His Love Ministries

ROMANS 4:9-12 RELIGIOUS RITUALS CANNOT SAVE YOU

Romans 4:9 Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. 10 How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. 11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also, 12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised.
Abraham Justified before Circumcision
• Religious rites cannot save you
Ro 4:9 Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness.
Paul is anticipating the Jews response to everything said so far. They would ask if Abraham was justified by faith alone, then why did God command him and his descendants to be circumcised?
His response answers not only the question about circumcision, but all other questions about clinging to some other kind of religious ceremony or activity as a basis for righteousness
Uncircumcised... the Gentiles or any one other than the Jews
Ro 4:10 How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised.
The order of events in Genesis prove that Abraham was circumcised at least 14 years after God declared him to be righteous
Gen 15:6 And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.
Gen 16:16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.
Gen 17:10 "This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised;
Gen 17:24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
The argument of vv. 9-10 is that since Abraham was justified before he was circumcised (at least 14 years earlier, 29 years by rabbinic calculations), circumcision and being a biological descendant of Abraham (or any manner of inclusion in the nation of Israel) is not the issue as far as receiving the blessing of justification is concerned. What is at issue is expressed in vv. 11-12
Ro 4:11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also, Ro 4:12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised.
Addresses the Gentiles first(uncircumcised) so as to let the Jews know faith is the priority
Circumcision was a sign of righteousness, not the cause
His circumcision was a sign (certificate of authenticiy) of what he already possessed. This point would have encouraged Paul's Jewish readers, who made so much of circumcision, to keep it in its proper place as secondary to faith.
As a sign, it was evidence that he belonged to God and believed His promise. As a seal, it was a reminder to him that God had given the promise and would keep it.
sign of the covenant... a sign that one was of line of Abraham, but the symbolism had to do with the need to cut away sin and be cleansed. It symbolized the need for cleansing which would reverse the wickedness of man. Every time a baby is conceived, we have just produced another sinner.
Sign of the covenant... a sign that one was of line of Abraham, a health benefit, but the symbolism had to do with the need to cut away sin and be cleansed. It was the male organ that which most clearly demonstrated the depth of our wickedness because it carries the seed which produces wicked sinners. So it symbolized the need for cleansing which would reverse the wickedness of man
It was a sign just as Baptism is today. It is the OT equivalent of the NT Baptism. A sign to others that we have trusted in the cleansing of sin by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross to get us into Heaven and nothing else.
Seal... an outward demonstration of the righteousness credited to him by faith
A seal is the guarantee, it shows the authenticity of something like on a college degree.
a seal on a legal document means it is a finished contract,
It also means security.. We are secure in Christ
Hebrews 6:19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil,
Authenticity… It’ real
Ownership…He owns us
Authority and power
Abraham did not receive circumcision as a result of his obedience to the Torah, nor is genuine membership in the people of God based on works, religious rites, or inclusion in the nation of Israel. This is what John 1:12 says
Joh 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
1Co 1:17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.
Gal 3:7 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.
In verse 12 Paul has only one group in mind—Jews who believe. His argument is that Abraham is not the spiritual father of any Jew who is circumcised, and yet has no faith. Rather, he is the spiritual father of every Jew who has faith—the kind of faith, that is, that Abraham had while he was still uncircumcised.
This final comment about “the faith our father Abraham possessed when he was still uncircumcised” emphasizes a faith that has no desire to rest on the rite of circumcision or any other foundation (e.g., works) other than God’s grace and mercy.
What are you believing in to be saved? Your works, keeping the law, I am a good person or some other ceremony such as Baptism, confirmation, communion, ... What can wash away my sin, nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Idea: Accept God’s Gift of Righteousness by Faith Alone
I. Don’t Trust Your Works (4:1-8)
A. God Doesn’t Justify People by Works (4:1-3)
B. God Justifies the Ungodly by Faith (4:4-8)
II. Don’t Trust Religious Rites (4:9-12)
Lessons
1. First, the use of Genesis 15:6 to demonstrate an essential NT doctrine, i.e., justification by faith apart from works, demonstrates the essential, salvational unity between the testaments. Thus the OT can be read with profit by any Christian—a fact Paul appeals to later in Romans 15:4.
2. Second, and in keeping with the overarching theme of promise, is that justification is by grace through faith involving no merit of our own. This passage affirms that we are unable to save ourselves and that grace is our only hope. This being the case, the observance of religious rites, such as circumcision, communion, confirmation, or baptism, for that matter is of no value in securing a relationship with God.
3. Third, this passage, through the use of Abrahamic traditions, affirms the offer of salvation beyond the confines of Israel. Those who become Christians by faith participate in the Abrahamic promise and are children of Abraham.
4. Fourth, this passage teaches that an essential element of justification involves the forgiveness of sins.

ROMANS 4:4-8 ARE YOU SAVED BY WORKS OR BY FAITH?

Romans
4:4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. 5 But
to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his
faith is accounted for righteousness, 6 just as David also describes the
blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: 7
"Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are
covered; 8 Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin."
 v4-5
Paul broadens the argument to include all men. If a man works to earn
righteousness then a debt is owed by God to man, but as we saw in Eph 2:8-9
that salvation is a free gift given by a sovereign God in whom is supreme power
and authority over all the world and universe.
He
is contrasting faith with works and showing that faith must put an end to all
attempts to earn salvation through works.
Justifies
the ungodly .... only those who give up all claims of righteousness and
acknowledge they are ungodly(sinners) are candidates for justification by God
through faith.
Luke
5:32 "I have not come to call the
righteous, but sinners, to repentance."
David Justified by Faith v-6-8
v-6
Paul now turns to David for support of this argument of righteousness through
faith alone, in Christ alone, by God's grace alone.
v-7-8
Psalm 32:1-2 read through v-5
This
is a Psalm in which David is telling about the forgiveness of the sin which
occurred in 2Sam 11. David coveted Bathsheba, then committed adultery with her
and lastly murdered her husband Uriah.
2Sam
12:13 -14 So David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD."
And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall
not die. 14 "However, because by this deed you have given great occasion
to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die."
Each
of these sins that David committed were by themselves worthy of the death
penalty under the Law
 

ROMANS 4:1-3 ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS ACCOUNTED TO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS

Romans
4:1 What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the
flesh?  2 For if Abraham was justified by
works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the
Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for
righteousness."
Chapters
4-7 in Romans are the key issues which face all believers
In
Romans 3:21 and 3:28 Paul has stated God's position on how a man is saved and
now in Romans 4:1-12 Paul uses two illustrations to prove it.
Abraham,
Issac, and Jacob were regarded by the Jews as not having sinned against God
3
times Abraham is called God's friend:2 Chron 20:7, James 2:23 and
Isaiah
41:8  "But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have
chosen, The descendants of Abraham My friend.
Charles
Hodge points out that Abraham was the centerpiece of the Jews position of
righteousness by works. He was known to them as the father of faith. He was
believed to have kept the whole law. They even believed that the Torah or the
Jewish law had been given before the foundation of the world for Abraham's
sake.
1.
Abraham Justified by Faith
V-1
John 8:39 They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is our father."
Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do the
works of Abraham.
v-
2 If Justified by works he has something to boast about
Eph
2:4-10
1Corinth
1:26-31
The
law was not given until the time of Moses...several hundred years later after
Abraham's death
Gal
3:1 7 And this I say, that the law,
which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that
was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no
effect. 18 For if the inheritance is
of the law, it is no longer of
promise; but God gave it to Abraham
by promise.
v-3
Abraham believed...
Gen
26:3-6 "Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to
you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath
which I swore to Abraham your father. 4 "And I will make your descendants
multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these
lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; 5
"because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My
statutes, and My laws." 6 So Isaac dwelt in Gerar.
We
know that Abraham lied twice about his wife Sarah
Genesis
20:2 Now Abraham said of Sarah his wife, "She is my sister." And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and
took Sarah.
Gen
12:13  "Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with
me for your sake, and that I may live because of you." To Pharoah in Egypt
Gen
15:4-6  And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, "This one shall
not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your
heir." 5 Then He brought him outside and said, "Look now toward
heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them." And He said
to him, "So shall your descendants be." 6 And he believed in the
LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.
Accounted
or imputed is a financial or legal word that means to take something that
belongs to someone else and credit it to another's account. God took his own
righteousness and credited it to Abraham as if it were his because Abraham
believed. This word is used 9 times in chapter 4 alone.
What
did Abraham believe?
1.    
Went
out not knowing where he was going Hebrews 11:8
2.    
Promise
of a son even though he and Sarah were past childbearing age.
3.    
All
nations will be blessed through Abraham 
Gen 12:3
4.    
Promises
in Gen 22:18 of a blessing through a single descendant; Not just a son, but
Jesus Christ
Gal
3:16 Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say,
"And to seeds," as of many, but as of one, "And to your
Seed," who is Christ.
John
8:56-58 "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad." 57  Then the Jews said to Him, "You are not
yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?" 58 Jesus said to them,
"Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."
5.    
God
could resurrect his son Issac through whom all the promises were given since he
was an only child of Abraham and Sarah. Ishmael was born of Hagar his handmaid
and is the ancestor of all the Arabs who constantly cause Israel trouble today.
Genesis
22:9 Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham
built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac
his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched out
his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the Angel of the LORD
called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" So he said,
"Here I am." 12 And He said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or
do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not
withheld your son, your only son,
from Me."

ROMANS 3:25-31 GOD’S GLORY IN THE CROSS

Romans
3:25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to
demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over
the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time
His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has
faith in Jesus. 27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of
works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is
justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. 29 Or is He the God of the
Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also,
30 since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the
uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then make void the law through faith?
Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.
 The
worldly spirit of self-ism is perhaps the major reason most Christians are not
aggressive in witnessing to the lost. It is the reason the church, for the most
part, is not moving out into the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. The
Christian who is primarily concerned about his own comfort and blessings, even
his spiritual blessings, does not have his focus on God. Consequently, his life
will not be directed toward fulfilling God’s Great Commission.
In
the summer of 1865, Hudson Taylor became tremendously burdened for the land of
China. His biographer reports that he also became greatly troubled about the church
he was attending in Brighton, England. As he looked around the congregation he
saw pew upon pew of prosperous bearded merchants, shopkeepers, visitors; demure
wives in bonnets and crinolines, scrubbed children trained to hide their
impatience; the atmosphere of smug piety sickened him. He seized his hat and
left.
“Unable
to bear the sight of a congregation of a thousand or more Christian people
rejoicing in their own security, while millions were perishing for lack of
knowledge, I wandered out on the sands alone, in great spiritual agony.” And
there on the beach he prayed for “twenty-four willing skillful laborers.”
(Stott, p. 24)
Out
of that prayer eventually came the China Inland Mission. Due to that ministry
and others like it, there are reportedly twenty-five million to perhaps fifty
million believers in China today, despite its officially atheistic government.
God
could use men such as Henry Martyn and Hudson Taylor because their attention
was not focused on their own interests but on God’s.
Salvation
is first and foremost a way of glorifying God. The fact that it saves men from
hell and gives them eternal life, marvelous and wonderful as that is, is
secondary to the glory of God. The cross of Jesus Christ had the most dramatic
effect on mankind in[1]
 The greatest lie in the world, and the lie
common to all false religions and cults, is that, by certain works of their own
doing, men are able to make themselves acceptable to God. The greatest error in
that belief is its sheer impossibility. But the greatest evil of that belief is
that it robs God of His glory.
His Name Praise Him 19 TimesGlorify God 6
Timesglory of God
17 timespraise of God
2 timespraise of His
glory  3 timesThe cross exalts God through
His righteousness
The death of Christ then is for God, it
propitiates God, it satisfies God.
Two, it puts His righteousness on display. who
believed."
The Reasoning by God v27-3127 Where is boasting then? It is excluded.
By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith.After explaining God’s provided
righteousness for sinners, Paul considered five questions (in Gr.) which he
anticipated his readers might ask. Two are in verse 27, two in verse 29, and
the other in verse 31. The first is, Where,
then is boasting? [1]If
salvation is through the Law, then men can boast; but the principle of faith
makes it impossible for men to boast. The swimmer, when he is saved from
drowning, does not brag because he trusted the lifeguard. What else could he
do? When a believing sinner is justified by faith, he cannot boast of his faith,
but he can boast in a wonderful Savior.[1]The cross exalts God through His graceEverything was designed by God and achieved through
Jesus Christ. Therefore, the cross is all grace. You look at the cross, it's all grace. There's no works
there. Verse 24, "Justified as a gift by His grace." It's about faith
and grace. It's a gift of grace, all we do is believe. We make no contribution.28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by
faith apart from the deeds of the law.V28 Justified by faith... Nothing in my
hands I bring, only to thy cross I clingEphesians 2:8 and 9, "For by grace are you saved through
faith, that not of yourselves, it's a gift of God not of works lest any man
should boast." At the cross His integrity is put on display
that He might be glorified.29 Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He
not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, 30 since there is
one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through
faith.Does God have two standards?No. Look, if salvation is by faith, if it's by faith
that levels everything because even the people who don't have the Law can
exercise faith. If the Law is not what saves, then the Jews don't have any
advantage in salvation. V29-30 Prejudice is excludedHere is Paul's answer to the Jews who might
say that is okay for Gentiles since they do not know the law, but not the JewsThe cross puts God's
holiness on display31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly
not! On the contrary, we establish the law.The purpose of the Mosaic Law is fulfilled and its place
in God’s total plan is confirmed when it leads an individual to faith in Jesus
Christ (cf. v. 20; Gal. 3:23–25). Paul repeatedly affirmed that faith, not
works of the Law, is the way of salvation. He wrote the word “faith” eight
times in Romans 3:22–31! (See vv. 22, 25–28, 30 [twice], and 31.)[1]Ga 3:21-26Do
we then nullify the law through faith?" Because salvation is by faith do
we nullify the Law? And the Greek, the strongest negative, "May it never
be, no, no, no, no way, impossible, outrageous, on the contrary we establish
the Law."Listen,
if salvation by faith meant that God didn't care about His Law, He wouldn't be
holy, right? All God's Law is is a reflection of His holiness. The cross
displays His holiness. How? Because His holiness demands a sacrifice. His
holiness demands a payment for the violation of His Law. So it is at the cross
where His holiness is satisfied. It is also at the cross where sinners are
converted and regenerated so that we can now as new creatures by the power of
the Holy Spirit, Romans 8, fulfill the law. We aren't saved to ignore the Law,
we are saved to fulfill the Law. And we say with David, "O how I love Your
Law." We love the Word, we long to obey.The Law is on display at the cross. It is the Law that
brings you to the cross. The Law was never designed to save, it was designed to
show you how sinful you are. It's the Law that brings you there so everyone who
is ever saved is affirming the glory of the Law. And being saved you now then
affirm the glory of the Law not because it showed you your sin, but now because
it shows you how to live and you have the power by the Spirit to live according
to the Law. And that all happens because Jesus dies the death the holy Law
requires. The law then is confirmed in every way at the cross and therefore the
holiness of God is confirmed.V31 through faith we establish the law. Salvation by
grace through faith shows the true importance of the law byProviding a payment for the penalty of sin
By fulfilling the law's original purpose which was it was to be a
tutor which showed us our inability to keep the law and drive us to Christ
It gives us the ability to obey the law
 Up to that time
the Jews kept the law out of fear of God, that day is gone. Now we are to keep
the law not out of a fear of punishment, but out of love for God and his
amazing mercy
Many times we are stopped from doing wrong because of
the fear of hurting those we love
Think, sin is not so
much breaking God's law as it is breaking God's heart
The
cross exalts God four ways: His righteousness, His grace, His consistency, and
His law.

