The Book Of ROMANS.....A Systematic Teaching

Romans 8:31..........
"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?"
What can be said?????

In light of the fact that God foreknew us, predestined us, called us, justified us, and will glorify us (Romans 8:30), Paul comes to an undeniable conclusion: God must be for us. God must be for all of us who are in Christ by faith. What an amazing and life-changing thought. The one, true God, the creator of all things, is for us. With Him for us, who could ever possibly be against us?
 
Romans 8:32.............
"He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?"

As with the rest of this section of Romans, Paul's focus is on the effects of saving faith, according to God's plan.

This profound truth is that the creator of the universe is right now for us—for saved Christians—because we are in Christ.
He is working out his ultimate purpose for us which is to make us like Christ. He has predestined, called, justified, and will glorify us.

It's possible that a believer might remain unconvinced that God is for us. This is more likely when facing hard things in life, or our own sinfulness, or just a lack of feeling connected to God. To combat this discouragement, Paul provides the ultimate evidence: God didn't spare His own Son! God the Father sacrificed His sinless, righteous Son, Jesus, to pay the penalty price for our sin.

He gave Him up for us all because of His great love for us (Romans 5:8; John 3:16). Now Paul asks us to be convinced. If God did that for us, how could we ever think He is not for us? More than that, if He would not withhold His Son, how would He not give us all things, along with His Son?

Paul uses the word "graciously" to describe God's giving. Ever and always, what God gives to us is not about what we have given to God. It is not about our sin or lack of sin. The God who is for us, who loves us, gives to us all good things based on His goodness and not on ours. They are truly gifts.
 
Romans 8:33-34.............
"Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us."
God is the one who justifies. By this Paul meant that once God has justified one of His chosen ones—declared that person righteous because of his or her faith in Christ (Romans 3:23–26)—no accusation about any sin could convince God to overrule His own verdict.

If that is God's position, how could anyone condemn us? That's what Paul now asks. His answer can be read in one of two ways. ....
1. Paul may be implying that nobody can condemn those of us who are in Christ, because He—Jesus—is the one who died.
2. Paul may mean that only Christ can condemn us, but instead He has already taken our condemnation on Himself.

The result is the same in either case. Paul began Romans chapter 8 by writing that.....
"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

The statement contained in this verse is why. We are in Christ by faith, so closely associated with Him in God's eyes that His death has already paid the price of our sin. He was resurrected and now stands at the Father's right hand interceding for us. This is available to those who put their faith in Jesus, but only to those who do so (John 3:16–18).

The picture Paul paints is of Jesus standing by to advocate against anyone who would accuse us to God for our sin. He might say, "I died for that sin. The penalty is paid." Now that God has justified us in Christ, and because God is for us, no accusation or condemnation can stand against us in the throne room of God.
 
Romans 8:35.........
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?"

For now, TODAY, we as believers suffer along with the rest of sin-ravaged creation. We groan in longing for our home with the Father. We patiently wait for the hope to be fulfilled (Romans 8:19–23). Paul urged his readers to understand, however, that though suffering continues, God is still for us. He has been for us since before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4), and He has proven His love for us by sacrificing His own Son to make it possible to adopt us as His children (John 3:16–18).

Paul now writes that we must never interpret the darkness of earthly life as evidence of God's lack of love for us. Nothing we do can keep Christ from loving us, and nothing that happens to us can mean that Christ no longer loves us. Paul builds a list of some of the worst things that can happen in this life, including trials, hardship, persecution for our faith in Him, hunger, lack of clothing or shelter, physical threats, or death by violence. None of this can separate us from Christ's love. None of this means Christ does not love us. Just the opposite is true. He loves us enough to bring us through these things (John 16:33).

Paul would have known this better than almost anyone. He himself experienced most, if not all, of those hardships (2 Corinthians 11:23–29) and remained convinced of Christ's love for him.
 
Romans 8:36...............
"As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."
This is a quote from Psalms 44:22.

I believe with all my heart that this is a frightful picture of the saints in this day of grace. This is the attitude of a satanic system toward the child of God. I think that the history of the church proves this as well.

My friend, if you stand for God, it will cost you something!

