II. DOCTRINAL (INPUTTED RIGHTEOUSNESS)--1:18-8:39
B. SALVATION--3:21-5:11
1. Justification by Faith Explained--3:21-31
a. The righteousness of God
manifested--vv. 21-26
(I) Its relationship
to the Law--vv. 21, 22
(A)
The "But now" Dispensation-- v. 21
(1) The joyous "but now"
(a) All that God has revealed about our sinful
condition and our guilt before God is in view here.
(b) What a contrast to Romans 1:18-3:20
(2) The righteousness of God--i. e., a God-kind
of righteousness
(3) Manifested--to make clear or visible
(4) Without law
(a) The King James Version does not make the
emphasis here clear--"But now without law, the . . . ."
(b) Righteousness is not on any principle of
Law, but on another principle.
(5) The witness of the Law and the Prophets
(a) The law--in its sacrifices
(b) The prophets in many direct statements--cf.
((I)) Jeremiah 23:6
((II)) Isaiah 53:11
(B)
The righteousness of God defined--v. 22
(1) Negatively
(a ) Not God's attribute of
righteousness
(b) Not self-righteousness of man
(2) Positively
(a) A provided righteousness
(b) The righteousness which God's righteousness
requires Him to require.
(c) That righteousness which the Father requires;
The Son become; The Holy Spirit convinces of; and
faith secures.
(d) The sum total of all that God commands,
demands, approves, and Himself provides.
(3) A righteousness by faith in the gospel concerning Jesus
Christ
(a) Not just a trust in Christ
(b) Believing in the accomplished fact of the
salvation wrought at the cross
(4) Unto all them that believe
(a) Not them that work hard
(b) Cf. Ephesians 2:8, 9
(c) "And upon all" is not in the so-called best
manuscripts.
((I)) Left out by Revised
Version
((II)) Newell, 110, says
it leads to Romanish idea of a bestowal of righteousness rather
than
reckoning.
((III)) Alford (II:342) says
"no essential difference" exists between the two phrases.
((IV)) The answer lies in
the fact that we are seen righteous in Christ, not because of any
righteousness bestowed on us; nevertheless,
that righteousness is bestowed through Christ, and
thus, God sees us righteous in
Christ.
(5) For there is no difference
(a) "Between Jew and Gentile" is implied.
(b) Justification with God is offered to both
on equal terms.
(c) Applicable to v. 23 also
(II) Its relation
to man--v. 23
(A)
Gives the reason for the by faith manifested righteousness
(B)
All have sinned
(1) Previously proven
(2) Cf. vv. 10-12
(3) Notice that this is in past tense.
(a) Same form as in 5:12
(b) Thus, the great fact is presented here that
in Adam all sinned.
(C)
Fall short of God's glory
(1) Does not say "comes equally short"
(2) Present tense
(a) "Are falling short"
(b) In contrast to "all have sinned"
(c) The universal result of being in Adam
(d) Illus.: Jumping across the street--probably
no one would make it across, but some would jump
further than others.
(3) The glory of God
(a) Alford, II:342--"Of the praise which
comes from God"
(b) The "guilty inability to stand before Him"
(Newell, 113)
(c) Falling short of the righteous demands
of God
(d) Though the last fits the context, all of
these statements may be true.
(D)
Galatians 3:22a
(III) Its Relation to
Believers--vv. 24-26
(A)
Being justified --v. 24
(1) The act of God that declares a sinner righteous by faith
on the merit of Christ's sacrifice
(2) A court-room word
(3) Does not mean to make one righteous or holy
(4) Means to account one righteous
(5) Not a change wrought in us by God, but a change of relation
to God--cf. Ephesians 2:11-13
(B)
Freely
(1) Without a cause
(2) Gratuitously, or for nothing (on our part)
(C)
By His grace
(1) Not ours but His
(2) Unmerited favor
(3) Newell, 115--"The grace of God is infinite love operating
by an infinite means--the sacrifice of Christ."
