When people here the gospel, many do not accept it and remain in their condemnation.  For those who share the gospel this must be understood to keep us from discouragement.  Salvation is an act of God and God has told us that not all will heed the good news of Christ.

However not all heed the command to share the gospel either.  Can we say as Isaish says "Lord, who has believed our report?" or can we not say that since we've never shared the gospel enough to plead with the Lord in this way?

Jesus is not just a Saviour, not just a friend in time of need.  He is so much more and confessing that he is Lord (master) is necessary for salvation.  Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, He is the creator of the universe and is above all.  That means that we are His subjects, we are His slaves and He is our master.  We must confess and strive to live in light of this.  We do not "make" Him Lord, He IS Lord.  We must confess and be subject to His Lordship.

One Roman Catholic teaching is that the righteousness of God is infused into us or channelled into us by the sacraments thus making us righteous and actually meriting for us God's favor and eternal life.  It's a process that is synergistic, man working with God so that man merits heaven.

But this process is condemned here in Romans 10:3 where those who seek to establish their own righteousness they do not subject or submit themselves to God.  Salvation is not a "we do what we can and God picks up the slack", it is fully of God, a monergistic act rather then a synergistic act.  Otherwise grace is no more grace.

Romans 9:14 "What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there?"

Romans 9:19 "Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?"

They might be worded slightly differently but these objections are still raised today.  However once Paul's argument is understood we realize that salvation is a wonderful work of God as He is always the first one to act.  He alone can change our obstinate hearts and if He did not, we would all be condemned to hell for our wicked nature.

The next few posts will be on the topics presented in Romans 9 to 11...

Those who deny that Genesis is an historical account of the creation of the world just denied the foundation of the gospel.  Paul's argument in the end of Romans 5 discussing original sin and because of the sin of one man, condemnation was upon all men is completely invalidated by denying a historical Genesis account.  If Adam is fictional then the Scripture fiction here too; and the basis of Christ being the second Adam, able to free all men from condemnation is gone out the window.

• If God is for us, who is against us?  No one!
• Who will bring a charge against God's elect?  No one!
• Who will condemn?  No one!
• Who will separate us from the love of Christ?  No one!

Why?  Because "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. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 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 8:28-30)

Christ died for his own and no one can separate us from the love of Christ.  God justifies and no one can reverse God's justification.  I thank God that He is the author and finisher of my faith (Hebrews 12:2).

When the scriptures state that one would hardly die for a righteous or good man, have we put ourselves in the position of the two people in this scenario?

Would we die in the place of someone else?  Even if that person was completely undeserving of it?

Consider the situation where someone died in our place, when our death was sure.  And their death was a result of our actions!

Christ died for sinners, and he did so not because of anything inside us sinners, but to demonstrate the love of God.  The gospel is about God and Him glorifying Himself.  May this force us to be in awe of God and humbly praise Him all our days.

Paul continues describing the war between the Spirit that now dwells within and the flesh which is bent toward sin.  With the mind (the inner man) Paul desires to serve God, but the flesh is weak and wants to serve sin. 

In many places in Scripture we learn key concepts in how to walk in the Spirit and not according to the flesh so the flesh does not win the battle.  Is this the heart of people today?  Do they desire the things of God within (in their hearts and minds) and battle the flesh which wants to obey sin?

Or is it the other way around, in which within the mind we want sin, but the outward actions appear to obey God.  Jesus saw right through the Pharisees as they were hypocrites, living in fake piety toward God but within bent toward sin in their pride and selfishness.

No doubt there are people in our midst today just like the Pharisees who have washed the outside of the cup but the inside is filthy.  May we be a people who have a heart for serving God even though our flesh desires sin.

What an interesting verse.  Paul here is not condoning sin because we can't help it since our flesh is weak; instead he is arguing that when we do not want to do, or don't do what we want to do, we are agreeing with God's law.  We are saying that the law is good and we do not measure up!

