Romans 1:14, “I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish.” In Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.”
I want you to notice that (to borrow a phrase from author Scott McKnight), the Kingdom of God is a fellowship of “differents.” Through the local church, God is bringing people together who, out in the world, would otherwise be diametrically opposed to one another, at each other’s throats, attending rival political rallies, plotting one another’s demise. Greeks, non-Greeks; the wise, the unwise; the educated, the uneducated; the Jew, the Gentile; the slave, the free; male and female; Religious, and irreligious; the moral, the immoral; the strong, the weak;
At the top of this letter Paul declares boldly, and clearly. “I don’t just have an obligation to people who are like me. I have an obligation to everyone. This gospel is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes!”
It’s hard to be certain, but scholars understand that Paul is writing (in part) to a Jewish subculture within the Roman church. Look what he says! This gospel is for “everyone…” “first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” Let me translate. “This gospel is for everyone but first/foremost (especially) for you.” You need it as much as anyone else!
One of the biggest problems in this world is our sense of superiority. Now I stand before you as a white-Caucasian, human being. But more than this, I am a man. And more than this I suppose I’d be considered a middle-aged man. My ancestors are of European descent, plus I’m a Christian. The culture holds a mega-phone to my ear and shouting, “You a person of privilege. You are unconsciously, and incompetently racist. You have a superiority complex, you lack any/all credibility…” A book I read says my baldness gives me even more points! Bald men are perceived more powerful, dominant, intelligent, superior! If you think I get points for being a white-middle-aged-male-European descendent-bald-Christian man… how many points do you suppose I might get for also being a pastor?
Superiority may very well be a white, middle-aged male, Christian, European-descendant problem. But mark Paul’s words. Superiority is a human problem. It’s a Greek problem, and a non-Greek problem. It’s a Jewish and Gentile problem. It’s a slave and a free-man’s problem. It’s a male and female problem. It’s a simple uneducated man’s problem, and it’s a sophisticated/educated man’s problem.
Maybe we haven’t said enough about what it means that the gospel is the power of God for the salvation for everyone who believes. Romans 1:17, “In the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to the last…” In the local church, there is no superiority and inferiority. There’s no “I’m more righteous, better, holier, good, privileged, superior than you.” Our whole standing before God (from first of us to the last of us) is entirely based on something external to ourselves… Christ’s righteousness, never our own righteousness.
The opening chapters of Romans shred any/all notion of superiority.
Moral Superiority?
1.) The gospel is not about our moral superiority—i.e. the moral superiority of the elder brother over loose, promiscuous, Prodigal son. Let’s briefly review. In Romans 1, the most prominent pronoun in “they.” With great detail, Paul describes how “they” (i.e. “those people”) suppress the truth, refuse to glorify God, become darkened in their thinking, degrade their bodies, worship/serve created things, fuel their lusts, engage in shameful acts, exchange natural for unnatural relations… become filled with every kind of wickedness (which Paul lists!).
You know it’s a favorite past time of the morally superior to catalog the immorality of those they deem inferior. “Ah, can you believe it… look! Those heathen are so full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, gossip, slander, insolence, hate, arrogance, infidelity, intolerance…” Isn’t it true? We never feel so morally superior than when we’re pointing out the moral deficiencies of others. And don’t pretend you don’t have a clue what I’m talking about. We make sport out of being judgmental, pointing out faults, condemning the “differents”… the “other.”
If you knew the righteousness of Christ you wouldn’t act anywhere near as morally superior as you do. Your facebook feed would reflect far more gentleness. You see in Romans 1 Paul brilliantly reels us in. He gives us the juicy, red meat we love. “They do this, they do that, can you believe it?”
But then in Romans 2 Paul flips the tables! He says, “By the way… you have no excuse either… because you who pass judgment do the same things! You have a stubborn and unrepentant heart. You are storing up wrath against yourself. God will repay each person according to what they have done. There will be trouble and distress for every human who does evil… first for the Jew, then for the Gentile!”
Are you listening? “You think your morally superior… a guide for the blind, a light for the blind, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children…” Paul tells them in Romans 2, “God is being blasphemed because of your moral hypocrisy!” You are not morally superior. From the first of us to the last of us… the only righteousness to speak of is not our own, but that of Christ Jesus.
Religious Superiority?
2.) The gospel is not about our religious superiority either. In Romans 3:1, Paul knows his audience like the back of his hand. He can read their mind. There were some who thought they were superior because they had been circumcised. I’m not really that excited to talk to you about circumcision—except that circumcision was yet another way one group of people (the Jews) were asserting their superiority over another group in the church (the Gentiles). People in the church were like, “We’re of the circumcision group… you’re of the non-circumcision group.” [Now if you’re like me, I don’t want to know what group you in! I have no desire to verify one way or the other. Boy its getting really uncomfortable in here!]
But isn’t it just like us, to think ourselves superior, because we gone through some religious right of passage? “I’ve been baptized.” We have this mistaken notion that because we’ve done some religious rite, that religious rite, in itself makes us righteous. In Romans 2:25 Paul says, “If you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised.” He also says in Romans 2:26, “if those who are not circumcised obey the law, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised?”
