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SECTION G – Doctrine: Justification,
Individual (3:21 –
4:25)
Balanced
by SECTION g – Doctrine: Justification, National (9:30
– 10:21)
Romans Three - verses 21 to 23
21. Yet now, apart from law, a righteousness of God is manifest
(being attested by the law and the
prophets),
The
previous section found no one just but God Himself. No one has been able to
attain God's standard by doing good or keeping the law. How then may we
become just before God? Only
by becoming partakers of His righteousness.
Concordant Commentary
‘…yet now, apart from
law,…’
The people of Israel,
having the oracles of God in their hands, and having first-hand experience
in the ways of God, were privy to the fact that He is righteous. Their law declared
the fact, and His dealings with them proved it.
Not so, those of the
nations. They were without God in
the world and did not even have any concept
of Him that was worthy of Him. All they could
see was that this powerful God of Israel took His Own people to task when
they proved unrighteous.
Eph.2:12 …apart from Christ, being alienated
from the citizenship of Israel,
and guests
of the promise covenants, having no
expectation,
and without
God in the world.
Gal.4:8 But then, indeed, having no perception of God,
you were slaves of those who, by nature, are not gods.
The ‘yet now’ signifies a shift in the operation of God, a new phase
of His design. This part of the plan does not need the law, which was
exclusive to Israel. Now, God’s righteousness is being displayed for all to see, without any inhibition
or limitation from the law.
Does this mean that no one
out of Israel can enter into this new phase? As the law has no jurisdiction here, having
observed it before can neither qualify nor disqualify anyone. But it does
mean that the observance of the law cannot be carried over.
Scripture has declared the bad news of men’s innate unrighteousness, even if they do not realize the fact, and
that, even if they did, they cannot become righteous by their own efforts. They cannot pull
themselves up by their bootstraps to justify their unrighteous deeds. And
it has shown how powerless even the holy law is to justify those under it.
Scripture has left mankind in a dismal state of hopelessness towards
attaining, by its own achievement,
the standard of righteousness God
demands. In doing this, however, it has actually prepared the dark
background as a contrast for the evangel, for the gloriously radiant good news that is now being
propagated.
‘…a righteousness of God is manifest…’
Verse 17 of the first
chapter, declares that in the evangel, ‘God’s
righteousness is being revealed’.
This ‘righteousness of God’
is that which belongs to God, a
characteristic and an attribute of God, His inherent righteousness. In contrast to the evident inherent unrighteousness of all men in not doing what is right,
Scripture now displays God’s Own righteousness in His always doing that which is right.
Isa.64:6,7 And we are becoming as unclean, all of us,
and as an ornamented garment is all our righteousness.
And we are decaying as a leaf, all of us,
and our depravities, as the wind, are carrying
us away.
7 And no one is calling on Your name,
rousing himself to hold fast to You,
for You conceal Your face from us,
and You are dissolving us by means of our depravities.
God is righteous. He will always do that which is right. He brought creation into being
because of His love (He is love)
and for His glory. It would be self-defeating, and unrighteous by His Own
reckoning, if He were to leave that creation wallowing in helplessness in
the realm of sin and death where He
had consigned them to, in the first place, as part of His operation to
fulfill His purpose.
So, when men prove, not
only to themselves, but to all of creation also, that they cannot become
righteous no matter how hard they try, God steps into the picture.
Discarding all these
pitifully inadequate and totally ineffective ways men could devise to
achieve a level of righteousness that could satisfy God’s standard, even
discarding the dutiful observance of the law which God gave to Israel (and
which she was unable to keep even
when she tried her best), Scripture declares a righteousness that is of
God, a righteousness that
comes from God, a righteousness that God bestows.
It is not that God waits to
find out whether or not man can achieve righteousness on his own steam
before He intervenes. From even before the heavens and the earth were made
He has known that man cannot. He designed and ordained it
to be so. Man simply has to come to realize his limitations the hard way,
through bitter experience. Every
incident happens only ‘according to
the purpose of the One Who is operating all in accord with the counsel
of His will’ (Eph.1:11).
