1-4-2012 Vol. 6 Part 8 Book of Romans 2:17-24

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Book of Romans

1-4-2012 Vol. 6 Part 8

Psalms 55:1-7 NKJV To the Chief Musician. With Stringed Instruments. A Contemplation of David. Give ear to my prayer, O God, And do not hide Yourself from my supplication. Attend to me, and hear me; I am restless in my complaint, and moan noisily, Because of the voice of the enemy, Because of the oppression of the wicked; For they bring down trouble upon me, And in wrath they hate me. My heart is severely pained within me, And the terrors of death have fallen upon me. Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me, And horror has overwhelmed me. So I said, "Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. Indeed, I would wander far off, And remain in the wilderness.  Father we praise you, we give you all the glory. We thank you for all you provide to us. We thank you for this mild winter we are having so far. We ask that you bless us with good health and a kind and loving heart. In the name of Jesus of we pray! Amen!

Romans 2:17-24

Romans 2:17-24 NKJV Indeed you are called a Jew, and rest on the law, and make your boast in God,  18 and know His will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law,  19 and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness,  20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in the law.  21 You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal?  22 You who say, "Do not commit adultery," do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?  23 You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law?  24 For "THE NAME OF GOD IS BLASPHEMED AMONG THE GENTILES BECAUSE OF YOU," as it is written.

This lesson tells us how it is possible to have all the right information and still apply it incorrectly and fall way short of a spiritual relationship with God. This lesson goes hand in hand with verse 13 in chapter 2 which states, “for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified.” In verses 1:18-32 Paul addressed the heathen, in 2:1-16 he addressed the hypocrites, and now in 2:17-24 he addresses the Hebrews/Israelites/Jews. Paul demonstrates that they are just as guilty before God.

Verse 17-20: Paul starts out by appealing to the Jews in who they are, what they stand for, what God has done for them, etc. His first statement to them is, “you are a Jew.” What does he mean Jew? Where did this name come from? Does it mean the same as Hebrew or Israelite? Jew originated from the tribe of Judah and came from the patriarch Judah. It was given to one belonging to the tribe of Judah or to the separate kingdom of Judah. It set this tribe apart from the other tribes. The tribe of Judah and Benjamin was preserved from the exile of captivity unlike the other ten tribes. Why was this, these two tribes were spared from captivity? The tribe of Benjamin was small in number compared to the other 11 tribes due to numerous civil wars they had with the other tribes. In fact the tribe of Benjamin was almost wiped out at one time. The first king of the Jews was Saul, a Benjamite. During this time and afterwards, a great alliance was formed with the tribe of Benjamin and Judah. See how this is starting to fit together? What tribe was the Messiah to come from? You got it, the tribe of Judah. Genesis 49:10 NKJV The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people. The tribe of Benjamin was so small they probably blended in with the tribe of Judah and weren’t considered a threat or worth bothering with. The name Jew would therefore be one that would suggest the facts that they were preserved from captivity, that they had received remarkably the protection of God, and the Messiah was to be sent to them.

Originally God’s people were called Hebrew, but after the exile, all of the twelve tribes were referred to as Jews. Are you starting to see why the name “Jew” came to denote all the peculiarities and special favors of their religion and they regarded it as a name of honor, and placed themselves above all others? Galatians 2:15 NKJV We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles.

In the New Testament there are three names used to designate these people:

·         Jews, as regards their nationality, to distinguish them from Gentiles.

·         Hebrews, with regard to their language and education, to distinguish them from Hellenists, i.e., Jews who spoke the Greek language.

·         Israelites, as respects their sacred privileges as the chosen people of God. To other races we owe the splendid inheritance of modern civilization and secular culture; but the religious education of mankind has been the gift of the Jew alone.

Getting back to the rest of the verses 17-20 it doesn’t leave much explanation as to why they were the way they were. After their exile they were all classed as Jews. This gave them all a connection with their highly respected ancestor Judah, and they prided themselves of this. The name Judah meaning, “praised”.  Having a Hebrew birth, they felt favored by God and could do no wrong. They had the Holy Book in their possession, the Pentateuch plus Psalms and Proverbs and other books up until Paul’s time. They had the truth in their hands and didn’t need to go in search of the truth elsewhere. They had the wisdom of God by means of scriptures that God himself gave them and no one else on the face of the earth had. They rested on Gods laws, they knew His will and approved of what the laws stated. They were instructed out of God’s laws from generation to generation. They prided themselves in knowing the laws which resulted in them looking in a mirror and seeing themselves as a guiding light to the blind walking in darkness. They viewed themselves as instructors of the foolish and teachers of babes since they had an in with God. All of these things that God granted to the Jewish people was to draw them to Him in a closer relationship, but instead the pride of human nature intervened. Zechariah 8:23 NKJV  "Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, "Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you."

