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    1The Gospel: What? Who? How? When? 4 Critical Questions in Romans

    In this four part series in the Apostle Pauls Letter to the Church at Rome we will be asking 4

    critical questions:1. What is the Gospel?(Romans 1-2)

    2. Who needs the Gospel?(Romans 3)3. How do we respond to the Gospel?(Romans 4-8)4. When do we apply the Gospel?(Romans 9-16)

    What is the Gospel? Romans 1-2(focus: 1:16-20 deliverance through destruction)

    The noun in the original language borrowed by the New Testament writers and inspired by the Holy

    Spirit which we translate as gospel (euvagge,lion) simply means good news. It was normally

    used [in the secular world] for the word of victory on the battlefield brought by a herald from the frontlines.

    There are many voices claiming to be that harold of victory but upon closer inspection we will find that

    those messages are conflicting. Lets look to Romans for our definition. Some call Romans the gospel

    according to Paul. This designation is for good reason:

    [Intro Context] Notice that the same themes appear in the Salutation of Romans and the Doxology at

    the end:1

    Romans 1:1Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of

    God

    Paul declares that his ministry as an apostle in the service of Jesus, is for the Gospel/good news of God.

    Romans 16:25Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the

    preaching of Jesus Christ

    Seeing how Paul Book-ends Romans with this theme we can conclude that it is one of the central

    emphases that ties the entire letter together.2 He states again that his service/ministry is the Gospel of

    the Son of God:

    Romans 1:9 For God, whom I serve in my spirit in thepreaching of the gospel of His Son, is my

    witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you,

    There is an even an eagerness at the start of the letter to tell this good news and explain what it is.

    1ESV Study Bible pg. 2157 orhttp://www.esvstudybible.org/sb/objects/chart-45-01.html

    2Seifrid, Mark A., Romans in Beale, G.K. and Carson D.A., ed.s, Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old

    Testament, pg. 608 (To this we can also add that According to Paul, the voice of God in Scripture is an echo of the

    voice of the Creator in creation. The proclamation of the gospel retraces the proclamation of creation itself)

    http://www.esvstudybible.org/sb/objects/chart-45-01.htmlhttp://www.esvstudybible.org/sb/objects/chart-45-01.htmlhttp://www.esvstudybible.org/sb/objects/chart-45-01.htmlhttp://www.esvstudybible.org/sb/objects/chart-45-01.html
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    2Romans 1:15 Thus, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.With that same eagerness lets read Romans 1:15-20 together and try to understand what this Gospel

    message is all about:

    16For I am not ashamed of the gospel [of Christ(kjv)],

    for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes,

    to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

    17For in it [the gospel] the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith,

    as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith."a

    18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and

    unrighteousness of men who by their unrighteousnesssuppress the truth b

    19For what can be known about God is plain to them,

    because God has shown it to them.20

    For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have

    been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that

    have been made. So they are without excuse.

    To properly understand this passage we need to see how it interacts with the Old Testament.

    Remember that the only Bible known to the Apostles and the 1st

    century church was, in fact, the OT.

    Therefore, it should not surprise us to see that in Verse 17 Paul actually quotes the last part of

    Habbakuk 2:4NKJ

    " Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.3

    This quote is essential to understanding the main thrust of this passage and therefore the meaning

    of the gospel message:

    aFirst, we need to ask whose faith?.The faith Paul speaks ofhere must be understood in light of

    the context of the quote from Habbakuk 2:4.

    Whats going in Habbakuk 2? What is Habbakuk chapter 2 about? It is a prophecy wherein God is

    promising the prophet Habbakuk sometime in the late 6th

    century that His judgment upon the wicked,

    the unrighteous, the idolaters, the violent, and the faithless will indeed come at Gods appointed time.

    And it is only through his/her trust in Gods faithfulness to fulfill his promise, that the righteous person

    will endure through the judgment. It is only through living by trusting in what our Faithful God has

    revealed that the righteous will see salvation in the end when (Habakkuk 2:14)

    "the earth will be filled with the knowledge ofthe glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the

    sea.

    So, Faith in Habbakuk 2:4 refersGods faithfulnessto fulfill his promise of salvation4 to those who

    trust in Him even though Gods judgment is coming.

    3Habakkuk 2:4

    qyDIc;w> AB+ Avp.n: hr"v.y"-al{ hl'P.[u hNEhi

    `hy

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    3bSecondly,what is the for for? If we observe the structure of Romans 1:16-19 we see that the termgospel is explained by the phrases in verses 17,18,19, & 20 that all start with the conjunction, for(ga.r). So, it is important to notice that not only is the gospelthe power of God for salvation (vs. 16)

    But also through the Gospel

    a. the righteousness of God(vs. 17) is revealed and also

    b. thewrath of Godis being revealed from heaven (vs. 18)

    Both these things in some sense explain what the Gospel message is and how it brings salvation to

    everyone who believes.5

    How? Again the quote in 1:17 from Habbakuk 2:4b points to the answer. By quoting from Habbakuk,

    Paul makes an allusion back to a time when God was about to judge Israel for all her wickedness and

    send the nation into exile in the land of Babylon at the hand of King Nebuchadnezzar. Paul now applies

    this same principle to the people of his generation:

    1. Just as the people in those old days before the Exile had the prophets messages, now we have

    the message of the Gospel (vs. 16) the Good News of salvation through the Life, Death, &

    Resurrection of Jesus, which reveals both Gods righteousness and Gods wrath to the world

    (vs. 17a).

    A. Gods Righteousness means His high holy moral standard that no one in his or her ownpower can live up to.

    B. Gods wrath (expressed in judgment) is also revealed through the Gospel (vs. 18a) and is

    indeed already evident in the way people are living (according to Rom 1:20-2:5). But His

    judgment will be fully revealed at his appointed time, that is, at the second coming of Jesus.

    But for those who trust in God this wrath to come is actually a kind of deliverance through

    destruction.6

    2. This time, however, Gods judgment will not just be on Israel (as in the days of Habbakuk). It will

    be upon the entire creation; a global judgment (more like the days of Noah) - i.e. these things

    are revealed to the Jew first and also to the Gentile the nations (vs. 16b).

    A. There is, therefore, no one without excuse; for God has made his existence and nature clearto all creation (vs.19).

    B. The only way to survive this global judgment is to live by faith that is, trusting in the

    faithfulness of God that is revealed by the Gospel (vs. 17b).

    So, heres the Main Idea: the Apostle Paul by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit calls our attention to the

    call of God upon Israel through the prophet, Habbakuk, to live by the Lords faithfulness in the face of the

    Babylonian invasion as a pattern of how God saves people now in the present times: it is through the

    preaching of this good news of Jesus that God reveals his righteousness and saves people, imparting

    faith to them in the face of the coming wrath & Judgment of God, which is actually already present in the

    world.7 But all who suppress this truth(vs. 18) will be judged and perish.

    What Paul has described here is the Gospel message

    Gods Righteousness: God is Holy and holds everyone to his righteous standard of holiness.

    5Seifrid, Romans, pg. 610

    6Paul returns to this theme of deliverance through destruction (vs. 18a) in chapter 9:25-33 quoting from the

    prophets Hosea and Isaiah.7

    Seifrid, Romans, pg. 611

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    4 Gods Wrath is againstall who have sinned against God - who are without excuse and deserveeternal judgment. Judgment is coming: God as a holy & just Judge will punish all sin

    And according to the greeting the deliverance is provided through Jesus Christ:

    Romans 1:1the gospel of God,2

    which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy

    Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, 4

    who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the

    Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to

    bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles, for His name's sake,6 among whom you

    also are the called of Jesus Christ;

    Trust in Gods faithfulness: salvation is provided through Jesus to take away sins and reconcile

    people with God again.

    Jesus came as the Messiah & God in the flesh as promised by the prophets.(1:2)

    Jesus died the death we deserved (1:3)

    Jesus rose again to bring the obedience of faith in us for his own glory (1:3,5).

