Category Short Study of Romans

Paul’s letter to the Romans is a wonderful dissertation on the tremendous grace of God towards men. Paul introduces himself as one having authority to speak, by virtue of being an ‘apostle’ or one sent out, an ambassador of Jesus Christ. In the course of his letter to the Romans, Paul identifies the Lord Jesus as the Christ, or the Messiah the Jews awaited, in fulfilment of the prophecies given by God so they would know the Messiah when He came. Paul also asserts unequivocally that Jesus is also the Son of God.

Paul’s purpose in writing to his letter to the Romans becomes clear as the letter develops; there were misunderstandings among the people about how Christ’s Gospel affected each of the people of the Jews and the Gentiles, those who were not part of the nation of Israel. Some Jews were persuaded that they were still obliged to follow the Law of Moses, and that without obedience, they could not be justified before God. Jews who rejected the salvation through faith in Christ believed that only through the Law could they approach God, and by its observance, they were justified by God. Soem believed non-Jews were outside of God’s plan or purpose for redemption. Paul declares to one and all that the Scripture makes clear that all men are sinners, regardless of their national or religious background, and that the Law had no power to justify anyone before God, but only through the covering of the blood of Jesus Christ, shed for the sins of mankind, could any man ever be made acceptable to God, and that only through faith in Christ and His shed blood as our covering could anyone receive the benefit of that justification. No one can earn God’s favour; only through His gracious extension of reconciliation can any man hope to be received by the Sovereign Lord.

It is impossible to do justice to Paul’s exceptional letter, but this series of instalments seeks to offer some observations and points to consider with regard to Paul’s message that God’s grace is found in Jesus Christ, and received by all people equally only through faith in His name and the covering provided by His death on the cross on our behalf. May God bless you as you seek to know Him better through the diligent study of His Word. 2 Pe 3:18

Romans 4:23 -25

“Now it was not written for him only, that it was reckoned to him, but also for us to whom it is being reckoned, who believe on Him Who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, Who was given up because of our offences and was raised for our justification.”

The essence of the gospel: God’s righteousness shall be imputed to us also if we trust Him Who raised Jesus Christ from the dead, Who was delivered to death for our offences and raised that we may be justified. We must trust the Lord Jesus Christ – Who He is, What He says, What He has done on our behalf. How very simple. How very plain.

Christ died for our sins, He rose again and is seated at the right hand of the Father, and He will return to judge the living and the dead...

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Romans 4:9-22

“Is this blessedness then upon the circumcision, or also upon the uncircumcision? For we are saying that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.  How then was it reckoned: in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all who believe, though uncircumcised, that righteousness might be accounted to them also; and the father of circumcision to those, not of the circumcision only, but also to those who walk in the footsteps of the faith of our father Abraham while yet uncircumcised...

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Romans 4:5-8

But to him who is not working, but trusting in the Justifier of the ungodly, his faith is reckoned to him for righteousness, even as also David says the man is blessed to whom God accounts righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose transgressions were pardoned, and whose sins were covered.  Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not be reckoning sin.”

The person who works to justify himself to God is spinning his wheels in sand, digging a progressively deeper pit in which he will become inextricably buried...

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Romans 4:4-5

Now to him who works the wage is not accounted according to grace, but according to debt; yet to him who is not working, yet believes upon Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted to righteousness”

When someone works, he earns his reward; his reward is deserved. Grace is the extension of some benefit which is not deserved. There is no grace in paying someone what they have earned; the wages are owed; they must be paid.

When someone does not work, he earns nothing. Any benefit he receives is undeserved, and imparted through the grace of the one who gives. A man who does not work to earn God’s benefits, but trusts God, has acknowledged God as God when he believes what God has said...

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Romans 4:1-5

What then shall we say Abraham our father found, according to flesh?

If Abraham was justified by his actions, he had a boast — but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? ‘Now Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness;’

Now to him who works, the wage is not accounted according to grace, but according to debt; but to the one not working, but believing upon Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted to righteousness” 

When Abraham encountered the Sovereign LORD YHWH, he had not known Him, nor had he lived as a man who did. Abraham had nothing to offer God to compel His kindness nor to turn aside the outcome of justice; Abraham was not a holy man. 

If in fact Abraham had been declared righteous by God on the basis of his deeds – a ...

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Romans 3:28-31

“Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Is He the God of the Jews only? And not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, since there is one God, who shall justify the circumcision by faith, and the uncircumcision through faith.

Do we then make void the law through faith? It is not so! Rather we establish the law.”

When asked what was the greatest commandment in the law, Jesus replied that the greatest commandment was to love the Lord God with all one’s heart, soul, strength, and mind and that the second commandment was to love one’s neighbour as oneself. He then said that all the Law and the prophets ‘hung upon’ these two commandments.

It is not possible to love God without believing that He is, Who He is, and what He ha...

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Romans 3:29-30

“Is He the God of the Jews only? And not also of the Gentiles? Yes, and of the Gentiles also. Since there is one God Who shall justify the circumcision by faith, and the uncircumcision through faith, ….” 

When the Jews acknowledged that the Gentiles had other ‘gods’, it became a tacit admission recognizing those idols as something substantive, something to be considered. What any person believes about God and idols has no effect on the truth that God is, and idols are nothing: superstitions, fairytales, or demonic lies. YHWH, the Lord God Almighty, is the Creator of the universe, and the absolute sovereign over all men, regardless of whether they recognize Him, believe Him, or obey Him. 

There is one God; He therefore must be the God both of the Jews and the non-Jews...

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Romans 3:27-30b

“Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No: but by the law of faith.
Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Is He the God of the Jews only? And not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, since there is one God, who shall justify the circumcision by faith, and the uncircumcision through faith.”

We know that, if God were to require our justification by the deeds of the law, we would all perish, for we are all guilty of all the law. The Jew cannot claim the Law for his salvation, for he knowingly violates its written precepts. The Gentile cannot hide from the Law for his justification; he is equally guilty and equally condemned. 

But praise be to God, who has justified sinful men, not by our deeds, but by fa...

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Romans 3:27-30

“Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No: but by the law of faith.
Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Is He the God of the Jews only? And not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, since there is one God, who shall justify the circumcision by faith, and the uncircumcision through faith.”

Indeed, if all men are proven to be sinful, and every individual of us guilty before God of violating His righteous law, how does anyone have anything of which to boast? Indeed, anyone with a requirement for propitiation is excluded from boasting, for whatever ‘good’ he  might claim to his credit is sullied by the wrong he has committed.

So then, pitiful men must fall upon the grace and mercy of a loving God or suff...

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Romans 3:21-26b

Romans 3:21-26:           “But now the righteousness of God without the Law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all who believe[2] –  for there is no difference [1]; for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God – being justified freely[3] by His grace [4] through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth[5] to be a propitiation[6] through faith in His blood[7], to declare His righteousness[8] for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time His righteousness: that He might be just, and the justifier[9] of him with faith in Jesus.”[10]

Paul has said many things in this short su...

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