The Christ Church Wednesday Bible Study Group is now in a detailed study of Paul's epistle to the church in Rome. These are the notes for Session 6.Paul’s primary purpose in writing Romans was to teach the great truths of the gospel of grace to believers who had never received apostolic instruction. Unlike with some of Paul’s other epistles, his purpose for writing Romans was not to correct detestable theology or rebuke ungodly living. The Roman church was doctrinally sound, but, like all churches, it was in need of the rich doctrinal and practical instruction this letter provides.
The overarching theme of Romans is the righteousness that comes from God: the glorious truth that God justifies guilty, condemned sinners by grace alone through faith in Christ alone.
Paul shows the God of love, who reaches out with open arms to sinful people in the hope that they will come to Him and be saved. Righteousness and justification making a person right with God comes only by faith in response to His grace, never by works.
After describing the appalling sin and lostness of all mankind, Paul revealed how Christ, by His justifying death on the cross, has provided the way of salvation for everyone who comes to God in faith..
If the first four chapters of Romans tell us anything, they tell us we are living a life we don’t deserve. Do we deserve to be here? No. But would we trade the privilege? Not for the world. For if Paul’s proclamation is true, God’s grace has placed us on a dream team beyond imagination. Our past is pardoned, and our future secure.
Next, Paul moves to answer two important questions. First, how complete, or how secure is this salvation provided by Christ? The second is “How could what one man did at one time in history have such an absolute effect on mankind?”
Click below to read my notes.
After describing the appalling sin and lostness of all mankind, Paul revealed how Christ, by His justifying death on the cross, has provided the way of salvation for everyone who comes to God in faith..
If the first four chapters of Romans tell us anything, they tell us we are living a life we don’t deserve. Do we deserve to be here? No. But would we trade the privilege? Not for the world. For if Paul’s proclamation is true, God’s grace has placed us on a dream team beyond imagination. Our past is pardoned, and our future secure.
Next, Paul moves to answer two important questions. First, how complete, or how secure is this salvation provided by Christ?
Can we really be certain? What happens if we sin after turning to Christ in faith? The answer to this question how complete, or how secure is this salvation provided by Christ?is the subject of 5:1–11.
The second is “How could what one man did at one time in history have such an absolute effect on humankind?” In 5:12-21 Paul concisely answers this question by comparing the reign of death that Adam’s sin engendered with the reign of life made possible by Christ’s perfect sacrifice.
Chapter 5 of Romans, when looked at carefully, is a source of great comfort and genuine awe in a God who is able and willing to provide such a great salvation.
Faith Brings Joy
Romans 5:1-11 NLT Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.
Paul starts by showing the blessings that come to people because they have trusted God. God has made them righteous because of their faith. Paul says ‘we’ so he includes in these blessings himself and everyone who has faith.
Romans 5:1 NKJV Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Verse 1 We have peace with God. We used to be God’s enemies
James 4:4 NKJV Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
But there is now peace between us and God; we have been justified, or declared righteous so we are now God’s friends.
Ephesians 2:13-18 NKJV But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
Romans 5:2 NKJV through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Verse 2
The word access means introduction so we have been introduced by faith in Jesus who has prepared the way for us to approach God so that we can receive His grace.
Paul uses the same idea in his letter to the Ephesians
Ephesians 2:18 NKJV For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
We stand in this grace meaning that nothing can separate us from God’s love.
Romans 8:38-39 NKJV For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Humans may sometimes be kind. But then they may stop their kindness for whatever reason. God’s love never changes.
Verses 3-4
Romans 5:3-4 NKJV And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.
Paul reminds us, as Christians we can rejoice in the midst of any circumstance because of where our hope is placed. Hope is the gets our faith from point A to point B. Hope is what keeps us moving and rejoicing through whatever circumstances life throws our way. So how do we have hope to see our faith realized?
We have hope when our faith is resting firmly in Jesus. Then it doesn't matter when suffering or persecution comes our way, because hope lets us rejoice in the midst of it.
James 1:2-3 NKJV My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
Both Paul and James knew that a byproduct of suffering at the hand of this world was perseverance.
Perseverance is really patience and as we know patience is an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit and necessary for Christians.
Patience, it is not a passive word, but rather a strong active word. The heart of patience denotes endurance, consistency and perseverance no matter what happens.
Patience allows our faith to mature and produce hope. Hope gets us through to the end goal, which is the glory of God. As Christians we should always be optimistic looking forward to Jesus' return for us. Jesus said, "in this world, you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) He knew the hope to which he was calling us, and this blessed hope is what we await patiently for enduring and conquering in his name until his return.
When a person suffers it can produce good qualities in his character. We know this from human experience. A person who is suffering may learn courage to continue his life as a Christian. Troubles test a person. It makes him a stronger and better Christian. Then his hope for the future will be stronger too.
