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Romans 3:22 – Through Faith

Posted on November 18, 2009 by admin

Romans 3:22

even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference;

Truth to Learn

You can’t earn righteousness, but you can receive it.

Behind the Words

The word translated “faith” is the Greek word pistis. This is derived from the verb peithō, which means “to persuade” or “to win over.” Therefore, pistis describes the result of having been won over or persuaded. In other words, it means “faith, conviction, or belief in a truth.”

The expression “of God” is a translation of the word Theou, which can mean either “of God” or “from God.” Hence, we can say that the righteousness that comes by faith belongs to God and He gives it to those who believe.

“Difference” is from the Greek word diastolē, which is derived from the verb diastellō, meaning “to separate” or “to set apart.” Diastolē represents the state after the action. In other words, “a distinct difference.” In 1Corinthians 14:7 this word is used to describe distinctly different sounds of a musical instrument.

Meaning Explained

The righteousness needed to stand guiltless before the Judge of the entire world cannot be obtained by obeying a set of rules, no matter how perfect those rules are and no matter how sincere we are or how hard we try. The Old Testament has declared that all of us are sinners. None of us is righteous, no not even one of us; not me, not you, not your pastor, not even the Apostle Paul. I like the way the prophet Isaiah said it:

All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. (Isaiah 64:6) NIV Translation

In yesterday’s verse Paul introduced a new concept, one that isn’t really new, for it was written about in the Old Testament. Namely, it is possible to obtain the righteousness of God, but it is obtained totally apart from the Law. We can’t become righteous by obeying all the rules or by doing good deeds.

This new doctrine of “justification by faith” is now plainly declared by Paul. There is righteousness apart from the Law, “even the righteousness of God,” but this righteousness comes “through faith in Jesus Christ.” That is to say, we can’t earn the righteousness necessary to meet God’s standard of behavior, but we can receive it from God by believing in Jesus Christ.

Paul also tells us that this righteousness by faith is granted to everyone who believes. You don’t have to be born into the right family. You don’t have to be a member of a church. You don’t have to take religion classes. You don’t have to be wealthy. All you have to do is believe.

We will talk about the last phrase of this verse when we talk about the next verse, with which it rightly belongs.

Application

Do you want to stand before the Judge of the earth with the same righteousness as Jesus Christ? You can! And, you don’t have to earn it. You certainly don’t deserve it. Nonetheless, you can have that righteousness, through faith in Jesus Christ.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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Romans 3:3 – Ya Gotta Believe

Posted on October 18, 2009 by admin

Romans 3:3

For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect?

Truth to Learn

Salvation and our relationship with God are all about faith.

Behind the Words

The word translated “not believe” is apisteō, a compound word made up of the privative a, meaning “not” and pisteō, meaning “to believe” or “to have faith.”

The noun “unbelief” is from apistia, made up of the privative a, meaning “not” or “un” and a form of pistos, meaning “faith” or “belief.”

“Faithfulness” is translated from pistis, which comes from the verb peithō meaning “to win over” or “to persuade.” In other words, it means “to be persuaded,” that is, “to believe.”

Paul is very fond of using words playfully (meaningfully, but playfully). Here he is playing on the word pistis (faith) and its verb forms pisteuō (to believe) and apisteō (to not believe). In the previous verse the passive form of pisteuō was used to indicate that God “entrusted” the Holy Writings to the Jews. And here he asks if the “unbelief” (apistia) of the Jews would cancel out the “faithfulness” (pistis) of God.

Meaning Explained

In the first chapter of this letter to the Christians in Rome, Paul clearly articulated the fact that the Gentiles are sinners and that they are guilty before God and without excuse. In the second chapter he made a very clear case against the Jews, showing that they also were guilty before God without excuse. And, even though many of the early Christians were converted Jews, Paul makes it very clear that when it comes to being righteous before God, the Jews had no advantage over the Gentiles.

In the first verse of this third chapter, Paul posed a rhetorical question and he proceeded to answer it in verse two. He now poses another rhetorical question that a Jewish Christian might ask him. Since there were so many Jews who did not believe in Jesus, the Messiah, when He came, what good did it do for the Jews to be keepers of the oracles?

