Romans 4:9-15 (NIV)
9 Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness.
10 Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before!
11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.
12 And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
13 It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.
14 For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless,
15 because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.
You has been blessed? Is it those that have obeyed the law or who believe? When the law came is a very important time period to know. The law came through Moses. Moses came after Abraham and therefore the law was after Abraham. When did Abraham believe? Did he believe after his circumcision or before? He believed before he was circumcised and he believed before the law was given. We are never referred to as children of Moses, but we are referred to as children of Abraham. Abraham is the paradigm under which we practice our faith. We believe and it is credited to our account. We believe and then we are baptized, not vice versa. Paul is still arguing from chapter one that the just will live by faith! If it is through faith, then it has to be of grace. The two go hand in hand.
Faith is a reasoning trust, a trust which reckons thoughtfully and confidently upon the trustworthiness of God.
John R. W. Stott (1921– )
Monday, March 22, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
Romans 4:1-8 (NIV)
1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter?
2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about--but not before God.
3 What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."
4 Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation.
5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.
6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
7 "Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him."
Perhaps you remember me saying from time to time that the issue for the Lake Country area is the matter of law versus grace or works versus faith(both of these encompass the same problem.) I do believe it is the issue for our area, but as you can see it is an issue for a lot of people. What drives us to want to help God out on this salvation thing? What makes us finite human beings think that we have something that God needs?
Paul goes to the O.T. in order to prove his point that it has never been of works or of the law. He takes the example of Abraham and then quotes the Scriptures that when Abraham believed it was there that he received his righteousness. It was later on that Abraham was circumcised and not before. Paul then turns to wage earning as another example of why God's salvation has to be a gift. When a person works he or she collects a wage and not a gift.
Paul again quotes the O.T. to argue more on behalf of grace and this time he turns to David. The blessed life is when one knows the forgiveness of God apart from works. The reason the person is blessed is they know they are forgiven upon the basis of God's goodness. When a person tries to work off their sins they will never know if they have worked enough. There is no rest for those who try to earn forgiveness. Remember God's grace is against earning not against effort. Are you blessed?
1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter?
2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about--but not before God.
3 What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."
4 Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation.
5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.
6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
7 "Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him."
Perhaps you remember me saying from time to time that the issue for the Lake Country area is the matter of law versus grace or works versus faith(both of these encompass the same problem.) I do believe it is the issue for our area, but as you can see it is an issue for a lot of people. What drives us to want to help God out on this salvation thing? What makes us finite human beings think that we have something that God needs?
Paul goes to the O.T. in order to prove his point that it has never been of works or of the law. He takes the example of Abraham and then quotes the Scriptures that when Abraham believed it was there that he received his righteousness. It was later on that Abraham was circumcised and not before. Paul then turns to wage earning as another example of why God's salvation has to be a gift. When a person works he or she collects a wage and not a gift.
Paul again quotes the O.T. to argue more on behalf of grace and this time he turns to David. The blessed life is when one knows the forgiveness of God apart from works. The reason the person is blessed is they know they are forgiven upon the basis of God's goodness. When a person tries to work off their sins they will never know if they have worked enough. There is no rest for those who try to earn forgiveness. Remember God's grace is against earning not against effort. Are you blessed?
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Romans 3:22-25 (NIV)
22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference,
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished--
Romans 1:17 (NIV)
17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."
How can a sinner become righteous? How can a sinner really have life? How can a sinner come to know in a personal way the righteous God? If you have read Stott's discourse on Romans chapter one verse seventeen you will recall that this statement, "For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed..." is not as easy to understand as it first appears. Basically he asks is it a quality of God, or is it an activity of God, or is it a gift from God? This discussion begins in his commentary on page 61. His conclusion is that this verse covers all three. The righteousness from God has to first be something that God is or it could not be from God. When God acts He has to stay true to who He is and therefore acts in a righteous way. Finally, for us it is a gift because we on our own could never achieve righteousness on our own or through the law, therefore it has to be given to us by a righteous God in Christ. In verse 22 of chapter three the argument is picked up again as Paul is driving the point home that we have to believe in order to become righteous and therefore that will give us life. In Paul's mind to become righteous in God's eyes is life. As he quotes, "The righteous will live by faith." We have been given a choice to continue to live in our sins and die for we are already dead. The other choice is to believe in Christ and enjoy life here and forever for those who believe have now come alive. Remember life begets life and if you have it you get it.
