Kingdom Hearts

Trust can be a very difficult thing. Even when we know someone well and can rationally understand that we can trust them, sometimes it is still challenging. For example, at camp last week, to demonstrate this I asked a 7th grade boy to stand with his back facing me and fall back and allow me to catch him. It took him about 4 tries, but he finally did it completely without any hesitation. He admitted that he rationally understood he had no reason to not trust that I would catch him. He was confident I would. But it was still difficult.

The unknown is scary! Trust is something that forces us to let go–to let go of our own will and submit to the will of another. It is part of our human nature to stuggle with this. And this is why it can be such a challenge for us even as God’s people to lean back and allow Him to catch and carry us.

What a great example we see in Daniel 3 in Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, Daniel’s friends. The setting is the Jews being held captive to the Babylonians, of whom Nebuchadnezzar is serving as king. Beginning in v.8 we see that King Nebuchadnezzar expected all to bow down and worship not only him but the golden image he had set up. The consequence of not doing so, necessitated being thrown into a fiery furnace. One could easily understand the temptation to do what the king expected, even if they did not particularly care to do so. When word got to Nebuchadnezzar that Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego would not do as he commanded, he was furious. In a rage he confronted them about it. As he reminded them of the fiery furnace in which he would cast them if they refused to bow to him, notice the response given by these three faithful servants of God:

“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, ‘Oh Nebuchadnezar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliever us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up’” (Daniel 3:16-18).

These three brave friends knew that God would deliver them in one way or another. They trusted in God’s presence in their lives. They trusted that God would not forsake them. And they trusted that God’s will (to serve Him only and not bow down to other gods) was better and higher than man’s will. This was their faith. Their trust in God was the very reason that they were able to confidently submit to God’s will. Even if God didn’t deliver them from the furnace and decided to let them burn to death (which He did not-Daniel 3:28), that was still okay with them because they trusted that God would have His reasons. They understood that God has a higher will for us and sometimes although we can’t see His reasoning, we still have to trust.

Faith is not deciding what I want God to do and then trusting Him to deliver. It means rather, whether He delivers like I want Him to or not, I am still going to bow down and glorify Him regardless. It means that even when I can’t see His ways, I will still submit to His will in obedience to the best of my ability. Because I trust Him and what He says. Not that my obedience saves me or obligates God to include my name in the Book of life. But because my trust and faith in Him is required.

May we all always trust that He is an all-wise, all-knowing, all-powerful ,and all-present God. He is in charge. If I truly believe that and put my faith in Him, then the whole submission thing takes care of itself. Yes, the unknown is scary. And that is why we often prefer our own will. Sometimes it is a natural tendency on our part. And while the Bible doesn’t tell us everything we would like to know about Heaven of the afterlife (the unknown), it certainly reveals enough to us so that I can know that I want to be there. Indeed, I do. And may my trust, faith, and reliance be upon God’s ability to get me to that Promised Land rather than on my own abilities (Romans 3:23).

Have a great weekend!

Preparing for the future has become a way of life for us in so many ways. I am not sure how we would survive without planning at least somewhat. We plan for our retirement and our children’s college, among other things by saving money. We plan for our future in the “working” world by going to an institution of higher learning to get an education. We send our kids to school (or homeschool) with the intent of preparing them to be well-rounded and productive citizens for when they become adults. Preparation for what we know is to come in future years is very important. It is vital!

Perhaps an aspect of our future that we do not give enough consideration to is our spiritual future. Currently on Sunday mornings I am going through a series of lessons designed for our youth. This past Sunday morning I talked about some things our younger generation can start doing now that will hopefully help ensure their faithfulness in 10, 20, or 50 years from now. Obviously there is a lot we as adults can take from this also. Interestingly, these are examples of some things we see in a young Timothy as Paul helped to prepare him for a life serving God. There should be little doubt that these qualities helped ensure Timothy’s own faithfulness as he grew older.

