Romans 5:1-5 Peace with God

vs. 1-2  Exulting in the hope of the glory of God

·         1: Review: What does it mean to be “justified by faith”?  [Justified = “Declared righteous.”  Faith = “trusting” as opposed to “working.”]  Notice, the things that Paul is talking about in this section are true for those who have already been justified by faith.  This means that these things may not yet be true for you.  But they can be!

·         1: What does it mean to have peace with God?  What is the opposite of peace?  [I don’t think this merely means that we have a “sense of peace” with God.  It means that we have an end to hostility with God.  Later on, verse 10 will say that before we were justified we were God’s enemies!   Before that, verse 9 reminds us that we have been saved from God’s wrath!  Peace with God is a huge thing!]

·         1: According to verse 1, how is it that we have peace with God?  [We were justified by faith… through our Lord Jesus Christ.]

·         2: Through Jesus we have also gained access into the “sphere” of God’s grace in which we now stand. 

·         2: The word “rejoice” is translated in the NASB as “exult.”  In other places in the NIV, this word (kauchometha) is usually translated as “boast.”  I know that for me personally, the word “rejoice” doesn’t conjure up the right mental image for me.  When I hear the word “rejoice” I tend to think of some kind of smiling grandma Sunday School teacher talking about singing and little kids being told to “make a joyful noise.”  Unfortunately, I don’t think most children can really “exult” in God much because they haven’t yet grasped much of God or His grace yet.  But when we realize the truth, that although we are sinners (verse 8) and enemies of God (verse 10) that we have been saved from God’s wrath (verse 9) by the death of God’s Son for us (verse 6 & 8) it becomes an incredibly awesome thing!  This is something worth savoring the awesomeness of! 

·         2: In verse 2, what is the specific thing that those who are justified rejoice/exult/boast in?  [In the hope of the glory of God.]  What does that mean?  [Remember, in the Bible “hope” means a certain expectation.  This is different from how we often use the word today.  We often say, “I hope so” about things that we are uncertain about.  But Biblically, hope is something certain that we are looking forward to!  A rough example for high school teens might be that they “hope” in the coming graduation day!  (Although, for some this might be more certain than for others!)  Anyway, the hope that a Christian has in the future glory of God is more certain, and much more glorious, than that!  God’s glory is the all-satisfying radiance of His awesomeness.]

vs. 3-5  Exulting in our sufferings

·         3: We can understand exulting in the hope of God’s glory, but what does it mean to rejoice/exult/boast in our sufferings?  (“tribulations” in the NASB)   This doesn’t seem natural.  Why, according to this paragraph, do Christians rejoice/exult/boast in our sufferings/tribulations/pressures/persecutions?  [Paul says it is because sufferings produce perseverance.  Perseverance produces character.  And character produces hope.  Therefore, we rejoice/exult/boast in sufferings because we know what the end result will be.]

·         3: What is perseverance?  [Perseverance is endurance.  It means continuing to stand up even under great pressure.]  How does suffering produce perseverance?  [How much perseverance do you think most teens have?  Honestly?  Chances are, you might not have had very many hard things in life yet to cause you to develop perseverance.  But be thankful for the hard things that you have had!  Without hard things, we stay soft.  Now matter where you are at, you would be much more of a wimp without the hard things that God let come into your life.  (Note: Wimps think that mild hardships are tougher than they really are.)]

·         4: What is character?  [Character is what kind of a person you are.  The Greek word here means the quality of a person who has been tested and has passed the test.]  How does perseverance produce character? 

·         4: What is hope?  How does character produce hope?  

·         Talk about examples of tribulations and sufferings producing character and hope in the lives of people you know, from history, or your own life.

·         Does suffering automatically produce these good things?  What is the role of believing God in all of this?

·         5: What is it about hope that Paul says in verse 5?  [Hope does not disappoint.]  Why is that?  [Biblical hope is certain.  God is our hope.  God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, causing us to realize the greatness of Christ as our hope.]

·         Continuing with verse 6 Paul explains more about how the love of God has been poured out for us.  Read verses 6-11 together and be thinking about them.  We will be discussing these great verses more in depth next time.

6You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

 9Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! 10For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Romans 5:6-11 God Demonstrated His Love in this…

vs. 6-8  While we were still sinners, Christ died for us

·         6: Paul was talking about the sure hope that believers have in the glory of God.  We have this hope because of the love of God being poured out into our lives. 

·         6: Why is it significant that Jesus did this while we were still powerless?  [God’s grace is not a response to our effort.  God didn’t look down and say, “My, my, those people are certainly trying hard to live for me.  I think I will die on the cross for them.”  Outside of the cross, we have no ability to please God.]

·         6: Why is it significant that Christ died for the ungodly?  What does it mean to be “ungodly?”  [God is perfectly pure and good.  We are not.  We are sinners and rebels.  We are ungodly in our nature.  Jesus didn’t come to save good people.  He came to save sinners.  It has been said that the message of the Bible can be summarized in three words: “Christ saves sinners.”  Realizing our ungodliness is a painful but essential part of salvation.]

·         7: Explain the point that Paul is making in verse 7.  Why is it so powerful?  [To die for someone is the ultimate sacrifice that a person can make.  However, it is not often than someone would want to die for someone else, even for  a righteous and upstanding person.  Now, someone might die for a person they considered good—someone they have warm feelings about.  But who would die for someone bad? It is hard enough to die for a friend, much less an enemy!  It is one thing to image yourself dying to save “innocent” people, but would you knowingly give your life to save someone evil?  Would you let yourself be tortured and killed in the place of Osama Bin Laden or Hitler?  What about a rapist or a child molester?  And remember, I’m not saying to merely risk your life; I mean to knowingly die a painful death in their place.  Also, don’t imagine this as if the child molester is repentant.  Imagine being slaughtered for a monster of a person while that person still loved their sin and hated you?  That is what Christ did for you.]

·         8: demonstrated His own love.  What does it mean that God demonstrated His love?  [This is how God showed or proved His love to us.  Without the cross, we would not know the depth of God’s love.]  If you want to start to grasp God’s love, you must start to grasp what Jesus did for you on the cross.  If you want people to know how much God loves them, you need to help them understand the significance of the cross.  If this is true, can someone really know the love of God apart from the cross of Christ?  [No.  Without the cross of Christ, God’s love doesn’t even come close to being shown to be as great as it really is.]

·         8: John says something similar in 1 John 4:9-10, “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.  This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

·         8: The cross demonstrates the love of God to the world.  God’s love is glorified through the cross.  However, without mankind’s fall into sin, there would be no need for the cross.  Could this be part of the reason why God allowed sin to enter the world?

·         8: Christ died for us.  How could you explain this concept to someone who doesn’t get it?  [For a good illustration to explain this, remember the key word “cancer.”  Imagine that you have terminal cancer and that it is spread throughout your entire body.  You are going to die.  However, I come to you and tell you that there is a new procedure that can be performed to save your life.  The doctors will take the cancer cells from your body and replace them with healthy cells from my body.  Of course, by doing this, they will need to replace the healthy cells in my body with the cancer cells from your body.  I am willing to do this for you.  Now, if the doctors perform this procedure, what will happen to you?  You will live.  But what will happen to me?  I will die.  That is what Christ did for us.  He took our sin and gave us His righteousness.  We live.  He died.  He was willing to do it because He loves you so much.]

·         8: Split into pairs and practice explaining the “cancer” illustration to someone else.  Pretend that the other person is an unsaved friend that you are sharing the Gospel with.

·         8: Jesus died as our substitute.  Other places that show the substitutionary nature of Christ’s death include the ancient prophecy in Isaiah 53:4-6 & 12 as well as Galatians 3:13.

vs. 9-11  how much more shall we be saved

·         9: How are we justified by His blood?  [Remember: Justified = “declared righteous.”  “His blood” represents His sacrificial death for us.]

·         9: shall we be saved.  Bible speaks of salvation as past, present, and future.  In some ways we have been saved.  In some ways we are being saved.  And in some ways we will be saved.  When Paul says, “shall be saved” he is referring to future salvation from God’s wrath. 

