Please explain Romans 3:7. What kind of lie is this verse encouraging?
The Apostle Paul taught in Romans 2:11, “For there is no respect of persons with God.” He was bringing out to the Roman believers, whether Jew or Gentile, that the Lord would receive all with no bias towards their nationality. Under the law, circumcision was a requirement for the Jews. In His covenant with Abraham, the Lord told him in Genesis 17:10, “This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.” Yet, the Apostle Paul pointed out that it was the ‘circumcision of the heart’ that truly pleased Him. He said in Romans 2:29, “But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.”
In chapter 3, Paul anticipates and answers objections the Jews might have to this truth that the Gentiles now stood on the same ground they did. The first objection he anticipates is in Romans 3:1, “What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?” If the Gentiles, the uncircumcised people, would conform to the morality that was given under the law, they would be considered as having been circumcised, as Romans 2:26 states, “Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, SHALL NOT HIS UNCIRCUMCISION BE COUNTED FOR CIRCUMCISION?” This might seem unfair to the Jew who had been circumcised according to Abraham’s covenant. These uncircumcised Gentiles would be received by God as if they had been circumcised? If so, what is the advantage then of being a Jew? What is the advantage of having been circumcised? In verse 2, he gives the answer. “Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.” The Lord had given His Word to the Jews. This of course, is our Old Testament. This contains so many blessed truths for the Jewish people, many of which have yet be fulfilled…but will be!
The next objection is in verse 3, “For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?” It was true that many of the Jewish people did not believe. Will that cause God to go back on His Word to bless His people? ABSOLUTELY NOT! Verse 4 says, “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 always speak the truth and He doesn’t change. If God is accused by sinful man, let’s understand that it is ALWAYS the sinful man that is lying. Abraham’s faith in the Lord caused him to be “…fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.” (Romans 4:21) When David confessed his sin to the Lord, we read in Psalms 51:4, “Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.” David completely vindicated the Lord for punishing him for his sin. In that respect, David’s sin evidenced God’s righteousness.
That objection brings us to the next objection in verse 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).” If our sin manifests the Lord’s righteousness (when He chastises us), how can He be righteous in punishing us? To that, he responds in verse 6, “God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?” If there is any unrighteousness in the Lord, how would He be fit to judge the world? Indeed, Psalms 9:8 tells us that the Lord, “…SHALL JUDGE THE WORLD IN RIGHTEOUSNESS, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.”
Then, we find yet another objection in verse 7, “For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner?” Continuing in this vein, the objector asks how he could be judged a sinner if his sin caused God’s name to be praised. To that, Paul answered in verse 8, “And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just.” There were some who actually accused Paul of saying we should sin so that good would come out of it. This is certainly not what he said and he indicated that the judgment they received for their lie would be justified. Even though the Lord is able to bring honor to Himself by judging sin in the individual, that sin is never justified. Consider the words of the Lord to the woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. When she repented, the Lord said to her, “GO, AND SIN NO MORE. (John 8:11) (265.8)