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The Epistle of Romans
Introduction
The Epistle of Romans
Introduction
Why another commentary on Romans? Although this might seem like a commentary, I wrote this to share my thoughts on the book of Romans, but not as a commentary. By the way, I’ve always looked at Romans as the fifth Gospel, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Romans. The epistle weaves the gospel throughout all its pages. Right from the start, Paul tells us he is not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes.
All I am doing in this writing is telling you my thoughts on what I perceive the scripture to be saying. These are just my personal thoughts on the book of Romans.
The reason I picked the book of Romans is that it is full of information that is helpful to Christians.
Section 1
Part 1
Who Wrote The Book, And Did He Have The Authority To Do So?
There are some people who shy away from the book of Romans because it has some hard things in it, and they would rather just not go there. Right from the beginning, it talks about homosexuality. I am one who does not shy away from hard things. Let’s dig into the book and look at all the difficulties that are found in it.
We will start out by looking at the author and his credentials. Just to mention, I got rid of all the chapters and verses because they were just put there for our convenience; they were not in the original manuscripts. Let’s just look at the context. And I will use the color blue for all scripture text I quote.
“Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,
To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
The Apostle Paul wrote this letter (epistle) and he had the authority to do so, being called to his apostleship by the Lord himself. The book of Acts describes his conversion and calling. Before he was called Paul, his name was Saul. There is meaning in names, so let us take a moment to look at the meaning of Saul and then Paul.
“The name Saul is of Hebrew origin, meaning “asked for” or “prayed for”. It is a biblical name that was given to the first king of Israel and was also the original name of the Apostle Paul before his conversion. Because of its connection to these important figures, the name has a strong religious significance, but people also use it today in both religious and secular contexts.
Originating in Latin, the name Paul means “small” or “humble.” The name comes from the Roman family name “Paulus,” and Saint Paul the Apostle popularized it. The name can also be associated with qualities like intelligence and ambition.
Before Paul’s conversion, he was a very religious, proud, boastful man, but during and after his conversion, he became tiny in his own eyes and was very humble. We can see this fits the name he went by. God not only changes names but changes the person.
The next thing we see in the above-quoted scripture was the reason he was called. He was called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God. In the simplest terms, the meaning of the word “Gospel” just means, Good News. The good news is that God has provided a way of salvation for anyone who would like to accept it. (By faith we are saved…) We need to humble ourselves just like Paul and put our faith in this truth. That God provides it, we will read later on in this epistle; that it is not of ourselves, so we have nothing to boast about. That is what Saul was doing; he was boasting in his Jewish religion. He left his religion for a relationship with the Lord. Yes, that is what Christianity is all about. I like to think of myself as anti-religious and now joined to the Lord in a loving relationship. There is a vast difference between these two things.
So just as Paul was called to proclaim the gospel, the good news of salvation, we who are called Christians are called to the same thing. The Great Commission appears at the end of the written Gospels.
To understand who Paul is, let us look at his conversion as found in the book of Acts.
“But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; and taking food, he was strengthened.”
Going back to the text of Romans. We would find the Messiah if we looked throughout the Old Testament. This is very important for us to know these two facts. Being holy, he was sinless, and his resurrection tells us he has the power over death. This alone tells us He is God in the flesh. Elsewhere in scripture he is called Emmanuel, which is interpreted as “God with us.”
Jesus Christ gave this apostleship, and Paul calls him his Lord. The Lord is the only one who has the authority to call apostles. Not only by his authority does he call them, but by his grace, and it was to the obedience of faith, and for his name’s sake. He did this not only for Israel, but for all the nations.
Now it comes down to whom this epistle was written “To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:”
Let’s take a moment to talk about saints.
The question is, who is a saint? Or better yet, what makes a person a saint? Let us turn to the Bible for our answer.
In the Bible, a “saint” is a believer in Christ whom God sets apart, not necessarily a person with exceptional holiness whom a church formally recognizes. The term comes from a Greek word meaning “holy,” and the New Testament uses it to describe all Christians, including the apostles, who Christ’s grace has sanctified (made holy), and who are called to live holy lives. While the Catholic Church later developed a formal process for recognizing specific individuals as saints, the biblical definition applies to all who are in a relationship with God.”
Okay, now that we have that point out of the way, Paul concludes introduction to this letter with the words, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The last thing I will mention in this introduction is Paul uses the terms, Grace and Peace in most of his letters. God’s grace and peace with God are two very important things in a Christian’s life. And just to add the fact that both come from the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. Two destined persons in the Godhead.
Part 2
Paul’s Desire To Go To Rome
First, let us look at the scripture that processed the introduction.
“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.”
Before getting to where he hoped to go — to Rome, he starts out this section by first thanking God through Jesus Christ, and he is giving thanks for all the saints in Rome and for their faith. He also mentions that the entire world knew about their faith.
In giving thanks, he does it to God the Father but through His Son Jesus Christ. We need to remember to do this as well.
Paul was a prayerful man, as all saints should be. Even if no one else knew it , God knew it and was his witness that he prayed for the saints in Rome. And his pray was that he did not cease to ask that somehow within God’s will that he could come to them at Rome. In the book of Acts, we see this happens because of his appeal to Caesar.
Although he was a prisoner and not a free man, he still achieved his desire. For he said, “I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you…” The gifts that are referred to here are the ones mentioned later on in Romans. I will quote them here even though we will look at them when we come to them later on.
“For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.”
I believe that being an apostle and one of the founding gifts; they had the ability and could give these gifts to others by the Holy Spirit. This was to strengthen them as a body of believers in that area. It was to encourage and edify one another. To build up their faith. He also shows that he often intended to come to them, but something prevented him. He also wanted to reap some harvest among them, and not only them, but other Gentiles as well. Paul was an apostle predominantly to the Gentiles. He tells us he was under obligation both to the Greeks and barbarians. Both to the wise and the foolish. Those of learning and though of the uneducated. He was eager to preach the gospel to everyone in Rome.
In closing this section, I want to just mention that there is a difference between teaching and preaching. To be a teacher, one needs to teach, but being a preacher, one preaches the good news, the gospel of Jesus Christ. Preaching comes in when one evangelizes. The evangelist will sometimes teach, but his function is to bring the unsaved into the knowledge of salvation through the gospel.
Part 3
If You Are Among The Righteous, (The Saints) Then You Are To Live By Faith
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
Paul starts out by telling us he is not ashamed of the gospel. We should not be ashamed either. The gospel saved us, and it will be the only means for others to get saved, so we should not be ashamed of that fact. Like Paul said, it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. As we are told elsewhere, faith is the key that opens the door of salvation to us. And His grace made the key. Yes, God’s grace.
So what is it to live by faith? The answer is simple, but doing it is something we do not do through the flesh. The simple meaning is to believe God, but not just for our salvation, but to believe Him. To believe what he says. If we truly believe in Him, He will bless our lives. Not that everything will go well, but it will be in His will and therefore, our lives in the end will reap all His blessing.
Look at the Lord Jesus’ life. They crucified him, but now God glorified him, and he sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven.
The thief on the cross ended up dying on that cross, but he is with Jesus Christ in Paradise. All our blessings end in the end, but there are still blessing as we walk our pilgrim’s pathway.
Now when I said we do not do this in our flesh, we need the help of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. He is the one who witnesses that all these things that God is saying through His Word; living and written, are true, and He brings to remembrance the things we need to live by faith in the one who died for us.
Part 4
The Unrighteous or Ungodly are under God’s wrath.
