Let’s remind ourselves of the argument so far. Paul states his theme in 1:17, ‘in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith.’ He spends most of the first three chapters — from chapter 1:18-3:20 ­demonstrating that everyone needs this righteousness. The unbelieving Gentile needs it (1:18-32). The morally respect­able needs it (2:1-16). The religious, self righteous Jew needs it; as do Pat the Presbyterian; Arnold the Anglican; Billy the Baptist; Connie the Catholic and Uel the Uniting (2:17-29)! All of us — no matter who we are — need this righteousness from God.

That’s a bitter pill for some to swallow. Isn’t it strange that it’s often religious people who are the most difficult ones to reach with the gospel? Religious peo­ple seem to have immunity to it. Whether it’s because they think that they don’t need it? Or, because they have heard it all before and have be­come so used to it that its water off a ducks back? Or is it because they think they already have it and are good enough?

Now Paul addresses the objections of an imaginary Jewish heckler in verses 1-8, in order to confirm to us that religion does not provide the righteousness that God requires.

What the Heckler has to Say (1-8)⤒🔗

We’ll not spend much time here. We don’t want to give the heckler too much space! Besides, some of his questions are not even worth considering.

1. Is there any advantage in being a circumcised Jew (verse 1-2)? This is a fair question. It must have appeared to the devout Jew that God was setting aside the ancient racial and religious distinction. Paul reminds the Jewish people however that they have many privileges — not least the gift of the Scriptures. However, privilege also brings responsibility.
    
2. Does Israel’s unfaithfulness destroy or nullify God’s faithfulness (verse 3-4)? This is a theological teaser. The argu­ment goes: Because God had chosen the Jews He MUST therefore bless them, irrespective of whether they be­lieve or not! If He does not bless them then He is unfaithful. It’s like the question that is sometimes asked today: ‘If Christ died for all, yet all do not come to Him, does this not mean that His death was a failure?’ There are always those who are smarter than God — who will try and apply human logic to dis­credit God’s sovereign mercy.
    
3. Our wickedness will provide a starker backdrop to God’s righteous­ness and glory; so that people will ad­mire God all the more (verse 5-6)? This is a blasphemous suggestion! Paul even apologises for having to mention it.
    
4. Let us sin all the more boldly — cos’ the more we sin, the more God will for­give us; and the more glory it will bring to God (7-8)! The suggestion is so out­rageous that Paul refuses to answer it! It’s a wicked thought! Note how the heckler has quickly degenerated into slander.

In Christian debate there are some questions not worth the dignity of an answer for the good reason that they should never be asked. There is a point beyond which discussion and argument are no longer necessary or desir­able. Philip.

There is the world of difference be­tween a genuine seeker who is asking good questions that deserve to be answered (e.g. how can I be right with God? What must I do to be saved? etc.); and the ‘smart-Alex’ who loves an argument and who only wants to embarrass the speaker by asking curly questions; (e.g. Where did Cain find his wife? What about the hea­then? What about other religions? How old is the earth? What happened to the dinosaurs? The questions are endless).

We need wisdom to discern the differ­ence between the genuine and the insincere. Jesus said, ‘Do not give dogs what is sacred and do not throw your pearls to pigs.’ (Matt. 7:6). I hope that no one reading these lines has a quarrel with God. I hope that no one even thinks that, ‘unless I have the answer to every question I will not believe or trust in God? Just think: Is God obliged to you? Is God answer­able to you? What does He owe you? As Paul says, let God be true and every man a liar’. You must stop ar­guing against God. You must stop listening to the hecklers. You must listen to what the Bible has to say.

What the Bible has to Say (9-18)←⤒🔗

Paul arrives at his damning conclu­sion. Here he writes your biography (and mine and everybody’s) in these verses. You don’t really think it de­scribes you? It’s just a bunch of Old Testament quotes about really bad people, you say. But the apostle won’t budge. Everyone is under sin — and that includes religious people — even the heckler (9 and 19). Sin is here portrayed not merely as doing bad things, but as though we are under the power of an evil tyrannical dictator who controls and manipulates us so that we are unable to escape.

