Pastor Josh continues his series through the book of Romans:
“…Our passage this morning is a diatribe against:
(a) those who believe that God will be lenient to them despite their continued disobedience, AND
(b) those who believe that their obedience is sufficient to be counted righteous before God…Both are called to repentance here…
It is so easy for us to see sin in others and overlook it in our own lives. It’s easy to look at the world and call out “shame, shame,” and not recognize that the sanitized sins of our own hearts have the same idolatrous roots. To have the highest standards for others, but cut ourselves a lot of slack…Many of the Jews at this time felt free to condemn ‘sinful Gentiles’ because ‘they are not God’s people;' And then when they would sin themselves whenever the temptation arose they believed that they would not be held accountable for their own sins. Does this sound familiar yet?…
It is not as though Paul is questioning “salvation by grace alone, through faith alone;” it is his mantra. But remember, Paul’s “grace alone” gospel has come under criticism and been accused of giving approval to sin, so he is eager to show that this “grace alone” gospel produces a faith that does not remain alone. Faith in the Gospel of God — saving faith — is transformative faith as well. And only by this faith, as Paul will later argue, will people be made truly righteous, in Christ, before God.”