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This universal insistence on trying to draw attention to anything that makes us look better, a focus on our righteousness, our goodness no matter what path we follow in doing so, is the root problem of sin-infected religion in all ages and in all places. It is inherent in our upside-down view of what salvation, sin and the underlying real issues are all about. It comes in the context of a very egocentric view of our relationship to God and lies at the root of all false religion (which is always considered to be the other ones from ours). It is very tenacious in our thinking and deceives all of us to some extent or another as to what true spirituality is all about. It prevents, or at least taints, our understanding of the bigger picture, the context of the realities of the real Controversy that is actually going on in the universe that we are inescapably caught up in.
The whole book of Romans deals with this problem of a skewed perspective and tries to draw our attention to the real issues that need to be seen and the real context in which we live. The gospel is not a formula figured out by Jesus to get people off the hook, legally creating a loophole whereby they can escape punishment by an offended, angry God. True religion does not revolve around analyzing the comparative value of people, weighing their moral worth to see if they are heavy or light enough to allow into paradise (where they can more fully satisfy their selfishness). It is true that most religion has degenerated into some form of this kind of thinking, but true religion, true spirituality, a true view of the real issues at stake, reality itself is radically different from all this.
I was taken by surprise today when I began to notice how often in chapter 3 Paul emphasizes God's character. That alerted me that this was likely the major issue he was trying to convey in this chapter drawing attention away from any supposed righteousness or merit that we think has to be noticed in our life. What he is saying is that the real focus needs to be on God's faith, on God being justified or vindicated, on God's righteousness, on God's reputation. In fact, Paul declares that the very thing we have tried to use to make ourselves look good enough to convince others and God that we are worth saving was intended to expose how really bad and helpless and sinful we are – the Law. “By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” Romans 3:20.
Even today things are not much different. We claim that we believe in grace, we often say and think we are trusting in Christ for salvation. Many of us convince ourselves that we are not trying to generate merit by law-keeping, but instead we mistakenly substitute our own faith as the focal point of our trust instead of works of the law and think that our faith will save us. This is so subtle that it is difficult to expose until we come to view things through the framework of the bigger picture. Then we begin to discover to our chagrin that we are no different than the legalists and the Jews, that we are still trusting in something we can do to leverage or influence God to “save” us. We end up working very hard to have more faith so that we will be found to have enough to get God to give us what we want. By doing so we encourage a hidden pride that we don't even realize is lurking in the shadows of our heart, a pride in our humility, our faith, our knowledge of the Word, our piety or whatever is our religious preference. But the attention is still on us and how our beliefs or knowledge or faith empowers God to save us. It is a mingling of truth and error so subtle that it is very difficult to untangle in our minds, especially when variations of it are so widely taught and accepted in every religion on earth.
The primary symptom of the particular brand of this false idea that Paul was exposing seemed to involve boasting (2:23 & 3:27). Boasting may be obvious or it may be so hidden and subtle as to make us think we are free from it. But boasting is just another face of pride and pride is the very root symptom of selfishness – the essence of sin. Whether we boast openly about our righteousness in whatever form that takes, or whether we boast inwardly in our self-generated humility and feel satisfied with our chosen brand of religion, the problem still remains. Any religion or belief, even if not overtly religious, that focuses on our character, our fitness, our faith, our lack of hypocrisy, our... misses the real perception of reality. The Great War that we are inescapably embroiled in is not about us but about God, His reputation and His character. The Gospel is not a formula primarily for our benefit, though it does greatly benefit us, but is first and foremost the good news of the truth about what God is really like. Notice how many times in this chapter (3) Paul tries to draw our attention to this fact.
(2) The Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. This reveals the faith that God had in them, how much He trusted them even though they proved not worthy of trust.
(3) Their unbelief did not nullify the faithfulness of God.
(4) God is truthful, even though every other person is found to be lying.
(4) God is willing to be judged (that is amazing in itself), and His words will be justified when they are ultimately found to be always truthful.
(5) Our unrighteousness ends up demonstrating the righteousness of God even though our unrighteousness causes us to perceive His passionate love as wrath when it exposes our selfishness.
(7) Through our lies the truth of God abounds to His glory. Verses 10-18 quoted from the Old Testament contrast various aspects of our sinfulness with the opposite, positive, implied attributes of God.
(19) The correct orientation of true religion is accountability to God.
(21) The righteousness of God has been manifested – which was one of the main reasons for the Law and the Prophets.
(22) The righteousness of God is revealed again by the faith that Jesus had in us when He chose to die for us while we were still sinners, just like God had faith in the Jews in the Old Testament (2).
(22) His righteousness and faith are both available to be reproduced (inspired) inside of all those, without any artificial distinctions, who believe in the truth about God.
(24) Being justified – being released from condemnation, guilt and the death that sin always produces – is given to us by God as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.
(25) God displayed Jesus publicly as the real Mercy Seat. The mercy seat in the Old Testament sanctuary was hidden from the public just as it was more difficult to see the mercy of God in the Old Covenant arrangement. But it was still there! But now God has put it out in the open so that we can know, can see and can believe in His unfathomable mercy and love.
(25) The original symbolic mercy seat was sprinkled with blood during special sanctuary services symbolic of the plan of salvation. Jesus, as the fulfillment of the symbolic mercy seat, poured out His own blood and life in a demonstration of God's willingness to take on all of our pain caused by our sins so that in Christ we could free from those curses and enjoy the benefits of His perfection. He did this in faith that we would respond to God's overwhelming revelation of love toward us. This is what it means to demonstrate the righteousness of God.
(25) In the forbearance of God, He passed over the sins previously committed. He did not allow the rejection of the Jews to the offer of God in good faith in the Old Testament to prevent Him from again making another offer in good faith, but this time to the whole world.
(26) God's righteousness is again demonstrated at the present time so that He would be seen and realized to be just and fair as well as enabled before the watching universe to justify anyone who accepts and responds to the faith of Jesus.
(29) God is the God of everyone, Jews, Gentiles, Christians, any religious professions, no religious professions.
(30) God will justify (bring into right standing and relationship with Himself) anyone through the gift of faith – faith ignited in us, inspired by His faithfulness, His faith and trust in us.
(31) This ingredient of faith (that originates with God) reveals the true nature and purpose and integrity of the Law.
