The Gospel: What? Who? How? When?

4 Critical Questions in Romans

In this four part series in the Apostle Pauls Letter to the Church at Rome we will be asking 4 critical questions: 1. What is the Gospel? (Romans 1-2) 2. Who needs the Gospel? (Romans 3) 3. How do we respond to the Gospel? (Romans 4-8) 4. When do we apply the Gospel? (Romans 9-16)

What is the Gospel? Romans 1-2

(focus: 1:16-20 deliverance through destruction)

The noun in the original language borrowed by the New Testament writers and inspired by the Holy Spirit which we translate as gospel (euvagge,lion) simply means good news. It was normally used [in the secular world] for the word of victory on the battlefield brought by a herald from the front lines. There are many voices claiming to be that harold of victory but upon closer inspection we will find that those messages are conflicting. Lets look to Romans for our definition. Some call Romans the gospel according to Paul. This designation is for good reason: [Intro Context] Notice that the same themes appear in the Salutation of Romans and the Doxology at the end:1 Romans 1:1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God Paul declares that his ministry as an apostle in the service of Jesus, is for the Gospel/good news of God. Romans 16:25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ Seeing how Paul Book-ends Romans with this theme we can conclude that it is one of the central emphases that ties the entire letter together.2 He states again that his service/ministry is the Gospel of the Son of God: Romans 1:9 For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you, There is an even an eagerness at the start of the letter to tell this good news and explain what it is.

1 2

ESV Study Bible pg. 2157 or http://www.esvstudybible.org/sb/objects/chart-45-01.html Seifrid, Mark A., Romans in Beale, G.K. and Carson D.A., ed.s, Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament, pg. 608 (To this we can also add that According to Paul, the voice of God in Scripture is an echo of the voice of the Creator in creation. The proclamation of the gospel retraces the proclamation of creation itself)

Romans 1:15 Thus, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. With that same eagerness lets read Romans 1:15-20 together and try to understand what this Gospel message is all about:
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For I am not ashamed of the gospel [of Christ (kjv)], for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it [the gospel] the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith."a 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth b 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

To properly understand this passage we need to see how it interacts with the Old Testament. Remember that the only Bible known to the Apostles and the 1st century church was, in fact, the OT. Therefore, it should not surprise us to see that in Verse 17 Paul actually quotes the last part of Habbakuk 2:4 NKJ " Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.3 This quote is essential to understanding the main thrust of this passage and therefore the meaning of the gospel message:
a

First, we need to ask whose faith?. The faith Paul speaks of here must be understood in light of the context of the quote from Habbakuk 2:4. Whats going in Habbakuk 2? What is Habbakuk chapter 2 about? It is a prophecy wherein God is promising the prophet Habbakuk sometime in the late 6th century that His judgment upon the wicked, the unrighteous, the idolaters, the violent, and the faithless will indeed come at Gods appointed time. And it is only through his/her trust in Gods faithfulness to fulfill his promise, that the righteous person will endure through the judgment. It is only through living by trusting in what our Faithful God has revealed that the righteous will see salvation in the end when (Habakkuk 2:14) "the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. So, Faith in Habbakuk 2:4 refers Gods faithfulness to fulfill his promise of salvation4 to those who trust in Him even though Gods judgment is coming.

Habakkuk 2:4

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4

Seifrid, Romans, pg. 610

Secondly, what is the for for? If we observe the structure of Romans 1:16-19 we see that the term gospel is explained by the phrases in verses 17,18,19, & 20 that all start with the conjunction, for (ga.r). So, it is important to notice that not only is the gospelthe power of God for salvation (vs. 16) But also through the Gospel a. the righteousness of God (vs. 17) is revealed and also b. the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven (vs. 18) Both these things in some sense explain what the Gospel message is and how it brings salvation to everyone who believes.5 How? Again the quote in 1:17 from Habbakuk 2:4b points to the answer. By quoting from Habbakuk, Paul makes an allusion back to a time when God was about to judge Israel for all her wickedness and send the nation into exile in the land of Babylon at the hand of King Nebuchadnezzar. Paul now applies this same principle to the people of his generation: 1. Just as the people in those old days before the Exile had the prophets messages, now we have the message of the Gospel (vs. 16) the Good News of salvation through the Life, Death, & Resurrection of Jesus, which reveals both Gods righteousness and Gods wrath to the world (vs. 17a). A. Gods Righteousness means His high holy moral standard that no one in his or her own power can live up to. B. Gods wrath (expressed in judgment) is also revealed through the Gospel (vs. 18a) and is indeed already evident in the way people are living (according to Rom 1:20-2:5). But His judgment will be fully revealed at his appointed time, that is, at the second coming of Jesus. But for those who trust in God this wrath to come is actually a kind of deliverance through destruction.6 2. This time, however, Gods judgment will not just be on Israel (as in the days of Habbakuk). It will be upon the entire creation; a global judgment (more like the days of Noah) - i.e. these things are revealed to the Jew first and also to the Gentile the nations (vs. 16b). A. There is, therefore, no one without excuse; for God has made his existence and nature clear to all creation (vs.19). B. The only way to survive this global judgment is to live by faith that is, trusting in the faithfulness of God that is revealed by the Gospel (vs. 17b). So, heres the Main Idea: the Apostle Paul by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit calls our attention to the call of God upon Israel through the prophet, Habbakuk, to live by the Lords faithfulness in the face of the Babylonian invasion as a pattern of how God saves people now in the present times: it is through the preaching of this good news of Jesus that God reveals his righteousness and saves people, imparting faith to them in the face of the coming wrath & Judgment of God, which is actually already present in the world.7 But all who suppress this truth (vs. 18) will be judged and perish. What Paul has described here is the Gospel message Gods Righteousness: God is Holy and holds everyone to his righteous standard of holiness.

Seifrid, Romans, pg. 610 Paul returns to this theme of deliverance through destruction (vs. 18a) in chapter 9:25-33 quoting from the prophets Hosea and Isaiah. 7 Seifrid, Romans, pg. 611
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Gods Wrath is against all who have sinned against God - who are without excuse and deserve eternal judgment. Judgment is coming: God as a holy & just Judge will punish all sin And according to the greeting the deliverance is provided through Jesus Christ: Romans 1:1 the gospel of God, 2 which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, 4 who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles, for His name's sake, 6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; Trust in Gods faithfulness: salvation is provided through Jesus to take away sins and reconcile people with God again. Jesus came as the Messiah & God in the flesh as promised by the prophets.(1:2) Jesus died the death we deserved (1:3) Jesus rose again to bring the obedience of faith in us for his own glory (1:3,5). The only way to escape Gods judgment is to live by faith in Jesus sacrifice (vs. 17).

