You are not as awesome as you think

It feels like a safe bet to assume that all of us, in one way or another, have operated under a false assumption about ourselves at some point in time. 

Maybe as a student you believed a little too much in your ability to study a semester’s worth of material in just a couple of hours before an exam. 

Or maybe at some point you’ve assumed that you were an expert communicator only later to have roommates, coworkers, spouses, or children who beg to differ. 

The point is, we’ve all operated under a false assumption about ourselves or our abilities in some way.

That’s why Paul spends the majority of Romans 2 tearing down the false belief of his Jewish brothers and sisters that their outward righteousness and stringent obedience to the law made them inwardly righteous before God. Oftentimes we need an external influence to level with us and communicate the truth about ourselves to us.

Paul, a former member of the very group he is addressing, spends Romans 2 carefully removing their assumed righteous garments and incidentally leaving them proverbially naked in the realization of their unrighteousness. And yet, he goes on in the rest of chapter 3 and the book of Romans as a whole, explaining how they can be clothed in true righteousness. Paul ends chapter 2 with what would have been an eye popping statement for his fellow Jewish brothers and sisters, “But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter” (2:29).

And Paul, a gifted writer and educator, anticipates the follow-up questions and begins to answer them in Chapter 3. Paul begins by addressing the big question, “Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision?” (3:1).

These questions are born out of the assumption held by many 1st century Jews that growing up in a synagogue or being born Jewish was enough for salvation. Assuming that growing up in church or simply identifying as a Christian saves you is no different. 

To some of you this will seem obvious, you’ll say, “Of course it’s not enough!” but for others of you, you may hear this and think something similar to Paul’s questions - “Then what is the point of going to church? Then why should I be moral and obedient?” These are logical, fair, and necessary questions to ask and they are questions that have answers. 

In the same way there were substantial advantages of growing up Jewish in the 1st century there are substantial advantages to being under the umbrella of God’s church and people today.

Paul lists a couple of ways the Jewish people of the 1st century held an advantage, and those same advantages apply to those under the umbrella of God’s church and people today. 

First, he mentions the advantage of having God’s word in verses 1-2. If you’ve grown up in church, or been part of it for any significant period of your life, even if you’ve never truly given your life to Christ, you have the advantage of having access to God’s word and hearing it preached regularly. The opportunity to know God is right before you on a regular basis.

Secondly, in verses 3-8 he shows that the word of God reveals man’s nature and God’s nature - though man is a liar, God is truthful, though man is unrighteous, God is righteous. As someone with access to the word of God you don’t have to be surprised at the evil of man and goodness of God. You can open the Word for yourself and read about the goodness and grace of God that gets infused into the life of His creatures. 

Truly, these are real tangible advantages. Many people in the world today are literally dying to have the same kind of access to God’s word that the first century Jewish person had – to have the same kind of access we have today. We ought to spend time regularly thanking God that he saw fit to determine the times and boundaries of our individual lives in such a way that we would have these advantages.

Paul's Jewish brothers and sisters in the 1st century believed these advantages, and adherence to cultural/religious expectations made them righteous. This is why Paul spends verses 9-18 of Romans 3 making one thing clear - “None is righteous, no, not one”. 

Simply existing and going through the motions of your privileged position cannot accomplish your salvation or righteousness.

So now that we’ve determined that these are real advantages and yet not enough to bring about salvation, we’re still stuck with the looming question: if this is not enough for salvation, then what is? 

Paul kindly bookends this section of scripture with his answer: 

• “But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter” (2:29)
• “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.” (3:21-22a)

The righteousness of God is accomplished in, and attained by, your heart through a Spirit wrought faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ. If you’re reading this and feel as dressed down by Paul’s words as his brothers and sisters did in the 1st century, know this – the advantages you enjoy through your proximity to God’s church and his people are real and worthy of celebration, and enough to justify your continued proximity, but they are not enough to save you. Only true repentance and belief in the person and work of Christ can do that.

If you’re anything like me, Romans 3 serves as a gut check on the temptation to self justify through works and strict adherence to the Law, as well as a good reminder of God’s grace and the free salvation and righteousness he offers through his own perfect obedience.

Jesse Chaney is the Associate Director of Residency at Redeemer Lubbock. He is working on his M.A. in Philosophy of Religion at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary while being a husband to Kelly and awesome dad to Cal and Merit.