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Romans, Lesson 16

Lesson 16

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omans 7: 1-25, war of the flesh, Part 2.

Christians have the incredible hulk, the flesh, and Dr Banner, the Spirit living in the same body, waging war against each other.

Galatians 5:17, “For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other so that you are not to do whatever you want”.

VV 1-6, 1 Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives? 2 For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. 3 So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man. 4 Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. 5 For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. 6 But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.

Speaking to the Jews, Paul said the law has jurisprudence to them only when they were alive but not when they were dead. A woman is bound by the law of marriage as long as husband is alive, but if her husband is dead she is freed from that law. A Jew who had died to himself and born again in Christ is set free from the Mosaic law and is free to be married to Christ. The born again believer in Christ bears the fruit of God. The un-regenerated person in sin bears the fruit of death. Having died to the law, we are to walk and live in the Spirit.

VV 7-11, 7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” 8 But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead. 9 I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. 10 And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. 11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me.

Is the law sinful?

Certainly not! If there is no law, we will not know what sin is. The law is a mirror that reflect our sin. The law is a school master who disciplines the students. The law cannot save us. The law revealed that we are sinners in need of a Saviour.

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

Paul quoted the 10th commandment, “you shall not covet’’.

VV 12-20, 12 Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good. 13 Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful. 14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. 16 If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. 17 But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

Has the law, which is holy, just, and good, become death to me?

Certainly not! Sin produced death through the law so that sin might become more sinful. Paul said the law is spiritual but he is sinful. Paul tried to do what was good but could not do it because of his sinful nature. What he wanted to do, he did not do. What he did not want to do, he ended up doing.

2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness”.

VV 21-25, 21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. 22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind, I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

Paul delights in the law of God in his spirit-man to do good but was defeated by the law of sin to do bad. Out of desperation he cried out that he was wretched man! He acknowledged his sin and cried out to Jesus Christ to rescue him from sin. He found victory over the war of the flesh by confessing his sin and surrendering his struggle to Christ. Jesus Christ fulfilled the law for us by living a perfect and sinless life.

Romans 8:1, ‘’Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus’’.

Romans 8:3-4, “For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did; sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit’’.

Galatians 5:16, “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh’.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You that there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ. Thank You that we can have victory over sin by acknowledging and confessing our sin and rendering our struggle to You. Thank You for defeating sin and condemning sin in the flesh, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Romans, Lesson 15

Lesson 15

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omans 6: 15-23, Sanctification, Part 2.

Paul continued to ask rhetorical questions and answered them.

V 15, What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace?

Certainly not! Grace is not a license to sin but a freedom to serve Christ.

2 Tim 2: 1, ”be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus”.

V 16, Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves, slaves, to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness?

Greek for slave is “doulos”. We were once slaves to satan who operates by law and sin leading to bondage and death. Now that Christ had purchased our freedom, we are slaves to Him, who operates by grace, leading to obedience, righteousness, and life.

VV 17-18, 17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. 18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

We were once slaves to satan. Now that Jesus Christ had redeemed our freedom, we turn from satan and turned to Jesus as slaves of righteousness.

VV 19-20, 19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

When we were slaves to satan, we presented our bodies to satan for acts uncleanness and lawlessness. Now that we are slaves to Jesus, we are to present our bodies to Jesus for acts of holiness and righteousness.

1 Thess 4:3, ”It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality”

VV 21-22, 21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.

There are two kinds of fruits. The fruit of disobedience when we were slaves of satan. The fruit of righteousness or fruit of the Spirit when we are in Christ. The un-regenerated person has the fruit of disobedience leads shame and eternal death. The born again believer has the fruit of the Spirit leads to holiness and eternal life.

V 23, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Greek for wages is ”misthos” which means payment for work done. The payment for sin is death, but the grace from God is eternal life in Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of grace, salvation, justification, sanctification, righteousness, holiness, and eternal life. Thank You for redeeming us and setting us free from sin and death into righteousness and eternal life, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Romans, Lesson 15

Lesson 15

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omans 6: 15-23, Sanctification, Part 2.

Paul continued to ask rhetorical questions and answered them.

V 15, What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace?

Certainly not! Grace is not a license to sin but a freedom to serve Christ.

2 Tim 2: 1, ”be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus”.

V 16, Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves, slaves, to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness?