·         9: It is common to hear people use the expression, “Are you saved?”  But how would you answer the question, “Saved from what?”  What does verse 9 say that we are ultimately saved from? [Christians commonly say that we are saved from shame, or guilt, or condemnation.  Sometimes they even have the guts to say that we are saved from hell.  This is all true, but there is something even more ultimate that we are saved from.  Ultimately, we are saved from God!  We are saved from the wrath of God, and nothing could be more serious than that.  The wrath of God is God’s unchanging holy hatred of sin.  God died on the cross to save you from His holy wrath against sin.  God died to save you from God.  Your salvation is huge!]

·         9: saved from God’s wrath.  Why don’t some Christians like to think of salvation in this way?  [They think it makes God look mean or unloving.  Some people like to think of God as friend-only.]  Do you agree with them?  Do you think that is helpful?  Why or why not? 

·         9: Note: The NASB has the word “God’s” in italics.  This is the NASB’s way of showing that this word isn’t exactly in the Greek.  Literally, it just says that we are saved from “wrath.”  Translations add this word because it is obvious that this wrath is God’s wrath.  Remember, Paul even started out this letter by stating that the wrath of God (orge theou) was being revealed. (Romans 1:18)

·         9-10: How much more. To get the main point of verses 9 and 10, you have to think about the phrase, “much more.”  If Christ was willing to do what He did for us while we were still His enemies, then how much more will He do for us now that we are on good terms with Him!  If you would be willing to die for an enemy, how much more would you be willing to do for a friend?  If Jesus was willing to be crucified for us while we still hated Him, how much more do you think He’s got your back now that you are His loved child?!   

·         10: We were enemies.  Some people don’t like to think that we were once “enemies” of God.  Do you think that is accurate?  If we really were God’s enemies, how does that mean that we used to feel about God before being saved? 

·         10: What does the word “reconciled” mean?  [It means, “brought back together.”  Reconciliation is the repairing of a relationship.  It means going from being enemies to being friends, or even to being loved.]  

·         10: And according to verse 10, how were we reconciled to God?  [By the death of His Son.]  Now, some people think that all religions are paths to heaven.  Do you think that could be true?  What impact should this verse make on that discussion?  [You don’t give YOUR SON to die if there is another way.]

·         10: Jesus didn’t just die; He rose from the dead.  Now, if God helped you while you were still His enemy, now how much more will He help you—and keep you saved—now that He has risen triumphantly from the dead, never to die again!

·         11: Not only is this so.  Notice, how many times in Romans 5:1-11 it says something like this.  The more you think about your salvation, the more it keeps getting better!

·         11: Paul returns to the theme of rejoicing/exulting/boasting.  Through our Lord Jesus Christ we are able to exult in God!  With out Jesus, we wouldn’t be able to do this.  Without Jesus, we would still be God’s enemies.  Without Jesus, we would still be under God’s wrath.  But even more, without the cross of Jesus, we would not know God’s love, for God demonstrated His own love for us in this… that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!

15But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

18Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

20The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 5:12-21 Adam and Christ

vs. 12-14  Sin entered the world through Adam

·         12: Notice that verse 12 starts with the word therefore.  In the previous section Paul was explaining the huge amount of good that comes through Jesus.  This might make someone wonder how so much blessing can come through one man’s action.  Paul’s reply is that there is precedence for one man’s act having consequences for the whole human race.  Adam’s sin brought sin and death to all mankind.  (Make sure to review Genesis 3 if you have teens in your group without much Bible background.)

·         12: Sin entered the world through one man.  Who was this man?  [Adam]  What entered humanity through sin?  [Death]  Death spread to all men.  Why?  Because all sinned. 

·         Read 1 Corinthians 15:22, “For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.”

·         Before Adam’s sin, mankind was not mortal.  God did not originally create man to die.  We were created to live forever.  However, sin changed and corrupted mankind so that we are now mortal. It is possible that animal death existed before the fall (Genesis 3) but human death did not exist, and would not have existed.  Some theologians suggest that if Adam had passed this test that God would have “locked in” humanity so that no one would have ever died.  Of course, God knew that Adam was going to sin, so it is hard to say what would have happened if he had not sinned.  (If God knew that Adam was going to sin, He didn’t have to worry about what to do if only Eve sinned.)

·         This is a reference to what is often called original sin.  Adam’s sin made everyone else sinners.  There are different opinions about how this works.  One view says that sin is inherited by all of Adam’s descendants, being passed down from parents to children.  The other view is that Adam’s guilt is imputed to the rest of humanity.  In this view, Adam is the representative leader (“federal head”) of humanity.  The decision he made was made on behalf of all humanity.  Therefore, you are I are guilty of Adam’s sin because he sinned as our representative.  This sounds wrong to our modern individualistic culture, but most ancient cultures, and some today, would easily understand this.  The decision of the leader affects the whole group.  Also, we can’t complain about this too much because when we ourselves sin, we are basically saying that we agree with Adam’s decision to rebel against God.  In my opinion, sin seems to be both inherited and imputed to us. 

·         “God has always dealt with mankind through a head and representative.  The whole story of the human race can be summed up in terms of what has happened to us because of Adam, and what has happened and will yet happen because of Christ.” –D. Martin Lloyd-Jones

·         Why does God pin the blame on Adam when Eve was the one who sinned first?  [Adam, not Eve, was the head of the human race.   Therefore, the responsibility was on him.]

·         13-14: God didn’t give the nation of Israel the 10 Commandments and the rest of the Old Testament Law until about 1445 B.C.  Before that time, were people still accountable for their sin?  If so, how do we know that?  [Paul’s argument is that human death comes as a consequence of sin.  All the people between the time of Adam and Moses were subject to death, therefore they were accountable for their sin.]

·         14: Notice that it says that Adam was a pattern of the one to come.  Who was Adam a pattern of?  [Adam was a pattern of Christ.  The Greek word for pattern is typos.  Sometimes Bible scholars will talk about types of Christ.  This doesn’t mean “varieties” of Christ; a type is something or someone in the Old Testament that God planned to foreshadow the coming of Christ.  Remember, the word “type” came before there were typewriters, and before people could type on keyboards.  Typewriters were called that because they had raised patters (types) of letters that struck the ribbon and the paper.  There are many types of Christ in the Old Testament.  The New Testament specifically identifies some, but we have to use our judgment on other ones.  When Jesus appeared to the disciples on the road to Emmaus, Jesus taught them, “and beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.”]

·         For the rest of this chapter, Paul is going to reveal some of the ways that Adam was a type of Christ.  Some of these things are comparisons, but there are also contrasts. 

 vs. 15-21  Adam and Christ contrasted and compared

·         15: Verse 15 says that Christ’s gift is not like Adam’s sin.  Death came to all men because of Adam’s sin, but much more grace overflowed because of Christ.

·         16: Verse 16 shows another contrast between Adam’s act and Christ’s act.  What is it?  [We are condemned through Adam, but justified through Christ.]  What is condemnation and what is justification?  [These two terms are exact opposites.  Condemnation means declared guilty.  Justification means declared righteous.]

·         17: What is the comparison or contrast in verse 17?  [Death reigns through Adam, but much more life reigns through Christ.]

·         18: This verse is repeating the condemnation/justification contrast from verse 16.  But, is this verse saying that all people are saved?  Why or why not?  [The Bible is clear that there are many people who go to hell.  (Revelation 20:12-15; Matthew 7:13-14, etc.)  The Bible is also clear that salvation is for those who have placed their trust in Christ alone as their Savior.  (Romans 3:26; John 3:36; Romans 10: 13-15.)  This verse is saying that Christ makes justification available to all, not that all are saved.]

·         20-21: The reason the Old Testament Law was added was to make people’s sinfulness more obvious.  The more people have a grasp of their sin, the more they can have a grasp of the greatness of God’s grace if they are saved.

·         There are now “two humanities.”  Adam was the head of the first humanity, and Jesus is the new Adam, the head of the new humanity.  In 1 Corinthians 15:45 Paul writes, “The first Adam became a living being, the last Adam [Jesus], a life-giving spirit.”  We all start out life as members of the first humanity, but some of us come to faith in Christ and are transferred (born again) into the new humanity, in Christ.  In Adam’s humanity is death, in Christ’s humanity is life.

TWO HUMANITIES

 ·         Are you in Adam or in Christ?

