Scripture Text (NRSV)
1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for
salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
1:17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for
faith; as it is written, "The one who is righteous will live by
faith."
3:22b For there is no distinction,
3:23 since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;
3:24 they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption
that is in Christ Jesus,
3:25 whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood,
effective through faith. He did this to show his righteousness, because in his
divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed;
3:26 it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and
that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus.
3:27 Then what becomes of boasting? It is excluded. By what law? By that
of works? No, but by the law of faith.
3:28 For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works
prescribed by the law.
3:29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also?
Yes, of Gentiles also,
3:30 since God is one; and he will justify the circumcised on the ground
of faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.
3:31 Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the
contrary, we uphold the law.
Comments:
Messenger of Peace
Did God do what he did to the earth in the flood by saving Noah and his family as a way to remind us of our own unrighteousness? Did Noah get drunk and exposed himself to his son because he was imprefect? Did his son look on his father's nakedness because he too was imperfect?
What was God trying to tell us through this story of recreation? The Ark of the New Testemant is not made out of Gopher wood, but is rather the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is fashioned from the words of God. We are in it and it is in us. In our hearts as well as in our souls.
We can not save ourselves. We all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. There are times when we look nothing like what God has planned. We look nothing like our Creator. Noah was not so righteous that he could save himself, nor was he a perfect man. The recreation story of the flood points us to the only ONE who can TRULY SAVE US. (JESUS CHRIST)
We get on board the Ark with our ticket called FAITH. Do we all have our ticket?
I am intrigued by the lack of comment on this passage. Does Paul's great theological treatise in the letter to the Roman intimidate us? The central issue in this passage is timely: "How has God sorted out the mess the human race is in?" The answer is centred in the 'atoning sacrifice' that God made for us in Jesus Christ. Will we wrestle with what 'atonement' means? Will we dare to discover this God who has moved towards us to recreate a relationship with us by removing the obstacle of sin? Will we engage with the grace of God that has broken down the barriers between Jew and Gentile. Is anyone out there? A Canadian in Scotland.
HELP! Has anyone written or seen anything written for a truckers funeral. Need asap! Nancy-WI
Well, I am working on a message concerning faith and will be using this passage. It is Communion Sunday and I hope to bring this around to faith and Communion. I used to believe that worship in general and Communion in particular had no relevance to non-believers. However, I now view worship as an opportunity for non-believers to be touched by God, and the Lord's Supper as a living means of grace.
As a part-time local pastor in the United Methodist Church, I find myself a bit stumped as to how to approach this.
Am I intimidated? Yes.
Do I walk in a bit of fear and trepidation? Most definitely.
Am I weak? Yes ... But He is strong.\
May the Words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to Him that I serve.
PastorBuzz in TN
I apologize I’m going to kinda’ do a brain barf here of just ideas that i need to express some how in writing to get a handle on them (maybe it will aid you all’s thought process as well...Almost slipped back into a KY “ya’ll” there for a second ;-)
As far as intimidated by this scripture , i’m not sure if that's the feeling I would use to describe it. I’m wrestling with this tension that I always seem to be wrestling with between the law and faith. In scripture (specifically in paul’s writings) the law is often seen as this horrific thing and language like “saved” and delivered, and freedom are used when we finally get away from it as if its that guy that locked up the children in Chitty Chitty Bang bang ( sorry giving you too much of a glimpse of my own childhood fears and disfunction here :-) yet in this passage Paul stops short and says don’t throw the law out all together, but that our faith that has “saved us from the law” in fact upholds the law we are being saved from.
So if this law is a bench mark or a standard to show us how impossible it is to reach the kind of righteousness that God displays and requires is the atonement kinda’ a “punt on 4th and long” and just do the best you can cause God will smooth it over later mentality. the faith and works tension rears its ugly head. James tackles it with that “circumcision of the heart” idea that i think fits so well with this passage as well.
Having said that, i guess i wrestle with the task of addressing this tension with out belittling either the Atoning Sacrifice that Jesus is and was, and the works which are an expression of the fact that we are changed because of our faith. Maybe its within that tension between faith and action that we find the “life in Christ”
Pastor Mark In SW Washington
Ok got another thing i need to work out (can you tell the atonement is an important and difficult idea for me?;-)
I hesitate to write this out cause i anticipate some flaming about it but what the heck you don’t know where I live :-)
As I said i truly believe the doctrine or idea (if the word doctrine scares you) of Atonement theology. I’m a good evangelical that memorized my spiritual laws and my “roman road” and can draw on a napkin the process of Jesus sacrifice to bridge the gad of sin and all that. Here's my difficulty and the difficulty i have heard expressed by other Christians my age (32) as well as those who are precariously close to a faith in Jesus. the idea that I are so bad that not even God can look at be with out covering me up. In a sense the “blood of Christ” becomes this mask that covers me just like all the other masks i wear to fit in etc..
