These summary notes are taken from the four volume expositional commentary of
James Montgomery Boice

Romans Volume I: Justification by Faith – Romans 1-4
 Baker Books, 1991 – Grand Rapids, Michigan

Romans Volume II: The Reign of Grace – Romans 5-8
 Baker Books, 1992 – Grand Rapids, Michigan

Romans Volume III: God and History – Romans 9-11
 Baker Books,1993 – Grand Rapids, Michigan

Romans Volume IV: The New Humanity – Romans 12-16
 Baker Books, 1995 – Grand Rapids, Michigan
Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by
Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers (unless otherwise noted).
The Book of Romans
Romans – Introduction ................................................................................................................. 3
Romans 1:1-15 - Greetings ......................................................................................................... 5
Romans 1:16-17 - The Heart of Biblical Religion .................................................................... 12
There is No One Righteous, Not Even One .............................................................................. 15
Romans 1:18-1:32 - The Natural Person.................................................................................. 16
Romans 2:1-2:11 - The Morally Upright Person ..................................................................... 28
Romans 2:17-3:8 - The Religious Person ................................................................................. 35
Romans 3:9-3:20 - All People Apart from Christ ..................................................................... 44
Salvation by Grace through Faith ............................................................................................. 54
Romans 3:21-3:31 – Introduction of the Doctrine ................................................................... 55
Romans 4 - Salvation by Grace in the Old Testament .............................................................. 69
The Security of Our Salvation ................................................................................................... 79
Romans 5:1-11 - Benefits of Salvation by Grace ...................................................................... 79
Romans 5:12-21 - Death in Adam, Union with Christ.............................................................. 83
Romans 6 - Freedom from Sin .................................................................................................. 91
Romans 7 - Freedom from the Law......................................................................................... 101
Romans 8 - The Greatest Chapter in the Bible ....................................................................... 112
Has God Failed with Israel? .................................................................................................... 152
Romans 9:1-5 – Paul and His People ..................................................................................... 153
Romans 9:6-29 – The Justification of God ............................................................................. 157
Romans 9:30-10:21 – Jewish Unbelief ................................................................................... 171
Romans 11:1-32 – The Times of the Gentiles ......................................................................... 191
Romans 11:33-36 – Doxology ................................................................................................ 204
The New Humanity ................................................................................................................... 209
Romans 12:1-2 - Applied Christianity .................................................................................... 209
Romans 12:3-21 – The Christian and Other People .............................................................. 215
Romans 13:1-7 – Church and State ........................................................................................ 222
Romans 13:8-14 – The Law of Love ....................................................................................... 225
Romans 14: 1-15:13 – Christian Liberty ................................................................................ 229
Romans 15:14-15:33 – Paul’s Personal Ministry Plans ........................................................ 242
Romans 16 – Final Greetings ................................................................................................. 249
Appendices ................................................................................................................................. 255
Appendix: Monopoly Money and Human Righteousness ....................................................... 255
Appendix: Advice for Doing the Right Thing.......................................................................... 256
Appendix: Spiritual Warfare ................................................................................................... 257
Appendix: Give God the Glory ............................................................................................... 258
Appendix: Love: The Greatest Thing in the World ................................................................. 259
Appendix: The Sad Case of Unbelievers ................................................................................. 261
Romans – Introduction
The apostle Paul wrote the letter to the church of Rome nearly 2000 years ago. In any
other circumstance and by any other hand, the letter might have been a mere incidental
piece of correspondence. But the author of this letter was the apostle Paul, and by his
hand and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit this bit of ancient writing became for
Christians the most influential document ever penned.
The Epistle to the Romans has been used by God’s people throughout the ages. The most
notable is Martin Luther who wrote, “I had no love for that holy and just God who
punishes sinners. I was filled with secret anger against him. I hated him, because, not
content with frightening by the law and the miseries of life us wretched sinners, already
ruined by original sin, he still further increased our tortures by the gospel… But when, by
the Spirit of God, I understood the words – when I learned how the justification of the
sinner proceeds from the free mercy of our Lord through faith… then I felt born again
like a new man… In very truth, this language of Saint Paul was to be the true gate of
Paradise.” He called Romans “the chief part of the New Testament and the very purest
gospel.”
But can we expect that a study of Romans is beneficial for our day and age? There is
every reason to expect it, and the chief reason is that Christianity has been the most
powerful, transforming force in human history – and the book of Romans is the most
basic, most comprehensive statement of true Christianity. Many disagree with this and
say that it is only our behavior, our intentions, or simply knowing that God loves us that
is important. These views have a seed of wisdom but they overlook the major issue. The
fundamental human problem is not to understand what proper behavior is – we often
know right from wrong but fail to do right. The problem is not that we need to know God
loves us – we may know this yet we do not love him and do not want him to be Lord of
our lives. The Book of Romans shows how God deals with this problem and because this
is the basic dilemma of human life, it necessarily unveils the true solution to nearly
everything else.
The Book of Romans teaches the ruin of the human race in sin and the provision of a
perfect and eternal remedy for that ruin through the work of Jesus Christ.
Is Romans relevant today? It is as long as people of every race, culture, and nationality
are estranged from God because of sin.
Is Christianity relevant? It is as long as it can redeem us for God, produce holiness in
those who are trapped by sin, explain the meaning of life, and change history.
All world religions other than Christianity create a set of requirements and rules that
claim to lead a person to God. Although these rules can be heard, understood and
memorized, they are impossible to follow 100% completely 100% of the time. If this is
your understanding Christianity (following a set of rules to obtain the reward of Heaven),
then the gospel of Romans is written for you! Many people believe they must live up to
impossible moral standards set by religion and in their frustration abandon all religion
altogether. Although this eliminates the burden of moral laws, it does nothing to bring
one closer to God. Neither of these paths are good news – one sets standards impossible
to achieve and the other path leads to certain separation from God. The Good News of
God that Paul is teaching tells the world there is a way by which any and every person
can have salvation and life with God without personally achieving impossible moral
standards! Christianity is not a theology that says “Do this, don't do that” it good news
that says: DONE! The work of salvation has been done by Jesus Christ and only needs to
be accepted as a free gift – salvation does not need to be worked for or earned! If you
need to know more, simply follow through the masterpiece of Romans.
Romans 1:1-15 - Greetings
1Paul,
a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,
Paul was not the “founder of Christianity” as some has called him. Jesus alone deserves
that title. Yet Paul is so important as the first and greatest of the church’s missionaries
and as the articulator and organizer of its theology that discrediting his claim to have
been called and taught by Christ would seriously undermine Christianity itself. If Paul
was not converted as a result of seeing the risen Lord while on the road to Damascus, as
he claimed, and if he did not receive his gospel by a direct revelation from Jesus Christ,
then Paul was a charlatan, his writings are not true, and Christianity is stripped of its
single most important teacher after Jesus Christ.
Paul was simply brilliant. He came from the Greek city of Tarsus where we must assume
that he received an outstanding Greek education. However, the chief factor in his
academic development was is education in Judaism under the renowned Rabbi Gamaliel
(see Acts 22:3). The son of a Pharisee, he became a Pharisee himself (see Acts 23:6).
Paul thus had the benefits of the best possible secular and religious education.
From the moment Paul met the resurrected Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus, Paul
was a changed man. From that moment he became a slave to Jesus Christ – his life was
completely devoted to him. He had a devout love for the Lord and it is only his love that
explains the nature and rigor of his life’s work. Paul had many accomplishments that he
could give as this letter opens, but he chooses to be simply called “a servant of Christ
Jesus.” This is Paul.
Paul speaks with the authority of an Apostle. The office of an Apostle is much greater
than that of a disciple only. Apostles were taught and used by God for communicating
and recording the great doctrines and truths of Christianity. See Galatians 1:1, 11-12.
1Paul,
a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2which
he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,
Paul has written the Epistle to the Romans in order to expound God’s gospel – which
means good news. Aside from Christianity, the religions of the world are not at all good
news. Apart from Christianity all the religions of the world are self-help or “works”
religions. That is, they tell you how to find God (or peace, or happiness, or whatever) by
human efforts. If this were possible, religion may be good news; however, the task is not
possible. A religion based on what you and I can do is comfortless because its
requirements become burdens that can never be lifted.
In our day many people have recognized this and have therefore sought happiness in the
religion of “no religion.” They see religion as a tool of some people to control others and
therefore something that an enlightened society should throw away. At first this seems
like good news but this evaporates quickly. If there is no God, then there is no ultimate
authority that must hold us accountable. But if there is no God then what we do with this
“freedom” is meaningless. Moreover, if what we do is meaningless, we must be
meaningless too. We are accidental bubbles upon the great cosmic deep, destined to pop
and be forgotten. “No religion” leads nowhere.
This gospel was not first preached by Paul or the other disciples. Jesus himself even
refers to Scripture and the prophets as pointing toward his work long before his earthly
ministry (see Luke 24:25-27). The entire Old Testament from Genesis 3:15-Malachi 4:5
speaks of God sending one to come and redeem his people.
The last thing to note in these verses is that is it the gospel “of God.” That is, he is the
author and owner. He “promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures
(v. 2).” He has sent his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to accomplish the work thus promised
(v. 3). Finally, it is “through him and for his name sake” that Paul and the other apostles
were proclaiming the gospel to men and women everywhere (v. 5).
The gospel is this: Through Jesus Christ, God is making right what sin has made wrong.
2which
he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3concerning his Son,
who was descended from David according to the flesh 4and 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,
Unlike other religions, Christianity cannot be separated from its founder, the Lord Jesus
Christ. In Buddhism, it is primarily the principles that are paramount. Even in Islam
with the towering figure of Mohammad, the primary importance is the revelation itself –
not Mohammad the prophet who received it. By contrast, Christianity is Jesus Christ – if
he is removed, there is nothing of substance to the religion. If Christ is not who he said
he was, then the whole system collapses and is meaningless. So who was Jesus Christ?
These early verses of Romans provide us with the declaration that Jesus Christ is unique
in that he is fully God and was fully man during his earthly ministry. The term “Son of
God” has been watered down in our day although the New Testament authors used this as
a distantly divine title. See how Christ is set apart from other prophets in Matthew 16:16.
See how Christ sets himself before Father Abraham and equal with God in John 8:53-58
and John 5:18. See also how he accepts the title of God from Thomas in John 20:28. See
also Hebrews 1 where Christ is shown to be superior to all prophets and angels. In these
verses we also see that he became the Son of David according to the flesh – that is, he is a
physical descendent of King David. His ancestry from David also shows a specific
example of things “promised beforehand” by God in “the Holy Scriptures.” (See
Jeremiah 23:5-6)
We also see that this introduction ends with “Jesus Christ our Lord.” This is very
important because it implies two things: Jesus is God and Jesus is the Savior.
Lord: In the Greek version of the Old Testament (the Septuagint), the word kyrios
(“LORD”) was used to translate the Hebrew name for God: Yahweh, or Jehovah. The
disciples of Christ knew this word was repeatedly used to translate the great name for
God yet they did not hesitate to transfer the title to Jesus. See other examples such as 1
Corinthians 8:4-6, Luke 2:11, Philippians 2:5-11.
John Stott gives six implications of Christ being Lord of our Lives:
1. An intellectual implication: Christ must be Lord of our thinking. Jesus teaches us
through the Scripture and transforms our minds from thinking as the world.
2. An ethical implication: Christ is Lord of our wills and our moral standards. This
means that we must reject relativistic morals and accept the absolute morals set
forth in scripture.
3. A vocational implication: Christ is Lord of our time; this means that he is Lord of
our professions, ambitions, hobbies, and free time. Only a few are called to what
we term “religious work.” But whether we work in a church, factory, hospital,
law firm, corporation – whatever our calling, we must regard it as a form of
Christian service and know that we are obeying our Lord Jesus as we pursue it.
4. An ecclesiastical implication: Christ is head of the church and gives us guidelines
for orderly worship, church leadership, and church doctrine.
5. A political implication: We fight daily against a growing population of nonbelievers who do not openly reject religion but feel it is to be kept inside the walls
of the church. We must bring the message to the world that all will be held
accountable to Jesus and is not to be disregarded. This must be done in humility
remembering that people are not answerable to us but to him. We must also know
that our mission is to lead by example and word rather than force.
6. A global implication: This implication flows from the Great Commission by
which the Lord sent disciples into the entire world to make disciples everywhere.
5through
whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for
the sake of his name among all the nations,
This verse extends the idea of Jesus Christ being Lord of our lives. It states that we have
received grace that brings about the obedience of faith. The Biblical faith that is spoken
about is a belief beyond simple intellectual assent – it is a belief that drives a person to
action. See James 18-24. Salvation is not earned by works. It is freely given by grace
through faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9, Galatians 2:15). But are these verses contradictory?
They may appear to be at first glance; however, the apparent contradiction arises from a
faulty understanding of Biblical faith. We are not saved by works. We are not saved by
faith and works. We are saved by faith that works! A saving faith goes beyond knowing
doctrine; saving faith goes beyond even believing the gospel. Demons have an
understanding of the gospel beyond our own and they certainly believe Jesus is the Christ
(Luke 8:27-31). But their belief does not cause them to accept Jesus as the Lord of their
lives. It does not cause repentance which comes with saving faith (2 Corinthians 7:9-10).
See how Paul urges his readers/listeners to obey and follow the gospel he has given them:
Acts 17:30-31, Romans 6:17; 16:25-27.
We must not present the gospel as something so easy and simplistic that it fails to deal
with sin and does not really produce conversions. We must not present a harsh gospel,
forgetting that it is only the love of God and not the condemnation of the law that wins
anybody.
6including
you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, 7To 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.
Ancient letters began with the name of the author, the name of the person receiving the
letter, and a greeting. Paul is now addressing the recipient of this correspondence: The
Church of Rome. How was this church started? It was not founded by Paul because in
verse 13 he says he has often intended to come to Rome. We do not see Biblical
evidence of Peter founding the church as held by the Catholic tradition. First of all,
Peter’s primary ministry was to the Jews. Also, Romans 15:20 says that Paul is to
“preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that [he] would not be building on
someone else’s foundation.” It is hard to see how Paul could have written this in a
doctrinal letter to a church founded by Peter. The truth is, we do know. Acts 2:10-11
gives us a hint when it says “visitors from Rome” were present at Pentecost. We are
probably right in supposing that most of these visitors returned to their capital city after
the Jewish feast and established the first churches of Italy there.
One thing to note about these verses is that these Christians, like all Christians, are called
by God to be followers of Jesus Christ. There are two callings spoken of in the Bible.
The general call is the open invitation to all people to come to Christ. Matthew 11:28-29
says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened…” God puts no barriers
between himself and mankind. But we will see as we study through the first three
chapters of Romans, that as a result of our own sinful nature, we will not heed this
general invitation on our own. Romans 3:11-12 says, “No one understands, no one seeks
after God, All have turned aside…” Rather, it takes what theologians have named the
“effectual” call where a person truly hears and feels God himself speaking directly to
them in the preached word, Christian literature, or in the pages of the Bible. This call
yields a response that brings the person to God and changes their life ever after. See John
6:44.
In these verses, “saint” does not mean what it has come to mean in large sectors of the
Christian church: one who has attained a certain level of holiness and is therefore worthy
of some special veneration or even hearing human prayers. In the Bible, being a saint or
being sanctified always means being separated to God and his work, precisely what Paul
said of himself in the first verse with the words “set apart for the gospel of God.”
8First,
I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all
the world.
Why is a reputation for faith worth having? The text suggests four reasons:
First, the faith on which the reputation is based is a genuine faith. In our day, many
things are substituted for true Biblical faith. Subjective religious feeling entirely
divorced from God’s written revelation is not true faith. This is simply creating ideas to
give a sense of being religious without actually submitting to the Lordship of the true and
living God of the Bible. This is nothing less than idolatry. Simple positive thinking is
not true faith. A genuine Christian has an object of faith that is lacking with simple
“positive thinking.” The object of the Christian’s faith is Jesus Christ – we can only truly
think positively when we rest our faith on knowing that he will work all things out for
good (Romans 8:28) because of the promises in Scripture. We see these Roman
Christians have faith in Jesus Christ and in the gospel because this is the subject of the
first seven verses. We also see that this faith originates with God – that is, it is a faith
given to the Christians and not something they willed up on their own. That is why Paul
thanks God for their faith and does not praise the believers themselves for what they have
done.
Second, the reason why the reputation for faith is worth having is that it is a contagious
faith. Other Christians had heard about it, were speaking about it, and wanted to be a part
of their spiritual growth. We should ask, “Do other people want to become a Christian
because me or in spite of me?”
The third reason why the reputation for faith is worth having: it is an encouragement to
other believers. Paul himself said he was encouraged by the faith of the Roman church.
Everyone needs encouragement, particularly those who are engaged in spiritual warfare
against the devil. God will encourage them and often works through human instruments.
One of the greatest sources of encouragement is hearing of the spiritual growth of others.
Likewise, we should be encouraged ourselves when we hear of the growth of others.
Finally, faith in Christ as Lord and Savior is essential. For “without faith, it is impossible
to please God (Hebrews 11:6).” Without faith, no one can be justified.
9For
God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without
ceasing I mention you 10always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God's will I may now at
last succeed in coming to you. 11For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual
gift to strengthen you-- 12that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both
yours and mine.
This section gives us a glimpse into the prayer life of the Apostle which can be used as a
model for our own prayer life. First of all, a fervent prayer life is not the least bit
inconsistent with vigorous and fervent service for the Lord. Many Christians are unable
to perform “work” for Christian causes yet carry on a ministry of deep and lengthy
prayers. We often call them “prayer warriors.” These warriors are needed but this does
not mean that those active in Christian work (or any kind of work) do not also need to be
strong in praying for God’s direction and blessing. We should not think of being called
to a ministry of activity or a ministry of prayer with the two being mutually exclusive.
They must always be used together when we are physically able.
Paul is an example for us because he traveled the known world, started churches, suffered
persecution, had been shipwrecked, and frequently beaten, yet he tells us that he was
always keeping the Roman church in his prayers. Martin Luther had a similar sentiment
when he said that he had so much to do in a day that he could not get through it without
spending at least three or four hours on his knees before God each morning. Robert
Haldane said, “To pray without laboring is to mock God; to labor without prayer is to rob
God of his glory.”
There are other lessons to be learned from these verses as well:
1. Paul served the Lord whole-heartedly – Not all who profess to serve Christ serve
him wholeheartedly. Many are lazy or are more focused on pleasing others rather
than God. Let this never be said of us! (See Titus 1:16)
2. Paul’s service was gospel-centered – We often let other things distract us from
work that is centered on God. However, prayer can keep us from distractions.
Prayer focuses our attention on God and his gospel.
3. Paul’s service was for others – This is most evident in his prayer for other
Christians. Often criticism, fatigue, and self-centeredness will cause us to lose
our focus on others. Once again, fervent prayer is needed to keep us on track.
We also see that Paul has been praying that “by God’s will” there would be a door
opened for him to come to Rome. Paul undoubtedly wanted to preach the gospel across
the entire Roman Empire yet he submitted to the plan of God for his ministry and
recognized there is value in delays. This delay gave him more time to preach the word to
those in Greece and Asia.
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.
Many strong Christians struggle with prayer when we consider prayers are not often
answered in the way we intend. This is not an issue faced only be immature Christians,
because here we see that Paul’s prayers to be led to Rome have not yet been answered for
the Apostle. It is even more perplexing because he is not asking for selfish desires; his
desire is to further the kingdom of God in Rome. Because Paul’s spiritual prayer has not
been positively answered gives us a chance to consider why some prayers of our own go
unanswered.
13I
Unanswered prayer may be God’s way of teaching that we are not as necessary to the
work we are praying for was we think we are. We have seen from the opening verses
that the Church of Rome had been doing quite well without Paul or any other apostle.
The point is not that Paul could not have been a blessing to these Christians if he were to
make it to Rome, but only that he was not essential to it. God was perfectly able to bless
and prosper this church without Paul’s personal ministrations. This should teach us that
we should pray that God uses not only ourselves, but others as agents for his will.
God may not answer prayers positively because he has other work for us to do. It is
because Paul had never been to Rome, that he wrote this epistle which is our most
comprehensive exposition of Christianity. If Paul had been to Rome, then he may not
have felt the need to expound on the entire gospel to this church. But because he had not
been able to teach these Christians in Rome personally, he wanted to provide them with a
document that would provide the entire framework for Christian theology. This
document has been invaluable to the church and to Christians all over the world eversince.
There may be spiritual warfare of which you and I are unaware. See Daniel 10:1-14 and
2 Corinthians 12:7. In each of these cases, spiritual warfare played a role in God’s
response to prayer.
Finally, there may be things within us that keep our prayers from being answered:
1. Unconfessed sin: Isaiah 59:1-2
2. Wrong motives: James 4:2-3
3. Laziness: James 5:17 shows that Elijah prayed for three-and-a-half years.
4. We are too busy and fail to ask: John 14:13
5. Idols in the heart: Ezekiel 14:3
6. Stinginess in our giving: Proverbs 21:13, Luke 6:38
7. Unbelief: James 1:6-7
14I
am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.
15So
I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.
The idea introduced in these verses is that the gospel is for everybody. Paul says it is for
the Greeks and barbarians and further clarifies by saying the wise and the uneducated. In
Paul’s day, the Greeks lead the world in education, written word, and philosophy. Even
today we study the work of Greek scholars. The point is that the gospel of Jesus Christ is
for every person today: those who lack formal education as well as the most educated
college professors.
Paul preached to these scholars in Athens (Acts 17:16-34) and many considered him
foolish when he spoke of the supernatural powers of Christ (vs. 32). Likewise, many
educated people in our day mock the Bible because they consider it foolish to believe in
miracles. Furthermore, they believe that a person’s religion is based simply on
sociological factors such a person’s home country and family beliefs. These people put
themselves in judgment over the Bible rather than allowing the Word of God to be in
judgment over their lives. The gospel is for you – however well educated or
intellectually endowed you may be. Your intellect and education are great gifts. But it is
God who has given them to you. And if you do not thank him for these gifts and use
them in ways that honor him, you are more deserving of judgment than those who are
unintelligent. You need a Savior. See 1 Corinthians 1:20-25.
The gospel is also for those who feel like they are not influential or in the mainstream
because of a lack of education, high paying job, expensive house, or fancy car. Perhaps
even a person can feel left out because of a troubled past or dealings with the law. Christ
first shared his ministry with the working-class – with tax collectors, carpenters, and
fishermen. Powerful people of his day criticized him for being friends with drunkards
and sinners. Sadly, the twenty-first century church gives off an impression that its
members should be popular, educated, and wealthy. This is a sad, sad misrepresentation
of the true gospel and there is certainly no Biblical basis for it. At the same time, I urge
you not to miss believing on Jesus Christ because of that horribly wrong impression. See
1 Corinthians 1:26-29, 31.
In the very next verse, Paul expands his scope to include both Jews and Gentiles – that is
religious and non-religious people. The Jews were some of the most religious people of
Paul’s day and the gospel of Christ was taught through them and came from them.
However, because they held to such strong religious traditions and expectations they
placed on the expected Messiah, Christ and his gospel were rejected when he did not
meet their preconceived notions. It is the same today, in the sense that the gospel of
salvation by Jesus Christ is resisted most by those who are “religious.” Of all persons,
religious people often have the least sense of personal need. Above all others, they
especially think themselves to have achieved God’s standards and do not deserve his
commendation. They resent being taught that they too are sinners and that they too need
a Savior. They must come to God through simple faith – just as others.
Romans 1:16-17 - The Heart of Biblical Religion
16For
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. 17For in it the righteousness of God is revealed
from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith."
The Theme of the Epistle
The verses we come to are the most important in the letter and perhaps in all literature.
They are theme of this epistle and the essence of Christianity. They are the heart of
biblical religion. They are important because they tell how a man or woman may become
right with God. We are not right with God; we are polluted by our sin and cannot stand
in the presence of his holiness. What can be done? On our side, nothing can be done.
Yet in these sentences Paul tells us that God has done something. He has provided a
righteousness that is exactly what we need. It is a divine righteousness, a perfect
righteousness. And it is received, not by doing righteous things (which we can never do
in sufficient quantity), but by simple faith. It is received merely by believing what God
tells us.
The place to begin with is realizing that in ourselves, we do not possess this
righteousness. This is what Paul will expound on in verses 1:18-3:20 and show that
before God, men and women are actually very corrupt even in our best attempts at
righteousness. We will soon see that we use our heathen lifestyle, our claims to moral
superiority, or our religion to resist the true God. Because of this, we are naturally
objects of God’s just wrath and condemnation.
In all of literature there is no portrait of the human race so realistic, grim, or hopeless as
the summation of Paul’s. Yet it makes the wonder of the gospel all the more glorious, for
it is against this background that a “righteousness from God” is made known. There are
several important things about this revelation:
1. This righteousness from God is the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ – Jesus
possess righteousness in two senses. First, Jesus is intrinsically righteous. That
is, being God, he is utter holy and without sin (See John 8:29, 8:46). Jesus is also
righteous in that he achieved a perfect obedience to the law of God while on earth
(See Matthew 3:14-15).
2. God offers this righteousness of Jesus Christ freely, apart from any need to work
for it on our part – This is the heart of the good news. For unless God were
willing to give this righteousness to us and actually does give it, the mere
existence of a perfect righteousness would not be good news at all. On the
contrary, it would be very bad news, for it would increase our sense of
condemnation. This is what Martin Luther understood before his conversion. He
realized that God requires perfection and that pleasing God is not simply
following a list of “Do’s and Don’ts.” The very attitude for doing the right thing
must also be in line with our actions. Luther realized that God’s intention for
revealing this righteousness was not so that men and women could work to attain
it for themselves, but that it could be imputed men and women by God’s grace.
3. Faith is the channel by which sinners receive Christ’s righteousness – What is
faith? Initially Luther thought of faith as a work and therefore grimly regarded it
as something else to be attained. But faith is not a work. It is believing God. It is
opening a hand to receive the righteousness of Christ that God offers. Faith
consists of three elements. First, it consists of knowledge. It is not a mere
attitude, we must have faith in something. In the case of salvation, that content
(and the object of our knowledge) is the revelation of what God has done for us in
Jesus Christ. Second, faith consists of a heart response to the gospel. This is
because faith is not assent to some principle that is true but nevertheless has little
relationship to us. It involves the love of God for us in saving us through the
death of Jesus Christ his Son. Unless this touches our hearts and moves them, we
do not really understand the gospel. Finally, faith consists of commitment to Jesus
Christ. At this point, Jesus becomes not merely a Savior in some abstract sense or
even someone else’s savior, by my savior. Like Thomas, I now gladly confess
him to be “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28).
See Paul’s story in Philippians 3:1-11. Paul had always thought of himself as a saved
person – justified in the eyes of God deserving the rewards of heaven. He thought that
being saved meant having more assets than liabilities – more good deeds than bad. Some
assets he inherited, he was born a Jew and was circumcised on the eighth-day according
to Jewish law. For himself, he became a Pharisee, the strictest and most faithful of the
Jewish religious orders. He was a zealous Pharisee, proved by his persecution of the
church. And, as far as the law was concerned, Paul reckoned himself to be blameless, for
he had kept the law in all its particulars so far as he had understood it. It was not until
Paul saw Jesus that he knew the true righteousness of Christ that he counted all of his
own assets as liabilities (See Acts 9). From that day on, for assets, Paul would trust in
“Christ Alone.”
When those who have been made alive by God turn from their own attempts at
righteousness, which can only condemn them, and instead embrace the Lord Jesus Christ
by saving faith, God declares their sins to have been punished in Christ and imputes his
own perfect righteousness to their account.
Not Ashamed
We some read that Paul is “not ashamed of the gospel,” some may ask, “But why should
anybody be ashamed of the gospel? Why should the apostle even think that something so
grand might be shameful?” Questions like that are not very deep or honest, since we
have all been ashamed of the gospel at the one time or another. The reason is that the
world is opposed to God’s gospel and ridicules it, and we are all far more attuned to the
world than we imagine. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones suggest that if you have never been
ashamed of the gospel, the probable reason is not that you are an exceptionally good
Christian, but rather that your understanding of the Christian message has never been
clear. In 2 Timothy 1:8, we see that Paul’s protégé Timothy struggled with the fear of
man and this led to a feeling of shame for the gospel.
James Boice suggests eight reasons why we should not be ashamed of the gospel:
1. The gospel is good news – We can understand why some would hesitate to spread
bad news but we should boldly proclaim news that is good. It is good news about
what God has done for us in Jesus Christ; it is the best news imaginable.
2. The gospel is the way of salvation – If left to ourselves, we are at odds with God
and can do nothing to please him. We are like prisoners awaiting execution. But
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
God has intervened to rescue us through the work of his divine Son, Jesus Christ.
Salvation delivers us from the guilt, power, and pollution of sin.
The gospel is God’s way of salvation – The world has countless schemes and selfhelp programs for achieving salvation. But what is needed is a way of salvation
that does not come from man, but from God! Christianity is God’s reaching out
to save perishing men and women, not sinners reaching out to seize God. See
Romans 8:3-4 and 1 Corinthians 1:21.
The gospel is the Power of God – The gospel is powerful enough to accomplish
God’s purpose, which is to save us from sin’s pollution. Paul is not saying that
the gospel is about God’s power or that it is the source of God’s power but rather
that the gospel itself is powerful. It is the means by which God accomplishes
salvation in those who are being saved. He means that in the actual preaching of
the gospel that the power of God is demonstrated in the saving of men and
women. In 1 Corinthians 1:21, we can see how Paul realizes that the Christians
message from a human standpoint is foolish. But the gospel gets its power
because we can be certain that this message would be rejected unless the Holy
Spirit works within the listener causing him to believe and accept Christ as his
Lord and Savior. See Acts 1:8.
The Gospel is for everyone – Paul says that the gospel is for the Jew first and also
the Greek. By Greek, he means all Gentiles. Paul is not setting the Jew above the
Gentile in this text or, as some would desire by contrast, that he is setting the
Gentile above the Jew. On the contrary, Paul’s point is that the gospel is for
Gentile and Jew alike. It is for everybody.
God has revealed this way of salvation to us – The key word here is that it is
revealed. The gospel is designed by God and shown to us. When humans create
a religion, they invent something they can do to make them righteous – something
we do or some wisdom we have. We would never dream of a system where no
one is capable of attaining the goal yet the goal is reached by some because of
God’s mercy.
The gospel is righteousness from God, which is what we need – To one who does
not understand the gospel, Mathew 5:48 and Romans 3:9 appear to be a
contradiction. It is the way God satisfies his righteous requirement by providing
his own righteousness to save sinful man. It is all of Him!
Faith, the channel to receive the gift, is accessible to everyone – What does Paul
mean from faith to faith? Does he mean “entirely of faith from first to last?” Does
he mean “from weak faith to strong faith?” In Boice’s opinion, the quotation
from Habakkuk throws light on how the words are to be taken. They mean “by
faith”; that is, they concern “a righteousness that is by faith.” If this is so, if this
is how the first “faith” is to be taken, then, the meaning of the phrase is that the
righteousness that is by faith (the first “faith”) is revealed to the perceiving faith
of the believer (the second “faith”). This means that the gospel is revealed to you
and is for you – if you will have it.
There is No One Righteous, Not Even One
When people consider the wrath of God, it is natural to think that it is a mistaken and outdated notion. Or if we think that if it is real, we ourselves do not deserve it.
To judge from most contemporary forms of Christianity, the wrath of God is either an
unimportant doctrine, which is an embarrassment, or an entirely wrong notion, which any
enlightened Christian should abandon. Many times the presentation of the gospel today
begins with appealing to the listener’s felt needs. According to this theory, this
establishes a point of contact with the listener and the preacher. Yet, this does not
necessarily create a link between the listener and God or the listener and truth. Felt needs
are often very different from real needs. See 2 Timothy 4:3. Sometimes, the gospel is
presented as bringing rewards to the listener if he or she accepts Jesus. Through this
approach, becoming a Christian is basically presented as a means of getting something.
We also speak to others about what Jesus has done for us personally and how he has
helped our lives.
But none of these approaches are what we see the Apostle Paul doing – we see him
beginning his presentation of the gospel with the wrath of God. Paul is God-centered
rather than man-centered. He realizes that felt needs, money, or emotional experiences
are not important compared to the need of having a right relationship with God. In order
to be made right with God, we first must realize that in our natural state, we are not right
with God and deserve his wrath.
God’s wrath is not a foreign concept in the Bible. On the contrary, it is frequently spoken
of in both the Old and New Testament. The wrath of God is shown to be a perfect
attribute, just like his perfect love, mercy, justice, and grace. The Greek word most often
used to describe God’s wrath is orge, which implies a strong and settled opposition to all
that opposes him. God’s wrath does not lash out in anger, but slowly builds to a breaking
point until the damn breaks and nothing can stop the boiling flood. We see this in
Romans where God’s wrath is spoken of as being stored up (vs. 2:5).
In this portion of Romans, Paul shows how God’s wrath has been revealed throughout
history and is still in the process of this revelation. We see it all around us in the fact that
all people die as a result of sin. We also see is on the cross where God’s perfect love for
us and his perfect wrath for sin are displayed. We see it in the inherent tendency of moral
evil to produce misery. This last revelation is what Paul will expound upon in Romans 1.
Romans 1:18-1:32 - The Natural Person
18For
the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of
men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19For what can be known about God is
plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20For his invisible attributes, namely, his
eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the
world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
Paul is speaking about natural revelation in these verses. Natural Revelation means just
what it says, namely, the revelation of God in nature. It is sometimes called “general
revelation,” because it is available to everybody. Let’s fist look at the different levels of
knowledge before we proceed.
1. Awareness – This is the lowest level and means we know that something exists. It
is very limited and does not affect us personally.
2. Knowing about – This goes a step further in the sense that our knowledge can be
more detailed, extensive, and important. This is the kind of knowledge a
pharmacist has on medication or a lawyer has over the law. A theologian can
know a great deal about theology and the character of God yet still not be saved.
3. Experience – This refers to knowledge that is acquired by experience. This would
be like a doctor knowing about the disease he treats not only from school, but also
from having actually suffered from the affliction himself.
4. Personal – When the Bible speaks of knowing God in a saving way, this is the
kind of knowledge in mind. It involves knowledge of ourselves in our sins and of
God and his work to save us. It also involves heart knowledge – that is, it
expresses itself in piety, worship, and devotion.
The knowledge spoken about in our text is simple awareness. It is not enough knowledge
to save a person, but it is sufficient to condemn a person if they fail to follow nature’s
leading and seek out the true God. Paul gives two things that can be known about God
from nature: his eternal power and his divine nature, which simply means, he is powerful
and he is real. Philosophers use the term Supreme Being – supreme signifies his power
and Being signifies his existence. Paul is saying that God exists and we know it.
Therefore, when people subsequently refuse to acknowledge and worship God (as we
do), the problem is not in God or in lack of evidence for his existence but in our own
irrational and resolute determination not to know him. See Psalm 19:1-6 and Job 38-39.
God’s mercy, holiness, grace, love, and many other things that are necessary for us to
learn if we are to know God in a personal saving way are not revealed in nature.
However, to a large degree, the kindness of God is in fact revealed. See Acts 14:15-17.
We can see God’s kindness toward mankind because we have food, shelter, and many
other things we would consider good. Also, God has been patient with us and has not yet
sent us to hell for our sins. This is what theologians call Common Grace – it is common
goodness from God shed to all mankind. We see God’s goodness in nature and this
attribute especially increases our guilt when we refuse to seek God so that we may thank
and worship him.
The point Paul is making here is that evidence of God’s existence and power are all
around us. The entire creation is like a huge billboard that points back to God yet we
ignore it. There is enough evidence of God in a flower to lead a child as well as a
scientist to worship him. There is sufficient evidence in a tree, a pebble, a grain of sand,
a finger print, to make us glorify and thank him. But people do not do this. People reject
the revelation, substitute nature itself or parts of nature for God, and thereby find their
hearts darkened.
The Psychology of Atheism
In his book The Psychology of Atheism, R. C. Sproul asserts that atheism has nothing to
do with man’s supposed ignorance of God – since all people know God, according to
Romans 1 – but rather with mankind’s dislike for him. People do not know God because
they do not want to know him. We have seen thus far that 1st God has revealed himself,
2nd people have rejected the truth thus revealed, and 3rd the wrath of God is released upon
them because of this rejection. So why do so-called rational beings react in what is
clearly such an irrational manner? Men and women reject God because they do not like
him. They may like a god of their own imagination, a god like themselves, and therefore
say they like God. But the truth is that they do not like the God who really is.
The first thing men and women dislike about God is his sovereignty, his most basic
attribute. For if God is not sovereign over all, God is not God. God shows his
sovereignty over the material order by creating it and ruling it according to his own fixed
laws. God is sovereign over the will of man. We will see in later verses that God
hardens the hearts of some while others he draws to himself. But why should the
sovereignty of God be so objectionable to us? When we peer below the surface we
discover that we are all in rebellion against God because of our desire for autonomy.
This was the fall of Adam and the root of sin. That is the condition of every human heart.
We hate God’s sovereignty because we want to be sovereign ourselves. We want to run
our own lives. We want to roam free, to know no boundaries. When we discover that
there are boundaries, we hate God for that discovery.
We oppose God for his holiness as well. We hate holiness because we are not holy.
God’s holiness exposes our sin, and we do not like exposure. We often think of holiness
as simply being sinless. While that is true, we must remember that in Scripture, the basic
idea of holiness is “separation.” For example, the Bible is called the Holy Bible because
it is set apart and different from all other books. In reference to God, holiness is the
attribute that sets him apart from his creation. Because holiness is not an abstract or
passive concept, but is instead the active, dynamic character of God at work to punish
rebellion and establish righteousness, the experience of confronting the Holy God is
profoundly threatening. See Isaiah’s encounter before God in Isaiah 6:5. See also
Habakkuk 3:16, Job 42:6, Luke 5:8. These are the reactions of God’s saints when they
faced him, can you imagine the reaction of everyone else before the face of the Holy
God?
People also dislike God because of his omniscience; this term means that God knows
everything including our thoughts, feelings, and intentions. Think of how it is allowable
to stare at objects or animals, even for long periods of time, but it is not acceptable to
stare at human beings. If we do, we provoke embarrassment or hostility or both. Why?
Because we associate staring with prying, and we do not want anybody prying into what
we think we are. If this is the case in our reaction to other human beings, who never
really know us deeply even when they pry, and who are in any case sinners like
ourselves, how much more traumatic is it to be known by the omniscient God, before
whom all hearts are open? Exposure like this is intolerable. So human beings suppress
their knowledge of God.
Immutability means that God does not change. Why should people hate God because of
this? Simply because by this, he never will be any different than he is today – an
infinitely holy God. He will always be sovereign, he will always be holy, and he will
always be omnipotent. We cannot wait for a different God who will allow our sinful
ways. We cannot hope that someday he will begin to allow things that for the time are
considered sinful. We cannot hope that he will someday forget our transgressions
somehow not see our hearts.
With all of these attributes of God that cause men and women to reject him, the most
disheartening aspect is that these attributes from God himself are exactly what we need in
our lives. We need a Father who knows are weaknesses, fears, desires, and needs. We
need a Father who will always be there for us. We need a righteous Father who will
never betray us, never let us down, and who always has our best interest at heart. And we
need a Father who is powerful enough to keep his promises. This is what we have with
God through Jesus Christ. Christ died so that men and women can become children of
God and have peace with the heavenly Father. See John 1:12 and Romans 5:1.
Without Excuse
When people are accused of a fault, the natural reaction is to give an excuse such as, “I
didn’t know,” “It is not my fault,” “My intentions were good,” etc… Romans 1:20 says
that we are all “without excuse” for our failure to seek out, worship, and thank the living
God. Yet, there are several common reasons people give that they believe will excuse
them in their rejection of God.
I didn’t know God existed –
This is very common in our “scientific” age where there is the argument that science
either has disproved God or else has been unable to give adequate evidence for affirming
his existence. God says that quite the contrary is the case. God says that nature supplies
evidence that is not only extensive but also “clearly seen” and fully “understood.” In
other words, there is no excuse for atheism.
People often think the universe was created by “chance,” as if chance were an entity that
could bring about the universe. But chance is merely a mathematical abstraction with no
real existence. Suppose you are to flip a coin that has a 50% chance of coming up heads.
What makes it land with its face up? Did chance do it? Of course not. What made it
come up heads was the force of your thumb on the coin, the weight of the coin, the
resistance of the air, the distance from you hand to the ground, and other variables. If
you knew and could plot every one of those variables, you would be able to tell exactly
what would happen – whether the coin would land either heads or tails. Since we do not
know these variables, we say “Chances are it will come up heads 50% of the time.” The
point is that chance did not do it. Chance is nothing. So to say that the universe was
created by chance is to say that the universe was created by nothing, which is a
meaningless statement.
The universe may come about naturally with enough time. This does not explain the
universe for the simple reason that the universe has not been around for an infinite
amount of time. Science itself tells us that the universe is in the nature of fifteen to
twenty billion years old. It speaks of an original beginning known as the Big Bang. An
appeal to infinity does not explain the existence of our very complex universe.
Life just evolved from simple materials. People often have a problem with Adam being
created by God out of the dirt. They would rather believe that everything we see today
evolved from something that was pre-existent. Man from monkeys, monkeys from
invertebrates, invertebrates from slime. Yet many concurrently believe in the Big Bang
theory which says: the universe simply “began” and has been expanding ever since.
There is a super-natural beginning to both theories. That is, the initial action it took place
outside of the natural realm. Even without the revelation from Scripture, a rational
person would have to conclude that something or someone caused creation and life to be.
I have too many questions –
Some may agree with these statements but still reject the God revealed in the Bible
because of a host of questions that they feel are valid excuses for rejecting God.
1. What about the innocent native in Africa who has never heard of Christ? This
question is often asked by Christians and non-Christians alike. The implication is
that the “innocent” native would be sent to hell for not believing in Jesus Christ
whom he has never heard of and God would be unjust for such a judgment. To be
sure, the native is innocent of failing to believe on Jesus if he or she has never
heard of Jesus. But it is not for this that the native or anyone else who has not
heard of Jesus is condemned. As Romans 1 tells us, the native is condemned for
failing to do what he or she actually knows he or she should do, that is, seek out,
worship, and give thanks to the God revealed in nature. But what if the native is
religious? That is no excuse because Paul will show that religions created by man
are actually attempts to escape having to face the true God. We invent religion –
not because we are seeking God, but because we are running away from him.
2. Isn’t the Bible full of contradictions? We are told that the data from science has
come in and so many errors have been found in the Bible that no rational person
could possibly believe that it is God’s Word. The problem with this argument is
its premise. It assumes that the accumulation of historical and scientific facts has
uncovered an increasing number of textual and other problems but actually the
opposite is the case. As the data comes in over the decades, particularly over the
last few decades, the tendency is for the Bible to be vindicated.
In a December 30, 1974 issue of Time magazine, the editors wrote: “Believers
who expect something else form the Bible may very well conclude that its (the
Bible’s) credibility has been enhanced. After more than two centuries of facing
the heaviest scientific guns that could be brought to bear, the Bible has survived –
and is perhaps better for the siege. Even on the critics’ own terms – historical fact
– the scriptures seem more acceptable now than they did when the rationalist
began the attack.
It is hard to see how anyone can use the alleged “contradictions” in the Bible to
justify a failure to seek out and worship the Bible’s God, especially after he or she
has investigated the evidence thoroughly. Many who hear of Biblical
contradictions fail to investigate for their self. This clearly shows a neglect to
seek out God.
3. If there is a God who is good, why does he tolerate evil? In a large sense, this is
an attack on the sovereignty of God. This does not refute his sovereignty because
it implies that God can allow and prevent certain things from happening – but
there is an underlying distrust for how God chooses to use his sovereignty. It is a
way of saying, “God, I am not going to believe in you unless you come down
from your lofty thrown, stand here before me and submit to my interrogation. I
will not acknowledge you unless you explain yourself to me.” Could anything be
more arrogant that that? To demand that God justify his ways to us? Or to think
that we would understand them if he did? See Job 42:6.
Is it right to have questions about why God acts as he does? Of course! Who has
not had them? It is right to believe and then to seek understanding. But to use an
inability to understand some things as an excuse for failing to respond to what we
do know is that deliberate repression of the truth which Paul is speaking about in
our text.
I did not think it was important –
No excuse is as faulty as this one. If God exists and we are all destined to meet him and
give an account of our actions someday, then nothing can be as important as getting the
most basic of our relationships right: the relationship of ourselves to God. Yet, we push
this aside for the affairs of daily life. How will it sound to God: “I didn’t think it was
important - I didn’t think you were important”?
Paul will soon tell us what happens to every man or woman who appears before God with
their excuses. Romans 3:20 says that “Every mouth [will] be silenced and the whole
world [will be] held accountable to God.”
21For
although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they
became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Who can glorify God, that is, praise him and bring honor to his name? Obviously, only
one who has a right opinion about him and appreciates his attributes. The one who
knows God is sovereign, holy, omniscient, immutable, loving, merciful, and so on – and
who praises the Almighty for these things – glorifies him. This is the same as worshiping
God.
Martyn Lloyd-Johns says: Man also fails to give thanks to God for his mercy, for his
goodness, for his dealings with us in providence. We take the sunshine for granted; we
are annoyed if we do not get it. We take the rain for granted. How often do we thing
God for all these gifts and blessings? God is “the giver of every good and perfect gift”;
he is the Father of mercies.” Yet people go through the whole of their lives in this world
and they never thank him; they ignore him completely. That is how they show their
attitude toward God. In this way they suppress the truth that has been revealed
concerning him.
See Exodus 15:1-2, 11; Psalm 35:18, Luke 17:17-18. Thankfulness is a mark of those
who truly know God – even though we sometimes forget to be thankful. Ingratitude, by
contrast, is the mark of those who repress the truth about him.
Prayer should be our time to thank God. The word Grace (as in to say grace before a
meal) comes from the Latin word gratia meaning thanks. The Greek word for prayer is
eucharistero which we get our word Eucharist. This is used for the Lord’s Supper and it
refers to the aspect of the communion service that involves thanksgiving to God for
Christ’s death. Often our prayers are not full of thanksgiving. We have our own versions
of “God bless me and my wife, my son John and his wife, us four and no more. Amen.”
Or our own version of: “Give me this, give me that; do it quickly and that’s that. Amen.”
Our prayers should follow the order of the acrostic ACTS: Adoration, Confession,
Thanksgiving, and (only then) Supplication. We should ask for things only after we have
already thanked God for what he has given. What a difference it would make if we
would all actual learn to glorify and worship God and be thankful! Doubt is the middle
position between faith and unbelief. If we learn to thank God for who he is and for his
many blessings, we inevitably move from doubt to faith, rather than from doubt to even
greater rebellion.
22Claiming
to be wise, they became fools, 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for
images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
In the Garden of Eden, Adam deliberately set his face against God. He said in effect, “As
long as that tree is in the garden and I am not able to eat of it, I feel demeaned as a human
being. I am not autonomous. So I am going to eat of it and die – whatever that may be.”
Adam knew that he was rebelling against God and that he was rejecting the truth about
himself and the world, which God had revealed. What did Adam think he was going to
put in the place of God and God’s truth? In place of God, he wanted himself! That much
is obvious. In place of the truth, he no doubt wanted to put a “truth” of his own making!
The Serpent told Eve, “You will not surely die… For God knows that when you eat of it
your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis
3:4-5). Being “like God” is what Eve and Adam wanted. Adam wanted to make the
rules and wanted to determine what is true and false. Yet, in rebelling against God, he
lost the strength and wisdom he had. Instead of becoming like God, he became like
Satan. In stead of rewriting the truth so that it would better suit his own warped desires,
Adam began a process in which he and the human race after him turned from the truth of
God to lies.
Paul now says that the first result of man’s rebellion against God, so far as he himself is
concerned, is that he became a fool. His heart was darkened.
Dialogismois – is the Greek word translated to “thinking.” We have it as a root of our
word dialog. We will not have God and our minds are inadequate for discovering reality.
We can do nothing with them but rearrange error.
Sophoi – is the Greek word translated to “wise.” We have it is a root of words like
sophisticated, sophomore, and philosopher. Martyn Lloyd Jones writes: Instead of
accepting revelation they become philosophers. And what is a philosopher? A
philosopher is a man who claims that he starts by being skeptical about everything, that
he is an agnostic. “I am going to have the data,” he says, “and then I am going to apply
my mind to it. I am going to reason it out and I am going to work it out.” And that is
exactly what men have done; they became foolish and wicked in their reasoning and
thoughts. Boice adds: These people are not honest with the data because they do not like
the direction it points them. Therefore, instead of using their minds to recognize and
pursue the truth, they use them to provide philosophical justification for their actions.
See Psalm 14:1.
We have rebelled against God by rejecting the knowledge about himself that he has
revealed to us. In addition to that, while willfully scorning the truth, we make exalted but
ridiculous claims to great wisdom. We will soon see that as man turns from God he
begins a downward decline. It is important to see this, because the world believes exactly
the opposite. It tries to teach that the path of the race has been consistently upward from
its original “animal” beginnings and that our current religions and philosophies are a step
up from whatever was in place before them.
Paul also says that as people turned from God they became darkened. This also is not
what the world proclaims. In fact, the world speaks of philosophies and ideas apart from
God’s revelation as being enlightening. As Christians, we must remember that we too
were once in darkness any only by the grace of God have we now seen the light. See
Ephesians 4:18, 5:18, John 1:9, 3:19.
24Therefore
God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of
their bodies among themselves, 25because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and
worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
26For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged
natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27and the men likewise gave up natural
relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing
shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
28And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to
do what ought not to be done.
We have seen that people 1) suppressed the truth about God; 2) refused to glorify, or
worship God as God; and 3) declined to be thankful. As a result, human have become
“darkened” in their thinking. For the first time in the letter, we see God’s reaction. Three
times in succession, it is revealed that God has abandoned men and women to perversion
(vs. 24, 26, and 28). Yet, it is ironic because this is precisely what man has been fighting
for ever since Adam’s first rebellion in the Garden of Eden. Man has wanted to get rid of
God, to push him out of his life. “God, I just want you to leave me alone. Take a seat on
that chair over there. Shut up, and let me get on with my life as I want to live it.” And so
God does.
We think of God as keeping back happiness from us. We think that by running away
from him we will be happy, wild, and free. But it doesn’t work that way. Instead of
finding happiness, we find misery. Instead of finding freedom we find debilitating
bondage of sin. From the term, “God gave them up” we may think of a porcelain vase
being released in the vacuum of space to float freely. However, this is not the case.
What actually occurs is like releasing a porcelain vase here on earth where the laws of
gravity pull it down and shatter it upon the ground. When God releases us to our own
ways, we are pulled down by the law of moral gravity which is downhill and leads to
destruction.
Paul highlights three stages using sexuality as an example. He could have shown greed
that leads to a life of stealing. He could have shown hatred that leads to murder. Any of
these sinful paths away from God (among others) are equally far from God – that is they
are equally wrong. Just because sexual perversion is the apostle’s example, we must not
assume that a particular vice that we struggle against is any less offensive to God.
1. Sinful desires of their hearts and sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodes
with one another – Paul could have started the downward spiral with any sin yet
he begins with sex. Sex is given to us as a gift of God to be enjoyed within the
bonds of marriage and not in casual entanglements. Outside of marriage, the
result is always what Paul declares it will be, namely, “impurity” and the
“degrading” of one’s body. There are endless examples we could look at but we
will only look at one. As our culture promotes sexual freedom and the idea that
“everyone’s doing it,” many high school and college-aged girls feel there is little
or no emotional consequences to casual sex. They will often find many guys
simply want to use them for their own sexual pleasure and have little personal
interest in them at all. They often seek companionship from these guys to
improve their self-image yet in the long-run, these young girls realize men have
actually sought their own self-interest and have cared very little for them. This
can do irreparable emotional damage that will affect them for years to come.
2. Shameful lusts. Women exchanging natural relations for unnatural ones. Men
committing shameful acts with one another – For years in western society,
lesbianism and homosexuality were hardly spoken about. Although some were no
doubt practicing these acts, they were considered so reprehensible that a moral
person not only was not to speak about them, but he or she was not to even know
what such vices involved. Today, it is discussed in great detail daily on broadcast
television. Even grade school children know and discuss these things. We are not
shocked but rather complacent as if it were a natural expression of an upright
spirit. This is a step below the “natural” degradation of sexual impurity where the
body is used in a natural way. Homosexuality is “unnatural” because, as we can
clearly see by our physical body parts, the body is forced to be used in a manner
in which it was not intended. The human anatomy should convince anyone that
this is not meant to be. Yet, it gets worse…
3. Since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave
them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not be done. – At first glance, a
“depraved” mind does not seem to be at the bottom of the pit. Doesn’t sin
originate in the mind and shouldn’t depravity of the mind come first? But Paul is
not talking about a foolish or sinful mind that he has mentioned earlier – but about
the specifically “depraved mind” created by continuing down this awful path for a
lifetime. At the end is a mind not merely foolish or in error, but totally depraved.
It is a mind so depraved that it begins to think what is bad is good and what is
good is bad. In short, it is a mind that works like the mind of Satan. We see this
disclosed in verse 32. Not only do they do evil, they approve of others who do
the same. “Approve” means that they find good in the evil of themselves and
others. How do you appeal for good to a person who has become like that?
Every argument you could possible use would be reversed. The case is hopeless.
See Isaiah 5:20.
Hopeless? Yes, but not for God. We are looking at how God has given the race over to
the natural outworking of sin. Yet he has not “given up” on those whom he has set his
affection. See Hosea 11:8-9 which he speaks through Hosea to the sinful nation of Israel.
If God had given up on the human race it would be hopeless. Jesus would not have
come. He would not have died for sin. There would be no gospel. But he did come and
there is salvation in his name! Not just salvation from the punishment of sin but salvation
from the slavery of the downward spiral of a sinful life!
29They
were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full
of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30slanderers, haters of God,
insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31foolish, faithless,
heartless, ruthless.
Paul is wrapping up one of the most devastating descriptions of mankind in all of
literature. He ends by listing over twenty vices that plague mankind.
1. Wickedness – Paul begins with this term which in the Greek, litter means notrighteous.
2. Evil – This term (poneria) emphasizes wickedness and is to be applied to all
mankind.
3. Greed – This is what God prohibits in the Tenth Commandment and is
nevertheless the apparent basis of our western economies. This is not referring to
a healthy ambition to better one’s self, this is wanting more at the expense of
others.
4. Malice – This word denotes that deliberate wickedness that delights in doing other
people harm. These first four are the vices that Paul says we are “filled” with.
5. Envy – This is related to greed but it goes a bit further. This is when we want
something simply because another person has it. Even if they have a little and we
have a lot, envy will make us want their meager portion as well.
6. Murder – We must remember that Jesus taught that murder is not just the act of
killing but also the hatred that leads up to the act (Matthew 5:21-22).
7. Strife – This term can mean contention, quarreling, or arguing.
8. Deceit – This denotes outright treachery by which words are used to ensnare the
unwary for the deceiver’s personal gain.
9. Maliciousness – Some translations use “depravity” for the 4th term and thus
malicious is not repeated. The idea here is customary or habitual evil.
10. Gossips – This refers to the slanderous gossip that is often spread in secret and
that is harmful to another’s reputation.
11. Slanderers – Gossiping is done in secret but slander is open defamation of a
person’s character.
12. God haters – Paul links this phrase with slanderers because we not only slander
other people, but we slander God. Most people would not openly admit to hating
God but let something come into their lives that they consider unwarranted or
unfair, and their hatred of God immediately boils over. “How could this happen
to me?” they demand.
13. Insolent – This term in the Greek refers to a pride that sets the human up against
God. We may not think we have pride before God yet many feel they deserve to
be blessed by God although they have lived lives of rebellion. Many people
admit to being sinners yet feel God should grant them eternal lives anyway
because they are “pretty good” people. Essentially, this is demanding to be
glorified by God because of our own merit – this is the most offensive of all forms
of pride.
14. Arrogant – Arrogance rises from a feeling of personal superiority that regards
others with haughtiness.
15. Boastful – Boasting seeks admiration by claiming to be or have what one actually
is not or does not possess.
16. Inventors of evil – Sin causes us to pervert the gifts God has given us. We use our
intellect to scheme and plan evil thoughts. Mankind has used modern technology
to develop weapons, distribute pornography, steal music & movies, prey on
children, etc…
17. Disobedient to parents – This is very common in our culture and is a direct
violation of the Fifth Commandment.
18. Foolish – This does not necessarily mean a lack of common sense. What is
intended here is a lack of moral knowledge or a lack of Godly knowledge.
19. Faithless – What is meant here is that people cannot keep their promises – we
often are faithless to our vows or promises.
20. Heartless – This word literally means “without natural affection.” It can be seen
in the mother who intentionally aborts or abandons her child or the father who
abandons his family.
21. Ruthless – The Greek word means “without mercy.” We feel little mercy for
others who have wronged us. Cruelty is at the heart of even the most gentile
human being.
These vices are with us everywhere. Not all people practice them to the same extent and
there have been periods in history with specific vices have been more or less prominent.
But we cannot deny that these things lie just below the surface of our respectability.
They quickly become apparent whenever you cross our sinful human nature. But it is
only an awareness of the horror of our sin that ever leads us to appreciate the gospel
when we hear it. What if we think we are basically good in God’s eyes? Then we think
we do not need the gospel and that we can do well without God. This is exactly what
these verses are describing. It is only against the black velvet backdrop of our depravity
that the sparkling jewel of the gospel can be truly appreciated. We do not deserve this
gospel. How could we? We could not even invent it. But God is not like us- because he
is not wicked, evil, greedy, depraved, envious, senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless, or
anything else that is bad – he not only could invent it – he did! And further, he began
enacting his plan of salvation before the foundation of the world.
32Though
they know God's decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not
only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
“Why can’t we sin just a little bit? I mean, not all sins are equally bad and it wouldn’t be
the end of the world if we only indulged in a few little sins right?” Many Christians ask
this question and have this reasoning. But going through the first chapter of Romans, we
see the answer to the question – we cannot sin just a little bit because we never stop there.
We go further and further until God has been pushed out of our lives entirely and we
have ruined everything.
That is the way it must be: if God is the source of good, then to abandon him is to find
evil. If God is the source of reality, then to abandon him is to find falsehood. If God is
holy, then to run away from him is to find perversions. God releases his constraints and
allows people to run from him to face sin’s natural consequences. God gave them over to
sexual impurity, shameful lusts, and depraved minds. Paul is speaking about the kind of
thought perversion that results in regarding what is good as evil, and what is evil as good.
This brings us to our verse and the key word “approve” – it means that these people
sanction both the evil and the evil doers.
This is insanity, of course – moral insanity. But it is important to see that this is exactly
the point to which rejection of God and suppression of the truth about God leads us.
Man is in an interesting place in the universe – we are like the animals because we have a
body and we are like the angels because we have a soul. If we are not going to look
upward to God to become more like him, we will look downward to animals and become
more like beasts. This is the root premise of the theory of evolution – if God did not
come down to create us then animals have grown up to become us. Sociologists study
animals such as gorillas to explain and understand human nature. From time to time
there are stories of animals that kill their young and it is reasoned that because of this
phenomena, it is at least compressible that humans should also practice similar activity.
These scientist do not condone the activity, they merely suggest that it is understandable
because it can be observed in nature. On particular article (Sept 6, 1982, Newsweek
Magazine) describes how baboons periodically kill their own young.
However, this is a faulty comparison. The animals that do such things have no reason to
behave any differently; they do not have moral understanding. We are created in the
image of a moral God and should look upward to his example. We have lost the
knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3) and are now in fact far worse than animals.
Animals may kill their young at times but certainly it is rare. Yet we, as moral creatures,
systematically murder millions of babies each year through abortion - usually for no
better reason than the mother’s convenience. We use our minds to develop weapons of
mass destruction to kill ourselves. Rape, murder, theft are all common in our society and
appear nightly on our news broadcasts.
In our society today, we flaunt on television and in public conversation things that were
reprehensible just a few years ago. Moral behavior on television has been on a
downward slide since the 1950’s. The invention of the Internet has brought unimaginable
pornography into the homes of millions on a daily basis. Divorce rates and crime rates
have steadily been on an upward trend.
It is at this point where we should recognize our need for a savior. The world cannot
save itself. The world has gone through repeated ritual failure and steady decline. When
there are sparks in improvement in a few areas, there are huge moral declines in others.
All parts of the world are affected and none are making significant improvements. We
must take eyes off ourselves and our weak efforts and turn them to Jesus Christ, the one
who came to die for our sins, make us children of God, and make us like him in the last
days (1 John 3:2). When we come to Christ, the question is not “How low can you go?”
We are done with that. The question is “How high can you rise?” And to that question
the answer is also: no limit. We are to become increasingly like the Lord Jesus Christ
throughout eternity!
Romans 2:1-2:11 - The Morally Upright Person
Continuing the fall – what could be worse than the description found at the end of Romans 1?
The person who believes they are not included!
1Therefore
you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment
on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. 2We
know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who do such things. 3Do you suppose, O
man--you who judge those who do such things and yet do them yourself--that you will escape the
judgment of God?
So who is Paul speaking about in Chapter 2? Later in verse 17, it is clear he is addressing
a Jewish audience. But the verses coming before this have been somewhat debated.
Many commentators of the past have assumed he Paul is speaking to those Gentiles who
appear to have greater moral virtue than others in society. In this case, Paul address 1)
openly immoral pagans, 2) moral and virtuous people, and finally 3) Jewish (or religious
people) beginning with verse 17. Many commentators today feel Paul is addressing
strictly Gentiles in Chapter 1 and Jews throughout all of chapter 2. With either position
taken, the message is essentially the same. If Paul is thinking of Jews in verses 2:1-16, he
is doing so because of their feeling of moral superiority (feelings from which Gentiles are
not exempt). And if Paul is speaking of Gentiles, he is also embracing Jews at the point
that they might indulge in similar wrong thinking.
People habitually attempt to excuse their wrong behavior and it is for this that the second
chapter of Romans is written. Many may read the first chapter and say the description of
mankind given applies only to the “worst” portion of society or is unfounded all together.
Certainly, one would not naturally consider himself apart of those being described in
chapter 1; “I am a pretty good person; I’m not as bad as Hitler” we often hear.
At this, Paul could raise the point that although a person may feel they are morally
“good,” they are not perfect. And because God is perfect and sin is defined as anything
missing that mark, we are all sinful, we all fall short of the glory of God, and therefore
deserve damnation. But Paul does not take this approach. On the contrary, Paul argues
that the objector is guilty of the very things described in chapter 1 – and possibly even
more so than the pagan. Pau says, “at whatever point you judge the other, you are
condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the very same things.” Paul is
not appealing to God’s perfect standard as that by which self-styled moral individuals
will be judged, though he had every right to do so. Rather, Paul is appealing to the
objector’s own standard, whatever it is. In a sense, Paul is appealing to Matthew 7:1-5
rather than Matthew 5:48, although both are equally true.
Matthew 5:48 - You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 7:1-5 - "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you
pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.
Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in
your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your
eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your
own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.
The Ten Commandments – If someone feels the Ten Commandments are the
measurement of morality, they will be condemned by that standard. Who has never lied,
never looked lustfully at a woman (Matthew 5:28), never had a feeling of anger toward
another person (Matthew 5:21-22), never coveted? Who has obeyed and honored their
parents perfectly? Who has never placed another god before God, made an idol of
something, or misused God’s name? Who has kept every Sabbath holy and set apart for
God’s worship? See James 2:10.
The Golden Rule – “In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for
this sums up the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12). If someone feels the Golden
Rule is the measurement of morality, they will be condemned by that standard. Have you
always treated others exactly as you have wanted them to treat you? Have you never
been impatient with anyone? Never gotten angry with them unjustly? Never accused
them falsely? Never taken advantage of another’s weakness? The Golden Rule accuses
you, as it must if it is truly the summation of the law, as Jesus teaches.
Fair Play – Let me try once more. What about the simple, rock-bottom standard of fair
play? The point is obvious. There is no one who is ever fair to other people always and
in all ways.
4Or
do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing
that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
The goodness (or kindness) of God mentioned here does not refer primarily to his
characteristics but rather refer to his actions toward us:
1. Creation – After each day of creation, God reflected on his work and declared it
to be good.
2. Providence – That is, by his continual ordering of the world and world events for
good. See Matthew 5:45.
3. The Gospel Call – The widespread proclamation of the Gospel is another good
action of God.
The forbearance (or tolerance) of God refers to God “holding back” or “delaying” what
is due to mankind – an immediate outpouring of fierce judgment. In Genesis 1:17, God
warned Adam that on the day he ate of the forbidden fruit he would die. But when God
came to Adam after the offense, he did not actually execute the sentence. Eventually
they did die physically; however, they did not die spiritually because God told them of a
future deliverer on which they believed and were saved. So it is with us all, God does not
immediately implement the judgment we deserve.
Yet, we misinterpret God’s tolerance. See Luke 13:1-5. In this story, the people ask if
those that perished were worse sinners than others. Jesus points out that that way of
asking the question is entirely wrong. The question should not be why God allows some
to perish but rather why he has spared us, we being the sinners that we are. The fact we
are not in hell is evidence of God’s tolerance. This should lead us to repentance.
The patience (or longsuffering) referred to in this verse is slightly different than his
forbearance. Forbearance has to do with the magnitude of sin; patience refers to the
continuation of it. God’s patience can be seen in the early chapters of Genesis where evil
spreads on the earth from Chapters 4 through 6:5. Yet God spared the judgment of the
flood for 120 years while Noah was in the process of constructing and populating the ark.
Our text gives us the reason for God’s forbearance and patience; it is to lead us to
repentance. There are two ways we can go, we can repent or we can continue in our
rebellion and suffer destruction. If God is tolerant of you, it is because he has a will to
save you. If he wanted to condemn you outright, he could have done it a long time ago.
He will accept you when you come because he has waited a long time for your
repentance. See 2 Peter 3:9.
5But
because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day
of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.
Paul now has further things to say about God’s wrath, and his first point is that the wrath
of God toward the sin of men and women is deserved. We have already seen that God
has revealed his existence and power in nature and that this alone should be sufficient to
lead every man, woman, and child on the face of the earth to give thanks to God. But we
do not do it, and the fact that we do not is proof that we do not want to. But the case is
even stronger than this, which is what Paul is chiefly teaching in Romans 2. Romans 1
declared God’s wrath on the basis of the evidence for the existence of God in nature,
which we refuse to acknowledge. Chapter 2 speaks of God’s coming wrath because of
our stubborn refusal to repent. What is apparent from this verse is that the goodness,
tolerance, and patience of God do not lead us to repentance. We have 1) rejected the
natural revelation; and 2) we have shown contempt for God’s patience and kind acts.
The major teaching of this verse is that the wrath of God is proportionate to human sin, in
the sense that those who sin much will be punished much and that those who sin less will
be punished less. For one thing, not everyone has had a chance to hear of Jesus and
therefore not all will be punished for refusing to believe on him. We have seen that God
does not condemn people for failing to do what they did not even know they should do,
but rather for failing to follow the revelation they do have. The native in the far off
jungle is condemned for failing to seek God out on the basis of the revelation of God
found in nature and in human conscience. The person who has heard of Jesus but has
refused to come to God through faith in him is even more guilty. He has rejected not one
but two sources of revelation: nature and Scripture.
Paul speaks of the unrepentant person “storing up wrath” for the Day of Judgment. It is
the image of a greedy miser who has stored a great horde of gold coins in his attic above
his bed. He keeps them there for years and adds to them daily. One day, while he is
sleeping and oblivious to his danger, the great weight of gold breaks through the ceiling
of his room, down onto his bed, and kills him. That is the way it is for those who pile sin
upon sin and show contempt for God’s kindness. They think of the sin as building up
happiness and freedom, but each sin is actually storing up wrath. If life has been good to
you, you only increase your guilt and build a treasure of future punishment by ignoring
God’s kindness.
We also see that the day of punishment is certain. Day does not necessarily mean it will
take place in a twenty-four hour period. Rather, it is to illustrate that like any day (such
as March 23, 2017) we creep closer and closer until the time is upon us. The wrath will
be poured out.
It is a righteous judgment; it is not arbitrary but deserved. If we heard on the news about
the police department ignoring tips regarding the location of a wanted serial killer, we
would be outraged. How could the police not apprehend a person that all know to be
dangerous? Innately, people realize that evil should be stopped and punished.
Wrath has been poured out on Jesus Christ. See John 12:27 and Matthew 26:36-44.
Jesus was not afraid of death or the cross (Luke 12:4-5). He trembled because his death
was not to be like the death of mere mortals. Jesus was going to die for others. He was
going to take upon himself the full measure of the wrath of God that they deserved. This
wrath will be real to the people who will not allow Christ to take it for them.
6He
will render to each one according to his works: 7to those who by patience in well-doing seek
for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8but for those who are self-seeking
and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. 9There will be
tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek,
10but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek.
11For God shows no partiality.
Paul speaks of two paths and two destinations. The path of the Just is spoken about in
verses 7, 10. These people are described here: 1) he or she does good and 2) persists in
doing good. There are three things listed as his or her motivation: 1) glory, 2) honor and
3) immortality. Elsewhere in Paul’s writings, these terms are used of the Christian’s
ultimate expectations. Glory refers to the transformation of the believer into the image of
God’s Son, by which the glory of God will be reflected in that person (Romans 5:2; 8:18,
30; 9:23; 1 Corinthians 2:7; 15:43; 2 Corinthians 3:12-18; 4:17). Honor refers to God’s
approval of believers, as contrasted with dishonor and even scorn accorded to them by
the world (Hebrews 2:7; 1 Peter 1:7). Immortality refers to the resurrection hope of
God’s people (1 Corinthians 15:42, 50, 52-54). Eternal Life, glory, honor, and peace are
the rewards dispensed by God for their aspiration (v 10).
But this is the question, does any ever choose this path by his or her own will? Has
anyone ever done good (as God sees good) and persisted in that pursuit for life? This is
the path walked by Christians but the question is whether any of us actually choose this
path ourselves? That is, unaided by the work of the Holy Spirit. The answer by now
should clearly be No. In fact, we will see in Romans 3:10-12 that “No one is righteous,
not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.” This would be a
wonderful path for men and women but no one actually can walk it and no one actually
tries.
Verses 8-9 show the path all persons naturally take apart from the intervention of God.
The followers of this path 1) are self-seeking, 2) reject truth, 3) do evil and 4) follow evil.
This results in wrath, fury, tribulation and distress (see Isaiah 8:22, Zephaniah 1:15-17).
Many find this section of Romans to be extremely difficult for it seems to be saying that
salvation is by good works. “If you do good works and persist in them, you will be
saved. If you do evil, you will be lost.” This is not what the apostle is saying.
Nevertheless he is speaking about two distinct paths of righteousness and wickedness.
We see many times throughout Scripture where the path of righteousness is put forth; see
Psalm 1, Matthew 19:16-21, Luke 10:25-27, Matthew 25:31-46. Good works cannot be
substituted for faith and they cannot be added to faith for salvation. Either error is to
proclaim a false gospel. But it is an equal error to think that one can be saved by faith
and then continue down the same destructive path he or she has been treading, doing no
good works at all. A person doing that is not saved, regardless of his or her profession.
Here is the wonder of the Christian gospel. On the one hand, it is utterly by grace
received through faith – and even that faith is a gift of grace (Ephesians 2:8). No one
who is saved can possibly boast of anything. But, at the same time and on the other hand,
those who are saved by grace through faith are placed on a path of righteousness where
they do indeed perform such good works as the world about them cannot begin to dream.
See Matthew 5:20. That is why in the Bible repentance and faith always go together, so
closely together that it is often impossible to say which comes first or second. To believe
on Jesus is to turn from sin – and vice versa.
12For
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. 13For it is not the hearers of the law who are
righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. 14For 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. 15They 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
“What about the poor heathen in a far-off jungle who has never heard about Jesus Christ?
Will God condemn him for failing to believe on a person about whom he has not even
heard?” The text we come to now does not suggest that the heathen may somehow get to
heaven in spite of their ignorance of the gospel, but rather that they will be condemned
like the others. Not for failing to believe on Jesus – but for failing to do what they knew
they should do, even apart from special revelation. We might think that there is the
possibility of a person somewhere who does good (from verse 10) but we quickly see that
that hypothetical situation simply does not happen in practice in verse 12 and again in
verses 3:9-20.
We have seen several aspects of God’s judgment thus far:
1. God’s judgment is according to truth – verse 2
2. God’s judgment is proportionate to human sin – verse 5
3. God’s judgment is according to righteousness – verse 5
4. God’s judgment is impartial – verse 11
5. God’s judgment is according to people’s deeds – verses 6-10, 12-15
Paul has spent many verses focusing on the fact that it is the doers of the law that will be
justified and not merely the hearers of the law. That means, one who simply knows right
from wrong is not in a better standing with God because (as Paul says in verse 2) they
“do the same things.” See James 1:22-27, Luke 18:9-14
What about the Gentiles who have never received the law? A code of conduct had never
been revealed to them and furthermore they had never been given a chance to break it.
Paul’s two part answer is in verses 14 and 15. First, gentiles have a law “written on their
hearts.” Second, they also posses “consciences” that tell them they ought to obey this
law and condemn them when they do not. This goes beyond “natural revelation in
creation” in that it involves a moral code that Paul says is possessed by all people. They
have a “law for themselves” which condemns them.
C.S. Lewis has written about this in his classic Mere Christianity. He noted that when
people argue, an angry person almost always appeals to some basic standard of behavior
that the other person is assumed to recognize: “How’d you like it if someone did that to
you?” “That’s my seat, I was there first!” “Leave him alone, he isn’t doing you any
harm!” “He started it!” “Give me some of your apple; I gave you some of my orange.”
Lewis said:
The man who makes [these remarks]… is appealing to some kind of
standard of behavior which he expects the other man to know about. And
the other man very seldom replies, “To hell with your standard.” Nearly
always, he tries to make out that what he has been doing does not really go
against the standard, or that if it does there is some special excuse. He
pretends there is some special reason in this particular case why the person
who took the seat first should not keep it, or that things were quite
different when he was given the bit of orange. It looks, in fact, very much
as if both parties had in mind some kind of Law or Rule of fair play or
decent behavior or morality or whatever you like to call it, about which
they really agreed. And they have. If they had not, they might, of course
fight like animals, but they could not quarrel in the human sense of the
word. Quarrelling means trying to show that the other man is in the
wrong. And there would be no sense in trying to do that unless you and he
had some sort of agreement as to what Right and Wrong are, just as there
would be no sense in saying that a footballer had committed a foul unless
there was some agreement about the rules of football.
One may argue that there is not a moral law understood by all people and that some (the
insane for example) are not aware of it at all. But the very fact that we call such persons
“insane” shows that we nevertheless recognize and want to adhere to the standard. A
person who is criminally insane is treated differently. But the problem does not lie with
the standard but rather with the individual. A person who claims there is no moral
standard but has ever once spoken of “unfair treatment” reveals that regardless of the
claim, they really understand the Law of Morality just like anyone else.
The Natural Law defines right from wrong with in us. The Conscience is the part of our
being that tells us we ought to do what is right. And our Memory reminds us when we
have failed. It is these three witnesses that condemn every man without the law.
16on
that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.
This verse speaks of God’s omniscience. That is, it shows us that God sees and knows all
things including the deepest thoughts and motives of men. See Psalm 139:1-4, Hebrews
4:13. We have already seen that the omniscience of God is one of the key reasons people
naturally reject the revelation of God.
We can see this in the reaction of Adam and Eve shortly after having sinned by eating the
forbidden fruit. Before the fall, they were “naked and felt no shame” (Genesis 2:25).
There is no doubt that this was a literal, physical nakedness otherwise the making fig-leaf
clothing would have no meaning. But it was a psychological nakedness, too. Adam and
Eve were not ashamed in their nakedness before they sinned. It was only after they had
sinned that they were conscious of it. Nakedness has to do with exposure, not only with
external, physical exposure but, more importantly, with internal exposure. They were not
ashamed before the fall because they had nothing to be ashamed about.
But after the sin, they covered up and hid from God. Today many hide from God
because of shame in the form of atheism or materialism. Many Christians will neglect
church service and Bible study when there is persistent sin in their life. “The Bible will
keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from the Bible” John Wesley said.
They also hid from each other. Before the fall they had not lied or betrayed one another.
They could be completely open. This changed after the fall. Even today, we do not ever
let a person completely know everything about us – we always hold some things back.
But look what happened when God came to them. He told them the punishment for their
sin would be death and so it was. But on that day, it was not Adam and Eve who died,
but rather a substitute. God killed and animal, retrieved the hide, and covered their
nakedness (Genesis 3:21). This clearly is a picture of what Jesus Christ does for us when
we trust in his sacrifice and our sin is covered by his righteousness. See Isaiah 61:10.
Romans 2:17-3:8 - The Religious Person
17But
if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God 18and know his will and
approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; 19and if you are sure that
you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20an instructor of the
foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth-- 21you
then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you
steal? 22You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who
abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law.
24For, as it is written, "The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."
We have already seen how the moralist attempts to separate himself from the judgment
pronounced on the natural man in the first chapter by appealing to a supposed higher
ethical standard. We have also seen how the moralist is just as guilty before God’s
standard of perfection. But there is another distinction commonly made. A religious
person may assume that because they add liturgy, prayer, tradition, ritual, and religious
rites to their good works, that they are justified before God. In Paul’s day, such person
was a Jew. Today it could be a fundamentalist Christian, a devout Catholic, or a Muslim.
They may say, “Leave me out of your condemnation because I have been a churchgoing
person all my life. I have been baptized and confirmed. I go to communion and I give to
the church.” Paul replies that these are genuinely good things not to be ignored but the
gospel is still needed. Why? Because God is not interested in outward things alone –
things like church membership, the sacraments, stewardship – but rather what is within.
See Matthew 23:23-36 where Christ speaks to the religious leaders of his day. See also 1
Samuel 16:7.