In this part of Romans, we get to the core of living in sin and not obeying God. The opposite of righteous is unrighteous; of godly and ungodly.
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.”
I hear people say, God is love, he won’t cast anyone into hell. They forget God is also Holy and nothing ungodly and sinful with come into His presence. That is where this scripture comes into play. The scripture immediately reveals God’s wrath from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.
So what is the wrath of God? Wrath is the opposite of love. God loves the sinner, but hates the sin. He pours his wrath on sin, and those who practice sin. Yes, we all sin, but there is a difference between practicing and willfully sinning and unintentionally sinning or not in the habit of sinning.
The Bible says if we say we do not sin; we make God out to be a liar. Then it tells us that when we sin (not if we sin) we are to confess our sins, and He is just to forgive us and cleans us from all unrighteousness. God is love, but he also is Holy and as such, he will not let the ungodly or the unrighteous come into his presence. Hell is a place where they will spend eternity in the absence of God. That is going to be hell. Outer darkness; spiritual darkness forever.
Ask yourself, are you practicing the sin that is talked about here or do you sin and then confess that sin to God? If you think these sins are okay to practice, you’d better read these passages closely and take them to heart.
Those who practice sinning fall under God’s wrath. God revealed to them what they can know about Him, and they understand it.
How is he doing this? People have clearly seen what he has made since the creation of the world, including his eternal power and divine nature. So they are without excuse.
I quoted this part of the passage because I have it highlighted in my Bible, because it speaks volumes to me. All the attributes that are invisible, he names here. His eternal power, His divine nature. We see them in his creation of the world, all the things that were made. Man would rather believe the lie of evolution than the truth of creation. God says, they are without excuse. To say that God did not create the world is no different that to say, anything of any complexity did not have a maker but just evolved.
Moving on, even though some knew God (professed to know God) they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him. The Lord himself said to the religious leaders of his day, “You honor God with your lips, but your heart is far from Him.”
Many people have futile thoughts, and their foolish hearts darkened. We read in the Gospel of John:
“And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
“Claiming to be wise, they became fools.” What a sad picture of a man in his fallen state. God’s Word says they are fools. He says,“and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.” Have you ever looked at all the religions of the world and seen all their idols? Walk into any church, and you will find idols.
“Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves.”
Why do homosexuals think their practice of homosexuality is okay? It is because God gave them over to it. If they want to practice it, then God said, I will just let them do it and think it is okay. Like it says, God gave them up to the lusts of their hearts. They would rather worship one another’s bodies than worship God, their Creator. And true, blesses forever! Amen. I like the way Paul adds that on the end.
We do not get the complete picture of what homosexuality is all about, and what we just read is the reason God is giving them up to it. It is because of their passions and their lust for women exchanging the natural relations for those that are contrary to nature. And not only the women, but men likewise giving up the natural relations with women, being consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
Now I would ask, is this not laying the truth before us? This is not a natural thing. It is contrary to nature itself.
It tells us again that since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. God is coming right out and saying homosexuality is not natural or right.
As we approach the conclusion of this part of Romans, we discover that individuals who engage in these behaviors exhibit various forms of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, and malice. And then the list continues on with saying that they are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless. Wow! That is quite a list. And this is because, though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them (which is bad enough) but give approval to those who practice them.
This last part is for those who support the rights of those who say this lifestyle is okay.
Something to think about.
In closing this section, I need to say that if you are living this lifestyle, don’t go by your feelings, but trust and believe God that this is wrong. Remember what I said earlier; God hates the sin but loves the sinner. Before I became a Christian, I didn’t practice this sin, but I practiced many others. When I came to Jesus for the forgiveness of all my sins, he not only forgave them but he bore the penalty for them when he when to the cruel tree (the cross) and died for them in my place. He made himself sin for me so I could become the righteousness of God. When thinking about this, it reminds me of the hymn, A debtor to mercy alone. I will close this section with the words of this great hymn written by Augustus Toplady. He also wrote the hymn Rock of Ages.
Before giving the word to this hymn in closing, let me just tell you a little about the hymn writer. I am using a quote from Hymnary.org, and I believe you can find this on Wikipedia.org.
Quote:
Toplady, Augustus Montague, the author of “Rock of Ages,” was born at Farnham, Surrey, on November 4, 1740. His father was an officer in the British army. His mother was a woman of remarkable piety. He prepared for the university at Westminster School, and subsequently graduated from Trinity College, Dublin. While on a visit to Ireland in his sixteenth year, he was awakened and converted at a service held in a barn in Codymain. The text was Ephesians ii. 13: “But now, in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” The preacher was an illiterate but warm-hearted layman named Morris. Concerning this experience Toplady wrote: “Strange that I, who had so long sat under the means of grace in England, should be brought nigh unto God in an obscure part of Ireland, amidst a handful of God’s people met together in a barn, and under the ministry of one who could hardly spell his name. Surely this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous.” In 1758, through the influence of sermons preached by Dr. Manton on the seventeenth chapter of John, he became an extreme Calvinist in his theology, which brought him later into conflict with Mr. Wesley and the Methodists. He received ordination to the ministry in the Church of England in 1762, and in 1768 he became vicar of Broadhembury, a small living in Devonshire, which he held until his death. For the last two or three years of his life he passed in London, where he preached in a chapel on Orange Street. His last sickness was of such a character that he could make a repeated and emphatic dying testimony. A short time before his death, he asked his physician what he thought. The reply was that his pulse showed that his heart was beating weaker every day. Toplady replied with a smile: “Why, that is a good sign that my death is fast approaching; and, blessed be God, I can add that my heart beats stronger and stronger every day for glory.” To another friend he said: “O, my dear sir, I cannot tell you the comforts I feel in my soul; they are past expression… My prayers are all converted into praise.” He died of consumption on August 11, 1778. In 1776, he published his Volume of Psalms and Hymns for Public and Private Worship. Of the four hundred and nineteen hymns that it contained, several were his own productions
A debtor to mercy alone,
of covenant mercy I sing;
nor fear, with God’s righteousness on,
my person and off’ring to bring.
The terrors of law and of God
with me can have nothing to do;
my Savior’s obedience and blood
hide all my transgressions for view.
The work which His goodness began,
the arm of His strength will complete;
His promise is yea and amen,
and never was forfeited yet.
Things future, nor things that are now,
nor all things below or above,
can make Him His purpose forgo,
or sever my soul from His love.
My name from the palms of His hands
eternity will not erase;
impressed on His heart it remains,
in marks of indelible grace.
Yes, I to the end shall endure,
as sure as the earnest is giv’n;
more happy, but not more secure,
the glorified spirits in heav’n.
Section 2.
Part 5
God’s Righteous Judgment
I have a brief story that fits the scripture we are about to look at. I was once talking to a very religious woman, and she was making a point about all the bad people that are in the world today. Murders, thieves, and very violent people. As she went on and on, I asked her about herself. I asked whether she had done anything bad. No, she said, I’ve always been a good person. I go to church and love others. I said Do you love all these bad people you are talking about. She said, of course not. They’re bad people. Well, I said God love them. He hates what they are doing, but he loves the people. Then I quote John 3:16.
“”For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life”.
The conversation ended with her saying, “Well, I’ll be. How could God love terrible people like that?” I wanted to say, but he loved you, but I bit my tongue, and kept silent. Our next scripture reads:
“Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.
He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality.”
We come to the scripture where people say we should not judge others. This is true in what we are reading, but sometimes we need to judge things. Here are a few scriptures that tell us this.
John tells us in his gospel, “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”
We find in first Corinthians, “The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one.”
