SHOWERS

/Blog/Blog-With-Us/SHOWERS/Romans-Chapter-2-Part-2/?link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Romans 2:6 – He will render to each one according to his works,

As we learned in our last post, the Jews were under the mistaken notion that only the Gentiles would be subject to judgment, while they would automatically be admitted to the kingdom of God because of their birthright and because they adhered to the Mosaic laws/ceremonies. 

The Jews may indeed have performed the prescribed Mosaic rites, but they often did so with their hearts full of sin:

Mark 7:6 – He [Jesus] answered and said unto them, “Well has Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites [the Jews], as it is written, ‘This people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.’”

Furthermore, the Jews pointed to their earthly prosperity as a sign that God was pleased with them.  However, they misinterpreted his blessings – one of the main purposes of God’s goodness and patience was to give them a chance to repent.

Paul goes on to say that God has a final Day of Judgment already scheduled.  On that day, God will call men into account for their lives.  Regardless of whether you are a Jew or a Gentile, God will render to each person according to the works they have done in this life.  Let’s examine this further.  

GENERAL SUMMARY:  Paul is about to make three important points in this verse.  One, God is the judge of all things and he is completely impartial and just in his rulings.  Two, he will judge every single person; no one gets a ‘free pass’ (Hebrews 9:27).  Three, people will be judged according to their works, not for their works.

DIGGING DEEPER:  He:  In this passage of scripture, Paul is speaking about the judgment which will occur at the end of the world.  On that day, God (he) will be the judge of all things:  

Daniel 7:9-10 – As I [Daniel] looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; …a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.

No one will be able to dispute his judgments because they are perfect, just and righteous:

Psalms 89:14 – Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne…

Will render:  There are many definitions for the word ‘render’.  In this case, it means ‘to deliver’ and it particularly refers to a verdict or a judgment.  Instead of ‘render’ we might also say ‘to hand down’, ‘to give’ or ‘to announce’.

God is going to issue a verdict or a judgment to every person according to their deeds/works.  This will happen at the end of the age, on the Day of Judgment.

To each one:  Scripture tells us that every person will be judged: 

Ecclesiastes 3:17 – I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work.

Much to the consternation of the Jews, they are not going to get a ‘free pass’ into heaven just because they are the descendants of Abraham.   

Sadly, the Jews of Paul’s day won’t be the only surprised people on the Day of Judgment.  Even in this age there are people who believe they will get into heaven because their parents were Christians, or because they attended church each week or because they were good people who did good things in life. 

However, these people will be judged with the wicked, because these things can’t get you into heaven.  Make no mistake – admission to heaven is ONLY through faith in Jesus Christ as the Messiah.  There is no other way to receive eternal life:

John 20:31 – But these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you might have life through his name.

According to his works:  There can be no doubt that God judges people according to their works:

Matthew 16:27 - For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

(See also Psalms 62:12, Proverbs 24:12, Revelation 20:12, Jeremiah 32:19, II Corinthians 5:10, Galatians 6:7, etc). 

WARNING!  We must exercise great caution when interpreting this phrase.  On the surface, we might be tempted to think that if God judges people ‘according to their works’, then people who do good things will enter heaven, while people who do wicked things will go to hell.  That is a misinterpretation of scripture.  

All of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God.  All of us have done wicked, vile things in the eyes of God; all of us need to be justified in his sight.  As we mentioned in our prior posts, there is NO WAY man can justify himself, especially not by works!

Let me reiterate once again: There is only one way to be justified in the sight of God and receive entrance into his kingdom – by the shed blood of Christ:

Titus 3:5-7 - …he [God] saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

I John 1:7 – But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin.

John 14:6 – Jesus said unto him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by me.”

Clearly, each person will find themselves in heaven or hell based upon what they have done with the sacrifice of Christ. 

Since this is the case, what does Paul mean when he says that God renders a verdict to each man according to his works?

To being with, let’s define works.  Works include more than just outward actions.  They also include the thoughts of the mind/imagination, the motivations of the heart, and the principles by which we live.

These ‘works’ determine the degree and/or amount of punishment/reward a person receives in eternity. 

In other words, the degree or amount of punishment the wicked receive will be based on their works in this life.  Likewise, the degree or amount of reward the righteous receive is based on their works while on earth.  This is what Paul means when he declares that God will render to every man according to his works.

With this in mind, let’s dig a little deeper into the Day of Judgment.

Unrepentant sinners (those who have rejected Christ as Savior) will be judged at the Great White Throne judgment.  In this setting, they will be found guilty of sin with no way to pay their debt.  God’s righteous verdict will be a sentence of eternal death (Revelation 20:11-15).  This sentence will be served in Gehenna (aka hades or hell). 

Christians will not be judged at the Great White Throne.  They will be judged at what is known as the Bema seat or the judgment seat of Christ (Romans 14:10, II Corinthians 5:10), where their stewardship in the kingdom will be examined.  God will issue a verdict that determines the level of reward (if any) for this stewardship (I Corinthians 3:12-15).  

Romans 2:7 - …to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life;  

GENERAL SUMMARY:  Those who live out their salvation/faith in God by continuously doing what is right and good despite the difficulties of this life, will receive eternal life from God.  

DIGGING DEEPER:  Patience in well-doing:  Paul is referring to the manner in which righteous people live their lives.  Specifically, the righteous conform their conduct to the laws and commands of God.  Again, this does not refer exclusively to outward actions.  It also includes the thoughts of our minds/imaginations, the motivations of our hearts, and the principles on which we base our decisions.

Jesus makes reference to this in the parable of the sower: 

Luke 8:15 – As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.

The underlying principle is that we must persevere in a life of holiness based on the word of God, not on the accepted practices of the world.  We must not give up or be weary in well doing (Galatians 6:9).  We must stand firm in righteousness, despite the trials which we encounter in this life.     

Speaking of trials, don’t forget that Satan has no intention of standing idly by as we commit ourselves to God and a life of holiness.  As soon as he is aware of our commitment, he will do everything in his power to impede our progress or turn us aside from the narrow path. 

The good news is that Jesus has already defeated him!  When we persevere/remain standfast in righteousness, we will receive the reward of eternal life.  

Matthew 10:22 - …you will be hated by all for my [Jesus] name’s sake.  But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

(See also Matthew 24:13, Hebrews 10:36-39.)

To them:  Clearly, ‘them’ can only be individuals who live holy lives and receive eternal life from God - Christians. 

• This cannot refer to the Gentile nations collectively, because they sought after worldly things and human wisdom; they did not seek God at all. 
• It cannot refer to the Jewish nation as a whole, because they sought after righteousness through works of the law and glory from men. 
• It cannot refer to any unbelieving people because they seek only their own pleasures. 

Glory and honor – Paul is not speaking of the glory and honor of this world or the applause of men.  He is talking about the glory of God.  The righteous seek to glorify and honor God in all they do; they desire to reflect the grace and righteousness of Christ in this life.  Those who do so will receive and enjoy eternal glory and honor with Christ in heaven at the end of this age.

Immortality – The meaning of this Greek word is ‘that which is not corruptible or subject to decay’.  It alludes to the resurrection of the body, which occurs when Christ returns to earth at the conclusion of this age (I Thessalonians 4:13-18). 

This is in contrast to the death and decay of this world, where everything is corruptible, subject to death, and which soon vanishes away.  

Seek:  To seek is to strive for or to search for.  It reflects an earnest/intense desire to obtain something or to find that which is lost.  Specifically, it describes those who forsake their sins, submit to God and live in obedience to his laws.  In other words, those who honestly seek for eternal life through Christ, shall find it. 

Eternal life:  Eternal life is a pure gift of grace which Christ bestows upon those who trust in him, believe in him, show patient continuance in well doing and who seek the glory and honor of God.    

Romans 2:8 - …but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.

GENERAL SUMMARY:  Those who live in active disobedience to God’s commands will be subject to his vengeance.

DIGGING DEEPER:  Self-seeking/contentious:  This describes people who are quarrelsome or given to angry debate.  It includes any person who disputes the truth or obstinately resists God’s divine will.  These people reject the clear righteous truth of God and instead hold on to their own ideas of righteousness.  In essence, they are rebellious; they are fighting against God himself.

The Jews have a history of being rebellious in this way:

Isaiah 1:2 – Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord has spoken: “Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me.”

(See also Deuteronomy 9:7, 31:27, Isaiah 30:9, Jeremiah 5:23, Ezekiel 2:3-5.)

This rebelliousness led the Jews to be disobedient to God’s commands (Joshua 5:6, Judges 2:2, II Kings 18:12, Jeremiah 3:13, etc), another one of their besetting sins.      

Keep in mind that Paul is addressing the Jews.  Now ask yourself this question:  What self-seeking truth did they reject, oppose or debate?

Answer – The admittance of the Gentiles into the family of God. 

Despite the testimony of Jesus, the work of Holy Spirit and the teaching of the apostles, many Jews did not want to believe that the Gentiles could be children of God, unless they first became Jewish proselytes.  If Gentiles could become children of God simply by faith in Christ (without the practice of the Mosaic law), then first covenant (the law) was no longer in effect.  Their special status as the exclusive people of God was no longer applicable; they were not any ‘better’ than the Gentile sinners which they had long despised.

They resisted the Gentiles when they should have been joyfully welcoming them with open arms as brothers and sisters in Christ (Ephesians 2:11-22).

Do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness:  Those who reject the truth essentially give themselves to iniquity, and by so doing they become servants of sin.  They act under the influence of Satan/sin instead of under the influence of Holy Spirit/righteousness.

Wrath and fury/indignation:  This is the end result for those who are contentious – they experience God’s displeasure.  There is very little difference between wrath and fury/indignation.  Some scholars say that wrath is a long-continued remembrance of evil, while fury/indignation is temporary or of a short duration.  Others say that fury/indignation denotes an internal emotion, and wrath is the external manifestation that fury. 

In either case, God will punish those who dispute against the truth and cling to sin.   

Romans 2:9 – There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek,

Tribulation and distress (aka the eternal torments of hell) are defined as misery of all types and descriptions from which there is no escape.  God, the righteous judge, will inflict these punishments upon every sinner who ultimately rejects him.  However, he will first punish the Jews and only then the Greeks/Gentiles.  Why is that?

The Jews are first because they possessed greater spiritual knowledge and privileges.  By default, they despised greater levels of mercy when they rejected God. 

Even though the Gentiles had a lesser degree of light/understanding, they too sinned against God and their punishment will be directly proportionate to their sin (Luke 12:47-48).

Notice that Paul makes one thing very clear here:  Under the gospel, there was no longer a distinction between Jews and Gentiles; all who sin against God will suffer his wrath, while all who trust in him will be saved regardless of their national identity.  

Romans 2:10 - …but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek.

Clearly, those who resist God will experience the fullest effects of his righteous indignation, whether they are Jews or Gentiles.  Just as clearly, those who consciencely and purposely live lives of obedience to the known will of God will be blessed with glory, honor and peace (the eternal blessings of heaven) whether they are Jews or Gentiles.   

Again, let me point out that scripture does not say you can earn your way into heaven by works.  Salvation is only obtained through faith in Jesus; those who trust in him as Savior are those who love him and gladly obey his commands:  

John 14:21 – He that has my commandments, and keeps them, he it is that loves me…

Romans 2:11 – For God shows no partiality.

In this passage of scripture, Paul has been demonstrating the perfection of God’s divine government and the utter absence of any partiality/favoritism.  His purpose was to show the Jews that their heritage as children of Abraham would avail them nothing in God’s sight, if moral and spiritual principles were ignored. 

What God regards is purity of heart and inward integrity; he has no respect for those things which men highly value like wealth, prestige or national heritage.

The Gentiles wanted to think they would be excused from judgment/punishment on the basis of ignorance.  The Jews wanted to think they would be excused from judgment/punishment on the basis of having the law and being descendants of Abraham.  But Paul proves that all men, both Jews and Gentiles, are guilty in the sight of God and deserving of eternal death. 

Colossians 3:25 – For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.

Let me offer you some encouragement, some relief and some strength:

On the Day of Judgment, it won’t matter who your parents were, what nationality you were, or how much money you gave to the poor.  Your age, your gender, your race, your level of education and your income are all meaningless. 

The only thing that will matter is whether or not you are righteous because you have been saved by grace, or whether you are wicked because you rebelled against God.

So which category are you in?  Have you made Jesus Christ the Lord of your life?  Have you surrendered your will to him, embracing the truth of his gospel and obeying his commands?  If you have, then you have reason to rejoice – God will grant you eternal life.

If not, you have reason to fear, because you will experience the wrath and vengeance of a very angry God on the Day of Judgment. 

The good news is that you can become a child of God today. 

Why not bow your head right now and talk to Jesus?  Just speak to him as if he were right there beside you – confess your sins to him, ask him to cleanse you by his blood and dedicate yourself to his service. 

Regardless of who you are or what you’ve done in the past, Jesus will hear and honor your prayer.  He will send Holy Spirit to dwell in your heart and seal you until the day of redemption, when you will be with him in heaven.  Hallelujah!

 

/Blog/Blog-With-Us/SHOWERS/Romans-Chapter-2-Part-1/?link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Romans 2:1 – Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges.  For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things.

At the end of chapter one, Paul reached the conclusion that the Gentiles, regardless of how enlightened they were, were utterly incapable of righteousness.  History shows us over and over and over again that mankind has no means of righteousness within himself; consequently, he cannot save himself through his own works.  There is no possible way for the Gentiles to justify themselves in the eyes of a holy God.   

In chapters two and three, Paul will prove that the Jews are just as guilty as the Gentiles; they too were in need of justification which they could not produce themselves.  The end result is that ALL people (Gentiles and Jews) are in need of a Savior. 

GENERAL SUMMARY:  In chapter one, Paul demonstrated the downward spiral of the Gentiles into utter depravity.  He now addresses the people who stand in judgment of their behavior.  In verses 1-3 Paul reveals that those who judge the heathen also stand condemned before God, because they practice the same sins. 

Digging Deeper:  Therefore:  Chapter two opens with the word ‘therefore’… and thus the controversy begins!   

The word ‘therefore’ indicates that a conclusion is being reached based on facts that were previously given.  Since Paul was speaking about the sin of the Gentiles at the end of chapter one, some scholars believe that he continues to address the Gentiles in the first part of chapter two. 

Others disagree.  They believe Paul is speaking to the Jews in chapter two verse one.  They interpret Paul’s comments this way: Condemnation of one branch of the human race (Gentiles), implies/proves condemnation of the other branch (Jews) too, for both have sinned.  Since the Gentiles are without righteousness, therefore the Jews are too.       

Still others maintain that ‘therefore’ should have been translated ‘moreover’ which means ‘in addition, furthermore or likewise’.  This group also believes Paul is now addressing the Jews. 

You… O man:  Obviously, your understanding of ‘you …O man’ (and subsequently ‘judge’) depends upon your interpretation of ‘therefore’.  Let’s look at the options.

We will begin with the interpretations that say Paul is addressing the Gentiles.   

The first theory says ‘you …O man’ is referring to the seemingly virtuous members of Gentile society.  Specifically, this includes the magistrates (civil leaders/anyone who upholds the laws of the land), other community leaders and the famous Gentile philosophers of the age (Socrates, Cato, Seneca and others).

The question then becomes, if this is indeed the group Paul is addressing, how are they standing in judgment of the Gentiles?

Answer – The people in this group judge and punish others (literally in the case of the magistrates and figuratively/morally by the others) because they have authority to do so based on a clear understanding of the law and of sin.    

The second theory interprets ‘you …O man’ in a much broader way.  Those who hold this view believe the phrase can refer to literally any person in the Gentile community regardless of their position in society. 

If this is the group Paul is addressing, how are they standing in judgment of the Gentiles?

Answer – The people in this group judge other Gentiles by using any and all platforms available to them to disparage the actions of others while putting on a public show of their own virtue.  For example, a Gentile business owner may rail against the obvious sins of his fellow man to anyone in his company as well as his customers and suppliers.  He may continue to express these opinions in all avenues of his personal life.  The overall idea is that he is a hypocrite – he judges those around him while privately committing the same or similar sins.     

Now let’s examine the theory which says Paul is addressing the Jews with the phrase ‘you …O man’. 

Those who hold this view point out that the animosity between the Jews and Gentiles was well known, and it was a big problem in the early church (including the church at Rome).  If this is the case, why doesn’t Paul just name the Jews specifically, instead of using the general term ‘you …O man’?   

Answer - Keep in mind, Paul had never visited the Roman church; he had no relationship to lean on when delivering a harsh or unpopular teaching.  If he had identified the Jews specifically right off the bat, he would come across as accusatory and harsh.  The Jews would have quickly and vehemently dismissed all his doctrines and teaching.  This would not only affect the Roman church but all churches in the region because Paul’s letter would be distributed to smaller churches after the Romans read it.

So, those who hold this view believe that Paul carefully and skillfully avoids naming the Jews at first, so they would take the time to listen to his whole discourse on the subject without being offended. 

If the Jews are the group Paul is referring to, how are they standing in judgment of the Gentiles?

Answer - From the very beginning the Jews felt they were better than the Gentiles.  In their minds, they were God’s chosen people; the Gentiles were rejects.  They were the ones in covenant with God; the Gentiles were not.  They were enlightened and entrusted with the law, while the Gentiles were ignorant heathens.  They believed that as a nation, they were righteous, while the Gentiles were dogs and gross sinners.

Indeed, it seems as though the Jews took great delight in consistently pointing out the grievous sins of the Gentiles.  They took every opportunity to rail against their sinful acts before God, while at the same time pridefully maintaining their own innocence.  You can be sure they were nodding their heads in agreement as Paul gave a litany of the Gentiles’ sins in the first part of his letter.

