Romans 9:6-18 – The Sovereignty of God

In verses 6-13, Paul corrected the suggestion that God had failed in His promise to Israel. He stood his ground saying that although Israel has failed, God’s Word has not. Using two sets of Old Testament characters: Isaac and Ishmael, and Jacob and Esau, he straightened their erroneous assumption that God’s promise to bless was based on ancestry. Although both Isaac and Ishmael were Abraham’s son, yet it was Isaac who was God’s choice. Then again both Jacob and Esau were conceived by Rebekah and while still in her womb and had as yet not done neither good nor bad, God had already made His choice for Jacob. Paul’s point is this: God is faithful and His blessing was entirely based on His sovereign choice and not on human ancestry. Faith is an intensely personal matter. Everyone who had found access to God found it through personal faith in Christ. None of us can depend on our parent’s faith to obtain our acceptance with God

From verses 14-18, it appears that Paul anticipated that some would doubt God’s fairness. Their logic would be this: since God is the One Who sovereignly chooses whom to bless, wouldn’t it be unfair in the sense that He would have to miss out on some. But Paul here insisted that God is fair. To Paul it was unthinkable to say that God is unfair, so he emphatically retorted in verse 14, saying “… May it never be!” Paul showed here that God’s choice of the vessel He blesses has nothing to do with fairness, but has all to do with mercy.

The truth is that God is perfect in every way – in knowledge, wisdom, power, faithfulness, goodness, justice, mercy, grace, love, and holiness. Therefore, there is no question about His choice. It will definitely be perfect all the time. God does not have to answer to anyone. He is responsible to Himself and His sovereignty is absolute. Quoting Exodus 33:19, Paul also shows us that God’s mercy cannot be received outside of His grace. Those Israelites who made the golden calves and worshiped them were spared, not because they deserved it, but because of God’s mercy.    

In verse 17, Paul went on to illustrate from the account concerning Pharaoh and his hardened heart. Paul concluded that God alone has the absolute liberty to bestow mercy on whomever He chooses. Although Pharaoh deserved death, yet God did not destroy him but permitted him to continue to live and reign. Why? So that God could demonstrate His power in pharaoh’s repeated defeats. In that, God’s supremacy would be seen.

In verse 18, Paul only mentioned that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, but did not refer to Pharaoh hardening his own heart, which was also revealed in the Exodus account. The naked truth is that God gave Pharaoh many opportunities to repent, but he resisted and thus hardened himself to God’s work. Look at it this way: while sun may melt ice, it also can harden clay. God was not unfair to Pharaoh for He had given him ample opportunities to respond and believe. Unfortunately, Pharaoh chose not to respond to God’s grace. Paul’s conclusion is this: God is sovereign. He only acts on His own will and purposes. And He is perfectly true and just because He is God.

We know that our Lord will never take us to where His grace cannot sustain us. What blessed thought! We need only to trust and obey. It’s the only way to His blessing and love! 

Romans 9:1-5 – Privilege must be appreciated

Romans chapters 9 through 11 have baffled many students of the Bible for a long time. For many years, many have insisted that these chapters form a parenthetical section. And what Paul wrote in Chapter 8 did not help this misunderstanding. He was talking about the triumphant life a believer can experience through a Holy Spirit guided and directed life. And it seems unnatural that he should suddenly bring Israel into the discussion. A closer examination clearly shows that this is a continuation of his discussion on justification by faith. He introduced the nation of Israel in his discussion to highlight God’s Sovereignty and substantiate what he had been saying.

In the earlier chapters, Paul dealt with the issue of justification by faith at length. He insisted that God’s plan of salvation for mankind was in Christ and not in the Law. Some hearers seemed to have concluded wrongly that God had rejected Israel and reneged on His promises to them. So Paul had to explain and correct their misgivings as well as assure them that God had not rejected His people.

In all the three chapters, Paul began by expressing deep concern as he identified with the people of Israel. He spoke of the sorrow and anguish he had over the Israelites (Romans 9), then continued to express his prayerful longing for their salvation (Romans 10), before he talked about his conviction that God had not rejected them (Romans 11). In Romans 9, the failure of Israel becomes clearly evident. As a nation, she was chosen to be God’s unique vessel. However, despite the privileges she received as a nation, their blessings were forfeited and Paul tells us why.

Paul began in verses 1-5 by confessing that the unbelief of the Israelites had brought him much sorrow and anguish. He was even prepared to be damned for the sake of his people’s salvation. While expressing anguish, he was at the same time puzzled that they should reject the Messiah despite the privileges God had showered on them. He listed the privileges in verses 4-5 - they were adopted as son and shared God’s glory; they were given the covenant, the Law and temple worship; they were the recipients of the promises of God; they had the patriarchs and the privilege of being Christ’s human ancestry. But despite all these privileges, Israel did not experience blessings because of widespread unbelief.

A lesson for us is this: privilege is never earned. It’s not an entitlement but an honor. However, it can be spurned as clearly illustrated by the nation Israel. Let’s not forget that in Christ, we too have received many privileges. And all privileges come with responsibilities. We owe it to God and ourselves to live rightly in response to God’s goodness and grace toward us. So let’s gratefully love and serve God with honor!  

 

Romans 8:29-39 – Be confident in God’s Sovereignty

Paul, here in verses 29-30, states clearly concerning God’s sovereign purpose for our salvation. He purposed to make us conform to the image of Christ. We have been initiated into the redeemed community of God, where Christ is the preeminence. So in verse 30, he briefly shows us the progression of our salvation from the moment we have been initiated into our faith to the moment we culminate in the glorification. Before the world began, God had a plan. In His plan He predetermined to love us. So in Christ, He took the initiative and took steps to save us. He quickened our hearts and called us to Himself and away from our sin. Then He justified us and mended our relationship with Himself through Jesus Christ, and then destined us for glory in Him.

Having justified us, God then continue to keep us in our walk with Him. He is for us and His keeping grace is always there to preserve us. For us who truly believe in Christ, there is a certainty of hope in Christ. In verses 31 to 39, we are shown two certainties that show God’s keeping grace in our lives. Firstly, He ensures that no one can cause us to lose our hope in God. And secondly, He ensures that nothing can rob us of our hope.

