From a message preached by Dr J Stewart Gillespie on:

Romans Chp 3 Vs 21 – 31; 4: 1-12 Justification by Faith – Is Trusting The Person of Christ


3 Key Words:


Righteousness (v21) – a “righteousness apart from the law” - we considered Gods righteous Standard in chapters 1 – 3 and in this transitional verse we noted a Righteousness from God that is able to bring salvation rather than damnation, justification rather than condemnation. We found an example of a righteousness of God that saves in the book of Joshua, in Rahab the Harlot saved on the basis of righteousness! Gods Righteousness is not only a standard but it also becomes a standing by faith in Christ.




Redemption (v24) – for that we went to the book of Exodus and to the Passover, we found a 7 fold redemption in Exodus chp 6, God would release His people from their Burden and from their Bondage to draw us to Himself. We saw the key words of Release, Removal, Redemption, Relationship and Responsibility! They were brought out of Egypt by a “mighty hand and an outstretched arm” (Deut26:8) and led out by a little lamb! We asked the people of Israel, how was it that you were brought out of Egypt and we heard their reply: 'it depends on which way that you look at it!' From the perspective of the Jew they were led out under the blood of the lamb, from the perspective of the Egyptian they came out under the blood of the firstborn! How often we must be humbled: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.” (Isa 55:8), “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:” (1Pe 5:6). We say our redemption prefigured in Exodus brought out under the blood of the lamb and brought out under the blood of the first-born! (1 Peter1:18-19)




Propitiation (v25) – We went to the book of Leviticus and to the 16th chapter to see this truth prefigured in the OT in the blood stained 'mercy seat.' Propitiation deals with the problem of sin by the power of the blood at the place of mercy. The priest came in with a purity imputed, the white linen covered him before the presence of God. Propitiation has 3 aspects: God ward it is God satisfied, Man ward it is man justified and Christ ward its is Christ crucified. As simple as I could make it and as deep as I knew it! God satisfied, man justified and Christ crucified!

We have learned an important lesson:

1. Righteousness apart from the law we saw it in Joshua
2. Redemption by blood we saw it in Exodus
3. Propitiation – we saw it in Leviticus
   

You and I have discovered that the roots of our salvation go deep, very deep into the OT scriptures!

In fact they go even deeper than that:

1. Righteousness apart from the law, a righteousness of God that saves we will see goes back even beyond the book of Joshua, in Romans 4 we will see that it goes back to at least Abraham in Genesis chp 15!
2. Redemption – whilst so clearly seen in Exodus, the first mention of redemption is in fact in the book of Genesis: “The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.” (Gen 48:16). Interestingly this is a redemption from evil!
3. Propitiation – we saw it in Leviticus, but again we could go back much further than that! The first mention of the Hebrew word for atonement goes back to Noah and His ark – pitched within and without with pitch (Gen6:14)! Possibly we could go back even further still to the garden of Eden: “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.” (Gen 3:21)

There are many links here with the outworking of the great purposes of God from generations gone by!
There is more to your salvation and mine than you ever understood the day you were saved!
Salvation does not consist in understanding a process but resting in a person!
This of course is exceedingly important!
If the way of salvation was new it would be extremely suspect! Either God has had no interest in the world up until the past 2000 years, or God is not righteous in His dealings with men excluding much of human history from salvation or this means of salvation is completely fabricated!

James Montgomery Boice sees the significance of this: “All this is proof of Christianity's timeless validity. If Christianity were merely something founded by Jesus Christ some 2000 years ago it might be interesting but it would have no more ultimate claim upon us than the dogmas of any other human religion”

If the roots of our salvation go deep into the OT scriptures then, all of this raises the very interesting question of wither or not it was possible for men and women to be saved before the death of the Lord Jesus Christ? Did salvation begin with us?
We must acknowledge that there are many things that were unclear, incompletely apprehended by the OT believers, suggested by OT texts and made explicitly clear in the NT:

• Job : “Then Job answered and said, I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God? If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand.” (Job 9:1-3) – Jobs understanding of the means of justification by faith seems at least at the beginning of the book of Job to be incomplete. Yet God describes Job at the very beginning of the book: “And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?” (Job 1:8)
• Abraham: called in Gen 12, a relationship with God in existence in chp 13 with the erection of an Altar at Hebron, called “Abraham of the most High God” in chp 14 by Melchezedek and yet Abrahams question at the beginning of chapter 15 indicates an incomplete understanding of Divine purpose: “What wilt thou give me seeing I go childless?” (15:2)
• Isaac: in a covenant relationship (26:24) yet in Genesis 27 he seems ready to bless the wrong boy, the one through whom Christ would not come!
  The prophets: 1 Peter 1:10 – their understanding was incomplete, there was a need to search, a need to enquire and a need to seek further revelation.
• Daniel – clearly a man of God from the beginning of the book of Daniel: Dan2:47; 4:18; 5:14; 6:3, 10, 16, 22, 26 and in Dan 9:23 “thou art greatly beloved” and yet it is not until Dan 9:24ff that we have the revelation of the details of the coming of Christ and His death for sin (9:24) and Gods plan of salvation!

Add to all of this the quite clear and explicit statements in the NT that certain aspects of Gods plan of salvation were deliberately hidden from past generations as mysteries, many of them fundamental to our appreciation of the Gospel:

1. Mystery of the Gospel (Rom 16:25; Eph 6:19)
2. Mystery of the Cross of Christ (1 Co2:7)
3. Mystery of the Rapture (1Co15:51)
4. Mystery of His Will (Eph 1:7-10) - All things in Christ
5. Mystery of Christ (Eph 3:3,4;Col 4:3 ) – the Gentiles fellow heirs and of the same body.
6. Mystery of Christ and the Church (Eph5:32)
7. Mystery of Christ in you the hope of Glory (Col 1:26,27)
8. Mystery of Godliness (1 Tim 3:16)

Consider also that the OT peoples had the “parable” (Heb9:9) and had a “shadow of good things to come and not the very image of the things” (Heb10:1) and we begin to see that many of these OT saints could not have had the fullness of the appreciation of the Person and Work of Christ which is possible for us!


This is perhaps most clearly stated in Heb 2:2-3 “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;” (Heb 2:3). It is quite clear that the message of the Gospel of Gods free grace and saving power “began” to be preached in the fashion which you and I are familiar with only with the advent of Christ Himself!


This of course is already strongly implied in: “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;” (Rom 3:25)


Where does that leave us then practically?

Romans Chp 1 told us that mankind with only the testimony of creation stands condemned if they reject that testimony to Gods eternal Power and Godhead.

Romans chp 2 tells us that man with conscience and the testimony to the righteousness of God stands condemned and

Romans chapter 2 tells us that man with the OT covenant stands condemned for falling short of the standards they profess to hold dear!

So here we are today with the testimony of :

1. Creation,
2. Conscience
3. Covenant
4. Christ in the New Testament scriptures as well as the preaching and teaching of those OT scriptures!

What a tremendous privilege and what an awesome responsibility!

“Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; “ (Heb 2:1-3)

There must well have been aspects to the work of salvation that some of these OT believers did not appreciate, that seems clear!

Yet the roots of salvation go deep into those OT scriptures!
In Romans chp 4 we find specific mention of 2 prominent OT characters who found that salvation!
Furthermore it is clear form the gospels that many others in the OT were saved by the work of Christ:

• Elijah and Moses on the mount of transfiguration
• “There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. “ (Luk 13:28)

We must acknowledge that there are many things that were unclear to them, incompletely apprehended by the OT believers, yet the scriptures are clear many of them were saved!
How is this possible?
They may not have fully understood Gods Plan of Salvation or the Process of Salvation but they did trust in the Person who was able to justify and save them.
These OT saints depended upon the same:

1. Person – Christ
2. Principle – Justification by Faith
3. Prospect – Salvation and Eternal Life

Not only do the roots of our salvation go deep into the OT scriptures but so too the Saviour.

