Dear Friends,

Occasionally as we study the Bible we need to pause and take a “big picture” assessment of what we read.  It is so very easy to read each little verse and try to interpret it in isolation from its context.  When we view the Bible so microscopically, we will almost always develop an errant interpretation of it.  Particularly when we recognize major transitions of thought such as we see with the beginning of Paul’s twelfth chapter of Romans, we need to stop and consider how this section of the letter relates to and augments all the sections that have gone before.  Such a big picture view is this week’s objective. 

God bless,

Joe Holder

Pause:  “Big Picture” Assessment 

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. ( Romans 12:1-2 ) 

            In our last study we observed that Paul’s transition in the twelfth chapter directly links with his teaching in prior chapters.  Both by the appearance of “therefore” and by his appeal to the “mercies of God,” Paul defines the admonitions in this chapter with what he has written in the prior chapters.  Paul tends to “sandwich” or “bookend” his letters by identifying the major objective of his letters early in the letter and near the end of the letter.  The major objective of the Roman letter aims to eliminate the racial/cultural schism in the Roman church because it is and shall continue to hinder their spiritual maturity and their support of the gospel as Paul plans to visit them and continue westward, perhaps into Spain and other European regions.  While the schism manifested itself in racial/cultural issues, Paul takes us to the doctrinal root underlying that problem.  The Jewish Christians in the Roman church viewed themselves as somewhat superior because of their racial cultural union with Jesus and with the Old Testament.  They further viewed themselves as superior because of their entrenched legalistic attitude toward Christianity, an attitude that Paul rejects as inferior and as a hindrance to their spiritual growth and maturity, not as a sign of spiritual accomplishment.  Likely the Gentiles suffered from excessive pride with an attitude that “God rejected the Jews just so He could extend the benefits of the gospel to us.”  Paul confronts and refutes both errors and lays the foundation for a common faith in Christ that ignores racial or cultural background and that rejects legalism in favor of the “walk of faith” instead of subservience to the Mosaic external law. 

            If we begin with the understanding that the tension between Jews and Gentiles in the Roman church dealt with members of that church, not with the church’s battle with Jews in the synagogue, the whole letter, especially the ninth through eleventh chapters, becomes far more logical and coherent than with any other overview of the Roman epistle.  Let’s survey a few key passages to get a sense of this logical progression. 

So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness…. ( Romans 1:15-18 )

Immediately as Paul shifts from the introduction to the heart of the letter, he identifies the central role of the gospel to a major theme of the Roman letter, justification by faith.  My use of this term, “justification by faith,” follows what I believe to be the consistent Biblical use of the word, not the revised Reformed use of the term.  The Biblical use of the term refers to regenerate elect persons walking by faith in obedience to the gospel and honoring God, not seeking personal security, assurance, or other personal gains.  The Reformed use of the term typically refers to the work of regeneration and the common Reformed belief that God uses the gospel as an instrument in accomplishing the new birth or regeneration, an essential corruption of the Biblical use of the term. 

            In this epistle Paul consistently affirms by both example and teaching that justification by faith occurs as we, regenerate elect persons, hear, believe, and understand the gospel, and begin to submit ourselves to the righteousness of God in Christ, not to either the Mosaic external moral code or to any other legalistic impossible-to- attain concept of gaining blessings from God by legalistic performance- based pseudo-Christianity .  The walk of faith must begin with a basic trust in Christ that in no way seeks personal gain or benefit, be that gain the new birth, the assurance of one’s own salvation, or any other form of personal gain. 

For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. ( Romans 10:4 )

The believer who practices “…obedience to the faith…” ( Romans 1:5 ) fixes his/her eye of faith on Christ alone for both eternal righteousness, as well as for the guide to right living, personal righteousness, in the here and now.  The person who claims to rely on Christ, but supplements Christ with any form of legalism de facto implies that Christ and His righteousness are deficient and need additional aide from a legalistic crutch, whatever that crutch may be. 

            The true motive for right living, for personal righteousness, according to Paul in the Roman letter, is an all-encompassing submission to Christ and the walk of faith that Paul defined throughout the Roman letter, but especially in the fourth and the tenth chapters.  Neither of these chapters deals with how unregenerate sinners gain essential and eternal access to the blood of Christ, but they rather deal with how the regenerate elect person gains access by faith to fellowship with God and to the blessings that Scripture specifically associates with the walk of faith. 

            As Paul develops this “walk of faith” paradigm, the state that he refers to as “justification by faith,” in the Roman letter, in the seventh chapter he surfaces the experiential complexity that every sincere believer faces in daily living.  This chapter deals both with the constant battle between our two natures and with the hopeless struggle that our fleshly nature effectively imposes on us, entrenched religious legalism as a detour away from genuine faith in Christ.  If our carnal nature limited its operations to base sins of the flesh and its appetites, we would readily recognize it in action and be able to readily control it.  However, often our carnal nature employs deceit in its efforts to neutralize our spiritual desire to walk by faith and glorify God in both our body and our spirit “…which are God’s.”  ( 1 Corinthians 6:20 )  Notice Paul’s admonition makes no mention of glorifying God only in our regenerate spirit, but he rather directs us to glorify God in both our body and our spirit.  How does our fleshly nature deceive us?  It uses Satan’s favorite and often most effective strategy, legalism.  If Satan cannot beguile us into the practice of sin, he uses reverse psychology.  He begins to hold before us the comprehensive details of God’s moral code and demands that we perform every law to the finest detail.  If we fail, he then uses the very law that God gave us to show us our sins, to defeat and to discourage us.  He is not idly called the “accuser of our brethren” in Scripture. ( Revelation 12:10 ) 

            In the seventh chapter Paul explores this favorite tactic of Satan, legalism, in detail.  The Law demands perfection, but it provides no assistance to our obedience.  No matter how much we do, the Law shows us our failures and criticizes us.  This is the use of the Law, of God’s Law, in the hands of Satan and in the mind of a legalist who falls prey to Satan’s snare.  Paul concludes that chapter with a summary of both the black hole of legalism and its remedy.

O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. ( Romans 7:24-25 )

            The eighth chapter draws a vivid contrast between legalism, the pretentious—and failed—religion that grows out of it, and the liberating, joy-filling good news of our true standing in the Lord Jesus Christ.  The legalist may well acknowledge this truth, but he cannot allow himself to drink deeply and satisfyingly at that fountain. 

            In the ninth, tenth, and eleventh chapter of Romans Paul presents in detail the futility of those who attempt to gain blessings from God apart from justification by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  He describes the failure of legalists who seek their blessings from God, either in time, in eternity, or both, by a performance based system of never-satisfied accomplishments.  By their refusal to acknowledge the supremacy and tender grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, these people eventually reduce themselves to the role that Paul describes in Romans 11:28 .  Despite being beloved of God, their self-serving, performance based legalism reduces them to the sad, empty position of enemies of the gospel! 

            As Paul begins the twelfth chapter of Romans, he returns to the primary thesis of this letter; faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and the walk of faith that grows out of that faith.  It is this walk of faith that produces justification by faith.  However, this walk of faith does not stop at a particular mindset or attitude.  It is not—to borrow James’ terminology—“…faith without thy works…” ( James 2:18 ).  It is rather “…faith which worketh by love…” a term that Paul used in his letter to other errant legalistic Christians.  ( Galatians 5:6 ) 

            What does the walk of faith look like?  How may we recognize it?  Read the twelfth chapter of Romans, and you will gain a first-hand view of exactly what it looks like and how it conducts itself.  This chapter describes the lifestyle of people who are truly justified by faith.  May their tribe increase!