Just in a couple verses Paul address the character of the Jewish people of his time, they were Jewish, they boasted about it, they had God’s laws, they viewed themselves above mankind, they believed they were the guiding light, they were confident, and they viewed themselves as teachers of the laws.

Verses 21-23: After building up the Jewish people and getting their attention, Paul turns it all around and starts pointing his finger and asking point blank question of them. We all know what it feels like to be lifted up, but then when the rug is pulled out from under us our tendency it to start placing the blame elsewhere and our temperature rises.

Paul knows they are well versed in the laws, but he asks them if they teach themselves. In other words he is asking them if they practice what they preach. Matthew 23:3 NKJV  Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. He is saying to them being book smart is good, but can you apply what you know? Evidently they were stealing and didn’t even realize it. Some examples of how they were stealing may be in tithing, or not giving to Cesar what tax was due, maybe borrowing something from a neighbor without asking, cheating God out of service, worship, and thanksgiving time that is due Him, etc. Some of these same things are still happening today, like tithing to a church, cheating on income tax, borrowing without asking, only giving an hour of time each week on Sunday, downloading things off the internet, or hooking up to a utility and getting free service. Paul is making this statement just like the following ones to get the Jewish people and ourselves to do a self check, examination of conscience in hopes of repentance.

Next Paul asks if they commit adultery. He knows they do and adultery was something that was common yet they preached against it and probably engaged in stoning of those caught in the act of adultery. John 8:7-9 NKJV So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first."  8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.  9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. Paul could also be referring to spiritual adultery meaning idolatry, covetousness, and apostasy in their relationship with God. Matthew 12:39 NKJV But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. What we do know for sure is that the Jews were committing adultery, both sexual and spiritual yet teaching that is was a violation of Gods law. Again I point out the fact that Paul is addressing the Jews of his time, but also our current time and how we live. Are we adulterers, sexually and/or spiritually? Matthew 5:28 NKJV But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matthew 5:32 NKJV But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery. Matthew 19:9 NKJV And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery."

Next Paul makes a statement that they abhor idols. Hmmmm, what does Paul mean? Wasn’t idolatry one of the main sins that separated them from God? Well it was before the Babylonian captivity, but afterwards they drilled home the fact that worshipping and praying to any person, place, or thing other than God was wrong and they had the proof of their captivity as an example. Since Paul couldn’t accuse them of idolatry, he skirted right over it and asked the question, “do you rob temples?” The KJV and the Catholic Bible I have state, “dost thou commit sacrilege?” Paul has them here because they were guilty. Sacrilege is the crime of violating or profaning sacred things, or of using them for common purposes and not what they have been devoted to be used for in a religious way. Paul is accusing them of a form of spiritual adultery. They were being abusive and withholding from God what was due Him. This the Jews did by going astray from the proper use and specifications of the offerings, and what they were designed for, God’s honor. They would bring sick, crippled, or stolen animals to be sacrificed, thinking God wouldn’t know. Malachi 1:7-8 NKJV "You offer defiled food on My altar, But say, 'In what way have we defiled You?' By saying, 'The table of the LORD is contemptible.'  8 And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, Is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, Is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably?" Says the LORD of hosts. Another example is how they were using God’s temple for something other than what its purpose was. Matthew 21:12-13 NKJV Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  13 And He said to them, "It is written, 'MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER,' but you have made it a 'DEN OF THIEVES.'"

Verses 23 & 24: The last two verses Paul points out to the Jewish people that they need to get their act together and to start practicing what they are teaching. They need to humble themselves and stop bringing disgrace to God by not being doers of the word. James 1:22 NKJV But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. Because of how the Jewish people were conducting their lives, the Gentiles were blaspheming God. They were probably saying, if their God is like them we don’t want anything to do with their God.

This holds true for us if we proclaim to be Christians. We need to practice what is printed in the Bible and not just read it like a history book. We need to be meek, humble, kind, loving, compassionate, gracious, etc. like Jesus is. I don’t know about you, but some of these lessons really make me look at my life and how I’m living, and sometimes I get conviction and have to go before God and ask for forgiveness. Many times I pray and ask God for help so that I can conduct my life in a manner like Jesus. So whenever we pick up the Bible and do some reading, we need to analyze what we are reading, and then go find a mirror and ask those hard hitting questions of our self, like Paul ask.

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 is myrrh and where does it come from?

