I love the movie Remember the Titans. If you haven’t seen it
you should! The story is about a high school football team right after the
desegregation of public schools. As you can imagine this was not a pretty
situation. The greatest quote from the whole movie was said by Denzel
Washington’s character.
“Anybody know what this place
is? This is Gettysburg. This is where they fought the Battle of
Gettysburg. Fifty thousand men died right here on this field,
fightin' the same fight that we're still fightin' amongst ourselves today. This
green field right here, painted red, bubblin' with the blood of young boys.
Smoke and hot lead pourin' right through their bodies. Listen to their souls,
men. I killed my brother with malice in my heart. Hatred destroyed my family.
You listen, you take a lesson from the dead. If we don't come together right
now on this hallowed ground, we too will be destroyed, just like they were. I
don't care if you like each other right now, but you will respect each other.
And maybe - I don't know, maybe we'll learn to play this game like men...”
I’ve imagined the whole of Romans being Paul’s “Gettysburg”
speech to the boys in the divided church.
Remember your Sin, have Faith, receive Righteousness and
know you’re elect.
The hardest and scariest word in Romans is Election. Many
Baptist friends of mine gasp when the word comes up in a Bible study. Rest assured my friends, I think in context
this may rest your weary soul.
CONTEXT: The
church was divided, the Romans didn’t want to let the Jews back in.
Sin : Romans 3:9 “What then? Are
we Jews1 any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews
and Greeks, are under sin”
To “level the playing field,” Paul reminds both Jews and
Gentiles they’re sinners! Possibly the Jews were being haughty (see chapt.
9:1-10) and this was upsetting the Roman believers. When we try to help our
broken and divided churches of America, our depraved humanity is the best place
to start.
Faith : Romans 3:28-29 “For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also.”
When I read Paul’s declarations of Faith alone Salvation, I imagine that the Romans were asking how they could possibly be part of the “people of God?” Paul’s second point of equality is how everyone is saved.
Righteousness: Romans 4:13 “For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be
heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of
faith.”
My “gumbo translation” of
Righteousness is, “the state of being freed from moral depravity.” Not only are
all Jews and Greeks sinners, who are required to have faith, but also they both
have a changed nature. Paul clearly states how a believer is changed in
character. Paul in chapter 6 states that changed believers are to end their
life of sin, and be filled by a pursuit of righteousness.
Election: Romans 9:11, “though they were not yet
born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of
election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls”
Election
is a word very common to a Jew, but why did Paul say it? How would the Romans
understand it?
The flow of Romans – We’re all sinners saved by faith in
God and we are to have a changed character.
Paul’s use of election is for both Jew and Greek, because
they have been elected to the Kingdom of God. My “gumbo translation” of this section in Romans is that
only those who are in the elect of God are the People of God. The Jews would
understand this passage as election of the Jewish nation, as seen in the Old
Testament. The Romans and Greeks would understand this passage as the “divine
right of succession” for any king.
The Purpose of Election in context is to help both
parties to understand that they are a part of the Kingdom of God, because God
wants them! By bringing up the topic of election, this prevents any
separation by “religious practice,” what we’d call denominationalism. This
helps me to understand Paul’s passage of, “not by works.”
Does this “election” align with
Jesus’ teachings?
•
For as the Father raises the dead and
gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. (John 5:21)
•
You did not choose me, but I chose
you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit
should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to
you. (John 15:16)
•
If you were of the world, the world
would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose
you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. (John 15:19)
•
(Many more passages: Matt. 22:14, 24:24,
24:31, Luke 18:7, John 5:21, John 6:37–39, 13:18)
Dr. Ken Easley’s one sentence summary of the whole Bible
may help bring more light to these difficult passages.
“The Lord God is graciously building a kingdom of
redeemed people for their joy and His glory.”
How to discuss Election in Context:
1. This
is not a word to separate brothers, churches or believers.
2. This
is a word to help unify not divide!
3. Realize
that we’ll never fully grasp this word until Glory, therefore Stop fighting.
4. Arguments over this topic should remain as "Battleship for Theologians." If you're not a theologian, then don't play, because it will only anger you!
