New

Before we begin in the book of Romans we need to look at the penman, Paul. Paul was also known as Saul. Saul means asked and this was the name he was using when he was persecuting the Christians. The name Paul means little. His Jewish name was Saul and his Roman name was Paul. I personally believe that Saul stopped using that name when he was saved by Jesus Christ, and used the name Paul from then on. He was a native of Tarsus, a city of Cilicia. Paul was Jewish (in fact a Pharisee). He was from the tribe of Benjamin.

Philippians 3:5 "Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, [of] the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;"

Paul was also a Roman citizen. His father was a Roman.

Paul was such a controversial figure that I feel our time will be well spent considering his background. Paul was an educated man. He had studied in Jerusalem in a Jewish school under Gamaliel. We will see in Paul's teachings some leftovers from that early learning of the law. Remember Paul was a Roman citizen, from Tarsus, a Pharisee of the Hebrews. This may explain what he says in Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 9:19-22 "For though I be free from all [men], yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more." "And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;" "To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law." "To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all [men], that I might by all means save some."

This should make it easier for all of us to understand the seemingly discrepancies in Paul's writings. He does not say the same thing all the time, because he is speaking to people who have different customs. Paul tries to reach them at their level of understanding at the time. He establishes a church in Philippi with 2 women in high position and then writes the Corinthian church for women to be silent in church. In this same 1 Corinthians, we read that women should have their head covered when they prophesy in the church.

1 Corinthians 11:5 "But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with [her] head uncovered dishonored her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven."

1 Corinthians 11:15 "But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for [her] hair is given her for a covering."

Paul fights for the new Christian doctrine of not having to keep the old Mosaic law and then observes it himself. The reason for this is not that he is doubleminded, but that as I said, he is keeping the customs of each person he ministers to. Paul was not a hater of women as many thought, for he travelled with women ministers who worked with him. When God sent him to Macedonia, he ministered to the women on the Sabbath and Lydia and her family were saved. He moved into Lydia's house and established a church there.

Acts 16:12-15 "And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, [and] a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days." "And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted [thither]." "And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard [us]: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul." "And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought [us], saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide [there]. And she constrained us."

It appears from this that Lydia was a leader of this church in her home.

Paul never married, but it was not because he hated women but because he was so busy working for God. All of chapter 7 of first Corinthians is about this very thing.

Many of the people of our day have deified Paul and that is very dangerous. It appears to me that this is very like what the Jews did about John the Baptist. John the Baptist was more acceptable to the Jews than Jesus was. If we Christians are not careful we will forget also that Jesus Christ the Son of God is the focal point of the entire Bible, John the Baptist was a messenger (a truly great servant of God), but Jesus was the Message. The messenger is not more important than the Message. Paul was a servant of Jesus as we read in his own words in Romans 1.

Romans 1:1 "Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called [to be] an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,"

The One served is greater than the servant. Paul is not at fault in this, we Christians are. We must worship God alone. Paul's writings are important (some of my favorites). We certainly do not want to down play them at all. Tremendous teachings of the basic Christian walk are taught in the books he penned. Gentiles owe much of their church beginnings to him and Peter.

Paul was a tentmaker by trade and even worked as a tentmaker while he ministered. He tried to make his own way so that he was not subject to any particular church.

Philippians 4:12 "I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need."

Paul was satisfied with whatever he had. He did not complain.

Paul was a very special man. He went into the desert for 3 years after his encounter with Jesus and was taught of the Holy Spirit of God.

Galatians 1:16-18 "To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:" "Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus." "Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days."

2 Corinthians 12:1-5 "It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord." "I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such a one caught up to the third heaven." "And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)" "How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter." "Of such a one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities."

Paul had been an arrogant man before he met Jesus, but he became humble to the point of calling himself chief among sinners.

1 Timothy 1:15 "This [is] a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief."

Acts 9:15-16 "But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:" "For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake."

2 Corinthians 11:23-28 "Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I [am] more; in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft." "Of the Jews five times received I forty [stripes] save one." "Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;" "[In] journeyings often, [in] perils of waters, [in] perils of robbers, [in] perils by [mine own] countrymen, [in] perils by the heathen, [in] perils in the city, [in] perils in the wilderness, [in] perils in the sea, [in] perils among false brethren;" "In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness." "Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches."

We also see in this verse above that his greatest suffering was for the churches he started. Some of these churches were the church at Corinth, the church at Ephesus, and the church at Philippi.

Paul helped establish the doctrine for the Christians when he fought so hard the Jews and even went to Jerusalem to get the last word from Peter stating that believers in Christ were not to circumcise males and were not to keep the Mosaic law. Chapter 15 of Acts tells of all they were to do in the way of a doctrine.

Acts 15:20 "But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and [from] fornication, and [from] things strangled, and [from] blood."

Paul's part in the founding of Christianity must be admired. He went on 3 missionary journeys establishing churches. He spent more time at Ephesus than any other of these places. On one visit, he stayed two and one half years there. Much of his writing was done from Rome where he was under house arrest for a lengthy time.

Paul was a full apostle of Christ. Apostle means (one sent with a special message). Paul certainly fell into that category. He not only preached, but healed the sick as well. Paul covered a great deal of the known world at that time also.

Mark 16:15 "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."

Philippians 4:3 "And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and [with] other my fellow laborers, whose names [are] in the book of life."

We see also at Antioch, Paul and Barnabas were ordained for their missionary work together. This can be found (in Acts in chapter 13 and 14). John Mark ministered for a short time with Paul and Barnabas. Luke (who wrote the books of Acts), went with Paul on these missionary journeys and even went to Rome with him. Many times in Acts, Luke (the beloved physician), when he speaks of Paul`s journeys, says "we".

Perhaps Paul was closer to Timothy than any of these others. He loved Timothy so much that he speaks of him as a son.

2 Timothy 1:2 "To Timothy, [my] dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, [and] peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord."

This was not Paul`s son in the flesh, but in the spirit. Paul took Timothy as a youth and trained him for a minister of Jesus Christ. We would go on and on, like Dorcas, who many believe helped Paul financially. He was popular among the followers of Jesus.

Paul was sorry that he had consented to the stoning of Stephen. He and Peter had a few differences which were settled quickly. Paul worked diligently for the Lord Jesus Christ and His church after he received the Lord. At the end Paul was able to say in 2 Timothy.

2 Timothy 4:7 "I have fought a good fight, I have finished [my] course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at
that day."

We will finish the last of verse 8 out in saying O that I might be like Paul and receive this crown of righteousness.

2 Timothy 4:8 "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing."

Romans 1

Romans Chapter 1

Romans 1:1 "Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called [to be] an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,"

In this very first verse Paul introduces himself to the Roman Christians. Notice that Paul calls himself a servant of Jesus Christ. Perhaps these Roman Christians have not heard that Paul was commissioned of Jesus Christ to bring the gospel (good news), of Jesus to the Gentiles.

In Greek culture a servant often referred to the involuntary, permanent service of a slave, but Paul elevates this word by using it in its Hebrew sense to describe a servant who willingly commits himself to serve a master he loves and respects.

The Greek word for apostle is: "one who is sent". In the New Testament, it primarily refers to the 12 men that Christ chose to accompany Him and Matthias, who the other apostles chose to replace Judas. Christ gave them power to confirm their apostleship with miracles and authority to speak as His proxies.

I might also add that New Testament book was written either by an apostle or under his auspices. Their teaching is the foundation of the church. Christ Himself selected Paul for this position and trained him to fulfill this ministry.

Romans 1:2 "(Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)"

Paul's Jewish antagonists accused him of preaching a revolutionary new message unrelated to Judaism. But the Old Testament is replete with prophecies concerning Christ and the gospel.

In the book of Isaiah, we see numerous prophecies. Of course, all Old Testament prophets prophesied of Jesus, but Isaiah probably had the most to say. At any rate, I will give you several of these prophecies from Isaiah. (Isaiah 11:3), prophesied Jesus would be Judge; (42:4), shows Him as Law Giver; (42:7), shows Him as Liberator; (53:4), shows Him as Burden-Bearer; (53:6), shows Him as Sin-Bearer; (53:12), shows Him as Intercessor; (53:5), shows Jesus as our only Savior. We see in (7:14), He is Immanuel (God with us); in (9:6), we see Him as mighty God.

I could go on and on for there are 35 prophecies in Isaiah alone on Jesus. Of course, Jeremiah, Psalms, Ezekiel and all the others prophesied of Jesus too.

Romans 1:3 "Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;"

Many well known ancient writers, including the Roman historian Tacitus, the familiar Jewish historian Josephus, and Pliny the Younger verify Jesus' historicity.

John makes believing that Christ has come in the flesh a crucial test of orthodoxy. Because He is fully human, as well as fully God, He can serve as man's substitute and as a sympathetic High Priest. In Matthew, we see Jesus as descendant of David.

Matthew 1:1 "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham."

We can also see David in the genealogy of Jesus in Luke:

Luke 3:31 "Which was [the son] of Melea, which was [the son] of Menan, which was [the son] of Mattatha, which was [the son] of Nathan, which was [the son] of David,"

This genealogy is of the flesh and not the Spirit.

Romans 1:4 "And declared [to be] the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:"

Son of God: This title used nearly 30 times in the gospels, identifies Jesus Christ as the same in essence, as God.

Jesus was definitely God the Son. The proof was on the third day he arose from the tomb. The resurrection clearly declared that Jesus was deity, the expression of God Himself in human form. While He was eternally the Son in anticipation of His incarnation, it was when He entered the world in incarnation that He was declared to the entire world as the Son of God and took on the role of submission to the Father. His victory over death was the supreme demonstration and most conclusive evidence that He is God the Son.

Jesus not only had resurrection power, but is in fact the Resurrection and the Life, as he told Lazarus' sister on the way to the tomb.

John 11:25 "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:"

Jesus was the Son of God. God the Holy Spirit hovered over Mary and she conceived by the Holy Spirit of God.

Luke 1:35 "And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God."

Spirit of holiness: In His incarnation, Christ voluntarily submitted Himself to do the will of the Father only through the direction, agency and power of the Holy Spirit.

We see that the power of Jesus was unlimited.

Ephesians 1:19-23 "And what [is] the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power," "Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set [him] at his own right hand in the heavenly [places]," "Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:" "And hath put all [things] under his feet, and gave him [to be] the head over all [things] to the church," "Which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all."

This leaves no doubt that Jesus is all powerful.

Romans 1:5 "By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:"

Grace is the unmerited favor which God shows guilty sinners. This is the book's first reference to the most crucial part of the gospel message: salvation is a gift from God wholly separate from any human effort or achievement.

Faith is what saved Abraham. Without faith, it is impossible to please God.

Hebrews 11:6 "But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

To become an apostle (one sent with a special message), we must have great faith and be obedient to God. We must make Jesus Christ not only our Savior, but our Lord, as well. We read (in 1 Samuel), that obedience is better than sacrifice.

1 Samuel 15:22 "And Samuel said, Hath the LORD [as great] delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey [is] better than sacrifice, [and] to hearken than the fat of rams."

We were not saved by our great deeds, but were saved because we had faith in God. To work for God, we must submit our will to Him. We must be obedient to His Word and His will.

We will not know what His will is unless we know His Word. The term Apostleship refer to the twelve in a unique way, but in a broader and less official sense it can describe anyone whom God has sent with the message of salvation.

Mark 16:15 "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."

Romans 1:6 "Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:"

Always in the New Testament epistles, the "call" of God refers to God's effectual call of elect sinners to salvation, rather than the general call to all men to believe.

Matthew 20:16 "So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen." Salvation is offered to whosoever will.

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

God has called everyone to salvation, but He will not override our will. We have to decide to follow Him.

Ephesians 4:10-13 "He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things." "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;" "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:" "Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:"

There is a group of the called, who are called to the ministry. My own opinion of those who are called to work for God, is that the call was there even before birth. We see this in people like John the Baptist. God protects these people supernaturally until they accept their call. This is so even before they know there is a call.

Romans 1:7 "To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called [to be] saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ."

"Beloved of God ... saints": The Greek text records these as 3 separate privileges:

1. God has set His love on His own (5:5; 8:35; Eph. 1:6),

2. He has extended to them not only the general, external invitation to believe the gospel, but His effectual calling, or His drawing to Himself all those He has chosen for salvation (8:30; 2 Thess. 2:13-14; 2 Tim. 1:9),

3. God has set believers apart from sin unto Himself, so that they are holy ones (1 Cor. 3:16; 2 Cor. 1:2; Gal. 1:3; Eph. 1:2; Philippians 1:2; Col. 1:2; 1 Thess. 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:2; 1 Tim. 1:2; 2 Tim. 1:2; Titus 1:4; and Philemon 3).

Romans 1:8 "First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world."

It appears that long before Paul goes to Rome there are many Christians there. It seems they are so zealous for the Lord that it is common knowledge.

This spreading of this information to the world just means that Rome is a trade center and people who come there to sell or buy have heard of the Christian movement in Rome. As the center of the Roman Empire and the inhabited world, whatever happened in Rome became known universally.

Romans 1:9 "For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;"

We see here that Paul prays intercessory prayers for these new Christians in Rome. Notice in the verse above that Paul does not serve the Lord in his flesh, but in his spirit. I believe that Paul is saying (only God and myself), know the hours that I have spent praying for you.

Romans 1:10 "Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you."

Paul will leave Corinth here and go to Jerusalem and be sought after by the authorities. It will be several years after this is written before Paul actually reaches Rome. One important statement above is (by the will of God). Paul has submitted his will to God.

Romans 1:11 "For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;"

Paul is speaking here of laying his hands on them that they might receive the power of the Holy Ghost. (1 Corinthians chapter 12), explains what these Spiritual gifts are. You should read the whole chapter, but I will quote a little here.

1 Corinthians 12:8-11 "For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;" "To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;" "To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another [divers] kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:" "But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will."

The statement (that ye may be established), just means that power to minister will come upon them. Many very shy people, become bold workers for the Lord when they receive the Holy Spirit.

Romans Chapter 1 Questions

1. Who was Paul commissioned to bring the gospel to?

2. What is another word(s) for apostle?

3. He is fully _____________, as well as full ______.

4. Who is the resurrection and the life?

5. Jesus submitted Himself to do the will of the Father through What?

6. What is Grace?

7. Without faith, it is ____________ to please _____.

8. We must make Jesus Christ not only our Savior, but what?

9. Behold, to ________ is better than ____________.

10. Christians are to go into the world and do what?

11. In verse 9, who does Paul pray intercessory prayers for?

12. When Paul leaves Corinth, where does he go?

13. Do all Christians receive the same spiritual gifts?

14. What does the statement "that ye may be established" mean?

15. Can shy people become bold workers for the Lord?

16. How or when can those in question 15 become bold?

Romans Chapter 1 Continued

Romans 1:12 "That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me."

In the last lesson, Paul had written to these Roman Christians that he would pray for them to receive spiritual gifts to enable them to minister also. Paul says above (we are in this together), we are fellow workers for Christ. This statement in verse 12 is a humble statement by Paul. He is trying to make them understand the equality of the believers in Christ.

Romans 1:13 "Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles."

Paul had felt even when he was at Ephesus, and Corinth, that God wanted him to go to Rome. He had desired from the beginning of his missionary journeys to go to his father's people, the Romans, and minister to them. Rome was a center of trade, and if the gospel of Jesus Christ could be established in Rome it could affect all of Europe.

Paul explains here, that he must continue to minister to the other Gentiles God has sent him to, until he gets to Rome.

Scripture catalogs 3 kinds of spiritual fruit:

Spiritual attitudes that characterize a Spirit led believer,
Righteous actions,
New converts.

In this context, Paul is probably referring to the third one, a desire that was eventually realized during his imprisonment in Rome.

Romans 1:14 "I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise."

Debtor: Paul had an obligation to God to fulfill His divine mandate to minister to Gentiles.

This is just another way of saying that God is no respecter of persons. God wants the wise Greeks and the unwise to know Him. The very educated Greeks thought all others to be barbarians. They were extremely proud of their schools of learning. Worldly education however, does not impress God. God's message is for those who believe themselves to be high and mighty and also for the lowly. I have observed through the years that it is more difficult for those who think themselves wise to receive the good news of Jesus Christ than it is for the humble uneducated person. The wise person must figure everything out with his or her mind. Christianity is of the heart.

Romans 1:15 "So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also."

Paul is saying here that he will do everything he can to come to Rome and preach. In the book of Acts, we find that Paul did make it to Rome and preached in his home while he was under house arrest. All true ministers of God are the happiest when they can bring the true Word of God and see someone saved.

Verses 16 and 17 crystallize the thesis of the entire book, the gospel of Jesus Christ, which Paul will unfold and explain in the following chapters.

Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."

Not ashamed: Neither ridicule, criticism or physical persecution, could curb Paul's boldness. He had been imprisoned in Philippi, chased out of Thessalonica, smuggled out of Berea, laughed at in Athens, regarded as a fool in Corinth, and stoned in Galatia, but Paul remained eager to preach the gospel in Rome.

Power: The English word "dynamite" comes from this Greek word. Although the message may sound foolish to some, the gospel is effective because it carries with it the omnipotence of God. Only God's power is able to overcome man's sinful nature and give him new life.

Salvation: Used 5 times in Romans, this key word basically means "deliverance" or "rescue". The power of the gospel delivers people from lostness, from the wrath of God, from willful spiritual ignorance, from evil self-indulgence and from the darkness of false religion. It rescues them from the ultimate penalty of their sin, i.e. the eternal separation from God and eternal punishment.

Believeth: To trust, rely on, or have faith in. When used of salvation, this word usually occurs in the present tense "is believing", which stresses that faith is not simply a one-time event, but an ongoing condition. True saving faith is supernatural, a gracious gift of God that He produces in the heart and is the only means by which a person can appropriate true righteousness.

Saving faith consists of 3 elements.

Mental: the mind understands the gospel and the truth about Christ,
Emotional: one embraces the truthfulness of those facts with sorrow over sin and joy over God's mercy and grace,
Volitional: the sinner submits his will to Christ and trust in Him alone as the only hope of salvation.

Genuine faith will always product authentic obedience (See 4:3).

Jew First: God chose Israel to be His witness nation and gave her distinct privileges. Christ's ministry was first to Israel, and it was through Israel that salvation was to come to the world.

Romans 1:17 "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith."

"Righteousness of God" is better translated: "righteousness from God." A major theme of the book, appearing over 30 times in one form or another, righteousness is the state or condition of perfectly conforming to God's perfect law and holy character. Man falls woefully short of the divine standard of moral perfection, but the gospel revels that on the basis of faith, and faith alone, God will impute His righteousness to ungodly sinners.

From faith to faith: This may be a parallel expression to "everyone who believes". As if Paul were singling out the faith of each individual believer, from one person's faith to another's faith to another's and so on. Or, each person has a portion of faith, but some seem to have more than others.

To make our faith stronger, we must use it. Each time we depend on our faith it becomes stronger. This (faith to faith), above just means that trials come and we must have faith to overcome each trial; as we do, our faith grows. The "just" means, as we have said before, just as if we had never sinned. Faith is believing in our hearts in things we cannot see with our physical eyes.

Romans 1:18 "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;"

This is not an impulsive outburst of anger aimed capriciously at people whom God does not like. It is the settled, determined response of a righteous God against sin.

"Is revealed": More accurately, "is constantly revealed". The word essentially means "to uncover, make visible, or make known." God reveals His wrath in two ways:

Indirectly, through the natural consequences of violating His universal moral law,
Directly through His personal intervention. The Old Testament record for the sentence passed on Adam and Eve to the worldwide flood, from the fire and brimstone that leveled Sodom to the Babylonian captivity, clearly displays this kind of intervention.

The most graphic revelation of God's holy wrath and hatred against sin was when He poured out divine judgment on His Son on the cross.

God has various kinds of wrath:

Eternal wrath, which is hell,
Eschatological wrath, which is the final Day of the Lord,
Cataclysmic wrath like the flood and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah,
Consequential wrath, which is the principle of sowing and reaping,
The wrath of abandonment, which is removing restraint and letting people go to their sins.

Here it is that fifth form. God's abandoning the wicked continually through history to pursue their sin and its consequences.

"Ungodliness": This indicates a lack of reverence for, devotion to, and worship of the true God. A defective relationship with Him.

"Unrighteousness": This refers to the result of ungodliness: a lack of conformity in thought, word and deed to the character and law of God.

