Chico Alliance Church
Pastor David Welch
“Romans in Review”
Paul’s letter to the Romans answers some very basic and fundamental spiritual questions. What happened to our relationship with God? What are the consequences? How can it be restored? What difference should this make in how I live my life here and now? Paul introduces the good news of salvation in his introduction and immediately proceeds to demonstrate why we need saving. The bad news is that every person since Adam has deeply offended God incurring deserved wrath and reserving eternal divine judgment and condemnation. Equally bad news is that there is nothing that man can do to fix it. There is no way man can remedy the damage done to the relationship. The good news is that God, in cooperation with the Son and the Holy Spirit, took the initiative to remedy a seemingly hopeless situation. The work conceived by the Trinity from eternity past spans the gamut of time; past present and future. Paul addressed all of these questions in his letter to a group of Jewish and Gentile believers he had not yet met living in the Italian city of Rome. Paul began his letter with a personal note confirming his credentials and conveying his passion. He assured them his teaching was by the authority of his God-appointed apostleship. The culmination of what had been promised long ago was now fulfilled in Jesus and Paul wrote to affirm this marvelous good news of God’s plan of salvation.
Paul shared his passion to pray, promote spiritual maturity wherever he went and to preach the good news of the Gospel not only to the Romans but the entire Gentile world. This all consuming passion arose from a deep confidence and firm persuasion that the Gospel (good news of salvation) reveled by God and proclaimed by Paul was the power of God for salvation to everyone who believed. Paul maintained an unequivocal confidence in the power of the Gospel to change lives. He had no shame in proclaiming it or embracing it where he went. The power of the Gospel is in the fact that it reveals the plan of God to make men righteous again by giving them the very righteousness of Christ. In it the righteousness of God is revealed. Paul’s letter to these believers revolves around this idea of the righteousness of God. To be righteous is to conform to a set standard. The righteousness of God is perfect adherence to God’s revealed standard of living. A chart outlining the flow of the book is included at the end of these notes.
I. Receive the gift of Christ’s righteousness 1-4
A. Everyone desperately needs Christ’s righteousness 1-3:20
In the first two and a half chapters Paul addresses what happened between man and God. God created man to honor Him and give praise and glory to Him as the Creator. Man decided to listen to the creature (Satan first) and glorify the creation over the Creator and suppress the truth about God by living contrary to the Creator’s design.
Since God’s existence and divine attributes were clearly stamped and displayed in everything that He made and He implanted an internal intuition and sense about His existence, atheism and agnosticism, is without excuse. Man has to work at denying God’s existence. God revealed his wrath for such rebellion through his spokesman throughout history. The result of such refusal to honor God resulted in a fundamental darkening of men’s heart and mind resulting in a corresponding immoral behavior in an ever darkening downward spiral. The greater the refusal to come under God’s rule, the more God turns them over to a destructive lifestyle resulting in dishonored bodies, degraded passions and depraved minds. (Paul teaches all this in the first section of his letter.) Not only have men refused to honor God as God but eventually refuse to even acknowledge His existence at all and as a result become filled with all manner of unrighteousness deserving of God’s just punishment. Once you refuse to acknowledge a divine source for morality, anything goes. And today is an example of anything goes. There are those who even those adopt and try to adhere to some sort of personal moral standard and judge those who don’t measure up. In realty they can’t even live by their own code of ethics. They think because they operated by their own standard most of the time and since they are not being annihilated by God that they have sufficient righteous to warrant favor. Paul warns them not to think lightly of the present kindness and long-suffering of the Lord designed to lead them to repentance for failure to perfectly measure up to God’s standard. Romans 2:5-11
Jews who should know better (having the revelation of God’s standard in the Scriptures) actually do no better living according to God’s standard. For the very thing they condemn in others, they practice themselves. Paul, in a brilliant summary, demonstrates the span and severity of man’s dilemma. Romans 3:9-20
So how do we go from obvious unrighteous living subject to eternal punishment to becoming filled with the very righteousness of Christ unto eternal life?