(D)
Redemption
(1) Apolutroseos--release effected by payment
(2) In Christ Jesus--"Everywhere in the New Testament this word
[apolutroseos] is used to denote
deliverance effected through the death of
Christ from the retributive wrath of a holy God and the
merited penalty of sin." (Thayer, John Henry,
A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament;
New York: American Book Company, c1889, page 65)
(3) Ephesians 1:7
(4) Colossians 1:14
(5) Ransomed to be never slaves of sin again
(E)
Propitiation
(1) God set forth, or foreordained, Christ a propitiation
(2) Defined
(a) Mercy seat--cf. Leviticus 16 for the Day of
Atonement
(b) Thus, a propitiatory place
(c) Hilasterion--from a verb meaning "to
conciliate" or "to appease"--here undoubtedly conveys the
thought of a conciliatory
sacrifice
(3) Through faith in His blood
(a) Note: the blood, not the faith, is what
saves.
(b) Faith is the means, or messenger.
(c) Newell, 120--"The essence of the truth
concerning what men call 'atonement' is that God's wrath
fell upon Christ bearing our sins.
Man's unbelief has sought in every way to avoid or mitigate
this
awful truth. But if Divine
wrath fell not upon Christ, it must fall upon us; for God can not let sin
pass."
(d) It is at this point that every heresy goes
haywire.
(4) The aim of this propitiation
(a) To declare God's righteousness
(b) To set forth the fact that God was righteous
in passing over past sins
(5) God is satisfied with this sacrifice.
(6) Cf. Hebrews 9:5
(C)
The reason--v. 26
(1) To show forth God's righteousness
(2) At this time
(a) Directs our gaze to the Cross
(b) Undoubtedly refers to this present dispensation
of grace
(3) That He might be just
(a) God's holiness requires judgment of
sin.
(b) This is the theme here--the setting forth
of God as being righteous.
(c) God on the basis of Christ's death on
the cross is completely just in justifying believing sinners.
(4) The Justifier of him which believe in Jesus
(a) God's love demands of God to justify
the believer.
(b) Justifies those that have faith? NO!
Justifies those that have faith in Jesus
(c) Through Jesus Christ, God can be both just
and the Justifier.
b. Justification and the Law--vv. 27-31
(I) Boasting excluded--vv.
27, 28
(A)
Was not the relation to the Law considered?
(1) Yes
(2) But still the question is in the Jewish mind, "What about the
Law?"
(3) This section is basically concluding his argument.
(B)
Boasting excluded not by the law of works
(1) Law is here in the sense of rule, or plan, or principle.
(2) When the Jews boasting in their Law, they had their mouths stopped--v.
19.
(3) Titus 3:5a
(4) Ephesians 2:9
(C)
Boasting Excluded by the law of faith (the principle of faith)
(1) Romans 9:30b
(2) Ephesians 2:8
(D)
Justification reckoned--v. 28
(1) Authorized Version states here, "conclude",which is not necessarily
an incorrect translation; but it is not
strictly a conclusion.
(2) Rather a better reading is, "We hold," or "We reckon"--thus explaining
further why boasting is
excluded.
(3) Justified by faith, not by law--cf. Acts 13:38, 39
(II) Justification is
universal--vv.29, 30
(A)
God is God of all--v. 29
(1) God is not God of Jews only.
(2) God is God of Gentiles also; therefore, God of all.
(3) If statement (1) were true, then justification is by the
Law; if it is not true then justification is not by the
Law.
(B)
God justifies all.--v. 30
(1) God justifies the circumcision, or Jew, by the principle of
faith.
(2) God justifies the uncircumcision, or Gentile, by the principle
of faith.
(3) Cf. 1 Corinthians 6:11
(III) Justification fulfills
the Law--v. 31
(A)
Is the Law annulled
(1) Newell, 127-- "It is the constant cry of those who oppose
grace, and most especially that declaration
of grace that our justification is apart
from law--apart from works of law--apart from ordinances, that
it overthrows the Divine authority."
