grantataberfoyle

There’s someone in charge

The first chapter of our Bible is telling us about God creating the world we know, and about what makes it good. He’s established light, and the spaces in which creatures of all kinds will be able to flourish.

And now, God populates these spaces with sun and moon, fish and birds and then animals and ourselves. And all this, he also calls good. And we who enjoy his creation can agree. It’s a wonderful world.

But in doing this, a new element is introduced. There is the need for something or someone to be in charge. And when he appoints his authorities, he calls it good or very good.

It’s counter cultural in the West these days to call authority a good thing. We prize liberty, and cherish the freedom to be and do anything we want. And leadership is often demonized as no more than a grasp for power.

This, of course, is far from the whole story because we still expect our leaders to use their authority to meet our expectations and to keep us prosperous and safe.

So, it’s very helpful to see what God has in mind—not just in the creation story but in the way his purpose is fulfilled as the story proceeds.

The first authorities mentioned are the sun and moon. One rules the day and the other the night.[i]

The authority of the sun is fairly obvious. It determines our night and day and enables life of many kinds. And the more we discover, the more we know that our existence is dependent on the many roles it plays. In other words, it’s in charge of a lot of what happens on earth.

It may sound strange to call it an authority—given that it’s just doing what it always does. But here are three ways the Bible talks about the sun being in charge—not just over the natural world, but over ourselves.

One of Israel’s psalms celebrates the journey of the sun across the sky.[ii] It rises like a strong man engaging his day with joy. It crosses from East to West, encompasses everything with its light and heat, missing nothing. It speaks to us about the God who put it there—telling us about his glory. Without saying a word, it addresses the globe every day and teaches us to worship. How great God is!

Then, in quite a different way, when difficult days come and our security is threatened, God calls us to consider the sun he appointed to rule the day.[iii] Did it rise this-morning? It’s God’s witness that he is still looking after his creation and is faithful to his promises.

And third, Jesus tells us to notice that the sun shines on everyone—good and bad alike.[iv] God is not discriminating with his creational favours. The sun he’s created to rule the day teaches us to imitate our Father God by loving and praying for friends and foes alike.

In these and other ways, the sun still rules.

The second authority appointed is ourselves—not just certain leaders but all of us. And it’s only when God creates us and gives us our task that he says his creation is very good.

Again, this is somewhat counter-cultural at present. We are aware of how much damage we can create by the control we exercise over the natural world. We are fascinated by pristine areas untouched by humans and consider them the preferable parts of our planet.

God disagrees. He wants our world to be populated and cared for by us. This is a vital step in his plan.

The key to understanding this role lies in how God makes us. In some way, we are like himself—not in the sense that we can create a world or guarantee its outcomes. But we can share his thinking and his goals. And we can help to bring them about.

Effectively, God is creating us to be his sons and daughters. This is suggested when our writer describes Adam as also having a son ‘like himself’.[v] We could say that the whole creation is going to be a family affair.

So, what are we given to do? We need to subdue and rule the animal world. These creatures are not made to be like God as we have been. They are ruled by instinct. And, with no choice in the matter, they remain true to what they have been created to be. And we are responsible for them.

But unlike the animal kingdom, we can listen to God. We can know what he wants. We know we are significant, and accountable for how we live—accountable to God. We can love. We can pray. We can praise our Maker. And we can hope.

But the scope of our authority is not just over the animals. As the Bible story opens up, it’s clear that our authority extends to the whole created world—vegetation is mentioned,[vi] and then basically, everything.

God himself observes that, left to ourselves, there will be nothing we can’t do. He has a very high view of what we can accomplish.[vii]

A later writer ponders this. What kind of a creature are we, to have such a remarkable role? We’re like kings, crowned with glory and honour. We’re little less than God![viii] This doesn’t make the writer proud. It humbles him.

Some time ago, I was talking with a group of young teenagers and explained that they were approaching adulthood and that this involved being responsible for themselves and things around them and making the necessary decisions associated with this. I asked them how they felt about this. One honest young fellow said, ‘Scary!’

Perhaps so! But we need to know that we have responsibilities. And, that God holds us responsible for what we do.

Being created male and female is also part of being like God.[ix] The distinction between a man and a woman is important. The differences and the collaboration between the two are all part of us being like God, and important for us in being able to care for his world. Good authority begins with good relating.

Having authority in this world includes being responsible for the means we have discovered to help us with our work—our science, technology, social management and much more.

For example, the idea that AI might take us over is something we should rule out categorically. God has placed us here to be in charge, not to be mastered by what we make. That’s what God calls idolatry. We’re in charge. What we make is something we’re responsible for.

And we’re responsible to share with God in making this world a home for everyone. We’re not designed to be just looking after ourselves. We’re here, like God, to care for others.

It must be obvious that we don’t do a very good job of being human—that is, of taking God’s project forward to its goal. In fact, one prophet says the earth groans under its inhabitants.[x] Or, as Paul says, we’ve ‘fallen short of the glory of God’. We’ve sinned.[xi]

The only way to be truly human, and to fulfil our calling, is to be hearing what God says, and to be receiving his blessing. If we only live by what we can see, our authority loses its usefulness. We actually become obedient to other lords.

But God doesn’t have a plan B if the first one fails. From the beginning, he purposed to send us his Son—as a human being. The Bible is the story of him preparing for this, of it happening, and of its results.

So, Jesus, God’s Son, is presented to us as the one proper human being. Reading a Gospel account of his life shows what this looks like. He’s God’s image—totally[xii]. And he’s in charge.

Jesus doesn’t waste his time complaining that things are not what they should be, or urging us to lift our game. He tells us to trust in him. He’s going to fix what really needs fixing. Us! He’s come—effectively—to be us. To die for us—because that’s what needs to happen to us. He needs to get rid of our sins and all that hinders us from being real.[xiii] And he needs to be raised from the dead for us. This is so we can start again—in him. It’s that serious.

Now, we are told that God has created everything through this Son.[xiv] This is significant because we can now see that he’s come to recreate us.[xv] We are remade so we can really live and operate as God’s image.

This is how God enables us, his creation, to truly exercise authority—without the egotism that otherwise gets in the way. It’s not our cleverness or virtue that saves the world. Everything is held together by Jesus Christ.[xvi]

Now, we can live truly as God’s image in his world. Never perfectly, never apart from Christ, but working as partners with God in his project.

And, our faithful Creator looks at this proper Man and what he has done, and at all those who trust in him and what they do, and he says, it’s very good!

And it has a future, which we will look at next time.

