Introduction or Paul's Greetings:
1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God 2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. 5 Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name,
Observation:
- Who is Paul?
1a Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ,
- What for Paul was called to be?
1b called to be
an apostle,
- Why Paul was separated?
1c separated to the gospel of God
- What God promised before?
Gospel
- How and When God promised the gospel of God?
2 which He promised before through His
prophets in the Holy Scriptures,
- What concerns His Son Jesus Christ our Lord?
Gospel
- What the Gospel is all about? or What is the
essence of the Gospel?
3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was
born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and declared to be
the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by
the resurrection from the dead.
- Through whom Paul got the apostleship?
5a Through Him we have received grace and
apostleship
- Why Paul got this apostleship?
5b for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name,
6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ;
Interpretation:
- Who is Paul?
1a Paul, a bondservant of
Jesus Christ,
-
What does bondservant means?
- The Greek word used here is
doulos
(δοῦλος/G1401). In general it means
slave, servant. But it
really means a person
voluntarily or willingly become slave/servant
to his master.
- One who gives himself up to another's will those whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing his cause among men
- devoted to another to the disregard of one's own interests
- (JC) The word
“servant” is doulos, meaning “bondslave.”
Exodus 21:2 sheds light on what this means: In Israel,
a slave was required to serve only six years before he was set free. If, however, at the end of six years, he said, “I like it here. I want to become a bondslave,” the master would drive a nail through his right earlobe and place an earring in it, signifying he was a doulos, a slave by choice.
- Exodus 21:2-5- 2 If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years; and in the seventh he shall go out free and pay nothing.
3 If he comes in by himself, he shall go out by himself; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him.
4 If his master has given him a wife, and she has borne him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out by himself.
5 But if the servant plainly says, 'I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,' 6 then his master shall bring him to the judges. He shall also bring him to the door, or to the doorpost, and
his master shall pierce his ear with an awl
(awl: a pointed instrument for piercing small holes); and he shall serve him forever.
- Application: Are you bondservant of Jesus Christ?
- Paul demonstrated this in
submitting his desire to God and
just do whatever Jesus says
through His Holy Spirit. We have
seen this in
Paul's Obedience to Jesus Christ
Blesses All topic in Romans Introduction.
- (JC) It’s a wise decision to give yourself fully to the Lord as His bondslave because He takes excellent care of those committed to Him. Their lives are filled with purpose and focus; their hearts with peace and joy.
- Perhaps you’re saying, “I’m my own man—captain of my destiny, master of my fate. I don’t serve anyone.” But reality says otherwise.
Everyone will serve someone. Bob Dylan was right when he sang, “It may be the devil, or it may be the Lord, but you gotta serve somebody.” And
Paul chose to serve the Lord in totality.
- NLT:
Eph 2:2
- You used to live just like the rest of the world, full of sin, obeying Satan, the mighty prince of the power of the air. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.
- If you submit to our
God or become bondservant/bondslave
then God will do wonders through
you.
-
Prov 3:5 - Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
- NLT:
Phil 2:13 - For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him.
- Phil 1:6
- being confident of this very thing, that
He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
- What for Paul was called to be?
1b called to be an apostle,
- What does apostle means?
- Apostle means
a delegate, messenger, one sent forth with orders, a
special messenger of Jesus
Christ.
- For more details about apostle read from
Apostle article.
- What does apostle means?
- Who ordain/give this apostleship to
believers?
- Is apostleship is earned by
believers? or Is it a gift from Jesus Christ?
- Application: Why Jesus Christ gives these gifts?
- What are the responsibilities of an apostle?
- ...
- What is the modern name for apostle?
- (WW) Missionary is the Latin form of "apostle—one who is sent."
- Why Paul was separated?
1c separated to the gospel of God
- What does gospel means?
- Gospel means
good news, good tidings, glad
tidings.
- Greek word euaggelion (εὐαγγέλιον
- G2098)
- When Paul was separated for the
Gospel?
- Jesus separated Paul in
Acts 9:15
on his way to Damascus.
-
Acts 9:15 - 15
But the Lord
said to him,
"Go, for
he is a chosen vessel of
Mine to bear My
name before
Gentiles, kings,
and the children
of Israel.
16 For I will show him
how many things
he must suffer
for My name's
sake."
- Later in Acts 13:2-5
Jesus in His own timing
started Paul's ministry/service
through His Holy Spirit to
spread the Gospel/Good News.
- Acts 13:2-5 - 2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted,
the Holy Spirit said, "Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."
3 Then, having
fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.
4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.
5 And when they arrived in Salamis, they
preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had John as their assistant.
- What the Gospel/Good News is all about? or What
is the essence of the Gospel/Good News?
3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was
born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and declared to be
the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by
the resurrection from the dead.
- The essence of the Gospel is our
Lord God Almighty Jesus Christ.
- Gospel/Good News is all about His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
- who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh,
- and declared to be
the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by
the resurrection from the dead.
-
Rom 8:11
- But if
the Spirit of
Him who raised
Jesus from the
dead
dwells in you,
He who raised
Christ from the
dead will also
give life to
your mortal
bodies through
His Spirit who
dwells in you.
- Jesus Himself claims the same in
- Rev 22:16 -
"I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am
the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star."
- To whom this Good News/Gospel is
for?
- To all of us. To all humanity.
- John 3:16 - 16 For
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God
- Rom 3:21 - 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
21 But now
the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,
- Rom 1:17 - For in it
the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."
- We will go through this in detail in
Romans 1:17; Romans 3-5.
-
How and When God promised the gospel of God?
2 which He promised before through His
prophets in the Holy Scriptures,
- God promised the good news or gospel
of redemption when the sin entered to this
world.
- Gen 3:15 - 14 So the Lord God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life.
15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed
and
her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel."
16 To the woman He said: "I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you."
17 Then to Adam He said, "Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it': "Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life.
- List few Old Testament reference
where God promised about (the
gospel/good news) Jesus 1st coming,
death and resurrection:
- Jesus from line of
Juda/David:
- Genesis 26:4
-
And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and
in your
seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed;
- Isaiah 11:1
- There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
- Jesus will born in
Bethlehem:
- Micah 5:2
- "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting."
- Jesus will be
Crucified for the sins of the
whole world:
- Isaiah 53:5-9
- 5 But He was
wounded for our transgressions, He was
bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was
oppressed and He was
afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was
led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as
a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.
8 He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was
cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.
9 And they made His grave with the wicked-- But with the rich at His death, Because
He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth.
10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.
- Dan 9:25,26 - 25 "Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem
Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times.
26 "And after the sixty-two weeks
Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined.
- Jesus will
Resurrect:
- Ps 16:10 -
For You will not leave my soul in Sheol,
Nor will You
allow Your Holy
One to see
corruption.
- NLT: Ps 16:10 - For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your godly one to rot in the grave.
- Peter preached the first Gospel sermon, he boldly asserted that God had raised Jesus the Jewish Messiah from the dead
(Acts 2:24). He then explained that God had performed this miraculous deed in fulfillment of David's prophecy in Psalm 16. In fact, he
quoted the words of David in detail as contained in
Psalm 16:8-11. Some years later,
Paul did the same thing when he spoke to the Jewish community in Antioch. Like Peter,
he declared that God had raised Messiah Jesus from the dead in fulfillment of
Psalm 16:10 (Acts 13:33-35).
-
Acts
13:33-35 - 33 God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that
He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm: 'You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.' 34 And that He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, He has spoken thus: 'I will give you the sure mercies of David.'
35 Therefore He also says in another Psalm: 'You will not allow Your Holy One to see corruption.'
- Jesus will Rule and
reign after His 2nd coming:
-
Psalms 2:8, 9 -
6
"Yet I have set
My King On My
holy hill of
Zion."
7
"I will declare
the decree: The
Lord has said to
Me, 'You
are My Son,
Today I have
begotten You.
8
Ask of Me, and
I will
give You The
nations for Your
inheritance, And
the ends of the
earth for Your
possession.
9 You shall
break them with
a rod of iron;
You shall dash
them to pieces
like a potter's
vessel.'"
-
Ps 97:1 - The Lord reigns; Let the earth rejoice; Let the multitude of isles be glad!
-
Dan 2:44
- And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.
- Isaiah 9:6,7 - 6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no en d, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
- Through whom Paul received grace and
apostleship?
5a Through Him we have received grace and
apostleship
- Paul received grace and
apostleship through Jesus Christ.
-
1 Cor 1:1 - Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,
- Galatians 1:1
- Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead),
-
1 Tim 1:1
- Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope,
- We can read
this in details
in
Who ordain/give this apostleship to
believers? topic in
Apostle.
- What is Grace?
-
Grace is
getting what we
are not deserved,
unmerited
blessing/favor
of God,
-
Eph 2:8 - 8
For
by grace
you have been
saved
through faith,
and that not of
yourselves; it
is
the gift of God, 9 not
of works, lest
anyone should
boast.
- Is Mercy and Grace
are same?
- What is Mercy?
-
Mercy is
not
getting what we
have deserved.
- Eg:
We are deserved
to receive
punishment. By
the mercy of God
forgives us and we didn't
receive
punished.
-
Lamentations 3:22
- 22 Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.
- James 2:13 - For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy.
Mercy triumphs over judgment.
- Why Paul received this grace and apostleship?
5b for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name,
- Paul received
grace and apostleship to be obedience to
the faith
-
Where?
among all
nations
- Why?
for His name,
- Paul was obedience
to the faith because he received
the grace and apostleship and
for Jesus name sake.
-
(Clarke) The gospel gave Paul and the church grace and apostleship, and one reason those two gifts were given was to produce obedience to the faith. “Without the grace, favour,
and peculiar
help of God, he
could not have
been an
apostle.”
-
Eph 3:7,8 - 6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel,
7 of which I became a
minister
according to the
gift of the
grace of God
given to me by
the effective
working of His
power. 8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints,
this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
-
James 2:26
- For as the
body without the
spirit is dead,
so faith
without works is
dead
also.
-
Titus 3:8
- This is a
faithful saying,
and these things
I want you to
affirm
constantly, that
those
who have
believed in God
should be
careful to
maintain good
works. These
things are good
and profitable
to men.
- Did Jesus anoint
Paul to be an apostle for
specific group of people?
- Yes
Jesus anoint
Paul to be an
apostle for
Gentiles.
- Acts 9:15,16 -
10 Now there was a
certain disciple at Damascus
named Ananias; and to him the
Lord said in a vision,
"Ananias." And he said, "Here I
am, Lord."
11 So
the Lord said to him, "Arise and
go to the street called
Straight, and inquire at the
house of Judas for one called
Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he
is praying.
12 And
in a vision he has seen a man
named Ananias coming in and
putting his hand on him, so that
he might receive his sight."
13
Then Ananias answered, "Lord, I
have heard from many about this
man, how much harm he has done
to Your saints in Jerusalem.
14 And
here he has authority from the
chief priests to bind all who
call on Your name."
15 But
the Lord said to him, "Go, for
he is a chosen vessel of
Mine to bear My name before
Gentiles, kings, and the
children of Israel.
16 For I will show him
how many things he must suffer
for My name's sake."
- Romans 11:13
- For I speak to you Gentiles;
inasmuch as I am an
apostle to the Gentiles,
I magnify my ministry,
- Did Paul fulfill all
the apostle responsibilities?
- Yes, Paul
has fulfilled
all the apostle
responsibilities.
- We can read this in the book of Acts and in all of his epistles.
- Paul, other apostles and
Jesus Christ lay the foundation
of Christianity through all the
books in the New Testament. This
is one of the responsibility of
the apostle which we
can read this from
Apostles lay
the Foundation
of Christianity
which is New
Testament of the
Bible.
- Ephesians 3:8 -
To me, who am less than the
least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
- Paul was ready to share his
faith or preach the Gospel/Good
News in all
given
opportunity by
God.
- 1 Peter 3:15
- But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and
always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;
- Acts
26:9-30 -9 Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11 And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities. 12 "While thus occupied, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, 13 at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me. 14 And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.' 15 So I said, 'Who are You, Lord?' And He said, 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 16 But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. 17 I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, 18 to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.' 19 "Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance. 21 For these reasons the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. 22 Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come-- 23 that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles." 24 Now as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, "Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you mad!" 25 But he said, "I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason. 26 For the king, before whom I also speak freely, knows these things; for I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention, since this thing was not done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe." 28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You almost persuade me to become a Christian." 29 And Paul said, "I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains."
Application:
- What role/responsibility God has given to you in His
service? or What for God called you?
- Are you building on top of the foundation laid by
apostles, prophets and Jesus Christ?
Letter to Romans:
6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; 7 To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. 9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, 10 making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you. 11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established-- 12 that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. 13 Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you (but was hindered until now), that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles.
14 I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to
wise and to unwise. 15 So, as much as is in me, I am
ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.
Observation:
- To whom Paul addressing this letter?
7a To all who are in Rome, beloved of God,
6 among whom you also are the called
of Jesus Christ;
- How believers in Rome are called?
7b called to be
saints:
- How Paul greets them?
7c Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
- Whom Paul is thanking?
8a First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ
- Why Paul is thanking?
8b for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
- How Paul prays for them?
9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that
without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers,
- What does Paul asking God in his prayer?
10 making request if, by some means, now at last
I may find a way in the will of God to come to you.
- Why Paul wants to see/visit them?
11a For I long to see you, that I may
impart to you some spiritual gift,
- What does the spiritual gifts do to them?
11b so that you may be established--
- What will Paul's visit do to both of them?
12 that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.
- What is God's response to his prayer request in
Romans 1:10?
13a Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that
I often planned to come to you (but was hindered until now),
- What one more reason Paul wants to see/visit them?
13b
that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles.
- To whom Paul is debtor?
14 I am a debtor both to Greeks and to
barbarians, both to wise and to unwise.
- Why Paul is debtor to them?
15 So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.
Interpretation:
- To whom Paul addressing this letter?
7a To all who are in Rome, beloved of God,
6 among whom you also are the called of
Jesus Christ;
- Paul is addressing this letter/epistle
to Roman believers in Christ.
- Who are called of (to belong) Jesus
Christ?
- Based on Rom 1:5 & 7 Romans are
called to belong Jesus Christ.
- NLT: Rom 1:6
- You are among those who have been
called to belong to Jesus Christ
- Among whom they are called of (to
belong) Jesus Christ?
- Based on Rom 1:5
among all nations or gentiles
Romans are called to belong
Jesus Christ.
- Romans 1:5
gives us who they are.
Romans were called to belong to
Jesus Christ among all nations
- Romans 1:5
- Through Him we have received
grace and apostleship for
obedience to the faith
among all nations for
His name,
- Now they are dearly loved by God.
- How believers in Rome are called?
7b called to be saints:
- What is saint means?
- Greek word for saint/saints is
hagios
(G40) means set apart or
consecrated to God, holy, sacred,
HOLY ONE (refers to
Jesus)
- It is translated as holy 161
times, saints 61 times, Holy One
(Jesus) 4 times, misc 3.
- Are they not called
to live a holy life since the
meaning of saints is holy?
- Yes, not
only them
all believers in
Christ are called to live a
holy life.
The apostle
Peter in his
epistle clearly
calls every
Christians to
live a holy
life since God
is holy.
- 1 Peter 1:15 - 15 but as He who called you is holy, you also
be holy in all your conduct,
16 because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy."
- In other words believers
are set apart for God, and they
are expected to continue to live
a holy and sacred life with the
help of God.
- Why then there is a new word
"saints" is used here instead of holy?
- To understand this in
details let dig into the the
word saint.
- How this word saints originate from?
- The English word saint derives from the
Latin sanctus (French
seinte(saint), Spanish san/santa
(femine) eg: San Francisco, Santa
Rosa/Barbara,...).
- How this word saints
is used in Old Testament
scriptures? or Analyze few usages of saints in
Old
Testaments and understand better?
- The Latin term
first appears in a Christian context in the Latin translation of the Old Testament.
- Three
different Hebrew
words
- kodesh (H6944
- קֹדֶשׁ) means
holiness,
separateness,
- Kadoshe (H6918
- קָדוֹשׁ) means
sacred, holy,
Holy One (God),
set apart,
- khä·sēd' (H2623 - חָסִיד) means holy one, godly, faithful
- Deuteronomy 33:3
-
Yes, He loves the people; All His saints are in Your hand; They sit down at Your feet; Everyone receives Your words.
- Job 15:15 -
If God puts no trust in His saints, And the heavens are not pure in His sight,
- Psalm 16:3 -
As for the saints who are on the earth, "They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight."
- There is
only
thre
instances of the
singular use of
this word saint
- Ps 106:16 - 16 When they envied Moses in the camp, And Aaron the saint of the Lord, 17 The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan, And covered the faction of Abiram.
- KJV: Dan 8:13 - Then I heardone saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake , How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation , to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?
- Dan 8:13 - Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who was speaking, "How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled under foot?"
- In New
Testament Old
Testament
believers are
also referred as
saints.
- Matthew
27:52 -
and the graves
were opened; and
many bodies of
the saints
who had fallen
asleep were
raised;
- How this word saints
is used in New Testament
scriptures? or Analyze few usages of saints in New
Testaments and understand better?
- It is almost
always
used in the
plural,
“saints.”
- Acts 9:13 - Then Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem.
- Acts 9:32 - Now it came to pass, as Peter went through all parts of the country, that he also came down to the saints who dwelt in Lydda.
- Acts 26:10 - This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.
- Romans 15:25,26 - 25 But now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints. 26 For it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem.
- Romans 16:15 - Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them.
- Ephesians 3:8 - To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
- Revelation 20:9 - 7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.
