IF JOHN is ‘The Apostle of Love,’ then certainly Paul is to be known as ‘The Apostle of Grace.’ He says of himself that his “only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.” (Acts 20:24) He affirms that his commission is supernatural; he opens one of his letters describing himself as “Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father.” (Gal. 1:1)
In his letter to the troubled Corinthians’ church he underscores this divine authority: “For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you.” (1 Cor. 11:22) Having been thoroughly schooled in the law in his previous life as a devout Pharisee, in the aftermath of his conversion to belief in Jesus Christ (cf. Acts 9:3-20) he reflects, “The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Rom. 5:20:21) Paul understands that it is only by God’s grace that we are led into a saving knowledge of the righteousness of God in his judgment over human affairs.
In his letter to the Roman church, Paul begins by stating that men are without excuse in their denial of God’s sovereign rule over the gift of life. He softens his approach by first saying that, “I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong—that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.” (Rom. 1:11) He addresses the hope found in Christ as an overarching principle and promise of God’s blessing: “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.” (Rom. 1:16) He then addresses the core message of his letter—indeed, the message that is at the core of his understanding of the relationship between God and mankind, a message that explains the redemptive purposes of God for all. “In the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’” (Rom. 1:17)
He is quoting from the center of the story of God’s revealed promise to the father of all of Israel, Abraham—also the father of all who become spiritual Israel. God promised Abram descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky (cf. Gen. 15:5); “Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” (Gen. 15:6) For Paul, the law and grace are intertwined in the righteousness that comes from faith in God. The saving relationship revealed in the gospel of Jesus Christ created thereby is clearly linked to God’s own righteousness.
If God’s righteousness is revealed to those who believe in him by faith, then, Paul says, “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness.” (Rom. 1:18) We might wonder how wicked people might have such a revelation, but Paul clarifies this for us, saying “What may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” (Rom. 1:19-20)
This is not a revelation new only in God’s covenant of Grace made through Jesus; it was known also under the Law, for the Psalmist says “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” (Psa. 19:1-4)
When grace is rejected, only wrath remains. Paul furthers his thoughts about the wicked. “Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.” (Rom. 1:22-23) They have broken the second of the Ten Commandments (cf. Deut. 5:8), and this incurs penalty. In an ever-increasing downward spiral, judgment falls, each time heavier than the last. “Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie.” (Rom. 1:24-25a)
It gets worse. “Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones; men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another.” (Rom. 1:27) Ultimately, Paul tells us, “Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.” (Rom. 1:32) Truly, they have been “given over to a depraved mind.” (Rom. 1:28)
For the most rigorous and concise indictment, we turn to the author of Hebrews, who says that when men and women “deliberately keep on sinning after they have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.” (Heb. 10:27)
Sometimes it’s good to remind ourselves that our loving God is also a righteous God, and that he cannot and will not tolerate sin. Certainly, there is no place for it in Heaven. This is very stern stuff from Paul—fire and brimstone, incredible heat and the smell of sulfur, the cries of the hideously tormented damned souls—all this rises up in our imaginations from our perceptions of the great abyss of Hell. Far better it is to not just back away from the edge of the precipice, but instead not to even come near. Just as with any place dangerous to human life there are usually safety barriers and precautions we can take, so it is with the destination of eternal life. The pathway is clearly marked; all we have to do is keep looking up. “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.” (Rom. 1:16)
Q. Hmm. Heaven, or Hell? Choices, choices…
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