These OT saints all depended upon Christ for Justification:

1. Moses: “Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.” (Heb 11:26); Deut 32:2-4; 15-18; 1 Co10:1-4 “that rock was Christ” (1Co11:1-4).
2. Abraham: Gal3:8, 16 – the Gospel of the future blessing in Christ; John 8:56.
3. David: Psalm 110:1; Heb 1:13; Matt 22:41-46: Davids Lord was Christ! Acts 2:25, 29-32
4. Jacob: Gen 28:12-13; John 1:41 – Jacobs ladder, his connection between heaven and earth, was Christ!
5. Daniel: Daniel 10:5-18; 8:15; 10:9-10, 16; Rev 1:13-17 – Daniel encountered the same person as did John!
6. Shadrach, Meshech and Abednego in the fiery furnace (Dan 3:25-26) who will protect them in the flames? Surely the God whom they serve, the “Son of God”.
7. Prophets: Moved by the Spirit of Christ (1Peter1:11)

These OT saints all depended upon Christ for Justification!
Justification then we would conclude from the pattern of the OT scriptures came when these OT believers exerted faith in a Person, the Person of Christ, rather than Faith in a Process or faith in their understanding of a process!
Some did not understand the process but they benefited from it by faith in the Person!
Salvation came when they exercised faith in the justifier: “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” (Rom 4:5)
This is the same means by which you and I are justified and saved in the NT:

1. “Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Act 20:21)
2. “For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” (2Ti 1:12)
3. “And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” (Luk 23:42-43)
4. “Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.” (1Pe 2:6)
5. “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” (Mat 18:6) – were these little ones saved? Certainly: “he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.” (1Pe 2:6) – did they understand propitiation, redemption and justification by faith?
6. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”(Joh 5:24)
7. “And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”(Joh 6:40)
8. “Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me. I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.” (Joh 12:44-46)
9. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (Joh 3:16) – spoken to Nicodemus before the death and sufferings and resurrection of Christ!
10. Consider also: Luke 8:48; Acts 20:21; Acts 26:18; Acts 8:37; 13:39; 16:31; Col 2:5-7; 2 Tim 3:15; Heb 6:1; 12:2; James 2:1; 1 Peter 1:21; Rev 14:21.

Justification comes by faith in the person of Christ rather than from my understanding of the work of Christ – God doesn't save us because we are smart enough to be able to work it all out!
God does not save me because I have faith that the process of justification that it is good, true and right! Job for example didn't even understand the process!
God does not save by virtue of the fact that I have a sufficiently strong grasp or a deep enough appreciation of the truth concerning the person and work of Christ!
God doesn't save you once you become a 'mature' Christian, God saves whilst you are “yet without strength” but willing to exercise faith, that is to trust and depend upon Christ for salvation.
Neither does He save by my participation in the activities of Christianity, my knowledge of the Bible!

Consider the following scriptures:

1. 1 Co13:1-2 – My knowledge of spiritual truths and my confidence in those spiritual truths as dependable Divinely revealed facts, of itself does not profit, there must be “love” the product of a relationship with Christ personally (Gal 5:22; John 13:34-35; John 15:9, 12; 1 John4:7) – knowledge of the process is of no profit without knowledge of the person!
2. 2 Co 3:6 - “Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.” (2Co 3:6) – facts and the appreciation and understanding of them alone does not save!

Derek Tidball: The Message of the Cross: The Bible Speaks Today
“The object of our faith makes all the difference. Only faith in Christ enables us to appropriate justification personally. To have faith in Him requires us to relinquish faith in anything else or anyone else as the hope of our salvation. It is to trust in Him entirely and exclusively.” (p197)

John Stott:
“Faith is the eye that looks to Christ, the hand that lays hold of Him, the mouth that drinks the water of life. And the more clearly we see the absolute adequacy of Jesus Christ's Divine – Human Person and sin-bearing death the more incongruous does it appear that anybody could suppose that we have anything to offer. That is why justification by faith alone, to quote Cranmer again, 'advances the true Glory of Christ and beats down the vain glory of man.”

Philip Graham Ryken: The Message of Salvation: The Bible Speaks Today:
“Faith is merely the instrument of our justification, the channel by which we receive the righteousness of Jesus Christ. It is often described as the empty hand that reaches out to receive the gift of Gods righteousness.” (p202)

JC Ryle:
“True faith....is but laying hold of a Saviour's hand, leaning on a husbands arm and receiving a physicians medicine. It brings with it nothing to Christ but a sinful man's soul. It gives nothing, contributes nothing, pays nothing, performs nothing. It only receives, takes, accepts, grasps and embraces the glorious gift of justification which Christ bestows”

Philip Graham Ryken: The Message of Salvation: The Bible Speaks Today:
“it is not faith itself (or even the doctrine of justification by faith) that saves us. Rather it is Christ who saves us and faith is simply that way that we appropriate Christ.” (p202)

What do we mean by Faith?

“Faith is believing that Christ is what He is said to be and that He will do what He has promised to do and then to expect this of Him.” (CH Spurgeon)

“knowledge...belief...trust” (CH Spurgeon)

“awareness...assent...commitment” (Lloyd Jones)

1. Know it
2. Accept it
3. Rest in it

C Gordon Olson: 'Beyond Calvinism and Arminianism'
“Faith has to be more than mere profession, more than intellectual assent to certain propositions about the gospel. It is the appropriation or receiving of Christ into the life, which means trust in the person and work of the Divine Messiah (John 1:12). The essence of Evangelicalism is a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus. Nothing less will do.” (p287)

Dr. Norman Geisler: Systematic Theology: Vol 3 Sin Salvation
“In short, faith (belief) implies trust in, commitment to, obedience to and hope (confidence) in its object. As applied to faith in Jesus, the implications for saving faith are clear: It is the kind of belief that has trust and confidence in Christ for salvation and thereby implies a commitment to follow and obey Him.” (p518)

As a consequence of the means and source of salvation, to grow as a Christian means to develop and grow in in Christ! Our salvation begins with faith in Christ as the source and supplier of salvation and thus to grow as a Christian is to grow in our relationship with Christ and our appreciation of Christ!
If our salvation were to be rooted in works then to grow as a Christian would mean to grow in works!
If our salvation were rooted in the knowledge of facts then to grow as a Christian would primarily mean going on an intensive college course or training school!
You can tell a lot about what a Christian is depending upon for their salvation by their approach to Christian maturity!
Christian maturity thus lies in a deepening relationship with Christ, often referred to as the 'knowledge' of Christ, a word and idea first used in scripture within the context of a relationship, that of Adam and Eve:
“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” (2Pe 3:18)
“Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,” (2Pe 1:2)
“And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2Pe 1:5-8)
“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:” (Eph 1:17)
“Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,” (Php 3:8)
Salvation comes not from my understanding of a principle or a process but rather on the basis of the work completed by Christ (Rom3:25) by means of faith He becomes my Saviour the moment I trust Him (Rom 3:28)

All who have ever been saved have been saved by the same means:

1. Saved by the same person – Christ
2. Resting in the same principle – Justification by Faith
3. Looking for the same prospect – salvation
4. Saved by the same power – the blood of Christ
5. All on the basis of the same propitiation.

“To say that we are justified “through Christ” points to His historical death; to say that we are justified “in Christ” points to the personal relationship with Him which by faith we now enjoy. This simple fact makes it impossible for us to think of justification as a purely external transaction; it cannot be isolated from our union with Christ and all the benefits which this brings.” (John Stott)

Does all of this mean then that the details of the gospel don't matter?
Just so long as I believe in Jesus?

Not quite! For faith is:

1. Defined by Gods Word (Rom1:2; 3:21; 10:17, 20; 1Peter1:11)
2. Born of Gods Word (1Peter 1:23)
3. Sustained by Gods Word (1 Peter 2:1)

The common thread in justification by faith is that it was always faith in Christ and in His ability to make the sinner right!
My faith must be in the real Christ of God and not in a figment of my imagination.
The faith I exercise is faith in the Christ of Gods revealed Word.

John Wesley:
“In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading Luther’s preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death. I began to pray with all my might for those who had in a more especial manner despitefully used me and persecuted me. I then testified openly to all there what I now first felt in my heart.” - The conversion of John Wesley aged 35 years!

Taken from a message preached by Dr J Stewart Gillespie on: Romans Chapter 3 Verses 21 – 31; 4: 1-12 Justification by Faith – Nothing New! 3 Key Words:

1. Righteousness (v21) – a “righteousness apart from the law” - we considered Gods righteous Standard in chapters 1 – 3 and in this transitional verse we noted a Righteousness from God that is able to bring salvation rather than damnation, justification rather than condemnation. We found an example of a righteousness of God that saves in the book of Joshua, in Rahab the Harlot saved on the basis of righteousness! Gods Righteousness is not only a standard but it also becomes a standing by faith in Christ.
2. Redemption (v24) – for that we went to the book of Exodus and to the Passover, we found a 7 fold redemption in Exodus chp 6, God would release His people from their Burden and from their Bondage to draw us to Himself. We saw the key words of Release, Removal, Redemption, Relationship and Responsibility! They were brought out of Egypt by a “mighty hand and an outstretched arm” (Deut26:8) and led out by a little lamb! We asked the people of Israel, how was it that you were brought out of Egypt and we heard their reply: 'it depends on which way that you look at it!' From the perspective of the Jew they were led out under the blood of the lamb, from the perspective of the Egyptian they came out under the blood of the firstborn! How often we must be humbled: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.” (Isa 55:8), “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:” (1Pe 5:6). We say our redemption prefigured in Exodus brought out under the blood of the lamb and brought out under the blood of the first-born! (1 Peter1:18-19)
3. Propitiation (v25) – We went to the book of Leviticus and to the 16th chapter to see this truth prefigured in the OT in the blood stained 'mercy seat.' Propitiation deals with the problem of sin by the power of the blood at the place of mercy. The priest came in with a purity imputed, the white linen covered him before the presence of God.