    The only way to escape Gods judgment is to live by faith in Jesus sacrifice (vs. 17).

    This is the Gospel message. The question for us is: Do you believe this or are you ashamed of the true

    Gospel? Are you confident in the power of God in this message or do you feel the need to help the gospel

    along in some way?Do you think you can be delivered from the coming destruction of Gods judgment

    by doing something other than believing and trusting in this Gospel message? If you add or subtract

    anything from this gospel or define it differently then you are showing that either you dont understand

    the gospel, or that you are ashamed of what it really is all about. You dont want to do that. In another

    letter (to the Galatians) the Apostle would commend these strong words:

    Galatians 1:8But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to

    the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.9

    As we have said before, so now I say again: If

    anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

    So it is of vital importance to discern what the true Gospel is and what it is not and then stand with Paul

    and proclaim it boldly, clearly, with confidence, and without shame. Thats our job. Then let God do the

    rest.

    The rest of Romans chapters 1 & 2 tell us that the human sinful nature in all of us has the constant

    tendency to suppress this truth (vs. 18b) and replace the true message of salvation and true

    worship of God as he has revealed it with something else (vv. 22-32). So God gave them up/over to their

    sinful desires as a form of judgment upon them. In the rest of these two chapters we have essentially a

    description of how every culture, ethnic group, every man-centered philosophy, and false religion

    suppresses the truth when it tries to worship God and find salvation apart from believing in the

    message of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

    We will develop this more in part 3 but lets end with this challenge: the fact that God has allowed

    humanity to continue on in this sinful state is act ofMercy: much of humanity has not gotten what all of

    humanity deserves. The fact that God continues to save people and calls those who are saved to

    continue to speak forth this message of good news in Jesus Christ is an unfathomable Graceit is a

    demonstration of Gods kindness toward his enemies. What will you do with that kindness? Do you think

    lightly of Gods kindness? Do you take it for granted that you wake up from day to day and that each

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    5new day is a gift from God? God has a purpose for showing his kindness in toward you in letting youhear this gospel message once again. Romans 2:4 saysRomans 2:4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience,

    not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?

    You are called upon to give a response to God. That response begins with repentance of your sins. Do

    not waste yet another opportunity to repent and be delivered from the coming destruction.

    Part 2 Who needs the Gospel? Romans 3(focus: 3:9-23 all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God)

    In our last study we defined the Gospel as a message which conveys the reality ofGods Righteousness

    (his righteous standard of holiness to which everyone is held) and Gods Wrath which is just and

    positioned against all who have sinned against God. We saw that these realities have been revealed

    plainly so all are without excuse and deserve eternal judgment which God will be faithful to bring about

    at his appointed time. In order to escape this judgment one must trust in Gods faithfulness. Just as Godwill be faithful to bring judgment he will also be faithful to deliver from this destruction. This

    deliverance was provided through Jesus who received in himself the punishment for the sins of those

    who believe in order to reconcile them with God again. This Jesus came as the Messiah and God in the

    flesh as promised by the ancient prophets (1:2), died the death we deserved (1:3), then rose again to

    bring about the obedience of faith in us for his own glory (1:3,5). So, the only way to escape Gods

    judgment is to live by faith in Jesus sacrifice (vs. 17).

    We then left on a note emphasizing how Gods righteous wrath against sin (destruction) is contrasted

    with his great kindness shown through Jesus who provides an escape (deliverance). And this kindness

    was shown in order to produce a desired effect in those who hear this message in faith. For the

    kindness of God leads you to repentance (Romans 2:4).

    This time we want to focus on the question Who needs the gospel? Just who is it that the Bible

    declares is destined for destruction and in need of deliverance? For an answer to this question we turn

    to Romans chapter 3. At the end of chapter 2 the Apostle makes a statement that confounds the

    wisdom of the prevailing thinking in much of the church today:

    For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly; neither is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh.29

    But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit,

    not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God. (Romans 2:28)

    1. So not all Jews (ethnically and circumcised) are truly Jews (the redeemed people of God)

    because to become a true child of God is an inward matter of the heart, i.e. faith not simply a

    matter of keeping the Law of Moses.

    2. The Jews were given the oracles of God this is a great advantage (3:1-2) because these very

    scriptures point to Christ.

    3. But some ethnic Jews did not believe, yet their faithlessness does not nullify Gods faithfulness

    (3:3-4). This does not mean that ethnic Jews just get off scott-free from judgment or somehow

    get to cash in sometime in the future on Gods former promises. It simply means that God is not

    to be blamed for their broken covenant and that he will always be just when he judges sin

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    6even those who were at one time in a covenant relationship with God through Moses. We knowthis is the emphasis here because of the following discourse which Paul begins by quoting fromPsalm 51:4 (in Romans 3:4)

    Against Thee, Thee only, I have sinned, And done what is evil in Thy sight, So that Thou art

    justified when Thou dost speak, And blameless when Thou dost judge.

    4. Pointing out Gods blamelessness when he judges our sin suggests that even our sinfulness

    demonstrates Gods righteousness because it shows just how holy and high Gods standard is.

    (3:5)

    5. But Paul realizes this raises a serious question:

    But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God

    who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.) (Romans 3:5)

    Here we are seeing further explanation of two important ingredients of the Gospel that are revealed

    whenever the true gospel is proclaimed (yet which many people leave out), namely Gods Righteousness

    and Gods Wrath (Rom 1:17-18) and their implications for our question: Who needs the gospel?

    First, Paul anticipates the questions we might be thinking when we hear that Gods righteousness is

    demonstrated by our unrighteousness.

    A. Doesnt this suggest that God is unrighteous if he is glorified by means of our sin? (3:5)

    i. How can he wage his wrath against our sin if he himself is unrighteousness? (3:5)

    B. If Gods truth is glorified by my lie/sin why does he still judge me as a sinner? (3:7)

    C. If God is glorified by my sin why dont we just sin all the more to give God more glory? (3:8)

    Have you ever wondered about these kinds of questions yourself? The Apostles were never afraid to

    tackle difficult questions and neither should we. Trust in God. Trust in his Word. He is greater than our

    reasoning and has a wisdom that transcends our own. What answer does the Word bring to thesequestions?

    A. / i. Paul answers the first two questions by restating what he already established in verse 4 from

    Psalm 51:4 that God is a just Judge and is justified in his judgment of the world (3:6)

    B. / C. He answers the second two questions by restating what he had already established earlier

    in Chapter 2 that no matter what your ethnic background whether you are from the original

    order of the People of God (from a Jewish heritage) or from any other ethnic background

    (Greek/gentile) all are under sin. (3:9ff)

    Then he backs up his statement by quoting from his Bible (the OT), specifically from the Psalms and the

    prophet Isaiah. The questions being raised here (which Paul anticipates his readers are asking) are

    philosophical speculations given certain facts about God. But notice that in response he does not engage

    in further philosophically oriented debate or speculation himself. Rather he quotes from Scripture. This

    is a faith-based reasoning that we should be aware of and engaged in ourselves when we are in

    circumstances requiring apologetics.

