Romans [3:28-30] 5:1-11

Romans [3:28-30] 5:1-11

Initial Thoughts

• Check out the Pulpit Fiction Academy with Beverly Gaventa on Romans

• At the very least read Romans 1-4

Bible Study

• Paul has already laid out his argument for justification by faith (Romans 1-4)

• All sin- all fall short of the glory of God

• It is only through the gift of faith in God’s grace that we are redeemed

• NT Wright’s summary (from New Interpreter’s Bible) “Chapters 1-4: God’s gospel unveils the fact that in the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, the God of Israel has been true to the covenant established with Abraham and has thereby brought saving order to the whole world. In the face of a world in rebellion and chosen people unfaithful to their commission, God has, through the surrogate faithfulness of Jesus the Messiah, created a worldwide - that is, a Jewish and Gentile - family for Abraham, marked out by the covenant sign of faith.” (NIB, p. 405)

• NT Wright on Chapter 5-8 “God has thereby done what the covenant was set up to do: to address and solve the problem expressed in biblical terms as the sin of Adam. In the Messiah, Jesus, God has done for this new people what was done for Israel of old in fulfillment of the promise to Abraham: Redeemed from the Egypt of enslavement to sin, they are led through the wilderness of the present life by the Spirit (not the Torah) and they look forward to the inheritance, which will consist of the entire redeemed creation. This is how the creator will finally put the whole world to rights. All this is the result of God’s astonishing, unchanging, self giving covenant love expressed completely and finally in the death of Jesus.”

• Chapter 3:28-30

• Definitely look at the CEB translation of verses 22-30. They correctly translate v. 22 “God’s righteousness comes through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ” which is traditionally translated as faith in Jesus Christ. This is an important distinction. 

• Expansion of redemption/justification by faith

• Just as all have sinned and are saved through faith, so too are both Jews and Gentiles saved by faith. 

• Faithfulness is the means of salvation, not circumcision or belonging to one particular cultural or ethnic group.

• Chapter 5 begins with the fruits or results of being justified by faith:

• “The first paragraph of the new section states and develops the theme that overarches the next four chapterS: those whom God justified, God also glorified. In typical fashion, this is stated densely to start with… As usual, Paul’s successive explanations do not add new points to the opening summary, but rather explore what is contained by implication within it.” (Wright, New Interpreter’s Bible, v. X, p, 514)

• Peace with God in the present

• Hope for God in the future

• Now but not yet eschatological dynamic to faith: peace in the present and hope for the future

• Peace in the present

• Faith in God through Jesus Christ justifies us with the assurance that we do not need to earn our way into the Kingdom

• Don’t put your faith in riches, or self-image, or sex, or power, or religiosity - put your faith in God.

• You can never earn your way into the Kingdom, only accept the grace of God as revealed in Jesus Christ

• “It is a relationship of love on both sides, in which reconciliation has replaced enmity. This intimacy comes about through the gift of God’s Spirit, the presence of God with the newly constituted community and within the redeemed person, not least in their present wilderness sufferings… All that God accomplished in the Messiah, was done out of love, and designed to call out an answering love. The intimacy and ecstasy of 5:1-11 are a necessary further dimension of the doctrine of justification by faith.” (Wright, p. 514)

• Hope for the future

• The Kingdom of God is not a dream but a reality that we live into - when we are at peace with God (through faith) we can begin to live into the Kingdom (think Sermon the Mount).

• Converse if we are not at peace - then living into the Kingdom is impossible - we cannot bless the poor if we feel we do not have enough, we cannot love our enemy if we are focused on how to dominate them, we cannot love our neighbor if we continue to judge them.

• Peace in the present brings hope for the future. Afterall, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for and evidence of things yet unseen” (Heb. 11:1)

• Boasting in sufferings?

• This is difficult - used to justify the suffering of others. Note Paul writes, “we boast” not you boast. Paul is also suffering, not trying to justify the sufferings of others.

• Other side of 4:2 where boasting is negative (you cannot boast due to your lineage or religiosity- those mean nothing in the realm of God) If you are going to boast, boast of your suffering through faithfulness.

• Boasting is only acceptable when it illuminated the love and grace of God (not how awesome you are, but how awesome God is)

• Being at peace with God does not mean a life free from suffering - in fact there is great likelihood that faith will bring you into suffering, but faith gives us a different perspective on suffering (cf. Matthew 5:10-12)

• Reminder that Christ (the best of us) also suffered and died for us (even though we suck)

• We boast in suffering because we know suffering and death do not have the final word.

• What does “suffering” look like for Western Christians - or at least where do we start?

• suffering means doing without so others can have

• suffering means paying more for clothes so Bangladeshi workers can be safe

• suffering means paying more for food is it is grown humanely and sustainably

• suffering means using public transportation to relieve congestion and pollution

• suffering means leaving apathy and ignorance behind

• suffering is an awareness of the pain of our brothers and sisters and doing something about it

• suffering is acknowledging white privilege and actively working to dismantle it

Thoughts and Questions

• Good News! Get off the treadmill of what you should do, or need to do in order to earn God’s favor- God loves you and there is nothing you can do about it! But you can respond to it: with endurance, character, and hope.

• In what ways are you enduring and helping others endure? In what ways are you building up character in yourself and others? In what ways are you being a beacon of hope?

• The power of resilience

• Grace - how often do we preach on exactly what is “Grace” and why is grace so important? Don’t assume people know.

Thank you listeners and get in touch:

Thanks to our Psalms correspondent, Richard Bruxvoort Colligan (psalmimmersion.com,@pomopsalmist). Thank you to Scott Fletcher for our voice bumpers, Dick Dale and the Del Tones for our Theme music (“Miserlou”), Nicolai Heidlas (“Sunday Morning”,"Real Ride"and“Summertime”) and Bryan Odeen for our closing music.