5If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

11In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. 14For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

Romans 6:1-14 Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ

Note: Remember, the Bible is like the ocean.  There are parts that a toddler can wade in, and there are parts so deep that no one has gotten to the bottom of yet.  This passage is an example of that.  Explore the depth, but don’t miss the main point: Christians are to consider themselves dead to sin and alive to Christ.

vs. 1-10  Buried and Raised with Christ

·         1: Paul has been explaining the Biblical Gospel message: Through Christ’s sacrificial death as our substitute, God is willing to declare sinners righteous, completely as a free gift, to all who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior.  In Romans 3:28, Paul said, “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.”   So now in chapter 6 verse 1, Paul is responding to an accusation about this message.  Paul is trying to clear up a misrepresentation.  As you look at verse 1, what does that accusation seem to be?  [If salvation is a free gift apart from our good works, then Paul’s message encourages people to sin.  In fact, the more people sin, the more God’s grace is magnified; therefore, people should go on sinning so that they can show how gracious God really is.] 

·         2: What is Paul’s response to this?  [In the original language, Paul’s response is very strong.  By no means are we to go on sinning so that grace may increase!]

·         Why shouldn’t we use God’s grace as a license to sin?  (This is what Paul will explain in the rest of these verses.)

·         2: We have died to sin therefore we cannot live to sin any longer.  What?  You didn’t know that you died when you were saved?  Well, read on for Paul’s explanation of what happened to you!

·         3-4: Personally, I think that these verses are talking about Spirit baptism rather than water baptism.  When someone genuinely becomes a Christian, they are baptized by the Spirit into the body of Christ.  This is an invisible operation whereby the Holy Spirit immerses us into the circle of Christ.  Remember chapter 5.  We start out “in Adam” but become “in Christ” at the moment of salvation.  Because of Spirit baptism, believers are now joined to Christ in both his death and resurrection.  Note: Water baptism symbolizes the real but invisible work the Spirit’s baptism.  We can’t see Spirit baptism.  Water baptism is visible symbol of this invisible baptism.  Unfortunately, not everyone who has the one type of baptism also has the other.  I think that these verses must be talking about Spirit baptism because they are talking about people genuinely being united to Christ’s death and resurrection, united with Him in resurrection (vs. 5) and freed from sin (vs. 7.)

·         4: What does it mean that we are “buried with Him through baptism”?  [In baptism we are united to Christ.  We are joined to Jesus in His death.  In a sense, those who are “in Christ” have died with Christ.  It is as if we were attached to Him when He died for us.]

·         4-5: In addition to dying with Christ, these verses also talk about the flip side.  What is that?  (See the end of verse 4, and verse 5.)  [We have died with Christ, but we are not only united in His death but also in His resurrection!  We are raised with Him also!]

·         The word for baptism, baptizo, means “dip” or “immerse.”  When adult New Testament believers (at least) were baptized, they were usually immersed in water.  This symbolized them being immersed into the body of Christ.  Also, many believe that the going down into the water symbolized death and burial; and coming out of the water symbolized being raised to new life.  If this is so, this visually symbolizes the two invisible realities that Paul is teaching us about here: (1) That we have died with Christ, (2) and that we have been raised to new life with Christ. 

·         3-10: Read verses 3-10 again.  Pay attention to all the times that Paul talks about dying and being made alive.

o        Dying: Believers are joined to Christ who died for sin.  Therefore, we have also died in relation to sin.  Through Christ’s death, sin is no longer our master.

o        Rising / Being Made Alive: In Christ, we have not only been joined to Christ’s death, but also to His resurrection to new life.  Therefore, because believers are attached to Christ, we are also joined to His resurrection!  

·         9: Jesus cannot die again.  Jesus was not merely resuscitated like Lazarus, who died again.  Jesus was resurrected into an immortal body, never to die again.  Death can no longer touch Him.

·         10: Christ’s death is a completed one-time event.  However, Christ’s life to God is an ongoing, never-ending event.  Salvation is not just about being set free from sin; it is about living our life with God and to God!

·         John Stott has written a helpful summary, “We deserve to die for our sins.  And in fact, we did die, though not in our own person, but in the person of Jesus Christ our substitute, who died in our place, and with whom we have been united by faith and baptism.  And by union with the same Christ we have risen again.  So the old life of sin is finished, because we died to it, and the new life of justified sinners has begun.  Our death and resurrection with Christ render it inconceivable that we should go back.  It is in this sense that our sinful self has been deprived of power and we have been set free.”

·         The true Biblical message of salvation will always be open to the false change of antinomianism (lawlessness, license to sin).  As John Stott has written, “If we are proclaiming Paul’s gospel, with its emphasis on the freeness of grace and the impossibility of self-salvation, we are sure to provoke the change of antinomianism.  If we do not arouse this criticism, the likelihood is that we are not preaching Paul’s gospel.”

·         Some people claim that evangelical Christians have misunderstood Paul’s message of free salvation.  They claim that it is necessary for people to co-operate with God in order to partially earn their salvation.  However, if Paul was teaching that, he would have never been open to the accusation that people should sin so that grace should abound!  The fact that Paul was accused of this proves that Paul did teach salvation by grace alone through faith alone.  (Ask the group to explain this so you can be sure that they understand this point.)

vs. 11-14  Count Yourselves Dead and Alive

·         11: Focus on the word consider.  It is one thing for God to consider you to be dead to sin and alive to Christ.  It is another thing for you to consider yourself to be dead to sin.  And it is another thing for you to consider yourself to be alive to Christ.  How do you view yourself?  Do you think of sin as something natural for you?  Or do you think of sin as something unnatural for you, in a sense, now that you are alive with Christ?  Paul is telling you to start thinking of yourself as dead to sin!  Sin needs to be something you hate!  Sin needs to be something that you want to be only in your past, not your present or your future.  Your new life is in Christ.  Don’t forget that.  Fight to remember it.  A major part of spiritual growth and spiritual warfare is the mental battle to remember that you are dead to sin and alive to Christ!

·         11: Note: In verses 5 and 8, bring raised with Christ is something that will happen in the future.  However, in verse 11 we are told to count ourselves alive to Christ now in the present.  Many things in the Christian life are both “now” and “not yet.”  Yes, we have already been given new life in Christ, but there is much more that is still “not yet.”  The same is true for our struggle against sin.

·         12-13: This does not mean that Christians are without sin.  The Bible does not teach “perfectionism.”  We will see this plainly in chapter 7.  Christians struggle against sin.  That is why Paul writes what he does in these verses.

·         12: In verse 12, what is Paul telling you not to do?  [Do not let sin reign in your body.  Do not let it be your master.  Do not obey its desires, for they are evil.  You will have evil desires, but you must not obey their orders no matter how strongly they shout their commands to you!]

·         13: What master are you giving the parts of your body to serve?  Sin or God?  Don’t offer your parts to be used as tools for sin.  Give them over to God to be used as tools for His righteousness!  Remember that you have been brought from death to life! 

·         13: What are some of the ways that we offer the parts of our bodies as either instruments of sin, or instruments of righteousness?  What changes do you need to make? 

·         14: Believer, sin shall not be your master!  You are dead to sin.  You are alive to Christ. 

·         Who will be your master?

19I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. 20When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Comparison of Romans 6:14 and Romans 6:15-23 

Romans 6:15-23 Slaves to Sin or God?

vs. 15-18  Everyone serves someone

·         15: As Romans 6:1, Paul is responding to a possible wrong reaction to God’s grace.  In 6:1, the question was, “Should we keep on sinning so that God’s grace will increase.”  The answer was, “No!”  What is the similar question in verse 15?  [It is okay to keep on sinning since we are freely forgiven instead of being under a set of laws and rules?  Again, the answer is an emphatic, “No!”]

·         16-18: Why not?  Why not, according to these verses?

·         16: It may seem odd to think of salves as “offering” themselves up to someone to be slaves.  American slavery was not voluntary, but in the ancient world, there was such a thing as voluntary slavery.  It was not uncommon for people to sell themselves into slavery to pay off their debts, or to support their families. 

·         16: You are a slave to the one you obey.  Slavery and obedience go hand in hand.  You may not think that you are a slave to sin, but if you are serving sin, it shows that you really are.   Who are you serving with your life?  Who have you chosen to be a slave to?  If you claim to be God’s servant, but aren’t really obeying Him, you aren’t really being His servant. 

·         16-18: What did we used to be slaves to before turning to Christ?  [Verse 16 said we were salves to sin.]  What does it say is the outcome of being a slave to sin?  [Death.]  What do you think Paul meant by death?  [Not just physical death, but spiritual death as well.]

