Join us in this deep dive into the Book of Romans, where we explore the astonishing truths presented by Paul. Through this episode, we unpack the monumental shift from man’s brokenness to the righteousness of God. As Paul introduces God’s judgment not upon man, but on Himself through Jesus Christ, we find a new perspective on grace and redemption. This episode challenges the idea of human effort by casting light on God’s righteousness revealed apart from the law, providing hope to those burdened by addiction or personal struggle.
00:00:05 Introduction and Synopsis of the Book of Romans
00:14:10 Closing Remarks and Broadcast Information
SPEAKER 01 :
What a book this is, the book of Romans, astonishing beyond words, unexpected beyond all we can conceive. Paul, having spent three and a half chapters describing the brokenness and sinfulness of man, ruined and without righteousness, then pronounces or introduces God’s judgment. But God’s judgment is not upon man. It is upon himself. For God in the person of Jesus Christ takes the judgment of the world. Utterly astonishing. And so he introduces not man, judgment after mankind’s sin and brokenness, but righteousness, God’s righteousness provided for humanity. Listen to this, “…but now the righteousness of God, apart from the law, is revealed, being witnessed to by the law and the prophets.” even the righteousness of God through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe, for there is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Now we’ve heard these verses so long that we’ve become shock-proof, but let’s break them down so that we start getting delightfully and beautifully shocked again. God introduces the righteousness of Christ. You remember I said last time that Romans 3, verses 21 and 22, fill out more completely an explanation of what Paul says in Romans 1, verse 17. He is not ashamed of the gospel, for in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith. As it is written, the just shall live by faith. The gospel then reveals the righteousness of God. But exactly what does that mean? Does it mean a way for us to slowly, gradually learn how to be righteous by being more moral? Does it mean, well, what does it mean? So we have Romans 3, verses 21 and 22, as a further explication of this. Now the righteousness of God, apart from the law. That’s enormously significant. Apart from the law means apart from human effort, apart from all the attempts we have made or will make to comply with the Ten Commandments. This is righteousness apart from the law. As I said last time, this was inconceivable to a Jew. What in the world is Paul talking about? How can righteousness come without the law? Because the law is the way to righteousness. Oh, Paul is showing us that that’s not the case. He has already expounded on that in chapters 1 through 3 and a half. And he concludes with this, Now don’t just take that as a biblical bit of data, as a doctrine. If you’re struggling with drugs or alcohol or food issues or pornography or weight issues or gambling, you have to absorb this and see what it means. Because it’s saying that if you attempt to reach God or become a peaceful Christian by overcoming your addiction, you will fail. Why? Because your attempt to overcome is a work of the law, and according to this, no flesh will be declared innocent by a work of the law. So you come before God and say, Oh Lord, I’ve tried to prove myself. I’ve tried to make myself acceptable to you by overcoming my addiction to alcohol and drugs. Oh Father, I’ve been putting the cart before the horse because you, dear God, in Jesus Christ, are my peace and security. I need to know that you are my salvation without my attempts to keep the law. I know this sounds frightening to so many people. It sounds like easy Christianity, easy faith, easy moral life, and so on. But let me tell you that faith will move mountains in your life as you continue to learn how to express faith in God. So, God’s righteousness is revealed apart from the law, but it’s witnessed to, as I pointed out yesterday, by the law and the prophets, as it says here in verse 21. You remember Isaiah 53, All we like sheep have gone astray, and the Lord has laid upon him the iniquity of us all. God has laid upon Jesus Christ your alcohol addiction, your drug addiction, your food addiction, your pornography addiction. He has laid upon Jesus all of that mound of struggle and failure and defeat and shame and guilt. And that means that even though you may not have overcome yet, you can lift up your heart and say, O Father, I thank you that you have removed all condemnation and shame from me. I praise you that I’m your child and I’m growing in grace. Now notice this. Paul says, for now the righteousness of God is revealed apart from the law, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. Now, in the King James Version and the Revised King James Version, it says, through faith in Jesus Christ. But that’s probably not how it should be translated, because our faith in Jesus Christ is mentioned in the next clause, to all and on all who believe. So it’s not necessary for him to mention it twice. And through faith in Jesus Christ, the word faith can be translated and is in other translations as faithfulness. So this is really reading through the righteousness of God, through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe. And again, I pointed out to you yesterday that Jesus Christ, our Savior, Jesus, our