- There is
only one
instance of the
singular use,
and that also
says every saint
- Philippians 4:21 - Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you.
- In Scripture there are 61 uses of the plural “saints” compared to only one use of the singular word “saint.” Even in that one instance, a plurality of saints is in view: “…every saint…”
- There are
thwo
references referring to godly
character of saints:
- Romans 16:2 - 1
I commend to you
Phoebe our
sister, who is a
servant of the
church in
Cenchrea, 2
that you may
receive her in
the Lord in a
manner worthy of the
saints,
and assist her
in whatever
business she has
need of you; for
indeed she has
been a helper of
many and of
myself also.
- Ephesians 5:3
- But
fornication and
all uncleanness
or covetousness,
let it not even
be named among
you, as is
fitting for
saints;
- Therefore, scripturally
speaking, the “saints”
represent group of holy people
who are set apart for God.
- Is saint is a special title/position earned by
believers through their great service to
God?
- In Romans 1:7
even though the adjective "to
be" leads to interpret
that they are called to earn/obtain
this saints title in future by
their great service to God
but this adjective "to be"
is not in the original
Greek text so they are
italicized in
King James Version.
- To avoid confusion most online
versions introduces parenthesis
for these type of added text. Following
KJV verse taken from
www.BlueLetterBible.com:
- KJV
Rom 1:7
- To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called
[to be] saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
- We can see the same
confusion in Romans
1:1
- Is Paul in
Romans 1:1
called to earn the apostleship?
- No, as we
already gone
through this in
detail in
Romans 1:1,5
Paul received
this apostleship
as a gift from
Jesus Christ
on the day Jesus
called Paul for
ministry in
Acts
9:15,16.
- Paul was
given an
apostleship as a
gift
from Jesus and
expected
to fulfill the
role of an
apostle.
- KJV Rom 1:1 - Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called [to be] an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,
- Without this adjective it
reads "To all who are in Rome,
beloved of God, called
saints".
- (JC) The words
“to be” are in italics in the King James Version because they
don’t appear in the original Greek text. Thus, this verse should read, “You are called saints.”
- So, saint is not a
special title earned by
believers through their works
but it is a title or other name
given for believers of God/Jesus
Christ from the day
they started to believe in
God/Jesus Christ.
- (JC) Most people have
the idea that
saints are
special people
in religious
history. But the
truth is,
there
are only two
categories of
people: saints
and pagans.
Therefore,
if
you’re a
believer—you’re
a saint.
- (WW) Not "to be" saints;
they already were saints!
- Are all the believers of God or
Jesus Christ are called "saints"?
- Yes.
- (WW) A saint is a
set-apart one, and the person who trusts Jesus Christ is set apart and is a saint
- Scripturally
speaking, the “saints”
are the body of Christ,
Christians, the church.
- All
Christians are considered saints.
- Therefore Saints means believers
of God in Old Testament
and believers of Jesus
Christ in New
Testament.
- How many times the word "Christian(s)" referred
in the Bible?
- Acts 11:26 - 25 Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul.
26 And when he had found him, he brought him to
Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And
the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
- Acts 26:28 -
Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You almost persuade me to become a Christian."
- 1 Peter 4:16 -
Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.
- How many times the word "believer(s)" referred
in the Bible?
- In King James Version only
two places the word
"believers" used in the
Bible.
- Acts 5:14
-
And believers (G4100) were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women,
- 1 Timothy 4:12
-
Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers
(G4103)
in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
- Each of this word "believers"
uses different Greek word.
- There is no singular
usage as believer in the Bible.
- At the same time saints occurs 61 time in the New Testament
- Warnings:
- What are the problems if anyone
interpret saints as a special anointed believer
who earn the title by their unique work/service
of God?
- If anyone interpret saints
as a special anointed believers
then
- Only
their prayers
are heard and
answered by God:
- Revelation 5:8 - Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
- Revelation 8:4 - And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel's hand.
- Only
they are
persecuted by
Antichrist:
- Revelation 13:7 - It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.
- Revelation 16:6 - For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, And You have given them blood to drink. For it is their just due."
- Only
they go to heave
and those are
the one comes
with Jesus
during His 2nd
coming:
- Jude 14 - Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints,
- Revelation 19:8,14 - 7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready." 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 9 Then he said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!' " And he said to me, "These are the true sayings of God." 10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." 11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.
- This wrong
interpretation says all
believers in Jesus Christ never
go to heaven but
only believers who
earned the saint title will be
saved and go to heaven.
- It is important to
note that saints are equipped to
do God's service. It doesn't say
believers are equipped to do
God's service and earn the saint
title.
- Eph 4:12 - 12 for the
equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
14 that
we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,
15 but,
speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ--
- Is
it ok to prefix
believers names with
Saint(St.) like St.
Nicolas, St.
Thomas, St.(San
in Spanish)
Francisco, ...?
- Even though it seams ok but
no one in the Bible was called with this prefix
(St. Luke, St.
Timothy,...).
So, prefixing
Saint as a title
may not be good
idea.
- Application:
- Are you saint?
- You are
saint
if you are believer/disciple/follower of
Jesus Christ.
- How Paul greets them?
7c Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
- (JC) In Paul’s day, when Greeks greeted each other, they would say, “Charis,” which means “grace.” When Jews greeted each other, however, they would say, “Shalom,” which means “peace.” In the salutation of each of his epistles, Paul linked these two words together.
He always put them in the same order because man will never experience peace until he understands grace. If you’re trying to be holier or more deserving of God’s blessings, your Christian life will not be full of peace. But if you understand grace—that God blesses and gives unconditionally—you’ll stop trying to earn His blessings, and you’ll have peace.
- Where this peace comes from?
- Peace has to come
from God.
- Application: How to receive this
peace and apply/experience in our
Christian life/walk?
This is a three step process.
- This peace
is always from God.
God extends His peace to all
humanity.
- Putting
our faith in Jesus and establish
peace with God,
- Romans 5:1
- Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
- What
main thing this
peace with God
does to
believers?
- Establishing peace with God begins our relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
- This opens/provides free access to God (the thrown of
Grace). So, we can freely go
to God in prayer
and
supplication anytime in any situation.
We can notice
this in Romans
5:2 and Hebrews 4:16
- Romans 5:2 - 1 Therefore, having
been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2
through whom
also we
have access by
faith into this
grace
in which we
stand, and
rejoice in hope
of the glory of
God.
- Hebrews 4:16 - Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
- (JC)
Which is positional and unconditional because Jesus Christ took upon Himself all of our shortcomings and sins, problems, weakness, and rebelliousness (Romans 5:1). Most of us believe the Lord is disappointed in us because we haven’t spent time in the Word, because we don’t pray as we should, because we’re not doing very much for Him. But here, Paul the apostle says, “There is grace and peace for all because Jesus did it all!”
- When we freely go
to God in prayer
and
supplication
we receive the peace of God.
- Phil 4:6-7 - 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
7 and
the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
- This is not
an one time
event like
establish
peace
with God
(step 2). We
need to keep
receiving the
peace of God
always till we
meet with Jesus
face to face.
- (JC)
Which is
experiential and
comes through
prayer (Philippians 4:7). Perhaps this is what happened to you today: The kids didn’t behave. The job didn’t go well. Your husband didn’t come through, or your friends let you down. As you felt the burdens begin to come and the tension begin to build, you thought, I should pray. But no sooner did you think this than the Enemy was there, saying, “Pray? Now that you have a problem you want to pray? What about devotions, Mr. Prayer Person? You didn’t have devotions this morning, did you? And you think you can pray now?”
- (JC) You see, gang, we know we have problems, and
we are all too aware of our failures. But
we think the Father won’t hear us if we haven’t talked to Him for a day or three or ten. We
think He won’t answer us if we haven’t been doing what we should do, or going where we should go. In reality, nothing is further from the truth.
Look at our Lord, our Friend, Jesus Christ. After He had prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane so intensely that He sweat blood, He looked up, and saw a group of soldiers coming toward Him, led by His disciple, Judas. Jesus looked at Judas and said, “Friend, what seekest thou?” And His heart was revealed in that moment—for
Jesus looked at Judas at the moment of betrayal and called Judas “Friend.” Judas was at the lowest ebb possible, yet Jesus still said, “Friend, what seekest thou?” (see
Matthew 26:50). This One with whom we walk is so incredibly gracious.
He’ll respond to you and work with you anytime you call upon Him.
- Romans 8:35 - Who shall
separate us from the love of Christ?
Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution,
or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
- Psalm 51:17 -
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart-- These, O God, You will not despise.
- 1 John 1:9 -
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
- Jeremiah 33:3 - 'Call
to Me, and I will answer you,
and show you great and mighty things,
which you do not know.'
- Whom Paul was thanking?
8a First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ
- Paul is thanking his God
through Jesus Christ.
- (JC) “I thank my God,” said Paul.
- “My Lord and my God,” said Thomas, upon seeing the Resurrected Lord (John 20:28).
- No wonder Martin Luther said, “Christianity is uniquely the religion of the
possessive pronoun.”
- Application: Did you accept this God
Almighty Jesus Christ as your
personal Savior?
- Why Paul was thanking?
8b for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
- Paul was thanking God for the Roman
believers because of their faith.
- How their faith spoken of all over
the world?
- What Paul might have heard about
their faith?
- Since their faith
was spoken of and it reached
Paul so they are true/real born
again believers in Christ and
they might have
received/filled/baptized with the Holy
Spirit often.
- Acts 1:8
- But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come
upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
- Acts 10:44-45 - 44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. 45 And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.
- Eager to learn the word of
God and discipled by matured
believers/disciple:
- Matt 28:20a - 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
- Reaching out non-believers
by sharing/preaching the
Gospel/God News:
- Matt 28:19a - 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
- NLT:
Phil
1:5 - because
you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now.
- Growing in the knowledge of
Jesus Christ or Growing in the
grace of God:
- Acts 17:11 - 11 These (Bereans) were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. 12 Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men.
- 2 Peter 1:2-4 - 2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,
3 as His
divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,
4 by which have been
given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
- They were
not like Jewish
Believers who
were
backsliding:
- Heb 5:12-14 - 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
- Heb 6:1-2 -
1
Therefore,
leaving the
discussion of
the elementary
principles of
Christ, let us
go on to
perfection, not
laying again the
foundation of
repentance from
dead works and
of faith toward
God, 2
of the doctrine
of baptisms, of
laying on of
hands, of
resurrection of
the dead, and of
eternal
judgment.
- Love each other:
- Gal 5:22-23 - 22
But the
fruit of the
Spirit
is love,
joy, peace,
longsuffering,
kindness,
goodness,
faithfulness,
23
gentleness,
self-control.
Against such
there is no law.
- Eph 1:15 -15
Therefore I
also, after I
heard of your faith in
the Lord Jesus
and your love
for all the
saints, 16
do not cease to
give thanks for
you, making
mention of you
in my prayers:
- John 17:21
- that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.
- Gift of the Holy Spirit are
in operations in orderly manner.
Using the gifts of the Holy
Spirit as per the leading of
Holy Spirit. We can see
these in detail in 1
Corinthians 12, 14; Eph 4:11;
Romans 12.
- Paul
acknowledge
these in Romans
15
- Romans 15:14
- Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are
full of goodness,
filled with all knowledge,
able also to admonish one another.
- What one more think
that really made their faith spoken
of all over the world?
- Is their faith spoken
of all over the world
because Rome was dominated by Christians at that
time?
- No, Roman believers are
minority and they where
persecuted by
the Roman Emperors and even they
considered Christians as enemies
because they were not
worshiping Roman Emperors as
Lord.
- Rome during Paul's time was not like America or
Rome now.
- (Bruce)
“The Christians of Rome were
unpopular -
reputed to be ‘enemies
of the human race’ and
credited with such vices as
incest and cannibalism. In large
numbers, then, they became the
victims of the
imperial malevolence - and it is
this persecution of
Christians under Nero that
traditionally forms the setting
for Paul’s martyrdom.”
- Since Roman believers were
persecuted by
the Roman Emperors, Roman
believers are always and
for everything depend on God.
- They overcame these by the help
of God.
- They stay
strong in their faith
even to death.
- They didn't deny their faith
due to persecution.
- Paul
acknowledge
these in Romans
15
- Romans 16:19 - For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil.
- We can see
these
similarities in
Smyrna and Pergamos churches
exist during Paul's time referred
in Revelation 2:
- Rev 2:9-10 - 9 I know your (Smyrna) works,
tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
10 Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer.
Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
- Rev 2:13 - 12 "And to the angel of the church in
Pergamos write, 'These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword: 13 I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
- Application:
- How is your faith spoken of in your home, work, extended family
(among relatives), community, church,
throughout the whole world?
- How Paul prays for them?
9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that
without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers,
- How often Paul prays for them?
- Paul was praying
continuously making mention of
Roman believers.
- 1 Thes 5:17 - 16 Rejoice always,
17 pray without ceasing,
18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
- Why God is witness to Paul?
- God is witness to Paul
because God listened to Paul's
prayers. Paul want the
Roman believers to know that he
is really praying for them.
This shows that Paul is
praying for them privately
and he is not lying or
pretending:
- Matt 6:5,6 - 5 "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
8 Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.
- (Spurgeon) “No wonder
that they prospered so well when Paul
always made mention of them in his prayers. Some
churches would prosper better if some of you
remembered them more in prayer.”
- Application:
- (DG)
Perhaps Paul’s acknowledgment of
how easy it is to say you will pray for someone, and then fail to do it. He wanted them to know that he was really praying.
- Did
you sincerely
pray for
those whom you
have promised to
pray for?
- Are
you continuously praying
for those whom
you have
emailed/said
that "I am
praying for
you"?
- Are
you praying
continuously for
anyone or for
anything?
- If you are sincerely
pray then only God has to be
witness for you
- A sincere prayer
warrior will look for results
for his prayer.
- If you
pray for some
one sincerely
then you
will check with
them whether God
responded to
that prayer
request.
- This is one
of the reason we
need to praise God and
respond to the
prayer warriors
whom you have
requested to
pray for.
- Without Prayer
Journal it is
impossible to be a prayer
warrior.
- What did Paul ask God in his prayer?
10 making request if, by some means, now at last
I may find a way in the will of God to come to you.
- (WW) At the close of the letter (Rom. 15:30-33), he asked the believers in Rome to pray for him as he contemplated this trip; and it is a good thing that they did pray!
- Rom. 15:30-33 - 30
Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus
Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that
you strive together with me in prayers
to God for me, 31 that I may
be delivered from those in Judea who do not
believe, and that my service for
Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 that I may come to you with joy by the
will of God, and may be refreshed together with
you. 33 Now the God of peace
be with you all. Amen.
-
What was God's response to his prayer request
to go to see Romans?
10 making request if, by some means, now at last
I may find a way in the will of God to come to you.
13a Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that
I often planned to come to you (but was hindered until now),
- Is it hard/expensive for Paul to visit Rome?
- No, during Paul's third
missionary journey he
already travelled
up to Berea, Corinth, Athens
which are close to Rome
compared to traveling from
Jerusalem.
- Financially Paul was
doing ok to travel to Rome.
He is not depended on
any Church or committee to
provide.
- Why Paul was asking
permission to God?
- Paul is a
bondservant
(willing become
servant/slave)
to God. So, he
wants to do what God says to do. He
follows the
footsteps of
Jesus Christ and
saying "not
my will let
God's will be
done".
- Matt 26:39 - He
(Jesus) went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will."
- Luke 22:42 - saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."
- Application: Are we
asking permission to God?
- If we
willingly
surrender our
self to God as a
slave/servant
like how Paul
surrender
himself to God
as bondservant
we will ask
permission to
God. He is Lord
we are not. His
ways are way
higher than our
ways.
- Did Paul go to Rome?
- Yes, Paul went to Rome
after few years later.
- Acts 19:21 -
When these things were accomplished, Paul purposed in the Spirit, when he had passed through
Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, "After I have been there, I must also see Rome."
- Acts 23:11 -
But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, "Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so
you must also bear witness at Rome."
- Acts 28:14 -
where we found brethren, and were invited to stay with them seven days. And so
we went toward Rome.
15 And from there, when the brethren heard about us, they came to meet us as far as Appii Forum and Three Inns [NLT: came to meet us at the Forum on the Appian Way. Others joined us at The Three Taverns]. When
Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.
16 Now when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard; but
Paul was permitted to dwell by himself with the soldier who guarded him.
- How Paul went to Rome?
- (WW) Actually, Paul had a very perilous journey; and he arrived in Rome a prisoner as well as a preacher.
In Jerusalem he was arrested in the temple, falsely accused by the Jewish authorities and eventually sent to Rome as the Emperor's prisoner to be tried before Caesar. When Paul wrote this letter, he had no idea that he would go through imprisonment and even shipwreck before arriving in Rome!
- We can read
this Acts 27 &
28. All things happened
on the way to Rome are
not the way
Paul (or we) might have expected.
- Instead of Garland he went
with chains,
- Instead of VIP/Ambassador he
went as a prisoner.
- Even at these situations
God
gave opportunities to
- share the
Gospel with
Kings,
- take a
captain role in
the ship,
- lift him
among all in
Malta by
miraculously
saving him from
deadly viper
bite,
- God also
provided place to
stay with Roman soldiers in
Rome,
- permitted to preach gospel
while he was in Rome imprisoned in
a home.
- Paul went to Rome not using any of
his resources/money.
- (Spurgeon) I do not suppose
that Paul guessed that he
would be sent there at the government expense,
but he was. The Roman Empire had to find
a ship for him, and a fit escort for him, too;
and he entered the city as an ambassador in
bonds. When our hearts are
set on a thing, and we pray for it, God may
grant us the blessing; but, it may be, in a way
that we never looked for.
