5 But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) 6 By no means! For then how could God judge the world? 7 But if through my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? 8 And why not do evil that good may come? — as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just. (Romans 3:5-8)
I’m not going to attempt to unpack all that’s in these verses (as that would be quite impossible), or even much of it (as that would take more time than I have). Other people have done a better job at explaining this very difficult passage. No, I bring it up as a compliment to yesterday’s update.
I believe Paul’s point is to dispel a misapplication of two truths we find in the Scripture, namely
- God’s righteousness is magnified when He judges the unrighteous acts of men, and
- God is just to inflict wrath on unrighteousness even when it results in Him being glorified.
One of the misapplications is clearly stated in v. 8, that if God is glorified in judging unrighteousness, then we are doing Him a favor by sinning because He is glorified, and therefore He cannot judge us.
This is a completely wrong conclusion from a correct premise. And lest I be misinterpreted from yesterday’s updates, I did not mean that we should rebel in order to bring God glory. Why not? Because He is glorified in pouring out His wrath upon us if that is the lifestyle we live. Paul hits upon this truth later in Romans 9:22-24.
22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory — 24 even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?
We see that God “shows” or “makes known” two things in these verses:
- His wrath and power (v. 22)
- The riches of His glory (v. 23)
He is glorified in both, but one is a means to another. Why does He make known His wrath and power? In order that the riches of His glory might be made known for vessels of mercy. That is God’s chief end in creation.
So, for those who say “Let us sin so that God may receive glory,” that is in indication of a vessel of wrath, not a vessel of mercy. In sinning, He glorifies Himself by pouring out His wrath on you. By contrast, He also glorifies Himself by showing you mercy and changing you so that you become conformed into His image. In other words: you can glorify God by receiving wrath or mercy. Which would you prefer?
Tying this into yesterday’s entry, even the sinful deeds that occur against us God uses for the express purpose of molding us more into His image. Not a single thing will happen that will throw off His great purpose of showing the riches of His glory to vessels of mercy. And we cannot look on our own past sin that we have repented of and experienced its consequences and say, “God won’t work that together for good.” Truly, we must “go and sin no more” (John 8:11). But neither should we view His plan for our life ruined because of our sin. His grace abounds even greater than sin (Romans 5:20-21). This is what Providence does: it governs and ordains human affairs such that it will result in the highest glory to His name in the highest happiness of His children.
I hope I’ve done a sufficient job to curb any erroneous thoughts that would encourage a vertiginous spirit toward God from what I wrote yesterday.
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