TEST

What does God say in Romans Chapter 2?

What does the Apostle Paul explain as the deficiency of the Jews’ legalistic faith?

In Romans 2, the Apostle Paul directly addresses the religious life of the Jews and clearly explains why a Judaistic faith alone cannot lead to salvation.

Paul’s purpose is not simply to condemn the Jews, but to lead them to the true savior, Jesus Christ.

The fundamental flaw of the Judaistic faith that Paul points out is that while they had pride in knowing God’s will, they in fact lacked the ability to make themselves righteous by doing that will.

The Jews possessed the law, kept the traditions, and held onto their identity as God’s people, but Paul asserts that not the hearers of the law, but only the doers of the law will be justified before God, implying that no one can perfectly keep the law.

In other words, Judaism is a faith that had the form of godliness but lacked the actual power to solve the problem of sin.

Furthermore, Paul exposes the hypocrisy of the Jews who, while condemning the Gentiles, were themselves committing the same sins.

They overlooked the fact that before the law, the very standard by which they judged others, they themselves were beings who could not escape judgment, remaining in knowledge without repentance and judgment without salvation.

Paul emphasizes the fact that God’s judgment is not exempted by lineage or tradition, but is carried out according to truth and each person’s deeds.

The law is not a privilege but a responsibility, and a stricter standard of judgment is applied to those who have received the law.

Tradition itself is not the problem, but a problem arises when that tradition comes to replace the will of God.

The Jews relied on the fact that they were circumcised and rested on their possession of the law, mistaking a formal religious life for salvation.

Regarding this, Paul sharply points out the limitation of a faith where only the form remains and the substance has disappeared, saying that circumcision is of value only when one keeps the law, but if one breaks the law, that circumcision is no different from uncircumcision.

In the latter part of Romans 2, Paul presents a decisive turning point. He declares that a true Jew is not defined by outward appearances, nor is circumcision a physical mark on the body.

Rather, he emphasizes that a person whose inner self is transformed is a true Jew, and that circumcision must be performed on the heart by the Spirit, not by the letter of the law.

This is a declaration that one cannot attain righteousness through human effort or tradition, but that what is needed is a new heart and a new spirit given by God, that is, the new covenant through Jesus Christ.

In conclusion, the core of Romans 2 is that a Judaistic faith can reveal sin but cannot remove it, and that tradition or outward forms cannot produce true righteousness.

What humanity truly needs is not the determination to keep the law, but salvation itself, through which the heart is renewed by the gospel.

Therefore, Romans 2 is not a chapter for negating the faith of the Jews, but a chapter for completing the faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is commonly needed by both Jews and Gentiles, by revealing the limitations of tradition and the true purpose of the law.

Regarding the point that one cannot meet Jesus Christ, the savior of humanity, by following the traditions of faith!

Even today, regardless of whether it is Judaism or Christianity, as long as one follows man-made theological traditions, no one can substantially meet the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

This is not an issue confined to a specific era but a matter concerning the essence of the gospel, and the error Paul pointed out in Romans is being repeated in the same way today.

The reason human theological traditions obscure the righteousness of Jesus Christ is that they depart from the faith of believing what God has done, and instead make a human-organized and systematized way of understanding the standard for salvation.

Just as Judaism sought to attain righteousness through the law and tradition, today’s Christianity also tries to secure righteousness through doctrinal systems and religious acts.

Their commonality lies in believing that righteousness does not come as a gift from God but originates from human religious acts.

Man-made traditions may be able to produce religious zeal, but they can never give the righteousness of God that fundamentally removes sin.

Theological traditions can explain the Bible, but they cannot bear the burden of sin in its place.

Doctrine analyzes Jesus, tradition fragments His work, and systems reduce the gospel into a framework that is easy for humans to understand.

As a result, many people say they believe in Jesus, but they remain in a conceptual faith without actually knowing how He truly removed sin.

This is the current state of a faith that speaks of Jesus Christ but fails to reach His righteousness.

God knew that the problem of sin could not be solved by human theology or religion, so He sent Jesus Christ directly to this earth.

The purpose of the Lord’s coming was not simply to teach sinners, but to actually remove their sins.

Therefore, the work of Jesus was not a moral reform or a religious movement, but an event that completed in history the reality of salvation prefigured in the Old Testament.

The work that Jesus Christ performed for humanity is very specific and substantial.

