

At this time, the people promised to serve the Lord.  This is the exchange according to the book of Joshua:

Then the people answered, "Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods, for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed. And the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God." But Joshua said to the people, "You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good."

Then Joshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord, to serve him." And they said, "We are witnesses." He said, "Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord, the God of Israel." And the people said to Joshua, "The Lord our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey." So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and put in place statutes and rules for them at Shechem. And Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. And he took a large stone and set it up there under the terebinth that was by the sanctuary of the Lord. And Joshua said to all the people, "Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words of the Lord that he spoke to us. Therefore it shall be a witness against you, lest you deal falsely with your God." (Joshua 24:16-20, 22-27 ESV)

Do you see how Joshua warned them that they were not able? Do you see how strong the people were in their promise and determination?  Well, that determination died with that generation.  In the book of Judges, we find a pattern.  Here is how the book of Judges describes the circumstances:

And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals. And they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them. And they provoked the Lord to anger. They abandoned the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers, who plundered them. And he sold them into the hand of their surrounding enemies, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies. Whenever they marched out, the hand of the Lord was against them for harm, as the Lord had warned, and as the Lord had sworn to them. And they were in terrible distress. Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them. Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they whored after other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned aside from the way in which their fathers had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the Lord, and they did not do so. Whenever the Lord raised up judges for them, the Lord was with the judge, and he saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge. For the Lord was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who afflicted and oppressed them. But whenever the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them. They did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways. (Judges 2:11-19 ESV)

Do you see how the people treated God?  Do you see how unfaithful they were?  The promise of God did not fail.  It happened just as God said it would.

As we go back to Romans 3, we see the statement:

What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar... (Romans 3:3-4 ESV)

As Romans 3:2 states, the Jews had the very great advantage of having the word of God. They had the truth. God had reached out to them and blessed them out of all the people on earth, but they were unfaithful.  But their accusation was that God was unfair.  This is the accusation or objection that is brought out by Romans 3:5.

But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) (Romans 3:5 ESV)

This objection comes out in a different way in our modern world.  One of the most common arguments against the existence of God is, “If there is a God, how can there be so much evil in the world?”  I have heard variations on this argument from those who say they believe in God and Jesus but they cannot believe in a god that would send anybody to hell.

First, let's consider briefly the question of evil in the world.  How do we know what evil is? In his book, "Mere Christianity," C. S. Lewis said:

My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust?

The chief problem with arguments against God based on evil in the world is that it assumes a standard of righteousness.  It is akin to calling God unfair, and it assumes that the person is more just than God.  When Job complained about God being unfair, God answered:

“Will you discredit my justice and condemn me just to prove you are right?" (Job 40:8 NLT)

Second, let's consider briefly the question of a God who would send a person to hell.  The Bible is clear:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 ESV)

In another place, it says God is not willing that any should perish. So, why does the Bible warn us about hell?  John 3:18 says:

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. (John 3:18 ESV)

God has done everything to keep people from hell, and He pleads with us to come and be right with Him.  The two questions I have brought up cancel each other out.  One accuses God of not dealing with evil while the other complains that God is too harsh in dealing with evil.  Both questions assume that the questioner is more just than God. 

This assumption of superior justice is what God addressed with Job and it is this assumption that is addressed in Romans 3:4 when it says:

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." (Romans 3:4 ESV)

Apparently, God knows that we will judge Him.  Because we do not want to take responsibility for our own sin, we blame God.  We accuse Him of unfairness.

Romans 3:9 brings us to the conclusion:

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... (Romans 3:9 ESV)

The Bible teaches that every person is a sinner.  No one is perfect.  Morality, law and effort will not make a person right with God.  It is no use saying, "Well that is just not fair." Salvation is and always has been a matter of the heart.  This is why Romans 1:17 says:

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith." (Romans 1:17 ESV)

Along the same lines, Romans 2:29 says:

But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God. (Romans 2:29 ESV)

God is not unfair or unfaithful.  His promises have not failed.  However, God knows that a person can outwardly keep the letter of the law but have a heart that is far from Him.  The first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart.  God looks at the heart. He knows.  And He promises, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9 ESV)  He knows our weakness and He is not unfair. He has made being right with Him the simplest thing any of us will ever have to do.  Romans 10:9 sums it up when it says:

...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. (Romans 10:9 ESV)

Are you trusting in Christ alone for your salvation, or are you accusing God of being unfair?