(2) Paul's answer is an emphatic No!--God forbid!
(B)
The Law is established by faith.
(1) In the sense of fulfilling the requirements of the
Law
(2) To illus.: take the case of a man found gathering
sticks on the sabbath day.
(a) How was the Law established in such a case?
(b) By punishing him (stoned to death)
(c) In Christ the execution of the Law was
made for--Galatians 3:13
(d) Therefore, the Law was established in the
sacrifice of Christ on cross.
(3) Cf. James 2:10--since the law cannot be kept, the only way to
establish the Law in the sense of
fulfilling its requirements is by faith in Jesus
Christ, who alone kept that Law and was executed in our
behalf.
2. Justification by Faith Illustrated--4:1-25
a. Abraham and justification--vv. 1-8
(I) The question and
answer--vv. 1-3
(A)
The question--v. 1
(1) Concerning Abraham--undoubtedly an anticipatory question
(2) Was Abraham justified by faith?
(3) That this question is raised as an Israelite is evident
from the phrase "Abraham our forefather according
to the flesh"
(B)
The answer--vv. 2, 3
(1) If Abraham was justified by works--v. 2
(a) Paul assumes the statement for sake of the
argument.
(b) Then he draws a conclusion.
(c) Denies the conclusion, thus denying the
assumption
(d) If Abraham were justified by works,
he could boast, but not before God.
(2) The denial of the conclusion
(a) Here Paul denies the conclusion of verse
2.
(b) Abraham's faith in God saved and justified.
(c) Paul is not contradicting James.
((I)) Cf. James 2.21
((II)) "There are two aspects
of one truth. Paul speaks of that which justifies man before
God,
viz.: faith alone, wholly apart from works; James of
the proof before men, that he who
professes
to have justifying faith really has it. Paul speaks of what God
sees--faith; James of
what man
sees--works, as the visible evidence of faith." (Scofield, C. I., The
Holy Bible, 1196;
a reproduction
of the original 1917 Scofield Reference Bible; Lake Wylie, SC:
Christian
Heritage
Publishing Company, Inc. Italics are his.)
(d) You and I come on the same ground as Abraham--"To
discover that the greatest saints have no
other standing than the weakest
saints, is a lesson that is difficult for all of us." (Newell, 132)
(II) The conclusion--vv.
4, 5
(A)
The one who works--v. 4
(1) Reward is not of grace.
(2) Reward is then of debt--a picture of a workman
who has due to him his wages.
(3) A free rendering would be--"To the workman his wages are
not reckoned according to favor, but
according to debt."
(B)
The righteousness by faith--v. 5
(1) Not by works
(a) "to him who 'casts his dead1y doing down';
who, seeing his guilt, and his entire inability to put it
away, ceases wholly from
all efforts to obtain God's favor by his doings, or self-denyings,--even
by
his prayers;" (Newell, 132)
(b) Ephesians 2:9
(2) By faith
(a) Excludes works--3:27, 28
(b) Contrasted to working method
(c) In God that declares the ungodly righteous
(3) Ungodly
(a) Not the ones who try
(b) Newell, 136--"Note that the Scripture does
not say that God justifies the praying man, or the Bible
reader, or the church member, but the ungodly."
(c) One must cease from all working for
salvation--weeping, confessing, repenting of sins (although
repentance is included in
true believing, and even praying (although receiving Christ as Savior may
involve a simple prayer).
(d) Have you ceased from your own labor, and truly
acknowledge yourself as ungodly, and trusted
Jesus Christ?
(III) The proof--vv.
6-8
(A)
David agrees
(1) The Scripture
(a) Psalm 32:2
(b) Psalm 103:1-4, 10-12
(2) Pronounces blessing--an old word meaning "congratulations"
(3) Iniquities forgiven--more than a remission, but a heart
felt condition on the part of God
(4) Sins covered--an Old Testament concept whereas in Christ
our sins are put away--Hebrews 9:26
(B)
The non-imputation of sin--v. 8
(1) David was a great sinner.