·         16-18: What does it mean to be a “slave to sin?”  Why do you think Paul describes it in that way?  [Slaves serve their master.  Sinners serve sin as their master.  We are not in control of our sin.  We think we control our sin, but we don’t.  As unbelievers, sin controls us.  To some people it is more obvious than others.  Sin often gives us the illusion of control, but in the end we see that we are trapped and under sin’s control.]

·         16-18: But are saved people still slaves of sin?  [No.]  What are we?  [We are slaves of righteousness (verse 18) or slaves to God (verse 22).  When we came to Christ to save us, we didn’t just come to Him as our Savior, but to Him as our Lord or Master.  We have come to the Lord, offering ourselves to Him as servants, or slaves.  (The Greek word doulous = “slaves”)]  Everyone is a slave to someone.  You are either a slave to sin, or God.  

·         16-18: What does it mean to be a slave to God?  What implications does this have for your life?  (Examples; Are you the boss of God?  Can a slave choose what orders to obey?  Can you be a part time slave?  Etc.  What areas of your life do you need to change in order to be an obedient slave?)

·         Some people want to be forgiven by Christ, but don’t want Him to be their Master.  Does this passage seem to present that as an option?  [No.  That is not a valid option.  Therefore, it is wrong to think that you can come to the Lord Jesus for grace but then refuse to obey Him as your Master.  Jesus is Lord, so if you come to Him you need to live as if He is the Lord.  The word Lord means “Master.”  We are not saved by making Christ Lord, but if we come to Christ, we need to recognize that He is Lord.  He has the right to rule our lives.  And out of love and gratitude, we want to let Him rule our lives.  No, we don’t do this perfectly.  We should, but none of us do.  However, if you don’t recognize Jesus as at least having the right to be your Master, or if you lack any desire to live for God, then—to say the least—there is a good chance you aren’t genuinely saved yet.]

·         17-18: According to verse 17-18, what are we to be thankful about?  [Being set free from sin!]  Why is that such a big deal?  Do you thank God that you are no longer a slave to sin?

·         Christian, sin is no longer your master!  You don’t have to keep taking its commands! 

vs. 19-23  Wages and Gifts, Life and Death

·         19: What does Paul mean by “ever increasing wickedness?”

·         19: What does offering ourselves as slaves to righteousness lead to?  [Instead of “ever increasing wickedness” it leads to holiness.]

·         20-21: Everyone wants to be free, but the only freedom that comes under sin is freedom from the control of righteousness.  This is not the type of freedom you really want.  For one, those old sins are things that (as a believer) you are now ashamed of!  Also, those things lead to death!  Slavery to sin is not a good deal.  Sin is not a good master.

·         21: What does this verse imply about sin and shame?  [Among other things, this verse made me think of the fact that people today seem to be proud of their sin, instead of being ashamed of it.  God forgives Christians, but we should never be proud of the sin in our past.  Don’t beat yourself because of it, but don’t be proud of it either.  Also, let this be something that will help you avoid sin in the future.  Remember that sin will lead to shame and regret, not happiness.]

·         22: What is the ultimate benefit that comes to Christians, people who have come to God as their Savior and Master?  [Being a slave to God leads to holiness and eternal life!  Instead of death, we get eternal life!]

·         23: Romans 6:23 is a great verse to use when witnessing.  All Christians should memorize it!  Use it to show the important difference between a wage and a gift. 

• What is a wage?  [What we earn; what we deserve.  Example: You work five hours at a job and get five hours of pay.  It is not a gift; it is what you earned.] 
• What is a gift?  [Something given to us that we did not earn.  Example: Someone gives you a new Ferrari out of the blue.]
• What is the wage (what we earn) of sin?  [Death, physical and spiritual death.  Physical death is separation you’re your body.  Spiritual death is eternal separation from God in hell.]  And remember, Paul spent chapters 1-3 proving that all of us are sinners.  So, if you want to stand before God and demand from Him what you deserve, what are you going to get?  [Hell.]
• What is the gift that God offers?  [Eternal life!  Eternal is only available if you will take it as a gift.  You can’t earn it, at all.]  Where is this life found?  [In Christ Jesus our Lord.  Literally, “In Christ Jesus, the Master of us.”  Outside of Jesus our Master, there is no life.]  Remember, Christ paid for our salvation with His life and death.  It cost Him a lot, but is free to us.  Have you received the salvation that Jesus the Master offers?

·         23: Eternal life is found in Christ Jesus our Master.  If you came for salvation to a non-Master Jesus, you came to a Jesus who doesn’t really exist.  Jesus is Lord.  Christian, live like it!

4So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God. 5For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death. 6But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.

7What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet." 8But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead. 9Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death.

11For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. 12So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good. 13Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.

14We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

21So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!  So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

Romans 7:1-25 Struggling with Sin

vs. 1-6  Marriage and the Law: Until death do we part

·         1-6: Explain was Paul means.  [Our relationship to the Law is somewhat like marriage.  When two people are joined in marriage, that union is designed to last as long as they both live.  It is meant to be permanent during that time, but it is not meant to be permanent for all eternity.  Now, some of the people that Paul was writing to were confused because they though that the Old Testament Law code was meant to be permanent for all eternity.  But Paul is saying that, like marriage, it was permanent until death.  Now that we have died with Christ, we are free from the Law and joined to Christ instead.  Our death with Christ (6:2-11) is what makes it okay—and not adulterous—for us to be free from the Law and joined to Christ.   We are still under God’s moral law.  His moral standards never change.  However, we are no longer under the Mosaic Law as whole with all its ceremonial instructions and civil ordinances.  Those aspects, such as the sacrifices, were signs that pointed to Christ, but are no longer needed now that Christ has come.]

·         1-3: Side note: Although Paul’s main point was to teach us about the Law, this passage also teaches us a few basic truths about marriage.  1. Marriage is meant to be a life-long commitment.  (vs. 2)  2. Death ends the marriage relationship.  (vs. 2)  3. Being married to more than one person is wrong.  (vs. 3)  Note: Yes, there are examples of polygamy in the Old Testament, but it never actually says that it is okay.  4. Remarriage after the death of a spouse is okay. (vs. 3)  These are some basic truths about marriage that we take for granted.  Now you know at least one place in Scripture where they are taught.

·         1-3: Don’t get off track, but just in case someone asks: If you are married to someone your whole life, do you think God will let you stay together in heaven or will He force you to split up?  Now, for some people it will be a blessing to be released from their marriages.  But I have to think that God might let two people stay together if they want to.  I can’t say that for sure because it isn’t revealed to us in Scripture.  However we do know that in Heaven our marriage union with Christ will be our focus first and foremost.  (Again, don’t get off track!  There is a lot to talk about here.)

·         4-6: The purpose for us to be joined to Christ is to bear fruit to God.  (vs. 4)  Are you doing that?  We used to bear fruit for death (vs. 5) but now we have been released from the law so that we can serve in a new way. (vs. 6)  This new way is the way of the Spirit, not of the old written code.  The written law in a person without the Spirit = sin and death.    However, now believers have the Spirit within them and serve God out of love and gratitude.   The old way was one of the letter, with us being motivated by something outside of us.  In new way is of the Spirit, and is motivated internally, in the heart.

vs. 7-13  Through the commandment, sin became utterly sinful

·         7: Is the law something bad?  [No.  The Law isn’t “bad.”  People have misunderstood the Law’s purpose.]  What was the purpose of the Law?  [It shows us sin.  As Paul says in verse 7, “I would have not known what sin was except through the Law.”  We read the same thing in Romans 3:20.]

·         8-9: What does Paul mean that, “apart from the law sin is dead”?  What does he mean that after the commandment came, he died?  [Paul thought that he was spiritually alive until he was confronted by the Law.  The Law shows us that we are spiritually dead, not spiritually alive.  If God’s Law shows you that you are in violation of God’s commands, then you can be convicted in your heart of your sin.  Without that, you will think that you are okay and think that nothing is wrong.]  Do you think this is true?  Why is this important?

·         10-13: What does it mean that, “the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death”?  [The commandments can’t save us.  They can only show us that we are spiritually dead and in need of a Savior!]

vs. 14-25  Who will rescue me from this body of death?

·         14: The Law is good.  We are bad.  Here is another way to think about this… Are police officers bad?  No.  Police officers are good.  They only seem bad if you are bad. 