ROMANS 3:25-26 GOD’S DEMONSTRATION OF HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS

Ro
3:25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to
demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over
the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time
His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has
faith in Jesus.
 The
Righteousness of God v 25 -26
Forbearance... in Romans
2:4 we saw this spoke of a truce between two warring parties and that God
rather than destroying us the first time we sinned he graciously and patiently
holds back judgement so that we might have a chance to repent and be saved
Passed over sins: doesn't
speak of God ignoring sin, but withholding judgement for a period of time since
every sin requires punishment
Psalm 78:38-40 But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, And did not destroy them. Yes, many a time He turned His
anger away, And did not stir up all His wrath; 39 For He remembered that they were but flesh, A breath that passes
away and does not come again.40 How often they provoked Him in the wilderness, And grieved Him in the desert!
Acts 17:30  "Truly, these times of ignorance God
overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent,
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness,
but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all
should come to repentance.
In the OT sins were
temporarily paid for by an animal sacrifice and It might have appeared that God
did not take sin seriously, but the cross removed all doubts
To
demonstrate the righteousness of God was shown by Jesus' incarnation (God
taking on a human form), his sinless life, and substitutionary death
That
he might be just and the justifier: God in his infinite wisdom set in place a
plan that would allow Him to punish Jesus in the place of sinners and thereby
justify undeserving sinners without compromising his standards of Justice
Notice
in verses 25-26 that the phrase to demonstrate or declare His righteousness is
repeated(emphasis)
The
Reasoning by God v27-31V27-28
Boasting is excluded by the law of faith
1Corinth1:28 and the base
things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the
things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29  that no flesh should glory in His presence. 30
But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God----and
righteousness and sanctification and redemption---- 31 that, as it is written,
"He who glories, let him glory in the LORD."
V28
Justified by faith... Nothing in my hands I bring, only to thy cross I cling
There
was a certain kind of Judaism which tried to keep accounts with God and finally
come to a point where they felt God owed them and then they could go to heaven
Faith
is a self-emptying, self-denying and casting all our hope of Heaven on Christ
and Him alone
This
reasoning allows God to get all the glory which he deserves
V29-30
Prejudice is excluded
Here
is Paul's answer to the Jews who might say that is okay for Gentiles since they
do not know the law, but not the Jews
Deut 6:4 "Hear, O
Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is
one!
V31 through faith we
establish the law Salvation by grace through faith shows the true importance of
the law by
·       1. Providing a payment for
the penalty of sin
·       2. By fulfilling the law's
original purpose which was it was to be a tutor which showed us our inability
to keep the law and drive us to Christ
·       3. It gives us the ability
to obey the law
 Up to that time the Jews kept the law out of
fear of God, that day is gone. Now we are to keep the law not out of a fear of
punishment, but out of love for God and his amazing mercy
Many times we are stopped
from doing wrong because of the fear of hurting those we love
Think, sin is not so much
breaking God's law as it is breaking God's heart
 

ROMANS 3:21-24 BUT NOW THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD APART FROM THE LAW IS REVEALED

Romans
3:21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being
witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God,
through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no
difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being
justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
 Man's
so called quest for God has gone down so many roads, The Jews have said you
need to keep the Law. Most of the other false religions of the world say you
have to do works or good deeds to get into Heaven, some say you keep coming
back until you get it right and then you can attain a release from this world.
So
what is it that allows a man to be acceptable in God's sight, what is it that
can remove the penalty of the law, what is it that makes a person's entrance
into Heaven a sure thing.
False
religion says do and God says it is done
Verses
21 -26 are probably the most important words ever written
Donald
Grey Barnhouse drew a heart over these verses in his Bible and said this
passage was not only the heart of Romans, but the heart of the NT and the whole
Bible.
 1.    
The
Righteousness from God apart from the Law 
v21-23
V21
Now we come to the great BUT Now of God's Righteousness apart from law revealed
1ST
of all, this but now signals the start of a new train of thought and 2nd
it also show that in this current period of time that the righteousness of
Christ has been revealed
Having
shown the impossibility of gaining righteousness by human effort, Paul now
turns to explain the righteousness that God himself has provided.
Philippians
3: 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge
of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and
count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having
my own righteousness, which is from
the law, but that which is through
faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
Being
witnessed to by the Law and the Prophets:
Deut
18:18 `I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren,
and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I
command Him. 19 `And it shall be that
whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him. 20 `But the prophet who
presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak,
or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.' 21 "And
if you say in your heart, `How shall we know the word which the LORD has not
spoken?' -- 22 "when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the
thing does not happen or come to pass, that is
the thing which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it
presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.
V22  Through Faith......all who believe
Acts
10:43 "To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever
believes in Him will receive remission of sins
Charles
Spurgeon said faith is believing Christ is what he said he is, He will do what
he said he promised he will do and then to expect this of Him.
v-22-23
No difference..all fall short of the glory- All 
men of all races cannot meet the standard of complete perfection(glory
of God)
1
Corinthians 11:7  For a man indeed ought
not to cover his head, since he is
the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man.
This
righteousness is available to all who believe
All
have sinned- Paul is restating what he has already proved in Rom 1:18-3:20
Nowadays
preachers who speak of the sinfulness of man are looked down on, because they
are always speaking of how bad man is and how you are going to hell, they
forget the fact that the whole reason this is done to show man a better way of
living. It is living based on what God has done and can do with us if we let
Him run our lives. Saying man is a sinner is not just to make him feel bad
about himself, but to make him realize what he can be through God. The motive
is a good one.
2.    
The
Justification by God   v24
Justification
is a word from the law courts which 
speaks of a man on trial before God
This
word means not to make a person something he is not, but to treat him as if he
was that. To reckon or account to him something he does not deserve. If an
innocent man appears before a judge then to treat him as innocent is to acquit
him
 Justification means that even though man is
thoroughly guilty that God in his amazing mercy treats him, reckons him,
accounts him as if he were innocent.
When
Paul says that God justifies the ungodly he means that God treats the ungodly
as if he were a good man. This is what shocked the Jews, they thought this was
a sign of a wicked judge
That
is why the Bible says in Mark 10:15 and Luke 18:17  "Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does
not receive the kingdom of God as a little child
will by no means enter it."
We
must come to the Lord as a little child who comes to his mother brokenhearted
and sorry for the wrong committed and asking for forgiveness, knowing as a
mother who loves her child will receive that child in love and forgive him.
Before
Christ there was judgement, now there is Justification
Numbers
21:7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, "We have sinned, for we
have spoken against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD that He take
away the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people. Numbers 21:8
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is
bitten, when he looks at it, shall live." Numbers 21:9 So Moses made a
bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten
anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
John
3:14-20
Freely
....
this is the word gratis or without charge
Rev
22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears
say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him
take the water of life freely.
By
his grace: the unmerited favor granted to undeserving sinners
It
is not merely a free gift, but a free gift to those(us) who deserve exactly the
opposite given to us while we are without hope and without God.
Redemption
is a commercial term. It was used in the OT to speak of purchasing the freedom
of a prisoner or slave for the purpose of setting them free. Jesus' death,
blood sacrifice, and the wrath of God poured out on Him while he was on the
cross is the price that was paid to set us free.
Leviticus
25:50 Thus he shall reckon with him who bought him: The price
of his release shall be according to the number of years, from the year that he
was sold to him until the Year of Jubilee; it
shall be according to the time of a hired servant for him.

ROMANS 3:13-20 THEREFORE BY THE DEEDS OF THE LAW NO FLESH WILL BE JUSTIFIED IN HIS SIGHT

Romans
3:13 "Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced
deceit"; "The poison of asps is under their lips"; 14
"Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness." 15 "Their feet
are swift to shed blood; 16 Destruction and misery are in their ways; 17 And
the way of peace they have not known." 18 "There is no fear of God
before their eyes." 19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to
those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world
may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh
will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
 We see the
Wickedness of the tongue of man in v 13-14V13
This expresses the filth of human speech and the rottenness that comes from
within as a grave is sealed to keep the stench or smell in.
They
have practiced deceit: They lie and cheat and show themselves to be sons of the
devil who is the father of all lies
John 8:44 "You are of
your father the devil, and the
desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning,
and does not stand in the truth,
because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
The
poison of asps: They lie about their neighbors and ruin their good names
Asps
are small and so is the tongue, yet they cause much harm to those who feel
their bite
V14
Cursing refers to wanting the worst for someone, expressing it publicly in
nasty derogatory or cutting language
Bitterness
is the public expression of open hostility towards ones enemy
James
3:2-12 - Even the saved sometimes have problems controlling the tongue
The
Wickedness of the Conduct of Man v15-17V15
The words are cited from #Isa 59:7, and seem to point at the times of
Manasseh, who shed so much innocent blood, as to fill Jerusalem with it from
one end to the other. - No regard for life
V16
The word destruction means to rub together or crush and it shows that they live
only to destroy others and make them as miserable as they are
V17
the ways of peace they have not known: They are constantly fighting and in
their lives are in turmoil (the dictionary describes this as confused motion)
they don't know what they are doing.
A man
is never more miserable than when he is a slave to his sins, it is its own
punishment.
NO
God, No Peace, Know God and Know Peace
V18
No fear of God:
Proverbs
1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction
A
Man's true spiritual condition is seen very clearly by the fact that he doesn’t
have a proper submission and reverence for God. Biblical fear consists of an
awe of God’s greatness and glory and the dread of the results of the
consequences of ignoring God's Holiness.
The
Wickedness of Man Condemned v19V19 1st
a man is convicted by the Law. The standard is complete perfection. The
evidence against man is overwhelming. We cannot keep the Law
2nd
Man is condemned by the Law: 
Romans
3:2 The Jews have the written law of God, which came by Moses
The Gentiles have the law
of God written on their Hearts
 Romans 2:15 who show the work of the law
written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between
themselves their thoughts accusing or
else excusing them) 16 in the day
when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.
The
Wickedness of the Works of Man V20
The standard is complete perfection: No man can keep all the commandments
perfectly,
The
law was written to show us our need for a Savior
Galatians 3:10 For as many
as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written,
"Cursed is everyone who does not
continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do
them." 11 But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall
live by faith." 12 Yet the law is not of faith, but "the man who does
them shall live by them." 13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the
law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"),
14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus,
that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
You see no one ever saw
the evil of human nature more clearly than Paul did; yet this evil was not a
call to hopelessness but a challenge to hope. Paul believed in original sin and
the depravity of human nature. But that doesn't mean he despaired of human
nature.
Once when William Jay of
Bath was an old man he said my memory is failing but there are two things I
shall never forget, that I am a great sinner and Jesus Christ is a great
Savior.
Paul never underestimated
the sin of man and he never underestimated the redeeming power of Jesus Christ
Once when William Roby was
preaching he despaired because of his lack of success and wished to quit
preaching. Mr. DL Moody reproved him when he asked him are they then too bad to
be saved. Paul believed that no man was too bad to be saved. If Christ could do
it for him he could do it for any man.
 

