The Danger of Relying on Personal Understanding - Romans 3:5-8
The Danger of Relying on Personal Understanding | Romans 3:5-8
TEXT
5 “But,” some might say, “our sinfulness serves a good purpose, for it helps people see how righteous God is. Isn’t it unfair, then, for him to punish us?” (This is merely a human point of view.) 6 Of course not! If God were not entirely fair, how would he be qualified to judge the world? 7 “But,” someone might still argue, “how can God condemn me as a sinner if my dishonesty highlights his truthfulness and brings him more glory?” 8 And some people even slander us by claiming that we say, “The more we sin, the better it is!” Those who say such things deserve to be condemned.
1. What was being said by some concerning sin and grace?
2. How does Paul handle the issues of some people concerning their understanding of sin and grace?
3. What is Paul’s judgement concerning what others were intentionally misunderstanding?
Topical Study: Personal Understanding
A. What is “Reliance”?
Definitions from Oxford Languages
re·li·ance
/rəˈlīəns/
noun
dependence on or trust in someone or something."the farmer's reliance on pesticides
B. One of the things we rely on: our personal understanding of things
We understand things in such a way to help us be right about things we’re wrong in doing.
We craft ideas and viewpoints to suit our own desires, lusts, objectives, and ease of living
We do it so that we can “sleep better” or feel better about our selves and the things we do—including weaknesses, faults and even hypocrisy.
D. Verse 5: An objection regarding the unrighteousness of man and the righteousness of God.
Read: But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? (I speak as a man.)
But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say?
Paul brings the counter-argument of an opponent: “If my unrighteousness will demonstrate God’s righteousness, how can God judge me? My sin ultimately serves to bring Him more glory, and that is good!”
Is God unjust who inflicts wrath?
Paul was familiar with the line of thinking that says, “God is in control of everything. Even my evil will ultimately demonstrate His righteousness. Therefore God is unjust if He inflicts His wrath on me, because I’m just a pawn in His hand.”
Some people intentionally misunderstand the teachings of Paul about grace because they want it to fit a personal narrative
Since God’s grace is a reflection of God’s patience over man’s sin, then we should sin more so we can see more of God’s grace!
They twist: Where sin abounds, grace abounds more (Romans 5:20)
E. The idea that Judas’ betrayal was actually good
In theory, the most dramatic example of someone who might ask this question is Judas. Can you hear Judas make his case? “Lord, I know that I betrayed Jesus, but You used it for good. In fact, if I hadn’t done what I did, Jesus wouldn’t have gone to the cross at all. What I did even fulfilled the Scriptures. How can You judge me at all?” The answer to Judas might go like this: “Yes, God used your wickedness but it was still your wickedness. There was no good or pure motive in your heart at all. It is no credit to you that God brought good out of your evil. You stand guilty before God.”
F. Paul - I speak as a man
This doesn’t mean Paul is without the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and apostolic authority. Instead he explains that only as a man – a fallen man at that – would anyone dare to question God’s justice.
G. Verse 6-8: Paul’s answer to the objection raised.
Certainly not! For then how will God judge the world? For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? And why not say, “Let us do evil that good may come”?; as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just.
Certainly not! For then how will God judge the world?
Paul dismisses the question of his opponent easily. If things were such as his opponent suggested, then God could judge no one.
It is true that God will use even the unrighteousness of man to accomplish His work and bring praise to His name – Judas’ betrayal of Jesus is a perfect example. Nevertheless, part of the way God glorifies Himself in man’s sin is by righteously judging that unrighteousness.
How will God judge the world?
For both Paul and his readers it was a given that a judgment day was coming, when some will be acquitted and some condemned. He didn’t need to contest this point; it was simply understood in that culture.
Paul understood that God would judge the world, both Jew and Gentile. Many of the Jews of Paul’s day figured that God would condemn the Gentile for his sin, but save the Jew despite his sin.
For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?
Paul re-states the objection of an imaginary questioner: “If God will glorify Himself through my lie, how can He judge me, since I seem to indirectly increase His glory?”
Let us do evil that good may come:
This was a perversion of Paul’s doctrine of justification by faith, and an extension of the objection of his imaginary questioner.
