ROMANS 5

 Because believers have been justified by faith, they have peace with God through Jesus, having access to God in grace, and can rejoice in hope. And also they can rejoice in trials because trials produce perseverance, character, and hope because the love of God has been poured out in their hearts by the Holy Spirit...

Even while sinners were still weak, Christ died for the ungodly. Most people would not die for a righteous man or good man, but Jesus died while man was still sinning. Because of His blood, believers are justified and rescued from God's wrath. 

For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

Because of Adam (the one man), sin (the offense) entered the world along with death, which spread to all men, and that offense resulted in condemnation. But through the One Man's righteous act and His obedience, this resulted in justification of life for many.

The Law entered that offense might abound, but where sin abounded, grace abounded much more; sin reigned in death, but grace reigns through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

COMMENTARY

In this chapter, Paul is telling believers that what Christ did on the cross "...delivers us from the guilt of sin...we will not come before God for judgment...an eternal home is waiting for those who have trusted Christ." 

But what about the present?

When a believer comes to Christ, these are his benefits:

1. Peace with God! No more alienation from God. No more guilt from sin!

2. Access to God in prayer. Go directly to Him!

3. Hope in God's promises and future!

4. Triumph in trials! Trials bring us into a closer and deeper relationship with God, and that brings joy and peace and patience and character and more hope!

5. Love of God brought to believers by the Holy Spirit who was given to them.

6. The Holy Spirit...our Helper! Again, He makes the love of God very concrete in a believer's heart. 

SIDEBAR: Imagine this: Jesus died for the ungodly -- His enemies, those who hated Him! Also, God did not save you with His love. He is holy and righteous, which means He must judge unrighteousness. Instead, God saves people by His grace, through faith. He loved you enough to send His Son to die for you, and that is how God demonstrates His love. When the guilt of sin was removed (through Christ's sacrifice on the cross), then He accepts repentant sinners. 

7. Deliverance from God's wrath. Believers are free from the penalty of sin. 

8. JOY in the Lord! Right now!! 

These are the benefits Paul described for those who enjoy salvation. 

SANCTIFICATION OF SAINTS

Justification is when a person is declared righteous at the moment of salvation. However, there is a process to make a person righteous by causing him or her to grow in grace and become sanctified (set apart) for God. 

Adam disobeyed God and sin entered the world, and with it death. This is how we all became sinners: 

1. We commit sin.

2. We are sinners by nature.

3. We are in a state of sin.

4. We are sinners by imputation because Adam was the federal headship of the human race.

Adam's sin was imputed to us. All mankind is lost, even little babies and civilizations of people on remote islands who never heard the gospel. All people are alienated from God. People don't want to be saved. 

But Christ is the federal head of "the new race of redeemed man, and the church is His body, a new creation."

DEATH

There are three terms of death: 

1. Physical means the body, a separation of spirit and body. 

2. Spiritual means separation from and rebellion against God, alienated from God, and dead in trespasses and sins.

3. Eternal death is eternal separation from God unless man is redeemed. 

Finally, the way sin is imputed from Adam through mankind is the same way righteousness is imputed from Christ to believers. Adam's disobedience made us all sinners with a sin nature, guilty of sin; but Christ's obedience (death and resurrection) made a way for God to declare believers righteous before Him. 

The Kingdom has been established on the cross of Christ. All other ways are sinking sand. 

DON'T BE THIS GUY

 

ROMANS 2

 Paul said that man has no excuse to judge others because however he judges, he too can be judged. But God's judgment is always right. Do not think you will escape His judgment. 

Paul asked if they (the church at Rome) thought so little of God's kindness, sufferance, and patience, which leads man to repentance? But because of man's hard heart, he is storing up punishment in the day of God's wrath. 

God will reward those (who do right) with eternal life, seeking glory, honor, and immortality; but God will punish those who are self-seeking, disobey truth with indignation, wrath, tribulation, and anguish. Only those who do what is right will be justified, for the Jew first and also the Greek. 

There is no partiality with God.

The Gentiles, who sin without the law will perish without the law; they do things by nature and are a law unto themselves, though the law was written on their hearts. However, the Jews have the law, boast in God, know His will, are a guide to others, and have knowledge and truth in the law. But they are hypocrites! They steal, commit adultery, and commit adultery. They dishonor God by breaking His law and mislead the Gentiles. 

Circumcision, if the law is honored, is worthy; but is nothing if the law is broken. If an uncircumcised men keeps the law, is he not counted as circumcised? And can he judge the circumsized? It is as if he were a Jew on the inside because circumcision is of the heart -- in the spirit, not the law -- whose praise comes from God.

COMMENTARY

In this chapter, overall, Paul is not referring to salvation, but how God will judge men accordingly because of their sins. 

