The Path of Justice

In Romans 7, Paul shows man's inability to please God. "For to will the good is in me, but not to do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want, that I do" (18-19).

When he looks at himself he finds only a weak desire to do good, but a strong inability to be able to do it. Let us note that the problem is in the doing. Wanting does not translate into doing. Here is a man who is under the law. He has been taught that he must "do" things to please God. All his attention is on his ability to do certain things, and not do others.

This is the way of failure, for the law is weak through the flesh (Rom. 8:3). But later, Paul will show us the way. The key is not in trying to do things, but in believing and confessing. It is not a matter of things to do, but of receiving and declaring a message, an announcement from God. That is: "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; but with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Rom. 10:9-10).

This is the proclamation of the Gospel. So simple, but so conclusive and definitive. Paul, with sadness says: "But not all obeyed the gospel", and quotes Isaiah: "Lord, who has believed our proclamation?". "But have they not heard it?", Paul asks again. And he answers, quoting again the prophet: "But their voice has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the ends of the earth". The problem is not that the gospel has not been preached, but that it has not been believed. The word has been despised. Men prefer to follow their own way of works.

This proclamation (the gospel), and the object of this proclamation (Christ) is a formidable stumbling block for the Jews and Judaizers. That is why Paul says to the Corinthians: "For since in the wisdom of God the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God to save those who believe by the foolishness of preaching. For the Jews ask for signs, and the Greeks seek wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews indeed a stumbling block, and to the Gentiles foolishness; but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God" (1:21-24).

Is this the path we have chosen? Are we loving the word of God, and the foolishness of preaching? Or have we been discouraged because of much talk and many talkers? God's message has not lost its validity. There is no alternative way to the preaching, faith and righteousness of God. God has chosen this way, which is foolishness to the intelligence of man, and a contemptible thing for those who want to earn heaven by their works. This humbles human vanity, but glorifies the God of grace.

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