God demonstrated His great love for us and did not spare sending His Son to die for us. Paul argued that if God did not even spare His only Son for us, would He then allow anyone or anything to deter us in our walk with Him? The answer is obvious. In fact with Christ His Son, God will provide all means to ensure that security. Verse 33 tells us that He will even protect us from accusations. The Bible tells us that Satan is the accuser and thus, this verse indicates that God will protect us from his accusations. We can be sure that God will never condemn those whom He had already justified. He will not allow anyone to condemn us. We can be assured. Why? Because our relationship with Him is sealed by Christ’s death, resurrection, ascension and His continual intercession for us.

Not only will God protect us from accusation, but He will also help us deal with circumstances that confront us. In Romans 8:35, we are shown seven circumstances, and that none of them can ever rob us of the hope. Our adversities can never rob us of our hope because Christ loves us absolutely. Therefore, Paul assertively proclaimed that no tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril or sword or death can ever separate us from Christ’s love.  

In Romans 8:36, Paul quoted from Psalm 44:22, calling for perseverance. Down through history, God’s people had experienced adversities. Therefore, it should be no surprise if present believers should also experience them. But perseverance in times of adversities had been the hallmark of a genuine believer. True believers never fringe in times of adversities, thus their hope remain steadfast. For in all these things, true believers will be overwhelming victors. We are told here that we are more than conquerors. That is to say that Christians become progressively Christ-like as they refuse to succumb to adversity by relying on the sufficiency of Christ. That guarantees their security. 

Paul concluded by a declaration of confidence in verses 38-39. In Christ, we have the confidence that nothing can separate us from God’s love. By listing all the different things, Paul assures us that there is absolutely nothing that can ever rob us of our hope in Christ.

Death will not make God’s love depart from us. Neither will all the allurements of this life. Yes, not even spiritual powers or anything in time. Not power or the height of Heaven or the depth of Hell. Nothing in our times of disappointment, diseases, a fractured relationship, financial setbacks, crisis, and even insanity - absolutely nothing can and will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that He had shown for us in Christ Jesus our Lord!

 

 

Romans 8:17-28 - The ultimate glory of believers

In the process of salvation, the stage called ‘glorification’ is where we should ultimately arrive. We deduce this from the Lord’s High Priestly prayer recorded in John 17. Paul now puts it in no uncertain term that this glorification will be the ultimate experience for all believers. This, to be experienced glory, is beyond comparison. It was forfeited at Adam’s fall but God will restore it to believers. We need to know that salvation is incomplete without sharing the ultimate glory with Christ. Paul calls it our future inheritance. As believers, we are “heirs of God,” meaning God is the source of their inheritance. Furthermore, believers are also fellow-heirs with Christ, meaning that this glorious inheritance will equal to that of Christ’s. For these two reasons, it is worthwhile for believers to endure all present sufferings. Present sufferings are God’s instrument to prepare believers to receive that ultimate glory.

In verses 19-27, Paul then went on to describe three types of groaning, expressing the deep desires for the glory of God. Firstly in verses 19-22, he talks about the groaning of creation. From Revelation 21:1, we know that there will ultimately be a glorified universe – a new heaven and new earth. There will come a time when God’s eternal Kingdom will be established. While waiting for that to happen, the whole creation groans for the curse to be removed. Romans 8:19-22 reveal that the whole creation groans and is yearning for the freedom from the weight and corrupt power of sin.

Secondly, in verses 23-25, Paul describes the believers’ groan. While believers may be the adopted children of God, they still feel the weight of their human nature. They still await the redemption of their bodies where they will share similar bodies as that of Christ’s. It will be only be at that point that the believers’ redemption will be complete. These verses also indicate to us that while the believers’ souls are redeemed, they do not have a compatible redeemed body yet. So they yearn for the day when their bodies, having been redeemed, will match their redeemed souls.

And thirdly, in verses 26-28, Paul went on to tell us that the Holy Spirit also yearns for believers to attain glorification. While in the present unredeemed bodies, we believers struggle in our quest for perfection. It is here that the Holy Spirit enters and helps us in our weaknesses. It is here that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us according to God’s will. Verse 28 tells us the most assuring factor in the Christian walk – the intercessory work of the Holy Spirit within. And this gives believers the assurance that “… all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose.” Paul probably had in mind the believers’ current as well as their future circumstances.

Regardless of whatever had or will ever happen to us as believers, God is constantly engineering things for both our immediate and ultimate benefit for His ultimate glory. What a blessed thought! We will ultimately share in the glory of Christ. It behooves us therefore, not to be afraid of the present sufferings. Keep the first three words of Romans 8:28 at the forefront of our thoughts and be assured. “For we know…,” that ultimate glory is ours. That is our certainty. Praise be unto God!   

Romans 8:12-17 – The Spirit works within us

Here in Romans 8:12-13, Paul introduced us believers to the means of an overcoming life. When we live a Spirit-controlled life, we are empowered for victory over the flesh. The emphasis here, however, is not on what the Holy Spirit will do. The emphasis is on what we must do to collaborate with the Holy Spirit in our lives for victory. Our change in nature gives us the liberty to follow after the desires of God. Hence we are no longer to yield to the demands of the flesh that lead to death. Instead, we should follow the Spirit’s prompting and, by self-discipline, constantly subjugate the carnal desires.

 

From verses 14-17, we are told that the Holy Spirit who dwells in us will attest to our status as children of God. As children by adoption, believers have free access to the Heavenly Father. We now obtain the rights to God’s inheritance. There are four ways the Holy Spirit attests to our status as children of God. In verse 14, we are told that the Spirit will lead us believers in our daily walk. Secondly in verse 15, He will also bring the liberty to us. Being God’s sons and daughters we will find our release from fear as He enables us to intimately relate with the Father. Thirdly, in verse 16, we will find an inward witness that assures us of our status as God’s children. And finally, verse 17 tells us that as children of His, we become heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ Jesus. Hence, we will have the full right to the inheritance and promises of God and we will share in His glory. Bear in mind however, that we must now share in His suffering.