friend, his faithful life to his Father, the faithfulness of his obedience, his love, his devotion to his Father, right to the point where he lets his life go under the most horrible death in crucifixion, so horrible that even Jesus became frightened of it. You remember in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before and asked God to take the cup from him, but he heard nothing from the Father, and so he knew that he must go through and drink this cup, and he did so for us. He was taking the judgment of God against sin. And remember, Jesus is one with God. He that has seen him has seen the Father. And so, Jesus was God among men, the Son of God, Son of Man, taking the judgment of mankind upon himself. Incredible. Now look, notice the next bit of the verse. Let’s read again. But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed to by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. to all and on all. Why does Paul use such strange terminology, on all? The righteousness is on all, not the righteousness is gained by or learned by or developed by, but it’s on all, because God puts it on us like a cloak, like clothing, like new dressing. This is righteousness that is counted to us. It’s treated as if it were ours when in fact it’s God’s. God gives us, clothes us with Christ’s righteousness. All that we need for salvation, all that we need to have peace with God, all that we need to have access to the Father is given to us by Christ, who is our substitute and our surety. He substitutes for our broken-down humanity, and he is our assurance by God, our representative by being raised from the dead, so that when he ascends to the Father, He represents you and he represents me before the Father. This is why Christians have joy. This is why Christians have certainty. They don’t hope to get there. They don’t hope they’ll be able to claw up the mountain and have strength enough. They rejoice in the victory and the atoning sacrifice of another. I know this is not popular today. As I pointed out yesterday, humanism tries to kill the idea that Jesus is our substitute and our representative before the Father. Humanism says, why do we need a substitute and representative? God can forgive us without all that, and he does. Jesus is just a representation of the love of God. Jesus is just a good example on how we ought to live. But he’s not a substitute for us. Why do we need a substitute? All we need to do is repent. That’s what humanism, Christian humanism, goes by. That’s how it thinks. And it’s dead wrong. When you explore the gospel, you clearly see that Jesus died on behalf of humanity for the iniquity of humanity. And that is the basis by which we can believe that all humanity is saved through the atoning substitutionary sacrifice of Christ. Well, you say, Colin, but it says on all who believe, and only some believe, not everybody believes. Well, you will find that as we go through this book of Romans, that belief is a gift from God. Yes, it is ours to exercise, but it is God who gives the gift. It is not generated by willpower. Have you thought of that recently? Do you think that your faith is generated by willpower? And therefore, when you don’t have much willpower and you’re just fed up and feeling like death warmed over, that you simply don’t have the willpower to have faith? Well, listen. You go before your father and say, Oh, Lord, I’ve failed so many times in my addiction to alcohol and drugs. I have no willpower. And the father says, I know you don’t. I give you faith to believe that my son has gained the victory for you. Now, when you come to praise and learn to praise and thank God that Christ has brought the victory, do you know what slowly happens? Slowly, your willpower, like a little plant, begins to take root and the little shoots come up out of the ground because the shoots are responding to the sunshine of God’s love in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. That’s how it works. So you thank God for the faith. It’s upon all who believe. Now, notice the next line. For there is no difference. Now, why does he say that? Straight after saying, upon all who believe. Well, again, as I pointed out yesterday, belief is a leveler. It is an equalizer. It is, Paul is clearly revealing here that faith is not something that distinguishes believers from unbelievers. It is something that brings in everyone ultimately to faith. Now granted, not everybody believes right now, but God is at work seeding faith in everyone who comes by his providence to the end of his resources. Are you at the end? Then you’re at the beginning. Receive Christ. Thank you for listening today, Colin Cook, with a bit of a croaky throat still. It doesn’t seem to go away yet, but it will. Anyway, thank you. You can hear this broadcast any time of the day or night on your smartphone. Simply download a free app, soundcloud.com or podbean.com and key in how it happens with Colin Cook when you get there. You can also hear the program on the radio, KLTT AM 670 in the Denver and Colorado and surrounding states area at 10 o’clock in the evening, repeated at 4 in the morning. And if you’d like to make a donation, it would be so much appreciated. This is listener-supported radio. It cannot operate without your support. Send your donation to FaithQuest, P.O. Box 366, Littleton, Colorado 80160, or make your donation online at faithquestradio.com. Thanks for all your support. See you next time. Cheerio and God bless.