"Hold the truth in unrighteousness": Although the evidence from conscience, creation and God's Word is irrefutable, men choose to resist and oppose God's truth by holding fast to their sin.

Romans 1:19 "Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed [it] unto them."

Manifest means to make visible, real, or to make known. God has not hidden Himself. He has made Himself real to mankind throughout all ages in his creation. He has especially shown Himself to mankind in His Son (Jesus Christ).

God has sovereignty planted evidence of His existence in the very nature of man by reason and moral law.

Romans 1:20 "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:"

"Invisible things": Or attributes, referring specifically to the two mentioned in this verse.

"The things that are made": The creation delivers a clear, unmistakable message about God's person.
"His eternal power": The Creator, who made all that we see around us and constantly sustains it, must be a being of awesome power.

"They are without excuse:" God holds all men responsible for their refusal to acknowledge what He has shown them of Himself in His creation. Even those who have never had an opportunity to hear the gospel, have received a clear witness about the existence and character of God and have suppressed it. If a person will respond to the revelation he has, even if it is solely natural revelation, God will provide some means for that person to hear the gospel. (Acts 8:26-39; 10:1-48; 17:27).

Romans 1:21 "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified [him] not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened."

"Knew God": Man is conscious of God's existence, power and divine nature through general revelation. (verses 19-20).

"They glorified him not": Man's chief end is to glorify God, and Scripture constantly demands it. To glorify Him is to honor Him, to acknowledge His attributes, and to praise Him for His perfections. It is to recognize His glory and extol Him for it. Failing to give Him glory is man's greatest affront to his Creator.

"Neither were thankful": They refused to acknowledge that every good thing they enjoyed came from God.

"Vain in their imaginations": meaning futile in their thoughts. Man's search for meaning and purpose will produce only vain, meaningless conclusions.

"Heart was darkened": When man rejects the truth, the darkness of spiritual falsehood replaces it.

Romans Chapter 1 Continued Questions

What is Paul trying to convey to these people of Rome when he speaks of their mutual faith?
In verse 13 what does Paul want them to not be ignorant of?
What did Paul want to have among them in verse 13?
When had Paul known God intended him to go to Rome?
Who were Paul's father's people?
If the gospel of Christ were preached at Rome, why would it help all of Europe?
What 2 did Paul say he was debtor to?
Who did the educated Greeks think all others were?
Who is it more difficult for to receive the message of salvation?
In verse 15 Paul said, he was ready to do what?
What unusual circumstance did Paul preach under in Rome?
What did Paul say he was not ashamed of?
Who is salvation for?
In what order was salvation offered?
What does Romans chapter 10 verse 9 say about salvation?
Who did Jesus bring the message to first?
When did this change?
Why did Paul keep trying to preach to the Jews, when God had called him to the Gentiles?
What does believeth mean?
Verse 17 says, the righteousness of God is revealed from ____ to ____.
The ____ shall live by faith.
What does Hebrews chapter 11 verse 6 say about faith?
What 2 things is the wrath of God revealed from heaven against?
Show 2 instances in the Old Testament where God sent His wrath.
Show one New Testament Scripture where God's wrath is shown to someone.
Why do some people think the Lord is slack in coming back to the earth?
What does manifest mean?
Why does verse 20 say everyone is without excuse?
What does Colossians chapter 2 verse 9 say about Jesus?
What reveals God to us, even if we have never heard a sermon?
Verse 21 says, they became vain in their ____.
What happened to their heart in verse 21?
What is at enmity against God?
The walk in God's Light is what kind of walk?

Romans Chapter 1 Second Continued

Romans 1:22 "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,"

Man rationalizes his sin and proves his utter foolishness by devising and believing his own philosophies about God, the universe and himself.

Romans 1:23 "And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things."

The children of Israel, on the way to the Promised Land, tired waiting for Moses to come down from the mountain of God. They talked Aaron into making them a golden calf that they could worship. God is the Creator not the created. Those that worship things they can see with their physical eyes are worshipping idols.

They are substituting the worship of idols for the worship of the true God. Historians report that many ancient cultures did not originally have idols. The historian Eusebius reported that the oldest civilizations had no idols. The earliest record of idolatry was among Abram's family in Ur. (Joshua 24:2). Although the false gods which men worship do not exist, demons often impersonate them.

Romans 1:24 "Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves:"

"God gave them up" is a judicial term in Greek used for handling over a prisoner to his sentence. When men consistently abandon God, He will abandon them. He accomplishes this:

Indirectly and immediately, by removing His restraint and allowing their sin to run its inevitable course,
Directly and eventually, by specific acts of divine judgment and punishment.

"Uncleanness": A general term often used of decaying matter, like the contents of a grave. It speaks here of sexual immorality which begins in the heart and moves to the shame of the body.

Our heart condition determines what we are.

Luke 6:45 "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh."

An evil heart desires evil. Our body (if we are Christians), is the temple of the Holy Spirit of God. If we involve our bodies in sin, we have involved the Holy Spirit's dwelling place. That is why I personally believe sex sin of every kind to be very evil. Homosexuality, lesbianism, and adultery are 3 of the worst type sins a person can commit, because they are all 3 sins that involve the body. The first 2 are even worse than adultery, because they are unnatural. We will read of all this in the next few verses.

Romans 1:25 "Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen."

A denial of God's existence and His right to be obeyed and glorified.

Which is greater, the thing created or the Intelligence who created it? You know the answer, the "Creator". In our society things like cars and homes are worshipped too. We must first realize who God is and then worship Him alone. Just the fact that He is eternal sets Him aside from all His creation. Amen means (so be it).

Romans 1:26-27 "For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:" "And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet."

In these two verses, Paul mentions the woman first to show the extent of debauchery under the wrath of abandonment, because in most cultures women are the last to be affected by moral collapse.

God turned His back to these lesbians and homosexuals. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by God for this very sin. It is natural for Paul to write of this particular sin to the Romans, because this very sin was rampant in their society. God calls this sin an abomination. It is also called against nature, which God created.

Sex is for the procreation of life and these unnatural uses do not create life, they create death. Notice the last sentence of verse 27 "the recompense of their error which was meet", (due). God's wrath will fall on this person for this type of sin if they do not repent. Fire and brimstone at Sodom and AIDS in our society today is the wrath of God on a sinful generation.

Romans 1:28 "And even as they did not like to retain God in [their] knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;"

Reprobate or debased mind, in the sense it is used here, means (worthless, castaway, or rejected). Debased translates a Greek word that means "not passing the test." It was often used to describe useless, worthless metals, discarded because they contained too much impurity. God has tested some mans' minds and found them worthless and useless.

God has turned away from this type person, because they have rejected God and all His teachings. I believe it is possible for a homosexual or lesbian to be saved, but only if they walk away from their old life. I do not believe a person practicing homosexuality or lesbianism is saved. Things which are not convenient: means against nature.

Verse 28 is saying that the Holy Spirit stops pursuing them for salvation.

Romans 1:29-31 "Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers," "Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents," "Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:"

In verse 29 we see where the reprobate mind leads to all unrighteousness. Fornication has to do with sex sin (adultery is one example), and also spiritual adultery (idolatry). Covetousness includes greediness, wanting what others have, and fraud or extortion. Maliciousness means all sorts of evil and meanness. Malignity means bad character. We know that covenant breakers are those who do not honor agreements they have made. Implacable means a truce breaker.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come." "For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy," "Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good," "Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;" "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."

Can't you see our day here? This describes our day perfectly. These verses in 2 Timothy and in the Scriptures of Romans that we have been reading describe a people who are out of fellowship with God. We must repent and change now before God has turned our whole nation over to a reprobate mind. It is time to repent and turn to God.

Drug and alcohol problems will go away when we give our life to God. The answer for all of us is to heed the Scripture in 2 Chronicles:

2 Chronicles 7:14 "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

Romans 1:32 "Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them."

This is not just ignorance but blatant rebellion. We know that God is displeased. Just look around you. The weather pattern is messed up. inflation is great, earthquakes have increased and in fact all storms have worsened. AIDS and a lot of other incurable diseases have many people frightened. The threat of nuclear war is ever present. The normal life we used to have is now out of control. It seems we cannot depend on anything.

Luke 21:26 "Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken."

WE HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO REPENT AND TURN TO GOD NOW.

Romans Chapter 1 Second Continued Questions

Professing themselves to be wise they became _____________.
They changed the glory of the incorruptible God to what?
When the Israelites were waiting for Moses to come down from the mountain, what terrible thing did they do?
When you worship things you can see with your eyes, you are worshipping what?
In verse 24 God gave them up to what?
They dishonored their own_________ between themselves.
Luke chapter 6 verse 45 tells us what about the beast?
Why is sex sin so bad?
What are 3 terrible sins God calls abominations?
Verse 25 says, they changed the Truth of God into what?
They worshipped what?
Which is greater, the Creator or the thing He created?
What are some things falsely worshipped in our society today?
What does Amen mean?
In verse 26, why did God turn them over to vile affections?
What does (recompense of their error which was meet), mean?
What 2 Old Testament cities were destroyed, because their people were homosexuals?
What is sex really intended for?
What in our society today does the author believe is punishment for homosexuality?
What kind of mind did God turn them over to, because they did not retain God in their knowledge?
What is meant by not convenient?
Verse 29 says, that they who are away from God are filled with what?
What is fornication?
What is covetousness?
What does implacable mean?
What day is 2 Timothy speaking of?
What type of society is this speaking of?
In 2 Chronicles chapter 7 verse 14, what is the solution to our problems?
People who commit the sins mentioned are worthy of what?
They not only do the sin, but have pleasure in what?
In Luke chapter 21 verse 26, we see a society full of what?
What are they afraid of?

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Romans 2

Romans Chapter 2

Having demonstrated the sinfulness of the immoral pagan in chapter (1:18-32), Paul presents his case against the religious moralist, Jew or Gentile, by cataloging 6 principals that govern God's judgment.

(1) Knowledge (verse 1);

(2) Truth (verses 2-3);

(3) Guilt (verses 4-5);

(4) Deeds (verses 6-10);

(5) Impartiality (verses 11-15);

(6) Motive (verse 16).

Romans 2:1 "Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things."

It is very easy for us to see sin in other's lives when many times we are unable to see the very same sin in our own life. Many ministers have the attitude that they are exempt, because they preach. The same law applies to us all. There are not 2 sets of rules; one for the congregation and one for the preacher. "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God". Everyone needs Jesus as Savior and Lord.

Both Jews who was Paul's primary audience here, and moral Gentiles who think they are exempt from God's judgment because they have not indulged in the immoral excesses described (in chapter 1), are tragically mistaken. They have more knowledge than the immoral pagan and thus a greater accountability.

"Condemn thyself:" If someone has sufficient knowledge to judge others, he condemns himself, because he shows he has the knowledge to evaluate his own condition.

"Doest the same things:" In their condemnation of others they have excused and overlooked their own sins. Self righteousness exists because of two deadly errors.

(1) Minimizing God's moral standard usually by emphasizing externals; and

(2) Underestimating the depth of one's own sinfulness.

Romans 2:2 "But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things."

God will not punish anyone on hear-say evidence. God judges in Truth. He knows what the Truth is even before we begin.

"According to the truth": The meaning is 'right." Whatever God does, is by nature right.

Romans 2:3 "And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?"

This was covered in depth in verse one above.

"Condemn thyself:" If someone has sufficient knowledge to judge others, he condemns himself, because he shows he has the knowledge to evaluate his own condition.

Romans 2:4 "Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?"

"Despisest": Meaning to despise or to think down on, thus to underestimate someone's or something's value, and even to treat with contempt.

"Goodness": This refers to "common grace," the benefits God bestows on all men.

"Forbearance": This word, which means "to hold back," was sometimes used of a truce between warring parties. Rather than destroying every person the moment he or she sins, God graciously holds back His judgment. He saves sinners in a physical and temporal way from what they deserve, to show them His saving character, that they might come to Him and receive salvation that is spiritual and eternal.

"Longsuffering:" This word indicates the duration for which God demonstrates His goodness and forbearance, for long periods of time.

Together these three words speak of God's common grace, the way He demonstrates His grace to all mankind.

"Repentance": The act of turning from sin to Christ for forgiveness and salvation.

Romans 2:5 "But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;"

The English word "sclerosis" (as in arteriosclerosis, a hardening of the arteries), comes from the Greek word. But here the danger is not physical, but spiritual hardness.

"Impenitent heart": A refusal to repent and accept God's pardon of sin through Jesus and cling to one's sin is to accumulate more of God's wrath and earn a severer judgment.

"Day of wrath ... judgment": Refers to the final judgment of wicked men that comes at the Great White Throne at the end of the Millennium.

Although Scripture everywhere teaches that salvation is not on the basis of works, it consistently teaches that God's judgment is always on the basis of a man's deeds.

Paul describes the deeds of two distinct groups: the redeemed (in verses 7 and 10), and the unredeemed as shown (in 8-9). The deeds of the redeemed are not the basis of their salvation but the evidence of it. They are not perfect and are prone to sin, but there is undeniable evidence of righteousness in their lives.

Romans 2:6 "Who will render to every man according to his deeds:"

We are all storing up things in heaven now. Some who walk in the Light of Jesus are storing up good treasures in heaven.

Matthew 6:19-21 "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:" "But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:" "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

If our deeds are evil, the wrath of God will be our just payment. If we are working for God, only a warm welcome awaits us, and the statement (well done thy good and faithful servant). In (verse 7), we see the rewards awaiting the believer.

Romans 2:7 "To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life:"

Notice that even though eternal life is a free gift; we must continue walking in the salvation Jesus has provided for us. We must continue walking in the Light. We must be doing the Word and not just hearing the Word.

Verse seven is not simply speaking in duration, because even unbelievers will live forever, but also in quality. Eternal life is a kind of life, the holy life that the eternal God has given to believers.

We see (in verse 8), what awaits those who are not walking with Jesus in His Light.

Romans 2:8 "But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,"

God is not unaware. He will punish those who do not obey. From Genesis to Revelation, we see blessings for those who live for God and curses to those who are the children of disobedience.

Romans 2:9-10 "Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;" "But glory, honor, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:"

Just as the Jews were given the first opportunity to hear and respond to the gospel, they will be first to receive God's judgment if they refuse. Israel will receive severer punishment because she was given greater light and blessing.

Romans 2:11 "For there is no respect of persons with God."

God is not impressed with our worldly wealth, importance, position, influence, popularity or appearance. We are what we are, because God chose for it to be that way. If you are jealous of some one's wealth or place in society, blame God. The real reason might be that God could not trust you with the wealth or importance. It might even be for your own good.

We do not even choose our own nationality, God does. We were born and raised in a particular family because God arranged it that way. Why should anyone be so proud of themselves, this being the case? The only wealth that really amounts to anything, is what we have stored in heaven.

Romans 2:12 "For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;"

"Sinned without law": The Gentiles who never had the opportunity to know God's moral law will be judged on their disobedience in relationship to their limited knowledge as we studied (in chapter 1:19-20).

"Sinned in the law": The Jews and many Gentiles who had access to God's moral law will be accountable for their greater knowledge.

To those whom much is given much is required.

Luke 12:48: "But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few [stripes]. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more."

The Lord is a just God. He judges each according to their knowledge. If we know to do good and do it not, it is counted sin to us.

3 John 1:11 "Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God."

We mentioned before that even nature tells you of God. Our conscience tells us when we are sinning. We all know right from wrong. The Jew had the law, so they will be judged by their law, if they do not receive Jesus. All will be judged guilty of sin, who have not accepted complete pardon through Jesus Christ our Lord. All deserve death. We receive our life in Jesus Christ who is Life.

Romans 2:13 "(For not the hearers of the law [are] just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified."

Just to hear the law and to do nothing about it would not help at all, or just hearing about Jesus will not save you either. We must act upon what we hear. The burden is laid on the person receiving salvation to accept it. We have a free will which God will not violate.

Romans 10:9-10 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath 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."

Romans 2:14 "For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:"

Without knowing the written law of God, people in pagan society generally value and attempt to practice its most basic tenets. This is normal for cultures instinctively to value justice, honesty, compassion and goodness toward others, reflecting the divine law written in the heart.

"Law unto themselves": Their practice of some good deeds and their aversion to some evil ones demonstrate an innate knowledge of God's law, a knowledge that will actually witness against them on the day of judgment.

Romans 2:15 "Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and [their] thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)"

"Work of the law": Probably best understood as "the same works the Mosaic law prescribes."

"Conscience": Literal meaning "with knowledge." That instinctive sense of right and wrong, that produces guilt when violated. In addition to an innate awareness of God's law, men have a warning system that activates when they choose to ignore or disobey that law.

Paul urges believers not to violate their own consciences or cause others to, because repeatedly ignoring the conscience's warnings desensitizes it and eventually silences it.

Romans Chapter 2 Questions

Therefore thou art ____ O man, whosoever thou art that judgest another.
Why is this true?
Do ministers have some special agreement with God where they can sin and not be guilty?
How are our sins washed away?
What is God's judgement according to?
Who will be judged of God?
What does 2nd Peter chapter 3 verse 9 tell us about the second coming of Christ?
Those with hardness and impenitent hearts treasure up what unto themselves?
God will render to every man according to his ________________.
What does Matthew chapter 6 verses 19 through 21 tell us about treasures?
What does every Christian want to hear from God?
Verse 7 says, to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek what?
What awaits the contentious who do not obey?
What opposites do we see from Genesis to Revelation about God's judgement?
To the ____________ first and also to the ___________________.
What 3 things await every man that worketh good?
What is verse 11 really telling us about God's attitude toward mankind?
Those who had the law will be judged by what?
Where do you find (For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required)?
What does 3 John 11 tell us about who is of God?
Who will be judged guilty of sin?
Not the hearers of the law are just before God, but who?
Where do we find what we must do to be saved?
Who had the law?
Where does Jesus write the law, if we are Christians?
What bears witness of guilt or innocence?
Galatians chapter 3 verse 24 tells us the law was what?
Hebrews 10:16 tells us Jesus will put his law 2 places, where are they?
Why are the secrets just to man?
Does God judge our deeds or our heart?

Romans Chapter 2 Continued

Romans 2:16 "In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel."

The day is referring to the "final day of judgment".

"Secrets" primarily refers to the motives that lie behind men's actions.

1 John 3:21 "Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, [then] have we confidence toward God."

God judges the heart. Your sins may be secret to man, but nothing is hidden from God. Jesus Christ is the Judge of all of us. We will stand or fall by Him. If He is our Savior and Lord we will go to heaven, if we have not accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we are lost.

"My Gospel": Not his own personal message, but the divinely revealed message of Jesus Christ which is "good news" in light of the bad news of judgment.

Romans 2:17 Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God,"

Previously called Hebrews and Israelites, by the first century "Jew" had become the most common name for the descendants of Abraham through Isaac. "Jew" comes from "Judah," (meaning praise), one of the twelve tribes and the designation for the southern half of Solomon's kingdom after his death.

From the time of the Babylonian captivity, the whole race bore this title. Their great heritage, however, became a source of pride and complacency which led to judgment instead of praise.

The Jews knew they were God's chosen. They were proud, but they looked down on those who were not Jews thinking themselves better than others. Paul is telling them here that it is wrong to depend on the fact of their Jewish heritage to save them.

Romans 2:18 "And knowest [his] will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law;"

Paul tells these self-righteous people that they are without excuse. They had the law, yet they did not understand. They were trying to instruct others and didn't even comprehend themselves.

1 Corinthians 1:31″ That, according as it is written, He THAT GLORIETH, LET HIM GLORY in the Lord."

Romans 2:19-20 "And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness," An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law."

Their form of religion was just that, a form. This was a technical keeping of the law without any understanding of what the law really stood for. Because they possessed the law, the Jews were confident that they were spiritually superior teachers; guides to blind pagans, wise in God's ways, and able to teach babes.

This is like memorizing a bunch of words without any idea of what they meant. There is no purpose in memorizing, unless you know what the meaning of the Scripture is. God is not pleased with us technically keeping His laws. He wants our love and obedience.

The Light of God is something you can not turn on and off. If you have the Light, it shines in your life not just one day a week. If you feel you have got to go to church, you probably don't have the Light. It should be a joy for a Christian to go to church. Church should not be an obligation that you fulfill. To go to church should be the desire of your heart.

Romans 2:21 "Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?"

Matthew 7:4-5 "Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam [is] in thine own eye?" "Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye."

This scripture is saying "practice what you preach".