Paul’s point is this: the indwelling Spirit of God within us will witness to us and give us the assurance of our status as sons and daughters of God. From there we find assurance to the promise that we have the full right to our inheritance, to be glorified with Christ ultimately. A key part of our discipleship is to learn to sharpen the ability to recognize the voice and inner witness of the Holy Spirit from within us. And as we do that more and more, we will collaborate with the Holy Spirit to bring about a transformation in life.  Let’s sharpen our spiritual senses and tune in to God!    

Romans 8:5-11 – The nature of a Spirit saturated life

Essentially there are two patterns in every believer’s life. We can adopt one or the other. We either follow the dictates of the Spirit or the dictates of the flesh. What causes us to choose one over the other depends largely on what we feed our mind. Then our frame of mind will determine how we behave.

In Romans 8:5-8, Paul contrasted for us the two categories of believers. There are those who are dominated by the flesh and there are also those who are dominated by the Spirit. The fleshly-minded tends to bend toward the flesh and that accounts for their ungodly lifestyles. The spiritual-minded will bend toward the desire of the Spirit with a determination to glorify God. 

Paul then went on in Romans 8:6 to differentiate the two natures. He said that the nature governs by carnal-minded is death while that governs by the spiritual-minded is life and peace. Death is seen here not as a consequence but a condition for following the dictates of the flesh. On the other hand, the life of God will flow in and through those whose minds are set on the things of the Spirit and resulting in an experience of peace.

In Romans 8:7-8, Paul described the limitation of a life that is in the flesh. Firstly, it cannot submit to God because it is hostile toward the desires of God stipulated in His law. Secondly, it cannot satisfy God and thus can never please God. In Romans 8:9-11, Paul showed the three blessings of being led by the Spirit: firstly, believers are assured of their status as children of God. Secondly, believers’ spirits are made sensitive and alert to God. And finally the believers’ physical bodies are strengthened and renewed by the power of the indwelling Spirit.

Let’s sum up what Paul is saying to us. Living a life in the Spirit ensures that we have a new mind-set resulting in life and peace. This in fact is true liberty! Secondly we will find that this life in the Spirit also gives us a life that is saturated by the personality of Christ. We experience something of the disposition of Jesus Christ. We experience his kindness, his gentle care, his love in our lives. And with that we will find life becoming more and more just like the way Jesus had experienced it. Through the Spirit we can have a sense of new life now and an assurance of eternal life in the Resurrection. The Holy Spirit will heighten and intensify our assurance of immortality. 

Romans 8:1-4 – Freedom in the Spirit

As believers we have union with Christ as we identify with Him in His death and resurrection. However, we know that as believers, we still do struggle with the sin nature because of the nature of the flesh. Nonetheless, our struggles with sin do not undermine our salvation. How? Paul tells us in Romans 8 that despite our struggles with the sin nature, we can grow. He reveals the different aspect of the works of the Holy Spirit in our lives to show us that we can find assurance of our salvation, in the face of our continual battle with the pattern of sin in our lives. 

In the first four verses, Paul shows us that while the principle of sin is at work, the believers’ lives are not at its mercy. Why? That is because there is another principle that is in operation in our lives as well. He calls it the law of life in Christ.  There are two undeniable truths we need to know so that we will be free from condemnation. Firstly, we know that God Himself had already accomplished our justification. Secondly we know that God Himself through the Holy Spirit is still working in us.

The law of life in Christ frees us believers from our struggles with the law of sin and death. The Spirit of life is the Gospel that came to us through the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is God’s agent for our salvation. He takes us out of sin’s crutches and ensures our freedom. He liberates us from the power of sin so that we now need not succumb to it.

What the Law could not do, i.e. to free us from condemnation, God did it. How? Through God’s Son, Jesus Christ, who took on flesh, gave His life as an offering and condemned sin by what He did at Calvary. In that act, He fulfilled the demands of the Law. He condemned sin in His flesh, so that God’s righteous requirement of the Law are now fully met in us because of our identification with Him. We now do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

What Paul meant is this: the Holy Spirit brings about a new human order characterized by people who are walking according to the Spirit. As people of this new order we are given power to live in a way that pleases God. Everything that the Law requires are now realized in our lives that are being controlled by the Holy Spirit. Hence, the principle of sin and death no longer can hold us because we find freedom in the principle of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. We no longer have to sin. Hallelujah!

Romans 7:14-25 – The Relationship between the Law and the Flesh

There are two things we need to keep in mind. Firstly, we need to know that all believers still do commit sin. Even mature Christians still fall and sin. Even godly, growing Christians have to progressively struggle with sin in life. Our personal experience in life affirms this to be true. Secondly, if we are looking for the solution to our struggles in the Law, we will be disappointed. Apart from Christ there is no solution, definitely not the Law. In verses 7-13, Paul used the past tense to narrate his experience but here in this paragraph, he switched from using the past into the present tense. In these verses, Paul painted for us a picture of the indwelling sin in his life. This signifies to us that he was talking about now, his experience as a believer.  

From verses 14-24 we see three inner cries of Paul. They were cries of a person with a distressed soul in great conflict. In each of these cries, he first described his condition, and then went on to prove it by his personal experience before showing the origin of the struggle.

In the first cry in verses 14-17, he first states the condition by saying, “For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin.” He was reinforcing the fact that there was nothing wrong with the Law. “The problem,” he said, “was in the fact that I was unspiritual and sold unto bondage to sin.” He knew that although the Law is good and spiritual and reflects God’s holy nature, there is a barrier – the fleshly and sin reality in his life. In essence he was saying, “The Law is spiritual but I am unspiritual and I still experience the bondage of sin.” Moving to verse 15, he proved by his experience what he said in the previous verse. He said that the very presence of the sin nature caused him to act opposite to what he knew was right and to do what he hated. This very struggle proved that he still had an inclination toward sin.