ROMANS 3:9-13 THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, NO, NOT ONE

Romans 3:9 What then? Are we better than
they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they
are all under sin. 10 As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not
one; 11 There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. 12
They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is
none who does good, no, not one." 13 "Their throat is an open tomb;
With their tongues they have practiced deceit"; "The poison of asps
is under their lips";
 V9 could refer to the Jews
being better than the Gentiles or the Christians being better than the
unsaved.  But we are no better than the
unsaved because, but for the Grace of God we would be in the same state and be
headed for hell for eternity.
Jews and Greeks are all
under sin- this word under means to be in the power of or under the authority
of sin. Until we are saved we are completely enslaved and dominated by sin.
V10-12 are quoted from
several OT texts:
Verses #10-12 come from
#Ps 14:1-3, and 53:1-3. The first half of #13 from #Ps 5:9, the second half
from #Ps 140:3; verse #14 from #Ps 10:7; #15-17 from part of #Isa 59:7; verse
#18 from #Ps 35:1.
Paul is quoting verses
10-18 from memory, so they are not exact quotations of the verses. He is using
a common technique the Jewish Rabbis used called stringing pearls.
4 times in v 10-18 Paul
says there is none, God is including everyone in these passages, twice he says
no, not one and then lastly he says there is no fear of God
Paul is going to describe
in verses 10-18 the Wickedness of the character, the tongue and the conduct of
man.
V10 As it is written: This
is a common introduction to a quotation of OT verses and it also implies their
divine authority.
1.    Paul now talks about the
Wickedness of the character of man
None
is righteous: Man is incapable of doing that which is right in the sight of God
Ps 14:1The fool has said
in his heart, "There is no
God." They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who
does good. 2 The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see
if there are any who understand, who seek God. 3 they have all turned aside,
They have together become corrupt; there
is none who does good, No, not one.
Ps 14:2 clearly implies
that all false religions are man's attempts to escape the true God
V11 There is none who
understands:
1Corinth 2; 14 But the
natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are
foolishness to him; nor can he know them,
because they are spiritually discerned.
Our natural tendency is to
seek our own interests
Phil 2:21 For all seek
their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus.
But our only hope is for
God to seek after us, because it is only a result of God seeking us that anyone
seeks him
John 6:44 "No one can
come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.
If
men really understood how bad our sin is, how Holy our God is, what the
difference between heaven and hell are, and at what cost God provided our
salvation we would be in a hurry to be saved
V12 Turned
aside: this word basically means to lean in the wrong direction, it was used of
a soldier who deserted in a fight.
Isaiah 53:6 All we like
sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD
has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
2.    Next we see the Wickedness
of the tongue of man in v 13-14
V13
This expresses the filth of human speech and the rottenness that comes from
within as a grave is sealed to keep the stench or smell in.
They
have practiced deceit: They lie and cheat and show themselves to be sons of the
devil who is the father of all lies
John 8:44 "You are of
your father the devil, and the
desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning,
and does not stand in the truth,
because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
The
poison of asps: They lie about their neighbors and ruin their good names
Asps
are small and so is the tongue, yet they cause much harm to those who feel
their bite

ROMANS 3:5-8 AND WHY NOT SAY, "LET US DO EVIL THAT GOOD MAY COME"?

Romans 3:5
But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we
say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? (I speak as a man.) 6 Certainly not! For
then how will God judge the world? 7 For if the truth of God has increased
through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? 8 And why
not say, "Let us do evil that good may come"? --as we are
slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is
just.
 In verses
3:5-8 Now Paul answers the objection that his teaching speaks against the
holiness and purity of God's character
1.   
Objection 3 
If our unrighteousness shows the righteousness of God then isn't it
unjust for God to punish our sin
V-5
demonstrates the righteousness of God
If the unrighteousness of the Jews gave occasion for God
to call the Gentiles then why are the Jews so blamed and criticized
Jude
4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for
this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and
deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
The diamond
is often laid on a black cloth to make it appear even more beautiful
I speak as a
man-- Paul is emphasizing the fact that this unbiblical train of thought comes
from unregenerate or corrupt minds
V-6 Certainly
not...If God condoned sin then He would have not right and fair way of Judging
all men
Genesis 18: 25 "Far be it from You to do such a thing as this,
to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the
wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do
right?"
2.    Objection
4 If the truth of God's glory and faithfulness has increased through my lie or
sin then why am I judged as a sinner…. Luke 7:47
V-7 Charles Hodge --according to this reasoning, says
Paul, the worse we are the better. For the more wicked we are, the more clearly
will the mercy of God be seen in our pardon
V-8 Unfortunately some had perverted the Gospel Paul
preached. They argued that it not only provided a license to sin, but
encouraged them to do so.
This argument is called Antinomianism if we are saved by
grace alone through faith alone, by Christ alone,  totally apart from works then why does it
matter whether we live a righteous life or not. Isn't it good that we sin since
God will be given even greater glory as our Saviour? If you are a real Christian
you will hate sin, and be angry when you and others sin. You will feel bad
because you have sinned.
Men will use any excuse to justify their sin
1 John 4:8 He
who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
Exodus 34:7 "keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving
iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty,
But Paul says that your sin is not justifiable in any
way and God who is righteous and holy will judge it.

ROMANS 3:1-4 WHAT IF SOME DID NOT BELIEVE?

Romans 3:1 What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the
profit of circumcision?  2 Much in every
way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God. 3 For what if
some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without
effect? 4 Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is
written: "That You may be justified in Your words, And may overcome when
You are judged."
 In this chapter are an answer to several
objections which follow one upon another, 
relating to what the apostle had said concerning the equality of the
Gentiles with the Jews; and various proofs out of the Psalms and Prophets,  showing the general depravity and corruption
of mankind,  of the Jews as well as of
the Gentiles; and the conclusion from all this, 
that there is no justification by the works of the law, but by the
righteousness of God received by faith, 
of which a large and clear account is given. The first objection is in Romans 3:1, and is taken from the
unprofitableness of being a Jew and a circumcised person, 
Since Paul has been saying that the Jew and Gentiles are
on equal footing or stand equally before God he asks and answers a series of
questions remove any objections some might bring up
Deuteronomy 33:29 Happy are you, O Israel! Who is
like you, a people saved by the LORD, The shield of your help And the sword of
your majesty! Your enemies shall submit to you, And you shall tread down their
high places."
1.    
Objection 1 
If Jew and Gentile stand on equal ground then what advantage then has
the Jew
V-1 What advantage then has the Jew, or
what is the profit of circumcision?
Psalms 147:19 - 20 He declares His word to Jacob, His
statutes and His judgments to Israel. 20 He has not dealt thus with any nation;
And as for His judgments, they have
not known them. Praise the LORD!
V-2 Much in every way
Rom 9:4-5 who are Israelites,
to whom pertain the adoption, the
glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; 5 of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.
 the oracles, scriptures, promises, and sayings
of God - oracle is the word which we get logos or the Word (the words or utterances of God
The OT word contains the truth about
salvation and also the basics of the gospel
The Jew had the advantage of the special
revelation of God's law. Yet this could not save him because he could not keep
it. The law increased his responsibility but demonstrated his inability to live
up to God's standards.
Psalms 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; 8 The
statutes of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
1Peter 1:23 - 25 having been born again, not of
corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and
abides forever, 24 because "All flesh is
as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass
withers, And its flower falls away, 25 But the word of the LORD endures
forever." Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.
2Timothy 3:15 and that from childhood you have known the
Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith
which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is
given by inspiration of God, and is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for
every good work.
2.    
Objection 2      Does the unfaithfulness of man make God's
faithfulness of no effect
v-3 What if some did not believe
Isaiah 55:5 Surely you shall call a nation you do not
know, And nations who do not know you
shall run to you, Because of the LORD your God, And the Holy One of Israel; For
He has glorified you." 6 Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon
Him while He is near.
 v-4 Is God's faithfulness diminished by our
unfaithfulness. God Forbid.
Paul knew that the Jewish leaders would
disagree with the statements that God has not guaranteed to fulfil his promises
to every physical descendant of Abraham. But Paul would say that before any Jew
can inherit the promises that he must first come to repentance and faith.
Paul knew the Jewish leaders would try to
make others believe that he was saying God had abandoned the Jews since they
had been entrusted with many promises and the word and were not transformed by
them
Can man change the natural laws of the
planet? The sun coming up, the moon rising, gravity working, the seasons
changing,
No and man cannot change a God who made
promises to the Jews and us that will be fulfilled in response to our belief
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday,
today, and forever.
Let God be true or found true.
As it is written: quoted from Psalms 51:4
When
David sinned with Bathsheba and committed adultery and murder, God sent Nathan
to confront him in about this sin in 2Samuel 11-12 and rather than try to make
God out a liar he confesses his sin. David says he has done evil in God's
sight(in other words he agrees with God)
Psalms 51:3 or I acknowledge my transgressions, And my
sin is always before me. 4Against
You, You only, have I sinned, And done this
evil in Your sight--That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge.

ROMANS 2:25-29 WHAT DO YOU CLING TO AS A SIGN OF YOUR CHRISTIANITY?

Romans
2:25 For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are
a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26
Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law,
will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? 27 And will not the
physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who, even with your
written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law? 28 For he is not
a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the
flesh; 29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the
heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from
God. (NKJV)
External
Religion cannot replace righteous living
Circumcision is of no avail or the impossibility of rituals
pleasing God
Paul starts to remind his readers that religion without a
heart change is useless
Many today think that because they were baptized as an
infant or an adult, take communion, have been through confirmation, do good
deeds, done more good than bad, or many other things the Bible does not say, they
are going to heaven
v-25 Every male Jew was circumcised as an infant.
Gen 17:10-14 It was a sign that one was of the covenant
community
Romans 4:11 shows that circumcision was a sign of
righteousness
Paul's credentials or resume is in Phil 3:3-7
Profitable- it was profitable if done as an act of obedience
and as a reminder of the covenant relationship with God.
Uncircumcision - If a Jew continued to break the law had no
more of a saving relationship than an uncircumcised Gentile. It was no more
than an outward symbol if there was no heart relationship with God
Circumcision went from being a rite or solemn religious
ceremony practiced in the home to a ritual or practice that had no meaning. It
was done because it was required not because of the love for GOD
V28-29
Deuteronomy 10:16 "Therefore circumcise the foreskin of
your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer.
Colossians 2:11 In Him you were also circumcised with the
circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the
flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,
The true mark of
God’s child is not an outward symbol, such as circumcision, but a godly
condition of the heart.
Ga 5:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor
uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.
Ga 6:15 For in Christ Jesus neither
circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.
The Gospel of Christ demands an inward change: “You must
be born again” (John 3:7). It is not obedience to a religious system that will
allow one to pass the test when Christ judges the secrets of men’s hearts. It
is the Gospel of Christ that is God’s power unto salvation, both to Jew and
Gentile (Rom. 1:16). If a person has never believed the Gospel and received
Christ, then he or she stands condemned. The Jews, with all their religion and
legalism, were (and are) just as much under sin as the Gentiles—and more so,
because to them were given greater privileges and opportunities to know the
truth
 Lessons
It is possible to think you are okay with God by
what you sayIt is possible to think you are okay with God by
what you doYour walk should match your talk
if you are truly a Christian

ROMANS 2:21-24 DOES YOUR WALK MATCH YOUR TALK

Ro
2:21 You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who
preach that a man should not steal, do you steal?22 You who say, "Do not commit
adultery," do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob
temples?  23 You who make your boast in
the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law?  24 For "the name of God is blasphemed
among the Gentiles because of you," as it is written.
 
