What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? Much in every way! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God. What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness? Not at all! Let God be true and every human being a liar. As it is written: “So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge.” But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.) Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world? Someone might argue, “If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?” Why not say—as some slanderously claim that we say—“Let us do evil that good may result”? Their condemnation is just! 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. As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their lips." “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” 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. 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.

Have you ever wondered what it means that the Hebrews, then Israelites, and later the Jews are said to be God's chosen people? What does that statement mean? What were they chosen for? Were they chosen to be saved? No, that can't be it because many Jews were unfaithful to God, rejected God, and turned away from him, choosing idol worship, separation, and spiritual death instead. So, that can't be the answer. But what were they chosen for? Paul takes time to answer this very confusing question in today's passage. Paul explains that God's people were chosen to be entrusted to carry the very words of God and God's message to the nations. They were chosen to bring that message of the Messiah, to carry the bloodline of the Messiah, and to be the forerunners and epicenter of the birth of the church. These are very important tasks, and what an honor it is to be selected for them. In defining what the Jews were chosen for, we also need to be aware of what the idea of 'God's chosen people' does not mean. It doesn't mean Jews were chosen to be saved or to be the only ones who would receive the gospel. Paul's life is a witness to this, being that he, being Jewish himself, dedicated the majority of his ministry to bringing God's word to the Gentiles. It also does not imply a special spiritual standing or position of closeness or favor in God's eyes. Sadly, this idea has been misconstrued over the centuries. As we touched on in yesterday's devotional, Rabbis even went as far as to teach that Abraham is standing at the gates of hell and will not allow a person of Jewish descent to enter into hell but will pluck them out and personally escort them to God's side. This is obviously a false and dangerous heretical teaching. Simply claiming Jewish religion or ethnic descent does not guarantee a special place in heaven or heaven at all.

This brings up a wider issue many Christians have dealt with throughout time: the problem of getting too comfortable with our perceived position in Christ. If we are not careful, we can make the mistake of thinking our salvation and right standing before God has come simply because we are a member of a certain church, or our parents were Christians, or if we grew up in the church, or based on how long we've served and the number of good acts of service we've performed. Scripture tells us that while these are all good and God-honoring things, these are not what saves a person. Salvation does not come from the outside in, through works, position, or performance, but from the inside out through a contrite and repentant heart that genuinely loves God and accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior. In continuing with his letter, Paul then brings the counter-argument of an opponent, which may have been playing in the reader's mind. He asks: “If my unrighteousness will demonstrate God’s righteousness, how can God judge me? If my sin ultimately serves to bring Him more glory, isn't that good?" This is another common problematic idea that is just as relevant today as the day Paul wrote it. Should we excuse sin because sin has helped to proclaim the merciful qualities of God? Paul was familiar with the line of thinking that says, “God is in control of everything. So even my evil will ultimately demonstrate His righteousness. Therefore, God is actually unjust if He inflicts His wrath on me because I’m just a pawn in His hand." These people would go on to say that our unfaithfulness highlights the unfailing faithfulness of God, our fall highlights God's redemption, our falsehood and lies highlight the truthfulness of God, our sin highlights his grace, and our unrighteousness highlights his mercy. This flawed mindset ultimately leads to a faulty and dangerous argument that says, "Let us do evil so that good may result ."Perhaps the most dramatic example of someone who might ask this question is Judas. Can you hear Judas make his case? “Lord, I know that I betrayed Jesus, but you used it for good. In fact, if I hadn’t done what I did, Jesus wouldn’t have gone to the cross at all. What I did even fulfilled the Scriptures. How can you judge me at all?” The answer to Judas might go like this: “Yes, God used your wickedness, but it was still your wickedness. There was no good or pure motive in your heart at all. And you were not forced to do evil. It is no credit to you that God brought good out of your evil. Therefore, you stand guilty before God." The same is true for any who would follow this destructive line of thinking, which is ultimately an abuse of the grace of God. Sin can be used for good, but that doesn't make sin any less wicked in and of itself and any less deserving of punishment. This is a highly flawed human argument and a perversion of sound doctrine used to excuse sin. If you take the thinking of Paul’s adversary far enough, you end up saying, “Let’s sin as much as we can so God can be glorified even more.” This shows us that one way to examine a teaching is to extend its meaning and consequences and see where you end up. If it is not holy, righteous, and not pleasing to God, throw it out! If it makes you look any less like Jesus, it is worthless and should be thrown away. The wise answer to this faulty logic is that through God's written word, we should become conscious and aware of our sins, failures, and shortcomings, and instead of dwelling and wallowing in those sins, we should cry out to Jesus to save us and pull us from the miry clay, not so that we would stay in it, or give excuses why it is good. God has so much more for us than to remain stuck in sin and its consequences. Instead of finding ways to stay stuck in it, we should look to the only one who can pull us free.