Then he talks about the origin of the struggle. In verses 16 and 17, he tells us that “… if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law confessing that the Law is good.” He acknowledged that there was nothing wrong with the Law. Just because I couldn’t keep it didn't mean it was wrong. What was Paul’s problem? In his own words, he said, “So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.” He is pointing to the indwelling sin nature, his unredeemed mortality.

Here is a paraphrase of what Paul essentially was saying. We need to know that the Law is the embodiment of moral excellence. And since we are now reunited with God in Christ and grow in Him, there is the desire to love God more. This makes us want to fulfill the moral demands of His Law. But then our human-ness with our sin nature will come in the way of that desire. And the very thing we ought to do, we find it hard to do and the very thing we hate, we discover that we would gravitate toward them.

In verses 18-20, we hear his second inner cry. Again he began by stating the condition in verse 18. He said that in his flesh, “nothing good dwells.” In saying that, he located the flesh as the seat of sin. It is in the flesh that sin finds a base in our life to operate from. In the later part of verse 18, he again used his personal experience to prove the reality of what he had just stated, that is, nothing good dwells in his flesh. How? Paul said, “For although I am willing to do what is good, I find it hard to do it according to my desire. I can't perform it in the way that I want to perform it.” He went on to say in verse 19 exactly what he said in verse 16, “For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.” In verse 20, he then went on to discuss the origin of the struggle again, very much like he had done in verse 17. He said, “But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.”

Then in verses 21-24, we see the third cry. As before he again stated his condition in verse 21. He said “I find then the principle of evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good.” He then discovered another principle operating in him and giving other instructions. When he wanted to do good, he found the presence of evil coming from that other principle. From experience again he proved what he had said in verse 21. He said, “I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.” These members are referring to the human part of him, the flesh and the outer man. This law operates in his flesh and sometimes it overcomes the law of the mind, the law of the inner man. But when sin wins the victory in the spiritual struggle, then the believer is brought into captivity to that sin and becomes captive to it. In verse 23 when he said, “… the law of sin which is in my members,” he was again identifying the origin and source of the struggle.

So in three cries, Paul emphasized the conflict of the believer. They tell us of the human inability to perform God’s will, as we ought to. In all the three cries, Paul tells us that the origin is the indwelling sin. And so in one desperate cry, Paul lamented, “Wretched man that I am!” followed by a question, “Who will set me free from the body of this death?” And he quickly went on to verse 25. It’s like he heaved a great sigh of relief, “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" The relief from the conflict is through Jesus Christ our Lord. Praise God, our victory is truly found in Christ and Christ alone!

Romans 7:7-13 – The Relationship between the Law and Sin

The purpose and intent of the Law was good. God gave it for man’s benefit. But man’s sinful nature took advantage of it, distorted it and brought about a contorted result. Primarily the Law was given to define sin and to make sin evident. But the sin nature of man took advantage of the Law and proliferated sin. God gave the Law so that it would reveal the truth to us but sin used it and brought deception to destroy us.

Paul began in verse 7 with a question: Is the Law sin? He then quickly retorted by an emphatic “No.” The Law cannot be evil because it came from God. Paul tells us that sin would not be recognized unless the Law had revealed it. For example, if there were no speed limit law, we would not recognize that driving above 150 km per hour in an 80 km per hour zone is wrong. The Law defines sin for us. From his experience, Paul said that he would not know what sin was outside of the Law.

In verse 8, Paul showed that the Law not only helped to identify sin but it also stirred the desire to sin. For without the Law, man would not be conscious of sin. Sin existed in each man even before the Law was given, but before the Law was given, man was not fully aware of wrong. However, once the Law was given, the sin nature in man seized the opportunity and used it to stir the desire to sin.

In verse 9, Paul was saying that he was doing quite fine in life until the Law convicted him. Prior to the realization of the demands of the Law, he was contented with his self-righteous life. But once he understood the import of the Law, he also knew how far short he was from God’s requirements. It was there and then that his life was shattered. He could no longer find security or satisfaction in his self-effort. He realized how undone he was in life and that brought a sense of ruin.

In verse 10 he discovered that the Law, given with the intention to give him a full and meaningful life, had actually brought devastation. Why? Because Paul realized that by himself he didn't have the ability to obey the Law. So instead of giving him life, the Law actually brought ruin. In verse 11, Paul said that sin killed him while the Law convicted him. He was a member of the Sanhedrin and, very likely, he thought that God was pleased with him. But then he was confronted with the reality of God's holy Law. He saw then how wretched he was within. Sin deceives by making one believes that by good works, God can be pleased. In that way, sin deceived Paul and led him to expect one thing while he was experiencing another. He thought that if he were righteous in himself, he would find true blessing and purpose in life. But all that he got was misery, unhappiness and disillusionment.

In verse 12, Paul concluded that the Law is holy, just and good. The real problem lies with the offender and not with the Law. The Law was never to be blamed because it did not cause sin; it merely exposed sin. It is not to be blamed just because man can't live up to it. The Law was given to produce life and not death. And when truly understood, the Law of God exposes the true character of sin. When the Law exposes sin, it brings about death because it reveals how far short one has fallen from God's perfect standards. Here Paul was also trying to describe for us the very evil nature of sin. Sin is so terrible that it would even use something so good, like the Law, as an instrument to bludgeon us.

Thank God that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. It is a gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast. The Law reveals our sin but do not have the power to save. Christ is the One who has saved us. Let’s remember to thank God for His grace and then live to the praise of His glory! 

Romans 7:1-6 – Freedom in Christ

Apart from the peace with Christ and sanctified living, the believers’ new status in Christ brought freedom. In Romans 7:1-6, Paul used a new imagery to talk about freedom as another aspect of a believer’s union with Christ. The imagery Paul used here is that of a marriage. In these Scriptures, he first states a principle and then proceeds to illustrate it before applying to the lives of the believers.

In verse 1, Paul states the principle. He was conveying the fact that the Law can be enforced on one only as long as he is alive. When that person dies, the Law no longer has power or effect over him. Thus, as long as a believer lives by his natural self, he is under the jurisdiction of the Law. But once he is dead to his natural state, the demands of the Law no longer have any effect in him.

