Romans

Partnering for missions

2010-04-25T14:26:00.001-07:00

Partnering in missions

Romans 15:14-16:27

Now we see the ultimate purpose of Paul's letter to the Romans. Paul wrote Romans because he was planning a major shift in his ministry. After years of preaching east of Rome, all around the Mediterranean basin, he now plans to visit Jerusalem and then after that to visit Rome. He sees Rome as his new mission launch pad into the western part of the Mediterranean Sea, planning church planting trips as far away as Spain. Paul explained his gospel in depth to the Romans because he was planning to ask them to support his church planting efforts from Rome on to Spain.
He was inviting them to partner with him to preach the gospel and plant churches.

1) End of Romans matches the beginning:
16:25-27 and 1:1-5
Gospel
Proclaiming Jesus Christ
Revelation through the prophets
Focus on 'all nations'

ESV Romans 1:1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 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, 5 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,

ESV Romans 16:25 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 26 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-- 27 to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.

All of us are called to make disciples of all nations.

Matthew 28:19-20

2) Sense that we are in synch with something beyond ourselves. For example, Champaign Vineyard is hosting a missions Sunday today. They are leading the new East China/Taiwan Missions Partnership for Vineyards across America. They are going on a trip to Taiwan next month, and so are we. In fact they are visiting the same church we plan to visit in Taiwan. We did not coordinate this with them!! God is giving us coordinated marching orders. That's amazing!!

3) Know your calling: Paul focused his life on fulfilling his calling.

ESV Romans 15:15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 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.

4) Faithfully pursue your calling: Paul planted churches where there were no churches for 25 years. Now he was longing to break new ground in the western Mediterranean basin. Be faithful to pursue your God-given calling.

5) When good planning, strategy and the word of the Lord converge together, it's the Kairos season. This means it's a crucial time to do whatever it is that God's leading you to do. God sometimes grants us the longings of our hearts after many years. 15:23 Dont be afraid to tell God what you want to do! Sometimes that's His desire too!!!

ESV Romans 15:23 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,

Discerning what to do and when to do it under the leading of the Holy Spirit does not necessarily conflict with long time desires of your heart. Particularly if you are driven by love for people in those desires!

6) Romans is a letter written to form a missions partnership between Paul and the churches in Rome to reach as far west as Spain.

7) There are three key components to this partnership.

A) Paul ministers the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit to the Romans. 15:29

ESV Romans 15:29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.

B) The churches in Rome are invited to finance Paul's journey. 15:24

ESV Romans 15:24 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.

C) The churches in Rome are invited to pray aggressively for Paul's obstacles to success. 15:30-33

ESV Romans 15:30 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, 31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. 33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

8) In our city you can befriend foreigners that God brings across your path. Have them over for dinner. Spend time talking with them regularly.
GO on a missions trip!

Weak and Strong Faith Romans 14:1-15:13

2010-04-18T10:28:00.000-07:00

Don't Judge Each Other, Don't Stumble each other or hinder each other. Welcome one another.

Romans 14:1-15:13

1 14:1-12 Do not judge lest you be judged.
Principle: Trust in God to judge
Underlying error: Way of Cain in vs 10
Underlying hope: Future judgment of God
Reference: Col. 2:6-3:17

2: 14:13-23 Don't stumble each other. SIT WALK STAND summary of Ephesians
Metaphor for living right
Decide to never stumble your or hinder your brother.
Pursue mutual upbuilding
Whatever is not from faith is sin.
Doubts about certain activities is a sign of "weak faith"
Acting in doubt is sin

ALL IS TIED TO THE CROSS AND RESURRECTION

3: 15:1-13 Welcome one another
Accept one another
"One man" doctrine from Galatians 3
Galatians 3:28

The letter to the weatherman story

Authority, Spirituality and A Future Pull

2010-04-11T10:30:00.001-07:00

How Recognizing and Acknowledging Authority Releases God's Kingdom
Plus A focus on Spiritual Awakening

Romans 13

Keener Outline

13.1-7 Respecting the State

All authority is God's authority. Learning to respect and honor authority is another way to honor God because of this.
Special judgment rests on authorities. Ultimately they are accountable to God, not to men.
What was the case Paul was dealing with in Rome?
Jeremiah 29 summons Jews in captivity in Babylon (modern Iraq) to be loyal to their new government.

ESV 1 Peter 2:17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

What the deal was here had to do with the acceptance of the church in a hostile world. Paul was telling the Christians, although you could not offer worship to the government or sacrifice with them as the pagans do, you must pay taxes.

FEELING GUILTY

Nicky Gumbel tells us of a man who sent a check to the government for back taxes with a note attached that said:

“I felt so guilty for cheating on my taxes I had to send you this check. If I don’t feel any better, I’ll send you the rest.”

Ceasar was taxing the Romans to death.

A little boy wanted $100 very badly. He prayed for weeks, but nothing happened. So, he decided to write a letter to God requesting $100.
When the postal authorities received the letter to "God, USA", they decided to send it to the President. The President was so amused that he instructed his secretary to send the little boy a $5 bill. The President thought this would appear to be a lot of money to a little boy.
The little boy was delighted with the $5 bill, and sat down to write a thank-you note to God. The postal authorities forwarded this letter on to the President, too.
It read:
"Dear God, Thank you very much for sending the money. However, I noticed that for some reason you sent it through Washington, D.C., and those guys deducted $95 in taxes!"

How they paid taxes. Guilds, parades, union halls with parties, homage and eventually deification of Ceasar along with sacrifices of worship
left in front of the homes. Christians were to pay taxes, but were not to participate in worship of anyone other than Jesus.

Today we are called to honor our leaders and to pay taxes, but we must also exercise our right to vote and to help shape public policy.

Peter says similarly

ESV 1 Peter 2:17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

vs 4: sword bearer does not mean authorized to execute the death penalty. It is a title for police in their day. It means an enforcer
of the rules of society. It does not eliminate the death penalty either, which was very much in play in their day.
Two reasons are given to obey authorities
conscience sake
avoiding the wrath of God
Government workers who bear arms to defend a city, state or nation are in essence God's servants.
Marine Lance Corporal going to Afghanistan

13.8-14 Live God's Way

The law here probably refers to Jesus 'new commandment' to follow the law of love that is placed instead of Moses law.
So the love here is explicitly agape love. Once again it does not mean unconditional love. Agape means demonstration of love.
So fulfilling the law here means to be filled up with love so much that we can do no wrong to anyone.

Moo Outline
Citizens of the World and Citizens of Heaven

13:1-7 Submitting to governing authorities
2 Reasons why we should submit to governing authorities
a) God himself ordains them.
b) They have the right to punish evil doers or those who do not submit.
13:8-10 Fulfilling the law through love
13:11-14

Objectives
Explain what submitting to governing authorities means
Explain why Christians need to submit to governing authorities
Explain how love for the neighbor fulfills the OT law
Appreciate the time in which Christians live and how that time should affect the way we live

How Understanding The Resurrection From The Dead of Jesus Christ Changes Your Life

2010-04-04T10:34:00.000-07:00

The meaning of the resurrection of Jesus

Tom Wright said "Squeeze Romans at any point, and the resurrection spills out; hold it up to the light, and you can see Easter sparkeling all the way through. If Romans had not been hailed as the great epistle of justification by faith, it might easily have come to be known as the chief letter of resurrection.

The commonly understood theme of Romans is

ESV Romans 1:16 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. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith."

But this rests on Paul's premise which is found earlier in the letter:

ESV Romans 1:3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 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, 5 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,

So what does this mean? It has a three fold relevance:

1) Jesus claimed to be the Messiah of the Jews. And when he claimed this all who heard him understood him to mean that he would overthrow the Roman Empire and their oppressors.

The idea that Jesus claimed to be the Messiah was demolished when he was sentenced by Ceasar's courts to death, and then died the violent, shameful and very messy death that he died on golgotha.

Yet this would not cause anyone to call him the Son of God or the savior of the world. In fact, it meant he was another sham Messiah if that's all that happened.

2) The idea that a man came back from the dead was hinted at in a number of ways in the ancient world, but not exactly like Jesus did. That was completely unanticipated by even his closest associates and disciples.

Yet this would not cause anyone to call him the Son of God or savior of the world.
It just meant he overcame death somehow!

3) The fact that he had claimed to be the Messiah AND that He overcame death by the resurrection from the dead...that combination caused all his disciples to exclaim "You are the Son of God". And it was the very trigger of Paul's faith as he expresses here in Romans 1:3-5

The Old Testament prophesies the Messiah will rise from the dead!

ESV Psalm 16:10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.

And it prophesies that the saints of old will be led out of their captivity on the third day! All who died before Christ's death on the cross, who were trusting God to somehow save them, these were led out of captivity by Christ on the third day!

ESV Hosea 6:1 "Come, let us return to the LORD; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up. 2 After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him.

ESV Ephesians 4:8 Therefore it says, "When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men."

Israel led from Egypt to Promised land is a historical picture of what Christ did for us! He led us out of our slavery to sin, our slavery to the Law, our slavery to the world, and our bondage to death into the promised land of new life! Freedom to do right, slavery to the law of Love in Christ, bonded to heaven! Recipients of eternal life!!

ESV Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Their crossing the red sea signifies this. Our water baptism signifies this also....one event before the death of Christ and one event after the death of Christ...pointing towards the event that delivered us all!!

And our Kingdom Photo Identification is our water baptism. When we are baptized into water, we say that we repent of our own way and that we are trusting in Christ's completed work for all our deliverance!!

ESV Romans 6:4 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. 5 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. 6 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.

ESV Romans 6:10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.

ESV 1 John 2:28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. 29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.
3:1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

There are three implications from these truths.

1) We have newness of life now! We are free from sin now. We are out from the law now! We are able to love, live and breath in Christ as free and new people!

2) We have hope for the translation of our bodies at the final resurrection from the dead when we will receive the final gift of eternal life!
ESV Jude 1:21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.

3) Our hope to see Jesus as He is should always factor into our thinking! We should hope to see Him as He is...and so we should by the hope we have in our hearts constantly put off sin from our lives and constantly purify ourselves so that we will be joyfilled at His return. We should bear in mind what Peter said!!

ESV 2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

How do we do this?

See what He did!!

See what He is coming back to do!!

Reckon yourself in what He did!!

Press on towards what He is coming back to do!!

Say "When He died, I died, when they buried Him they buried me! When He arose, I arose to live eternally!

Say, because He arose, I will arise at the end of the age!!

Consider yourself dead, buried and already raised...in regard to your sin battles! In regard to death in this life! In regard to anything that opposes the gospel.

Press on to know Jesus, for that is the final joy that we receive in all of this! We shall know Him as He is! It's for the sake of our loving friendship with Jesus that God did all of this for us! So pursue Him personally.

How to conquer habitual sins (Romans 8)

2010-03-07T10:34:00.001-08:00

How to Conquer Habitual Sins Adapted from Michael Schwer's message
by David Bielby

Romans 8:1-8:17

How To Conquer Habitual Sins
Problem Solving Sermon
Romans 8:1-17

Introduction

C Cross centered thinking
E Enter the Holy Spirit
R Relationships with one another and the Holy Spirit
T Thinkin'...from stinkin thinking to sanctified thinking
S Strength...draw your strength to overcome from the Holy Spirit

We looked at what it means to “live by the Flesh” and “How difficult it is to deal with the Flesh”

t.s. But this morning I want to show you How To Fight The Flesh and Overcome Sin Tendencies in our life.

The 8th Chapter of Romans tells us how
Lets read the text as a whole first - Romans 8:1-17

ESV Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 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, 4 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. 5 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. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 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. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 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. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 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. 12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 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. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 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!" 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 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

Main Idea [ Message in a Nut Shell]
Romans 8 is the “Declaration of Freedom” Chapter for us in the Bible and Gods Word here declares the Christians Security in Christ.

The emphasis is upon the Holy Spirit, who is mentioned 19 times.

So, it stands to reason, that in order to live a life free from old habit patterns and sins that try to enslave us – We must have a dependence upon the Ministry of the Holy Spirit who was sent by Jesus to help us live a overcoming life.

II Cor 3:17 tells us “ Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty!”

Subject: So what we are looking into this morning is HOW WE CAN WALK IN DAILY FREEDOM FROM SINFUL HABIT PATTERNS OR BENTS BY DEPENDING UPON THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

[ Understanding Sequence ]

Q – Why is it a problem for us to gain victory over various sin bents we might have?
A – The answer invariably lies in one word CONTROL – who do we want to be in control of our life.

We really only have 3 options in this area: God – Ourselves – Satan

We choose who will be in control over our Mind – Will and Emotions by the daily seemingly insignificant decisions we make.

How Can I Overcome Sin Tendencies in My Life?

Whether its Worry, Fear, Lust, Overspending, Anger, Hatred, Control, Doubts about God or the like…Romans 8 shows us Steps we can take to break our Sin Bents.

· Step One – Understand that you are set free from the law of sin and death by Jesus' death on the cross. 8:1

ESV Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 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, 4 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.
· The word picture Paul uses here is that of a commanding officer. Our flesh, our old habits would try to dictate to us to follow in the old patterns that only led into defeat but here we are told to not walk after those commands – rather to allow the Holy Spirit to direct us.

Just How do we do that?

Start saying to yourself: "I am dead to sin. I am free from the rule of sin in my life. I am free from death's grip in my life!

Meditate on the implications of Jesus crucifiction: "Focus your heart and mind on Jesus dying on the cross." See yourself as dead with Him on the cross. See his accomplishments on the cross as yours. Irrevocably yours!

Take time daily to meditate on the cross and to get your spirit centered on the death of Jesus.

Your flesh will scream out “ We have got to do something! – Now!” But you will never hear Gods voice when your listening to your own thoughts.

The First Step to Hearing From Gods Holy Spirit is to Quiet Ourselves to Listen.

This means that we must quiet our flesh – our tendencies to try to solve everything our way and not get ahead of Gods leading.
Don’t allow your old habits to direct you anymore – begin to listen to Gods voice when He speaks

· Step Two – Enter the Holy Spirit...walk in the Spirit... Stay in Step with the Holy Spirit [ v 4 ]

How Do I Stay in Step With the Spirit?
· Galations 5:25 “Since we live by the Spirit let us stay in Step with the Spirit” [ NIV]

We stay in step with the Holy Spirit when we make a willful choice to do things Gods way and not our way.

ESV Jeremiah 6:16 Thus says the LORD: "Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.

You stay in step with the Spirit by asking for His ways!! Don't presume....drop to your knees and ask.

1. Invite the presence of God. 2. Confess any known sin. 3. Ask God to quiet your soul, silence any demonic powers, and anything contrary to the glorious gospel and sound doctrine. 4. Specifically ask God to show you His ways naming the issue you are struggling with. 5. Thank God He is going to speak to you while you wait in silence. Take notes of the things He brings to your heart and mind during that time.

I guarantee – there will be times that this will cause inner conflict because the Holy Spirit will do things different then our old habit patterns.

Why? Because when God does something in our lives He makes it clear that the answer come to us in a way that we know IT CAN ONLY BE GOD! So God gets the glory.

Step 3 Work for unity with your brothers and sisters in Christ and with the Holy Spirit...keep short accounts!

· Ephesians 4:3 3 _ Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with peace.

· How do we keep ourselves united in the Holy Spirit? (ask the congregation)
Leave your gift at the altar.

To Unite (according to Webster) means to join together – to become bound together. Marriage is a good example of this.

We stay in Step with the Holy Spirit when we make the decision to daily unite with God in prayer and devotions.
We stay in step with the Holy Spirit when we make the decision to keep short accounts with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

It means to start your day with your Mind – Will and Emotions submitted to the Lord. Completely yielding your thoughts and attitudes to the Lord – Walking with God.
· Step Four – is found in verses 5-6 Get Rid of Stinkin Thinkin’

I’m talking about allowing the flesh to control your mind.

· Stinkin’ Thinkin’ would include negative thoughts about yourself and others, critical thoughts, judgmental thoughts, anxious thoughts, lustful fantasies, impure thoughts, vengeful thoughts …and so on.

The Bible tells us how to get rid of Stinkin Thinkin:

· Romans 12:2 2 _ Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.

Chew on God's word. ESV Ephesians 4:23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,
ESV Psalm 119:11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

Until we learn to renew our minds and allow God to help us change our way of thinking – we will never really know Gods will for our life.

God begins the work of changing us into the image of His Son by speaking to us by His Holy Spirit. When the Spirit of God speaks – and we learn to listen – then we will begin to change the way we think. We will begin to make decisions based on Gods Will and not our old habit patterns. It is then that the Bible says we will know just how perfect Gods will for us really is – by experience!
· How do I change from Stinkin” Thinkin’ to God Pleasen’ Thoughts?

Again – Gods Word tells us how to Renew our Minds:

· Phil 4:8 gives us the answer: PHP 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.
· Here is a truth: How We Think Shapes our Mind-Will-Emotions…our Character

Think on lies – begin to believe lies!
Think dishonoring thought – reap dishonoring actions
Think on impure thoughts – begin to live an impure life

Think on Gods Truth – His Promises Begin to Believe in Gods Power!
Think honoring thoughts – Transform your marriage!
Think Pure Thoughts – Live free from sexual addiction

· Jesus said “ As a man thinks in his heart – so is he”

Each day ask the Lord to reveal your Stinkin Thinkin and Set Your Mind Upon the Spirit – Those old Sin Bents (Over Time) will disappear.

Remember verse 6 “ But if the Holy Spirit controls your mind, there is life and Peace.

· Step 4 – Learn to Live in the Power of the Holy Spirit [ v12-14]

· [v12] Paul tells us a truth: We are under no obligation whatsoever to do what our Old Patterns dictate to us what we should do.

If your addicted to smoking – The Bible says your under no obligation to smoke – you can dictate to your flesh and tell it “No”

If you have a habitual pattern of being addicted to pornography and the sexual urges just seem to overwhelming so that you want to give in – You are under no obligation whatsoever to do what your sinful nature urges you to do!

