Romans 6

1.      1, What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

Shall we continue sinning, so that we can come to God and confess our sins, so He can forgive us and we can resolve not to do it again, only to slip up again and sin again, so that we can confess it to God and so he can forgive us and we can resolve to not to do it again and continue in this cycle of sinning?

Indictment. There were Jews that followed Paul causing trouble, contradicting him, spreading false accusation, confusion, physical harm, setting doubt in hearers of Paul. They were accusing him of a teaching that you can continue sinning because you have an appointed, accredited, accounting type righteousness. That you’re not really righteous, you don’t do righteousness, you can continue in sin and still get to heaven because you have a clerically righteousness? That you don’t have to be obedient and not sin because you have this clerical, appointment of righteousness? And, that where the sin abounds, as you heap up your sins and the floodwaters of the damn of judgment rise to heaven, the grace of God covers that higher pile even more. The Jew would stand justified within himself in calling this belief system heretical. He would stand confident that the law was far superior and holds righteous standards and accountability by right doing. He would point to Paul’s heresy and say see your method of salvation is inferior to the law. As the law is the highest moral standard and God would never contradict himself nor wink at sin. That would be unjust and God would stand indicted. 

2. 2, God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

a.       Paul answers the indictment. God forbid (Gk: mē ginomai – mē=primary particle of qualified negation; ginomai=be ended, to be done, be finished or ended. Tense: 2 Arorist [expressing time:past, present, future] indefinite. Voice [expression: Middle Deponent [passive termination]. Mood: Optative- this is an example of a special case where the verb stands apart from conditional clause to express the strongest possible wish regarding an event). This is the strongest objection in the greek language. In grammer, God is the subject and forbid is the verb making a complete thought. God is the one doing the forbidding, there is no one higher the ultimate authority doing the forbidding. A weaker reading would be to “forbid it” or “let it never be”. The reason for the strength is that Paul wants to underline the eternal opposition and objection to such an indictment.

b.     Dead to sin. Paul speaks of a state of being “dead to sin”. Not dead in sin, but dead to sin. This defines my relationship to sin. It is a reality that God expects us to live in. Not ought to be dead, not should be dead, not a theoretical or hypothetical death but an actual death. This reality defines my reality, my relationship and my response to sin.

c.     How do I covercome sin? In the reality of your being dead to sin and resurrected to new life with Christ.

d.     The bible did not stop with a theoretical salvation where positionally I’m saved and forgiven but practically and conditionally (in my condition) I am still a slave to sin.

3.       3, Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

a.       Baptism. What is baptism, how many were there, is it water, what does being baptized in Christ mean? Baptism occurs some 91 times in the NT. Having examined each of them, they were classified into five categories. Water, Holy Ghost, Repentance, Death, Names (Christ, Moses etc.).

b.      It is an emersion. Like today’s meaning. The politician was baptized by fire. The married couple had their baptismal yesterday…meaning they had a fight. The baptism is a word picture to explain what happens when Christ enters in and sanctifies me, makes me holy. Holiness itself entering into the man of God. It is a spiritual experience, not water. I am immersed into Christ and he in me. We join into a relationship through emersion yet distinct from eachother. This is as intimate as one can possibly be.

c.       How many baptisms were there? There are actually 5 baptisms only one of them is dealing with water?

d.      3 elements in baptism. The Baptiser, baptisee and the medium in which they are baptized. When we are baptized into Christ = Another Christian, Baptisee=one who put his faith in Christ, Medium = Faith. John’s Baptism: Baptiser=John, Baptisee=the penetant, medium=water. Christ’s death: Baptiser is God, baptisee is a born again Christian, the medium is Christ’s death.

4.       4, Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

a.       Therefore, since this event has already taken place in my history, the declarative: I am buried with him by baptism into his death.

b.      Christ raised. Like as Christ died, was buried, and rose again to new life, so am I. As Christ died, I died too. As Christ was buried, so was I. And as Christ was raised from the dead, alive unto God and sits resurrected and seated on the right hand of the Father and the throne. Even so we should account in like manner. In the same way and in the same reference to my reality.

5.       5, For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

a.      Like being planted together and growing together; like two brothers growing up or two sisters, so we shall be also in respect to his resurrection. That as Christ is risen and alive, so am I. That I have been raised up from this body of corruption. That I have ascended into the heavenlies and was seated with Christ. Like as Christ is alive and has overcome the world, the flesh and the devil, so am I as ascended, as seated and raining in power and victory over the world the flesh and the devil and all by faith.