I like most went through the awkward phase in life and in some ways still struggle with self identity issues. I was lucky enough to have a pretty stable and loving family and parents but many of my peers came from families that were difficult at best and self-destructed along the way, and in fact carry some major baggage and guilt and self worth issues from the experience. There are a million things that we have experienced that destroy the image of our selves. With that history we then hear Christ's atonement opens the gates of heaven to us, but in reality what is heard is “ you suck so bad that not even God can stand you, here cover up with this and we’ll let you in” (that was a quote from a friend in the precariously close to faith category by the way)
It seems that we link atonement and “heaven” together so much that a generation has heard “here is another thing to cover you up”, Instead of here is something that changes the thing you are insecure about, and brings new life, and cleansing.
I hope i haven’t offended you all. Its just another wrestling match i deal with in the process of living a call to ministry, and sharing a new hope with those who have yet to see Jesus for who he truly is.
Pastor Mark in SW Washington
Pastor Mark:
Wow.
What an incredible insight into something I really couldn't put my finger on. This must be a huge stumbling block for so many people: "So, you're telling me I suck so bad that God can't even stand to look at me." How do we ever get around that ...? Like Paul, I consider myself the worst of sinners. But when I was living in darkness, no one could tell me. I just plain would not listen ... and neither will others. Is the reason why we have problems preaching on why justification is necessary is because we know many will reject the message? My problem may be less that than the fact that on the one hand it is so deep, on the other hand it seems so simple: God did for us something that we can not -- nor ever could -- do ourselves.
Maybe the message is this: "It's not that you suck so badly, it's that God greatly wants you to be with him. But righteousness and unrighteousness can not be mixed ... it's like oil and water."
I don't know ...
PastorBuzz in TN
Canadian in Scotland, yes I'm definitely here-perhaps for the duration. If you use the revised common lectionary, you know that we'll be seeing Romans the next 16 weeks. Any body else considering an in depth study of Romans over the course of the summer as you focus on all these texts for preaching? If that course is taken, this will be the intro sermon: who was Paul and where was he when he wrote this book...why was he writing the letter and a focus on the theme of verses 16 and 17. The next section, 3:22-28 seems pretty disparate to me, and takes it two of the large themes of romans, that is, our equality before God and also the gift of grace.
-AEA
Pastor Mark and A Canadian in Scotland: If we first reflect on the Deuteronomy reading and realize that once we have enscribed the faithfulness of God on our hearts and have told the faithfulness to our children and have written it on the doorpost, the keeping of the laws falls into place! Hmmm...a brain barf, huh, Pastor Mark? :-) lp in CO
Pastor Mark, Atonement means to "take the place of another." It has nothing to do with our ugliness to the point that we needed to be covered with the blood of Jesus. It has to do with the fact that humans sinned and because we are so valued by God, God sent Jesus to take our place and to be redeemed. What esteem that should build in us. God so loved the world...." lp in CO
I'm glad I'm not alone here. Atonement is a great mystery to me and I don't find it easy to 'boil it down.' In a sense, Paul has given us different images to understand what God has done for us. First, God is like a judge who acquits the accused and takes the punishment of sin upon himself. Second, he is like a buyer at a slave-market (redeemer). Third, he is like the priest who makes atonement through a sacrifice on the alter. Atonement - like a multi-faceted diamond - can only be understood as we look at it from different angles. Though it is true to say that God's atoning sacrifice averts his wrath towards us, it is not his wrath that motivates his action (which implies appeasement) but rather love. Paul Achtemeier in the Interpretation series, forcefully presents a case for the righteousness of God as being RELATIONALLY orientated. The atonement is about the covenant God acting towards humanity in faithfulness to open the way for a relationship - not founded on works but grace. "Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (5:1). The law serves to show our need of grace and announces the coming righteousness of God in Jesus Christ (v. 21).
The breaking down of the two races - Jew and Gentiles - has modern day application in the UK as we wrestle with assylum issues, rising tensions between ethnic communities etc.
These are some of my ramblings. Keep your contributions coming as I find Paul a hard cookie to crumble.