Propitiation has 3 aspects:

1. God ward it is God satisfied,
2. Man ward it is man justified and
3. Christ ward its is Christ crucified.

As simple as I could make it and as deep as I knew it!

God satisfied, man justified and Christ crucified!

We have learned an important lesson:

1. Righteousness apart from the law we saw it in Joshua
2. Redemption by blood we saw it in Exodus
3. Propitiation – we saw it in Leviticus

You and I have discovered that the roots of our salvation go deep, very deep into the OT scriptures! In fact they go even deeper than that:

1. Righteousness apart from the law, a righteousness of God that saves we will see goes back even beyond the book of Joshua, in Romans 4 we will see that it goes back to at least Abraham in Genesis chp 15!
2. Redemption – whilst so clearly seen in Exodus, the first mention of redemption is in fact in the book of Genesis: “The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.” (Gen 48:16). Interestingly this is a redemption from evil!
3. Propitiation – we saw it in Leviticus, but again we could go back much further than that! The first mention of the Hebrew word for atonement goes back to Noah and His ark – pitched within and without with pitch (Gen6:14)! Possibly we could go back even further still to the garden of Eden: “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.” (Gen 3:21)

There are many links here with the outworking of the great purposes of God from generations gone by! There is more to your salvation and mine than you ever understood the day you were saved! Salvation does not consist in understanding a process but resting in a person! This of course is exceedingly important! If the way of salvation was new it would be extremely suspect! Either God has had no interest in the world up until the past 2000 years, or God is not righteous in His dealings with men excluding much of human history from salvation or this means of salvation is completely fabricated!

James Montgomery Boice sees the significance of this: “All this is proof of Christianity's timeless validity. If Christianity were merely something founded by Jesus Christ some 2000 years ago it might be interesting but it would have no more ultimate claim upon us than the dogmas of any other human religion”

If the roots of our salvation go deep into the OT scriptures then, all of this raises the very interesting question of wither or not it was possible for men and women to be saved before the death of the Lord Jesus Christ?

Did salvation begin with us?

We must acknowledge that there are many things that were unclear, incompletely apprehended by the OT believers, suggested by OT texts and made explicitly clear in the NT:

1. Job : “Then Job answered and said, I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God? If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand.” (Job 9:1-3) – Jobs understanding of the means of justification by faith seems at least at the beginning of the book of Job to be incomplete. Yet God describes Job at the very beginning of the book: “And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?” (Job 1:8)
2. Abraham: called in Gen 12, a relationship with God in existence in chp 13 with the erection of an Altar at Hebron, called “Abraham of the most High God” in chp 14 by Melchezedek and yet Abrahams question at the beginning of chapter 15 indicates an incomplete understanding of Divine purpose: “What wilt thou give me seeing I go childless?” (15:2) Isaac: in a covenant relationship (26:24) yet in Genesis 27 he seems ready to bless the wrong boy, the one through whom Christ would not come!
3. The prophets: 1 Peter 1:10 – their understanding was incomplete, there was a need to search, a need to enquire and a need to seek further revelation.
4. Daniel – clearly a man of God from the beginning of the book of Daniel: Dan2:47; 4:18; 5:14; 6:3, 10, 16, 22, 26 and in Dan 9:23 “thou art greatly beloved” and yet it is not until Dan 9:24ff that we have the revelation of the details of the coming of Christ and His death for sin (9:24) and Gods plan of salvation!

Add to all of this the quite clear and explicit statements in the NT that certain aspects of Gods plan of salvation were deliberately hidden from past generations as mysteries, many of them fundamental to our appreciation of the Gospel:

1. Mystery of the Gospel (Rom 16:25; Eph 6:19)
2. Mystery of the Cross of Christ (1 Co2:7)
3. Mystery of the Rapture (1Co15:51)
4. Mystery of His Will (Eph 1:7-10) - All things in Christ
5. Mystery of Christ (Eph 3:3,4;Col 4:3 ) – the Gentiles fellow heirs and of the same body.
6. Mystery of Christ and the Church (Eph5:32)
7. Mystery of Christ in you the hope of Glory (Col 1:26,27)
8. Mystery of Godliness (1 Tim 3:16)

Consider also that the OT peoples had the “parable” (Heb9:9) and had a “shadow of good things to come and not the very image of the things” (Heb10:1) and we begin to see that many of these OT saints could not have had the fullness of the appreciation of the Person and Work of Christ which is possible for us!

This is perhaps most clearly stated in Heb 2:2-3 “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;” (Heb 2:3). It is quite clear that the message of the Gospel of Gods free grace and saving power “began” to be preached in the fashion which you and I are familiar with only with the advent of Christ Himself!

This of course is already strongly implied in: “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;” (Rom 3:25)

Where does that leave us then practically? Romans Chp 1 told us that mankind with only the testimony of creation stands condemned if they reject that testimony to Gods eternal Power and Godhead. Romans chp 2 tells us that man with conscience and the testimony to the righteousness of God stands condemned and chapter 2 tells us that man with the OT covenant stands condemned for falling short of the standards they profess to hold dear! So here we are today with the testimony of Creation, Conscience and Covenant and NT scriptures as well as the preaching and teaching of those OT scriptures! What a tremendous privilege and what an awesome responsibility! “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; “ (Heb 2:1-3) There must well have been aspects to the work of salvation that some of these OT believers did not appreciate, that seems clear! Yet the roots of salvation go deep into those OT scriptures! In Romans chp 4 we find specific mention of 2 prominent OT characters who found that salvation! Furthermore it is clear form the gospels that many others in the OT were saved by the work of Christ: Elijah and Moses on the mount of transfiguration “There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. “ (Luk 13:28) We must acknowledge that there are many things that were unclear to them, incompletely apprehended by the OT believers, yet the scriptures are clear many of them were saved! How is this possible? They may not have fully understood Gods Plan of Salvation or the Process of Salvation but they did trust in the Person who was able to justify and save them.

These OT saints depended upon the same:

1. Person – Christ
2. Principle – Justification by Faith
3. Prospect – Salvation and Eternal Life

Not only do the roots of our salvation go deep into the OT scriptures but so too the Saviour.

These OT saints all depended upon Christ for Justification:

1. Moses: “Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.” (Heb 11:26); Deut 32:2-4; 15-18; 1 Co10:1-4 “that rock was Christ” (1Co11:1-4).
2. Abraham: Gal3:8, 16 – the Gospel of the future blessing in Christ; John 8:56.
3. David: Psalm 110:1; Heb 1:13; Matt 22:41-46: Davids Lord was Christ! Acts 2:25, 29-32
4. Jacob: Gen 28:12-13; John 1:41 – Jacobs ladder, his connection between heaven and earth, was Christ!
5. Daniel: Daniel 10:5-18; 8:15; 10:9-10, 16; Rev 1:13-17 – Daniel encountered the same person as did John!
6. Shadrach, Meshech and Abednego in the fiery furnace (Dan 3:25-26) who will protect them in the flames? Surely the God whom they serve, the “Son of God”.
7. Prophets: Moved by the Spirit of Christ (1Peter1:11)

These OT saints all depended upon Christ for Justification! Justification then we would conclude from the pattern of the OT scriptures came when these OT believers exerted faith in a Person, the Person of Christ, rather than Faith in a Process or faith in their understanding of a process! Some did not understand the process but they benefited from it by faith in the Person! Salvation came when they exercised faith in the justifier: “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” (Rom 4:5)

https://graceinchrist.org/romans

From a message preached by Dr J Stewart Gillespie on: Romans Chapter 3 Verses 21 to 31 & Leviticus Chp 16: Propitiation Surely the very first discovery that we make on our spiritual journey is that there is a God! We make come to this discovery by means of considering:

1. Creation – the subject of Romans chp 1
2. Conscience – the moral order Romans chp 2
3. Covenant – God speaking by His Word – Romans chp 2
4. Cross – Romans Chp3 – there were those of course who first came face to face with the reality of Christ at the Cross: the centurion: “Truly this man was the son of God” (Mk 15:39); the thief on the cross: “And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.” (Lk23:42)

The 2nd significant discovery which we make on our spiritual journey is that the fact there is a God doesn't solve our problem, for He is for some reason afar off, He is an offended God: “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” (Isa 59:2)

The solution to this 2nd great discovery is the 3rd spiritual discovery, the subject of our meeting tonight: The subject of propitiation.

