hitherbygraceblog

Leading up to this Chapter, what have we learned? That we are all sinners in need of a Savior, that we are saved only by the grace of God. The gift of God is a righteousness that comes by faith, we are justified and made righteous because of His great mercy. We who were not Israel have become Israel.

Think of all the mercies of God Paul has explained to us thus far:

– Justification (justification is the legal declaration by God that our debt has been paid, the work of Jesus has been credited to our account.)

– Adoption in Jesus and identification with Christ (we are in Christ and He is in us, we are joint heirs with Jesus)

– Set under grace not law (God’s good will, loving kindness and favor, the merciful kindness by which God, exerting His holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps and strengthens them, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection and kindles them to the exercise of Christian virtues.)

– The gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (it teaches us to turn towards godliness, it intercedes for us in prayer, it’s a deposit of what is to come)

– Help in all affliction

– Standing in God’s election

– The certainty of coming glory

– The confidence of no separation from the love of God

– Total confidence in God’s continued faithfulness

Therefore, since we know those things to be true, as recipients of those promises, here’s how you respond. In view of God’s mercy, offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.

It is best to see the body here as a reference to our entire being. Whatever we say about (or however we define) our spirit, soul, flesh and mind, we know that they each live in our bodies. When we give the body to God, the soul, the spirit and the mind go with it. Present your bodies means that God wants all of you.

Some translations say this is your spiritual act of worship instead of true and proper worship. The word spiritual usually refers to pneumatikos, or pneuma, but here, it’s from the Greek word logos which means “Of the word” or reasonable . Paul is saying many things here, and we will look at that but one simple thing he is saying is this, it’s the only logical or reasonable response. In view of all that God has done for you, the only reasonable response is that you would offer yourself to Him for His use.

Remember, some in Paul’s audience may have been familiar with the standards and requirements set under the Old Covenant (that’s the law). They might have some first hand experience and knowledge about sacrifices required by God. To request that they make themselves a living sacrifice had some particular meaning to them.

– The sacrifice is living (a) because it is brought alive to the altar, we should see that as being usable

– The sacrifice is living (b) because it stays alive at the altar; meaning that it is ongoing it’s a continual sacrifice, we should look at that as daily.

What does holy mean? To be set apart for God’s use, it also implies that we are to be different, that’s something we will discuss later.

The holiness we bring to the altar is a decision for holiness, and yielding to the work of holiness in our life.

If someone came up to you at church on Sunday morning and said “I just surrendered my life to Christ” or whatever wording you would choose for that, what would you tell them is their next step? After baptism that is.

You gotta change the way you think!!

Verse 2 – be transformed by the renewing of your mind

What does it mean to conform to the patterns of this world? What are some ways that culture or society try to make us conform?

Are there any areas of your life that you feel like you may be conforming to the patterns of the world?

How do we please God? When we live a life of obedience through faith that is in line with His will; when we do what He instructs through His word. He says be holy because I am holy, if you love Me, you will obey My commands.   The greatest commandments in the Bible are to love God and to love people.

After Jesus is baptized, God says in one of the gospels that He is well pleased with Jesus. If you want to live a life that pleases God, live a life that models the character of Jesus. I don’t mean just outwardly. Jesus did a lot of great things but what’s more important than those deeds is that His heart was good. And His heart was good because He pursued the Father, He lived in unity with God and He lived submitted to God.

For the Christian, there is no separation between sacred and secular activities. Anything we do, if done for God’s glory, can be an act of worship. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, in everything you do, whether you eat or drink, do it all for the glory of God. Our responsibility is to yield to the Spirit’s transforming work in our lives rather than adopt the lifestyle and values of this broken world.

Renew your mind.  How are we transformed by the renewal of our mind?

As a believer matures in Christ, our attitudes, desires, opinions and values are influenced less and less by the world and more and more by the Spirit of Christ living within us. The result of this inner working is spiritual discernment. That is the ability to judge what is good and pleasing to God.

Transformed – the Greek verb for this word shows that this is a process, not a single event. You should continually let yourself me transformed.

Summary of 1-2

Paul here explains how to live out the will of God:

– Remember how merciful God has been to you. Keep in mind the rich mercy of God to you – past, present, and future (by the mercies of God)

– As an act of intelligent and reasonable worship, decide to yield your entire self to Him (present your bodies a living sacrifice)

– Resist conformity to the thoughts and actions of this world (do not be conformed)

– By focus on God’s Word and fellowship with Him, be transformed by the renewing of your mind

Then, your life will be in the will of God. Your life will prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Verses 3-8

Paul is wanting us to renew our minds, to change the way we think. Look at where he starts. The first place that he wants us to address is how we view our place within the body of Christ.

He’s saying your place is one of humility. You should not feel inferior or superior to anyone in the body of Christ. I used to envy these women who looked like they were so in love with God. I would look at them and just feel inadequate.

The measure of faith Paul is talking about here implies two things:

-measured quantity of “power” given by God to each believer to fulfill various ministries in the church

-measuring standard of Christian faith, according to which all believers are equal in God’s eyes.

Verses 9-21 – this is the first time in this letter that Paul talks about our love, or how we should love.

Love should be sincere- without hypocrisy.

Sometimes we focus too much on hating evil and that’s an obvious problem.

