Romans - Intro

God has called all of His people to be communicators. All who are in Christ are called into some form of ministry. As ministers of the grace of God, all of us, pastors, deacons, and lay people are commissioned with the challenge to communicate our faith to individuals, to groups, to classes, and to congregations.

While Paul is known to be the author of at least 13 New Testament epistles, Romans is considered his master work. While this book is displayed first among the NT epistles, it was his sixth work. It was during his second visit to Corinth that he wrote the letter to the church in Rome, and sent it by a woman of Corinth who was to journey there. It is thought the book was penned by Paul in 58 AD.

Four years later Paul himself went to Rome as a prisoner. Paul was not the founder of this church and it had existed for some time before his letter arrived. We know from Acts 2:10 which lists by name many who were in Jerusalem when the gift of the Holy Spirit was given, that in that group (but not named) were “strangers from Rome”. The letter was quoted in the writings of Polycarp, the disciple of John, in the second century. The letter is the most systematic of all the epistles, and it expresses the great doctrine that was the basis of the Reformation 1400 years later. That doctrine was the justification of the sinner by faith. 

The book falls into two sections:

• The world is under sin and condemnation.

• The world is to be changed and will come under grace.

Paul exposes the depraved nature of mankind which has ruled from the fall of Adam onward. He teaches us the nature of salvation from that original sin nature which is the gift of God of His only begotten son, Jesus Christ. In chapters 1-7 he builds upward his teaching to a conclusion in chapter eight, where the Apostle focuses on our life in the Holy Spirit, a main benefit of the gospel. In Christ, we are no longer under any condemnation when we receive the Spirit, who lives and works in us for the Lord's glory.

Paul wrote to the Roman church to announce he would soon visit and also to announce his hope to journey to Spain. But the letter was far more than just a travel agenda. Paul was intent on showing the church members how their understanding of the gospel needed to be enlarged to incorporate God's great plan of redemption, set up to include the Gentile world as well as the world of the chosen people, the Jews.

No other letter goes so deep into the mind of God as to His plan from the foundation of the world as Romans. 

THE GOSPEL OF GRACE FOR THE GENTILES

Application: The student will compare the consequences to those who reject the gospel of God.

THE VIRGIN BIRTH, THE SINLESS LIFE, THE CRUCIFIXION,

THE THREE DAYS IN THE TOMB WHILE HIS WORK CONTINUED IN LEADING CAPTIVITY CAPTIVE, THE RETURN TO HEAVEN, THE LEAVING A NEW COMFORTER FOR BELIEVERS, ALL ARE THE GOSPEL JESUS COMMISSIONED FOR THE CHURCH.

THESE THINGS ARE OUR TESTIMONY TO THE LOST WORLD

WHICH BEGAN WITH THE GIFTING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN TONGUES OF FIRE IN JERUSALEM.

IT BROUGHT THE FIRST SERMON OF THE NEW CHURCH PREACHED BY PETER IN ACTS 2 WHERE ALL WHO WERE THERE HEARD THE GOSPEL IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGE.

AN EXAMPLE WAS PROVIDED THAT DAY OF THE POWER OF THIS GOSPEL AS 3,000 SOULS WERE SAVED.

ACTS 2:10 REVEALS TO US THAT “STRANGERS OF ROME” WERE THERE TO HEAR THIS NEW GOSPEL.

THERE WERE ALREADY CHRISTIANS WITHIN ROME SUCH AS PRISCILLA & AQUILLA WHO LED A HOME CHURCH.

PAUL WROTE HIS MAGNIFICENT LETTER TO THE EARLY ROMAN CHURCH FROM CORINTH AND GAVE IT TO PHOEBE TO DELIVER AS SHE LEFT FOR ROME ON BUSINESS.

THIS LETTER IS ONE TO DESCRIBE THE RESCUE OF LOST SOULS FROM THE DEPRAVITY OF SIN TO THE CONDITION OF SALVATION WHERE HEARTS BROKEN IN SLAVERY TO THAT SIN ARE HEALED ETERNALLY BY THE CALLING OF GOD.

THIS RESCUE OPERATION IS KNOWN AS GRACE, AND ONLY BY GRACE ARE WE SAVED THROUGH FAITH AND NOTHING ELSE.

IN THIS LETTER PAUL WRITES OF HOW MAN IS RECONCILED TO GOD, HOW JEWS ARE AS MUCH AS GENTILES IN NEED OF GOD’S SAVING, AND HOW JEWS AND GENTILES ARE CONSIDERED EQUALLY BEFORE GOD IN THE GOSPEL.

THE TEACHING HERE IS AMONG THE DEEPEST IN THE ENTIRE NEW TESTAMENT.

IN THESE CHAPTERS WE WILL CONSIDER THE MESSAGE GOD GAVE PAUL FOR US.

Romans Road

WALKING THE ROMAN ROAD WITH PAUL

THEMES WE MUST UNDERSTAND AS WE JOURNEY ON THIS ROAD:

The righteousness of God is a continual attribute and is expressed within creation.

Sin and death are independent demonic powers who have seized the Law to use as a weapon against human beings who are captive to iniquity.

Christ is the new Adam who, by taking on human nature, has summarized all of human history since the fall, and has reversed that history which was toward destruction.

The Cross & Resurrection are are the first events of the age to come and they fulfill the promises made to Abraham.

Faith is the human response lit by the fire of of the Word by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus is the maker and ruler of all things and is therefore Lord.

God, through Christ, not only declares those He called righteous, but has made them so.

Imputation of this righteousness is a physical reality.

Baptism into Christ is the summary of each human life of the victory of the new Adam over the old Adam, and delivers those He has called from the powers of Sin & Death.

Christ died for the ungodly, not for the godly. Salvation, therefore, is now and always shall be far greater than we can imagine.

Being conformed into Christ is the reconciling work of God and is the sign of the new forever community awaiting the return of the Lord. Paul calls this process the “obedience of faith”.

Sin is not a collection of mistakes or missteps along the journey of life. Since Adam, Sin is what we are. It is the nature of mankind and is only resolved when each one He calls to himself becomes a new creature with a new and holy second nature.

CLEAR AND SPECIFIC STEPS WE MUST UNDERSTAND FOR SALVATION:

3:10 “As it is written, There is none righteous, no not one.”

3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

5:12 “Wherefore, by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for all that have sinned.”

6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

5:8-9 “But God commended his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”

10:9-10 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God has raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

10:13 “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Paul taught us in Ephesians that we are saved by grace through faith. He also teaches us clearly in Romans 1:17 that once saved by faith, we are then to live by faith. To send  that message he quotes Habbakuk 2:4 so as to connect the Old Testament writings to his new teaching and was calling out strongly to the Jews he tried so hard to convert. This faith was and still is in the one crucified, Jesus Christ.

Here is the new and different message Paul seeks to convey in Romans on the description of a Christian who lives by faith:

A real Christian is an oddity. He feels supreme love for one whom he has never seen and talks in a familiar way to someone he cannot see,  expects to go to heaven on the virtue of another, empties himself in order to become full, admits he is wrong so he can be declared right, humbles himself downward in order to rise up, is strongest when he is weakest, richest when he is poor, and happiest in joy when he finds himself in the worst situation. He dies so he can live, forsakes in order to have, gives away so he can keep, sees the invisible, hears the inaudible, and knows where true knowledge can be found. To live by faith means embracing a lifestyle that contradicts most of life.

Romans - Chapter 1

1:1-6 Paul's appraisal of himself.

Paul introduces himself as a servant, an Apostle, called to be separated.

From one end of the Roman empire to the other, Paul traveled, preached, taught, found churches, instructed leaders, nurtured those who were faltering, rebuked those who were not in order, sustained, challenged, and comforted. Wherever he went, dedicated groups of disciples of the gospel were formed. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, wherever Paul went, hearts were changed. Perhaps second only to Jesus himself, our own lives are still being changed by Paul and his vision of the gospel.

What were the motivations that drove him to do what he did?

• He had a humble attitude and never wavered in devotion to the Lord.

• He had a sharp sense of destiny and where he fit within it.

• He allowed no bad circumstances to deter his God given message.

• He was unshakably loyal to the gospel he had been given by Jesus himself.

He formed his message to conform to the Lord's own message given on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:27), which was that all the OT scriptures pointed to the Messiah. He taught that the Son of God was established with power and according to the Spirit of holiness and most importantly by the resurrection from the dead. That Christ was alive was never in doubt to Paul. How could it be? He had seen him with his own eyes on the road to Damascus.

1:7-12 Paul had a warmhearted interest in people.

Paul displayed a great love for people, without which a pastor will surely fail. He recognized that not only had he been called, but that sinners had been called also, called to be saints. While God loved all His creation, which spoke of Him in it's beauty, He was especially loving and giving to those who accepted His Son. Paul was sure that the church at Rome was filled with such believers as he wrote that “... your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.” The fact that Paul had not founded this church in no way diminished his love for it and its members. In verse 9 he notes his constant prayers for them. He is seeking a way to come to them and seems determined when he uses the words “now at last”. Verse 12 shares the faith hopes that exist between himself and them.

