"LET GOD BE TRUE, AND EVERY MAN A LIAR"

ROMANS 3:4

BEING JEWS, THEY BELIEVED THAT THEY COULD NOT BE LOST

     The Jews to whom Paul writes in this section of his letter believed that they would be acceptable in the sight of God forever because were circumcised sons of Abraham. It is true that the people of Israel were the chosen people of God, people of the Covenant, but they were not faithful to the Covenant. They believed that they had special privileges because they had God's law even though they did not keep it. The Jews wrongly believed that being circumcised children of Abraham gave them the full assurance of never being rejected by God. According to this all Jews would be saved and as a result of this belief, they also believed that if some Jews were lost, then God wouldn't be faithful to His promises to Abraham and his descendants. For them being a Jew was actually a sure ticket to heaven. Paul’s arguments destroy this false confidence of Jews.

GOD "WILL RENDER TO EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS WORKS"

     Paul says in Romans 2 (1) that God will judge every man according to his works (v. 6), (2) that "there is no partiality with God" (v. 11) (3) that the mere possession of God's law did not justify the Jew, but he had to be a doer of the law (v.21), (4) and that circumcision would not be to his advantage if he did not keep the law (v. 25).

WHAT ADVANTAGE HAS THE JEW?

     Romans 3:1-4, then the Jewish question would be: "What advantage has the Jew? or what is the advantage of circumcision?" They ask this question because it seems that according to these statements of Paul, the Jews were not God's special people and being the sons of Abraham was worth nothing.

     Paul answered: "very much, in every way. "First, certainly, that the Word of God has been entrusted to the Jews". What a major blessing! To them and only to them the Word of God had been entrusted. Deuteronomy 4:7-8, "what great nation is there that has gods so close to them as Jehovah our God in everything we ask? And what great nation is there that has statutes and righteous judgments as this law that I put before you today?" Psalm 147:19-20; Amos 3:2.

THE INFIDELITY OF THE JEWS DOES NOT NULLIFY THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD

     So what, if some of them did not believe? Their unbelief will have made void the faithfulness of God? Some did not accept Christ as the fulfillment of promises made to Abraham. They were unbelievers. For this reason, was God's word overturned and God didn't keep His promises? Absolutely not! Although some Jews did not take advantage of the salvation which Christ made possible, God definitely fulfilled His promises.

     Compare God's promise to Abraham with respect to the land of Canaan. Genesis 12:7, "To your offspring I will give this land" but as we see in numbers 14:21-24 God says that "everyone who saw my glory and my signs that I've done in Egypt and in the desert, and have tried me ten times, and have not heard my voice, ²³ , they will not see the land which I swore to their fathers; No, none of which have rejected me shall see it... In this desert your bodies will fall,all the number of those who were counted among you, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me. ³⁰ You certainly will not enter the land, which I lifted up my hand and swore to make you dwell therein; except Caleb and Joshua ".

     However, Joshua 23:14 says, "And behold, I am going the way of all the earth; recognize, therefore, with all your heart and with all your soul, that there has not failed one word of all the good words which the Lord your God told you; all have come to pass for you, and not one word of them has failed". Some were unbelievers (Numbers 14:11), but as Joshua explains, their disbelief did not nullify God's promise.

     Likewise some also rejected Christ. Matthew 23:37, "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to you! Many times I would have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and you would not!" Did the infidelity of the Jews cause God to ignore or neglect his promises to Israel? Of course not. The infidelity of the Jews did not set aside the Word of God regarding salvation through the sacrifice of Christ. "It is impossible for God to lie," (Hebrews 6:18).
     God made promises to the Jews, but they were conditional; i.e. the fulfillment of God's promises depended on the faith and obedience of the Jews to the requirements on which the promises were based. It was similar to the case of a conditional promise made by a father to his son and the son thinking that the father had lied when he did not keep his word, even though the son had not complied with the conditions of the promise.

HOW WAS GOD'S PLAN AFFECTED BY THE INFIDELITY OF THE JEWS?

     "So what, if some of them have been incredulous?" Paul does not say "all", but "some". Although they had been God's special people they did not believe the promises of God revealed to Abraham and the prophets of Christ and rejected Him.

     Their unbelief made void the faithfulness of God?  ^“In no way; but let God be true, and every man a liar; as it is written: so that you are justified in your words, and overcome when you are judged". Man's conduct does not change the character of God. Let God be true although every Jew is lying by denying that Jesus Christ is the promised seed of Abraham! (Genesis 12:3; Galatians 3:16).

GOD'S WORD IS TRUTH AND THE MEN ARE LIARS IF THEIR TEACHINGS AND PRACTICES CONTRADICT THE WORD OF GOD.

    The Bible teaches that there is one baptism (Ephesians 4:5), the burial (Romans 6:4) of the penitent believer in water (Acts 8:36; 10:47) in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19) for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). Many religious people believe that the teaching of this truth is extremism. They practice aspersion (or sprinkling) and even claim to “baptize” babies which is a total contradiction of the Word of God. Some practice immersion but say that it is NOT for the forgiveness of sins. So what? Do the teaching and practice of millions of people who profess the religion of Christ change the word of God? "Let God be true and every man a liar." What many practice as "Christianity" is not truth but a mixed variety of lies (doctrines, commandments, traditions of men, Matthew 15:8, 9).

