Thot 4 2 day March
These devotions are dedicated to the endearing memory of my dear friend and brother-in-Christ Robert Robinson, whom the Lord thought appropriate to call home to glory on
July 18th 2014.
INTRODUCTION
It had long been my late brother’s desire that I focus on producing a set of daily devotions to encourage God’s dear children on their Christian pathway.
While sharing some of these devotions with Robert and his wife Maureen my attention was directed, by the Holy Spirit I believe, to Paul’s letter to the Romans.
So, for each month of the year, I intend to systematically go through the first twelve chapters of the book - a chapter for each month. This would entail considering each chapter verse-by-verse on a daily basis. Of course, January would equate to chapter one; February to chapter two, and so on. However, since there are sixteen chapters in Romans and only twelve months in the year, I have added an ‘executive summary’ as a tailpiece to December.
While I set out my analysis of the Roman epistle it is not meant to be construed as a commentary, but a devotional work.
Therefore, I pray as we share these devotions you will be drawn closer to our Lord, and experience His blessing both on your own life, and through you, the life of your family members.
ANALYSIS OF EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS
Chapters 1-7
THE REAL GOSPEL
Ch 1 - and THE POWER OF GOD
Ch 2 - and THE JUDGMENT OF GOD
Ch 3 – and THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD
Chapter 8
THE REAL CHRISTIAN
Chapters 9-11
THE REAL JEW
Chapters 12-16
THE REAL LIFE
As we come to chapter 3 of Romans and contemplate the ‘real gospel’, we add to the ‘Power’ of God as seen in chapter 1, and the ‘Judgment’ of God as seen in chapter 2.
I will endeavour to follow the above analysis throughout the daily devotions, seeking to stress the ‘reality’ which Paul presents in this wonderful and inspiring epistle.
Reality, in the realms as outlined above. Teaching, to challenge all of us as to the will of God for this world, and also for your life and mine.
So, let’s go, and please God, we will learn together, more of our wonderful, magnanimous, amazing God.
March 1st
3. THE REAL GOSPEL—and
THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD
Romans 3v1 “What advantage then hath the Jew? Or what profit is there of circumcision?”
February (chapter 2) has taught us clearly about the real Gospel and the 'Judgment of God' plus the solitary fact that, with Him, there is no respect of persons; plus the day will undoubtedly come when He will, through Jesus Christ, judge the secrets of men, regardless of their national or religious background.
No small wonder then Paul begins chapter 3, and the 'Righteousness of God', with this less-than-subtle question - "What's the use then in being a Jew?" and adds - "What is the point then of the ritual of circumcision?"
The next thirty days of March will unfold for us the response of Paul to this perceived dilemma. Paul has a definite plan in mind for he desires that his fellow-countrymen might grasp the eternal and fundamental fact that, before God, all men, without distinction, are classified as undeserving sinners.
But he has to endeavour to remove the religious clutter and baggage from their thinking, before setting the majestic claims of Jesus Christ to them.
So March takes you and me into our own homes and workplaces to ascertain the calibre of our family and colleagues, and seek, by the help of the Holy Spirit, to guide them through the fog of Satan's clouding of their minds so they can embrace the concept of God's righteousness and the offer of His Son.
March 2nd
3. THE REAL GOSPEL - and
THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD
Romans 3v2 "Much every way, chiefly because that unto them were committed the oracles of God."
Paul begins to answer the deep question asked yesterday regarding the value of actually being a Jew and observing the rituals of their religion. He begins by reminding the Jewish people at Rome that they are immensely privileged to be born a Jew. Not least because Almighty God in His wisdom and grace condescended to place into their safekeeping the oracles and laws.
Of course, God did so because He desired them to know Him and know His ways and accordingly follow them. The upshot of this being that the non-Jew in the rest of the world would marvel at the greatness and majesty of their amazing God. They retained within their reach the message from Heaven which had the aura and ability to change the world and present to it the living and holy God. Needless to say, such a privilege brought with it awesome responsibility.
Lest, you and me get all psyched up about their neglect of such a remarkable privilege, pause and quietly contemplate what these devotions are all about. We have God's Word freely available within our grasp, and the world around us needs desperately to have their minds untangled from the media and hype of 21st century living to observe clearly the message and person of Jesus Christ. We must not, like the Jews of Paul's day, miss the grandeur of this opportunity and privilege. Starting today!
March 3rd
3. THE REAL GOSPEL - and
THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD
Romans 3v3 "For what if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faith(fullness) of God without effect?