Answer: Myrrh: This substance is mentioned in Exodus 30:23, as one of the ingredients of the "oil of holy ointment:" in Esther 2:12, as one of the substances used in the purification of women; in Psalm 45:8; Proverb 7:17, and in several passages in Canticles, as a perfume. The Greek occurs in Matthew 2:11, among the gifts brought by the wise men to the infant Jesus, and in Mark 15:23, it is said that "wine mingled with myrrh" was offered to, but refused by, our Lord on the cross.

Myrrh was also used for embalming. See John 19:39. The Balsamodendron myrrha, which produces the myrrh of commerce, has a wood and bark which emit a strong odor; the gum which exudes from the bark is at first oily, but becomes hard by exposure to the air.

(This myrrh is in small yellowish or white globules or tears. The tree is small, with a stunted trunk, covered with light-gray bark. It is found in Arabia Felix. The myrrh of Genesis 37:25, was probably ladalzum, a highly-fragrant resin and volatile oil used as a cosmetic, and stimulative as a medicine. It is yielded by the cistus, known in Europe as the rock rose, a shrub with rose-colored flowers, growing in Palestine, and along the shores of the Mediterranean.)

This week’s Trivia: Why do some denominations hold up their hands in prayer?

Verse List:

Romans 9:3 Romans 12:1,2 Luke 6:39 Isaiah 42:6 1 Corinthians 9:27 James 3:1

12-21-2011 Vol. 6 Part 7 Book of Romans (Romans 2:1-16)

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

12-21-2011 Vol. 6 Part 7

Psalms 54:1-7 NKJV To the Chief Musician. With Stringed Instruments. A Contemplation of David When the Ziphites Went and Said to Saul, "Is David Not Hiding with Us?" Save me, O God, by Your name, And vindicate me by Your strength. Hear my prayer, O God; Give ear to the words of my mouth. For strangers have risen up against me, And oppressors have sought after my life; They have not set God before them. Behold, God is my helper; The Lord is with those who uphold my life. He will repay my enemies for their evil. Cut them off in Your truth. I will freely sacrifice to You; I will praise Your name, O LORD, for it is good. For He has delivered me out of all trouble; And my eye has seen its desire upon my enemies. Father we praise you, we give you all the glory. Father I ask that you keep everyone safe this Christmas Season as they travel, and comfort those that have lost loved ones this past year. Father I pray that all keep you in sight this Christmas season and give you praise and thanks for sending your Son to us as our Saviour.  In the name of Jesus of we pray! Amen!

Romans 2:1-16

Romans 2:1-16 NKJV Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.  2 But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things.  3 And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?  4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?  5 But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,  6 who "WILL RENDER TO EACH ONE ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS":  7 eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality;  8 but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath,  9 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek;  10 but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.  11 For there is no partiality with God.  12 For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law  13 (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified;  14 for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves,  15 who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them)  16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.

Wow! Paul really laid it out for us in chapter one. He not only told us what sin is, but also told us we have no excuse for not knowing who God is and right from wrong. The knowledge of right and wrong is deep within us and it is up to us to determine what path to take in life. We can take the path of our own human nature and end up in Hell for eternity or the path of salvation that God has provided for us through the blood of Jesus Christ and spend eternity in Heaven. Starting out in chapter two we will learn of God’s judgment and that He shows no partiality, He’s righteously just, gives us warning, and that He hasn’t changed from the beginning of time. Paul points out the Jewish and Gentile people are equal in God’s eyes when it comes to judgment, even though the Jewish people of that time believed their salvation was guaranteed being a Jew. It is the same today that some denominations believe they are the true religion and guaranteed passage into Heaven. As I have stated in the past, there is only one way into Heaven and that is by Spiritual Birth, being Born Again. No religion on planet earth can guarantee a ticket to Heaven. It is only through believing in what Jesus did on the Cross, admitting you’re a sinner, confessing our sins to Jesus and asking forgiveness, repenting by making a commitment to sin no more, ask Jesus to come and live in our heart, and take control of our life. In the first 16 verses of chapter 2, Paul points out six principles that provides the foundation of judgment for the religious moralizers and hypocrites who consider themselves above judgment.

Verse 1: Point one being “reality”; What verse one boils down to is that we are quick to see the wrong in our neighbors, but yet we do the same thing and don’t realize it. It is that double standard we often times have. Do as I say and not as I do. For those of us that have raise children, we have all fallen victim to hypocrisy. For instance, who has allowed a teenager to go out and as they are walking out the door tell them no drinking or smoking, but yet we may have that vise. This is what the Pharisees were doing. They thought they were better than the Gentiles being of a Jewish heritage and would have favor with God, but Paul is telling them and us we are all judged by one standard, that being, God’s standard not man’s.