Struggles in this life are not a sign that God has abandoned us; they are hardships He works to see us through (Hebrews 12:3–11). By quoting this from the Psalms, Paul is showing that God's people have faced persecution and hardship for generations.

Paul wants the Christians in Rome to have the right perspective on the circumstances of their daily lives. Whether or not they experienced hard times or good times, it does not change whether God loves them or not. Paul has made it clear that God's love is absolute, and God will fulfill His purpose for them: He will succeed in bringing them to glory. Now he seems to want them to be ready for trouble on this side of eternity. They should not be surprised when it comes. In fact, they should be ready to be killed, slaughtered like sheep, for Christ's sake, if that's what it comes to (John 6:1–2; 16:33).
 
Romans 8:37...........
"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us."

How can a sheep be a conqueror???? It is a paradox of the Christian faith! What does it mean to be more than a "Conqueror?"

It means to have assistance from ANOTHER who gets the victory for us.

The victory belongs to Christ not us!

The victorious life is not our life but His life!
 
Romans 8:38.............
"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,"
"For I am persuaded" = I KNOW!

Pauls list covers virtually everything anyone might think of to challenge God's love for His elect.

Paul continues his list with the present and the future. Nothing that could happen now or tomorrow or a thousand years from now could change God's commitment to love us in Christ.

Then he lists "powers," referring either to supernatural powers like Satan and his demons or earthly governments like Rome.

As it turned out, Paul himself was eventually killed, so far as we know, by the "powers" of the Roman government. They did not conquer him, though. Nor did they not separate him from God's love for him, in Christ.
 
Romans 8:39............
"Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Now, he lists height and depth, meaning anything that might come down from above or up from below. Finally, he throws in an all-inclusive mention of anything else in all creation. Paul is being an absolutist about this. Nothing will ever be able to separate those of us who are in Christ from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Those who are saved, through faith in Christ, are saved eternally and forever (John 10:28–29). Period.

We are loved by God always. No matter what. Forever.

My friends, salvation is a love story. We love God because He 1st loved us. We entered this chapter with NO condemnation and we conclude it with NO separation and in between we saw that ALL things work together for good. Can YOU improve on this?????
 
Romans 9:1............
"I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,".
Romans chapters 9-11 deals with eschatological or prophetic more that doctrine. In Chapter we will se Israel "defined". This is the 2nd major division of the book of Romans.

Chapters 1-8 were about DOCTRINE! Romans 9-11 are DISPENSATIONAL" and chapters 12-6 are about LOVE!

Chapters 1-8 are about FAITH. Chapters 9-11 will focus on HOPE! Chapters 12-16 focus on LOVE!

*****************************************ISRAEL DEFINED*******************************

He starts out by insisting passionately that he sincerely means what he is about to say. Perhaps he was concerned that some readers would not believe him.

After all, wasn't he in grave conflict with the Jewish religious leaders? Hadn't they tried to kill him? They had done just that repeatedly to try to stop Paul from preaching the good news about Jesus. Still, Paul declares that his conscience vouches for him in the Holy Spirit that what he is about to say in the following verse is true. He is heartbroken for his Jewish brothers and sisters.

Hence........."I tell the truth, I do not lie"!
 
Romans 9:2...........
" That I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart."

In Romans 8 Paul left us at the summit of glory, assuring us that nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. So why has Paul now become so somber in his tone?

It seems as though Paul feels this because he considers a people who seem to be separated from God’s love – unbelieving Israel, who rejected God’s Messiah.

His patience in the presence of their persistent persecution is an indication of his sorrow.
 
Romans 9:3..........
"For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh".

This is a dramatic declaration of Paul’s great love and sorrow for his brethren. Paul says he himself is willing to be separated from Jesus if that could somehow accomplish the salvation of Israel.

We should not think that Paul merely uses a dramatic metaphor here. The solemn assurances he gave in Romans 9:1 reminds us he is being completely truthful. He said.........."I do not lie"!

This great passion for souls gave Paul perspective. Lesser things did not trouble him because he was troubled by a great thing – the souls of men.

Charles Spurgeon said...............
“Get love for the souls of men – then you will not be whining about a dead dog, or a sick cat, or about the crotchets of a family, and the little disturbances that John and Mary may make by their idle talk. You will be delivered from petty worries I need not further describe them, if you are concerned about the souls of men… Get your soul full of a great grief, and your little griefs will be driven out.”

