Epistles of Paul 73

Well, good evening, brethren. The first eight chapters of Romans is a beautiful explanation from Paul about God's plan to redeem man from the wages of human sin. In another words, it's God's way of deliverance. In the first three chapters, we have seen that all mankind, Jews and Gentiles alike, have sinned knowingly or unknowingly, but we all have sinned. If we just briefly turn to Romans chapter 3 verse 10, it says, There is none righteous, no, not one. The point is that we all have sinned. And in verse 11 says, there's none who understands, there's none who seeks after God. That's strong words, strong words. None that seeks after God. Quite often we find people who say, look, I'm seeking after God, but there is something that God's got to give us. Otherwise, people by their own selves, they don't seek God. And we do pray. There are some people that are close to us that we often want them to understand and comprehend more about God and His way. So we do pray for others so that God may, in His mercy, call them today. And then in verse 15 through 17, it says, The feet are swift to shed blood. Destruction and misery are in their ways, and the way of peace they have not known. That is so true as we look at today's world situation. We look at what year works in the news. You hear what's happening. It's so true. Really, we are in living in dangerous times. But the point is we all have come short. We all have sinned. Look at verse 23, still of Romans 3. It says, We all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We all are coming short. And then we see a little later in Romans chapter 6 verse 23, where we read, For the wages of sin is death. We all will die. There is no way, no way, we can buy our life back. Because that, that is a gift of God. The only way out is a gift from God. Eternal life incurrages Jesus our Lord. And then as we are reading in Romans chapter 3 verse 23, if we then read in verse 24, that ties in with what I just finished saying, that the only way is a gift of God. And then in Romans 3, 24 says, We are justified freely. In other words, we are made right with God freely. And that is only possible by the loving kindness, by the grace of God, that he is giving us.

As we read in 2 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 3, says, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort. It is before we are justified freely, and that is only possible by the loving kindness, the mercy of God the Father, that he extends to us and he sent his Son for us. That's why we read in John 3 16, For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son. God the Father really cares for us. He wants us to repent and live his way, that he gave his only begotten Son. And that's why then in John 3 16 says, That whoever believes in him whoever believes in God should not and any really son should not perish but have everlasting life. So it is not a carte blanche that we can now go on and sin freely. No, it's not. It requires us to clearly and clearly understand what it means to believe in him, to believe in God the Father and in the Son what they've done for us. In Romans 3 24, that's why it says, Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, God gave us Jesus' life to buy our lives back from death. In other words, that's redemption, buying us back from death. And he buys us back through the resurrection. We can be made alive, we will be made alive at the resurrection. But in any time, he is making you and I right with God by buying our lives back.

So if we believe in him in what he has done for us, if we believe in what he says, that is, that now we must obey, that is, if we repent, then he says, that's what he says, if we believe in him, redemption, or the condition that we believe in him.

So this demonstrates two basic important things. One is God's righteousness towards us. In Romans 3.25 he says, whom God has set forth as a propitiation by his blood through faith to demonstrate his righteousness. This demonstrates God's righteousness towards us. That's one thing he demonstrates. And secondly, in verse 31 he says that it demonstrates that God's law is established. Faith establishes God's law. Why? Because Christ is now being developed in us. We are being made a new man and a new woman. A new life is being formed.

How? That after being baptized, we receive God's Holy Spirit, and that God's help helps us to grow in this loving kindness, this grace, and knowing how Christ is so that we can emulate him. That is the way of deliverance. We gotta use God's Holy Spirit. We have to work with God's Holy Spirit. Now our human nature does not go away, but there is a new reality that we need to work with God's Holy Spirit and become a new man.

You and I can just lay back and say, I'm saved. God, you do it all. No, we gotta believe. And therefore, in Romans 4 that we covered the last week, we see how Paul further expounds how believing God is accounted for righteousness. You see, in Romans 4 verse 3, it says, for what does the scripture say?

Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Abraham's belief was obviously proven by his actions, and that was credited to him, to Abraham, as righteous. In other words, it was imputed to him as righteous. In other words, he was considered righteous, or in other words, he sins were forgiven, and therefore he was imputed God's righteousness.