6.      6, Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

a.       Knowing this. Having this be the reality in which I live; the ground beneath my feet and the air that I breathe. That our old man IS, not ought to be, IS not in type or theoretically or hypothetically but IS crucified. My execution is a reality in which I call “that which be not as though it were.” There are things that we know, things that we don’t know and things that we don’t know that we don’t know. This is something that God expects us to KNOW. And that the knowing would be the centerpiece of our relationship to sin. Paul is not encouraging us to do something, not prompting us to do something, he’s encouraging us to reflect and remember something that is already taken place. This is a statement of fact. Knowing this, having this as a statement of fact that has already transpired in my history. He is assuming that all Christians know this. Not telling us to do something.

b.      Old Man. He’s not talking about your father, he’s talking about the man that used to be you. The man that Christ put to death and IS no more. That man in which sin dwelled, that man in which sin found it’s expression, whatever that thing of sin was, it was executed, put to death and destroyed. That henceforth we should not serve it, Why? Because it’s dead.

                                                   i.      Note: It is necessary to do expository on this term due to the confusion and miscommunication and vast amount of misleading materials. The term Old Man only occurs 4 times in scripture. The old man is not something that exists with the new man. It doesn’t share the same body, it doesn’t compete for command and control of the new man. It is not the spirit, it is not the soul nor the body. It is that thing which you feed, bathe and pamper. It is that thing which constitutes all that the you were before getting baptized into Jesus Christ. It is not a specific part, but the whole. That was put to death with Christ.

                                                 ii.    Luk_1:18, And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.

                                             iii.      Rom_6:6, Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

                                               iv.    Eph_4:22, That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

                                                 v.     Col_3:9, Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

c.      What was Crucified. Whatever sin is, that body of sin is, it is at least that thing where sin dwells where sin grows, where sin is fed, where it meets it expression, that thing called the body of sin was destroyed. The results of that being crucified and being destroyed is that henceforth we should not server sin.

7.      7, For he that is dead is freed from sin.

a.       Not ought to be, not should be, not in type or hypothetical but actual. Paul is even asked the question: Paul you say that your body is dead but I still see your body here, what gives? Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ, nervertheless, …

b.      He is assuming that this is the condition of all believers. That all believers are dead and freed from sin. This is a fact. 

8.       8, Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

a.       Assuming that these things be true, my death is a history in my reckoning and my resurrection is yet future. I live in a state of anticipation of the fulfillment of this promise. Knowing that it is true, mine and settled in my future history, I look for the adoption when my adopting father comes and takes me by the hand and leads me home to live with him forever. Where joy will be my new home and sanctuary.

9.       9, Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

a.       Knowing this, that Christ’s experience is my experience. That experience I have been placed into by a spirit baptism. That Christ died unto sin; it no longer has power over him, that’s true for me too.

10.   10, For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

a.       Christ died one time, not annually like Yom Kippur (The Atonement), not bi-annually, monthly, weekly or even daily. He died one time and then was seated at the right hand of the father. Heb 12:1-2 READ. The priest would NEVER sit in the temple (remember the altar is before the throne). There were no chairs, no loitering places, no starbucks. It was a place of serving continually, you would never sit before the king upon penalty of death. Jesus’ sitting down by Levitical law would be a statement that the work is finished. Jesus’ last words on the cross were “it is finished”. 

11.   11, Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

a.       In like manner, in the same way that Christ died unto sin once and now lives unto God; in the same way that I died once with Christ and live with Him by baptism into this experience. Reckon, calculate, affirm. That the SEAT, the FOUNDATION, the AUTHORITY, the METHOD by which a Christian stops sinning and never sins again, by which a Christian has power over all temptation over all sin, is based upon the fact that a Christian is DEAD to sin just as Christ is dead and is just as ALIVE as Christ is alive and is as FREED from sin as Christ is freed from sin. THIS IS THE WORD OF GOD. This is what it says; this is God’s verdict and judicial gavel on the subject. There is no second opinion, no test drive, no trial period. It is the final word on sin and my relationship with it.

b.      Experience. You should not argue this from your experience, mine or what you see or don’t see in me. It is the reality by which God expects us to live.

c.       Word of God. We must either believe the word as it is written or dismiss the word as it is written. If we find that it is ridiculous or preposterous then we can dismiss it and go back to some other form of sanctification. Let’s not try to modify, or tamper with it. Either we accept it as it is written or we dismiss it as it is written.

d.      Overcoming. The basis for which we are free from sin is that as Christ is dead, buried and alive, so are we in the same measure, same kind, and same degree indeed.

12.   12, Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

a.       Praise God that we now have the power to “let not” and the power to “yield not”.

b.      This is the first time Paul is actually telling us to do something. Before he was only asking us to know something. And even that knowing was something that he expected that they already knew.

c.       Reign. The state of a man without Christ is that sin reigns in his mortal body. The lusts of his flesh have dominion and rule. He follows his carnal lusts whether they be in the mind or flesh. If he doesn’t commit adultery it’s because it is to his advantage and happiness. He doesn’t want to risk losing his wife and children or esteem or extended family or bare the shame. But sin will eventually play out in his life experience. Man must either obey or disobey his fleshly appetites, his lusts in his flesh. There are three flavors of sin, lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and the pride of life. All cater to the fleshly, carnal experience. All sin’s revolve around these variants.

d.      God expects us to believe things that aren’t as though they were. Why? 1) Because it happened in Christ and God declares it so, 2) Something happens outside the realm of the visual, the evidential, like divine healing the power of God is realized in our experience. Col 2:12 calls it the operation of God; Phil 2:13 calls it the work of God; 2Pet 1:3 calls it the divine power to live godly.

