The Book of Romans The Story of Gods

The Book of Romans The Story of God’s Explosive Grace

A “super” outline of the Book of Romans based on 7 “S’s”… �Salutation �Sin �Salvation �Sanctification �Sovereignty �Spirituality �Sayonara 1. 1 -17 1. 18 -3. 20 3. 21 -4 5 -8 9 -11 12 -15 16

Introduction to the salvation section of Romans 3. 214. 25

Review… As stated before in our study of Romans, there is no good news (the gospel) if there is no bad news (judgment). We studied the bad news in Romans 1. 18 -3. 20, that all men in their unregenerated condition are in grave danger and face the judgment of God for sins and crimes committed against the most high God. Some men deny this truth, others ignore it, and false religions have fabricated falsehoods to deal with it. This next section of Romans 3. 21 -4. 25 provides God’s only true remedy for man’s desperate need of forgiveness and acceptance before God.

Part 1 A Crash Course in Soteriology The Biblical teaching of Biblical salvation

To begin with… True Biblical salvation is comprised of three aspects: TERM Salvation Sanctification PROCESS You were saved You are being saved TENSE Past Present Glorification You will be saved Future Because of a failure by many to understand this aspect of Christian theology known as Soteriology, a warped or confusing view of the Biblical teaching of salvation is the result.

You were saved – Romans 3. 20 -4. 25 This is a single event in the history of eternity when an unregenerate person truly trusts Christ, resulting in them being transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light (Colossians 1. 13). At that precise moment of trusting Christ, fifty shades of blessings happen to a person, resulting in he or she becoming a new creature in Christ.

You are being saved – Romans 5 -8 Although we are declared by the highest court in the universe that as a believer we are forgiven, righteous, and holy in our new high position in Christ, our daily experience does not match our high position. During one’s life, from the point of becoming a believer to the end of earthly life, God’s Spirit is working out a process known as sanctification, that is conforming us into the image of Christ. Or in other words, matching our experience to our high position.

You will be saved – Romans 8. 17, 30 The final stage of salvation is known as glorification. In short, it refers to our eternal state in heaven when we are with God, sinless, and able to experience the joy of heaven forever with God and the family of God. In I Corinthians 15, there is great emphasis that not only are we glorified spiritually, but our future resurrected bodies will be glorious.

16 The Spirit Himself testifies 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 so that we may also be glorified with Him. 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. Romans 8

Part 2 Mankind’s hopeless condition apart from God

A major obstacle to becoming a Christian… The ignorance or unbelief of the offenses, sins, and crimes committed against the Creator and the penalty that he or she faces as a consequence. One thing you could ask an unbeliever is if they would agree that people generally do something wrong or sin at least once a day. Then do some math, at one sin a day and taking age seven to seventy-five, equals about 25, 000 sins.

Luke 18. 10 -14… If God exists, would you say that you are need of His forgiveness for the bad and wrong things you have done in your life? E. g. Tax Collector Or would you say that you have lived a perfect life and not in need of His forgiveness? E. g. Pharisee

Playing the sin card… I believe that generally the sin card is hard to play when sharing one’s faith. So we often start with other reasons to be a Christian: 1. 2. 3. 4. God has a wonderful plan for your life Your best life now Don’t you want to be happy and have peace You will have a personal relationship with God Until a new Christian can understand the depth of sin to which he or she is forgiven, and the meaning of the words, “Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me” he or she will remain an infant in Christ.

The Romans problem stated… 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. In darkness – 2. 19 Enemies of God – 5. 10 Spiritually dead – 7. 9 -10 Deceived – 7. 11 Sold into bondage to sin – 7. 14 Condemned – 8. 1 Minds set on the things of the flesh – 8. 5 Unable to please God – 8. 8 Conformed to this world – 12. 2

The Ephesians problem stated… 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Dead in your trespasses and sins – Ephesians 2. 1 Sons of disobedience – 2. 2 Children of wrath – 2. 3 Separated from Christ – 2. 12 Excluded from the commonwealth of Israel – 2. 12 Strangers to the covenants of promise – 2. 12 Having no hope – 2. 12 Without God in the world – 2. 12 Far off from God – 2. 13, 17 Strangers and aliens – 2. 19

The Colossians problem stated… 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. In the domain of darkness – 1. 13 Alienated – 1. 21 Hostile in mind – 1. 21 Engaged in evil deeds – 1. 21 Dead in transgressions – 2. 13 Uncircumcision of the flesh – 2. 13 Certificate of debt against us – 2. 14

Other NT books… �Enslaved to various lusts and pleasures – Titus 2. 3 �Unrighteous – I Corinthians 6. 9 �Perishing – II Corinthians 2. 15 �Hardened minds– 3. 14 �Gospel is veiled – 4. 3 �Blinded minds – 4. 4 �Walk in the flesh – 10. 2

Part 3 Ten salvation terms that reveal the great lengths to which God went in fixing that which had been broken in the garden

1. Saved (Salvation) Greek: σώζω (sṓzō) General meaning: To rescue, deliver, or make safe from an impending danger or direct threat. Imagery: The threat of impending disaster as at sea in an horrific hurricane and being rescued by the Coast Guard. Soteriology: God rescuing those who trust in Him for salvation from the worst imaginable thing that a person could ever face, God’s wrath and eternal judgment.