If you take the thinking of Paul’s adversary far enough, you end up saying, “Let’s sin as much as we can so God can be glorified even more.”
This shows us that one way to examine a teaching is to extend its meaning and consequences and see where you end up.
Of course, let us do evil that good may come was not Paul’s teaching. He was slanderously reported to teach this. Still, it is possible to see how this accusation came as Paul freely preached forgiveness and salvation by grace through faith in Jesus, not works.
H. Most people misunderstand God’s true grace
Most Christian preaching is so far from the true gospel of free grace that Paul preached that there is no way anyone could even slanderously report that they taught “let us do evil that good may come.” If we find ourselves sometimes accused of preaching a gospel that is “too open” and too centered on faith and grace and God’s work then we find ourselves in good company with Paul.
Their condemnation is just: Paul will not even answer such an absurd twisting of his gospel. He simply says of those who would teach such things or accuse Paul of teaching them, their condemnation is just. God rightly condemns anyone who teaches or believes such a thing.
Twisting the glorious free gift of God in Jesus into a supposed license to sin is perhaps the peak of man’s depravity.
It takes the most beautiful gift of God and perverts it and mocks it.
This twisting is so sinful Paul saves it for last, because it is beyond the depravity of the pagan (Romans 1:24-32), beyond the hypocrisy of the moralist (Romans 2:1-5), and beyond the false confidence of the Jew (Romans 2:17-29).
I. Let’s Not Rely on our personal understanding because it can hurt us
Our hearts can’t be trusted. It’s wicked above all!
Jeremiah 17:9-10 The heart is deceitful above all things
and beyond cure.
Who can understand it? 10 “I the Lord search the heart
and examine the mind,
to reward each person according to their conduct,
according to what their deeds deserve.”
God will not look at the outcome of your actions. He sees the intentions of your heart.
God can make everything become good. In His goodness and righteousness, He’s able to turn your bad understanding and resulting actions for His glory and your good; but don’t think that you are out of the hook on the consequence of that bad intentions.
God can turn mistakes to miracles. He can turn ashes into clay to create something beautiful and turn nights of mourning into days of joy.
Your reliance on your personal understanding of things can get you into trouble!
2 Peter 3:14-16
The key is not to have to go through the trouble.
Why reap learning from difficulty and experiences instead of walking in wisdom by obeying God’s Words, relying on His guidance and direction — apart from the trauma and hurt of experiences?
You don’t have to experience pain to know it hurts. We don’t have to experience fire to know it burns.
Trusting God, relying of God, listening to teachings, and preachings, and applying those things that are taught — without even understanding them, just pure surrender and submission (which reflects faith and trust on God) will net you everything and more that experiences will bring but without the judgement and the suffering.
Judas hung himself for the error: what error? Reliance on his own understanding.
We can be like John the Beloved - stayed at Jesus feet, unable to comprehend why Jesus was hanging on the cross, while everything around him, dreams of the kingdom of God restored through Jesus, was dying right in front of his face. He just stayed there where he heard Jesus’ last statements including, Mother behold your son, son behold your mother.”
2 Peter 3:17-18
J. How do we rely on God’s word and work
Those who are led by the Spirit are sons of God. (Romans 8:12-17)
Don’t let fear dictate your understanding
Embrace and celebrate your sonship in God
Allow God to glorify Himself through you, and also let suffering for God’s way be part of that
Trust And acknowledge God in all things
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord
In all your ways
Acknowledge God
Commit to Christ’s way of thinking
Philippians 2:5-11
Don’t consider your reputation instead concern yourself with being a servant to others
Humble yourself through obedience
Apply
□ What are some pitfalls of applying our personal understanding of the Scriptures?
□ In what ways do you think we can harm ourselves by going with how we feel instead of what the Bible instructs us to do?
□ What can we do to better lean to God’s wisdom and knowledge instead of our own?