Most preachers will tell you, when they are preaching, the message is for them as well as the congregation.

Romans 2:22 "Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?"

Many ministers in our day need to review this verse. Ministers are not exempt from God's laws. We must not be just hearers but doers of God's law.

James 1:23-25 "For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:" "For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was." "But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth [therein], he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed."

The best sermon any man or woman can preach is the one we live every day of our life. Here we are not only talking about ministers, but every Christian's walk

Romans 2:23 "Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonorest thou God?"

The law was given by God to help mankind. These Jewish leaders had twisted God's law to fit what they wanted. Many of the customs they required the people to do, they did not do themselves. They had no feelings about putting burdens on others, but were not willing to do them themselves. The high priest's office was founded to be a go between for God and his people. It was originated as an honorable holy office. By the time this was written, it had decayed into something terrible. They were even buying the priesthood. These had become power lovers, rather than men of God.

Romans 2:24 "For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written."

This is quoted from (Isaiah 52:5).

These Jews had missed the whole point of being the chosen of God to have the law. Just their arrogant behavior made the non Jews think that it was not good to be a believer. Instead of them living a better life for having known God, they oppressed others and ran them away from God.

Romans 2:25 "For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision."

For the Jew, circumcision was a sign of the covenant. Here is a complete definition of circumcision as given in Genesis 17:11. Cutting away of the male foreskin was not entirely new in this period of history, but the special religious and theocratic significance then applied to it was entirely new. Thus identifying the circumcised as belonging to the physical and ethnical lineage of Abraham. Without divine revelation, the rite would not have had this distinctive significance, thus it remained a theocratic distinctive of Israel.

There was a health benefit, since disease could be kept in the folds of the foreskin, so that removing it prevented that. Historically, Jewish women have had the lowest rate of cervical cancer. But the symbolism had to do with the need to cut away sin and be cleansed. It was the male organ which most clearly demonstrated the depth of depravity because it carried the seed that produced depraved sinners. Thus, circumcision symbolized the need for a profoundly deep cleansing to reverse the effects of depravity.

Under the new covenant provided by Jesus which is the covenant of grace, the meaning of circumcision has to do with the heart.

1 Corinthians 7:19 "Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God."

Philippians 3:3: "For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh."

Romans 2:26 "Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?"

God will regard the believing Gentile as favorably as a circumcised, believing Jew.

Colossians 3:11 "Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond [nor] free: but Christ [is] all, and in all."

The circumcision that counts is of the heart and not of the flesh. God is not interested in our flesh. He is Spirit and He is interested in our spirit which is made in His image.

Matthew 6:28-34 "And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:" "And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." "Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, [shall he] not much more [clothe] you, O ye of little faith?" "Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?" "(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things." "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." "Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day [is] the evil thereof."

Jesus also came to heal our bodies.

3 John 1:2 "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth."

Romans 2:27 "And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfill the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?"

A Gentile's humble obedience to the law should serve as a stern rebuke to a Jew who, in spite of his great advantage, lives in disobedience.

"To whom much is given, much is required". These Gentiles were living better lives with less knowledge than the Jews. These Jews are not setting the good example for God that that they need to.

Galatians 6:15 "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature."

Romans 2:28-29 "For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither [is that] circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:" "But he [is] a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision [is that] of the heart, in the spirit, [and] not in the letter; whose praise [is] not of men, but of God."

"He is a Jew": A true child of God; the true spiritual seed of Abraham.

"Circumcision is that of the heart": The outward rite is of value only when it reflects the inner reality of a heart separated from sin unto God.

"Spirit...letter": Salvation results from the work of God's Spirit in the heart, not mere external efforts to conform to His law.

In the case above, it would be possible for a Gentile to be a better Jew than the natural Jew, because the Gentiles' heart is right with God. God looks on the heart of man and judges the heart. Only you and God know the relation that you have with God. Men look at the outward man, but God sees the heart.

Romans Chapter 2 Continued Questions

1. God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to what?

2. In the day refers to what?

3. God judges what part of his body in a man?

4. Who is the judge of all?

5. In first century what was the most common name for the descendants of Abraham?

6. Where does the term Jew come from?

7. What does Judah mean?

8. Who was God's chosen?

9. It should be a joy for a Christian ___ ___ ___ _________.

10. What does "thou therefore which teaches another, teaches not thy self" Mean?

11. We must not just be _________ but ______ of God's Law.

12. What is the best sermon any man or woman can preach?

13. What was the High Priest's office founded for?

14. What had the arrogant behavior of the Jews do to the non Jews?

15. For the Jew, circumcision was a sign of what?

16. What was the symbolism of circumcision?

17. How will God regard the believing Gentile?

18. The circumcision that counts is what?

19. O ye of ________ ________.

20. But seek ye first the ____________ of _____.

21. To whom _______ is ________, much is ___________.

22. Circumcision in verse 29 is that of what?

23. Is it possible for a Gentile to be a better Jew than a natural Jew?

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Romans 3

Romans Chapter 3

Romans 3:1 "What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit [is there] of circumcision?"

Paul asks this question as if another Jew is asking. It seems that the covenant that God made with Abraham (circumcision), is no advantage at all. Paul asks, what is the reason for circumcision, if it does not benefit the Jew?

Romans 3:2 "Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God."

The non-Jew up until the time of Jesus had no chance of learning of the true God. The law was revealed to the natural Jew only at that time. The promises made were for the physical house of Israel until Jesus tore the middle wall of partition down in the temple when He gave His body on the cross for all mankind. The promise of the Messiah was to the physical house of Israel. The physical house of Israel (Jew), was the one taught in the temple, the laws of God. They were the privileged few.

"Oracles": This Greek word is logian, a diminutive form of the common New Testament word logos, which is normally translated "word." These are important sayings or messages, especially supernatural ones.

Here Paul uses the word to encompass the entire Old Testament, the Jews received the very words of the true God. The Jews had a great advantage in having the Old Testament, because it contained the truth about salvation and about the gospel in its basic form. When Paul said "preach the Word", he meant the oracles of God recorded in scripture.

Romans 3:3 "For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?"

The fact that some reject the Truth does not make it any less the Truth. Some have not the faith. Without faith, it is impossible to please God.

We see in these Scriptures just what it takes to be saved.

God will fulfill all the promises He made to the nation, even if individual Jews are not able to receive them because of their unbelief.

Romans 3:4 "God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged."

If all mankind were to agree that God had been unfaithful to His promises, it would only prove that all are liars and God is true.

Psalms 116:11 "I said in my haste, All men [are] liars."

Hebrews 6:17-18 "Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed [it] by an oath:" "That by two immutable things, in which [it was] impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:"

In the last 2 scriptures of Hebrews, you see the word immutable. Immutable means unchangeable or always the same. We see above that men are liars, but it is impossible for God to lie, since He is the Truth. "Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life". Every man and woman (one at a time), shall stand before this absolute Truth and be judged. We will be justified by Jesus Christ when we Christians stand before Him. Those who rejected Jesus as their personal Savior will be without excuse.

Romans 5-8: Paul anticipates and answers the objection that his teaching actually impugned the very holiness and purity of God's character.

Romans 3:5 "But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? [Is] God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man)"

"Commend the righteousness of God": By contrast, like a jeweler who displays a diamond on black velvet to make the stone appear even more beautiful. (defined: to express approval of; praise; to praise or acclaim).

"I speak as a man": He is simply paraphrasing the weak, unbiblical logic of his opponents, the product of their natural, unregenerate minds.

We have no righteousness except that purchased for us by the Lord Jesus Christ. Because we are unrighteous, do we presume to judge God for taking vengeance on our unrighteousness? As I said before, those who do not accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and take on His righteousness are without excuse and deserve God's vengeance.

Romans 3:6 "God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?"

Paul's point is that if God condoned sin, He would have no equitable, righteous basis for judgement.

One thing we can surely depend on is that God is just. God has made a way out for the unrighteous. They must accept Jesus as Savior and Lord and then they will be judged righteous, because they have taken on Jesus' righteousness. There are only 2 types of people as far as God is concerned (those who accept Jesus and those who do not).

Romans 3:7 "For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner?"

We might try to justify our sin before God, telling God that our lie makes His Truth even greater, but He will not go for that flimsy excuse.

Romans 3:8 "And not [rather], (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just."

Paul is saying, here, that some liars are going around saying, that He says do evil so that God's good will be greater. Paul just simply says they are lying. They not only lie, but their condemnation is just.

Tragically, the apostle's gospel message of salvation by grace through faith alone had been perverted by his opponents who argued it provided not only a license to sin, but outright encouragement to do so (see 5:20; 6:1-2).

In verses 9-20 Paul concludes his indictment of mankind with this summary: Jew and Gentile alike stand guilty before God.

Romans 3:9 "What then? are we better [than they]? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;"

"Are we better": "We", probably refers to the Christians in Rome who will receive this letter. Christians do not have an intrinsically superior nature to all those Paul has shown to stand under God's condemnation.

"Under sin" means completely enslaved and dominated by sin.

Romans 3:10 "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:"

In the 23rd verse of this chapter Paul makes it very clear that all have sinned.

Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"

Psalms 14:1 "The fool hath said in his heart, [There is] no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, [there is] none that doeth good."

The Jews could not and did not keep the law and the heathen did not even have a law to keep. Man is universally evil. All have sinned, but praise God, He sent a Savior named Jesus Christ. His righteousness is what we must have. Our righteousness is but filthy rags.

Romans 3:11 "There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God."

"None ... understandeth": Man is unable to comprehend the truth of God or grasp His standard of righteousness. Sadly, his spiritual ignorance does not result from a lack of opportunity, but is an expression of his depravity and rebellion.

"None ... seeketh": This verse clearly implies that the world's false religions are fallen man's attempts to escape the true God, not to seek Him. Man's natural tendency is to seek his own interest, but his only hope is for God to seek him. It is only as a result of God's work in the heart that anyone seeks Him.

This describes our generation perfectly. It seems there is no one seeking after God; or at least very few. If we seek God we will find Him.

Matthew 7:7 "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:"

Romans 3:12 "They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one."

Even the Jews who had the law were not keeping it. The priests were twisting the law around and carrying their own customs out in the temple rather than carrying out God's law. Jesus came to save the lost world. Just as this Scripture says, no one truly deserves to be saved.

Basically meaning: "To go or choose the wrong way", much as a soldier running the wrong way or deserting. All men are inclined to leave God's way and pursue their own.

"None that doeth good": Nine times (in verses 10-17), Paul uses words such as "none" and "all" to show the universality of human sin and rebellion.

Romans 3:13 "Their throat [is] an open sepulcher; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps [is] under their lips:"

There is a similar Scripture in Psalms.

Psalms 140:3 "They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison [is] under their lips. Selah."

We see from this that the tongue can be a very evil and hurtful instrument when it speaks from an evil heart. I believe that is what is meant by the throat being an open sepulcher. Look with me in the book of James to see some of this.

James 3:6-8 " And the tongue [is] a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell." "For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:" "But the tongue can no man tame; [it is] an unruly evil, full of deadly poison."

A sepulcher is a tomb or in this case, like an open grave. These were sealed not only to show respect for the deceased, but to hide the sight and stench of the body's decay. As an unsealed tomb allows those who pass to see and smell what is inside, the unregenerate man's open throat, that is the foul words that come from it, reveal the decay of his heart.

When we receive Jesus as our Savior, the very first member of our body that we should turn over to Jesus is our tongue. The natural tongue is very evil, if not controlled by the Spirit.

Romans 3:14 "Whose mouth [is] full of cursing and bitterness:"

What generation in all of history has been guiltier of cursing than the present? Every movie, or at least the vast majority of them, contains terrible cursing. Bitterness and strife are on every hand. Bitterness against parents is perhaps #1 on the list.

This is quoted from Psalm 10:7. It refers to wanting the worst for someone and publicly expressing that desire in caustic, derisive language.

Bitterness could be described as the open, public expression of emotional hostility against one's enemy.

Romans Chapter 3 Questions

1. The question in verse 1 is what?

2. What way was the physical Jew advantaged?

3. When did the Gentile first have an opportunity to know God?

4. Who was the promise of Messiah made to?

5. Does the fact that some did not believe affect the Truth?

6. Let God be ____ but every man a ____.

7. Where, in Psalms, does it say all men are liars?

8. How had God verified His promise?

9. What does immutable mean?

10. Jesus is the ______, the_________, and the _______.

11. Is God ____ who taketh vengeance?

12. How was Paul speaking in verse 5?

13. Who shall judge the world?

14. What 2 types of people are there as far as God is concerned?

15. What had been slanderously reported that Paul said?

16. Who are under sin?

17. There is ____ righteous no ____ ____.

18. In the 14th chapter of Psalms verse 1, who says there is no God?

19. We have all sinned, but what can we praise God for in this?

20. In verse 11, who seeketh after God?

21. Verse 12 says, who does good?

22. Their _________ is an open sepulcher.

23. What is said to be under the lips in verse 13?

24. What is meant by an open sepulcher?

25. What is impossible to tame other than with God's help?

26. Which generation in all of history has been more guilty of cursing than any other?

27. Ephesians 4:30-32 tell us what?

Romans Chapter 3 Continued

Verses 15-17 are quoted from Isaiah 59:7-8.

Romans 3:15 "Their feet [are] swift to shed blood:"

This is speaking of evil men. Of course, we know that some of the Jewish leaders of the church wanted all the Christians killed. They even thought they were doing God a favor to kill the Christians.

The next few verses are describing people without understanding. They are without the love of God within them. Their desire is to destroy and make others miserable. This really is like so many gangs in our country today. They have no desire to build, just to tear down and destroy what someone else has built. They like to make others miserable thinking with their perverted mind that seeing someone more miserable than themselves will bring them happiness. They are not peace makers. How could they fear what they do not know? They do not know God.

Romans 3:16 "Destruction and misery [are] in their ways:"

Man damages and destroys everything he touches, leaving a trail of pain and suffering in his wake.

Romans 3:17 "And the way of peace have they not known:"

Not the lack of an inner sense of peace, but man's tendency toward strife and conflict, whether between individuals or nations.

Romans 3:18 "There is no fear of God before their eyes."

Man's true spiritual condition is nowhere more clearly seen than in the absence of a proper submission to and reverence for God. Biblical fear for God consists of:

(1) Awe of His greatness and glory, and

(2) Dread of the results of violating that holy nature.

Romans 3:19 "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God."

This is speaking of every unredeemed human being.

Just the fact the Jews had the law did not make them not guilty of sin. In fact, if anything it made them guiltier, because they had the law and did not keep it. All have sinned. All have come short of the Glory of God.

"Every mouth ... stopped ... guilty:" There is no defense against the guilty verdict God pronounces on the entire human race.

Romans 3:20 "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law [is] the knowledge of sin."

The law just made it even more apparent that all have sinned and needed a Savior. We will read (in chapter 5 of Romans), that Jesus died for the ungodly. We cannot be good enough to be saved. Jesus Christ is the only person that ever lived without sin.

Romans 3:21 "But now. the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;"

Paul, having shown the impossibility of gaining righteousness by human effort, he turns to explain the righteousness that God Himself has provided.

This righteousness is unique:

(1) God is its source;

(2) It fulfills both the penalty and precept of God's law. Christ's death as a substitute pays the penalty exacted on those who failed to keep God's law, and His perfect obedience to every requirement of God's law fulfills God's demand for comprehensive righteousness; and

(3) Because God's righteousness is eternal, the one who receives it from Him enjoys it forever.

Doing perfectly what God's moral law required is impossible, so that every person is cursed by that inability. By the law is knowledge of sin, therefore the law only makes sin known, it cannot save. It is our schoolmaster.

Galatians 3:24: Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster [to bring us] unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

Romans 3:22 "Even the righteousness of God [which is] by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:"

True saving faith is supernatural, a gracious gift of God that He produces in the heart and is the only means by which a person can appropriate true righteousness. Saving faith consists of 3 elements:

(1) Mental: the mind understands the gospel and the truth about Christ

(2) Emotional: one embraces the truthfulness of those facts with sorrow over sin and joy over God's mercy and grace; and

(3) Volitional: the sinner submits his will to Christ and trusts in Him alone as the only hope of salvation.

Genuine faith will always produce authentic obedience.

Our righteousness is but filthy rags in ourselves. Our righteousness that is acceptable to God is the righteousness of Jesus Christ that we put on when we accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord.

Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"

This is not just the heathen, but the Jew, as well. No one can live completely free of sin. Our justification in Jesus is (justification meaning: just as if we had never sinned). We have sinned, but we are not guilty, because we have been washed in the blood of the Lamb (Jesus Christ).

These last two verses contain a parenthetical comment explaining that God can bestow His righteousness on all who believe, Jew or Gentile, because all men, without distinction, fail miserably to live up to the divine decree.

"All have sinned": Paul has made this case beginning with (1:18 - 3:20).

Romans 3:24 "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:"

This verb (justified), and related words from the same Greek root (such as justification), occur some 30 times in Romans and are concentrated (in 2:13 - 5:1). This legal or forensic term comes from the Greek word for "righteous" and means "to declare righteous." This verdict includes pardon from the guilt and penalty of sin, and the imputation of Christ's righteousness to the believer's account. Which provides for the positive righteousness man needs to be accepted by God.

God declares a sinner righteous solely on the basis of the merits of Christ's righteousness. God imputed a believer's sin to Christ's account in His sacrificial death. (Isaiah 53:4-5; 1 Peter 2:24), and He imputes Christ's perfect obedience to God's law to Christians.

The sinner receives this gift of God's grace by faith alone.

Sanctification is the work of God by which He makes righteous those whom He has already justified and is distinct from justification but without exception, always follows it.

"Freely by His grace": Justification is a gracious gift God extends to the repentant, believing sinner, wholly apart from human merit or work.

"Redemption": The imagery behind this Greek word comes from the ancient slave market. It meant paying the necessary ransom to obtain the prisoner or slave's release. The only adequate payment to redeem sinners from sin's slavery and its deserved punishment was "in Christ Jesus", and was paid to God to satisfy His justice.

Romans 3:25 "Whom God hath set forth [to be] a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;"

This great sacrifice was not accomplished in secret, but God publicly displayed His Son on Calvary for all to see.

"Propitiation": Crucial to the significance of Christ's sacrifice, this word carries the idea of appeasement or satisfaction; in this case Christ's violent death satisfied the offended holiness and wrath of God against those for whom Christ died. The Hebrew equivalent of this word was used to describe the mercy seat, the cover to the Ark of the Covenant, where the High Priest sprinkled the blood of the slaughtered animal on the Day of Atonement to make atonement for the sins of the people. In pagan religions, it is the worshiper not the god who is responsible to appease the wrath of the offended deity. But in reality, man is incapable of satisfying God's justice apart from Christ, except by spending eternity in hell.

"Forbearance": means to hold back. Rather than destroying every person the moment he or she sins, God graciously holds back His judgment.

"Remission of sins": This means neither indifference nor remission. God's justice demands that every sin and sinner be punished. God would have been just, when Adam and Eve sinned, to destroy them, and with them, the entire human race. But in His goodness and forbearance, He withheld His judgment for a certain period of time.

2 Corinthians 5:21 "For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

Romans 3:26 "To declare, [I say], at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus."

"To declare ... His righteousness": through the incarnation, sinless life, and substitutionary death of Christ.

The wisdom of God's plan allowed Him to punish Jesus in the place of sinners and thereby justify those who are guilty without compromising His justice.

Romans 3:27 "Where [is] boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith."

God disdained human wisdom, not only by disallowing it as a means to knowing Him, but also by choosing to save the lowly. He does not call to salvation many whom the world would call wise, mighty and noble.

Ephesians 2:8-10 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God:" "Not of works, lest any man should boast." "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."

God's wisdom is revealed to the foolish, weak, and common. I.e., those considered nothing by the elite, who trust in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. God clearly received all the credit and the glory for causing such lowly ones to know Him and the eternal truths of His heavenly kingdom.

No saved sinner can boast that he has achieved salvation by his intellect.

Romans 3:28 "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law."

Keeping the ordinances of the law will not do away with sin and will not save anyone. Without faith, it is impossible to please God.

Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

To find out what faith can do for you and did do for many (read all of Hebrews chapter 11).

Romans 3:29 "[Is he] the God of the Jews only? [is he] not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:"

God was the Creator of all mankind. Mankind both Jew and Gentile was made in the image of God. We are His workmanship. All He created was for the benefit of mankind. He prepared the world for man. God is God of all. We are all part of God's family. There is one God and Father of us all.