[i] Gen. 1:16

[ii] Psa. 19:1-6

[iii] Jer. 31:35-36

[iv] Matt. 5:43-48

[v] Gen. 5:1-3. Adam in made in the likeness of God, and then, Adam has a son in his likeness.

[vi] Gen. 9:2-3

[vii] Gen. 11:6

[viii] Psa. 8:5-9

[ix] Gen. 1:27-28; 2:19-22

[x] Isa. 24:4; Rom. 1:28-32

[xi] Rom. 3:23

[xii] Heb. 1:3

[xiii] Heb. 1:3

[xiv] John 1:3; Col. 1:15-17; Heb. 1:1-3

[xv] 2 Cor. 5:17

[xvi] Eph 1:22; 1 Cor. 15:27

Our Creator is at rest, so we can be too

We’ve come to the end of God’s week of creation—the seventh day.[i] God has finished all that he’s wanted to make. This may sound like a dull day because nothing happens.

But this is far from the case. Everything has been leading to this day. And God’s project has a goal. This will become clear as we look at the four new factors that have not been present on the other days.

First, God rests. This is made emphatic with repetitions. He’s finished ‘all the work that he has done’. His work doesn’t need any corrections or additions. He can really rest.

We all know the agitation that festers when we’re not content with our work. This is not God’s problem. And he certainly doesn’t need a day off like we do. Rather, he’s resting with delight in all he has made.

Second, unlike all the other days, there’s no statement announcing an end to this day.

This is not a detail to overlook. The whole narrative is well thought out and carefully worded. We’re still in the seventh day!

In other words, for the duration of our human history, God rests in the rightness and adequacy of his creation. He’s not inactive of course because the Bible is full of other things he does. In fact, he’s busy making sure we can share this kind of rest with him.

This thought is confirmed by the way the word ‘rest’ is used as the Bible story proceeds.

Noah’s name sounds like the Hebrew word for ‘rest’.[ii] His parents know the ground they plough has been cursed, and they long for rest from their painful toil.

Later on, God promises to deliver his people from slavery in Egypt, to give them a land where they can rest.[iii] Slavery, wandering and warring will be behind them and they will be free to enjoy a flourishing land.

And God pitches his tent among their tents, and eventually a temple among their houses, and he calls it his resting place,[iv] the place where Israel can meet with him and share in his rest.

Israel comes to their promised land but their rest doesn’t endure because they cease believing in their God.[v] So he appoints another day for this rest.[vi]

And it’s Jesus Christ who brings us this rest. Remember his promise? ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’[vii] Jesus is reintroducing us to the structure and atmosphere of peace established when the world was made.

This is followed up by the writer of Hebrews. He says God’s rest is still waiting for us. Finally, this will be the world to come, but he’s telling us about something we can start to enjoy now—by trusting in Christ.[viii]

It’s defined as resting from our works like God did from his. Clearly, we are meant to be busy and working usefully, but we’re not meant to be doing things that only God can do. In context, this must include trying to be our own High Priest and reconciling ourselves to God. Restfulness starts with trusting Jesus to do this.[ix]

One of Israel’s Psalms tells us it’s God who really gets things done, and that it’s useless being anxious because God can supply our needs even while we’re sleeping.[x] Jesus says the same.[xi] Fretting is forgetting that we live in God’s world, and that it’s his rest day.

All this is good news, but our desire to flow with the world, or to take the credit for our accomplishments, gets in the road. We need to put some effort into enjoying this rest![xii]

Third, the day is blessed.

A blessing is not just wishing us well. God has blessed fish and birds so they can breed. And he has blessed us so we can have families, and, so we can properly exercise authority in the world.

So, when God blesses this last day, we know that the time we spend in this world is going to be fruitful. Again, the Bible is full of encouragement to trust in the sureness of God’s blessing rather than to press our own agendas and frustrations.[xiii]

But how does this blessing relate to the curse that God has put on our ground? Clearly, our work is harder now. And there are constant difficulties and tragedies. We all feel them. It’s easy to look at what is not working out in this world and conclude that the curse is all there is. Not true! God is ready with blessing for those who seek him. And it’s by looking for his blessing that we are enabled to live and even to overcome some of the difficulties we face.

This is what happens when we trust in Christ. Being turned away from our sins is a blessing![xiv] None of us can live truly with a load of guilt hanging around our necks. And receiving what Christ has brought to us—being holy and blameless before God for example—is a blessing.[xv] Our humanity is restored. We know and love God. We love doing his will.

It’s then we know that we are still living in the long day that God has blessed.

And fourth, the seventh day is declared holy. It’s dedicated to God. All our history is for him.

It couldn’t be otherwise of course. He put it together, knows how it works and graciously maintains it and moves it on to its goal.

But we need time to keep this reality clear in our thinking. The pattern of God resting on his seventh day is included in the ten commandments—and in greater detail than any other command.

It’s important for us human beings to stop, like God, and to know that it is by his sovereignty that we have what we have, that it is by his blessing that we achieve what we achieve, and that the future is in his hands and not in ours.

And we need to know that God can keep his world running without us! We can rest from our labour periodically and know that God will sustain his creation.

No command is given by Jesus or the apostles about a rest day but when the resurrected Jesus meets his disciples on two successive Sundays,[xvi] the apostles know everything is different. A new creation has begun and they choose to use this day for worship, for fellowship and teaching.[xvii]

We’ve come to the end of this brief series on creation. And, from God’s point of view, he only finished making it yesterday!

We who trust in Jesus Christ have every reason to look forward to a new heavens and earth because we have the life of the new age already coursing in our souls.[xviii] And, as he has been raised, so shall we be. And the whole earth will be renewed—with no curse.

Creation will come to its goal. And on that day, we will be one with Christ as he hands this completed project back to the Father from whom it came.[xix]

So, God’s creation project is right on track.

[i] Gen. 2:1-3

[ii] Gen. 5:28-29

[iii] Exod. 33:12-17; Deut. 3:20; Josh. 23:1

[iv] Psa. 132:7f, 13f

[v] Psa. 95:6-11

[vi] Heb. 4:6-7

[vii] Matt. 11:28

[viii] Heb. 4:1-13

[ix] Sinclair Ferguson has some helpful comments on this at <ligonier.org/learn/articles/sabbath-rest>.

[x] Psa. 127

[xi] Matt. 6:25-34

[xii] Heb. 4:11

[xiii] Psa. 37 or 85 are good examples of this expectation. I may do a series on this later.

[xiv] Acts 3:26

[xv] Eph. 1:3

[xvi] John 20:1, 19, 26; 1 Cor. 16:2; Rev. 1:10

[xvii] Acts 20:7

[xviii] 2 Cor. 5:17

[xix] 1 Cor. 15:28

We need to be reassured

Some time back, I wrote several pieces about the beatitudes that Jesus pronounced—‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven’ and so on. I called the series ‘God’s kingdom people’.