At this point, I want to pause and give you the two main reasons why the Jews felt they were not subject to the wrath of God.

First, they considered themselves protected from divine judgment because of their status as a chosen nation, along with their adherence to the Mosaic law and ceremonies.

Second, the Jews in general were very prosperous.  They took this as a sign that they were in right standing with God and thus had nothing to worry about.  They felt that if God were going to judge them for sin, it would happen immediately.

Because you, the judge:  For the purposes of our study, we will accept the view that ‘you… O man’ refers to the Jews.  They were the ones Paul speaks of as standing in judgment against the Gentiles.

Practice the very same things:  Paul’s accusation is clear – the Jews were guilty of sins/offences similar to those practiced by the Gentiles.  They may or may not have sinned in precisely the same manner or to the same degree as the Gentiles (especially in the area of idolatry), but nevertheless, they were engaging in many of the same things that they condemned the Gentiles for.

The Jews liked to believe that they were justified before God, but scripture tells us that they were far from innocent and righteous:

• The Jews were an ‘evil and adulterous generation’ – Matthew 12:39, John 8:7. 
• They were a ‘generation of vipers’ – Matthew 3:7, 12:34. 
• They were wicked – Matthew 12:45. 
• They were sinful – Mark 8:38. 
• They were proud, haughty and hypocritical – Matthew 23:1.    

For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself:  The Jews judged/condemned the Gentiles because they rejected the light they had (the example of nature and their consciences) and chose sin instead.

But they themselves did the same thing!

Paul will show that the Jews were just as guilty as the Gentiles.  The Gentiles had some knowledge of God, but the Jews had even more – they were in covenant with God, they had the Mosaic law, and they had experienced God’s intervention in their nation.  Despite their greater light or knowledge of God, they still committed the same sins as the Gentiles. 

If the Gentiles were without excuse for their sin, how much more condemnation would fall upon the Jews who had even greater spiritual understanding?

The bottom line is that the Jews had no excuse for their sin either; they too were under condemnation and needed a way of justification before God.

Romans 2:2 – We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things.

GENERAL SUMMARY:  The judgment of God is based upon truth - not appearance, worldly status, or even outward actions.  God, who sees into the heart of man, judges righteously and perfectly in every instance.

DIGGING DEEPER:  We know:  In other words, it is the common sentiment or understanding of mankind; generally speaking, it is known and believed by men that God will punish those who practice sin and that his punishment/judgment will be righteous and just.

The Gentiles knew this by the imperfect revelation of nature, but the Jews knew it by the holy scriptures.  Men are correct on this point; God judges men by their motivations, actions and attitudes, not on outward appearances:

I Samuel 16:7 – But the Lord said unto Samuel, ‘Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him:  for the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’

The judgment of God:  In this case, Paul is referring to the judgment that all men will face after this life (Hebrews 9:27). 

The Jews were under the mistaken notion that only the Gentiles would be subject to judgment, while they would automatically be admitted to the kingdom of God because of their birthright (Matthew 3:9, John 8:33).  And again, they believed their current state of prosperity was a sign that they were accepted in God’s sight.  Furthermore, they felt that because they had the acceptance/approval of those around them, this was further proof of their righteousness.     

But Paul points out that judgment does not come from men, it comes from the omnipotent and omniscient God who judges according to the truth and not according to appearance.  He will judge each person according to his word and he will reward every man according to their works (I Corinthians 3:14).

The Jews would do well to remember that mere outward obedience to his commands is useless, unless it is accompanied by a sincere heart.

Rightly falls on those who practice such things:  It is plain to see that those who secretly practice what they publicly condemn could not expect to escape the righteous judgment of God.  He administers judgment without respect of persons (Acts 10:34) and punishes wickedness whether it is practiced openly (as among the Gentiles) or secretly (as among the Jews).

Here is something to consider:  The Gentiles had no excuse for their sin because they had the light of nature and their conscience.  The Jews had no excuse for their sin because they had the law and the rites of Judaism.  Therefore, we can conclude that anyone who has lived since the resurrection of Christ also has no excuse for sin, because the gospel of Jesus Christ has been revealed throughout the world.

Romans 2:3 – Do you suppose, O man – you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself – that you will escape the judgment of God?

Here Paul makes an appeal to the common sense of the Jews.  They themselves were imperfect and had a skewed sense of true justice.  If they (as unholy as they were), condemned those who were guilty of sin, how much more would a just and perfect God pronounce true and proper judgment upon them? 

Essentially, Paul is warning the Jews that they will not escape judgment for their sins simply because they were Jews (Amos 9:1-4). 

He will go on to argue that there is one and only one way to escape from the judgment of God - justification through the redeeming work of Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12).  

Romans 2:4 – Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

GENERAL SUMMARY:  The Jews thought that God did not regard them as sinners; they believed they were innocent before him.  However, Paul correctly argues that they were misinterpreting the blessings of God – these benefits were not tokens of their righteousness, they were divine mercies designed to lead them into repentance.  

DIGGING DEEPER:  Presume:  To presume is to take something for granted, to despise or to have contempt for something, or failure to make proper use of a benefit.

The Jews were basically guilty of all three of these errors.  They took God’s blessings for granted which was evident by their lack of thankfulness.  They despised/showed contempt for Gods blessings by sinning against them.  They failed to make use of God’s merciful benefits by rejecting them on the basis of their own perceived righteousness. 

Riches:  The word ‘riches’ denotes an abundance or an amount which exceeds a man’s wants.  It also refers to anything that is very great or valuable.  In this verse, each of the blessings mentioned is rich – it is both valuable and generous.  In other words, God offers rich (valuable and generous) kindness/goodness, rich (valuable and generous) forbearance and rich (valuable and generous) patience/longsuffering.   

Kindness/goodness – This includes goodwill, compassion, generosity, favor, beneficence.  Each one of us can readily identify God’s kindness/goodness in our own lives.  They Jews could too, if they only took the time to look!

Forbearance – This is defined as the act of waiting or the exercise of restraint.  God would be perfectly just in punishing our sins the moment we commit them, but instead he holds back his judgment and punishment for a time, so that mankind has a chance to repent.  (To which I say, ‘Thank you, Jesus!)

Patience/longsuffering – Patience/longsuffering is only marginally different than forbearance.  It mainly refers to a slowness of anger.  The purpose of this slowness or patience is to give us time to repent.

Not knowing:  We may be tempted to equate ‘not knowing’ with ignorance, but this is not the case.  The Greek word translated as ‘not knowing’ actually means inattention.  In other words, they Jews were fully capable of understanding the riches of God’s mercy, but they willfully neglected their duty to search the scriptures and acquire knowledge/understanding on this topic. 

Thus, they were willfully uninformed of the truth behind God’s mercy.  Their lack of knowledge led them into error.  Specifically, they assumed that because God had not yet judged them, he did not intend to punish them at all. 

Ecclesiastes 8:11 – Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil. 

So instead of turning from sin, they presumed upon or despised the kindness, patience and forbearance of God by continuing to sin.  In fact, they often increased in sin when they went unpunished for it.

Repentance:  Repentance entails not only grief over our sin, but a change of heart, mind and purpose.  It means to turn around and go the other way; to forsake sin and pursue holiness. 

The bottom line is this:  God is kind and gracious towards us.  He delights in mercy and compassion.  He is patient and slow to anger, often delaying or withholding the penalty of sin which we so clearly deserve. 

Based on this, many people assumed that either God did not intend to enforce the punishment for sin which his laws decreed, or that they were (for some reason) exempt from God’s justice. 

But in reality, nothing could be further from the truth!  God’s justice requires payment for every sin.  This does not cease to be a fact just because God is patient, longsuffering and kind.  God cannot sanction, overlook or cover up sin.  Judgement awaits those who detest his laws and defy his authority.  

Furthermore, scripture reveals that God does not have two standards (one for Jews and a different one for Gentiles).  God’s laws are universal and impartial – they are the same for every single person, in every single age, regardless of their national identity.  Jews and Gentiles alike (us included) are judged by his perfect and unchanging standards.

Malachi 3:6 - For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.

There good news is that God has provided a way of escape from judgement.  It is found in repentance and acceptance of the sacrifice of Christ.  When we accept him as Lord and Savior, he pays the full price/penalty for our sin.   

Romans 2:5 – But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

GENERAL SUMMARY:  Paul shows that the people who promise themselves impunity based on their current prosperity and lack of obvious judgment will not go unpunished forever.  God has scheduled a day of wrath and righteous judgment when he will call men into account for their sins.

Impenitent heart:  An impenitent heart is a heart which is not affected by sorrow for sin, in view of the mercy and goodness of God.  Think of it this way: If we take the time to recount our sin and then consider the rich generosity of God’s mercy towards us, our hearts will surely melt with gratitude and thanksgiving.  We will automatically begin to worship and praise him for his undeserved favor.

However, those who reject the truth of coming judgment fail to understand their guilt before God.  The more they reject/ignore the truth, the harder and more calloused their heart becomes.  This in turn makes true repentance more and more difficult.  

Storing up wrath for yourself:  Your translation may say ‘treasuring up’ wrath.  To store up is to accumulate, to increase, to hoard.  This concept is based upon the idea is that treasure is stored up or collected in a secure place for future use.

The person who despises the riches of God’s mercy and continues to sin is essentially storing up judgment and wrath for a future time.  Every time he sins, he increases his transgression and the judgment it brings.

These stores/treasures of wrath are the opposite of the riches of God’s goodness.  If you despise or neglect the riches of his goodness, you will have nothing but the treasures of his wrath which you collected for yourself.  Your punishment will be proportionate to the mercy you rejected.

Day of wrath:  The day of wrath is also known as the day of judgment.  On this day, grace will be over.  On this day God shall execute his wrath against sinners. 

II Peter 2:9 – The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.

The day of judgment is well documented throughout the scriptures (Revelation 16:7, I Thessalonians 1:10, John 3:36, Ephesians 5:6, II Peter 3:10-12, etc).

God’s righteous judgment will be revealed:  As we just mentioned, the age/time of God’s grace will come to an appointed end and judgment will follow.  On that day, the wicked will be judged of God and receive the punishment that is due them for despising his mercy.  This will be a just and righteous judgment for God is at all times perfectly fair.  He is long-suffering and exhibits great mercy, yet he will not overlook sin:

Numbers 14:18 – The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty…

We know that God’s judgment will be perfect.  He does not depend upon circumstantial evidence, heresy or the testimony of others.  He will not be fooled or led astray by the pleading of a human advocate.  Rather, as we will see in the next verse, God will justly judge based upon our own words and deeds. 

Paul is giving the Jews a stern reminder that the punishment of the wicked is future.  It is not fully delivered in this life; it is stored up for a future time.  Therefore, they should take heed.

But there is good news.  If a person will repent and change their ways, Jesus will satisfy the debt of judgment on their behalf.  The wrath/penalty they stored up will be satisfied/paid by Christ.   

It should be noted that the day of judgment is only for the sinner.  For them, this day will be full of terror and dread:    

Zephaniah 1:15 – A day of wrath is that day, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness. 

(See also Joel 2:2, Amos 5:18). 

But that is not the case for the redeemed.  For them/us, that day will be a day of redemption, a day of joy, a day of wonder, a day of reward, and a day of blessing. 

Let me offer you some encouragement:

As we noted in today’s post, Paul had a difficult and somewhat harsh message which needed to be delivered to the Jews.  He could have delivered that message with bluntness, but if he did, it most likely would not have been received by anyone.

Instead, he used both skill and tact to make his argument for the truth.  In this way, the Jews at least heard and considered what he had to say.

As Christians, it is our honor to share the life changing gospel of Christ with the lost.  As we do so, we should follow Paul’s example.  Sinners do not need to be openly condemned by us in a hostile manner.  When we share the gospel this way, it is almost never received. 

Instead, if we exhibit the love of Christ towards sinners, we gain an opportunity to gently and patiently share the truth.  As we do so in love, they are much more likely to hear and respond to the gospel.

Let me offer you some relief:

Christians are NOT subject to the wrath of God on the day of judgment. 

Nevertheless, as Christians, it is good for us to consider this day from time to time because reminding ourselves of this event will influence the way we live our lives on a daily basis.

The bible says that every Christian will one day give an account of his stewardship to the Master. 

With that in mind, how are we practicing stewardship today?  Are we being diligent or lazy?  Are we working to invest our time and talents in the kingdom or are we on spiritual vacation?  What are we doing with our finances and other resources?  How are we spending our time?  What battles are we choosing to fight?

In light of God’s future rewards, these are questions well worth our consideration.

Let me offer you some strength:

In today’s post we found that the Jews chose to be ‘not knowing’.   This was not a simple case of ignorance.  It was a case of the Jews consciously neglecting their duty to read and know the conditions of the covenant they had with God.  Sadly, their lack of knowledge led them to some enormous spiritual errors.

This should serve as a clear wake-up call for all of us!

As Christians, it is our privilege and duty to search the scriptures and understand the will of the Lord.  His word…

• …reveals his mercy and grace, which are available to us every day. 
• …lists the promises of God which are essential to our victory in this life. 
• …strengthens our faith. 
• …is the conduit for revelation by Holy Spirit. 
• …is a comfort to us in times of trouble.
• …is our guide in times of uncertainty. 

The bible is one of the greatest gifts God has given to us.  Let’s thank him by fully enjoying all of its benefits!

 

/Blog/Blog-With-Us/SHOWERS/Romans-Chapter-1-Part-7/?link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Romans 1:29 – They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice.  They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness.  They are gossips…

Welcome back, dear readers.  As we continue on with our study of Romans chapter one, we now find a whole catalog of evils/sins which eventually overtook the Gentiles when they rejected God’s revelation of himself through nature and through their consciences. 

As Paul shows us, once God is abandoned, mankind becomes destitute of all righteousness and the sins listed in this chapter become apparent in their lives.  While it is true that no one particular person is guilty of all the sins listed here, everyone is guilty of at least some of these evils.  

Paul also points out that as sin increases, shame and remorse decrease.  Consequently, as man falls further and further away from God, sins are no longer practiced in secret; they are flaunted openly.  They are no longer causes for reproach, but reasons to publicly celebrate.

This kind of unrestrained sin affects not only the sinner, but his/her neighbors as well.  The bible tells us that sin is like leaven which is placed into a ball of dough.  It silently and gradually works itself into the whole batch until every part has been corrupted or influenced by it:

I Corinthians 5:6-8 – Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?  Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened.  For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.  Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Thus, we find that the smallest hidden speck of sin in man’s nature has the demonic ability to spread and grow until it corrupts the entire person and rules the man himself.  It then seeks to infect those around it. 

Through the following list, Paul will show the repulsive wickedness that is found in the hearts of all unbelievers.   

GENERAL SUMMARY:  In this passage of scripture, Paul is focusing on the Gentiles.  He outlined the specifics of man’s descent into utter sin once he rejected God.  Prior to verse 29, Paul was using homosexuality as a specific example of this, but now he gives us an entire catalog of different sins which also prove/show the utter depravity of man.    

DIGGING DEEPER:  Being filled:  In this case, to be filled means to be consumed by something or for something to abound or to be common.  The unrepentant Gentiles were filled with or consumed by every manner of unrighteousness and sin.  These sins were so common in Roman society that no one was shocked by them anymore.

Can you relate to that?  I remember a time when sexual sins (homosexuality, adultery and fornication) weren’t spoken about in front of children, because these sins were considered so shocking.  Now these same sins are so common, many people no longer associate them with sin at all.    

Unrighteousness:  This is a general term referring to all things contrary to justice and righteousness.  It implies utter disregard for all moral restraints. 

What examples of unrighteousness can you think of?  One example would be the behavior of gangs who take over streets, burn cars, assault police officers and cause general confusion and chaos.    

Fornication:   God’s commands declare that sexual intercourse is lawful between a man and a woman who are in a marriage covenant with each other.  Any sexual activity which takes place under any other circumstances is sin.  For example, fornication is sex between unmarried people, while adultery is sex between two people when at least one of them is married to someone other than their partner.

It is shocking that so many people today consider themselves Christians, yet they indulge in all manner of sexual sins.  If you are in such a situation, I urge you to read the word and pray about your situation. 

Covetousness:  Covetousness is the desire to obtain or possess that which belongs to another; it is an intense love or lust for gain.  It is also defined as greed or avarice (excessive greediness).  Those who covet are dissatisfied or discontent with what they have.  Although this term is frequently used in relation to money, it can apply to anything.

What sorts of things do people covet other than money?  How about fame, power, opportunities or even other people? 

Have you ever been tempted to covet?  Giving thanks to God for your blessings and being content with what you have will help your resist the temptation to inordinately desire what others have. 

Malice/wickedness:  Those who are under the influence of malice have a spirit that delights in the harm or misfortune of another.  They are spiteful, bitter and even dangerous.  They have the constant desire and willful intent to vex, annoy or injure others. 

For example, someone who tells lies about a coworker in order to get them fired is acting with malice.  Someone who puts a bomb on a bus and kills innocent people is malicious.  A person who hears their neighbor’s house burned down and says, ‘Good, they deserve it’ is displaying a malicious attitude.      

Envy:  Who among us is not familiar with envy?  The official definition of envy is pain or discontent excited by another’s prosperity, accompanied by some degree of hatred or malice.  

But honestly, do we really need a definition?  Who among us is not familiar with this evil?  It is a sin that reaches out to tempt all of us at time or another.  But we must diligently guard our hearts against it: 

Proverbs 14:30 – A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, bur envy makes the bones rot.

