Search
Scripture Reading: Rom. 1:28; 2:15, 17; 3:21-25; 4:25; 5:10-11
The book of Romans is composed of five main sections. The fourth section, chapters 9 through 11 may be considered as a parenthetical section, dealing with God’s selection by grace. The four other main sections are condemnation, justification, sanctification (including conformation and glorification), and transformation for practicing the Body life. These are all structured in a very good sequence.
The first section, the section of condemnation, reveals that all mankind is in a fallen condition, condemned by God under His righteous law. The second section, on justification, clearly reveals that we are justified through the redemption of Christ. Concerning the third section, most Bible expositors use one word — sanctification. However, the word sanctification is not adequate to express the full content of this section. It is preferable to say that sanctification includes the processes of conformation to the image of the Son of God and glorification, the redemption of our body, in which we will be glorified together with Him (8:29, 17, 30). Having been justified, we are now in the process of sanctification and conformation until the day that the Lord comes back, when we will be glorified. These three matters are dealt with in this section.
Most students of the Scriptures pay attention only to sanctification; they neglect conformation and glorification. Regeneration is accomplished in our spirit, but 12:2 shows us that after the Lord regenerates us in our spirit, He transforms us in our soul. This means that our soul, our very being, must be conformed to the image of the Son of God. In addition, glorification is accomplished in our body. Hence, we experience sanctification and conformation in our soul and eventually glorification in our body.
The fifth main section of Romans continues the third section, dealing with our Christian walk. While we are in the process of transformation and conformation, and before the time of our glorification, we are living on the earth. The manner of our living is dealt with from chapter 12 through chapter 16. Although many things are covered in this section, the main thought is the Body life, the church life. Chapter 12 speaks of the Body life, and chapter 16 reveals the genuine practice of the Body life, indicating that the first item of the Christian walk is the Body life and that the last item of the Christian walk is also the Body life. All the regenerated ones are members of Christ’s Body. God’s intention in transforming us is to make us the living, functioning members of His Body. The conclusion of Romans is that while we are here on this earth, we practice the Body life as His living, functioning members. This is the content and the sections of this book.
Let us now look at some of the details in this book. In the first five books of the New Testament there is the history of the universal man, who is Christ as the Head and the church as the Body composed of His many members. Now in the definition of the universal man, we have a full picture that we as the many members of His mysterious and wonderful Body were originally sinful before God and under His condemnation according to the law. There is no other book or portion of the Scriptures that tells us that we are sinful in the eyes of God as fully as the first three chapters of Romans. I expect that all the young brothers and sisters would spend the time to study this book. We should spend an adequate time to study it because it gives us a full sketch and understanding of the Christian life. It is not too much to spend even one year to study it. We need two or three months just to study the first section alone.
The first section of Romans tells us something concerning the knowledge of God, the conscience of man, and the law of God. These three matters are the basic points of this section. How can we know that we are sinful? It is by the knowledge of God, by our conscience, and by the law of God. If there were no God in this universe, no knowledge of God, no conscience in human beings, and no law given to us by God, there would be no knowledge of sin. However, because there is a God in this universe and there are the knowledge of God, a conscience within us, and the law of God outside of us, we cannot escape God’s condemnation. Outside of man in the universe there is a just and righteous God, and within man He made a conscience to reflect what He is. Then, at a certain time God gave the law, the commandments, to regulate us. By these regulations we know whether we are wrong or right.
In the first section of Romans there are three parts. Verse 18 of chapter 1 to the end of the chapter deals with the knowledge of God. By the knowledge of God we are condemned as sinful. The second part is the first half of chapter 2, which deals with the conscience. This part deals particularly with the Gentiles because the Gentiles do not have the law of God, but within them they have their conscience (vv. 14-16). Because of their conscience, the Gentiles cannot say that they are not sinful. Therefore, due to their conscience, which represents God and reflects what He is, they are condemned before God. The third part of the first section of Romans deals with the law of God (2:17—3:8). Strictly speaking, this part deals with the Jews, because they are under the law of God. According to the law of God, the Jews also are sinful and condemned.