God does not justify us because we are worthy, but by justifying us makes us worthy.
Thomas Watson (c. 1557–1592)
22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference,
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished--
Romans 1:17 (NIV)
17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."
How can a sinner become righteous? How can a sinner really have life? How can a sinner come to know in a personal way the righteous God? If you have read Stott's discourse on Romans chapter one verse seventeen you will recall that this statement, "For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed..." is not as easy to understand as it first appears. Basically he asks is it a quality of God, or is it an activity of God, or is it a gift from God? This discussion begins in his commentary on page 61. His conclusion is that this verse covers all three. The righteousness from God has to first be something that God is or it could not be from God. When God acts He has to stay true to who He is and therefore acts in a righteous way. Finally, for us it is a gift because we on our own could never achieve righteousness on our own or through the law, therefore it has to be given to us by a righteous God in Christ. In verse 22 of chapter three the argument is picked up again as Paul is driving the point home that we have to believe in order to become righteous and therefore that will give us life. In Paul's mind to become righteous in God's eyes is life. As he quotes, "The righteous will live by faith." We have been given a choice to continue to live in our sins and die for we are already dead. The other choice is to believe in Christ and enjoy life here and forever for those who believe have now come alive. Remember life begets life and if you have it you get it.
God does not justify us because we are worthy, but by justifying us makes us worthy.
Thomas Watson (c. 1557–1592)
Monday, March 15, 2010
Romans 3:21-26 (NIV)
21 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.
22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference,
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished--
26 he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
I cannot put into words what a tremendous privilege it is to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with strangers, or friends and family of the church. From the different people that I talked to over the weekend it would seem that many lives were touched in our different services. It is my understanding that we had 2267 for our services. It is also my understanding that over 200 follow up bags were taken--praise the Lord. When I gather the exact numbers I will let you know what they were.
The passage today covers what we attempted to do over the weekend and that is teach and preach that a righteousness from God has been revealed apart from the law. We are now freely justified by His grace--Hallelujah. One man handed me a card and he wrote, "I am on who does not believe." He closed with these words, "Maybe you could help me." I would appreciate your prayers as I attempt to meet with him in the coming days. You know as well as I do I am only a vessel and at times a weak one at that.
Let freedom ring in the name of Jesus Christ. Please pray for the many that prayed with me this weekend that they would listen to God's voice. May they continue looking at the cross and have faith in Jesus who was our atonement for our sins. God bless you all! God bless our Church--amen!
21 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.
22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference,
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished--
26 he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
I cannot put into words what a tremendous privilege it is to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with strangers, or friends and family of the church. From the different people that I talked to over the weekend it would seem that many lives were touched in our different services. It is my understanding that we had 2267 for our services. It is also my understanding that over 200 follow up bags were taken--praise the Lord. When I gather the exact numbers I will let you know what they were.
The passage today covers what we attempted to do over the weekend and that is teach and preach that a righteousness from God has been revealed apart from the law. We are now freely justified by His grace--Hallelujah. One man handed me a card and he wrote, "I am on who does not believe." He closed with these words, "Maybe you could help me." I would appreciate your prayers as I attempt to meet with him in the coming days. You know as well as I do I am only a vessel and at times a weak one at that.
Let freedom ring in the name of Jesus Christ. Please pray for the many that prayed with me this weekend that they would listen to God's voice. May they continue looking at the cross and have faith in Jesus who was our atonement for our sins. God bless you all! God bless our Church--amen!
Friday, March 12, 2010
Romans 3:19-20 (NIV)
19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.
Romans 3:27-31 (NIV)
28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.
29 Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too,
30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.
31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.
