I. The Word: Romans 3:5-8

“5But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.) 6May it never be! For otherwise, how will God judge the world? 7But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner? 8And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), “Let us do evil that good may come”? Their condemnation is just.”

II. Reflection Questions:

 1. Have you accepted a caricature of God by focusing exclusively on his love without an understanding of His justice?

2. Where have you adopted an extreme idea about God that is not supported by the Bible?

3. Are you spending more time reading what others have written about God and the Bible than you are reading the Bible?

Paul now addresses three conclusions in the form of questions that may arise in response to what he has written: 1) If our failure to keep the law illustrates God’s righteousness, is God unjust for judging us? (v. 5) ; 2)  If my dishonesty demonstrates the truthfulness of God and brings God more glory, is it right for Him to judge me? (v. 7); and 3) Why shouldn’t we  sin so that all these good things may come of it? (v. 8). All three conclusions have one thing in common—they represent how God can be misrepresented when truth is taken to an extreme. It is a good lesson for all of us.

Here’s a modern day example. It cannot be disputed that God is both just (Isa. 30:18) and love (I John 4:8). God’s love counsels that He forgive us of our sin, but His justness counsels that He dispense the proper penalty for our rebellion against Him. The brilliance of the cross is that in sacrificing His Son, God demonstrates His love for us, and by Jesus paying the penalty for our sin, God demonstrates His justness.

God’s justness is no less important than His love. In fact, without understanding God’s justness, one cannot fully appreciate God’s love. Yet, we live in a time when it is vogue for preachers to focus almost exclusively on God’s love. In doing so, Jesus can be portrayed as weak and needy, almost desperate. It should be no surprise that Rob Bell’s Love Wins’s sympathetic view of universalism has become more popular, and Hell is seen as medieval as bloodletting. But if one is only focusing on God’s love they end up merely with a caricature of God.

In these verses, Paul addresses those who have arrived at some extreme conclusions regarding God. After addressing the last one, an accusation made against the Christians, Paul says of those who make the accusation: “Their condemnation is just.” (v. 8).

The best way to avoid extremes is to spend time reading the Bible, not just reading what others say about the Bible. Books by Christian writers can be helpful, and devotionals can help jump start your time with the Lord, but neither is a substitute for reading the Bible. If you read Christian writers, read a variety. We all have our favorites, but no one writer has the whole picture except the Holy Spirit, which is another reason to spend time reading the Bible, rather than just reading about the Bible.