Again, praise and thanksgiving are helpful in casting out the temptation of envy.  You will also help make your heart tranquil by remembering that God wants to give us the desires of our heart, but only if it is for our ultimate good.  So, if you desire something you don’t have, don’t envy – take your request to the Lord and find out what he has to say about the matter.

Murder:  We are all familiar with this sin.  Murder is the taking of a human life by a person of sane mind.  Do you remember the first murder that is recorded in the Bible? 

That’s right – Cain murdered his brother Able back in the book of Genesis (Genesis 4:1-8).  He was jealous and angry that God accepted Abel’s sacrifice, but was not pleased with his own.

The sin of murder was very common in the Roman empire.  They had very little regard for human life; this was evident in their love of the gladiator contests that took place in the colosseum or amphitheater.  These contests resulted in the deaths of thousands of captives, slaves, criminals and even Christians, all for the amusement of the Roman public.

In fact, murder rears its ugly head in every society, in every generation. 

Strife:  Strife is the act or state of fighting or violently arguing; it is angry or bitter disagreement/conflict over fundamental issues. 

Society was full of strife during the life of Paul.  The Jews were at odds with the Romans, while the Christians were at odds with the Jews.  In fact, there was even strife in the church (especially over circumcision), as the Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians figured out how to become one united body of Christ.

Obviously, there is strife in our society as well. We don’t have to look very hard to find strife in our political system, court system or even in our school systems.   There is strife between the industrialists and the environmentalists, between the socialists and the capitalists, and even within our own families and churches.  Strife is especially dangerous because it can tear people apart (Mark 3:25).  Strife can ignite other evils such as hatred or malice. 

Proverbs 15:8 – A hot tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.

As Christians, we need to be walk a fine line between standing up for our rights and striving with those around us.  Holy Spirit will help us in this endeavor. 

Deceit:   To deceive is to mislead another.  It includes any act or declaration which causes someone to believe what is false.  It is also defined as fraud, trickery, falsehood or deception.

Of course, the biggest deceiver of all time is Satan.  He deceived Eve into thinking that God was lying to her and through that deception, sin and death entered the human race.  He is still practicing deceit today; at every opportunity he tells people that sin will bring life and happiness when in reality, it offers only destruction and death.

Gossip/slander:  Gossip is spreading unfavorable information about someone, regardless of whether the information is true or false.  It involves disparaging others and sowing seeds of suspicion about them.  Gossip is a terrible thing – it breeds strife among friends and it violates the reputation of another person.

Slander (officially listed in the next verse) is even worse.  It is the specific, malicious act of spreading false information intended to deliberately damage someone's reputation. The key difference between gossip and slander is intent – slander is always meant to be malicious.

My guess is that all of us have gossiped and/or slandered someone at one time or another.  We tend to consider gossip and even slander as ‘lesser’ sins, but the bible does not.  It wholly condemns both practices:     

Leviticus 19:16 – You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people… I am the Lord.

Ephesians 4:31 – Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

Gossip and slander are both sins of the tongue.  The apostle James warns us against allowing our tongues to be out of our control.  He likens the tongue to a flame that can kindle a great forest fire (James 3:5-6) and result in great destruction.

Romans 1:30 - …slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,

Haters of God:  Hatred of God is the essence of rebellion and sin, just as the love of God is the essence of obedience and holiness.  Therefore, all sinners are haters of God.

Because sinners hate God, they hate Jesus also:

John 15:24-25 – If I [Jesus] had not done among them [the world/sinners] the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father.  But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’ 

This kind of hatred shows the madness of the unrepentant human heart and mind.  God is supremely righteous, holy, just and loving.  He is man’s greatest benefactor.  Salvation is found in him alone.  To rebel against him is to choose death over the giver of all life; it is pure insanity/madness. 

Insolent:  Insolence is grossly rude, insulting, abusive or disrespectful behavior or speech.  Insolence shows a lack of respect for both God and others.  It is the opposite of treating your neighbor as yourself (Galatians 5:14). 

Insolence often manifests as hostility and contentiousness.  It is seen as a form of foolishness and rebellion that leads to strife and conflict. 

I don’t know about you, but I find insolence everywhere I go!  Instead of exhibiting patience and kindness in stressful situations, sinners immediately become frustrated and abusive.   In these times, let us seek to practice self-control and show the love of Christ to a lost world.

Haughty/proud:  Pride can be defined as improper or excessive self-esteem.  It can also be defined as elevating one’s own opinions and thoughts over the word of God.

Boastful: Boasting is closely connected with pride.  Those who have an inordinate or excessive idea of their own importance and/or achievements will not fail to publicly proclaim just how great they are and how much they have accomplished.  

As all Christians know, we must be on constant guard against these evils.  We would do well to remember that whatever we have (whether talents, abilities or possessions) we did not earn them ourselves; we received them from God who is the fountain of all good things.  Besides, the most precious thing we have is our relationship with God so if we need to boast, let us boast in him:

Jeremiah 9:23-24 – Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth.  For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”

Inventors of evil:  This refers to the desires of unbelievers to invent new ways of gratifying their lust and passions.  The Gentiles were so intent on fully participating in sin, that their minds were happy to try and invent new ways to practice/gratify/satiate their evil desires.  Since sin never satisfies, old forms or practices of indulgence lose their luster after time and new ways of rekindling passions must be found.

Disobedient to parents:  This expresses the idea that children do not show their parents the honor, respect or attention they were due.  This idea circles back to the concept of ‘unnatural affections’ which is discussed below. 

Romans 1:31 - …foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.

Foolish/without understanding:  To be foolish is to exhibit a lack of judgement or discretion, to be irrational, weak in intellect, or void of moral or spiritual understanding.  Those who are foolish are incapable of discerning right from wrong.  Essentially, to be foolish is to have a reprobate mind:

Psalms 53:1 – The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”

Faithless/covenant breakers:  This evil concerns the making of oaths or covenants, whether public or private.   It has always been understood that every oath/covenant was made in the presence of God.  He was the witness to the agreement, and it was up to him to avenge misconduct.  Even today, when a witness gives testimony in a court of law, they are ‘sworn in’, which alludes to the fact that God is listening to their testimony, and he will avenge any wrong that is done. 

But because the heathen rejected God, there was no final authority underlying their oaths or covenants.  Consequently, they felt no compulsion to abide by the agreements they made, so anytime it benefited them, they simply broke their word.  You can imagine how awful society would be if this were considered normal. 

Heartless/without natural affection:  Generally speaking, this refers to any affection natural to a relationship.  But in this instance, Paul is focusing on the love of parents for their children.  Or, more accurately in the case of the heathen, the lack of love for their children.

In nearly every generation, the heathen have shown a pattern of killing children that are deformed or unwanted.  Children were often left outside to die by starvation/thirst, or the actions of wild animals or by exposure to the elements.  Worse yet, children were also used as sacrifices to the heathen idols. 

This mindset leads to the practice of adult children killing their parents if they become a burden in old age, another practice common among the heathen.

As far as disobedience to parents and lacking natural affection are concerned, we can find similarities to this in our own day and age.  Abortion amounts to killing a baby if you are unhappy with them for some reason.  As this trend continues in our society, we should not be surprised if disrespect for parents and callous disregard for the aged is eventually considered normal in our culture.

Ruthless/implacable/unmerciful:  A person who is implacable is incapable of being pacified or appeased.  They are vindictive; they will hold a grudge or bear a deadly enmity.   This is the highest form of unforgiveness.  It refers to people who refuse to be reconciled to God or to other men.

To be unmerciful is to be incapable of showing mercy to an enemy or adversary due to deep rooted wickedness in your own nature.  Such a person will have no pity or compassion for people in distress. 

Can you name any instances of people who appear to be ruthless, implacable or unmerciful?

Romans 1:32 – Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

GENERAL MEANING:  Anyone can fall into sin as a result of temptation.  But that isn’t what Paul is talking about here.  He is describing Gentiles who deliberately and consistently engaged in sin for the pure enjoyment of it.  Even though they knew these sins were an abomination to the righteousness of God, they continued to practice them. 

But their wickedness didn’t end there.  They spent time and creative energy finding new ways to indulge their sins.  They also flaunted their sin publicly and drew others into their debauchery.  When others joined in, they applauded them for it. 

They completely ignored the fact that these sins would eventually result in spiritual death.

DIGGING DEEPER:  Paul closes this chapter with a very grim conclusion – through the light of nature and the confirmation of their own consciences the Gentiles knew that their lusts/sins were wrong.  But they did not repent.    

In fact, the opposite was true.  They took a perverse pleasure in engaging in sin.   they refused to restrain themselves from evil in any way; they allowed wickedness to have full control over their hearts, minds and bodies.

They felt no shame, remorse or need to repent.  They were pleased with their sin and they were happy when others joined them.  Scripture describes them this way:

Proverbs 2:12-15 - …men of perverted speech, who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness, who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of evil, men whose paths are crooked, and who are devious in their ways.

As if delighting in personal sin was not enough, they went one step further, encouraging others to participate and approving/applauding their sin as well.  This was the highest degree of moral depravity.  It is the climax of Paul’s charges against the heathen.  Taking pleasure in evil simply because it is evil is the aim of Satan himself.

Anyone can be tempted into sin (obviously – we’ve all been there).  If a person recognizes their mistake and repents, there is still hope for him or her.  But when a person reaches the point where they cast away all shame and exalt in/approve of utter wickedness, they have reached the point of a reprobate mind where they are no longer able to seek the mercy and forgiveness of God.  

Summary:  If we step back and look at the last half of this chapter in a broader sense, we find three steps or stages which eventually result in a reprobate mind where man has become like Satan (loving evil for the sake of evil). 

Step #1 is found in Romans 1:18-23.  In this step, mankind rejects God and embraces idolatry.  In other words, he serves a god of his own choosing or creation. 

Step #2 is found in Romans 1:24-27.  In this step, God honors the free-will choice he has given mankind – he allows man to embrace sin which is a natural consequence of idolatry. 

Step #3 is found in Romans 1:28-32.  In this final step/phase God removes his hand of restraint.  This is actually an act of punishment, because it allows mankind to descend into complete and radical depravity. 

Think of it this way:  Step #1 is taken by the free-will choice of man.  But generally speaking, as the chasm between God and man becomes greater, the wrath of God becomes more and more apparent as God interferes less and less to save the sinner from his fate. 

So, what final conclusions can we reach from this passage of scripture?

First of all, we can’t help but notice that the charges that Paul makes against the Gentiles were evidently well known.  Paul does not quote the Gentile philosophers, nor does he offer any other testimony or witnesses to back up his accusations.  This was because the charges of sin were so well founded and publicly known that they could not be denied.  These sins deserve judgement which results in eternal death.

Second, at the time of this writing, the Romans were at the very height of their power, intelligence and splendor.  They were one of the most enlightened and refined nations in antiquity.  Yet, they were utterly incapable of righteousness.  Over and over and over again history shows that mankind has no means of righteousness; he cannot save himself through his own works nor can conceive a plan to justify himself in the eyes of a holy God.  All human attempts to reform mankind have been tried and shown to end in failure. 

Third, it is crystal clear that something else is needed.  Man cannot justify himself in the sight of God.  He needs the help of God himself.  This help has been provided through the person of Jesus Christ, the Mediator between God and man. 

John 14:6 – Jesus said unto him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life:  no man comes unto the Father, but by me.

The atoning work of Christ is the one and only means whereby man can be justified in the sight of God.  There is no other way.  This is the major theme of the book of Romans.   

Let me offer you some encouragement:

As we read through this list of evils and see them at work in our own generation, we may be tempted to be discouraged.  But take heart – God is in control. 

During the days of the Romans things were just as bad or maybe even worse than our society today.  But the Spirit of God moved throughout the land bringing revival and hope. 

God will do the same in our generation.  Let’s continue to seek him, praise him and pray for a mighty revival to transform our nation!

Let me offer you some relief:

None of us is perfect.  Scripture tells us that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.  But the good news is that Holy Spirit is constantly at work in our lives, continuously shaping us into the image of Christ, our risen Savior and King. 

So, when you stumble and fall or you get fooled by Satan, don’t quit – get back up, get forgiveness and continue on your victorious journey toward Christ!

Let me offer you some strength:

Many people are paying for family and friends who have not yet come to Christ.  If that is you, I want you to know that there is still hope. 

Scripture tells us that the fervent prayers of the righteous are effectual (James 5:16).  In other words, even though you don’t see anything happening in the life of your loved one right now, it doesn’t mean that nothing is happening. 

In fact, Holy Spirit has your loved one on his radar right now.  He is working all things out to bring them to a place where they are ready, willing and able to recognize their sin and seek repentance for it. 

Stand strong and keep on praying!

 

/Blog/Blog-With-Us/SHOWERS/Romans-Chapter-1-Part-6/?link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Romans 1:24 – Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,

In verses 19-31 of Romans chapter one, Paul focuses on the Gentiles.  He shows that they failed to acknowledge God when he revealed himself through nature and through their consciences. 

As a result, they were unthankful for the blessings of God.  Being unthankful leads to moral failure, the next step in the downward spiral to utter wickedness. 

In verses 22-23 we discovered that the rejection of Jehovah also led the Gentiles to degrading and humiliating worship practices.  They bowed down to statues of men and women, animals, reptiles and even bugs.  Today’s study picks up the story of their continued depravity and descent into wickedness.

GENERAL SUMMARY:  The Gentiles dishonored God.  In response, God permitted them to dishonor themselves by doing things that are shameful, disgraceful, abusive, wicked and shocking.  The specifics of these practices are outlined in verses 24-27.

DIGGING DEEPER:  Therefore:  Up to this point, Paul has been describing the Gentile’s rejection of God.  He has clearly stated that they chose to embrace and worship false idols.  The word ‘therefore’ is a signal that we are about to find out what the consequences of these actions will be. 

God gave them up:  One thing must be made perfectly clear - God did not in any way, shape or form tempt these people to sin.  Neither did he induce or encourage or influence them to sin: 

James 1:13 – Let no man say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 

From the beginning of creation, God gave mankind the gift of free will.  He has never forced us to serve him.  He desires worship and obedience that spring up as a natural result of our intense love for him (John 14:15, 23, John 14:10), but he also allows us to reject him, if we choose to do so.   

When Paul says God ‘gave them up’ he means that God simply ‘stepped aside’ or removed the restraining influence of his righteousness/holiness from the heathen and allowed them to exercise their free will to do whatever they wanted. 

The more the Gentiles ignored the evidence of a divine Creator and the cries of their consciences, the fainter those truths became, until they couldn’t see/hear them at all.  They became totally submersed in the lust of their hearts.    

In the lusts of their hearts:  The heart of man is the source of all wickedness, so once God ‘got out of their way’, the heathen were free to act out the desires and ideas of their vain imaginations and corrupt hearts. 

James 1:14-15 – But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.  Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings for death.

As we would expect, evil manifested itself in the decisions and actions of the heathen.  Eventually, they would fill up the cup of their iniquity and judgment/death would follow.

To impurities: ‘Impurities’ is a general term that denotes any kind of moral defilement or sin.  Paul will give us a whole list of impurities in verses 29-31, but in the meantime, he uses sexual impurity (specifically homosexuality) as an example of man’s ultimate depravity.

Homosexuality is often considered the most vile of sins because it is not found in nature (the animal kingdom); it is only present in man who was made in God’s image.   

To the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves:   Those who indulged in these lusts and sins did so of their own free will.  They were not victims.  They were not coerced/forced to abuse themselves, neither did they need to force others.  They happily pursued any and every opportunity to engage in the lusts of their flesh. 

It was fitting that those who dishonored God should be left to dishonor themselves by doing things that were depraved, scandalous and unnatural to human nature.

I Corinthians 3:16 – Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?

As Christians, it is important for us to remember that our bodies are members of the body of Christ; we are temples of Holy Spirit.  It is our honor to glorify God with our bodies.     

Romans 1:25 - …because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

GENERAL SUMMARY:  In this verse the apostle repeats what he said before, just in different words.  He does this to impress this important truth upon our minds.  Specifically, he wants us to know that God stood aside and left mankind to pursue his own lustful passions because he had already rejected the true God and turned to idols (lies).

DIGGING DEEPER:  They exchanged the truth of/about God:  Paul covered this extensively already.  God reached out to the heathen through creation, but they rejected him and sought idols/lies instead.

Lies:  In scripture, idols and false gods are sometimes referred to as lies (or falsehoods) because they are not true representations of God.

Jeremiah 13:25 – This is your lot, the portion I have measured out to you, declares the Lord, because you have forgotten me and trusted in lies.

(See also Isaiah 28:15, Jeremiah 10:14, Psalms 40:4, Isaiah 44:20).  ‘Lie’ is a fitting term for an idol because they deceive men by seeming to be what they are not.  They claim to have divine power to help and assist mankind, but in reality, they are literally nothing.  They cannot see or hear or reason; they have no knowledge, wisdom or power.  An idol cannot justify man in the sight of God. 

Worshiped and served the creature:   The idolater has convinced himself that there is some divinity (power, provision, wisdom, protection) in the statue he worships when in reality it is no more than ordinary wood, stone or silver. 

Every such image, whether in the shape of a person, calf or beetle is a false and lying representation of the one true God.  When religious honor is given to such an image, it disgracefully and sacrilegiously tarnishes God’s name and obliterates his glory.

The same is true for modern day people who make money, entertainment or pleasure their gods – their worship of these vanities debases/destroys the glory of God.