Paul is having to explain the relationship between law and grace. It would seem an easy subject at first glance, however it goes at the heart of the gospel and why the Messiah came to this earth. It is not as easy as it would seem. At least half of the subject in the book of Galatians has to do with law and grace. Notice the question in verse 31, "Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith?" If it is of faith then it is of grace and law has no place where there is grace. Therefore the law which was held up by Moses, David, and the prophets is nullified. This argument would be put forth by any good Jew. Jesus said this about His relationship about the law, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." Matthew 5:17. The key to understanding law and grace is to understand why Jesus came to this planet. Jesus is the fulfillment of the O.T. prophecies. The O.T. is all about Jesus first and seconding coming. We need righteousness and we cannot do this ourselves even with the knowledge of the law. The law in truth aggravates our situation; it does not heal us. The law sheds light that we need help but it does not do the saving. Later Paul will show how this was true even for Abraham. Abraham believed and it was counted to him as righteousness. One of the things that the Jews had forgotten is the relationship between the law and their own faith in Yahweh. It is my contention that the Jews placed the law ahead of God and that relationship which was to be supreme. The Jewish teachers simply were the keeper of rules instead of helping them seek God with all their hearts. In a way the Jews were committing idolatry with the law. They were placing it ahead of God. Today you can thank God that there is more understanding about grace on this side of the cross. However, the battle rages on as there are those who try to bring the law back to a position that is not Scriptural. Let Jesus reign in your life and all will be fine.
19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.
Romans 3:27-31 (NIV)
28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.
29 Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too,
30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.
31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.
Paul is having to explain the relationship between law and grace. It would seem an easy subject at first glance, however it goes at the heart of the gospel and why the Messiah came to this earth. It is not as easy as it would seem. At least half of the subject in the book of Galatians has to do with law and grace. Notice the question in verse 31, "Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith?" If it is of faith then it is of grace and law has no place where there is grace. Therefore the law which was held up by Moses, David, and the prophets is nullified. This argument would be put forth by any good Jew. Jesus said this about His relationship about the law, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." Matthew 5:17. The key to understanding law and grace is to understand why Jesus came to this planet. Jesus is the fulfillment of the O.T. prophecies. The O.T. is all about Jesus first and seconding coming. We need righteousness and we cannot do this ourselves even with the knowledge of the law. The law in truth aggravates our situation; it does not heal us. The law sheds light that we need help but it does not do the saving. Later Paul will show how this was true even for Abraham. Abraham believed and it was counted to him as righteousness. One of the things that the Jews had forgotten is the relationship between the law and their own faith in Yahweh. It is my contention that the Jews placed the law ahead of God and that relationship which was to be supreme. The Jewish teachers simply were the keeper of rules instead of helping them seek God with all their hearts. In a way the Jews were committing idolatry with the law. They were placing it ahead of God. Today you can thank God that there is more understanding about grace on this side of the cross. However, the battle rages on as there are those who try to bring the law back to a position that is not Scriptural. Let Jesus reign in your life and all will be fine.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
I hope you are reading your Bible and asking God to help you understand it and apply it to your life. God's Word is one of His most magnificent gifts to us.
Romans 6:11-14 (NIV)
11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.
13 Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.
14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.
There is what God has done and there is what I must believe and obey. I believe that a follower of Christ is both passive and active. Notice take another look at verse 12,
"Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires." We are commanded to make sure that sin no longer holds sway over us. Christ did not die on the cross just to release us from the penalty of sin. If it was only the penalty of sin then we would still have to live in misery. However, Christ came to release us from the power of sin. This is some of the best good news you will here or share. We can really have a better life right here in enemy territory. We have to remember that we belong to Christ. We no longer belong to this world and it's ways. We no longer belong to ourselves. We belong to Christ and His kingdom! Let's look at this passage in the Message.
Romans 6:12-14 (MSG)
12 That means you must not give sin a vote in the way you conduct your lives. Don't give it the time of day.
13 Don't even run little errands that are connected with that old way of life. Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full-time—remember, you've been raised from the dead!—into God's way of doing things.
14 Sin can't tell you how to live. After all, you're not living under that old tyranny any longer. You're living in the freedom of God.
The only lasting treasure is spiritual; the only perfect freedom is serving God.
Malcolm Muggeridge (1903–1990)
Romans 6:11-14 (NIV)
11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.
13 Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.
14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.
