#95. Romans 3:24 – The Placer’s Placement of Evil and Sin (Justification Series, Part XVIII)

Part III: Our Justification, Confirmed

Being justified gratuitously in His grace…

When documenting our beginning, Moses writes that we are made in God’s image and likeness (Gen. 1:26.) We are the last of that which God creates. The heavens already existed, prior to Genesis 1:2. The earth’s environment was prepared before we were placed. Adam’s name means, “most like” – that is, most like God. This name, adm, is the same word translated “human” everywhere else in the Old Testament.

At present, we do not live up to this name. Realistically, not one of us is just, or incorruptible, or loving, as God is. Not one of us can claim such a thing (and, if we did, we would be liars, reinforcing the point.) The reason for this is not far to seek. We have been corrupted by a different master – sin. Thus the likeness which God has declared us to become, has not yet come to pass. In a weak figure, humanity is like “Simba” in the first half of The Lion King – clearly being prepared for a likeness to Mufasa, his image indwelt in us, but still too young to appreciate this.

Neither has our progression been a straight line. Since Adam’s expulsion from Eden, we had degenerated into a hateful race, destroying the earth and dominating the weaker among us for personal gain. Does this sound familiar? For indeed, the race has not changed all that much, and the elite among us operate under similar premises. Whether this elite refer to the top 1% – those with all the money and political power – or the “strongest” Christians in the pews – those with all the moral high ground of Obi Wan Kenobi – may be left up to the reader.

Justification

Of the entire race, only a select few have been given faith, and have therefore been introduced to spiritual matters beyond this world’s muster. That is, this faith, from Abel, to Noah, to Abraham onward, have given credence to the El Shaddai, the El Who Suffices, recognized as the true Father of all (the Eru Iluvatar, for my Tolkien fans, minus the “free will” nonsense.) This mature through-line has now branched down to the lowly sinner of the modern day, irrespective of class, rank, deed, or creed.

We are declared right on Christ’s account.

This is not a legal fiction, whereby the concept of “wrong” is called “right.” God is not closing His eyes, tapping His heels, and saying, “Abracadabra!” whilst brushing your sins under an Israeli tapestry. No sin is being ignored. God is rather using those sins for a greater good. The beautiful music justifies the instrument, even if the instrument is damaged or rusted. Even so, God’s ends justify His means, even if the means feel frustrating or appear most perplexing/horrific.

Accounting the sinner innocent is nevertheless shocking. For an impermanent “pardon” to be replaced by this goes beyond the wildest dreams of everyone who has not heard its sweet song. Sin herself has been confronted and defeated at Golgotha. At present, it is only throwing a tantrum; angry at her loss, she seeks to devastate the lives of any and all.

This is a scary sentiment for Sin to acknowledge (so she doesn’t – not yet.) Many arguments are made to obscure the great truth of being declared righteous by the verdict of the Highest Court, but they often do not acknowledge what justification truly is. So, let us speak of it here, while highlighting where objections falter in even acknowledging the actual doctrine.

First, we see that God did not “murder” His Son. He did not slaughter Him mercilessly without cause, but gave Him as a Sacrifice, of which His Son willingly agreed. If Christ had not agreed, then there would not be a cross to hear about in the first place. We have seen the reason for which the sacrifice must be made (Rom. 1:18-3:20.) Now we must see the sacrifice of Christ from the perspective of the One Who provided it, as He gives it.

God was the One Who did prepare every aspect of this sacrifice (Is. 53:9-10.) Not mankind. Not messengers. Not even Satan himself, the big baddie. None had the freedom to withstand God’s foreknowledge and planning of this event. God knew that Christ would be sacrificed before the problem even entered the world (1 Pet. 1:19-20.) When all was still perfect, Christ’s death was known and planned. Before that great event hinted at in Genesis 1:2, where the earth “became a chaos and vacant,” before the cataclysmic upheaval of all of the former creation, God loved His Son, His Son loved Him, and both knew of the death Christ would undergo. They both understood the events which needed to transpire for them to come to pass (1 Pet. 1:11, Is. 53:9-10.)

B-But What about the b-bad Stuff!?

What does this say about evil and sin? For starters, there is no logical way to plan for an event which had not occurred if the premise for the plan were unplanned. To say that the cross of Christ was planned when all was still perfect, as scripture clearly does, must necessitate that the reason for it was also prepared. When we do view the cross from the man-ward aspect, what is the cross but a murder of the only righteous One in the universe? This itself is a sin.

And God prepared it.

For the ultimate sin to be planned must, too, necessitate that lesser evils which the cross is designed to combat must also be planned. Evil and sin, then, are not some unknown prospect in God’s plan, some intruder from without which crept in to God’s creation.

Some have rebutted, “This sounds like God is providing the problem, and then trickling down the cure. How is He any better than our present healthcare system, then?” The answer is that our healthcare system is not designed for our benefit, but for the distributor’s profit. While God does indeed benefit from this scenario, we especially benefit, in gaining a deep and intimate understanding of good and evil. Only through this means can we be like Elohim – knowing good and evil, especially the value of good (Gen. 3:5, Ecc. 1:13, Phil. 2:5-8, etc.)