Verses 2 & 3: Point two being “integrity”; God expects us to view others as He does, with integrity and a truthful standard. If we view others based on mans rules and regulations we are only kidding ourselves. What truth lies in mans doctrine and what purpose does it serve? For example; a person uses God’s name in vain. Modern society doesn’t think anything about it anymore. It is an accepted way of life. I ask this question then, at some point in time, who’s standard will that person be judged by, man’s or God’s? What truth lies in man’s standard? God’s word is very clear on who’s standard will be used when we stand before Him. 1 Corinthians 4:5 NKJV Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one's praise will come from God. Romans 3:4; Psalm 9:7,8.

Verses 4 & 5: Point three being “opportunity”; Paul is speaking of God’s kindness and patience toward us, but our stiff necks and hard hearts keeps us at a distance from God. We need to recognize what goes on in our lives is not because of what we think and do, it is because of the will of God. In his kindness, God holds back his judgment, giving us time to turn from our sin. It is easy to mistake God's patience for approval of the wrong way we are living. Self-evaluation is difficult, and it is even more difficult to bring ourselves to God and let him tell us where we need to change. Unfortunately, we are more likely to be amazed at God's patience with others than humbled at his patience with us. Although God does not usually punish us immediately for sin, his eventual judgment is certain. We don't know exactly when it will happen, but we know that no one will escape that final encounter with the Creator.  John 12:48; Revelation 20:11-15. We need to take the opportunity repent and turn to him.

Verses 6-10: Point four being “morality”; God will render to every man just judgment according to his deeds. His deeds meaning his character, his inner being, what is truly in our hearts that is displayed by our words, thoughts, and actions. The things we hold as secrets in our minds, the things we do when no one else is around, the things we fantasize about, the things we think about other people, but never say, the grudges we hold, the unforgiveness we can’t let go of. God sees all of these things. We can hide these things from humans, but not from God and it will all be revealed at some point in time. God’s wrath will be poured out on those that are self seeking and deny the truth.

Eternal life will be given to those who patiently preserver in seeking God to do His will, to give Him glory and honor by putting on immorality and keeping His law because of what is in their heart. It is living God’s word and not just knowing it. It is obeying God and wanting to do good to please God, and not doing something because you feel you should. It is being Christ like and the love for God and mankind, that drives your thoughts and actions from deep within your heart.

Verses 11-15: Point five being “impartiality”; Verse 11 “For there is no partiality with God,” should strike fear in all. God is just and judges us on a balanced scale, his scale. It doesn’t matter what sin we commit in God’s eyes, sin is sin. There is no such thing as big or little sin in God’s eyes. Only we humans have the standard of big and little sins. That is how we justify our actions. God will not be won or awed by a person’s rank or function; by their wealth or endowments; by their numbers, their power, or their robes of royalty and splendor. This thought alone should cause man to seek a refuge in the Saviour without delay. 1 John 2:1-2 NKJV My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.  2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

People are condemned not for what they don't know, but for what they do with what they do know. James 1:22 NKJV But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. Those who know God's written Word and his law will be judged by them. Those who have never seen a Bible still know right from wrong, and they will be judged because they violated those standards that their own consciences dictated. God's moral law is within them, it is part of their DNA. For example, all cultures prohibit murder, and yet in all societies that law has been broken. We belong to a stubborn, sinful race. We know what is right, but we insist on doing what is wrong. It is not enough to know what is right; we must also do it. So it doesn’t matter, if you know the Bible or have never picked one up to read, God’s law is within us and we will be judge by his laws. We as human beings are incapable of living our lives in sinless perfection, only Jesus was capable of doing that because He is the Son of God. This is why we need a Saviour and admitting to yourself and to God that you frequently fail to live up to your own standards, much less to God's standards, is the first step to forgiveness and healing.

Verses 11-15: Point 6 being, “certainty”; In verse 16 Paul tells us we will be judged by Jesus according to his Gospel, and all our secrets will be displayed. How will our sinful secrets be displayed? Could it be like this? We are all seated in an enormous theater, the screen is so big you can’t even imagine one that big. Then someone is called forward and their name is announced for all to hear. The lights go dim and the movie begins. All of your sinful deeds flash before all to see. Then there is a sigh from all that are watching, because they all know what the verdict will be in Jesus eyes, “GUILTY”, and he will point to the gates of Hell.

It is because of our sinful nature that God made it possible for His Son to take on human flesh and be born for all. This is why we celebrate Christmas. Without Jesus birth and Him dying on the cross for us we would all go to Hell. Jesus is our Saviour and our only hope of going to Heaven. You have to confess your sins to Jesus, repent of your sins, and ask Jesus into your heart in order to defeat sin and be justified. If you haven’t asked Jesus to come into your heart yet, do it today, it is the season.

