Paul’s Epistle to the Romans – New Life Church P.J. – 3rd, 10th 17th nov 2008

SOME NOTES ON PAUL’S EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

NEW LIFE CHURCH P.J. 3rd, 10th 17th Nov.2008

 

As we go through these simple studies remember that the primary purpose of the Bible is to reveal God. It is His book of self- disclosure. He wants us to discover Him there in His nature, character and in all His works. In some books He is more plainly seen than in others. In Romans He is seen most wonderfully in His Three Trinitarian Being. He is Three Persons in One Being.

 

Here is a simply method of Bible Study for you. First read a chapter of Romans, chapter one for instance. Then, read it again and again with a notebook to hand. Now read the chapter noting down the places where God is mentioned particularly noting the things said concerning His being and nature and working. Then go through again noting the mentions of the Lord Jesus Christ and then again read making notes of the Holy Spirit, when He is spoken of and what He is and what He does. Finally go through again looking at what is said about man. You could consider man in his past, his present and his future if you like. You can do this with any book of the Bible. For instance, in Romans you will find only five main references to the Spirit set in the book.

 

Remember that in the New Testament, when you see the word “God’ it almost always refers to the Person of the Father. (1 Cor 8 v 6). In Romans chapter one you will find God is mentioned twenty times!

 

Because we have three studies we will look first at God the Father in the letter, then the second evening at God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, then on the final evening we will look at God the Holy Spirit.

 

Some people ask me why I am not a very ‘orderly’ speaker, with various points all nicely lined up. One of the reasons is simply that in my experience God cannot be contained in words, He always seems to break out beyond them, beyond definitions and formulas and tidy explanations. He is like the wind, like the currents of the ocean, like a substance that we might try to contain in a vessel but is always so alive and volatile that it is forever spilling over the edges. So, welcome to the God of the Bible and the God of history, working out His wonderful plans in total faithfulness through His Son and by His Spirit. Welcome to thinking about Him and being filled with the increasing knowledge of Him. He will break out beyond the structures and strictures of your words and thinking and prove to be beyond all you could ask or think!

 

When you read the book of Romans you can divide it up pretty simply.

 

1. The Introductory verses where Paul speaks about himself, what he is doing and going to write about. He also writes some very good things about the church in Rome as he has heard about them. Chapter 1 from verse 1 – 15.

 

1. A short bridge where Paul states boldly his confidence in the gospel as being the power of God. Chapter one verses 16 and 17.

 

1. The long doctrinal part of the letter where he outlines the great gospel of God. This runs from chapter 1 from verse 18 through to the end of chapter eleven.

 

1. The practical part of the letter begins at Ch 12 v 1 and continues to Ch 15 v 13. Here there are lots of instructions as to how to live as those enjoying God’s salvation in the difficulties of life in the world and the strains that sometimes come in life in the churches too.

 

1. More personal statements by Paul about his particular ministry in the light of what God is doing and his hoped for plans. Chapter 15 v 14 through to the end of v 32.

 

1. Lots of personal greetings from Paul to friends in Rome. Ch 16 v 1- 16.

 

1. Final instructions and counsel given to the church in Rome Ch 16 v 17 to the end of v 23.

 

1. The final doxology chapter 16 v 25 to 27. Doxology means ‘the word of giving glory to God’! Paul ends the letter in high praise to God for all He is and all He has done.

 

Now let us look at God as He is revealed in the letter. Notice that the subject of the whole letter is ‘the gospel of God’. Ch 1 v 1. The word ‘gospel occurs frequently in the letter. See if you can find where. It means ‘the good news announced by a great Monarch far away who sends his message through a herald.” Paul the apostle was the herald in this case, speaking on behalf of God the invisible One far away, giving the good news about Him and His reign and what He has done through His Son Jesus and by the Spirit to make sure that the adversary and all enemies are crushed under His feet and He is made known to all the creation as the faithful Creator, redeemer of all. Ch 16 v 20 and Ch 3 v 3. This is why I entitled this first study, “The Faithfulness of God as Revealed in the Gospel.”

 

Notice how Paul gets so excited when he concludes his doctrinal section at the end of chapter eleven! He is ‘over the moon’ about God as some would say! He mentions

 

1. The depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God.

2. The wonder of His ways and judgments.

3. That all the plan, all the purpose began with Him comes from Him and through Him and to Him.

Remember, the whole book is about the story of God’s dealings with all His creation. All He is doing He has planned and purposed. Nothing shall stop Him accomplishing it all. When did He plan? Where do His plans come from? Where does He live?