·         15-25: There is a lot of debate about who Paul is talking about here.  Some say that this passage is about the current Paul, as a Christian.  Some say that it is talking about Paul before he became a Christian.  There are other views too.  In these notes I will stick with the view that this is Paul talking about himself, in the present, as a normal Christian who still struggles with sin. Paul is describing the internal struggle with sin that all Christians can relate to.  We know the right thing to do, and there is a deep part of us that wants to do it.  But there is also the sinful part of us that wants to sin.  There is a fierce battle between these two parts within us.  And we often fail.  

·         15-16:  Christians know that God’s Law is good, because our spiritual side agrees with God’s commands.

·         17-20: When Paul says that “it is no longer I who do it” I don’t think he is saying that we are not responsible for our sins.  It is still ourselves that choose to sin, and therefore we are still responsible for our sin.  However, it is not a unified “I” that sins, but a fractured “I” that chooses to sin.  Part of us wants to, and part of us doesn’t.  The sinful part of us is still a part of us, but for Christians, it is not the whole of us.

·         17-24: Think of it like this: There are 100 senators in the United States Senate.  To pass a bill, they need a majority of the votes.  If 40 senators want to do something, they may have the desire to do it, but not the ability.  They can’t choose what they want because there are 60 senators who want something else.  In the same way, we have this internal battle between the spiritual senators in our heart-senate and the sinful senators in our heart-senate.

·         24-25: What is Paul’s cry in verse 24?  What is the answer to Paul’s cry in verse 25?

·         Our sin shows us our absolute desperate need for Jesus Christ.  Remember that and feel that always.

·         Why doesn’t God purge us of all our desires for sin the instant we are saved?  Doesn’t it seem like that is what God should do?  Why do you think He doesn’t?

·         25: When do you think this deliverance will come?  [We will always struggle against sin in this life.  We will not be purged of our sinful tendencies until we are glorified after this life is over.  We will always have renegade senators in our heart-senate.]

·         There are some Christians who teach “perfectionism,” the teaching that we can become perfectly free from sin in this life.  Do you agree with that?  Why or why not?

·         Why struggle against sin if we can’t beat it completely in this life?  [Just because we can’t beat it completely doesn’t mean that we can’t make huge progress!  Just because we won’t be able to eliminate every sin, doesn’t mean that you won’t get victory over some sins!  For example, my dad has never been able to kick the smoking habit, but he quit drinking cold turkey shortly after he was saved.  He was a tavern owner and a very heavy drinker before he was saved, but since then he hasn’t had a drop in over 25 years.  We are no longer salves to sin.  We can make great progress!  And we need to!]

·         So, how can you go about change in your spiritual life?  How can you get more and more of the “senators” in your heart to switch sides and stay loyal?  (Feel free to discuss basics as well as deeper insights.)

5Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. 8Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

Romans 8:1-8 No Condemnation in Christ

vs. 1-4  No Condemnation

·         1: Romans 8:1 is one of the great verses of the Bible if you really believe it!  Who does this apply to?  [Those who are “in Christ Jesus.”]  What does this verse say is true about those who are in Christ Jesus?  [There is no condemnation for them!]  What does that mean?  What does it mean to be “in Christ Jesus?”  How does a person get “in”?  [To be “in Christ” is to be united to Christ by saving faith.  To be condemned is the opposite of being justified.  Being justified means to be declared righteous.  To be condemned means to be declared guilty.  For those in Christ, we are declared by God to be righteous because of Christ, not guilty.]  How does it change someone’s life to feel the forgiveness of this verse?  Christian, when you feel condemned, remember this promise from God!

·         2: Notice the word “because” or “for.”  According to verse 2, why is there no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus?  [Because through the law (rule) of the Spirit in our lives we have been set free from the law (rule) of sin and death.] 

·         3: Notice the word “for.”  According to verse 3, why have we been set free from the rule of sin and death by the rule of the Spirit?   What was the law powerless to do?  Why was it powerless?  [The law is powerless to save because it can only show a person God’s holy standards; it does not give them the moral ability to carry them out.  Our sinful desires make the law impotent for bringing us to God.] 

·         3: So, since the law can’t save us, what did God do instead?  [God sent Jesus Christ in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.]  What does it mean that Jesus was in the likeness of sinful man?  Does that mean that He wasn’t really man?  [No.  He was 100% man, but He was not a sinner.  Therefore, He was only in the likeness of sinful man.]  What was he sent to be?  [A sin offering]  What does that mean?  [He was a sacrifice for our sin.]

·         4: Notice the words “in order that.”  Those words mean that Paul is going to explain the reason why Jesus came in the likeness of sinful man as a sin offering.  What is that reason?  [So that the righteous requirements of the law can be met in us.  We meet the righteous requirements of the law because Christ lived them out perfectly and gave us credit for His righteousness.  That happens for everyone who is saved, and the saved are also those who walk (live) according to the Holy Spirit of God.]

vs. 5-8  The mind set on the flesh

·         Note: The Greek word sarx is literally translated as “flesh.”  Some versions translate it as “flesh” but other versions translate it as “sinful nature.”  The flesh is not a reference to our skin and muscle, but to the sinful part of us.

·         5: What are the two things that a person’s mind can be set on?  [Either the desires of the flesh, our sin nature, or they can be set on the desires of God’s Holy Spirit.]  Do you think that people get a change of desires when they are saved?  [Yes!  Jonathan Edwards called these the “Religious Affections” and wrote a book by that name about them.  Changing desires are a mark of a true Christian.]  What would be some examples of things that the flesh desires?  What would be some examples of things that the Spirit of God desires?  [Examples: A passion for God’s glory; a passion for God’s holiness, and holiness in our lives; a passion for the Word; a passion to boast only in the cross…]

·         6: Describe the contrast between the mind of the sinful man and the mind controlled by the Spirit.

·         7-8: This verse tells us several important things about “sinful man” or “the mind that is set on flesh.”  These are things that are true about unbelievers, those who are unregenerate and unsaved. 

o        (1) Their mind is hostile to God.  What does this mean?  [Unbelievers are not neutral to God.  They are hostile to God.  We all used to be hostile to God before God changed our hearts.  This explains why so many people don’t even give God a fair hearing.  They are biased against Him.  They may like an idol-version of God, but they do not like the real God, holy and sovereign.]

o        (2) They do not submit to God’s law.  [The unsaved do not submit to God’s law.  Some unbelievers are able to fake outward submission, but not submission of the heart.  They do not want Him to rule their lives.]

o        (3) They cannot submit to God’s law.  [Not only is it true that unbelievers don’t submit to God’s law, they can’t submit to it.  They do not have the moral ability to submit.  Yes, they are physically able to submit if they had the desire, but they lack the desire to submit and therefore they can’t.  This inability is from their sinful hearts, and therefore they are morally accountable for it.]

o        (4) Thus, sinful man cannot please God.  (vs. 8)  [Any hope that unbelievers have that they can please God is tragically misplaced.]

·         Looking ahead to 9: In verse 7-8, we read about what it is like for those who are not saved.  However, look ahead to verse 9.  Paul is writing to believers, those who are not controlled by the sin nature, but by the Holy Spirit.  During this week, read ahead and start thinking about what it is like to live in the Spirit rather than in the flesh.

9You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.

12Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." 16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Romans 8:9-17 The Spirit of God in Us

vs. 9-11  The Spirit of God in you

·         9: In verse 9, Paul contrasts the situation of believers with the situation of unbelievers that he mentioned in verses 5-8.  Non-Christians are controlled by the flesh, the sinful nature.  They cannot and will not submit to God’s control, and cannot please God.  However, believers are different.  Believers have the Holy Spirit of God living in them.  Because of the Holy Spirit in us, we are able to live for God.

·         9: Some Christians teach that not all genuine Christians have the Holy Spirit.  They teach that normally a person is saved but then receives the Holy Spirit later on as a second work of grace.  Based on this verse, would you agree with that or not?  [That teaching is wrong.  Paul is clear that all Christians have the Holy Spirit, and that if someone doesn’t have the Spirit, they don’t belong to Christ.]  According to verse 9, when do Christians receive the Spirit?  [All Christians receive the Spirit the moment they are saved.  If this were not true, then there would be some Christians who don’t have the Spirit yet.]