If your Sin bent is Anger and you just always seem to blow up! And you cannot “control yourself” Your under no obligation to your emotions – You don’t have to be a slave to your outbursts –

I know what some of you are thinking right now “ Oh yeah Sure! If only it was that easy! I’ve tried and tried.
That’s the Problem!
You have tried it in your own power!

Look at verse 13….
· But if through the power of the Holy Spirit you turn from it…
Now, by whose power are we able to turn from Habitual Sins?……eh?
Jesus, upon leaving this earth told us, his disciples that there is a better way then “trying” to break the cycle of habitual sins based on our own effort.

He said He would provide us the power we need to live in purity and holiness.

· Remember, I have told you about this before. 5 _ John baptized with£ water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.
· 8 _ But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power

Now…that power is not only in Christian Witness…but the Holy Spirits power is available to help the believer live a overcoming life!

The very power that shaped the heavens and earth – the power of God! Is able to empower you to live victoriously above the dictates of the flesh!
Stop trying in your own power and performance

Start living in the power of the Holy Spirit

How important is the Baptism in the Holy Spirit in helping us to live above old habit patterns?
It is interesting to note that the last words of Jesus (according to Luke’s Gospel) tells us the importance Jesus placed on the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Luke 24:49 “ And now I will send the Holy Spirit just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.”

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit then is vital in the Christian’s life if we are to learn to walk in the Spirits power!

Note: It is not my intention in this message to preach on the Baptism in the Holy Spirit – that’s a whole different sermon – but you need the Spirits power to enable you to turn from Habitual Sins. I want to make available to you a study that will teach you the importance of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit – just see me after the service and I’ll give it to you.

But the fact remains Jesus told us the importance of living in the power of the Holy Spirit
“ For apart from Me – you can do nothing”

Be filled with the Holy Spirit!!

Conclusion:
In closing – lets review the steps that will enable the believer to overcome habitual sin patterns and old habits of the flesh

· Understand you are set free from sin and death by the cross [vv 1-3]
· Stay in Step with the Holy Spirit [v4]
· Get Rid of Stinkin’ Thinkin’ [v5-6]
· Learn to Live in the Power of the Holy Spirit [v12-14]

Remember the issue is CONTROL. Who are you going to allow Lordship of your life? Jesus? – Yourself? – or Satan?

Only One gives life and peace.

Lets pray

Freedom from the Law of Moses (Romans 7)

2010-02-28T10:45:00.000-08:00

Freedom From The Law
Romans 7:1-25

Many concepts in this message are derived from the excellent "Encountering Romans" by Doug Moo. I heartily recommend that book for further in sight on this often misunderstood chapter of Romans.

Parallel ring to Romans 6

1) Released from bondage to the law through the death of Christ (7:1-6)

Compare Romans 6 & 7
We died to sin (v 2) You died to the law 7:4
through union with Christ vv 4-5 through the body of Christ v. 4
slaves of righteousness and slaves of God vv 18, 22 That you might belong to another...to him who was raised from the dead. v.4
the benefit you reap leads to holiness v.22 in order that we might bear fruit to God...

These similarities show that Paul is not trying to say that he currently struggles with obeying the law and cannot walk free from sin, but he is instead teaching a deeper
more fulfilling concept. That is the law is in effect, but we died to the law in Christ. We are now free from the law, living a second life in the Spirit under the law of Christ.

2) The coming of the law (7:7-12)

Three views on who the I is here
A) Paul (but Paul was never alive spiritually having always been under the law)
B) Adam (Adam was alive but was never under the law of Moses)
C) Israel (Israel was traditionally considered to be made alive by the law...but Paul is arguing here that Israel actually died when the law came because
sin revealed her full guilt and the charge of death was therefore sealed on Israel).

3) Life under the law (7:13-25)

Paul describes here the effect of the law on the Jewish people, not the effect of a Christian trying to follow God. Even though some experiences of some Christians
match what Paul describes here, it in effect would nullify his teaching in Romans 6 and also in 8:2. Seeing vv 7-12 as referring to Israel, then the rest of this chapter
should be seen similarly, the effect of the law of Moses on Israel...not the law on a believer!!

The Jewish way of thought impacts how we interpret this passage.

One for the whole, and the whole reflected as one was a Jewish way of expression.

The Christian and the law. Calvin and the puritans taught that there was a distinction made between the Mosaic law as a covenant of works and the mosaic law as a rule of life. Advocates of this tradition insist that this is what paul means in Romans 7:4. But this distinction is not clear in Romans 7:4 at all, and we cannot create a new doctrinal system from Romans 7:4. The power of the law to condemn is tied to its binding power. SO if one is under the law, then one is separated from grace and is a helpless victim of sin (Rom 6:14). And being und er the law (1 Cor 9:19-21) is to be under its commanding power. So Rom 7:4; Roman 6:14-15 teach that the believer is set free from the binding authority of the Mosaic law. No part of that law remains as an independent moral direction, not even the 10 commandments. The believer has been trasnferred from the realm over which the law rules into the realm over which Christ rules.

We are therefore subject directly to the law of Christ. ESV Galatians 6:2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
ESV 1 Timothy 1:8 Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, 9 understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 10 the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, 11 in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.

The law of Christ is positioned as a replacement for the law of Moses in the NT. Especially see the command to his disciples to teach 'everything I have commanded you' (instead of everything Moses has commanded you). Mt 28:20

What most Christians would identify as eternal law in the law of Moses is clearly taken up by Christ and the apostles and made part of the law of Christ under which we live. Of the 10 commandments, 9 of them are repeated virtually verbatim in the NT. This is why the anture and meaning of the Sabbath has been so controversial by some groups.
Paul is not saying that Christians no longer have any rules at all. ESV 1 Corinthians 7:19 For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God.

The point is that we are now free from the law of Moses and bound to the law of Christ instead...just as we are free from Sin and bound to Christ's life instead in Romans 6!!!! It deepens the previous point, NOT contradicting it at all.

The Ring pattern evidence:

Romans 5 is about the results of Justification in Christ
Romans 6 is about Freedom from Sin
Romans 7 is about Freedom from the Law of Moses
Romans 8 is about the results of Justification in the Spirit.

Some make an error commonly called 'antinomianism'. This error says that we are no longer under the law...so there are no more rules for Christians. Antinomianism specifically tends to attack a few pet doctrines like tithing. Some propose tithing because the law of Moses prescribed it. I have never been persuaded by the appeals to the law of Moses for tithing. Antinomianism de-emphasizes the law of Christ and leaves the believer with no rules at all! This is error.

As far as tithing goes, we are under the high priestly order of Christ now. He is our High Priest...and his order is NOT Aaron's order. Christ is of the Melchizedek order. Interestingly enough we know very little of Melchizedek, except that he was the one that Abraham shared something like communion with AND he was the one that Abraham, the Father of our promise, gave a tenth to as an act of worship to God. So I am persuaded to honor tithing from the pre-law segments of the Old Testament much more than the Mosaic segments.

All of this does not mean we toss the Law out. No, Paul gives uses for it. One to learn principles from!! ESV 1 Corinthians 9:8 Do I say these things on human authority? Does not the Law say the same? 9 For it is written in the Law of Moses, "You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain." Is it for oxen that God is concerned?

The Law teaches us many things AND the Law points us to Christ! So we can derive spiritual principles from the Law AND we can see the shadow of Jesus Christ, His atonement and resurrection in the Law of Moses! All of this deepens our walk with God and drives us to our knees in awe and worship!

The Key To Overcoming Sin Romans 6

2010-02-07T10:26:00.001-08:00

Scott's story: Coming to our weekly bible study, Scott met privately with me one day to talk about his doubts and fears.
Fear he could never live a Christian life. Bondage to pornography. Addictions he could not break.

Question: How can a man ever find freedom from evil desires lurking in his heart? Is it possible? If it is possible, how does this happen? And is it possible for you to find true freedom from sin's rule in your life today?

A) Paul writes to give us news about a goodness or true spiritual life that comes by trust. ESV Romans 1:15 So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. 16 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. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith."

B) But Paul goes on to show that both gentiles who have no understanding of Moses law and Jews who have the law of Moses are equally guilty before God.
ESV Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. (Rom 1:18 ESV)ESV Romans 3:12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one." (Rom 3:12 ESV)

C) But God has given us a righteousness that comes not by obeying the laws of nature or the law of Moses (ten commandments).
ESV Romans 3:21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it-- (Rom 3:21 ESV)

D) This righteousness comes only by trusting in Jesus! ESV Romans 3:26 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. (Rom 3:26 ESV)

E) Abraham is the main historical figure proving this is true! ESV Romans 4:13 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.

F) Because of all this we have peace with God!

Faith: Abiding Trust: This is not a photographic event. It is a living videographic story that starts from the beginning of our faith to the day we are received in glory.

Results of this judicial and transformation by faith:

1) We possess peace with God.
2) We have access into grace to stand
3) We find emotional healing with hope.
4) We overcome persecution even in the face of death.

The gospel preached correctly raises a question in some minds!

IF THIS IS TRUE, then can we just go deeper into sin to see God glorified even more by the multiplying of His grace??

ESV Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 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. 5 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. 6 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. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 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. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. 15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 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? 17 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, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. 19 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. 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 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. 22 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. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 5 Notes

2010-01-31T10:20:00.000-08:00

ESV Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 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. 3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 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. 6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die-- 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 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. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (Rom 5:1 ESV)

Justified: Made good not just theoretically or judiciously, but we are actually transformed by faith internally.

Faith: Abiding Trust: This is not a photographic event. It is a living videographic story that starts from the beginning of our faith to the day we are received in glory.

Results of this judicial and transformation by faith:

1) We possess peace with God.
2) We have access into grace to stand
3) We find emotional healing with hope.
4) We overcome persecution even in the face of death.

Further meditation on this shows God's love for us is what's on display. This is true agape because so deeply valued us that He did not leave us. Because of this, we will be saved from the future coming wrath of God.

We are made happy because we have already received reconciliation with God.

ESV Romans 5:12 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-- 13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14 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. 15 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. 16 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. 17 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. 18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 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. 20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Rom 5:12 ESV)

The Abrahamic Root of the Gospel (Romans 4)

2010-01-24T12:08:00.001-08:00

The Faith of Abraham...

4:1-8 Faith versus works in Abraham's justification
4:9-12 Faith versus circumcision in Abraham's justification
4:13-17 Faith versus the law in Abraham's justification
4:18-25 Faith versus sight in the experience of Abraham
(outline is from Doug Moo)

Righteousness of God as a gift Rom 3:21-31

2010-01-17T10:21:00.000-08:00

Introduction: Black velvet has been laid out for us.

Romans 3:21-26

ESV Romans 3:21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it-- 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 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. 26 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.

ESV Romans 3:21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness
to it--

Resumes the introduced theme:
ESV Romans 1:16 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. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith."

The righteousness here is also translated justice. It's God's beautiful goodness.
Manifested here is the revealing that Romans 1:17 and 1:18 speak about. God's righteousness revealed brings good news in two directions. All who believe in the gospel are rescued. All need the gospel because apart from it none are right. ESV Romans 3:12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one."

What is the law?
Although this could be natural law, which Paul appeals to in Romans 1 in order to convince those outside the law that they are guilty and need a savior, he does not call it law in his
writing. He does call the writings of Moses the law. And so the law here means the Torah, the first five books of the Bible. And the prophets refers to the other writings in the OT. So
Here the phrase 'the law and the prophets' refers to the entire Old Testament.

So then how does the Law of Moses testify to the gospel and specifically to Jesus revealing the righteousness of God?
Genesis speaks of the coming Messiah and the gospel message many times and in many ways. There are twelve of these ways taught on at http://otgenesis.blogspot.com
One of them is through the marriage of Adam and Eve. This marriage we are taught by Paul in Ephesians 5 refers to Christ and the Church. Marriage has a deeper spiritual meaning
than most people ever realize. Another one in Genesis 1 the light God created and sent over the world is a natural expression of the coming Son of God who is the Light of the world
in John's gospel. John takes the theme of Genesis 1:1 and opens John 1:1 with it, unfolding the parallels of natural light to the eternal light Jesus Christ.
We have the seed and the serpent theme in Genesis 3:15 pointing to Christ's death on the cross...crushing Satan's head.
We have Adam...and in Romans 5 the teaching that Christ is the second Adam creating a new spiritual man through His entrance into the human race.
Jesus Clothes Us Genesis 3:21 Here the kindness of Christ worn on our souls is an expression of God's clothing of Adam and Eve in Genesis.
Christ as a High Priest In Melchizedek's Order We see the Abrahamic worship through Melchizedek as a seed of the new order that Jesus brings (Hebrews explains this).
Jesus is the Blessing Genesis 12 predicts! Genesis 12 and many other references promise a blessing to all nations through Abraham's seed. Jesus is this seed and He is the blessing...specifically it is His gospel message that contains the blessing as a spiritual seed!
The way of Cain Genesis 4 (Cain & Abel) Abel's offering pointed to Christ's death and was accepted. His blood shed is a faint parallel to Christ's death and His atoning blood.
It is Genesis that records Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his only son of the promise, Isaac, on the mountain. But God's angel stays his hand and a ram is found in the thicket
as a provision for Isaac! And Romans keys in on Abraham in Romans 4. He is the father of our faith. All this from Genesis. Yet in comparison to Exodus, the Genesis prophesies are
almost cryptic Exodus is clearer!
And we just spent three months looking at 13 more ways that Exodus points to Christ. The passover lamb, passing out of Egypt through the baptism of the red sea, and so many other amazing prophetic shadows of Exodus. Leviticus is even more amazing with dozens of spiritual mirrors that reveal Christ when one looks into them. And then Numbers and Deuteronomy continue in the same vein. So the entire Old Testament continues to prophesy the need for a savior, his nature and his means of salvation. Perhaps one of the most stunning is Isaiah 53. It is such an accurate description of Christ's death on the cross that many scholars in their highly educated cloak of doubt claimed it was written far after Christ came...they claimed that until the Dead Sea Scrolls uncovered a copy of the Isaiah scroll that pushed the date for Isaiah 53 back by 1,000 years...making it older than Christ's death itself...and proving it was written before Christ came.

ESV Isaiah 53:1 Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned--every one--to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? 9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

Dear brothers and sisters, the whole Old Testament points to Jesus and his death on the cross like the shadow of the statue of liberty in New York points to the statue itself.

Romans 3:22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.

ESV Habakkuk 2:4 "Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.

This becomes the verse that triggers all of Romans! Paul is teaching on this little phrase in Habakkuk 2:4 when he unfolds his

ESV 1 Timothy 2:1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth

For there is no distinction:

Romans 3:27

ESV Romans 3:27 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. 28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since God is one--who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

Conclusion

All Are Guilty (Black Velvet Msg)

2010-01-10T10:49:00.001-08:00

Romans 1:18-3:20

Paul surprises us after announcing the really good news that everyone who believes can receive righteousness from God in 1:15-17, he now begins to talk about the dark subject of God's wrath over the guiltiness of all people. The language ties 1:18 to 1:17 tightly using the matching term 'is revealed'.

Paul's goal in this portion of Romans is to establish unequivocably that ALL of mankind is guilty of sin and unworthy of being in God's presence: Therefore all mankind needs a savior.

Paul uses a technique of arguing to the extremes called various forms of 'Absurdum' in logic and rhetorical argumentation. These were common in the ancient world.
For more on this see Ben Witherington III or Craig Keener on Romans

Five Keys to Clearly Seeing the Black Velvet!
1:18-19 All are guilty

People without special revelation still have natural revelation and are therefore guilty. 1:20-32
People depending on their birthright are guilty. 2:1-16
All Jews are guilty 2:17-3:8

1:20-32 People without special revelation are guilty because they have natural revelation.
Natural revelation leads to a measure of guilt. Nature speaks of God's glory.

2:1-16 People with a birthright to special revelation are guilty.
2:17-3:8 Jews are all guilty as well.
Because the Jews considered everyone else blind apart from the law, Paul had to demonstrate that the Jews
were guilty too. This should never become a launching pad for anti-semitism twisters of solid theology in Germany
did in the early 20th century, but should instead lead to a deep appreciation for and love for all Jews (Rom
ESV Romans 9:1 I am speaking the truth in Christ--I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit-- 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 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. 4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. 5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.

Another reason for the distinction between Jew and Greek in Romans is because of the recent exile of the Jews from Rome.
In about 49 A.D. the Jews were exiled from Rome, including Jewish Christians. And so the church went on without the Jewish Christians, some of whom were no doubt leaders. Paul is being careful to establish solid theological reasons for uniting the church. He wants unity in
the church between people of different backgrounds.

Finally, he will make an appeal for finances for the Jews in Jerusalem later in this letter. And so he wants to be very clear about the theological implications of his statements. The Jews are all guilty, but they have retained their special calling in God, although non-Christian Jews are broken off branches, they can be grafted into the Kingdom of God 'naturally'. And so his statements here are meant to show how very black the situation is for all of mankind. Even the Jews, who have carried the scriptures for us all are guilty and unable to present themselves before God's presence clean and right by themselves.

And so Paul sets up the next segment of his argument.

3:9-18 All are under the law and are therefore guilty.

The spotlight: The Law and the Prophets are the spotlight that focuses our attention on Jesus and His righteousness apart from the law!

3:19-21 The law testifies to the righteousness apart from law that saves us: Jesus and the work of the cross!
A holy segway into

A Theme Worth Living For Romans 1:1-17

2010-01-03T10:38:00.000-08:00

Paul and the gospel

ESV Romans 1:1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 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, 5 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, 6 including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, 7 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.

Paul and the Romans
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.

Note the power of thanking God and more than that, the power of telling someone you are thankful for them.

9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you 10 always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God's will I may now at last succeed in coming to you.

Sometimes things we pray for do not happen. There can be many reasons for this, but one of the most important reasons is revealed in this chapter. Paul wanted to go to Rome specifically to preach the gospel AND to impart something to them.

Note: Laying on hands was an ancient practice of the church.

ESV Luke 4:40 Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them.

ESV Acts 8:18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money,

ESV 1 Timothy 5:22 Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure.