The Creator who is blessed forever.  Amen:  This phrase is considered a doxology – an ascription of praise to God which was used whenever his name was mentioned (Romans 9:5, II Corinthians 11:31, etc).  These short praises were commonplace in the lives of the Jews.  They were a constant reminder to revere the name of God and to be thankful for his blessings. 

A doxology can be sung, chanted or simply spoken.  It is often used in religious ceremonies as well as everyday life.  Many doxologies conclude with the word ‘amen’ which means ‘so be it’.  This implies a solemn agreement to what has just been said. 

In this particular case, Paul has been writing about the degrading and disgusting idolatry of the heathens.  This ascription of praise was no doubt meant to impress upon his mind (and the minds of his readers) the superior excellency and glory of the true and living God, who is the fountain of all our blessings.

Romans 1:26-27 - For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions.  For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

GENERAL SUMMARY:  Paul has been talking about the Gentile’s downward spiral into sin which happened because they rejected the truth.  Now he will reveal how that sin manifests itself in their everyday lives.  Paul is focusing on a single example (homosexuality/lesbianism), but in the next few verses he will give a whole list of sins that will be found in the lives of the heathen.

The bottom line is that if we reject the truth, there will be no limit to the sins we commit.  It may take a while for us to get there, but eventually there won’t be a line we are afraid to cross or a sin that is too depraved for us to indulge in.  This is a really scary thought!  

It’s good to remember that the apostle is pointing out these things to prove that mankind needs a way to be justified in the eyes of God.  Once he has established that fact, he can proceed to share the good news of gospel.    

DIGGING DEEPER:  Dishonorable passions:  The dishonorable passions that Paul is referring to are homosexuality/lesbianism.  He uses these practices as an example of the utter depravity of sin. 

However, as you have no doubt noticed, the culture in which we live does not view homosexuality as a sin at all.  It is widely accepted as a legitimate lifestyle.  There are even churches who claim the name of Christ while openly endorsing homosexual/lesbian pastors, leaders and congregants. 

In fact, many people claim to be born as homosexuals.  Those who hold this view believe that their desire to be homosexual is outside of their control.  They believe their sexual orientation was predetermined before birth and is no different than having a genetically predetermined height, or type of hair, or eye color.

So, in the words of Pilate, what is truth?

Let’s begin our discussion by examining sin in a general context.  There are many different types of sin – envy, hatred, gluttony, anger, greed, pride, lust and murder just to name a few. 

It is no secret that each individual person finds certain sins more attractive than others.  For example, one person may fiercely struggle with the sin of anger while never having any inclination towards lust.  Another person may constantly be tempted by greed but have absolutely no compulsion to lie.  It logically follows that our greatest temptations come when the enemy lures/tempts us in the realm of the sins we are already predisposed to commit.    

Here is another general truth about sin:  It is not a sin to be tempted.  All humans are tempted.  Even Jesus was tempted:

Hebrews 4:15 - For we have not a high priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our weaknesses; but was in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin.

There are certainly things you can do to avoid or reduce temptation like paying strict attention to the things you watch, the places you visit and the thoughts in your mind.  But you can never fully insulate yourself from temptation.  The enemy will find a way to put it in your path when you least expect it.  

The thing to remember is that temptation only results in sin if you give into it.  The devil tempted Jesus to turn stones into bread, but that was not a sin because Jesus didn’t do it.  You may be tempted to cheat on your taxes, but it’s only a sin if you actually do so. 

With these things in mind, let’s circle back to the topic at hand.  How should Christians view homosexuality?

To find the answer, we need only consult the bible, the source of all divine truth. 

God’s word firmly and consistently declares that homosexuality is a sin:

Leviticus 20:13 – If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.

(See also Genesis 19:1-13, Leviticus 18:22, Romans 1:26-27, I Corinthians 6:9, I Timothy 1:10).  It makes no sense to think that God would create people to be genetically bound to homosexuality when he considers it an abomination.  To do so would be unfair and cruel beyond belief.  That does not describe our Heavenly Father.  The God we serve is both perfectly just and perfectly righteous; he would NEVER do such a thing.  We can conclude that people are NOT born homosexual.   

The truth is that homosexuality is a choice (just like every other sin).  There are some people who are born with a greater susceptibility to this particular sin than other people, just like some people are born with a greater propensity to anger or gluttony or pride. 

Since that is the case, there will be a section of the population who are more tempted in this area than others (again, just as it is with any other sin).  It is not a sin to experience a homosexual attraction; that desire is nothing more than a temptation and it is not a sin to be tempted. 

However, if a person gives in to that evil desire and participates in homosexual or lesbian activity, they are actively sinning.  Worse yet, they place themselves deeper and deeper into demonic bondage every time they indulge in that sin or fantasize about it.   

The good news is that there is hope.  God’s forgiveness is available to every sinner and, hallelujah, it covers every sin!  For the Christian, victory over sin (including homosexuality) is possible through the blood of Christ and the help of Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 6:9-11, II Corinthians 5:17, Philippians 4:13).

Once we are forgiven by Jesus and the power of sin is broken in our lives, we are no longer defined by our old ways.  We are new creatures/creations in Christ:

II Corinthians 5:17 – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold the new has come.

God is always ready, willing and able to assist us, but we must actively work with him to resist temptation and walk in righteousness:     

• All of us must practice holiness by actively resisting temptation (Ephesians 6:13). 
• All of us must be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2). 
• All of us must walk by the Spirit, so we do not gratify the desires of the flesh (Galatians 5:16). 

Now let’s talk about the church.  Because there are no perfect Christians, the church is constantly full of people who are actively working out their salvation with fear and trembling.  All Christians should be seeking to crucify their flesh and walk in victory over sin/bondage on a daily basis.  This includes the sins of homosexuality and lesbianism.  So, you may find a homosexual in your congregation who is striving to overcome those influences and come into line with God’s will for his sexual life. 

Obviously, having that kind of a person in your congregation is very different than having an entire church which promotes and/or actively advocates for homosexuality.  Any church who supports, approves or even quietly accepts homosexuality without addressing it as a sin is twisting scripture.  They are making a mockery of the word of God and of the institution of biblical marriage.  If they cannot ‘rightly divide the word of truth’ in an area as obvious as this, none of their doctrines can be trusted.  You won’t want to be a part of a fellowship like this.

Recompense of their error:   The bible plainly teaches that our choices carry consequences.  This means that when we choose a course of action, we automatically receive the corresponding result.  In other words, choosing to live righteously brings blessing (Proverbs 7:2), while choosing to live in sin brings death/judgment (Romans 6:23, Proverbs 22:8). 

The error Paul refers to is turning aside from God and a knowledge of the truth. This course of action will eventually result in both physical and spiritual death. 

This accurately describes the state of the heathen Gentiles – because of their choices, death was the only outcome for them, unless they could find a way to be justified in the sight of God. 

Romans 1:28 – And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.

GENERAL SUMMARY: This verse shows the link between sin and punishment.  Once sinners decide not to embrace the knowledge of God (which guides our minds to true wisdom), the Lord releases his influence on their hearts and minds.  This results in a perverted mind which cannot choose anything that is right or just. 

In making these choices the sinner demonstrates a love for their own sin over a love for God.  Thus, the sin/error which binds them was of their own making – it was voluntary.

DIGGING DEEPER:  Debased/reprobate mind:  Reprobate means depraved, corrupt, wicked, base or vile.  It refers to someone or something that is morally lost and abandoned to vice.

A debased/reprobate mind is a mind that has rejected God and is now fully committed to sin and evil without any restraint.  It is devoid of all true knowledge and judgment; it is vain, empty, worthless and good for nothing.  The person with a debased mind is incapable of understanding what is truly good or of recognizing what is truly evil. 

Because they made themselves spiritually blind, such a person will happily and willingly do things that are disgraceful and shameful.

Notice that there is a progression involved here.  Sinners do not suddenly wake up with a reprobate mind after sinning once.  Rather, they arrive at a reprobate mind by degrees.  Once God is fully rejected, sinners are given up to their own lusts (verse 24) which eventually led to vile affections (verse 26) and only then to a mind void of judgement. 

Again, in the verses we are considering today, homosexuality is the sin Paul has used as an example.  However, as we will see in next week’s post, Paul has an entire list of sins which manifest in the lives of the wicked.  

Let me offer you some encouragement:

Many non-believers see Christianity as a set of rules and regulations that are designed to inhibit believers from having fun or enjoying life.  But as any Christian knows, this is a lie from the enemy.  Christianity is a relationship between you and God, the creator of the universe!

The apostle John tells us that the commandments of God are not burdensome (I John 5:3); they bring life, joy and peace.  They keep us safe from the bondages of evil, help us avoid the painful pitfalls of this life, and draw us closer to our Savior and King. 

Is it difficult/uncomfortable to crucify our flesh and bring our sinful desires under the control of our spirit?  Of course!  But the temporary pain we feel is nothing compared to the benefits we gain (and the problems/heartaches we avoid) from living in righteousness. 

Let me offer you some relief: 

According to scripture, all of us are sinners.  Thankfully, the blood of Christ cleanses us from ALL sin (I John 1:7).  This means that there is nothing you have done that cannot be forgiven, unless you choose to retain your sin rather than turning it over to Jesus.   

If you will repent of your sin, confess it, ask Jesus to cleanse you and then turn from your wicked ways, he will hear and answer your prayer. 

Regardless of what you’ve done, God will consider your debt paid by the blood of Jesus and he will cast your sin away from you as far as the east is from the west (Psalms 103:12).  The bottom line is this:  There is hope for YOU!  

Let me offer you some strength:

In this life, we will have temptations.  These temptations come from Satan, the world and our own sinful flesh.  They can occur in any area of life at any time, so there is no point at which we can rest easy.  Rather, we must always be on our guard against these attacks.

But interestingly, temptations can result in our good.  They can show us our weaknesses, try our faith, promote our humility and make us closer/more dependent upon God.

So clothe yourself with the armor of God, and stand strong.  Fight your enemy until the attack/temptation lifts (Ephesians 6).  Every time you defeat that temptation, its hold on you (or its appeal to you) will grow weaker and weaker, until you have gained a sure victory through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

 

/Blog/Blog-With-Us/SHOWERS/Romans-Chapter-1-Part-5/?link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Romans 1:20 – For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.  So they are without excuse.

Welcome back to our study of Romans.  Paul has already begun discussion of the main doctrine found in this book – justification through faith in Jesus Christ.  Here is a recap of what we have learned so far:

Paul begins by showing that all people have sinned and broken the laws of God.  The Jews were familiar with the laws of God because they were in covenant with him.  They had eye-witness testimony of God’s power, they had revelation given directly from Him, and they had the 10 commandments.  It was easy to identify times and places where they had broken God’s laws.  Their guilt before God was without question.

The Gentiles, however, had none of these things.  Consequently, there were some people who argued that they couldn’t be guilty of sin.  Paul addresses this false belief right away.  He shows that the Gentiles had at least some knowledge of the truth which God revealed to them through nature.  Rather than accepting this truth, the Gentiles rejected it.

GENERAL SUMMARY: Nature proves the existence of a divine being.  In other words, nature bears witness to the existence, intelligence, love and power of God.  The Gentiles were able to understand and perceive this, because God gives each person the ability to think and reason.  He also confirms truths about himself through each person’s conscience. 

If the Gentiles had embraced these truths with their hearts and minds, God would have given them an even greater revelation of himself.  But instead, they hardened their hearts and kept on sinning until they could no longer hear the witness/conviction of their own consciences.  Therefore, they too stand guilty before God and require justification. 

DIGGING DEEPER:  Let’s pause for a moment and consider a fictional scenario.  Suppose you were travelling on your own private jet.  All of a sudden, your pilot informs you there is engine trouble, and your flight is way off course.  He is going to make an emergency landing on the side of a mountain in the middle of a deserted wilderness.

He safely lands the plane, and you both get out and look around.  Just over a hill, you spot a wide street made of stone.  You are surprised to find a small city, perfectly laid out in a square.  In addition to single homes, you find luxurious, multistory buildings and big parks.  Unfortunately, it looks like a ghost town – there are no people anywhere.  (That’s the end of the story, but since I love happy endings, we’ll also assume that you are eventually rescued, you become rich by selling your story to a documentary company, and you live happily ever after.)

Although you never spoke to anyone, you can safely assume that the city didn’t just evolve or appear by itself.  There must have been a master builder who planned it.  There must have been an architect who designed the buildings and produced blueprints.  There were people who produced raw materials like lumbar, bricks, windows and paint. There were construction workers that followed the blueprints and used the raw materials to build the buildings.  There were skilled gardeners who planned the parks and planted the flowers and trees. 

In other words, the fact that the city existed proved that it had been created by someone.  Even though you never physically saw these people, you knew they were either alive or had lived at some time. 

In the same way, the Gentiles had never seen God, never received the law and never had a direct revelation of him.  But despite this, they knew of his existence because nature is proof that there is a divine creator. 

Paul testifies that God’s existence (his divine nature) can be clearly perceived or known by looking at creation.    

Creation is amazing!  It is an astonishingly complex system that we still don’t fully understand despite hundreds of years of observation and study.  Did you know that scientists have observed and classified about 1.2 million species of animals, but they estimate there are approximately 8.7 million more (including insects)?  Besides that, there are a seemingly infinite number of plants, flowers and trees.  Then there are the complex ways in which these species interact with each other and with their habitats. 

As if that were not enough, there are an estimated 200 sextillion (2 x 10 to the 23^rd power) stars.  The sheer number of stars is far past our comprehension!      

Psalms 19:1 – The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows his handiwork.

We could go on and on, but obviously, even a cursory glance at nature proves that an intelligent creator exists.  His invisible perfections are manifested by his visible works. 

Now let’s change gears and talk about power for a minute.  Humans use power all the time.

All human sources of power have one thing in common – they are external to ourselves.  In other words, we must use resources outside of ourselves to manufacture power.  When that power is used up, we have to have to use additional resources to produce more.    

For example, electricity is one of the most common sources of power; we use it in countless applications every single day.  Electricity itself is generated through power plants that run on coal, gas or other fuels.  We also have refineries that manufacture gas and diesel which we use to power our cars and trucks.  Even human beings run on power - we need food to fuel our own bodies!  The bottom line is that without power, life would cease.

Now let’s consider God.  He is omnipotent, which is a fancy way of saying he possess all power. 

Revelation 19:6 – And I [John] heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigns.

Unlike us, God has no need for an external power source – his limitless power comes from within himself.  He is power.  Because God is also immutable (he never changes) his power can never diminish regardless of how much he expends.  He requires absolutely nothing external to replenish his power.  

It is this profound eternal power that not only created the universe, but constantly maintains it.  Among other things, God’s unmatched power ensures that day follows night, that the earth continues to spin and orbit the sun, that seasons change, and that there will always be seed time and harvest:

Genesis 8:22 – While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

God keeps the universe flowing along smoothly, day after day, year after year, century after century, in countless ways that we could never understand.  Only God is capable of doing this; His unlimited power and intelligence make it possible. 

Thus, we find that creation is an exhibition or a public display of God’s omnipotence and divinity.  He has revealed himself in a way that all of mankind can recognize, if only they will.   

As William Burkitt’s Expository Notes put it, “The strokes of the Creator’s hand are engraven in all parts of the universe: the heavens, the earth, and the capacious sea with all things contained in them, are evident testimonies of the excellency of their original cause… any who will not see the footsteps of a Deity in the works of creation and providence are, and will be, everlastingly left without excuse.”

Thus, we see that God has given clear proof of his existence, power and other attributes to the Gentiles.  Those who reject him are just as guilty of sin as the Jews and they stand under the same judgment/condemnation. 

Romans 1:21 – For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

GENERAL SUMMARY: God has revealed himself to all people, in one way or another.  Failure to acknowledge him as God and to be obedient to his laws is the first step in the downward spiral of sin.    

The next step is a refusal to honor him and to be thankful for his blessings.  This in turn leads to moral failure/degradation, which is the natural consequence of dishonoring God.  Moral degradation eventually results in utter wickedness.  Paul outlines these steps for us in the following verses.

DIGGING DEEPER:  Although they knew God – As Paul pointed out in verse 20, God had revealed himself to mankind.  This means that mankind had the means/ability to know him and to discern what was right and what was wrong.  But despite this, mankind decided to choose sin over righteousness.  

They glorified him not as God – In other words, the heathen did not acknowledge and honor God for who he is.  To glorify him is to have respect for him, to trust him, to acknowledge his attributes (power, holiness, goodness, etc), and to obey his laws.  It also means that mankind would glorify him alone because there can be but one infinite creator.  This willingness to honor God (to revere, love and obey him) would act as a restraint to sin. 

But the opposite is also true.  If sinners are not willing to honor God as God, they will spiral deeper into sin and its bondages.  Think of it this way: man WILL worship something, because that is how he has been created.  If he rejects the worship of God, he must substitute something else.  Thus, we find that sinners will choose a god by looking inward to the sinful desires of their own hearts and imaginations.

And sure enough, when we look at history, what do we find?  Man created a whole host of idols and other false gods to worship, glorify and serve.  This proves that they rejected the God of creation.

Neither were they thankful - Those who honor God are inherently thankful to him.  This desire to be grateful is a natural outcome when we acknowledge God’s mercies, love and goodness towards us. Scripture tells us that God is the source of all our blessings, both temporal and spiritual:

James 1:17 – Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Ephesians 1:3 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

Simply stated, when we acknowledge God, it is natural to give him praise and to be thankful for these blessings. 

But because the sinner has chosen a false god/idol, they will be unable to give God the glory for his blessings.  They ascribe the benefits and blessings of God to chance or fortune or good luck, or destiny or the stars or their own wisdom and hard work, or the lump of silver they formed into the image of an idol/beast. 