A Canadian in Scotland.
be careful of the Ticket language in the fist post to this pericope. Faith is not what saves us... grace is. It si faith that realizes this grace. Without this emphasis, we end up with a fundamentalist heresy that all I have to do is say a prayer or come to that altar and I am "saved". Kneel till I am blue in the face and the knees wear out and I will never get myself saved. Truth is, I was already saved 2000 years ago when Christ died for me. Now I have to recieve that gift. I have to say yes to Christ. Thats a totally different soteriology. Salvation is a gift of grace, not a ticket to be purchased through my own level of evangelical belief, otherwise it becomes works righteoussness.
this is been a busy week West Ohio Conference next week.. I am kicking around preaching on this...I feel a tug to romans perhaps is the fact that My Churches are facing change...I am a SLP so like Buzz the PTLP small rural elderly churches... I don't know if any of you have watched the new ABC, CNN but one town on the charge that I pastor is being bought out by American Electric Power-Gavin Plant...They are buying the village of Cheshire Ohio...What does this mean for a four point Charge of mostly older people? At the least a three point Charge, but when they examine options further this could be a opportunity for new life in the Charge NEW CHURCH START--UNited Methodist Church...we know that conferences pull for this mergers and new starts....Be not ashamed of the gospel, God is for all people...well, then why are Churches small dying right? Their doors are open, but...no one new comes... and we preachers cant to it all...Looking at the community seeing what is out there---where ministry need to be---then take a risk? keep them in prayer---Ladypreacher in OHIO
Atonement...here is another thought on that subject. remember the parable about the wedding banquet...the poor man who showed up but was not wearing nice clothes and the master of the banquet had him thrown out. I puzzled over this for a long time until I read that the custom was that the wedding clothes were already provided. He chose not to put them on. We need to put on the rightousness of Christ in order to be at one with God.
Also I am not a Hebrew scholar and I hope someone would correct me if I am wrong but the hebrew word for pitch (which Noah used to coat the ark with) is the same word used in Lev.17:11 and translated as atonement. Neat, eh? DJ in CA
In the midst of the familiar I often trip over something I hadn't noticed before. Does that ever happen to you? O.K., so all sinned and God justified them by grace through the sacrifice of Jesus, sure, right, got it. But why would God do that? According to vv. 25-26, "He did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forebearance he had passed over the sins previously commited; it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus." What about that?
O.K.,so my first reaction is that it is mildly distasteful to think about God having to prove anything, and to whom? To fallen humankind? Ugh!
Then I consider the Gospel text. At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, after outlining a radical new lifestyle for humanity which includes unselfish love and forgiveness of enemies, Jesus suggests these are not just pipe dreams or noble ideals, but words to be acted upon, to be lived. Now Romans shows that God already has initiated such a lifestyle of forebearance, "passing over(what a weighty word-image to Jewish hearers)" previous sins. Somewhere it says to "be ye perfect(in righteousness), even as your heavenly father is perfect" or something like that.
As we seek to build our lives in the image of the God-life set before us, we find strength to weather the storms which will come and challenge our ability to forgive and forebear. If we only say "Lord, Lord" and do works of power under our own strength, how does that help us to achieve the God-life which is proven in forgiveness and forebearance?
The proof of the God-life is the ability for the one sinned against to take preemptive action, even at the expense of painful self-sacrifice to see to it that the sinner is restored to communion with the injured one.
How can get the power to be so forgiving? By good work, done in one's own strength? No! That could only increase one's self-confidence, which only builds, never breaches, walls against others' sins. That power to live the God-life could only be available from the one who has already demonstrated "divine forebearance". Here is the good news, "the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation" made available to anyone, Jew or Gentile, "who has faith in Jesus." Early(Thursday night) ramblings from tom in TN(USA)
DJ in CA offered, "Also I am not a Hebrew scholar and I hope someone would correct me if I am wrong but the hebrew word for pitch (which Noah used to coat the ark with) is the same word used in Lev.17:11 and translated as atonement. Neat, eh?"
Both are based on the root "kafar" meaning "to cover" -- the Hebrew concept of atonement being a "covering over of sin".
(By the way - "atonement" does not, as has been suggested, mean "taking the place of someone" -- "atonement" means "coming to together" or "reconciliation"... The "taking the place of" (mis)understanding is, perhaps, derived from the theory of substitutionary sacrifice, a not-universally-accepted understanding of what happened in the Christ-event.)
Blessings, Eric in KS
Ladypreacher: well, I'm an FE and serving an elderly, rural church. Let's face it: 85% of UMC's are elderly.