There are also times when we focus too much on loving people. That sounds weird but what I mean is you can love somebody straight in to hell. You can just let them dance right on into destruction.

We have to both love what is good and hate what is evil.

Burning coals (12:20)

Paul is quoting Proverbs here and here are two of the possible meanings, all possible meanings imply repentance but here are two very reasonable interpretations.

1. In an ancient Egyptian ritual of penance (apology, atonement, self-punishment, hair shirt), the guilty person carried a basin of burning coal on his head as a sign of repentance.
2. The coal may depict the pain of shame. This pain of a guilty conscience is intended to drive the enemy to repent and become a friend.

I love Romans 12!  It is a great equipping and motivating chapter.  These are just a few gems I pulled out but I pray you find many more in these words that give life.

Chapter 11

Israel is not permanently cast away. In verse one, Paul says I am also an Israelite. He’s even a Roman citizen. There are some Jews who have been chosen by God and who have embraced the gospel. There is still a remnant. As a whole Israel had rejected their Messiah but a substantial remnant embraces the gospel of Christ and God has often worked through a faithful remnant (even with Noah and the ark).

6-10 Grace is a free gift of God. It is not given with any eye to the performance or potential in the one receiving, but only given out of the kindness of the giver.

11-14

Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness! For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them.

1. Certainly not! Paul has shown that God is still working through a remnant of Israel today, but wants to make it clear that the sinning majority of Israel is not lost forever.
2. Through their fall … salvation has come to the Gentiles: We should not forget that in many instances the gospel only went out to the Gentiles after the Jewish people rejected it (Acts 13:46, 18:5-6, 28:25-28). In this sense, the rejection of the gospel by the Jews was riches for the Gentiles.

It wasn’t that the Jewish rejection of Jesus was Messiah caused Gentiles to be saved. It merely gave more opportunity for the gospel to go to the Gentiles, and many Gentiles took advantage of this opportunity.

1. If by any means I may provoke to jealousy: Yet, Paul’s desire isn’t only that these riches would be enjoyed by the Gentiles only, but that the Jews would be provoked to a good kind of jealousy, motivating them to receive some of the blessings the Gentiles enjoyed.

25-27 God’s plan for Israel includes their eventual restoration. This is a plan for ethnic Israel, not spiritual Israel. Proof that this is not spiritual Israel is that Paul says this is a mystery – and it is no mystery that spiritual Israel will be saved.

All Israel will be saved: This does not mean there will be a time when every last person of Jewish descent will be saved. Instead, this is a time when Israel as a whole will be a saved people, and when the nation as a whole (especially its leadership) embraces Jesus Christ as Messiah.  I don’t claim to understand all that God has planned for Israel so this represents my best attempt to wrap my head around it.

28-29

God’s love and calling for Israel still endures.

Paul uses Chapter 9 to show that Israel needs a Savior.  He uses Chapter 10 to show that the message of the gospel is indeed for them as well.  His desire and prayer for them to be saved is a great example of how our love for the lost and broken should look.

Zeal for God, but not according to knowledge is a perfect description of Paul himself before his conversion. Saul of Tarsus was a notorious persecutor of Christians before Jesus confronted him on the road to Damascus.

It’s remarkable that Paul found something good to say about these Jewish people who persecuted him so mercilessly. “At least they have a zeal for God,” Paul says. We should remember that when it came to ministry, the Jews were Paul’s worst enemies, They had harassed and persecuted him, the made up lies and brought violence against him. Remember how he started Romans by stating who he was and what right he had to speak to them?? That was because many Jews didn’t believe him or his message.

Their lack of knowledge is reflected in the fact that they are ignorant of God’s righteousness, and want to establish their own righteousness.

Paul has ably demonstrated in the first several chapters of Romans how futile this is. Plainly put, by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified. (Romans 3:20)

Seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God: Israel had a lack of knowledge. But that wasn’t their only problem. They also had a moral problem: they have not submitted to the righteousness of God.  There were not allowing themselves to be governed by God.

No one comes to Jesus without the right information about the gospel but information alone is not enough to save anyone. There must be a revelation given by God through faith and a radical submission to the righteousness of God (a putting away of our own righteousness).

(4-8) The contrast between God’s righteousness and our attempts at righteousness.

For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, “The man who does those things shall live by them.” But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down from above) or, ” ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach):

1. Jesus is the end of the law for those believe. The law ends for the believer in the sense that our obedience to the law is no longer the basis for our relationship with God. The law has not come to an end in the sense of no longer reflecting God’s standard or no longer showing us our need for a Savior.

The Law of Moses makes the path to righteousness through the law plain. If you want to live by the law (find life through the law), you must do the law – and do it completely and perfectly.

But the righteousness of faith is based on Jesus, and we don’t have to “work” to get Jesus. It is not as if we have to ascend into heaven or descend into the abyss to gain Jesus. We believe and receive.

Suppose it were needed that somebody should ascend to heaven, that would imply that Jesus had never come down from heaven to reveal the Father. Conversely, should we descend into the abyss, as if Christ had never come up from the dead. The fact is, all that can be done has already been done. From the cross, Christ declared that it is finished.

Instead of having to go to great lengths to achieve righteousness by the law, we can immediately receive righteousness by faith, as trust in the word and the work of the gospel.

(9-13) How God’s righteousness is gained by faith.