Romans 5:5-8 NKJV Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Verses 5-8
We know that God will never disappoint us. a) He has given us the Holy Spirit. The Spirit helps us to know that God loves us. His love will never give us up. It’s the gift we talked about on Sunday that gives us boldness and confidence.
Romans 8:16 NKJV The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
b) God has proved his love by Christ’s death on the cross. When God gave his son, God was giving himself. He was giving his love to those who do not deserve it. ‘We had no power of our own.’ So we cannot rescue ourselves from sin. But God chose the right time to rescue us. God is very different from men. On a rare occasion, a person might be willing to die on behalf of a good person. But Christ died for bad people. We were sinners who could not earn our own salvation. So our salvation was entirely the result of God’s love.
Romans 5:9-11 NKJV Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when 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. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
Verses 9-11 God considers us righteous because of Jesus’ death. So God has forgiven our sin. This means that we will not suffer punishment from God for our sin. Our salvation is complete. We have become God’s friends, although we used to be his enemies. This happened because of Jesus’ death. But God raised Jesus to live. And the result is that we too have a new life.
Romans 6:4 NKJV Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
II Corinthians 5:17 NKJV Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
We can rejoice because of everything that God has done for us. He has made us his friends.
Death In Adam Life In Christ
Romans 5:12-21 NKJV Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned— (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Adam’s Sin
Romans 5:12-14 NKJV Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned— (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.
Verses 12-14 Adam sinned because he did not obey God’s command. There was one special tree in the garden. God told Adam that he must not eat from that one. If he did not obey this command, he would die. So death was the result of his *sin
Genesis 2:15-17 NKJV Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
Genesis 3:17-19 NKJV Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.”
So death, both physical and spiritual, came to everyone. How is that possible?
There are different ideas on how this happened:
1. Everyone sins because they behave like Adam. And don’t obey God.
2. Everyone has the same nature as Adam. So everyone has a tendency to sin.
3. The Hebrew name ‘Adam’ means ‘man’. Adam is more than just a person from the past. All people belong together. So everyone sins in Adam’s sin.
Back in chapter 3 we read that Paul emphasised that everyone has sinned.
Romans 3:10-18 NKJV As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” “Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit”; “The poison of asps is under their lips”; “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; Destruction and misery are in their ways; And the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
So the result of Adam’s sin is that everyone is guilty.
In 5:17, Paul explains that Adam was just one man.
And in 5:16, Paul showed that Adam’s sin was the first of many sins. Adam sinned the first time, and since then, everyone has continued to sin. So everyone is guilty.
There was sin in the world even before God gave the law to Moses. The law made people recognise the nature of sin more clearly.
Galatians 3:21-25 NKJV Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
When Paul says that the law was a tutor he used the Greek word that denotes a slave who had the duty of taking care of a child until adulthood. The “tutor” would escort the children to and from school and watch over their behavior at home. Tutors were often strict disciplinarians, causing those under their care to yearn for the day when they would be free from their tutor’s custody. The law, our tutor, was escorting us to Christ by showing us our sins.
The difference between Adam and Christ
Romans 5:15-19 NKJV But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.
Romans 5:15 NKJV But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.
Verse 15 Adam chose to do what he wanted to do. Christ’s gift came because he loves us. He did what God wanted. Many people died because of Adam’s sin. Many people received the gift of life because of Jesus.
Romans 5:16 NKJV And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification.
Verse 16 Adam’s one sin brought God’s judgement. Adam was guilty. Afterwards, people sinned very many times. But the death of Jesus was sufficient to make people righteous. He did not need to die many times. His death was the perfect sacrifice for sin.
Hebrews 9:23-28 NKJV Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another— He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.
Romans 5:17 NKJV For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)
Verse 17 People suffer death because of the sin of one man, Adam. God’s huge supply of grace and his gift of righteousness come by means of one man, Jesus Christ. Those who accept God’s gift will rule with Jesus in his kingdom. In the end, God will defeat death.
I Corinthians 15:54-55, 57 NKJV So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:18 NKJV Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.
Verse 18 The result of Adam’s sin makes everyone guilty. The result of Christ’s righteous act is that everyone can become righteous. God offers righteousness to everyone who will invite him into their lives.
Romans 5:19 NKJV For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.
Verse 19 Many people became *sinners because Adam did not obey God. Many people became friends with God because *Christ obeyed him.
God’s Grace
Romans 5:20-21 NKJV Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Verse 20 When the people received God’s law, they knew about God’s standards. But few people even tried to live their lives by God’s standards. People knew what God wanted them to do. But most people preferred to continue their sinful lives.
So people’s sin increased. But God’s grace is greater than people’s sin. God had a wonderful plan to rescue people from the power of sin.
Verse 21 God sent Jesus to die on the cross (John 3:16). God did this because of his great grace, in other words, his kindness. And that act was sufficient to make people righteous. It was more than enough to bring salvation to everyone who trusts him.
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