Concerning whether we are right or wrong, whether we are righteous or sinful, the standard is God Himself. The knowledge of God comes from God Himself, and this knowledge to some extent has been installed into us through our conscience. Human nature has the function of the conscience. The function of the conscience, which is within us, is related to the knowledge of God. Regardless of whether we are a Jew or a Gentile, we all have the function of the conscience within us, reflecting the knowledge of God to some extent, though not in a full way. Then, in order to establish the knowledge of God and make it more definite, God at a certain time gave man the law, which is a better reflection of the knowledge of God.
Therefore, when the apostle Paul was inspired to deal with the sinful human race, the standard he uplifted was God Himself with the knowledge of God, the conscience, and the law. Paul compared all of man’s deeds with God Himself, with the knowledge of God, with the conscience, and with the law of God. Therefore, his conclusion to the first main section of Romans is that all humans are shut up by the law; there is no excuse and no escape (3:9-20). Every human being is shut up by the law and is under the condemnation of God.
Keeping the above items and important words clearly in mind, we should again read 1:18—3:20. These items and terms are the open windows, the light, by which we can see clearly. In order to preach the gospel to tell people that they are sinful, we must find the best way to convince and convict them. In principle, we cannot convince people effectively unless we present to them either God Himself with the knowledge of God or the conscience. Many times we must touch the conscience of people in order to convince them that they are sinful. Many prevailing evangelists have preached a great deal about the law of God. They defined the law of God to people for the purpose of convincing them of their sinfulness. If we want to convince unbelievers that they are sinners, we must make God and the knowledge of God very clear to them. We must also learn how to strike their conscience and use the law of God to expose them. Then they will be enlightened and convicted that they are sinners.
We as members of the wonderful universal man were originally sinful persons. In light of the knowledge of God, our human conscience, and the divine law, we were sinful and under God’s condemnation. There was absolutely no escape and no possibility for us to do anything that could be justified by God. We must bow ourselves to God and to God’s divine law, being convinced by our conscience that we are sinners who need God’s redemption. This is the conclusion and the basic point of the first section of Romans. If we receive this word and keep it in mind, we can be crystal clear when we read this portion.
We have seen that the first section of Romans speaks of the knowledge of God (1:28), the conscience (2:15), and the law of God (v. 17). The best way to study the Word of God is to find the central lines and the main points. If we have the central lines and the main points, everything will be open and crystal clear. Without the main points, however, the more we speak, define, and explain, the more we are not clear. Therefore, just as we have seen the basic points of the first section of Romans, we need the right words to describe the content and insight of the second section. However, this is the most difficult section. After reading from 3:21 to 5:11 many times, we still may not know what this portion of the Word tells us and how to summarize it.
The second main section of Romans gives us a full picture of how we are justified through the redemption of Christ (3:24). The first basic term in this section is the glory of God. Romans 3:23 says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” The glory of God is the standard of God’s justification. When we human beings measure ourselves against the standard of the glory of God, we realize that God’s glory is higher than the heavens. How can we compare with it? When we come to the glory of God, we fall short.
The second main term is the righteousness of God (vv. 21-22, 25-26). Only God’s righteousness comes up to the standard of God’s glory and matches God’s glory. No matter how high the standard of God’s glory is, God’s righteousness reaches that standard; it is just as high as God’s glory. Man by himself can never be justified by God, because the standard is too high. It is impossible for us to reach that standard. This is the thought in this section.
The third important word is propitiation (v. 25). We have seen that only God’s righteousness can reach the standard of His glory, but how can God’s righteousness, the highest righteousness, be applied to us? It is through propitiation. Romans 3:25 says, “Whom God set forth as a propitiation place.” That this verse begins with whom indicates that propitiation is Christ Himself. Christ has been set forth by God as a propitiation; the set-forth Christ is the propitiation.