    Theologian, Cornelius VanTil, in his, The Defense of the Faith, was keenly aware of the pitfalls of

    exchanging our faith-based reasoning for philosophical speculation. He argued that non-Christian

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    7philosophical speculation holds the created universe not the Creator as supreme and relativistic humanreasoning and not absolute revelation of God as ultimately bearing on our conclusions.Christian-theism says that there are two levels of thought, the absolute and the derivative. Christian

    theism says that there are two levels of interpreters, God who interprets absolutely and man who must be

    the re-interpreter of Gods interpretation. Christian-theism says that human thought is therefore

    analogical of Gods thought...Non-Christian thought holds to the ultimacy of the created universe. It holds

    therefore to the ultimacy of the mind of man itself and must in consequence deny the necessity ofanalogical thought. It holds to the normalcy of the human mind as well as to its ultimacy. It holds to the

    normalcy of the human mind that mistakes are thought of as natural and to be expected and have

    nothing to do with sin.8

    So, if we engage in reasoning about the nature of God and the way he works his will in the world and in

    our lives, we must be very careful that we launch our thinking from a theistic, or God-centered (based in

    God's revelation about himself - the Bible) starting point. When people cast such questions as Paul

    raises on behalf of his readers they are speculating about God from a perspective that holds the created

    order as ultimate and the human mind as normative. When Paul responds to such reasoning he is

    responding to a kind of exchanging of the Creator for the cre ation. What he was responding to is what

    is the foolishness described among the pagan societies of Pauls day in chapter 1:21 and following:

    "For even though they new God, they did not follow God, or give thanks; but they became futile

    in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened."

    In fact, the presence of this sort of speculation is a sign of God handing people over to their own lusts

    and desires in judgment. We must be very careful not to come to conclusions about who God is and how

    he executes his will in the world based on man-centered reasoning rather than on Gods own mind as

    revealed in Scripture. Now dont get me wrong. I like philosophy. I was a philosophy major for two years

    in university (before I regrettably changed my major) and I am currently studying the interplay between

    western and early Islamic philosophy. But as people of faith we must be aware that the philosophy of

    man has its limitations and it cannot be the final determining factor for us when it comes to matters of

    placing our faith in who God is and how he works his will in this world. God didn't reveal himself throughphilosophical discourse. He revealed himself through historical narrative, songs and proverbs, visions

    and prophecies, and ultimately in the Person of Jesus Christ. And we find all this revelation in the canon

    of the Scriptures.

    So Paul starts to answer these questions with what has been revealedin two places in Scripture: Psalm

    14:1-3 and 53:1-3 (Rom 3:10-12):

    as it is written, "There is none righteous, not even one; 11 There is none who understands,

    There is none who seeks for God; 12 All have turned aside, together they have become useless;

    There is none who does good, There is not even one."

    So in response to our question Who needs the gospel? I would just start by pointing out in these 3verses all the superlatives: none righteousnot even onenone who understandsnone who seeks for

    GodAll have turned asidehave become uselessnone who does goodnot even one.

    According to the Bible, which is Gods perspective, there simply is no one alive, nor has there ever been

    anyone who has lived in the past, who has not sinned in the sight of God. Simply no one has ever lived

    8Cornelius Van Til, The Defense of the Faith, pg. 48

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    8up to Gods righteous standard. And if this point wasnt made clear enough Paul would state it one moretime in verse 23 as plainly as possible: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,This means there simply arent any Seekers. Ever since the big mega-church-style church growth

    movement in the west in the late 1980s and following, it has been common for Christians to speak of

    people who seem interested in learning more about the gospel of Jesus as seekers. Even Spurgeon

    used the term in his Lectures to My Students. But in Romans chapter 3 we learn that this term really is a

    misnomer. For who can with integrity speak of non-believers as seekers after reading None is

    righteous, no, not one, no one understands; no one seeks God. This seems to leave no gospel category

    for seekers. We should rather think ofsuch people as those God may be calling (Romans 1:6,7;

    8:28,30; 9:11,24) and drawing (John 6:44) unto himself. Let us be more concerned to develop a

    worldview that is consistent with the Bibles testimony.

    These quotations from the Old Testament also answer the questions Paul raised above by showing that

    however God might be glorified in all things, including our sin and unrighteousness, God is still just as a

    judge to aim his wrath at us in our sin and unrighteousness because no one who has ever lived has even

    one leg to stand on when it comes to any attempts at aiming our self-justification back at God through

    philosophical speculation. We simply are not in a position morally to wield such speculations againstGod given his righteousness and kindness, and given our sinfulness and lost-ness without him. Such

    speculations are really accusations in disguise in an effort at self-justification.

    And, of course, these passages from the Psalms and Isaiah further answer our question of who needs

    the Gospel. Simply stated apart from Jesus, everybody ever born!

    In the final portion of Chapter 3 Paul takes up a discussion about how then such sinners can be saved.

    The discussion is another presentation of the Gospel. In Chapter one the Gospel was presented with an

    emphasis on the bad news. Here (3:19-30) the gospel is presented with an emphasis on the good news.

    "But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by theLaw and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who

    believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being

    justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed

    publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because

    in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed;" (Romans 3:21-25)

    First some definitions:

    Grace (3:23) refers to a unmerited favor or a gift given that is not earned. It is a demonstration of

    Gods grace that he has provided a way to escape his wrath to unworthy sinful humanity.

    Propitiation (3:25)this refers to the means by which Gods wrath against sin is appeased. Under

    Moses Gods wrath was appeased by regular animal sacrifices; the animals died for a persons sins

    instead of the person. A person was saved by looking in faith to the sacrifice God provided.

    Faith (3:25) - placing your trust fully in someone to fulfill what has been promised.

    Law (3:21) means the stipulations or commandments that need to be kept in order to maintain a

    (covenant) relationship with God. This law expresses the holy character of God and his righteous

    expectations for all of humanity. Under Moses this law included the Ten Commandments, the laws

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    9regarding the Temple sacrifices, and the civil stipulations for governing the nation. A person wasdeclared righteous by looking in faith to the sacrifice (propitiation) God provided and then he/shedemonstrated his/her righteousness by keeping the laws.

    When we put all these realities together with the previous section we see the good news of the gospel

    message clearly...the good news that everyone needs because everyone without distinction has fallen

    short of the righteous law and Gods glory (3:22-23). The message is this: if you want to experience the

    righteousness of God you cannot depend on keeping the works of the Law to get you there. You must

    look to the means of propitiation (turning away of Gods wrath) that God has provided today. Now the

    righteousness of God has been demonstrated through Jesus who made a propitiation by the sacrifice of

    his blood (3:25). When we look through faith (3:25b) to the sacrifice God provided in Jesus we can be

    declared righteous and saved from our sins.

    The problem is that most people get this entirely backwards (non-Christians and Christians alike!).

    People have a natural bent to want to earn their own salvation their own way. When religious people do

    this it gives them a sense of pride in achieving their salvation. This is apparently what the Jewish-

    background believers in the church of Rome were doing and it caused them to look down upon the

    Greek-background believers. But God has designed it so that everyone receives salvation only as a gift(3:24) when we look to Gods faithfulness to save, not our own achievements so that no one can boast

    (3:27). Its designed so that God gets all the glory not us. Its not that the law has no place at all or as

    Paul put it, we do not nullify the law (3:31). Rather, the good moral law is fulfilled in us when we are

    freed to do what is right as fruit born from the righteousness God achieved in us through Jesus.

    This means that you cannot do what so many people do: you cannot determine in your mind some

    random vague idea of what it means to be a good person or a bad person and then present yourself

    as good by your own efforts and acceptable to God. God alone upholds the standard of righteousness

    and all have fallen short. You need Gods grace.You need the gospel.

    Part 3 How do we respond to the Gospel? Romans 4-8(focus: [2:4 = repentance]; 4:16 = faith in accordance with grace ; 5:1-6 = hope; 6:3-11 = baptism / 6:15-23 =

    obedience from the heart; 7= agree with God, 8 = suffer with trust & hope in future grace)

    In this third installment of our four-part blitz through Romans we will try to answer the question, How

    do we respond to the Gospel? Our focus will be limited to chapters four through eight. Of course, the

    answer to this question is dealt with in various other places in Romans (as we will see when we start by

    reviewing a verse from chapter 2) and the material within these chapters deals with much much more

    than simply answering this question. But for our purposes and the focus of this study, the answer to this

    question as revealed in these chapters will give us plenty to chew on for now.

    1. We respond to the Gospel with Repentance:

    We have already seen in chapter 2 that the intended response to Gods kindness shown by sending

    Jesus as an escape from Gods own Judgment is repentance.