This is the Gospel message. The question for us is: Do you believe this or are you ashamed of the true Gospel? Are you confident in the power of God in this message or do you feel the need to help the gospel along in some way? Do you think you can be delivered from the coming destruction of Gods judgment by doing something other than believing and trusting in this Gospel message? If you add or subtract anything from this gospel or define it differently then you are showing that either you dont understand the gospel, or that you are ashamed of what it really is all about. You dont want to do that. In another letter (to the Galatians) the Apostle would commend these strong words: Galatians 1:8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. So it is of vital importance to discern what the true Gospel is and what it is not and then stand with Paul and proclaim it boldly, clearly, with confidence, and without shame. Thats our job. Then let God do the rest. The rest of Romans chapters 1 & 2 tell us that the human sinful nature in all of us has the constant tendency to suppress this truth (vs. 18b) and replace the true message of salvation and true worship of God as he has revealed it with something else (vv. 22-32). So God gave them up/over to their sinful desires as a form of judgment upon them. In the rest of these two chapters we have essentially a description of how every culture, ethnic group, every man-centered philosophy, and false religion suppresses the truth when it tries to worship God and find salvation apart from believing in the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We will develop this more in part 3 but lets end with this challenge: the fact that God has allowed humanity to continue on in this sinful state is act of Mercy: much of humanity has not gotten what all of humanity deserves. The fact that God continues to save people and calls those who are saved to continue to speak forth this message of good news in Jesus Christ is an unfathomable Graceit is a demonstration of Gods kindness toward his enemies. What will you do with that kindness? Do you think lightly of Gods kindness? Do you take it for granted that you wake up from day to day and that each

new day is a gift from God? God has a purpose for showing his kindness in toward you in letting you hear this gospel message once again. Romans 2:4 says Romans 2:4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? You are called upon to give a response to God. That response begins with repentance of your sins. Do not waste yet another opportunity to repent and be delivered from the coming destruction.

Part 2 Who needs the Gospel? Romans 3

(focus: 3:9-23 all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God)

In our last study we defined the Gospel as a message which conveys the reality of Gods Righteousness (his righteous standard of holiness to which everyone is held) and Gods Wrath which is just and positioned against all who have sinned against God. We saw that these realities have been revealed plainly so all are without excuse and deserve eternal judgment which God will be faithful to bring about at his appointed time. In order to escape this judgment one must trust in Gods faithfulness. Just as God will be faithful to bring judgment he will also be faithful to deliver from this destruction. This deliverance was provided through Jesus who received in himself the punishment for the sins of those who believe in order to reconcile them with God again. This Jesus came as the Messiah and God in the flesh as promised by the ancient prophets (1:2), died the death we deserved (1:3), then rose again to bring about the obedience of faith in us for his own glory (1:3,5). So, the only way to escape Gods judgment is to live by faith in Jesus sacrifice (vs. 17). We then left on a note emphasizing how Gods righteous wrath against sin (destruction) is contrasted with his great kindness shown through Jesus who provides an escape (deliverance). And this kindness was shown in order to produce a desired effect in those who hear this message in faith. For the kindness of God leads you to repentance (Romans 2:4). This time we want to focus on the question Who needs the gospel? Just who is it that the Bible declares is destined for destruction and in need of deliverance? For an answer to this question we turn to Romans chapter 3. At the end of chapter 2 the Apostle makes a statement that confounds the wisdom of the prevailing thinking in much of the church today: For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly; neither is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. 29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God. (Romans 2:28) 1. So not all Jews (ethnically and circumcised) are truly Jews (the redeemed people of God) because to become a true child of God is an inward matter of the heart, i.e. faith not simply a matter of keeping the Law of Moses. 2. The Jews were given the oracles of God this is a great advantage (3:1-2) because these very scriptures point to Christ. 3. But some ethnic Jews did not believe, yet their faithlessness does not nullify Gods faithfulness (3:3-4). This does not mean that ethnic Jews just get off scott-free from judgment or somehow get to cash in sometime in the future on Gods former promises. It simply means that God is not to be blamed for their broken covenant and that he will always be just when he judges sin

even those who were at one time in a covenant relationship with God through Moses. We know this is the emphasis here because of the following discourse which Paul begins by quoting from Psalm 51:4 (in Romans 3:4) Against Thee, Thee only, I have sinned, And done what is evil in Thy sight, So that Thou art justified when Thou dost speak, And blameless when Thou dost judge. 4. Pointing out Gods blamelessness when he judges our sin suggests that even our sinfulness demonstrates Gods righteousness because it shows just how holy and high Gods standard is. (3:5) 5. But Paul realizes this raises a serious question: But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.) (Romans 3:5) Here we are seeing further explanation of two important ingredients of the Gospel that are revealed whenever the true gospel is proclaimed (yet which many people leave out), namely Gods Righteousness and Gods Wrath (Rom 1:17-18) and their implications for our question: Who needs the gospel? First, Paul anticipates the questions we might be thinking when we hear that Gods righteousness is demonstrated by our unrighteousness. A. Doesnt this suggest that God is unrighteous if he is glorified by means of our sin? (3:5) i. How can he wage his wrath against our sin if he himself is unrighteousness? (3:5) B. If Gods truth is glorified by my lie/sin why does he still judge me as a sinner? (3:7) C. If God is glorified by my sin why dont we just sin all the more to give God more glory? (3:8) Have you ever wondered about these kinds of questions yourself? The Apostles were never afraid to tackle difficult questions and neither should we. Trust in God. Trust in his Word. He is greater than our reasoning and has a wisdom that transcends our own. What answer does the Word bring to these questions? A. / i. Paul answers the first two questions by restating what he already established in verse 4 from Psalm 51:4 that God is a just Judge and is justified in his judgment of the world (3:6) B. / C. He answers the second two questions by restating what he had already established earlier in Chapter 2 that no matter what your ethnic background whether you are from the original order of the People of God (from a Jewish heritage) or from any other ethnic background (Greek/gentile) all are under sin. (3:9ff) Then he backs up his statement by quoting from his Bible (the OT), specifically from the Psalms and the prophet Isaiah. The questions being raised here (which Paul anticipates his readers are asking) are philosophical speculations given certain facts about God. But notice that in response he does not engage in further philosophically oriented debate or speculation himself. Rather he quotes from Scripture. This is a faith-based reasoning that we should be aware of and engaged in ourselves when we are in circumstances requiring apologetics. Theologian, Cornelius VanTil, in his, The Defense of the Faith, was keenly aware of the pitfalls of exchanging our faith-based reasoning for philosophical speculation. He argued that non-Christian

philosophical speculation holds the created universe not the Creator as supreme and relativistic human reasoning and not absolute revelation of God as ultimately bearing on our conclusions.
Christian-theism says that there are two levels of thought, the absolute and the derivative. Christian theism says that there are two levels of interpreters, God who interprets absolutely and man who must be the re-interpreter of Gods interpretation. Christian-theism says that human thought is therefore analogical of Gods thought...Non-Christian thought holds to the ultimacy of the created universe. It holds therefore to the ultimacy of the mind of man itself and must in consequence deny the necessity of analogical thought. It holds to the normalcy of the human mind as well as to its ultimacy. It holds to the normalcy of the human mind that mistakes are thought of as natural and to be expected and have 8 nothing to do with sin.