The bottom line is that it is impossible to give God glory for our blessings, if we don’t admit that God is their only source.  This in turn leads to vain imaginations.  

They became vain in their imaginations – Vain is defined as worthless, fruitless, empty or void of purpose.  Again, keep in mind that Paul is showing us the progression of sin in the lives of the Gentiles:  Because they refused to acknowledge God, they could not glorify him as God, neither could they worship or praise him for the blessings he gave them.  Because they could not worship and praise him, they had to set their affections on something else.  This in turn lead to vain ideas and speculation about the true God. 

In the case of such sinners, the foolishness and wickedness of their hearts darkened their intellectual powers and faculties; their understanding was perverted.  As a result, some Gentiles denied the existence of God altogether.  Others claimed there were multiple gods, not just one.  Still others said that a deity existed, but that he was cold and aloof and simply walked away from his creation.   

These worthless speculations led them further and further from the truth of Jehovah as the one, infinite, all powerful and loving creator.  In the end, their vain speculations led them into confusion.  Paul describes this has having their hearts darkened.

Their foolish hearts were darkened - Because the heathen rebelled against the light or revelation they had received, their minds and their understanding were confused and obscured more and more.  They could no longer recognize the truth.    

Some scholars believe this verse refers specifically to the ancient Gentile philosophers such as Plato, Socrates, Seneca and others.  It is their position that these philosophers knew more about God than most, but they hid the truth from the masses of common people. 

Because of this, God made them void of judgment.  They lost the truth/understanding they had because they refused to follow it to its logical conclusion (there is one divine creator) and share that truth with the common people.  Eventually, they descended into thoughts and ideas that made no sense.   

Romans 1:22 – Claiming to be wise, they became fools,

Many scholars apply this verse primarily to the ancient philosophers who happily boasted of their excessive wisdom in the knowledge of all things, including God.  This group would include the philosophers of the Greeks, the priests of the Egyptians, the magi of the Persians and even the Rabbins of the Jews.  And there is no question, this verse certainly applies to them. 

But in reality, there is no reason to interpret this passage in such narrow terms.  In all nations and in all generations, we find people who feel their wisdom and their knowledge of spiritual things far surpasses that of others.

Here is the problem with their alleged wisdom:  These people rejected the revelation that God gave them of himself.  Therefore, they had absolutely no wisdom at all! 

Jeremiah 8:8-9 – “How can you say, ‘We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us?’  But behold, the lying pen of the scribes has made it into a lie.  The wise men shall be put to shame; they shall be dismayed and taken; behold, they have rejected the word of the Lord, so what wisdom is in them?”

Many people (both past and present) consider themselves wise, but once they reject God, they are left with nothing except what their limited imaginations and faulty reasoning can manufacture.  Distorting the majesty and glory of God, they form him into a mold of their own corrupt thinking and reasoning.  Thus, instead of worshiping a God who is infinitely wise, powerful, good and past understanding, they create a god who is on their own corrupt, limited level. 

Because of their rejection of God, they became fools - God inflicted foolish/wrong thinking upon them as a punishment for falling away from him.

God describes this process in detail for us in Isaiah 44:9-20.  In this passage (stop and read it if you have time), the prophet talks about foolish people who cut down a tree (which God made) and use part of it to build a fire for warmth and to cook food.  These foolish people then use the rest to carve an idol which they bow to and worship. 

Because these fools have rejected the truth of God for a lie, God makes them spiritually blind so they can no longer think clearly:

Isaiah 44:18,20 – They [sinners] know not, nor do they discern, for he [God] has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so they cannot understand.  He [the sinner] feeds on ashes; a deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?” 

The bottom line is that because they rejected the truth, the thoughts and doctrines of the heathen were foolish.  In turn, this led to corrupt conduct and deeper sin.    

Romans 1:23 - … and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

GENERAL SUMMARY: The Gentiles were given a chance to worship Jehovah, the only eternal, true, unchanging God, who is perfect and glorious.  Their rejection of him led them to degrading and humiliating worship practices, like bowing down to idols made in the images of mortal men/women.  Worse yet, they also worshipped images of animals/birds and even reptiles and bugs. 

DIGGING DEEPER:  And exchanged the glory of the immortal God:  God is perfect and glorious.  He is the source of all light and love.  He is immortal (your translation may say ‘incorruptible’), which shows that he is unchanging, sovereign and eternal.  People in all generations can turn to him with the assurance that he never ceases, diminishes or changes.

Malachi 3:6 – For I am the Lord, I change not…

I Timothy 1:17 – To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever.  Amen.

Jehovah is utterly worthy to be praised, worshiped and served.  In fact, it is both an honor and a privilege to worship him. 

For images resembling mortal men:  Sadly, the Gentiles threw away the privilege of worshiping God.  Instead, they chose to worship vain, worthless, corrupt images. 

An image is a representation or likeness of something, whether made by painting, carved from wood/stone, or cast with metal (most commonly silver or gold).  These images are collectively known as idols or false gods. 

Many ancient nations worshiped idols in human form.  For example, artisans made human sculptures of figures like Jupiter, Hercules, Venus, Apollo and Romulus.  Once these images took shape, people deified them - they gave them human attributes like extraordinary strength or matchless beauty.  They also assigned human passions to them, but without any kind of moral code or principles.  Their made-up gods had unlimited powers and engaged in every form of sensual gratification (revenge, murder, torture, sex acts, gluttony, etc).  In essence, they made their gods exactly like they were, or wished to be!

The ancients even went so far as to honor these gods by erecting temples and altars for them.  These temples were venues for cult prostitution and lavish feasts which often resulted in gross immorality.  Worshipers could bring these idols any and every kind of sacrifice. 

We know these kinds of temples and images were very common in the Roman and Greek cultures.  Paul speaks of seeing many of them when he visited Athens (Acts 17:16-34).

As bad as this was, the Gentiles sunk even lower.  They also bowed down in worship to images of creatures such as birds, animals and ‘creeping things’.  This type of worship was especially prevalent in the Egyptian and Oriental cultures.

Birds – The Egyptians worshiped the hawk and the ibis, while the Romans worshiped the eagle. 

Animals – The Egyptians worshiped the monkey, as well as the ox (apis).  This, of course, is where the children of Israel got the idea for their golden calf.    

Creeping things – This category includes animals that have no feet or such short legs that they seem to crawl on the ground.  In Egyptian culture, this included beetles, snakes and even crocodiles.

Worship of this kind is abominable, degrading and humiliating.  It is also worthless and senseless.  It proves that when man abandons a relationship with God, he sinks into the lowest depths of depravity and wickedness.

One other thing should be noted here.  Lest we condemn the Gentiles too much, keep in mind that the Jews were guilty of similar practices, even though they were in covenant with God (Ezekiel 8:10-12).

Let me offer you some encouragement:

In today’s post we talked about people who worshiped the sun, moon and stars as well as images of humans, animals and even bugs.  Collectively, these are referred to as idols.  They took the place of God in the lives of those who worshiped them.

We may be tempted to think that here in America, people do not worship idols.  But is that really so?

An idol is technically defined as anything on which our affections are strongly (often excessively) set; any object of passionate devotion or adoration, anything that takes the place of God.

For some people, work is an idol; they are so passionate about their jobs they think of nothing else, talk of nothing else and do nothing else.  All their hopes, desires and affections are set on their job.  All their time is devoted to their work.  They will spend whatever money is necessary to buy clothes or other items for the job.  Essentially, they worship their job.

Other modern idols include self-gratification of all kinds (including sex, drugs, entertainment, etc), children, education, sports, social media, cars or even food. 

Keep this in mind:  There is nothing wrong with any of these things, as long as we keep them in their proper place in our lives.  When we worship God as we should, we can add these things into our lives as blessings, not idols.

Take a few moments to examine yourself.  Is there anything that you have been putting before God in your life?

Let me offer you some relief:

Our study today focuses on just how big, powerful and amazing our Creator is.  Yes, he constantly keeps the universe flowing along smoothly, but that doesn’t mean he has forgotten you!

During difficult times, we are tempted to think that God doesn’t see us or our situation.  But nothing could be further from the truth.  Scripture tells us that God knows the number of hairs on our head (Matthew 29:30).  He is aware of when we get up, when we sit down and he even knows what our words will be before we speak them (Psalms 139:1-4).  He knit us together in the womb, and he has determined the number of our days, before we were even born (Psalms 139:13-16)!

God loves you so much he died for you (Romans 5:8); there is NO WAY he would ever forget you or neglect you!

Let me offer you some strength:

The bible tells us that God is the creator of the world.  Man tells us that evolution created the world. 

This is a prime example of the distorted, darkened thinking that people will embrace once they have rejected the God of the universe.  We can’t go into a full-blown study of evolution here, but even a quick glance shows the depravity of man’s thinking:

Evolution says that life on earth descended from a single-celled, self-replicating organism which randomly mutated over time.  These mutations were passed from generation to generation and resulted in ever-increasingly complex organisms.  That in and of itself makes no sense. 

According to the second law of thermodynamics, the universe tends towards disorder and disorganization, not to order and complexity.  The longer the time span, the more disorganized the universe becomes.  Yet, evolutionists think the world became increasingly more complex over a period of billions of years.

Although they offer no answers as to how the original organism came to life (or maintained that life), they believe that somehow it was responsible for all of the rich, diverse, complex, dynamic life that you see on the planet.  How ridiculous!  It makes much more sense to believe that God created the world (and all that is in it) in six days and that he keeps it running smoothly (Genesis 2:1-3).    

Furthermore, in his foolish thinking Charles Darwin (the scientist which developed the theory of evolution), asserts that men descended from apes.  This too is in direct contradiction to both common sense and the bible.

Scriptures tell us that mankind is the crown jewel of God’s creation.  We are made in his image and likeness:

Genesis 1:26 – Then God said, “Let us make man in our images, after our likeness.”

We were created with a special purpose – to reflect and represent God on the earth and to steward creation for him.

Despite what others may claim, stand strong in your faith.  Don’t allow the lies of darkened confused minds to cloud your thinking – the God we worship and serve is the Creator of all that you now see.  He created you, he reached out to you in your sin, and he will make you his son or daughter, if only you will ask him!

 

/Blog/Blog-With-Us/SHOWERS/Romans-Chapter-1-Part-4/?link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Romans 1:18 – For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

Welcome back to our study of Romans.  In our last post we noted that God is perfectly holy, perfectly righteous and perfectly just; sin cannot exist in his presence.  Mankind is guilty of breaking the laws of God.  As a result of our sin, we are cut off from God; we are under a sentence of spiritual death (Romans 6:23). 

The only way to escape spiritual death is to be justified in God’s sight. 

As we discovered last week, mankind has two choices in regards to justification. 

The first choice includes any/all plans of justification conceived by mankind.  These plans have different variations, but they all have one common denominator – man relying on himself to provide justification for sin. 

The Jews of Paul’s day tried to find that justification by conformity to the external rites of the Law.  This included things like the temple sacrifices, ceremonial washings, dietary restrictions, observing the feasts and doing good works. 

The Gentiles/Greeks of Paul’s day tried to find that justification by following their consciences (the law written on their hearts) and/or doing what they felt was right by their own standards.  Needless to say, their standards were not the same as God’s!    

The second choice is the plan of justification conceived by God and outlined in the gospel – justification through faith in Jesus Christ.

In the book of Romans, Paul sets out to logically and systematically prove that God’s plan of justification is the only plan that works.  In other words, no one (Jew or Gentile) could ever be justified in God’s sight through their own works. 

This brings us to today’s lesson, which begins in verse 18, but I want to pause for just a moment. 

Many people do not study or even read the book of Romans because they consider it to be too ‘academic’ and difficult to understand.  First of all, if this is you, you are in very good company!  People who have studied the scriptures for years and years still have questions about the book of Romans. 

Nevertheless, I am convinced there is an enormous amount of wisdom and blessing that God wants to give us through this book.  Any effort we put forth to study it will enhance our understanding.  Even a basic examination of the truths presented here will create a foundation of knowledge that we can use now and build on in the future. 

So, in order to help us get the most out of our study, we are going to change our methods just a bit.  Going forward, for each verse or each new concept, I plan to present a ‘GENERAL SUMMARY’.  This will be a simple, short, overall summary of what Paul is trying to tell us. 

Once we have that in mind, we will look at a ‘DIGGING DEEPER’ section, where we can follow some of the deeper reasonings of Paul as he expounds on the divine doctrines he wants to impart to us.  So, without further ado, let’s give it a try…

GENERAL SUMMARY:

In verse 18 Paul tells us that God, who is perfectly holy, responds to sin with righteous vengeance.  His wrath is hanging over all of mankind (both Jew and Gentile), because all people are unrighteous and sinful.  God has reached out to mankind, but as a whole, man rejects divine truth.    

DIGGING DEEPER:   

For – This word connects Paul’s current line of reasoning with verse 16, where he says he is not ashamed of the gospel.  He is getting ready to prove or show the absolute necessity of the gospel because of the universal corruption of mankind, which was so great it incensed the justice of God and required punishment of the world.

Wrath of God – The term ‘wrath’ denotes an enraged response to the action of another.  It is a form of retaliation which springs from an injury, hurt or violation that someone inflicts upon you.  For example, if someone walked up to you and punched you in the face for no reason, you might become enraged at their actions and immediately seek vengeance by punching them back and adding a kick for good measure.  Your reaction reflects wrath.    

‘Wrath’ is often used interchangeably with the words resentment, anger, rage or vengeance.  There is nothing wrong with using the term this way, as long as we are referring to people.

We must be very careful when using the phrase ‘wrath of God’.  Here is why: God is perfectly holy and just.  He does not act out in fits of passion the way sinful humans do.  God has no motivation for vengeance, because there is nothing we can do to injure, harm or violate him: 

Job 35:6-8 – If you [Job or any man] have sinned, what do you accomplish against him [God]?  And if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him?  If you are righteous, what do you give to him?  Or what does he receive from your hand?  Your wickedness concerns a man like yourself, and your righteousness a son of man.

When interpreting scripture, we cannot assign our passions and feelings to God, particularly when these feelings originate in evil (like wrath or anger).

So, how are we to understand the wrath of God?

We can best define the wrath of God as divine displeasure or indignation against sin.  It does not originate in an evil emotion such as anger or hate.  Rather, springs from God’s perfect holiness and righteousness - God hates sin.  His displeasure manifests or is expressed by punishment on the ungodly and the unrighteous.  Since all people are sinners, it logically follows that all of us are corrupt and deserving of punishment. 

This brings up a very important question: How do we know we are sinners?

The answer is that God has revealed himself and his holiness to us.   

Revealed from heaven - Prior to the incarnation of Christ (before the gospel was revealed), God gave the Jews a revelation of himself and his holiness by direct revelation (through the patriarchs and the prophets), through his dealings with them (like delivering them from Egypt), and via the law (as given on Mount Sinai).  Despite these revelations from heaven, the Jews continued to sin. 

God also gave the Gentiles a revelation of himself and his holiness prior to the gospel.   He did this through their reason and conscience.  But despite their ability to reason and the witness of their consciences (which was given to them from heaven), the Gentiles continued to sin. 

Going back to our summary, we noted that the wrath of God hangs over all of mankind because all of us are sinful.  As we dig deeper, we find that Paul uses two separate words to describe our sin: Ungodliness and unrighteousness.  These two terms refer back to the ten commandments.  The ten commandments are often divided up into what are called ‘the two tables’.   

Ungodliness – The first four commandments (the first table) deals with sins that man commits against God.  They include the following:  You shall have no other gods before me, do not worship idols, do not take the name of the Lord in vain, remember to keep the Sabbath holy (see Exodus 20:1-11, Deuteronomy 5:1-15).  

Overall, Paul uses the term ‘ungodliness’ to refer to the breaking of any of these four commands.  Ungodliness also includes living without any conscious reference to God and/or living without righteous/proper feelings toward him. 

Unrighteousness of men – The other six commandments (the second table) deal with sins that man commits against other people.  They include the following: Honor your parents, do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not lie, do not covet (Exodus 20:12-17, Deuteronomy 5:16-21).   

Overall, Paul uses the term ‘unrighteousness’ to refer to the breaking of any of the last six commandments, as well as all deviations from moral conduct in heart, speech and behavior.

Taken together, these two phrases (ungodliness and unrighteousness) encompass the violation of all the commands of God:

Matthew 22:37-40 – And he [Jesus] said to him, “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the great and first commandment.  And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Next, Paul expands on the fact that both Jews and Gentiles had at least some knowledge of the truth of God, but all of them refused to live by the truth that was revealed to them:

Who hold the truth in unrighteousness – In this context, to hold means to keep back, to restrain, to suppress, to hinder.  The implication is that the truth (God’s revelation of himself and a knowledge of sin) was held back or restrained by their wickedness. 

In other words, both Jews and Gentiles had a degree of truth, but they did not embrace it/follow it/live their lives by it.  Instead, they chose to sin.  By choosing sin, they prevented the truth from taking root in their hearts and influencing/shaping their conduct.  Thus, they lived contrary to what they knew to be right. 

Have you ever heard the phrase ‘use it or lose it’?  That concept applies here.  If the people who lived prior to the gospel would have embraced the truth they had (no matter how small), they would have benefited from it – God would have blessed them and revealed more of himself to them.  But because of their rejection of the truth, they lost even the little bit they had.

Matthew 25:29 – For unto everyone that has shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but from him that has not shall be taken away even that which he has.  

