The Gospel is not the gospel of men, but the gospel of God. By it, the revealed truth of God's love is manifested and judgment on sin is sure and the certain defeat of death and the devil. There is nothing in time or eternity more certain than what Jesus Christ accomplished on the Cross. The cross is ground zero for humanity and eternity. God the Father made redemption through the blood of His only Begotten Son the foundation by which we stand reconciled unto HIM.
The apostle Paul demonstrates the perfection of the Gospel with three essentials throughout the book of Romans. These Three Essentials Form The Basis Of Our Study Of Romans:
- Implicitly The Gospel - 1:16 - Our Surety
- Simplicity Of The Gospel - 5:8 - Our Security
- Complicity Of The Gospel - 10:13 - Our Serenity
The apostle Paul was an enemy of the gospel; at enmity with God, and is now an evident trophy of the perfection and power of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
1. FACT OF CONVERSION - vs1 ...Paul a servant.. Note The Reality Of Salvation:
1. FACT OF CONVERSION - vs1 ...Paul a servant.. Note The Reality Of Salvation:
- Paul's Relationship To Christ - vs.1a ...servant...
- Paul Relating To Christ ...1b ...called... A Call To The Right...
- Right PERCEPTION ...to be... A Right Being = A Right Doing
- Right PURPOSE ...an apostle...
2. FACT OF CONVEYING - VS2; Ps 33:11; Hebrews 1:1,2
- God Conveys His Surety - Heb.1:2a. ...had...
- God Conveys His Sincerity - Heb.1:2b ...promised...
- God Conveys His Serenity - Heb.1:2c ...the holy scriptures...
3. FACT OF CONCERN - VS.3,6 - THE BIBLE'S CHIEF CONCERN:
- Incarnation Of Christ VS.3 - DEITY-GOD.
- Declaration Of Christ - VS.4 See Acts 4:12
- Salvation In Christ - vs.5a
- Sanctification By Christ vs.5b,6
- Saints Of Christ - vs.7 Note God's Concern And Will For The Saints...
- Know Their Place: In The World... Not Of The World - 7a ...be in Rome...
- Know Their Race: To Be Godly In An Ungodly World - 7b ...to be saints...
- Know The Grace Of God: It's Personal & Persuasive - 7c ...Grace to you...
The apostle Paul is a transformed man because of the perfect gospel of Christ. Note the evidence of salvation by the reality of the gospel of Jesus Christ:
- THE WORK OF SALVATION IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE - PAUL WAS CONVERTED
- THE WORK OF SANCTIFICATION IS IMPORTANT - PAUL WAS CONFIDENT
- THE WORK OF SATISFACTION IS IMPACTING - PAUL WAS CONTENT TO CONTINUE
The Gospel Is A Very Personal Matter. Sometimes we are reluctant to do God's will. We find it inconvenient. We are too busy. We feel uncomfortable. At such times we are tempted to ignore God and hope He goes away. When he doesn't, we may even try to justify our reluctance with our own sense of insecurity or even our sense of inferiority. Possibly, you feel that God may be calling you to do the impossible. The gospel of Christ is God's means to provide personal assurance that encourages believers to follow Christ as did the apostle Paul.
I. Note Paul's Personal Gratitude - vs.8
- The Priority Of His Gratitude - 8a ...First, I thank my God...
- The Serenity Of His Gratitude - 8b ...through Jesus Christ...
- The Clarity Of His Gratitude - 8c-8d
- He Notes Their Faith - 8c ...that your faith...
- He Notes Their Fruitfulness - 8d ...throughout the whole world...
II. Note Paul's Personal Latitude - vs.9
- The Gospel's Call To Accountability - 9a ...For God is my witness...
- The Gospel's Call To Responsibility - 9b-9e
- To Acknowledge God's Ownership - 9b ...whom I serve...
- To Acknowledge God's Omnipotence - 9c ...in the gospel...
- The Gospel's Call To Durability - 9f ...that without ceasing...
III. Note Paul's Personal Attitude - vs.10-15
- A Positive Attitude - 10 ...I might have a prosperous journey...
- A Powerful Attitude - 11 ...by the will of God...
- A Passionate Attitude - 12-15
- To Encourage - 12 ...comforted together with you...
- To Enlighten - 13 ...I would not have you to be ignorant...
- To Evangelize - 14 ...I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians...
- To Equip - 15 ...I am ready to preach...
Whom ever God calls to ministry... they will realize within their heart the sense of divine presence and power and purpose. The Holy presence of God must be considered the only exercise that assures victory over our fear of being used personally by God. Any other consideration is certain to abandon us to the wasteland of uselessness. God's Calling Is not Without Repentance.