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: Where does Frankincense come from?

Answer: Frankincense is a vegetable resin, brittle, glittering, and of a bitter taste, used for the purpose of sacrificial fumigation. (Exodus 30:34-36 NKJV And the LORD said to Moses: "Take sweet spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, and pure frankincense with these sweet spices; there shall be equal amounts of each.  35 You shall make of these an incense, a compound according to the art of the perfumer, salted, pure, and holy.  36 And you shall beat some of it very fine, and put some of it before the Testimony in the tabernacle of meeting where I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you.) It was called frank because of the freeness with which, when burned, it gives forth its odor. It burns for a long time, with a steady flame. It is obtained by successive incisions in the bark of a tree called Arbor thuris. The first incision yields the purest and whitest resin, while the product of the after incisions is spotted with yellow, and loses its whiteness altogether as it becomes old.

This week’s Trivia: What is myrrh and where does it come from?

12-14-2011 Vol. 6 Part 6 Book of Romans (Romans 1:24-32)

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

12-14-2011 Vol. 6 Part 6

Psalms 53:1-6 NKJV To the Chief Musician. Set to "Mahalath." A Contemplation of David. The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity; There is none who does good. God looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God. Every one of them has turned aside; They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not one. Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge, Who eat up my people as they eat bread, And do not call upon God? There they are in great fear Where no fear was, For God has scattered the bones of him who encamps against you; You have put them to shame, Because God has despised them. Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When God brings back the captivity of His people, Let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.  Father we praise you, we give you all the glory. Father touch our hard hearts and give us a thimble of the love you have for us, so that we can display that enduring love to all around us during this Christmas season. Father I pray that all keep you in sight this Christmas season and give you praise and thanks for sending your Son to us as our saviour.  In the name of Jesus of Nazareth we pray! Amen!

Romans 1:24-32

Romans 1:24-32 NKJV Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves,  25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.  26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature.  27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.  28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;  29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers,  30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,  31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful;  32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

Verse 24-25: What do you think about the statement Paul made, “God gave them up”? Do you think God does this? Does man reach a point of no return in his sinfulness? I thought God was infinitely gracious and forgiving? The answer is yes to both statements. God does turn his back on us and allows us to wallow around in our human estate of the sin nature, but when we come to our senses, He is sure to be there and forgive us and shower us with his grace. Why would God give us up? Could it be we think we know best, is it our arrogance, our idolatry, our immorality, our pride, our not giving God the worship, praise, thanks, and glory that He deserves? In reading the Old Testament God did this many times to the Israelites. When they would start murmuring against God, He would turn them over to their own wickedness, but always take them back when they realized they had forsaken Him, although in some instances God purged the wicked from the tribe as a way of punishing those responsible and putting fear in those remaining. The following verses tell of a time when God’s wrath was poured out. Not only Korah perished, but his men, their families, and another 250 people. Open your Bibles to Numbers Chapter 16 to read about it. Numbers 16:30-32 NKJV  But if the LORD creates a new thing, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the pit, then you will understand that these men have rejected the LORD."  31 Now it came to pass, as he finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart under them,  32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men with Korah, with all their goods.

Going on with verse 24 above it states, “uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves”. God turns people over to the lusts of their hearts when they turn their backs on Him, and then they start to spiral downward. Open your Bibles up to verse 18 and start reading the progression of sin. It starts out with people not worshipping the one and only true God, which is idolatry. It states that the evidence of God is all around us, yet we don’t recognize God’s creation. So we are the ones that start this progression of sin and God then abandons us. Our minds become dark and confused and we exchange the truth about God for a lie. We make images like people, animals, birds, etc. to worship, and then God turns us over to our desires, and immorality sets in. In this dark confused state man starts to worship and serve what God created and not Him, the creator of all things. 

Why do you suppose sexual immorality is listed before the lists in verses 29-31? Is it that call of the wild that is within our human nature? Is it the part of God’s command, “be fruitful and multiply”? I don’t know, but if you take a few minutes and think about it, we are surrounded by sexuality. Sex sells, just listen to or look at advertisements, TV programs, movies, etc. After thinking about this for a few minutes I have to agree that idolatry gives birth to immorality, sexual immorality. What do you think?

God does not cause this steady progression toward evil. Rather, when people reject him, he allows them to live as they choose. God gives them over to, or permits them to experience the natural consequences of their sin. Once caught in the downward spiral, no one can pull himself or herself out. Sinners must trust Jesus Christ alone to deliver them from destruction.