First of all, rejection of Jesus is immediate judgment from God. Paul told the Jews that they may be religious and have the law, or you may be Greek and be a "good person," but without Christ, all will be lost. 

Now, when man judges others, he is acting as judge. Paul said that when man judges, he is using his own  standards. But God says that He has the right to judge man by His standards. And God's standards are right. Therefore, judgment using God's standards without Christ will be dreadful. 

God is good and His goodness should humble us. The wicked will face God's wrath. 

God will also judge believers according to their works. First, believers will receive the gift of eternal life, but then the works they do as a believer will be judged. "Men are not saved by the light they have; they are judged by the light they have." And Jews will be held to a higher standard because they had an advantage over the Gentiles.

Circumcision was part of the Mosaic system like baptism of the church. It is an outward expression, but it is useless if a person does not demonstrate evidence of belief or salvation. 

If man were judged by his own standards...

 

ROMANS 1

Paul addressed the Christians in Rome. He referred to himself as "called to be an apostle" and "separated to the gospel of God," which he noted was "promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead." 

Whew.

And then he added that so too were the recipients of this letter "called of Jesus Christ" and "called to be saints."

Paul also told them that he prayed always for them and was seeking a way to come to them. He often tried to come but "was hindered" by the Spirit though he is ready to preach the gospel to them and all in Rome.  He declared, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes..." 

The just shall live by faith.

Then he talked about the wrath of God. God has revealed Himself to men in creation, "His invisible attributes are clearly seen"...and are "without excuse." But man suppresses the truth and is ungrateful, so that their "foolish hearts were darkened." Man proclaims to be wise, but he is a fool. He even worships created things instead of God. 

Therefore, God permits them to worship the lust of their hearts by dishonoring themselves with one another and exchanging the truth for a lie. God gives them over to their abominable passions for the same sex so that they suffer the consequences. 

Because they do not want to know God, He gives them over to their perverted mindset and to continue practicing these wicked thoughts and behaviors:

• filled with unrighteousness
• sexual immorality
• wickedness
• covetousness
• maliciousness
• full of envy 
• murder
• strife
• deceit
• evil
• gossip
• backbiters
• hating God
• violent
• proud
• boasting
• inventing evil ideas
• disobedient to parents
• undiscerning
• untrustworthy
• unloving
• unforgiving
• unmerciful

And this goes for those who may not practice such behaviors, but encourage and defend those who do.

COMMENTARY

According to McGee, the Book of Romans teaches the total depravity of man who is "irrecoverably and hopelessly lost." Man has no righteousness of his own apart from God's righteousness. Man does not pursue God, nor does he understand God. God will never force us to serve Him; we must come willingly. It is His decision to call us, and He will only use those whom He calls.

The gospel was promised by the prophets from the Old Testament. God loves mankind and provides a way to save mankind. It is a loving relationship with Him. He loves us and gave Himself for us. "Grace is God's method of salvation." 

THE CALLED/ELECT

The called are the elect. They are the ones who have heard the call. "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow me" (John 10:27). "He calls, and you answer. If you have answered, you are among the elect, one of the called of Jesus Christ." These are called saints, ones set apart for Him. Saints exalt Jesus Christ, when He becomes their Savior. It is not our behavior that makes us a saint, but rather our faith in Jesus Christ. Are you set apart for Him? 

Paul was not ashamed of the gospel because it has the power of God unto salvation, and he was obliged to God and the world to share the good news, which he received from God. The gospel is to everyone, regardless of who. It is personal and individual --- "whosoever will may come." Open to all, but limited by those who will believe.

According to Dr. Stifler: the effect of the gospel = salvation; the extent of the gospel = worldwide, everyone; and the condition of the gospel = faith in Jesus Christ.

The just shall live by faith: "God places a lost sinner in Christ, and He see him in Christ. The believer is absolutely accepted because of what Christ has done for him. The only method of procuring this righteousness is by faith." Justification (by faith) is when a sinner trusts Christ and may stand before God complete in Christ and His righteousness. 

THE WRATH OF GOD

As per McGee, the wrath of God is God's feeling about sin, not His punishment of sin. It is His holy anger. When we die, we will experience God's righteousness or His wrath. 

By the way, man is not improving himself, nor is he improving the world. Man is moving further from God. Man has knowledge of God, but he turns away from God. Paul lists what man was up to in his time, and it is still true today. 

• Man does not glorify God
• Is ungrateful
• Is vain
• Foolish heart is darkened
• Thinks he is wise, but is really a fool
• worships creation instead of the Creator

Man has hardened his heart against God and God has relinquished him over to his depraved practices, passions of dishonor, disgrace, depravity, and gross immorality. Even those who promote these bahviors will be condemned. 

Paul Writing Epistle to the Romans