Develop your own faith.
As adults, many of us can look back at our childhood and remember so much of what our parents did for us. We lived off of them. They provided for us and we should always be grateful for that. We should do what we can to instill gratitude into the hearts of our young people. It is God’s design that parents provide for their children. Children live off of parents (1 Timothy 5:8). However, with this said, children cannot live off their parents’ faith. We must develop our own faith. Faith must be sincere and genuine, and it cannot achieve this status if it is not our own. I think it is good when children develop the same faith as parents, especially when that faith involves truth. But it needs to be their own. And as parents, hopefully we are instilling this in them. This seems to be the case with how Timothy developed his own faith through the strength of his family’s faith (2 Timothy 1:5). This is Biblical. But a faith that is not genuine will eventually be a weak one that crumbles in the midst of adversity once a child leaves home. As adults we can help by not getting “up in arms” when our young people have questions. We should encourage that. I can’t think of anything worse than Aaron and Chase growing up claiming faith in God only because mommy and daddy say that He exists. We have too many kids leaving home for college without a clue as to why they believe what they believe.

Study your Bible.
All living things, whether plants, animals, or humans, must be nourished properly in order to grow and flourish. God specifically designed food for our nourishment and growth. He also gave us His living word, the bread of life so that we can be nourished spiritually. It is not uncommon that God uses “spiritual food” as a metaphor to indicate our need for growth. See Matthew 4:3-4; John 6:26-27, 32-35; Hebrews 5:12-14; 1 Peter 2:2. God’s word is certainly in great part attributed to young Timothy’s steady growth and spiritual strength (2 Timothy 3:14-15). We cannot learn what God wants of us as His people without giving attention to the guide He provided us. See also 1 Timothy 4:13.

Practice what you preach.
In other words, the gospel is not merely to be taught, but it is to be lived. Jesus taught that Christianity is an active faith. He taught and provided an example of how kingdom living entails getting out and making a difference in the lives of others; teaching people things that really and actually matter; helping them; associating with those that the rest of society will not hang out with; assisting the needy, the sick, the poor, the jailed, the widows. Jesus taught it and He lived it, thus providing for us the perfect example. The Bible also gives us the example of Timothy as a young person who actually cared about others. His love and sincerity is what compelled him to live and teach the gospel. He carried out the same message he taught. See Acts 16:1-3 and Philippians 2:19-21. There should be little doubt that his living out the gospel message is what gave him opportunity to effectively teach it.

Christianity is not merely about facts and rules. It is absurd to think that one will stand before God on judgment day, knowing full well that they did not love and serve others, never tried to impact others for good, and never helped others, yet somehow because they were “sound” on all points of their doctrinal positions that they have an automatic ticket to heaven. This is essentially what the religious elite of Jesus’ day thought and Jesus told His followers “…unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). In other words, life in the kingdom is better than that. The Bible mentions nothing of a doctrinal quiz to be taken at judgment. While doing our best to adhere to pure and healthy doctrine, let us remember that Paul says it is the things we do and practice that will actually determine how we are judged (2 Corinthians 5:10). Service to God, that is, practicing what we preach is what matters.

Obviously one benefit of believing in God is to avoid dying in our sins. Jesus states:

“I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins” (John 8:24).

There is little doubt that our faith must be in Jesus if we are to have any hope of salvation. All of us want to avoid spending an eternity apart from God. But as we mature, I believe our faith lies much deeper. There are also certain positive motivational factors that should serve as an impetus for our belief in God to become stronger and stronger as each day passes.

“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).

The more we put our trust in Him as our Savior, the more we will seek to please Him, hopefully. That we are rewarded and because our love for Him increases as a result should be more of a motivator for our belief than merely seeking to avoid hell. This should come as we mature spiritually. There are a lot of rewards that come with our faith, as the Hebrews writer suggests. Salvation is certainly something that we look forward to in the next life that has far more to offer than this life. However, let us never forget how much we can enjoy our status as citizens of God’s kingdom in the here and now also. Jesus and His apostles, throughout His ministry, in preaching on the kingdom, promoted it as a citizenship to be gained and enjoyed in this life. Salvation is something we can relish today. And this in turn, should effect how we choose to live.