Verses 26 & 27: What is stated in these two verses has been in the news media a lot over the past few years. Here is what we need to keep in mind, Jesus loves the person, but hates the sin of the person, it is the love of benevolence that we need to practice when it comes to homosexuality. No other place in God’s word is it so clear that lesbianism and homosexuality are wrong and the results will be Hell for those that practice it. To put these two verses in layman’s terms; ….women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men…. How can anyone dispute these words? The key word for both verses is the word “natural”. All we can do for these people that live this type of lifestyle is tell them what God’s word says with love and grace and then pray, pray, pray for them. Verses 26, 27, 32, & Jude 1:7 is all you need to witness to these individuals.

The last phrase in verse 27 states, “and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due”. Does this phrase mean Hell or could it be referring to a venereal disease? I tend to think it is referring to disease since verse 32 speaks of dying, meaning Hell. So is this why we have Aids?

Verses 28 – 31: These verses list a multitude of sin that results when a person chooses a life without God. Since Dr. David Jeremiah defines them so well in his study guide I will just quote them. They are divided into five categories:

Words that Describe Shameful Human Character

·         Unrighteousness; This is a word which means injustice (as used in verse 18). The concept of injustice would have resonated with the Romans, who built their empire by means of their unjust treatment of others.

·         Wickedness; This word is used for depravity, iniquity, and evil purposes and desires. It stands for the general inclination to evil that reigned among the heathen and made them practice and take pleasure in their vicious actions.

·         Covetousness; Sometimes translated by the word greed, it is the desire always to have more. It is the lust to advance oneself at the expense of others.

·         Maliciousness; A disposition to injury and revenge, a deliberate desire to do harm to other people. It is wickedness that is not ashamed to break the laws, a vicious disposition.

·         Full of envy; Envy is a byproduct of greed but it goes beyond greed in evil. It is jealousy over the fact that other people have more than we do.

·         Deceit; This word in the Greek means "fish bait" and ultimately came to mean to lure, to ensnare, to beguile, to deceive.

·         Evil-mindedness; The lexicon translates it "bad character, depravity of heart and life, malignant subtlety, malicious craftiness." It is a desire to hurt and take pleasure in doing so.

·         Haters of God; The Bible says that the carnal mind is enmity against God (Romans 8:7). Wicked man hates God's holiness, His justice, and His sovereignty.

·         Violent; Injury, insolence, and insult. It could apply to the hissings of a mob even against the most dignified of persons.

·         Proud; A reference to arrogance and haughtiness. Having a high opinion of oneself and filled with contempt for others.

·         Undiscerning; Without understanding or discernment. Such persons were not ignorant in the things of the world, but when it came to the things of God, they were unintelligent and stupid.

·         Unloving; Sometimes translated "without natural affection." This concept is illustrated in the mother who abandons her child or the father who abandons his family.

·         Untrustworthy; The breaking of solemn engagements that have been ratified by oaths and ceremonies; covenant breakers, whether public or private, between individuals or nations.

·         Unmerciful; To be without any compassion. To be unable and unwilling to feel for the distresses of others. An example in the Roman world were the coliseums in which gladiators fought to the death to the audience's delight.

Words that Describe Shameful Human Conduct

·         Murder; This word frequently appears next to the word envy. In fact the two words look very much alike in the Greek language. There is only a breath, an impulse, between envy and murder. According to the apostle John, Cain murdered Abel "Because his works were evil and his brother's works righteous" (1 John 3:12).

·         Disobedient to parents; This is a violation of the fifth commandment, but it is also the violation of a law written in the hearts of the heathen as seen in the natural love of children for their parents. Disregard of parents by children is a disregard for this natural law of relationship (Ephesians 6:2; 2 Timothy 3:1-2).

Words that Describe Shameful Human Conversation

·         Strife; Translated in some texts by the word "quarrelsome." It is debate that has gone sour; wrangling in its ugliest sense.

·         Whisperers; Represents the kind of evil-speaking that is done in secret; sowing divisions. It is one of the most evil sins of the tongue because the whisperer often escapes the conviction of falsehood and the accused has no means of defending himself against the secret accusation.

·         Backbiters; A reference to those who take pleasure in scandalizing their neighbors. Unlike the whisperers, the backbiters do not hesitate to make their accusations in public!

·         Boasters; Ostentatious people who claim for themselves more than is just. An action that results from a feeling of personal superiority or undeserved self-confidence.

Words that Describe Shameful Human Concepts

·         Inventors of evil things; Inventors of unlawful pleasures and all kinds of additional evils.

Words that Describe Shameful Human Companionships

·         In verse 32 Paul says that those who consent to the practice of sin are as guilty as those who commit the sin. Anyone that encourage others to sin are also guilty of sin.

