Explore the profound insights of the book of Romans as we delve into its challenging yet enlightening perspectives on human nature and redemption. This episode unpacks the harsh reality of human depravity and the compassionate solution offered through Christ’s substitutionary sacrifice—a message often overlooked in modern discussions. As we navigate through the theological implications of sin and grace, we invite you to reflect on the divine righteousness revealed beyond the constraints of the law.
The reason Romans, the book of Romans, is not particularly popular, particularly in the 21st century, is that it doesn’t accept the humanistic view of mankind, that men and women are basically good at heart and simply need a little touch-up and improvement by repentance and the Holy Spirit. But that is not the view of Romans chapters 1 through 3. Mankind, according to—listen to this. These are quotations that Paul draws from the Old Testament to talk about the condition of mankind. There is none righteous, no, not one. There is none who understands. There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside. They have together become unprofitable. There is none who does good, no, not one. Their throat is an open tomb with their tongues. They have practiced deceit. The poison of asps is under their lips, whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood. Destruction and misery are in their ways, and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes. And if you don’t believe it, just go to Netflix and watch the average movie. And don’t tell me that that’s not real life. The interesting thing is that we all like to look at that kind of life, don’t we? You see, it is so essential to see the condition of humankind from God’s point of view. because then you can understand why God has to do what he does in the redemption process of sending his Son as the Son of Man, representing all mankind, to take the judgment of humanity. So Paul’s conclusion, as I pointed out the last time, is this. Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore, by the deeds of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Now, some people will look at these verses and say, why does God want us to feel guilty all the time? He doesn’t. He wants to relieve us of our guilt. The truth of the matter is, we don’t even know we’re guilty because we have suppressed guilt. It’s called denial, of course, isn’t it? Guilt in relation to not simply our human relationships and how we let one another down, but guilt in relation to the fact that we have suppressed and been suppressing God all our lives. That is a guilt that is unknown to us until the gospel clearly shines a light on it. Now, why then would God want to shine a light on our guilt? So that we can come out of denial and we can make sense of why Jesus has to die for us and take our part. That’s the reason. So if you’re in a church that does not proclaim the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus for the sins of the world, you’re in the wrong church. If you hear the preacher continually talking about… good works and how we do good things and how Jesus is our example and how Jesus manifests the love of God, all very beautiful. But if the preacher is not revealing this substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the sins of the world, then he is not proclaiming the gospel to you. It’s as easy as that. It’s as real as that. We have to face it. And you say, well, Colin, you talk so arrogantly. No, look, I’m just reading to you what it says. That’s all I’m doing. If you haven’t read the book of Romans lately and poured your soul over it and looked closely at it, then you’re in denial too. And I’m not trying to make you feel bad or condemn you. I’m simply saying, let’s look at the reality of our humanity, that it is broken, that it is ruined, no matter how brilliant it can be intellectually, no matter how philosophically elevated it may be, no matter how brilliant it can be with science and technology to create wonders of the world. In relation to God, our souls are broken. And once we realize that, then we come to the Lord. Oh Lord, my soul longs for you. I am hungry and thirsty for you. I see now what my emptiness is. It is my soul without you. That’s what we want to learn. Well now, moving to the next section, which is, of course, flowing from this first section, what do you think God is going to do about all this? Is he going to send rockets and bolts of lightning and volcanoes and fire and brimstone? Is he going to judge us? The incredible reality is that Paul then says in the very next verse, let’s look at the connection, I’ll read verse 20 and then verse 21, Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified or declared innocent in his sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed. Well, goodness, what a surprise. God’s revealing a righteousness to us, and he says even the righteousness of God through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe, My goodness, here is God coming up with the solution. He’s not here to condemn us. He’s not here to make us feel bad. He simply wants us to know the depths of our depravity revealed through the law so that we come to Jesus for the grace, for the mercy and the forgiveness. Now, you see, let me go back to the law again. When you read these passages, chapters 2, the corruption of the religious world, its idolatry, and all the sinfulness and so on, and the fact that the law stops us and makes us ashamed and makes us guilty or reveals our guilt, And when you read that the law, by the law is the knowledge of sin, then what you will be tempted