You shall go to Rome, Paul; but you
shall go in chains.”
- To Paul God
- Prophesized
about going to
Rome,
- Arranged
everything
needed to go to
Rome and
- Finally
orchestrated
for him.
- Application: If God
leads God will provide just step
ahead by faith.
- Who hindered/stopped Paul from going to Rome?
13a Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren,
that I often planned to come to you (but was hindered until now),
- Is this hindrance is
due to Satan?
- Daniel prayed
continuously and
he received
response after
21 days due the
hindrance of
Satan.
- Daniel 10:13 - 12 Then he said to me, "Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. 13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. 14 Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come."
- After Jesus
Christ death and
resurrection
since every
believers in God
has His Holy
Spirit so God
speak to His
believers
directly through
His Holy Spirit.
So, there is
less possibility
for such type of
delay.
- In the
1 Thessalonians 2:18
Paul clearly
says that
Satan
was
hindered/stopped
Paul from going
to Thessalonica.
- 1 Thessalonians 2:18 - Therefore we wanted to come to you--even I, Paul, time and again--but Satan hindered us.
- Here
he prays and
says that he was
hindered but he
didn't
explicitly say
that who
hindered him.
If Satan might
have hindered
then Paul might
have explicitly
referred here.
- Since he
didn't say that
here and Paul
clearly explains
why God didn't
permit him in
the end of this
letter (Why then God didn't
allow Paul to go to Rome
immediately?) so,
this
hindrance/delay
is from God as a
response to his
diligent prayer.
- As a believer of God we will
know the difference whether the
hindrance is
from God or Satan.
- Even if
Satan hinders
Paul and if God wants to
send Paul
to Rome
immediately God
has power to
rebuke Satan and
permitted Paul
to go to Rome.
- Application: How do
you identify whether this type
of hindrance/delay is caused by
Satan or God?
- Satan may
hinder/delay us
by deceiving us
by his cunning
plans:
- bringing problems through someone else and make us to engage in that,
- keep us busy so that we cannot think of going/doing the things that we suppose to go/do.
- tempt/divert us to go somewhere else
- make us to stay in the same place by providing comfortable zone/environment,
- make us to do some junk thing
- make us to engage in the ministry/God's service where God not want us to serve for Him.
- God
may hinder/delay
us by providing
peace of mind,
reveal his
current plan and
show us what to
do now:
- Phil 4:7 - 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
7 and
the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
- James 3:14-17
- 14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.
15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic.
16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.
- Why God didn't allow Paul to go to
Rome immediately? or Why God didn't grant
permission immediately to Paul's request to
visit Rome?
- Did Paul lack/week
in faith so that God is not
answering?
- No.
Paul was keep on
praying for this
matter to God.
- Did Paul not asks
others to pray for this matter?
or Did Paul lacks corporate
prayer?
- No.
He requested
Roman believers
to pray for this
matter.
He might have
requested other
believers
surrounding him
to pray for this
matter.
- Rom. 15:30-33 - 30
Now I beg you, brethren, through the
Lord Jesus
Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that
you strive together with me in prayers
to God for me, 31 that I may
be delivered from those in Judea who do not
believe, and that my service for
Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 that I may come to you with joy by the
will of God, and may be refreshed together with
you. 33 Now the God of peace
be with you all. Amen.
- Is Paul asking God
in selfish/wrong motives
(as referred in James 4:2-3)?
- No. God put
this
burden/desire in
Paul's heart on
the day God
saved Paul.
- Acts 9:15 - 15
But the Lord
said to him,
"Go, for
he is a chosen vessel of
Mine to bear My
name before
Gentiles, kings,
and the children
of Israel.
16 For I will show him
how many things
he must suffer
for My name's
sake."
- NLT:
James 4:2-3
- 2 You want what you don't have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous for what others have, and you can't possess it, so you fight and quarrel to take it away from them. And yet the reason you don't have
what you want is that you don't ask God for it. 3 And even when you do ask, you don't get it because your whole motive is wrong -- you want only what will give you pleasure.
- James 4:2-3 - 2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you
do not have because you do not ask.
3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
-
Why then God didn't
allow Paul to go to Rome
immediately?
- God has different
plan/itinerary for Paul. God
permitted Paul to visit Rome in
His own timing.
- Proverbs 19:21
- There are many
plans in a man's
heart,
Nevertheless the
LORD's
counsel--that
will stand.
- NIV: Jer 29:11
- For I
know the plans I
have for you,"
declares the
LORD, "plans
to prosper you
and not to harm
you, plans to
give you hope
and a future.
- Isaiah 55:8-9 -
8
"For My
thoughts are not
your thoughts,
Nor are your
ways My ways,"
says the Lord.
9 "For
as the heavens
are higher than
the earth, So
are My ways
higher than your
ways, And My
thoughts than
your thoughts.
- Psalm
37:4-5,23-24 - 4
Delight yourself
also in the
Lord, And He
shall give you
the desires of
your heart. 5 Commit
your way to the
Lord, Trust also
in Him, And He
shall bring it
to pass......23
The steps
of a good man
are ordered by
the Lord, And He
delights in his
way. 24
Though he fall,
he shall not be
utterly cast
down; For the
Lord upholds him
with His hand.
- God
wants Paul to write this book of
Romans.
- God wants
Paul to preach
gospel to rest
of the gentiles
before he preach
to Romans.
Paul himself
identifies this
reason at the
end of writing
this book:
- NLT: Romans 15:19b,22 - 19 I have won them over by the miracles done through me as signs from God -- all by the power of God's Spirit. In this way, I have fully presented the Good News of Christ all the way from Jerusalem clear over into Illyricum. 20 My ambition has always been to preach the Good News where the name of Christ has never been heard, rather than where a church has already been started by someone else. 21 I have been following the plan spoken of in the Scriptures, where it says, "Those who have never been told about him will see, and those who have never heard of him will understand." 22 In fact, my visit to you has been delayed so long because I have been preaching in these places.
- Application:
-
Are you requesting
your needs/wants to God or directing
God to bless your needs/wants? or
Are you being honest and open before the Lord in humility,
or
are you telling Him what to do?
- (JC) The best way to pray is to say, “Lord, You know the needs I have. You’ve asked me to share them with You. This is my desire, my burden, my concern. Now, Lord, Your will be done by any means You see fit.”
- “But aren’t we supposed to name it and claim it?” you ask.
- Ask Hezekiah.…
“O Lord, let me live,” he prayed. “I know Isaiah said I was supposed to die, but, Lord, let me live. I name it and claim it.” In Hebrew, the account reads that he turned his face to the wall and chirped like a bird incessantly,
demanding his own way until finally the Lord said, “Okay. Live” (see
2 Kings 20:1–6). When messengers from Babylon came to congratulate him on his recovery, Hezekiah responded by
taking them on a tour of the treasures of Israel. And
it was this report that led Nebuchadnezzar to subsequently invade Israel.
Meanwhile, Hezekiah fathered a son named
Manasseh, who would become
the worst king in Israel’s history.
- The Lord did indeed answer Hezekiah’s prayer by prolonging his life fifteen years. But those fifteen years were disastrous both to Hezekiah personally and to the kingdom nationally. How much better it would have been had Hezekiah simply shared his heart with the Father and said, “Not my will, but Thy will be done.”
- That’s how Jesus prayed in the hour of His greatest need (Luke 22:42).
Our faith is not to be in our own plans, but in the goodness and wisdom of our Father.
- So, please do not
direct God by telling Him what
to do instead be honest and open
with humbleness present your
need or want to God. He will
bring it to pass what is best
for us.
- Isaiah 55:8-9 -
8
"For
My
thoughts are not
your thoughts,
Nor are your
ways My ways,"
says the Lord.
9 "For
as the heavens
are higher than
the earth, So
are
My ways
higher than your
ways, And My
thoughts than
your thoughts.
- Jeremiah 33:3 - 'Call to Me, and
I will answer you, and
show you great and mighty things,
which you do not know.'
- NIV:
Jer 29:11
- For I
know the plans I
have for you,"
declares the
LORD, "plans
to prosper you
and not to harm
you, plans to
give you hope
and a future.
- Why Paul wants to see/visit Romans?
List all the reasons Paul has given in Romans 1:11-15.
- Paul long to see the Roman believers
to impart some spiritual gift.
11 For I long to see you, that I may
impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be
established--
- (WW) "I long to see you!" This is the
pastor's heart in Paul the great missionary. Some of the saints in Rome were
very dear to Paul, such as Priscilla and Aquila (Rom. 16:3-4), who
risked their lives for him; "the beloved Persis" (Rom. 16:12); and others who had labored and suffered with Paul. But he also
loved the believers that he did not know.
- What is spiritual
gift? Who gives that?
- Like natural
talents given to
us by birth
spiritual gifts
are given to
saints/believers
in Christ. They
are given to
saints/believers
in Christ by God
through Holy
Spirit and they
are operate
by the power of
the Holy Spirit.
- 1 Cor
12:11
- But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
- Romans 12:3-6a -
3
For I say,
through the
grace given to
me, to everyone
who is among
you, not to
think of himself
more highly than
he ought to
think, but to
think soberly,
as God has dealt
to each one
a
measure of
faith. 4
For as we have
many members in
one body, but
all the members do not
have the same
function, 5
so we, being
many, are one
body in Christ,
and individually
members of one
another.
6
Having then
gifts
differing
according to the
grace that is
given to us,
let us use them:
if prophecy, let
us prophesy in
proportion to
our faith;
- What are all
spiritual gifts referred in the
Bible?
- 1 Cor 12:8-10 -
8 for to one is given
the word
of wisdom through the Spirit, to another
the word of knowledge through the same Spirit,
9 to another
faith by the same Spirit, to another
gifts of healings by the same Spirit,
10 to another
the working of miracles, to another
prophecy, to another
discerning of spirits, to another
different kinds of tongues, to another
the interpretation of tongues.
- Eph 4:11
- And He Himself gave some to be
apostles, some
prophets, some
evangelists, and some
pastors and teachers,
- Romans 12:6-8 -
6
Having then
gifts differing
according to the
grace that is
given to us, let
us use them: if
prophecy,
let us prophesy
in proportion to
our faith;
7
or ministry,
let us use it in
our ministering;
he who teaches,
in teaching;
8
he who exhorts,
in exhortation;
he who gives,
with liberality;
he who leads,
with diligence;
he who shows
mercy,
with
cheerfulness.
- How to receive these
Spiritual gifts? Why Paul needs to go
there physically and impart
these spiritual gifts?
- These
spiritual gifts
are given to
saints/believers
in Christ
after
they born again
and when they
are baptized or
filled in the
Holy Spirit.
- Acts 10:44-45 - 44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. 45 And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.
- 1 Cor 14: 1 - Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.
- Believers in
Christ may also
receive these
gifts when a
anointed
pastor/preacher/leader
laying
their hands on
them and pray.
But laying hands
is not the only
option believers
receive the
spiritual gifts.
- 1 Timothy 4:14 - Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which
was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership.
- NLT: 2 Timothy 1:6 - This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you.
- 2 Timothy 1:6 - Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through
the laying on of my hands.
- What do these spiritual gifts do to them?
11b so that you may be
established--
- Is
the spiritual
gifts are given
to establish
their personal
needs/wants such
as job, home,
car,...?
- Why
did God give this spiritual gifts? How do these
spiritual gifts
helps to
establish?
Establish God's
Kingdom.
- Draw people to His Kingdom:
NLT:
Romans 15:19 - 18 I dare not boast of anything else.
I have brought the Gentiles to God by my message and by the way I lived before them.
19
I have won them over by the miracles done through me as signs from God -- all by the power of God's Spirit. In this way, I have fully presented the Good News of Christ all the way from Jerusalem clear over into Illyricum.
- Equip the Saints or Believer in Christ:
Eph 4:12 - 11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
12 for the
equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the
edifying of the body of Christ,
13
till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
14 that
we should
no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,
15 but,
speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ--
- Establish the Church:
NLT:
1 Cor 12:7 - A
spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of
helping the entire church.
1 Cor 12:7 - But the
manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one
for the profit of all:
8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit,
9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,
10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
- Paul may be encouraged together with
Roman believers by the mutual faith
12 that is, that
I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.
- How Paul may be
encouraged when he meet with
Roman believers?
12 that is, that
I may be encouraged together
with you
by the mutual faith both of you and me.
- (DG) Paul’s desire to visit the church in Rome is
not merely to give to them, but to receive as well, because Paul realized that in their mutual faith, they have something to give to him.
- (WW)
He was looking forward to a time
of mutual blessing in
the love of Christ.
- (JC) “In giving to you, I will benefit as well because our faith will grow mutually,” said Paul. That’s always the way it is in ministry.
Give and you’ll get. Share and you’ll receive.
- How their mutual
faith encouraged Paul?
- Sharing
testimonies such
as sharing their
conversion
testimonies, how
God saved them
from a difficult
situation,...
- Believer's
spirit are
renewed by the
presence of the
Lord when we
gathered
together in His
name.
- Matt 18:20 - For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."
-
(JC) “In
giving to you, I
will benefit as
well because our
faith will grow
mutually,”
said Paul.
That’s always
the way it is in
ministry.
Give and
you’ll get.
Share and you’ll
receive.
- Application: Are you
encouraged when you hang around
with believers in Christ?
- Yes,
with matured,
sincere, or
humble believer
who wants to
grow in the
Lord.
- We may be
discouraged with traditional
Christians, so
called
Christians,
backslidden
Christians or
Christians who
are not matured
and not
interested in
growing in the
Lord. Reason is
we do not have
anything common
to share.
- Paul might have some fruit among the
Romans as he had among the other Gentiles
13b that I might have some fruit among you
also, just as among the other Gentiles.
- What is fruit?
- Fruit means in
general outcome/result
of a
labor/work/effort.
Such as
- Work/labor produces wages,
- Knitting produces sweater (product),
- Business produces return or profit
These are
the fruits of one's labors.
- What is the fruit of
the Holy Spirit?
- Gal 5:22-23 - 22
But the
fruit of the
Spirit
is love,
joy, peace,
longsuffering,
kindness,
goodness,
faithfulness,
23
gentleness,
self-control.
Against such
there is no law.
- Why the
Love
is called the
fruit of the
Holy Spirit?
- The fruit of the Holy Spirit is the
result of the Holy Spirit’s presence and work in the life of a Christian.
- NLT: 2 Cor 3:18b - And all of us have had that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more.
- Is
the fruit
of the Holy
Spirit means
just producing
good character
the Love?
- Yes, Love is the ultimate fruit that shows spiritual growth and maturity of the believer.
- In addition to these in general it is not limited to just producing good characters or the agape Love but it can be any
outcome/fruit that produced by the believer just by obeying the leading of the Holy Spirit.
- Since, Love is the fruit of the Holy Spirit all other outcome produced obedience to God are in general called fruits. We may call this as fruits of our labor/service to God.
- What
more fruits
that believers
in Christ can
bear?
- There is no limits. Every true believers in Christ will produce fruit when they abide with Jesus Christ by just doing what He ask them to do through His Holy Spirit. Simple obedience to Jesus Christ produces fruit.
- John 1:5 -“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
- God saved us to produce much fruits:
- John
15:16 - You did not choose Me, but I chose you and
appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
- One such example is if a believer won a soul by reaching out an unbeliever as per the leading of the Holy Spirit then that new believer is a fruit produced by him. Even though God converts that nonbeliever by doing great miracle of Salvation in his heart God attributes that new convert/believer as a fruit to that believer who just obeyed God as He leads through His Holy Spirit.
- Philip produced a fruit by just obeying God's leading through angel and the Holy Spirit.
- Acts 8:26-31,35-37 -
26 Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert. 27 So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, 28 was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.”
30 So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 The place in the Scripture which he read was this:
“He was led as a sheep to the slaughter;
And as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.
33 In His humiliation His justice was taken away,
And who will declare His generation?
For His life is taken from the earth.”
34 So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. 36 Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?”
37 Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.”
And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” 38 So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. 39 Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea.
- Paul won new converts/believers among Gentiles by preaching the Gospel through miracles and wonders. These new believers are God given fruits for him.
- NLT: Romans 15:19 - I have won them over by the miracles done through me as signs from God -- all by the power of God's Spirit. In this way, I have fully presented the Good News of Christ all the way from Jerusalem clear over into Illyricum.
- Is
Paul is talking
about the fruit
of the Holy
Spirit that
produces good
characters?
- No. Paul is
not talking about the fruit of the Holy Spirit that produces good character
by the believer who abides in Jesus Christ or obeys the leading of the Holy Spirit.
- What fruit Paul
might have expecting from
Romans?
- Paul is
expecting great
harvest among
Roman
non-believers as
he won new
converts/believers
among Gentiles
by preaching the
Gospel through
miracles and
wonders. These
new
believers are
God given fruits
for him.
- NLT: Romans 15:19 - I have won them over by the miracles done through me as signs from God -- all by the power of God's Spirit. In this way, I have fully presented the Good News of Christ all the way from Jerusalem clear over into Illyricum.
- Application:
- Are you producing
the fruit of the
Holy Spirit?
- If you are not then check whether you accepted Jesus as your personal Savior or not.
- Jesus told if the seed falls on the good soil it will produce at least few fruits. It means any true believer will produce at least few fruits:
- Matt 13:23 - But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."
- True faith will produce fruit:
- James 2:26
- For as the
body without the
spirit is dead,
so faith
without works is
dead
also.
- Titus 3:8
- This is a
faithful saying,
and these things
I want you to
affirm
constantly, that
those
who have
believed in God
should be
careful to
maintain good
works. These
things are good
and profitable
to men.
