3-7-2012 Vol. 6 Part 17 Book of Romans (Romans 5:12-21)

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Book of Romans

3-7-2012 Vol. 6 Part 17

Psalms 62:1-12 A Psalm of David. Truly my soul silently waits for God; From Him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved. How long will you attack a man? You shall be slain, all of you, Like a leaning wall and a tottering fence. They only consult to cast him down from his high position; They delight in lies; They bless with their mouth, But they curse inwardly. My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, And my refuge, is in God. Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Surely men of low degree are a vapor, Men of high degree are a lie; If they are weighed on the scales, They are altogether lighter than vapor. Do not trust in oppression, Nor vainly hope in robbery; If riches increase, Do not set your heart on them. God has spoken once, Twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God. Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy; For You render to each one according to his work. Father we praise you, we give you all the glory. We thank you for all that you do for us. We ask that your love and grace super abound within us and shine forth.  We seek your face and ask for your love and guidance in all we do. In Jesus name we pray!  Amen!

Romans 5:12-21 NKJV

This lesson explains the foundations of salvation itself, based on our identification with Adam in his death, and with Christ in His life. In these verses Paul presents all of mankind under the federal headship of two men, Adam and Jesus Christ. We will learn that man’s connection with Adam involved him with death and man’s connection with Jesus involves him with life.

12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—

Sin entered the world through one man, meaning Adam. When this happened, sin was transferred to all mankind. Did you know that the name Adam means, “mankind”! Did Adam invent sin? No, Satan was the original violator of God, but through Adam sin entered the world. Adam was the doorway for Satan to introduce sin to the world. Think of it this way. When sin entered the world through Adam it was like sin became part of Adams DNA, which has been handed down from generation to generation. Adam and Eve didn’t know what sin was, but along comes Satan and he persuades them to eat the forbidden fruit which God commanded them not to eat. Satan knew what would happen and therefore persuaded them to eat it.

Have you ever thought about how much God hates sin? Ponder this thought for a while. This one little sin of eating the fruit that God told them not to eat resulted in all of mankind being condemned with the sin nature. This sin wasn’t murder, adultery, or stealing like most people compare their actions to when asked if they are good. They never say no I’m a bad person because I lie, gossip, or use God’s name without meaning. Man compares his actions with the actions of other mankind to measure his goodness instead of using God’s standards. Just stop and think about this little sin as man views it, and then think about how God viewed it, and what the results were. Then think about what you say and do.

With this inheritance came death, two types of death, physical and spiritual, which Paul talks about in the following verses. Physical death meaning we will not live in this form forever, but we could have if sin wouldn’t have entered through Adam. Spiritual death meaning sin has separated us from God. So death is 100% guaranteed with no exceptions. The question being is, “Do you want to die once or twice”? The saying goes like this; born once (physical) and die twice (physical & spiritual; result Hell), or born twice (physical & spiritual) and die once (physical; result Heaven). A person does not become a sinner because he commits sins; he commits sins because he is a sinner! Through Adam we die, but through Jesus we live. 1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 1 Corinthians 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

13 (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.  14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.

These two verses are very difficult to understand. I have read numerous commentaries and here is what Paul is saying. Through Adam sin came into existence and through Adams sin death came into existence. Even though there were no laws to convict people of wrong doing from Adam to Moses they were sinning and death happened, both physical and spiritual. They had no idea they were sinning because they had no direct command from God telling them they were doing wrong, unlike the command God gave Adam. Verses 13 could leave one to believe that sinner that died between Adam and Moses era went to Heaven, but that’s not the case here. There were no laws, but there was the law of nature. In Romans chapter one it was discussed. This is what condemned the individuals to a spiritual death. Romans 1:18-20 NLT But God shows His anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.  19 They know the truth about God because He has made it obvious to them.  20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. So was anyone saved spiritually? Yes that was also discussed recently because God declared Abraham as righteous. Abraham and others lived by faith, and knew right from wrong because of natures laws.

15 But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man's offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.  16 And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification.  17 For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)  18 Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.  19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous. 