First, by being baptized by John, Jesus took upon His own body all the sins of humanity, and this is the event where the Old Testament system of the laying on of hands was fulfilled as reality.

Then, carrying the sins that were transferred through baptism, He received God’s righteous judgment on the cross.

God never overlooked sin; He established justice by pouring out that judgment on the Son who bore the sin.

Finally, the resurrection of Jesus confirms that the price of sin was fully paid and that the righteousness of God was completed without any deficiency.

This entire process is the history of salvation accomplished by God Himself, without the intervention of human religious acts.

The decisive reason one cannot attain the righteousness of Christ when holding onto human traditions is that tradition always asks humans what more they must do and emphasizes how they can believe better.

However, the gospel declares, “It is finished,” and teaches that faith is not a human achievement but the acceptance of a fact that has already been accomplished.

Tradition centers on man, causing endless inadequacy and repetitive repentance without assurance, but a faith centered on the completed work of Jesus Christ grants the boldness of one who has already received the remission of sins.

Salvation does not come from deeply understanding theology, but is given when one believes exactly what Jesus Christ actually did for the sins of humanity.

The Lord is not one who came simply to leave teachings, but the true Savior who came to remove sin and complete righteousness.

A legalistic believer opposes the gospel of the water and the Spirit

The Contrast between the Gospel of Water and the Spirit and Legalistic Faith

A person can receive the remission of sins in their heart only when they believe in the baptism that Jesus received and the blood that He shed.

Before God, human beings can never be saved by the law; rather, a legalistic life of faith only brings about the wrath of God.

Those who are bound by legalistic faith emphasize only outward acts to their fellow believers.

In the past, the Jews also judged and disregarded the Gentiles based on the law they possessed, dismissing them by saying, "They do not know God, worship idols, and are like beasts."

The truth we must realize is that we must accept the baptism Jesus received and His blood into our hearts as complete salvation.

Those who reject this cannot escape the judgment of sin according to the Word of God.

Those who are trapped in the law turn away from the `gospel of water and the Spirit`---that Jesus took upon Himself and blotted out all the sins of the world through His baptism---and the love of God contained within it.

Around us, there are still many people who live a legalistic life of faith.

Just as the ancient Jews despised the Gentiles, among those who claim to believe in Jesus today, there are many who despise the mercy of God, who accepts the lacking, and the abundant grace of the remission of sins revealed in the gospel of water and the Spirit.

We must face this fact soberly.

Countless Christians on earth look down upon Jesus and the gospel of water and the Spirit that He gave.

The Jews, too, continue to reject this gospel to this day. They deny the very fact that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, saying, "How can Jesus be called the Savior?"

They mocked Him, saying, "How can you be the Son of God? You are just one of the prophets," and they struck Him, insulted Him as `blasphemous,` and nailed Him to the cross.

That contempt continues to this day.

While the Jews despise Jesus by not acknowledging Him as the Savior, there are many among those who now claim to believe in Jesus who also ignore the gospel of water and the Spirit.

They take lightly the saving work of God, who, by being long-suffering and merciful to sinners, took away the sins of the world at once.

They emphasize outward acts over inner change.

Some even undergo ascetic-like training to literally obey Jesus` words, "But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also."

Furthermore, they insist that even after believing in Jesus Christ, only original sin is remitted, and the `personal sins` one commits are remitted only by offering prayers of repentance each time.

This, too, is a legalistic faith and an act that profanes the abundant salvation that Jesus completed.

We become righteous and receive the remission of sins by believing in the gospel of water and the Spirit.

However, many condemn those who confess they have no sin by believing in the gospel, saying, "How can you dare to arrogantly call yourself righteous?"

They believe that although sin remains in human nature, Jesus merely `calls` us righteous.

This is the state of those who insist on a legalistic faith before God.

Therefore, we must now boldly break free from the framework of legalistic faith and religion.

We must shatter our own firm preconceptions.

They believe that even after believing in Jesus, if they sin, that sin disappears only through prayers of repentance.

Their faith is thoroughly conditional. Does a person`s sin truly disappear only through human prayers of repentance?

If so, that is not believing in the gospel of water and the Spirit that Jesus completed.

This is because legalism is, in the end, nothing more than a faith that trusts in one`s own deeds.

The Contradiction in Legalistic Repentance, and True Turning

The Apostle Paul also emphasized that we must believe in the gospel of water and the Spirit given by Jesus Christ.