- Are you producing fruit among non-believers
around you? or Are you producing fruit among believers
around you?
- To fulfill the responsibility of the Great Commission true believers needs to producing fruit either among "non-believers" or "believers".
- Reaching out non-believers
by sharing/preaching the
Gospel/Good News:
- Matt 28:19a - 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
- Once they become believers teach them and disciple them:
- Matt 28:20 - Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
- Paul was a debtor both to Greeks and
to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise.
14 I am a debtor both
to Greeks and to barbarians, both to
wise and to unwise.
- To whom Paul is
debtor?
- Paul
is debtor to all
especially
non-believers.
To make is
simple NLT has
simpler
translation of
this passage.
- NLT: Romans 1:14 For I have a
great sense of obligation to people in
our culture and to people in other cultures, to
the educated and uneducated alike.
- What is debtor?
- One who
owes another.
- One held by some obligation, bound by some duty
- One who
owes God penalty or whom God can demand punishment as something due, i.e.
a sinner
- A person who
borrowed
money/kind from
someone or a
creditor/lender.
- Greek word
used for this is
opheiletēs
(G3781):
Translated as
debtor
- 5, sinner
- 1, which owed
- 1
- Is the feeling of
the debtor is
same as the guilty feeling?
- A sinner is
a debtor to God
as per the
definition
above, so in one
place this Greek
word translated
as sinner. Guilt
always leads to
condemnation
unless the
sinner repent
and confess the
sin.
- Luke 13:4 - 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish."
- NIV: Luke 13:4 - 4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them--do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."
- It is more
similar but here
Paul is not
saying himself
as sinner. So,
he was not
feeling guilty
but he has a
heavy
burden in their
heart.
- Romans 15:27 - 26 For it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem.
27 It pleased them indeed, and
they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things.
- Gal 5:3 -
And I testify
again to every
man who becomes
circumcised that
he is a debtor
to keep the
whole law.
- Romans
8:12,13 - 12 Therefore, brethren,
we are debtors--not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.
13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die;
but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
-
Application: Have
you ever experienced of
being debtor for
a long period of
time to
someone because
you are not
affordable to
payoff (in full
including
interest)?
- What is the main
objective/aim/goal for a debtor
toward the creditor/lender?
Note: Think for a moment if
you become debtor using credit
card or personal loan with very
high interest rate.
Do not think of a loan used to
purchase a home, car or any
assert.
- The debtor's
main
objective/aim is
to payoff
the loan to the
lender and come
out of debt.
Until they
payoff the loan
then they will
not experience
the peace of
mind.
- What happens of the
debtor if they could not payoff
the loan to the lender forever
and the lender has no other
alternative to leave the debtor
without paying off the loan?
- They stay
forever as a
debtor to the
lender until
they payoff the
loan.
- In a way the
debtor become
slave to the
lender until
they payoff the
loan.
- Is this how Paul
feels as a debtor?
- Yes,
because Paul was
preaching the
Gospel/Good News
and
trying to reach
out the whole
world but he
could not.
- Even though
Paul won
many new
believers but
still there are
more
non-believers
keep on popping up
because there
are many out
there which Paul
alone could not
reach out.
- Romans 1:14 - I am a debtor both
to Greeks and to barbarians, both to
wise and to unwise.
- NLT: 1 Cor 9:16 - For preaching the Good News is not something I can boast about. I am compelled by God to do it. How terrible for me if I didn't do it!
- (DG)
Paul was such a
tireless
evangelist,
working all over
the world
because he
believed he had
a debt to pay,
and he owed it
to the whole
world.
- (DG) Paul
recognized he had
something of a debt to Rome.
The Roman Empire brought world
peace and order, they brought a
common cultural, and an
excellent transportation system
to the world. Paul used
all these in spreading the
gospel, so he can best repay
this debt by giving Rome the
good news of Jesus Christ.
- Why did Paul feel as
a debtor? or What caused/made Paul
to feel like a debtor?
-
Zeal/Fire for
the Lord:
- (JC)
Because he was amazed at
the goodness of
God that saved
him so radically
at the very time
he was erring so
greatly.
- In reality most believers in Christ leave the first love eventually if they didn't develop the personal relationship with (or stay connected to the vine) Jesus Christ.
- Rev 2:4 - Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love
-
Desire/Burden
given by the
Lord:
- In
addition to
Paul's personal
salvation
experience since
God saved everyone
with His purpose
and had unique plan for
Paul so He put
His burden or
desires in
Paul's heart.
So, that Paul
feel as a debtor
to all
non-believers.
- NLT: 1 Cor 9:16 - For preaching the Good News is not something I can boast about. I am compelled by God to do it. How terrible for me if I didn't do it!
- NLT: Jer 20:9 - And I can't stop! If I say I'll never mention the LORD or speak in his name, his word burns in my heart like a fire. It's like a fire in my bones! I am weary of holding it in!
- We
can see this in
Romans
1:1,5; Acts
9:15. Paul
was called as
apostle and
separated for
gospel
to reach out
Gentiles (Romans 1:5, 13).
- Romans 1:1 - Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God.
- Romans 1:5 - Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name,
- Acts 9:15 - 15 But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake."
- This is God given desire or burden to Paul. So he feels this way.
- Application:
- How
God put His
burden or
desires in the
believers heart?
- Surrender your life to the Lord, I mean complete dependency:
- Luke 9:23 - Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
- Matt 11:28,30 - 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
- Delight yourself
also in the
Lord:
- Psalm 37:4-5,23-24 - 4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass ... 23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way.
- NLT: Phil 2:13 - For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him.
- God not only puts His desire in believers heart if needed God puts His desire in non-believers heart too and accomplish His grand plan.
- Rev 17:17 - For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.
- Do
you feel obligated/burdened/debtor
to preach the
Gospel to the
unreached?
- Do
you feel obligated/burdened/debtor
to serve God by
equipping the
saints/believers?
- Paul was ready to preach the gospel to
Romans
15 So, as much as is in me,
I am ready to preach the gospel to you
who are in Rome also.
NLT: 15 So I am eager
to come to you in Rome, too, to preach God's
Good News.
- Why Paul was ready
to preach the gospel to Romans?
- As much as
Paul feels as a
debtor to
non-believers so Paul was
ready to preach
the gospel.
-
Romans 1:14
- I am a debtor both
to Greeks and to barbarians, both to
wise and to unwise.
- Is Paul going to
preach the gospel to the Roman
believers or non-believers?
- Paul's aim
to preach the
wherever it is
not preached so
he want
to reach out
non-believers
who are dominant
in Rome.
- But there
may be many
Roman believers
never
heard the clear
simple
presentation of
gospel of grace
as he presented
to Ephesians
church. Paul is not
ashamed to
preach the
gospel of grace
again to born-again
believers of
Jesus Christ.
-
Did Paul preach gospel in Rome?
- Yes, Paul
preached gospel in
Rome to Jews and Gentiles.
- Acts 28:23,24,30,31
- 17 And it came to pass after three days that
Paul called the leaders of the Jews together. So when they had come together, he said to them: "Men and brethren, though I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans,
18 who, when they had examined me, wanted to let me go, because there was no cause for putting me to death.
19 But when the Jews spoke against it, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar, not that I had anything of which to accuse my nation.
20 For this reason therefore I have called for you, to see you and speak with you, because for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain."
21 Then they said to him, "We neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brethren who came reported or spoken any evil of you.
22 But we desire to hear from you what you think; for concerning this sect, we know that it is spoken against everywhere."
23 So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom
he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening.
24 And some were persuaded by the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved.
24 And some were persuaded by the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved.
25 So when they did not agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had said one word: "The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers,
26 saying, 'Go to this people and say: "Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand; And seeing you will see, and not perceive;
27 For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them." '
28 "Therefore let it be known to you that
the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!"
29 And when he had said these words, the Jews departed and had a great dispute among themselves.
30 Then
Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, 31 preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him.
- How ready Paul was to preach the gospel?
- (Spurgeon)
“A Moravian was about to be sent
by Zinzendorf to preach in
Greenland. He had never heard of
it before; but his leader called
him, and said, ‘Brother, will
you go to Greenland?’ He
answered, ‘Yes, sir.’ ‘When will
you go?’ ‘When my boots come
home from the cobbler;’ and he
did go as soon as his boots came
home. He wanted nothing else but
just that pair of boots, and he
was ready to go. Paul,
not even waiting for his boots
to come home from the cobbler,
says, ‘I am ready.’ Oh,
it is grand to find a man so
little entangled that he can go
where God would have him go, and
can go at once.”
- (Spurgeon) Paul use the words
“I am ready” as his motto. Almost the first words out of his mouth when he was saved were, “Lord, what do you want me to do?”
(Acts 9:6)
- Paul was ready to preach and to serve (Romans 1:15)
- Paul was ready to suffer (Acts 21:13)
- Paul was ready to do unpleasant work (2 Corinthians 10:6)
- Paul was ready to die (2 Timothy 4:6)
- (Newell) This is a bold way of
talking. “Talk of your brave men, your great men, O world! Where
in all history can you find one like Paul? Alexander, Caesar,
Napoleon, marched with the protection of their armies to enforce
their will upon men. Paul was eager to march with Christ
alone to the center of this world’s greatness entrenched under
Satan with the word of the cross, which he himself says is to
the Jews, and offence; and to Gentiles, foolishness.”
- Application:
- Are
you equipped to
preach the
Gospel?
Following are
few list of
questions that
you need to know
the answers. So,
that when you
reach out
non-believers by
raising these
questions or if
they raise these
questions you
can clearly
present to them.
- Why we need Savior?
- Romans 3:23 - for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
- Is it possible to go to heaven just by doing good or by obeying the law?
- No
- Why?
- No one can obey the law perfectly as God expect.
- James 2:10 - For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.
- Why God send Jesus Christ?
- John 3:16,18 - 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
- What the new convert/believer need to do when they accept the Lord as their personal savior?
- Romans 10:9-11,13 - 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame." 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
- Did you learn the culture, background, language,... of the people whom God is leading you to reach out?
- Did you learn apologetics (the branch of theology concerned with the defense or proof of Christianity.)?
- Are you going through the word of God from the beginning till the end both Old and New Testament?
- Are you growing in the grace of God?
- In your conversation do you allow God/Holy Spirit to lead or intervene?
- Are
you ready to
preach the
Gospel?
- 1 Peter 3:15
- But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and
always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;
- Prepare a one, two, three, five, fifteen, thirty,... minute gospel message with your personal testimony.
- Are you living now with only the old testimonies?
- Is Jesus is still actively working in your life? or
- Do you have on going relationship with Jesus Christ?
God's Righteousness Revealed or The Gospel Announced:
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."
Observation:
- What for Paul is not ashamed?
16a For I am not ashamed of the gospel
of Christ,
- Why Paul is not ashamed of the Gospel?
16b for it is the power of God to salvation
- To whom the Gospel is available/applicable?
16c for everyone who believes,
- In what order the Gospel made it available?
16c for the Jew first and
also for the Greek.
- What is revealed in the Gospel?
17a For in it the righteousness of God
is revealed
- To whom the righteousness of God is revealed?
17b from faith to faith;
- How the just has to live?
17c as it is written, "The just shall
live by faith."
Interpretation:
- Why Romans 1:16,17 verses are very important?
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."
- These two verse touched and changed
many people especially the believers life.
- This book of Romans inspired Martin Luther
when he discovered in it the truth of justification by
faith. He praised the
Book of Romans: “It is
the chief part of the New
Testament and the perfect gospel
. . . the absolute epitome of
the gospel.”
- (DG) After his introduction, Paul introduces his
“thesis statement” for his letter to the Romans.
- (Leon Morris)
“These two verses have
an importance out of all proportion to
their length.”
- What for Paul is not ashamed?
16a For I am not ashamed of the gospel
of Christ,
- Why Paul was writing that he was not ashamed of the Gospel?
- Did Paul in any point in time
ashamed to share the Gospel?
- Is anyone around Paul were ashamed
of the Gospel?
- We do not know but
it might have happened.
- Acts 15:38 - 34 However, it seemed good to Silas to remain there.
35 Paul and Barnabas also remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.
36 Then after some days Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing."
37 Now
Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark.
38 But Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who had departed from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work.
39 Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus;
40 but Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the grace of God.
41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
- NLT:
Acts 15:38
- But Paul disagreed strongly,
since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not shared in their work.
- Why anyone ashamed of the Gospel?
- May be that person is
not deeply impacted by
the Gospel.
- Or they may be not
clearly understood the Gospel.
- Sharing the Gospel is always
threat to their life
in some place even now.
-
1 Cor 1:22-23 - 22 For
Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,
24 but to
those who are called, both Jews
and Greeks, Christ the power of
God and the wisdom of God.
- (WW) For one thing, the Gospel was identified with
a poor Jewish carpenter who was crucified. The Romans had no special appreciation for the Jews, and crucifixion was the lowest form of execution given a criminal. Why put your faith in a Jew who was crucified?
- (DG) In a sophisticated city like Rome, some might be
embarrassed by a gospel centered on a crucified Jewish savior, embraced by the lowest classes of people - but Paul is not ashamed.
- Application: Are you ashamed of the gospel of Christ?
- Why Paul is not ashamed of the Gospel?
16b for it is the power of God to salvation
- What is "the power of God to
salvation" means?
- It has power to save people
from the wrath of God and from going to hell.
- 1 Thes 1:5
- For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.
- (JC) Paul was not ashamed of the gospel for
two reasons.
- The first is that the gospel
revives men’s lives. Dead in sin, and without the Lord, men go through the motions of living. But in reality,
without any real purpose, they wonder why they exist. Paul was not ashamed of the gospel because
it is the power of God unto salvation. It is literally the dunamis—from which we get our words
“dynamic” and “dynamite”—to totally turn people around and give them reason for being.
- The second reason Paul was not ashamed of the gospel is that it reveals
God’s love. God’s love is seen in the fact that He doesn’t just wink at sin and say, “Boys will be boys.” After all, who would want to live in a community in which righteousness was not enforced, in which police officers simply said, “People will be people. So let’s just close our eyes to robberies and murders”? If that was the policy of the community in which you lived, you would move.
God neither winks at sin nor wipes us out because of sin. Rather, He washes away our sin by the blood of His Son.
- (DG) This is why Paul is
not ashamed of a gospel centered on a crucified savior. He knows that the gospel -
the good news of Jesus Christ - has inherent power. We do not give it power, we only stop hindering the power of the gospel when we present it effectively.
- (Morris)
The gospel is certainly news,
but it is more than information;
it has an inherent power. “The
gospel is
not advice to people,
suggesting that they lift
themselves. It is power. It
lifts them up. Paul
does not say
that the gospel brings power,
but that it is power, and God’s
power at that.”
- (WW)
In particular, Rome thought it
knew all about power: “Power is
the one thing that Rome boasted
of the most. Greece
might have its philosophy, but
Rome had its power.”
Despite all their power, the Romans -
like all men - were powerless to make themselves righteous before God.
- (Cited in
Barclay) For
salvation: In the Roman world of
Paul's day, men looked
for salvation.
Philosophers knew that man was sick and needed help.
Epictetus called his lecture
room "the hospital for
the sick soul."
Epicurus called his teaching "the
medicine of salvation."
Seneca said that because men
were so conscious of "their
weakness and their inefficiency
in necessary things" that
all men were looking
"towards salvation."
Epictetus said that men
were looking for a peace "not of
Caesar's proclamation, but of
God's."
- Application: Is it must to share the
Gospel/Good News to the non-believers or just
share how God blessed us when we accept Him as a
Lord and Savior?
- It is must to share
the Gospel. Worldly
blessings are temporal and it is
real byproduct of their faith in
Jesus. But the gospel has power to save them from
going to hell to heaven.
It has the eternal value.
-
Luke 9:24
- For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it
- Nothing wrong in sharing how
God blessed you in the
time of need at same time
do not shy out or debate
if God gives you opportunity to
share the Gospel/Good
News to them.
- To whom the Gospel is available/applicable?
16c for everyone who believes,
- (DG) The gospel’s power to salvation
comes to everyone who believes. God will not withhold salvation from the one who believes; but
believing is the only requirement.
- More details are covered in
To whom the righteousness of God is
revealed? topic.
- In what order the Gospel made available to all? Why?
16c for the Jew first and
also for the Greek.
- God choose Abraham to
demonstrate His existence to the
world. Jews are decedents of
Abraham. God promised
Abraham that He will bless all nation through
one of his descendant i.e. "Jesus"
- Gen 3:15 -
And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel."
- Gen 15:4-6 - 4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, "This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir."
5 Then He brought him outside and said, "Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be."
6 And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.
- Gen 22:18 -
In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice."
- Gen 28:14 -
Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in
your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
- As God promised Abraham Jesus the
promised messiah came through Jews. So, Gospel
is first available to the Jews and then to
others.
- Gal 3:16,17 - 16
Now to
Abraham and
his Seed were the promises made.
He does not say, "And to seeds,"
as of many, but as of one, "And
to your Seed," who is Christ.
- Romans 1:3 - 1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to
the gospel of God
2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures,
3
concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh,
4 and
declared to be the Son of God with
power according to
the Spirit of holiness, by
the
resurrection from the dead.
- (Barclay)
This means that the
gospel was meant to
go first to
the ethnic and cultural Jew, and
then to the cultural Greek.
“At this time the word Greek had lost its racial sense
altogether. It did not mean a
native of the country of Greece
. . . (a Greek) was one who knew
the culture and the mind of
Greece.”
- (DG) This was demonstrated both by the ministry of Jesus
(Matthew 15:24) and the initial ministry of the disciples
(Matthew 10:5-6).