B. Anyone can receive Christ’s righteousness through faith 3:21-4:25
From Chapter 3:21 to the end of chapter four, Paul presented and illustrated the very core of the good news; the Gospel that has the power to save everyone who believes. Since everyone has violated the Law, there is no chance to establish righteousness by keeping the Law. It is too late for that. Our only hope is for God to do something apart from requiring us to keep the law and still no violate His own moral code and character. How can be remain a just God and still justify the unjust? He accomplished that work through His Son Jesus who paid the price and penalty attached to our sinfulness and transferred the necessary righteousness to our moral bank account from His own limitless righteousness reserves. Jesus alone could satisfy the uncompromising demands of a holy God. He did it by taking on our sin and personally paying the price by His death on a cross. In this way God could freely and rightly justify, declare righteous, and make righteousness any who would put their trust in Jesus. He became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. The core concept of Romans is how the unrighteous can become righteous. The term is justification.
Justification is the declaration of not guilty by the judge, on the basis of payment by a substitute. Jesus not only paid our debt to God and wiped the record clean but inserted in the books a perfect record that absolutely conforms to God’s standard. Justification is a term used to indicate the restoration (imputation) of righteousness to the unrighteous creature by the Creator. To be justified is to have a record of righteousness (conformity to God’s standard) restored in order to ultimately restore relationship with an absolutely Righteous and Holy God. We can’t work for it. We can’t buy it. There is nothing we can do to earn it by saying or doing anything. Justification is a gift of God to any and all who ask and trust. Paul illustrates this gracious work of God by referring to a historical figure familiar mostly to Jews but probably the Romans as well. Paul asserted that God justified Abraham, not because of his works but because of his trust in the promise of God. Abraham chose to believe that what God promised, He was able to do. This was a conviction based on the very nature of God. Paul applied this Old Testament illustration to his New Testament readers. Romans 4:23-25.
Beginning then in chapter five of his letter, Paul tried to show the abundant implications of this magnificent gift of God. Christ came to make a difference. Paul asserted to the Corinthians that if any man be in Christ he is a new creation; old things have passed away behold, new things have come. Chapter 5-8 summarized just how the work of Christ changes things.
Application
Before we move on however, I wonder how many here this morning has ever come to grips with the helplessness and hopelessness of your life apart from Christ. I wonder if you really understand how short you actually come from the glory of God. I wonder if you understand the gravity of offending a Holy God who has promised to punish the ungodly and unrighteous. Through Christ there is redemption, the forgiveness of sins and a whole new relationship with God attainable in no other way but faith in Him. Through faith you can receive the gift of righteousness; a righteousness outside of your personal history and your own ability to ever produce. God offers the perfect righteousness of His Son Jesus to all who will trust Him. That is the core of Paul’s passion. He was convinced the Gospel was the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes not earns favor.
II. Apply the gift of righteousness (justification) 6-8
A. New peace with God 5:1
Paul touches on a multitude of implications of this supernatural work of God. Once having been justified by God, a whole new world opens up. The first reality is, whether we actually feel it or not, that the war between us and God is over. Whereas there was enmity and certain judgment, there is now peace. Therefore having been justified by faith, enjoy peace with God or be having peace with God.
B. New hope of a glorious transformation and status 5:2
Paul calls us to shout with excitement (exult) in the fact that whereas we once had no hope of ever emerging from the darkness or rising from the dust we have a glorious future that we will one day actually reflect the very glorious nature of the Creator as He originally intended for us.
C. New appreciation for life’s struggles 5:3-8
With a new peace with God and a new assured future we can have a new appreciation for what living in this present world can produce in us along the way. Paul calls us to exult in present day tribulations knowing that they are an opportunity for spiritual growth and greater Christlikeness. When we face tribulations with a new eternal perspective, it results in a new endurance which results in the development of character which stimulates hope which will not be diminished because God flooded our hearts with His love by the Holy Spirit who lives in us. Therefore with the knowledge of the continual loving presence of God and the hope of developing greater spiritual maturity, we can actually exult when tribulation crashes its unwelcome way into our life.