Ephesians 4:6: "One God and Father of all, who [is] above all, and through all, and in you all."

Romans 3:30 "Seeing [it is] one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith."

The circumcision are the Jews and the uncircumcision refers to the Gentile, and both can only be saved by faith in Jesus Christ.

John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

Romans 3:31 "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law."

Knowing he would be accused of antinomianism (being against the law), for arguing that a man was justified apart from keeping the law, Paul introduced here the defense he later developed (in chapters 6 and 7).

Salvation by grace through faith does not denigrate the law, but underscores its true importance:

(1) By providing a payment for the penalty of death, which the law required for failing to keep it;

(2) By fulfilling the law's original purpose, which is to serve as a tutor to show mankind's utter inability to obey God's righteous demands and to drive people to Christ; and

(3) By giving believers the capacity to obey it.

The law is not done away with by Jesus, but fulfilled in Him. The law is good. The law declares the need to be righteous. Jesus makes it possible to be righteous in Him. The law showed us our great need for Jesus as our Savior.

Romans Chapter 3 Continued Questions

In verse15, their feet are quick to do what?
In verse 16, what 2 things are in their way?
In verse 18, there is no ____ of____ before their eyes?
The law speaks to whom?
Who became guilty before God?
Who can be justified by the deeds of the law?
By what is the knowledge of sin?
Verse 21 says, 2 witnessed the righteousness of God, what were they?
The righteousness of God is by what?
Who have sinned and come short of the glory of God?
What makes Christians justified?
Who are the people around the throne in white robes in Revelation chapter 7?
We are justified freely by what?
Acts chapter 13:39, who are the justified
What is grace?
What does propitiation mean?
We must have faith in what?
Almost all things are purged by what?
What is Jesus called in verse 26?
What question is asked in verse 27?
Ephesians chapter 2:8 says, by _____ are ye saved
Ephesians 2:9 says, "Not of _____ lest any man should _____."
In Ephesians 2:10, we Christians are called what?
A man is justified by_____ without the _____ of the law.
Verse 29 says, God is who`s God?
The circumcision is justified by what?
What effect does faith have on the law?

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Romans 4

Romans Chapter 4

Romans 4:1 "What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?"

Paul here, is using a question to drive a point home. He is saying in essence, if anyone could boast of making himself acceptable to God in the flesh it would have been Abraham. Not even Abraham was justified by the outward show of his faith in God by circumcising the males. It was not the circumcising of the males that made him acceptable to God, but his great faith.

Paul uses the model of Abraham to prove justification by faith alone because the Jews held him up as the supreme example of a righteous man and because it clearly showed that Judaism with its works righteousness had deviated from the faith of the Jews' patriarchal ancestors. In a spiritual sense, Abraham was the forerunner of the primarily Gentile church in Rome as well.

Romans 4:2 "For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath [whereof] to glory; but not before God."

As we said before, Abraham did show the world of his great faith by his outward circumcision. Christians make an outward show of their decision to follow Jesus by being baptized. The truth is justification takes place in the heart. Faith takes place in the inner man. Faith pleases God. When we believe in our hearts and confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus, we are justified by the washing of His blood.

If Abraham's own works had been the basis of his justification, he would have had every right to boast in God's presence. That makes the hypothetical premise of verse 2 unthinkable.

Romans 4:3 "For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness."

Abraham believed God and left Ur of the Chaldees. He was looking for a city whose maker was God. He gave up his big home and wandered where God had sent him. He dwelled in tents waiting for the city of God. This faith Abraham had in God pleased God and Abraham was greatly blessed by God for it.

This is clearly stated in Genesis 15:6: "and he believed I the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness."

Faith is not a meritorious work. It is never the ground of justification, it is simply the channel through which it is received and it too, is a gift.

Counted or translated "imputed". Used in both financial and legal setting, this word occurs 9 times in chapter 4 alone, means to take something that belongs to someone and credit to another's account. It is a one-sided transaction, such as Abraham did nothing to accumulate it; God simply credited it to him. God took His own righteousness and credited it to Abraham as if it were actually his. This God did because Abraham believed in Him.

Galatians 3:6 "Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness."

Galatians 3:29: "And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."

Romans 4:4-5 "Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt." "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness."

Broadening his argument from Abraham to all men, the apostle here makes it clear that the forensic act of declaring a man righteous is completely apart from any kind of human work. If salvation were on the basis on one's own effort, God would owe salvation as a debt.

But salvation is always a sovereignly given gift of God's grace to those who believe. Since faith is contrasted with work, faith must mean the end of any attempt to earn God's favor through personal merit.

If work could get you into heaven, then there would be no place for faith. In the flesh, we all die, but the life of importance is in the spirit which takes faith to inherit.

No one can work themselves into heaven. That is not the key that opens the door. The key is faith without works. The secret is, after you have had faith and it has opened the door for you, then you desire to work for Him.

Galatians 2:16 "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."

So, faith plus nothing makes us righteous.

"Justifieth the ungodly": Only those who relinquish all claims to goodness and acknowledge they are ungodly are candidates for justification.

Romans 4:6 "Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,"

The word imputeth means counteth.

Psalms 32:1-2 "Blessed [is he whose] transgression [is] forgiven, [whose] sin [is] covered." "Blessed [is] the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit [there is] no guile."

Romans 4:7-8 "[Saying], Blessed [are] they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered." "Blessed [is] the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin."

In (verses 6-8), Paul gave us the scripture written by David in Psalms that was just given, written by David after his adultery with Bathsheba and his murder of her husband, Uriah. In spite of the enormity of his sin and the utter absence of personal merit, David knew the blessing of imputed righteousness.

Of course, the reason for all this is when we stand before Jesus, He will recognize His own. He has paid the price in full for all of our sin. Our sin died on the cross. We are forgiven. We are blessed, because we do not have to pay, Jesus paid for our sins in full on the cross.

In the following (verses 9-12), Paul anticipates what his Jewish readers would be thinking: If Abraham was justified by his faith alone, why did God command him and his descendants to be circumcised? His response not only answer those concerned with circumcision, but the millions who still cling to some other kind of religious ceremony or activity as their basis for righteousness.

Romans 4:9 "[Cometh] this blessedness then upon the circumcision [only], or upon the uncircumcision also?" for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.

We are looking here for justification without keeping the ceremonial law. Abraham was counted righteous before the keeping of the law. He was made righteous in God's sight before he became a physical Jew.

Acts 13:39 "And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses."

"Circumcision" is referring to the Jews and "uncircumcised" to the Gentiles.

Romans 4:10 "How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision."

The chronology of Genesis proves Paul's case as Abraham was 86 when Ishmael was born. Abraham was 99 when he was circumcised. But God declared him righteous before Ishmael had even been conceived, at least 14 years before Abraham's circumcision.

All Paul is saying is that Abraham's faith before he was circumcised was counted as righteousness to him.

1 John 5:1 "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him."

1 John 5:12 "He that hath the Son hath life; [and] he that hath not the Son of God hath not life."

We find in both these Scriptures that it is not whether you are Jew or Gentile, but where you have put your faith (in the Son of God).

Romans 4:11 "And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which [he had yet] being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:"

"Sign": This indicates man's need for spiritual cleansing and of the covenant relationship between God and His people.

"Seal": An outward demonstration of the righteousness God had credited to him by faith.

Genesis 15:6 "And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness."

You see Abraham believed, and that alone brought righteousness. The circumcision came later for an outward show to the world that he believed God.

Romans 4:12 "And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which [he had] being [yet] uncircumcised."

Just as Abraham was not justified by the rite of circumcision; neither was he justified by keeping the Mosaic law.

This just reminds us again, that Abraham is father to all who believe. For by faith are you saved.

Romans 4:13 "For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, [was] not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith."

This refers to Christ and is the essence of the covenant God made with Abraham and his descendants. The final provision of that covenant was that through Abraham's seed, all of the world would be blessed. Paul argues that "the seed" refers specifically to Christ and that this promise really constituted the gospel. All believers, by being in Christ, become heirs of the promise.

"Not through the law": that is, not as a result of Abraham's keeping the law.

"Righteousness of faith": Righteousness received from God by faith.

Galatians 3:18 "For if the inheritance [be] of the law, [it is] no more of promise: but God gave [it] to Abraham by promise."

We read who are saved in Galatians:

Galatians 3:7-9 "Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham." "And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, [saying], In thee shall all nations be blessed." "So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham."

In all of this we must see the mighty hand of God working salvation for all who have the faith to receive it. Salvation is a free gift. You must reach out and take it for it to be yours.

Romans Chapter 4 Questions

1. Who did Paul call Abraham in verse 1?

2. Why is Paul saying this in question form?

3. If anyone could boast of being worthy in the flesh (besides Jesus) who would it be?

4. Was he worthy in the flesh?

5. In verse 2, who would Abraham not be able to glory before?

6. What was the circumcision of Abraham really?

7. Where does faith take place?

8. What did Abraham do that was counted unto him for righteousness?

9. When Abraham left Ur of the Chaldees, what was he looking for?

10. In Galatians 3:29, who are Abraham's seed and heirs to the promise?

11. Verse 4 says, to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of ____.

12. In the flesh we all ____.

13. In verse 5, his faith is counted for _______________.

14. By the works of the law who is saved?

15. Who in the Old Testament described the blessedness of righteousness being counted to us without works?

16. What does the word imputeth mean?

17. Where in the Old Testament is this stated by David?

18. In verse 7, who are the blessed?

19. In verse 8, who are the blessed?

20. In Acts chapter 13 verse 39, who are justified?

21. In first John chapter 5:1, we see that all who believeth that Jesus is the Christ are what?

22. In first John chapter 5:12, he that hath the Son hath what?

23. What is circumcision called in verse 11?

24. In Genesis chapter 15, what was counted unto Abraham for righteousness?

25. Who was the father of circumcision?

26. Who was the father of faith?

27. Verse 13 tells of the promise to Abraham, what was it?

28. In Galatians 3:7, who are the children of Abraham?

29. In Galatians 3:8, who would be blessed because of Abraham?

30. Salvation is a free gift, but what is our part in it?

Romans Chapter 4 Continued

Romans 4:14 "For if they which are of the law [be] heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:"

We see the law is totally different from the justification by faith that came from Abraham. Abraham was not promised to bless all nations through the law which was given to just one nation, (Israel) but the promise came through faith. His seed that we have mentioned so many times before in these lessons is all the believers in Christ.

Galatians 3:28 "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."

Galatians 3:29 "And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."

If only those who perfectly keep the law, (an impossibility) receive the promise, faith has no value. Making a promise contingent on an impossible condition nullifies the promise.

You can easily see, if you can see heirship by work, it would not be by promise. Law is exacting and must be obeyed to the letter, but the grace of Jesus Christ leaves opportunity for repentance and new life. Abraham did not earn the right, he believed God and that was enough. God wants us to trust Him.

Actually Abraham's promise from God was two fold. He was promised in the physical the Promised Land (Israel). In the spirit these promises went much further. The promise of the spirit was not of this earth, but for the Promised Land (heaven) for all who believe.

Romans 4:15 "Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, [there is] no transgression."

How can you break a law, if there is no law? If you break the law (that you are living under), you will be punished (wrath). If there is no law, you are not punished. (There are no laws written down on paper for Christians). God's laws are written in our heart. We are pardoned by the blood of Jesus Christ.

Romans 4:16 "Therefore [it is] of faith, that [it might be] by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,"

The power of justification is God's great grace, not man's faith.

The following Scripture speaks of this grace I Corinthians 1:4 "I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;"

Grace (unmerited favor) was offered to each of us (not because we were worthy) but because God loved us each one.

2 Timothy 1:9 "Who hath saved us, and called [us] with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,"

Just the love of God provided Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord for each of us. Our obligation is to reach out and receive this gift of grace in Jesus Christ. This scripture is just saying that this is talking not only of the believing Jews, but to the believing Gentiles (which is of the faith of Abraham).

Romans 4:17 "(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, [even] God, who quickened the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were."

This Scripture has been greatly misunderstood by many.

In verse 19 you will see that Abraham experienced this first hand.

"And calleth those things which be not as though they were" is another reference to the forensic nature of justification. God can declare believing sinners to be righteous even though they are not, by imputing His righteousness to them, just as God made or declared Jesus "sin" and punished Him, though he was not a sinner. Those whom He justifies, He will conform to the image of His Son.

Many nations could not be just Israel. Israel is just one nation. This Scripture is speaking of the Jew and Gentile. The Gentiles were not, because they were heathen people. Through Jesus they are the family of God, which they had not been previously.

Here is the definition of quickened which I found might help to understand what this is saying, especially when we look at verse 19. "Quickening" - the process of showing signs of life; "the quickening of seed that will become ripe grain"

Romans 4:18 "Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be."

When the promise was given to Abraham that he would become the father of many nations, it seemed impossible. Here he and his wife Sarah were very old people and have never had any children. For a person who thought with a carnal mind this would be an impossibility. Sarah had passed the age of women to have children.

Abraham did not listen to the carnal mind, but believed all things were possible with God. His faith in God and nothing else completed his righteousness to God.

God honored his great faith and gave him a son by Sarah (Isaac). Isaac was the beginning of the promise that Abraham was to become father of many nations.

Romans 4:19 "And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb:"

You see Abraham did not think with his carnal mind. He knew all things were possible with God. God had created him in the beginning and he knew God could restore his and Sarah's youth enough that they could bring forth a child.

(All men have their measure of faith.) Abraham had great faith beyond the measure each man requires. He believed so strongly, he became known as the father of the faithful.

Romans 4:20 "He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;"

Jesus' own words. Matthew 19:26 "But Jesus beheld [them], and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible." Abraham knew in his heart that nothing was impossible to God. His faith was not of this world, but in God.

Romans 4:21 "And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform."

Abraham knew whatever God said he would do, He was perfectly capable of doing.

Believing God affirms His existence and character and thus gives Him glory.

Romans 4:22 "And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness."

"Therefore": Meaning because of his genuine faith.

Righteousness is not earned but received by faith. We are made righteous in God's sight when we are washed in the blood of the Lamb.

Romans 4:23 "Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;"

This just means that not only is faith full payment for Abraham's righteousness, but any one who has faith in Jesus Christ is counted righteous, as well.

All scripture has universal application, and Abraham's experience is no exception. If Abraham was justified by his faith, then all others are justified on the same basis.

Romans 4:24 "But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;"

Look at Romans 10:9 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."

This leaves absolutely no doubt what it takes to be saved.

Romans 4:25 "Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification."

Jesus was without sin. He was innocent of all sin. He took our sins on his body and paid our penalty in full. I should have been crucified. My sins help put Jesus on the cross.

1 Corinthians 15:3 "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;"

Isaiah 53:5 "But he [was] wounded for our transgressions, [he was] bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace [was] upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

Jesus bought us and paid for us with his own precious blood. Our salvation lies in him.

Romans Chapter 4 Continued Questions

1. In verse 14, faith is made void and the promise of none effect if who be heirs?

2. Who was the law given to?

3. How many nations does it consist of?

4. Who are Abraham's seed?

5. Where do you find the Scripture that tells who Abraham's seed are?

6. What is the physical Promised Land?

7. What is the spiritual Promised Land?

8. We find in verse 15 that the law worketh what?

9. If there is no law, there is no ___________.

10. Where are God's laws written for the Christians?

11. In verse 16, it is of faith that it might be of_________.

12. Who is the father of all who believe?

13. How was the grace of God given us?

14. What is grace?

15. Why did God offer us this grace?

16. When was this grace provided for us?

17. Who quickeneth?

18. What two Scriptures speak of the resurrection?

19. In verse 18, was it the written or spoken Word which brought this about?.

20. Why did it seem impossible for Abraham to be father of many?

21. Who was the beginning of the promise fulfilled in?

22. About how old was Abraham when Isaac was born?

23. Who did Abraham give glory to?

24. In Matthew chapter 19 verse 26, what does Jesus teach us about God?

25. What was imputed to Abraham for righteousness?

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Romans 5

Romans Chapter 5

Paul completed his case that God justifies sinners on the basis of faith alone, and he turned his pen to counter the notion that although believers receive salvation by faith, they will preserve it by good works.

He argues that they are bound eternally to Jesus Christ, preserved by His power and not by human effort.

For the Christian, the evidences of that eternal tie are:

1. His peace with God (verse 1);

2. His standing in grace (verse 2a);

3. His hope of glory (verses 2b-5a);

4. His receiving of divine love (verses 5b-8);

5. His certain escape of divine wrath (verses 9-10);

6. His joy in the Lord (verse 11).

Romans 5:1 "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:"

Justified: means just as if I had never sinned.

Being justified underscores that justification is a one time legal declaration with continuing results, not an ongoing process.

Peace comes when we are assured of our salvation. It is not an internal sense of calm and serenity, but an external, objective reality. God has declared Himself to be at war with every human being because of man's sinful rebellion against Him and His laws. The first great result of justification is that the sinner's war with God is ended forever and this scripture refers to the end of this conflict as a person's being reconciled to God.

Romans 5:2 "By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."

We have access to the Father, because Jesus tore down the middle wall of partition and gave us access when He died on the cross. We see how Jesus furnished us access to the Father.

Mark 15:38 "And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom."

This curtain was not torn down by man, but by God.

What was so unthinkable to the Old Testament Jews is now available to all who come.

"Stand", refers to the permanent position believers enjoy in God's grace.

"Hope in the Glory of God": Unlike the English word "hope", the New Testament word contains no uncertainty; it speaks of something that is certain, but not yet realized. The believer's ultimate destiny is to share in the very glory of God, and that hope will be realized because Christ Himself secures it.

Without the clear and certain promises of the Word of God, the believer would have no basis for hope.

Romans 5:3 "And not only [so], but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;"

Jesus taught that in this life you will have tribulation and that the only peace is in Him.

John 16:33 "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

2 Corinthians 1:4 "Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God."

You see, the problems come to all. Christians have Jesus to lean upon in their troubles. (In Revelation 7:14), we see all the Christians around the throne who have been taken out of great tribulations on this earth. He promises He will be with us and provide a way out for us.

Matthew 5:45 "That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust."

One of the greatest examples of someone who was perfect and upright in the sight of God, and yet has great tribulation, is found in the book of Job. Job is tested by tribulation and yet his patience never tires. When we are going through tribulation (un-deserved), we must remember that it is to make us stronger in God. Jesus was tried for 40 days and nights, but never faltered. We can make it too, if we keep in the back of our mind that it is for our own good and not harm.

Patience (also known as perseverance), refers to endurance, the ability to remain under tremendous weight and pressure without succumbing.

Romans 5:4 "And patience, experience; and experience, hope:"

"Experience" means character, or a better translation would be proven character. The Greek word simply means "proof". It was used of testing metals to determine their purity. Here the proof is Christian character. Christians can glory in tribulations because of what those troubles produce.

All Christians have the hope of the resurrection.

In Lamentations 3:26 "[It is] good that [a man] should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD."

I have discovered that God allows these little trials to come along to see if we will rely on Him while we endure under pressure. If we fold in the trial, then we have to go through another similar trial until we learn to lean on him in our trials.

1 Thessalonians 4:13 "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope."

Romans 5:5 "And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us."

This Holy Ghost spoken of here comes and dwells within us as soon as we accept Christ as our Savior. It is the Holy Ghost in us that loves others unselfishly.

God has implanted within our hearts evidence that we belong to Him in that we love the One who first loved us.

We are not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ unto salvation. If we are ashamed of Jesus or the Holy Ghost here, He will be ashamed of us in heaven. We must not be ashamed but boldly tell of our Lord and Savior and His blessed Holy Spirit.

Romans 5:6 "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly."

The mystery of it all is how He loved us enough to die for us while we were evil in every way.

Unregenerate sinners are spiritually dead and incapable of doing anything to help themselves.

"In due time": Meaning at the time that God had chosen.

Jesus died for those who deserved to go to hell, because they had sinned. "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one" (Rom.3:10). Everyone needs a Savior. God loves a sinner and has made way for him or her: the way is Jesus Christ our Lord. He gave each of us a free will so we must be willing to be saved, then Jesus does the rest.

Romans 5:7 "For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die."

This is just saying that it would have been a little more understandable that Jesus would die on the cross for us, if we had been good people.

As uncommon as such a sacrifice is, Paul's point is that we were neither righteous or good yet Christ sacrificed Himself for us. There are no good people.