Maybe one more to make a point about certain kinds of judging.
Latter on in Roman we will read, “I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.” Is not this judging?
Sometimes judgment is to be made, but taking this scripture that we are dealing with; if we take it in context we are talking about all being sinners and as one sinner to another let us not point our finger at someone and say they are a greater sinner, then I. One sin will keep you from coming in the presence of a Holy God. We all need God’s grace for our forgiveness through His Son Jesus Christ. One sin is as bad as another.
There is one scripture that people use about not judging that I would like to mention, because people use it to say the Bible teaches we should not judge others. Here is the verse. Refrain from judging, or you will be judged as well.
I read something about this verse that I found well stated. It was from the website gotquestion.org. Here is the quote:
“When Jesus said, “Judge not lest you be judged,” He wasn’t issuing a blanket rule that people are never to judge others. A closer look at the rest of the passage illuminates the genuine issue Christ wanted to address: “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye” (Matthew 7:1–5, NLT).”
With all this, I think we can see what the context is in the scripture in Romans that we are dealing with.
Paul sums up with he is saying with the words, “He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil…”
And he concludes with “For God shows no partiality.”
Part 6
God’s Judgment in relation to the Law or without the Law. Jews or Gentiles.
As we continue with the subject of judgment, in this section we will look at the judgment in relation to the law or without the law. I skipped the last part of Part 5 because I am going to deal with it here. In the last part, in closed with the Jew first and then the Gentiles. The translators used the word Greek, or may we say, non-Jew. God gave the law to the Jewish people. They are the ones who received the oracles of God. That is the Old Testament. So as we start this part of Romans, we need to keep this in mind because it flows with the context of this part of Romans. Let us first look at the scripture.
“For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.
But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”
For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law. For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.”
It doesn’t make any different whether you are a Jew or a Gentile. If you have the law or you don’t have the law. If you sin under the law, the law will judge you, and if you sin without the law, you will perish without the law. Remember, it said that God shows no partiality. He will just righteously.
The next statement that we have here is very important. “For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.” Some have to use this statement to say we are justified in doing the law. This is true, but there is not one person who ever obeyed the entire law of God, except the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only righteous one.
Then it tells us non-Jews, the Gentiles, who do not have the law by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. Because of the fall, we have the conscience within us telling us the different between right and wrong. Remember the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The fruit of this tree was the forbidden fruit. Once our first parents ate of it, we now have this conscience. We don’t need a law to tell us when we are sinning. Our conscience will do that. Therefore, God inscribed the law on our hearts. And our conscience bears witness, and our conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse us on that day when, according to the gospel, God will judge the secrets of men, and he will do it through Christ Jesus. That is a lot to take in.
The day of judgment is coming when God will be the judge of the living and the dead.
So, whether you have the law, it doesn’t make any difference.
We also see in this section that, in seeing the Jew has the oracles of God they think they can boast because they now can become the guides to the blind Gentiles, a light to those who are in spiritual darkness, and instructors to the foolish. As a teacher to children, and all because they have the embodiment of knowledge and truth. God’s word says that knowledge puffs up, makes one boastful and proud. They should be the opposite, humble and lowly. They teach others, but God asked, do you teach yourselves? Then he goes on with a series of questions, While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? It all boils down to the Jews boasting in the law, but they are dishonoring God by breaking the law.
I believe the author wrote this entire section primarily for the Jews, though it can also apply to the Gentiles. However, because the Jews do these things, the Gentiles blaspheme God’s name.
God gave circumcision to the Jews as a sign that they were God’s earthly people, but what value was it if they broke God’s law? God shows that their circumcision becomes uncircumcision.
What will condemn the Jew then is this:
Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law. There are many so-called Jews who are not Jews inwardly but only outwardly
Section 3
Part 7
Upholding God’s Righteousness
After going through the last section, we now come to the advantages and disadvantages of being a Jew. First, the scripture:
“Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written,
“That you may be justified in your words,
and prevail when you are judged.”
But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) By no means! For then how could God judge the world? But if through my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.”
The advantage of being a Jew then, has much value in every way. This reveals that God initially entrusted them with His oracles. This was a significant advantage. The disadvantage was that now they are to give an account for having the oracles of God and the fact of they unrighteous in the way they handle them.
If you read the history of the nation of Israel, you will see their unfaithfulness. They did this time and time again, but the fact of their unfaithfulness does not nullify the faithfulness of God. But it says, “By no means! Let God be true though everyone were a liar, as it is written,
“That you may be justified in your words,
and prevail when you are judged.””
The reason God allows all this to happen has an answer, but if our unrighteousness reveals God’s righteousness, what should we say? There are some who will say this is not right. How can God judge us? By no means can we do this; let God be true.
The reason God allows this is that our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God. Paul now speaks in human terms when he says, “That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? He puts it as a question and then he answers it. “By no means!” For then how could God judge the world?” Another question. By our lies, God’s truth abounds to his glory, and with more questions. Why am I still being condemned as a sinner? And why not do evil that good may come? And because of all that, many people will say. This just shows that their condemnation is just.
Part 8
We are all in the same situation as being in Adam’s family.
This next section is God’s description of all human being in their fallen state. Most Bibles would put an uninspiring title on this section as No One Is Righteous. That is why in our unregenerate state none of us can stand before a Holy God. Here is the scripture:
“What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”
“Their throat is an open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive.”
“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
“Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
in their paths are ruin and misery,
and the way of peace they have not known.”
“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.”
What a bleak picture of humans. But because of sin, this is what we are. If you don’t think this is true, then you will have a rude awakening someday.
Paul, being a Jew and part of humans, includes himself when he starts out with the question. “Are we Jews any better off? The answer was, “No, not at all.” And truly there is no one righteous. None of us is right before God, and everyone of us has sinned and fallen short of God’s requirements. We have no righteousness. The Prophet Isaiah said when he came into the presence of the Lord,“Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
He realized his condition and was among those that belong in this scripture we are dealing with here.
We must consider what God said about us in our fallen state and recognize that we need regeneration. That is what John talks about in his Gospel when he says we must be born again.
Let us look at everything that man is:
1. No one is righteous
2. No one understands
3. No one seeks God
4. All have turned aside
5. together they have become worthless
6 No one does good, not even one
7.Their throat is an open grave
8. They use their tongues to deceive
9. The venom of asps is under their lips
10. Their mouths are full of curses and bitterness
11. Their feet are swift to shed blood.
12. In their paths are ruin and misery
13. Last, there is no fear of God before their eyes
What a list. Now we know why we need to be change. Later on in this epistle, we see where we stand and where we need to be put through the process of regeneration. God gave the law to show us our condition and to point us to Christ, but He gave the law to those under it. This reveals that God will stop every mouth and hold the entire world accountable.
This section concludes with the works of the law; no human being will be justified in the sight of God, since through the law came the knowledge of sin. We are all condemned to spiritual death under the penalty of the law.
Part 9
Here Is Where Faith Come In
In this part, we will find out how to remedy the problem of all that we just covered in Part 8 — in the simplest terms, FAITH in God’s grace. First, let us look at the scripture again:
“But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.”
We come to a big word here, “Propitiation.” It says, “God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.” What does this word mean? We need to understand this so we can understand what this statement means. In the simplest terms, it means to appease God. This word is God-ware, not man-ward. The full meaning would be, Quote:
Propitiation refers to the turning away of the wrath of God as the just judgment of our sin by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. “Propitiation is used in the New Testament to describe the pacifying, placating, or appeasing of God’s wrath” (Kevin DeYoung).