Verses 15-19 are comparing what Adam did compared to what Jesus did. We are linked to both as human beings in that we inherited the sin nature from Adam without choice, but we can obtain the free gift of grace through Jesus with choice. Through one many have died and through one salvation is possible. These verses are pointing out that the disobedience of one man caused death for many, judgment and condemnation, with the end result of eternal pain and suffering. But God’s gift of grace abounds much more over sin that results in justification and everlasting life, due to one man’s obedience. God’s love and grace can wipe away any sin. No sin is greater than God’s grace. God’s grace is a free gift if we come to Him and place our faith in Him. Jesus defeated sin and death for us. This is something to shout about, praise God almighty. 2 Timothy 1:10 but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,  21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

So every man is a sinner against God, stands condemned by the law, and needs pardon. The moral law showed that many thoughts, tempers, words, and actions were sinful, and left uncheck, sin abounds. Discovering our sinfulness we all of a sudden realize how wretched we are. It is like cleaning a room after dark and thinking it is clean, but only to discover in the morning with the rays of sunshine, we see all the particle of dust and dirt. Or as a sinner, separated from God, you find yourself standing in a deeep dark valley filled with underbrush, fallen trees, thorns, etc. You are constantly tripping and falling as you try to navigate and live your life. You can’t see well enough on your own to find a way out. At some point you come to realize just how bad you are in God’s eyes and when you realize that and ask Jesus into your life, the ravine is filled with the light that emits from God’s holiness. Now you can see to get out of that valley of darkness with God’s gift of grace, and once Jesus lifts you into God's presence, you are free to obey out of love, not necessity, and through God's power, not your own. You know that if you stumble as you climb out, you will not fall back to the bottom. Instead, you will be caught and held in Jesus Christ's loving arms.

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."

http://jesus-christ-spiritual-food.blogspot.com/

Bill

Last Week’s Trivia: We have made a comparison between Abraham and Isaac representing God and Jesus. What about Jacob and Joseph?

Answer: The answer lies starting in Genesis Chapter 37 & 42. It is very evident that Jacob loved Joseph a great deal more than his other sons. The love mentioned resembles God’s love of Jesus his son. Jacob thought Joseph was dead, but only to discover years later he was alive. Joseph provided life to his father and brothers; Jesus provides us eternal life.

This week’s Trivia: There are many messages from the follow verse, but one in particular comes to mind reflecting a message of a previous lesson. Can you figure it out? Genesis 39:5 So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the LORD was on all that he had in the house and in the field.

Verse List:

·         Psalm 51:5

·         Psalm 58:3

2-29-2012 Vol. 6 Part 16 Book of Romans (Romans 5:1-11)

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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."

http://jesus-christ-spiritual-food.blogspot.com/

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	·

2-22-2012 Vol. 6 Part 15 Book of Romans (Romans 4:13-25)

Note: To download/print the document, click on the above title and when the Google Document window opens click on the word "File" under the word Google.

Book of Romans

2-22-2012 Vol. 6 Part 15

Psalms 59:6-17 NKJV At evening they return, They growl like a dog, And go all around the city. Indeed, they belch with their mouth; Swords are in their lips; For they say, "Who hears?" But You, O LORD, shall laugh at them; You shall have all the nations in derision. I will wait for You, O You his Strength; For God is my defense. My God of mercy shall come to meet me; God shall let me see my desire on my enemies. Do not slay them, lest my people forget; Scatter them by Your power, And bring them down, O Lord our shield. For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips, Let them even be taken in their pride, And for the cursing and lying which they speak. Consume them in wrath, consume them, That they may not be; And let them know that God rules in Jacob To the ends of the earth. And at evening they return, They growl like a dog, And go all around the city. They wander up and down for food, And howl if they are not satisfied. But I will sing of Your power; Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; For You have been my defense And refuge in the day of my trouble. To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises; For God is my defense, My God of mercy. Father we praise you, we give you all the glory. We thank you for all that you do for us. We ask that you open our ears and heart to your voice. Reveal to us what true faith is so that we can reap a relationship with you that will fill our hearts with a joyfulness we have never known. We seek your face and ask for your love and guidance in all we do. In Jesus name we pray!  Amen!

When I read the above Psalm it reminds me of the following verses we have already studied. How about you? Romans 3:10-18 NKJV As it is written: "there is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one." "their throat is an open tomb; with their tongues they have practiced deceit"; "the poison of asps is under their lips"; "whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness." "their feet are swift to shed blood; destruction and misery are in their ways; and the way of peace they have not known." "there is no fear of God before their eyes."

Romans 4:13-25 NKJV

13 For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.  14 For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect,  15 because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.

To show that the faith of Abraham, on which his justification depended, was not by the Law, Paul proceeds to show us in the rest of chapter four that the promise God made with Abraham and his descendants was based on faith, and not on works/ceremonial laws.