    Romans 2:4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience,

    not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?

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    10Repentance of sins; this is Gods desired response from everyone who comes to acknowledge theinfinite kindness demonstrated to the world by God when he sent his beloved Son to earth to die in theplace of his enemies. Who could do such a thing? The term kindness does not seem quite emphatic

    enough to describe what it is that God has done. But we need to remember that we have a bad habit of

    projecting our imperfect less-than-adequate human experience of such matters onto God who is

    altogether infinitely greater in all his attributes than we are or could imagine. Speaking of the distinct

    divine nature of Gods Love and Gods wrath and our bad habit of misinterpreting the anthropomorphic

    language in the Bible, J. I. Packer writes:

    The basis of this habit is the fact that God made us in his own image, so that human personality

    and character are more like the being of God than anything else we know. But when Scripture

    speaks of God anthropomorphically, it does not imply that the limitations and imperfections

    which belong to the personal characteristics of us sinful creatures belong also to the

    corresponding qualities in our holy Creator; rather it takes for granted that they do not.9

    So, when we speak of the kindness of God we are not speaking of simple niceties performed between

    friends. Rather, the Bible is speaking of an eternally deep patient compassion which exceeds all human

    expectations and all human experience of relational acts of kindness. And this divine kindness filled

    heaven to overflowing in response to the great grief our sin brought upon our Creator, and then spilled

    over into the righteous life, sacrificial death, and bodily resurrection of Jesus. This took place at a

    defined point in history for the sake of saving Gods enemies (you and me) from Gods own wrath and

    for the sake of Gods greatest glory. This kindness at the very least requires from us the

    acknowledgment of our sins and a turning away (literally what repentance means) from that sinful life

    and toward the God who makes a way to be rescued from his just wrath and judgment.

    But true repentance cannot happen in a vacuum. Repentance is an act of obedience to Gods command

    to do so. And the ability to do what God commands requires belief and faith in the One who gave the

    commandment. This is the response to the gospel spoken of in Romans chapter four.

    2. Belief & faith; the means to receiving Gods righteousness: consider Abraham

    In Part One we learned that the righteous person who trusts in Gods faithfulness. This is the next

    response we want to explore. How should we respond to the gospel? We should respond by believing in

    Gods message and putting our trust (faith) in his faithfulness to carry out all he has promised both

    destruction and deliverance. Such a response of faith is required of all people no matter what their

    ethnic background or inherited religious tradition. To illustrate this, the Apostle Paul reminds his readers

    of the example of Abraham in Romans chapter 4.

    Romans 4:3 For what does the Scripture say? "And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned

    to him as righteousness."

    Apparently, there was a conflict in the church in Rome between the Jews who claimed to be in right-

    standing with the Holy God due to being the physical descendants of Abraham and/or being born Jewish

    9J.I.Packer, Knowing God, Inter Varsity Press, 1973/1993, pg. 150

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    11and receiving Old Covenant sign of circumcision in their bodies. But when we read in Chapter one thatthe righteous man shall live by faith, (1:17) this does not mean that some people are just born morerighteous than others because of their ethnicity or inherited religious tradition or any other reason. It

    does not mean that some people have a righteous bent within their hearts allowing them more readily

    to respond in faith toward God but others do not. No, it has been established in chapter 3:23 for all

    have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. So, no one is born with a built-in righteous bent that

    responds to God in faith or even seeks after God. Such righteousness or right standing with God comes

    as a result of faith not ethnicity nor even by keeping Gods law outwardly.

    Romans 4:13 For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the

    world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if those who are of

    the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified;

    So, coming into a right standing with God and being delivered from Gods destruction comes not from

    ethnicity, or religious tradition, or even keeping Gods laws but by faith. Now we need to make the same

    clarification about faith that we did about righteousness. One may continue to argue that perhaps this

    faith comes from within a person who is just naturally more faithful than other people. To this Paul

    answers another no. Why? Because even faith comes from God. Even the faith itself which enables aperson to respond to God in repentance and receive Gods righteousness reckoned to him or her,

    comes from God. Notice how Paul phrases it in Romans 4:16

    Romans 4:16 For this reason it is by faith, that it might be in accordance with grace, in order

    that the promise may be certain to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law,

    but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,

    Just like Abraham almost 4000 years ago who put his faith in God and it was reckoned to him as

    righteousness, a persons faith is what applies Gods promise of salvation to that person. Notice that it

    makes the point that this occurred in Abrahams life before he was circumcised. This is to emphasize

    that Abraham in a sense was still a Gentile when he was justified by his faith (vv. 4:10-12). God did it thisway to show that the promise of salvation is in accordance with grace (NAS), it is a gift. The point Paul is

    making is that no one who finds himself in a right standing before God, delivered from destruction,

    possessing eternal life and citizenship in the Kingdom of God can boast one bit about it as if he or she

    contributed anything to ones salvation, not even father Abraham! (4:2) Paul would make this same

    point in Ephesians 2:8-9 where it is made abundantly clear that even the faith to believe comes from the

    grace of God and so no one has a right to boast:

    For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of

    God;9 not as a result of works, that no one should boast.

    And this faith is not a static, one-time deal. Abrahams faith grew.

    Romans 4:20 yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief, but grew

    strong in faith, giving glory to God,21

    and being fully assured that what He had promised, He was

    able also to perform.22

    Therefore also it was reckoned to him as righteousness.

    And this was not simply intended for Abraham. This is the way it is supposed work with us too. Our

    faith is supposed to be reckoned to us as righteousness too and it is intended to continue to grow just

    as Abrahams faith did, only the object of our faith is the sacrifice God has supplied in Jesus.

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    1223 Now not for his sake only was it written, that it was reckoned to him, 24 but for our sake also,to whom it will be reckoned, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the

    dead,25

    He who was delivered up because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our

    justification.

    So, again, what is our response to the gospel?

    1. It is repentance of our sins. This repentance can only happen when God has given someone faith

    to believe by Gods grace.

    2. Believe by faith in Jesus Christ just as Abraham believed God.

    When someone does put his faith in Jesus and the promise of God to deliver him from judgment when

    he does, God declares that person as righteous in a right standing with God.

    Now this is not the end of the application of the Gospel Message. Many Christians make the mistake of

    thinking that the gospel message only has to do with these initial responses. They mistakenly believe

    that the gospel message only requires a response from non-believers to initially put their faith in Jesus

    for salvation. But there are still a number of on-going responses to the gospel message that God has

    designed for the life of the believer. For the first of these we turn to Romans chapter 5.

    3. We respond by having Hope through tribulations (Romans 5:1-6 & 8:)

    Romans 5:1 Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord

    Jesus Christ,2

    through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in

    which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.

    Notice that the Apostle Paul makes the point clearly that he is speaking here to people who have already

    been justified by faith (vs. 5:1). He is addressing people who have already responded in faith and

    repentance to the gospel message of Jesus. Upon this basis he begins to describe a way of life that all

    believers are to be characterized by in an on-going response to the message of the Gospel. He says that

    we who have experienced Gods grace byputting our faith in Christ, exult in the hope of the glory of

    God.(vs. 5:2)(Exult = kaucw,meqa or boast same as 2:17, 23)

    Hope is a future-oriented look of the heart. We dont really say that we hope in things that have

    already happened in the past. Yes, we might say things like, I hope the kids didnt burn the house down

    otherwise I wont be able to enjoy the rest of this night out. But we are still really e xpressing a desire

    for good news in the future. Hope tells us that we can expectin the future what our faith is presently

    sure of now (we stand vs. 5:2) based on the demonstration of Gods grace in the past(through our

    Lord Jesus Christ vs. 5:1). So when it says that our response to the gospel as Christ-followers is to exult

    in the hope of the glory of God we know that the glory of God being spoken of here has to do withsome future exhibit of Gods glory based on a past promise, like the promise that all believers will live

    eternally in Gods glorious presence in the afterlife. The very thought of this promise will cause the true

    believer to hope, no matter what the circumstances in life even trials and tribulations.3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about

    perseverance; 4 [= faith now] and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope

    [for the future]; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out

    [already in the past] within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us [past tense

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    13again]. 6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly *Gods pastdemonstration of love and grace].So because of the past historical fact that Christ died for us while were still helpless and ungodly

    enemies of Jesus and objects of Gods wrath, we can have a full and sure hope for the future that God

    will one day deliver us out of our earthly troubles and into his glorious presence. Holding fast to thishope during times of tribulations builds our perseverance, proves our character, and in turn, increases

    our hope knowing that: we shall be saved from the wrath of Godthrough Him [Jesus] (Romans 5:9 c.f.