- Matthew 15:24 - 22 And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed."
23 But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, "Send her away, for she cries out after us."
24 But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
25 Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!"
26 But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs."
27 And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." 28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
- Matthew 10:5-6 - 5 These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: "Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans.
6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel
- What is revealed in the Gospel?
17a For in it the righteousness of God
is revealed
- What is
righteousness and righteous means?
- Righteousness
means the
uprightness, quality or state of being righteous, rightness,
correctness of
thinking
feeling, and
acting,
outcome/fruit of
following\keeping
moral law or
rules and
regulations
- Righteous
means a person
who characterized by uprightness,
morally right, live
morally good
life,
live Holy,
live sinless
by following the
moral law or
rules and
regulations.
- Righteousness is
a fruit of the
Holy Spirit or
it is a byproduct of
the fruit of the
Holy Spirit "the
Love":
- Rom 14:17 -
for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
- Phil 1:11 - 9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment,
10 that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ,
11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
- Greek word
used here for
Righteousness is
dikaiosynē (Strongs G1343)
occurs 92 times
and it is
translated as
righteousness.
- There
are similar
Greek word close
to this
righteousness
are available
and they are
translated as
justified,
judged,
righteous,...
but this Greek
word dikaiosynē
(Strongs G1343)
is translated
92
times only as
righteousness
that either represent
- Out of this 92 times 30 times this word "righteousness" is used in this book of Romans.
- (WW) The word "righteousness" is used in one way or another
(righteous, just, and justified) over
sixty times in this letter.
- How this righteousness represented/referred in
the Bible?
- The righteousness
in the
Bible either represent
- God’s
Righteousness or
- Our(Human/Man’s) Righteousness
- Whose righteousness is revealed in
the Gospel?
- God's righteousness is
revealed in the Gospel.
- Why the righteousness of God
is revealed in the Gospel?
17a For in it the righteousness of God
is revealed
- What the Bible says about the
righteousness of God?
- Our God is Righteous
because it is an attribute of
our God. So. whatever He do
will be right and correct.
- John 17:25 -
O
righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.
- Psalm
11:7 - For
the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness; His countenance beholds the upright.
-
Rom 9:14
- What shall we
say then?
Is there
unrighteousness
with God?
Certainly not!
-
Rom 2:11
- For
there is no
partiality with
God.
- Acts 10:34 - Then Peter opened his mouth and said: "In truth I perceive that
God shows no partiality.
-
Eph 6:9
- And you,
masters, do the
same things to
them, giving up
threatening,
knowing that
your own Master
also is in
heaven, and
there is
no partiality
with Him.
- How God has expressed/revealed His righteousness
to the humanity before the Gospel?
- God expressed/revealed His
righteousness through His
judgments, and laws
(rules and regulations).
- God's righteousness
are given in entire Bible
in a form of moral and ritual
laws.
- Most ritual laws
used to access God are given
in Deuteronomy.
- Moral laws
are
in all over the Bible.
Following are few:
- God gave Ten Commandments in
Exodus 20:3-17
- Jesus teaches moral laws in the Gospels especially in
Matt 5 - 7, 19, John 3, 15
- God inspired all the scriptures to train us in His righteousness in
2 Tim 3:16-17
- These are summed up in the Greatest commandments in
Matt 22:37-40
- Why God has expressed/revealed His righteousness
to the humanity before the Gospel?
- God has expressed/revealed His righteousness
because God is righteous
and so
He expects everyone to be
righteous.
- Lev 18:5 - You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the Lord.
- Matt 5:48 - Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
- Matt 5:20 - For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
- 1 John 3:7 - Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.
- 1 John 2:29
- If you know that
He is righteous, you know that
everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.
- Righteousness of
God
expects
everyone to
attain a state
approved of God,
or the
condition
acceptable to
God
-
To approach
righteous God we
need to be
righteous/perfect
as he expected
according to His
righteous
standards.
- What the Bible says about our righteousness?
- In God's sight
or based on God's standard all our righteousness are like filthy rags
- Isaiah 64:6
-
But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.
- Why the Bible says our righteousness
are like filthy rags?
- Our righteousness
are like filthy rags because all
have sinned or inherited from
our birth from the day
sin entered the world. Paul
explains and proves this in
Romans 1:18-3:20.
- Rom 3:23
- for all have sinned
and fall short
of the glory of
God,
-
Rom 8:7
- Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is
not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.
- What is the
penalty/wages of sin?
- Wages of sin is
Death.
- Rom 6:23a
- For the
wages of
sin is death,
but the gift of
God is eternal
life in Christ
Jesus our Lord.
- Death hear
refers to
eternal
separation
from God. If a person sin
then that person
will be thrown
into the lake of
fire or Hell.
- We
all are destined
to Hell.
- Are we able to enter into heaven by
our own righteousness?
- No, it is impossible
because
God's
expectation is
way higher than
ours. No one can
obey the laws as
perfectly as God
expects.
- James 2:10 - For
whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. 11 For He who said, "DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY," also said, "DO NOT COMMIT MURDER." Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
- That is why even
disciples asked "Who then can be
saved?" and Jesus responded this
is impossible by themselves.
- Matthew
19:25-26a - 25
When His
disciples heard
it, they were
greatly
astonished,
saying, "Who
then can be
saved?"
26a
But Jesus looked
at them and said
to them, "With
men this is
impossible,
........"
- Our righteousness
are nothing (or filthy
rags) when we compare to God's
righteousness.
- Based on God's
righteousness throughout
history there is no righteous
person exist and will ever
exist in future.
- Rom 3:10
- As it is
written: "There
is none
righteous, no,
not one;
- What then we need to get saved or enter
into the Heaven? How then can we be
saved or enter
into the Heaven with God's help?
- We cannot approach
God with our righteousness
but we need perfect
righteousness like the God's
righteousness. Only
God's
righteousness is perfect and it exceeds the
righteousness of the scribes and
Pharisees.
- Matt 5:48 - Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
- Matt 5:20 - For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
- So, we
need God's Righteousness to get
saved or enter into the Heaven.
- For this reason
God revealed His righteousness in the Gospel/Good
News.
- Summary:
- Do we have
the God's Righteousness?
- Do we
need
the God's Righteousness?
- Why we need the righteousness of
God?
- To break the
separation from God and
men
- To approach God the
Father freely.
- To have a
love
relationship
or commune
with God.
- To enter into heaven.
- To exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees
-
How the righteousness of God
is revealed in the Gospel?
17a For in it the righteousness of God
is revealed
- What are all the Gospel/Good News contains so
far in Romans 1:1-17?
- The essence of the Gospel is Jesus
Christ.
- Romans 1:3-4 - 1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to
the gospel of God
2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures,
3
concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh,
4 and
declared to be the Son of God with
power according to
the Spirit of holiness, by
the
resurrection from the dead.
- The Gospel is the power of God to salvation
- Romans 1:16 - For I am
not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for
it is the
power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
- The Gospel reveals the righteousness
of God
- Romans 1:17 - For
in
it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."
- Define the Gospel/Good News?
- 1 Cor 15:3-5 - 3
For I delivered to you first of all that which I
also received: that
Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4 and that
He
was buried, and that He rose again the third day
according to the Scriptures, 5
and that He was seen by Cephas,
then by the twelve. 6
After that He was seen by over five hundred
brethren at once, of whom the greater part
remain to the present, but some have fallen
asleep.7 After that He
was seen by James, then by all the apostles.
8 Then last of all He
was seen by me also, as by one born out of due
time.
- Where in the Gospel the
righteousness of God is revealed/demonstrated?
- (WW)
God's righteousness is revealed
in the Gospel; for in
the death of Christ,
God revealed His righteousness
by punishing sin;
and in the resurrection
of Christ, He revealed
His righteousness by
making salvation available to
the believing sinner.
- The righteousness of
God is revealed
-
in the death of
Jesus Christ
-
by punishing sin
-
in the resurrection of Christ
-
by
making salvation
available
to the sinners
who believe
- How these reveals God's
righteousness?
To understand how these reveals
God's righteousness let us go though the Daniel in
the lion's den story in
Daniel 6:
- Why Daniel thrown into the
Lion's den?
- Daniel 6:11-21 - 11 Then these men assembled and
found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. 12 And they went before the king, and spoke concerning the king's decree: "Have you not signed a decree that every man who petitions any god or man within thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?" The king answered and said, "The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which
does not alter."
13 So they answered and said before the king, "That Daniel, who is one of the captives from Judah, does not show due regard for you, O king, or for the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day."
14 And
the king, when he heard these words, was greatly displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him. 15 Then these men approached the king, and said to the king, "Know, O king, that
it is the law of the Medes and Persians that no decree or statute which the king establishes may be changed."
16 So the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. But the king spoke, saying to Daniel, "Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you."
- Why not the king
Darius pardon/excuse
Daniel and rescued him from this
great punishment?
- King Darius
tried his level
best to
rescue/deliver
Daniel from this
punishment that
we can see in
Daniel 6:14.
Since, the
king's degree
has already
established and
issued so the king cannot
revoke or change
the law as in
Dan 6:15.
- Why can't the king
revoke the decree he issued?
- To
reign
righteously
the Medes and
Persians had the
policy that
no
decree or
statute which
the king
establishes may
be changed as in
Dan 6:15.
If a king
revoke/change
his decree/law
then the king is
either
unrighteous or
shows partiality. Even
if king's son
disobeyed the
king's decree then
his son might
have
punished/thrown
into the lion's
den.
- Is there anything
the king Darius might have done
to rescue Daniel from this great
punishment?
- There is
only one
possibility
exist that
is the
king might have
received that
great punishment
in the place of
Daniel if he wants to
deliver Daniel.
- He might
have said that
"I love Daniel
let him live and
server this
country but
since I the king
brought this
rule so let me
receive this
punishment and
fulfill this
degree".
- King Darius
didn't do this
to Daniel but
our King
Almighty God
Jesus Christ
took our
punishment and
died in our
place.
- The Gospel revealed the righteousness of
God
-
in the death of Jesus Christ
- Our God Almighty
Jesus
Christ came forward and took
our punishment and died in our
place. (This Shows
God's Righteousness & Love)
-
by punishing sin
- God
punished the
sins of all the
sinners
who believe in
Jesus by
imputing those
to Jesus Christ.
Jesus
Christ crucified
on the cross
with our sins
and fulfilled
all the
requirements of
law. (This
shows God's Righteousness)
-
in the resurrection of Christ
- God
didn't leave
innocent blood
of Jesus Christ
in the grave
forever but He
resurrected and
declared Jesus
Christ as Son of God. (This shows
God's Righteousness)
-
by making
salvation available to the sinners who believe
- Instead of revoking the laws
that He has given He fulfilled
the laws by sacrificing His one
and only sinless Son Jesus
Christ. He is our substitutionary sacrifice to
those who believe. By this way
God provisioned a new
unique way to receive this God's righteousness apart
from keep the laws.
(This shows God's Righteousness)
- (WW)
The
problem "How can a holy God ever
forgive sinners and still be
holy?" is answered in the
Gospel. Through the death and
resurrection of Christ, God is
seen to be "both just and
justifier" (Rom.
3:26).
-
To whom the righteousness of God is revealed?
17ab For in it
the righteousness of God is revealed from faith
to faith;
- The righteousness of God is revealed
and available to those who have faith in Jesus Christ.
- What is faith?
- Hebrews 11:1
- Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
- Why this faith is so
important?
- Hebrews 11:6
- But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God
must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
- (WW) There are more than
sixty references to faith or unbelief in Romans.
-
Who then can be
saved or enter into the Heaven?
- It is
impossible by
our
efforts/works/righteousness
but it
is
only
possible by God.
- Matthew 19:25-26a - 25
When His disciples heard it, they were
greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?"
26a
But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
- By
God's mercy
instead of
condemning those
for their sins
instead
He
imputed/credited/given
His
righteousness to
those who have
faith in Him.
- James 2:13 - 10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. 11 For He who said, "DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY," also said, "DO NOT COMMIT MURDER." Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. 13 For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy ; mercy triumphs over judgment.
- 2 Cor 5:19,21
- 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who
knew no sin to be sin for us,
that we
might become the righteousness
of God in Him.
- Eph 2:8-9 - 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
- Ps 103:17 - 17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting On those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children's children, 18 To such as keep His covenant, And to those who remember His commandments to do them.
-
Anyone who put
their faith in Jesus Christ can receive the righteousness of God
and get saved or
enter into the
Heaven
-
John 6:28 - Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?"
29 Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."
- NIV: Rom 3:21 -
This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference
-
Romans 3:30 - since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.
- Romans 9:30 - 30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; 31 but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. 32 Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone.
- Phil 3:9 - 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
- 2 Cor 5:21
- For He made Him who
knew no sin to be sin for us,
that we
might become the righteousness
of God in Him.
- Is 61:10
- I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For
He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
- Zechariah 3:1-5
- 1 Then he showed
me Joshua the high
priest standing before the Angel
of the Lord, and
Satan standing at his
right hand to oppose him.
2 And
the Lord said to Satan, "The
Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord
who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke
you! Is this not a brand plucked
from the fire?" 3
Now Joshua was clothed with
filthy garments, and was
standing before the Angel. 4
Then He answered and spoke to
those who stood before Him,
saying, "Take away the filthy
garments from him." And to him
He said, "See, I have removed
your iniquity from you, and I
will clothe you with rich
robes." 5 And I said,
"Let them put a clean turban on
his head." So they put a clean
turban on his head, and they put
the clothes on him. And
the Angel of the Lord stood by.
- Jer
23:6 -
5 "Behold, the days are coming," says the Lord, "That I will raise to David a
Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And
execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.
6 In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called:
THE LORD
OUR
RIGHTEOUSNESS
(Jehovah-Tsidkenu).
- John 3:16
- For God so
loved the world that He gave His
only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should
not perish but have
everlasting life.
- (WW)
He
revealed His
righteousness by making
salvation available to the
believing sinner.
- (DG) It is essential to understand exactly what the righteousness of God revealed by the gospel is. It is not speaking of the holy righteousness of God that condemns the guilty sinner, but of the
God-kind of righteousness that is given to the sinner who puts their trust in Jesus Christ.
- (Murray) This declaration is even greater when we understand that
this is the righteousness of God given to the believer. It is not the righteousness of even them most holy mere man, nor is it the righteousness of innocent Adam in Eden.
It is God’s righteousness. “The righteousness which is unto justification is one characterized by the perfection belonging to all that God is and does. It is a ‘God-righteousness’.”
- What is "from faith to faith" means?
17ab For in it the righteousness
of God is revealed from faith to faith;
- We received the righteousness of God by
our faith in Jesus Christ and
we need to
continue in this faith.
- We entered into the Kingdom of God
by our faith in Jesus Christ and
continue to stay in the
Kingdom of God by the same faith in Jesus Christ.
- (DG) The idea behind this difficult phrase is probably “by faith from beginning to end.” The NIV translates the phrase from faith to faith as by faith from first to last.
- NIV:
Romans 1:17
- For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is
by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."
- NLT:
Romans 1:17
- This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight.
This is
accomplished
from start to
finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, "It is through faith that a righteous person has life."
- Col 1:23
- if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.
- Jude 20 - 20 But you, beloved,
building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,
21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
- Paul explaining this point by quoting following
Old Testament scripture.
- What is "The
just shall live by faith" means?
17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed
from faith to faith;
as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."
- Paul didn't stop that from
faith to faith he
continue saying
as it is written, "The just shall live
by faith.
- What is "The just" means?
- "The just"
means "the righteous"
person, godly
person, morally good
person. It refers to
our/human
righteousness.
- NIV:
Romans 1:17 - For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, a just as it is written: "The
righteous
will live by
faith."
- From where Paul is referring this
quote?
- Habakkuk 2:4
- "Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But
the just shall live by his faith.
- NIV:
Habakkuk 2:4
- "See, he is puffed up; his desires are not
upright-- but the righteous will live by
his faith
- (WW)
The Gospel reveals a righteousness that is by faith. In the Old Testament, righteousness was by works,
but sinners soon discovered they could not obey
God's Law and meet His righteous demands. Here
Paul refers to Habakkuk 2:4: "The just shall live by his faith."
This verse is quoted three times in the New Testament: Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; and Hebrews 10:38.
-
Romans explains "the just/righteous";
-
Galatians explains "shall live"; and
-
Hebrews explains "by faith."
- It means
the just/righteous
person has to live
by their faith in God.
- It means
not only the just/righteous
person start their Christian
life by their faith but they
have to continue to live by
their faith in God.
- It means
even if you
are righteous/just you need
faith in God to start and
continue live Christian life hear and
eternally in the heaven.
- This principal applies to
all people during Old and New
Testament time:
- Even Abraham, David,
Samuel, Isaiah,
Jeremiah,
Matthew, John,
Peter, Paul,....
needs
this faith in
God - Romans 4
and Hebrew 11
explains this in
detail.
- Since all are sinners by
birth so it means
not
only the sinners start their
Christian life by their faith
but they have to continue to
live their Christian life by
their faith in God.
- (DG)
This faith (trust) in Jesus Christ
becomes the
basis of life for those who are justified (declared righteous); truly, the just shall live by faith. They are
not only saved by faith, but they live by faith.
- Why the just/righteous has to live
by their faith? or Why the just/righteous has to
continue the Christian life by their faith? or
Why the Believers/Christians has to continue their
Christian life by their faith?
- We established relationship with God
by faith and we need to continue
to maintain that
relationship by approaching God by the same
faith but not by our works:
- (JC)
Here’s where many of us are
vulnerable to error. We know
salvation is from faith
because we begin by simply
embracing the Good News of the
gospel but then we go from faith
to works. We think we
have to mobilize, organize, and
agonize over our spirituality.