More proof will be given on this in a moment, but first, what is this proof meant to refute?

“Free Will”

The goal of the doctrine of “free will” is to relieve God of the burden of responsibility for “evil” and “sin.” These are supposed, instead, to be inventions of the devil, who is apparently an original creator. Under the “free will” premise, somehow, the all-knowing God did not foresee sin’s entrance into creation. He further did not make a creation good enough to disable the very possibility of sin. Instead, He created a system founded upon our decisions, which would inevitably lead to the decay of every living thing. Somehow the devil, wielding some foreign power not given him by his Creator, God, created something new – “sin” and “evil.”

We see the problem, of course. This is Zoroastrianism, not scripture. By attempting to “relieve” God of the things He Himself takes responsibility for, we inadvertently charge Him with a much greater crime. We misrepresent His authority to such a degree that everything mentioned in Rom. 1:18-3:20 must be given a band-aid solution, leaving sin to freely gush from Eden’s wound forever. Evil would have no conclusion, and God would simply not be strong or loving enough to stop evil’s influence upon His work. It casts the power of Love into a pitiful light, giving credence to the idea that God would not be able to use our evil for His good (as He says He does, Gen. 50:20,) since it would be a foreign concept altogether not under His jurisdiction. By its very premise, the theory of “free will” – that God cannot overstep the will of any independent object, even if it refuses Him totally – must also mean that God has no control over evil’s influence on His story, and it could take a left turn at any moment, rendering His work helpless.

And what miniscule impact His work would have, indeed! The cross of Christ saving a mere fraction of the universe, leaving the rest to be destroyed or forgotten! Though all would be deserving of death, God saves a select few, for the sake of keeping just those few, and abandoning all others? Goodness, say it isn’t so!

Of course, there are many strawmen thrown out by opposers when you say this – almost none of which actually confront the scriptural decrees of God’s absolute authority over all creation. Most notably, opposers cry that if you discard the notion of “free will,” you must also discard any agency on the part of the individual. Yet the issue is not with the word “will,” for there are indeed many wills, cast against each other, creating the friction where the drama of God’s story resides, serving His agenda(s.) No – the issue is with the word “free,” as if God has no idea or authority over what you or any other will do next. Such an idea could never have prepared the exact pre-requisites for the cross, its premise, and its effects.

Worse still is the argument that God is not “allowed” to have indignation toward sin itself, or the vessel of sin, if sin is foreknown! When we see that indignation and judgment are not the end goal (1:18-2:16,) but steps in preparation for justification (3:21-32,) their role becomes clear. Dare I say, our lack of free will necessitates His indignation and judgment, or He will not have revealed His disposition toward sin, nor would He have prepared the race for that justification which will accord us with His image and likeness (Gen. 1:26.)

The Wrongs Complement the Rights

It is a great thing that God has foreknown His anger. Unlike us, His anger is controlled, precise, and subject to His own just and loving heart, which He can only reveal to the sinner in salvation (Rom. 1:16-17.) This should satisfy His anger’s temporary nature – as temporary as sin itself! Alas, the Christian god must stay angry, for sin, according to him, is never removed! God gives many examples of foreknowing sin and His response to it. Here, for example, is Is. 46:10-11–

Telling from the beginning, and hereafter, and from aforetime what has not yet been done, saying, “All My counsel, it shall be confirmed, and all My desire shall I do; calling from the sunrise, a bird of prey, from a land afar, a man of My counsel, indeed I have spoken; indeed I shall bring it to pass! I have formed the plan; indeed, I shall do it!”

Simply, then, God feels what He knew He would feel, and is facing the irreverence and injustice that He knew He would endure, in enabling this evil situation which is so necessary for the presentation of good. Indeed, God also proclaims, in Is. 45:7–

Former of light and Creator of darkness, Maker of peace and Creator of evil, I, Yahweh, make all these things.

And again, Lam. 3:36-38–

To overturn a human in his cause, does not Yahweh see? Who is this who speaks and it comes about if Yahweh does not determine it? Do not both the evil and the good come forth from the mouth of the Supreme?

Again, I say, there is no legal fiction occurring, here. God is not “changing” bad into good, for otherwise passages like the above could not rationally be read. “Evil” and “good” are distinct, and are never conjoined for any reason. While there is indeed a moral complexity to every action (‘evil,’ or ‘destructive’ motivations for every ‘good’ deed, or ‘good’ motivations for every ‘evil’ deed,) nevertheless a just God full of knowledge and wisdom is able to wrap His head around the deepest complexities of any system.

You may believe that I am jumping the gun, reading too far into Romans 3:24, so as to debar “free will” from the discussion. Yet the phrase “free will” is nowhere to be found in Romans 3:24, and is not found anywhere in the Old or New Testament. There are many verses meanwhile which attest to God’s absolute authority over every matter, which shoot down all theology proclaiming “free will,” or some independent agency, as God’s “greatest gift” to mankind. This is, simply, a lie cast upon us by religious dogma, seen from the basic premise of God’s foreknowledge and planning of such an event as the cross.

