One of the reasons that I love my job working with Campus Crusade for Christ is that weekly I get to set aside time to read articles, study Scripture, and get valuable training about how to better do my job of reaching the campus. Part of my “New Staff Training” this morning is to study Romans 3:9-20 and journal about what I learn. Well, here it goes.
Before I get into the actual text and share some thoughts, I want to address an objection that some people (even people in church) have about why God would demand us to be justified, or cleansed, of our sin. The question is: “Why would a loving God demand us to be perfect? I mean, really, haven’t we gotten past such silly ideas? Aren’t we smarter than that?” Please allow me the privilege of graciously explaining what God’s spoken word, the Bible, says about our need to be justified before a righteous God.
But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? By no means! For then how could God judge the world? Romans 3:5&6
If we are completely honest with ourselves, we know the depths of our sin and inability to please God with our whole lives. Even in what seem to be our own “successful” efforts, we are still filthy standing before a holy God. Just a few verses that display this:
“For there is not truth in their mouth; their inmost self is destruction; their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue.” Psalm 5:9
“We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.” Isaiah 64:5
But the good news is that we believe there is a God who lives, who cares more deeply about our lost nature, and holds all power in his hand to rescue us from our brokenness. Romans 3 goes on to say, “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.”
But do you want to know the even greater news?! If you have a Bible, keep reading. “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.”
WHAT??!! Yep. God sent down his Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer and die for sin so that His righteousness would be restored on earth and shown to all, SO THAT He can justify “the one who has faith in Jesus.” I don’t know about you, but this truth is very comforting to me. God’s holiness is infinitely more important because without it I have no shot at being in a relationship with the living God. And that’s what God is most concerned about with us; He wants a true, living, breathing relationship.
“I hear the Savior say, thy strength indeed is small. Child of weakness watch and pray, find in me thine all in all. Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.”
Discussion
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