There are eight important claims made by the Jews of Paul’s day:
1. God has given them the law
2. He has entered into a special relationship with them
3. Because God had given them his law, they know his will and
4. They approve only the most excellent of human moral standards.
The claims having to do with privileges are:
5. To be a guide to the blind,
6. To be light for those who are in the dark,
7. To be an instructor for the foolish,
8. To be a teacher of infants.
We must recognize that as these claims are very significant so far as they go. That is,
they are tremendous advantages – but in themselves, these advantages do not secure
salvation. The writings of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired word of God (2
Peter 1:21) and during Paul’s day, this was a privilege only for the Jews. Furthermore,
they had the covenant relationship with God that began with Abraham. See the teaching
of Jesus with the Samaritan woman in John 4:1-26, particularly verse 22. The Jews also
had superior moral code because it was the moral code revealed by God.
Alas, knowledge of God and the way of this true God was not enough! This is because,
as we have already seen, God judges according to truth and not according to appearances,
according to what men and women actual do and not according to their mere professions.
Paul then brings up a few of the Ten Commandments and states that a Jew would say not
to steal, commit adultery, or worship idols. But, does the Jew actually abstain from these
things? It as at this point where we must not limit our thinking to only Jews in Paul’s day
but rather consider anyone who is “religious” in any form.
Do we who attend church steal? The idea of stealing is widely considered wrong but is
just as widely broken. We should not think we have kept this commandment simply
because we have not broken into someone’s home and left with their possessions. We
steal from God when we fail to worship him as we ought or when we put our concerns
ahead of his. We steal from our employer when we do not give our best work or leave
before our required time. We steal if we sell something for more than it is worth.
Do we who profess to be Christians commit adultery? We must realize that God’s
definition of adultery is not limited to sexual infidelity within a marriage. (See Matthew
5:27-28) Our media uses the lure of sex to push materialism and glamorize the pursuit of
pleasure. Television, movies, and the Internet push a continuous stream of sexual
perversion into homes around the world. To lust after the flesh in any manner outside of
marriage is to commit adultery.
The last question, “You who abhor idols, do you not rob temples?” does not have the
response we expect: “Do you not worship idols.” What Paul says instead is, “Do you not
rob temples?” So does this mean, then that the Jews robbed God of the honor properly
due to him? Does it refer to the trafficking of offerings in the courtyard of the temple in
Jerusalem which Jesus condemned (John 2)? Does it mean Jews possessed heathen idols
for their monetary value? It is hard to say exactly what this means, although there are
arguments in favor of each of these views.
What we can say for certainty, regardless of the particular way the ancient Jew may have
broken this commandment, is how we have broken it – even the most religious among us.
The first commandment is a demand for our exclusive and zealous worship of the true
God: “You shall have no other gods before me.” We break it whenever we give some
person or some object or some worldly aspiration the first place in our lives, a place that
belongs to God alone. Often today the substitute for God is ourselves or our image of
ourselves. It can be such things as success, fame, material, affluence, or power over
others.
The second commandment states that we shall have no idols. The first commandment
deals with the object of our worship, forbidding the worship of any false God. The
second deals with the manner of our worship, forbidding us to worship even the true God
unworthily. We should take the utmost care to discover what God is truly like and thus
increasingly worship him as the only great, transcendent, spiritual, and inscrutable God
he is. But we do not do this. Instead, as Paul argued at the beginning of his discussion,
we suppress the knowledge of God and find that our foolish hearts are darkened (Romans
1:18, 21).
When Paul gets to the end of this paragraph, which describes the true state of the
orthodox or “religious” person, he states “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles
because of you.” See Isaiah 52:5; Ezekiel 36:22. This is always the case when ostensibly
devout persons violate the very standards they proclaim. These persons continue along
the wrong path, supposing that they are on the best of standings with God – just because
they are religious – when actually they are, like the utter pagans around them, on a swift
journey to destruction. If you have been trusting in baptism, confirmation, church
membership, knowledge of the Bible, knowledge of doctrine, stewardship, Christian
upbringing, Christian family or anything other than Jesus Christ and his death up the
cross in your place, throw whatever it is completely out of your mind! Abandon it, trust
in Jesus alone, and trust him only.
See Philippians 3:4-9.
25For
circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your
circumcision becomes uncircumcision. 26So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of
the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? 27Then he who is physically
uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision
but break the law. 28For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision
outward and physical. 29But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by
the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.
Although the Jew may agree that they have not followed the Commandments perfectly,
he had one more argument against his need for the gospel. He had been circumcised, and
circumcision had brought him into visible outward fellowship with that body of covenant
people to whom God had made salvation promises. It was like saying that circumcision
(our counterpart is baptism) had made him a member of that body, and because of that
membership, his salvation was certain. The argument is that salvation is for Jews and
what makes one a Jew is circumcision. So what makes a Jew? Many would say decent
from Abraham – yet Ishmael was his descendant yet is not considered a Jew. Paul’s
answer is radical. Paul does not say that one does not have to be a Jew to be saved, but
rather that one has to be a true Jew which, as he points out, is not a matter of external
criteria – such as possession of the law, decent from Abraham, or circumcision – but of
conduct which flows from spiritual changes within (28-29).
So do sacraments make a person a Jew or a Christian? What is a sacrament?
1. A sacrament is a divine ordinance instituted by Christ himself - Baptism and the
Lord’s Supper were commanded by Christ and are like the Old Testament
sacrament of circumcision, which God himself imposed on Abraham and his
descendants.
2. A sacrament uses material elements as visible signs of God’s blessing – The New
Testament signs are water, bread, and wine. With circumcision, the sign was
cutting away the flesh. The material items are significant because they point to
the spiritual reality. The Lord’s Supper points to our participation and union with
Christ. Baptism signifies our identification with Jesus by faith. The sign is
secondary, outward, and visible, The reality is primary, inward, and invisible. It
is like a street sign that says “Dallas 100 miles” – the sign is not Dallas, but points
us toward Dallas.
3. A sacrament is a means of grace – This does not mean the participant receives
spiritual life in some magical way. But it also does not mean that a person is not
edified by participating in the sacraments.
4. A sacrament is a seal, certification, or confirmation of the grace it signifies –
Theologians refer to sacraments as “signs and seals” of some spiritual reality:
signs because they point to them, seals because they authenticate the one
submitting to the sacrament. Our Baptism can always remind us that we belong
to Christ and the Lord’s Supper can always remind us of our union with him. But
these activities are only significant if they point to the inward spiritual realities.
We must never trust in the actions themselves, a sacrament is only a proper seal
when it points to the inward reality.
Sacraments point to what saves, but they are not the reality themselves. Jewish people
cannot trust in their physical circumcision. Christians cannot trust in their baptism for
salvation. We must remember that God judges our actions based on truth. We cannot
substitute Christ’s atonement with religious ceremony. It is Christ and Christ alone who
saves.
Paul’s chief point is namely that Jews are not saved by these things any more than
Gentiles are saved by human morality or good works, and that Jews and Gentiles all
therefore equally stand under the just condemnation of God apart from faith in Jesus
Christ.
3:1Then
what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? 2Much in every way.
To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God.
The book of Romans can be thought of as being a conversation between two people. The
apostle Paul who is defending the gospel and an imaginary detractor who brings up
questions and issues that, to him, appear to be unanswerable and discredit Paul’s claims.
No doubt Paul, who had been on many vast missionary journeys, had faced real
detractors with real questions. We can be sure that many of the questions posed in
Romans echo the questions Paul had faced before. We come now to the first major
questions posed by the imaginary detractor – “What advantage has the Jew? Or what is
the value of circumcision?” We will see more and more questions posed by the detractor
that Paul will answer one-by-one. In this chapter alone, we will see them in verses 3, 5,
7, 8, 27, and 31.
Paul has been showing that all are under God’s condemnation – both Jew and Gentile.
Paul has argued this case so forcefully that he has virtually equated the Jew, who was
though to have great religious advantages, with the Gentile, who had none (2:9-11, 29).
But if God treats Jews and Gentiles alike, not showing favoritism, an dif the only thing
that makes one truly Jewish is an inward transformation by the Holy Spirit, then what
advantage is there in being a Jew? Or, to put it another way, what is the Old Testament
all about? This same question applies to us in our day as well. We who call ourselves
Christians must ask, “What advantage, then, is there in being a godly, churchgoing
person? What value is there in baptism, church membership, communion, or any other
religious exercise if we are all under condemnation anyway?” If God is not pleased with
religious activity, they why should we bother doing it?
Paul’s answer is that circumcision and being Jewish are true advantages, although they
are not the kind of advantages we are thinking of if we wrongly suppose that one can be
saved by them. Paul list a chief advantage in chapter 3 (“the very words of God”) and
several other advantages in Romans 9:4-5.
1. The adoption as sons – This is the privilege of approaching God directly as one’s
father
2. The divine glory – This refers to God’s revelation of himself in glory on Mount
Sinai at the time of the giving of the law, in the Most Holy Place of the Jewish
temple. No other nation had this privilege.
3. The covenants – The special bonds of God to Israel generally known as the
Abrahamic covenant, Mosaic covenant, and the Davidic covenant.
4. The receiving of the law – The Jewish people know the moral will of God
5. The temple worship – In the early days, God actually manifested himself in the
tabernacle. This method of worship pointed the pathway to God by atoning
sacrifices for sin, which prefigured the only perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
6. The promises – The Old Testament (like the New) is filled with promises to God’s
people. They are sure and reliable since it is God who has made them.
7. The patriarchs – Chiefly, it refers to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (See Exodus 3:6,
Matthew 22:32). God had worked through these men and they were models of
faith and godliness to their descendants.
8. The human ancestry of Jesus Christ – Being related to Christ did not secure
salvation for Jewish people, but it was still better to be close to him and his
ministry in this way than to be far from him. If nothing else, there was at least a
cultural affinity out of which it was easier to understand the meaning of his
teaching.
The only advantage that is shared between Jews and Gentile Christians in this long list is
the only advantage mentioned in Chapter 3 – the Words of God. We have been given the
gift of the very words of God in our language. Without the Scriptures we are utterly
confused, adrift on a sea of human speculation where all the great questions in life are
concerned. So let us turn the spot light on ourselves. If someone cannot be saved by
baptism, religious ceremony, or even Bible Study, what advantages would we have if we
grew up in a Christian environment or participate in Christian activities?
1. Even if God never saves you by drawing you from the darkness of your sin to
saving faith in Jesus Christ, you will at least sin less because of the advantages
and therefore be punished less severely.
2. Going to church and listening to the preaching of the Word of God, in a Biblebelieving church, will at least cause you to know the way of salvation, even if you
do not respond to it.
3. The third great advantage of regular church attendance and faithful adherence to
the preaching and study of the Word of God is that, although you cannot claim
this as a right from God, it is through the reading and preaching of the Bible that
God is most likely to save you.
See the story of the man born blind in John 9. He was blind from birth and could do
nothing to gain his sight. He did not even understand what sight really was. He was a
beggar but he would not ask anyone for sight because no one could grant it. His case was
hopeless and there was little he could do to improve his condition. The one thing that
worked to his advantage was that he was in the place where Jesus was likely to pass.
Jesus did pass, had compassion, healed his eyes and regenerated his spirit. And that is
the advantage of church attendance and Bible Study if you are not yet a believer in Jesus
Christ. You put yourself in a place where Jesus is likely to pass. It is in the pages of the
Bible and the faithful preaching of Scripture that you are most likely to be saved.
What is done by God through the Bible?
1. Unsaved men and women are born again by the work of the Holy Spirit operating
through the Bible. (1 Peter 1:23, James 1:18, John 3:6)
2. Christians are convicted of sin and enabled to turn from it by the power of the
Holy Spirit speaking through the Bible. (2 Timothy 3:16)
3. Christians are sanctified, or made holy, through the Bible. (John 17:17)
4. Christians learn the will of God through the Bible, and it is through the Bible that
they are given wisdom to apply the details of Scripture to their daily lives.
See Matthew 13:1-8 and 18-23. Coming from a Christian upbringing can be thought of
as fertilizing the soil. First, fertilizer itself does not make anything grow; there must also
be a seed and water. Likewise, a Christian background will not save anyone, but it will
encourage truth to grow in the hearts of those who hear it. Also, the soil must be good;
fertilizer will not cause seeds to grow on concrete. Many people have been pushed away
from Christ because of a distaste in their religious upbringing. We must remember that
true Christianity is found in the pages of the Bible alone. Moreover, must not fail to come
to Christ because of our bad impression of religious people or religious experiences in
our past.
3What
if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? 4By no
means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written,
"That you may be justified in your words,
and prevail when you are judged."
5But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That
God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) 6By no means! For then
how could God judge the world? 7But if through my lie God's truth abounds to his glory, why am
I still being condemned as a sinner? 8And why not do evil that good may come?--as some people
slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.
It is rare to observe a truly brilliant mind reason and work. Here in the third chapter of
Romans we at least get a glimpse of the back-and-forth reasoning that must have taken
place again and again in the setting of Paul’s missionary expositions. The first two
chapters of Romans contain the bedrock teaching of the apostle as to the nature and
universality of human sin. All that he has said will soon be summarized. But Paul seems
to have been hearing in his mind the questions that sharp Jewish opponents had thrown
up at him over the years, and he is therefore reluctant to move on to his summary without
dealing with at least the most important of them. Paul has shown us first that there are
advantages to the spiritual things although they in themselves do not guarantee salvation.
Paul now brings up two more questions before moving on to the summary of the first two
chapters. There are seven question marks in our text but there are only two basic
questions.
Question 1) What if some were unfaithful? Would their faithlessness nullify the
faithfulness of God? Many Jews in Paul’s day (as well as in our own) fail to believe these things that Paul
teaches. One may say, “Isn’t God then proved to be unfaithful to his people – since he
has made an eternal covenant with them?” This is an important question that Paul will
later devote three chapters to answer (9-11). Paul simply acknowledges the question at
this point and refutes the accusation that he is preaching something that proclaims God to
be unfaithful. In chapters 9-11, Paul will answer this question with these six points:
1. God is sovereign in human affairs and does all things justly, even if this means
passing over the mass of Jewish people for a time (Romans 9:1-21) – Paul makes
this point by reviewing God’s sovereign choice of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in
order to form the Jewish people and establish the Messiah’s line – while passing
over Ishmael and Esau. If salvation is by election and therefore by grace, there
can be no injustice in God’s choosing to pass over anybody.
2. God prophesied that Israel as a whole would reject Christ and that he would offer
the gospel to the Gentiles (Romans 9:22-33) – This was meant to keep Israel
conscious of the very nature of the gospel, namely that it is by grace – since Jews
could never claim salvation as a right. Because of these prophecies (and
warnings), the unbelief of the Jews, so very evident in Paul’s day should have
come as no surprise.
3. The offer of the gospel to the Gentiles was nevertheless for Israel’s own good,
since it was intended to provoke them to jealousy and therefore faith (Romans
10:1-21) – It was a “last resort” by God to reach out to those who had already
rejected him
4. In spite of the universal offer of the gospel to Gentiles as well as Jews and Israel’s
jealousy of that fact, a remnant of Jews is nevertheless being saved (Romans
11:1) – Paul cites himself as an example.
5. This situation is no different from what it has always been, because even in
earlier days all Jews were not saved, but rather it was only a remnant that
believed and was faithful (Romans 11:2-24) – The apostle’s example here is
Elijah, who in the days of Ahab considered himself to be the only faithful Israelite
left, but to whom God disclosed that there were seven thousand who had not
worshiped Baal. The number was larger than Elijah imagined, but it was
nevertheless just seven thousand. The many other thousands of Jews living at that
time were not saved.
6. Notwithstanding Israel’s present and persistent unbelief, there will yet be a day of
national blessing in which God’s promises to Israel will be completely fulfilled
(Romans 11:25-26) – This truth is so marvelous that Paul closes this important
section of the letter with a doxology.
Question 2) Shouldn’t we sin so that our failures will contrast God’s holiness? Our sins
magnify God’s righteousness! How can he condemn us for that?
This is more of a quibble and as a result deserves the scorn Paul gives it. Yet Paul must
have heard it often, just as we do. We gather this from the fact that he seems compelled
to present it in three forms.
1. God’s role as judge – If God is righteous, how can he condemn anyone? Will
God not save everyone? Paul replies with a categorical statement regarding the
certainty of God’s judgment. “Certainly not! If that were so, how could God
judge the world?” (vs. 6) The argument is this: “If there is a world, there must be
a God who made it, to whom all who live and act in this world are responsible.
Therefore the judgment of God is a given, and any argument that would suggest it
is not is faulty.”
2. My condemnation – What if my sin allows the glory of God’s truth to be
displayed? How can God be upset when my sin glorifies him? Providing the
sinful backdrop that magnifies God’s holiness is no reason for God to overlook
judgment.
3. Doing evil that good may result - This is the Robin Hood question – why not rob
from the rich to give to the poor? Paul could have given a logical answer about
how “good ends do not justify sinful means.” He could have explained how
God’s way is to get good ends through good means. But he does not, Paul simply
answers that God will judge sin regardless of the reason – “Their condemnation is
just.”
Although these questions were addressed to Paul centuries ago, they are very relevant in
our day. It concerns the very nature of the gospel. Is it true that the gospel of salvation
leads to sin? Or at least excuses it? Is it enough to sin and then claim glibly, “I am
forgiven,” without genuine repentance and decision to live differently, not to mention
make restitution? If this is where Christianity leads, it is a mockery. It is an offense to
God’s justice. But if, on the other hand, we insist on Christians doing righteous deeds –
declaring, as Paul does, that we must not sin that grace may abound – how do we
preserve the true gospel of grace apart from human merit?
Here is where Roman Catholic theology and Protestant theology part company most
radically. Catholics have a proper concern for works; no one can ever say that it is all
right to sin and yet be saved, according to true Catholic teaching. But Catholic theology
brings works into salvation in the sense that God justifies us in part by producing good
works in us, so that we are saved by faith plus those good works. The Catholic formula
for justification is:
Faith + Good Works = Justification
Protestants reply that we are justified by faith in Jesus Christ alone. No works enter into
the justification; not even faith as a work. But Protestants add (or should add – there is a
great deal of deficient Protestant theology at this point) that good works must follow faith
if we are justified. The Protestant formula would be:
Faith = Justification + Good Works
What about the deficient Protestant theology? (In other words, “Let us go on sinning so
that grace may increase”) What would be the formula for Antinomianism? That formula
is:
Faith = Justification – Good Works
Christ insisted on a radical change of behavior for all who follow him (see Luke 9:23,
Luke 6:46-49, Matthew 5:20). The reason all this can be said is that God never justifies a
person without regenerating him or her; that is, the person being saved is given a new
nature, which must and will hate sin and strive for righteousness. Paul does not spell this
out in Romans 3, being content to merely scorn the position that thinks it is possible to be
good terms with God yet continue in sin. But he gets to it later in chapter 6. He will
show that all who are saved are joined to Christ. Because Christ lives in them, they
increasingly want what Christ wants. And if they find that they are not increasingly
coming to hate sin and love righteousness, they are not really Christ’s. They are not true
Christians.
Do you doubt this? If so, you have not understood the first two chapters of Romans.
Those chapters have told us of the nature and extend of human sin. They have
demonstrated that men and women, left to themselves are on a path leading away from
God, the only source of true good, and that the progression along that path is always
downhill. No original or ultimate good comes from any mere man or woman, only evil.
Therefore, if good is to be seen anywhere, it must be from God himself and in those in
whom he has planted his very nature.
What a calling if you are a Christian! What a destiny! “Do evil that good may result?”
If you find yourself thinking that way, you are no true Christian. You are no Christian if
evil in yourself and in others does not distress you. You are no Christian if you can take
the transgressions of God’s law lightly. If you are a Christian, you will hate sin,
repudiate it, fight against it, and strive for righteousness.
Romans 3:9-3:20 - All People Apart from Christ
Sigmund Freud came to observe much of what we have studied regarding mankind. These
observations (which many in world would agree with) are interesting when compared and
contrasted to God’s revealed word. Freud came to see human personality as having three aspects
which work together to produce our complex behaviors. He defined these as:
1. The Id is the primitive, lowest developed part of the mind that follows the pleasure
principle of instant gratification: “I want it all and I want it now.”
2. The Ego functions as the rational part of the mind. The Ego develops out of growing
awareness that a person can not always have what he wants. The Ego realizes the need
for compromise and negotiates between the Id and the Superego. The Ego's job is to
get the Id's pleasures but to be reasonable and bear the long-term consequences in
mind.
3. The Super Ego, according to Freud, is the last part of the mind to develop. This part of
the mind contains social values and enforces moral behavior. The Super Ego is the
human awareness of consequences. The Super Ego’s power to live morally comes
from its ability to create anxiety within the person.
First, we must compare a few notable similarities. The Id relates roughly to the thinking of the
person described in chapter 1 and is accurate in is selfish behavior and selfish motives. The Ego
resembles the person described as the moralist in chapter 2. Freud observes rightly that although
there are spots of morality and human goodness, they are done nevertheless to satisfy selfish
motives. The Super Ego is somewhat similar to the religious person - primarily in anxiety based
motives. Paul has shown that mankind uses religion as a means of escape from the True God
who is sovereign, holy, omniscient, and immutable. Religious ceremonies and rituals are often
used to claim a right-relationship with God and ease anxiety regarding the pending day of
judgment.
Freud also observed that each person shows all of these three personality traits to different
degrees. Likewise we must be able to see ourselves and our sinful nature described in each of
these sections of Romans.
While Freud and many others in our modern era have correctly observed these different aspects
of human nature, there are serious flaws in their conclusions apart from Biblical revelation. First
there is no sense of sin or wrongness of sin in their conclusions. The underpinning of the Id is
being all-selfish, all the time. Satisfying this most basic human nature would mean that the chief
end of man is to glorify and enjoy himself forever. The motive for moral behavior is simply to
maximize selfish desires (such as money) while minimizing undesirable results (such as jail).
The concept of being made in the image of a holy God for his glory is not considered a
motivation for morality. The second great contrast exists in the perceived direction of mankind.
Freud speaks of us continuing to develop and grow in our values. This is clearly in opposition to
the teaching of Scripture regarding man’s direction when he runs from God and to selfish
desires.
Freud’s conclusions exalt man at the expense of God. This is done by pushing God out of the
picture, making selfish desires mankind’s chief end, and giving the expectation of continuous
human improvement. Yet this is all too common in our modern society. God is removed from
our schools and culture, greed drives our economy, and are leaders are elected based on the false
hope of things improving apart from God.
9What
then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all,
both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10as it is written:
"None is righteous, no, not one;
11no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
In this section of Romans, the apostle summarizes the condition of every human apart
from the grace of God in Jesus Christ. According to Paul, Jews are not better than
Gentiles, and neither are Gentiles better than Jews. Instead, all are alike under sin, and all
are thus subject to the wrath and final judgment of Almighty God. This is what
theologians call “Total Depravity,” man is able to do nothing to please, understand, or
seek after God. This is a very difficult doctrine for mankind to accept; as sinners, we
tend to think of sin lightly. Yet it is vitally important that we come to terms with this bad
tendency to run from the truth about ourselves. Without an accurate knowledge of our
sin, we will never come to know the meaning of God’s grace. Without an awareness of
our pride, we will never appreciate God’s greatness, nor will we come to God for the
healing we so desperately need. Only in the Bible we see mankind for what it is – utterly
dead in sins and transgressions. See Ephesians 2:1 and Genesis 2:17.
From Gods’ point of view human being have no righteousness at all. “God’s point of
view” is emphasized not to suggest that any view other than God’s is ever ultimately
valid but merely to make clear that it is from this viewpoint that we need to assess the
situation. This is because, if we assess the human condition from man’s perspective, we
will always conclude that at least some people are good – simply because they are better
than what we think we observe in others. Our problem at this point is that we think of the
good we do (or can do), as being the same thing as God’s righteousness, when it is
actually quite different. We assume that by simply accumulating human goodness we
can please God.
See Appendix: Monopoly Money and Human Righteousness.
Paul also pronounces that humans in their sinful condition cannot understand spiritual
things. Human wisdom is bankrupt so far as coming to know God is concerned. See 1
Corinthians 2:14; 18:21. It is not that the doctrine of God (or any other doctrine of the
Christian faith) is difficult to comprehend. It is rather that we do not want to move in the
direction these doctrines lead us. We suppress the truth about God, refusing to glorify or
give thanks to him, and as a result our thinking becomes “futile” and our foolish hearts
are “darkened” (vs. 21).
Paul also adds that our wills are corrupt because we do not seek after God. Some may
say, “I have sought God my whole life. I’ve tried different Christian denominations and
looked into the major religions of the world.” So often we hear of people doing this and
they claim to “take a little bit from each one.” They describe their system of faith as a
quilt made up of a patchwork of the most enlightening ideas they have discovered
throughout their journey. Yet this is the opposite of seeking after God. When the
doctrines of the True God revealed in the pages of Scripture and the person crosses
something they do not like or do not want to give up, well they simply ignore those
things. When ideas about false gods are proposed, they accept portions of those ideas
and put them along side scraps of truth. Many of these ideas are contradictory and held
together by nothing but the whim of the believer. What is created is a false god in the
image of the believer - a self-serving idol. This is not seeking after the True and Living
God.
According to the Bible no one unaided by the Spirit of God 1) has any righteousness by
which to lay a claim upon God; 2) has any true understanding of God; or 3) seek God.
But what we do not have and cannot do and have not done, God has done for those who
are being saved. First God pursued us, then gave us understanding by making us alive in
Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. Our eyes have been opened to see things
spiritually. Last of all, God has given us a righteousness that we did not have in
ourselves, and in fact, could never have had – his righteousness, which is the
righteousness of Jesus Christ and is the ground of our salvation.
The Bondage of the Will
Verse 11 contains the statement, “no one seeks after God” and this troubles many
because it contradicts what they believe about the freedom of human choice.
Furthermore, it seems to contradict other passages of Scripture. If a man cannot choose
to accept Christ, then what about those other passages that imply an open call to
salvation? See John 6:33; 6:65; Isaiah 55:1; John 3:16.
This question has been around for centuries. In the fourth and fifth centuries, Pelagius
asked, “How can we be responsible for something that we do not have the free will to
do?” He also argued:
1. The Sin of Adam affected no one but himself
2. Those born since Adam have been born into the same condition Adam was in
before his fall, that is, into a position of neutrality so far as sin is concerned
3. Today human beings are able to live free from sin if they want to
This is the base belief of most today (including many Christians). But it is faulty because
it limits the nature and scope of sin and because it leads to a denial of the necessity for
the unmerited grace of God in salvation. Moreover, even when the gospel is preached to
a fallen sinner (according to this view), what ultimately determines whether he or she will
be saved is not the supernatural working of God through the Holy Spirit, but rather the
person’s will, which either receives or rejects the Savior – and this gives human beings
glory that rightfully belongs to God alone.
Saint Augustine (who argued against Pelagius in his day) saw the Bible speaking of an
inherited depravity as a result of which it is simply not possible for the individual to stop
sinning. Augustine said that man, having used his free will badly in the fall, lost both
himself and his will. The will is free of righteousness but enslaved to sin. It is free to
turn from God but not come to him. Martin Luther agreed with Augustine. He said
choosing God is a choice outside of our influence. It would be like wanting to choose to
have an IQ of 140 instead of 120, we simply do not have the ability to make that choice a
reality.
Jonathan Edwards contributed much to the idea of the freedom of the human will in his
treatise: “A Careful and Strict Inquiry into the Prevailing Notions of the Freedom of the
Will.” Edwards fist defined the will as “that by which the mind chooses anything.” This
means that what we choose is not determined by the will itself (as if it were an entity to
itself) but by the mind, which means that our choices are determined by what we think is
the most desirable course of action. He then asked, “Why is it that the mind chooses one
thing rather than another?” His answer: The mind chooses as it does because of motives.
That is, the mind is not neutral. It thinks some things are better than other things, and
because it thinks that way it always chooses the “better” things. If a person thought one
course of action was better than another and yet choose the less desirable alternative, the
person would be insane.
Does this mean that the will is bound, then? Quite the contrary. It means the will is free.
It is always free. That is, it is free to choose (and always will choose) what the mind
thinks is best. But what does the mind think is best? Here we get to the heart of the
problem as it involves choosing God. When confronted with God, the mind of a sinner
never thinks that the way of God is a good course. The will is free to choose God;
nothing is stopping it. But the mind does not regard submission to God and serving God
as being desirable. Therefore, it turns from God even when the gospel is most winsomely
presented. It does not want its true sinful nature exposed. The mind is wrong in its
judgments, of course. The way it chooses is sin and death. But human beings think sin
to be the best way. Therefore, unless God changes the way we think – which he does by
the miracle of the new birth – our minds always tell us to turn from God.
The third contribution made by Edwards is distinguishing between natural ability and
moral ability. This illustration will help us. Imagine a lion in a cage that must be fed
daily. One day a bail of hay and a pile of oats are put into his cage. Will he eat the hay
or oats? No. Physically he could chew on the oats and swallow them. But he does not
and will not, because it is not in his nature to eat this kind of food. If we could ask why
he will not eat the hay, he would say, “I cannot eat this food, because I hate it. I will only
eat meat.” See John 6:51 where Jesus is called the Bread of Life. Will a sinful man or
woman feed upon Jesus as the living bread? To use the lion’s words, it is because the
sinner “hates” such food that he will not come to Jesus.
But doesn’t the Bible say that “Whoever comes to me I will never drive away?” (John
6:37). Yes it does, Jesus said those words. Certainly anyone who wants to come to
Christ may come to him. That is why Jonathan Edwards insisted that the will is not
bound. The fact that we may come is what makes our refusal to seek God so
unreasonable and increases our guilt. But who is it who wills to come? The answer is:
No one, except those in whom the Holy Spirit has already performed the entirely
irresistible work of the new birth so that the spiritually blind eyes of the natural man are
opened to see God’s truth.
Some may say, “If we teach that men and women cannot choose God, don’t we destroy
the main impetus to evangelism and undercut the missionary enterprise? Isn’t it better to
just keep quiet about?” Contrary to this doctrine being a hindrance to evangelism, it is
actually the greatest possible motivation for spreading the gospel. If it is true that the
sinner, left alone, never naturally seeks out God, how is that individual ever going to find
God unless other people, sent by God, carry the gospel to him (or her). It is through the
preaching and teaching of the gospel that God chooses to call people to faith, and anyone
who obeys God and takes the gospel to the lost can be encouraged to know that God will
work through this means. Moreover, the evangelist will pray for the sinner, since nothing
but the work of God – certainly not the eloquence or charm of man – can save him. “But
surely we should not say that that he cannot respond unless God first does a work of
regeneration in him?” argues a skeptic. On the contrary, that is exactly what the sinner
needs to know. For it is only in such understanding that sinful human beings learn how
desperate their situation is and how absolutely essential is God’s grace.
12All
have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one."
See Psalm 14:2 and Psalm 53:3-6. God has repeated himself many times throughout
Scripture regarding the sinfulness of man. Yet we do not pay attention because the
revelation of God is too intense, too penetrating, too devastating for us to deal with it.
Sometimes an illustration is given to show that no one is perfect. The illustration starts
with Matthew 5:48 and shows how all people fall short of perfection except Jesus Christ.
The illustration creates a graph like this:
100%
Perfection
80%
60%
40%
20%
op
le
Pe
le
W
or
st
Pe
bl
e
Th
e
or
ri
Ba
op
le
Pe
op
Pe
o
O
K
Pe
o
d
G
oo
pl
e
pl
e
le
op
Pe
at
G
re
d
H
Th
e
Be
st
Pe
Je
op
su
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le
0%
Many people think this way and believe that there is a score that we must achieve to earn
our way into Heaven. Maybe if our good outweighs our bad: 51% earns heaven? Or
maybe it is harder than that: 75% will earn heaven? Maybe it is easier, perhaps Hell is
for the worst of the worst and 30% perfection is all that is required to achieve Heaven.
Many Christians (who understand 100% perfection is required) believe that Jesus was
indeed perfect and we simply need a little of his perfection to top-off our own good
works in order to reach the 100% mark that God requires.
But is this what we see here in Romans 3:12? No one does good. “All have turned
away;” in effect means that all are running away from God – away from perfection. The
correct frame of reference at this point is to not show human goodness reaching up
toward God, bur rather varying degrees of opposition to God and his righteousness. God
does not say that people merely fail to live up to his standard; he says all have “turned
away.” We have “become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” A
graph of God’s perspective on so called human goodness would look something like this:
100%
Perfection
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
-20%
-40%
-60%
-80%
-100%
Jesus
Bad Horrible The
OK
Great Good
The
Best People People People People People Worst
People
People
See Genesis 6:5. That verse says not only that men and women do not do good; they do
precisely the opposite. They do evil and that continually. Sin is internal (rising form the
“thoughts” and inclinations of the “heart”), pervasive (affecting our “every inclination”
so that our deeds are “only evil”) and continuous (that is, operating “all the time”).
But aren’t these verses just the words of Moses (author of Genesis) and Paul? What does
Jesus say about human corruption? These are just a few of the verses where Jesus speaks
of the wickedness of man:
Matthew 5:13, 7:7, 12:39, 12:45; 19:8, 21:33-41, 23:2-39;
Mark 7:21-23, 10:18
Luke 11:13, 19:42
John 3:18-19, 5:40-42, 47, 7:7, 19, 8:21, 23, 38, 44, 47
Paul’s words almost seem mild in comparison. Yet they are not mild, they are
devastating. God must speak to us in these terms so we might see our true condition, stop
trying to excuse ourselves or whittle down the scope of God’s judgment, and instead
open ourselves up to God’s grace.
But aren’t people searching for God, heaven, nirvana, or something? Many think that we
humans are spending our lives seeking heaven and that Jesus came to show us one path to
our eternal goal. They would say, “All humans are seeking the way to heaven, there are
many ways to heaven, and Jesus simply points one way out to those who want to follow
him.” Some may recognize the human case is worse than that – they may say we are
blind and wandering and would never find the way to heaven without Jesus leading us.
They may go so far as to recognize that Jesus provides the only way. But is that it? Or is
our situation such that we want heaven, but we are blind and hanging over the edge of a
great cliff and need Jesus to lift us up and lead us? Even this illustration does not go far
enough to describe our situation. We are not hanging over the edge of a cliff, we are at
the bottom of the canyon. And we are not simply blind and wandering, we are blind with
broken backs – lying on the ground and helpless. We are not seeking heaven, we are lost
in our condition. But as long as we are alive, there is still hope, right? There is no hope
because the Bible says that we are dead in our transgressions – a broken corpse at the
bottom of a canyon no more able to help ourselves than a cadaver is able to raise itself
from the dead. See Ephesians 2:4-5.
In this case God must do everything for us if we are to be saved. Jesus does not simply
show us a path. He does not simply add to our righteousness by helping us over a cliff.
He even goes farther than lifting us totally out of the canyon. First, he makes us alive,
that is, we are born again by the Holy Spirit. Once alive, he imputes his righteousness
into our account; in essence he raises us out of the canyon. Far from letting us wander
freely afterwards, the Holy Spirit continually makes us like our Lord Jesus Christ. We
live out his righteousness through the power of the Holy Spirit. God the Father accepts
the work done on our behalf because it is he that ordained this plan from the foundation
of the world. Humans contribute nothing. It is God the Father, God the Son, and God the
Holy Spirit from start, middle, and end. Nothing could further exalt God while leaving us
with nothing but gratitude, praise, and awe.
13"Their
throat is an open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive."
"The venom of asps is under their lips."
14"Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness."
15"Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16in their paths are ruin and misery,
17and the way of peace they have not known."
18"There is no fear of God before their eyes."
This echoes the condemnation that Paul first pronounced in Romans 1:29-31 except each
of these sentences are quoted from the Old Testament. The list from the first chapter
were the apostle’s own description under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Verses 13-14 are made up of: Psalm 5:9, Psalm 140:3, and Psalm 10:7. These verses deal
with our abuse of the gift of speech. We often use words to hurt others. People
remember the pain of harsh things that people say. Sticks and stones do break our bones
– temporarily. But words hurt forever. These verses go even further than hurtful words
if we consider what we see today in popular culture. Whenever anyone on television
says, “I love you” to another person, the two always end up in bed. This is all “love” is
allowed to mean. TV will not show stars contracting disease or the psychological
damage that promiscuous sex brings. On television immorality has become morality and
sin has become the norm.
Martin Luther said mankind also teaches deceitfully. This is to teach a pleasing and
wanton doctrine, as if it were holy, salutary, and from God, so that people who have been
thus deceived hear this doctrine as if from God and believe they are hearing him. This
speech only softens the heart of men to be pleased with themselves in their own wisdom,
their own righteousness, their own word or work. These kinds of speech kill people
spiritually. It pulls them away from God and his ways and pollutes their minds with false
ideas of God. See Matthew 24:24.
Verses 15-17 are from Isaiah 59:7-8 and move from words to violent action. There are
three ways in which men and women lack peace apart from God. First, they are not at
peace with God; they are at war with him. Second, they are not at peace with one
another; they hate and attack one another. Third, they are not at peace in themselves;
they are restless and distressed.
Verse 18 is from Psalm 36:1. The word fear here does not mean “fright” or “terror” but
rather denotes a right reverence and respect for God. See Proverbs 9:10. To be destitute
of the fear of God is to be godless, and no indictment could be more inclusive and
decisive than the charge made here. Contemporary sinful man fears the future, hostile
neighbors, disease, stock market crashes, and a host of other things. Above all, everyone
fears death. What irony: to fear these things, all of which pass away eventually, and yet
not fear God, to whom all of us must one day give an accounting.
19Now
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.
Donald Grey Barnhouse would use this text as the starting point to lead many people to
Christ. He helped many people with their problems but he would first need to ask them a
few spiritual diagnostic questions to determine if they truly understood the essence
Christianity. He would say, “You know that there are a great many accidents today.
Suppose that you and I should go out of this building and a swerving automobile should
come up on the sidewalk and kill the two of us. In the next moment we would be what
men call ‘dead.’ We brush aside that absurd folly that we are going to meet St. Peter at
the gate of heaven. We are going to meet God. Now suppose that in that moment of
ultimate reckoning, God should say to you, ‘What right – note my emphasis on the word
right – what right do you have to come into my heaven?’ What would be your answer?”
Barnhouse found, as he used this approach again and again in counseling situations, that
the many varieties of answers ultimately boil down to just three.
Justified by works – This is the answer that says, “I’m a pretty good person. I’ve tried to
do good and help other people.” Some may say they have been active in philanthropy or
church service. Barnhouse would take them to Galatians 2:16 or Romans 3:20 and show
them that no one will be justified by performing good works of the law. This is what we
have seen in this study of Romans thus far.
Nothing to say – The second answer that can be given involves our text in Romans.
Someone may say, “I don’t know what I would say. I don’t have anything to say.” At
God’s judgment no one will be able to offer any good works as grounds for his or her
justification or offer any valid excuses for bad conduct. All mouths will be made mute,
and everyone will know that he or she is guilty and deserves God’s just condemnation.
The reason is that it is God’s judgment. We must appear before God. In earthly courts,
we appear before our peers and are able to cite circumstances for our actions or show
evidence of our innocents. If we are found guilty, we can usually appeal to a higher
court. We can refuse to be silenced. But this will not be the case before the perfect and
holy God.
Look at the biblical prophets as examples. Job wanted answers to an important question:
Why do the righteous suffer? God revealed himself to Job asking a series of probing
questions that go on and on in the book that bears Job’s name (chapters 38-41), Job was
overcome and with confusion answered: “I am unworthy – how can I reply to you? I put
my hand over my mouth. I spoke once, but I have no answer – twice, but I will say no
more.” Job 40:4-5.
Isaiah had the same experience recorded in chapter 6 verse 5 of his prophecy. Habakkuk
testified, “I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; Decay crept into
my bones, and my legs trembled” Habakkuk 3:16. Even John fell at Christ’s feet “as
though dead” in Revelation 1:17. These are the reactions of the biblical saints and
prophets - how much more humble and silent will we be before Almighty God!
The only saving answer – It is clear that the only saving answer to the question
Barnhouse would pose focuses not on the works of the sinner, but on the achievements of
Jesus Christ. If we are to be saved, it will not be on the basis of anything we have ever
done or can do, but solely on the basis of what he has done for us. All who come to God
on that basis and with that answer will be saved. No others will be. Only those who
come to God trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ will enter heaven.
Verse 19 gives us one possible answer to the question: All mouths will be stopped. Verse
20 will give us a second possible answer: By works of the law, no human being will be
justified. We must look ahead just a bit to verses 23-24 and realize that all are sinners
and are justified by God’s grace in Jesus Christ.
20For
by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law
comes knowledge of sin.
From where his argument began in verse 1:18 and up to this point, Paul has been proving
that the entire race lies under the just condemnation of God for its wickedness. How is
this great argument summarized? Quite simply, Paul says that no one will be saved by
good works.
“But what about the good things human beings do? People are often kind to one another,
doesn’t this count for anything?”
Perhaps this illustration will help. Imagine a pirate ship full of crew members working
together to run the ship. The pirates are on good terms with one another. Their hard
work is really hard work and their kindness to one another is really kind. But all these
“good” actions are also at the same time “bad” or wrong behavior, because they are
aimed at maintaining themselves in violation of international maritime law. Their good
deeds are highly selective; they do not help everyone, only themselves or those like
themselves. They actually rob, maim, and murder many other people. And even their
kindnesses to each other grow out of their rebellion. A modern example is the Godfather
series where a mob family shows tremendous violence maintaining their criminal
ambitions while showing strict loyalty and love to their family members.
The second reason no one will be justified by following the law is that no one actually
does it. This is the answer to the apparent contradiction between Romans 2:13 and
Romans 3:20. Both are true because, although anyone who perfectly obeys the law
would be declared righteous – the righteousness of God requires it – in point of fact no
one actually does this; rather, all disobey God’s law. We have seen in Romans 2 that
whenever we judge another person, we condemn ourselves before God because we
practice the very same thing. Is a person rude to you and are you offended? If so, your
reaction condemns you, since you are often rude to other people. Are you angry when
someone takes unfair advantage of you? You are right to be angry; a violation of fairness
is wrong. But you still condemn yourself, because you are also unfair to others. You
may not always admit it but it is true. Whatever standard you raise by which you approve
one set of actions and disapprove another set of actions in others – that very standard
condemns you, because you cannot and do not live up to it.
We have seen the negative half of this verse – no one will be justified by the law – but
there is a positive side to the verse as well. This verse shows us one function of the law –
define sin and point it out in our lives. Apart from God’s law we may consider ourselves
to be quite upright, model citizens fit for heaven. But when we look into the law closely
we soon see that we are not fit candidates at all. We are morally crooked. In this
function, the law can be considered a mirror. When you look into a mirror, you see
yourself. What happens if your face is dirty and you look into a mirror? The answer is
that you see that you should wash your dirty face. Does the mirror clean your face? No.
The mirror’s function is to drive you to the soap and water that will clean you.
The purpose of the law is not to save anyone. In this verse it is shown to define sin, point
sin out in our lives, and reveal our need for a savior.
Salvation by Grace through Faith
But now…
We have been looking at the sad story of the ruin of the race because of sin. Now we reach a
new and glorious point in Paul’s letter. We turn with relief to the wonderful news of God’s great
grace to sinners through the Lord Jesus Christ. With two words, “But now…” we reach the great
turning point in God’s dealing with the human race. If we had not studied the first two and a half
chapters of Romans carefully, we would not be in a position to appreciate these words because
the change they speak of would not seem to be a change at all. With no understanding of the
past we can never appreciate the present.
See John 9:25 and Philippians 3:4-8. Can you find the “but now” in these verses? See Acts 9:119 when the author of this epistle was once Saul but now has become Paul. See in John 3 where
Jesus speaks to Nicodemus about being born again. We must have a “but now” Christian
experience in our life. We must be born again. It may not be concentrated to a specific moment
in time (such as Paul’s conversion), but we must be able to look back to a time when we were
not followers of Christ and contrast that time against our current faith and discipleship. We must
be able to say, “I once was lost but now I’m found! Was blind but now I see!”
Paul uses now in the opening verse to show that God has done something to change the continual
fall of man we have studied thus far. We were without hope and without God (Ephesians 2:12)
but now things are different. There is hope because of what the Lord Jesus Christ has
accomplished. The incarnation, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus has changed everything.
1. Wrath and righteousness – In verse 1:18 we saw that the wrath of God is being revealed
but now we see that God has revealed his righteousness in verse 3:21.
2. Condemnation and justification – See John 3:17-19. In Romans 3:22-24, we see that all
have fallen short of the glory of God but are now justified by his grace.
3. Bondage and freedom – In Romans 7:6 Paul says: “But now, by dying to what once
bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the
Spirit.”
4. Exclusion and participation – Ephesians 2:13 says, “But now in Christ Jesus you who
once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.” This is
particularly significant to Gentiles.
All this may seem very new, and it is in a historical sense; yet, this is simply the unfolding of
God’s plan that began before the foundation of the world. See 2 Timothy 1:9-10. God had
always planed this for us, but now it has been revealed to us historically. The saints of the Old
Testament looked forward to this event, but now we look back on the completed work of Christ.
See Genesis 3:15, 12:3; Psalm 22, 23, 24; Isaiah 53:3-6. Each of these are Old Testament
prophecies fulfilled in Christ. Many, many, many more could be cited. In fact, the whole of the
Old Testament is to lead people to Christ.
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones said, “When the devil attacks you and suggests to you that you are not a
Christian and that you have never been a Christian because of what is still in your heart or
because of what you are still doing or because of something you once did – when he comes and
thus accuses you, what do you say to him? Do you agree with him? Or do you say to him: “Yes,
that is true, but now…”? Do you hold up these words against him? Or when, perhaps you feel
condemned as you read the Scripture, as you read the Law in the Old Testament, as you read the
Sermon on the Mount, and as you feel that you are undone, do you remain lying on the ground in
hopelessness, or do you lift up your head and say, “But now”? This is the essence of the
Christian position; this is how faith answers the accusations of the Law, the accusations of
conscience and everything else that would condemn and depress us. These are indeed very
wonderful words, and it is most important that we should lay hold of them and realize their
tremendous importance and their real significance.”
We are dealing with themes that are the very heart, not only of Paul’s letter, but of the entire
Bible and therefore of reality itself. In all life and history there is nothing more important than
these teachings. We live in an age where people are self-absorbed and focus on immediate
gratification. We tend to evaluate any religious teaching according to its apparent relevance to
our present “needs” and short-term goals. But it has always been this way – it was no easier for
Paul in his day than it is for us in ours. Yet, there is nothing in all life and history that is more
important than these teachings. The issues of eternity hang on these truths, and we must be
faithful to them regardless of the resistance or scorn of our contemporaries.
Romans 3:21-3:31 – Introduction of the Doctrine
21But
now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law
and the Prophets bear witness to it—
Paul introduced this section with the words, “but now.” These words indicate that
something of great importance has taken place, and that this is the substance of the good
news being proclaimed.
1. God has provided a righteousness of his own for men and women, a righteousness
we do not possess ourselves.
2. The righteousness is by grace.
3. It is the work of the Lord Jesus Christ in dying for his people, redeeming them
from their, sin, that has made this grace on God’s part possible.
4. This righteousness that God has graciously provided becomes ours through
simple faith.
In verse 21, we see “the righteousness of God” has been manifest. This means that God
is the possessor of the righteousness. Some translations say, “The righteousness from
God.” This implies that God is the source of this righteousness and through Jesus Christ
makes it available to us. It is like saying “love of God” – it could mean the love that
belongs to God (as in: I admire the love of God) – or it could mean a love for God (as in:
I have a love of God). In this case we do not have to choose a preferred interpretation
because both are equally true. Jesus is the source of the righteousness that he makes
available; and it is his own righteousness he confers.
At the same time, the righteousness of God, which is revealed in Jesus Christ, is also a
righteousness that comes to us from God. For if God did not give it, there is no way any
of us could possibly win it for ourselves. This is another way of saying that salvation is a
gift. It is the ground on which the redeemed will ascribe all their praise to God for saving
them. See Philippians 3:9. God provided it to us through the work of Jesus Christ.
We must think again about the purpose of the Old Testament Law: a muzzle (to restrain
sin), a mirror (to show us sin in our lives), and a map (to lead us to the Savior). We
should notice from these verses that the purpose of the law is not to save anyone. The
righteousness of God is apart from the law (although the law would point you to it).
Another way of putting this is to say that when the law was given to Israel on Mount
Sinai, the very books that listed these unyielding commandments of the holy God also
contained instructions for he sacrifice of the lamb on the Day of Atonement. God gave
the commandments, but he also gave the alter and taught the principle of substitution. It
is as if he were saying, “These are my commandments; you must keep them or be lost.
But I know you cannot keep them. So, rather than trusting in your ability to do what you
will never be able to do, I point you to my Son, who will die for you. It is on the basis of
his future work that I am giving you a righteousness you could never achieve yourselves.
Trust him.”
In justification there is no contribution, preparatory, accessory, or subsidiary, that is given
by works of the law. “Law” also embraces all human effort to attain righteousness, and
this means that the fundamental principle of this verse (as well as the Bible as a whole) is
that God’s righteousness is to be received apart form any human doing whatsoever. It is
at this point that Christianity is distinguished categorically from every other human
religion. Some are mystical, some are ritualistic, some emphasize a path to God, some
allow the follower to choose. But all, except for Christianity, suppose that there is
something human beings can do for the Deity to convince him to save them. They teach
a human way to achieve eternity, a man-made ladder to the bliss of the life to come.
Only Christianity humbles man by insisting that there is nothing at all we can do to work
out our salvation.
1. If salvation is by the gift of God, apart form human doing, then we can be saved
now. We do not have to wait until we reach some high level of attainment or pass
some future test. Based on human works, salvation is always something hoped
for in the future. Furthermore, it is something a person hopes to attain, though
they are afraid they cannot. Only in Christianity does this future element move
into the present. And the reason for this is that our salvation does not depend on
our ability to accumulate merit with God, but rather what God has already done
for us. See John 19:30.
2. If salvation is the gift of God, apart from human doing, then salvation is certain.
If salvation is by human works, then I can save myself and unsave myself. I can
ruin everything. But if salvation is of God from beginning to end, it is sure and
unwavering simply because God himself is sure and unwavering. See Philippians
1:6.
3. If salvation is by the gift of God, apart from human doing, then human boasting is
excluded, and all the glory in salvation goes to God. On earth, human boast in
everything from looks, money, power, friends, or whatever. Imagine heaven full
of people who could boast of their salvation, “Yeah, Joe is in that other place. He
should have lived the good life like me. He just didn’t have what it takes.” But
heaven will not be like that. All will be their by God’s grace and not by works so
no one can boast. See Ephesians 2:9.
22the
righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no
distinction: 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified by his
grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
The righteousness from God becomes ours by the grace of God alone, apart from human
merit. That is the meaning of grace, of course. It is God’s favor to us apart from human
merit. Grace – God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense. God gives us exactly what we do not
deserve – we deserve the opposite. But do we appreciate God’s grace? The reason we do
not appreciate grace is that we do not really believe Romans 3:23. “All have sinned and
fall short of the glory of God.” Or, if we do believe that verse, it is in a far lesser sense
than Paul intended. We do not consider ourselves that desperate.
It is astonishing that we should fail to understand grace, because all human beings have
experienced it in a general but nonsaving way, even if they are not saved or have not even
the slightest familiarity with Christianity. We have experienced what theologians call
“common grace,” the grace that God has shown to the whole of humanity. See Matthew
5:45. When Adam and Eve sinned, the race came under judgment. No one deserved
anything good. If God had taken Adam and Even in that moment and cast them into the
lake of fire, he would have been entirely just in doing so, and the angels could still have
sung with great joy: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is
to come” (Revelation 4:8). Natural blessings we have are due not to our own
righteousness or abilities but to common grace.
But it is not common grace that Paul is referring to in our Romans text. It is the specific,
saving grace of God in salvation, which is not “common” (in the sense that all persons
experience it regardless of their relationship to God), but rather is a gift received only by
some through faith in Jesus Christ, apart from merit. We should be getting this by now,
because each of the blessing enumerated in this great chapter of Romans is apart from
works, law, or merit – which are only various ways of saying the same thing.
 The righteousness of God, which is also from God, is apart from works.
 Grace, which is the source of that righteousness, is apart from works.
 Redemption, which makes grace possible, is apart from works
 Justification is apart from works.
 Salvation from beginning to end is apart from works.
The self-righteous person imagines that God scoops grace out of a barrel, giving much to
the person who has sinned much, but giving only a little to the person who has sinned
little. That is one way of wrongly mixing grace with merit. But the person who is
conscious of his or her sin often imagines something similar, though in the opposite
direction. Such people think of God’s withholding grace because of their great sin, or
perhaps even putting grace back into his barrel when they sin badly. But grace is never
given out or withheld based on this principle.
If we have been humbled – if God has humbled us – the doctrine of grace becomes a
marvelous encouragement and comfort. It tells us that the grace of God will never be
withheld because of anything we may have done, however evil it was, nor will it be
lessened because of that or any other evil we may do. Grace humbles us, because it
teaches that salvation is apart from human merit. At the same time, it encourages us to
come to God for the grace we so evidently need. There is no sin too great either to turn
God from us or to lessen the abundance of the grace he gives.
Bought with a Price
We have been looking at 1) the righteousness of God, 2) grace, 3) redemption, and 4)
faith. We now come to redemption and it is the most precious to us, because it describes
what the Lord Jesus Christ did for us by dying. We have just looked at grace (God’s
riches at Christ’s expense), which is free to us but cost the Lord Jesus Christ a heavy
price. “Agorazo” and “exagorazo” are two of the Greek words used for redemption in
the New Testament. It comes from the noun agora, which is an open market place where
things are bought and sold. These verbs used for “redeem” mean to buy something out of
such a market place. See 1 Peter 1:18-19, we were slaves to sin and bought by Christ to
become slaves of righteousness (Romans 6:18).
It was a principle of Jewish law that property should remain within a family as much as
possible. Therefore, if a Jewish person lost his or her share of land through debt or by
some other means, a solemn obligation evolved on a near relative to buy the property and
restore it to the family, he became a “kinsman-redeemer.” A kinsman-redeemer had to
fulfill three qualifications:
1. He had to be a close relative (a stranger would not do)
2. He had to be willing to take on this responsibility (nobody could be compelled to
do this work, and
3. He had to be able to pay the ransom price (he had to have sufficient means at his
disposal)
These three conditions apply to and were fulfilled in the case of Jesus Christ. This is
shown vividly in the Old Testament story of Ruth and her “redeemer,” Boaz. In
redeeming us, Jesus fulfilled the qualifications: 1) he became our kinsman by the
incarnation, 2) he was willing to be or Redeemer, because of his great love for us, and 3)
he was able to redeem us, because he alone could provide an adequate redemption price
by dying. The redemption of Ruth may not have cost Boaz a great deal, at the most only
money, but our redemption cost Jesus Christ his life.
Do you realize that Christ is your Ransomer and has actually shed his blood for you as
your ransom? Do you realize that your salvation has been bought, bought at a
tremendous price, at the price of nothing less precious than blood, and that the blood of
Christ, the Holy One of God? Or, go a step further: do you realize that this Christ who
has thus shed his blood for you is himself your God?
25whom
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.
Romans 3:25 is a powerful verse but many in our day may have trouble because the word
propitiation is so rarely used in our era. Few understand what it means, let alone love
and respond to the concept. “Redemption” we can imagine from the world of buying and
selling. But “propitiation” is drawn from the world of ancient religion. It is an “atoning
sacrifice,” an act by which the wrath of the offended deity is appeased or turned aside.
Because this ancient world of sacrifices is so far from our experience, the idea of
propitiation is hard to understand.
Propitiation presupposes the wrath of God – a wrath that needs to be appeased or turned
aside. Many today have a problem with imagining wrath as a part of modern Christianity
and therefore fail at the beginning to understand propitiation. But it should be clear after
the first two and a half chapters of Romans that the wrath of God is precisely our
problem. We are under wrath because of sin. Therefore, if the wrath of God cannot be
turned aside by someone or in some way, we are lost. Propitiation is the concept that we
should be looking for.
Here are two important points to remember:
1. Although God’s wrath is not like the capricious anger of the pagan deities, his
wrath is nevertheless a true wrath against sin; and it is this true and proper wrath
that must be dealt with. We may feel, because of our particular cultural
prejudices, that the wrath of God and the love of God are incompatible. But the
Bible teaches that God is both wrathful and loving at the same time. What is
more, his wrath is not just a small and insignificant element alongside his fare
more significant and overwhelming love. Actually, God’s wrath is a strong
character element. Got hates sin and must punish it. The wrath of God is
revealed in the Bible all the way from the opening chapters of Genesis to the final
cataclysmic judgments recorded in Revelation.
2. Although propitiation means turning the wrath of God aside, in the biblical
framework this is never a case of mere human beings appeasing the divine wrath,
but rather of God himself satisfying his wrath through the death of his own Son,
Jesus. In pagan rituals, sacrifices were made by people trying to placate God. In
Christianity, it is never humans who take the initiative or make the sacrifice. It is
God himself who, out of his great love for sinners, provides the way by which his
wrath against sin may be averted. In Jesus, God placates his own wrath against
sin so that his love may go out to save sinners. This was already clear in the Old
Testament, in which the sacrifices were recognized not as human works but as
divine gifts. They did not make God gracious; they were provided by a gracious
God in order that he might act graciously towards his sinful people. See Leviticus
17:11.
When God gave Moses the law and gave him instructions for erecting the tabernacle, he
was instructed to place the Ark of the Covenant in the inner most chamber called the
Most Holy Place. The Ark was a gold-covered wooden box about a yard long containing
the stone tables of the law that Moses had received after destroying the first set. This box
had a cover called the Mercy Seat which had above it two statues of cherubim (angles)
facing one another. In a symbolic way, God was imagined to dwell above the Ark, over
or between the outstretched wings of the cherubim. As it stands, the Ark is a picture of
terrible judgment for God sees the broken Law of Moses when he looks down upon earth.
God cannot ignore sin; sin must be punished.
But this is where the Mercy Seat comes in. Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the
Jewish high priest entered the Most Holy Place to make atonement for the people’s sins.
He entered to make propitiation, for the very word that (in Greek) was used to translate
“Mercy Seat.” After making a sacrifice for himself and his family in the courtyard of the
temple, he took the blood of a second animal, entered the Most Holy Place, and sprinkled
the blood of the sacrifice on the Mercy Seat. What was symbolized here? Now, as God
looks down from heaven, he does not see the Law of Moses that we have broken, but
instead sees the blood of the innocent victim. And his love goes out to save all who come
to him, not on the basis of their own righteousness or good works, but through faith in
that sacrifice. We know the blood of animals did not take away sin (See Hebrews 10).
But the animal sacrifice pointed forward to the only sufficient sacrifice of Jesus Christ,
who by his atoning death became our true propitiation.
See Luke 18:9-14. Why did the tax collector rather than the Pharisee go home
“justified”? Both were sinners regardless of any profession. The only differences were
that 1) the tax collector knew he was a sinner, while the Pharisee did not know it; and 2)
the tax collector approached God, not on the basis of his good works, but on the basis of
the provision of God for him, symbolized by the Mercy Seat and by the propitiation that
took place there. Literally, his prayer was, “God, be ‘Mercy-Seated’ [propitiated] to me,
a sinner.” This short prayer starts with God and ends with sinner. He came to God as a
sinner. He was saying, “Treat me on the basis of the blood sprinkled upon the Mercy
Seat.”
26It
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.
Propitiation is found in the New Testament just four times, Reconciliation is found just
five times, and Redemption is found often in the Old Testament but rarely in the New.
Justification, on the other hand, is found over two hundred times in the New Testament
(in different forms of the Greek word dikaios). The frequency of the words alone would
indicate that justification is the central or pivotal idea in the doctrine of salvation. John
Calvin and Martin Luther called justification the “hinge on which salvation turns” and
“The chief article from which all other doctrines have flowed.” We have actually been
looking at justification as far back as Romans 1:17. Romans 1:18-3:20 show that no one
will be declared righteous (or justified) on the basis of works. We are now seeing that the
Righteousness of Jesus Christ is imputed into our account and by this we are justified.
Redemption and Propitiation are aspects of our justification. It is not possible to have
any one of these without the other.
The Salvation Triangle:



Redemption links the Lord Jesus Christ with mankind, because it describes what
Jesus does in relation to his people. He redeems them. He purchases them at the
price of his own shed blood. Because this describes what Jesus does for use, and
not what we do, the line is an arrow point from Jesus to us. He is the subject, we
are the object.
Propitiation describes what the Lord Jesus Christ did for us in our relationship to
the Father. It is us that owe God the penalty for sin – death. God’s wrath against
sin needs to be turned aside. Moreover, we are unable to make propitiation, and
this is what is done in Christ. Jesus, who is God, turns God’s wrath aside. The
arrow points from Jesus to the Father because Jesus is the subject of this action
and God the Father is the object.
Justification – God the Father declares us righteous, he is the subject of the action
and we are the object so the arrow points to us. It is just-as-if-I have not sinned.
Two actions issue from Jesus Christ. This indicates that he is the one who has
achieved our salvation. It is his work. We are the recipients of two actions and
contribute nothing to salvation. All three of the actions are bound together, it is
impossible to have one without the others.
The term justification comes from the world of law and describes the act of a judge in
acquitting an accused person. It is the legal process of declaring righteous. Note that
justification does not mean “to make righteous” in the sense of actually producing
righteousness in the one justified. As we will see, actual righteousness does follow on
justification – but justification itself does not refer to this change. Justification only
indicates that the person involved has a right standing before the bar of God’s justice. It
does not indicate how he or she got that way, which is why redemption and propitiation
are necessary. Justification is the opposite of condemnation.
Romans 3:24-26 speaks about justification by grace through faith
1. The source of our justification is God’s grace (verse 24) – if “there is no one
righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10), it is clear that no one can declare to be
righteous. It is possible only if God does the work for us – which is what grace
means, since we do not deserve God’s working.
2. The ground of our justification is the work of Christ (verse 25) – When God
justifies sinners, he is not declaring bad people to be good, or saying that they are
not sinners after all; he is pronouncing them legally righteous, free from any
liability to the broken law, because he himself, in his Son has born the penalty of
their law-breaking. Before the incarnation and death of Christ there had been
something like a stain on God’s name. For centuries he had been refusing to
condemn and instead had actually been justifying sinful men and women (such as
Abraham, David, Moses, and Rahab). When they died, they did not go to hell. It
would seem to anyone looking that he had merely been passing over their sins –
but unjustly. Was God unjust? No, in the death of Christ, God’s name is
vindicated. It is now seen that on the basis of his death, God has been just when
he justified the ungodly.
3. The means of our justification is faith (verses 25-26) – Faith is the channel by
which justification comes to us. Faith is not a good work, it is not work at all.
Faith is itself God’s gift (see Ephesians 2:8-9). Faith is not a work but only
receiving what God has done for us and freely offers. The only means by which
any person can ever be justified is by believing God and receiving what he offers.
4. The effect of our justification is union with Christ – We will see this more fully in
Romans 5. Yet, it should be clear to see that by being redeemed by Christ, we are
his – he has bought us with the price of his blood.
Faith
We have been following the four part outline:
1. God has provided a righteousness of his own for men and women, a righteousness
we do not possess ourselves.
2. The righteousness is by grace.
3. It is the work of the Lord Jesus Christ in dying for his people, redeeming them
from their, sin, that has made this grace on God’s part possible.
4. This righteousness that God has graciously provided becomes ours through
simple faith.
This outline is not all inclusive, but it gives us the general direction of the passage. We
now look at faith. Look at how faith is used in verses 22, 24, 26, 28, and 30. The
message is clear. Faith is not a good work. It does not earn salvation. It does not put
God in debt to us. Nevertheless, faith is essential, for only those who believe in Jesus
Christ are saved.
What is faith? Charles Haddon Spurgeon said, “Faith is believing that Christ is what he
said to be, that he will do what he has promised to do, and then to expect this of him.”
He went on to say, “Faith is the simplest of all things.” It is perhaps its very simplicity
that makes it hard to comprehend.
The First Element: Knowledge – Faith must have an object. We must know about
something before we can agree with it our act upon our belief. In the middle ages, many
church members had no understanding of the biblical gospel because the Scriptures were
seldom taught. But how were people to be saved? The church answered that it was by
“implicit” faith. That is, it was not necessary for the faithful to actually know anything.
All they had to do was trust that the church was right and they would be right too – even
if they did not know what those right teachings were. Many people today have a “faith in
faith” – basically faith in positive thinking. Self-confidence and optimism are not biblical
faith. In the gospel, the object of faith is the all important thing. Our faith must be in
Christ and his work rather than in ourselves. We are inadequate for what needs to be
done. Therefore, we must trust in Christ, whom God has sent to be the savior.
We must start with knowledge of the Bible. Calvin said, Faith is defined by God’s Word,
faith is born of God’s Word, and faith is sustained by God’s Word. First, there is specific
content that we must know and we must know the Bible to know what to believe.
Second, faith is awakened in us by that Word. God speaks to his people in the pages of
the Bible and this is where we will hear him and respond. Finally, the Bible will sustain
us because the Bible directs us to God and only he is strong enough to support us in this
matter of salvation.
The Second Element: Moving of the Heart – This is what others call “belief” or “mental
assent.” This means you agree with and believe what you find in the Bible. See James
2:19. James gives the example of the devil who undoubtedly knows the Bible and
understands theology better than we do, yet who does not believe it in the fuller sense. It
is common to find people who study the Bible simply to find (what they believe to be)
contradictions or to find ideas they feel are “outdated” for modern society. Such
individuals want to simply debate or refute the Bible. They have knowledge, but not a
moving of the heart or agreement. Calvin said, “It now remains to pour into the heart
itself what the mind has absorbed. For the Word of God is not received by faith if it flips
about the top of the brain...”
The Third Element: Commitment – This is also called trust, it is a real yielding of oneself
to Christ. It is the point at which we pass over the line from belonging to ourselves (as
we think) and become the Lord’s disciples. It is at this point that faith joins with love,
which it closely resembles, and hope is born from that union. Think of a young man and
woman that meet, fall in love, and get married. The first stages of their courtship
correspond to the first element of faith; that is getting to know one another. The second
stage is falling in love and corresponds to the “moving of the heart” and they are each
affected in an emotional way. The finals stage comes when the couple stands in the
church before the minister and recites the vows by which they pledge themselves to one
another. Jesus has pledged himself to us and we pledge ourselves to him through
commitment. We should be able to say, “I sinner, take thee, Jesus, to be my loving
Savior and Lord; and I do promise and covenant, before God the Father and these
witnesses, to be they loving and faithful wife; in plenty and in want, in joy and in sorrow,
in sickness and in health, for this life and for all eternity.”
27Then
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. 28For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the
law.
It is appropriate that the first implication of the doctrine of justification by faith concerns
boasting for boasting is related to pride: the greatest of all sins. If pride is the greatest of
all sins and God’s plan of salvation does not destroy pride, then it is not a good plan.
Pride was the very first sin. See Isaiah 14:13-14. Pride was what made eve want to be
like God, “knowing good and evil.” See Genesis 3:5. C.S. Lewis called pride the place
where Christian morality differs most from all other moral systems:
 This is one vice of which no man in the world is free; which everyone in the
world loathes when he sees it in someone else; and of which hardly anybody ever
imagines that they are guilty of themselves. I have heard people admit that they
are bad-tempered, or that they cannot keep their heads about girls or drink, or
even that they are cowards. I do not think I have ever heard anyone accuse
himself of this vice. And at the same time, I seldom met anyone who showed the
slightest mercy to it in others. There is no fault which makes a man more
unpopular, and no fault which we are more unconscious of in ourselves. And the
more we have it ourselves, the more we dislike it in others. The vice I am talking
of is Pride.
 Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than
the next man. We say that people are proud of being rich, smart, or good-looking
but they are not. They are proud of being richer, or smarter, or better looking than
others. If everyone else became equally rich, there would be nothing to be proud
about. It is the pleasure of being above the rest. Pride is the chief cause of misery
in every nation and every family since the world began.
Is pride at its worst at work where we strive to get ahead? Or is it worst regarding our
possessions where we want to appear richer than others? The sphere of life in which
people show the most pride is religion. Religion – not true Biblical Christianity, but
religion in the generic sense – is the ultimate setting for the very worst expressions of
pride. For it is in religion alone that we are able to claim that God, and not mere human
beings, sets his approval on us as superior to other human beings. Moreover, the more
demanding or rigorous our “religion” is, the more prideful we become. See Luke 18:1014. If the Pharisee had merely been asking a fellow human to appraise his achievements
and declare him superior to the tax collector, it would have been unpleasant and perhaps
inappropriate. But it could have been done. We would have acknowledged it but
disliked it, without even knowing why. But he was not asking it of a human, but rather
was demanding it from God. Think of expecting the holy God to endorse one’s own selfinflated judgment! The fact that he did not see himself a sinner and in need of mercy
shows that he did not actually know God at all.
Whenever we find that our religious life is making us feel that we are good – above all,
that we are better than someone else – I think we may be sure that we are being acted on,
not by God, but by the devil. The real test of being in the presence of God is that you
either forget about yourself altogether or see yourself as a small, dirty object.
Salvation by grace is the one doctrine that undercuts all boasting. Think of the possible
grounds for boasting that the doctrine excludes:
1. Morality – The chief ground on which people suppose they can save themselves is
morality, doing good things. If they believe that they are saved by this, and others
are not similarly saved, they believe that they are approved by God because they
are better than other people. Salvation through the work of Christ undercuts all
that. For not even the best of our righteousness can be enough. It is worse than
“not enough.” It is actually evil, for it feeds the pride that lies at the heart of the
evil in us all.
2. Pious feelings – Someone may say, “I know I am not a very moral person. But I
feel so close to God. At times tears even come to my eyes. Surely God must save
such a sensitive person as myself.” If he must, salvation is not by grace alone. It
is a matter of debt that God must settle.
3. Knowledge – Some people are not particularly moral or sensitive, but they know a
great deal of doctrine and have a very sound creed. How can God reject them
when they have spent the best years of their lives in Sunday school or have
memorized the “Westminster Shorter Catechism”? Although knowledge is apart
of faith, knowledge itself is not faith. The devil understands doctrine far better
than we do, yet is perishing.
4. Faith – This is a particular danger for the evangelical. For the most part the
evangelical knows that he (or she) is not saved by works. But faith is the
distinguishing mark of the evangelical. And some, if they are pressed would say
that they will be in heaven while others will not is because they have faith while
others do not. It is like saying, “God sent the law but nobody could keep it. So he
sent something we could do, just believing on Jesus.” I am sure you see what is
wrong with that idea. If that is the way God operates, faith becomes a work and
then there is ground for boasting. Christians are nothing but sinners saved by
God’s grace. If you do not believe that, you are still trusting in you own good
works, feelings, knowledge, or faith – not in Jesus.
Faith is the instrument of our salvation. We are not justified because of our faith
but rather we are justified through our faith. Faith is only the channel that brings
the righteousness of God in Christ to us. It is not faith that saves us. What saves
us is the Lord Jesus Christ and his perfect work. It is the death of Christ on the
cross that saves us. It is his perfect life that saves us. It is his appearing on our
behalf in the presence of God that saves us. It is God putting Christ’s
righteousness in our account that saves us. This is the righteousness that saves;
faith is but the channel by which his righteousness becomes mine. It links us to
the Lord Jesus Christ and he is what saves.
29Or
is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also,
God is one. He will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.
To many people the question, “Which of the world’s religions are right and which ones
are wrong?” is very puzzling. There are three major ways of dealing with this problem.
 The first is to suggest that religions are all more or less equal – at least if they are
pursued sincerely.
 The second is to say that, although the religions of the world all probably have
some value, some are nevertheless better than others. But this imposes the task of
seeking out the “best,” which is what many people think they are doing.
30since

The third view, the Christian one, is that there is only one way to come to God – it
is through faith in Jesus Christ – and the other religions of the world are really
only ways of running away from him.
This third solution is so contrary to the permissive spirit of our times that it is hardly safe
to utter it, except behind the walls of the church. Any such claim to truth is perceived to
be narrow, bigoted, hateful, ignorant, wicked, cruel, and intolerant – the kind of thing that
has always led to genocide, religious wars, or witch hunts. But it does not actually lead
to these things.
Paul has spoken of human failure and salvation by grace. One path to salvation is the
natural outcome of the gospel. These verses teach that there is only one way of salvation
because there is only one God. God is the God of all. Far from being narrow, this truth
actually swings the grand door of salvation wide open for everybody. The gospel
maintains the great high principle of monotheism, for it is the gospel of this one God. At
the same time, the gospel does not promote any kind of exclusiveness, for it is a gospel
offered to all alike – apart from religious advantages or disadvantages, understanding or
lack of understanding, good works or very evil deeds.
Whoever you are or whatever you may or may not have done, this gospel is for you,
because it is for everybody. God will receive you and will never cast you out (see John
6:37).
Who may come? The answer is everybody. All alike are lost in sin, and yet all alike are
the objects of Jesus’ saving love. It is for the great sinner as well as the apparently moral
person - the pagan or the religious person. What is your sin? Pride? Murder? Stealing?
Adultery? It does not matter. If you will come to Jesus you will be received. What is
your profession? Minister? Gambler? Businessman? Housewife? You may all come
through faith in the atoning work of Jesus. Are you running from God? Fighting God?
Questioning God? God is close to you and will receive you. Do you not care about
religion? You don’t have to. Religion saves no one. It is Jesus who saves and he will
accept you if you are indifferent.
How may I come? You may come as you are. Some come running to Jesus when the
gospel is preached. Some come in full faith and with substantial knowledge. Others
come limping along with poor, faltering, hesitating steps. But that is alright, they may
come too! Some people come kicking and screaming. Paul himself was reluctant. C.S.
Lewis described himself as “the most dejected and reluctant convert in England.”
When may I come? You may come at any time. Come as a child. Some think that
children cannot understand the gospel or not believe on Jesus meaningfully. This is not
true. Children can understand a great deal if someone will just take the time to explain
the things of God to them. You may be older and think it is too late. Although it is hard
to change when you are old, it is not impossible. And it is never too late.
Is God the God of Americans only? Is he not the God of Asians, too?
Is God the God of Catholics only? Is he not the God of Protestants too?
Is God the God of white collar workers only? Is he not the God of the blue color worker
too?
Is God the God of the elderly people only? Is he not the God of children?
No matter who you are, God is your God and his gospel is open to you. Nothing could be
less restricted, less narrow, or more open to all people around the world of all ages.
31Do
we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.
This last verse in chapter 3 is an answer to a false conclusion that some, particularly
religious people, might draw from the gospel. The apostle has spoken so forcefully about
salvation by grace apart from the law someone may argue, “Doesn’t that set God’s law
aside and thus show it to be worthless and something we should ignore?” Paul’s reply is
that the gospel does not nullify God’s (if it did that, it would be a false gospel). On the
contrary, it establishes the law and is, in fact, the only thing that does or could establish
it.
There are two ways the gospel establishes God’s law. The most obvious manner is the
one that will be fully expounded on in chapter 6 and will only briefly be mentioned here.
This comes from the objection that salvation apart from the law will leads to greater sin
since a person could go to heaven without good deeds. This assumes that the only
motivation for moral behavior is fear of hell. As we have started to see (and will
continue to expound), the highest motivation for godly conduct comes from a love of
God. It is because God saved us by grace in spite of our faults that we love and want to
please him. This objection also assumes (wrongly) that a person can be justified without
being changed by the processes – a regenerated (or born again) person has a new nature
in the likeness of Christ and will continually grow to become more like the Lord Jesus
Christ in holiness.
Yet Paul’s point in this verse is not that the law is somehow established by what we do as
Christians by the power of the new life of God within. It is rather that the Lord Jesus
Christ has established the law in the process of providing salvation for us by his death on
the cross. To put it another way, God has established the law by seeing that the demands
of the law were met in the way he provided salvation for us.
1. The doctrine of justification by grace through faith establishes the law by showing
that the law is so high and holy that we who are sinners could never have fulfilled
it. To see this, let us look at the contrary position. Suppose God said, “I will save
people by works but I realize no one is perfect. So to save some, I will lower my
standard of perfection down to 70% and call that passing.” In that case, it is
evident that he would have nullified the other 30% of the law. If he would have
set the passing grade at 50%, the other half of the law would have been nullified.
Instead, justification by grace establishes the law, because it shows that God
continues to take each requirement of the law seriously, even though none of us
can fulfill it.
2. The doctrine of justification by grace through faith establishes the law by showing
that the punishment of sinners by death, as required by the law, has been
executed. See Genesis 2:17 and Ezekiel 18:4. Again, imagine a situation contrary
to the Biblical case. Suppose God had said, “I know that no one perfectly keeps
the law, but I will simply forgive sinners and forego their punishment.” If God
would have done that, not only would he have nullified some percentage of the
law, he would have also shown that the punishments for disobeying the law are
arbitrary and dispensable. The law could only have been established by carrying
out the penalty of spiritual death – if not on us, then on Jesus Christ as our
substitute. Imagine if a police officer caught you stealing but did nothing about it.
Would that be upholding the law? Certainly not. In order for a law to have
meaning, there has to be a penalty associated with it and the penalty must be
carried out.
3. The doctrine of justification by grace through faith establishes the law by showing
that it is on the basis of a true righteousness, righteousness that is an exact
fulfillment of the law, that we are justified. Christ fulfilled the law perfectly (see
Galatians 4:4, Matthew 3:15). Jesus was teaching that, having become man, he
wanted willing to submit to the righteous demands of the law of God. Jesus
deliberately placed himself under law as a man, setting out to fulfill the law in
each of its particulars. Dying in our place, bearing sin’s penalty, is only half of
what Jesus does for us. The other half is that God saves us by imputing to us this
actual righteousness of Christ. We are sinners but Jesus was perfect. See
Philippians 3:8-9. Do we make the law void when we conclude that through faith
the believer receives a perfect righteousness, by which, in demands and all its
sanctions, it is fulfilled? No, it is in this very way we establish it.