·         9: Christians believe in the Trinity.  There is one God who exists as three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.  These three are co-equal, co-eternal.  The Holy Spirit is sometimes called the Spirit of God, and sometimes called the Spirit of Christ.  Why do you think that the Holy Spirit is sometimes called the Spirit of Christ?  [The Spirit of Christ is not Christ’s “soul.”  Remember, the word “of” can be used in many different ways.  The Holy Spirit is “of Christ” because He is connected to Christ, Christ sent the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit links us to Christ.]

·         10: According to verse 10, what is a benefit of having the Spirit of Christ in you?  [Although our sin nature still remains, we now also have the Holy Spirit making us alive with Christ.  Our outward body will continue to waste away—one of the consequences of sin—but inwardly we are being made more and more spiritually alive.]

·         11: And one day, even our physical bodies will be raised from the dead and given resurrection life.

vs. 12-17  A Spirit of Sonship

·         12: The phrase “we have an obligation” (NIV) is literally “debtors we are.”  What does it mean to be a debtor?  [It means you owe someone a debt.]  But according to verse 12, who is our debt not owed to.  [We do not owe a debt to the flesh, the sinful nature.]  You don’t owe sin anything.  As a Christian, if you feel obligated to sin, your are living under a lie.  (Note: This doesn’t not mean that we can actually “pay God back” for what He did.)

·         13: Notice that verse 13 presents two ways of living.  What are they?  What are the end results of each?  [People are either living according to the flesh, the sinful nature.  Or, by the Spirit they are putting to death the sinful deeds of the body.  Those who are living by the flesh will die.  Those who are killing their sin will live.]  Notice the flipped terms that Paul is using here.  If you live (by the flesh) you will die.  But if you are killing (the flesh) you will live.

·         Why is it important to notice that we put sin to death by the Spirit?  [We can’t put sin to death by our own power.  We can’t take the glory for that.  But also remember that this is something that we do.  It would also be wrong to sit back and think that the Spirit will clean up your life automatically.  This is something that you do, in the Spirit’s power.]  How do we kill sin by the Spirit?  Are you doing that?

·         Remember, Paul is not teaching that Christians are saved because we are putting our sin to death.  Remember, Paul taught us that all Christians have the Spirit.  To be a Christian is to be in this fight against sin.  If there is no fight against sin in your life, then you don’t have the Spirit and you aren’t saved yet.

·         14: We can learn at least two things from this verse.  (1) All those who are Christians are led by the Spirit.  This means that all Christians have the Spirit leading us on.  (2) All those who are led are sons of God. 

·         15: Verse 15 starts with “for” or “because.”  It is explaining why Christians are considered to be sons of God.  What is this reason?  [We have been adopted as God’s sons.  This is a theme that Paul talks about in other places as well, including Ephesians 1:5 and Galatians 3:26 and 4:4-7.  People don’t start off as God’s sons, they are adopted as God’s sons the moment they are saved.  On the other hand, Christ our brother, is a natural Son of God.]

·         15: Therefore, we follow God not out fearful slavery, but because we are His sons.  This is a big contrast in motivation!  Explain the difference.  Does this mean that Christians shouldn’t “fear” God?  [Proverbs 1:7 is one of many passages that tell us to fear the Lord, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.”  The fear of God is a good thing, and we always should fear God.  However, there are two different types of fear.  There is slave-like fear and there is son-like fear.  A slave may fear a beating from his master, but a son fears disappointing his father… as well as fearing his father’s firm but loving discipline.  Sons fear out of love and respect.]

·         15: The Aramaic term “Abba” is a very intimate term for “father.”  Not only can we call God “Father”, we can call Him “Daddy” or “Dad.”  (Does thinking about God in this way give you a different perspective?  Try it in your personal prayer life.)  “Abba” was a very common family-oriented word.  However, no Jew would have called God by this intimate name.  However, Jesus did, and now we are told that we can too.  (Note: Aramaic was the common spoken language for the Jews in Jesus’ day.)

·         16: In verse 16, what is the thing that Paul says the Spirit does for believers?  Why does this matter?  [The Holy Spirit testifies in our heart that we are God’s sons.  He gives us heart-knowledge that God is our Dad.]

·         17: Verse 17 starts to explain an amazing consequence of being a son of God.  As God’s sons, we are heirs of God, and co-heirs with Christ, our brother.  There are several amazing things to think about here!  Think about what it really means to have Christ as our brother.  Think about what it means to have an inheritance coming to be from God.  (Would you rather receive an inheritance form Bill Gates, or God the Creator and Ruler of the universe?  Which is a bigger deal?) 

·         17: But, sharing with Christ in inheritance also means sharing with Him in suffering.  More on these themes next time!  (Study ahead!)

22We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

Romans 8:18-27 Future Glory

vs. 18-25  Sufferings vs. future glory

·         18: In the previous paragraph, Paul was explaining how believers are sons of God and heirs with Christ.  We will share in His inheritance, but we will also share in His sufferings.  The thought of sharing in Christ’s inheritance is exciting, but the thought of sharing with Him in suffering is sobering.  With this in mind, what encouragement does Paul offer here in verse 18?  [Although we must suffer with Christ, we need to keep in mind that our present sufferings are not even worth comparing with our future glory.  They are not even in the same category!  In 2 Cor. 4;17 Paul tell writes, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”  Our present suffering is light and temporary, but our future glory is heavy and eternal.]  Do you agree that our present sufferings don’t even compare with future glory?  Why?  How would really believing this change your life?

·         19-22: Ever since mankind fell into sin (Gen. 3) God’s perfect creation has been marred.  The world is not now the way is was meant to be.  The fall brought about the curse, resulting in futility and frustration.  The world is subject to decay and entropy.  Things break down.  Things go wrong.  Notice any examples?  How does the futility and frustration of this sin-cursed world make you long for the return of Christ?

·         23: We live in the overlap of the “already” and the “not yet.”  We have already been saved, but our full salvation is not complete.  We still live in the in-between.  The victory has been secured, but the war is not over.  Once you understand that we live in the tension between in the “already” and the “not yet” many things in the Bible will make more sense to you.  For example, in verses 14-17 Paul seems to say that we are already adopted as sons.  But in verse 23 he says that we wait eagerly for our adoption.  In one sense this is true already, but in another sense it is still future. 

·         23: What do you think Paul meant by “first-fruits” in verse 23?  [When it is time to harvest crops, the first-fruits are the first of the crop or fruit to be collected.  They are the first of more to come.  As Christians living before the return of Christ, we have only received the “first-fruits” of what God is going to do in our lives. Two things to remember: First, the first-fruits are real fruits.  It is great that we have them because they give us a taste of what is yet to come.  However, the first fruits are not the whole harvest!  No matter how much of God’s goodness you have experienced already, you have only tasted a very small portion so far!]  What are some of the “first-fruits” of the Spirit that we experience?  Why is it good that God has given us a taste of things to come?  Why is it important to remember that the best—and much more of it—is yet to come?

·         24-25: Remember, the Bible uses the word “hope” differently than we often do.  We often use it of things that are uncertain.  Example: “I hope it doesn’t rain on graduation day.”  However, Biblical hope is a certain hope.  Hope is something that is (1) future and something that is (2) good.  Therefore, it is something we are looking forward to.  And Biblically, it is also something that is (3) certain because the promise of God makes it certain. 

·         In what way is our future hope a huge motivation to live for God? 

·         How can you better live in the hope of God’s future glory?  What things prevent or stunt living in hope?  [Ex. Unbelief, ignorance of God’s promises, drinking water from broken cisterns, etc.]

·         23-25: In verse 23 it says that we wait “eagerly.”  In verse 25 it says that we wait “patiently.”  Is this a contradiction?  What does it mean to wait eagerly and patiently?

·         Flashback: Read Romans 5:1-5 again.  Notice the similar connection between (1) suffering and (2) rejoicing in the hope of the glory of God.

·         Do you have a deep longing—a groaning—for the future that God will bring?  If not, maybe you are far too “at home” with this world.

vs. 26-27  The Spirit interceding for us in prayer

·         26-27: These verses might have some interesting insights for you about “unanswered prayer.”  On one hand, some verses seem to guarantee that God will grant all of our prayers.  (Matt. 21:22; Mark 11:24; James 5:15-16)  But on the other hand, we all know that we don’t always see God respond to our prayers the way we wanted Him to respond. 

·         26-27: Our longing for our future with God can create uncertainty in the way we should pray.  Do you want God to come back right now, or do you want more time for friends and family to be saved?  Hard question isn’t it?  In Philippians 1:21-24 Paul said that he was torn between two possible futures he was facing.  Would he be released from prison and go on ministering, or would he be killed and be with Jesus?  It is hard to pray when we don’t know what God’s sovereign plan is!  We don’t know what is truly best.