In verses 2-3, now Paul illustrated it with the image of a marriage. He tells us that as long as the husband of a woman is alive, the law of marriage would bind her to him. She would be guilty of adultery if she leaves him for another man. But if that husband dies, the law that bound her to that marriage would no longer have any jurisdiction over her. She would be free to marry another man and would not be branded an adulteress. Death has released her from the law pertaining to marriage. Paul’s point was this: the only way to be free from the demands of the Law is for us to be dead. Until that happens, the Law will always be there to make demands that we can never keep.

Paul reminded his hearers in verse 4 that they were dead to the Law through the “body of Christ.” When Jesus died on that cross, believers who are identified in Him also died, and their marriage to the Law and all of its demands were also terminated. Believers had died to the Law in Christ. The Law no longer has any jurisdiction over them. They are now free to belong to another and indeed they did. They now belong to the resurrected Christ and are marked for fruitfulness. 

Verses 5 and 6 made a contrast of the old life of sin to the new life in Christ. In the old life of sin, believers were under the control of the flesh and their sinful appetite. The Law, taking advantage of their sinful nature, goaded the believers to engage in activities that would lead to death. But by dying to the Law, believers are now free from the power of the Law and are released to serve in the liberty of the Spirit.

Being identified with Christ in His death, our marriage to the Law is dissolved. We are released from the Law to serve God in the new way of the Spirit. We have joy and hope, liberty, life, and not hopelessness, nor slavery, nor death. Praise the Lord!

Romans 6:15-23 - True freedom and slavery

Here we must take care, as Paul did, not to make grace an excuse to continue to sin. He emphatically said grace is given to us not to go on sinning. It is clear that, either to be obedient to the principle of sin that leads to death or be obedient to the principle that leads to righteousness, is a choice. In Romans 6:15-23, we are told vividly that as believers, we are free from the slavery of sin. Therefore believers are no longer under the power of sin but have the liberty to choose not to succumb to the tendency to sin.

In verse 16, we see a very fundamental principle concerning choices in life. It tells us that whatever we choose to obey, one will become slave to it. If the choice is to serve sin and submit to it, one becomes a slave of sin. This would lead to death. On the other hand, if one makes serving God the choice, he will become a slave of God, that would result in righteousness.

The unsaved do not have any choice; they are by nature slaves of sin. But for believers, who turned to God by faith in Christ and accepted the Gospel, they shall be free from being servants to sin, and to be servants of God. However, the believers’ liberty is only in their choice to either be slaves to sin or servants to God.

In these verses, Paul shows the two kinds of servitude and the result of each. That is, we can either be a slave to God or be a slave to sin. The slavery to sin produces unrighteousness and shame. However, slavery to God produces the fruit of righteousness and sanctification.

To continue living in sin would be contradicting our position in Christ. When we become slaves of sin, we would only be accomplishing shameful unrighteousness, and taking a path that ends in death. Believers, however, must make sanctification their motive. They should resolve to leave the life of sin and offer their bodies to God to live out His righteousness. Paul tells us that the choice to serve God is the logical choice. For the wages we get for serving sin would be death. But the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus. 

As one advertisement puts it: the choice is clear! Paul had made it clear that the wise option is to serve God and righteousness. Our spiritual life is a result of our oneness with Christ. But the fullness of that life with Him comes when we choose to obey Him. Obedience releases the power of God in our lives. God will do great and wondrous things in and through a life that’s obedient to Him.  

Romans 6:12-14 – Giving all to serve God’s purpose

Paul uses the imagery of master and slave to drive home the point that we need to yield to the Lord. It’s a call for us Christians to respond rightly now that we are identified with Christ in His death and resurrection. So he clearly said, “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts.”

Then he proceeds to give us two ways to accomplish this. Firstly, by not “presenting the members of our body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness….’ It means we are not to avail our hands, feet, tongues as instruments or tools of unrighteousness. Secondly, by offering ourselves to God “…as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness.”  He was calling for a once-and-for-all action. We must come to a point where we present all that we are to God for righteousness. There must be a total surrender of everything to Him. We not only don’t give our body to the service of sin but will also yield all that we are entirely to the Lord.

Paul’s point so far is this: we are solidly one with Christ because we have shared in His death and resurrection. We must, therefore, intentionally consider our body dead to sin and alive to God in Christ. That would lead us to the final step. That is to yield our entire body to Him to be His instrument for the work of righteousness.

When this process takes place in our lives, we will no longer insist that we must sin so that grace may abound. Verse 14 left no doubt that sin shall not be in control over believers. Why? It’s because grace has delivered us from the system of the Law. We are no longer under law but under grace. Law brings condemnation, grace frees us to serve God’s purpose and desires.

It’s so good to know that we are serving Christ. We are reminded by John that He is full of grace and truth. Hence we refuse to allow sin to dominate our lives. We allow grace to enable us to freely serve Him.  

Romans 6:1-11 – Identifying with Christ in Baptism

One danger about the teaching of being saved by grace alone is this: it may be interpreted as a license to do whatever one desires. Paul was well aware of this tendency. He was accused slanderously of propagating this teaching in Romans 3:8. We can understand why he would be very careful when he made the statement in Roman 5:20 that “…where sin increased, grace abound all the more….” He knew that some would make a big deal out of it.  Some on hearing this would take this remark as an excuse to commit sin. Their logic is this: if sin means more grace than let’s continue to sin so that more grace will be released. Sin could even be made into a religious duty because it would be creating opportunities for God to avail His grace and love and thus glorify Himself.

When Paul made the statement that, “…where sin increased, grace abound all the more,” he anticipated his readers to ask, “Are we to continue in sin that grace may increase? So he voiced it first. He also quickly and vehemently answered with an emphatic, “May it never be!” It’s as good as saying “Perish that thought!” And quickly Paul asked a question that presupposes no for an answer. He asked, “How shall we who died to sin still live in it?” So from verses 3-14, he gave the reasons why we should not continue to live in sin.