Romans 4 - Salvation by Grace in the Old Testament
How were people saved before Jesus Christ? This is a question that many assume to be
unanswerable. It presupposes 1) the necessity of the death of Christ; 2) the importance of
making the good news about his sacrificial death known to lost people; and 3) the need to believe
in Jesus. It understands that “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). With
these presuppositions, the questioner wonders how someone who lived before Jesus – and
therefore could not have believed on him – could be saved. How were people saved before the
birth, life, and death of Christ? The answer is that they were saved in precisely the same way as
people who have lived after those events. That is, they were saved by believing on Jesus. The
Old Testament saints looked forward to his coming. We look back to it.
1What
then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? 2For if
Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3For what
does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness."
4Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. 5And to the one
who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,
Paul’s purpose for this chapter is to prove that the gospel he has explained in Romans 3 is
not something new, but is how God has been saving people from the dawn of history. He
will use the Old Testament Scripture examples of Abraham and King David to prove the
doctrine he has finished laying out. Paul has followed this formula once already by first
stating mankind’s ruin in sin followed by Old Testament support (Romans 3:10-18).
From this chapter in Romans, we should see:
1. The importance of Scripture
2. The hopelessness of trying to be saved by good works
3. Confidence in the gospel
4. Christianity’s timelessness and validity.
Abraham was a patriarch, eminently holy, the head of the nation of Israel, the friend of
God, the father of all who believe, in whose seed all the nations of the world were to be
blessed. David was a man according to God’s own heart, the progenitor of the Messiah,
and anointed king of Israel. If then, Abraham and David had declared that the only way
in which a man can receive justification is by his sin being covered by the imputation of
righteousness, who could suppose that salvation is to be attained by any other means?
Likewise, the apostle shows that the way of justification was the same from the beginning
and the same in both the Old and New Testaments.
Paul begins with Abraham, and it is clear why he does so. Abraham was the
acknowledged father of the Jewish people and, with the exception of Jesus himself, the
most important person in the Bible. Abraham is a giant in Scripture. Old Testament
heroes such as Moses, David, Daniel, Isaiah, Elijah, and so forth, would all have
confessed in an instant that Abraham was his father in the faith. Even Christian faith has
origins with Abraham. This is the fulfillment (in a spiritual sense) of Genesis 17:5 where
Abraham is promised to be the father of many nations. Matthew 1:1 opens with Jesus
himself being linked to Abraham. If Paul can show that Abraham, the father of all the
faithful, came into a right relationship with God by faith and not by any amount of human
good works, his case is proved. Then the gospel he is expounding is the true gospel;
there can be no other. If he cannot prove this, the case is lost and so is Christianity.
See Genesis 6:5. God did not look down upon Abraham and say, “I have discovered at
least one individual who wants to serve me. I think I can make something out of him.”
We have already seen that “There is no one righteous, not even one.” If Abraham had no
natural good in him, it is certain that he was not saved by human goodness. He was
saved by God’s gift of righteousness to him, which he received by faith.
Paul cites Genesis 15:6. The context of the verse is the incident in which Good took
Abraham out under the night sky and promised him offspring as numerous as the stars of
heaven, even though at this time Abraham was eight-five years old and had no children,
Abraham simply believed God – that is, he had faith in what God promised.
God did not reckon Abraham’s sin against him. It is not merely that God simply struck
Abraham’s transgressions from the ledger book of his life and then forgot about them, as
if they could simply be discounted. That would be like you or I adding $100.00 to the
ledger book of our checking account; that does not really put $100 into the account.
There must be a deposit. God did remove the list of Abraham’s sins from his ledger, but
that was only because he had first transferred it to the ledger book of Jesus Christ. Jesus
took the liability of those transgressions on himself and paid their price by dying for
them. Abraham’s sin was not reckoned to Abraham because it was reckoned to Jesus
Christ instead.
God also reckoned the righteousness of Christ to Abraham. God took Christ’s
righteousness and wrote it in Abraham’s ledger. That is the only way anybody has ever
been saved, and it is precisely what has happened for anybody who has been saved. It is
true that the Old Testament saints understood less than the New Testament saints. But
regardless of the degrees of understanding, the only way we or anybody else is saved is
by the imputation of the righteousness of Christ to our account.
But what did Abraham believe? We are told of the ultimate object of his faith; that is, the
Lord God. But we are left in the dark as to the specific content of God’s revelation to
Abraham. If all we could look at is Romans 4 and Genesis 15, we would conclude that
Abraham was “credited” with righteousness on the basis of a complete and utterly
trusting attitude to God. We would not be wrong in thinking this; it is part of the story.
But there is more to say.
In the book of Galatians, Paul was again supporting his argument that salvation comes by
grace through faith alone and works do not play a role in justification. The Galatians had
heard this message but had strayed from its purity and were attempting to supplement
faith with works to secure salvation. Paul once again cites this story of Abraham in verse
3:6. See Galatians 3:8-9, 13-14.
Paul’s opponents would have argued that Abraham was saved by keeping the law and
being circumcised. Paul would have answered by reciting the historical sequence of
events. The verse that says that Abraham was justified by faith is in Genesis 15. But
circumcision is not introduced until years later, as recorded in Genesis 17. And the law
was not given until the time of Moses, four hundred years after that. Since Abraham was
declared righteous before either the law or circumcision, it is certain that he was not
justified on the basis of his conformity to either. But the opponent would then say, “Yes,
and Jesus came 2000 years after Abraham, so he wasn’t justified by faith in Jesus either.”
At this point we get the real answer to our question. For Paul replies that, on the
contrary, Abraham did know of Christ and that he looked forward to his coming and
trusted him as his Savior from sin. He makes three points that support this:
1. Abraham believed the gospel – This means that Abraham believed God in regard
to spiritual matters (Galatians 3:8). We see the promise that all nations will be
blessed through Abraham in Genesis 12:3, 18:18, and 22:18. He heard the
promise of the land and of an earthly seed. He believed those promises. But what
really gripped his mind and heart was the spiritual promise of salvation for all
nations. He could have had the earthly blessings in his homeland of Ur, but
Abraham followed God’s direction for the sake of this spiritual blessing. See
Hebrews 11:10.
2. Abraham’s faith concerned redemption – This is what Paul writes in Galatians
3:13-14. Jesus delivered us from the bondage of sin at the cost of his own life –
because he loved us. And that is what Abraham believed. No doubt Abraham did
not know as much about those who have lived after the incarnation of Jesus. But
we must not be so ready to assume that Abraham knew little. Paul said that God
“announced the gospel [to him] in an advance” (Galatians 3:8), and Jesus said,
“Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad” (John
8:56). What is more natural than that Abraham looked forward to some work of
God in delivering the fallen human race from sin’s slavery?
3. Abraham believed in the coming of Jesus Christ specifically. See Galatians 3:16.
See also Genesis 12:7, 13:15, and 24:7. Paul is saying that Abraham picked up on
this, realizing that this amazing promise was not a promise of blessing through his
descendants in some general way but rather a promise of blessing to be achieved
by one specific descendant, who was Jesus Christ. Abraham did not know his
name, of course. But he was looking forward to the coming of this one
individual, and it was through the channel of his faith in Jesus that God declared
him to be a justified person.
This could be said of any person saved in the Old Testament. Adam and Eve looked
forward to the deliverer that would crush Satan’s head (Genesis 3:5). Jacob was saved
because he believed in what was said about the coming savior (Genesis 49:10). Moses,
the law giver, looked to the great future prophet (Deuteronomy 18:18). Isaiah said “the
LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). Daniel prophesied about the
coming of “the Anointed One” (Daniel 9:25). Micah revealed that he would be born in
Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). John the Baptist pointed to Jesus as the “Lab of God, who takes
away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). See also Hebrews 11.
6just
as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart
from works:
7"Blessed
are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
and whose sins are covered;
8blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin."
Deuteronomy 19:15 says that “One witness is not enough to convict a man accused of
any crime or offense he may have committed. A matter must be established by the
testimony of two or three witnesses.” Paul, the former Pharisee and student of the law
now brings forth his second witness – King David. David was the greatest of Israel’s
kings as well as the one who best embodied the nation’s devotional spirit. He was her
shepherd boy, her musician, the soldier who defeated Goliath, priest, and prophet. He
would be – to modern Americans – something like George Washington, Abraham
Lincoln, Davy Crocket, and Martin Luther King combined.
Remember there are two halves to justification: Christ’s righteousness is imputed to our
record (that was the witness of Abraham) and at the same time, our transgressions are
forgiven (this is what David focuses on). This is very important in our day because
many people feel the burden of unforgiven sin in their lives. There could have been
dishonesty or criminal acts in business. There could been extramarital relationships that
have gone undiscovered. People may be carrying with them the burden of any number
of past transgressions. We must show both aspects of justification – not only does God
impute perfect righteousness, but also past sins are forgiven.
David says three things about God’s grace in reference to his sin:
1. His sins are forgiven – See Hebrews 9:28, 1 Peter 2:24.
2. His sin was covered – See Isaiah 1:18
3. His sin was not counted against him – See Jeremiah 31:34, Psalm 103:12
See Psalm 51, written by David, to see further his understanding of salvation by grace
through faith.
9Is
this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We say that faith
was counted to Abraham as righteousness. 10How then was it counted to him? Was it before or
after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. 11He received the
sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still
uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being
circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, 12and to make him the
father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of
the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
If Paul can show that Father Abraham was saved by the grace of God in Christ, received
by the channel of human faith, he has made his point and established the doctrine. Paul
shows that Abraham was saved by faith and not by works by quoting Genesis 15:6. The
important text says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as
righteousness.”
Someone at this point may think that Paul is overlooking other things in Abraham’s life
– particularly circumcision. After all, God gave circumcision to Abraham and he
performed it; would that not have something to do with his salvation? We may make the
same argument today with baptism or partaking in the Lord’s Supper. Jesus gave us
these ceremonies, they must be valuable, and they must play a part in our salvation –
right? Paul is going to explain circumcision’s value as being a “sign” and a “seal” of the
righteousness that is received by faith. But this is not the same thing as saying that it is
the ground on which a person receives that righteousness in the first place.
Paul’s argument is in verses 9-11 where he asks us to look at when Abraham was
credited with righteousness and when he was circumcised. If he was circumcised before
being credited with righteousness, we may well believe that this activity played a role in
his salvation. However, Abraham was justified in genesis 15:6, but we are not told that
he was given the sacrament of circumcision until Genesis 17, which describes a period
of his life fourteen years later. Therefore, since Abraham was not saved by
circumcision, he can be cited as the father not only of Jews, who are circumcised, but of
everyone, even those who are not. He is the father of the Justified.
Godet says, “The apostle has succeeded in discovering the basis of Christian
universalism in the very life of him whose person theocratic particularism was founded.”
That is, the Jews had been basing their hopes of being saved as Jews on Abraham. But
the example of Abraham actually proves that God saves people through Christ
regardless of their origins.
So why was circumcision given? We see in verse 11 two very important words to help
us answer this question: “sign” and “seal.”
 Sign – A sign is a visible object that points to something different from and
greater than itself. If you are driving and see a sign that says, “Dallas 125” you
know that you must travel 125 miles to reach the city of Dallas. The sign is not
Dallas but it points to Dallas. A sign that says “Joe’s Restaurant” points to the
restaurant but also signifies ownership. In the same way, circumcision points to
the covenant God established with Abraham based on the work of Christ. The
Lord’s Supper points to Christ’s death (Luke 22:19-20). Baptism, being an
initiatory sacrament, concerns ownership by or identification with Jesus. This is
why, under normal circumstances, baptism is to be done in public. When hard
times or periods of spiritual uncertainty fall upon us, we can always look back at
our baptism as outward assurance of our union with Christ.
 Seal – Seals are not used as often today as they have been in the past yet there
are still many examples we can draw from. If you have a US passport, you know
that it carries your picture along with the imprinted seal of the United States.
The seal is affixed in such a way that the picture cannot be changed without
damaging the seal. The seal signifies that the United States government certifies
the person in the photo as a legal citizen. For Abraham, after he believed God
and God had imparted righteousness to him, God gave the seal of circumcision to
validate what happened. In the same way, baptism is a seal that the person being
baptized has been identified with Jesus Christ as his disciple.
Sacraments are important as signs and seals of what has happened spiritually and
invisibly, but not as a means of salvation. In verse 12, we see that Abraham is the father
of all who have trusted in God for salvation – both Jews and Gentiles.
If we look at Genesis 12:1-3, 7, we will see seven great promises from God to Abraham:
1. I will show you [a land]
2. I will make you into a great nation
3. I will bless you
4. I will make your name great
5. I will bless those that bless you
6. I will curse [those who curse you]
7. and when Abraham reached Canaan, “I will give [you] this land
In no case does Abraham do anything to merit the appearance of God to him. Nor does
he contribute anything to the promises God utters. It is a matter of election, pure and
simple, as in our own salvation. Abraham did obey God (Hebrews 11:8), but notice this
came after God’s commands and was provoked by it. We often make evangelism mancentered by making a decision to become a Christian a work: “letting Jesus into our
hearts” or “deciding for Jesus.” It would be better if we thought of faith simply as
obedience to what God tells us to do.
13For
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. 14For if it is the adherents of the law who
are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15For the law brings wrath, but where
there is no law there is no transgression.
16That
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, 17as it is written, "I have made you the father of many
nations"--in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls
into existence the things that do not exist.
Paul showed that Abraham was not justified by works nor was he justified by
circumcision. Now he shows that Abraham was not justified by the law. He argued
against circumcision by showing Abraham was justified in Genesis 15:6 but did not
receive circumcision for another 14 years in Genesis 17. In Galatians 3:17-18, Paul
argues against the Law as a means of salvation in a similar manner by showing that the
Law was not given until 430 years after Abraham was already declared righteous. But
Paul does not use this argument in Romans 4. Instead he speaks of the results of trying
to live by law, showing that by nature law is contrary to both faith and promise and that
the inevitable result for those who choose this bad option is God’s wrath. This does not
apply only to the Ten Commandments of the Old Testament but to anyone who is
trusting in morality for their basis of salvation.
What are the consequences if a person tries to achieve salvation with God not by faith
but by morality, or as Paul says, by the law principle? Paul now lists three:
1. Faith has no value (verse 14): The reason faith has no value if one is living by
the law principle is that faith and law are opposites, and if a person is choosing
one, he or she is inevitably rejecting the other. Law is man-directed (it points to
human abilities), while faith is God-directed (it points to God’s
accomplishments). So, if you are approaching salvation by trusting man, you
cannot be trusting God and vice versa. Even if we imaging salvation to be a
mixture of faith and works, ultimately it is the works that we are trusting in for
salvation. “Jesus has done his part and now I must do mine.” If salvation
depended on 99.9% faith and 0.1% works, we would still focus on our ability to
perform the 0.1% because that would ultimately determine our outcome.
2. The promise is worthless (verse 14): Why does living by the law principle nullify
God’s promise? Because then it would be necessary for a person to keep the law
in order to receive the promise. This makes the promise conditional. As we
have seen in Romans 2 no one lives up to God’s law or any other standard of
morality. It would be like saying, “I promise to give a million dollars to any who
can jump from the star on the field of Texas Stadium up through the hole in the
roof.” The person may truly intend to pay someone for such a feat but no one
would be able to do it.
3. Law brings wrath (verse 15): The first two points tell us what the law fails to
achieve (salvation) but shows us what is actually achieved: wrath. The law can
do nothing but condemn. The law says, “Do this, and if you don’t, the
punishment is as follows.” The law possesses nothing that can enable a person
to meet its demands. A mirror is not bad because it cannot clean your face. That
is not its function; its function is to show you dirt so you will use soap and water.
In the same way, the law is not bad because it does not save you; the law was
given to show your sinfulness and your need for a savior. This is what Paul
means when he says “Where there is no law there is no transgression.” Without
the law, we would not know sin. See also Romans 7:7.
Verse 16 begins a new paragraph that shows a better set of consequences. It shows the
fortunate consequences of seeking to be justified by God by grace through faith.
1. Faith establishes grace (verse 16): Faith and grace belong together by their
very nature the same way works and law belong together. The law points to
deeds, action, and conduct. Grace is the unmerited favor of God apart from
human works. It is received by having faith in the promises of God and trusting
that no work is to be done to earn it. If a man were to be paid for 40 hours of
work, it would not be grace – it would be his wage. It would be owed to him.
But if a gift were to be given in return for no labor, it would be given by grace.
2. Faith makes salvation certain (verse 16): If salvation is gained by morality, how
good do we have to be? We must constantly ask, have I been good enough for
long enough? Are my mistakes small enough to be outweighed by my
goodness? By contrast, salvation by grace is certain – because God is faithful
and does not waver in his promises. He has done what is necessary through
Christ and this work is perfect. Nothing can be added to it and a person trusting
in it can be content and confident in their salvation.
3. Faith opens the door of salvation to all (verses 16-17): Salvation is open to not
just the Jew who possessed the Old Testament law or Gentiles who have a high
standard of morality. It is open to anyone with no restrictions. If you are
excluded, it is only because you have refused to walk through tat open door. It is
because you prefer your own sullied morality to God’s grace. Do not let that be
true of you. Salvation is for you, whoever you may be – if you will have it.
18In
hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had
been told, "So shall your offspring be." 19He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own
body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he
considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb. 20No distrust made him waver concerning the
promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21fully convinced that
God was able to do what he had promised. 22That is why his faith was "counted to him as
righteousness."
Paul spends the next few verses looking at the nature of Abraham’s faith. The first and
most important characteristic of Abraham’s faith is that it was faith in God’s promise
(verse 18). Today, we talk about faith and it often means something more like “positive
thinking” or “self confidence.” This type of faith amounts to having a positive attitude
about a situation. But in the Bible faith is grounded in God and is something that
springs from his encounter with the individual. We are saved today because we believe
the promises of God regarding salvations, promises made known to us in the pages of
the Bible. We are saved not because of our faith but because of God’s promises. True
faith is receiving these promises and believing them on the basis of God’s character.
Second, Abraham believed the Word of God alone. When God promised to Abraham
that he would have offspring as numerous as the stars in the heavens, Abraham had no
children at all. Furthermore, he was old. He was 84 when he fathered Ishmael with
Sarah’s handmaid Hagar. Yet when he fathered Isaac, he was about 99 years old. He
was not even physically able to father a child. He had no physical evidence or any other
reason to believe he would be the father of many nations other than the simple word of
God alone.
Third, the vitality of Abraham’s faith was not that he believed God’s word in the
absence of external support, but rather he believed God when the external evidences
were actually and sharply to the contrary. This is the meaning of “against all hope” in
verse 18. From the human perspective the situation was hopeless; verse 19 says his
body was as good as dead. Faith stands always with God and his Word, even when
doing so appears foolish from a human perspective.
The fourth characteristic of Abraham’s faith is assurance. Paul says this in a number of
ways: 1) “without weakening in his faith,” 2) “he did not waver through unbelief,” 3) he
“was strengthened in his faith.” Also in verse 21, “fully convinced that God was able to
do what he had promised.” True faith should always have this assurance because it is
directed neither to our selves or our circumstance but to God.
Finally, Abraham’s faith was one that acted upon the belief. True biblical faith is
“believing in God and acting upon it.” To see this, we could look at how Abraham was
first named “Abram” (which means father of many) but changed his name to “Abraham”
which means father of a great multitude.
But rather look at James 2:14-26. This passage at first reading may appear to be a
contradiction not only to what we have seen in this chapter but to our entire study of
Romans thus far! But upon careful reading, prayer, illumination of the Holy Spirit, and
diligently comparing one part of Scripture with the whole of Scripture, we can see that
this is no contradiction at all. In fact, Paul agrees completely with James. First of all,
the story in James refers to a later period in Abraham’s life after Isaac had been born and
Abraham had already been declared righteous by God.
What James is speaking about is the time when Abraham’s faith was most put to the test.
When God told Abraham to offer up his son, all things appeared to contradict God’s
promise to bless all nations through Isaac. If Isaac were to die, how could he produce
offspring? How could God’s promise be fulfilled? Yet Abraham had such faith in the
promise of God, the power of God, and the wisdom of God that he knew God could
allow Isaac to be scarified and at the same time bless all nations through his offspring.
Abraham expected Isaac to be resurrected. Because he was “fully convinced that God
was able to do what he had promised (vs. 21),” he believed the impossible would happen
before God would be proven untrue. His faith was so strong in God’s promise that he
was willing to do (by his own perception) the most irrational action in the world.
His faith led him to action and “That is why his faith was counted to him as
righteousness (vs. 22).” And so it is with all who have true biblical faith. Faith without
works is dead. Faith without action is dead. See Hebrews 11, the chapter often called
“Heroes of the Faith.” In each case the author shows what actions their faith led them to
take. Often these actions would appear by human standards to be irrational yet the
believers followed through because their eyes were fixed only on the promise of God
and not on earthly circumstances. James says that faith is completed by works (James
2:22) and this is very true. Works do not contribute to our salvation we are saved by
faith alone (Romans 3:28). Yet the faith that justifies a true believer in Christ will lead
him to perform greater deeds than can be imagined. When we understand our
hopelessness in sin and the infinite gift of our Lord Jesus Christ, we have no other
rational response but to give him our lives as disciples and follow after him.
Good works always follow a true conversion and Paul will begin to develop this in
Romans 5, 6, and 7. In these chapters, we will see how closely James and Paul are in
agreement.
To summarize Abraham’s faith (and therefore all true biblical faith), it contained these
elements:
1. Faith in God’s promise
2. Faith based upon the bare words of God an on nothing else whatsoever
3. Faith despite the many strong circumstances to the contrary
4. Faith that was fully assured, or confident
5. Faith that acted in response to God’s word
True biblical faith is not something you and I are capable of working up ourselves, as if
we could merely decide to be men and women of faith in the same way we might decide
to take up aerobics or pursue degrees in higher education. Faith is only as strong as its
object, and it is therefore created in us by God and built up by God through our coming
to know him. The only way we can come to know God is by coming to know his selfrevelation in Scripture – and then applying what we learn to our own circumstances.
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones puts it this way:
If you are anxious to know how to have a strong faith, here is the method. It means
thorough and deep knowledge of the Bible and of God through it; not suddenly taking
up an idea and deciding to “go in” for faith. If you want to have strong faith, read your
Bible; go through it from beginning to end. Concentrate on the revelation that God has
given of himself and of his character. Keep your eye especially also on prophecy, and
then watch his promises being fulfilled. That is the way to develop strong faith. Then
read the historical portions of the Bible, and the stories of great heroes. That is why the
author of Hebrews gives that gallery of portraits of these great saints. He says, “Look at
these men, who were like yourselves. What was their secret? It was that they knew
God, they gave glory to God and relied utterly upon him and his word.” Turn that over
in your mind and keep on speaking to yourself about it. Then, finally, you apply all that
in practice to particular cases as they arise in your own life and experience. That is the
secret of faith. It is our ignorance of God that constitutes our main trouble.
23But
the words "it was counted to him" were not written for his sake alone, 24but for ours also. It
will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25who was
delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
Paul comes to the end of this first great section of his letter reminding his readers that
the Old Testament was written for us and that proof of the doctrine of justification by
faith from the case of Abraham is for our present benefit. He also completes this first
section of the letter with a summation of the gospel.
It was God the Father who sent the Lord Jesus Christ to the cross. The death of Jesus
was no accident, but rather was an accomplishment of God’s plan of redemption,
devised even before the universe was created. It is why Jesus came. The death of Jesus
was for others, which means it was sustitutionary. Paul says that it was “for our sins.”
Death is God’s punishment for sin, but Jesus had not sinned and therefore did not
deserve death. That he did die was because he was because he was dying in our place as
our sin-bearer.
Why does Paul say that Jesus was raised “for our justification”? It is because the
resurrection is God’s proof, provided for our benefit, that a full payment for sins has
been made. The resurrection proves many things such as:
1. There is a God and that the God of the Bible is the true God
2. Jesus was a teacher sent from God; he was inerrant in his teachings and spoke
the very words of God
3. Jesus is the Son of God
4. There is a day of judgment coming
5. Every believer in Christ is justified from all sin
6. All who are united to Christ by a living faith will live again
7. Christians can have victory over sin
8. Jesus Christ is alive
When Jesus was on earth, he said that he would die for the sins of others. The time of
the crucifixion came, and he did die. But the question remained: Was his death fully
acceptable to God for others’ sins? Did God accept his atonement? We know that if
Jesus had sinned, however slightly, his death could not atone even for his own sin let
alone the sin of others. For three days the question remained unanswered. The body of
Jesus laid in a tomb. But then the hour came. The breath of God swept through the
sepulcher, and Jesus rose to appear to his followers and later ascend to the right hand of
the Father. By this means God declared to the entire universe, “I have accepted the
atonement Jesus made.”
The Security of Our Salvation
Romans 5:1-11 - Benefits of Salvation by Grace
Chapters 1-4 are written more or less to everyone: the primary intent is to show the race in ruin
and God’s solution in Jesus. Now beginning with chapter 5, we have passed into a section of
Romans that is written intently for believing Christians. Paul now begins to show the benefits of
our salvation and the certainty of our glorification.
One traditional outline for this section of Romans is as follows:
Theme: Sanctification
 Chapter 5 – Begin to list the benefits of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus
o Chapter 5:12 – Compare and contrast being in Adam and being in Christ Jesus.
o Chapter 6 – Christians are called to live a life of holiness
o Chapter 7 – Although Christians are not under the law, we uphold the law
 Chapter 8 – Conclude with the benefits of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus
This outline assumes that the primary purpose of chapter 5-8 is to describe sanctification along
with the benefits of salvation. Chapters 6 and 7 are assumed to be digression Paul makes in
order to address the issues of holy living and importance of God’s law.
Another popular view states that chapter 5-8 flow one-to-another with no digressions. It states
that the purpose of this section is not to describe the process of sanctification, but rather to show
the certainty of a Christians glorification and (consequently) the security of salvation in Christ
Jesus.
Theme: Certainty of Glorification
 Chapter 5 – Begin with the peace we have with God in Christ – we have peace because
Jesus has met the full requirements of God
 Chapter 5:12 – Compare and contrast being in Adam and being in Christ Jesus.
 Chapter 6 – Christians are dead to sin and cannot return to it
 Chapter 7 – Although Christians are not under the law, we uphold the law
 Chapter 8 – Conclude with the overwhelming proof of Chapter 8 that our salvation is
secure
The chief difference is that in the first case, sanctification is set forth as the primary subject of
chapters 5-8; in the second case, the chief subject is the certainty of glorification and the security
of Christian salvation. Both views are beneficial to the Christian’s understanding of the Book of
Romans.
1Therefore,
since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord
Jesus Christ.
Most people agree that the pursuit of peace is a worthwhile objective and something that
is sought out by all. Often people think of finding peace as being able to control their
environment to the extent that a peaceful state of mind can be achieved. Paul begins this
chapter with the benefit of peace with God. This is not necessarily the peace of God
which relates to the tranquility one feels through trusting God in all circumstances. The
idea here is not that we are upset and need to become trusting and tranquil, but rather that
we have been at war with God and he with us because of our sin. The wrath being
revealed from Heaven is justly poured upon us but that wrath has been turned aside (or
propitiated) because of the finished work of Jesus Christ on our behalf.
Peace with God is where all other Christian blessings begin and all other blessings flow
from it. Because Jesus has provided everything God requires on our behalf, we can be
sure that we are at peace with God. There is nothing we can do to add to Christ’s work
and there is nothing we can do to undo Christ’s work. If salvation was not guaranteed by
grace through faith, we would be in a life-long game of spiritual shoots-and-ladders.
Monday and Tuesday I have a good day, Wednesday I go to Bible study, Thursday I give
money to the poor but then on Friday I blow it and have to start over again and try to
work my way back up... People who have faith in themselves and their own works for
salvation will never have peace with God because they will never be able to rest in the
security of salvation that has already been granted.
Peace of God (that is being able to trust him in all circumstances and can come to him as
a loving Father) can only happen when a person has peace with God. Jesus Christ offers
that peace as a free gift to all who seek rest.
2Through
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.
Through faith we also have access to God. Not to briefly pass by God, but to stand
boldly before him to enjoy, rejoice, and praise him in his presence.
This passage has several key words and phrases:
 Grace – By God’s grace we are justified and able to stand before him.
 Faith – We receive God’s grace through the channel of faith
 Access – For us, access was obtained by Jesus Christ on our behalf. It was done in
the past. We are now free to enter to commune and petition God.
 Stand – God accepts us because we have accepted his Son. We may now
commune with him.
 Hope of the glory of God – This hope is our hope of glorification. Our hope that
we will be like Jesus Christ when we see him in glory.
Hebrews 10:19 – “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places
by the blood of Jesus,”
This assures us that our access is direct and no mediator is needed. In the Jewish temple,
there was an outer wall that separated Gentiles from Jews. Past that wall, was a second
wall that separated Jewish women from Jewish men. There was yet another wall that
separated Jewish men from the Jewish priests. The final separator was a huge curtain that
separated the Holy Place from the most Holy Place where only the High Priest could
enter once a year on the Day of Atonement. See also: 1 Timothy 2:5.
Read the story of Moses in Exodus 33:14-23. He wanted to see the glory of God
however he could not see God’s glory directly and live. Christians rejoice because we
will see this glory of God when we reach Heaven. Search through New Testament uses
of the word Hope and see how it is used as certainty. The certainty of our salvation is
what Paul is teaching here because it is only in our glorified state that we will be able to
experience the full glory of God.
3More
than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4and
endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5and 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.
“If God is good he would want good things for his creatures. If God is all powerful, he
could control everything his creatures face. Therefore, since bad things happen to good
people, God must be: 1) not all powerful, 2) not good, or 3) non-existent.” This question
is often put forth by atheists as a proof that God does not exist. This is faulty because it
assumes that our lack of suffering is the ultimate good in the universe. Parents will
endure many sufferings for the betterment of their children. They know that making
things better for their children is more important than their immediate comfort. God
often works in this way with us through suffering.
Since Paul is speaking about the security of our salvation in this section of Romans, he
uses the Christian’s response to difficult times as both a proof and a benefit of
discipleship. Paul shows that Christians rejoice in difficulty chiefly because of what we
know. Therefore, it is important to first understand reasons why God allows suffering:
1. Corrective Suffering: This is suffering that is meant to get us on the path of
righteousness if we have strayed. If we are suffering, we should ask God to show us
if the suffering is intended for correction. In this case of suffering, if God did not
give us correction, it would in fact show that he does not love us. See Hebrews 12:511. We must also remember that sin has natural consequences. Sin is forbidden
because it is bad, it is not bad simply because it is forbidden. If we persist in sin, we
will reap the repercussions of our actions and it will be painful. We have already
seen in Romans 1 where God’s judgment on many is to simply “give them over” and
allow them to bear the consequences of their sin.
2. Suffering for the glory of God: The story of the blind man in John chapter 9 is a
perfect example of this. We should pray that God uses us to win others to Christ by
our witness during times of trouble. We can glorify God by the way we respond to
our suffering and show the comfort we have in trusting our all-powerful and holy
God.
3. Suffering as apart of cosmic warfare: This is illustrated in the Book of Job where Job
is shown glorifying God even in dire circumstances. In the Book of Job, God proves
that his people love him because of who he is and not simply because of the material
blessings he provides. The chief end of man is to glorify God, not simply to be
comfortable.
4. Constructive Suffering: Just like the quarry where stones were cut and shaped so that
sounds of working tools would not be heard on the temple construction site, we
endure sufferings on earth to prepare us for Heaven (see 1 Kings 6:7). God is far
more concerned with our character rather than our comfort. People grow and mature
most in times of difficulty. Furthermore, we can use our experience to relate to others
who do not yet know our Lord. By suffering though similar trials, we can quickly
form a deep bond of understanding with others. These relationships can be a
significant means of evangelism. God is glorified when he is able to bring good (such
as salvation) out of horrible situations.
Paul also says that through faith we glory in our tribulations and sufferings. Tribulations
bring patients. Small trials people will try and often successfully handle. But it is the
large ordeals where we are hopeless and are in despair apart from God who can shelter us
through anything. These crushing events force us to give up on our own efforts and turn
control over to God. Experiences such as these work hope so that during the next trial,
we have more hope and confidence in God's ability to shelter us in trials. Muscles are
built up through years of working out and heavy weight training. Ph.D.s are earned after
years of study and educational work. In the same manner, trust and faith in God only
grows stronger when the faith we do have is put to the test through the trails of life. It is
the way God builds our reliance on him and prepares us for the work of his kingdom.
6For
while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For one will
scarcely die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to
die-- 8but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
1. Weak: The idea with this word is that none of us can do the smallest thing to earn
salvation. Ephesians 2:1 says that we were dead in our sins and transgressions, that
is, we were unable to do anything for ourselves. Some translations use the word
powerless.
2. Ungodly: This not only means that people are unlike God, but that in our preChristian state we actually oppose God. Verse 10 shows this by using the word enemy
to show that we were in fact opposed to Him.
3. Sinners: All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
God
So Loved
The World
That he gave
His only begotten Son
That whosoever
Believeth
In him
Should not perish
But
Have
Everlasting life
9Since,
The greatest Lover
The greatest degree
The greatest company
The greatest act
The greatest gift
The greatest opportunity
The greatest simplicity
The greatest attraction
The greatest promise
The greatest difference
The greatest certainty
The greatest possession
therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him
from the wrath of God. 10For 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. 11More than
that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received
reconciliation.
God has already done great works for us through the Christ’s work on the cross:
justification and reconciliation. They are both completed in the past and they are both
immeasurably huge. Because he has done such great things for us while we were
enemies and sinners – we can be certain that he will continue his work in the lesser task
of seeing us through life and through judgment. We can be certain of the security of our
salvation and our ultimate glorification.
We are saved from judgment by the completed work on the cross (saved from the
punishment of sin), this is justification. We are currently being saved from sin’s hold
(saved from the power of sin), this is sanctification. We will be saved in the future when
we are glorified and made Holy like our Lord Jesus (saved from the presence of sin), this
will be glorification. God is has already done the first, he is doing the second, and we can
be certain he will complete the third.
We rejoice in God because of our certain hope of His Glory which means our certain
hope of glorification. We can rejoice in God by praising any of His attributes, this
section in Romans suggests these:
1. God’s Wisdom: Through God’s revealed plan of salvation on the cross, we see how
God can be just and the justifier, he can condemn sin without condoning it, and hate
sin while loving the sinner.
2. Grace: God did what we could not do for ourselves. Natural man does not deserve
Heaven, in fact, he deserves the exact opposite.
3. Power: The cross is the ultimate demonstration of God’s Power! It is at the old
rugged cross that the power of Satan is broken and we are freed from the slavery of
sin. There is a spiritual battle of sin and grace – and it is at the cross that Grace is
unleashed against sin.
4. Love: Who could do more for us than our Heavenly father already has? The ultimate
demonstration of God’s endless love is proven at the cross.
5. Immutability: In good times and bad time, the cross of Jesus Christ along with the
empty tomb forms the foundation of the Christian faith. This is the rock of ages that
will never pass away, the work is finished and as timeless as God himself.
Romans 5:12-21 - Death in Adam, Union with Christ
So much of contemporary Christianity is trying to motivating people to do things. But through a
study of Romans you see that everything has been done and we simply need to accept this and
rejoice! People may ask – can one person and one event so alter world history? In this chapter,
Paul shows how one man's offense condemned the world and one man's sacrifice saved the
world.
Union with Christ is the central truth of the whole doctrine of salvation. When we were saved,
we were not only justified (although this was a huge element of what happened), but now Paul
reveals that we were also joined in a union with Christ. Verse 10 is a very important verse that
sets up Paul’s discussion regarding our union with Christ. He has mentioned all of the benefits
of justification that have come to us through the death of Christ. Although these are huge, Paul
contrasts their relative smallness when compared to the blessings that come about through
Christ’s life. Christ eternal life after the resurrection is what enables our union with him. This is
one of three mystical unions spoken of in the Bible (The mystery of the Trinity and the union of
God-and-Man in the person of Jesus Christ are the others).
In John 15, Jesus teaches about this union where he speaks of the vine and the branches. He
says, “I am the true vine… Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by
itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the
vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart
from me you can do nothing.”
Jesus also taught this concept at the Lord’s Supper, “This is my body… This is my blood of the
covenant, which is poured out for the many for the forgiveness of sins.” It is at the Lord’s Table
where we contemplate Christ Jesus being in us and us in him. The church is called the “body of
Christ” in Ephesians 1:22-23.
The greatest illustration of all is that of marriage where the church is called to be the bride of
Christ. The book of Hosea provides an Old Testament illustration of this. In Galatians 5 and
Ephesians 5:22-32, Paul develops this theme further.
Our entire salvation if we look back into eternity past and look forward into eternity future is
based upon our union with Christ. In the past, we speak of God’s electing those who are found
“in him” before the foundation of the world (see Ephesians 1:4). We are now justified by being
“in Christ” (see Romans 8:1). We are likewise being sanctified our union “in him” (see
Ephesians 2:10). Finally, our glorification will also come from our union with Christ when we
are raised “in him” (see Romans 8:11).
The Union in Christ is spoken about in other epistles in verses such as these:
 Romans 6:11, 8:1, 12:5,16:7
 Ephesians 2:10
 1 Corinthians 1:2,4,30, 15:22, 15:31
 Philippians 1:1, 2:5, 4:21
 2 Corinthians 5:17-19
 2 Timothy 3:12
 Galatians 2:4, 3:28
 1 Peter 5:14
Christ’s strongest teachings about the believer’s unity with him are found in the Book of John
where Christ is alone with his disciples: John 14:17, 15:1-11.
John 17 could be considered the real Lord’s Prayer. It is Jesus’ prayer to the Father before he
was turned over to be crucified. Christ speaks strongly of his unity with the Father and our unity
with him – particularly in verses 20-26.
If you are a Christian, you are in union with Christ. Ask yourself, “Am I in Christ? Am I really
joined to Jesus Christ right now?”
12Therefore,
just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so
death spread to all men because all sinned-- 13for sin indeed was in the world before the law
was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14Yet 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.
As we begin to understand our unity with Christ as Christians, we must also think of our
past union with Adam as a part of a sinful race.
Verse 12 ends with a dash as Paul inserts a parentheses to explain his idea further. The
complete idea of verse 12 is completed at verse 18 – these can be read together to help
with understanding. Together, they teach that the two monumental events in human
history were: 1st The act of Adam that brought condemnation and death, and 2nd The act
of Jesus which brought Justification and life.
Paul brings up two universal truths: all sin and all die. The secular mind says 1st there is
no connection between death and sin and 2nd each may be explained naturally. With
regard to sin, the secular mind believes humans are evolving and improving and these
shortcomings will be improved with time. However, any study of human history will
show we are no better today than any of our forefathers. Man also believes that death is
natural. The Bible teaches; however, that that death is not natural but that it is the
punishment of God for sin – sin entered into the world by Adam and is passed to his
decedents.
There are several different Christian interpretations of this passage. 1. All Christians sin
and die for the sins they commit. 2. When Adam sinned, we were genetically apart of
him and his transgressions were passed down to us 3. The most common view is that God
appointed Adam to be the representative for the human race.
Appointing Adam as a single representative for the race is an example of God’s grace and
kindness towards us. First, being the representative for his posterity would have been a
huge deterrent for Adam against sinning. Second, Adam only faced only one temptation
– he was not to eat of the tree. He did not have peer pressure, culture influence, a bad
upbringing, etc… Finally, Adam was created perfect and had open communion with
God. He was the best person to ever live aside from our Lord Jesus and the best
representative our race had to offer. Allowing Adam to represent the race is like the USA
allowing Michael Johnson to represent our country in the Olympics. If he cannot win the
200-meter dash, we should not feel cheated because team USA did not allow every one of
us to try in his place. He is the fastest our country has to offer and if he cannot win, no
one in our country could. In the same way, Adam performed far better than you or I
would have in his place. It is important for us to not look down on Adam as the person
who ruined everything. We must remember that without God’s grace, we would have
done the same if not worse.
The key to this passage is the fact that death reigned from Adam through Moses – a time
before the law was given. See Genesis 5 which details the godly line of descendants
from Adam to Noah – each of whom died for the transgression of Adam. There were no
specific sins given they could have broken. They died only because God chose to treat
the race representationally – either in Adam or in Christ. And it is because of this, that
Jesus is able to die in our place as our Savior. Jesus becomes our representative just as
Adam was our representative before our conversion.
Adam was a “type” of the one to come - a figure. This means he and Jesus have unique
similarities:
1. They were both federal representatives for other men. All people fall into one of
the two groups – in Adam or in Christ Jesus. 1 Corinthians 15:45 calls Jesus the
“last” Adam so we know these are the final and only two options.
2. Both had covenants with God. God’s covenant with Adam was something like
this, “You are free to do as you please however you must not eat of the fruit of
this tree…” The covenant with Jesus would have been something like this, “If
you will become the representative of a new humanity, taking upon yourself the
task of fulfilling my divine law and then dying to make satisfaction for the sins of
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a people I will give to you, then that people shall be freed from sin’s bondage,
given eternal life, and raised to life to reign with you in heaven throughout
eternity.”
3. Both Christ and Adam passed on the effects of their obedience or disobedience.
15But
the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many
died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ,
abound to the many.
16The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the
judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free
gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification.
17For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who
receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One,
Jesus Christ. –NASB
Verse 12 has a dash where Paul breaks off to explain what he meant by saying “for all
have sinned.” Verse 13 & 14 are his explanation. Verse 18 continues the thought started
in verse 12 – the similarities of the union with Christ or Adam. Now we get to verses 1517 where Paul shows how the differences between the two unions are very great indeed.
The first six are from 15-17 and the last three are from 18-21.
Trespass
Death
Condemnation
One
Sin
Adam
Disobedience
Sinners
Law
Gift
Eternal Life
Justification
Many
Righteousness
Christ
Obedience
Those who have been made righteous
Grace
Verse 15 is difficult and may take several readings and several translations to understand.
Some believe “many” means quantity – basically that more people will be saved than will
perish. I do not find much evidence to support that although it may be true. How does
Grace abound to the many? To help visualize what Paul is saying, think of giving scores
to different outcomes. First assume Adam never sinned and the human race continued in
a perfected earth. This would be very good – it would have been God’s original creation
and earth would be paradise. Since this is where man started, I will give this a score of
zero: man is no better off than he was in the beginning. However, Adam sinned, death
for all followed, Satan became price of this world, and man has been running farther and
farther from God ever since. This is obviously a bad condition – it is hopeless. So bad in
fact, that I will give the outcome a negative 1 million – or any other negative number.
But, when Christ saved us, he is not simply restoring us to our previous position in
created earth – he is making us much more than that. We are to be grafted into the Vine
of Christ Jesus, we share in his supper, we are in Him and He is in us, and we are now the
bride of Christ – this is a score of positive infinity because God is infinite and we are
forever united with Him! This is a much, much higher position than Adam had in the
beginning. Many died from Adam’s transgression however many will receive grace from
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God, and it will ABOUND for that “many” who receive HIS gift.
Verse 16 shows another difference. The Law requires perfection and simply breaking
one commandment means all are broken and are always broken. Adam’s one mistake
condemned the world forever more. There are billions of people who have committed
billions of sins throughout human history (see Genesis 6:5). The gift of Christ, however,
covers sins of the past, present, and future. It covers billions of sins by billions of people.
It pays the penalty of sin once and for all for those who accept it as payment.
It is not only that we are forgiven, but over and above being forgiven, the righteousness
of Jesus Christ is put to our account. Unfallen Adam was righteous, but it was his own
righteousness as a created being, it was the righteousness of a man. Adam never had the
righteousness of Jesus Christ upon him. What he lost was his own righteousness. But
you and I are not merely given back a human righteousness, what Adam had before the
fall, we are given the righteousness of Jesus Christ. “Much more” – abundance, super
abundance – give full weight to it! We receive this abundance of grace and the gift of
righteousness. – D. M. Lloyd-Jones.
God’s Amazing Grace
G.R.A.C.E. : God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense
In these verses, notice how man times Paul says, “Through Jesus Christ” and the word
grace. Consider grace: theologians speak of common grace, saving grace, irresistible
grace, persevering grace, and sovereign grace. We should never consider grace boring or
uninteresting. Yet we will never fully appreciate God’s grace until we appreciate our
own ruin in sin.
There are four primary concepts that we must understand if we are also to fully
understand God’s grace. The failure to understand these points leads modern Christians
to apathy toward one of God’s most amazing characteristics.
1. Moral depravity of man - The thought that we are fallen creatures that strike out
against God every moment of our lives is foreign to modern thought. We must
realize that God owes us condemnation yet provides us with love. Study the Ten
Commandments in Exodus 20 and pray that the Holy Spirit of God reveals the sin
in your life.
2. The justice of God – God must punish sin. Today, many feel that it is fine if God
simply overlooks sin and forgives sinners with no repercussion. See Isaiah 6:1-5.
3. The spiritual impotence of man – We do not understand that humans do not
naturally seek after God and that he in fact must first draw us to himself if we are
ever to seek him. See John 6:44.
4. The sovereign freedom of God - Most people think they owe God nothing –
furthermore, many think that God actually owes them something. God indeed
does owe people something – damnation… but is only by God’s Grace that he
gives us the exact opposite; he gives us his Son on a cross!
To better understand grace, we must recognize its broad categories:
1. Electing Grace – As soon as we see that grace really is apart from any possible
merit, we understand that God is utterly sovereign in his choices. Grace is the
source and fountainhead of salvation. It is before all things.
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2. Pursuing Grace – After Adam’s sin, God pursued him and found him in a grove
of trees. He spoke to him about the savior who would come to redeem him. The
same way Jesus pursued Saul as he was on his way to persecute Christians and
called him by name. As we grow in grace and are increasingly aware of our own
sinful natures, we know that we only sought God because he first sought us. See
the Book of Jonah.
3. Pardoning Grace – Because of Christ’s work, we are forgiven of our sins. We
have no debt to pay because God the Father accepted the sacrifice of God the Son
on our behalf.
4. Persevering Grace – We continue growing in Christ because he continues to work
in us. If our salvation and sanctification was up to us, we would be lost. God’s
Grace saved us from sin’s judgment and the same way God’s grace saves us from
sin’s power in our lives.
5. Saving Grace – We are saved from the punishment of sin (justification – past –
spirit - Jesus paid for our sins). We are saved from the power of sin
(sanctification - present – soul – our current lives are made more holy and we do
not have to be slaves to sin). And we are saved from sin’s presence (glorification
- future – body – we will be glorified in heaven and will no longer have sinful
natures).
18Therefore,
as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to
justification and life for all men. 19For 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.
Verse 18 concludes the idea that began in verse 12. We are justified by Grace alone
through faith. Even the faith we have is a give of God’s grace. The word justification as
it is used here simply means that we are declared righteous in God’s court because the
righteousness of Jesus Christ has been put in our account. There is nothing in you that
caused God to do it. He did it because it pleased him and it is his nature to be gracious.
Verse 19 repeats and sums up the message of this important section. It cannot be stated
more simply. With that summation in mind, we now look at the last two verses in this
chapter which are actually summations of the two chapters (and topics) to come.
20Now
the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the
more, 21so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to
eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Paul has already stated that the law is not a means of justification. It is perfect and it
certainly tells you what to do; however, it does not give you the power to do it. In 5:1219 we see that the law was not given to condemn us because we were already condemned
in Adam before the law was given. So if the law was not given to save people and it was
not given to condemn people, why was it given? This is the question answered in verse
20. The law was given along side of the sin that was already present in the world. It was
done so in order that people might recognize sin and run to the grace of God. The law
exposes the true nature and magnitude and therefore increases sin in several ways:
1. The law defines sin – Just like little children tend to be selfish by nature, they
would not know that behavior is wrong unless a parent or teacher corrected them.
The same way, the law defines natural behavior we have as being wrong.
2. The law reveals sin’s nature – The true essence of sin is that it is rebellion against
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God. Every one has a natural sense of right and wrong. Everyone knows
stealing, murder, adultery, etc… are wrong. These things are not condoned
anywhere. But a person may think a transgression against stealing only hurts the
victim of the crime; however, when God declares stealing to be a violation of his
almighty code, we now know there is also a transgression against God with the
crime.
3. The law exposes sin’s power – In our day, quitting smoking gives a good example
of sin’s power. A person may say, “I can quit smoking, I’ve done so dozens of
times!” But when the person is given a doctor’s order to quit, the smoker will
find that he cannot do it alone and needs help. Most people think the solution for
sin is will power until they actually attempt reformation. It is when a person
realizes their own spiritual inability that they are prepared to turn to Christ.
4. The law unveils sin’s deceit – Until we are directly exposed to the law of God we
excuse our conduct, calling sin by some lesser name or denying it altogether.
People today often have relativistic opinion of sin: “What is good for you is good
for you and what is good for me is good for me. I don’t think my behavior is
sinful and I want to continue doing what makes me happy. How can it be so
wrong when it feels so right?” It is only when a person is faced with the law of
God that there is a realization that sin is not defined by our own personal feelings
– sin is defined by God Almighty.
Sadly, the law may have an unintended effect. Rather than bringing a person to God, the
person can be hardened and turn away from God. Some people see the law as being
unreasonable and therefore dismiss it altogether. Others may even get the seed to sin
from being restricted by the law. For example – if I told you that right now, no matter
what you do, DO NOT think of a pink elephant with purple spots. Thinking of a pink
elephant with purple spots is the worst thing you could possibly do. You will find it
extremely difficult, if not impossible, to not think of a pink elephant with purple spots.
That is the nature of sin and that is the only power the law has with respect to sin.
There are, however, several important ways where God’s Grace is reveled. The first step
in seeking a doctor is realizing we are sick. By the simply defining sin for us, God shows
his grace. We are no longer blind to our sin or left to simply compare our selves with
other sinful people. We no know for certain we are sinners and need a savior. We also
see God’s Grace in that when he gave us the law, he also pointed to the sacrifices by
which sin might be punished and the guilt of sin removed. These sacrifices were
shadows and allusions to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
It is important to notice the second half of verse 20, “but where sin increased, grace
abounded all the more,” (NASB). Grace is never held back because of sin. Grace is
never depleted.
We see God’s motive for saving us through Grace: to bring eternal life through Jesus
Christ our Lord. We also see this in John 3:16. God does not want you to perish, God
did something about – everything about God is Good!
Another motive for God’s grace is seen in Ephesians 2:8-10, “…For we are God’s
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance
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for us to do.” We see by these verses that good works are not any cause of our salvation
but rather a result of it – if we believe good works have anything to do with our
justification, we are not justified. We are still in our sins and therefore not saved.
In Ephesians 3:10, “His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of
God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,” we see
that another motivation for God’s grace is to reveal his wisdom.
Ephesians 2:7, “in order that in the coming ages, he might show the incomparable riches
of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus” shows us the greatest motive
of all – to demonstrate before all intelligences the exceeding riches of his grace.
Kingdom of Grace:
Grace is not only an attitude of God it is also a power. It is a power that reaches out to
save those who, apart from the power of grace, would perish. This means that grace is
much more than an offer of help – it is a power that battles against the power of sin. This
drama is carried out as if in eternity past, God thought to himself:
I want to demonstrate the nature and power of my grace before the hosts of
heaven. To do that, I am going to create a world of creatures to be known as men
and women. I am going to allow them to fall into sin. I am going to allow sin to
reign over them, enslaving them by its power and leading them to physical and
spiritual death. But when sin has done its worst and the condition of the race
seems most hopeless, I will send a heavenly being of infinite grace and power to
rescue them and effect a new kingdom of love.”
1. God announced his Kingdom of Grace on the day very day that Adam sinned.
Gen 3:15.
2. The Old Testament records a long period of preparation for the new king’s
coming. God established a godly line, priests, prophets, and leaders that all
looked forward to the coming of Christ.
3. The death of the Lord Jesus Christ is the very basis and center of God’s kingdom.
To see the nature of God’s grace, simply look at the cross and empty tomb.
4. God’s Kingdom of Grace of course has followers. Foreknowledge, Election,
Regeneration, Repentance & Faith, Justification, Sanctification, and finally
Glorification are the stages of membership.
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Romans 6 - Freedom from Sin
As we finish the last part of chapter 5, we see that grace is destined to triumph in us and
our salvation is secure. So, does this teaching inevitably lead to loose living and sin so
that “grace may abound?” Paul has also said that the law was not given to save people
(in chapter 3) and that the law was not given to condemn people (in chapter 5) – so why
exactly was the law given and how does it relate to the Christian life? These two
important questions regarding the Christian’s relationship to sin and the law are
addressed here in chapter 6 and 7.
1What
shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2By no means! How
can we who died to sin still live in it?
After seeing in chapter 5 that grace will certainly triumph over sin, there are two logical
possibilities that could result: 1) we continue in sin because ultimately it does not matter
or 2) we cannot continue in sin because it is not consistent with our new relationship with
Christ. Clearly from verse 2, we see Paul’s position.
Paul had been teaching the Christian doctrine for years and we can imagine this was a
common objection that he faced in his day by people who were seriously considering his
arguments.
1. It is logical: The gospel is one of salvation by grace apart from human works. If
that is so, if works are not the basis of our salvation, why do we have to worry
about works at all? If someone is teaching salvation by grace alone apart from
human works, this question will inevitably arise.
2. It is natural: Our fleshly nature has a natural attraction to sin. To new Christians
or people considering the gospel’s offer of salvation, one concern that often
comes to mind is, “What will I have to give up to become a Christian?”
3. It is pious: 1 Corinthians 1:23 calls the gospel, “a stumbling block to the Jews and
foolishness to Gentiles.” It is foolishness to the gentiles because they could not
see how God could become a man to save others when he could not even save
himself from the cross. It is a stumbling block for the Jews because they held to
the law and righteous-living as the path to salvation. The Christian gospel teaches
that salvation cannot be obtained by right living and it attacks the core of their
religious believes.
In verse 2, we see that Paul is emphatic that Christians should not continue in sin but at
the same time we can understand why someone would ask the question. Why is it absurd
for Christians to continue in sin?
1. Continuing in sin overlooks God’s purpose in the plan of salvation which was
clearly to save us from sin. It is not just to save us from the punishment of sin,
but also the power of sin in our daily lives and (in the future) the presence of sin
in our being when we are glorified in eternity.
2. Continuing in sin also over looks the means of saving sinners. Justification is
being declared not guilty of sin in God’s court but this is not all that takes place
when we are saved. The Holy Spirit also makes us spiritually alive so that we can
perceive and, by faith, embrace that forgiveness. Paul has been talking about the
believer’s union with Christ – if we are in him and he is in us, certainly we will
turn from sin to a life of righteousness.
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3. Finally, if we think we should continue sinning so that grace may increase, we
have never understood God’s Grace. The purpose of grace is not to allow us to
whaler in sin but rather its purpose is to deliver us from the bondage and reign of
sin and put us under the reign of grace!
Salvation is not merely head knowledge about Biblical doctrine – it is a new life. It is
union with Christ. Unless you are turning from sin to follow a life of righteousness with
Jesus Christ, you are not a saved person. There is a response of holiness that comes with
a saving faith. If you do not have that response, then you do not have a saving faith. If
you are troubled by this, it is the Holy Spirit convicting you of sin but certainly not to
push you away in discouragement. Rather The Spirit is calling you to turn and run
quickly home to your Father just as the prodigal son. Run to Jesus and follow him in
holiness.
Verse 2 is a Bible verse of profound importance and worth serious consideration. It is
clearly the theme of this chapter and of key importance in the Christian faith. We have
died to sin and are alive in Christ. There are some common misinterpretations of this
sentence:
1. The Christian is no longer responsive to sin. This would mean that Christians
have died to sin’s appeal. However, there is no Christian who is immune to the
temptation of sin. Look at verses 11-13 where Paul says “Do not offer the parts
of your body to sin.” Paul would not urge people who are totally immune to sin’s
power to not offer parts of their bodies to sin, they would be incapable of this.
2. The Christian should die to sin. This has gained popularity in some circles where
Christians are urged to crucify the Old Man. This understanding is good because
it urges Christians not to sin; however it starts from the wrong point. It starts with
man performing the action.
3. The Christian is dying to sin day by day. There is some truth that we will be able
to increasingly reject sin’s temptation as we grow in our Christian walk. But this
interpretation focuses on the present and future emotions and experiences. We
will soon see Paul points the focus to the past – the finished work on the cross.
4. The Christian cannot continue in sin, because he has renounced it. This
interpretation points out the contradiction that a believer cannot turn to Christ to
save him from sin in order that he may continue in it. It is an obvious
contradiction. However, this interpretation is man-centered and not Godcentered. We were united with Adam and God, by his grace, took us from that
position and transferred us into the kingdom of his Son.
5. The Christian has died to sin’s guilt. This statement is true as far as it goes.
However, it does not go far enough. Paul is speaking about the Christian’s
relationship with sin which is much more than simply the freedom from sin’s
guilt. This is freedom from sin’s power.
Notice verse 10, it states that Christ died to sin and that he did it once and for all. This
means that as far as sin is concerned, Jesus’ relationship to it is finished forever. While
he lived upon earth he had a relationship to it. He had come to die for sin, to put an end
to its claims upon us. But now, having died, that phase of his life is past and will never
be repeated. Moreover, verse 9, says that “For we know that since Christ was raised
from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.” We must
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apply that understanding of death to sin to ourselves. By realizing that, as a result of our
union with Christ in his death and resurrection, that old life of sin in Adam is past for us
also. We can never go back to it. We have been brought from that old life, the end of
which was death, into a new life, the end of which is righteousness. Therefore, since this
is true of us, we must embrace the fact that it is true and live for righteousness.
Chapter 6 continues to look at how, through our union with Christ, we were crucified and
raised ourselves to new lives in the Spirit – after having died to sin through Christ. This
is why a right understanding of Romans 6:2 is the key to sanctification. Some think the
key is intense feelings of closeness with God. Others try special methodologies to
improve behavior. A holy life comes from knowing that you cannot go back, you have
died to sin and been made alive to God. An adult cannot go back to childhood the same
way a Christian cannot return to sin. Born-again believers have nowhere to go but
forward.
3Do
you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his
death? 4We 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.
The secret (or key) of sanctification is not methodologies or experiences, however
powerful they may be. It is knowledge of what has happened to you. You have died to
sin through your union with Christ and have been raised again to a new life. This is the
essence of baptism which Paul introduces in verse 3.
James Boice (pg 659) describes the difference between the Greek words used for
baptism: bapto (which means to dip in water) and baptizo (which means immerse
resulting in a change). He refers to a pickle recipe where the vegetable is bapto in hot
water for a second and then baptizo into the vinegar where it will become a pickle. This
distinction is important because when Paul speaks of baptizing, he is not merely referring
to the sacrament of being dipped (bapto) but rather being immersed and transformed
(baptizo). We were buried with Christ and born again new beings.
Water baptism signifies Union with Christ and Death to Sin – and in that order. And that
is precisely what happens through our baptism by The Spirit. The new believer’s union
with Christ is sealed and the power of sin is killed. Notice in verse 4 Paul highlights our
union with Christ’s burial. The reason burial is an important step even beyond death is
that burial puts the deceased person out of this world permanently. He is saying that not
only have you died to sin, you have been buried to it as well. To return to sin after being
joined to Christ is like digging up a dead body.
1. Returning to sin as a Christian will not work. Just like an adult cannot return to
childhood, a true born-again Christian cannot return to sin. An adult can act
immature and childlike, but he only brings disgrace and furthermore, he is still not
a child. If nothing else the Christian cannot enjoy sin like he used to. The
Christian is a new being and sin is against his new nature.
2. God will stop you. God will not stop you from sinning, but he will stop you from
continuing in it. He will either make you so miserable that you will curse the day
you got into sin or God will put an end to your life. In 1 Corinthians 11:30 Paul
said that God had actually taken some believers home because of their sin.
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3. If you do return to the life you lived before coming to Christ and if you are able to
continue in it, you are not saved. Look at Hebrews 6:4-6, “For it is impossible to
restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, who have
tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5and have tasted the
goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they then fall
away,” This is not for true believers because we know true believers will not fall
away (Romans 5-8) – but rather this verse refers to those who are growing in their
knowledge of God but never make their faith real. They fall back to the life they
once had and may never come back to Christ.
5For
if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in
a resurrection like his. 6We 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. 7For one who
has died has been set free from sin. 8Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will
also live with him. 9We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death
no longer has dominion over him. 10For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life
he lives he lives to God.
We must always remember that God did not randomly pick things that we naturally do
and declare them to be bad. Sin is not bad because it is forbidden, it is forbidden because
it is bad. This means that God gives us the law in order to keep up from doing things that
are ultimately damaging to ourselves. We gravitate to the short-term satisfaction that
comes from sin and cling to it although it will lead to long-term destruction. We do not
have to – we have the power through Christ to overcome any temptation of sin, we
simply need to ask for his Grace at the point of temptation.
Many people may perceive Christianity as being a series of Don’ts and restrictions. But
what the natural man fails to see is that sin is negative and life is much more wonderful
when freed from sin’s bondage.
The phrase our old self refers to our old life, that is, to what we were in Adam before God
saved us. That old life is done for, we have died to it because it was crucified. We are
not to continually crucify our old self or anything of that nature because the work has
been done. Our old self was crucified on the cross with Christ.
The second key phrase is the body of sin refers to our old nature that went along with our
former life. This is dealing with our former inclination for sin – an actual changing of
our nature. This is seen in verse 6 where God has taken us out of Adam in order that 1.)
Our present inclination to sin might be robbed of its power and 2.) We should be
delivered from sin’s slavery.
Because Paul uses the term body, people in our culture tend to think there is something
intrinsically wrong and sinful with our physical being – this is similarly to Greek
religious beliefs. The body itself is not bad – we have natural urges for food, sleep and
sex that tell us to eat food for fuel, sleep for rest & regeneration, and sexual attraction is
the spark for love and procreation. However, we over indulge in these natural functions
to where we become greedy, lazy, or lustful. These urges are physiological but have
influence on our minds.
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Paul says our union with Christ in his death has been to render the body of sin powerless,
so that we might “no longer be slaves to sin.” The Greek word katargeo is used where
the ESV has “brought to nothing” and this is a more accurate translation than those that
previously used the word “destroyed.” This Greek word is used in Romans 3:3, 31, 4:14,
and 7:2,6. In none of these cases does katargeo mean destroyed or made ineffective. In
each case, it simply means the force no longer has authority.
Will Christians continue to sin? Yes. But we do not need to and we will do so less and
less as we go on in the Christian life. Augustine taught that before Adam fell in the
garden, he was posse peccare: able to sin. After his fall, he was non posse non peccare:
not able not to sin. By himself, he was unable to break free from it. The state of
believers united with Christ is posse non peccare: able not to sin. This is the state that
Paul is speaking of here in chapter 6. In our glorified state which we will reach in
Heaven, we will be non posse peccare: not able to sin. We will not be tempted by sin
and we will not fall into it again.
11So
you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
This is the very fist verse in the Book of Romans that commands us to any action. This is
a turning point in the letter and exhortations will soon follow abundantly. It is important
to note that Paul begins to tell us how to live a Christian life only after he has explained
what Jesus Christ has done for us as well as our union with him. We have many quick
self-help programs and pamphlets today because people are often impatient and want a
quick-fix to problems. This is not Paul’s method. He has repeatedly used the word know
over the last several verses. Our being able to live a Christian life is predicated on our
knowledge of Jesus Christ, our knowledge of what he has done for us, and an
understanding of our union with him.
Do you understand what Paul has been teaching thus far? We cannot go on unless you
do. The first step in our growth in holiness is counting as true what God declares. The
key to living the Christian life lies in first knowing that God has taken us out of Adam
and has joined us to Jesus Christ, that we are no longer subject to the reign of sin and
death but have been transferred to the kingdom of God’s abounding grace.
We should also look at ways in which we are Alive to God.
1. We have been reconciled to God – we have seen the sequence: sin, wrath,
judgment, death – however, God has lifted us out of that spiral and now we
belong to Christ
2. We have become new creatures in Christ – In 2 Corinthians 5:17-18 Paul shows
that we are new creations. Before this, the Bible meant nothing to us when we
read it but now we are intensely interested and hear the voice of God in it. We
used to have no interest in God’s people but now we love Christians and their
company. We love service to others. The difference is ourselves, God has
changed us.
3. We are freed from sin’s bondage – We still sin but not as often and we know that
we do not have to. Before we were children of God we were more concerned
with our reputation than our morals. Now we find that the reason we do not live
in sin is because we are not attracted to it as we once were.
4. We are pressing forward to a sure destiny and new goals – Before we were
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trapped by the world and its time-bound evil horizons. Being saved, we know
that we are now destined for an eternity of fellowship and bliss with God.
5. We can no longer be satisfied with this world and its offerings – The world never
really satisfied us before although we were under the expectation that it might.
We have died to our material possessions and God has taken their place.
12Let
not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. 13Do 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. 14For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under
grace.
For the past five and a half chapters, we have been climbing up the mountain of doctrine
that describes what God has done for us in salvation. We now reach the point where we
are instructed what to do for him in response to what he has done for us. This is where
Paul begins teaching us about sanctification and these are the principles:
1. Sin is not dead in Christians, even in the most mature and pious Christians, but
rather is something always to be struggled against. There is no point in Paul
telling believers not to offer our bodies to sin if Christians were unable to do so.
We have to fight against sin because we are sinners.
2. Sin’s hold on us is in or through our bodies – We have not looked at this thus far
but it is important. It is through the physical parts of our bodies (hands, feet,
eyes, etc) that sin operates and which it maintains its strong hold on us.
3. Sin can reign in or dominate our bodies – Sin cannot destroy the new person we
have become in Christ. But we will always abhor sin and yearn for
righteousness. However, we can become a slave to its cravings; otherwise it
would not be necessary for Paul to say to not let sin reign in your mortal body so
that you obey its evil desires.
4. Although sin can reign in or dominate our bodies, it does not need to – In other
words, although it is possible to offer our bodies to sin, we do not need to do this.
On the other hand, we have been joined to Christ and should offer our bodies to
righteousness – he has given us the power to do so.
5. As Christians, we can now offer the parts of our bodies to God as instruments of
righteousness – This is the thrust of the passage and what Paul is urging us to do.
The mind is the primary part of the body that should be used for righteousness. If we
simply fill our minds with secular influences (TV, books, movies, etc…) we will be no
different than the sinful world around us. We must use the most powerful part of our
body – our mind – for learning God’s Word, teaching others, and practically applying it
to everyday life.
Our Eyes and Ears provide input to our mind. Americans see thousands of commercials
every year and it is difficult to not be affected by their influence. We also hear gossip
from people we associate with. We should be mindful of the inputs around us and not
allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by the amount of negative secular inputs that can
influence us.
In James 3:5-6, the brother of Jesus speaks about the great danger the tongue can pose if
used for harm (such as gossip or lying). We should use our tongue for speaking about
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Christ to others.
1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 speaks about using our hands in a productive manner in order to
provide for ourselves and for others. Our feet should also take us to places where we can
grow in our Christian walk or take us to places where we can bring the gospel to others.
15What
then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16Do
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? 17But 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, 18and, having
been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.
There is no such thing as absolute freedom for anyone. No human is free to do
everything he or she may want to do. God is the only being with absolute freedom. The
only meaningful question in this area is: Who or what are you serving? You can either be
a slave to sin or a slave to Jesus Christ. To be a slave to Christ is to have true freedom.
This half of Romans 6 argues that we cannot continue in sin and is complementary to the
first half. The first half argues (stemming from Chapter 5) that we cannot continue in sin
because we are new creatures joined to Christ. This section expounds from verse 14 and
says that freedom from the law does not encourage sin but rather makes us slaves of God.
Paul is answering objections that salvation by grace (rather than good works of the law)
will lead to immoral living. He shows that 1.) The law does not lead to righteousness for
the simple reason that it is unable to produce righteousness in anyone – it only condemns.
2.) Paradoxically, it is only by being delivered from the law and its condemnation,
through Jesus Christ, that we have the power to do what the law commands. Shall we sin
because we are not under law but under grace? Paul gives five sound reasons in this
section
1. Sin is slavery. The difficultly with this is that sin is rarely seen by us in this way.
It is actually presented as the very essence of freedom – this is proof of a
depraved mind. We must remind others that simply attaching the word freedom
to something does not make it so. We must expose sin for what it is – a power we
cannot over come ourselves.
2. Sin leads to death. In verses 16, 21, and 23, Paul repeats that sin leads to death.
We must remember that sin is not bad only because it is forbidden, but rather the
reason it is forbidden is because it is bad. Sin will do serious damage to our lives
and to those around us if we continue to live in it. That is why God commands
against it. When Eve was told not to eat from the tree, she listened to the devil
who told her it would be good to do so. She used her own judgment and assumed
it would be OK. As soon as she ate of it, she died spiritually and her fellowship
with God was broken. Her personality and Adam’s changed, they began to shift
blame and lie to one-another. Eventually, they died physically as well.
3. Christians have been delivered from sin’s slavery. This is so joyous that Paul
breaks into a doxology (verses 17-18) at its mention. We have been redeemed
(purchased out of slavery) by Jesus Christ as illustrated in the Old Testament
book of Hosea. God did not redeem us so that we could continue our life in sin.
4. The same work that has delivered Christians from sin’s slavery has also made
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them slaves to God, which is true freedom (verse 22). Jesus has purchased men
and women for himself in order that they should serve him. We have left a cruel
and selfish master to a God of love who only wants the best for us. The only real
freedom a person can have is serving Jesus Christ and this is a life of
righteousness. It is not a license to do anything we please – we are still sinful
beings and still have an attraction toward sin (greed, lust, selfishness, etc…).
Regardless of what the world may promise, this will always lead to bondage and
death. Look at John 8:31-36.
5. The end of slavery to Jesus Christ is righteousness. Christianity is liberation from
sin so that one can be a true servant of God and of Jesus Christ. It must lead to
what God desires, which is righteousness.
Notice Paul’s use of the word obedience in verse 16. Obedience to Christ is the essence
of having him as our master. Saving faith is not simply believing that Christ was real,
merely agreeing with his teachings, or even believing his claims of divinity… There
must be a response – a commitment – an obedience. There are three elements in faith: 1.
Intellectual (we must know the gospel) 2. Emotional (the concept of the gospel must
touch us personally) and 3. Commitment (we must give ourselves to Jesus in personal
and often costly discipleship). Saving faith must have this kind of response. James 2:24
says that faith with out works is dead. “Works” is the resulting obedience to Christ which
is a life of righteousness.
19I
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. 20When you were
slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21But what fruit were you getting at that
time from the things of which you are now ashamed? The end of those things is death. 22But 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.
Paul has been talking about the two possible roads that a person can be on. A person is
either in Christ and moving forward in a life of righteousness or they are in Adam and
living a life of destruction. Christ spoke about this in Matthew 7:13-14 – a person can be
on either one of two roads that lead in opposite directions. Psalms 1 expounds on the two
paths by comparing the wicked with the righteous. Psalms 1:6 – For the Lord watches
over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked is judgment. This is exactly what
Paul is talking about in this section of Romans.
The point of Paul’s analysis is to exhort Christians to live holy lives. Notice the
similarities of verses 13 and 19. Paul repeats himself like this to make the point that there
is just no other way for us to grow in righteousness. There is no secret formula for
holiness, no magic recipe. The only means is to realize what God has done for us and
then discipline the parts of our bodies – our minds, eyes, ears, tongues, hands and feet.
Many Christians today look for quick fixes, self-help books or seminars, some rely on
mantra such as “Let go and let God” or even rely on secular counseling or medication to
improve their lives. Some pray for miracles. These things can be beneficiary but they
are not what the Bible teaches as the key to a holy life. God is not withholding any
secrets for which we must pray – God has already done everything necessary for our
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salvation and given us everything we need to live a consistent Christian life. The key to
sanctification is knowing what God has done for us through Christ and knowing what we
are through our union with Christ and rely on him to live accordingly.
1. The teaching about sanctification in verses 19 and 11-13 is an exhortation. In
fact, it is a command from God for how we should live our lives.
2. The command to offer our bodies to God for his purposes is something we must
do. If this command was given to us before our conversion, we would not have
the power to obey it. But now, having died to sin and being born again through
our union with Christ, we are now able to not sin. We have the power to obey
God’s command.
3. The command to yield the parts of our bodies as instruments of righteousness is
based on something that has already happened to us. Look at verses 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
8, 17, 18, and 22 – all of the key verbs are past-tense. The power to live a holy
life is possible because of what has already happened to all true Christians.
4. The new Testament approach to sanctification is therefore to get us to realize our
position and act accordingly. The New Testament does not tell us what we will
become but rather what we are.
5. This demand is utterly reasonable. Look at the deduction that Paul has made in
the last few verses: 2, 5, 12, 14, and 15. Just as you used to be in sinful Adam and
serve sin – you must serve righteousness now that you are in Holy Christ. If you
are living a sinful life, your conduct is inconsistent with any Christian profession
you might have made. But this will not be something undesirable; The Holy
Spirit imparts a new nature in the Christian that causes him to want to live a holy
life. If you claim to be a Christian, you must straighten your life out or dare not
consider yourself a Christian.
6. The failures we have in trying to live a holy life are due almost entirely to our
failure to realize these truths or our laziness or sin in failing to apply them to our
conduct. Look at John 17:17 – Christ is praying for exactly what Paul is teaching.
We must rely on Christ’s finished work on the cross and the power of the empty
tomb to live a life of ever-growing holiness.
23For
the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23 is one of the most familiar verses in the Bible. It has been taught to many
Sunday school children and been incorporated in millions of gospel presentations and
tracts. This verse is often used along side of John 3:16 – wherever the gospel is
preached, so will go this wonderful sentence.
The word Paul uses here for “wages” is opsonia which was the fish ration given to
Roman soldiers. Because of this, it is plausible to believe that Paul is primarily
concerned with the day-to-day result of sin in our life rather than the ultimate judgment.
Sin has all but disappeared from our national consciousness. It first became crime
(transgressions against the law of man rather than the law of God) and then became
symptoms. These were caused by factors thought to be outside the offender and therefore
the person is not responsible.
Pride destroys relationships and turns us into people who look on others as possessions to
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be amassed, exploited or controlled. Lust destroys the personality and weakens loyalty,
undercuts trust, and destroys integrity. Gluttony destroys the body – in whatever form it
appears, whether as overindulgence in food, drink, or drugs. Anger destroys others,
whether by violence or by words. To wound another’s pride or status is to “kill slowly.”
Sloth destroys opportunities and ambitions. Greed destroys contentment and even a
proper sense of freedom.
There are two contrasts to these sins that Paul gives here: Eternal Life and God. Eternal
Life is much more than just physical life since even the wicked have physical life for a
time. Jesus said, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God,
and Jesus Christ whom you have sent (John 17:3).” It is to know him in an ever
increasing measure. The chief end of our lives is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.
The Greek word charisma means “a free gift” – it means “grace.” The wages of sin is
death but the grace of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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Romans 7 - Freedom from the Law
The seventh chapter of Romans contains material that has several interpretations up for
debate. From verse 14 to the end of the chapter, Paul speaks about his struggle with sin.
There is a debate concerning what part of his life he is writing about – before salvation,
under conviction, or post-salvation. There is also an illustration of marriage law to show
how Christians have been freed from law in order to be married to Jesus. This seems
simple on the surface, but it is the husband who dies and the wife who remarries. The
most difficult issue in Chapter 7 deals with relating the message itself to a modern
audience. Many people today have little concern for God’s law to begin with. It is
difficult to explain to people they must be freed from God’s law in order to live for
righteousness, when they are already acting as if they are freed from it – but in the wrong
way.
1Or
do you not know, brothers--for I am speaking to those who know the law--that the law is
binding on a person only as long as he lives? 2Thus a married woman is bound by law to her
husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage.
3Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is
alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is
not an adulteress.
Most commentators agree that the law referred to in Romans 7 is law in general and not
the Old Testament law specifically, and the word brothers in verse 1 refers to all
Christians and not believing Jews only. The Old Testament law is a blessing from God
however it is a difficult burden to bear. In Acts 15, Paul says that it is wrong to try to
impose the law on Christian believers. He says, “Now then, why do you try to test God
by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been
able to bear?” This is a candid admission that trying to live by the law of God is an
impossibly challenging task.
Have you ever heard people say things like: That’s not fair! You can’t do that! Give me
some of your food, I shared mine with you. I was here first! These statements show that
there is a universally accepted standard of conduct that we all expect ourselves and others
to live up to. People differ on the details, but in a broad sense there is a generally
accepted structure of Right and Wrong. In this sense, even the Gentile is under the law.
These are four ways by which we know we are under the law:
1. We are proud of our achievements. This proves there is a standard to which we
have been able to measure up to and others have not. We feel commended by
those standards. For example, a philanthropist may boast of the $100,000 he has
given to charity even if the money was obtained by greed and family neglect. The
law reveals failure and one mark of a person living under law is that he will
always point out how well he is doing or when he is not failing.
2. We are critical of others. This is another diversionary tactic. If people think of
how others have failed, perhaps they will overlook us.
3. We are reluctant to admit our own failures. This is the reverse of boasting.
Because we instinctively feel the weight of the law we attempt to cover up our
failures. This shows we are under the law because we would not deny breaking a
standard that we do not feel is valid.
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4. We suffer from depression, discouragement, and defeat. This gets to the real heart
of the problem for it shows how futile it is for people to try to raise moral
standards by merely proclaiming new laws. What does it do to have more laws,
higher laws, or better laws? The only thing these additional laws do is increase
our sense of failure.
Law does not empower a person to do anything – it only points at failure. Jews are under
the Old Testament Law and Gentiles are under the Natural Law. In these verses of
Romans 7, Paul tells us that the solution is death. We must die to one (the law) in order
to be free to another (Jesus Christ). The law has a very important role to play (verses 713) but here Paul is teaching that we must be freed from it and that the only way is by
death.
Verse 1, “that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives,” states that as
long as we are alive we are bound by the laws of government. Obviously you cannot
require a dead person to follow laws or punish a corpse for breaking a law. Paul gives an
illustration from common experience citing a woman who is married to a certain man.
“For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive,
but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. So then, if she marries
another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her
husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress even though she
marries another man.” The point of the illustration is simplicity itself: The death of the
husband releases the wife from the law that bound her to the marriage.