Matthew 19:17 "And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? [there is] none good but one, [that is], God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments."

A death of this cruel nature would be hard to endure, even for righteous people, but for wicked people it is almost not understandable. The reason we do not understand is because God's love is so much greater than any thing we know about.

Romans 5:8 "But God commandeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

In verse eight above, it is as if God forced His love to be shown by His mighty hand. The word "commandeth" means more than just give.

The greatest love ever known was when God the Father gave His only begotten Son to die on the cross for you and me that we might be saved. The mystery of it all is He does not wait until we are good enough to be saved.

Romans 5:9 "Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him."

The wrath being spoken of here is not God's temporal wrath to come on the earth as in the book of Revelation, but of God's eternal wrath reserved for unrepentant sinners.

We see this (in 1 Thess. 5:9-10): "For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him".

"By His blood": Not by His physical blood, but by His death we shall be saved from wrath through him, through His violent, substitutionary death.

References to the blood of the Savior include the reality that He bled in His death, a necessity to fulfill the Old Testament imagery of sacrifice, but are not limited to the fluid itself. New Testament writers also use the term "blood" as a graphic way to describe violent death. References to the Savior's blood are not simply pointing to the fluid, but at His death and entire atoning work.

Because Christ bore the full fury of God's wrath in the believing sinner's place, there is no fury left for him.

Romans 5:10 "For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life."

When we were still God's enemies, Christ was able by His death to reconcile us to God. Certainly, now that we are God's children, the Savior can keep us by His living power.

In John 11:25-26 "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:" "And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?"

Because He (Jesus), lives, we shall live also. Jesus is life:

In John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

Jesus is life. If we have Jesus, we have life.

Romans 5:11 "And not only [so], but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement."

2 Cor. 5:18 tells us: "And all things [are] of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;". All the aspects related to someone's conversion and newly transformed life in Christ are accomplished by a sovereign God. Sinners on their own cannot decide to participate in these new realities.

Atonement here, means restoration to divine favor. Notice, this atonement is by Jesus Christ. Even our joy is in Him.

Romans Chapter 5 Questions

1. In verse one we are justified by what?

2. Who do we have peace with God through?

3. In Galatians 2:16, we find that no man is justified by what?

4. When does peace come to the believer?

5. How do we have access to the Father?

6. How was the veil of the temple rent?

7. We glory in tribulations knowing that tribulations worketh what?

8. In John 16:33, we find that in Jesus we might have _____________.

9. In this world we will have_____________.

10. In Revelation 7:14, who do we see around the throne?

11. Who does God make the sun to shine on?

12. What is possibly the best illustration of tribulation undeserved?

13. What do we need to remember when we are being tried?

14. Patience and experience brings what?

15. In 1 Thessalonians 4:3, what hope does the Christian have?

16. What Old Testament book gives promise of the same hope?

17. Hope maketh not ashamed, why?

18. What within us loves others unselfishly?

19. Verse 6 said, Christ died for whom?

20. What is our only way out?

21. Verse 7, maybe for __________ _______ ________ some would even dare to die?

22. God _______ His ________ toward us?

23. What condition were we in when Jesus died for us?

24. What is the greatest love ever known?

25. In verse 9, we find that we are justified by what?

26. We will be saved from the ________ to come?

27. How were the Christians dressed in Rev. 7?

28. Where had they come from?

29. In verse 10, when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by what?

30. In John 11:25, Jesus said He was two things, what were they?

31. In John 14:6, Jesus calls Himself 3 things, name them.

32. The word atonement in verse 11 means what?

Romans Chapter 5 Continued

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

Adam and Eve were created to live (not die). In the Garden of Eden was the tree of life which would make them live forever, if they ate of it. The tree of life is Jesus Christ. Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, and God drove them out of the garden so that they would not eat of the tree of life and live forever in their sinful nature.

Adam and Eve brought sin into the world: thus, by one man sin entered. When Adam sinned, all mankind sinned in his loins (see v.18). The sin nature of man has to do with the flesh man. The flesh man is controlled by the desires of the flesh. Man is a spirit who lives in a body of flesh. Man has a free will to do with his life on earth as he wishes.

Because all humanity existed in the loins of Adam, and have through procreation inherited his fallenness and depravity, it can be said that all sinned in him. Therefore, humans are not sinners because they sin, but rather they sin because they are sinners.

Romans 5:13 "(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law."

Man chose to follow the flesh instead of God beginning with Adam. It is impossible to break the law however, if there is no law. If there is no speed limit, you could drive a hundred miles an hour and not be arrested. If the speed limit is 55 and you go even 65 you are probably going to get a fine to pay. You would be breaking the law. Until Moses, there was no law written down.

Verse 12 tells us all men were regarded as sinners, but because there was no explicit list of commands, there was no strict accounting of their specific points of violation.

From Adam to Moses was the period where God had not yet given the Mosaic Law. Imputed can also be translated "reckoned" or "counted".

Romans 5:14 "Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come."

Instead of each person possessing life, they are facing death. Adam brought death into the picture. And God could not allow them to live forever in sickness, pain, and deterioration of body and mind. God provides a way out of this terrible mess that man has gotten himself into, by sending the second Adam (Jesus Christ).

All have sinned and come short of the glory of God, so God sent us a Savior.

Even without the law, death was universal. All men from Adam to Moses were subject to death, not because of their sinful acts against the Mosaic law, which they did not yet have, but because of their own inherited sinful nature.

In the rest of this chapter Paul explores the contrasts between the condemning act of Adam and the redemptive act of Christ. They were different in their effectiveness, their extent, their efficacy, their essence and their energy.

Romans 5:15 "But not as the offence, so also [is] the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, [which is] by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many."

Paul uses the word "many" with two distinct meanings, just as he will use the word "all" (in verse 18). He has already established that all men, without exception, bear the guilt of sin and are therefore subject to death. So, the "many" who die must refer to all Adam's descendants.

Death reigned from Adam until Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ defeated death when He rose from the grave. We see this statement above how much greater Jesus' act of mercy than Adam's act of sin. By one man's transgression sin entered. Jesus Christ actually took the sin of the whole world upon His body and sin for the Christians died on the cross.

2 Corinthians 5:21 "For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

In 1 Peter 2:24 "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed."

The real story is that Jesus paid our debt for us. We are bought and paid for with the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

He provides our righteousness. Jesus made us righteous. We can't make ourselves righteous in God's sight. Jesus made us righteous in God's sight.

Romans 5:16 "And not as [it was] by one that sinned, [so is] the gift: for the judgment [was] by one to condemnation, but the free gift [is] of many offences unto justification."

God tells Adam (in Genesis 3:19), that he is dust and to dust he will return. This is the fate of all flesh. Flesh and blood do not inherit heaven.

Adam brought upon all men the condemnation for only one offense, his willful act of disobedience. Christ however, delivers the elect from the condemnation of many offenses.

1 Corinthians 15:50 "Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption."

The death that Adam brought was of the flesh. Jesus did not just pick out some sins and die for that, but in fact died for all sin.

Romans 5:17-18 "For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)" "Therefore as by the offence of one [judgment came] upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one [the free gift came] upon all men unto justification of life."

This is just repeating again, that through Adam sin ruled in the flesh of man and brought death until Jesus Christ who defeated sin and death, and brought life when He paid for all sin on the cross.

1 Peter 3:19 "By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;".

When Jesus died on the cross, he descended into the lower parts of the earth.

Ephesians 4:8-10 "Wherefore he saith, when he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men." "(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?" "He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)"

Upon examination, we find from 1 Peter 3:19 that after His crucifixion, our Lord, "... by the Spirit ... went and preached unto the spirits in prison;

The Lord Jesus Christ went down "into the lower parts of the earth" (Eph. 4:9) or "Sheol," called "Hades" in the New Testament (Acts 2:27, 31).

Sheol (pronounced "Sheh-ole") [1], in Hebrew שאול (Sh'ol), is the "abode of the dead", the "underworld", or "pit". [2], Sheol is the common destination of both the righteous and the unrighteous dead, as recounted in Ecclesiastes and Job.

There are three Greek words for our English word "hell", Hades, Gehenna, and Tartarus, none of which are rendered by the word prison. Hades had a section commonly known as "hell" and a compartment known as "paradise," separated by "a great gulf fixed" (Luke 16:26). Gehenna is used of our Lord in the warnings and "danger of hell fire" that the "whole body should [not] be cast into hell" (Matt. 5:22, 29-30; etc.).

While "tartarus" is found only one time (in 2 Peter 2:4), to describe the intended purpose for this "hell": Now if "TODAY" the thief was to be with Christ in "Paradise" (Luke 23:43), then it was at the time of His death that he went to "Paradise." Since Christ had "not yet ascended to [His] Father" (John 20:17), and could therefore not be "touched," it is more than logical that "Paradise" was "IN THE HEART OF THE EARTH", where "the Son of man" spent "three days and three nights" (Matt. 12:40).

The answer is no. You see the Lord was victorious when He went to hell and he preached to the prisoners there and brought them out with Him. In some cases, preachers are teaching that he went there to preach to the spirits (demons), who were incarcerated there to claim the victory he had won over death.

We see from this that Jesus' purpose in going to hell was not to suffer, but to deliver those in the devil's captivity.

Remember, up to this point Satan had the keys to death and hell. I believe this is when the keys were taken from Satan.

Romans 5:19 "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous."

These many who were made sinners, just means that through the ancestry of Adam and Eve they knew sin. The natural thing for anyone to do is to listen to the lust of the flesh. The opportunity and the desire to sin were available to all. Each person did their own sinning. We were not guilty because Adam sinned, but because we sinned.

Righteousness is made available to all mankind through Jesus Christ. Again, we must accept His righteousness into our lives. He (Jesus), has made it available for all of us, but we must act upon this availability before it will bring life and righteousness into our lives.

1 Peter 3:18 "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:"

We too must put our flesh to death that we might live in His Spirit.

Galatians 5:24 "And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts."

Romans 5:20 "Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:"

When God gave the law to man, it showed man how far short he had fallen in God's ways. There was absolutely no way that fleshly man could keep God's law. Man realized he needed a Savior. Through the grace of God, Jesus Christ became our Savior.

Although the Mosaic Law is not flawed, its presence caused man's sin to increase. Thus it made men more aware of their own sinfulness and inability to keep God's perfect standard, and it served as a tutor to drive them to Christ (Gal 3:24).

Romans 5:21 "That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord."

Sin reigned until Jesus Christ destroyed sin on the cross. God's grace (unmerited favor), to us provides eternal life to all who will accept Jesus as their Savior and Lord. We did not earn it; it is a free gift. We can have life eternal, if we will only believe and receive the Lord Jesus Christ into our life.

Romans Chapter 5 Continued Questions

Sin entered into the world, how?
What was a byproduct of sin?
What percentage of mankind has sinned?
Who is the Tree of Life?
What does the sin nature of man stem from?
What do we find in 1 Corinthians chapter 15:44?
When is sin not imputed?
When is it impossible to break the law?
What reigned from Adam to Moses?
If all face death by one, how do we attain life?
What did Jesus defeat when He rose from the grave?
In 2 Corinthians 5-21, Jesus was made what?
Where does our righteousness come from?
Where do we find the Scripture that says (Who his ownself bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed.)?
The judgment was to what?
The free gift is of many offenses unto ______.
In Genesis chapter 3 verse 19, God tells Adam he will return to what?
What is this speaking of?
In 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 50, we read that something cannot inherit the kingdom of God, what is it?
How shall we reign in life?
What do we read in 1 Peter 3:19?
Righteousness is made available to all in Jesus, what must we do to receive it?
Jesus was put to death in the _______, but was quickened in the _______.
What was the purpose of the law?
By whom does eternal life for each of us come?

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Romans 6

Romans Chapter 6

In (chapters 6-8), Paul begins to demonstrate the practical ramifications of salvation on those who have been justified. He specifically discusses the doctrine of sanctification, which is God's producing actual righteousness in the believer. He begins by arguing that, in spite of their past, all whom God has justified will experience personal holiness.

Romans 6:1 "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?"

Paul anticipated the major objections of his critics, that by preaching a justification based solely on the free grace of God, he was encouraging people to sin.

This still is an ongoing discussion in the church today. Many believe that it is not necessary to live above sin. They feel that it is a natural thing to sin, and God will overlook sin. He surely knows their weakness. The flesh will sin, but we found in the previous lesson that our flesh must be dead so that our spirit can live. There are two forces in our body today, our flesh nature and our spirit nature.

Romans 6:2 "God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?"

"God forbid" or "may it never be!" This expression is the strongest Greek idiom for repudiating a statement and it contains a sense of outrage that anyone would ever think the statement was true.

Galatians 2:19-20 "For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God." "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."

You see, if Christ truly lives in us, we have no desire to sin any more. We no longer serve the lust of the flesh, but we follow the Spirit of God.

Romans 6:3 " Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?"

This isn't referring to water baptism, but is a metaphorical why of saying of someone who was immersed in his work, or underwent his baptism of fire when experiencing trouble.

Christians have, by placing saving faith in Him, been spiritually immersed into the person of Christ. That is, united and identified with Him.

Romans 6:4 "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."

We are buried a natural man and we are raised a spiritual man. We are a new creature in Christ. Old things have passed away, behold all things are made new. We are born again and not of corruptible flesh but of the Spirit of God. We walk no longer in the lust of the flesh, but with the guidance of the Spirit of God within us.

Since we have been united by faith with Him, as baptism symbolizes, His death and burial become ours.

"Walk in the newest of life" simply means that in Christ, we died and were buried with Him, and then we also have been united with Him in His resurrection. There is a new quality and character to our lives. This speaks of the believer's regeneration, whereas sin describe the old life, righteousness describes the new.

Romans 6:5 "For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also [in the likeness] of [his] resurrection:"

Colossians 3:1-4 "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God." "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." " For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." "When Christ, [who is] our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory."

We Christians live or die in Jesus. We are believers in and followers of Him. In fact, He has taken up His abode in us. As we read above, Christ in us.

Romans 6:6 "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with [him], that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin."

"Our old man" speaks of the believer's unregenerate self. Not old in number of years, but something which is worn out and useless. Our old self died with Christ, and the life we now enjoy is a new divinely given life that is the life of Christ Himself.

Paul uses the terms "body" and "flesh" to refer to sinful propensities that are intertwined with physical weaknesses and pleasures. Although the old self is dead, sin retains a foothold in our temporal flesh or our unredeemed humanness, with its corrupted desires. The believer does not have two competing natures, the old and the new; but one new nature that is still incarcerated in unredeemed flesh.

We see a parallel Scripture to this (in Colossians 3).

Colossians 3:5 "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:"

Mortify means to deaden. We are to do away with all sin in the flesh and live to the Spirit of God.

"Might be destroyed" meaning rendered powerless or inoperative.

Romans 6:7 "For he that is dead is freed from sin."

"Is dead": through his union with Christ, when our body dies, it no longer longs for things of the flesh. Sin is dead in us.

We have subdued the flesh man and become spirit.

Romans 6:8 "Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:"

Our new life is in Christ, not in the flesh.

The context suggests that Paul means not only that believers will live in the presence of Christ for eternity, but also that all who have died with Christ, which is true of all believers, will live a life here that is fully consistent with His holiness.

Romans 6:9 "Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him."

Jesus has won the victory over sin and death and for all of those who will follow him, He offers life everlasting.

2 Timothy 1:10 "But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:"

1 Corinthians 15:26 "The last enemy [that] shall be destroyed [is] death."

1 Corinthians 15:54 "So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory."

"No more dominion over him" meaning mastery, control or domination.

Romans 6:10 "For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God."

Jesus gave His body on the cross to pay the debts for the sins of all the world.

Hebrews 10:10 "By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once [for all]".

John 1:29 "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."

Christ died to sin in two senses:

1. In regard to sin's penalty, He met its legal demands upon the sinner; and

2. In regard to sin's power, forever breaking its power over those who belong to Him.

And His death will never need repeating.

Paul's point is that believers have died to sin in the same way.

"Liveth unto God" means for God's glory.

Verses 11-14: Paul addresses the logical conclusion of his readers: If the old self is dead, why is there continually a struggle with sin and how can the new self become dominant? His exhortation is contained in 2 key words: "reckon" and "present".

Romans 6:11 "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord."

"Likewise" implies the importance of his readers' knowing what he just explained. Without that foundation, what he is about to teach will not make sense. Scripture always identifies knowledge as the foundation for one's practice.

"Reckon": While it simply means to count or number something, it was often used metaphorically to refer to having an absolute, unreserved confidence in what one's mind knows to be true. The kind of heartfelt confidence that affects his actions and decisions.

Paul is not referring to mind games in which we trick ourselves into thinking a certain way. Rather he is urging us to embrace by faith what God has revealed to be true.

2 Corinthians 4:11 "For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh."

John 3:5 "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."

"Through Christ or in Christ" is Paul's favorite expression of our union with Christ. This is its first occurrence in Romans.

Romans 6:12 "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof."

This is plainly saying that we must get the flesh under the control of the spirit.

Our mortal body is the only remaining repository where sin finds the believer vulnerable. The brain and its thinking processes are part of the body and thus tempt our souls with its sinful lusts.

As I said before, our will, will be controlled by the spirit or the flesh. If the lusts of the flesh control you, then you do not belong to God.

Romans 6:13 "Neither yield ye your members [as] instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members [as] instruments of righteousness unto God."

Yield or present refers to a decision of the will. Before sin can have power over a believer, it must first pass through his will. Our members are the parts of our physical body, the headquarters from which sin operates in the believer.

Notice here, that it is in our power to control this. There is a war constantly between the flesh and the spirit. We must not yield to temptation. One of the easiest ways to not be tempted is to be reading and studying God's word every day and stay busy.

(Ephesians chapter 6), is a good Scripture to study to learn how to battle for the Lord (verse 10), is good place to begin.

Instruments of righteousness are tools for overcoming that which violates God's holy will and law.

Romans Chapter 6 Questions

1. What foolish question is in verse 1?

2. Our flesh must be dead that our _____ may live

3. What are the two forces in our body?

4. In verse 2, we find that Christians should be dead to_________.

5. In Galatians chapter 2:20, we find that we must be __________ with Christ.

6. I live, yet not I, but _________ liveth with me.

7. If we be Christ's we no longer serve the ________ _______ _______ ________ but we follow the _______ of God.

8. When we were baptized, we were baptized into Jesus _______.

9. Verse 4 tells us after we are baptized we should walk in __________ ___ ______.

10. We are buried a ______ man and we are raised a ______ man.

11. If we are planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of what?

12. Where does Christ sit?

13. What should we set our affections on?

14. When Christ shall appear, where will we be?

15. Our old man is crucified with him, that the body of _____ might be destroyed.

16. What are we told to do in Colossians 3:5?

17. What does Mortify mean?

18. Verse 7 says, he that is dead is______ ____ ___.

19. Our new life is in whom?

20. What proved that death had no dominion over Christ?

21. 2 Timothy 1:10, Jesus abolished death and brought two things to light through the gospel; what were they?

22. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is what?

23. How are we Christians sanctified?

24. Who called Jesus the Lamb of God?

25. How can we be alive to God?

26. We must be born of two things other than flesh, what are they?

27. In verse 12, what two words indicate that we have the power not to sin?

28. What is the war that is constantly going on within us?

29. What Scripture tells us how to fight the spiritual war?

Romans Chapter 6 Continued

Romans 6:14 "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace."

Sin must be able to exercise control in our bodies or Paul's admonition becomes unnecessary. But sin does not have to reign there; so the apostle expresses his confidence that those who are Christ's will not allow it to.

Not under law but under grace: This does not mean God has abrogated His moral law. The law is good, holy and righteous, but it cannot be kept, so it curses. Since it cannot assist anyone to keep God's moral standard, it can only show the standard and thus rebuke and condemn those who fail to keep it.

Grace requires more than the law. The law means following a set of rules, but in grace the desires of the heart can even be sin. The Christian under grace must walk in newness of life. Our walk must be in the Light of Jesus.

John 12:35-36 "Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth." "While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them."

Jesus is the Light (read John chapter 1), about Jesus as the Light.

Romans 6:15 "What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid."

The believer is no longer under the law as a condition of acceptance with God, an impossible condition to meet and one designed only to show man his sinfulness. But under grace, which enables him to truly fulfill the law's righteous requirements.

As we said above, grace requires God's laws to be written on the heart. The heart will be judged. Jesus said, if you lust in your heart for a woman, you have committed adultery already. Grace received is not a license to sin.