Many years ago, as Adolf Hitler was rising to power in Germany in 1930's, another German, Gerhard Kittel was compiling a dictionary of NT words: TDNT, 10 volumes, Prof. Kittel when he comes to define 'propitiation' takes over 20 pages! I'm not going to take 20 pages! I'll take 3 fingers!

Propitiation has 3 dimensions:

1. Upwards – God satisfied
2. Backward – Man justified
3. At 90 degrees, side to side, bringing in the breadth of Gods mighty work of salvation – Christ Crucified.

Propitiation: 'God satisfied, Man Justified by Christ Crucified'

Only 1 way to be right with God. Everyone who has ever been right with God, was right with God by this very means: by the power of the sacrifice of Christ! See that in various places in scripture:

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (Joh 14:6);

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Act 4:12)

See it again here in Romans 3: as God forgave men there sins in days gone by, men who trusted and rested that God could forgive sin, exactly how it would be that God could forgive their sins remained in part obscure:

“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” (Heb 11:13)

“Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.” (1Pe 1:10-12)

“Then Job answered and said, I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God?” (Job 9:1-2)

It seems clear that Godly men of old knew that God would and that God could save the sinner but at times they were at least in part in ignorance as to How God would save the sinner. David is clear that his sins are forgiven (Rom 4:7; Psalm 32:1,2; Psalm 51:7-14) A question mark hangs over all of the OT scriptures, how can a just God forgive sins? It is not until “this time” (Rom 3:26) that God has revealed and declared His righteousness in forgiving the sinner His sins. If His righteousness was ever under question, the answer is now given, and His righteousness is 'declared' (3:25).

Leviticus Chp 16: Propitiation Pictured:

1. The Problem - of sin (16:1-2)
2. The Place - of relationship / of meeting / of mercy (16:2)
3. The Purity - of the priest
4. The Power - of the blood
5. The Problem - of sin (16:1-2)

The whole subject of atonement, in one of these little echoes of scripture is interestingly prefaced by the loss of a son! The subject of redemption was likewise prefaced by the loss of a son, brought out under the blood of the lamb and under the blood of the firstborn son!

1. The first mention of the meal offering (Gen 4:3) – linked with the death of a son.
2. The first mention of the sin offering (Gen 4:7) – linked with the death of a son
3. The 2nd mention of the ascending offering (Gen 22:2) – linked with the death of a son!

The chapter begins with a reference to the loss of Aarons 2 sons: to the problem of sin and the consequences of sin. Verse 1 takes us back to Leviticus chapter 10 to the death of Nadab and Abihu who "offered strange fire before the Lord" (10:1) Possibly they were drunk (Lev 10:9) with their judgment impaired and compromised So serious was their sin that Aaron their father was not even permitted to mourn for them (10:6) There sin although specific to them is a picture of the consequences of all sin: separation from the presence of God Linked with the problem of sin we have the reason that sin is such a problem: the Holiness and the Righteousness of God This too is how Rom 3:21-31 begins The Problem of Sin in chapters 1 to 3 of Romans, linked with the Righteousness of God in condemning men and women (Rom3:23) God reminds Moses in Lev 16:1-2 of the Righteousness that keeps men out The question is - is there a righteousness that can bring men in? We have previously seen that there is a righteousness of God that saves from wrath, we saw that in the case of Lot and Rahab There is a righteousness of God that saves from judgment Is there a righteousness that draws us near to Himself? Not only can Gods righteousness save us from WRATH but can Gods righteousness bring me into Relationship? These 2 are not the same thing. Nadab and Abihu died under the wrath of God - for drawing near to God with strange fire - they died You could avoid dieing like Nadab and Abihu by not drawing near to God with strange fire! That would save me from His WRATH! But it wouldn't bring me into RELATIONSHIP with Him. Is it possible for God not only to save from judgment but also to bring me into His presence? We need to be sure about this for if we get it wrong the consequences are huge: "and died" (16:1) Not good enough to do what we think, do what we please or 'come as you are to worship'! To fail to meet Him and to fall short of Him is to fail to meet He who is Life and Light and Love! The stakes are high! Agreed? Can Gods Righteousness not only:

Bring us out - of wrath can it also: Bring us into Relationship?

The Place - of relationship / of meeting / of mercy (16:2)

3 Closely related words in this chapter:

1. Mercy Seat
2. Atonement
3. Propitiation

Very simply we might consider these 3 words as referring to:

1. Mercy Seat – The Place / Object (16:2)
2. Atonement – The Sacrifice (16:6,10)
3. Propitiation – occurs when the place and the sacrifice come together, it is the blood stained mercy seat (Rom 3:25) – in Rom 3:25 you notice the importance of the blood!

God would meet with Aaron the High Priest, but at 1 place; the "mercy seat" "mercy seat": Heb. 'kapporeth' from the Heb. word 'kippur' - atonement 'Yom Kippur' : the Day of Atonement What is 'atonement' - 'at-one-ment' - reconciliation - relationship Mercy seat is the place of reconciliation or relationship "mercy seat": 'kappoerth' in Greek the word is 'hilasterion' What does that have to do with me and our studies in Romans? Rom 3:25: 'propitiation' : 'hilasterion' The place of the mercy seat becomes a picture of the work of Christ! Place where God and man could meet 16:2, but only when a condition had been fulfilled: 16:14 when blood was sprinkled

The Power - of the blood (16:11-15) As it was with redemption so too it is with propitiation – the power is in the blood. Don't want to make the message unnecessarily complex and the debate of scholars goes beyond the simplicity of our thoughts on Rom 3:25 but there is a little problem with the translation / interpretation of Rom 3:25, over the precise meaning of "propitiation" Not everyone agrees that the word here 'hilasterion' refers simply to the mercy seat: The article is perhaps wrong for this meaning to hold We note the importance of "His blood" in Rom 3:25. So some scholars have suggested that really it is not so much the mercy seat that Christ is been likened to but rather the sacrifice whose blood was sprinkled upon the mercy seat. In reality of course the 2 go hand in hand The picture and the pattern are seen foreshadowed quite clearly here in Leviticus chapter 16 The mercy seat had no power without the blood sprinkled on it Without the blood, the mercy seat was merely an aspiration and not a reality Without the blood there was still no relationship The mercy seat in fact took its name from the sacrifice: the 'kapporeth' and the 'kippur' The place has no real significance without the sacrifice Today we can have every vestige, every outer appearance of religion, bibles, baptisms, names, routines, services, prayers but if the sacrifice, the power of the death, dieing, suffering and resurrection of Christ is absent, the whole thing is powerless It is as powerless as a mercy seat with no blood! It is the blood that puts the mercy into the mercy seat! Why was the blood so powerful? It was the blood of sacrifice (16:11, 14-15) for sin - blood of the sin offering Sprinkled 7 X – Gods work, cf. Redemption 7 X in Exodus chp 6. In picture sin was transferred from the offerer to the offering The sacrifice was consumed with fire as the wrath of God fell on the sacrifice Perhaps a little echo in Lev 16:14 of a looking forward to of something more: "eastward" : the side of the rising sun, that is how Malachi chp 4 ends with the "sun of righteousness rising with healing in His wings" The day of of atonement looked forward to the dawning of a new day! The Purity - of the priest (Lev 16:4) "And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints." (Rev 19:8) The sacrifice not only brings the offerer in but makes him fit to come in. God satisfied, man justified by Christ crucified!

https://graceinchrist.org/romans

From a Message Preached by Dr J Stewart Gillespie on:


'Showing and Sharing the Righteousness of God' (Romans Chp 3 Vs 19 to 31)


God Shows His Righteousness in Salvation
There is a light that shines through the whole of scripture from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22.
The Word of God makes me aware that that Light and the apparent source of that Light are not one and the same!
The Word of God distinguishes between the source and the substance
Generally the ancient mind failed to do this: the commonest god to be worshiped by pagan man: Romans, Egyptians, Philistines, Hindus was the sun god. Why? Because the sun was regarded as the source of all light. Not so in the Word of God.