So Abraham trusted God and acted on that trust in hope, and we see that in Romans chapter 4 verse 18 through 20, where we read verse 18 through 20, and it says, who contrary to hope, in hope, believed that he became the father of many nations. In other words, contrary to hope, the physical evidence, the physical facts, there's just no hope. He and his wife could not have children at that older age. Sarah was past the age of childbearing, but contrary to that hope, he believed in hope. And then it says, and therefore verse 19, not being weak in faith, in other words, he absolutely trusted God.

He did not consider his own body, which means his body, and Sarah's body, the two are one flesh. He did not consider his body already dead, since he was about 100 years old, and Sarah womb was dead. In other words, she could not conceive any further at that older age of about 90 years old. But he did not waver in faith, in verse 20, because what God promises, so he did not waver, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God. And now we have a great definition of faith in verse 21, and being fully convinced that what he God promises, he God is able to perform.

There is a great definition of faith. If God said he's going to do it, he will do it. You and I have to trust God, even though when we see things going a wire. Therefore, as we see in verse 22, it was accounted to him for righteousness. It was imputed to him for righteousness. His past sins were forgiven, and he was declared righteous.

That is God's righteousness, not his own self-righteousness, but is God's righteousness. It covered all past sins, and he was right. He was justified before God. And this is recorded in scriptures so that we can read and we can grow in faith, as we see in verse 23. So that now it was not written just for his cycle, that it was imputed to him with verse 24, but also for us.

And it shall be imputed to us who believe in him. And so he explains this point about believing in him, and that righteousness is imputed on us. So if we believe in God, who resurrected Christ, as he says, believe in him, who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, we believe in the Father, we believe in what he the Father has done through Christ. That is such an act of grace towards us and his loving-kindness, and we believe in what he says, that we've got to act upon it. In other words, we have to repent. And so in verse 25 he says, Christ was allowed to suffer and die for us, to pay for our sins, to buy us back to life from the grave. That means he's delivered up because of our offenses. He was our offenses, and he was raised for our, or because of our, justification. So we could be justified by what Christ has done. So God's righteousness could be imputed on us. But once paid by what God in Christ did, now, now we got to do our part, committing ourselves to be a new man through the help of God's Holy Spirit. We have to overcome with the help of God's Holy Spirit. And so now we start in Romans 5, verse 1 and 2. Therefore, in other words, considering all this, that we have been justified by faith, by this absolutely trust and belief, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. What is our hope 10,000 years from today? Our hope is that we will be spirit beings, perfect in character, in the kingdom of God forever.

Now, do we see examples of people today like that or human beings like that today? No. No. That's why it's the hope. It's our hope of the glory of God. So, we base our reaction to trials in faith that God will do something which we don't see yet. Our reaction to trials and difficulties and challenges we have in life is absolutely in faith that God will do something very special, that God will give us the glory of God. That's what it reads at the end of verse 2, rejoicing hope of the glory of God. That is an amazing hope that we don't see, but we'll be resurrected as spirit beings having that hope today.

And verse 3, and not only that, but we also glory in tribulations.

Do we glory in our most difficult trials? I would say probably not, but we should. Well, it's easy to say. The point is, we need to have the soap. So, does it seem like you want to glory about your most difficult trials? Does it? Quite often, I have to admit, myself, well, sometimes we feel discouraged. We do, but we have to look at a positive side. Why? Because it says, yeah, knowing that these trials produce perseverance, patience. The word for perseverance is the Greek word 5281, upamouni. Patient, steadfast, waiting, and enduring. Upamouni is a very powerful word. Is this patient just waiting, enduring, persevering? In James chapter 1 verse 5 puts it in a very powerful way. James chapter 1 verse 5.

Let me just get there. That's chapter 1 verse 3 through 5. James chapter 1 verse 3 through 5.

Well, in fact, I'm going to read it from verse 2. My brethren, counter all joy when you fall into various trials. In words, when you have huge difficulties, challenges, stresses, verse 3, knowing that the testing of your faith produces upamouni, produces patience, produces steadfast waiting, enduring perseverance.

