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

Notes from a message preached by Dr J Stewart Gillespie on: Romans Chapter 1 Verse 2 - Proving the Gospel is Real 'If its new its not true and if its true its not new' How authentic is this message? Did it come from man? Did it come from God? The authenticity of the Gospel. verse 1 - The Man verse 2 - The Message Hardly a more important question than this - is it real? Reasons the Gospel is Real: Personal Experience (v1) – Paul – Servant, Sent One and Separated The Promise (v2) - The Gospel lies (not very well) hidden in OT promises The Person (v3) - The Lord Jesus Christ is real The Power (v4) - The power of His resurrection is real The Product (v5) - The results are real The gospel is not real because I have a perfect understanding of it in all things! I use a computer but I don't understand how a microprocessor works but I believe it works, I go to Spain in a plane, don't really understand aerodynamics but believe the plane will take me there! Personal Experience (v1) First word we are presented with in this book about the gospel is a new name for an old man! Acts 9 – Sauls Complete Conversion from: Destroyer (9:21) to Disciple (9:19) Persecutor (9:4) to Preacher (9:20) Taking Christians out of the synagogue (9:2) to putting Christians into the synagogue (9:20) Darkness to light Foe to Friend Hunter (9:1-2) to hunted (9:23) Saul had to experience the gospel before he expounded or explained the gospel! It took the greatest work of God in the Chief of sinners (1Tim1:15), a murderer, a blasphemer and persecutor of the body of Christ, for the greatest exposition of the gospel to be written! Lets not miss the basics in our exposition of the book of Romans: this message changes lives! This much is evident in the first word of this epistle! Saul felt the gospel before he telt the gospel! We must know the power of Christ in our life before we will have a passion for Him! Paul was an example of the gospel before he was an expounder of the gospel! “servant” - “δοῦλος” - a slave First mention of “δοῦλος” in the NT: “Mat 8:9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.” Here is the priniciple of the “δοῦλος” - a slave: “do this and he doeth it” Do we think that the apostle Paul suffered floggings, imprisonment, stoning and ship wreck because he enjoyed that kind of thing? Because it was convenient? Because he didn't have anything better to do? Because he wasn't otherwise busy that night? Because he didn't have a better offer? As God would take us and change us, knock off the rough edges, soften our hearts, take away lust and give us lust, take away resentments and give us rejoicing, turn bitterness into sweetness, move us from grudges to grace, give us victory over our addictions, and in place of fear fill us with faith. Then men can say what they will about the Gospel of Jesus Christ but this one thing they must face: that it is real and that it works! The Promise (v2) This message was promised As Paul begins to preach this message he will draw it all from the OT scriptures This path of salvation is nothing new! The gospel does not just go back to the 1st Century AD, goes way back beyond that: Psalm 19 – Creation Psalm 19 – Conscience of Sin Psalm 19:12 – Cleansing from sin Psalm 20 – Sacrifice (20:3) Psalm 20 + 21 – Salvation (20:5; 21:1,5) Psalm 22 – Christ and the Cross The ABC of salvation has not changed: A – Awareness of God – Creation B – Burden of Sin – Conscience and the Law C – Christ, Cleansing and the Cross of Calvary Can add D, E, F, G D – Decision E – Evidence (Rom5) F – Fight (Rom 6,7,8) G – Glory (Rom 8) The gospel does not just go back to the 1st Century AD, goes way back beyond that: Sin: The Law (2:21) Thou shalt not steal (2:21) Thou shalt not commit adultery (2:22) Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image (2:22) Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. (2:24) All of this is very ancient, extending back to the days of Moses: Exodus 20 and Deut 5. Nothing that the Gospel has to say about sin is new! The Psalms "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one" Rom 3:10 - Ps14:1-3 + Ps 53:1-3 "Their throat [is] an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps [is] under their lips" (Rom3:13) - Psalm 5:9 "There is no fear of God before their eyes" (Rom3:18) - Psalm 36:1. The teaching here on sin is nothing new God has not changed His mind about sin We can trace back this teaching on sin to: Moses and the 10 commandments David and the Psalms Salvation: The second section of Romans is on the great subject of salvation (3:21ff) Look how this section begins: "Being witnessed by the law and the prophets" How did men get to God in the Old Testament? Paul takes 3 examples: The Priest The Patriarch (Abraham) The Psalmist (David) The Priest The holiest man (or at least he ought to have been) in the nation Separated to the service of God Separated from birth Underwent elaborate rituals of cleansing and consecration Dressed in special white linen At times some had been known to give their lives in the service of the Lord eg. Zechariah the son of Jehoida in 2 Chron 24:20. Yet when it came to approaching near to the presence of God in the temple or tabernacle how did the priest get into the presence of God? On the basis of who he was? On the basis of his birth? On the basis of his elaborate religious ritual? No - the priest draws near on the