Book of Romans
2-29-2012 Vol. 6 Part 16
Psalms 61:1-8 Hear my cry, O God; Attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been a shelter for me, A strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. For You, O God, have heard my vows; You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name. You will prolong the king's life, His years as many generations. He shall abide before God forever. Oh, prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him! So I will sing praise to Your name forever, That I may daily perform my vows. Father we praise you, we give you all the glory. We thank you for all that you do for us. We ask that your guidance be on the voters of this election of officials this year. We seek your face and ask for your love and guidance in all we do. In Jesus name we pray! Amen!
Romans 5:1-11 NKJV
This lesson points out some key aspects of being justified by faith. What has been stated in chapters one through four about our human carnality and how we tend to always drift back to it, has ended. If you haven’t come to grips yet that laws and religious rituals won’t save you, you need to go back and read the lessons and scriptures over and over until God reveals this truth to you. God doesn’t lie, what is stated in the scripture is God’s word and how we are suppose to live, not fabricate ideas we think are right. What kind of revelation do you thing Paul had when he was struck blind on his way to Damascus? Did he just disregard what was said to him? Do you think those three days he was blind he had a great battle going on inside of his head? You bet he did! Stop and think about how solid Paul was in the Jewish laws, rituals, and beliefs. Paul finally came to agreement with the voice within him (The Holy Ghost.) and turned his back on the Jewish laws, which many were manmade and put his faith in Jesus. You can’t have it both ways. Look at it from the perspective of prayer. You say you believe in God and Jesus, but when you pray you pray to someone or something. How do you think God and Jesus feel about this? It is like being married and when you have a sexual need that your spouse is to fulfill, you go elsewhere instead. This destroys your relationship with your spouse. It is called adultery. This is the same way it is with our relationship with Jesus. It is called spiritual adultery. Leviticus 20:6 NLT "I will also turn against those who commit spiritual prostitution by putting their trust in mediums or in those who consult the spirits of the dead. I will cut them off from the community. (The community being Heaven.) You say I don’t believe this because I have good things happen to me. What if it isn’t because of you, good things are happening, and it is because of people around you, and you just happen to be surrounded by the ones that God is blessing? Doesn’t God allow the rain and sunshine to fall on good and bad people? Something to think about, huh? The only way to Heaven is by turning our back on mans ways and committing our life totally to Jesus. Luke 13:24-27 "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open for us,' and He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know you, where you are from,' 26 then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.' 27 But He will say, 'I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.' So this chapter Paul starts to explain why we should be uplifted and rejoice by being reconciled to God.
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. If you place your faith in what God did for you by giving his only begotten Son to be a sacrifice for your sins, raising Jesus up on the third day, and taking him to Heaven, then you are justified by faith in God’s eyes. You then have peace with God and know the truth. The things Paul talked about in chapter one will become clear and you will be able to recognize how you offended God in your former lifestyle. Romans 1:23-28 NLT And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. 24 So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other's bodies. 25 They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator Himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. 26 That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. 27 And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved. 28 Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, He abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. God’s fisted hand with a gavel in it will turn to outstretched arms of love and you will be reconciled, and have peace with God through Jesus Christ. Colossians 1:21-22 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight.
Peace with God; What kind of peace are we talking about here? It is a peace that is hard to put into words. It is knowing that God is all of a sudden in control, it’s not having to worry about worldly things, it’s not being concerned about dying because you know you are going to Heaven when you die, it’s like an eagle flying high above without a care, it’s knowing you have been adopted into God’s holy family and the peace and love of Jesus enters your heart and you know why you are alive, the war is over.
2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Grace, what is this grace that we access by faith? Paul refers to grace in Romans 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. Grace is God’s riches to us. Grace is the unsought, undeserved, and unconditional love of God. Grace is God’s gift to us when we finally realize how wretched and sinful we are and come to Jesus in a repentant way asking forgiveness. Grace is a new concept of living for a believer to please God and not his fleshly desires. Grace is not living under law or religion to please man, but living by faith to please God.
Rejoice, Paul likes to use this word which comes from the Greek word, “kaukaomia” meaning to boast, in the sense of jubilation, exultant rejoicing, to shout about it! Normally for Paul, boasting is a sign of pride, where the sinner flaunts his independence of God, but in this case it’s a boasting of God and not about ourselves. Paul is telling us to rejoice; boast about what God has done for you by granting the gift of grace to you because of your faith in Jesus. Jeremiah 9:23-24 Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; 24 But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD.