Lk.24:44-46 Now He said to them,
"These are My words, which I speak to you,
still being with you,
for all
must be fulfilled that is written
in the law of Moses and the prophets and psalms
concerning Me."
45 Then He opens up their
mind to understand the scriptures,
46 and said to them that "Thus it is written,
and thus
must the Christ be
suffering
and rise from among the dead the third day,…
It has always been in His plan to intervene – but scheduled for only when
things have worked out so that man demonstrates to himself and to all
creation his utter helplessness and hopelessness in his quest to be
righteous. God does not help
men to attain righteousness, giving them that little boost that enables
them to achieve it. Neither does He need some ‘ten cents worth’ from man to
show his sincerity before God will ‘do the rest’ under the fallacious
concept that ‘God helps those who help themselves’. Instead, totally
rejecting that men have any part
in it at all, He graciously bestows His righteousness on men. He
does not seek their approval or their permission for Him to put into effect
what He has determined, even before man came on the scene, should be. It is
not a case of ‘whether or not’ He will, but only a matter of ‘when’.
Tit.3:5 not for works which are
wrought in righteousness which we do,
but according
to His mercy, He saves us,…
2Tim.1:9 Who saves us and calls
us with a holy calling,
not in accord with our acts, but in accord with His own purpose…
Isa.46:10 Telling from the beginning, the hereafter,
and from
aforetime, what has not yet been done.
Saying, `All
My counsel shall be confirmed, and all
My desire will I do.'
Num.23:19 El is not a man that He
should lie.
Nor a son of humanity that He should feel regret.
Does He say it and then not do it? Or speak and then not carry it out?
‘…being attested by the law and the prophets…’
That God is righteous is
nothing new in revelation. The Hebrew Scriptures, the ‘Old Testament’,
abound with declarations on this. Israel, as a whole, though she has
ignored the revelation, was even given to know that true righteousness must
be given by God. He must remove their sins and make them fit for the kingdom.
Psa.11:7 For Yahweh is righteous; He loves righteous
deeds.
Psa.31:1 In You, O Yahweh, have I taken
refuge;
Do not let me be ashamed for the eon; In Your righteousness deliver me.
Psa.119:142 Your righteousness is eonian
righteousness,
And Your law is truth.
Isa.61:10-11 With elation will I be elated in Yahweh.
My soul shall exult in my Elohim.
For He
clothes me with the garments of
salvation,
and in the
robe of righteousness will He
muffle me,
as a
bridegroom
with a priestly beautiful turban,
and as a
bride is ornamenting herself with her outfit.
11 For as the earth is bringing forth her
sprouts,
and as the garden is causing its sowings to
sprout,
so, my Lord Yahweh Elohim will cause righteousness to sprout, and praise,
in front of all the nations.
Jer.31:34 … they all know Me, from their
least unto their greatest,
An affirmation of Yahweh;
For I
pardon their iniquity, And of their sin I make mention no more.
Jer.50:20 In those days, and at that
time, An affirmation of Yahweh,
Sought is the
iniquity of Israel, and it is not,
And the
sin of Judah, and it is not
found,
For I am
propitious to those whom I leave!
Ezek.36:24-27 And I have taken you out of the nations,
And have gathered you out of all the lands,
And I
have brought you in unto your land,
25 And I
have sprinkled over you clean water, And you have been clean;
From all your uncleannesses, and from all your
idols, I do cleanse
you.
26 And I
have given to you a new heart,
And a new
spirit I give in your
midst,
And I
have turned aside the heart of stone out of your flesh,
And I
have given to you a heart of flesh.
27 And My Spirit I
give in your midst,
And I
have done this, so that
in My statutes you walk,
And My judgments you keep, and have done them.
Heb.8:12 For I shall be propitious to their injustices,
And of their
sins and their lawlessnesses
should I under no circumstances still be reminded
Isa.59:20 And there comes to Zion the
Redeemer,
and "He shall turn back transgression from Jacob," averring is Yahweh.
Rom.11:27 And this is My covenant with them
Whenever I
should be eliminating their sins.
