Romans 4
Romans 3:19-4:25 shows the Divine settlement between God & Christ over sins. We are the passive party that receives blessings & benefit. However we may try, we are not allowed to have any role in justification. We can only receive.
Living the Christ Life 6: Justification Can Never Be Earned
Romans 4:1-8
Joshua 24:1-3
Genesis 11:27-12:3
Genesis 15:1-7
Living the Christ Life 5: YHWH Reclaiming the Nations
Resources
Romans 3:19-31
Genesis 15:6
Genesis 11:1-9
Psalms 82
Matthew 28:18-20
Ephesians 2:8-18
Romans 10:4
Deuteronomy 32:7–9
Deuteronomy 32:16–17
"Most English Bibles do not read 'according to the number of the sons of God' in Deuteronomy 32:8. Rather, they read 'according to the number of the sons of Israel.' The difference derives from disagreements between manuscripts of the Old Testament. 'Sons of God' is the correct reading, as is now known from the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Frankly, you don’t need to know all the technical reasons for why the 'sons of God' reading in Deuteronomy 32:8-9 is what the verse originally said. You just need to think a bit about the wrong reading, the 'sons of Israel.'
Deuteronomy 32:8-9 harks back to events at the Tower of Babel, an event that occurred before the call of Abraham, the father of the nation of Israel. This means that the nations of the earth were divided at Babel before Israel even existed as a people. It would make no sense for God to divide up the nations of the earth 'according to the number of the sons of Israel' if there was no Israel."
Michael S. Heiser, The Unseen Realm (Lexham Press, 2015), 113.
Summary Statement
Through Jesus Christ, God is gathering the nations back to Himself- Both disinherited Gentiles and wayward Jews. “Faith” makes for equal-footing before YHWH, with acceptance being gained by the bloodwork of Jesus Christ.
Living the Christ Life 4: Costly, but Free 2
Redemption: GREEK-apolutrosis- "to set free, to liberate, to deliver, liberation, deliverance" (Louw-Nida). "to deliver by paying a price" (Scofield).
Regarding justification, this is not a ransom that is paid to Satan in exchange for sinners.
Resources
Romans 3:19-31
The human race belongs to God. He is the Creator, we are the creatures. The ransom paid is due to sin condemning us and enslaving us. "It was God who exacted payment; yet the Bible does not speak of a ransom being paid to God the Father for He did not hold us in bondage" (Radmacher).
Regarding justification, "redemption" is a payment made that sets the believer free from the penalty of sins.
Propitiation: “The Gk. words dealing with the doctrine of propitiation are:
hilasmos, signifying what our Lord became for the sinner (1 John 2:2; 4:10);
*hilasterion*, denoting the place of propitiation (Rom. 3:25; cf. Heb. 9:5); and
hilaskomai, indicating that God has become gracious, or propitious (Luke 18:13; Heb. 2:17).”
TYPE/ANTITYPE- “Types are real persons, events, or things in the Old Testament that have a substantial relationship with corresponding New Testament persons, events, or things. The New Testament fulfilling is called an antitype.”
Sometimes: OT=Physical Events. NT=Spiritual Truths
“Once a year, on the great Day of Atonement, the Jewish high priest and he alone took blood from the great altar of burnt offering and went into the Holy of Holies, into which none dared enter but he and he only for the purpose of this function and sprinkled that blood on the Kapporeth, the cover of the Ark of the Covenant, called the mercy seat, in order to cover the sins of the whole people. In the Ark were deposited the tables of the law, that law which condemned these sins. The Kapporeth covered those tables; but only when it was thus sprinkled with expiatory blood did it cover the sins of the people from God and from his punishment.”
-R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, 256.
"Because Christ paid the full ransom price for sin forever and is the Propitiation that satisfied the holiness of our righteous God, God can be righteous while at the same time declaring believers righteous."
-Earl D. Radmacher, Salvation, p. 138
"God is therefore at rest about us forever, however poor our understanding of truth, however weak our walk. God is looking at the blood of Christ, and not at our sins. All claims against us were met when Christ 'made peace by the blood of His cross.'”
-William R. Newell, Romans Verse-by-Verse, 114.
Living the Christ Life 3: Costly, but Free
Scriptures
Romans 3:19-31
Acts 8:18-20
John 15:25
Acts 15:5-11
Documents & Links
ROMANS 3:19-31
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
WHAT IS "FREE GRACE THEOLOGY"?
