#34 - The LIFE of Grace?
#34 Romans 7-16
<<< BIBLE CHAPTER SECTIONS: >>>
(English Standard Version)
Rom 7 - Released From The Law - The Law and Sin
Rom 8 - Life In The Spirit - Heirs With Christ - Future Glory - God’s Everlasting Love
Rom 9 - God’s Sovereign Choice - Israel’s Unbelief
Rom 10 - Salvation to All
Rom 11 - The Remnant of Israel - Gentiles Grafted In - Mystery of Israel’s Salvation
Rom 12 - Living Sacrifice - Gift of Grace - Marks of the True Christian
Rom 13 - Submission to Authorities - Fulfilling The Law Through Love
Rom 14 - Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another - Do Not Cause Another To Stumble
Rom 15 - Example of Christ - Christ The Hope of Jews and Gentiles - Paul The Minister to The Gentiles - Paul’s Plan to Visit Rome
Rom 16 - Personal Greetings - Final Instructions and Greetings
COMMENTS and QUESTIONS
by J Neil Evans:
Some people describe Romans as God’s philosophy of salvation. In the first six chapters of Romans, Paul explains:
1. our need of being saved from our sin which makes us enemies of God, bringing present and eternal guilt and misery to our lives;
2. the failure of all our proud attempts to erase our guilt and earn God’s favor by keeping commandments; (God’s Laws serve primarily to prove our inability to keep them)
3. the fact that what God has always required is believing (faith/trust) Him about Who He Is, who we are, and how He makes every provision for our perfect relationship with Him.
4. the amazing nature of God’s Grace that, in the death and resurrection of Jesus, God has given, and gives us not what we deserve (or earn), but what we need, namely forgiveness, redemption, reconciliation, Salvation from our sin.
5. the fact that, contrary to what we are prone to think, God’s grace does not give us a license to sin, but builds a profound understanding and appreciation for the fact that God so applies the death and resurrection of Jesus to us that we in fact died to sin with Him, and rise to new LIFE with Him. Understanding this reality makes us want to serve God rather than serve sin the way our old nature does.
The rest of Romans describes the LIFE of a person Graciously given the LIFE of Jesus Christ.
Like the Apostle Paul, having faith in the Life God has given does not remove the awful, enslaving power of our old nature. We “do things we don’t want to do,” and “don’t do the things we want to do.” Our longing is to be set free from the power and guilt of our sin. In one of the most arresting verses in the Bible, God tells us that one of the results of being identified with Jesus death and life is that “there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Rom 8:1) Paul goes on to describe the fact that keeping commandments, cannot defeat our sin, but purposefully trusting the Spirit of God to lead and empower us brings God’s “Life and Peace.”
Jesus told the Jewish religious leaders that they were “of their father the Devil.” He said that not because of some sort of genealogical connection, but because as natural born sinners we are of the same spiritual lineage. But, God describes those who trust Him for their salvation as “adopted sons” with whom He is present in the daily trials of life and in the transformed glories of their eternal future.
Like Paul, we all know how miserably we fail to live up to the LIFE God has given us. But God wants us to know that the love He demonstrated in Jesus is so real and powerful that He can and will keep His adopted children through any hardship, trial, temptation or obstacle; literally anything that seeks to separate us from Him. If this kind of love does not make us want to serve God with all our heart, we probably need to read through chapters 1-6 again and ponder anew all that God has Graciously done to rescue us from our proud selves.