 

Start with the last question. Where does God dwell? Do not think of heaven; do not think of geography but of where God lives in His very Being as Three Persons. Ch 14 v 17 will tell us where God lives. He lives with His Son in the realm that can be described as ‘righteousness, peace and joy’ and all this is in the Holy Spirit. What a state to live in together as Holy Persons! Living in eternal Joy and peace and all relationships being thoroughly right (eous). WE take ourselves too seriously! God dwells in perpetual joy!

 

Now we know that His plans were made in that atmosphere. We, in our hearts may dwell in fear, plan in fear and act out of that fear but not so with God! The Purpose of God Ch 8 v 28 was conceived in God and decided between the Father and the Son and witnessed to by the Holy Spirit in joyousness. God decided to share His states of being with creatures, especially those He would make in His own image, namely man.

He predestined them to the likeness of His Son. That there would be many sons just like His glorious Son. Ch 8 v 29 and 30. His plans began in joy and peace and righteousness and this is where they shall also end. They will be fulfilled.

 

However, we know that Satan (that word means adversary) interfered with God’s glorious purpose for His creation and when he tempted man and woman they fell.

They had been created in love, righteousness and joy and had dwelt with God in the garden in that holy state until they fell from it into rejection of God. So, look at the following.

 

1. The righteousness of God. Ch 1 v 17.

2. The rejection of God by man. Ch 1 v 18 -32.

3. The righteous judgment of God that must come upon sinful man. Ch 2v5

4. The riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience. Ch 2 v 4

5. The repentance that He desires to lead man into. Ch 2 v 4.

6. The redemption that He has given to us through Jesus Christ. Ch 3 v 24

7. The reconciliation accomplished between man and God. Ch 5 v 10

8. The restoration of the creation that God will complete. Ch 8 v 18-25

 

All these things He accomplishes in patience, He is not in a hurry, allowing the adversary to attempt all his workings through man in the world, his lies about God are propagated and believed but God is working that He may seen to be justified and the justifier of man too. Ch 3 v 26. Through all that He is doing He is being proved to be truly God, truly love, truly patient and truly faithful and the adversary proved to be a murderer and liar. All comes from the love of God. Ch 5 v 5 & 8. He has not hidden these purposes and plans of His from anyone. Ch 16 v 26. He has never been neglectful but made promises and kept the flame of faith alive among the Jews and then it spread through Christ to all the nations. Ch 4 the whole chapter where we see God promised and was faithful. Now to all nations it comes. Ch 15 v 8-12.

 

 

 

 

All has been planned with such precision and care, with infinite wisdom. Ch 16 v 27, Ch 11 v 33-36. He needed no counselor to help Him, the Father, Son and Spirit would accomplish all. He suffers the barbed lies of the adversary and man and works our His glorious plan to perfection hidden in plain sight. The humble shall see!

 

So, to round off this part of our notes let us remind ourselves that all began in the heart of God the Father and Son, witnessed by God the Spirit in their blessed states of righteousness peace and joy in which there is no corruptibility and His creation has been redeemed and in the restoration shall share that incorruptibility too. There shall be no danger of any fall ever happening again!

 

 

THE GREATNESS OF CHRIST AS REVEALED IN THE GOSPEL

 

This is my title for the second study. The notes will not be so long for this one or the final one on the Holy Spirit.

 

The gospel of God is concerning His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Ch 1 v 3 & 4. There is no one like Him. He is unique. Not ‘very’ unique, there is no such thing. A thing or person is either unique or not so! Christ Jesus our Lord is unique. How? Well, for a start He is both truly man (descended from David according to the flesh) and truly God. (According to the Spirit of Holiness by Whom He was raised). In Him God and man abide together in perfect harmony.

 

It is a perpetual arrangement in the Godhead; that the Father does nothing except He accomplishes it through the Son and by the Holy Spirit. This is Their joy, to work in this perfect interdependence upon one another in complete union. This is why again and again in this letter you see the words ‘through’ linked with the Lord Jesus. Ch 1 v5, 8, 3 v 24, 5 v 1, 2, 11, 17. And we could add many other references from the epistle.

 

In order to redeem man the Second Person of the Godhead (as Jesus is known) had to take flesh, become truly man, live as a man, overcome the enemies as man was meant to do. He had to be one who reigned in His life and death too. He had to be and do many things.

 

1. Live the life man was meant to live so that God would be justified in His trust and purpose in making man in the first place. Ch 3 v 26

2. Bear the punishment due to Adam and all his seed (which is us) and satisfy God’s justice. Ch 5 v 8-10

3. Overcome every enemy, every power of darkness, and every temptation thrown against man and preserve the spotless purity of His life of fellowship with His Father. Ch 5 v 10

4. Suffer the death due to all and trust His Father to raise Him from the dead. Ch 1 v 4 Ch 6 v 9

5. By all this and much more become the New Man making the old man obsolete having taken him once and for all to his grave never to rise again.

