¶ God's Righteousness Revealed in Romans
Listen . A whole group of people didn't even get the reality of God . Their minds were darkened and they're in trouble and the Jewish nation is like , yeah those Gentiles .
They got it wrong .
And then Paul turns around and he's like I see you Joke's on you , you too . ["vibing with the Book"] . Welcome back to the move where we are vibing with the book .
You know , every time you say vibe , I still think jive in my head . I know that that's not the right word . We're vibing with the book Ten minutes at a time , ten minutes at a time . Today we're talking Romans , chapter three versus 21 and part of 22 . 22-ish ish part of it . Have you read it ? I did , I read it , you read it , I read it .
Or you can read it again .
This is a short one .
But now the righteousness of God has been manifested , apart from the law , although the law and the prophets bear witness to it . The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe .
Before we start the timer hit that subscribe button , drop a comment , do the whole emoji thing , prayer hands , whatever flavor it's cool . Just let us know what you're thinking . Ten minutes starts now . So , jonathan , the other day in class at church , the teacher's like what is your favorite word in the Bible ? And it can't be Jesus .
Right , because it's always Jesus . Jesus is the answer . And there were different answers . You know what my answer was oh man , what's your favorite word in the Bible ?
I was going to say something really cheeky , but I don't know what's your favorite word .
My favorite answer is but OK , because there's a lot of times in the Bible where we get like no hope . A lot of stuff is going on , but and this is one of those but moments there's that song about that word . I don't know that song . You know that one where he likes the word , but no .
Oh , ok , I see where you're going . I see where you're going .
This is one of those moments because for the last what Three ish chapters Paul is basically made one point .
And it's been since verse 18 of chapter one , or he's like listen , a whole group of people didn't even get the reality of God . Their minds were darkened and they're in trouble and the Jewish nation is like yeah , gentiles , they got it wrong .
And then Paul turns around .
He's like I see you Jokes on you , you too . Yeah , all right , oh no . And then he gets to that , for we've all sinned and fallen short of the glory .
And we'll get there , but yes , yes , so my favorite word , but that's how it starts .
You remind me of the preachers , but God but .
God . But God , god said so yeah .
This is a good word . So what's the interruption here ? Because but is always works as an interruption . What's the interruption that goes on from this argument that Paul makes ? Both Gentiles and Jews have not sought the true glory , honor and immortality of a God who is not enthroned in majesty , but a God who enthrones himself in suffering .
That the law is aiming towards , like this butt interrupts .
He's speaking against this idea that I could possibly do something to establish right relationship with God . That's right that the works of the law somehow accomplish this saving yeah .
Because thus far in our framing and in our anticipation , we've talked about the enthronement of God on a cross , but Paul hasn't yet , and what he's been addressing is this that you're highlighting . Yeah , these works that you can't actually come or understand God , if what you're localizing your relationship to him through and in is these works of the law , correct .
OK , so he's highlighting something different here . The approach is coming out of left field for most of the readers at this point . Is it though ? Is it , is it ? I don't know . You seem like you're questioning that . Where are you going with that ? So when we that question , oh , I see where you're going with it .
Ok , sorry , it took me a couple seconds to come to the party .
Well , that it comes out of left field right Mm-hmm Is in this letter to these people in Rome . These people in Rome are already part of some sort of existing body . They're a church . So it doesn't come as a surprise to them what he's gonna say next , in the sense of that God has done something on their behalf because that's why they're gathered right .
It doesn't also come as a surprise to Paul that it doesn't come out of left field what he's gonna say , because to Paul now , in his understanding , what he's about to say has always been there . It's just that our perspective and focus has to shift . Has to shift because we were blinded .
So it comes out of left field , though it shouldn't have come out of left field , because it was front and center . It was front and center the entire time , and here's what we're talking about . Go ahead .
Now we know . Oh sorry , I'm reading the wrong verse but now sorry , that's back 10 minutes ago , but now the righteousness of God has been manifested , apart from the law . So this is the sentiment , that that's the contrast there apart from the law . The law what Left field ?
Huh , what ? It's just Although the law and the prophets bear witness to it . That's right . So that then this isn't Matthew , mark , luke and John ? No , because the only law and prophets . That's a Jewish idiom for the scripture , for the book for the text . It's the only available thing is Old Testament . That's right . He's saying it's been there this entire time .