ESV 2 Timothy 1:6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands,

ESV Hebrews 6:1 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

We see that the Holy Spirit, spiritual gifts, healings, and spiritual authority all are imparted through the laying on of hands. Paul intended to go to Rome in order to preach the gospel, lay hands on the sick and heal them, lay hands on and fill people with the Holy Spirit, impart spiritual gifts to people, and perhaps even impart authority to some of them.

11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you-- 12 that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine.

13 I want you to know, 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.

Paul and his eager obligation

14 I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.

Paul discusses the exact nature of this obligation to some extent in 1 Corinthians 9. He states that he receives no special blessing from God for preaching the gospel because
God commanded him to preach it.

ESV 1 Corinthians 9:16 For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!

15 So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

Jude possessed this same eagerness to preach the gospel. ESV Jude 1:3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.

Paul posits this eagerness against a craving for money that many people have. ESV 1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

Paul is not eager for money. He is eager to preach the gospel. He has a divine craving to preach the gospel. Beware of substituting anything for the gospel. Any subsitute for the gospel is wrong no matter how good it sounds. For example: substituting strictness for the gospel is wrong. Substituting the ten commandments for the gospel misleads people. Even a pursuit of revival if it downplays or substitutes for the gospel anything else is wrong. Paul was gospel centered. Paul craved the preaching of the gospel. If we are spiritual, if we have real revival, this will elevate our knowledge and confidence and desire to preach the gospel.

16 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. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith."

The gospel presents something to us that Paul calls 'the righteousness of God'.

From faith for faith-this theme comes to us in Romans dealing a death blow to human ability to accomplish a state of goodness before God on our own.

Living by faith here does not mean trusting God for our income as some missionaries often use the term (not that is wrong, just this is not what Paul means here). Living by faith means that all we do is enabled by the connecting power of faith to the nature of God who is good. His goodness is transmitted into us by faith, not by our own good deeds.

The Great Mission Romans 15:23-33

2009-05-10T11:04:00.001-07:00

ESV Romans 15:23 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, 24 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.

Paul's life vision: Preach the gospel to the Gentiles.

ESV Galatians 1:14 And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, 16 was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, (Gal 1:14 ESV)

God initiates our life calling and vision. God imparts a life calling and vision into us. We ought to submit to Him and to His vision for our lives.

ESV Acts 9:1 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 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. 3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" 5 And he said, "Who are you, Lord?" And he said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do." 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 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. 9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. 10 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." 11 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, 12 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."

Paul's experience dramatizes how God moved with great power in one life. Paul surrendered to God's call on his life.

It's one thing to say that you will follow God. It's a whole other thing to follow Him.
Look what it cost Paul to follow the call!

ESV 2 Corinthians 11:23 Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one--I am talking like a madman--with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant? 30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.

Should we have a plan or should we just follow whatever the Holy Spirit says? Sometimes the question leads to an error in our lives. Paul did both. He had a plan AND he followed the Holy Spirit.

Paul's life strategy: Plant healthy churches in every major metropolitan community in the known world that did not already have a healthy church.

Visit a community: Preach to the Jews first. Gather converts from among them and then go to the Gentiles. Add more converts from them to the newly forming church. Establish the church in the truth and appoint leaders to begin serving the church. Go to the next community as the Holy Spirit leads.

Is it wrong to ask for financial support for a ministry?
Paul lays out a vision for partnering with churches in Rome in order to establish churches in Spain. Spain was the western edge of the known world. A literal fulfillment of Acts 1:8

ESV Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." The Greek text specifically says 'end of the earth' which was designated by ancient geographers as Spain to the west and Eastern India to the East. They did not know about North and South America. The equivalent today would be for us to set our sites on sharing the gospel with every known people group in the world, especially those who have no viable living congregation of born again Christians.

Romans 15:24
24 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.

This was a partnership in God's vision for the Kingdom of Heaven. Proclaim the gospel to all creatures. Go to the end of the earth. Make disciples of all people groups! Make disciples of all nations!

This is exactly what we are doing with our Hope for all nations fund! We are asking for everyone to prayerfully set aside additional funds for the extension of the Kingdom of Heaven into all nations.

Existing support:

Native Missionary Movement: Taking the gospel into Northen India to completely unreached villages.
Project Amazon & Terry Zimmerman: Taking the gospel and medical relief to the 15 million unreached souls of the Amazon jungle.
Undisclosed location & name: Taking the gospel into the heart of the most dangerous Central Asian Islamic nations.
Thirst Relief: Over $800 was given to Thirst Relief last week, enabling that ministry to partner with missionaries to save or dramatically improve 160 lives permanently.

Our goal this year is to increase our funding to an average of $800 per month.

Romans 15
25 At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem.
27 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. 28 When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected, I will leave for Spain by way of you. 29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ. 30 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, 31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. 33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

When The Going Gets Tough (Romans 8:31-39 & Psalm 44)

2007-05-13T17:08:00.000-07:00

Primary Text: ESV Romans 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 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? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 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. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 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.

1) Whenever the Bible quotes others parts of the Bible…and the Bible makes a point of announcing it is quoting the Bible, then we are very wise to look closely at what is being quoted.
a) What is the flow of thought in the passage being quoted
b) How does that shape the meaning of what we are reading now?

2) Paul quotes Psalm 44:22 in the middle of his conclusion to this glorious chapter 8 of Romans.
a) What is the flow of thought in Psalm 44?
Psalm 44:1-8
God’s delight in us!
Psalm 44:8b
Stop and reflect on this
Psalm 44:9-16
Life is not going well for God’s people
Psalm 44:17-22
Even though things are bad, we are not turning away from God
Psalm 44:23-26
Intercessory Prayer

b) How does Psalm 44 reinforce the message of Romans 8?
1-What God has done, our current struggles, and crying out for God’s
help captures the ‘Already/Not Yet’ Kingdom posture we posses
in our ministry times…and it captures the flow of of thought in Romans 8.
2-Romans 8:1 No death sentence is a future reality experienced NOW
God’s love is a current reality which we are still waiting for the fulness of to be experienced…we live in a tension-the tension of real faith in a real world.

v» Faith is not belief without proof, but trust without reservation.
- D. Elton Trueblood

Listen to the thoughts of Psalm 44 with these things in mind.

ESV Psalm 44:1 To the choirmaster. A Maskil of the Sons of Korah. O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us, what deeds you performed in their days, in the days of old: 2 you with your own hand drove out the nations, but them you planted; you afflicted the peoples, but them you set free; 3 for not by their own sword did they win the land, nor did their own arm save them, but your right hand and your arm, and the light of your face, for you delighted in them. 4 You are my King, O God; ordain salvation for Jacob! 5 Through you we push down our foes; through your name we tread down those who rise up against us. 6 For not in my bow do I trust, nor can my sword save me. 7 But you have saved us from our foes and have put to shame those who hate us. 8 In God we have boasted continually, and we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah 9 But you have rejected us and disgraced us and have not gone out with our armies. 10 You have made us turn back from the foe, and those who hate us have gotten spoil. 11 You have made us like sheep for slaughter and have scattered us among the nations. 12 You have sold your people for a trifle, demanding no high price for them. 13 You have made us the taunt of our neighbors, the derision and scorn of those around us. 14 You have made us a byword among the nations, a laughingstock among the peoples. 15 All day long my disgrace is before me, and shame has covered my face 16 at the sound of the taunter and reviler, at the sight of the enemy and the avenger. 17 All this has come upon us, though we have not forgotten you, and we have not been false to your covenant. 18 Our heart has not turned back, nor have our steps departed from your way; 19 yet you have broken us in the place of jackals and covered us with the shadow of death. 20 If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god, 21 would not God discover this? For he knows the secrets of the heart. 22 Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. 23 Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever! 24 Why do you hide your face? Why do you forget our affliction and oppression? 25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust; our belly clings to the ground. 26 Rise up; come to our help! Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love!

3) When difficult times come it does not always mean you are being judged for something. God does indeed allow us to be exposed to a variety of situations even if we are walking with Him in integrity.
4) God delights in us and will not let anything separate us from Him!
This is an incredible message. The theme is ‘love’. God’s love for us. Even
If we face death, we can be sure that God’s love has secured for us ultimate victory.

Creation & Evangelicals (Romans 8:18-22)

2007-04-24T20:17:00.000-07:00

(The audio file matching these notes is at www.vcfbn.org)

Mike Bickle used to say all the time, “This life is the womb of eternity”.

Dwayne Roberts, Author of the book “One Thing” says, “It is essential that this generation begins to feed itself on eternity as opposed to feeding yourself on the latest craze within this nation”

I used to lead worship. One group I was leading worship for was led by a very good spiritual leader, but one who did not understand the concepts laid out in Romans 8. Especially the concepts we are going to study today. As a result, he told me not to do one of my favorite songs, “More love, more power” because he thought we should not pray for more of anything in God. He said we had all that we ever could need or want in Christ already. He said it was doubt to pray or sing for more love or more power or to ask for more of the Holy Spirit or anything like that. Since the bible teaches that we do have everything we ever could need in Christ already, many people listen to these ideas. But the bible also teaches we are to eagerly expect something wonderful yet to come. So I will try to build on this foundation that my dear friend did not understand or even accept. We are called to cultivate a yearning for more. The more is the future glory, the thing that will come to us when Christ appears and changes us and gives us our glorified bodies!

ESV Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 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. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.

The future promised to Israel in Isaiah is now promised to the Church

ESV Isaiah 65:17 "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.

ESV Isaiah 66:22 "For as the new heavens and the new earth that I make shall remain before me, says the LORD, so shall your offspring and your name remain.

What is now promised to the church comes by faith, faith validated through suffering

The means of obtaining this promise is faith, which is validated through suffering.

ESV Romans 8:17 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. 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

The biblical attitude towards suffering sees suffering with an eternal vision in mind.

The premium thought in these two verses is that suffering with Christ in this life is ‘inconsequential in comparison to the incredible glory that will apprehend and come upon us at the last day when we receive our glorified bodies.

The apostolic doctrine here is that we are to be so consumed with faith that our future glory is incredible, that it overwhelms any difficulty in our present lives. Paul is teaching this to the Romans right here. Don’t be overcome by suffering experiences, but be overcome by the future glory we will most certainly receive, provided with suffer with Christ.

The word ‘I consider’ may be translated ‘calculate’ or reckon or ‘add it all up’…in other words, Paul is NOT saying that he feels really good about the future glory. He may well be feeling physical pain from beatings he received for preaching Christ boldly. Yet in the middle of that pain, Paul knows the truth. The truth is we are heirs with Christ. We will win in the end. Our sufferings here are not in vain.

Philippians 3:7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith-- 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.

Here Paul gives the negative view of the same ‘considering’ he speaks of in Romans 8:18.

13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,

Parallel thought in 2 Corinthians, also written by Paul

2 Corinthians 4:13 Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, "I believed, and so I spoke," we also believe, and so we also speak, 14 knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. 15 For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. 16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Paul taught that the key to enduring suffering is to consider eternity. People who think only in earthly, fleshly perspectives can never understand any real value in suffering.

Some have taught that super faithful believers will trigger an end of the age glory. Paul is not saying this at all.

Paul is not focusing on endurance through suffering here in order to get a future glory.

Paul is not telling us we must endure to get the future glory.

Paul is not telling us that we should be certain that our future glory is coming here.

All of these things can be derived from these verses, but they are not the focus! Paul is presenting something spectacular. He claims that this future glory is beautiful. It is so attractive that the creation itself longs for this future glory to be revealed!

The creation is eagerly expecting this future glory.

The creation is eagerly waiting for this future glory.

You could say, as Phillip’s translated it…all creation waits on it’s tiptoes for this future glory.

What is it that the whole world is waiting for??

ESV Colossians 3:4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

The world is waiting for the appearance of the glorified believers.

This reversing of the ‘futility’ of the creation…the frustration of the world because it was subjected to a failure and inability to be what it was created to be is ‘personified’ here.

It points to Genesis 3. The ground was cursed because of Adam’s sin. This was pronounced by God. God subjected the creation to a curse as a consequence of Adam’s sin. God will pronounce the culmination of the breaking of the curse from Genesis 3 when the things which were started by Christ’s coming are completed. Specifically, when we are all finally and totally saved, that is when we are glorified and given our new eternal bodies!

See how God cursed creation. He subjected it to frustration because of Adam’s sin.

ESV Genesis 3:17 And to Adam he said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, 'You shall not eat of it,' cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; 18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return."

Paul is not talking about angels, spiritual beings, or any of the other theories floating around about what this passage in Romans 8 means. He is talking about the curse from Adam’s sin that modified creation.

Creation’s reversal of the curse, as wonderful as it is, is not the focus of the excitement.

The excitement is on what will happen to God’s children.

Some things are excluded. Fall angels will not be redeemed. They are not part of the ‘creation’ that is meant here. Also, souls that have rejected Christ will not be redeemed by this event that is coming. However, the redemption that is coming is so stupendous that it will involve the entire created order. Just as creatoin fell when Adam sinned, so too it will be transformed when the children of God experience the completion of their redemption. So some of our sufferings are just part of this fallen creation, and the glory of the coming age will include the renewal of creation. Pain and suffering will no longer exist in the life of the next age!

The future age is indescribably beautiful because the creation longs to experience it!

What can we learn from all of this?

All believers (and sub human creation) are in a position of waiting for and hoping for the culmination of God’s plan and purposes. There is a necessary and appropriate sense of incompleteness to be overcome.

How do we patiently wait is the topic of next weeks study as we continue to look at Romans 8. Chris Williamson will be teaching next Sunday, and I cannot wait to hear him teach, on Romans 8:23-27.

Three final thoughts.

1) It just happens that this message landed on ‘Earth Day’. As believers, we have a responsibility to care for this earth that God has given us. We should ‘Tend the garden’ as Tri Robinson has popularized in Boise, Idaho.

Our focus is not to ever be on redeeming the creation. It is just something we should do while we are focused on what this passage tells us to focus on. Although this could be an entire message or even a sermon series, I just want
To say that Christians should really not let the tending of Creation be hijacked
By people who hate Jesus. We should lead the way in beautifying and caring
For this creation, precisely because the decay, corruption and death this world agonizes over will be broken by the arrival of what we have already tasted!

Think of it this way, “creation groans in a sense when wicked people do wicked deeds, like Cho who murdered so many people in VT this week”.

Creation also hopes in a sense when righteous people do righteous deeds that point to the coming of Christ. So it is only a natural ‘after-thought’ for believers
to stand up for a better environment. Let us redefine the environmental movement away from a focus on ‘Mother nature’ and towards a focus on our responsibility as human beings to care for Creation. I think we should use the biblical terms used in Romans 8. Let’s stand up for ‘Creation’. And yet it is not to be our consuming passion as people, only a sidelight. Our zeal is for Christ and
His coming glory!

2) Eternity is our focus. Jesus who is our life, He is our focus. Specifically it is
On the arrival of our ‘salvation’ which we have already received in part.
Therefore we are to learn to live patiently for that which we have already
received in part, but which is not fully come.

3) We are to endure suffering like good soldiers of Christ Jesus who are set on
our eternal reward of being with Christ and without pain and suffering forever!
Suffering and struggling in this life is nothing in comparison with the glory that
Jesus will bestow on and in front of us as we are glorified.

Mike Bickle used to say all the time, “This life is the womb of eternity”.

Dwayne Roberts, Author of the book “One Thing” says, “It is essential that this generation begins to feed itself on eternity as opposed to feeding yourself on the latest craze within this nation”

ESV Romans 8:16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 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.

ESV Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 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. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.

Not only that, but we are to be people who ignite a revelation of the future coming
Glory by demonstrating the Kingdom of God now! We are to be bearers of the Holy Spirit now! We live in a state of waiting, but we don’t just wait. We also are wrestling. We don’t wrestle with this old world. We wrestle with spiritual forces in the heavenly realms. We are to be wrestlers and warriors of the Kingdom of God. The weapons of our warfare are not physical, earthly things, they are spiritual, they are mighty through the Spirit of God who comes and works through us.

So think of this this way, we should not be overwhelmed by hardship or suffering because we have the Kingdom of God coming in full array and splendor. Even creation is on it’s tiptoes trying to see the arrival of the Kingdom of God. And the focus is on he glory and freedom that we and all believers will receive, as one community. It’s so exciting that this old world is yearning for it to come.

Have we become so earthly minded that we have no heavenly power?

Let’s walk in the power of the Kingdom. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but they are mighty through the Holy Ghost.

I received a revelation from the Lord recently that has caused me to study and reflect on these two passages in the bible. It really is not connected to the sermon, but is a prophetic word for the church today, for our church in particular.

ESV Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

ESV Revelation 16:12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east. 13 And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs. 14 For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty. 15 ("Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!") 16 And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.

The point of these two passages is that we are to be ‘awake and dressed’. We are to be fully dressed for battle and we are to know that we are wrestling with cosmic power and demonic spiritual forces who are ‘hell bent’ on destroying us. We are not fighting people.

The Holy Spirit's Presence & Victory Over Sin Romans 8:9-15

2007-03-25T07:36:00.000-07:00

ESV Romans 8:9 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. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 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. 12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 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. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 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!"

Things to note in this passage:

1) Five Conditions
a. If God’s Spirit dwells in you
b. If Christ is in you
c. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus dwells in you
d. If you live according to the flesh…
e. But if you put to death…

ESV 1 Corinthians 12:3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says "Jesus is accursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except in the Holy Spirit.

The presence of the Holy Spirit and being a true Christian are inseparable.

ESV 1 John 3:24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.

We know we are Christians because we have the Holy Spirit. Anyone who puts down an emphasis on the Holy Spirit misses a major theme in apostolic letters.

How does the Holy Spirit enter a person and begin to dwell in them?

a. By repentance & faith

Change our hearts & the direction of our lives and trust in Christ

ESV Acts 2:38 And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

b. By invitation

Persistently ask for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit

ESV Luke 11:1 Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples." 2 And he said to them, "When you pray, say: "Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread, 4 and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation." 5 And he said to them, "Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; 7 and he will answer from within, 'Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything'? 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. 9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

c. By laying on of hands & prayer

ESV Acts 8:18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money,

ESV Acts 9:17 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."

