Devotion #5: God Is Faithful
“Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, ‘That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged.’ 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.) By no means! For then how could God judge the world? But if through my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? And why not do evil that good may come? - as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.” Romans 3:1-8
Wow, that is a lot to take in; what a breathtaking passage! What is Paul saying here? Paul was facing some arguments against his teachings: Are Jews superior to Gentiles in the grace of God? Of what value are the Jewish traditions? Is sinning okay because it shows God’s mercy? Paul addresses these arguments by explaining that the Jews were chosen by God to pass on His Word, and while traditions are a good thing to hold on to, we all are sinners. Then the argument arises that if the Jews are not faithful to God, does that mean that God will not be faithful back? Paul addresses this with what could be his favorite response “mē genoito”, which in Greek literally means, “let it not be” or “may it never be so.” English translations often say, “God forbid,” “Not at all,” or “By no means!” These show an emphasized exclamation from Paul, who repeats this phrase throughout Romans! There must be a serious issue being addressed!
Have you ever heard someone say that they can do what they want because God forgives them? They treat God’s grace as if it were a get-out-of-jail-free card. In the words of Paul, “mē genoito!” Paul is telling them that all people sin and are unfaithful to God and our unfaithfulness to Him has no impact on His faithfulness to us. God is faithful and just to forgive (1 John 1:9), just as He is righteous and just in judgment (Psalm 89:14). The arguments Paul faced were a direct question of God’s character. Is He really faithful? Paul references Psalm 51:4 when he says, “That you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.” In this Old Testament passage, the psalmist is describing God’s character. God will always keep His Word and remain faithful to His people no matter what we do, and His words and His judgment are justified! He will always follow through on His part of the covenant.
This is great news for us! As we all know, we fall short of His glory on a daily basis. However, God followed through on His promise to send us a Savior (See Genesis 3:15, but really all of Old Testament prophecy). Jesus came, and He bore the punishment of our sins. He carried the weight of our shortcomings on His shoulders and ultimately paid the price that we would never be able to afford. We can never pay Him back. So, are you living with hope? Are you walking confidently in the truth that God is faithful? My prayer for you is that you never forget what God did for you when He sent His Son, Jesus! He followed through on His promise!
Romans 1:16 says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”