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advantage in being an Israelite is overwhelming. The evidence of the O.T. makes it clear
that God planned the Jewish people to be the premier nation of the earth through whom
this truth was to reach to the ends of the world (Exod. 19: 3-6; Deut. 28: 1), and for
this reason the Psalmist concludes Psa. 147: by saying:
"He sheweth His word unto Jacob, His statutes and His judgments unto Israel. He
hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for His judgment, they have not known them.
Praise ye the Lord" (Psa. 147: 19, 20).
At the same time Israel should have remembered what has already been stressed,
namely that God's light and truth bring great responsibility, and even though they were
unfaithful yet this did not alter or make void the faithfulness of God:
"What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God's faithfulness?
Not at all! Let God be true, and every man a liar" (3: 3, 4-, N.I.V.).
The untruth or the failure of man only sets into relief God's absolute faithfulness and
reliability. In a court of law God will always prove to be in the right.
"As Scripture says, That Thou mayest be proved right when Thou speakest and be
victorious when Thou enterest into judgment" (3: -4, 100: K. Barrett).
Another objection now follows. Someone may argue: "If my failure shows up God's
faithfulness, why should He find fault with me, because if this is true He is the gainer by
my sin? So, is God just in exacting retribution for sin?". The Apostle apologizes for
bringing in such a human argument. The sentence in Greek is so worded as to expect the
answer, No. If this accusation was true it would be impossible for God, as the moral
Governor of the universe, to execute judgment upon mankind. "For then how shall God
judge the world?" (verse 6). And it is quite clear from Scripture that this is precisely
what He will do (Acts 17: 30, 31; Rom. 2: 14-16), and the fact that man has been
created a moral being in the image of God brings responsibility and demands it. The only
alternative is to regard man as a puppet with no responsibility for his actions, which is
unscriptural and completely untrue.
The objector however persists:
"If my falsehood enhances God's truthfulness and so increases His glory, why am I
still condemned as a sinner?" (3: 7, N.I.V.).
As a matter of fact this argument was certainly made by Paul's enemies against the
gospel which he preached. If human works do not enter into the scheme of salvation, if it
is just by faith only, then one can live just as one likes and forget about sin and failing.
But this was complete falsification of the truth. In a later epistle, the Apostle expresses
the good news of salvation in this way:
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that (salvation by faith) not of
yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are
His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before
ordained (margin: before prepared) that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2: 8-10).