I said the word ‘blessed’ could be better rendered ‘congratulated’.

This has been misleading. In today’s language, it suggests achievement for which we can take credit and so receive congratulations. That’s not what Jesus is talking about. He’s describing people to whom God is giving the kingdom, and so, whose lives reflect God’s glory rather than their own.

Those who are looking to Jesus for their life know what it means to be poor in spirit, to mourn for their sins, to be meek in relationships and hungry for righteousness—and so on through each of the beatitudes. These attitudes may not seem to be rewarding but Jesus is saying otherwise. Such people are ‘blessed’.

The word Jesus uses carries a note of reassurance with regard to what we have become. And this is important.

One of the reasons this is so is because the world commends and congratulates what it approves, especially things we’ve done our own way—things that show our independence of God.[i] And it also condemns and berates what is seen to depend on an unseen hand of God.

So, we need this encouragement from Jesus as he commends to us the way of living in his kingdom. He shows us how to value and to savour these different attitudes and behaviours.

We could say Jesus speaks to us in the way parents may speak to their small children, giving them encouragement for the small steps they take as they try to be like adults. And we all know how helpful it is—we may even call it a blessing—when someone commends who we are or what we have done. As a psychologist would say, they are reinforcing desirable behaviour.

You may find it helpful, as I have, to know how the Bible uses this word ‘blessing’. In fact, there are two words that our New Testament translates with ‘blessing’.

The one we are more familiar with is the blessing God sends to us through the gospel and through our Lord Jesus Christ. We are blessed (Greek eulogetos) with every spiritual blessing in Christ.[ii] This blessing, just like the blessing given to Adam when created, is a free act of God and without regard to anything we have done.

The second is the word Jesus uses when he teaches the beatitudes (Greek makarios). It is always spoken from one person to another and, mostly, with regard to what a person is or has done.[iii] In later teaching, Jesus uses the word to reassure those who see what he is saying or who remain faithful disciples. And the apostles use the word in the same way.[iv]

Old Testament vocabulary also has two words that are commonly translated as blessing.

God blesses (Heb. barak) humanity at creation. So, we enter into life enabled to be fruitful and multiply. This blessing is given without regard to anything we have done.

But God also blesses (Heb. ashre), those who trust the Lord, or obey him, or are generous to the poor.[v]

A Hebrew dictionary says the first of these words is a benediction, the latter more of a congratulation.[vi] Or, as I’m suggesting, we should see it as a reassurance or affirmation.

So, the blessing being announced in the beatitudes is a commendation of a new way of life brought about by the power of Christ’s reign—his kingdom. If you like, it is more about God’s success than ours. He’s assuring us that the outcome of our new life will be good. We are privileged now—because of what we are, and because of what we will receive later.[vii]

We should be deeply encouraged by this word from Christ. Our choice has been right. The outcome of our life will be good. We are on the right road.

And we should also be discouraged from seeking approval and congratulations from the world, or from ourselves. Human beings can’t guarantee any result or give assurance that all will be well. Only the unseen hand of Christ’s reign can do that.

[i] Rom. 1:28

[ii] Eph. 1:3. See also Luke 24:50-51; Acts 3:26

[iii]The word ‘makarios’ is ‘blessedness from an ideal point of view in the judgement of others’ and translates the Hebrew ‘ashre’ (Carson on Matthew, p.131).

[iv] See Matt. 11:6; 13:16; 16:17; 24:46; John 20:29; Rom. 14:22; Jam. 1:12, 25. Eugene Peterson in his The Message variously renders the word as blessed (especially by Jesus), lucky, far happier, fortunate, better off, whetting our appetite, mighty fortunate, find delight and affirmation. One can understand the translation blessed because it is always God who is responsible for the good outcome. It is never an inevitable outcome of what we do, as though we could control our own destiny by our actions.

[v] Psa. 1:1; 2:12; 41:1

[vi] Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, 1/80. For example Psa. 2:12.

[vii] The beatitudes ‘present this as the best way of life not only in its intrinsic goodness but in its results … The emphasis is not so much on time, present of future, as on the certainty that discipleship will not be in vain’ (R. T. France on Matthew, p. 109).

Life is all about God and his Son (Rom. 1:1-17)

I’d like to spend some time thinking with you about the book of Romans. In my Bible, this occupies 21 pages. It started out as a letter written to a group of Christians in Rome, but these pages have gone on to have a profound effect on people ever since.

I plan to simply highlight the main points from each major section of the letter. Getting an overview like this can help with a more detailed read later on. So, here’s an appetizer, and I trust, an encouragement to know and be changed by the gospel it explains.

Understandably, Paul begins by introducing himself to the Church in Rome, and explaining his desire to visit them[i]. But this simple beginning tells us why we need to know this whole letter well. He is eager that the church has a real gospel—with God and his Son as the main actors.

When we consider churches, we may be thinking about their numbers, their age group, their music or their influence. Not Paul. He wants churches to love God and listen to him. He wants Christ and his gospel to be centre-stage.

God has broken into the comfortable arrangements we make for ourselves. He has things to tell us that we would never imagine and certainly couldn’t perform, but things that we desperately need.

As we read through this opening section, notice how God is the main actor in all that is happening.

It’s God’s gospel, or good news, that we need[ii]. He’s sent his Son to establish it[iii]. It’s his grace and peace we are needing[iv]. It’s him we need to thank[v], and his will we need to be doing[vi]. And especially, it’s God’s power that is going to change things[vii], and him that gets things right—in fact, gets us right[viii].

And then, God presents us with his Son. He’s put him in charge of everything[ix]. Everything God has said and done before has been leading to this. And he’s raised his Son from the terrible death we inflicted on him.

Through this powerful Son, people like Paul have received grace! He’s now happy to be the slave of Jesus—ready to carry out his every wish. And he’s been commissioned to take the message of this amazing kindness to the ends of the earth. God is on a mission to have people belonging to Jesus and to share in all he has accomplished.

Is this what your church is about—God’s good news, and the Son who makes it all work? Is this what we are about?

Saying ‘Yes’ to these questions is not a likely or natural answer. It happens because we’ve been called by God to belong to Jesus Christ[x]. We are hungry for God and for what he can do. And we know our life must be full of Christ to be in the flow of God’s grace and peace. That’s why knowing what is in this letter is important.

There’s no politics here! No wishful thinking. No doubt. Just God, his Son, and Paul, the man he has chosen to receive and to proclaim God’s grace.