“No, “says Paul. “It’s
from faith to faith.”
- The just shall live by faith.
Faith is not only the starting
point of your salvation—it’s the
staying power of your Christian
walk.
- The just
shall live by faith—faith
in the
finished
work of the Cross, faith
in
the
resurrected presence of Jesus
Christ.
- (Poole) “He saith
not, from faith to works, or
from works to faith; but
from faith to faith, i.e.
only by faith.”
- So, never approach God
by your righteousness or through
your works but always
approach God by His
Righteousness which is
imputed/credited/given to us
through faith in Jesus Christ.
- Rom 5:2 - 1
Therefore, having been
justified by faith, we have
peace with God through our Lord
Jesus Christ, 2 through
whom also
we have access by faith into
this grace in
which we stand, and rejoice in
hope of the glory of God.
- Heb 4:16 -
Therefore
let us draw near
with confidence
to the throne of
grace, so
that we may
receive mercy
and find grace
to help in time
of need.
- Most of the
time we approach
God by our self
righteousness
like how Jesus
explain in
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector:
- Luke 18:9-14 - 9 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men--extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.' 13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
- NLT: Luke 18:9-14 - 9 Then Jesus told this story to some who had great self-confidence and scorned everyone else: 10 "Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a dishonest tax collector. 11 The proud Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: 'I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else, especially like that tax collector over there! For I never cheat, I don't sin, I don't commit adultery, 12 I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.' 13 "But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, 'O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.' 14 I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For the proud will be humbled, but the humble will be honored."
- For this reason
Holy Spirit
keeps on reminding us that we
need God's Righteousness and it
is readily and freely available
in the Gospel.
- NLT:
John 16:8,10
- 7
But it is
actually best
for you that I
go away, because
if I don't, the
Counselor won't
come. If I do go
away, he will
come because I
will send him to
you.
8
And when he
comes,
he will
convince the
world
of its sin, and
of God's
righteousness,
and of the
coming judgment.
9
The world's sin
is unbelief in
me.
10
Righteousness is
available
because I go to
the Father,
and you will see
me no more.
11
Judgment will
come because the
prince of this
world has
already been
judged.
- John 16:8,10 - 7
Nevertheless I
tell you the
truth. It is to
your advantage
that I go away;
for if I do not
go away, the
Helper will not
come to you; but
if I depart, I
will send Him to
you.
8
And
when He
has come, He
will convict
the world of
sin, and of righteousness,
and of judgment:
9
of sin, because
they do not
believe in Me;
10
of
righteousness,
because I go to
My Father
and you see Me
no more;
11
of judgment,
because the
ruler of this
world is judged.
- How believers in Christ
need to live by faith? or How the just/righteous
has to live by their faith?
- Walk in Faith Not by Sight:
- 2 Cor 5:7
- For we walk by faith,
not by sight.
- We need faith in God's
promises already given in the
Bible...
- NIV:
Jer 29:11
- For I
know the plans I
have for you,"
declares the
LORD, "plans
to prosper you
and not to harm
you, plans to
give you hope
and a future.
- Prov 3:5 - Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
- ...
- There are
many promises
like this.
Which
promise do you
claim in a
particular
situation?
We normally
chose the one we
want. If we
choose what we
want then it is
equivalent to
walking by sight
not walking by
faith.
How do your
resolve this
this issue?
Following Walk
in the Spirit
explains this in
detail.
- Walk in
the Spirit:
- Gal 5:16-18 - 16
I say then:
Walk in
the Spirit,
and you shall
not fulfill the
lust of the
flesh. 17
For the flesh
lusts against
the Spirit, and
the Spirit
against the
flesh; and these
are contrary to
one another, so
that you do not
do the things
that you wish.
18
But if
you are led by
the Spirit, you
are not under
the law.
- Paul explains this in detail
in His letter to
Galatians 3-5:
- (JC) “Even as
you received Christ,” Paul would
say to the
- Colossians,
“so walk
ye in Him” (see
Colossians
2:6).
- “Oh foolish
Galatians,” he
would write,
“are you
so foolish?
Having begun in
the Spirit are
you now made
perfect by the
flesh?” (see
Galatians
3:1–3).
- (Harrison) “Perhaps what it conveys is the necessity of
issuing a reminder to the believer that
justifying faith is only the beginning of the Christians life. The
same attitude must govern him in his continuing experience as a child of God.”
- This is an “echo” of Paul’s message in
Galatians 3:1-3.
- Gal 3:1-3
- 1
O foolish
Galatians! Who
has bewitched
you that you
should not obey
the truth,
before whose
eyes Jesus
Christ was
clearly
portrayed among
you as
crucified?
2
This only I want
to learn from
you: Did
you receive the
Spirit by the
works of the
law, or by the
hearing of
faith? 3
Are you so
foolish? Having begun in
the Spirit, are
you now being
made perfect by
the flesh?
- We start our
Christian life by putting our
faith in Jesus Christ at that
time God comes and lives within
us through His Holy Spirit. So,
we are called born-again (in
Spirit) believers.
-
John 3:3-6 - 3
Jesus answered
and said to him,
"Most assuredly,
I say to you,
unless one is
born again, he
cannot see the
kingdom of God."
4
Nicodemus said
to Him, "How can
a man be born
when he is old?
Can he enter a
second time into
his mother's
womb and be
born?"
5
Jesus answered,
"Most assuredly,
I say to you,
unless one is
born of water
and the Spirit,
he cannot enter
the kingdom of
God.
6
That which is
born of the
flesh is flesh,
and that
which is born of
the Spirit is
spirit. 7
Do not marvel
that I said to
you, 'You must
be born again.'
8
The wind blows
where it wishes,
and you hear the
sound of it, but
cannot tell
where it comes
from and where
it goes. So is
everyone who is
born of the
Spirit."
- How to walk by
Spirit?
- We
need to listen
to the voice of
the Holy Spirit
- Which promise do you claim in a particular situation among many promises God has given to us?
- We normally chose the one we want or which is favorable to us.
- If we choose what we want then it is equivalent to walking by sight not walking by faith.
- So by faith approach God and ask. He will reveal to us through His Holy Spirit who lives within us.
- Pray and ask God and just listen/yield to the Holy Spirit voice.
- Once
you hear the
direction we
need faith to obey
as per the leading/direction/guidance of the Holy
Spirit.
- John 16:13-15 - 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.
Application:
- Does the Gospel/Good News impacted your life?
- How the Gospel/Good News impacted your life?
- What believers in Christ need to do with the Gospel?
- Start your
Christian life by putting your
faith in Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
who is the essence of the Gospel and author and
finisher of our faith.
- 1 Cor 15:1-2 - 1
Moreover, brethren, I
declare to you the gospel which
I preached to you,
which also you received
and in which you stand,
2 by
which also you are saved,
if you
hold fast
that word which I preached to
you--unless you believed in
vain.
- Heb 12:2
- looking unto Jesus,
the author and finisher of our
faith, who for the joy
that was set before Him endured
the cross, despising the shame,
and has sat down at the right
hand of the throne of God.
- Continue to
live your Christian life in the same faith
in
Jesus Christ, (JC) finished work of the Cross, the resurrected presence of Jesus Christ.
- By listening to the
leading/direction/guidance of the Holy
Spirit by always approaching God by the God's righteousness
which is imputed/credited/given through faith in Jesus Christ.
- Heb 4:16 - Therefore
let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
-
By obeying
the leading/direction/guidance of the Holy Spirit
once you hear from the Holy
Spirit
- Gal 5:16-18 - 16
I say then:
Walk in
the Spirit,
and you shall
not fulfill the
lust of the
flesh. 17
For the flesh
lusts against
the Spirit, and
the Spirit
against the
flesh; and these
are contrary to
one another, so
that you do not
do the things
that you wish.
18
But if
you are led by
the Spirit, you
are not under
the law.
Note: We will revisit this passage in detail when we go through
end of Romans 3rd
chapter.
God's Wrath Revealed or The Judgment/Condemnation Announced to
all human Race Romans 1:18-3:20:
Introduction:
- (WW) The theme of Romans is the righteousness of God, but
Paul had to begin with the righteousness of man. Until man knows he is a sinner, he cannot appreciate the gracious salvation God offers in Jesus Christ. Paul followed the basic Bible pattern:
first Law and condemnation; then grace and salvation
- (Morris) “Unless there is something to be saved from, there is no point in talking about salvation.”
- (DG) First and foremost,
we are saved from the wrath of God that we righteously deserve. In this portion of the letter (Romans 1:18-3:20), Paul’s goal is not to proclaim the good news, but
to demonstrate the absolute necessity of the good news of salvation from God’s righteous wrath.
- (Jon Courson) For, as we will see,
Romans 1 makes it clear that
creation around him testifies of the reality of God to every man, while
chapter 2 clearly declares that conscience within him tells every man how he ought to live.
God's Wrath Revealed:
18 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.
Observation:
- What is revealed? From where it is revealed?
18a For the wrath of God is revealed
from heaven.
- Against whom the wrath of God is revealed?
18b against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
- Why the wrath of God revealed on them?
19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has
shown it to them.
- How God has shown Himself to them?
20a 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,
- Will God excuse them?
20b so that they are without excuse,
- Why God will not excuse them?
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.
Interpretation:
- What is revealed? From where it is revealed?
18a For the wrath of God is revealed
from heaven.
- What is the wrath of God means?
- Wrath is English means:
- strong, stern, or
fierce anger; deeply resentful indignation;
- vengeance or punishment as the consequence of anger.
- The Greek word
Orge, used here
for wrath means "indignation, a
settled attitude of wrath,
anger exhibited in
punishment"
God's wrath is not an
outburst of temper; it is a holy
indignation against sin.
- (DG)
We sometimes
object to the idea of
the wrath of God because we
equate it with human anger,
which is motivated by selfish
personal reasons or by a desire
for revenge. We must not forget
that
the wrath of God is
completely righteous in
character.
- (Murrary)
“It is unnecessary, and it
weakens the biblical concept of
the wrath of God, to deprive it
of its emotional and affective
character . . . to construe
God’s wrath as simply in
his purpose to punish sin
or to secure the connection
between sin and misery is to
equate wrath with its effects
and virtually eliminate wrath as
a movement within the mind of
God.
Wrath is the holy
revulsion of God’s being against
that which is the contradiction
of his holiness.”
- For more
details read
The Wrath of God
article.
- Rev 6:16-17 - 16
and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us
and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the
throne and from the wrath(orge)
of the Lamb! 17
For the great day of His wrath(orge)
has come, and who is able to stand?"
- Rev 14:10 -
9 Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand,
10 he
himself shall also drink of the wine of
the wrath (thymos) of
God, which is poured out full
strength into the cup of His indignation
(orge). He shall
be tormented with fire and brimstone
in the presence of the holy angels and in the
presence of the Lamb.
- Against whom the wrath of God is revealed?
18b against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
- Is any godly or righteous in the
sight of God ever existed in this earth?
- No not one ever
existed in the earth are godly
or righteous.
- Isaiah 64:6
-
But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.
- Rom 3:23
- for all have sinned
and fall short
of the glory of
God,
- So, wrath of God is revealed to all
human race.
- (DG) The idea is simple but sobering - God’s wrath is revealed from heaven
against the human race, and
the human race deserves the wrath of God.
- Ungodliness refers to man’s offenses against God;
- Unrighteousness to the sins of man against man.
- This is how even the
believers in Christ before they
become believers were living the
ungodly and unrighteous life
and followed the Satan.
-
Eph 2:1-3
- 1
And you He made
alive, who were
dead in
trespasses and
sins,
2
in which you
once
walked according
to the course of
this world,
according to the
prince of the
power of the air,
the spirit who
now works in the
sons of
disobedience,
3
among whom also
we all
once conducted
ourselves in the
lusts of our
flesh,
fulfilling the
desires of the
flesh and of the
mind, and were
by nature
children of
wrath, just as
the others.
- Who suppress the truth?
- All ungodly and all
unrighteous people
suppress the truth. This
includes all human race.
- This is how even the
believers in Christ before they
become believers were
suppressing the truth
in some way/form
and followed the lie or Satan.
- We will see three
group of people in
Romans 1:22-3:20
who suppresses the truth.
- Why the wrath of God revealed on them?
19 because what may be known of God is manifest
in them, for God has
shown it to them.
- What is "manifest in them" means?
- Manifest means
readily/instinctively perceived by the eye or
the understanding;
evident; obvious; apparent; plain.
- God
reveals and put/implant about Himself in their hearts to all human race clearly.
- Following translation make it clear.
- NASB: Rom 1:19 - because that which is
known about God is evident
within them; for God made it
evident to them.
- NLT:
Rom 1:19 -
For the truth about God is known to them instinctively. God has put this knowledge in their hearts.
- NIV:
Rom 1:19 - since what may be known about God is
plain to them, because God has
made it plain to them.
- Paul explains this in the second part of this verse that
God has shown it to them.
- Rom 1:20a - 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,
- Ecc
3:11
- He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also
He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.
- NLT:
Ecc
3:11
- God has made everything beautiful for its own time.
He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end.
- (French mathematician Blaise Pascal) “There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.”
- By birth even though we are
sinners God has given
basic/minimal capacity/ability
to know Him and His Truth. For
this reason people are more religious or more
concerned about after life.
- More details covered in
Compare this passage
Romans 1:18-21
with Ephesians 2:1 topic.
- How God has shown Himself to them?
20a 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,
- God has revealed Himself universally to
all through His creation of this world.
- This is called
General Revelation of God.
Through this general revelation everyone
sees God clearly, even if they
never saw a Bible or heard about Him.
- God also reveals Himself through the Bible
where He spells out the path to salvation. This
revelation is called
Special Revelation of God.
- What attributes
of
God are clearly seen
through this world?
- Shows how great and big God
is, His wisdom, power,
creativity, Godhead
(NIV,NLT: Devine Nature).
- If anyone
looks up and see
the sky for a
while then they
could not deny
the fact that there is
God.
- Ps 19:1-6 - 1 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.
2 Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night
reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard.
4 Their line has gone out through
all the earth, And their words to the
end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun,
5 Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, And rejoices like a strong man to run its race.
6 Its
rising is from one end of heaven, And its circuit to the other end; And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
- Is anyone exempted in the History
from this general revelation of God?
- No, it begins
from Adam and
Eve and till today everyone will
see/feel the God's amazing
creation.
- Is anyone exempted in any
geographical location from this general revelation of God?
- No, all human race in every
parts of the earth will see/feel
the God's amazing creation. This
includes people living in remote places such as
Mt. Everest, Amazon
jungle,....
- Will God excuse them?
20b so that they are without excuse,
- (DG) The universal character of this revelation and the clarity of it leave man without excuse for rejecting it.
- (Lenski) “Men
cannot charge God with hiding himself from them
and thus excuse their irreligion and their
immorality.”
- When God will pour out His
wrath/punish/condemn/judge them?
- God start
pouring out His
wrath during
last 7 year
period just
before His 2nd
coming and after
1000 year
millennial reign
He will judge
them on the
Final Judgment
day.
- Joe 1:15
- Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is at hand;
It shall come as destruction
from the Almighty.
- Is 61:2b
- 1
"The Spirit of the Lord God is
upon Me, Because the Lord has
anointed Me To preach good
tidings to the poor; He has sent
Me to heal the brokenhearted, To
proclaim liberty to the
captives, And the opening of the
prison to those who are bound;
2 To
proclaim the acceptable year of
the Lord, And the day of
vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn
- Rev 6:16-17 - 16
and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us
and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the
throne and from the wrath(orge)
of the Lamb! 17
For the great day of His wrath(orge)
has come, and who is able to stand?"
- Rev 14:10 - 9 Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath (thymos) of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation (orge). He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
- Rev 16:1,19 - Then
I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to
the seven angels, "Go and pour out the
bowls of the wrath of God on the earth."
.... 19 Now the great
city was divided into three parts, and the
cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon
was remembered before God, to give her the cup
of the wine of the fierceness
(thymos) of His wrath (Orge).
- Why God will not excuse them on the judgment day?
21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became
futile (foolish) in their thoughts, and their
foolish hearts were darkened.
- (WW) Men knew the truth about God, but they did not allow this truth to work in their lives.
- They suppressed it in order that they might live their own lives and not be convicted by God's truth.
- The result, of course, was
refusing the truth (Rom. 1:21-22), and then turning the
truth into a lie (Rom. 1:25).
- Finally, man so abandoned the truth that he became like a beast in his thinking and in his living.
- (Jon Courson) Although we know God, we fail to glorify Him as God whenever we stop being thankful for whatever He sends our way.
- (DG) The problem is not that man did not know God, but that
he did know Him - yet we refused to glorify Him as God. Therefore, mankind is without excuse. We didn’t glorify God; we transformed our conception of Him into forms and images more comfortable to our corrupt and darkened hearts.
- (DG) Our
rejection of God’s general revelation has not made us smarter or better. Instead, it makes mankind
futile in their thoughts, and makes our foolish hearts darkened - and we become fools.
- The fact is once a man rejects the truth of God in Jesus,
he will fall for anything foolish, and trust far more feeble and fanciful systems that what he rejects from God.
- This futility of thinking, darkening of the heart, and folly must be seen as
one example of God’s righteous wrath against those who have rejected His revelation. Part of His judgment against us is allowing us to suffer the damage our sinful course leads to.
- (Spurgeon) “Will
you kindly notice, that, according to my text,
knowledge is of no use if it does not
lead to holy practice? “They knew God.”