1:13-17 Paul was enthusiastic about his work.

At the time of this writing Paul had been working in his ministry for many years and had endured many hardships to continue to take the gospel onward. He was likely about 60 years old at this writing but remained dedicated and strong in his devotion.

He placed no limits on his ministry. He felt obliged to minister to Greeks, barbarians, wise and unwise. He was prepared to find ways to bridge any gap between himself and those who needed the Word and he was very anxious to minister in Rome. He proclaimed the gospel as a powerful life changing agent for all who will believe, for the Jew first and then for the Greek (the Gentile world). 

His message was that men and women who are “in the wrong” can come to be “in the right” by the Lord's Word and that in making that change, God's own righteousness was never jeopardized. How does this happen? By faith, and here Paul reverts back to the OT, quoting Habakkuk 2:4, “... the just shall live by faith.”. Paul went one step further and showing that men are to share faith, expresses lives are to be lived “... from faith to faith....”

1:18-32 Paul first brings the bad news.

The righteousness of God is the theme of both the gospel Paul preached and the epistle he wrote to the Romans.

God is always in the right and this fact is both a challenge and a comfort. The challenge is that righteousness cannot come to man from his own society but only in the never changing revelation of an eternal God. The comfort is knowing that truth can be found in the Lord and that it never wavers no matter what man may do. Paul also taught that the closer a man comes to the Lord, the more uncomfortable he becomes with his own unrighteousness, and the gospel is designed to overcome this fact because the Holy Spirit guides us once we are saved. Before we can understand the good news, we must hear the bad news, the charges God places against us when we try to stand ourselves without the justification of the saving blood of Jesus Christ. 

The wrath of God is revealed by Paul, and explained as a part of His righteousness. It is a just response to the unjust and unholy, and a pure rejection of the impure. Paul says that man is not ignorant of this truth because it is hard to know but because man suppresses the truth. Man has done so by insisting that MAN is the center of all things and thereby makes GOD secondary in his life. Paul teaches here that man can know this truth simply by looking at God's creation. So man is without excuse. God's righteous anger is revealed because of man's behavior.

Paul not only insisted that God has revealed himself to mankind but man rejected this revealing and did not glorify God , nor were thankful to God for His blessings. Man's refusal to glorify God is as unacceptable as his suppression of God's truth. There is a spiritual disease within man, a great void, and nothing man can do himself can fill it. In verse 22 Paul clarifies this teaching in that man professed to be wise but became fools.

In verses 23-28 Paul shows man's depraved action by substituting idols to worship rather than God and have thereby become unclean and have dishonored their own bodies which were created by God. This section is severe and ugly as man's behaviors are listed. The root of this problem is that man has an arrogant focus on himself and his own desires, not focusing his life on God and his commands for life.

God's wrath was to give them over to themselves and allow them their own choices that will lead them to destruction rather than to salvation. Freedom and pleasure became the desires of these days in Rome and the people became slaves to pleasure, placing themselves in bondage, exchanging the truth of the Lord for the lie of idols and dark living. Nature itself is violated in this teaching by Paul with such phrases as “vile passions”, “burned in lust”, and “shameful”.

The shame of the situation should be overwhelming. A sense of repentance and grief should be evident. A reaching out to God should be clear and present. But the truth is that the opposite happens as Paul states in verse 32. Here Paul leads us to consider the more negative attitude of man.

Man seems to celebrate evil and seems to rejoice in sin rather than to disapprove it. All this perversion Paul notes as evidence that the wrath of God is among them. The righteousness of God is also evident in the gospel and to those who will hear and believe in faith, Paul will have much to say in the coming chapters.

Romans - Chapter 2

2:1 Inconsistent human judgment.

We begin to see the pouring out of the thoughts of Paul and the contrasts he will show us through this letter. We know from Romans 16:22 that his assistant Tertius was writing these thoughts as he dictated them. He starts what we call chapter two by a harsh statement concerning the fact that man is not excused because he practices the same things he accuses others of doing.

Human judgment, while at times helpful, is generally inconsistent while human criticism is strongly consistent as it seems never to end. Paul is beginning with a rough statement that what certain people judge as condemned behavior among Gentiles is seen among those doing the condemning. Here is a fine introduction by way of contrast to our next subject.

2:2-10 Integrity of divine judgment.

If people want to lead a more realistic life they must reckon with the judgment of God upon those lives they are living. Contrary to man's judgment, the judgment of the Lord is consistent for it is “... according to truth.” Furthermore God's judgment is inescapable. In Paul's day the Jew thought that there was one rule for Jews and another rule for Gentiles. But Paul now states there is only one rule for all and none escape it. Paul also says the judgment of God is cumulative and in the final display of wrath to come, the entire weight of human sin will be reconciled by God. That day, however, is still in the future. Why?

Because of God's goodness, forbearance, and long suffering. These beautiful attributes of the Lord are supposed to lead each sinner to repentance. Paul is convinced that it is shameful to use the patience of God to continue sinning.

Paul presents us with only two alternatives. We all adopt one of two lifestyles, in one we will reap wrath, in the other we will reap reward. There are no exceptions.

2:11-15 The judgment of the Lord is impartial.

If there is no partiality toward the Jew because of his privileged position (being a part of the chosen people) then there cannot be any partiality for the Gentile for his lack of privilege. The Jew has the law and still sins. Gentiles have no law and also sin.

2:16 Divine judgment is inevitable.

The judgment will be against the “... secrets of men.” Also, the judgment will be by Jesus Christ. The Father appointed Him as judge (John 2:25) as He lived in the flesh and gained insight into man's struggles, testing, and trials.

2:17-24 Profession without performance.

As a result of the tragedies that had come upon the nation, Jews had been dispersed into many lands so that therefore wherever Rome and Greece ruled, Jews were there as well. They preserved their unique differences while in these other lands in dress, diet, and style of life, none of which Rome nor Greece could ever erase. The Jews had a much deeper knowledge of God available to them, in which they took considerable pride. But they had failed miserably to apply this knowledge to their lives, and in that failure rested their sin.

Originally even their name (Jew) came from God's guidance as they were descended from the tribe of Judah, in His land of Judea. They took pride in the fact the law had been given only to them. The law revealed some of the nature of God's will for how He expected His people to live. Unfortunately the only thing that seemed to have resulted was a sense of false superiority. 

Paul pinpoints four areas that were important to God. They should honor the Lord, not steal, not be in adultery, and to reject idolatry. The teaching of these important factors was never in question, but the obedience to them by the chosen people was not observant. They had disregarded God's commands. They knew the truth and did not live it. They were responsible for unbelievers being misled as their Jewish lives were not in accord with their profession of faith in the law and this failure allowed God's name to be despised.

2:25-29 Ritual without reality.

Paul now expresses these failures in a new direction, which is the long held rite of circumcision. Paul was convinced this sign of the covenant in their flesh had lost its significance and was not not valid to the reality of their lives. This was not a new idea. Jeremiah had said the identical thing in Jeremiah 4:4 when he told the chosen people to “...take away the foreskins of your hearts.” But now it is likely that Paul's teaching on this matter was a thunderbolt of heresy as this one area was sacred in the teaching of the Rabbis. 

Paul was now emphasizing the difference between ritual and reality. The mark in the flesh was supposed to carry spiritual meaning but the spiritual reality it was supposed to represent was no longer evident.   

Romans - Chapter 3

3:1-2 Privilege without understanding.

Here Paul makes a very penetrating statement. He says that from almost every viewpoint the Jews had advantages but these were mainly because “... to them were committed the oracles of God.” Whatever their failings, the Jews were God's special people, the law he gave to them was His unique Word, the covenants he gave to them were His chosen signs, and these all had deep significance. These were in place regardless of the fact that the Jews had misread them and disobeyed them.

3:3-8 Objections without clarity.

In his long ministry, Paul made repeated outreach efforts to his own people, with mixed results. Sometimes some had come to faith in the Lord's Messiah but more often they reacted unfavorably toward Paul and his message, even at times to the point of violence. When deeply held views are challenged, reactions are generally strong.

The question was clear. How could it be that this people, chosen of God, could be so disobedient and still remain His chosen people? If they are as bad as Paul states, they should not possibly remain as a part of God's covenant, and if they have been removed, is it possible that God has broken His promise and become unfaithful?

Paul said that yes, the Jews had indeed become far removed from a clear understanding of the law given to them. They had perverted the law. Peter had said in Acts 15:10 that the law had become a yoke around the neck of the Jews. The answer was that both Jews and pagan Gentiles needed to come to Christ in repentance seeking His redemption.

3:9-18 All under sin.

Having shown clearly that there were differences between the Jews and the Gentiles in previous verses, Paul now asks a much deeper question. Is there truly any material difference between the two? His answer to himself and to all those in the Roman church was NO. Overriding all differences in class, creed, and culture is the harsh fact that all are under sin. He presents this statement as a charge against them, a charge from God against His created beings.

Paul calls now on several OT passages to denounce both groups in verses 10-18. Here he brings the strongest possible charge that none are righteous, not even one. The result of this status is that “... they have all gone out of the way.” He is proclaiming the human race as bent toward evil and surely leaning toward disobedience.