Greek for slave is “doulos”. We were once slaves to satan who operates by law and sin leading to bondage and death. Now that Christ had purchased our freedom, we are slaves to Him, who operates by grace, leading to obedience, righteousness, and life.

VV 17-18, 17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. 18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

We were once slaves to satan. Now that Jesus Christ had redeemed our freedom, we turn from satan and turned to Jesus as slaves of righteousness.

VV 19-20, 19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

When we were slaves to satan, we presented our bodies to satan for acts uncleanness and lawlessness. Now that we are slaves to Jesus, we are to present our bodies to Jesus for acts of holiness and righteousness.

1 Thess 4:3, ”It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality”

VV 21-22, 21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.

There are two kinds of fruits. The fruit of disobedience when we were slaves of satan. The fruit of righteousness or fruit of the Spirit when we are in Christ. The un-regenerated person has the fruit of disobedience leads shame and eternal death. The born again believer has the fruit of the Spirit leads to holiness and eternal life.

V 23, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Greek for wages is ”misthos” which means payment for work done. The payment for sin is death, but the grace from God is eternal life in Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of grace, salvation, justification, sanctification, righteousness, holiness, and eternal life. Thank You for redeeming us and setting us free from sin and death into righteousness and eternal life, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Romans, Lesson 14

Lesson 14

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omans 6: 8-14, Sanctification, Part 1.

After justification, we encounter the war of the flesh. The war between the flesh and the Spirit, between sin and righteousness, between law and grace, between eternal death and eternal life. Sanctification is the process of growing in righteousness to win the war of the flesh.

VV 8-10, 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.

Having died with Christ, we shall live with Him. Death had no power over Christ and death will have no power over us. Since Christ died to God and lives for God, we are to die to Christ and lives for Christ.

V 11, Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Greek for reckon is ”logizomai” which mean to understand. We are to understand that we are dead to sin but alive to God in Christ, our Lord and master.

V 12, Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.

We are not to allow sin to be king over our mortal body. We are to enthrone Jesus Christ as our King and dethrone sin from being king over us.

James 4:7 b, ”Resist the devil and he will flee from you”.

VV 13-14, 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

We are to not present our bodies as instruments of sin to be used by satan but to present our bodies as instruments of righteousness to be used by God. Sin shall have no power over us because we are under grace, not law.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us practical steps to overcome sin. Sanctify us with the truth of Your word and the power of the Holy Spirit. Help us to present our bodies to You as living sacrifices as this is our spiritual act of worship, Thank You that we are under grace and not law, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Romans, lesson 13

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Lesson 13

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oman 6: 1-7, War of the flesh.

In this section, Paul spoke about the spiritual struggle of a Christian in facing the war between the flesh and the Holy Spirit.

VV 1-3, 1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death

Shall we continue to sin that grace may abound?

Certainly not! Grace is not a license to sin, but a freedom to serve Christ. When we were baptised into Christ, we have died to sin and will no longer be a slave to sin.

Galatians 5:17, ”For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other”.

Romans 6:12, ”Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts”.

VV 4-5, 4, therefore, we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so, we also should walk in newness of life.5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,

At baptism, our old flesh life was buried and our new spiritual life emerged out from the water with Christ. At baptism, we identified with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Therefore, we are to walk in the new life of Holy Spirit.

2 Cor 5: 17, ”Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new”

1 John 3:9, ”Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God”

VV 6-7, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin.

Greek for done away is ”katargeo”, which means to render powerless. Through Jesus Christ, sin had been rendered powerless. We are no longer slaves to sin, but a slaves to Jesus Christ and we are to serve Him in freedom.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we claim the promise that it is by grace that we have been saved through faith. Sanctify us by the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Romans, Lesson 12

Lesson 12

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omans 5: 12-21, Adam and Christ.

In this passage, Paul speaks of two Adams, the first Adam of Genesis and the last Adam Jesus Christ.

VV 12-14, 12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because all sinned— 13 (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.

Sin and death entered the world and infected all men through the sin of Adam. The wages of sin is death. Everyone is born spiritually dead and separated from God because of Adam’s son. Adam is opposite to Jesus Christ who was to come.

Ephesian 2:1. ‘’And you He made alive, who were dead in trespass and sins’’.

VV 15-19, 15 But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. 16 And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. 17 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) 18 Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.