Many interpretative difficulties come from trying to get it to teach more than it was
intended. This is not a proof of Paul’s point, it is only an illustration. More importantly,
it is not an allegory. That is, it is not necessary to assign meanings to each of the
illustration’s parts.
1. A woman who is married to a man is under the authority of that man.
2. The subjection of a wife to a husband in marriage is a life-long subjection.
3. In spite of the permanent nature of this relationship and the resulting
authority, there is nevertheless the possibility of entering into another
relationship. How? If one part dies.
4. The object of the new relationship is “that we might bear fruit for God.” –
verse 4
Many objectors to the gospel felt that it annulled the law or set it aside. Paul’s answer is
that this is far from the case. The law is fully honored, satisfied, and upheld. Salvation is
a “fulfilling of the law” but at the same time it is liberation from it. This is necessary if
you and I are to be able to step forward in Christ to live a morally fruitful life.
Understanding this will take your religious focus off of yourself, your few
accomplishments, and your many failures and place focus on the cross of Jesus Christ.
You are not the focus of Christianity – it is about Christ. Jesus Christ died on the cross.
Christians are united with him and died along with him. He rose from the tomb;
therefore, we rose from the tomb – to live a new life dedicated to him.
4Likewise,
my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may
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belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for
God.
Paul has been showing that death releases a person from the law. His illustration should
not be taken allegorical; if we say that we are the man who dies then there is no way we
can remarry. We could assume that we are the bride and it is the law that dies – but the
law does not die, it is a holy gift from God and serves very important purposes. The
illustration simply shows that death releases a person from law. It is just that simple.
Verse 4 states that the reason for this is that we might be joined to Christ and be fruitful.
God loved us and Jesus died for us so that we might be holy. We are married to Christ,
we are his bride.
We bear his name and Philippians 2:9 tells us it is the name above all names. Christian
means “Christ one.” Everything we do in our life after becoming a Christian is a positive
or negative reflection on Christ.
Our status has changed as well. If a woman from a meager background marries a prince,
she is instantly exalted to the status of royalty. It is the same with us, Ephesians 2:12
says that before we were saved, we were separate from the covenants, without hope, and
without God in this world. John 1:12 states that Christ intends for us to become children
of God; this is full of hope, privileges, and responsibilities of family membership.
5For
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. 6But now we are released from the law, having died to that
which held us captive, so that we serve not under the old written code but in the new life of the
Spirit.
Notice the words “but now” in verse 6, they signal the change that has taken place to a
believer. In chapter 5, Paul contrasted our union with Christ to our union with Adam. In
chapter 6, he contrasted our slavery to sin to our freedom in Christ. Now he is showing
that we are freed from our relationship with the law so that we might have a relationship
to Christ Jesus.
We see Paul use the word flesh here which also means sinful nature. The Greek word is
sarx. A misunderstanding of this word’s meaning has led to some misunderstandings of
Paul’s writings. For instance, the idea of the carnal Christian assumes there are three
classes of people: 1) those who are not saved, 2) believers in Christ who live sinfully or
carnal, and 3) believers in Christ who strive to live out his teachings. In Romans 6 and 7,
Paul is not talking about a defeated Christian who will be victorious, but rather he is
contrasting true believers and non-believers (everyone else). 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 is often
cited as text supporting the idea of carnal Christians. Paul is addressing Christians living
in sin. However, a careful study of the text will show that the idea of a carnal Christian is
the opposite of what Paul is saying. He says you are new beings, you are not what you
were before, and for that reason you must live differently.
Paul shows that before our conversion we had sinful passions that were aroused by the
law. The law is good but we are not. Hence, before our conversions the law actually
increased rather than reduced immorality. The cause of sinful acts lies in the sinful
nature (or corrupted passions) of unregenerate people and not in the absence of strong
laws. We also see that before our conversion we did bear fruit – fruit of death. It was
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impossible to please God before our union with Christ. Even the good works we did
were for selfish reasons. We were like a poisoned well: yes, we produced water, but the
water was corrupt.
7What
then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I
would not have known sin. I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said,
"You shall not covet." 8But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in
me all kinds of covetousness. Apart from the law, sin lies dead. 9I was once alive apart from the
law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. 10The very commandment that
promised life proved to be death to me. 11For sin, seizing an opportunity through the
commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. 12So the law is holy, and the commandment
is holy and righteous and good.
Paul has shown early on that the law cannot justify a man and in later passages he has
shown that the law cannot sanctify a man. He has presented his case strongly – in fact,
many may figure that the weight of the argument is too strong. If the law cannot save a
person and, in fact, arouse sinful passions – why would a good God have given it to his
people? It would seem only to be a taunt or a torment. In these verses, Paul shows
emphatically that the law is not sinful and speaks of three wonderful benefits of the law.
• First, in verse 7, the law reveals sin as sin. If left to themselves, people naturally do not
think of themselves as sinners. Look at Genesis 6:5 which takes place prior to the great
flood. The way God sees it, every inclination of the thoughts of our hearts are only evil
all the time. But who believes that? No one does apart from the illumination of the mind
by the Holy Spirit. Even if we recognize bad things we have done, we would not realize
we have transgressed against God’s law unless it was pointed out. It takes the law to
show wrongdoing as sin. Paul uses the 10th commandment of coveting for his personal
example. Philippians 3:6 shows that Paul (prior to his conversion) saw himself as
faultless until the words of the law worked on his conscious and pointed out his sin.
• Second, in verse 8, the law provokes sin and this shows us how bad sin really is. This is
what Boice calls sin’s sad use of God’s law. A sinner is a person who rebels against God
and this is the nature of all people. When a law is given, our rebellious natures are
aroused and we are tempted to do just what we are commanded not to do. In telling us
not to do something, it actually plants the seed for us to begin thinking about it.
An example of how sin causes a desire to sin and plants the seed for it: right now – do
NOT think of a pink elephant with purple dots. You can do anything else - just do NOT
think of a pink elephant with purple dots. After hearing such a statement, it is impossible
to not think of the elephant and you certainly would not have thought of one if it were not
brought up.
• Finally, in verses 9-11, the law brings us to the end of ourselves. There was a time in
his life when Paul thought he was in good standing before God. But as he grew and
began to understand the meaning of coveting, his self-righteousness and self-confidence
began to melt away. The words he uses are “I died.” He realized his condition, he had
broken the law and his nature was such that instead of wanting to keep the law, he
actually wanted to break it. It was only when a person has learned that they are lost that
they are ready to hear God’s words about the Savior. The law has not ever saved anyone
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and it never will – it was not intended to do so. The Puritans taught that they needed to
slay men in the law so that they could be raised up by the gospel. They need to be
convinced that Jesus Christ is the only hope they have.
Martyn Lloyd-Jones has provided some ways in which sin deceives us:
1. Sin gets us to misuse the law, convincing us that as long as we have not sinned
outwardly and visibly, we are all right, forgetting that God deals with the thoughts
and intentions of the heart.
2. Sometimes sin changes its tactics and tells us that everything is hopeless and we
might as well keep on sinning.
3. Sin tells us that it does not matter whether or not we are holy. It says, “Why don’t
you keep sinning so that grace may abound?”
4. Sin deceives us by making us angry at the law, feeling that God is against us if he
prohibits anything. If he were for us, we think, he would let us do what we want
to do and be happy.
5. Sin gets us to believe that the law is unreasonable, impossible, and unjust.
6. Sin makes us think very highly of ourselves. It makes us ask why we should be
bound by any law.
7. Sin tells us that the law is oppressive; keeping us from developing the wonderful
gifts and talents we have within us, all of which would emerge if only we did not
have to be held back by God’s commandments.
8. Sin makes righteousness look drab and unattractive.
9. Sin causes us to discount the consequences of willful disobedience.
God declares. Satan denies. You decide. It has always been this way. God told Adam
and Eve, if you eat of this tree you will die. Satan told them they would not die. Adam
chose to believe Satan because of his sinful nature. The Bible teaches that sin leads to
death in a number of ways yet we listen to our own temptation, “Oh, it isn’t that bad.”
This is where we must decide to either believe and follow God or deny and follow our
sinful nature.
13Did
that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in
me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the
commandment might become sinful beyond measure.
Exodus 20 1. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the
land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. We break this law
whenever we give our first thoughts to something or someone other than God. It
means giving him first place in everything, in all our loves, goals and actions.
Nobody kept this command perfectly but Jesus.
2. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or
on the earth beneath or in the waters below. This command concerns the worship
of God by any and all inadequate means. Having narrow concepts of God or
worship that does not engage our hearts and minds. Nobody kept this command
perfectly but Jesus.
3. You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God. This law is widely flouted
in our time – even mildly by the common phrase “Oh, my God!” Many people
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take this command lightly but God declares he “will not hold anyone guiltless”
who commits these offenses. Nobody kept this command perfectly but Jesus.
4. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. The Lord’s Day, Sunday, is a
Christian innovation, a new day given to the church by God for worship and
joyful service. Do we use the whole of either Saturday or Sunday for worship or
Christian service? Nobody kept this command perfectly but Jesus.
5. Honor your father and your mother. The fifth commandment passes from our
relationship with God to our relationship with other people. This commandment
deals chiefly with human authority, for our parents are the first human authority
God sets over us. Yet we all rebel against authority, beginning in the home – this
is often where we are particularly rude, disobedient, and ungrateful. Nobody kept
this command perfectly but Jesus.
6. You shall not murder. Jesus explained this command by saying, “I tell you that
anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment (Matthew
5:22).” If we are honest with ourselves, we will admit that we are often very
angry and say things explicitly to hurt others. Nobody kept this command
perfectly but Jesus.
7. You shall not commit adultery. Jesus expounded on this commandment in Matt
5:27-28: “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already
committed adultery with her in his heart.” It includes experimenting, solitary
sexual experience, deliberate reading of pornographic material, and impure
fantasies. Nobody kept this command perfectly but Jesus.
8. You shall not steal. We do this in many ways. We still from an employer when
we do not give our best work or when we leave early. When we borrow but do
not return. We steal from God directly when we neglect to tithe. Eph 4:28 even
says that we must work in order to help the needy. Nobody kept this command
perfectly but Jesus.
9. You shall not give false witness against your neighbor. It condemns all slander,
idle talk, gossip, rumors, jokes, lies, and distortions of the truth. Positively, the
commandment concerns our failures to rise to the defense of those who are
verbally abused in any way. Nobody kept this command perfectly but Jesus.
10. You shall not covet… This commandment shows the inward nature of the law.
Covetousness is a root of sin for when it is exercised fully it is a breach of each
other commandment. In our materialistic culture we have an unreasonable
dissatisfaction with our abundance of wealth and opportunity. This sin fuels our
American way of life – it is everywhere and few try to resist it substantially.
Nobody kept this command perfectly but Jesus.
14For
we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 15I do not
understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16Now if I
do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17So now it is no longer I who do it,
but sin that dwells within me. 18For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh.
For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19For I do not do the
good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want,
it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
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There are few passages in the Bible over which competent Bible students have divided
more radically than this particular section. Paul is speaking of his own intense internal
struggle but the question is: what stage of his life is he speaking? Before, after, or during
his conversion – there are four main interpretations.
• The man of Romans 7 is unsaved – that is, this struggle takes place before his
conversion. In verses 14 and 8, Paul makes some comments that would appear to apply
to a non-Christian (“sold under sin”, and “nothing good dwells in me”).
1. But this is not consistent with how an unbeliever feels. He is not concerned with
his sin, he is satisfied with his performance. He does not even know he needs to
be saved. In this section Paul says, “I have the desire to do what is good but not
the power to do it.” An unsaved person would say, “I have the desire to do what
is right, and I am doing it just fine.”
2. Paul’s delight in the law of God cannot be found in unbelievers. Verses 16 and
22 do not express the sentiment of unbelievers particularly. To sinners, the law
exposes sin and provokes all kinds of evil desires.
3. The present tense is used throughout the second half of Romans 7 and this is an
apparent meaningful contrast against the past tense employed earlier. There is no
natural explanation for Paul to shift tenses at verse 14 unless he is now speaking
about himself presently.
• The man in Romans 7 is a Carnal Christian – This view is popular today and holds that
Paul is indeed saved but that he is living in an immature faith. This view focuses on the
number of times “I,” “me,” and “my” are used in chapter 7 compared to the number of
times “Holy Spirit” is used in chapter 8. This teaching encourages us to get out of the
defeat of chapter 7 and live by the Sprit in chapter 8. But Paul is not teaching about a
three-stage Christianity (unsaved, saved, and disciple) – this is not described anywhere in
the Bible. In verses 6-7, Paul is comparing a regenerate believer with a non-believer; not
a saved person who lives worldly. What does it mean then? It is the struggle between
himself (a new creature in Christ) and the unchristian nature that remains in part within
us. It does not mean there are two categories of those who are born again believers.
• The man in Romans 7 is under conviction. This view has been advanced by D MartinLloyd Jones in recent years. It says that the person is no longer ignorant of his sin and
realizes he needs a savior but has not yet been born again. They are on the brink of
conversion after their sinful nature has been exposed by the law. This view however does
not give an explanation as to why Paul has changed tenses in verse 7 and it would be
unexplained how the person would go from conviction to grace in the last two verses of
the chapter.
• The man in Romans 7 is a mature Christian – Most reformed commentators (Luther,
Calvin, Boice) teach that this section is the mature Christian’s continuing struggle with
sin. It also teaches that there is no victory over such struggles apart from the Holy Spirit.
Paul is showing that just as the law is unable to justify a person; it is also unable to
sanctify a person. Sanctification must be accomplished by the Holy Spirit. An honest
acknowledgement of the hopelessly sinful nature of man apart from the Holy Spirit
(which is what we find here), even after a person has become a Christian, is the first step
to true holiness. In other words, to say, “I have passed out of Romans 7 and into Romans
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8,” is not the mark of a mature Christian but of an immature one. The mature Christian
knows that he is always in Romans 7 apart form the Holy Spirit. Moreover, he knows
that dependence on the Holy Spirit is not something that is attained once for all but is the
result of a daily struggle and constantly renewed commitment. What is sanctification? It
is an awareness of how good we are becoming? Or is it a growing sense of how sinful
we really are, so we will constantly turn to and depend upon Jesus Christ? If we are
mature in Christ, we know it is the latter.
See 1 Timothy 1:15-16. This verse is very helpful for us to be certain that the man
struggling with sin in this section is indeed a mature Christian. These verses were written
by Paul to young pastor Timothy; clearly Paul is a mature Christian as he wrote 1
Timothy. Notice the verb tense in verse 15, it is present tense – “of whom I am the
worst.” Paul does not say “I used to be the worst” or “I was” the worst, but he clearly
states that he still is the worst. He is a mature Christian who struggles with sin. See also
Ephesians 3:8.
21So
I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22For I delight in the
law of God, in my inner being, 23but I see in my members another law waging war against the
law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24Wretched
man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
We will not move forward in our Christian walk if we pretend the man in chapter 7 is
someone other than ourselves – someone who is not really saved or perhaps an immature
believer. The Christian life is a war against our inherently sinful natures. Paul has gone
to great lengths to teach this in verses 14-17, 18-20, and 21-24. Each begins with a
statement of the problem: I am an unspiritual person (14, 18, 24). Each has a description
of the conflict: What I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate, I do (15, 18-19, 22-23).
Each ends with why the problem exists: it is sin living in me (17, 20, 24).
Paul is not excusing our defeat and he certainly is not encouraging it – he is rather telling
us about the victory we may have over our struggle. But the point is that the victory we
want comes only through this struggle and not by some secret formula for success,
emotional experience, or by some easy way of avoiding it.
These are three unbiblical techniques for overcoming sin:
1. Formula: This comes from looking for an easy way out through books, self-help
techniques, or quotes such as: “Let got and let God”, “Just let Jesus take control”,
“Get out of Romans 7 and into Romans 8.” We often expect life (and
Christianity) to be easy and if it is not, we must not know the secret or the right
method.
2. A new experience: This is where people expect to be moved with a new
excitement to press forward. Such as being “born again” again. It is like the peprally before the big game. But having an experience means nothing unless we
have acquired the biblical knowledge with which we can fight against sin and
renew our commitment to do so.
3. Avoidance: This is where we give up the struggle and escape with television,
entertainment, alcohol, etc... The idea that we are forever saved so let’s just sin so
grace may abound. This is certainly not sanctification and you were not saved to
continue living as an unsaved person.
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Here are four statements where spiritual realism should start:
1. When God called us to be Christian people he called us to lifetime struggles
against sin. This should be evident from the text but we take extraordinary
measures to avoid this truth. We avoid this by pretending everything is OK with
us. We also escape the truth by passing blame much like Adam who told God
that it was Eve’s fault he ate the apple (Gen 3:12). But since he pointed out that it
was God who gave him the woman, Adam was really blaming God for his
trouble. We often blame our circumstances or those around us.
2. Although we are called to a lifetime struggle against sin, we are nevertheless
never going to achieve victory by ourselves. Americans are very confident in our
ability to handle even the most difficult challenges. Like putting a man on the
moon – with enough skill, energy, determination, and recourses we can do it. Just
like Peter who said he would always stand by the Lord but was unable at the
moment of crisis, we may fool ourselves if we are trusting in our own resolve.
We not only need Christ to save us from punishment of past sins, but we must
also rely on him to save us from the power of present sins’ temptation.
3. Even when we triumph over sin by the power of the Holy Spirit, which should be
often, we are still unprofitable servants. This is because even when we achieve
victories, it is by the power of God’s grace and not of ourselves. If they were, we
could boast before God in Heaven. Christianity is not just relying on Christ once
to accept punishment for sin, it is relying on him day by day for our life’s
decisions, struggles, and certainly achievements.
4. We are to go on fighting and struggling against sin, and we are to do so with the
tools made available to us (prayer, Bible study, Christian fellowship, service to
others, and the sacraments). This is what the Bible tells us everywhere.
Ephesians 6:10-12 – Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put
on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s
schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,
against the authorities, against the powers, of this dark world and against the
spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. See also Philippians 3:12-14 and
Hebrews 12:1-4.
A gospel in which we must do everything possible to attain a victory over sin – but in
which, in spite of our best efforts is impossible to do, the victory when it comes is by God
alone and not by us our for our glory – a gospel like that must be from God; it could
never have been invented by man. The very nature of our gospel is proof of its divine
origin. What do we do? We either create a religion based on works so that salvation
depends on our ability to defeat sin and choose righteousness or we retreat in to passivity.
Paul tells us: Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in
my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and
trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure,
Phil. 2:12-13. The Christian life is not easy – no responsible person ever said it was. It is
a battle all the way. But it is a battle that will be won. And when it is won, we who have
triumphed will cast our crowns at the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ (Rev 4:11) who
worked in us to accomplish the victory, and we will praise him forever.
25Thanks
be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with
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my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
You have felt despair in your struggle with sin if you are a Christian. This can be said
because in Romans 7:14-25 Paul is speaking as a mature Christian and despair in his own
efforts can clearly be seen in verse 24. All Christians want to do what is right because of
Christ dwelling within us but are often unable to because of the continuing presence of
indwelling sin. It is even worse than that, as we mature and grow closer to Christ we
want to be more like him yet we realize more and more our own shortcomings. Those
who struggle most vigorously against sin are not immature Christians but mature ones –
The hardest battles are waged by God’s saints. Although the struggle is real and difficult,
the outcome is not bleak or uncertain but glorious because of God. Even at Paul’s
breaking point, verse 24, the end is not grim because God is with him. God has assured
every believer victory through the work of Christ.
If you are struggling against sin – as I know you are, if you are a true Christian – that is
what you need to understand from Romans 7. The reason for your struggle is to teach
you to rely not on yourself but on God, who raises the dead. And what I want you to be
assured of is that he has already delivered you from “deadly peril,” and that he will
deliver you again. (See 2 Corinthians 1:9-10)
The deliverance from sin provided for us by God through Jesus Christ is in three stages:
sin’s penalty, power, and presence.
• Delivery from Sin’s Penalty – This is not the delivery Paul is speaking about here. It is
the delivery spoken about in the early chapters of Romans - it is the foundation on which
all further delivery is built. Because of Christ’s work, we will not face the wrath of God
for transgressing his law. You are guilty of breaking the law of God and deserve death.
But Jesus has made payment for your transgressions.
• Delivery form Sin’s Power 1. We are sinners and will continue to be sinners throughout our Christian lives. It
follows from this that the Christian life will always be a struggle. We want things
to be easy, but if we study the Bible, we find this is taught from beginning to end.
Job 40:4, 42:5-6, Isaiah 6:5 are verses that show Old Testament giants who
recognize their sin before God. David often speaks of his sins throughout the
Psalms. We see Peter’s defeat before Christ’s crucifixion and we see Paul speak
of his struggle here in Romans 7. See: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 and Ephesians 6:13.
These verses teach that the Christian life will be a struggle to the end and the
reason for this is that we carry the very root of the problem, which is sin, within
our hearts.
2. In spite of our being sinners, Jesus died to save us and this is what he is doing.
This goes back through chapter 6 where it was taught that we died with Christ on
the Cross and rose with him as new creations. There is no direction to go but
forward for us, we must pursue holiness. In Romans 6:11-14, Paul said in part:
Count yourselves dead to sin and alive to Christ. Therefore do not let sin reign in
your mortal bodies so that you obey its evil desires. It is because Jesus has saved
us from sin’s penalty and is saving us from sin’s power that we struggle against it.
Yet it because he is saving us that we can be assured of final victory.
3. We have the assurance of victory, also expressed as the inevitable triumph of
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God’s grace. This is spoken about primarily in chapters 5 and 8 (remember,
chapter 6 and 7 are sub-topics to the over-all theme of the security of our
salvation in chapters 5-8.) This assurance leads to the last of the three stages of
deliverance from sin provided by Jesus Christ.
• Delivery from Sin’s Presence – When we talk about delivery from sin’s presence, that is
a future delivery and it is what Paul is focused on in Romans 7:25. Paul has been
describing the struggle against sin and emphasizing that we can never hope to be entirely
free from struggling against sin in this life. Paul ends his description with a cry (in the
future tense), “Who will save me from this body of death?” This is the only
interpretation that makes sense with the final sentence of the chapter. Paul says that
although he is assured of a final victory over sin, he nevertheless knows that he must
continue to fight a vigorous battle against sin daily until he dies.
The Christian can say: I’m not what I should be but I’m not what I used to be. I’m not
what I’m going to be, but I’m not what I would be – if it were not for the saving power of
Jesus Christ. (If that makes sense, then you’ve got it.)
Although your struggles may be prolonged and difficult, they are not essentially different
from those of the many believers who have preceded you, including Paul and the other
great personalities of Scripture. They triumphed and so will you. Remember the text: No
temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will
not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also
provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. - 1 Corinthians 10:13
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Romans 8 - The Greatest Chapter in the Bible
You obviously cannot call any section of the Bible the greatest for no other reason than
you may contradict yourself when you get to other wonderful passages of scripture.
Several come to mind, Hosea 3, John 1, and particularly the chapters dealing the
resurrection in the gospels. But in one sense, Romans 8 particularly stands out. An old
German commentator named Spener said that if the Bible was a ring and the Book of
Romans its precious stone, chapter 8 would be “the sparkling point of the jewel.” Many
others have agreed.
Romans 8 is not easy to outline because the argument of the chapter is so carefully
interwoven, with one thought following closely upon another. Some commentators have
divided it into four, six, or eight sections. The NIV breaks it up into three sections with
nine paragraphs. This outline is broken up into six divisions following Hodge, LloydJones, and Boice:
• No Condemnation from the Law (1-4) – The first verse declares that there is no
condemnation now nor will there ever be. It is the theme of the chapter. The first reason
for no condemnation is given in verse 2: Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin
and death. Our verdict was guilty, just like a modern day trial. Christ; however, has
accepted the punishment for our crimes.
• Deliverance from Our Sinful Natures (5-14) – Not only are we delivered from sin’s
punishment, but we are also delivered from sin’s power; that is from our sinful nature.
This tells us that if we have been saved by Christ, then we have necessarily also been
changed by him. Many who are not living by the Spirit need to be awakened to the fact
that they may very well not truly be Christians.
• Sons (and Daughters) of God (15-17) – The Holy Spirit does not only change us, but
also gives us a new standing before God. Before this, we were slaves - wicked and
condemned – but now we have become God’s children!
• Hope of Future Glory (18-25) – Being children of God also means that we are heirs
with Christ and can be certain to share in both his sufferings and glory. We also see that
all of creation will be redeemed from the decay that has resulted from mankind’s sin.
• The Intercession of the Holy Spirit (26-27) – Another reason we can be sure of our
salvation is the Holy Spirit’s intercession on our behalf. He interprets our prayers aright
so that they are presented to the Father “in accordance with his will.” I would not have it
any other way, for whatever I may think I desire, in the final analysis it is not my will but
the will of God that I want done.
• The purpose and Character of God (28-39) – The last section is the greatest of all
because it involves every character of God. There is a golden chain of five things God
has done in the lives of believers that Paul calls God’s “purpose” for his people
(foreknowledge, predestination, effectual calling, justification, and glorification). His
sovereignty is seen throughout. Verses 31-35 pose the five unanswerable questions.
Who can be against us? Won’t God give us all things? Who can judge us? Who can
condemn us? Who can separate us from God’s love? Paul ends showing that nothing in
heaven or on earth can do so.
People are often disappointed with God by claiming God isn’t fair, God is hidden, or God
is silent and does not answer prayers. Disappointed when God sent Jesus to die for us so
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we could escape condemnation? Disappointed when he sent his Holy Spirit to free us
from our own sinful natures? Disappointed when he has made us his very own sons and
daughters? Disappointed when the Spirit intercedes for us; conforming our ignorant
incomplete prayers into the pleasing, acceptable will of God? Disappointed with God
when he has set in motion an invincible chain of savings actions beginning with him
choosing us and ending with our glorification? Disappointment when he has fixed such a
lasting love upon us that nothing in all creation can separate us from it? The only cure
for disappointment is to take our eyes off ourselves and put them entirely onto God who
has done these great things for us.
1There
is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2For the law of the
Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3For 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, 4in 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.
Verse 1 is the theme of the 8th chapter of Romans: everything else flows from it. This is
not only the theme of this chapter, but it is the theme of the entire Word of God. It is the
heart of the gospel. We cannot appreciate or even understand what Paul is saying unless
we recognize that we are sinners and that we have only been saved by the grace of God.
1. Condemnation – People basically think they are fine; most have never had a
guilty verdict handed to them. We are not fine, this is what Romans 1:18-3:20
has taught us.
2. Now – Now is a time word that points to a change that has come about as the
result of the believer’s entering into the justification that Jesus made possible with
his death.
3. No – The Greek word for “no” used here is much stronger than our commonly
used word. It does, of course, mean “no” but the impossibility is strongly
emphasized in the Greek text. For instance, the word begins this sentence in the
Greek text.
4. Therefore – Most agree that this “therefore” points back to the entire argument of
the epistle thus far. It is because of God’s work in Jesus and the application of it
to us by the Holy Spirit that there is “no condemnation.”
This statement means that there are two classes of people: those who are in Christ Jesus
and those who are not and therefore still under condemnation. But how do we earn it? Is
it something we do? Do we get it “by faith”? It is only because of God’s work joining us
to Christ. That is what the last half of Romans 5 and all of chapter 6 is about.
At this point, we must deal with a manuscript problem that occurs at the end of the first
verse. Those using the King James (or NKJV) will notice the addition of the words “who
walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” following the words “Christ Jesus.” This is
certainly an error, as even the famous Scofield Bible, which uses the King James text,
acknowledges in a footnote. It is worth pointing this out because, if the clause is
retained, it suggests exactly the opposite of what the text means. In its corrupt form, it
seems to say that we will not be condemned if we life a godly life but will be condemned
if we fail. The oldest manuscripts do not have this common error that found its way into
the King James Version of the Bible. Most modern translations (ESV, NASB, NIV,
NLT, etc…) have corrected the mistake.
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1. God the Father – In our salvation, God the Father has two parts: 1st he sent Jesus
in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering (vs. 3). 2nd God condemned sin
in sinful man so that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in
those who are joined to Christ (vs. 4). Paul’s statement also contains the doctrine
of the atonement for his argument is that God sent his Son to be a sin offering.
2. God the Son – We have already mentioned that Jesus became like us in order to
become a sin offering. First, Christ made propitiation for our sins – this refers to
the turning aside of God’s wrath. Second, Jesus did a work of redemption; this
refers to buying something out of the market place so that it cannot be sold again.
Christ bought us as slaves to take us out of the marketplace and out from under
our master of sin – he has set us free.
3. God the Holy Spirit – The third person of the Godhead is brought into the picture
in verses 2 and 4. He has joined us to Christ so that we become beneficiaries of
all Christ has done. Paul spoke about this union all along, particularly in chapter
5. Christ spoke about our union with him as being the relationship between the
vine and its branches in John 15.
There is no condemnation because of the Father’s work, The Son’s work, and the work of
the Holy Spirit. This is a great doctrine for those who are truly in Christ, but it is only for
those who are in him. Make sure you are. If you are not sure, give the matter no rest
until the Holy Spirit himself plants upon your heart the assurance that you really are
Christ’s.
The story of the woman caught in adultery in John chapter 8 is an exact illustration of
what we find in the opening verses of Romans chapter 8. It announces the great welcome
news of freedom from condemnation for all who are in Christ Jesus. But when we come
to verses 3 and 4, we see that it is not just delivery from the law’s condemnation, but also
delivery from the law’s power too. He died to start the process of sanctification and not
merely to provide propitiation from wrath. Go back to Christ’s final words to the woman
in John chapter 8, “You are free from all your condemnation, but you must now leave
your sin.” What he is teaching is that justification and sanctification always go together.
Look at the order, it is not “Leave your sin and then you will not be condemned.” It is
always freedom from condemnation and responding with a life of holiness. According to
Romans 8:3-4, sanctification is the very purpose for which we were saved.
• Two works – We have two great saving works of God. They are justification
and sanctification. The first is deliverance from sin’s penalty. The second is
deliverance from sin’s power. God accomplishes both for all Christians.
• Three agents – God is the agent of our justification – he pronounces “not
guilty.” The Holy Spirit is the agent of our sanctification since he accomplishes
in us what the law was powerless to do. It is Jesus Christ who makes both works
possible by his death for sin. For Jesus not only bore God’s just judgment upon
sin for us in our place; he also broke its power over those who are joined to him
by saving faith.
• One goal – “the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who
do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.”
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There are four important truths about “holiness” that we must examine:
1. Holiness is justification’s goal – Jesus died to save us from and not merely in our
sins. The incarnation and death of Jesus were so that “the righteous requirements
of the law might be fully met in” Christians. Ephesians says that God made us
alive in Christ so that we might live for him. Or we can say he saved us by grace
so that we might be gracious in how we treat God and other people. See
Ephesians 1:4, 2:8-10.
2. Holiness consists in fulfilling the law’s just demands – We should not make the
mistake of the Pharisees. They thought of themselves as perfect fulfillers of
God’s law. They were not righteous, they were self-righteous. They disliked
people who were not like them. They hated Jesus because his true righteousness
exposed their sin. The opposite error is popular in our time. It says, “What really
matters is not the law but what I feel in my heart. So even if the law of God says
that something is wrong, as long as I feel it is all right, it must be right. Or at least
for me.” People show they are not truly Christian by their tragic disregard of
God’s requirements. Christians do sin. But there is a difference between
stumbling on the path, getting up and then going on, and not being on the path of
discipleship at all.
3. Holiness is the work of the Holy Spirit – This is what Romans 7 teaches at length.
Before his conversion, Paul could not keep the law. He wanted to, but could not.
After his conversion, he found that he was unable to keep the law himself.
Through his struggle, he discovered that it is only by the presence and power of
the Holy Spirit that he or anybody else can be holy. We must keep close to God
in Bible study where God speaks to us and in prayer where we speak to God.
4. Holiness is mandatory – Is it impossible to be a saved person without
discipleship? Is it necessary for one to be a true Christian? The answer is
obviously: Yes – it is necessary! It is mandatory to follow after Christ to be a
Christian. This does not mean that we can be perfect or ever reach a point where
we will no longer be in danger of sinning. It means that we must be on the right
path. We must actually be walking according to the Spirit of God if we are
Christians.
5For
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. 6To set the mind on the
flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7For the mind that is set on the
flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. 8Those who are in
the flesh cannot please God.
Verses 5-14 of Romans 8 could be the most important of all if we consider the current
weakness and church’s need of Jesus Christ at the present time. They are important
because they correct the popular view that people fall in one of three categories: 1. Not
Christian, 2. Christians living as disciples, 3. Christians living in an “unsaved” manner
(carnal Christians). The danger of this teaching is that is allows a person to assume that –
although it may be wise and perhaps even beneficial to become serious about the
Christian life – becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ is, in the final analysis, merely
optional. This is dangerous because it encourages people to believe that one can live as
the world lives and still be a Christian. They believe they can have the best of both
worlds. At worst, this gives a person a false sense of security; they are at peace when
they are not even saved.
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The section we come to in Romans is speaking about two kinds of people (saved and
unsaved). It is not teaching that “carnal Christians” should move beyond their immature
state to a more devoted Christian life. These verses give four characteristics of the
unsaved person:
1. His thinking – Verse 5 teaches us that the unsaved person has his mind set on
things of the flesh. These include sexual promiscuity, drunkenness, a
preoccupation with money, praise from other people, pride, and other such vices.
A person who does not live in debauchery but does not have the Spirit of God is
as lost as any other. In Philippians 3:5-6, Paul gives himself as the ideal moral
man. He desired to prove himself to God and earn his way to Heaven. He felt that
God owed him something. Nothing is more characteristic of the thinking of the
unbeliever as this delusion.
2. His state – Verse 6 describes the state of the unbeliever as death. Paul is speaking
of spiritual death; the unsaved person is as unresponsive to the things of God as a
corpse. The natural person would rather believe that the universe came to being
by evolution or chance, or in any other way rather than being created by a God
who demands proper respect and right moral conduct. Their understanding of the
Bible is even worse – either he cannot understand it or it seems utterly foolish. 1
Corinthians 2:14 says “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that
come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot
understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
3. His religion – It seems strange to think about an unsaved person’s “religion”
especially in light of the fact that they are dead to spiritual things. Notice the
amount of “a la carte” religious beliefs we see today. People will pick and choose
things from different religions that they like and create their own religious system.
The person will believe ideas that are inconsistent and are only held together by
the fact that they make the person comfortable. The unsaved person is hostile to
God and God judges the unrighteous. They build up beliefs that protect them
from this in order to escape the truth.
4. His present condition – In verse 8 Paul says the unsaved person cannot please
God. How could he please God if he is hostile toward God and tramples on
God’s law? Even beyond that, he rejects the Son of God Jesus Christ. We must
remember that this was our state and would still be our state without the saving
grace of God.
Paul is also writing about Christian believers in these verses.
1. The Christian’s thinking – Verse 5, the Christian has his mind “set on what the
Spirit desires.” First, this eliminates a person who is only “very religious.” To be
very religious and to have your mind set on the desires of the Spirit are two very
different things. Paul was religious, but he expressed his religion by trying to do
away with Christians (Acts 7:54-9:9). Ironically, one function of religion is to
eliminate God, as we have seen. Paul’s way of speaking eliminates the idea that a
Christian is anyone who merely holds to right theological beliefs. Being a
Christian is more than giving mere verbal assent to certain doctrine. It is to be
born again. And since being born again is the work of God’s Spirit, it is right to
insist that those who are truly born again will have their minds set on what God
desires. As a result of the internal transformation, the true Christian has his mind
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set on what the Spirit of God desires. It does not mean that we have attained this
standard fully, but it does mean that we want to. We are on the path. We are not
yet like Jesus – but we are following him and trying to be like him day-by-day.
2. The Christian state – Verse 7, if the carnal man cannot be subject to God’s law,
then for the Christian we would say: He can be subject to it, he is subject to it, he
hungers and thirsts after righteousness, he desires to keep the commandments he
has been given.
You must see signs of new life! Jonathan Edwards wrote:
 Great effects on the body are no sign.  Joys following in a certain order are no sign.
 Fluency and fervor are no sign.
 Much time and zeal in duty are no sign.
 That they are excited by us is no sign.  Much expression of praise is no sign.
 Coming with Scripture is no sign.
 Great confidence is no certain sign.
 Religious affections of many kinds are  Affecting relations are no sign.
no sign.
These things are not certain signs because they can be done for the wrong reasons.
Christians do many of these things because they are lead to do them by Spirit of God.
Yet many non-Christians do the very same things for selfish purposes. For example,
many people may go to church, help the poor, memorize scripture, and work up their
emotions in religious services because deep down they believe God will favor them
because of these things. They believe they can earn God’s favor by their actions. The
underlying motive is the key.
What is a sure sign, then? The answer boils down to whether the person has his or her
mind set on the things of the Spirit of God and whether this is moving, as it must, in the
direction of a true righteousness. Are you born again? Do you have a new nature? That
is, do you go to church because you want to or because you have to? Do you do good
deeds to glorify Christ or to glorify yourself? Do you study the Bible to grow in your
relationship with Christ or simply to build your knowledge?
9You,
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. 10But if Christ is in you,
although the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is life because of righteousness. 11If 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.
Looking at the parable of the five wise and five foolish virgins in Matthew 25, although
all ten appear to be what we would today call believers, only five were actually saved.
First, all had been invited to the banquet. Second, all belonged to what we would call the
visible church. Third, all professed to have the bridegroom as their Lord. Fourth, all
believed in the Lord’s second coming. Fifth, all were waiting for Jesus. Sixth, all even
fell asleep while waiting. Five were accepted but when the other five called “Lord, Lord,
open the door for us,” he replied, “I do not know you.” Matt 25:11-12.
The purpose of Romans 8 is not to instill doubt but rather, instill security that nothing can
snatch you from the Father’s hand. However, self-examination is imperative for final
assurance, especially if you have been taking sin lightly. 2 Peter 1:10 says that we should
examine ourselves and make sure of our calling. Verses 9-11 do this by showing the
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distinction between the Christian’s past and present as well as the certainty of his future.
Verse 9 looks at the Christians Past. This verse makes very clear that the description of
those who are not controlled by the sinful nature but who live in accordance with the
Holy Spirit applies to all Christians, not just the so-called spiritual ones. It leaves no
room for “carnal Christians.” The logic is ruthless: 1.) If you do not have the Spirit, you
do not belong to Christ. 2.) If you belong to Christ, you have the Spirit of Christ. 3.) If
you have the Spirit of Christ, you will not be controlled by the sinful nature but by the
Spirit. In other words, if you belong to Jesus, you will live like it. When we look at the
past, Christians see we have been lifted out of our former sinful or fleshly state.
Becoming a Christian is not simply adopting a particular set of intellectual or theological
beliefs – it is a change of state that is accomplished not by us, but by God. It is because
salvation is of the Lord that we are able to speak of its eternal security. We can be certain
of it because it is a work of God whose ways are perfect, whose promises are not broken,
and who does not ever change his mind.
Verse 10 describes the Christian’s present state. In this verse, “spirit” should not be
capitalized because it is speaking of our human spirit. The NIV and NASB have this
correct while the ESV and NKJV capitalize this word. The contrast in verse 10 is the
important thing, our physical bodies are continuing to get closer to death but our spirits
are forever alive by the work of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit has made us alive to things
that we were dead to before:
1. Alive to God – We may have previously believed in God, indeed Romans 1 says
only fools do not. But God was not real to us; we did not have a relationship
with him. We had no sense of who he was or what he was like. God seemed far
and unresponsive. Now, although there is much about God we must learn, he is
more real to us even than life itself. We know that God loves us and is watching
over us. We trust his management of our lives. God is particularly close during
sickness and sorrow. We know that when we die, we will pass into his presence.
2. Alive to the Bible – It is in the Bible that God speaks to us clearly, regularly, and
forcefully. Before, the Bible was a strange and closed book. Little in it seemed
to make sense; it was even boring. Today, when we read the Bible, we know
that God himself is speaking to us in it. Not only does it make sense, we know it
is true! We also find the Bible effective in our lives, it changes us. See 2
Timothy 3:15-17.
3. Alive to the Spirit of God in other Christians – We are fellow members of the
one spiritual family of God and these others are our brothers and sisters in
Christ. We look forward to fellowship with Christians and now feel a fraternal
bond with them that was once not there.
Is God real to you? When you pray, do you know that he is listening and will answer?
When you worship, is it a real God you are worshiping? Is the Bible a meaningful and
attractive book? Do you want to know more about it? Are you drawn to other
Christians? Do you want to be with them? Do you enjoy their fellowship? Do you sense
how much you have in common with them? If God is not real, if the Bible is not
attractive, and if you are not drawn to other believers, why would you think that you are a
Christian?
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Verse 11 describes the Christian’s future. This verse is not speaking about a promise to
have perfect health as some in the faith-healing community may state. The idea is simply
foreign to the context. The point is simply that God will raise us just as he raised Christ.
It is a future resurrection that is certain for those in Christ Jesus. And it is because of the
work of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – it is as certain as God himself.
Look at Ephesians 2:1-10. It also shows how Christians have a distinctly different past
and present as well as a certain future.
12So
then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13For 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.
Now for the first time Paul draws a specific conclusion, saying that the work of God for
us and in us presents a serious obligation. It is to live for God and not according to our
sinful natures. As you will see, Christians not only have an obligation to live a holy life
but also the ability to live rightly. In fact, the obligation and ability are both grounded in
the fact that we are Christians. Before we look at Paul’s answer to living a Christian life,
we will look at some inadequate approaches to sanctification.
1. A method – It may be a special approach to prayer or Bible study. It may be a
special way of ordering one’s daily life, or some other self-improvement program.
Certain methods of organizing prayer, pursuing Bible study, and disciplining
one’s daily life are not bad, they may even be quite helpful. But a method does
not in itself guarantee sanctification or give us strength to do right in a time of
crisis.
2. A formula – A second approach to godly living, which may be recommended, is a
formula. Something like, “Let go and let Jesus,” “Take it by faith,” or “Get out of
Romans 7 in into Romans 8”… The appeal of formulas is that they are easy to
grasp and appear to provide the solution we are looking for. In the end, they just
do not work against the harsh realities of human life and cannot stand in complex
situations. In business, someone may say, “Buy low and sell high.” This formula
is easy to understand but very difficult to practically apply in day-to-day business.
3. An experience – Today, it is often recommended that believers seek a lifetransforming experience (a “second blessing” or a “second baptism of the Holy
Spirit”). The experience is supposed to have a lasting effect where, afterwards,
trials are easy to handle. Some may even say this is what Paul is teaching in
Romans 7 and 8 – where he struggled with no mention in of the Spirit in 7 but
gives much exaltation to the Spirit in chapter 8. But remember, Paul is speaking
about true believers who posses the Spirit and non-believers who do not. There is
not a third category for believers who need the Spirit again for the 2nd or 3rd time.
But what is the answer? How are Christians supposed to live holy lives? It is in these
verses that Paul gives the answer. In these two verses the specifics of this obligation are
stated negatively, though positive expressions follow. We are not to live according to the
sinful nature, and we are not to give reign to the misdeeds of the body. Yet the positive
side is implied. Instead of living according to the sinful nature, we are obviously to live
according to the Spirit. And instead of giving reign to the misdeeds of the body, we are
to put the sins of the body to death and instead yield the members of our body to God for
righteousness.
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This is exactly the teaching found in Romans 6:11-14. In that chapter, Paul is
expounding on our union with Christ which he began teaching in Chapter 5. He said
because of our union, Christ’s death was our death and Christ’s resurrection was our
resurrection. We are now new beings, dead to sin and alive to God. We cannot continue
in sin because it is against our new nature. In this chapter, Paul is teaching the same
thing but the chief subject is the role of the Holy Spirit as the Father’s agent in saving us.
But this is the identical point! Paul is approaching the subject of sanctification from two
directions; yet, the outcome is still the same. The word Paul uses in verse 12 is
“obligation” – we are obligated to live by the Spirit if we are Christians. The apostle
teaches quite clearly that the way of sanctification is the way of realizing the truth about
ourselves as Christians, and then putting it into practice.
See the Appendix containing James Boice’s advice for doing what is right as a Christian.
14For
all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
The theme of Romans 8 is the assurance of our salvation. This was originally brought up
in chapter 5. Paul spent time to handle two very important issues in chapters 6 and 7 (the
believer’s relationship to sin and the law), and has now returned in chapter 8 to complete
the statements he began earlier. But we come now, for the first time, to the statement
“sons of God.” Paul is arguing the eternal security of our salvation because of our new
relationship with God – a new family relationship with God. This is a short verse loaded
with teachings.
• Two Fathers, Two families – The first point is negative, that is some people are not
children of God. In our modern day, as a result of the influence of liberalism, there is an
idea of the “eternal brotherhood of man.” In a sense, we are all brothers for we were
created by God. This is not what Paul is speaking about; he is comparing those who are
led by the Spirit and those who are not. The clearest statement of this is from Jesus
himself in John 8:31-47, “If you hold to my teachings, you are really my disciples…If
God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here…You
belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire…The
reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.” Christ made it very clear that
there are two families with two fathers.
• Born of God – This means that all Christians are members of God’s family.
1. It is radical and profound. Christ spoke of being in the devil’s family, Paul spoke
of being “in Adam.” The result from either description is to be in sin. To be “in
Christ” is the opposite – it is a verdict of “innocent,” it is to grow in holiness and
live out God’s plan for your life – it is to live by the Spirit.
2. It is supernatural; this means that it was done for us by God. We are helped by
the words of Christ in John 3 when he told the Jewish ruler Nicodemus, “I tell you
the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the
Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should
not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’” It is the Spirit that
performs the action gives birth, it is given from God.
3. It is far reaching. Again, the end of Spiritual rebirth is not just deliverance from
judgment, but rather the end is glorification. This is where chapter 5 began and it
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is where chapter 8 will end. Paul’s interest in the section is always glorification.
• A Practical Result – One characteristic of our modern culture is that we are a very
practical people. We want teachings we can put into practice to yield results. To be a
Christian means to be lead by God’s Spirit. God’s will is written in our heart, he plants
desires within us and gives us the talent needed to do his work through us. When we are a
Christian in regular communication with God through prayer and Bible study, the will of
God will seem supernaturally natural to us. We will simply have a desire to do the very
thing God wants us to do – and we will be thrilled to do it! It may be evangelism, it may
be teaching other Christians what we are learning, ministering to widows and orphans, or
any other work the Father desires.
• A Test of Spiritual Paternity – Just like genetic tests of our day can prove or disprove
the father of a child with nearly 100% accuracy, this verse tells us how we can know we
are in God’s family. We are in God’s family if the Spirit of God is leading us in our daily
lives. Christians are on a path of discipleship. But how does the Spirit lead us? There are
a lot of ideas today and many of them are unbiblical. Many expect to have supernatural
signs, visions during sleep, or picking random verses that mystically speak to our specific
situation. God can indeed work in this way, but is this the most common method and is
this what Paul is talking about? To Live according to the Spirit means it is a daily,
ongoing experience. Christianity is a relationship, not a religion. Like all relationships,
you must spend time with God (in this case, discipleship though prayer and Bible study)
in order to know him better, trust in him, and realize his purpose for your life.
So what does the Holy Spirit do internally in Christians to lead them?
1. He renews our minds. Briefly skip ahead to Romans 12:1-2. After Paul has laid
down the great doctrinal truths of Romans, he begins to apply the truths
practically. The person who discovers, tests, and approves what God’s will is
obviously led by God. But the key and foundation to this, according to Romans,
is the mind’s renewal. Our minds are renewed by our reading and being taught by
the Spirit from the Bible. God has given us the Bible to renew our minds. The
Bible and the Holy Spirit work hand-in-hand in this. For one without the other is
inadequate.
2. He stirs the heart – Figuratively, the heart is the seat of the emotions and the Holy
Spirit works upon it by stirring or quickening the heart to love God. See
Galatians 4:6. It is the Spirit who causes us to hunger and thirst for righteousness.
Do you try to please God? Do you want to spend time with him through prayer
and Bible study? Do you seek his favor and are you concerned with his glory?
3. He directs our wills – “Therefore my dear friends… continue to work out your
salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to
act according to his good purpose (Philippians 2:12-13).” God gives us a single
purpose: to do his will. You should ask if your will has been redirected to align
with God’s will. He does not force you to be Godly against your will. He
changes your will by the new birth so that what you despised before you now
love, and what you were indifferent to before you now find desirable. If you are
trying to please God, it is because the Spirit is at work within you, leading you to
want and actually do the right thing. It is a strong reason for believing you are in
God’s family.
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One final note… Notice that the subject is plural in this verse, “all who are lead…are
sons.” It does not matter what denomination or movement a Christian believer belongs
to. There are not Baptists, Presbyterians, Catholics, Lutherans, Pentecostals, Methodists,
or any other grouping in God’s eyes. There are those who have the Holy Spirit and those
who do not (ch 8). There are those who are in Christ Jesus and those who are not (ch 5).
We must remember that the Church, the body of Christ, is large and diverse. We must
love and work with all members of our heavenly family.
15For
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!" 16The Spirit himself bears witness
with our spirit that we are children of God,
In these verses, the apostle exhibits four proofs of our being the sons of God:
1. Our being led by the Spirit of God which we have looked at
2. Is the Spirit of adoption which we receive, crying Abba, Father
3. The witness of the Spirit with our own spirit
4. Being heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, we suffer with him so that we may
be also glorified together (verse 17)
Looking at verse 15, we see the primary idea being introduced is that of being adopted.
The NIV uses the term sonship. Adoption is the process by which a person is taken from
one family (or no family) and placed into another. In this context, it refers to removing a
person from the family of Adam (or Satan) and placing them in the Family of God.
Adoption is related to regeneration, or the new birth, but they are not the same thing.
Regeneration has to do with our receiving a new life or new nature. Adoption has to do
with our receiving a new status.
The word spirit, as used in verse 15, can mean one of two things in the Bible: it can mean
the Holy Spirit of God or the spirit of man. The capitalization of the word in modern
Bible translations will help you discern which spirit is in view for a given verse. Some
commentators have understood this verse to refer to the Holy Spirit in both instances of
the word. This would mean something like this, “You did not receive the Holy Spirit as a
Spirit of bondage but as a Spirit of adoption.” This is not a poor interpretation at all.
But if we look at the parallel passage in Galatians 4:6 and apply that context here, it
would seem that the bondage spoken of is refereeing to the law. Moreover, this
interpretation would fit the general theme of Romans where Paul has been speaking about
our former state in Adam – in which we were enslaved to sin – and our being set free by
the Holy Spirit. Now he adds that this new state, which conveys freedom from bondage,
also contains the privileges of sonship.
We also have the idea of adoption that not only gives us new status, but also new
relationships to other people (believers, non-believers, and God himself). When we think
of justification or regeneration, we think of God as a judge or creator. When we include
the idea of adoption, we then think of God as our father and cry out to him, “Abba!”
Today we take calling God “Our Father” somewhat for granted. We have authority to do
this from Christ in Matthew 6:9 where he teaches us what we call The Lord’s Prayer.
In the Old Testament, the use of “Father” for God occurs only fourteen times. See:
Exodus 4:22, Psalm 103:13, Isaiah 64:8, Jeremiah 3:19-20, and Hosea 11:1-2. In Old
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Testament use of the term, it is never by an individual Jew speaking directly to God. In
fact, many of these passages speak of Israel not living up to the family relationship. The
term was used similar to the way we say George Washington is the father of our country.
There is no direct, personal relationship implied. Even the great name of God, the
Tetragrammaton (YHWH), usually translated “Jehovah”, or “Yahweh”, was so protected
that we do not know even today precisely how it was pronounced. God was considered
to be too transcendent to be directly addressed, and his name was considered too holy to
be on human lips.
In all four gospels, Christ continually referred to God as “Father.” One notable exception
is his cry from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew
27:46, Mark 15:34). That prayer was wrung from Christ’s lips at the moment in which he
was made sin for us and in which the relationship he had with his Father was temporarily
broken. When Christ used the word “Father,” he used the Aramaic word, Abba which
translates as “Daddy.” This would have been improper and irreverent to the highest
degree to Jewish listeners. But this closeness and family relationship to God is what
Christ introduced and taught to his disciples.
Verse 16 refers to the experiences common among Christians where there is an
overwhelming sense of God’s presence. Not all Christians have had these experiences
but many have from time-to-time in their walk. No spiritual experience is ever
necessarily valid in itself and such experiences can be counterfeits or mistaken. But this
does not invalidate all of them. Many who seek these experiences of the Holy Spirit may
run into excess and fall into unbiblical practices so these experiences should be tested by
Scripture. But there are certainly times when believers have an overwhelming sense of
God’s presence.
17and
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.
Paul now introduces us to two important biblical ideas: suffering and glory. Ray
Stedman calls them the hurts and the hallelujahs. Verse 17 speaks of us being heirs of
God; the first thing that we should know about spiritual inheritance is that it is laid up for
our future in heaven. There is evangelism in our day that says, “Jesus died to give you
abundant life today. If you are sick or poor, pray to Jesus to make you healthy and rich!
He wants you to have all your desires met.” This message is commonly called “health
and prosperity,” “name it and claim it,” or “word of faith.” Tammy Bakker said, “When I
tell God what car I want, I even tell him the color.” Such teachings forget, “If anyone
would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me”
(Luke 9:23). Look at the lives of the twelve disciples in Acts, they certainly did not have
an abundance of worldly wealth, health, or power. Paul himself made tents to finance his
ministry and wrote about on-going eye trouble and other bodily ailments. This is why
Paul writes here that to be heirs with Christ, we must share in his sufferings. There are
indeed important Christian promises from God: he will be with us in trouble, provide an
inner peace in turmoil, minister comfort when we are distressed, and never leave us. The
idea is not that we will escape trouble here but rather be given grace to go through it.
And the blessings of our inheritance are almost entirely reserved for us in heaven.
So it is with all of God’s people – living by faith means to sacrifice your self to God in
this age to receive his promised blessing in the ages to come. Look at Hebrews 11, the
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chapter that records heroes of the faith. These children of God did not always have
abundant blessings on earth. They forfeited immediate comfort, control of their lives,
and praise from men to live by faith; believing in the promises of God for the age to
come. Why should we expect this to be any different for us?
Looking forward to a Christian’s inheritance, what exactly does that consist of?
The lesser items:
1. A heavenly home – John 14:1-3 is where Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be
troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if
it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with
me that you also may be where I am.”
2. A heavenly banquet – In several parables, the Lord spoke of a heavenly banquet to
which his own are invited. The great wedding supper is told in Luke 14:15-24.
The banquet prepared for the prodigal son is told in Luke 15:11-32. Matthew
25:1-13 tells of the banquet for the five wise virgins. We have a foretaste of the
things to come in our observance of the Lord’s Supper, which looks forward to
the coming great marriage supper of the Lamb.
3. Rule with Christ – Another feature of our inheritance is that we will rule with
Jesus in his kingdom. There is debate among Bible scholars whether this refers to
an earthly rule with Christ in some future age or to a heavenly rule only. But we
can see in 2 Timothy 2:12 where Paul tells Timothy, “If we endure, we will also
reign with him.” Christ spoke about servants who shown their faithfulness and
were awarded cities over which to reign (Luke 19:11-27).
4. Likeness to Christ – One of the promised blessings is that we will be made like
Jesus himself. John writes about it in his first epistle, “Dear friends, now we are
children of god, and what we will be has not been made known. But we know
that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (1 John
3:1-2). It is hard to imagine a greater inheritance than to be made like the Lord
Jesus Christ in all his attributes.
Boice has called these the lesser items to he inherited. Before we look further, think
about the term “Love of God” – it could mean a love that someone possesses for God or
it could mean a love that comes from God. In the same way, heirs of God in our text
could mean two things: 1st we belong to God as his heirs - 2nd we are the subject and God
is the object; that is, Christians will actually inherit God himself! This is the boldest of
the two possibilities and there are many reasons to believe this is what the apostle means.
Look at Psalm 73:25-26 which speaks of God himself being our portion forever. Or
Lamentations 3:24, “I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for
him.’” The tribe of Levi is also an example. When the people invaded Canaan and the
land was divided tribe by tribe, each tribe got its predetermined portion except Levi.
Levi was the tribe of priests. They were scattered throughout the land in the forty-eight
priestly towns, from which they were to serve the whole people in God’s name. They
had no inheritance because, as it was said of them, “The God of Israel, is their
inheritance, as he promised them (Joshua 13:33).”
Romans 8:17 specifically says that we are co-heirs with Christ. The items listed as lesser
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are not necessarily things Christ has inherited because he already possesses them. So
what does Christ inherit? Look at John 17:4-5, “I have brought you glory on earth by
completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence
with the glory I had with you before the world began.” Christ’s inheritance is the glory
of God which means the vision of, participation in, and enjoyment of God himself.
Paul also speaks of the Holy Spirit being the earnest pledge of our inheritance (Ephesians
1:14, 2 Corinthians 1:22, 5:5). An earnest pledge is something that is a part of a promise
to come. When we make a guarantee to buy a house, we make a down payment. This is
a small portion of money to show we will pay more money in the future. With the Holy
Spirit being a part of the Trinity and the earnest pledge of our inheritance, the full
inheritance must be God himself.
Why would Paul introduce the idea of suffering at this point? None of us would do it. If
we were trying to assure Christians that they really are Christians and their salvation is
secure, suffering is probably the last thing we would mention. We put suffering in the
problem category and wonder why bad things happen to good people. However,
suffering is an ever-present theme in the New Testament because those who were
following Christ’s commission were indeed suffering. The apostles were writing as
pastors to young believers being persecuted and even killed for their faith. There is
suffering when we lose a loved one or are disappointed with people or outcomes in our
lives. Paul was aware of many non-Christian approaches to suffering:
1. Anger – This is common with unbelievers who blame or even curse God for their
misfortunes. But sadly, this is also a feeling of some Christians. They are mad at
God because he has not given them something they wanted; forgetting that Jesus
has not promised us an easy life here, much less the fulfillment of our worldly
desires. He has called us to discipleship. The glory is hereafter.
2. Avoidance – If a path appears to be difficult, some people simply find something
easier. The ancient name for this is hedonism. Some forms of counseling follows
this strategy and tells a person to ultimately do what makes them happy whether it
is right or wrong in God’s eyes. The Christian version is to ask God to remove
the undesirable thing – such as sickness or temptation. This is not the most
profound or uniquely Christian approach to suffering.
3. Apathy – The third non-Christian approach is detachment form the problem. It is
the stoic mentality that says to just keep a stiff upper lip. This is joyless and far
removed from Christianity.
This brings us back to suffering according to a right theological framework and Christian
view. There are three different forms of suffering each with a particular purpose:
1. Persecution – One value of persecution is that it proves to us that we really are
children of God. Jesus taught this many times. “Blessed are you when people
insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of
me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven for in the same
way they persecuted the prophets who were before you (Matthew 5:11-12).” He
also said “No servant is grater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will
persecute you also… (John 15:18-20).” First, Jesus suffered and this has always
been the lot for God’s godly people. It must be that way since they were (and are)
living in a sinful world. Second, suffering proves that we are on the side of Jesus
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and those godly people. If we were not, the world would approve of us.
2. Purification – Some persecution comes to produce growth and holiness. “In
bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom
everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through
suffering (Hebrews 2:10).” Christ was perfect and complete with regard to
morality and his lack of sin. However, Luke 2:52 says that Jesus grew in wisdom
and stature, and in favor with God and man. Perfection means wholeness and
Christ grew into a wholeness of experience and trust in God through such things
as poverty, temptation, misunderstanding, loneliness, abuse, and betrayal. God
also uses these things to perfect us. Zechariah 13:9 & Malachi 3:2 picture God as
a skilled refiner, heating the ore until the dross that has been mixed with it rises to
the surface where it may be scraped off. The refiner knows the metal is ready
when he can see his face reflected in the glimmering molten surface. In the same
way, God purifies us until he can see the face of Jesus Christ in his people.
3. Training – Paul wrote to Timothy, “Endure hardness with us like a good soldier
of Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 2:3).” In 1 Corinthians 9:27, he says, “I beat my body
and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be
disqualified for the prize.” This kind of suffering trains us like athletes to make
us stronger in our walk and better able to serve others from our experience.
See Hebrews 12:3-11 where the writer speaks about God disciplining those who are truly
his sons in order to make them righteous.
There are two basic things to remember about suffering: First, it is the necessary ordained
path. Christ taught that it was necessary for himself in Luke 24:26, “Did not the Christ
have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” Furthermore, he said, “If they
persecuted me, they will persecute you also (John 16:33).” Second, although suffering is
necessary and valuable, it is not the end of the story for Christians. Glory is our end!
Since suffering is the path to glory, Christianity is a religion of genuine hope and
effective consolation.
The Christian who needs to worry about suffering is not the one who is suffering,
particularly if it is for the sake of Jesus Christ. The person who should worry is the one
who is not suffering, since suffering is a proof of our sonship, a means for the spread of
the gospel, and the path to glory.
18For
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory
that is to be revealed to us.
From time to time we come to thoughts that we know we shall never fully understand, at
least not until we get to heaven. Glory is one of them – at best we have only seen an
imitation of it here on earth. Glory is the word best used to describe God’s magnificence
and therefore also the dazzling magnificence of heaven and our share in it. Look at the
description of Heaven in Revelation 20:3 and the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21 – the
greatest word for what is in store for God’s people is glory.
C.S. Lewis said that all human beings have a desire which no natural happiness will
satisfy, and he found it in our wish to be approved by God. He argued that the biblical
word for expressing this wish is glory. We seek approval from our parents and in the
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same way we seek approval from God. The problem is that we behave in a way that
destroys the possibility of that approval, unless God intervenes to save and transform us,
which he does in Jesus Christ. We will all see God in judgment and we can either be
expelled or welcomed into his kingdom. Glory denotes not only worth, acceptance, or
approval; it also denotes brightness, splendor, and luminosity – beauty.
Man seeks glory because the race once had it. Back before the first sin of Adam, man
had a kind of glory because he was created in the image of God and had not been defiled
by sin. The biblical name “Ichabod” means no glory because the glory had departed from
Israel (1 Samuel 4:21). Adam and Eve were the glory of creation but physical decay set
in after sin. God declared “Dust you are and dust you will return (Genesis 3:19b).” They
were not originally destined to die. They also had beautiful souls with great notability.
But after the first sin, they began to lie, cheat, and shift blame. Most significant was the
death of their spirits – the part of their being that communed with God. After the sin,
they no longer sought God out but rather they hid from him. Christ’s work on the cross is
not merely salvation from sin’s punishment, but it is to restore the glory that was
possessed and lost by our parents.
But we are promised by God to receive more than Adam had lost. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
says: Adam was perfect man, but his perfection fell short of glorification. There was
room for development, and it is clear that glorification was the ultimate goal that was
intended for man. As man he was perfect; there was no blemish in him, there was no sin
in him; there was no fault in him. He was in a state of innocence, but innocence falls
short of glorification. But what is held before us and offered to us in Christ, and
promised us in him, is nothing less than glorification. The thing to which man, if he had
continued to keep God’s commandments, would have arrived, and which would have
been given to him as a reward for his obedience, is the thing that is now freely given us in
and through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Our text now states that the future glory that awaits us far exceeds the current trials and
tribulations we are suffering now. Paul is saying that the future glory laid up for us is so
weighty that our present sufferings are as feathers compared to it and that they cannot
even begin to move the scales. It is obvious that our future glory will be different than
our present sufferings, but in what sense?
1. Their Intensity – Suffering is heavy; it hurts so much that we may even scream
out in pain or anguish. But Paul says the intensity of our sufferings is not worth
comparing with the glory. Paul suffered as much as any man judging from his
descriptions in 1 Corinthians 4:9-13; 2 Corinthians 4:8-12; 6:4-10.
2. Their Location – Paul says that the glory of God is to be revealed “in us,” using a
word that literally means “internally” or “in our very being.” This should be
contrasted with the words “though outwardly we are wasting away,” which he
uses in the parallel text in 2 Corinthians 4:16-17. The endurance of our outward
suffering is not to be compared to our participation of being in this glory.
3. Their Duration – “Present sufferings” refer to this life on earth and “that will be
revealed” refers to the eternity to come in heaven. In 2 Corinthians he calls
suffering “momentary” and glory “eternal.” No matter how bad our sufferings
may be, we will be able to endure through them.
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If we can appreciate what Paul is saying and can get it fixed in our minds, we will be able
to change the way we look at life and the way we live. The great reality is the glory that
is coming… Hold on to this idea, that we do not really belong to this present age and that
our citizenship is in heaven. This present world is passing, transient, and temporary. The
world to come is real. That is the one that has substance and which will endure forever!
19For
the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20For the
creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope
21that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the
glory of the children of God.
Paul has been having his readers consider whether or not the Christian life is worthwhile.
That is, the Christian life is full of present self-denial and sufferings which will in turn
result in our future glorification. His first argument was that this present life is a speck of
time compared with timeless eternity. His second argument is that the sufferings we face
today are light compared to the weighty glory that is to come. His argument continues
now into verses 19-21.
Paul turns the attention to creation. His argument is that nature is presently in an
imperfect state but that it is longing for the day of liberation. He does not mean that
inanimate objects have feelings; he only means that nature is not yet all that God has
predestined it to be. It is waiting for its true fulfillment. But if nature is waiting, we
should be willing to wait in hope too, knowing that a glorious outcome is certain. This is
his third reason.
This view of creation is radically different from the world’s view. The world either
deifies the cosmos, virtually worshiping it as an idol or else it regards the cosmos as
gradually evolving toward perfection. But what Paul is saying here is that creation is
earnestly awaiting the glorious freedom of the children of God that it will share.
The Christian World-View of the cosmos has three parts:
1. This is God’s world – This is evident from the fact that the cosmos is called
creation in this verse. This world is not eternally existent, even the Big Bang
theory tells us that. Nor did the world come into existence on its own, reason tells
us that. If the cosmos were to cause its own creation, it would have had to be and
not be at the same time which is irrational. The Christian says that creation has
value not because man has ascribed value to it, but rather because it was created
by God.
2. This world is not what it was created to be – The trouble with the cosmos is not
just that humans have inflicted damage and pollution, but the world has also been
subjected to troubles as the result of God’s judgment on man, rendered at the time
of the fall. God told Adam, “cursed is the ground because of you,” and “It will
produce thorns and thistles for you (Genesis 3:17-18).” Nature had not sinned,
Adam did, but nature was subjected to a downgrading because of him and thus
entered into his judgment. Nature is frustrated as if it is in perpetual winter and
awaits the everlasting spring that is to come. Nature is under bondage because
although it wants to be more than it is, it is not free to change. The cosmos is
decaying; even our sun is constantly burning fuel and will someday burn out.
This is true with everything within the cosmos, energy is constantly dissipating.
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Decay is also seen in the death of all living things.
3. The world will one day be renewed – Despite creations current frustration,
bondage, and decay, the day is coming when the world will be renewed - spring
will come. One could think that just as Christians will one day receive
resurrection bodies that are perfected and glorified, so too will all of creation.
“Creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the
glorious freedom of the children of God. (v21).”
It is hard to imaging this perfected world just as it is difficult to imagine our glorified
bodies. Isaiah 11:6-9 puts it in these words:
6The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together;
and a little child shall lead them.
7The cow and the bear shall graze;
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra,
and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den.
9They shall not hurt or destroy
in all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD
as the waters cover the sea.
If you learn to reason as Paul does and adopt this biblical world-and-life-view, it will
rearrange your values and change your approach to suffering and the disappointments of
life.
1. You will not be surprised when things go wrong in this life – This world is not a
good place; we live in a fallen environment. You will often fail and others will
destroy what you have spent long years and much toil to accomplish. This is true
even of Christians working hard to follow Jesus. But your successes are not what
life is all about. What matters is your love for God and your faithfulness.
2. You will not place your ultimate hope in anything human beings can do to
improve this world’s conditions – This does not mean that you will fail to do what
good you can do in this life as well as encourage others; as a Christian you will.
But you will not delude yourself into thinking that the salvation of the world’s ills
will be brought about by mere human efforts.
3. You will keep your eyes on Jesus – Where else can you look? All others are
disappointing, and everything is crumbling about you. Only he is worthy of your
trust. He has promised to return in his glory, and we know that when he does
return and we see him in his glory, we will be like him (1 John 3:2). Moreover,
when we are made like him in his glory, the creation that is also straining forward
to that day will become glorious too.
22For
we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until
now.
not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan
inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in this
hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25But if
23And
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we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
In this section that begins in verse 22 and continues to 27, we see the word groan has
been applied to creation (22), ourselves (23), and the Holy Spirit (26). When we look at
the human groaning Paul speaks about, we see that it is only those waiting for Christ
Jesus. Christians grieve over the presence of sin in their lives, which unbelievers do not
do. In fact, believers groan increasingly as they grow in Christ. Christians also groan in
response to the persecution directed at them for Christ’s sake. We also see that the grief
is expectant grief; that is, it looks forward to a time when all that is causing pain will be
removed and salvation will be consummated. Paul compares our current sufferings and
groans to those of childbirth that are temporary and look forward in hope to the birth of
the new child.
This is what Paul has been building up to in Chapter 8. What he is saying is that the
sufferings we and “the whole creation” endure are the sufferings of childbirth and are
therefore proof that the new age is coming. And it is why, although we groan, we do not
groan hopelessly. On the contrary, our groaning intensifies our hope and enables us to
wait patiently for the consummation.
What does Paul mean by the redemption of our bodies? He means the resurrection, the
chief element in the hope of Christians. The suffering Paul has spoken about primarily
deals with physical and mental suffering. We are our bodies, our spirits, and our souls;
therefore, salvation must include our bodies if it is to be complete. If someone asked you
“Are you saved?” it would be proper to answer in three ways. We were saved from the
punishment of sin; we are being saved by the continuing sanctification with the Holy
Spirit; and we will be saved from sin’s presence of sin when we receive our resurrected
glorified bodies.
We see in verse 23 that we are awaiting an adoption that will take place in the future;
however, we saw in verse 15 that an adoption has already taken place in the past.
Adoption is used in two senses: in one sense we have already received our adoption and
have been brought into God’s family. In another sense, we still wait for our adoption
because we do not yet enjoy all its privileges.
Notice two important things that we do: we hope and we wait. What is striking about the
Christian attitude of hopefulness is that it is a “sure and certain hope” and not mere
wishful thinking. The specific content is the return of Jesus Christ together with the
things we have been mentioning in these verses: the resurrection of the body, the
adoption of God’s children and the gathering of God’s harvest. These things are
promised by God and our hope is grounded not in the strength of one’s emotional outlook
but on the sure Word of God.
Hope is the measure of true Christianity, which is through and through other-worldly.
Pseudo-Christianity always looks chiefly at this world. Popular Christianity is entirely
this–worldly and is not interested in the other world. But true Christianity has its eye
mainly on the world which is to come. It is not primarily concerned even with
deliverance from hell and punishment and all the things that trouble and worry us. That
really belongs to the past. True Christianity sets its affection on things which are above,
not on things which are on the earth. “We look not at the things which are seen, but at
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the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things
which are not seen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:17, 18).”
26Likewise
the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought,
but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27And he who searches
hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according
to the will of God.
Christians who want to pray in accordance with God’s will find themselves asking: what
should I pray for? How should I pray? Can I pray with confidence, “claiming” things by
faith? Or do I have to make my prayers tentative, adding always, “If it be your will?”
What if I pray wrongly? Can prayer do harm? Does prayer get God to change his mind?
If not, does it even matter if I pray?
But we do have help in this area from the Holy Spirit. Paul starts this segment with
“Likewise” but what is it being compared with? Boice suggests that these verses are
building on verse 15-17 where Paul first spoke about the Holy Spirit allowing us to pray
with confidence. Verses 18-25 form a digression that speaks of suffering, hope, and
waiting. In verse 26 Paul returns to his main theme of the chapter: the security of our
salvation. The Holy Spirit helps us in prayer and this is another way we know we are
God’s children and nothing will ever separate us from his love.
Why is prayer a problem? Paul answers, because of “our weakness.” Paul is not talking
about sin here (although it is true that sin hinders our communication with God: Psalm
66:18, Isaiah 59:2). He is speaking about our frailty as human beings – our ignorance or
lack of understanding. This is expressed when we wonder what we should pray for.
What is God’s will for us or others? In our human limitations we simply do not know
and therefore do not know how to pray rightly. Notice Paul says “our” weakness, this
shows the problem to be one faced by even the most mature Christians.
The Greek word sunantilambanetai refers to a person coming alongside of another to take
part of a heavy load and help him bear it – our English translations use the word help.
Knowing what to pray for is a heavy load and the Holy Spirit comes along side of us to
help us carry it. He does this by interceding for us – that is, he understands both our
weakness and God the Father’s will and presents our prayers to him accordingly. It is
important to recognize that the Holy Spirit only helps us pray, we still have a
responsibility to do so.
Notice the progression of those that are groaning. First it was nature. Second, Paul shows
the born-again believer groaning while on this earth. Now we see the Holy Spirit
groaning – but why is that? What could cause God the Spirit to groan? Boice suggests
that as the Spirit helps us in our prayers and difficulties, the Spirit relates to us and feels
the stress we are under.
Look at verses 26 and 27 - there are four things that the Christian can learn about prayer
from these verses:
1. We are supposed to pray. Regardless of our problems with prayer, the Word of
God commands us to pray. We are even to “pray continually” as 1 Thessalonians
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4:17 puts it. Anything God tells us to do is for our good, and we are poorer if we
fail to do it. Prayer is one of the great spiritual disciplines.
2. Do not expect prayer to be easy. Just as sanctification is a long process of
struggle for Christians, so will be deep and meaningful prayer life. Even biblical
giants of the faith had difficulty with prayer such as Job in 7:20-21, Elijah in 1
Kings 9:14.
3. Realize what you are doing when you pray. We are addressing ourselves to the
great sovereign God of the universe and are presenting our adoration, confessions,
thanksgivings, and supplications to him. Does prayer get God to change his
mind? Of course not – no reasonable person would want that – because if God’s
way is perfect, as it is, to get him to change it would be to get him to become
imperfect. If that ever happened, the universe would fall into disorder! Any
thinking person wants God always to run things according to his own perfect will,
not ours. So does prayer change things? Yes – see Matthew 7:7-8, James 4:2,
James 5:16. Remember that when we are talking about change the chief thing
that happens in prayer is that prayer changes us.
4. Be encouraged by these verses. It is true that “we do not know what we ought to
pray for.” But the Holy Spirit does, and the Holy Spirit has been given to us by
God to assist precisely in this area, as well as in other ways. With his help, we
make progress.
One commentator has compared learning to pray to a man learning to play the violin.
At first he is not very good. But he listens to the classical music broadcast over the
radio and plays along as best he can. His mistakes do not change what is coming in
over the radio in the slightest. The concertos continue to roll on in perfect harmony
and tempo. But, the struggling violinist changes. He gets better week by week and
year by year, and even the time eventually comes when he can play along with the
orchestra broadcasts pretty well.
27And
he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes
for the saints according to the will of God.
Along with the subject of prayer, knowing God’s will is also a top difficulty for many
Christians; these two topics are related. These verses show that there is such as thing
as “God’s Will” and we naturally ask questions such as: Does God have a perfect will
for my life? How can I know what that will is? Can I ask God to show it to me?
Garry Friesen wrote a book called Decision Making & the Will of God which follows
this outline: The phrase God’s Will has traditionally had three meanings: 1st the
sovereign will (according to the counsel of this will, whereby, for his own glory, he
hath foreordained whatsoever comes to pass – this is unfolded for us as time passes),
2nd the moral will of God (this is revealed through scripture – it is behavior that God
approves or disapproves of), 3rd individual (God’s plan for an individual life). This
book gives four reasons to dispute an individual will of God:
1. The existence of an ideal individual will of God for Christians cannot be
established by reason, experience, biblical example, or biblical teaching.
2. The practice of looking for such an ideal will has created needless frustration
in decision making for many.
3. The traditional view does not work out in most situations, if ever. It is hard to
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apply in the minor decisions of life or in deciding between genuinely equal
options, for example.
4. The traditional view is hopelessly subjective. None of the usual ways of
trying to find the supposed will of God are unambiguous: an inner witness,
circumstances, counsel, personal desires, or special guidance.
The book proposes propose an alternative view which they call “the way of wisdom”
and is summarized in these points:
1. In those areas specifically addressed by the Bible, the revealed commands and
principles of God (his moral will) are to be obeyed.
2. In those areas where the Bible gives no command or principle (non-moral
decisions), the believer is free and responsible to choose his own course of
action. Any decision made within the moral will of God is acceptable to God.
3. In non-moral decisions, the objective of the Christian is to make wise
decisions on the basis of spiritual expediency.
4. In all decisions, the believer should humbly submit, in advance, to the
outworking of God’s sovereign will as it touches on each decision.
Romans 8:27 reinforces the idea of God’s sovereign or hidden will – hidden, that is, from
us. It is evident first because the role of the Holy Spirit (praying with us in situations in
which we do not know what to pray for) tells us the Spirit does know what to pray for
and that the prayers of the Spirit are according to God’s will. Second, if we look ahead to
verse 28, we see the Holy Spirit is praying for “things” in which God is working for the
good of those who love him. These “things” are events of life, which God controls for
our good but which are unknown to us, at least until they happen.
The context of these verses also deals with the moral will of God. For no sooner does
Paul speak of God’s “purpose” (v. 28) than he goes on to declare in general terms what
the purpose is: “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the
likeness of his Son (v. 29).” At this point the sovereign will and moral will of God come
together because God’s sovereign plan is that his people become like Jesus Christ.
We do not know God’s sovereign will but we do not need to be under pressure to
“discover” it, fearing that if we miss it, we will be doomed to a life outside the center of
God’s will or his “second best.” We are free to make decisions with what light and
wisdom we possess. Nevertheless, we can know that God does have a perfect will for us,
that the Holy Spirit is praying for us in accordance with that will, and that this will of
God for us will be done. This should be an encouragement to everyone.