Now friends we’re going to talk about the importance of baptism in Romans 6. But let me say this. Do you think God is more impressed with the person who has gone through the motions of baptism, or the person who though not being baptized, lives a dedicated life before God? In Romans 1:27-29 Paul says, “27 The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker. 28 A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29 No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.”
I’ll tell you a secret about circumcision and baptism, or any other religious rite. They are never a declaration of our person righteousness. They are a declaration of our utter dependence upon God, our need for Christ’s righteousness/justification. If your baptism is anything other than that, you are deceiving yourself.
Covenantal Superiority?
3.) The gospel is not about our covenantal superiority. The Bible is filled with covenant promises. God made a covenant with Adam/Eve to give them a child that would crush the head of Satan. God made a covenant with Noah, marked by a rainbow, to never again destroy the earth with water. God made a covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all their descendants. God made a covenant with the nation of Israel (i.e Abraham’s descendants). The Jewish people, rightly came to see themselves as the children of God, children of Abraham, children of promise. When you read your Bible God reveals himself to be FAITHFUL. He is always faithful to his promises. He always keeps his word. In fact, God is faithful even when his people are unfaithful!
In Romans 3:3-4 Paul establishes this truth. He says, “3 What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness? 4 Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar.” Friends, God is not like us. He is faithful even when we’re not faithful! He is true even though we lie. God’s holiness always prevails when he speaks, when he acts, he never disowns himself!
But there is this covenantal arrogance we develop where we begin to think that because God is faithful, we’re no longer accountable. “God’s just going to keep on loving me, keep on being faithful… God has bound himself to me by virtue of his own holiness and righteousness. I have a trump card. God has to be good to me because he can’t go back on his promise!” The Jews expressed it this way to Jesus, “We are children of Abraham. How can we be ever be condemned? We’re covered!”
Some even went so far as to think, “The more I sin, the more God’s goodness, faithfulness, and glory shines! The darker I become the brighter he shines! The more egregious my sin, the more God has to forgive me. The more God has to forgive me, the more people see depth of his mercy! I’m doing God a favor by being a lawbreaker.”
Already in Romans 2:4 Paul addressed the fallacy of this thinking. He says “Do you show contempt for the riches of God’s kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?”
Contempt is another word for acting superior. When we show contempt for God’s grace, we’re assuming a posture of superiority over God. We’re being presumptuous about his grace, instead of being humbled by his grace. We’re taking it for granted, instead of letting it spur us on toward obedience.
If God’s faithfulness and grace propels you faster into sin… deeper into presumption… you’re deluded. In Romans 2:8, Paul says your condemnation is just! In Romans 6 people thought because they were baptized, they could keep on sinning, and despite their stubbornness and unrepentance, God’s grace would just keep right on increasing. Wrong. You’re not superior to God. The grace of God isn’t a license to sin!
Racial Superiority?
4.) The gospel is not about racial superiority. Let me call your attention to the block of verses, Romans 3:9-18. Every verse there is an Old Testament quotation. More importantly, almost all of those verses were spoken not about Jews, but Gentiles. The history of race between Jews and Gentiles, Jews and Samaritans, is in time they came to believe in their racial superiority. What Paul does is apply all the things the Jews had been saying about Gentiles to the Jews themselves. They weren’t racially superior. In fact, apart from God, they were of the very same character as their “racial inferiors!” Their racial superiority was in their own eyes, never in God’s eyes.
Romans 3:9-18, “9 What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. 10 As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; 11 there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. 12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” 13 “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their lips.” 14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 ruin and misery mark their ways, 17 and the way of peace they do not know.” 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
Legal Superiority?
5.) Nor is the gospel about legal superiority. Recently I began reading a book called “The New Jim Crow.” The book is about how one group of people in society establish their superiority over another group in society by defining what laws matter and what laws don’t. The Jews attached grave significance to some laws, while dismissing other laws they deemed insignificant. They considered themselves righteous and superior because they fasted, prayed, gave alms, and offered sacrifices. They considered others unrighteous, unredeemable, sinners, tax collectors, criminals, illegals, felons, aliens because they didn’t obey their arbitrary standards. The Jews constructed a false sense of legal superiority… you tend feel superior when you set your own standards!
If we we’re to truly consider God’s righteousness, and understand his perfect law, we’d immediately realize there aren’t two groups of people but one. We are all lawbreakers! There is no one perfect, no not one. There is no one good save God alone. Legally speaking, in God’s eyes, one has no advantage than the next. We’re all under the power of sin needing God’s grace!
Romans 3:19-20, “19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.”
It’s time we trade in our bullhorns. Instead of acting superior (in a moral, religious, covenantal, racial or legal way) our mouth ought be silenced. If we truly knew the righteousness of God we’d fall on our knees.
Humility and Faith
What is the gospel? It’s Romans 3:21-24, “But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
Romans 3:25-26, “God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”
Romans 3:27-30, “Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. . . Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. 28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, 30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.”
The opposite of pride/superiority is faith/humility. The only people who will be justified at end of age won’t be those full of themselves… but those full of God. CONFESS