Father God, thank you for this time that we can spend reading and studying your word, in particular today the book of Romans chapter 3.
Romans 3:3 in the KJB says,
3 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?"
Not all Jews believed God but some did. Some saw that they couldn't keep the law in their own efforts. They needed to have faith first and foremost. But just because not all of them believed, doesn't mean that God failed.
In today's dispensation this is also certainly true. Even though the vast majority of people in the world since the dispensation of grace began are unbelievers, and never choose to believe the gospel of their salvation, that doesn't mean that God has failed or that God is unjust or unrighteous. God is completely true to His word and will save anyone who simply believes the gospel of the grace of God.
Romans 3:4
4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.
God can be completely trusted. God is justified in saving individual Jews who were believers, even if the vast majority of them were unbelievers.
Romans 3:5
5 But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man)
God is a holy and just God and it is righteous for him to take vengeance on unbelievers. Men cannot be trusted completely like God can be because men lie. All people born, except for the Lord Jesus Christ, are born with an inherited sin nature. God provided us with a savior so that we, as sinners, could be saved. Every individual person, Jew or Gentile has freewill choice in believing or not believing the gospel. If they choose not to believe, and they die in their sins, they will spend eternity in the lake of fire. If they choose to believe the gospel, then God gives them eternal life.
Also, this shows us that universalism is a deception because it clearly tells us here that not everyone is automatically saved, since God will take vengeance against the unbelievers.
**As a side note: universalism is a major deception that has crept into some grace churches. It's the belief that because of God's grace, all people are automatically saved. But verses like this clearly show us that that is simply not the case. We are saved by grace through faith alone when we simply believe the gospel, how that Christ Jesus died for our sins, was buried and rose again for our justification. Faith is the only requirement on our part, and it is NOT a work.
A well-known and popular grace preacher in the midacts community in recent years basically abandoned midacts dispensationalism for universalism. Thankfully, most of his congregation didn't actually go along with it but it caused major distress among the believers. We have to always be Bereans and search the scriptures for ourselves instead of just believing anything and everything that preachers and Bible study teachers say, even in grace churches. Satan is always trying to creep into the churches with various deceptions and with getting believers to live carnally as well.**
Romans 3:6
6 God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?
If God doesn't take vengeance on unbelievers, he cannot judge the world. God would be unholy and unrighteous if he didn't take vengeance on unbelievers and their sin and wickedness.
Homework: Read chapter 3 again and notice how often Paul uses questions. Paul will ask a question, which causes us to pause and think, and then he continues with the answers. This helps us to have better understanding of what is being taught so that we can move forward to the next lessons or ideas being taught in scripture.
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