Let’s look at verse 13 from a timeline perspective. This covenant God made with Abraham took place 430 years before any law was given, showing that salvation/acceptance with God depended on faith, and not on anything that we do as humans, which is works. Galatians 3:17  And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. If you remember last week’s lesson it was pointed out that Abraham was justified fifteen years before God instituted the rite of circumcision. Our salvation is by faith in God and what He has promised us, meaning, what Jesus Christ did on the cross for us. It is only by faith that we can accept the gift of grace from God. There is nothing else, I repeat, nothing, that we as humans can do, to get to Heaven. Anything besides faith, is works on our part and unacceptable to God.

Verse 14 declares that if we think we can keep the laws, perform religious ceremonies, and do good deeds/works, then faith is dead and void. Galatians 3:18 NASB For if the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer based on a promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise.

Salvation is impossible due to human works. We all know that we cannot keep God’s law, it is humanly impossible. Some people think they can do both, live by their concept of faith and also obey the laws whether God’s laws or the ceremonial laws (baptism, confirmation, communion, etc.) of the religious denomination they belong to. Living this way will get you nowhere. For instance, let’s say you go out and rent a speed boat, but before you can take it out on the lake, the owner tells you to fuel up the motor. He also tells you boat motors are special and you will have to mix up some fuel. He tells you the components are out on the dock. On the dock you find gas, oil, and water. Knowing that motors require all three components to operate properly and based on what the owner told you, you mix all three components and take off. Everything starts out ok, but the motor starts to sputter. It will take off for a second and then start to die. This goes on for a couple minutes and then the motor dies completely and will not start. By mixing all three components together and not understanding the effects of what the water will do, resulted in being dead in the water. This is the same with faith and works. Oil (faith) mixes with gas (God) resulting in us reaching our destination, just like our faith mixes with God and the result is His grace. Water (law/works) is not compatible with gas (God), resulting in us not reaching our destination, just like our law/works does not mix with God, resulting in us sitting in the middle of the lake and trying figure out what we must do to reach our destination (salvation). So faith is made void when law is practiced.

The law brings wrath. Just what does that mean? When people look to the law for life instead of to God; or when they look to the law for justification, they find instead that failure to keep the law makes them guilty, and instead of life they face death. If you try to justify yourself through law you have to keep the laws perfectly and we know no one but Jesus can do that. Even if we keep all the laws but one, we are still guilty and fall short of God’s saving grace. James 2:10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. Romans 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. So what is the purpose of God’s laws? Why do we have the law? To find that answer we must turn to Galatians. Galatians 3:19 What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed (Jesus) should come to whom the promise (promise to Abraham) was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. Galatians 3:24-25 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.  25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor (law).

16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all 

Paul explains that Abraham had pleased God through faith and only faith. Abraham had never heard about the rituals that would come into existence and become so important to the Jewish people. All people are saved by faith and nothing else. It is not by loving God and doing good that we are saved, or by faith plus love or by faith plus good deeds. We are saved only through faith in Christ, trusting him to forgive all our sins.

17 (as it is written, "I HAVE MADE YOU A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS") in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; 18 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, "SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE."  19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb.  20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,  21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. 22 And therefore "IT WAS ACCOUNTED TO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS."

“I have made you a father of many nations.” The key words here are, “made you”. God said this to Abraham when he and Sarah had no children, and they were past their child bearing years, but yet they had faith that God would deliver. It wasn’t until Abraham was 100 years old, about 25 years after God’s promise, that Isaac was born. Now this is what you call faith! Abraham believed what God said, and knew it would come into existence just like God created the universe. Hebrews 11:3 NLT By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God's command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen. This is why Abraham believed in what God said because all things are possible with God, and Abraham knew this. It didn’t matter if he was old or if Sarah’s womb was dead. Abraham knew God would give life to the deadness of Sarah’s womb and himself. This is also the faith Abraham had in God when God told him to sacrifice his son Isaac. Abraham knew that if he killed Isaac, God would bring him back to life, because God is the creator of life. God promised Abraham his descendants would be as numerous at the sand of the seashore. Hebrews 11:12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore. Hebrews 11:17-19 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,  18 of whom it was said, "IN ISAAC YOUR SEED SHALL BE CALLED,"  19 concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense. Abraham did not waive in his faith of what God promised. Abraham had no hesitation and no reservation in his faith. God’s ability was the foundation of his faith’s stability. This kind of faith is incomprehensible in modern times. If everyone in this world had a thimble of Abraham and Sarah’s faith, what a different world this would be.

23 Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him,  24 but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead,  25 who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.

These last few verses present the Gospel in condensed form. The dynamic faith of Abraham isn’t for Old Testament times, it is for all to grasp and apply to their lives. It is for the here and now and through faith in what Jesus did at the cross and that God raised him up we are made righteous.

Romans 15:4  For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.

