Romans

Paul seems to have been writing to both converted Jews and converted pagans – written as a religious treatise.

Salvation – being safe – now becomes a matter of believing and not achieving!

Abraham believed God and was considered righteous – the father of the faithful – he was convinced that God could implement his own promise.

Faith = the certainty of God’s love – justified by faith!

Chap 5 – peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ!

A new relationship of grace – a glorious future – full of joy here and now even in our trials and troubles – giving us patient endurance – leading to a mature character – the love of God flowing through our hearts.

When we were powerless, Jesus died for sinful men – the proof of God’s love!

Now that we are justified (if we believe), what reason do we have to fear the wrath of God?

We can be certain of our salvation as a result of Jesus living in us!

[I realise that I will lose many ‘traditional’ Christians by suggesting that it is reasonable in the whole context of Romans to suggest that sin = to miss the mark (and so not share in the prize) – to miss the mark of what God created us to be – but that is a separate consideration].

Death as a result of missing the mark – passed on to the whole human race – no one could break it because none were free from sin (we all have human nature).

Sin was in the world before the Law, even though there was no law to define it!

As a result of one man’s sin, death by natural consequence became the common lot of men – but as a result of grace the love of God overflowed for the benefit of all men – countless men’s sins are met with the free gift of grace and the result is justification before God.

As a result of Adam’s offence men became slaves to death, but by the acceptance of the more than sufficient grace and righteousness, men can live their lives victoriously.

The act of perfect righteousness presents all men freely acquitted in the sight of God – one man’s obedience has the power to present all men righteous before God.

The Law keeps slipping into the picture showing the vast extent of sin – but grace is wider and deeper. When sin is the master the result is death – when grace is the ruling factor (with its purpose of making men right with God) the end result is eternal life.

Chap 6 Paul is writing to those who had died to sin – who had been baptised into Jesus Christ and who were sharing in his death – dead and buried in baptism so that they could rise to life on a new plane. If we have as it were, shared his death, we shall also share in his resurrection.

Paul writes that we must never forget that our old selves died with him on the cross (that the tyranny of sin might be broken) – a dead man (those who are justified) can safely be said to be free from the power of sin (selfishness and self-centredness) – so look upon yourselves as dead to the appeal and power of sin but alive to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Do not allow sin to establish any power over your mortal bodies (giving way to its lusts) but put yourselves into God’s hands for his purposes.

No longer living under law that results in death but under grace – because of an honest response to Christ’s teaching (rather than the teachings of men) – able to reap the fruit of being made righteous and knowing that at the end of the road there is life for evermore.

Sin pays its servants – the wage is death. But God gives to those who serve him – his free gift is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Chap 7

Paul was writing to those who knew the Law – that could only exercise authority over a man as long as he is alive – and the death of Christ has made us ‘dead’ to the claims of the Law – enabling us to give ourselves as in marriage to Christ – so that we can bear fruit – free to serve God not in the old obedience to the letter of the Law but in a new way in the Spirit.

[It was the Law that brought home the meaning of sin].

As long as I was without the Law I was alive – but when the commandment arrived sin sprang to life and I ‘died’. This is surely incomprehensible to those who are not followers?

Chap 8

No condemnation for those who are in Christ – lifted out of the old circle of sin and death!

The weakness of human nature was never going to produce righteousness.

Jesus was sent to live in sinful human nature like ours and while Christ was dealing with sin, God condemned that sinful nature. But we can now meet the Law’s requirements because we are no longer living by the dictates of our sinful nature – but in obedience to the promptings of the Spirit (life and inward peace).

You cannot be a Christian at all unless you have something of this Spirit in you – that will bring new strength and vitality.

It is by cutting the nerve of our instinctive actions and obeying the Spirit that we live!

All who follow the leading of God’s Spirit are God’s own sons – adopted into the family circle of God – Father, my Father (Abba) – heirs of all that Christ inherits – if we share in his sufferings we shall certainly share in his glory.

Whatever we go through now is nothing compared to the magnificent future that Father has in store for us.

The hope that in the end the whole of created life will be rescued from the tyranny of change and decay and share in that magnificent liberty that can only belong to the children of God!

The universe groans in a sort of universal travail – we who have a foretaste of the Spirit are in a state of painful tension while we wait for the realisation of our full sonship in him.

[Hope = waiting for something that we do not yet see].

The Spirit helps us (those who love God) in our present limitations – expressing those agonising longings that we cannot put into words.

Rom 8.28 Everything fits into a pattern for good to those who love God and who are called according to his plan – chosen to bear the family likeness – and made righteous in his sight and then lifted to the splendour of life as his own sons.

[Paul refers to chosen long ago but he was writing to an existing group of people – I sense this has been misunderstood by so many].

What is there left to say – can we not trust such a Father?

God has declared us free from sin – Christ prays for us!

Who can separate us from the love of God?

An overwhelming victory through him who has proved his love for us.

Paul was absolutely convinced that nothing could separate us (those he was writing to) from the love of God!

Chap 9

Paul was depressed by the conditions around him – has anything changed? He recognised that not all of Abraham’s descendants could truly be considered children of Abraham.