Does God ever reveal to us specific parts of his plan for our lives? Yes, infrequently
perhaps, but nevertheless sometimes. Can we expect him to do so? No, if by that we
mean that we have a right to receive some special revelation. Should we ever seek such
direction? Of course, but we must be careful how we do it and not become frustrated or
be made indecisive if God fails to answer theses petitions.
1. There is a perfect will of God for all people and all events, and therefore there is
also a perfect will of God for each individual believer. God has a sovereign
though hidden will that is all inclusive – that is, it includes plans for all believers
and nonbelievers. We may not know the details of his will until it unfolds in our
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2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
life. But we can trust him and go forward confidently, even when we seem to be
walking in the dark, as we often are.
The most important parts of the plan of God for our individual lives are revealed
in general but morally comprehensive terms in the Bible. The decisive steps in
God’s plan include foreknowledge, predestination, effectual calling, justification,
and glorification. We can see God’s will in the Ten Commandments. We also
see God’s will is that we are to be holy and we should pray (1 Thessalonians 4:3,
5:17).
As concerns the parts of God’s will for our individual lives that are not revealed
in the Bible, it is impossible for us to know them by any amount of merely human
seeking. This does not mean that God cannot reveal these parts of his will to us or
does not in some cases. But it does mean that the only way we can know these
hidden parts of God’s will is if he reveals them to us and that, if they are not
revealed to us in general moral categories in the Bible, their discovery is beyond
our ability.
For the most part we do not need to know the will of God in hidden areas,
because the Holy Spirit knows it and is praying for us in these areas in
accordance with God’s will. This is what our text is chiefly saying and should be
a great encouragement. If it were up to us to discover and pray for God’s will in
our lives, we would be as mistaken in this area as we often are in others. Since it
is the Holy Spirit praying for us, we can be confident knowing that this sovereign
and efficacious will of God will be done.
Since we do not generally know God’s will for our lives in areas not covered by
the Bible’s moral directives (and do not need to know it), we must learn to make
the wisest decisions possible, knowing that God has given us freedom to do so.
From our perspective we have the freedom to make choices and should follow
open doors, personal likes & dislikes, desires, impressions, and hunches. These
all have their place as long as they are recognized not to be special revelations
from God.
God is not in a box, and as a result he can (and from time to time does) reveal his
will to individuals in special ways. There are too many Christians who rightly
attest to such leading to deny it. We cannot demand it. We recognize that much
of what passes for special guidance is self-deception and must therefore be on
guard against it. But we should also recognize that it can occur and be careful not
to question it too rigorously in others – and if God guides us in this sway, we must
be quick to respond.
28And
we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are
called according to his purpose.
The last discussion regarding God’s will handles some very difficult concepts to grasp.
The basic precept is that we do not know God’s will but we have the Holy Spirit to
properly petition God on our behalf. Verse 28 begins with what we do know – that all
things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
One difficulty with this passage is its practical application – how do we really know all
things work together for good when we see people suffering all around us? This text has
some built-in qualifications, and we need to begin by looking at them.
1. For Christians only – Paul’s statement “for those who are called according to his
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purpose” shows clearly that this statement only applies to those who are in Christ
Jesus. Looking at the next verse we see that his purpose for his people is to be
conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ and to someday be glorified.
2. To be like Jesus Christ – Does this verse mean that having our own way is
ultimately good? Does it mean to be rich, healthy, or popular is good? Certainly
not, in this passage, the term good means to be made like Jesus Christ. That is our
end destination and we know there is nothing better. This is what Ray Stedman
says “life is all about.” We can see how sickness, suffering, persecution, grief,
and other ills can be used by God for this good intent.
3. A good use of bad things – Are there things used in our lives by God for this
good end necessarily good in themselves or only in their effect? The answer is
the latter. In other words, this text does not teach that sickness, suffering,
persecution, grief, or any other such thing is good – these things are evil. But
what the text does teach is that God uses these things (and others) to affect his
own good ends for his people.
4. Knowing rather than feeling – What is our relationship to what God is doing in
these circumstances? The answer Paul gives is that “we know.” We are upset
when we loose a loved one and we may not feel or even see how this is working
for good – but we are to know that it is. There will be things in this life that are
very difficult and we are not expected to feel like they are pleasant… but rather,
we are given strength to endure them because we know God is using them for our
good.
It is important to look at the things that are not bounded by this statement. “All things”
means all things that have ever happened to us or can possibly happen to us are so
ordered and controlled by God that the end result is inevitably and utterly to our good.
Even the worst things are used to make us like Christ Jesus.
Look at the life of Joseph; he had the favor of his father that made his brothers jealous.
They threw him into a cistern and was ultimately captured by the Midianites and sold to
the Egyptians as a slave. Joseph interpreted a dream for pharaoh and was given authority
in his kingdom on the spot. His testimony before his brothers is seen in Genesis 50:19-20.
Look also at 1 Peter 4:12-19.
There are many things that overturn human plans such as sin, failure, jealously,
circumstance, or our own indifference. But what could defeat God’s plan? He is the
sovereign God and his will is forever being done. Therefore, you and I can go on in
confidence, even when we are most perplexed or cast down.
29For
those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in
order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those whom he predestined he
also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also
glorified.
Romans 8:28 is a verse that is considered to be one of the most wonderful in all of the
Word of God. Yet, the verses we come to now are even more wonderful because they
tell us how God accomplishes this purpose and remind us that it is God himself who
accomplishes it. In spiritual matters, we are all weak in faith. These verses teach us that
salvation does not depend upon our faith, however necessary our faith may be, but on the
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purposes of God. These verses give the golden chain of five links which span from
eternity to eternity.
Divine Foreknowledge – Many people believe that God’s foreknowledge means simply
that in eternity past, God looked into the future at who would believe in him and elected
them to salvation. But that is not what we see when the Bible speaks of God’s
foreknowledge. It is entirely of God and what God does. Each of these five terms is like
that: God foreknew, God predestined, God called, God justified, and God glorified.
Moreover, the object of the divine foreknowledge is not the actions of certain people but
the people themselves. In a sense, it can only mean that God has fixed special attention
upon them or loved them savingly. See how God’s foreknowledge is spoken of in Amos
3:2. See also Deuteronomy 7:6-8, where God describes how his love for the people of
Israel was the reason for his choosing them to receive his promises (such as prophets,
scriptures, and of course Messiah).
Assume God’s foreknowledge is based on God previewing humans’ future
behavior, what would he see? Romans 3:10-11 tell us “There is no one righteous, not
even one… no one who understands, no one who seeks God.” God would look ahead to
an entire race that would reject him. Even if God’s foreknowledge was previewing future
human faith, he would only be looking at the faith that he himself creates (John 3:3-8;
6:44-45, 65; Ephesians 2:8, Philippians 1:29; 2 Peter 1:2). Foreknowledge means that
salvation has its origin in the mind or eternal counsels of God, not in man. It focuses our
attention on the distinguishing love of God. Paul says that God foreknows people, not
what they are going to do and faith is not even mentioned. In the flow of these verses,
what we are told is that God: 1st has a purpose to save certain people and 2nd does
something to those people as a first step in a five-step process of saving them.
Foreknowledge and Predestination – The chief objection to this understanding of
foreknowledge is that, if it is correct, then foreknowledge and predestination (the 2nd link
in the chain) mean the same thing and Paul is redundant. But the terms are not
synonymous, predestination carries us further along – it means to determine a person’s
destiny beforehand, and this is the sense in which it differs from foreknowledge.
Foreknowledge means to fix one’s love or elect, it does not inform us of the destination
to which those thus chosen are appointed. This is what predestination supplies; God has
appointed us to be “conformed to the likeness of his Son,” Jesus Christ.
Effectual Calling – It is important to use the term “effectual” at this point because there
are two different kinds of calling referred to in the Bible and they are easily confused.
The first calling is external, general, and universal; it is an open invitation for all people
to repent and turn to the Lord Jesus Christ. In Matthew 11:28 and John 7:37, Christ is
speaking in this sense. The problem with this is that if left to themselves, no men or
women ever respond positively. They hear the call, but they turn away, preferring their
own ways over God’s. This is why Jesus also said, “No one can come to me unless the
Father who sent me draws him… (John 6:44).”
The other kind of call is internal, specific, and effectual. That is, it is not only an
invitation, it also provides the ability or willingness to respond positively. It is God’s
drawing to himself or bringing to spiritual life the one who without that call would
remain spiritually dead and far from him. There is no better example of this than Christ
raising Lazarus from the dead. If anyone else called Lazarus, he would not have had the
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ability to come back because he was dead. But when Jesus called him out of the tomb, it
was an effectual calling – the same God who originally called the creation out of nothing
is now calling life out of death and Lazarus hears and obeys his Master’s voice. It is in
this story where Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me
will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die…
(John 11:25-26).” We were once spiritually dead in the same way, that is how God called
those he has foreknown and predestined to salvation.
Calling and Justification – Briefly, it is the judicial act by which God declares sinful men
and women to be in a right standing before him, not on the basis of their own merit, for
they have none, but on the basis of what Jesus Christ has done for them by dying in their
place on the cross. Jesus bore their punishment, taking the penalty of their sins upon
himself. Those sins having been punished, God then imputes the perfect righteousness of
Jesus Christ to their account.
Glorification (past tense) – This means we are to be made like Jesus Christ which is what
Paul said earlier. But it is important to notice that Paul mentions this in the past tense
(“glorified” rather than “will glorify”) which we might expect him to say. He does this
because the only possible reason is that he is thinking of this final step in our salvation as
being so certain that it is possible to refer to it as having already happened. Look at
Philippians 1:4-6, those verses are short-hand for what Paul is saying here in Romans.
God began a good work by his foreknowledge, predestination, and calling and he will
certainly complete it with our glorification.
Paul looks at five links in the chain of salvation. If we were to list the entire chain, it
would go as follows: foreknowledge, predestination, calling regeneration, faith,
repentance, justification, adoption, sanctification, perseverance, and glorification. The
Bible never says that we are saved because of our faith. That would make faith
something good in us that we somehow contribute to the process. But it does say that we
are saved by or through faith, meaning that God must create it in us before we can be
justified.
These are all things God has done. If they were not of God, none of us would be saved –
or if we were, none of us would continue in that salvation. When we are first saved we
think naturally that we have had a great deal to do with it, perhaps because of wrong or
shallow teaching, but more likely only because we know more about our own thoughts
and feelings than we do about God. But the longer one is a Christian, the further one
moves from any feeling that we are responsible for our salvation or even any part of fit,
and the closer we com to the conviction that it is all God.
29For
those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in
order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
There are quite a few misunderstandings about Reformed or Calvinistic Christians, and
one is the doctrine of predestination. This is often the first idea one thinks of when they
hear the term Calvinist. This is the first time the idea is introduced in the epistle although
it lies behind everything he has been teaching thus far.
If we look at verse 28, we see that “in all things God works for good of those who love
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him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Foreknowledge or predestination
are apart of the divine chain that explain how God achieves this purpose. The purpose
itself is that from the mass of fallen and perishing humanity, God might save a company
of people who will be made like Jesus. We could put it like this: God loves Jesus so
much that he has determined to have many more people like him. Not that we become
divine, nothing in the Bible teaches that. But rather that we might become like him in his
many communicable attributes: love, joy, peace, holiness, wisdom, patience, grace,
kindness, goodness, compassion, faithfulness, mercy, and other qualities. Verses 29 and
30 tell us how God accomplishes the purpose of verse 28.
Foreknowledge Revisited – When we speak of foreknowledge we think of it in human
terms. That is, we are bound by time and think of knowing about something before it
happens. God, however, is eternal and not bound by time. He does not know things
beforehand, he simply knows. This is what omniscience means. God foreknows what
will be by determining what will be. The word foreknowledge as it applies to God
appears five times in the Net Testament:
1. Acts 2:23 – In his speech, Peter is not merely telling his listeners that God knew
Jesus would be crucified. That is not the point at all. Rather, he is saying that
God sent him to be crucified; that is, that God determined beforehand that this is
what should take place. This is what foreknowledge means in Peter’s context.
See the parallel verses in Acts 4:27-28 where it is demonstrated that humans were
merely carrying out what God had previously determined should happen in order
to save sinners by Jesus’ crucifixion.
2. Romans 11:2 – In Romans 9-11, Paul is defending the doctrine of the eternal
security of the elect against the argument that many Jews have not believed in
Jesus. Does this verse mean that God does not reject those whom he sees in
advance will not reject him? Of course not, that would not help his case. What
he means is that, even in the case of Israel, God has not elected each and every
individual to salvation, instead choosing only a remnant, but that those whom he
has elected to salvation are kept in that salvation. Paul uses himself as an
example. His argument is that those whom God has foreknown (that is chosen)
will never fall away or be rejected.
3. 1 Peter 1:2 – Verse 2 does not mean that God chose them because he foresaw that
they would believe on or obey Jesus, but rather the reverse. They believed and
were being sanctified because God chose them to be saved. The New Living
Translation puts this very clearly.
4. 1 Peter 1:20 – Peter is speaking of God’s determination to send Jesus Christ to be
the Savior. In this verse, foreknew so clearly means “foreordained” that the NIV
translators use the word chosen: “He was chosen before the foundation of the
world…” The same word (chosen) could have been used in each of the other
verses.
5. Romans 8:29 – This is the verse we are looking at and likewise the term foreknew
means that God set his special or saving love upon a select group of people in
order that his purpose (conforming them to the likeness of Christ) might be
achieved.
Many people have objections to the doctrine of predestination (although what bothers
them is more accurately included in the word foreknowledge). There are several common
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objections:
1. If you believe in predestination, you make salvation arbitrary and God a tyrant.
This is actually two objections, let’s look at the second. Does this make God a
tyrant because he chooses to save some? We can understand how people who
know little about the Bible’s teaching might suppose this, particularly since they
thing of God as being unjust anyhow. But even a study of Romans shows how
wrong this is. If we received even-handed justice from God, we would be lost.
Justice is what Romans 1 is about. In order to be saved, what we need is mercy
which is what predestination is all about. See Romans 9:18.
As far as salvation being arbitrary, from our perspective we cannot see
why God chooses some and not others or even some and not all. Therefore, his
selection does seem arbitrary. But that is only because we are not God and cannot
see all things. Just because we cannot understand his ways does not mean God is
without purpose. What we know about God actually shows the opposite, we
know he is infinitely purposeful in his actions. Ephesians 1:11 shows this to be
true. Ephesians 3:10-11 again show God has a purpose for choosing the people
he does.
2. If you believe in predestination, you must deny human freedom. This objection is
based on a sad misunderstanding of the freedom we are supposed to have as fallen
human beings. Romans 3:10-11 & 8:7 show that we are not free to choose God in
our sinful state – we are slaves to sin. Predestination does not take freedom away;
it delivers us from sin’s bondage and sets us free to serve God. We have an
illustration in the life of Jesus. He was the freest and most responsible man who
ever lived. Has there ever been a life in which the sense of God’s predestining
purpose has been more clearly seen than in our savior? Is he not spoken of as the
elect, chosen and predestined one? Were not his ways determined for him in the
pages of the Old Testament? Yet was there ever a freer man in the universe? We
may be told that the doctrine of predestination turns God into a tyrant and man
into a slave, but we discover to the contrary that it shows God to be of great grace
and the children of God to be the freest of all men and women.
3. If you believe in predestination, you will destroy the motivation for evangelism.
For why should we labor to save those whom God has determined to save
anyway? Suppose God does not elect salvation and thus, does not commit
himself to create new life within those that he has enabled to respond. Then what
hope do you and I have as evangelists have of doing it? If the hearts of men and
women are as wicked and incapable of belief as the Bible teaches they are, how
can you and I ever hope to present the gospel savingly to anyone? If salvation
depends upon our efforts to evangelize rather than the foreknowledge of God,
what if we do something wrong? What if I give a wrong answer to a question or
do something that turns others away from Christ? In that case, I will be
responsible for their eternal damnation. I do not see how that can encourage
evangelism – on the contrary, it will make us afraid to do anything. But if God
has elected some to salvation then I can be both relaxed and bold in my witness. I
know that God will save those he has determined to save and will even use my
witness, however feeble or imprecise it might be, if this is the means he has
chosen. Far from destroying evangelism, predestination actually makes
evangelism possible – it makes it an expectant and joyful exercise.
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The apostle is dealing with our eternal security, and he is emphasizing god’s work so we
might understand from the beginning that this wonderful plan of salvation cannot fail. It
would if it depended on us. Everything we do fails sooner or later and that would be true
of our salvation. But salvation is not like that. It is not our choice of God that matters
but his choice of us. It is not our faith but his call. It is not our ability to persevere but
the fact that he has determined beforehand to persevere with us to the very end and
beyond.
30And
those whom he predestined he also called…
The point of the word called, the third link, is that those whom God calls not only hear
his call but actually respond to it by turning around and believing on Jesus Christ or
committing their lives to him. This is what is meant by an effectual call.
There are two types of calls that we see in scripture, the other is an open call to all
persons to repent of their sin and turn to Jesus. We see this used in Matthew 11:28,
16:24, and John 7:37. Anyone who wishes can come to Jesus Christ and be saved. The
difficulty with this ineffectual call is that if people are left to themselves, no one ever
actually responds to it. People hear the gospel and may even understand it, but the God
who issues the invitation is undesirable to them and so they turn away.
Jesus told a story about a man who had prepared a great banquet and invited many guests
(Luke 14:15-24). When the feast was prepared servants went the invitation, “Come, for
everything is now ready,” but the guests just all began to make excuses. That is the way
it truly is, since Jesus was not making up this story out of thin air. The people of his day
and ours do not accept his invitation; they reject it and prefer to go their own way. Jesus
was the light of the world but men did not respond because they hated the light and tried
to put it out (John 1:1-13, John 3:19).
Paul is speaking of the other type of call, the effectual call, in Romans 8:30. There are
many New Testament examples of this call which show it to be directed to a specific
person, effective, and from God himself. John 10:3; Romans 1:6-7; Romans 11:29;
Galatians 5:13; 1 Corinthians 1:9; Ephesians 4:1-4; 1 Thessalonians 5:24; 2
Thessalonians 2:14; 2 Timothy 1:8-9; 2 Peter 1:10, 2:21. In each of these texts and many
others, the call of God is one that effectively saves those to whom it is addressed. Why is
it effective? The answer is simple, it is God’s call. See Isaiah 55:10-11. God’s words are
always effective.
1. Two Responses – To many people, the general call does provoke a response
(although the response is not unto salvation). The person may come forward at a
religious meeting, make outward profession of faith, or even join a church. That
is why Peter said “Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your
calling and election sure… (2 Peter 1:10).”
Donald Grey Barnhouse said: “If men need no more than the outward call, they
become members of the visible church. If the inward call is heard in our
hearts, we become members of the invisible church. The first call unites us
merely to a group of professing members; but the inward call unites us to
Christ himself, and to all that have been born again. The outward call may
bring with it a certain intellectual knowledge of the truth; the inward call brings
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us the faith of the heart, the hope which anchors us forever to Christ and the
love which must ever draw us back to him who first loved us. The one can end
in formal ism, the other in true life. The outward call may curb the tendencies
of the old nature and keep a soul in outward morality; the inward call will cure
the plague that is in us and bring us on to triumph in Christ.”
2. The importance of the general call – The general call is indeed important because
it is through the general call that God calls specifically. That is, through the
preaching of the Word by God’s evangelists and ministers and through the telling
of the Good News of the gospel by Christians everywhere that God calls sinners.
We sow the seed broadly; some of it falls on stony soil, just as some of it falls on
good soil. But when the seed falls on the soil God has previously prepared and
when God – the giver of life – blesses the work of our sowing, the seed takes root
and grows. Nobody but God could invent this way of saving people. If it were up
to us, we would either say (1) God has to do it; we can do nothing, or (2) we have
to do it; God can do nothing. As it is, the work of effectively calling people to
Christ is of God, yet using human beings.
3. Am I elect? Some people say, “Well, if God is going to elect me to salvation, he
will just have to do it. There is nothing I can do.” Or they get hung up on
knowing whether or not they are elect saying, “How can I know I am elect? If I
am not, there is no hope for me.” But there is no need for such passivity or
despair. How do you know if you are elect? The answer lies in another question:
Have you responded to the gospel? In other words, have you answered God’s
call? Acts 16:31 says, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be
saved…” Do it. Then you can know that God has set his electing love on you
and that having loved you, he will continue to love you and keep you to the end.
30 …and
those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
We have been studying a long-range plan, in fact, the longest range plan that has ever
been devised or could be devised. It is a plan that has had its origins in eternity past and
will find its consummation in eternity future. It is all-embracing. Everything that has
ever happened or ever will happen in history is apart of it. And it is utterly certain. So
detailed is this plan and so wisely is it drafted that nothing will ever arise to upset it or
even cause an alternative plan to be necessary. Of course, I am speaking of God’s plan
outlined for us in Romans 8:28-30.
Justification is the opposite of condemnation. It is God declaring us to be righteous
although we are sinners and deserve condemnation.
1. The source of our justification is the grace of God
2. The ground of our justification is the work of Christ
3. The means of our justification is faith – Faith is the channel by which justification
becomes ours. When we are born again, we show it by repenting of sin and
turning to Jesus Christ in faith, believing that he is our savior. Two things should
be said about faith. First, faith is not a good work. It is necessary, essential. But
it is not a good work, in fact, faith is God’s gift. See Ephesians 2:8-9. Second,
although faith is the means of our justification, it is the only means.
4. The effect of our justification is union with Christ – This is the idea that was
developed in Romans 5 and earlier in Romans 8.
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Glorification, the fifth and final term in the chain, has also been looked at in previous
verses when we looked at rejoicing “in the hope of the glory of God.” This means that
we know that one day we will be glorified and rejoice in this certainty. That is, we know
we will be like Jesus in his traits such as: love, joy, peace, mercy, wisdom, faithfulness,
grace, self-control and others (see Galatians 5:22-23).
The most striking feature of Paul’s mention of glorification is that it is mentioned in the
past tense as mentioned earlier. It is so certain, that the apostle can speak of it as if it has
already happened. It is the plan of God and that means that it is as good as done. The
chain begins in eternity past, dips down into time, and finishes in eternity future.
An important question to ask at this point is why is sanctification left out of the chain?
Especially when so many commentators feel it is the key message of Romans 5-8. Even
if the central message of chapters 5-8 is the eternal security of our salvation (as Boice
suggests) and not sanctification as many other suggest – we still do not have an answer
for why it is left out. Paul has not been writing about foreknowledge, predestination, or
effectual calling but he mentions them here. So why not mention sanctification? Hare
are some reasons suggested by Martyn Lloyd-Jones:
1. Sanctification is not apart of the argument Paul has in mind at this point – Paul is
focusing on the acts of God for our salvation, and his point is that our salvation is
certain because it is God who is thus acting. To put it in other words, our security
in Christ does not depend on our sanctification. Sanctification is a process while
the other five links are divine acts.
2. Sanctification is an inevitable consequence of justification – Therefore, Paul does
not need to mention it. There is no justification without regeneration. So the one
who is justified, who now also possesses a new nature, will inevitably show that
new nature by beginning to live a new life. That is why we can say that a claim to
justification apart from growth in holiness is presumption.
3. Sanctification is inevitable also from the standpoint of our glorification – 1 John
3:2-3 says it is the assurance of our glorification that spurs us on our
sanctification. The proper way to teach sanctification is not by concentrating on
“me” or “my feelings” but on what God has already done for us. That is, the
proper approach to sanctification is to fix our eyes on God an dour minds on the
great biblical doctrines. Many people today teach sanctification by methods or
experience; however, this is not the biblical approach. To teach sanctification,
simply teach justification and glorification. A man who has his heart set on
glorification will spend his time preparing for it.
30 …those
whom he justified he also glorified.
Romans 8 has been speaking about the perseverance of the saints (or our eternal security)
through the entire chapter, and particularly in the last few verses. We will now look at
the biblical doctrine of perseverance of the saints.

First, it does not mean that Christians are exempted from all spiritual dangers just
because they are saved. In fact, the opposite is true, the devil would love to attack
one of Christ’s sheep. It is because we face so many spiritual dangers that the
doctrine of perseverance is important.
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

Second, the doctrine does not mean that Christians are always kept from falling
into sin. Sadly, Christians do. Noah fell into drunkenness. Abraham lied about
his wife, David committed adultery and arranged for the murder of her husband.
Peter denied the Lord. It does not mean Christians will not fall, it just means they
will not fall away.
Third, perseverance does not mean that those who merely profess Christ without
actually being born again are secure. Matthew 10:22, “All men will hate you
because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” We are able to
stand firm only because he stands firm with us. The final perseverance of
believers is the only ultimate proof that they have been chosen by God and have
been born again.
There are problem passages that many Christians feel speak against perseverance of the
saints. Hebrews 6:4-6, 2 Peter 2:1-2, 1 Corinthians9:27 are some of them. Parables
include: Matthew 13 (the seeds that spring up quickly but wilt away) or Matthew 25, the
five foolish virgins. These texts should be deeply considered and we should not miss the
warnings they convey. However, a careful examination of these passages will show that
although they can be said to put a proper hedge around perseverance, lest we presume
upon it or take it lightly, they do not contradict the doctrine. There are three categories
that look at these difficulties:
1. Passages that seem to suggest that we can “fall away” from grace.
 This category is most commonly noted an often begins with Galatians 5:4.
This context of this verse is comparing the freedom of grace with legalism
that false teachers are attempting to introduce. Galatians 5:1 tells the
Christians to “stand firm” in the liberty Christ had given them and not become
“burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
 The parable of the seed growing and quickly wilting and the parable
concerning the five foolish virgins can be disturbing. They are meant to be.
But if we compare them to other parables in the book (talents and the sheep &
goats), it is clear that Jesus is saying only that in the church many who are not
genuinely born again will pass for believers until the end. It is only at the
final judgment that those who are truly saved and those who only give verbal
profession will be differentiated.
 In 2 Peter 2:1-2, Peter is speaking about people who have learned a great deal
about the gospel, show signs of outward change, but ultimately have not
changed at all internally. They still love the world and its ways. None of
these passages teach that salvation can be lost. 1 John 2:19 says, “They went
out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to
us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of
them belonged to us.”
2. Passages that seem to suggest that our salvation is uncertain. These are passages
such as Philippians 2:12, 2 Peter 1:10, and Hebrews 6:4-6.
 The last verse it could be taken to be Jews who have had a taste of Christianity
without being baptized by the spirit. They become somewhat inoculated
against Christianity and cannot be won by future teachings. But verse 9
shows that the author did consider his readers to be genuine believers which
mean they would not draw back but would embrace the full doctrine of faith.
 The other two verses remind us that God’s perseverance with us does not
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suggest that somehow we do not have to persevere too. In fact, it is because
God is persevering with us, that we will persevere.
3. Warning passages. These are passages such as Romans 11:20-21; Hebrews 2:1-3;
1 Corinthians 9:27. The purpose for these passages is that we need warnings from
God in order to persevere. The proof is in the different ways unbelievers and
believers react to them. Do the warning verses trouble unbelievers? Not at all.
Either they regard them as mere foolishness or they take they assume their lives
are alright and do not apply to them. It is only believers who are troubled because
they are concerned about their relationships with God and do not want to presume
that all is well with their souls when it may not be.
31What
then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Taken by itself, the first half of the question is not unanswerable. Many people and
things can be against us (and are) - the categories are: the world, the flesh, and the devil.
The world will get us to conform if it can; failing that, it will try to do us in. Our flesh is
also an enemy because it contains the seeds of sin within it; we are unable to escape its
baleful influence in this life. And, as if that were not enough, we have a powerful enemy
in Satan, who is described by the apostle Peter as “a roaring lion looking for someone to
devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
The word if at the beginning of the sentence is clearly not to imply doubt (that would be
wildly out of context for the passage); but rather, if means “Since God is for us, who can
be against us?” It is as if Paul is challenging us to place all the possible enemies on one
side of a balance and they would amount to a pile of peanuts. He then throws an anvil
onto the other side and it comes crashing down. Peanuts are thrown and scattered
everywhere.
32He
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?
If God is for us, then who can be against us? This is the only support to sustain us in
every temptation. But how can we be sure? Paul blows any doubt we may have to the
wind: “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him for us all – how will he not also,
along with him, graciously give us all things?”
One important thing to notice about this statement is that it is not based on emotion alone.
Many people will say something generic, such as “God is love.” But in times of trouble
(after the loss of a loved one, job, or other struggle), a person may say, “I know God is
love, but maybe I’ve done something wrong and he doesn’t love me.” Paul does not
leave it opened ended but rather grounded in undeniable fact. We know God loves us
because of his work on the cross is the ultimate display of love. He is reminding us of the
factual elements of the atonement so that we will know that God is truly on our side.
What do these facts tell us?
1. That is God’s action; God has done it. The atonement was not something that a
loving Jesus did to change the mind of an angry Father. This is not an accurate
picture for the Bible states from start to finish that it was always God’s intent to
die on the cross for sins. Isaiah 53:6 is one of the clearest statements of
sustitutionary atonement in the Bible, but it is no less a statement of the fact that
God the Father conceived and carried out this plan. It also a mistake when people
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see Christ’s death as a result of human actions saying, “What a terrible day it was
when jealous men killed the best man who ever lived.” In Acts 2:23, shows that
the men who killed Christ were guilty, but nonetheless, it had been planned and
accomplished by God
2. That the atonement involved God’s only Son. One of the things this teaches is
Jesus’ full deity. For it is him being divine that gives his death its full force and
meaning. It is because of Jesus is the unique Son of God and therefore both holy
and infinite value that his death can be true atonement for our sin. There is
nothing greater than God’s only Son and that is the greatest gift God had to give.
3. That God spared him not. He could have spared him, but he did not. Bible
students notice the parallel between what God has done and what Abraham was
called to do in Genesis 22. God had asked him to sacrifice his own son. At the
point just before Abraham was going to strike him, God spared Abraham’s son.
God however, did not spare his own Son, Jesus Christ.
4. That God delivered up Jesus for us. The phrase, “but gave him up for us all” is a
way of making the point more emphatic. It means that God delivered him to
death. The death is not just physical, it is also spiritual involving a temporary
separation from the Father when Jesus was made sin for us and actually bore the
wrath of God against sin in our place. God loved us to the extent that, for us he
punished his only Son, did not spare him anything, “delivered him up for us all, “
and poured on him the final dregs of his wrath against sin and evil, and the guilt
involved in it all.
Paul’s argument is from the greater to the lesser. That is, because know God has given us
the infinitely greatest gift of all, we can be sure he will give us all things. Does all things
refer to material possessions, power, prestige, and desires? No. It is along the lines of
verse 8:28 – meaning, he will give us all things to complete his ultimate good purpose for
us. That is to make us like his son Jesus Christ.
33Who
shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.
Each of these questions are unanswerable because they are based on a great spiritual
truth. The third question is unanswerable because no charge cab be brought against those
whom God has chosen if God, the supreme Judge of the entire universe, has acquitted
them.
Many people become anxious when God is thought of as a judge and a great deal of
cultural energy has been spent trying to dispel these anxieties. Before he had an
understanding of the doctrine of grace, Martin Luther said, “What works can come from a
heart like min? How can I stand before the holiness of my Judge with works polluted in
the very source?” We numb ourselves by banal and unending entertainment, crowd our
hours with frantic activity, and bolster our sagging self-images by pop-psychology and
self-help programs. However, when people stop to consider their lives, any honest
person will know they are not what they should be and there will one day be an
accounting.
Our consciences accuse us. We put on a front for other people to make them think we are
better, nicer, or more godly than we actually are. However, we are not able to fool
ourselves. If our consciences were not bad enough, we also have our great accuser Satan
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(Revelation 12:10). He particularly accuses Christians, for he already dominates
unbelievers and does not want to awaken them to their sin. But this text teaches us to
very important things: If you have been saved by God through the work of Jesus Christ,
you are among those “whom God has chosen.” If you are among those whom God has
chosen, it is also true that God has justified you of all sin.
We can easily fool others. We can work to fool ourselves or choose to ignore our faults.
But we will stand before God and God cannot be fooled or ignored. However, if you
have been justified by God, the fact that causes us most to tremble is actually that which
gives us most assurance.
1. Our greatest offense is against God, however great our offenses against other
persons may be. See Psalm 51:4 where David had Uriah killed but realized his
greatest offense was against God.
2. God knows the law perfectly. Because of this, we do not have to be troubled by
any other accusers such as people on ear or Satan. No one can find anything we
have done that is not covered by the blood of Christ.
3. God satisfied all possible claims against us; he has done this himself, through
Jesus Christ. This is more than simple acquittal – which is to have charges
against us dropped. To be justified is to be clothed with the very righteousness of
Christ. God doe not only forgive us, he makes a declaration to the effect that he
has not only forgiven us, but he now regards us as just and righteous and holy, as
if we had never sinned at all. No one can bring a charge against me because I am
arrayed in righteousness.
4. The jurisdiction of God’s court is universal. Being acquitted by that court, we can
never be condemned by any other. In our country, trials are regularly appealed to
higher courts and some even to the Supreme Court. But this may not even be the
final authority if your case may involve a country other than ours, it may fall
under another’s jurisdiction as well. But there is no jurisdiction that does not fall
under God.
34Who
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.
Paul has been showing things that God the Father has done as the foundation of spiritual
truth that renders these questions “unanswerable.” Christ is mentioned in question two,
but the primary focus is the Father who gave up his Son. With the fourth of these five
questions the work of Jesus Christ is suddenly brought forward. Having just said that
God justified his people, Paul now speaks of the ground of that justification and offers
four reasons why those who have been justified can be assured that they are forever free
from condemnation. These reasons all have to do with the work of Jesus Christ.
1. Christ death for sin: Paul again has brought up the death of Christ and the fact
that he has died in our place (although he does not elaborate here because he has
expounded at great length in previous chapters). The central theme for this
section of Romans is the security of our salvation and as humans we tend to
waver as we think of different circumstances and different possibilities. This is
particularly true when we fall into sin – at such times we begin to doubt our
salvation and wonder if we have fallen away. If you have ever felt like this, then
you do need to hear that story again about Jesus dying for your sin.
“Suppose I sin?” you ask. Don’t say “suppose.” You have sinned and will
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continue to sin. That is not the right question. The question is rather, “Did Jesus
die for my sin or did he not?” If he did, then the punishment for that sin has been
undertaken by Jesus in your place, and there is no one (not even God) who can
condemn you for it. Jesus took your condemnation. Even for those who have
been born again but may have doubts concerning their salvation or are asking
questions to intellectually understand the full meaning of Christ’s work, Jesus has
covered your sin. (This does not mean people who scorn or scoff at Christ’s work
are forgiven – but honest believers who periodically have doubts or questions.)
2. Christ’s Resurrection: Paul again only touches on the resurrection because he has
looked at it in previous chapters. Think back to Romans 4:25, “He was delivered
over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.” The
relationship between justification and the resurrection is one of demonstration. It
is God’s way of showing that Jesus’ death was a true atonement and that all who
believe on him are indeed justified from all sin.
While alive, Jesus said that he would die for the sins of many. In time, he did
die and was placed in a tomb for three days. Bud did he die for sin? Suppose he
was crazy. Suppose he was not sinless and therefore could not die for anyone
else’s sin but his own. How would we know that his atonement was accepted by
God? But now add the resurrection to the picture. It would be inconceivable for
God the Father to raise Jesus and thus verify his claims if he were not his unique
Son and therefore a true and effective Savior of his people.
3. Christ’s Ascension and Enthronement at God’s Right Hand: There are two chief
teachings involved. The first is the glorification of Jesus. This is God’s answer
to Christ’s prayer in John 17:4-5. Jesus laid this glory aside in order to become
man to accomplish the work of redemption. Having completed the task, he asks
for his glory to be restored. And it has! Acts 7:56; 9:3-5 and Revelation 1 each
show a resurrected, glorified Jesus Christ.
The other teaching deals with Christ being seated at the right-hand of the
Father. The right-hand is the place of honor and involves his exultation. This
means that the one who has achieved our eternal security has been honored for
precisely that achievement. It also implies his finished work. Hebrews 4-6 shows
that Jesus’ priestly work is superior to and replaces the preparatory work done by
earthly priests. See Hebrews 10:11-14. There were no chairs in the Jewish
temple to signify that the work of the priests was never done. But when Christ
offered himself as a sacrifice, the work was perfect and complete.
4. Christ’s present intercession: It is natural to see this intercession as Jesus’
pleading the benefits of his death on our behalf in the face of Satan or any other
individual’s accusations. But this is probably not the right idea because Paul is
showing that Christ’s work is finished and that type of intercession is not
necessary. There is no need for the Lord to defend the believer, he has already
done so. His intercession here must refer to prayers much like the great prayer of
John 17 in which he prays for and receives all possible benefits of his death for
the living of their Christian lives. It means there is no problem to which he will
turn a deaf ear or for which he will refuse to entreat his Father on your behalf.
“There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”! There can be none
because Jesus has died in our place, been raised for our justification, is seated at the right
hand of God, and is even now carrying on a work of intercession for us.
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35Who
shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or
famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36As it is written,
"For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered."
Next tot the bare facts of salvation, the greatest lesson a Christian can learn is that
nothing can separate him or her form the love of Jesus Christ, which is the love of God.
Paul now comes to the last of the five great questions: Who shall separate us from the
love of Christ?” This question is also unanswerable because there is no one or nor
anything that cab be imagined to do it. Paul lists seven potential candidates here:
1. Tribulation – Circumstances frequently press done on people so forcefully and
unremittingly that it seems that that are being threshed like stalks of grain. The
Greek word has its root in this meaning. Even after great tribulation and trials,
Paul says you may know that no tribulation, however severe, will separate you
from Christ’s love.
2. Distress – The Greek word is made of two words meaning “narrow space” – the
idea is not that events are bad but rather you may confined to a narrow and
oppressive space. In our day we may be in a dead-end job where there is little
opportunity for improvement but the obligations to family keep us right where we
are at. The solution is to realize that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the life
you life will have great significance when you follow him.
3. Persecution – Two things we can be sure of: 1) persecutions are a normal
response to any forthright Christian witness or stand, and 2) we will experience
them to the extent that we confront the world with Christ’s claims. Persecutions
may separate us from a more lucrative worldly future or a more attractive image
before the world, but persecutions will never separate us from Christ’s love.
They, in fact, draw us closer to him.
4. Hunger – This could reasonably be associated with poverty and not being able to
meet daily needs. Many so-called Christian teachers in our age promote the idea
that you will be financially blessed proportionate to your faith in God. This could
lead to a belief that financial difficulties are a result of God’s disfavor for the
individual. This could not be farther from the truth. Paul clearly shows here that
in times of need and want, God is not separated from us but continues to abide in
the believer
5. Nakedness – This is a corollary to the discussion addressed in hunger. Nakedness
is the result of not being able to meet financial obligations to supply daily needs.
6. Danger – We often take our liberties in this country for granted and feel we are
relatively free to hold our beliefs. This is only because God restrains the wicked
of this world. If he would not, it is certain that the world would turn on Christians
and have the message of the true and living God destroyed.
7. Sword – The last of these seven terms pushes the violence implied in the earlier
ones to their furthest extremity, viewing circumstances in which Christians are
executed or even murdered for their faith. Although we do not see it in our
countries, estimates of the number of Christians killed each year for their faith are
as high as 600,000. Particularly in the Middle East and China.
Again, this question is unanswerable in light of a great spiritual truth that has its root not
in anything we have done, but in the work of God. Christ’s love draws us out of
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ourselves and to him in the first place. The love of Christ satisfies those it has drawn and
won as disciples. The love of Christ now only draws and satisfies, it also keeps us save
for ever.
37No,
in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
We have just been reminded that we are sheep to be slaughtered but now Paul declares
that we are also more than conquerors through him who loved us. But how can those
who are despised and rejected – troubled, persecuted, exposed to famine and nakedness,
danger and sword – how can such people be thought of as over-comers, super-overcomers at that?
Look at Ephesians 6:12. Our battle is a supernatural one against spiritual forces and the
devil himself. The devil is not and equal but opposite of God, he is merely a created
being. But he is, however, very cunning and dangerous. We do not defeat him with our
own strength but in Jesus Christ we can stand firm and fight on to victory.
Second, we are more than conquerors because our fight is a lifelong battle. There is not
ceasefire or time off from the time a person is converted until the day they are remade in
the image of our Lord.
The third reason we are more than conquerors is that our victory is eternal and can never
be taken back. Everything done on this earth outside of spiritual matters will- at some
point – be forgotten, lost, or destroyed. Priceless works of art are decaying and will
someday be gone. See the Appendix on Spiritual Warfare.
The fourth reason why we are more than conquerors in the struggles of this life is that the
rewards of our victory will surpass anything ever attained by earthly conquerors. Kings
of this world fight for territory, wealth, and glory. The people of God look for rewards in
heaven. In this life, like our Master, we may wear nothing but a crown of thorns. But in
heaven we will wear crowns that are incorruptible and will possess an inheritance that
will never slip away.
The final reason why we are more than conquerors is that the goal of our warfare is the
glory of God, and that is an infinitely worthy and utterly superior thing. Look at
Revelation 8:11 – the four and twenty elders cast their golden crowns at the feet of
Christ.
38For
I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to
come, nor powers, 39nor 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.
There are times in a Christian’s life when a strong, persuasive argument supporting
Christian truth is needed in a situation. There are also times when nothing can substitute
a clear, heart-felt testimony. This is what Paul is doing here, he has scaled the mountain
of Christian doctrine and reason so all that is left is a pure testimony from his soul. There
is no false optimism because what he says is based on the facts of the previous verses but
it also flows from his heart which is often considered the spiritual climax of the book.
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Death is very frightening for people because of the separation involved. Our spirit and
soul are separated from our bodies we are separated from the people we love. For no
believers, it is also separation from God. But for the Christian, death actually ushers us
into an even closer relationship with God. 2 Corinthians 5:8 says that “to be away from
the body” is to be “at home with the Lord.”
Life may also separate us from the people and places we love. War, occupations,
sickness, and other circumstances can force us to leave behind people we love. But for
the Christian, there is no separation from God’s love throughout life. It is when life is
most difficult that we find ourselves relying even more heavily on God.
The next pair Paul contrasts is angles and demons. It is hard for us to imagine that angles
could separate us from God so many commentators believe Paul is speaking about fallen
angles in this verse. However, that does not follow because he is giving pairs of
opposites throughout the sentence. Similar to Galatians 1:8, Paul is simply covering all
possible bases by giving two extreme cases so we can reason that nothing in-between
could separate us either. Christians are often fearful of demons and particularly the devil.
We need not be afraid because as Colossians 2:13-15 says, Christ “disarmed the powers
and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”
The devil is already defeated and is now simply wasting his time.
Paul now turns the sweeping net to cover areas of time, present and future. Now that we
are in Christ, we are eternally secure no matter what our earthly circumstances are or ever
will be. Going beyond this, we can understand Paul to be saying that nothing here in this
life or in the life to come will ever separate us from God’s love for us.
Powers on this earth, authorities such as government leaders and the like cannot separate
us from God’s love. They may rule over our earthly affairs, possession, and status, but
they can do nothing to change our secure relationship with God.
Look at Psalm 139:7-10 where the psalmist describes God’s love as being everywhere,
from the highest heavens to the lowest depths. Paul is speaking of this in his last
coupling of terms: height nor depth. God’s love is everywhere and we will never be
anywhere where it will not be found.
Paul wraps it up by stating that not anything else in all of creation could ever separate us
from the love of God. Is this your testimony? Have you been persuaded of these truths,
as Paul was? Can you say, “I no longer have any doubts. I know that salvation is
entirely of God and that he will keep me safe until the very end”? If you are not certain
of these truths, it is because you are still looking at yourself. You are thinking of your
own feeble powers and not of God and his omnipotence.
What would have to happen for you to lose your salvation, once you have been
foreknown, predestined, called, justified, and glorified by God? For that to happen, God
would have to throw the entire plan of salvation into reverse. Jesus would have to rise
from his throne, go backward through the ascension (now a descension), enter the tomb
again, be placed upon the cross, and then come down from it. For you to perish, the
atonement would have had never to have happened. Only then could you be lost. But it
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has happened, according to the plan of God. And the fact that Jesus has been raised from
the dead, brought to heaven, and been seated at the right hand of God the Father is proof
that it has been accomplished. Your security is now as certain as the Lord’s
enthronement, which means that it is as unshakeable as Jesus himself.
Chapter 8 Summary
This is truly the great chapter of the New Testament.
Not guilty- Let him go free! For those of us in Christ Jesus, there is no condemnation from our
past sin. There will be no separation in the future. And right now we know that everything is
working together for good. Some would call this dangerous because people will feel no recourse
for sinning. Paul disagrees - it is not dangerous, it is motivating, liberating, and furthermore it is
the power you need to defeat sin in our current life. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus
has set you free from the law of sin and death. There is nothing wrong with the law, it is perfect.
But the law is weak because our flesh is weak. We may have the will to keep the moral and
spiritual law but we do not have the ability.
Christians could possibly continue to live in the flesh; however, to live in the flesh is death.
Living in the flesh does not necessarily mean to live in gross sin. It simply means to have your
mind focused on material things: what you will eat, what you will wear, where you will live, job
promotions, public recognition, etc… If you are focused on these things you will never be
satisfied. Money will always cause a desire for more money. Fame and power will do the same.
The quest for knowledge will just expose the vast amount you will never know. These things are
fleshly and will not lead to happiness; they will lead to dissatisfaction and death. Everything in
our culture tells us that looking good, having the right car, right house, and the right job is it. It
is important to take a stand and declare that I and my family will serve the lord because that is
the path to life.
All things work together for good to the believer! This means that even if in the short-term there
are difficulties, God’s will for us to become more and more like his Son. We may have to go
through trials and difficult times, but it is certain that when we see our entire life we will be
thankful for the temporary difficulties in our lives.
God knew us from the beginning and choose us to be believers. He knows the end from the
beginning and knows for certain, before we are ever born, that we will become Christians and
will be safely justified by Christ. God did not choose us for our righteousness, holiness, or our
ability to accept him – he chooses us because he has a purpose for our lives and wants to use us
to execute his will. By virtue of his choosing me, I know he will see me through to the end and
will complete the work he has begun in me. To understand this, is to have peace with God and
purpose for this life.
Paul asks a very important question for us to consider. If God gave his son for us, how will he
not also graciously give all things?! We know that all things are working for our own good
because if God did not hold back in giving himself, we know he will not hold back on giving
everything else. He has already given the greatest treasure. People may read this and say, “I
think a high paying job and a great house is a good thing and I don’t understand why God won’t
give it to me now.” But God knows what is good for us better than we do – the same way a
parent knows what is better for a small child than the child himself. God will provide us what
we need when we need it in order to make us more like his son and bring us closer to him.
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In this present world system, we are like sheep being slaughtered. Sheep are easily picked off
and put down. The servant is not greater than the master and our master was murdered on the
cross. They hate us because they hated him. We are not political activists or conquerors – we
are calling people for an entirely different perspective on their lives, this world, and God. His
kingdom is not of this world; if it were, he would have called his angles and people to fight.
From this world’s perspective, we are not going to win.
Has God Failed with Israel?
In the ninth, tenth, and eleventh chapters of Romans, we are dealing with a Christian philosophy
of history. The Christian view is not negative, because it sees God at the beginning of history
(taking charge of it), the cross of Jesus at the center of history (giving it meaning), and the return
of Christ at the end of history (bringing it to a triumphant conclusion). For the Christian, time
and history abound with eternal meaning.
Some scholars believe that chapters 9-11 of Romans were inserted from a standard “script” of
preaching that Paul had on-hand. However, what he teaches in these chapters are very closely
related to the doctrine and themes he has been developing in the previous 8 chapters. First, they
expand on his primary thesis found in Romans 1:16. Here is where he begins to show how the
gospel truly relates to the Jews.
Second, we have just finished a section in which the eternal salvation of the believer is secure
because of God’s eternal and immutable love. But how can we be sure that God’s love will
forever be fixed on us if we are not also sure that God’s love will forever be fixed on the Jews
whom he has given his first promises? If God does not keep his promises with the Jews, how
can we be certain that he will keep his promises with us?
So has God’s saving purpose toward the Jewish nation failed? Paul raises this question in verse
six and shows God’s historical purpose toward the Jewish nation has not failed for the following
seven reasons:
1. All whom God has elected to salvation are or will be saved (Romans 9:6-24). Paul first
distinguishes between national Israel and Spiritual Israel. The point of the distinction is
that membership in the outward nation of Israel did not guarantee salvation anymore than
simple church membership makes a person a born-again believer. God’s electing grace
has always been a matter separate from national or organizational distinction.
2. God had previously revealed that not all Israel would be saved and that some Gentiles
would be (Romans 9:25-29). If God would have promised to save all Jewish people, then
indeed he would have failed. However, Paul uses Old Testament scripture to show that
God declared there would be Jews who would not believe and, in their place, many
Gentiles would be gathered in their place. (Hosea 1:10; 2:23, Isaiah 1:9; 10:22-23)
3. The failure of the Jews to believe was their own fault and not God’s (Romans 9:3010:21). Paul teaches that the reason many Jews failed to see Jesus as the Christ is their
own efforts to earn salvation by works. This is the same reason most Gentiles do not
come to Christ – both fail to see the depths and seriousness of their sin. They fail to see
their need for a savior.
4. Jews (Paul himself is an example) have believed and have been saved (Romans 11:1).
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Paul shows that at least one Jewish person (himself) has been saved by believing on Jesus
Christ so the Jewish people have not been utterly cut off. He then shows the situation is
certainly not that dire…
5. It has always been the case that not all Jews but only a remnant has been saved (Romans
11:2-10). Paul uses God’s speech to Elijah as proof of this. Elijah felt he was the only
person faithful to God who was left on earth. God replied that he in fact still had seven
thousand Israelites who had not abandoned the true faith. The point is that there has
always been a remnant of true believers that God has kept for himself.
6. The salvation of the Gentiles, which is now occurring, is meant to arouse Israel to envy
and thus be the means of savings some of them (Romans 11:11-24). God is just in saving
anyone he chooses by Grace and he is just in allowing others to face judgment. We learn
in this section that God’s purpose for turning his attention to the Gentiles is to arouse
envy and passion of the Jews and bring them to salvation. Just because God is including
others in the plan of salvation does not mean that he has abandoned his people – in fact,
he is including others for the purpose of saving more Jews.
7. In the end all Israel will be saved, and thus God will fulfill his promises to Israel
nationally (Romans 11:25-32). Many Christians today attempt to dismiss this teaching
because they want to reason that there will be no future nation-wide blessing for Israel.
But Paul clearly says it will happen, “And so all Israel will be saved…(v 26).” To say
that this means only true Israel or the church is an evasion of Paul’s obvious teaching.
There will come a time when national revival and salvation will come to Israel.
We can clearly see that this section of Romans will show the unfolding of God’s work in
history from the fall, to the coming of Messiah, to the rejection by his people, the inclusion of
the Gentiles, and ultimately the conversion of the masses of Israel. Paul is not only showing
what God is doing but also that he is right in so operating.
If you are a Christian, God is forming Jesus Christ in you so that at the end of time there will
be a vast host of believers who will stand before him as sisters and brothers of his beloved
Son. We often do not think about this and get caught up in our own little plans, most of
which have nothing to do with this purpose and will prove meaningless in the end. If you are
a Christian, you must know that you are here to be like Christ and to strive to win others to
Christ. That is what God is doing and that is a true understanding of historical events.
Romans 9:1-5 – Paul and His People
1I
am speaking the truth in Christ--I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy
Spirit-- 2that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3For 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.
After building up to an exhilarating emotional high at the pinnacle of Romans 8, Paul
now shows great sorrow that accompanies the glorious news of the of the gospel. He
realizes that his own people, the Jews, have largely rejected the Lord Jesus Christ and
because of this, will perish. To the Jews, Paul was a dreadful enemy and traitor who was
converting Jews and Gentiles alike to a man they would have called a “blaspheming
imposter.” Their dislike for him was so fierce, that in Acts 23:12-13, we see that 40 Jews
took a vow not to eat or drink until they had killed the Apostle Paul. Paul himself says
that he had received whippings from the Jews five times and that he was in constant
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danger from his own countrymen (2 Corinthians 11:24-26). Yet nowhere in his writings
or anywhere else is there ever found the shadow of personal offense, matching retaliation,
or lingering bitterness against the Jews for this abuse. Not once. Nowhere.
But this only touches the tip of the ice burg of Paul’s feelings for his people. He goes
beyond this by actually wishing he could be cut off or accursed from Jesus Christ. That
is, if he could, he would give up his salvation and union with Christ if his brother
Israelites could instead be joined to Christ. This strong statement comes from the writer
who speaks more of our union with Christ, the glory of that union, and the security of that
union than any other biblical author.
This is reminiscent of the story of Moses pleading with God on behalf of the people of
Israel in Exodus 32. While Moses was receiving the Ten Commandments from God, the
people were constructing a golden calf to be worshiped. God commanded Moses to
handle the situation. Moses destroyed the calf, punished the leaders of the rebellion, and
returned to God. He said to God, “Oh what a great sin these people have committed!
They have made themselves gods of gold. But now, please forgive their sin – but if not,
then blot me out of the book you have written.”
Moses could not die for the sins of others because he was a sinner himself. The case is
the same for Paul which is why he speaks hypothetically. Paul had an understanding of
the full revelation and work of Jesus Christ and knew Christ’s atonement is the only way
God saves sinners. But the spirit that was in Jesus, Paul and Moses should be in each of
us – if we would be soul-winners. No one can die for another person’s salvation. Jesus is
the only one who could, and he did. But we can love as he loved, and we can point
others to him.
1. Do you anguish over others? If you do not, it could be that you do not believe the
gospel (and therefore do not believe people are perishing without Christ). It could be
that you are not very much like Jesus, do not spend much time with him, and do not
consider spiritual issues.
2. Do you anguish over those closest to you, the members of your own family? We
know that Paul cared for Gentiles, but these verses we come to show that he had a
special concern for his own people. We should be just as concerned for husbands,
wives, children, parents, brothers, sisters, and friends.
3. Do you anguish over those who are your enemies? If you have enemies, you are
to love them. God saved us while we were enemies with him (Romans 5:10) and we
must grieve for those who are against us if we are to win others to Christ.
4. Do you grieve over those who are great sinners? Paul grieved over those who
have rejected the clearest message of Christ. If you do not grieve over great sinners,
perhaps it is because you do not consider yourself to be one yourself.
5. Do you anguish over those who have great privileges? Sometimes we may forget
that those who have great privileges here on earth are in need of Christ as well as
those who are suffering. We should never think of anyone as living a complete life if
they are not in Christ – no matter how happy or well-to-do they appear.
4They
are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the
law, the worship, and the promises. 5To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race,
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according to the flesh, is the Christ who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.
Paul is going to say that salvation is of God’s grace entirely. But before he does, he
reminds us that there are nevertheless very great advantages even to the outward forms of
God’s revealed religion.
1. The adoption as sons – When adoption is used of Israel here, it refers to God’s
selection of the Jews as an elect nation through which he would bring salvation to
the world. It means that Israel alone received the glory, the covenants, the law,
the directions for the temple worship, the promises, and ultimately the Messiah –
the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. The divine glory – Most commentators recognize the term glory usually refers to
the visible symbol of the presence of God described by later Judaism as the
Shekinah. It first appeared as the Israelites were leaving Egypt and the Shekinah
was seen as a cloud that provided protection from the sun during the day and
became a pillar of fire to provide warmth during the night. This glory was the
sign of God’s presence with Israel and certified to Israel that God dwelt among
them and met with them
3. The covenants – The covenant God made with Abraham can be seen in Genesis
12:2-3: “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your
name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and
whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through
you.” These covenants are elaborated on in Genesis 15, 17, 22, 28, Exodus 2:24;
6:3-5; chapter 24; 2 Samuel 7:12-13, 16.
4. The receiving of the law – Paul has already affirmed the benefits of receiving
God’s law in Romans 3. This extraordinary advantage was possessed by no other
nation until the Christian era, when the gospel of God’s grace in Christ and the
books that taught it were deliberately taken to the entire world by the apostles and
early missionaries in obedience to Christ’s express command.
5. The temple worship – This refers to the construction of the temple itself, the
various sacrifices, and the times of year for and nature of the specified holy days
of Israel. These things were designed to show the way in which a sinful human
being could approach the throne of holy God. Eventually all such sacrifices,
which were only figures of the ultimate and true sacrifice, were brought to
completion and fulfilled by Jesus Christ.
6. The promises – The Old Testament is filled with many promises of one sort or
another, but in this context “promises” refers to the promises of redemption to be
fulfilled by Messiah, who is Jesus Christ. Paul talks about this at length in
Galatians 3.
7. The patriarchs – This refers to the three fathers of the Jewish nation, namely,
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob but could also include distinguished ancestors such as
Moses and David. To have such saintly and influential men in one’s past is
rightly regarded by Paul as significant national distinction of which Jewish people
could justly be proud.
8. The human ancestry of Christ – Although Israel largely rejected Jesus Christ as
Messiah and would not consider him to be a blessing, Paul cannot leave him out.
It is to Christ that each of these other blessings point. God choosing the nation
Israel, God revealing his perfect requirements, God showing how to satisfy the
punishment for sin through temple worship… these things lead up to Christ and
parallel a person’s stages in becoming a believer in Christ.
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Although these are great advantages, they do not save a person or a nation. Paul himself
is an example, he states that he was circumcises on the eighth day, born of the tribe of
Benjamin, born of Hebrew parents, became a Pharisee, and was faultless in his keeping
of the law (Philippians 3:5-7). He thought these items added up to salvation. However,
when he saw Jesus on the road to Damascus, he discovered at once they were not true
righteousness and that he had to be saved by some other means. He knew he had to move
that entire list into the column of liabilities, and in the column of assets write “Jesus
Christ Alone.”
This is not dissimilar from many people in our day who are: raised by Christian parents,
have knowledge of the Christian faith, attend & hold membership at a church, have been
baptized & take communion – and are trusting in these advantages for salvation.
However, there is nothing in their lives to give any indication that they have been touched
by Jesus Christ or been drawn to him. To be saved by Christ is not head-knowledge or
something passed-down culturally, it is a change in heart that comes only from trusting
God for salvation and giving him control of your life. If you have a genuine love for
God, your nature will be changed and your life will be one of discipleship for the Lord.
5To
them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ who is
God over all, blessed forever. Amen.
This is a very important statement because Paul is not only saying that Jesus Christ is the
Jewish Messiah, but that he is God. The sentence means that Jesus is the only and most
high God. This is one of the most debated verses in the Bible because the original text
has almost no punctuation. Along with the translation I have above (which is held by the
ESV, NIV, NASB, etc), some scholars have attempted to break the sentence up with a
period: “…is the Christ. God who is over all be blessed forever!” The Revised Standard
Version and New English Bible hold to this translation.
There are several reasons to believe the passage is to be understood by the first
translation.
1. The relative pronoun “who” follows Christ and therefore should refer to him
grammatically
2. Doxologies being with the word “blessed” but to hold the second translation, it
would have to say “God Blessed”
3. A doxology would be out of place in this passage that is speaks about Paul’s
sorrow for the Jewish people and
4. The reference to Christ “according to the flesh” requires a phrase pointing to his
deity. It would not be necessary to refer to him “in the flesh” if he were only in
the flesh.
John 1:1-2, 20:28; Acts 20:28; Titus 2:13-14 are other passages where Jesus is affirmed
to be God.
This passage teaches four very important things:
1. The humanity of Jesus – Yes Jesus is God but he was also man. He was hungry
when he was tempted in the wilderness by the devil. He was thirsty on the cross.
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our
weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way just as we are –
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yet was without sin (Hebrews 4:15).”
2. The deity of Jesus – In our day, we are typically faced with the denial of Christ’s
divinity rather than the denial of his humanity. But both truths are equally
important. God had to restore creation but, because of his perfect and just nature,
he could only do this if the full price of sin and corruption was paid. But, by
taking on manhood himself, he was able to pay himself what was owed on behalf
of man. This combination of Christ’s humanity & deity and the reason for it
makes Calvary the very center of the Christian faith. It is the reason the Son of
God came to earth. There is no gospel without it.
3. The Supremacy of Jesus – “And being found in human form, he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God
has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and
under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of
God the Father (Philippians 2:8-11).” There is a misunderstanding in our era that
Christianity is a two-stage process where a person believes in Jesus as savior and
later becomes a serious follower (or a disciple) of Christ. The Bible speaks of
none of this. Submitting to Christ’s lordship is the very essence of true faith in
Christianity.
4. The rightness of praising Jesus – See Revelation 5:12-13 – Jesus is certainly
worth praising and the Bible teaches this is something we must do.
It is tragic that the Jews failed to receive Jesus as God – as the Messiah sent to redeem
them. It is why Paul is lamenting. But it is just as tragic in our day and our country
where the gospel is so widely proclaimed and freely shared that so many should reject
Christ. Some reject him out right, “I will not have this man rule over me.” Others reject
him passively, “I do not want to talk about this now, talk with me about it later.” Either
way, everyone will be held accountable to how they answer (or ignore) the question:
“Who is Jesus Christ?”
Romans 9:6-29 – The Justification of God
6But
it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel
belong to Israel,
Paul begins now to look at the contrast between the entire state of Israel and Spiritual
Israel, which is the remnant of believers who have been elected by God to trust in his
promises, love the Lord, hold his commandments, and live has his true followers. In
verse 7, mere descendants of Abraham are compared to the true children of Abraham.
Christ spoke about the difference early in his ministry (John 1:43-47). Paul has spoken
about this already in Romans 2:28-29 where he describes circumcision as being reflection
of an inward change and not merely an outward, physical ceremony.
In verses 2-5, Paul has already shown some advantages of being a Jew that (in
themselves) do not make a person a true Israelite. So what is required to be a true
Israelite? The answer that Paul has developed fully in the earlier parts of the letter is a
saving faith in Jesus of Nazareth as the Son of God and Savior. It is belief that Jesus died
in our place, taking our sins upon himself, and that by faith in him we are delivered from
the punishment due us for those transgressions and instead are counted as righteous
through the righteousness of Christ. The “True Israel” of the Old Testament looked
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forward to Jesus’ coming and believed on him whom they did not yet know. The “True
Israel” of the New Testament looks backward in time, believing on him who has come
and whom they do know.
Abraham was Paul’s Old Testament example in chapter 4 – he was not saved by
circumcision (because he was declared righteous before his circumcision) and he was not
saved by keeping the law (because he was declared righteous 400 years before the law
was given). Abraham was declared righteous because he simply believed in the promises
of God.
Today, the term Christian has become very vague. We even speak of Christian Nations
that are culturally very unchristian (our country is one of these). Certainly not everyone
in our nation is a Christian and there are non-Christians who are being called Christians.
The name Christian means “a Christ one,” that is, a follower of Jesus Christ. There are
several parts to being a true “Christ one.”
1. Christians believe in Christ – Christian belief comes in three parts. The first is
intellectual content: who Jesus is and what he has done for our salvation. The
second is the warming of the heart: being moved by Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf.
The third is personal commitment, the most important part of all. It means giving
oneself to Jesus, becoming his, taking up his cross, being a disciple.
2. Christians follow Christ – True Christians have moved beyond intellectual
knowledge about the deity of Christ. They are following after him on the path he
sets before them. That path is the path of obedience, and as they walk along it
they become increasingly like the one they are following and obeying.
3. Christians witness to Christ – We cannot forget that Jesus himself said that his
followers would be witnesses: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit
comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and
Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).”
4. Christians learn more and more about Christ – As they learn about Jesus Christ,
Christians naturally become more like him, intensify their love for him, and
witness more about him to others.
Examine yourself in these four areas and seriously ask yourself if you do each one. You
must make your calling and election sure – you must be certain that you are apart of True
Christianity and not simply cultural Christianity.
7and
not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but "Through Isaac shall
your offspring be named." 8This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children
of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. 9For this is what the promise
said: "About this time next year I will return and Sarah shall have a son." 10And not only so, but
also when Rebecca had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, 11though they were
not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad--in order that God's purpose of election
might continue, not because of works but because of his call-- 12she was told, "The older will
serve the younger."
This section of Romans 9-11 is arguably the most difficult in the Bible because it deals
with election, reprobation (passing over of those who are not elected to salvation), and
the proof that God is right in doing so. Election is a basic fact throughout human history.
Jesus chose twelve disciples while he could have chosen more. Israel was chosen while
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other nations were passed by. When you feel that God is leading you to share the gospel
with a particular person, inevitably there are countless others that you are not sharing
with. This is not how Paul introduces the doctrine, but it is close enough to get us
thinking along the right lines.
Paul goes back to the earliest moments in Jewish history and shows how election
operated with the patriarchs. The apostle is trying to explain why not all Israel has been
saved and why the fact that they have not been saved does not mean that God’s purpose
or promises have failed. In the case of the fathers of the nation, he is going to show that
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob became what they were by election and that others were not
granted this privilege.
1. Abraham – Election is obvious in the case of Abraham, which is one reason Paul
does not discusses his case in detail, though he does mention him. Abraham
worshiped idols and had no knowledge of the true God (Joshua 24:2). Abraham
did not seek God – God sought Abraham. Since the call of Abraham is recorded
in Genesis 12, every Jew would have to confess that Jewish history began with his
election.
2. Isaac – Most would argue that Abraham does not count because God had to start
somewhere. Besides, the real issue is whether or not God continues to choose
some and reject others within the nation of Israel after the initial choice of
Abraham had been made. Isaac proves that it is not simply the physical
descendants of Abraham who are to be God’s children, but it is the “children of
the promise” who are regarded as Abraham’s true offspring. The point of this
statement is that Abraham had another son, Ishmael with Hagar. Yet Ishmael was
not chosen. He was Abraham’s physical descendant, but he was not a child of the
promise as Isaac was. We also see the contrast between “natural children” and
“children of the promise.” Isaac was born by supernatural means because
Abraham and Sarah were beyond the age of bearing children. Likewise, we
ourselves are spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1) and for us to be born again, requires
the supernatural intercession by God.
3. Jacob – Still, someone may say that Hagar was an Egyptian servant and therefore
Ishmael was not a true Jew, God’s promise with Abraham concerned Isaac and
therefore, it is understandable that Ishmael was not chosen. Paul then carries his
argument to the third generation, to the twins Jacob and Esau. “…though they
were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad - in order that God's
purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of his call she was told, ‘The older will serve the younger.’” This is a remarkably effective
example, since it proves everything that Paul needed or wanted to make his point.
First, both children had pure Jewish parents. Second, the younger was chosen
over the elder which goes against the normal standards of primogeniture. Third –
and this is the most important point – the choice was made before either child had
opportunity to do either good or evil. They were both still in the womb – this
means that election is not on the basis of anything done by the individual.
13As
it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."
shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! 15For he says to
Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have
14What
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compassion." 16So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.
17For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might
show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." 18So then he has
mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
This is a very difficult section of the Bible because it deals with election and reprobation
which troubles many (if not most) people. Paul uses two Old Testament Quotes: Malachi
1:2-3 and Exodus 9:16 and summarizes by saying God “has mercy on whomever he
wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.” This shows that it is impossible to have the
doctrine of election without also having reprobation. It is an easy doctrine to distort so
we must proceed slowly and humbly, recognizing our own limited understanding. Still,
we must try to see what the Bible does teach about reprobation since the subject cannot
be avoided.
There are many texts that teach about reprobation, here are a few:
 Proverbs 16:4
 John 17:12
 John 12:39-40
 1 Peter 2:7-8
 John 13:18
 Jude 4
The language of this chapter is so strong that quite a few writers have tried to soften it.
First, people dislike the use of the word hate and therefore try to interpret it as “loving
less.” In Luke 14:26 Jesus says, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and
mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters – yes, even his own life – he cannot
be my disciple.” It is generally felt that Jesus is not speaking of a literal hatred here but
of the priority of earthly relationships compared to the closeness we should have with our
heavenly Father. From this we should realize that to love less is sufficiently negative to
account for Esau’s being rejected by God rather than being chosen. Jacob was destined
to salvation and, on the other hand, Esau was destined to be passed over and thus to
perish.
The second word people often try to soften is the word “harden” because in Exodus 8:32
and 9:34, the Bible says that Pharaoh hardened his own heart. There is no question that
Pharaoh hardened his own heart, the text says that he did, but we must make a few
observations. First, there are many more texts that say God hardened Pharaoh’s heart.
Second, the first references to the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart refer to God taking the
action (Exodus 4:21, 7:3). And last, even if Pharaoh’s self-hardening are taken with the
strongest meaning possible, it is still in the category of “secondary causes” for which God
always assumes primary responsibility. But how would God harden someone’s heart? If
we apply a lesson taught in Romans 1, it could be said that God “gives them up.” That is,
people naturally rebel against God and naturally harden their hearts as they rebel. God
simply gives them the freedom to run from him and pursue their own way.
But are election and reprobation equal and opposite – meaning there is no difference;
God simply destines some people to heaven and some to hell? Both flow from the eternal
counsel or will of God (rather than the will of man) and both are for the end of making
the glory of God known. In that respect we can speak of them being equal. But there are
two important points of difference.
1. The reprobate are “passed by.” God intervenes with those who are elected to
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salvation; he works an act of regeneration in them allowing them to respond to the
gospel positively. God does not need to change anything about the reprobate in
order for them to reject the gospel; all humans are sinful and would do that on
their own. God simply gives them over to their sinful, debased minds as spoken
about in the first chapter of Romans.
2. The lost are not lost because God willy-nilly consigns them to wrath, but rather it
is a just judgment against their sins. All people are sinners and deserve wrath –
even those elected to salvation. The elect deserve wrath just as the reprobate but
receive grace and mercy from God.
Some may say, “I could never love a God like that.” Fair enough, we may say, but that is
nevertheless the God with whom you have to deal. Nothing is gained by opposing
reprobation. Although it is difficult for us to understand or even accept, it is a doctrine
taught in scripture and it does have aspects that will help us mature in the faith.
1. Reprobation assures us that God’s purpose has not failed – A person might ask,
“Will God fail me?” But by this doctrine, we know that God determined the
outcome of all things from the beginning and he will not start a work that he will
not complete. If you have heard his promises and believed his word, you can be
sure he will be faithful to you. If others are lost, it is because God has allowed
them to continue on the path they have chosen. The elect will not follow them
because God has regenerated their spirits and replaced their sinful natures with a
new nature that loves the Lord and responds to his calling. To know if you are
one of the elect, simply believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and begin to obey him.
Those who do are the elect.
2. Reprobation helps us deal with apostasy – We all know people who have seemed
to believe at one time, but who have fallen away. Does this mean that God has
failed them? No. It means that if they continue in their unbelieving state, they are
not among God’s elect people. Apostasy does not show that the plan of God has
failed. Reprobation helps us understand it.
3. Reprobation keeps before us the important truth that salvation is entirely of grace
and that no works of man contribute to it – If all were saved, we would believe
that God owes us salvation and he must save us either because of what we have
done or who God is. But all are not saved. Therefore, salvation of the elect is due
to divine mercy only. We must never forget that and we must live our lives as
those forever indebted to God’s grace. That is, we must give our live to him.
4. Reprobation glorifies God – When ever we think God owes us something, we
limit his glory. Election and reprobation remind us that God is absolutely free
and sovereign and we have no power over him. This doctrine highlights mercy.
It forces us to cry, “Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me!” As long as we
believe we are in control of our own destinies, we will never assume this posture.
But when we understand that we are in the hands of a just and holy God and that
we are without any hope of salvation apart from his free and utterly sovereign
intervention, we will call out for mercy, which is the only right response.
“I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy,” says the Almighty. If we believe that,
our cry will be the cry of the tax collector: “God, have mercy on me, a sinner” (Luke
18:13). And who can fault that doctrine?
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14What
shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! 15For he says to
Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have
compassion."
Ever since the fall, human beings have been trying to blame God for his actions. Adam
did it in the Garden of Eden, saying “That woman you put here – she gave me some fruit
from the tree, and I ate it (Genesis 3:12).” At the end of the Old Testament, Malachi 1:2,
6-7, 3:8, 13 each have questions from the people directed at God in order that he may
justify his actions. Today we ask “How could God let my mother die?” “Why is there
war?” “What about cancer?” Nowhere in theology are these sentiments more apparent
than in the area of election. Even if we can become convinced that God operates this
way, we nevertheless cry out that it is not right for him to be selective.
There are two primary questions Paul is addressing here. First, has God failed by
allowing some people of Israel to not be saved? He has answered this by showing that
the promises have always been intended for the spiritual descendants of Abraham and not
his physical, ethnic descendants. This brings us to the second question: Is God just in his
actions? All are not equal. Nor do all have equal opportunities or talents. But is God
unjust in operating in this fashion?
Paul begins his response with and emphatic “By no means!” It is a good starting place
because it puts us, fallen human beings, in our proper place, which is the only position
from which we can begin to learn about spiritual things. The very nature of sin is
wanting to be in God’s place. But as long as we are trying to be in God’s place, we will
never be able to hear what God is saying to us. We will be arguing with him instead. In
order to learn, we must begin by confessing that God is God and that he is therefore right
and just in his actions, even though we may not understand what he is doing. The only
basis for right and wrong comes from God himself. If God were not just and had not
established a sense of right and wrong within us, we would not even be able to formulate
the question, “Is God just?” Of course he is just, he is the one who has set up the rules
for right and wrong – they are his principles. He IS the measure of right and wrong.
But how should we understand the justice in God’s actions from our perspective? Here
are the essential elements for the answer:
1. All human beings deserve hell, not heaven. This is what Romans 1:18 – 3:20 is
all about. The summary for this section is in Romans 3:10-12. If God’s actions
depended solely on justice, all humans would go to hell – we must understand this
is what we deserve. Without the death of Christ and God’s electing grace, all are
guilty before a just and perfectly holy God.
2. If any individual is to be saved, it must be by mercy only, and mercy is in an
entirely different category from justice. Mercy is apart from merit or something
the person deserves. Mercy is giving someone what they, in fact, do not deserve.
For us, it is giving a saved person heaven instead of hell. God shows his mercy
by putting the punishment of sin on himself, Jesus Christ, in order that the
requirements of the law might be met for those receiving mercy.
3. Even if God should save people on the basis of something in them – faith, good
works, or whatever – this would actually be injustice, since people’s backgrounds
are unequal. Some people are raised by two morally upright parents that teach
them right from wrong. Others are raised by abusive parents or parents addicted
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to drugs. Some people have a kind and trusting nature while others are naturally
skeptical and pessimistic. Given factors such as these, certain people would be
much more likely to hear the gospel, trust it, and be saved. Others would hear the
same message and would more naturally reject it. Election is just, and God is
right in choosing some and passing by others. But it is the only thing that is just.
Election starts with all people at the same point and on the same level, deserving
hell.
Shouldn’t God show mercy to everyone? The only operative word in that question is
“should” and this word implies “ought”, “must”, or “necessary.” It takes us back to the
realm of justice. If there is any “should” in the matter, we are no longer dealing with
mercy but with justice. As we have seen, justice can do nothing but send every human
being to hell. It is not justice we need from God. It is grace.
Why doesn’t God show mercy to everyone? This question sounds like the first one but it
is asked by one who understands the difference between justice and grace. It is not
judging God for his actions; it is simply trying to understand his reasons. There is no
way to understand the reasons of God unless he reveals them to us. His reasons are not
completely revealed to us (nor may they ever fully be revealed) but there is some light
shed on the situation. Verse 17 deals with reprobation and explains at least one purpose
of God in passing over some. It is to display his “power” in order that his powerful or
sovereign name might be proclaimed throughout the earth. In other words, God thinks it
is important that the created order should know that he is all-powerful, especially in
overcoming and judging some who stand against him, as Pharaoh did. God shows this by
judging them. Second, Paul argues a few verses further that God’s wrath, power,
patience, glory, and mercy are displayed in election, on the one hand, and in reprobation
on the other. See verses 22-24. What this means is that God considers the display of his
attributes in human history to be worth the whole drama, to be worth the creation, fall,
redemption, election, reprobation, and everything else. From God’s point of view, the
revelation of his glory is the great priority.
16So
then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.
This verse means that salvation is not of man but of God; therefore, God shows mercy on
whom he wills to show mercy and has compassion on whom he wills to have
compassion. The chief point of this verse is the exclusion of human effort in salvation.
This has implications on the way we go about evangelism today. In the same way that
popular-Christianity tends to be man-centered in its teachings about sanctification,
today’s evangelism tends to be based on a feeling or a formula. The formula represents
something we must do: “Give your heart to Jesus,” “Pray the sinner’s prayer,” “Hold up
your hand and come forward,” “Fill out this card.” The feeling is something we try to
work up in evangelistic services by certain kinds of music, moving stories, and emotional
appeals. Do not misunderstand, I am not saying that God has never used these methods
to call his people; in fact, I am certain he has. But they distort what this verse is teaching
by making the decision man-centered and not an action of God. Furthermore, they have
filled our churches with thousands of people who think they are saved because they have
made a profession or come forward at a meeting, but who are not born again. In many
cases, those who have done these things are not even any longer present in the churches.
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There is a negative and positive teaching to this verse. The negative teaching says that
humans cannot will or exert salvation and this includes everything a human could
possibly do. This means that a person cannot “seek God” or “want to be saved” or
“surrender to Jesus.” It is true, indeed, that believers both will and run, but this is the
effect, not the cause, of the grace of God being imputed to them.” Many people will
point to John 1:12 as proof that anyone can believe in Jesus and come to him. But the
very next verse puts it into context by saying “children born not of natural decent, nor of
human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” Together, John 1:12-13 teach that
“it does not …depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy” Another verse
people will cite is Romans 10:9, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’ and
believe in your hear that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” But
believing in your heart means more than simply speaking with your mouth. And what
kind of natural heart would believe in Christ apart from the regenerate work of the Spirit
with in us? See Jeremiah 17:9 and Ezekiel 11:19. To repent and believe the gospel, we
must be given a new heart by the new birth. It is the only heart that can believe in Jesus.
The positive teaching is that salvation depends entirely on God’s mercy. “Salvation is of
the Lord.” This comes from the second chapter or Jonah which is a story of God’s mercy
from beginning to end – especially toward Jonah. As far as man’s desire or effort is
concerned, not only did Jonah not desire God’s will or strive to do it, he actually willed
and tried to do the opposite. He tried to run away from God as deliberately as he could.