He says basically that human beings who do not respect God as their creator can never truly understand the mystery of their own existence. Here is a direct challenge. Those who do not know the Lord as Savior can never be motivated to love as those whose hearts have been overwhelmed by the love of God, shown in His Christ.

3:19 All are under law.

Jews and Gentiles are all under sin, but the Jews are also under the law. While the law was generated to show the sin of man, and was given only to the Jews, all mankind is guilty of violating the law, whether they had received it or not.

3:20 All are under pressure.

Because of verse 19, Paul now makes the strongest point so far, which is that all have failed to obey the law, and therefore they should now know that through that law, none may be justified. Efforts to please God through works of self are bound to fail and therefore put mankind under intense pressure to discover the means by which man may be reconciled to God.

3:21-26 A divine dilemma.

Having shown clearly the bad news for many verses, Paul now begins his explanation as to the good news he has been appointed to bring.

There is no question about human sin and guilt and no doubt concerning divine judgment and condemnation of it but there is also amazing evidence of the Father's love for sinners and His clear resolve to redeem them. God has arranged a way that while sin is to be overcome He will also arrange the way for sinful man to be able to stand before him cleansed and made just. This amazing method is the truest basis of His gospel, and it is revealed in the gift of Jesus Christ.

The solution is universal to all who will accept and in faith be granted grace.

We should remember that before Christ, the Jews were taught that obedience to the law, and constant sacrifice of animals atoned for sin. Paul himself was among the most educated Pharisees to preach and teach this fact before his own conversion. But now as it has been made clear that none are righteous and none (save Jesus) were able to fully obey the law, how will God accept those who can never earn justification? David taught this lesson in Psalm 51 concerning God being unwilling to accept further sacrifice but only willing to receive the sinful David if he came with a broken spirit and a broken and contrite heart.

Until now, Paul has presented God as the God of wrath and judgment. Now he begins to introduce God as the God of grace. God has “elected” to grant a pardon and He does it freely in a gift of His grace. God is tempering justice with mercy, mixing holy wrath with restraint, and blending condemnation with forgiveness. The price of this human redemption is nothing less that the voluntary surrender of Jesus of His own life on the cross. His death met the demands of God as he was sinless and had fulfilled the law by his perfect life so that mercy can flood over sinners.

This acceptance of the once and forever sacrifice of the only begotten Son of God  was sufficient for all, but effective only for some, the “whosoevers” that believe and come to faith. Because there is no “time” as we know it in heaven, this act allowed the full redemption for sinners then, sinners since, and sinners before Jesus came, believers who were saved “on credit” awaiting Jesus to arrive.

The cross of Christ is an eternal reality, not bound by time.

Only those who will, by faith, accept justification from the hand of a just God who made it all possible will enjoy its eternal benefits. Receiving something you could never earn and do not deserve is grounds for humility, not arrogance. It should be always bringing gratitude to our hearts, never boasting, for there is no work of man that can bring it.

Romans - Chapter 4

4:1-4 The father of faith.

There was strong opposition to the new message Paul was teaching of justification by faith given by God as a gift to man. This teaching was considered heresy by many Jews, who believed that their salvation had already been secured simply by being descendants of Abraham. Those who opposed Paul simply asked how it was that Paul said faith in Jesus was necessary for redemption but the story of Father Abraham in the OT makes no mention of this factor being a requirement

In these first verses Paul quotes Genesis 15 which records the conversation between God and Abraham which Paul points out showed clearly that Abraham believed God when God promised him a son (not a son of flesh like Ishmael but a son of promise who would be Isaac). He trusted God through his faith, not through any works he did and that trusting faith gave us the fact that God “... counted to him for righteousness.” God did not count Abraham righteous because he was good, although he was. Abraham was not shown to be righteous through anything he did other than believe. Abraham was not chosen originally because he believed; he believed because he had been chosen.

4:5-8  The forgiveness of faith.

Paul was not satisfied to make his point using Father Abraham alone but made his point stronger using another OT hero, King David. He quoted from psalm 32 to show that God imputes (same root word as “counted” for Abraham) righteousness apart from the law. To those who were so blessed, sins are “covered” and forgiven.

4:9-16 The family of faith.

When God called Abraham from the family home in Ur, and told him of the promised land, and outlined His covenant, He showed that He was moving graciously (displaying His grace) in the affairs of man. Jews traced their heritage to Abraham, as did the Arabs through his son with Hagar. This fact allows Paul to call Abraham the “father of us all.” So the family of God's people transcends history of flesh and has become to all who believe a family of faith.

To prove this point, Paul points out the chronology of events in the life of Abraham to show that he was found righteous by God fourteen years before he was circumcised. Therefore God is not interested that factor alone to justify a man, but rather is interested only that he is a man of faith.

In Galatians, Paul writes that the law was given to Moses 430 years after Abraham had been justified by faith, thereby showing that neither Abraham nor anyone else would ever be justified by keeping the law, but only by believing unto righteousness.

4:17-25  The factors of faith.

By placing all his teaching on faith, Paul needed to be sure that his audience understood what faith actually is. So he decided to express to the Roman church the factors that make up this important issue.

He taught that faith was confidence in a person who was himself God. The object of faith is that which matters more than anything else. Abraham knew two things about God, that He gives life to the dead and calls those things that do not exist into existence. We should recall that Sarah was barren, having a dead womb, and was far beyond child bearing age. Abraham himself was 100 when Isaac came so both saw the miracle that God made from bodies that could easily be considered dead to intimacy or fertility.

While waiting years for God to deliver on His promise, Abraham did indeed continue in faith. He did try to hurry the promise along when he made Hagar pregnant, but he learned through that mistake that faith must show patience. Isaac did arrive. Abraham was convinced that God could do what He had promised and He did.

We also know that Abraham continued to believe that God could create from the dead as God had promised to make many nations from Abraham but then tested Abraham when He commanded him to offer up Isaac as a sacrifice. Abraham knew that God would keep His promise, even if it meant raising Isaac from death so he proceeded in faith to obey God's command.

Romans - Chapter 5

5:1-11 Rejoice in the Lord.

The early chapters of Romans expose the awful state of the human condition. Paul begins the written journey now to show the divine plan in Christ which has brought justification and reconciliation through faith. He says it is right and proper that Christians should rejoice in that relationship. The relationship between mind and emotion  (between heart and head) is important. Christians have a better chance of full understanding of the gospel if they are both emotionally and spiritually stable. This joyful balance should be seen in the private life of a believer as well as in the corporate life of the church. Paul reveals that to seek and find that balance brings peace through the Lord Jesus Christ. This peace is peace in the bitter long war between God and man who has been in rebellion since Eden. Paul also teaches that those who have fallen short of righteous life can now look forward to sharing not their own goodness, but sharing the glorious experience of all that God is through faith.

Paul says we can rejoice in problems, and tribulation when we have Christ in our lives. That tribulation produces perseverance which produces character which produces hope. It is the knowledge of the divine process that allows the believer to find joy in all situations life may bring. We are also to rejoice in spiritual possessions and verses 6-8 allow us a lesson that Jesus died not for just law abiding people but also for all who are sinners still.

There is a link here between what mankind is and what mankind does. People lacking strength have lived a life of terrible spiritual failure for which they are responsible. God's loving provision deals not only with what mankind is but also with what he has done. Verses 9-10 teach us that our possibility for salvation resides in the fact that we are not able to be justified before God on our own. The blood of the sacrifice of Jesus accomplished that fact for us. We must remember that not only did Jesus die for us, but He lived for us as well. Had He not lived a sinless life He would not have qualified to bring atonement for us all who are His. So we rejoice in the greatness of the things we possess because He loved us. The best rejoicing is left for last here in these verses, we rejoice “in God”. The more we come to appreciate what God has revealed of His plan to allow us His salvation, the more we can show our joy to be included in His divine plan.

5:12-21 The four things that reign over us.

Now Paul aims his spiritual arrows at the four things that reign over us in the constant struggle we endure, sin, death, grace, and life eternal.

Adam's sin in garden was a calculated and free choice to disobey God and he suffered the consequences, as have we all since his sin nature descended to all who came after (except Jesus). Adam walked clearly into rebellion. God had warned Adam that in sin came death. Paul says it directly in 1st Cor 15:22, “... in Adam all die.” Sin entered the human race through Adam and since that moment has “abounded” among us all. Once it entered and abounded, it has come to reign over mankind strongly.

In sin came the horror of death. In Adam's case, his death was about 900 years later physically, but on the day he sinned, spiritual death came upon him. Since then, death has reigned over mankind with only two exceptions, Enoch and Elijah.

Paul calls Adam a type of Him who was to come and shows us the idea that through one man sin and death arrived and abounded, and through one man, Jesus, grace arrived to reign over those who became His through faith. Adam brought “offense”, Jesus brought the “free gift”; the offense meant death but the free gift brought justification and life eternal. Disobedience made sinners while obedience makes many righteous through Christ, not of ourselves.