But now, what about his desire to go to Rome?[xi] Or, we could ask, what about the expectation that this man may have something to say to ourselves, or to our church? Can we trust him? Should we believe him?

Here’s what he offers to encourage the Romans to receive his letter, and later, himself.

He knows about them already and he’s grateful for their witness in the Roman capital. He prays for them constantly. He wants to come because he knows he can help. He’s been commissioned by Jesus himself to do just this. He expects they will encourage him as he encourages them.

Notice how different this is from the unconverted Paul—or Saul of Tarsus as he was known. He had obtained letters from leaders in Jerusalem to travel to Syria and arrest Christians there and bring them back for trial. He was angry, ambitious and uncaring.

All that has changed. God is in his rightful place in Paul’s life. This has made him humble, warm and obedient. He’s believable. I hope you find him the same!

And lastly, Paul tells us his central message—or rather, God’s message.

It’s not just an attempt to be kind and helpful. It’s powerful, and saves us from perishing. How can this be so?

It’s because God is ready to pronounce as righteous anyone who trusts his good news about Jesus.

This changes everything. When we know God accepts us, the need to be special, or good, or right, or approved, fades away. We don’t have to parade our virtues or accomplishments. We can simply serve others. This is God’s power being let loose among us. I’m hoping you will join me in looking at this part of our Bible again. And I’m hoping our hearts will be set singing!

[i] Rom. 1:1-15

[ii] v. 1

[iii] v. 3

[iv] v. 7

[v] v. 8

[vi] v. 10

[vii] v. 16

[viii] v. 17

[ix] v. 3-5

[x] v. 6

[xi] Rom. 1:8-15

God is letting us know we matter to him (Rom. 1:18-32)

In this brief look at Romans, we’ve already seen Paul’s delight in and focus on God’s good news. God is showing us his righteousness. And he’s revealing it by declaring that those who trust him are also right—in his eyes. Given our constant desire to be ‘right’, it’s hard to imagine any news that could be better—but more about this later.

In the mean-time, there’s something else to say. Paul doesn’t forget his theme. He returns to it, in almost identical words, as soon as he can[i]. But he knows that we need to discover something else first.

Another revelation is happening at the same time. It’s God’s wrath. Our Creator is not content to let us go our own way. He’s not happy with us. And he wants us to know that we matter to him.

Now it may seem to be contradictory for God to reveal that he has a gift for us, but at the same time, to reveal that we are in trouble. But then, it makes perfect sense. You can’t give anyone something they don’t want. And they won’t want it if they think they already have it. And they may be offended if you offer them what they think they have.

So, if it’s good that God is revealing his righteousness, it’s also good that he is revealing his wrath. We need to know what we need.

Paul talks about Gentiles first—people who haven’t grown up knowing about God’s revelations in the Bible. Then he speaks to Jews who, for ages, have had the benefit of hearing what God has to say.

So, to the first group—to the world in general, here’s what Paul says[ii].

First, God is always revealing himself—to everyone. This is not offered as a proof. It’s a personal communication.

Everything we can see, including ourselves, is evidence—a never ending supply of it—that God is real and present and engaged. So, if we say he isn’t real, it’s because we’re choosing not to know him.

Second, those who reject God must elevate something else to take his place. We can’t exist without someone or something to look up to. So, we worship what is made, or something we make—anything but God himself. And something we can attempt to control.

Third, because we are disconnected from what is real, our thinking and affections become—over time—pointless and dark. God gives us up to the results of our choices [iii].

Paul lists a number of things that would have been clearly visible in the first century Roman world. He mentions impurity, passion and sexual license. Community life is rife with everything that makes it hard to live together—envy, deceit, malice, slander and boasting, for example.

Here’s where we need to read what Paul says carefully. What is provoking God to wrath is not, first of all, what people are doing but what they are believing. They’re living as though he doesn’t exist. Their behaviour is a consequence. It’s what God has given them up to—to awaken them to where their choice leads.

They think they have dismissed God, but what they are doing is happening because God has given them over to their own choices.

And of course, what Paul says about the first century world is happening in our communities as well. The evidence for God is abundant. And so is the evidence of what happens when we dismiss him as irrelevant.

Disbelief in the true God is a majority position in much or our world. So is the idea that we should be free to follow our own passions. And so is the belief that prosperity and happiness follow when we remove restraints.

But the generations that are abandoning faith in God in our communities are not growing richer, stronger or happier. And if we can see that this is happening, we are watching God revealing his wrath.

And, interestingly, if we choose to live without God, we have to congratulate each other for choosing our own life-style. Everyone has an inbuilt need to be acknowledged as right. So, because we don’t know the righteousness of God, we have to create an approval of our own. Only this can explain the constant stream of ‘virtue signaling’ that we are hearing.

We’ve come to the end of this first section. But next, there’s a section, three times as long, to show that we are all in the same predicament. Paul talks to those who believe in God.

For Paul’s first century world, this is Jews. For us, it is ourselves who go to churches, read Bibles and say prayers. I hope you stay with this! Paul will show that God’s wrath, rather than being ‘revealed’, is being ‘stored up’[iv].

If we don’t understand ourselves or our predicament, we may not understand the message God wants us to understand—that real righteousness always comes to us as a gift.

I hope you are encouraged by all this. God is not content to stand by and see what happens. He’s revealing himself—to everybody.

[i] Rom. 1:17; 3:21

[ii] Rom. 1:18-32

[iii] Vv. 24, 26, 28

[iv] Rom. 2:5

God is everyone’s Judge (Romans 2:1—3:20)

We’re taking a quick overview of Paul’s letter to the Romans. Here’s the third in the series—looking at Romans 2:1—3:20.

Paul has shown us that those who reject any knowledge of God, are under his wrath.

But Paul now speaks to people who do believe in God—in his case, Jews. They also need a Saviour. They have the same problem as those who don’t believe in God. In this case, God’s wrath may not be immediately evident, but it is being ‘stored up’ against them[i].

Paul loves these fellow Jews[ii]. And when he finally gets to Rome, he wastes no time in going to speak to them[iii]. He writes this letter to prepare the way for his visit. Many Jews at this time imagine they are living under God’s blessing, but, in fact, if they don’t know Jesus Christ as Saviour, they are living under the threat of God’s wrath.

We may be asking ourselves if we really need to be concerned with a problem that belongs in the first century. Perhaps we should skip this section and go straight to chapter 3 verse 21 where Paul picks up his theme again.

But this is to misunderstand out situation. Paul spends three times as long to show that Jews need a new righteousness as he does in making the same point about Gentiles. Believers in God take more persuading than pagans!