Commentary
Romans 3:5-6. But — It may be further objected; if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God — Be subservient to God’s glory; or, if our infidelity be so far from making void the faithfulness of God, that it renders it more illustrious, then we ought not to be condemned for it. But Dr. Whitby understands, by the righteousness of God, the righteousness of faith, which indeed is generally the meaning of the phrase in this epistle; and, as in the first chapter the necessity of this faith is shown with respect to the Gentiles, because otherwise they, being unrighteous, could not be justified before God, or escape his wrath revealed against all unrighteousness; and in the second chapter the same is proved respecting the Jews by reason of their unrighteousness, which arguments plainly serve to commend and establish this way of righteousness by faith in Christ, from the necessity of it to the justification both of Jews and Gentiles; he therefore considers the import of the objection to be, “If the unrighteousness both of Jews and Gentiles tend so visibly to illustrate and recommend the wisdom and grace of God, in appointing this way of justification by faith in Christ, is it righteous in God to punish both Jews and Gentiles, as you say he has done and will do, for that unrighteousness that tends so highly to advance the glory of divine grace displayed in the gospel?” What shall we say — What inference shall we draw? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance — Must we grant that God acts unjustly in punishing those practices which so illustrate his mercy, faithfulness, and other perfections? I speak as a man — As a mere natural man, not acquainted with the revealed will of God, or not influenced by his Spirit; or as human weakness would be apt to speak. God forbid — That I should harbour such a thought, or allow such a consequence; for then — If it were unjust in him to punish that unrighteousness which is subservient to his own glory, how should God judge the world — Since all the unrighteousness in the world will then commend the righteousness of God. Add to this, the very idea of God’s judging the world, implies that it shall be done in righteousness. For if any person were to have injustice done him on that occasion, it would not be judgment, but a capricious exercise of power, whereby the Judge would be dishonoured. On this idea is founded the answer which Abraham made to God, respecting the destruction of Sodom, which answer perhaps the apostle had now in his eye, Genesis 18:25; Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
(From: http://jesusisgod316.blogspot.com)
A human argument that attacks God's nature and purity.
1. But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Paul brings the counter-argument of an opponent: "If my unrighteousness will demonstrate God's righteousness, how can God judge me? My sin ultimately serves to bring Him more glory, and that is good!"
a. "Now he is using some of the super silliest kind of arguments that man sometimes takes a truth of God, and then they began to postulate on that truth, they begin to give hypothetical cases or they begin to try to reason out with the human intellect. This is the particular argument that Paul is saying. Here I am. God declares that all men are sinners and that the grace of God abounds to sinners, and God loves to show His grace in the forgiveness of sinful man. Therefore, by my going out and sinning, I am giving God an opportunity to show His righteousness through faith and His glorious grace. So my unrighteousness really is magnifying the righteousness of God, therefore, why would God judge me for being unrighteous? I am just showing how good He is when He forgives." (Smith)
b. "Okay, if Israel's sin does not void God's promise but only makes God's faithfulness more glorious by contrast...you contrast unfaithfulness with faithfulness and faithfulness looks real good. I mean, when you go into a jewelry store to buy a ring or a necklace and they take it out of the cabinet and they bring it up to place it so that you can see it on top of that glass counter, have you ever noticed what they put the gold upon? What is it they put it on? Velvet...what color? Black. Why? Because it makes the gold look so much more beautiful. If they put it on a white background, or a beige background or a gold background, it wouldn't make the point. But always on a black one. And in a very real sense, you see, that's exactly what's going on here. The argument is going to be, "All right, if our black velvet unfaithfulness gives greater glory to God's faithfulness, then our sin gives God glory. And if that's true, then Paul, you've just spoken against the purity of God." You see, this was the heart and soul of the message of grace that in our sin God forgives us and gains glory because of His forgiveness. And so they would accuse Paul of saying, "Well sin, then, gives God glory. And if you're teaching that, they're violating God's pure nature and you're attacking God's purity. If our sin makes His holiness stand out by contrast, makes His righteousness stand out by contrast, then you're saying sin glorifies God and you have attacked the holy nature of God." (JM)
Is God in control of our evil actions?
1. Is God unjust who inflicts wrath?Paul was familiar with the line of thinking that says, "God is in control of everything. Even my evil will ultimately demonstrate His righteousness. Therefore God isunjustif He inflicts Hiswrathon me, because I'm just a pawn in His hand."
a. In theory, the most dramatic example of someone who might ask this question is Judas. Can you hear Judas make his case? "Lord, I know that I betrayed Jesus, but You used it for good. In fact, if I hadn't done what I did, Jesus wouldn't have gone to the cross at all. What I did even fulfilled the Scriptures. How can You judge me at all?" The answer to Judas might go like this: "Yes, God used your wickedness but it was still your wickedness. There was no good or pure motive in your heart at all. It is no credit to you that God brought good out of your evil. You stand guilty before God."
