There are probably only a handful of reasons for rejecting the Word of God and the Gospel
Most of these reasons are poorly thought out
Amongst them the most serious objection:
The problem of Suffering and in particular the suffering of the innocent:
CS Lewis:
If God is good He would desire His creatures to be happy
If God is all powerful He would be able to make His creatures happy
His creatures are not happy
Therefore God is either not good, not all powerful or both
This is the problem of suffering
There are at least 3 possible responses to this problem:
To deny the existence / power / benevolence of God
To pretend, as do many Christians, that yet suffering happens but bad things only happen to bad people and good things happen to good people! This is really a reflection of personal conceit and pride rather than a reflection of any appreciation of the scriptures and tends only to last so longs as the believer evades suffering!
To be honest - to acknowledge the problem is real and to attempt and to draw from it an understanding of the principles and laws that underpin the universe in which we live.
The apostle Paul does not have the luxury of being able to find a solution to the problem of suffering by denying the reality of God!
He does not live in ignorance!
Paul knows that God has revealed Himself in:
Creation (Rom 1)
Conscience (Rom 2)
Covenant (Rom2 + 3)
Christ (Rom 3 + 4)
None of these revelations will go away
As much as Saul of Tarsus would at one point have loved to have been able to deny the reality of at least the final of these Divine revelations - the evidence of the reality of God in Christ was so compelling on the Damascus Road that his life was forever changed!
The apostle Paul will approach the problem of suffering not from a position of ignorance but with the very real experience and appreciation of God in creation, conscience, covenant and Christ.
As Paul approaches this problem of suffering in the power of the Spirit rather than with the unbelief of the flesh we will see something completely glorious emerging from this perhaps greatest challenge to the Christian faith
We will see that in the seed plot of Adams sin there is germinating the glory of Christ's Salvation
As we look at the suffering of the innocent:
7 million children murdered in their mothers womb in Britain since 1967
Starving children in Africa
Children born with HIV infection
Paul will ask : if the suffering of the innocent is real and if God is real what does this tell me about the moral order of the universe and the laws upon which this world is founded?
From this Paul will draw a glorious lesson from this problem of suffering
A lesson that underpins and points to the very means of Gods salvation
A lesson that answers and explains verse 11: 'how is it that we receive the atonement?'
Relationship brings results
Contact has consequences
From this Paul will turn the problem 180 degrees around from being the biggest challenge of the Christian faith to being the biggest confirmation of the very means of the Christian faith!
Don't miss this!
- If contact with dead man brings death what will contact with a living man bring?
- If contact with an unrighteous man brings condemnation what will contact with a righteous man bring?
- If contact with a sinner brings sin what will contact with a Saviour bring?
The Problem of Suffering brings before us on a daily, powerful and undeniable basis the very spiritual principles upon which our salvation is based!
4 Relationships to explore:
Relationship between man and sin
Relationship between sin and death
Relationship between me and Adam
Relationship between Christ and myself
There are 2 main ways over the years which have been used to provide a panoramic view of the bible, an overview of everything in the word of God:
Dispensationalism
Recognises the distinction in Gods dealings with men
Differences in the way God expresses His grace:
Age of Innocence - Eden
Age of Conscience – Adam to Moses
Age of Law – Moses to Christ
Age of Grace – Christ from His birth to His return
Age / Day of Wrath – tribulation
Age / Day of God – millennium and eternity
We can see some of these here:
Age of Innocence (5:12)
Age of Conscience (5:13-14)
Age of Law (5:14,20)
Age of Grace (5:20-21)
Age of Wrath (5:9)
Age of God (5:2)
Covenant Theology
Emphasises the consistency of Gods character
Sadly this had led many to conclude that because the character of God remains the same that there can be no distinction in His dealings with men
In Romans 5 we can see the consistency of Gods character – for the way men have always been saved is the way they are saved today: by Grace, through faith, in Christ and by relationship with Christ.
Relationship between man and sin (5:12)
Connection has consequences
One man and one sin – sin enters
Sin is not simply a practice but sin is:
Sin is a principle
Sin is a power
Sin is a person / personified
Sin stands with its hand on the handle of the gate ready to enter Eden (5:12)
Sin as a motive (5:2)
Sin as a man (5:6)
Sin as a monarch (5:12)
Sin as a master (5:14)
Sin as a monster (5:23)
When sin is dabbled with it “enters” (5:12)
The action is not the end of sin – it is the beginning – the door is opened to sin.
I don't understand this I though that sin was an action:
Sins of commission – what I do
Sins of omission – what I don't do
1 John 3 “sin is lawlessness”
Is sin not simply a breaking of Gods law?
We all make mistakes don't we?
So what's the big deal?
Are you not exaggerating the problem?
Sin: “hamartia” : missing the mark
The question is whose mark? Gods mark! Gods standard! Gods law!
It is natural and tempting for us as human beings to think of sin in terms of what it means for us as human beings: health problems, broken marriages, broken homes, broken bones, disease, death, theft, corruption, injustice etc., all of these things are the human side of sin.
The bible views sin however primarily from the Divine side – what sin means to God, and how God responds to sin and what the effects of sin are for man before his God!
“But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” (Gen 2:17)
What was so special about the tree? Was it magic fruit?
Was there some kind of strange chemistry in the fruit that brought spiritual knowledge?
I very much doubt it: “that which is of the flesh is flesh and that which is of the spirit is spirit” - I find it very difficult to imagine how the partaking of a particular food can modify a person spiritually.
I also find it very difficult to understand how God could create something which is of itself and by its nature evil! “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” (Gen 1:31) – the fruit itself was not inherently evil.
