Useful To The Master

II Timothy 2:20-21

Introduction

This morning we have commissioned two deacon couples and acknowledged the importance of our deacon ministry in the church. It seems appropriate to talk about what the Bible has to say about being deacons and so I would like to invite you to turn to II Timothy 2:20,21. Whether you are a deacon or minister or Sunday School teacher or usher or hold any other position in the church, I would invite you to think about what this passage means for you. The question we can ask as we read and study these verses is, “How can I be useful to the Master?” Let us read these two verses.

The Sad Reality Of God’s House

Reality At Our House

In our house we have a large drawer in our kitchen which holds all the plastic ware. Carla loves plastic ware and so we have all kinds of it. Whenever we have leftovers, we go into that drawer and pull out a clean container with the matching lid and put the food in there so that we can have it for lunch the next day. There is one bowl in that drawer that I always avoid. It is a Tupperware bowl that has Velcro on the bottom of it. The reason it has Velcro is that at one time, it was used to put water in for the cat. Since the cat was in the habit of dragging his water bowl across the floor and spilling water all over the place, we put Velcro on the floor and on the bowl so he couldn’t do that. It was funny watching him try to drag the bowl when it was stuck to the floor, but at least the floor stayed drier. Now we serve him his water elsewhere and we don’t use that bowl for that purpose any more and it has found its way into our plastic ware drawer. Because it was used for the cat, I have a feeling like it is not as clean and worthy as the other bowls and so I don’t like to use it.

This is the picture that comes to my mind when I read II Timothy 2:20, which says, “In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble.”

When I first read this passage, another passage came to mind from I Corinthians 12 in which all the different vessels in the house, the gold and the clay, are recognized as necessary and important in the household. There the picture means that some vessels are not as presentable as others but they are all important. In order to understand II Timothy 2:20, however, we need to get rid of that picture because the meaning is different. In Timothy, the meaning is that some things in the house are good and clean and used for good purposes and some things are dirty and not good for clean purposes.

Reality In God’s House

What Paul is doing with this picture is making a comparison. Just as in every house there are vessels of gold, so in every church there are people who are pure gold. They serve with honor and with the intent of glorifying God. On the other hand, just as every house has vessels of wood and clay which are used for dishonorable purposes, so there are those in the church who serve themselves and do not bring glory to God.

The reason we know that this is the meaning here is the context in which this passage is found. Verse 20 begins with the word “but” which indicates that it is looking back. If we look back to 2:15 we notice that Paul encourages Timothy to be “one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed, who correctly handles the word of truth.” In 2:17, he introduces the false teachers, Hymenaeus and Philetus who, as he says, “have wandered away from the truth.” In 2:19, he reminds Timothy that “God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: ‘The Lord knows those who are his’” and encourages that “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”

This discussion raises the sad, but true reality that there are people in the church, even those who are in leadership, who are not doing things the way God wants. Just as both gold and silver vessels used for honorable purposes and wood and clay vessels used for dishonorable purposes exist in any house, so also, both kinds of people exist in the church. There are those who love God, bring honor to Him and are faithful in extending His kingdom. There are also those who are self centered, build their own kingdom and harm the kingdom of God.

Alexander McLaren writes, “When we come down from the heights of ideal contemplation to face the reality of the Church as an organization in the world, we are confronted with this grave fact, that its members are some of them ‘gold and silver,’ some of them ‘wood’ and ‘earth.’” They who are in the highest degree pure are the ‘gold and silver.’ They who are less so, or not at all so, are the ‘wooden’ and the ‘earthen’ vessels.

All leaders have an influence. The question is, will our influence be gold & silver or wood & clay? Will it be true teaching out of true hearts or false teaching out of deceptive hearts? Will it bring glory to God or dishonor Him?

Useful To The Master

When verse 21 begins, “if a man…” we know that we have a choice about the kind of influence we will have as a leader. What are those choices and what will the result be?

Cleansing from Dishonorable Purposes

The decision we have to make is, “If a man cleanses himself from the latter.” This phrase has been interpreted differently by different people. Some have interpreted it to mean that if we cleanse ourselves from false teachers, then we can be useful to the master. It seems to me, however, that it is better to understand that if a person cleanses himself or herself from the ignoble, or impure purposes then he/she will be useful to the master. Cleansing suggests separation from a thing, not a person. If it was a reference to the false teachers, it would make more sense to me that a word such as “avoid” or “separate” would be used.

If we understand it to mean that we need to cleanse ourselves from ignoble purposes, it makes a good point. If we cleanse ourselves from these things, we will be prepared for a good and effective ministry. What are these “ignoble purposes?”

As we read II Timothy, they are not hard to find. I went through II Timothy and found more than a dozen things from which we need to cleanse ourselves if we want to be useful to the master. Here is the whole list of things we should cleanse ourselves from, but let us take a more careful look at just a few of them.