Thus, Paul makes it very clear that all people (Jews and Gentiles) are in the same position – all of us have sinned and all of us require redemption.

Now Paul is going to change gears – he is going to talk specifically about the rejection (holding back) of the truth by the Gentiles.  Later, in chapters 2-3 he will focus on the rejection of the truth by the Jews.      

Romans 1:19 – For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.

GENERAL SUMMARY: In the remainder of this chapter, Paul is speaking specifically about the Gentiles.  He will systematically prove that God revealed himself to the Gentiles through nature.  Specifically, by examining nature through their intelligence and powers of reason, the Gentiles could have known a lot about God (his existence, his wisdom, his love, etc).  Furthermore, the righteous laws of God were confirmed by their own consciences. 

But despite these revelations, the Gentiles did not obey his law.  In Paul’s words, the Gentiles ‘held back’ the truth.  Because they rejected the truth and hardened their hearts, eventually they could no longer hear the witness/conviction of their own consciences, so they spiraled deeper and deeper into the bondage of sin.

DIGGING DEEPER:  Some people might have argued that the Gentiles had an excuse for their sin, because they did not have the law and the prophets like the Jews did.  But Paul maintains that they were not completely without a knowledge of God, and they chose to reject or obstruct (hold back) the revelation that was given to them. 

What can be known of God – This phrase implies two things.

One, there are things about God which we cannot or do not know.  Indeed, it is not possible for us to fully comprehend God’s greatness, wisdom, glory, perfection, etc.  That is actually a reassuring thought, because if we could fully know and understand God, he would not be big enough for us to serve!

Two, there are things we can and do know about him.  Although the Gentiles had no written or direct revelation of God (as the Jews did), God still made himself known to them.

In fact, God has imprinted a knowledge of himself upon the hearts of all men and women; instinctively we know he exists. 

Think of it this way – when we see a painting, we know there must be a painter.  When we see a skyscraper, we know there must be an architect.  Likewise, when we see creation, we know there must be a creator.

But God shows us much more than just his existence.  His attributes – his infinite power, wisdom, dominion/sovereignty and goodness – are revealed in nature.  Though these attributes are not visible to our physical eyes we can see evidence of them in the beauty, order, consistency, perfection and complexity of creation.     

Psalms 97:6 – The heavens declare his righteousness, and the people see his glory.

Psalm 19:1-3:  The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows his handiwork.  Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night shows knowledge.  There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.

Obviously, Paul was not saying that the Gentiles could know everything that pertains to God.  Nor was he saying that their understanding of him was as clear as someone who had a direct revelation of him. 

His point is that the Gentiles knew enough about God to understand their sin.  Therefore, they had no covering or excuse for their moral failures, their idolatry or their outright wickedness.  Thus, God would be just in punishing them for their deeds. 

Is plain to them – In every generation, the Gentiles were plainly given a degree of understanding about God.  If they had embraced this knowledge and allowed it to impact their lives, they would have passed that knowledge on to their children, who could have built upon it.  This knowledge would have been passed from person to person and from nation to nation.  In this way, the knowledge of God would have circulated among the Gentile populations.   

But instead, the Gentiles chose sin over righteousness; they held back the truth from themselves.  They cut themselves off from a knowledge of God because they preferred to embrace sin rather than truth.

Let me offer you some encouragement:

I want to take a moment and commend everyone who is reading this post.  The book of Romans is a bit more difficult to understand than some of the other New Testament books, so we often skip over it (no doubt with a promise to study it at a later date). 

We won’t understand everything in this book, but when we earnestly set ourselves to hear from God, Holy Spirit enlightens our minds and gives us greater understanding.  I can guarantee you that if you approach this study that way, you WILL benefit from it.  Plus, you are building a base of knowledge which you can add to later. 

So, I encourage you to stay with it; I know you will find benefit from taking the time to focus on the great truths of the book of Romans!

Let me offer you some relief:

Let’s discuss sin for a minute.  As human beings, we tend to break sins up into different imaginary categories.  For instance, most people would consider murder to be one of the worst sins imaginable.  On the other hand, we often tell ‘white lies’ without giving it a second thought, even though ‘thou shalt not lie’ is the ninth command. 

The fact is, God views sin differently than we view it.  Whether it’s a lie or a murder, it’s all sin.  Furthermore, God considers it a sin to murder someone in your heart, even if you never touch them physically (Matthew 5:27-28)!  

The good news is that there is no sin that he won’t forgive, if only you humble yourself and repent.  Those around you may say there is no hope for you, but don’t you believe it – God is ready, willing and able to redeem anyone and everyone.

Let me offer you some strength:

There are many people who only want to focus on the love of God.  While it is true that God is love, that is only half of the truth.  God’s love is perfectly consistent with his wrath, or his judgment of sin. 

When we fail to tell people that the God of love is also the God of justice, we do them a disservice.  Essentially, we are holding back the truth. 

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that we need to beat sinners over the head with tales of hell, fire and brimstone, but I am saying that at the right time and in the right way, we should be witnesses of the whole truth.  This glorifies God more than giving sinners a lopsided view of who he is.

 

/Blog/Blog-With-Us/SHOWERS/Romans-Chapter-1-Part-3/?link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Romans 1:12 - …that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.

As we noted in our last post, Paul is expressing his earnest desire to visit the saints in Rome.  He is motivated by a desire to help them grow and thrive in their faith.

But Paul does not mean to imply that he would be doing all the teaching/imparting and they would be doing all the learning/receiving.  Paul assured the church that he too would be edified, strengthened and comforted as they spent time together. 

Notice that Paul felt he could benefit from having fellowship with Christians who were less spiritually mature than himself. 

We too will benefit from Christian fellowship regardless of our level of spiritual growth.  When we socialize with other Christians, we have the opportunity to discuss spiritual issues, examine opposing views, ask questions, share experiences and give testimony.  This type of fellowship encourages everyone to stand strong in their faith.  Even the most mature believer will benefit from this kind of interaction. 

Romans 1:13 – I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles.

Obviously, the believers in Rome are well aware of who Paul is.  They heard the story of his miraculous conversion and his call to minister to the Gentiles.  They also knew that Paul had ministered in Thessalonica, Corinth, Ephesus and many other places.  This information could well have raised a question in their minds: If Paul truly had such a strong desire to come and minister to us, why didn’t he?

Paul seems to foresee this possible objection, and he addresses it head on.  He explains that every time he intended to come to them, his plans were blocked.  It wasn’t that he didn’t want to come, it was that he had no real opportunity to do so.

Paul does not reveal the exact cause(s) which blocked him from coming.  Bible commentators offer the following possibilities: 

• God may have forbid him because he wanted him ministering in other places (Acts 16:6-7, Romans 15:22). 
• Satan may have blocked him; there is evidence to suggest that he sometimes has divine permission to influence such matters (I Thessalonians 2:18).
• It may simply have been that other churches had immediate/urgent reasons to see him (Acts 10:48, 16:15).
• Perhaps he wound up staying at certain churches/places longer than he anticipated.
• He may have been hindered by general travel issues like the arrival of winter or the availability of ships, etc.  

Nevertheless, Paul senses that God is now opening a way for him to come to Rome where he can function as a spiritual father who helps the saints mature in their faith.  His objective is to assist them in producing additional spiritual fruit in their lives.

This ‘fruit’ primarily refers to the salvation of sinners (John 15:16) but would also include edification of the church and the fruitfulness of believers in grace and works (Colossians 1:10).

Romans 1:14 – I am under obligation both to Greeks and barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.

Paul specifically mentions two groups here – Greeks/barbarians and wise/foolish.  Let’s examine this further. 

The general designation ‘Greek’ is defined in several different ways. 

First, it obviously refers to the people who were either born or lived in the nation of Greece.  This can’t be the way Paul is using the term, because it’s too narrow; he was designated as the apostle to ALL non-Jewish people, not just those of Greece.

‘Greek’ is also used interchangeably with the generic term ‘Gentiles’.  When used this way, it is frequently paired with the term ‘Jews’.  Together, these two terms are used to mean the entire human race.  At the same time, these designations differentiate between the Jews and all other nations (Acts 18:4, 1 Corinthians 1:24, Romans 3:9, etc).  However, since both terms are not present here, this is probably not Paul’s meaning either.

Fortunately, we are familiar with the third use of the term, which seems to be the most appropriate in this scenario. 

Back in Paul’s day, the Greeks were considered the most polished, refined and enlightened people of that era.  Therefore, the term ‘Greek’ became synonymous with people who were wise and cultured.  It is almost certain that this was Paul’s meaning, especially since he contrasts the Greeks with the ‘barbarians’.

Ironically, the term ‘barbarian’ was coined by Greeks (people who were born or lived in Greece).  They used the term ‘barbarian’ to refer to anyone who did not speak the Greek language, which basically meant all foreigners.  Greeks automatically considered foreigners to be crude/vulgar, uncivilized and ignorant as compared to themselves. 

The terms ‘wise’ and ‘foolish’ essentially reflect the same things but on a broader scale.

The ‘wise’ are people of any nation who believe they are shrewd and intelligent, possessing wisdom, good sense and excellent judgment.  This term also includes people who are ‘learned’ or educated.  Interestingly, the Greeks of Paul’s day prided themselves on their wisdom (I Corinthians 1:22, I Corinthians 3:18).

The ‘foolish’ refers to people of any nation who were regarded as ignorant/uneducated, lacking in good judgment, imprudent, and/or unpolished (lacking social skills) according to society.

The overall meaning of this verse is that Paul is obligated to preach the gospel to anyone and everyone as long as Christ opens the door for him to minister.  This obligation was placed upon him by the Lord Jesus Christ when he made him the apostle to the Gentiles: 

Acts 9:15 – But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he [Paul] is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.”

Therefore, Paul is obligated to preach the gospel in Rome – and he was ready, willing and able to do just that: 

• Paul is fully capable of gearing his message to those who are poor and unlearned; in fact, this group of people were often the first to embrace the gospel message (I Corinthians 1:18-29). 

 

• On the other hand, Paul himself is a highly educated and intelligent man.  He is also fully capable of discussing the gospel with the most learned and enlightened people of his day (Acts 17:16-34).

Regardless of the strengths or weaknesses of the Roman believers, Paul was well able to find a point of connection with them and then go on to bring them to maturity in Christ.

Romans 1:15 – So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

The word ‘so’ indicates a conclusion or a summary.  Because of all the circumstances, reasons and motivations expressed in the first 14 verses of this book/letter, Paul is eager to effectively minister in the city of Rome. 

His ministry would include preaching the gospel, confirming sound doctrine, laying hands on people while praying for them, and displaying the power of the gospel.  Paul was also very good at teaching through example.  As he lived among the Romans, they would see the practical application of his faith in everyday life. 

Paul was looking forward to bringing these good things to the people of Rome, just as he had in Antioch, Thessalonica, Ephesus, Athens and Corinth.  He was anxious to come to the capital city of the empire, even though he and his message would likely meet with resistance, persecution, ridicule, loss of liberty or even death itself.  Regardless of the cost, Paul was ready to fulfill the call God placed on his life.

The salutation or introduction to Paul’s letter ends here.  Next, he briefly introduces the great truths he wishes to fully discuss with the church.

Romans 1:16 – For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

I am not ashamed of the gospel:  Because of his faith in Christ, Paul was hated by a lot of people.  The Jews considered him a heretic.  They constantly mocked him, opposed him, and spread false rumors about him.  They did everything in their power to discredit him and smear his name.  Given the chance, they would gladly have killed him just as they did Jesus. 

The Gentiles didn’t embrace him either.  They considered him a troublemaker and often treated him with contempt.  In fact, they considered him to be the scum of the earth:

I Corinthians 4:13 - We [the apostles] have become, and still are, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things.

Jews and Gentiles alike despised him, dishonored him, persecuted him, imprisoned him, attempted to kill him and drove him from place to place all because of the gospel message. 

But every attack, every insult and every reproach ran off Paul like water off a duck.  Though the Jews considered the gospel a stumbling block and the Greeks/Gentiles considered it foolishness (I Corinthians 1:23), Paul knew it was the only hope of salvation for mankind.  He would NEVER be ashamed of it.  On the contrary, his goal was to preach the gospel far and wide and to share it with as many people as possible.

It is the power of God for salvation:  God has chosen the gospel message as the instrument or vehicle which Holy Spirit works through to convey spiritual life to the souls of men. 

In other words, the preaching of the gospel is anointed with the divine power of Holy Spirit.  As sinners hear the message, the power/anointing of Holy Spirit flows through the words and touches their hearts and souls.  This power causes them to experience conviction for their sin.  Then it prompts them to repent, leading them to forgiveness and salvation through the blood of Christ.

Without this anointing/power of Holy Spirit, Christianity would be just another false, powerless religion.   

That is what Paul means when he says the gospel is the power of God for salvation.  This makes perfect sense because the gospel is the message of Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ is the one and only way to receive eternal life and reconciliation with God:

John 14:6 – Jesus said unto him, “I am the way, the truth and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by me.” 

Like all sinners, Paul once despised the cross and the gospel message.  In fact, he hated it so much, he made it his personal mission to persecute Christians whenever possible (Acts 8:3). 

But once he personally experienced the power of God and received salvation, everything changed!  The gospel became the most important thing in his life.  In fact, Paul believed that preaching the gospel was the highest honor that God could confer upon him, even if it cost him his physical life.   

One more thing needs to be noted here.  God has given each person the free will to choose or reject him.  The gospel is indeed the power of God for salvation for those who will listen. 

Sadly, there are people who choose to close their ears and refuse to hear.  As a result, they prevent Holy Spirit from illuminating their hearts, which cuts off/stops the power of God.  Thus, they have no way of receiving salvation/eternal life.

To everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek:  The Jews were the original nation in covenant relationship with God.  They were the nation through which the Messiah physically came into the world.  

Furthermore, they were the only ones who had the ability to recognize/identify the Messiah when he came to earth, because they were the only nation with access to the Law and Prophets.  The implication is that when the Messiah finally came, the Jews would embrace him (and his death) and introduce him to the world.  

Therefore, it is not surprising that when Jesus came, he delivered his message to the Jews, not the Greeks:

Matthew 15:24 – He answered, “I [Jesus] was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

In addition, Jesus initially instructed the first 12 apostles to speak only to the Jews:

Matthew 10:5-6 – These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

While many individual Jews believed in Jesus, as a nation Israel rejected him as the Messiah.  As a nation, they forfeited their chance to share the good news with the world.  But God was not caught off guard; he already knew they would reject this role.  Their disobedience didn’t affect his plans at all. 

According to his master plan, God used individual members of the Jewish nation (the apostles, including Paul and later others), to pour out the blessing of salvation to the rest of the world:

Acts 28:28 – Therefore let it be known to you [the Jews] that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.

As we mentioned previously, when the terms Jew and Greek are used together, the meaning always refers to the entirety of mankind.  Thus, the gospel is the power of salvation to EVERYONE who believes. 

In fact, there is now no difference between Jew and Gentile; Jesus tasted death for every man and all those who place their faith in him have access to all the blessings revealed in the word and spoken of by the prophets.

Romans 1:17 – For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

For in it:  The ‘it’ mentioned here is the gospel.  Essentially Paul telling us why he triumphs in the gospel as opposed to being ashamed of it - because through it the righteousness of God is revealed. 

In a nutshell, this verse contains the doctrine which he seeks to establish throughout this epistle.  The entire letter is one giant proof of the doctrine of salvation by faith. 

The righteousness of God is revealed:  Before we go any deeper into this topic, we need to remind ourselves of two basic facts: 

• God is holy, just, perfect and righteous.  Sin cannot exist in his presence.
• Mankind is guilty of breaking the laws of God.  We are full of sin, and we have no way of cleansing or removing it.  As a result of this sin, we are under a sentence of spiritual death.  

Given these facts, an obvious question arises:  How can mortal man be justified in the sight of God?

Man’s solution to this problem has always been to try and arrive at righteousness before God through our works and/or obedience to the law.  Just so you know, all attempts to do so end in utter failure.  As we continue our study of Romans, we will find that over and over (and over again) Paul clearly proves that we cannot be justified before God through works.  We’ll be examining this more fully as we progress through our study.

God, however, has the perfect solution to this problem.  Paul refers to this solution or plan as the ‘righteousness of God’. 

God’s plan of justification does not blindly declare that men are righteous or pure, neither does it mitigate or excuse our sin.  These practices would be a violation of his perfect holiness and justice. 

In other words, God does not ‘sweep our sin under the rug’ where it is hidden nor can he ‘wink at it’ and pretend it doesn’t exist.  In fact, the opposite is true - the gospel reveals our sin to the fullest extent. 

The astonishing thing is that God has a way/method of extending his mercy to us, while still fulfilling the complete requirements of divine justice.  Through his plan, we can be rescued from judgment and death because the price of our sin is fully paid by another – Jesus the Messiah, the Mediator between God and man.

This plan is referred to as God’s righteousness, because it is God’s plan.  It originated in his supreme wisdom, and it reflects his glory, his mercy and his perfection.  It is different from any scheme/plan of man.     

Isaiah 56:1 – Thus says the Lord, “Keep justice, and do righteousness, for soon my salvation will come, and my righteousness be revealed.”

Again, the ‘righteousness of God’ will be fully explained by Paul as we continue through our study. 

Is revealed – The way in which God’s plan of justification works is revealed or communicated to us through the gospel. 

It should be noted that this is not a new idea that God suddenly invented because he unexpectedly had to find a way to deal with our sin.  Long before the world was formed, God knew we would need justification, and his plan was already in place before Adam and Eve sinned in the garden.