God could do this because of the shedding of the blood of Christ, the innocent one; the sacrificial Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. And all this was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. Also, it was to show his righteousness in the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
You see, all of this was of God not of man it is God doing everything, and all that is required of us is to believe it. FAITH. And faith in the right object.
So what have we to boast about if it was all of God, it tells us it is excluded. So what kind of law are we dealing with here? By the law of works? No. but be the law of Faith.
You see, no one is justified by keeping the law, but we are told that apart from the works of the law, but only by faith are we justified.
This section concludes with the question, Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes he is, of the Gentiles also, Since God is one, both Jews and Gentiles, the circumcised and the uncircumcised through faith. Then the last question Paul answers her is: Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? His answer is, By no means? On the contrary, we uphold the law. A great way to end this section.
Section 4
Part 10
Expanding On Faith We Are Introduces To Abraham An His Faith
After looking at the scripture in Part 10, we will look deeper into what the Bible has to say about Abraham’s faith.
“What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:
“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
and whose sins are covered;
blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”
Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.”
Again, Paul, starts out with a question. What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh?
If by Abraham’s actions; his works, he had something to boast in, but not before God. The Old Testament also records that Abraham believed God, and God considered him righteous.
In Hebrews, it also tells us:
“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. . . By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.”
The Bible has a lot to say about Abraham’s faith, and that is why we are told that Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.
Faith is the key to our salvation. It is by faith we are saved; it is of grace, not works, so that none of us can boast. We see that later on as we go through the book of Romans. So now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his salary. And we can not earn our salvation by anything we do; it is a gift and all of God. We do not get gifts for working; we get our due reward. So, something just the opposite happens, and to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.
Not only do we see this in Abraham’s life, but David is mentioned here as also speaking of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: He writes in Psalms:
“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”
This is all wonderful news for us lost sinners who are saved by grace, and it all comes to us through our faith. And again it is for both Jew and Gentile. The next tells us that Abraham was counted righteous even before he was circumcised, and not after. So this is what he applies to all, and not to the Jew only. So Abraham is the father to the Jew and the Christian alike.
Part 11
The Promise Is Realized Through Faith
We now look at the promise that was give to Abraham and his offspring.
“For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.
That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.”
We can count this promise to us because Abraham’s offspring was heir of the world and did not come through the law (or the Jew only) but through the righteousness of faith. This is very important to understand this.
It tells us that if it is adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void.
We remember that the law brought wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression. If we live by faith, there is no law but grace.
“That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring. You see, we share in the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. And again we get this from the Old Testament when God said to Abraham:
“I have made you the father of many nations.” Think about what is recorded.
“in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. In hope, he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.”” I love the way scripture ties all things together. Looking a little further at Abraham:
“He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God could do what he had promised.”
This is faith, and faith that God does what he promises. And therefore, faith was counted as righteousness to him and to us who believe and trust God’s promises. And we are assured that these promises were for us as well, when we read: “It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
This sums it all up. We are assured of all this because of the resurrection, and that Christ was crucified in our place so we could have justification before God.
Section 5
Part 12
Peace, What Wonderful Peace We Have With God Through Faith.
Peace comes, but only after faith in the right object. Come, the font of every blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace; streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise. These words from his hymn fill my heart when I found that all my sins were forgiven, and I was justified before God. It gave me this peace through my Lord Jesus Christ. This peace is what this section is dealing with. Let us look at the scripture:
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”
Not only do we have peace with God, we also get access by our faith into the grace in which we stand, and that is why I have this song in my heart, that I can rejoice in the glory’s hope of my God. And I can also rejoice in any sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, which produces character. And that is where hope comes from. By the Holy Spirit, I am not ashamed to proclaim Christ as my savior. And the love of God has been poured into my heart, and all this is done through the Holy Spirit which has been given to me.
This is such a wonderful thought to meditate on. And it continues on by saying: And I am added a personal pronoun.
For while I was still weak and without hope, at the right time Christ died for this ungodly sinner. For this scripture tells me, For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die — but God showed his love for me in that while I were still sinning, Christ died for me.” You see, we need to apply the scripture personally to ourselves. Make it come real to you and take it into your heart. Christ died for you personally.
Yes, and we have been justified by his blood… for without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. Think of the depth of this next thing, and this big word comes to us again, BUT: but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. I repeat this verse because it is so profound. Think of the depth of God’s love.
It all comes down to this: “Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.”
Remember how we started out this book of Romans, seeing the wrath of God being poured out on the ungodly. Here we are told that we are exempt from God’s wrath.
And while we are enemies, yes we were enemies according to God description he gave of fallen humans, even in this state, he reconciled us to God by the death of his Son, and now much more, we are reconciled; we are saved by his Son’s life. And even more, we are also rejoicing in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, and through him we have received reconciliation. With all these thoughts, let us move into the next part of this section.
Part 13
Two men, Adam & Christ. Death in one Life in the other. The first Adam and the second Adam (Christ)
We have a choice, Him or Him. Adam or Christ.
“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.
But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Some will say, how can I be responsible for someone else’s sin? But God’s word is telling us that, because of this act, our nature became fallen, so we take on the same traits, because we inherited them. They are passed down to us in our human nation. We are all sinners by nature. We sin because they are sinners, and we are sinners because we sin.
So we are given the example here of being in one . If you are not in Christ, then you remain in Adam (you took on his nature when you were born) and you remain in your sin state. But if you are in Christ (born again, you have taken on a new nature) and are no longer looked at as a sinner because Christ was sinless. It is a positional thing. The question is, where is your standing before God?
When it talks about inheriting the death sentence, we are not only talking about physical death, but spiritual death.
Death is only separation, not inhalation. We never stop being what we are when our bodies die, but our physical life’s end when this happens. We separate from our loved ones. The same thing happens with spiritual death. God separates us from Himself for all eternity in spiritual death. To me, this is hell.
We inherit this death from Adam, but we regain it when we are in Christ. So we have this life in Christ.
Now sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin was not counted where there was no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, when the law came in.
It tells us here that Adam was a type of the one who was to come. Christ. So if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for many. The question is, where is your standing? In Adam or Christ?
Because of sin, condemnation came on all who are born into this world. The only way to change this is to be born from above; born again into new life in Christ. Death reigned through the one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
It says, Therefore. Any time you see this word, it means that what the subject we just had before us brings us to this conclusion.
As one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.
How simple is this?
The best way to end this section is to look at sin and grace. “As sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Section 6
Part 14
Dead To Sin, Alive to God
Can Christians sin? Yes, we can, and we do. The question should be, should a Christian sin? The answer to that is, No. But we are still in the flesh, but this does not give us the right to sin. When we think about the cost of sin, regarding what the Lord had to pay, and all the misery in the world, it should make us hate sin like God hates it.
“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.”
Another question we find in this scripture is, How can we who died to sin still live in it? It doesn’t say a died person’s sin, but a person who is dead to sin. You can see the difference in Paul’s words in Galatians. “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” Then in this scripture we see, “So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” These two scriptures go hand in hand. Even though we are not physically dead, we are to reckon ourselves dead to sin but alive to God. This is difficult, and we will struggle with this, as we will see in section seven when we get to it. But for now we are told to do this. Sin should not have dominion over us as we are in Christ, and the Holy Spirit dwells in us. We are to live by the Spirit, not the flesh.