God had predetermined that salvation would be by grace through faith in Christ crucified alone. This is the perception that God has provided... Salvation by grace. Thus, all are afforded the opportunity to be saved (Titus 2:11). God never predestined that people would go to hell (2 Peter 3:9). As a matter of fact, hell was purposefully and exclusively prepared for Satan and his angels (Matthew 25:41). While it is both true and tragic that people are going to hell... they do so at their own choosing. God has purposed that people would be born to be born again (1 Timothy 2:4). This required God's offer of salvation and man's responsibility to receive God's gift of eternal life by faith. God will never save anyone without their consent (John 1:12).
I. The Saints Perception - vs.16-17
I. The Saints Perception - vs.16-17
- The Admiration Of The Gospel - 16a ...I am not ashamed of the gospel...
- The Advantage Of The Gospel - 16b ...it is the power of God...
- The Advancing Of The Gospel - 16c ...to everyone...
- The Advocacy Of The Gospel - 17a ...the righteousness of God
- The Adequacy Of The Gospel - 17b ...The just shall live by faith...
II. The Sinners Perception - vs.18-32
- God's Wrath Observed - 18a ...the wrath of God is revealed from...
- God's Wrath Deserved - 18b ...against all ungodliness...
- God's Wrath Reserved - 18c ...who hold the truth in unrighteousness...
- God's Work Rejected - 19-20
- God's Internal Work - 19 ...that which may be known...is in them..
- God's External Work - 20 ...creation... are clearly seen...
- God's Worthiness Is Rejected - 21-25
- They Are Hateful Of God - 21a ...they glorified him not as God...
- They Are Not Grateful to God - 21b ...neither were thankful...
- Godlessness - 22-32
- Their Choice - 23-25 - Idolatry
- Their Choice Is Intentional - 23
- Their Choice Is Consequential - 24-25
- Their Voice - 26-27
- Vile - 26 ...vile affections...
- Defiled - 27 ...in themselves...
- Their Noise - 28-32
- Their Claim - 28 ...they did not like to retain God...
- Their Shame - 29 ...Being filled with all unrighteousness...
- Their Blame - 30-32 ...haters of God...
- They Hate Authority - 30 ...disobedient to parents...
- They Hate Authenticity - 31 ...covenant breakers...
- They Hate Accountability - 32 ...the judgment...
Why do sinners hate God and His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ?
The answer is simple. Sinners naturally hate God, because they are decisively and deliberately selfish; and God is (by His very nature) contrary to the sure intent of the human heart. Yet, we have no justification to hate God. That is, we have no legitimate reason for doing so. God did not create us to hate him... but to know him and love him.
A sinner's hatred for God cannot and should not be blamed on hereditary effect. It is by virtue of a deliberate disposition of the heart per individual. Thus, we cannot blame our ancestors for our hatred of God. If so, we then have a just cause for our hatred of God. This is impossible (John 15:25b).
God's order by virtue of His commands are not a just cause for hating Him. For His commandments are not grievous; nor unreasonable in its demand to obey Him. Our love for God and our obedience to His commands has never produced a miserable person. On the contrary, the wicked have no rest. Those who know Him willingly acknowledge that "His yoke is easy, and His burden is light;" and obedience to His Person and principles naturally results in joy.
Sinners have no just reason for their hatred in the ultimatum of the gospel's call to salvation. The principle of the Gospel (Eph. 2:8,10) is not impossible to comply with. Thus, the sinner is assured of salvation that cannot be rendered impossible. Or else, the sinner has just cause to hate God.
A sinner's hatred of God has no strength to prevent God's great invitation of salvation by grace in and through Jesus Christ (Romans 5:8). How blessed we are that God in His long-suffering was not willing that any should perish... but that ALL should come to repentance. justifiable
The answer is simple. Sinners naturally hate God, because they are decisively and deliberately selfish; and God is (by His very nature) contrary to the sure intent of the human heart. Yet, we have no justification to hate God. That is, we have no legitimate reason for doing so. God did not create us to hate him... but to know him and love him.
A sinner's hatred for God cannot and should not be blamed on hereditary effect. It is by virtue of a deliberate disposition of the heart per individual. Thus, we cannot blame our ancestors for our hatred of God. If so, we then have a just cause for our hatred of God. This is impossible (John 15:25b).
God's order by virtue of His commands are not a just cause for hating Him. For His commandments are not grievous; nor unreasonable in its demand to obey Him. Our love for God and our obedience to His commands has never produced a miserable person. On the contrary, the wicked have no rest. Those who know Him willingly acknowledge that "His yoke is easy, and His burden is light;" and obedience to His Person and principles naturally results in joy.
Sinners have no just reason for their hatred in the ultimatum of the gospel's call to salvation. The principle of the Gospel (Eph. 2:8,10) is not impossible to comply with. Thus, the sinner is assured of salvation that cannot be rendered impossible. Or else, the sinner has just cause to hate God.
A sinner's hatred of God has no strength to prevent God's great invitation of salvation by grace in and through Jesus Christ (Romans 5:8). How blessed we are that God in His long-suffering was not willing that any should perish... but that ALL should come to repentance. justifiable
No comments:
Post a Comment