It's in there , and it's in those first five books Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers , Deuteronomy , which is commonly referred to as Torah , which is the law , and then what comes after , which is the writings and the prophets which are collectively known as now I'm blanking on my Hebrew , but it's the ketuvim and the blanking- but altogether , I don't know , don't
agree to me . All together there , what's called the Tanakh right , which is Torah , and then the prophets and the writings , so that Paul is saying that listen in our writings , in the Torah and our prophetic writings , and even in the Psalms , it's in there , but it's actually apart from the law .
Because here's the thing we didn't understand the law prophesied about it , but the law itself cannot give it , so it has to be apart from the law , although the law , the law , is the thing that shows you it . So it'd be almost like this you can imagine an old man if the law was embodied like it was anthropomorphic , it was now a human right .
It'd be an old man that would say something like hey , pay attention , because a righteousness apart from me is coming and God will raise somebody up that will accomplish all that I'm saying . Oddly enough , there was an old man , oh yeah , that spoke this .
Oh yeah , his name was Moses and in Deuteronomy 1815 , he actually says a prophet will rise up , god will raise a prophet . And the Greek word there . If you go to the Subtuigen , just to get a little nerdy , if you go to the Subtuigen , the Greek word there is anaesthesis , I think , right , which is in the word family of resurrection .
Raise up , but not drawing a one for one , but just something to think about . But it's there . It's there . Moses is saying listen , god will raise a prophet up , jesus himself . When he walked on earth , he said things like the law and the prophets were proclaimed until John , luke 16 , 16 . There's Matthew 11 , 13 .
All the prophets and the law prophesied until John .
Why did the law and the prophets have only up to that point ? Why did it stop there ? What was unique about John ?
Well , john was the last and great prophet , who was actually the herald before the fulfillment would actually come , and this is what John is getting at in chapter one .
When he's dunking people , he's having a little party over there . Then he sees Jesus off in the distance and what does he say ? Behold , the lamb of God , there it is , who takes away the sins of the world , and he's the fulfillment of the promise . So John is doing two things there .
He's not only pointing backwards but pointing forward to what Jesus is about to accomplish .
So then , john is this embodiment , he's the fulfillment . If at the beginning you have Moses , the end is John , in the sense of the that first round .
That last one who speaks , you could say that's the season , and then out of the post-season's coming playoffs has come . This is where the real stuff happens .
The real things shows up and John is speaking to something that will show up . But when John speaks about Jesus , jesus does not speak , as though something else is going to show up . He says this is what's always been .
I am here . Yeah , I am here . So this isn't a plan B . This isn't like an afterthought . This was plan A from the very beginning , genesis 3.15 . All along , a seed will come and bruise its head Right .
Right . So that Jesus . And this is why Jesus says things like don't think that I've actually come to do away with the law , I've come to fulfill .
And often we do this thing where we limit that passage to say that Jesus simply came to keep the law because he's born under the law this is Galatians yeah , because he's a Jewish or whatever , and he's Jewish , so he's come to keep the law .
So that then , when he raises up which , maybe , maybe he did that right , yeah , maybe , but that's not the thing . That's not the thing .
No , he didn't come just to keep the law although I firmly believe Jesus kept the law , of course , because had he not kept the law , he would not have been a perfect sacrifice , absolutely Sure . But he did not come in order to keep the law .
That's not his purpose . That's not his
¶ Jesus Fulfills the Law
plan . While that might be accurate in describing what he did while on this earth , he had a different goal and vision in mind .
The goal was that he himself would fulfill the law , so that what the law prophesied was about him . And this is key , because then that means that the righteousness that comes through Jesus is the very righteousness that the law and prophets saw and prophesied to but could not give themselves . So Paul , bring it back , says .
listen , if you're looking for righteousness by your behavior according to the law , you missed it , yep , but there is righteousness available and it's not in the way that you thought , it's not even in the system that you thought , it's in a person . It's in a person .
That person is Jesus Christ , the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for those who believe . And we'll talk a little bit about what that means . That was 10 minutes , hope you guys enjoyed . We'll see you guys tomorrow .