2 Timothy 1:7 – A Spirit of timidity

2 Timothy 1:8 – ashamed to testify about our Lord.

2 Timothy 1:16 – ashamed of my chains.

2 Timothy 2:4 – involved in civilian affairs

2 Timothy 2:15 – mishandling the Word of God

2 Timothy 2:16 – godless chatter, false teaching see also other verses 4:3-4

2 Timothy 2:23 – foolish and stupid arguments

2 Timothy 2;26 – the trap of the devil, doing his will.

2 Timothy 3:2 – lover of self

2 Timothy 3:2 – lover of money

2 Timothy 3:3 – without love

2 Timothy 3:4 – lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God., Demas loved this world. 4:10

2 Timothy 3:5 – a form of godliness without power.

2 Timothy 3:6 – loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires.

2 Timothy 3:7 – never able to acknowledge the truth.

Not Ashamed To Speak Of God 1:7,8

In II Timothy 1:7,8a we read, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self discipline. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord.”

It might seem unrealistic to say that those involved as leaders in God’s kingdom should cleanse themselves of fear, for all of us have fears. But the person who is courageous is not the person who doesn’t recognize or acknowledge fears, but the person who is willing to face them. As God followers, we have the blessing that our power and ability to face fears comes from God, for it is God who has given us a spirit of power and of love and of self discipline. These phrases give us the means to face fears so that we can be bold in speaking about Jesus and doing His work. The power to accomplish things for God comes from God. It does not come from our own strength of character. It arises out of love. We know that love can accomplish amazing things. It is love that births children and love that feeds people in a nursing home. If we are led by love we will be able to overcome fear. Sometimes it takes discipline to accomplish this. Rather than allow our fears to win, we need to remind ourselves of the motivation of love and the strength of God’s power behind us and we will be able to cleanse ourselves from timidity.

Not Ashamed Of God’s Truth 2:15,16

A second thing we need to cleanse ourselves of is mentioned in II Timothy 2:15,16, where it says, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.”

Our attitude to God’s Word is very important. The point is made both positively and negatively. Negatively, we need to avoid conversations which lead away from God and cause us to deny God’s truth. Positively, it is important for leaders to be people who handle the Word of God accurately. Are we truly listening to God speak in His Word? Are we being careful to interpret it accurately? The power of our ministry comes from God and from the truth of God. We need to get rid of every false path and stick closely to God’s truth.

Not Self Centered 3:2,4

Self centeredness is condemned in II Timothy 3:2,4 which speaks about how people in the last days “will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money…lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” Even leaders in the church can be there for motives that are self centered, rather than God centered.

One of the things I appreciate about Milt Stegall is that he is there for the team. Although he has achieved many personal honors including being the person who has scored the most touchdowns of anyone in the CFL, often when he talks, he says things that indicate that he is a team player. If he doesn’t get many balls thrown to him, he doesn’t complain like some others. If he is honored but the team loses, he doesn’t focus on his gain, but on the team loss. I believe that it isn’t only his ability, but also his attitude that makes him such a valuable player on the team.

If we are in leadership because we are seeking the honor we may receive or because we want to exercise power, we will not be useful to the master. A team attitude, a recognition that this is about God is essential in service. We need to cleanse ourselves of any self centered attitude.

Not Without Love 3:3

II Timothy 3:3 raises the issue of lack of love. It says that, in the last days, people will be “without love, unforgiving, slanderous…” As leaders in God’s church, we need to make sure that we cleanse ourselves of attitudes of lack of love.

It is easy to love those who are like us and who are our friends in the church. Yet the call to cleanse ourselves of lack of love is a call to choose to love those who are on the edges, those who are not easy to love, those whom people tend to avoid. As people who want to lead others, we need to be in the forefront of reaching out to all people. As deacons, this is the challenge which is being extended to you.

Cleansing ourselves from lack of love is further defined in the word “unforgiving.” As leaders, we need to be like Jesus, who was quick to forgive those who did wrong and those who wronged Him.

As leaders, it is also critical that we not be people who slander others, whether through gossip or critical talk.

Positively stated, we need to put on love.

Not Without Power 3:5

II Timothy 3:5 makes mention of those who, in the last days, are “having a form of godliness but denying its power.” I believe this is an important characteristic for leaders. To have a form of godliness is to appear to be holy, to appear to have it all together, but to be so because of self discipline and ability. As Christians, we do not live our lives in our power or by our discipline. We live it by the power of God. I think this is particularly important for leaders because if they serve and minister out of their own power, they will reproduce people who are like them. If they serve and minister in the power of God, they will reproduce people who are like Jesus. This is our goal in life, to invite people to become like Jesus and as leaders we need to cleanse ourselves of anything that looks religious, but lacks the power of God.