But let that patience, that upamouni, let that patience upamouni have its perfect work that you may be perfect, that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing. Isn't it one of the things that says, obviously it is, but you remember that it says, Be you perfect as my Father in heaven is perfect? God, through these trials, He is making us perfect like He is perfect. How? Through upamouni. Patient, steadfasting, waiting, enduring through these most pressing and difficult trials that some of us are going through. And so, in verse 2, again, my brethren, count on all joy when you fall into these various trials. And as we read in Romans 5 verse 3, do we glory in these trials? Now, in verse 5, sometimes we may think, what has that got to do? Because it says, If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and will be given to him. So, in verses 2 to 3 and 4, it's talking about huge trials that through that, by trusting God, having faith as we go through these trials, we produce upamouni, patient, enduring qualities which may lead us to become perfect. Then why, in verse 5, says, if any of you lacks wisdom?

Because if you and I struggle in understanding that God's wisdom through this, if you and I can't see God's wisdom in this, ask God to help you see it, because it will help you in overcoming these trials, because there is great wisdom in what God is doing, because through this, he is making us like him. And so, going back to Romans chapter 5, we finish reading verse 3, and now reading verse 4. We see, and perseverance, in other words, this upamouni, this strong capability of persevering, of steadfastness, weighting of endurance, and perseverance produces what? Character. Character. Upamouni leads to God's holy, righteous character development, or, as it could be said, tried character. In other words, experience. The word is docume, which is proof, tried, experience.

So, the more we experience God's deliverance, as God delivers us. You see, it's God that delivers us. He's the deliverer, and we benefit from that deliverance through God's Holy Spirit. We, being close to God, and asking for God's Holy Spirit, and praying, and making sure we don't quench the Spirit, as it says in 1 Thessalonians 5-19, it says, do not quench the Spirit. So, the more we use God's Holy Spirit, and as we experience this deliverance, we develop character, godly character, and character develops hope. And that hope, as we experience this, it's like a beautiful circle, gracious circle, that we have hope, and now He's seen us, we have seen Him delivering us, and now we know that He will deliver us again. And so, gives us an enduring expectation and confidence in God's care for us. Now verse 5, and hope does not disappoint, because the self is sure. It's God's hope, because the love of God has been poured out in our by the Holy Spirit, which was given to us. You see, the source is God's Holy Spirit, because the fruit of God's Holy Spirit is love, joy, peace, and all the other characteristics that go with it, all the other nine characteristics. And so, it's God's Spirit dwelling in us, and obviously we have to do a part, our part. We must not quench the Spirit. Now, here's an important point. God's Spirit never dominates us, never forces us, it leads us. That's why it says, he that is led by God's Holy Spirit are the children of God. We got a using of the Holy Spirit. We then walk in this way of true deliverance, because the deliverance comes from Christ or from God through Christ, using God's Holy Spirit, God's power that has been given to us, because it's been poured to us as we read here. That's the love of God. That's the care for others. Now reading in verse 6 through 8, For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man would one die, yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. We hear about these warrioros that give up their lives for their friends in a war.

But, yeah, is Christ dying for the ungodly, for the sinner. And in verse 8 says, But God demonstrates his own love towards us, in that while we were still sinners, we were enemies, Christ died for us. In Luke chapter 6 verse 35, it shows ... well, obviously there are other scriptures that say the same thing, but I chose Luke 6 verse 35, because maybe we don't read the scripture in Luke 6 all that often, but in Luke 6 verse 35 it says, Love your enemies. Do good and lend, hoping for nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be the sons of the most dying, for he is kind to the unfanful and evil. We will then put in God's holy righteous character, will be like him. Romans 5 verse 9, much more than having now been justified by his blood.

Let me ask a rhetorical question. Well, maybe it's a bit of a trick question.

Does Christ's blood save us? According to what we read here in Romans 5 verse 9, in the first section, does Christ's blood save us? The answer is false, because that's only part of the story.

You see, because it says we are justified by his blood. It doesn't say we are saved by his blood. If the father had not resurrected his son, yes, there would be his blood, but he would not be resurrected, then we would not have a high priest. Then we would not have Christ working in us. So, as Paul says here in Romans 5 verse 9, we are justified by Christ's blood. In other words, we are brought into a right relationship with God. God imputes righteousness in us. Past sins are forgiven. We are justified. We are reconciled.