(a) Adultery
(b) Hypocrisy
(c) Murder
(2) But God did not impute those sins to David, for he counted
himself as ungodly and trusted in the mercy
of
God.
(3) Imputation
(a) Scofield, 1308--"Imputation is the act of
God whereby He accounts righteousness to the believer
in Christ, who has borne the believer's
sins in vindication of the law."
(b) Here it has to do with not reckoning sin.
b. Circumcision and justification--vv.
9-12
(I) The Question--vv.
9, 10a
(A)
This blessedness--i. e., justification by faith--is it to those
who follow a prescribed ordinance?
(1) Old Testament dispensation--circumcision
(2) This dispensation
(a) Baptism
(b) The Lord's supper
(B)
When was it reckoned to Abraham?
(1) In uncircumcision?--before circumcision?
(2) In circumcision?--after the ritual?
(II) The answers--vv.
10b-12
(A)
The reckoning
(C)
This question raised because the Jew boasted of their circumcision--NOTE:
THIS QUESTION IS
VERY
MUCH ALIVE TODAY, ALBEIT the issue is now BAPTISM, and the LORD'S SUPPER
(it is
this very issue that separates us from much of
so-called Christendom--both catholic and protestant).
(1) In uncircumcision--i. e., before the
ceremony
(2) Not in circumcision--i. e., not after the
ritual
(B)
Circumcision is a sign.
(1) A seal of that righteousness by faith in the Old
Testament
(2) In the church dispensation, baptism is the seal or sign
of that righteousness by faith.
(C)
Abraham thus the Father of all believers, or faithful
(1) Of the circumcised by faith
(2) Of the uncircumcised by faith
(3) One must keep in mind that Abraham was a Gentile, uncircumcised,
when he believed.
(D)
Newell, 141--"The blessing of righteousness, then, comes not only without
works, but also without
ordinances, whether Jewish or Christian."
c. Heirship and justification--vv. 13-16
(I) The statement--v.
13
(A)
Promise of heirship not through Law
(B)
Promise of heirship through righteousness of faith
(C)
Heir of the world
(1) Cf. Genesis 17:4-8
(2) Many nations will come out of him.
(3) Kings will come out of him.
(4) The land of Canaan shall be his and his seed's
forever.
(II) The Proof--vv.
14, 15
(A)
If by law, faith is void.
(1) If faith is void, the promise is of no effect
(is put out of business).
(2) Paraphrase-"If legalists are heirs of the Messianic
promise to Abraham (. . .) the faith is emptied of
all meaning and the promise to Abraham is made
permanently idle." (Robertson, IV:352)
(B)
But the Law works wrath.
(1) cf. Romans 7:7
(2) Newell, 144--"Law, Paul explains, given to sinners,
simply brings forth God's wrath,--for sinners in
the nature of the case will transgress."
(Bold type is his.)
(3) If there is no law, there is no transgression.
(a) Robertson, IV:352--"There is no responsibility
for the violation of a non-existent law."
(b) If no speed law existed in your state,
you could go as fast as you wish without violating any state
law.
(III) The conclusion--v.
16
(A)
The promise
(1) It is of faith and grace.
(a) Ephesians 2:8
(b) Romans 3:24-26
(2) It is to make the promise sure.
(a) It is not to those only who are of the
law, but to all who are of faith.
(b) When God promises something it is sure, or
certain (stable, firm).
(c) Newell, 144--"Now if you introduce
man's works (for man always says, 'I must do my part'), you
introduce an element of
insecurity and uncertainty. For no man, trying to 'do his part,'
is is ever
certain that he has done, or will
do, his 'part.'"
(B)
Abraham, the father of all
(1) Of all who believe
(2) The "us" could refer to the Jews
(a) Cf. 4:1
(b) However, in the light of the immediate
context, one should take it as referring to all believers.