3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. This life of peace that Paul has introduced us to is not a life free of tribulations. Tribulation comes from the Greek word, “thlipsis” meaning pressure; persecution. In other words being under pressure like apples or grapes in a press to extract the juice. This pressure comes from the conflict of two truths; the way we live as believers by faith in God’s enduring benefits, and the fallen world under Satan’s influence. Satan doesn’t like it when someone gives their heart to Jesus. He will do all he can to win you back to the world, his kingdom. Paul was under this pressure constantly. For space sake I will list some verse below of Paul’s tribulations. A child of God is talked about, jeered at, called names like, “he’s one of those Jesus freaks”, is call stupid, is told they don’t know what they are talking about, etc. Have you ever thought any of these thoughts about someone that loves Jesus and proclaims the Gospel? If you have, you don’t know the truth and live for the prince of darkness. Believe me, I know because in college I made fun of someone that was considered a Jesus freak. I was living for the world, my flesh, and Satan. Praise God almighty I found Jesus, and the best compliment someone can give me is to call me a Jesus freak, because I see the light and know the truth now.
As believers, it is faith in Jesus we rejoice in, even under tribulation, because we have that blessed hope that Jesus tells us about in Matthew that we hold tight to. Matthew 5:11-12 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
From tribulation to perseverance; Suffering brings us perseverance. In the Greek this word means “to abide under or stay under pressure.” We naturally want to escape the pressure, but suffering teaches us perseverance. The church of Smyrna was under tribulation, but Jesus told them to endure, even to death. Revelation 2:10 Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
From perseverance to character; By staying under pressure and standing fast, our character becomes refined like precious metal in a furnace. We become a light to those around us. We become trustworthy and people know they will get the truth from us. We mature in our faith. James 1:2-3 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
From character to hope; Character strengthens our hope in God and results in a steadfastness that will last to death. Whether death by natural means or by martyrdom. 2 Corinthians 12:9 And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Read these verses over a couple times and slowly. If you understand what John 3:16 is all about, then you know what these verses are saying. Do you see it? John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. The key words here is, “much more”. The expression is an illustration of the Greek idiom often used in the writing of that time. The thought behind the term is, “from the heavier to the lighter”. In other words, Jesus has done the harder thing in dying for you when you were His enemy. God put His love on the line for you by offering His Son in sacrificial death while you was of no use whatsoever to Him. God loves you so much He died for you so you would have a chance at salvation if you so desire. If He was willing to die for you in your sinful state, then won’t He pour out his love to you when you have a spiritual birth and become a member of His family? As a father, won’t He care and provide what you need while you are here on earth? The hard part is done, God is just sitting up there waiting for you to figure out why you are here on earth. When you do, and you give your life to Him, He will pour out His grace to you.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ,
for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes,
Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Unless you are Born Again, you cannot enter into Heaven, the Kingdom of God."
Bill
Last Week’s Trivia: Do you understand what these verses signify? Genesis 15:8-18.
Answer: Genesis 15:8-18 And he said, "Lord GOD, how shall I know that I will inherit it?" So He said to him, "Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon." Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. And when the vultures came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him. Then He said to Abram: "Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions. Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete." And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces. On the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying: "To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates—
Covenants was a contract or agreement between two parties. In the Old Testament the Hebrew word covenant is always translated berith. It is derived from a root which means “to cut,” and hence a covenant is a “cutting,” with reference to the cutting or dividing of animals into two parts, and the contracting parties passing between them, in making a covenant (Jeremiah 34:18, Jeremiah 34:19). In Genesis 15:8-18 only God passed between the two halves of the animals. This signified that God and only God would fulfill this covenant. Abraham didn’t have to do anything, but believe in God’s promise. That’s the way it is with the New Covenant, because Jesus did it all for us. All we have to do is believe in what He did, acknowledge we are sinners, ask forgiveness, repent (Meaning; turning from our sinful ways.), and ask Jesus to come into our lives and rule and reign within our hearts.
This week’s Trivia: We have made a comparison between Abraham and Isaac representing God and Jesus. What about Jacob and Joseph?
| Verse List: | Tribulation: | · Isaiah 1:25 |
| Rejoicing: | · Romans 8:35-39 | · Malachi 3:3 |
| · 1 Corinthians 1:31 | · 1 Corinthians 4:9-13 | · 1 Peter 1:6, 7 |
| · 2 Corinthians 10:17 | · 2 Corinthians 1:8-10 | · Job 23:10 |
| · Colossians 1:27 | · 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 | Hope: |
| · Colossians 3:4 | · 2 Timothy 3:11, 12 | · 2 Corinthians 4:17 |
| · Romans 3:23 | Perseverance: | · Romans 8:18 |
| | · Zechariah 13:9 | · |