Obviously there are many passages that suggest that we can lose this status as citizens when we cease to live in such a way that confesses Christ (Matthew 10:32-33). Paul implies that when our heart is not set on serving Him, we no longer make Him our Lord (Romans 10:9-13). We “call on the name of the Lord” by living in such a way that reflects Jesus as our Lord. So, as we become a part of God’s family, when we know we are walking in the light (1 John 1:7), we have every reason to rejoice with confidence that we are in God’s grace. And man cannot take this away (Romans 8:31-39).

Because of God’s grace, in addition to the ultimate reward of an eternity in Heaven, we can enjoy the benefits that come with our belief now. Our faith in God allows us to cope with the evil, pain, and suffering in this world. It allows us to not fear our own death. It gives us the security of rejoicing when a loved one leaves this life and goes on to a much better one. Our belief in God hopefully changes our entire perspective on life. It allows us to look at things differently so as to not be so tied to this world. It gives us every opportunity to put our stock in the “bigger picture,” a much greater citizenship than what this world has to offer. Our belief helps us to see that this world was never intended to be our home.

Thank God I can live a life of rejoicing, with a positive mindset rather than focusing on all the negative in this world. I am so happy that I can enjoy a life where I can optimistically look forward to the next one.

There are actually several circumstances that brought out the need for Paul to write this letter. However, it is a common belief that Romans was merely written to serve as a general document that affirms the whole of Christian doctrine. And therefore there were no inherent or pressing problems with the Christians in Rome that would necessitate Paul writing this letter, as was the case for his other letters. For example, the late Brother Burton Coffman in his commentary on Romans states:

“Paul had never been to Rome; and, it would seem, neither had any other apostle; accordingly, therefore, the letter to the Romans was not designed for the purpose of dealing with church problems, nor for giving instructions relative to church government, but was primarily a magnificent treatise on Christian doctrine, somewhat in the abstract, and yet pertinent to that generation and all subsequent ages” (Coffman Commentaries: Romans, Vol. 6, p.xi).

Thus it is held that Paul’s intent behind this letter was to focus on the general doctrine of salvation. While I will admit that this view holds some credence, if not for any other reason, there are many brilliant scholars, including those of like-minded faith that I respect dearly who maintain this thought. However, there are also many brilliant scholars, including those of like-minded faith, who would disagree somewhat and suggest that perhaps there were some pressing needs and circumstances going on with the Christians in Rome, that necessitated Paul’s writing to them. Interestingly, what one believes in regard to this, could actually play a large role in how this book as a whole is even interpreted.

Paul undoubtedly wanted to express to them his eagerness to preach to them the gospel (1:15). No one disagrees with this. One of the purposes of this letter is also seen toward the latter part; to convey to them his travel plans, including his plan to stop and spend some time with them and teach them on his way to Spain, as well as to request prayers of them, and seek their support in his work in Spain (15:15-32). Thus, at the time of this writing, Paul’s plan was to go to Jerusalem and then after this he intended to make his way to Spain. On the way to Spain, he would stop in Rome. See also Acts 19:21 and 23:11. Of course, we know from the history recorded for us in the book of Acts, that his plans changed however, once in Jerusalem and taken into custody. And Paul therefore never went to Rome under the terms which he had planned.

So how then, is Romans to be understood; as a general doctrinal essay or as an address of a specific need? I believe both. Paul undoubtedly lays down a very clear message with regard to the deeper issues of the gospel that are applicable to all Christians. He sets forth a treatise that leaves no doubt as to how we are to carry ourselves and maintain our standing in God’s loving grace. It is also a writing that should leave no doubt in the readers’ minds that it is God’s righteousness and not our own that saves us. It is undeniable that Paul is defending the gospel message here also; that Jesus indeed came to die for our sins and resurrected for the benefit of all man; and all of this was based on God’s love for us as unworthy and fallible human beings. Paul wanted these brethren to know that the saving gospel is for all man.