Ch 6 v 5-11

 

 

Understand that there have really only been two men. Ch 5. Adam who though created by God in righteousness fell from that state, died inwardly from that moment and then outwardly many hundreds of years later. He has been forever living on through his offspring; they are every man and women ever born since except one. (That one is Jesus). All have been like Adam. He is the old man under certainty of judgment from God, living in guilt whether he has been religious like the Jews or not. Ch 2 v1 right through to Ch 3 v 20. There is none righteous, no not one. All are accountable to God, no exceptions.

 

This “OLD MAN” Paul knew only too well. He describes some of his experience of him in his own life in Ch 7 v 24. Even in his religious zeal he felt himself a ‘WRETCHED MAN.” Paul had experienced his dreadful power and covetousness in his soul. Ch 7 v 8

 

The “OLD MAN” is described in graphic detail in Chap 1 v 18-32. Not pleasant reading at all. The climax of his description is Ch 3 v 10- 18. These are quotations from many statements made in the Old Testament.

 

The old man cannot seem to die, Ch 5 v 17, he cannot be changed it seems there must be the formation of a NEW MAN.

 

Jesus is that NEW MAN. In Him, in His manhood God and man meet and He lived all His days, in every circumstance in perfect union with the Father. He held His humanity at all times in the fellowship of perfect obedience to God. We are saved ‘BY HIS LIFE.” Ch 5 v 10 & 19. By His obedience many are made righteous. God is vindicated in His confidence in making man through the Life of Jesus against all the accusations of the wicked one.

 

But this NEW MAN had to become the OLD MAN on the cross and take that ruined man to his death once and for all. Ch 6 v 4- 11. Yes, Jesus did it, He the spotless NEW MAN took upon Himself the OLD MAN and took him away unto death, bearing the punishment due him upon Himself and so ending the reign of sin and death! Ch 8 v1-4.

 

After this He was raised from the dead, ascended on high, sat down with His Father and reigns and intercedes for us. Ch 8 v 34. Man in the glory! GLORIFIED MAN IN THE GLORY WITH THE FATHER! Ch 6 v 9-10 . He is the firstborn of many brothers. Ch 8 v 29.

 

1. He lives FOR us before His Father. Ch 8 v 34

2. We are IN Him by His grace through faith. Ch 6 v 11

3. He is IN us by the Holy Spirit. Ch 8 v 10

4. Our destination and destiny is utterly tied to Him. Ch 8 v 29 & 30

5. We have no heredity from Adam for in Christ that died. Ch 6 v 6

6. Our new hereditary line is from the Father through Christ. Ch 8 v 16

7. We are sons in THE SON. Ch 8 v 15

8. There is no condemnation upon us now as we are in Him. Ch 8 v 1

 

 

 

God’s purpose, His choices, His elected desire (Ch 9 v11) were always that His nature and Being should come into visibility and that all creatures should glory in Him. Christ Jesus His Son brought the loving being of the Trinitarian being of God into visibility. Ch 5 v 8. God has shown His love. There is no doubt about it now. Who God is, what He is like has been brought into plain sight and whosoever will may hear and come into that light which brings life. Ch 10 v 14-17 16 v 25

 

But the greatest of all is that God in His Son has man where man was always meant to be. He always wanted to have many sons like THE SON, to surround Himself with them. He made man to ‘glorify God and enjoy Him forever” as the Westminster Confession says. Now in Christ Jesus all has been accomplished and shall be fulfilled completely in the future glory. Ch 8 v 18

 

 

 

THE SPIRIT AS HE IS REVEALED IN THE GOSPEL IN ROMANS

 

There are five main references concerning the Spirit. They are very important. The order they occur is important too. Here they are. He is-

 

1. The Spirit of Holiness Ch 1 v 4.

2. The Spirit of Love Ch 5 v 5.

3. The Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus Ch 8 v 2.

4. The Spirit of Witness Ch 9 v 1.

5. The Spirit of Power Ch 15 v19.

 

If a human being who did not know God had been writing of the Holy Spirit he would have put the last mention first. This is what man will do for it is the way he thinks. He thinks of power first. Charismatic churches often fall into this trap. In case you wondered, I would be classed as a ‘charismatic!’ We had better concentrate carefully on God’s order in the unfolding revelation of the Spirit and His work as it appears in this letter. If we put power first we are sure to go astray badly.