    1:18). This theme will be picked back up again in Chapter 8

    4. We respond by being Baptized (Romans 6:3-11)

    The next way we respond to the gospel is a matter of identity. The church in Rome was going through

    an identity crisis. It was split over ethnic grounds over what makes a person a righteous follower of God.

    At issue is tension between Jewish and Gentile Christians in Romewho appear to be at odds

    regarding Gentile adherence to the Jewish law especially of the three basic means of Jewish

    identity [at that time]: circumcision (2:23-3:1; 4:9-12), Sabbath observance, and food laws (14:1-23).What is at stake practically is whether Gentiles must observe the Jewish law on these points, What is

    at stake theologically is the gospel itselfwhether Gods righteousness (= his righteous salvation

    that issues in right standing with God) comes by way of doing the [Old Covenant] law or by faith in

    Christ Jesus and the gift of the Spirit. (Fee/Stuart, How to Read the Bible Book by Book, pg.318)

    Who are you? Whats your name? To whose family do you belong? Do you identify yourself with a

    particular political party? What is the name of that greater community with which you are identified?

    Does it truly represent who you really are? Can you honestly expect other people from entirely different

    ethnic backgrounds and traditions to adopt your views on these secondary things when they place their

    trust in Jesus? Is it justifiable to wrap your faith up in these less important things? Do you question the

    salvation of other Christians who do not hold your political views or cultural preferences? The

    appropriate response of all those who trust in Christs sacrifice and hope in Gods deliverance are

    called upon to publically identify themselves primarily with Jesus. How does a person do that? Romans

    chapter 6 describes this response.

    Romans 6:3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been

    baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in

    order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk

    in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we

    shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection, [6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with

    Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for

    he who has died is freed from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also

    live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; deathno longer is master over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin, once for all; but the life

    that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in

    Christ Jesus.]

    Notice that there is an assumption here do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into

    Christ Jesus Everyone who follows Christ Jesus is to be baptized in Christ Jesus . Why is this

    important? Baptism is the outward public symbol declaring to the world the inward reality of being

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    14identified first with Christ and no longer identified as whatever you were before you trusted in Him.Jesus and his people are your new family. Paul would write to the church in Corinth:2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed

    away; behold, new things have come.

    If you are in Christ then you belong to him first and your ethnic identity, cultural identity, family identity,

    and political identity is only a secondary matter (and they are a far second). In Jesus, the playing field is

    leveled. There are no favored students in the class of the Christian life we all bear the same name: Jesus.

    So,let me encourage you, if you are trusting in Christ, to take the step of identifying with Jesus and his

    family by being baptized.

    5. We respond with obedience from the heart

    When we have identified with Jesus we show Him our love and devotion through obedience that comes

    from our transformed hearts. Romans 6:15-23

    What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be!16

    Doyou not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are

    slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in

    righteousness?17

    But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient

    from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and having been freed

    from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift

    of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

    This is another on-going response to the gospel. The gospel is not just a message or non-believers to

    hear so that they might believe in Jesus. No, the gospel is also the message of a way of life. It means that

    not only are we initially justified/declared righteous through faith by Gods grace but we also live out

    our faith by Gods grace. How do we live out our faith? We demonstrate our faith publically by obeyingGods commands. We show our love to God by our obedience. So, in faith that God has truly

    transformed our hearts we set out in life to keep Gods commands, to love the Lord our God with all our

    heart, soul, mind, and strength and our neighbors as our selves. And we do this as an overflow of love

    for God from our hearts. We dont do it in order to get saved. We do it because God has saved us. God

    desires obedience from the heart not. He does not desire us to obey out of a sense of trying to earn his

    acceptance. That is not the teaching of the Bible. Rather, God has revealed that He himself saves a man

    by a free gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus and from such a life will flow true obedience from a

    transformed heart.

    6. We respond by agreeing with God, (Chapter 7)

    In Romans chapter Seven the apostle Paul describes a great encouragement we can have even in the

    midst of our disobedient times. If indeed we are united and identified with Christ then a war will begin

    in our hearts. It is a war between sin and obedience to God. He starts by reminding us that if it werent

    for Gods law (like the 10 Commandments) we wouldnt know what was sin and what wasnt sin. The

    Law is a declaration ofGods character in the law we find out what God takes pleasure in and what he

    disdains. And it is not until we really begin to try to keep the law that we realize just how terribly sinful

    we are. Christians in the USA get upset when someone wants to remove the 10 Commandments from

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    15some public building but just how many of them truly keep those commandments? Do they keepSabbath time each week? Do they really refrain from taking the Lords Name in vain? When you trulymake an attempt at keeping the law your utter sinfulness and inability to keep Gods law will be

    exposed. Now, without Jesus, it is impossible to please God and you will not even be able to discern

    between what is pleasing to God and what is not. But when you put your faith in God the first thing you

    do is repent of your sins. You cannot repent of sins you dont believe are really sins.

    And when you continue to grow in your faith you will fail to keep the law and this could

    discourage you. Paul says, dont be discouraged because if you realize you are failing then this means

    you are actually agreeing with God that his Law is perfect and good and your sense of needing to repent

    is actually evidence that you are indeed saved.

    Romans 7:1616

    But if I do the very thing I do not wish to do, I agree with the Law, confessing

    that it is good 21-2521

    I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wishes

    to do good. 22 For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, 23 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. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me

    free from the body of this death?

    25

    Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, onthe one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh

    the law of sin.

    In the end when we agree that Gods law is good we are joining God in his war against sin. We also are

    admitting that Gods law condemns us. So we must cry out to God that we, though sinful, have only one

    hope: Jesus Christ our lordand that brings us to Chapter 8 which starts out with the reassuring truth:

    Romans 8:1There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

    7. We respond by suffering with trust & hope in future grace (Romans 8)

    As we saw in chapter 5 now we have a more filled out explanation of why we can have such an

    unwavering hope in Gods future for us.True believers respond to the gospel message by enduring and

    persevering through trials with joy and great anticipation for deliverance.

    Romans 8:15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have

    received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" 16 The Spirit Himself

    bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of

    God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be

    glorified with Him.18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be

    compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

    If you are trusting in Jesus Christ then you have repented of your sins and agree that Gods law is

    good. If this is so then you are baptized in Jesus and if you are baptized in Jesus then you are identifiedwith Christ(notice the family language) you have been adopted into Gods family. And because of the

    fact that this rock-solid truth that there is now no condemnation for those who are identified with Christ

    Jesus is based on the work of Jesus on the Cross and not on your own efforts, you can have hope for the

    future no matter what happens todayno matter how bad the sufferings get here even if they begin to

    resemble the sufferings Jesus went we know we can look forward to the glory he now is experiencing in

    heaven and which he promises to bring us into in the future. If you are in Christ you can respond to the

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    16gospel message by responding to life with confidence that your present and future are in the hands ofGod:Romans 8:28-30 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those

    who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.29 For whom He foreknew, He

    also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born

    among many brethren; 30 and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called,

    these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

    How do we respond to the Gospel?