·         26: Although some Charismatic Christians see this verse as a reference to speaking in tongues, I agree with John Stott that this can’t be a reference to tongues.  He writes, “These groans can hardly be glossolalia [tongues], since those ‘tongues’ or languages were expressed in words which some could understand and interpret.  Here Paul is referring rather to inarticulate groans.  Although wordless, however, they are not meaningless.”   True ‘tongues’ are unlearned languages, not just groans.  Whatever this means, it is not a reference to speaking in tongues.

·         27: Who is it that searches our hearts when we pray?  [God.]  Since the Holy Spirit is God, He has a good idea what God’s will is… seeing that He is God too!  So, when God the Holy Spirit intercedes for us, we know He always intercedes according to God’s will!

·         Aren’t you thankful that God, in His mercy, intercedes and overrides some of our prayers?  Sometimes we pray but we don’t know what to pray for.  Sometimes we pray for the wrong things.  We aren’t omniscient.  We don’t know the future.  We don’t know God’s total plan and all the ripple effects.  We don’t know what is truly the good thing to happen.  But God does.  Thankfully, He intercepts our prayers and edits them so that God can answer them the way they are supposed to be!  Maybe it really is true that God always answers our prayers…  It’s just that the Holy Spirit edits them on the way up so that they are always fit for God to answer!  For Christians, God will always either answer your prayer exactly the way you asked for it, or He will answer it in a way that is truly better, at least in the long run. 

·         This should be a big encouragement to your prayer life!  Don’t be paralyzed because you aren’t sure if you are praying the right way; trust God to make the necessary edits.

28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

Romans 8:28-30 Glorification – The Certain Destiny of Believers

vs. 28  All Things Work For Good

·         Verse 28 is one of the most encouraging verses in the entire Bible.  I highly recommend memorizing it.  It is a great verse on it’s own, but we also need to see how it fits with Paul’s flow of thought in this chapter.  Much of it revolves around the themes of suffering and glory.  Paul started chapter 8 by talking about the end destinies of those who walk in the flesh vs. those who walk in the Spirit.  Unbelievers live by the flesh leading to death, but believers live by the Spirit leading to life (13). Believers have been made sons of God (15) and look forward to being heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ (17).  However, we must also share in His sufferings if we are to share in His glory (17).  We must suffer, but Paul assures us that this suffering doesn’t even compare to the glory that awaits us (18).  Until then, we live in a fallen world and groan as we eagerly wait for the world to come (19-22).  We have the first fruits, a first taste of things to come, but most of it is still future—our certain hope (23-25).  Caught in between, we often don’t know what to pray for because we don’t know God’s sovereign will.  For example, we don’t know how God is going to use suffering and how to pray concerning it.  But thankfully, God the Holy Spirit intercedes for us to edit our prayers so that they match God’s perfect sovereign will (26-27).  Yes, God will allow suffering in our lives because He knows that He is going to use it for greater good (28).  God loved us from long ago and has started a chain of events in our lives to make us like Christ and to bring us to glory (29-30.) 

·         What does it mean that God works everything together for good?  What are some things it does not mean?  [It does not mean that everything that happens is good.  The final outcome, when all things are considered is good, but individually, some things are bad.  It does not mean that God will eliminate pain and suffering from your life.  Romans 8:17 and Romans 8:35-39 make that clear.  The final ‘good’ may not even start to come in this lifetime.  Also, God is the One who gets to define what is good, not us.  But, you can trust God as He causes all things to work together for your good.  As they teach the kids to say at John Piper’s church, “When things don’t go the way they should, God always makes them turn for good.”]

·         Does this verse apply to everyone?  [No.]  What are the two qualifications for who this verse applies to?  [They (1) love God, and are (2) called according to His purpose.  These are two things that are true of people who are saved.  This makes sense, because things don’t work out for your good if you reject Christ and end up in the lake of fire.  This is a promise for those who have been adopted as God’s sons.]  Specifically, what do the two qualifications mean? 

o        They love God.  [True Christians have a love for God.  Unbelievers and false converts may love God’s ‘perks’ but they don’t love God Himself.  Real Christians love and treasure Christ as their Savior and Lord.  We are not saved because we love God.  Love for God is something that God produces in the hearts of Christians.  It is an effect of being saved.]

o        And are called according to His purpose.  [People come to faith in Christ because they have been called by God.  As we will see in verses 29-30, this is part of the chain that also includes predestination and justification.  You know that you have been called if you have placed your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone as your Savior from hell.  Love for God (28), a changed life (9), and the testimony of the Spirit (16) confirm this to you.

·         What are some examples of the way God has taken bad things and used them for good?  (Theoretical examples are okay, but real life examples would be best.  What bad thing has God taken from your life and used for good?)

·         Remember, God promised to use all things for good.  He doesn’t promise to tell you exactly what He is doing.  In the book of Job, there is no indication that Job ever learned in this life what God was up to.  Thankfully, we often get some glimpses of God’s purposes for suffering, but we never know the full story.  God does everything He does for billions of reasons.  Every event has ripple effects that will continue to spread far into the future.  Even in Heaven, I don’t think we will be able to process all of the reasons God had for what He ordained to happen.  We don’t need to know it all; we just need to trust the One who does.

·         Important!  Sink the truth of verse 28 into your heart before tragedy strikes you.  If it hasn’t yet, it will someday.  You need to prepare your heart for suffering by knowing and believing the promises of God now.  If you have them in your heart now, the Spirit will draw them out of your heart to help you use them at the time they are needed most.

vs. 29-30  The Unbreakable Chain

·         Notice that verse 29 starts with the word “for” or “because.”  This means that verses 29 and 30 are giving the reason why verse 28 is true. 

·         Verses 29-30 have been called the golden chain.  The golden chain is an unbreakable chain of five links that God does in the lives those He is adopting as sons.  What are they and what do each of them mean?  

·         Foreknew.  (proginosko)  It is important to realize what this word really means, because it might mean something more than what you think. 

o        Yes, God foreknows the future, so in a sense he foreknows everyone.  But if everyone He foreknows is predestined, and if everyone He predestines is called and then justified and then glorified, it would mean that everyone is saved.  But we know this isn’t true. 

o        A more common view is that this is about foreseen faith.  In this view, God foreknows whether or not people will accept or reject Christ and bases His predestination on their choice.  (This is the Arminian view.)  However, this view makes man’s choice more foundational than God’s choice and taken the pre out of predestination.  It contradicts what Paul will say in Romans 9.  And, importantly, it forgets the fact that if God had left us to our own choice, none of us would have accepted Christ!  Remember Romans 8:7 said that, “the sinful mind is hostile to God.”  Romans 3:11 says, “There is none who seek for God.”   

o        The key to understanding this is to remember that the word ‘know’ in the Bible often has to do with intimacy and love.  In Genesis 4:1, it literally says that Adam knew Eve and she bore a son.  In Amos 3:2 God says of Israel, “You only have I known of all the families of the earth.”  Obviously, God knew about all the nations, but He only had a special covenant relationship with Israel.  In Matthew 7:23 Jesus said that He will say to false believers, “I never know you.  Depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”  Obviously Jesus knew about them, but they weren’t saved.  In Genesis 18:19 the Hebrew word for ‘known’ is translated as ‘chosen.’  Therefore, to know someone is often to love that person, or to choose that person, or both.  This is the way that Romans 8:29 makes sense.  Those whom He foreloved He also predestined. 

·         Predestined.  (proorizo)  This word means to mark out beforehand, or to determine beforehand.  This forms the link between those who God foreknows (foreloves) and those who He calls.  Although many people don’t like the idea of “predestination” it is a word that the Bible actually uses.  The hard truth is that God has chosen in advance whom He will bring to saving faith.  (Now, I know that some of you have your heads swimming with questions about how this works.  We will be discussing predestination a lot when we get to chapter 9.  For now, just try to understand what God’s Word is teaching us here in this passage.)

·         According to verse, what are Christians predestined for?  What is God’s goal for you?  [We have been predestined to be conformed to the image or likeness of His Son.  God’s goal is to make us like Christ.  This is to make Christ the firstborn among many brothers.  We have been adopted by God as Sons, and we are being make to be like Christ, God’s natural Son, our big brother.]