V21-23
Paul asks a series of questions designed to show the difference between what
the Jews knew and what they practiced
v-21
First he asks do you practice what you preach
Matt
23:1-5 Pharisee's taught it but did not practice
Then
he speaks of three sins that were in abundance among the Jews
Stealing
- Psalms 50:16-21 ungodly God does not want them teaching his covenant, stealing
Matt 23:14-15 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour
widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will
receive greater condemnation. 15 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is
won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
James 1:27  Pure and undefiled religion before God and
the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble,
and to keep oneself unspotted from
the world.
v-22  Adultery - Malachi 3:5  And I will come near
you for judgment; I will be a swift witness Against sorcerers, Against
adulterers, Against perjurers, Against those who exploit wage earners and widows
and orphans,
Rob temples  - Acts 19:37 
"For you have brought these men here who are neither robbers
of temples nor blasphemers of your goddess.
V
23 Paul goes back to verse 17 and mentions again their boasting in the law and
yet you break God's law and dishonor Him
John
MacArthur says that since it was impossible to keep the law perfectly some of
the rabbis began teaching that learning the law was sufficient, then some
claimed that possessing the law in the form of scrolls was sufficient and
lastly some taught that the Jews were safe from Judgement because they were
God's chosen people to be the receivers and custodians of the law
V
24 quoted from Isaiah 52:5
Blaspheme means
to be evil spoken of, reviled, railed at
This means the
Jews were not speaking evil of God but that the Gentiles were speaking bad
about God, His Word and Christianity because of What they taught vs what they
practiced.
Psalms
1:1-6
Matt 23:27
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like
whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full
of dead men's bones and all
uncleanness. 28 "Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but
inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. 33 "Serpents, brood of
vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?
 
Circumcision
of no avail or the impossibility of rituals pleasing God
Paul
starts to remind his readers that religion without a heart change is useless
Many
today think that because they were baptized as an infant they are going to
heaven
 
We
minister to people who are locked up in one way, shape or form:  nursing homes (in bodies that don't
function);  jail, prison or youth
detention centers;  and those addicted to
drugs, alcohol and depression.

ROMANS 2:17-20 THE JEWS PROFESSION OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

Romans
2:17 Indeed you are called a Jew, and rest on the law, and make your boast in
God,  18 and know His will, and approve
the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, 19 and are
confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are
in darkness, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the
form of knowledge and truth in the law.
V2:17-20 We see the Jews profession (What they believed and
thought they were doing for the world) 
Paul says all this to show that what he is about to say is not said out
of his ignorance of them
You who rest or rely on the law( the law referred to the
first 5 books of the Old Testament  and
also the Psalms, Proverbs, and prophets which had been given to the Jews up to
that time
The Jews not only had the law, they trusted its truth and
believed it and did not study anything else.   
The problem is not believing, which they only did mentally.
They did not believe in their hearts and with their emotions that this was for
them. They thought they had it all.
James 2:19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe----and tremble!
Make your boast in God- Because they were called the people
of God and had been chosen as his vessels of revelation of God and His Word
they thought they had the market on God and there was nothing else to be done
Growing up in church - Pastor or Missionary parents will not
get you into heaven
V-18 To know his will- means to know what is
agreeable to God (what is right, wrong, commanded by Him, what He approves of,
prohibits, and what God rewards. The Jews had an awesome knowledge of God
The word approve means to recognize as
genuine after examination and refers to the Jews ability to know right from
wrong
The word instructed is the word we get
catechism from
Catechism is to instruct orally, especially
by repetition
The Jewish boys memorized large portions of
scripture they had head knowledge of God not heart
2Tim 3:7 always learning and never able to
come to the knowledge of the truth.
v-19 confident that you are a guide to the
blind, a light to those who are in darkness,
Jesus tells them in these verses they are
blind
Matt 13:13-15
v-20 an instructor of the foolish,
A teacher of babes,
 Having
the form of knowledge and truth in the law.
The word form is morphosis which means
external appearance of knowledge and truth 
To the outsider they looked good but to God all their works was nothing,
it was not from the heart
2Tim 3:5 having a form of godliness but
denying its power. And from such people turn away! 6 For of this sort are those
who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with
sins, led away by various lusts, 7 always learning and never able to come to
the knowledge of the truth.
Head knowledge of God is not Heart Knowledge
and it will not save you
Matt
3:7-9 But when he
saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them,
"Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8
"Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, 9 “and do not think to say to
yourselves, `We have Abraham as our
father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from
these stones.
Luke 18:10-14 Pharisee and tax collector be
merciful to me a sinner
It is no new thing for evil to be masked as Light in the
darkness, Sometimes the one who promises the most to help you is your worst
enemy and will destroy you if he can
2 Corinthians 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan
himself is transformed into an angel of light.
 

ROMANS 2:12-16 GOD WILL JUDGE ALL OF US ONE DAY

Romans
2:12 For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and
as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law  13 (for not the hearers of the law are just in
the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; 14 for when
Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these,
although not having the law, are a law to themselves, 15 who show the work of
the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and
between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) 16 in the day
when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.
 V11-15 Judgement according to
Impartiality
Acts 10:34-43 is the key
V-12 Sinned in the law, judged by the
law
Luke 12:41-48 Faithful steward-- those
having greater knowledge fall into greater judgement
V-13 will be justified
James 1:22-26
You can't have real faith without
works, deeds and fruit
James 2:14-26 says faith without works
is dead but I will show you my faith by my works
V-14 by nature do the law--without
Scripture men naturally know right from wrong and establish laws based on this
natural knowledge
Law unto themselves-- the practice of
some good deeds and the avoidance of some evil ones shows they know there is a
God.
A knowledge which will witness against
them in the day of judgement
John 5:45-47
V-15 their thoughts accusing or else
excusing
1 Tim 4:2 speaking lies
in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,
Eph 4:17-19.
If we want to do something bad enough
we can always justify our actions somehow
1.   
V16 Certainty of Judgement
Secrets refers to the motives of men
·      
Secret
sins will be revealed
Psalms 139:1 LORD, You
have searched me and known me. 2 You
know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. 3
You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word on my
tongue, But behold, O LORD, You know
it altogether.
Psalms 140:1 Deliver me,
O LORD, from evil men; Preserve me from violent men, 2 Who plan evil things in their hearts;
·      
Secret
service will be rewarded
1Corinth 4:5 Therefore
judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to
light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then
each one's praise will come from God.
Acts 17:31 “because He
has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the
Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him
from the dead."
Rev 20:11-15

ROMANS 2:8-11 THE GOODNESS OF GOD LEADS YOU TO REPENTANCE PART 2

Ro
2:8 but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey
unrighteousness--indignation and wrath, 9 tribulation and anguish, on every
soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; 10 but
glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first
and also to the Greek. 11 For there is no partiality with God
 V8 & 9 Three characteristics of an
unbeliever
·      
Self seeking
·      
Do not obey the truth
·      
Obey unrighteousness
Job
24:13 "There are those who rebel
against the light; They do not know its ways Nor abide in its paths.
4 results of unbelief or the wages of
sin a wage is payment for something you did
·      
Indignation or anger of God
·      
Wrath... anger shown by punishment from
God
·      
Tribulation...affliction, trouble,
persecution being put under pressure
·      
Distress... narrowness of place,  a narrow
place, dire calamity,  extreme affliction
To the Jew 1st and Greek
Amos 3:1 Hear this word that the LORD has spoken against
you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the
land of Egypt, saying: 2  "You only
have I known of all the families of the earth; Therefore I will punish you for
all your iniquities."
V11 Judgement according to
Impartiality (Not favoring another, being fair
when called on to give judgment has no
respect of the outward circumstances of man and so does not prefer,  as the more worthy,  one who is rich, high born, popular, or
powerful,  to another who does not
have these qualities)Look back at v 6 this is how they are
judged
Mt
28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them,
saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 “Go
therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 “teaching them to observe
all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
God does not play favorites
Acts 10:34-43 is the key

ROMANS 2:4-7 THE GOODNESS OF GOD LEADS YOU TO REPENTANCE

Romans
2:4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and
longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?  5 But in accordance with your hardness and
your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of
wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who "will render
to each one according to his deeds": 7 eternal life to those who by
patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality;
 1.   
V4 &  5 Judgement according to opportunity
Forbearance
is God holding back the judgement we deserve rather than destroying us the
moment we sin
Longsuffering
is sending kindness and withholding judgement or being slow to send it
God
gives us a chance to be saved by repenting.
Repentance is a change of mind, as it appears to one who
repents, of a purpose he has formed or of something he has done
V5
Hardheartedness or being unrepentant - comes from the word sclerosis as in
arteriosclerosis which is a hardening of the arteries 
Here the danger is not physical but spiritual hardness
A hardened heart can disable you permanently for eternity
Psalms 95:8 Harden
not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
Treasuring (or storing) up wrath... to reject God's offer of
forgiveness and clinging to your sin will earn you more severe judgement
2.   
v6 - 10 Judgement according to deeds or
works
V6 This verse shows the right or just judgement of God
1John 1: 5 -8
1John 3:2-11 Says if we abide in him we purify ourselves, we
can't habitually sin, we love the brethren
v7 &10 These are the redeemed or saved in these verses
·      
The
saved are the object of his favor
Those who by patient continuance
1 Corinthians
9:25 And every man that strives for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now
they do it to obtain a corruptible crown;
but we an incorruptible.
Those who have a holy ambition
Those who are patient in well doing
They run the race with endurance
Hebrews
12:1-3
Next
we see the product of his favor which are also the goals of every believer
Glory the
wonderful condition of blessedness or sinlessness and perfection which is
appointed and promised that true Christians shall enter after their Savior’s
return from heaven
Honor is the privilege of being in
heaven...we are precious to God because are bought and paid for by him when he
died on the cross for our sin
 Immortality or eternal life in heaven
John 17:3
"And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and
Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
Not only length of life but quality also. No sin, sickness,
sorrow, pain, suffering, loneliness

ROMANS 2:1-3 YOU WHO JUDGE ARE INEXCUSABLE

Chapter 2:1 Judgment according to Knowledge
The Therefore
connects Chapter 1 with 2 and speaks to the Gentile’s sin – the problem is, however, that the Jew and other hypocrites somehow think
he is exempt from God judging him in accordance with that same truth. Thus
he thinks that when he commits the same sins he will somehow escape the
judgment of God!
The
apostle now warned them that they had indeed "practiced" the same
things (v. 1). He seems to have been thinking as Jesus did when our Lord
corrected His hearers' superficial view of sin (e.g., Matt. 5—7). Evil desires
constitute sin as well as evil actions.
Jews who judge
Gentiles hypocritically are without excuse since they practice the same sins
and will also be judged by God in accordance with knowledge and the truth
The Jew who judges Gentiles has no excuse because at the
same point at which he judges another he condemns himself. Why? Well, when he
judges, he admits that such behavior is wrong, and worthy of just punishment
from God, yet he himself knowingly commits the same sins
          Self
righteousness exists because we minimize God's moral standards
Because we underestimate our own sinfulness
Verses 2 & 3 Judgment according to Truth or
Righteously
1Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at
the height of his stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as
man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the
heart."
Psalms 9:7 But the LORD shall endure forever; He has prepared His throne for
judgment. 8 He shall judge the world in righteousness, And He shall administer
judgment for the peoples in uprightness.
          The first
principle by which God judges is that He judges righteously (v2). He judges on
the basis of what really exists, not what merely appears to be.
Paul’s point is that since God’s
judgment is based on truth and not on any fudging of the grades for the sake of
the “chosen” crowd, the Jew is equally held accountable to God. They cannot
condemn others for their sins when they practice the same ones. The Jew of
Paul’s day knew and approved of the fact that God’s judgment is in accordance
with the truth, yet he failed to apply it to himself because, in his zealous
criticism of obvious Gentile sin, he failed to similarly apply God’s revealed
standard to his own life. Paul’s says that God’s impartial judgment extends to
the covenant people as well. When it comes to God’s judgment against sin, we
must all examine our lives, for we have a tendency to throw the first stone,
all the while conveniently forgetting that we all live under the same rules that others do.