Useful

The promise is that if a person cleanses himself from these things, “he will be…” That is, there is a result. If we desire to be “gold,” cleansing promises to result in that kind of an ending. There are four promises which indicate the result.

An Instrument For Noble Purposes

Continuing in the context of honorable and dishonorable purposes which he has spoken of in 2:20, the first promise is that a person who cleanses himself from these things will be “an instrument for noble purposes.” The word is actually the word honorable. A person who is clean will find himself doing those things which bring honor to God.

Made Holy

The next promise is that cleansing will result in sanctification. The process of being set apart for God has two parts. One is that we need to cleanse ourselves. The other is that God promises to cleanse us. We need to get rid of those things which defile our lives and as we do, in fact as soon as we take a step in that direction, God steps forward and sanctifies us. He makes us holy. It is only people made holy by the power of God’s Spirit who will effectively serve a holy God.

Useful To The Master

We often think that what makes a person useful to the master is their skills. The person who is able to speak, the person with ability to care for people, the person with the ability to sing well, they are the ones best suited to accomplish great things for God. I have sometimes thought and I have heard people say that if a certain famous person ever became a believer, they would be able to do great things for God. Yet in this passage, we find that God does not do things that way. It is the heart which is cleansed, which is turned towards God, which is useful to the Master. God is the master of all those who belong to him. If our hearts are rebellious, unclean or focused on this world, we will not be able to be used by God. On the other hand, the thing of first importance isn’t what we look like or what kind of skills we have or how attractive or popular we are. What matters is, our heart. Is it turned towards God? If it is, then we will be useful to the master.

Prepared To Do Any Good Work

At this point, particularly you who are beginning as deacons, may have fears about whether you will be able to meet the expectations and do the work adequately. I would suggest to you that according to this passage, you should not focus so much on your job description or what you may accomplish. Focus on your relationship to the Lord. Cleanse yourself from anything that hinders God’s leading in your life. If the relationship with God is first in your life, then, the promise of this passage, is that you will be prepared to do good work.

Conclusion

Each leader needs to ask these questions, “What are the purposes for which I am involved in the leadership?” “How will I accomplish that leadership?”

I want to encourage you, Dave & Anna and Peter and Anne, to focus on your relationship with God and you will do great work for God. I want to encourage all the leaders in our church – Sunday School teachers, AWANA leaders, those who will be elected to positions in a few weeks – to focus first on our heart and our obedience. If we do, the promise of God is that much good work will surely follow. May God bless as you serve Him faithfully.

Made Right Through Faithfulness

Romans 3:27-4:25

Introduction

Charles Blondin was considered the greatest tight rope walker in his day. In 1958 he saw Niagara Falls for the first time and became obsessed with crossing the falls on a tight rope. Although many were opposed to him doing it, in 1959 he received permission to stretch his rope from the American side to the Canadian side. The rope was 160 feet above the falls in one place. He crossed many times and performed all kinds of stunts on the rope, including cooking an omelet on a portable stove. On August 17, 1859 he increased the risk by carrying his manager, Harry Colcord, across on his back. When the Prince of Wales visited in September, 1860, Blondin carried his assistant, Romain Mouton, across and performed antics on the way. The prince, like other spectators, was left breathless and asked Blondin never to do it again. Imagine the Prince's reaction when Blondin offered to carry him across on his back or in a wheelbarrow!

Although the prince saw Blondin do it, he was still doubtful about his ability. He demonstrated his doubt and fear with his warning not to do it again. On the other hand, Blondin’s manager did actually believe that he could do it and demonstrated that belief by allowing Blondin to carry him across on his back.

Last week we talked about how God is making things right because of the faithfulness of Jesus and that people can participate in this by believing. The question I would like to follow up on this week is, “What does it mean to believe?”

I have heard, or been a part of a number of conversations which revolve around this question.

Some of these conversations involve people who are part of a church that believes it is the only right church and that you cannot really be considered a Christian if you are not part of their church. Some conversations have had to do with people who believe that being a Christian has to do with observance of certain rules – rules which may have to do with clothing or head covering or facial hair or the vehicle you drive or many other things. Sometimes I have sensed that people think that if a person confesses that he or she believes in Jesus that he or she is safe and that is all that really matters. They seem to look at being a Christian as merely some kind of a spiritual fire insurance.

What does it mean to believe? Paul follows up his statement in Romans 3:21-26 that God is making things right through the faithfulness of Jesus and we participate in that by believing by explaining a little more about what it means to believe. This argument goes from Romans 3:27-4:25, which is our text for today. The context does not directly answer the questions we would ask, but these issues are discussed and our questions are answered. Before we look at issues that would be relevant to us, let us take time to examine the flow of the argument and the context as it appears in the text.