God called him to go to Nineveh but he instead ran from God and headed toward
Tarshish. While on the ship, God caused a great storm and Jonah was thrown overboard
by the other passengers because he admitted to being the cause of the storm. God caused
Jonah to be swallowed by a great whale which took him back toward Nineveh. While
inside the whale, Jonah prayed a true prayer of conversion. His prayer had four parts:
1. He was honest – When God begins to get through to us, the first thing we do is
admit our misery and desperate circumstances for what they are. He also
admitted that it was God who was behind his misfortune (see verses 2:3-4). To
acknowledge God as the source of his misfortune was to admit that it is not the
circumstances he is fighting – it is God himself. But to recognize it was God he
was fighting meant he could come to that same God for mercy.
2. He repented – First, although he realized it was God who had implemented his
misfortune, he also admits that it was his fault. We see this in verse 2:8 where he
admits he has rejected God as surely as those who literally worship idols and
therefore renounced the source of all mercy. Second, he does not ask God for
anything. He is not repenting in order for God to owe him anything – he realizes
that he deserved damnation and therefore, is willing to wait for God’s mercy (if it
should come) without demanding anything.
3. He was thankful – It is hard to imagine Jonah to be thankful while he was in the
belly of the whale. But we see in verse 2:9 that he had found salvation. This is
the greatest miracle of the book. Not the great fish. Not the storm. The greatest
miracle is Jonah’s salvation.
4. He was willing to take his position alongside the ungodly, all of whom need
salvation by the mercy of God only – Earlier he had said, “I don’t want to preach
to pagans. I am a Jew. I want God to judge the pagans.” But in verses 9, after he
had discovered how much he deserved God’s judgment himself, he was willing to
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come to God as the mariners came – as a suppliant seeking mercy (1:16).
So what does this say for modern evangelism? Evangelism is to teach the Word of God.
Not just a certain evangelistic core, or only certain doctrines, or only truths that will
move or motivate the ungodly. It is to teach the Bible and to do this as carefully,
consistently, and comprehensively as possible, while looking to God (and praying to
God) to give new life. Gordon Clark expressed it by saying quite succinctly,
“Evangelism is the exposition of the Scripture. God will do the regenerating.”
17For
the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might
show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." 18So then he has
mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
What is the ultimate goal of evangelism? Is it to simply tell people about Jesus? Or
actually win them to Christ? Is it to teach the Word of God? The ultimate goal of life is
to glorify God. Therefore the chief end of evangelism is the glorification of God. This
brings us to these verses where the power and justice of God is glorified by the judging of
sinners while the grace and mercy of God is glorified by saving those who believe in
Christ. In the case that Paul is quoting from Exodus, God is making his mercy known
through the salvation of Moses and his power known through the hardening of Pharaoh.
See a further example of this in Exodus 9:15-16. God is not responsible for the sin of
men and women, and he passes by those he has chosen not to save, after the fact of their
sin rather than before. God retains the freedom to save whom he will and judge whom he
will. In both cases his name is glorified.
Notice that verse 17 begins with “Scripture says” rather than “God says.” At the time of
that quotation, scripture had not yet been written. This is Paul’s way of using “Scripture”
interchangeably with “God” to show the authority of Scripture as the word of God.
Galatians 3:8 is another example of this technique used by the apostle.
Johnathan Edwards gives five points of application regarding this text:
1. From this we learn how absolutely we are dependent on God in this great matter
of the eternal salvation of our souls. We are not only dependent on God’s
wisdom and power in being able to devise a way to save us and then actually
doing so. We are also dependent on his will to save us, for it is only due to the
sheer good pleasure of his will that he saves anyone. Why should some be saved
and not others? Why should fallen angles not be saved while fallen humans are?
Why should some have advantages like hearing good biblical teaching while
others do not?
2. We should adore the absolute sovereignty of God with great humility. The divine
freedom to choose some and pass by others is the very essence of the divine glory.
So we should give him that glory. It is impossible that we should go to excess in
lowliness and reverence of that Being who may dispose of us to all eternity as he
pleases.
3. If you are saved, you are to attribute it to sovereign grace alone and give all
praise to God who alone makes you differ from another. When you hear of
another’s open sin, you should think of how wicked you once were, how you
provoked God by your rejection of his grace, and how he saved you in spite of
your sin, according to his own good pleasure.
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4. Learn how much cause you have to admire the grace of God, which has stooped
to save you. We must recognize that God had no reason other than his own grace
to stoop down to us, bind us with the covenants offered in Christ, and save us
from damnation. We must acknowledge his sovereignty.
5. We may make use of this doctrine to guard those who seek salvation from two
opposing extremes – presumption and discouragement. Do not assume that you
can continue in sin your entire life and put off salvation until the last moment and
receive God’s mercy. Salvation is in God’s hand and you must accept the gift
now lest your heart be hardened. Do not be discouraged either, no matter how
great of a sinner you have been, you can come to God and ask for forgiveness if
you are feeling moved to do so. God’s mercy will be glorified in saving the
greatest of sinners.
Fight against it as you wish, it is still truth: God will be glorified in your destiny one way
or another, in your salvation or in your eternal damnation. But if you have begun to see
that, it may be an important first step in the surrender of your own will and great pride,
and the discovery of God’s mercy in Christ, which is the only thing that has ever saved
anyone.
19You
will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?" 20But who
are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, "Why have you
made me like this?" 21Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one
vessel for honored use and another for dishonorable use?
In the first half of this chapter, Paul has been arguing that God is just in his principles of
election and reprobation. He has shown that God is just, since God owes mankind
nothing, salvation is by grace, and God rightly demonstrates all aspects of his glory,
including his wrath and power as well as his mercy and grace, by so doing. But now the
question comes up, “Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?” This
strikes on the relationship between the sovereignty of God and our free will.
Paul gives a short answer and this is because he has been answering this all along. God
does not condemn an innocent creature and he did not create certain people for
damnation. All humans are sinful and rebel against God and we do this on our own;
because we are sinners, God has the right (and responsibility as a perfectly just God) to
condemn us to punishment. Humans have chosen rebellion and damnation (we can take
all the credit for this). Out of the entire population of sinners destined for hell, God has
elected to save some in order to show his mercy. There is nothing unfair or unloving
about God for this.
These verses highlight three humbling contrasts.
1. We are men and he is God – It is ludicrous for creatures as small, ignorant,
impotent, and sinful as we are to question the propriety of God’s moral acts. We
may not understand what God is doing in any particular case because “’my
thoughts are not your thoughts, / neither are your ways my ways,’ / declares the
Lord (Isaiah 55:8).” We can ask God to explain what he is doing, if he will. But
for us to suggest that he is wrong in what he does is patently absurd.
2. What is formed and he who formed it – Everything we have and are comes from
him, including our ability to ask such questions. God is just because we live in
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his creation and he has defined right from wrong. He is the definition of right
from wrong. How can we think that the being who defines right from wrong to be
wrong? We must also remember that Paul is talking about not about God’s right
over creatures as creatures, but as sinful creatures that have rebelled against him.
3. The clay and the potter – See Isaiah 29:16; 45:9; 64:8, and Jeremiah 18:1-11.
Paul now introduces the authority of the Old Testament by using this illustration.
1.) It is absurd for a mere man or woman to fault God. 2.) God has absolute
sovereignty over his creatures, saving whom he will and condemning whom he
wills. 3.) This is not an arbitrary selection, since his judgments are based on his
justice in condemning sin. 4.) Therefore, turn from your evil ways and reform
your actions. Instead of objecting to God’s actions, we should fear them and
allow our fear of judgment to drive us to the repentance we need.
Jonathan Edwards also gives us practically application of these verses to our way of
thinking. They ask: If God should reject you, would that not be appropriate, considering
how you have behaved toward God, others, and even yourself?
1. If God should forever cast you off, it would be exactly agreeable to your treatment
of him – Have you shown love and affection toward God? Do you often think
about him, want to be with him, or want to know him more? Do you blame God
when things do not go exactly as you would like? God has given you natural
abilities and opportunities but have you used them to glorify God or have you
used them to accumulate as much money and pleasure as you can for yourself?
2. If you should ever be cast off by God, it would be agreeable for your treatment of
Christ – Jesus had the glory of heaven and glory of God but he stepped down
from his throne, became a man, taught people about himself, and died to pay the
penalty of sin (bearing the full separation and wrath from God the Father). Do
you think this was easy or enjoyable for him? He has given everything to provide
us an escape, but we only consider him to be a great prophet, great teacher, great
man, or we deny his existence all together. We do not give him what is owed: he
is to be “our Lord and our God.”
3. If God should cast you off and destroy you, it would be agreeable for your
treatment of others – We find poetic justice when we see a criminal get caught or
someone cheat a person who is known for being dishonest. We are arrogant and
with this and feel that we have not done others that bad. But if we really consider
how we have gossiped about others to bring them down in order to make us look
good, ignored those in need, lied for personal gain, or considered the countless
ways we have taken advantage of others’ misfortunes, we know that God would
be just in treating us the same way. It would even be poetic justice.
4. If God should eternally cast you of, it would be agreeable to your own behavior
toward yourself - There are sins we have continued in even though we know they
are wrong. It is God who converts us, but there are steps we could have taken but
did not… We did not take full opportunity to study his Word, to attend church, or
to pray. Just these simple things alone should make us aware that God is not
unjust if he does not treat us differently than we treat ourselves.
But God does not only want people to be sent to hell. If that was his only objective, he
would have no need for messengers, scripture, or Jesus Christ as our savior. He wants to
save people and has gone through a lot (more than we can imagine) to bring people to
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salvation. Please, please be one of those who responds to this message and follow Christ
as your Savior and Lord!
22What
if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much
patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23in order to make known the riches of his
glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory-- 24even us whom he has
called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?
This section of Romans shows us that God’s treatment of the wicked is neither arbitrary
nor meaningless, but is intended to make his wrath, power, and patience known, just as,
on the other hand, his treatment of those who are chosen to be saved displays his mercy.
God’s patience is the characteristic introduced in these particular verses.
The chief end of man is to glorify God. Furthermore, the chief end of God is to glorify
God. Therefore, since God is all-powerful, this end will certainly be achieved. It will be
achieved in every detail of history and in the destiny of every individual. Ever person
who has ever lived or will ever live must glorify God, either actively or passively, either
willing or unwilling, either in heaven or in hell. You will glorify God. Either you will
glorify him as the object of his mercy and glory, which will be seen in you. Or you will
glorify him in your rebellion and unbelief by being made the object of his wrath and
power at the final judgment. In fact, if you are rebelling, you are glorifying him even
now, because even now his patience is displayed in you by his enduring your sin for a
time, rather than sending you to hell immediately, which you deserve.
But why is God patient with sinners? Refer back to Romans 2:3-4, these verses show
that one of God’s purposes in being patient is to lead sinful men and women to
repentance. We should also look at 2 Peter 3 which expounds on the purposes of God’s
patience. First, there has already been a judgment of the world by water in the days of
Noah. Scoffers are willing forget this, not wanting to be troubled by it, but it is a warning
of a greater judgment to come (vv. 6-7). Second, verse 8 teaches us that God’s sense of
time is not like our own for with God “a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years
are like a day.” His third and most important point in verse 9 is that “The Lord is not
slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not
wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance”
We should also consider 1 Timothy 1:15-16: 15The saying is trustworthy and deserving of
full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the
foremost. 16But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ
might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for
eternal life. This is Paul’s personal illustration of the doctrine he is teaching in this
second of Romans 9. Paul remembered with sadness how he had been allowed to go his
own self-righteous and wicked way for years until God called him. Yet God was patient
with Paul. Instead of striking him down, God suffered him to march along his own selfrighteous path, heaping sin upon sin, until at last God called him to faith in the Jesus he
was persecuting. God did it so the horror of Paul’s earlier conduct might form a more
striking contrast to the grace, mercy, and glory of God that he afterward received.
God is patient with us – if you are not in hell right now where you deserve to be, it is
proof of God’s patience with you. However, his patience is not eternal. It should lead
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you to repentance but you still must repent. Finally, because God has been merciful to
us, we should be merciful to others and, likewise, because God has been patient with us
we should be patient with others.
25As
indeed he says in Hosea,
"Those who were not my people I will call 'my people,'
and her who was not beloved I will call 'beloved.'"
26"And in the very place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,'
there they will be called 'sons of the living God.'"
Romans 9-11 is dealing with the question, “Has God failed in his promises to Israel?”
The first argument (9:6-24) is that God has not failed because all whom God has elected
to salvation are or will be saved. We are now moving into his second argument (9:2529): God had previously revealed that not all Israel would be saved and that some
Gentiles would be. The passages from Hosea show the acceptability of the Gentiles and
the passages from Isaiah show that the call to Israel never included all Israel.
The first quotation is in the context of the story found in the book of Hosea. Hosea the
prophet was told by God to marry an adulterous woman, Gomer, who would represent the
nation of Israel for the way the people abandoned God. The couple had children and God
gave them names: Jezreel (which means scattered), Lo-Ruhamah (which means not
pitied) and, Lo-Ammi (which means not-my-people). This was to represent that the
nation of Israel would be scattered among the gentile nations, God would not pity them at
this time, and they would cease to be God’s people in any special sense for a time. But
God will restore Israel just as the story in Hosea foretells. Just as seeds are scattered,
they eventually fall to be planted – Jezreel. Lo-Ruhama and Lo-Ammi will have their
names changed to Ruhama and Ammi which mean “pitied” and “my people.”
All of this makes Paul’s chief point, of course, namely, that God’s rejection of Israel and
his election of the Gentiles should have taken nobody by surprise, particularly the Jews,
since it was prophesied clearly in the Jewish Scriptures. He is going to make the same
point by the quotations from Isaiah, but we should look at a few applications from what
we have observed so far.
1. Salvation is of grace. We must make this point again and again because our sinful
natures continue to want to make contributions to our salvation. Many Jews felt
that God owed all of them salvation but Paul’s use of the texts from Hosea shows
that is not the case. God declared the Jews no longer to be “his people.” He had
no special relationship to them and therefore no obligation to them. So, if they
were to be saved, it would only be because God has chosen to be gracious,
precisely the way he saves Gentiles.
2. Salvation is all of God. If salvation is all of grace, then salvation is all of God.
For only God is in a position to be gracious and only God has power to do what is
necessary to save us.
3. If you are saved, your salvation demands the greatest measure of devotion and
love from you to God. When Gomer left Hosea, she sank lower and lower down
the social scale of morality. The day came when she was sold into slavery and
was put up for auction. Hosea was told to go and buy her. He bid the high price
and Gomer was his once more. If he had hated her, he could have killed her
because she belonged to him as property. But it was at this point that Hosea’s
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love shone brightest, since it was a reflection of the unfailing love of God, which
he was illustrating. This is a picture of what Jesus Christ has done for us, for he
has purchased us from slavery by his own blood. This is what is meant by
redemption. Since he has loved us and saved us, our only proper response is to
give him our all.
27And
Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: "Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand
of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved, 28for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon
the earth fully and without delay." 29And as Isaiah predicted,
"If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring,
we would have been like Sodom
and become like Gomorrah."
Paul has been arguing that the purposes of God had not failed, because God had never
intended to save every individual Jew any more than he intends to save every Gentile.
Instead God has always operated by the principle of election, according to which some
out of the great number of the population are brought to Christ. At this point, the apostle
brings in his quotations, two from Hosea and two from Isaiah. The point of the Hosea
quotations is that God had announced in advance that he would save Gentiles. The point
of the Isaiah quotations is that he had likewise announced that not all Jews, but only a
remnant of Israel, would be converted. The second verse quoted form Isaiah teaches that
unless the Lord had left a remnant, the people would have been like those of Sodom and
Gomorrah, that is, entirely wiped out. They would have ceased to exist. Yet this is not
the case. In fact, God has left a remnant, which as Paul is going to say in Romans 11, he
has been “chosen by grace” (v. 5).
1. God’s word can be trusted. Gentiles have been included in what seemed at one
time to have been an exclusive privilege of Israel, that is, to be God’s elect or
saved people. Only a small remnant of Israel has been or is presently being
saved. What God foretold is being fulfilled.
2. All are not saved. There is teaching in Christian circles today that say all will be
saved because (as the teaching goes) God is a God of love and cannot condemn
anyone. This is certainly not a Biblical concept. God is as much a God of justice
as he is a God of love, and he will eventually display the attributes of his justice
on the wicked with “speed and finality.” That is, it is fast approaching and when
the judgment is rendered, it will be once and for all.
3. Formal membership in the covenant body does not save anyone. The third point
is that merely formal membership either in the synagogue or in the church does
not save anyone. Only a personal faith in Jesus Christ saves anyone. If it did not
save the Jews, why do you think that a membership in a church, even an
evangelical church, will save you? I cannot understand this delusion. I can
understand people rejecting Christianity entirely, believing the gospel simply is
not true. I can understand them fighting it, not wanting to surrender to the claims
of Jesus on their lives. That does not come easy for anyone. But what I cannot
understand is people, particularly young people, believing that everything is well
with their souls simply because their parents or friends are Christians, when for
their own part they are not following Jesus Christ in any significant way
whatsoever. Do not put your trust in the bubble of mere human speculation –
believe the Bible, repent, and follow Jesus as your Lord and Savior.
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Romans 9:30-10:21 – Jewish Unbelief
30What
then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it,
a righteousness that is by faith; 31but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not
attained it. 32Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They
stumbled over the "stumbling stone." - NIV
Paul begins his third point which is, God has not failed because the Jews are held
accountable for their unbelief and God is not to blame. These verses have a very simple
outline. Verse 30 says that the Gentiles as a whole are being saved. Verse 31 says that
the Jews as a whole were not being saved. Verse 32 explains why.
We see the word righteousness dominates these verses and can actually be used in place
of justification (which is the same word in the Greek text). Verses 30 and 31 tell us that
the Gentiles were not seeking salvation, yet found it, while the Jews, who were seeking
salvation, did not find it. Righteousness is a proper word here because it refers to the
righteous requirements of the law of God and therefore has to do with a right standing
before him. What we are told in verse 30 is that the Gentiles were not seeking this right
standing before God by serious attempts to fulfill God’s law, and yet they found that right
standing anyhow. In Romans 1 Paul spoke about the Gentiles actually running away
from God down a slope of great immortality yet, we found righteousness in Christ
because we have believed in him as our Savior. If we should ask how this can be, the
answer is that this was entirely to the seeking grace of God.
The NIV translation’s and the use of the words “obtained” and “attained” paint a very
accurate picture. It is the difference in earning a million dollars and inheriting a million
dollars. To obtain salvation, the Gentiles inherited it as a free gift of God’s grace. Verse
30 is surprising because the Gentiles received salvation while they were not seeking it.
Yet verse 31 is even more surprising because the Jews, who were trying to earn their
salvation, did not attain it.
This takes us back to Romans 2 where Paul described his countrymen as relying on the
law, knowing the will of God and then choosing what is superior because of that
knowledge. The Jews did have the law, and devout Jews did pursue acceptance before
God by that means. Like Paul himself during his years a Pharisee. But what those verses
from Romans 2 also show is that their trying to keep the law was doomed to failure.
What the Jews had not reckoned on was their own sinful natures, which made it
impossible for them to keep the law of God perfectly as it would have been for Gentiles
to keep it (had they tried).
32Why?
Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have
stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33as it is written,
"Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense;
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame."
The idea of a foundational stone is a rich theme for Paul and many of the New Testament
figures – even Jesus himself. Paul has two quotations from Isaiah (8:14, 28:16) in this
text of Romans 9. Paul puts these two verses together to allow one to further explain the
other. This means that the latter passage explains the earlier one, showing that the
stumbling stone is actually the Lord Jesus Christ whom the Father sent into the world.
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See 1 Corinthians 1:22-29. Here, Paul says the gospel of Jesus and his cross was
“weakness” to the Romans, “foolishness” to the Greeks, but a cause of “stumbling” to the
Jews. People today reject Christianity because they consider it a religion for weaklings;
they say they do not need “religion.” Others reject it because it seems foolish; it does not
conform to the “wisdom” of our secular, scientific age. Still, others reject it because the
idea of a divine Son of God is an offense to them; they do not understand why they
cannot “save” themselves. The passage from 1 Corinthians suggest three more causes for
offense:
1. A stone is a “lowly” thing. People love to meet and be associated with popular
and powerful people. But when Jesus was on earth, he was born of poor parents
and associated with the poorest of people. Jesus seemed to be insignificant. See
Isaiah 53:2-3.
2. The gospel must be received by faith. The reason Israel had not attained
righteousness is because they “pursued it not by faith but as it were by works.” A
free salvation becomes an offense to men on account of their pride. They cannot
bear the idea of being indebted for it to a sovereign grace, which implies that in
themselves they are guilty.
3. God saves whom he will. The third offense is the one Paul has been elaborating in
this chapter as a whole: God’s sovereignty in election. Of all the doctrines in the
Bible, there is none more offensive to normal human beings as this, which is why
pastors and serious Bible teachers often avoid teaching from this chapter.
Why should God create a gospel that is so offensive to people? It is because he is
humbling human pride, which is absolutely necessary if you or I or anybody else is to be
saved. Pride is the very root of sin. There can be no salvation unless our pride is cut
down, torn up by the roots, and cast out, which is what the gospel does. When pride is
destroyed, then, and only then, are we ready to believe in Jesus as the foundation of your
life and begin to build upon him.
See Psalm 118:22 which says, “The stone the builders rejected has become the corner
stone.” This is in reference to a Jewish story concerning the building of King Solomon’s
Temple. A stone that did not seem to fit was sent from the quarry to the building site was
laid aside and considered unusable. Toward the end of the project, the builders requested
a stone to fit as a capstone but the quarry had recorded that it had been sent. It was this
stone that was previously rejected by the builders. Matthew 21:42; Mark 12:10-11; Luke
20:17 and Acts 4:10-11 show how this stone is to be an illustration of Christ – generally
rejected by the world but destined to become the foundation on which everything is built.
The greatest image of Christ as a corner stone is seen in 1 Peter 2:4-8 where Peter draws
all three texts together to show how those who build their lives on him and are made part
of a spiritual temple, the church, which God is constructing.
In view of these passages, I cannot see how anyone can imagine that when Jesus told
Peter that, “you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church (Matthew 16:18)” he
was teaching that Peter was to be the foundation on which he would build his church. In
the Greek language, there is a pun on the word Peter. The Greek word for Peter is
petros, which means a piece of rock and can mean something as small as a people. But
when Jesus said, “On this rock I build my church,” the word he used was petra, which
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means “bed rock.” It was as if he were saying, “You are a little pebble, Petros, but I am
going to build my church on myself, because I am the bed rock, petra. I am the only
foundation on which anyone can securely build.” It is the same thing Jesus was teaching
at the end of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7:24-25) where he says “Everyone who
hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his
house on the rock…”
10:1Brothers,
my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. 2I bear
them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.
The verses that open chapter 10 do not begin a new section, but rather continue the
argument Paul began to develop in Chapter 9. He had just finished saying that the reason
the Jews did not believe on Christ is their mistaken notion that they could earn their own
salvation by good works alone. One thing we see from this verse is Paul’s use of prayer
in brining others to salvation. We see that although he has been teaching that salvation is
a work of God unto those chosen, Paul prays all-the-more to God to bring his countrymen
into the fold. God will put a burden on your heart to pray for those he is calling. Pray for
the salvation of others! Pray for years and years if necessary – it is evidence that the
Spirit is moving to have a person saved when God is puts into your heart a prayer for the
salvation of that person in your life.
Praying for the salvation of a person is the greatest of all prayers that can be prayed. We
often pay for events to work out well for us, we pray for healing of the sick, we pray for
wisdom and understanding. But Christ said, “What good will it be for a man if he gains
the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? (Matthew 16:26a)” People must be saved first and
foremost – anything other than that is a secondary and relatively non-important issue no
matter how dire the situation may seem from an earthly perspective.
This verse teaches that those who are religious – even zealous – need to be saved. All
paths do not lead to heaven, Christ is the way the truth and the life and no one comes to
the Father except through him. In our culture, there is the misunderstanding that as long
as a person is sincere, it does not really matter what he or she believes. We are supposed
to be open to everyone’s version of the truth. It only shows have far we have moved
from Christianity. Why? Because the religion of Jesus is not “all-accepting,” except in
the sense that anyone may repent of his sin and come to Jesus. On the contrary,
Christianity teaches that all are lost and that even the religiously zealous are not saved by
zeal alone.
We also see that knowledge is the necessary first step in conversion and we have learned
that is also the key for sanctification. Christianity is a teaching religion. The primary
thrust of Christ’s ministry was to teach. See Mark 1:14, 21-22, 27, 38. Christ put a
higher priority in teaching than he did in performing miracles of healing. We can also
see in Acts 6:2 that the apostles elected deacons to oversee the work because “it would
not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the Word of God in order to wait on tables.”
But it is not simple knowledge alone. It is knowledge of the word of God with the
intercession of prayer. Paul dedicated his life to bringing the knowledge of the gospel to
both Jews and Gentiles. But he recognized that no one would believe on Jesus as his or
her Savior unless God opened the person’s mind to the gospel and regenerated the
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person’s soul to believe and receive salvation. So Paul prayed that God would do the
necessary work, even as he did his part preaching and praying for them. Prayer and
preaching – The teaching of the Word of God plus intercession for those who are to hear
it – this must be our pattern also.
3For,
being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their
own, they did not submit to God's righteousness.
This verse begins with “for” (or “since” in many translations) because it gives the reason
for the statement of the preceding verse. This why religious zeal alone, without true
knowledge, cannot save a person. We must have an understanding of the righteousness
of man and its shortcomings as well as an understanding of the righteousness of God and
its perfection. Although we use the same word for both ideas, they are truly two very
different things.
God’s righteousness is his very nature, for God is righteous, just as God is love. It is
associated with his holiness and is perhaps better discussed as that word. Holiness is
what sets God apart and makes him utterly unlike us. Human righteousness is merely a
social quality achieved by the avoidance of certain gross forms of depravity and the
contrary accumulation of outwardly good deeds. It is what enables people to live with
each other in partial peace, when each person actually wants everything in life to focus on
himself. Because they are different things, the accumulation of human righteousness
through avoiding evil and performing good deeds can never add up to the true, divine
righteousness that God requires of us if we are to be saved from sin and have fellowship
with God.
An illustration may help us get better oriented with this idea. Suppose in a prisoner-ofwar camp, American hostages receive a care package that contains the game Monopoly.
The soldiers are excited about the game because it comes with paper money that can be
divided up and used as currency among the group. If someone wants to trade food or
cigarettes with another, the Monopoly money can be used for the transaction. After a few
months, the prisoners are released and return to America. One soldier goes to a local
bank to open an account with $743,283 dollars – in pink, yellow, blue, white, green, and
gold Monopoly money. While he may have been very rich by the standards of the prison
camp, his currency is worthless when it comes to the American economy. In this world,
some people are certainly more righteous than others – but nevertheless we are playing
with toy money and do not possess real currency, that is, we do not possess true divine
righteousness that our Holy God requires.
This cannot be trivialized. Ignorance in this distinction implies ignorance about the
character of God, of the requirements of the law, and of personal inadequacy. Those who
err essentially here, err fatally; and those who are right here, cannot be wrong as to other
necessary truths. There are five fatal consequences of this error:
1. Those who make this mistake are satisfied with their own righteousness. Millions
of spiritually dying people are willfully ignorant of their true condition and
instead trust their efforts to paint over the surface of their lives with human
morality. They suppose that if they have been baptized or take communion they
must be all right with God – since God himself prescribed these things – failing to
see these are meant only to be outward signs of an inward change. Or they do this
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2.
3.
4.
5.
4For
by charitable giving – they suppose since they are satisfied with what they have
done, God must be as well.
They look down on other people. Without an absolute perfect standard by which
to judge themselves, they assume they are somewhere near the top of measurable
morality. They build themselves up by looking down on others. This is like a
person being a 60 watt light bulb comparing to a 55 watt bulb but failing to see
Christ who shines as bright as the sun. The difference in human morality is
negligible compared to the infinite brightness of God’s Glory.
They resent Jesus and his gospel. This is why Jesus had a much better reception
among social outcasts than among the model members of the community. The
outcasts had no illusions about themselves - they knew they were sinners. They
were merely overwhelmed and happy to find that Jesus loved them. But those
who felt their morality surpassed others were offended by Jesus because his
divine righteousness exposed the limits and falseness of their own.
They misunderstand and mishandle the law. The law was sent to show that we
are sinners and was not to be a formula for salvation. If we trust in our own
morality, we will use the law to develop a system of dos and don’ts, debate over
interpretation & boundaries, and ultimately lower our standards until we feel we
can achieve them. This is not the laws intent. We cannot live up to any standard
and we need to recognize this and run to Jesus for salvation.
They will not submit to God’s righteousness. If you do not realize your own best
efforts will not meet God’s requirements, you will never know the need for a
savior. You will never turn to Jesus and accept his free gift of salvation.
Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
How did Jesus fulfill the law? First, he kept it perfectly himself. He fulfilled the moral
law by obeying the commandments perfectly. He fulfilled the types and ceremonies of
they law by being the reality to which they pointed and symbolized. Jesus fulfilled the
prophecies by living them out to the letter. In Matthew 5:17, Christ says he did not come
to abolish the law, but rather to fulfill it. It was because he was without blemish or
defect, he could die for our sins (1 Peter 1:19).
The second way Jesus became the end of the law is that he fulfilled the law on our behalf,
so that now he is not only the source but is himself the righteousness of all who are joined
to him by faith. See 1 Corinthians 1:30 and 2 Corinthians 5:21. This is what Paul has
been talking about since the closing verses of the previous chapters. He has been talking
about a righteousness that comes from God and cannot be attained by human works. We
receive this when we no longer trust in anything else; Christ is the object of our faith and
hope. Justification is a transaction where our sin is put on Jesus Christ and his
righteousness is put in our account.
Third, Christ has freed us from the bondage of the law. See Galatians 5:1. This does not
mean that the law is no longer a means of salvation – it has never been a means of
salvation and is only intended to point one to the need of a savior. This also does not
mean that we should abandon the law, rather, we uphold it. See Romans 3:31. You do
not become a better follower of Jesus Christ or a more holy person by adhering to a list of
rules. The moral end of the law is attained by Christians, but it is attained by a different
principle. It is by the life of Jesus Christ within the believer. We are neither justified nor
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sanctified by the law. But those who are justified will also be progressively sanctified by
the Spirit of Christ who lives within them, and this means that they will inevitably and
increasingly live righteous lives. If they do not, they are not Christians. See Romans
8:1-4.
Considering that Christ is indeed the end of the law, there are some practical lessons to
take from this.
1. Christ is everything. Instead of the temple it is to be Christ; instead of Moses,
Christ; instead of Aaron, Christ; instead of the law, Christ; instead of ceremonies,
Christ; instead of worship localized in a building, Christ; instead of good works,
Christ…
2. If I am in Christ, I will never be condemned for breaking the law or be rejected by
God. How could I be, since Jesus has fulfilled the law on my behalf and has
borne the punishment due to me for breaking it? He has become my
righteousness.
3. To be “in him” I must believe on him. The verse says that Christ is the end of the
law for everyone who believes. This is an open invitation for everyone to simply
believe in Jesus and have peace with God.
5For
Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the
commandments shall live by them. 6But the righteousness based on faith says, "Do not say in
your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down) 7or "'Who will
descend into the abyss?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8But what does it say? "The
word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim);
9because, 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.
In this section of Romans, Paul describes three kinds of religion and points us away from
the two wrong kinds of religion to the true religion that confesses Jesus Christ as Lord.
These three religions are: the religion of works, the religion of signs, and the religion of
faith. Paul develops them by telling us 1) how legalism speaks, 2) how faith does not
speak, and 3) how faith does speak.
The religion of works (how legalism speaks v. 5) – Paul has spoken about this in detail
already but now he quotes Leviticus 18:5 saying, “Keep my decrees and laws, for the
man who obeys them will live by them. I am the Lord.” First of all, it is true that
morality (or following the law) is better than immorality and will certainly bring a more
enjoyable life. Paul would add two important truths: Fist, in religion we are talking
about more than morality. We are talking about how a person becomes right with God.
A person can be justified by perfectly keeping the law – theoretically this is true. But
practically it is impossible because nobody is without fault. All have sinned and fall
short of the glory of God. Second, Paul would add that the way of works and the way of
faith cannot be mixed, which in my judgment is how he uses the text from Leviticus here.
In Galatians 5:2, he says that if you accept works for your means of salvation (or even if
you add works to faith as a means of salvation) Christ will be of no advantage to you. No
one can be saved by a religion of works, however hard he or she tries. Many are trying.
Most of the world’s religions are works-based. But the Bible says that if you would be
saved, you must give up any thought of contributing to your salvation by what you do
and instead trust Jesus Christ and his work completely. Christ charged himself with the
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doing. He has left us only the believing.
The religion of signs and wonders (how faith does not speak v. 6-7) – Here, Paul loosely
quotes Deuteronomy 30:12-14. The point is that Israel had the revelation from God and
this revelation was all they needed. They were not to seek out an additional revelation
but rather were to occupy themselves with obeying what they had already been given.
These verses have been confusing to many people. They have several meanings.
1. Israel did not need an additional word from God – This is the literal meaning of
the words from Deuteronomy. The law itself contained announcements of the
gospel. This was the point of Romans 4, where Paul showed that the doctrine of
justification by faith was known to Abraham and David and was taught to Israel
through their stores, as well as other places in the Old Testament. Christians do
not need another word from God for we have the full revelation that is sufficient
for salvation.
2. Israel did not need to do something to bring Messiah to them – We do not need to
do anything to allow Jesus Christ in our life, we just simply believe in his
promises. Many Jews at the time believed that the Jewish nation would have to
collectively repent before the Messianic era would begin. This is just another way
to have salvation based on something we do.
3. Neither Israel nor Christians today are to look for miracles – In Deuteronomy
30:14, Moses is about to leave his people and they have anxiety about who will
replace them. He tells them that they do not need a miracle worker because they
have the law which is truly what they need. See Matthew 12:39-42. After he was
challenged to perform miracles on command, Christ shows that the town of
Nineveh responded to Jonah although he did no miracles. We should not expect
miracles in our presentation of the gospel. Through Christ’s death, we have
everything we need for salvation.
The religion of faith (how faith does speak v. 8-9) – First, it is a religion based on Jesus
and his work alone. Christianity is Jesus Christ so anything that detracts from him or his
work is a false religion. Second, faith is essential. People are born again and their lives
are transformed for the better and this all happens through the channel of faith. This is
the religion God has ordained. A religion of miracles would get the attention of the
world. But God’s religion is one of teaching and keeping his word. Paul has shown faith
does not demand to see signs and miracles from its teachers. His word is all we need;
that is, expositional study of the Bible.
6But
the righteousness based on faith says, "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into
heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down) 7or "'Who will descend into the abyss?'" (that is, to
bring Christ up from the dead).
We have looked at this section in a general sense but return to it now to look at the
religion of signs and wonders suggested by Deuteronomy 30:12-14. If a person could
ascend into heaven to bring Christ (or his power) down or if a person could descend into
the deep to bring Christ up, that person would be a miracle worker. So Paul is saying,
among other things, that miracles are not the way to do evangelism.
People have a fascination with “signs and wonders,” and there teachers today in so-called
evangelical Christianity that embraces this approach. Some teachers say the most
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effective evangelism, strong and rapid growth in the Christian life, and long lasting
assurance of salvation are attained by miracles. The only reliable basis on which to
evaluate the views of any movement or particular Bible teacher is comparison to the
teaching found in the Bible. There are four areas that “signs and wonders” are used in the
Bible:
1. Signs accompanying the historical redemptive acts of God. This area is the
deliverance of the people of Israel from Egypt and the earthly ministry of Jesus
Christ. We might note that signs do not in themselves create faith in the hearts of
the observers and can even harden witnesses, as was the case with Pharaoh. In
other words, even such spectacular signs as the plagues against Egypt and the
miracles of Christ do not in themselves promote faith. The power of God which
saves sinners is not seen in any contemporary miracle, but only in the death of
Christ on the cross. See 1 Corinthians 1:22-24 and Matthew 12:39.
2. Deceptive signs and wonders. In Deuteronomy 13:3, the people are warned
against prophets who do signs and wonders yet proclaim other gods. In Matthew
24:24 Christ warns that false prophets will appear and perform great signs and
miracles to deceive even the elect – if that were possible. In Revelation 13, we
have a culmination of these utterly deceptive miracles in “the beast” who serves
Satan and Antichrist. Miracles alone prove nothing. They may be false and
deceptive as well as true and instructive, and we are never told that they are God’s
means for converting unbelievers.
3. Signs done by God’s prophets. There are a few scattered “signs” done by God’s
prophets, but these are not usually what we would call miracles. They are usually
only symbolic or significant things or actions (Isaiah 8:18; 20:3; Ezekiel 12:1-11;
24:15-27).
4. The signs of the apostles. These signs were to authenticate their unique office and
ministry (Acts 2:43, Acts 5:12, 2 Corinthians 12:12). In hermeneutics (the
science of Bible interpretation), the fact that something has happened once or
twice does not mean that it is to be expected to be normative for us. What is
normative is to be determined by the New Testament’s explicit teaching and we
have seen the New Testament does not teach that evangelism is to be done by
cultivating miracles.
Evangelism based on signs and wonders is harmful. It cheapens the gospel by reducing it
to shrinking people’s goiters, straightening backs, lengthening legs, and other things. In
many of these faith-healing extravaganzas, the message of the gospel is virtually
unmentioned. There is much about miracles, but we are never told what Jesus
accomplished on the cross or by his resurrection. People who get emotionally caught up
in these events may believe themselves to be a Christian without actually understanding
Christ’s atoning work much less their need for Jesus as a savior rather than a genie in a
bottle to cure what ails them.
This teaching also cheapens suffering. There is suffering given to Christians by God that
is intended for their growth and God’s glory. Such were the trials of Job and the thorn in
the side of Paul. The religion of signs and wonders reduces these sufferings from being
means by which we are made to be more like Jesus Christ to a burden on us lacking faith
if it cannot be cast out. This becomes a version of Christianity in which the gospel is not
sufficiently powerful to produce mature Christian faith, the Scriptures are not sufficiently
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revealing for a life of faithful obedience to God, the finished wok of Christ is not
sufficiently relevant for effective evangelism, and the hope of Christ coming is not
sufficiently comforting to those who are suffering.
8But
what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word
of faith that we proclaim); 9because, 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.
The story in Luke 16:19-31 is a good addition to these texts. It is a story of a rich man
and a poor man (Lazarus) who die – the rich man goes to hell and Lazarus goes to
paradise. The rich man asks that his family and friends be warned but Abraham says,
“They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.” The rich man says, “No,
father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.”
Abraham’s final word is, “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not
be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.” This story makes the point that the
Word of God recorded in the Bible should be sufficient to call people into repentance. If
it is not, then neither will miracles and signs. The text we come to leads us into the heart
of the content of the gospel and thus of all true Christian proclamation.
In verse 9 and 10, we see belief and confession as the two primary actions but they are in
opposite order in each verse. This could be taken to show that there is not a particular
order of these events, but rather they are to be equally done at the same time. That is,
preaching should contain both truths (Jesus is Lord and God raised him from the dead),
and a Christian is to be defined as one who both believes them and confesses them
openly.
Jesus is Lord! How can these three words be so important?
1. The person of Christ. In the Greek version of the Old Testament (the Septuagint),
the word kyrios (“Lord”) is used to translate the great Hebrew named for God:
Yahweh, or Jehovah. It is used this way over 6,000 times. The Disciples of
Christ did not hesitate to transfer the title to Jesus, thereby indicating that in their
view Jesus is Jehovah. See 1 Corinthians 8:4-6, Luke 2:11, Philippians 2:5-11. In
Romans alone, the word kyrios is used 44 times, 30 for Jesus, 8 for God the
Father, and 8 that could be taken either way. The term is used interchangeably for
Jesus and God the Father is a clear evidence of Paul’s belief in Jesus’ complete
deity.
2. The work of Christ. The tile “Lord” is a symbol of Christ’s victory over the
forces of evil. Jesus has been exalted over all the principalities and powers of evil
– these powers are under his feet because he conquered them at the cross.
3. The rule of Christ over his people and church –
 Jesus is Lord of our minds. He was the disciples’ teacher and our teacher
today through the Scriptures. That is why we must be students of the Word if
we really are Christ’s followers.
 Jesus is Lord of our ethics. He sets the moral template for us to follow. Being
a disciple implies obedience to his moral teachings.
 Jesus is Lord of our careers. We cannot plan our lives as if our relationship to
Jesus is somehow detached from those plans and irrelevant to them.
 Jesus is Lord of our churches. Our Churches need to be Christ-centered and
cannot follow personal courses set by church leaders not following Christ.
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

Jesus is Lord of our relation to the world. We who are Christians are here to
stand as his representatives in the midst of history and cultures to call this
world to account.
Jesus is Lord of our Missions. It is Christ who sends us into the world with
the Great Commission.
Jesus is a Risen and Living Savior.
1. The resurrection is proof of Christ’s claims. The resurrection proves: three is a
God and that the God of the Bible is the true God; that Jesus was a teacher sent
from God and that Jesus was inerrant in his teachings; Jesus is the Son of God;
there is a day of judgment coming; every believer in Christ is justified from all
sin; that all who are united to Christ by faith will live again; and Christians can
have victory over sin. See Romans 4:25. When Jesus was on earth he said he
would die for sins and that time came. For three days, the question was
unanswered, “Did God accept the atonement of Jesus for sins?” The days passed
and the breath of God swept through and Jesus rose to appear to his followers. By
this means God declared to the entire universe, “I have accepted the atonement
Jesus made.”
2. The resurrection shows that we do not serve a dead but a living master. Christ is
not a dead martyr but a living Savior. If Christ is not raised, our faith is futile and
we are yet in our sins (1 Corinthians 15:17).
This is what our Lord and Savior calls us to proclaim to the world.
9because,
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.
There is a segment of evangelical teaching that restricts the confession “Jesus is Lord” to
the belief that Jesus is the divine Savior and explicitly eliminates any idea that Jesus must
be Lord of our lives for us to be Christians. It teaches that a person can be a Christian
without being a follower of Jesus Christ. It reduces the gospel to the mere fact of Christ’s
having died for sinners, requires of sinners only that they acknowledge this by the barest
intellectual assent, quite apart from any repentance or turning from sin, and then assures
them of their eternal security when they may very well not be born again.
This is the idea of the “Carnal Christian.” It teaches a person can be saved by simple
assent that Jesus died as a savior while the person has no repentance, no discipleship, no
change of behavior, not even a true perseverance in faith. In fact, to insist on any of these
additional things is to propound a false gospel. Must Christ be Lord to be Savior? This
question is answered in three parts by Charles Ryrie (a proponent of the doctrine of
Savior-without-Lordship)
1. There are examples of Christians who have not surrendered to Jesus Christ as
Lord. Peter who was resistant to Christ (Acts 10:14), Barnabas and Paul who
quarrel over John Mark (Acts 15:39) and the Ephesians Christians who did not
destroy their magic scrolls and charges until sometime after they had believed on
Christ (Acts 19:19). (Actually, in each of these cases, the believers ultimately did
the right thing and this does not prove the point at all and actually proves the
opposite.) The main answer to Ryrie is that he is equating commitment with
perfection, which is obviously wrong. Christians sin, but that does not mean that
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they are not committed to Christ. If they lie down in their sin and do nothing
about it, they are indeed uncommitted. They are not Christians. But if they are
Christians, the way they show it is by getting up out of the sin and begin to follow
Christ again. There is all the difference in the world between falling down on the
path and getting up and going on, and not being on the path at all. It is only those
who are on the path who are Christians…
2. “Jesus is Lord” only means “Jesus is God.” Specifically, it does not mean “Jesus
is my Master.” He rightly argues that Lord means God but then says it means
nothing else. He says, “If the gospel of the Lord Jesus includes lordship over my
life, it might as well also include the necessity of believing he is my Creator,
Judge, coming King, Example, Teacher and so forth…” But, of course, that is
exactly what it does include. What is the meaning of “Jesus is divine” if he is not
also Creator, Judge, Example, Teacher, and other obvious function of divinity.
What does the word God mean if it does not include these matters?
3. To add anything to faith, even commitment, is to turn the gospel of salvation by
faith into a gospel of works, which is a false gospel. This argument fudges on the
definition of faith. If true faith includes commitment, then to insistent on
commitment is not to add anything to faith but only to insist that faith be true
faith. And that is an important point, because a false faith, an imitation faith, or a
dead faith saves no one. “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:26).
Beyond the response to these points, the doctrine of the carnal Christian is faulty in these
areas as well.
1. The meaning of faith. This is the chief error. According to the Bible, a saving
faith is a living faith that inevitably leads to right conduct. It involves intellectual
understanding, affirmation that it is true, and commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord.
Faith is more than intellectual assent to the barest truths of the gospel – even
demons know the gospel, understand it to be true, but are not saved. See James
2:18-20.
2. The meaning of repentance. The Bible’s use of the word repentance always
implies a change of life direction, specifically a turning from sin. It is the flip side
of faith, its corresponding member. In conversion we turn from sin, which is
repentance, on the one hand, and on the other, we turn to Jesus, which is faith.
3. The demand for discipleship. Jesus defined salvation as discipleship. That is, he
did not call people to mere intellectual assent to who he was but rather to become
his disciples. His call was, “Follow me.” Christ always spoke of the cost of
following him; he never remotely suggested that a person could come to him as
Savior and remain unchanged. The minimum amount a person must believe to be
a Christian is everything, and the minimum amount a person must give is all.
You cannot hold back even a fraction of a percentage of yourself. Every sin must
be abandoned. Every false thought must be repudiated. You must be the Lord’s
entirely. Students of the Bible can decide for themselves whether this or the
minimal demands of “Carnal Christian Theology” come closest to Christ’s
definition of what it means to be a Christian.
4. The place of regeneration. Jesus said “You must be born again” (John 3:7).
There can be no justification without regeneration, just as there is no regeneration
without justification. Regeneration is the creation of a new nature by God. The
first evidences of this new nature are the person’s turning from sin in repentance
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and turning to Jesus Christ as Savior in faith. If there is no evidence of a new life,
there is no new life.
Look at the letter to the Church of Laodecia in Revelation 3:14-23. This letter was
written to a church that was lukewarm, neither hot nor cold for Christ. Does this not
sound like our modern day definition of the carnal Christian? The church was not
opposing Christ outwardly but they were not following him inwardly. Look at verse 19,
Christ says that those he loves, he disciplines in order to build righteous character. That
is his purpose in saving us.
10For
with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
Is it possible for one to be a silent Christian? In John 12:42-43, we see that some Jewish
leaders did believe on Christ but they were silent for fear of being put out of the
synagogue. They loved the praise form men more than praise from God and this does not
sound like a genuine Christianity. What Paul is talking about in this text from Romans is
that we must do both and that it is the presence of both together – faith leading to
confession and confession proving the reality of faith – that leads to “righteousness” and
“salvation.” Spurgeon, Haldane, Leon Morris, and Boice all agree that faith and
confession are two parts of the same saving experience.
In this text we first see that with the heart we believe and are justified. Of course this is a
belief on the Lord Jesus Christ but what is new is the phrase “with your heart.” This
deals with the nature of a saving faith. The faith that saves is a faith that takes all we are
and commits it to all that Jesus Christ is.
1. It implies sincerity. Matthew 22:37 commands us to Love the Lord you God with
all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This goes beyond
simple intellectual knowledge.
2. It implies the Holy Spirit’s work. In Jeremiah 17:9 and Isaiah 29:13, we see that
human hearts are naturally sinful and hostile toward God. However, in Ezekiel
11:19, 18:31, 36:26, we see that God will give his believers a new heart in order
to respond rightly to the gospel.
Mouth confession is the second part of this verse. These are some ways that this can be
done.
1. Public worship. More and more frequently in our culture, people who are not
sincerely interested in church simply do not go. This may have not been the case
in generations past, but it is not uncommon for people to not even think about
attending church on Sunday. By attending church, we distinguish ourselves from
the secular world.
2. By the sacraments. To be baptized is to say, “I am dead to my old self. And to
prove I am, I will bury you. I have nothing more to do with the world. I am
Christ’s and Christ’s forever.” At the Lord’s Supper we say, “I am not my own. I
am Christ’s and I have fellowship with him. I live for him.”
3. Through association with God’s people. John made one of the tests for which we
know we are Christians by our love for one another (1 John 3:11-13). We should
not only have formal relationships with Christians at church but informally and
socially as well. See John 15:12-17.
4. By how we conduct our business. Work done should be done in the highest
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5.
6.
7.
8.
ethical standards. We should never operate on the boundaries or even gray area
of poor ethics. Christians should always operate in the center of the field – even
at the risk of ridicule or job loss.
In reaching out to others. We should reach out to the unsaved in evangelism. If
we are timid or shy, we can at least tell people they should read the Bible. This is
powerful evangelism because if we simply encourage people to read the Bible, we
put full trust in conversion on the Holy Spirit. See Acts 1:8.
In temptation. See Genesis 39:9. When temptation arises, we should not fall to it
particularly when we can witness to others instead.
In severe trials. See 1 Thessalonians 4:13. During times of job loss, illness, or
other personal loss, we can say, “I am not afraid of what is coming, for I belong to
Jesus Christ. He has shown his love by dying for me, and I know that he will not
desert me. Even in the face of a loved one’s death.”
In the hour of death. Some of the greatest testimonies have come from strong
Christians during their last hours.
Jesus says, “So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge
before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny
before my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32). Our public witness is very
important.
10For
with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
In the last two verses, we have seen the word saved and at this point, we should examine
another gospel proclaimed often on American TV that is sometimes called, “health,
wealth, and happiness.” Saved refers to salvation from sin’s punishment (past), sin’s
power (present), and sin’s presence (future) but this is often lost or even denied by many
popular television preachers. This is harmful because television is so pervasive that the
“electronic church” is virtually all millions of Americans know of Christianity.
Not all Christian television is misleading; Billy Graham for example is very biblically
sound. However, many preach a man-centered gospel that, in its mildest form, offers
self-esteem without repentance and, in its most startling extension, proclaims the
deification of man, with its inevitable blasphemous encroachments on God’s
prerogatives. This TV gospel promotes self-esteem instead of sin, self-help instead of
atonement & redemption, entertainer instead of Christ, and a lust for power instead of
true discipleship. One comes away with the impression that evangelism is not to satisfy
God and his purposes, but to satisfy the consumer with the product.
The gospel of self-esteem: One of these teachers, Robert Schuller, wrote “The most
serious sin is the one that causes me to say, ‘I am unworthy. I may have no claim to
divine sonship if you examine me at my worst.’” “Once a person believes he is an
‘unworthy sinner,’ it is doubtful if he can really honestly accept the saving grace God
offers in Jesus Christ.” “I don’t think anything has been done in the name of Christ and
under the banner of Christianity that has proven more destructive to human personality
and, hence, counterproductive to the evangelism enterprise than the often crude, uncouth,
and unchristian strategy of attempting to make people aware of their lost and sinful
condition.” The Bible never urges self-acceptance, self-love, self-assertion, selfconfidence, self-esteem, self-forgiveness, nor any of the other selfisms that are popular
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today. The answer to depression is not to accept self, but to turn from self to Jesus
Christ. A preoccupation with self is the antithesis of what the Bible teaches.
The gospel of Name it and Claim It: Many teachers believe that health, wealth, and
happiness are the birthright of every Christian and that the power to attain them lies
within the Christian themselves. They affirm the gospel. They would never outright
deny that Jesus died for sin and rose again from the dead. But this is not the gospel they
preach. In fact, they seem almost intentional in ignoring it. These preachers really seem
to believe in the power of the mind to visualize and thus create what one desires. This is
New Age thinking. Robert Tilton, Kenneth Hagin, and other produce magazines and
pamphlets that give stories of their followers who have had financial success following
these methods. Oral Roberts has a book called How I Learned Jesus Was Not Poor.
Many of these teachers claim Christians to be little gods if not full incarnations of God
himself. Such teachers are: Paul Crouch (husband of the blue-haired lady on TBN),
Kenneth Copeland, Kenneth Hagin, Benny Hinn, and Casey Treat among others. See
Boice page 1217. Pat Robertson said, “We are to command the money to come to us.”
What is the end purpose for this unlimited, divine authority? It is to grow healthy and
rich, and to be happy for that reason. That is, it is selfishness.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 says, that in the last days, “people will be lovers of themselves [the
gospel of ‘self-esteem’], lovers of money [and]… lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of
God [the ‘Name it and Claim It’ gospel].”
11For
the Scripture says, "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame."
This verse teaches two things: 1) The way of salvation is faith in Jesus Christ and 2) this
way is open to everyone, to Gentile as well as the Jew, a point which Paul is now going
to stress. Paul also introduces the idea of shame which is a fading concept in our age.
Sin first became crime and then it became a symptom meaning that the person is not at
fault because their genes or environment is the real cause of their behavior. If there is no
perceived guilt, then there is likewise a diminished sense of shame. The sense of shame
has diminished so much so that it is rarely dealt with in pop-psychology if it is even
addressed at all.
However, shame and ashamed appear roughly 181 times in the Bible (32 in the New
Testament) so shame is an important biblical idea. There are several important elements
in the biblical concept of shame:
1. Disappointment – being let down by someone or something in which we have
believed. Romans 1:16; 5:5.
2. Being Confounded – this describes a situation in which a person is confounded or
left speechless. Job 10:15, Ezekiel 16:63. There will be no excuses for sin in the
Day of Judgment; shame will cause their mouths to stop if they are not saved by
Jesus.
3. Exposure – particularly the exposure of our sins and sinful natures in God’s
presence. Genesis 2:25; 3; Luke 23:30.
4. Disgrace – extreme humiliation. Daniel 12:2 and scores of similar texts.
The main point of this text is that those who do not trust Christ, though they may be
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shameless now, they will be overcome with shame in the day of God’s judgment, while
those who trust Christ here, though they may be made objects of great ridicule, scorn, and
shame by unbelievers, will have no shame hereafter.
12For
there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his
riches on all who call on him. 13For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
One of the delightful things about studying the Bible is that just when we think we have
mastered one of its great doctrines, another complementary doctrine comes along to
challenge our still-limited understanding and stretch our vision. Paul began speaking
about the doctrine of election and reprobation in the middle part of chapter 9. He spent
much of that chapter defending God’s justness in operating in this way. After having
explained and defended these doctrines, as only Paul can do, and also presumably after
having convinced us of their profound truth, the apostle now seems to be saying
something utterly contradictory. He says that anyone who wishes can be saved. What a
stretching of our minds!
The Bible does not contradict itself. In this case, the explanation is that although
everyone is free to come to Jesus Christ in salvation and may indeed come if he or she
will, the only ones who do come are those whom God has chosen and regenerated,
because it is only their rebirth that enables them to trust Christ. But that is not the thrust
of these verses. Here we are told that the gospel is for you and me, all of us, if we will
trust Jesus. It does not make any difference who you are or what you may or may not
have done.
1. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile. If ever a people had an
advantage of position and promise, it was the Jewish people. Yet there is no
difference between Jew and Gentile so far as the gospel is concerned. Why?
Because we are all sinners and because no sinner, however favored, is able to
achieve a right relationship to God by his or her abilities. He died to save all who
will call on him for salvation.
2. The same Lord is Lord of all people. This is what Peter says in Acts 10:34-36
after God had commanded him to “not call anything impure that God has made
clean” (in reference to the redemption of the Gentiles). Peter says, “Truly I
understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears
him and does what is right is acceptable to him. As for the word that he sent to
Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all).”
14But
how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in
him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?
15And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of
those who preach the good news!"
The section is often used to spur on missionary work within the church. However, if we
look at the context of these questions, this is not their primary focus. A digression to
speak about missionaries would be out of place in a section showing reasons why God
has not failed with the people of Israel. Many questions have been posed in this epistle
by an imaginary detractor echoing many of the questions raised by real detractors that
have argued against Paul and the gospel he proclaimed. Other questions from the
detractor have been, “What advantage is there in being a Jew? (3:1),” “Are we to sin so
that grace may abound? (6:1),” and “Is the law sin? (7:7).” In this section, the detractor is
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raising the issue that follows from verse 13 – “If Israelites are saved by calling on Jesus,
isn’t God to blame for their unbelief because people have not been sent?”
Paul’s first response is agreement with the detractor on the point that people must be sent
to carry the gospel in order for people to call on Jesus. He does this by quoting Isaiah,
“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news.” In verse 16, Paul then
states the point of contrast to his detractor. The lack of unbelief is not because God has
failed to send messengers, but rather they have failed to believe what they have heard.
Verses 18 and 19 reiterate that they have indeed heard but failed to believe. This is
virtually the same point Paul first brought up in Romans 2:13, “it is not the hearers of the
law but the doers.” In this case, it is not simply hearing the gospel that saves a person,
but also their positive response to it. God has done his part by proclaiming the gospel to
Israel, they have failed on their part to believe it.
A call to missions Yet it is true a person cannot hear the gospel and believe on Christ unless someone takes
the gospel to him or her. Paul now gives us (in reverse order) the steps by which a person
is brought to a saving faith.
1. Calling on Christ – The first thing necessary for a person to be saved is to call on
Christ as stated in verse 13. A saving faith is more than mere intellectual assent
to certain truths about Jesus. Many people know about Christ and a significant
number believe he is the Son of God have never called on him in personal trust
and so they are not Christians.
2. Belief in Christ – Although there must be a personal trust that calls out to Christ,
there must also be an intellectual aspect to Christian faith as well. How could you
call on Jesus to save you from your sin if you do not know or understand the
gospel? Intellectual understanding without faith is not true faith but neither is
commitment without intellectual understanding.
3. Hearing Christ – Paul also says that for a person to be saved, they must hear
Christ. The point is that it is Christ himself who speaks to the individual, and that
it is hearing him that leads first to belief and then to calling on his name. Paul is
saying that although Jesus speaks personally and individually to the one he is
calling to faith, he does not do so apart from the truths of Scripture. He speaks to
us not by leading us away from Scripture, but by leading us to Scripture and by
speaking through Scripture. John 10 is a classic example of Christ speaking
directly to the ones he calls.
4. Preaching Christ – Preaching is necessary because a person must speak Christ in
order for others to hear Christ. This was particularly true in the first century when
many people could not read. Yet still today, although print and other forms of
communication are widely used by God, there is still something special and
necessary about verbalized communication, particularly preaching, since it is
through such preaching that God most often chooses to make the gospel known.
5. Sending Christ’s Messengers – This is the bottom line. In order for people to
preach Christ, they must go out into the world. It is God who sends the
messenger and blesses the message. But it is also true that the messengers must
be sent by the churches as we see in Acts 13:1-3.
In our day, we are flooded with TV, movies, and magazines full of beautiful people but
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this verse gives us insight to those God sees as beautiful. 1 Samuel 16:7 says, “For the
LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks
on the heart.” Peter told Christian women, “Do not let your adorning be external--the
braiding of hair, the wearing of gold, or the putting on of clothing-- but let your adorning
be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet
spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. For this is how the holy women who hoped
in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their husbands,” (1 Peter 3:3-5). Paul
is right on target when he says that the messengers of the cross are beautiful. They are
beautiful because they are bearers of the gospel, which is the most beautiful message in
the world.
16But
they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has
heard from us?”
This verse causes us to consider failures in evangelism. It is possible to perform the first
two human parts of the chain (the sending and the preaching) without having the person
hear the call of Jesus. Paul has preached the gospel message to many of his countrymen
and he is heartbroken that they have not responded rightly to the message. “Failure”
from a human point of view is something that all God’s servants have experienced.
Paul is quoting Isaiah 53:1 to show that it should not be surprising that not all will believe
the prophets and Scripture. There are many Old Testament verses dealing with unbelief,
but why did Paul choose this one?
1. It comes very close to the verse he has just cited about the beauty of those who
bring good news. This verse comes just eight verses after the last verse quoted
from Isaiah and is a dose of realism along with the prior uplifting message.
2. It is the introductory verse to the most important chapter in the Old Testament
about the Messiah’s suffering – There is a link between the unbelief of the hearers
and the content or nature of the message. It is not the kind of message they
wanted. Today, if we tell listeners that Jesus will give them treasure on earth
rather than heaven, people will line up at the trough. If we tell them that Jesus
will make them feel good rather than holy, people will clamor for the fix. If we
tell them that Jesus died to cure them of their low self-esteem rather than their
sins, they will pay for our glass cathedral. Much of the modern church-growth
movement is built on exactly such reasoning. And it works well! It builds megachurches and it makes bearers of the “mega-gospel” rich – because it is what
sinful people want to hear. But it is not the gospel. The true gospel is a gospel of
a crucified Savior, suffering in our place for our sins. That gospel is repugnant to
the natural, unsaved man, and because it is, it will be rejected by him unless God
first does a work of grace to turn him from his sin and error to the truth.
3. It is a prophecy about the preaching of the gospel by Christ’s messengers –
Unbelief is not a welcome or desired response to our teaching, but it helps to
know that this is what God has said will happen in many instances.
Matthew 13:4-8 - 4And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came
and devoured them. 5Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much
soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6but when the sun
rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7Other seeds
fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8Other seeds fell on good
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soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
The disciples did not understand this parable at first, so Jesus explained it to them. The
seed that is snatched away by the birds represents the case of those who do not
understand the message and from whom Satan comes and snatches away even what they
have. The scorched seed represents those who seem to receive the gospel but who are
soon turned away by trouble or persecutions. The thorns represent the cares of this world
and wealth, for which some barter away their eternal souls. Only a fourth part of the seed
lands on good soil, sinks down, grows, and produces a crop. These will be the kinds of
unbelievers we will meet as we share the gospel.
1. Those who are hard – People love sin. Many people will simply want to hold on
to sin rather than follow God. They do not want the gospel because they are
aware that to receive it they would have to turn from the vices they love.
2. Those who are shallow – Many people in our age of television do not want to
spend time to study, spend time, or grow in a relationship with God. People
simply prefer to space out in front of the TV in their spare time. Many people are
simply not disciplined or patient enough to study God’s word.
3. Those who are choked by wealth – In Mark 10:17-22, Jesus tells of the rich young
man who wants to know what to do to inherit eternal life. The young man departs
disheartened because Jesus told him he must give up all he has to follow him.
Christ goes on to say that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a
needle than a rich man to enter the kingdom.
17So
faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
This verse sums up the chain of events Paul mentioned in verses 14 and 15. Paul spoke
about hearing from Christ in verse 14 and it is what he is saying again in this verse. Jesus
speaks through his messengers that carry the gospel and the pages of the Bible. Those
who hear the message to the extent of believing on Christ and calling on him for salvation
have actually heard Jesus as he has spoken his truth directly to them. Jesus said that this
is what he would do (see John 10:3-5, 16). The Holy Sprit and the Bible work hand-inhand to speak to and convert the reader.
1 Corinthians 12-14 - 12Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit
who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13And we
impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting
spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. 14The natural person does not accept the things
of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them
because they are spiritually discerned.
When the Bible is preached, Christ speaks. And when Jesus speaks, his voice brings life
out of death and his sheep awake from their spiritually lost condition and follow him.
The Bible is powerful because God speaks to people by the Spirit of Christ, and because
that Word is life-giving and life-transforming. The Bible is the Book that reveals the
mind of God, the heart of man, the way of salvation, and the blessedness of believers. It
is the Book that tells us where we come from and where we are going.
Evangelism is exposition of the Scriptures – that is, it is to teach the Bible. Get a Bible in
the hands of someone you are sharing the gospel with. Encourage them to begin with the
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Book of John, that particular book was written so that the reader might believe Jesus is
the Christ and, by believing, have ever lasting life (John 20:30-31).
18But
I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for
"Their voice has gone out to all the earth,
and their words to the ends of the world."
19But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says,
"I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation;
with a foolish nation I will make you angry."
20Then Isaiah is so bold as to say,
"I have been found by those who did not seek me;
I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me."
The entire 10th chapter has been supporting Paul’s argument that God has not failed with
Israel because the failure of the Jews to believe was their own fault, not God’s. This is
argument number three in our over all outline of Romans 9-11. With these quotations,
Paul is showing that his people, the Jews, cannot blame God for not hearing or
understanding the gospel.
• The First Excuse: They did not hear – Paul establishes this truth by quoting Psalm 19:4
but this causes a problem. When we look at this Psalm we see that it is speaking about
natural revelation; that is, creation around us is proof of the existence of God. The
problem is that natural revelation is not the gospel. Paul sees the connection between
natural revelation and the specific revelation of the gospel. Just like natural revelation,
specific revelation in scripture is continuous, abundant, and has now been extended to
both Jews and Gentiles. Paul is speaking representatively meaning that the gospel had
been widely proclaimed to all types of men although every individual person certainly
has not heard it. There are relatively very few parts of the world today that do not have a
Christian presence or Christian witness. With the global coverage of the Internet,
virtually every part of the globe can have access to the gospel.
• The Second Excuse: They did not understand – Paul now quotes Deuteronomy 32:21
and Isaiah 65:1. Paul is showing that the Jews actually did understand the message
because of their hostile reaction to the inclusion of the Gentiles. Instead of detached
indifference, there was jealously and anger on the Jews’ part. That the message being
received by the Gentiles was a message of salvation by the grace of God apart from
keeping the law and that it was being taught not as a contradiction of Judaism, but as a
fulfillment of it. That is what made it so offensive – and they would have to understand
the message in order to be offended by it. The Gentiles were not a nation – that is, they
did not have a special group of people in God’s sight. They had no understanding – that
is, they did not have special revelation from Scripture or prophets. Those who did not
seek – that is, the Gentiles did not seek after the true God as the Jews did.
People today still reject the gospel for the same reason. They cannot accept that they are
equally sinful as all other people and that Christians are justified before God although
their past lives may be as shameful as any. It is often not a misunderstanding of the
message, but a misunderstanding of grace itself. People often reject grace because they
will not bow stiff, disobedient, and obstinate necks to God’s gospel. They refuse to
believe God when he declares that no one is righteous, not even one, no one understands,
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and all have turned away.
21But
of Israel he says, "All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary
people."
If we ever need proof that God’s ways are not our ways and his thoughts are not our
thoughts, we should turn to Romans 9 and 10 where Paul first speaks of election in one
chapter and human responsibility in the next. From our natural perspective, it appears it
must be one way or the other. If God chooses us to salvation, we cannot be blamed for
rejection or if he does not choose us – then we are saved by faith but rather the work of
choosing Jesus. When we understand Paul’s argument, we see these doctrines not only
must be together, but that the first is actually the solution to the second. The progress is
like this: first, human responsibility; second, the perverse exercise of human
responsibility in rejecting God; and third, salvation by God’s sovereign grace.
Predestination could be described as “God’s secret weapon,” because apart from it no one
would be saved. The last verse of chapter 10 shows us when God employs only outward
means to lead men to obedience, and does not accompany them with the influence of his
efficacious grace.
This verse is a moving statement because it spells out the nature of God’s love in contrast
to the disobedient and obstinate rejection of the love of God by human beings. There are
three things that can be said of God’s love from this text:
1. It is continuous – God has stretched out his hands to embrace you through the
gospel for every day of your life. You have always been welcome to accept the
gospel. If you have heard the gospel and repeatedly failed to accept it, each
rejection will be brought before you on your day of judgment and you will be held
accountable. You have rejected God, how can you believe he will not reject you?
2. It is compassionate – The visual image of outstretched hands toward a sinner
invoke the idea of a passionate embrace. Look at the hands of Jesus in verses
such as Matthew 8:3, 9:29-30, 14:31, Mark 10:6, Luke 24:50, John 20:25-28.
Jesus was compassionate and he loved those whom he embraced.
3. It is costly – the only imperfection in heaven will be the imprints of nails in the
hands of Jesus. He is the only God with wounds. And they are there to open the
way for you to come before a holy God.
We can contrast these three statements about the hands of Jesus with two words our text
uses to describe the people.
1. Disobedient – The gospel is often presented as an invitation as in Matthew 11:28
and Revelation 22:17. But it is also a commandment. See Paul’s teaching on
Mars Hill in Acts 17:29-31 where he says God commands all people every where
to repent. In Acts 2:38, Peter commanded the people to Repent and be baptized.
It is disobedient to reject the gospel.
2. Obstinate – See the parable told by Jesus in Matthew 21:33-46 where Jesus gives
a vivid illustration of obstinate disobedience.
The greatest contrast comes between the outstretched hands of God toward the sinner and
the stubborn disobedience that is shown by those who reject it.
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Romans 11:1-32 – The Times of the Gentiles
1I
ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a
descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin.
Paul now moves to his fourth of seven points supporting his position that God has not
failed the Jewish people: Paul himself is an example that some Jews have believed and
have been saved. As long as there is at least one believing Jew – though, in fact, there are
many – no one can affirm that God has rejected Israel utterly.
Paul emphasizes his Jewish heritage with the use of several words that are worth
exploring:
1. An Israelite – The Jewish people are referred to Hebrews, Jews, and Israelites.
The distinguishing aspect of the word “Israel” is that it is the people’s covenant
name. It was given to Jacob when he wrestled with the angel at the Jabbok and
God blessed him (Genesis 32:28). The question being raised in Romans is
whether or not God can break covenant, and the answer is: God never breaks a
promise!
2. A descendant of Abraham – Nothing designates a Jew more decisively as being a
“son of Abraham” and Paul includes this distinction.
3. Of the tribe Benjamin – Benjamin was the only son of Jacob born in Israel and the
city of Jerusalem is within the tribe’s border. Moreover, at the civil war that
ensued after the death of King Solomon, Benjamin was the only tribe that
remained with the tribe of Judah in the south. Benjamin and Judah remained
closer to God, preserved a larger measure of righteousness, and survived longer,
until the Babylonian conquest in 586 B.C.
We should never be discouraged in our evangelism, because all whom God is calling to
faith in Jesus Christ will come to him. Paul never gave up on his people although his
primary ministry was to the Gentiles. He knew that some (even if only a few) Jews
would be saved because he was living proof.
There were many Jews who did not believe on Jesus Christ although they presumed they
were saved by their Jewish benefits, traditions, and ancestry. We should never make this
mistake in our day and presume that we will be extended special favor simply because we
have passed through Christian rites, were raised in a Christian home, and have
membership in a church. We must trust in Jesus Christ for salvation and recognize that
outward symbols and Christian benefits alone will not save us.
We must never take part in or yield to anti-Semitic attitudes or actions. If God himself
has not rejected the Jews in spite of their long history of willful rebellion, it is clear that
you and I as Gentiles must not reject them either. Instead of hatred toward the Jews there
should always be a feeling of love, understanding, and acceptance.
2God
has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of
Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? 3"Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have
demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life." 4But what is God's reply to
him? "I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal." 5So too
at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace.
Paul quickly moves to the fifth point of his argument that God has not failed in his
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promises to Israel. The main trust of the fifth point is that there has always been a
remnant of true believers that God has called for himself. He brings up the Old
Testament story of Elijah following his victory over the prophets of Baal on Mount
Carmel (1 Kings 18-19:18).
The new idea in this argument is the “remnant.” The word refers to a small surviving
part of something: an object, a custom, or a people. In the Old Testament the word in
most cases refers to the small company of Jews who survived the invasions, destructions,
and captivities inflicted on them by the Assyrians and Babylonians in the sixth and eight
centuries B.C.
These verses add some significant points to verse 1 where Paul said to have been at least
one Jewish person who has been saved by grace through the gospel of Jesus Christ. First,
they show that God would have been faithful by saving only one member of the Jewish
family; however, God actually extended his grace far beyond that. There were thousands
in Elijah’s time and by natural implication we are to assume that the same was true in
Paul’s day and is true in our day as well. Second, the story shows that God’s choice of a
believing remnant, far from being an anomaly, has actually always been the case. The
story occurs early in Jewish history.
In verse 2, those “whom he foreknew” could refer to the whole nation of Israel or the
elect. Bible scholars are evenly divided on the issue. However, Paul is building an
argument in this chapter regarding the entire nation of Israel and it would follow that the
entire nation is being referring to in this verse. He has spoken of “people” in verses 1 and
2 and, because he is building an argument, he must refer to the same group. From verse
1, it is more apparent that he is speaking of Israel as a whole.
1. God has always had a remnant and it is often much larger than we might suspect.
This can be very encouraging to Christians today that feel alone in their efforts to
evangelize. We cannot judge by outward appearances alone and we must have
faith that God is working to call his chosen people home – both from the Jewish
and Gentile nations.
2. The remnant of God’s people have not bowed to Baal – Baal was a particularly
corrupt god of the ancient Canaanites. Worship consisted of sex and materialism.
In fact, sex was meant to insure the materialism – for the practice of sacred
prostitution was supposed to guarantee the recurrence of the seasons with
corresponding blessing on the crops which brought wealth in that society. Our
country is not much different today although material possessions and wealth may
be said to lead to greater sexual activity. In the declining moral state of our
nation, we must always remember that there is a remnant of God’s people who
have not bowed their knee to Baal and are living their life for the true and living
God.
6But
if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be
grace.
There are two things that characterize every Christian. One is a profound sense of
personal sin. The other is an overwhelming awareness of the grace of God. Paul has
spoken of God’s grace many times in Romans and throughout the New Testament.
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• Acts 20:24
• Romans 1:5
• Romans 3:23-24
• Romans 5:15
• Romans 5:20-21
• Romans 6:14
• Romans 12:6
• 1 Corinthians 1:4
• 1 Corinthians 15:10
• 2 Corinthians 8:9
• 2 Corinthians 9:8
• 2 Corinthians 13:14
• Galatians 1:6
• Galatians 5:4
• Ephesians 1:5-8
• Ephesians 2:4-8
• Ephesians 3:7-8
• 2 Timothy 1:9-10
• Colossians 4:18
• 1 Thessalonians 1:1
• 1 Thessalonians 5:28
• 1 Timothy 1:2
Paul loved the doctrine of grace. It was not necessary for him to include it at this point of
his argument. He includes it here because he loved this doctrine, saw it everywhere, and
wanted his readers to see it and love it too. And also perhaps because he knew how
difficult it is for most people to accept grace and how inclined we are to add works to it.
The verse makes only one point: grace and works are incompatible opposites. If a person
is saved by grace, it is not by works. Or if they are saved by works, it is not by grace.
There are three other doctrines that go along with grace.
1. Dead in transgressions - Many today say that God elected those that he knew
would believe when given the chance. This makes “faith” a work, and thereby
excludes grace. We are dead in our transgressions and sins (See Ephesians 2:1
and Romans 3:10-11). What could God possibly see in an unregenerate and
therefore spiritually dead heart?
2. You must be born again – This is what Jesus spoke about to Nicodemus when he
told him that apart from being born again he could not “see the kingdom of God”
(John 3:3). He went on to say, “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives
birth to spirit… The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you
cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born
of the Spirit” (6-8). If we cannot predict or control God’s Spirit any more than we
can control the wind, salvation will have to be of God from beginning to end.
3. Through faith – If salvation is by grace and grace is opposed to works, then to be
saved by grace through faith implies that faith is not a work. If it were a work,
salvation would be by works; and, as we have already seen, grace would not be
grace. All of this is to say that the faith we do posses is a gift from God and is
merely the channel by which we receive God’s race.
7What
then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were
hardened, 8as it is written,
"God gave them a spirit of stupor,
eyes that would not see
and ears that would not hear,
down to this very day."
9And David says,
"Let their table become a snare and a trap,
a stumbling block and a retribution for them;
10let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see,
and bend their backs forever."
These verses are a summary of what Paul has been teaching thus far in Romans 9-11.
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1. Election – He introduced the subject in Romans 9 showing that God’s purposes
in salvation have not failed because, even though the great majority of Jews had
rejected the gospel, those whom God had elected to salvation beforehand
nevertheless were being saved.
2. Reprobation – In Romans 10 Paul went to great lengths to show that this does not
eliminate the guilt of those who are passed by, for we continue to be responsible
for our own actions, including our unbelief, and it is for these sinful acts that we
are judged.
3. The reason for man’s rejection of the gospel – People reject the gospel because
they want to establish their own righteousness and do not want to submit to the
righteousness that comes from God. Paul discusses this in chapter 10.
4. What has happened historically in the overall rejection of Christ by Israel had
been foretold by God – In Romans 9, Paul gave four Old Testament quotations to
make this point (Hosea 2:23; 1:10; Isaiah 10:22-23; 1:9). In Romans 11:8-10 he
provides two more: verse 8 which combines words from Deuteronomy 29:4 and
Isaiah 29:10, and verses 9-10, which quote Psalm 69:22-23.
One thing to notice is that Paul (in verse 7) is speaking about Israel with regard to
reprobation. In fact, many were trusting in the very blessing God had given them
(circumcision, the law, the temple worship) and this had become a “snare,” “trap,” and
“stumbling block” for them in their unregenerate state. If individual Jews, who were a
chosen nation, missed salvation because of their rejection of Christ and if, as a result, the
blessings of God that had been given to them became a curse for these people, it is
entirely possible (indeed probable) that many sitting in the evangelical churches of
America today are also missing salvation because of their failure to trust Jesus in a
personal way and that their blessings have become curses, too. If the blessings that come
to the church do not lead you to Jesus Christ, they will actually be harmful and propel
you into an even greater spiritual stupor, hardness of heart and sin. Here are some
examples:
1. Baptism – Baptism is an outward sign of an inward, spiritual union with Jesus
Christ. But countless allegedly Christian people have trusted in this outward sign
without the inward commitment. They have judged themselves to be saved
persons without any true following after Jesus Christ. Therefore, the very thing
that should have been an instruction and blessing to them has become a false
ground for hope.
2. Communion – The same thing is true of communion. Entire branches of the
church teach that grace is somehow imparted in the physical partaking of the
elements, so that the physical act itself conveys salvation. The Lord’s Supper is
meant to show us that the broken body and atoning blood of Jesus Christ and lead
us to trust him and place our faith in him, not in the ceremony. If we do not trust
Christ, the sacrament, which is intended to do us good, actually becomes a curse
for us, and we become superstitious and even pagan in our practice.