Paul began by using the symbol of baptism to show the nature of our identification with Christ. Baptism is a symbol of many wonderful realities. In baptism we have a mystical experience of identifying with Christ’s death and resurrection. We actually died and were buried with Him. Not only that, we are also raised with Him and now we share in His resurrected life. The life we had before conversion, that was an instrument of sin, is now buried in Christ’s death. And just as Christ rose from the dead, we also rise with Him in the newness of life. And just as Christ did not serve sin, so we must also not serve sin. Why? It’s because our old life has been crucified in Christ and it’s rendered inoperative, so that we will no longer serve sin.  Verses 8-10 tell us that Christ died once for us. That is to tell us the finality of Christ’s redeeming work. In this we can have confidence that Christ will never come under the power of sin and death again.

We need to grasp this two truths and hold it tightly. Though we may not fully understand the nature of our identification with Christ in baptism, we actually died in His death and raised with Him in His resurrection to a new resurrected life. Because of that, we need to know that the dominion of sin over our life has been broken, and so we are free from sin.  

What Paul is saying is essentially this: when we were one with Adam we had his nature, and sin was a natural consequence. Now that we are identified with Christ and one with the Lord, the natural consequence would be a changed lifestyle. In verse 11, Paul went on to show us how to apply this truth. We must reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. It is good to know 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sin, God is faithful and just and will forgive our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This verse is needful because we will surely slip and fall at times in our journey. But here Paul is telling us what we so commonly know from the adage that “Prevention is better than cure.” He calls on us to contemplate our identification with Christ. It can help to curb our sinning ways. To identify with Christ in His death and resurrection is to keep reckoning ourselves dead to sin and alive in Christ Jesus. 

Romans 5:12 – 21 – Amazing grace

In Romans 5:1-11, Paul established that believers whom Christ has justified and reconciled to God are freed from the wrath of God. Hence they could live jubilantly and triumphantly. This could happen because Christ had completely reversed the effects of Adam’s sin. In this new section, Paul introduces us to the origin of sin as well as the means of grace. It was through Adam that mankind had inherited sin, death, judgment and condemnation. But now through God’s grace in Christ, believers receive the gift of righteousness, justification and shall reign in life.

Verses 12-21 divide itself neatly into three divisions. Firstly, in verses 12-14 Paul compares Adam and Christ. In these three verses we detect the similarity of both their acts. They both made a major impact on the lives of all men. Secondly in verses 15-17, we are told that while both of their actions impacted mankind in a major way, the results of each one is different. Adam’s act of disobedience brought curse upon the human race, whereas Christ’s obedience brought cure to humanity. He gave righteousness, justification and triumphant life to all who believe. Thirdly, in verses 18-21, Paul explains the work of Christ. While talking about the sin of man, he includes the role that the Law played, in relation to man’s sin and God’s grace.

To have a clearer understanding of this passage, we a need to know Paul’s usage of the term “sin.” Here he was not defining “the wrongful acts that man commits,” he was defining the principle of sin that operates in the life of everyone. Since Adam was the first man, the lineage of every human would be traced to him. Even before the Law was given through Moses, man since Adam had an inherent sinful nature. Everyone that had been born and ever will be born inherits that sinful condition and a natural drive toward evil.

Up till the Law given by Moses, man’s sin was only in his nature received from Adam. Sin was not imputed on them, for without the Law, every man was oblivious to his sin nature. But when God gave the Law through Moses, man’s glaring sinful nature became blatantly obvious. However, the purpose of the Law was not to solve the problem of man’s sinful nature. The giving of the Law had magnified man’s sinfulness. And it is in the magnification of man’s sinfulness that grace can be shown to surpass sin, and abound to men in righteousness and salvation. We know now that while the Law magnifies sin, Jesus Christ our Lord paid the penalty of that sin, and made available the grace of God generously to all who would trust Him. Hence, the Law was not given to deliver men from sin. It was given to declare men sinners so that Christ could deal with man’s sin, which was inherited from Adam. Believers who receive the more than sufficient grace of God and His gift of righteousness, shall reign in life through Christ.

Christ’s act was so supreme that it not only erased Adam’s transgression, but the sins that were ever committed by everyone who ever lived. If only we can understand how greatly Christ had rescued us, we will be restored to our reign. As we receive and dwell in God’s love through Christ, we will be enabled to live a reigning life. We must allow God’s affection to permeate every area of our life so that He can enable us to live and reign in life for His glory

Romans 5:6-11 – The certainty of our hope

It is so wonderful to experience the peace and grace of God that enable us to rejoice in tribulation and remain fixed in the hope of God’s glory. Will this joy eventually evaporate? Will it ever become a delusion? Paul assures us that it will not because it is firmly established in the love of God. This love of God according to Romans 5:5, “…has been poured out within our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” It tells us that God’s love had been and will continue to be poured out within our hearts. It’s a picture of generous extravagance of divine affection. The Holy Spirit given is the indication of this unrestraint love for us.

To show the extent of God’s love for us, Paul went on to elaborate on what Christ had done. At the appropriate time, Christ died for us, all the ungodly ones. Paul asserted that humanly speaking, it is remotely possible for a person to be willing to die for another, whom he knows to be right and just. But no one ever dies for another whom he deems to be unrighteous. But that was precisely what Christ did. He died for the ungodly. He not only obtained our pardon, He died for our sin. In verses 6-10, Paul used four terms to describe our state outside of Christ. Not only were we helpless, but were also ungodly. Not only were we sinners but were also enemies of God. We were helpless, ungodly, sinners and enemies of God when Christ died for us. Therefore, it proves beyond doubt that God’s love for us was not motivated by some wonderful things he saw in us. His love for us is an unmerited gift. 

In verses 9-11, Paul gave us even more ground why we should not waver in our jubilant and triumphant life. Here he argued from the lesser to the greater. He said, “Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved by His life!” In a nutshell what these two verses say is this: If in His death Christ had saved us, how much more we will be saved now that He is alive. So Paul concluded this section with these words in verse 11: “Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” Paul said we are to boast in God. We boast about our confidence in Him because Christ, His Son, had secured for us a triumphant life through His death and resurrection!