The Proof Of Being Made Right By Believing

This section is written by Paul to demonstrate that it is indeed by believing that any person can be a part of God making things right.

He begins his argument in 3:27-4:2 by using a question/answer format of writing. The writer asks a question and then answers it and then raises a further question.

The first question is, “Where then is boasting?” The answer, “there is nothing we can boast of.” This question and answer serves to make one point. In verse 28 he explains that point – “a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.” Of course this was an issue between the Jews and the Gentiles. Jews maintained, quite sincerely, that God had given them the law, including the law of circumcision and the ceremonial law, in order that those who keep this law would be made right with God. Paul counters that understanding by demonstrating that that never was the intention of the law and that the law is unable to make a person right with God. If a person has been made right with God by keeping the law, then they are able to boast about something because they have indeed accomplished something. But if God is making things right through the faithfulness of Jesus and we just have to accept that by belief, then we have nothing to boast about because we have accomplished nothing.

The other thing that this accomplishes, as Paul points out in 3:29, 30 is that every person on earth then has the same access to God. Jews do not have an advantage over Gentiles in being made right. For this point we should be particularly thankful. We are Gentiles and if we can participate in God making things right by faith, the same as the Jews, that means that we can now be included in the people of God. The fact that we are here this morning is a celebration of this verse and we should be very thankful for it. We often don’t think in these terms because we have for so long assumed we are accepted and that is great, but in historical terms, this is a blessing and a privilege and we should be thankful for it.

As Jewish readers would have been listening to this, they would have had some serious questions. From young on they would have been told the stories of their ancestor Abraham. They would have been told that Abraham was chosen by God because he was a righteous man and they were the descendants of Abraham and were privileged to be God’s people because of that connection.

Paul continues with the question and answer format into Romans 4 and asks them to reconsider the case of Abraham. In Romans 4:2 he invites them to consider that if Abraham was made right with God by something he did, then he would have something to boast about. However, the implied question is, “was he made right with God in this way?”

In Romans 4:3, a new section of argument begins, which goes from 4:3 to 4:22. We know this is a text section because it is bracketed by the same verse from Scripture which is Genesis 15:6. So this section is an exposition of Genesis 15:6 to demonstrate that it was by believing that Abraham participated in God’s purpose for his life.

The new argument begins in 4:4,5 with a philosophical argument. If I work for you for 5 hours and you pay me 5 dollars an hour, when you give me $25, it is not a gift, it is an obligation. I have worked for you and you owe me the money. Paul says, “Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation.” If we are made right with God because we have kept certain laws and observed certain conditions, then when God accepts us, it is not a gift, but rather an obligation. Paul points out that God does not accept us because He is obligated to do so. He accepts us because He gives us a gift and by believing we receive the gift.

Of course such a radical thought must be supported by Scripture and before looking at Abraham, Paul points to another example of Scripture which demonstrates forgiveness as a gift, rather than a wage. In Psalm 32, David says that God forgives sins and covers transgressions as an act of grace, not as an obligation. The point is that, already in the Old Testament, the Jews understood that forgiveness of sins was a gift. John E. Toews says, “God grants salvation to those who have no claim on God.”

In Romans 4:9, Paul returns to the example of Abraham. If he can show that Abraham was forgiven and accepted by God as a gift rather than by an obligation, then he has proven that being made right by God is by faith and not by observing the law.

The proof is very simple and clear. Abraham was a pagan man who lived in a pagan land. When God called Abraham, he believed what God said and because of that belief, Abraham was accepted by God. Paul continues to argue that it was after he had been accepted by God, because of his faith in God, that God gave him the sign of circumcision. For Jews and Gentiles who were arguing about the right way to come to God, this was a powerful proof.

What is also interesting is that Abraham was accepted by God through faith, before he was a “Jew.” In fact, he was a Gentile at that time. This means that since Abraham was accepted by faith as a Gentile, the same thing continues to be true for those who are in Rome. God accepts those who come to him by faith. In 4:20 it tells us that Abraham “gave glory to God.” This connects the concept to Romans 1:21 where Gentiles failed to give glory to God. As a Gentile, Abraham did give glory to God, by faith, and therefore became a part of God’s plan in making things right.

The conclusion that Paul draws in Romans 4:11,12, therefore, is that Abraham is the father of those who are uncircumcised and who believe, and that he is also the father of those who are circumcised and continue to walk in the faith. In 4:14-16, Paul twice reiterates that “the promise…comes by faith.”