So, if we engage in reasoning about the nature of God and the way he works his will in the world and in our lives, we must be very careful that we launch our thinking from a theistic, or God-centered (based in God's revelation about himself - the Bible) starting point. When people cast such questions as Paul raises on behalf of his readers they are speculating about God from a perspective that holds the created order as ultimate and the human mind as normative. When Paul responds to such reasoning he is responding to a kind of exchanging of the Creator for the creation. What he was responding to is what is the foolishness described among the pagan societies of Pauls day in chapter 1:21 and following: "For even though they new God, they did not follow God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened." In fact, the presence of this sort of speculation is a sign of God handing people over to their own lusts and desires in judgment. We must be very careful not to come to conclusions about who God is and how he executes his will in the world based on man-centered reasoning rather than on Gods own mind as revealed in Scripture. Now dont get me wrong. I like philosophy. I was a philosophy major for two years in university (before I regrettably changed my major) and I am currently studying the interplay between western and early Islamic philosophy. But as people of faith we must be aware that the philosophy of man has its limitations and it cannot be the final determining factor for us when it comes to matters of placing our faith in who God is and how he works his will in this world. God didn't reveal himself through philosophical discourse. He revealed himself through historical narrative, songs and proverbs, visions and prophecies, and ultimately in the Person of Jesus Christ. And we find all this revelation in the canon of the Scriptures. So Paul starts to answer these questions with what has been revealed in two places in Scripture: Psalm 14:1-3 and 53:1-3 (Rom 3:10-12): as it is written, "There is none righteous, not even one; 11 There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God; 12 All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good, There is not even one." So in response to our question Who needs the gospel? I would just start by pointing out in these 3 verses all the superlatives: none righteousnot even onenone who understandsnone who seeks for GodAll have turned asidehave become uselessnone who does goodnot even one. According to the Bible, which is Gods perspective, there simply is no one alive, nor has there ever been anyone who has lived in the past, who has not sinned in the sight of God. Simply no one has ever lived
8

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

up to Gods righteous standard. And if this point wasnt made clear enough Paul would state it one more time in verse 23 as plainly as possible: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, This means there simply arent any Seekers. Ever since the big mega-church-style church growth movement in the west in the late 1980s and following, it has been common for Christians to speak of people who seem interested in learning more about the gospel of Jesus as seekers. Even Spurgeon used the term in his Lectures to My Students. But in Romans chapter 3 we learn that this term really is a misnomer. For who can with integrity speak of non-believers as seekers after reading None is righteous, no, not one, no one understands; no one seeks God. This seems to leave no gospel category for seekers. We should rather think of such people as those God may be calling (Romans 1:6,7; 8:28,30; 9:11,24) and drawing (John 6:44) unto himself. Let us be more concerned to develop a worldview that is consistent with the Bibles testimony. These quotations from the Old Testament also answer the questions Paul raised above by showing that however God might be glorified in all things, including our sin and unrighteousness, God is still just as a judge to aim his wrath at us in our sin and unrighteousness because no one who has ever lived has even one leg to stand on when it comes to any attempts at aiming our self-justification back at God through philosophical speculation. We simply are not in a position morally to wield such speculations against God given his righteousness and kindness, and given our sinfulness and lost-ness without him. Such speculations are really accusations in disguise in an effort at self-justification. And, of course, these passages from the Psalms and Isaiah further answer our question of who needs the Gospel. Simply stated apart from Jesus, everybody ever born! In the final portion of Chapter 3 Paul takes up a discussion about how then such sinners can be saved. The discussion is another presentation of the Gospel. In Chapter one the Gospel was presented with an emphasis on the bad news. Here (3:19-30) the gospel is presented with an emphasis on the good news. "But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed;" (Romans 3:21-25) First some definitions: Grace (3:23) refers to a unmerited favor or a gift given that is not earned. It is a demonstration of Gods grace that he has provided a way to escape his wrath to unworthy sinful humanity. Propitiation (3:25) this refers to the means by which Gods wrath against sin is appeased. Under Moses Gods wrath was appeased by regular animal sacrifices; the animals died for a persons sins instead of the person. A person was saved by looking in faith to the sacrifice God provided. Faith (3:25) - placing your trust fully in someone to fulfill what has been promised. Law (3:21) means the stipulations or commandments that need to be kept in order to maintain a (covenant) relationship with God. This law expresses the holy character of God and his righteous expectations for all of humanity. Under Moses this law included the Ten Commandments, the laws

regarding the Temple sacrifices, and the civil stipulations for governing the nation. A person was declared righteous by looking in faith to the sacrifice (propitiation) God provided and then he/she demonstrated his/her righteousness by keeping the laws. When we put all these realities together with the previous section we see the good news of the gospel message clearly...the good news that everyone needs because everyone without distinction has fallen short of the righteous law and Gods glory (3:22-23). The message is this: if you want to experience the righteousness of God you cannot depend on keeping the works of the Law to get you there. You must look to the means of propitiation (turning away of Gods wrath) that God has provided today. Now the righteousness of God has been demonstrated through Jesus who made a propitiation by the sacrifice of his blood (3:25). When we look through faith (3:25b) to the sacrifice God provided in Jesus we can be declared righteous and saved from our sins. The problem is that most people get this entirely backwards (non-Christians and Christians alike!). People have a natural bent to want to earn their own salvation their own way. When religious people do this it gives them a sense of pride in achieving their salvation. This is apparently what the Jewishbackground believers in the church of Rome were doing and it caused them to look down upon the Greek-background believers. But God has designed it so that everyone receives salvation only as a gift (3:24) when we look to Gods faithfulness to save, not our own achievements so that no one can boast (3:27). Its designed so that God gets all the glory not us. Its not that the law has no place at all or as Paul put it, we do not nullify the law (3:31). Rather, the good moral law is fulfilled in us when we are freed to do what is right as fruit born from the righteousness God achieved in us through Jesus. This means that you cannot do what so many people do: you cannot determine in your mind some random vague idea of what it means to be a good person or a bad person and then present yourself as good by your own efforts and acceptable to God. God alone upholds the standard of righteousness and all have fallen short. You need Gods grace. You need the gospel.

Part 3 How do we respond to the Gospel? Romans 4-8

(focus: [2:4 = repentance]; 4:16 = faith in accordance with grace ; 5:1-6 = hope; 6:3-11 = baptism / 6:15-23 = obedience from the heart; 7= agree with God, 8 = suffer with trust & hope in future grace)

In this third installment of our four-part blitz through Romans we will try to answer the question, How do we respond to the Gospel? Our focus will be limited to chapters four through eight. Of course, the answer to this question is dealt with in various other places in Romans (as we will see when we start by reviewing a verse from chapter 2) and the material within these chapters deals with much much more than simply answering this question. But for our purposes and the focus of this study, the answer to this question as revealed in these chapters will give us plenty to chew on for now. 1. We respond to the Gospel with Repentance: We have already seen in chapter 2 that the intended response to Gods kindness shown by sending Jesus as an escape from Gods own Judgment is repentance. Romans 2:4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?