Paul says, in effect, “So what if some (many) did not believe in Jesus? Does that mean that God is not faithful in saving His special people (the Jews)?” As he showed in general during the first two chapters, Paul will point out several verses from now very specifically that both Jews and Gentiles are guilty of sin. Because there is none righteous, Jew or Gentile, neither group is deserving of salvation.

Do you notice that? None of us deserves salvation. Paul will make this abundantly clear. God doesn’t judge any of us to be righteous based on our actions or our deeds, but on a single deed of Jesus Christ.

Application

Sooner or later each one of us has to face the question: Are you good enough for God to let you into heaven? There are many people who, when asked this question, will say, “Of course, I’ve done the best I can. What more can God expect of anyone?” But “the best I can” isn’t good enough because God expects perfection. Since none of us is perfect, none of us deserves heaven. God has entrusted us with the Holy Bible. If we ignore it, we’re lost. If we read it and believe that Jesus died to pay for our sins, then God judges us to be perfect.

It’s all about believing (pisteuō).

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 2:26 – Faith, Not Surgery

Posted on October 8, 2009 by admin

Romans 2:26

Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision?

Truth to Learn

We keep the righteous requirements of the Law through faith.

Behind the Words

The word translated “righteous requirements” is the Greek word dikaiomata, which comes from the noun dikaioo, meaning “the product or result of being justified, or declared righteous, by God.” The word dikaiomata, therefore, refers to the righteousness declared by God.

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse we learned that the Christians in Rome were very proud of their Jewish heritage and the fact that they possessed the mark of a Jew in their circumcision. But Paul also told them that if they don’t keep the Law then their circumcision is meaningless. Now he points out further that the advantage of circumcision is not in the outward appearance, but by the inward faith and action.

The translation of the word dikaiomata is a key in understanding this verse. At least one translation says:

“If then the uncircumcision keeps the ordinances of the Law …”

This makes it appear that it is possible to keep the ordinances of the Law. However, as we read further in this letter we will discover that Paul tells us that no one is justified by keeping the deeds of the Law. We will also learn that the only way to fulfill the righteousness of the law is through faith:

Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; (Romans 3:20-22)

This righteousness does not come from keeping the ordinances of the Law, it comes by keeping the righteous requirements of the Law and those righteous requirements are only kept as a result of faith. This is what the entire first part of Paul’s letter to the Romans is about. Paul will clearly declare this fact later in his letter, taking it all the way back to Abraham:

For the promise that he should be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. (Romans 4:13)

What Paul is saying in today’s verse is, if a Gentile keeps the righteousness of the Law by faith, then he or she becomes one of God’s children. This does not happen because he or she went through some bloody ceremonial surgery, but because he or she believed God and it was imputed to him or her as righteousness. The Jews’ confidence was in their flesh; our confidence is in our faith in the blood of Christ!

Application

Are you confident of your salvation? You should be! Is it because you regularly attend church? Is it because you have gone through the doctrinal teachings of your church and have become a full member? Is it because you obey all the rules of your church? Or are you confident in your salvation because you have submitted your will to God through faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ and have committed yourself to serving God through faith?

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 1:12 – Encouragement Needed!

Posted on July 27, 2009 by admin

Romans 1:12

that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.

Truth to Learn

The Apostle Paul needed comforting at times as we all do.

Behind the Words

“That is” is translated from the Greek touto de estin. Literally, this would be translated as “and this is.” This phrase implies not just an explanatory repetition of the previous phrase but a delicate characterization of why Paul wants to share a spiritual gift with them.

The words “encouraged together” are a translation of the Greek word sumparaklethenai, which is made up of sun, meaning “together” and a form of parekaleo, which is a verb meaning “to call alongside as a counselor or a comforter.”

Meaning Explained

This verse explains why Paul wanted to visit Rome and the Christians there and why he wanted to share with them a gift of spiritual truths. He wanted to see them more firmly established in their faith, and he wanted to jointly be comforted with them. It is clear from the grammatical construction that Paul was not chastising them for needing more spiritual gifts. He knew that these people were living in the midst of a pagan society that was so focused on national expansion and the riches that it brought that they were in need of the truth of God’s word. In the middle of this type of sensual and indulgent living, the Roman Christians had shown themselves to be of remarkable faith in pursuing their Savior, but it was not easy any more than it is easy to be a Christian in today’s western society. They needed some encouraging and comforting as did Paul.