Lest we imagine that we have done something to earn or deserve God’s Gracious Gift of LIFE, Paul instructs us that our Salvation is entirely God’s doing. Knowing God’s Amazing Grace makes us yearn for others to know it too. We want to say or do just the right things to prompt or help others believe what God has done for them. Responding to this desire Paul doubles down on the source and means of our salvation. God’s sovereignty is not just a fancy word, it means that God has the first, middle, and last word on everything that happens, including our salvation. Looking back at Biblical history Paul says in Romans 9:18: “So then he (God) has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.” Wow, that seems unfair, doesn’t it. Paul shares our concern in 9:14-16: What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For he says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. So then it depends not on human will or exertion but on God, who has mercy.” God is not under obligation to show mercy to anyone. No one can justly claim that by their attempts at righteousness God owes them His forgiveness and mercy. Our failures to be perfectly righteous means that we deserve God’s judgment rather than His mercy. (Remember “there is none righteous, no not one.”) In order for God to “make known the riches of His Glory” He had to take the initiative for our redemption. So, God, in eternity past, called, chose, elected, predestined, those whom He would save. If He had not done so, no one would know His Mercy, Grace, Glory or Love. We would know only His wrath, which we all deserve.
Paul continues in chapter 10: “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” God’s “righteousness” is His Perfections, which we only ignorantly think we can achieve by our own good works. And so Paul reminds us that only by believing (having faith and trust) what Christ has done for us can we receive His righteousness. Romans 10:10–13: “For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Like every verse in the Bible, these are pregnant words. They need and deserve to be pondered over and over again. Not, so that we can achieve full mastery of them, for we cannot, but so that we can be awestruck by the Holiness (Otherness) of God. Paul concludes this lengthy description of God’s Sovereignty in our Salvation with these words: Romans 11:33–36 “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”
Paul understands our tendency to just “go through the motions,” to think of “believing” or “receiving Christ” as a fire insurance policy rather than a transformed LIFE. So he takes the rest of Romans to challenge us to live out “…the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:3) It involves things like ministering to each other, loving one another, submitting to the various authorities in our lives. In Paul’s descriptions of “God’s good, acceptable and perfect will,” he never included keeping the Jewish Temple ceremonies, religious traditions and rules. Those things he had demonstrated to be ineffective and misleading regarding God’s Salvation which Justifies “by His Grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:24) “…it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise Grace would no longer be Grace.” (Romans 11:6)
The Amazing Grace of our Salvation, rather than being the result of our obedience, motivates our obedience. All Glory to God for His Amazing Gift of Salvation now and forever!
<<< BIBLE CHAPTER SECTIONS: >>>
(English Standard Version)
Rom 7 - Released From The Law - The Law and Sin
Rom 8 - Life In The Spirit - Heirs With Christ - Future Glory - God’s Everlasting Love
Rom 9 - God’s Sovereign Choice - Israel’s Unbelief
Rom 10 - Salvation to All
Rom 11 - The Remnant of Israel - Gentiles Grafted In - Mystery of Israel’s Salvation
Rom 12 - Living Sacrifice - Gift of Grace - Marks of the True Christian
Rom 13 - Submission to Authorities - Fulfilling The Law Through Love
Rom 14 - Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another - Do Not Cause Another To Stumble
Rom 15 - Example of Christ - Christ The Hope of Jews and Gentiles - Paul The Minister to The Gentiles - Paul’s Plan to Visit Rome
Rom 16 - Personal Greetings - Final Instructions and Greetings
COMMENTS and QUESTIONS
by J Neil Evans:
Some people describe Romans as God’s philosophy of salvation. In the first six chapters of Romans, Paul explains:
1. our need of being saved from our sin which makes us enemies of God, bringing present and eternal guilt and misery to our lives;
2. the failure of all our proud attempts to erase our guilt and earn God’s favor by keeping commandments; (God’s Laws serve primarily to prove our inability to keep them)
3. the fact that what God has always required is believing (faith/trust) Him about Who He Is, who we are, and how He makes every provision for our perfect relationship with Him.
4. the amazing nature of God’s Grace that, in the death and resurrection of Jesus, God has given, and gives us not what we deserve (or earn), but what we need, namely forgiveness, redemption, reconciliation, Salvation from our sin.
5. the fact that, contrary to what we are prone to think, God’s grace does not give us a license to sin, but builds a profound understanding and appreciation for the fact that God so applies the death and resurrection of Jesus to us that we in fact died to sin with Him, and rise to new LIFE with Him. Understanding this reality makes us want to serve God rather than serve sin the way our old nature does.
