I am going to try something different. Let me warn you. This blog post is about 10 to 12 times longer than most of my other posts. I ask that you read it all in its entirety. I would appreciate comments if you are so inclined.
Law/Grace
and the operation of the Gospel: Romans 5:1 thru 6:23
I have had a paradigm shift concerning the gospel
and Evangelical Christianity’s understanding of it. To anyone willing to be
honest, a careful examination of what is taught about the gospel by Evangelical
Christianity is inherently flawed and borders on a schizophrenic view. What I
mean is the teaching on law, grace, and salvation are flawed and responsible
for the schizophrenic view. The view can best be described as proclaiming that
one is saved by grace alone, but that being saved will make the person strive
to be faithful to the law. In all practicality, salvation is judged by
adherence to the law. To be clear, there are a variety of positions within
Evangelical Christianity with respect to the reality of grace and adherence to
the law. They range from a position that emphasizes grace, almost exclusively,
to a position that emphasizes law almost exclusively and there is a myriad of
positions in between the two extremes. All of these positions miss the point of
the gospel as it was revealed to the Apostle Paul. The gospel revealed to Paul
has a singular position of grace that produces a supernatural transformation in
individuals when properly understood and believed. With the gospel, the focus
is grace plain and simple. The gospel means good news and it is completely,
undeniably, really, good news for humanity.
It is my hope that I can take the paradigm
shift and my understanding and add some clarity to this dilemma, and I believe
that a great jumping off point is Romans, chapter’s five and six.
It is my considered opinion that Romans 5:1 lays
the foundation of the gospel. The gospel stimulates peace with God. It drives
out fear and gives assurance. The consideration for my opinion is based on my
understanding of the way in which Jesus and his first century followers changed
the view of scripture from the old covenant focus of a legal constitutional
document to the redemptive narrative, and the promise of a new and better
covenant based on better promises. The better promises are of the
substitutional death of Christ.
When the
first Adam fell because of unbelief, the last Adam redeemed humanity with his
perfect faith. In essence, Jesus of Nazareth’s faith put to rights the fall
into unbelief and fear that resulted from the first Adam’s unbelief. The
driving force in the gospel is total peace with Father God based upon his
justification of individuals based upon faith in the gospel message. The
operative notion is that they have been justified, and they apprehend the
justification by faith in the message. This understanding is a nuanced
explanation that changes the essence of the gospel message drastically. It
makes redemption the sole act of God in Christ. It takes the action out of the
hands of humanity and places it exclusively in the hands of God. Salvation does
not result from faith. Faith apprehends the already reality of salvation.
By Evangelical Christianity I mean, any who hold
to an understanding whereby there is individual salvation provided by the
death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is important to
point out that the New Testament writings refer to two distinct
salvations.
First, there is the
salvation of Jews in the first century.
It was with respect to the judgment of God
that came upon the unbelieving Jews for not accepting the gospel. The first
century believing Jews experienced that salvation by seeing the signs and
leaving for Pela prior to the destruction of 70AD. This is a literal salvation
from the impending destruction of the temple and Jerusalem. However, there is
also a salvation from the human state of being (human condition) which is
separation from God. This is the salvation that Paul addresses for the most
part. It is the salvation by which all of Israel will be saved. It is the
primary salvation that Jesus came to provide. It is the second salvation, the
one revealed to Paul that Evangelical Christianity has so greatly
misunderstood.
I think that there is a big misunderstanding about
the place of law and grace in the gospel. One of the key verses in this passage
is Romans 6:14…
(14) “For sin
shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” Here you have it
clearly stated. In the gospel of Christ, one is NOT under law, but rather under
grace.
What this means is that grace is
the driving force. Grace is the transforming catalyst. This is the
understanding that Paul insisted on and it is the understanding that turned the
world upside down in the first century under the teaching of Paul.
We have the writings of Paul that describe his
teaching, but what we do not have is the “in person” teaching of Paul. We do
not have Paul sitting in our midst explaining when we misunderstand what is
written. I am certain that Paul’s “in person” teaching clarified what was
written to the point that it could not be misunderstood. I think that my
paradigm shift has enabled me to understand better what would likely have been
Paul’s teaching when he taught in person explaining and clarifying what had
been written. It is also my belief that a commentary of what Paul has written
in Romans five and six will substantiate my conclusions stated above.
Romans chapter Five:
(5:1)
Therefore, since we have been
declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus
Christ. This verse directly follows the
explanation in chapter four about Abraham’s faith, and how it was accounted to
him as righteousness. In other words, God declared Abraham righteous based on
his faith.