For every sin that robs and destroys there is more grace to rebuild and restore. Through physical birth, all are related to Adam. Through new spiritual rebirth, many are reborn through grace. Grace not only reigns here, but throughout eternity because the result of grace is eternal life.

Life eternal means that the new life (as new creatures in Christ) has been granted to each believer at the moment of salvation. So the reign of life eternal through grace gifted by the Lord reaches over this life into the next and eternal life.

Romans - Chapter 6

6:1-7 The saints' relationship to sin.

For many years, earlier in the 20th century, some theologians taught a strange new idea that many called “cheap grace”. Its meaning seemed to be that because one is saved, and has been forgiven of sin, and has been redeemed by the sacrifice of the Lord on His cross, we can do whatever we wish, sin as much as we wish, because all sins are covered. Paul attacks such an absurd idea in chapter six.

Without introduction or warning he tells his readers (including us) that once saved, sinners who are then saints have “died to sin”. Paul now begins a teaching that sin is to be handled through a relationship with Christ.

6:8-10 The saints' relationship to Christ.

Paul shows that through the obedient sacrament of baptism the believer (now a saint) is united to Christ, and therefore is a participant in the experience of Christ. So through baptism a believer has died, been buried, and had been raised again into new life

“with Him”. In the time of the Apostles, baptism was accomplished immediately on confession of faith in Christ (remember the eunuch ministered to by Phillip). 

As they stepped into the water, they demonstrated that they were “in Christ” and as they were immersed, they showed that they were “buried with him” and as the emerged up out of the water they showed their belief that they were “raised with him”. Now Paul shows the significance of our relationship to the Lord. The key passage is “He died to sin once for all” and Paul is saying that since we have come to be in Christ through our own baptism, and since He died to sin, then we also have died to sin as well.

Jesus lived over thirty three years surrounded by the wreckage of sin among the people in the promised land. But He himself knew no sin (2 Cor 5:20) and God made Him to be sin so that His sacrifice was acceptable payment for our sins. So Paul is teaching us that we also must be done with sin as we seek to live in Christ. He allows us three reasons why this must be so.

The person we were before Christ has been judged, condemned, sentenced, executed, and buried. We are finished with him forever. A new man now lives.

The body, which is so quick to yield to sin's temptation has now been placed in a position where this domination of sin is no longer the normal daily life.

The justified believer has now the freedom to walk away from the dominating power of sin in his life.

6:11-14  The saints' relationship to temptation.

First the believer must do some reckoning. Paul starts with two stipulations. First, we are dead to sin. Second we are alive to God, but only in Christ Jesus.

Because of these factors, the believer must make some decisions which are of the highest type in serving the Lord. The believer must not let sin reign in his mortal body. There is nothing mysterious in this teaching. It is simple and direct. We, as believers, must simply say NO in no uncertain terms. In Christ we have been given the “off switch”, the ability to say no to temptation, and the ability to use it through His strength, not ours.

6:15-23  The saints' relationship to righteousness.

Galatians was the first epistle Paul wrote. He placed within it (Gal 2:16) a sentence that rocked the Jewish world off of its foundations. He wrote that “... by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified”. Paul taught that there is no level of obedience that will bring salvation. No man (except Jesus) ever fully obeyed the law for the nature of man (infested by sin) made it impossible. Therefore justified believers were before their salvation “servants of sin”. But now, through the once and effective sacrifice of the Lord on the cross, believers become “servants of righteousness”. Those, who through the grace of God, had become united with Christ  have been made freed from sin and had traded their slavery to sin for a slavery to righteousness for which Christ stood and which He allowed each believer to experience through the gift of the Holy Spirit.

What is the result? Verse 22 is very clear. This new lifestyle in Christ leads us to a life of “... fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life...”.

Romans - Chapter 7

7:1-6 The believer's release from the law.

Paul begins by a word picture example of a woman married to a man who dies. In chapter six we were introduced to the phrase “we died in sin” and now in this chapter we are given the phrase “have become dead to the law”.

In Paul's teaching there is always a direct connection between the law and sin. He told the Roman believers that “Sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under the law but under grace” (6:14). The person living “under the law” is dominated by sin, therefore , if a person is to find any release from sin, there must be a corresponding release from the law. Paul reminds his readers that the law has jurisdiction over someone only while they are alive. When a man dies, his wife is no longer bound by the marriage contract understood to be in effect while he lived. When he died, she was released from that law. So when the law died after Jesus fulfilled it and began the age of grace, those who are now living in grace are no longer expected to be considered as under law. 

It is likely that there were many in the Roman church still diligently trying to live up to the demands of the law. Now as Paul teaches, when the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus happened, they had been forgiven and reconciled to God. Now they were released from the law as a means of reconciliation. They were now justified by faith through Christ. There is a strong contrast in Paul's teaching that under law there were hundreds of rules to obey and none could truly keep them all, causing a never ending stream of frustration in life.

But marriage to Christ is a relationship of love under which submission and obedience brings delight and joy. Paul says the old way under the law is “of the letter” which is often a cold and difficult way while the new way, under Christ is in the “newness of the Spirit”, and is fresh and sweet in love.

7:7 The believer's respect for the law.

While Paul is clearly teaching that a believer has been freed from law, he does not wish to leave an impression that the law could have been met by anyone. Now he expresses the fact that the law revealed sin, and he goes much further in this explanation to open his own past to his readers and show a truth of sin that he himself suffers and how the law itself made it evident.

Paul had lived a life (before conversion) of constant effort to obey the law. He told the church at Phillipi that concerning the law he was “blameless”. But hidden away in the heart of this young Pharisee was the evil of coveting, a strong sin, which Paul now confides existed and he says “By the law is the knowledge of sin”.

7:8-13 The believer's revelation through the law.

Paul, having his sin, now shows that the law had given him the gift of seeing himself in a more realistic view. The law helped Paul to see himself more clearly and brought him to see far more clearly his own failure. He realized he himself was not perfect, and was actually not in obedience to the law as he was violating the tenth commandment in the way he lived his own life. So he was dismayed by this realistic view as he recognized his sinful shortcoming and because the law revealed it to him, in that way the law was more holy and just and good. His sin, likely hidden from others, had been brought out into the open and must thereby need to be addressed by him.

7:14-23 The believer's relationship to the law.

Clearly this struggle for Paul was evident to him before he was violently converted on the road to Damascus. So now Paul seems to teach that while the law had some good factors, he himself was disobedient in at least one area. Jesus had taught that at times the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Paul knows this and attributes his own failure to sin dwelling within him. The law pointed out sin in the unbeliever to point them to repentance and Paul was longing for some kind of release from the “law of sin which is in my members”. He thanks God, through Christ for deliverance but admits that in his mind he serves the law of God but in the flesh the law of sin. 

The battle is clearly drawn by Paul. He describes sinning as warring against the law of his mind and it brings him into captivity. He has surely been badly wounded in this warfare and is seeking help. He asks how he is to be delivered. He answers his own question and thanks God that “through Jesus Christ” deliverance from the ongoing power of sin over him will be found. The war is not over. The battle will continue. But because he is in Christ the victory is already won by the work of Christ. Without the intervention of the living Christ through His Spirit in the life of the believer, it would be no contest. But through His power, the law which was powerless to justify has been fulfilled by Christ and thereby the power of sin has been conquered from day to day.

Before we leave this chapter, we should together be sure we fully understand verse 19 when Paul gives his truest confession:

“For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.”

Paul here is self revealing to all who will become Christians forever more. His honesty is to be admired and it makes all who read his confession think of our own shortcomings. But Paul is not the only example of such humble honesty and sinful confession in scripture. He is simply one of the last ones to admit freely what we all know, that each of us falls far short of the standard of God, unable to rise off our knees before Him to stand unless Jesus stands before us to be our mediator.

We must at this time in our study of Romans note others who have expressed the same humble confession of unworthiness:

When Abraham walked with the Lord he said, “Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes.” (Gen 18:27)

When Job came face to face with God, he said, “Behold I am vile” (Job 40:4) and later again said, “I abhor myself” (Job 42:6).

When Isaiah entered the divine presence of God he said, “Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am man of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5).

When Paul was addressing his young helper Timothy he said, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief” (1st Timothy 1:15).

These words spoken did not come from unsaved pagans or enemies of  the Lord, but all came from the lips of God's chosen vessels, His true saints. They are not the words of some backslidden believer, but were spoken by the most holy of God's men.

When Paul says to his readers in Rome (and to us):

“O wretched man that I am” he is opening his fully saved soul and shows he has no deception in his own heart about his own unworthiness. 

So as we each conduct our own battles against our own sin, even those that beset us and will not leave us, we may take a small moment of courage to continue the fight to overcome for we are not the first to enter that warfare, nor are we ever alone in it. He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world.

Romans - Chapter 8, Part 1

8:1-8 Sin and death

In the entire history of writings concerning our Lord, there have been no more powerful teaching than the one given in verse one:

“There is therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus...”