13.   13, Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

a.       Members. Members are your eyes, ears, feet, sexual organs.

b.      Yield. There must be a yielding in order to sin. There must be a giving way, an allowing, a conceding ground. God says we can “let not” and “yield not”. If it were not true but just a pretend sanctification, God would be a liar. He would be cruel in his expectation and demand to believe this gospel and live it out in our experience. It would be a lie and not only would God stand indicted, but mankind would stand in opposition by a failed faith and not overcoming. However, this sanctification, this overcoming sin, is expressed by the same act of faith that saved and is the same act of faith that overcomes. God did not leave us with an impractical theoretical salvation that had no provision, no way to overcome, but left us with the Power of God, like divine healing that when sin’s temptation raises it’s ugly head from the dead, I declare I am dead to sin, buried with Christ and am a resurrected, seated, son of God reigning in power, and glory and victory over the world, the flesh and the devil by faith.

c.       Alive from the dead. Eph 2:1 “and you who were dead in trespasses and sin…”; Col 2:13 “and you being dead in your sins…”. Remember that without God, I am dead. That before they knew Christ, they were considered dead by God. What changed, God came into them. Yes, the were justified, but now they crossed over from death unto life by way of life entering into the man. Life itself making resident in him. Jn 14:6 “I am the way, the truth and the LIFE, no man comes to the Father but by me.” 1Jn 5:12 “ he that hath the Son hath LIFE, he that hath not the Son hath NOT LIFE.”

14.   14, For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

a.       Not sin ought not have dominion, not might not, it is not typological. It is a SHALL NOT, like the SHALL NOT’s of the TEN COMMANDMENTS. It carries the same authority, the same magnitude and degree as the law. This word of God is the prescription for overcoming sin. It is the only remedy provided by God so that the Christian man or woman can overcome sin and live in righteousness all their days until death.

15.   15, What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

a.       Paul is still answering the indictment in the background to his Jewish opposition. Remember they believed that he was promoting a promiscuous doctrine that people could go on sinning without accountability or responsibility to their creator.

b.      Again there is that strongest objection just like in V1 at the beginning of the chapter.

c.       In other words, when I died with Christ it released me from the law that bound me in the flesh. Now with my new found freedom from the law, shall I continue sinning because I’m not bound to the law but am under the grace of God? Shall we take advantage of the grace, the forgiveness of sins and therefore indulge ourselves because God will forgive us right? Paul answers this indictment yet another time. God Forbid. Remember the etymological study of this phrase revealed it to be the strongest objection in the Greek.

16.   16, Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

a.       Two Know ye not’s. After both of these indictments, Paul responds with a “know ye not”. In other words, how can this be true, don’t you know something…  There was something Paul was objecting to based upon a knowing something. The first was how can we continue sinning knowing that we who are “dead to sin” are baptized into Christ’s death and burial. And the result is that I have a new walk, a new manner of living. The second occurrence here says, how shall we continue sinning, don’t you know something… Again there is an objection based upon a knowing something. It is a knowing that if you yield yourself as a servant to obey, the

17.   17, But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 18, Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

a.       God is thanked because you used to serve sin, yield to sin, let sin. But now there is a new walk. You have obeyed this form of doctrine delivered unto you. It is in the believing and obeying where victory is known. It is in the not trusting what you see, not believing with your senses but believing what God says.

                                                   i.      Rom 4:12, And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.

                                                 ii.      2Co 5:7, (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

b.      You used to obey sin resulting in death (dead in sins and trespasses; and you being dead in sins and the uncircumcision of your hearts). You used to yield to sin but having this doctrine, this teaching, this operation and working of God, this divine power which has given us all things for life and godliness that you walk in victory from sin. That you can yield not, that you can let not sin any longer reign. It has been dethroned and put to death and lost all dominion over you.

c.       The result is that you are free from sin. Not free to sin, not free in sin, not slave to sin, not dead in sin, but free from sin. It no longer has a hold on you; it no longer has you in its grip but has lost it’s strength as a dead man that has lost all strength in his grip, whose hand slithers off your throat. If it gets at your throat again, its not because he had any strength to do so, you had to pick it up, place it upon your throat and squeeze. There is now no power in the flesh to control you. If you sin, and you are a Christian, you have no excuse to sin, no passport to sin, no indulgences to sin for it has relinquished all holds and authority and dominion over you. If you sin, it is the new man sinning. There is no old man to blame; it is dead. If you sin there is no old nature, that too has perished. What can you blame then? Why do I sin? Why when told I am free still live under bondage? Paul answers that and tells us how to live.