ESV 2 Timothy 1:6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands,

ESV Hebrews 6:1 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

2) Four References to God

a. Spirit
b. Spirit of God
c. Spirit of Christ
d. Christ

We learn from this that the Holy Spirit is God. That Christ Jesus is God. That the Holy
Spirit in nature is Christ! So Paul subsititutes Spirit for Christ and Christ for Spirit. He who indwells us is fully God in every way.

What do we learn from this? Principally that if we bear the presence of God,

ESV 1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?

Therefore we are to live holy lives.

In Romans 8:9-15 Paul’s focus is not on the gifts of the Holy Spirit, although they ALWAYS follow His presence in a believer, but it is on the victory of the Spirit over the ‘flesh’. This means we find victory over our sinful nature by the leading of the Spirit.

3) What is the flesh?
4) Paul insists that we must see ourselves free from the sinful nature (flesh).
5) Paul insists we can put to death our natural tendencies (sinful desires)
6) The context of being led by the Spirit is in relationship to personal victory
over sin.

ESV Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

ESV Galatians 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

ESV Romans 6:10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.

ESV Colossians 1:27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Christ in us…is the hope of the glory of conquering sin, death & all that opposes Christ and His Kingdom!

We should not make the error of forgetting Christ lives in us if we have given ourselves to Him!

ESV 2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you fail to meet the test!

ESV Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
ESV Ephesians 4:22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
ESV Colossians 3:9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practice
ESV Galatians 5:24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

ESV Galatians 5:18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

ESV Galatians 4:4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

Eph. 1:4b “in love 5 he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

ESV 2 Timothy 1:7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

There is a relationship between hearing the Spirit, following the Spirit, and experiencing the full blessing of our sonship in God’s Kingdom. Note John’s similar expressions in the Apocalypse.

In Revelation this are the ‘to him who conquers’ passages

ESV Revelation 2:7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.'

11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.'

17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.'

26 The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations,

ESV Revelation 3:5 The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.

12 The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.

21 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.

ESV Revelation 21:7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

Sermon Ideas for Romans 8:5-8

2007-03-18T13:03:00.000-07:00

My own provisional translation of this text.

For the ones who constantly think about the flesh are living in the flesh, but the ones who are constantly thinking about the Spirit are living in the Spirit. For focusing on the flesh spells death, but focusing on the Spirit equals life and peace. Because those focusing on the flesh are enemies of God. The flesh doesn’t submit to God’s law, nor is it able to, for those in the flesh are unable to please God.
Bielby Provisional Translation (BPT) Rom 8:5-8

Romans 8:4b-8

What is your world?
Tell the baseball story: My neighbor is 70+ and the biggest Chicago Cubs baseball team fan in the community. Whole life rooting for the Cubs. Mailbox post signs. Cubs flag. Garage with chairs in it…because his wife won’t let him watch the Cubs in the house anymore.

TV in the Garage. Big White flag with a W on it if they win. If the Cubs ‘sweep’ their rivals then he puts one broom out on the driveway for every win in the series. If the Cubs lose a series, he gets upset and takes the Cubs flag down. If they beat the Cardinals he hangs a toy cardinal by a little noose from his mailbox post. If they lose, he takes down his signs. Everyone in the neighborhood stops to talk to him about baseball. His signs stay up all year long. His world is the Chicago Cubs. And he has never in his 70+ years seen them win a world series. But if they do win, he will find out as the White Sox and Cardinal fans have, that every year every team starts out again with a record of 0-0. Last years' victories are now gone and everyone has to earn whatever they get this year all over again. My neighbor’s entire world is the Chicago Cubs. I am afraid of what would happen if they actually won a world series. He might re-lay the shingles on his roof to spell out C.U.B.S. Who knows.

For people who don’t know what baseball is, they have no idea about the Chicago Cubs. They don’t understand anything that my neighbor is doing. They think he is obsessed with a waste of time. But to people who love baseball, and to those baseball fans who love the Cubs, his fanatacism brings a smile to most faces. They do resonate with him.

How does the bible use the word flesh...get into the passage now.

ESV Isaiah 40:6 A voice says, "Cry!" And I said,1 "What shall I cry?" aAll flesh is grass, and all its beauty2 is like the flower of the field. 7 The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass.

Contrasts

TITLE: who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Natural vs Supernatural

5 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.

6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

7 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.

8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. ESV Romans 8:9 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 cthe Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

vv. 8-9 make it clear that Paul is contrasting a believer with an unbeliever. Being in the flesh is contrasted with being in the Spirit…non-Christian vs Christian contrast.

ESV Romans 7:5 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. 6 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.

In Christ we not only died to the law and are released from the law, but we are also released from living ‘in the flesh’. ‘In Christ’ contrasts with ‘In the flesh’. This means we are transferred out of our sinful passions and that we are put ‘in Christ’. Now we are receiving life from the Spirit of God.

Define flesh here

ESV Genesis 2:21 So the LORD God caused a adeep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made1 into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said, "This at last is abone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was btaken out of Man."1 24 aTherefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

ESV Joel 2:28 1 a"And it shall come to pass afterward, that bI will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; cyour sons and dyour daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.

ESV Matthew 26:41 aWatch and epray that you bmay not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."

ESV Luke 24:39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. aTouch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have."

ESV John 1:12 But to all who did receive him, awho believed in his name, bhe gave the right cto become dchildren of God, 13 who awere born, bnot of blood cnor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And athe Word bbecame flesh and cdwelt among us, dand we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of egrace and ftruth.

ESV John 3:6 aThat which is born of the flesh is bflesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.1 7 aDo not marvel that I said to you, 'You1 must be born bagain.' 8 aThe wind1 blows bwhere it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."

ESV John 6:51 I am the living bread athat came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give bfor the life of the world is cmy flesh." 52 The Jews then adisputed among themselves, saying, b"How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" 53 So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of athe Son of Man and drink his blood, you bhave no life in you. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood ahas eternal life, and bI will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood aabides in me, and I in him. 57 As athe living Father bsent me, and cI live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58 aThis is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread1 the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever." 59 Jesus1 said these things in the synagogue, as he taught aat Capernaum. 60 aWhen many of his disciples heard it, they said, "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?" 61 But Jesus, aknowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, "Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what if you were to see athe Son of Man bascending to cwhere he was before? 63 aIt is the Spirit who gives life; bthe flesh is no help at all. cThe words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

ESV Romans 7:5 For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work ain our members bto bear fruit for death.

ESV Romans 8:3 For aGod has done what the law, bweakened by the flesh, ccould not do. dBy sending his own Son ein the likeness of sinful flesh and ffor sin,1 he condemned sin in the flesh,

ESV Romans 8:4 in order that athe righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, bwho walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

ESV Romans 8:9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact athe Spirit of God dwells in you. bAnyone who does not have cthe Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

ESV Romans 13:14 But aput on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, bto gratify its desires.

ESV 1 Corinthians 15:50 I tell you this, brothers: aflesh and blood bcannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

ESV 2 Corinthians 7:1 Since we have these promises, beloved, alet us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body1 and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

ESV Galatians 2:20 I have been acrucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives bin me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, cwho loved me and dgave himself for me.

ESV Galatians 3:3 Are you so foolish? aHaving begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by1 the flesh?

ESV Galatians 4:29 But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh apersecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, bso also it is now.

Taking matters into our own hands rather than waiting on God’s promise in
God’s timing (which can be a lot longer than we want it to be)

ESV Galatians 5:13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. aOnly do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love bserve one another. 14 For athe whole law is fulfilled in one word: b"You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 15 But if you abite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. 16 But I say, awalk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify bthe desires of the flesh. 17 For athe desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, bto keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are aled by the Spirit, byou are not under the law. 19 Now athe works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, adivisions, 21 envy,1 drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that athose who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But athe fruit of the Spirit is blove, joy, peace, patience, ckindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 agentleness, bself-control; cagainst such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus ahave crucified the flesh with its bpassions and desires.

ESV Ephesians 2:1 aAnd you were bdead in the trespasses and sins 2 ain which you once walked, following the course of this world, following bthe prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in cthe sons of disobedience-- 3 among whom we all once lived in athe passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body1 and the mind, and bwere by nature cchildren of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

ESV Ephesians 6:12 For awe do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against bthe rulers, against the authorities, against cthe cosmic powers over dthis present darkness, against ethe spiritual forces of evil fin the heavenly places.

ESV Colossians 1:20 and athrough him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, bmaking peace cby the blood of his cross. 21 aAnd you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, bdoing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled ain his body of flesh by his death, bin order to present you holy and blameless and cabove reproach before him, 23 aif indeed you continue in the faith, bstable and steadfast, not shifting from cthe hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed din all creation1 under heaven, eand of which I, Paul, became a minister. 24 Now aI rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh bI am filling up cwhat is lacking in Christ's afflictions dfor the sake of his body, that is, the church,

ESV 1 Timothy 3:16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: aHe1 was manifested in the flesh, vindicated2 by the Spirit,3 bseen by angels, cproclaimed among the nations, dbelieved on in the world, etaken up in glory.

ESV 1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world--athe desires of the flesh and bthe desires of the eyes and pride in possessions--is not from the Father but is from the world.

ESV 1 John 4:2 By this you know the Spirit of God: aevery spirit that confesses that bJesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,

No Death Sentence For You

2007-03-11T20:37:00.001-07:00

Now No Death Sentence In Christ

Romans 5:1 Positive statement…justified by faith in Christ…we have peace with God
A deep sense of well-being. We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God!

John Murray, “Condemnation is the opposite of justification”

FF Bruce says that condemnation means more than the opposite of justification. It means penal servitude.

ESV Romans 5:16 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.

In Romans 5 the doctrine of justification by faith is presented. It is the positive
statement that we are cleared of all guilt before God, and made just as if we had
never sinned.

Murray sees Romans 8:1 as relating to not only the guilt of sin, but also to the power of sin. He sees it as the answer to the struggle of Romans 7 that Christians
Walk in. The problem with this view is the word for condemnation used here
Doesn’t really refer to the difficulty of overcoming evil. The word for condemnation doesn’t really even refer to guilt. It specifically refers to the sentence that is handed down AFTER guilt has been determined.

Therefore, what Paul is talking about refers back to the beginning of the letter…and his purpose in all this teachingso far, specifically the presenttion of salvation by faith in Christ Jesus.

This positive teaching is followed by two excursions
(one in Romans 6 and in Romans 7)
In Romans 5 Paul talks about the reign of grace and life
In Romans 6 he teaches about ‘dead to sin’ through our union with Christ
And that we are freed from sin’s power to serve righteousness
In Romans 7 Paul teaches we are released from the law of Moses and joined
To Christ. He focuses on the history of the Jews under the law (substitutionary
‘I’) wrapping this up with a focus on what life was like ‘under the law’ for the
Jews.

After teaching these three general concepts
1) Justification by faith in Christ and our peace with God
2) Freedom from sin’s domain through union with Christ
3) Freedom from the law of Moses through joining to Christ

he now begins to explore the negative version of the positive statement made in
Romans 5. Many, many scholars have paired Romans 8 with 5. And I believe this is correct.

Let’s look now a little closer at Romans 8:1-4

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. What does this mean?

Present assurance of a future removal of the death sentence we have been under.
Moo: Christian assurance and eschatological victory
Lloyd-Jones: No condemnation-no separation (pg 263)
Chapter 8 is exposition of chapter 5’s broad statements
Chapter 6 & 7 are parenthetical
Chapter 8’s great theme is not sanctification, that is only part of it.
The great theme is the security of the Christian
It is an exposition of these verses:

ESV Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 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.

Romans 8:1 is his subject heading or banner. The remaining verses simply work out this. (See Lloyd Jones on Romans 8:1 for more)

The term condemnation here is used only in one other place in the bible. Not surprisingly it is in Romans 5.

This term means punishment. It means doom. It means penalty or condemnation. In Romans 8:1 the Greek dictionaries suggest these translations…and one in particular stands out as a stunning example.
“There is therefore now no death-sentence for those who are in Christ Jesus”

A death sentence has been handed down to everyone in the world.
Romans 1:18…the wrath of God is being revealed against the wickedness of all mankind.
Romans 2 & 3 argue that since the Gentiles are guilty of sin and deserve death, the Jews have not escaped even though they had the law. In fact all the Jews are guilty of law breaking and from Romans 3:8 to 3:20 Paul
Brings a theological crescendo teaching that ALL are guilty before God…Gentile and Jew…and cannot justify themselves in light of the truth.

His summary in 3:19/20 prepares the great doctrine of salvation by faith in Christ…by summarizing the law as something that stops people’s wagging tongues and causes them to feel guilt and an inability to become good on their own effort.

The term condemn is used several times in the bible.
Queen Vashti is condemned for failing to appear before her King, and this
Opens the way for Esther to become Queen.

Jesus is brought a woman who is caught in adultery, and who was ‘condemned’ by the Jews. She was condemned to death, but Jesus forgave her.

Most of the uses of the word condemned in the bible are about Jesus.
Jesus was condemned to die on the cross.
Accusation is not condemnation.
Guilt is not condemnation.
A Death-Sentence is more in line with what this word means.

These themes are intrinsic to Romans 8. He is building not just on the parenthesis of Romans 6 & 7 (death to sin and freedom from the law through union with Christ), but on all the great truths presented in Romans 1:18 through 5.

Romans 8 is about the idea that there is no longer any death sentence for those who are in Christ Jesus.

First argument to establish there is therefore no condemnation…

vv 2-4 No death sentence because we have been delivered from the Law altogether and are joined to Christ by the Holy Spirit. What about the law? We have no more to do with it because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. The law was unable to do what God did for us in Christ. It was impossible in the law, but it is now reality in Christ!

Romans 8:1-4

8:1 Define condemnation
More than feeling guilty
More than being guilty
More than being pronounced guilty by a judge
It is more than being sentenced by the judge.
It is a sentence with no hope.
It is a sentence of death. A death-sentence.
This means we were on death row, waiting to be executed.
Apart from Christ and His redemption, we are destined to
Receive a death sentence. This is a foregone conclusion for
All people…both the pagan and the religious man.
This is the whole point of Romans 1:18 through 3:20. All are
Unable to deliver themselves from the power of sin and death.

Define ‘In Christ Jesus’
How are we in Christ?

1) Federally
a. 1 Cor XV.22
b. ROM. 5.12-21
2) Vitally
a. John XV.1-7 (branch in a vine)
b. 1 Cor 12.27; Ep 1:23 (head/body)
c. Resulting from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit
a. 1 Cor 12:13
b. 1 Cor 6:15, 19

3) By Faith
a. Ep 3:17
b. Gal 3:26-27

It is not in virtue of any one of these bonds of union exclusively, but in virtue of them all that there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. It follows from the nature of this union, that it must transform the character of those who are its subjects. If therefore, any man is in Christ, he is a new creature 2 Cor 5:17; John 15:4; Phil 3:20; Col 2:6, 1 John 2:3; 3:6

As the union includes the bodies of believers, as well as their souls, 1 Cor 6:13-19 so the transforming power will ultimately extend to the these both as well. Rom 8:10-11
The transforming power of this union with Christ is expressed by us not walking after the flesh but after the Spirit.

To walk means to regulate the inward and outward life.

The gospel has delivered me from the Law. (Hodge pf 250)
The gospel is called the law of the Spirit because he is the author.
Rom 3:27; 2 Cor 3:6

Apply these two concepts via a couple stories…

8:2 Define ‘law’ here
Law of the Spirit of life
Law of sin and death
What has Paul said already about the law?

ESV Romans 2:12 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. 13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. 14 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. 15 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 16 on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. 17 But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God 18 and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; 19 and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth-- 21 you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. 24 For, as it is written, "The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you." 25 For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. 26 So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? 27 Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law.

ESV Romans 3:19 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. 20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it-- 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 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. 26 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. 27 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. 28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since God is one--who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

ESV Romans 4:13 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. 14 For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15 For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression. 16 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,

ESV Romans 5:12 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-- 13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14 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. 15 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. 16 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. 17 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. 18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 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. 20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

ESV Romans 6:11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 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. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. 15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!

Define ‘freedom ‘ here

8:3 God’s finished act
Humanities incapability
Incarnation of Christ in sinful flesh’s likeness defined
What it is not
What it is

Describe the condemning of sin in the flesh

8:4 Define the righteous requirement of the law
Describe walking in the Spirit-spiritually minded
Describe walking in the flesh-carnally minded
What does the law being fulfilled in us refer to?

Hodge
We are not condemned (sentenced to death) because we are
delivered from the law!

Analysis-where is the therefore proceeding from??
Not from the end of chapter 7, but from the flow of the whole book.

Luther was incorrect in his view that there is nothing worthy of condemnation in the christian because with his mind he serves the law of God. Nor does he mean in the first few verses here that believers are not condemned because they are freed from the dominion of sin. Believers shall be saved, because they are not under the law, but under grace, which is the main point in all that Paul has yet said.

There is therefore now….that is under these circumstances as he has laid out previously in this book.

Notes For Romans 8:1-4

2007-03-08T21:21:00.000-08:00

Some technical points on Romans 8:1-4. If you compare the different English versions on this passage like the NKJ, KJV with the NIV/ESV you may notice right away that Romans 8:1 is shorter in the NIV/ESV. This is because there are thousands of Greek texts, and not all of them are the same. Since 1611 many Greek texts have been coalated into a Greek New Testament that has been carefully screened by experts in analyzing ancient Greek manuscripts. The end of vs 4 has a Greek phrase that is also found at the end of vs. 1. Most experts are certain that a scribe copied the end of verse 4 onto the end of verse 1. The earliest manuscripts do not have the phrase that the KJV and NKJ have added on to vs 1. In addition, the scholars who translated the KJV originally did not have the older Greek manuscripts which are available to us now. The result is that all the modern translations (except the NKJ-which explicitely follows the Greek text behind the KJV) do not add this phrase to vs 1 that you will see in the KJV/NKJ.