In a world of increasing gloom and doom, we Christians have a great hope. We don’t have to go around with a gloomy God-forsaken look because in Christ, our future is bright. We can bring hope to those living in a darkened world. We must share with them our jubilant life that can only be experienced in knowing and trusting Christ. Let’s start spreading the hope!   

Romans 5:1-5 – Hope does not disappoint

In the first five verses of Romans 5, Paul set out to describe the blessedness of being justified. We must know, however, that being justified does not mean that we will be free from trials. In fact it includes trials but they have very pointed purposes.

As a foundation, believers have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. It means to be free from turmoil and unrest. Peace is not being trouble-free, but being in the state of quiet confidence in God in the midst of trouble. A justified person is at rest with God and with others. Not only that, Paul assures us that believers are also the recipients of God’s grace, the state of divine favor where we will enjoy continually. Just as faith ushers us believers into the state of being justified, it also initiates us into the state of divine favor and approval.    

And since as believers, our relationship with God is settled, we will have an expected end, Paul calls it hope. This very hope produces a jubilant approach to living, knowing that we will ultimately receive the glory of God. This glory has been seen in parts through God’s creation and also Christ’s incarnation, death and resurrection but will ultimately bring us to share in Christ’s eternal glory. This hope will never let us down. And the very thought that this hope ensures that we will share in Christ’s eternal glory, brings us rejoicing even now.

And as we live with the expected end in mind, we can rejoice in tribulation. Paul was not referring to the petty inconveniences, pains or disappointments experienced in one’s daily living. He was referring to the hostile opposition believers would face from the world that opposes God. This is to be expected by Christians, so here Paul gave reasons for why believers should adopt a joyful attitude in times of tribulations.

He further said that tribulations mold character and build hope. Perseverance can never be attained without the assistance of tribulation because without it, there is nothing to persevere. Perseverance, in turn, will produce character and character produces greater hope or trust. Hope causes us to be confident that God is trustworthy. Furthermore, tribulations assure us of love. It helps us to know the love that God had poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit and by the demonstration in the death of Christ.

How not to live a life feeling triumphant when we are so loved by God? Calvary stands as the memorial of His complete love for us. And now the Holy Spirit takes that love and applies it in our lives. We can live a life of peace in times of trouble, joy in times of tribulation, and hope in times of uncertainty. Praise the Lord!

Romans 4:13-25 – Faith and not law that justifies

In these verses Paul now turned to argue that the Law did not justify Abraham either. Here we see an emphatic declaration that the promise which Abraham and his descendants would inherit the earth would be through the righteousness of faith and not through the Law. This “inheriting the world” is better seen in the messianic context, that is, through the Messiah, the seed of Abraham, that he would have dominion over the world.

In verses 13-14, Paul gave the first reason why the promise was received by faith and not through the Law. He argued from chronology. The promise to Abraham was made and received before the Law was given. Their history revealed that the Law came 430 years later and it could not possibly cancel out the covenant which was given earlier.

Secondly, he argued that both the Law and faith are mutually exclusive. If the promise is received through obedience to the Law, then faith has got no value and the promise is cancelled. Then he established that it was the Law that brought wrath. For without the Law, there would be no transgression or no violation of it and thus, no wrath. But because of God’s grace, through faith, Abraham’s seeds, both the Jews and Gentile who believe, were guaranteed the promise of God.

Finally, Paul supported his claim that it was faith and not the Law that justified Abraham. Therefore in him, all his descendants can be guaranteed the promise. In calling Abraham the father of us all, Paul was referring to him as the father of all Jews, his physical descendants as well as the Gentiles, who by faith follow his footstep and take on his spiritual lineage.

Paul now turned positively to assert that Abraham was justified by faith. The faith of Abraham was based on God’s power and faithfulness objectively. Abraham believed that God is able to keep what He promised and He is trustworthy and reliable regarding them. In the latter part of verse 17, Paul showed how God’s power is clearly affirmed by two undeniable facts: by Christ’s resurrection – giving life to the dead and by creation – calling the world into being from nothingness

It was Abraham’s hope in this God that kept him believing in God’s promise that his seed would be as numerous as the stars, although Sarah and he could not even have a child. Abraham did not deny both Sarah’s and his physical inability to conceive. He was about 100 years old and his body was as good as dead; Sarah’s womb was also barren and dead. Yet out of the seeming double-death, God brought forth a life. It is both a creation and a resurrection.

Furthermore, Abraham did not waver in his faith in God concerning His promise, even when he had to trust God concerning Isaac’s life later. He did not waver in unbelief because he trusted in the faithfulness of God. He allowed God to be God and just trusted Him to be reliable in fulfilling His promise.

The account of Abraham’s life, about his justification, is given for us to follow. It is for our instruction concerning faith. Just as God had credited righteousness to Abraham because of his faith, this same God will also credit to us the same righteousness. But we need to emulate Abraham and have faith in Him, that He had raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. Paul wrapped up here by giving a summary purpose of Christ’s death and resurrection. He died to atone for our sin and rose again for our justification. Hallelujah! Our sins are forgiven and we are justified in Christ. Let’s live for His glory!

Romans 4:9-12 – Not justified by circumcision

In Romans 4:1-8. Paul had established that it was not works that justified Abraham. After he had established that, he then proceeded to show in verses 9-12 that neither was he justified by his circumcision. He asked three successive questions in verses 9 and 10. “Was the blessing of justification by faith available for both the circumcised as well as the uncircumcised?” “How then was it credited? “Did the justification take place after or before Abraham’s circumcision?” Paul was establishing the time in which Abraham received righteousness.

He teased the minds of his readers by posing the question as to whether Abraham was made righteous before he was circumcised or was he already justified when he was circumcised.  He also quickly answered his own question in verse 10, by declaring that Abraham was made righteous not after he was circumcised but before. These facts are collaborated by the accounts in Genesis 15:6 and 17:11. There was a lapse of years from the moment he was declared righteous by God till the time he was circumcised.

In verse 11, he then proceeded to show that while circumcision might not be the ground for justification, it was the sign and seal of it. Abraham was declared justified by God before his circumcision. He was only circumcised long after that. Circumcision then became a visible sign and seal of Abraham’s justification. It was a sign to identify his status and a seal to authenticate it, and not the reason for it.