D. New guarantee of escape for the coming wrath 5:9
Because justification eliminates the issues of judgment for sin we are assured acceptance and peace with God as well as escape from the wrath that will come upon all those still bent on justifying themselves. Facing a holy God no longer need be a dreaded prospect but a delightful expectation. For the justified believer it is a blessed hope.
E. New assurance of complete salvation 5:10
None of us are perfect by any stretch of the imagination. God is still working in us even now. Having been justified and reconciled to God we are assured that he will finish the job and we shall be completely saved by His present work in us because he ever lives to make intercession for us.
F. New excitement concerning our newly discovered reconciliation 5:11
Paul talks about a sense of exultation and excitement in the possibilities associated with an unblocked relationship with God. The bridge between a sinful creature and a holy Creator has been bridged by justification. The implication is that we have reconciliation and God is on our side. We are no longer facing wrath but the loving nurture of our Heavenly Father.
G. New heritage and connection to Christ’s righteous life 5:12-21
Our connection to Adam brought only death, judgment and condemnation, bondage to death, and a sinful nature whereas our transfer into the line of Christ through justification brings grace, righteousness and justification, authority over death and abundance in life, as well as a new righteous nature.
H. New identity with the death and resurrection of Christ 6:1-14
Paul wanted the Roman believers to understand that justification translates into a monumental spiritual transformation. God so links us to His Son that His death to sin becomes our death to sin. His resurrection into newness of life becomes our resurrection into newness of life. We are not the same at the moment of salvation.
This is a spiritual reality that must become part of our everyday thinking.
We must continually remind ourselves that we died and were raised again with Christ. We are to reckon ourselves then dead, unresponsive, un-obligated to sin and alive to God. We are to continually refuse to let sin rule in our members any longer because that is not really who we are at our newly created core. Rebellion against God is no longer the dominate drive in our new life. We are to resist consciously presenting our members as a weapon of the enemy for sin. Rather, we are to continually render ourselves and every aspect of our being to God as those who have been rescued from the darkness and provided the wonderful opportunity to live in the light.
I. New Master 6:15-23
Whereas sin once dominated everything we did, we have died to the old master and are attached to a new master. It is inconceivable to consider returning to the bondage from which we were so lovingly rescued at such a great cost. Serving sin pays wages; death whereas the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ.
J. New relationship to the law 7:1-13
Paul talks about a new relationship to law. Before, the law demanded absolute obedience in order to maintain relationship. Since no one could obey, the law really could only condemn. The law couldn’t make us holy it could only tell us where we failed to live up to the standard of God. Trying to keep the law was enough for the law demand absolute conformity or suffer the consequences. One life sentence is all that is necessary. After that, any other sentence is of no consequence. Since we have been credited with the perfect righteousness of Christ and have been reconciled to God and raised in newness of life, our present focus is no longer on keeping the law in order to restore relationship. Our present focus is enjoying open and compelling relationship with the God who loved us and gave his only son to restore relationship and we now begin to walk in the ways of God as a natural consequence of the relationship and the enabling presence of the Holy Spirit. We now “serve in the newness of the Spirit.”
K. New struggle with the old identity 7
Our newly resurrected core however comes into deadly conflict with the old patterns ingrained by being related to Adam as well as years of living in the darkness. We find ourselves battling to live righteous even though in Christ we are righteous. Our new core longs to follow the ways of God as something desirable and right. Yet there is an old drive also operating within us which gets its way more often that we would like. Paul carefully identifies the struggle as a struggle between the desires of the newly created core (the inner man) and the principle of sin which still operates in our members. Even though he often ended up doing things contrary to the law, he refused to identify with those desires but continually embraced God’s ways. Paul found his identity with the new man. This struggle was so painful and heart-wrenching that he viewed it as carrying around a dead body tied to him and cried for deliverance. He declared that deliverance from the struggle comes through Jesus Christ by the work of the Spirit in the inner man.
L. New life of victory by the work of the Holy Spirit 8:1-30
All of chapter eight describes a seven-fold work of the Holy Spirit in every believer that enables us to walk in victory over the flesh.