 

God does all He does through His Son and BY the Spirit. When He created in Genesis we see God first, then the Spirit brooding over things and then the Word (Who we later learn is the Son of God) appears finally. This is always the case. God sent an angel to Mary, He takes the initiative, the promise is made that the Son will come but how is the question Mary asks. The Holy Spirit is the answer. God, Spirit and then the Son coming forth made of a woman.

 

How can the Spirit be any other than Holy? To bring forth the Holy Son, from the Holy Father, He must Himself be the HOLY Spirit. Here is where the gospel is a gospel of making all things to be holy.

 

In our first reference the Spirit is introduced to us as coming from the Father to raise Jesus from the dead. He came to Him to do that because Jesus had died as the Holy one, there must be affinity. The fact that the Spirit Who is Holy could raise the Son from death was a testimony to the reality of the holiness of the Man Jesus. So, the order is again, From the Father, by the Spirit and so the resurrection of the Son.

 

This letter shows how God, because of Jesus counts us as righteous in His sight. This is called justification. Ch 5 v 9 and other verses too. So, we are acceptable to God and the Spirit has the right to come to us as the Holy Spirit and fill us thus making us to be those who are righteous but can grow in righteousness and true holiness. It is not enough to be ‘counted’ righteous, but that we might be made holy in our lives. This is called sanctification. Ch 6 v 13 – 22.

 

The second mention of the Spirit is that He is the Spirit of love. That means that He is the Spirit of the love between the Father and the Son and the Son and Father. He has always been the Spirit of their love and is love Himself too. Not love as men know love, changing love, dying love, partial love but in God the eternal love, the all-conquering love. The Spirit pours this love into our hearts so that we begin to share in that perfect love union, having a place there though we are not made divine. Now, if we walk in peace and live in the access we have with God and rejoice in sufferings and trials we shall find that this perfect love of God poured into us by the Spirit of love will be perfected in us and we shall be perfected in love! Ch 5 v 1-5. We will experience a love that enables us to love enemies as well and if needs be to give our lives. Ch 5 v 8.

 

Third reference is by far the largest one. The whole of Chapter eight deals with the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. Yes, the Spirit of God brings into our lives the law of the life of Jesus. That law of His life subdues and supersedes the old law that dominated us that always led to self and sin and death. The Spirit brings the mind of Christ into us, and we must learn to think with Him. When the Spirit comes into us He is both the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ. All this can be found in chapter eight. He becomes the Spirit of leadership in us. This is the secret of all true church leadership. If the leaders, whatever their titles are, are not daily living led by the Spirit then how shall they lead the church anywhere save into carnal ways of various kinds? The Holy Spirit bringing into us the law of life in Christ Jesus will mean that we no longer keep praying to God but shall be crying and praying and interceding to God as “Abba, Father’. No longer servants but sons. We must feed a long while in this chapter eight and note down those things of the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus the Holy Spirit brings to us and makes the law of our lives too! Through His ministry our spirits are united to the Father and the Son and we share in Their life and even our bodies are quickened and the law of sin and death is held constantly in check even as we groan for the redemption of our body so that truly all is sharing the law of His life fully! You’ll find at least a dozen things mentioned in this chapter, all of them elements of the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus that are brought into us. Make a list of your own from the chapter.

 

Fourth reference to the Spirit of God is that He is the Spirit of witness. I hope you notice that we must live IN the Spirit as well as the Spirit live IN us. There are two sides to this. When our conscience (which is a faculty of our spiritual heart) witnesses in the Spirit it is a great thing. We have a conscience by which we know we are in Christ, and the most mature development of this is this Paul mention about intercession in Ch 9 v 1 and 2. He is in total participation with the heart of God. Not only is the Spirit in him but also He is right in the Spirit. There is a profound marriage. As we live in the Spirit mentioned in chapter eight we will mature into the states of sharing with God in His burdens too. The conscience of the Spirit and our own consciences bearing witness each with the other. Christ intercedes and the Spirit too in chapter eight but now Paul knows He is right there sharing in that great intercession.

 

Finally the Spirit is mentioned as the Spirit of power though you must also see in that He is also linked with sanctification in Ch 15 v 16 as well. All that has gone before conditions the reference to His power and we must remember that. The powerful Spirit is the Spirit the Holy, of love, the life of Christ giving Spirit Who brings us into the burdens of God. Paul in his life and ministry was a demonstration of that Spirit. The power that was at work in him included signs and wonders for they were part of his apostolic calling but always remember that they came and went, they were not uniform, even for him, but the holiness, the love, the life and intercession were present and growing through all trial and suffering and in this is the gospel of Christ fully known and only thus. So, let us rejoice in our God and cooperate with the Blessed Trinity so that through us as churches the gospel shall be FULLY known.