Because of the law we have a knowledge of sin, and the conviction of the Spirit bears witness that the law is good.  The law is not invalidated because Christ has lifted the curse, instead we need the law.  Now more than ever.

What a great truth!  We should remind ourselves everyday of this truth; that God chose to show us mercy through Jesus Christ.  We who do not deserve mercy, but justice, are the objects of God's love so that there is no condemnation.  Wow.

As a new Christian or one who is learning about Christianity for the first time we can come across a commandment of God and we say to ourselves "I didn't know that was a sin!"  Things that are acceptable in our society (for example: homosexuality, drunkenness, and greed) may shock people when the Bible strongly condemns those things, even saying that those who practise such things will not enter the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:21).

The Bible does teach that by nature we have a conscience and morals that convict us of right or wrong.  The problem of mankind is that we deceive ourselves and suppress the truth that God has given us (Romans 1:18-23).  Looking at the supreme standard of God's word testifies to the truth and the righteousness which God demands.  We need to constantly be in the word so we know what pleases God, just like we get to know those people we love so we can please them as well.

The law teaches us what is right and wrong, and naturally it points us to Christ since we are unable to keep the law and require the intervention of another.  The righteous works of another is what we require, and our sin needs to be put on another.  Thanks be to Jesus who bore our guilt and sin, and in turn gives to us his perfect righteousness.

Christ is sufficient, and the law leads us to him.

My wife enjoys marriage analogies as they are usually so good at representing truth and it fits here as well.  To restate Paul's argument: if love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8), should we sin against our spouse so that love may abound?  Of course not!

We want the things our spouse wants, we hate the things they hate, we love the things they love.  This is how love works in a marriage relationship, and it is the same with God.  We do not desire to sin so that grace may increase, we realize that God's grace is sufficient, but we desire to please Him with pure hearts and pure actions.  May we not use our freedom or liberty to grieve God, but instead we should desire to know what God loves and what God hates and then align ourselves with His standards.

Does God merely take a bad situation and turn it for good?  Find some positive note in the bad?  Actually, sin is part of his plan to accomplish his purposes of mercy, love and redemption. 

Acts 2:23 "delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death." 

Acts 4:27-28 "For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur."

The free gift that arose from many transgressions was part of God's plan from the beginning.  If you are trusting in Christ, then justification has been granted to you freely because of God.  What a gift, what undeserved favor bought for us at such a high price.

"All means all, and that's all all means" is a favorite saying of those who oppose Calvinism or Reformed Theology.  It is used because they claim Calvinists redefine the meaning of all in verses like 2 Timothy 2:4.  If their statement is true, then consistency demands you to be a universalist (everyone will be saved).

It's clear that the "all" in Romans 5:18 can't be referring to "every single person" or else it would contradict so much of the Bible which speaks about hell and condemnation.  Instead it is much more logical to see that "all" in Romans 5:18 means both Jew and Gentile.  Jesus Christ is the single mediator for "all" men (1 Timothy 2:5), no matter race, social standing, age, sex, heritage, etc.  All have been cursed by the sin of Adam, and all will be saved by Jesus Christ.  Everyone must be saved through Christ; sadly, not everyone will.

For more examples of "all" used in context see this article.

What a great promise for those who love God.  God causes (orchestrates) all things (good, bad, circumstance, etc...) to work together for those who love God.  And those who love God have been called according to His purpose.

What a thought that the Creator would choose to love people in this way, love us first, before we loved him and then bless us with undeserved honor and undeserved salvation when we should justly be condemned to hell.

The Bible teaches that we are slaves, we are creatures that serve a master, and we can tell who our master is by who we obey.  Now we can be enslaved to sin (which is our natural condition) and obey the lusts of our flesh which can be unique for each and every person.  The result of being sin's slave is death (see also Romans 6:23).