ROMANS 1:22-32 PROFESSING TO BE WISE, THEY BECAME FOOLS

Romans
1:22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,  23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible
God into an image made like corruptible man--and birds and four-footed animals
and creeping things. 24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the
lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who
exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature
rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. 26 For this reason God
gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use
for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use
of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing
what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which
was due. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God
gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29
being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness,
covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit,
evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent,
proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31
undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing
the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are
deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice
them. (NKJV)
 The Ignorance in v 21, leads to Idolatry
v 22, which leads to impurity v 23
The word wise is the Greek expression
that describes a cultured and learned man skilled in letters. It is the word
from which we get sophisticated, philosophy, and philosopher.
The word fool is the word moron which
means one who has had the opportunity to receive the truth of God and has
deliberately rejected it.
Psalm
14:1 The fool has said in his
heart, "There is no God."
They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good.
Mythology
and idolatry have resulted from man's need to identify some power greater than
himself and his refusal to acknowledge God as that power. Men and women have
elevated themselves to God's position (cf. Dan. 2:38; 3:1; 5:23). In our day,
humanism has replaced the worship of
individual
human leaders in most developed countries. Man has descended to the worship of
animals as well (cf. Ps. 106:20). This is perhaps more characteristic of third
world countries.
"This tragic process of human
'god-making' continues rapidly in our own day, and Paul's words have as much relevance
for people who have made money or sex or fame their gods as for those who
carved idols out of wood and stone.
The expression God gave them over means
that the process envisioned in 1:18-32 is not simply the natural course of
events but an ongoing history directed by a sovereign God who makes decisions
which affect people, societies, and cultures. The thought is truly a frightful
one. It is reminiscent of Pharaoh turning his back on God and God hardening his
heart (Exod 9:16; cf. Rom 9:17).
How can a loving God send men to hell?
He will only when men consistently
reject God, then He will abandon them
If people really want their sinful lifestyles, then the
awesome reality is God will give them over to it. As C. S. Lewis as aptly
remarked, “There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God,
‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, ‘Thy will be done.’ All that
are in hell chose it.” The point is, that although Paul is not talking about
hell here, and indeed there is still hope for these people, there is
nonetheless a continuum between their present existence and their future. If a
person really wants God out of their thoughts, as these people most definitely
do, Love has decided to provide a place in the end where they can choose to go
and never have to think about him again.
God only gives men over after He has
shown Himself to us clearly
God doesn't cause our downfall, the
natural law of consequences does
God cannot abide in the presence of
sin, that is why he abandoned his son (Jesus) on the cross at Calvary while He
was bearing and suffering for the sins of the whole world
Verse 25 is a good definition of idolatry
To believe the lie--
2Thessalonians 2:9 -12 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working
of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10  and with all unrighteous deception among
those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they
might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that
they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not
believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
V 26 For this reason God gave them up
Why ....... look back at verse 25
What God gave them up to
Vile Passions.. Homosexuality.. Even
the women lusted for one another.
Paul shows the extent of the moral
collapse by telling us first that the women who are usually the last to be
affected by this kind of sin have fell totally and completely from any moral
standards.
This is why Sodom and Gomorrah were
judged
V28 God gave them over......man
comes to the point where he totally rejects any knowledge of God
He gave them over to a debased mind or reprobate
mind in the Greek means not passing the test
Often used to describe useless,
worthless, metals discarded because they contain too much impurities or trash
in them.
God has tested man's mind and found it useless and worthless.
And
the idea of knowledge always means
“moral or religious knowledge” in the NT. The point Paul is making, then, is
this: Men and women tested the idea of God and having concluded that he would destroy their freedom (after
all, he is the powerful Creator who
has a legitimate claim on all his creation) made the conscious choice to dispel
him from their thinking.
These people no longer have the ability to know right from
wrong
v-29-31 Paul now goes through a list of
words that describe Shameful Human Character, Shameful Human Conduct and
Shameful Human Conversation
In this world it is getting where more and more that right
is wrong in the majority of people's eyes and wrong is right. Our leadership is
just a reflection of our nation with our sins totally uncovered and in our face
for the whole world to see.
There are two
lessons in Romans 1
1.    Because all have sinned only the grace
of God can keep us from living the way these people have in Romans 1
2.    The opposite of sin in Romans 1 is the
power mentioned in v16 of the Gospel of Christ unto Salvation.

ROMANS 1:18-21 THE WRATH OF GOD IS BEING REVEALED

Romans
1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and
unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because
what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen,
being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and
Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God,
they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their
thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
 The reason for human guilt 1:18
The
downward spiral of man from sin to idolatry is shown from verses 18-32
1st
of all man knows God in verses 18-20
Next
he fails to glorify God in verses 21-23
Then
man changes the truth of God into a lie in verses 24-25
Lastly
man rejects any knowledge of God at all in verses 26-32
The
downward spiral of man from sin to idolatry is shown from verses 18-32
1st
of all man knows God in verses 18-20
Next
he fails to glorify God in verses 21-23
Then
man changes the truth of God into a lie in verses 24-25
Lastly
man rejects any knowledge of God at all in verses 26-32
Ro 1:18 For the wrath of
God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men,
who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
The wrath of God is not
some sudden outburst of anger or impulsive thing; it is a predetermined and
rational act of a righteous God against sinful man.
It is revealed or more accurately constantly revealed. The
word means to uncover to make visible or make known
God has revealed His wrath
as well as His righteousness (v. 17) from heaven in the gospel.53 As Paul would
explain, the unfolding of history also reveals God's hatred toward sin and His
judgment of sin. The moral devolution of humanity is not just a natural
consequence of man's sinning but also a result of God's judgment of sinners.
The final judgment of sin will occur in the end times, but already God is
pouring out His wrath against sin to a lesser degree (cf. Eph. 5:6; Col. 3:6).
Paul described wrath as revealed from heaven because it comes from God who is
in heaven.
"God's wrath is his
divine displeasure with sin. We call it 'wrath' because it shares certain basic
characteristics of human wrath. But because it is God's wrath it can have none
of the sinful qualities of its human counterpart.
God has two ways he reveals his wrath
1.   
Indirectly through natural consequences of
violating his moral law
Galatians 6:7 Be
not deceived, God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap.
8 For he that sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but
he that sows to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 9
And let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap,
if we faint not.
2.   
Directly through his personal intervention
or his decisive changing of events so that a price is paid for sin
·      
The sentence passed on Adam and Eve
·      
Sodom and Gomorrah
Deuteronomy
29:23  the whole land brimstone and salt,
and a burnt-out waste, unsown, and growing nothing, where no grass can sprout,
an overthrow like that of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the LORD
overthrew in his anger and wrath--
·      
The Flood
2 Peter 2:5 
and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly;
 The
wrath of abandonment which is removing all restraint and letting people go to
their sins
Psalms 81:11 "But my people did not
listen to my voice; Israel would have none of me.12 So I gave them over to
their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels.
This is what God is doing
in this section of scripture:
The
wrath of God is revealed against
The
sinfulness of man
1st
in Ungodliness which is a lack of respect, devotion and true worship of God
2ndly in Unrighteousness which is a result
of Ungodliness means injustice toward other human beings
That is, their sinful
transgressions against God and their corrupted behavior exhibited within human
relationships. In short, all of human life is polluted with sin.
We
see it in any attitude or action that is not loving. Together these two words
show humankind's failure to love God and other people as we should, which are
our two greatest responsibilities (Deut. 6:5; Lev. 19:18; Matt. 22:37-39).
Verses 19-27 demonstrate man's ungodliness, and verses 28-32 show his wickedness.
The "truth" refers to truth that people know about God (cf. v. 25).
They suppress this truth by their wickedness.
Further, people suppress or hinder the
truth  by their unrighteousness Here
“unrighteousness” is not so much a general reference to the way in which they
suppress the truth, but a reference to the sinful acts themselves which are
used to hold the truth from one’s sight. Nothing could be more futile than to
think that we can extinguish or destroy the truth through the means of sin. In
the end, all we end up doing is confirming the truth.
The reason for his wrath
is because of their
·       Unrighteousness is a lack of conforming to
the law of God with our thoughts words and our deeds
·       Suppressing 
revealed truth
But
what truth do they suppress? Undoubtedly it refers to the truth about God,
i.e., his power, authority, and the fact that we are accountable to him as
Creator (1:19-20
Even
though God has revealed Himself through their conscience, creation and God's
word they still choose to resist and oppose God's truth so they can live in
sin.
Whenever the truth starts
to exert itself and makes them feel uneasy in their moral nature, they hold it
down, suppress it. Some drown its voice by rushing on into their immoralities;
others strangle the disturbing voice by argument and by denial.
Next
we come to the age old question of is a person lost who has never heard the
Gospel of Jesus
"Napoleon,
on a warship in the Mediterranean on a star-lit night, passed a group of his officers
who were mocking at the idea of a God. He stopped, and sweeping his hand toward
the stars, said, 'Gentlemen, you must get rid of those first!'
Missionaries from all over the world testify
that they find no atheists or people who do not believe in God even in the most
primitive tribal settings. There is always a belief in a god whether it is a
correct belief or not.
All
of us have a conscience and a sense of morality whether we choose to obey it or
not. We know wrong from right.
Why they are without excuse
Because, Even though they
Knew God
1.   
They did not glorify God.... Scripture
constantly demands it
Lev
10:3 Then Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD meant when he said,
'Through those who are near me I will show myself holy, and before all the people
I will be glorified.'" And Aaron was silent.
2.   
They were not thankful
3.    They became futile in their thoughts or in
other words they tried to  find meaning
in life by dreaming up ways to be satisfied without GOD
Therefore,
to suppress the knowledge of God is to engage in the futility of idolatry.
4.    Their foolish hearts were darkened
John 3:19 "And this is the
condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness
rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
If man will respond to the light or
revelation of God he has been given, even if he is in the middle of the jungle,
God will crash a plane and parachute a missionary in to him so that he can hear
the gospel and be saved.
Every one of us has a God shaped vacuum that
we try to fill with things such as money, drugs, alcohol, love, power, or sex.
1Jo 2:16 For all that is in the world--the
lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the
Father but is of the world.
 
 
 

ROMANS 1:14-17 THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH

Romans
1:14 I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to
unwise. 15 So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who
are in Rome also. 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is
the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and
also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from
faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."
 Flow of thought with the three I am statements
I am a debtor v14
So, because I am a debtor, I am eager v 15
I am eager, For or Because I am not ashamed v 16
Because I am not ashamed, why, it is the power of God v
16
Negatively I am not ashamed, Positively, I am eager to
share the gospel
It is a debt to humanity he needed to repay and
obligation, (he had been given a stewardship) and it is the Power of God to
everyone who believes (He had a sense of conviction because he knew if the
Gospel could change him it could change anyone.
1.            
He was not ashamed of Christ, the person of
the Gospel – even though Jesus was a Jew
Jews were a
despised minority and Rome was a mighty and proud city 2.   
The
nature of the gospel is that it is the power of God ........without that power
it is but a dead letter
3. The aim of the gospel is salvation, not
ashamed because of the plan of the Gospel
4.            
The gospel is for everyone who believes...
Believes means an ongoing condition not a one-time event of belief. True faith
is a way of life.
5.            
Saving faith consists of three elements:
·      
Mental - The mind understands the gospel and
truth about Christ
·      
Emotional - one embraces the truthfulness of
those facts with sorrow over sin and joyfulness over God's mercy and Grace
·      
A volitional or voluntary submission of the
sinners will to Christ and trusts in Christ alone as the only hope of
salvation.
V17 the
revelation of God's righteousness - Better
translated the Righteousness from God
·      
The gospel is the revelation of God's
righteousness through faith that He is just and holy and we are guilty sinners
·      
Justification of believers means God
absolves or removes the consequences of our sin which is accomplished by
Propitiation
·      
The gospel is the Propitiation or legal
payment for our sins which is why Jesus had to die on the cross. The legal side
had to be paid. There is no remission of sins without the shedding of blood.
 Salvation is of God's appointing, of God's
approving and God's accepting
To cut off all claims to a
righteousness resulting from the merit of our own works
Now Paul quotes Habakkuk
2:4 The just shall live by faith
This verse summarizes the Gospel
The Law was given to Moses
in 613 precepts or rules of conduct
In the 15th
Psalm they are reduced to 11
In Isaiah 6 ........Micah
to 3 ........then again Isaiah reduces them to 2 and finally Habakkuk condenses
them into 1 rule
The words " The just
shall live by faith" are found 4 times in the Bible, Habakkuk 2:4, Romans 1:17,
Galatians 3:11, and Hebrews 10:38
God established Abraham as
the pattern of faith in the OT and thus calls him the father of all who believe
OT faith was in a Christ to come and NT faith is in the
fact that Christ has already come