Genesis chapter 1: Light is present from day 1 but the sun is not created until day 4

From Genesis to Revelation the light may well be linked with the sun, the light may well shine as the sun rises morning by morning and diminish as the sun sets evening by evening but long before the sun ever arose for the first time there was Light and long after the sun has sunk for a final time, below the horizon of eternity; the true Light will still shine forever.
In life my great passion must be to look beyond the horizon of time to lay hold of the eternal Light which radiates from God Himself!
We often think of the 2 interchangeably but they are not, a bit like light and the sun!
In Genesis chp1 ever before God creates the sun He says “let there be light” and at the end of all things there is no sun any longer in heaven for “the Lamb is the light thereof” (Rev21:23).
The sun and the light are helpful to us as a picture of the distinction between source and substance
It is especially helpful when we recall that 'light' is often given to us in scripture as a picture of Gods righteousness (1 john1:7-10)

“But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifest...” (v21)
"manifested" - revealed or shown “φανερόω” from the Gk word to shine! Gods righteousness is able to shine, in its own intrinsic light independent from the law as the light and the sun!
Just as it is possible for the light to shine without the sun, so it is possible for righteousness to shine without the law.
It is Gods righteousness before it is ours :
Not an inferior righteousness
Given by God, not Gained by man
Gods righteousness comes down not worked up
Experienced by man not earned by mans efforts
Gods righteousness is as operative in salvation as in condemnation
Gods righteousness is satisfied by justification not denied
Not playing off one Divine attribute against another!
God is always what He is, unchanging
"I am the Lord I change not."
"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever"
God is not sometimes all knowing
God is not sometimes all powerful
God is not sometimes Holy
God is not sometimes righteous
It is not His love and grace desiring to save against His righteousness refusing to save.
Sometimes we are painted a picture of God being in internal tension, His Righteousness desiring to condemn man and His Grace and Mercy Desiring to save man, this is not the case.
Rather Gods righteousness comes through His grace (3:24)
In salvation God is not working in order to deny an essential attribute of His being rather to satisfy that essential attribute of His being! 'I AM just behold and see, let the universe and the heavens examine, I have saved sinners from hell and I am the justifier of those who believe in Jesus.'
Gods righteous work of salvation is not a contradiction of His condemnation of mans sin but rather a consequence of his condemnation
Gods righteousness in salvation is not a different righteousness
It is the attainment of that righteousness by a means other than the law (3:21)
That righteousness which commences as Gods (3:21) continues as mans (3:22)
It is righteousness as a state not a second class righteousness, not a make do righteousness as if we couldn't manage it the proper way, so this will do instead!
This is "Gods righteousness without law" (3:21)
In other words we often think of righteousness as a standard, that standard is the law.
The law did not give rise to righteousness because something or someone gave rise to the law!
Therefore the righteousness which we have in the law is really a reflection of the righteousness of God which He gave in the law.
To put it another way: the law doesn't give righteousness, righteousness gave the law!
The law was Gods means of conveying His righteousness, like the sun is His means of conveying His light but He is not restricted to it!
So Gods righteousness is greater than the law, since the righteousness gave the law.
We may well reasonably ask the question: is there more to Gods righteousness than we know in the law?
The answer is yes! 'The righteousness of God without the law' (3:21)
This is an interesting idea but not a new one; that Gods Righteousness is greater than the law and extends in scope even beyond the law that He gave because it has already been “witnessed by the law and the prophets,” really the theme of Romans 3:21-31 and chapter 4.

Is there discernible in the OT scriptures:

A Righteousness of God “without law”?
A Righteousness of God that saves rather than condemns?

Gods righteousness in law is a righteousness that condemns man that finds fault with man, that ushers in judgment (3:20):

Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 18 & 19)
Gods righteousness in law condemned Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen18:20) : “sin” - the knowledge of “sin” is by the law (Rom3:20), where there is no law sin is not imputed (Rom5:13) so they were under the law – perhaps Gods Creatorial and moral law of Rom 1 or the “law” of conscience (Rom2:14-15). In condemning Sodom and Gomorrah God acted in righteousness as a judge (Gen 18:25). But Lot and his 2 daughters and his wife were brought out of Sodom and Gomorrah! Was he legally righteous? cf. Gen 19:8; 20,32,33. Yet God was acting in righteousness in dealing with this matter (Gen18:25). God was righteous in condemning Sodom.
God was righteous in saving Lot!

Rahab the Harlot (Joshua chp 2) – condemned to die on at least 3 accounts by Gods righteousness in the law: as a cananite, as an inhabitant of Jericho, as an harlot maybe even as being a false witness (2:4), yet Rahab was saved out of Jericho! On what did she depend for her salvation? What gave her the confidence to betray her own people and trust in the Lord? “Ye shall also show kindness” (2:12).... “true token...” (2:12). This is a righteous principle: kindness for kindness, like for like, devotion for devotion! Yet how could she lay claim to Gods righteousness and to that of the righteousness of His servants? She was not righteous and had no righteousness of the law? Gods righteousness condemned her, how could she rest upon that righteousness? We may well say to Rahab: 'I would keep quite about righteousness if I were you!' It was Gods righteousness that would condmen her. Here was a righteousness apart from the law. “We will deal kindly and truly with thee” (v14). A pledge of fairness and righteousness. The righteousness of God that condemns her is the righteousness of God that is able to save her. Gods righteousness condemns Jericho.
Gods righteousness saves Rahab!

The Man Born Blind (John chp 9)
In John chapter 9 the Lord will create eyes and give light, He will save from blindness. What does that have to do with the righteousness of God? How is Christ revealed in John chp 9? Remember that each miracle in John's Gospel is a “sign”, Christ is being revealed as the “light” in Johns Gospel! There are 2 features of light in the scriptures:
Light reveals and illuminates understanding
Light brings in Gods righteousness (1John1:5-7)
It is as Christ is revealed as the righteousness of God that He moves to save this man from darkness. The Light of God, a picture of His Righteousness, a righteousness which does not utterly destroy this man but which illuminates this man in his darkness.

God Shares His Righteousness by Faith (v22)
Gods righteousness unobtainable by law / by deeds (3:20) is attainable by faith, ours by “faith” (3:22)

Rahab put out the scarlet thread
Lot went out of Sodom and Gomorrah with the angel, did not look back
The blind man went and washed in the pool of Siloam.

If the righteousness of God is not by law then I do not do nor do I keep something to gain it, so how do I gain Gods Righteousness without law?
I rest in it! I depend upon it! I trust in Him!
The righteousness of God is not bound by rules / codes / acts / deeds and therefore cannot be received by rules, codes, acts or deeds, it is received by faith!
Grace brings justification (v24).
How can God make me righteous if I am a sinner?
There are 2 words that appear in this section which in English are quite different but in Greek are in fact very similar: righteousness: 'Standard of God ' and justification: 'Standing before God.'
God Satisfies His Righteousness by Faith (3:25-26)
Salvation does not run contrary to Gods Righteousness
Salvation is constructed by Gods Righteousness
The Cause of Salvation lies in Gods Righteousness : “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” (Jas 4:17). If there was a way to save men and women and to maintain Gods character if God failed to take that step He would not be perfectly righteous!It would constitute a sin of omission! The plan of salvation is thus in one aspect a product of righteous necessity! God cannot fail to be less than perfectly righteous! The angle could not destroy Sodom and Gomorrah until Lot was out (Gen19), a scarlet thread was provided for Rahab, Christ did not walk by on the other side of the blind man as the did the priest and the Levite in the parable of the good Samaritan!

Salvation is constructed by Gods Righteousness The whole plan of salvation is carefully constructed in such a way as to maintain Gods righteousness. Salvation is not a way of getting off with sin! It is the means of buying back the sinner (3:24). God in saving the sinner provides a sacrifice for the sinner.
If God saves, God sacrifices (3:25).
The cost is real and the cost is paid.
The righteousness of God is built into the whole plan of salvation.
Righteous ends by righteous means (3:25,26).
Salvation is Completed and Concluded in Gods Righteousness Gods work in the past in “remitting sins” (v25) is fulfilled now at this time (3:26) in the work of Christ.
God Saves by His Righteousness - not mine (3:27-31)

From a Message Preached by Dr J Stewart Gillespie Romans Chapter 3 Verses 9 to 20: 'The Devil in the Detail' Many things we could say by way of general introduction to this section Not least of which is to ask a very basic question: 'Why should this section ever have been written'? There are many questions I do not know how the natural man tackles and handles and this is one of them: 'what gives rise to the utter condemnation of man in this book'? Maybe not such a trifling question as it seems!