“For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”

We gain it by confessing and believing in the person and work of Jesus Christ.  Confession and belief are surrendered  responses to what is revealed to us by God.

Confess with your mouth: Confession has the idea of agreeing with. We agree with what God said about Jesus, and with what Jesus said about Himself. It means we recognize that Jesus is God, that He is the Messiah, and that His work on the cross is the only way of salvation for mankind.

Jesus Christ is Lord. “If a man called Jesus kurios (Lord) he was ranking him with the Emperor and with God; he was giving Him the supreme place in his life; he was pledging Him implicit obedience and reverent worship.

No Jew would do this who had not really trusted Christ, for Kurios is the word used by the Jews for God. No Gentile would do it who had not ceased worshiping the emperor as Kurios.

We must also believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead.

Mere intellectual agreement with the facts of the cross and the resurrection is not enough. You must believe in your heart; and even that belief is not enough with accompanying action: confess with your mouth. Belief requires action.

We should not ignore how scandalously simple this is (whoever calls upon the name of the LORD shall be saved) and what an affront this is to any attempt to find salvation based on national or ethnic foundation. Paul makes it clear: There is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.

All who call upon Him – this includes the Jews. Paul is making an appeal to them. He wants them to return to the Lord.

Hearing. Faith comes by hearing and you have heard. Their sound has gone out to all the earth and their words to the ends of the world.

This might seem like an exaggeration: the gospel had not been carried throughout all the earth, not even to all the lands that were known to the inhabitants of the Graeco-Roman world. Paul was well aware of that; at this very time he was planning the evangelization of Spain, a province where the name of Christ was not yet known (Romans 15:18-24). But by now the gospel had been carried to most parts of the Mediterranean area where Jews were to be found; and that is all the argument requires. Yet, they rejected the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I’ve said this before and I will say it again, it is important to remember that the ‘book’ of Romans is a letter and that it is intended to be read in one sitting. The continuity is most evident when you read it all at once. If you just show up to Chapter 9 without knowing much about the author, the audience, or the culture, it’s a bit harder to see the logical flow and Chapters 9-11 will look like a sharp and unexpected detour.

Throughout Romans, Paul has used a question and answer (or rebuttal) framework for his teachings. In many instances, it’s very obvious. Here in Chapter 9, it may not be as obvious and if you miss it, you might derail the whole train. You might misinterpret what Paul is saying here.

That being said, there are about 100 different ways you can go with this passage but we’ve got to choose one path and walk down it. I prayed a ton about it and this is the road I feel led to take.

Two big things we need to be aware of before proceeding.

1. Paul is speaking of the unbelieving Jews in this portion of his letter. Those who rejected Christ as the Messiah. That is why Paul states, point blank, that Jesus was and is God.

2. The question or argument that is being raised in light of Point No. 1 is this: How can I be secure in God’s love and salvation for me when it seems that Israel was once loved and saved, but now seems to be rejected and cursed? Will God also reject and curse me one day? If God cannot bring His chosen people, His beloved people to salvation, how can the Gentiles know that He can save them?

The anticipated assertion by Paul’s opponents would be this. God’s plan regarding Israel has failed and the word of God has taken no effect. If ALL of Israel is not being saved, it’s because God failed. He didn’t fulfill His promise to Israel because they missed their Messiah and now they seem to be cursed.

In this chapter, Paul is going to assert that God has NOT failed His children of promise. Paul will say that it is NOT the case that the word of God has no effect.

Let’s start by looking at 4-6

Paul has a great love and respect for Israel. He himself is an Israelite. He says that the people of Israel have received adoption into God’s family and the glorious work and presence of God. The glory he is referring to here is known as Shekinah Glory. That is the visible ‘cloud of glory’ showing God’s presence among His people. The bible tells us that it was so radiant that it was nearly impossible to look at it.

I will quickly deal with a few more aspects of these verses.

Patriarchs – Their ancestry included Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and his twelve sons (he could also be referring to David and others found in the Old Testament).

Adoption – God adopted the nation of Israel as His son, the firstborn who would receive a promised reign and inheritance.

Here’s a little nerd study on the word adoption in the bible.

Greek word for child (or little child) is Teknion – generally used in the New Testament with reference to our birth into the family of God. It is the term that deals with our relationship as those who have been born of God, and therefore are a new creation.

The Greek word for son is huios – used in the New Testament with reference to our position as it relates to God. It is a term of position of rank, of privilege, of responsibility. This word is always used in combination with the word adoption.

The Greek word for adoption is huiothesia – it is a compound word using huios (meaning son) and tithemi which means to set, or put in place. An adopted person is one who has been put in place as a son. This word refers to the relationship that is put in place when a father invites a son into his family (this invitation is based on preference, the father chooses to prefer the adopted child over another).

What does Paul affirm about Jesus in verse 5? That He is God. This will be important later.

Look at verse 6. Paul says that they may all be descendants but not all of them belong to the promise given to Israel. They are all children of the flesh but not necessarily adopted children of the promise. The point here is that God’s promises were for those ADOPTED and chosen by HIM.

Quick little note: Israel is Jacob.

Here are two definitions of the word Israel. One is God prevails. Another is governed by God.

Let’s read it this way: They are not all governed by God who are of Israel. Paul is saying that not all of Israel is truly “governed by God.” Not everyone who is called ‘Israel’ is truly ‘Israel’.