Grace is opposite to law. Adam is opposite to Christ. By Adam’s disobedience, many died. By Jesus Christ’s obedience, many lived. By Adam’s disobedience, there was judgment and eternal death. By Christ’s obedience, there is justification and eternal life. By Adam’s disobedience, death reigned. By Christ’s obedience, life reigned. By Adam’s disobedience, there was condemnation. By Christ’s obedience, there is justification. By Adam’s disobedience many were made sinners. By Christ’s obedience, many we’d made righteous.

VV 20-21, 20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, 21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so, grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Law is a mirror that reflect sin. When sin increased, grace increased even more. The wages of sin is eternal death. The grace of God is eternal life through Jesus.

John 3:3, ‘’unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God’’

John 3:5, ‘’unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God’’

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for the super abundant grace of justification and salvation by grace through faith. Thank You for sending Jesus Christ to reverse the curse of Adam’s sin, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Romans, Lesson 11

Ancient Capernaum

Lesson 11

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omans 5: 6-11, God’s Love.

In Romans 5:5, God poured out His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. After justification, we have peace with God, access to God and promise of heaven with God.

In this passage, Paul speaks on the love of God.

VV 6-8, 6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man, someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

God demonstrated His love by sending His Son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross for us. Greek for love is ‘’agape’’, which means unconditional and sacrificial love. Jesus sacrificed His life unconditionally by dying on the cross for us while we were still sinners and spiritually dead. It is very unlikely for someone to die for a righteous man although someone may possible die for a good man. But Jesus, the perfect man died for us, who are sinners.

John 15: 30, ‘’greater love has no one than this, to lay down one’s life for his friends’’.

John 3:16, ‘’for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life’’.

Galatians 2:20 b, “the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave His life for me’’.

VV 9-10, 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

Justification by Christ’s death saved us from God’s wrath, reconciled our enmity with God and saved our souls from eternal death.

John 5:24, ‘’whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment by has passed from death to life’’.

John 3:36, ‘’whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains in him’’.

Philippians 1:6, ”He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus”.

Hebrews 12: 2, ”the author and perfecter of our faith”

V 11, And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

We rejoice in God through Christ, who reconciled our relationship with God and forgave our sins through justification by faith.

Galatians 5:22, ”but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, for bearable, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

”Nehemiah 8: 10, “do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength”.

Romans 15:13a, ”May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him”.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for all that You have done for us in our lives. Thank You for Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Thank You for the gift of salvation, justification, and eternal life, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Romans , Lesson 10

Lesson 10

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omans 5: 1-5, Peace with God, access to God, and promise of heaven with God.

Justification is God treating us just as if we had not sin based on our faith in Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. After justification, we have peace with God, access to God, and promise of heaven with God.

VV 1-3, 1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

After justification, our sins are forgiven, God’s wrath is removed, we are reconciled with God, and we have the peace with God, our Father. We have access to the throne room of God in heaven. When Jesus died on Good Friday, the temple veil separating the Holy place from the Holy of Holies was ripped apart from top to bottom. We have the future hope of meeting God face to face and enjoying His glory in heaven.

John 17: 24, “Father, I desire that they whom You gave me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given me”.

1 Peter 1: 3 b, ‘’a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead’’

VV 3-5, 3 And not only that but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

We rejoice in tribulations because we know that tribulations produce perseverance, character, and hope. Hope will not disappoint us because our hearts are filled with God’s love through the Holy Spirit. We can claim the hope of God’s love in difficult times.

Romans 8:28, ‘’and we know that all things work together for good, to those who love God and are called by His name’’.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for justification by grace through faith in Jesus and sanctification through the Holy Spirit. Thank You that after justification, we have peace with You, access to You, and hope of heaven in the future with You, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Romans, Lesson 9

Lesson 9

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omans 4: 1-25, Justification of Abraham.

Paul used Abraham to illustrate justification by grace through faith.

VV 1-4, 1 What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.

Greek for accounted is ‘’logizomai’’ which means to credit an item into an account. Abraham is the father faith. God credited an item called righteousness into his faith account because of his faith. Abraham was justified by faith. Paul quoted Genesis 15:6, “and he believed in the Lord, and He accounted to him for righteousness”.

VV 5-8, 5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, 6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: 7 ‘’Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; 8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.”

