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Bible Study- Lutz, Florida
Established
November 2003
Rightly
Dividing the Word of Truth
(2
Timothy 2:15)
This is good and
acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who
desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 1Timothy 2:3-4
Romans by the Book
Lesson 10
I
want to take the time to welcome back our regular visitors and then commend you
for your dedication to this Home Bible Study.
I keep you in my daily prayers and thank the Lord often for each one of
you. With all the other activities on your
schedules I count it no small thing that you set aside time to study your
Bible.
I
also ask the Holy Spirit to help you mature in your faith so that you when the
occasion arises will be able to help someone else who is struggling in
their faith.
You
see, it’s essential to believe the gospel for salvation but that’s only a
starting point.
We
Believers have a “race” to run after that.
That race is a marathon – not a sprint.
For
us to complete the race it is vital that we understand what it is we profess to
believe.
If
you are visiting us for the first time, I want to welcome you to our Home Bible
study.
I
pray that you too will return and visit us often.
Please
open your Bible to the book of Romans at chapter 1.
We’ll
begin at verse 16.
Romans 1
16: For I am
not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for
salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
17: For in
it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written,
“BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY
FAITH.”
Here
the Apostle Paul outlines for us the entire book of Romans in just two verses.’
- First Paul speaks of “the gospel” for which he has been “set apart” to preach to all men.
- Paul then asserts the “saving power” of the gospel for one’s salvation.
- Then we find the secret of the gospel’s power: the revelation of God’s righteousness on the principle of faith alone. As it is written in the Old Testament, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
Salvation based upon “faith alone” in the
Gospel of Grace is a new revelation from the Creator God (Jehovah –in the O.T.)
and stands in stark contrast to the outgoing dispensation of salvation based
upon one’s keeping all 613 mitzvot (commandments) found in the Torah.
Please
take note of the four “For’s” in the
Apostle’s statement in verses 16-18.
1. For I am not ashamed of the gospel
2. for it is the power of God for salvation
3. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed
4. And then in verse
18 the next “For” which makes the
gospel necessary:
For
the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness…
Number
1:
For I am not ashamed
of the gospel
Here
we have the Apostle’s Paul’s willingness to go to Rome, the capital of the
world in its day, to preach Jesus Christ of Nazareth crucified. A man whom the Jews despised and the Romans executed
(see Psalms 2:1-3)
The Roman Emperor at this time was Nero,
who later became infamous for his manner of persecuting the Christians. Nero ruled the world from A.D. 54-68.
He was good during the first five years of
his reign because he had excellent advisors like stoic philosopher Seneca and
Burrus, general in the imperial palace guard.
But later he fired his good advisors and
killed his mother and wife and became a violent and mad emperor who indulged in
excessive drinking and unlimited pleasures.
He intentionally burned the slum sections
of Rome and blamed Christians for the fire and started state-sponsored
persecutions against Christians.
This is the setting Paul “prayed” to go to.
Therefore, Paul’s appeal to Caesar
involved a much greater risk.
Paul’s appeal to Caesar was a fulfillment
of prophecy (see Acts 25:1-27).
Acts 9
15: But the Lord said to him, “God, for he (Saul) is a chosen
instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and (who) kings (Nero is one)
and the sons of Israel;
The Apostle Paul didn’t invent
Christianity and he isn’t the reason it exists today.
Saul (Paul) is simply God’s “chosen
instrument” to “preach” the gospel
of Jesus Christ crucified to the “gentiles”
and to the “sons of Israel.”
The Greek word in your Bible for “preached” is kerusso which when used
properly means: to proclaim as a herald,
or to publish.
If you consider this information and read
I Corinthians 1:21 in this light the verse should read,
1 Corinthians 1
21b: “God was pleased through the foolishness of the proclaiming to save them that
believe.”
Number
2:
for it is the power of
God for salvation
The
pure and simple Truth of it all is this.
It doesn’t matter how large or affluent your church is. It doesn’t matter that your church leader
speaks eloquently, dresses well, or draws a large crowd every week.
What
matters is the “preaching” of the gospel or the “good news” of Jesus Christ’s
death, burial, and resurrection on the 3d day, according to the Scriptures, and
His appearing.
It
is the POWER OF GOD for salvation for everyone that believes.
This
is the reason for the Apostle Paul’s boldness.
1 Corinthians 1
18: For the word of
the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being
saved (read
carefully – this is the same language we saw back there in the book of Romans) it is the power of God.
The
word gospel (in the Greek =
evaggelion) means good news, or glad tidings.
This
good news is about: God’s love and grace, in Jesus Christ’s
finished and blessed work for the sinner on the cross, in putting away sin and
death for all who believe its message.
There
is no other “good news” for a sinner!
If
someone were drowning in a swimming pool, they may expect to see a floatation
device being tossed their way or a life-guard race to their rescue.
In
this God-forsaken world, sinners need to be rescued too.
The
Bible uses the word “saved.” The gospel
“is the power of God for salvation.”
This
is the medium God has chosen to save lost mankind from their “sin of unbelief.”
Jesus
Christ has already paid the sin debt for all mankind, when He died on the
cross.
Now
all you have to do is believe it and own it!
Here
are a couple of Bible verses that highlight this teaching point.
Romans 5
8: But God demonstrates His own love toward
us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Note:
now some would argue that Paul is only writing about Believers in general when
he wrote this verse above. But the Bible
does not support this opinion.
Only
God knows the heart of every man, woman, and child on this planet.
Therefore,
only God knows the names of those who will choose to believe the Gospel of Grace.
This invitation is open to all.
Everyone’s
sin debt has been pain in full. That’s
done. Now all God asks of us (mankind)
is that we believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
When
you do that, when you take a stand for that, then you are “justified” in God’s
eyes, you are saved at that very second, baptized into the Body of Christ, and
your name is entered into the Book of Life.
Here’s
one more Bible verse to support this teaching.
Hebrews 9
28: so Christ also,
having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second
time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.
Salvation
is a word for a lost man or woman and none other.
Whether
you are aware of it or not you are involved either in salvation or its opposite,
perdition. If you’re thinking I can do
just fine without Jesus, I have a Bible verse for you too. Jesus is speaking,
Matthew 10
28: “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill
the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in
hell.”
(To
be continued)
©
Copyright 2011
GJ
Heitzman’s Ministry
All
Rights Reserved