³What if some Jews were not faithful? Will the fact that they weren’t faithful keep God from being faithful? ⁴Not at all! God is true, even if every human being is a liar. It is written,

          “You are right when you sentence me.
            You are fair when you judge me.” (NIRV)

I enjoy most action movies and dramas, so when I read our passage today, it reminded me of a script from an opening or closing statement in a challenging court scene. I was confused – Who or what is this drama all about? These are rhetorical, sarcastic questions from the viewpoint of my American-Christian-in-2025-life, but this dramatic scene was written by Paul around 57AD.

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The atmosphere in Rome was tense because Paul was being criticized and slandered for his teachings on grace. The truth of who Jesus was and what he did for us on the cross was a new concept! Salvation by grace through faith was now available through Jesus. Paul is writing to believers with Jewish and Gentile heritage in Rome to relieve the tension created by this new concept and to present evidence to weaken the opposing claims of salvation including adherence to Mosaic Law.  

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What is the main conflict we are seeing in this scene? It is between the world before Jesus and world after Jesus! Before Jesus, people earned God’s favor through obedience to the Mosaic Law, but no one could be perfectly obedient. The Old Testament is one long historical account of the Jews turning from and returning to sinful ways. The law proved that we are all guilty of sin. Jesus came not to abolish the law, but to fulfill the law by being the perfect completion of it (Matt. 5:17). Jesus then became the perfect sacrifice to pay the debt for our sins; however, many Jews in Rome believed that both grace and adherence to the law was needed.

How does Paul support his teachings on grace in this court scene? First, he writes about the faithfulness of God. If we are faithless, God remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself (2 Tim. 2:13). God’s faithfulness is NOT based on our faithfulness! He is unwavering! Next Paul addresses the truth of God. Do you know any person who always tells the truth? No! Every human being lies; however, the Bible clearly states that God cannot lie (Titus 1:2). Finally, Paul describes God’s fairness in extending justice. The quote in verse 4 is directly from Ps 51:4. In Psalm 51 David is confessing his lies to Uriah, his killing of Uriah, and his adultery with Bathsheba. Under the law, David deserved death, but he sincerely repents, and God forgives him (knowing that David’s sins would be redeemed by Jesus on the cross). David acknowledges God’s right to judge him, but God demonstrates that His justice is not based on our actions! God is fair and just without input from us.

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So, how did Paul support his teachings on grace? He presented evidence of a perfect God! God’s faithfulness, truth, and fairness are not based on people; He needs nothing from us! At the beginning of our passage today, we can find the final, closing statement on which to stand firmly. Does human faithlessness or failure impact God’s faithfulness? No, it does not! Nothing keeps God from being faithful – God has been faithful to us, God is faithful to us, and He always will be.  

Please use these questions to guide your prayer time or to share with a trusted friend.

• Do you think your faithlessness cancels out God’s faithfulness?  

• Where is action and drama in your life causing you to struggle to trust God’s faithfulness?  

• How does this promise of faithfulness encourage you as you face uncertainty or failure?

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Abba, Great is Your faithfulness (Lam. 3:23)! Nothing can nullify Your faithfulness! In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.