ROMANS 1:11-13 FOR I LONG TO SEE YOU, SO THAT YOU MAY BE ESTABLISHED

Romans
1:11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so
that you may be established-- 12 that is, that I may be encouraged together
with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. 13 Now I do not want you to be
unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you (but was hindered until
now), that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other
Gentiles.
 1.   
Paul wants to establish the Romans
V11For I long to see you, that I may
impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established
“I long to see you!” This is the pastor’s heart in Paul the great missionary.
Some of the saints in Rome were very dear to Paul, such as Priscilla and Aquila
(Rom. 16:3–4), who risked their lives for him; “the beloved Persis” (Rom.
16:12); and others who had labored and suffered with Paul. But he also loved
the believers that he did not know, and he longed to be able to share some
spiritual gift with them. He was looking forward to a time of mutual blessing
in the love of Christ.
Paul
wanted to give them God's blessings through his preaching, imparting of
knowledge that they would become rooted and grounded in the faith with deep
spiritual knowledge so they would grow in service to the Lord Jesus.
1Peter 5:2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving
as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but
eagerly; 3  nor as being lords over those
entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock;
2.            
Paul wants to encourage
the Romans and be encouraged by them
V12 that is, that I may be encouraged
together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me
He is thinking generally about God
imparting a spiritual blessing (i.e., encouragement; cf. 15:4) to the church
while he is fellowshipping with them in Rome. Through his presence with them
and the blessing worked by the Holy Spirit the church would be strengthened in
their faith, and fortified in their resolve to live obedient lives for Christ
(6:12-14).
Shows the humility of Paul
- none of us knows so much that we cannot benefit from others
Hebrews
10:24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good
works,25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you
see the Day approaching.
Paul
was comforted by the strong faith of the Romans
Proverbs
27:17 As iron sharpens iron, So a man
sharpens the countenance of his friend.
3.            
Paul was hindered from
going to see the Romans
Ro 1:13 Now I do not want you to
be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you (but was hindered
until now), that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the
other Gentiles.
Why
is someone who wants to do the will of God sometimes hindered or stopped from
doing it?
Four reasons we can be
hindered
1.    Sometimes hindered from advancing to the
next stage of God's will because the current
stage is
not complete or in other words God is not finished in this area yet.
Paul wanted to come before
but he had been hindered or kept from doing by an unfinished obligation to
preach the Gospel of God in Greece and Asia Minor
Romans
15:20-23 20 And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ
was named, lest I should build on another man’s foundation, 21  but as it is written: "To whom He was
not announced, they shall see; And those who have not heard shall
understand." 22 For this reason I also have been much hindered from coming
to you. 23 But now no longer having a place in these parts, and having a great
desire these many years to come to you,
2.    We are sometimes hindered by Satan
1Thessalonians
2:18 Therefore we wanted to come to you----even I, Paul, time and again----but
Satan hindered us.
3.    We are sometimes hindered by a greater
opportunity
One
time Paul desired to preach the Gospel in Asia Minor (Acts 16:6-7) and he was
prevented by the Lord because the Lord was opening the door into Macedonia Acts
16:9-10
Started
first church in Europe the Philippian Church, it was a beachhead to allow him
to go all over because of its strategic position.
God
often shuts a door to open another one. Today we have the Epistle to the Romans
because Paul was prevented from going to Rome when he desired to.
Re
3:8 "I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no
one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have
not denied My name.
4.    We are sometimes hindered because God is
preparing us for the next work He has for us or God is preparing
people’s hearts and minds and getting things prepared in the area He is leading
us to go next.
What
this means is no matter the hindrance God has work for you to do now wherever
he has placed you. If God is not answering yes to whatever you are praying to
be enabled to do then ask what you can do in the meantime to accomplish His
will for your life. Do not just sit back and wait, continue to do whatever he
has given you to do now and wait on HIM. His timing is perfect.
Concerning
the expression “even as among other Gentiles,” Denney says, “Nothing could
indicate more clearly that the church at Rome, as a whole, was Gentile.”
In
the end it seems best to take “fruit” as a general reference to spiritual
blessing and growth, more in line with its usage in 6:21-22.

ROMANS 1:6-10 PAUL GIVES THANKS FOR THE ROMANS

Romans
1:6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; 7 To all who are in
Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our
Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 8 First, I thank my God through Jesus
Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. 9
For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son,
that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, 10 making
request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to
come to you.
 1.   
The people of Rome
Our practice
always comes from our position or who we are
Note the repetition of the word called: Paul was called to be an
apostle; the believers were the called of Jesus Christ;
They were also called beloved– This
means they are much loved by God, the much loved are those who have trusted
Christ and are also the saints
And they were also called saints. (Not “to be” saints; they already
were saints! A saint is a set-apart one, and the person who trusts Jesus Christ
is set apart and is a saint.) Salvation is not something that we do for God; it
is God who calls us in His grace (2Thes. 2:13–14). When you trust Christ, you
are saved by His grace and you experience His peace.
Saint is a common term for believer in
the New Testament. It refers more to position than condition when used this
way, though the implication of holiness is strong. We are saints even though we
still sin
The salutation reveals the
germ ideas that the writer proceeded to develop later. This feature is also
characteristic of Paul's other epistles. So far Paul said he had a message that
was in harmony with the Old Testament. It was from the risen Christ, and it was
for all people. Furthermore it should lead people to obey God by exercising
faith in Him.
It was common for Paul,
having greeted the recipients of the letter, to move on to a somewhat lengthy
note of thanksgiving and prayer for the church in question (except in Galatians
where he is constrained to move immediately to the question of the gospel).
Such is the case here in Romans 1:8-15.
He Expressed His Care For
Them (Rom. 1:8–15)
1.            
He was thankful for them or Paul praises the
Romans
The personal
pronoun my
reminds one of similar expressions in the Psalms (3:7; 5:2; 13:3; 22:1; cf.
Also Phil 1:3; Philemon 4) and reflects Paul’s deep personal relationship and
dependence on God.
The first thing he wanted to do was to tell them how
thankful he was for their faith and its influence.
Through Jesus
Christ. Christ
is the center of God’s plan for the world: He is the way in which God reached
out to us and the way we in turn approach God
“Paul expressed
his thanks for the Romans salvation and witness in the whole world
Rome was the center of the world and whatever happened there
became known throughout the world
The whole world”— a hyperbole meaning throughout the Roman Empire, meaning the
whole Roman Empire—knew of the faith of the Christians at Rome. Travel was
relatively common in that day and “all roads led to Rome.” It is no wonder that
the testimony of the church spread abroad, and this growing witness made Paul’s
ministry easier as he went from place to place, and was able to point to this testimony
going out from the heart of the Roman Empire.
It was like living
in Washington DC, Las Vegas, and San Franscisco all rolled into one
2.            
Paul prays for the Romans
V9 The statement God…is my witness is a very strong expression, used
by the apostle on other occasions. It probably represents an oath he had taken
to pray for the church with great constancy (2 Cor 11:23; Gal 1:20; Phil 1:8; 1
Thess 2:5, 10). But it is not the frivolous kind of oaths condemned by Jesus
(Matt 5:33-37; cf. Jas 5:12), but is rather Paul’s attempt to communicate his
true love (expressed through prayer on their behalf) for this largely Gentile
church which he had never visited—a fact which may not have gone unnoticed by
the people.
God knows that Paul serves
and worships Christ out of love not legalism or the fear of God
Paul had seen the shallow
hypocritical religion of the Pharisees and the superstitious and pleasure
seeking morality of pagan idolatry
The verb serve is from a Greek verb (latreuo„)
which is connected in the Greek Old Testament (LXX) to ideas of priestly
service and worship. While it may not have the idea of priestly service here,
it definitely suggests imagery pertaining to worship.3
·      
He prays for them always – These saints
were constantly in his thoughts and prayers
We are reminded that the real work of the ministry is prayer.
Preaching is more a result of the ministry of prayer than it is a ministry
itself. A sermon that does not rise from intense and heart-searching prayer has
no chance of bearing real fruit."
3.            
Paul wants to come see the Romans
V10 making
request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to
come to you.
 Paul wants God through his sovereign
will to work it out so that he could go to Rome
God
did later as a prisoner of Rome so that Paul could have a mighty witness for
God
Lessons
1.   
God places a high priority on Faith
2.   
You will never know in this life the
impact you have had on other people

ROMANS 1:2-5 THE PROMISED GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD

Romans 1:2 which He promised before
through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ
our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and
declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness,
by the resurrection from the dead. 5 Through Him we have received grace and
apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name,
 The promise of
Christ through the prophets
V2 The
coming of Christ is the prophesied culmination to a long history of
expectation. Jesus Christ is not an afterthought, but the very realization of
God’s plan for the world, Jew and Gentile. Indeed, Jesus himself is the gospel!
Prophets
were all the writers of the OT
Paul next began to exalt the gospel
that God had called him to proclaim. It was a message that God had promised,
not just prophesied, in the Old Testament Scriptures.
The words "his" and
"holy" stress the unique origin of the gospel.
Paul was accused of preaching a new
message by the Jews
1Peter 1:10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and
searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, 11 searching what, or what manner of time,
the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified
beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.
Joh
5:39 "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal
life; and these are they which testify of Me.
Christ was prophesied of 333 times in
the OT.
2 Sam 7:12-16, Isaiah 1:18, 53:7–8
with the Ethiopian eunuch is a good example, Is 55, and Gen 3:15- first mention
of the Jesus in the OT
Lu 24:25 Then He said to them, "O
foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have
spoken!  26 "Ought not the Christ to
have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?" 27 And beginning
at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things
concerning Himself.
1.   
Paul proclaimed this Gospel was about
Jesus Christ
V3 The reference to Jesus as a
descendent of David according to the flesh functions on two levels. First, it
makes plain that the eternal son of God took on full and complete humanity
(John 1:1, 14; Phil 2:6-11). Second, the explicit link with David is not just
to suggest his humanity, but also to make clear his special relationship to the
line of promise. Jesus met the qualifications of one to whom the promise of 2
Samuel 7:12-16 could be made
The promise in 2 Samuel 7:12-16 is
extremely important in the New Testament and the connection to it is apparent
here (e.g., Matt 1:1; Acts 13:34; 2 Cor 6:18). Nathan tells David, among other
things, that he will never lack a “son” to sit on his throne.
God’s good news concerns His Son,
identified as Jesus Christ our Lord. This asserts Christ’s deity as basic to
His person and prior to His Incarnation
Jesus was born of a virgin and delivered
normally
Jesus was a historical figure written of
by many ancient writers
Roman historian Tacitus in Annals
Jewish Historian Josephus in Antiquities
Pliny the Younger in Letters
Jesus was born of the seed of David,
Mary was his natural parent
Matthew 1:6-16 is Mary's family tree
Luke 3:23-31 is Joseph's family tree
John makes believing Jesus came in the
flesh a crucial test of orthodoxy( or having sound Biblical teachings about
Christ)
1John 4:2-3
Jesus Christ is the center of the Gospel
message. Paul identified Him as a man, a Jew, and the Son of God. He was born
of a virgin (Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:18–25) into the family of David, which gave Him
the right to David’s throne. He died for the sins of the world, and then was
raised from the dead. It is this miraculous event of substitutionary death and
victorious resurrection that constitutes the Gospel; and it was this Gospel
that Paul preached
V4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to
the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. The Gr word from
which declared comes from is the word horizon which means to make distinguish.
Just as the horizon serves as a clear divider between the sky and the earth,
the resurrection of Jesus clearly divides Him from the rest of humanity proving
without a doubt that He is the Son of God
The idea of Jesus’ universal Lordship is often connected in
the New Testament to his resurrection and exaltation to a place of power and
authority (cf. Matt 28:18; Acts 2:36; Phil 2:11
The
term Son of God with power is used about 30 times in the Gospels
"A
man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a
great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on a level with the man who
says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make
your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or
something worse." C.
S. Lewis, Mere Christianity,
Jesus was always the Son of God, but the Father declared Him
to be the Son by resurrecting Him. Jesus did not change in essence—He always
was the Son—but in status and function. God appointed the Son to a new and more
powerful position in relation to the world at the Resurrection (cf.
Matt.
28:18). He is now not only the Messiah but the Lord of all.
Jesus
took on a submissive role to the father while he was here on earth
we have received grace and apostleship – a gifting as an apostle which Paul
did not deserve, but we are all gifted and called to be little a apostles, ie
messengers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
V 5 is
the firstreference to the most crucial part of the Gospel-
salvation is a gift from God totally separate from any human effort or
achievement - Eph 2:8-9
Paul
probably meant that he had received the special grace (gift) of being an
apostle.
Matthew
10:1-4 Jesus selected all twelve apostles-
Matthias
picked by disciples in Acts 1:15-26
 Acts 9:3-9, 15-18 Paul was personally chosen
by Christ when he appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus
For
obedience to faith- True saving faith always produces obedience and submission
to the Lordship of Jesus Christ- Romans 10:9-10, James 2:17-24
"The law lays down what a man must do; the
gospel lays down what God has done.
"Someone has truly said that the
Gospel is 'good news' not 'good advice,'
Faith
is obedience to God because God commands everyone to believe in Christ (cf.
John 6:29; Acts 17:30-31).
Lessons
1.     God’s promises
never fail
2.     All we have is a
gift from God
The Gospel is 'good news' not 'good advice

INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF ROMANS AND PAUL’S CREDENTIALS IN VERSE 1