Romans 6:16 "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?"

We cannot call Jesus Christ our Lord unless we obey Him. If he is our Lord, we are under His command.

1 Peter 1:13-16 "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;" "As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:" "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye Holy; for I am Holy."

We choose who to follow. We have a free will and we will to follow Jesus or the lust of the flesh.

Romans 6:17 "But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you."

Everyone, before they came to Jesus were the servants of sin.

1 John 1:10: "If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."

We read (in chapter 5 of Romans), that all men have sinned. Thank God we do not have to remain in sin. We who believe in Christ have taken on the righteousness of Jesus Christ and no longer serve sin.

"Form of doctrine": In the Greek, the word "form" is a word for a mold, such as a craftsman would use to cast molten metal. Paul's point is that God pours His new children into the mold of divine truth. New believers have an innate and compelling desire to know and obey God's Word.

Romans 6:18 "Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness."

Because we are in Christ and He died in our place, we are counted dead with Him. This is the fundamental premise of chapter 6 and Paul spends the most of this chapter explaining and supporting it.

We read of this change from sin to righteousness in 2 Corinthians.

2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Romans 6:19 "I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness."

The NKJV begins this scripture thus: "I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh". Paul use of the master/slave analogy was an accommodation to their humanness and their difficulty in grasping divine truth.

"Your members" as was explained (in verse 13), are the parts of our physical body, the headquarters from which sin operates in the believer.

"Iniquity unto iniquity" or like a vicious animal, sin's appetite only grows when it is fed.

Romans 6:20 "For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness."

Paul is explaining here and he is making this just as clear as he can so that they will understand. He is not just speaking in parables or even spiritually, but literally so those in the flesh can understand. Sin occurs through lust of the flesh.

"Ye were free from righteousness": Meaning spiritually dead in sins and trespasses.

Romans 6:21 "What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things [is] death."

(We read in James).

James 1:15 "Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death."

We read specifically in Corinthians, some of the fruit of unrighteousness that will keep a person from inheriting the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind," "Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God."

Romans 6:22 "But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life."

A servant obeys his master. Obedience is better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22). God wants our loyalty and our love.

Ephesians 5:9 "(For the fruit of the Spirit [is] in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)"

All of this is saying to us, that if Jesus is living inside of us, we will walk through this life as if Jesus was taking the steps Himself. Self will be no more; Christ-in-me shall rule. If we do not give up, we will inherit eternal life.

Galatians 6:9 "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."

"Holiness": The benefit of being slaves to God is sanctification, the outcome of which is eternal life.

Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

This verse describes two inexorable absolutes:

Spiritual death is the paycheck for every man's slavery to sin; and

Eternal life is a free gift God gives undeserving sinners who believe in His Son.

Romans Chapter 6 Continued Questions

1. In verse 14, we find that Christians are not under law, but under__________.

2. Why does grace require more than the law?

3. In John 12:35-36, we learn that Christians should walk in what?

4. Shall we sin as Christians so grace may abound?

5. Where is God's law written for the Christian?

6. Grace is not a license to ___________.

7. Whose servant are you, if you sin?

8. Verse 16 says, sin brings what?

9. What name can we not call Jesus unless we obey Him?

10. In 1 Peter 1:13-16, we are told to be______ as he is_________.

11. In verse 17, we see that even though we were servants of sin, we obeyed from the _______the doctrine which was delivered.

12. What is the message from 1 John 1:10?

13. We who believe in Jesus have taken on His _________.

14. In verse 18 we see we have been made free from___________.

15. 1 John 1:7 says, that if any man walk in the light he has fellowship with whom?

16. In that same chapter and verse of 1 John, we find that what cleanses us from all sin?

17. In 2 Corinthians 5:7 we find that, if we be in Christ we are what?

18. Galatians 5:22 the fruit of the spirit is what 9 things?

19. Why did Paul speak after the manner of men?

20. When ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from _____.

21. In John 8:34, Whosoever commitheth sin is ______ to________.

22. Matthew 6:24 says, "No man can serve ______ masters."

23. The end of sin is __________.

24. Name some of the things listed in 1 Cor. 6:9-10 that will keep a person from inheriting the Kingdom of God.

25. Obedience is better than ___________.

26. Ephesians 5:9 the fruit of the spirit is what?

27. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is___________ ________.

28. In Genesis 2:7 we read when you eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil you shall surely ________.

29. What is the desire of every living person?

30. What is the best known Scripture on how to get eternal life?

31. What is one of the favorite Scripture of the author from John on eternal life?

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Romans 7

Romans Chapter 7

Romans 7:1 "Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?"

We see here, that Paul is speaking to his Hebrew brethren who knew the Law of Moses. A man was required to keep the law all the days of his life.

No matter how serious a criminal's offenses may be, he is no longer subject to prosecution and punishment after he dies.

Romans 7:2 "For the woman which hath a husband is bound by the law to [her] husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of [her] husband."

In (verses 2 and 3), we see that these two verses are not a complex allegory, but a simple analogy, using marriage law to illustrate the point Paul just made about law's jurisdiction. This passage is not teaching that only the death of a spouse frees a Christian to remarry; it is not teaching about divorce and remarriage at all. Both Christ and Paul have fully addressed those issues elsewhere.

Romans 7:3 "So then if, while [her] husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man."

The law that governs a married woman's actions no longer has any jurisdiction over her once her husband dies. Widows are free to marry again, and Paul even encourages younger ones to remarry, as long as their potential mate is a believer. (1 Cor. 7 3:9 and 1 Tim. 5:14).

Here again, we see that husbands and wives are one flesh until one is taken in death. The obligation is to the flesh (not the spirit).

Romans 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, [even] to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

In response to faith in His Son, God makes the believing sinner forever dead to the condemnation and penalty of the law.

Just as the widow in Paul's analogy was freed to remarry, the believer has been freed from his hostile relationship to the law that condemned him, and can therefore, be remarried, this time to Christ.

"Bring forth fruit unto God" is a transformed life that manifests new attitudes and actions.

Romans 7:5 "For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death."

Scripture uses the word "flesh" in a non-moral sense to describe man's physical being, and in a moral evil sense to describe man's unredeemed humanness, that remnant of the old man which will remain with each believer until each receives his or her glorified body.

Flesh here describes a person who is able to operate only in the sphere of fallen mankind.

The "Motions of sins" is referring to the overwhelming impulses to think and do evil, which characterize those who are "in the flesh".

The sinful passions at work in an unbeliever produce a harvest of eternal death.

Romans 7:6 "But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not [in] the oldness of the letter."

We are not free to do what the law forbids, but freedom from the spiritual liabilities and penalties of God's law.

Because we died in Christ when He died, the law with its condemnation and penalties no longer has jurisdiction over us.

"Serve" is the verb from of the word for "bondservant", but here it is parallel to being slaves of righteousness, emphasizing that this service is not voluntary. Not only is the believer able to do what is right, he will do what is right.

The newness of spirit is a new state of mind which the Spirit produces, characterized by a new desire and ability to keep the law of God.

"Oldness of the letter" was the external, written law code that produced only hostility and condemnation.

Galatians 5:18 "But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law." Those whom Jesus made free are free indeed.

Romans Chapter 7 Questions

1. Who was Paul speaking to in verse 1?

2. How long did the law have dominion over man?

3. What cancelled out the Jews' obligation to keep the law?

4. How long is the woman bound by the law to her husband?

5. In Matthew 19:5, husband and wife are one in what?

6. All Christians are one in what with Christ?

7. In Ephesians 5:32, it says this is a great mystery concerning whom?

8. The reverence of the wife to her husband in Ephesians 5 is in what area?

9. The husband is the savior of her ___________.

10. In Ephesians 5:28, Why does the husband love the wife?

11. Who is head of the church?

12. Who makes up the church?

13. What does the husband rule over on the earth?

14. Where in Galatians do we read that with God there is no male or female?

15. Who do we read about in Acts chapter 5 that lets us know that women are responsible for their own sins?

16. If a woman marries someone else while her first husband is alive, what is she called?

17. What are the only two things a husband or wife can get a divorce for?

18. What does fornication mean?

19. What does 1 Corinthians 7:15 tell us about marriage to an unbeliever?

20. Why are we Christians no longer under the law of the flesh?

21. How are Christians buried with Christ?

22. Which trespasses did Jesus buy our forgiveness for?

23. Sin brings fruit unto what?

24. 1 Corinthians 15:50 tells us what about flesh and blood?

25. In verse 6, we see that after we are delivered from the law we are to serve what?

26. Walk in the _______ and ye shall not fulfill the ______ of the __________.

Romans Chapter 7 Continued

Romans 7:7, "What shall we say then? [is] the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet."

The law is not sin. It just makes us aware of right from wrong. When we know right from wrong and do wrong anyway, then we have sinned. Paul did not want his readers to conclude that the law itself was evil.

Galatians 3:24 "Therefore the law was our schoolmaster [to bring us] unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith."

We would not have even known we needed a Savior had there been no law.

The law reveals the divine standard, and as believers compare themselves against that standard, they can accurately identify sin, which is the failure to meet the standard.

Paul uses the personal pronoun "I" throughout the rest of the chapter, using his own experience as an example of what is true of unredeemed mankind and true of Christians.

Romans 7:8 "But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin [was] dead."

Concupiscence means lust, or a desire for things that are forbidden. Sometimes the forbidden is the very thing the flesh lusts for.

Sin uses the specific requirements of the law as a base of operation from which to launch its evil work. Confronted by God's law, the sinner's rebellious nature finds the forbidden thing more attractive, not because it is inherently attractive, but because it furnishes an opportunity to assert one's self will.

"Sin was dead": meaning not lifeless or nonexistent, but dormant. When the law comes, sin becomes fully active and overwhelms the sinner.

Romans 7:9 "For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died."

When we were without the law, we did not have a lack of concern for the law but a purely external, imperfect conception of it.

When God's law came, men began to understand the true requirements of God's moral law at some point prior to their conversion. He then began to realize his true condition as a desperately wicked sinner.

With the words "I died", it was then that man realized his deadness spiritually, that all his religious credentials and accomplishments were rubbish.

Romans 7:10 And the commandment, which [was ordained] to life, I found [to be] unto death.

The law was first given to help people understand what the will of God was and show that it was possible to please God by keeping His commandants.

Perfect obedience to the law could bring eternal life, and with it happiness and holiness. But no one except Christ could or has ever fully obeyed it.

Thus the law was our schoolmaster to show us that we needed Christ as the only way to eternal life.

Romans 7:11 "For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew [me]."

By leading man to expect life from his keeping of the law, when what he found was death and by convincing him that he is acceptable to God because of his own merit and good works.

Romans 7:12 "Wherefore the law [is] holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good."

We see the fact that the law reveals, arouses and condemns sin, bringing death to the sinner, but does not mean the law is evil.

We read in Psalms about the perfect law:

Psalms 19:7 " The law of the LORD [is] perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD [is] sure, making wise the simple."

We also see a similar statement (in 1 Timothy):

1 Timothy 1:8 "But we know that the law [is] good, if a man use it lawfully;"

Romans 7:13 "Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful."

This is speaking of the law and it's asking "has then what is good become death"? Sin is the cause of spiritual death, not the good law.

An awareness of the true nature of sin and its deadly character, which brings the sinner to see his need of salvation, is the very purpose God intended the law to serve.

Until Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, there was no knowledge of good and evil. Sin entered the world through Adam.

In the remaining verses of this chapter, some interpret this chronicle of Paul's inner conflict as describing his life before Christ. They point out that Paul describes the person as "sold under sin"; as having "nothing good' in him, and as a "wretched man" trapped in a "body of death".

Those descriptions seem to contradict the way Paul describes the believer in chapter 6. However, it is correct to understand Paul here to be speaking about a believer. This person desires to obey God's law and hates his sin. He is humble, recognizing that nothing good dwells in his humanness, he sees sin in himself, but not as all that is there and he serves Jesus Christ with his mind.

Paul has already established that none of those attitudes ever describe the unsaved. Paul's use of present tense verbs (in verses 14-25), strongly supports the idea that he is describing his life currently as a Christian. For those reasons, it seems certain that (chapter 7), describes a believer.

However, of those who agree that this is a believer, there is still disagreement. Some see a carnal, fleshly Christian; others a legalistic Christian, frustrated by his feeble attempts in his own power to please God by keeping the Mosaic Law. But the personal pronoun "I" refers to the apostle Paul, a standard of spiritual health and maturity.

Paul must be describing all Christians, even the most spiritual and mature who, when they honestly evaluate themselves against the righteous standard of God's law, realize how far short they fall. He does so in a series of four laments. (14-17, 18-20, 20-23, 24-25).

Romans 7:14 "For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin."

The law is spiritual meaning it reflects God's holy character.

Carnal means "of flesh. This means earthbound, mortal and still incarcerated in unredeemed humanness. Paul does not say he is still "in the flesh", but the flesh is in him.

Sold under sin means that sin no longer controls the whole man as with an unbeliever, but it does hold captive the believer's members, or his fleshly body. Sin contaminates him and frustrates his inner desire to obey the will of God.

Romans 7:15 "For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I."

The sense here is that Paul found himself doing things he did not approve of.

We see in verse 15, the struggle that all mankind faces. The struggle is truly between our flesh and spirit. Paul desires to have his spirit in control at all times. He says that sometimes his flesh wins out. It is a daily struggle for all of us. To live for Jesus the spirit has to overcome the flesh.

Galatians 5:17 "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would."

Romans 7:16 "If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that [it is] good."

Paul's new nature defends the divine standard; the perfectly righteous law is not responsible for his sin. His new self longs to honor the law and keep it perfectly.

Romans 7:17 "Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me."

The quickest way to tell if we are following after the flesh is if whatever you are doing feels good to the flesh. If the flesh is enjoying your actions, it is probably displeasing to the spirit.

Paul's new inner self, the new "I", no longer approved of the sin that was still residing in his flesh like his old self did, but rather strongly disapproved.

Paul was saying that his sin did not flow out of his new redeemed innermost ("I") self, but from his unredeemed humanness, his flesh "in me".

Romans 7:18 "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but [how] to perform that which is good I find not."

No man's flesh follows God. Man's flesh must be crucified for the spirit to reign.

The flesh serves as a base camp from which sin operates in the Christian's life. It is not sinful inherently, but because of its fallenness, it is still subject to sin and is thoroughly contaminated.

The flesh is that part of the believer's present being that remains unredeemed.

Galatians 5:24-26 "And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." "Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another."

Paul is trying to say that the flesh of man is a hindrance to him. Even Jesus, when facing the cruel death of the cross, said (my spirit is willing, but my flesh is weak). We must somehow get our flesh and the lusts thereof under subjection to the spirit of God within us.

Romans 7:19 "For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do."

We see that flesh does not desire to do good, only evil. I feel Paul is making a point that we must stay away from the influence of the flesh.

Romans 7:20 "Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me."

Paul is making a point again, about the flesh (in verse 17). This in the flesh sin must be put to death.

Romans 7:21 "I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me."

Hear the cry of a man who desires to please God.

Psalms 19:12-14 "Who can understand [his] errors? cleanse thou me from secret [faults]. " (added emphasis with italics by editor) "Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous [sins]; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression." "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer."

This is not a reference to God's law, but to an inviolable spiritual principle.

Romans 7:22 "For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:"

The believer's justified, new inner self no longer sides with sin, but joyfully agrees with the law of God against sin.

Romans 7:23 "But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members."

This is a corresponding spiritual principle to the one in verse 21. But this principle, which Paul identifies as "the law of sin," operates in the members of his body, that is, his unredeemed and still sinful humanness, waging war against his desire to obey God's law.

"Law of my mind" is equivalent to the new inner self, which longs to obey the law of God. Paul is not saying his mind is spiritual and his body is inherently evil.

Romans 7:24 "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?"

Now we see Paul's point in all of this. There is no way within ourselves that we can overcome the problems between our flesh wanting to sin and our spirit knowing sin is wrong. The only solution is to give ourselves over to Jesus Christ and no longer live our own lives, but let Jesus live in us and through us.

In frustration and grief, Paul laments his sin. A believer perceives his own sinfulness in direct proportion to how clearly he sees the holiness of God and perfection of His law.

The word deliver means "to rescue from danger" and was used of a soldier pulling his wounded comrade from the battlefield. Paul longed to be rescued from his sinful flesh.

"Body of this death": The believer's unredeemed humanness, which has its base of operation in the body. Tradition says that an ancient tribe near Tarsus tied the corpse of a murder victim to its murderer, allowing its spreading decay to slowly infect and execute the murderer. Perhaps that is the image Paul has in mind here.

Romans 7:25 "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin."

The first part of this verse answers the question Paul just raised. He is certain that Christ will eventually rescue him when He returns. The second half summarizes the two sides of the struggle Paul has described.

"With the mind" is the new inner self, which longs to obey the law of God.

"The law of sin," operates in the members of his body, waging war against his desire to obey God's law.

Romans Chapter 7 Continued Questions

1. I had not known sin, but by the ____________.

2. Is the law sin?

3. In Galatians Chapter 3:24 the law was our_____________.

4. How are we justified?

5. By the works of the law______ ______shall be justified.

6. What does concupiscence mean?

7. To mention something being a sin sometimes causes what?

8. When does a guilty conscience of sin come?

9. We dwelled in ______until Jesus Christ came and brought ________.

10. In verse 11, what deceived him?

11. The old man (of sin), is corrupt according to what?

12. In verse 12, we find the law is what?

13. In Psalms 19:7, we find what about the law of God?

14. When did sin enter into the world for our time?

15. In verse 14, the law is described how?

16. Who was the law made for as mentioned in 1 Timothy chapter 1:8?

17. In verse 15, what do we really see?

18. In Galatians 5:17, we find that the _______ lusteth against the ___________.

19. What is the quickest way to find, if we are following the flesh?

20. In Galatians 5:24, we find that they that are Christ's have done what to the flesh?

21. If we live in the spirit, we must ________in the spirit.

22. How was even Jesus' flesh a hindrance to him?

23. What point does the author think Paul is making in verse 19?

24. In Psalms chapter 19:12, we see the prayer of a man who desires to do what?

25. Who shall deliver me from this body of death?

26. In verse 25, Paul says with his mind he serves whom?

27. What verse in 1 Corinthians 15 shows how we take on the image of Jesus Christ?

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Romans 8

Romans Chapter 8

Romans 8:1 "[There is] therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

So many Christians want to stop with the statement "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus". This statement is true only, if the last part of this statement is kept. Salvation is a daily walk. There is no condemnation in righteousness. If we walk in righteousness, not after the flesh but after the Spirit of God there is no condemnation. To preach that Christians are above condemnation when they are living like the world is in error. If you are walking in the Spirit of God, there is nothing to condemn you for.

The word condemnation is used only three times in the New Testament and only in the book of Romans. "Condemnation" refers to a verdict of guilty and the penalty that verdict demands. No sin a true believer commits whether past, present or future can be held against him, since the penalty was paid by Christ and righteousness was imputed to the believer.

Romans 8:2 "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death."

The word "For" introduces the reason there is no condemnation for the believer; the Spirit has replaced the law (meaning the Old Testament law). Although it is good, holy and righteous, because of the weakness of the flesh, no one could possibly keep it.

The old law which was God's commandments, showed men how they should live, but that law because of the weakness of the flesh could only produce sin and death as it could not save.

This is shown with (Romans 3:23), which tells us all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. And again in (Romans 6:23), which clearly states that the wages of sin is death.

The new, simple law of grace produces life; the law of faith or the message of the gospel.

Romans 8:3 "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:"

"What the law could not do" was it could not deliver sinners from its penalty. Because of the sinful corruption of unregenerate men, the law was powerless to produce righteousness.

In Christ's incarnation when He became fully man, He took only the outward appearance of sinful flesh, but yet He was completely without sin.

God's condemnation against sin was fully poured out on the sinless flesh of Christ.

Romans 8:4 "That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

We see from this Scripture above, that it is possible to walk in the Spirit of God and not fulfill the desires of the flesh. This is a state of being for all true Christians who have turned over their free will to the perfect will of God. We, like Jesus, must come to a place that we can say not my will be done, but thine oh Lord.

"The righteousness of the law" is referring to the thoughts, words, and deeds which the moral law of God demands. It finds its basis in the character of God and is presented in outline form in the Ten Commandments. Its most condensed form is in Jesus' commands to love God and to love one's neighbor as one's self.