Righteousness: "innocent, without fault, guiltless, having sufficiently met what God requires." It is IMPUTED (credited to one's account), not IMPARTED (not transferred).
-Standard- An expectation or measurement (often connected to "judgment"- Psa 97:2; Rev 16:7).
-Nature- It is who God is and He cannot be otherwise.
Faith: "conviction that something is true" (Heb 11:1). "Faith" is the means by which the righteousness of God is appropriated when one responds to the Gospel.
Justified: "declared righteous," not "made righteous." God's public pronouncement that a favorable verdict has been rendered to the one who believes due to the sufficient nature of Christ's death & resurrection.
Gift: GREEK-dorean- "being freely given, as a gift, without payment" (BDAG). "Without cost, as a free gift, without paying" (Thayer).
-Understood as "freely, gratuitously" in Romans 3:24.
Grace: GREEK-charis- "good-will, loving-kindness, favor... kindness which bestows upon one what he has not deserved" (Thayer).
"Grace means pure un-recompensed kindness and favor" (Chafer).
"In the Bible the word often represents that which is limitless, since it represents realities which are infinite and eternal. It is nothing less than the unlimited love of God expressing itself in measureless grace" (Chafer).
"Grace... rules out all human merit... Any intermixture of human merit violates grace" (Unger).
"Grace speaks of a gift, not of barter or trade however unequal. It is pure kindness, not the fulfilling of an obligation. An act in order to be gracious must stand disassociated and alone. Divine salvation is, therefore, the kindness of God toward sinners. It is not less than it would be had they sinned less. It is not more than it would be had they sinned more. It is wholly unrelated to every question of human merit. Grace is neither treating a person as he deserves, nor treating a person better than he deserves. It is treating a person graciously without the slightest reference to his deserts. Grace is infinite love expressing itself in infinite goodness. (Lewis Sperry Chafer, Grace (Philadelphia, PA: Sunday School Times Company, 1922))
Gracious Blessings Received at the Moment of Faith in Christ
(modified from Chafer, Salvation, p. 59-67)
1. Reconciled: (Rom. 5:10; 2 Cor 5:18-20; Col 1:20).
2. Redeemed: (Col. 1:14; 1 Pet. 1:18; Rom. 3:24; 8:1; Jno. 3:18; 5:24; 1 Cor. 11:32).
3. Related to God Through Propitiation (1 Jno. 2:2; Rom. 3:25, 26).
4. All Sins Covered By Atoning Blood (1 Pet. 2:24; Rom. 4:25).
5. United with Christ for Judgment of the “Old Man” Unto a New Walk (Rom. 6:4, 6; 1 Pet. 2:24; Col. 2:12; 3:1).
6. Free from the Law (Rom. 7:4, 6; Gal. 3:25; Rom. 6:14; 2 Cor. 3:11).
7. Children of God (Jno. 3:7; 1:12; Eph. 2:1; Col. 2:13; 1 Pet. 1:23; 1 Jno. 3:3; 2 Cor. 6:18; Gal. 3:26; 2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15; Eph. 2:10).
8. Regenerated (Tit. 3:5; Jno. 13:10; 1 Cor. 6:11).
9. Adopted (placed as adult sons- Rom. 8:15, etc. So, also, a future adoption, see Rom. 8:23, etc.).
10. Declared Righteous (Rom. 3:22; 1 Cor. 1:30; 2 Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:9; Eph. 1:6; 1 Pet. 2:5; 1 Cor. 1:30; 6:11; Heb. 10:14).