Romans 1:1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus
Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God
 Paul spent
the winter of A.D. 56-57 in Corinth. There he wrote the Epistle to the Romans
and sent it by Phoebe (16:1-2) to the Roman church
PURPOSES FOR WRITING THE BOOK
Paul
wrote this epistle under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit for several
reasons. He wanted to prepare the way for his intended visit to the church
(15:22-24). He evidently hoped that Rome would become a base of operations and
support for his pioneer missionary work in Spain and the western portions of
the empire that he had not yet evangelized. His full exposition of the
gospel in this letter would have provided a solid foundation for their
participation in this mission.
As
Paul looked forward to returning to Jerusalem between his departure from
Corinth and his arrival in Rome, he was aware of the danger he faced (15:31).
He may have written the exhaustive exposition of the gospel that we have in
Romans to set forth his teaching in case he did not reach Rome. From Rome his
doctrine could then go out to the rest of the empire as others preached it. Paul
may have viewed Romans as his legacy to the church, his last will and
testament.
Another reason for writing Romans was undoubtedly Paul's desire to
minister to the spiritual needs of the Christians in Rome even though they were
in good spiritual condition (15:14-16). The common problems of all the early
churches were dangers to the Roman church as well. These difficulties included
internal conflicts, mainly between Jewish and Gentile believers, and external
threats from false teachers. Paul gave both of these potential problems attention in this epistle (15:1-8;
16:17-20).
Paul
also wrote Romans as he did because he was at a transition point in his
ministry, as he mentioned at the end of chapter 15. His ministry in the Aegean
region was solid enough that he planned to leave it and move farther west into
new virgin missionary territory. Before he did that, he planned to visit
Jerusalem, where he realized he would be in danger. Probably, therefore, Paul wrote Romans as he did to leave a full
exposition of the gospel in good hands if his ministry ended prematurely in
Jerusalem.
The great contribution of this letter to the body of New
Testament inspired revelation is its reasoned explanation of how God's
righteousness can become man's possession
VALUE
The
Epistle to the Romans is, by popular consent, the greatest of Paul's writings.
William Tyndale, the great English reformer and translator, referred to Romans
as "the principle and most excellent part of the New Testament." He
went on to say the following in his prologue to Romans that he wrote in the
1534 edition of his English New Testament.
"No man verily can read it too oft or study
it too well; for the more it is studied the easier it is, the more it is chewed
the pleasanter it is, and the more deeply it is searched the preciouser things
are found in it, so great treasures of spiritual things lieth hid
therein."
Martin Luther wrote the following
commendation of this epistle. "[Romans] is worthy not only that every
Christian should know it word for word, by heart, but occupy himself with it
every day, as the daily bread of the soul. It can never be read or pondered too
much, and the more it is dealt with the more precious it becomes, and the
better it tastes."
OBJECTIVES
IN STUDYING THIS CHAPTER
1)            
To
be impressed with the all-sufficiency of the gospel
This
first sentence (vv. 1-7) implicitly sets forth the most fundamental facts of Christianity.
In particular, it shows that the main facts of the gospel fulfill Old Testament
predictions.
2)    To see how God's wrath may be directed
toward our society today
Outline of the Book of Romans
Righteousness of
God Revealed or Doctrinal Section Chapters 1-8
Chapters 1-2 Condemnation
Chapters 3-5 Justification
Chapters 6-8 Sanctification
Righteousness of
God Vindicated Chapters 9-11 or National Section – Israel
Chapters 9- Election
Chapters 10- Reason for Rejection
Chapters 11- Future Restoration
Gods Righteousness
Applied or the Practical Section Chapters 12-16
Chapters 12 - Spiritual gifts
Chapters 13- Relationship to Government
Chapters 14-15 - Gray Areas or Doubtful Areas
Chapters 16 - Closing

REVIEW OF THE BOOK OF RUTH

In this lesson we will go through the
whole book of Ruth at one time to get the big picture. 
1.         
This is a story of pure love by a woman named
Ruth for her mother in-law Naomi. Yet the word love is not in it
§ 
A romance that triumphs over racial and
religious prejudices
2.         
It also exalts women for the unique, miraculous
role they play in God’s plan
§ 
Probably the book that best shows the strength
of a woman’s character and purity of motive. 
She exemplifies the Proverbs 31 woman
§ 
We see God’s care for women in the most
desperate circumstances
§ 
A woman of great faith
3.         
Most importantly it is a book about God’s
purpose to redeem all those who will put their trust in Him
4.         
It is a book that shows the Sovereignty of God
§ 
God will take a Moabite woman who is not even
supposed to go into the temple of God until the 10th generation and
will take her from that low position to the highest privilege of being in the
line of the Messiah Jesus
5.       It
starts out in Bethlehem and ends in Bethlehem, the birthplace of King David and
ultimately the Lord Jesus
In spite of the fact that
Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and his two sons (Mahlon and Kilion) are living
according to the spirit of their day (“doing what is right in their own eyes”),
two people (Ruth and Boaz) stand out as examples of those who live by faith in
the God of Israel, and whose lives exemplify living in accordance with God’s
Word. And one of these two – Ruth – is a Moabite, not an Israelite. In the dark
shadows of the days of the judges, we find two individuals whose lives are
truly lights in the darkness. Here is
a story that not only warms our hearts, it encourages our faith by unveiling
the providential hand of God in bringing salvation and blessing during one of
the darkest periods in history.
Whereas the book
illustrates the theological concept of redemption beautifully, its primary
purpose appears to have been to reveal how God often providentially works
behind the scenes to bring His will to pass. Twenty-three of its 89 verses
mention God. Of these, only 1:6 and 4:13, which bracket the book, are the
narrator's comments. All the rest appear in the characters' speeches. Contrast
the Book of Esther, which also teaches the providence of God but does not
mention God once.
"The scriptural message of the Book of Ruth may be
summarized as follows: God cares for needy people like Naomi and Ruth; he
is their ally in this chaotic world. He richly rewards people like Ruth and
Boaz who demonstrate sacrificial love and in so doing become his instruments in
helping the needy. God's rewards for those who sacrificially love others
sometimes exceed their wildest imagination and transcend their lifetime." "The Ruth narrative provided a gratifying
reminder that even in the darkest times God was at work in the hearts of His
faithful remnant."

RUTH 4:15-22 THE SERVANT OF GOD COMES

Ruth
4:15 "And may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old
age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven
sons, has borne him." 16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her
bosom, and became a nurse to him. 17 Also the neighbor women gave him a name,
saying, "There is a son born to Naomi." And they called his name
Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David. 18 Now this is the
genealogy of Perez: Perez begot Hezron; 19 Hezron begot Ram, and Ram begot
Amminadab; 20 Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon; 21 Salmon
begot Boaz, and Boaz begot Obed; 22 Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David. (NKJV)
                Obed
was also a blessing to Naomi. His grandmother
informally “adopted” him as her own son and became his foster mother. The women
of Bethlehem shared Naomi’s joy when they said, “Praise be to the Lord, who
this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer” (Ruth 4:14, NIV). The
reference is to Obed, not Boaz.
Obed did indeed restore life to
Naomi's apparently dead branch of the family of Judah (v. 15). Furthermore he
sustained her in her old age by giving her hope (cf. 1:20-21). ". . .
Ruth
too received praise for her unusually selfless love and care for her mother-in-law.
Seven sons symbolized the supreme blessing that could come to a Hebrew family
(cf. 1 Sam. 2:5; Job 1:2). Ruth’s worth was related to the occasion of the birth of her son. (cf. 1 Sam. 2:5; Job
1:2; 42:13; Acts 19:14-17). Thus saying that Ruth was better to Naomi than
seven sons was to say that she provided all that an ideal family could for
Naomi.
It should be noted that the women speak
here not of Boaz, but of the child born as ‘kinsman-redeemer’, saying of him,
‘he will renew your life and sustain you in your old age.’ Redemption
transforms by renewing life and giving hope for the future. When she first
returned to Bethlehem from Moab, Naomi had no hope for the future. Through the Lord’s kindness in providing
her with a redeemer, her life was renewed and the child in her lap gave her
hope for the future. All this points to Jesus. As the Redeemer, he renews the
life of all he redeems and gives hope for the future
Apart from his name Obed
we know little else about him, but he was born to be a servant of God’s
redemptive purposes. That is exactly what our Lord Jesus was. He was the
servant of the Lord, who came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his
life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).
He calls all he redeems to follow his
pattern of service
Far from being an
unimportant addition, this genealogy helps us see one of the main purposes for
which God gave us this book.
"The
first five names cover the period from the time of the entry into Egypt (Perez,
Gen 46:12) to the time of Moses (Nahshon, Exod 6:23; Num 1:7), while the
remaining five belong to the period of the early settlement in
Canaan to the closing years of the judges."
Boaz,
like Enoch in Genesis 5, represented the seventh of ten generations and set the
course of his family toward godliness.
In spite of all appearances to the contrary, the
faithful God had been about His business on Ruth’s behalf. Believers should
also be about His business. The rewards of responsible living are always the
sweet fruit of God’s grace.
The story of Ruth started with
rebellion—with a family going their own way instead of God’s, suffering the
bitter consequences. It ends with the renewal of Naomi’s life—and with others
rejoicing with her in the kindness God had shown her by providing her with the
kinsman-redeemer she needed. All her hope was now focused on the son that was
born, just as the hope of the Christian is focused on the Son who was born to
be the Redeemer.
Obed would bring blessing to the
whole world. The greatest thing God did for David was not to give him
victory over his enemies or wealth for the building of the temple. The greatest
privilege God gave him was that of being the ancestor of the Messiah. David
wanted to build a house for God, but
God told him He would build a house (family) for David (2 Sam. 7).
David knew that the Messiah would come from the kingly tribe of Judah (Gen.
49:8–10), but nobody knew which family in Judah would be chosen. God chose
David’s family, and the Redeemer would be known as “the son of David” (Matt.
1:1).
The Moabites were not to enter the congregation of the
Lord “even to the tenth generation” (Deut. 23:3). But the little Book of Ruth
closes with a ten-generation genealogy that climaxes with the name of David!
Never underestimate the power of the grace of God.
Lessons
1.       The
crisis’s of Ruth in that day are ours too today
a.       These
are the places where God does his best work
b.      He
turns curses into blessings
2.       God
Honors those who Trust Him
3.       God
still writes the last chapter

RUTH 4:11-14 THE BLESSINGS OF THE LORD

Ruth 4:11 And all the people who were at
the gate, and the elders, said, "We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman
who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built the house
of Israel; and may you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. 12
"May your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah,
because of the offspring which the LORD will give you from this young
woman." 13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and when he went in
to her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bore a son. 14 Then the women
said to Naomi, "Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without
a close relative; and may his name be famous in Israel!
 The witnesses to Boaz's transaction wished God's blessing
of numerous descendants on him. They cited Rachel and Leah, both of whom, like Ruth, had joined the Israelites and had
entered their land from alien nations that had demonstrated hostility to God's
people. Rachel's tomb was near Bethlehem. She and her sister had given Jacob 12
sons directly and through their maids. They had indeed "built the house of
Israel" (v. 11). The people also wished wealth (cf. 2:1; 3:11) and fame on
Boaz, which he did obtain thanks to God's blessing on his family, especially
through Ruth and David.
They blessed Boaz with the desire that the Lord make Ruth a fertile
mother. Their mentioning Rachel and Leah
has significance. Rachel, named first, had been barren for many years before
she bore children. Similarly Ruth had been barren in Moab.
Ephratah (also spelled Ephrath and
Ephrathah) was another name for Bethlehem. The use of the word Ephrathah
in Ruth 4:11 is significant, for the Hebrew word means “fruitful.” The
people wanted Ruth to be fruitful and famous and bring honor to their little
town. It was the place where Rachel was buried (Gen. 35:19), but more
importantly, it would be known as the place where Jesus Christ was born.
It was important that the Jewish wives
bear children, not only to perpetuate the nation, but also because it would be
through Israel that God would send the Messiah to earth.
Pray that Ruth would be like Rachel, Leah and Tamar—this is significant in God’s plan
The reference to Perez (v. 12) is also
significant. There are many parallels between the story of Boaz and Ruth and
the story of Perez's parents, Judah and Tamar (Gen. 38). Ruth and Tamar were
both foreigners who had married into Israel. The first husbands of both women
died leaving them widows. Both women participated in levirate marriages. Tamar
seduced Judah under cover of a disguise, but Ruth encouraged Boaz under the
cover of night. When Judah and Tamar appeared before a public tribunal they
were ashamed and condemned, but when Boaz and Ruth did so they received praise
and blessing. In both cases the husbands were considerably older than the
wives. Both women, however, bore sons in the Davidic messianic line, Ruth
honorably and Tamar dishonorably.
Little did they
realize that from this union would issue Israel’s greatest kings including
David and the Eternal King, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The witnesses also recognized that children are a gift
from God (offspring the Lord gives you) (v. 11; cf. Ps.
127:3-5). Psalm 127:3 Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, The fruit
of the womb is a reward.
God is the source of all blessing.
What wonderful changes came into
Ruth’s life because she trusted Boaz and let him work on her behalf! She went
from loneliness to love, from toil to rest, from poverty to wealth, from worry
to assurance, and from despair to hope. She was no longer “Ruth the Moabitess,”
for the past was gone, and she was making a new beginning. She was now “Ruth
the wife of Boaz,” a name she was proud to bear.
Verse
13 is a key verse in the book because it records the fulfillment of Naomi and
Ruth's plans to obtain rest (2:2; 3:1-5). A son was
indispensable to the continuation of the line of Boaz as well as that of Mahlon
and Elimelech. With the birth of Obed, Ruth and Naomi could both rest. They had
produced someone who would carry on the program of God for Israel.
          Obed
would bring blessing to Bethlehem. The child would
bring fame to both the family name and the name of his native town. Elimelech’s
name almost disappeared from Israel, but Obed would make that name famous and
bring glory to Bethlehem. This happened, of course, through the life and ministry
of King David (v. 22) and of David’s greater Son, Jesus Christ. Naomi would
have the comfort of knowing that the family name would not perish but increase
in fame.
 Lessons
1.  Are you trusting
in God fully in all things so that you have His rest?
2.  Because you have
been blessed by God, are you a blessing to others as you are supposed to be?