Note the Evidence that he uses against us (10-18). It’s a list of OT Scriptures; mainly the Psalms, e.g. 5, 10, 14, 36, 51 and 140. ‘Paul follows here a common rabbinical practice of stringing passages together like a string of pearls’ (Stott). The result is one of the most devastating critiques of the human race. He describes it as it is. There is no sugar coating. It is grim and gloomy; it is serious and hard hitting; it is unrelenting and damn­ing. Just think: no matter what anyone can else say about us - no one can say anything worse about us than God! (Worse than Swift in his satirical novel Gulliver’s Travels when he said; ‘Man is the most pernicious race of little odi­ous vermin that nature ever suffered to crawl upon the surface of the earth’). The Scriptures declares me (and you) guilty before God — under the power and penalty of sin.

Note the Extent of Sin: see how he uses repetition to hammer home the point that everyone is sinful (verses 10-­12). All (except Christ Jesus) are sin­ners. Sin does not recognise state bor­ders, social classes, political or reli­gious parties — it affects everyone. Note the Effects of Sin: Every faculty and every part of us is affected. The throat is an open grave (smell the stench and the pong!). The tongue practices deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness (and some of you have to listen to this every day at work). Their feet are swift to pursue violence.

What Paul is here describing is what we call ‘total depravity’. It simply means that sin affects every aspect of our human existence: our minds, our wills, our bodies and our souls. It is not ‘utter depravity.’ We are not as bad as we could be — but neither are we as good as we should be. Paul is not say­ing that this is a true of every human being. Thank God there are many good, decent, kind, honest and helpful human beings. We are not all drunk­ards, adulterers, rapists and murderers! But we all have the virus of sin; the seed of every known sin is in our hearts — and it is only by the restraining grace of God that we are not as bad as we might be! You don’t think this is true of you? I still remember the shock when I was diagnosed with a serious lung condition. I wasn’t aware I had it! But the X-ray (and biopsy) proved it. We may not think of ourselves as sinful — or feel ourselves sinful — but under the Bible’s scrutiny the diagnosis is proven.

Note the Essence of Sin: it is not seeking God (11). It is turning away from God (12). It is having no fear of God (18). ‘Sin is the revolt of self against God, the dethronement of God with a view to the enthronement of oneself. Ultimately sin is self deifica­tion, the reckless determination to oc­cupy the throne which belongs to God alone.’ (Stott). The essence of sin is ungodliness. That’s what the Bible has to say about us. We need to face the facts!

What the Sinner has to Say? (19-20)←⤒🔗

‘Let every mouth be silenced’ (19). We have nothing to say to God if we are wise. ‘The picture is of a defendant in court, who given the opportunity to speak in his own defence, is speech­less because of the overwhelming weight of evidence which has been brought against him’. (Cranfield). If we could only see ourselves as God sees us our foolish mouths would be shut! God is Judge. We are the judged. We are the guilty. I read of a lady who was visiting a famous art gallery. She did nothing but criticise the paintings of the great masters. Finally the curator impatiently said to the lady, ‘Madam, we are not judging these paintings. They are judging us!’ (If only we could see ourselves like that woman!)

Cameron Watt was sentenced to 4 years imprisonment in 2004 in NSW. He was the assistant manager of Baptists Investments and Finance Ltd. He was charged with dishonestly using his position with the intention of gaining advantage for himself i.e. syphoning off significant amounts of money for his personal benefit. Up until the trial he still saw himself as a victim — as not responsible — but try­ing to blame everyone else. During his trial his own barrister was taking him through the scenario and asked his client; ‘Mr Watt, do you believe what you did was dishonest?’ Watt says, ‘I stopped to think about it for a couple of seconds — though it felt much longer...’ But for the first time years after the event I actually said, ‘Yes, it was dishonest!’ My poor bar­rister nearly fell on the ground’ Watt said, ‘but it was relief for me finally to say, I did the wrong thing. I know I shouldn’t have done it.’

Watt illustrates for us that there is great relief facing up to the truth about ourselves — even if it is to our hurt.

We need to face up to the truth about ourselves before God. The Law of God helps us to do that (20).

Luther has said, 

The principal point of the law is to make men not better but worse; that is to say, it sheweth unto them their sin, that by the knowledge thereof they may be humbled, terri­fied, bruised and broken, and by this means be driven to seek grace and so come to that Blessed Seed.

The Law could never make us righteous — but to convince us of our need of righteousness. That’s what the gos­pel is all about. ‘But now a right­eousness from God, apart from law, has been made known ... this right­eousness from God comes though faith in Jesus Christ to all who be­lieve’ (21). That’s our subject for next time (DV).