11. Forgiven All Tresspasses (Col. 1:14; 2:13; 3:13; Eph. 1:7; 4:32).
12. Brought Near By the Blood of Christ (Eph. 2:13; Jas. 4:8; Heb. 10:22).
13. Delivered from the Powers of Darkness (Col. 1:13; 2:13–15).
14. Translated into the Kingdom of His Beloved Son (Col. 1:13).
15. Secured on the Firm Foundation of Christ Jesus (1 Cor. 3:11; Eph. 2:20; 2 Cor. 1:21).
16. Circumcised in Christ (Col. 2:11; Phil. 3:3; Rom. 2:29).
17. Partakers of the Holy and Royal Priesthood (1 Pet. 2:5, 9; Rev. 1:6).
18. A Chosen Generation and a Peculiar People (1 Pet. 2:9; Tit. 2:14).
19. Having Access to God (Eph. 2:18; Rom. 5:2; Heb. 4:14–16; 10:19, 20).
20. Within the “Much More” Care of God (Rom. 5:9, 10):
21. Objects of His Love (Eph. 2:4; 5:2).
22. Objects of His Grace (Eph. 2:7, 8; Rom. 5:2; Tit. 2:12, 13).
23. Objects of His Power (Eph. 1:19; Phil. 2:13).
24. Objects of His Faithfulness (Heb. 13:5; Phil. 1:6).
25. Objects of His Peace (Col. 3:15).
26. Objects of His Consolation (2 Thes. 2:16).
27. Objects of His Intercession (Heb. 7:25; Rom. 8:34; Heb. 9:24).
28. God's Inheritance (Eph. 1:18).
29. An Inheritance Reserved in Heaven (1 Pet. 1:4; Eph. 1:14; Col. 3:24; Heb. 9:15).
30. Partners with Christ in Life (Col. 3:4; 1 Jno. 5:11, 12, etc.).
31. Raised and Seated with Christ (Eph. 2:6).
32. Partners with Christ in Service(1 Cor. 1:9; 3:9; 2 Cor. 3:3, 6; 5:20; 6:1, 4).
33. Partners with Christ in Suffering (2 Tim. 2:12; Phil. 1:29; 1 Pet. 2:20; 4:12, 13; 1 Thes. 3:3; Rom. 8:18; Col. 1:24).
34. Betrothed to Christ (2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:25–27).
35. Heavenly Citizens (Phil. 3:20, R. V.; Eph. 2:19; Heb. 12:22; Lk. 10:20).
36. Of the Family and Household of God (Eph. 2:19; 3:15; Gal. 6:10).
37. Light in the Lord (Eph. 5:8; 1 Thes. 5:4).
38. United to the Father, Son, and Spirit (Jno. 14:20; 1 Thes. 1:1).
39. A Member of Christ's body (1 Cor. 12:13).
40. A Branch in the Vine (Jno. 15:5).
41. A Stone in the building (Eph. 2:19–22).
42. A Sheep in His flock (Jno. 10:27–29).
43. A Priest of the kingdom of priests (1 Pet. 2:5, 9).
44. A Saint (holy one- Eph. 1:1; Col. 1:2).
45. Indwelt with the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19; 2:12; Jno. 7:39; Rom. 5:5; 8:9; 2 Cor. 1:21; Gal. 4:6; 1 Jno. 3:24).
46. Born of the Spirit (Jno. 3:6).
47. Baptized with the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13; 10:17).
48. Sealed by the Spirit (Eph. 4:30; 2 Cor. 1:22).
49. Guaranteed Glorification (Rom. 8:30).
50. Complete in Him (Col. 2:10).
51. Possessing Every Spiritual Blessing (Eph 1:3).
52. One New Man in Christ (Eph. 2:14-16).
What if there was no resurrection?
1 Corinthians 15
Living the Christ Life 2
Living the Christ Life 1
The Communion of Saints (Live Stream 3/22/20)
Ephesians 4:11-16
"Isolation is a certain danger and involves inevitable weakness. While we are justified in relation to Christ solitarily and alone, we are sanctified in connection with other Christians, and we shall never know what it is to be a 'saint' unless we make much of 'the communion of saints.'”
1 Corinthians 1:9
John 17:5
John 17:24
KOINONA- "fellowship, close-knit partnership, participation, contribution."
Acts 2:41-47
Matthew 28:18-20
Romans 1:9-12
Hebrews 10:19-25
Q: How do we practice koinonia in our present situation?
1. Every day is a stewardship of time that God has given us. We now have enough time to pray!
2. Share the live stream with those believers who don't have internet access.
(Maybe even unbelievers would be willing to come and listen)
3. Reach out! Phone calls, e-mail, snail mail, Facebook. All of these are avenues that we can use to encourage others!
Share Scripture and Prayer Requests with one another.
This is what it looks like to Love People to LIFE in Christ.
The Church - The Building Up of the Body 8: Wisdom & Foolishness Part 4
1 Corinthians 1