This may come as a surprise to some of you, but the Apostle Paul needed to be comforted and encouraged. Sure, he was a giant of the faith (though apparently short in stature). Sure, he could perform miracles. Sure, he had an understanding of spiritual truths with a clarity that few men of the time had and that few have had since, but the apostle also had a sin nature like you and I do. He will even explain some of his inner struggles with that sin nature later in this letter. He needed to be with other Christians, and he needed to be comforted.

As Christians, we all need comforting at times. God knows this and has sent us a special comforter, the Holy Spirit. Jesus even referred to Him as our parakaletos, our comforter:

And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, so that He may be with you forever, (John 14:16)

But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatever I have said to you. (John 14:26)

Application

The next time you are inspired by a sermon or a word of encouragement from someone you look up to spiritually, remember that they need encouragement and comforting too. But they may be so busy encouraging and comforting others that they don’t recognize that need in themselves. This week why not encourage and comfort someone who has blessed you.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 1:8 – World Renowned Faith

Posted on July 19, 2009 by admin

Romans 1:8

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

Truth to Learn

Living as a Christian in the midst of paganism takes faith.

Behind the Words

The word “first” is translated from the Greek prōton men. The word prōton is an adverbial form of a word that means “foremost in time, place, order, or importance.” So we might easily interpret this as “of primary importance.” However, the word following prōton is men, which is often translated as “on the one hand” and is usually followed by a secondary clause indicated by the Greek word de, meaning “on the other hand.” The use of men with the word proton indicates that Paul means to say “Before I say anything else, I thank God for your faith.”

The word translated “spoken of” is katangellō, which is composed of kata, used as an intensifier, and angellō, which means “to declare a message.” Put together the word means “to proclaim loudly or to announce with celebration.” It’s not something that is just casually mentioned, but proclaimed!

Meaning Explained

Having completed the salutary portion of this epistle to the Christians in Rome, Paul now says a prayer of thanksgiving for them. He is thankful to God, through Jesus Christ, that the faith of the Roman Christians is a world renowned faith. Imagine that, a group of people with such a strong faith that it has been celebrated through the known world. Now that’s a witness!

Notice that it is God (the Father) that Paul prays to through Jesus (the Son). Paul does not pray to Jesus, but through Jesus. The Greek text is very clear that Paul is thankful to God through Jesus Christ. In the book of Matthew, when Jesus was teaching his disciples to pray, he instructed them:

In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed be Your name. (Matthew 6:9)

We know that God listens to the heart, not to the words. But when someone begins their prayer with “Dear Jesus,” I suspect their intentions are good, but they are misinformed or uninformed. We are to pray to the Father, not the Son. There is a distinct order set-up within the Godhead with the Son willingly submitting himself to the Father and the Spirit willing submitting Himself to both the Father and the Son. It serves as an example to us of how we are to submit to authorities both within the church and in civil government. Therefore, though the Father and Jesus are equal, God has set-up a specific order. We should be directing our prayers to God the Father in the name of Jesus (with His authority) or, as Paul says it, through Jesus.

The primary subject of Paul’s prayer here is the faith of the Roman Christians. What we often overlook is that the Christians in Rome were living in one of the most pagan, Christian-hating societies that ever existed. To live a life of Christian faith in the midst of that society took a lot of faith.

Application

The world we live in today is becoming more and more like first century Rome every day. Everywhere we look we see signs of pagan humanism and a bias against true Christianity. To live in a world like this, submitted to the one true God, takes faith and not just a little bit. How strong is your faith?

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 1:5 – Working for God

Posted on July 14, 2009 by admin

Romans 1:5

Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name,

Truth to Learn

Paul received his salvation and apostleship from Jesus.

Behind the Words

The word translated “obedience” is hupokoē, which is made up of hupo, meaning “under” and akouō, meaning “to hear.” So, literally it means “to hear under.” This is a picture of a student learning from his teacher. It carries the idea of one who is “listening attentively and obeying what he is taught.”

