The Old Paths Monthly Ask for the old paths, where is the good way; and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. - Jeremiah 6:16 Alan Jones, Editor February, 2012 Romans Road to Righteousness: First, the Bad News Many have said that the N.T. book of Romans is a road map to salvation. They are correct. In Romans Paul spells out the problem of sin, its solution, and the response that men must make in order to take advantage of the solution. Unfortunately, most preachers fail to take people all the way down the Romans Road and lead travelers to believe they are saved before they have made it to their destination. Please read this bulletin all the way through to get a full explanation of the Roman s Road. Paul begins his journey down the Romans Road by pointing out that all men lack righteousness. He writes that the Gentiles are subjects of God s wrath because of their unrighteousness (1:18). Though they knew the divinity and eternal power of the Creator through His creation, they put God out of their minds and resorted to idolatry and immorality (1:19-31). Though they did not have the Law of Moses, they knew both the ordinance of God and the penalty for violating it- death (separation from God forever). Yet, they went against their conscience and committed and condoned unrighteousness (1:32). Therefore, their conscience convicted them of their guilt (2:14-15). The Jews were no better. Though they had the Law of Moses, they were hearers of the Law and not doers of the Law. Therefore they were as unrighteous as the Gentiles and were equally objects of His wrath. Because they had the name Jew, they were circumcised (a sign that they were God s special people), and they were knowledgeable instructors of the Law they became proud and self-righteous. By breaking God s Law they dishonored their name and His, they showed themselves to be spiritually uncircumcised, and they made a fool of themselves in their teaching efforts (2:17-29). The bad news is both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; as it is written, There is none righteous, not even one for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:9,23)
Romans Road to Righteousness: Now the Good News Now that Paul has explained the bad news, he can announce the gospel or good news that he says is the power of God to salvation for both Jews and Greeks (1:16). The good news is that, though all men are unrighteous, they can be justified (that is, considered by God to be righteous, 3:24). How is unrighteous man made righteous? God extended grace to man in the form of a gift. Grace is undeserved favor. Man is not deserving of the label righteous, but God was willing to give it to him anyway. God s grace was shown in the gift of Christ Jesus, a gift who accomplished both redemption and propitiation, actions that had to happen so that unrighteous man could be called righteous (3:24). Sin or unrighteousness held man captive, in bondage, as a hostage. But when Jesus died and gave His blood, He paid the ransom (Mt 20:28) in order to redeem or rescue man from the cruel taskmaster of sin. Sin or unrighteousness also angered God and caused a break in the relationship between God and man. But Jesus blood served to propitiate God, that is, to appease His anger and to mend the broken relationship. But, why the gift? Why the blood? Why did God have to give His Son in order for man to be righteous? Simply put, God had to be righteous- to be true to Himself and His character. He could not just simply ignore man s unrighteousness or dismiss it as if it had not happened. There had to be a proper penalty paid for sin so that God could be both just and the justifier at the same time. The cross of Jesus justified the forgiveness that He handed out in His forbearance before the cross. If the Cross had not happened, then He would have been unjust in extending His grace by passing over the sins previously committed. The story is told (and related as true) of a young woman who was ticketing for speeding. When she went before the judge, she was asked, Guilty or not guilty? She plead, Guilty. The judge put down the gavel and fined her $100 or ten days in jail. Then he stepped down from his bench, took off his robe and paid the young woman s fine. Why? He was her father. He loved his daughter, yet he was a just judge. He could not simply overlook the infraction of law because the offender was his daughter. But he could take off the robe and step down to her position, assume the role of a father and pay the fine. The good news of Romans is that though all men have been found guilty by the Throne of Heaven and sentenced to death, eternal separation from God in hell, Jesus came down off of the Throne in the form of man and paid our fine for us. The fine was not money or imprisonment, but capital punishment. Only the cruel, painful and shameful death on the Cross could redeem man and propitiate God and allow Him to be both just and the justifier at the same time. Unrighteous man could now be forgiven and pronounced righteous because Jesus paid the penalty for his sins
