False Conclusions - Finding Truth

 

  For the past several weeks, I've been studying the book of Romans.  I plan to spend considerable time in this book, Lord willing.  I've recently learned that Paul uses a technique in his writing called 'charaz,' which means that he strings passages of Scripture together as if he were stringing perils.  Because I'm from the Midwest, I can more easily relate to creating a popcorn string to decorate a Christmas tree.  Whether perils or popcorn, Paul is stringing together Old Testament truths to support his gospel message.  

     It wasn't until Jesus visited him on the road to Damascus that Paul was able to piece together a clear understanding of the New Covenant that God had planned from the very beginning.  The more I study Paul's writings, the more profound I find his wisdom.  In prior journeys through Romans, I have missed much of what Paul was trying to say, but now I'm taking smaller bites, nibbling, and relishing more and more of the flavor of Scriptures and what Paul intended the reader to ponder, things I never understood before.  When I linger longer on shorter passages, it allows me to become more enlightened to the treasures hidden in the Old Testament.  If this article doesn't present any new concepts for you, I hope at least it will encourage you to consider the depth of your current journey of faith by answering the questions at the end of this writing.      

     Let's first examine the charaz, the string of perils.  We recognize them in Paul's writing by observing the phrase, "as it is written."  If you have a good study Bible, you will see that the text following this phrase is often formatted differently.  Usually, they appear indented, like poetry or prose.  Alongside the text, you will find the references from where the writer acquired his information.  In a simple search for this phrase, "as it is written," I found it occurs five times in the first four chapters of Romans in my ESV Bible translation.  So, what do we do with the phrase when our eyes encounter it in our reading?  Do we assume it must be recorded somewhere in Scriptures and continue reading, or do we take the time to look it up and investigate the context in which it is registered?   Unfortunately, I routinely find myself biting off more Scriptures than I can chew, which makes me less inclined to discover what's most important about the passage.  How often might I find that I've drawn false conclusions by making assumptions that misrepresent the meaning?   

     In his letter to Rome, Paul asks rhetorical questions and follows up with answers he supports with other Scriptures.  He is not expecting that the church in Rome will write back and say, "to your first question, here is our response."  I have realized that in my neglect to go back and ponder the supporting Scriptures, I accept shallow answers rather than investing myself in truth.  For example, when I read, "If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God" (see Romans 4:2 ESV).  Paul asks his readers, "What do the Scripture say?"  Should that question nudge me to investigate, or is it a simple phrase Paul uses to support his argument?  I often prefer to take a shortcut, assuming Paul knows what he is talking about, but this limits the depth of my understanding.  I know this might seem somewhat redundant to search Scriptures for evidence that the writer points to, but I can attest from my own experience, it leads to better conclusions.

     Within the context of Paul's question, "What do the Scriptures say," he is talking about God's justification applied to Abraham.  Another word for justification is acquittal.  In a court setting, when someone is charged with a crime, and the judge determines them not guilty, we call this acquittal.  Other words like absolution, exoneration, or deliverance can also be used.  A Biblical definition of justification doesn't mean that the person was not guilty.  Although they are guilty, the debt has been paid on their behalf.  In Abram's case, God laid His own righteousness on him, making him blameless.  Likewise, when we are justified by God, our sins are forgiven (by the blood of Jesus), and we are reconciled (won back) to God.

     Here is an example.  Have you ever wondered what was credited to Abraham as righteousness?  Maybe you're like me and have focused on the event where God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac.  But, without noticing the peril that Paul strung, we wouldn't investigate where along the timeline this Genesis 15:6 places us.  By investigation, we discover that at least another 14 years must pass before the birth of Isaac.  Although Isaac was not yet in his mother's womb, the Word tells us that God knew him.

     A second event we might point to might be when God asked Abram to leave his home in Ur and travel to Canaan, recorded in Genesis 11:31.  What do these two events have in common?  You'd be right if you say they are activity-based, God is asking and Abram is obeying.  However, Paul is arguing against activity-based righteousness.  He says it comes through faith alone, not based on works.  So pointing to these events actually claims the opposite position.  Paul wants his readers to understand that what was credited to Abram was his belief in "The Promise" of God.  This promise is recorded in Genesis 12:1-3, also called the Abrahamic Covenant.  It was an unconditional oath God made with Abram as he slept (see Genesis 15).

