Exposition by Max A Forsythe
Christ Covenant Reformed (PCA)
In
some congregations and denominations there has been too high of a focus on the
ritual of baptism.
By this I mean that the ritual act is so highly esteemed that salvation
is assumed for all of those who have participated in the sacrament.
I remember hearing of some grandparents, whose children had abandoned the
church, having the infant baptized one evening while the parents were away.
They wanted to be “certain” that their grandchild was saved!
Since the other grandparents, of another denomination, felt the same way,
the child in question was baptized both as a Catholic and as a Lutheran.
Even
in today’s theological climate there are some who, while they have little use
for Christ’s Church, would have their infants baptized in the mistaken belief
that the ritual is in and of itself superstitiously important.
I have had to turn down several baptismal requests of people, some of
whom were Christian, but not members of any congregation.
Why is it that so many many individuals miss the point of baptism?
Well,
people are people are people, no matter their religious faith or the millennium
in which they live.
In our Romans passage today, Paul shows us that the Jewish state of mind
was no better than that of the Puritan grandchildren, or of some Christians in
our own day.
In several ancient Jewish commentaries, man’s ignorance is printed for
all to see.
Charles Hodge gives us three examples of the teaching that “Circumcision
saves from hell”.
In our Reformed heritage we know that the mere rituals of circumcision
and baptism
accomplish nothing.
Paul clearly states this teaching in Galatians
6:15.
What we and Paul do teach is that baptism is a sign and seal that those
who the Lord does call are truly saved.
Our
comparative discussion of circumcision and baptism is summarized in the last two
verses of chapter two.
The inner spiritual life is contrasted to the outward observances which
can bee seen.
The last phrase is especially important.
“Such
a man’s praise is not from men, but from God.”
As our mailed pamphlets earlier this spring insisted, it is more
important what God thinks of you than what you think of God!
So,
you may well ask, as Paul supposed his readers might as well,
“what advantage or value is there in being counted among the
faithful?”
Well might we expect Paul to admit that there is no special advantage at
all. However,
he surprises us by insisting “Much
in every way!”
In the same way may we answer the critics of Christ’s church in our
world today.
Yes, we must freely admit that there is no salvation in the sacraments;
there is no salvation in our genetic, ethnic lines; and there is no salvation
guaranteed by membership in any particular religious body.
So the world wonders, as the church universal wavers and wobbles into the
third millennium, “Why
bother?”
Haven’t you ever wondered from time to time over the course of your
life, “Why
belong to Christ’s church?”
We all know, as we shall see in Paul’s argument here, that the church
-- which is filled with sinners -- may sometimes embarrass the cause of Christ.
There is no perfect congregation, as you no doubt have experienced in
prior churches and in our own little circle.
So why bother?
At
home, I have a family heirloom.
It is an old fallen down deer hide trunk.
One hinge is broken, the key has been lost for at least three
generations.
But I have been entrusted with this little artifact of family history.
The lid is lined with a Virginia newspaper from the late 18th century,
when it was packed for the journey over the Cumberland Gap.
In that trunk I keep an old copy of the “textus
receptus,” King
James Bible!
It is so old, there isn’t even a printing date in it.
From some other family, I have a small version of an early Greek New
Testament, a time-worn Book of Church Order, and other family
memorabilia.
If we want to know what kind of pilgrim people we are, our family has
only to consider the records and reports of several generations.
For
each of the black sheep in the family, there are martyrs as well.
We have an old newspaper clipping about a relative whose children
weren’t feeling well at Sunday evening service. Mother set off towards home
with the two wee ones, and on the way they ran into a rioting crowd of another
religious persuasion.
The article is their obituary.
Why
belong to the universal or even a particular church?
Because, since God has called us out of the world, this is our family.
Look at verse two to appreciate Paul’s argument.
In his time, the Ark may have still been in the Temple.
And what was stored in the Ark from Israel’s pilgrim journey from Egypt
to the promised land?
Remember the Covenant law written on the tablets of stone?
But of much greater importance are those self-same laws, engraved upon
the obedient hearts of the elect Jews.
As
has often been observed, the church of Jesus Christ is always one generation
away from extinction.
If we are not enabled to pass along God’s word faithfully, the church
becomes like any other social institution.
We can well see this problem in our land today.
Like the Jews of Paul’s time, we have been entrusted with the glories
of God’s word -- the very words of God, as we understand it!
In our day, it has become very fashionable to forget the clear teachings
of that word.
In some places, feminists are ready to even change the very words
themselves.
In a proposed revision, “God
the Father”
was alternated fifty per cent of the time with “god
the mother.”
Even male pronouns have been avoided in reference to Jesus Christ.
These are despicable New Age follies, that fools are fashioning for their
own destruction.
As Paul observes in verse three, their faith will not nullify God’s
faithfulness.
Just as the desperate characters who controlled the Old Covenant church
during Paul’s life went on to crucify God’s only Son, so lack of true faith
does not destroy
the word or the church.
In fact, liberal theology and new age enlightenment only proves the
sinful nature of man described faithfully in God’s word.
This
leads Paul to consider another argument in the closing of this section.
This last year at school was an interesting year.
I had seven juvenile delinquents in one class.
After half the year was gone, so were five of the worst delinquents.
At the beginning of the second semester I summoned several of my
borderline students for a little chat.
I informed them that since the "creme-de-la-crud"
were no longer
with us, there was no longer anyone to make them look good in comparison.
Now we could work on improving their social graces.
That was patently unfair, they whined -- why should I pick on them?
After all, they in turn made the teacher’s pets look good!
Now,
I know that is a poor example, but consider the argument of my students as we
consider the last argument here in verses five through eight.
One person I met admitted that he hung around with the wrong crowd so
that they would make him look good to his girlfriend.
The argument Paul is considering here is somewhat similar.
If our unrighteousness makes God look righteous, why should we be
punished?
If our theological lies of this twentieth century make God’s truth look
more wonderful and thereby His glory is increased, why should we be held
accountable?
I know that a lot of college and seminary teachers would profit if this
argument had any merit at all.
Surely,
as F.F. Bruce observes, if the end justifies the means, why should any living
person be held accountable for making a righteous and holy God look good?
In Seminary, one recommended article suggested that only the most
notorious fundamentalists deserved hell, because their standards of behavior
were impossible for any living breathing human being to follow.
So, the argument continued, we should lower ethical standards and make
everyone happy.
That was twenty-some years ago.
The author must be deliriously joyful in our time.
By comparison, God must look better and better!
Have you reached the same conclusion that Paul started with?
It is there, at the end of verse eight:
“Their
condemnation is deserved.”
Let us here gathered today be thankful that we have God’s eternal Word
in our hearts and in the doctrines of the church.
And may we be faithful in our endeavor to obey Him.
Amen.
Resources Used: The Holy Bible, New International Version
Places Preached:Bruce, F.F. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries: Romans. Hodge, Charles. Romans. Mackenzie, R. Calvin's New Testament Commentaries: Romans.
Christ Covenant REFORMED (Presbyterian Church in America) Post Office Box 13926 - Columbus, OH 43213-7926
Rom02c.htm 11 June 95
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