Why does Paul say that he speaks as a man?
Why is antinomianism unbiblical?
What is antinomianism?
1.I speak as a man: This doesn't mean Paul is without the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and apostolic authority. Instead he explains that only asa man- a fallen man at that - would anyone dare to question God's justice.
a. "Now what Paul is doing here is saying I'm giving a typical human logic, I'm reasoning as men might reason. And he puts that in just so nobody will think this is good reasoning. This is typically depraved human thinking. A man would argue like this, but it is such a blasphemous argument that Paul wants no one to think in anyway it reflects righteous reasoning. So this is just basic human reason, the empty reasoning of an evil man. So they're really saying, "Paul, this is what you're doing. You're taking a direct attack at the holiness of God by making sin a way to glorify God and thus creating antinomianism which means an anti‑law view." See, they were legalists. They were hard‑lined legal...you never met a legalist like a Pharisee, never. I mean, even a right wing fundamentalist of the cultic order doesn't come close to a Pharisee. And for someone to come along and talk about grace and forgiveness and mercy and freedom, naturally they're going to say, "Boy, that is antinomianism, that is lawlessness. And where you're saying that no, your unfaithfulness just gives God's faithfulness that much more grandeur, they're going to accuse you of attacking the purity of God.""
"The word antinomianism comes from the Greek anti, against, and nomos, law. It is the unbiblical practice of living without regard to the righteousness of God, using God's grace as a license to sin, and trusting grace to cleanse of sin. In other words, since grace is infinite and we are saved by grace, then we can sin all we want and still be saved. It is wrong because even though as Christians we are not under the Law (Rom. 6:14), we still fulfill the Law in the Law of love (Rom. 13:8, 10; Gal.5:14; 6:2). We are to love God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind, and our neighbor as ourselves (Luke 10:27) and, thereby, avoid the offense of sin which cost God His only begotten Son. Paul speaks against the concept of antinomianism in Rom. 6:1-2: "Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?" We are not to use the grace of God as a means of sin. Instead, we are to be controlled by the love of God and in that way bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22-25)." (JM)
Certainly not! For then how will God judge the world? For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? And why not say, "Let us do evil that good may come"?; as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just. Romans 3:6-8
Paul's answer to the objection raised.
How is God gloried by judging humanities sin?
1. Certainly not! For then how will God judge the world? Paul dismisses the question of his opponent easily. If things were such as his opponent suggested, then God could judge no one.
a. It is true that God will use even the unrighteousness of man to accomplish His work and bring praise to His name - Judas' betrayal of Jesus is a perfect example. Nevertheless, part of the way God glorifies Himself in man's sin is by righteously judging that unrighteousness.
2.How will God judge the world?For both Paul and his readers it was a given that a judgment day was coming, when some will be acquitted and some condemned. He didn't need to contest this point; it was simply understood in that culture.
a. Paul understood that God would judge the world, both Jew and Gentile. Many of the Jews of Paul's day figured that God would condemn the Gentile for his sin, but save the Jew despite his sin.
b. "Now there's one thing a Jew knew. If he didn't know anything else he knew this. God would judge the world. Genesis 18:25, "God is the judge of all the earth." Psalm 94:2, "God is the judge of all the earth." Psalm 50 verse 6, "God is judge Himself." Psalm 58 verse 11, "He is judge that judgeth in the earth," and on and on and on, all over the place in the Old Testament. They knew one thing, God would be the judge. But, if all sin glorified God then there would be nothing for God to judge. Right? So he is saying it can't be that that can't be, it can't be because that would make God not God for God is the judge. And if there's nothing to judge, then God has nothing to do. All morality and all order and all justice and all right and all wrong and all religion would be annihilated, there would be no right and no wrong, no values, no nothing. Nothing for God to judge but God said He'd be the judge so there is sin and there is righteousness." (JM)
Does the end (God's glorification) justify the means (committing evil)?
What is a good way to examine teachings?