Paul then moved on to reveal the purposes for this sequence of justification before circumcision: firstly, so that Abraham might be the father of all who believe but are uncircumcised - the Gentile believers. And secondly, so that Abraham might also be the father of those circumcised, the Jews, as they receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ, and walk like Abraham did and be justified by God.

Paul’s argument depart greatly from the Jewish understanding of the role the circumcision of Abraham played. The Jews saw it as the point where the race was divided between Jews and Gentiles. Paul here shows that through it Abraham’s faith in God was demonstrated and his faith had become the assembling point for all who believe in God, whether circumcised or not. His faith unites whereas his circumcision divides.

Circumcision was a sign of the faith that Abraham had in God long before he was circumcised. Today, we are not required to be circumcised to demonstrate faith in God, what signs than would indicate to people that we belong to God? Wouldn’t it be in water baptism, and in the way we behave and conduct our lives? Our lives should then be lived in a God honoring way so that it will cause others to desire the Lord whom we have. 

Romans 4:1-8 – Justified by faith

In these verses Paul turned to two Old Testament figures to substantiate his argument that we are saved by faith and not by works. One was a well-known patriarch and the other, a well-known king.  He talked about Abraham’s life primarily but he referred to David’s life too.

Paul’s usage of two key words need to be clarified: justification and faith. Justification is a legal term where a person is pronounced righteous or just. In this context, Paul showed that God had imputed righteousness on the unrighteous. Then the word faith means: putting one’s trust in God. Here we see that justification by faith is not an entirely new thing. Even the Old Testament attested to it. While Paul addressed the Jews primarily, his intention was also to tell the Gentile believers to recognize that the root and rich spiritual heritage of their faith, was a continuation from the Old Testament. So from the lives of Abraham and David, it is evident that justification by faith is God’s only way to salvation for both the Old and New Testament believers, whether Jews or Gentiles. 

In verses 1-8, he began by showing that Abraham was not justified by works. He started by asking what did Abraham discover. The way the answer was crafted here answered his own question. Paul must have sensed among his readers the belief that Abraham was justified by works. Their conclusion could have been derived from the fact that Abraham obeyed God. However, the idea that self-effort can justify was unthinkable to Paul, so he invalidated that thought by a quick retort, “… but not before God.” Here Paul quickly quoted the Scripture saying, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

In verses 4-5, he then dealt with the significance of the term “credit.” Illustrating from the working world, Paul showed that the wage a person received was due to the work he had performed. Paul tells us that money can be credited into a person’s account in two ways: as wage he earns or as a favor, an unearned gift. Using that argument, Paul launched off to show the contrast of crediting in two different contexts: in business and in justification. In business, a wage is credited as a worker’s right or due for the work he performed. In justification, the unrighteous receives righteousness, a gift and a favor. The unrighteous are given the gift of righteousness by faith.

In verse 6, Paul moves from Abraham to David. Quoting the first two verses of Psalm 32 that David had written, Paul showed another angle of this whole issue of “crediting.” He used different definitions of sin to bring out the rich truth. Iniquity is over stepping a known boundary; transgression is lawlessness; and sin is falling short of God’s known standard Here we see that God chose to pardon and cover sin. He chose not to put it into our account.

Paul showed us in these verses, three angles of what God had credited into a believer’s life. He first credits to a believer faith as righteousness (verses 3 & 5); then He credits to a believer righteousness apart from works (verse 6); and finally, instead of crediting sin and transgression against believers, He chose to cover it.

Here’s what Martin Luther said, “Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure, so certain that a man would stake his life on it a thousand times. This confidence in God’s grace and knowledge of it makes men glad, bold and happy in dealing with God and all his creatures.” Are we like that? Let’s demonstrate it!

Romans 3:21-31 – Justified and righteous before God

Paul had established that everyone, Jew or Gentile, is under the dominion of sin and condemnation. And that the Law which was given to the Jew cannot make man righteous. Paul then went on to show what would put man in right standing with God. He said, it’s the righteousness of God that is received through faith in Jesus Christ. This is something that both the Law and the prophets had attested to. And this righteousness is open to everyone, whether Jews or Gentiles, because all have sinned and fallen short of God’s standard and purpose. This is the best solution. It’s fair because no one is at any disadvantage. Both Jews, who have the Law, and Gentiles who don’t have the Law, can only have access to God’s righteousness by putting faith in Jesus Christ.

Notice that this word righteousness appears four times in these eleven verses. Paul was not describing righteousness as a character of God, he was talking about the state of right standing with God. He tells us that this is God’s gracious gift when we put our faith in Jesus Christ. It comes through the atoning work of Jesus Christ where He sacrificed Himself to redeem us from sin.

Why did God choose to do it this way? Paul tells us that in time past, God did not pour out his entire wrath on man for their sin. That only showed that he was merciful and patient. This had caused His righteousness to be questioned. But now in the death of Jesus Christ, He had demonstrated His wrath against sin, and yet could at the same time love and accept sinful man. In Christ’s death, He could freely forgive sin, yet maintain His moral integrity. God can now forgive sin without being seen to be condoning it. How? By directing the full weight of His wrath that sin deserves on Himself through His Son, so that in forgiving our sin, His holy character will not be compromised.

Our justification and right standing is entirely God’s gracious work. It’s not because man obeyed the Law and received righteousness. No not at all. It is due to the principle of faith in Christ Jesus operating in our life. We cannot boast about salvation because everything required of us to be saved was God’s initiative and work. Everyone, Jews or Gentiles, who is without Christ must begin with faith in Him. All are on equal footing. Does this therefore negate the Law? Paul tell us it does not. Why? It is because the Law functions by revealing the righteous standards of God and make us conscious of sin. When we live by faith we begin to see the positive side of the Law and exploit it to strengthen our faith life. As Christians we uphold the Law but we never depend on keeping it to be reconciled to God.  

Had it not been for Calvary, had it not been for Jesus, you and I would forever be lost. How greatly He loves us! It must surely cause us to respond in gratefulness to Him and His great love.