Paul ends chapter four by
explaining that since Abraham received the justification before he was
circumcised that justification was available to both the circumcised and the
uncircumcised.
It is justification by faith… being made right with God by
faith… being adjudicated righteous by faith that is the absolute foundation of
the gospel and the catalyst for transformation. I have said many times that
Romans 5:1 is perhaps the most important passage in the true transformation
process. Peace with Father God is the source of the transforming gospel. It is
the only way that the gospel will transform individuals.
How does this peace with God transform you ask? It
removes fear and promotes love. It removes the fear of God and promotes love
for God. The important point is that it must be based on God’s willingness to
justify no matter what and not place the individual on a working contract
whereby they maintain their justification by adherence to the law or religious
practice. The justification is unconditional. The justification was granted on
the action and faith of Jesus Christ. So ultimately, the justification is the
result of the faith of Jesus. This is best explained by Galatians 2:16.
Gal 2:16 “yet we
know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by the faithfulness
of Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we may be
justified by the faithfulness of Christ and not by the works of the law,
because by the works of the law no one will be justified.” This is paramount to
understanding the true nature of the gospel. We are not justified by our faith
in Christ, but rather we are justified by the faith of Christ, or in other words,
by Christ’s faith in the Father. It was the first Adam’s lack of faith in the
Father that caused the separation and it is the absolute faith, perfect faith
of the last Adam, Jesus Christ that brings the reconciliation.
(2) through whom we have
also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice
in the hope of God’s glory. Notice carefully that it is by our faith in the gospel message
that we apprehend the efficacy of the faith of Jesus Christ.
Our faith gains us access to the
benefits of the faith of Jesus. We place our hope in the fact that we will one
day be glorified with God in Christ. I have often used this example: Suppose
that someone deposited a large sum of money in a bank account with your name on
it. Let’s say for this example it was ten million dollars. Ten million dollars
is a healthy sum that would drastically change your life, right? Now suppose
that you did not know it was there or you did not believe it was there. In that
case it would not benefit you in any practical way. You would have ten million
dollars in the bank but there would be no way to benefit from it. However,
suppose that you were given the good news about the ten million dollars, but
you simply did not believe it. You would not go to the bank and take advantage
of it and it would not be a benefit at all. Now, suppose that you were told the
good news of the ten million dollars, believe the person telling you about it,
and went to the bank with your I.D. You could then apprehend the benefits of
the ten million dollars. This is precisely the case with justification. It is
available with your name on it, but first you must hear the good news of it and
then you must apprehend it by your own belief. The truth is that Jesus of
Nazareth, the anointed of God has deposited total and unconditional
justification in your account.
(3) Not only this, but
we also rejoice in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,
(4) and endurance, character, and character, hope. (5)
And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in
our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. It is important to
consider the cultural and historical context of this writing to properly
understand some of what Paul is teaching.
He is using the good news of justification and
reconciliation with God to encourage the saints who were enduring hardships.
While some of the Christian Church in Rome was comprised of wealthy
individuals, the majority were poor facing hardships and suffering. It is interesting
that the gospel was introduced during a time of difficulty for most people to
exist. The realization that there was a future through eternal life was very
appealing and a blessing to these individuals. In spite of suffering they had
the hope of justification and reconciliation with a God that loved them.
(6) For while we were
still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. (7)
(For rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person
perhaps someone might possibly dare to die.) (8) But God
demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ
died for us.
Here we have the crux of the good news. There is no merit that
caused God to reconcile humanity. There was absolutely nothing innately or
inherently good about humankind. What kind of love would motivate Christ to be
willing to die for humans? Of course, the answer is agape’ (God’s selfless
love.) This amplifies the reasons for the gospel to be a supernatural catalyst
for transformation. How could one not love such a creator? Still, it must be
reinforced that this is something that God did in Christ, apart from human
worthiness. It is also the reason that the gospel must be continually rehearsed
for individuals often and perpetually. There is no situation where the gospel
is simply the entry message for so called “babes” in Christ. The most seasoned
saints need to here the gospel as well. It is the driving force for love for
God and thereby the driving force of transforming power. This is the reason
that the Apostle Paul told the Corinthians that he had determined to know
NOTHING among them save Jesus Christ and him crucified (1 Cor 2:3.) All pastors
today should only focus on preaching and proclaiming the gospel. Certainly, it
should be their most important focus. It cannot be stressed too often that the
gospel of justification by faith alone is the most important aspect of the
transforming power of the gospel message.