22. yet a righteousness of God through Jesus Christ's faith, for all,
and on all who are
believing, for there is no
distinction,
The
channel through which we may obtain this righteousness is the faith of
Jesus Christ. He alone of all mankind, not only did good and kept the law,
but He believed God even when He smote Him for our sins. It is out of His
faith for our faith (1:17). Concordant Commentary
‘…yet a righteousness of God …’
From the eighteenth verse
of the first chapter through to the twentieth verse of this chapter,
Scripture has detailed how unrighteous
men are. It insists that all are unrighteous, all have sinned, all deserve God’s righteous indignation.
The evangel displays God’s
righteousness in graciously granting
righteousness to men who, otherwise, cannot be righteous.
But, how righteous would
God be if He were to now ignore
the unrighteousness that He has spoken against with warnings of dire
consequences? If He could close His eyes to men’s evil deeds, would it not
have averted all the evil consequences and sorrows to have simply granted
righteousness to all at the very start?
In His wisdom, and in accord
with the counsel of His own will, He deals with the situation in all
righteousness.
‘…through Jesus Christ’s faith…’
All are tainted with sin!
Therefore, deservedly, all come under His indignation and wrath! God's
righteousness cannot condone such unrighteousness. He cannot allow
unrighteousness to go unpunished - for that would make HIM unrighteous!
Neither can God remain
righteous by just arbitrarily deciding to forget the matter and to simply
consider the sinners not guilty. That would not justify the sinners;
neither would such a course justify GOD!
Having consigned all of humanity to death and sin,
from which none can extricate
themselves, it would be somewhat unfair, to say the least, for God to grant
mercy to some but not to others. It would mean that God sets rules the
breaking of which may conveniently be ignored in some cases, and strictly
adhered to in others. This would only show that God is supreme in making
decisions - but it would in no way show that God is impartial and just. If
He is not intrinsically fair, then how could He be righteous?
In this evangel of God's
Son, however, God's righteousness is
being set forth, is being brought
to our attention. Herein, the faith which Jesus Christ displayed in His
complete obedience, even unto the death on the cross for us (on our behalf
as our representative), allows
God to remain righteous in granting righteousness to those Christ died for by taking upon Himself the penalties
due to their sins. The indignation that all men come under through their
failed representative Adam is vented upon their righteous representative
Christ.
Rom.5:6 For Christ, while we
are still infirm, still in accord with the era,
for the
sake of the irreverent, died.
Rom.5:8 yet God is commending this love of His
to us,
seeing that, while we are still sinners, Christ died for our sakes.
Rom.5:10 … being enemies,
we were
conciliated to God through the death of His
Son,…
Heb.2:9 Yet we are observing Jesus,
Who has been made some bit inferior to
messengers
(because of the suffering of death, wreathed
with glory and honor),
so that in the grace of God,
He should be tasting death for the sake of everyone.
2Cor.5:14 For the love of Christ
is constraining us, judging this, that,
if One died for
the sake of all, consequently all died
We could expect a good
person to be willing to give his life for a loved one – holding the welfare
of that loved one above his own.
To give up the life for that loved one for a stranger would be asking a lot more. It would be quite a
decision to give up one’s own life for the welfare of one who is actively
an enemy. But, to give up the
life of that loved one for the
welfare of myriads of irreverent enemies, transcends any expectation. But, God goes even
beyond this. He gives up His Son, His Most Beloved, for all His enemies – for each and every
one of them – even for the most vile and stubborn. His was the ultimate
sacrifice.
As this was His Father’s
design and will for Him, and the only course for the reconciliation of all
creation, the Son willingly obeyed, knowing very well the trauma and
suffering that He would be called upon to endure.
Mt.26:39 …, He falls on His face, praying
and saying,
"My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass by from Me.
However, not
as I will, but as Thou!"
Jn.18:11 …The cup which the Father has given Me,
may I by no means be drinking it?
Phil.2:7,8 nevertheless empties
Himself,
taking the form of a slave, coming to be in the
likeness of humanity,
8 and, being found in fashion as a human, He humbles Himself,
becoming
obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Heb.12:2 looking off to the
Inaugurator and Perfecter of faith, Jesus,
Who, for
the joy lying before Him, endures a cross, despising the shame,
besides is seated at the right hand of the
throne of God.
