Romans 3:5-8 But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who takes vengeance?… God's righteousness — I. IS THE BASIS OF THE HOPE OF FUTURE JUDGMENT. Things are not right now if viewed from a strictly temporal standpoint; for the good often get the worst of it, and the bad the best of it. The hope that these inequalities will be adjusted at the Judgment has been the comfort and mainstay of God's saints under both dispensations. II. NECESSITATES THIS JUDGMENT. 1. If the world's affairs are administered by a Righteous Governor, then the things that are now manifestly wrong must at some period be put right, and the date assigned by the Righteous Governor of the world is the Day of Judgment. 2. Having assigned that date, God's righteousness pledged Him to keep it. God is, so to speak, committed to it, and He is not "the son of man that He should repent." III. WILL GOVERN ITS DECISIONS. Men will be judged equitably. Judicial decisions are now often inequitable — because some legal technicality stands in the way; or because all the facts are not forthcoming, or some of them are not placed in their true light; or because the eloquence of the advocate, or something about the accused, influences the jury. But then the awards will be according to the merits of the case, all the circumstances of which will be naked and open. Conclusion: We may take comfort from this doctrine — 1. Amid all the perplexities of the present. We do not estimate things by their momentary appearance, nor a man by a solitary action. We must therefore estimate God and His procedure comprehensively. He has all eternity to work in, and when we take the larger view we shall acknowledge that the Judge of all the earth will do right. 2. Amid all the perplexities concerning the future. Whatever becomes of the wicked the Judge of all the earth will do right. (J. W. Burn.) Parallel Verses KJV: But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man) |
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