Jews are the people who have been given God’s revelation—the law[iv]. They know ‘the riches of God’s kindness’[v]. They have been circumcised, the sign that they belong to God by covenant[vi]. They are very different to Gentiles because they have the benefit of God’s word. And, because of the restraining effect of what they know, they are not being given up to their sins in the same way that Gentiles are—not yet.

But Paul is saying that Jews do the same things as Gentiles—a point that Gentiles have been noticing[vii]. So, Jews will be judged, just as Gentiles are being judged[viii].

If people say they believe in God, their faith is meant to be something real, not a performance. But, in fact, these first century Jews are ‘under sin’[ix]. They have become slaves of what they do—as Jesus has already taught[x]. They have put to one side his call for them to respond to God’s kindness and live as his people. They feel free to live as they please.

In the midst of all this, these Jews are proud of their faith and their heritage. They boast about belonging to God and boast about having God’s law[xi]. Here’s the problem. They are proud. They are the centre of their own religion. They are trying to produce a righteousness of their own. God knows this is impossible and is offering a better way, but the Jews are too concentrated on themselves to give up what they see as their right.

They are like the Gentiles they look down on, and so, are subject to the same wrath. The wrath may not yet be evident, but it is being ‘stored up’[xii]. This is no idle threat. The judgement that is going to fall on Jerusalem has already been enough to bring Jesus to tears as he looked over the city[xiii].

So, what about us? Are there similarities between us and the Jews of Paul’s time? Do we have God’s revelation—the gospel? Have we been baptized and recognised as a member of God’s people? Do we know God is kind and forgiving? Do we know how to be good and to keep ourselves out of trouble?

This may look good, but if this is all we have, it is not a righteousness made in heaven. Our faith is meant to be an inward work of God, produced by the Holy Spirit[xiv]. It is meant to be life-changing. Is this what God has done in our lives? I hope it is.

But then, if we are, in fact, living to please our idols, secretly immoral or harbouring hatred against our neighbors, ought we not to fear God’s wrath?

Jesus, in his Sermon on the Mount, does the same as Paul does here. He shows that his fellow Jews are far from keeping God’s commands and are in danger of hell fire[xv].

In the same way that Gentiles can see through the hypocrisy of Jews in the first century[xvi], our neighbours and family can see through our hypocrisy. They know when we love the same things that they love and fear the same things that they fear.

And, in the same way that unbelievers resist what they know about God, it can also be true that we who are identified as God’s people, in fact, live with ‘no fear of God before our eyes’[xvii].

Paul is not trying to be nasty. He’s not merely trying to get our attention with accusations. He’s telling us the sober truth. Everyone has a problem with sin. Everyone. So, everyone has a problem with God’s wrath[xviii].

We may not be feeling this uncertainty, but if we are not sharing with Paul in the relief and joy of God’s gift of righteousness, it can only mean that we are trying to process our moral uncertainty without the benefit of his gift.

We live in a deeply moralistic society. Our tendency is to believe that the good we do should be noticed and rewarded. This can affect us so that we get huffy if our good works are not noticed or appreciated. Why this insecurity? It’s because we are still relying on a righteousness we perform rather than a righteousness God gives.

We need to bring this insecurity out into the open. God is angry with acts of sin, and with sinners who do these things. Believing that we are keeping ahead of our bad deeds with our good deeds is not covering our wound.

It’s not just our sin that’s giving us problems. It’s not just our conscience. It’s what God plans to do about our sin that makes us uneasy.

Paul has pulled the cover off the problem we have so that we can appreciate why the gospel is so necessary and so good. We are being offered a righteousness we can never produce. But it is only useful if we cease boasting about ourselves and come to God in humility and thankful faith.

David is a good example of where we need to be as those who believe in God. He commits a nasty sin. He knows he has no excuse for what he has done. He’s in trouble. But he knows that God is gracious and may be approached for mercy.

So, David asks God to forgive him. But here’s why he confesses his sin. ‘…so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgement’[xix]. He’s saying that God is right to be angry with him.

Everything we do matters to God. That’s why sin is serious. And that’s why there needs to be righteousness that God gives. Apart from that we won’t be able to ‘stand in the judgement’[xx].

What follows now in this letter of Romans is how God equips us to stand in his presence, humbled, justified, and unashamed.

[i] Rom. 2:5

[ii] Rom. 9:1-3

[iii] Acts 28:16-17

[iv] Rom. 3:2

[v] Rom. 2:4; Exod. 34:6

[vi] Rom. 2:25

[vii] Rom. 2:1, 21-24

[viii] Rom. 2:5-11

[ix] Rom. 3:9

[x] John 8:33-37

[xi] Rom. 2:17, 23

[xii] Rom. 2:5

[xiii] Luke 19:41-44

[xiv] Rom. 2:28-29

[xv] Matt. 5:21-26

[xvi] Rom. 2:24

[xvii] Rom. 3:18

[xviii] Rom. 3:9, 19

[xix] Psa. 51:4; quoted by Paul in his argument in Rom. 3:4

[xx] Psa. 1:5

How God can call us righteous (Romans 3:21-31)

In this overview of Paul’s letter to the Romans, we return to what has become the motive for all that Paul does. God is revealing his gift of righteousness[i].

But here, he says it has been revealed. It’s not a human idea—an ideology. It’s been accomplished by God, through Christ, and all this before it is announced to us. God has sent Jesus to change how things stand between him and us.

As we’ve noticed, the human race is in trouble. God’s wrath is already working out in our history. Or, it is being stored up because our good deeds are a cover rather than an expression of who we are. But Paul is eager to tell us about God’s salvation—salvation from his wrath. He’s eager to see us reconciled to God.

Paul uses three words, well known in his world, to describe what God accomplishes for us through Jesus—particularly through his death and resurrection. And with each word, we are taken a little deeper into what has happened.

First, we are ‘justified by God’s grace as a gift’.

To be justified, in the way Paul uses this word, is to hear a judge declare in court that we are righteous. No charge remains against us.

On judgement day at the end of history, everyone will have to answer to their Maker[ii]. But here, that final judgement is being announced in advance. The Judge of all the earth says we are righteous!

Paul calls this God’s righteousness because that’s where it comes from. But it’s an announcement about us. He’s giving a status of righteous to us who trust his Son[iii]. And it’s a kindness being shown to us, not what we deserve.

All of this is being given to us because of our Lord Jesus. He is the one who does everything he is asked to do. He is the one who knows we need a saviour. God looks at his Son and all that he does for us, and is satisfied. He loves his Son for doing all that he has asked[iv].