Although the believer is no longer in bondage to the moral law's condemnation and penalty as we studied last (in chapter 7:6), the law still reflects the moral character of God and His will for His creatures.

A believer's walk refers to their life style and the habits of living and thinking that characterize a person's life. Then since every true Christian is indwelt by the Spirit, every Christian will manifest the fruit He (referring to God), produces in his life.

Romans 8:5 "For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit."

We cannot be flesh man and spirit man both. One spirit will rule. In other words, we cannot keep one foot in the world and one foot in heaven.

When it speaks of "the flesh", this is referring to unbelievers. Here this is speaking of a basic orientation of the mind. A mindset that includes one's affections, mental processes, and will.

Paul's point here is that unbelievers' basic disposition is to satisfy the cravings of their unredeemed flesh.

When scripture speaks of "they that are after the Spirit" is simply speaking of believers.

Romans 8:6 "For to be carnally minded [is] death; but to be spiritually minded [is] life and peace."

Carnally means "of flesh". This is a simple spiritual equation: The person with the mind set on the flesh is spiritually dead.

But to be spiritually minded is describing every Christian. The person with his mind set on the things of the Spirit is very much spiritually alive and at peace with God.

Galatians 6:8 "For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."

This is just one more way to say that our flesh desires to sin and our spirit desires to please God.

Romans 8:7 "Because the carnal mind [is] enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be."

This very statement is why mind control is so bad. The mind, not given over to the Lord Jesus Christ, truly can have power, but it is from the wrong source. Mind power tells us that we have the power within ourselves to bring miracles about. It really is saying we don't need God, we can do it ourselves.

The unbeliever's problem is much deeper than acts of disobedience, which are merely outward manifestations of inner fleshly compulsions. His basic inclinations and orientation toward gratifying himself, however outwardly religious or moral he may appear, are directly hostile to God.

Even the good deeds unbelievers perform are not truly a fulfillment of God's law, because they are produced by the flesh, for selfish reasons, and from a heart that is in rebellion.

Romans 8:8 "So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God."

The flesh desires things of this earth, but the spirit is stayed upon God's will in our lives. Read (1 Corinthians 15:35), to really understand about the spirit man who lives when the flesh dies.

The flesh and its desires must die so that the spirit man can live.

Romans 8:9 "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."

"Dwell" refers to being in one's own home. The Spirit of God makes His home in every person who trusts in Jesus Christ.

When there is no evidence of His presence by the fruit He produces through us, a person has no legitimate claim to Christ as Savior and Lord.

Galatians 2:20 says it all. "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."

This Spirit of Christ is the Spirit of the risen Christ (The Holy Spirit of God). He is our teacher and our guide.

Romans Chapter 8 Questions

Who is there no condemnation for?

How are the uncondemned to walk?

What is a fallacy that is being taught about this very thing?

In 1 Peter 1:15, we are told to be ______ even as he is _______.

2 Corinthians 5:7 says, we walk by _______not by _______.

What has made me free from the law of sin and death?

What advice is given us in Gal. 5:1?

Who brought death to all mankind?

Who brought life for all mankind who will accept it?

In verse 3, we find that the law was weak, how?

In 1 Peter chapter 2, what do we find that Jesus did for us on that cross?

In verse 4, how should Christians walk?

Verse 5 tells us that those after the flesh regard what?

In Titus 2:14 Christians are called what kind of people?

What wonderful things are Christians called in 1 Peter 2:9?

Verse 6 says to be carnally minded is ___________.

What 2 things does being spiritually minded bring?

The carnal mind is ________ against God.

Why is mind control so bad?

What Scripture tells us that Christians have the mind of Christ?

What did Jesus say was the number one commandment?

Who cannot please God in verse 8?

How can we be in the spirit in verse 9?

What do we find is necessary to be walking with Christ in Galatians 2:20?

Romans Chapter 8 Continued

Romans 8:10 "And if Christ [be] in you, the body [is] dead because of sin; but the Spirit [is] life because of righteousness."

This body referred to is actually "our old man". Our old self died with Christ, and the life we now enjoy is a new divinely given life that is the life of Christ Himself.

We have been removed from the unregenerate self's presence and control, so we should not follow the remaining memories of its old sinful ways as if we were still under its evil influence.

It is best to translate the word "spirit" as the person's spirit, not the Holy Spirit. Paul is saying that if God's Spirit indwells you as we discussed (in verse 9), the human spirit is alive and can manifest true righteousness.

Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

As a believer, the same Spirit dwells in you. God's Holy Spirit raised Christ from the dead and it is the same Spirit who will quicken the believers, and shall also resurrect us too.

Romans 8:12 "Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh."

Our old flesh died with Christ and the life we now enjoy is a new divinely given life that is the life of Christ Himself. We have been removed from the unregenerate self's presence and control, so we should not follow the remaining memories of its old sinful ways as if we were still under its evil influence.

Therefore we are debtors, not to the flesh which is our old selves, but to the Spirit of Christ as we saw in verse 9.

You see we do not owe our bodies anything. The flesh is our enemy. If we obey the lust of the flesh, we are living in sin. We must overcome the flesh and put it in subjection to the spirit.

Romans 8:13 "For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live."

Here again, we see the warfare that goes on within each of us. Our spirit wants to do the things of God and our flesh lusts for the things of the flesh and the world. If we choose to let the Spirit of God rule our life, and in so doing "kill the flesh" we shall live for all of eternity in heaven with Jesus. If we choose to follow the ways of the world, it brings eternal damnation and total separation from God.

Paul's instruction is what to do in the struggle with sin in this verse, then destroys several false views of how believers are made holy:

1. That in a crisis moment we are immediately made perfect;

2. That we must "let God" take over while we remain idle;

3. That some turning point decision will propel us to a higher level of holiness.

Instead Paul tells us that the Spirit provides us with the energy and power to continually and gradually be killing our sins, a process never completed in this life.

The means the Spirit uses to accomplish this process is our faithful obedience to the simple commands of Scripture.

Romans 8:14 "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."

Scripture does not teach us that we are led through subjective, mental impressions or promptings to provide direction in making life's decisions. Instead God's Spirit objectively leads His children sometimes through the orchestration of circumstances by:

1. Illumination, divinely clarifying Scripture to make it understandable to our sinful, finite minds;

2. Sanctification, divinely enabling us to obey Scripture.

When a person experiences the Spirit's leading in those ways, he gains assurance that God has adopted him into His family.

That Spirit within us makes us God's children.

Galatians 3:26 "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus."

Romans 8:15 "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father."

Unregenerate people are slaves to their fear of death because of their life of sin, and to fear their final punishment.

A very similar Scripture is in 1 Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 2:12 "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God."

The "Spirit of adoption" isn't a reference to the transaction by which God adopts us, but to a Spirit produced awareness of the rich reality that God has made us His children, therefore we can come before Him without fear or hesitation as our beloved Father.

When God adopted us into his family, then that made us heirs to all he possesses. We will be joint-heirs with Jesus as we read (in verse 17 of Romans 8). There are 3 places in the New Testament Abba is used; one here (in Romans 8:15); once (in Mark 14:36), and once (in Galatians 4:6).

Mark 14:36 "And he said, Abba, Father, all things [are] possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt."

Galatians 4:6 "And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father."

We see in all of these 3 verses, that this name is reserved for only the children of God to call Him by meaning Daddy or Papa and connotes tenderness, dependence, and a relationship free of fear or anxiety.

Romans 8:16 "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:"

In Roman culture for an adoption to be legally binding, seven reputable witnesses had to be present, attesting to its validity.

God's Holy Spirit confirms the validity of our adoption, not by some inner, mystical voice, but by the fruit He produces in us and the power He provides for spiritual service.

Notice, this first Spirit in the sentence above is Capitalized meaning the Holy Spirit of God (or the Spirit of the risen Christ). This Spirit within us is God's Spirit. There is plenty of evidence in our lives when this Spirit dwells within us, because we allow Christ to live through our actions and deeds. We become Christ like.

Romans 8:17 "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with [him], that we may be also glorified together."

If you are a believer, you are an heir of God. We will then inherit eternal salvation, God Himself, glory and everything in the universe.

Unlike the Jewish practice of the primacy of the firstborn son, under Roman law the inheritance was divided equally between the children, where the law more carefully protected possessions that had been inherited.

"Joint heirs": God has appointed His Son to be heir of all things. Every adopted child will receive by divine grace the full inheritance Christ receives by divine right.

"Suffer with Him" is proof of the believer's ultimate glory in that he suffers, whether it comes as mockery, ridicule, or physical persecution, because of his Lord.

Romans 8:18 "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time [are] not worthy [to be compared] with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

In short, this describes the trials and tribulations that we go through in this life on earth. Paul puts this clearly (in 2 Cor. 4:17), when he says: "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory".

Paul's own testimony lists a seemingly unbearable litany of sufferings and persecutions he endured throughout his life, yet he viewed them as weightless and lasting for only a brief moment. To Paul the future glory he would experience with the Lord far outweighed any suffering he experienced in this world. Paul understood that the greater the suffering, the greater would be his eternal glory.

Paul can speak from first-hand about suffering. He was stoned, shipwrecked, and so many times left for dead: suffering was no stranger to him.

"Glory": Looks forward to the resurrection of the body and the subsequent complete Christ likeness which is the believer's eternal glory.

We can easily see that this present suffering is minor compared to the great glory we will receive when Jesus recognizes us as His when we stand before Him in heaven.

Romans 8:19 "For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God."

The creature or creation eagerly looks forward to the revelation of the sons of God in the Millennium (the 1000 year earthly reign), because that is the time when the curse will be lifted and creation will be restored to Edenic conditions.

Everyone who believes in Jesus the Christ is also earnestly awaiting the coming of Christ and our eternal life as a son of God. While we are in a fleshly body, it is our most blessed hope. When we leave this body, and are in heaven with Jesus, it will be a reality.

Romans 8:20-21 "For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected [the same] in hope," "Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God."

Vanity has several meanings. Futility, emptiness, frailty, folly, all references to the curse of Genesis and considers the whole thing as unnecessary. Creation did not actively participate in the Fall.

This refers to the inability to achieve a goal or purpose. Because of man's sin, God cursed the physical universe and now, no part of creation entirely fulfills God's original purpose.

"Delivered from the bondage of corruption": There will be no more death. The creature or creation looks forward to the Millennium when redeemed man is glorified and will never again have to face God's curse.

Romans Chapter 8 Continued Questions

1. In verse 10 we see (if Christ be in you), the body is _______.

2. The Spirit is _________ because of righteousness.

3. When Jesus' flesh died, what happened to His Spirit?

4. What is different about the everlasting home of a Christian and someone who is still living the flesh life?

5. Who will quicken our mortal body, if we are a Christian?

6. In 1 Corinthians 15:20, what has Christ become in his resurrection?

7. Who brought death to all on the earth?

8. In 1 Corinthians 15:45, the first man was made what?

9. The last Adam was made what?

10. While we are at home in the body we are absent from whom?

11. Jesus is what 2 things that guarantees us everlasting life?

12. What Spirit dwells in all believers?

13. What do we owe the flesh?

14. In verse 13, we learn, if we live after the flesh _____ _______ ______.

15. If ye through the Spirit we do mortify the flesh, _____ _______ ______.

16. Who are the sons of God in verse 14?

17. In Galatians 3:26, how are we Christians children of God?

18. When we receive the Spirit of adoption, what do we call the Father.

19. Where else is this name found in the Bible?

20. Who are not permitted to use this name?

21. What bears witness that we are God's family?

22. What must we do to be joint-heirs with Christ?

23. Why should we not be too concerned about suffering for Christ now?

24. 2 Corinthians chapter 4:17 calls this suffering what?

25. What suffering did Paul go through for Christ?

26. In verse 19, we find the earnest expectation of the creature waits for what?

27. Who have put on Christ?

28. What must happen before we go up with Jesus?

29. Death is swallowed up in __________.

Romans Chapter 8 Second Continued

Romans 8:22 "For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now."

"Groaneth and travaileth in pain" refers to Adam's Fall, which has caused misery from then until the present. The present sufferings of creation are the "birth pangs" of the new age to be born, the Millennium. From the Fall until now, creation has been groaning over the pointlessness of having been made subject to a curse. It eagerly looks forward to the time when the curse will be lifted.

Until Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross, there was no promise of everlasting life. Mankind died with no hope of everlasting life. The atonement (payment), for sins up until Jesus crucifixion, was just for 1 year at a time. The blood of an animal could not do away with sin, it could only cover it.

Romans 8:23 "And not only [they], but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, [to wit], the redemption of our body."

The Holy Spirit is the first installment of the glory yet to follow.

In the first chapter of James, we read of the Christians being firstfruits.

James 1:18 "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures."

1 Corinthians 15:23 "But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming."

This is speaking of those who received the baptism of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost. Receiving the Spirit of God inside of you is a first fruit promise of the resurrection.

Definition of Pentecost:(from Greek pentecoste, "fiftieth day"). Christian festival commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples of Jesus, occurring on the Jewish Pentecost, after Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascension. The disciples began to speak in the many languages of the people assembled there, a sign that the disciples should spread the Christian message throughout the world. Jewish Pentecost was a thanksgiving feast for the first fruits of the wheat harvest and was associated with remembrance of God's gift of the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai. Christian Pentecost is celebrated on the Sunday concluding the 50-day period following Easter. It is also the name of the Jewish celebration of Shavuot ("Festival of Weeks").

The believer groans because of the conflict experienced (in 7:14-24), from which he needs a final and complete deliverance. This is the ultimate answer to (7:24). "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?"

Christ will deliver us by the resurrection and glorification of our bodies. Not the physical body only, but all of man's remaining fallenness.

Romans 8:24-25 "For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?" "But if we hope for that we see not, [then] do we with patience wait for [it]."

Unlike the English word "hope," the New Testament word contains no uncertainty. It speaks of something that is certain, but not yet realized. The believer's ultimate destiny is to share in the very glory of God and that hope will be realized because Christ Himself secures it. Without the clear and certain promises of the Word of God, the believer would have no basis for hope.

Romans 8:26 "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."

We see the problem that many Christians face when they are praying for others. We all pray to the very best of our ability, and still we do not always know what to pray for, or how to pray for a particular thing. This is when the Spirit takes over for us and prays for us. God's Spirit knows exactly what the needs are.

The Spirit also groans along with creation and the believer. The reference is to the Spirit's interpretation of the believer's innermost feelings, which cannot be put into words as the Spirit knows what's in the heart of man.

Romans 8:27 "And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what [is] the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to [the will of] God."

This is speaking of the Spirit of God (the Holy Spirit), praying for the saints. The Spirit of God knows the will of God. He prays for us "according to" God's will. God knows the desires of our heart, even before we pray.

No words are necessary because the Father understands and agrees with what the Spirit thinks.

Jude 1:20 "But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,"

Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose."

This is another Scripture that is many times misunderstood, because most people stop reading when it says "to them that love God". It truly says much more than that though. Are we fulfilling God's purpose in our lives? If you are, then all things work together for good to you. The key is "them that are called according to His purpose".

People in all types of ministry forget that God has called them to a particular ministry, and they hurry to get into something of their own choosing. The ministry that God will bless you in is the one He called you to. Sometimes we do not realize exactly what God would have us to do. If we would get alone with God and pray and ask Him, He will reveal unto us what He would have us to do.

"To them that love God", is the human perspective. God is working all things together for good, but those who love God are best able to appreciate that fact because they love Him no matter what. "To them who are the called" is the divine perspective. Scripture often refers to believers as "the called" or "the elect".

Romans 8:29 "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate [to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren."

"Foreknow" is God's determination from eternity to bring certain ones into a special relationship with Himself. This is not simple advance knowledge. This knowledge should also not be understood in the sense of "being acquainted with," but in the sense of "bringing into a special relation with". Foreknowledge is God's determination from eternity to bring certain ones into a special relationship with Himself.

"Predestinate" literally means "to mark off or choose before." God chooses those He knows will participate in His plan of salvation and extends it to all who respond in faith. The doctrine of predestination in Scripture relates to the foreknowledge of God.

Eph. 1:5: "Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will".

Predestination is especially noticeable in the conversion of the apostle Paul. Since he was a blasphemer and persecutor of the church, some Christians had a difficult time believing Paul could be saved even after he so testified. Still, knowing what was ahead and how Paul would respond, God chose him as Apostle to the Gentiles.

When we understand that God has chosen and predestined us, we should also realize we have been ordained to good works, to bear fruit and to become like Jesus.

We see from this scripture, that this predestination did not overrule our will. What this is really saying, is that God knew from even before you were born, how you would choose. God has foreknowledge of all happenings, not only in my life and yours, but he knows everything from the beginning of time to the end of time.

This is because of His foreknowledge. It is predestined, because He foreknew your decision. Jesus' crucifixion was planned from the foundation of the earth. Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus paid for you and me to be adopted into the family with His precious blood at Calvary. We are part of the family of God, because our elder brother (God's only begotten Son), purchased our right to be called God's sons.

Romans 8:30 "Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified."

In 2 Timothy 1:9 we read:

"Called": The calling (of 8:28), is pre-temporal; it occurred before the creation of the world (Eph. 1:4). The calling here is temporal and refers to the effectual communication of the gospel, resulting in salvation.

"Justified" indicates being declared righteous. It signifies the believer's judicial standing before God. There is no just cause in man to warrant justification. This unmerited favor is bestowed through the redemption paid by Jesus Christ on the cross. The redeemed sinner is released on the basis of the ransom's having been paid.

"Glorified": Glorification is God's doing. While God's foreknowledge and predestination take place in eternity, and while God's calling and justification are realized in history, God's glorifying is yet future. It is as certain, however, as the previous works. Hence glorified is in the past tense. From God's point of view it is already accomplished.

The plan was set at the foundation of the world. Man could not be saved by his own deeds, he must have a Savior. That Savior we must have is Jesus Christ our Lord. We do know that God's call for many of His ministers was a call before they were even born, like John the Baptist.

John the Baptist's entire life (even before birth), was planned of God. Read the account of John the Baptist's birth (in Luke chapter 1). This does not mean that John had no Choice. He could have refused, but he didn't. God knew he would carry out God's purpose in his life. Obedience to God's will in our life will bring peace in our life too.

Most people today take their call to serve God far too lightly. It is serious business to answer God's call and serve God. We must first be able to say "not my will be done, but thine O Lord" and then say, "Here am I Lord, send me".

Romans Chapter 8 Second Continued Questions

In verse 22, we see that the whole creation until now does 2 things, what are they?
What brought us a promise of everlasting life?
What does atonement mean?
In Hebrews 10:4, we read that the blood of what could not do away with sin?
Who is the only hope for mankind?
In Romans 8:23, we Christians groan within ourselves waiting for what?
In James 1:18, we are called a kind of the ________ of God's creatures.
1 Corinthians 15:23, who is the actual first fruit?
Romans 8:24 says, we are saved by what?
What does 2 Corinthians 5:7 say about faith?
In Hebrews 11:1, what is faith?
What really saves us?
When we do not know what to pray for, who prays for us?
In verse 27, He that searcheth the hearts knowest what is the mind of the _________ .
His intercession is according to what?
Who do things work together for good to?
How is Romans 8:28 many times misunderstood?
Explain about God's calling us to the ministry.
Explain about the predestination in verse 29.
What name of God tells us that He knows everything from the foundation of the world until the end of the world?
Who is Jesus called in verse 29?
How did Jesus pay for our adoption into the family of God?
In verse 30, we see that whom God Predestined He _________.
Who justified us? How?
What does being justified mean?
In 2 Timothy 1:9, we find that not our works, but his _______ and _________ which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.
Who is a good Bible example of being called before birth to God's work?
In verse 29, we are to be conformed to whose image.

Romans Chapter 8 Third Continued

Romans 8:31 "What shall we then say to these things? If God [be] for us, who [can be] against us?"

The Greek construction is better translated "Since God is for us."

We read (in 1 Corinthians):

1 Corinthians 8:12 "But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ."

God fights for us and gives us the victory. God causes even our enemies to live at peace with us, if we are Christians. Those who are opposed to God's people are really opposed to God.

Romans 8:32 "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?"

The hardest thing for the carnal mind to understand is why God would sacrifice His Son for a bunch of sinners.

We read in Romans Chapter 5:

Romans Chapter 5:8 "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

Paul's point was, would God do less for His children than He did for His enemies?