Romans Road to Righteousness: The Condition of Faith Good news! Jesus paid sin s penalty for all men. So does God count all men righteous? No! Paul continues his explanation of the Romans Road to Salvation emphasizing that salvation is conditional. While there is nothing that man can do to deserve salvation, there is something that he must do to receive it. In one word man s response to God s grace must be faith. Paul uses Abraham as an example of how the salvation process works. He asks a question that answers itself, What then shall we say that Abraham our forefather according to the flesh has found? (4:1) NOTHING! What was Abraham due by his works? Not salvation, but death- just like all men because he was a sinner. He was saved by God s grace or favor. But this favor was not given to Abraham unconditionally. For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness (4:3). Because of his faith, unrighteous Abraham was counted righteous. His sins were forgiven, covered, no longer taken into account (4:6-8). But how do the Scriptures define Abraham s faith, saving faith, faith sufficient to bring about God s grace? Is faith a mere profession of the conviction of one s mind? No, James says, even the demons go that far, for what good it does them (Js 2:19). He went on to get right to the point, Faith without works is useless (Js 2:20). He illustrates this by Abraham offering up Isaac on the altar in response to God s command. When he did this James says that the Scripture cited by Paul in Romans (a quotation from Gen 15:6) was fulfilled, And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. James concludes, You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone (Js 2:21-24). Is man justified by works of merit? No, this would contradict what Paul said in Romans. Man is justified by works of faith. James point is that God s condition of grace is a working faith, an obedient faith. This is consistent with what we find in Hebrews 11, a chapter that defines the faith that saves by the faith of Abraham and many others. Abraham left his homeland, lived in tents, and offered up Isaac. Abel offered an acceptable sacrifice. Enoch pleased God. Noah prepared an ark. Isaac and Jacob blessed. Joseph made mention of the exodus and gave orders concerning his bones. Moses refused to be called Pharaoh s grandson, left Egypt, kept the Passover. Israel passed through the Red Sea and did what God said so the walls of Jericho fell. Rahab welcomed the spies. The writer says examples could be multiplied of men and women of faith- men and women who did something- whose faith was perfected by their works, who were obedient to the will of God, regardless of the cost, and received the reward of God s grace. One would expect that before Paul finished his Romans Road he would further define the faith that saves by explaining its works- and the reader is not disappointed. Read the back page to see what Paul said man that must do to get to the end of the Road where God calls him righteous.
Romans Road to Righteousness: What Faith Must Do As Paul takes his readers down the Romans Road he spells out what faith must do. He explains that it is not enough to believe in the heart. In order to receive salvation, Jesus requires that one confess with his mouth who He is. The apostle writes, That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (10:9). But faith must do more. Paul teaches that another step down the Romans Road is repentance (Romans 6). One must crucify his old man of sin (vs. 6). He must become dead to sin and alive to God (vs. 11). He must change masters. He must no longer be a slave to sin, but he must become a slave to righteousness (vs. 16-17). Many false teachers say, Just accept Jesus as your Savior, or Say the sinner s prayer and invite Jesus into your heart. But much more is required. Jesus expects for a man to make a commitment to change and then to live like he made that commitment. Paul isn t finished yet. He teaches that the final step on the Roman Road is baptism, that is immersion in water (6:3-4; see Acts 8:36-39). So many false teachers want to exclude this transitional step to righteousness. Paul says that at the moment of immersion the old man who has been crucified (in repentance) is buried. Then, in the likeness of Jesus resurrection, he comes up out of the water to walk in newness of life. He is now righteous for his sins have been washed away (Acts 22:16). Why? Not because his baptism earned him anything any more than his confession and his repen- tance earned him anything. But, because he has confessed, repented, and been baptized, he has demonstrated his faith and he now can receive the gift of God s grace as given through the redemption and propitiation made by Jesus on the Cross. Have you gone all the way down the Roman s Road to righteousness? - by understanding the bad news, believing the good news, and showing your faith by confession, repentance, and baptism? Look, Listen, and Learn: www.southmarionchurchofchrist.org South Marion church of Christ 3629 South Washington Street Marion, IN 46953 Sunday Bible Study Worship Schedule of Services: Wednesday Bible Study 7:00 PM Elders: David Huber 998-7134 Alan Jones 922-7602 9:30 AM 10:30 AM & 5:00 PM Deacons: Mike Huber 998-2520 Gary Pickering 384-4347 Evangelist: Alan Jones 922-7602 A Warm Welcome Awaits You!