Romans 3:5–8 (ESV) — 5 But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) 6 By no means! For then how could God judge the world? 7 But if through my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? 8 And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.
NOTE: The argument that Paul repeats is a human argument, as Mounce argues, it would deny a basic truth that Jews held as inviolable, that "God will judge the earth." Mounce interprets the conclusion using a modern idiom, "you cannot have it both ways." I would add another idiom, "you can't have your cake and eat it too." The fact that sin makes God's righteousness more clear is mercy to us. We should realize that sin will never provide what we desire and hope for. Sin reveals to us what we lost in the garden. It is ugly, and defeating. I heard a radio commercial lamenting the fact that humans don't come with a user manual, and therefore need "therapy." Well, I disagree, we do come with a user manual, "God's Word." It solves the biggest problem of being human and that is sin. It reveals to us the long promised savior who takes away the penalty of sin, and someday will replace our bodies with a sin-free body.
PONDER:
- Do I routinely consult the user manual God provided to humanity?
- Do I expect life to get better by doing the same failed strategy over and over again?
PRAYER: Father, we use stupid arguments to justify our desires to live outside of your laws and in doing so, we only hurt ourselves. Bring us to repentance and to new life in Jesus.
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