     My own salvation has never been built on a work-based hope; however, isn't it tempting to think we've got something to do with it.  Be careful that your understanding of justification and faith is firmly rooted in what God's Word tells us.

     I don't rely heavily on the subtitles recorded in bold text above passages in my Bible; however, they provide a concise overview of the passage.  For example, in the first half of Romans 4, subtitles tell me to observe how Abraham was "Justified by Faith." The second half of Romans 4 has to do with "The Promise was Realized through Faith." So what do your subtitles tell you?  I find that 2 Corinthians 1:20 fits very nicely with these two subtitles.  "For all the promises of God find their Yes in Him.  That is why it is through Him that we utter our Amen to God for His glory."  What I find in this verse is an excellent proposition; God promises, we agree, and God receives the glory.

     In my church, we often define faith like this, "Faith is believing the Word of God and acting on it no matter how I feel because God promises a good result."  Commentaries help us organize our thoughts about Abraham's faith as recorded in Romans 4:17-25.  Here we see three distinctive components of faith:  (1) the object, (2) the obstacles to, and (3) the objectives of. 

The Object of Faith:

     The object of Abram's (Abraham's) faith was God's Promise.  In general, faith is trusting in something.  In a recent sermon, I learned that we are creatures designed by God to have faith.  According to R. Kent Hughes in his analysis of Romans 4, we can either express strong faith in weak things or weak faith in strong things or any combination in between.  For example, when we board an airplane, we exhibit faith in the pilot and the mechanics who have evaluated the aircraft's equipment.  We also assume that the air traffic controllers are trustworthy to assist in take-off and offer a safe landing.  Sometimes we have faith that our luggage will arrive with us, but when faith is weak, and experience tells us otherwise, we place our bag in the overhead bin.  When we go to a doctor and receive a prescription to help us feel better, we not only believe in the doctor who prescribes, the pharmacist who fills, and the manufacturer who makes it, faith is at work.  With or without our consideration, we're exhibiting faith in something.  The examples I've mentioned are weak things in comparison to God.  Do we ever question the strength or weakness of the faith we express?  Do you think God notices that our faith has a stronger expression in the weak things of this world than our faith in Him?  God is worthy of great faith.  He created us and every resource we depend on.  What makes us more inclined to trust the creature more than the Creator?  Romans 1:20 says, "For His invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.  So, they (we) are without excuse."  The object of our faith matters.

The Obstacles to Faith:

     As believers, we might be accused of having 'blind' faith, which means we do not use rational thinking when focused on matters of faith.  This is contrary to the way that Abram chose faith.  We see in Romans 4:19, Abram considered two things.  "He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb."  Historical evidence would support that humankind does not produce children at such an old age.  Shouldn't we have collected even greater evidence today?  Abram needed to consider the extent to which his involvement in producing an heir was limited, and it was faith that allowed Abram to regard God's unlimited power.      

     Several chapters later in Genesis, the story reveals that Sarah laughed when considering the possibility of being part of such a miracle.  Jesus (a theophany) responded to her laughter when he asked this question in Genesis 18:13-14, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?' Is anything too hard for the Lord?  At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son."  Reasoning through the obstacles presented by our human limitations allows us to build faith in God without human constraints.  It is a gift when we see through the eyes of faith the impossible acts that God accomplishes.   It is good to reason but not allow our limitations to overpower our understanding of how God operates.  What a marvelous testament of history that allows us to observe what God has fulfilled through His promises.  

The Objectives of Faith:  

     Lastly, Abram looked at the objectives in believing.  Romans 4:20 tells us that Abram's faith grew, and he gave glory to God.  Now we might ask ourselves, what is the objective of our faith?  Is it to gain access to heaven and secure our forever, or is it to give glory to God while trusting that God is working for our good? 

     I believe we can ask three very application-based questions after reviewing this passage found in Romans 4.    

(1)  What is the object of my faith? 

(2)  Do I evaluate the obstacles that lay before me?  Am I willing to trust God's Sovereign Power and Might is without limitation?  Do I trust God's good intentions toward me?

(3) What is my objective of having faith in God?  Is it purely for my good, or am I willing to respond by giving God the glory and believing in a good result?    

Romans 8:28 (ESV) – "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."