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 15.
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.
In this session we finish Paul's answer to the question of the Jews position with God. Do the Jews still have a unique place in God's plan of redemption given the fact that Gentiles can now become part of God's family by faith and not by obedience to the Law? Paul's answer is that the Jews still have a place in God's family the same way that the Gentiles do by faith. God's promise to the Jews is answered in their Messiah, Jesus Christ.
After Paul answers the question as to the future of Israel he moves on to the kind of the lives that those who have been declared righteous through faith in Jesus Christ, should live through the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Click below to read my notes.
For an audio recording of the session click on the YouTube icon.
The Future For Israel
Romans 11:25-36 NKJV For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.” Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy. For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all. Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! “For who has known the mind of the Lord ? Or who has become His counselor?” “Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?” For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.
Romans 11:25-27 NKJV For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.”
Verses 25-27 Paul tells his Gentile brothers and sisters about God’s future plan for the Jews.
Paul told the Gentiles not to ‘become proud’,‘Do not become wise in yourselves.’ Paul says that the Jews will not always oppose God. When the full number of Gentiles has come into the kingdom, God will determine when that will be perhaps it will be after the gospel is preached everywhere and everybody has had an opportunity to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior nobody but God knows. God will save all Israel just like he saved the Gentiles through faith in Jesus. This does not mean that every natural descendant of Abraham will be saved. .
They will know God’s kindness because of Christ.
As a whole, Israel has experienced a hardness of heart concerning Jesus. They do not see him as the promised Messiah. They are relying on the Law and what they do for God to be right with Him instead of relying on His grace. It appears that for the most part they have missed out on the long awaited Messiah. However Paul explained earlier in this passage that there was currently a remnant of Jews saved by grace. Jews, who saw Jesus as the Messiah, and have put their trust solely in him.
Romans 11:5 NKJV Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
Paul went on to explain that their rejection of Jesus blessed the entire world, because salvation was then opened up to the Gentiles where previously, they were excluded and outside the promises of God.
Romans 11:11, 15 NKJV I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
He encouraged his Jewish readers by telling them that if their transgressions meant riches for the world, their final acceptance of Christ would bring about a greater blessing.
Romans 11:12 NKJV Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!
Now we can understand that Israel is experiencing a temporary hardening to the truth of Christ until the full number and last ingathering of the Gentiles come in. Then, all Israel will be saved.
Does this mean the entire nation of Israel will be saved whether or not they believe in Jesus? No, it means that the temporary blindness that they are experiencing as a nation will be removed and we will see God moving mightily among them as they turn to him and put their trust in him. He will reveal to them the truth of Christ and reconcile the reality of the scriptures to them. In verse 27 Paul quoted from the Old Testament scripture when he said, "The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins".
Isaiah 59:20-21 NKJV “The Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” Says the Lord . “As for Me,” says the Lord , “this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants’ descendants,” says the Lord , “from this time and forevermore.”
No longer will they need to adhere to the law, they will have the perfect law of Christ written on their hearts.
Jeremiah 31:33-34 NKJV But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord : I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord ,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord . For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
Hebrews 8:8-12 NKJV Because finding fault with them, He says: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord , when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord . For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord : I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord ,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
What is the law of Christ?
Mark 12:28-31 NKJV Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all?” Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
When Israel finally understands Jesus is the Christ, then we will see a great movement to return to the Lord and the result will bless the entire world by their faith.
Israel must come to Jesus the same way we do, by faith; by placing our entire hope in him to save us. They are loved on account of the patriarchs and they are chosen and called out from the world, but the truth is in Christ alone.
For those who are looking to God in the right motive of the heart he will reveal himself to them and what he reveals is always Jesus.
"For there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." ( Acts 4:12 ). Amen!
Back to Paul’s warning to the Gentiles.
Romans 11:28-29 NKJV Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
Verses 28-29 Because of unbelief, many Jews opposed the first Christians. Those Jews acted as if they were enemies. But God loved the Jews. God had chosen them to be his people. He would never forget the promise of blessing that he had made to their ancestors.
Romans 11:30-32 NKJV For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy. For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.
Verses 30-31 In the past, the Gentiles did not obey God. Now, because the Jews had not obeyed him, the Gentiles received God’s mercy. As the result of God’s mercy to the Gentiles, the Jews themselves will receive God’s mercy.
Verse 32 Paul has shown that there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles. They all have sinned (Romans 3:9). They all can receive God’s salvation.
Romans 11:33-36 NKJV Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! “For who has known the mind of the Lord ? Or who has become His counselor?” “Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?” For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.
Verse 33 Paul’s praises two things: God’s wisdom and his decisions. It is impossible for a person to understand God’s ways. The word ‘unsearchable’ shows that God’s wisdom is far greater than the wisest thoughts of any wise person. His judgements are better than the judgements of the wisest human judge. A human judge might know about a person’s actions. But only God understands that person perfectly. God knows the real reasons for an action. God can judge thoughts as well as actions.
Verse 34 Paul uses Isaiah 40:13.
Isaiah 40:13 NKJV Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord , Or as His counselor has taught Him?
The two statements about God’s wisdom and his decisions. remind us that ‘God’s ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts’
Isaiah 55:8 NKJV “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord .
Verses 35-36 In verse 35, Paul refers to God’s words in Job 41:11.
Romans 11:35-36 NKJV “Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?” For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.
Job 41:11 NKJV Who has preceded Me, that I should pay him? Everything under heaven is Mine.
God cannot owe us anything. Whatever we might give to him has come from him. So Paul prays that people will always praise God. They should praise him because of who he is. And they should praise him because of what he has done.