    1. Ongoing Repentance

    2. Ongoing Belief and Faith

    3. One time Baptism

    4. Ongoing Obedience from the heart

    5. Ongoing Agreement with Gods law

    6. Ongoing Hope through sufferings

    Part 4 When do we apply the Gospel? Romans 9-16

    Part 4a: We have now surveyed the epistle to the church at Roman by seeking the answers to threecritical questions: What is the Gospel? Who needs the Gospel? And How do we respond to the Gospel?

    This time we will focus on Romans 9 - 16 asking the question: When do we apply the gospel?

    We apply the gospel when we see the sin of racism / ethnic prejudice (Chapter 9):

    In chapter 9 Paul takes up again the issue of Jewish ethnicity and its relationship to Gods plan of

    redemption. Although at one time Jewish ethnicity was important simply because of Gods election

    when he chose Abraham and his descendants through Isaac and Jacob with whom he made covenants, it

    is not to be considered to be at the heart of what it means to be Gods people for his own possession.10

    But Paul with passion declares his concern for them and the great advantage they had due to Gods

    favor shed upon them in the past (Romans 9:3-5):

    For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separatedfrom Christ for the sake of my brethren, my

    kinsmen according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons and the

    glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises,5 whose

    are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed

    forever. Amen.

    What God did in the past through Abraham and Moses and the prophets was important because His

    special relationship with them and the people they led set the foundation and pattern for:

    Gods plan to adopt people as his children (vs. 9:4)

    How God reveals his glory to people (vs. 9:4)

    How God establishes his covenant with people (vs. 9:4)

    Teaching a people how to live and be governed by Gods law (vs. 9:4)

    Teaching holiness in worship through the service of the temple (vs. 9:4)

    Making promises and faithfully fulfilling those promises (vs. 9:4)

    10It never really was; c.f. the gentile women in Jesus genealogy in Matt 1:1-17

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    17 But ultimately it was to promise and bring the Messiah/Christ into the world (9:5)Their ethnicity really isnt a factor in Gods plan. He did not choose them because they were Jewish or

    because he saw in them any redeeming qualities. Abraham was an idol worshipper from Ur. In fact, it

    was Gods choosing of them that made them into a definable ethnic group. It was God who turned

    Abrahams descendants into a great nation (Gen 12:1-3). For this reason Paul can assert the claim:

    But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended

    from Israel; 7 neither are they all children because they are Abraham's descendants, but:

    "through Isaac your descendants will be named." 8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who

    are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants. (Rom 9:6-8)

    In other words, Gods faithfulness to keep his word, to keep his promises made to his ancient people

    under Abraham & Moses, has not failed. Gods promises are just not being fulfilled the way the Jews of

    Pauls dayexpected. Gods ways are not our ways. God intended all along to broaden the scope of the

    covenant to include all the families of the earth.

    God intended that Abraham would be a blessing to all the families of the earth (Gen 12:3). It is

    through Jesus and his gospel message of grace and forgiveness of sins being preached to all the families

    of the earth, Jewish and non-Jewish, that fulfills this promise (Gal 3:8,14). Now, allwho respond to that

    Gospel message in faith from every nation and race from every place receive the promised blessing of

    entering into a New Covenant with God and become children of the promise. (Rom 9:8; Gal 3:29)

    The rest of chapter 9 then goes to great lengths in diatribe fashion to show that God is faithful (Rom

    9:6-29)11 despite Jewish rejection of him and of his Savior because it is God who elects in his own way

    according to his own plan not ours. Using the example of Isaac and Rebeccas twin sons, Jacob and Esau,

    Paul reminds us how God chose Jacob to carry on the promised line but rejected Esau from the womb

    before either of them had done good or bad to show that Gods purposes are carrie d out according to

    Gods choice; not because of human works but because of God who calls (Rom 9:11).

    So, God is faithful to his ancient promises, not by just disregarding a broken covenant and his people

    who turned idolatrous and rejected God. No, by establishing a new Covenant in Jesus Christ for them

    and for the world which fulfills the law and the promises made in the OT to Abraham and the Jews and

    now includes both Jews and Gentiles together (11:1-32) without regard to race or ethnic background or

    even works of the law but only by grace.

    So, when we see racism in the church or in the society around us we must apply the gospel message

    and show that there is no race that is superior to any other race and that there are really only two kinds

    of people in this world: Those who are forgiven by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and those who are

    not. All other distinctions are of no eternal consequence; all human distinctions between men have no

    bearing on becoming a child of God and receiving the blessings of Gods promises.

    11Picking up the discussion from 3:3 What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the

    faithfulness of God, will it?

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    18We apply the gospel when we see legalism among the saved and the need for proclamation amongthe unsaved (Chapter 10)Legalism among the saved: Now in Chapter 10 we see another way to apply the gospel to each of these

    two groups not Jew or Gentile but in Christ or outside of Christ . There was a great temptation

    among the Jews of Pauls day to miss the grace of God altogetherbecause of their love of Gods law. InGods Covenants with his people throughout the ages, God established both sacrifices for atonement of

    sins (something dies in the place of the sinner) and Law-keeping as a way of life for the one who had

    been atoned for. It was Gods design that his people look to the sacrifice in faith to be saved from sin

    and then demonstrate their faith by living according to Gods righteous law. The ultimate goal of the

    sacrifices and the laws of the Old Testament was to point forward to the coming of Jesus who would be

    the ultimate sacrificial Lamb for the atonement of sins once and for all and the perfect keeper of the

    moral law and the fulfillment of the religious (cultic) law. But instead of looking to the sacrifice God

    provided as a means of atonement of their sin the Jews of Pauls day looked to the law with zeal and

    passion thinking that their obedience (their works of the law) would save them. We call this way of

    thinking and living legalism and it remains a temptation in the church today! Paul recognized thisbackward zeal in his compatriots and pointed out where they had missed the mark in Romans 10:1-4.

    Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is for theirsalvation.2

    For I bear

    them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge.3

    For not

    knowing about God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject

    themselves to the righteousness of God.4

    For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to

    everyone who believes.

    The message is clear: when we see legalism in the church we must apply the gospel. Do not become so

    zealous for the law that you miss the point of the law and create your own law to determine who is

    saved and who is not saved or even who is a serious devout Christian and who is not. There is noprescribed clothing for a believer only a call to modesty and having a gentle, quiet spirit (1Peter 3:1-5).

    There is no prescribed way of sitting in church for a believer but a call for a heart devoted to the

    teaching of the scriptures and to prayer (Acts 2:42; Col. 4:2). There is no law that says you have to

    celebrate Christmas or Easter only that we are called to gather with other believers and participate in

    and identify with the body Christ through the Lords Supper (Acts 2:42; 1Cor. 11:24-26). There is no law

    prohibiting the use of alcohol only the strict prohibition of drunkenness & dissipation (hedonistic

    over-indulgence Eph. 5:18). We cannot make up laws on top of the law of Christ which is to love the

    Lord our God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves .

    Otherwise, like the Jewish-background Christians in the Roman church out of a zeal for pleasing God

    through the lawwe run the risk of actually missing salvation altogether (10:1) because we do not reallyknow the goal of the Law for righteousness to everyone who believes which is to know Jesus Christ

    himself (10:4). Rather we must proclaim the gospel of grace loudly both to the unsaved and the saved

    about what truly saves a person. Here are the essentials:

    Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that

    God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; 10 for with the heart man believes, resulting in

    righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

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    19Yes, there must be an out expression/confession of faith but it arises from the belief in the heart. Theheart believes resulting in righteousnessand then the mouth confesses, and the life is lived accordingto Gods law, and the fruit of the Spirit is born. Righteousness comes from the relationship with Jesus in

    the heart and only then can the result come about of living out God righteousness according to His law.

    The need for proclamation among the unsaved:Because the gospel must be believed and confessed,

    this also means that there is a responsibility on our part to proclaim the gospel message of Jesus as the

    resurrected Lord among all people.