(3) N. B.--This does not imply that the promises to Abraham
are fulfilled in the church, as the say; for if
one consults that promise, he will find that
it has three aspects, i. e., personal, national, and
universal.
d. Faith and justification--vv. 17-25
(I) The statement
of Abraham's faith--vv. 17-22
(A)
The father of many nations-vv. 17, 18
(1) Genesis 22:18
(2) Believed God, contrary to hope, he rested in hope.
(a) King James Version, though translated correctly,
is very weak.
(b) "God making alive dead ones and calling
things, not being, as being!"
(c) God makes alive dead ones.
((I)) Cf. Ephesians 2:1
((II)) We were dead, but
by faith we are made alive.
(d) Calls into being non-entities--cf. I Corinthians
1:28, 29
(B)
The strength of his faith--vv. 19-21
(1) Thought his body was dead, he had faith in God.
(a) He was too old to father a child.
(b) He also knew that Sarah was well past
child-bearing years.
(c) The second promise came after he was 99
years.
(2) He staggered not at God's promise through unbelief.
(a) Literally: divides into two
(b) Thus he was not divided mind--singleness
of heart.
(3) Glorified God
(a) Because of strong faith
(b) Faith always glorifies God.
(4) The assurance of faith--v. 21
(a) Assurance based on faith in God's promise
(b) Works can never give this assurance--no matter
how hard one tries there is always that nagging
feeling that perhaps a person
hasn't done enough; thus you hear, "I hope so."
(c) Moule (as quoted by Newell, 152, footnote
)--"We have also a precious suggestion of some
reasons (. . . ) why
God prescribes Faith [sic] as the condition of justification of
a sinner. Faith,
we see, is an act of the
soul which looks wholly away from 'self ' (as regards both merit and
demerit), and honours
the Almighty and All-gracious in a way not indeed in the least
meritorious
. . . . It brings His
creatures to Him in the one right attitude--complete submission and confidence.
We thus see, in part,
why faith and only faith, is the way to reach and touch the Merit
[sic] of the
Propitiation [sic]." (Italics
are his.)
(d) If God promises, He is able to perform
it (of'ten forgotten by the denier of the millennium).
(C)
The conclusion--v. 22
(1) Because Abraham believed God, God imputted (i.
e., placed to his account righteousness).
(2) This verse could be considered a conclusion of vv.
1-21.
(3) What did Abraham believe?
(a) He believed God's word concerning the promised
seed, that God would bring to pass something
that Abraham could not humanly
do or be.
(b) He was not reckoned righteous because he
was holy or acted rightly.
(c) We too are made righteous when believing
God's word of promise.
(II) Justification
for all who believe- -vv. 23-25
(A)
Not written for Abraham's sake alone
(B)
Written for those who believe on Jesus
(1) Saving faith is unswerving trust in the God of
resurrection.
(a) Romans 10:9, 10
(b) Righteousness is imputted to us when we
believe.
(2) Christ's death justifies those who believe.
(a) Before shown by the Apostle Paul--3:24ff.
(b) Reiterated here as the conclusion
(c) Newell, 156--"This glorious fact should be
held fast by our hearts. For not only does God's raising
up Christ prove our sins to have been put
away; but a Risen Christ becomes a new place for us!
We were justified from all
things by His blood; we are now set by God in Christ risen!"
(C)
Christ died for our sins.
(1) Everywhere the message of Scripture
(2) On account of our trespasses, He was delivered up.
(3) God forsook Him, His Son, that He might not have to forsake
us forever.
(D)
Christ raised for our justification
(1) The resurrection is proof of our
justification.
(2) It is God's receipt.
(3) Involved is being placed in a new standing, namely, in Him,
the Risen Christ.
3. Results of Justification by Faith--5:1-11 (The
seven benefits--an eighth one is included under "The Love of
God"--in
vv. 1-11)
a. Peace--v. 1
(I) Its basis--having
been declared righteous on the principle of faith
(A)
Authorized Version has "being justified."