Why did God not send a
lesser loved one to accomplish this? Scripture indicates
that it was not possible; there could be no
alternative. It had to be the Son
for He was the only One
‘qualified’ to carry out His Father’s will in this operation. He could
rightfully represent God. And, since it was He Who brought all of creation
into being in accord with God’s will, He could eminently represent them. And, as their
Representative, He took upon Himself the penalties due to them, the
Righteous One dying for them so that they can be freed from death and from
their unrighteousness.
Jn.1:3 All came into being through
it, and apart from it
not even
one thing
came into being which has come
into being.
Col.1:15-17 … Firstborn of every creature, 16 for in
Him is all created,
that in
the heavens and that on the earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones, or lordships, or sovereignties,
or authorities,
all is created through Him and for Him,
17 and He is before all, and all has its
cohesion in Him.
1Tim.2:3-6 …our Saviour, God,
4 Who wills that all mankind be saved and come into a realization of the
truth.
5 For there is one God, and one Mediator of God and mankind,
a Man, Christ Jesus,
6 Who is giving Himself a correspondent Ransom for all
(the testimony in its own eras),
Col.1:20 and through Him to reconcile all to Him
(making peace through the blood of His cross),
through Him, whether those on the earth or those in the heavens.
Now that their
unrighteousness has been righteously dealt with, out in the open rather
than behind closed doors, or just being swept under the carpet, there is no
impediment to God’s granting to them righteousness.
1Cor.15:22-24 For even as, in Adam, all are dying,
thus also, in Christ, shall all be
vivified.
23 Yet each in his own class:
the Firstfruit, Christ;
thereupon those who are Christ's in His
presence;
24 thereafter the
consummation,
whenever He may be giving up the kingdom to His God
and Father,
whenever He should be nullifying all sovereignty
and all authority and power.
‘…for all, and on all who are believing…’
The evangel declares that
God will graciously bestow His
righteousness on all of humanity.
Though, to be sure, all will be
given this righteousness at some
time, all will not become
righteous at the same time. It is
manifest for all humanity,
and will be theirs at a time set
by God.
Probably because many seek
to defend their doctrine of an ‘eternal
hell’, they have preferred to omit the ‘for all’ in the rendering of the Greek text. This
‘allows’ them the leeway to teach that God’s righteousness is manifest only
on those who, out of their own volition and ‘free’ will, choose to be believers. They propose
that God shows His righteousness by being fair enough to offer a personal
salvation to all, but that this will be awarded only to those who decide to take it; those who are not
intrinsically good enough to make the correct choice deserve to be
consigned to everlasting punishment.
Some even propagate their
doctrine of a ‘limited salvation’ where God is supposed to have already
decided from the beginning, irrevocably,
that some will receive it while others will never.
Sad to say, many prefer to
teach theology that differs from that which Scripture clearly declares.
What Christ said of the Jews could apply to these as well.
Mt.15:8,9 This people with their lips is honoring Me,
Yet their
heart is away at a distance from Me.
9 Yet in vain are they revering Me,
Teaching for teachings the directions of men.
But Scripture is not speaking of any choice at all on the part of the recipient. God has even
removed ‘observance of the law’ from consideration so that it cannot be a
barrier to His gracious gift to all,
including the Jew. Scripture declares, here, that this bestowal of God’s
righteousness is set and sure for all
because of Jesus Christ’s
faith and is entirely independent
of any other factor.
1Tim.2:3-7 …our Saviour, God,
4 Who wills
that all mankind be saved and come into a realization of the
truth.
5 For there is one God,
and one Mediator of God and mankind, a Man,
Christ Jesus,
6 Who is giving Himself a correspondent Ransom for all
(the testimony in its own eras),
7 for which
I was appointed a herald and an apostle
(I am telling the truth, I am not lying),
a teacher of the nations in knowledge and truth.
1Tim.4:9-11 Faithful is the saying
and worthy of all welcome
10 (for for this are we toiling and being
reproached),
that we rely on the living God,
Who is
the Saviour of all mankind, 11 especially
of believers.
These things be charging and
teaching.
