(Theme of Chapter 3: Paul built on the foundation of the previous chapter which removed the division between the Jews and the Gentiles because Salvation was available to all. Paul showed how/why Salvation was available to all: God is the God of all people. Jesus died for all people which provided the ability to be saved by grace. Everyone is able to have faith and demonstrate it by allowing God's influence to direct our actions/works. This process of Salvation requires humility and does not give the individual the opportunity to brag or see themselves above others. Next, Paul applied this conclusion to Abraham, the father of the Jews.)
Romans 4
1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, hath found according to the flesh?
2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not toward God.
3 For what saith the scripture? And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness.
(Doctrine: Abraham was not justified by works. Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as Righteousness. Abraham's faith was the cause of his works. The conclusion of the previous chapter applied to the father of the Jews, so it would apply to all Jews.)
4 Now to him that worketh, the reward is not reckoned as of grace, but as of debt.
(Doctrine: The recompense for our works is Reward through Justice, because we are owed. This means people who have righteousness as an effect of their works do not have the cause (grace through faith) of Salvation.
We will use a little "r" to signify righteousness from ourselves that results in Reward. We will use a capital "R" to signify Righteousness from God through grace that results in Salvation.)
5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is reckoned for righteousness.
(Doctrine: People who have faith in God as a cause will have Righteousness, which leads to Salvation.)
6 Even as David also pronounceth blessing upon the man, unto whom God reckoneth righteousness apart from works,
7 saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, And whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed is the man to whom, the Lord will not reckon sin.
(Paul referenced Psalm 32:1-2 to prove our Dispensation of Grace was prophesied by David.)
9 Is this blessing then pronounced upon the circumcision, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say, To Abraham his faith was reckoned for righteousness.
(Doctrine: Abraham was justified before the Law was given. Notice, faith was counted as Righteousness to Abraham, not circumcision.)
10 How then was it reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision:
11 and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while he was in uncircumcision; that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be in uncircumcision, that righteousness might be reckoned unto them;
12 and the father of circumcision to them who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham which he had in uncircumcision.
(Doctrine: Not only was Abraham the father of the Jews but also the father of all who walk in faith, which further broke down the division between the Jews and the Gentiles. Abraham was justified twenty-four years before his circumcision.)
13 For not through the law was the promise to Abraham or to his seed that he should be heir of the world, but through the righteousness of faith.
(Doctrine: Salvation comes by faith, not by the Law.)
14 For if they that are of the law are heirs, faith is made void, and the promise is made of none effect:
15 for the law worketh wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there transgression.
16 For this cause it is of faith, that it may be according to grace; to the end that the promise may be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all
(Doctrine: Grace via the Holy Spirit can only work by faith. Grace is "the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life." Faith is "a belief in something you cannot see, either because it is intangible or it is yet to happen." The divine influence is definitely something you cannot see and therefore takes faith to obey. Those that obeyed the Law were not justified by the Law, they were justified by their faith in allowing the Law to be the divine influence upon their heart.)
17 (as it is written, A father of many nations have I made thee) before him whom he believed, even God, who giveth life to the dead, and calleth the things that are not, as though they were.
(Doctrine: God has faith. God calls "the things that are not, as though they were." This meant God believes in things that have not happened yet and in things He cannot see. Paul referenced Genesis 17:4-5.)
18 Who in hope believed against hope, to the end that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, So shall thy seed be.
19 And without being weakened in faith he considered his own body now as good as dead (he being about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb;
20 yet, looking unto the promise of God, he wavered not through unbelief, but waxed strong through faith, giving glory to God,
(Paul showed examples proving Abraham had great faith.)
21 and being fully assured that what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
22 Wherefore also it was reckoned unto him for righteousness.
(Abraham's actions proved his faith and that was why it was counted as Righteousness. His actions were not the cause…faith was the cause, the actions/works were the proof/effect.)
23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was reckoned unto him;
(Genesis 15:6 was written for all, not just Abraham.)
24 but for our sake also, unto whom it shall be reckoned, who believe on him that raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,
25 who was delivered up for our trespasses, and was raised for our justification.
(Doctrine: This was written for all of our benefit, that if we choose to believe in God we will be justified through Christ.)
