“The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.“
Romans 4:23-5:2a
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Let’s take a moment today to remember the church in Rome receiving this letter. They had so many troubles. They were being squeezed by the emperor; the Jews were exiled from the city, leaving a leadership vacuum that the Gentiles filled; now that the Jewish believers were back, they could hardly recognize the community they left behind. It no longer feels like it carries the markings of their faith, of their forefathers. Could God really have intended to include the Gentiles?
The bottom line of Paul’s message to this broken and hurting (and diverse!) community is this: the law and the cultural markings of Israel were a gift God gave to the descendants of Abraham, but this had never been how they gained God’s approval. After all, consider Abraham himself! Just as the faith of Abraham and his descendants were credited as righteousness, this is also true now for the Gentiles who put their faith in Jesus.
It is blowing their minds that God is actually inviting outsiders to join them in the family of faith as equals. They have been downtrodden for so long, tossed around by one empire after the next, carried away in exile, watching their Temple destroyed, being ruled by the ungodly. But through it all they took comfort in knowing that they were God’s own people.
Now, they are being asked to surrender any boasting or status they took from that label, inviting Gentiles in full equality to join and even lead—well, this would require some getting used to.
Paul reminds them again and again that in Christ’s church there is no case for creating a hierarchy between Jew and Gentile, slave and free, male or female—we are all sinners. It’s always been God’s grace that has made us God’s children.
So: What kind of family is this and how might one be included? The fancy theological term for this question is Justification. Paul declares that as wonderful a blessing as it was to be given the law, the law was a gift and not the solution. Everyone with and without the law is in need of God’s gracious invitation and already in possession of God’s gracious invitation.
That is the incredible mystery, hidden for generations but now revealed in Jesus:
Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel, the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from faith— to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.
Romans 16:25-27
Do you know what this means for us, today? It means that those of us who hold status in the hierarchies of the Church, who hold the keys of doctrine and tradition—we have no reason to boast, no reason to believe we hold higher status in God’s eyes or in God’s community than anyone else. But it also means that we are included. And that we can invite anyone to come who wants to join and they are included too.
This is truly the good news: In Jesus, Israel’s salvation is extended to all. We are the people of God. We are included. We belong.
Let’s get busy doing the faithfull work of God’s love.
Questions for reflection and discussion:
- How would you describe Paul’s teaching here to the Jewish believers about how they, and their Gentile-believing neighbors, are included in God’s family?
- What does this mean for you?
Church Reading Plan:
- Today, March 8: Job 37; 2 Corinthians 7
- Saturday, March 9: Job 38; 2 Corinthians 8
- Sunday, March 10: Job 39; 2 Corinthians 9