Death Could Not Keep Him

Matthew 27:62-66

Jesus died on the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath (Mark 15:43)

Let’s start with this dark reality.  We all die.  With very few exceptions in recorded history, everyone has died.  All preceding generations are in the grave.  However, the promise of Easter is that it will not stay that way.  We will all be raised.  1 Corinthians 15:25-26 says:

For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. (1 Corinthians 15:25-26 ESV)

Today, we are going to consider the defeat of this last enemy, death.  We are going to consider the defeat of death by looking at the means death uses to keep its victims. First, we will consider the lies death uses to keep its victims.  Second, we will consider the guard death uses to hold its victims.  Finally, we will consider the authority death uses to keep its victims.

First, we will consider the lies death uses to keep its victims.

We see the lies in the chief priests and Pharisees gathered before Pilate in Matthew 27:62-64:

The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, "Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, 'After three days I will rise.' Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, 'He has risen from the dead,' and the last fraud will be worse than the first." (Matthew 27:62-64 ESV)

In this passage, the chief priests and Pharisees show that they know the truth.  They call Jesus an “imposter,” and thus reveal that they do not believe what Jesus said and taught.  However, they do know what He said and taught.  When Jesus was on trial before the high priests, they asked Him a very telling question.  They said, “...tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” (Matthew 26:63). With this question, they show that they know who Jesus claimed to be, and with the word "imposter" (or deceiver), they show that they do not believe what He said.  In their unbelief, they take steps to stop the spread of what they are calling deception. They express their fear in the words, “...and the last fraud will be worse than the first.”  They were willing to go to great lengths to stop the spread of this “fraud.”  They held an illegal trial. They pushed for the crucifixion of an innocent man.  They asked for the release of a known criminal. And even now, they were violating the Sabbath by coming to make this request of Pilate.

It is important to remember that these men were pawns in a spiritual battle.  The Bible pulls back the curtain in certain places to give us glimpses of what is going on in the spiritual realm.  Such is the case in Job, where Satan is shown in his operations of trying to destroy Job.  Ephesians 6:12 tells us:

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12 ESV)

The high priests and Pharisees were responsible for their unbelief and therefore Jesus reasoned with them daily in the temple and in Jerusalem during His ministry. Because they were not willing to accept the truth, they exchanged the truth for a lie and became prey for the devil.  2 Corinthians 4:4 says this about unbelievers:

In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (2 Corinthians 4:4 ESV)

Our enemy will stop at nothing to keep us in darkness, but lies are His main weapon.  When you are persecuted for your faith, remember that they persecuted Jesus also.  Satan’s lies are designed to keep us from coming to the truth that we might have life.

Lies are not the only thing death uses to keep its victims.  Next, we will consider the guard death uses to keep its victims.

It was not enough for the chief priests and Pharisees that Jesus was put to death on that cross.  They asked Pilate for a guard, not a single soldier, but a detachment of soldiers.  Matthew 27:65 says:

Pilate said to them, "You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can." (Matthew 27:65 ESV)

In this verse, we see that Pilate supplied a detachment of Roman soldiers to guard the tomb.  In the next verse, we are told that they “...sealed the stone and set the guard.” This had the effect of making the escape or rescue of Jesus a physical impossibility.  First, because He was dead.  Even if the disciples could have stolen the body, a corpse would eventually be found.  Second, the disciples were not fighting men.  They fled in the garden when the soldiers came to arrest Jesus.  Now they would have to face armed guards.  Third is the stone.  While not impossible to move, this stone could not have been moved while fighting with soldiers, or if the soldiers were sleeping, without waking them up.

