What if some were unfaithful?

Romans 3:3-8 (TNIV) -

3 What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness?

4 Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written:
“So that you may be proved right when you speak
and prevail when you judge.”
5 But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.)6 Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world?7 Someone might argue, “If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?”

8 Why not say—as we are being slanderously reported as saying and as some claim that we say—“Let us do evil that good may result”? Their condemnation is just!

My thoughts -

If I sin and give God the opportunity to redeem it and in so doing to show Divine love and redemption that can be a compelling narrative that may bring God glory and cause others to want to believe and participate in that. Who doesn't like a good comeback story? But what just happened there? Does that get me off the hook for not living what I believe? Not according to Paul here. Or at least, if it does, that does not count to my credit, only God's.

I am afraid, more likely, that in our cynicism my failings, rather than providing a round about opportunity to give God glory as Paul describes here, would be cause for people to disbelieve. After all, if what I claim to believe in is true then surely I wouldn't act like that, right? Surely I'd be better. And if I claim to follow God and fail how powerful could that God be, any way? Could God be real and have followers who are as messed up as everyone else, if not more so?

But what I say about God does not have any influence on what God is. What I do in God's name doesn't have anything to do with what God is. However I falter, however I fail, that is no indication of a lack of strength on God's part, only my own. We do not influence our Creator. We do not dictate the terms of existence to Existence itself. I have no power over God. I may claim to speak for God, I may even believe that I do, but my failures are not God's; my weakness is not God's; my dishonesty is not God's; my pride is not God's; my sin is not God's.

I try to follow as best I can. I try not to be an obstacle for anyone's faith. But if I, in something I have said or done, have caused anyone to question whether there can be the loving Creator/Sustainer that I claim to believe in, know that God is not responsible for my failings. Whatever I say about God, God is what God is. Whatever I believe about God, God is what God is. What I say and do in the name of God reflects my understanding, limited as it is, of God and what I believe God wants from me. It does not, however, have any impact on what God actually is, or whether God actually is.