When a couple gets married, they exchange rings. Do the rings make you married or the vows? It is the vow that you take that makes you united. The ring is only a symbol of the union. A ring is never-ending, and it tells others you belong to someone else. Well, baptism is like the ring; it tells others we belong to Christ. But it goes a little further. When we go down into the water of baptism, it is a picture of us being buried with Christ into his death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. It is a wonderful picture for us.
Another way to look at it comes next.“For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” Thinking about the was Paul said in Galatians, about being crucified with Christ, we now read, “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” There was a time in my life before I was a Christian that I smoked and drank. I was enslaved by these habits. It was my flesh that was enslaved; my spirit was set free. So, by living by the Spirit and not the flesh, I could overcome these sinful habits. It was by the power of God through the Holy Spirit that gave me the victory over sin. This is true in every aspect of our lives. Simple said, “For one who has died has been set free from sin.”
Now this new life we have in Christ is the driving force of our new life. “ Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.”
And therefore we need to consider ourselves dead to sin.
Yes, we have a mortal body that is capable of sinning, but we have a choice not to let it control us. We are to live by the Spirit, not the flesh. It tells us we can use our mortal bodies for unrighteousness or present ourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life. We are to live righteous lives, and sin will have no dominion over us. We are no longer under law but grace.
Part 15
We Now Should Be Slaves To Righteousness
Since forgiven for all sins, even those we will commit, are we permitted to keep sinning? This scripture covers this subject.
“What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.
For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
We see the answer to our question we asked before even reading this scripture. We have changed our position from being under the law to being under grace. But do we not continue in sin? We are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God as obedient slaves. We are slaves to God now, not to sin.
Depending on what country you are from, many do not know what it is to be ruled by a king. It is not like living in a democracy where you have some rights, even if there is a law. But under a king, you do what the king requires of you. As Christians, we are under the rule of King Jesus. He said, if you love me, you will obey men. We show our love for our king through obedience.
If we continue in sin, then we are not in obedience, and we become slaves to a new master; sin itself. But if we obey Christ, which leads to righteousness. We can thank God we are not slaves to sin anymore. We are free from committing sin.
Again, Paul, speaks in human terms, and it is because of our limitations of understanding the deeper meaning of this.
At the end of this scripture, it tells us that if we live in obedience to the law of grace, and as members of God’s family, we become slaves to righteousness and that this leads to sanctification.
Again, I would like to look at the word sanctification. We saw it meant HOLY, but it means much more. It also means separation. Separation to God. As Christians, we belong to God, and as such, we need to separate ourselves from the world and sin.
Section 7
Part 16
Free From The Law
But It Is Going To Be A Fight With The Flesh
Before even looking at the scripture before us, I need to say that many Christians get stuck in this part of Romans. They have a hard time moving into the next section, which deals with our position in Christ and the love of God for us.
“Or do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives? For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress.
Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.”
First, Paul addresses the Jew, who understands what it is to be under the law. They know that the law is binding on a person as long as he or she lives. He uses the example of marriage. The law binds a woman to her husband while he lives, but after her husband dies, she is free from the marriage law. This is easy to understand. So if her husband dies, she is free from that law.
This should make it easy to understand that we have died to the law, and this was done by the body of Christ, so that we now belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. This was all made possible because of the death, burial, and resurrection.
This releases us from the law. Before this took place, we were under the law and as such were bearing fruit for death. However, now that we are released, because we died to it, it no longer holds us captive. We have a new way through the Spirit to serve a risen Savior.
Part 17
The Old Law Of Sin That We Were Once Under
This part covers the struggle that every believer goes through in their Christian life. This deals with the question, is the law sin?
Paul starts with a question and then deals with the answer.
“What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.
Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.”
Again, Paul, give the answer affirmatively. By no means! And he emphasizes with an explanation, NO! The law is not sin. If it were not for the law, none of us would have known sin. Then he gives examples of this. If the law would not tell us it was wrong to do a certain thing, we would not have known that it was wrong. So, apart from the law, sin lies dead. When the law came, sin became alive. So Paul states here that the law was holy. This is just the opposite of the law being sin. So it is holy, righteous, and good.
There is a statement made here that is very important. The law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. There are two elements involved here. Flesh and spirit. Therefore, we can say we don’t understand our own actions. And this is where the conflict comes in. Read this slowly.
“For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.”
There are Christians who do battle every day, when they don’t have to. They remain stuck in Romans seven and never move on to Romans eight.
Paul goes on, “So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?”
Paul immediately knows the answer to this question, which causes him to praise God. “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Yes, Christ is the answer. Always has been and always will be the answer to our victory. So we need to do what Paul is doing, serve the law of God with our minds. We are not to live in the flesh because with our flesh we serve the law of sin. With a new mindset, we move on into section eight.
Section 8
Part 18
A Whole New Life In The Spirit
I could read this section repeatedly and get a blessing every time I read it. The very first line should fill our hearts with joy. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. What more could we asks for? Here is Part 18.
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.”
If someone locked you up for many years and one day they opened the door and said, you are free; how would you feel? Would you feel free? No, not until you actually stepped out the door, and it was closed behind you, and you realized you were really free. So until you live in the Spirit of life, you will not realize that Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. This is because God is the one who opened the door; God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. Christian, you must experience this because it is true.
He sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemning sin in the flesh, to fulfill the righteous requirement of the law in us. And here is the key; who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Here is another thing we should do: set our minds on the things of the Spirit, not the things of the flesh. If we set our minds on the flesh, it says we are hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed it cannot. If we are walking in the flesh, we cannot please God.
Now, this is very important to note: if you are a Christian, then Paul says, “You are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you.” On the day of your conversion, you were given the Spirit. He now dwells within you. “But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” The fact is, if the Spirit of God is in you, the one who raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give this new life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in us.
Part 19
Because We Belong to Christ, We Are Heirs With Christ
But there is a lot more to this part than just being heirs with Christ. I am overwhelmed with the Lord of God in this part of scripture, and with this, we out to realize the debt we owe to God for his love toward us. It was our sin that nailed His Son, Jesus Christ, to the cruel tree.
“So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”
In a way, this is a repeat of some things we already covered, but sometimes we need a point driven home. Yes, we are not debtors to the flesh; it will only lead to death. But through the Spirit we have put to death the deeds of the body, and because of this we will live. Do we really know what it is to receive the Spirit of adoption? It brings us into an intimate relationship with God our Father, so that we can call him Abba, Father. If you look up the meaning, you will find this:
“Abba” is an Aramaic word meaning “father” but also conveys a sense of intimate, trusting relationship, similar to “daddy” or “papa”. It is used in the New Testament to describe a close, respectful relationship with God, signifying both intimacy and obedience. The Swedish-founded pop group ABBA was an acronym of the members’ first names: Agnetha, Björn, Benny, and Anni-Frid.”
If we suffer with Him, God calls us His children, heirs of God, and fellow heirs with His Son so that He may also glorify us with Him.
Part 20
What A Glories Future We Have As Children Of God
Are we ready to suffer for Christ’s sake? We may be called to do so. This is because we do not belong to this world. If we reveal people are sinners and under God’s wrath unless they repent and turn to God, people will persecute us.
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”
Because Paul and we are suffering in this world, there is no comparing it with what awaits us in glory. What a blessed thought!
Sin has not only affected us humans, but all creation groans in travail waiting for the relief from sin. The world is still under a curse. And we groan inwardly as we eagerly wait for the adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. We read about this in First Corinthians. I am going to quote the entire passage here:
“But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.
So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.
I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”
What kind of glorify body we are going to have we do not know, but it will be just like Christ’s body after the resurrection. However, God revealed a mystery to us: not everyone will experience death, but everyone will change. And this is going to happen in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. I like to think that this is going to happen in a nanosecond. We will become imperishable and immortal.