Like the lies the enemy uses to keep people from the truth, he also places guards.  These guards are obstacles.  I think about the former Soviet Union that systematically removed every possibility of anybody hearing the gospel.  They did not succeed but not for lack of trying.  Their efforts made it almost impossible for a normal citizen to read a Bible.  Have you ever heard the question, “What about those who have never heard?”  Organizations like Wycliffe are making every effort to make sure everyone has a chance to hear, but the physical barriers are immense.  In addition, Jesus has promised that the gates of hell will not prevail against His Church.  Obviously, hell has set up many gates to keep those who are lost from being saved.  Gates with guards can be anything from attitudes to physical barriers like distance or mountain ranges.  The enemy uses movies, television, radio and even laws to set up barriers in the hearts and minds of people so that they are unable to hear the truth.  The lie is told that the Bible is archaic and full of fables and this lie acts as a guard or barrier set up in the hearts and minds of many people who stop listening as soon as they hear, "the Bible says."

Along with the physical barriers, death used all the authority it could muster to keep Jesus in the grave.  Verse 66 of Matthew 27 says:

So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard. (Matthew 27:66 ESV)

Sealing the stone was a way of making sure the stone was not moved or tampered with.  It did not increase physical security, but rather made tampering with it an offense against the Roman government.  The seal was simply one or more ropes strung across the stone and sealed to the tomb on either end.  It would be similar to putting police tape across a crime scene that reads “Do Not Cross.”  Such barriers do not present much of a physical barrier but they represent the governing authority.

The devil is called the prince and the power of the air, and he has many of the governments of the world under his thumb.  In more than half of the countries of the world, it is illegal to proclaim the gospel.  Laws against the proclaiming of the gospel, the reading of the word of God or public preaching of the word of God are all examples of the use of authority to keep people in darkness.  As laws in the United States get more restrictive, we see the darkness making advances.  In some countries where the Church first started, it is illegal to preach the gospel.  The darkness seems to be winning the battle by the use of authority.

However, the battle is not over.  Just when the chief priests and Pharisees thought they had won the battle, Matthew 28:1-10 tells us:

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you." So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me." (Matthew 28:1-10 ESV)

Death could not keep Him.  All the powers that the devil had arrayed against the son of God failed to keep Him in the grave.

Jesus won the victory over death and the grave. Therefore, this is why 1 Corinthians 15:25-26 says:

For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. (1 Corinthians 15:25-26 ESV)

The victory He won is for those who believe in His name.  Romans 10:9 tells us:

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. (Romans 10:9 ESV)

Part of being saved is being saved from death and the grave.  We too will be raised from the dead.  We will have a new imperishable body, and we will be forever with the Lord.  This is what 1 Corinthians 15:51-58 tells us.

Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:51-58 ESV)

Jesus defeated the lies because he is the way, the truth and the life.  He defeated the guards because as creator of all things no physical barrier can stop Him. He defeated the authorities arrayed against Him because all authority in heaven and earth has been given to Him.  He is our hope and salvation.  

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.  (1 Corinthians 15:58 ESV)

Never Alone

What is a Christian?

The world has many qualifications for what makes one a Christian.  Being born of Christian parents, being baptized or being a part of a church are all interpreted as making one a Christian.  However, the Bible has its own definition, and as the final authority for Christian life and practice, the Bible's definition is what counts.

In Romans 10:9, we find this statement:

“…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.” (Romans 10:9 ESV)

This is a statement of what it takes to be saved.  According to the Bible, this is the starting point.  Three points stand out in this statement.  First, a Christian believes that Jesus is God.  Second, a Christian believes that Jesus died.  Third, a Christian believes that Jesus rose from the dead.  Using almost the same words, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 gives these same points as being the most important.

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4 ESV)

Here the author is saying that what he delivered is of “first importance.”   In this statement, he adds that Jesus’ death was for our sins, and that all this was done in “accordance with the Scriptures.”