Repentance of sins; this is Gods desired response from everyone who comes to acknowledge the infinite kindness demonstrated to the world by God when he sent his beloved Son to earth to die in the place of his enemies. Who could do such a thing? The term kindness does not seem quite emphatic enough to describe what it is that God has done. But we need to remember that we have a bad habit of projecting our imperfect less-than-adequate human experience of such matters onto God who is altogether infinitely greater in all his attributes than we are or could imagine. Speaking of the distinct divine nature of Gods Love and Gods wrath and our bad habit of misinterpreting the anthropomorphic language in the Bible, J. I. Packer writes:

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The basis of this habit is the fact that God made us in his own image, so that human personality and character are more like the being of God than anything else we know. But when Scripture speaks of God anthropomorphically, it does not imply that the limitations and imperfections which belong to the personal characteristics of us sinful creatures belong also to the corresponding qualities in our holy Creator; rather it takes for granted that they do not.9 So, when we speak of the kindness of God we are not speaking of simple niceties performed between friends. Rather, the Bible is speaking of an eternally deep patient compassion which exceeds all human expectations and all human experience of relational acts of kindness. And this divine kindness filled heaven to overflowing in response to the great grief our sin brought upon our Creator, and then spilled over into the righteous life, sacrificial death, and bodily resurrection of Jesus. This took place at a defined point in history for the sake of saving Gods enemies (you and me) from Gods own wrath and for the sake of Gods greatest glory. This kindness at the very least requires from us the acknowledgment of our sins and a turning away (literally what repentance means) from that sinful life and toward the God who makes a way to be rescued from his just wrath and judgment. But true repentance cannot happen in a vacuum. Repentance is an act of obedience to Gods command to do so. And the ability to do what God commands requires belief and faith in the One who gave the commandment. This is the response to the gospel spoken of in Romans chapter four. 2. Belief & faith; the means to receiving Gods righteousness: consider Abraham In Part One we learned that the righteous person who trusts in Gods faithfulness. This is the next response we want to explore. How should we respond to the gospel? We should respond by believing in Gods message and putting our trust (faith) in his faithfulness to carry out all he has promised both destruction and deliverance. Such a response of faith is required of all people no matter what their ethnic background or inherited religious tradition. To illustrate this, the Apostle Paul reminds his readers of the example of Abraham in Romans chapter 4. Romans 4:3 For what does the Scripture say? "And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness." Apparently, there was a conflict in the church in Rome between the Jews who claimed to be in rightstanding with the Holy God due to being the physical descendants of Abraham and/or being born Jewish
9

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

and receiving Old Covenant sign of circumcision in their bodies. But when we read in Chapter one that the righteous man shall live by faith, (1:17) this does not mean that some people are just born more righteous than others because of their ethnicity or inherited religious tradition or any other reason. It does not mean that some people have a righteous bent within their hearts allowing them more readily to respond in faith toward God but others do not. No, it has been established in chapter 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. So, no one is born with a built-in righteous bent that responds to God in faith or even seeks after God. Such righteousness or right standing with God comes as a result of faith not ethnicity nor even by keeping Gods law outwardly. Romans 4:13 For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified; So, coming into a right standing with God and being delivered from Gods destruction comes not from ethnicity, or religious tradition, or even keeping Gods laws but by faith. Now we need to make the same clarification about faith that we did about righteousness. One may continue to argue that perhaps this faith comes from within a person who is just naturally more faithful than other people. To this Paul answers another no. Why? Because even faith comes from God. Even the faith itself which enables a person to respond to God in repentance and receive Gods righteousness reckoned to him or her, comes from God. Notice how Paul phrases it in Romans 4:16 Romans 4:16 For this reason it is by faith, that it might be in accordance with grace, in order that the promise may be certain to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,

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Just like Abraham almost 4000 years ago who put his faith in God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness, a persons faith is what applies Gods promise of salvation to that person. Notice that it makes the point that this occurred in Abrahams life before he was circumcised. This is to emphasize that Abraham in a sense was still a Gentile when he was justified by his faith (vv. 4:10-12). God did it this way to show that the promise of salvation is in accordance with grace (NAS), it is a gift. The point Paul is making is that no one who finds himself in a right standing before God, delivered from destruction, possessing eternal life and citizenship in the Kingdom of God can boast one bit about it as if he or she contributed anything to ones salvation, not even father Abraham! (4:2) Paul would make this same point in Ephesians 2:8-9 where it is made abundantly clear that even the faith to believe comes from the grace of God and so no one has a right to boast: For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;9 not as a result of works, that no one should boast. And this faith is not a static, one-time deal. Abrahams faith grew. Romans 4:20 yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully assured that what He had promised, He was able also to perform. 22 Therefore also it was reckoned to him as righteousness. And this was not simply intended for Abraham. This is the way it is supposed work with us too. Our faith is supposed to be reckoned to us as righteousness too and it is intended to continue to grow just as Abrahams faith did, only the object of our faith is the sacrifice God has supplied in Jesus.

Now not for his sake only was it written, that it was reckoned to him, 24 but for our sake also, to whom it will be reckoned, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 He who was delivered up because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification. So, again, what is our response to the gospel? 1. It is repentance of our sins. This repentance can only happen when God has given someone faith to believe by Gods grace. 2. Believe by faith in Jesus Christ just as Abraham believed God. When someone does put his faith in Jesus and the promise of God to deliver him from judgment when he does, God declares that person as righteous in a right standing with God. Now this is not the end of the application of the Gospel Message. Many Christians make the mistake of thinking that the gospel message only has to do with these initial responses. They mistakenly believe that the gospel message only requires a response from non-believers to initially put their faith in Jesus for salvation. But there are still a number of on-going responses to the gospel message that God has designed for the life of the believer. For the first of these we turn to Romans chapter 5. 3. We respond by having Hope through tribulations (Romans 5:1-6 & 8:) Romans 5:1 Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. Notice that the Apostle Paul makes the point clearly that he is speaking here to people who have already been justified by faith (vs. 5:1). He is addressing people who have already responded in faith and repentance to the gospel message of Jesus. Upon this basis he begins to describe a way of life that all believers are to be characterized by in an on-going response to the message of the Gospel. He says that we who have experienced Gods grace by putting our faith in Christ, exult in the hope of the glory of God.(vs. 5:2) (Exult = kaucw,meqa or boast same as 2:17, 23)

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Hope is a future-oriented look of the heart. We dont really say that we hope in things that have already happened in the past. Yes, we might say things like, I hope the kids didnt burn the house down otherwise I wont be able to enjoy the rest of this night out. But we are still really expressing a desire for good news in the future. Hope tells us that we can expect in the future what our faith is presently sure of now (we stand vs. 5:2) based on the demonstration of Gods grace in the past (through our Lord Jesus Christ vs. 5:1). So when it says that our response to the gospel as Christ-followers is to exult in the hope of the glory of God we know that the glory of God being spoken of here has to do with some future exhibit of Gods glory based on a past promise, like the promise that all believers will live eternally in Gods glorious presence in the afterlife. The very thought of this promise will cause the true believer to hope, no matter what the circumstances in life even trials and tribulations. 3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 [= faith now] and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope [for the future]; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out [already in the past] within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us [past tense

again]. 6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly *Gods past demonstration of love and grace].

