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A Gift from God to All People
Romans 3:21-31
Mari Ikeda
Today, we will be reading from Romans 3:21-31. The content reads as if Romans chapter 2 is beginning here. What Paul was trying to say is condensed here as the first introduction to a new content. And the core of our faith is also condensed in it. We should not forget that our faith is not based on whether we believe or not believe but it’s rather a gift that God wants to offer us. We will read bit by bit. First Verses 21-24
A. A gift from God
1. God’s desire is to save all people (21-24)
21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
I want us to focus on verse 23. It says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. In the previous verses, we have repeatedly been told that all human beings are equally sinful. Here we are told that as a result (of our sinfulness), we are not receiving God’s glory. What is that glory of God that we should have received if we had not sinned? It goes back to the story of the creation of the world and the creation of man. Genesis 1:26-27 reads …
26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” 27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
The glory of God that we were originally meant to have is the glory of being in His image. God made us in His image and placed us in this world to be partners in ruling it together. As such, we have been given life as creatures desired and appreciated by God.
That’ s why, even after we had sinned against Him, He wanted to restore His relationship with us rather than punish us. He also promised that He would one day rescue us from the torment of our sins, instead of leaving us to fend for ourselves.
Verse 21 says, ” But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.” “the Law and prophets” refer to the entire Old Testament in the Jewish religion. God’s promise to save mankind had been preached throughout the Old Testament for thousands of years.
And God’s desire and promise were fulfilled thru Jesus. Nothing was asked from man but rather God had to make a big sacrifice on His side. Let’s continue to verse 25-26
2. To that end, he made a tremendous sacrifice (25-26)
25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood —to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished — 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
God wanted to bring us back to Him after we had forgotten our role as His partners, but at the same time, He could not just forgive us, who have brought suffering to others by making ourselves into gods. God is a God of justice, and He cannot justly forgive sinners without judging them. At the same time, God is a loving God who desires to forgive sinners. In fact, there is no one who has not sinned, so if God does not forgive every single sinner, all mankind will have to perish
Therefore, God came to this world in the person of Jesus. And instead of destroying us, He gave His life for us. It can be said that God Himself took on and paid the price for our sins that we could never pay on our own. In exchange for Jesus’ life, we could be freed from our sins and we could regain our status as God’s partners. It means that our sins are so great that God had to do that much. At the same time, God’s love is also so great.
The Phrase “to demonstrate his righteousness is repeated in verses 25-26. “God’s righteousness” is a difficult phrase. It however has a meaning of both God’s justice and God’s faithfulness; Justice in judging sin and faithfulness in keeping promises. Even when we forget about God and become separated from Him, He will never forget the promises He made. Jesus gave his life on the cross because of the love God has unilaterally shown us, regardless of whether we believe in him or not.
The only thing we can do is to receive the gift that God is offering at such a great cost. Let’s move on to verses 27-30.
B. All we need to do is accept God’s gift
1. It is a mistake to think we can do something to receive the gift (27-30)
27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. 28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, 30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.
We have nothing to match the price Jesus paid for us on the cross. We can neither work to pay it back, nor can we pay it back with our possessions. Neither does Jesus want us to do so. All He wants is for us to receive the gift that He offered in exchange for His life. Let’s go back a little and read verse 24 again.
24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
The forgiveness of sins is God’s grace in exchange for Jesus’ life. The restoration of our status as God’s partners is also God’s grace. The word “grace” seems a little weak to me, so today I am using the word “gift”. Forgiveness of sins and God’s love are not things that we can acquire by our own strength but are rather gifts that God wants to give us.
We cannot be proud of the gift that is given to us for free like the one we acquired by our own efforts. Just because you received the gift first doesn’t make you any different from someone who hasn’t yet received it.
Faith is the decision to accept the gift that is offered in exchange for Jesus’ life. We can also say that it means knowing that the gift is not just for us alone, but it is also for everyone else. And there is no meaning in receiving a gift and not opening it to see the content. Let us read the last verse 31.
2. Let’s open the gift once we receive it (31)
31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.
Believing in Jesus and receiving God’s forgiveness and love means living with the contents of the gifts we have received. What does it mean and what kind of life do we live, in order to be forgiven of our sin and to live as God’s partner? the answer is different for each of us.
However, if we do not forgive each other for our mistakes and help each other in our relationships with various people, we are not receiving the love of Jesus’ cross. It may be said that this is a lifelong process of bumping into people and making mistakes, while learning the magnitude of Jesus’ gift to us.
Sometimes we may despair, lose sight of God, and think that we have lost our gifts. But through other people, through events, and through quiet prayer alone, the Lord re-gifts us again and again. In this way, we can forgive, guide, and love others as we are forgiven, guided, and loved by God over and over again.
To be forgiven of our sins by God, to be loved by God, and to live together with God is perhaps to receive a gift so great that it takes us a lifetime to open it. This week let’s continue to receive and open gifts in our daily lives and in our relationships with various people.
(Prayer) God, who created this world, and Jesus, who gave his life for us, thank you for your deep care and love. Long before we knew you, you knew us and wanted us to live as your partners in this world. Please transform us and guide us with your Spirit so that we can be carriers of hope and joy in each of our walks. Lord Jesus, we pray in your name. Amen.
Summary
God made humans in his own image and put us on this earth to partner with him. Forgetting our identity as God’s partner, we lose sight of our purpose and make ourselves into our own gods. In spite of this, God wants to restore our relationship and he paid the price for our betrayal. Through the sacrifice of Jesus’ life, God offers us a free gift, releasing us from the pain that our sin brings to us and to those around us, and restoring our relationship with him as his partner and as people who are able to give and receive love.
For Discussion
1. What kind of relationship does God want with us?
2. What is the basis?