Book of Romans
4-18-2012 Vol. 6 Part 22
Psalms 66:8-20 Oh, bless our God, you peoples! And make the voice of His praise to be heard, 9 Who keeps our soul among the living, And does not allow our feet to be moved. 10 For You, O God, have tested us; You have refined us as silver is refined. 11 You brought us into the net; You laid affliction on our backs. 12 You have caused men to ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water; But You brought us out to rich fulfillment. 13 I will go into Your house with burnt offerings; I will pay You my vows, 14 Which my lips have uttered And my mouth has spoken when I was in trouble. 15 I will offer You burnt sacrifices of fat animals, With the sweet aroma of rams; I will offer bulls with goats. 16 Come and hear, all you who fear God, And I will declare what He has done for my soul. 17 I cried to Him with my mouth, And He was extolled with my tongue. 18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear. 19 But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer. 20 Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer, Nor His mercy from me! Father we praise you, we give you all the glory. We ask that you create a clean heart in us so that we can understand your words. Ignite our heart with a burning desire to ask, seek, and knock at your door for the truth. Put conviction upon us so that we will repent and ask you to come into our lives in a whole new way. We want you! We need you! In Jesus name we pray! Amen!
Romans 7:2-13 NKJV
Last week the discussion was on God and mans laws. How we can get caught up in living by law instead of faith in God. This week it is a continuation in the explanation of law, death, and life in a new way of faith, which Jesus brings to us.
Romans 7:2-13
2 For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. 3 So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man. In these 2 verses Paul is using an analogy of a marriage bond to explain the mode of life a believer is to live, in respect to law and faith. The woman represents a believer and the husband represents the law. In verse two the people were bound to live by the law until Jesus death. With Jesus death and resurrection the law died, they were set free from the law and were to live by faith at that point in time. Does this mean the Ten Commandments are dead? Certainly not, and will be explained more in the coming verses.
In verse 3 if a person is married to Jesus, but still living by law, they are committing spiritual adultery. In other words a person will say they believe and understand what Jesus did for them, but still live a life of religious ritualistic law and good deeds thinking they can work their way to Heaven. When a person puts their total trust and faith in Jesus, and denies mans religious doctrine, and starts living based on Bible doctrine, the law is put to death and a marriage takes place with a new husband, Jesus, and spiritual adultery is done away with. So what is your religious doctrine you live by? Is your actual lifestyle modeled after Jesus and how he lived? Example being; Who did Jesus pray to, God or mans idols? It was always to his Father, wasn’t it? He didn’t pray to manmade saints or his mother did he? Do you believe and live what is stated in God’s Word? If you attend a Bible Study do you use the Word of God or catechism of man? There are many people out there selling their books and publications to make a living. Some of it is good and backed up with accurate scripture interpretation, and then there is some putting out literature to make a buck. Be very cautious of this, because they will lead you astray. They are wolves in sheep clothing.
4 Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. Verse 4 is telling us that when Jesus died and was raised from the dead we are no longer to live a life based on law but on faith in God. Bearing fruit to God is putting our trust in Jesus, and with the infilling of the Holy Spirit that comes with being Born Again, to guide us through life and the keeping of the Ten Commandments, which was impossible with our own self efforts.
5 For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. Verse 5 is making reference to two time frames of life; one being of the Jews and Gentiles life before Jesus death and resurrection and our state of being before we have a Spiritual Birth. In these two states, life is lived according to the flesh which is referring to the sin nature. We are trying to live a good life, but our body members (eyes, ears, mind, etc.) give away to sin. Our flesh rises up and justifies our thoughts, words, and actions over law with the result being spiritual death.
6 But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. With Jesus death and resurrection we are delivered from the old way of life meaning a believer has the capability of saying no to sin, with the help of the Holy Spirit. The sin nature does not die in a believer, but a whole new way of life becomes evident in the believer with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The believer is guided by God’s Spirit, the Holy Spirit, and not mans spirit. With this new life a believer has the capability to recognize and turn from sin. Before this new life the persons flesh/sin nature would rise up and water and fertilize the temptation until the sin was carried out. A believer still lives according to God’s moral laws (Ten Commandments), but in a new spirit, new lifestyle, new nature because the old nature dies to sin.
7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, "YOU SHALL NOT COVET." As stated previously law is not sin. Law, any law is to point out what is right or wrong. It is a guide and how we are to live. We have moral, social, religious, traffic, employment, etiquette, neighbor, etc. laws. All tell us what is right and wrong, but eternal life is not found in any law, none what so ever because we try to keep them by means of self righteousness. Only faith in Jesus death and resurrection for the atonement of our sins is salvation found.