(B)
The difference is important according to Newell, 163--"Being declared righteous
(or being justified) looks
to a state you are in; 'having been
declared righteous,' looks back to a fact that happened." (Italics
are
his.)
(C)
The difference between what Newell says and the King James Version is small,
for the state of the
believer is based on the fact that he has been justified.
(II) With,
not of
(A)
See Philippians 4:7 for "peace of God."
(B)
John 14:27
(C)
The first is objective; the second, subjective.
(III) We have
(A)
A problem in the Greek
(B)
Is the word echomen or echoomen? (NOTE: The "oo" stands of
the Greek letter omega--long "o" in
contrast to omicron--short "o.")
(C)
Textual criticism insists on the latter; feelings and context, the former.
(D)
the latter is a subjunctive.
(1) It can be rendered, "Let us have peace"--objected to on
theological grounds.
(2) It can also be rendered in a durative sense--"Let us keep
on having peace with God."
(3) This rendering is preferred if one insists on the
critical text.
(a) It is in keeping with textual criticism.
(b) It is also in keeping with the meaning of
present subjunctive.
(c) It is also in keeping with Pauline
Theology.
(d) It is in keeping with the context--dealing
with tribulation.
(E)
The Textus Receptus has echomen rendered "we have", a present tense;
it is thus a present
possession of the believer. To this writer it is
preferred.
(IV) Peace with God
involves
(A)
God has fully judged sin in the person of Jesus Christ our
Substitute.
(B)
God is completely satisfied with Christ's sacrifice, and will be eternally
so--i. e., He never takes up again
judgment
of our sin.
(C)
God is at rest about us for eternity, whatever our knowledge of the truth,
whatever our weakness in the
Christian walk.
(D)
He looks at Christ's blood, not our sins--cf. Colossians 1:20.
(V) Bonar-- "I hear
the words of love, I gaze upon the blood, I see the mighty sacrifice,
And I have peace
with
God."
b. Access--v. 2
(I) By faith
(A)
Some critics say this is a marginal gloss, not in the so-called best
manuscripts.
(B)
All believers have access; no special faith is needed (true, but nevertheless
the access is based on faith).
(II) Access--an old
word meaning "approach"
(III) We have had--a
perfect tense meaning,we had it in the past and still have it
(IV) Access into grace
wherein we stand--Robertson, IV:355--"Grace is here present as a field into
which we
have been introduced and where we stand and we should enjoy
all privileges of this grace about us."
(V) Rejoice in hope
(A)
Let us keep on rejoicing.
(B)
Let us exult--an inner, joyful confidence rather than an outward boasting
(VI) Cf. Ephesians
2:8; Hebrews 10:19-22
c. Hope--v. 2
(I) A reference to
the blessed hope
(II) A reference to
when we will be in God's glorious presence
(III) Cf. Titus 2:13
d. Fruit--vv. 3, 4
(I) Of
tribulations, not tribulation
(A)
Exalt in them--again, an inner joyful confidence
(B)
Not just to endure, but rejoice
(II) Endurance
(A)
First result of tribulations
(B)
Patience
(C)
This is a chain link, but all is dependent on tribulations.
(III) Experience,
or approvedness
(IV) Hope--a state
of hope
e. Love--vv. 5-8
(I) God's love
(A)
The reason why hope is not put to shame
(B)
Shed abroad in our hearts-- v. 5
(1) Perfect passive
(a) Shed abroad in our hearts in the past and
the results are still present
(b) Passive indicates that it happens to
us instead by us.
(2) Literally: "has been poured out in our hearts"
(C)
By the Holy Spirit
(1) Sets forth the One who pours out this love into our hearts-v.
5
(2) The gift of the Holy Spirit (the eighth benefit)
(a) The indwelling Holy Spirit has been given
to all believers freely.
(b) Not a second work of grace
(c) Cf. I Corinthians 12:13
(D)
Christ's death is due to our lack--v. 6.
(1) We being yet helpless
(a) Man's total inability is spoke here in the
gentlest of tones.