But we also cannot ignore the fact that this letter is obviously responding to certain circumstances that were occurring between these Christian brethren. It seems apparent that there was a dire need for unity between the Jew and Gentile Christian communities (Romans 12:16; 14:1-15:13). I actually wonder if what Paul addresses here in chapter 14 is at least somewhat similar to what instigated the Jerusalem conference (see Acts 15:1-35); the difference being that this should especially not happen among more mature Christians. Paul seems to have addressed a similar problem in the Corinthian church (1 Corinthians 8), at least in the sense of teaching them that the true spirit of Christianity will necessitate getting along and figuring out a way to make peace and unity work, even when there are serious disagreements. And make no mistake about it that Paul’s charge for unity was something that was to be taken seriously (Romans 16:17-18). The specific details of what was being argued might be up for debate. Obviously we will explore this further when we get to this point of our study. But one thing is for certain; they were arguing about something and it was causing a lot of dissension. And Paul is basically saying, “stop it.” He makes it very clear that there is no room in the kingdom for such mindless bickering that has nothing to do with what Christianity is supposed to be about.

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17).

Paul no doubt explains throughout this book that our submission to God’s will and holiness is not a matter that can be compromised (e.g., Romans 12:1-2). We cannot minimize this. But he also makes it quite clear that neither is legalism acceptable; and that unity is essential among God’s people. Thus, I believe, at least in part, that it was out of a motivation of love and concern for his brethren that Paul penned this letter. It was a concern for him that these brethren were not getting along. Such behavior among saints goes against everything Christianity is supposed to stand for. I believe there is just too much throughout the entire letter, where Paul is talking about how all are unworthy, and that all have been extended God’s love and grace, for this not to be something specifically Paul was addressing. At the very least, he saw the potential for lack of harmony because of the Jew/Gentile controversy as a whole; kind of a “don’t bring this into the church” exhortation. But it is quite apparent that such controversy already existed (14:4, 10). Further, if all of Paul’s other letters addressed specific problems, there is nothing to indicate why Romans would be any different. In the context of the New Testament, any letter written seems to imply that there was a need. With this all said though, I am not sure we can deny that this is a systematic presentation of the gospel message for mature Christians either. This is why I say “both.” This is a letter that is intended for all Christians in all ages; then, now, and into the future. It is relevant for all of us since it deals with salvation from sin through God’s grace.

There are a plethora of themes talked about for Romans. I think that justification by faith (Romans 1:16-17); God’s righteousness and fairness (Romans 9-11); and the equality of Jew and Gentiles are all relevant messages to the recipients of this letter. However, I like what Jack Cottrell says with regard to the theme; in summary: our salvation comes by way of God’s grace, not by law.

“Rather than seeing 1:16-17 as the thesis statement for Paul’s treatise, I see it more or less as the starting point leading up to the thesis, which is 3:28: ‘for we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.’

In the most general sense Paul’s thesis relates to the gospel, since his desire to preach the gospel in Rome (1:15) is what led him to compose the epistle as a written version of his gospel. But since the gospel is the good news about salvation, also in a general sense the theme of Romans is salvation. And the manner in which sinners are saved, whether Jews or Gentiles, is the same: justification by faith.

…..Yes, sinners are justified by faith, but this means they are not justified by works of law, which is the only alternative. It is just as important to include the negative statement in the theme as the positive one.

In actuality, then, the basic theme of Romans is the contrast between law and grace as a way of salvation. This contrast is seen especially in 3:28, which (literally translated) says, ‘for we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of law.’ The contrast is stated succinctly in 6:14, ‘you are not under law but under grace.’ This is the gospel, the good news of salvation. Certainly it is good news to know that God justifies us by faith in the saving work of Jesus Christ. But in a real sense it is also good news to know that we are not justified by law-keeping: a way of salvation which is not only futile but which sinners in their hearts know is futile, and which leads only to self-deception or to despair (pp.29-30).”