RUTH 4:1-10 REDEEMING THE BRIDE

Ruth 4:1 Now Boaz went up to the gate
and sat down there; and behold, the close relative of whom Boaz had spoken came
by. So Boaz said, "Come aside, friend, sit down here." So he came
aside and sat down. 2 And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said,
"Sit down here." So they sat down. 3 Then he said to the close
relative, "Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, sold the
piece of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech. 4 "And I thought to
inform you, saying, 'Buy it back in the presence of the inhabitants and the
elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you will not
redeem it, then tell me, that I may know; for there is no one but you to redeem
it, and I am next after you.'" And he said, "I will redeem it."
5 Then Boaz said, "On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi,
you must also buy it from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to
perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance." 6 And the close
relative said, "I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I ruin my own
inheritance. You redeem my right of redemption for yourself, for I cannot
redeem it." 7 Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning
redeeming and exchanging, to confirm anything: one man took off his sandal and
gave it to the other, and this was a confirmation in Israel. 8 Therefore the
close relative said to Boaz, "Buy it for yourself." So he took off
his sandal. 9 And Boaz said to the elders and all the people, "You are
witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that
was Chilion's and Mahlon's, from the hand of Naomi. 10 "Moreover, Ruth the
Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, I have acquired as my wife, to perpetuate the
name of the dead through his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be
cut off from among his brethren and from his position at the gate. You are
witnesses this day."
This chapter focuses on three persons:
a bridegroom, a bride, and a baby."
The key
theme of this chapter is redemption.
The words “redeem,” “buy,” and “purchase” are used at least fifteen times. There can be no redemption without the
paying of a price. From our point of view, salvation is free to “whosoever
shall call on the name of the Lord” (Acts 2:21, KJV); but from God’s point of
view, redemption is a very costly thing.
Boaz went to the gate at the entrance of
Bethlehem, and there (quite suddenly and unexpectedly, it would seem) he
encountered the nearest kin. (One can only wonder why the nearest kin had not
done what Boaz is now doing at an earlier time.) It is almost impossible to
believe that this is the first time the nearest kin has heard of Naomi’s
plight, of her return to Bethlehem from Moab, or of the sale of her husband’s
property. Perhaps Boaz is giving the nearest kin the benefit of the doubt here.
If this kinsman had chosen to merely ignore Naomi’s plight, he no longer has
that option.
Shows God’s providence, Behold the
close relative just happened to come by
This is surely a “divine appointment” arranged
by God to facilitate what is about to transpire. God is in this transaction!
The
fact that the man’s name was not given may have been poetic justice since he
refused to become the redeemer. The words my friend became a catch phrase in
Israel. Rabbinic writings used the designation for an unknown “John Doe.”
He
who was so anxious for the preservation of his own inheritance, is now not even
known by name."
The
word redeem means
“to set free by paying a price.” In the case of Ruth and Naomi, Elimelech’s
property had either been sold or was under some kind of mortgage, and the
rights to the land had passed to Ruth’s husband Mahlon when Elimelech died.
This explains why Ruth was also involved in the transaction. She was too poor,
however, to redeem the land.
When it comes to spiritual redemption,
all people are in bondage to sin and Satan (Eph. 2:1–3; John 8:33–34) and are
unable to set themselves free. Jesus Christ gave His life as a ransom for
sinners (Mark 10:45; Rev. 5:9–10), and faith in Him sets the captive free.
The
marks of the redeemer. Not everybody could perform the duties of a kinsman redeemer.
To begin with, he had to be a near kinsman (Lev. 25:25). This was the major obstacle Boaz had
to overcome because another man in Bethlehem was a nearer relative to Ruth than
he was (3:12–13). When you see this as a type of Jesus Christ, it reminds you
that He had to become related to us
before He could redeem us. He became flesh and blood so He could die for us on
the cross (Heb. 2:14–15). When He was born into this world in human flesh, He
became our “near kinsman”; and He will remain our “kinsman” for all eternity.
What matchless love!
In order to qualify, the kinsman
redeemer also had to be able to pay the
redemption price.
Ruth and Naomi were too poor to redeem themselves, but Boaz had all the
resources necessary to set them free. When it comes to the redemption of sinners, nobody but Jesus Christ is
rich enough to pay the price. Indeed, the payment of money can never set
sinners free; it is the shedding of the precious blood of Christ that has
accomplished redemption (1 Peter 1:18 knowing that you were not redeemed with
corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by
tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a
lamb without blemish and without spot.; see Ps. 49:5–9). We have redemption
through Christ’s blood (Eph. 1:7), because He gave Himself for us (Titus 2:14) &
purchased eternal redemption for us (Heb. 9:12). 1Co
6:20 For you were
bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body & in your spirit,
which are God's.
There was a third qualification: The kinsman redeemer had to be willing to redeem. As we shall
see in this chapter, since the nearer kinsman was not willing to redeem Ruth,
Boaz was free to purchase both the property and a wife. The nearer kinsman had
the money but not the motivation: He was afraid he would jeopardize his own
family’s inheritance.
Five times in Ruth 4:1–2 you find
people sitting down. When Jesus Christ finished purchasing
His bride, He sat down in heaven (Heb. 1:3; Mark 16:19) because the transaction
was completed. “It is finished!”[1]
Boaz's emphasis on raising up the name
of the deceased (v. 10), namely, Mahlon, and his father, Elimelech, shows
Boaz's concern for the reputation and posterity of his family line. These were
important concerns in Israel because of God's promises concerning Abraham's
seed and especially Judah's descendants (Gen. 49:10).
 www.hisloveministries.net

RUTH 3:12-18 WAITING ON GOD

Ru 3:12 "Now it is true that I am a
close relative; however, there is a relative closer than I. 13 "Stay this
night, and in the morning it shall be that if he will perform the duty of a
close relative for you-good; let him do it. But if he does not want to perform
the duty for you, then I will perform the duty for you, as the LORD lives! Lie
down until morning." 14 So she lay at his feet until morning, and she
arose before one could recognize another. Then he said, "Do not let it be
known that the woman came to the threshing floor." 15 Also he said,
"Bring the shawl that is on you and hold it." And when she held it,
he measured six ephahs of barley, and laid it on her. Then she went into the
city. 16 So when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, "Is that you, my
daughter?" Then she told her all that the man had done for her. 17 And she
said, "These six ephahs of barley he gave me; for he said to me, 'Do not
go empty-handed to your mother-in-law.'" 18 Then she said, "Sit
still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man
will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day
Why did
Boaz not initiate a proposal of marriage? Evidently for two reasons: he assumed
Ruth wanted to marry a younger man, someone closer to her own age (v. 10), and
he was not the closest eligible male relative (v. 12).
Boaz protected her
Kept her from walking
the street that night alone
Boaz promised to
redeem her and proposed to her provided the other did not want to be the
redeemer
He gave his word a
second time, this time with an oath to the Lord as the LORD lives
"Not to carry through his commitment after invoking
the Lord's name would have been a violation of the third commandment Ex 20:7
"You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD
will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
Even though Boaz
wanted to marry Ruth, he did not violate the Mosaic Law to do so. His
submission to God's Law reflects his submission to God. We see here another
reason he was an excellent man (2:1)
There was the obstacle of the nearer relative to be
overcome, but he committed himself to act on behalf of Ruth and Naomi.
What seemed to Naomi to be a simple
procedure has now turned out to be a bit more complicated, because there was a
man in Bethlehem who was a nearer kinsman. Boaz didnt withhold this problem
from Ruth, for he didnt want her to return home with false hopes in her heart.
Joy and peace that are based on ignorance of the true facts are but delusions
that lead to disappointments.
The great
concern of Boaz was the redemption of Ruth, even if another kinsman redeemer
had to do it.
When you see this as a picture of our redemption in Jesus Christ, it
impresses you strongly that God obeyed His own law when He accomplished our
salvation in Christ.
Boaz not only calmed Ruths fears and
gave her assurance for the future, but he also met her present needs in a
gracious and generous way.
As before, Boaz's gift of barley was a token of God's
blessing on Ruth and on Naomi through Ruth
Naomis question in 3:16 has puzzled translators and
interpreters. Why would her own mother-in-law ask her who she was? The Living Bible paraphrases the
question, Well, what happened, dear? and both the NIV and the NASB read, How
did it go, my daughter? But the Authorized
Version translates the Hebrew text as it stands: Who are you, my
daughter? In other words, Are you still Ruth the Moabitess, or are you the prospective Mrs. Boaz?[1]
He gave evidence of
his commitment as he sent Ruth home with six measures of barley
It is noteworthy that as Naomi, Ruth and
Boaz all revealed their active faith in what God has said in his Word, they all
acted with unselfish, generous, costly kindness. Naomi took the initiative for
Ruths benefit, not her own. Ruth submitted to Naomi and asked Boaz for
protection for Naomis benefit and for the sake of her deceased husband. Boaz
committed himself to acting for Ruth and Naomis benefit. Each of them
therefore points us to the Lord Jesus and the greatest act of unselfish,
costly, generous kindnesshis redeeming death on the cross. It is as we
continue in the pattern seen both in Ruth and most wonderfully in the Lord
Jesus Christ, that God uses our active unselfish faith in the continuing
implementation of his great Plan of Redemption.
Waiting is one of the most difficult
things for me to do, whether its waiting for a table at a restaurant or
waiting at a red light. Im an activist by nature, and I like to see things
happen on time. Perhaps thats why the Lord has often arranged for me to wait.
During those times, three phrases from Scripture have encouraged me: Sit
still (Ruth 3:18, KJV), Stand still (Ex. 14:13, KJV), and Be still (Ps.
46:10, KJV).
Sit still was Naomis counsel to
Ruth, and wise counsel it was. Ruth would have accomplished nothing by
following Boaz around Bethlehem, trying to help him keep his promises. Their
strength is to sit still (Isa. 30:7).
Our human nature
gets nervous and wants to help God out; and when we try, we only make matters
worse.
Stand still was the command
of Moses to the people of Israel when the Egyptian army was pursuing them.
There was no need to panic, for God had the situation well in hand. Then the
Lord commanded the people to go forward Exodus 14:13
Have you put
yourself at the feet of the Lord of the Harvest, and are you trusting Him to
work?
One evidence of
your trust will be your willingness to sit still and let Him have His way.
Lessons
1. We
must respond positively to the love God has shown us to in order to enter into
all He wants to give us and bless us with
2. Service
towards others will change your perspective
3. Taken as a
whole, the chapter teaches that God carries out his work through believers who
seize unexpected opportunities as gifts from God."

RUTH 3:1-11 SEEKING OUR REDEEMER

Ruth
3:1 Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, shall I not
seek security for you, that it may be well with you? 2 "Now Boaz, whose
young women you were with, is he not our relative? In fact, he is winnowing
barley tonight at the threshing floor. 3 "Therefore wash yourself and
anoint yourself, put on your best garment and go down to the threshing floor;
but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and
drinking. 4 "Then it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall notice
the place where he lies; and you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lie down;
and he will tell you what you should do." 5 And she said to her, "All that you say
to me I will do." 6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did
according to all that her mother-in-law instructed her. 7 And after Boaz had
eaten and drunk, and his heart was cheerful, he went to lie down at the end of
the heap of grain; and she came softly, uncovered his feet, and lay down. 8 Now
it happened at midnight that the man was startled, and turned himself; and
there, a woman was lying at his feet. 9 And he said, "Who are you?"
So she answered, "I am Ruth, your maidservant. Take your maidservant under
your wing, for you are a close relative." 10 Then he said, "Blessed
are you of the LORD, my daughter! For you have shown more kindness at the end
than at the beginning, in that you did not go after young men, whether poor or
rich. 11 "And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that
you request, for all the people of my town know that you are a virtuous woman.
Reasons for Levirate
marriage
·      
God protected the Israelite women
·      
God protected the family name of the Israelites
– very important in the first and second coming of Jesus Christ
·      
God protected the land rights of the Israelites
·      
In Old Testament times it was vital that a man’s
family name should be preserved. If he died without an heir, steps were to be
taken to make sure that he had an heir who would care for his wife, carry on
the family name and inherit the family property. The law said that the widow of
the dead man should marry one of her husband’s relatives, with the first son of
that union becoming the dead man’s heir:
Also relevant are the provisions of God’s law for what was
to happen when an Israelite family fell on hard times and sold their land. In
such circumstances, the nearest male relative, called the kinsman-redeemer, was
to redeem—to buy back—the land for his poor relatives:
Keep in mind that the Book of Ruth is
much more than the record of the marriage of a rejected alien to a respected
Jew. It’s also the picture of Christ’s relationship to those who trust Him and
belong to Him. In the steps that Ruth takes, recorded in this chapter, we see
the steps God’s people must take if they want to enter into a deeper
relationship with the Lord. Like Ruth, we must not be satisfied merely with
living on leftovers (2:2), or even receiving gifts (2:14, 16). We must want Him alone; for when we have
Him, we also have all that He owns. It’s not the gifts that we seek, but
the Giver
True faith takes initiatives on the basis of God’s Word
Lessons
God’s
sovereignty and providence does not overrule human responsibility2.       God’s
love for us is much greater than we know