And then we continue reading in verse 9. We shall be saved.

From growth through him. You see, we shall be saved by his life. Let's just read verse 10. For if we and we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his son. There was his blood. Much more, having been reconciled or justified by his blood, we shall be saved by his life. By him living in us. How? Through the power of God's Holy Spirit. If Christ had not resurrected, he would have not sent us the Holy Spirit. And, you know, what would our faith be if Christ had not resurrected? We can read in 1 Corinthians 15, which is the resurrection chapter in verse 17. It says, if Christ is not resurrected, our faith is in vain. And so you and I need a living Savior living in us. That's why baptism is such a beautiful symbol. Because we have faith in his death as we are submerged in the watery grave, but it also demonstrates we have faith in his resurrection as we come out of that watery grave. And so we need a living Savior. Let's continue then reading now in verse 11. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

You see, we have received the reconciliation. We have received the atonement. The enemy is removed. It doesn't say we make atonement. We receive it. We receive the reconciliation. Verse 12, therefore, just as one man, just as through one man, sin entered the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because all sinned. All sinned.

We have the death penalty on us.

Why? We got to understand this is an important point because Protestants get us wrong. See, so let me ask the question. Do we have the death penalty on us because of what Adam did?

True or false? Do we have the death penalty on us because of what Adam did?

False. You see, because it says, because all sinned. Yeah, at the end of verse 12 says, because we have sinned. That's why we have the death penalty on us. You see, Protestants say, well, the original sin basically says, well, changed man's nature. No, it didn't change anything. We all have sinned. We just followed Adam's example. You and I have the death penalty on us because of our sins. It says, yeah, because we all sinned. Not because of Adam's sin. Adam, yes, started it. He was the first one, and we all followed his bad example. Mankind did not quote-unquote fall. A new nature did not take over. Yes, we do have human nature, but that's our nature. So when Protestants say, oh, well, the man has fallen, is the fallen man, is the fallen nature, that's not what the Bible teaches. Now, let's read in verse 13. For until the law of sin was in the world, but sin is imputed, I'll be a part of it, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

Therefore, the law was enforced since Adam. Look at Genesis chapter 4 verse 7. Okay, granted, the law was not documented in a way that it is documented at the law by Moses, but look at Genesis 4 verse 7 right at the beginning, when it's already talking about sin, where it says, if you do well, so the Lord's talking to Cain, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. So they then have knowledge of sin.

And then, a little later, you see in Genesis 26 verse 5, Genesis 26 verse 5, because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. And that was before Moses. Yes, indeed, the law was codified and explained to Israel as a whole nation since the time of Moses. And yeah, some people may not knowingly know all the things about the law. But let me give you an example. Whether you know the traffic law or not, if you break the traffic law, you're still going to be punished whether you know about it or not. So some, maybe parts of it, they did it unknowingly. And yeah, God will shout in mercy according to what they knew and they understood. But at the second resurrection, they will get to know what they need. The same things, they'll get to know what they need to do, and they'll have to live according to those principles. Now verse 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 yin who was to come. One possible understanding of what this means in verse 14 is, for instance, Adam knew God. Adam talked to him. Adam talked directly with his creator. He saw him. Obviously, you know, according to John 1 18, it shows that it was Christ. And in 1 John 4 verse 12 says the same thing. So the creator, the one that Adam talked to, was Christ. But he talked to the creator, the being of the God family that created him under the command and instruction of the Father. Now you and I never had that opportunity to talk directly to Christ, to God in that sense.