As he concludes the argument in Romans 4:16-22, he describes the faith of Abraham who continued to trust in God as the one “who gives life to the dead.” He shows that faith is a trust in the God who raises the dead. Here he points, once again to Abraham’s experience. Abraham followed God out of the pagan land in order to go to the promised land. Abraham continued to walk in faith when he believed that God would keep the promise to give him an offspring, even when his body was nearly dead and Sarah’s womb was dead. As 4:21 says, “he was fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.” The section concludes with the quote from Genesis 15:6 once again that Abraham was made right because he believed God. Thus Paul has demonstrated from the life of the hero of all the Jews that his thesis is correct and rooted in the Word of God. God is making this right through the faithfulness of Jesus and we participate in that if we believe.

John E. Toews writes, “The text argues that making righteous on the basis of faith, Christ’s and the believer’s, completes the purpose of God in the election of and the promise to Abraham. Thus, it establishes the law (3:31), and makes both Jews and Gentiles heirs of promise.”

Our Story

The conclusion of this section, found in 4:23-25, connects the story to our story. Although the argument was written to deal with a particular problem between Jews and Gentiles in the church in Rome, Paul extends the application beyond that situation to the current church. He says that the story of Abraham is not only intended to speak about Abraham or Jews, but is a lesson for anyone who believes the same thing that Abraham believed and that is that God raises the dead. Abraham believed that God could raise his dead body to give him a son. We believe that Jesus died for our sins and God raised Him to life in order to make us right with God.

There are two lessons in this section which touch our lives and answer the kind of questions that we ask.

Being Made Right Through Faith

The first lesson is that we become part of God’s right making because God gives us a gift of His grace when we believe in Him. We are not made right by keeping law, by observing the obligations of legalism.

Notice how many times this point is made in this section.

3:28 – “a man is made right by faith apart from observing the law.”

3:30 – God will “make right the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.”

4:4 – “when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation.”

4:5 – “to the man who does not work, but trusts God who makes right the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.”

4:13 – “it is not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise.”

4:15 – “law brings wrath.”

4:16 – “The promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace.”

The implications of this raise some very relevant questions for us today.

If we are received by grace through faith why are we sometimes proud that we are Christians? We have received a gift and there is no merit in us that makes God give us the gift. Paul says very clearly that boasting is eliminated. God is making things right and we receive God’s gift as we trust Him. The arrogance which we sometimes have when we think that we have arrived because we are Christians is entirely out of place. If we are received by grace through faith, why do we sometimes look down at people who haven’t received the gift and who perhaps don’t have it all together, as we think we do? We have nothing to be proud of because all that we are, all that we have we have received as a gift from God. Why would we put ourselves above others?

If, as Romans 4:15 says, “law brings wrath” why do we continue in bondage to laws and rules which have nothing to do with faith in God? Even in the Old Testament ( Psalm 32/Romans 4:7,8) the Jews knew that forgiveness was a gift of God’s grace. Yet somehow the Pharisees added rule upon rule so that Jesus condemns them for missing the point and adding burdens to people’s lives which no one can carry. Churches have done the same thing. We do the same thing ourselves. If we participate in God’s right making by faith, why such heavy burdens?

If we are received by trusting God, why are we often so quick to judge others who do not measure up to the standards we have set which we consider part of being accepted by God. God is making right through the faithfulness of Jesus and we participate in that when we believe in God. We are all in the same sinking boat apart from the grace of God and we have no right to judge another person – whether they are believers or not or whether they measure up to God’s standard or not. When we are received as a gift of God’s grace through believing, there is no place for judgment, rather, what is required is a gracious humility which must characterize our relationship with ourselves and with others.

God is making things right and is doing so through the faithfulness of Jesus. We receive God’s gracious gift by faith and that is a powerful thing. Let us humbly rejoice in the gift and be gracious to all.

The Meaning Of Believing

However, as we talk about believing, we need to understand what that means.

Several times in my life I have had the opportunity to participate in rappelling. This is a sport in which you step off the edge of a cliff and trust the ropes which are holding you to keep you from falling to earth too rapidly. It is a scary thing to let go of the earth and completely trust the rope. I have always thought it was a great illustration of what faith really means. It means that we let go of confidence in what we can see and put our whole weight, our entire confidence on God. As we read about Abraham’s faith, we see very quickly that this is what Paul is talking about.

Please take note of the text.

4:17 – “in whom he believed – the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.”

4:18 – “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed…”

4:19 – “without weakening in his faith…”

4:20 – “he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God.”

4:21 – “being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.”

4:24 – “for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.”

John E. Toews says, “Faith in God is a struggle – nothing is harder in life than to trust God above the reality of circumstances.” Yet this is exactly what Abraham did.

How does such faith work? What is included in it?