1. The Holy Spirit eliminates condemnation
Even though the struggle to live according to God’s law continues, God does not condemn us. The law of the Spirit who has given us new life has set us free from the law of sin and death and fulfilled the requirements of the law for those who have been justified by faith in Christ and no longer walk by the flesh but by the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of life. The dread of death and condemnation is eliminated because He gives us eternal life.
2. The Holy Spirit establishes new life in our spiritual growth.
Those who still function according to the flesh are not believers and cannot please God by means of the flesh. Only those who have been justified and now operate on a spiritual level can please God. Those in whom the Spirit dwells are not in the flesh any longer. It is that Spirit who gives life not only to our spirit but will also give life to our mortal bodies.
3. The Holy Spirit also eradicates our obligation to the flesh.
We are no longer under any obligation to satisfy the screams of the flesh demanding its own way. The Holy Spirit enables us to put to death the deeds of the flesh and experience life on a higher level than we thought possible.
4. He echoes our sonship and elucidates our future inheritance
The Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are dearly loved and specially chosen children of God. We are no longer enemies and strangers, alienated from God but precious children. Such affirmation causes us to cry out, “Abba Father!” or “Daddy!”
5. He encourages us in present suffering 8:18-25
Since we are not fully experiencing our promised inheritance and heritage as sons of the living God, there is an inner groaning and pain longing for the culmination of what God has promise to all who believe. The Holy Spirit enables us to hold on to hope even when things seem hopeless.
For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? Romans 8:24
6. The Holy Spirit edits our prayers 26-30
In our suffering we are confused as to how to even pray at times. We might be tempted to pray for the wrong things or things that will harm instead of help. We might not even muster the energy to pray. God has given us His Holy Spirit to pray to the Father according to the will of God on our behalf. The Holy Spirit translates or edits our prayers in accord with God’s will (He knows the will of God) so that what God hears is for our best.
M. Conclusion 8:28-31
Paul summed up his thoughts on all the wonders of God’s work by affirming the goodness of God’s will for those he has called. God has determined to work all things for our good and His glory. God is for us and therefore there is no one or no thing that can thwart his great plan for us. There is absolutely nothing that can break the relationship and love that God has for us.
III. Israel and the path to righteousness 9-11
Having written about this glorious gospel to all who believe both Jew and Gentile alike Paul reflected on his own countrymen and why many had refused to embrace Christ. He asserts that there is nothing wrong with the word of God but not all Jews have been chosen and especially they are lost because they have not chosen to believe. The path of salvation is clear. God SENDS preachers of the good news so that people would hear and believe.
PREACHERS preach the WORD OF TRUTH having been sent by God to preach. People HEAR the word of truth preached. Many who hear BELIEVE what they hear preached CALL on Christ.
that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, "WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED." Romans 10:9-13
Paul finishes this train of thought regarding salvation and Israel with an assurance that God was not finished with Israel. He was convinced that a great future harvest of believing Jews would yet come.
IV. Think and Live righteously in light of our gift of Christ’s RT 12-15
Not only are there a multitude of implications that accompany the good news of salvation but there are some very specific applications in light of the new life God promises. If God has done such a work, it should make a difference in how we actually live.
A. Think and live dedicated to God
If God has done a work on the inside it should eventually become evident on the outside to those who live around us. Paul touches on some areas of transformed living based on renewed thinking. Transformed living does not happen until there is renewed thinking. Therefore, Paul begins this section by urging his readers to first completely dedicate their bodies and then dedicate their souls to continual transformation by the continual renewal of their thinking. He urged them to stop letting the world dictate how to live and let God renew their thinking to the point where their living actually changes. Paul touches on some specific live changes that generally accompany salvation. He briefly addresses some vital areas of life that should show changes in thinking and living.
B. Think and live godly concerning the body of Christ 12:3-10
God has designed the body to function with many members tied to one body where, even though each one has a distinct function, each one is vitally interconnected to the others. We must not think that we can go it alone or that we have no contribution.
