No right estimate can be formed of what sin is in God’s sight, until the gospel itself be known: hence our chapters upon God’s grace towards us precede this and the following chapter upon the fruit and root of the tree – human nature.
True, the Holy Spirit makes us to feel our need of Christ before showing to us who Christ is and what He has done for us, yet, as a matter of fact, we learn more about what we are, after having the knowledge of Christ, than during our anxiety to be assured of salvation, and the farther advanced we are in the knowledge of grace the more fit are we to read self in the light of divine holiness.
In the grand gospel epistle – that to the Romans – God first shows what man is by the evidence of his acts, and next by the setting out of what he is by nature. Romans 1, verses 1-15, are the introduction to what may be called the divine gospel sermon, the text of which, THE GOSPEL OF GOD, is found in verses 16-18. This sermon has, so far as it relates to fallen man, two great parts – one discovering what the fruit of the tree is, the other, what the tree itself is. And God in His abounding grace first reveals His remedy for the corrupt fruit, and next, His provision for the state of the root. In other words, the gospel of God first meets the guilt of man; next, the nature of man.
Looking at and judging the tree by its fruits, God from verse 19 of chapter 1 to verse 20 of chapter 3 – divides the world into three parts, and surveys man in each. The field of the world is mapped out into three portions, and the crops borne by each are judged by God.
We have first, the uncultivated portion (Rom. 1:19-3219Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them. 20For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: 25Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 28And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. (Romans 1:19‑32)); second, the portion tended by the hand of philosophy (Rom. 2:1-111Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. 2But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. 3And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? 4Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? 5But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; 6Who will render to every man according to his deeds: 7To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life: 8But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 9Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; 10But glory, honor, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: 11For there is no respect of persons with God. (Romans 2:1‑11)); third, that favored part which was plowed by the law and watered by the prophets (Rom. 2:12-3:2012For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; 13(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. 14For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: 15Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) 16In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. 17Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, 18And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; 19And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, 20An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. 21Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? 22Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? 23Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonorest thou God? 24For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written. 25For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. 26Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? 27And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law? 28For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. 1What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? 2Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God. 3For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? 4God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. 5But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man) 6God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world? 7For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner? 8And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just. 9What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; 10As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 13Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: 14Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: 15Their feet are swift to shed blood: 16Destruction and misery are in their ways: 17And the way of peace have they not known: 18There is no fear of God before their eyes. 19Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. (Romans 2:12‑3:20)).
Before the cross of Christ, a large part of the world was allowed to grow on without any restraint. A section of it, however, had human hands to tend it; it was sown with philosophy and reason. But a part of the world had been under the direct care of God, whose watchful energy over His nation we well know. When Christ died the period of human cultivation ended, and in our epistle the fruits are brought in and examined.
Man’s Estimate of the Field!
Let us inquire what was man’s idea of the fruits of the field. The philosopher, walled around with reason and human wisdom, gloried in his powers of mind, but, while judging the vile weeds and evil growth in the barbarians around him, he acted as vilely as they. The Jew, the religious man, who had been fenced in by Jehovah, boasted in the fence, boasted in the possession of the letter of the law, and of having the oracles of God committed to his custody, yet brought forth fruits as worthless as the rest. Then, as now, man was very well satisfied with himself.
But What Was God’s Estimate of the Field?
Of the wild part we read: “As they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind” – “they are without excuse” ( Rom. 1:28-2928And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, (Romans 1:28‑29)). Of that which man’s philosophy had cultivated, God says, “Thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?” (Rom. 2:33And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? (Romans 2:3)). Of the religious, the Jewish part, the record is, “They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one” (Rom. 3:1212They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. (Romans 3:12)).
Wherever God looked at man’s works He found them utterly bad – the fruit of the tree was hopelessly evil.
Jew or Gentile, philosopher or simple, none were righteous, none understood, none sought after God. Man’s throat was an open sepulcher; his tongue the instrument of deceit; under his lips was poison; his mouth was filled with cursing and bitterness; his feet were swift to shed blood; his ways were destruction and misery; the way of peace he knew not, and no fear of God was before his eyes.
Such is God’s photograph of man!
Yes, in such terrible language the God of Light and Truth photographs His guilty creature – man. This was the end of the choicest religious and mental cultivation. This was the fruit borne after four thousand years of testing. Reader, do you believe God? Do you bow to this view of yourself as a human being? Do you practically confess that eighteen hundred years ago God declared man to be utterly evil?
Faith refuses to excuse self, owning before God, man’s hopeless guilt, and learns, by grace, the way of peace. Unbelief, on the contrary, attempts to improve self, persists in seeking to cultivate the tree, and then proceeds willfullya and deliberately upon the way of destruction. No difference existing:
The grace of God meets us just as and where we are, and meets all men alike, whether Jew or Gentile, philosopher or simple. The whole race of man is guilty before God; “there is no difference; for all have sinned” (Rom. 3:22-2322Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:22‑23)). The righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ is “unto all; and upon all them that believe; for there is no difference” (vs. 22).
All are alike in the ruin and all are alike the objects of the remedy.
We place in column side by side:
The righteous record of God concerning man:
The righteous remedy of God for man:
The declaration of God respecting man’s powerlessness in his lost state
The declaration of God respecting His grace for man in his lost state:
Thus righteousness condemns, and on the ground of righteousness God justifies.
Righteousness is the ground whereon grace is built.
God forgives in righteousness; God justifies in righteousness; God’s gospel reveals His righteousness.
Our guilt calls for righteous judgment; the blood of God’s Son is the righteous answer for our guilt. When Jesus took the sinner’s place upon the cross, God in righteousness hid His face from Him. When the Lord had finished the work, God in righteousness raised Him from the dead and set Him at His own right hand in glory. Now God holds forth to the eye of faith His own Son – a propitiation through faith in His blood to declare His righteousness... that He might be just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus. (Rom. 3:25-2625Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. (Romans 3:25‑26)).
Upon Whom Is the Righteousness of God?
Mark well; if judged according to divine righteousness, the most moral, the most religious of men, will be leveled down to hell along with the vilest, “for there is no difference” – degrees of distance from God are not to be brought into the question. Since, then, none can merit divine favor, grace flows freely to all. The satisfaction rendered by Christ to divine righteousness is perfect. God Himself is the source of His gospel, His Son the essence of it, and the cross the channel for it to reach us. The righteousness of God is “unto all”; it is towards all men. But it is also as circumscribed as the number of those hearts which delight in it, for it is only “upon all them that believe.” Man in himself is thus completely set aside as a fruit-bearer, treated as helpless and utterly bad, but God, in Christ, has wrought out a righteousness for man, and “whosoever” believes receives the blessing. “It is of faith that it might be by grace.” The blood of Jesus has perfectly answered to the righteous God for the sins of all who believe. By that blood, God in His grace counts such as believe to be righteous. God justifies such through the blood of His Son.