The patriarchs understood that such a plan existed (Hebrews 11:1), but the concise revelation of how it was to be accomplished was kept hidden until Jesus the Messiah came to earth and revealed it through the gospel.  This is why Paul is will never be ashamed of the gospel.

From faith for faith – This particular phrase has been interpreted in different ways by different bible scholars. 

One of the most common interpretations says that the righteousness of God is revealed from one degree of faith to another.  Those who hold this view say that as faith grows and increases, it reveals clearer and clearer insights into God’s righteousness and the benefits we receive through it.

A second common interpretation says that God’s plan of justification is received by faith and subsequently, its benefits are available/extended to all who have faith.  The idea being expressed is that God’s plan of justifying man is revealed in the gospel.  That plan operates by faith, and its benefits are extended to all that have faith, or to all that believe.

Yet another interpretation sees this phrase as meaning God’s plan of justification is extended from the faith of preachers and received by the faith of sinners. 

There is also the interpretation that says the faith first revealed in the old covenant (the law) led to the faith of the new covenant (the gospel).  This shows that salvation/justification has always been by faith starting with Abraham and continuing to the present time. 

Regardless of which view you choose to believe, the bottom line is that faith is required to be justified under God’s plan.  Once we receive that justification, all the benefits of salvation are open to us.

As it is written – Pop Quiz:  Which passage of Old Testament scripture is Paul referring to when he says, ‘as it is written’? 

Answer:  The book of Habakkuk.

Habakkuk 2:4 – “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.”

Second Chance Quiz (in case you got the last one wrong): The reference Paul makes (the righteous shall live by faith) is quoted two other times in the New Testament.  Where can we find these quotes?

Answer: Hebrews 13:8 and Galatians 3:11.

If you haven’t read the book of Habakkuk lately, you might want to consider doing it soon.  It contains a lot of great truths. 

The just shall live by faith:  In the meantime, let me give you a brief review of the book as it relates to our study.  Habakkuk is calling upon God because the Babylonians were coming to destroy Judah and take the Hebrews/Jews into captivity. 

God reveals that he is not going to prevent this from happening; he has decreed a season of captivity for his people because of their sin.  Nevertheless, this captivity was not permanent; it would have an end (after 70 years). 

There is no doubt this time period would be difficult, unsettling, dangerous and seemingly hopeless.  But God assures the prophet that if his people place their confidence in Him, they will live.  More specifically, their confidence in God would sustain and preserve them; because of their trust in him they would experience restoration, blessing and happiness.  

As you have no doubt noticed, the passage in Habakkuk does not primarily refer to the doctrine of justification by faith.  Instead, it expresses the general principle that those who place their trust in God will not be disappointed.  They will be preserved, blessed and happy.  

In other words, the people of Habakkuk’s day could not deliver themselves by relying on their own merit, wisdom or strength.  Their only chance of survival/escape was to place their confidence in God, relying on his strength and mercy. 

Paul uses this principle to argue that men are justified in God’s sight in the same way.  Specifically, man cannot be justified by reliance on his own works or merit.  Justification in God’s sight is only possible by placing your trust/faith in God’s plan.  Those who do (those who receive salvation through faith in Christ) are preserved, blessed and made happy.  

Let me offer you some encouragement:

In today’s study we noted the importance of Christian fellowship.  The neat thing is that this fellowship is not confined to a church or bible study atmosphere.  In fact, it flourishes better in a more relaxed social atmosphere.  This is one reason why many larger churches establish ‘small groups’, which are simply smaller groups of church members who regularly meet together for fellowship. 

If you are not experiencing this kind of fellowship on a regular basis, why not start a group of your own?  You don’t need to present a bible lesson; just plan a time and place where you can interact with other believers.  If you take the time to do this, it will not only benefit you, it will encourage others too!

Let me offer you some relief:

What could be a bigger relief that realizing that our justification before God is not dependent on our works??  Why not take some time this week to meditate on this wonderful truth?  I’m sure that if you do, you won’t be able to stop giving him thanksgiving and praise!

Let me offer you some strength:

Paul dreamed of going to Rome for a very long time.  I’m sure he suffered disappointment on many different occasions when his plans were put on hold.  But the important thing is that he never gave up.  I believe he knew that when God’s time was perfect, he would see the fulfillment of his dream.

What promise or dream are you holding on to?  Whatever it is, do not give up!  Stay strong in your faith and believe that God will do exactly what he promised – when the time is right!

 

/Blog/Blog-With-Us/SHOWERS/Romans-Chapter-1-Part-2/?link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Romans 1:5 - …through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among the nations,

Welcome back dear readers!  We are examining the wealth of information contained in the salutation of Paul’s letter to the Roman church.  In our last post, we learned that the same Jesus who is both the Son of David and Son of God, the Messiah of the world, is the one who appointed Paul to preach/expound the gospel message to the church, including the fellowship in Rome.  

This means that Paul writes to them under the direct authority of Christ; the doctrines he is about to give them should be regarded as coming from God.  And indeed, they were.  Scripture tells us that Paul did not receive these truths from any earthly teachers.  He received them by direct revelation from Jesus himself (I Corinthians 15:1-8, Ephesians 3:1-3).

Paul goes on to say that he (and the other apostles) had received two vital things from God – grace (the favor of God upon his life) and apostleship (the mantle or office of an apostle).  The apostolic office gave him the authority to preach the word while grace gave him the ability to carry/deliver the message despite the obstacles he faced.

The purpose of these favors was to bring about obedience of faith.  In other words, God freely gave the apostles all the tools they needed to spread the gospel throughout the world, just as he commanded them:

Mark 16:15 – And he [Jesus] said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”     

Through the preaching of the gospel, sinners received forgiveness in Christ.  Through the continued teaching of sound doctrine, they grew in faith and became disciples.  As disciples, they became obedient to the commands of God.

The end result of this obedience is that the name of Jesus is honored among all the nations.  This, in turn, results in more and more sinners finding salvation, becoming disciples of Christ and spreading the good news to others.

But everything wasn’t a bed of roses for the apostles.  They worked relentlessly, endured hardship and lack, faced persecution and opposition, traveled constantly and eventually laid down their very lives to continue the spread of the gospel, so the name of the Lord would be honored.  Nevertheless, I am sure that when we meet them in heaven, they will say it was well worth it!

In summary, we see that Paul is giving the church his credentials – his commission and authority to deliver the gospel message came from the Lord Jesus Christ.  Furthermore, he was specifically chosen to be the apostle to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15).  Therefore, Paul had every right to minister to the church in Rome, even though he was not its founder and even though he had (as yet) never visited them.

Romans 1:6 - …including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,

The believers in Rome are called to the same salvation/obedience of faith as all other true Christians (including us).  This call is not a mere outward or external invitation to join a church fellowship. 

It is an internal, spiritual, life-changing call from Holy Spirit which transfers men and women out of darkness and into the marvelous light of salvation.  It is a call that breaks the bondage of sin and leads to freedom in Christ.  It is a call that removes men and women from the brotherhood of the wicked and ushers them into the fellowship of the saints.  It is a call that strips us of the filthy rags of our own righteousness and clothes us in the pure and holy righteousness of Christ.  It is an irresistible, divine, holy call that delivers us from death and gives us eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Though the saints in Rome were formerly pagans and idolaters, they were now Christians and members of the world-wide church/kingdom of God.  Because they now belong to Christ, they are entitled to all the benefits God has provided for them under the covenant of grace. 

Romans 1:7 - …to all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul addresses his letter to all the saints at Rome, whether rich or poor, bond or free, male or female, Jew or Gentile.  All were sinners saved by Christ and all are loved by God. 

By virtue of their faith in Christ, they are saints.  Saints are people who are devoted or consecrated to God; they are separated from the world and set apart for his service just as the Jews had been separated from other nations and devoted to the service of God under the law.   

Paul pronounces blessings of grace and peace on the saints. 

Grace refers to the favor of God.  It includes all the blessings that are conferred upon Christians both temporal and spiritual.  These include blessings for right now (our life on earth) and blessings for our future life in eternity.  The implication is that all blessings proceed from God and we should not look for them in any other place.

Peace is commonly defined as freedom from disturbance or agitation.  It is the opposite of war.  While war entails calamity, danger, lack and hopelessness, peace includes success, safety, hope and prosperity. 

‘Peace to you’ was a common blessing among the Hebrew people and it was meant to confer earthly safety and prosperity upon the recipient (Genesis 43:23).

But peace is also spiritual.  The bible describes sinners as being troubled/agitated like the sea, which can never rest:

Isaiah 57:20 - But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.

As you and I can confirm, this is a terrible way to live!  But of course, there is hope.  Jesus is the source of all peace for mankind (John 14:27 & 16:33, Acts 10:36, Ephesians 2:17). 

When the sinner surrenders to Christ, his inner spiritual conflict is resolved, and he experiences peace in his heart and mind.  This peace abides with every Christian, regardless of his or her circumstances.  

Romans 5:1 – Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through or Lord Jesus Christ.

So we see that the salutation of peace in this epistle is something more than just a greeting or an earthly blessing.  It has a special reference to the spiritual blessings that result from reconciliation with God through Jesus the Messiah.

On a side note, it is worth mentioning that by linking the phrases ‘God our Father’ and ‘Lord Jesus Christ’ together in this verse, Paul affirms that both are divine and both are equal. 

Romans 1:8 – First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.

Having introduced himself and greeted the church, Paul now begins his epistle with a word of thanksgiving for the good that is being exhibited in the lives of the Roman Christians. 

Specifically, he is thankful for their faith.  In this case, Paul uses the word ‘faith’ to refer to their Christian walk.  The Roman believers not only embraced the gospel, they firmly and faithfully adhered to its commands even in the midst of intense persecution and ridicule.  Their faith was so remarkable, it was known and celebrated throughout the empire, which Paul refers to as ‘all the world’.

Paul’s thankfulness glorifies God and affirms his love and respect for the believers.  It also predisposes the Roman Christians to listen to his message with an open mind or teachable spirit. 

Notice that Paul specifically states that his thanksgiving is directed towards God, through Jesus Christ.  This is in perfect keeping with Jesus’ role as the mediator between God and man.

I Timothy 2:5 – For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

We were completely cut off from the presence of God due to sin.  We can approach his throne only by way of Jesus Christ and the blood he shed for us (John 14:6).  No sacrifice of prayer or praise is acceptable to God without him.   For this reason, all communication between God and man is represented as passing through Christ. 

Romans 1:9 – For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers,

Paul had a very deep concern for the spiritual welfare of the Roman church.  This concern manifested itself in two ways: consistent prayer for them and an ardent desire/longing to see them.

It’s important to remember that Paul has not yet met any of the believers in the Roman church.  Therefore, it was impossible for them to understand the depth of his concern and love for them.  Since Paul wanted the Romans to be fully persuaded of the sincerity of his claims, he calls upon God to act as a witness to the truth of his statements.  His words carry all the force of an oath.

The God he calls upon to bear witness is the same God he (and the Roman believers) served.  In this case, the word ‘serve’ generally denotes worship.  More specifically, it refers to the priestly services of the temple (Hebrews 9:9 & 8:5).  Thus, worship is not just acknowledging God with words – it is also obedience to his commands.         

However, Paul’s service was not just an external service of works (as was sometimes the case with the Jewish rites).  Paul served God in his spirit/heart because he was thoroughly convinced of the absolute truth of the gospel he preached.  He voluntarily served God with his whole body, soul and spirit.

When making this statement, Paul may have been differentiating himself from the unrepentant Jews who continued to serve God with outward rites and ceremonies, while their hearts were far from him.

Paul mentioned the Romans in his prayers ‘without ceasing’.  In other words, he prayed for them constantly and repeatedly; every time he entered the throne room of God, he mentioned them.  Paul’s faithfulness in prayer is something we should all strive to emulate.

Romans 1:10 - asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you.

Paul’s desire to visit the Roman church was not a spur of the moment decision.  The phrase ‘now at last’ shows that he had planned to visit them numerous times (probably for years), but he had been hindered every time he tried.  Each failed attempt to connect with them only made his desire grow; he never gave up the hope of going to Rome and ministering to them in person. 

In fact, Paul had made his proposed visit to Rome a subject of much prayer before God.

His prayer request was two-fold:  One, he was asking God to open a door for him, so he could physically visit Rome and minister to the saints in person.

Two, he wanted God’s favor and blessing to rest upon his journey so it would be safe, prosperous and successful.

God answered his prayer, but not in the way he imagined.  The full details of his journey to Rome are found in Acts 21-28.  If you have the time, these chapters are well worth reading! 

Just in case you don’t have the time, let’s take an abbreviated look at what happened.

• Shortly after arriving in Jerusalem, Paul was falsely accused by the Jews of defiling the temple (Acts 21:17-29).  A riot ensues, Paul is dragged from the temple and was about to be killed when the Roman soldiers intervened (Acts 21:30-36). 

 

• Paul addresses the mob, who were happy to listen about his background and his encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus.  But when he claims that God sent him to preach to the Gentiles, the riot starts up again (Acts 21:37-22:21).  The Romans ‘stretch’ Paul out, in preparation for flogging him, but when they discovered he was a Roman citizen, they immediately stopped (Acts 22:22-29). 

 

• The next morning, a hearing was held with the Jewish leaders, but it too turned violent, and the Roman soldiers once again had to rescue Paul (Acts 23:1-10).  That night, the Lord spoke to Paul:

Acts 23:11 – The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.” 

At this point, Paul knows the first part of his request is finally being answered - he is going to Rome.  Perhaps he thought that from this point it would be a simple, direct journey.  But as he soon found out, that was not going to be the case.

• The next day the Jews tried to assassinate Paul (Acts 23:12-22).  The Romans respond by sending him to Caesarea.  Paul eventually spent two full years there (57-59 AD) under the authority of Felix and then Festus, the Roman governors (Acts 23:23-24:27). 

 

During this imprisonment, Paul preached the gospel to large numbers of Jews, high Roman officials and even to royalty (King Agrippa and his wife Bernice; Acts 25:13-26:32). Eventually, Paul appeals to Caesar (Acts 25:1-12).

 

• Then, in the beginning of winter when sailing was known to be dangerous, Paul is placed on a cargo ship bound for Rome.  Eventually, there is a massive storm and ship is destroyed, though God spares the life of Paul and all those with him (Acts 27:1-44). 

 

• The sailors, soldiers and prisoners are stranded on the island of Malta, where Paul is bitten by a viper (Acts 28:1-6).  Through him, God heals the sick, and the gospel is preached to all of the natives (Acts 28:7-10). 

 

• Only then does Paul finally make it to Rome (Acts 28:11-30)!

Of course, Paul wrote his letter to the Romans before any of these events occurred.  But when he eventually looked back on his journey, what do you think he discovered?  Well, let’s take a look:

Did God open a way for him to get to Rome?  Yes, he did.  In fact, Paul went to Rome with the government paying his entire way!

Paul wanted God’s favor and blessing to rest upon him so that the trip would be safe. 

Was Paul safe?  Yes.  Despite angry mobs, an assassination attempt, imprisonment, an ill-fated sea voyage, a shipwreck, a snake bite, and being stranded on an island, God kept Paul safe every step of the way.

Was Paul’s journey prosperous and successful?  YES!  Paul’s only thought was to get to Rome as quickly as possible so he could minister to the saints in that city.  But on the way God opened opportunities for Paul to share the gospel with the Jews, with Roman soldiers, with Greek sailors, with government dignitaries, with royalty and with native islanders.  It is impossible to say just how many people received salvation while Paul traveled to Rome. 

Conclusion:  God is amazing!!  He does abundantly above all that we can ask, think or imagine!  But remember – he rarely does things the way we anticipate!

So, what are you asking God to do in your life or the life of your loved ones?  Are you willing to go on an unexpected journey to reach that goal or get that answer?

Romans 1:11 – For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you –

Paul confirmed that he had a passionate desire to visit the church in Rome, and that he frequently prayed for an opportunity minister to them.  He now gives the Romans the reasons why he wanted to fellowship with them.  First of all, Paul desired to impart a spiritual gift to them. 

Bible scholars disagree on what Paul meant by that phrase.

One view says that Paul was referring to establishing or maturing the faith of the Roman Christians through exhortation and the preaching of sound doctrine.  In so doing, Paul wanted them to receive spiritual understanding/knowledge, peace, strength and comfort. 

Specifically, the Jews may have been trying to burden the Gentile believers by telling them they had to obey the law and the Mosaic rites (like circumcision).  Through preaching and teaching, Paul would free the Roman believers of these false ideas.

A second view claims that Paul desired to lay hands on the Christians and impart to them the power to perform miracles. 

A third view maintains that Paul was referring to the gifts of the Spirit which are enumerated in I Corinthians 12:7-11.  These include word of wisdom, word of knowledge, gifts of healing, gift of tongues, gift of interpretation of tongues, discernment of spirits, and gift of faith.

Finally, some scholars believe that Paul was speaking in a general sense; he was referring to any/all gifts of grace.  His overall point was that he desired to labor for their spiritual good and to strengthen their faith. 

Regardless of which theory is correct, the bottom line is that Paul wanted them to be ‘established’ or strengthened in their walk with Christ.  He wanted them to grow in grace and faith.

Let me offer you some encouragement:

In today’s post, we noted that Paul received two things from God – grace (the favor of God on his life) and a specific call (to the office of an apostle).

God does the exact same thing for each and every one of his children.  His grace and favor rest upon us; all we need to do is step out in faith and serve him in whatever area of life he has called us into.  Paul was called into full time religious ministry, but you may be called into business, politics, farming, skilled trades, medicine, manufacturing, sports, technology, full time motherhood, or even art & entertainment.  

