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Guest post by Elyse Fitzpatrick

Did you find some good news as you read Romans 3 and 4 last week? I sure hope so! I love that I’ve been given the “righteousness of God.” That’s almost too much to believe, isn’t it? And that’s the point.

This right standing before God, this “okay-ness,” is only mine if I believe God is good enough to give it to me. But that’s the hardest thing in the world to believe. Who would think that by simply believing God tells the truth, we are counted as righteous? Who would believe a just God “justifies the ungodly” without becoming unjust himself? But it’s true!

Here’s good news: if you believe he’s forgiven you and given you right standing before him simply because he said he would, not because of any of your good works, but only by faith nude, you are blessed.

In what way?

“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin” (4:7-8).

All your lawless deeds are forgiven. The Lord will never count your sin against you. What would your life be like today if you really believed you’re completely forgiven? To be completely free of guilt, to have that “I’m not making it. I always mess things up. I have to try harder” thought pattern shattered forever? Knowing that God knows all your ungodliness and yet forgives and justifies you should transform everything about you.

How Could God Forgive Us Without Making Us Pay Our “Fair Share”?

It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification (4:24-25).

Jesus Christ was “delivered up;” he died for our trespasses. On the cross he bore all God’s just wrath and then he died as a sinner in our place: deserted, in weakness and shame, bearing the full weight of all the punishment we deserve. The heavens were silent and darkened that day, but another day was coming when he would be “raised for our justification.” That means when God raised Jesus from the dead, he was vindicating him. The resurrection is God’s “Amen!” in answer to Christ’s “It is finished!”[1] The resurrection means that all the blessings are ours now: we are forgiven; we are justified and all by faith alone. How do we know? We know because Jesus is alive. There simply is no better news anywhere.

In Romans 5 and 6 Paul continues to proclaim the good news. He begins chapter 5 by assuring us that God is no longer angry with us. Even when we suffer, it’s not because he’s angry, but because he’s working hope into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. We have salvation, justification, and reconciliation through faith in Jesus.

Grace = Freedom to Sin?

In chapter 6 Paul answers the argument that we always hear (especially in our own hearts) when we talk about the good news. Here’s the argument: If God loves to pour out grace on sinners, and he gets glory by doing so, then maybe we should sin more so he can pour out more grace, and thereby get more glory for himself. Paul is flummoxed by his own rhetorical question.

What? Haven’t you been listening? Did you miss the part about your union with Christ in his death and resurrection? You are forgiven because the old you that deserved death has died and a new you has come into being, a new you that has the record of all of Jesus’ obedience. How could you go on living as if all this good news weren’t true? Don’t you understand what your baptism means?

I’m really sure if you got news that a mysterious benefactor left you $10,000,000, your life would change. But this is better than a generous inheritance! This is news of a whole new you: a you without guilt, without a sentence of death hanging over you, without a celestial frown lurking behind every dark cloud, a you with a completely clean slate, a holy, beloved, cherished you. It’s better than a do-over, better than a Mulligan, or a resolution to try harder. And it’s the news you need to remember even though you may already be a Christian. You’ve been given a new life and been guaranteed that you can’t mess this life up. Why? Because God loves and justifies sinners. Jesus has already done it all. In light of that good news, rejoice and live in grateful response. What do you need to do? Believe that this good news is about you!

If you’re just jumping in to this series, be sure to read the introductory post and the posts for week one and week two. Click here to download the reading plan.

Elyse M. Fitzpatrick (MA, Trinity Theological Seminary) is a counselor, a retreat and conference speaker, and the head of Counsel from the Cross Ministries. Fitzpatrick has authored over 15 books, including Because He Loves Me, Give Them Grace, and Comforts from Romans.

Guest post by Elyse Fitzpatrick

After reading Romans 1 and 2, you might wonder what possessed me to encourage you to expect good news.

Paul didn’t mince his words when describing the desperate spiritual condition of both Jew and Gentile, did he? Perhaps you noticed how he opened his letter, describing himself as Jesus’ “servant” and Roman believers as those who are “called to belong to Jesus Christ,” who are “loved by God” and “called to be saints.” Considering this “servant” was once the church’s dreaded enemy and that God’s love overflowed the borders of Israel to reach all the way to Rome—there is some encouraging good news in 1:1 and 1:7, but it’s easy to miss.

The Bad News That’s Actually Good News

It’s even easy to gloss over Paul’s thesis statement of good news in 1:16-17 and focus on all that bad news about “being given over to…” and “having no excuse…” and “the judgment of God.” But here’s where God’s version of good news and our expectations diverge. This “bad news” doesn’t seem like good news, but it really is.  It’s good news because Paul’s vivid description of humanity’s lostness forces us to look outside ourselves for help. It forces us to despair and then it prepares us to receive the help that only comes through the powerful gospel of Jesus Christ’s life, death and resurrection.

In your reading this week, you’ll find that Paul begins chapter 3 in much the same way that he ended 2, just in case we didn’t get the message. Here’s how he sums up his theme: “None is righteous, no not one” (3:10). Better read that again. None is righteous, no not one. Paul’s point is that as nice as your neighbor or your boss or your little children may seem, outside of Christ, they are not righteous.

He continues, “…no one seeks for God.” Many of us would nod in agreement to that proposition, but still say things like, “Amy is such a nice girl; she’s really seeking God; she’d be such a good Christian. I know she’ll find him.” Here’s the bad/good news: We aren’t righteous. We don’t obey. We aren’t seeking God. “There is no fear of God” before our eyes (3:18). Paul demolishes our delusions of goodness. We’re lost. But God is on a mission to save. And that’s the best news ever.

Paul goes on to say “…by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight” (3:20). And this is the beginning of the good/good news because it teaches us that our okay-ness before God, our righteousness or justification, is not something we can accomplish. So we can stop looking inward, making resolutions, or searching for those illusive eight secret steps to perfection. We can stop trying to earn something from God by our work and look to him for mercy alone. At least that’s what you’d think these verses should do. But do they?

The Power of the Gospel

It seems we all have an intractable belief in our own ability to save ourselves. So when we read Romans 1:16-3:20 we assume God must be talking about those people out there—those bad people, those idolaters, those Pharisees. We skip right over the part about God’s power needing to save us through belief in the gospel. We think because we’ve believed the gospel we don’t need it any more.

That’s exactly where Paul takes us in our reading this week: to the good news of God’s mercy. He turns this corner beginning in 3:21, “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law…the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe” (3:3:21-22). What do we have to do to have God’s righteousness? We have to believe. And even that’s a gift he promised to give us (Ephesians 2:8-9).

We need his power to believe the gospel; to believe that we’re as lost as he says we are and as loved as he says we are; we need his grace to continue to believe it over and over again. So, as you read over Romans 3 and 4 this week, look for the bad/good news and the good/good news. The bad/good news will tell you what you’re unable to do and begin free you from your inner slave-driver. The good/good news will tell you what he has done for you in the gospel and free you to trust in him no matter how much bad news you see in yourself. Enjoy.

If you’re just jumping in to this series, be sure to read the introductory post and week one on Romans 1–2. Click here to download the reading plan.

Elyse M. Fitzpatrick (MA, Trinity Theological Seminary) is a counselor, a retreat and conference speaker, and the head of Counsel from the Cross Ministries. Fitzpatrick has authored over 15 books, including Because He Loves Me, Give Them Grace, and Comforts from Romans.