18.   19, I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. 20, For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. 21, What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

a.       Paul is saying that he’s speaking regarding our fleshly experience; he’s doing so because of the sickness of our flesh. He’s saying just like you used to serve sin with abandon, just like you indulged your flesh to your lusts and desires, just like you used to be free from righteousness; in the same way, to the same degree now yield yourselves to do righteousness with the same abandon. With the same careless disregard for right doing that you had before, so now have the careless regard for wrong doing and with full abandon follow righteousness.

19.   22, But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

a.       Here it is again, we are free from sin, free from sin, free from sin. Three times this chapter tells us we are free from sin. Don’t look to your experience, don’t look to the evidences of your eyes or feelings; with the same abandon that you used to sin, now believe God and be free from sin.

20.   23, For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

a.       Plain and simple. The paycheck from sin is death. The result of a life in sin is eternal separation from God and a destiny set for the flames of hell. But, in contrary to, to a greater plane and beyond the imagination is the gift of God for hopeless sinners. That gift being eternal life, real living, a life yet to be lived. A rest, a new life, a life yet to be lived, adventures and excitement and thrills and love and joy and peace, where there are no more tears, no more fears, no more frailties and diseases of the body and the infirmity of our flesh. To live in the presence of love itself. To live in a true joy, and a joy that is full. Your happiest day is like mourning, your ecstasies like bitter death, your highest achievements like a child banging his pots thinking himself well. No eye has seen, no ear has heard nor entered into the heart of man or even his imaginations what God has prepared for those whom love him. I compare it to the womb, would you want to go back? There was no sight, no color, no wind upon your face, no hearing the fidelity of sound. No running or jumping or embracing. No tastes, no smells (oxygen is needed). No flavor of barbeque ribs or the smell of the sea. Like as the womb is to the man, to a great degree to an unimaginable comparison is what awaits those who are in Christ. 

Romans 5: Justification II

Romans 5: 

Results and blessings of Justification

1.       1, Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

a.       Justified by faith. He’s not going back into justification laid out in latter chapter 3 and chapter 4. Remember justification is two things 1) what God did for you and 2) What God did to you. The first, having taken your sins and having dealt with them and you. Putting you to death and raising you to life. Having washed your stain with his blood and your souls having been intertwined sharing the same fate (baptism) . God then did something to you, he sanctified you, made you holy. Holiness itself came upon you and took up residence in your heart. God himself promising to abide there forever. God will raise you to heaven some day.

b.      Peace. He is stating that since that has taken place. We have peace with God. Not peace of mind. Not inner peace, not internal. It means I am no longer at war, a peace treaty has been ratified and all hostilities have halted now and forever. God is no longer my adversary, but my friend. We are no longer at enmity with each other, we are at peace.  I cannot have internal peace until I have external peace with God. Story of the USS Missouri when in Hawaii. Ship used for the surrender of the Empire of Japan. Established a state of peace between the two countries.

c.       When I come to the gospel, it’s not that I need to make peace with God; it’s that God has made it possible and has remedied the warfare with man. That wrath of God that came upon me when measured against the law, God’s righteous standard, that wrath and thundering God of Sinai, God has buried his axe of anger in Christ and has ceased from his hostilities against me and is now at peace and reconciliation with me through Christ Jesus.

2.       2, By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

a.       Access. What a glorious statement especially to the Jew. He had been separated all his life. He never had access to God in the temple, only the high priest and that was only once a year. He always needed a mediator between him and God. The law separated and condemned but was not accepting. The temple had the middle wall to separate the Jew from the inside of the temple. Then there was the veil as a reminder that there was a separation between God and man with no access to the inner sanctum. Now God has torn the veil in two at Christ’s death ripped from the top down.

                                                   i.      Veil. Not a trivial matter since the veil was the width of a man’s hand (appx 4” thick).

1.       Mat_27:51, And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

2.       Mar_15:38, And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.

                                                 ii.      Eph 2:18 For through Him we both have ACCESS by one Spirit unto the Father.

                                                iii.      Heb4:16 Let us therefore come BOLDLY to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

b.      Stand. 64 times in NT. Not the vertical position of the body. Means to take a position and hold it. Having been persuaded of the truth, you stand on that ground.

c.       2Cor 12:9. “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” The sufficiency of the grace is a provision. So we stand in the adequacy of his provision.

d.      1Cor 2:5. “That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”

e.      1Cor 15:1,2. 1, Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2, By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

f.        2Cor 3:7-11. Moses’ glory was nothing in comparison. “7, But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: 8, How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? 9, For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. 10, For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. 11, For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.

3.       3, And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4, And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

a.       TRIBULATIONS. What are tribulations? They are the difficulties, trials and problems in life. Most religions advertise and speak of ways to avoid tribulation by adherence.