I have deliberately added a little tailpiece to the word 'faith' to make it 'faithfulness', because that is more in keeping with the thought of Paul here. His undoubted thrust is that God remains interminably faithful, true and righteous to the Jew, regardless of their breaking the Laws which He has put into their custody.
It is true that many Jews have not believed the Word of God and have been both unfaithful and unrighteous.But Paul firmly repudiates any mistaken concept of Almighty God, that He would reciprocate with unrighteousness and unfaithfulness.
Our wonderfully, compassionate God will not nor can not vary from His avowed position of remaining true to His people. He does not waver because of their varying spiritual temperatures; He does not flinch when His people reject Him; nor does He stall when His people wander in their personally selected pathways. He is righteous! He is faithful! Always!
Please recall today some of those very precious commitments the Lord has made to you over the years. Do not falter, do not waver, do not wander - He has not forgotten. The Scripture says that He never slumbers nor sleeps, allow me to add that He never even blinks. Why? Because He might just miss something if He did! He might miss something crucially important to you or to me. He remains totally faithful and righteous, He will positively respond to you at His projected timing.
March 4th
3. THE REAL GOSPEL - and
THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD
Romans 3v4 "God forbid; yea, let God be true, a every man a liar; as it is written - That Thou mightest be justified in Thy sayings, and mightest overcome when Thou art judged."
The theme of God's righteousness continues today. It is also worth bearing in mind that Paul's thrust here is to confirm this to be so particularly in the realm of what is the real gospel.
The gospel of Jesus Christ can be trusted because God Himself can be trusted. It is so important that an unerring principle be established by Paul, so that his listeners and his readers clearly understand that the Lord God is far removed from the erring minds of men.
Paul quotes Psalm 30 to again reiterate that his own thinking is embedded in the history of the sacred writings of which they themselves are the major shareholders.
And it is only through this impervious righteousness of God that any man may be "justified". We will later discuss this massive topic of 'justification' during March, but suffice today to set out an interesting aspect of this concept by highlighting the fact that 'justification' is a forensic word. That is, it is precise and intricate and bears any or all adverse scrutiny.
To God's children this is a most deliberate and fundamental fulcrum of their faith. Therefore, Paul's clear assertion is that on this crucial topic, God's Words will always prove true and right no matter the enquirer.
March 5th
3. THE REAL GOSPEL - and
THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD
Romans 3v5 "But, if our unrighteousness commanded the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who take the revenge? (I speak as a man)"
The complex arena regarding the righteousness of God continues between Paul and his readers in Rome. Paul now seeks, in today's devotion, to anticipate the Jewish queries as to his standing that God is righteous.
He suspects they will argue that it is good that they should therefore continue to break their faith in the Lord, continue to sin, so that the majestic rightness of God be capably demonstrated to all and sundry - Jew and Gentile alike.
They construe, quite wrongly, that their 'badness' serves the greater purpose of displaying the magnitude of God's goodness. They further argue that it equally follows that God, being intrinsically good and fair, surely cannot punish them as they continue in their downward slide of sin.
But Paul, adds the little rejoinder, that this is his personal reckoning as a man. That is, he appeals to his readers, that he is coming alongside them in a sympathetic manner as one of them - "I speak as a man". But in so doing he is cleverly drawing them into a virtual 'spider's web' from which their consciences cannot escape.
March 6th
3. THE REAL GOSPEL - and
THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD
Romans 3v6 “ God forbid; for then how shall God judge the world?"
The 'spider's web' of yesterday is woven tighter today.
If any one considers that by continually sinning against God, it only produces the dramatic effect of God's inherent goodness as a result, then they are sorely mistaken.
God cannot and God will not overlook sin. Sin, in any of its multicoloured schemes and designs, will be dealt with by a righteous God. Failure on His part to deal with sin, in any form, renders Him ineffective in the final analysis of judgment.
And Paul is most dramatic in his language to this effect when he pointedly exclaims - "God forbid!"
Dear reader, please do not have any misunderstanding on these wider issues which Paul seeks diligently to address. Living in this hyper-modern, free-thinking, astutely choreographed, intellectual cauldron called the 21st century one could easily be sidetracked by the superiority-orientated media that God is a non-entity and of little or no relevance.
Do not be imbibed by such presentations - but rather return in sincere appreciation to the Word of the Sovereign and ever-Righteous God, Who, Paul reminds us, will "judge the world"
March 7th
3. THE REAL GOSPEL - and
THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD
Romans 3v7
"For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto His glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner?"
The construction of the 'web' continues.
Paul's reasoning is this - surely God could not condemn me if my sinning merely brought Him more glory!