The rest of Romans describes the LIFE of a person Graciously given the LIFE of Jesus Christ.
Like the Apostle Paul, having faith in the Life God has given does not remove the awful, enslaving power of our old nature. We “do things we don’t want to do,” and “don’t do the things we want to do.” Our longing is to be set free from the power and guilt of our sin. In one of the most arresting verses in the Bible, God tells us that one of the results of being identified with Jesus death and life is that “there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Rom 8:1) Paul goes on to describe the fact that keeping commandments, cannot defeat our sin, but purposefully trusting the Spirit of God to lead and empower us brings God’s “Life and Peace.”
Jesus told the Jewish religious leaders that they were “of their father the Devil.” He said that not because of some sort of genealogical connection, but because as natural born sinners we are of the same spiritual lineage. But, God describes those who trust Him for their salvation as “adopted sons” with whom He is present in the daily trials of life and in the transformed glories of their eternal future.
Like Paul, we all know how miserably we fail to live up to the LIFE God has given us. But God wants us to know that the love He demonstrated in Jesus is so real and powerful that He can and will keep His adopted children through any hardship, trial, temptation or obstacle; literally anything that seeks to separate us from Him. If this kind of love does not make us want to serve God with all our heart, we probably need to read through chapters 1-6 again and ponder anew all that God has Graciously done to rescue us from our proud selves.
Lest we imagine that we have done something to earn or deserve God’s Gracious Gift of LIFE, Paul instructs us that our Salvation is entirely God’s doing. Knowing God’s Amazing Grace makes us yearn for others to know it too. We want to say or do just the right things to prompt or help others believe what God has done for them. Responding to this desire Paul doubles down on the source and means of our salvation. God’s sovereignty is not just a fancy word, it means that God has the first, middle, and last word on everything that happens, including our salvation. Looking back at Biblical history Paul says in Romans 9:18: “So then he (God) has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.” Wow, that seems unfair, doesn’t it. Paul shares our concern in 9:14-16: What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For he says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. So then it depends not on human will or exertion but on God, who has mercy.” God is not under obligation to show mercy to anyone. No one can justly claim that by their attempts at righteousness God owes them His forgiveness and mercy. Our failures to be perfectly righteous means that we deserve God’s judgment rather than His mercy. (Remember “there is none righteous, no not one.”) In order for God to “make known the riches of His Glory” He had to take the initiative for our redemption. So, God, in eternity past, called, chose, elected, predestined, those whom He would save. If He had not done so, no one would know His Mercy, Grace, Glory or Love. We would know only His wrath, which we all deserve.
Paul continues in chapter 10: “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” God’s “righteousness” is His Perfections, which we only ignorantly think we can achieve by our own good works. And so Paul reminds us that only by believing (having faith and trust) what Christ has done for us can we receive His righteousness. Romans 10:10–13: “For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Like every verse in the Bible, these are pregnant words. They need and deserve to be pondered over and over again. Not, so that we can achieve full mastery of them, for we cannot, but so that we can be awestruck by the Holiness (Otherness) of God. Paul concludes this lengthy description of God’s Sovereignty in our Salvation with these words: Romans 11:33–36 “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”
Paul understands our tendency to just “go through the motions,” to think of “believing” or “receiving Christ” as a fire insurance policy rather than a transformed LIFE. So he takes the rest of Romans to challenge us to live out “…the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:3) It involves things like ministering to each other, loving one another, submitting to the various authorities in our lives. In Paul’s descriptions of “God’s good, acceptable and perfect will,” he never included keeping the Jewish Temple ceremonies, religious traditions and rules. Those things he had demonstrated to be ineffective and misleading regarding God’s Salvation which Justifies “by His Grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:24) “…it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise Grace would no longer be Grace.” (Romans 11:6)
The Amazing Grace of our Salvation, rather than being the result of our obedience, motivates our obedience. All Glory to God for His Amazing Gift of Salvation now and forever!
Check out these LINKS:
Watch Bible Project summary of Romans
Read "Bible Words to Ponder" related to this week study
Read "The Gospel"