Each one should faithfully employ their special measure of gifting and faith for the good of the body. We must also demonstrate genuine love toward one another.
A love that abhors what is evil while tenaciously clinging to all that is good.
A love that builds friendships and accepts one another as a blood relative
A love that actually competes at demonstrating honor and value
C. Think and live according to divine purpose 12:11
This is actually the core of the whole section on application. Paul addresses the pattern, power and purpose of life and love. In regard to diligence we should not be lazy (Pattern)
In regard to the Holy Spirit we are to be boiling over (Power)
In regard to the Lord we are to consider ourselves as bondslave. (Purpose)
Keep pressing forward
Let the fire of the Spirit blaze and the rivers flow.
Gladly serve the Lord’s agenda with all our heart.
D. Think and live right in turbulent times 12:12
1. In regard to hope - rejoicing
Maintain an eternal perspective in the midst of temporal problems!
2. In regard to tribulation - enduring
Never give up!
3. In regard to prayer -- persisting
Pray persistently!
E. Think and live right concerning the needy
1. Meet needs by sharing personal resources
2. Meet needs by sharing warm hospitality
F. Think and live right regarding difficult people
1. Speak well, not ill 12:14
2. Identify with their circumstances
3. Apply the same standard you use for yourself
4. Don’t think yourself better but be willing to work with others.
5. Don’t be a know it all.
6. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone ever!
7. Give thought to what is good for others.
8. Live in peace by all means possible if at all possible.
9. Never avenge yourself
a) Let God do His thing to them.
b) Let us do good things for them.
10. Don’t be conquered by the evil but conquer the evil by doing the good
G. Think and live right regarding God-given authority 13:1-7
1. God ordains government
2. Government serves God’s purposes
a) Reinforce and reward good work by praise
b) Restrain evil work by punishment
3. Submit to God’s government
4. Practical application
Pay - Obey -- Pray
H. Think and live right regarding genuine love of your neighbors 13:8-9
1. Love is a continuous debt
2. Love is the fulfillment of the law
3. Love does no wrong to a neighbor
I. Think and live right regarding lifestyle in light of Christ’s return 13:10-14
1. Perceive the times
a) Its already past time to wake up
b) The culmination of our salvation is even closer
c) The day of the kingdom of light is near
2. Practice the truth
a) Put off the deeds of darkness - put on the armor of light
b) Behave properly as in the day not the night
(1) Avoid aimless pursuits -- carousing and drunkenness
(2) Shun shameless pursuits -- sexual immorality and sensuality
(3) Stop selfish pursuits -- dissension and jealousy
c) Put on Christ -- disregard the flesh
J. Think and live right regarding differences in service to God 14:1-15:12
V. Closing Personal Matters 15:13-16:27
Conclusion
Have you received God’s gift of righteousness? Have you been justified by faith? Have you allowed God to restore a record of righteousness in your life by replacing your pathetic record with Christ’s perfect record of righteousness in your book cover? So that when God pulls up your life up on the screen, not only is there no record of any record of nonconformity to His standard, but a record of absolute conformity appears. This is the only means by which relationship with God can be restored and a place in heaven reserved for you. If you are taking chances on your own work, all it takes is one infraction and one failure to do the right thing to condemn you before God’s ultimate judgment who will judge not only deeds but the very motives of men’s hearts. Do it today.
To those who have experienced God’s wonderful salvation work, my challenge for you today is to take some time to come to understand all that God has actually done on your behalf. Understand your new standing with God. Understand your new identity with Jesus. Enter into your new identity with the Holy Spirit. Renew your thinking leading to transformed living and reflect your new nature?
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Ephes. 2:10
Have you dedicate your bodies a living sacrifice holy and pleasing to God? Paul expected that we would live differently in light of the glorious work of grace continually being offered in our life by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Have you given up on life change?
Let us commit ourselves anew to the word of God so carefully preserved for our good where we can find teaching, reproof, correction and instruction in righteous living that the person of God may become mature fully equipped for every good work God calls us to do.
Man shall not life by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
The joy of being right with God