                                                   i.      Rom 8:28. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

                                                 ii.      All things work to the good. God is able to even use tribulation in our experience to glory. Such that we can joy even during tribulation.

b.      Why is tribulation necessary? What is it directed at or supposed to do?

c.       Jam 1:3. “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.”  This process works something in you, produces a yield of biblical patience in you. At the end of the process of v3, you will hold fast to the truth, the testimony, the experience you have which being persuaded of the hope that God has promised you, he will deliver as though it had already happened. And you wait patiently for the adoption as sons into your father’s kingdom.

d.      2Pet 1:7-9 “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than that of gold, though it be tried by fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. Whom having not see, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

e.      2Cor 4:17. “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;”.

f.        2Cor 11:30. “If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.”.

g.       1Pet 5:10. “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”.

h.      2Cor 6:4-7. “But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, 5, In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; 6, By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,  7, By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, 8, By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; 9, As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; 10, As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things”.

                                                   i.      Two lists: , in necessities, in distresses, 5, In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings, honour and dishonor, evil and good report, deceivers, unknown, dying, chastened, sorrowful yet rejoicing, poor, having nothing.

                                                 ii.      pureness, knowledge, kindness, Holy Ghost, love unfeigned,  the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left.

                                                iii.      These tribulations, life experiences build something eternal, glorious and holy within. God uses it all to build in you a temple fit for heaven. So we rejoice not in the tribulation itself, for it has no intrinsic value, but what is produced at the other side. For it is fashioned with heavenly hands building in us the glory of God, some blessing, some rejoicing, some facet of God’s character, some attributes that bring me higher and taller, more confident and sure, steadfast and standing in the glorious hope set before us.

i.         PATIENCE. Tribulation works patience. The product of the tribulation is biblical patience. Holding fast to our faith, not giving up, not letting go, staying in the faith. So that being faithful unto death I stand in the truth fashioned in this heart of flesh.

j.        Biblical Patience gets stronger just like anything. How does a tree’s roots get stronger? How do muscles get stronger? By stress, by tribulation, by working them until they hurt. In muscles the fibers tear and are rebuilt a little thicker, a little stronger. In trees, same thing, upon stronger winds stressing the roots, they go a little deeper, grow a little thicker. So it is within the human soul. When faith is tried and tested; when it is stressed and its fibers are torn, it rebuilds a little stronger a little thicker. It becomes tougher, able to handle more, stands a little higher, with more confidence; sees lesser things in a light of superiority having a history of overcoming. Whenever I have read of true Christians either in the bible or in extra-biblical accounts, the one’s worth anything were the ones who had gone through tribulation. Missionaries standing in a desert climate, with little food, clothes, money. Surviving hostile witchdoctors, tribal superstition and religions. People engaged in spreading the gospel, encountering hostility, physical or verbal abuse. Look at the chapter 11 in the book of Hebrews and it’s account of the brothers and sisters throughout history, the account of their faith.

                                                   i.      Some folks get bitter with God. They say, I have prayed and then God let this happen. They accuse God and bring railing indictment and charges against him. What they need is more trial, till their testimony changes to praise God for no trial today. That I didn’t take a step and have a prickle stick my foot. Praise God that I am not sick, look every day with thanks and praise and contentment.

k.       EXPERIENCE. God could not create experience in my experience. You cannot get experience without living through it. Experience necessitates living through it. However, experience without tribulation is worthless. The people who are of value are those who’ve had tribulation, responded to it correctly and have grown and matured through the hard knocks of life. They are able to reach down a little deeper into the soul to things where others come up empty. There are skills and knowledge and confidence that are lacking in those who’ve not gone through the tribulation. Like a trapeze artist he climbs to death defying heights and performs a ballet in the air. Whereas someone who’s never experienced it is in fear for his life and would almost surely die trying those things.

4.       5, And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

a.       Hope. “Rom_8:24, For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? 25, But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.”

b.      1Cor 15:19 “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.”  If all we had in this life was hope without Christ, then we’d be most miserable of all people. We are giving up things to be a Christian. We are sacrificing “supposed” fun and temptations. The Christian experience is filled with postponed gratification, self denial and loss of freedom.

c.       Col 1:5 “For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;”.

d.      1Jn 3: 2, Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3, And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

e.      Hope is that certainty of that blessed hope that second coming and our place and position in heaven. That is the biblical definition of hope.

f.        “Heb_6:19, Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;”

g.       So this tribulation works experience and the experience works hope.

h.      Do you know what makes you want to go to heaven? This life. When young don’t think that, everything is ahead of you. You’ve not “experienced” things. You want a career, get married, do this and that. But after you’ve experienced enough of this life. After you’ve experienced enough tribulation work some patience and some experience, then that experience says I want to see the Lord, I want a new body, I want to be in the Lord’s presence and am tired of the planet earth.

i.         Most belief systems are designed to keep us from adversity. And if adversity comes, then your God has failed you. Most belief systems are designed to keep you from getting sick, get you wealthy etc. The bible says, that even in all of that, the bible gives us hope. Paul says, if all we had in life was hope, then we would be of all men most miserable. If this life was the only hope we had, we would be most miserable. That’s because we are giving up so much. We’re giving up allot of thrills and pleasures and denying ourselves to be Christians. We are turning our back on fun in many cases, a path of self denial. And as a result we get persecuted and misunderstood. When I know what’s beyond, there is nothing you can say to me that’s going to make me ashamed of the Lord Jesus.