Going back now to the scripture at hand. So we patiently wait for all this to happen, but we know it is going to happen, but we just don’t know when. In the same manner, we sometimes do not know what to pray for as we ought. God helps us through the Spirit, who intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words: searching the hearts he knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Whatever happens in our lives, we do not have to worry, because we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
This next thing shows us that God is sovereign. He foreknew; He also predestined us to be conformed to the image of his Son, and that is that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. Adam was the firstborn among humans, but Christ is the first in the line of the new creation. We are called, justified, and God will glorify us with Christ our Lord and Savior.
Part 21
God Loves Us, And He Always Will. His Love Is an Everlasting Love.
The reason God’s love is everlasting is that nothing, and I mean nothing, will ever take that away.
“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
I shared this scripture resonantly at a worship service because the love of God overwhelmed me.
One night before retiring for the night, and laying my head on my pillow, I read this scripture. And before going to sleep all I could think about was how much God loved me. He loves me so much that He made it impossible for me to lose my salvation and my relationship with Him at any time. This is so wonderful how this starts. “What then shall we say to these things?” What things? The things we just covered and the things we are about to cover. If God is for us, who can be against us? Questions we get the answers to. God the Father, who did not spare his own Son but gave him up to die for us, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? (Again we see the sovereignty.) It is God who justifies. The next question is, who is to condemn? We know Jesus died and was raised, and He is at God’s right hand. Right this very moment, He is interceding for us.
This next this is so blessed to think about. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? We now get a list, and this list includes everything. Tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, or sword. We see this from things we read in the Old Testament. Yes, we are like sheep being led to the slaughter.
We sing the hymn, Victory in Jesus, that is why we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. The list goes on: death, life, angels,rulers,things present, things to come, powers, height, depth, or anything else in all creation. That should cover everything possible that could or could separate us for the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Section 9
Part 22
Paul being a Jew, shows his love for his people; the Jewish nation
The theme at this point changes, and we see again, God’s sovereign in choosing whom He will. Let us look at the scripture in this part.
“I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.
But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. For this is what the promise said: “About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.” And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? As indeed he says in Hosea,
“Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’
and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’”
“And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’
there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’”
And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved, for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay.” And as Isaiah predicted,
“If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring,
we would have been like Sodom
and become like Gomorrah.””
Paul starts out by assuring us he is not lying in his bearing witness through the Holy Spirit. His heart was full of sorrow for the love of his people, the Jews. He said he was in unceasing anguish in his heart for them. He even wished that he were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of his brothers, his kinsmen. Right from the start when God chose the nation Israel for his own people, who belong to the covenants that God made with them according to the flesh. Because of this, Paul has to praise God, who is over all, blessed forever. Amen, or so be it.
He assures us that what has taken place, the turning to the Gentiles was not God’s failure but the Jews themselves. We see that just because they were Jews did not make Abraham their father. Isaac would be the one through whom God would name your offspring. Therefore, the children of the flesh are not God’s children, but God considers the children of the promise as offspring. Isaac with the promise and the line from which the Messiah would come.
He goes through the geology through which Christ came. This shows that even before Isaac was conceived, and before he did anything good or bad, God’s purpose of election was in place, not because of works but because of God who calls. God foreknew that the older would serve the younger.
People have trouble understanding this; as it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated. It is God’s choice. He is the sovereign one; He is God. We can not accuse God of wrongdoing. The scripture recalls God’s words to Moses: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
We also have another example about the Pharaoh. God declared, “I raised you up for this very purpose, so that I might be proclaimed in all the earth.”
It comes down to this: He has mercy on whomever he wills and hardens whomever he wills. No one can resist his will. We can not say, why have you made me like this? We have the example of the potter and the clay. He makes us as he wants. We have no say in this matter. So what if God desires to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and this is to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory? So if you are a Christian, you have been called, and this is not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles.
We find in the book of Hosea, “Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people’ and her who was not beloved I will call beloved. So all Christians are called sons of the living God.
Once more, we read a passage from the Old Testament in the book of Isaiah, where he cries out concerning Israel.
“Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved, for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay.” And as Isaiah predicted,
“If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring,
we would have been like Sodom
and become like Gomorrah.”
According to this prophecy, only a remnant of Israel with be saved. If it wasn’t for the Lord leaving a remnant it would have been like Sodom and become like Gomorrah. In other words, there would be none left.
Part 23
This Is all Because Of Israel’s Unbelief
As Gentiles, we need to keep this scripture in mind.
“What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, as it is written,
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense;
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
As we see the Jews pursue righteousness by the law. And they failed because no man will be justified by the works of the law. They stumbled, and Isaiah foretold this would happen. It was a stumbling stone that was laid in Zion.
Section 10
Part 24
The Jews Zeal For God, But Not According To Knowledge
Paul shows us his heart again in this scripture. His prayer and desire was that they be saved.
“Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”
Paul knew they were ignorant of the righteousness of God, and they were seeking to establish their own. They were not willing to submit to God’s righteousness. In our day, we see the Gentiles doing the same thing. That is why I believe things are going to change soon. As we continue reading Romans, we will see this.
Part 25
Salvation Is For the Jew And The Gentile
This next part of scripture is what open the eyes of my wife as she sat listening to a Gospel message. I will elaborate more on this, but first the scripture.
“For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for
“Their voice has gone out to all the earth,
and their words to the ends of the world.”
But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says,
“I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation;
with a foolish nation I will make you angry.”
Then Isaiah is so bold as to say,
“I have been found by those who did not seek me;
I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.”
But of Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”
As my wife sat listening to this scripture, she saw that if she confessed Jesus as Lord with her mouth, and if she believed in her heart that God raised him from the dead, she could be saved. And that is exactly what she did.
The story didn’t end there. Even though she was saved, she continued in her sin, which was drinking. She was an alcoholic. She had bottles hidden all over the house. Every time I found one, I would break it, and we would argue. This went on for a while until one day I got on my knees and prayed. I remember my prayers. It went something like this:
“Lord, why doesn’t she stop drinking? I tried everything to get her to stop.” Then I realized, I’m trying to control the situation. And as this thought was in my mind, I remembered the scripture that said, “to cast all my cares on the Lord.” So I continued, “Lord, she belongs to you. You deal with her.”
A few days later I read in scripture, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church.” From that point on, I did this. I didn’t like what she was doing, but I loved her and was patient and waited on the Lord.
One day I came home from work to find her pouring out the bottles and breaking them. I asked her what she was doing. She told me that when I quit nagging her and didn’t say anymore about her drinking, she said, I could fight you, but when the Holy Spirit worked on her, she couldn’t resist this. She knew it was wrong. This was over 40 years ago, and she has not touched a drop since. Praise the Lord.
Back to our scripture. Just like my wife did, “For with the heart (not the head) one believes and is justified.” For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” When it says everyone, that means you if you have not trusted in the finished work of Christ.
So there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile, for the same Lord is Lord of all. He is the one who bestows on us his riches. All one has to do is call on Him who will save you.
Moving on, it tells us how this good news is to go forth. It starts with a series of questions. “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent?” I am so glad that there was a preacher who was sent to bring this good news to me and my wife many years ago. And this is so true: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
Isaiah asked, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?”
So we are told in answer to this question: “So faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ.”
The next thing we read is sad. The voice of God has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world. But I ask, did Israel not understand?
So, first Moses says, “I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; (Gentiles) with a foolish nation I will make you angry,” Then Isaiah is so bold as to say, “I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.”