There is what God has done and there is what I must believe and obey. I believe that a follower of Christ is both passive and active. Notice take another look at verse 12,
"Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires." We are commanded to make sure that sin no longer holds sway over us. Christ did not die on the cross just to release us from the penalty of sin. If it was only the penalty of sin then we would still have to live in misery. However, Christ came to release us from the power of sin. This is some of the best good news you will here or share. We can really have a better life right here in enemy territory. We have to remember that we belong to Christ. We no longer belong to this world and it's ways. We no longer belong to ourselves. We belong to Christ and His kingdom! Let's look at this passage in the Message.
Romans 6:12-14 (MSG)
12 That means you must not give sin a vote in the way you conduct your lives. Don't give it the time of day.
13 Don't even run little errands that are connected with that old way of life. Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full-time—remember, you've been raised from the dead!—into God's way of doing things.
14 Sin can't tell you how to live. After all, you're not living under that old tyranny any longer. You're living in the freedom of God.
The only lasting treasure is spiritual; the only perfect freedom is serving God.
Malcolm Muggeridge (1903–1990)
Monday, March 8, 2010
Romans 3:9-20 (NIV)
9 What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin.
10 As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one;
11 there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one."
13 "Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit." "The poison of vipers is on their lips."
14 "Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness."
15 "Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 ruin and misery mark their ways,
17 and the way of peace they do not know."
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, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.
Paul is in an argument with those who arguing in their heads about what he has been writing. Paul's conclusion is that we are all undone. The charge is that all are guilty before the Lord almighty. A form of preaching that was used in the day of Paul was called charuwz. This term literally means "stringing pearls." Paul was not quoting from one passage in the O.T. when he says, "As it is written:" Paul was quoting from many passages such as Ps. 14:1-3, Ps. 5:9, and Is. 53:6-9, to name a few. So whether it be the law of God or the law of conscience the function of both is to help us become aware of our real guilt. Guilt is a gift from God. To acknowledge our guilt before God and to repent is a miracle of God's grace working in us. If we know ourselves to be guilty of disobedience towards God and do nothing about it then the guilt we feel is no longer a gift, but a burden of judgment upon our own souls.
What Paul is doing in his arguments is locking the world up to the store house of God's grace. NO one is able to come to God on his or her own terms and therefore we must depend on His grace and mercy. It is a sweeping indictment of humanity, however God's grace is more than enough to bring us the abundance of forgiveness and reconciliation. We who were once dead are now raised to new life in Christ Jesus. We who were once enemies of God are now at peace with God. This passage has everything to do with Easter weekend because without Good Friday and the resurrection we would not be able to experience His grace and mercy. Go with God and enjoy the riches of His grace.
9 What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin.
10 As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one;
11 there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one."
13 "Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit." "The poison of vipers is on their lips."
14 "Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness."
15 "Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 ruin and misery mark their ways,
17 and the way of peace they do not know."
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, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.
Paul is in an argument with those who arguing in their heads about what he has been writing. Paul's conclusion is that we are all undone. The charge is that all are guilty before the Lord almighty. A form of preaching that was used in the day of Paul was called charuwz. This term literally means "stringing pearls." Paul was not quoting from one passage in the O.T. when he says, "As it is written:" Paul was quoting from many passages such as Ps. 14:1-3, Ps. 5:9, and Is. 53:6-9, to name a few. So whether it be the law of God or the law of conscience the function of both is to help us become aware of our real guilt. Guilt is a gift from God. To acknowledge our guilt before God and to repent is a miracle of God's grace working in us. If we know ourselves to be guilty of disobedience towards God and do nothing about it then the guilt we feel is no longer a gift, but a burden of judgment upon our own souls.
What Paul is doing in his arguments is locking the world up to the store house of God's grace. NO one is able to come to God on his or her own terms and therefore we must depend on His grace and mercy. It is a sweeping indictment of humanity, however God's grace is more than enough to bring us the abundance of forgiveness and reconciliation. We who were once dead are now raised to new life in Christ Jesus. We who were once enemies of God are now at peace with God. This passage has everything to do with Easter weekend because without Good Friday and the resurrection we would not be able to experience His grace and mercy. Go with God and enjoy the riches of His grace.
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