And so we sin against God that we never sinned, we never seen. But Adam sinned against God, whom he saw and talked to. So now we could therefore explain this verse 14, says that, "...deferained from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam." Why? Because the likeness of the transgression of Adam was, as one possible example, is that Adam talked directly with God. And so even though we have not sinned according to that same likeness, we still sinned. And now we in the church, that we quote unquote see God and know God, our judgment is now upon the church. So we really got to be very careful with ourselves. But Adam is a type of him of Christ who wants to come. You see, Adam is a type of the second Adam, but the second Adam had no sin. The second Adam had no sin. And so now let's move on to verse 15. But the free gift is not like the offense. The free gift of what Jesus Christ has done for us, the second Adam, is not like the offense the first Adam. You see, in the first Adam, the offense, the one that caused, that started the offense, through him came death. And we all have followed that example. But through Christ, the one that gave up his life for us as a free gift, comes life. Life, and not just life, eternal life. And so the free gift is not like the offense, because the free gift is eternal life. The offense is physical death. And so we see now a parallelism, yeah, in the rest of verse 15, 16, and 17. And let's look at that comparison of these two Adams.

Let's read and tell them the rest of verse 15. For if by one man's offense, Mary died, they're obviously talking about Adam, and his example, and we all follow that example, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of one man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. By one Adam, many died, physical death. But by God's gift, which is Christ, even greater blessings are bound to many. And one of the greater blessings, it's eternal life, eternal life. So it's a very different end result. And so that's why it says in verse 15 at the beginning, says, but the free gift is not like the offense. It's a very different end result. The free gift is not like the offense. Now let's go on to verse 16. And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. So it's again doing this parallelism comparing the first Adam to the second Adam. And the gift, which is Christ, is not like that which came through the one who sinned, which is the first Adam, for the judgment which came from one offense results in condemnation. Through Adam, the result is condemnation. But the free gift which came from many offenses, because we all, many, have sinned, but we receive this free gift results in justification. You see, once we understand the big picture, it makes sense. Through Adam, it's come condemnation. But through Christ, it has come justification. In other words, reconciliation with the Father. And that is a wonderful blessing and ultimately eternal life. Verse 17, For if by one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness will inherit in life through the one Jesus Christ. When it was all rain in life through the one Jesus Christ. So we see again, yes, the contrast between death and life. And now we have the abundant abundance of grace, the abundance of the loving kindness from God to us that quite often we don't fully understand. And the gift and the gift, he says, yeah, the gift of righteousness, the gift of God's righteousness being imputed on us. That's a wonderful gift. And verse 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. And so again, we have offense of one man. Why? Because we copy this example. That's what we are. That's we're human beings. We've got a human nature. And we have to overcome that. And then it says, in verse 18 as well, Even so through one man's righteous act, the free gift came to all men. Yes, that free gift of eternal life comes to all men, but they got into their part, and it's going to be in their time. It's not all men today. Most of them will be at the second resurrection at their time, but then they'll have to do their part. They'll have to repent because, you know, God is just, and it has to be done with justice. There's going to be proper repentance and change. And so continuing verse 19, and he has like a summary statement, re-emphasizing what was stating above, stated above. For us, by one man's disobedience, many were made sinners, because we follow this example. Also by one man's obedience, as we accept him or believe in him and we change, many will be made righteous. Many will be made righteous in their own time, not today, in their own time. Today is only a few. That's when God is calling and changing. Verse 20.

Verse 20. And here, and verse 20, 20 and 21, let's read these two together. Moreover, moreover, the law entered that your offense may abound. But we're in abounded. And so the law's been codified, so making sure that over time everybody will know, and that offense in full measure is understood. But we're sin abounded. Grace abounded much more. God's loving kindness is even greater. So the codification of the law was at Sinai, but all men have sinned. That all men are without excuse, but God's mercy and grace is even greater, so that a sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. You see, but grace through Jesus Christ our Lord does not justify you and I to keep sinning. We have died to sin. That's the symbolism of baptism. We have been brought back redeemed by God's grace. We now cannot continue sin. We have to be a new man. We have to walk in a new life. Christ is in you and I being developed and making us a new man, a new woman. And so a new person, a new life, is being formed in us according to the image of Christ, which is the image of the Father. How? By us using God's Holy Spirit and growing in that grace of Jesus Christ and knowledge of who Jesus Christ is so we can emulate Him. And therefore there is now a new way that we have, not the old way of human nature, but a new way of overcoming and persevering. And this is like baptism. We have to come out of the water and live a new man. And that is the theme of the next chapter, Romans 6, which we will cover next week.