The Power of God unto Salvation

 

The message the apostle Paul preached was ‘the Gospel of God’ (Romans 1:1), promised by God in the ‘holy Scriptures’ (the Hebrew Bible) ‘concerning His Son' (v 2). Jesus Christ is both a descendant of David (natural lineage), as well as the Son of God (spiritual identity), demonstrated by the resurrection from the dead (v 3). This gospel is the ‘gospel of His Son’ Paul proclaimed (v 9) eagerly (v 15). This message is the power of God that leads to salvation for those who believe (v 16), attained by faith as the revelation of God’s righteousness and how sinful human beings come into right standing with a holy God (v 17). The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation for those who believe. It might be foolish to some, but to those who believe and are saved by it, it is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18). It is the Gospel by which we are saved (15:1-2) on the basis of Christ's death for our sins (v 3). In Him is redemption through the forgiveness of sin as an expression of God's grace (Ephesians 1:7).

 

In the ancient world, as in many parts of the world today, people were not offended when they were told that something was wrong with them, that they are sinful, and that they fall short of the glory and standard of God. People did not, as some do in the modern Western world, get upset when someone spoke about sin and the consequences of sin. But even in the Western world people want justice for those who do wrong. Why is it strange that the Creator should hold people accountable? We are created in God's image and are, therefore, moral beings who need to be responsible in life. Back then, people sought a way of salvation, as the great majority of people even today do. That’s why most people are religious of some sort. People have all kinds of 'saviours,' the question is, can they really save you? People knew then, and many know today, that there is a God, although He is called by different names and is approached in different ways. To some, as in ancient Athens, he is simply the ‘UNKNOWN GOD’ (Greek: agnosto theo) as Paul pointed out (Acts 17:23). Some claim God exists but is unknown, others claim He is unknowable (agnosticism) or doesn't exist at all (atheism). Contrary to such thoughts, Paul proclaimed to the ancient Greeks Jesus Christ as Son of God and the resurrection of the Saviour. The Bible does acknowledge the unsearchableness of God, but not in an agnostic way. God can be found and revealed Himself many a times, notably through His Son, Jesus Christ. 

 

This was one of the many points Paul was making to the Christians in Rome. In the ancient world, Alexandria, Athens and Rome were great centres of learning, notably of philosophy and religion. In the midst of all this, Paul preached Christ crucified, the incarnate Logos who is the Light of the world. God can be known, Paul wrote; people even know it internally, yet suppress that truth of conscience (Romans 1:18–19). But apart from an inner witness that God exists and that sin is wrong and that people need salvation, creation is witness to God’s existence, revealing ‘His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature’ (v 20). Nature is too perfectly finetuned for it to be a coincidence and an act of random evolution. Many modern scientists find the hypothesis of an 'Intelligent Designer' much more convincing in view of the scientific facts. Many of the great scientists like Isaac Newton or Albert Einstein were believers of some sort. The latter famously said that ‘the only incomprehensible thing about the universe is that it is comprehensible.’ Oxford mathematician John Lennox enjoys quoting Einstein and others who saw no contradiction between science and religion. Lennox also referred to the late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks who stated that science takes things apart to see how they work, religion puts them together to see what they mean. There is no conflict between science and religion, there is only one from atheist scientists against Christianity. 

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Paul did not try to convince his audience of the existence of God. He pointed to the revelation of God in both conscience and creation. People knew God existed, so the problem Paul addressed was that ‘they did not honor Him as God or give thanks’ (Romans 1:21). This rejection of God and His rightful place as Creator in the hearts and lives of His creatures He had created in His image led to many distortions. Hearts were darkened, wisdom became foolishness, God was exchanged for earthly beings, the truth of God was exchanged for lies, and people served creatures rather than the Creator (vv 21–25). All this disrupted harmony in creation and especially among human beings created in the image of God. The Gospel not only seeks to restore the broken relationship between the Creator and His creation, but also restore harmony within creation, especially among human beings. Christ is the Prince of peace who brings unity and harmony.

 

Yet the rejection of the image of God inside of us leads to the rejection of the image of God in others. Hence, we don’t treat each other with respect as God’s creation that should be loved, but rather as dispensable creatures that can be exploited. Wrong sexual practices further degraded human beings (vv 26–27). Being created with a free will, God gave people over to their choices, yet they have to face the consequences. We are free to choose, but we are not free of the consequences of these choices. This is often a problem, especially for people with an arrogant attitude towards God and moral standards. They want to live as sinful as they like, but refuse to take the responsibility for their choices, actions and consequences. Life doesn’t work this way. We are free to choose, but never free of the consequences of these choices. Seeing one another as created in God's image will make us treat each other with love and respect. Once we see the image of God in ourselves, we will be able to see it in others too. Nietzsche's famous words, 'God is dead,' was a lament of the abolishing of morality in a secular society. There can be no objective morality without a moral God at the top of the hierarchy of values. 