    Romans 10:12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lordis Lord of

    all, abounding in riches for all who call upon Him; 13 for "Whoever will call upon the name of the

    LORD will be saved." 14 How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And

    how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a

    preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "How beautiful

    are the feet of those who bring glad tidings of good things!"

    So not only do we apply the gospel message when we see legalism in the church but we also apply the

    Gospel by making it known outside the church to those who have yet to hear, believe, and call upon

    Jesus for salvation.

    Why is it important to proclaim the gospel and not just live it out in front of people (something we

    must also do)? Vs. 10:17 gives us the answer:

    So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

    People need to be informedof the good news. It needs to be explained and related to them. This verse

    comes in the middle of a (diatribe) discussion showing that the Jews have no excuse to not believe in

    Jesus because Moses and the prophets spoke of his coming and the spoke of a day when God would

    make the Jews jealous by bringing the gentiles into a New Covenant intended for them as well. Look

    around the room. There are people here who have come into a relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus has

    become their Savior. They have experienced his grace, they know what it is like to be forgiven of their

    sins and to be free from guilt and condemnation. They belong to God and they are on a life-long journey

    to know God more that will continue on beyond death and into eternity. They have hope and joy even

    when they are suffering because they own the promise that God will bring them into his presence one

    day based on what he accomplished for them through the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross. Do you want

    those things? Do you envy what you see? Do you wish you could have that kind of peace, joy, and

    assurance that God has made available to all people everywhere? Then this part of the message applies

    to you.

    Agree with Gods law that shows you are sinful and Repent of your sins and begin a life of

    bearing the fruit of Repentance.Believe

    in Jesus and put yourFaith

    in the fact that his death purchases

    your forgiveness and eternal life. Begin a life ofobeying God from the heart and receive a Hope for the

    future that will carry you through the sufferings of today

    We apply the gospel when we need to demonstrate election by perseverance (Chapter 11)

    After our shared worship together with the church at Ain Ibel on Sunday we sat and fellowshipped over

    a meal. Most of the conversation at first was dominated by politics, unfortunately, but after a spell the

    discussion thankfully turned to spiritual matters and one man wanted my opinion asking, Do you think

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    20someone can lose their salvation? Well, my opinion really doesnt matter. What does the Bible say?Chapter 11 ofRomans deals in part with this question. I say in part because it is not the main questionPaul is answering but the answer comes through in his explanation. The thrust of the point Paul is

    making here seems to come as a response to a challenge presented by the Gentile-background believers

    in the church in Rome who have suggested that because the Jews rejected God by rejecting Jesus and

    the New Covenant He brings, then they in turn have been rejected utterlyand altogetherby God. The

    heart of Pauls answer is found in verses 5-7 where he writes:

    In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to

    God's gracious choice...7What then? That which Israel is seeking for, it has not obtained, but

    those who were chosen [i.e. the elect] obtained it, and the rest were hardened;

    His answer is very simple. Its all about Gods choice. There is a remnant of true believers (vs. 11:5)

    from among the ethnically Hebrew covenant people, whom God foreknew (vs. 11:2). These are the ones

    God has chosen, so these will be saved; and the ones God has not chosen were hardened; these will not

    be saved. But in declaring that there is only a remnant according to Gods choice is also to declare that

    as a nation in covenant with Godthey no longer have any standing. As a nation they have been broken

    off and pruned like an olive branch that does not bear any olives. The believing remnant on the other

    hand, are those who have come to believe in Jesus as their atoning sacrifice, Messiah, and Lord and are

    like the trunk of the olive tree. To make sure the Gentile-believers in the church at Rome do not become

    conceited about their new-found place in a New Covenant relationship with God through Jesus and this

    pruning of the Hebrew nation, Paul makes sure they understand that it is into this previously existing

    remnant trunk which they have entered like a branch from a wild olive tree grafted into a cultivated tree

    (Romans 11:20-24):

    Quite right, they [the nation of Israel] were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your

    faith. Do not be conceited, but fear;21

    for if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will

    He spare you.22

    Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to

    you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.23

    And

    they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in; for God is able to graftthem in again.

    24For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were

    grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more shall these who are the

    natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?

    The ancient nation of Israel although once considered the people of God in a national covenant

    relationship with God is no longer considered as such. It is only those people (and all those people from

    any ethnic background) who come to God through Jesus and His New Covenant who are saved by

    God. The ground has been leveled. J. P. Dabney writes:

    But the Jews having as Paul shows, rejected Jesus as the Messiah, are themselves, as a

    community, rejected by God; no longer a holy and peculiar people are cast out of covenant, and

    in a national view, stand upon the same footing as the Gentile world. Jesus of Nazareth, the

    true Messiah, promised by the prophets, is the Mediator of a new and better covenant; into the

    engagements of which, Jews and Gentiles are alike invited to enter and accept its blessings. All

    who comply are brought into the same state of grace and privilege, in which the Hebrews stood

    before, and entitled to the same honorable distinctions. Believers in Jesus are acknowledged as

    the spiritual Israel: the true people of God, his servants, his children. They are chosen holy,

    redeemed, called and saved: having been once enemies, they are now reconciled: they are new

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    21created, new born. God is their creator, their redeemer, their father. They are translated out ofdarkness into light, from the kingdom of Satan, a state of idolatry, into that of Gods dearSon, the Christian community: they are become, fellow citizens with the saints, heirs of the

    promises, and of the household of God.12

    So, what about our question, can a true believer in Jesus lose his or her salvation? The answer comeswith the challenge and warning in verses 20b-22

    Do not be conceited, but fear; 21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He

    spare you. 22 Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to

    you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.

    The warning is clear. Do not become comfortable and conceited in you new-found faith in Jesus lest you

    stumble and fall and be cut off yourselves. The only way we know we or anyone has been saved is if we

    see the demonstration of salvation through the bearing fruit to the end. It is about perseverance. If

    someone doesnt persevere to the end then we know they werent saved. But it is also about

    preservation. Dont forget verse 6 which said:

    But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.

    Its all about Gods grace and Jesus carrying the guilt and the shame of sin for you and you are forgiven

    of your sins based on Jesus sacrifice on the cross. And at the same time if Christs salvation is really at

    work in you then there will be fruit to show it. You cannot lose your salvation because it doe snt depend

    on you but on the work of Christ. But if we do not see obedience from the heart and we dont see you

    growing in your faith and showing the fruit of salvation in your life then we have to ask whether you are

    really saved at all. And thats part of bearing fruit. You ask yourself this. You receive the challenge and

    take it seriously asking yourself have I become conceited? Am I truly saved? Am I bearing the fruit

    of obedience and a growing faith?

    Heres where we apply the gospel. How do I persevere? Its so difficult. There are trials and temptations

    around every corner! I know how sinful my heart - is how can I keep on going in faith until the end? Doyou see the mysterious tension here? It depends Jesus to save you and it depends on you to

    demonstrate that salvation which Jesus gives you the grace to do.

    Why did God design it all this way? Because it shows Gods Grace and mercy and gives glory to God...

    Romans 11:32 For God has shut up all in disobedience that He might show mercy to all.33

    Oh,

    the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His

    judgments and unfathomable His ways!34

    For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who

    became His counselor?35

    Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again?

    36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

    Everything in our lives is for God, comes through God, and his heading back to God for the sake of his

    glory. And it is by applying the gospel of grace in our lives that God has designed for us to reflect back to

    him his glory. So, apply the gospel when

    You must fight racism

    You must fight legalism

    You must fight to win the lost

    You must fight to persevere in your faith

    12J.P. Dabney,Annotations on the New Testament: compiled from the Best Critical Authorities and Designed for

    Popular Use, Hilliard and Brown, Cambridge, 1829 pg. 286

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    22So that God will get all the glory!Part 4b When do we apply the Gospel? (contd Chapters 12-16)Romans Chapter 12 is about applying the Gospel message to our life and relationships in the household

    of faith (which begins by a Christ-conformed transformed mind vv. 1-3) starting with ourselves

    We Apply the Gospel to worship in the household of faith

    Romans 12:1 I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a

    living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.2

    And do

    not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may

    prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

    Gods mercy shown to us through Jesus Christ (i.e. what the Gospel message is about) is intended to

    bring about a certain result in our lives. It is supposed to create in us new hearts and lead us to the true

    worship of God. Do you remember the note/tone we left off with at the end of Chapter 11? Was it not

    worship!Romans 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How

    unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34 For who has known the mind of

    the Lord, or who became His counselor? 35 Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid

    back to him again? 36For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the

    glory forever. Amen.

    Now, therefore (12:1) if by Gods mercy you believe in the gospel message then by Gods mercy

    worship God the way He intended for us to do so. How did God intend for his people to worship him?

    Bypresentingyour bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service

    of worship (12:1). Your very life is to be presentedto God all the time and this is your worship of God.

    In other words, we apply the gospel to every area of our lives (!) so that our very lives become a spiritualsacrifice pleasing to God.

    Now, you cannot presentor offer up to God what you do not have or what is not clean and perfect

    and acceptable to God. In the Old Covenant under Moses there were certain animals that you could

    offer up to God in sacrifice and others that were not clean or acceptable. If you offered a lamb it had to

    be without blemish, it could not have any defects. Defects in an animal was symbolic of sin. But the

    animal had to be clean and perfect in order to atone for the sin of the worshiper. The problem is:

    everyone has sinned and falls short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23) so we cannot present or offer up our

    bodies as sacrifices to die. In ourselves we dont have a perfect sacrifice to offer up to God. But the

    worshipper who trusts in faith in Jesus as a perfect clean and acceptable sacrifice gets to partake or

    participate in Jesus offering up of his own body as a sacrifice. Jesus died for us all that is left is for us

    to live for him. Thus, we are instructed here to take what has been given to us through Jesus, namely life

    (eternal life), and present or offer up our lives to God. A person becomes a true worshiper of God

    according to Gods mercy and because of the change brought about in his or her heart by faith in the

    gospel message. Only when you have put your faith in Jesus does your heart become clean and

    acceptable to God something you can present to Him in worship.

    We apply the Gospel to our relationships in the household of faith.

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    233 For through the grace given to me I say to every man among you not to think more highly ofhimself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allottedto each a measure of faith.

    As we have said before when discussing the tensions and racism between the Jewish background

    believers and the Gentile background believers in the church at Rome, the gospel message brings

    equality between people and levels the playing field. Remember Paul basically explained there are only

    two kinds of people in the world those who have received the forgiveness for sins by Gods grace

    through faith in Jesus and those who have not. So, in the church, in the relationships we share within

    the household of faith, we are supposed to be dealing with those who are in the forgiven-by-Gods-

    grace camp. Dont misunderstand me, just because you come to church doesnt make you a forgiven

    person. You must publically put your faith in Jesus and confess with your mouth and believe in your

    heart that Jesus is Lord (Rom 10:9-10). If you have done that and you have joined a church then this

    applies to you. In Romans chapter 12 3-8 Paul explains that the relationships you have in that

    community, the family of faith, will be governed by grace and you are all like different parts of one

    body. The rest of chapter 12 spells out what that looks like with details. Here is how we are to treat one

    another in the body of Christ: (Romans 12:9-21)

    Let love be without hypocrisy.

    Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.

    10

    Be devoted to one another in brotherly

    love;

    give preference to one another in honor;

    11

    not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in

    spirit, serving the Lord;

    12

    rejoicing in hope,

    persevering in tribulation,

    devoted to prayer,

    13

    contributing to the needs of the saints,

    practicing hospitality.

    14

    Bless those who persecute you; bless and

    curse not.

    15

    Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep

    with those who weep.

    16

    Be of the same mind toward one another;

    do not be haughty in mind, but

    associate with the lowly.

    Do not be wise in your own estimation.

    17

    Never pay back evil for evil to anyone.

    Respect what is right in the sight of all men.

    18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at

    peace with all men.

    19

    Never take your own revenge,

    20

    "But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and

    if he is thirsty, give him a drink;

    21

    Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome

    evil with good.

    This is such an important chapter of instructions for our relationships within the body of Christ that

    Pastor John MacArthur wrote a 72-page-long study just on chapter 12 alone! It would be possible to

    take every one of those instructions and preach an entire sermon on each one. [Are there any questionsabout the meaning of any of these instructions?] For our purposes notice that you can summarize the

    whole list of instructions with verses 9-10:

    Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.10

    Be devoted to one

    another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;

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    24The rest are the details of practicing this in real life situations. It would do every believer here well toread through this chapter several times in a row and let each instruction set in and ask yourself if youhave been truly putting these things into practice in your relationships with other believers. So, we could

    answer our question, When do we apply the gospel? this way: We apply the gospel to our

    relationships in the household of faith, the church, by showing love because we were loved with the

    highest love by God through Jesus; by showing grace to others because we were shown the greatest

    grace by God through Jesus; by showing mercy to others because God showed us the deepest mercy

    through Jesus, all the while holding fast to what is good because it glorifies our good and perfect God.

    We apply the Gospel to our relationships in the world

    Chapter 13 is primarily another set of instructions only this time it is taking the same gospel message of

    the grace of God provided to us through Jesus and applying it to our relationships with the rest of civil

    society and people in the world in general. Again, well see that the key to the whole body of instruction

    is demonstrating the Love of God through showing love to our neighbor. In light of this we are instructed

    to(Romans 13:1-8):

    (vv 1-2) Dont resist government authority be in subjection to the governing authorities For

    there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. 2

    (vs. 3-4) Do what is good according to the law because the laws are there to protect you. But

    if you do what is evil, be afraid

    (vs. 5) So, be in subjectionto the governing authorities for conscience ' sake.6

    (vs. 6)Pay your taxes as an expression of your submission to the laws of the land (like my

    speeding ticket !)

    (vs. 7) Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to

    whom fear; honor to whom honor.

    (vs. 8) Pay all your debts: Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves

    his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

    All the law of how to govern yourselves in society is summed up with the second part of Jesus great

    command: (Romans 13:10) Love does no wrong to a neighbor; love therefore is the fulfillment of the

    law.

    So, we apply the gospel to our civil duties in society by acknowledging that God is supreme authority

    in our lives and has a perfect plan. Part of that plan involves setting secular rulers & governments in

    place to reward those who do good and punish those who do wrong. Under these systems of

    government we demonstrate our submission to the sovereignty of God by submitting to the ruling

    authorities. This also demonstrates the nature of the covenant of Jesus that is revealed in the gospel. In

    the covenant of Jesus the people of God are not like they were under Moses. Under Moses Gods peoplewere an ethnic nation with a king and borders and an army. But now Gods people are anyone who puts

    faith in Jesus and receives the grace of God, Jews and Gentiles alike; theyre are all the same in Jesus, no

    nation, no earthly king, no geographical borders, no army. So, by not setting up a physical kingdom on

    earth we are demonstrating the spiritual nature of Gods Kingdom as revealed in the Gospel message

    when we submit to the governing authorities of the countries we live in all around the world.

    We apply the Gospel to differences in opinion or preferences (Chapters 14-15)

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    25Because the subject of loving one another and serving one another in unity in the church is so importantthe Apostle Paul returns to the issue of relationships between believers again in chapters 14-15. And thisis something that comes up a lot. Not everyone understands certain teachings of the Bible the same

    way. When it comes to the Bibles teachings and doctrines there both non-negotiables and negotiables.

    There are doctrinal principles that remain the same no matter what, but there are also some practical

    preferences that depend on our circumstances and choice. We must not confuse the two. The

    instructions of Romans Chapters 14-15 are about how to relate to one another with regard specifically

    to our practical preferences. And once aga