basis of shed blood! The language of 3:25 is drawn from the OT language of the priesthood. "Whom God hath set forth [to be] a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God" (3:25) " ἱλαστήριον" - propitiation: 'mercy seat' The priest could only draw near to God because blood had been sprinkled on top of the law! The priest needed mercy like any other man needed mercy! Mercy came by shed blood! Not that the blood of an animal could placate a righteous and Holy God but the Priest had to come with "faith in...blood" The Priest had to trust that the Lord would accept the blood and allow him access into His presence! This is as it is with Christ: "through faith in His blood" (3:25) Not only was this the way of the Priest but it was also the: The Patriarch - Abraham (Rom4:3) "Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness" (Rom4:3) Faith was "reckoned" it was "credited" to him as "righteousness" Abraham did not gain favour with God He was given favour with God. Abraham did not know how Gods purposes and plans would be worked out in Christ but he trusted God that they would be! This verse has implications for the question as to what about those who never heard the gospel? If this message is so important how come we only have heard about it in the last 2000 years? There were those who were saved who rested in the fact that God would one day bring His salvation to pass, they did not know precisely of what that salvation consisted but they trusted Him to bring it to pass. The Psalmist Rom4:7 and Psalm 32:1,2 Bring these all together David states it negatively, God does not impute sin (4:8), God deals with sin (4:7) Abraham states it positively (4:3) Priest presents it practically - brought in by faith in His blood The Person (v3-4) Here is the subject of the Gospel: the person and work of Christ! We note here: Humanity of Christ (v3) Consider the prophecies of His humanity: Isa 7:14 Consider the specific prophecies that Christ would come through the family of Jesse (Isa11:1) and from the seed of David in particular: Ps132:11,12; 2 Sam 7:12-13, 16; Isa11:1; Ezek 34:23; 36:24ff; 37:24ff. Deity of Christ (v4) Consider the prophecies of His Deity: Isa 7:14; 40:1; Ps110; Ps2:7,12. The Power (v4) “Spirit of Holiness” Christ is separated from the rest, separated from sinners, from the dead! He is different! One unique man in history! The usual natural laws were broken, biological principles reversed, for this to have happened God as the author and sustainer of these laws must have been involved! He is therefore: “declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” Christ is: The Son of God who came by Promise (v2) The Son of God declared by Power (v4) “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. (1Co 15:17)” The apostles preached “Christ and the resurrection” (Acts 2:31) The Gospel is not a collection of ideas, a philosophy, a set of dogmas it is the power of God unto Salvation (Rom1:16)! By His Power the Christian life comences (Rom1:6,16) and by His resurrection power the Christian life continues (Rom8:1ff) “δύναμις” - “power” - 120 X in the NT and 7 X in Romans The Product of it (v6-7) Outline of Romans: Sin : Why do we need the Gospel: answered in chps 1 to3 – Sin and Condemnation: The Rotten Sinner (chp1) The (self) Righteous Sinner (chp2) and The Religious Sinner (chp2+3) Salvation : What is the gospel, What did Christ actually do (chps3-5)? - Propitiation. How do I receive salvation (chp 4+5) – justification by faith. What are the products of salvation? The 4 'Rs' – Righteousness (5:1) Reconciliation (5:2,10), Rejoicing (5:2,17) and Regeneration (5:12-21). Struggle : Chapter 6 to 8 – Living the Christian Life – death to the old life (chps 6+7) and new life in Christ (chp 8). It is a struggle! This pattern seems a bit familiar? You could have written this yourself? When God saves us, for the first time in our life He gives us the liberty and ability to chose! We've never actually had that before. The extent to which we chose to be yielded to Christ and to His Spirit is the extent to which I enjoy victory, and His peace, presence and joy. If I allow the passions of the flesh to dictate my paths and my priorities, I will live a life of spiritual failure, misery and sorrow and disappointment. Life is a struggle? Do you think nominal Christians have a struggle? Do you think unregenerate men and women have a great spiritual struggle in their life? Take courage Christian, a struggle means there is a battle going one for the Spirits victory over the flesh! When it stops being a struggle you are either home in heaven or you've just back slidden! Spirit : The Solution : Chapter 8 – how we gain the victory in Christ Sovereign Purpose - Chapters 9 to 11 – Election! Dealing with serious objections to the Gospel! There are some silly objections you meet over the years: 'you don't believe that a man could be raised from the dead?' or 'You don't actually believe that water could be turned into wine?' - well yes I do believe that God can raise the dead and turn water into wine! There are some serious objections and problems: 'If God is so great and the Gospel is so obviously true why doesn't everyone believe?' (9:6). 'If God does save some and reject others is God fair?' (9:14) 'If this gospel is so important as you say it is then why hasn't everyone heard it and what about those who have never heard the gospel?' (chp9 &10) 'So you believe in a God who created the universe, a thousand million stars in a thousand million galaxies and He's interested in YOU! Aye right, get a grip, get real!' - answered in chapter 9! Sacrifice and Sanctification: (Chps 12-16) The Struggle and the Spirit Dieing and living in newness of life https://graceinchrist.org/romans