Such a faith includes hope. This is what happened in the life of Abraham. We read in 4:18 that “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed…” When God called Abraham, he did not have proof and he had not ever been to the promised land. All he knew was God and that was enough. Because he believed that God was creator and had all power, he had hope for all the promises and all the future into which God would lead him. So when he was asked by God to leave the land of his home, he let go and hung on to God and trusted that God would not lead him down the wrong path, but down the path to life and fulfillment of His promises.

Such faith includes obedience. In the case of Abraham, we read in 4:20 that “he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God.” When asked to sacrifice Isaac, he was willing to do it because he trusted God. He acted on the words of God and did what God asked him to do because he trusted that God’s way was best and would always lead down the best path. It may seem somewhat confusing to say that we are accepted by God apart from obedience to the law and that we need to avoid legalism and at the same time to say that the faith which makes us acceptable to God is a faith that acts in obedience. What is the difference between this kind of obedience and “the law” which does not bring right making? There is a very significant difference between these two. The motivation between the two is different. In legalism, the motivation is fear instead of confidence that God’s ways are best. In legalism the power to accomplish what is obligated comes from discipline. When we trust God, we obey because we love Him. If we walk according to the law, we do things out of a sense of duty instead of the joy which understands that God leads us to life. If we walk by law, we are focused on performance, but if we walk in trust, we are focused on a relationship with God.

The kind of faith which we are talking about here also includes faithfulness. Several times I have already suggested that in Greek there is only one word for faith and faithfulness. Trusting means continuing to trust, being faithful. Our text says in 4:20 that Abraham “did not waver through unbelief.” Trusting God means that we continue to live in the confidence that God is doing things right. Sure there are times when we question and struggle, but when we come through the struggle, the kind of faith which allows us to live in a relationship with God is the kind that always comes back to God and knows that He is the faithful one.

Living by this kind of faith also includes the assurance of vindication. In the case of Abraham, we read in 4:18 that he became “the father of many nations.” This was a vindication, a demonstration that the promises of God are trustworthy. God will accomplish what he sets out to do and we can put our confidence in Him.

Conclusion

We all wrestle with these things. We wrestle with arrogance, being judgmental, carrying burdens of legalism God doesn’t mean for us to carry and we wrestle with cultural Christianity and carelessness about our life of faith.

God is making things right through the faithfulness of Jesus and we become a part of that through faith. May we walk in a trusting relationship with Jesus in which we enjoy freedom, peace, joy, love and hope because our confidence is fully on God.

The Revelation Of God’s Righteousness

Romans 3:21-26

Introduction

Have you seen the commercial on TV in which people are invited to do their Lotto 649 happy dance? Let’s be honest, if we won a large amount of money, we would do a happy dance. Of course, as Mennonites, we would do it sitting down, but we would still find a way of expressing our happiness. Now that I have broken two of the Mennonite Commandments – don’t gamble and don’t dance – let me get to the point. When something great happens, we will find a way of expressing our happiness. It will show on our faces, it will find a way of expression.

Last week we talked about the bad news that we are all under the power of SIN and that God’s wrath is revealed against all who are living in godlessness and wickedness. Although there was good news in that message, I mentioned that we would talk some more about the greatest good news that arises out of that bad news this week. So today, we want to talk about the good news that the gospel reveals the righteousness of God. As we do, I hope, as we look at this amazing good news today, that we will walk out of here just bursting to find some way of expressing the joy that is ours because the gospel reveals the righteousness of God. The text we are looking at today is Romans 3:21-26. Let us read it together from the screen.

The Righteousness Of God Is Revealed

Right Making

The beginning and ending of this passage speaks about the revelation of God’s righteousness. In 3:21 it says, “the righteousness of God has been made known.” In 3:22 it speaks about, “the righteousness of God which comes…” In both 25, 26 it speaks about the demonstration of God’s righteousness. It is clear that the key concept of this passage is the righteousness of God being made known. What does this phrase, “righteousness of God” mean and how is it made known?

Sometimes we have the idea that righteousness refers to the fact that God is a good guy, but it is so much more than that. You know the commercial on TV in which a football referee admits that he has made a bad call and that he will make a bad call on the other team in the second half in order to even it out? That is one way of looking at righteousness. It means making things right. That is what God is doing through the gospel. Things are very wrong and, as we saw last week, God’s wrath is against all the godlessness and wickedness of humanity. God’s righteousness is revealed because through the gospel God is dealing with all of that godlessness and wickedness. There are several levels on which this right making is happening. God is making things right so that he does not have to pour out his wrath against all those who deserve His wrath. He is making things right in the sense that those who are under the power of SIN are freed from that power. He is making things right so that once people have been freed from the power of SIN, they learn to live in a way that is good and right. He is making things right so that all evil will be dismissed and in the end everything will be good.