So because of the past historical fact that Christ died for us while were still helpless and ungodly enemies of Jesus and objects of Gods wrath, we can have a full and sure hope for the future that God will one day deliver us out of our earthly troubles and into his glorious presence. Holding fast to this hope during times of tribulations builds our perseverance, proves our character, and in turn, increases our hope knowing that: we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him [Jesus] (Romans 5:9 c.f. 1:18). This theme will be picked back up again in Chapter 8 4. We respond by being Baptized (Romans 6:3-11) The next way we respond to the gospel is a matter of identity. The church in Rome was going through an identity crisis. It was split over ethnic grounds over what makes a person a righteous follower of God. At issue is tension between Jewish and Gentile Christians in Romewho appear to be at odds regarding Gentile adherence to the Jewish law especially of the three basic means of Jewish identity [at that time]: circumcision (2:23-3:1; 4:9-12), Sabbath observance, and food laws (14:1-23). What is at stake practically is whether Gentiles must observe the Jewish law on these points, What is at stake theologically is the gospel itself whether Gods righteousness (= his righteous salvation that issues in right standing with God) comes by way of doing the [Old Covenant] law or by faith in Christ Jesus and the gift of the Spirit. (Fee/Stuart, How to Read the Bible Book by Book, pg.318) Who are you? Whats your name? To whose family do you belong? Do you identify yourself with a particular political party? What is the name of that greater community with which you are identified? Does it truly represent who you really are? Can you honestly expect other people from entirely different ethnic backgrounds and traditions to adopt your views on these secondary things when they place their trust in Jesus? Is it justifiable to wrap your faith up in these less important things? Do you question the salvation of other Christians who do not hold your political views or cultural preferences? The appropriate response of all those who trust in Christs sacrifice and hope in Gods deliverance are called upon to publically identify themselves primarily with Jesus. How does a person do that? Romans chapter 6 describes this response. Romans 6:3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection, [6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin, once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.] Notice that there is an assumption here do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus Everyone who follows Christ Jesus is to be baptized in Christ Jesus. Why is this important? Baptism is the outward public symbol declaring to the world the inward reality of being

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

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If you are in Christ then you belong to him first and your ethnic identity, cultural identity, family identity, and political identity is only a secondary matter (and they are a far second). In Jesus, the playing field is leveled. There are no favored students in the class of the Christian life we all bear the same name: Jesus. So, let me encourage you, if you are trusting in Christ, to take the step of identifying with Jesus and his family by being baptized. 5. We respond with obedience from the heart When we have identified with Jesus we show Him our love and devotion through obedience that comes from our transformed hearts. Romans 6:15-23 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! 16 Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. This is another on-going response to the gospel. The gospel is not just a message or non-believers to hear so that they might believe in Jesus. No, the gospel is also the message of a way of life. It means that not only are we initially justified/declared righteous through faith by Gods grace but we also live out our faith by Gods grace. How do we live out our faith? We demonstrate our faith publically by obeying Gods commands. We show our love to God by our obedience. So, in faith that God has truly transformed our hearts we set out in life to keep Gods commands, to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and our neighbors as our selves. And we do this as an overflow of love for God from our hearts. We dont do it in order to get saved. We do it because God has saved us. God desires obedience from the heart not. He does not desire us to obey out of a sense of trying to earn his acceptance. That is not the teaching of the Bible. Rather, God has revealed that He himself saves a man by a free gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus and from such a life will flow true obedience from a transformed heart. 6. We respond by agreeing with God, (Chapter 7) In Romans chapter Seven the apostle Paul describes a great encouragement we can have even in the midst of our disobedient times. If indeed we are united and identified with Christ then a war will begin in our hearts. It is a war between sin and obedience to God. He starts by reminding us that if it werent for Gods law (like the 10 Commandments) we wouldnt know what was sin and what wasnt sin. The Law is a declaration of Gods character in the law we find out what God takes pleasure in and what he disdains. And it is not until we really begin to try to keep the law that we realize just how terribly sinful we are. Christians in the USA get upset when someone wants to remove the 10 Commandments from

some public building but just how many of them truly keep those commandments? Do they keep Sabbath time each week? Do they really refrain from taking the Lords Name in vain? When you truly make an attempt at keeping the law your utter sinfulness and inability to keep Gods law will be exposed. Now, without Jesus, it is impossible to please God and you will not even be able to discern between what is pleasing to God and what is not. But when you put your faith in God the first thing you do is repent of your sins. You cannot repent of sins you dont believe are really sins. And when you continue to grow in your faith you will fail to keep the law and this could discourage you. Paul says, dont be discouraged because if you realize you are failing then this means you are actually agreeing with God that his Law is perfect and good and your sense of needing to repent is actually evidence that you are indeed saved. Romans 7:16 16 But if I do the very thing I do not wish to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that it is good 21-25 21I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wishes to do good. 22 For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, 23 but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin. In the end when we agree that Gods law is good we are joining God in his war against sin. We also are admitting that Gods law condemns us. So we must cry out to God that we, though sinful, have only one hope: Jesus Christ our lordand that brings us to Chapter 8 which starts out with the reassuring truth: Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 7. We respond by suffering with trust & hope in future grace (Romans 8) As we saw in chapter 5 now we have a more filled out explanation of why we can have such an unwavering hope in Gods future for us. True believers respond to the gospel message by enduring and persevering through trials with joy and great anticipation for deliverance. Romans 8:15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him. 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. If you are trusting in Jesus Christ then you have repented of your sins and agree that Gods law is good. If this is so then you are baptized in Jesus and if you are baptized in Jesus then you are identified with Christ (notice the family language) you have been adopted into Gods family. And because of the fact that this rock-solid truth that there is now no condemnation for those who are identified with Christ Jesus is based on the work of Jesus on the Cross and not on your own efforts, you can have hope for the future no matter what happens todayno matter how bad the sufferings get here even if they begin to resemble the sufferings Jesus went we know we can look forward to the glory he now is experiencing in heaven and which he promises to bring us into in the future. If you are in Christ you can respond to the

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gospel message by responding to life with confidence that your present and future are in the hands of God: Romans 8:28-30 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren; 30 and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. How do we respond to the Gospel? 1. Ongoing Repentance 2. Ongoing Belief and Faith 3. One time Baptism

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4. Ongoing Obedience from the heart 5. Ongoing Agreement with Gods law 6. Ongoing Hope through sufferings

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

Part 4a: We have now surveyed the epistle to the church at Roman by seeking the answers to three critical questions: What is the Gospel? Who needs the Gospel? And How do we respond to the Gospel? This time we will focus on Romans 9 - 16 asking the question: When do we apply the gospel? We apply the gospel when we see the sin of racism / ethnic prejudice (Chapter 9): In chapter 9 Paul takes up again the issue of Jewish ethnicity and its relationship to Gods plan of redemption. Although at one time Jewish ethnicity was important simply because of Gods election when he chose Abraham and his descendants through Isaac and Jacob with whom he made covenants, it is not to be considered to be at the heart of what it means to be Gods people for his own possession.10 But Paul with passion declares his concern for them and the great advantage they had due to Gods favor shed upon them in the past (Romans 9:3-5): For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, 5 whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen. What God did in the past through Abraham and Moses and the prophets was important because His special relationship with them and the people they led set the foundation and pattern for: Gods plan to adopt people as his children (vs. 9:4) How God reveals his glory to people (vs. 9:4) How God establishes his covenant with people (vs. 9:4) Teaching a people how to live and be governed by Gods law (vs. 9:4) Teaching holiness in worship through the service of the temple (vs. 9:4) Making promises and faithfully fulfilling those promises (vs. 9:4)
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It never really was; c.f. the gentile women in Jesus genealogy in Matt 1:1-17

But ultimately it was to promise and bring the Messiah/Christ into the world (9:5)

Their ethnicity really isnt a factor in Gods plan. He did not choose them because they were Jewish or because he saw in them any redeeming qualities. Abraham was an idol worshipper from Ur. In fact, it was Gods choosing of them that made them into a definable ethnic group. It was God who turned Abrahams descendants into a great nation (Gen 12:1-3). For this reason Paul can assert the claim: But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; 7 neither are they all children because they are Abraham's descendants, but: "through Isaac your descendants will be named." 8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants. (Rom 9:6-8)