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."

http://jesus-christ-spiritual-food.blogspot.com/

Bill

Last Week’s Trivia: What messages do you harvest about Aaron’s ephod?

Answer: I get two messages. One being we are to come before God on Sunday, dressed in our finest clothes that we own. Just read how splendid the garments were to be made, for Aaron and his son’s to wear when they were to go before God; Exodus 28:2-41. Second is to be dress modestly to hide our nakedness; Exodus 28:42, 43.

This week’s Trivia: Do you understand what these verses signify? Genesis 15:8-18.

Verse List:

·         Genesis 15:5, 6

·         Genesis 21:2

2-15-2012 Vol. 6 Part 14 Book of Romans (Romans 4:1-12)

Note: To download/print the document, click on the above title and when the Google Document window opens click on the word "File" under the word Google.

Book of Romans

2-15-2012 Vol. 6 Part 14

Psalms 59:1-5  A psalm of David, regarding the time Saul sent soldiers to watch David's house in order to kill him. To be sung to the tune "Do Not Destroy!" Rescue me from my enemies, O God. Protect me from those who have come to destroy me. Rescue me from these criminals; save me from these murderers. They have set an ambush for me. Fierce enemies are out there waiting, LORD, though I have not sinned or offended them. I have done nothing wrong, yet they prepare to attack me. Wake up! See what is happening and help me! O LORD God of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, wake up and punish those hostile nations. Show no mercy to wicked traitors. Father we praise you, we give you all the glory. We thank you for all you do for us and ask that you bless us and our loved one. We seek your face and ask for your love and guidance in all we do. In Jesus name we pray!  Amen!

Romans 4:1-12 NKJV

I’m going to change the formatting a little. Instead of stating the verses at the beginning, I’m going to state them at the beginning of each section so the verses are with the explanation instead of doubling up on stating the verses. I think it might flow better, we’ll see. Let me know what you think. Do you like it with all the verses listed together at the beginning and then listing them again with each section, or this way?

Verses 1-3: What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh?  2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.  3 For what does the Scripture say? "ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS ACCOUNTED TO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS." 

The Jews were proud to be descendants of Abraham. Since Abraham all the laws came into existence including the Mosaic Law that Moses received from God. The Jewish people put their faith in the law by trying to live by them. Every time something would come into question, they would take it to their leaders and they would discuss it in great detail and end up creating a new law or amending and existing law. Hmmm, boy does that sound familiar. Do you suppose the leaders of the Sadducees and Pharisees represent the Democrat and Republican parties back in biblical times??? As a result there was over 600 laws that the Jewish people tried to obey. No human being is capable of abiding by so many laws. We can’t obey 10 Commandments let alone 600. Our carnal flesh won’t allow us to abide by the law, so how can anyone think they can work their way to Heaven?

Paul uses Abraham as a good example of someone who was saved by faith. Romans 4:13 NKJV For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. Paul is not saying that God's law is unimportant but that it is impossible to be saved simply by obeying it. We have discussed that in previous lessons, and the whole purpose of God’s Commandments is to point out sin. It is to condemn us when we do wrong. It is to point out the righteous paths we are to follow throughout life here on earth in obedience to God. It is to lead us to salvation by the convicting voice of the Holy Ghost.

If Abraham was justified on the grounds of his own merits, he would have reason to boast, but that’s not the case here. To show this, the apostle appeals at once to the Scriptures, to show us there was no such record that Abraham could boast that he was justified by his works. Romans 4:4 NKJV Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.

Faith is uniformly an act of the mind. It is not something that is created and placed within the mind. It is not something that is created independently of the soul, and placed within it by almighty power. Faith is a condition in which men may be treated as righteous. Faith expresses a state of mind which demonstrates our love to God. It is affection for His cause and character. It is reconciliation and friendship. It is a state of mind that He is graciously pleased with, and leads to a promise of pardon and acceptance.

In verse three it states that Abraham believed God and he was counted righteous in God’s eyes. This was very hard for the people of Paul’s time to understand. For centuries they were taught the law and now someone was telling them all they have to do is believe in Jesus and what he did for them at the Cross. They were so involved in their laws they couldn’t see the simple actions and truth displayed by Abraham their forefather. This holds true today also, people get hung up on religion, rituals, doctrinal laws, denominations and lose sight of the simple thing called faith. I hear people say they have been raised in a certain religion all their life and they aren’t about to change even if they are wrong. The sad thing about these people is they may be practicing religion and not faith and the outcome will be spiritual destruction. Am I asking anyone to leave a particular church? Not at all, what I’m saying is read the Bible and seek out what you have been taught, and if you can’t find the answers to your questions in the Bible, then ask yourself if you are living by man or God’s standard.