Paul tells us that no one is truly Israel unless he is governed by God. We have a parallel situation with the word ‘Christian.’ Not everyone who is called a Christian is truly a follower of Christ.

So, God’s word did not fail because it still reaches His children of promise, which may or may not be the same as physical Israel. Paul demonstrates this by pointing out that merely being a descendant of Abraham saves no one. In Verse 7, Paul shows us that God’s promises for Abraham’s offspring would be through Isaac, not Ishmael, though Ishmael was also of his flesh.

Because Paul is dealing with the Jewish people, he cites the Old Testament – God’s word to Israel – frequently. We see a lot of ‘throwback’ verses in this chapter and the next.

There are a couple stories referenced here that you may already know but I will give a brief summary just so we can follow Paul’s logic.

Abraham and Sarah, Hagar (maidservant) and Ishmael.

Ishmael was a son of Abraham according to the flesh, but the promise was passed through Isaac (as God had foretold). One was the heir of God’s covenant of salvation and one was not.

Side note: Ishmael means God hears.

In Exodus we read “As for Ishmael, I have heard you. I will surely bless him. I will make him fruitful and greatly increase his numbers.” God did not reject Ishmael personally, we do not really know much about his personal salvation. God declared that Ishmael’s descendants would be Gentiles outside the chosen nation. This was not an act of cruelty for God’s ultimate goal in choosing Isaac was to bless the descendants of both men through Christ.

It goes on to say, “I will make him a great nation but my covenant I will establish with Isaac.” That was always God’s plan! We see that there was always a distinction between children of the flesh only and children of the promise.

Now, you could look at that and say, well, that’s because Abraham and Sarah went against God’s plan and Ishmael was the child of a servant so that’s why the covenant was not passed through him. So, in anticipation of that, Paul gives another example.

This time he uses Jacob and Esau. Read 10-13 This one is a little harder to understand. We see that God’s choice was not based on the performance of Jacob or Esau, the choice was made before they were born.

Let’s look at verse 13. I used to hear that or read that and think what in the world is going on there? The word for hated here is actually rejected. So that implies that God chose one and rejected the other.

He chose Jacob. He later changed Jacob’s name to Israel.

It’s not that God emotionally hated Esau.

All in all, we see that Esau was a blessed man (Genesis 33:8-16, Genesis 36). God hated or rejected Esau in regard to inheriting the covenant, not in regard to blessing in this life or the next.

A woman once said to Charles Spurgeon (a preacher and respected theologian), ‘I cannot understand why God should say that He hated Esau.’ ‘That,’ Spurgeon replied, ‘is not my difficulty, madam. My trouble is to understand how God could love Jacob.'”

That’s a proper perspective!

Our greatest error in considering the choices of God is to think that God chooses for arbitrary reasons. We may not be able to fathom God’s reasons for choosing, and He does indeed have reasons that He alone knows and answers to, but God’s choices are not willy-nilly. He has a perfect plan and a reason in everything!

Looking at 14-16 –

Let’s not miss something here in verse 15 (another throwback verse). Notice that God didn’t say I will punish who I will punish and I will turn my wrath upon whom I turn my wrath. He shows us some of His heart and His character here. He is merciful and He is compassionate. We all deserve death, wrath and punishment. Paul has stated this several times up to this point. Chapters 1-3 are all about ‘you need a Savior and here’s why’. We also know that we are saved because of God’s love and grace. He is not choosing who He will condemn, He is choosing who He will save. He chooses who will receive His mercy.

I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy: Remember what mercy is. Mercy is not getting what we do deserve. God is never less than fair with anyone (He is perfectly just), but He fully reserves the right to be more than fair with individuals as He chooses.

We are in a dangerous place when we regard God’s mercy towards us as our right. If God is required to show mercy, then it is not mercy – it is obligation. By very definition, mercy cannot be obligated, therefore, God’s display and election in regards to mercy is His sovereign choice.

Read 17-18

We should not think that God persuaded an unwilling, kind-hearted Pharaoh to be hard towards God and His people. In hardening the heart of Pharaoh, God simply allowed his heart to pursue its natural inclination. Because we are naturally inclined toward sin. Remember, we are the fallen ones and God, in His mercy, saves and redeems. Also, Exodus 8:32 tells us that Pharaoh hardened his own heart.

Verses 19-21

It seems that Paul is suggesting that to ask such questions is like hardening your own heart just because you don’t understand something about God’s sovereignty or character.

That doesn’t fly with a lot of people in this modern day and age. We tend to believe that we should have, to a degree, control over all decisions and access to all information which affects. We are naturally suspicious of authority figures who refuse to answer our questions, especially in the church. But, when we respond like that we are reacting according to worldly principles. God created us and therefore He has every right to deal with us a He chooses. If you need help dealing with that truth, ask God for help through prayer, seek truth and peace in scripture, ask someone to talk through it with you.

22-24

1. What if God: Again, the same principle from God’s dealing with Pharaoh is repeated. If God chooses to glorify Himself through letting people go their own way and letting them righteously receive His wrath so as to make His power known, who can oppose Him?
2. He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy: As well, if God desires to be more than fair with others, showing them His mercy, who can oppose Him?
3. But also of the Gentiles: And if God wants to show mercy to the Gentiles as well as the Jews (of course, never being less than fair to either), who can oppose Him?