1. Chapter 1 - Rotten Sinner is Condemned by Creation
2. Chapter 2 - Self Righteous Sinner is Condemned by Conscience
3. Chapter 2 - Religious Sinner is condemned by Covenant or law

Maybe not such a trifling question as it seems! These verses (3:9-20) are really a conclusion to these previous individual condemnations of distinct groups within humanity This section is a total condemnation of all of humanity! If there is 1 aspect to the gospel which is offensive to modern ears it would be the content of the 1st 3 chapters of Romans: the sinfulness of man. Someone has coined the phrase: the Total Depravity of Man By that phrase I do not mean: "That man is as sinful as he could be" but rather that "Man can never be as good as he ought to be" - Dr J I Packer

Every part of mans being touched and corrupted by sin:

v11 - the mind / the heart v13 - the throat v13 - the tongue v13 - the lips v14 - the mouth v14 - the voice v15 - the feet v18 - the eyes

Mr Stott notes in this chapter that there is taught:

1. The ungodliness of sin (v11, 18) - sin begins and ends when God is pushed to the side of my life
2. All pervasiveness of sin
3. Total Depravity of man

My very simple question: 'However did we get the verdict?' A verdict of universal guilt (v19) A verdict of total condemnation It is hardly natural / normal for man to condemn himself Yet these verses unswerving present the sinfulness of all of humanity They are drawn, as so much else of Romans is from the OT scriptures: Psalms, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes This book has been condemning us for 1000's of years and yet we preserve it! Even treasure it! There are many things that allow me the confidence to say this book is the inspired Word of God!

• The Prophecies concerning the person of Christ, the nation of Israel and the nations of the world
• The Pictures of Christ in the OT scriptures
• The Patterns of Christ in the OT scriptures
• The Personal way in which His Word speaks to me

This however would not be the least of the means of confidence in the inspiration of this book of books:

• The condemnation of man in the Word of God. The Bible is not such a book as a man could write - fulfilled prophecies, patterns and pictures, but neither is it the kind of book a man would write! This book is not a testimony to mans ability to array a catalogue of excuses as to why he has failed This book is a testimony to why man is without excuse before God! If I know anything about anything it is about people! As men we tend to make excuses for our failures, underestimate our faults, gloss over our wrong doings, Gods Word does not. If it is natural to make light of our failings what is it to expose and to be utterly honest about our failings? It must be unnatural or supernatural. These verses are a testimony to the fact that there is a standard beyond man, against which man falls short of, against which man feels wholly inadequate

The 1st 3 chapters of Romans are testimony to the existence of: 'The Righteousness of God' and to that righteousness as revealed in law In the concluding section of Romans 3 we will see that Gods righteousness is not restricted to operating via law there is also: 'The Righteousness of God by faith' (3:22) We notice then that a section that many would grapple with, struggle with, seek to water down, is a striking testimony to the character of God, to a standard beyond you and I, this is a supernatural condemnation. It is natural for man to seek to prove that we are better than we might seem (v9), testimony again to the sense that there is a standard I fall short of! It is natural for the alcoholic to tell you he just takes a social drink, for the heavy smoker to underestimate his habit, for the addict to say they are doing fine when so obviously they are not. If it is natural to make excuses, what is it to declare that I am without excuse? Supernatural?? One final comment by way of introduction: If we see this verdict as only possible because of the righteousness of God in the law then we acknowledge this verdict is of God! The God who created man in Genesis chapter 1 is the God who condemns man in Romans chps 1 to 3! When God saw what He had created in Genesis chapter 1, after each Creatorial act God said: "it is good" but having created man, having completed His work of creation God said: "It was very good" (Gen1:31) How tragic it is that God who made man after His image and in His likeness has to write these words about His creation! God is not looking for sympathy mind you, I don't think that is the point! I do believe that God desires to demonstrate to us the sense of tragedy in mans condition I think if you and I are going to be useful to God and used by God to bring His message out from the platform and form the pews and from the pulpit to the people we too must share in this sense of tragedy Don't just go out with the gospel with a sense of sympathy but with a sense of tragedy The tragedy of broken homes, broken hearts, broken lived, lost souls, empty hopes, a fall into hell The bitter disappointment of sin We need to grasp a sense of that tragedy Remember the echo of Gen 1:31: "God saw every thing that He had made and behold it was very good" The Lord Jesus was touched with a sense of that tragedy: "weep not for me, weep for yourselves and for your children" (Luke23:28), the Saviour wept over Jerusalem, the Saviour who wept at the tomb of Lazarus (John 11) Perhaps we could borrow the words of the Lord Jesus from the parable of the tares and the wheat: “an enemy hath done this” (Matt 13:28) As I look down at the description of man in these verses and I look at the image, the reflection he casts in the mirror, a terrifying sight meets my eyes:

• Smell the odour of death (v13)
• Poison of the serpent (v13)
• Lies of the tongue (v13)
• Blood of murder (v15)
• Way of destruction (v16)

The man of Romans 3 has cast in his lot with:

• The one who is the father of lies (John 8:44)
• The one who was a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44)
• The one who had the power of death - the Devil (Heb 2:14)
• The one is that old serpent - the Devil (Rev 12:9; 20:2)
• The one whose name is destruction - Apollyon (Rev9:11) - the angel of the bottomless pit

Do we see what has happened here, do we see the tragedy of what man has become? Man made in the image of God, after His likeness has become conformed to the image of the Devil! The tragedy of what man was and what he has become! The story does not finish here however, in chapters 4 to 8 continues with the Triumph of what I can be in Christ! Never forget the tremendous potential in a life given over to Christ! Romans 5:20 : "Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound" The God who created man out of the dust and the dirt and who formed man from the 'Ground to the Glory' is able to do the same again! God took man from the ground and gave him a glory above all of creation: Psalm 8:4,5 God who took man from the ground and gave him that glory is able to take man form the gutter and give him that glory again!

This is the subject of Romans chp 3:21 through chapters 4 and 5. v11 - The Mind - Intelligence about God v11 - The Motive - Interest in God

The path is traced inside out From within the very being of man to the outside Salvation must deal with man in the same way Rules, law, therapy and counselling and medicine is not enough The "understanding" would lie not so much in the 'head' but in the 'heart' cf. Eph 4:18 "Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart" cf. 1 Kings 3:9 - Solomon prays for an "understanding heart" cf. Psalm 49:2 "the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding" cf. Prov 2:2 "apply thine heart to understanding" cf. Prov 3:4 "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding" The meditation and state of the mind determines the motive Man's motive can be focused on many things, consider the many clubs and associations even in a little village like New Cumnock: history club, art club, gardening club, football clubs (a number), bowling clubs, friendship club, photography club, stop smoking club, BBs, scouts, guides, girl guides, youth clubs, fishing clubs, community council, heather club, mother and toddlers club, working mans club, pigeon club, orange lodge, Masonic Lodge, young farmers club, exercise clubs, karate club, womans rural club! Men and women are able to pursue many interests but what about the God who made us?

v12 - The Profit & The Path & The Product

In business profit is synonymous with money and financial gain, not with Christ! What constitutes profitability? It is assessed by God, it is tried by fire:1 Co 3:11ff - it must be of Gold, Silver and precious stones It must be fit to be laid on the foundation Fire proof for eternity What I regard as profitable will determine the path I take: ease and comfort, financial prosperity, friendship and socialising Profitability - what is there for God? What is there of value to God? Product: fruit cf. John 15 and Gal 5 Christ and the Spirit needed

v13 - The Tongue and the Tomb The heart corrupted opens up into a throat (v13) A "sepulchre" - a place of death Not only a sepulchre but an "open sepulchre" Place of "stench", a place of smell Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh A voice form the tomb? Whose voice is it? A dead man talking? "dead in trespasses and in sins" (Eph2:1) Words and Works

• From the heart (v11)
• To the throat (v13)
• To the tongue (v13)
• Through the lips (v13)
• Out of the mouth (v14)
• From thought to word and then to deed

If it is behaviour that is to be changed, the heart and mind must be changed God works from the inside out

https://graceinchrist.org/romans

From a message preached by J Stewart Gillespie on: Romans Chapter 3 Verses 1 to 8: “Missing the Point” Paul has so far concluded all under sin:

1. The Rotten Sinner of Rom1
2. The Self Righteous Sinner of Rom2
3. The Religious Sinner of Rom 2

Chapter 2 ended with the religious sinner: the Jew, who founded their claims to salvation on a 3 fold cord (v17):

1. Jew – Racial Claims
2. Law – Righteous Claims
3. God – Religious Claims

In all of this however we saw:

1. Jew – Racial Claims – there was no real relationship To be born is one thing but, as the Lord taught Nicodemus to be born again is another all together.
2. Law – Righteous Claims – it was a great Law: it contained the Desires of God, the Discernment of God and the Direction of God. The law did not bring them righteousness.
3. God – Religious Claims – but no reality

All claims to salvation apart from Christ tend to lay hold of these 3 strands: Race, Religion and Rules:

1. Race: I was born into it!
2. Rule: I deserve it!
3. Religion: I have paid for it!

But when these claims were scrutinised they were found wanting:

1. Rules: But have you kept them (2:21-23)?
2. Race: But it was not unconditional (2:25), we saw the character of Abraham, the man God gave His promises to, Abraham was a man: justified by faith (Gen15:6) sanctified from defilement (Gen14:23) consecrated to God (Gen17:1) separated from the old world (Gen12:1) It was not automatic: the blessing went to Isaac the son of promise rather than to Ishmael.
3. Religion (2:24) – but do people see in me the character of God? Do I cause them to bless God and to glorify my Father or do I cause them to curse? We have outward formality but no inward reality We have religion but no relationship We have a church but no Christ

v1 – there is one obvious problem with the conclusion Paul has so far drawn in chap 2:17-29. If this it is indeed true that the racial claims, religious claims and righteous claims of the Jew are of no effect to salvation then what exactly has God been doing for the preceding 3,000 years with the people of Israel?

• Making a covenant with Abraham
• Redeeming a people out of Egypt
• Giving His Law
• Speaking through the prophets

Why bother if the end point is the same for everyone? If despite all of this Divine intervention, purpose and providence “all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God” (3:23) and if indeed there is “no difference” between Jew and Gentile then has the OT been one colossal waste of time? The Jew would have been as well following the Hindu Vidas, they would as been as well turning to pagan idol worship for all the good it has done them. Is not the whole of the OT scriptures about:

1. Gods chosen people - Racial Claims?
2. The law – Righteous claims?
3. Worship and offerings – Religion?

Well yes it is, but it is also about:

1. Righteousness
2. Relationship
3. Reality

The Bible is not primarily about me, it is primarily about God and it leaves me a question to answer do I want anything to do with God? If my answer to that question is yes I do – the scriptures set out that path to Him! “What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?” (Rom 3:1) The Jew has a covenant, a law, a Bible, a circumcision, a history and is Gods chosen people but was there any point to it all? So either Paul is wrong in his conclusion or there is more to the story than has so far been revealed in chapters 1 + 2, there is more to the covenant, the law and the prophets than simply the condemnation of sin! It is that later point that Paul will now make in Romans chps 3 + 4. The purpose of Gods dealings with His OT people went beyond the demonstration of failure and the conviction of sin by the rules that He gave. If we miss this we miss the whole point of the OT scriptures and frankly Paul contends that the Jew did just that, missed the point! Although importantly Paul will show that not all Jews missed the point, at least 3 groups got the point:

1. the Priest (3:25ff),
2. the Patriarch Abraham (4:1ff) and
3. the Psalmist / Poet David (Rom4)

What is the point? The point is that Gods dealings in covenant, in law, in scripture and in prophet only began with:

1. Rules – that convict of sin (3:19-20) but led onto
2. Repentance from that sin “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” (Rom 2:4)
3. Relationship with God – Romans 4. - justification by faith.
4. Revelation of Christ in the “oracles of God” (3:2)

Simple point of our message: 'don't miss the point' The point of Gods dealings then:

1. Rules – that convict of sin, we have already touched on the subject of sin and the law in chp 2:21ff and we will deal with it some more (3:19-20)
2. Repentance from that sin “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” (Rom 2:4) – we have already seen this in Rom 2:4.
3. Relationship with God – Romans 4. - justification by faith will be the subject of the latter half of chapter 3 and then chapter 4.
4. Revelation of Christ in the “oracles of God” (3:2) – the subject here in 3:1-8. What has God been doing as He has been speaking?

Simply providing rules to convict of sin? No something far more precious than only that: “unto them were committed the oracles of God” (3:2) Given to the nation of Israel were the very words of God! With those “oracles of God” we can either:

• Treasure the Oracles of God (v2)
• Trust the Oracles of God (v2,3)
• Trifle with the Oracles of God (v3)
• Tested by the Oracles of God (v3-4)
• Tragedy of the Oracles of God (v8)

Treasure the Oracles of God (v2)

“committed” - “faith” - “entrusted” A picture of the Ark of the Covenant A precious box of gold, most sacred item of furniture in the tabernacle reserved as the residing place for the law Hidden from human eyes Over that foundation of Gods Word would sit the mercy seat (3:25) – salvation founded upon the Word of God! What was the purpose really of these oracles? They were 1st and foremost a testimony to Christ: “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” (Luk 24:27) “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” (Joh 5:39) “Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.” (1Pe 1:11) “Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious” (1Pe 2:1-4) In John chapter 10 we have a picture of just that: The Characteristics of the Shepherd: How we recognise the true Shepherd of our Souls, the diference between the true and the false, the shepherd and the thief, the one who gives life and the one who takes life away. Ever before we make any choices in life we would do well to ask do I pursue that which is: true or that which is false, one who cares or one who is cruel, a Shepherd or a thief, one who gives life or one who takes life?

In this chapter we have the character of the Shepherd:

• The Coming of the Shepherd (10:1-2)
• The Companion of the Shepherd (10:3)
• The Call of the Shepherd (10:3)
• The Care of the Shepherd (10:4,9)

The Coming of the Shepherd (10:1-2)

He would come by the “door” (10:2)

In 10:9 He is the Door but in verse 2 He comes by the door! How can He both come by the door and yet be the door? His coming through the door was a defining characteristic of the Shepherd! They would recognise the Shepherd by the fact that He came through a door, specially constructed for Him. No one else but the true Shepherd could come by this door! It was specific for Him!

I can see that door being carefully fashioned and constructed in the OT scriptures:

• “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isa 7:14) – How He would come!
• “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” (Mic 5:2) – Where He would come!
• “Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.” (Psa 40:6-8) – A body prepared to come!
• Daniel chp 9 would tell us when He would come
• Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22 would tell us why He would come.
• There is a door through which Christ would come!

That door was specific to Him.

The Written word, the door of 10:2 can only be fulfilled by the incarnate Word of 10:9, Christ both comes through the door and He is the door!

The Companion of the Shepherd (10:3) Christ does not work alone! “The porter” opens the hearts door for the sheep to hear His voice The Spirit of God makes the voice of God real to the human soul Cf. Rev 3:7 – God controls the opening of the door The Call of the Shepherd (10:3) When the porter opens and when Christ speak we “hear His voice”

1. Personal “by name”
2. Powerful “leadeth them out”
3. Practical – results in action

The Care of the Shepherd (10:4,9)

Trust the Oracles of God (v2,3)

Trifle with the Oracles of God (v3) “did not believe” - wilful rejection of His Word To reject Gods Word is to reject God.