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In other words, Gods faithfulness to keep his word, to keep his promises made to his ancient people under Abraham & Moses, has not failed. Gods promises are just not being fulfilled the way the Jews of Pauls day expected. Gods ways are not our ways. God intended all along to broaden the scope of the covenant to include all the families of the earth. God intended that Abraham would be a blessing to all the families of the earth (Gen 12:3). It is through Jesus and his gospel message of grace and forgiveness of sins being preached to all the families of the earth, Jewish and non-Jewish, that fulfills this promise (Gal 3:8,14). Now, all who respond to that Gospel message in faith from every nation and race from every place receive the promised blessing of entering into a New Covenant with God and become children of the promise. (Rom 9:8; Gal 3:29) The rest of chapter 9 then goes to great lengths in diatribe fashion to show that God is faithful (Rom 9:6-29)11 despite Jewish rejection of him and of his Savior because it is God who elects in his own way according to his own plan not ours. Using the example of Isaac and Rebeccas twin sons, Jacob and Esau, Paul reminds us how God chose Jacob to carry on the promised line but rejected Esau from the womb before either of them had done good or bad to show that Gods purposes are carried out according to Gods choice; not because of human works but because of God who calls (Rom 9:11). So, God is faithful to his ancient promises, not by just disregarding a broken covenant and his people who turned idolatrous and rejected God. No, by establishing a new Covenant in Jesus Christ for them and for the world which fulfills the law and the promises made in the OT to Abraham and the Jews and now includes both Jews and Gentiles together (11:1-32) without regard to race or ethnic background or even works of the law but only by grace. So, when we see racism in the church or in the society around us we must apply the gospel message and show that there is no race that is superior to any other race and that there are really only two kinds of people in this world: Those who are forgiven by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and those who are not. All other distinctions are of no eternal consequence; all human distinctions between men have no bearing on becoming a child of God and receiving the blessings of Gods promises.

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

We apply the gospel when we see legalism among the saved and the need for proclamation among the unsaved (Chapter 10)

Legalism among the saved: Now in Chapter 10 we see another way to apply the gospel to each of these two groups not Jew or Gentile but in Christ or outside of Christ. There was a great temptation among the Jews of Pauls day to miss the grace of God altogether because of their love of Gods law. In Gods Covenants with his people throughout the ages, God established both sacrifices for atonement of sins (something dies in the place of the sinner) and Law-keeping as a way of life for the one who had been atoned for. It was Gods design that his people look to the sacrifice in faith to be saved from sin and then demonstrate their faith by living according to Gods righteous law. The ultimate goal of the sacrifices and the laws of the Old Testament was to point forward to the coming of Jesus who would be the ultimate sacrificial Lamb for the atonement of sins once and for all and the perfect keeper of the moral law and the fulfillment of the religious (cultic) law. But instead of looking to the sacrifice God provided as a means of atonement of their sin the Jews of Pauls day looked to the law with zeal and passion thinking that their obedience (their works of the law) would save them. We call this way of thinking and living legalism and it remains a temptation in the church today! Paul recognized this backward zeal in his compatriots and pointed out where they had missed the mark in Romans 10:1-4. Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. 3 For not knowing about God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

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The message is clear: when we see legalism in the church we must apply the gospel. Do not become so zealous for the law that you miss the point of the law and create your own law to determine who is saved and who is not saved or even who is a serious devout Christian and who is not. There is no prescribed clothing for a believer only a call to modesty and having a gentle, quiet spirit (1Peter 3:1-5). There is no prescribed way of sitting in church for a believer but a call for a heart devoted to the teaching of the scriptures and to prayer (Acts 2:42; Col. 4:2). There is no law that says you have to celebrate Christmas or Easter only that we are called to gather with other believers and participate in and identify with the body Christ through the Lords Supper (Acts 2:42; 1Cor. 11:24-26). There is no law prohibiting the use of alcohol only the strict prohibition of drunkenness & dissipation (hedonistic over-indulgence Eph. 5:18). We cannot make up laws on top of the law of Christ which is to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Otherwise, like the Jewish-background Christians in the Roman church out of a zeal for pleasing God through the law we run the risk of actually missing salvation altogether (10:1) because we do not really know the goal of the Law for righteousness to everyone who believes which is to know Jesus Christ himself (10:4). Rather we must proclaim the gospel of grace loudly both to the unsaved and the saved about what truly saves a person. Here are the essentials: Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; 10 for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

Yes, there must be an out expression/confession of faith but it arises from the belief in the heart. The heart believes resulting in righteousness and then the mouth confesses, and the life is lived according to Gods law, and the fruit of the Spirit is born. Righteousness comes from the relationship with Jesus in the heart and only then can the result come about of living out God righteousness according to His law. The need for proclamation among the unsaved: Because the gospel must be believed and confessed, this also means that there is a responsibility on our part to proclaim the gospel message of Jesus as the resurrected Lord among all people. Romans 10:12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call upon Him; 13 for "Whoever will call upon the name of the LORD will be saved." 14 How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings of good things!" So not only do we apply the gospel message when we see legalism in the church but we also apply the Gospel by making it known outside the church to those who have yet to hear, believe, and call upon Jesus for salvation. Why is it important to proclaim the gospel and not just live it out in front of people (something we must also do)? Vs. 10:17 gives us the answer: So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. People need to be informed of the good news. It needs to be explained and related to them. This verse comes in the middle of a (diatribe) discussion showing that the Jews have no excuse to not believe in Jesus because Moses and the prophets spoke of his coming and the spoke of a day when God would make the Jews jealous by bringing the gentiles into a New Covenant intended for them as well. Look around the room. There are people here who have come into a relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus has become their Savior. They have experienced his grace, they know what it is like to be forgiven of their sins and to be free from guilt and condemnation. They belong to God and they are on a life-long journey to know God more that will continue on beyond death and into eternity. They have hope and joy even when they are suffering because they own the promise that God will bring them into his presence one day based on what he accomplished for them through the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross. Do you want those things? Do you envy what you see? Do you wish you could have that kind of peace, joy, and assurance that God has made available to all people everywhere? Then this part of the message applies to you. Agree with Gods law that shows you are sinful and Repent of your sins and begin a life of bearing the fruit of Repentance. Believe in Jesus and put your Faith in the fact that his death purchases your forgiveness and eternal life. Begin a life of obeying God from the heart and receive a Hope for the future that will carry you through the sufferings of today We apply the gospel when we need to demonstrate election by perseverance (Chapter 11) After our shared worship together with the church at Ain Ibel on Sunday we sat and fellowshipped over a meal. Most of the conversation at first was dominated by politics, unfortunately, but after a spell the discussion thankfully turned to spiritual matters and one man wanted my opinion asking, Do you think

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someone can lose their salvation? Well, my opinion really doesnt matter. What does the Bible say? Chapter 11 of Romans deals in part with this question. I say in part because it is not the main question Paul is answering but the answer comes through in his explanation. The thrust of the point Paul is making here seems to come as a response to a challenge presented by the Gentile-background believers in the church in Rome who have suggested that because the Jews rejected God by rejecting Jesus and the New Covenant He brings, then they in turn have been rejected utterly and altogether by God. The heart of Pauls answer is found in verses 5-7 where he writes: In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God's gracious choice... 7What then? That which Israel is seeking for, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen [i.e. the elect] obtained it, and the rest were hardened;

