“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”
~ Romans 3:23
Hi James and Ellen,
Do you like to ask questions? Do you like to be asked questions? Do you like to answer questions? Paul asked several questions in Romans 3 to the Christ-follower guys and gals who were living in the city of Rome. The first question that Paul asked the Christ-follower guys and gals who were living in the city of Rome was whether they thought it was more of an advantage for a guy or gal who was Jew to become a Christ-follower or was it more of an advantage for a guy or gal who was a Gentile to become a Christ-follower. Paul knew that the guys and gals who were Christ-followers who were living in the city of Rome knew that guys and gals who were Jews were God’s specially chosen guys and gals. Paul would answer his own questions. Paul’s questions were rhetorical questions. A rhetorical question means that the answer to a question is an obvious answer. Paul’s answer to his first question was that because God – as God the Father, had entrusted to guys and gals who are Jews – who were the Israelite people group guys and gals, His words – which was the Old Testament law, that a guy or gal who was a Jew had an obvious advantage over a guy or gal who was a Gentile for becoming a Christ-follower. Paul’s next rhetorical question for the guys and gals who were living in the city of Rome was that if a guy or gal does not have the faith to believe in God would not the lack of faith that the guy or gal has nullify or negate God’s mercy. Paul’s answer to this question was that because God is holy and true to His word – which was the Old Testament law, and because guys and gals are sinners and chronic liars, God – as God the Father, has made it very clear that He is going to exact a dreadful punishment on every guy and gal who disobediently rebels against His words – which was the Old Testament law. Paul’s next rhetorical question for the guys and gals who were living in the city of Romes was that because guys and gals – as they lived sin filled lives, underscored God’s righteousness, was God’s anger unjustified because the sins of guys and gals accentuated God’s righteousness. Paul’s answer to this question was an absolute certainly not because it was the sins of guys, gals and kids that were causing God – as God the Father, to have to judge every guy, gal and kid. Paul had a follow up rhetorical question for the guys and gals who were living in the city of Rome which was why would they not want do evil so that they might ultimately recognize what is good. Paul’s answer to any guy and gal who adopts this warped mindset was that his or her condemnation or punishment will be deserved.
Paul affirmed the guys and gals who were Christ-followers who were living in the city of Rome when he wrote that guys and gals who were Jews and that guys and gals who were Gentiles were equally caught up in sinning – that every single guy, gal and kid born anywhere on planet Earth was born with sin DNA. Paul explained to the guys and gals who were Christ-followers who were living in the city of Rome that when a guy or gal is born that he or she has no understanding of God’s truths, has no reason to look for hope in God, has no knowledge of how to do good, has no earthly worth to God, will only use his or her mouth to deceive, poison and curse, will live a bitter life, will use his or her feet to murder, will have ruin and misery mark his or her life, will not know peace and will have no fear of God. Paul summed up some Old Testament quotes by saying in verse 23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Paul told the guys and gals who were Christ-followers who were living in the city of Rome that the Old Testament law is absolutely essential for making guys and gals conscious or cognizant of their sins. Paul also told the guys and gals who were Christ-followers who were living in the city of Rome that continuing to keep the Old Testament Law mandates was no longer God’s prescribed way for giving glory to Him.
If you are born hapless to know God, how can God then become your God? This is not a rhetorical question. In order to answer the second part of this question, a guy or gal must first accept as an absolute truth the first part of this question. A guy or gal comes to know Who God is when he or she accepts as an absolute truth that he or she has a totally irreparable sin nature and when he or she accepts as an absolute fact what takes place when he or she is led to and passes through the faith/grace door into God’s specially elected family of Christ-follower guys, gals and kids. The death of God – as God the Son – Jesus Christ, on a cross was a ransom payment for the sins of every guy, gal and kid who God – as God the Father, specially elected for Himself before He positioned a formless mass – which became planet Earth, in the cosmos. The death of God – as God the Son – Jesus Christ, as a ransom payment for the sins of every guy, gal and kid who God – as God the Father, specially elected to adopt was driven by the unmerited grace of God – as God the Father, resulting in the death of God – as God the Son, atoning for his or her sins. As a specially elected guy, gal or kid passes by the blood stained cross on which God – as God the Son – Jesus Christ, died, and through the faith/grace door, he or she is justified and marked once and for all to be a Christ-follower. Faith is the ‘secret’ word that a guy, gal or kid needs to internalize to have a hope filled life –which is an irrefutable belief that God – as God the Father, stamps on the hearts of each guy, gal and kid who passes by the cross that was used to defeat death – which is what took place when God – as God the Son – as Jesus Christ, died on that cross. If you are confused by what Paul wrote in his Roman Book, that is okay; you do not need to understand in your mind what took place on a cross almost 2000 years ago, all you need is faith to believe in your heart that it did take place.
Romans 3 (892)