Initially, however, this
bestowal is only on all
those who have been designated beforehand to believe this message now,
and who have an essential role in making this ‘righteousness of God through
Jesus Christ’s faith’ known, not merely to all men, but rather, to all of
creation.
2Cor.5:18-20 Yet all is of God, Who conciliates us to Himself
through Christ,
and is giving
us the dispensation of the conciliation,
19 how that God was in Christ, conciliating
the world to Himself,
not reckoning their offenses to them,
and
placing in us the word of the conciliation.
20 For
Christ, then, are we ambassadors, as
of God entreating through us.
We are beseeching for Christ's sake, "Be conciliated to God!"
We, who are called to take
our reserved places in the body of Christ, have been designated beforehand
to believe the evangel of the Uncircumcision that God has given through
Paul. It is not that we have chosen to become believers in the
evangel so that we may be counted
as righteous. It is not our faith
that makes us righteous, that
‘opens the gates’ for His righteousness to pour on us. Rather, it is the perfect faith of Christ that
does this. Because of His faith,
the faith of the One through Whom God brought into being every one in
creation, God will give His
righteousness to every one of that creation. This is a righteousness which
is from God to initiate, to be the cause of, our faith. Our
faith is the proof that this has
taken place in us, that we have been reckoned righteous.
Rom.1:17 For in it God's righteousness is being
revealed,
out of faith for faith,…
Rom.4:5 Yet to him who is not working,
yet is
believing on Him Who is justifying the irreverent,
his faith
is reckoned for righteousness.
Phil.3:9 and may be found in Him,
not having my
righteousness, which is of law,
but that which is through the faith of Christ,
the righteousness which is from God for faith:
Gal.3:22 But the scripture locks up all
together under sin,
that the promise out of Jesus Christ's faith
may be given to those who are believing.
Gal.2:16 having perceived that a man
is not being justified by works of law,
except alone through
the faith of Christ Jesus,
we also believe in Christ Jesus
that we may be justified by the faith of Christ and not by works of law,
seeing that by works of law shall no flesh at
all be justified.
Heb.12:2 looking off to the Inaugurator and Perfecter of faith,
Jesus,
Who, for
the joy lying before Him, endures a cross, despising the shame,
besides is seated at the right hand of the
throne of God.
Col.3:11 wherein there is no Greek and
Jew,
Circumcision and Uncircumcision, barbarian,
Scythian, slave, freeman,
but all and in all is Christ.
2Tim.1:9-11 Who saves us and calls
us with a holy calling,
not in accord with our acts, but in accord with His own purpose…
and the grace which is given to us in Christ
Jesus before times eonian,
10 yet now
is being manifested through the advent of our Saviour,
Christ Jesus, Who, indeed, abolishes death,
yet illuminates life and incorruption through
the evangel
11 of which I was appointed
a herald and an apostle and a teacher of the
nations.
‘…for there is no distinction,…’
God’s righteousness is
manifest for all, and on all who are believing. There is
no distinction between the two as far as that manifestation is concerned.
The ‘for all’ includes those of Israel and those of the nations. The ‘on
all’ is parenthetical, speaking of those, whether of Israel or of the
nations, who are being given to realize the fact now – the ‘especially of believers’.
23. for all sinned and are wanting of the
glory of God.
‘…for all sinned…’
There is no distinction,
for all sinned. ALL, every descendent of Adam, whether they be of Israel or
of the nations, are charged to have sinned.
Rom.3:9-11 What, then? Are we privileged?
Undoubtedly not,
for we previously charge both Jews and Greeks to be all under sin,
10 according as it is written, that "Not one is just"--not even one.
11 Not one is understanding. Not
one is seeking out God.
We are constituted sinners! Even if we were to die the moment we take
in our very first breath at birth, we are
sinners! We cannot escape this consequence of the penalty that was passed
on to us because of Adam's disobedience. That penalty, according to
Scripture, is death! Not sin! The
disobedience of Adam was sin, and the penalty for that sin is death! The
act of disobedience did not bring sin upon Adam; that act was the sin! And
that act of disobedience brought death on Adam, the first and head of the
human race. This penalty of being
dying creatures, is passed down to all mankind.