This is sad, but if this would not happened, salvation wouldn’t have come to the Gentiles.
So this section ends with God saying, “But of Israel ‘All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”
Section 11
Part 26
Just a Remnant of Israel
Paul starts out with a question. Did God reject his people? We get the answer in this section.
“I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” But what is God’s reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.
What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, as it is written,
“God gave them a spirit of stupor,
eyes that would not see
and ears that would not hear,
down to this very day.”
And David says,
“Let their table become a snare and a trap,
a stumbling block and a retribution for them;
let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see,
and bend their backs forever.”
The answer was by no means! The proof is that was an Israelite, and God did not reject him. He knew his ancestry and was from the tribe of Benjamin, being a descendant of Abraham.
Elijah appealed to God, assuming that all of God’s prophets had been killed, leaving him as the sole survivor, yet he was mistaken. God. “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” This was to make a point that there was still a remnant that was chosen by grace. This shows us that works did not save them.
We see that works and grace do not mix. Like water and oil do not mix. The first job I took when I got out of the service was working for a painting contractor, and the first job I took was painting a bathroom in a school. I think it was called Zolatex or something like that. It was a mixture of oil-and water base paint. It did not mix, but when you sprayed on the wall, it left a fleck effect. Afterward, we sprayed a clear coat to make it shiny. The paint made the wall appear tilted. The point I am making is that works and grace are just like that; they do not mix.
As we revisit the Old Testament, we read, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear down to this very day.”
Part 27
The tree with grafted branches (Gentiles)
When you think about stumbling, you think about falling. But not is this case? Rather, through their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles. This was to make Israel jealous.
“So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!
Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.
But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.”
Because of the trespass of Israel, the Gentile world became richer. Paul now addresses the Gentiles because he is an apostle to the Gentiles. In doing this, he is magnifying his ministry in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous and that some of them would get saved.
Because of the rejection of God’s salvation through faith, it meant a reconciliation of the world. It meant spiritual life to a lot of spiritually dead Gentiles.
Paul now talks about a tree and its root. If the root is holy, so are the branches of the tree. When talking about the broken off branches (Israel) and the grafted in branches (Gentiles,) as compared to a wild olive shoot, that were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. The olive tree is Israel, and the wild olive branches are the Gentile, but we are told not to become proud and arrogant toward Israel (the true branches) We remember it is not us who support the root, but the root that supports you. God is the root. The real branches were broken off so that we Gentiles could be grafted in. Even though this is true, they were broken off because of their unbelief, but we must stand fast through faith. God who did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare us Gentiles.
In the kindness of God, we have been grafted in, but God has the power to graft the Jew back in again.
For is the Gentiles were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.
Part 28
The Mystery Of The Partial Hardening and Israel’s Salvation
Just because God, in his kindness to us Gentiles, grafted us in to the nature tree, we are told not to be wise in our own sight. Paul wants us to be aware of this mystery. The mystery of the partial hardening that has come upon Israel. In the fullness of time, things will change. Remember, I said this is going to happen soon. There will be a day when we reach the fullness of the time of the Gentiles.
“Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,
“The Deliverer will come from Zion,
he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;
“and this will be my covenant with them
when I take away their sins.”
As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
“For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?”
“Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?”
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”
When the time of the Gentiles is over, God is going to save all of Israel. Again, the Old Testament foretold it.
“A Deliverer will come from Zion; he will banish ungodliness from Jacob.” God will fulfill his covenant that he will take away their sin.
We are still in the times of the Gentiles, and it was because the Jews are the enemies of the gospel, and it was so God could set them as side for a time. We have received mercy because of their disobedient to God. Because of this, we have become children of God.
Thinking about the love of God, Paul by the Spirit draws deep these thoughts: “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!”
Again he ends with some questions: ““For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?”
“Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?”
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”
Section 12
Part 29
In The Old Testament Sacrifices Were Killed, In the New Testament We Are To Offer A Living Sacrifice.
We see some changes were made from past dispensations. In the dispensation that we live in we are to offer up to God a living sacrifice.
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
What does it mean to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice? It is to allow God to have use of our bodies that are holy and acceptable. And we do this in spiritual worship. The opposite of this is to be conformed to this world. We need to have a mind-altering change. We are to set our minds on things above.
Because of this verse, I named my podcast “Down To Earth, But Heavenly Minded Podcast”
We need to renew our minds. If we do this, we will discern what the will of God is , and what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Part 30
God’s Gift Is The Gift Of Grace
As Christians, we are to live a selfless life, but most of us live a self-filled life. We are by nature selfish. So Paul starts this part out by reminding us we shouldn’t think so highly of ourselves; we are to be sober in our self-judgment.
“For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.”
Faith comes in different degrees. God gave each of us faith as a gift, along with all the other gifts. But everyone gets a measure of faith as God has assigned.
But, we are all of one body that comprises many members of that faith. So we all do not have the same function, but we function within the one body. God has given all of us as members a different lot in life. There are Christians all over the world doing their assignments, so the body is acting as one unit. We are individuals, but the Holy Spirit joins us as one. Here we have the list of gifts:
Prophecy in proportion to faith.
Service, in our serving.
Teachers, in our teaching.
Exhorts, in our exhortation.
Contributors, as in generosity.
Leader, as one who leads with zeal.
And last the gift of Mercy, done cheerfully.
Part 31
The Marks Of The True Christian
Some will ask, How can you tell if a person is a Christian? The answer lies in this scripture.
“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
A true Christian is one who shows genuine love for others, and especially those of the household of faith. They are fervent in spirit in serving the Lord. They seek to show hospitality. They pray for their enemies and those who persecute them. When mistreated, they never want to get even. (Do not pay evil for evil. ) It boils down to Christians not repaying evil with evil, but repaying evil with good. Reaching out in love. We dislike what our enemy is doing, but we love them like God loves them.
These are just some traits that a true Christian has. And also, I would add their love and devotion to God.
Section 13
Part 32
This part Is A Continence Of The Last Part. Christians Also Submit To The Authorities
There are laws of the land, no matter where you live. Some of the law we do not agree with, but we are told to obey.
“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.”
As our elected governing officials make laws, we as Christians need to obey them. As Christians, we should never get a speeding ticket. Yes, we will slip sometimes, but we should endeavor to keep the law. We are to be in subjection to all authorities. We think we elect them, but God institutes all authority. He is involved in world affairs. You might say, what about dictators and evil leaders? He sometimes allows them to take power. He has His reasons. Take Pharaoh, for example. It was to show God’s power and glory.
It tells us here that all authorities and ministers are of God.
It tells us to pay our taxes even if we feel it is not fair. I think I pay too high a property tax, but I pay it.
I also believe we need to stay out of debt. Before I was a Christian, I own a lot of back taxes. The amount was more that I could make in my lifetime. What I did was sit down and write a letter to the government telling them I had become a Christian and wanted to pay the back tax, but I also told them my situation. They got back to me and had me fill out a lot of forms. Ultimately, they reduced the tax to a nickel per dollar and eliminated penalties and interest. It was still a large amount, but could take out a loan and pay the taxes and got the load paid off as well. Yes, I prayed about it and this was God’s answer.
Part 33
Again This Part Flows From The Previous Part. Fulfilling The Law Through Love
If you are thinking of other in love, you are fulfilling the law.
“Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”
Again, we remember we owe nothing to anyone. We need to stay debt-free. Yes, we have mortgages. I have one as well. But when I retired, my wife and I sat down with all our children, and talked about a reverse mortgage. In doing this, we accomplished two things. Our property will not go to our children, so there will be no fighting among them. The government will take a deed to the property. I have no desire to own anything in this world. This is not my home.