Remember that we were all objects of God’s wrath and destined for destruction because of our deeds and nature. He has been treating the objects of His wrath with great kindness, tolerance and patience. Why? To make the riches of His glory known to the objects of His mercy. As believers, we have been both. That makes the wonder of the Gospel that much more beautiful. I was under His wrath, now through the cross I am reconciled. My God is merciful!

When Paul says that there are vessels prepared for destruction, we should not think that God has prepared them so. Those vessels do a pretty good job on their own.

25-26

Paul is supporting his point that the Gentiles, who formerly had not been part of the people of God, could be adopted into God’s covenant family, by virtue of God’s sovereign choice and call. That’s good news for us Gentiles!!

Quick note on Hosea.

As Hosea had prophesied (throwback verse), the 10 northern tribes of Israel (there are 12 total) were conquered and dispersed among the Gentiles (those who were not His people). However, God promised to bring them back from exile and restore them as His chosen people.

That’s what Paul is highlighting.

Here’s another nerd note. God told the prophet Hosea to name one of his children Lo-Ammi, which means ‘not my people’. Yet, God also promised that this judgment would not last forever. One day Israel would be restored and once again be called the sons of the living God.

27-29

Sodom and Gomorrah were completely destroyed in judgment. This quotation of Isaiah 1:9 shows us that as bad as Judah’s state was because of their sin, it could have been worse. It was only by the mercy of God that they survived at all. Sodom and Gomorrah were both totally destroyed, with not even a very small remnant to carry on. Even in the midst of judgment, God showed His mercy to Judah.

The merciful promise is clear: “But if only a remnant will survive, at least a remnant will survive.

Israel’s unbelief

Why Israel is in its present condition from man’s perspective: Israel missed the Messiah because they refuse to come by faith.

What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness.

1. Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness: By all present appearance, the Gentiles found righteousness even though it did not seem that they really looked for it.
2. But Israel … has not attained to the law of righteousness: By all present appearance, Israel seemed to work for the righteousness of God with everything it had, but did not find it.
3. What was the difference? Why did the unlikely Gentiles find righteousness, when the likely Jews did not? Because the Gentiles pursued the righteousness of faith, and the Jews pursued the law of righteousness. The Gentiles who were saved came to God through faith, receiving His righteousness. The Jews who seem to be cast off from God tried to justify themselves before God by performing works according to the law of righteousness.
4. (32-33) Paul emphasizes the reason why Israel seems cast off from God’s goodness and righteousness: Because they did not seek it by faith.

Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. As it is written: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”

1. Because they did not seek it by faith: We might expect Paul to answer the question “Why?” again from God’s perspective, and simply throw the matter back on the sovereign choosing of God. Instead, he places the responsibility with Israel: Because they did not seek it by faith … they stumbled at that stumbling stone.
2. Paul has already shown in Romans that the only possible way to be saved is through faith, not the works of the law; and that this salvation comes only through the work of a crucified Savior – which was a stumbling block to Israel (1 Corinthians 1:22-23).

b. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone: So, Paul shows that Israel is responsible for their present condition.

In summary, it was unbelief that separated some of Israel from the promises of God.  Those who rejected the Messiah, even after they had received the prophecies regarding His birth, death, and resurrection.  I believe Paul includes this section to provide further security for the Gentiles.  He wanted them to know without a doubt that NOTHING would separate them from God’s love, salvation and promises.  This is the same assertion he made in Chapters 7 and 8.  Hopefully that helps you see the continuity a bit more.

What should we make of the Old Testament law in 2017? Why is it that we still enforce prohibitions on homosexual behavior (as described in Leviticus 18-20) but we neglect the restrictions on haircuts, piercings and diets that are found in the same passages?

Ways to define “law”

• The entire Old Testament
• The commands given to Moses
• The legalistic distortion of the teachings of Moses (from John Piper)

Before we can discern how the law should be applied today, now that we are thousands of years from the day of Moses and living in a culture that is completely different than the one in existence when the law was given, we should look at God’s intention in revealing the law to the Israelites.

Here’s a brief look at some of the primary uses of the law.

1. To distinguish God’s chosen people from the nations around them. Got set Israel apart. This separation was made evident by several ceremonial observances. For example: what they were to eat or not eat; how they were to dress, etc. The intention was for the Israelites, God’s chosen and set apart people, to look different from the world around them. The outward appearance is not what made them different, God’s grace and promises toward them is what truly set them apart, but that separation was made evident by outward expressions, distinguishing them from the nations around them.
2. To restrain the power of sin and the reign of evil. We know that the law cannot eradicate sin but it was purposed to curtail it. For example: while a speed limit sign may not prevent people from speeding since most people will drive 65 or 70 in a 60 mph zone, few people will drive 90 out of fear of penalty.
3. To diagnose the sinful state of man. The law was to function as a mirror, revealing our sinfulness and how we fall short of God’s standard for righteousness. It was meant to make us aware of our need for a Savior.

There is a tendency among Christians who don’t understand these primary uses of the law to say things like “that was the old system, we don’t have to go by the mandates of the Old Testament now”. While there may be some truth to such statements, they don’t account for Jesus saying that He did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it!

On the other side of the fence, those who oppose Christianity say things like “the same chapter that condemns homosexuality also says you can’t eat pork, so if you had bacon for breakfast you are a hypocrite for opposing gay marriage”. Again, this is only a partial truth.  Jesus says that all food is clean, but He never removes restrictions on sexual immorality of any kind.

