“Good” is a relative thing. The question is always, “Compared to what?” A good pizza, a good dog, and a good man are not the same. You only appreciate “good” when you understand “bad.” So when Paul explains the good news of the gospel, he begins with bad news—truly horrible news.
Paul says the gospel reveals the righteousness of God, and he starts by showing God’s righteous wrath (Rom 1:18–3:20). We’ve earned it. God has made Himself known, and we know Him—and reject Him. We don’t acknowledge Him or give thanks. Instead, we worship the created rather than the Creator (Rom 1:21–23).
So God gives us over. He hands us to our lusts, and we don’t repent (Rom 1:24–25). He gives us over to disgraceful passions, and we run with them (Rom 1:26–27). We refuse to acknowledge God, so He gives us over to what Paul calls a “useless mind,” producing a long list of sins (Rom 1:28–32). And even those who recognize sin have earned His wrath, because we practice it too (Rom 2:1–3).
It only gets worse. God judges everyone without partiality (Rom 2:9–11). The best of us stand condemned (Rom 3:1–9). We are without righteousness, without good, without the fear of God (Rom 3:10–18). Many ask, “What did I do that’s so wrong?” Paul’s answer is simple: we failed to recognize God and give Him the worship He deserves.
It is in the shadow of this complete failure—and God’s absolutely just wrath—that the good news appears. “The righteousness of God has been made manifest…” (Rom 3:21ff). In the blood of Christ, God’s righteous wrath is appeased (Rom 3:25), and God becomes both just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus (Rom 3:26). Imagine that. Having diligently earned God’s wrath, we are offered a substitute so that we may come in faith and be “justified by faith apart from works” (Rom 3:28). That is good news—good news of massive magnitude.
Christians sing about “amazing grace” and praise God’s mercy, but if we don’t grasp the magnitude of the sin that earned His righteous wrath, we will have a diminished view of grace. We were vessels of wrath, yet shown mercy. And remember—our original problem was failing to acknowledge Him and give thanks (Rom 1:21). To repeat that failure in response to grace would be a tragic mistake.
5 comments:
Excellent point noting that good has not real meaning without comparing it to something. Our good can be compared to the complete goodness of YHWH, which reveals our shortfalls or to others, both good and bad, which can allow us to feel like we are doing pretty well.
Also great point about YHWH giving us the freedom to pursue our desires even to the point where those desires take us to negative outcomes.
I've heard it said that if you were to line up on a spectrum of good versus evil, with Jesus at the maximally good side and the worst human ever (which according to today's standard would be Hitler) at the maximally evil side, we would all be shoulder to shoulder on the evil side, even someone as righteous as Paul would be rubbing shoulders with the most every people, so vast is the scale of gulf between God's righteousness and our unrighteousness. And until we recognize that fact, God's mercy will be small.
I"ve heard that, too, David, and agree. I do wonder about "Hitler" as today's "worst evil." I would think "white male Christians" would be today's version. Okay ... small joke, but ...
In thinking about your theme today of “good news” vs. “bad news” and “God’s righteous wrath” vs. God’s grace and mercy towards His creatures, one can appreciate and understand the Apostle Paul’s very negative assessment of the human race. If what Paul says is fair and true (and it is), then sinful men and women are utter disappointments to their Creator. Afterall, if we human parents don’t like when our offspring act entitled and ungrateful towards us, their generous caregivers, how much more is God rightfully incensed by man’s disobedience and rejection of Him.
I can’t picture too many people these days sitting through a sermon such as “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”--too much “fire and brimstone” for our tastes. Therefore, I think there is a huge segment of humanity that will be shocked when they learn that God will judge them harshly for how they live--that the warnings presented in the Bible are real and serious. Those who have received warning that “it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10:31) and don’t, in response, run to God to find the rescue He offers are guilty of the “unpardonable sin.” Finally, as you remind us in closing, those of us who have taken those warnings to heart enough to seek God’s rescue should be very diligent to remain ever grateful, appreciative, and thankful regarding what we are spared--solely through God’s grace and mercy.
Since Paul’s writings are on our minds today, this declaration of his, recorded in 1 Tim. 1:15, came to my mind immediately upon reading David’s comment:
"Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.”
In light of the final clause, it makes no sense to think of any particular sinful human--Hitler included--as any worse than “the worst of sinners.” (I know that unbelievers think and talk like God “grades on a curve,” but we know better, of course.)
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