But God also looks at us who are trusting his Son and are looking to him for our righteousness—and he finds nothing in us to condemn. In God’s presence, we are righteous.

Only an authoritative judgement like this can persuade us to give up our hollow boasting about our goodness. But there is more. This announcement is more than words.

Paul’s second word is redemption.

This is what would happen in a slave market. If someone pays for a slave and sets him free, he is said to be redeemed. It’s also what happens when Moses leads Israel out of slavery in Egypt and into freedom in their own land.

Paul says we have redemption that comes to us in Christ Jesus.

You may recall Jesus saying that he had come to offer himself as a ransom for many[v]. A ransom is the price paid to buy and release a slave. If we are to be set free, it must happen because of what happens to Jesus first. He buys our redemption with his blood[vi].

Everyone who sins is a slave. It’s easy to see that we can become slaves to bad habits. But there’s more to our slavery than that. We carry our failures with us—as guilt. And our accuser has evidence that we belong to him—and he reminds us of it. We lose our nerve[vii].

The world then seems a more attractive home for us than the Father we’ve offended. And, all the while, God’s judgement, and death, loom over us. We are far from free. And then, we get so accustomed to suppressing all this that we don’t really see what redemption is until God shows it to us.

Are we living freely, graciously and boldly? Or are we imagining our freedom and timidly serving ourselves? My eager prayer is that all of us will see the graciousness of God in giving us his Son for this purpose. And that we will receive his redemption as a gift!

The third word Paul uses is propitiation or sacrifice of atonement. This is what happens when a Jewish priest offers up a sacrificial lamb or other animal as a sin offering.

The order prescribed for Israel’s sin offerings is very helpful. The worshipper places their hands on an animal’s head and confesses their sins. They then kill the animal and offer it to God on an altar. The imagery could not be clearer. The one who bears the sin is the one who should die. But here, God says, your sins are transferred to the animal, and it dies in your place.

But now, God presents Jesus to the whole world as a propitiation[viii]. Until this point, God has effectively been passing over sins—awaiting, of course, this coming of his Son.

In our case, Jesus is our sacrificial Lamb[ix]. He diverts God’s wrath from us by bearing it himself.

Only this can explain the awful death Jesus dies. In the same way that God gives godless people up to the consequences of their sins[x], he gives up his Son to the sins of the whole world, and to the wrath that rightly falls on such evil[xi].

God does not fix us up by sweeping our godlessness under his carpet—like a worrisome remnant of dirt. Rather, he shows us what he means by righteousness, not by ignoring our hostility to him, but by exposing its vileness and providing an atoning sacrifice.

Here is the love that has been shown to us. Our sins are lifted from us, and the shame of them, and the penalty they deserve. And when Jesus has borne them, and the Father receives his offering, there is no sin or shame or penalty remaining towards ourselves[xii].

So, to sum up, being justified is not just God making out we’re lovable when we are not. Redemption is not just God setting us free because he’s strong enough to do so. There’s a price to pay. And propitiation is not just cleaning us up so there’s nothing objectionable in us anymore. It’s Jesus bearing our sins in his body, bearing God’s curse on that sin.

When Jesus is about to die, he asks for some water, and then says, ‘It is finished!’[xiii] This may be the loud cry that Mark reports[xiv]. Jesus wants us to know that we have been accounted for, that we are free to live truly, and that we are called righteous by God.

Notice that in these eleven verses we are looking at, Paul talks about faith or believing nine times. He doesn’t just want to tell us about Jesus. He wants us to trust him.

If we want God’s righteousness, we’ll need to trust in him and rely on the redemption Christ has accomplished. We need this to be clear because we defend our own righteousness with everything we’ve got—vainly, of course, because we have to go on doing it.

But Paul has shown how comprehensive and final this God-righteousness is. But he’s got one more bubble to burst. He still has some Jewish readers who boast in God and the law. They need to learn from Abraham how to live by what God promises rather than what they can perform.

[i] Rom. 1:17

[ii] Rom. 2:5

[iii] ‘Justify’ is the verbal form of ‘righteousness’—dikaio and dikaiosune.

[iv] John 10:17

[v] Matt. 20:28

[vi] Rom. 5:9

[vii] Prov. 28:1

[viii] 1 John 2:2

[ix] John 1:29

[x] Rom. 1:24, 26, 28

[xi] Rom. 4:25; 8:32

[xii] Heb. 9:14, 26; 10:5-14, 22

[xiii] John 19:30

[xiv] Mark 15:36-37

Righteous—only by faith (Romans 4)

We’ve been following Paul’s explanation of the gospel in his letter to the Romans. He loves the gospel and knows that it’s powerful to save everyone who believes.

But he also knows the things that get added to it and prevent it from being what it is. In his day, he is speaking to Jews who can’t see that Jesus has fulfilled their Old Testament. If they hang onto this, they will miss the liberation Jesus has come to bring.

But it’s vital to know we are justified by faith. Nothing else can make us right with God, so, it’s important to know what can compromise it.

Paul has already told us that Jews have turned their privileges into something they can use for their own glory. Jews have become proud of their law, and their God[i].

And they’ve actually had to change what the Old Testament teaches to make it more palatable to the desire to get some credit for living well. Some of their literature teaches that Abraham was justified by his good behaviour[ii].

This is not just an ancient problem. A picture Bible book we read to our children when they were young, introduced the story of Abraham by saying, ‘Abraham was a good man, so God blessed him.’ That’s a heresy! He started life as an idolator.[iii] God blessed him because he believed God’s promise.

We all need to ask if we are watering down God’s good news. We know that we must come to him humbly—trusting his Son. But we’d also like God to acknowledge our righteousness. We’re not really sure about it being a gift.

So, Paul takes the Jews back to the story of Abraham and asks, ‘What grounds does Abraham have for boasting?’[iv] He’s helping us all because we all share in this desire for self-glory.

In fact, the story of Abraham shows that he has been an ungodly man. His works have not been pleasing to God. He has been like David whose lawless deeds are forgiven and his sins covered, whose sins the Lord will not count[v].

Abraham shows the way for us all. He is father of everyone who believes that God gives generously to undeserving people[vi].

Paul picks out two important markers of being a Jew—circumcision, and having the law of God. These were gifts of God—through Abraham, and then through Moses. But Israel has focused on these things as something they can do. They want to be the reason for receiving God’s favour.

But that can’t happen—not before God. Rather, God comes to Abraham. He promises him a blessing, a new land and a new future—reaching out to all his family and to the whole world[vii]. All this happens before he’s circumcised and before the law is given.

Abraham believes God. And God says, ‘I reckon you to be righteous[viii].’

