The Plan of God in Time—Defining and Demarcating the Two Paths
· Romans 1:18-20 – Universal Evidence - part one
· Romans 1:21-32 – Universal Deliverance - part two
· Romans 2:1-16 – Universal Impartiality - part two
· Romans 3:19-30 – Universal Justice - part two
Universal Deliverance – Romans 1:21-32
“For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore, God gave them over (delivered them) in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
For this reason, God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.
And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.”
Mankind’s rejection of the universal evidence of the existence and worthiness of God led directly to our universal deliverance – but it might not be the deliverance that we were hoping for. We have, each of us, been delivered over to the consequences of our choices. It is the “on which account” that reveals God’s righteous (meaning “fully justified”) response:
“He gave us over in the passionate longings of our hearts to uncleanness…”
We, by our rejection of our Father’s nature and character (which are revealed in the universe He created) became prodigal – wallowing in the filth and slime of our own making. By choosing to exchange the Truth of Who God is and what He has done for us, for the lie of self-creation and self-worship, we are now subservient to creatures.
By denying our natural, created selves we are delivered over to the unnatural, creation-denying appetites and desires…all of which lead to the inevitable. We chose, as a race, to ignore, to fail to even recognize God for Who He is, and so He has delivered us to a weakness of understanding and reason – which opens the door wide to our doing the unthinkable. We have been delivered over to injustice, bondage, greed, a love for wickedness; we are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. We have become whisperers, slanderers, wanderers, haters of God; violent, arrogant, inventors of new evil, disobedient to authority – starting with our parents. We are void of understanding, unwilling to keep our promises, unable to demonstrate love to our own families, and without compassion.
The hardest part of the deliverance over to the consequences of our choices is that deep down, we know that these behaviors and attitudes are deserving of punishment (as we prove when, in those times that we are mistreated by “others” the way we mistreat some; those times are followed immediately by us accusing those “others” of their wrongs, of holding our “offenders” accountable) and yet, we continue in our choices – and we continue to blame anyone, everyone, and God when the inevitable, though undesirable, consequences of our choices come.
Universal Impartiality – Romans 2:1-16
“Therefore, you have no excuse, every one of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who WILL RENDER TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality; eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness; wrath and indignation. Tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God.
For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; for not the hearers of the Law are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.
To be clear: Mankind is without excuse. We will discuss our adversary’s cunning and overwhelming baseness some other time – but nothing there gives excuse to our choices.
While covering the point about impartiality, Paul indicates that the “rendering” of the verdict is based on each individual’s “deeds”. (It is important to not “walk away” from Paul’s “case” until he finishes his line-by-line, progressive argument – doing so has caused misunderstandings about his stance on choice, free-will, his “kinsmen of the flesh”, and faith. We should endeavor to ignore – as best we can – the insertion of verses and chapters and stay in the Word for the entirety of a topic; this is very important in our attempt to understand.) He then describes the two outcomes: glory, honor, peace and eternal life versus wrath, indignation, tribulation and distress. These outcomes are evidence of God’s impartiality – each and every individual, by their own choices, determine their own reward (wages). And somehow this is true even for those who have never been taught the law or heard the name of Jesus. God would that none would perish – His ways are higher than our ways AND His ways are impartial!
God’s justice/righteousness is founded in Truth. The very meaning of the primary source word from which terms such as “justice” and “righteousness” are derived, declares that what is “just” is so because it is self-evident in the natural (think “created”) order.
God’s justice/righteousness is inescapable. He is patient and kind and tolerant for only one reason – to give us time to repent. Such is the wonderous miracle that is God’s willingness to interact with His creation within the confines of time and under the covering of the Sacrifice of the Lamb of God. He knows the final outcome – He is Always, Everywhere, All at Once – and yet He allows our choices to matter: mind-boggling! But His patience will end. For each individual and for all of Mankind in accordance with His Everlasting Covenant and the Book of Redemption.
God’s justice is righteous. He will, but only will, give back to each one what their deeds determine – for good or bad, life or death, justification or condemnation – with one and only one condition: good and evil are defined by Him and judged through Jesus Christ.
Universal Justice – Romans 3:19-30
“Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law, knowledge of sin.
But now apart from the Law justice of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even justice of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned falling short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the ransoming which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. To demonstrate His justice, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, of His justice at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. Or is God of Jews only? Is He not of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since indeed God who will justify the circumcised out of faith and the uncircumcised through faith is One.”
In his letter, Paul addresses the two factions of the fellowships of those called out of darkness – and though this mattered in other cities, here in Rome there were special circumstances. During the banishment of those of Jewish heritage who had accepted the ransoming of Christ, those who had converted to Christ but were not banished (not of Jewish heritage) had continued to grow in the Spirit. When the banishment ended and the converts of Jewish heritage began to return, there was a need (in Paul’s experience and understanding) for their re-uniting to be encouraged. In essence (as we see in his letters to those in Corinth – written at around the same time) Paul is trying to avoid the beginnings of a denomination; discouraging the idea of “I am of Paul” or “I am of Apollos” or even a sectarianist declaration of “I am of Christ”.
The dividing point for Mankind then is not based on the adherence to a set of rules, but on each one’s response to the Truth. Truth that was originally displayed in Creation and which was then described in His covenants – and which is now made available to us all by the dispersing of the Spirit of God, our Comforter and Teacher who will lead us into all Truth.
For there is no separation or difference since all of Mankind has failed to supply what was required and therefore, we all come short of the goal – unable to settle our account with our loving and just God. Being justified by our confidence in Jesus is His gift to us all – it is in fact the payment of our ransom – a life for a life, for we, as sinners, are all held hostage by sin and death. But by accepting His gift of ransom, our accounts have been settled!
This gift was God’s idea – it was a part of what was determined in the Everlasting Covenant – and Jesus willingly sacrificed Himself so that anyone who chose, putting their confidence in Him, could benefit by what He has done for us. Jesus – to further display the justness of God – applied the benefit of His sacrifice even to those who (as accounted by God) had been confident in His mercy even though they lived before the Cross. For them too, their ransom was paid; their sins were also covered by the price paid by His sinless blood.