(Theme of Chapter 4: Paul built on the foundation of the previous chapter which explained the how/why of Salvation being available to everyone. Paul showed the father of the Jews (Abraham) was justified by faith before he was under the Law, which made Abraham the father of all those that choose to believe: both Jews and Gentiles. Salvation is by grace through faith to all that believe.)
Romans 5
1 Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ;
2 through whom also we have had our access by faith into this grace wherein we stand; and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
(Verses 1-2 were a restatement of the conclusion of chapter 4: Salvation is by grace through faith. This ought to cause us to rejoice about our hope for eternity with God.)
3 And not only so, but we also rejoice in our tribulations: knowing that tribulation worketh stedfastness;
4 and stedfastness, approvedness; and approvedness, hope:
5 and hope putteth not to shame; because the love of God hath been shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit which was given unto us.
(Verses 3-5 were the contrastive effects of our rejoicing over the eternal hope of Salvation: we can gain reward for the temporary tribulations we experience while on earth.)
6 For while we were yet weak, in due season Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: for peradventure for the good man some one would even dare to die.
8 But God commendeth his own love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
(Doctrine: Christ died for all the ungodly. Christ did not just die for those who would choose to have faith. This premise was very similar to how Paul began this letter: God supplied everything necessary for everyone to know God exists and we are all sinners, and it is up to the individual to choose to have faith and repent. Likewise, Christ supplied everything necessary for everyone to have the eternal hope of Salvation, and it is up to the individual to choose to have faith and repent.)
9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, shall we 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, being reconciled, shall we be saved by his life;
11 and not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
(Paul encouraged the reader to have more faith that believers will be saved from wrath because Christ showed us mercy while we were sinners. How much more will He show us if we choose to be believers?)
12 Therefore, as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin; and so death passed unto all men, for that all sinned:--
(Doctrine: The sin that caused us to need a savior came into the world through Adam, not Eve. "But I thought Eve ate the forbidden fruit before Adam?" Yes, she did. However, Adam brought the sin into the world that caused us to need Salvation by the original sin of justifying himself in response to God's questions. Eve and then Adam eating the fruit was actually them sinning against each other. Adam, then Eve, justifying themselves to God was sinning against God, which caused us to need Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross in order for us to receive Salvation. We saw in Genesis 3 there was a Reward judgment in response to them eating the fruit and a Salvation judgment in response to them justifying themselves to God.)
13 for until the law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
(Doctrine: There was sin in the world before the Law, but that sin was not imputed where there was no Law. Once a person sinned, they felt guilt and that became a Law to them from sinning the next time. Adam justifying himself after feeling guilt was a sin that got imputed on all of us because Adam's guilt was a Law.)
14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the likeness of Adam's transgression, who is a figure of him that was to come.
(Doctrine: Adam was a figure of Christ. Christ's mission was to undo all the damage Adam did. For example, Christ being tempted in the desert was the beginning of Jesus' mission to undo the damage Adam did in the Garden of Eden. (See Matthew 4:10 commentary.) Jesus' death on the cross was the completion of this mission.)
15 But not as the trespass, so also is the free gift. For if by the trespass of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God, and the gift by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound unto the many.
16 And not as through one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment came of one unto condemnation, but the free gift came of many trespasses unto justification.
17 For if, by the trespass of the one, death reigned through the one; much more shall they that receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, even Jesus Christ.
18 So then as through one trespass the judgment came unto all men to condemnation; even so through one act of righteousness the free gift came unto all men to justification of life.
(Doctrine: Jesus' death can apply to everyone just as Adam's sin did apply to everyone. This was another verse that contradicted Calvinism: God did not predestine people to eternal damnation. God's Will was that all were saved. God did everything possible to make Salvation available to all. People make the choice to refuse what God supplied through Jesus Christ's sacrificial death on the cross.)
19 For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one shall the many be made righteous.
(Doctrine: Jesus is the solution to the problem (of sin/death) before, during, and after the Law. Therefore, everyone needs Jesus in order to overcome hell and have eternal life.)
20 And the law came in besides, that the trespass might abound; but where sin abounded, grace did abound more exceedingly:
(Doctrine: The Law made people want to sin (think about the rebellious nature humans have, in man's flesh. For example, when you are told not to do something, it makes you want to do it) but, where sin increased, grace increased more. God provides His influence to guide us in how to repair our sin.)