The bottom line is that the correct reading for Romans 8:1 is simply this:

ESV Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

New Sermon Series Through Romans 8

2007-02-27T08:51:00.000-08:00

Commencing March 11 through May 13 I am planning 8 weeks through Romans chapter 8.

At first I was planning an 8 week series through the whole book of Romans (impossible to do well?!). As I tried to plan it out, I felt a check in my spirit from the Holy Spirit. When I stopped and started praying a clear impression came to me to do 8 weeks through Romans chapter 8.

After looking at my resources, I realized that one of my favorite ones broke Romans 8 into 8 parts. So, with excitment I am diving into this series which starts in just a few days.

I am thinking about challenging people to give themselves to this series with a working plan to meditate on these verses and fast and pray for God to move among us in a precious way during these next two months.

Off and running

2007-02-11T19:21:00.000-08:00

We are off and running in Romans. After covering the introduction to the Romans and the beginning of the book, we have looked at the 'Prosecution of humanity' by Paul. Here Paul lays out the bad news, that all people, both non-religious and religious people are guilty of sin apart from Christ. His conclusion is that we should not be asking 'how can God condemn someone who hasn't heard the gospel', but rather how can God forgive anyone, because we are all guilty of committing sin.

New Romans Course Started

2007-01-28T19:27:00.000-08:00

I am teaching Romans (part of Vineyard Bible Institute). I've taken Romans twice in my life. Once in the early 1980's at Central Bible College as part of my undergraduate program there. It was actually Romans/Galatians as a combination course. In 2005 I took Romans (in english) at WCGS w/D. Moo. Both courses were great, but Moo's course was one of the best courses I have ever had. His commentaries on Romans are really good. Especially his NICNT Romans commentary (see my list at Amazon on Romans for more).

Now I am finally teaching a course on Romans. This course was written by Derek Morphew. From what I have seen, his curriculum on Romans is excellent.

Three levels are offered: Audit is $15. Discipleship or Academic levels can be taken. The Academic level can be part of a ten course package that qualifies a student to take an oral exam and to write a thesis with Saint Stephen's University in N.B., Canada. If a student passes the oral exam and thesis work there, he receives one year of college credit for the ten courses, exam and paper written. This is a unique way for students to grow in understanding the scriptures AND to pursue an accredited college degree.

We can still accept students into the Romans class on Sunday nights. (We also have a similar course on Hebrews being taught on Sunday mornings at 9 AM). The next Romans course will meet on February 11, 2007 at 7 PM. Please call ahead to register so that we can make materials available for you.

Romans 6:1-14 Kingdom grace

2005-08-04T20:11:00.000-07:00

Overview
Romans 6:1-14 is nestled inside of a broad teaching that flows in a chiastic structure from chapter 5 through 8. My outline is adapted Dr. Moo’s.

5:1-11 Confidence of future glory
5:12-23 Life through Christ
6:1-23 Sin can't hold us back. We died to sin.
7:1-25 The law can’t hold us back. We died to the law.
8:1-17 Life through the Spirit
8:18-39 Confidence of future glory

As Edwards points out, there is a future element and a present element in 6:1-14 which can be explained by the overlap of the new creation and the fallen. I like to describe this as the inbreaking of the Kingdom of God with its future glory right here, right now. The glory which Paul’s gospel promises for our future, can be tasted today. What we have in Romans 6 is the very power of God’s Kingdom working in the hearts of men to set them free not just from the guilt of sin, but from the power of sin. What we have here is a practical explanation of one of the most crucial elements defining what it means to have the Kingdom of God within you. Missing the nature and presence of the Kingdom of God was one of the conflicts that Jesus had with the Pharisees. Paul’s travelling companion, Dr. Luke, was the historian who recorded this for us:

ESV Luke 17:20 Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, "The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, 21 nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or 'There!' for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you."

It is interesting to note that Jesus’ ministry was described in more than one gospel to include the concept that he preached the good news of the kingdom of God. Mt 4:17, Mk 4:11 It was Luke who also records a description of Paul’s ministry to the crucial ancient city of Ephesus, saying:

ESV Acts 19:8 And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God.

Yet in Romans the phrase ‘kingdom of God’ is only found in one passing reference: 14:17. So how can I dare to bring this up in a paper on Romans 6?

The nature of the kingdom of God essentially lies with the rule or reign of God. There are overt references in this passage to the kingdom. Here are a few of them:

First is the concept of a struggle between the power of sin and the power of freedom from sin. When Paul says that we are dead to sin he deals with the effect of sin and its power over human beings. This struggle is one of the very battle grounds of the clash between Satan’s kingdom and God’s kingdom. Second, the displacement of law by grace. The terminology Paul uses is kingdom terminology. He says that grace ‘reigns’. This brings imagery of a throne to mind. The term grace means simply favor. So to say that favor reigns points us immediately to the question: Who’s favor and upon whom? The answer leads us to my point. That it is God’s favor given lavishly to all humanity. Third is the conflict between death and life. Once again we see the fruit of two kingdoms. Death no longer ‘rules’. Where does death rule? In Satan’s kingdom. The kingdom of God brings eternal life. The kingdom of Satan will suffer eternal torment. It’s work is sin. It’s end result is death. The clash between two kingdoms is again touched on, not in name, but in principle in this passage.

My perspective on this passage is that we have Paul’s explanation of how the kingdom of God expands into a heart. The reign of Christ is extended when that person is inextricably linked to Christ Jesus by faith, through baptism. This linkage is to the very King of the Kingdom. Therefore, his favor reigns in our lives. His blessings are ours. Seeing Christ as King of this Kingdom centralizes the idea that the kingdom is the backdrop of perspective that helps make clear the repeated usage of terminology like reign and rule throughout 6:1-14. Of course there is the possibility that Paul may not be referring to the kingdoms clashing here. But when we have Luke’s description cited above, how can we assume that? Within the context of the NT it seems to me that a kingdom perspective fits well.

Having said all of this, Paul’s glorious gospel was regularly attacked not only in Ephesus-where he preached about the kingdom, but probably in all the cities where he preached the gospel of the kingdom. Paul anticipated this attack even before he arrived in Rome, and alluded to it in 3:8. (Some slandered him by saying he taught people to sin more so God’s grace would be greater). Not only that, but the nature of the gospel and the logical unfolding of a detailed teaching of the gospel led to a bend in the river of doctrine which some leaders in the ancient church would indeed turn into a perversion of grace. Jude and Peter not more than 15 years later warn about this problem in their twin epistles.

ESV Jude 1:4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

NIV 2 Peter 2:1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them-- bringing swift destruction on themselves.

No doubt Paul’s accusers were blaming Paul for the very problems that weren’t just hypothetical problems. There may already have been shepherds who were twisting grace into a license for immorality in the ancient church. Whether or not this was an issue, Paul was gifted prophetically and may well have foreseen this danger not just from a logical perspective. Paul doesn’t aim this passage at the potential twisters of grace, but in effect, he eliminates that possibility as he addresses his slanderers. Rather than pull back and modify the message, Paul lays out with clarity the precise nature of the gospel from 3:21 ff. Now it is time for him to warn of the opposition to his message by critics and by those who would soon actually promote the gospel, but in a warped way. So, he raises the question of his critics and then dives into the answer. ‘Should we keep sinning so God’s favor grows larger by the day?’

In his answer Paul gives us insight into the doctrine of baptism, which can be a spirited debate to uncover exactly what he means here. It will be my intention not to solve the doctrinal intricacies of baptism here, but to capture the essence of why Paul brings baptism up and to help us recognize his intended meaning with respect to the power of sin. The application of that discovery to individual faith is most critical if we are to see God’s kingdom expand in the lives of people we are ministering to on a daily basis. We must also remember that this is in the context of a presentation on what Paul preaches as he goes abroad. So this little section on sin is nestled between equally powerful passages dealing with death and life as well as law and grace. Like a skilled woodworker, Paul explains these themes in a dovetailing fashion with 6:1-14.

Romans 6:1-14 Text & Translation

Before we look at the verses, I would like to mention one textual consideration. In Romans 6:1-14 there are no highly controversial textual variations. The most debatable portion is a phrase in Vs 12. From what I see in the evidence ‘TAIS EPITHUMIAIS AUTOU’ is the correct reading. The TR does list a different text here, but that reading is not strongly supported by the ancient texts or patristic evidence. (TCGNT-Metzger) Other than this, there is little debate on this text as I see it.

The following provisional translation is all my own work and I have not flown it past any of my normal ‘Big Greek’ friends because this work was done for a class. For my shorter sermon exegetical work I normally run things past a number of scholars who have been kind enough to help me over the years. Though this is a Romans class in English, I hope that this effort will not violate the spirit of your assignment.

I originally used ‘grace’ in my translation, but I decided to use the synonym ‘favor’ because I think it makes us stop and mull over what Paul means a bit more.

Romans 6:1-4 Bielby Provisional Translation
How should we answer this question? “Should we keep staying in sin so that favor grows?” No way! We died to sin! How can we live in it? Or don’t you realize that as many as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? So we were buried with him through baptism into death so that just as Christ was raised from the dead for the Father’s glory, so also we should live a new life.

6:5-7
For if we have become inextricably linked together in the likeness of his death, then we will also be inextricably linked together in the likeness of his resurrection. We know that our old humanity was crucified with him to bring an end to the body of sin, so that we are no longer bound to serve sin. Therefore, the one who has died has been completely set free from sin.

6:8-11
So if we died along with Christ, we have faith that we will also live with him. Knowing this that since Christ rose from the dead he no longer faces death: Death no longer rules him. For the one who has died, has died to sin once and for all, but the one who comes back to life, comes back to life for God. So we should see ourselves as both dead to sin and alive for God in Christ Jesus.

6:12-14
Therefore don’t let sin reign in your mortal body so that you respond to its passionate lusts. Do not offer your bodily parts as weapons to sin, but offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought back from the dead to life-and offer your bodily parts as weapons for righteousness to God. For sin shall not rule over you; you are not under law, but are under favor!

For ease of reference I will include each portion of scripture again at the beginning of my comments on them.

Now to look at each portion of this paragraph one at a time:

Romans 6:1-4 Bielby Provisional Translation
How should we answer this question? “Should we keep staying in sin so that favor grows?” No way! We died to sin! How can we live in it? Or don’t you realize that as many as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? So we were buried with him through baptism into death so that just as Christ was raised from the dead for the Father’s glory, so also we should live a new life.

Exegetical comments on 6:1-4
Whenever Paul’s gospel, the true gospel is preached fully, the question of licentiousness rises up. This is because of the teaching in Romans 5 that where sin flourishes it only makes grace grow so that sin is overwhelmed by the wonderful grace of God. Paul taught that the law came to increase sin. To match the increase of sin, grace increased even more. This triggered some twisters of the gospel to say, “Hey let’s ‘party on’ so God can have more glory through a corresponding dishing out of grace”. Paul respond with the
phrase ‘No way!’ The Greek is a response that means something like ‘perish the thought’ or ‘by no means’ (NIV/ESV). It’s a strong ‘absolutely not’ reaction that Paul gives. Then he launches from that into his doctrine. The little sentence ‘we died to sin’ is a factual statement that cannot be changed. Anyone who is ‘in Christ’, no longer ‘in Adam’ as he established in chapter 5, has died to sin. This premise includes two concepts: The first is that we are no longer liable for the penalty of sin. The second is that we are no longer under the power of sin. Because we died to sin, then Paul turns the tables on those who criticize his gospel. He simply asks if you are dead to sin, then how can you live in it? This powerful question immediately demonstrates the folly of the criticism. It immediately demonstrates that those who accuse him of licentious doctrine are slanderers. They are attacking a straw man argument. Paul hopes that if they show up in Rome to block him there, that this line of teaching will ‘cut the legs’ of their argument out from under them.

It is not that the power of sin has been eliminated. What Paul means is that our old nature, our sinful fleshly nature had died with Christ. He does not mean that part of us died. He means we died…all of us that our old nature represents. This is central to our union with Christ. What was true of Christ Jesus has become true of us. Therefore, when Christ died, we died.

There is a problem with this view, in that this passage does not say we died with Christ on the cross. The timing of our death is linked not with Christ’s death outside Jerusalem. But certainly Paul assumes that is understood. Is it linked here with our baptism (in water)? Paul specifically says we died with Christ in baptism and were buried with Christ through baptism. Yet lying behind this truth is that baptism itself is a portrait of Christ’s death outside Jerusalem. Apart from the crucifixion, baptism is nothing.

Does Paul mean that what Christ did on the cross is available for everyone but only actually imparted to them during water baptism? Or does he mean that baptism symbolizes what Christ did on the cross? Or does Paul mean that baptism is a means to mediate what Christ did on the cross for us? The problem may be in the way people often use symbols.

For example, if I asked to see your driver’s license, you may hand it to me. Then I may ask you, who is this? (pointing to your picture) You may say, “That’s me”. Now everyone knows that it is a picture of you, it isn’t actually you. But since you said ‘It’s me’ does that mean you embrace a doctrine that holds a photograph to now be the actual human being? No it means you assume people understand that this is a likeness of you. And so it is with this passage. Baptism is a symbolic action pointing to something else. I do like the driver’s license analogy because as we must have one to drive legally, it doesn’t do anything in itself to show us how to drive or to enable us to drive well. So baptism doesn’t transform us. Christ’s death on the cross secured everything we need. Yet, a Christian without being baptized is like a driver without a driver’s license. It’s not supposed to be done. It is our portrait showing us united with Christ in death, burial and resurrection. Perhaps it was given so that we would actually see ourselves as dead to sin and alive to God in Christ. Perhaps God meant baptism to be a picture of the reality for us as we are in Christ. The problem with all of this is that it is presumed to be what Paul means here. I am not certain what he means here.

If we follow Paul’s literal meaning, then we end up with Dr. Moo’s view as stated in pgs 357-358. The preposition argument seems strong. But as I’ve studied Biblical Greek by Zerwick, I’ve come to be unsure about how much weight we can put on the meaning of Greek prepositions by Jewish authors in the first century A.D. Zerwick cautions us about attributing too much weight to DIA with the causal genitive use when he says “too much stress must not be laid on the use of the preposition DIA with the genitive as expressing the role of mediator, where it is used of Christ’s action as creator or redeemer (Romans 5:9). (see Zerwick pg 39) So if this is true in chapter 5, how can we build on so tiny of a frame a few verses later? I’m not sure it’s a robust position.

The other view that something happens to us at baptism is also attractive. Yet,
I have to reject this view, because Paul has been arguing all along that it is faith in Christ which transforms us. And now, without explanation, a pictorial event which we know points to our redemption on the cross is the activity we must engage in to receive justification? Why hasn’t this been brought into the equation in chapter 3? What about Abraham? How does he qualify without baptism? If faith is not sufficient, then does Abraham really qualify? And why would Paul not answer these sorts of issues? No, I am drawn back to the concept that Paul must be assuming that we understand baptism points to the cross. He must be assuming they know it’s a likeness of Christ’s death and resurrection. I am left pondering aspects at each of these points.

We must not become bogged down in trying to decide what Paul did mean by baptism here. We must bear in mind the big picture. Paul is a preacher of the gospel of the kingdom! The critical result is that we must be ministers who advance the kingdom of God in people’s hearts by proclaiming as Paul did that they died with Christ! There is so much power in this simple proclamation. “We died with Christ”. To tell a backsliding Christian overwhelmed with guilt and drunk with the power of sin that he died with Christ is a true invasion. It is spiritual warfare on the shores of Normandy because it challenges the lies and experience and personal lack of faith which so many Christians go back to believing. When an unbeliever starts to believe that Christ’s death counts for his own sin then that is the first glimmer of sunshine of the reign of grace driving out the black, dark reign of law. Soon the heart of a man is conquered and Christ’s rule has extended to another soul. What Paul says here is simply that we died with Christ. It has already been accomplished! And this something that has been accomplished has two directions in mind. Its directions are both death to sin and resurrection to live a new life.

So, besides the identification with Christ’s past death, and our death to sin, Paul teaches another perspective. This is the future element, the resurrection. Here he says ‘So we were buried with him through baptism into death so that just as Christ was raised from the dead for the Father’s glory, so also we should live a new life.’

The final phrase is literally ‘newness of life’. Just to smooth it out, ‘live a new life’ was used. What this means is that we have access to the eschatological promises of the kingdom now. Not only that, but we should walk in those promises and in that very life now. In other words Christ’s resurrection is not just for us to live in heaven someday. No, it means as we will find out at the end of this paper that we are to live differently than people in the world around us.

I used to believe, because someone taught me once, that it was impossible to overcome sin in this life. I used to believe that it was impossible to live a life for Christ in this life. All we could hope for was forgiveness. 6:4 contradicts that idea. The linkage is with Christ. As Christ burst from the grave, so we also must no longer live in sin! We are new creatures and should live like new creatures. It’s the newness of our spiritual man that we now get to enjoy, the life of Christ’s favor, the King of the Kingdom, which is now guiding us. We are under grace (as Vs.14 will conclude).

Romans 6:5-7 (Bielby provisional translation)
“For if we have become inextricably linked together in the likeness of his death, then we will also be inextricably linked together in the likeness of his resurrection. We know that our old humanity was crucified with him to bring an end to the body of sin, so that we are no longer bound to serve sin. Therefore, the one who has died has been completely set free from sin.”

Exegetical comments for 6:5-7
Here is the consequence of our union with Christ’s death! Once we are linked to Christ’s death, then a sequence of thoughts follow. Paul builds on this by going beyond ‘we died to sin’ and his reference to baptism. He now adds the layer of truth that we are permanently linked to the likeness of Christ’s resurrection, which reinforces Vs. 4. So the concept has now swung both ways, closed to sin, and open to righteousness.

