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Romans Commentary Chapters 9-16  /  Romans 10:1-4 the Folly of Seeking Righteousness in the Law  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 7
Bercot claims, “God…does not expect perfection from us. He only requires the faithfulness and obedience that fallen humans can give”; what does that statement reveal about God’s character and expectations, and how does it confront both perfectionism and the opposite error of lowering obedience to near zero?
Another way to ask: If God doesn’t demand perfection but does require real faithfulness and obedience, what does that say about God? How does it challenge both perfectionism and the idea that obedience barely matters?

Direct Answer The statement presents God as loving-kind and realistic about human weakness, yet still expecting real faithfulness and obedience. It confronts perfectionism by rejecting absolute flawlessness as the standard, and it confronts “near zero” obedience by insisting God truly requires faithful obedience from believers.

Support from Transcript:

  • Bercot: “Of course, no human is righteous in an absolute sense,” directly denying a perfectionist measure.
  • He adds, “Thankfully, God in His loving-kindness does not expect perfection from us,” grounding expectations in God’s character.
  • Yet he immediately balances it: God “only requires the faithfulness and obedience that fallen humans can give,” meaning obedience is still required.
  • This fits his broader theme that Christians must maintain “an obedient love-faith relationship with Christ after…initial justification.”
  • His critique of misused imputed-righteousness teaching implies obedience should not be dismissed as unnecessary or wrong.
Discussion Follow-ups What does “faithfulness…fallen humans can give” look like in daily life? Where are you tempted toward harsh perfectionism—or toward excusing disobedience?

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