I went to a Tom Bandy seminar yesterday. It was so-so. There really isn't anything new under the sun, but it was nice to see my friends from different districts. Anyhow, one of the things that rang true to me (and made me bolder about saying it) is, "we should ask ourselves, 'Do I/we want to be with Jesus in ministry or not?'" It's really as simple as that, and as one who typically shuns all-or-none decisions, the truth is that we must be ready to do ministry to the Gentiles, on a grass-roots, homey level or mnistry will die. So, we must ask ourselves, "What is about my experience with Jesus that this community can't live without?" Then ACT on it!!! Unwillingness to act, and I, for one, begin to doubt a very profound experience with JEsus.
Sally in GA
One of the earlier comments reminded me of a story I heard once about a new Christian. Fresh from his conversion experience and filled with the fire and excitement of his convictions, he began stopping strangers on the street to share with them their need for salvation. On one occasion, he stopped a man and asked if he had been saved and the man confidently answered yes. The new Christian ask him when it had happened. The man paused and replied, "I think it was about 2000 years ago ... but I just found out about it recently."
The gift was given to each of us 2000 years ago. Presence at the time of the giving is not a condition for receiving. Faith gives us the ability to accept it or at least to realize what it is that we are accepting. The interesting thing about the Law is that it works better as a measure of our failure when we look back after our being made new (not just covered up) in Christ. At that point, we stand amazed at how much God had to redo to get us right. Before then, the darkness we stand in makes it hard to read the gauge.
Mike in Soddy Daisy, TN
Eric,
Thank you for the hebrew meaning of atonement. That is very helpful. lp in CO
Thank you all for your thoughts and yes, Paul presents us with one of the classical problems for all of us, Christians, which is the tension between the Law (Torah)versus Grace.
Pastor Mark- I'm so glad you brought up that problem. My wife keeps telling me how much she hates it when Christians harp on what awful "SINNERS" we are... some Christians are so negative they forgot the "Good" in the News. I think it will always continue to be a struggle for every Christian to work out this tension between Law and Grace. We have seen especially in the past decade how some pastors/ministers/preachers are reluctant to "harp" on this issue of SIN and then they get lambasted for not being evangelical enough. This is a serious issue we all must wrestle with as Christians and we owe it to honestly present the tension to our parishioners or else they'll see right through it.
What I think I'm going to do (yes, I know it is already Friday so pardon me, but this is the website for Desperate Preachers!): present examples of how Parents raise children with rules and guidelines. Then what to Parents do when children break the rules?- make them feel so rotten that they'll never break the rule again? of course not! (excluding the abusers- yes, I know there are horrible abusers out there but I'm trying to make a simple presentation). Rather (and I hope) the parents will lecture and reprimand the children in a loving manner and try to convey a message such as: "I always love you my daughter/son despite you breaking this rule (and drive me crazy!)".
I think this Love, this manner of parents' concern despite the children disobedience is exactly what Paul is talking about in relation to Grace. God gives Grace but is not taking the Torah away...
One of my problems is that I'm mixing up the various themes: Grace- Mercy- Love - Faith. Sometimes I carelessly mix them up and yet aren't they similar? there seems to be fine lines between Grace- Faith- Love- and Mercy.
Later in the homily (getting too long winded?), I want to present briefly as I can the story of the two brothers and God: Cain and Abel. Despite this fraticide God demonstrates Grace to Cain by not allowing him to die but to have a life. Isn't God doing the same thing? God shall not let us die and his Grace that was shown through Christ's crucifixion and resurrection is all the more proof that God is more than willing to demonstrate this GRACE to all of us: "Father forgive them for they know not what they do."
I think I've said enough and I'm sure I've triggered some strong feelings and reactions. Again, this is one of the classical tensions for all of us Christians: Torah versus Grace. Law and works versus Faith/Belief...oops there I go again mixing up the themes. Will in CT
To Mark in SW Washington,
Thanks for the honest thoughts on faith and law. In one of my pastoral counseling classes my teacher talked about God's law set in place for the purpose of being in relationship with us. The law serves as a reminder to us of the many ways we have set up a barrier to God. Therefore the law in the Hebrew scriptures reveals to us of a way to reconnect with God. The New Testament scriptures continue this theme in that the atoning sacrifice serves as a constant reminder that the barriers to God have been removed and that Jew or Gentile have access to God (so called righteous and unrighteous). On an emotional level this is hard to grasp especially for those who have had very difficult childhood memories of abuse etc. CR in California