Outline of Romans: from a message preached on Romans Chapter 1 Verse 1: Paul: Serving, Sent and Separated Sin : Why do we need the Gospel: answered in chps 1 to 3 – Sin and Condemnation:

The Rotten Sinner (chp1) The (self) Righteous Sinner (chp2) and The Religious Sinner (chp2+3)

Salvation : What is the gospel, What did Christ actually do (chps3-5)? – Propitiation. How do I receive salvation (chp 4+5) – justification by faith. What are the products of salvation? The 4 'Rs' – Righteousness (5:1) Reconciliation (5:2,10), Rejoicing (5:2,17) and Regeneration (5:12-21). Struggle : Chapter 6 to 8 – Living the Christian Life – death to the old life (chps 6+7) and new life in Christ (chp 8). It is a struggle! This pattern seems a bit familiar? You could have written this yourself? When God saves us, for the first time in our life He gives us the liberty and ability to chose! We've never actually had that before. The extent to which we chose to be yielded to Christ and to His Spirit is the extent to which I enjoy victory, and His peace, presence and joy. If I allow the passions of the flesh to dictate my paths and my priorities, I will live a life of spiritual failure, misery and sorrow and disappointment. Life is a struggle? Do you think nominal Christians have a struggle? Do you think unregenerate men and women have a great spiritual struggle in their life? Take courage Christian, a struggle means there is a battle going one for the Spirits victory over the flesh! When it stops being a struggle you are either home in heaven or you've just back slidden! Spirit : The Solution : Chapter 8 – how we gain the victory in Christ Sovereign Purpose - Chapters 9 to 11 – Election! Dealing with serious objections to the Gospel! There are some silly objections you meet over the years: 'you don't believe that a man could be raised from the dead?' or 'You don't actually believe that water could be turned into wine?' - well yes I do believe that God can raise the dead and turn water into wine! There are some serious objections and problems: 'If God is so great and the Gospel is so obviously true why doesn't everyone believe?' (9:6). 'If God does save some and reject others is God fair?' (9:14) 'If this gospel is so important as you say it is then why hasn't everyone heard it and what about those who have never heard the gospel?' (chp9 &10) 'So you believe in a God who created the universe, a thousand million stars in a thousand million galaxies and He's interested in YOU! Aye right, get a grip, get real!' - answered in chapter 9! Sacrifice and Sanctification: (Chps 12) Romans is all about the Gospel! A safe bet – all of Gods Word is about Christ and about the Gospel! This epistle looks at how the gospel actually works! This epistle answers some of the really big questions that come from the gospel: A Passion for it (v1) The Promise of it (v2) The Person in it (v3-4) The Power behind it (v4) The Product of it (v6-7) A Passion for it (v1) “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God” A Man - “Paul” A Ministry - “servant” A Master - “Jesus Christ” A Man - “Paul” First word we are presented with in this book about the gospel is a new name for an old man! Acts 9 – Sauls Complete Conversion from: Destroyer (9:21) to Disciple (9:19) Persecutor (9:4) to Preacher (9:20) Taking Christians out of the synagogue (9:2) to putting Christians into the synagogue (9:20) Darkness to light Foe to Friend Hunter (9:1-2) to hunted (9:23) Saul had to experience the gospel before he expounded or explained the gospel! It took the greatest work of God in the Chief of sinners (1Tim1:15), a murderer, a blasphemer and persecutor of the body of Christ, for the greatest exposition of the gospel to be written! Lets not miss the basics in our exposition of the book of Romans: this message changes lives! This much is evident in the first word of this epistle! When Christians begin to doubt it we slip into departure and decline! Paul never boasts about nor glories in his past sins, “For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. (Eph 5:12)”, “Rom 6:21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ? for the end of those things is death.” He does not make much of his sins he makes much of his Saviour. But never think that your past failings disqualify you from future service! Gods Grace is sufficient for me! His grace is greater than my problems! Past failure does not exclude the possibility of future fruitfulness! Saul felt the gospel before he telt the gospel! We must know the power of Christ in our life before we will have a passion for Him! Paul was an example of the gospel before he was an expounder of the gospel! A Ministry - “servant” “δοῦλος” - a slave – don't get caught up with the man – get caught up with Christ and with His gospel! A Master - “Jesus Christ” Notice in connection with Pauls ministry he is: Serving: “a servant” Sent: “an apostle” Separated: “separated unto the Gospel” Serving: “a servant” “δοῦλος” - a slave First mention of “δοῦλος” in the NT: “Mat 8:9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.” Here is the priniciple of the “δοῦλος” - a slave: “do this and he doeth it” “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful (1Co 4:2)” “For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant. Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men. (1Co 7:22-23)” A servant obeys the will of his master, he does not pick and chose what he does! Prepared to do whatever the Master chooses not what we necessarily want to do! Here is the problem! As servants of Christ we are to do what we are told! Do we think that the apostle Paul suffered floggings, imprisonment, stoning and ship wreck because he enjoyed that kind of thing? Because it was convenient? Because he didn't have anything better to do? Because he wasn't otherwise busy that night? Because he didn't have a better offer? Has the principle of discipleship changed to: if it is convenient, if it suits me, if I'm not busy, if I don't get a better offer, if I like it? I'm not trying to put anyone off of Christianity but I am trying to explain that even in the opening words of this epistle, the greatest exposition of the gospel ever written there lies something deeply profound: if I grasp the truth and the reality of this message, that I am a hell deserving sinner and that the Son of God died for my sins on the cross, if I truly grasp this, this message will truly grasp me and I will be totally given over to Christ! If I fail to truly grasp the power and reality of this message I will be marked by something less than total commitment and surrender! Be careful however, for to grasp something less than this message will not save me! Certain kinds of service may be more pleasing to us than others! We mustn't be too big for God! Sorry Lord but I don't do: evangelism, prayer, bible study, meetings, humility, forgiveness, grace, commitment, faithfulness! Here just a minute who is the 'servant' and who is the master? God is looking for servants not sovereigns! We can't pick and choose, we need to be willing to do what He gives us to do! But its embarrassing! But its awkward! But I've never done it before! But I'm not cut out for it! But I'm not experienced enough! But someone else is better at that than me! - Just some of the excuses I've used over the years! If you have some others you can give me them later! “of Jesus Christ” - get your eyes on Him! It is possible to lose sight of Him and have our eyes focused on men and to thus turn the gospel into: charitable works, a musical, a social club and to water down the preaching to what we think people want to hear! Sent: “an apostle” “ἀπόστολος” - literally a “sent one” We are not all apostles – they had very specific qualifications: “Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection. (Act 1:21-22)” And were foundational to the Church: “And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; (Eph 2:20)” but we are all involved with being sent out with the gospel! “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: (Mat 28:19)”; “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. (Mar 16:15)” Sent out to family, friends, neighbours and the whole world! Separated: “separated unto the Gospel” Separated from the world and its priorities to Christ and His! Here is the positive aspect of sanctification, we often emphasis the negative! Before you rush to go to men be prepared by God! Cutting old ties and old links. The Promise of it (v2) The foundation of the gospel lies in: prophecy promise pattern picture This gospel message is not a new invention of Paul the apostle It did not have its origins in 33 AD but is firmly founded in the revelation of God going back 2000 years. Grasp the panorama of Divine revelation! The whole of the gospel is promised The whole of this epistle is drawn form OT revelation: Mans Sin: Psalm 53, Psalm 14 Justification by Faith: Abraham (Gen15) David (Psalm32; 51) The pictures of redemption and propitiation in the tabernacle (Rom3:25) Election in the life of Jacob and Esau, Moses and Pharaoh The Person in it (v3-4) Here is the subject of the Gospel: the person and work of Christ! We note here: Humanity of Christ (v3) Consider the prophecies of His humanity: Isa 7:14 Consider the specific prophecies that Christ would come through the family of Jesse (Isa11:1) and from the seed of David in particular: Ps132:11,12; 2 Sam 7:12-13, 16; Isa11:1; Ezek 34:23; 36:24ff; 37:24ff. Deity of Christ (v4) Consider the prophecies of His Deity: Isa 7:14; 40:1; Ps110; Ps2:7,12. The Power behind it (v4) “Spirit of Holiness” Christ is separated from the rest, separated from sinners, from the dead! He is different! One unique man in history! The usual natural laws were broken, biological principles reversed, for this to have happened God as the author and sustainer of these laws must have been involved! He is therefore: “declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” Christ is: The Son of God who came by Promise (v2) The Son of God declared by Power (v4) “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. (1Co 15:17)” The apostles preached “Christ and the resurrection” (Acts 2:31) The Gospel is not a collection of ideas, a philosophy, a set of dogmas it is the power of God unto Salvation (Rom1:16)! By His Power the Christian life comences (Rom1:6,16) and by His resurrection power the Christian life continues (Rom8:1ff) “δύναμις” - “power” - 120 X in the NT and 7 X in Romans The Product of it (v6-7) https://graceinchrist.org/romans