5.       6, For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

a.       While we were still at war with God, while we were still mocking God, while we were still making God in our own image, while we were still changing the truth of God into a lie, while we didn’t like to keep God in our knowledge, were unthankful, not giving God the glory and praise He deserves; during that time God became man and died at the hands of men, doing a deed on their behalf that would go thankless, ignored, branded a vile thing and unscholarly and uneducated, archaic and despised. Consider the kind and character of this God of the bible that would do such a thing. He is so far beyond the limitations of human compassion, pity and prideful inhibition.

6.       7, For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.8, But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

a.       It’s one thing to die for a right cause, just man or a loved one, but would you die for the person that raped your wife and daughter and left their tortured, dismembered bodies in a hole out in the wilderness? Would you give up your life for the murderer who killed your father for fun? Or the horrendous, the men who molest children to their death, the cannibals who go into the villages warning that they will be back next week to eat children and do. Certainly the flames of hell were made for such as these. Even still those who’ve trodden under foot the Son of God, hath called the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despite unto the Spirit of Grace? God seeing our hopeless state, unable to remedy our desperate condition, separated from God and alone in the world took pity. He went to the cross, spread his arms and said, I love you this much. Having paid a debt he did not owe, because I owed a debt I could not pay.

7.       9, Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10, For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

a.       Much more. Paul makes this statement 5 times in this chapter. He is excited and professing how great the promises and the work of God is. He proclaims these 5 contrasts to illustrate:

                                                   i.      Rom_5:9, Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

                                                 ii.          Rom_5:10, For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

                                                iii.          Rom_5:15, But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

                                               iv.          Rom_5:17, For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.

                                                 v.          Rom_5:20, Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

b.      Summary: justified by His blood, saved from wrath; enemies reconciled by His death; saved by his life; offense of one many dead, grace and gift of God abound to many;  one man’s offense death reigned, receive abundance of grace and gift of righteousness reign in life by one, Jesus; where sin abounded grace did more.

8.       11, And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

a.       Only time the word “atonement” appears in the KJB NT and is the only translation that has it here. However it appears 81 times in the whole bible. When examining ALL 81 verses, they all mean a blood sacrifice for a covering over sin. There was an atonement that needed to precede a forgiveness or reconciliation. You could not have a reconciliation without an atonement and an atonement without a reconciliation was useless.

b.      The atonement was temporary. It needed to be performed once every year for Israel at Yom Kippur “the atonement”. In fact the reconciliation was also temporary as well. It was a temporal covering for sins, but “Heb_10:4, For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.”

c.       Change. If we change atonement to reconciliation in this verse, then we remove the fulfillment of the atonement being fulfilled. We skip the atonement and jump right to reconciliation with no atonement made. No blood sacrifice, no payment offered, skip right past the fulfillment of the atonement that would be permanent, no need for yearly renewal, implemented by a flawed human man, no longer inferior for the putting off of sins. No fulfillment of that final sacrifice. Rom 6:10 “For in that he died, he died unto sin once; in that he liveth he liveth unto God.” He didn’t die yearly- annually, not monthly, not weekly or daily or minute-by-minute. He died ONCE!

9.       Overview of verse 12-21. 

a.       Series of Contrasts. Paul is about to setup a series of contrasts between Adam and Christ. It will contrast things such as sin unto death and righteousness unto life. The purpose is to use Adam as a reference to demonstrate God’s grace to man contrasted with the consequences of the works of the flesh. God’s grace being the works of God poured out upon the sinner, the unrighteous, the condemned, the dead and alone. The Grace of God

                                                   i.      Adam versus Christ contrasted 9 times. By one is mentioned 11 times meaning that two of them had no contrast but were statements.

1.       Sin entered world                    1. Righteousness entered by the gift of God

2.       Death by one                             2. Gift of Life by One

3.       Offense many dead                                3. Grace and “the Gift” by grace to many made alive

4.       Judgment/condemnation    4. Free gift unto justification (legal statement)

5.       Death reigned                           5. Gift of righteousness, reign in life

6.       Offense/judgment/condemnation  6. Gift of Righteousness, justification, life

7.       Disobedience-Sinners            7. Obedience – righteousness

8.       Law entered so sin abounds 8. Grace entered and abounds further

9.       Sin reigned unto death          9. Grace reign through righteousness unto life

10.   “12, Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”

a.       Death passed upon all men by way of sin. Two things happened in Adam’s sin. 1) Separation from God and 2) Blocked from partaking of the tree of Life!!! Therefore, death passed upon all men because there was neither of these two options available anymore. 1) God would never dwell with man again until Christ would return and God would justify him, sanctify him, and anoint him holy by indwelling him. 2) Man will never take part of the “Tree of Life” until after Christ’s righteousness and gift of indwelling life. Then having been washed in the blood of the lamb, given the white raiment of righteousness, received their reward and crowns, then brought into the heavenlies and have access to the tree.

b.      Eph_2:11, “Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 12, That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:” This is the state of the unsaved man when he enters into the world; without Christ, no hope and separate from God.

c.       Confusion and Errant Teaching on verse 12

                                                   i.      Adam influenced generations to sin. Sin was the influence of one. If this were so, then the parallel in Christ would be then that his righteousness did nothing more than influence us to righteousness.

