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A continuation of our previous week’s message.
Romans 3:27-31
We invite you to join us for worship each Sunday morning at 9:30. You can download our service on iTunes or tune in for “The Good Word” each day on AM 1230 WSAL or on Hoosier Country 103.7 FM just after 8am. Paul now brings his argument for justification by faith to a close. In so doing he asks a series of rhetorical questions and answers that prove justification is received by faith. Paul’s whole point here, and in this entire section, has been that salvation is so magnificently enormous, that no human being could ever begin to pay for it. In fact, from God’s viewpoint, to make any attempt to pay for salvation is, not just an insult, but blasphemy to Him! The idea of salvation from a human standpoint is so “big,” that to think of it as a free gift is almost beyond human reasoning! Why is it that when a gift reaches a certain point on the “WHOA” scale, we think we have to pay for it in some way? Imagine how you would feel if you gave someone a gift that was extraordinarily expensive, and they said to you, “Oh my! How much was this, I’ll pay you for it?” Chances are, you would be terribly hurt and perhaps even a little angry that they would be so arrogant as to think they had to pay for such a gift! Right? Multiply that times infinity and that’s how God feels when we think we can pay God in some way for our salvation! Let’s look at Paul’s concluding paragraph.
- FAITH EXCLUDES BOASTING – 3:27. In this instance, “boasting” should not be understood as one author says, “unwarranted self-adulation for meritorious achievement. Rather we should see it as justifiable pride on the part of the Jewish nation for having been chosen by God for a special role in the drama of redemption.” By its very nature, faith eliminates boasting. One author points out: people cannot boast about something they received through no merit of their own.” Boasting/bragging is the outward expression of inward doubt! A person who feels the need to tell others how wonderful they think they are, is telling you they are insecure, and unsure about the truth that God will properly reward them for their achievements! When we are feeling like God has withheld the blessings, remember this: nothing about our salvation relationship to God is based on feelings. It is always based on fact/truth! And that fact or truth is God’s truth! The lost and hypocrites “feel” God has mistreated them (or a loved one) in some way. They feel/think – If God really is a God of love, He would not have let some tragedy happen; or He would have made some situation better to show them His love. Because sin makes us feel so inadequate and undeserving before God (which in fact we are), sin causes us to think/feel we must compensate for our undeserving inadequacy before God by trying to impress Him with our own idea of what is noteworthy to Him. Your idea of covering or removing your sin, isn’t going to get the job done? Only blood can cover sin. Here is an interesting statement one writer makes concerning the relationship of faith and boasting. He says, faith implies the surrender of all self-glory. That is a great one sentence commentary on v. 27. If you believe God can save you from eternal hell, then He can also reward you more than all you can imagine or ask! All you have to do is be patient and leave the boasting to God! One day you’ll be glad you did!
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