In his letter to the church in Rome, Paul challenges the Jewish claim to distinctness. Paul’s fellow Jews were certainly distinct, but they misunderstood what it was that made them different. They thought, according to Paul, that they were different because they kept the law. However, Paul says in Romans 2:25 that, unless we keep the law perfectly, we can’t claim any special spiritual status. If you sin, even at one small point, you are guilty like everyone else. Paul anticipates how his Jewish brothers will struggle with this. What is the point then of calling yourself a Jew, or a Christian for that matter, and being circumcised (or, in our case, baptised)? Let’s think about that. That we are different is certain because God talks a lot about his people being “set apart”. In what sense are we set apart? We are not set apart from others because we are morally superior. We should indeed live moral lives but, given that our efforts will be inevitably faltering, we are really in the same boat as everyone else. What makes us different is not what we do, but what we have been given. This is the point that Paul makes in Romans 3:1-8. It is not our righteousness and faith that sets us apart but God’s righteousness and faithfulness to us. And what God gives to us is not given so that we can stand aloof from others. Rather it is given to us to be passed on to others. God has given you something to pass on. How are you sharing what he has given you?
Think about who God is calling you to share your faith with.
Read Romans 3:1-8