I could wish that I myself were accursed:= Paul reflects the same heart Moses had in Exodus 32:31-32: ......
Then Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have made for themselves a god of gold! Yet now, if You will forgive their sin; but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.”

Of course Paul also shows the heart of Jesus, who was cursed on behalf of others that they might be saved in Galatians 3:13.

At this point we should remember that when it came to ministry, the Jews were Paul’s worst enemies. They harassed and persecuted him from town to town, stirring up lies and violence against him. Yet he still loved them this passionately.

I wonder.........do YOU have that kind of love for those who hate YOU?
 
Romans 9:4.........
"Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promise".
He first mentions Israel's adoption as God's children. This appears to be a different adoption than Paul described for Christians in Romans 8. Israel was adopted in a national sense. God described them as his firstborn son in Exodus 4:22.

Also belonging to Israel was "the glory," probably meaning that God had favored Israel by revealing His glory to them, especially during the time of Moses (Exodus 16:10; 24:17). Next, Paul lists the covenants. This would include God's covenant agreements with Abraham (Genesis 15:18) and David (1 Samuel 7:12–16). Then Paul lists the giving of the law of Moses (Deuteronomy 5:1–22), something Paul has written about extensively in Romans.

NO ONE people in all of the Bible saw and experienced the "Glory of God" more than did the Israelites. The physical presence of God was manifested to them in their presence over and over. The glory of God was seen in the..........
1. Cloud by day
2. The Fire by night.
3. In the Tabernacle.
4. At the Red Sea escape.
5. To Moses with the burning bush
6. The water at Marah
7. The Angel food

And yet, they failed God and disobeyed Him every time.

Next, Paul lists "the worship," meaning God's appointment to Israel of the task of worshiping Him in the temple and through the sacrificial system. This verse concludes with the statement that the promises belong to Israel, as well. These promises include all the things promised to Israel throughout the Old Testament, including the coming of the Messiah.
 
Romans 9:5.............
"Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen."

Paul has just said that Israel had several "privileges.
1. Adoption
2. Glory
3. Covenants
4. The Law
5. Service
6. Promises
7. Fathers

Now Paul adds two more privileges Israel has enjoyed. The first is the patriarchs, meaning the founding fathers of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God gave many great promises to the patriarchs and all of their descendants.

8. The final privilege Paul lists is that through the line of the patriarchs came Christ Himself, the promised Messiah.

Paul writes that Christ is, in fact, God over all and blessed forever. The fact that Christ is God is the very truth that Israel as a nation had rejected. They had missed the Messiah, though many individual Jewish people had come to faith in Christ through the teaching of Paul and the other apostles.

Paul insists that God honored the Israelites by sending His own Son to earth as a Jewish man, a descendant of Abraham and of David. However, Paul does not describe Christ Himself as one of the gifts given to the Jewish people, since they rejected Him.
 
Romans 9:6...........
"Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel".
In other words, not all the offspring, the natural offspring of Israel are the real Israel.

The Jew in Paul's day raised the question as to why the Jew had not wholeheartedly accepted Christ since theirs was an elect nation.

Is this not a failure on God's part???

Paul will make a distinction between the natural offspring of Jacob and the spiritual offspring. This question will actually dominate the next 3 chapters.

If God gave to Israel all of those covenants and promises and privileges, what happens to His relationship with Israel now that they have rejected His Son?

Paul's first answer here is to defend the character of God. His Word has not failed. He will still keep His promises to Israel. God does not go back on His word. Then Paul begins to make a distinction between the physical descendants of Israel and what we might call "true Israel."

He says something similar to what he wrote at the beginning of this letter in Romans 2:28–29: .......
"For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter…".

Here Paul puts it more simply in saying that not everyone who is descended from Israel, ethnically, belongs to "true Israel." This matches similar statements made by Jesus during His earthly ministry (John 8:36–39).
 
Romans 9:7...............
"Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called."
The spiritual aspect of our relationship with God is far more important than our ethnicity, heritage, or biology.

Now Paul begins to give examples from Israel's history to clarify his point. To begin with, not all of Abraham's offspring were counted as the "children of Abraham." Some of them were not included in God's promises to Abraham's descendants. Both Abraham's son Ishmael, born before Isaac (Genesis 16), and his sons with Keturah, born long after Isaac (Genesis 25:1–4) were excluded from Israel.

