"God forbid"; meaning away with such a thought, or dis miss any such idea. In the first place, God cannot lie (Titus 1:2) because it is impossible for Him to lie (Hebrew 6: 18). "If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself" (2 Timothy 2:13). The word faithful is a verbal adjective meaning reliable, dependable, trustworthy. Faith fulness is an essential attribute of deity, without which God would cease to be God. Moses wrote to Israel, "Know there fore that the LORD thy God, He is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant ..." (Deuteronomy 7:9). Jeremiah said to God, "Great is Thy faithfulness" (Lamentations 3:23). There is falsity in every man, but never so with God. Man's failure does not mean that God can fail. At this point in his reply Paul appeals to Scripture, quot ing David's confession in Psalm 51 :4. Vine says, "David's confession there is made, not to establish God's truth, but that God might be seen to be righteous. David's siI\ and confession had the effect of vindicating the unerring charac ter of God's dealings. David was willing to condemn himself to the utmost, that the justice of God's punishment might become evident. The words of the quotation suggest a law court scene, in which the righteousness of the verdict of the Judge compels an acknowledgment on the part of the ac cused. This must inevitably be the case where God is Judge. The effect of the quotation is to show that the Apostle's argument is consistent with the teaching of the Old Testa ment. That God had given His promises to Israel did not provide a guarantee that any unrepentant Jew would escape doom." God did not fail to send the promised Redeemer because Israel was unfaithful, nor will He fail to bring the nation into possession of the Promised Land. The failure and unbelief of men cannot change God. The third question: "But if our unrighteousness com mend the righteousness of God, what shall we say! Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance! (I speak as a man)" (3:5). Set in contrast here are two opposites; the unright eousness of man and the righteousness of God. The question simply stated is this; If our sins cause God's righteousness to appear in a clearer light, how then can God punish men for that which exalts His glory? This kind of perverted reasoning only shows the amazing cleverness of the human
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