But if our unrighteousness highlights God’s righteousness, what are we to say? I am using a human argument: Is God unrighteous to inflict wrath? (Romans 3:5)
In today’s reading of Romans, Paul answers some objections that were being raised. One of these objections was what if man’s sin brings about God’s righteousness. If this was the case, the argument was, would it be fair for God to inflict wrath on the sinner? Paul gave a counter-argument to the objection of an opponent saying, “If my unrighteousness will demonstrate God’s righteousness, how can God judge me? My sin ultimately serves to bring Him more glory, and that is a good thing.” What the opponent missed in questioning God’s justice was that God is holy and He deals fairly and justly with those who sin against Him.
If anyone in all of history could try to ask this question and justify their sin before God, it would be Judas. You can probably imagine Judas’ case before God. It would sound something like this, “Lord, I know that I betrayed Jesus, but You used it for good. In fact, if I hadn’t done what I did, Jesus wouldn’t have even gone to the cross at all, and died for our sins. What I did even fulfilled the Scriptures. How can you judge me at all?”
Here is a possible answer to Judas’ false reasoning,“Yes, God used your wickedness but it was still your wickedness. There was no good or pure motive in your heart. It is no credit to you that God brought good out of your evil. You still stand guilty before God.”
How can we even dare to question or object God’s justice, ways, and wisdom? If you have sinned before God, don’t try to justify it or make an excuse. Rather, confess your sin before God, asking for forgiveness, and with a repentant heart, turn back to God. Also, to reinforce what we just heard in Sunday’s sermon from Psalm 51, let’s deal with our guilt and shame before God by pursuing grace, pursuing cleansing, pursuing conviction, pursuing joy, and pursuing ministry. The more excuses we try to make before God or the more times we refuse to accept sin’s consequences, we will just come across as foolish. Instead, let’s be grateful to Jesus and go to God to receive His grace and mercy.