(9) Much more then, because
we have now been declared righteous by his blood, we will be saved through him
from God’s wrath. (10) For if while we were enemies we were
reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, since we have
been reconciled, will we be saved by his life? (11) Not only this,
but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have
now received this reconciliation. In 2 Corinthians chapter
five Paul expounds on this reconciliation. He in fact states that he was given
the ministry of reconciliation.
He explains what the ministry of reconciliation entails.
He states that the person with the “ministry of reconciliation” (which is all
believers)… must proclaim to individuals the following message… “be reconciled
to God.” This is not dissimilar to the case of my example of the ten million
dollars in a bank account.
There, the
person is proclaiming that there is ten million dollars in the bank for you go
take advantage of it. Here is how Paul explains it in 2 Corinthians:
2Co 5:17-21 So then, if
anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away – look,
what is new has come! (18) And all these things are from God who
reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of
reconciliation. (19) In other words, in Christ God was reconciling
the world to himself, not counting people’s trespasses against them, and he has
given us the message of reconciliation. (20) Therefore we are
ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making his plea through us. We plead
with you on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God!” (21) God made
the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become
the righteousness of God. It is important to see that in the
above passage from second Corinthians that none of the reconciliation was
predicated on worthiness or obedience. Nowhere in this passage do we see that
there is any kind of obedience demanded other than belief in the message.
Again, it is all something that God has done through Christ Jesus. The reason
is that it is necessary that it all be from God to bring about the supernatural
transformation that is promised. One has to be able to rest in the finished
work of salvation and reconciliation that was accomplished by God alone through
Jesus Christ.
“(12)
So then, just as sin entered the world through one man and death through sin,
and so death spread to all people because all sinned – (13) for
before the law was given, sin was in the world, but there is no accounting for
sin when there is no law. (14) Yet death reigned from Adam until
Moses even over those who did not sin in the same way that Adam (who is a type
of the coming one) transgressed.” There is the first Adam and the last Adam. It
does not matter if one accepts the literal existence of the first Adam as a
single individual for one to accept the idea of Jesus Christ being the last
Adam.
To be hung
up on Adam being an individual as opposed to a “type” is missing the point. In
fact, Paul tells us plainly that his reference to Adam is as a “type.” The use
of Adam explains the human condition of all people fearing God and the unknown.
The unknow spoken of is mortality/death. Paul is simply acknowledging that
There was a significant time in the history of humanity in which there was no
law. He also goes on to make the point that even though there was no law it did
not make the acts of violating the law any less wrong. In fact, when one looks
at the story of the fall in Genesis chapter three, one can see that humanity
inherits two things that lead to the fallen state. One is the knowledge of good
and evil, (awareness of the existence of good and evil) and the other is
impending, unavoidable, inevitable, death/mortality.
Let’s examine how the knowledge of good and evil
coupled with mortality/death work together to be the pathology/sin of humanity.
The fact that mortality, impending inevitable death produces the survival
instinct within the animal kingdom promotes greed and selfishness. The
knowledge of good and evil provides judgment and the ability to decide what is
good and what is evil which in turn allows humanity a method for justifying
their actions.
The problem is that
humanity does not really know what is good and what is evil. That can only be
decided by God. While humanity can see what is good and bad in others, it seems
to lack the ability to be introspective. People are very capable of judging
others but not so adept when judging themselves. Paul is about to explain how
the gospel can combat this pathology. The fact is that in the very first
chapter of the very first book of the bible, God has decided that humanity is
good (Gen 1:31.) The knowledge of good and evil offered the chance for humanity
to not believe God’s declaration and therefore you have unbelief/sin entering
the world. This is the “state of sin” and Paul will later on in this passage
speak of remaining in sin which is the state of sin or unbelief.
“(15)
But the gracious gift is not like the transgression. For if the many died
through the transgression of the one man, how much more did the grace of God
and the gift by the grace of the one man Jesus Christ multiply to the many!
(16) And the gift is not like the one who sinned. For judgment,
resulting from the one transgression, led to condemnation, but the gracious gift
from the many failures led to justification. (17) For if, by the
transgression of the one man, death reigned through the one, how much more will
those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign
in life through the one, Jesus Christ!” Eternal life and justification are the answer to the
sin/pathology dilemma. Once one is truly convinced of the fact that they have
been, justified, redeemed, made right with Father God, and are eternal the
equation changes drastically. This fact allows the individual to overcome greed
when they are focused on the gospel message. Again, another excellent reason
why it is important to continually proclaim the gospel even to the most
seasoned saints. The repetition of the gospel daily is the source of all love
for God and thereby is the source of transformation. God’s grace and love in
the gospel is an offer one cannot refuse. The more someone is resting in the
gospel the more that individual can set aside greed, the human pathology
resulting from death and the knowledge of good and evil. I am certain that this
focus was what caused the first century church to want to gather continually.
