Since the beginning of time, God has given mankind, the ability to come to know Him. And while the Jew has been entrusted with the very words of God, creation speaks of the Creator and the evidence of His majesty is ever before man’s eyes so that even the Gentile is accountable to know Him. And yet man, in his worldly intelligence became wise in his own eyes and traded the simple, beautiful Truth of God’s Sovereignty for substitutions. For with every progression away from God’s presence, his foolish heart became darkened and he became more and more enamored with worldly comforts and pleasures over and above spiritual well-being and “treasures.” For while he knew of God, he did not desire to grow in this knowledge and as a result God gave him over to his futile thinking and his sinful ways which earned for him God’s just and rightful anger.
No one is free from God’s judgment; Jew and Gentile alike. For with the revelation of just how sinful man is, how all have fallen short of God’s glory, man is made aware that it is God’s mercy and compassion which brings him to repentance and the desire to follow God with a contrite heart. For even though the law was initially given to the Jewish people, the Gentile, who puts God ever before his eyes, shows that he is a law for himself. It is his love for God which dictates his righteousness and his conscience upholds the law internally for it convicts him of what is right and it convicts him of what is wrong. As a result, it bears witness of his godliness before God and man.
The Israelites, as God’s chosen, who have received and rely on the written law, will also be held accountable before God apart from the written law. For, while they had the benefits of the law and the fore-knowledge of God, they did not do the things required because they did not embrace the truth of the law upon their heart. Rather, their outward, visible actions in front of God and man showed that their circumcision was simply an outward sign of who they belonged to and their inner hearts were hardened and without love. For it is written in Isaiah 52:5 “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” Therefore, following the works of the written law will not earn for the Jew his righteousness before God.
Since all have sinned and fallen short of God’s Glory, then all are under God’s condemnation; Jew and Gentile alike. And yet, God, in His gracious love for His creation, offers an olive branch in the form of His Son. And Christ came to pay the debt as a "spotless" sin offering to appease God's rightful anger upon sin, which separates us from the Father. And this one time sacrifice for all, Christ redeemed us and brought us back into the Father’s presence. For while we were dead in our sins through ADAM, we are made alive through FAITH in CHRIST...all this was pre-spoken of throughout Old Testament, through the prophets, and through Abraham as the Father of Faith, who opened the eyes of faith upon all through GOD’S promise to Abraham that he, the Father of Faith, would be a father to many nations…grace was extended to ALL through that same FAITH…for God credited righteousness to Abraham apart from the Law and blessed him as the Father of ALL who believe. Abraham showed FAITH before he was circumcised and not after and he received the outward sign of circumcision afterwards as a seal of the righteousness he had exhibited in the sight of God because of his faith. And those who put their Faith in Christ’s redemptive act, will not be put to shame for there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ.
Read ALL of ROMANS to understand that NOW there is a righteousness of GOD made known...which is of faith.
From FAITH to FAITH
From FIRST to LAST
GOD has turned the WHOLE WORLD over to disobedience so as to show MERCY to WHOM HE CALLS.
And so as to be just when HE judges and the JUSTIFIER of all whose FAITH is in HIS SON...
