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Scripture Reading
Will you please turn in your Bibles with me to Romans. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, page 999. You may scratch your head. Why are we going backwards? So one of the things that can happen as we go through long series like this is we may forget that Romans was written as an entire book.
And what would happen in the early church is when the letter of Romans was delivered, someone would have read Romans chapter 1 through Romans chapter 16. It's one book. And so as we go through, I've been in a habit of preaching through a chapter and then trying to tie together what the book has been about up to that point. So that's what we're going to try to do here in Romans, as we have finished Romans chapter 6, we're going to read and quickly tie things together. And as we go through, I hope that you will begin to see the threads of God's gracefulness, or God's graciousness in justifying sinners and giving us a righteous path to walk. So look with me now at Romans chapter 1.
Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God, which he promised before through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures concerning his son Jesus Christ our Lord, who is born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God, with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. Through him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith, or sorry, to the obedience to the faith among the nations for his name, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ. To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. That's a long-winded hello. And here's the gospel. And you meet with God because of grace and peace. Verse 8. First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son.
That without ceasing, I make mention of you always in my prayers. making requests, if by some means now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established. That is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith, both of you and me. Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you, but I was hindered until now. that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles. I am a debtor, both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise. So as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes. for the Jew first and also for the Greek, for in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, the just shall live by faith."
I'm praying for you. I want to come see you. I haven't been able to, but it's not because I'm ashamed of the gospel. And if you have the handout I gave you, please underline things, highlight things, right in the margins, but especially next to verse 16 and 17. This is Paul's central statement in the book of Romans. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. Verse 18.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth and unrighteousness. Because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.
Because although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man, and birds, and four-footed animals, and creeping things. Therefore, God also gave them up to uncleanness in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lying, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever.
Amen." For this reason, God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also men leaving the natural use of women burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
And as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind to do those things which are not fitting being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness. They are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful, who, knowing the righteous judgment of God that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the but also approve of those who practice them." The world is sinful, and God's let the world go do their sin.
Therefore, you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge. For in whatever you judge another, you condemn yourselves. For you who judge practice the same things. But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, are you doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?
Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? But in accordance with the hardness With your hardness and your impenitent heart, you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each one according to his deeds. Eternal life to those who, by patient continuance in doing good, seek for glory, honor, and immortality, but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation, and wrath. tribulation and anguish on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek. But glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek, for there is no partiality with God. You still with me?
For as many as have sinned without law, will also perish without law. And as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law. For not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified. For when Gentiles who do not have the law by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them. and the day when God would judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. Indeed, you who are called a Jew and rest on the law, and make your boast in God, and know His will, and approve the things that are excellent being instructed out of the law, and are confident that you yourselves are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and the truth in the law.
You, therefore, who teach one another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that man should not steal, Do you steal? You who say, do not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you, as it is written.
For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law. But if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who, even though your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law?
For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart and the spirit, not in the letter, whose praise is not from men, but from God.
There is not to be a judgmental attitude, even by Jewish people who have the law, and yet sin and judge people for not keeping the law, because even more Gentile people could keep the law, do not murder, do not steal, do not kill, And the Jewish people were still doing it. So they're going to judge you. They're more righteous than you are. Let's keep going. What advantage then has the Jew? Or what is the profit of circumcision? Much in every way. Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God. What if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? Certainly not.
Indeed, let God be true in every man a liar, as it is written, that you may be justified in your words and overcome when you are judged. But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? I speak as a man, certainly not. For then how will God judge the world? For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?
And why not say, let us do evil that good may come? As we are slanderously reported as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just. What then? Are we any better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one. There is none who understands, there is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside, they have together become unprofitable. There is none who does good, no, not one.
Their throat is an open tomb, their tongues with their tongues they have practiced deceit, the poison of asps is under their lips, whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness, their feet are swift to shed blood, destruction and misery are in their ways, and the way of peace they have not known, there is no fear of God before their eyes." Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore, by the deeds of the law, no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin." Feeling good, right? None righteous. None good. Even if you have the law, it just shows you your sin.
One of my favorite phrases. But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed. Being witnessed by the law and the prophets. Even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ. To all and on all who believe. For there is no difference for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. being justified freely by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just, and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. Go ahead and underline that if you want. For he is the God Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, and the Gentiles also. Since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith, do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not. On the contrary, we establish the law. You have been justified by faith. Your right standing before God is by faith in Jesus. That is the righteousness of God displayed for you.
So what do you do about people like Abraham then? What then shall we say that Abraham our father was found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the scripture say? Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
Not to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace, but as debt. But to him who does not work, but believes on him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness. Just as David also described the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works. Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin. Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only or upon the uncircumcised also?
For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith, which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe.
Though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also. And the father of the circumcision to those not only are who are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith. which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised.
For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of no effect, because the law brings about wrath. Where there is no law, there is no transgression. Therefore, it is a faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, 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.
As it is written, I have made you a father of many nations, in the presence of him who believed God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist although they did, who contrary to hope in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations according to what is spoken, so shall your descendants be. And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body already dead, since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb, He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised, He was also able to perform. And therefore it was accounted to Him for righteousness. Now it was not written for His sake alone, but it was imputed to Him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses and was raised because of our justification.
How do you become an heir of the world? How do you become a member of the covenant family? The same way Abraham did. By faith. By believing. Therefore, Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace, which we stand and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance and perseverance, character, character, hope, and hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom, who was given to us. For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more than having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
Therefore, justice through one man sent into the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because all sinned. For until the law, sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed where there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of him who was to come.
But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man's offense many died, much more the grace of God by the gift, by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. The gift, and the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. For if by the one man's offense death reigns through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ. Therefore, as though through one man's offense, judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one man's righteous act, the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For just as by one man's obedience, many were made sinners, so also by one man's obedience, many will be made righteous. Moreover, the law entered that the offense might abound. but where sin abounded, grace abounded much more. So that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Who is your head? Have you been redeemed by Jesus? Are you resting in Jesus? Is your life hidden in Jesus? That is our only hope to escape the coming judgment. That is our only hope of justification. Our righteous acts will never get us right with God. We must be found righteous because of Jesus' righteousness.
So what shall we say? What shall we say then? Does this turn you into an antinomian? If you can't be justified by works of righteousness, does this just turn you into a lawless person? Sin, sin, sin, let grace abound. What shall we say then? Shall we continue to sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?
Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life, For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin, for he who has died has been freed from sin. Now, if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all. But the life that He lives, He lives to God.
Likewise, you also reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin. but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God, for sin shall not have dominion over you. For you are not under law, but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law, but under grace? Certainly not.
Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey? Whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness, But God bethink that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to uncleanness and of lawlessness, leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness, for holiness. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free regarding righteousness.
What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from death, from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness. and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
You were born a child of Adam. We were born sinners. Every one of us. And yet, But now God has shown us a way because of the blood of his son poured out for us, redeeming us from sin and death, displaying his righteousness. You are not a slave to sin. You have been redeemed. If you have faith in Christ, that is your hope. Jesus is our only hope. His righteousness is our righteousness. Our life is hidden in him. You've been baptized. into his death and raised in his resurrection. So live your life for his glory.
Closing Prayer
Brothers and sisters, we have a wonderful, loving, and gracious God who has redeemed you, given you a free gift of grace that you might live your life full of joy, forever walking in righteousness. Let's pray. God, we know the wages of our sin is death, but your free gift is eternal life in Christ Jesus, who is our King, our Master, our Lord, our Savior, our Redeemer. Lord, please strip away any self-righteousness in us. and let us walk in the righteousness of Jesus. And thank you, Lord, that our position, our standing, our life is not in constant flux, but you have demonstrated your love toward us, even when we were sinners. Thank you for your kindness and your mercy and your goodness to us. in sending us your Son, and in redeeming sinners like us, that we may live our lives to your righteousness. Help us to do it, God. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.