That’s where our life begins too. The God of glory reveals himself to us in the face of Christ[ix]. He promises to give us eternal life. We believe in him. We don’t offer him our past or promise him our future. We see we are helpless and know this is our one chance to be right with God. And God passes his judgement on us—‘You are righteous.’

The Jewish rite of circumcision, in Abraham’s history, has no part in this blessing. It’s a sign, given later, pointing back to the day when God called him righteous, and forwards to the call to live by God’s word. But a sign doesn’t do anything but point. Without the reality it’s nothing.

But now, Israel is wanting to make much of circumcision. It’s something they can see. It’s something they can codify and control. It can be a social marker of those who are accepted and those who are not. And Paul says, ‘That’s not right’.

In our case, baptism is the sign that God gives to each Christian believer.

Our baptism is God saying, ‘You belong to me. All that my Son has achieved is yours. And I want you to live by my word.’

But us sinners have a way of forgetting the reality of unseen things. We’d rather focus on things we can see and control. We forget the joy of being forgiven, and of hearing God call us righteous. We begin again to think and act as though we must deserve what we get from God.

And then, instead of being grateful for God’s sign of baptism, we presume on it. It’s something we’ve done. We’ve arrived. And instead of our behaviour being grateful faith, seeking to be like Jesus, it’s a work of our own ego[x]. We’re looking for applause. Or we want to be proud of ourselves.

And then, just as God gave Israel his law, he has written his law on our hearts. This happens when we know we are forgiven[xi].

But what if we begin to notice how much better our life is as a Christian? What if we compare ourselves with others whose lives are falling apart?

Can we hear Paul speaking to us across the centuries? He wants his fellow Jews to understand the riches of Christ. And us Christians too. He wants us to live as humble recipients of mercy.

God has given life to us who were dead[xii]. He gives righteousness, peace and joy to people who have nothing to offer[xiii]. Nothing at all.

Because Abraham starts, and continues, to believe what God promises to him, and because he gives glory to God and doesn’t take it for himself, he grows strong in faith. He begins by believing that God justifies sinners, and he finishes the same way[xiv].

Walking by faith like this is like walking on a narrow mountain track. Our nature suggests that we wander sideways—to think about gaining favour for ourselves. But a step sideways can lead to a large fall.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is nothing less than the love of God encountering our abysmal failure. And when God justifies or vindicates Jesus[xv] by raising him from the dead, he also justifies us who are trusting in him. All that the Father gives to Jesus, Jesus now shares with us. This is the way we began our Christian life. Let’s grow strong in this faith—to the very end.

[i] Rom. 2:17, 23

[ii] You can look up the pre-Christian Jewish books 1 Maccabees 2:52 or Sirach 44:19-21 at https://biblia.com/bible/nrsv/1-maccabees/2/51-52 and https://bible.usccb.org/bible/sirach/44 .

[iii] Josh. 24:2

[iv] Rom. 4:4

[v] Rom. 4:5, 7

[vi] Rom. 4:11-12

[vii] Gen. 12:1-3

[viii] Gen. 12:1-3; 15:6

[ix] 2 Cor. 4:6

[x] Gal. 3:1-3

[xi] Jer. 31:31-34

[xii] Rom. 4:17

[xiii] Rom. 14:17

[xiv] Rom. 4:5, 22

[xv] 1 Tim. 3:16

[i] Rom. 2:17, 23

[ii] You can look up the pre-Christian Jewish books 1 Maccabees 2:52 or Sirach 44:19-21 at https://biblia.com/bible/nrsv/1-maccabees/2/51-52 and https://bible.usccb.org/bible/sirach/44 .

[iii] Rom. 4:4

[iv] Rom. 4:5, 7

[v] Rom. 4:11-12

[vi] Gen. 12:1-3

[vii] Gen. 12:1-3; 15:6

[viii] 2 Cor. 4:6

[ix] Gal. 3:1-3

[x] Jer. 31:31-34

[xi] Rom. 4:17

[xii] Rom. 14:17

[xiii] Rom. 4:5, 22

[xiv] 1 Tim. 3:16

Christians—not better, but better off (Romans 5:1-11)

No-one should doubt that righteousness is a major concern for everyone. In simple terms, we all want to be right. A child is indignant if its idea of right is crossed. Old men and women want to be sure their legacy is rightly recorded. From cradle to grave, righteousness is high on our agenda.

But here, in Romans, God is saying to us, ‘You can only be right by trusting in me—in my Son’. All our protests that we are right are husks flying in the wind. We are subject to God’s judgement. And Paul is bringing this to light so we have opportunity to get things truly right. Or rather, for God to get things truly right.

Paul describes two things in this chapter. First, the astonishing benefits that are given to believers in Christ (vv. 1-11). Second, the astonishing Christ who creates these benefits (vv. 12-21). We’ll just look at the first of these at the moment.

So, what are the benefits that come to us because we are justified by faith?

First, we don’t have to fight the idea of there being a God we must answer to[i]. We don’t have to spend our life avoiding God. Rather, we know him and are at peace with him.

Behind all the crises we have in this life there hangs the nagging thought that we don’t deserve anything better. We’re always uneasy. But then, knowing we are justified changes everything. He’s not counting our sins against us. He’s deciding how to bless us. We are at peace with God because he’s at peace with us.

This doesn’t mean we always feel peaceful. There’s lots of circumstances and thoughts that can make us uneasy. But we are starting from having a secure place in the Father’s affections.

Second, we have constant access to God’s grace.

Every day, we are needing forgiveness, direction, strength and courage. And we can find that the Lord is gracious—every day. He’s not calculating or tardy. So, it’s a relief and a pleasure to come to him. Jesus is our way of access to all that the Father is eager to provide.

Third, we exult, or have joy, or boast because of the promise that we will share God’s glory. We have seen God’s glory in Christ and what he has done. But now, we are told that we will share in being like him—glorious,[ii] and participate in the glory of the new heavens and earth.

This word translated ‘rejoice’ has recurred four times already in this letter, and been translated as ‘boasting’. Without Christ, our exulting has been false—because it’s all been based on us. But now, it’s based on Christ and looking forward to the world God is making. So, our exulting is real. Our hubris is replaced with humility.

Fourth, this confidence is so substantial, that our troubles take on a different character. Without justification, we had been seeing them as threats to our ego. Now, they help us learn patience.

If we’re honest, we know that impatience exposes our selfishness. Now, we’ve got a chance to change—to develop some character[iii].

We’re learning to hope in what God has promised—to actually live by faith. This is what Paul raised when he first started talking about justification[iv]. We begin with faith, and this faith must grow to encompass the widening circles of our life.