But we can thank God that when we were enslaved to sin, we were freed by Christ and instead have become slaves of righteousness.  We now serve a new master, one that pleases God.

Whom do you serve?

The death of Christ for a Christian frees them from the bondage of sin.  Here we read that we are slaves to the one whom we obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness.  What does the pattern of our life reveal about who we are in bondage too?  Are we living a life that demonstrates the obedience of faith (Romans 1:5) or can we not say no to sin and remain in bondage to this world.  Paul warns that if you are enslaved to sin, the result is death; for the wages of sin is death.  Whom do you serve?

What are we saved from?  The common response would most likely be hell.  But here we see that we are freed from the slavery to sin.  We are by nature, born into bondage to sin and the death of Christ can free us from that bondage so that we are no longer slaves to sin, but slaves to righteousness.  Ultimately we are saved from sin, and saved from our body of sin when we are resurrected in glorified form as Christ Jesus our Lord.

The love of God was shown because Christ died while we were yet sinners.  We were not worthy of the death of Christ, nothing we've ever done or will do merits us this kind of favor by God.  It was a complete demonstration of the unconditional, non-failing love of God.  It's the love described in 1 Corinthians 13, and in 1 John where God loved us first.

On another note, who is the us in this verse?  If we back up to Romans 5:1 Paul defines the pronouns of we/us with "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ".  Those who Christ died for are the same as those who have been justified by God through faith.  A particular redemption of a particular people initiated by God to demonstrate His love and kindness.

Those who come to faith in Christ do so because God first loved them.

Here at the beginning of chapter 5 we have the end of chapter 4 :)  The summary statement of Paul's argument in the first 4 chapters of Romans.  Having been (past action with present effects) justified by faith, we have (not may, we have) peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

What a wonderful truth and a great way to start off this month's readings!

Paul starts out with highlighting the depravity of mankind, how both Jew and Gentile are guilty before God because of the witness of God that they have ignored.  He continues by stating that everyone comes to God in the same way, by faith, since no one is able to attain the standard of God's holiness on their own.  Circumcised or uncircumcised; Jew, Greek, barbarian; all are sinners before a just God and the only way for them to have their sins atoned for is to believe the promise of God fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

Paul gives an example of saving faith in Abraham who believed God and it (his belief) was credited to him as righteousness.

May we understand Paul's solid argument and examine ourselves to be sure that our faith is in the promise of God which was revealed in Christ.  Let's persevere in faith like Abraham who did not waiver.

Listen to proponents of infant baptism (eg R.C. Sproul), it's unclear how circumcision and baptism are linked together.  It seems to be a concept foreign to the New Testament which then violates the protestant doctrine of sola Scriptura.

Another verse in Romans that highlights the point is found in Romans 4:10-11 "How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised; and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised"

Here Paul explains the circumcision came after Abraham's faith and that it was a sign of the seal of righteousness Abraham had because of his faith in the promise of God.  If circumcision is linked to baptism (which I just haven't found yet) it appears to be linked more closely to a believer's baptism, not infant sprinkling.  Abraham believed and was circumcised.  Just like the New Testment examples of believing then being baptized.

Note: At this point in my knowledge of the Scriptures, I don't see any linking between circumcision and baptism, but rather from circumcision to a spiritual circumcision of the heart.

Paul's argument for faith that is credited as righteousness is necessary to salvation being by grace.  Grace is unmerited favor and God has demonstrated His grace by giving us forgiveness of sin and the righteousness of Christ as a gift.  It is by faith, because it is given by grace.  If it was because of something we've done (anything we've done) then it is no more grace, but what is due or owed. (Romans 4:4)

This leads into the question, "What about believing?  Isn't that doing something to be rewarded by God?"  This is not a problem for a reformed view of salvation since God grants faith and repentance as a gift.  The entirety of salvation, faith, repentance, forgiveness, imputed righteousness... it is all a gift from God so that no one can boast.  Ephesians 2:8-9.