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His answer is very simple. Its all about Gods choice. There is a remnant of true believers (vs. 11:5) from among the ethnically Hebrew covenant people, whom God foreknew (vs. 11:2). These are the ones God has chosen, so these will be saved; and the ones God has not chosen were hardened; these will not be saved. But in declaring that there is only a remnant according to Gods choice is also to declare that as a nation in covenant with God they no longer have any standing. As a nation they have been broken off and pruned like an olive branch that does not bear any olives. The believing remnant on the other hand, are those who have come to believe in Jesus as their atoning sacrifice, Messiah, and Lord and are like the trunk of the olive tree. To make sure the Gentile-believers in the church at Rome do not become conceited about their new-found place in a New Covenant relationship with God through Jesus and this pruning of the Hebrew nation, Paul makes sure they understand that it is into this previously existing remnant trunk which they have entered like a branch from a wild olive tree grafted into a cultivated tree (Romans 11:20-24): Quite right, they [the nation of Israel] were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; 21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you. 22 Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in; for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more shall these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree? The ancient nation of Israel although once considered the people of God in a national covenant relationship with God is no longer considered as such. It is only those people (and all those people from any ethnic background) who come to God through Jesus and His New Covenant who are saved by God. The ground has been leveled. J. P. Dabney writes: But the Jews having as Paul shows, rejected Jesus as the Messiah, are themselves, as a community, rejected by God; no longer a holy and peculiar people are cast out of covenant, and in a national view, stand upon the same footing as the Gentile world. Jesus of Nazareth, the true Messiah, promised by the prophets, is the Mediator of a new and better covenant; into the engagements of which, Jews and Gentiles are alike invited to enter and accept its blessings. All who comply are brought into the same state of grace and privilege, in which the Hebrews stood before, and entitled to the same honorable distinctions. Believers in Jesus are acknowledged as the spiritual Israel: the true people of God, his servants, his children. They are chosen holy, redeemed, called and saved: having been once enemies, they are now reconciled: they are new

created, new born. God is their creator, their redeemer, their father. They are translated out of darkness into light, from the kingdom of Satan, a state of idolatry, into that of Gods dear Son, the Christian community: they are become, fellow citizens with the saints, heirs of the promises, and of the household of God.12 So, what about our question, can a true believer in Jesus lose his or her salvation? The answer comes with the challenge and warning in verses 20b-22 Do not be conceited, but fear; 21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you. 22 Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.

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The warning is clear. Do not become comfortable and conceited in you new-found faith in Jesus lest you stumble and fall and be cut off yourselves. The only way we know we or anyone has been saved is if we see the demonstration of salvation through the bearing fruit to the end. It is about perseverance. If someone doesnt persevere to the end then we know they werent saved. But it is also about preservation. Dont forget verse 6 which said: But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace. Its all about Gods grace and Jesus carrying the guilt and the shame of sin for you and you are forgiven of your sins based on Jesus sacrifice on the cross. And at the same time if Christs salvation is really at work in you then there will be fruit to show it. You cannot lose your salvation because it doesnt depend on you but on the work of Christ. But if we do not see obedience from the heart and we dont see you growing in your faith and showing the fruit of salvation in your life then we have to ask whether you are really saved at all. And thats part of bearing fruit. You ask yourself this. You receive the challenge and take it seriously asking yourself have I become conceited? Am I truly saved? Am I bearing the fruit of obedience and a growing faith? Heres where we apply the gospel. How do I persevere? Its so difficult. There are trials and temptations around every corner! I know how sinful my heart - is how can I keep on going in faith until the end? Do you see the mysterious tension here? It depends Jesus to save you and it depends on you to demonstrate that salvation which Jesus gives you the grace to do. Why did God design it all this way? Because it shows Gods Grace and mercy and gives glory to God... Romans 11:32 For God has shut up all in disobedience that He might show mercy to all. 33Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34 For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? 35 Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? 36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. Everything in our lives is for God, comes through God, and his heading back to God for the sake of his glory. And it is by applying the gospel of grace in our lives that God has designed for us to reflect back to him his glory. So, apply the gospel when You must fight racism You must fight legalism You must fight to win the lost You must fight to persevere in your faith

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J.P. Dabney, Annotations on the New Testament: compiled from the Best Critical Authorities and Designed for Popular Use, Hilliard and Brown, Cambridge, 1829 pg. 286

So that God will get all the glory!

Part 4b When do we apply the Gospel? (contd Chapters 12-16)

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Romans Chapter 12 is about applying the Gospel message to our life and relationships in the household of faith (which begins by a Christ-conformed transformed mind vv. 1-3) starting with ourselves We Apply the Gospel to worship in the household of faith Romans 12:1 I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Gods mercy shown to us through Jesus Christ (i.e. what the Gospel message is about) is intended to bring about a certain result in our lives. It is supposed to create in us new hearts and lead us to the true worship of God. Do you remember the note/tone we left off with at the end of Chapter 11? Was it not worship! Romans 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34 For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? 35 Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? 36For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. Now, therefore (12:1) if by Gods mercy you believe in the gospel message then by Gods mercy worship God the way He intended for us to do so. How did God intend for his people to worship him? By presenting your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship (12:1). Your very life is to be presented to God all the time and this is your worship of God. In other words, we apply the gospel to every area of our lives (!) so that our very lives become a spiritual sacrifice pleasing to God. Now, you cannot present or offer up to God what you do not have or what is not clean and perfect and acceptable to God. In the Old Covenant under Moses there were certain animals that you could offer up to God in sacrifice and others that were not clean or acceptable. If you offered a lamb it had to be without blemish, it could not have any defects. Defects in an animal was symbolic of sin. But the animal had to be clean and perfect in order to atone for the sin of the worshiper. The problem is: everyone has sinned and falls short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23) so we cannot present or offer up our bodies as sacrifices to die. In ourselves we dont have a perfect sacrifice to offer up to God. But the worshipper who trusts in faith in Jesus as a perfect clean and acceptable sacrifice gets to partake or participate in Jesus offering up of his own body as a sacrifice. Jesus died for us all that is left is for us to live for him. Thus, we are instructed here to take what has been given to us through Jesus, namely life (eternal life), and present or offer up our lives to God. A person becomes a true worshiper of God according to Gods mercy and because of the change brought about in his or her heart by faith in the gospel message. Only when you have put your faith in Jesus does your heart become clean and acceptable to God something you can present to Him in worship. We apply the Gospel to our relationships in the household of faith.

For through the grace given to me I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. As we have said before when discussing the tensions and racism between the Jewish background believers and the Gentile background believers in the church at Rome, the gospel message brings equality between people and levels the playing field. Remember Paul basically explained there are only two kinds of people in the world those who have received the forgiveness for sins by Gods grace through faith in Jesus and those who have not. So, in the church, in the relationships we share within the household of faith, we are supposed to be dealing with those who are in the forgiven-by-Godsgrace camp. Dont misunderstand me, just because you come to church doesnt make you a forgiven person. You must publically put your faith in Jesus and confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord (Rom 10:9-10). If you have done that and you have joined a church then this applies to you. In Romans chapter 12 3-8 Paul explains that the relationships you have in that community, the family of faith, will be governed by grace and you are all like different parts of one body. The rest of chapter 12 spells out what that looks like with details. Here is how we are to treat one another in the body of Christ: (Romans 12:9-21)
Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.
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23

15

Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
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Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;
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Be of the same mind toward one another;

do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.
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not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;

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Never pay back evil for evil to anyone.

rejoicing in hope,

Respect what is right in the sight of all men.