So, back to our original question. What should we make of the law today?  I think rather than dismissing the law entirely, or applying every aspect of it literally, we should effort to approach the laws of the Old Testament in a way that seeks out their underlying principles.  Here’s what I mean.

1. Study and familiarize yourself with the context and original audience to whom the law was given.
2. Identify the substantial differences between the original audience and the modern audience.
3. Identify the underlying universal principle from the instruction or prohibition that was given.
4. Consider this principle through the lens of the gospel and the teachings of the New Testament.
5. Apply the modified universal principle to your life today.

Here’s an example.

1. The Israelites had laws on how, when and if their hair could be cut.
2. In the Old Testament we see that visible signs distinguishing God’s chosen people from the nations around them were highly emphasized.
3. We know that the purpose for these restrictions was so they could be easily recognized as people set apart by God.
4. The New Testament teaches us that God’s people are still set apart but that the distinguishing factors are no longer defined by laws but rather spiritual sanctification.
5. Now we can clearly see that the original restriction is no longer applied because it is not our hairstyle that sets us apart as the people of God. The people of God are those who have received the gift of faith.

In summary, Christ has freed us from the penalties of the law, but we should not take that to mean that we are exempt from the moral boundaries and obligations found in God’s original intent. In Christ we are no longer slaves under the law but we are now sons and daughters under grace.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on faith and trials last night.  It’s fun to hear how one word can mean different many things to so many people, but somehow it’s all connected.  I also wanted to thank each of you for sharing your stories and thoughts over the past few weeks.  I am so blessed to be a part of something that is genuine, honest and fruitful.  Each one of you add a unique element to our group and it wouldn’t be the same without you.  I love what God is doing on Tuesday nights!!

We covered some challenging and interesting topics last night.  I am still thinking through a lot of them!

I think we all agreed that faith is something we receive as a gift from God.

Using Hebrews 12 I presented faith in the context of a race.  I suggested that faith is like a race toward sight.  God divinely reveals something to us and persuades us that it is true (faith), and that is what carries and motivates us as we run toward the finish line where we will see what was revealed in faith become sight.

I shared four thoughts on how we can ‘encourage’ our faith.

1. Be saturated with the word of God.  Romans 10:17 says, “faith comes from hearing, and hearing from the word of Christ”. If faith is a word of truth revealed by God, study what He has revealed!
2. Be set apart from sin. Hebrews 12 says, “let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith”.  Sin hinders our ‘action’ responses to faith and causes us to doubt our faith. 
3. Be dedicated to pursuing Jesus.   See Him as the one who will welcome you into the eternity He secured for you.
4. Be activated by the Holy Spirit.  Actively respond to faith.  Trust God and _____.  Whatever the Holy Spirit prompts you to do, trust God and do it!! Fill in your blank!

NOTES ON SIN!

In the next two chapters we will look at the battle between our sinful flesh and our new ‘nature’ in Christ.  I mentioned that I had some notes about defeating sin so I wanted to intro them here.  These are notes I wrote years ago based on a book I was reading at the time.

For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. Romans 8:13

Mortification is the process of  killing the misdeeds of the body. Our body, or our flesh, has an inclination towards sin; it is the un-submitted part of us.

First of all, let’s talk about what mortification is not.

Mortification is not the complete eradication of sin or the propensity to sin. It is the subduing of sin NOT the concealment of sin.

Mortification is not just becoming more calm and tranquil. It is not in your temperament.  Mortification is not the diversion of sin, so it is not legalism or judgment of those who do break the rules.

Mortification is not periodic victory.

That being said, what is mortification?

It is the habitual (steady) weakening of sin so that the power of sin is greatly diminished. It is the process by which the craving for sin becomes less consuming and by which you are freed from its control.  Though there may be a consistent battle with sin (maybe even daily) you experience frequent victory.

Know This!

1. Understand that mortification is the work of a believer. Only confessed and forgiven sins can be mortified. We are not defeating sin in efforts to impress God or to try to earn something from Him. Instead we are working with Him and His Holy Spirit to mortify our sin.
2. Mortification is a war on ALL sin. I realize that the thought of defeating all your sin may be a bit overwhelming. I think that’s why God shifted my direction and deleted my ‘list of sins’. We sin because our heart is not abiding in Christ as it should. Though there may be many branches to our sins, there are only a few roots. We should target those. When we get our hearts right we get our lives right. Refer back to Number 1. We are not working alone. God and His Holy Spirit are attacking this thing as well!

Preparing for Battle!

Sin is relentless in its pursuit.  Romans 6 tells us that it desires to reign over our bodies.  As believers, we must wage a war against the sin that inhabits our lives. Not by establishing a set of legalistic rules, but instead by taking an active and decisive approach to directly deal with our sin.

PUT TO DEATH, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed. Colossians 3:5

Here’s how we can do that. (Based on John Owen’s Mortification of Sin)

• Assess the dangerous symptoms of your particular sins. Is there one that your heart defends? Is there one that lingers or one that frequently over takes you? Is there one that only the fear of being caught or confronted scares you?
• Identify your sin and get a sense of the vileness of sin in general. Romans 6:16 says that sin leads to death. Ask yourself, “Where can this sin lead?” Where does this addiction lead? Where does pride lead? What has happened in you and around you because of this sin?
• Realize the weight of your sin like David did in Psalm 51. Let conviction (NOT condemnation) set in. Yearn for rescue and cry out to God for deliverance.