The problem came in the eating of the fruit rather than the fruit itself!
In eating the fruit I disobey the creator and in disobeying the creator I drive a wedge between me and He who is the author and sustainer of my life, therefore the consequence of that sin is: “in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” (Gen 2:17)
The only prohibition given to Adam in Eden – if he trusted God on it, he drew near to God if he didn't trust God on it he drove a wedge between him and 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)
Our relationship with sin fractures our relationship with God.
With that sin not only have we lost our link with God but with that sin comes Satan
Personality is linked with sin in this section and it is more than a figure of speech:
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” (1Pe 5:8)
“And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”
(2Co 11:14)
“And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:” (Luk 22:31)
I don't think that chp 6 deals with sin in a mythical or mystical or magical way but in a clear and down to earth way.
We need to stop thinking about sin as simply a practice but rather to think of sin with its consequences – even the sin that goes unknown / unnoticed by others – brings the same effect of separation.
Relationship between sin and death
Sin produces death
Sin is not a private matter of personal practices
Sin is viewed in scripture relative to God
“sin is lawlessness” and the law in view is Gods law
Sin is falling short of the Glory of God (Rom3:23)
Sin thus separates between me and God (Isa59:2)
Sin is not a private matter – it impacts on my relationship with God
Sin is not simply a practice
Relationship between me and Adam
“for that all have sinned...”
Does this mean:
That all die because we have all committed sins? i.e. because we all repeat Adams disaster we all repeat Adams death?
Because of Adams sin we all die and are affected by that one sin of Adam?
Notice:
The past tense of “all have sinned” - this is a sin in the past
Notice the parallelism and symmetry in v12:
A - “sin entered” - Adams Sin
B - “death by sin” - Adams Death
B - “death passed upon all” - My Death
A - “all have sinned” - My Sin
Is there not a missing step between B and B? What about the sin of all as the cause of the death of all?
The point is that it is not the sin of all that causes the death of all but the sin of Adam that guarantees the death of all.
Personal sin certainly confirms the diagnosis and at times accelerates the outcome:
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” (Gal 6:7-8)
Adam's sin brings Adams death but Adams sin also brings my death.
Death is present even where sin is not imputed (Rom 5:13-14) for death is the result of the presence of the principle of sin rather than the result of the practice of sin. So even in the absence of personally committed sin death still reigns – because death comes not from my sin but from Adams!
These verses are the foundation stones which are being laid by the apostle to allow us an understanding of how it is we can receive the “reconciliation” that Christ has achieved for us at Calvary, as we will see the repetition of Adams sin in my life is no more required to bring about my death than is the repetition of Christ's atoning work in my life is required to bring about my salvation and eternal life. The reception of salvation and eternal life is based upon precisely the same principle as the reception of death and condemnation from Adam (Rom 5:18-19). We die first and foremost because we belong to Adam. We live because of our relationship to Christ (Rom 5:18-19).
Why is it that Adams sin should pass to me with its consequences?
He is the federal head of the human race – the representative man
All human life was potential in Adam (Gen 2:7)
Corruption of humanity spiritually is actually passed down to me today
So with this comes:
Death of the innocent
Death of the unborn
The suffering of the child
Notice that in this section the apostle is not trying to explain away these problems he is taking them as accepted facts of life.
How often have we heard: 'well if there is a God why... do infants die...do the innocent suffer....did my...'
He is not trying to apologise for them on Gods behalf
He acknowledges the facts and features of this world and then asks the question: 'well what does this tell me about the way that the moral and spiritual laws of the universe operate?' Do they tell me anything?
Does this not tell me that: connection has consequences and that relationship brings results?
This spiritual law, fundamental to the way the universe operates is responsible for so much suffering and death but it is also the route by which my salvation comes!
For if guilt can be transferred by relationship so can Glory!
If sin can be transferred by relationship so too can salvation!
If condemnation can be transferred by relationship so too can justification!
If relationship with Adam brings death then relationship with Christ brings life!
Relationship between Christ and myself
Sin (chps 1 to 3) – why I need to be saved
Salvation (chps 3 to 4) – How I can be saved
Standing (chp 5:1-2) – Now that I am saved
Suffering (chp 5:3-5) – Why do I suffer now that I am saved? What God brings from that suffering.
Setting (5:6-11) – When God saved me (5:6,8,10)
Saviour (5:12-21) – connecting with Gods Grace
v11 concludes with: “by whom we have now received the atonement”
How do we actually “receive the reconciliation”
Not a formality / baptism / practice / sinners prayer
Receiving salvation comes from a relationship with the Saviour (5:12-21)
Now that is very interesting because that is what we saw in chps 3 + 4 had been happening for the previous 4000 years:
Justification by faith is nothing new
Justification by faith is faith in a person
These OT saints all depended upon Christ for Justification:
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).
Abraham: Gal3:8, 16 – the Gospel of the future blessing in Christ; John 8:56.
David: Psalm 110:1; Heb 1:13; Matt 22:41-46: David's Lord was Christ! Acts 2:25, 29-32; Psalm 16 & 22.
Daniel: Daniel 10:5-18; 8:15; 10:9-10, 16; Rev 1:13-17 – Daniel encountered the same person as did John!
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”.
Prophets: Moved by the Spirit of Christ (1Peter1:11)
Elijah and Moses : present with Christ on the Mount of transfiguration (Mark 9)
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!
The gospel per se was only first spoken of by Christ and the apostles: “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)
“For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.” (Mat 13:17)
https://graceinchrist.org/romans
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