First, let’s consider the statement “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord.” In and by this statement, the Scriptures are calling Jesus “God,” and also making the acknowledgement of this fact a requirement for salvation.  John 8:58 says:

Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am." (John 8:58 ESV)

By using the words “I am” to describe Himself, Jesus is claiming to be God.  The Old Testament Scriptures speak of the coming Messiah and use terms like Psalm 110:1 which says:

The Lord says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool." (Psalms 110:1 ESV)

Jesus used this passage where the Psalmist says, “…the Lord said to my Lord” to argue that the Old Testament Scriptures foretold that the Messiah would be God.  This is the God of the Old Testament.  This same God brought plagues on Egypt when they would not let the children of Israel go.  This is the same God that slew 70 of the men of Beth-shemesh because they looked into the Ark of the Covenant. (1 Samuel 6:19). This same God instructed Moses to take off His shoes because he was standing on holy ground when he approached the burning bush.  The Jews could not accept that this God became flesh and dwelt among us, but to those who did accept this truth, He gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12).  

God sent His Son into the world with a purpose.  John 3:17 tells us:

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (John 3:17 ESV)

God’s purpose in sending His son was the salvation of the world, and this involved suffering and death as a means of paying for the guilt of our sins. God made this clear even in Old Testament times.  In speaking of the work of the Son of God, Isaiah 53 says:

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. (Isaiah 53:3-9 ESV)

In taking on flesh, it was the mission or purpose of the Son of God to die for our sins.  God became man in order to die.  Isaiah 53 and other Scriptures speak of this. As we saw from Romans 10:9, Christians believe Jesus died. 

The historical fact of Jesus’ death on the cross is essential to our Christian faith. As Christians, we remember the death of Christ on the cross not out of a morbid interest in death and suffering, but because on the cross Jesus paid the penalty for all of our sins.  Colossians tells us:

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. (Colossians 2:13-15 ESV)

Death on a cross is said to be one of the most horrible ways to die.  The suffering Jesus went through physically was something that others experienced. Thousands of people were and have been crucified.  However, the difference is that Jesus did not deserve to die. The Bible tells us that the wages of sin is death. Jesus had no sin so the penalty He paid was not for Himself. What took place on the cross is summarized for us in the words of 2 Corinthians 5:21:

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV)

Jesus was different from all others who died on the cross because He had no sin for which to die and therefore death had no claim or right to take Him.  He also was different from all other men because He rose from the dead.  This is the third essential we mentioned, “…a Christian believes that Jesus rose from the dead.” We remember the death of Jesus on the cross because death could not hold him.  

Death is a dark and terrible thing.  The cross is a picture of the suffering that is in the world because of sin. Before going to the cross, Jesus’ soul was in anguish as He took on the weight of the world’s sin and God’s punishment of that sin.  His anguish was such that the Bible tells us He sweat drops of blood.  He asked His three closest friends to pray with Him, but as He prayed and cried out to God, His three closest friends went to sleep.  Twice He went back to them and encouraged them to pray with him and each time they went back to sleep. The third time He came and woke them was when the soldiers came to arrest Him.  Humanly speaking, Jesus fought this battle alone.  However, Luke 22:43 tells us, “And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him.” (Luke 22:43 ESV)

Even as He faced the anguish of dying in our place, Jesus was not alone, but as He came to the final moment on the cross He cried out, “My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me?”  Then He was truly alone.

He did this so that we would never have to be alone like He was.  A Christian is one who has confessed with his or her mouth that Jesus is Lord and believed in his or her heart that God has raised Him from the dead.  But this is only the starting point, because a Christian is one who is never alone.  Jesus has promised He will never leave us or forsake us.  In our darkest night when all our friends, even our three closest friends, have abandoned us, He never will.

Whatever anguish of soul you are facing, Jesus can identify with you and He can understand.  Whoever has abandoned you and left you alone, Jesus never will.  If you have confessed with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the grave, that makes you a child of God and a Christian, and you will never be alone.