THE BOOK OF ROMANS CHAPTER 3:20-31 | THE HEART OF THE GOSPEL OF GOD

Mike Balloun teaches today. 09/05/20.Show more

ROMANS CHAPTER 3:20-31
THE HEART OF THE GOSPEL OF GOD

VERSES: 1st Corinthians 6:19-20; Acts 17:30; Colossians 1:27; John 5:46; Romans 8:30

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These verses (Romans 3:20-31) are often incorrectly referred to as the heart of the Gospel of God. They speak to God’s gift of Justification with eternal life through Jesus the Christ. Correctly understood, these verses are foundational to the Gospel of God (Romans 1:1) as opposed to the heart of the Gospel. What the vast majority of Christians have been taught is that these few verses represent the completeness or the fullness of God’s Gospel Message manifest in Jesus the Christ. That supposed completeness being that we are “saved by grace” through Jesus Christ only and that without any works of our own. But this is just part of the Gospel of God. It is the foundation, not the fullness. Using these words alone (saved by grace) and declaring this revealed gift of God’s graciousness in justification, the majority of Christians claim that this gift in His grace also answers to sanctification, without any works. And furthermore, they wrongly appropriate unto themselves resurrection glory. The Grace message (Cheap Grace message) today teaches that justification, sanctification, and glorification are all imputed to those who are merely justified.

The truth of Scripture reveals that the gracious and merciful gift of justification stands apart from the grace and mercy (power) unto sanctification, and the hope of glory. The fact that scripture holds forth the “hope of glory” and not the assurance of glory of the First Resurrection resists the idea that redemption justification assures the promise of glorification. (Romans 5:2; 8:30; Colossians 1:27; Philippians 3:11-14).
These verses speak about the hope of glory or the reward of being glorified. In Romans 8:30, the past tense is used when he says, “them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified”. This does not mean that all who are justified will be sanctified and thus glorified, as many Christians believe (as if it was a package deal). This verse speaks to God's Sovereign will in having a People whom He has predestinated to be overcomers who will be justified and eventually glorified. His Sovereign will / His Boulema WILL be done, as opposed to His desired will (His Thelema) which man, by his free will can either choose to resist or yield to. As we walk in the wilderness of life and then fight spiritual giants to inherit the Promised Land, we are working out our sanctification in the present tense. But to Him, that verse is past tense/completed because it was predestined that He will have a People whom He will sanctify and glorify. As to whether we will be a part of that People, is up to us.

The foundation of the Israelites’ Good News calling was redemption from Egypt, and that being without any works on their part. But the heart of their Gospel was God’s glorious inheritance which was held out for them; that inheritance which without works they would not inherit. In this example, we can see God’s order. First there is the one-time event of applying the Blood of Christ for our redemption/justification which is the foundation that we need to build upon. This is akin to God redeeming the Israelites by the shed blood of the lamb. Then, the Israelites had to fight/overcome the enemies that would keep them from entering into their inheritance. This answers to the ongoing process of sanctification which we engage in while alive (conforming to the image of Christ) in order to obtain the prize of a glorious inheritance which answers to eternal glory. The Israelites’ experiences serve as a good example not only for us to not make the same mistakes (1st Corinthians 10:1-12), but the order of the events serve as a great example in understanding the fullness of the Gospel of God/God’s Salvation Plan.

There are 9 key English words used in verses 20-31, each requiring definition for clear understanding for rightly dividing the Word.
1) Law- is descriptive of God’s Righteousness that condemns sinners. It is synonymous with the Righteousness of God.
2) justified- in legal terms, one goes before the Judge (God), Justice has been satisfied (Christ paying the price/penalty for us), one is acquitted, and free from the sentence (of eternal death attached to sin). The Greek holds forth 3 tenses in connection with JUSTIFY/(SAVED): WAS JUSTIFIED/ SAVED-in the past tense; that is justified by faith without works. BEING JUSTIFIED.....

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