1.For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?Paul re-states the objection of an imaginary questioner: "If God will glorify Himself through my lie, how can He judge me, since I seem to indirectly increase His glory?"
a."The lie here means moral falsehood. Each individual could claim exemption from the judgment of God because his sin had advanced the glory of God. (CM)
b. "Now there are people who have some very exciting and remarking testimonies. They are complete lies, but they are exciting and a lot of people get all excited over these glorious testimonies. And many people have accepted the Lord after hearing some of these marvelous testimonies of what God did. Now there are just some pathological liars out there that are going around in pulpits and giving marvelous, interesting stories of how God saved them. Several years ago there was some fellow who came here to Santa Ana, declared that he was a scientist working in the space program and all of this kind of stuff. He was talking about some new types of machines that had been developed and how that in connecting these machines on people there was the needle that would go positive or negative. So they connected it upon some fellow who was dying, and he was a rank sinner and the thing went off the peg on the negative side, but they connected it to some dear little saint who was dying, and it measures the communication outward. They went off the peg on the positive side and he was getting people all excited. And God appeared to him in a ball of fire and sat next to him in the car, all this kind of stuff. He was around the Orange County area here for a while and spoke in many churches, and gave his remarkable testimony of conversion once he saw that thing peg off to the right, and realized that the communication was going way out beyond man's ability. Many people got excited and he talked about how that caused him to get on his knees and realize that God was true. If the truth of God abounded by his lie, then why would God condemn him for lying? Look how many people got saved by his glorious testimony. There are some people that have that kind of a rationale, that the end justifies the means. More recently in Orange County there was a fellow who claimed to be a rabbi. He was a teacher of one of the large churches in Orange County for a long time claiming to be a rabbi, and his wife has recently written a book exposing the truth about this fellow. But again, declaring to be a converted rabbi, a lot of people were really moved by his testimony and by his teaching of the scripture, because now we have a rabbi teaching from a Christian perspective." (Smith)
2.Let us do evil that good may come: This was a perversion of Paul's doctrine of justification by faith, and an extension of the objection of his imaginary questioner. If you take the thinking of Paul's adversary far enough, you end up saying, "Let's sin as much as we can so God can be glorified even more." This shows us that one way to examine a teaching is to extend its meaning and consequences and see where you end up.
a. Of course, let us do evil that good may come was not Paul's teaching. He was slanderously reported to teach this. Still, it is possible to see how this accusation came as Paul freely preached forgiveness and salvation by grace through faith in Jesus, not works.
b. Most Christian preaching is so far from the true gospel of free grace that Paul preached that there is no way anyone could even slanderously report that they taught "let us do evil that good may come." If we find ourselves sometimes accused of preaching a gospel that is "too open" and too centered on faith and grace and God's work then we find ourselves in good company with Paul.
How does God look at people who teach a false gospel?
1.Their condemnation is just: Paul will not evenanswersuch an absurd twisting of his gospel. He simply says of those who would teach such things or accuse Paul of teaching them,their condemnation is just. Godrightlycondemns anyone who teaches or believes such a thing.
a. Twisting the glorious free gift of God in Jesus into a supposed license to sin is perhaps the peak of man's depravity. It takes the most beautiful gift of God and perverts it and mocks it. This twisting is so sinful Paul saves it for last, because it is beyond the depravity of the pagan (Romans 1:24-32), beyond the hypocrisy of the moralist (Romans 2:1-5), and beyond the false confidence of the Jew (Romans 2:17-29).
"How the world can be thankful I am not God. Man, a person cuts in front of me on the freeway, zap. I appreciate God's patience towards me. I appreciate that He is long-suffering towards me. I don't necessarily appreciate His patience towards you. I need it, I want it, oh God, help me. God help me. But this rationale that people can get caught up in, like we are sort of a special class. God has special toleration for us, because look what we are doing for God. Look at all of this glorious fruit for the kingdom of God, but therefore, God has special toleration for me. Wrong. God will judge." (Smith)b. "This is an elliptical confirmation of Paul’s message: salvation by grace alone, not works. Thus, salvation cannot be lost through works—it is secure eternally. You cannot add to what Christ has completed on the cross. What keeps you from sinning? A grateful heart, overflowing with love for their Savior!" (CM)