The phrases propitiation place and set forth are not easy to translate. In his New Translation, J. N. Darby translates propitiation place as “mercy-seat.” We must understand this term in view of the background of the Old Testament types. In the ancient times whenever a sinner realized that he was condemned before God, he needed to be redeemed. This was done by bringing a sin offering to the altar. After this sin offering was slain and its blood shed on the altar, the blood was brought by the high priest into the Holy of Holies and sprinkled on the mercy seat, or expiation cover (Lev. 16:14-15). On the mercy seat there was propitiation. By this propitiation and at this propitiation place, a sinner could be forgiven. Here his sins were forgiven, and he was redeemed and made one with God. This is the meaning of propitiation. Romans 3:24-25 tells us that Christ Himself was made such a propitiation place.
God began to set forth Christ as the propitiation place at the time that darkness came over the whole land during His crucifixion, when He offered Himself as the unique sacrifice for sin, the reality of the sin offering (Luke 23:44; Heb. 9:26). Then on the third day God resurrected Him; this resurrection was also a part of the process of God’s setting forth of Christ. After the Lord’s resurrection God received Christ into the heavens and placed Him at His right hand. This receiving and placing are also a part of the setting forth. God set forth Christ through the entire process of His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension to sit at the right hand of God. This setting forth makes Christ Himself the very propitiation. Now by Christ as the propitiation, the righteousness of God can be applied to us.
This section of Romans says that, on the one hand, we are justified through the redemption in Christ Jesus, that is, through faith in His blood (3:24-25), and on the other hand, we are justified because of the resurrection of Christ (4:25). The shedding of blood and the resurrection of Christ are the main steps in the process of the setting forth of Christ by God. By this means God set forth Christ as a propitiation place. God placed Christ, set forth Christ, from the time that He shed His blood to the time that He ascended to sit at the right hand of God. It is by this propitiation that what God recognizes can be applied to us and become ours. We must never forget that propitiation includes Christ Himself, His crucifixion, His resurrection, and His ascension.
The fourth crucial word in this section of Romans is faith (3:25-31). We have seen the glory of God, the righteousness of God, and Christ as the propitiation place. The way to experience propitiation is by faith. These terms are difficult to grasp because they are not found in our human concept.
The fifth important word is justification (4:25; 3:24, 26). The main thought of justification is that we come up to God’s standard. By faith we experience propitiation, and by propitiation God’s own righteousness becomes ours. Hence, we can reach the standard of God’s glory. Now we are justified and do not fall short.
After justification we have reconciliation (5:10-11). To be reconciled means to have peace and harmony. Now because of justification, we are in harmony with God. Between us and God there is peace and real harmony.
As we have seen, six main points are found in the second section of Romans: God’s glory, God’s righteousness, Christ Himself set forth as the propitiation, faith, justification, and reconciliation. The last verse of this section says, “Not only so, but also boasting in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation” (5:11). Eventually, this entire section brings us into God. In this reconciliation we are enjoying God, boasting in God, and glorying in God. Now God is our portion. We are not only reconciled to God, but by justification we are in God, and God is our boast, our enjoyment, and our everything. This is the conclusion of this section of Romans.
In summary, God’s glory is His standard. If we are not up to that standard, we cannot pass the test. It is impossible to measure up to His standard in ourselves, but His righteousness is the potential for us to come up to the standard of His glory. Now His righteousness is ours because God set forth Christ as the propitiation place. The way that we share propitiation is by faith. When we believe in Christ, we share propitiation, and under this propitiation and in this propitiation God’s righteousness is ours. Now we have a righteousness that is not our own but God’s. Moreover, this righteousness brings us and uplifts us to the standard of God’s glory, so we are justified. Because of this justification we are in harmony with God; that is, we are reconciled to God. There is real peace and harmony between us and God. Now we are in God, and we boast, glory, and rejoice in Him. God is our boast, our portion, and our enjoyment. This is the meaning of justification. May we be impressed deeply with these matters.
Romans 5:10 says, “If we, being enemies, were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more we will be saved in His life, having been reconciled.” To be saved in His life is dealt with in the following section of Romans, which immediately follows verse 11.