Cottrell’s point here seems, in large part, to be that it is not possible and therefore self-deceptive to think that we have the ability to earn salvation by way of our own righteousness. Of course, it should also be affirmed that God’s saving gospel message, extended by His grace, is indeed something to be obeyed or responded to (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:1-4). But what is necessary is that we understand that this does not serve as our source of salvation. Perhaps, I should let Paul’s explanation speak for itself:

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life” (Romans 5:1-10).

After having much more to say here in Romans 5 about Christ’s shed blood that reconciles us to God through His grace, Paul then begins the next chapter by conveying how we contact that saving blood and thus, enjoy the full benefits of God’s grace:

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his” (Romans 6:1-5).

Next time, we will actually get into the text; beginning with chapter 1. In addition to a chapter-by-chapter, section-by-section study of Romans, I anticipate we will embark upon more in depth, this distinction between law vs. grace and faith that Paul seems to emphasize throughout this letter. It will undoubtedly come up several times, actually. This is especially interesting when you consider that James 2:24 seemingly and at face value, states the opposite of Romans 3:28. I believe the bible harmonizes both of these truths and that it is impossible that God’s inspired, infallible ,and inerrant Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17) could contradict itself.

Paul wants all of us as Christians to understand that God’s grace, and nothing else is the source of our salvation. If we were to be 100% obedient from here on out, then all we would be doing is giving what we already owe to God for what He has already done for us. And so, when you keep in perspective that we cannot be 100% obedient (Romans 3:23), it really puts in perspective how much we owe our salvation to the wonderful grace of God. Romans always has and always will be applicable to everyone. And may our study of this great book enrich our lives abundantly and enable us to praise God from the mountaintops, literally and represented through our pure lifestyles. It is the natural way to respond after truly understanding God’s grace.

I will leave you with one more quote from Jack Cottrell:

“This contrast between law and grace as competing ways of salvation is not a matter of OT versus NT nor Old Covenant versus New Covenant, as if law were the way to be saved prior to Christ and grace is the way to be saved now that Christ has come. Also, the contrast between law and grace—THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT—is not simply the Law of Moses versus the grace of Jesus Christ. No sinner has ever been saved nor can be saved by the law that applies to him, whether it be the Law of Moses for Jews under the Old Covenant, or some other comparable set of God’s commandments for anyone else in any other time. Every sinner who has been saved since the time of Adam has been saved by grace and not by law, and this will always be the case” (p. 30).

I am going to assume if you are reading this with any interest whatsoever, then chances are, you do not challenge the fact that Paul wrote this epistle, so we will not get too deep into trying to prove that Paul wrote Romans, other than to say, “Paul wrote Romans.”

What is significant about Paul’s authorship however, is his background, which was extremely Jewish in nature. This is important to keep in mind as we study Romans. In some aspects, it even contributes to understanding why he was so qualified to write this letter. Notice what Paul has to say about his own Jewish background:

“I ask then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin” (Romans 11:1).

“Circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee” (Philippians 3:5).

“Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I” (2 Corinthians 11:22).

“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel, according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day” (Acts 22:3).

Notice some of the labels that Paul’s gives himself in describing how strong his Jewish background really was: “Israelite,” “descendant of Abraham,” “a member of the tribe of Benjamin,” “Circumcised,” “of the people of Israel,” “a Hebrew of Hebrews,” “as to the law, a Pharisee,” “a Jew,” “educated at the feet of Gamaliel,” and “according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers.”

Understanding Paul’s background is vital because as he so masterfully makes his case for the contrast between law vs. grace, he speaks as one who has been on both sides of the Jew vs. Gentile controversy that was apparently taking place. Also, when he conveys that we are justified by grace through faith, apart from law (Romans 3:28; Romans 6:14, etc.), he speaks as one, who at one time in his past, was likely a legalist, according to how the word is generally defined:

“But in general the term is made use of to denote one who seeks salvation by works of law (not of the law, but of “law” generally, whether moral or ceremonial instead of by the merits of Christ” (Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature, McClintock and Strong, Volume V, p. 325).