It was to hear and proclaim the gospel. It is worth reminding again and again
Paul’s words that he determined to know nothing except Christ crucified.
(18) “
Consequently, just as condemnation for all people came through one
transgression, so too through the one righteous act came righteousness leading
to life for all people.”
I think that this verse needs some individual attention at this
time. I know this is not popular in evangelical circles, especially of the
Reformed variety but it says what it says, and no amount of linguistic
gymnastics can change it. This verse definitely shows that Paul is speaking universally.
My current conclusion is that the redemption brought about by Jesus of Nazareth
is universal. While I admit that it is possible that those who do not accept
the gift of redemption could be simply annihilated, this passage will go on to
speak about eternal life. I have written extensively in other places about my
view of the sovereignty of God and election. I am convinced that it is
relegated to the other salvation mentioned in the New Testament which is the
salvation of some Jews in the first century from the judgment of God that was
experienced in the first and second century. First in 70AD, and then ultimately
in 132AD at the Bar Kokbha Revolt. This revolt ended in genocide for the Jews,
and the complete removal of all Jews from Jerusalem. It is around this natural
history of the region, and the Jews specifically that election for salvation
existed. This is likely the election and salvation that Paul referred to in
Romans nine, ten, and eleven.
(19) “For just
as through the disobedience of the one man many were made sinners, so also
through the obedience of one man many will be made righteous. (20)
Now the law came in so that the transgression may increase, but where sin
increased, grace multiplied all the more, (21) so that just as sin
reigned in death, so also grace will reign through righteousness to eternal
life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Verse 20 is one of the most under-rated
verses in the entire New Testament and
especially in Paul’s writings.
This
is a fact that cannot be negated by Romans chapter six verse one. It is the
preemptive fact. Simply put, sin abounds but grace abounds all the more! So
many people fear that Romans 5:20 can give people a “sin license.” This concept
is absurd! The “sin license” was given by the combination of the knowledge of
good and evil and mortality. Grace trumps sin always! If you think about the
gospel and the way in which it operates to transform, it is grace that drives
the train. Paul said in another place, “it is the goodness/kindness of God that
leads to repentance” in other words God’s grace (Romans 2:4.) God’s grace leads
to changing one’s mind about God and it moves it from fear to trust and love. Once
the individual has moved from fear to trust and love by faith, the soil for
planting the seed of transformation is made rich in nutrients and is ready to
produce amazing fruit or grain.
Romans Chapter Six:
(6:1) “What
shall we say then? Are we to remain in sin so that grace may increase?” Paul now asks a rhetorical
question. It is a question that is asked often by the crowd that wants to put a
limit on God’s grace and it is almost always stated wrong. Usually, the
question is stated by “should we sin so that grace may abound” and that “most-definitely”
is not the question. There is a big difference between sinning and remaining in
sin. If you read Hebrews chapter’s three and four carefully, you will discover
that the author equates sin and unbelief, interchanges them through out the two
chapters, and defines the original sin. So the Hebrews’ author is speaking of
the state of sin in the passages. Paul’s question is akin to that. Likewise
Paul is speaking of the “state of sin.”
He goes on to say
(2) “Absolutely not! How can we who
died to sin still live in it? (3) Or do you not know that as many
as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
(4) Therefore we have been buried with him through baptism into
death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory
of the Father, so we too may live a new life.” What Paul is saying is of course not, what a STUPID
question!
Paul makes the argument that through Christ,
people have died to sin and he means (the state of sin.) Christ’s perfect faith
in the Father set to rights once and for all time and all people the state of
sin, which is unbelief. We begin with a new slate which is a new life. It is a
life that is no longer marred by the state of sin, unbelief. Remember Paul’s
arguments in verses 12-19 of chapter five are ALL speaking of the first Adam
and the Last Adam. He is most definitely discussing the state of sin, unbelief
and not sinning per se. There is a big difference between missing the mark when
it comes to believing that God has adjudicated humanity good (Gen 1:31,) and
missing the mark in day to day situations. However, the state of missing the
mark is the ultimate cause of any day to day mark misses. Paul continues with
his argument will be articulated in verse 14 of this chapter.