As we serve him in faith, he will open doors of opportunity for us to advance the kingdom of heaven on earth, just as he did for Paul. 

Let me offer you some relief:

Paul’s desire to visit the Roman church went unfulfilled for a very, very long time.  I’m sure that from time to time, Paul wondered why his request wasn’t being granted.  

But in retrospect, we can see that God kept Paul waiting because his plans were far, far greater than anything Paul imagined.

What requests or opportunities have you been asking the Lord to give you?  If you’ve been waiting for that chance for a long time, I urge you not to give up!  God’s timing is always perfect; he will open that door when you can be the most successful and touch the most lives.

Let me offer you some strength:

God answered Paul’s prayer for an opportunity to travel to Rome, but he didn’t answer it in the way Paul thought he would.  The same thing happens to Christians in every generation. 

Why don’t you take a moment right now to remember a time when God answered a prayer for you in an unexpected way?  If you can’t think of one, then consider Paul’s journey to Rome.

As you meditate on that request and answer, remind yourself God’s ways are not our ways and his thoughts are not our thoughts – his plans are always much, much greater and more amazing than ours (Isaiah 55:8-11)! 

With this in mind, I encourage you to let go of your preconceived ideas and plans.  Strengthen your faith and be open to having God move in unexpected ways in your situation. 

Remember, in the end his word will not return void; his plans and purposes will come to pass and you will wind up shouting for joy and living in peace (Isaiah 55:12).   

 

/Blog/Blog-With-Us/SHOWERS/Romans-Chapter-1-Part-1/?link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Romans 1:1 – Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,

As we discussed in our introduction, Paul is the uncontested writer of the letter to the Roman church.  In his opening salutation he identifies himself as a servant of Jesus Christ.

Servant is a general title that is used extensively throughout scripture:

• It is the title applied to prophets who were honored by God (Deuteronomy 34:5, Jeremiah 25:4).
• It is the general title that Jesus used to identify his followers (Matthew 10:25 & 20:27, Mark 10:44). 
• It was the customary name which Christians subsequently assumed for themselves (Galatians 1:10, Colossians 4:12, Acts 4:29, James 1:1).
• This title was also appropriately assigned to Jesus, because as the Messiah he was a servant of God.

Isaiah 53:11 – Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.

In the Greek, the word for ‘servant’ is normally translated as ‘slave’ or ‘courtier’.  In both instances, the proper meaning is one who is not free.  The slave has a master; he or she is under the control of another person.  In the same way, the courtier is subject to the will of the king. 

The only real difference is that the title of courtier carries a connotation of dignity and honor because the servants of a king are normally officers of high rank or station. 

Ephesians 2:6-7 – [God has] raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Jesus Christ.

Considering the fact that God has honored us by raising us up and seating us in heavenly places in Christ, I believe the term ‘courtier’ is the better of the two terms.

You and I tend to ignore or take for granted that Paul was a servant of Jesus.  But back in the day when this letter was penned, that was not a universally accepted statement.  It was important for Paul to be crystal clear that he was not writing as a servant of Moses/the Law, or a servant of the traditions of the Jewish elders, or a servant of Satan (as some accused him of being).  Ever since his conversion, he was an absolute servant of Christ and Christ only!

Paul further identifies himself as one who has been called to be an apostle.  An apostle is one who has been sent out or appointed to fulfill a commission.  They operate under the direct authority of the one who sent them. 

In this instance, the term specifically applies to those who were personally chosen and commissioned by Jesus to spread the gospel, establish the church and be witnesses of the resurrection.

In essence, Paul is placing himself in the same category as the first 12 apostles that Jesus appointed during his incarnation (Luke 6:13), even though his appointment came later and in a different manner.  It is important for him to be received as an apostle, because it means that the doctrines he is about to establish in his letter should be embraced and obeyed as coming from Christ.

However, it should be noted that Paul had more than just words to support his claim of apostleship.  God chose to work amazing miracles through his ministry, just as he did the other twelve.  These miracles were confirmation of the truth of his mission, authority and doctrine, just as they confirmed the apostolic ministry of the others.

So, we see that the salutation of the letter establishes Paul in a position of authority under Jesus Christ for the purpose of ministering sound doctrine directly to the Roman church. 

The neat thing is that the ministry of the letter did not stop there.  Back in that day, when one church received a letter from Paul, they would make a copy for themselves and pass the letter on to other churches.  This ensured that the message circulated far and wide to smaller congregations. 

And (praise be to God) Holy Spirit also preserved the letter to the Romans for us.  Who knows how many countless saints have benefitted from the letter since it was written!

Romans 1:2 - …which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,

Paul goes on to say that the gospel was promised through the scriptures long before the day he wrote this letter.

In other words, the gospel was not some new doctrine which sprung up from nowhere.  It was not invented by Paul.  It was not a knee-jerk reaction by God in response to an unforeseen attack of Satan upon mankind.  It wasn’t a recent development due to the inability of the Jews to live up to the Law.  Neither was the gospel a recent novelty like some of the man-made religions of that day.

The plan of salvation, with Christ as our sacrificial lamb, was already in place before the world was created (I Peter 1:20). 

God began to reveal his plan of salvation way back when Adam and Eve committed the first sin (Genesis 3:15).  Promises concerning Christ the Messiah and his kingdom can be found throughout the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 18:18, Psalms 16:10, Isaiah 7:14, Daniel 9:24-26, Micah 5:2, Zechariah 9:9, Malachi 3:1 and many others).

With this reference to Old Testament scripture, Paul reinforces or validates the harmony between the prophets and the apostles, between the Old and New testaments.  The gospel Paul brought them wasn’t new – it was a fulfillment of the former promises.     

Both the Old and New testaments reveal the gospel message, but they reveal it in different ways and degrees.  In the Old Testament the message is somewhat veiled whereas it is plainly revealed in the gospels.

We also notice that Paul refers to the scriptures as holy.  We still do this today.  Why is that?  What makes the bible holy? 

• The author is the Holy Spirit.
• They were penned by holy men under the influence of the Spirit.
• The subject matter of the book is also holy; it reveals the will of Almighty God.
• The scriptures are holy in their purpose – to draw us to God and make us holy.

In light of this, the entirety of the scriptures can be referred to as a holy book and we should treat it as such.

Romans 1:3 - …concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh,

In the first two verses Paul pointed out that he was appointed or set apart by God for the preaching of the gospel.  Now he goes on to declare that Jesus Christ was the main subject of the gospel message which he preached.  Paul describes him by his two-fold nature: Jesus was both fully human and fully divine.  

Let’s examine his human nature first.  In order to do so, we need to go back to the Old Testament.  Remember King David?  Because of his devotion to the Lord, God made David a promise – that he would always have a descendant to sit on his throne (I Kings 2:4 & 8:25, II Chronicles 6:16). 

This ancient promise was always understood to refer to the Messiah.  The Jews universally believed that the Messiah would be a physical descendant of David (John 7:42).    

Thus, in the New Testament great pains are taken to show that Jesus was indeed a descendant of David after the flesh (Matthew 1:1-16, Matthew 22:42, Luke 1:27, II Timothy 2:8, John 7:42).  In fact, throughout his time on earth Jesus was consistently addressed as the Son of David (Matthew 15:22 & 21:9). 

The King James version says that Jesus was ‘made of the seed of David’.   When we make something, we know that it has a definite beginning or starting point.  When we consider the incarnation (the time Jesus spent on earth in human form), we can say that Jesus had a definite beginning – his physical birth. 

However, as we will see in the next verse, this does not apply to the divine nature of Jesus. 

Romans 1:4 - …and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,

Now let’s look at the divine nature of Jesus.  

Jesus is the Son of God.  He was begotten, not made, which means that he has no beginning; he has existed eternally. 

John 1:1-4 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

Because he is God, Jesus possesses all the qualities that we associate with God the Father – he is omniscient, omnipotent, sovereign and immutable.  Like God the Father, God the Son (and Holy Spirit) has no beginning and no end. 

Jesus confirmed his divinity through demonstrates of power.  His power was revealed:

• In the creation of all things out of nothing. 
• In the upholding/sustaining of all life.
• In the miracles he wrought. 
• In the performance of the great work of redemption. 
• In the success of the gospel in the conversion of sinners. 
• In the birth, development and preservation of the church. 
• In the raising of the dead. 

In addition, Holy Spirit confirmed Jesus as the Son of God in several different ways.  First, he was involved in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead:

I Peter 3:18 – For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened [made alive] by the Spirit,

(See also Romans 8:11, Romans 1:4, etc.)  Second, Holy Spirit bore witness to the truth about Jesus through the Holy Scriptures (1 John 5:5 & 5:20, Luke 8:28, Hebrews 4:14, etc), which he divinely authored (II Peter 1:19-21). 

Third, Holy Spirit reveals the truth of who Jesus is every single day by convicting people of sin when they hear or read the truth of the gospel message. 

John 16:8 – And when he [Holy Spirit] comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgement:

(See also I Thessalonians 1:5, John 15:26, 1 John 5:6, etc.) 

Here in verse four Paul also speaks of resurrection from the dead. 

• This may refer to the many people that Jesus resurrected by his power while on earth including Lazarus, Jairus’s daughter, and the son of the widow of Nain.
• It may also refer to the numerous saints who were resurrected at the exact moment that Jesus died (Matthew 27:50-53). 
• Or it may refer to the resurrection of the last day, when all the saints in Christ will arise from their tombs and meet the Lord in the air (I Thessalonians 4:13-18).

But it most likely refers to Jesus’ own resurrection which clearly witnessed to the fact that he was the true Son of God (John 10:17-18), the first fruits of all that will be raised at the end of the age (I Corinthians 15:20). 

The bottom line is that in many ways Jesus was declared to be the divine, powerful and omnipotent Son of God, having the same power and majesty as the Father. 

Paul is simply stating that Jesus, recently crucified and resurrected in Jerusalem, in whose name salvation is preached to the world, was indeed the Son of God, the long-promised Messiah and the one with the only true right to sit on the throne of David, as spoken of in the scriptures. 

Let me offer you some encouragement:

In today’s post Paul stressed that he was a servant of Jesus Christ.  As we study the scriptures, we find that he ‘practiced what he preached’.  In other words, he was a servant to those around him; he put his own needs second to the needs of others. 

Matthew 20:26 - …whoever would be great among you must be your servant… even as the Son of Man came not be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

In the coming week, why don’t we try doing the same thing?  Let’s temporarily put aside our wants, desires or hobbies for a day and encourage someone else by serving them!

Let me offer you some relief:  

If you are unable to set aside time in your schedule to serve someone else, you have a problem.  You’re too busy. 

If that sounds like you, I want you to consider giving yourself some relief by reevaluating your commitments, hobbies and activities.  Stepping away from some of these obligations will not only open up opportunities for you to serve others, it will also relieve a lot of stress in your own life!   Consider this:  There is more satisfaction in doing a few things well than doing many things poorly.

 

Let me offer you some strength:  

We all go through trials and tribulations in this life.  In our culture, we tend to glorify those who stand on their own during these times.  We like to think we are independent, and we don’t need help from anyone else. 

But let me remind you that Jesus designed the church to function like a body – all the parts work together for the good of all; no one person can do everything. 

Let me put it this way:  If Jesus wants us to serve others, then by default someone has to be on the receiving end of the service.

There is no shame in reaching out to your brothers and sisters in Christ when you need a helping hand.  So, if you need some strength, help or assistance today, don’t be too proud to reach out and ask for help – you are giving someone else an opportunity to exercise servanthood!

 

/Blog/Blog-With-Us/SHOWERS/Romans-Introduction/?link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Welcome back, dear readers!  We are about to embark on a study of the New Testament book of Romans. 

WHO:  Throughout the history of the church the apostle Paul has been recognized as the undisputed author of the book of Romans.  Paul identifies himself as the author in the salutation of the letter (Romans 1:1).  In addition, this book contains topical themes and terminology which are commonly used by Paul in his other epistles.  As no significant contradictory information has arisen to dispute these facts, his authorship is uncontested. 

WHEN:  On his third missionary journey, Paul left the city of Ephesus, traveled to Macedonia, and then continued on to Corinth (located in Greece) where he spent the winter of 56-57 AD (Acts 20:1-3).  During this time period, he dictated the book of Romans to his scribe, Tertius.  The letter was delivered to the church in Rome by a woman named Phoebe (Romans 16:1-2).

At the time this letter was written, Paul was in a kind of transition period in his ministry.   Having established (and revisited) a number of churches in Asia minor and Galatia, he was now moving westward into unevangelized territory.  He planned to visit Jerusalem and then stop at Rome on his way to Spain.  

WHERE:   The church at Rome was not founded by Paul.  It is believed to have been organized by a group of Jewish Christians who became believers in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:10).  Some ancient sources say that Peter played a role in the establishment of the Roman church, but there is no direct source to corroborate that belief.  Nevertheless, Holy Spirit laid it upon Paul’s heart to minister there.

WHY:  Paul had many reasons to write to the believers in Rome.  

First of all, he fully intended to visit the church of Rome and minister there, so one reason for this letter was to prepare them for his visit.  The doctrines provided in this letter gave the Roman believers a lot to think about before Paul arrived.

It is also clear that Paul was, in part, rallying support for his planned ministry in Spain (Romans 15:24).

Here is something else to consider:  The Roman empire was at its zenith during the days of the early church.  It is estimated that one hundred million people lived within Roman territory.  The empire’s footprint extended westward to modern day Great Britain, northward to modern day Germany, eastward to modern day Iran and southward hundreds of miles up the Nile River. 

The capital city of Rome was considered the epicenter of communication, wealth and influence, as well as the base of all civil and military power for the kingdom.  Troops, goods, luxuries and anything else the emperor or senators desired could easily be moved to or from any part of the realm via the extensive, well-maintained road system which was characteristic of this empire.

Given this situation, the church in Rome had an exceptional and unique opportunity to disseminate the gospel.  Any letter written to them would have been circulated with relative ease to churches far and wide throughout the known world.  Paul was clearly aware of this fact, which may partially account for the systematic/academic feel of the letter.  Romans is certainly less personal and more formal than Paul’s other epistles.   

Furthermore, as with all of his letters, Paul was motivated by a desire to minister to the spiritual needs of the congregation.  All of the early churches had common problems and they faced common dangers.  For example, most of the early churches were made up of both Jews and Gentiles – two groups that didn’t get along so well! 

The Jews tended to regard themselves as better/more special than others, because historically speaking they were the chosen people of God.  In fact, they often referred to Gentiles as dogs. 

They attached great significance to the rites and ceremonies of the law as well as their national traditions which had been handed down from generation to generation.  First and foremost among these was the rite of circumcision.

Even though Christ ushered in the age of grace through his death and resurrection, the early Jewish Christians had great difficulty giving up the law.  Their underlying thought process was that all Gentiles should become Jewish converts before they became Christians.  This would place the Gentiles under all of the obligations of the Mosaic Law (including circumcision), before they could accept salvation by faith in Jesus Christ. 

For their part, the Gentiles looked upon the Jews with contempt.  They thought the beliefs of the Jews were bigoted, narrow minded and senseless because they resulted in slavery to ceremonies and traditions.  Consequently, the Gentiles wanted nothing to do with the obligations of the Mosaic law, which were so dear to the Jews.  It’s fair to say there was constant tension and jealousy among the believers in the early church.

This is just one example of the common problems that Paul addressed in his letters to the churches. 

Finally, it should be noted that Paul was well aware that he faced profound opposition and danger in Jerusalem (Acts 21:11-14).  For this reason, he may have been motivated to clearly and systematically record some doctrines for use by the future church, in the event of his death.

This belief is supported by the fact that the book of Romans is by far the fullest exposition of the doctrine of salvation in all of the New Testament.  In addition, Paul discusses other important topics such as the righteousness of God and his just dealings with humanity throughout history, the ministry of Holy Spirit, the impacts of sin, and eschatology (the doctrine of final things such as death, judgement, the end of the age, etc).  And, as in his other epistles, he explores the practical applications of these doctrines to our daily life.

OTHER:  Now, I know what some, if not most of you, are thinking – Romans is a lot like a textbook – it’s really hard to understand and, quite frankly, it’s BORING! 

I admit, it may seem that way on the surface.  If you are just plowing through the material like a novel, you’ll soon be overwhelmed.  But we aren’t going to do that in our study.  We will take our time and present the truths of this book in a way that allows us to fully digest the important doctrines that Holy Spirit has preserved for us. 

Let me assure you, the epistle to the Romans is a life changing book.  It had an amazing effect on many of the men and women who shaped church history including Augustine, Martin Luther and John Wesley.  I believe it will have a profound effect upon our lives as well, if we are willing to put in a little bit of effort.

Here is what I’d like to suggest:  First of all, commit to taking the time to study with me each week.  Be willing to read the material over more than once, if you need to, in order to get it fully planted in your mind.  Meditate on it during the week.  

Most importantly, I strongly recommend asking Holy Spirit to open your spiritual eyes and ears to the message he has for you.  It would be a good idea to pray this regularly throughout our study. 

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul prays that exact thing for all believers – that Holy Spirit will give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation in a knowledge of him that we might understand the hope of our calling, the riches of his inheritance in the saints and the exceeding greatness of his power:

Ephesians 1:16-19 – I (Paul) do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what is the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his mighty power…

Why not pray for these verses over yourself during this study?  If we do so with a sincere heart, God will hear and answer and our lives will be changed by the word and the Spirit.  We will be equipped and empowered to share these truths with the lost and lead them to salvation in Christ.