By being converted, Paul did not start believing and teaching that God’s grace means we can continue in sin (Romans 6:4). What his conversion meant, at least in part, was that he no longer sought acceptance by God on the mere basis of his strict adherence to the law. This is especially seen in the comparison he draws between his mindsets before and after his conversion in Philippians 3:6-9. Notice the difference between vv. 6 and 9 here:

“as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—”

As one who had a tremendous, and in many ways even admirable commitment and zeal to the Law (Acts 22:3; Galatians 1:14; Acts 26:4-5), the Apostle Paul by his conversion, forsook everything he had for so many years stood for, including his efforts to move up in rank. In and of itself, Paul’s life and conversion account is a strong testament to the fact that when we become Christians, it is indeed a sacrifice and service. We had to give up the world and the ways of our past by putting our trust in God. This faith was a commitment to live and think differently as a unique people of God (1 Peter 2:9). And it continues to be a complete reliance on His way as opposed to our own righteousness. So keep this in mind as you read the book of Romans. Paul, by becoming a Christian, set himself in complete opposition to everything he had once stood for as a Pharisee with such a strong Jewish background. He now understands that the way of law is futile and empty (Romans 10:1-4). And this is precisely what he wants to teach these brethren. And when you consider the conflict that likely existed between these Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians here in Rome, this was undoubtedly a message they needed to hear and take to heart; that neither were worthy, but both because of God’s grace had hope. None were more worthy of salvation than the other. Is this not a message for which we need to earnestly contend in the church today? Who among us would claim based on their righteousness that they are deserving of justification? I certainly won’t make such a bold claim. For, Paul says if I do, I have fallen from grace (Galatians 5:4).

Another aspect to consider here is the recipients of this epistle to the Romans. To whom exactly did Paul write this letter? Jewish Christians? Gentile Christians? Both? If both, which was the majority? Or does it even matter, really? There are arguments for several views with regard to the specifics of who this letter went to. In fact, there are so many, it kind of proves to me that there is no way we can be dogmatic in what we speak to these things. Jack Cottrell in his commentary on Romans however, seems to put in perspective what we can be certain about:

“The epistle to the Romans is addressed ‘to all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints (1:7).’ These saints in Rome were almost certainly a mixture of Jewish and Gentile Christians, though there is no way to tell which group had the larger number. There appears to have been tension if not conflict among the two groups. What is obvious is that in the epistle Paul addresses both groups with some passages being specifically directed toward the Jewish Christians and some toward the Gentile Christians…..this whole question is really irrelevant, since it applies equally to both groups. All are sinners (3:9, 23), no one will be saved by law (3:19-20), and all are equal recipients of the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (3:24; 4:11-12). [p. 21].

A large part of Paul’s message is to convey that we are all equal; regardless of our differences in race, socioeconomic status, gender, and level or degree of righteousness or sin. As for our ability to justify ourselves before God, we are all in the same boat.

“For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:12-13).

The city of Rome was predominantly a Gentile city. In fact, the population did heavily favor that of the Gentiles, probably in large part due to Claudius’ charge for the Jews to leave Rome (Acts 18:2) just under 10 years earlier from the time of this writing, which was around A.D. 58, most believe. But as those of Jewish descent had begun to filter back into Rome after Claudius’ death, and because of the content of Romans, we cannot deny that there were Jewish Christians here. Perhaps the majority of the Christians in Rome were indeed Gentile, and that is at least in part what threatened the Jews. But either way, most commentators agree in that even if this were the case, it was probably not by an overwhelming amount. The important thing to remember here is that they apparently were not getting along and both parties were guilty of thinking they were better than the other. In our culture, on so many levels, this should sound quite familiar, and therefore indicates to us once again that Romans is indeed for everyone.

As for how the church in Rome started, the most logical explanation (and it makes the most sense to me, personally) is that there were people from Rome at Pentecost when the church was established (Acts 2:5, 10). These people, shortly after having been converted to Christianity on this day, likely went back to Rome and started the church there.