The second thing is that it allowed me to pay off all my bills. We still have credit cards, but after using them we just pay off the balance with no interest. Each month, we pay for our living expenses. By doing this, we even save money for when emergencies come up. I also could give more to God’s work.
I don’t have to list all the commandments found here, but they are all fulfilled in: “Love your neighbor.”
Time is on our side. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. What a great thought! Looking at as times of the day, the night is far gone; the day is at hand. We have a glories bright future, no more darkness, only light. So let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.
As we see the day approaching, let us live clean and holy lives before God, and His Son Jesus Christ. We are told to put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
Section 14
Part 34
Passing Judgment On One Another
It seem we have come full circle. We are back to not judging other.
“As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess to God.”
So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.”
This type of judging is a little different from the one we looked at earlier in our study. Here, we are talking about judging other Christians. Every Christian comes from a different mold, and as such, we have different temperaments. We sometimes judge people who don’t share our views. One person may think it is alright to do certain things while someone thinks it is wrong. Tolerance and patience come into play here. We are all at different stages in our Christian walk. We have to allow room for the Holy Spirit to do his work. Remember the story I told about my wife. When going through that trial in my life, I was questioning God and not allowing the Spirit to do His work. In the end, I believe God allowed this to teach me a lesson — to trust Him to take care of the problem, instead of me trying (in the flesh) to solve it.
Paul put it this way: “Who are we to pass judgment on the servant of another?” God is the one who is the judge. We sometimes try to do the judging for Him. A good way to put it, let’s mind our own business. And God will take care of His. In the end, we will not account for others; each of us will give an account of himself to God.
Part 35
By Judging A Young Believer May Cause Them To Stumble
As this part of scripture opens, it tells us not to pass judgment on one another any longer. That means, this was already happening in the early church.
“Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.
Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.”
This part deals with fellow believers in the Lord. It deals with dietary rules and days of the week, etc. but it can apply to many things.
Now I find this statement interesting: “I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself,” but he says, “but it is unclean for anyone who thinks I unclean.” So, if you think something is not to be eaten, then don’t eat it. But don’t judge someone who eats it.
Let me give you an example. When I was still in the workforce, I brought some pickled chicken gizzards for lunch, and I had a Jewish brother in the Lord tell me it was wrong for me to eat them. I didn’t agree with him, but I never brought them for lunch again so as not to offend him.
The Lord said that it is not what goes into the body that defiles them, but what comes out. The mouth speaks what is in the heart. This is where the defilement come in.
We end this part with Paul’s words, “For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.”
Section 15
Part 36
The Example Of Christ
If you are strong in your faith, then you need to help those who are not.
“We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.”
We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
Part 37
Christ is Hope for Jews and Gentiles
This is an important scripture to understand. Christ fulfilled all the promises given in the Old Testament.
“For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,
“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,
and sing to your name.”
And again it is said,
“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”
And again,
“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
and let all the peoples extol him.”
And again Isaiah says,
“The root of Jesse will come,
even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;
in him will the Gentiles hope.”
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
Christ became a servant to the Jews, and this was to show God’s truthfulness to all the covenants he made in Scripture to the patriarchs. But not only that, he mentions the Gentiles, that they might also glorify God for his mercy. Quoting the Old Testament, Paul’s write;
“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.”
He continues on with what Isaiah said;
““The root of Jesse will come,
even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;
in him will the Gentiles hope.”
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
This ties together the Old Testament scripture with what God accomplished in sending Jesus Christ, his Son, to become the servant
Part 38
Again, We See Paul Was Called To Be Minister To The Gentiles
Paul again tells us God gave him grace to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles.
“I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, but as it is written,
“Those who have never been told of him will see,
and those who have never heard will understand.”
Paul received reports about the saints at Rome when he wrote to them, and he felt satisfied about their conduct. It was good because they were knowledgeable about the things of God and were about to teach one another.
I should bring out one point. There was a mix of Jews and Gentiles in the early church, and for the Jews, the working of God in salvation in Gentiles must have been a new thing for them. You can pick this up from the tone of Paul’s writings. Take for example his statement, “For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience.” This was accomplished by the working of the Holy Spirit.
Paul’s action is in fulfillment of Scripture. His desire and ambition was to preach the gospel, but he didn’t want to go where the gospel was already at work. He wanted to go where they had never heard the gospel before. He wanted to see a new work started.
Part 39
As Paul Planed His Missionary Travels He Planed To Visit Rome
“This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected, I will leave for Spain by way of you. I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.
I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.”
Paul was very active in preaching the Gospel and was hinder from going to Rome, but his desire was to go for many years. He probably prayed about going, and God answered his pray. When he appealed to stand in front of Censor, being a Roman citizen he was granted that request, and so he got to go to Rome.
When on his journey to Spain He wanted to stop in Rome, but we are never told if he made it there on that trip. At the time of the writing of this epistle he was on his way to Jerusalem to aid the saints there. As he know he was heading that way, he asked for prayer. He knew his was going to be persecuted by the unbelieving religious Jews in Judea. He seem to conclude his epistle here, but we have one more closing section to look at.
Section 16
Part 40
Before Closing This Epistle, Paul Gives Some Personal Greetings
“I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well.
Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia. Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me. Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them. Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.”
How wonderful it would be to have your name inscribed in the Bible for all eternity. We have there Phoebe, Prisca, and Aquila. The beloved Epaenetus, Mary, Andronicus, and Junia. Ampliatus, Urbanus, and beloved Stachys. Apelles, and the family of Aristobulus. Herodion, and the family of Narcissus. Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Rufus, chosen of the Lord, and his mother. She was like a mother to Paul as well. Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the brothers who are with them. Philologus, Julie, Nereus and his sister, on Olympas. This is quite a list of saints that will go down in the pages of history forever.
I know some names listed here are hard to pronounce, but we will have all eternity to learn them. God’s word is forever. This was such a wonderful greeting to everyone named, and I am sure God knows who more people were, and we will learn of them as well in our eternal future.
Part 41
Some Final Instructions And Greetings
Because of his poor eyesight, Paul dictated the letter to Tertius, who wrote the words as the Holy Spirit inspired him.
“I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen.
I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord.
Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you.”
Paul, with his heart for the welfare of the church, warns the saints to be wary of those who cause divisions and create obstacles that contradict the doctrine they learned.
He gave this same warning in the book of Acts. We read; “ I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears.”
This warning needs to be heeded today. We have this same problem among the saints of God.
These trouble makers are not serve out Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. They do this for self-gratification. We much be wise and watchful of the evil that creeps into the church. We live in a very evil world, and Satan would like nothing better than to infiltrate the church with this evil. But we are told here, that God will soon crush Satan under our feet.
At this point Paul start his final closing just before the Doxology.
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen.” Naming a few more names here that we can add to the eternal list.
Then we find who penned the word to this epistle, “Tertius.” And in closing he names more names. Gaius, Erastus, and Quartus.
Part 42
Doxology
This is Paul’s finial words to the church at Rome.
“Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.”
The person referred to here in the closing doxology is Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit, and the strength is according to the gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ. This was all done through the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages. Even though it was all recorded in the Old Testament, it remained hidden until the coming of Christ and the establishing of the church in the New Testament. Eternal God commanded and made this known to all the nations of the world. This is the faith that we now have if we so choose to believe it.
In the final closing, he blesses God, “to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ!” Amen
Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded 
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