It was no good to them to know God, for “they
glorified him not as God.” So my theological
friend over there, who knows so much that he can
split hairs over doctrines, it does not matter
what you think, or what you know, unless
it leads you to glorify God, and to be thankful.”
- (Spurgeon) Nor
were thankful: Man’s simple ingratitude against
God is shocking. “I cannot say anything much
worse of a man than that he is not thankful to
those who have been his benefactors; and when
you say that he is not thankful to God, you have
said about the worst thing you can say of him.”
- (Spurgeon) “But
when you glorify God as God, and are thankful
for everything - when you can take up a bit of
bread and a cup of cold water, and say with the
poor Puritan, ‘What, all this, and Christ too?’
- then are you happy, and you make others happy.
A godly preacher, finding that all that there
was for dinner was a potato and a herring,
thanked God that he had ransacked sea and land
to find food for his children. Such a sweet
spirit breeds love to everybody, and makes a man
go through the world cheerfully.”
- No one can escape the wrath of God
if they didn't repent and glorify Him now. Now
we are living in His Grace period. If we miss
out then we will not escape the Final judgment
that leads to eternal punishment in Hell/lake of
fire (Rev 20:11-15).
-
Compare this passage Romans 1:18-21
with Ephesians 2:1:
- Eph 2:1 - 1 And you He made alive, who
were dead in
trespasses and sins,
2 in which you once walked
according to the course of this world, according
to the prince of the power of the air, the
spirit who now works in the sons of
disobedience, 3 among
whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the
lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of
the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature
children of wrath, just as the others.
- What Paul means in Ephesians 2:1 that
all human race are dead due to their trespasses
and sins before they become
believers?
- (DG) This touches on one of the
most controversial areas in theology
- in what manner, and
to what extent, is a person dead before conversion?
-
Must a person be converted before they can believe, or
- can there be a prior work of God to instill faith that is still short of conversion?
- Those who argue that man must be regenerated before he can believe like to say that
a dead man cannot believe. They takes this particular description further than intended, to say that
unredeemed man is exactly like a dead man,
because a dead man also cannot sin.
- Some group of people
emphasize this dead state
too much than what Paul
intended.
- They
emphasize
Sovereign power
of God and put
down
Foreknowledge
and
Righteousness of
God.
- They claim
that since all
are in dead
state so
no one has
ability to
know/identify
the truth
so God has to
open their
spiritual eyes.
Without
supernatural
work of God they
could not see
His invisible
attributes
revealed in His
creation.
In this view
they completely
deny the free
will given to
all human race
to choose God.
But they say
that God through
His sovereign
power elected
some and open
their spiritual
eyes so that
they can see His
invisible
attributes. If
you question
them "why God
only choose some
but didn't choose
others?" then they
will ask "Who are
you to question
God's sovereign
power?" quoting
Romans 9:20.
There are many
variations but
in general this
view is called
Calvinistic
view.
- If God choose
some to heaven
and remaining to
destined hell
you natural mind
raises "Is
God is unrighteousness?"
If you read Romans
9:20 with context few verse
before Paul ask the
same question "Is there unrighteousness with God?"
and he answers certainly
not! If our God is unrighteous
God then He can exercise
anything He want even
without sending His Son Jesus
Christ to the cross He might
have forgiven and accepted us as
His children. Since He is
righteous He didn't do that.
Our God is Sovereign as
well as Righteous God. He never
miss use the Sovereign power as
He wishes if it contradict with
Righteousness or any of His
attributes.
- We can understand this
clearly by going through few
scriptures God has revealed to
us:
- What happened when
sin entered the world? or What
Adam/Eve/humans/we gained when
sin entered the world?
- When sin entered Adam/Eve/humans
received the
capacity to know
good and evil.
- In other
words Adam & Eve's sin
introduce the
knowledge to
identify the
good and evil:
- Gen 3:22 - Then the Lord God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever"--
- Do all human race has
capacity/ability to know/identify the truth
before they become believer in Christ?
- Yes, as per
Romans 1:18-21
God has revealed Himself to all
through His general revelation.
Not only that He also given them
capacity/ability to
know/identify the truth.
- Rom 1:18-21 -
18 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.
- Why God created each
and every human beings and
placed them uniquely in
different geographical location?
- God uniquely created and
provide home in different
geographical location and
circumstance to make us
to seek Him.
- Acts 17:26,27 -
24
God, who made
the world and
everything in
it, since He is
Lord of heaven
and earth, does
not dwell in
temples made
with hands.
25
Nor is He
worshiped with
men's hands, as
though He needed
anything, since
He gives to all
life, breath,
and all things.
26
And He has made
from one blood
every nation of
men to dwell on
all the face of
the earth, and
has
determined their
pre-appointed
times and the
boundaries of
their dwellings,
27 so
that they should
seek the Lord,
in the hope that
they might grope
for Him and find
Him, though He
is not far from
each one of us;
- Why Jesus came to
this earth?
- Jesus came
to this earth to
testify the
truth.
- John 18:37
- Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?" Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause
I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."
- So, Paul
didn't mean that they have no capacity/ability to know/identify the
truth. If he means then he is
contradicting his writing in Romans
1:18-21 and the rest of the God's
word. But he does mean hear in
Ephesians 2:1 that
all human
race are spiritually dead.
- (Spurgeon) “Not in a moral sense, nor a mental sense,
but in a spiritual sense, poor humanity is dead,
and so the word of God again and again most
positively describes it.”
- (DG) We err if we think that dead in trespasses and sins says everything about man’s lost condition. It is an err because the
Bible uses many different pictures to describe the state of the unsaved man, saying he is:
- Blind (2 Corinthians 4:3-4)
- A slave to sin (Romans 6:17)
- A lover of darkness (John 3:19-20)
- Sick (Mark 2:17)
- Lost (Luke 15)
- An alien, a stranger, a foreigner (Ephesians 2:12, 2:19)
- A child of wrath (Ephesians 2:3)
- Under the power of darkness (Colossians 1:13)
- Even though we are dead because of our sins
but God has implanted the basic capacity/ability/instinct
knowledge to know/identify the truth while He
formed us in our mothers womb. We are born sinners with instinct
knowledge to know and believe/trust in true and
living God.
- Therefore by birth even though we are
sinners we have
basic/minimal capacity/ability
- To know God/Truth
- Rom 1:19
- because what
may be known of God is
manifest in
them, for God
has shown it to
them.
- Ecc
3:11
- He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also
He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.
- NLT:
Ecc
3:11
- God has made everything beautiful for its own time.
He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end.
- Gen 3:22 - Then the Lord God said, "Behold,
the man has become like one of Us,
to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever"--
- Rom 1:18
- For the wrath
of God
is revealed from
heaven against
all ungodliness
and
unrighteousness
of men, who
suppress the
truth in
unrighteousness,
- To seek God/Truth
or purposefully deny God:
- Acts 17:27 - 26
And He has made
from one blood
every nation of
men to dwell on
all the face of
the earth, and
has
determined their
pre-appointed
times and the
boundaries of
their dwellings,
27 so
that they should
seek the Lord,
in the hope that
they might
grope
for Him
and find
Him,
though
He is not far
from each one of
us;
- Because God loves all of us so much
so He is actively working through His Holy
Spirit and expecting us to respond:
- (Spurgeon) “A rock
which is in nobody’s way may stand where it is.
He that believes in Jesus is born again. These
two things are equally true: there must
be a work of the Spirit within, yet he that
believeth in the Lord Jesus hath everlasting
life.”
- John 3:16,18 -
16 For God so
loved the world that He gave His
only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should
not perish but have
everlasting life. 17
For God did not send His Son
into the world to condemn the
world, but that the world
through Him might be saved.18
He who believes in Him is not
condemned; but he who
does not believe is condemned
already, because he has not
believed in the name of the only
begotten Son of God.
- For this reason Jesus knocks at everyone
hearts and expect them to respond:
- Rev 3:20-
Behold, I stand at the
door and knock. If anyone hears
My voice and opens the door, I
will come in to him and dine
with him, and he with Me.
- We will end up in
Hell/lake of fire suffer forever
if we didn't respond to His
call.
- Application:
- From what the believers in Christ
are saved from?
- (DG) First and foremost,
we are saved from the wrath of God that we righteously deserve.
- (Morris) “Unless there is something to be saved from, there is no point in talking about salvation.”
- Is this wrath of God is revealed to the
believer's who sins?
- Wrath of God is revealed to
all the human race but
once
anyone believe or put their
faith in Jesus then they are
escaped from this wrath of God.
- 11 Thes 5:9 - 9
For God did not appoint
us to wrath, but to
obtain salvation through our
Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for
us, that whether we wake or
sleep, we should live together
with Him.
- John 3:36
- He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and
he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but
the wrath of God abides on him."
- Eph 2:3 - 1
And you He made alive, who were
dead in trespasses and sins,
2 in
which you once walked according
to the course of this world,
according to the prince of the
power of the air, the spirit who
now works in the sons of
disobedience, 3
among whom also we all once
conducted ourselves in the lusts
of our flesh, fulfilling the
desires of the flesh and of the
mind, and were by nature
children of
wrath, just as the others.
- How anyone desire can escape this
wrath of God?
- By receiving the righteousness of God
which is
revealed in the Gospel.
It
is available to everyone who are
in the earth who put their faith
in Jesus Christ.
- Rom 1:17 - 16 For I am not ashamed of
the gospel of
Christ, for it is the power of
God to salvation for
everyone who believes, for the
Jew first and also for the
Greek.
17 For in it the righteousness of God is
revealed from faith to
faith; as it is written, "The
just shall live by faith."
God's Wrath Revealed to Pagans or Idol worshipers:
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. 24 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.
Observation:
- Why the pagans/idolaters suppress the truth?
22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,
- How the pagans/idolaters suppress the truth?
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.
- What is God's response to them?
24 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;
- Did they know about the righteous judgment of God?
32a who, knowing the righteous judgment of God,
- What punishment do they deserve?
32b that those who practice such things are deserving of death,
- What are they doing in addition to what they practice?
32c not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.
Interpretation:
- Why the pagans/idolaters suppress the truth?
22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,
- Since they
professing to be wise so they do
not want anyone wiser than them
including God.
- (DG) Mankind does in fact suppress the truth of God.
Every truth revealed to man by God has been fought against, disregarded, and deliberately obscured.
-
(WW) Man the
worshiper became man the
philosopher, but his empty wisdom only
revealed his foolishness.
- How the pagans/idolaters suppress the
truth?
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.
- Because they profess to be
wise so, they suppress
the truth by replacing the
wisest person the true and living God with created
things such as image, birds,
animals.
- (DG) Image in
Romans 1:23 is the ancient Greek word
eikon.
It is a dangerous thing to change the glory of the incorruptible God into an eikon (image) of your own choosing.
- (DG) We
can’t seem to resist the temptation to create God into his own corrupt image, or even in an image beneath us. One great tragedy in this is that we inescapably become like the God we serve.
- NIV:
Jer 2:5 -
5 This is what the LORD says: "What fault did your fathers find in me, that
they strayed so far from me? They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves.
6 They did not ask, 'Where is the LORD, who brought us up out of Egypt and led us through the barren wilderness, through a land of deserts and rifts, a land of drought and darkness, a land where no one travels and no one lives?'
- NIV:
Jer 10:14 - 14 Everyone is
senseless and without knowledge; every goldsmith is
shamed by his idols. His images are a fraud; they have no breath in them.
15 They are worthless, the objects of mockery;
when their judgment comes, they will perish.
- Why they are replacing the
living God with idol or
something else instead of jut
ignoring?
- As we have
seen earlier in
Romans 1:19,21
by birth God has
given basic
capacity or
instinct
knowledge to
know Him and
in
Ecc 3:11
God has
put eternity in
our heart.
So, they need to
replace
this knowledge
and longing in
their hearts
with
something else
because they do not
want the truth.
- (WW) Having held down God's truth and
refusing to acknowledge God's glory, man was left without a god; and man is so constituted that
he must worship something.
If he will not worship the true God, he will worship a false god, even if he has to manufacture it himself. This fact about man accounts for his propensity to idolatry. Man
exchanged the glory of the
true God for substitute gods that he himself made. He exchanged glory for shame, incorruption for corruption, truth for lies.
- Even the
Atheist has to
keep on
exercising that
there is no God
greater than
them.
- Note that
first on the list of false gods is man. This fulfilled Satan's purpose when he told Eve, "Ye shall be as God!" (Gen. 3:5, NASB) "Glory to man in the highest!" Satan encouraged man to say. Instead of man being made in God's image, man made gods in his own image—and then descended so low as to worship birds, beasts, and bugs!
- Compare this passage
with Romans
1:21 and
answer:
Romans 1:21
- because, although they
knew God, they
did not
glorify Him as God, nor were
thankful, but became
futile
(foolish) in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were
darkened.
- (WW) Man
knew God; this is clear.
But man did not want to
know God or honor Him as God.
- Instead of
glorifying
God they are
replacing the
existence of
true and living
God with created
things.
-
(WW) Instead
of being thankful for all that God had given
him, man refused to thank God or give Him the
glory He deserves. Man was willing to use God's
gifts, but he was not willing to
worship and praise God for His gifts.
-
(WW) The
result
was an empty mind and a
darkened heart.
- (Jon Courson) What Paul is saying is borne out in anthropology: On every corner of the planet, throughout all of history,
every culture has had an innate need to worship. But, suppressing the truth about God,
they have substituted gods of their own choosing. The
Egyptian said, “If I were God, I would be bright and powerful, causing the crops to grow and blasting people who were out of line.” So his god was Ra, the sun god. The
Hindu said, “If I were God, I would be gentle and caring.” So his god is a cow. The
American Indian said, “If I were God, I would soar over the mountains majestically.” So his god is an eagle.
- (Jon Courson) Look at the musicians, the fashion models, the TV shows, movies, and other creeping things our culture elevates, and you will have to conclude that
we are as heathen as the pagans to whom Paul was writing.
- (Jon Courson) Suppression and substitution have been the pattern throughout the history of mankind. And lest you think our society is an exception, what about the
Bears and the
Seahawks, the
Lions and the
Falcons? We spray-paint our bodies; we put watermelons on our heads; we stand up and yell; we live and die for our teams. Such is our nature of worship.
- Application:
- In
what way this
passage applies
to the life of
believers in
Christ?
- (DG) It is absolutely essential that we
constantly compare our own conception of God against the reality of who God is as revealed in His Word. We can also be guilty of worshipping a self-made God.
- (Jon Courson) Every man knows there’s a God, but men choose to suppress the truth and deny God exists because they don’t want to give glory to Him as God. You see, if there is a God, then I am required to submit to Him. But
my flesh doesn’t want to do that, so I’ll suppress the truth I see all around me. I’ll say God doesn’t exist—even though the heavens and stars scream at me, “Yes He does!”
We can fall into this same error as believers. Knowing God, we can fail to glorify Him as God. How? By insisting on our own way, by saying, “God, I believe in You, and now I’m telling You what I want You to do. You better solve this situation, take care of this problem, grant this request, or heal this sickness. I’m naming it. I’m claiming it.”
He’s God. We’re not. He knows things we can’t know and sees things we can’t see. Therefore, for me to rub the lamp of faith and expect God to become my genie is, in a sense, blasphemous.
Father knows best. Therefore, my part is to
talk things over with Him, cast my cares upon Him, and have faith that He will do what’s right—even though I might not initially agree or understand.
- (Jon Courson) Anyone who thinks he knows
exactly what should happen in his life and precisely how it should take place is a fool.
- Does
worldly wisdom
saves your
soul/life?
- Luke 9:24-25 - 24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. 25 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost
- 1 Cor 1:18-31 -
18 For
the message of the cross
is foolishness to those who are
perishing, but to us
who are being saved it is the
power of God.
19
For it is written: "I will
destroy the wisdom of the wise,
And bring to nothing the
understanding of the prudent."
20
Where is the wise? Where is the
scribe? Where is the disputer of
this age? Has not
God made
foolish the wisdom of this
world?
21
For since, in the wisdom of God,
the world through wisdom did not
know God, it pleased God through
the foolishness of the message
preached to save those who
believe.
22
For
Jews
request a sign, and Greeks seek
after wisdom;
23 but
we preach Christ crucified, to
the Jews a stumbling block and
to the Greeks foolishness,
24 but
to those who are called, both
Jews and Greeks, Christ the
power of God and the wisdom of
God. 25 Because the
foolishness of God is wiser than
men, and the weakness of God is
stronger than men.
26
For you see your calling,
brethren, that not many wise
according to the flesh, not many
mighty, not many noble, are
called.
27
But
God has
chosen the foolish things of the
world to put to shame the wise,
and God has chosen
the weak
things of the world to put to
shame the things which are
mighty;
28
and the base things of the world
and the things which are
despised God has chosen, and the
things which are not, to bring
to nothing the things that are,
29
that no flesh should glory in
His presence.
30
But of Him
you are
in Christ Jesus, who became for
us wisdom from God--and
righteousness and sanctification
and redemption--
31
that, as it is written, "He who
glories, let him glory in the
Lord."
- Is it wrong
to be wise in
the world?
- Jesus Himself said that we need to be wise as serpent and harmless as doves. Serpent wisdom here is little different than worldly wisdom.
- Matt 10:16 - "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
- Worldly wisdom is more self centered but if our wisdom suppress the truth such as existence of God then it is wrong.
- Knowledge will puffs up
- 1 Cor 8:1 - 1 Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. 2 And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know.
- We need Godly wisdom which we can receive timely and dynamically when we ask God. Godly wisdom is not self centered.
- James 3:14-18 - 14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
- Fear of God is beginning of this Godly wisdom.