Supernatural Living Romans 12:1-21
After 11 chapters of rich theological truth, Paul spends the balance of his letter to the Romans explaining how these doctrines should look in a believer’s daily life. This is a repeated theme in Paul’s writings, we’ve seen it in our studies of Galatians, and Ephesians Theology can never be divorced from life; it always has practical ramifications and implications.
We can look at the rest of this letter as what can be called “the normal Christian life”, and this normal Christian is really nothing short of supernatural! Paul will demonstrate that when a believer gives himself or herself fully to God and then, in the power of the Spirit, lives out in experience what's already true of him or her positionally and actually, the result is staggering, mind-boggling.
This kind of life is so different from the world that it’s like a bright neon sign.
Christians who are living sacrifices in the service of God are godly, not worldly; transformed, not conformed; humble, not proud; helpful and generous, not stingy; unified with others, not divided from them; loving, not hypocritical and hateful; other-centered, not self-absorbed; enthusiastic, not blah; forgiving, not vengeful.
Let’s get into it.
True Worship
Romans 12:1-2 NKJV I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Verse 1 Paul now appeals to all the Christians in Rome, Jews and Gentiles because God has shown his great love to them all. So they should all be grateful. If they have the right attitude toward God, then they will have the right attitudes about themselves. This will consequently make a difference in their relationships with other people.
Paul uses the idea of a priest who offers a sacrifice. The sacrifice had to be perfect.
Leviticus 1:3 NKJV ‘If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish; he shall offer it of his own free will at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord .
Paul is saying Christians should, in fact he was begging them to offer their bodies as a sacrifice to God. He was not talking about physically dying because strictly prohibited human sacrifices.
Leviticus 18:21 NKJV And you shall not let any of your descendants pass through the fire to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the Lord .
Deuteronomy 12:31 NKJV You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.
No, he is explaining how Christians should live their lives in this world. They should try to use every part of their bodies in a manner that pleases God. They will use their feet. They will go where God wants them to go. They will use their hands to give practical help to other people. With their ears, they will listen to other people’s problems. With their mouths, they will speak to encourage other people and to tell them the good news about *Christ. The right use of the body will be like the perfect sacrifice that pleased God. Their worship would not just be a ceremony. This is the right kind of worship. It is spiritual. It is the worship that God asks for.
John 4:21-24 NKJV Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Verse 2 Christians must also change the way that they think. The word ‘change’ is the same word that describes the change in Jesus’ body. Jesus’ countenance changed when he showed his glory to the three apostles. It was a complete change.
Mark 9:2 NKJV Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them.
"Transfigured" comes from the Greek root word metamorphoo. It means to change forms. His body changes from a purely human form to one that more accurately displays His deity and glory.
What we think, or more accurately how we think, will affect what we do. Christians will think differently about the use of money. Christians will remember that money belongs to God. So they will try not to waste it or to use it selfishly. They will have a different opinion about sex. They will make careful choices about what they read. They will select carefully what they watch on television. The Holy Spirit will guide Christians as they try to please God. They will want to obey God, so that they can ‘reflect the Lord’s glory.
Remember God’s purpose for us;
Romans 8:28-29 NKJV And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
II Corinthians 3:18 NKJV But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Use The Gifts That God Gives
Romans 12:3-8 NKJV For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
Verse 3 Paul uses the words, ‘I say to you.’ because God had shown his grace to Paul, so that he had become an apostle. So he speaks with authority. He tells Christians to think properly about their gifts, talents and skill. They must not be proud. They must not think that they are better than other people.
The standard by which they must judge themselves is the standard of faith. That faith means to trust in Christ. He lived and died for them. When they think about Christ’s action they will be humble.
Verses 4-5 The Paul uses the analogy of the human body. All the different parts of a body are necessary. In the same way, all members of the Christian church should work together. Then the church can work properly. The people may have a variety of gifts and or talents. But each is necessary for the purpose of God’s work in that church.
Verses 6-8 Christians should be humble because their skills come from God. Then Paul gives 7 examples of spiritual, supernatural, special, skills that Christians should use. He mentions them here and in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and in Ephesians chapter 4. We had a study about these gifts. Let’s talk briefly about the ones that Paul mentions here in Romans.
1. Prophecy. A Christian might receive a message from God. That Christian would give this message to the local church. But he must only give such a message if he has faith. In other words, he must trust God that the message comes from God. Christians must not give prophecies that do not come from God. So any prophecy must agree with the Bible’s message.
2. To minister or serve. The Greek word is ‘diakonia’. It can mean various activities. The apostles were ‘serving’ when they preached (Acts 6:4). And the same word describes the work of the 7 disciples who gave food to poor widows.
Acts 6:2-3 NKJV Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business;
So a person should use whatever skills he has in order to serve other people.
3. To teach. After people become Christians, they need to learn about the meaning of their faith in their daily life. Someone must teach them.
4. To exhort or encourage. This has two meanings: a) to persuade with strong words. A preacher can do this. b) to comfort and give courage. Barnabas is an example of this meaning. He was well-known among the first Christians because of the way that he encouraged people.
Acts 4:36-37 NKJVAnd Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus, having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
5. To give. If we share our possessions, money or time with other people, we should do so in a generous way. We should enjoy ourselves as we give to other people.
6. To lead other people. Church leaders should carry out their responsibilities eagerly.
7. To show kindness, mercy. This can mean a) to forgive people who have offended us or b) to give help wherever anyone needs help like the good Samaritan.
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