8 But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead. This verse is simply stating that without law you have no idea that you are doing wrong. With the introduction of the Ten Commandments or any law for that matter the sin nature rears its ugly head and the battle begins between doing right and wrong. The law brings forth all kinds of evil things to mind like covetousness, lying, stealing, etc. that was not considered wrong before the institution of the laws. Take society today, many people are not aware of the Ten Commandments, therefore they don’t see anything wrong with their lifestyle of promiscuity that offends God. If you see a sign that states, “Keep Off The Grass”, what are you tempted to do? Walk on the grass, right? Cut a corner short in order to step on the grass. Our sin nature that is embedded within us defies laws of any kind. The sin nature brings out the evil in us because it is evil. The sin natures roots go all the way back to Satan in the Garden of Eden. We have a connection with Satan whether we like it or not and that is why the sin nature has dominion over us, but when we repent and give our heart to Jesus the Holy Spirit takes up residence within us and gives us the power to defeat sin so that it doesn’t have dominion over us any longer. Now that’s something to SHOUT ABOUT! PRAISE GOD!
9 I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. This verse is referring to Paul’s life before he was converted to Christianity which is the same for anyone that has a Spiritual Birth. Before this conversion a person doesn’t think much about the Commandments and gets very little conviction when doing wrong and in some cases people may not even think they are doing wrong. Why is that? Because they compare themselves to other people around them or they have no religious back ground. No matter who you are or how bad a person is, another person can be found that is worse in the eyes of the beholder. Are you thinking and wondering how a person in these times don’t know right from wrong, if you are, then answer this. How do people whether it be a mother or a doctor justify murder when an abortion is performed? When a person becomes a believer, sin is revived in a sense that with the Holy Spirit living inside of them the Commandments come alive and the effects of sin is magnified. When a believer sins, the conviction is so great, he knows he has offended God and the result is death due to his failure.
10 And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. 11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. Here again Paul is telling us he thought he was living his life right and he would be going to Heaven by keeping the law, the Ten Commandments; but after his encounter with Jesus and his conversion to a life of grace by faith, the true purpose of the Law became so magnified that he realized he was deceived and was bound for Hell. The veil over his eyes was lifted so he could see clearly and this is so true for a new believe today.
12 Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good. 13 Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful.
The law is holy, just, and good. It is sin, our sin nature that deceives us. The commandments are to act as a mirror. They are to show us what is wrong and they do, but our sin nature jumps up and justifies what we are going to do and what we have done. The commandments have no power to assist the individual in fighting off temptation and the act of sin. There only purpose is to point out sin.
A person that is a believer, but has not had a Spiritual Birth gets very confused because they are trying with all their strength and might to live for God, but continually fails. They continually fall short in trying to keep the commandments. They can’t understand why they keep failing no matter how hard they try. The truth is no one can live for God in this manner, it’s not God’s prescribed order. The only way is by putting faith in what Jesus did on the Cross for us, then the Holy Spirit will take up residence within us to give us strength to fight the battle of sin. We need the Spirit of God within us united with our spirit in order to fight the evil spirit associated with the inherited sin nature.
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 Wiesbrock
Last Week’s Trivia: What does this phrase actually mean? He led captivity captive. Ephesians 4:8
Answer: To lead captivity captive, in scripture, is to subdue those who have held others in slavery, or captivity. In other words when a conqueror would triumph over his enemy he would lead his captives in a triumphal procession. He not only subdues his enemy, but he leads his captives in triumph. This was an early custom among nations.
This is what Jesus did when he descended into the lower depths and led those captives out. He defeated Satan by dying on the cross for our sins. Jesus was sinless, the unblemished lamb, the perfect sacrifice. This place was called paradise/Abrahams bosom. This place no longer exists, because Jesus led the captives out of there and to Heaven. I truly believe this is where people come up with the idea of Purgatory.
Ephesians 4:8-10 Therefore He says: "WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVITY CAPTIVE, AND GAVE GIFTS TO MEN." 9 (Now this, "HE ASCENDED"—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)
Matthew 27:52-53 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.
Luke 16:19-26 "There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 "Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.' 25 But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. 26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.'
This week’s Trivia: What does cataract surgery and being Born Again have in common?
| Verse List: | · Romans 3:20 | · Romans 3:23 |
| | · Romans 4:15 | · Romans 5:20 |
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