Verses 4-8: Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.  5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,  6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:  7 "BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS ARE FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS ARE COVERED;  8 BLESSED IS THE MAN TO WHOM THE LORD SHALL NOT IMPUTE SIN." 

What is Paul talking about in verses 4 & 5, “he who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as a debt”? To put it in terms so we can understand, it means this. When we go to work at our job tomorrow our employer has a debt to pay in exchange for our services. We work and get a wage in return. What Paul is telling us is that we can’t do good deeds, be a good person, or what we think is good to earn the gift of grace from God. The gift of grace is given to us as a result of us believing in Jesus Christ and what he did on Calvary. Romans 11:6 NKJV And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work. Have you ever received a gift from someone out of love on a day that wasn’t special? Like flowers or tickets to a ball game out of love. It was given and received out of love. That’s what God does. He gives us His gift of grace when we believe and accept Jesus as our Saviour.

Psalm 32 is all about verses 6-8. The whole scope and design of the psalm is to show the blessedness of the man who is forgiven, and whose sins are not charged on him, but who is freed from the punishment due to his sins. Being pardoned, he is treated as a righteous man. God regards him as one who is forgiven and adopts the individual into his family, and is treated from that time forward as though he had not sinned. This person accepts the benefits of Christ’s atonement, and is no longer treated as a sinner, but as a friend of God.

Psalms 32:1-11 NKJV A Psalm of David. A Contemplation. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered.  2 Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit.  3 When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long.  4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer.  5 I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," And You forgave the iniquity of my sin.  6 For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You In a time when You may be found; Surely in a flood of great waters They shall not come near him.  7 You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.  8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.  9 Do not be like the horse or like the mule, Which have no understanding, Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, Else they will not come near you.  10 Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; But he who trusts in the LORD, mercy shall surround him.  11 Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous; And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Verses 9-12 Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness.  10 How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised.  11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also,  12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised.

In these final verses Paul explains to the Jewish people that Abraham was accounted righteous before he was circumcised. Paul has to point this out to his listeners so that they will realize what circumcision is all about and that it has nothing to do with being saved and complying to their Jewish laws. This also reinforces what was stated in previous lessons about the Gentiles salvation. Read Genesis 15:6 through 17:10 and you will see that Abraham was deem righteous before circumcision.

What did Abraham believe in? Did you ever think or wonder what Abraham believed in to be counted righteous? Abraham believed in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. God preached the Gospel to Abraham when He told him; Galatians 3:8 NKJV And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, "In you all the nations shall be blessed." This is a direct quote from Genesis 12:3 also. I’m sure there were many other things that took place that weren’t recorded, but here’s a couple more that are. Romans 4:18-21; Hebrews 11:8-10.

So how does circumcision fit in and why? Circumcision is only a sign of being in a covenant with God. It is like a Kings signet ring that verifies a documents authenticity, or an official seal of a dignitary like a presidential seal, or a notary’s seal validating a document. Esther 8:8 NKJV You yourselves write a decree concerning the Jews, as you please, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's signet ring; for whatever is written in the king's name and sealed with the king's signet ring no one can revoke." See additional verses in verse list.

Abraham is the forefather of the Jews, but he is also our spiritual father if we are saved and share in a relationship with Jesus through our faith in what transpired at the cross. Galatians 3:7 NKJV Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. Luke 19:9; John 8:33; Galatians 3:29

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."

http://jesus-christ-spiritual-food.blogspot.com/

Bill

Last Week’s Trivia: Why were there temples in OT times?

Answer: Have you ever thought about why there were temples in OT times and then after Jesus death the emphasis was taken off of them? Reason being is in OT times God would go within the Holy of Holies above the Covenant of the Ark to speak to his people. We know this to be true from reading the OT. Exodus 33:9 NKJV And it came to pass, when Moses entered the tabernacle, that the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses. When Jesus died on the cross for us the tabernacle veil was ripped from top to bottom signifying that it was unnecessary for a priest to make sacrificial atonement for peoples sins or communicate with God for them. All can go directly to Jesus and ask for forgiveness now and speak to Him. When we give ourselves to Jesus, our body becomes the temple for the Spirit of God to live in. 1 Corinthians 6:19 NKJV 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? John 14:16-17 NKJV And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—  17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. Hebrews 9:11-15 NKJV But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.  12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.  13 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh,  14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?  15 And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

This week’s Trivia: What messages do you harvest about Aaron’s ephod?

Verse List:

·         Genesis 41:42

·         Genesis 38:18

·         Exodus 28:11

·         Exodus 28:36

·         Exodus 29:6