9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. Romans 5

2. Forgiven Greek: ἀφίημι (aphíēmi) General Meaning: To send forth or away. To let go from oneself. Imagery: Imagine being in debt a billion dollars without means to repay and the one holding the promissory note forgiving the debt. Soteriology: Mankind’s sin is equated to an infinite debt impossible to repay. In this case, the debt could not be simply forgotten but had to be repaid. Jesus paid it all, hence satisfying both God’s demand for justice and His flowing love.

7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, And whose sins have been covered. ” Romans 4 18 Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin. Hebrews 10 12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake. I John 2

3. Transference Greek: μεθιστάνω (methistánō) General Meaning: From two words, denotes a change in location or situation and to place or stand. Imagery: Joseph provides a great image. Once a slave and then a prisoner, he was transferred from prison into Pharaoh's palace as second in all of Egypt. Soteriology: Unlike other salvation terms, it is only used once in Colossians 1. 13. Transference pictures that at the moment of salvation, God forcibly removes the new believer from Satan’s chains of spiritual darkness and lies and relocates him into the pure light of His presence and truth.

For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son. Colossians 1 13

4. Regeneration Greek: παλιγγενεσία (paliggenesía) General Meaning: To come alive again, regeneration, rebirth, and restoration Imagery: The metamorphosis rebirth of the caterpillar into the butterfly. Soteriology: The unbeliever is pictured as spiritually dead in his or her unregenerated state and being reborn again to a new life in Christ as a child of God.

He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, Titus 3 5 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. ” John 3 3

5. Justification Greek: δικαιόω (dikaióō) General Meaning: To declare righteous Imagery: A king pardoning a known criminal convicted of capital crimes and then elevating that person to the highest stature in the land with wealth and honor. Soteriology: Perhaps one of the most misunderstood terms. Some take it to mean, “just-as-if-I-neversinned. ” But it is so much more, not only are one’s sins pardoned, but also the righteousness of Christ is transferred to him or her.

Used fifteen times in Romans… because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin. Romans 3 20 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; Romans 3 24 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, Romans 5 1

6. Redemption Greek: ἀπολύτρωσις (apolútrōsis) General Meaning: The price paid to secure the release of a prisoner or property. Imagery: To purchase a slave from the slave market of sin. Soteriology: In the New Testament, it refers to the payment Christ paid to set believers free from the penalty of sin and judgment for crimes committed against God. The ransom paid was the highest cost ever paid in eternity, the blood of Christ (I Peter 1. 18).

being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; Romans 3 24 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1 14 and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. Hebrews 9 12

7. Reconciliation Greek: καταλλάσσω (katallássō) General Meaning: To restore friendly relationship between two estranged parties. Imagery: The prodigal son humbly returning to the broken relationship with his father and the father accepting and restoring the fractured relationship with grace and acceptance. Soteriology: Perhaps in most broken relationships, both parties bare blame. In the case of God and people, the offending party is completely a result of man’s sin. God however, has taken the initiative to heal the relationship by offering to satisfy man’s offense and provide a gateway of peace.

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. Romans 5 10 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. II Corinthians 5 18

8. Propitiation (Atonement) Greek: ἱλαστήριος (hilastḗrios) General Meaning: To make appeasement or satisfy the offense to an offended party. Imagery: A thief is caught and tried for stealing from a home. The thief spends two years in jail and compensates the home owner $2, 000. The home owner and society are both satisfied. Soteriology: Man’s sin can not simply be overlooked because of God’s kindness, love and mercy. His justice mandates that the debt be satisfied. Just as in the Day of Atonement, the high priest sprinkled blood on the mercy seat, this blood prefigured Christ’s permanent atoning blood.

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 5 25 and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat; but of these things we cannot now speak in detail. Hebrews 9. 5 5

9. Spiritual Baptism Greek: βαπτίζω (baptízō) General Meaning: To immerse, dip, saturate, overwhelm, submerge for religious purpose. Imagery: To wash a garment by dipping into water. Soteriology: The waterless baptism by which Christ baptizes believers into the Holy Spirit and hence the Godhead. The result is that the believer is now and forever “in Christ. ” This then signifies our rich union with God and our immense unity with the body of Christ.

“As for me, I baptize you with [in] water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with [in] the Holy Spirit and fire. Matthew 3 11 For by [in] one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. I Corinthians 12 13

10. Adoption Greek: υἱοθεσία (huiothesía) General Meaning: The legal procedure of making one who is not a blood son an adopted son. Imagery: The taking of one that was alienated and for all intent and purpose , legally adopting him as a son with all rights, privileges, and position as a birth son. Soteriology: Formally in one’s unregenerate state, unbelievers were called children of wrath and sons of disobedience. After receiving the Lord, the now new believer finds himself in the highest position possible, an adopted child of God with all rights and privileges.

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!” Romans 8 15 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. Romans 8 23 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, Ephesians 1 5