God’s Righteous Judgment, Romans 2:1-16

Posted on February 22, 2015 by KD Manes under Bible Study

High-fives echo in response to the judge’s verdict on the Gentiles: “Guilty as charged.”

166163e41e3c9ac70768869d063e6d8b Like the last passage, I feel like I’m in a courtroom, but this time slinking down in my seat to avoid apostle-attorney Paul’s piercing gaze as his focus shifts from the Gentiles toward the Jews. No, I’m not Jewish, but Paul didn’t let anyone slide. Probably some Jewish heads nodded their approval when Paul pronounced God’s judgment on the pagan Gentiles. Paul lights into their condemning attitude like a firecracker (verses 1-10).

You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.” –vs. 1

Despite knowing God’s laws, the Jews failed to live up to it. Their sin may have been hidden in more socially acceptable forms. But Paul faults them for having a stubborn and unrepentant heart, treating God’s great kindness, tolerance, and patience with contempt.

Those who patiently and persistently do God’s will, however, will find eternal life (vs. 7). This may sound like a contradiction to his statement that salvation comes by faith alone (1:16-17), but he is stressing that our deeds follow in grateful response for what God has done.

Again, Paul warns of God’s wrath toward: self-seekers, those who reject the truth, and those who follow evil.

Judgment With or Without the Law

All who sin apart from the Law will also perish apart from the Law, and all who sin under the Law will be judged by the Law.” – vs. 12

Paul weaves his case: Can the religiously privileged Jews expect special treatment because they’ve been given the Mosaic Law? This gave the Jews greater responsibility for following it.

Or could the Gentiles receive an easier verdict for not having God’s Law? Certainly God’s revelation through the Law made His will more fully known. But God made Himself known to the Gentiles through nature and the inner law of conscience.

Conclusion

Paul concludes that all—Jew and Gentile—are guilty of violating God’s Laws. People are condemned for what they do with what they know, not for what they don’t know. God doesn’t play favorites. God patiently waits for our repentance. But a time is appointed when He will judge everyone’s secrets when we stand before His throne. No one will stand apart from the saving grace found in His son, Jesus Christ. (For more on God’s judgment, see John 12:48 and Revelation 20:11-15.)

So what?

The sins we’re tempted to point out in others are often the sins we struggle with the most. Like King David, we need to consistently ask God to search our hearts and show us our sin so we can seek His forgiveness.

Ps. 51 Those of us who have grown up in Christian families could be considered today’s religiously privileged. Are we focused on living according to what we know? Or are we passing judgment on those around us?

All Are Guilty Before God, Romans 3:9-20

Posted on February 18, 2015 by KD Manes under Bible Study

“Get it? Got it? Good!” If the apostle Paul were alive today he might use this blunt lingo with his emphatic questions to the Jewish congregation. For sure, he wasn’t afraid to use repetition as a tool to drill into his reader’s comprehension. This theme wasn’t easy to understand and accept by God’s chosen Jews.

Paul’s “Courtroom Scene”

This passage models a courtroom scene. Shepherd’s Notes identifies the nuts and bolts in the following caption.

The Accusation (vs. 9): “Jews and Gentiles alike are under sin.”
The Evidence (vs. 10-18): “There is no one righteous, not even one; . . . There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
The Setting (vs. 19): “Every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.”
The Verdict (vs. 20): “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in His sight by observing the Law; rather, through
the Law we became conscious of sin.”

Paul hammers his point: The Jews who were under the Law were neither better off nor disadvantaged. Both Jew and Gentile stand equally guilty before God.

Paul weaves several Old Testament passages together in verses 10-17 to create a seamless support for verse 18, his weightiest rebuke: “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

So What?

Knowledge abounds in our information age, but wisdom is rare. Proverbs 1:7 (NLT) says, “Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” To fear the Lord is to revere, respect, and honor Him. This plumb line of acknowledging and trusting God should gauge our attitudes, principles, and actions.

In respect to God’s Law, its purpose is to guide our conduct. God never intended for the Law to save us through our best efforts and/or goodness. It’s easy to get caught up in a performance mode. I know, I’ve been there. How about you? Are you trying to earn or gain God’s acceptance?

Slaves to Righteousness, Romans 6:15-23

Posted on February 6, 2015 by KD Manes under Bible Study

If a Christian fails morally, it is not because the needed power was not available. It is because it is not appropriated.” – J.W. MacGorman

***

Paul’s reasoning in Romans reminds me of Math, building upon previous concepts.

What’s wrong with this ad? (properkernel.com)

If one step of a math problem is wrong, the entire answer will be wrong. I for one need lots of review, even when I think I’ve mastered a concept!

Summary: Three Types of Jewish Law

My last post reviewed three types of Jewish Law found in the Old Testament: Ceremonial Law, Civil Law, and Moral Law. “When Paul says that Gentiles (non-Jews) are no longer bound by these laws, he is not saying that the Old Testament laws do not apply to us today. He is saying certain types of laws may not apply to us” (NIV Study Bible). Although the laws God gave the Jews during Moses’ leadership—Ceremonial and Civil Laws—don’t specifically apply to us, the Moral Laws (Ten Commandments) still apply to us today.