- Prov 9:10 - "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
- Ps 111:10 - The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.
- What is God's response to them?
24 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;
- Since they suppress the truth by replacing
God with themselves or some created things so, "God gave them up".
- What it means that God gave them up?
- Does that mean God give up
on them?
- It means God let them go as per their desire or gave them up to their desire like the prodigal son.
- It means God abandoned them to do whatever they desired.
- NTL: Romans 1:24 - 24 So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. 25 They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.
- God didn't
created us a
toy/robot so He
will not force
us. God respect
our free will.
- Why God gave them up?
- Since this
Romans 1:24 starts
with "therefore" so we can see why
God has given up in
Romans 1:21-23.
God gave them up because of
their sins.
-
Romans 1:21-23 - 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.
- (WW) Because of their sin "God gave them up" (Rom. 1:24, 26) which means that
He permitted them to go on in their sins and reap the
sad consequences. They received "in their
own persons the due penalty of their error"
(Rom. 1:27, NASB). This is the meaning of
Romans 1:18, "The
wrath of God is being revealed
from heaven" (literal
translation). God
revealed His wrath, not by
sending fire on heaven, but by abandoning sinful men to their lustful ways. But there was one more stage.
- (DG)
In His righteous wrath and
judgment, God gives man up to
the sin our evil hearts desire,
allowing us to
experience the self-destructive
result of sin.
- Yet, God
does not violate man's freedom, forcing man to sin and then judging him for it. Rather, men in this state
welcome more extreme degradation and actively embrace it: 'who being past feeling, have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness' (Ephesians
4:19).
- Hosea 4:17
expresses the
judgmental
aspects of God
“giving us up,”
leaving us to
our own sin:
- Hosea 4:17 -
Ephraim is joined to idols, let him alone.
- Consequently, Scripture states both that
Pharaoh hardened his heart against God, and that God hardened Pharaoh's heart (Exodus 8:32; 9:12).
- How many times this phrase "God gave
them up/over" appears in this passage?
- Three times -
Romans 1:24, 26, 28.
- (DG)
This phrase is so important Paul
repeats it three times in this
passage.
- To what
God gave them up?
- God gave them up to uncleanness.
24 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.
- God gave them up to
vile passions
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.
- God gave them over to a
debased mind
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;
- What
two major sin
category you grab from
this passage?
- We can clearly see the
Idolatry and
the immorality.
- (WW)
Indulgence (w. 24-27) From idolatry to immorality is just one short step.
If man is his own god, then he can do whatever he pleases and fulfill his desires without fear of judgment. We reach the climax of man's battle with God's truth when man exchanges
the truth of God for "the lie" and abandons truth completely. "The lie" is that man is his own god, and he should worship and serve himself and not the Creator. It was "the lie" Satan used in die Garden to lead Eve into sin: "Ye shall be as God!" Satan has always wanted the worship that belongs only to God (Isa. 14:12-15; Matt. 4:8-10); and in idolatry, he receives that worship (1 Cor. 10:19-21).
- Which specific sin is against the nature?
- Homosexuality (sex with same gender) is a sin against nature.
- (WW) Paul characterizes it as "vile" and "unnatural" as well as "against nature." Not only were the men guilty, but "even the women."
- Sex with animals or sex outside the human race is sin against nature.
- Heterosexual (sex between men and women ) immoralities are sins that are not against the nature.
- What
Paul is
conveying about
homosexuality?
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.
- (DG) Some say that the Bible nowhere condemns lesbian homosexuality, but the likewise of Romans 1:27 makes it clear that the sin of homosexuality condemned in Romans 1:27 is connected to the sin of women mentioned in Romans 1:26.
- There are six primary passages of Scripture that reference homosexuality: Genesis 19:4-9; Leviticus 18:22, 20:13; Romans 1:24-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; and 1 Timothy 1:9-10. Of these, Romans passage has more details and next to this is the Genesis account of Sodom and Gomorrah.
- NIV: Gen 19:4-5 - 4 Before they (two angels) had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom--both young and old--surrounded the house. 5 They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them."
- (WW) The result of this self-deification was
self-indulgence; and here Paul mentions a vile sin that was rampant in that day and has become increasingly prevalent in our own day; homosexuality. This sin is repeatedly condemned in Scripture (Gen. 18:20ff; 1 Cor. 6:9-10; Jude 7)
- (DG) Paul categorizes the whole section under the idea of
vile passions - unhealthy, unholy. Nevertheless,
Paul lived in a culture that openly approved of homosexuality. Paul didn’t write this to a culture that agreed with him.
- Paul wrote to a culture
where homosexuality was accepted as a part of life for both men and women. For some 200 years, men who openly practiced homosexuality, often with young boys, ruled the Roman Empire.
- At times, the Roman Empire
specifically taxed approved homosexual prostitution and gave boy prostitutes a legal holiday. Legal marriage between same gender couples was recognized, and even some of the emperors married other men.
- At the very time Paul was writing, Nero was emperor. He took a boy named Sporus and had him castrated, then married him (with a full ceremony), brought him to the palace with a great procession, and made the boy his “wife.” Later, Nero lived with another man, and Nero was the “wife.”
- Why some want to be homosexual?
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.
- As per Romans 1:27 they are burned in their lust for one another.
- Molested while they are child or child abused sexually.
- Is there a penalty for the homosexuals?
- Yes.
- (DG) Paul speaks of a penalty for homosexual conduct; Homosexuality has within itself a penalty. This speaks of the
self-destructive nature of sin; it often carries within itself it’s own penalty.
- Sometimes it is the penalty of disease, which is the consequence of violating nature’s order.
- Sometimes it is the penalty of rebellion, resulting in spiritual emptiness and all it’s ramifications. The term “gay” is wishful thinking; it sends a message that there is something essentially happy and carefree about the homosexual lifestyle - which there is not.
- Since they sin against nature definitely they will get sever punishment from God if they didn't repent.
- Is this passage in Romans 1:27 just talks about the homosexual or any more to it?
- (DG) Paul doesn’t even use the normal words for men and women here; he uses the
words for male and female, using categories that describe sexuality outside of human terms, because the type of sexual sin he describes is outside of human dignity.
- NIV: Levi 18:22 - " 'Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable. 23 " 'Do not have sexual relations with an animal and defile yourself with it. A woman must not present herself to an animal to have sexual relations with it; that is a perversion
-
Finally to what
God gave them
over?
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;
- What is debased mind means?
- The word debased means corrupt, pollute, defile (reprobate in the KJV, foolish in NTL, useless in CEV)
- It means to reduce in quality or value; adulterate: Eg: They debased the value of the dollar.
- It meant originally ‘that which has not stood the test’. It was used of coins that were substandard and therefore rejected.
- Their way of
thinking
reduced to sub
standard,
reduced in
morality.
- Debased mind
people mind
works quite
oppositely.
They say
right what is
wrong and say
wrong what is
right.
We cannot see
any moral value
in them.
- (WW)
When man began feel the tragic consequences of his sins,
would think he would repent and seek God; but just the opposite was true. Because was abandoned by God, he could only become worse. Man did not even want to retain God in his knowledge! So, "God gave them over” this time to a "depraved mind" (Rom. 1:28, NASB), which means a mind that cannot
form right judgments. They now abandoned themselves to sin.
- What other sins Paul
listed in Romans 1:29-31?
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,
- How many specific sins listed here?
- (WW)
Paul names twenty-four specific sins, all of which are with us today. (For other lists, see Mark 7:20-23; Gal. 5:19-21; 1 Tim. 1:9-10; and 2 Tim. 3:2-5.)
- (DG) The list in
Romans 1:29-31 gives concrete examples of the kind of things which are not fitting. Notice how “socially acceptable” sins (such as
covetousness, envy and
pride) are included right along with “socially unacceptable” sins (such as
murder and being
unloving).
- Covetousness is literally the itch for more.
- Is envy a small sin?
- (DG) Envy put Jesus on the cross. Pilate knew that they had handed Him over because of envy.
- Matthew 27:18 - For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy.
- (Clarke) Whisperers: “Secret detractors; those who, under pretended secrecy, carry about accusations against their neighbours,
whether true or false; blasting
their reputation by clandestine
tittle-tattle.”
- (Clarke) Proud: “They who are
continually exalting themselves and depressing others; magnifying themselves at the expense of their neighbours;
and wishing all men to receive
their sayings as oracles.”
- Did they know about the righteous judgment of God?
32a who,
knowing the righteous judgment of God,
- Yes, they know that God will
judge them.
- What punishment do they deserve?
32b that those
who practice such things are
deserving of death,
- What is death here
means? or Is death here means
just absent from the body?
- Absent from
the body and
present with
Satan and his
followers in
Hades
first and then
in Hell
tormented
forever after
The
Final Judgment.
- What are they doing in addition to what they practice?
32c not only do the same but also
approve of those who practice them.
- (WW)
But the worst is yet to come. Men not only committed these sins in open defiance of God, but
encouraged others and applauded them when they sinned. How far man fell! He began glorifying God but
ended exchanging that glory for idols. He began knowing God but
ended refusing to keep the knowledge of God in his mind and heart. He began as the highest of God's creatures, made in the image of God; but he
ended lower than the beasts and insects, because he worshiped them as his gods. The verdict? "They are without excuse!" (Rom. 1:20)
- This is what
exactly
happening in the
postmodern
world.
-
Application:
Whatever we
believe we will
profess/preach
to others.
-
Is there a hope for these group of
people to enter into heaven?
- Since they do not want to retain the
knowledge of God so they are not believing in
Jesus. If they are stubborn and continue
in their sin then one point in time they will
blaspheme against Holy Spirit.
- What is the outcome of blasphemy of
the Holy Spirit?
- Anyone who blaspheme
against Holy Spirit will not be
forgiven.
- Luke 12:10
- And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but
to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.
- What is Blasphemy
against Holy Spirit?
- How God has revealed
to all people? or How God is working
among all people?
More details covered in
Compare this passage
Romans 1:18-21
with Ephesians 2:1 topic.
-
By birth even though we are
sinners God has provided
all of us the
basic/minimal capacity/ability
- To know God/Truth:
- Rom 1:19
- because what
may be known of God is
manifest in
them, for God
has shown it to
them.
- Ecc
3:11
- He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also
He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.
- NLT:
Ecc
3:11
- God has made everything beautiful for its own time.
He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end.
- Gen 3:22 - Then the Lord God said, "Behold,
the man has become like one of Us,
to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever"--
- Rom 1:18
- For the wrath
of God
is revealed from
heaven against
all ungodliness
and
unrighteousness
of men, who
suppress the
truth in
unrighteousness,
- To seek God/Truth
or purposefully deny God:
- Acts 17:27a - 26
And He has made
from one blood
every nation of
men to dwell on
all the face of
the earth, and
has
determined their
pre-appointed
times and the
boundaries of
their dwellings,
27 so
that they should
seek the Lord,
in the hope that
they might
- How God is reaching
out all people through His Holy
Spirit? or What more God is
doing among all people through
this Holy Spirit? or What is the
work of the Holy Spirit?
-
God is
keep on convicting all of us
through Holy
Spirit that we
need to believe in Jesus, God's Righteousness is readily and freely available
in the Gospel, and
Satan is judged
by Jesus.
- John 16:8,9 - 7
Nevertheless I
tell you the
truth. It is to
your advantage
that I go away;
for if I do not
go away, the
Helper will not
come to you; but
if I depart, I
will send Him to
you. 8
And
when He
has come, He
will convict
the world of
sin, and of righteousness,
and of judgment: 9
of sin, because
they do not
believe in Me;
10
of
righteousness,
because I go to
My Father
and you see Me
no more; 11
of judgment,
because the
ruler of this
world is judged.
- NLT:
John 16:8,9
- 7
But it is
actually best
for you that I
go away, because
if I don't, the
Counselor won't
come. If I do go
away, he will
come because I
will send him to
you.
8
And when he
comes,
he will
convince the
world
of its sin, and
of God's
righteousness,
and of the
coming judgment.
9
The world's sin
is unbelief in
me.
10 Righteousness is
available
because I go to
the Father,
and you will see
me no more.
11
Judgment will
come because the
prince of this
world has
already been
judged.
- If anyone
didn't
respond to gentle, soft and
tender voice of Jesus
through Holy
Spirit
as in the song "Softly
and tenderly Jesus is calling..."
then they will not
respond to Him anymore.
- Rev 3:20
- Behold,
I stand
at the door and
knock. If anyone
hears My voice
and opens the
door, I will
come in to him
and dine with
him, and he with
Me.
- Matt 11:28 - 28
Come to Me, all
you who labor
and are heavy
laden, and I
will give you
rest. 29
Take My yoke
upon you and
learn from Me,
for I am gentle
and lowly in
heart, and you
will find rest
for your souls.
30
For My yoke is
easy and My
burden is
light."
- In other words
Jesus
gently whispers to everyone
through His Holy Spirit. They
keep on suppress the truth by
their unrighteousness and
finally blaspheme the Holy
Spirit.
- Matt 12:31-32 -
31
"Therefore I say
to you, every
sin and
blasphemy will
be forgiven men,
but the
blasphemy
against the
Spirit will not
be forgiven men.
32
Anyone who
speaks a word
against the Son
of Man, it will
be forgiven him;
but whoever speaks
against the Holy
Spirit, it will
not be forgiven
him, either in
this age or in
the age to come.
- Luke 12:10
- And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but
to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.
- Blasphemy against Holy
Spirit means
utterly
rejecting/cursing
the deep conviction
of the Holy
Spirit to
believe in Jesus Christ. We can
see these type
of people during
the Great
Tribulation time ie last seven
year period
before Jesus
Christ comes in
Rev 6 & 16.
- Rev 6:14-17
- 12
I looked when He
opened the sixth
seal, and
behold, there
was a great
earthquake; and
the sun became
black as
sackcloth of
hair, and the
moon became like
blood.
13
And the stars of
heaven fell to
the earth, as a
fig tree drops
its late figs
when it is
shaken by a
mighty wind.
14
Then the
sky receded as a
scroll when it
is rolled up,
and every
mountain and
island was moved
out of its
place. 15
And the kings of
the earth, the
great men, the
rich men, the
commanders, the
mighty men,
every slave and
every free man,
hid themselves
in the caves and
in the rocks of
the mountains,
16 and
said to the
mountains and
rocks, "Fall on
us and hide us
from the face of
Him who sits on
the throne and
from the wrath
of the Lamb!
17 For the
great day of His
wrath has come,
and who is able
to stand?"
- Rev 16:9,11,21
- 8
Then the fourth
angel poured out
his bowl on the
sun, and power
was given to him
to scorch men
with fire.
9
And men were
scorched with
great heat, and
they blasphemed
the name of God
who has power
over these
plagues; and
they did not
repent and give
Him glory.
10
Then the fifth
angel poured out
his bowl on the
throne of the
beast, and his
kingdom became
full of
darkness; and
they gnawed
their tongues
because of the
pain.
11 They
blasphemed the
God of heaven
because of their
pains and their
sores, and did
not repent of
their deeds.
17
Then the seventh
angel poured out
his bowl into
the air, and a
loud voice came
out of the
temple of
heaven, from the
throne, saying,
"It is done!"
18
And there were
noises and
thunderings and
lightnings; and
there was a
great
earthquake, such
a mighty and
great earthquake
as had not
occurred since
men were on the
earth.
19
Now the great
city was divided
into three
parts, and the
cities of the
nations fell.
And great
Babylon was
remembered
before God, to
give her the cup
of the wine of
the fierceness
of His wrath.
20
Then every
island fled
away, and the
mountains were
not found.
21
And great hail
from heaven fell
upon men, each
hailstone about
the weight of a
talent.
Men blasphemed
God because of
the plague of
the hail, since
that plague was
exceedingly
great.
- Read
Blasphemy against Holy Spirit
topic
for more
details.
- Did they blaspheme the Holy Spirit?
- Here God didn't give up
persuading them but like Prodigal
Son God gave them up or let them go as per their
desire but with the
great expectation to repent from
their sins and turn to God.
- But if they hold on to their
desire and sin and not want to
repent then eventually and in
one point in time
completely
reject/curse/blaspheme the Holy
Spirit and all the works of God.
God will not forgive them and
they are condemn themselves and
destined to hell.
- Since they do not want to retain the
knowledge of God so they are not believing in
Jesus. If they are stubborn and continue
in their sin then one point in time they will
blaspheme against Holy Spirit instead of repent
and commit their life to Jesus Christ then they
will not be forgiven/enter into heaven/saved.
- (WW)
Impenitence (not feeling regret about one's sin or sins) (vv. 28-32). This portion of Scripture gives ample proof that the heathen are lost. Dan Crawford, British missionary to Africa, said: "The heathen are sinning against a flood of light."
There is a desperate need for us to carry the Gospel to all men, for this is the only way they can be saved.
- Yes there is hope only through Jesus.
We can see this in detail in
Romans 3:21-31.
-
Rom 10:15 - 13
For "whoever
calls on the
name of the Lord
shall be saved."
Application:
- What is our (believers in Christ) responsibility?
- Instead of judging these people we
need to reach out them.
- Matt 28:19-20 - 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
- Rom 10:14,15 - 13
For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall
be saved." 14 How then shall
they call on Him in whom they have not believed?
And how shall they believe in Him of whom they
have not heard? And how shall they hear without
a preacher? 15 And how shall they
preach unless they are sent? As it is written:
"How beautiful are the feet of those who preach
the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of
good things!"
- Acts 1:8
- But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come
upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
- Are you eagerly seeking the truth or suppressing the
truth?
- Are you practicing any of these sins?
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