Recap

So far in Romans we've read through the section on how the gospel is good news for both Jew and Gentile. We looked at how Paul was writing to a church of both Jews and non-Jews, Gentiles, drawn into a culture war. And we saw that from the beginning of the letter, Paul wanted to address this. 

Paul greeted the Roman church in his usual way. But throughout his greetings made it clear that his calling was to the good news of Jesus that was rooted in Jewish heritage, but is to all humanity. To Jew and Gentile.

Ht then went on to lay out the problem. All humanity is trapped in a spiral of its own wickedness and selfishness, because they have turned from God. Even the Jews, who claim to be loyal to God, fall into this trap. They might declare God outwardly, but inwardly, they are trapped by that same selfishness and wickedness as everyone else.

He explained that the pride that comes with being Jewish wasn’t a unique privileges. Instead, it was the fact they were chosen to carry the message of God’s goodness to the world. That message culminates in the person of Jesus, who is the answer to humanity’s problem. He has come to free all people from slavery to their own selfish desires, through faith in him.

Paul showed how long before there were Jews or Israelites, before the laws of the Torah or circumcision, Abraham was saved because of his faith in God. So Abraham serves as an example and a father to all people, not just the Jews making all believers one family.

Romans 5-6

We now move into the section Paul’s argument, that shows how the gospel creates a new humanity.

Being justified by our faith in Jesus is good, because it means we get to have a relationship with God. To justify someone was to make them right according to the law. To take someone who was previously said to be guilty and make them innocent. The benefit of being justified is peace with God and Jesus.

Because of this, we should want to see God glorified, and that means partnering with Jesus. Just as Jesus suffered and persevered, we too must be willing to suffer and persevere. More than that, just as we know that Jesus’ suffering and perseverance produced great things, we can rejoice in knowing that as we suffer and persevere with Jesus, it is producing great thing in us.

The Christian life isn’t one where God makes everything good and happy for us. It’s one that, to draw on the gospels, requires us to pick up our cross and join in in his mission of sharing the gospel and bringing God’s kingdom. That struggle is key. The peace we have with God and Jesus does not remove suffering. It repurposes it.

It’s what strengthens us and changes us so that we might better understand and receive God’s love. As God demonstrated his great love by Christ dying on the cross for us, we now show our love by living our lives for him. Where before we were enemies of God, we now get to have relationship with him.

And this just isn’t some wishy washy, Jesus was a loving person, so we should be loving people idea. Christ’s death has brought about a new humanity. We get to be completely new people.

Sin and wickedness came in through Adam, and as descendants of Adam, we inherit the human problem. We are enslaved by our own wickedness and selfish desires. Death and destruction rule over us.

Through Jesus, we separate ourselves from that. We are no longer part of Adam’s humanity, but are now part of Jesus’ humanity. We have moved from people who are trapped and destined to death to people who are free and filled with new life.

And just as Adam’s sin impacted all humanity, Jew and Gentiles, so does Jesus’ sacrifice impact all humanity. Adam served as a representative of a fallen humanity. Now Christ as the head of a new, redeemed humanity.

Into this, the law came to highlight how sinful we were, but now grace reigns so that we might be justified. The law highlighted the problem, but grace is the solution. Grace doesn’t just forgive us, it’s what frees us up to be transformed into this new humanity.

So what does it look like to live this new life as new human beings? As Paul explains, it involves dying to our old way of living, and raising to life in this new humanity. Just like Jesus, we must go through a personal death and resurrection.

This is where the practice of baptism comes in. As we go down into the waters, we are symbolically (and spiritually) dying to our old self. Then, as we come out of the water, we are being resurrected into this new Jesus' life. In this resurrection life, sin and death no long have authority over us.

Both are necessary. Dying to ourselves and choosing new life in Jesus. If someone is unwilling to die to their old humanity, they don’t get to be resurrected into Jesus’ new humanity. Baptism represents our union with Jesus so that we might participate in his life even as we continue to participate in his suffering.

This is key, which is why Paul foresees this next question. If Jesus’ new humanity gives us freedom, then are we not free to live how we want? Paul has already said that grace reigns so that we are justified, so it really doesn’t matter if we sin.

Paul’s answer, again, is no. If we continue to listen to, and follow, our own wickedness and selfishness, we will continue to be enslaved by it. Sin is not just the things we do wrong. It is the force at work in us that leads us further away from God’s will and order. The more we engage in it, the more we feed it. Its effect on us grows stronger, taking us further from God.

While the grace of God justifies us so we are considered right with the law despite our sin, we have to choose the life of Jesus if we want to see the power of sin weakened and removed from our live.

Paul points out that in many ways, we are choosing to be slaves to God rather than be slaves to our own wickedness, because the lives we get to live as a result are so much better.

Now you might argue that this idea of slavery to God is no better. Paul admits that he is “speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations” (Romans 6:19), and so it may be that there are elements of the slavery metaphor that don’t work.

But his main point is clear. Unless you are willing to commit yourself to a life of obedience to God, you don’t get to enjoy the life that he offers. And Paul wants his readers to understand, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23).

Submitting to God is infinitely better than submitting to sin. Sin leads to death, but God leads to life.

Psalm 133

This psalm isn’t attributed to anyone in particular and is named as a psalm of ascent. These psalms were sung by worshippers as they ascended to Jerusalem for the three pilgrimage festivals (Passover, Festival of Weeks, and Festival of Tabernacles) or possibly by the Levites as they ascended the steps of the Temple. Psalm 120-134 are all psalms of ascent.

In this ascent journey we’ve gone from being far from God's presence (Psalm 120), to seeking God’s presence (Psalm 121), and then to reaching God’s presence (Psalm 122). From there, the psalmist has asked the Lord for help (Psalm 123) and then praised the Lord for his protection (Psalm 124).

From within Jerusalem, they reflected on the nature of righteousness and wickedness (Psalm 125). They thanked God for how he has restored his city, but also ask for more (Psalm 126). This leads the psalmist to reflect on the importance of God being first and foremost in our live (Psalm 127) and fearing God (Psalm 128).

Having focused on God’s authority and power, the psalmist then reflects on how God rescued them and Israel from oppressors (Psalm 129). Then the psalmist called out to God to rescue them from, and forgive them for, their sin (Psalm 130) and placed their trust in the Lord (Psalm 131). Then came the reflection on God’s covenant with David and commitment to dwell amongst his people (Psalm 132).

Nearing the end of the ascent psalms, we can now start to image all those that have made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem gathered together, as the psalmist turns towards the unity of God’s people.

The psalmist starts with celebrating unity. Unity is like precious oil that was used to anoint the priests. It is like dew that runs down from the mountains and produces flourishing in the land.

In short, unity is empowers God’s people like oil established the authority of the priests. It is delightful and enjoyable, and it is a blessing for flourishing from God.