The word translated “to” is the Greek word eis, which means “to or toward.” The root meaning of this word is “rendering something to or toward an end point or conclusion.” It focuses the attention not so much on the process as on the end result.

Meaning Explained

Paul has been talking about the humanity and deity of Jesus Christ. He now says, “Through Him we have received grace and apostleship.” This grace has been shown to all of us who are saved, as he tells us in Ephesians 2:8:

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

Not only did Paul receive grace just as you and I did when we were saved, but he claims that he received apostleship from Jesus as well. We find this described further in Paul’s letter to the Galatian Christians:

But on the contrary, when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me, as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter (for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles), (Galatians 2:7, 8 )

The next phrase in today’s verse is a little bit awkward in English: “for obedience to the faith among all nations” In the original Greek text there is no definite article (the) before the word “faith.” Based on this and on our interpretation of the word eis (see Behind the Words), we sould translate this as, “resulting in obedience of faith among all nations.” That is, God’s plan for Paul’s salvation and apostleship is ultimately to produce obedience and faith among all nations.

Finally, Paul gives the credit and glory to whom it belongs, “for His name;” Paul recognizes that the whole purpose of the Christian faith is not our personal glory or satisfaction. It is not simply to obtain a free ticket into heaven. In the final analysis it really has nothing to do with us at all; it has everything to do with God! It is for the glory of His name. The whole purpose of our salvation–totally underserved and freely given to us by the grace of God–is to bring praise and glory to God Himself.

Application

As Paul tells us in the Ephesians verse quoted above and the verses that follow, we have been saved by grace. Our salvation is a gift from God. We didn’t do any works to deserve it. In fact, God’s purpose for our salvation is that we will do works for His glory.

So our sole responsibility as Christians is to be hard at work for Him, and He will get all the glory. That should humble us all.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

2 Peter 3:9 – Merciful Patience

Posted on June 24, 2009 by admin

2 Peter 3:9

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Truth to Learn

God is very patient with sinners, but His patience will end one day, and many will suffer His wrath on that day.

Behind the Words

The word in today’s verse translated “slow” (“slack” in some translations) is the Greek word bradunō, which means “to be slow or to be delayed.” I think a word in our modern vernacular which expresses it well is “tardy.”

“Patient” is translated from the Greek word macrothumia, which is a compound word made up of macro, meaning “large or long” and thumos, meaning “strong feeling or passion, either good or bad (as if breathing hard).” Hence, “long suffering” and “patient” are good translations of this word.

The word translated “wanting” is boulomai, meaning “to be desirous” or “to be willing.” There is another word translated “wish” or “will” in the New Testament. It is the word thelō, but it includes the implication of intention and action. Hence, boulomai refers to “desirous will,” whereas thelō refers to “determined will.” You see, God is not desirous that any should perish, but He has determined that many will.

Meaning Explained

Now, to answer your question, “Why is God taking so long, and what is He waiting for?” The answer is, “He loves all of mankind and is desirous that all should be saved.” Now, let’s see what this really means.

Peter tells us in this verse that God is not tardy in carrying out His promise. And what is the “promise” that Peter is referring to? It is the promise of the coming of the Messiah, the Christ, on the Day of Judgment.

Now, if He is not tardy, why hasn’t it happened yet? Peter says that it is because God is very patient. The implication is that God is holding his wrath in check, wrath that would destroy all of sinful mankind. And Peter tells us why God is holding back. He is “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” The word “wanting” is a key word in this verse. As was pointed out in Behind the Words, this refers to God’s desirous will. It is not God’s desire that any should perish, He wants all mankind to repent of their sins, and He is holding back His wrath to give everyone the greatest possible opportunity to repent and submit to Him. So, what is it that will prevent God’s wrath from destroying us? Faith. That is, belief in the sacrificial death of the Son of God as payment for our sins. The Apostle John says it in his gospel account, through the words of Jesus, Himself:

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (John 3:18)

Application

We should be proclaiming the gospel message to everyone. The good news that all men are sinful and guilty before God but that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died on the cross to pay for that sin. Let us not be ashamed of it! Let us proclaim it from the roof tops because His patience will not last forever!

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

2 Peter 1:5 – Diligent Growth

Posted on March 31, 2009 by admin

2 Peter 1:5

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;

Truth to Learn

No matter where we are in our Christian experience today, we need to be growing and maturing in our relationship to God.