Paul says that man's character, his conduct, his conversation, his concepts, and his companionships have all been corrupted by his rejection of God.

At the close of Romans 1, we see what Paul meant in verse 18 when he said that "the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness." God's wrath is His judicial abandonment of wicked people. Romans 1 depicts the life we are living here on earth, will be the life we live for eternity. The question is will that eternal life be one of glory, or one of torment?

We have seen what we would be without the grace of God, and the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ for our sins. No wonder Paul felt a debt to share with the Romans the wonderful message that had so radically changed his own life! Paul says that God abandons man in three areas: idolatry, immorality, and iniquity. The natural consequences of man's choices in these areas lead him ultimately away from God. God cannot take up residence in our body that is a temple if we indulge in sin. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 NKJV  16  Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?  17  If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

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 do you think the word “Acts” could represent?

Answer: Answer: ACTS of the Apostles embrace:

A = Adoration of Jesus Christ

C = Confession of sin

T = Thankfulness of Jesus saving power

S = Supplication to our Father’s grace

This week’s Trivia: Where does Frankincense come from?

12-7-2011 Vol. 6 Part 5 Book of Romans (Romans 1:18-23)

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Book of Romans

12-7-2011 Vol. 6 Part 5

Psalms 52:1-9 NKJV Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man? The goodness of God endures continually. Your tongue devises destruction, Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. You love evil more than good, Lying rather than speaking righteousness. Selah You love all devouring words, You deceitful tongue. God shall likewise destroy you forever; He shall take you away, and pluck you out of your dwelling place, And uproot you from the land of the living. Selah The righteous also shall see and fear, And shall laugh at him, saying, "Here is the man who did not make God his strength, But trusted in the abundance of his riches, And strengthened himself in his wickedness." But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever. I will praise You forever, Because You have done it; And in the presence of Your saints I will wait on Your name, for it is good. Father we praise you, we give you all the glory. Father open our ears, eyes, mind, and heart so we can recognize the things in our lives that we put above you, so that we can repent and put them in the proper order. This way we can truly worship you and only you that deserves glory and praise. In the name of Jesus of Nazareth we pray! Amen!

Romans 1:18-23

Romans 1:18-23 NKJV  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,  19  because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.  20  For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,  21  because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.  22  Professing to be wise, they became fools,  23  and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

In our last lesson we learned about the righteousness of God and the only way to Heaven is placing our Faith in what Jesus did on the Cross for us. Paul tells us that in; Romans 1:18 NKJV  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, and again in; Romans 3:22-23 NKJV  even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference;  23  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Between these two verses Paul tells us that we are all guilty of sin and need to put our faith in Jesus if we want to go to Heaven to be with Him.

Verses 18 – 20: So in this and future lessons we will learn about the unbeliever and those that have never heard about Jesus. We will learn the answer to an often asked question by many people. That question is; What happens to those that die and have never heard about, or been told about Jesus? In the following verses we will learn about who, meaning all are guilty:

·         The heathen are guilty; Romans 1:18 – 32 (Heathen refers to a pagan; a Gentile; one who worships idols, or is unacquainted with the true God.)

·         The hypocrites are guilty; Romans 2:1 – 16

·         The Hebrews are guilty; Romans 2:17 – 3:8

·         All have sinned and are guilty; Romans 3:9,10,23

The wrath of God is defined as violent anger; vehement exasperation; indignation; vengeance. The Greek work for wrath is “orge”, not a sudden or arbitrary anger of passion, but a consistent indignation based on a holy and righteous standard, God’s standard. God’s wrath is very much a part of the Bible. In Romans it is mentioned 10 times. In the Old Testament there are 20 different words that refer to God’s wrath that is mentioned approximately 600 times. God’s anger is revealed more than his love. So let’s take a look at the first three verses and see what they are all about.

Verses 18 – 20: They start out stating that God shows his anger against all sinful wicked people that suppress the truth by their wickedness. The wickedness of their flesh and thinking they can figure things out on their own. They forsake God until things get so bad, and then call upon the Lord for help. This is our human nature to do this, but God has revealed Himself to us and has manifested Himself in us, and if we would just be observant and look around us, and within us, we would be in awe of God. All we have to do is look around at what God has created, this universe and all that is in it, with us being made in his likeness by Him for Him. Colossians 1:16 NKJV For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. God put in our hearts the knowledge of right and wrong when he created us. We know what is right and wrong, but our sin nature and the pleasures of our flesh override good, and we justify our actions according to other human beings and their lifestyles instead of God’s Commandments. Everyone has an empty spot deep inside of them. That is why people long for something, but they don’t know what it is. Some think if they have lots of money everything would be okay. Some people look to fill that void with drugs or alcohol. Some look to fill it with promiscuity, thinking love of this type will fill it. There are all kinds of vices people get involved with in an attempt to fill that void. When I gave my heart to Jesus that void in my life was filled. There was a great calm, peacefulness, and assurance that everything was alright now. It was like a great weight was taken off of my shoulders. It is a feeling that is hard to explain. Jesus is the only thing that will fill that void in our heart.