Paul has spent many verses before explaining how God justifies sinners and frees them from divine wrath. He now shows how much more the believer has to enjoy in terms of the freedom that faith in Christ brings. He is saying that God does not condemn His children, who are redeemed, to a life of fear or defeat. Paul uses the word “law” to explain a divine requirement (as opposed to the Law of Moses). It is the operation of the principle of the “Spirit of life” in the believer that sets him apart and frees him from the “law of sin and death”.

Paul closed out chapter seven with the dismal words “with the flesh” showing how sin operates in the human experience. The phrase “in the flesh” is an attitude or inclination operating in complete rejection of the divine will that requires our self surrender.

We should always be mindful that the measure of a believer's devotion is found in the depth of his surrender.

It is in the flesh that the law of sin and death exists and moves.

Paul carefully outlines the stages of God's dealings with sinful human nature, the flesh in which the law of sin and death does it's work. First God gave the Law of Moses, which could not make man right with God nor make him live rightly before God. This lack of ability was not a reflection on the Law, but was a condemnation of human nature after the fall into sin in the garden.

Second, God then sent “... His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin...” (verse 3). It is strongly important that we note that Jesus did not arrive in human flesh (sinful and depraved) but in flesh that was likened to ours but not ours.

Third, Christ came “... for sin...”. He came to accept our sin upon Himself and become our once and forever sacrifice to atone for it. By Him was sin overwhelmed.

Fourth, those who are “in Christ” have come into a new identity (being new creatures) and in this newness have joined with Him, taking the first step to living free from sin's dominion. 

8:9-11 Spirit of life.

Up to this point in Paul's presentation of the gospel of Christ, the Holy Spirit has been generally absent in his words. But when the third member of our Holy Trinity is now given His rightful place in this portion of teaching the change is radical and dramatic.

The Holy Spirit is given many titles in scripture but it seems likely that none are more profound than the one Paul now uses, “... the Spirit of life...”. In Him bondage to sin is banished and freedom begins to be ours and from that moment forward that freedom guides our lives.

Paul now begins to describe the divine alternatives which are given to those “in the Spirit” and who live “according to the Spirit”. His reasoning is powerful. He teaches that “... those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (verse 8). Believers do not need to be much concerned about this human limitation because “they are not in the flesh but in the Spirit” (verse 9). Now believers are capable of pleasing the One who has redeemed them. The proof that they are “in the Spirit” is found in the fact of His indwelling presence.

Now Paul goes one step further. He teaches:

“Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His...”

The indwelling presence of Christ, through the Spirit, is the birthright of all believers and the seal of their redeemed status (through our being born again). While we know that the body of man is not exempt from the corruption common to all men after Adam, the spirit of man is preserved into eternal life through the strong power of the Holy Spirit. When we understand the very strong power of indwelling sin that curses us even after salvation, God grants us weapons to battle it. We also come to understand the far greater power of the Spirit that also indwells us because that Holy Spirit is greater than all sin. John allows this particular teaching in 1st John 4:4:

“... greater is he who is in you that he who is in the world...”

8:12-13 Fulfilled righteousness.

Living by the Spirit puts to death the deeds of the flesh.

There are three things that identify this requirement. First, the believer must mind the things of the Spirit rather than those of the flesh. Second the believer must choose to live in that same way, according to the Spirit, not according to the body. Third, the believer is required to persist in that new and chosen way of life to “put to death the deeds of the body”.

Deciding to do something is truly bound up in the decision not to do the opposite. So a courageous act of self denial is needed. This act is so difficult that believers find that it is impossible to accomplish alone even though the believer knows it is right.

But when the believer cultivates the attitude of the Spirit using the greater power the Spirit brings when He arrives into us at conversion, the believer finds that we can be delivered from the law of sin and death in this life and beyond not through our own strength but through the strength given by the Lord.

The quality of life granted to the believer through this dependence on the Holy Spirit for all things is called “the righteousness of the law”. But we must not overlook that this life is not the product of frustrated self effort, but rather is the result of human response to the divine Spirit who indwells.

Romans - Chapter 8, Part 2

8:14-27 Living in the Spirit.

We learned from Luke 4 that Jesus Himself was led of the Spirit into the wilderness after His baptism in order that he might be tempted by Satan. It was the Holy Spirit (who had just descended upon Jesus after He came out of the water) who was doing the leading toward what the will of the Father had arranged. Here we see very similar language used by Paul to introduce the first four verses which explain how we are to live in the good of the family of the Lord. Here Paul clearly says that those who are led by the Spirit are indeed in the family and are sons of God.

This language has been described by early Christian writers as meaning (in the original Greek) “holy violence” that is used by God when “... the Spirit drags the man where the flesh would not by itself choose to go...”. We remember that Paul himself was strongly denied by the Holy Spirit when he wanted to take Silas and travel to Asia (Acts 16:6-7).

Paul hurries to add in verse 16 that while obedience is necessary, this leading by the Spirit does not mean that we are in bondage nor are we to fear. This explanation seems to be given so that the believer would again understand we enjoy a great sense of liberty as a son of God. That liberty is from sin's domination and from any fear that the thought of death may bring.

We see emerging from these verses a picture of life in the Spirit. Not only are we sons of God, but we are also heirs of an inheritance of God, and even are co-heirs with Christ. The Spirit gives us witness of this new found life and teaches us that while we may suffer at times, we will truly be glorified as well.

8:18-27 Suffering creation.

Paul introduces another element of human suffering which comes to us as a complete surprise. He tells us that the creation is suffering too and we are suffering with it. The sin of man brought the destruction of the flood. But the creation will also be freed from the bondage of the corruption of man and will also regain its original glory. Like mankind, it will be restored in the ultimate work of the Lord.

The Christian and creation share two things. They groan together and they anticipate together. Believers are painfully aware of our limitations, both spiritual and physical, and look forward to the time when we will be freed from all that hinders life.

Paul says that this is all part of the salvation process and is a legitimate expectation for one who is saved because “... we were saved in this hope...” (verse 24).

Living in the Spirit therefore introduces us to a relationship of living intimacy with the Father through the Spirit. This life urges us to look forward to the time when all things, mankind (those saved) and creation are fully redeemed and restored while depending on the Holy Spirit to guide and keep us until that day.

8:28-39 What is the result?

Verses 28-31 bring us to a place in our hearts and mind and soul where we are more than convinced of the wisdom and working of God's great plan. The pieces examined one by one are God's foreknowledge, predestination, call, justification, and glorification, and they all fit together in what many Christian writers and preachers have come to view as “the plan of salvation”. More recent theologians refer to these few verses as the “golden chain” of the Lord.

Man was created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26).  Man fell and that image became a poverty stricken likeness of the original creation of man. That poor image continued until Christ came. Hebrews 1:3 clearly teaches us that Jesus is “the express image” of the person of God. The plan of the Lord in that passage helps us to understand that the original divine image was then revealed and this is exactly why Jesus came not in our flesh, but in the likeness of it. These factors should bring us to a deep sense of conviction as we consider how God works out His restoration of all things under the power of the Son. We should further know that nothing will ever detract from or diminish this plan. Jesus clearly taught us that all power was His in both heaven and earth. 

God determines the fate of each man and woman. He both knows it and guides it. While we have a freedom of will given by God, no man can by use of his free will choose heaven. All may freely choose hell on their own but heaven is reached only through Jesus. John 14:6, “... no man cometh to the Father but by me...” is our teaching. The Lord has perfect foreknowledge and knows our hearts both now and every day in our future. God reveals His truth to each heart in His own time and place, intervening in each life, and through the Holy Spirit “calls” each heart to Himself which will be conformed to the perfect image of His Son. This salvation moment is said to be justification, whereby we stand as just before the Lord, not in our own righteousness, but in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, who has both removed and accepted our sin as His own, even though He had no sin. He was “made sin” for us.

The final step in the golden chain will be the time when all previous steps are completed and we are glorified by the Lord to be with Him eternally.

8:31-39 More than conquerors.

Because of all that was just revealed, Paul explains that now we are God's elect and therefore there can be none to bring a charge against us. (We remember verse 1 where we learned there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ). These elect are those who have been foreknown, chosen, predestined, called and justified so that they might arrive at the final status which is glorified like the one who was Firstborn. 

Mathew 27:52 shows us that those born from the dead arose AFTER Jesus was resurrected. 

So now knowing all these things, we see how God's plan makes us more than conquerors and through this new understanding we are surely more than confident in Him, His gospel, and His plan. Paul challenged sin, the sword, and society and showed the gospel to be greater than all these things. Now he brings our attention to the many spiritual forces with which he is personally familiar.

His message is the same as before. There is nothing that can possibly affect the eternal purposes of God or the eternal and undying love of Christ. Even death cannot rob the believer. Because to “be absent from the body” is to “be present with the Lord”.

Now our grand climax of Paul's great teaching concerning the gospel is shown. It concludes with the words “our Lord”, showing how personal is the relationship that has been established between the redeemed man and God. He is OURS.

Romans - Chapter 9

9:1-13 The rejection of Christ by Israel.