I’m not sure what to make about the term likeness in this section. It reminds me of Genesis language where we are made in God’s image. This term ‘likeness’ is found in the law of Moses in the ten commandments themselves. I suspect Paul intends a parallel here. After all, we are in the middle of a chiastic structure with a major teaching about the law in it! We are now also discussing being under grace rather than being under the law (Vs.14). Paul is about to flow into a matching segment dealing with the law itself in Romans 7. The line of thinking is this. Homoioma-the word found here first appears in ESV Exodus 20:4 "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

Now this is remarkable, for water baptism is a likeness of Christ’s actual experience on the cross. So we have ancient terminology that resembles the modern photo id analogy. Paul is probably referring to the baptismal image here. Baptism is a likeness (homoioma) of Christ’s death and resurrection. This use, interpreted this way, does provide evidence that Paul may have viewed baptism symbolically right here in the context of Romans 6. It is the likeness of Christ’s death and resurrection. Not his actual death or resurrection! So for this reason I have to reject the concept that there is no evidence in Romans 6 for a symbolic interpretation. On the other hand, when viewing the Greek prepositions dia and syn in this section there is some real attraction to the idea that baptism simply mediates what happened at the cross-see Moo pg 364. However, the concept of a likeness in vs. 5 draws me towards the driver’s license analogy. Apart from any commentaries, reading the text on my own, that was the conclusion that I drew. And I have to say that the commentaries made me stop and think, but ultimately I have to assume that the term ‘homoioma’ in this discussion of Romans about Jews and Gentiles, law and grace, with all the pointing back to law; that this citation of the second commandment terminology was expected to resonate with the Jewish (and probably Gentile also) readers. (Maybe like the word Gettysburg in America almost always triggers thoughts about the civil war). Surely the term ‘homoioma’ caused the readers to almost say the rest of the second commandment from memory. That being the case, and I think it’s a reasonable case, then Paul uses ‘homoioma’ to mean likeness here. And that defines its reference to baptism in my mind. It is in this very meaning that we have another dilemma. If we are united in his likeness, and if his likeness refers to baptism, then was the transformation at the cross or at baptism? And if our union was at baptism, what exactly occurred there? This is why I am left wondering. What we can be very certain of is that those who have repented, trust in Christ, have been baptized and are counting themselves as dead to sin and also alive to God in Christ are standing in the truth. So I think the application is really not different when all is said and done.

It was assumed that members of the church were also baptized in the Holy Spirit and had received spiritual gifts. This empowerment for faithful living in Christ was actually a taste of the age to come. This may have been assumed in the little phrase ‘live a new life’ or ‘newness of life’. In this passage, Paul links the resurrection life of Christ with our daily lives. Therefore, new believers became billboards of something more than what this world has to offer. They ‘advertised’ the future world. Their newness of life was meant to be an aroma drawing people who were still in the oldness of death in Adam, into the newness of life in Christ. We are windows for the world to see a glimpse of the next age. The essential point is that being inextricably linked with Christ cannot be reversed AND it points in two directions. One is towards death. The other is towards life. This is not just for the final judgment. No it is for our Christian life today as well.

Now we must remember that this death to sin is not a physical death on our part. It is a positional reality based on our faith-union with Christ. It is not talking about a daily ‘mass’ of some sort we must go through in some mystical fashion. Paul is talking about a spiritual reality that is as true as any historical event. This means we have died once and for all to sin, consequently we are free from the penalty of sin (death) and its power source (the law).

Now I have to say that the old humanity that is spoken of here is not a bad part of us, but is the totality of who we were ‘in Adam’. This means that we died completely. There is not a sort of patching up of the old humanity. Some confusion may arise if this passage Is mixed up with Paul’s imperatives in Ephesians 4:22-24. There Paul tells us we were taught by the Holy Spirit to put off the old man, renew our spiritual minds and put on the new man in Christ Jesus…However, in Romans 6:6 Paul is not giving a command to put off the old man and put on the new man. What Romans 6:6 is stating is the reality that we know. It is this very reality that permits one by faith to actually obey Paul in Ephesians 4. There is the dynamic of what we will be and what we are not yet. These two are like pedals of a bicycle, when we push them at the same time we seem to freeze up. But when they are taken in turn, momentum kicks in and we move forward. So it is with our dying with Christ. Because we died with Christ, we are dead to sin. Because we are dead to sin, we can and should lay aside sin and put on Christ. This is an eschatological tension that flows through the scriptures in many different doctrines. What we have been given in Christ drives us to transformation in real life. (Also, the term ‘body of sin’ here is probably a holistic reference to all that a human being truly is). So, the result of all this is that we have died completely to sin and are no longer servants of sin.

Finally ‘the one who has died has been completely set free from sin’ is an interesting statement. This could mean that he has been justified through death, but that doesn’t seem to fit the context. It fits better with the concept of the power of sin. It is the power of sin over an individual which one is freed from in totality when he dies. Here I found the commentators who argued against this view unconvincing. I think it has to refer to the hold of sin on a person ending because the person died. This is good news for anyone who is tired of the pig sty of sin.

Romans 6:8-11 (Bielby Provisional Translation)
“So if we died along with Christ, we have faith that we will also live with him. Knowing this that since Christ rose from the dead he no longer faces death: Death no longer rules him. For the one who has died has died to sin once and for all, but the one who comes back to life, comes back to life for God. So we should see ourselves as both dead to sin and alive for God in Christ Jesus.”

Exegetical commentary on Romans 6:8-11
Here again we have kingdom terminology shining through. This time it is in reference to the rule of death. The rule of death has been overcome because of the finality (once and for all) of Christ’s death and consequently our death with Christ! This is great news. It means that we are not only free from sin’s guilt and power, but that we are no longer to be afraid of the rule of death! This again swings two ways…first regarding death and then regarding life. We are alive for God. Note the terms rule and reign imply Christ and His kingdom in conflict with Satan and his kingdom.

I remember an old friend named Scott. Scott wanted to become a Christian, but didn’t believe he had what it took to live for Christ. That was his excuse. “I could never live a Christian life”, Scott earnestly pleaded with despair. The inextricable linkage with Christ that Paul lays out in Romans 6 deals with that objection to Christianity right here. We are alive for God and because of this are able to live for God! Christ doesn’t expect us to live for God as we were ‘in Adam’! No way!!! Paul doesn’t just say that we should see ourselves as dead to sin. No, he includes the next concept, that we should also see ourselves as alive for God in Christ Jesus. Here again we have the key phrase, ‘in Christ Jesus’. Apart from Jesus Christ there is no righteousness. There is no transformation separate from Christ. In Christ there is full righteousness. There is complete transformation and power for every Scott in the world to live for God. (By the way-Scott is an elder now in his church). It’s only ‘in Christ’ that any of this works. The most critical element in my estimation is helping people to begin seeing themselves differently. If we can help people (as Paul is doing in this passage) to see themselves both as dead to sin and also as alive for God in Christ Jesus, then they will be transformed before our very eyes. This is not a mental gymnastic. No it is the reality of Christ flooding them with His favor. Can we help people apply the truth to their own life by changing what they believe? Do people listen to our words and walk away knowing their were inextricably linked to Christ’s death on the cross? Do they see themselves as rising with him? The final truth in this section is simply this: View yourself, see yourself, count yourself as dead to sin and alive to God. It’s so very important to note that this is an ongoing command. Daily or continually keep viewing yourself this way. Daily say, “I died with Christ”. Daily say to yourself, “I’m alive to God in Christ!!” What a powerful realization!

Romans 6:12-14 (Bielby Provisional Translation)
“Therefore don’t let sin reign in your mortal body so that you respond to its passionate lusts. Do not offer your bodily parts as weapons to sin, but offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought back from the dead to life-and offer your bodily parts as weapons for righteousness to God. For sin shall not rule over you; you are not under law, but are under favor!”

Exegetical Commentary on Romans 6:12-14
In this last paragraph Paul uses more ‘kingdom’ terminology. He talks about our refusal to let sin ‘reign’. He talks about weapons (or instruments) and then again not allowing sin to ‘rule’ over us. All of these concepts smack of kingdom talk. Yet Paul never comes out and says ‘kingdom of God’ in this section. Very interesting, but in light of the descriptions of his ministry by Luke and my other points earlier (including the eschatological tensions), I think he is referring to two kingdoms here.

Whatever the case on that point, the essence is simple. It’s like a farmer who calls to the animals in his pasture. With his hogs he expects one style of behavior and with the sheep a different action. If he could speak to his sheep, it would be akin to saying, you are not hogs, you are sheep, so stop acting like hogs. Act like who you are. Get out of the pig sty and into the pasture by still waters. The essence of Paul’s argument is that he says because you are dead to sin, don’t sin. Because you are alive to God in Christ, serve the Lord with your whole being.

This is driven by the fundamental axiomatic principle from which all of this teaching has been flowing. That principle is that we are not under law. We are under God’s favor! Hallelujah!!! We have been transferred from the ministry of law, sin, condemnation and death into the ministry of freedom, grace, joy and eternal life! What a contrast! What amazing love! “How can it be that thou my God shouldst die for me?”

This foreshadows where Paul will go next in his line of teaching. As I said earlier, it dovetails with the rest of Romans 5-8 masterfully.

Conclusion
So what shall we say then? We should preach this passage of scripture for it is the gospel that was meant to be preached! What shall we preach then? We should preach the implications of the cross are final and clear. We must drive home a message that brings up the question Paul has raised in Romans 6:1-14. Too often I hear the law presented as if Christians are under the law! God forbid we should do that! We should preach that the law brought increase of sin so that God would bring an increase of grace! We should present the gospel in such a way that we are forced to answer the question Paul starts with here. Should we stay in sin so God’s favor can grow? If this question never comes up as a result of our preaching, then what kind of gospel are we preaching? Yet we should not allow licentiousness to flourish either. We must make it clear that sin is trumped by grace always. Yet grace cannot be turned into a license for immorality. The world desperately needs to hear clear preaching that explains law and grace, ‘in Adam’ and ‘in Christ’….death and life…sin and freedom. We must proclaim these things clearly. That’s great stuff.

We should bear in mind the eschatological tensions and use the powerful likeness of Christ’s death and resurrection as portrayed in baptism to help people realize that they have died with Christ. I don’t know if quibbles about baptismal intricacies will help in the pulpits of America. But people seeing they died with Christ and that baptism portrays that will illuminate enslaved hearts and minds. We must challenge people to consider themselves, see themselves, view themselves as having died once and for all ‘in Christ’ to sin. They must see themselves as having risen from the dead ‘in Christ’ to a new life in Christ. We must help them grasp a true faith in Christ that encompasses all that Paul teaches in Romans 6 so that righteousness is both a solid hope for each of us in glory and a present reality today. There is much more we could try to say about this incredible paragraph in Romans.

Thank you for reading my work and I hope that you enjoyed it as much as I have.

Life in Christ Romans 5:12-21

2005-08-02T12:11:00.000-07:00

ESV Romans 5:12 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- 13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14 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. 15 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. 16 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. 17 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. 18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 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. 20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

There are two humanities. One in Adam and the other in Christ.
Characteristics of these two communities:
Adam Christ
Sin and guilt grace and faith

A great illustration from this passage: Winston Churchill’s saying it is not that ‘so many owe so much to so few’ as Churchill said….it is rather that so many owe so much to only one person!

Stott says a clue that 5:12-21 is matched or linked to 5:1-11 is that both sections end with the phrase through Jesus Christ our Lord. However, in Vs. 11 there is another phrase after that so Vs.11 doesn’t end with the phrase as Stott says, but it is in the last verse.
The trilogy of this section is crafted like a fine musical composition.
12-14 Introducing the topic of Adam & Christ
15-17 Contrasting Adam & Christ
18-21 Comparing Adam & Christ

This passage shows grace, sin and death as reigning powers. Grace reigns through righteousness. Sin reigns through death.

The actions of Adam and Christ are similar in that they have
‘Epochal’ significance. See Moo pg 315. I’m not sure the fine distinction between Kingdom terminology and ‘realms’. The term
reign definitely includes the idea of a scepter and a throne in my mind
which tends to remind me of a Kingdom. We know that it was Paul’s custom to lay out a case for the Kingdom of God. Therefore, it’s likely in my mind that when Paul uses terminology harmonious with Kingdom terminology that we should assume he means Kingdom.
As we see Paul ministered in Ephesus extensively about the Kingdom.
“NIV Acts 19:8 Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God.”
Further this was the very theme of Jesus’ ministry. (Mt. 5:3, Jn 3:3, Ac 1:3)

If we further identify righteousness in this passage as Jesus Christ himself, then we have grace reigning through righteousness….that is through Jesus Christ. If we see it this way, and I do, then we have the King of Kings reigning via grace. His Kingdom’s passport is grace if you will. Whatever the case, I think we must not stuff too much into the terminology here…that is not to try to make too much hay out of the term reign. At the same time, we should think carefully about the general theme of Paul’s ministry and how it may be linked to these ‘kingdom sounding’ terms.

5:12 is a neatly balanced chiasm (Moo)
A sin produces
B death
B all die
A because all sin

This verse does not establish ‘original sin’ as a doctrine-although Augustine believed it did. It seems in a way to establish origin of death as a doctrine.

The Promise is by faith

2005-08-02T11:30:00.000-07:00

In the last half of chapter 4, Paul’s concern that Abraham be seen
Correctly shines through. He essentially argues that Abraham did
not receive the promise of God (which is really the theme promise of the entire bible-that is that God would bless all the families of the earth through Abraham and his seed) through the law. He says that it was given to him by faith. This means that Gentiles can be descendants of Abraham spiritually if they enter into the promise by faith. The thrust of this whole chapter is to block any sort of anti-Gentilism from entering the Church of Jesus Christ. The virtue of Abraham was established not by keeping the Torah (Law), but by faith in God’s promise! Paul is concerned that this message presents a grace filled and universal appeal that does not produce anger or frustration, but the joy of salvation in the hearers. Here’s a quick snapshot of Romans 4 in outline.
Vv 3-8 Faith apart from works
Vv 9-12 Faith apart from circumcision
Vv 13-16 Faith apart from the Law
Vv 17-21 Faith apart from sight

Jews taught that only by taking on the “yoke of the Torah” could one be a child of Abraham. That was opposed to Paul’s view on Abraham. They taught Abram’s fidelity to the Law secured God’s blessings. Paul makes clear that was wrong and that it’s only through faith. Law here refers to Moses’ law.

The Law came 430 years after the promise. Galatians 3-so it cannot alter the substance of the promise of Abraham. Paul attacks the avenue taught by Jews which said keeping the Law brought favor from God. He proves the Law was a dead end street. There was no outlet through that street. The only way forward is by faith in the justifying eschatological action of the cross!

Peace & Hope (Romans 5:1-11)

2005-08-02T11:15:00.000-07:00

Stott calls this ‘God’s people united in Christ (from 5:1 all the way to 6:23). He notes at the end of 4:16 that Paul switches to 1st Plural and begins identifying himself with the readers who are Gentiles. This is a powerful application of the very teaching in chapter four that the Gentiles are heirs of the promise given to Abraham. Then in five he gives a series of we statements which expresses the solidarity of God’s people.

The we affirmations in 5:1-11 are:
1) We have peace with God (or let us have peace)
2) We have gained access…into grae
3) We rejoice in hope of the glory of God
4) We also rejoice in our sufferings
5) We shall be saved
6) We also rejoice in God

Stott outlines things as follows: 1:18-3:20 the need of justification
And 3:21-4:25 the way of justification. Now he turns to the fruits of justification starting in 5:1.

I was surprised that Stott doesn’t draw more of a parallel with the end of chapter 8 than he does. He only alludes to it in one point. He does touch on the future/present dynamic tension of the Kingdom. I found the emphasis by Paul on suffering (And Stott’s explanation of this) to be refreshing. As a Christian who finds himself sitting sometimes weekly with families whose child may be dying of cancer it is a very difficult atmosphere. The long term pressure, and temptation to depression when marriages explode, children suffer from disease, etc. is the most challenging environment I’ve ever faced. The instruction to rejoice in our pressures or sufferings is particularly relevant for me. I can whistle or make melodies in my heart to the Lord during those hard days. And I can minister that attitude to the other families as well. Not only that, but if I can walk with joy in Christ during those several hours each week, then I can effectively share that joy in almost any other situation I face.

Abraham Romans 4:1-12

2005-07-26T15:47:00.000-07:00

Paul uses Abraham to prove his points in 3:21-26. It seems as if Paul is almost evangelizing Jews to me as I read this section. It makes me wonder if the need to continue returning to the theologically soundness of including the Gentiles demonstrated a strong prejudice among the Roman Jews against the Gentiles. Had Paul heard of problems there?

To summarize chapter four with Edwards words:
1) Abraham was justified by faith not works. 1-8
2) He was justified BEFORE he was circumcised. (proves Gentiles do not need to be circumcised) 9-12
3) God’s promise to Abraham was fulfilled through faith not law. 13-25

This is a significant illustration because the Rabbi’s taught that Abraham was made just by his deeds. This means that if Paul can
convince any Jew that he is correct on this assessment, then they will be forced to turn towards the gospel Paul preaches.

He could not have selected a more important figure in the Jewish mind to test his doctrine against. The startling nature of Paul’s points must have caused more than one Jew to question everything they had believed. There’s nothing like a heart surgeon getting down to business.

Luther rightly recognized that “God does not accept a person on account of his works, but the works on account of the person, and the person before the works.” The division between faith and works is essential to Paul’s argument. Edwards argues that Paul is going after the commonly held belief in Judaism in the first century that Abraham was justified because of his obedience to the law before it was even given!! Apparently Abraham was idolized by the Jews and many myths were developed about him.

Because of this idolization of Abraham, Paul goes deeper and uses David to prove the point as well. There’s no question that David was a sinner. David was made righteous apart from works because he was forgiven. This implies he was reckoned righteous by God and that his sins were not counted against him because they were put off onto Christ in the future. And now with Paul’s explanation of the gospel, this putting off of sins to the future which appeared to be unjust, has now been shown to be just!

This is the very thing that Paul was speaking of in 3:26…to be just and the justifier. Not only was this in effect for David, but for many others.