There will be much more to say concerning this “free will” idea, especially when we reach Rom. 8:31-9:30. But for now, we see that “free will” has especially not been once relayed during the well message of God. We know that “free will” attempts to relieve God of responsibility for man’s wrongs, yet God explicitly takes credit for giving us over to these wrongs (Rom. 1:22-28.) We have seen further no “option” or “choice” presented on mankind’s part, where the righteousness of God and His justification is presented. Where Rom. 1:22-31 is absent, justification cannot be seen. Rather, it is Christ’s obedience (which itself was not “free,” since it was planned,) which dictates whether or not one is justified, and granted a just belief.

Since the wrongs of mankind were so instrumental in preparing God’s presentation, it must be seen that the wrongs of mankind, while wrong in themselves, are utilized by God in the right way. His goal inevitably saves us from the underlying sin which causes those wrongs. Salvation is integral to His plan. His plan is proactive, not reactive. His goal to educate us concerning our Creator, the moral objectivity of life itself, and, of course, on unconditional love (1 Tim. 2:4) – concluding with permanent bliss (Rom. 5:18, 1 Cor. 15:22-28, Col. 1:15-20.)

His plan, then, revolves around a revelation, or unveiling, of Himself. Apart from sin, God could not reveal Himself. Our irreverence, injustice, and corrupt judgment all supply the curtain with which God veils Himself. His contrastive reverence, justice, and incorruptible verdicts will be praised forever, once our faults have run their course.

Through justification, we may view our problems under a new lens – that our wrongs, too, have been planned, and are being used by God to present His Son, whereby He can accomplish the ultimate good – giving all the belief first presented in His Son (Rom. 3:22,) that all are saved through justification (Rom. 5:18, 1 Tim. 4:10,) and come into a realization of the truth (1 Tim. 2:4.)

God is presently justifying those He has made to believe (Rom. 1:17, 3:24, 4:5.) This, in turn, justifies God’s use of sin. All damage, decay, detrimental deeds, every dynasty, every democracy? All that is not itself “good,” that is, righteous, in accord with the action of the law, will be justified (Rom. 5:18-19.) This is because God Himself introduces these problems into creation, and it is the presentation of these problems which will bring about His desired results (Is. 46:10, Rom. 8:20-21, 1 Cor. 15:22-28.) The inexorably good end in view will justify the means.

How can we see this? Because the centerpiece of creation, the cross of Christ, fully conveys the concept! The greatest sin ever conducted, the murder of the only righteous One, is now used by God for the greatest blessings of which mankind is to partake (beginning with this grand justification!) The cross of Christ, viewed from our side, is a tragic, graphic, terrible event. Yet its resounding effects are incalculably greater than Sin, and will inevitably dwarf Sin into oblivion, bringing all sinners out of her jurisdiction.

Just Requirements

Those who listened to the law were not justified, from Sinai until now. Only those who would do the law would be justified (2:13.) Of course, we can see via the entirety of the Hebrew scriptures that not one of Israel’s population ever completely followed the law. This is emphasized most in Paul’s first conclusion to human conduct – that, “by works of law, no flesh at all shall be justified in His sight” (3:20.)

This fact underlies the other two – that God must be angry at sin (or He is not just,) and He must set out to judge sin (or He is not good.) Yet none of these facts in themselves are the evangel of God (Rom. 2:16.) The evangel of God, as Paul says, concerns God’s Son, Jesus Christ (1:3-5.) It is thus:

Yet now, apart from law, a righteousness of God is manifest (being attested by the law and the prophets), yet a righteousness of God through Jesus Christ’s faith, into all, and on all who are believing, for there is no distinction, for all have sinned, and are wanting of the glory of God.

Being justified gratuitously in His grace, through the deliverance which is in Christ Jesus (Whom God purposed for a Propitiatory Shelter through faith in His blood, for a display of His righteousness because of the passing over of the sin effects which occurred before in the forbearance of God), toward the display of His righteousness in the current era, for Him to be just and a Justifier of the one who is of the faith of Jesus.

Thankfully, human effort is discarded from such a presentation, nor must we attend to God, as if He requires anything of us, since He Himself gives life and breath and all (Acts 17:24-25.) Where justification is attested on the basis of Jesus Christ’s faith, there is a spotlight on God – the true God, for only then are His character and authority on full display (3:25-26.)

God’s response is not counteractive, as would be the case if He continued fighting sin. To God, sin is being held in a Wuxi Finger Hold. Sin is not taking this loss with much grace (pun intended,) and has yet to come to terms with its total loss. But it is so. All of the sins which prepared us for Romans 3:21 have already been handled, so that Christ Jesus can deliver all subject to those sins into the life which He now enjoys. So Paul attests later in this letter:

Consequently, then, as it was through one offense into all mankind into condemnation, thus also it is through one just award into all mankind into life’s justifying.

For even as, through the disobedience of the one man, the many were constituted sinners, thus also, through the obedience of the One, the many shall be constituted just.

- GerudoKing