The amazing thing is that God loves the worst sinner. God provided through His Son a way out for all. Jesus died for all sin. The way out is through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The problem is that many will not accept this way out and therefore will die in their sin. The beautiful story in Genesis in the O.T. of Abraham about to sacrifice his son Isaac, is a type and shadow of God sacrificing His Son for all of mankind.

A type or shadow is not exact in every detail, but makes you think of the happening it is shadowing. Both Abraham and God were about to sacrifice the one who meant the very most to them. In the case of Abraham, God stopped him and gave him a substitute. In God's case, there was no one greater than Himself to stop him.

Jesus Christ (the only begotten of the Father), was the substitute for all mankind. The greatest gift of love in all time was God loving us enough to give His Son to save us. We deserved to die on that cross, but God the Son took our place for us. He was our substitute.

We read earlier in Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

1 Corinthians chapter 15:45 "And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam [was made] a quickening spirit."

God has given us life in Jesus Christ. What more can we ask?

Romans 8:33 "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? [It is] God that justifieth."

No charge is admissible, because the Father justifies, in that the Son died, was raised and now intercedes for us. Who can successfully accuse someone whom God has declared righteous?

Some young children learned the hard way not to insult God's elect (in 2 Kings 2:23-24). They had made fun of Elisha's bald head. Elisha cursed them in the name of the Lord and 42 of them were torn of she bears. It is a very dangerous thing to say bad things about God's elect.

Another example of how God will not allow this is when Miriam spoke against Moses and became leprous. She was cleansed when Moses prayed for her (Numbers 12:10).

These 2 instances remind us not to come against God's elect. God fights their battles for them. We who are God's are not justified by our own deeds but we are justified because we have been cleansed by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. We are justified, because we have taken on the righteousness of Christ.

Romans 8:34 "Who [is] he that condemneth? [It is] Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us."

There are four reasons the believer can never be found guilty. Take note of what verse 34 says as it gets into real specifics.

1. Christ died for our sins.

2. He rose again.

3. He sits at the right hand of the Father.

4. He is constantly reminding God that He died to pay the cost for our sins (intercessor).

Hebrews 7:24-25 "But this [man], because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood." "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them."

Romans 8:35 "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? [shall] tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?"

This list of experiences that can't separate the believer from God's love in Christ was not just theory to Paul. It was rather personal testimony from one who had personally survived assaults from these entities and emerged triumphant.

This scripture isn't speaking of our love for Christ, but His love for us which He demonstrated in our salvation.

"Persecution" is indicative of suffering that is inflicted upon us by mankind because of our relationship with Christ.

This scripture asks a very interesting question. In the parable of the sower (in Matthew 13:3), we read about how different people were affected by the cares of the world and turned aside from the love of God. One did not understand the Word (love), he had received, and the evil one immediately took it away.

(In Matthew 13:21), we read of another who was slightly stronger than the one mentioned, but in the face of tribulation and persecution lost out.

(Matthew 13:22), tells of someone who the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches caused to fail.

Out of all of the seed (word or love) sown, there was one who received it and nothing or no one could take it away. This person was not only "not shaken" by all the problems that came, but actually went out and brought others to the Lord. Problems did not stop this person; it just made him stronger and more determined to do the will of God.

Romans 8:36 "As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."

Since Jesus was crucified, there have been men and women who were willing to be martyred (killed), to bring the true message of God. Paul in writing this could be speaking of himself. He was stoned, ship-wrecked, beaten and left for dead, but he never gave up the cause of Jesus Christ. We are sheep, if we are followers of Jesus Christ (the great Shepherd). The sheep will follow the Shepherd even to death of his body.

Psalm 44:22 "Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter."

Romans 8:37 "Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us."

"More than conquerors" is a compound Greek word, which means to over conquer, to conquer completely without any real threat to personal life or health.

A true follower of Jesus Christ will not turn back from those problems listed (in verse 35). We know that Jesus has won the victory. These little battles are nothing. Jesus won the war at Calvary. Our strength is in Jesus.

Romans 8:38 "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,"

Principalities are fallen angels or demons. Powers: the plural form of this common word for "power" is used to refer to either miracles or to persons in positions of authority.

Romans 8:39 "Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

We can not be separated from God's love, because it is set forth in a person who is God Himself, Jesus Christ our Savior. God's desire to redeem believers cannot be frustrated, because He is infinitely greater than any potential enemy. His plan will be realized because it is His purpose.

I think the book of (Ephesians 2:18-22), says it all.

"For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father." "Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;" "And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner [stone];" "In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord:" "In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit."

We are in Him and He is in us. How can you separate that?

Romans Chapter 8 Third Continued Questions

1. If God be for us, _______ _____ can be against us?

2. 1 Corinthians 8:12 says if ye sin against the brethren, you are really sinning against whom?

3. Who did the Father God not spare to help us?

4. What does verse 32 say He will freely give us?

5. What is the hardest thing for the carnal mind to understand?

6. While we were yet in _________, Christ died for us.

7. What Old Testament character is a type and shadow of God the Father?

8. What is the difference between the shadow and the real Father?

9. What is the greatest show of the Father's love to mankind?

10. The first Adam was made a living __________.

11. The second Adam (Jesus Christ) was made a _________ _________.

12. Who justifies the elect?

13. Give two examples of how dangerous it is to be against God's elect.

14. Who is He that condemneth?

15. Where is Christ now?

16. Who intercedes for the Christians?

17. Who is the judge of all the world?

18. What two animals describe the two sides of good and evil?

19. Where do we find the Scripture that tells us of this?

20. What four things must we believe?

21. Verse 35 asks a question about six things that might separate us from the love of Christ? What are they?

22. What does the parable of the sower from Matthew the 13th Chapter show us?

23. What is meant by us being killed all the day long?

24. What are we called in verse 37?

25. Who won the war and when?

26. In verses 38-39, many things are named that cannot separate us from the love of God, name a few.

27. What does Ephesians 2:18-22 tell us about the Christians and Jesus?

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Romans 9

Romans Chapter 9

Romans 9:1-2 "I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost," "That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart."

We will see in the beginning of this chapter a sorrowful Paul. As we have said before in these lessons, Paul was a Pharisee and he never would quite give up on his Jewish brothers. He went to great lengths to try to reach them over and over. His greatest opposition came from his own people. In many cases, Paul practiced the old Jewish law to try to win them to Christ, but even this failed and Paul went away sorrowful.

Your "conscience" and "In the Holy Spirit" is speaking of only when the Spirit controls the conscience, can it be trusted, but it remains imperfect and its warnings must always be evaluated against the Word of God.

It is a very good idea that any time you hear something you are not sure of, that you confirm it by the Word of God. That's what the Bereans' did in Acts.

Acts 17:10-11 "And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming [thither] went into the synagogue of the Jews." "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so."

Romans 9:3 "For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:"

The Greek word for accursed is anathema meaning "to devote to destruction in eternal hell".

We see here, in this verse that Paul would have gone to almost any length to have his Israelite brothers come to Christ. He says that he would even give up his own salvation, if this would have saved them. Paul makes it clear here, that these Israelites are his brothers in the flesh, not the spirit. His spiritual brothers are Christians.

Although Paul understood the exchange he was suggesting was impossible, it was still the sincere expression of his deep love for his fellow Jews.

Romans 9:4 "Who are Israelites; to whom [pertaineth] the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service [of God], and the promises;"

This just means that God had chosen the Hebrews (Israelites), to give the law to, and he had chosen them to be a peculiar people set aside to worship Him. God's first choice for the salvation message to go to was these Israelites.

Three times in the New Testament the word "covenants" is used in the plural. All but one of God's covenants with man are eternal and unilateral, that is God promised to accomplish something based on His own character and not on the response or actions of the promised beneficiary. The 6 biblical covenants include:

(1) The covenant with Noah;

(2) The covenant with Abraham;

(3) The covenant of law given through Moses at Sinai (The Mosaic Covenant);

(4) The priestly covenant;

(5) The covenant of an eternal kingdom through David's greatest Son;

(6) The New Covenant.

All but the Mosaic Covenant are eternal and unilateral. (Unilateral means something which is done by only one party). It is neither, since Israel's sin abrogated it and it has been replaced by the New Covenant.

Romans 9:5 "Whose [are] the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ [came], who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen."

The fathers mentioned here are the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob through whom the promises of the Messiah were fulfilled.

"Christ ... God blessed for ever" is not intended primarily as a benediction, but as an affirmation of the sovereignty and deity of Christ.

Romans 9:6 "Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they [are] not all Israel, which are of Israel:"

This refers specifically to the privileges and promises God had revealed to Israel. Not all Israel who are of Israel means that not all the physical descendants of Abraham are true heirs of the promise.

Those who follow God are His children. The followers of God which are not true Jews are considered grafted in Jews. Not those who were born into the house, but those who chose to follow God.

Romans 9:7 "Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, [are they] all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called."

Isaac was the son of promise. He represented the Spirit. Abraham had a son of the flesh (Ishmael). The promises God had made to Abraham came through the Spirit, not through the flesh. You see from this that the Spirit of God and the promises thereof are for the Spirit, and not for the flesh.

Galatians 3:29 "And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."

To illustrate the truth of verse 6, Paul reminds his readers that even the racial and national promises made to Abraham were not made to every physical descendant of his, but only to those who came through Isaac.

Romans 9:8 "That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these [are] not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed."

"Children of the flesh" is a reference to Abraham's other children by Hagar and Keturah who were not chosen to receive the national promises made to him.

"Children of God: Paul's point is just as not all of Abraham's descendants who belonged to the physical people of God, or national Israel - not all of those who are true children of Abraham through Isaac are the true spiritual people of God and enjoy the promises made to Abraham's spiritual children.

Romans 9:9 "For this [is] the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son."

This scripture comes from (Genesis. 18).

Gen. 18:10 "And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard [it] in the tent door, which [was] behind him."

Genesis 17:19 "And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, [and] with his seed after him." You see again here that the promise that God made to Abraham was to come through the child of promise (Isaac), the child of the spirit.

We can see the chain of blessings from the following verse (in Genesis).

Genesis 25:11 "And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac dwelt by the well Lahai-roi."

Romans 9:10 "And not only [this]; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, [even] by our father Isaac;"

Rebecca also had 2 sons; one of the flesh (Esau) and a son who the promises of God would flow through (Jacob), whose name would be changed to Israel.

Romans 9:11-12 "(For [the children] being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)" "It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger."

This business of election is sometimes hard to explain. We find that all through the Bible there are people who have been chosen out and called to do a certain thing for God. A very good example of that is John the Baptist who seemed to live for one purpose (to tell of the coming Messiah). God has elected that certain things will happen to get the job done that He wants done.

We see in the verse above, that He has chosen Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to funnel the spiritual blessings to all the believers in the world.

1 Peter 1:2 "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied."

We see from this, that God actually knew from the foundation of the world who would choose to follow Him and who would not. He did not predestine, He foreknew.

If we look back into Genesis we find this about Esau and Jacob as this was told to Rebecca.

Gen. 25:23 "And the LORD said unto her, Two nations [are] in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and [the one] people shall be stronger than [the other] people; and the elder shall serve the younger."

We see in this that Ishmael (son of the flesh) served Isaac (son of the spirit). We also see in this, that Esau (the oldest son), served Jacob (the younger son). Since we are looking at the spiritual side of these lessons, we can not overlook the fact that the law was given first to the physical house of Israel, and that grace was given to the spiritual house of Israel (Christians). Grace is better than the law.

Romans 9:13 "As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated."

Jacob and Esau were born approximately in 2005 B.C. Esau was the first born and when he was born, it was discovered that Jacob was holding onto his heel. He was called "heel-grabber". It is of Hebrew origin, and its meaning is "he who supplants, trips up another and takes his place."

Esau was also the father of the Edomites.

We know that God would not hate Esau without a cause. God hated Esau, not because of who he was, but because he did not regard his birthright as being very valuable. In fact, he thought so little of it that he sold it to his brother for a bowl of soup.

Malachi 1:2-3 "I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? [Was] not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob," "And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness."

The blessing of God through Abraham and Isaac then would come through the second son Jacob. From him, the 12 tribes of Israel would come. I say again, God did not just hate Esau without a cause. Esau turned his back on God.

Now having said all of that let me explain the love and hate being mentioned.

Actual emotional hatred for Esau and his offspring is not the point here. Genesis mentions no divine hatred toward Esau but (Obadiah 1-21), indicated that the Lord's hatred was against Esau's idolatrous descendants. In the same way, the Lord's love for Jacob refers to his descendants who were His sovereignly elected people through whom the world's Redeemer would come.

The love/hate relationship language does not signify a comparative love in which God loved Jacob more and Esau less. Rather, the context here speaks of love as "choosing for intimate fellowship" and hate as "not choosing for intimate fellowship" in the realm of redemption.

Romans 9:14 "What shall we say then? [Is there] unrighteousness with God? God forbid."

If this had been predestined some would say this was unfair, but this was not predestined, only known ahead of time by God.

Paul had once again anticipated his reader's objection to Paul's theology: If God were to choose some people for salvation and pass over others apart from their merits or actions, that would make God arbitrary and unfair.

Romans 9:15 "For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion."

It is God's world and we are His creation. He can do with us whatever He chooses to do. We are His creation and He is the Creator.

This is quoted from (Exodus 33:19). In response to the accusation that such a teaching about God's sovereign election is inconsistent with His fairness, Paul cites this text from the Old Testament that clearly indicates that God is absolutely sovereign, and does elect who will be saved without violating His other attributes. He determines who receives mercy.

Romans 9:16 "So then [it is] not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy."

Many will seek to do the things of God, but many will do these things for the wrong reasons. Just being a good person and doing things their way according to how they believe, no matter what they do, will not be shown mercy. We live in a society today that this has become the norm. Many have created their own God instead of obeying God's Word. This will be a fatal mistake as many in that day will cry out "Lord, Lord" but the Lord will tell them, "Depart, I never knew you."

It is God and He alone who shows mercy. It is His gracious choice of certain people unto eternal life. Salvation is not initiated by human choice and even faith is a gift of God. Salvation is never merited by human effort.

1 Peter 2:9-10 "But ye [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:" "Which in time past [were] not a people, but [are] now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy."

We read also in Titus:

Titus 3:5 "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;"

Romans 9:17 "For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth."

This Old Testament quote proves that God does sovereignly choose who will serve His purposes and how. The "raised thee up", was often used to describe the rise of leaders and countries to positions of prominence. Pharaoh no doubt thought his position and actions were of his own free choice to accomplish his own purposes, but in reality, he was there to serve God's purpose.

We know that the 10 plagues that came upon Egypt were for the purpose of discrediting the false gods of Egypt. Egypt represents the world. God shows, through Pharaoh's rebellion, that the gods of this world are no match for the real God. We see an almost identical Scripture in the Old Testament account of this event.

Exodus 9:16 "And in very deed for this [cause] have I raised thee up, for to show [in] thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth."

1 Samuel 2:7-8 "The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up." "He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, [and] lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set [them] among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth [are] the LORD'S, and he hath set the world upon them."

Look also at Proverbs:

Proverbs 16:4 "The LORD hath made all [things] for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil."

This all speaks for itself, we need no more comment here.

Romans Chapter 9 Questions

Paul says in verse 1, that what bears him witness?
Why did Paul keep on trying to win the Jews to Jesus?
In the third verse, what did Paul say he wished himself, if it would save his Jewish brothers?
These Physical Israelites were Paul's brothers in the___________.
Who were Paul's spiritual brothers?
Who had God chosen to give the law to?
Who was God's first choice to give the salvation message to?
Who does the physical house of Israel belong to?
Who do the Christians belong to?
Who are the true Israelites?
Which of Abraham's sons would the promise come through?
Which of Abraham's sons was thought of as the son of the flesh?
In Galatians 3:29, we find that who are the heirs?
In Galatians 3:26, we find that we are children of God by what?
What unbelievable thing can God raise sons of Abraham of, if He has to?
In Genesis God promises Abraham a son, what is his name?
After Abraham's death, God blessed his son______________.
What was the names of the 2 sons of Rebecca?
Which of these sons would the blessings of God come through?
What are the names of the 3 patriarchs who the blessings would flow through to all believers in God?
In 1 Peter 1:2, the elect was according to what?
When did God know who would follow Him?
God did not predestine, He __________.
Since we are looking at the spiritual, what does the fact that the second son ruling over the first tell us?
In verse 13, who does God hate?
Why did God hate him?
What absolutely ridiculous question is asked in verse 14?
Why does God not have to explain what He chooses to do?
In 1 Peter 2-9, what are those who have come into the Light out of darkness called?
Not our righteousness saved us, but what?
Why did God bring the 10 plagues on Egypt?
In Proverbs, we read that God made all things for whom?
We find in 1 Samuel that ______ makes the rich and the poor.

Romans Chapter 9 Continued

Romans 9:18 "Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will [have mercy], and whom he will he hardeneth."

Have you even read that God hardened someone's heart and wondered why our God would do that to someone? Let's examine this a little closer.

The Greek word for hardens literally means to make something hard, but is often used figuratively to refer to making stubborn or obstinate. Ten times Exodus refers to God's hardening Pharaoh's heart, and other times to Pharaoh's hardening his own heart.

This does not mean that God actively created unbelief or some other evil in Pharaoh's heart, but rather that He withdrew all the divine influences that ordinarily acted as a restraint to sin and allowed Pharaoh's wicked heart to pursue its sin unabated.

Exodus 4:21″ And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go."

We also see this very same thing in Joshua:

Joshua 11:20 "For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, [and] that they might have no favor, but that he might destroy them, as the LORD commanded Moses."

We are not to question God's motives. In both of these instances, this taught us that God is even in control of Satan and all his evil forces. God can cause them to destroy themselves especially by creating fear in their hearts by allowing them to believe a delusion. Remember the story of Gideon?

Romans 9:19-20 "Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?" "Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed [it], Why hast thou made me thus?"

"Who has resisted his will"? Does all this lead to fatalism? Paul does not answer this question directly, for it is absurd and raised by one who is ignorant of the righteous character of the infinite God and the finite character of man. Paul rather deals with the heart attitude that would produce such a question and reminds man of his limited understanding of the unlimited and sovereign God.

The nature of Paul's reply makes it clear that he is not addressing those with honest questions about this difficult doctrine, but those who seek to use it to excuse their own sin and unbelief.

Isaiah 45:9 "Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! [Let] the potsherd [strive] with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?"

Romans 9:21 "Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor?"

Paul argues that it is as irrational, and far more arrogant, for men to question God's choice of certain sinners for salvation, as for a piece of pottery to question the purposes of the potter.

Until we can say, not my will be done but thine O Lord, we are truly not His. One of the first things a Christian must do is let God cut away all the rough edges. We must get on the wheel and let God form us into what He would have us to be. He has a perfect plan for us, if we will just submit and let Him fulfill it.

Isaiah 64:8 "But now, O LORD, thou [art] our Father; we [are] the clay, and thou our potter; and we all [are] the work of thy hand."

2 Timothy 2:20-21 "But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honor, and some to dishonor." "If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, [and] prepared unto every good work."

It is not our job to figure out what we are to do for God. He chooses what position we are to have and we must conform to His wishes.

Romans 9:22 "[What] if God, willing to show [his] wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:"

This verse begins with a rhetorical question, "What if". "Willing" means "wanting". The Greek word speaks of divine intention, not passive resignation.

"Endured": God could justly destroy sinners the first time they sin. But He patiently endures their rebellion rather than giving them what every sin immediately deserves: eternal punishment.

"Vessels of wrath fitted to destruction" are those whom God has not chosen for salvation, but rather allowed to incur the just penalty for their sin.

"Fitted to destruction:" By their own rejection of Him. God does not make men sinful, but He leaves them in the sin they have chosen.

Ephesians 5:5-6 "For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God." "Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience."

We deserve the wrath of God. Only those who accept full pardon through the shed blood of Jesus Christ will be spared the wrath of God which will surely come.

Romans 9:23-24 "And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory," "Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?"

This scripture is speaking of the greatness of His character, seen especially in the grace, mercy, compassion and forgiveness He grants sinners in Christ.

"Afore prepared unto glory" is speaking of God's divine election.

The "vessels of mercy" are those He has chosen for salvation.

Ephesians 2:3-5 "Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others." "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us," "Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)"

Romans 1	Romans 7	Romans 13
Romans 2	Romans 8	Romans 14
Romans 3	Romans 9	Romans 15
Romans 4	Romans 10	Romans 16
Romans 5	Romans 11
Romans 6	Romans 12