3. Material possessions – Money and other material goods are from God. But they
are dangerous, partly when we possess them in abundance. They should lead us
to God in gratitude. More often they lead us from him.
11So
I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather through their
trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. 12Now if their trespass
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means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more
will their full inclusion mean!
We come now to the sixth of seven points given by Paul as to why God has not failed in
his promises to Israel. The salvation of the Gentiles, which is now occurring, is meant to
arouse Israel to envy and thus be the means of savings some of them (Romans 11:11-24).
Many people struggle with the idea of election and reprobation because from our earthly
perspective it could appear to be arbitrary. That is, God randomly saves people with no
reason behind his selection. We should never think that God owes us an explanation for
his actions but we should realize that everything he does has a purpose, and an infinitely
wise one at that. At these verses we begin to see that God does have a purpose. God is
using the passing by of Israel to bring salvation riches to the Gentiles.
There are four points that govern Paul’s thought throughout the remainder of the chapter.
1. Israel has stumbled but their stumble is not final.
2. Their “stumble” had a purpose: it would be used by God to bring salvation to the
Gentiles.
3. The salvation of the Gentiles will lead in time to the “fullness” of Israel, that is, to
the salvation of the Jews as a nation and this in turn will lead to even greater
Gentile blessing.
4. The way this will happen is by the spiritual riches of the Gentiles making Israel
envious.
Has the general rejection of the gospel by the Jewish people really caused it to be brought
to Gentiles? Paul’s standard procedure was to go to the Jewish synagogues whenever he
entered a city and (when it was rejected) he went to the Gentiles. We can follow him
through Acts:
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
At Pisidian Antioch – Acts 13 – “When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled
with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying… The word for
the Lord spread through the whole region. But the Jews incited the God-fearing
women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up
persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from the region (vv.
45, 49-50).” As a result, they went to Iconium.
At Iconium – (Acts 14) – “The Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles
and poisoned their minds against the brothers… There was a plot afoot… to
mistreat them and stone them (vv. 2, 5).” As a result of this rejection, Paul and
Barnabas took the gospel to Lystra.
At Lystra – (Acts 14) – “Some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the
crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was
dead (v. 19).” The next day, Paul and Barnabas wend to Derbe.
At Thessalonica – (Acts 17) – On the second missionary journey, Paul and Silas
preached in the synagogue at Thessalonica. “But the Jews were jealous; so they
rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started
a riot in the city (v. 5).” The trouble caused Paul to move on to Berea.
At Brea – (Acts 17) – At Berea those who rejected Christ caused trouble (v 13),
and Paul went to Athens.
At Ephesus – (Acts 19) – The riot at Ephesus caused Paul to leave that city and
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travel again through Macedonia.
If Jesus is not the Messiah of Israel, then there is no hope for my salvation. I am a lost
pagan, without hope and without God in the world. It is only by the Jewish Messiah and
by the grace of the Jews’ God that I am saved.
13Now
I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I
magnify my ministry 14in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of
them. 15For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance
mean but life from the dead?
Christ spoke about the rejection he faced from the people of Israel. See the parables in
Matthew 21:28-32 and the next parable in Matthew 21:32-44. Paul speaks of that
rejection in the verses we now come to. The rejection of Christ by Israel is a sad reality
in our present time and it has been this way for 2000 years. If Jesus were the Messiah,
the kingdom of God was wrapped up in him and to reject him was to reject or lose that
kingdom. This means that by rejecting Jesus, Israel lost all that was truly spiritual in their
heritage. They still have their feasts and celebrations, of course, but they lost what those
important celebrations stood for.
Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement is the chief example. In that time, the High Priest
would sacrifice a goat and sprinkle it on the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant,
thereby making atonement for people’s sins. It was a picture of substitutionary
atonement and symbolized Christ dying in place of our sins. Although Jews observe
Yom Kippur today, it is no longer a true day of atonement, because there is no sacrifice.
Instead, it has become a day merely for confessing one’s sin and feeling remorse for
them. It has become a ritual rather than a hopeful reality.
There are three possible ways that “life from the dead” can be taken.
1. A figure of expression – The conversion of the masses of Israel, resulting in
additional blessing for the Gentile world, can certainly be described by any phrase
that is joyful. But “life from the dead” is such a powerful phrase that it is hard to
believe that it does not suggest a great deal more than this.
2. The final resurrection – This is one possible understanding of the phrase but it
does not appear to be Paul’s focus. No where else in the Bible is this phrase used
to refer to the final resurrection. Boice notes that Paul appears to be speaking
about an event to take place within history and the final resurrection is to be
thought of as the culmination of history.
3. The spiritual regeneration of Israel – The reason people reject Jesus Christ is
because they are dead in their sins and, being spiritually dead, they are unable to
understand the extent of their need, comprehend the grace of God in the gospel, or
yield their hearts to the Savior. See Romans 3:10-11 and Ephesians 2:1. Spiritual
resurrection is to be “born again.”
It seems from our perspective that in order for Israel to adopt Christ as their savior
collectively, it would take a miracle. How could so many people who have rejected
Christ for so long and who have held on to Jewish traditions for centuries suddenly
change their mind about Jesus Christ? It will take a miracle just like the miracle that
takes place with the conversion of each individual Gentile. And we can be confident that
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the Nation of Israel will experience “life from death” because it is God who calls the
spiritually dead into life by the Holy Spirit. If we are confident that the Jewish Nation
will one day accept Christ as their savior as the Bible teaches, we can count it no less an
act of God than when our own faith bestowed unto us by God.
16If
the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the
branches.
Many people fist think of God’s love when considering the attributes of God. Saints
from the Old Testament may have very well first thought of his holiness. There are three
applications to the word holy 1) to God, 2) to human beings, and 3) to objects and they
each refer to being “set apart.” If we remember this, we will be able to understand this
word in each of these diverse applications.
1. A Holy God – When we say that God is Holy, most people think this means that
God does not sin and everything he does is right. This is true, but even more so, it
means that God is “set apart” from us – he is not like us. He is over and above
and utterly beyond us, so that we cannot even begin to imagine what he is like
except to the extent that he stoops to reveal himself to us. Holiness it not another
one of his attributes such as his sovereignty, love, or justice – but rather it
qualifies them: holy sovereignty, holy love, holy justice, etc... Holiness is what
sets God apart from us and renders him awesome to us, who are both finite and
sinful.
2. Holy objects – How can objects be holy if holiness is what makes God so
uniquely distinct from us? They become holy when they are “set apart” to God’s
service rather than common uses. In this way the Sabbath becomes holy or bread
becomes holy.
3. A holy people – This brings us to the trust of this passage which speaks of a
people who are “set apart” for God. The Jews were set apart for God and we can
see this in such verses as Deuteronomy 7:6, Isaiah 43:21, 1 Samuel 12:22, and
many others.
Have you ever thought of your destiny in terms of holiness? If you are a Christian, you
have been set apart to God to be wholly his. We see this throughout the Bible (Lev
11:44-45; 1 Peter 1:15-16); it is not only a command, it is our sure end. The Bible
emphasizes holiness. And the reason it does is that a lack of holiness is what accounts for
our inability to love rightly, and in fact, to do anything else well. The reason our
relationships to God and to people are not all they should be is that we are not holy. So
why not be holy now? Praise God, one day we shall be holy. “We shall be like [Jesus],
for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).
17But
if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted
in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, 18do not be arrogant
toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that
supports you. 19Then you will say, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in."
20That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So
do not become proud, but stand in awe. 21For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither
will he spare you. 22Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who
have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too
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will be cut off. 23And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for
God has the power to graft them in again. 24For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild
olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these,
the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.
The most obvious meaning of this illustration is that the “root” is Abraham, the branches
that have been “broken off” are subsequent generations of unbelieving Jews, the branches
that have been “grafted in” are Gentiles that believe on Christ. There are, however,
several other interpretations. Many people often complicate the understanding of biblical
illustrations by pressing them beyond the simple single point or overly stressing details.
For instance, this illustration is not speaking about individuals for if it was, this would
introduce the idea that our salvation could be lost. This is inconsistent with the purpose
of Romans 9-11 itself which is to re-enforce the eternal security of our salvation. Boice
points out seven lessons that can be learned from this illustration.
1. There is only one people of God. Some people believe that there are different
categories of God’s people such as Old Testament figures, New Testament
apostles, the church, and the future Israel that will believe on Christ. Paul teaches
here that Abraham is the root of faith and all who are God’s people are apart of
the same family, whether Jew or Gentile.
2. The people of God must (and will) bear fruit. The purpose for a vinedresser to
graft branches is to make a more fruitful tree. Unbelief is the ultimate expression
of fruitlessness and faith is the first of all fruits. Jeremiah 11:16 and Hosea 14:6
are the two places in the Old Testament where olive branches are used to
represent Israel and they are spoken of with regard to bearing fruit. Jesus uses a
similar illustration in his discourse in John 15:1-2, 5, and 8 where he teaches that
his people will bear fruit.
3. Gentiles contribute nothing to the salvation process. We do not support the root,
the root supports us. We are never to boast over the cut-off branches as if we are
valuable. The only true knowledge we have of God is what has been revealed to
the world through the Jewish people. See John 4:19-22.
4. Jews contribute nothing to the salvation process. “Salvation is from the Jews” is a
different statement than “salvation is being Jewish.” The word from implies the
channel; that is, through Jewish kings, prophets, and primarily Jesus Christ.
5. Do not boast – We must not forget the warnings throughout the Bible about
boasting. If we are boasting, we are not believing. For boasting is being proud of
our own (supposed) achievements, and believing is receiving what God in Jesus
Christ has done for us.
6. Do not presume on God’s favor. Presuming means that everything is right
between ourselves and God, regardless of what we may believe, do not believe, or
how we may act. If we are not following after Jesus Christ in faithful
discipleship, we are not disciples. And if we are not Christ’s disciples, we are not
Christians.
7. Fear (respect) God. We must have a holy, awesome respect for both God’s
kindness and severity. God must never be mocked.
Verses 17-22 are directed to Gentiles and they are a warning not to boast over Judaism
because of the Gentiles’ current favored status. We can see throughout history how
Christian churches that were once strong in their faith have dried up and withered.
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The early churches in Asia Minor today are virtually nonexistent after they left
doctrines of grace in favor of works-based salvation. This could be likened to the
church at Ephesus in Revelation 2 that has left its first love.
The spread of the Roman Church throughout Europe after the conversion of
Constantine eventually grew into a political power-seeking organization that lost
its focus of Christ. The church of the middle ages had an outward appearance of
wealth and prosperity. But observers saw it as nothing more than an evil,
powerful, and secularized institution. This could be compared to the
compromising church at Pergamos and the corrupt church of Thyatira.
The churches that grew in Europe as a result of the reformation do not have the
fire they once possessed. Less than 4 percent of Europeans attend church, even
on religious holidays. This can be likened to the dead church of Sardis in
Revelation 3.
The church at large in America and England has falling attendance, openness
toward secular views, and a lower view of scripture. The American church often
presents a gospel that does not include the sinfulness of man and Christ as a
savior; but rather, Christ as a being who owes the believer his earthly demands.
This can be compared to the lukewarm church at Laodicea in Revelation 3.
Let he who has an ear, hear what the Spirit says to the churches. We as Christians must
always remember that if the Jews at large, the true branch, were cut off for a lack of faith
then we will be as well. We have 2000 years of church history and very much of it is
disgraceful. The Old Testament stories of Jewish unbelief and rebellion from God should
not make us smug and proud of our righteousness, these stories should serve as warnings
that very much apply to us in the Christian era.
Verses 23-24 tell Jews that if they do not persist in unbelief, the broken branches will be
grafted back in. Some view these verses to be a present event stating that the general
disbelief of the Jewish people does not keep all Jews from believing on Christ while
others see these verses as a future event when the Jewish people at large will begin to
accept Christ. Boice gives reasons for both arguments on pages 1361-1364. It is not
wrong to think both views are accurate, individual Jews today may be grafted in by
believing on Christ as we wait for the day of mass Jewish acceptance of Jesus (which will
see more about in the next few verses).
Either way (present or future interpretation), salvation is a miracle of God and therefore
depends on God as much as the resurrection of a great army of dry bones (Ezekiel 37).
This is the main point Paul is making. For branches to be broken off and grafted back in
is not humanly possible. We see that it is 1) possible, 2) probable, and 3) certain that
Jews will be saved as a nation in the final days. But these specifically chosen people
must nevertheless believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved. And if they must have
faith, clearly we must also.
25Lest
you be wise in your own conceits, I want you to understand this mystery, brothers: a
partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
We have reached Paul’s seventh point defending God’s handling of the Jewish nation.
God has not failed with the Jews because there will be a future conversion of the great
mass of Israel in the final days. Jesus makes a similar statement in Luke 21:24.
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The word mystery used here refers to something that had previously not been known but
has been revealed by God to us through the apostles. The mystery being unveiled at this
point is the future salvation of a great number of Jews. It is a mystery because we would
not expect it except for the prophecies revealed to us in scripture. But prophecy is not
given so that we will simply know future events; it is revealed so that it can have bearing
on how we are to live now. Paul tells us in this very verse that this mystery is revealed so
that we will not be conceited.
1. We should not be conceited in thinking that Gentile believers have replaced
Jewish believers permanently. If God says that there will be a day of future
Jewish blessing, then there will be one, and we must be humbled by this
revelation. We must not follow replacement theology which teaches the Gentile
church has replaced the Jew in all positive aspects pertaining to God. This view is
not in agreement with what Paul’s teaching and it can lead to anti-Semitism.
2. We should not be conceited in thinking that a Gentile church is the culmination of
God’s dealings in history. Many Christians believe that there will be an everexpanding Gentile Christianity that is destined to continually grow in strength
prior to Christ’s return. There are verses, however, that speak of a weakening
church in the last days (Luke 18:8, 2 Peter 2:1-2, 1 Tim 4:1). We should not think
of the Gentile Church as the “be all” and “end all” for God’s plan. Knowing that
God has a future for the Jews after the Gentile age has drawn to an end should
temper and diffuse our nearly insufferable conceit.
3. We should not be conceited in thinking that in ourselves we are something
special. We have the tendency to assume that the reason we are saved and others
are not is because we are wiser, more holy, more perceptive, or more significant
than they are. We are not saved for any of these reasons. On the contrary, “God
chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in
the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world,
even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human
being might boast in the presence of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:27-29)
4. We should not be conceited in somehow thinking that other people, who are not
like us, are hopeless. With God, all things are possible and, because salvation is
in his hand, no person is a hopeless cause. No matter how hard a person’s heart
or how far a person has strayed from the Lord, God will call his children to him at
all cost and under any circumstance.
26And
in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,
"The Deliverer will come from Zion,
he will banish ungodliness from Jacob";
27"and this will be my covenant with them
when I take away their sins."
It can hardly be doubted that the continuing existence of Israel as a distinct people
throughout the four thousand years of her history is a striking phenomenon. This text
strongly points to a future acceptance of Christ by the Jewish people as a nation. There
are Old Testament texts that should be seen as prophesying the future conversion of the
mass of Israel such as these:
1. Jeremiah 16:14-16 – If we begin to think of this text along these lines, the words
“and out of all the countries where he had banished them” can be seen not merely
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as foretelling the return of the Jews from their Babylonian captivity (as many
believe), but from all the world’s nations. Today, the Jews have indeed been
scattered and from which they must come if they are to return to the land of Israel.
2. Jeremiah 32:36-40 – At first, this verse seems to only be referring to the Jewish
return from Babylon even though some of the elements in the prophecy do not
seem to fit perfectly. On the other hand, as soon as we begin to think in terms of
a still future blessing, the idea of “singleness of heart” and “always fearing” God
and “everlasting covenant” have an exact meaning and appear to refer to the same
future conversion of the mass of Israel that Paul is prophesying.
3. Hosea 1:10 and 2:21-23 –The symbolic naming of the children (which mean
scattered, not loved, and not my people) are changed to names meaning (planted,
loved, and my people. There are similar prophecies toward the end of many of
the Minor Prophets (Joel 3:17-21; Amos 9:11-15; Micah 7:8-20; Zeph. 3:9-20).
27"and
this will be my covenant with them
when I take away their sins."
Many covenants appear in the Bible although this is the second (and last) time is appears
in Romans. These are major Biblical covenants:
1. God’s covenant with Adam (Genesis 1:28-30; 2:16-17) - The word covenant is not
used here but it appears God promised Adam prosperity and blessing as long as he
did not eat of the forbidden fruit.
2. God’s covenant with Noah (Genesis 6:18; 9:9-17) - This was a promise never to
destroy the earth again by flood and was confirmed by a rainbow.
3. God’s covenant with Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3; 13:14-17; 15:1-21; 17:1-22) –
This covenant deals with Israel specifically and involves the following promises:
that Abraham would be the father of a great nation, that God would give this
people an extensive land of their own, that the land would be theirs forever, that
the Redeemer would come through this line of descent, and that God would bless
all the peoples of the world through this Redeemer.
4. God’s covenant with the Jews through Moses (Exodus 19:5-6; 24:7-8; 34:28;
Deuteronomy 28:1-30:20) - Like the covenant established with Adam, it is a
covenant of blessing contingent upon obedience and of judgment for
disobedience.
5. God’s covenant with David (2 Samuel 7:4-16; 1 Chronicles 17:2-14) - God
promised David that he would establish his thrown and kingdom forever, which
David recognized to be a promise about the Messiah.
6. The new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34; 32:40-41) – Jeremiah recognized the
failure of the people to keep the terms of the old covenant, but he promised a day
when God would establish a new covenant in which one of the blessings would be
a change of the people’s hearts that would enable them to obey God and be holy.
7. Covenant of Grace – The covenant of Grace cannot be found in a single spot in
the Bible but it is a phrase that theologians used to describe the covenant assumed
to have been established between God the Father and God the Son according to
which the Father would give a numerous posterity to Jesus contingent upon the
accomplishment of his atoning sacrifice on the cross. See Luke 22:20; 1
Corinthians 11:25.
The covenant spoken of in this verse is an unconditional covenant of Grace. It is a
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promise to be fulfilled regardless of the efforts or actions of the people. It speaks of
taking away sins and this can only be done by the atoning work of Jesus Christ. Paul told
Timothy, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ
Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5).”
28As
regards the gospel, they are enemies of God for your sake. But as regards election, they are
beloved for the sake of their forefathers. 29For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
Setting aside the matter of special revelation, why would Paul ever believe that there
would be wide-spread Jewish acceptance of Jesus Christ after such sever rejection that he
had witnessed himself? The only answer is the character of God. God is unchanging.
Therefore, his plans for the Jews are unchanging, and his call, which puts his plans into
action, is irrevocable. To put it simply: God chose the Jews to be his special people, and
nothing that has happened since, or will happen, can change that choice or relationship.
When God chose the Jewish people beginning with Abraham, he knew Abraham would
have weak faith and would lie to save his own skin. He knew Moses would take God’s
glory for himself (Numbers 20:10 – using the word we). He knew David would commit
adultery with Bathsheba and have her husband murdered. Furthermore he knew the
Jewish nation as a whole would reject Jesus Christ. Yet he chose them and made
promises to them that will never be changed. God is faithful to his chosen people and he
will be faithful to us if we are in Christ Jesus.
1. God is faithful in preserving his people – This is what is meant by perseverance of
the saints. The followers of Jesus Christ will be faithful to him because he is
faithful to them. See John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Romans 8:31-39; Philippians 1:6.
2. God is faithful in disciplining his people – God has called us to be like Jesus
Christ, which means that he will do whatever is necessary to conform us to that
image. Instruction, Encouragement, and also discipline. See Hebrews 12:5-11.
In these verses, the writer teaches that our discipline is just as necessary as
discipline from an earthly father to a child. And it t is actually because of this
discipline that we know we are children of God and that he cares about doing
what is right for us.
3. God is faithful in glorifying his people – This was the theme of Romans 5-8 and is
summarized in 8:29-30. Romans 9-11 is reinforcement of the idea because Paul is
showing us that we can have confidence God will finish his work in us because he
will finish his work with Israel. You will find God the same today as he was in
the days of Abraham, Moses, and David. God’s gifts and call are irrevocable, if
he has called you, you can be certain he will finish his work with in you
regardless of any failures in yourself.
30Just
as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their
disobedience, 31so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you
they also may now receive mercy. 32For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have
mercy on all.
These last verses before Paul’s doxology affirm that all men are equal before God. This
comes from awareness that all have sinned and that all stand in need of God’s mercy. Sin
alone lowers everyone to the same needy level, so that mercy alone can lift us to the
heights. Although neither Jews nor Gentiles deserve mercy, God is merciful to both.
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And that is what leads Paul to regard all human beings as equal before God.
To appreciate mercy, we must see it against the dark background of sin. The words
mercy and disobedience dominate these passages. It is only in the context of
disobedience that mercy has relevance and meaning. Grace is extended to all beings,
even unfallen angles who have never sinned against God. For God to show mercy, there
must first be sin and the misery that attends it.
Furthermore, we need mercy if we are to be saved. The Gentiles have nothing going for
them and the only way we are to be saved is on the basis of God’s mercy. See Ephesians
2:12. But mercy is no less necessary for the Jews. They did, however, have many
advantages – but these advantages will not save them as we saw in Romans 9:4-5.
See the parable in Luke 18:9-14.
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Romans 11:33-36 – Doxology
Many Christians today rarely contemplate the vast, inexhaustible characteristics of God.
The church has surrendered her once lofty concept of God and has substituted for it one
so low, so ignoble, as to be utterly unworthy of thinking, worshiping men. This has
happened little by little over the years. This low view of God is held by almost all
Christians and has caused a loss in the sense of worship. Christianity is almost always
seen by the world as a mechanism for self-help and sadly, to many in the church,
Christianity is incredibly man-centered. With such a low view of God, people will not
find hope in Christ or see him as a rock upon which to build their lives.
At first glance, it seems strange the God should prohibit the worship of himself by
images. See Exodus 20:4-6. “What harm can it do?” we might ask. “Don’t images
merely focus the attention of the worshiper?” There are two answers to this: First,
images dishonor God, for they are always less than he is and therefore obscure rather than
reveal his glory. Second, images inevitably mislead the worshiper, for they suggest false
ideas by comparison. Even though God revealed himself to use personally in Jesus
Christ, it is surely no accident that Jesus came before the age of photography, movies, or
television. Instead of pictures, the way God reveals himself – even the way he reveals
Jesus to us today – is by the words of Scripture.
God has attributes that are both communicable and incommunicable. The communicable
attributes are those God shares with us in some measure, since we are made in his image
– things like knowledge, wisdom, love, and mercy. God is infinitely above us in these
things, but we somewhat understand what they are since we share in them on a much
lower level. Some of the incommunicable attributes are:
1. Self-existence – We must say that “I am what I am by the grace of God” but God
says only, “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14). One way we gain an
understanding of something is to analyze how it came into being. We cannot do
this with God because God points back to nothing. He is existent in himself alone
and therefore ultimately is unknowable.
2. Self-sufficiency – God has no needs and therefore depends on no one. We have
thousands of needs (air, water, food) and because of this we have a hard time
understanding God. God did not create us because he was lonely, he did not
create us because he needed help, and he did not create us because he needed
worshipers. He does not need anything outside of himself. That he chooses to
create us is due only to his own free and utterly sovereign will.
3. Eternality – This has to do with God’s everlastingness. God always has been and
always will be. This is practical to us because it means that God has not changed
from what we have found in the Bible. Since God has purposed all things from
before creation, we can be sure that those purposes will be worked out perfectly.
See Micah 7:18-20 and Exodus 34:6-7. If God were like us, he would have never shown
mercy toward us in the first place. Or if he did show mercy at one time, he would with
hold it another. There would be no hope for any of us. But praise be to God that he is
just how he is – perfect.
33Oh,
the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his
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judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
34"For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?"
35"Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?"
The very fact that God is not like us is part of the problem, and it would be
insurmountable were it not that God has condescended to reveal himself to us. We are
certainly not like God and we cannot imagine him to be. See Psalm 50:21 and Isaiah 55:8
Although he is not like us in some of his incommunicable attributes (including those we
looked at above), this text touches on some of his communicable attributes. These are
things we can partly understand because we share these attributes as well, although to a
tremendously lesser degree. These are his knowledge, wisdom, judgments, and ways.
God’s perfect knowledge God’s knowledge is perfect. He knows everything; all events, objects and creatures of
the past, present, & future. He knows everything in heaven, earth, and hell. He never
errs and never overlooks anything. God cannot learn, if he were to acquire knowledge
that he had not possessed from eternity would make him imperfect. He is never surprised
or amazed. God’s knowledge should do at least four things for believers:
1. It should humble us – After suffering loses, Job began to question God’s motives.
We see in Job 38-41, God begins to pose unanswerable questions to Job which
stretch, question by question, the gulf between the wisdom of God and the
wisdom of man. In Job 42:2-6, Job humbles himself and is embarrassed to think
he could contend with God intellectually.
2. It should comfort us – God knows everything about us – the good, the bad, and
the ugly. Fist this should remind us that God will not be surprised by anything we
do and he loves us despite our shortcomings. He also knows when we are
suffering and that can be a great comfort to us when we feel alone. See Genesis
16:13.
3. It should encourage us to live for God – See Psalm 139:1-24. Pay particular
attention to verses 23-24 where David asks God to help him lead a godly life,
precisely because God knows him so well. God knows our temptations,
weaknesses, strengths, and he knows when we need encouragement and when we
need correction. We can be encouraged that he will give us what we need to
become more like Jesus Christ.
4. It should help us pray – God’s knowledge of what we need is so perfect that he
often answers even before we pray to him. “Before they call I will answer; while
they are still speaking I will hear,” said God through his prophet Isaiah (65:24).
For the unbeliever, God’s perfect knowledge should lead them to repentance. See
Hebrews 4:13.
God’s profound wisdom See 1 Corinthians 1:20-21. Wisdom is more than mere knowledge. Wisdom is applying
God’s knowledge using a perfect means to achieve his perfect ends. There is also
morality or goodness in the application of knowledge. Without morality, wisdom is what
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we call cunning. As soon as Paul speaks of god’s wisdom as exceeding human wisdom,
he thinks of the gospel – since it is there above all that God’s perfect wisdom is seen.
What draws out Paul’s awe at the “riches of [God’s] wisdom” is not the wisdom God
displayed in the ordering of creation, as wonderful as that may be, but rather his wisdom
in saving sinners such as you and me.
1. The wisdom of God in justification (Romans 1-4) - Look at the lives of the Old
Testament heroes. Abraham on two occasions had been willing to sacrifice the
honor of his wife to save his own life yet the Bible calls him “a friend of God.”
Moses had killed a man and hid his body yet God called him “my servant.”
David had committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband killed yet he
was called “a man after God’s own heart.” Think of your own story. Since God
is just and perfect, how could he love and accept sinners? This puzzle is beyond
the wisdom of mere men and women but it was not beyond the wisdom of God.
Who but God could think up such a solution to the sin problem?
2. The wisdom of God in sanctification (Romans 5-8) – So if we are saved by grace,
why should we not go on sinning? Either salvation must be by works (which
destroys the gospel) or it must be by grace (which does not encourage right
behavior), we naturally think. God solves this by showing us that we are never
justified apart from being regenerated or being made alive in Christ. This means
that Christians have been given a new nature, and this new nature, is the very life
of Jesus Christ within, will inevitably produce good works corresponding to the
character of God. These works are the only sure proof of our having been saved
by him. God has devised a gospel that is entirely and completely of grace and yet
produces the most exceptional works in those who are saved.
3. The wisdom of God displayed in human history (Romans 9-11) – God made
special salvation promises for the Jewish people and yet, it appears the majority of
the Jews are not responding to the gospel while the Gentiles are. Does this mean
that God has failed with the Jewish people in favor or the Gentiles? Paul justifies
the ways of God with men, showing that God has rejected Israel for a time in
order that his mercy might be extended to the Gentiles, but adding that Gentile
salvation will provoke Israel to jealousy and in time bring the Jewish people to
faith in their Messiah. Who could devise a plan of that scope for world history?
We could not do it: We cannot even understand it apart from the biblical
revelation, and even that is difficult for us. But it is not beyond “the depth of the
riches of the wisdom…of God.”
- The unsearchable Judgments of God
When Paul speaks of God’s judgments, many feel this word encompasses more than
God’s judgment of wicked men. It also includes his decrees, that is, the decisions he
makes and the way he orders things. How are his decisions different from those we
might make and why is it that Paul is such in awe of them?
1. The decrees are for God’s glory – We are naturally very self-centered when it
comes to our Christianity. We think the heavens and earth are created for us to
live in and work. But see Psalm 19:1 and notice that they are created to proclaim
the works of his hands. We first think Jesus came to earth to save sinners and that
is true, but his primary purpose of bringing God glory is seen in John 17:4. We
often imagine heaven as us being able to do what we want while in Revelation
5:13 we see the saints focusing their attention on God himself.
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2. The decrees are one – Look at verses such as Psalm 2:8; Romans 8:28; Ephesians
3:10-11; Acts 2:23 and notice how decree and purpose are used in the singular
tense. God does not see events in sequence but rather sees all things as a whole
and from the beginning. All the meticulous details of history flow from a single
decision or purpose from God.
3. The decree is eternal – God has never changed his mind or made a decision after
learning new information. His decisions are complete, everlasting, and based on
perfect knowledge and wisdom. See Ephesians 1:4 and 1 Peter 1:20. Our
salvation is secure because it is wrapped in God’s eternal decision.
4. The decree is free – We think of our own free will but we have to admit we are
limited by time, space, and circumstance. God is not bound by any frame work
for he designed the frame work. He is exalted above any type of influence. See
Isaiah 40:13-14.
5. The decree is absolute and unconditional – See Psalm 33:11; James 1:17; and
Isaiah 46:10b. Some complain that if the decrees of God are absolute and
unconditional, we cannot speak of free will and responsibility on the part of men
and women. But that is not correct. It would be true if 1) God and man were on
the same level, operating as equals, and 2) the choices we made were not
determined by our sinful natures. Neither is the case. We decide as we do
because we are sinners, which means we are responsible. God exercises his will
toward us in this area by allowing sin to operate, just as he also exercises his will
in other cases by intervening to save us from sin and turn us away from such
actions.
- The amazing ways of God
Paths (or ways) refer to the course God’s judgments actually take in human history.
Because God has unchangeably ordained whatsoever comes to pass, he obviously has
ordained a path for us to walk in. We have trouble with this because 1) we are not always
convinced that it is ordained; 2) we do not know where it is going; and 3) it does not
always work out as we believe it should. Biblical figures illustrate how God’s ways are
not like our own.
1. Abraham was called to be a father of a great multitude. But God waited until he
was beyond the age of one hundred before his son of the promise was born. Why
would God wait so long and cause him so much ridicule and anguish?
2. Moses was called to be a great deliverer for Egypt yet, at the age of forty, he had
to flee Egypt after killing an Egyptian and spent the next forty years as a shepherd
in the wilderness. Why would God appear to waste forty good years of Moses’
life waiting to return to Egypt?
3. The people of Israel were led out by God but they faced trials, long years of
wandering, days without water and attacks from Amalek, Sihon, and Og. Why
would God not make their path strait and easy?
4. After Paul’s conversion, he spent three years in the wilderness with no apparent
accomplishments (Galatians 1:17-18) and then spent years after that waiting in
Tarsus to be called into service. When he was in fulltime ministry, it was often
very difficult, see his testimony in 2 Corinthians 11:24-28. Why could the Lord
not make his work easier or open doors for him with less resistance?
5. Finally, look at the life of Jesus himself. If the reason for his suffering and death
were not revealed to us, his death would appear to be the most unfortunate and
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senseless individual human loss in history.
These show that God’s ways are not our ways, nor are his thoughts our thoughts. His
paths are beyond tracing out. These are just a few of the many, many examples that
could be provided and no doubt you have personal stories that could be added as well.
But why does God work in this way? Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 1:9 that “[These
things] happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.”
Do not lose heart! God knows what he is doing with your life. We can see that in each
case God was developing character in these people, and that he was showing himself to
be more than adequate to their every human need. You cannot search out his eternal
decrees or perceive the end of the path on which he has been leading you, but this does
not mean that God is confused, the outcome doubtful, or the final achievement vague.
Trust God and go on.
The only things we know, we know because God has known them first and has revealed
them to us. We have nothing to contribute to God in any area.
If we think that the universe revolves around ourselves or that we are the only valid
measure of all that is, we are “secular humanists.” This is not a new idea, see Daniel 4:30
where Nebuchadnezzar where he admired the city he built for his own glory. God did not
see it that way which you see in the following verses. God made him insane to show that
a person who things he or she is the center of the universe is spiritually insane.
36For
from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
Verse 36 is a classing Christian world-view text. There are two areas where we need to
think through what this verse means.
1. God and Creation. God is the source of all things in that they have proceeded
from him; he is the Creator. The Triune God was alone, perfect, and in full glory
before anything came into being. We often think the heavens and earth were
created for our purposes. But God, when he was alone, would not have brought
creation into being for a creature that did not yet exist – the creatures (that is
humans) and all of creation most certainly were created for God’s own purposes.
For his own glory! Creation is from God, through God, and to God.
2. God and the Gospel. We cannot miss that salvation is also from God, through
God, and for his Glory. Salvation is from him for he has planed it all. Only God
could create a plan of salvation by grace apart from works yet produces even
greater works than those trying to earn salvation with them. God even ordained
the timing when Christ came, who he ministered to, his betrayal, his resurrection,
etc. Salvation is though him by the work of Jesus Christ. And the plan of
salvation is to his glory. Paul has been showing us in Romans 9-11 that our
happiness is not God’s chief purpose in ordering the plan of salvation as he has.
All you have to ask is: “Why are some chosen to be saved while others are passed
over?” The answer is that salvation is for God’s glory and that God is glorified in
each case. In the case of the elect, the love, mercy, and grace of God are
abundantly displayed. In the case of the lost, the patience, power, and wrath of
God are equally lifted up.
See appendix: Give God the Glory
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The New Humanity
Romans 12:1-2 - Applied Christianity
Paul now begins the application potion of the book. We have scaled the mountains of
doctrine in the first eleven chapters and now come to the potion where we see how those
truths are to be applied in our daily life. Jesus Christ is the pillar of our faith and the rock
upon which we must build our values. Our culture has become dangerously relativistic,
that is, our culture believes that “what’s good for you is good for you and what’s good for
me is good for me.” There are no absolute truths that are necessarily true for everybody.
The problem with this is that all views are relative and there is no real reason for doing
one thing rather than another – except for selfish, personal reasons which obviously
destroy morality rather than establish it. Revelation from God is the basis for social
morality and ethics; we must have Romans 1-11 in order to have Romans 12-16.
1I
appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living
sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2Do not be conformed to
this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what
is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Look at Christ’s words in Luke 9:23-24. This parallels the first thing we see as Paul
begins this section of doctrine application – that we must die to ourselves in order to life
for Jesus Christ. First of all, we must realize that we belong to Jesus is we are truly
Christians, that is, we were bought out of the slavery of sin by his blood. See 1
Corinthians 6:19-20; 7:23; 1 Peter 1:18-19. The world bids with fame, wealth, power,
sex, and other sinful vices, but the Lord Jesus bid his blood in order for us to become his
and life our lives for him. In chapter 6, Paul spoke of us as having died to sin in the sense
that we cannot successfully return to our old lives. Therefore, we must get on with the
task of living for the Lord Jesus Christ. We need to forget about sinning and instead
present our bodies as “living sacrifices” to God.
We understand what is meant when the Bible says we must “die to ourselves” in order to
server Jesus Christ and others. We understand when it says that we will be blessed and
happy. The problem is that we often do not believe it, or at least not in regard to
ourselves. We think that if we deny ourselves, we will be miserable. Yet this is nothing
less than disbelieving God. It is a failure of faith. See Matthew 5:3-10. What would the
world say? “Blessed are the rich, because they can buy what they want. Blessed are the
powerful, because they rule over people. Blessed are the famous, because they are
envied. Blessed are the sexually liberated, because they satisfy themselves.” We know
these things provide only short-term gratification with no long term fulfillment.
This verse also reminds us that the Christian life begins with us sacrificing ourselves for
God. This is something that we do through the obedience that comes from faith (See
Romans 1:5). Just as Christ was the priest who made the sacrifice and it was himself that
he gave, we must do likewise.
We are not to offer the old sinful lives in which, when we lived in them, we were dead
already. Rather, we are to offer our new spiritual lives that have been given to us by
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Christ. What this means among other things, is that we must be Christians if we are to
give ourselves to God as he requires. Other people may give God their money or time or
even take up a religious vocation, but only a Christian can give back to God that new
spiritual life in Christ that he has first been given. Indeed it is only because we have been
made alive in Christ that we are able to do this or even want to. See what Paul said in
Romans 6:12-14 and see the notes that are written for those verses. The idea is the same
here in chapter 12.
We also see that our sacrifice should be holy. Many Christians quietly try to ignore the
idea of holiness and look for other aspects of Christianity to become passionate about.
Holiness has become almost forgotten in our time. We must remember that Christ came
to save us from our sins and not merely save us in our sins. That means that the purpose
for our salvation is freedom from sin’s power, not just sin’s punishment. We were saved
to live a holy life. The sacrifice we give should be: 1) living, 2) involve giving the
specific individual parts of our bodies to God for his service, 3) they must be holy, and 4)
if they are these things, they will be acceptable to God.
But how are we to motivate people? In our culture, we can motivate by fear (threats of
terrorism or threats of being fired) or we can motivate by reward (medals, bonuses,
etc…). But in this verse, we see we are to make our living sacrifice in view of God’s
mercy. Calvin said, “Paul’s entreaty teaches us that men will never worship God with a
sincere heart, or be roused to fear and obey him with sufficient zeal, until they properly
understand how much they are indebted to his mercy.”
Look at the case of Paul himself in Acts 9:1-19. Paul certainly knew the motivating
power of mercy, for it is his understanding of God’s mercy in his life that drove him to
become a living sacrifice. See 1 Timothy 1:15-16. It was because he knew himself to be
a sinner saved only by the mercy of God’s grace that Paul joyfully gave himself to God
as a living sacrifice and work tirelessly to please him.
Some translations call this our “spiritual act of worship” while others say it is our
“reasonable service.” The Greek word logikos can be used for spiritual or rational and
either translation can be applied.
You will begin to understand the Christian life only when you understand that God does
not want y our money or your time without yourself. You are the one for whom Jesus
died. You are the one he loves. So when the Bible speaks of reasonable service, as it
does here, it means that you are the one God wants. It is sad if you try to substitute things
for that, the greatest gift. We need to see why such demanding service is reasonable.
1. It is reasonable because of what God has already done for us – This goes back to
the “therefore” in the first verse which points back to the first 11 chapters of
Romans. Look what God has done. Is it not reasonable to give yourself utterly
and sacrificially to a God who has given himself utterly and sacrificially for you?
See Ephesians 2:1-7.
2. It is reasonable because of what God is continuing to do – It is difficult to make
changes in our lives, break destructive habits, form new ways of thinking, and
please God. But this is exactly what God is doing in us.
3. It is reasonable because such service is God’s will for us, and his is a good,
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pleasing, and perfect will – God has a specific will for our lives but many
Christians have difficulty because the details of his plan for us is not revealed.
Although the specific details are not made known, general but very important
things are, and the most important of these is that God wants us to be like Jesus
Christ. This is what Romans 8:28-29 says.
4. It is reasonable because God is worthy of our best efforts – See Revelation 4:11;
5:9-12. These verses testify that Jesus is worthy of all honor. Do you believe
them? You actions must support your profession. If you live for him, giving God
all you can ever hope to be, then you are testifying that God truly is a great God
and that he is worthy of the best you or anyone else can offer.
5. It is reasonable because only spiritual things will last – In Matthew 24:35, Christ
says that all the heavens and earth will pass away. The things you and I put so
much of our lives into are going to disappear. Even the greatest treasures on
earth; the Mona Lisa for example will someday no longer exist. Although “the
world and its desires pass away,” we are also told that the one who “does the will
of God lives forever” (1 John 2:17). Learning to think this way is a part of what it
means to think spiritually. It is a start in developing a truly Christian mind.
Look at different translations of the opening phrase of verse two, “Do not be conformed
to this world.” The idea here is we should not allow the world to influence us and our
thinking. Paul is concerned about a way of thinking rather than merely our behavior
(although our behavior will follow our thinking). We are to break out of the world’s way
of thinking and instead let our minds be molded by the Word of God.
Secularism – The cosmos is all there is
One can think of the world’s view as being “secularism” which is an umbrella term that
includes humanism, relativism, pragmatism, pluralism, hedonism, and materialism. It is
a philosophy that does not look beyond this world but instead operates as if this age is all
there is. The only thing that matters is the here and now. “Why should I worry about
God or righteousness or sin or judgment or salvation, if now is all that really matters?” is
the primary question brought up by a secular world view.
Secular Humanism: “You will be like God”
One of the best examples of this philosophy is seen in Daniel 4:30 where
Nebuchadnezzar is surveying the city of Babylon which, in his mind, was built from him,
through him, and to him. This view believes everything revolves around man and exists
for his glory. Mankind is the ultimate judge and ruler, and everything exists for our
purposes. This view grew in popular culture during the 1970s which has often been
called the “me decade.” There is no fixed point of reference for values in this system and
values deteriorate with the passing of time just as Paul spoke about in the first chapter of
Romans. Look at our culture, clearly there are things we can do or say in public today
that would have been atrocious just a few decades ago.
Relativism: “A moral morass”
Relativism stems from humanism because with man being the focal point of everything,
there are no absolutes and everything is up for grabs. This simply says, “What is true for
you is true for you and what is true for me is true for me.” This puts individuals as the
measuring stick of right-and-wrong, true-and-false, and makes people accountable to no
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one but themselves. In fact, in our day, one of the most offensive things you can do is tell
somebody that their beliefs are not right.
Materialism: “The material girl”
This goes back to secularism because if the cosmos is all that exists, then you should get
as rich as you can at the expense of nothing because that is all that exists. When children
are asked who their heroes are, how often do they give figures who are rich and in the
public eye?
Boice speaks about the “mindlessness of our age” and the effect television has had on our
culture’s thinking (or lack thereof). Everything TV touches, turns to entertainment. He
focuses on three areas:
1. Now…This – This is the way news programs skip from one 30-45 second news
story to another 30-45 second story that is usually not related to the first in
anyway. The constant fast-paced skipping of television does not allow time for
people to analyze, form an opinion, or make a decision – it simply keeps the
viewer entertained for a few brief moments before they become bored. The news
channels of today skip from story, to sound byte, to commercials while news
highlights “crawl” across the bottom of the screen, weather is posted on the side
and stock prices flash as they become available. Many argue that television
actually shortens attention span and makes the process of sound learning a more
difficult task.
2. Government elections – Joe McGinniss wrote a book titled The Selling of the
President 1968 that described the strategy of the Nixon advisors. They had felt
their man lost in 1960 because JFK had a better television appearance. In the
book, one of Nixon’s chief aids advised him, “Break away from linear logic;
present a barrage of impressions, of attitudes. Break off in mid-sentence and skip
to something half a world away… Reason pushes the viewer back, it assaults him,
it demands that he agree or disagree; impression can envelop him, invite him in,
without making an intellectual demand…Get the voters to like the guy, and the
battle’s two-thirds won.” The way to win an election today is to present a
pleasant television image and keep the candidate out of trouble for as long as
possible. Consider recent elections… John Kerry criticized Bush’s handling of
the War in Iraq but what did that guy really plan to do different? He simply
played off emotions that people generally do not like war and that no war goes
well as long as people are being killed. Bush primarily played off of the fear that
if the war were to end, terrorists would begin attacks in our own country. How
did they really differ on the war, social security, education, and controlling the
national debt? Is this something a person could have learned from watching
television?
3. Religion as entertainment – With the exception of Billy Graham and a few others,
religious television starts are mostly entertainers. These shows contain their
requisite musical numbers and pop testimonies, just like variety shows on secular
television. The proper name for them is vaudeville. One could argue that
television has had an influence on church services themselves. In many churches
today there is brainless music, chummy chatter, and abbreviated sermons.
Preachers are told to be personable, to relate funny stories, to smile, and above all
stay away from topics that might cause people to become unhappy with the
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church and leave it. They are to preach to felt needs, not real spiritual needs.
This generally means telling people only what they want to hear.
But how are we to experience mind renewal in a mindless age? Fist, it means more than
to simply think about only Christian subjects. To renew our minds with a Christian world
view means to constantly consider how God interacts with every aspect of our daily lives.
For instance, at the gas station, we may consider how we use our vehicle to serve Christ,
consider if cars make us covet, or determine what priority they should have in our lives.
The best of all possible starting points for a Christian mind renewal is the doctrine of
God. But what does this mean?
First, if there is a God, then there is literally such a thing as the supernatural. The cosmos
(creation) is not all there is because God is above, beyond, before, and after it. This
addresses secularism. Second, this God has revealed himself in nature, history, and
especially in the Scriptures. This addresses relativism. If God has spoken then what he
has said must be true. This gives us absolutes in an otherwise relative and therefore
ultimately chaotic universe. Christians have a strong opinion about the gospel. But our
opinion is not what matters – what matters, is if it is true. What the secular mind is illequipped to grasp is that the Christian faith leaves Christians with no choice at all on
many matters of this kind. We are people under God’s authority and that authority is
expressed for us in the Bible.
We will look at failure, suffering, pain, and even death differently than non-Christians do.
These will never be the greatest of tragedies. Conversely, success and pleasure will not
be the greatest of all goods for us. They are good, but they will never compare with
salvation from sin or knowing God.
- A look at man
Whenever God is taken out of the framework by which man assesses the world around
him, the natural conclusion is to place man at the top of all things. Man becomes the
measure of all things and the top of the food chain so-to-speak. This seems to elevate
man, but in practice it does exactly the opposite. It deifies man, but this deification
always debases man in the end, turning him into an animal or even less than an animal.
Moreover, it causes him to manipulate, ignore, disparage, wound, hate, abuse, and even
murder other people. When we turn to the Bible to see what it says about human beings,
we find two surprising things. First, we find that man is a uniquely valuable being, far
more important than the humanist imagine him to be. But, second, in his fallen condition
we also find that he is much worse than the humanists suppose.
What is it to be made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27, 9:6)? We have personalities
that involve knowledge, memory, feelings, and a will. We also have morality which is
discerning right from wrong. We also have a free will. It is not completely unlimited
like God’s free will, but we do have the ability to make right or wrong choices. We are
also spiritual creatures, that is we are to commune with God. Secular humanism reduces
our personality to animal urges, reduces our morality as a response to our environment,
and kills spirituality if there is no God to maintain a relationship.
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We must also realize we are fallen creatures and are in worse trouble than humanists can
admit. We have been made in God’s image, but we have lost that image, which means
that we are no longer fully human or as human as God intends us to be. Fallen angles are
called demons. This may help us get a perspective on our situation.
Psalm 3:7-8 says that we are created higher than the animals but lower than the angles.
We have bodies like the animals (who have no soul) and we have a soul like the angles
(who have no body). We can either look upward to the angles and beyond to God to
become more like the higher beings as the Bible calls us to do. Or we can look
downward to the animals and become more like them as the secular world tells us to do.
In our culture, we are beginning to justify bad human behavior by saying we are, after all,
just animals.
Consider how redemption amplifies both the value of human beings and the severity of
our fallen state. We are valuable enough that God wants to save us, yet our condition is
so bad that it takes no less than the death of his Son. C.S. Lewis wrote, “It is a serious
thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and
most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it
now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and corruption such as
you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare… There are no ordinary people. You have
never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations – these are mortal.
But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit.”
Focus now on the second verse. It is significant that this is where Paul’s statement about
being transformed by the renewing of our minds – rather than being conformed to the
patterns of this world – end. They end with proving the way of God to be the best way
and the will of God to be perfect. This means that action is needed: God is not producing
ivory-tower Christians. He is forming people who will prove the value of God’s way by
conscious choices and deliberate obedience.
In this verse will is to be interpreted in its context - meaning his generally revealed will
rather than his specific will for individual believer. We are encouraged to follow is the
general will of offering our bodies to God as living sacrifices, refusing to be conformed
to the world’s ways, and instead being transformed from within by the renewing of our
minds. It is this that we are to pursue and thus find to be good, pleasing, and perfect,
though if we do this, we will also find ourselves working out the details of God’s specific
will for our lives.
Notice how the second verse ends by telling us to test the will of God to discover for
ourselves that it is good, pleasing, and perfect. This is the exact opposite of our normal
way of thinking. Usually we want God to tell us what his will for us is, and after that we
want to be able to decide whether it is good, pleasing, or perfect and thus whether or not
we want to do it.
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Romans 12:3-21 – The Christian and Other People
3For
by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly
than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith
that God has assigned.
Paul has been dealing with first things first – first, a right relationship with God; second a
proper evaluation of myself; third, a right relationship with other people. It is impossible
to miss that verse three continues with our thinking and having a proper perception of
God, ourselves, others, and our world. There are two possible errors in this kind of selfevaluation:
1. To think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think – This is the easiest
mistake to make because we naturally think highly of ourselves and want others
to do the same. This is a result of pride which leads to many other sins. People
tend to think highly of themselves if they have famous names, power, money,
intelligence, or degrees. Have you been chosen by God? See 1 Corinthians 1:2629.
2. To think too lowly of ourselves, a false humility – Often, people have a false
humility and use this in an attempt to get praise from others. It is when a person
says, “I’m just so ugly” (or dumb, or anything else) and expect their listener to
reply with, “Oh no you’re not, you are very pretty!” Other truly do have a low
opinion of themselves and if they are Christians, they must realize they are
valuable because they were created by God and He works through them as
believers.
On the other hand, this verse gives us specific ways in which we are to evaluate our
selves:
1. With sober judgment – You are made in the image of God, you are filled with the
Holy Spirit, and you are a part of God’s plan. When we are thinking soberly
when we think of ourselves as God’s creatures without either vanity or a lack of
proper self-esteem.
2. In accordance with the measure of faith God has given – This involves what each
one of us has uniquely – that is, as different from other people – and it leads to the
discussion of spiritual gifts that follows in this chapter. Each of us is responsible
for discovering what our particular gifts are and using them. It is a false humility
that says, “I don’t have anything to offer anyone. God can’t use me.”
Whatever we do with the talents God has given us, we must do it to the best of our
ability. See Colossians 3:23-24. A proper humility in which we learn to think soberly
about ourselves does not lead to self-abnegation or inactivity, which honors no one.
Instead it leads to the energetic use of every gift and talent God has given, knowing that
they have come from him – that no glory is ever due us – but because they do come from
him, they must be used faithfully and wholeheartedly for his glory.
4For
5so
as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function,
we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
Paul now begins speaking about the believer’s relationship to other members of the
church. He refers to the church as the “Body in Christ” and this gives us a powerful
image of what the church is to be. We often use the word “church” to refer to a building
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but most of us realize that the church truly is people. And it is the people that have been
called by God and joined to Christ by the Holy Spirit just as Paul spoke about in the fifth
chapter of Romans. The church is a New Testament reality and that is why Christ spoke
about it in the future tense (Matthew 16:18). Just as we saw in chapter 4 that Abraham
and the godly line of descendants that came after him were saved through faith looking
forward to a redeemer they did not yet know, all Old Testament believers are also apart
of the church as well. The church consists of all people from all times and from all
places whom God has joined to Jesus Christ.
We also see that there is only one Church because there is only one Jesus Christ and he
only has one body. This parallels what we see in Ephesians 4:4-6; there are seven
important unities:
1. One body – See 1 Corinthians 12:24-26. The church is an organism made up of
living parts that support and depend on one-another. The parts are united to make
an organic whole rather than a machine that is made of independent parts.
2. One Spirit – We are all different yet we each have the Holy Spirit working within
us and share in common experience. We have all been awakened to our need.
We have all been made alive in Christ. We have all believed on him.
3. One hope – There are unifying beliefs among Christians – such as, the return of
Jesus Christ, the Resurrection, and the Final Judgment. We also hope with
certainty that when Jesus returns we are going to be with him, all of us. People
from all races, nations, economic backgrounds, and denominations.
4. One Lord – Christians can sometime be made uncomfortable by other Christians
who have a different understanding of Jesus Christ than our own. We need to
realize that if other really believe in Christ for the forgiveness of their sins, then
the fact that we have this same Lord should draw us together despite any doctrinal
differences we may have.
5. One faith – Faith in this sense is objective meaning that it is the content or object
of our faith that Christians share. There is only one body of genuine Christian
doctrine, whatever our own limited understanding of it may be. Indeed, if we are
really Christians, our difference must be in minor areas since by definition we all
believe the major doctrines.
6. One baptism – It is interesting that Paul should list baptism in a list of things to
unite Christians since a diverse understanding of baptism is one of the things that
has divided denominations most severely. Paul is not speaking about the modes
of baptism or whether it should be for children. If you have been identified with
Jesus Christ by baptism, then you are also identified with all others who have
likewise been baptized in his name.
7. One God – It is God who unites us to Jesus Christ through the work of the Holy
Spirit. There can only be one church because there is only one God.
As Christians in today’s age are divided on many secondary issues of doctrine, we should
always first consider the important aspects of our faith that we share in common. When
we have fellowship with Christians having slightly different views or Christians from
different denominations, we should always focus on the many things we share in
common. If we are to discuss our differences, it should only be after we understand the
similarities that unite us.
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6Having
gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in
proportion to our faith; 7if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8the one
who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with
zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
We are given gifts by God’s grace according to his pleasure. These gifts (or talents) will
be different for everyone and each of us will at least have one. Just as we are united with
Christ, we are united with other members of the Church. We benefit from their gifts and
we benefit the body of Christ when we allow God to use the gifts he has given us.
Spiritual gifts are listed several times in the New Testament (Romans 12:6-8, 1
Corinthians 12:8-10, 28-30, Ephesians 4:11, 1 Peter 4:11). Seven gifts are mentioned in
Romans 12:
1. Prophesying – The point of distinction between prophets and the apostles,
considers as religious teachers, appears to have been the inspiration of the
apostles was abiding, they were the infallible and authoritative messengers of
Christ; whereas the inspiration of the prophets was occasional and transient.
Notice that the gift of prophecy is to be bounded by the proportion of our faith.
That is to say that a true prophet will never teach anything that contradicts what
has already been revealed in scripture. See Galatians 1:8.
2. Serving – See Matthew 20:28. Although deacons and deaconesses are given
specific offices to serve within the church, all members of the body are called to
service. Each of us has a service ministry to perform because we are called to be
like Jesus Christ.
3. Teaching – If you know anything about Jesus Christ or the gospel, you can find
someone who knows less than you and teach them. Or you could point them to
good Bible studies that can teach them. There is a wealth of information on the
Internet and in book stores today. The gift of teaching begins with learning and it
is something Christians should be eager to do.
4. Encouraging – In our day, people have an unhealthy focus on their own needs and
their own situations. We have a great need for encouragers in the church.
Biblical words used for translating the word for encouragement include: beseech,
comfort, desire, pray, entreat, console, and “work along side.” This is part of the
ministry of the Holy Spirit spoken of in John 14:15, 26; 15:26; 16:7.
5. Generosity – Many people in the church are given great financial and material
blessings. Christians are called to be willing to share their abundance with others
and this must be done cheerfully. All gifts are given from God and we are only
stewards of that which belongs to him.
6. Leadership – This is to govern or administrate. Christian churches need those
who can manage the day-to-day tasks in order to run effectively. Likewise, our
Christian charities need members who can handle the administration of these
organizations.
7. Showing Mercy – The key point Paul highlights here is that this is to be done
cheerfully. Just as God has shown mercy on us, so should we show mercy toward
others.
See 2 Timothy 1:6 and Matthew 25:21, 23.
9Let
love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.
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If we have been born again, that is, if the Holy Spirit has regenerated life within us, then
we have pure, genuine, holy love from God. This is the kind of love we are to show
toward others. This love must be sincere. It cannot be outward actions performed for
selfish reasons. When we look at the word “evil” that appears in this verse as well, we
should think of Isaiah 1:12-15 and Amos 5:21. In these verses, God declares that he
hates religion that is merely formal. The reason for this, of course, is that these merely
formal observances are hypocritical, and love is not hypocritical. We are called to have a
genuine love and at the same time we must have a hatred for what is false and evil. We
must abhor lies and the damage they do to lives. We must hate violence done by people
for any reason. That is what love does. Love hates evil but it also clings to what is good.
At this point we should also look at the great chapter on love (1 Corinthians 13) and
Appendix “Love: The Greatest Thing in the World.”
10Love
one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11Do not be
slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be
constant in prayer. 13Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
Christians are first to have a love for one another. Christ said this is how the world will
know that we belong to him (John 13:31-35). Paul then says that we are to show honor to
others. That is, we are not to hold back our work for Christ waiting on praise from
others; rather, we should look at the contributions others are making and give them
adequate praise.
The next verse focuses on our attitude toward conducting our business. This can be taken
to mean both our business for the Lord as well as our professional lives. First we are to
eagerly work for our Lord Jesus Christ and we are to work for him as fervently as we
would an earthly employer. We are to give him our best in areas such as: Bible study,
service to others, church work, participating in charitable events, etc. If we consider
Colossians 3:23-24, we see that all we do, including our professional vocation, is to be
done as unto the Lord. To be fervent in spirit is to glow and radiate the presence of the
Holy Spirit within you. The final words of this verse are to “serve the Lord.” This is a
qualifier that says we are to be zealous and glowing in our work done unto the Lord. See
Luke 6:46, if we call Jesus our Lord, we must serve and follow him.
The next verse reminds us to continually rejoice and keep focused on the blessed hope
that is “the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13),”
and the fact that when he appears “we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is (1
John 3:2).” We are to always keep our minds on things that are spiritual rather than the
passing issues of this world. We should be patient in affliction – not just resigned in a
fatalistic, stoic sense, accepting what cannot be changed, but waiting confidently for
God’s own resolution of the problem knowing that he will reward the good and punish
evil in his own time. Meanwhile, we should not be overly confident that we are among
the good or that our actions, especially those that are criticized, are without any evil
motives. Finally in this sentence we are urged to continually pray. See Jesus speak about
prayer in Luke 11. If we do not pray it is either because we do not think we need God’s
help or we do not believe God is a loving father who is willing and able to help us.
Finally we are asked to show hospitality. See Matthew 25:34-46.
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14Bless
those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice,
weep with those who weep. 16Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but
associate with the lowly. Never be conceited.
Persecution is a fact of life for Christians although this is seldom mentioned in popular
church services today. Jesus made explicit predictions of persecution in John 15:18-21;
16:1-3. These verses teach that Christians are hated because they do not belong to this
world, have been chosen out of this world, and are identified with Christ. Yet, in the face
of persecution we are called to love those who are our enemies. See Matthew 5:43-48;
7:12.
Our natural tendency is to lash out (or curse) those who oppose or persecute us. The only
way to overcome this tendency is to bless those who curse us. We have to work for their
good and for their salvation. We are to pray for God to do good to our enemies. It is
clear that we must also seek every honest means of doing good to them as well. Wee see
this principle in the death of Stephen (Acts 7:60) and we know that because of his love
for his enemies, Saul (who later became Paul and authored the Letter to the Romans)
began to be moved to Christ (Acts 26:14).
In verses 15 and 16, we see four characteristics of believers:
1. Empathy – This is the ability to identify with someone else and allow what has
happened to him affect you also. We often do this in a superficial way – we say
we are happy when we hear of others being promoted or rewarded but deep down
we would like recognition for ourselves. We must stop thinking of ourselves all
the time and this transformation can only be accomplished by Jesus Christ.
2. Amicability – Christians should be easy to get along with.
3. The Common Touch – We must associate freely with people of all social statuses.
Christ did and was criticized for it (Matthew 11:19). All blessings we have are
gifts of God’s grace and that leaves nothing for us to boast in ourselves about. All
people are sinners and need salvation by Jesus Christ, that is the only way we
should see people.
4. Humility – If you are a follower of Christ, consider 1 Corinthians 1:26-29.
17Repay
no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.
In today’s society, we are plagued by relativism that says “what’s right for you is right
for you and what’s right for me is right for me.” In this text, Paul exhorts us to do what is
honorable or what is right. But if the definition of “right” is not seen as being absolute, if
everyone has their own deteriorating understanding of rightness, then we will never have
a goal for society to work toward. People commonly use the words “right” and “wrong”
to describe behavior but there must be a basis for their definition, there must be a
measure of right and a measure of wrong. Since all good comes from God and evil is all
things that are contrary to God’s nature, the Bible is the only standard for true ethics.
There are other verses where we are told to do what is right:
 With money: 2 Corinthians 8:20-21
 Fair treatment of those who work for you: Colossians 4:1
 Respect of ones parents: Ephesians 6:1
 The pursuit of all good things: Philippians
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There is a second problem beyond simply knowing right from wrong: having the will to
do what is right even when we know what it is. In many cases, people believe they
should do what is right, and may even know what is right. Yet, they just cannot do it,
even if they want to or believe they would do the right thing in a given situation.
Remember Paul from chapter 7 verse 15. It is only when we turn to Jesus Christ that we
have the will to do what is right. It is only when the Holy Spirit first moves within us,
regenerates our spirit, and renews our fellowship with God that we will even turn to Jesus
and have the will to do what is right. If the Holy Spirit is calling you to follow after
Christ, please heed his urging and accept Christ as your Lord and Savior. Allow God to
work through you and you will follow after things that are right.
18If
possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19Beloved, never avenge
yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay,
says the Lord." 20To the contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him
something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head."
Christians are often criticized by the separation, disputes, and even wars that have been
fought over divisions among believers. In the first verses of chapter 5, Paul spoke about
believers having peace with God. In these verses, Paul speaks about Christians being
peacemakers among other people.
The first thing we notice about Paul’s challenge is that he begins with “If it is possible”
and “so far as it depends on you...” (v18). This recognizes two potential sources of
difficulty: 1) the behavior of other people may negate peace and 2) there may be issues at
stake that will make peace impossible even from the side of the Christian. Paul realizes
that we live in an evil world and the people we deal with may outright reject peace no
matter what our intentions or actions toward them.
Second, we notice in verse 19 that as Christians, we are not in a position to ever seek
revenge for any wrongs done against us. This means never. Times of attack are a
profound test of faith and of whether or not we really do have an otherworldly
perspective. We are not to lash out at those who are assaulting us but rather love them in
spite of their actions and trust that God will address the situation justly in his own time.
Third, we see the positive way in which we are to be peace makers, that is, we are to do
good for our enemies. Above all we are to be a witness for Christ in hopes that God will
be glorified and our enemies may be drawn to Christ through us. This is what is meant
by “so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” This does not mean that by you
being good, his guilt and subsequent punishment will increase. Doing good is the best
means of subduing him or winning him over. We must overcome evil with good.
In Ken Sande’s book, The Peace Maker, he gives a four step process that a peace maker
should follow that may be helpful in actively living out our calling to be peace makers:
1. Glorify God – (1 Corinthians 10:31) – Biblical peace making is motivated and
guided by a deep desire to bring honor to God by revealing the reconciling love
and power of Jesus Christ. As we draw on his grace, follow his example, and put
his teachings into practice, we can find freedom from the impulsive, self-centered
decisions that make conflict worse, and bring praise to God by displaying the
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power of the gospel in our lives.
2. Get the log out of your eye – (Matthew 7:5) – Attacking others only invites
counterattacks. This is why Jesus teaches us to face up to our own contributions
to conflict before we focus on what others have done. When we overlook others’
minor offenses and honestly admit our own faults, our opponents will often
respond in kind. As tensions decrease, the way may be opened for sincere
discussion, negotiation, and reconciliation.
3. Gently restore – (Galatians 6:1) – When others fail to see their contributions to a
conflict, we sometimes need to graciously show them their fault. If they refuse to
respond appropriately, Jesus calls us to involve respected friends, church leaders,
or other objective individuals who can help us encourage repentance and restore
peace.
4. Go and be reconciled – (Matthew 5:24) – Finally, peace making involves a
commitment to restoring damaged relationships and negotiating just agreements.
When we forgive others as Jesus has forgiven us and seek solutions that satisfy
others’ interests as well as our own, the debris of conflict is cleared away and the
door is opened for genuine peace.
21Do
not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
We have seen a progression in chapter 12. Verse 14 tells us not to speak badly of others
but rather speak good. Verse 17 tells us that we are not to retaliate against evil. Verse 21
tells us that we are actually to return evil with good and actually overcome the evil of
those persons by our good conduct. There is an Old Testament illustration of this in 1
Samuel 24 where Saul fears that David has intentions to harm him so he leads a band of
men to kill David. David overcomes this evil with good.
How are Christians to overcome evil with good?
1. We must know with deep gratitude that this is how God has treated us. See
Matthew 6:14-15; 18:21-35.
2. We must study the example of Jesus Christ. Luke 23:34
3. We must be close to Christ and strive to draw closer to him always. Philippians
4:13
As we end the 12th chapter of Romans, Robert Haldane writes:
In the above remarkable portion of Scripture, we learn the true tendency of the
doctrine of salvation wholly by grace, established in a manner so powerful in the
preceding part of this epistle, by which men are created in Christ Jesus unto good
works. How beautiful is it, and how sublime when displayed in all its practical
effects in the duties which flow from it… We may search all the works of the most
admired writers and, so far as they have not borrowed from the fountain of inspired
truth, we shall find in them nothing comparable to the elevated maxims contained in
this chapter. Especially we shall not discover the faintest shadow of resemblance to
the motives by which these duties are here inculcated. If the heavens declare the
glory of God, and the firmament showeth forth his handiworks – if the invisible
things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen by the things that are
made, even his eternal power and Godhead, so that the heathen are without excuse –
how much more clearly do the Scriptures proclaim their Divine origin, and the
majesty of their Author! God hath magnified his word above all his name.
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Romans 13:1-7 – Church and State
1Let
every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from
God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.
Many Christians over the last 2000 years have debated and struggled with the role played
by the state in Christian life. The verses in Romans 13 speak directly to this subject and
can help guide us as believers. Paul does not start this discussion with reasons for
obedience such as righteous living or moral virtue; rather, he simply states that anyone
who has authority has received it from the sovereign God. This includes leaders of strong
moral character d as well as leaders that, from our perspective, appear to be bad. We
have seen this already in Romans 9:17 where Paul quotes God as saying to Pharaoh, “I
raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my
name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”
Nebuchadnezzar is another example of God’s sovereign choice of human leadership. See
Daniel 4:17, 25, and 32. God showed his divine control over Nebuchadnezzar by having
him lose his mind after Nebuchadnezzar had boasted that all of Babylon was created for
his own glory.
As Christians, we have an obligation to submit to the earthly authorities placed above us.
This verse alone does not have any qualifiers – that is, it does not answer question such
as: What are the limits to our submission? What about governments that are not
legitimist? Should we rebel in an unjust government? If we were alive in the time during
the American Revolution, what side should we have taken? We will soon look at some
limits, but the main idea at this point is that we recognize that all authority above us is
placed there by God and the matter cannot be taken lightly. We must also realize that
“Governing Authorities” has a much broader scope than the heads of nations. It also
includes policemen, judges, schoolteachers, bosses, and church leaders.
See also John 19:11.
2Therefore
whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist
will incur judgment.
When Christ was asked if the Jews should pay taxes to the Roman government (which
they believed to be wrongfully in authority), his response was, with a coin in his hand,
“Render to Caesar that which is Caesar’s and to God that which is God’s.” (Matthew
22:15-22). With this answer, Jesus reinforced Caesar’s authority, even in such an
unpopular matter as taxes. His second part drew limits. Although the stat has a Godgiven and therefore legitimate authority, the authority of God is greater. Therefore, those
who know God must worship and obey Him, even if it means disobeying Caesar.
There are four levels of authority a Christian may consider:
1. Sole Authority of God – This is the view taken by the Christian who does not take
part in the government or secular world. These are the believers who dwell
isolated in monasteries or within isolated Christian communities. This is not to be
preferred because we are called to go into the world and make disciples. God
cannot use us to win others to Christ if we are in hiding.
2. Sole Authority of the State – This is the worst of the four levels. This gives all
authority to the state and disregards the Word of God. In John 19:15, this is the
view taken by the Jews at the trial of Jesus.
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3. Authority of God dominated by authority of the State – This is the position of
cowards. If anyone claims to obey the state before God, it can only be because he
is afraid of what the state may do to him. This was Pilate’s position. Although he
realized Christ was innocent, he had him crucified because he feared Caesar (John
19:12).
4. Authority of the State dominated by authority of God – This is the only
appropriate view for Christians. Christians obey laws, take part in elections, and
pay taxes although we will resist the government if it transgresses the moral law
of God. We are to resist by voting, words, and protest, not by coercive power.
The power of the sword is given to the state, not to us. The resistance led by the
leadership of Martin Luther King is an all-time classic example of this principle.
The first of the areas where a Christian must not recognize the authority of the
government and must therefore disobey it is whenever the state forbids the preaching of
the gospel or evangelism. See Acts 4:19-20 and 5:28-29.
We must also not follow earthly authority if it is calling us to immorality. The days of
Nazi Germany are an example of a government that called its citizens to persecute the
Jews and Christian citizens had to make a decision to follow or face persecution
themselves. We must also not take part in any cruet leadership within the workplace.
3For
rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who
is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4for he is God's servant
for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is
the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.
The first reason Paul gives for being obedient to earthly authorities is the fact that God
raised them up and to oppose their earthly authority is to oppose God. We now come to
the second reason: the state has the power to judge us for disobedience. Governments
exist because of the power they can enforce. We live in what we call a “free” country but
if we break the law the state can arrest us by force. We are not free to do all we please
and the government exerts its power ultimately through force.
The state has power to protect its citizens from threats without and within. The state is
also responsible for creating a legal system for rewarding good and punishing evil.
However, God has not given the state the authority – and even less power – to actual
change or reform the evildoer.
Furthermore, government does not have the power to instill morality within its citizens.
Punishment can be prescribed for the breaking of laws but the hearts of people are not
changed by the mere creation of more laws or better laws. Prohibition is a good example
of this.
5Therefore
one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of
conscience.
Paul has given us two reasons for being obedient to earthly authorities: God has
established them and they have the authority to punish us. Now, he makes obedience
personal. He says we should because of our conscience, that is we know it is the right
thing to do and we know we should do what is right. A secular person might know a
right course of action but decide not to pursue it because it might be inconvenient, not in
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his own selfish interests, opposed by his friends, or for any other number of reasons. The
Christian cannot think this way. Therefore, regardless of whether an action is convenient,
personally advantageous, or popular, the Christian ought to pursue the right course of
action. Furthermore, the Christian standard of ethics is the Bible and not the laws of the
nation which can be morally wrong.
1. Abortion – This activity is legal in our country although it is a form of murder.
We must explain that the only view of mankind that protects us from exploitation
is that we are made in the image of God and are therefore valuable to God, even
in an embryonic state. We need to show that the disenfranchising of the unborn
child is no different than the once-popular defense of slavery by calling blacks
less than human or the murder of Jews by calling them a threat to society. We
must show that all human beings are all made in God’s image and therefore must
not be destroyed for anyone convenience, even that of the mother. Simply
because the government allows abortion does not make it right and our conscience
should bear witness to this.
2. Pornography – This is another area where the government has allowed something
that our conscience should tell us is wrong. Just like the cigarette industry, the
pornography industry tells the public that its product is not harmful. Certainly
when we look at the lives of the men and women involved in this industry we can
see the damage done to their lives. Furthermore, families, relationships, and
personal character deteriorate with the influence of pornography.
3. Other Areas – There are other areas where the law permits activities that
Christians should carefully consider with their conscience and guidance from both
the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit. Gun control, gambling, and the possibility of
homosexual marriage are just a few. We must remember that Scripture is the
ultimate authority of morality and in areas where Scripture is silent, we must rely
on our conscience to behave in a manner that is consistent with the Word of God.
6For
the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to
this very thing. 7Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to
whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
We can sum these two verses by saying we should pay taxes and respect authority over
us. We should not be resentful when we pay taxes because our government provides
many things that greatly benefit our lives such as: military & police protection, roads &
highways, public education, food & drug regulation, legal system, national parks, etc…
This is not to say that taxation should be used to make governors wealthy, but public
money should be spent fairly and responsibly.
Paul then goes on to speak about paying respect and honor to those in authority. Peter
speaks of honoring the highest leaders in the nation in 1 Peter 2:13-17. Paul speaks about
honoring church leaders in 1 Timothy 5:17 and Hebrews 13:17. Exodus 20:12
commands us to honor our mother and father. A nation does not become strong by its
laws but by the character of its people. As Christians, we should be the moral leaders of
our country.
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Romans 13:8-14 – The Law of Love
8Owe
no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the
law.
See the New International Version translation of this verse. It relays the meaning well
because the Bible does not forbid borrowing or debt (Exodus 22:25, Psalm 37:26, Luke
6:35), the point of this verse is that Christians should never leave debts unpaid. However,
in our age people are living our credit like no other time in history. Most Americans have
multiple credit cards and most Americans carry a negative balance. This can be a
problem even for devout Christians.
1. Recognize that you have a spiritual problem – God has not given up on you and
he has not broken promises to provide what you need. Rather when we get
overloaded with credit card debt, we have failed God because we have become
secular in our thinking. We adopt attitudes of “Do it now,” “Live it up,” “You’re
worth it.” The root of the problem is greed, impatient, and not being content with
what God has provided.
2. Stop buying on credit – You must begin to solve the problem by ending credit
purchasing. Cut up credit cards and reduce the amount of credit available to you.
3. Reduce your expenditures to below your current income – Spend less than you
earn and do it for a long time and you will be successful. You must prepare a
budget and strictly stick to it. Review historical bank statements and gain an
understanding of monthly costs in order to identify areas where savings will have
the greatest impact.
4. Sell assets to reduce your debt – You will not be able to do this with everything,
but some items such as a high priced or second car, recreational vehicle, boat,
stereo equipment, or other such items can be sold to help pay off debt.
5. Pay something on your debt each month – Prioritize your debt by paying off the
account with the highest interest rate first and moving down to the lowest interest
rate last. If you have multiple credit card payments, consolidate the individual
accounts into a single loan from a credit union that will have considerable lower
interest. Cut up the cards after you have consolidated the loans. If you have
home, car, bank, and credit card payments, make the minimum payments on each
to avoid additional fees. If you have extra money, pay it toward the loan with the
highest interest rate – the sooner you pay it off, the less you will pay in interest.
8Owe
no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the
law.
commandments, "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not
steal, You shall not covet," and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: "You shall
love your neighbor as yourself." 10Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the
fulfilling of the law.
Our last discussion was on paying off financial debts and now we will consider a debt of
love. We will never be at a point where we have given all the love we need to give, love
is a permanent obligation. Love is to be sincere and it must be discerning, that is, it must
hate what is evil and love what is good. We saw this in Romans 12:9 where he was
primarily talking about Christians love for one another. In the verses we come to now,
Paul expands his scope to include all people and the fact that love is the fulfillment of the
moral law. This is in line with Christ’s teachings, see Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 22:3940, and Luke 10:27.
9The
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Paul gives four commandments that deal with our relationship toward other people. If we
had true love for others, certainly we would not cheat on them in any way, murder them
either physically or with words, steal from them, or covet the blessings in their life.
These are all negatives – things we should not do to others. We must remember that love
is positive and there are things we must do to show true love.
1. Listen to one another – In our culture, we are bombarded with impersonal
information from all sources of media. When we speak to others, we often simply
want to know what is relevant to our own needs. As a result, although we live
among hundreds of people, we are often isolated when it comes to people really
knowing us. Communication is the foundation of human relationships and we
must be willing to listen to the things that are important to others.
2. Share with one another – This is the reverse of listening. We often fail to share
because we do not want to feel vulnerable if we open up. But we as Christians
should not feel this way because we have already been made vulnerable toward
God, that is, we recognize he has seen us in all of our sin.
3. We must forgive others – We are all sinners in need of God’s grace. Christians
cannot hold grudges because God has not held a grudge against us on account of
Christ’s death on the cross in our place. See Matthew 6:14-15.
4. Serve one another – This was Christ’s last demonstration in the Upper Room as
he washed his disciples’ feet (John 13:2-17). We must be willing to serve others
and put their needs above ours to show love toward them.
11Besides
this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For
salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.
See Matthew 16:2-3 and 1 Chronicles 12:32 – these verses cause us to ask: Do we
understand the times in which we live? If not, why? If we do, what are we doing about
it? The bottom line is that if we understand the present time, we will know what to do
with our time – and will do it if we are wise.
To set the ground work, first see Galatians 1:4. We must understand that our present age
is evil and hostile toward God. See also John 15:18-19 and 17:15. All cultures decline to
the degree that they reject Christ: the more radical the rejection, the more rapid the
disintegration. Our own Western culture is declining rapidly.
This is a time of salvation through Christ’s death on the cross. See Luke 19:41-44. This
was written about Jerusalem in Christ’s day but it is true of us in our day as well. If you
will not have Christ as our Lord and Savior, if you reject the signs revealed in scripture
and by Christian witness, Christ will be your judge. For non-believers, this is a time of
repentance; for believers, this is a time of proclaiming the gospel (Acts 1:7-8). We are
not simply here to make money and build reputations for ourselves – we are to live for
Christ and make disciples as we go into the world.
See also Ephesians 5:16. If you are a Christian, you must be ready to render account for
what you have done with the talents and opportunities he has given you. If you are not a
Christian, you will be judged. Anyone who understands this about the times will flee
from sin to Jesus and then live for him and serve him with all the strength he provides.
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1. Consider that you are accountable to God for your time – Time is as much a
talent given to you by God as your natural attributes or advantages. If you were
really convinced that you will have to give God an accounting for what you do
with your time, would you not use it otherwise than you do? Would you not
resolve “never to lose one moment of time, but to improve it in the most
profitable way you possible can”? If you believe that, all that is left is to do it.
2. Consider how much time you have lost already – If you are old or in middle age,
you need to pay special attention to this. If you have not been active in Christ’s
service, you have wasted many precious moments. You can never make them up.
But should you not then make every effort to use the remaining time well?