Paul quotes from Genesis 21:12 where God said to Abraham that it is through Isaac that his offspring will be named. Jesus made similar remarks to His critics, as recorded in the gospel of John (John 8:36–39).
 
Romans 9:8................
"That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed."
He pointed out that not all of Abraham's children were included in the line of God's promises to Israel. Only those who came through Isaac were included. So, while the promise was certainly given to Abraham's offspring, it was not promised to absolutely all his descendants.

Now, though, Paul gets to the point of his illustration: It's not enough to simply be born "of the flesh" into Israel. It is the children of the promise who count as offspring. They are the ones who are truly Israel and will inherit God's promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Paul will build from this argument to describe the difference between these two groups.

This parallels similar statements made by Jesus, who pointed out that being a true "child," spiritually, is not a matter of biology. It's a question of one's spiritual state, and their relationship with God (John 8:36–39).
 
Romans 9:9............
"For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son."
The children of the promise are not those who believed in something----Isaac did not believe before he was born!
Isaac was the promised seed. God promised and God delivered.

Mere biology is not the key; what ultimately matters is whether or not a person has the right relationship with God. Paul will use this line of thought to explain why Gentiles, and not only Jews, can be part of God's plan of salvation.

He points here to one of the promises given by God to Abraham. After many years of promising that Abraham and Sarah would have a son, God now promises that Sarah will give birth in one year's time (Genesis 17:21; 18:10, 14). Only that child, Isaac, was the child of a promise. Abraham's other children, born before and after Isaac, were not born as the result of a promise of God.
 
Romans 9:10..............
"And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;"
Isaac and Rebecca are given as illustrations of the principle Paul is laying down of the divine election.

Now Paul points to Isaac's sons to show that God even picked one twin and not another to receive His covenant promises. Not every single one of Abraham's descendants was made part of the promise of God. There was still an element of God's sovereignty and choice in deciding whom to bless. Paul is emphasizing this point to show that a saving relationship with God is never as simple as merely being born from the right parents.

Isaac's wife Rebekah conceived two children by one man, meaning that she was carrying twins. Only one would carry the promise that was given through Abraham.
 
Romans 9:11............
"(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
Although this verse is in parentheses, its truth is very important. Some explanations may be offered for God's rejection of Ismael, but that is not possible in the case of Isaac and Rebeccas children----those boys were twins!
God rejected the line of "primogeniture" (1st born) and choose the younger child. At that time Jacob had done NO good, and Esau had done no evil. It does not rest upon birth that was identical, and it does not rest upon their character or their works.

Paul makes the entire choice rest upon "THE PURPOSE OF GOD" according to election.

I realize that our web site frowns upon talking about "Election". However, may I state at this point that the site does not frown upon the talking about Election but the arguing of people over Election! Election is a Bible doctrine whether you like it or not!

It is clear right here in front of you from the words written in the Word of God that God elected one of the two boys, through which His line of promise to His chosen people would continue.

Again, I say that Paul wants us to understand that God's choice was not based on behavior, good or bad, since the boys were still unborn. He repeats that it was not because of their works. Clearly, God's choice was not because one was born to one woman and not another. And as the following verse will show, God did not make the choice based on their birth order.

Paul used the word elect in the previous chapter (Romans 8:33) to refer to all of us in Christ chosen by God to be included in His family through faith in Christ. Now he uses the word election to describe God's action in choosing one son of Isaac over another to include in His covenant promises.
 
Romans 9:12...............
"It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger."
This is a quote from Genesis 25:23 which was given before the two boys were born................
"The Lord said to her,.........“Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated;
one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.”

That means that God's choice to give the covenant promises to Jacob was also not about birth order. God simply chose to serve His own purposes before any human factors came into play.

Pay close attention here to the fact that Paul is building toward the argument whereby God decides who will receive His promises and who will not. His election, as mentioned in the prior verse, is something subject only to God's own sovereignty. Paul will use this concept to explain not only that God has the right to choose whom to save, but that He has the right and ability to save those who are not ethnically part of Israel: the Gentiles.
 
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