However, while legalists pay lip service to the idea that a person is justified by faith, in their actual lives they teach that one can receive forgiveness only by repenting of the sins committed each time.

This is not the truth of the Bible but merely a religious idea created by legalists.

Some pastors teach, "We are saved from sin by believing in Jesus Christ. However, we must be sanctified through repentance."

These are the very legalists who have not realized the truth of the water and the Spirit before God.

They try to complete their salvation by adding their own good deeds or efforts, without fully relying on the baptism and blood of Jesus.

In fact, before we were saved from sin, we also belonged to this legalism.

We believed that after believing in Jesus, we had to become sanctified through our own efforts.

But now, by believing in the gospel of water and the Spirit in our hearts, we have obtained the remission of sins at once.

The Consequence a Stubborn Heart Will Face

Romans 2:5 says as follows.

"But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God."

The stubbornness of legalists is so strong that they believe it is humility to confess before God that they are a sinner, even if a knife is at their neck.

They believe they must of course live according to God`s Word, but they stubbornly insist that because they themselves cannot live according to the Word, they have no choice but to be sinners until the end.

However, God speaks to us this way.

"Because I know that you cannot live according to the Word, I have already erased all your sins with the gospel of water and the Spirit. Now, learn this gospel and be saved from sin by faith."

Nevertheless, they do not believe in the gospel that Jesus Christ completed.

Because they still try to maintain their salvation by adding their own deeds even after believing, they proclaim themselves sinners until they die.

It must be kept in mind that such people are, according to their own confession, inviting upon themselves judgment before God for the sin of not believing.

A person must turn from the habits of pagan religions and return only to Jesus Christ. The purpose for which God gave the law to humankind was to make people realize their sinful true nature.

Looking at themselves reflected in the mirror called the law, people must admit that they are helpless beings who cannot help but sin until they die.

Only then do they accept by faith the fact that Jesus Christ has already erased all their sins and thus obtain salvation.

Unfortunately, many Christians today still declare themselves sinners, saying, "Lord, this sinner has come."

True repentance is not repeatedly confessing that one is a sinner, but accepting in one`s heart the fact that Jesus Christ has erased all my sins with the gospel of water and the Spirit.

This is the only correct repentance. Those captivated by legalism are like the Pharisees of today, and are nothing more than un-born-again religious people.

Their hypocritical side is also revealed in their daily lives.

Some pastors` wives often say that while their husbands are like angels when on the pulpit, they turn into tyrants when they come down, so they would rather set up their household next to the pulpit.

This means that on the pulpit they preach holy, merciful, and spiritual words, but when they return home, they become tyrants who get angry over trivial matters and torment their families.

This is a tragic facet of a religious life that is buried in outward actions.

The Bondage of Legalism and the Mission of Preaching the Gospel

We must surely preach the gospel of water and the Spirit to the legalists.

Legalists show an angel-like appearance only when they stand at the pulpit.

Because they consider themselves sinners until they die, they only teach their church members to weep over their sins and repent daily.

Since people cannot help but constantly sin while living in the world, if they are only taught how to confess their sins each time without being given the answer through the gospel of water and the Spirit, would not the hearts of those who receive such teaching be like hell?

To such believers, I cannot but speak the truth.

I cannot but preach the gospel of baptism and blood that God has given me.

Those who formally believe in Jesus Christ without going through true repentance before God will surely receive wrath.

A person may be able to deceive other people, but they can never deceive God.

Whether one receives the remission of sins depends on whether one believes in the heart the gospel of water and the Spirit given by God, or does not believe.

They cannot hide themselves before God.

If one believes the gospel of water and the Spirit, one obtains salvation, but if one does not believe, one will face judgment.

Therefore, we must continue to preach the gospel of the salvation of water and the Spirit without stopping.

Also, whenever we gather, we must once again impress the meaning of this gospel upon our hearts.

The reason we must diligently preach the gospel on this earth is to enable them to avoid the wrath they will face before God.

We must not forget the fact that even now, numerous people are bound by legalistic faith and are under the wrath of God.

We must not leave them to go on the path of judgment.

Legalists will eventually face wrath, and the wrath of God is to judge people and throw them into the eternal fire of sulfur.

How can we just watch as people head toward hell? We can never do that.

There are truly many legalists around us.

Even though they do not have the ability to keep the law perfectly, they live pretending to keep it on the outside.