 

The rejection of God leads to a depraved mind, a violation of one’s own conscience that dictates what is morally right and wrong (v 28). A depraved mind brings forth sinful lifestyles, as well as an approval to one another of those who violate the ordinances of God (vv 29–31). Supporting others in wrong things makes a bad thing worse, but people want some ‘justification’ of their sinful deeds, and therefore others also involved in them, gladly give it. But approving wrong as right doesn't make it right. Any attempt to appease a guilty conscience won’t lead to peace, but a suppression of the internal ‘moral compass.’ Just as violating tax or traffic laws has legal consequences, if caught, breaking God’s moral law has spiritual consequences, and nothing escapes His attention. ‘Sin’ (hamartia) means ‘missing the mark.’ It is falling short of the glory of God (3:23), i.e., missing the mark of God’s moral law, which has consequences for our soul and for eternity. Taking a look at all the injustice and crime in the world and the suffering that comes from it, it makes no sense not to speak of the need to have a righteous judgment on all these things. God's wrath on sin is the way to restore order and establish justice.

 

There is a ‘righteous judgment of God’ and people know it. If crime is not punished it will bring forth further suffering to others, usually the innocent ones, and end if painful anarchy. There is, as many say, a ‘higher justice’ that will set things right in the end. Interestingly, even people who reject a divine moral law are busy judging other people’s actions, while denying their own wrong-doing. Atheists are quick to blame God for all evils—the very God they deny exists! Paul was aware of this (2:1–3). The good news is that ‘the kindness of God leads you to repentance’ (v 4). God is patient, even with people who do wrong. Although judgment on evil is righteous and necessary, God wants to save, not condemn, people. Christ came to save, not to condemn (John 3:16–17). God is Judge, yet His priority is to be Saviour. God doesn't reject anyone one; people reject God. God's offer of salvation stands, yet people choose the 'darkness' of sin over a life in honesty and humility before God (vv 16-21).

 

Sadly, when people are stubborn and unrepentant of heart, they are storing up wrath for the Day of Judgement, ‘the righteous judgement of God,’ where each person will get what their deeds deserve (Romans 2:5-6). God’s judgment is fair and righteous, with total impartiality: eternal life for those who please God, yet condemnation for those who chose unrighteousness and sin (vv 7-11). Although God sent His Son to die on the cross to carry our sins as His way of salvation, people choose 'darkness' over the light: many choose to live in sin rather than admit that they are wrong and need help. Those who 'loved darkness rather than light,' expose their own evil deeds by it (John 3:1o9), hence they refuse to come into the light (v 20). God is light and there is no darkness in Him (1 Jn 1:5). Those who come to Him with humility and faith will have their sins forgiven and can live in the light. We learn to live according to the moral law of the Creator.

 

The standard of God is written in the Law of God. Paul mentions this twofold: there is the Law of God, given to the people of Israel through Moses, yet also ‘the Law written in their hearts,’ that is the Gentiles (non-Jewish people), who did not have the privilege to grow up learning God’s written ordinances. Yet, all human beings are created in the image of God and all, therefore, have a conscience inside of them, which dictates what is right or wrong before God. Our conscience is ‘bearing witness’ internally, and ‘accusing’ or ‘defending’ our thoughts and action (2:12–16). This is the inner ‘moral compass,’ pointing to what is right in God’s eyes. People are free to humbly respond to it and obey God or willingly reject it and disobey God—either choice has consequences. There’s no neutral ground here. 

 

All people, those who knew the Law in written form (Jews) and those who ‘only’ had it in their conscience (Gentiles) ‘are all under sin’ (3:9). The Law brought ‘the knowledge of sin’ (v 20), making crystal clear what is right and what is wrong before God. But keeping the Law cannot save a person. Good works cannot save a person. Religious deeds cannot save a person. Only God the Saviour can save people. We cannot save ourselves, but we can believe in the One who can—Jesus Christ, Saviour of the world. By faith in Him we are justified before God and become righteous (vv 21-22). We all have sinned and fall short of God's glory (v 23), but we can be made righteous by faith in Christ as a gift (v 24). It is because of His atoning sacrifice on the cross, the blood spilt for the forgiveness of sins, that He can justify the sinner (v 25). He is the justifier of the sinner who belives in Him and what He has done (v 26). How blessed is the person whose sins are forgiven (4:7-8; cf., Psalms 32:1-2). The guilty conscience because of sin weighs us down, but forgiveness refreshes us and sets us free! It is a blessing. Jesus died so our sins can be forgiven; He rose from the dead so that we could be made right with God (Romans 4:24-25). It is faith that makes us righteous before God because it accepts the righteousness Jesus attained for us by His death and resurrection. It is not our own righteousness, or our goodness or our religious deeds. We will always fall short, but God makes us righteous in Christ.​​ We can find peace with God and learn to live as He originally intended.