·         Called.  (kaleo)  Believers have been called by God.  To call means to speak to bring someone near.  This ‘call’ is what causes people to respond to Christ in faith rather than continuing to be hostile to God.  It is important to notice that the term ‘call’ is used more than one way in Scripture.  There is the general call and there is the efficacious or effective call.  The general call is the call that is given to all humanity, although not all respond to it.  However, Romans 8:30 is about the effective call.  Notice, this verse says that everyone He called he also justifies.  Therefore, this is a call that actually brings us to Christ.  If you have come to Christ as your Savior, it is because God called you.  

·         Justified.  (dikaioo)  As we have discussed before, to be justified is to be declared righteous.  Romans 3:24 says that believers are sinners who have been “justified as a gift by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”  Romans 3:28 taught us that, “man is justified by faith apart from works of the law.”  Therefore, being declared righteous by God does not come from good works or our dedication; it is a gift of God that we receive by faith/trust alone.  This link is the point in the golden chain where salvation occurs. 

·         Sanctification.  Although sanctification isn’t specifically mentioned in this chain, this is where it would be.  Sanctification is the process of being made more and more like Christ.

·         Glorified.  (doxazo)  Glorification is the final link in the chain.  This is the one link that is still future for us.  Paul states it as if it were in the past tense, but that is because it is so certain that he can talk about it as if it is a done deal.  It is.  Although we will suffer in this life, our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us (Rm. 8:18).  Today believers are free from the penalty of sin (justification) and are being set free from the power of sin (sanctification) and one day you will be set free from the presence of sin (glorification).  You will also receive a resurrection body (1 Cor. 15:50-55).  And as John writes in 1 John 3:2, we will see God and be made like Him, “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.”

·         These verses have something important to say about the question of eternal security.  Can a genuine Christian lose his or her salvation?  What does this passage teach about this question?  [It is important to notice that the golden chain is unbreakable.  God does not lose some people from one step to the next.  Everyone that God foreloves He predestines.  Everyone He predestines He calls.  Everyone He calls He justifies.  And everyone He justifies He glorifies.  None are lost along the way.  If it were true that someone could be justified and then lost, then God could not truthfully tell us, “those he justified, he also glorified.”]  

Recommended sermons (transcripts and free MP3s) on this passage:

All Things For Good, part 1 by John Piper
All Things For Good, part 2 by John Piper
All Things for Good, part 3 by John Piper
Foreknown, Predestined, Conformed to Christ by John Piper
Glorification: Conformed to Christ for the Supremacy of Christ by John Piper

31What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:31-39 Nothing Can Separate Us From the Love of Christ

vs. 31-32  If God is for us, who can be against us?

·         31: Why did Paul say, “What, then, shall we say in response to this?”  Is response to what?  [What shall we say in response to God’s incredible message of salvation that Paul has been explaining for the past 8 chapters—culminating in the awesome promises found in verses 28-30.  Our future with God is secure.  Paul now finishes by asking five questions that help us to realize the greatness of our salvation.  For each of these questions, think about what they mean, and about how they are answered in the message of salvation.  Think about them deeply so that they are not just head knowledge, but heart knowledge as well.]

·         31: QUESTION #1: If God is for us, who can be against us?  Can anything really be against you if GOD is on your side?  [There are many people and things that are against us: the unbelieving world, Satan, and the remains of our sinful nature.  But none of these things can successfully be against us.  Think of what it really means to have God on your side!  As a Christian, an adopted son of God (14-17), your Father may discipline you out of love (Heb. 12:5-11) but He is never against you.]

·         31: Christian, be thankful that God is for you.  As John Stott writes, “Paul is not saying that the claim ‘God is for us’ can be made for everybody.  In fact, perhaps the most terrible words which human ears could ever hear are those which God uttered many times in the Old Testament: ‘’I am against you,’ declares the Lord.’”  If GOD were against you, what chance would you have? 

·         32: What does it mean that God did not spare His own Son?  What does it mean that God delivered Him up for us?

·         32: QUESTION #2: How will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?  What is the logic of verse 32?  [The hardest thing imaginable for God to do for you was to deliver up His Son whom He loves to be slaughtered for your salvation.  If God is willing to do the hardest thing imaginable, then He will certainly be willing to do the things that are less hard.  John Piper calls this “the solid logic of Heaven.”] 

vs. 33-34  Who will bring any charge?

·         33: QUESTION #3: Who will bring any charge against those God has chosen?  What does Paul mean by a charge?  [In a courtroom, the ‘charges’ are the crimes that your accuser claims that you are guilty of.  The unbelieving world will bring charges against you.  Satan will bring charges against you.  In fact, the word ‘devil’ means accuser.  Also, your conscious will bring charges against you.  All of these will try to proclaim that you are guilty and cut off from God’s love.   However, they cannot successfully bring a charge against you.]  Why not?

·         33: How does the sentence, “It is God who justifies” answer the question in verse 33?  (Note: In the original language, the emphasis is on the word ‘God.’  GOD is the one who justifies!)  [A higher judge may overrule the decision of a lesser judge.  A higher court may overrule the decision of a lower court.  For example, the Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States.  Once they give a ruling, there is no higher court that can overturn their decision.  Now, the Supreme Court may be the highest court in the United States, but God is the highest judge in all the heavens and the earth.  If God justified—if God declares someone righteous—that decision stands!]

·         34: QUESTION #4: Who is he that condemns?  [This is courtroom language.  The devil will try to condemn you.  He will act as the prosecuting attorney.  He will try, but he won’t succeed]  How does the rest of verse 34 show another certain reason why no one can succeed in condemning those God has justified?  [The devil may be our accuser, but the Son of God is the one interceding for us!  Jesus Christ is our defense attorney.  The Son of God will counter any claim of the devil saying, “I have died and risen for this person that I have chosen.  I have completely paid the penalty for his sin.  I have given this person credit for my perfect life.  This person has been justified and your charges do not stick!]  If you are a believer, Christ is doing this for you even now.  Hebrews 7:25 says, “He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him because He always lives to intercede for them.”

vs. 35-39  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

·         35: QUESTION #5: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  [Christian, nothing can separate you from Christ’s love.  Satan and the world will throw many things at you, but your are secure.]  What are the things that Paul lists here?  [In verse 35 Paul lists trouble, hardships, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, and sword.  As we can see by verse 36, ‘sword’ means being put to death.]

·         36: The NASB gives a more literal translation of this verse, “For Thy sake we are being put to death all day long; We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”  It is not just that we “face death” but that believers are often put to death.  Like the Apostles who were killed because of Jesus, even death cannot separate us from God.  God may not spare us a martyrs death, but He will turn it for good (vs. 28).  It cannot interrupt God’s golden chain leading to our glorification with God (vs. 29-30.)

·         37: What does it mean that we are “more than conquerors”?  [The Roman Empire was the military ruler of that age.  The Christians in Rome would have been very familiar with the triumph parades of the conquering generals with the defeated armies being led in shame behind them.  With this in mind, think of what Paul means when he says that we are “more than conquerors.”  Although we face suffering and death, ultimately we are not the loser.  We are not the defeated ones.  We are the conquerors!  No—we are more than conquerors!]  How is this possible?  [Through Him who loved us.  Paul used the word “loved” rather than “loves” because He is thinking about the cross, a completed event.]

·         38-39: Paul lists more things that cannot separate us from the love of Christ.  Notice how complete he is.  [Death, life, angels, demons, powers, height, depth, nor anything else in all creation.  Paul is saying that A to Z there is nothing that can separate you.  Also remember that this includes you.  You are part of ‘anything else in all creation.’  If you are justified, your salvation is secure and cannot be lost or forfeited.]

·         If God is never against you—if God will freely give you all things—if no charge can be brought against you—if no one can condemn you—if nothing can separate you from the love of Christ… then how should you live your life?  What ways should your life be different if these things are true and if you believe them?  [As John Piper has said, “This text is written to make you lionhearted.”  Choose to risk and do the hard things for Jesus.  He is with you.  You need not fear.]

Recommended sermons (transcripts and free MP3s) on this passage:

God Did Not Spare His Own Son by John Piper (one of the most powerful sermons ever preached)
It is God Who Justifies! by John Piper
The All Conquering Love of Christ by John Piper
Nothing Can Separate Us from the Love of Christ by John Piper
Inseparable From God by John Piper