There does not seem to be any Biblical or historical support for Peter ever having gone to Rome, much less having started the church there.

Also, Matt Dabbs, at his website, is doing a study on Romans himself. It is excellent, in my opinion and thorough. You can find his specific content on Romans (along with other studies of Bible series’) here. Be sure and check out his post entitled, “Studying Romans–historical background and occasion.” Matt discusses some things here that I did not consider or go into very deeply in this post. Another interesting post that is relative to this introductory discussion can be found here where Matt, in a thought-provoking way, challenges the traditional belief that God’s plan was to save His own but only because of the Jews’ rejection of His way, He then extended the opportunity of salvation to the Gentiles (non Jews); as if God had never originally planned to extend hope to the Gentiles. This is good stuff by Matt and if you are interested in a deeper study of these issues, I highly recommend going there. I have enjoyed the brief conversations I have had with Matt about the scope of Romans. And I look forward to continuing to read and study his thoughts……as well as pick his brain.

More introductory thoughts to come soon regarding the purpose and occasion of the Romans letter, as well as the theme.

It has been an interesting couple of days since I posted my last blog. I want to say that I appreciate so much the many people who have called, e-mailed me, and reached out to me. Your positive responses and affirmation that you agree with what I said meant a lot to me.

I am going to have a lot more to say on my blog about works, justification, sanctification, and salvation in the future because I am going to talk about Romans quite a bit in the coming weeks. I discussed grace Wednesday and will have more to say about it as well. So “the whole” of what I teach will be clarified in the future. In the meantime, because the book of Romans has a lot to say about grace, and I plan to cover that, perhaps it is important to lay some groundwork as we go forward:

• I oppose Calvinism. I do not agree with the overall whole of it, nor do I espouse any facet of it.
• I do not believe that all we have to do in order to be saved is just receive God’s grace and then “sit there and do nothing.” I unequivocally believe and teach that God expects us to live holy lives. Of course we must obey Him. I maintain that God’s grace saves us, and that this grace is indeed apart from law-keeping. And I stand by this statement. But undoubtedly, to enjoy the full benefits of God’s grace (including salvation) there are conditions to be met.
• As for faith, I believe Ephesians 2:8-9, along with John 6:28-29 demonstrate that our obedience is implied.
• I believe that the Scriptures teach that we must be baptized for the remission of sins.

• My blog posted Wednesday was not designed to be my declaration of the “end all/say all” with regard to salvation. My intent was to discuss our unworthiness of God’s grace, especially mine.
• I know for some who read this blog, this law vs. works thing is difficult to grasp because of the seeming contradiction between Romans 3:28 and James 2:24. There is no contradiction and I will offer in the coming weeks how I believe the Bible harmonizes these truths.
• I believe God is fair and just. My thoughts are that “grace isn’t fair.” And I meant that in the sense that in our finite minds, how we understand “fair,” it can’t be. I deserve hell because I sin (Romans 3:23; Romans 5:8-9). Yet, because of God’s grace, I can walk with Christ today justified, with the hope of eternal life.

Something that might be helpful in the future if you want an overall view of what I believe on something, feel free to go to the topics and click on them. The list of topics is on the right hand side of the screen as you scroll down. I assign labels for each post that allows you to read my articles by subject matter. Six weeks ago, I wrote an article entitled, “Free Salvation.” That was an article designed to address the subject of salvation. I believe I covered it at least somewhat thoroughly and in a way that is consistent with Scripture. If you haven’t, I hope you will take the time to read it. I doubt you will have any question as to what I believe is involved in our salvation after you read that.

It is a very broad audience that reads this blog, and therefore my efforts are not to solely appease my brethren. I hope this is understood. My first priority is to please God first and foremost (Acts 5:29). Second, I want to reach out to those of you who are not part of the kingdom of God and try to convince you that it is the greatest way to live, including how to become a part of it. And third, in this process I hope to provide encouragement to my loved ones who are of like-minded faith.

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me and let’s talk. Odds are, if you read my blog, I know you. And that means I love, appreciate, and value your friendship. Dialogue with me. This encourages growth and I think it exudes the Christian spirit in which we ought to handle things.