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persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer,

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If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.

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contributing to the needs of the saints,

Never take your own revenge,

practicing hospitality.
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Bless those who persecute you; bless and curse not.

"But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink;
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Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

This is such an important chapter of instructions for our relationships within the body of Christ that Pastor John MacArthur wrote a 72-page-long study just on chapter 12 alone! It would be possible to take every one of those instructions and preach an entire sermon on each one. [Are there any questions about the meaning of any of these instructions?] For our purposes notice that you can summarize the whole list of instructions with verses 9-10: Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;
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Be devoted to one

The rest are the details of practicing this in real life situations. It would do every believer here well to read through this chapter several times in a row and let each instruction set in and ask yourself if you have been truly putting these things into practice in your relationships with other believers. So, we could answer our question, When do we apply the gospel? this way: We apply the gospel to our relationships in the household of faith, the church, by showing love because we were loved with the highest love by God through Jesus; by showing grace to others because we were shown the greatest grace by God through Jesus; by showing mercy to others because God showed us the deepest mercy through Jesus, all the while holding fast to what is good because it glorifies our good and perfect God. We apply the Gospel to our relationships in the world Chapter 13 is primarily another set of instructions only this time it is taking the same gospel message of the grace of God provided to us through Jesus and applying it to our relationships with the rest of civil society and people in the world in general. Again, well see that the key to the whole body of instruction is demonstrating the Love of God through showing love to our neighbor. In light of this we are instructed to(Romans 13:1-8): (vv 1-2) Dont resist government authority be in subjection to the governing authorities For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. 2 (vs. 3-4) Do what is good according to the law because the laws are there to protect you. But if you do what is evil, be afraid (vs. 5) So, be in subjection to the governing authorities for conscience ' sake. 6 (vs. 6)Pay your taxes as an expression of your submission to the laws of the land (like my speeding ticket !) (vs. 7) Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor. (vs. 8) Pay all your debts: Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. All the law of how to govern yourselves in society is summed up with the second part of Jesus great command: (Romans 13:10) Love does no wrong to a neighbor; love therefore is the fulfillment of the law. So, we apply the gospel to our civil duties in society by acknowledging that God is supreme authority in our lives and has a perfect plan. Part of that plan involves setting secular rulers & governments in place to reward those who do good and punish those who do wrong. Under these systems of government we demonstrate our submission to the sovereignty of God by submitting to the ruling authorities. This also demonstrates the nature of the covenant of Jesus that is revealed in the gospel. In the covenant of Jesus the people of God are not like they were under Moses. Under Moses Gods people were an ethnic nation with a king and borders and an army. But now Gods people are anyone who puts faith in Jesus and receives the grace of God, Jews and Gentiles alike; theyre are all the same in Jesus, no nation, no earthly king, no geographical borders, no army. So, by not setting up a physical kingdom on earth we are demonstrating the spiritual nature of Gods Kingdom as revealed in the Gospel message when we submit to the governing authorities of the countries we live in all around the world. We apply the Gospel to differences in opinion or preferences (Chapters 14-15)

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Because the subject of loving one another and serving one another in unity in the church is so important the Apostle Paul returns to the issue of relationships between believers again in chapters 14-15. And this is something that comes up a lot. Not everyone understands certain teachings of the Bible the same way. When it comes to the Bibles teachings and doctrines there both non-negotiables and negotiables. There are doctrinal principles that remain the same no matter what, but there are also some practical preferences that depend on our circumstances and choice. We must not confuse the two. The instructions of Romans Chapters 14-15 are about how to relate to one another with regard specifically to our practical preferences. And once again, Christs gospel of grace applies. Because of the background of the Jews many of them would hold to the ancient practices that God instituted in the past but were no longer necessary in Christ. For instance they would abstain from certain foods and observe certain feast days. All these things were instituted by God for a time in order to point forward to Christ. The Jews were welcome to practice these things so long as they understood that these things were all fulfilled in Jesus and therefore optional. The problem is that they were insisting that their brothers and sisters in Christ who were not from a Jewish background keep these practices as well and they were judging and not accepting the others. The Paul seemed to in this instance identified with the Gentiles and looking upon the Jews who were being legalistic as weak in their faith. So Paul wrote: Romans 14:1 Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions.

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Who is the one who is weak in faith? It seems from the context that it is the one who is passing judgment; the one who insists on the legalistic practices. Romans 14:6 He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God. There is no law in the Word of God requiring or prohibiting certain foods or ancient feast days and if they are observing such preferential practices and doing it unto the Lord (providing there is no idolatry involved (1Cor 8-11) then there is no reason to judge a person for observing or not observing, eating or not eating.) But the instruction here is not just about feeling free to do what you want because there is no law against it. We must also be pro-active (take initiative) in our relationships with one another: Romans 14:13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this-- not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother's way. So it is not simply about doing what you are free to do, but it is also about not doing that which will cause another person to stumble in their faith. If you believe it is alright to watch movies but another person has an addiction to entertainment and it has become a stumbling block for him in his life, do not push him to watch a movie or tempt him with that when he has purposed in his heart to abstain from it. He knows his weakness so he has disciplined himself to abstain from movies do not talk about movies in his presence or make him feel left out because he hasnt seen something you have seen because you feel free to watch them. Why? for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Romans 14:17)

These things are opinions, they are preferences, they are not the core of what the kingdom is about. You should be able to live with or without these things. But you cannot live without righteousness, showing peace to one another, or having the Joy of the Holy Spirit these are non-negotiables. So, if you are in a situation where your brother or sister in Jesus has an opinion or preference that does not contradict the gospel message but you disagree you have freedom to think what you want but keep it to yourself. Here is the rule to live by: Romans 14:22-23 The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. 23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin. In other words, hold onto your convictions. If another person has different convictions about personal preferences or opinions and you begin to doubt your own convictions then better to abstain from something than have a guilty conscience. Give it up because everything is supposed to be done in faith. This is how we biblically accept one another and it all has the gospel message as the basis of acceptance & unity. This section is summed up with verses 15:5-7

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Romans 15:5-7 Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus; 6 that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Wherefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God. Here is the gospel applied to our differences in opinion. Drinking or eating or abstaining from certain foods, observing or not observing certain holidays that do not contradict the gospel are all a matter of opinion. They are negotiable. But the non negotiable is that we accept each other on the basis of our mutual acceptance in Christ. Its because of the gospel: though we were all sinners objects of the wrath of God and bound for eternal judgment Christ accepted all of us who have believed. When Christ accepted us he forgave our eternal sins! How could we then hold such petty differences against our brothers and sisters who Jesus has accepted. The Gospel inspires worship and the obedience of faith (Chapter 16) We end where we began in this final installment of our study. Chapter 16 ends with greetins and instructionsfor this study then is the final praise and worship break-out of Paul at the end of the letter where he once again emphasizes the centrality of the gospel message to all aspects of our lives, reminding us of the worship-inspiring nature of the gospel message of the transformed life which results in the display of righteousness in our lives (the obedience of faith): Romans 16:25 Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, 26 but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith; 27 to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.