ROMANS UNWRAPPED 54

    

"God is one, who shall justify the circumcision by faith, and the uncircumcision through faith" Romans 3v30.


b)  In the gospel all distinctions are eradicated:


Jew and Gentile, the constant theme throughout this epistle, 1v16, 2v9, 2v10, 3v9, 3v29, etc. representing the great division of mankind, as seen by the eye of God, in the gospel has now been eradicated, and therefore all distinctions have gone. God created the distinction, as we now understand, to prove to the world that man, given the best of circumstances, could not measure up to the standard required and, having proved that, introduced His own solution, and in the process brought to an end the division. The truth of this is enshrined in the statement "God is one". All men are on the same level now, this is a fundamental consequence of the gospel. Paul expands this elsewhere:
Galatians 3v28 "there is in Him neither Jew nor Greek, there is in Him neither bond nor free, there is in Him neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus".
No national distinction, no social distinction, no gender distinction.
Colossians 3v11 "There is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free, but Christ is all, and in all".
Added to the above no religious distinction, no cultural distinction.
All distinctions abolished in the gospel, all distinctions done away at the cross. Because Christ has come, all were sinners, all needed salvation, all sins were paid for, all can be saved, in exactly the same way. there is no difference in the matter of our sin, there is no difference in the matter of our salvation. There remains, now, only one division in the world, those who believe and those who do not. You will know to which group you belong.

The word "conclude" in  Romans 3v28  means "shut up together". The popular political phrase "we are all in this together" perfectly captures the idea. God has shut us up together to one way of salvation, only one. The doctrine of pluralism, which says there are many ways to God is just plain wrong. There is only one way back to God and that is through Jesus Christ in the gospel, no other way. Jesus Himself told us when He said "Enter ye in at the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat; because narrow is the gate and straitened is the way, which leadeth unto life and few there be that find it" Matthew 7v13-14. Are you one of the few who has found the way to life? Who are you going to believe, the deceptions of men, or the truth as it is in Jesus Christ?


God is one........one in counsel, one in action, one in purpose: His ultimate goal is one harmonious universe. what was accomplished at Calvary, has yet to be seen in all it's wonder This is declared in the gospel. Space forbids us to elaborate, but I suggest all believers to ponder the following scriptures which illustrate the uniting power of the gospel both now and into the millennium and beyond. All this is in the gospel, and we do well to live in the good of it:
Matthew 8v11-12;  Luke 22v29-30;  Romans 11v16-22; Ephesians 2v14-15; Ephesians 3v6; Revelation 21v12-14.

In the gospel all distinctions have been abolished both now and into the future.  

Tomorrow d.v. the gospel establishes the law.