“(5)
For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will
certainly also be united in the likeness of his resurrection. (6)
We know that our old man was crucified with him so that the body of sin would
no longer dominate us, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. (7)
(For someone who has died has been freed from sin.) (8) Now if we
died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. (9)
We know that since Christ has been raised from the dead, he is never going to
die again; death no longer has mastery over him.” Death no longer has mastery over Christ. This is an
important concept to consider when studying this passage. Christ has overcome
the curse that the first Adam faced. He has eliminated death and mortality in
favor of eternal life. This is a key element in human pathology and the “state
of sin.” Fear of death and punishment or even the uncertainty of it is the
source of greed so death no longer has any power over Jesus Christ since God
raised him from the dead based on his perfect obedience which was perfect
faith. Remember faith is the antithesis to unbelief/sin. Jesus was willing to
die because he believed the original declaration of God as recorded in Gen
1:31.
“(10) For
the death he died, he died to sin once for all, but the life he lives,
he lives to God. (11) So you too consider yourselves dead to sin,
but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Here is a very important concept to consider.
Because of
faith in the gospel message, believing in the substitutionary death, burial and
resurrection of Jesus, the believer is dead to sin and alive to God.
(12) Therefore do not
let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires,
(13) and do not present your members to sin as instruments to be
used for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who are alive
from the dead and your members to God as instruments to be used for
righteousness. This
admonition by Paul is predicated on the fact that one is dead to sin in
reality, and alive because of Christ.
It is good advice to follow but it does not have any
influence over the facts. The fact is that each individual is dead to sin by
the death of Christ, and alive to God because of the resurrection. Paul is
saying that since you are dead to sin stop striving to be such an active
participant. However, it is not this admonition that will cause this to be
true. No, it is hearing the gospel again and again that enlivens the Spirit of
Christ within. The enlivened spirit within, enlivened by the repetitious
proclamation of the gospel that will do the transforming work to make one less
sinful. Finally Paul is getting to a verse in the passage that I put in the
introduction.
(14) For sin will have
no mastery over you, because you are not under law but under grace. This is pure and
simple the reason, and what is more the only reason that sin will not have
mastery. It is because of the trumping power of grace. It is because of the
fact that no matter how much sin abounds grace abounds more! This is
foundational to the transforming power of the gospel of Christ. Here again we
have another reason for preaching/proclaiming the gospel over and over, even to
seasoned saints. It is what produces love for God, real love, transforming
love.
Now comes another rhetorical question:
(15) What then? Shall we sin because we are not
under law but under grace? Absolutely not! (16) Do you not know
that if you present yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one
you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or obedience resulting in
righteousness? (17) But thanks be to God that though you were
slaves to sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching you were
entrusted to, (18) and having been freed from sin, you became
enslaved to righteousness. Paul is describing a positional
reality. It is because of the gospel of Christ that the individual is in this
position.
Paul
knows that the way that seems right to humanity, the way that always ends in
death will cause people to falsely believe that Paul is encouraging sin. That
again is absolutely absurd!!! The single thing that causes sin is death and
unbelief. The only thing that can overcome this is a transformed spirit
enlivened by hearing afresh the gospel of grace. This is the reason that the
pristine gospel insists on a person totally resting in justification by the
faith of Christ. As I pointed out earlier, it was the faith of Jesus that
justified humanity and each individual apprehends this justification by their
faith as enabled by the Holy Spirit via the gospel message.
(19) (I am speaking in
human terms because of the weakness of your flesh.) For just as you once
presented your members as slaves to impurity and lawlessness leading to more
lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to
sanctification. (20) For when you were slaves of sin, you were free
with regard to righteousness. (21) So what benefit did you then
reap from those things that you are now ashamed of? For the end of those things
is death. (22) But now, freed from sin and enslaved to God, you
have your benefit leading to sanctification, and the end is eternal life.
(23) For the payoff of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal
life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Finally, Paul is making the argument that this is a spiritual
reality, and the only way that it can translate into the natural and practical
sphere is by believing the gospel of grace. One must look back to the beginning
of the passage, “therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God.” Or
therefore being made right by faith we have peace with God. It is peace with
God that drives out all fear. The Apostle John wrote of a similar theme.
1Jn 4:18 “There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out
fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears punishment has
not been perfected in love.”
Belief in the gospel demands that one understand the perfect love of the Father
and rest in it completely.
Hopefully you can see the way in which the gospel
of grace transforms individuals. My hope and prayer is that more and more
fellowships will gain this understanding and begin to preach the pristine
uncompromised gospel. I remember as a youngster a chorus that we used to sing
in church. It went, I am not under law, I’m under grace. It was grace that rescued
me, it was grace that set me free. I have sought, I have found a hiding place…
I am not under law, I’m under grace.