                                                 ii.      All actually sinned in Adam. All were in Adam, present in Adam when he sinned, so it wasn’t just Adam who sinned but all sinned with him. Therefore all die for actual sin. If man dies for his own sin, then the parallel must be that he lives because of his own righteousness. If Adam’s acts made us sinners, the Christs acts made us righteous. So that the condemnation to all men for their participation in actual sin, then eternal life to Christians is deserved reward for their participation in actual righteousness.

                                                iii.      Covenant sinners – federal headship. Covenant churches. Teach that all did not sin, but are accounted by covenant to have sinned. Adam being the federal head, by him acting on behalf of the entire human race. All are blamed but not guilty. Some make covenant with God for the salvation of their children. In this teaching men, women and babies are to blame and worthy of the flames of hell. God is angry with the human race for their passive participation in a failed covenant with Adam.

                                               iv.      Sinful Nature. Adam’s sin caused a pollution, a sinful nature to be deposited in man. They teach that not all sinned but that all are “made” sinners. It is not the condemnation passed down from the original sin, but the effect. When Adam sinned, his “nature” became corrupt and passed along the depraved state to all his descendents. This started with Augustinian teaching in the 5^th century and continued through history to Luther, Calivin, the Puritans, Hodge and a host of contemporaries. They say that all men die, though having not sinned personally or in Adam, but because they were born depraved and unable to do righteousness. From the womb they are wicked. The fetus is an abomination to God, babies and infants God holds them blameworthy and laughs as he holds them over the flames of hell. Covenant view there is no organic link to depravity. In seminal view, is man organically participated in sin, then guilt is direct and personal and moral depravity the result of all simultaneously in Adam. If no organic link (sinful nature), then moral depravity must be the creation of God. In other words, if only Adam sinned and only he is blameworthy, and his descendents are born with natures vile to God, then all are damned and blameworthy for no fault of their own and faulted for something they could not be, unable to be.

11.   13, (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14, Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. 15, But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.16, And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. 17, For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

a.       Personal Note from God to the reader in Verse 13-17. It is explaining verse 12. Notice that the explanation addresses all four of the issues. It addresses “did all sin Adam’s sin?”, “did Adam’s sin influence us to sin?”, “was Adam’s sin a headship representation of all men, therefore we sinned by proxy?” Why are there all these views? Does their commonality reveal their origin? These views attempt to reconcile V12’s “all sinned” with God’s justice. In other words, we are all damned for a reason, and the reason is …”. They try to rationalize damnation. What actually damns man? What helps us wade through the misinformation and navigate the scriptures are the previous passages in Romans.

b.      V13 No law to impute them. In other words, even before the Mosaic law was in the world there was sin. But there was no law to condemn them. There was no “Thou shalt not’s” to accuse them. However, they were still accountable to the truth which they held. Just like Romans chapter 1-3 told us. Even though they didn’t sin like Adam did. They didn’t do what he did but they still sinned.

There was no law to impute them of sin, however, they still had the accountability of the truth which they held. Remember Pauls’ statement in Rom 1:18.

c.       V14 not sinned as Adam did.

                                                   i.      This is the affirmation that they didn’t sin the same sin Adam sinned. Therefore, they did not participate in the original sin. It was Adam alone who sinned. However, the consequences of his actions were passed down. Not depravity, not corruption, but separated from God and death by virtue of no access to the provision God had made to live forever. So death passed to all men.

                                                 ii.      Paul has taught us that men are damned for the “truth they hold in unrighteousness”. We are taught that all have sinned but our justification and salvation is upon all individuals that believe. No proxy salvation involved, no intermediary covenant involved. If the headship of Adam’s sin damned us by our co-disobedience, then Christ’s righteousness saved us by our co-obedience. If we actually sinned with Adam, then we actually obeyed with Christ. Then heaven is a deserved reward and payment for our obedience. God becomes a debtor to give me my portion, my wages and would be in sin if he withheld. Obsurd! 

d.      Figure of Him to come. Adam is being used as a figure of Christ, an illustration. He is not Christ’s parallel. But his deeds and consequences are being pralleled. He is referenced 9 times in the NT. 2-geneology; 2-mentioned with Eve; 3-contrasts with Christ.

                                                   i.      Luk_3:38, Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.

                                                 ii.      Rom_5:14, Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

                                                iii.      1Co_15:22, For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

                                               iv.      1Co_15:45, And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

                                                 v.      1Ti_2:13, For Adam was first formed, then Eve.