This is how Paul perceives the mind, the unbending mind, of his Jewish brethren as to their refusal to accept the righteous dealings of a holy God. Their moral falsehood; their unfaithfulness to the strivings of inner conscience; these they consider to be actively acceptable since it merely demonstrates with greater intensity the rightness (righteousness) of God, His Word, and His Truth.
The entanglement of this moral web is frightening in its magnitude, for it leaves open the door to all shapes of perversion and perceptions.
You cannot but catch the reminiscence of the last verse of the book of Judges, when Scripture records (Judges 21v25) - "....and every man did that which was right in his own eyes."
This is the mentally construed philosophy of the unrepentant Roman Jews. They reasoned that the Lord God would merely enlarge His forgiving nature to cover their continuing waywardness.
March 8th
3. THE REAL GOSPEL - and
THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD
Romans 3v8 “And not rather, (as we be slanderously are reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just."
Paul continues his onward march of discrediting the philosophy of these Roman Jews, who consider their standing with God supersedes even the Law which He has issued. They reckon such laws are considered necessary for the underdogs, but not them.
They spread abroad the false notion that their viewpoint matches that presented by the apostle himself in his preaching.
Paul's contention is that if you follow through their flawed ideas you come to a remarkably weird conclusion, namely, the worse they are, the better God actually likes it!
But the damnation of those who say such things will be handled by the rightness of God.
March 9th
3. THE REAL GOSPEL - and
THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD
Romans 3v9 “What then? Are we better than them? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin."
Paul raises their argument and attitudes. They reckon that as Jews they stand uniquely apart from the rest of the world in terms of relationship with God, and it axiomatically follows that they will be treated differently from all others. While I still contend these devotions are not meant to be construed as a commentary, it is important that I draw a crucial distinction here. Some believers hold to the view that God has severed all connection with the Jew, and would use our current verses to substantiate the same. But I draw the reader's attention to the deep fact that Paul has already outlined the distinctive uniqueness of the Jew to the Lord, and the issue here is NOT one of 'separation' but of 'salvation'. God has a day when He will restore the Jewish people to their former glorious and privileged position, but today Paul is advocating ferociously that they are not saved and thereby cannot hide behind their wrongly perceived concept of exclusivism. Today, in God's economy, the Jew and the Gentile are identically linked in the matter of salvation. And Paul insists that the sooner they realise this the better.
Just on a little sideline may I enquire of you, the reader, do you encounter men and women of our day who hold tenaciously, but errantly, to the view that their religion sets them apart from God's oncoming judgment? Hold on a moment! Could you be reading this today and are being confronted by your own falseness in hiding behind some religious presupposition?
March 10th
3. THE REAL GOSPEL - and
THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD
Romans 3v10 "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one."
Paul launches into a masterpiece of salvation preaching. These Jews have become soundly entrenched in their aloofness in connection with God's offer of glorious salvation in Jesus Christ through the real gospel - (not a personally nor nationally prescribed salvation).
So Paul, with astute determination and godly wisdom, takes his readers back to the one book in the Scriptures which has touched their hearts and their worship for centuries - the book of Psalms.
Quoting both Psalm 14 and Psalm 53, Paul adroitly reminds them that the one Psalmist with a multi-checkered past reminds his fellow-countrymen that there is none who are right living; there is no one in the world of the Jew or Gentile who is innocent before a holy God.
To hammer home to his people their awful dilemma, Paul will continue, in future devotions, to spell out their depravity as seen by Almighty God and the plumb line He forced the OT prophet Amos to describe. A plumb-line which will not deviate from the absolute truth of their God, and a plumb-line they need to recall in their lives and in their thinking.
We, also today, do well to contemplate with awesome gravity this unmovable, unchanging Word of God.
March 11th
3. THE REAL GOSPEL - and
THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD
Romans 3v11 “There is none that understand, there is none that seeketh after God."
Yesterday's devotion began a seven-point sermon by Paul in his determined effort to draw his people back to a realistic acceptance of their tenuous position before God. You will recall how yesterday Paul, quoting the Psalmist, set out the spiritual principle that there is not one man or woman on this Earth, either Jew or Gentile, who, in any way, measures up to the rightness (righteousness) of God.
Now today he attacks their minds and their hearts in a full-frontal attack on their obstinacy and refusal to bend to God's desired ways for them. Paul emphasises that there is not one Jew in Rome, or anywhere else for that matter, whose mentally-inspired attitude has taken adequately cognisance of the paths of God - "... none...... understands....."He further inspects their hearts and their motives and remarkably concludes that there are "... none....that even seeks after God."