Paul lays out the fact that Abraham was justified while uncircumcised (probably lived like that for about 29 years-age 70 to 99). During this time Abraham was an ‘uncircumcised Gentile’ who had been declared righteous by faith. So therefore he is the original ‘uncircumcised Gentile believer’-the father of us all. After that he became the father of the Jews when he inaugurated circumcision at about age 99. It’s interesting that the Jews who take priority throughout Romans in Paul’s statements are not the first recipients of this justification. A Gentile named Abram is.

Righteousness by faith Romans 3:21-31

2005-07-26T15:46:00.000-07:00

Some people say that this is the most important passage of the bible. One commentator calls this section of Romans the Mount Everest of bible passages. I think it is crucial in understanding the whole bible. It is the crown jewels of the Kingdom!

It is helpful to include Vs.19 & 20 in a discussion of this passage because 19 & 20 provide the velvet backdrop for 3:21 ff. This frames Vs.21-31. Since all are guilty before God and have nothing to say, it’s time for Paul’s line of teaching to develop in a new direction. It’s also a point in history where something needed to happen! And it’s the beginning of a new eschatological era. So Paul packs three concepts into the little phrase “But now”, development of logic in his teaching, a turning point in history, and the commencement of an eschatological era. He is no longer talking about the works of the Law that mankind cannot accomplish. He now turns to the work of righteousness that God has effectively accomplished, apart from the Law.

Edwards describes a mountain climb with all of its discouragements in summarizing 1:18 to 3:20. And then he calls 3:21 the Mount Everest of scripture, the peak in its glory.
In this succinct passage on the gospel, Paul combines law court terminology (righteousness & reckoning), animal sacrifice terminology (atoning sacrifice & blood) and slavery terminology (redemption). This combination (Edwards) packs much reflection in it and may be an early Church statement of some sort-a creedal formula?

A couple of keys: The law and prophets testify to this righteousness. But this righteousness is coming to us not through the Law (and prophets). A further key is that the verb tense for has been made known is perfect. This means that what has been made known has implications to this very day. It’s not just descriptive (like an Aorist tends to be).

Redemption is used in the OT for God redeeming Israel from Egypt and from Babylon. There were a number of mystery cults in Paul’s day. Their sacrificial systems had secretive procedures that tried to help the adherents spiritually. In contrast, Christ’s crucifixion was done in public by public officials. It’s message was proclaimed publicly.

What was once the secret place in the OT has now been identified as Christ’s atoning sacrifice. The word for mercy seat, which was the cover of the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies, is prophetically identified as the work of Christ on the cross. The lambs blood of the mercy seat is a shadow then of the Lamb’s blood of the cross. So Edwards says that the animal sacrifice in the Law was proleptic regarding the cross. This is precisely Paul’s point throughout his writings. It’s highlighted in this section. God’s justice was maintained precisely because He saw the future fulfillment of justice actually happening in the cross. Although it had not been revealed yet, the Father knew it was coming. He tolerated the questioning of his justness knowing that when the mountain was finally scaled, a breath-taking view would overshadow all previous concerns. Justice would be preserved while the incredible view of mercy unfolded before all eyes.

Moo calls “DIKAIASUNH THEOU”/ ‘eschatological justifying activity’. This powerful phrase summarizes the view well that we are not just talking about an attribute of God, but His extension into human distress. It was an act driven by compassion.

1) God’s righteousness revealed and in context to the Law
2) Equality of need and access
3) The source is Jesus Christ set forth by the Father
4) Just nature of God has been exhonerated with justice upheld

3:27-31 contain the seeds which will grow up in chapter 4.

No one is righteous Romans 3:9-20

2005-07-26T15:44:00.000-07:00

Packed in the center of this passage is a string of OT quotes from Psalms, Ecclesiastes and Isaiah. The density of quotes may be a reflection of a deeper topical study on this subject that was known among early believers.

There is a debate that Dr. Moo outlines in his excursus called Paul, “Works of the Law” and First Century Judaism. Essentially some are saying that Paul doesn’t lay out a case against what the Jews really believed in the first century. In this way, it makes Paul seem ridiculous in my view, because it tries to show that the Jews were not depending on their performance of the law to maintain good standing with God. In reality, Paul’s whole argument becomes a straw man argument if this is the case. It’s impossible for me to imagine that we who are so removed from the life and reality of first Century ancient world, can actually overturn Paul’s arguments and their intended subjects. I find Dr. Moo’s excursus overwhelmingly convincing on this point. It’s an issue that seems to be gaining steam though, because I recently saw a reference to this view I think on a TV show (May have been PBS).

In 3:9-20 Paul finishes his accusation that everyone, not just the Gentiles, are under the power of sin. No one is able to do what is right. The OT (law and prophets) show us that we are sinners. At the same time that very law brings us to a state where we are unable to say anything in our own defense. Like a defendant in court, we are left speechless with the overwhelming evidence presented before the judge. Our guilt, the guilt of all mankind, is so powerfully portrayed that no one can utter a word. We can only hope for mercy somehow.

Paul quotes scriptures to establish his point because this is the authority of appeal to his hearers. On top of this, Paul has brought his accusation that all men are guilty to a close. He has made his case clearly and conclusively. The prime target he was trying to bring to a point of surrender was the Jewish reader. The Gentiles were assumed to be guilty. Having painted their picture darkly in chapter 1, he moved on in 2 to unfold the guilt of the Jews. Now in 3:1-20 Paul sums up the guilt of the Jews, dealing with objections to his teaching and bringing it all to a climax with a flurry of scriptures densely packed together. Vs. 19-20 summarize the entire section and prepare us for the great beginning of hope, characterized by the famous, “But now” in 3:21.

Romans 2:17 to 3:8 'Jews & Law'

2005-07-26T15:42:00.000-07:00

Now, if there is any lack of surety whether Paul is talking to the Jews, he comes right out and states it as so. He deals directly with the Jewish defense that they have the law, circumcision and the covenant with God via Moses. In 2:17-24 he removes the defense of the law. In 2:25-29 he removes the defense of circumcision. He turns the tables on the Jews by showing that if they have failed anywhere, then their law and circumcision become judgment on them rather than a defense. What a stunning thing to find that what you thought was your shield has become a prison holding tank waiting your judgment!

There are four objections that Paul deals with in this passage. Probably from his widespread evangelism, he had heard certain objections to his line of reasoning more than once. Here he lays four of them out and answers them. We should anticipate and answer the questions of those we are evangelizing. We have an interesting model for preaching in this dialogical approach.

The four objections deal with God’s faithfulness and foreshadow chapters 9-11. They are:
1) Paul’s teaching can undermine God’s covenant. 1-2
2) Paul’s teaching nullifies God’s faithfulness 3
3) Paul’s teaching impugns God’s justice 5-6
4) Paul’s teaching falsely promotes God’s glory 7-8

In 3:8 we have a huge statement. Paul reports that he is slanderously accused of teaching some form of antinomianism. “The more evil you do, the greater is God’s glory…so sin away!!”
This foreshadows 6:1-14 where he will deal with this topic as he dives into Christ and the power of sin. Note Moo says that this is really a different topic because 3:8 deals with Jews outside of Christ. 6:1 deals with Christians. However the parallel accusation is so similar, it’s easy to imagine that there were two dimensions to this accusation against Paul. He probably had heard it in a variety of forms, either separately or combined. This also raises a question: Had the Romans heard of Paul’s teaching? Had they written him with some concerns? Had Paul caught news that they may have heard some things about him? Was he concerned that some of his opponents may have recently traveled to Rome? These are natural questions I think driven by the nature of Vs. 8 and his comment there.

The bottom line of this section of scripture is that God is faithful. His faithfulness includes faithfulness not only to His covenant people, the Jews, but also to justice and righteousness. Therefore, he maintains judgment of all wrongdoing as part of His faithfulness. As we are about to see, this leads to an absolute conviction of not just the Gentiles, but also the Jews!

Romans 2:1-16

2005-07-26T15:40:00.000-07:00

It seems that Paul is drawing a noose around the necks of the Jewish readers who may be tempted to trust in their own status as Jews who follow the Law of Moses. This is an incredible strategy, for he has painted the Gentiles a bleak picture. Now he turns to the Jews and begins to show their guiltiness before God. To those who are under the law they will be judged by the law, but to those who don’t have the law, they will perish outside of the law. He answers so many questions for the evangelist in this passage. It’s a must read & meditate on for anyone who deals with searching issues on a regular basis.

Parallel to Wisdom of Solomon, 1:18-32 repeats the negative summary of Gentiles that most Jews embraced (Edwards). Paul doesn’t mention the Jews by name in 2:1-16, but I believe he is drawing a noose around their necks. As several commentators suggest, he brings them to see their guilt without directly addressing them in this section. Edwards calls it the boomerang…what the Jews throw out regarding the Gentiles, comes back to judge them also.

I can’t help but note 2:4 and the three key terms here, ‘kindness, tolerance and patience’. This characterization of God is a trump card in a pluralistic society like existed in the ancient Roman Empire. It is an avenue that speaks to the heart of westerners today as well and should be explored by all believers who share their faith. God’s kindness, tolerance and patience are attributes that He is not frequently charged with by popular opinion.

Broadly speaking, 2:1-16 shows a simple concept in a powerful way. The Jews cannot take comfort in the fact that they have the law, because they are condemned by it. In the same way the Gentiles cannot take refuge in the fact that they do not have the law, because they are condemned by the law written in their hearts. And so Paul continues to lay the foundation that all are guilty. He is building an executioners rampart. The structure will finally conclude in chapter 3. But for now we see excuses for why we didn’t do what we should have done are being knocked down by the master craftsman. It does remind me of how the prophet Nathan was able to wisely bring King David under conviction for his own sin. Turning one’s own heart standards on their behavior is a powerful tool for clarifying the guiltiness of an individual.

1:18 to 32 The dark side of humanity

2005-07-25T18:35:00.000-07:00

This section lays the foundation of guilt by exposing the causes and effects of turning from the Creator and towards creation. This, Paul argues is not an accidental ignorance of God and His nature. It is the result of rejecting God and what was clearly revealed about Him in nature. As a result, darkened hearts and foolish minds plunge into more and more decadence. This paragraph is highly relevant to our society today. It touches on issues like homosexuality and a list of other sins that are the result of rejecting God. Yet the terminology in the beginning of 18-32 matches the dovetail from the previous section. This shows us that God’s righteousness is revealed just as God’s wrath is revealed. Both are good. It is a good thing for justice to be served. God’s wrath against evil is not like human anger at all. God’s wrath is pure and good. His wrath against the dark side of humanity presents the right response to wickedness. And dovetailed to this wrath is the revelation of righteousness. God doesn’t leave the world groaning under His good and just wrath. No, He presents a wonderful gift. But before that can be explored, Paul will lay out the desperate need for that righteousness. Like someone who knows how deceptive hearts can justify themselves, Paul strengthens the case of the gospel. His order is not insignificant either. He presents the Gentiles problems first. This draws in the Jewish mind, with a hearty amen. It also humbles the Gentiles so that they do not become haughty about the Jews, who will be dealt with very powerfully in chapter three. So simultaneously he prepares both sides of this Jewish/Gentile Church with reasons to listen to his message. The result will be joy, unity, and a stronger fellowship in Rome.

1:16-17 God's Jewelry Box

2005-07-25T18:34:00.000-07:00

Birdseye Maple & Dark Cherry Jewelry Box
by Larry Bemis, Newport California

This little two verse section reminds me very much of a full dovetail in woodworking. Dovetails are a sign of excellent craftsmanship especially with woodworking. High quality decorative pieces sometimes have dovetails that are of dramatically different colored woods. This is designed to highlight the distinctions between the woods AND to show their interlocking relationship. So this little paragraph has those same features. It reminds me of a finely crafted jewelry box, made of maple and dark cherry woods. Inside this box we have the very treasure of the letter of Romans. Righteousness is by faith for all people.

John Stott mentions (Romans) these verses are tied to verses 14 &15 by the trilogy of:

Vs 14 I am bound
Vs 15 I am eager
Vs 16 I am not ashamed

We shall call this the Birdseye maple wood of this section. Paul’s status regarding his mission and what he hopes to do in Rome is laid out here. The light wood showing the light of the gospel, God’s righteousness, which is a gift by faith, drives Paul with eagerness to desire to go to Rome. Then he turns with stunning clarity to the dark cherry wood. The dark wood showing the unrighteousness of mankind. The turning of the corner from God’s gift to God’s rightly possessed divine wrath is a stark contrast. Here he lays out the DIKAIOS of God…(His righteousness) and ADIKION of all people (unrighteousness). {The negative way of phrasing Vs. 16 is not a litotes. It shows the Apostle is keenly aware of the temptation to be ashamed of certain aspects of the gospel. The crucifixion of an unknown person in Jerusalem 25 to 30 years ago is one aspect. Another is that they worshipped this person as God! Yet Paul is not ashamed of this message because it is God’s power.}

So the dark Cherry wood of this full dovetail is:
Vs 17 Righteousness of God is revealed
Vs 18 Wrath of God is revealed against unrighteousness of men

Vs 17 & 18 forge the new topic, inextricably linking them to Vs. 16.
In this very way 16 & 17 form an interlocking union that effectively turns the corner from Paul’s introductory comments in Romans 1 to the very theme of his message. This theme is fused to the beginning of the case Paul begins to lay out-terms like righteousness/unrighteousness, gift/wrath, and revealed. So I see a master craftsman laying out his best artistic design here from vs. 14-18 in Romans 1. And now we turn through this dovetail with the previous section into God’s concern about mankind’s guilt, which leads us to the rest of chapter 1. This is the dark wood side of a primarily ‘Birdseye maple’ jewelry box message.

1:8 to 15 Paul's desire & purpose in visiting Rome

2005-07-25T18:32:00.000-07:00

This second paragraph is Romans follows the ancient Greek custom of letter writing form with a Christian content. Paul expresses his feelings about the Roman Church. It had to be a blessing for him to hear reports of how God was moving in Rome over the years. Paul lets them know he prays for them and yearns to visit them.

No doubt from the end of the letter Paul had even become acquainted with many people who now were living in Rome. Yet, Paul had never been to Rome. So we see in this paragraph something that stands out among all of Paul’s letters. Typically he is writing to people he has lived among for at least a short season. Sometimes he has lived with the people he writes to for years. What stands out in this section is the qualification he makes to his stated desire to impart spiritual gifts to them. One cannot help but think of some of the ‘impartation’ passages in the NT like Acts 8:18-19 where Simon observes the baptism of the Holy Spirit is an impartation through the laying on of hands. Or 2 Timothy 1:6 where Paul urges Timothy to fan into flame the gift of God, which was in him through the laying on of his hands.

It seems from reading Luke describe Paul’s ministry in Acts that wherever Paul went the power of God endorsed his message through dramatic healings and power encounters with the kingdom of darkness. For example the gospel was accepted in Paphos, Cyprus when Paul confronted a Jewish sorcerer who was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. By the power of the Holy Spirit Paul struck the man with blindness. This dramatic event opened the eyes of the proconsul to the obedience of faith that Paul proclaimed everywhere. The spiritual power of God wedded with an incredible intellect must have been something the enemies of Paul found very difficult to stand against. And to be in a meeting with Paul where he laid hands on someone for an impartation must have been an experience that believers who had known him talked about. Therefore, since he had friends who were in Rome, it’s possible that the church there was hoping he would come and encourage them in this exact way. Laying hands on them and sharing what God had freely given him to encourage them. Yet Paul does not want anyone to assume he thinks he’s ‘it’. So he qualifies his statement with an appropriate humility. He recognizes that the Romans dwell in Christ. And therefore they also have something to encourage him with as well. It’s not going to be a one way street.

Let me say that we must be careful not to read too much into the term ‘impart’. Since it is just a passing reference without any clarification, we are left to wonder what exactly will happen. It could very well be that Paul wanted the Romans to wonder also.
Whatever the case, it’s difficult for me not to read that little phrase in verse 11 without thinking about the many stories and passing references to the power of God in Paul’s writings and in Luke’s descriptions of Paul’s episodes.

Note the parallel of vs. 1 and vs. 9. In vs. 1 Paul is a servant and set apart for God’s gospel. In vs. 9 Paul virtually equates the Son with God by calling the gospel the Son’s. (Edwards)

Another noteworthy concept in verse 14 is the idea that Paul’s obligation to preach the gospel is driven not by anything he owes them, but a different kind of obligation. It’s the obligation of someone who’s bearing a treasure for another person. Although this is a simple example, if a UPS driver is entrusted with a package to deliver, he has an obligation to deliver that package. In a similar way, Paul has an obligation to the Romans. The Romans have not given Paul anything yet. We find out in the end of the letter that he hopes they will in the future. And in a way, Paul does create somewhat of an obligation among the Romans. The Church should share freely from their material blessings with those who bless them spiritually. And Paul definitely blesses the Romans spiritually in this letter. So although it’s not mentioned, and may not even have been in Paul’s mind when he wrote this, the idea of obligation leads to this possible conclusion.

Introduction to Romans

2005-07-25T15:29:00.000-07:00

Romans is not a systematic theology because entire categories of theology are not addressed much if at all. For example, eschatology, ecclesiology or pneumatology are not explained. However, much of Romans is doctrinal in focus. I wonder if it could be classified as a soteriological presentation for the purpose of opening the way up for Paul’s imminent visit.

The context of this doctrine is embedded in a local context, that is the Roman Church, whose history-which is partially known-does help us understand the selection of topics more clearly. One major issue is the relationship between Jews and Gentiles in Rome. Amplification of the potential for trouble here existed because the Jews had been exiled from Rome for a long time. Upon their return the Gentiles who had been in charge, and the Jews who used to be in charge needed to have a bedrock of theology that encouraged the unity of the saints in Rome. This really reminds me of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, where he explains the mystery that God has made one new body out of the Gentiles and Israel through Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. It must have been one of the issues of the day throughout the Mediterranean basin as Jews & Gentiles poured into the thriving churches. At the same time, it may have been pronounced as an issue in Rome-because of the Jewish exile by Claudius, and then the later return of the Jews to Rome. It is possible that the absence for many years and then subsequent return gave the people added grace for one another rather than a propensity for conflict. Since Paul doesn’t really address that directly, we can only assume things. It is possible that Paul was addressing the issue of Jewish vs Gentile conflict everywhere to one degree or another-and that the Romans had overcome conflict in this area but were concerned about other churches in other cities where the unity was less than perfect. It’s possible that Paul was laying out his case to argue for Jewish/Gentile cooperation so that the Romans would be motivated to support him later on as he intended to travel west to Spain. We have to say that we just don’t know for sure what the answer to this really is.