Fifth, none of this fails! While life, and other people, and the devil suggest we give up, God’s love—poured into our hears by the Holy Spirit—keeps us looking to the peace we have, and our access to grace, and to Jesus himself. We’re really exulting! And it’s all flowing from the fact that we are loved by God.

Let’s dwell on this love—as Paul now does.

Why does God love us? It’s got nothing to do with our nature or performance. In fact, we’ve been weak—unable to get up and be who God called us to be. We’ve been ungodly—thinking about ourselves instead of him. We’ve been sinners—missing what God expects of us all the time. We’ve actually been God’s enemies. And all this time, he’s been loving us!

If we don’t understand this, we haven’t been hearing what Paul is saying. God is good—to people who are not! He’s giving us everything we need. We now have a life filled with his Spirit—with his loving.

So, move over! Let it happen! Keep yourselves in the love of God![v]

Perhaps we can imagine being present when Jesus is nailed to his cross. We hear him say, ‘Father forgive them. They don’t know what they are doing.’ Here is love—overflowing! And the gospel Paul preaches in this letter shows that what Jesus said then is now being said to us.

The death of Jesus, and his resurrection, have secured our justification. We’re all set up to rejoice, not just in our experience of salvation, but in God himself.

As Paul will say later, God’s reign is all about righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit[vi]. This is not natural. It’s not explainable. It’s from God who loves us. It springs up within us. It’s real and it’s eternal. And, as we must now see, it’s all because of one man. And it’s for everybody. His grace, his giving and his obedience dwarf anything else that’s ever happened.

[i] This may well be the major reason why people refuse to believe in God.

[ii] This will arise later in chapter 8, verses 23-25; also 1 Cor. 15:59

[iii] In a similar way, James tells us to let patience have its full effect—James 1:4

[iv] Rom. 1:17

[v] Jude 21

[vi] Rom. 14;17.

[i] This may well be the major reason why people refuse to believe in God.

[ii] This will arise later in chapter 8, verses 23-25; also 1 Cor. 15:59

[iii] In a similar way, James tells us to let patience have its full effect—James 1:4

[iv] Rom. 1:17

[v] Jude 21

[vi] Rom. 14:17

God’s story (Rom. 5:12-21)

Paul has told us how privileged Christians are[i]. And now, in case we think these privileges are for a select few, he tells us they are for ‘the many’. God is doing nothing less than recreating the human race—making a people who can know and enjoy him. And the sole reason for this is ‘one man’—Jesus Christ.

We could say that this is the story of the world—God’s narrative. Paul himself has been travelling widely and seeing the power of his message work out among many peoples. It’s no longer limited to Jews.

We all need this big picture because, in one way or another, we try to make sense of what we see and experience. And there is no lack of human stories—religions or ideologies—on offer.

But other stories cannot offer a solution to the pain and disfunction we live with. What we need is not new ideas. We need a redeemer.

God’s story starts with Adam—the beginning of the human race. But it moves quickly to Jesus Christ because our human journey will never make sense without him.

Adam’s story[ii] may seem to be so long ago as to be irrelevant, but what this man does at the beginning of our history explains and describes exactly where we are now. It’s our story.

God’s sets up a garden for Adam, a place where he may know God and share in looking after the creation.

But Adam tries to write God out of the story. He sins, disobeys or transgresses God’s command. So, God condemns what he has done. And death is decreed. He won’t live forever.

But God is not only dealing with Adam. He’s looking at humanity. Adam’s sin is not just his. It’s ours. We could say that when Adam asserts his independence from God and his word, we all feel proud of him. We break out in applause. We all belong to Adam, regardless of our nationality or religion.

Adam has no-one to blame. He’s surrounded with perfection. Not like us. We have lots of people and situations to blame. But God shows us that in a perfect situation, this is the choice we make.

We may protest, but the facts are in front of us—and Paul has spoken about them already. We all sin. We all know God condemns us. And we all die. We’re not in charge after all! Sin is. And guilt is. And death is[iii]. Can anyone argue with this?

But this is not God’s idea of a human race! He has made Adam in his image, but has always purposed to bring his creation to completion through his Son—coming among us as a man.

We’ve heard that Christ died for our sins. We’ve heard that he’s been raised for our justification, but now, we need to see how comprehensive all this is. It’s for ‘many’, even for ‘all men’—that is, ‘all’ without distinction[iv]. We could be anybody from anywhere or any circumstance.

If the choice and deed of Adam has been catastrophic, the choice and deed of Jesus Christ is nothing less than a new creation. So, let’s look at the contrasts Paul makes between what we have in Adam and what we have in Christ.

Under Adam, we are focused on what’s gone wrong. We’re always asking who’s to blame—a natural reaction when we know we’re being condemned by God. And we are always living under a shroud of death[v]. Nothing we do can have any permanence. With nothing more in our narrative than this, our living and societies tend towards helplessness and hopelessness.

In stark contrast to this, under Jesus Christ, we have received new life. We’ve received a free gift[vi]. The change in perspective couldn’t be greater. We’re not obsessed with what we deserve. We’ve been treated with grace. And this new life is plentiful—it doesn’t run out like bank balances or government budgets.

And this gift of God is righteousness—that is, we are standing with dignity before God in heaven, and standing up boldly for God in the world.

Adam has seen to it that we start of as sinners. ‘Made sinners’ is what Paul says. But Jesus sees to it that we start off as righteous. Again, we’ve been ‘made righteous’. There’s no social evolution here. No gradual reform. It’s not being progressive. It’s nothing less than a new creation.

And Paul anticipates the day when we will ‘reign in life’. We’ll actually be everything that God had in mind in creating the human race. As Isaiah tells us, God will make a feast for all people, he will swallow up the shroud of death that lies over all peoples and will wipe away our tears. With a hope like this we are ready to live!

Paul has mentioned the law of Moses at the beginning and end of this passage. Where does this fit in God’s narrative? It certainly doesn’t set anyone free. Rather, it increases the amount of sinning we do and are aware of.

On the other hand, under Christ, what’s increasing is the abundant flow of God’s grace.

So, finally, who or what is in charge of the world we envisage? Will sin be the shape of the future? Will guilt be the main driver? Will death write the last chapter? No! No! And no!

Rather, grace is in charge. We’re free of our shame. And the end is assured—eternal life.

Any other story than this one is a fairy tale.

[i] Rom. 5:1-11

[ii] Gen. 2—3

[iii] Heb. 2:14-15

[iv] Vv. 15, 18, 19

[v] Isa. 25:6-9

[vi] v. 15