Behind the Words

“Every” is translated from pas which means “all” or “every,” but it includes the idea of oneness, a totality or the whole. Hence Peter is telling us to use all of our effort. Today we might say “every ounce of effort.”

The word “effort” is from the Greek word spoudē, which refers to “speed, earnestness, diligence, or zeal.”

The word translated “add” is from the Greek word epichorēgeō, which means “to abundantly furnish.” It is not a mere adding a little more of what you already have, rather it is an intensive and abundant addition. It is expressed in the imperative mood, indicating a command, not a suggestion.

“Goodness” is a translation of the word aretē, which means “manliness” or “valor.” It denotes that which is good or worthy in a moral sense.

Meaning Explained

“For this very reason” is a connective phrase so we need to see what it is referring to. In this case, the reference is to the preceding two verses. Because He has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness, because of His exceedingly great and precious promises, because one day we will be partakers of His divine nature … we need to do the following:

We need to be using all of our effort to grow in goodness and knowledge. In other words, don’t take these promises and the saving faith that you have for granted, and don’t just meander through life knowing you now have your “ticket” into heaven. Rather, apply yourself with earnestness and diligence to add some things to your faith.

Peter uses words of force here to communicate to the Christians of his day, and to us today, the need to work long and hard at growing as a Christian. Simply being a committed Christian by itself is a difficult assignment for anyone, but Peter is saying that we need to work hard at developing our Christianity. We need to be growing!

He says that there are several areas where we need to apply that effort. The first is improving our faith and developing goodness. In other words, Peter is telling us in addition to growing our faith, we need to grow in our morality (something that is rapidly slipping away in the world today). And along with this, Peter tells us that we need to be diligent in growing our knowledge of God and His promises. That doesn’t simply mean listening to a sermon once a week. We need to be doing a lot more! We need to be reading the Bible regularly, attending Bible studies or studying on our own, and applying the things we learn to our relationship with God.

Application

I heard a preacher once say that in out Christian life we are never standing still, we’re either charging ahead or we’re sliding back. Which direction is your Christian life going today?

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

2 Peter 1:1 – Humble Greetings

Posted on March 24, 2009 by admin

2 Peter 1:1

Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:

Truth to Learn

Peter humbly greets all Christians who read this letter.

Behind the Words

“Servant” is translated from the Greek word doulos, which means “a slave.” It represents one who is in a permanent relation of servitude to another, his will being altogether consumed in the will of the other. It is a person who has no rights of his own, one who exists only as the property of someone else.

The expression “who … have received” is translated from a single Greek word lachousin. The root of this word is langchano, which means “to receive by casting of lots.” The implication is that it is something received as a gift, not as something which was earned.

“As precious as” is translated from the Greek word isotimon, which is made up of isos, meaning “similar,” and a form of timos, meaning “value or honor.” Hence it means “equally valuable.”

Meaning Explained

Peter opens this letter in a similar manner to his first letter, though with a couple of differences. He announces himself not simply as Peter (petros) but as Simon Peter (simeon petros). Simon (or Simeon) was his given name, but Peter (petros) was the name that Jesus gave him:

Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter … (Mat 16:17, 18a)

Peter introduces himself in this letter first of all as a servant then as an Apostle of Jesus Christ. This is similar to the way that the Apostle Paul introduces himself:

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— (Romans 1:1)

Though he had every right to call himself an apostle, it is out of humility that he sees himself first as a slave of God, then as an apostle.

The letter is written to “those who have received a faith as precious as ours.” This is a reference to the fact that the saving faith of non-Jewish believers is just as effective and priceless as the saving faith of Christians who have come out of the Jewish faith. It appears from this statement that this letter may have been sent specifically to encourage and build-up the Gentile converts to Christianity.

The end of this verse is sometimes translated, “righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ.” This has been used by some to try to prove that Jesus Christ is separate from God. However, a more accurate rendering of the Greek is, “righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ,” which makes it clear that Jesus is both our God and our Savior.

Application

Whether you were brought up in a Jewish family, a Christian family, a family of some other faith, or a family of no faith, this letter is written to you if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –