From a Message Preached by Dr J Stewart Gillespie Romans Chapter 3 Verses 9 to 20: 'The Devil in the Detail' Many things we could say by way of general introduction to this section Not least of which is to ask a very basic question: 'Why should this section ever have been written'? There are many questions I do not know how the natural man tackles and handles and this is one of them: 'what gives rise to the utter condemnation of man in this book'? Maybe not such a trifling question as it seems!

1. Chapter 1 - Rotten Sinner is Condemned by Creation
2. Chapter 2 - Self Righteous Sinner is Condemned by Conscience
3. Chapter 2 - Religious Sinner is condemned by Covenant or law

Maybe not such a trifling question as it seems! These verses (3:9-20) are really a conclusion to these previous individual condemnations of distinct groups within humanity This section is a total condemnation of all of humanity! If there is 1 aspect to the gospel which is offensive to modern ears it would be the content of the 1st 3 chapters of Romans: the sinfulness of man. Someone has coined the phrase: the Total Depravity of Man By that phrase I do not mean: "That man is as sinful as he could be" but rather that "Man can never be as good as he ought to be" - Dr J I Packer

Every part of mans being touched and corrupted by sin:

v11 - the mind / the heart v13 - the throat v13 - the tongue v13 - the lips v14 - the mouth v14 - the voice v15 - the feet v18 - the eyes

Mr Stott notes in this chapter that there is taught:

1. The ungodliness of sin (v11, 18) - sin begins and ends when God is pushed to the side of my life
2. All pervasiveness of sin
3. Total Depravity of man

My very simple question: 'However did we get the verdict?' A verdict of universal guilt (v19) A verdict of total condemnation It is hardly natural / normal for man to condemn himself Yet these verses unswerving present the sinfulness of all of humanity They are drawn, as so much else of Romans is from the OT scriptures: Psalms, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes This book has been condemning us for 1000's of years and yet we preserve it! Even treasure it! There are many things that allow me the confidence to say this book is the inspired Word of God!

• The Prophecies concerning the person of Christ, the nation of Israel and the nations of the world
• The Pictures of Christ in the OT scriptures
• The Patterns of Christ in the OT scriptures
• The Personal way in which His Word speaks to me

This however would not be the least of the means of confidence in the inspiration of this book of books:

• The condemnation of man in the Word of God. The Bible is not such a book as a man could write - fulfilled prophecies, patterns and pictures, but neither is it the kind of book a man would write! This book is not a testimony to mans ability to array a catalogue of excuses as to why he has failed This book is a testimony to why man is without excuse before God! If I know anything about anything it is about people! As men we tend to make excuses for our failures, underestimate our faults, gloss over our wrong doings, Gods Word does not. If it is natural to make light of our failings what is it to expose and to be utterly honest about our failings? It must be unnatural or supernatural. These verses are a testimony to the fact that there is a standard beyond man, against which man falls short of, against which man feels wholly inadequate

The 1st 3 chapters of Romans are testimony to the existence of: 'The Righteousness of God' and to that righteousness as revealed in law In the concluding section of Romans 3 we will see that Gods righteousness is not restricted to operating via law there is also: 'The Righteousness of God by faith' (3:22) We notice then that a section that many would grapple with, struggle with, seek to water down, is a striking testimony to the character of God, to a standard beyond you and I, this is a supernatural condemnation. It is natural for man to seek to prove that we are better than we might seem (v9), testimony again to the sense that there is a standard I fall short of! It is natural for the alcoholic to tell you he just takes a social drink, for the heavy smoker to underestimate his habit, for the addict to say they are doing fine when so obviously they are not. If it is natural to make excuses, what is it to declare that I am without excuse? Supernatural?? One final comment by way of introduction: If we see this verdict as only possible because of the righteousness of God in the law then we acknowledge this verdict is of God! The God who created man in Genesis chapter 1 is the God who condemns man in Romans chps 1 to 3! When God saw what He had created in Genesis chapter 1, after each Creatorial act God said: "it is good" but having created man, having completed His work of creation God said: "It was very good" (Gen1:31) How tragic it is that God who made man after His image and in His likeness has to write these words about His creation! God is not looking for sympathy mind you, I don't think that is the point! I do believe that God desires to demonstrate to us the sense of tragedy in mans condition I think if you and I are going to be useful to God and used by God to bring His message out from the platform and form the pews and from the pulpit to the people we too must share in this sense of tragedy Don't just go out with the gospel with a sense of sympathy but with a sense of tragedy The tragedy of broken homes, broken hearts, broken lived, lost souls, empty hopes, a fall into hell The bitter disappointment of sin We need to grasp a sense of that tragedy Remember the echo of Gen 1:31: "God saw every thing that He had made and behold it was very good" The Lord Jesus was touched with a sense of that tragedy: "weep not for me, weep for yourselves and for your children" (Luke23:28), the Saviour wept over Jerusalem, the Saviour who wept at the tomb of Lazarus (John 11) Perhaps we could borrow the words of the Lord Jesus from the parable of the tares and the wheat: “an enemy hath done this” (Matt 13:28) As I look down at the description of man in these verses and I look at the image, the reflection he casts in the mirror, a terrifying sight meets my eyes:

• Smell the odour of death (v13)
• Poison of the serpent (v13)
• Lies of the tongue (v13)
• Blood of murder (v15)
• Way of destruction (v16)

The man of Romans 3 has cast in his lot with:

• The one who is the father of lies (John 8:44)
• The one who was a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44)
• The one who had the power of death - the Devil (Heb 2:14)
• The one is that old serpent - the Devil (Rev 12:9; 20:2)
• The one whose name is destruction - Apollyon (Rev9:11) - the angel of the bottomless pit

Do we see what has happened here, do we see the tragedy of what man has become? Man made in the image of God, after His likeness has become conformed to the image of the Devil! The tragedy of what man was and what he has become! The story does not finish here however, in chapters 4 to 8 continues with the Triumph of what I can be in Christ! Never forget the tremendous potential in a life given over to Christ! Romans 5:20 : "Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound" The God who created man out of the dust and the dirt and who formed man from the 'Ground to the Glory' is able to do the same again! God took man from the ground and gave him a glory above all of creation: Psalm 8:4,5 God who took man from the ground and gave him that glory is able to take man form the gutter and give him that glory again!

This is the subject of Romans chp 3:21 through chapters 4 and 5. v11 - The Mind - Intelligence about God v11 - The Motive - Interest in God

The path is traced inside out From within the very being of man to the outside Salvation must deal with man in the same way Rules, law, therapy and counselling and medicine is not enough The "understanding" would lie not so much in the 'head' but in the 'heart' cf. Eph 4:18 "Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart" cf. 1 Kings 3:9 - Solomon prays for an "understanding heart" cf. Psalm 49:2 "the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding" cf. Prov 2:2 "apply thine heart to understanding" cf. Prov 3:4 "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding" The meditation and state of the mind determines the motive Man's motive can be focused on many things, consider the many clubs and associations even in a little village like New Cumnock: history club, art club, gardening club, football clubs (a number), bowling clubs, friendship club, photography club, stop smoking club, BBs, scouts, guides, girl guides, youth clubs, fishing clubs, community council, heather club, mother and toddlers club, working mans club, pigeon club, orange lodge, Masonic Lodge, young farmers club, exercise clubs, karate club, womans rural club! Men and women are able to pursue many interests but what about the God who made us?

v12 - The Profit & The Path & The Product

In business profit is synonymous with money and financial gain, not with Christ! What constitutes profitability? It is assessed by God, it is tried by fire:1 Co 3:11ff - it must be of Gold, Silver and precious stones It must be fit to be laid on the foundation Fire proof for eternity What I regard as profitable will determine the path I take: ease and comfort, financial prosperity, friendship and socialising Profitability - what is there for God? What is there of value to God? Product: fruit cf. John 15 and Gal 5 Christ and the Spirit needed

v13 - The Tongue and the Tomb The heart corrupted opens up into a throat (v13) A "sepulchre" - a place of death Not only a sepulchre but an "open sepulchre" Place of "stench", a place of smell Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh A voice form the tomb? Whose voice is it? A dead man talking? "dead in trespasses and in sins" (Eph2:1) Words and Works

• From the heart (v11)
• To the throat (v13)
• To the tongue (v13)
• Through the lips (v13)
• Out of the mouth (v14)
• From thought to word and then to deed

If it is behaviour that is to be changed, the heart and mind must be changed God works from the inside out

https://graceinchrist.org/romans

From a message preached by J Stewart Gillespie on: Romans Chapter 3 Verses 1 to 8: “Missing the Point” Paul has so far concluded all under sin:

1. The Rotten Sinner of Rom1
2. The Self Righteous Sinner of Rom2
3. The Religious Sinner of Rom 2

Chapter 2 ended with the religious sinner: the Jew, who founded their claims to salvation on a 3 fold cord (v17):

1. Jew – Racial Claims
2. Law – Righteous Claims
3. God – Religious Claims

In all of this however we saw:

1. Jew – Racial Claims – there was no real relationship To be born is one thing but, as the Lord taught Nicodemus to be born again is another all together.
2. Law – Righteous Claims – it was a great Law: it contained the Desires of God, the Discernment of God and the Direction of God. The law did not bring them righteousness.
3. God – Religious Claims – but no reality

All claims to salvation apart from Christ tend to lay hold of these 3 strands: Race, Religion and Rules:

1. Race: I was born into it!
2. Rule: I deserve it!
3. Religion: I have paid for it!

But when these claims were scrutinised they were found wanting:

1. Rules: But have you kept them (2:21-23)?
2. Race: But it was not unconditional (2:25), we saw the character of Abraham, the man God gave His promises to, Abraham was a man: justified by faith (Gen15:6) sanctified from defilement (Gen14:23) consecrated to God (Gen17:1) separated from the old world (Gen12:1) It was not automatic: the blessing went to Isaac the son of promise rather than to Ishmael.
3. Religion (2:24) – but do people see in me the character of God? Do I cause them to bless God and to glorify my Father or do I cause them to curse? We have outward formality but no inward reality We have religion but no relationship We have a church but no Christ

v1 – there is one obvious problem with the conclusion Paul has so far drawn in chap 2:17-29. If this it is indeed true that the racial claims, religious claims and righteous claims of the Jew are of no effect to salvation then what exactly has God been doing for the preceding 3,000 years with the people of Israel?

• Making a covenant with Abraham
• Redeeming a people out of Egypt
• Giving His Law
• Speaking through the prophets

Why bother if the end point is the same for everyone? If despite all of this Divine intervention, purpose and providence “all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God” (3:23) and if indeed there is “no difference” between Jew and Gentile then has the OT been one colossal waste of time? The Jew would have been as well following the Hindu Vidas, they would as been as well turning to pagan idol worship for all the good it has done them. Is not the whole of the OT scriptures about:

1. Gods chosen people - Racial Claims?
2. The law – Righteous claims?
3. Worship and offerings – Religion?

Well yes it is, but it is also about:

1. Righteousness
2. Relationship
3. Reality

The Bible is not primarily about me, it is primarily about God and it leaves me a question to answer do I want anything to do with God? If my answer to that question is yes I do – the scriptures set out that path to Him! “What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?” (Rom 3:1) The Jew has a covenant, a law, a Bible, a circumcision, a history and is Gods chosen people but was there any point to it all? So either Paul is wrong in his conclusion or there is more to the story than has so far been revealed in chapters 1 + 2, there is more to the covenant, the law and the prophets than simply the condemnation of sin! It is that later point that Paul will now make in Romans chps 3 + 4. The purpose of Gods dealings with His OT people went beyond the demonstration of failure and the conviction of sin by the rules that He gave. If we miss this we miss the whole point of the OT scriptures and frankly Paul contends that the Jew did just that, missed the point! Although importantly Paul will show that not all Jews missed the point, at least 3 groups got the point:

1. the Priest (3:25ff),
2. the Patriarch Abraham (4:1ff) and
3. the Psalmist / Poet David (Rom4)

What is the point? The point is that Gods dealings in covenant, in law, in scripture and in prophet only began with:

1. Rules – that convict of sin (3:19-20) but led onto
2. Repentance from that sin “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” (Rom 2:4)
3. Relationship with God – Romans 4. - justification by faith.
4. Revelation of Christ in the “oracles of God” (3:2)

Simple point of our message: 'don't miss the point' The point of Gods dealings then:

1. Rules – that convict of sin, we have already touched on the subject of sin and the law in chp 2:21ff and we will deal with it some more (3:19-20)
2. Repentance from that sin “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” (Rom 2:4) – we have already seen this in Rom 2:4.
3. Relationship with God – Romans 4. - justification by faith will be the subject of the latter half of chapter 3 and then chapter 4.
4. Revelation of Christ in the “oracles of God” (3:2) – the subject here in 3:1-8. What has God been doing as He has been speaking?

Simply providing rules to convict of sin? No something far more precious than only that: “unto them were committed the oracles of God” (3:2) Given to the nation of Israel were the very words of God! With those “oracles of God” we can either:

• Treasure the Oracles of God (v2)
• Trust the Oracles of God (v2,3)
• Trifle with the Oracles of God (v3)
• Tested by the Oracles of God (v3-4)
• Tragedy of the Oracles of God (v8)

Treasure the Oracles of God (v2)

“committed” - “faith” - “entrusted” A picture of the Ark of the Covenant A precious box of gold, most sacred item of furniture in the tabernacle reserved as the residing place for the law Hidden from human eyes Over that foundation of Gods Word would sit the mercy seat (3:25) – salvation founded upon the Word of God! What was the purpose really of these oracles? They were 1st and foremost a testimony to Christ: “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” (Luk 24:27) “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” (Joh 5:39) “Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.” (1Pe 1:11) “Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious” (1Pe 2:1-4) In John chapter 10 we have a picture of just that: The Characteristics of the Shepherd: How we recognise the true Shepherd of our Souls, the diference between the true and the false, the shepherd and the thief, the one who gives life and the one who takes life away. Ever before we make any choices in life we would do well to ask do I pursue that which is: true or that which is false, one who cares or one who is cruel, a Shepherd or a thief, one who gives life or one who takes life?

In this chapter we have the character of the Shepherd:

• The Coming of the Shepherd (10:1-2)
• The Companion of the Shepherd (10:3)
• The Call of the Shepherd (10:3)
• The Care of the Shepherd (10:4,9)

The Coming of the Shepherd (10:1-2)

He would come by the “door” (10:2)

In 10:9 He is the Door but in verse 2 He comes by the door! How can He both come by the door and yet be the door? His coming through the door was a defining characteristic of the Shepherd! They would recognise the Shepherd by the fact that He came through a door, specially constructed for Him. No one else but the true Shepherd could come by this door! It was specific for Him!

I can see that door being carefully fashioned and constructed in the OT scriptures:

• “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isa 7:14) – How He would come!
• “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” (Mic 5:2) – Where He would come!
• “Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.” (Psa 40:6-8) – A body prepared to come!
• Daniel chp 9 would tell us when He would come
• Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22 would tell us why He would come.
• There is a door through which Christ would come!

That door was specific to Him.

The Written word, the door of 10:2 can only be fulfilled by the incarnate Word of 10:9, Christ both comes through the door and He is the door!

The Companion of the Shepherd (10:3) Christ does not work alone! “The porter” opens the hearts door for the sheep to hear His voice The Spirit of God makes the voice of God real to the human soul Cf. Rev 3:7 – God controls the opening of the door The Call of the Shepherd (10:3) When the porter opens and when Christ speak we “hear His voice”

1. Personal “by name”
2. Powerful “leadeth them out”
3. Practical – results in action

The Care of the Shepherd (10:4,9)

Trust the Oracles of God (v2,3)

Trifle with the Oracles of God (v3) “did not believe” - wilful rejection of His Word To reject Gods Word is to reject God.

Tested by the Oracles of God (v3-4) “Faithfulness of God without effect” Rejecting Gods Word is the other side to the sharp two edged sword (Heb4:12) Gods Word is two-edged, it cuts both ways! Gods Word either acts to my Salvation or to my Condemnation “For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?” (2Co 2:15-16)

Tragedy of the Oracles of God (v8) Gods Word either: Justifies me by faith to my salvation Justifies Gods judgement to my condemnation Verse 5 contains a strange argument but one that does often creep into peoples thinking. If Gods revelation is simply to prove that I am a sinner and if Gods revelation successfully proves that I am a sinner then by sinning I am fulfilling the purpose of His revelation, so am I saying that I should just sin some more and prove God right? “Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?” (Job 40:8) Sometimes it creeps in as a kind of passive view of Christianity; that Christian faith and growth in Christ is something that just happens to you by accident one day you get out of bed and if it doesn't well I suppose that's just the way its going to be, after all I'm just a sinner anyway, so I may as well keep on doing what I'm doing! Above all else this nation was the Nation of the Book! It was a nation that ought never to have survived: The product of 3 barren wombs: Sarah, Rebekah and Rachael Surviving the persecution of Pharaoh in Egypt Preserved through Babylon and returning to the land even after the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple! Preserved from destruction by Rome even after the destruction once again of Jerusalem and the Temple in AD 70 Surviving Pogroms in Europe and Russia Passing through Hitlers final solution and the holocaust Back in the land in AD 1948 What a nation! What held them together? More than anything else: the Book! They were the people of the book! A book that contained a unique set of laws, prophecies, and instructions for life, it recorded both their history as well as their destiny, it gave identity to a displaced people as belonging to God Himself! A book that tells us where we came from, where we are going to, why we are here and how we can know the God who made us! Someone has well said that if asked for proof that there is a God he would reply in 1 word: Israel. That nation was not only to be Gods channel of communication to a lost world preserving and ultimately conveying His Words to the whole of mankind but that nation would also possess the oracles of God by means of preparation for the coming unique Word of God. Israel would provide both the root and the soil for His advent (Isa53:1) They would be able to identify the coming Messiah as the the unique Son of the one and only true and Living God (Isa7:14; Isaiah 40:9;Micah5:2; Psalm 110). The trouble is having the revelation or the oracles of God is not of itself enough, there is a:

https://graceinchrist.org/romans

Notes from a message preached by Dr J Stewart Gillespie on: Romans Chp 2 Vs 17 to 29: 'The Religious Sinner' A section that deals with the failings of the Jewish people At last a section that I can fall asleep during! Of no relevance to me! I can see the relevance of Chps 1 + 2: The Power of the Gospel to change lives (Rom1:1) The Proof of the Gospel in personal experience (Rom1:1), in the Promise of the Gospel (1:2) in the Person in the Gospel (1:3) in the Power of His resurrection (1:4) in the Product of the Gospel in changed lives (1:5) That section on doubts and deliverance (1:1-7) The Result of the Gospel (1:8-17) in changed lives The descent of man (1:18-32) rejecting the Worship of God, the Ways of God, the Wisdom of God and the Works of God But here is a section that I can switch off on – there is no relevance to me, it is about where the Jewish people of old went wrong! Before you dismiss it altogether, a word of caution, where the Jew of yesterday went wrong the professing Church of today goes wrong! I can see many parallels between the condition of the Jew of Romans 3 and the professing believer of Revelation 3:20 at Laodicea – the Church of the last days of the Church age; Christ is on the outside: “I stand at the door and knock...” a condition so very similar to the nation of Israel at the 1st coming of Christ: “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” (Joh 1:11) the condition of Israel at His 1st coming is the same as the condition of the Church as His 2nd Coming approaches; He is on the outside! We have outward formality but no inward reality We have religion but no relationship We have a church but no Christ v1 – there is one obvious problem with the conclusion Paul has so far drawn from his examination of all peoples at all times, all concluded under sin (3:23) Paul has concluded all under sin: The Rotten Sinner of Rom1 The Self Righteous Sinner of Rom2 The Religious Sinner of Rom 2 In Johns Gospel we find: Things we don't know (John 21:21-22) Things we will know (Jo13:7) Things we ought to know (Jo3:10) Things we know but we didn't know that we knew them (Jo14:5,6,9) All of the above represents a journey of learning into the infinity of Gods ways and purposes. All of the above represent encounters between Christ and those seeking for the truth. In Johns gospel there is also another group, another attitude and a different spirit. People who think they know it all! They thought they knew the prophets (John 7:40-44,52) They thought they knew the law (Jo8:4-9) They thought they knew the scriptures (Jo5:39) They thought they knew God (Jo8:54-55) They thought they knew Christ (Jo7:12,20) They thought they knew the Father (Jo8:33,39,44) There are few things in our life so dangerous as a conviction drawn from inadequate information, not just in Johns gospel: Matt22:23ff. It might be the best conclusion we can draw but if we don't have the right information we draw the wrong conclusion. It seems that confidence is no guarantee of certainty! It seems that you can be wrong! When it comes to salvation, be very careful about getting it wrong! It will certainly come out in the wash but by then it will be too late; “depart from me I never knew you.” In Romans 2:17-29 we are dealing with the same people as in Johns gospel! In this section there are those who think they have salvation sussed! “Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God,” (Rom 2:17) They have a 3 X confidence and a '3 fold cord is not easily broken!' There 3 Fold Confidence / 3 Fold Boast:

1. Jew - Racial Claims – Race
2. Law - Righteous Claims – Rules
3. God - Religious Claims – Religion

We may well ask: 'so what is wrong with all of that?'

Law - Righteous Claims – Rules

They had learned the desires of God They had gained knowledge (v18) and understanding, they knew the “will” of God, they had an understanding of what was pleasing to God in any given situation, a great advantage, they understood the desires of God. What do you do if someone says: 'I've a great new god come and worship it with me'? The men of chapter 1 would have jumped on the band wagon but not the Jew they had the commands of God: “Thou shalt worship no other God except Me”

What do you do if society begins to say that life is expendable, that human life is not valuable simply because it is human life, that some lifes can be destroyed for purposes of convenience? The Jew knew the desires of God; “thou shalt not kill.”

What do you do when the government of the land loses its discernment into a pit of deep rooted moral corruption, when politicians are easily swayed by men and woman pursuing their own lusts, and laws begin to change permitting the union of men with men and women with women. The Jew knew the desires of God on this: “male and female created He them.” How quickly and easily and clearly the Word of God deals with moral errors of their day and of ours too!

Paul will give a few simple and clear examples of these (2:21,22), not hard to understand. They had learned the discernment of God Even beyond that they had learned discernment: “approvest the things that are more excellent” - a sensitivity not only to outright evil but an ability to choose the best. Not only what was right but what was best! There can be a subtlety and a sensitivity to that! The Jew had gone beyond the expectations of some Christians with: 'what is the harm in it?' Many an excuse can be used for sin when God given discernment is lost:

Lot (Gen19:20): “this city is near to flee unto...it is a little one.”. Its a smaller sin than the last one! Its just ½ the size! I've cut down, not so much, not so often. It's a little one! Maybe it is but its still a sin!

Achan (Joshua 7:20ff): “a goodly Babylonish garment...” Its a good one. Shame to let it go to waste!

Saul (1Sam15:9ff): He kept the “best of the sheep”. Its the best one!

How we need the Word of God to keep us from compromise! Times might change, the world might change but as God looks down on our tiny sinful, little planet He does not feel compelled to keep up with latest fashions upon earth. Our God does not change and His Word does not change!

His Word keeps us from compromise:

Shammah (2Sam23:11) defends a field of lentils against the Philistines, doesn't matter the value, they belong to the king! No compromise.

David (1Sam17:34) rescues a lamb from the mouth of the lion, he's the shepherd and it is his lamb, no compromise!

They had learned direction from God In a dark world they were able to “guide” the heathen, they had direction (2:19) They considered themselves doctors of Gods Law They considered themselves to be “instructors” and “teachers” the word for doctors of the law (cf. Luke 2:46) It didn't bring them any closer to Him! What's the problem? The difference between knowing and doing! Rules can tell us what's right but they can't make you righteous! “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” (Rom 3:20)

God - Religious Claims – Religion (v23-24)

Made their “boast of God” (v17) Actually they caused others to “blaspheme” God (v24) They had : Broken His Laws (v23) Blasphemed His name (v24) There religion did not bring them into a relationship Do you bring honour to God (v23) or Glory to His name (v24)?

Jew - Racial Claims – Race (v25-29)

If their religion lacked relationship then then racial claims lacked reality They had the token and the sign of circumcision but the reality of it Circumcision had been given to Abraham as a token of Gods covenant (Gen 17). The promises passed to the next generation by Gods election and not by natura; generation: they passed onto Isaac the son of promise and not to Ishmael! Circumsion was a sign of Gods promise to Abraham, a covenant. Did Abraham have a side to keep in this promise? That covenant did begin with a command to Abraham: “... the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.” (Gen 17:1) This covenant was a sovereign act of God in grace but it was also set in the context of Abraham's spiritual and moral conditions!

God had chosen Abraham, a man who God had marked out by:

1. Separation by Faith (Gen12:1)
2. Justification by Faith (Gen15:6)
3. Sanctification by Faith (Gen14:23)
4. Consecration by Faith (Gen17:1)

Abraham had one thing to do as part of this covenant “thou shalt keep my covenant” (17:9) – to circumcise his male offspring! What did that circumcision on the 8th day mean? If it meant anything it meant separation and consecration from the world around. Abraham was different and his seed had to be different No point in claiming the token (Gen17:11) and denying the reality!

https://graceinchrist.org/romans

"The judgement of God is according to truth" (2:2)
cf. Joshua 24:14
cf. John 4:23
cf. John 14:6
All "truth" comes from God
Therefore the rejection of TRUTH is the rejection of God!
Embracing that which is false is a rejection of that which is true.
Whilst the believer is captivated by He who is the TRUTH the world is fascinated by fallacy and fiction
Our appreciation of the sum total body of truth will be different
No man knows all of the truth
All have a different grasp of, a different appreciation or assimilation of the truth
We are not judged as to how much of the truth we know - not ATTAINMENT
Not judged as to how deeply we understand the TRUTH
But we are judged as to our ATTITUDE to the truth
"But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath." (2:8)
This attitude to the truth reveals our attitude of heart, wither it be the rejection of:

1. Gods Glory in Creation – CREATION
2. Gods Goodness in Conscience – CONSCIENCE
3. Gods Grace in Covenant promise – COVENANT
4. Gods Gospel in Christ - CHRIST

At different points in time and in different dispensations God has been rejected by man at these different levels
Irrespective as to what point man rejected the truth the end result is the same man rejected the truth from God and the truth of God.
That testimony of truth (Romans 2:2) which is rejected by man (Romans 2:8) is in fact different aspects of the truth concerning Christ (2:16) - judgement according to truth is judgement "by Jesus Christ"

1. Creation - is the revelation of the Creatorial Glory of Christ (John1:1;Col1)
2. Conscience - is the moral light from Christ (John1:9)
3. Gospel is the revelation of the Redemptive Glory of Christ

It matters not which one of these spheres of Divine truth we reject - in rejecting 1 we reject Christ.
God has revealed His truth and man has rejected His truth
God is not morally obliged to present Gods truth in Christ so I can reject that too!
All men will be judged as to their attitude to the TRUTH
Some will be judged as having rejected the revelation of:

1. Gods TRUTH in CREATION
2. Gods TRUTH in CONSCIENCE
3. Gods TRUTH in COVENANT
4. Gods TRUTH in CHRIST

The common point is the same
All have rejected Gods truth
If I have an illness, eg a life threatening infection there are various ways I can avoid being cured:

1. I can refuse to believe that I am ill, its not real, don't believe in illness, its all in the mind and therefore never seek medical help at all! - denial of Gods testimony in creation
2. I can refuse to believe the doctors diagnosis - he's a bit dramatic that doctor, terrible for exaggerating, the bleak diagnosis troubles my conscience and so I reject it - refuse conscience!
3. I can refuse to take the medicine, I don't like banana flavoured antibiotics - refuse salvation!

It doesn't matter at which point I reject the truth: in this case I have a life threatening infection and need urgent treatment, the outcome is the same!

Notes from a message preached on the Epistle of the Romans:

Romans Chp2 Vs1: 'Conscience an Echo out of Eden' - JS Gillespie (11/11/2008

1. The Corruption and the Condemnation of Conscience (v1)
2. The Source and the Standard of Conscience (v2)
3. The Problem and the Purpose of Conscience (v3-4)
4. The Response to and the Results of Conscience (v5-12)
5. The Evidence and Experience of Conscience (v13-16)

The Corruption and the Condemnation of Conscience (v1) Anyone who can appreciate that there is a problem with the list of 23 moral evils in Romans 1:29-32 has a major problem on their hands – they are fit for hell! Gen39:6-21 – can we perceive that there is a problem, an injustice in the events of Genesis chp 39? Can we discern in this story of Joseph that there is injustice, unfairness and sin? Can we see:

• “unrighteousness” in the dealings of Potiphars wife with Joseph? He did only good (Gen39:6,8,9) and she rewarded it with evil.
• “fornication,”
• “wickedness,”
• “covetousness” - she desired what was not hers – Joseph
• “maliciousness” - acted with revenge and spite when she failed to get what she wanted (39:17ff), she didn't just accept that things were not going to go her way!
• “envy” - wanted to take away from Joseph what she could not have!
• “murder” - her actions could easily have resulted in the death of Joseph as per the baker of Genesis 40.
• “deceit” - she deceived her husband
• “malignity”
• “whisperers” - Constructing and concocting a story before her husband returns (Gen39:14)
• “Backbiters” - with vengeful hatred on Joseph

Anyone who can appreciate that there is a problem with the list of 23 moral evils in Romans 1:29-32 has a major problem on their hands – they have a conscience. Sometimes it is easier to see the significance of these sins in the context of human actions rather than simply in a list of events. We know that certain things are right and some things are wrong If they are wrong for others they are wrong for us too! The first time we read of conscience coming into action in Genesis 3:7; by verse 12 it is corrupted – instead of being used to convict Adam of his own sin he is using it to criticise and condemn his wife!

The Source and the Standard of Conscience (v2) What is the source of human conscience? Conscience has its origins back in Genesis chp 3 Conscience comes to us as an echo out of Eden! Conscience is a universal pointer to an absolute standard of right and wrong Conscience at it simplest is the inner awareness in the heart of man that his actions have a significance beyond the immediate context in which they occur. Conscience involves at least 3 separate components: A knowledge of an absolute standard of righteous (Rom 2:15; 9:1) An awareness of a responsibility towards God: (1 Peter2:19; 3:21; Acts 23:1; Acts 24:16) A warning or conviction when we have fallen short of that standard / when we have broken or offended that standard (1Co8:7,10,12; 10:25,27,28; 2Co1:12;4:2; 1Tim1:19;3:9;4:2; Heb9:9,14; 10:2,22) How did that conscience come to be? Romans 2 makes it quite clear that conscience is a reflection of the standards of the creator (2:2,3,15) Man first experienced the stirrings of conscience in the garden of Eden Conscience was not the direct product of sin, conscience was not created by sin and Satan – sin and Satan are not creatorial, only Christ is creatorial: “(Joh 1:3) All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (Col 1:16) For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:” Sin cannot truly give rise to light but rather to darkness It is not sin that gives us a knowledge of Gods standards but rather God Himself: “(Joh 1:9) That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” But it was in the garden of Eden that the conscience first fired up as man created in the image of God, with the knowledge of Gods character, reflecting the nature and standards of the Creator sinned against his creator. Something foreign to that creation and those to standards God had given was introduced into that creation and man perceived that this was alien to his creator – these were the first stirrings of conscience. It was not that sin created conscience but rather conscience triggered a response to sin in the heart of man! Jag yourself with a needle and you feel pain, the needle does not create pain however, the nerve cells, the prostaglandins, the prostacyclines, the electrical impulses in the nerve cells, the connections to the spinal cord and to the brain cause pain, the needle only triggers the process set up by God from creation. The conscience came from God (Rom2:2) the standards are Gods (Rom2:2,14) sin merely triggers the response.

The Problem and the Purpose of Conscience (v3-4) No sooner did Adam perceive the effects of conscience on his soul than he misused it: Gen 3:12 – to accuse another, to accuse Eve, but if Eve's behaviour was wrong then so was Adams! Conscience had a purpose, not only was conscience an echo out of Eden that tells us that we have eaten of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil but it is also an echo that reminds us that there is a tree of life! The message of this book is that there is such a tree of life! “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.” (Act 5:30) “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.” Conscience is not only the emptiness that comes form eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil it is also the gnawing, painful hungering and yearning after the fruit of the tree of life! Praise God for conscience! The true purpose of conscience is not only to convict of sin but it is to convert the soul Conscience is designed to prove to our hearts that we are sinners and that salvation can never be on the basis of how good I am but rather if I am ever to be saved it must be upon the basis of what and who God is. Salvation can only be possible if God is “forbearing” - patient, forgiving of the repentant sinner (v4) Conscience has its final work not only in convicting of sin but in casting me upon the grace and mercy Conscience is not there for me to be critical of others nor to be scathing of God but rather to convict of my own sin. Believers 252: “Here conscience ends its strife and faith delights to prove, the sweetness of the Bread of Life, the fullness of thy love.”

The Response to and the Results of Conscience (v5-12) I can do 1 of 2 things: Reject conscience and harden my heart (v5) – The Barrier of Conscience. This was interestingly Adams first reaction in the garden of Eden: to hide! To hide under the fig leaves (3:7) and to hide behind the trees in the garden (3:8) and to hide behind his wife (3:12). Convicted of sin he knew that there was a problem within, his response was impulsive rather than intelligent, reactive rather than reasoned – he felt his sin exposed and so hide.

Respond to conscience (v7) - The Brokenness of Conscience

(Psa 111:3) “His work is honourable and glorious: and his righteousness endureth for ever.” They seek for the 'work of God' - “Glory, honour and immortality” is the work of God. down through the generations there have been those who have responded to conscience, to the light of creation and to the light of conscience and on that basis have, even in the days before the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ have been given further light:

Abel: (Heb 11:4) “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.” - the same conscience that drove his father to cover and hide drew Able to bring of the firstlings of the flock as a sin offering to God to make reconciliation between God and man!

Job: (Job 1:8) “And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?”

Noah: (Gen 6:8) “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.”

Job, Noah and Daniel: (Eze 14:14) “Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD.”

David: (1Sa 13:14) “But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.”

(Heb 11:13) “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.”

(Heb 11:40) “God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.”

(Heb 12:23) “To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect”

The Brokenness of Conscience. Leads me to all sufficient grace!

The Evidence and Experience of Conscience (v13-16) In giving me conscience God has given me a terrifying gift – He has given me the ability to comprehend His basis of judgement We saw that in creation God gave me the ability to comprehend His character in that creation (Rom1:19-20), so too in conscience God has given me the ability to understand His basis for judgement and His verdict against me! No one will be in hell who does nor understand why they are there! Hell will no doubt come as a shock to many but perhaps not a surprise. Conscience is the evidence for the prosecution against me (v14-15) God has laid up in the very nature of your being, in the very foundations of your heart the ability to understand why He casts you into hell. The ability to understand what is happening and why it is happening. That ought to make us tremble if we are unsaved.

https://graceinchrist.org/romans

3 Categories of Sinners:

1. Rotten Sinners of chp 1
2. Self-Righteous Sinners of 2:1-6
3. Religious Sinners for chp 2

Rotten Sinners of chapter 1

The pagan idolaters

Self-Righteous Sinners (2:1-6) They are able to discern sin but not to dispense with sin! Judge sin in others but not in self No repentance from their own sin Notice that the condemnation of these self-righteous sinners is NOT that they fail to live a perfect life - which cannot be expected of any man but rather they fail to repent from the sin that they have committed and continue to commit (2:4) Judgement is made against their attitude of heart rather than against their ability to lead sinless lives! God will continue on from where they left off and will bring judgement to its "righteous" conclusion (2:5) and that against them! Compare 1 John3:4 where Gods condemnation is not so much against mans inevitable inability to keep to the righteous law of God but rather Gods judgement is against the heart of man, the attitude of man to Gods righteous law: "....for sin is the transgression of the law." or literally "for sin is lawlessness" as attitude of anti-law, of anti-God and of anti-Christ that permeates through the whole of humanity and forms much of the subject of the epistle of 1 John. These men begin the spiritual journey; they feel the conviction of sin but it never becomes a personal challenge / conviction Religion but no reality The religious hypocrite, like the Pharisee of Matthew 23

It is so easy to agree with the facts of scripture Easy to learn the doctrines and the dogmas of scripture Easy to preach and teach the letter but to miss the Spirit Easy to fail to apply the truth to our own heart and life

Religious Sinners (chapter 2) The Jew with the law

3 Groups of People:

1. Pagan Idolater (chapter 1)
2. Enlightened / educated / religious gentile (2:1-16)
3. Jew (2:17ff)

3 distinct administrations / dispensations of God 3 distinct ways in which God has dealt with people 3 distinct ways in which God has given men the opportunity to find Him There is a 4th - not mentioned in the opening 2 chapters of Romans

1. The Age of Innocence
2. The Age of Conscience
3. The Age of Law
4. The Age of Grace

Why has God dealt with men in different ways? To demonstrate to all who are willing to come to Him in faith that there is only one way by which men and women can come. There is only one foundation upon which a man or woman can know God That is to come in humility and faith before God, receiving salvation as a free Gift on the Gods terms and not ours. Mans only hope lies not in himself but only in God! One by one God allows man to explore the options leading to salvation and to systematically fail. Man must come in his search for salvation to one conclusion and one alone: "Without ME ye can do nothing" "Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God that in due season He might lift the up..." "Ask and it shall be given..."

But man might say: If only we had the right ENVIRONMENT we would be alright SO Gods first administration was in a perfect environment - Eden No Sin, No Suffering, No Strife, No Poverty, No drugs, No Drink Man failed, man fell In the perfect environment man chose to trust Satan rather than the creator The problem lay in mans heart There is only one desirable feature in man that God could not create: that was willing obedience, devotion that flows from desire rather than design. God could not create, uncreated devotion God desired a Passion for God from mans Pleasure in God Man chose sin and Satan!

If only we had the right EDUCATION we would be alright Man left the garden of Eden with the knowledge of good and evil believing that, that knowledge would fit him to become: "as gods knowing both good and evil" (Gen3:5) This knowledge, this instinctive appreciation of right and wrong is picked up in Romans chapter 1 + 2 (eg 1:28; 2:1-6) and is constantly and consistently rejected by man! Man constantly acts contrary to conscience and delights in it! Perhaps then what we need is something a bit more formal:

If only we had the right ORGANISATION we would be alright! This is a very modern idea! Organise problems out of mans life: communism and socialism of the last century - organise out inequalities, greed, suffering and organise in equality and even distribution of wealth. See it even in our sphere of work, every time a problem is encountered the response is more organisation, greater administration, new protocol. If mans heart is not right we will never organise an attitude to be right before God. Gods next administration was that of LAW A perfect law and not only a law but the organisation and structure with it. God intended that the nation be led not by a king but by prophets and priestly men. They had rules governing worship, family life, contracts, health, infection, food, hygiene, war and farming. This failed, men knew more than ever before but this lead simply to an even greater condemnation than ever before (2:12)! So what does that lead us to then?

The Day / Dispensation of Grace What are the principles here? You've failed You cannot do it yourself: not by environment, education or organisation Shout for help: "He that calleth upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" There is help , there is salvation for us in Christ: "when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." One of the great truths of the book of Romans is that in every day and age there have been those who have come to the truth: You've failed You cannot do it yourself: not by environment, education or organisation Shout for help: "He that calleth upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" There is help , there is salvation for us in Christ: "when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly."

Amongst them:

• Abraham (Rom4:1ff)
• David (Rom4:6ff)
• Job (Job1:1ff)
• Noah (Ezek 14:14; Gen 6:8)
• Daniel (Ezek 14:14)
• Isaac (Matt8:11)
• Jacob (Matt8:11)
• Elijah (Matt 17:3)
• Moses (Matt 17:3)
• Abel (Matt 23:35; Heb 11:4)
• and those great men and women of faith of Hebrews chapter 11!

In the gospels, Christ connects with the men and women of faith in the past:

• John 4:6 - Jacobs Well
• John 8:56 – Abraham
• Luke 18:22 – Abraham
• Matt 8:11 – Isaac
• Matt 8:11 – Abraham
• Matt 8:11 – Jacob
• Matt 8:17 – Isaiah
• Matt 17:3 – Moses
• Matt 17:3 – Elijah
• Matt 23:35 – Abel
• Matt 23:35 – Zechariah

There is continuity between the old and the new That continuity lies in 1 person - Christ (Romans 2:16) cf. Psalm 132:9ff; Gen 22:18 Of these Paul speaks in Romans 2:7. Psalm 111:2-3 - These were all saved by faith There were those who unlike the Rotten Sinners of Romans 1 responded to the "Works of the Lord" by "seeking" Him out (Psalm 111:2) and by seeking for His: 'honour' and 'Glory' and 'righteousness' and that 'forever' (Psalm 111:3) They 'humbled themselves under the mighty hand of God' They were marked by repentance towards sin: Abraham left his idols (Gen 12; Joshua 24:2) David sought forgiveness (Psalm 51) Jacob wrestled with God Rahab left the old life behind her and let down the scarlet thread Ruth turned her back on Moab

https://graceinchrist.org/romans

The Gospel was Promised in the Old Testament (Rom1:2) The Gospel is Paralleled in Gods Creation (Rom1:18-20) Principles that can be seen in creation: Godhead There is one God who is in control He is responsible for the whole of creation He is marked by "power" and 'intelligence' - "Godhead" One God and one creator evident by the unity and harmony of nature Creation is not higglety pigglety For example the orchid bee and the coryanthes flower, the coryanthes is specific for a particular species of bee, and for the male of that species in specifically, the flower is designed around the bee, and infact it contains many design features:

1. the scent to attract the bee
2. a slippery slope for it to fall into the bucket
3. nectar dripping into the bucket shaped flower
4. a step shaped part out of the bucket flower
5. the design of the stamen and the pollen packet and
6. a part of the flower shaped like a tunnel for the bee to crawl through.

Not only that but the bee collects esters from the plant and stores them in special compartments in its legs and then releases them to attract the female bee at mating season!

An addded level of complexity exists; the orchids are highly vulnerable to slugs and snails, tend to grow on ants nests, the ants protect the orchids, and produce formic acid which acidifies the soil and is an ideal growing medium for the orchid!

The God who created the orchid, created the bee! The oneness and unity of design in nature is evident. We can see His "eternal power and Godhead" Evolution says the purpose of life is to reproduce! The Coryanthes says it is not! The Coryanthes is fussy about the means of reproduction and the transfer of the pollen, picking only one creature - the bee, only one species and only the male! The Purpose of Creation is to stand as testimony to the power, wisdom and Glory of the Creator! The Principle of resurrection

God is able to Raise the Dead This principle is evident too in creation Rom6:5 - "Planted together in the likeness of His death we shall also in the likeness of His resurrection" The seed is planted in the ground, dead looking and unpromising and yet from the humble acorn can come the mighty oak tree Never ever think that it is unreasonable that God can bring life from the dead or that God can raise up our lives from the deadness of the sin they were stepped in, into the newness of His own life. The seed of a date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) was discovered during an archaeological excavation at King Herod's Palace on Mount Masada near the Dead Sea. Nicknamed "Methuselah" the palm that sprouted from this ancient seed has been Carbon-dated at about 2,000 years old

God has built in hope to His Creation (8:20)

Our expectations of life out strip our experience of life We have a hope for life and for health and happiness that is never realised in time Physical life is passing and we yearn for more

God is able to give second chances (chp 11)

He is able to take the wild branch and graft it into the cultivated stock We are not too far gone for God Death

All life ends in death (5:12-21)

There is no escaping God We are expected to ask: what next?

God is able to transform lives (12:12) 'metamorphosis' Can God transform me? The evidence is all around us: Caterpillar to the butterfly Maggot to the fly Tadpole to the frog

God has given us a conscience of sin (2:15) This conscience anticipates judgment (2:16) We possess Gods knowledge of His moral law.

https://graceinchrist.org/romans

From a Message Preached by Dr J Stewart Gillespie on: Romans Chapter 1 vs 18 to 32: 'The Descent of Man' : The whole of humanity is examined in this section, under the scrutiny of a righteous and Holy God:

1. Rotten Sinner (1:18-32)
2. Self-Righteous Sinner (2:1-16)
3. Religious Sinner (2:17-3:20)

Each group has their light, not the gospel as we know it, but light none the less for which God holds them accountable and responsible:

1. Rotten Sinner (1:18-32) - has the light of creation
2. Self-Righteous Sinner (2:1-16) - has the light of conscience
3. Religious Sinner (2:17-3:20) - has the light of law or covenant

Then the conclusion is drawn, often quoted outwith the context of Romans, in which the Spirit of God and the apostle Paul has invested much time and effort proving the truth of the statement:

"For all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God" (3:23)

There is only one way of salvation and one way back to God (1:16-17) Over the years and generations God has given humanity every opportunity to try the options:

1. A perfect environment - Eden (Gen chps1-3)
2. A perfect education - Adam and Eve left Eden with the "knowledge of good and evil", now 'enlightened' with their new enlightenment would this prove the way back to God?
3. A perfect organisation - The law with legislation on human government, worship, contract, families, relationships, marriage, business, farming and even health!

All of these means have failed

There is only one way back to God: Justification by faith (1:16-17; 3:21) Perhaps very often this pattern that is true of humanity as a whole, down through many generations is worked out often times in the individual lives of men and women:

1. Start in infancy in innocence (Jer19:4; Jonah 4:11; Matt18:1)
2. Move to self confidence and knowledge and education
3. Progress to the organisation of religion / a system / a method
4. By grace finally arrive at the only means of salvation: justification by faith

In Romans chp 1 man sinks deeper and deeper into sin and degradation:

“Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts... For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:... And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;” (Rom 1:24-28)

1. "God gave them up" (1:24)
2. "God gave them up" (1:26)
3. "God gave them over" (1:28)

Man is able to fall deeper into sin and degradation There are many ways down There is only one way up and out: “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:” (Eph 2:6)

Romans Chp1 vs 16 - 28 :

1. Revelation of the Righteousness of God (v16-17)
2. Reasons for the Wrath of God (v18-20)
3. Results of the Rejection of God (v21-28)

• Every refusal of God followed by a removal from God
• Every rejection of God followed by a response form God
• Every step away from God followed by a stoop further into degradation
• Every wrong decision followed by consequent disaster

The "wrath" of God is here 'revealed' in the present tense. How is His wrath presently revealed?

By: "handing sinners over to themselves" (John Stott):

1. "God gave them up" (1:24)
2. "God gave them up" (1:26)
3. "God gave them over" (1:28)

Sometimes the worst words we can hear form God is: 'that's fine, have it your way,' that's what we ant isn't it? To do it our way? To be our own boss? From this subject arises another question - is God righteous in revealing His wrath upon sinful men and women? Do men and woman really deserve it? This section begins with the revelation of the wrath of God against man (1:18) This wrath is in response to, proportionate response to and appropriate type for type response to the decisions made by man. This section presents a 4 fold rejection of Gods revelation:

Worship of God (v18) "ungodliness" : “ἀσέβεια” : literally 'unworshipfullness' So why is God angry with us? Why is His wrath revealed? Surely we haven't done anything, have we? At least many seem to be under the impression that individually whilst we may have our faults and failings, hell is most certainly for someone else and well our life is lived to a pretty high standard and we surely haven't done anything, have we? Gods first condemnation in Romans 1:18, Gods first reason for wrath is: "you haven't done anything"! "ungodliness" : “ἀσέβεια” : literally 'unworshipfullness' A failure to worship God God expects to be Central to and He expects to be Sovereign over my life Not just to be an accessory or an appendage to my life! The testimony of creation is intended to leave me awe struck before the creator and to bow my heart and my head in worship! Indulgent in life but ignorant of the life giver. Delighting in creation but despising the creator. The worship of God is righteously and reasonably expected / demanded by the creator God. In refusing to worship God man rejects the work of God. God is not looking for man to simply believe in God: consider the strange repetition of Psalm 14 and Psalm 53 - repeated almost word for word - unbelief in God is foolish: "The fool has said in his heart there is no God." "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble." James 2:19 God is not looking for us simply to believe in Him but rather God expects our 'worship' - that is a response of heart and of life whereby we are humble before Him: "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God." (Micah6:8) "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." (Isa57:15) Worship begins by living out my life subject to the God of creation who is absolute and sovereign over all things including me!

Ways of God (v18)

"unrighteousness" Man rejects not only creations testimony but also consciences testimony : “who hold the truth in unrighteousness” - the truth is held in an atmosphere of unrighteousness. The truth shines gloriously even in the darkest moments of man's rejection of God! As man attempts to live an unrighteous life, man's unrighteousness is a constant testimony to the fact that there is a standard he has fallen short of! Ravi Zacharias in his book recounts the testimony of the conversion of one atheistic philosopher to Christ. It was studying the events of the Nazi holocaust that led this prominent atheist to Christ! It was as he read the stories of the survivors of this holocaust and of how some had risked their lives to help them that he felt compassion and emotions that the old atheistic professor never knew he even had. Studying those days of great evil led that professor to see that these events were set within a moral context! A moral context that he understood and felt deep within himself, intuitively. Good and evil, right and wrong did exist, he knew it, he felt it and the moral discernment between right and wrong was built into humanity. Man's unrighteousness constantly stands testimony to the absolute fact of the Divine truth which it attempts to reject.

Man rejects Gods testimony:

Wisdom of God (v18):

"who hold the truth in unrighteousness"

Works of God (v19-21): Man rejects the testimony of creation: the works of God. Verse 19 presents 2 aspects to this testimony:

1. "In them" (v19) - The testimony of consciousness rather than of conscience which is the subject of chapter 2
2. "unto them" (v19) - The testimony of creation

• "In them" (v19) – Subjective
• "unto them" (v19) – Objective

1. "In them" (v19) - the experience
2. "unto them" (v19) - the evidence

• "In them" (v19) - the appreciation
• "unto them" (v19) - the revelation

God has not only given us the evidence of His eternal power and Godhead but He has provided the keys to interpret and to understand that evidence, the keys of intelligence, enquiry, reason and understanding, cause and logic. We desire to know why and to know the answer and to find and understand the answer CS Lewis: 'unless God created me and created the universe I can think of no reason why I should be able to understand that universe.' A car is a product of the car factory but it has no ability to understand the factory from which it came! Why is there not only a universe and creation but why do I have the desire and the ability to understand?

"Godhead" - difficult word to translate, all that is associated with God Certainly involves:

• Intelligence - God is clever; DNA, life, design, the cell
• Beauty - creation is not a purely mechanical phenomena, marked by colours and attractiveness, birds singing and children laughing and the beauty of the butterfly, fragrance of the rose

As man rejects the

1. worship of God,
2. ways of God,
3. wisdom of God and the
4. works of God,

the "wrath of God is revealed" But they haven't actually heard about Christ? They haven't actually heard the gospel as we know it, have they? They haven't had Gods final testimony: the WORD of God, written and incarnate? Lets examine what we have rejected so far:

1. In rejecting the Creator (Rom1:20) – they reject Christ (John1:3)
2. In rejecting the light of Conscience (Rom1:19) they reject Christ (John1:9)
3. In rejecting the truth (Rom1:25) – they reject Christ (John14:6)
4. In rejecting Divine illumination (Rom1:21) – they reject Christ (John1:9)

If man rejects the

1. worship of God,
2. ways of God
3. works of God and the
4. wisdom of God,

is God then morally obliged to reveal the word of God to them?

Consider the Samaritan woman at the well who was able to discuss God, worship, the temple, as well as Jacob and Moses:

“The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.” (John 4:25) – Christ is the fullness and the fulfilment of all revelation and the woman was ready to receive Him. We cannot expect to receive the fullness (Eph1:23) if we reject that which is in part (1Co13:12) We cannot expect to receive the reality if we reject the shadow (Heb8:5; 10:1) How can God speak to someone with their fingers in their ears (Zech7:8ff; Matt11:15ff; 13:9ff; Acts7:57) Surely God must take their fingers out of their ears? But God is looking for willing hearts to be given over to Him! So God moves by convicting and convincing men to take their fingers out of their own ears! What then is the result of revealing the gospel of Christ or the person of Christ to an unbelieving mind and heart? The experiment was done: “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” (John 1:10-11) “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” (John 3:19)

What are the consequences of this 4 fold rejection of God?

1. Religious Confusion (vs21-22) - from rejecting His Worship
2. Moral Confusion(v23-24) - from rejecting His Ways
3. Creatorial Confusion (v25-27) - from rejecting His Works
4. Intellectual Confusion (v28) - from rejecting His Wisdom

Each deliberate decision made by man is followed by a downward stoop permitted by God One of the worst words a man can ever hear from God is: 'ok have it your way.' Man desperately wants to 'do it my way' and in Romans chapter 1 God lets him! Note that the downward spiritual spiral is at man's instigation God merely confirms man's decision and withdraws restraining grace: Every refusal of God followed by a removal of grace Every rejection of God followed by a response from God Every step away from God followed by a stoop further into degradation Every wrong decision followed by consequent disaster

Religious Confusion(vs21-22) - from rejecting His Worship As a direct result of refusing Gods testimony in creation, refusing to Glorify God and refusing to be 'thankful', they became 'vain' - proud, self centred men who with no God in their life become their own gods! This directly results in "their foolish heart was darkened" Hinduism: worship a half elephant god, monkeys, cows, rats and dogs.

Moral Confusion (v23-24) - from rejecting His Ways Not only now rejecting Gods authority and His worship but making God in their own image! They decided what God would look like They corrupted their view of God, they mocked the image of God! They create their own view of God and consequently live by their own standards Such false religious systems are usually fairly easily spotted - they are created from the perspective of earth, bringing God down to mans level rather than lifting man up to Gods level! Note that Gods response is proportionate, righteous and fair Man has corrupted the image of God (v23) God gives man up to corrupt mans image "to dishonour their own bodies" (v24) 'if it feels good do it'

Creatorial Confusion (v25-27) - from rejecting His Works "worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator" (v25) "God gave them up unto vile affections" Gods response was to allow that very creatorial order to break down in their own married lives, home lives and relationships This was a fair "recompence of their error which was meet" (v27) - in other words - fairs fair In rejecting the Creator and the Creatorial Order which He instituted man forgot that his own existence depended upon this very order! Like the old cartoons of the man sitting in the tree cutting off the branch he is sitting on. Intellectual Confusion (v28) - from rejecting His Wisdom "δοκιμάζω" - 'did not like to' "ἀδόκιμος" - 'reprobate' They rejected God and therefore God gave them over to possess the mind of a God rejecter. Men poured the jelly into the mould - God allowed it to set! Is God righteous in revealing His Wrath against man? Gods wrath is revealed as a step by step response to the decisions man makes! Why does God respect the decisions man makes? Because God cannot both fulfil and not fulfil His Purpose! What is Gods purpose? 2 Fold:

1. Relationship (Eph1:5) - "Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will"
2. Resemblance (1 John 3:1ff; Rom 8:29)

God cannot fulfil His Purpose of having men and women conformed to the image of His Son by having them conformed to the image of a machine. To be like Christ, to be conformed to the image of His Son, we must respond to God of our own volition: "Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart." (Psalm 40:6-8) Hence one of the oldest lessons taught in the Word of God concerning the life of the man or woman of God: “And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.” (1Sa 15:22-23) To refuse to do what God tells me to do is a very serious sin indeed – it hits at the very core of what it means to be a believer! Be ruthless in judging disobedience to the Lord and self will in your life. A person cannot be both be born again and converted to Christ and consistently disobedient and self willed – the two are diametrically opposed. To be like Christ cannot come from Divine Compulsion it must come from willing devotion, a response to the love of God in His Son! In election and predestination we see Gods great vision for the true potential of man. We cannot fulfil that vision and potential and simultaneously refuse to fulfil it!

Consider:

1. Gods view of man in creation - Psalm 8
2. Gods elevation of manhood in the incarnation - Phil 2:8; Heb2:11
3. Gods purpose for man in election and predestination - Rom8:29; 1 John 3:1ff

Could man ever fulfil that vision of humanity and simultaneously not only

1. Reject the Worship of God
2. Reject the Works of God
3. Reject the Ways of God
4. Reject the Wisdom of God

but also have an attitude / heart of rejection? Herein lies the problem! If man will not voluntarily submit to the grace of God and respond to the love of God and come under the mercy of God enjoying the salvation of God, then God has no use for, no purpose for and no place for the wilful rejection of Himself in eternity! The acceptance of Gods salvation and repentance must be voluntary, since Gods purpose for man is ultimately to be like Christ - to be conformed to the image of His Son. God created man twice: Out of the dust of the earth – this act of original creation was totally passive on the part of man, we had nothing to do with it. “in Christ” - Gods work in the new creation (2Co5:17) and the new birth (Jo3:3) represents a new and greater work of God (Eph2:10; Phil2:13). In this work however God does not start off with the dust of the ground He works on man with a consciousness and a will. This work of the new creation whilst it is all of God is not passive on man's part. God requires the willing surrender of man's will, man's desire for Christ and man's devotion to Christ (Rev3:20). To be conformed to His image cannot be by compulsion, for the essence of Christ is love and love cannot be by compulsion or it is not love at all but rather duty.

https://graceinchrist.org/romans

Notes from a Message Preached by JS Gillespie on: Romans Chapter 1 Verses 8 to 17 - The Results of the Gospel Vs 1- 7 – The Reality of the Gospel – Confidence of Paul Vs 8-17 – The Results of the Gospel – Converts at Rome Vs 17-32 – Requirement for the Gospel – Condition of Fallen Humanity Vs 1- 7 – The Reality of the Gospel – Confidence of Paul Don't need to understand everything Our faith doesn't lie in the fact that we have answers to all of the possible questions that could be asked but rather our faith is founded upon certainties, we at the moment see through a glass darkly. Vs 8-17 – The Results of the Gospel – Converts at Rome We all need encouragement to keep going especially in gospel work The results of the gospel at the heart of the Roman empire spurned Paul on. Vs 17-32 – Requirement for the Gospel – Condition of Fallen Humanity Why do we need the gospel? Because we are in a terrible state! Vs 8-17 – The Results of the Gospel – Converts at Rome Pauls Prayers (v8-10) Pauls Purpose (v11-14) Pauls Preaching (v15,16) Consider the same pattern in Colossians 4:2,3 of prayer and purpose and preaching. Consider Acts 1:14,21 – Prayer and then Acts 2 Preaching Why the priority of prayer? Consider the following scriptures: “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6:37) “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. “ (John 6:44) “So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.” (Rom 9:16) If we are serious about evangelism – start with prayer! One of the greatest blessing God can give us is failure, failure in our own strength that we might turn to Him for strength! Consider the pattern of failure followed by faith in:

Abraham (Gen 12) down into Egypt but once up and out of Egypt he gets back to the altar and then rescues Lot

Moses – attempts to deliver the nation in his own strength in Exodus 2 only to then fail and to return to God in Exodus 3:11,14 for His strength

Gideon (Judges 6+7) against a back drop of failure in the nation and repression under the Midianites.

Samson (Judges 16) his greatest victory after his greatest failure

Joshua (Josh 7+8) – The nations failure at Ai followed by success.

Pauls Prayers (v8-10)

Note the 3 different kind of prayers here:

v8 – Thanksgiving v9 – Intercession – on behalf of others, perhaps others who are unable or unwilling to pray for themselves? v10 – Request / Supplication

Pauls Purpose (v11-14)

“For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;” (Rom 1:11)

Pauls Preaching (v15,16)

v8 – A Faith Worth Speaking About v9 – A God Worth Serving v9-10 – People Worth Praying For v11-12 – A Gift worth Giving

v8 – A Faith Worth Speaking About: Proven Conversion

Does our testimony talk? Not so much do we talk? We need to of course, but more importantly does our testimony talk?

Consider the testimony of Noah: “And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;”(2Pe 2:5) When did Noah preach? Did he actually preach as we would think of it? We don't know but what we do know for certain from the book of Genesis is that he lived out the reality of His relationship with the Lord. “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.”(Gen 6:8) “Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.” (Gen 6:22) Was Noah's life his sermon? Was he a living message?

Does our testimony talk? Does our Gospel get Gossiped? Does our salvation speak?

Lives changed by the power of the Spirit of God by faith in the Son of God for the Glory of God is part and parcel of the NT means of evangelism, cf. 1Thess1:8. Once a person has been truly converted and led to Christ they take on a spiritual life independent of the person who led them to the Saviour. Like a child – nurtured and fed but ultimately independent of the parents, a distinct individual with a life of his own. Christianity is not Guru based nor Imam based nor Rabbi based it is centred upon Christ! These believers were a source of praise not a source of problems! The conversion of the Romans not due to Paul nor to man: “thank my God” and “through Jesus Christ.”

v9 – A God Worth Serving: Passionate Commitment

I emphasise the word “worth” - there is much I could serve with my life but it is not “worth” serving! Why is it that when men are presented with something transient and trivial it is so often pursued with such energy and enthusiasm: sports, football teams, pop idols, hobbies and yet when presented with the God, the person of Christ and salvation they treat the things of God with mediocrity and half heartedness!

“with my spirit” Not with “eye service as men pleasers” (Eph6:6) Not to please “itching ears” (2Tim4:3) An all or nothing service! Don't mess about! God takes service personally! God takes a snub personally! God takes mediocrity personally! For the gospel is the “gospel of His Son” It's not just; 'the meeting' nor 'prayer' nor 'hearing the preacher' It is the “gospel of His Son” Today we have: 'gospel meetings' and 'gospel preachers' and 'gospel efforts' and 'gospel hymn books' and 'gospel halls' but do I have a 'gospel heart'?

v9-10 – People Worth Praying For: Prayerful Concern

If they are worth praying for then they are worth keeping praying for (v9b) Your best friends are the ones that pray for you.

A 3 fold prayer: v8 – Thanksgiving – praise and rejoicing v9 – Intercession v10 – Request

The great advancement in the gospel in the NT days was linked with a great burden in prayer, consider 1 Thess, begins with prayer, ends in prayer and in the middle there is a prayer (1Thess1:2; 3:10; 5:17).

Do we ever think at times that some don't need our prayers? Perhaps they need them most: “brethren pray for us,” (1Thess 5:25; 2Thess3:1)

v11-12 – A Gift worth Giving: Prosperous Journey

Cf. Rom12:6 – variety of gifts that he could have imparted It is easy to abuse communications and fellowship 2 Thess 3 and 1 Tim 5:13 – warns of gossiping and unprofitable visiting There is a possible profitable use of our time and communications – to build one another up. Not a gossipy nor a social thing, Paul's vision is much higher than that! To 'establish' them (v11)! Ought to make it our ambition / goal to: 'encourage,' 'help,' and to 'lift up,' someone today! We need to be spiritually in tune for this task: “mutual faith.” Visiting others when we are away from the Lord will generally not be a source of spiritual uplift to anyone! We may prove more of a hindrance! The believer ought not to be someone who: 'Gives a piece of my mind' – rather ought to be one who brings the gospel of peace (Rom10:15; Isa 52:7) 'Tear a strip off of...' - Rather build up and establish us (Rom1:11; 14:20) Not so much insisting on his rights as bearing others wrongs – Rom 15:1-3 'Sort them out...tell them a few home truths' – Not for us to be judging our brothers conscience nor his weaknesses (Rom14:12), the assembly is bound by God of course to judge His sins (Rom14:13) The Roman epistle begins with the attitude of a spiritual man and ends by examining the attitude of the unspiritual man. Examine your motives / words / attitude of heart – is it of the flesh? Of the Spirit? Never underestimate the importance of an encouraging / building up ministry (1Co12:28).

Where are we going? What are we doing? Living with a purpose?

Gods purposes are not always the same as our plans (v13). It is “by the will of God” (v10) God has a definite agenda with evangelism (Acts 8:29; Acts 10:19; 16:7) Paul hindered in his coming to Rome by the gospel work elsewhere (Rom15:22)

https://graceinchrist.org/romans

From a Message Preached by Dr J Stewart Gillespie on: Romans Chp 1 Verses 1-7 – Dealing with Doubt If you are going to give your life for Christ and the Gospel, you need to have confidence / need to be convinced that it is real Paul gave his life for the gospel He needed total confidence in the message Sometimes our service for Christ can be hindered by a lack of confidence in Christ and in the message:

1. Is it real?
2. Is it reliable?

What about all the other messages? Can so many people be wrong? When faced with doubts there are 3 things we can so:

1. Deny them - but they tend to come back
2. Be Destroyed by them - give in, doubt Christ, doubt His Word
3. Deal with the doubts - this is the path the Spirit of God will take us down, confronted with the reality of the doubts and then presented in His Word with the solution to those doubts. Is this perhaps why so often the Spirit of God will bring us face to face with our doubts? Confront us with our doubts?

The year was 1949, a preacher and pastor by the name of Charles Templeton who had been used in a prominent and public way in Canada and the USA had a spectacular crises of faith. Charles Templeton with some others had been responsible for setting up Youth for Christ in USA and had seen many come to faith in Christ. Templeton became troubled with doubts, exposed to evolutionary teaching, millions of years theory and doubts about the reliability of scripture. He would eventually follow those doubts down a slippery slope of backsliding and apostasy like Judas Iscariot of old. At the time of Chuck Templetons crises of faith he had a close friend, another young American preacher. Templeton told his friend: “You are 50 years out of date, people no longer accept the Bible as being inspired the way you do. Your faith is too simple.” Templetons friend, challenged by Templetons unbelief went out on a lonely walk through the San Bernadino Mountains, bringing his friend to a crisis of faith that night, “At last the Holy Spirit freed me to say it. 'Father I am going to accept this as Thy Word – by faith! I'm going to allow faith to go beyond my intellectual questions and doubts and I will believe this to be Your inspired Word.” Who was Chuck Templetons friend? A young preacher aged 30 by the name of William Graham, that year saw Billy Graham take a campaign in Los Angeles and that launched his ministry as a powerful evangelist of the gospel. Two men so similar in so many ways both faced with the same questions. Questions do not necessarily lead to doubts it is equally as possible that as the Spirit of God and the Word of God take dealings with us that those questions instead of leading to doubts lead rather to a renewed to determination to trust and a renewed sense of dependence upon the God who does have the answers which we do not have.

To deal with my doubts the Spirit of God:

1. Doubts exposed become
2. Doubts examined in the light of His Word become
3. Doubts explained become
4. Doubts expired becomes
5. Dependence experienced becomes
6. Determination renewed

“Trials should not surprise us, or cause us to doubt God's faithfulness. Rather, we should actually be glad for them. God sends trials to strengthen our trust in him so that our faith will not fail. Our trials keep us trusting; they burn away our self confidence and drive us to our Saviour.” Edmund Clowney, Commentary on 1 Peter.

I have never had a doubt that His Word has not answered!

In Romans 1:1 we have a picture of total commitment For total commitment I must have total confidence For total confidence I must have complete conviction

In Romans 1:1-7 we have the: Conviction / Confidence / Proof of reality, the reason for that total commitment. Here is a peek into the mind of a man burning out for Christ! Jim Elliot reminded us that we either choose to: "Burn out or rust out"

Personal Experience (verse 1)

"And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, 16The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth." (Gen48:15-16) The way He has led us and fed us with His Word Our experience and encounter with Him through scripture (1 Peter 2:1ff) The change that we have known in our life cf. Saul to Paul (Acts 9 and Rom1:1) His guidance and help day by day: "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye" (Psalm32:8)

Promise (verse 2)

The Gospel is really one message through many prophets over 1000's of years and down through all generations. Already seen that Paul as he writes Romans does not design the gospel but rather discerns the gospel down through the pages of scriptures:

1. SIN (chps 1-3) Sin is proven from the law of Moses (Exodus 20) – Rom2:20-22 Sin is proven from the Psalms of David - Rom 3
2. Salvation (Chps 3-5) Salvation from the Priest (3:25) Salvation from the Patriach (4:3) Salvation from the Psalmist (4:6ff)

Person (v3-4)

" For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day" (2 Tim1:12) "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;" (Phil3:10) "And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks." (Acts9:5)

v3 - His Incarnation - Humility and Humanity v4 - His Resurrection - Power and Glory and Deity

When we think of these 2 aspects of Christ:

His Incarnation (v3) He was born - but weren't we all? What is so remarkable about the birth of Christ? So much of the OT prophetic scriptures were focused upon His birth In particular, keeping to the text: "seed of David" The line by which He would come: "And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:" Isa 11:1 "For thy servant David's sake turn not away the face of thine anointed. 11The LORD hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne. 12If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore." Psalm 132:11-12. "And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever." 2 Sam 7:12-13. When shall all this happen? Ezek 37:21-28 In keeping with Christ as the Son of David Micah 5:2 prophesied that He will be born in Bethlehem in the city of David: "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." (Micah5:2) The incarnation is only part of the story in these verses There is more to Christ than His link with David and with humanity If that is all v3 was to tell us we wouldn't need the phrase: "according to the flesh" In other words Christ was truly human, born into the lineage of David with a real physical link in His flesh to the humanity He came to save and that through Mary. Christ was truly human but not only or solely human Their was a further aspect to His being. Christ did indeed have His roots firmly anchored in humanity (Isa11:1;53:1) But His origins lay in eternity:

"I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father." (John16:28) "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God." (John1:1-2) "Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am." (John8:58) The humanity of Christ came through the seed of David but not His:

1. Personality - Divine Person
2. Identity - Preceded His birth
3. Life - He is the origin of life: "In him was life; and the life was the light of men" (John1:4) "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John14:6) "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:" (John11:25) When God created man, God said: "And God said, Let us make man in our image" (Gen1:26) Who is the "us" and the "our"? Surely the Father, The Son and the Spirit of God? All 3 Divine persons were involved in the creation of man. Having created mans physical form: "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground," God then "breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul" In Hebrew literally "the breath of lifes" The lifes that would subsequently come from the lineage of Adam were breathed into man at that point The life that I now possess was originally breathed into Adam in Genesis 2. All human life was potential in Adam Therefore when Adam fell, his fall affected all subsequent offspring: "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" (Rom5:12) Christ did not inherit that fallen and corrupted life from Adam, Christ is the origin of all creation. "Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. In Christ we have a distinct, pure and powerful source of life, uncorrupted, undefiled and eternal:" (Col1:15-17) "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men." (John1:3-4) The life of Christ is therefore distinct from the life that flows from Adam. Christ breathed life into Adam in Genesis 2 He did not take His life from Adam! The Life of and from Christ is uncorrupted, undefiled and eternal: "And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit." (1 Co15:45)

All of this was already a feature of OT prophecy and had been for well over 1000 years:

"And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." (Gen3:25)

"For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me." (Job19:25-27)

"Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion." (Psalm 2:6) - The Son of David - seated on the throne in Davids city

"I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee." (Psalm 2:7) - The Son of God

"My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer." (Psalm 45:1) - Messiah

"Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever." (Psalm45:2) - Humanity

"Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre." (Psalm 45:6) - Deity

Psalm 110 "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." (Isa 7:14) "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." (Isa9:6) "The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God." (Isa40:3) "O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! 10Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him." (Isa 40:9-10)

The Power:

There is no Power in a dead Saviour! Christianity is unique in many ways: Buddhists follow the teachings of Buddha Muslims the writings of Muhammed Confucianism the sayings of the philosophers But Christ said: "I AM the way..." The apostles said: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved..." "There is no name under heaven given amongst men whereby we must be saved" "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (1John5:12) If Christianity stopped at the cross of Christ there would have been no Christianity! The men of NT days were no different made from the men of today Having seen their Lord and Saviour tried and condemned and crucified and buried they became deeply discouraged and began to despair: Luke 24:17 John 20:19ff John 18:25-27 Matt 26:56 There is nothing terribly inspiring about a dead Saviour! I know that down through the generations many have preached the words / the works / philosophies / teachings / ideas of a dead man: Buddha, Mohammed, Confucius, Tao and Zoroaster But what they have not done is preach salvation by virtue of the fact he is present, alive and able to save! It has been a message of follow his teachings, his path, his revelation! The message that the apostles preached was the message of a living Saviour: "Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection." (Acts17:18) If we say that these men were wrong about the resurrection of Christ then we are saying that: They are preaching error - admittedly this is very common in religion But more importantly: They are knowingly preaching error - since the apostles were also the "witnesses to His resurrection" (Acts1:22). Normally religious fundamentalists believe what they are preaching - that is why they are so convincing. If these witnesses to the resurrection were nothing of the sort they were lieing and thus not only were they preaching error but they were knowingly preaching error! These men died for the message they preached! They died for a message they knew was false! Not just a false message but a message that they knew was false! If we say they were not witnesses to the resurrection we then are saying:

1. They lied about seeing Christ alive and resurrected
2. They founded their ministry on a lie
3. They then died for what they knew was false!
4. ie. they were mad!

Is the letter to the Romans the work of a mad man? Surely it is reasoned, logical, intelligent, knowledgeable and meets the need of my heart? It is surely the Word of God! The testimony of the apostles to the resurrection is therefore very important and very convincing, yet it does not stand alone: Romans 1:4 "...according to the Spirit of holiness..." Romans 1:4 emphasises the role of the Spirit of God in the resurrection of Christ. Why is this? Was only the Spirit of God so involved with the resurrection of Christ? Surely both the Father and the Son were active in the resurrection? "Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." (John2:19) "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." (Rom6:4) Why the emphasis on the activity of the Spirit of God in the resurrection? Is it not because His testimony is ongoing and evident not only to the apostles at the time of the resurrection but even then to the readers of the epistle to the Romans and to you and I today? The testimony of the Spirit of God to the resurrection of Christ is present with us today! It is His Power that continues to run right the way through this epistle and this message of the gospel (Rom8:1) It was by virtue of the resurrection of Christ that the Spirit of God descended: Acts 2 John 14 Eph 4 Thus today in the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and in the reading of the inspired Word of God His Spirit is operative in a powerful way: "convict of sin..." "Convinced of all" (1Co14) "speak as oracle of God" (1Peter4) "not in Word only" (2Thess 1)

https://graceinchrist.org/romans