We know that Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.  What does that saving faith look like?  In Calvinistic terms it's called perseverance, saving faith is a faith that endures. (Matthew 10:22)

Abraham believed the promise of God (that he would be a father of many nations) despite the fact that he was old in age and Sarah his wife could not even bear children.  Abraham did not grow weary and demonstrated or vindicated his faith by willingly sacrificing his promised son Isaac.  God intervened and spared Isaac's life but it was a demonstration of Abraham's perseverance of faith that was credited to him as righteousness.

Does our faith have the traits of a persevering faith?  One that would pass the test and endure?  If not, it is a dead faith that will not save.

As abortion is part of our current culture, we call "choice" what others would call "genecide".  The pre-birth tests that detect autism or other genetic diseases, if positive, are accompanied with the option of abortion.  Again, a "choice" to "kill" a baby.  Could we see a future where most if not all autistic and down syndrome people are killed before they are even born?

Does this not make you sick to your stomach?  For anyone who watched the Olympics this year where Canada's first gold medal was won by Alexandre Bilodeau who's older brother (who has Cerebral Palsy) was right there and has been his source of inspiration his whole life.

Now in our world of "choice", our society would have killed Alexandre's older brother, deeming him worthless and a burden.  O how sinful man is!!

The theme is clear, the wickedness of people is allowed to reap its consequences.  God turns people over to the depravity and lusts of their minds and they in turn reap death for what they sow.  This is evident in the world around us.

The ancient Greek Spartans evaluated babies and if they were not strong enough or had a defect they were either killed (tossed over a cliff, left to die on the hillside) or they were taken from their family to be raised as a slave.  We look at that today and consider it barbaric and cruel, yet our society commits atrocities much worse.  We start with the first step in any process of killing, dehumanization.

By calling it abortion, a fetus, or an embryo we dehumanize our victim before killing it.  The depravity and utter wickedness of people who defend and perform such acts is a clear testimony to the accuracy of the Bible in depicting human nature.  My God grant mercy in opening the eyes of people to the wickedness in their heart.

What was the purpose of the law?  What is the purpose of God's law?  The law is not the means of salvation, not the means whereby we can be seen as righteous before God.  No one will be justified by the law because no one (that is every single person) can every obey the law.  The law is there to let us know of our sin, it is the standard by which we are judged and we all fall short of obeying it.

For those trying to do good to earn favor with God they are under the bondage of the law, in a hopeless effort to please God by their own merits.  We must give up, turn from our sin and turn to Christ who fulfilled the law and is willing to give us His righteousness if we bow down in repentance and faith.

Do some of these attributes of the wicked describe us?  Or maybe we wouldn't do these things but we enjoy when others do these things.  Do we love violent movies, villianous characters, TV shows that are slanderous and hate God, sports heros that are arrogant and boastful?

Paul's charge here is meant to force us to examine ourselves.  Is there evidence that my heart is actually far from God?  Have I deceived myself (like the Jews of Paul's day) into thinking I am close to God?  You shall know them by their fruits, so we should examine ourselves by our fruits!

This verse comes at the end of a blast at the Jewish leaders who think they are righteous, but in actuality are not and will be judged by the same judgment they impose on others.

Oftentimes, we see no partiality with God as a positive thing.  God accepts into His kingdom people from every tribe, tongue, people and nation.  And while that is true, this verse is actually focusing on no partiality in judgment!

The Jews are not exempt from the judgment of God, God is just and will render the same judgment to all for there is no partiality with God.  The Jew and the Gentile will all stand before the Lord to give an account.  If you have the law or don't have the law, God is not partial, you will give an account.

This should strike home with us, because we live in North America, a nation that has many churches, many of us grew up in Christian homes, but none of that matters!  We will all be judged for God is not partial!  May we not trust in our heritage like the Jewish leaders trusted in theirs which ended up leading to their eternal punishment.