     The Bible teaches that there is only one church (Ephesians 4:4). Christ promised to build it (Matthew 16:18) and He did build it (Acts 2:47; 5:11; 8:1; 11:26; Romans 16:16, etc.), it was bought by the blood of Christ (Acts 20:28). But there are millions who supposedly practice the religion of Christ, but in "churches" never mentioned in the Bible. Will all of these be accepted by Christ? Were all of these churches bought by the blood of Christ? Does God’s Word say that it does not matter which church you belong to? Is one church just as good as another? Can everyone join the church of his choice, the one that that suits him the most? Is just any lie as good as God's truth?

     If an error is practiced by millions, does it become truth and cease to be error? Is the truth determined by popularity? It is true that governments are established and controlled by the opinion of men. What's popular wins. But is this the case with God's truth? Can millions of Catholics be wrong? Can millions of Baptists or Presbyterians be wrong? “Millions” has absolutely nothing to do with whether or not something is truth or error. How many millions think that the Koran is the “Truth”? Or the “Book of Mormon” or the hairbrained writings from the “Watchtower”?

    God had legislated that the Ark of the Covenant was to be carried by the sons of Kohath. David disobeyed this commandment and the result was a tragedy (1 Chronicles 13:7-10). The requirement of God was not changed by the neglect of the famous King David. Everyone's attitude seemed to be "What does it matter who carries the Ark or how it is carried even though the Word of God had given specific instructions?" Their attitude seemed to be, "What do we care what Almighty God says?" In chapter 15 of the same book we see that they transported it according to the Word of God and all went well. No doubt Nadab and Abihu (Leviticus 10) thought that "fire is fire, what does it matter what kind we use?" But it was a matter of life and death. This is extremism or fanaticism? We should be very careful how we talk about the requirements of God! Man's disobedience does not change them. No matter how much some make a mockery of the necessity of baptism for the forgiveness of sins, such foolishness does not affect in the least what God reveals in Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38 and other texts?

     The word of God tells us that in the worship of God the Church should sing hymns, praising God and exhorting each other. Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16. Then Colossians 3: 17 says, "and everything you do, whether in Word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus". But don't you know that the vast majority of churches worship God using musical instruments, have special choirs, soloists, etc. Don’t you understand that this changes the requirements appointed by Paul? By no means, those who think so are entirely wrong. They do not change any biblical teaching, but what they do is break and make of no effect the Word of God with their human practices (Matthew 15:3; Mark 7:13) and of such Jesus says "in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men" (v. 9).

    The list is long. We can add that the word of God does not impose tithing on the church but rather giving each first day of the week according to God has prospered us (1 Corinthians 16:1, 2). The Word of God does not teach “sacraments” and "mass"; rather, with simple and clear words the Word of God teaches us that the church must meet every first day of the week (Acts 20:7) to partake of the Lord's Supper (1 Corinthians 11:23-27). God's Word clearly teaches that each congregation is independent or autonomous (the apostles chose elders in each congregation, Acts 14:23; 20:28). Although millions reject this divine pattern and have all sorts of ecclesiastical organization based on those of the government and other human enterprises,this does not affect, much less change, the word of God.

     I repeat: Although millions break and invalidate the word of God for themselves, in reality they do not change the truth of God at all. We will all definitely be judged in the Final Day by the Word of God (John 12:48; Romans 2:16).

THE CONFIDENCE OF MILLIONS NOW

     We talked about the false confidence of the Jews. Millions commit the same error now, relying on large numbers of members of their church and of the extensive preparation of its leaders, etc. There's no denying that some denominations can boast of many millions of members. They also rely blindly on priests, pastors and other religious leaders who have had many years of training and are highly qualified in terms of academics. The members of these human churches just can't believe that such “highly qualified clergy” could be wrong in what they teach and practice. However, again, Paul says, "Let God be true and every man a liar."

    It’s all important to be well prepared, but prepared in what? In truth but not in doctrinal errors that are the result of perverting Scriptures (2 Peter 3:16).

CONCLUSION.

     Religious leaders and practitioners the world over trample all over God’s Word with regard to the plan of salvation (especially baptism), the one church, the worship God expects from the church and many other teachings and requirements clearly revealed in the New Testament.

     They might as well go all the way (as many do) and deny the Deity of Christ, the Virgin Birth, the resurrection and second coming of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, the final judgment and heaven and hell.

     The Word of God is not like a cafeteria where you can pick and choose what you like and leave the rest.      
    Matthew 7:21-24, "Not everyone who says to me: Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my father who is in heaven. ²² Many will say to me in that day: Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons, and in your name perform many miracles? ²³ And then I will declare unto them: I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness. ²⁴ Any, therefore that it hears these words, and does them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon the rock ''.

     Luke 6:46, "Why do you call me, Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?"

     LET GOD BE TRUE AND EVERY MAN A LIAR!