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Bible Study- Lutz, Florida
Established
November 2008
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 11
Welcome
back one and all.
Why
do I introduce the Bible passage 1 Timothy 2:3-4 with each one of my lessons?
Many
people do not read the Bible, so this is mainly for them. If they visit HBS at least they will see this
information, and I pray it’s enough for now.
I
never really know for certain how many people are participating in this study
at any one time. Some would say this is a negative because you’re never
sure of your audience. But I don’t dwell
on these things. To spend time mulling this over in my mind would be a
vain obsession indeed. It takes the focus off of the good work being done
and places it on me and this Bible study isn’t about me. I’m not trying to generate a following, and I
am not in the business of church planting. I am simply a Bible
teacher intent on getting the Truth of God’s Word out to those who yearn to
hear it.
So,
I thank the Lord for those who choose to participate in this Bible study and I
gladly make all my preparations for you week in and week out.
If
only one person receives this message, then praise God!
*****
Teaching
time is precious so let’s get back to our study of the book of Romans.
Please
open your Bible to chapter 1 and we’ll begin where we left off.
We
were looking at the four “For’s” in Paul’s
statements found in verses 16-18.
For I am not ashamed
of the gospel
for it is the power of
God for salvation
For in it the
righteousness of God is revealed
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…
I’m
going to pick this teaching up at Romans 1:16b.
Romans 1
16b: …it is the
power of God for salvation to everyone who (does
what) believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek (or non-Jew).
What
does the Apostle mean by to the Jew first?
First
you need to remember the main subject of this sentence which is the gospel.
Paul
is simply recognizing the fact that to the Jew, who had been given the Law and
the divine privileges, the Gospel of Grace had been presented first, and then
to the Gentiles. As Paul said:
Ephesians 2
17: AND HE CAME AND
PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY (Gentiles), AND PEACE TO THOSE
WHO WERE NEAR (Jew);
Throughout
the Book of Acts, we find the Apostle Paul attempting to preach the Gospel of
Grace to his brethren, the Jews, time and time again only to be rejected,
beaten, jailed, or worse. Scripture reveals that God is long-suffering.
God waits for 2 years while Paul sits in jail at Caesarea for the Jews to
repent, but there is none (see Acts 23; 24; 25; 26).
Then
Paul, driven into the hands of the Romans by the Jews, goes to Rome only to
have the Jews reject his teaching there (see Acts 28:23-27). After the Jews
final rejection, the Apostle Paul was Spirit-led to say: Therefore, let it be known to you that
this salvation of God has been sent to (whom) the Gentiles; they
will also listen. (Acts 28:28)
Now
to clear up a mess within the church, the Apostle Paul is NOT proclaiming “an
order” of presentation of the Gospel of Grace throughout this dispensational
period in verse 16b. TO TEACH THAT THE
GOSPEL MUST BE PREACHED FIRST TO THE JEW THROUGHOUT THIS DISPENSATION IS TO
DENY GOD’S WORD THAT NOW THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JEW AND GREEK EITHER AS
TO THE FACT OF SIN (see Romans 3:22); OR THE AVAILABILITY OF SALVATION.
What
does this book say? Please turn to
Romans, chapter 10.
Romans 10
12: For there is no
distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding
in riches for all who call on Him (for salvation);
The
meaning of this verse is quite clear. “All” means the
same thing back in Paul’s day that it means today. It means all – both Jew
and Gentile for now there is no difference.
Number
3:
For in it the
righteousness of God is revealed (in the gospel)
Let’s
break this down so we can understand it.
For
in it
(the gospel = Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection on the 3rd
day according to the Scriptures) is the power of God for salvation.
Once
again, the Apostle Paul is all about the Gospel of Grace. He’s a man on a
mission.
Here
he is instructing the Believers that “in the gospel message,” the righteousness
of God is revealed.
What
does this mean?
Let’s
begin with this. God is Holy. We
are flawed, unrighteous, we lack understanding, no one does good, and no one
seeks God. I prefer the book do the talking:
Romans
3
10: as it is
written,
“THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;
11: THERE IS NONE
WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;
12: ALL HAVE TURNED
ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD,
THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.”
Because
God is Holy He could come forth in righteousness at any time and wipe out the
entire human race (Adamic). He would be acting in accordance with His
Holiness: it would be the “righteousness of God
unto JUDGMENT, and He would be justified in doing so.
We
have recorded for us a example of this in the book of Genesis chapters 6-7.
Mankind
was evil and the LORD God destroyed every living thing on the planet except for
Noah and his family and 2 creatures of every kind.
There
is also the Biblical example of Sodom and Gomorrah. The inhabitants of these cities refused to
repent of their ways after being warned ahead of time of their imminent
destruction. The Righteous God laid both of these cities to waste and all
that was within them.
But
God though infinitely Holy and sin-hating, has chosen to act toward His
creation (that’s us) in righteousness (=
always behaving according to a strict moral code).
All
God’s holy and righteous claims against the sinner have been satisfied upon a
Substitute; His own Son. Therefore, in this good news (gospel), there is now
revealed for the first time, God’s righteousness
on the principle of faith plus nothing else.
You
simply hear the message of the Gospel of Grace and believe it.
When
you accept it based on faith (alone), God reckons you to be “justified.”
Let’s
review Scripture:
Romans 5
1: Therefore,
having been (what)
justified
by faith (in the Gospel of Grace) we have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2: through whom
also we have obtained our introduction (how) by faith into
this grace in which we stand (means you have made a decision and will not
be moved from it);
and we exult in hope of the glory of God.
Sounds
too simple I know, but that’s it.
Salvation
is based upon your faith in the gospel – plus nothing added.
(To
be continued)
©
Copyright 2011
GJ
Heitzman’s Ministry
All
Rights Reserved
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