While believing in Jesus, they claim that Jesus took away the original sin but did not take away the personal sins.

They deny that Jesus erased all sins, and they believe and teach that the sins committed daily can be remitted only by repenting of them themselves.

This is because they do not know the complete erasure of sins that comes from the gospel of water and the Spirit.

Legalists oppose the gospel of water and the Spirit.

However, we must preach the gospel of water and the Spirit, which is the righteousness of God, to these people and save them from sin.

No Christian in this world should treat lightly or ignore the grace of the remission of sins given by Jesus.

The Erasure of Sins Received in the Heart and True Faith

A person is saved by believing in the heart the gospel of the erasure of sins.

This grace of salvation must be accepted in the heart. Regarding circumcision, the Bible says, "circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter" teaching us to perform the circumcision of the heart.

However, because the Jews of the past did not believe God`s Word in their hearts, they stopped at merely performing circumcision on their flesh.

Regarding the hardness of the Jews who did not believe the gospel in their hearts, the Apostle Paul said the following.

"For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? Certainly not!" (Romans 3:3-4).

Dear saints, we have an outer man and an inner man.

The Apostle Paul never placed his hope in his outer man. This is because our outer man has already been crucified with Christ.

Even a person who has received the erasure of sins commits sin while living in this world.

Then, is this sin not a sin? Of course, it is also clearly a sin.

However, it is not that we become righteous because we do not sin, nor do we become sinners again because we sin.

If we were to place the standard of salvation on the deeds of the flesh, our salvation would always be incomplete and bound to be shaken.

A faith that places the basis of the erasure of sins given by the Lord on human deeds is a wrong faith.

The true faith that leads us to the complete erasure of sins is only to believe the gospel of water and the Spirit.

A person becomes righteous because they have believed the gospel of water and the Spirit in their heart; it is not determined by whether our outer man lives according to God`s will or not.

In our life of faith, it is easy to focus only on the deeds of the outer man.

However, a faith that is buried in deeds can never be called a complete faith.

Our true faith depends on whether we know and believe the Lord correctly in our hearts.

When Jesus asked the Apostle Peter, "Who do you say that I am?" Peter confessed, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Then Jesus said, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 16:13-20).

Abraham`s Faith and Salvation Based on the Word

Abraham had no child.

However, God not only promised to give Abraham a child but also to make him the father of many nations and to be the God of him and his descendants.

Abraham believed all these words that God had spoken just as they were.

God valued that faith and established Abraham as the father of our faith.

As a sign of believing God`s promise, Abraham performed circumcision and commanded all the men in his family and household to be circumcised as well.

Thus, because Abraham believed God`s Word in his heart, God credited his faith as righteousness.

He believed without a shred of doubt that God had blessed him.

Today, we too have become righteous by believing in our hearts the fact that Jesus was baptized and shed His blood to save sinners.

We have become righteous only by faith in God`s Word, never by our own right actions.

If, when the Lord saved us, He had added the condition, "I will erase all your sins.

However, this salvation is valid only on the condition that you never sin again," then no one who believes in Jesus could have ever become righteous.

Our deeds are always lacking and inevitably fall short of God`s standard.

However, we have obtained salvation by believing the truth that Jesus, by being baptized and shedding His blood, had already erased all our sins.

When we believe this fact, the Lord affirms, "That is right. You are My people, My child."

The Lord made us His people, knowing full well our weak nature.

You and I have been saved from all sins solely by believing in Jesus Christ.

The Bible says, "For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Romans 10:10).

The Apostle Paul also became righteous through this same faith.

Let us look back at our outer man. How often do we live in a wrong way before God?

We are beings who are inherently bound to sin. But whenever that happens, let us reflect on the gospel once again.

Jesus already took upon Himself all our sins at the Jordan River.

Reflect on how all your sins were passed on to Him through the baptism He received from John the Baptist.

Then, you will realize the fact, "Ah, that`s right. Even this sin I have just committed, Jesus already took it upon Himself two thousand years ago when He was baptized in the Jordan River. I am already saved."

The one who is saved from all their sins is precisely the person who believes in this way.

The basis of true faith lies only in the Word of God.

The Word of God is righteous and has the power to cleanse our sins.

If we are to be completely saved from all the sins of the world, we must believe based on God`s Word, not on our own feelings or deeds.

Jesus came to this earth and perfectly saved us from the sins of the world through the baptism He received and the blood of the cross.