Love to all!

Last night we began our men’s study in the book of Romans. I have been looking forward to this for a while now and the others seem to be excited about the study also. Something came up in our discussion that really impacted me. Someone mentioned how in discussing grace and how it relates with law, works, etc. that some people can’t make sense of it because it seems to go against God’s “fairness.” It hit me because I can remember being one of those who would have said something like this at one time. My rationale would have been something to this effect, “Well ‘grace only’ salvation doesn’t seem to make sense because that means God allows those to be saved who don’t deserve it or who have not been righteous followers.” Well of course! Isn’t that the whole point of grace? I have to admit that I am somewhat embarrassed that I spent a number of years ignoring or shying away from this reality, thinking it was the only way to protect my belief that we must obey God.

Here is a profound thought: Grace is not fair! Grace completely stands against everything that “fairness” is supposed to mean. I think it all makes sense when we understand that Paul’s whole point of this law-grace distinction in Romans was to reveal the means or process by which we are saved. His point was not that we don’t have to set out to be a holy and righteous people before God who seek to obey Him, but rather it was to inform us that grace sets us free from the necessity of trying to get to Heaven by and through our own means. Our adherence to a law is not the source of our salvation.

Dr. Jack Cottrell, writer of a great book entitled, The Faith Once for All does a superb job in explaining this:

Do I really want God to be fair with me on the day of judgment? Before answering we should remind ourselves that the only fair (just, deserved) treatment for sinners of any kind is hell!

Does this mean that grace is not fair? Of course it does! That is the very point of grace, i.e., that under grace God does not treat us in terms of fairness or justice: he does not pay us the wages our works have earned or deserved. For those who break the commandments, hell is fair. But grace is entirely different; it has nothing to do with fairness…….It is in fact the exact opposite of fairness; it is antifair. It is grace. Such grace is not just “unmerited favor”; it is “favor bestowed when wrath is owed” (pp. 312-313).

The truth of the matter is that if I am saved by law, then that means I must obey all the commandments for my entire life, and I must keep every element of that law perfectly. In other words, I must be totally sinless if it is law that saves me.

For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, Cursed be everyone who does not abide by ALL things written in the Book of the Law, and do them (Galatians 3:10).

For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it (James 2:10).

There was only one person who was able to accomplish this. That was Jesus Christ.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15).

And so while theoretically, one can be saved by keeping law only in that it was possible for Jesus, the feasibility of us doing it is 0%. We cannot do it.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God (Romans 5:8-9).

We all sin. Not one of us are perfect. Hence, our need for God’s saving grace:

For we maintain that one was justified by faith apart from the works of the law (Romans 3:28).

For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace (Romans 6:14).

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).

I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose (Galatians 2:21).

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Paul also seems to suggest in his letter to Titus that it is God’s grace to begin with, that even gives us a means to be righteous servants.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passion, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age (Titus 2:11-12).

And finally, may we never forget that this saving grace comes to us through none other than the One who was designated from the beginning to be our Savior. Jesus lived a perfect life and set for us the perfect example of how to live in the kingdom. And then He died so that those who belong to Him might have the full benefit of life in the kingdom here on earth and in Heaven. Regardless of how great our citizenship in His kingdom is, it is not because of our doing. We will forever be in debt to God. It is only through Christ and the grace He brought to us, that we even stand a chance, with any hope at all.

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake, he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:20-21).

Thank you Father God for your grace! I know I am undeserving of it. Through your Son Jesus, I bow before your throne recognizing my unworthiness. May I never take advantage of it and make a mockery of your loving grace. But may I never nullify it either. And may my actions toward others continuously reflect your love and grace that you have so extended to the world. Thank you for loving me in spite of my shortcomings. Help me to love others in spite of their shortcomings. Your grace extends to my neighbor as much as it does me. And please, help me to love you, who has no shortcomings, more and more as each day passes. Thank you, Father. Thank you! Amen!