Paul also reminds us that God gave us the Law to point out our sin so that we might seek His forgiveness (Romans 5:20). He never intended for law keeping to be our means for salvation. This leads to the question Paul must have gotten frequently, (which I stated in my last post, but didn’t get very far):

“What then? Shall we sin because we are no longer under Law but under grace?” (Romans 6:15)

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Using an analogy of slavery, Paul counteracts a leisurely attitude toward sin by contrasting the two masters that everyone chooses from. These two masters lead to opposing freedoms, fruits, and destinies.

The Master of Righteousness

Those who serve this master find freedom from sin, which result in sanctification (holiness) and eternal life. Paul’s use of the terms sanctification and justification (God declaring the sinner not guilty) are closely related.

The Master of Sin

Those who continue in sin will be enslaved to shameful behavior and ultimately death. Their only freedom is freedom from righteousness. Romans 6:22-23 sums up this section.

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So What?

The master we choose—sin or righteousness through Christ—will not only affect our freedom, or lack of, but also our destinies: life or death.

When we were under the Law—striving to keep a perfect record—sin was still our master with the currency of death spiraling out of control. The Law can’t conquer sin or justify sinners. Only Jesus Christ can cleanse us from sin and declare us not guilty. He alone can clothe us in His righteousness when we place our trust in Him.

Eternal life is a free gift in Jesus Christ. It is the believer’s choice and responsibility to rely on the indwelling Holy Spirit’s power to say no to sin.

Which master do you belong to?

Life Through the Spirit, Romans 8:1-11

Posted on December 30, 2014 by KD Manes under Bible Study

“You may go free, not guilty!” What would these words mean to you if you were on death row?

The reality is, we are all on death row because we have broken God’s holy Law multiple times. But thankfully, God has made a way to clear our record, declare us not guilty, through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” – Romans 8:12

This verse, along with the rest of this chapter, is one of my favorite passages. In a world of condemning voices and pointing fingers, this verse gives reason to celebrate. Jesus liberates the believer from the old bondage to sin and death!

Two laws are cited in this passage:

The Law of Sin and Death. It lurks around every corner, challenging every good motive, enslaving the one who strives to fulfill the Law through self-determination. Romans 7:14-25 describes its havoc.

The Law of the Spirit. Through Jesus Christ, this law defeats the old law’s grip on sin and death, setting people free. Shepherd’s Notes observes: “Twenty-one times in Romans 8 the Greek word for Spirit or spirit occurs. At least 18 of these are references to the Holy Spirit . . . . We have in Romans 8 Paul’s fullest discussion of the new life of the Spirit.” (For more information on our sinful nature vs. our new life in Christ, see 6:6-8; Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:3-15.)

Verse 3 not only explains how the Law of the Spirit sets people free, but also contains the following two doctrines:

The Incarnation

God’s Son, Jesus Christ, became one of us. Paul describes Christ’s coming as “in the likeness of sinful man.”

The Atonement

God achieved our freedom from captivity to sin through Jesus’ sacrificial death (“sin offering”) on the cross. Jesus bore the brunt of the world’s sins. The NIV Study Bible notes: “In Old Testament times, animal sacrifices were continually offered at the temple. The sacrifices showed the Israelites the seriousness of sin: blood had to be shed before sins could be pardoned (see Leviticus 17:11). But animal blood could not really remove sins (Hebrews 10:4). The sacrifices could only point to Jesus’ sacrifice, which paid the penalty for all sins.”

In verse 9, Paul tells his readers that they are not controlled by their sinful nature, but their lives are guided by the indwelling Spirit (Holy Spirit). The Holy Spirit is also God’s guarantee of eternal life for the believer.

So What?

Christians can rise above sin and experience life through the empowerment of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

A Christian is anyone who has the Spirit of God (Holy Spirit) living in him/her. Jesus promised His Spirit to anyone who sincerely trusts Him for salvation and acknowledges Him as Lord.

Although our feelings come and go, we can stand confidently on God’s promises of living forever with Him. (See also Romans 8:23; 1 Corinthians 6:14; 2 Corinthians 4:14; 1 Thessalonians 4:14.)

Have you placed your complete trust in Christ?

The Spirit’s Ministry of Intercession, Romans 8:26-27

Posted on December 27, 2014 by KD Manes under Bible Study

Have you ever been at a loss of what, or how, to pray in a given situation or for someone? While last week we explored hope and how it carries us through difficult times (Romans 8:24-25), these two verses offer another benefit of the new life of the Holy Spirit. This time in the area of our prayers:

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us . . . . ” – vs. 26

How does God’s Spirit intercede for the believer? “. . . with groans that words can not express,” (vs. 26).

Perhaps no other Scripture gives greater encouragement in our prayer life. Dale Moody (Broadman Bible Commentary) writes: “The little English verb helps (vs. 26) translates a big verb in Greek. It is used elsewhere in the New Testament only when Martha called Mary to help her prepare a meal (Luke 10:40).”

For all of us who relate to Martha, this is huge encouragement!

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God’s Spirit not only helps when we’re low on faith and/or uncertain what to pray, He also intercedes according to God’s will. And “He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit . . . .” (vs. 27).

So What?

In the mystery, and sometimes confusion, of knowing what to pray we can have confidence that the Holy Spirit will intercede for us according to God’s will.
Because God helps us pray we don’t need to fear coming before Him with our requests.
Ask the Holy Spirit to intercede “according to God’s will,” then trust Him for the results.