Natives that live in jungles know there is a supreme being. Do you remember in Acts 28 the occasion when a poisonous snake bit Paul and he was unharmed? The natives thought he was a God. Acts 28:6 NKJV  However, they were expecting that he would swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had looked for a long time and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god. So people that haven’t heard the Gospel know there is a greater power, because by nature they do the things of the law by their conscience bearing witness from right and wrong. Romans 2:14-15 NKJV  for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves,  15  who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) The evidence of God is all around us and who can deny His handiwork of creation and how everything fits together and functions. Psalm 19, 8, and Isaiah 40:21-26 are more examples of Gods art work. A person that has never heard about the word of God will not be judged for rejecting Jesus, but he will be responsible for the revelation he has had presented in his conscience and in God’s creation around him.

Verses 21: In spite of man having the witness of conscience and the witness of creation, he still rejects God. Paul tells us even with all of God’s workmanship around us, man thinks up in their own mind, who and what God is and they make and worship idols they make. Man tends to think there is a scientific answer to all things. Cause and effect, you can’t make something out of nothing, but that is exactly what God did, Genesis 1:2. Man doesn’t even give thanks for what God provides, which is everything we have. If God held back the rain, what would happen to us? No crops, no food, no livestock, no cotton, no wool, no jobs, etc. When you stop and think what would happen without rain, lakes, and rivers, it is mind boggling. We need to give God thanks for rain whenever we get it, because without it we will perish. Yet we don’t, we complain on how the rain ruins our day of activities. Our minds become dark and confused and we get upset because the activities we had planned won’t happen and we can’t please our flesh.

Verse 22: Who is Paul referring to that claim to be wise? It is the Jews and Gentiles that claim to have all the answers and cannot believe who Jesus was, or the miracles that He preformed. Sometimes our education, human nature, and peer pressure gets in the way of us believing in the truth. When man deliberately rejects the Gospel he becomes an utter fool in his unbelief. Psalm 14 gives us a clear picture of what God sees when He looks at mankind. Psalms 14:1-3 NKJV The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good.  2 The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.  3 They have all turned aside, They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not one. Sin is sin to God. It doesn’t matter if the sin is little or great. If one takes a grape from the produce stand and eats it or if someone steals a car, both are stealing and sinning in Gods eyes. Our God is a just God and there is no gray area, it is black or white.

Verse 23: Why did the Israelites make a golden calf to worship? Why do modern day people worship  idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles? The previous two verses tells us why; they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like and as a result, their minds became dark and confused, claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. It has been this way since the beginning. Mankind appears to have to have something physical, something he can see and touch in order to believe. Take the Apostle Thomas for instance, he wouldn’t believe until he saw Jesus. So man fabricates an idol out of his imagination. He fantasies about it and soon gives the image credit for good things that are happening in his life instead of giving God the credit. He starts telling others about what has happened to him because of the image he is worshipping. It get to the point where he believes in it so much he convinces others it has great power and worthy of worship, and if they worship it, great things will happen to them. Here is a modern day example of how we get sucked into believing in the wrong things in life. Chain letters/emails that come and they state that if you send them on to 10 people something miraculous will happen to you. This is a form of idolatry in God’s eyes because a person’s faith is put in the letter instead of God. So can you see how we get deceived into believing in the power of false images that man fabricates? You have to ask yourself these questions; What do I worship, God or mans idea of gods? Do I have to have a picture, statue, pet rock, lottery ticket, horse shoe, four leaf clover, etc. to pray to and put trust in? Your thinking now, it is pretty foolish praying to a lottery ticket, but when one buys one and hopes it is the winner, isn’t he putting his hope in it instead of God? Isn’t it a form of praying?

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: Did Abraham find favor with God through obedience?

Answer: No, it was Abraham’s faith in God and who God is, that pleased God. It was because of Abraham’s faith in God that he was obedient to God. Abraham had faith in God so much that he was willing to sacrifice his son to God. It is out of faith that we are obedient to God. If Abraham only had obedience, his flesh would have ruled, and he would have been unwilling to sacrifice his son. This is why we live by faith.

This week’s Trivia: What do you think the word “Acts” could represent?