When Adam sinned, we were
caught up in a vicious cycle. His sin brought upon himself and upon his
progeny the penalty of death! We are born with this death an intrinsic part
of our selves. This factor is the cause
of our subsequent sinning. Death passed through, and because of this dying condition in all, all sinned.
Rom.5:12 … through one man sin entered into
the world,
and through
sin death,
and thus death
passed through into all mankind, on which all sinned--
Rom.5:18a …it was through one offense
for all
mankind for condemnation,…
Rom.5:19a … through the disobedience of the
one man,
the many were
constituted sinners,
Rom.11:32a For God locks up all together in stubbornness,…
Gal.3:22a But the scripture locks up all together under sin,…
1Jn.1:8 If we should be saying that
we have no sin
we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1Jn.1:10 If we should be saying that
we have not sinned,
we are making Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
God's righteousness is
manifest for all! Where man is totally unable to make himself righteous and
become immortal by freeing himself from being a dying creature, God
demonstrates His love and concern by providing for ALL, without exception
(Col.1:20; 1Tim.2:5,6; 4:9,10), everything
that is required for them to be given the gift of life as opposed to the
penalty of death that they are under right from the disobedience of Adam!
To a humanity unfit for any
commendation, to a humanity only deserving of condemnation, to a humanity
absolutely disqualified for righteousness, to a humanity unable to save
itself out of this predicament, God shows His righteousness through His grace in providing the only means of salvation.
Mt.26:39 … He falls on His face, praying and
saying,
"My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass by from Me.
However, not as I will, but as Thou!"
Mt.26:42 …coming away a second time, He prays, saying,
"My Father, if this can not pass by from Me if I should not drink it,
let Thy
will be done!"
‘…and are wanting of the glory of God…’
God has designed man for
glory. It is His intention that man be placed over His creation. But, for
now, man has not approached anywhere near his potential, not yet considered
fit for his office. He falls short of the glory God wants him to have.
Heb.2:5-8
For
not to messengers does He subject
the impending inhabited earth,
concerning which we are speaking.
6 Yet somewhere someone certifies,
saying,
"What is man, that Thou art mindful of him,
Or a son of mankind, that Thou art visiting
him?
7 Thou makest him some bit inferior to
messengers,
With glory
and honor Thou wreathest him,
And dost
place him over the works of Thy hands.
8 All
dost Thou subject underneath his feet."
For in the subjection of all to him, He leaves nothing unsubject to him.
Yet now
we are not as yet seeing all
subject to him.
For us, of the body of
Christ, having been designated beforehand by God to be conformed to the
image of His Son, the process that will bring us to that glory has already begun.
Rom.8:29 … whom He foreknew, He designates
beforehand, also,
to be
conformed to the image of His Son,…
Eph.2:10 For His achievement are we,
being created in Christ Jesus
for good works,
which God
makes ready beforehand, that we should
be walking in them.
Phil.2:13 for it is God Who is operating in you
to will as well as to work for the sake of His delight.
Phil.1:6 having this same confidence,
that He Who undertakes a good work among you,
will be
performing it until the day of Jesus Christ
2Cor.3:18 Now we all, with
uncovered face, mirroring the Lord's
glory,
are being transformed
into the same image, from glory to glory,…
Phil.3:20,21 For our realm is inherent
in the heavens,
out of which we are awaiting a Saviour also, the
Lord, Jesus Christ,
21 Who will transfigure the body of our
humiliation,
to conform
it to the body of His glory,
in accord with the operation which enables Him
even to subject all to Himself.
1Cor.6:3 Are you not aware that we shall be judging messengers,…
Eph.2:4-7 yet God, being rich in
mercy,
because of His vast love with which He loves
us
5 (we also being dead to the offenses and
the lusts),
vivifies
us together in Christ (in grace are you saved!)