(b) Lack power to do good
(2) Christ died for the ungodly.
(a) At the appointed time
(b) Here is the idea again that Christ died for
the sake of the ungodly--cf. 4:5.
(E)
An illustration--v. 7
(1) In praising God's love, Pau1 gives a human example.
(2) One would hardly die for righteous man, though perhaps one
might consider dying for a good man.
(F)
The contrast of God's Love--v. 8
(1) Contrasted to the human example in v. 7
(2) God commended His love.
(a) Not because we were Jews or Gentiles, rich
or poor, righteous or good
(b) Because we were sinners
(3) Sinning, not just without strength
(a) Newell, 170--"Now 'sinning' is a stronger
word than 'strengthless': but it is strong in the wrong
direction!"
(b) Sinning is active, whereas strengthless is
passive.
(4) While we were yet in the state and practice of sin,
Christ died for us (NOTE: The word "for" is rightly
rendered "in our behalf"or even "in our stead".)
(5) See
(a) John 3:16
(b) The publican's plea-- Luke 18:13
(6) Darby (Newell, 170, footnote)--"In sovereign grace He rises
above the sin, and loves without motive,
save what is in His own nature and part of His glory. Man
must have a motive for loving. God has
none but in Himself , and 'commendeth His love
to us', ( and that 'His' is emphatic as to this very point),
in that, while we are yet sinners, Christ died
for us; the best thing in heaven that could be given for the
vilest, most defiled, and guilty sinners."
(7) The Love of God--"The love of God is greater
far Than tongue or pen can ever tell; It goes beyond
the highest star, And reaches to the lowest hell. The
guilty pair, bowed down with care, God gave
His Son to win; His erring child
He reconciled, And pardoned from his sin. Could we with ink
the
ocean fill, And were the skies of
parchment made; Were every stalk on earth a quill, And every
man
a scribe by trade; To write the love
of God above Would drain the ocean dry; Nor could the scroll
contain the whole, Tho' stretched from
sky to sky. Oh, love of God, how rich and pure!
How
measureless and strong! It shall
forever more endure the saints and angels song." (Frederick M.
Lehman)
f. Saved from wrath--vv. 9, 10
(I) Through Him--v.
9
(A)
Again the truth is restated that we have been declared righteous by means
of His blood.
(B)
On the basis of Christ's shed blood we are assured to escape the coming
wrath.
(C)
The coming wrath
(1) God's eternal wrath in Hell
(2) But it can also refer to the wrath God will pour out during
the great tribulation.
(II) By His life--v.
10
(A)
Resurrected life is in view.
(B)
Because we have been reconciled to God we can expect to share in Christ's
risen life--theme of part of
Chap. 8.
(C)
Newell, 174--"We were reconciled to God by God's having Christ meet in His
death all the claims of His
throne,--His majesty, His
holiness, His righteousness, His truth. 'Much more,' being from our
side
reconciled, shall we be saved now and in the future by and in
Christ's risen life which we now share!"
(III) John 3: 18,
36
(IV) Strong argument
here for eternal security
g. Joy--v. 11
(I) In chapter 3 we
were before the divine Judge, guilty and our mouths were stopped. Now,
we are rejoicing
because
of the Judge's taking our penalty upon Himself.
(II) Through the Lord
Jesus Christ--He is ever our source and cause of rejoicing.
(III) Through Him
we have received the reconciliation (not atonement).
(A)
Atonement is an Old Testament term meaning "to cover up".
(1) The Authorized Version has "atonement."
(2) The King James Version translators were probably thinking
of that picture in the Old Testament.
(B)
Reconciliation
(1) Derived from the verb katallasso--to exchange,
particularly in connection with money; thus, exchange
friendship for enmity; or reconcile
(2) The order is important.
(a) God needs no reconciliation.
(b) He is reconciling us to Himself.
(3) 2 Corinthians 5:18f.
(4) Permanent
(a) Not like a permanent wave
(b) Forever and ever