I am a witness that God will grant deliverance to those who not only ask for it, but who have become desperate for it.

• Next, consider the road that leads you to that sin. Don’t just look at the presenting symptoms, look for the source. What is the root issue? What is the process that gets you to that sin?

Look into your heart to see the roots. Pray and ask God to reveal them to you.

Consider the events that lead to this pattern of sin in your life. Are there circumstances that lead to this behavior?  Are they always the same?  Listening to certain music? Watching certain things on the television.  Reading certain books?  Being around certain people?  Spending too much idle time alone?  Believing lies from satan?

• Strike first! Temptation (desire) leads to sin. At the first hint of temptation, shut it down!

Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.  James 1:15

• Don’t let things linger. It is better for you to deal with it while it is small.
• Then, meditate on your personal weakness. Realize that you cannot white-knuckle your way to sanctification or to deliverance from sin.
• Finally, we wait for the comfort of God. After we have confessed our sin to God and to a trusted group of believers, cried out to God for deliverance, and after we have identified and pulled the roots of that sin, we allow our merciful God to comfort us. We allow Him to restore us.

Be killing sin or it will be killing you!!

 

Verses 1-4

In Romans 5:20, Paul writes, “Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.” In Romans 6, he asks, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?” Opponents to Paul’s assertion that justification is by grace, through faith, apart from works of the law would suggest that this ideology seems to open the door to rampant sinning. In fact, it seems to encourage sin because if grace is God’s act to forgive and accept sinners, then would not that grace shine all the brighter if we kept on sinning? The more sin there is, the more forgiveness there is, the more chances for God to show how gracious and merciful He is.

Doesn’t this teaching on justification open the door to careless living and indifference to holiness? Paul immediately answers this question with a resounding NO!!! We ARE DEAD to sin, how can we live in it? That’s his answer, simply stated. The rest of Chapter 6 will provide further explanation.

So.

Question: In what way are we (believers) dead to sin?

Answer: Verse 5 -“For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection.”

God establishes a union between believers and Christ, in a way that makes it fitting for Him to count Christ’s death to be our death. Verse 5 says we were united with Him with in a death like His. So from God’s perspective, our death has already happened. Christ died to sin, so we should consider ourselves dead to sin. This means that the justice our sin demanded (which is death) has already been supplied, once and for all, by the death of Jesus. His death has been credited, (or applied) to us through our faith.

Verse 6 tell us that our old self was crucified with Christ. My ‘old self’ is the me that was rebellious against God and His law, blind to God’s glory, and unbelieving toward His promises. When Christ died, God counted the old sinful me as dying with him.

Therefore, believers are commanded to become in practice what we are in Christ: dead to sin and alive to God.

At this point in Chapter 6, some might conclude that Paul is preaching perfectionism: that once you are saved, you will never sin again. While I do believe it is POSSIBLE that by the grace of God and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we can live a sinless life, I know that it is not guaranteed to be the case in our life. Not because God and the Holy Spirit aren’t powerful enough, but because our flesh is still present and weak.

The rest of Romans 6, and the next few chapters, will provide more explanation but here’s the best summary I know of: we have been freed from the penalty of sin (Jesus’ death has been applied to us, that debt is paid), we have been set free from the power of sin (our union with Jesus in His resurrection has given us new life and freedom from the strongholds of sin) and we will one day be free from the presence of sin (when we are fully glorified in Christ).

What happened to Jesus (historically)– and to us by our union with Him – is applied to us not all at once in its fullness, but some now completely (salvation), and some now progressively (sanctification), and all fully in the age to come (glorification).

We are not yet perfected in our daily, earthly experience. So, what are we to do with the flesh and sin that still lingers from our ‘old-self’? We war against it!

We have to see sin for what it really is: sin is a power, not just an act. When we realize that, we know what we are up against.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12

Verses 12-14

1. Verse 12: There is a throne or a position of authority in your life that must be occupied. Sin desires to rule your mortal body.
2. Verse 12: Sin is a challenger to the throne: It desires to make you obey its passions.
3. Verse 12: Our disloyal desires that linger from our ‘old self’ work against us (and the Holy Spirit within us). Our own desires can act against us, conspiring with the enemy and enticing us to be mastered by sin.
4. Verse 13: There is a good and true king who desires and deserves to sit on the throne and to reign in our life: God. “Do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments (weapons) of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments (weapons) of righteousness to God.”
5. Verse 13: There are weapons that can be used to advance the cause of the true king, God, or the cause of the pretender to the throne, sin: members (parts) of the human body. “Do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments (weapons) of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments (weapons) of righteousness to God.” The desires of the body are not sin in and of themselves, but are servants of the body and can be captured by sin, and made into weapons of the enemy that seduce us into handing over members of our body to become weapons of unrighteousness.
6. Verse 14: There is a constitutional authority in the kingdom: grace, not law. “For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”

So how do you fight and win this battle?