Attested in the OT

As you may recall, I have indicated that one of the problems in the church in Rome was the relationship between Jews and Gentiles. As Paul presented this radical message, the Jews could easily have accused Paul of inventing a new thing. In fact, that is what Jews to this day do. They say that the gospel of Jesus is a departure from God’s intention, a new thing. Paul assures them, in 3:21, that this concept is attested in the law and the prophets. I won’t take time to demonstrate this, but the promise of a Messiah who would come and make things right is found throughout the Old Testament, beginning with the promise of God in Genesis 3:15. With the gospel, we stand on solid and ancient ground, the solid ground of God’s Word.

How Can God Be Right When Everyone Is Bad?

Of course this idea of making things right poses some significant challenges. How can God make things right when everyone is so bad? How can God not punish the godlessness of the Gentiles? How can God overlook the wicked deeds of the Jewish people who continue in disobedience even though they are in covenant with God? The problem makes itself known in two directions. If God is going to express His love to people He will have to overlook wrong. If He does that, He is not righteous. On the other hand, if He punishes evil, He will have to break the covenant with his people and will not be able to express His love to those He has created.

When you type a document on a computer, you can have left side margins in which the left side is straight but the right side is crooked. Or you can have right side margins in which the right margin is straight but the left one is crooked. There is a third option and that is you can justify your margins in which they are both straight.

In Romans 3:26 we read that the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel so that God is both “righteous and one who makes right.” This means that God makes things right on both sides. God remains a good and holy God who does not overlook evil and at the same time is able to accept the people who have walked in disobedience.

Righteousness Revealed Now

Our hope is that in the end, God is going to make everything right. But we do not need to wait until then to see the right making of God revealed in the world. Please notice that according to 3:26, God’s right making is happening “at the present time.” Right now and ever since Jesus came to this earth, God has been making things right.

Through The Faithfulness Of Jesus

How is God making things right?

What God has done, He has done through Jesus.

Through the Faithfulness Of Jesus

This is an important concept in this passage. It is important for us to notice that God has made things right through the faithfulness of Jesus. Unfortunately most translations do not bring this idea out well. Most translations before Martin Luther did express this idea, but since then they have all been influenced by his translation. If you go back to the Greek text, it is much easier to see this idea and how important it is. Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 3:22. NIV translates, “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.” Going back to the Greek, I have translated it “the righteousness of God which comes through the faithfulness of Christ is for all the ones who believe.” There are several reasons why this is a better translation. One is that it is redundant to say that it comes “through faith” and then to say “to all who believe.” The other is that, in Greek, Jesus Christ is genitive, that means that it should not be translated “in Jesus Christ” but rather “of Jesus Christ.” Another thing we need to understand is that in Greek the word for “faith” is the same word as the word for “faithfulness.” Greek does not make a distinction between trust in and faithfulness to. So when such an idea is translated, we need to decide which emphasis is meant. Therefore, given all of these reasons, I believe it is better to translate this text with the idea that the righteousness of God is revealed because of the faithfulness of Jesus Christ.

Not only is it a better sense grammatically, it also gives a much more powerful message. What it tells us is that God has made things right because Jesus was faithful to all that God called him to do. It puts the focus on God making things right and on Jesus as the one whose faithfulness made that possible. John E. Toews writes, “The issue in Romans 3:21-26 is the end-time, world-transforming revelation of the righteousness of God for all humanity and all creation to overcome the power of SIN. The means of that revelation is ‘the faithfulness of Messiah Jesus.’”

As we go on in the text, we see the way in which Jesus was faithful to God in order to make things right.

Redemption In Jesus

In Romans 3:24, we notice that God making things right happens “through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.”

The idea of redemption comes from some powerful pictures in the Old Testament. One of the clearest is the picture of the deliverance of all of Israel from the bondage of slavery in Egypt. In the Exodus, God released the whole nation from being slaves. He set them free.

There are a number of angles from which the word redemption can be understood. One is that it refers to “freeing for ransom.” That is, a slave would be freed if someone paid the price for his freedom. Although that idea may be included here, it raises some difficult issues about who the ransom is paid to and so on. I think the emphasis, when we talk about redemption, is on the concept of release or being set free. Last week we talked about SIN as a power which keeps us in its grip. We learned that we must not look at sin only in terms of the acts of disobedience which we engage in, but also from the point of view that SIN is a power which keeps us in bondage.

We have been saying that God is making things right through the faithfulness of Jesus. Jesus was faithful to God, by coming into our world. When He came into this world, He put Himself into the force field of sin. However, He did not yield to its power. Therefore He is able to set us free from the power of SIN. He is able to transfer us from the domain of SIN into the domain of God’s kingdom. That is what redemption means.

A Covering Through His Blood

How could God do that and not be accused of overlooking sin?