Should you not “redeem the time” you do have, knowing the evil of the age and
the value of the gospel?
3. Consider how you may improve the present time without delay – There is nothing
you can do about the past, but you should at least make sure that you do not repeat
the former errors. Turn from your idleness, sin, or unbelief. Believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ and determine to follow him. Witness for him. Remember that you
are to understand the times and use time wisely. The time is coming when time
shall be no more. Whether it be the end of the age or the end of your time
personally.
Verse 11 goes on further to serve as a wakeup call for Christians. Are you awake to your
calling, to your unique opportunities for service as a Christian? Are you using your time
the Lord has given you to be a witness for him? There are several reason why we should
wake and begin to serve him fervently.
1. Because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. That is the
reason Paul himself gives. Our time is slipping away, if we are not going to live
for Christ now, then when will we? Even if you are young, you may not have
many years ahead of you as you like to imagine. Now is the time you can use
your youth as an advantage to serve! See Ecclesiastes 12.
2. Because you have no right to sleep when there is work to do. See Matthew 25:113. Our salvation is a gift from God and was so given for his purpose, not ours.
It is a gift to ultimately bring God glory. We do not have the right to waste the
gift we have been given.
3. Because we have many enemies who are awake and working even if we are not.
The world is turning 24x7 and is not running in a direction to follow after God.
We must do our part in the midst of this world to allow God to use us to bring
glory to his name, the message of salvation to a perishing world, and work as
servants for those needing our help and love.
4. Because it is something worth waking up for. See 1 John 2:17. Everything we do
in this world will fade away except for that which is done for Christ. Why should
we spend so much time focusing on things that will disappear? We must have
God’s work as a top priority in our life if we are Christians.
See Appendix: The Sad Case of Unbelievers.
12The
night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put
on the armor of light. 13Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness,
not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14But put on the Lord
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Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
We come to the text that was used in the conversion of St. Augustine – one of the earliest
great theologians of the world. Augustine was highly educated in law and rhetoric for his
time; around 354-430. An opening page to one of his great works, Confessions,
contained the sentence, “Thou hast formed us for thy self, and our hearts are restless till
they find rest in thee.” Augustine tried everything the world had to offer, but found it all
empty. He was indeed restless until he came to rest in Christ.
1. His youthful pleasures - In Confessions, Augustine describes his young adulthood
in which he was very promiscuous until settling down and remaining faithful to
one woman. We are no better today in our culture of sexual liberation. But here
is the point. With ruthless self-examination and logic this great saint – for such he
became – explains that even in his indulgences his heart remained restless. For a
time he indeed lived for fleshly pleasures. But he found that even surfeited with
all the pleasures of the flesh “our hearts are restless till they find rest in thee.”
2. His quest for philosophical truth – Augustine became profoundly interested in
philosophies of his day. His mother was a Christian and he studied philosophies
that supported Christ moral teachings, but did not teach his as the eternal Son of
God who came to die for those whom will believe. Augustine did not find the
incarnation of Jesus Christ or the atonement in these philosophies. He did not
find the gospel. Therefore, he did not find forgiveness for his sins, and his heart
remained restless because it had not yet come to rest in God.
3. His fame – His great education launched him into the highest and most influential
circles of Italian society. He had achieved the fame he sought. But, as often
happens when people finally find the thing they have been fervently seeking,
Augustine discovered that the realization of his life goal was unsatisfying. In fact,
it became the most miserable time of his life.
4. His exposure to religion – He always believed in God and certainly was interested
in Christianity because of his mother’s influence. As he studied the Bible for
himself and learned from great teachers of Christian doctrine, Augustine became
increasing interested in Christianity but could not bring himself to become a
disciple.
As he began to feel a despair of life loom over him, an emptiness, he sat under a tree and
began to read the Bible. These verses are the ones he turned to. He said, “No further
would I read, nor did I need; for instantly, as the sentence ended – by a light, as it were,
of security infused into my heart – all the gloom of doubt vanished away.”
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Romans 14: 1-15:13 – Christian Liberty
We will now begin the last great section of Romans that deals with Christian treatment of
other Christians. Paul has spent two verses on renewing the Christian mind, six verses on
the encouragement of others, thirteen verses to call us to love one another, seven verses
dealing with the church and state, and seven verses dealing with right conduct in light of
the imminent return of Christ. We now look at 1) how people with tender consciences
are to be treated (14:1-12), and 2) how the strong are to use their liberty (14:13-15:13).
Paul considered these issues important because he spends a full thirty-five verses on
them.
1As
for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.
Paul has spoken about handling disagreements on doctrinal issues in other parts of
Scripture (1 Corinthians 8:1-13, 10:23-33; Galatians 4:10-11; Colossians 2:16-17).
In our time, we have left much of the legalistic rules of the American church from a
generation ago. Things such as smoking, drinking, dancing, gambling, and rock & roll
seemed to be paramount issues in Christianity and those that did them were often
separated from those that saw them as being bad. We have moved (arguably too far) in
the other direction where we now have an all embracing culture of Christianity that often
finds no problem with Christians doing any worldly activity that interests them. We do
not argue whether Christians should watch movies or drink because we have an attitude
of “what’s good for you is good for you and what’s good for me is good for me.”
There are however, areas where stronger Christians in our day can welcome weaker
Christians and overlook areas of ideology that are up for debate.
1. When another Christian is going through hard times – We are called to support
each other yet sometimes when a person is going through difficulty other Church
members will question the struggling brother’s strength or sincerity of their faith.
“God must be punishing this person for something wrong they have done.” We
should not think this way, rather we should see it as an opportunity to help the
brother and use the situation as a means to reflect Christ in our own life.
2. Variations in individual piety – Daily quiet time and Bible study is important.
The problem is that we judge other Christians by whether they measure up to
what we ourselves do, forgetting that we are probably not very good models in
these areas ourselves, at least if we are to measure our performance by the saints
of a past era, and that the other Christian may be excelling in areas with which we
are not even familiar.
3. Other denominations – We should accept other denominations as true elements of
the one body of Christ – if they acknowledge him as Lord and confess the gospel
as the one and only way of salvation.
4. Personal differences – Let’s stop dumping on one another, and let’s allow God to
deal with each of his servants how, when, and as kindly as he will. And while we
are at it, let’s be thankful that he has dealt as kindly as he has with us. IF he had
not, we would all be in deep trouble.
Accept those whose faith is weak. Do not pass judgment on disputable matters.
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2One
person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3Let not
the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment
on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4Who are you to pass judgment on the servant
of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord
is able to make him stand.
Although God made man in his image, he did not make all men exactly alike. This is true
of Christians as well and it can be seen by the fact that so many Christians behave so
differently. What do we do when we encounter Christians who behave differently from
us? Paul gives two wrong responses here: First, those who consider themselves strong in
faith frequently look down or despise the weak – they sneer. On the other hand, the weak
usually condemn the strong – they frown.
Paul is speaking broadly about Christian liberty and the boundaries that some believers
put up to dictate what is and what is not acceptable and holy. This reveals it in specifics
and Paul uses diet and observance of religious holidays as his practical illustrations. Paul
is in Corinth writing to the church in Rome and we can see in 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 and
10:23-33 that the believers in Corinth were dealing with issues over what food is
acceptable for Christians to eat. To sum up his message, the apostle says what you eat or
do not eat does not matter, so stop arguing about it, and stop letting it determine with
whom you will associate or with whom you will work in Christ’s service.
Jesus was revolutionary to Jewish believers of his day that had great reverence for
ceremonial washings and practices. See Mark 7:13-19 – Christ teaches Jewish leaders
that cleanliness does not come from the outside to defile us internally, but rather
uncleanliness comes from our inner being and works its way out in visible sin.
What can we do to not judge or look down on other Christians that do not behave exactly
as we do? The text gives us several points to start with:
1. The other Christian does not answer to you but to God – We see this in verse 4
where Paul asks, “Who are you to judge someone else’s servant?” Just like we do
not concern ourselves with employees of a different company, we should not
judge or scorn other Christians. We are to encourage, pray, help, and love them.
Judging behavior is God’s work. This is a relief for us because it allows God to
handle the difficult work and lets us just focus on loving them.
2. God has already accepted the other Christian as he or she is – The definition of a
Christian is one who accepts Christ’s death as payment for their sins. If we are
evaluating a Christian based on their behavior, then we are operating under a
system of works and that denies the gospel. We have to accept all true Christians
because God has accepted them and we must understand they are not perfect just
as we are not perfect.
3. The other Christian stands by the grace of God, just as you do – If Jesus feels that
the other believer needs to change something about how he is living in order to
accomplish the work he has ordained for him to do, Jesus will see to the change.
You cannot bring it about by yourself anyway. But if in the meantime Jesus does
not bother to change that conduct, then it does not matter to him and is not hurting
what he has appointed the other one to do. As a matter of fact, it is possible that
what you are so concerned about does not matter under any circumstances –
simply because you and I get hung up on things that do not matter while we
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overlook the things that do.
4. You too are accountable to God – In Matthew 12:36, Jesus says that you will have
to give an account for every careless word you have spoken. We must focus on
our own behavior and our own standing before God rather than worrying about
areas we believe others are failing.
5One
person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each
one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6The one who observes the day, observes it in
honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God,
while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.
Many issues have divided genuine Christians over the years and certainly some of them
are not significant and should not be taken as seriously as they often are. Unfortunately,
small matters do divide us, and those who disagree often look down on one another. Paul
begins these verses speaking about keeping certain days as holy. This is a contemporary
issue that is debated among Christians:
 Saturday or Sabbath worship – The Seventh-Day Adventists hold that the
biblical Lords Day was Saturday.
 Sunday worship but as the Sabbath – This position is that Christians are to
worship on Sunday but that Sunday should be the equivalent of the Old
Testament Sabbath. This is the view of many Reformed churches today and is
stated in Chapter XXI, Sections 7, 8 of the Westminster Confession of Faith.
 Sunday worship as a new “Lord’s Day” – This view holds that the Sabbath has
been abolished by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and that a new day,
the Lord’s Day, which has its own characteristics, has replaced it. This is the
view of Calvin and Boice.
Paul gives helpful guidelines at this point:
1. Each must be convinced in his or her own mind – Paul is willing to treat each
believer as a responsible, thinking person, not merely one to be led about by a
self-styled “stronger” believer. Therefore, we have a responsibility, each one of
us, to search out these matters for ourselves.
2. It is possible to serve the Lord either way – Look at the number of times Paul says
“in honor of the Lord.” Paul brings up the issue of diet and serving the Lord and
shows that God can be glorified in either practice of either issue. The critical
question is this: “Are you really serving God by what you do?”
7For
none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8If we live, we live to the Lord,
and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's.
9For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the
living.
All Christians have relationship to God and to other Christians. The fact that we belong
to another is also connected to what follows, for beginning with verse 13 Paul says that
for the sake of other believers we ought to abstain from some things we consider
permissible. What you do affects others. Therefore you are not acting in isolation when
you either live for Christ or fail to live for him. See 1 Corinthians 12:12-26.
We can see from mankind apart from Biblical revelation that what we do affects others.
For example, pollution, tariffs, and war plans in America will affect people all over the
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world. What is profound about Paul’s teaching is that none of us is isolated from God
with the result that what we do in terms of that vertical relationship deeply affects how
we either help or harm other people. The point is that we are to be in a right relationship
to the Lord and serve the Lord in everything – indeed, everything we do is related to God
in one way or another, either good or bad and whether or not we realize it – so that we do
not hurt other people.
The Westminster Shorter Catechism states that the chief end of man is to glorify God and
enjoy him forever. The last half is important because we are to have joy in our service to
the Lord. This is what God intends. God does not intend to constrain man my acts of
raw authority. He wants to have life and have it abundantly – that is a God-centered life.
The only subject of a King that fully reflects the glory of the King is a subject with
gladness in his submission. No gladness in the subject, no glory in the King. This is the
kind of life we are to live as Christians that is beneficial to others – God’s goodness
reflected in our lives.
The text also states that we are to die to the Lord. This embraces two things.
1. The manner of our deaths - I suppose someone may say the “best way to go”
would be to drift away while sleeping at a ripe old age (but not so old that we
have years of failing health). We must understand and trust God when it comes to
the manner of our death. Death may come quick and painless or it may be a long
process of suffering. Either way, we are called to be witnesses for Christ and to
glorify God in our situation. Believers can do all things to God’s glory.
2. The timing of our deaths – Some Christians will die in mature old age and others
will be called home in the midst of life. We must always trust God’s sovereignty
in these matters. God is patient and gives many people many years to repent from
their sins and accept Christ. But any person can be taken from this world at any
minute. Believers must tell non-believers that God is patient yet the time for
repentance is now.
The last verse in this text reminds us that Jesus is Lord of both the living and the dead. In
other words, those who are his belong to him now and will still belong to him in the
future beyond death. They will belong to him forever. For this is the sole but
nevertheless extraordinary comfort for all who know Jesus Christ in this life. If we live,
we live to the Lord. If we die, we die to the Lord. So whether we live or die, whichever
it is, we are the Lord’s. Do you know of any comfort equal to that? I don’t. Our sole
comfort is that we belong to Jesus Christ. But because of who he is, that is also a great
and all sufficient comfort. Because we know Jesus to be a wise and utter sovereign God,
we can trust him with whatever comes into our lives and with the manner and timing of
our deaths, too.
10Why
do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we
will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11for it is written,
"As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess to God."
12So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
Our last text spoke about the relationship of all believers to each other. However, the text
we come to now speaks about a time when we will be isolated – that is at the judgment
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seat of Christ. Many Christians are surprised when we talk about an impending judgment
that we will face. Did Christ not die for our sins so that we are no longer under
condemnation? The answer, of course, is that there are various judgments spoken of in
the Bible and that the word judge is used in various ways. There are at least seven
different judgments spoken about in scripture:
1. Judgment of believers at the judgment seat of Christ (Romans 14:10-12; 1
Corinthians 3:11-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10).
2. A series of judgments on the earth (Revelation 6-11; 15-16)
3. A judgment of the beast and the false prophet at which time the devil is
imprisoned (Revelation 19:20; 20:1-3)
4. A judgment of the Gentile nations (Psalm 2)
5. A judgment of Israel (Ezek 20:32-38)
6. The final judgment of Satan (Revelation 20:1-10)
7. The final judgment of unbelievers at the Great White Throne (Revelation 20:1115).
All these judgments except the fist are judicial judgments: they involve God’s
punishments of individuals or nations for those peoples’ specific sins. The punishments
involve spiritual or eternal death and hell suffering. The first of these judgments stands
apart from the rest, because it is a judgment of believers, which means that it is not for sin
and does not involve spiritual death or suffering. Nevertheless, it is a real judgment in
which the followers of Christ are to give an accounting for what they have done in this
life and are either rewarded or disapproved by God on that basis.
The word Paul uses for judgment is bêma which was used in athletics where an athlete
would receive a trophy for accomplishment. See 1 Corinthians 9:25-27; Philippians
3:12-14; 2 Timothy 4:7-8.




We will be accountable for the words we have spoken (Matthew 12:36-37). This
does not only mean that we should not use foul language or hurtful words, but on
the positive aspect, we should encourage others and spread the gospel of Christ.
We are accountable for the talents that have been given to us. (Luke 16:2,
Matthew 25:26).
We are accountable for how we use our money. (Matthew 16:19-21) Nothing in
life so mirrors our values and priorities as what we do with our money
We are accountable for how we have used our time.
13Therefore
let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a
stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14I know and am persuaded in the Lord
Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15For if
your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do
not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 16So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of
as evil.
In Romans 14:1-12, Paul has been dealing with Christian liberty itself. We now come to
the second section (Romans 14:13-15:13) which deals with how that liberty should be
exercised. The key concept is responsibility. We are free as Christians, but we must use
our freedom in a way that supports, helps or builds up the other person, not in a way that
harms him or tears him down. Notice the use of the word “judgment” used in verse 13 (it
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is actually used twice in the KJV). Ray Stedman paraphrases this verse to say, “Sop
judging others; if you want to judge, start with yourself.”
The strong believer Paul speaks about realizes that on non-essential issues, the Christian
has freedom to choose for himself (such as diet, celebrating certain days, etc…). The
strong believer has more latitude in the matters and can accommodate the weaker brother,
while the weaker bother cannot accommodate him. The weak brother can only abstain
from what he believes to be wrong. The strong Christian can either abstain or not
abstain. Therefore, he has it within his power to accommodate the other person, which is
what Paul tells him to do. In verse 14, we see that the underlying principle is that the
stronger believer is correct: nothing is unclean in itself.
See Acts 15. In this passage, the Apostles were determining if Gentiles who were
becoming Christians should be circumcised and uphold Jewish laws and customs. In the
final decree, the counsel declares: “You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from
blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.” Does this
contradict what Paul is teaching here or in other verses such as 1 Corinthians 8:4, 8?
Actually, it is quite the opposite of a contradiction. The decision made in Acts 15 upheld
the cause of Gentile liberty by showing it is not necessary to be circumcised – nothing is
required but faith in Christ’s atoning work for salvation. At the same time, the counsel
showed concern for the consciences of the weaker, Jewish brethren. Abstinence from
sexual immorality is apart of God’s moral law and needed to be taught to the Gentiles.
But the restrictions on diet were non-essential issues that would offend Jewish believers
who had deeply held conviction about dietary cleanliness. The counsel’s decision
respected the Gentiles’ freedom, God’s moral law, and the weaker Jewish believers’
customs. See 1 Corinthians 8:9-13.
17For
the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace
and joy in the Holy Spirit.
The church and kingdom of God is intended to be of “righteousness and peace and joy in
the Holy Spirit.” Yet when we look back on Church history, we see the church heavily
involved in politics and even struggling over power with world governments. The times
in history when the church has had its greatest authority have been the most oppressive,
secular, corrupt, and violent the world has seen. This is a stark contrast to what we see in
this verse where Paul speaks about God’s kingdom.
First we must say that God’s Kingdom is above all earthly kingdoms and it has (and will)
endure forever. Earthly kingdoms rise and fall. The book of Daniel depicts this in the
prophecy of future kingdoms that will be stronger, yet less glorious, than those they
replace. See the fall of the great Babylonian empire in Daniel 5. This is the inevitable
fait of earthly governments. “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any
people” (Proverbs 14:34). Pride and sin will also bring down America.
Paul gives three things that God’s kingdom is about: righteousness, peace, and joy in the
Holy Spirit. To understand these, we must remember that Paul is simply injecting
another reason why Christians are not to be bound by man-made rules and regulations. It
is most natural to view righteousness in the same way Paul has been developing this term
throughout the letter, as the righteousness of Christ imparted to us. Charles Hodge said,
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Paul does not mean to say that Christianity consists in morality; that the man who is
just, peaceful, and cheerful is a true Christian. This would be to contradict the whole
argument of the epistle. The righteousness, peace, and joy intended are those of
which the Holy Spirit is the author. Righteousness is that which enables us to stand
before God because it satisfies the demands of the law.
1. Righteousness of Jesus Christ – This is what we see in Romans 3:21 through the
end of that chapter. It is the perfect nature of Jesus Christ that is placed in our
account when we are judged by God.
2. The peace of God the Father – We see this in the first half of Romans 5 where
Paul speaks about us having peace with God now that he has done the work that
we could not do to satisfy the perfect requirements of his holy law. See also
Philippians 4:6-7.
3. The joy of the Holy Spirit – After two chapters dealing with the nature of the
Christian’s new life in Christ, Paul speaks about the joy of the Holy Spirit
particularly in Romans chapter 8.
17For
the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace
and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by
men.
Verse 18 uses the word thus to point back to believers who are spiritual rather than
ritualistic. In other words, the person who serves Christ will do it by living out a truly
vital faith and not by trying to sustain a false, judgmental, and barren legalism. Paul is
not introducing a subject. He is pointing out that God is looking for a living, vital faith,
not legalism. Legalism contributes to pride of the flesh because when we measure up to
some moral standard we begin to compare ourselves to those who do not measure up.
Jesus is not served in this way or with that kind of thinking. He is served when we
understand that we are accepted by God through the work of Christ alone and are
therefore able to joyfully to accept and love all others fro whom Jesus died. Paul speaks
about his own freedom from legalistic religion in Philippians 3:4-11 through Christ.
See Luke 2:52, this verse echoes verse 18. What is startling about the last phrase of verse
18 is that we are often not at all pleasing to non-Christians. We are even scorned and
hated by them. The Bible seems to be contradictory here when we look at verses such as
John 15:18-19; Luke 6:22, 26; 1 Timothy 3:7; Luke 2:52; and Isaiah 53:3. This statement
by Donald Barnhouse may help us understand the apparent paradox, “You may be sure
that if nobody thinks you are strange and out of step, you are not a good Christian.
However, if everybody thinks you are strange and out of step, neither are you a good
Christian.” There should be enough of the character of Christ reflected in the life of
every true follower that some people looking on will acknowledge that the believer is
indeed living an exemplary life.
19So
then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.
20Do
not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it
is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21It is good not to eat meat or
drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. 22The faith that you have, keep
between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for
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what he approves. 23But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not
from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.
15:1We
who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to
please ourselves. 2Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.
If God tells us something one, we should pay attention. It is God speaking. But when he
says something twice or even three times, surely we should stop anything else we are
doing, focus our minds, seize upon each individual word, memorize what is being said,
ponder its meaning, and seek to apply it to every aspect of our lives. Many of the
concepts that we now come to have been spoken about previously in chapter 14.
However, the idea of edification (building up) that is mentioned in verse 15:2 is
introduced for the first time.
1. To build something properly you need to know what you are trying to build – We
must remember that the church is God’s church, not ours, and that what matters is
what God is doing in the lives of individual Christians, not whether those people
conform to our ideas of what a pious or useful Christian should be. For a fully
picture of the blueprint, see Ephesians 4:11-13.
2. You need the right foundation – See Matthew 7:24-27; 16:18; 1 Corinthians 3:11;
and 1 Peter 2:4-8. Jesus was not saying Peter was the stone on which the church
was build. He was making a pun on Peter’s name which means little stone or
pebble (Petros) – the word used by Christ in the Greek is petra which means
bedrock. Jesus is the solid living Rock of Ages.
3. You need good supplies – See Luke 14:28-30. We build up our own Christian life
and the lives of others by teaching the truths of God’s Word. And the Word of
God will never run short or provide to be inadequate. (2 Timothy 3:14-17).
3For
Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached
you fell on me." 4For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that
through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
Christ is our Savior but he is certainly also an example for us, his disciples. The chief
thing our text tells us is that Jesus did not please himself but rather set out to please God
for the benefit of others, and it concludes from that truth that we should follow Christ’s
example. See Philippians 2:5-8.
Christ lived a life that was to carry out his Father’s will rather than his own. See Psalm
69 when read considering Christ, shows groups of people who scorned him because of
who he was.
 Enemies that hate him without reason: Psalm 69:4
 His brothers who had to grow up with his perfection: Psalm 69:8; John 7:5
 He was made a proverb – another way to think of this is when we consider how
Christians are stereotyped today and called things such as “religious fanatics,”
etc… Psalm 69:11
 The rulers and the drunkards: Psalm 69:12
 The locations were he was raised were mocked: John 1:45 and 7:41
 Many believed Jesus was crazy or possessed: Mark 3:21, Matthew 12:47, John
7:20
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
It was the height of cruelty to mock a man dying in such agony: Matthew 27:4044
The point of this is that Jesus is to be an example for us, that we might behave as he did.
We are told by Jesus that if we seek to please God, we will be hated by the world,
because we are not of the world. See John 15:19-20. We are to bear persecutions
patiently without trying to retaliate, that we might please God. This is an enormous
privilege and a daunting challenge. To live as Christ is not to avoid the insults. But
rather do what God has called us to do regardless of our personal desires.
We must also remember the context of these verses, that Paul is speaking about strong
Christians being patient with weak Christians and weak Christians being understanding
of strong Christians. We must put the Kingdom of God before our individual differences
and preferences.
4For
whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through
endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
The first and most important stop along this important road leading to Christian hope is
teaching because it is through the teaching of the Scriptures that the other elements,
endurance and encouragement, come. Christianity is a teaching religion with the Bible as
the text.
1. The Bible is from God – God caused the human writers of the Bible to write as
they did, because what he had in mind was the edification and encouragement of
his people through the ages, whether or not the human writers understood this or
not. How could David have written about Jesus, who would come years after
David’s time, in the Psalms? See 2 Peter 1:20-21.
2. Everything in the Bible is good and profitable – See 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Some
critics of the Bible have found things they do not like and therefore argue either
that the Bible is from men only, not from God, or that some parts are from God
and the rest are from men. The parts from God are authoritative while the rest can
be ignored as the writer’s opinion. This is a convenient way of pretending to
submit to the Bible’s authority while at the same time avoiding anything in the
Bible that is convicting or contrary to the critic’s thought. This type of thinking
gives the critic authority over the Bible rather than the Bible having authority over
man. This is clearly not what Paul is teaching.
3. Nothing in the Bible is without value – Calvin said it would be an insult to the
Holy Spirit to imagine that he had taught us anything which it is of no advantage
to know. Although Paul is speaking of the Old Testament we are to hold this
same view of the writings of the apostles.
Through the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit will produce endurance and encouragement to
help us times of difficulty and uncertainty. God will use Old Testament stories, Psalms,
proverbs, law, and prophecies. He will also use New Testament gospels, history,
doctrine, and prophecies regarding the days to come. All of this is to produce hope that
will encourage us to endure whatever circumstances we may face.
5May
the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one
another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6that together you may with one voice glorify the God and
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Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul now gives a prayer for unity that is similar to what we see Christ pray for in John
17:20-23. The verses we come to in Romans suggest the nature of this unity and give us
its source and goal. The emphasis is on mutuality, appreciation of one another, and
thankfulness to be with one another in the body of Christ. This is echoed in Colossians
3:12-14 where Paul is concerned with a set of accepting and forgiving attitudes that
recognize other Christians as being part of that one indivisible body of Jesus Christ to
which all true Christians belong.
It is helpful to look at what kind of unity Paul is not talking about before we look at the
kind he is talking about.
1. Organizational unity – One of the most recent movements (around the 1950s) to
unite the Protestant denominates and even the Church of Rome was the
Consultation on Church Union which became the Church of Christ Uniting.
There are advantages to having organization and structure but organizational unity
itself does not accomplish total unity among its members. In fact, it has actually
proved harmful in church history. In the Middle Ages, the church was indeed one
church but this was the period of the church’s greatest decadence and abuse of
power.
2. Conformity – This is the chief error of the evangelical church who strive for
identical patter of looks and behavior among its members. Some groups train
their members in such a way that their members end up looking and even
speaking alike. Codes of conduct are also drawn up with anyone deviating from
the pattern being judged to be “backsliding” or apostate. This is not what Christ
or Paul intended. See John 17:21. A unity like that involves the values,
aspirations, goals, and wills of the participating parties in an environment of
encouragement.
So what should this unity look like?
1. A family – See John 1:12-13. Christians are children of God and refer to each
other as “brothers” and “sisters” throughout the New Testament. The members of
this spiritual family are chosen and brought into it by God and we must welcome
whomever God chooses. We must also be committed to each other, we must be
willing and available to help each other, and we must defend each other against a
hostile world. This does not mean Christians should all be alike just as siblings
are often very different from one another. See Ephesians 4:7-8, 11-13.
2. A fellowship – The idea is that we hold many things in common and that we try to
express this in mutually beneficial ways. The Greek word koinonoi had the root
meaning of two partners that shared something, such as two owners of the same
business. There are many ways Christians can meet for fellowship but I will
highlight small group Bible Study. Boice had found that in these more than any
other church meeting, Christians seem to grow and those who are not yet
Christians find Christ.
3. A body – See 1 Corinthians 12:21-26. Another important passage is Ephesians
4:16. We might summarize these three images for the church by saying: 1) family
stresses our relationship to God (since he is the Father who brings his children
into being); 2) fellowship stresses our relationship to one another (since we share
many things together); and 3) body stresses our relationship to those who are
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without (since we exist to witness to and serve those who do not yet know Christ).
We should also take special note that according to this verse, the purpose of our unity is
not so much that the church might be a pleasant place to be or that weak Christians might
be encouraged while strong Christians are channeled into useful work. Rather, it is that
God might be glorified.
Many people are troubled with the number of Christian denominations and fear that it
could weaken the Christian witness. The real problem is that Christians often do not
appreciate and support one another, recognizing that whatever differences may exist, all
who are Christ’s followers nevertheless belong to the same family, fellowship, and body
and therefore belong to one another. That is how, above all other ways, the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ must be glorified by us before the watching world.
7Therefore
welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in
order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9and in order that the Gentiles might
glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,
"Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,
and sing to your name."
In the verses we come to now Jesus is declared an example in the way he accepted others,
regardless of who they were or what they had done. If we know Jesus, the very Son of
God has accepted us without condition, sinners that we are, we therefore have to accept
all others for whom he has also died. To Paul, the greatest difference among people of
the world was between Jews and Gentiles. See Ephesians 2:12. What he is saying in
Romans 15:8 is that Jesus served the Jews to fulfill the promises made to them regarding
his coming to die for sin and be their Savior, in order that he might be not only their
Savior but the Savior of the Gentiles too.
1. Christ became a servant to the Jews – Paul uses the word Christ which means
Messiah – king who would rule on the throne of David. But Christ was not a king
to be served by others, see Matthew 20:28 and Mark 9:35.
2. To conform to the promises made to the patriarchs – He was not to be a hero or to
be a powerful earthly king that would overthrow the Roman rule. He will be a
powerful ruler when he returns, but his first duty was to redeem a people for
himself to be his followers and make up his kingdom. See Galatians 3:14.
3. So that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy – This is a one-verse
summary of what we have seen in chapters 9-11. See Romans 11:30-32. Jesus
died for Gentiles as well as Jews. Paul is telling the Jews, who would have tended
to look down on Gentile members of the Roman church, that since God as
accepted the Gentiles they should not refuse them.
8For
Christ also accepted sinners, of course – see Luke 5:30-31. Christ accepted outcasts such
as lepers and those who were considered unclean – see Luke 5:12-14 and Mark 5:28-34.
Even more amazing is Christ’s acceptance of us as we are sinners in thought, word, and
deed. We are unclean even in our supposed righteousness, for in the sight of God “all our
righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:4).
Finally, how is God glorified by the salvation of Jews and Gentiles and how is he
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glorified by having victory over Satan? See the appendix: Spiritual Warfare.
9and
in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,
"Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,
and sing to your name."
10And again it is said,
"Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people."
11And again,
"Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
and let all the peoples extol him."
12And again Isaiah says,
"The root of Jesse will come,
even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;
in him will the Gentiles hope."
Paul once again follows his standard pattern by first making a point and then using Old
Testament scripture for support. Here, he uses the law (Deuteronomy 32:43), the
prophets (Isaiah 11:10), and the writings (Psalm 18:49; 117:1) to cement his statements
exhorting the union of Christians. These statements support a point Paul made in
Romans 15:8-9 that the Gentiles are being saved to glorify God for his mercy. This ties
into his major theme by showing that God has always intended to include the Gentiles,
therefore Christians of Jewish heritage should accept Gentiles because God has done so.
Gentiles should accept all other Christians, especially since Jewish Christians should be
accepting them.
Let’s look at the Scripture quoted in these verses from Romans:
1. Psalm 18:49 – In this Psalm, David is thanking God for his victories over the
surrounding Gentile nations. However, this verse interrupts to declare that David
is going to praise God not merely “to” but also “among the [Gentile] nations.”
This implies that the Gentiles are going to have a part in this praise along with
David.
2. Deuteronomy 32:43 – This was a teaching about Moses song sung by Israel
shortly before his death. Surprisingly, we see in verse 21 and verse 43 we see
verses that foretell of the inclusion of the Gentiles and show the Gentiles rejoicing
with the Jewish people.
3. Psalm 117- This is the shortest Psalm but it has one of the furthest reaching
scopes when it calls all nations to praise in the Lord.
13May
the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the
Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
In a sense, we have come to the end of Romans because what follows this verse is
primarily personal in nature. This is the first of three benedictions and one of the most
profound.

Hope – Hope is used twice in this verse. God is both the source of our hope as
well as the object of our hope. Without God we are truly hopeless As soon as we
bring God into the picture the situation is reversed. Health will fail, houses can
burn, jobs can be lost, and fortunes can vanish. See 2 Corinthians 6:10.
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




Abounding Joy – Paul often spoke of joy but he was following the teaching of
Jesus who spoke of joy as a gift along with peace. See John 15:11, 16:22, and
17:13.
Two kinds of peace – The Bible speaks about peace with God and the peace of
God. Paul has shown how sinners, who are naturally at war with God, might find
peace with God through the cross of Christ. Here, however, he is talking about
personal peace, the peace of heart and mind that God gives. We must have faith
in the sovereignty of God – that God is in control and that he never lets anything
come into the lives of one of his children that he has not ordained for that person
for his or her ultimate good. A person who really trusts in God’s sovereignty will
have a peace that others cannot even comprehend.
Trust in Him – We have peace that comes from God because there is an
underlying trust. We believe God because of his character, his power, and
because he has done so much already, even sending his Son Jesus Christ to die in
our place.
Powered by the Holy Spirit – John 15:5 says “Apart from me you can do
nothing.” By ending with a reference to “the power of the Holy Spirit,” the
prayer that is our text both begins and ends with God. Everything in this whole
universe begins with God, is accomplished by God’s agency, and exists for God’s
glory.
Hope – People around us have lost hope in nearly everything. They have no faith
in politicians or the economy or justice from the courts or even safety from those
authorized to provide it. They do not even have faith in themselves. And they are
without God, and therefore there is no hope for them in this world. What an
opportunity for God’s people! We must abound in hope and let the world know
why.
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Romans 15:14-15:33 – Paul’s Personal Ministry Plans
14I
myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled
with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.
Paul now begins to end his letter to the Romans. You can think of this document as first
being a letter in verses 1:1-17, followed by a doctrinal treatise, and now in verse 15:14,
we return to the personal letter for closing. He has considered the believers in Rome to
be those who take their faith very seriously; this is evidenced by the theology taught
throughout the letter. He gives three complements to them that we should look at by
which we can evaluate ourselves:
1. Full of Goodness – In light of what Paul said in Romans 3:13-18, how can he say
his readers are full of goodness? Obviously, they had become Christians, having
been turned from their sin to faith and righteousness by the power of the Holy
Spirit. We see this taught in Galatians 5:22-23 and Ephesians 2:10 says that
goodness is a necessary fruit of those with the Spirit. We must constantly be
asking, “Am I filled with God’s goodness? Would anybody use Paul’s words to
describe me?”
2. Complete in Knowledge – This does not mean learned in academic sense but
rather a sound, practical understanding of the Christian faith that will issue in
wholesome, helpful conduct. Romans 12:1-2 shows us that acting out the
Christian life begins with the renewing of our minds. We cannot act like
Christians unless we begin to think properly. There is a tremendous lack of
Biblical knowledge in the Church today. Boice cites a professor who listed four
things that are different about students entering seminary today compared to past
years. First, each class is more biblically illiterate than the last. Second, each
class seemed to be filled with more individuals swamped in their own personal
problems and thus think more about themselves than others or their studies.
Third, they have a greater sense of their own personal rights or entitlements.
Fourth, they are sold out to and mostly uncritical of the surrounding secular
culture. We must be complete in knowledge. What will happen to us if we are
not?
3. Competent to Instruct One Another – Do we love the Lord enough to talk about
him naturally and often? Do we love others enough to bring spiritual truths into
daily conversation? Do we care for Christians enough to point them in the right
direction when we see that they are deviating from or falling short of it?
15But
on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace
given me by God 16to 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.
Christianity has only one priest, Jesus Christ. Paul is making a contrast between what
priests are normally thought of as doing and what he was actually called to do as a
minister to the Gentiles. Priests stand between men and God and offer sacrifices. The
priestly duty to which Paul refers is to proclaim the gospel. It has been a misfortune of
the church that its ministers ever got the idea that they were anything else but preachers.
It is by preaching the gospel, by the influence of the Holy Spirit, that a person can offer
himself as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. We are called to be witnesses
and tell:
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1. The gospel – This is the simple message that people are sinners yet God loved
them so much that he sent his Son to pay the penalty of their transgressions so that
He may be glorified and the people may have life ever lasting. It takes time to
explain the gospel and many churches fail to do this. Many televangelists never
describe the gospel at all. Our churches appear to be prosperous on the surface,
but thousands of them are dead or dying because they have abandoned the truth.
2. The whole gospel – Many presentations of the gospel fail to adequately deal with
the underlying problem of sin. Many others forget that the good news is not just
that God has made a way for us to be saved from sin’s penalty but that God is also
saving us from practicing sin. See Matthew 10:22, we must tell people that
sanctification will come with justification and we will not have one without the
other. Jesus came to save us from our sin, not in it.
3. Nothing but the gospel – Some of the greatest heresies have been teachings that
add to the work of Christ. Christ and works, Christ and merit, Christ and ritual,
etc… See 1 Corinthians 2:1 and Galatians 5:2.
We must share the gospel, the whole gospel, and nothing but the gospel yet we must do it
tactfully and in a way that is not intended to be offensive. Paul acknowledges that he has
written to them quite boldly on some points but explains it in the context of merely
reminding the Roman Christians of what they probably already knew.
The Word of God is sufficient in evangelism. The only way the Holy Spirit regenerates
lost men and women is through the Bible. Peter said, “You have been born again, not of
perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring Word of God” (1
Peter 1:23).
The Word is sufficient in sanctification. Today most people think of sanctification as one
of two things: a method (steps to becoming holy), or an experience (second baptism or
second work of grace). Paul’s approach was to teach Christians what has been done for
them by God in their salvation, because if they understand that, then they will know that
they cannot go back to being what they were before and they will get on with being
Christians. The only rational thing to do will be to go forward in the Christian life.
17In
Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18For I will not venture to
speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to
obedience--by word and deed, 19by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of
God--so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of
the gospel of Christ; 20and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has
already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, 21but as it is written,
"Those who have never been told of him will see,
and those who have never heard will understand."
22This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you.
Paul probably wrote the letter to the Romans late in his ministry. At this point, he looks
back over the great work God has done through him in bringing Gentiles to salvation.
We even see that he is proud of God’s work. We often think of any kind of pride as
being wrong but Paul shows us the right kind of pride – that is, pride that boasts in what
God has done and not in his own personal talents or accomplishments. Paul did this
before he became a Christian yet now counts his personal accomplishments as garbage
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compared to the perfect and holy work of Jesus Christ in his life (Philippians 3:4-8). Paul
was a giant of intellect and a powerful orator. It could be said that his gospel seeds
spread throughout the Roman Empire and transformed the European continent. The most
glorious thing of all is that Jesus was able to accomplish these things through such a
person as Paul. The wonder is that he could take this proud, stubborn, self-righteous
murderer of God’s people and turn him into the greatest pioneer missionary the world has
ever seen. Yet the more he was able to accomplish, the greater was the glory that went to
Christ.
See 1 Corinthians 1:26-31. God is glorified in using us. We are the most unprofitable
servants, even if we have natural talents. But if we will offer ourselves to God as his
slaves, he will use us and bring glory to himself even through our natural human
foolishness, our weaknesses, our lack of worldly status.
The conversion of the lost is our glory to the extend that we participate by carrying the
gospel to them, it is ours only because it is Jesus Christ’s first o fall, because he is at
work within us. Paul said, “I glory in Christ Jesus” (Romans 15:17). See Revelation
4:10-11.
23But
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, 24I 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 had an impressive list of missionary accomplishments, sufficient for many lifetimes,
but he had no intention of settling down into a comfortable retirement. Paul felt that he
had completed the work he was intended to do in the area above Jerusalem and below
Illyricum (the region known as the former Yugoslavia: Bosnia, Serbia, etc…) and was
now ready to make his way toward Spain. On his westward journey to Spain, he hoped
to spend time in Rome with the Christians to whom he is writing. Scholars are not
certain if Paul ever made it to Spain or not. One church record (Clement of Rome)
mentions that Paul reached “the limits of the west” but this reference is far from proof
that Paul ministered in Spain. There are several points that Ray Stedman brings up
regarding these verses:
1. There is a place for planning in the Christian life: Many Christians believe we are
limiting the work of the Spirit in our life if we make plans for our future. They
say we should be drawn as the Spirit calls us. But we see in these verses that
reaching Spain and stopping in Rome on the way were certainly plans Paul had.
It is certain that the Spirit was at work in putting these plans in Paul’s heart.
2. The need for flexibility in planning – Although Paul had general plans to reach the
western region of the Roman empire, he did not restrict his plan with details and
tight schedules. He knew that God would open and close doors in his life that
would ultimately guide him where God intended him to be. He did not get
discouraged when the specifics of God’s plan or God’s timing varied from his
own.
3. The importance of persistence – We do not know if Paul made it to Spain or not –
and if he did not, then his plans to make it there were certainly not God’s will.
But this does not mean it is wrong to plan. God may very well use the activities
we conduct in trying to reach our goal for his purposes in ways that we never
intended. Furthermore, unless we see goals and dream dreams, and make plans,
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there will be no great steps forward in the work of the gospel.
There are important applications that these verses have for us:
1. Our missionary task is not ended until every person in the world has heard of
Jesus Christ – If Christ has not returned, it is because there are still those he is to
call unto himself. We are to go out and spread the Word so that these children
may be called home.
2. When an opportunity of serving Christ in one direction is shut up, we ought to
turn to another – If your work in one particular area has ended, begin to search
for others areas in which you can serve.
3. A desire to serve God in some place is not unworthy, for God often works his will
in us in such ways – See 1 Timothy 3:1, the desire to serve God is not a bad thing.
It is certainly unlikely that you will achieve anything for God if you do not aspire
to it.
4. Although the task remains unchanged, God often accomplishes its fulfillment in
ways we do not anticipate or desire – We have to be flexible, for God’s ways are
not our ways and he frequently accomplishes what we are striving for in ways we
could have never imagined.
5. Although God could supply his missionaries’ needs miraculously, he usually does
so through the gifts of his people – God calls his servants into the missionary task,
but he also places a duty to support them on those who remain at home. If we
have financial resources are not on the mission fields, we must remember that
God could supply the missionaries miraculously but he has chosen to support
them through us.
6. The fellowship of the people of God is more to be desired than the friendship of
emperors or kings – The world will not support you in doing God’s work, Only
God’s people will share your godly desires and vision.
25At
present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. 26For Macedonia and
Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem.
27They 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.
28When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected, I
will leave for Spain by way of you.
See Galatians 2:9-10, what we see in these verses is that the Jerusalem leaders asked aid
for the poor in their city, and Paul agreed to help. In this time, the outer provinces of
Rome were heavily taxed to bring money into the capital city. Paul saw this Gentile
contribution to the Jewish Christians as an important symbol of the unity of believers.
Some early Christians held that all converts ought to be circumcised and to live according
to the Jewish law; Paul had a continuing controversy with people who held such views.
His collection would show those who rejected this hard-line conservatism were
nevertheless bound to Jewish believers in ties of genuine Christian love.
Paul says three things about the collection:
1. It was “in the service of saints” in Jerusalem (25)– Serving in the church is a
function that is to be performed by all members. Some Christians may feel that
they do not have to take the lead in serving because the deacons of the church will
handle it. But the role of the deacon is to be an example of service for the church
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and not the only channel by which service comes.
2. The Gentiles “were pleased” to help (26) – We see this in verses 26 and 27.
Generosity is a natural part of being Christian but we must be taught to give. That
is what Paul was doing in his extensive teaching about giving in 2 Corinthians.
We need the same kind of teaching today, even though people dislike being
instructed about giving.
3. The Gentiles who had “shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings owe[d] it to the
Jews to share with them their material blessings” (27) – The Gentiles have
received infinite blessings from the Jewish people, indeed they were without God
and without hope if it were not for God working through the Jewish people.
29I
know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.
Paul has been telling the Christians at Rom of his plans to visit them after first going to
Jerusalem to present the offering for the poor that he had collected among the Gentile
churches. This verse marks the letter’s authenticity and early date, since no one who
knew how Paul came to Rome (as a prisoner in chains) would have put it this way.
However, the thrust of the verse is that Paul intended on coming in the “full measure” of
Christ’s blessing.
What does Blessing mean?
 Set apart to God – First we speak of the “blessed sacrament,” meaning that the
communion elements have been set apart for a spiritual purpose. Second, we
“bless” people at the end of a worship service or by saying “God bless you” after
someone sneezes.
 To speak well of some person – A second meaning of the word blessed which
means to speak well of somebody. This is what Christ means in Luke’s gospel
when he says, “Bless them that curse you.” That is to say, speak well of those
who do not speak well of you.
 An exceptional state of happiness – This comes from the Old English word bliss
which sounded like bless. This is the sense which the word has in the Beatitudes,
where Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit… Blessed are those who morn…
Blessed are the meek…” and so on.
There are at least two types of blessings we find in the Bible:
 Every spiritual blessing in Christ – These are the blessings that are ours right now
because of our being united to Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:17; 1
Corinthians3:21-23; 1 Timothy 6:17; and the most important is Ephesians 1:3 that
tells us that every possible spiritual blessing we could ever have is already ours by
virtue of our being united to our Savior.
 Blessing on our work for God – This is a blessing on our ministry. This kind of
blessing is not complete or automatic, as the first is, since it relates at least in part
to how closely we are following after Christ and whether we seek this blessing
and ask God for it. See Psalm 90:17, Romans 1:11. We must seek blessings in
our life that our God-focused. We should pray that God blesses the ministry he
has given us and the work he intends to do through us.
This is what Christ is talking about in John 15:1-17.
1. Fruit (vv. 1-4) – The purpose for the disciples union with him is that they
might bear fruit. We see in verses 2 and 6 that those who are Christians in
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name only are thrown out. That is, Christians must bear fruit if they are
truly Christians.
2. Even more fruitful (v 2) – The Father’s chief object in trimming the vine is
that they bear more fruit. We must not be like the Church of Laodicea
(Revelation 3) and be self-content with what we have. We must always
strive for more fruit.
3. Much fruit (vv 5-8) – It is sad that so many Christians expect so little of
Jesus and fall into self-satisfaction. Jesus desires not only fruit, but much
fruit. If you realize God it is God’s work that will be done through you for
his purposes, and he will bless that work, you will expect to do great
things for him and bring him much glory.
4. Fruit that will last (v16) – Many of our most extensive effort come to
nothing. The one thing that does remain is the spiritual fruit produced in
and through the lives of those who are united to Jesus Christ.
30I
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, 31that I may be delivered from the
unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32so that
by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. 33May the God of
peace be with you all. Amen.
Paul commonly asked others to pray for him and his ministry: 2 Corinthians 1:10-11;
Ephesians 6:19-20; Philippians 1:19; Colossians 4:3-4; 1 Thessalonians 5:25; 2
Thessalonians 3:1-2. Here he is asking that he would be delivered from the unbelievers
in Judea and that his service might be acceptable to the saints there. We see in Acts
21:28 that the nonbelievers there were hostile toward him and that he was delivered from
them. The riot that occurred caused Roman soldiers to arrest him where he was
eventually sent to Rome and possibly to Spain as well. We can also see that the church
leaders in Jerusalem were happy for Paul’s ministry in Acts 21:17-20.
Prayer is useful and effective (see James 5:16) and often we do not receive the full
blessing of God because we do not ask for it (see James 4:2). It is not only effective, it is
the only thing that is effective. Therefore, it is necessary that we pray to see individuals
saved and experience other spiritual blessings and results. Does prayer get God to
change his will so that he conforms to our wishes, or does prayer change use to accept
what he is going to do anyway? There are two common errors at this point. The first is
the error of a superficial Calvinism, which understands that God is sovereign and that his
will is always done. It errs in deducing that because this is true, prayer is virtually
unimportant except in regard to how it changes us. The second is the Arminian error,
which makes God somehow weakly dependant on us. It says something like, “Prayer
gives God the opportunity to do for us what he wants to do, we should not think that God
can do whatever he wants too without our aid.” Cannot? Unable? Give God the
opportunity? Anyone who knows anything about the majestic sovereign God of the Bible
knows that there is something terribly wrong with this approach.
The answer is a better understating of the true Calvinism, which realizes that God does
not only appoint the end to be obtained, but he also designates the means to attain that
end. Therefore, if God has appointed a blessing and if he has determined the means by
which that blessing shall be received is prayer, then it is necessary that we pray in order
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that this predetermined blessing comes about. If God has determined to do something in
response to the prayers of his people, then his people must pray. Indeed, he will lead
them to do so. Jesus prayed! So did the apostles. So have all the saints throughout the
ages. We cannot neglect it either.
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Romans 16 – Final Greetings
The last chapter of Romans contains the names of many people to whom Paul was
writing; twenty-four in Rome along with nine in Corinth. One fascinating thing about
this chapter is what it reveals about Paul. Some people feel that those who are deeply
involved in study and thought are lacking when it comes to relationships. Paul was
intensely interested in people. In fact, to judge by this chapter, Paul can be said to show
more interest in people than anyone else in the Bible except Jesus. Romans was not
written to professional theologians but rather to some of Paul’s closest brother’s and
sister’s in Christ.
1I
commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, 2that you may
welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need
from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well.
The first person Paul mentions is Phoebe. We do not know anything else about her other
than what is said in these few verses. Verses 3-16 are greetings to people in Rome while
verses 21-24 are people in Corinth that send their greetings. Phoebe stands out because
she is obviously the one traveling to Rome and is therefore commended to the good
graces of the Roman Christians. Phoebe is a pagan name that was used in reference to
the god Apollo but we see she became a Christian and a “servant of the church.” What a
wonderful treasure she carried in her hands. Barnhouse wrote, “Never was there a greater
burden carried by such tender hands. The theological history of the church through the
centuries was in the manuscript which she brought with her. The Reformation was in that
baggage. The blessing of multitudes in our day was carried in those parchments.”
Was Phoebe a deaconess? The question arises because the word for deacon is the same
Greek word as “servant.” Some translations use “servant” (KJV), others use “deacon”
(RSV), while some have one word or the other in footnotes (NIV). Commentators over
the years have given their thoughts on the issue; however, they are evenly divided along
lines church policy from their particular background. The bottom line is that the text
itself is not decisive, and a judgment on this question must be made on other grounds. In
1 Timothy 2:12, there are two limitations placed on the function of women in the church:
1) an authoritative teaching position and 2) an authoritative disciplining position. But
aside from that restriction there is no office or service in the church in which women may
not perform.
Paul was not speaking about the specific roles, responsibilities, and requirements for
specific church offices for the simple reason that, quite frankly, he was not as concerned
with titles as we are today. Service is a necessary function of those who call themselves
Christians, and ever Christian should be a deaconess or deacon in this sense. We should
not seek titles for personal glory and we should not limit the service we provide to others
or the church based on a lack of a title.
3Greet
Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4who risked their necks for my life,
to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. 5Greet
also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ
in Asia. 6Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. 7Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen
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and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me.
8Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my
beloved Stachys. 10Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the
family of Aristobulus. 11Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the
family of Narcissus. 12Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the
beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his
mother, who has been a mother to me as well. 14Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas,
Hermas, and the brothers who are with them. 15Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister,
and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 16Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the
churches of Christ greet you.
Paul was one of the greatest intellects of all ages. Sometimes people with this kind of
intellectual ability and drive are hard to get close to, but it is to Paul’s credit that he was
not at all like that. Barnhouse said, “He was never, for a moment, a professional
Christian.” He cared for people. What drove him was his love for his Savior and his
consuming passion that others might come to know and love the Lord Jesus Christ too.
We can see from these verses that these are Christians Paul personally knows and that
these were people had worked with or been imprisoned with for Christ’s sake. We have
telephones, e-mail, and other modern means of quick communication today. But I doubt
that there are many of us who could name twenty-four people in another city, not to
mention one we have never visited – people who are believers and whom we remember
and support regularly in our prayers.
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Priscilla and Aquila – We see this couple mentioned in other parts of the New
Testament (Acts 18:2; 18, 24-26; 1 Corinthians 16:19).
Epenetus – We see that he was the first convert in Asia and we know that Paul
was the first person to evangelize Asia. This could very well be the first convert
in Paul’s career.
Mary – There is no reason to believe that this Mary is the same as another Mary
mentioned in the gospels. Again, Paul did not belittle women but praised them
highly.
Ampliatus – In the cemetery of Domatilla (the earliest Christian catacomb), there
is a highly decorated tomb marked with the single name “Ampliatus” and could
very well be the resting place of this early Christian.
Rufus and his mother – Look at Mark 15:21. The Book of Mark was written for
the people of Rome and it is likely that this is the same Rufus that is mentioned
here. Quite possibly, he was the son of the man who carried Christ’s cross.
17I
appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles
contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. 18For such persons do not serve
our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts
of the naive. 19For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be
wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil.
Paul gives a sudden warning as he brings his letter to a close. Perhaps after thinking of
the other churches or imagining something disrupting the peace he has just spoken of in
the Roman church, he injects this warning against two things:
1. Those who cause divisions – Paul probably is not thinking of people who
introduce heresies into the church, though this sometimes happens, but rather
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those who divide churches into factions that will be loyal to themselves.
Sometimes people want to be leaders in a church for a sense of popularity,
influence, and responsibility. They are more concerned more with having
members of the church see them as an important leader rather than being
concerned simply with teaching the Bible. The trouble really begins when other
members of the church are influential leaders as well and out of jealousy, the
selfish leader begins to try to separate followers out unto himself.
2. Those who put obstacles in other persons’ ways – This is what the Pharisees did
in Jesus’ day when they imposed strict rules and regulations on those who were
wanting to learn and follow God’s Word. See Matthew 23:13. Many teachers in
our day put some other teaching alongside of what is taught in Scripture. It is not
wrong for Christians to follow certain dress, diet, or observance of the Lord’s
Day, but what is wrong is to try to impose these practices on all believers. See
Galatians 5:1.
Before we see how Paul says to handle these disruptors, we should notice what he does
not say to do to them. He does not say to harm them physically as many church leaders
did in the Middle Ages. They were not to have witch trials or burn heretics at the stake.
More surprisingly, they were not told to debate the false teachers or try to prove them
wrong.
We are simply to “watch out for them” and “keep away from them.” In today’s terms,
we should not watch false teachers on television, buy their books, or attend their
meetings. We should ignore them as figures standing entirely outside the fold of genuine
Christianity. See Matthew 7:15-16; 10: 16-17.
20The
God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be
with you.
This show and unexpected sentence immediately lifts what he has been saying from a
merely human to a supernatural level. Paul is acutely aware of the cosmic nature of our
struggle, so it is natural for him to mention it in the closing of this letter. This verse is in
reference to Genesis 3:15. This short verse contains three surprising statements:
1. That the God of peace should crush anyone – This comes from our
misunderstanding of the nature of God. His peacefulness is not a quality that
causes God to avoid all conflict or hide from hostility. It is an active attribute that
makes peace where hostility existed beforehand. He is the God of Peace because
he makes peace by destroying the enmity between him and us in our sin, and by
defeating Satan.
2. That the crushing of Satan should be under our feet – It can be said that Satan has
been defeated, is being defeated, and will be defeated permanently in the future.
The first and third victories are to be claimed by Jesus Christ alone but we do
have a stake in the second. In the Garden of Eden, Satan promised to Eve that if
she ate of the fruit, she would know both good and evil. In verse 19, Paul has just
said the he wants Christians to be “wise about what is good, and innocent about
what is evil.” What Paul desires of the Christians, is that they become like God
by knowing and embracing good while shunning evil (even though they will be
aware of its nature and know that it is there). It is when we live like this that God
will use us to crush Satan.
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3. That this crushing is going to happen soon.
Let us not forget that we are to use God’s weapons in this battle. The world has its
weapons, but they are not ours. The weapons of the world are money, numbers, power,
and politics. Our weapons of the Word of God and the prayer: the Word of God because
it carries within it the power of God to demolish arguments and bring down strongholds;
prayer, because even with the Word of God it requires the regenerating power of God to
open blind minds to receive it and be persuaded of its truth.
21Timothy,
my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen.
Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord.
23Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and
our brother Quartus, greet you.
Paul is writing from the house of a Roman nobleman named Gaius who was also a
Christian and these verses give us a glimpse of who was with him in Corinth. This
second list of names may even be more interesting than the first because of the picture of
the early church that emerges from a careful look at these verses.
22I
We will start with the servants of the house, Tertius and Quartus. What we see here is the
ancient Roman structure of servants or slaves. The head servant is in charge of the most
important issues of the household and has worked and earned his position after long years
of service to the nobleman. He is the “Number-One Slave” and is called Primus (one).
The person next in line is Secundus (two), then Tertius (three), Quartus (four), Quintus
(five), and so on. In verses 22 and 23, we see that the third and fourth slaves of the
household are Christians with Paul who are sending their greetings. Paul had actually
dictated the words of the letter to Tertius who served as a scribe. This is a case of a slave
sending greetings to people he had almost certainly never met but to whom he felt
attached because of their common identity as believers in Jesus Christ.
Timothy is known as Paul’s protégé that is to carry on his ministry and is the recipient of
the letters we call 1st and 2nd Timothy. Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater are fellow Jews –
Paul’s kinsmen.
Gaius is the head of the household that is hosting Paul during his stay in Corinth. He is
not thought to be the same Gaius mentioned in Acts 20:4 but rather the Gaius that Paul
mentioned baptizing in 1 Corinthians 1:14. Gaius is apparently very wealthy for being
owner of at least four slaves and host to the “whole church” – that is, his house is large
enough for the Corinthian church services.
Erastus is shown to be a city politician and this is actually of great significance. It shows
us that Christians may hold offices even under heathen governments, and that to serve
Christ we are not to be abstracted from worldly business. The inclusion of Erastus
rounds out this picture of the early church by showing us that rich and poor, free men and
slaves, full-time church workers and public officials, were all part of its diverse makeup.
There is no better picture in all of the Bible, or possibly in all the world’s literature, of
genuine Christian fellowship than this snapshot of the believers in Corinth. In the first
centuries none of the Christians worried about brotherhood. They simply ignored the
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differences that were dividing the rough Roman world and came together as followers of
Jesus Christ – the master and the slave, the Roman and the Greek, the Jew and the
Gentile, the rich and the poor. Nothing short of this could have moved the number four
slave Quartus to ask Paul to send his love to the unknown brothers across the sea.
24[The
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.]
Early manuscripts do not contain this verse.
25Now
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 26but 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-What Paul means by “my gospel,” he actually means it is the “true gospel,” as the context
makes clear. This true gospel is Paul’s only in the sense that he has appropriated it
personally by a faith that involved committing his life to Jesus Christ and is teaching it.
We should all claim the gospel to be “My Gospel.” The gospel is not something a
philosopher had thought up or a scientist has discovered. It is not a matter of human
thought or effort at all. It is something that has its origins in God, is accomplished by
God, and has God’s own goals as its objective.
These verses echo four things that were mentioned about the gospel in Romans 1:1-5
1. The gospel is “of God”
2. The gospel is about God’s “Son,” Jesus Christ
3. The gospel was promised in the “Scriptures” of the Old Testament but has only
been made fully known now
4. the goal is that the “Gentiles,” like the Jews, might arrive at “the obedience that
comes from faith.”
These verses also tell us that the gospel has been a “mystery hidden for long ages past”
but that it is “now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the
command of the eternal God.”
The goal of the gospel is not simply that we should be saved from sin’s punishment and
go to heaven when we die, but that we might be “established” in God’s grace now – that
is, that we might be settled, strong, unshaken (vs. 25). And it is God himself who
establishes. We must remember that Romans is not Paul’s book. It is God’s book. And
the power we need to be established in the gospel speaks of is the power of God.
27to
the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.
As we come to the end of arguably the most important book in the Bible and certainly the
most influential letter in all history or literature, we may want to end with a word about
the greatness of the letter or even the human who composed it. But we will end as the
letter of Romans itself – praising the great, sovereign, merciful, and eternal God.
1. The wisdom of God in justification (chapters 1-4) – In the first main section of the
letter, Paul explains the way of salvation. For centuries God had been saving
sinners who deserved his just judgment and condemnation. But the question was
this: How could God save sinners and at the same time remain a just and holy
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God? This puzzle is beyond the wisdom of mere men but it was not beyond the
wisdom of God. God satisfied the claims of his justice by punishing the innocent
Jesus for our sins. Jesus bore the wrath of God in our place. Thus, the demands
of God’s justice were fully met and the love of God was then free to reach out,
embrace, and fully save the sinner.
2. The wisdom of God in sanctification (chapters 5-8) – If justification is by God’s
grace, what is to stop a justified person from indulging in this or her sinful nature,
since the person’s salvation has already been secured by Christ’s work? Why
should we not continue to sin so that grace may abound? God solves this by
showing us that we are never justified apart from being regenerated or being made
alive in Christ. Christians have been given a new nature, and this new nature,
being the very life of Jesus Christ, inevitably produce good works corresponding
to the character of God. In fact, it is the only sure proof of our having been saved
by him. Only God could think of a plan such as this. For if we emphasize works,
we try to be saved by them – or if we emphasize grace and the security of our
salvation, we tend to do away with the significance of works.
3. The wisdom of God displayed in human history (chapters 9-11) – What about God
throughout history? The problem is that God made special promises to the Jewish
people, and yet, in spite of these promises, the majority of Jews doe not respond
to the gospel. Yet the Gentiles have few promises to them and they respond.
Does this mean God has failed? Does this destroy the doctrine of the believer’s
salvation security? Paul’s answer is a magnificent theodicy in which he justifies
the ways of God with men, showing that God has rejected Israel for a time in
order that his mercy might be extended to the Gentiles, but adding that Gentile
salvation will provoke Israel to jealousy and so in time bring the Jewish people to
faith in their Messiah. This plan is beyond us – we cannot even fully understand
it although it is unfolded for us in the Bible.
How can we know and comprehend a God so far beyond us? It is through Jesus Christ
that we can know God. See John 14:1-10. There is an unmistakable statement that if we
want to know God, the place to find him is by looking to Jesus Christ. Finally, it is only
though Jesus Christ that we can glorify, worship, or praise God. Christ said, “no one
comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6).”
Paul ends with the word “Amen.” We use this word at the end of something stated by
God to show that we agree with God’s declaration. We set our seal to our belief that the
Word of God is true and that he is faithful. That is what Paul is doing here, he is setting
his seal to God’s truth, saying that he believes God’s Word. Can you do that? Can you
add your “Amen” to what Paul has written?
For my part that is what I am determined to do. There is much in this world that I do not
understand. There is much about the ways of God that I do not understand. But what I
do understand I believe, and to God’s declaration of these eternal truths I say a hearty,
“Amen.”
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Appendices
Appendix: Monopoly Money and Human Righteousness
Suppose that during the Vietnam War a platoon of American soldiers was captured and interred
by the North Vietnamese. Imagine further that at some point in their captivity a Red Cross
package arrived at the camp an that it contained, among other things, a game of Monopoly. The
donor simply thought the soldiers would like to while away the long hours of their imprisonment
playing it. The soldiers were glad to get the Monopoly game, but not for the reason the folks
back home sent it to them. They were glad to have it because it gave them “money” with which
to do camp business. Before this, if someone wanted to get something from another soldier – a
cigarette, for example – he had to beg, borrow, or steal it. Now he could buy it with the
Monopoly money. So the soldiers distributed the gold, yellow, blue, green and white money and
went into business.
It seems always the case among a group of Americans that one person is a naturally gifted
capitalist, and this platoon was no exception. Because one man was a genius at buying low and
selling high, in time he accumulated almost all the money in the camp.
Suppose further that eventually there was a prisoner-of-war exchange, and a group of North
Vietnamese were exchanged for this platoon of Americans. A helicopter comes, picks them up,
flies them to Da Nang, and from there it is only a matter of hours before they are back in the
States on the California coast. Almost immediately the successful capitalist/soldier enters the
First National Bank of San Francisco and steps up to the counter. The teller is pleased to open an
account for him. “We are glad to help our veterans,” she says. “How much do you want to
deposit?”
“About half a million,” the ex-prisoner answers, as he pushes $500,382 in Monopoly money over
the counter and through the teller’s window. Of course, the teller reaches down, not for a deposit
slip but for the alarm button that will call someone to take this poor deranged man away.
This is the difference between human righteousness, on the one hand, and the righteousness God
requires of us, on the other. Human righteousness is like Monopoly money. It has its uses in the
game we call life. But it is not real currency, just as in America only United States dollars are
legal tender. We find in Romans 10:3 that Paul writes of Israel’s failure to find God, using this
very distinction: “Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to
establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.” That is, Israel wanted God to
accept their currency rather than come to Christ for the genuine currency he alone can provide.
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Appendix: Advice for Doing the Right Thing
This is Boice’s response to a friend who wrote him asking, 1) How can I find the strength to do
what is right; and 2) why doesn’t God intervene in my life in special ways to help out?
I am sure you will find strength to do what is right in this situation, and the reason I am
sure you will find strength is that I know you already have it. You can do it! I do not mean that
you have the necessary strength or willpower in yourself, because none of us do. We can’t do
anything by ourselves or in our own strength. The reason I know you have the strength you need
is that you have the Holy Spirit, which is true of every Christian. The reason you are troubled by
the need to do right and are not willing to simply drift along in wrong living as unbelievers do is
that you know you belong to Jesus Christ and therefore really want to please him. God’s Spirit is
within you. So if you were to say, “I don’t have the strength to serve God,” you would really be
saying that the Holy Spirit is inadequate.
And that is the answer to your other question, too. You want to know why God has not
intervened in your life to do something special. I have heard many people ask that question – it
is a natural one, particularly since we read about special interventions by God in people’s lives in
the Bible and in Christian biographies.
But what do we mean when we ask that question?
Do we mean that we want God to reorder events to suit our own personal wishes? If so,
we have no right to ask that, nor should we want to. That would mean that we know better than
God, that we can order the events of our lives better than he can. That would be terrible.
Or do we mean – I think this is actually the case – that we want God to solve our problem
by some external means, perhaps by removing the temptation, by changing our thinking so that
we are no longer attracted by the wrong, or by providing an experience that will strip the
temptation of its power? But if God were to do that, which he could, it would mean that what we
were able to do as normal Christians unaided by some supernatural intervention from God does
not count. And this would mean that the Christian life ultimately has no meaning. What would
be the point of being a Christian if, in crisis situations, God always has to intervene in some
way?
To be a Christian means this. First, God has already done everything necessary to save
you not only from sin’s penalty but from its power, too. You have God’s Holy Spirit within you,
and as a result you can live for him. You do not need a secret method, esoteric formula, or
mystical experience. God has already equipped you perfectly for every good work.
Second you will live for him. And not only will you live for him, putting to death the
misdeeds of the body and living in accordance with this Holy Spirit’s desires, your doing that
will also matter profoundly. What would it prove if God did the hard thing for you? Nothing at
all! We already know that God is all-powerful. But when Christians do the right thing – even
when it breaks their hearts or when they suffer for it – when they do it in utter dependence on
God and out of love for him, then in their obedience to God proves everything. It proves that
they matter and God matters. And that victory, their victory and yours, will endure to the praise
of our great God throughout eternity.
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Appendix: Spiritual Warfare
I am convinced that this is what our earthly struggles are about and that this is how we
are to view them. When Satan rebelled against God sometime in eternity past, God was faced
with a choice, humanly speaking. He could have annihilated Satan and those fallen angles, now
demons, who rebelled with Satan against God. But that would not have proved that God’s way
of running the universe is the only true way. It would have only proved that God is more
powerful than Satan. So, instead of punishing Satan immediately, God allowed Satan’s rebellion
to run its course. In the meantime God created a universe and a new race of beings, mankind, in
which the rebellion of Satan would be tested. Satan could have his way for a while. He could
try to order things according to his will rather than God’s. He would even be allowed to seduce
the first man, Adam, and the first woman, Eve, into following him in his rebellion.
But God would reserve the right to call out a new people to himself, the very people Paul
has been writing about in Romans 8. These individuals would be foreknown, predestined, called,
justified, and glorified – all according to God’s sovereign will. And when they were called they
would be thrust into the spiritual struggle that Satan and his demons had brought upon the race.
Satan would be allowed to attack, persecute, and even kill God’s people. But for them, for those
who have been brought to know the love of God in Christ Jesus, these sufferings would not be an
intolerable hardship but would instead be a privilege that they would count themselves happy to
endure for Jesus.
In his supreme wisdom God has ordered history in such a way that for every child of
Satan who is suffering, a child of God is suffering in exactly the same circumstances. And for
ever child of Satan who enjoys the fullness of this world’s pleasures, there is child of God who is
denied those pleasures. The unbeliever curses his or her lot if deprived and made to suffer. The
believer trusts and praises God and looks to him for ultimate deliverance. Unbelievers boast of
their superiority if they are fortunate in securing this world’s success or treasure. Believers
acknowledge God as the source of whatever good fortune they enjoy, and if deprived of these
things, as is frequently the case, they say with Job, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;
may the name of the Lord be praised (Job 1:21b)!”
The angles look on as they did in Job’s case. “Is Satan’s way best?” they ask. “Does the
way of the evil one produce joy? Does it make him and God’s other creatures happy? Or is the
way of God best? Are believers the truly happy ones, in spite of their suffering?”
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Appendix: Give God the Glory
Where do natural endowments or talents come from? That keen mind, those winsome
aspects of personality, that attractive appearance and gracious disposition, that smile that you
possess – they all come from God. They have been designed for you by his sovereign decree and
imparted to you by his providential working. But they are for his glory, not for yours. The
Corinthians were a particularly vain people, boasting of their individual superiorities to other
people. Paul called them arrogant. He asked the, “Who makes you different from anyone else?
What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as
though you did not? (1 Corinthians 4:7)” You are no different. Therefore, glorify God.
Let’s move to salvation. We have seen that the plan of salvation was conceived by God,
that it was accomplished through the life and death of Jesus Christ, that its ultimate goal is God’s
glory. If that is so, and it is, you should abandon the arrogant assumption that getting saved was
your idea or that it was accomplished by you, even in part, or that it is meant to honor you. It is
not for your honor, but for God’s glory.
Do you think God saved you because of any righteousness you possess or might one day
acquire by your efforts? The Bible says, “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had
done, but because of his mercy (Titus 3:5).”
Do you think it was because of some little germ of faith that God was able to find in you
but no in some other less deserving person? The Bible says, “It is by grace you have been saved,
through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one
can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).”
Have you had any longings after God? Do you want to pray? Do you find that you want
to read God’s word and come to understand it better? Do you seek to worship God? Are you
attracted to the company of other Christian people? If those things are true of you, let me ask:
Where do you think those desires came from if not from God? They are not from you. You are
sinful. In yourself you have no aspirations after God. Holy desires come form a Holy God and
are present in you through the Holy Spirit. They are for his glory.
Therefore, glorify God. Praise him for them.
What about temptation? We live in a world in which sin and evil bombard us and in
which we are attacked even by the powers of evil themselves. What keeps you from falling?
What is it that enables you to stand your ground against Satan’s forces? It is God, God alone.
The Bible says, “…God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.
But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it (1
Corinthians 10:13).”
It is God who keeps you. Therefore, glorify God.
Finally, I ask you to think about your work, particularly your work for God as a
Christian. Perhaps you say, “Surely that at least belongs to me, is achieved by me, and can be
for my honor.” Really? If in your unsaved state you had no righteousness of your own,
understood nothing of spiritual things, and did not seek God (as Romans 3:10-11 tells us), how
could you even have had a desire to work for God unless God himself put it there? Our work for
God flows from our love of God. But “we love because he first loved us (1 John 4:19).” How
can anything be achieved except through God. Even the ability to plan a secular project or the
strength to dig a ditch comes from him, since all is from God. If that is true of even secular
efforts, ho much more true must it be of Christian work? Spiritual work must be accomplished
through God’s Spirit. So it is not you or I who stir up a revival, build a church, or convert even a
single soul. Rather, it is as we work, being led in the work by God, that God himself by the
power of his Holy Spirit converts and sanctifies those whom he chooses to call to faith.
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Appendix: Love: The Greatest Thing in the World
Love is patient – This is the normal attitude of love. This is because people are difficult,
exasperating, and slow. Love understands this and so waits patiently. It knows that God
is patient and that he has been wonderfully patient with us.
2. Love is kind – The world is filled with hurting, suffering people. Love knows this and
does what it can to help, uplift, serve, encourage, and otherwise embrace them in their
misery. It is quick to speak an encouraging word, quick to offer everyone a willing,
outstretched hand.
3. Love does not envy – The first two descriptions of love have been positive. Here is the
first of eight negative statements, saying what love is and is not and does not do. Love is
not jealous. It is glad when other people win honors, achieve fame, strike it rich, and are
praised. This is because love knows God and is content with the life God has given.
Only a believer can truly be happy when others are preferred before himself.
4. Love does not boast – The world is filled with boasters, people who in one way or
another are calling attention to who they are, how important they are, and how much they
have achieved. Love does not do this, because love does not think highly of itself and
because it is glad when others are exalted. A wise man once said, “There is not limit to
what a man can achieve if he is not worried about who gets the credit.” This is love.
5. Love is not proud – The opposite of pride is humility, and love is humble. Love does not
have inflated ideas of itself. Love is gracious.
6. Love is not rude – The opposite of rudeness is courtesy, and love has good manners. It
thinks of others. It holds its tongue and waits for others to speak. Love listens. Love
does not dominate a social setting and will not blurt out things that wound another
person.
7. Love is not self-seeking – The world looks at something and asks, “What’s in it for me?”
Love does not seek for self, because it is not thinking of self. Love thinks of the one it
loves. Jesus did not seek his own advantage when he came to earth to save us. Rather,
he “made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, … he humbled himself and
became obedient to death – even death on a cross (Philippians 2:7-8).”
8. Love is not easily angered – For embittering life, for breaking up communities, for
destroying the most sacred relationships, for devastating homes, for withering up men
and women, for taking the bloom off childhood; in short, for sheer gratuitous miseryproducing power, anger stands alone. But love is not easily angered. It does not have a
short fuse. It is not irritable, not easily provoked. It is not touch. Love is patient and
kind.
9. Love keeps no record of wrongs – Some people have a knack for bringing up mistakes we
have made and wounds we have inflicted even decades afterwards. Love forgets these
wrongs. It does not compile statistics. It is not resentful. It is not vindictive.
10. Love does not delight in evil – Love is not amused by wrongdoing. It is not attracted by
vice. It does not find trash intriguing, even when it is dressed up for prime time
television or published in glossy magazines. Dishonest schemes doe not please it. Love
hates wickedness.
11. Love rejoices with truth – This is the other half of the only two-part description in this
paragraph. It shows that the evil Paul is thinking of when he says “does not delight in
evil” is chiefly the evil that tells lies. Love loves truth, above all the truth that is God’s.
Love loves the Bible. It delights to speak about it.
12. Love always protects – The last four descriptions say what love always does. First, it
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always protects the other person. It sides with the weak. It rallies around the one who
has been oppressed, attacked, abused, hurt, slandered, or otherwise made a victim. Love
protects children, because it knows that “the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these
(Matthew 19:14).”
13. Love always trusts – Love is never suspicious. Love is not trying to see under the surface
or pry out the hidden motives of another. Love is not stupid or gullible, but it always
thinks the best. It is the quality that brings out the best in other people. A mother shows
love when she tells her struggling son that she believes in him, or her discouraged
daughter that she knows she will do well.
14. Love always hopes – Love does not stop loving because it is not loved in return or
because it is deceived. Love hopes for the best, and if it forgives not once or even seven
times, but seventy times seven. Love is not even counting.
15. Love always perseveres – Love never gives up. It is unconquerable, indomitable. Love
can outlast hate and evil and indifference. Love can outlast anything. It is the one thing
that stands after all else has fallen.
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Appendix: The Sad Case of Unbelievers
Romans 13:11 is directed to Christians, but it is legitimate to address unbelievers also.
Some Christians are asleep in respect to spiritual things, but unbelievers are more than asleep –
they are spiritually dead, because unaided by God they are unable to respond to, understand, or
even hear the gospel.
Here I turn back to Matthew 13:1-13, which contains the parable of the five wise and the
five foolish women. In Spurgeon’s handling of the story, the focus was on those who had no
right to be asleep. Spurgeon applied it to people who know Jesus Christ but who are asleep and
therefore fail to properly wait for or serve him. But what of the other five women? They were
not true believers; they were lost. What of them?
The important thing about this part of the parable is that those who were lost actually
thought they were saved and, in fact, for a time were indistinguishable from their believing
sisters. This is a point made in each of the three parables in this chapter. The five women had
received the bridegroom’s invitation, had responded positively, and were even waiting for his
coming. They were sure they would be admitted to the wedding banquet. Therefore, even
though they were not ready when he came because they were off buying oil, trying to get ready,
they expected him to open the door to them and were incredulous when he turned them away.
“Sir! Sir! Open the door for us!” they cried.
He replied, “I tell you the truth, I don’t know you” (Matthew 25:11-12).
In the next story the servant who buried his master’s talent and did not use it was amazed
when the master disapproved of his actions. He thought he had done well, but his master called
him wicked and lazy and had him cast “outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping
and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 25:26-30).
In the third parable recounted in Matthew 25, the goats could not understand why they
were rejected since, as they implied, they would have fed Jesus if they had seen him and
understood that he was hungry, or given him something to drink if they had seen him and
understood that he was thirsty, or invited him in, or clothed him, or looked after him, or gone to
visit him. They did no understand that they would have been able to do that only by helping
other people or understand that their opportunity to do it was now past. They too were asleep.
They also perished.
In each of these cases, the people involved were members of what we would call the
visible church. So the parables are to warn such people, people who think everything is well
with their souls, that they need to wake up to their true spiritual condition.
This is what happened during the American revivals that took place in the colonies under
the preaching of such godly men as Jonathan Edwards, Gilbert Tennent, and George Whitfield.
The movement was called the Great Awakening because this was the first effect the preachers of
the gospel noticed. They noticed that people who had been thinking of themselves as Christians
woke up to the fact that they were not actually born-again children of God and were distressed
by that fact. Once awakened, they were able to hear the gospel and believe it. By believing they
gave evidence that they were spiritually regenerated or revived.
What we need today is another Great Awakening. It is what you need if you only think
you are a Christian.
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