Tested by the Oracles of God (v3-4) “Faithfulness of God without effect” Rejecting Gods Word is the other side to the sharp two edged sword (Heb4:12) Gods Word is two-edged, it cuts both ways! Gods Word either acts to my Salvation or to my Condemnation “For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?” (2Co 2:15-16)

Tragedy of the Oracles of God (v8) Gods Word either: Justifies me by faith to my salvation Justifies Gods judgement to my condemnation Verse 5 contains a strange argument but one that does often creep into peoples thinking. If Gods revelation is simply to prove that I am a sinner and if Gods revelation successfully proves that I am a sinner then by sinning I am fulfilling the purpose of His revelation, so am I saying that I should just sin some more and prove God right? “Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?” (Job 40:8) Sometimes it creeps in as a kind of passive view of Christianity; that Christian faith and growth in Christ is something that just happens to you by accident one day you get out of bed and if it doesn't well I suppose that's just the way its going to be, after all I'm just a sinner anyway, so I may as well keep on doing what I'm doing! Above all else this nation was the Nation of the Book! It was a nation that ought never to have survived: The product of 3 barren wombs: Sarah, Rebekah and Rachael Surviving the persecution of Pharaoh in Egypt Preserved through Babylon and returning to the land even after the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple! Preserved from destruction by Rome even after the destruction once again of Jerusalem and the Temple in AD 70 Surviving Pogroms in Europe and Russia Passing through Hitlers final solution and the holocaust Back in the land in AD 1948 What a nation! What held them together? More than anything else: the Book! They were the people of the book! A book that contained a unique set of laws, prophecies, and instructions for life, it recorded both their history as well as their destiny, it gave identity to a displaced people as belonging to God Himself! A book that tells us where we came from, where we are going to, why we are here and how we can know the God who made us! Someone has well said that if asked for proof that there is a God he would reply in 1 word: Israel. That nation was not only to be Gods channel of communication to a lost world preserving and ultimately conveying His Words to the whole of mankind but that nation would also possess the oracles of God by means of preparation for the coming unique Word of God. Israel would provide both the root and the soil for His advent (Isa53:1) They would be able to identify the coming Messiah as the the unique Son of the one and only true and Living God (Isa7:14; Isaiah 40:9;Micah5:2; Psalm 110). The trouble is having the revelation or the oracles of God is not of itself enough, there is a:

https://graceinchrist.org/romans

Notes from a message preached by Dr J Stewart Gillespie on: Romans Chp 2 Vs 17 to 29: 'The Religious Sinner' A section that deals with the failings of the Jewish people At last a section that I can fall asleep during! Of no relevance to me! I can see the relevance of Chps 1 + 2: The Power of the Gospel to change lives (Rom1:1) The Proof of the Gospel in personal experience (Rom1:1), in the Promise of the Gospel (1:2) in the Person in the Gospel (1:3) in the Power of His resurrection (1:4) in the Product of the Gospel in changed lives (1:5) That section on doubts and deliverance (1:1-7) The Result of the Gospel (1:8-17) in changed lives The descent of man (1:18-32) rejecting the Worship of God, the Ways of God, the Wisdom of God and the Works of God But here is a section that I can switch off on – there is no relevance to me, it is about where the Jewish people of old went wrong! Before you dismiss it altogether, a word of caution, where the Jew of yesterday went wrong the professing Church of today goes wrong! I can see many parallels between the condition of the Jew of Romans 3 and the professing believer of Revelation 3:20 at Laodicea – the Church of the last days of the Church age; Christ is on the outside: “I stand at the door and knock...” a condition so very similar to the nation of Israel at the 1st coming of Christ: “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” (Joh 1:11) the condition of Israel at His 1st coming is the same as the condition of the Church as His 2nd Coming approaches; He is on the outside! We have outward formality but no inward reality We have religion but no relationship We have a church but no Christ v1 – there is one obvious problem with the conclusion Paul has so far drawn from his examination of all peoples at all times, all concluded under sin (3:23) Paul has concluded all under sin: The Rotten Sinner of Rom1 The Self Righteous Sinner of Rom2 The Religious Sinner of Rom 2 In Johns Gospel we find: Things we don't know (John 21:21-22) Things we will know (Jo13:7) Things we ought to know (Jo3:10) Things we know but we didn't know that we knew them (Jo14:5,6,9) All of the above represents a journey of learning into the infinity of Gods ways and purposes. All of the above represent encounters between Christ and those seeking for the truth. In Johns gospel there is also another group, another attitude and a different spirit. People who think they know it all! They thought they knew the prophets (John 7:40-44,52) They thought they knew the law (Jo8:4-9) They thought they knew the scriptures (Jo5:39) They thought they knew God (Jo8:54-55) They thought they knew Christ (Jo7:12,20) They thought they knew the Father (Jo8:33,39,44) There are few things in our life so dangerous as a conviction drawn from inadequate information, not just in Johns gospel: Matt22:23ff. It might be the best conclusion we can draw but if we don't have the right information we draw the wrong conclusion. It seems that confidence is no guarantee of certainty! It seems that you can be wrong! When it comes to salvation, be very careful about getting it wrong! It will certainly come out in the wash but by then it will be too late; “depart from me I never knew you.” In Romans 2:17-29 we are dealing with the same people as in Johns gospel! In this section there are those who think they have salvation sussed! “Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God,” (Rom 2:17) They have a 3 X confidence and a '3 fold cord is not easily broken!' There 3 Fold Confidence / 3 Fold Boast:

1. Jew - Racial Claims – Race
2. Law - Righteous Claims – Rules
3. God - Religious Claims – Religion

We may well ask: 'so what is wrong with all of that?'

Law - Righteous Claims – Rules

They had learned the desires of God They had gained knowledge (v18) and understanding, they knew the “will” of God, they had an understanding of what was pleasing to God in any given situation, a great advantage, they understood the desires of God. What do you do if someone says: 'I've a great new god come and worship it with me'? The men of chapter 1 would have jumped on the band wagon but not the Jew they had the commands of God: “Thou shalt worship no other God except Me”

What do you do if society begins to say that life is expendable, that human life is not valuable simply because it is human life, that some lifes can be destroyed for purposes of convenience? The Jew knew the desires of God; “thou shalt not kill.”

What do you do when the government of the land loses its discernment into a pit of deep rooted moral corruption, when politicians are easily swayed by men and woman pursuing their own lusts, and laws begin to change permitting the union of men with men and women with women. The Jew knew the desires of God on this: “male and female created He them.” How quickly and easily and clearly the Word of God deals with moral errors of their day and of ours too!

Paul will give a few simple and clear examples of these (2:21,22), not hard to understand. They had learned the discernment of God Even beyond that they had learned discernment: “approvest the things that are more excellent” - a sensitivity not only to outright evil but an ability to choose the best. Not only what was right but what was best! There can be a subtlety and a sensitivity to that! The Jew had gone beyond the expectations of some Christians with: 'what is the harm in it?' Many an excuse can be used for sin when God given discernment is lost:

Lot (Gen19:20): “this city is near to flee unto...it is a little one.”. Its a smaller sin than the last one! Its just ½ the size! I've cut down, not so much, not so often. It's a little one! Maybe it is but its still a sin!

Achan (Joshua 7:20ff): “a goodly Babylonish garment...” Its a good one. Shame to let it go to waste!

Saul (1Sam15:9ff): He kept the “best of the sheep”. Its the best one!

How we need the Word of God to keep us from compromise! Times might change, the world might change but as God looks down on our tiny sinful, little planet He does not feel compelled to keep up with latest fashions upon earth. Our God does not change and His Word does not change!

His Word keeps us from compromise:

Shammah (2Sam23:11) defends a field of lentils against the Philistines, doesn't matter the value, they belong to the king! No compromise.

David (1Sam17:34) rescues a lamb from the mouth of the lion, he's the shepherd and it is his lamb, no compromise!

They had learned direction from God In a dark world they were able to “guide” the heathen, they had direction (2:19) They considered themselves doctors of Gods Law They considered themselves to be “instructors” and “teachers” the word for doctors of the law (cf. Luke 2:46) It didn't bring them any closer to Him! What's the problem? The difference between knowing and doing! Rules can tell us what's right but they can't make you righteous! “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” (Rom 3:20)

God - Religious Claims – Religion (v23-24)

Made their “boast of God” (v17) Actually they caused others to “blaspheme” God (v24) They had : Broken His Laws (v23) Blasphemed His name (v24) There religion did not bring them into a relationship Do you bring honour to God (v23) or Glory to His name (v24)?

Jew - Racial Claims – Race (v25-29)

If their religion lacked relationship then then racial claims lacked reality They had the token and the sign of circumcision but the reality of it Circumcision had been given to Abraham as a token of Gods covenant (Gen 17). The promises passed to the next generation by Gods election and not by natura; generation: they passed onto Isaac the son of promise and not to Ishmael! Circumsion was a sign of Gods promise to Abraham, a covenant. Did Abraham have a side to keep in this promise? That covenant did begin with a command to Abraham: “... the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.” (Gen 17:1) This covenant was a sovereign act of God in grace but it was also set in the context of Abraham's spiritual and moral conditions!

God had chosen Abraham, a man who God had marked out by:

1. Separation by Faith (Gen12:1)
2. Justification by Faith (Gen15:6)
3. Sanctification by Faith (Gen14:23)
4. Consecration by Faith (Gen17:1)

Abraham had one thing to do as part of this covenant “thou shalt keep my covenant” (17:9) – to circumcise his male offspring! What did that circumcision on the 8th day mean? If it meant anything it meant separation and consecration from the world around. Abraham was different and his seed had to be different No point in claiming the token (Gen17:11) and denying the reality!

https://graceinchrist.org/romans