Paul was filled to the fullest with his joyful love for Jesus and what the Lord had revealed to him as the plan for those who come to be His. The only love Paul had that even came close to his love for Christ was his love for his own people. They were not able to have the same joy because they rejected the gospel of Christ and thereby placed a cloud over the mind of Paul when he considered this rejection.

Paul was proud of his Greek culture and of his Roman citizenship but it was his Jewish heritage and great education at the knee of Gamiliel, a great teaching Rabbi, that was dear to his heart. The privilege of being a member of God's chosen people was an honor he held above all others before his conversion. Only with these people had God shared His desire to create a special people in a special promised place on earth and to sustain them by His power and mercy. From Abraham to David and from the tabernacle to the temple had God expressed His special love for these difficult and stiff necked people. The rejection of the Lord's Messiah by these chosen ones affected Paul deeply and Paul needed to address it in his letter to the Romans.

Paul takes his readers through some ancient history in the first verses, showing how God decided to make Abraham the father of blessing. God had decided that only Isaac was to be the son of promise. The Lord chose Isaac over Ishmael. When Isaac's wife, Rebecca, became pregnant with twins, the Lord had to make a choice again as to which one would continue the line of promise, and he chose Jacob over Esau. This choosing was made before the twins left the womb, even though Esau was firstborn. 

This type of choosing has troubled believers for at least 3,000 years. It completely fulfilled the Lord's conversation with Moses in Exodus 33:19:

“... I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy to whom I will show mercy.”

9:14-19 God's sovereignty is shown.

Moses had asked God to show him His glory. Here God answers with the reply that stretches all the way to the writing of Paul. God answered Moses in His own way, and expressed that there are no demands upon God or His choices. He alone decides who will be chosen in what way and lives of those yet unborn are to be guided by Him.

In order to make the point more boldly, Paul now reflects on the darker side of the will of God. He explains that in His dealings with Pharaoh he chose to “harden” the heart of this ruler. God raised up this ruler specifically so that His power might be made known.

9:20-21 God's consistency is shown.

The objective of this area of writing was to teach that there exists no balance in the relationship of man and God. Man can ask, but there is no responsibility that leans upon God to reply. Now Paul uses the analogy of the potter and the clay to make his point strongly. God, as the potter, has in His glorious power the total freedom to create or dictate the affairs of man. Notice that Paul is not saying man has no responsibility to live as the Lord has directed, but rather that ultimately God has the final say in our lives, which we call His sovereignty. 

God took a rebellious Egyptian and made him Pharaoh and to let him live with the consequence of his own arrogance and thereby be an example to all mankind for all time of the majesty of the plan of God, which no man can delay or change.

9:22-33 Israel's rejection.

The same thought as examined in Pharaoh applied to Israel herself. They had the truth and rejected it. They live with the consequences and they cannot fault God for His recognition of their failure. If Israel continued to behave toward the gospel in much the same way Pharaoh behaved toward the people of Israel, then they must be prepared to accept the fact that what was right for Pharaoh was right for them as well. God is free to take those who respond well and make them “vessels of mercy” and His choice may well come from the Gentile peoples.

Paul quotes at length here from the prophet Hosea, showing God's ancient plan to make those who were “not My people” to be accepted. He quotes Isaiah to show that while God has previously turned away from His people because of their worship of false gods, He always retains a remnant to Himself to continue the existence of His chosen people in brighter days ahead.

God is explained to be perfectly sovereign in His dealings with man in wonderful ways that preserve His control and retain the dignity with which God made man when He created him in His own image. 

Romans - Chapter 10

10:1-21 Evangelism is important

10:1-5 Error is exposed

We should not forget that the apostle's purpose in writing to the church in Rome was to give a clear explanation of the gospel in order that it might be more strongly proclaimed. Paul speaks here with great emotion concerning Israel. He makes a double point that the task of the evangelist is not only to point out to people the right way to go but also to explain that they are already headed in the wrong direction. Because people generally are not pleased with hearing that they are wrong, great care must be taken in pointing out error. Paul allows three points in this matter:

• He is clearly concerned about the people themselves. He loves Israel.

• There is no trace of superiority in his writing, He humbly hopes for them.

• He fully understands the people he is writing about. He grew up among them.

Paul says here that although they are enthusiastic and sincere, those are not enough. Israel is sincere but sincerely wrong. The error inside Israel is that they are fundamentally ignorant of God's righteousness and how it is extended to mankind.

They have been well informed for many years by the Lord's prophets but they persist in their own self righteousness. They try to maintain and keep the law and they are perishing spiritually because the law is already fulfilled in Jesus Christ who was given to them exactly for that reason. However, the large majority of them remained in unbelief toward the Messiah.

10:6-13 Truth is exposed.

Paul continues to illustrate both the impossibility of justification through keeping the law and the possibility of being blessed through that which God has so lovingly given them. Paul uses the farewell speech of Moses to help them understand that they can find the spirit of his law in their hearts and mouths by serving the one the Lord has sent.

His use of the words of Moses explains that we do not have to ascend up to heaven at some final resurrection day to gain salvation. Lord Jesus has come down to dwell among us to bring that salvation as God's gift. All they had to do is to believe in their hearts and confess with their mouth, and salvation is theirs. This message seemed so simple as to be seen as simplistic and so free as to be insulting. They could not grasp the definition of faith is first and foremost a heart belief in the reality of the death and resurrection of Christ. The basis of conviction comes from the clear statement in verse eleven” “Whosoever believes on him shall not be ashamed”.

When the fulfillment of the law is seen as the basis of justification and forgiveness, only those who know the law may hope to be saved. Faith overcomes all these limitations and makes salvation possible for all people. This means there is no distinction between the Jew and Greek (Gentiles). This concept was one the Jews were not willing to accept even though the prophet Joel had taught it hundreds of years before when he said, “... whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved”.

10:14-15 Faith is expressed.

Now Paul comes to the heart of his teaching, which is how the faith message is conveyed to others. He asks how anyone can possibly call upon the Lord for His promised salvation without knowing and believing the promise? How can anyone come to this belief without being told what is so wonderfully available? How can people hear without someone telling them? How can people be told unless there are those who are sent to tell?

The gospel is available to the whole race of mankind, but someone must tell others who do not know. This is the main factor needed to spread the gospel.

10:16-21 Gospel witness is needed.

To his own people, the Jews, who are upset at his ministry and unhappy by his message of God's grace to the Gentiles, Paul now seeks to convince by telling his readers to come and join his efforts to share this gospel of salvation with those who have never heard it.

Here is a message as strong today as it was then.

The church cannot, in the light of Christ's sacrifice and the Father's purpose, afford to misunderstand the importance of evangelism. The church today must not repeat the fatal error of the chosen people.

Romans - Chapter 11

11:1-10 Preserving a remnant in Israel

The long history of Israel's rejection of God and their constant stomping on His grace naturally makes one think that possibly the Lord will arrive at a time when He will say, “enough is enough” and end His relation with His chosen people. Paul raises that question and gives the answer.

Paul declares that there is not the slightest possibility that the Lord will end the relation despite the fact that Israel has rejected the Savior sent to them. Knowing all things in advance, God has the advantage of seeing the end from the beginning, and with this knowledge His determining the outcome is sure. There seems to be no chance the Lord will remove those predestined by Him and foreknown by Him to be His.

We remember that Elijah, one of God's greatest prophets, became most discouraged and fled from Jezebel who had promised to kill him after he destroyed the prophets of Baal. Elijah held small hope for his own survival. So he told God that he was the only one left to serve God in Israel. But God pointed out the Elijah was not alone and that God still retained 7,000 faithful believers who had not bent a knee to the false god. These were a perfect example of the faithful remnant, always surviving because God, having chosen by grace  Abraham, the father of all who believe, was the beginning of God's promise which will never end. There was a believing remnant who had eyes wide open and ears wide open and hearts of faith and this remnant was proof positive that God does not cast away His people.

11:11-15 God's purpose as Israel turned away.

The nation of Israel at the time of Paul's ministry was a stumbling nation that had not yet completely fallen. What then, was the purpose of God in allowing Israel to openly reject His messiah, and live on in the darkness and hardness of their hearts? Paul's answer is striking. God is making Israel jealous by turning to the Gentiles to offer them what Israel has refused. Paul knew this was true from his own experience in evangelism in places such as Corinth. He made this quite clear in Acts 18:6 when he said:

“From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

The day is still in the future when Israel will seen to be the people of God AND Christ through faith. 

Here Paul speaks warmly of the privileged position of the Jewish people and he also reminds the Gentiles of their relatively inferior position and then he gathers both Jews and Gentiles together by the use of one two-fold statement in verse 16.

He says if the root is holy then so are the branches.

The first expression is from the old tradition of first bread baked and given to God from the harvest and the second is an extension of that consideration to the branches of that root. Jesus made this comparison when he told His disciples He was the vine and they were the branches, drawing their life in the Spirit from Him.

Despite all her faults, Israel has never been less than God's chosen means of bringing blessings to the world. Paul makes this truth very clear when he develops his picture in words of Israel as the vine.

11:17-25 God's power with Israel.