We will answer this in the weeks, chapters and posts to come but for now, I’ll leave you with this:

The battle is not merely a surface battle.  It’s not about just saying no to a list of unrighteous acts. The battle is far deeper than that. It goes beneath acts to desires. And it goes beneath desires to the power of sin. And it goes beneath the power of sin to union with Christ. And it goes beneath union with Christ to what Christ did in history on the cross for us, and what happened to us in Him (Romans 6: 3-11).

The big issue is not just what acts you do or don’t do or what desires you give in to and which you don’t. The big issue is Who is king? Who reigns in your life?

May it be God through Jesus Christ! Christ has made it possible for sinners to surrender to God with complete amnesty and all rebellion forgiven. Christ has risen with power over sin and death and that power has been, and will be applied to us. We overcome the power of sin by submitting ourselves to the rule of the ONE whose power is greater!

A synopsis of Paul’s teachings in Chapters 3 and 4 is this: he is preaching a righteousness that comes by faith, not by the Law. As though he wasn’t clear enough in Chapter 3, he devotes Chapter 4 to extending and clarifying his arguments. Paul spends Chapter 1-3 telling his hearers that there is no hope for justification in outward circumcision, the Law, ignorance, genealogy, or anything other than the grace of God, given by faith.

At first read, the majority of Romans 1-3 can be a bit depressing. Those chapters cause you to see your own sin in the mirror and to see the depths of the evil of all mankind. NO ONE is good. NO ONE seeks God. Not exactly words we’d want to sing loudly with hands raised during a church service.

UNLESS!!!!!!!

Since last Tuesday night I have been pondering the words: grace, faith, hope, reconciliation and justification. I doubt I could pay you to read all of my thoughts here on this blog post so I’ll just summarize them this way: He did it all!!

As I read through Romans 5 this morning, I took a highlighter and found each word or phrase that illustrated what our Triune God has done for us and all that we have because of Him. Here’s a glimpse from verses 1-11:

We have been justified BY faith

We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ

We obtained access BY faith into this grace in which we stand

God’s love has been POURED into our hearts

CHRIST DIED FOR the ungodly

God SHOWS HIS LOVE FOR US in that while we were stills sinners, CHRIST DIED for us

We have been justified BY HIS BLOOD

[We are] saved BY HIM from the wrath of God

We were reconciled to God BY THE DEATH OF HIS SON

Here is the truth of my condition APART from God’s provision. I am broken. I only desire to please myself. I fear man more than I fear God. I seek the praise and approval of man more than I seek the praise and approval of God. I am an idol worshiper. I have no power to uphold the Law of God. There is no good thing in me; nothing worth saving, nothing worth loving. I would step over anyone if it meant more for me. Envy and pride influence my every word or deed.

That’s what Romans Chapters 1-3 reveal about me. But that’s not all they reveal! These chapters reveal that there is a righteousness that I now possess. A righteousness that was given to me by God. There is grace at work in me that is producing the obedience of faith. There is a Holy Spirit in me that wars against my flesh and turns my heart towards the things of God.

Now comes Chapter 5 to show me how I have obtained all this. By no working or goodness of my own, but by the hand of God and the work of Jesus Christ.

My peace with God was secured by another. My debt was paid by another. My freedom from sin and death was won by another.  I did not and still do not deserve the mercy and salvation God extended.  And that is why I worship Him!

So yes, NO ONE is good. NO ONE seeks God. NO ONE is righteousness. It is the awareness and acknowledgement of these facts, combined with the realization of all that Christ accomplished for us through His life, death, burial and resurrection that reveals the extent of God’s love and divine intervention on our behalf.

Truly all I have needed, God’s hand has provided.

As you read through Chapter 5, I pray that you will be reminded of the FREEDOM and LIFE that was won for you.

What a great night!!  I truly enjoy getting to spend my Tuesday evenings with you ladies!  Thank you for sharing your thoughts and wisdom with me.

We were in Romans Chapters 3 and 4 this past Tuesday.  As I read and re-read Chapter 3 in preparation for our discussion, I kept getting stuck on Verses 19-20.  God eventually opened that passage up to me so I wanted to spend a little time unpacking with you all on Tuesday night.

Rather than going through the full journey again, I thought I’d share how one of you ladies summarized this passage.

 

The law stirs up resistance where the Holy Spirit doesn’t live and [where this is no faith]; rebellion weakens the law; [The presence of faith, the Holy Spirit and] Fruit of Spirit makes me DESIRE to do the law.

 

Paul uses Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 to show that the law could not save our souls from death.  Not even the Israelites (Jews) could be justified by the law, for like us, their flesh weakened the effect of God’s divine revelation through the law.  The law itself was not weak.  In fact it was perfect because it came from God!  However, the sinful nature of man refused to yield to it’s power and pursue what it commanded.

Praise be to God that a righteous apart from the law was revealed in the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Those who are in Christ have been justified, forever!  Now, equipped with faith, the Holy Spirit and the grace of God, we are able to uphold the law.

This is the perfect set up for what is to come in Chapters 5 and 6.  Since we have been justified and made right with God, we now have peace with God, life in Christ, and the power to conquer sin through the Holy Spirit.

Praying God will grant you knowledge and insight as you read the next two chapters!

 

HOMEWORK:  Show up next Tuesday with an answer to one or more of these questions:

1. What is faith?
2. How would you describe faith to a non-believer?
3. What is our role in faith?
4. How is faith expressed in love?
5. What does Paul mean when he says “the obedience of faith”?