I like the way you phrase the intro in your NICNT. “The message of Romans is, indeed, timeless; but to understand its message aright, we must appreciate the specific context out of which Romans was written.”

General Circumstances
A. Authorship
After reading some of the notes by some about the textual variances, it seems like there’s a stronger case for rejecting Pauline authorship on a few portions of Romans than I originally wanted to face. This is something that I’d like to study more. For now my understanding is that Paul wrote all 16 chapters, but that there are some problems with some of the oldest manuscripts because they don’t all contain all 16 chapters.

I haven’t read anything that convinces me that Paul did not write Romans as a whole. The AF and commentaries I’ve read all seem to agree with your view that Paul wrote all 16 chapters, except for a few commentaries I read up at Buswell (I cannot recall the authors-who theorized that Paul didn’t write portions of the end of Romans-but their arguments seemed very weak to me). I suppose it’s reasonable to think that Tertius may have helped him in an interactive way, but we can’t know that for sure.

I love your summary on page three (Romans NICNT) that talks about Paul writing Romans at a crucial point in his ministry. After nearly 25 years of ministry and planting churches throughout the eastern Mediterranean basin. It helped me grasp the situation.

I. The Christian Community in Rome

Studying this really has affected my understanding of Romans, because of the exodus of Jews from Rome and the return just before Paul wrote this letter…really does give more sense to the theme of Jews/Gentiles and their relationship to one another.

Here’s a question: If the Jewish Christian leaders and members who were expelled from Rome left a vacuum in Rome, would it not be reasonable to assume that they had been there for years before the exile? Would it be reasonable to assume in the absence of any evidence that the Gentiles had many years of experience with Jewish Christians, and that they had been soaked in Judaism custom/style. Therefore they probably would have continued in that custom, particularly spurred on by the shock of having so many people suddenly have to leave the church? When trauma hits a church, sometimes people on the sidelines step up to the plate and fight to maintain whatever had been running well previously. That may have happened in Rome when Claudius ordered the exile.

When I read Romans I don’t know if I see clear evidence that there was a struggle between the Jews/Gentiles as much as there may just have been a vacuum of doctrine to support Jewish/Gentile relationships? Perhaps Paul’s real focus and aim is to raise funds for missions and to lay out some preventative medicine? I agree it’s possible that the house churches might have been divided theologically, but I would think Paul would have spoken to that directly if that were known publically, especially since unity was such a high value in the ancient church.

I’m not sure if I agree with the idea that Peter could not have started the church in Rome because of Paul’s statement that he will not build on another man’s foundation. It may depend on what Paul meant by build…and what he intended to do while in Rome. I don’t know if his intention is to build as much as it is to make Rome a key stopping point for the future expansion of his ministry. Part of my reasoning is this, that if Paul didn’t want to minister at all where someone else laid a foundation, then how could he justify a major trip to Jerusalem to minister to the poor there? It seems to me that Paul may have in mind something more substantial when he says ‘build’. But that is something I would like to study more. It’s my ‘hunch’ at this point. Another thought I have on this is that if Peter didn’t found the Roman Church, and I don’t think he did, the fact is that a Church existed in Rome.
Churches cannot function well without a leader. There’s no evidence of functional problems in the Roman Church, so someone had to be leading there. I suppose the question then would be if they were an apostolic leader or part of an apostolic team. I think we have no way of knowing that. One bit of evidence may be that Clement could have been mentored by the former leader-but I have not read enough about Clement to know for sure. He is mentioned in this letter though-so it’s probably worth looking into. Of the others mentioned, there may be some other clues to this idea as well-if any of them have any writings. I wonder if Hermas is the same guy who wrote the Shepherd of Hermas?

Is this really a missionary support fund raising appeal?
“For I hope to see you on my journey, and to be helped on my way there by you, if first I may enjoy your company for a while”….makes the point that Paul is not intending to ‘build’ on the Roman Church, but to simply fellowship and draw financial support from them in order to do outreach to pioneer areas west of Rome.

Here’s a question: If the Jewish Christian leaders and members who were expelled from Rome left a vacuum in Rome, would it not be reasonable to assume that they had been there for years before the exile? Would it be reasonable to assume in the absence of any evidence that the Gentiles had many years of experience with Jewish Christians, and that they had been soaked in Judaism custom/style. Therefore they probably would have continued in that custom, particularly spurred on by the shock of having so many people suddenly have to leave the church? When trauma hits a church, sometimes people on the sidelines step up to the plate and fight to maintain whatever had been running well previously. That may have happened in Rome when Claudius ordered the exile.

When I read Romans I don’t know if I see clear evidence that there was a struggle between the Jews/Gentiles as much as there may just have been a vacuum of doctrine to support Jewish/Gentile relationships? Perhaps Paul’s real focus and aim is to raise funds for missions and to lay out some preventative medicine? I agree it’s possible that the house churches might have been divided theologically, but I would think Paul would have spoken to that directly if that were known publically, especially since unity was such a high value in the ancient church.

II. Textual Integrity & Literary History

I have always believed that the way Romans was written by Paul is the way it is in our bibles today. However, I was challenged by some of the things I read on this topic. My question on this relates to evidence to support the details of the statement made that none of the text contains evidence that drives some to conclude Paul didn’t write all of Romans as it is.

I think the variations in manuscripts may provide evidence for other views. But I honestly don’t know enough about Textual Criticism to evaluate this very well. The conclusions that Paul may have had a working document on the gospel, which he customized in order to write the Romans may be possible. I think the fact that Tertullian, Irenaeus & Cyprian don’t mention chapters 15/16 seem less convincing to me because of the content in those chapters. Also, do we have enough material from these three authors to assume that they quote from every chapter of every book in the NT? That doesn’t seem likely to me based on a quick review of Irenaeus. I’d want to see a pretty convincing argument on that point before I’d be convinced that it’s a legitimate argument to say Paul didn’t write the last two chapters because they are omitted from certain ancient writings.

III. Audience

Romans 11:13 makes it clear that Gentiles are included in the audience of this letter. The argument that Romans 15:7-12 demonstrates the letter is for Jews & Gentiles depends on the theory that Romans 15 is part of the original letter. Since there is some textual question on this, it’s my view that this concept is better supported from other passages.

The in depth weaving of Jews and Gentiles throughout the letter, especially in the first three chapters, as Paul builds his case, shows me that if Paul were writing to only Gentiles, he was writing in a way that they would be able to relate well with Jews. Or perhaps in a way that they would be willing to invest financially to them? Whatever the case, I think the target audience has to be for Jews & Gentiles. It’s impossible to imagine that no Jewish believers were in Rome by this time historically.

The internal evidence of the letter where Paul directly addresses Jews in chapter 2:17, and then he directly addresses Gentiles later in 11:13 are specific examples that may be even more convincing.

IV. Nature and Genre
The sustained teaching that flows from the development of Paul’s original statement in 1:16 is the real reason why so many people consider Romans to be the greatest explanation of the gospel in the Bible. This teaching unfolds one concept upon another until the end of chapter 11. The doctrine that is laid out here is followed by the Pauline pattern where the free gospel correctly understood leads to practical change in people’s lives. He lays out the practical issues starting in 12:1. I have not seen an explanation of the gospel by Paul without an application follow-up. My theory is that Paul did this because practical application safeguards against a tendency for easy believism, or the abuse of grace that Paul directly addresses in 6:1.

I originally viewed Romans-when I sat down and read it as a whole a few times-as a mission fund raising letter. It was something he wrote as part of his mission trip plans to Spain to help open the way for his future plans. It was also a way for him to lay down in writing what he believed, so that they would identify with him and be excited about helping him in the future. I’m sure that this was the result. I’m sure they were excited about his visit, especially after reading a letter like this. I imagine they also invested in his ministry heavily as well-if he went on to Spain.

The little phrase in Romans 1:5, ‘into the obedience of faith for all nations' reveals Paul’s theme. Essentially Romans is a book about ‘all nations’. Romans is a letter designed to lay down teaching that posits a paradigm shift regarding the world. This worldwide view has everything to do with Christ’s atoning sacrifice in Jerusalem 25 or 30 years earlier.

But the fascinating aspect is this term obedience of faith with respect to the nations. Paul summarizes effective faith in one prepositional phrase. It is a life-transforming that is the solution for the nations dilemma. That dilemma will quickly be explained, but for now Paul tips his hand. His message is about a faith driven obedience to Christ that is all encompassing. The Kingdom of God has exploded beyond the regions of Galilee and now is on a voyage to the whole world. Paul’s concern is for unity with Jews and also for a full welcome for the Gentiles. This has been accomplished wonderfully with the great epistle to the Romans.

Chiasm in Romans 5-8

2005-07-22T14:19:00.000-07:00

Here's an outline of Romans 5-8 that I think presents the flow of Paul's argument very well. It's adapted from NICNT (Moo) on Romans.

5:1-11 Confidence of future glory
5:12-23 Life through Christ
6:1-23 Sin can't hold us back. We died to sin.
7:1-25 The law can’t hold us back. We died to the law.
8:1-17 Life through the Spirit
8:18-39 Confidence of future glory

Some outlines put Romans 5 with chapters 1-4. But note the bracketing effect of 5:1-11 with 8:18-39. Common terms between 5:1-11 and 8:18-30 include:

Love
Justify
Glory
Peace
Hope
Tribulation
Save
Endurance

There are clear implications for how to handle Romans 7 then. It refers to our life before Christ, even though Paul uses the present tense in many places.

How to break sin's power in your life

2005-07-20T13:52:00.000-07:00

There’s a fire burning in my heart as I meditate and interact with Romans 6:1-14. This Sunday and probably next Sunday I plan to take a two week break from Ephesians to look at two key passages in Romans.

These passages will help everyone who drinks it in overcome sin’s power in their life.

Here’s the New Jerusalem Bible text for you to pray over and read this week. I just love the way it phrases a few key passages.

NJB Romans 6:1 What should we say then? Should we remain in sin so that grace may be given the more fully? 2 Out of the question! We have died to sin; how could we go on living in it? 3 You cannot have forgotten that all of us, when we were baptised into Christ Jesus, were baptised into his death. 4 So by our baptism into his death we were buried with him, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the Father's glorious power, we too should begin living a new life. 5 If we have been joined to him by dying a death like his, so we shall be by a resurrection like his; 6 realising that our former self was crucified with him, so that the self which belonged to sin should be destroyed and we should be freed from the slavery of sin. 7 Someone who has died, of course, no longer has to answer for sin. 8 But we believe that, if we died with Christ, then we shall live with him too. 9 We know that Christ has been raised from the dead and will never die again. Death has no power over him any more. 10 For by dying, he is dead to sin once and for all, and now the life that he lives is life with God. 11 In the same way, you must see yourselves as being dead to sin but alive for God in Christ Jesus. 12 That is why you must not allow sin to reign over your mortal bodies and make you obey their desires; 13 or give any parts of your bodies over to sin to be used as instruments of evil. Instead, give yourselves to God, as people brought to life from the dead, and give every part of your bodies to God to be instruments of uprightness; 14 and then sin will no longer have any power over you -- you are living not under law, but under grace.

May the power of this word burn in your life!

Environmentalism in Romans?

2005-07-11T10:43:00.000-07:00

ESV Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.

What principles can be applied to help us as Christians in our relationship to the environmental movement today?

I have three hats to wear as I respond to this. First as a Vineyard pastor, I'd like to say that we are probably by and large a movement that tilts favorably towards environmentalism while maintaining evangelicalism as a whole. But we have a long way to go in our environmental efforts. Our Canadian pastors seem to be ahead on this issue-at least they write songs about it and teach on it more than the Americans.

I am excited about evangelical environmentalism for a couple of reasons. It gives us the high ground in evangelism because most people in our society recognize that
environmental problems can destroy our lives. This has been highlighted in my personal life during the last few years as I've seen some children with various forms of cancer that are probably environmentally caused. Especially some sorts of tumors. Like two children from the same block in LA who both had a rare brain stem tumor cancer that is probably caused by factory pollution in their area. So for us to 'throw off into the future...into the new earth' any concern for the earth is to ignore real needs around us AND to miss a great opportunity for evangelism.

Second I've been driven towards environmentalism, pursuit of justice and direct ministry to the poor of the world and in the USA because of my experience and training under Christian Schwarz. Schwarz has a wonderful little book called "The Threefold Art of Experiencing God" where he essentially breaks all Christians down into three camps (which can intersect). In his assessment of Christians he says there are Green, Red and Blue Christians. Green stands for those who tend to view God as their Creator. They typically migrate towards practically focused earthly ministry like feeding the poor, helping bring justice to the world or fighting for environmental care. They tend to be liberal theologically and can err by syncretizing with human culture. So we see their churches doing things like ordaining homosexuals as pastors, etc...But that does not negate the Green core truths...only negates the overemphasis on Green core truths to the extreme. He describes Red Christians as Evangelicals who focus on the redemption of Christ. These are the guys who love to study Romans...and emphasize conversion/salvation issues. They can err on the side of legalism or dogmatism and are often seen as angry, bible thumping, hard to interact with Christians that the 'Green' ones
are horrified by. However this doesn't negate the truths found in an emphasis on
Romans or Christ, only warn us against the overemphasis on certain aspects of
Christianity dealing with salvation. Then he has the Blue Christians. These guys
emphasize the power of the Spirit, gifts of the Spirit and being led by the spirit. They can err by overemphasizing experiential Christianity-chaotic meetings or hyperspirituality that can scare the willies out of non-Charismatics (and sometimes even Charismatics get concerned by the extremists in their own movement).

There are hybrids who are Green/Red or Red/Blue or Blue/Green to one degree or
another. As I've studied this, I've found that I generally buy into Schwarz's argument, with one exception. It seems to me that Paul has an intential emphasis on one person in the Trinity over the others. That person is Christ. The phrase 'In Christ' seems to have more of an emphasis in Paul than being 'in the Spirit' or 'in the Father'. So I have started thinking that perhaps Paul tilted Red theologically. (Assuming Schwarz is on to something-and I think he is very helpful). See also 'Paradigm Shift in the Church' by Schwarz for more on this.

Essentially a couple years ago I came to believe that I was solidly Red and Blue and not really good at the 'Green' issues. So last year on the PBS interview in November I said that we evangelicals can learn a lot from the liberals on issues like 'feeding the poor, justice and environmental issues' or something to that effect. What I think we must not do is embrace their liberalism in theological circles. I think we must draw lines on syncretism with our culture theologically while maintaining cultural relevancy. The environment is one of the issues we must think sharply on in order to do just this!

For me the key to this is to adjust our eschatological focus to maintain an 'already/not yet' tension. So the Kingdom is already here, but not yet here. This then spills into practical areas such as environmentalism.

Now for the text and it's practical implications: Romans 8:18-22
This passage is focused on the future liberation of creation. This is clear because of the language contrasting present suffering with future glory. So it's an eschatological passage. Therefore we see God's will for creation laid out here...not only that we see the promise of the gospel applied to creation! In otherwords, using Schwarz's colors...the gospel does address the Green issues. In this passage it is clearly focused on future. However, we are to pray for God's will to be done and for His Kingdom to come. We are to fight for the whole of His will. Here we see that it's not just about people but about all of His creation. Therefore, we are within the scope of correct application of the passage
when we draw applications that say things like this...God's will is for Christians to take care of the environment.

Tri Robinson, an example in my mind of a good pastor who embraces Red, Blue and
Green issues well has led his congregation into an evangelistic campaign that focuses on environmental issues. As a pastor in Idaho this has really touched the non-believers who care about the mountains in Idaho. It's been an effective campaign from what I can see and is an example of the sort of things I think it would be great for Churches in America to do. Here's the link: http://letstendthegarden.org/

We must embrace a tilt towards the future in our 'environmental concerns' as Paul did. This means we do not make environmental causes the sum total of our activity. We don't make feeding the poor or equipping the poor or fighting for justice the sum total of our activities. But as evangelicals in general I believe we must enter into these arenas informed theologically, armed with the Gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit. Too often evangelicals don't have a heart for these things or worse yet are seen as hostile towards these issues! I like the 'Let's Tend the Garden' theme, even though I don't think Idaho is the Garden of Eden. The core concept is really good. It is an effort to evangelize through environmentalism and I think has helped Tri's congregations reputation among the lost in his area.

Because of all this I joined Habitat for Humanity last year and helped a group of pastors build a house in Bloomington/Normal. I noticed that virtually none of the evangelical pastors helped or had any time. Now I was the least able to give time of them all and somehow I was able to show up most of the time (because of my son's condition and other pressures). Not to accuse, but the Green pastors in our town just have a deeper theology for doing things like this and I think in humility we need to let them inform us theologically. I learned a lot from them, which has birthed a new ministry in our Church to touch the poor. We are now ministering to about 100 people per month with food and other assistance. These are truly poor people who are suffering. I could go on.

I also think the attitudes from talk radio that portray environmentalists as wackos is something we need to redefine. As believers I don't think that's the sum total of environmental evaluations we should embrace. There's a vacuum among evangelicalism that needs to be filled in the environmental movement. We should be leading in these sorts of arenas because our reasons for caring for the environment are deeper, ring true in hearts of all honest seekers, and we have the word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit to help us do things that really matter. So I think this issue should not be framed by politicians as a left/right issue. No it should be framed eschatologically 'already/not yet'. Let's bring the gospel of the Kingdom in all we do-even in the environment.

Paul's letter to the romans

2005-06-29T16:04:00.000-07:00

Perhaps the most influential letter of Paul in the New Testament, Romans is worth meditating on daily-per M. Luther. It was the book that transformed John Wesley & a host of other ministers of the gospel, including Augustine. This blog is dedicated to discussing the letter to the Romans.