The next verse answers that question when it says, “God presented this covering for sin through the faithfulness of the one who shed His blood in order to demonstrate His righteousness through the letting go of previously committed sins.” Please notice that this translation is different from most for the same reasons as I mentioned before. The focus is on the faithfulness of Jesus who covered our sin by his shed blood.

The idea of a covering for sin, or atonement, comes from the Old Testament. God required the Jewish people to offer animal sacrifices as an atonement, or covering for sin. Whenever they sinned, they brought an animal to the temple to have it sacrificed. As a nation, once a year, they sacrificed an unblemished lamb on what was known as the Day of Atonement, which is the day Jewish people still speak of as Yom Kippur. That is the day on which this happened. The shedding of blood was necessary to cover sin.

Jesus was faithful to God not only because He did not yield to sin, but also because He was willing to shed His blood on the cross. As an innocent person, He died in order to cover our sins and thus make redemption possible. Because Jesus was faithful, God is able to forgive our sins and accept.

To All Who Believe

So what this passage focuses on is what God has done in Christ. God making everything right is revealed through Jesus who was faithful to God. Jesus was faithful by coming to earth and subjecting Himself to the power of SIN, but never yielding to that power. He was faithful by shedding His blood in order to cover our sin and thus to free us from the power of SIN. When people are freed from the power of SIN, God’s making everything right is not finished. He continues to work in them to empower them to live right and, in the end, to take them into His eternal kingdom where everything will be right.

And that is why we have this astonishing good news which dispels all the bad news we looked at last week. It is good news which frees us from the power of SIN and sets us free to live right and to live eternally. How does this amazing Good News become ours?

We Are Among Those Who Have Fallen Short

The beginning point is the recognition that we are trapped. Whether we are those who reject God in our godlessness or those who seem to know God, but deny that knowledge by our disobedience, as we saw last week, we are trapped in the power of SIN.

Romans 3:23 puts it this way. “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” God intends glory for all of His creation, but because of the power of SIN and because of all the wrong things we do, we fall far short of it. There is no way that any person ever measures up. Carla’s aunt had a profound revelation a few days before she died. She wondered, “am I good enough.” We could gladly tell her, “There is no way that you are good enough.” You have fallen short.

It Is A Gift

But then we were also able to remind her that she was accepted by God because He has freed us from sin. You don’t get brownie points for good behavior and you can’t earn this freedom as wages. Because Jesus was faithful to the call of God and fulfilled all that God called Him to do, He is able to make things right as a gift of grace.

This is what we read in Romans 3:24. Every religion in the world tries to make things right as men, women and children do their best to fulfill every possible obligation. In the gospel, God is making things right by giving us a gift which arises because He is gracious. As we have already seen, because we fall short and it is hopeless, there is only one way that we can be set free and that is by receiving the gift of God’s grace.

It is much easier for many people to give a gift than to receive a gift. The problem is that we have to humble ourselves and admit that we need help. When we are able to do that, God’s gift is available to us.

For Those Who Believe

How do we receive this gift? In one place in this passage we are given the answer to that question. In 3:22 we are told that this gift is given to “the all who believe.”

Last week we saw that God is impartial. His wrath is poured out on all people – both those who have no covenant with God and reject Him in their godlessness and those who have a covenant with Him, but reject that covenant by their disobedience. We saw it as good news that God was impartial in His wrath. The wonder of the good news is multiplied when we realize that God is not only impartial in His wrath, but also in the giving of the free gift.

One does not have to become a Jew first in order to become one of God’s people. One does not have to be from a certain culture or economic status or any other division on earth. Since it is given to all who believe, it is equally available to everyone on earth. All who put their trust in Jesus are set free from the power of SIN and are given the life of God now and for all eternity.

Conclusion

As we think about these things, I want to invite all of us to discover how we can respond to this amazing good news. How will you do your gospel happy dance?

If you are feeling trapped under the weight of God’s wrath and the knowledge of your own hopelessness, then I would invite you to accept the gift of God by trusting in Jesus. If you believe in your heart that Jesus died on the cross for you and if you confess with your mouth that He is Lord, you will be set free and given God’s gift. I would invite anyone who desires this gift to take the step of believing today.

If you have already received God’s gift, I would invite you to discover once again the wonder of what it means that God has made things right because Jesus was faithful and offered His life as a sacrifice. I would invite you, on this day of Thanksgiving celebration, to offer to God, from the bottom of your heart a deep and clear “thank you Lord!” It is so important that we understand that the revelation of the righteousness of God through the faithfulness of Jesus is the center of this passage. If we understand that, we understand the glory of the gift. Our thoughts and our heart are focused on God and our gratitude goes to Him. Surely we have reason to do a thanksgiving happy dance because the righteousness of God has been revealed. How will you celebrate your thanksgiving that the righteousness of God has been revealed through the faithfulness of Jesus?