Paul speaks here of God's power to establish Israel as the vine only on the basis of His own choice. At the same time God seems to have no reluctance in taking wild branches and grafting them into old stock of the vine, provided that the wild branches would do what the natural branches had refused to do, which is to come to Him in faith.

Gentiles should not presume that they are more highly regarded by the Lord and His goodness than the people of Israel, because God has the power to graft in any people who believe and to break off from the vine any people who will not, either Jew or Gentile, and He will indeed use this power as He has shown.

11:26-32 God promises to restore Israel.

Once the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, there will be a revival in Israel, and they will come to faith in Jesus Christ. 

The fullness of the Gentiles (verse 25) refers to the time when the full complement of non Jews will have come to belief in faith and have therefore found their way into the kingdom. This fact is significant for Israel in that Israel's hardening gave opportunity for Gentile blessing so the conclusion of Gentile blessing will give rise to the new day of opportunity for Israel which will be so great that “... all Israel will be saved...”. 

The exact timing of this predicted revival is not given, and neither is the meaning of the phrase “all Israel” revealed. (Romans 9:6-8 is our clue) 

In His divine wisdom, God chose to use the rejection of Christ by His people as a means of reaching Gentiles so that through His abundant blessing of grace to them, Israel will be brought to realize the true value of that grace. Israel's unbelief is used by God to bring about the victory of Gentile evangelization, which will, in turn and time, lead to the restoration of Israel. God has not altered His plan, His principles, or violated His law, nor forsaken His chosen people (or the Gentiles) even in the face of rebellion. He can and will use all things to bring about His eternal purposes.

Romans - Chapter 12

12:1-8 Considering our values

Now the Apostle Paul asks his readers to do some realistic consideration of how they have applied spiritual truth to their lives. He seems to be asking them to show their devotion to the truth of the gospel by presenting their bodies clearly and in doing so, to refuse to conform to the world.

Prior to this chapter, Paul has shown how important is the sacrifice of Jesus as the means of reconciliation between God and man. Now as a response, Paul says that the believer should offer his own body to the Lord out of appreciation and celebration. This sacrifice is to be quite different. It will be a “living” sacrifice as opposite to the usual understanding of sacrifice where the one doing the sacrificing dies. Paul has also in previous chapters shown the body to be the agent of sin but now he teaches that it is to become an instrument of holiness, which would be acceptable and pleasing to the Father.

Here the message is that when one is fully surrendered to God, that surrender is shown by the degree to which the believer stays in the world without being trapped by it and without being a more faithful witness to it than to the Lord. The result of such living is put very simply. We will “prove what is good and acceptable” by our lives. Paul says that those who do so will find in their own experience the reality of the will of God.

He reminds the Christians in Rome that they must be careful in the evaluation of their own lives. This evaluation will come from a renewed mind which will reconsider the place of their lives in the believing community (the church). Paul is teaching that this effort brings a life in a new relation to the Lord. In order to have this new relation, each believer must develop their relationship with each other. The place where these relationships operate is the assembly of believers, our local church. Such a dedication recognizes that the believer considers the value of being a part of the body of Christ above other values. This special life means the members are not only members of the body of Christ but also are members of one another.

The grace that brings salvation through faith also brings gifts to each believer. While he does not detail these gifts, he does seem to say that these gifts are to be used for the body of Christ and to fail to use the gifts lessens our dedication.

12:9-21 Good and evil.

Each believer is required to make a decision as to good and evil and should decide on the side of good and should oppose evil.

This decision removes from the believer the natural human inclination to repay evil with evil. This different attitude is the product of a renewed mind and Paul describes it in verse 9 as “love without dissimulation” (which is hypocrisy).

To combat evil with good is to love genuinely which shows that the mind is renewed and reflects the mind of God. The attitude inside the fellowship of believers should show this characteristic. Where love is expressed as being willing to recognize this need, it becomes harder for evil to gain victory. Evil can only be banished from the fellowship when it is clearly overcome with good, a genuine love shown by actions and attitudes.

The resources given by God to each believer can be used for either good or evil, and it is important that our use of our resources be used to reflect God's glory and for no other purpose. Our stewardship must be considered as necessary to demonstrate the positive values that we are showing in our fellowship. Resources are to be shared in gladness. We should remember that Paul is addressing infant home churches here who are truly opening homes to the Spirit of God in their sharing.

When the community is operating properly, the potential for evil, division, and conflict is avoided by the blessing of cooperation through love.

Evil will persist as Satan continues to bring trials toward the believer and the assembly. But believers are not free to use the everyday response of getting even with those who bring evil. There must be a better response, one of spiritual goodness and we must not repay evil for evil. Dealing with these hardships can be among the most serious Christian challenge. Steps should be taken to live in peace with everyone. We are responsible for our own actions, not for the actions of others. While evil should be punished, we must remember that we are not made the punishers. A renewed mind responding in this renewed way will repay evil with good and in doing so may be able to  bring “coals of fire” upon the head of the one bringing the evil.

There is special tenderness in Paul's reminder of how we are to live and respond. The true basis of this new way of life as described by Paul is the example Jesus set for us by the life He lived. While we are not divine and our human reaction may not always be as gentle as His, our goal is to become more Christlike. This goal is more important than all others in the process of our sanctification (having our human will bent closer and closer to His will).

Romans - Chapter 13

13:1-7 The Christian and Authority

In our last chapter Paul outlined the relations between the believer and the church. Now he deals with the believer and civil authority. It is a serious matter because although we are taught to not be “of” the world, we do surely live “in” it for the remainder of life after salvation. Paul brings a teaching that is not always comfortable to accomplish. He says we must be submissive to civil authority as a matter of conscience.

He begins by reminding us that God is the ultimate authority. It was His word of authority that created all things and that His creation in nature was created by His divine spoken word. It is through the obedience of nature to His laws of creation that the visible things portray some view of the invisible Lord. We saw this factor immediately in chapter one and we must not forget that simply observing nature in creation points us toward the existence of God, who created all we see.

We must note that authority rests with God without question. Proper study does help us to grasp that He exercises that authority through delegation. Paul surprises us by teaching us that God delegates His authority to man and appoints “governing authorities” to whom mankind must submit just like they submit to Him. It is clear that mankind generally cannot exist apart from others, therefore there has always seemed to be a community in which we live. Christians do not cease to be a member of their community when they become citizens of the kingdom of the Lord through faith. God ordained authority is God ordained order.

Authorities appointed by God are required to punish the evildoer and to reward those who live properly. This is simply an extension of His authority as defined in His word. Paul clearly teaches we are to give due respect and required payments to maintain civil order. Whether we approve of a leader or not, we are not exempt from this command by the Lord as he has raised up leaders to guide lives in community and in nations.

Paul had many reasons to be grateful to authorities in his own life. Several times in scripture we have seen Paul rescued by Roman authority and he has been given the opportunity to speak freely by that same authority. There was however, in later years, most difficult persecution against Christians as Roman emperors harmed and killed the faithful. In these times, when civil authority exceeds its proper place, we are taught to recognize this as a violation of divine delegation. Peter gave us the best rule of thumb in these times by saying “... we ought to obey God rather than men...” and except in those times we are commanded to yield our lives to proper civil government.

13:8-14 Reality of obligation.

In verse 11, Paul advises that we are to awake from sleep, meaning we are to be conscience and know the urgency of these teachings. He has bound us to be properly mindful of government and now helps us to understand we are also to be mindful of our obligations in personal financial concerns. He insists that Christians meet their obligations but he also adds an important obligation to our consideration, the obligation to love.

He teaches by use of parts of the law of Moses that believers have a divine requirement to fulfill our personal obligations by the original command of loving our neighbor. Obviously, the two concerns here are defining what is love, and defining who is our neighbor. The first concern is already given us in the OT when we are reminded that we are to love others as we love ourselves. This is our clear definition.

The second was answered by the Lord Jesus in His sweet parable of the Good Samaritan. My neighbor is any person whose needs I am in a position to meet or whose suffering I am in a position to lessen.

Here Paul leads us toward an orientation toward life that is guided by a mind that has been renewed by the arrival of the Holy Spirit to indwell us. But he also provides a most interesting thought here in verse 11 when he teaches that our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The moment of justification for the one who repents is the INITIAL time of salvation, but there remains a process that follows which we know as sanctification. It is that process that brings fuller understanding and devotion. It is this process that is our orientation so that we do not lose sight of the fact that our eternal reality is not here but is upward as a citizen of heaven. Here we are only a resident alien.

We are to be concerned with two constant needs. One is the need to “put off” and the other is the need to “put on”. We are to throw off those things in our lives that will have no place in eternity. We should be determined to do so. We are to be equally determined to clothe ourselves with those graces that do belong to the spiritual world we later will come to know and will be suitable to life there.

Verse 14 tells us we are to have no need for things of the flesh. We are not to slip back into old ways but be sure that our lives reflect our newness, mindful of the fact that we have become a new creature in Christ. 

Romans - Chapter 14

14:1-23 One man's faith can be another man's poison.