6 and rouses us together
and seats
us together among the celestials, in Christ Jesus,
7 that, in the oncoming eons,
He should be displaying
the transcendent riches of His grace
in His
kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
Rom.8:30 Now whom He designates beforehand, these
He calls also,
and whom He calls, these He justifies also;
now whom He justifies, these He glorifies
also
2Thes.2:13,14 … God prefers you from the beginning for salvation,
in holiness of the spirit and faith in the
truth,
14 into which He also calls us through our
evangel,
for the procuring of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Col.1:27 to whom God wills to
make known
what are the glorious riches of this secret
among the nations, which is:
Christ among you, the expectation of glory--
Rom.5:1,2 …our Lord, Jesus Christ,
2 through Whom we have the access also, by
faith,
into this grace in which we stand,
and we may be glorying in expectation of the glory of God.
Rom.8:17,18 Yet if children, enjoyers also of
an allotment,
enjoyers, indeed, of an allotment from God,
yet joint enjoyers of Christ's allotment,
if so be that we are suffering together,
that we should be glorified together also.
18 For I am reckoning that the sufferings
of the current era
do not deserve the glory about to be revealed for us.
1Cor.2:7 but we are speaking
God's wisdom in a secret,
wisdom which has been concealed,
which God designates before--before the eons, for our glory,
2Cor.3:18 Now we all, with uncovered
face, mirroring the Lord's glory,
are being transformed into the same image, from glory to glory,
even as from the Lord, the spirit.
Col.3:2-4 Be disposed to that
which is above, not to that on the earth,
3 for you died, and your life is hid together
with Christ in God.
4 Whenever Christ, our Life, should be
manifested,
then you also shall be manifested together with Him in glory.
2Cor.4:17 For the momentary lightness
of our affliction
is producing for us a transcendently
transcendent eonian burden of glory,
1Thes.2:12 to be walking worthily
of God,
Who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.
1Cor.15:42,43 Thus also is the resurrection of
the dead.
It is sown in corruption; it is roused in
incorruption.
43 It is sown in dishonor; it is roused in glory.
It is sown in infirmity; it is roused in power.
1Thes.2:5,6 For neither did we at
any time
become flattering in expression, according as
you are aware;
neither with a pretense for greed, God is
witness;
6 neither seeking glory from men, neither from
you, nor from others,
when we could be a burden as Christ's apostles.
Believing in a distorted
concept of heaven, and caught up by the fallacy of an eternal hell, those
who are not being called now
cannot even imagine the glory to come. They pander to their pride and seek
to get whatever glory they can get from their fellow-men. Not comprehending
the spiritual glory that awaits them, men seek that which is fleeting and
temporal.
Jn.5:44 How can you believe, getting
glory from one another,
and are not seeking the glory which is from God alone?
Jn.12:42,43 Howbeit, likewise, of
the chiefs also many believe in Him,
but because of the Pharisees they did not avow
it,
lest they may be put out of the synagogue,
43 for they love the glory of men rather than even the glory of God.
Jn.7:18 He who is speaking from himself is
seeking his own glory,
yet He Who is seeking the glory of Him Who sends Him,
this One is true, and injustice is not in Him.
Rom.8:18 For I am reckoning that
the sufferings of the current era
do not
deserve
the glory about to be revealed for us.
2Cor.4:17 For the momentary lightness
of our affliction
is producing for us a transcendently transcendent eonian burden of glory,
1Cor.2:9,10 But, according as it is
written,
That which the
eye did not perceive,
and the ear did not hear,
and to which the
heart of man did not ascend—
whatever God makes ready for those who are
loving Him.
10 Yet to
us God reveals them through
His spirit,
for the spirit is searching all, even the depths
of God.
In His righteousness, when
God calls, He gives us faith so that we believe Him. This faith
is the same type of faith that Christ showed when He believed God, trusting His Father to the utmost! With this given faith we now believe what God
declares to us just as Abraham believed what God declared to him.
Abraham believed God and
was reckoned as righteous. His belief was God's gift to him then. We
believe God and we are reckoned as righteous. Our belief is God's gift to
us now. All the rest of humanity will believe God and await His
righteousness on them at the consummation. That righteousness is also God's
gracious gift to them at that time.
* Verses 21 to 23 God’s righteousness in having determined to
bestow His righteousness to all, since all are in dire need of it, based on
the faith of Christ.
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Index of Articles - Romans
December 2006
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