                                               vi.      1Ti_2:14, And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

                                              vii.      Jud_1:14, And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

e.      The Gift/The free gift. What is “the gift”? The word is mentioned 59 times in the bible, 38 times in the NT; most mentioned in Romans, some 8 times with 6 out of the 8 in chapter 5. With a few exceptions, it most always means a sacrificial offering. Putting all 8 verses in Romans together: it is Spiritual, free, by grace, unto justification, it is righteousness, reigns in life, unto justification of life, gift of God. All of them are attributes, but only ONE explains what it is. It is RIGHTEOUSNESS. It is the righteousness of Christ. That when we are IN Christ we gain His attributes. 2Cor 5:21 says “He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.”

f.        Put it together. Adam sinned and brought the curse of death (separation from God, no access to the tree of life). Christ brought the abounding “gift of grace” which is the righteousness of God by faith of Christ upon all that believe and therefore acquire his life; which is eternal life having resurrected from the dead dieth no more. This was the author’s note to explain v12.

12.   18, Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

a.       Having introduced and written a personal note from verses 12-17, Paul then says, THEREFORE. What is the THEREFORE there for? It is saying, all these things being true, now when I say judgement came upon all to condemnation, now we summarize “the gift of righteousness” came upon all men which works unto the justification of the “life” given to them. That life is Christ, God himself comes and makes his home, his abode in the heart of Man. Life itself comes and takes resident in his heart. God’s Spirit inter-dwelling with my spirit, fellowshipping with me day by day. I share in his life, I partake in His counsel, his wisdom, his love and goodness. As I dwell with Him, I add to my faith virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, charity. The gift is a gift that has no bounds, has no limit and is alive and reigning in this life and the next.

13.   19, For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

a.       False Concept in Christian teaching. It is not saying when Adam sinned, we were in him and we all sinned. When Christ obeyed, we were in him and are righteous because we actually obeyed. If Adam’s sin caused us to be “made” sinners, then Christ’s obedience caused us to be “made” righteous. It didn’t. It was IMPUTED to us as righteousness (just like Abraham’s faith Gen 15:7). This is justification by faith just like an appointed office. If we were made righteous, then “the gift” wouldn’t be a gift but payment for our being righteous. You see how changing the word of God just a little can result in wrong conclusion and doctrinal error and heresy?

b.      Made. This word (Gk kathistēmi) occurs 27 times in NT, however it is used both in the context and other passages as one “made” a judge or “made” a mayor.  Made, ordained, appointed, set, conducted (made Paul).

                                                   i.      2Co 5:21. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

                                                 ii.      Made Sinners. This is not speaking of creating a person for the purpose to sin. Not tooling someone to sin. If it were, then God would be condemning those who had been made sinful to eternal death and the flames of hell. Like preacher Charles Finney stated “If man is in fault for his sinful nature, why not condemn man for having blue or black eyes?” In other words, if a man is made a certain way, then he cannot but do otherwise to what is function and characteristics employ. If we are “made” sinners, then it is a logical fallacy and we know that God is not illogical or unjust. He is the creator of truth and logic set as universal law. This would truly be the epitome of injustice if this heresy were true. But man was made to commune with God, but apart from God he is insufficient against his flesh, the influences and enticements of the world and the devil. Our modern culture and society with its pulls and allurements, its values and pressures are too much for the man without God. But what about the man of God, surely it is too much for him as well right? God forbid. We’ll see what God has to say about this in Chapter 6.

                                                iii.      Made Righteous. As mentioned above, we are made righteous like an appointment, an office. We are given the gift of righteousness by Jesus Christ. So that God sees me with the same righteousness as Christ. If it were not true, I would not be able to enter into the heavenlies, come boldly to the throne of grace, speak with God face to face. As 2Cor 5:21 states “I AM THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD”.

14.   20, Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

a.       What was the purpose of the Law? That the offence of sin might abound, might be more sinful, that sin by the commandment might become more sinful. It was a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ Gal 3:24. Where the law imputed judgment to me of wrongdoing and condemned me by it, grace abounded much more the forgiveness of my sin. Remember God could not just forgive sin and still be just. He needed a legal remedy while reconciling us to Himself needed to maintain righteousness and justice. A myriad of moral beings are watching his government and his every move. God is removed from indictment of wrongdoing but maintains justice while reconciling sinners. We saw in previous chapters it was an impossible dichotomy in which His wisdom had thought through. It is impossible to reconcile it by any other means or created being in the universe. In fact, the solution could only be made possible by God doing it Himself. Thus eliminating all others from the solution.

15.   21, That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

a.       Reigning righteousness in this life and after. God has given us “the gift” of righteousness that it would rule over and reign in this life and the next. God did not create this gospel as a theoretical or hypothetical solution we will see in Chapter 6. He gave us something tangible and practical for overcoming this world. It is the essence of the divine power has given us all things which pertain to life and godliness THROUGH the knowledge of him who has called us to grace and virtue. Understanding the foundation of our righteousness is inclusive in what is called SANCTIFICATION. In Chapter 6, Paul will deal head on with this subject and will draw from these verses Paul just laid out for us.