The church at Rome was made up of both Jews and Greeks (Gentiles). This was an important point to Paul as one of the reasons he used for Christianity being so valid was the ability of the faith to bring together people from all parts of society that would normally not mix with each other. He insisted that “in Christ” barriers were broken down and the result was that all manner of groups came together in faith and this mix of very different people was a preview of heaven.

The evidence of this was found in the local assembly of believers which operated on the basis of mutual love between peoples whose only common bond was each one's relationship with Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. In theory, the walls between people were broken down but in practice walls had a nasty habit of putting themselves up again. Paul uses two examples, with the first having to do with food and the second having to do with holy days.

In verses 1-5 Paul describes those in the church who were “weak in faith”. By this he seemed to mean that they had not yet reached spiritual maturity in their relation with Jesus and His church. Those who came from a Jewish background were particularly detailed in their diet habits, coming from groups where certain foods were considered unclean. Unless they were assured that meat came from certain animals that were killed in a certain way, they refused to eat it. Because of that reluctance, they stayed away from all meat. Other believers seemed to accept that this notion was not taught by Jesus himself and therefore found the position to be unacceptable.

The same kind of conflict existed around the issue of the calendar and when celebrations were conducted to reflect long held reverence for certain times.

In verses 6-9 Paul requires the believers to act out of true conviction. In other words, he seems to be saying that the issues were to be resolved in the heart and on faith in Christ, not on pressure from others who may see things slightly differently. Second, he teaches that believers should stop their criticism of each other. Anger can result from such conflict and can quickly become bitterness. Each believer is ultimately responsible to Christ who will himself evaluate the heart of each and we do not have the authority to take over the work of evaluating other believers while we are in this life. As long as faith is the main point of belief, Paul requires believers to seek to understand other points of view.

We should have warm acceptance of those with whom we differ, openness to ideas other than our own, and rejection of a harshly critical spirit.

In verses 15-23 we see Paul helping all in faith to accept that some differences are surely going to occur, and these different views can become either positive or negative, depending upon how we in faith react to them. Paul teaches the Roman believers that they must allow for differences but they must not allow division. 

They must commit themselves to working in love to produce a unified body that demonstrates the diversity of God's wonderful handiwork in all of creation.

Romans - Chapter 15

15:1-14 A ministry of building up (edifying).

Selfishness and independence to a fault are responsible even today for many of the ills of society. The renewed mind of the believer should lead to a different factor of motivation, which is the development of a mentality to minister.

Some of the particular difficulties facing the church at Rome were because of the nature of the mixed membership so serious careful handling was required which Paul summarizes for us in verses 1-4. There must be the understanding that Christian life involves devotion to the building up of the community.

There must be a desire to seek the glory of God, not our own glory. There is little that brings honor to the Lord in a feuding or fighting fellowship. Paul allows a prayer toward that desire in verses 5-13.

There must be recognition of the holy word of God and the proper place it should occupy in the fellowship, which will produce patience and comfort. There is further the work of the Lord as He directs His will toward those who honor Him. Paul prays for hope, joy, and peace to those whose devotion is dedicated to the building up of the members who at times may be in conflict.

There must be confidence in the people involved in addition to the confidence in God as both are necessary to build. In verse 14 Paul expresses that confidence.

15:15-21  A ministry of proclaiming.

Paul was a theologian, a teacher, a pastor, and an apostle, but above those he remained an evangelist. His heart always beat for those who had not yet heard Christ proclaimed and he had opened the book of Romans proclaiming and now he returns to that theme. Now he also speaks of a deep rooted desire to continue to build and proclaim the ministry Jesus personally gave to him.

15:22-29  A ministry to administer.

Paul now reveals his travel plans for the ministry, which will include a missionary journey to Spain, a brief stop in Rome, and a trip to Jerusalem to deliver the gift offering to the mother church there. All these are planned after he ends his time in Corinth. The spiritual aspects of Paul's ministry are easy to identify. It is important that we see his strong planning to go forward to administer the building up of the churches and the body of Christ in other lands. His work is balanced between preaching and administration. He specifically mentions how necessary for all his work to be “in the will of God”.

15:30-33 A ministry to intercede.

We see here the special request made by Paul in prayer form on his behalf. He is simply telling the specific matters he asks church members to bring to the ear of God for him. He may not be completely sure he will ever make it to Rome and he mentions he is in need of refreshment and requests their prayers to allow that refreshing.

With all these things on his mind, it is not surprising that he sees prayer addresses struggle and therefore asks the members at Rome to have a ministry of intercession for him as he strives to carry out the will of the Lord. It is very sure that each member of the body of Christ remains in need of the prayers of the other members and is assured that the Lord inclines His holy ear to all prayers of intercession. We pay our fellow believers great honor in sending their names before God.

Romans - Chapter 16

16:1-16 Encouraging people.

Paul has some surprises for his readers at times. He concludes the book of his letter to the Romans with a personal series of greetings which show a number of things he intends to do.

There has been much debate over the centuries about this last chapter most of which is centered around the idea that the apostle could not have known so many people in a church he had never visited. There have been more than a few suggestions that this letter was actually a second letter to the church at Ephesus. But overall, wisdom has generally allowed the letter to stand in the Bible as a letter to Rome.

Phoebe, who will deliver the letter, is warmly commended as she makes her journey to Rome expecting to enjoy the normal hospitality given to believers who travel from church to church. Here she is described as “sister”, “servant”, “saint”, and “helper”.

The co-workers of the apostle, Priscilla and Aquila, are said to have braved danger with Paul and in verse 4 Paul says they risked themselves to save his life. The fact that Priscilla is almost always mentioned first when the couple is shown may be a reference to her high social status, or possibly her position as a gifted helper in the ministry.

It seems clear that some of the believers are of Jewish origin and likely knew Christ before Paul came onto their scene. Others mentioned had cared for him and  possibly shared prison with him. All were strongly appreciated.

16:17-20 Giving attention to problems.

He takes steps to warn the believers in Rome about the possibility of people moving into the fellowship with false or perverted doctrine delivered expertly and with less than honorable motives. He refers to these people as those who “deceive” and cause “division” and who “serve their own belly”. These are regarded as agents of Satan and should be avoided. Under no circumstance are the believers to be afraid of these people, for they will not ultimately prevail for the God of peace will crush them. Here the lesson is as strong for Rome as it is for us.

That Satan is real is true. But he is on a short leash held by God and is not in control of himself. We are not to ignore him, but Paul has written fully in the letter to Ephesus how we are to overcome his temptations using the whole armor of God.

16:21-27 Giving glory to God.

We have seen great themes of salvation unfold in Romans. The church in Rome is instructed to be members who spread the gospel to all who will listen. This effort will require great strength and willingness but God would not call them to this task unless he was able to “establish” them in order to do His will. They must look up continually to Him and see in the gospel and the preaching of Jesus the revelation of the mystery of grace and faith. The strength of the message to them is that God has intervened into human history and has called people of faith and obedience to Christ. He has assured that He will strengthen them for the task ahead.

He is the one who intervened. His was the wisdom that devised the glorious blending of grace, mercy, and justice. It was His Son who died and it was His power that then raised Him from the dead. It is His hand that commands the Holy Spirit to reach each one saved and to indwell each one. It is only through Him that a redeemed believer lives a life that honors God and crushes Satan.

Therefore to Him does all glory belong.

Romans 1: Addition

As chapter one continues we come to understand that the bad news shared by Paul is as bad as can be imagined.

Paul does not take a single step back in chapter one from his awful truth concerning the depravity of mankind.

God reveals his wrath concerning these matters and all of Paul’s concern is for the rejection by mankind of the redemption made possible by God.

The affections of these people in Rome were on everything except the Lord who had made them and the entire world they lived in, and their awful state was because they could see God’s majesty in creation itself yet still they rejected it and were not either thankful nor appreciative.

They rejected the wisdom of God, professing themselves to be wise.

This rejection made them to be fools.

They rejected the glory of God shown in His revelation of Himself because they wished only to know the things of man.

They gave themselves over to full iniquity and therefore God gave them over to the lusts of their own hearts, things which were impure and condemned before God. 

As sins became the normal pattern of their lives, they reached a point of being unclean, violating even the human body and the commands God had given concerning the flesh. Their sinful practices brought shame before God which they disregarded.

They were given over to idolatry and vile affections abusing the proper manner of sexual intimacy that God had commanded and were seen as widespread acceptance men unseemly with other men and women the same with other women.

Their minds were reprobate meaning depraved in thought and filthy in attitude.

Verses 29-31 teach that they were filled with evil which were reflected in their sinful natures, given over to:

• unrighteousness

• fornication

• wickedness 

• covetousness

• maliciousness (deliberate & ill intentions)

• envy

• murder

• malignity (evil minds)

• debate of deceit

• backbiters

• haters of God

• prideful

• arrogant

• boasters

• disobedient

• without natural affections

• always unsatisfied unmerciful

Clearly Paul saw no limits to the sin among these people.

Verse 32 teaches they were of wicked minds, rejecting the truth and therefore worthy of death.

All these things were Paul’s closing arguments to prove how much these sinners needed a savior.

Paul was a ready witness and we will see in the coming chapters how he intends to extend this needed solution to these so much in need.