21 that, as sin reigned in death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
(Doctrine: God constantly responds to sin with a divine influence so that grace rules through Righteousness to eternal life by Jesus Christ.)
(Theme of Chapter 5: Paul built on the foundation of the previous chapter which explained the father of the Jews (Abraham) was justified by faith before he was under the Law, which made Abraham the father of all those that choose to believe: both Jews and Gentiles. Paul showed that everyone was a sinner because of Adam's sin and since Adam was a figure of Christ, Christ's sacrificial death on the cross was for everyone. Christ supplied everything necessary for everyone to have the eternal hope of Salvation, and it is up to the individual to choose to have faith and repent.)
Romans 6
(This chapter gave a more specific description of what Jesus provided: Biblical Grace - "the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life.")
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. We who died to sin, how shall we any longer live therein?
(Doctrine: Grace cannot be "unmerited favor" or else we would have to sin more so that "grace may abound." "Unmerited favor" would be given after a person sins. "Biblical Grace" is given to help the individual avoid sinning.)
3 Or are ye ignorant that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
4 We were buried therefore with him through baptism unto death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.
(Doctrine: The Gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Likewise, our flesh ought to be dead and buried (out of sight) so we can be raised and walk in newness of life.)
5 For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection;
6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away, that so we should no longer be in bondage to sin;
(Doctrine: Our old man (flesh) was crucified with Christ.)
7 for he that hath died is justified from sin.
8 But if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him;
(Doctrine: Being "dead" with Christ actually means we live with Christ.)
9 knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death no more hath dominion over him.
10 For the death that he died, he died unto sin once: but the life that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11 Even so reckon ye also yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus.
(Doctrine: As Christ lives for the Father so must we live for God.)
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey the lusts thereof:
(An effect of living for God is that our mortal (physical) body will not rule our lives, God will.)
13 neither present your members unto sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves unto God, as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
(The only way we can be "instruments of righteousness unto God" is by allowing God to flow through us via His influence upon our hearts and its reflection in our lives, which is Biblical Grace.)
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under law, but under grace.
(Doctrine: We are not under the Law, we are under grace. We ought to be letting God influence our actions via the Holy Spirit.)
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under law, but under grace? God forbid.
(If grace was "unmerited favor" then not being under the Law would result in us sinning. However, doing Biblical Grace does not result in us sinning.)
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye present yourselves as servants unto obedience, his servants ye are whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
(Doctrine: Biblical Grace results in us obeying God. We are servants to whom we obey, whether that is God or sin is our choice.)
17 But thanks be to God, that, whereas ye were servants of sin, ye became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching whereunto ye were delivered;
(Thank God that you were servants of sin but now we have "obeyed from the heart" (which meant what actually came out in our actions - Mark 7:18-23) the Doctrine which we have received (Apostles' Doctrine - Acts 2:42). Again, this had to be Biblical Grace and not "unmerited favor.")
18 and being made free from sin, ye became servants of righteousness.
(Doctrine: Once we became free from sin by not being under the Law, we became servants of Righteousness by taking direction from God via the Holy Spirit, which is Biblical Grace.)
19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye presented your members as servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity, even so now present your members as servants to righteousness unto sanctification.
20 For when ye were servants of sin, ye were free in regard of righteousness.
21 What fruit then had ye at that time in the things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
(Doctrine: Unrighteous living results in guilt/shame. The fruit of an unrighteous life is death.)
22 But now being made free from sin and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end eternal life.
(Doctrine: Righteous living results in freedom. The fruit of a Righteous life is eternal life.)
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Theme of Chapter 6: Paul built on the foundation of the previous chapter which explained everyone was a sinner because of Adam's sin and since Adam was a figure of Christ, Christ's sacrificial death on the cross was for everyone. Paul continued using the same logical argument to remove the barriers between Jesus and all: if our flesh is dead and buried with Jesus, then we ought to be resurrected with Jesus, able to walk in freedom from sin and towards eternal life. Throughout this chapter, the definition of Biblical Grace was clearly shown to be "the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life." So far, everything we have read contradicted grace being "unmerited favor" and contradicted Salvation being against the will of the individual. God gives us an influence via the Holy Spirit (Biblical Grace) and we are responsible (faith) for choosing to ignore it or allowing it to direct our actions which would lead to Salvation.)
Day 323
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