to do, listen to me, is, oh, I’d better shape up and I’d better keep the law. I’m a lawbreaker. I need to repent and become a lawkeeper. No, no, no. That is not where the law takes you. The law does not point to itself. It does not point to itself and say, you have lusted in your heart and therefore committed adultery. Repent and clean up your thoughts. Of course, that’s part of what happens in the gospel, but it is not the law that brings you to that destiny. You do not say, oh God, I’ve sinned, I’m so corrupt, I’m so impure. Lord God, help me to clean up my thoughts. No. You see, that is where addiction starts. If you find the law without Christ, you will become an addict because the law reveals your guilt and you will become addicted to getting rid of your guilt if you have not found Jesus Christ. I know this all sounds so strange to many of you, but I’ll tell you, keep listening, and it’ll all make sense in time. The righteousness of God is revealed. What is this? As I think I said some weeks ago, some people think that this is talking about God’s holiness. Excuse me. God’s holiness and his purity. And how is that good news for us? Because we’re so impure and broken down that if God’s righteousness is revealed, means that God’s purity and holiness is revealed, then we’re worse off than ever. Because not only does the law of God reveal our impurity and brokenness, but the glory of God in all of his greatness and purity, high and lifted up, inhabiting eternity, would make us feel even worse. Just like Isaiah, you remember in chapter 6, he beheld the Lord and he said, But woe is me, for I am undone, for I have seen the Lord. So this is not the righteousness he’s talking about. No, what he’s talking about is a righteousness that he is going to provide us. This is being clothed with God’s righteousness. Paul, having described in three and a half chapters the utter brokenness of mankind, how we are—though he doesn’t use this phraseology—naked of soul before God— now reveals our clothing, and it is the clothing of Christ’s righteousness, but now the righteousness of God. Now notice something else, apart from law. That is apart from all human effort to produce it. That is apart from everything you can do to purify your mind and straighten yourself out. The good news is that God has provided a righteousness for you, and it is not a righteousness that slowly trickles into you, and you, by stint and discipline, absorb it and practice it until you walk perfectly straight without any future failings. That’s not the righteousness he’s talking about. He is talking about Christ Jesus, Jesus Christ, the Son of Man, who substitutes for you and provides for you a righteousness that is accounted to you, counted to you as if it were your own. This is the best news you can receive. Once you learn how to receive it and practice it by faith, you will experience a wonderful freedom. Thanks for listening. This is Colin Cook here, and I want to tell you about my book that I have just written and that is just published. It’s called God’s Unbreakable Oath, Volumes 1 and 2. You can get it from Amazon. God’s Unbreakable Oath. Now, what’s it about? It’s about God’s plan to rescue all humanity, to save the whole world. Jesus Christ’s sacrifice reaches far beyond what you can ever imagine, and the book is going to show you all of that reality. Now, let me just take you through a few of the chapters as listed. Chapter 1 talks about the witness of Isaiah. Isaiah declares that God has made an oath unbreakable that before him ultimately every knee shall bow and every tongue shall acknowledge and make an oath that in him alone is their righteousness and strength. And then the next chapter deals with the witness of Ephesians and Colossians, where God says that God will reconcile the whole universe to himself through Jesus Christ. And then we look at, in the next chapter, the witness of the gospel. The Gospel Witness, in two chapters here, talks about how the sacrifice of Christ completely covers all of the sin and death that the first Adam brought about. And then we look at how faith comes, because some people wonder, well, if faith is our choice, then how is it possible that everyone would choose God? But faith isn’t our choice. Faith is a gift from God. And this book is going to tell you how we receive that gift. And then comes the next chapter. We look at the judgments in Ezekiel, and we discover that the judgments do not lead to death. but to the knowledge that God is the Lord. That’s the first book. Then we come to the second book. That is the second volume, and we explore Romans 9 to 11, a passage that so many people find terribly difficult, but it’s much easier when you realize what Paul is saying. It’s about election. God is going to elect. Oh, you say, I hate that doctrine, because he elects some to be lost and some to be saved. No, he doesn’t. Election is for the whole world, all of humanity. And then we come to the chapters on the witness of Jesus, what he says when he draws all people to himself. He does three things, actually. He draws all people to himself, then he separates everyone at the coming of Jesus, the sheep and the goats, and then he unites them in the judgment. And so you’re going to find some fascinating stuff there. Then the witness of the angels, the reconciliation of heaven, things in heaven. And then the final judgment, the lake of fire. What is it? And how does the atoning work of Christ cover it? So these are some of the things you can find in my book, God’s Unbreakable Oath, Volumes 1 and 2, by Colin Cook, available on Amazon. See you next time. Cheerio and God bless.