Abraham was justified through faith in God and not by works. Paul quoted Psalm 32:1, “blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit”.

VV 9-12, 9 Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. 10 How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. 11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also, 12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised.

Does this blessedness (justification by faith) then come upon the circumcised only or upon the uncircumcised also?

Justification by faith is for the Jews who are circumcised and the Gentiles who are uncircumcised, because Abraham was justified before he was circumcised.

VV 13-15, 13 For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, 15 because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.

God’s promise of heirs to Abraham was not through biological descents and law keeping, but through those who are justified by faith in God. The law’s purpose is for salvation but for revelation of sin. Law brings sin and death, faith brings justification and life.

VV 16-17, 16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all 17 (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed, God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;

Justification is by grace through faith in God. Abraham is the father of faith. His true spiritual descendants are those who are justified by faith in God.

Ephesians 2: 8-9, ‘’for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast’’.

Romans 10:9, ‘’if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved’’.

VV 18-20, 18 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” 19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,

Against all odds Abraham believed and became the father of many nations. He and his wife Sarah was already too old to have a son but believed God at his words, giving glory to God. He received God’s promise at the ripe old of age of 86, circumcised at the age of 99 and had Isaac at the age of 100.

VV 21-25, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. 22 And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 23 Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, 24 but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 who was delivered up because of our offenses and was raised because of our justification

God’s imputed His righteousness to Abraham through faith was a foreshadow of Christ’s imputed righteousness to us through faith. Jesus Christ died on the cross for our offences and resurrected to life on Easter for our justification.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we acknowledged that You are Almighty God. We confessed that we are sinners. We asked for Your mercy and forgiveness of sin. We claim the promise of justification and salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Romans , Lesson 8

Lesson 8

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omans 3: 9-31, the Righteousness of God

VV 9-20, 9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. 10 As it is written: ‘’ There is none righteous, no, not one;11 There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. 12 They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” 13 ‘’ Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit”; ‘’The poison of asps is under their lips”; 14 ‘’ Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.” 15 ‘’ Their feet are swift to shed blood;16 Destruction and misery are in their ways; 17 And the way of peace they have not known.”18 ‘’There is no fear of God before their eyes.” 19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Are the Jews better than the Gentiles?

No, both are sinners. Paul had established Jews and Gentiles to be sinners. No one is righteous before a righteous God. No one seeks after God or fear God. Everyone had turned away from away from God and followed their own ways. No one justified by the law because everyone is a law breaker.

Proverbs 9:10, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,

And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding”.

Isaiah 53:6, “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”.

Romans 3:23,”All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”

VV 21-23, 21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Greek for apart from is “choris” which means independent of. God revealed a righteousness that is independent of the Mosaic Law. This righteousness, witnessed by the Mosaic Law and the prophets, is the imputed righteousness of Christ to all who believed in Him. This is the doctrine of justification by faith. Greek for sin is “hamartia” which means to miss the bull’s eye. There is no indifference between Jews and Gentiles. Everyone missed the bull’s eye of God’s perfect standard of righteousness.

V 24-26, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Greek for justification is “dikaiosis” which means to treat as if one has not sinned. Greek for redemption is “apolutrosis” which means freedom procured by payment of ransom. Greek for propitiation is “hilasterion” which is the mercy seat of the ark of the covenant between the two cherubim in the holy of holies. In the old testament, God meets the people of Israel at the mercy seat. Exodus 30:6.

God treats us just as if we have not sinned when we believe in Jesus Christ. This is grace, a free gift from God. Christ redeemed us by His death on the cross to pay the ransom for our release from slavery to satan. Jesus meets us at the mercy seat to be our mediator with God. God is just when He pronounced justification on the person who has faith in Jesus.

VV 27-31, 27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. 29 Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, 30 since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.

Are Jews allowed to boast?

No! Boasting of the Jews is excluded because of justification by faith is independent of the law.

Is He the God of the Jews only?

No. He is God of the Jews and the Gentiles, and justifies the Jews and the Gentiles by faith.

Do we then make void the law through faith?

No, because the law is established by faith.

Matthew 5:17, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill”.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for the doctrine of justification by faith. Thank You for the universality of salvation by grace and justification by faith. We pray for all those who are not walking with You to come back to You again, in Jesus’ name, Amen.