Friday, November 11, 2016
Romans 7
Romans 7
1 Now, dear brothers and sisters —you who
are familiar with the law—don’t you know that the law applies only while a
person is living?
2 For example, when a woman marries, the
law binds her to her husband as long as he is alive. But if he dies, the laws
of marriage no longer apply to her.
3 So while her husband is alive, she would
be committing adultery if she married another man. But if her husband dies, she
is free from that law and does not commit adultery when she remarries.
4 So, my dear brothers and sisters, this
is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And
now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we
can produce a harvest of good deeds for God.
5 When we were controlled by our old
nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil
desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death.
6 But now we have been released from the
law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve
God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of
living in the Spirit.
7 Well then, am I suggesting that the law
of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin.
I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, “You
must not covet.”
8 But sin used this command to arouse all
kinds of covetous desires within me! If there were no law, sin would not have
that power.
9 At one time I lived without
understanding the law. But when I learned the command not to covet, for
instance, the power of sin came to life,
10 and I died. So I discovered that the
law’s commands, which were supposed to bring life, brought spiritual death
instead.
11 Sin took advantage of those commands and
deceived me; it used the commands to kill me.
12 But still, the law itself is holy, and
its commands are holy and right and good.
13 But how can that be? Did the law, which
is good, cause my death? Of course not! Sin used what was good to bring about
my condemnation to death. So we can see how terrible sin really is. It uses
God’s good commands for its own evil purposes.
14 So the trouble is not with the law, for
it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a
slave to sin.
15 I don’t really understand myself, for I
want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.
16 But if I know that what I am doing is
wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good.
17 So I am not the one doing wrong; it is
sin living in me that does it.
18 And I know that nothing good lives in
me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I
can’t.
19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t.
I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.
20 But if I do what I don’t want to do, I
am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.
21 I have discovered this principle of
life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.
22 I love God’s law with all my
heart.
23 But there is another power within me
that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is
still within me.
24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who
will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?
25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ
our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but
because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.
Thursday, November 10, 2016
Romans 6
V. Righteousness Imparted: Sanctification (chs. 6-8)
Romans 6
1 Well then, should we keep on sinning so
that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace?
2 Of course not! Since we have died to
sin, how can we continue to live in it?
3 Or have you forgotten that when we were
joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death?
4 For we died and were buried with Christ
by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power
of the Father, now we also may live new lives.
5 Since we have been united with him in
his death, we will also be raised to life as he was.
6 We know that our old sinful selves were
crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no
longer slaves to sin.
7 For when we died with Christ we were set
free from the power of sin.
8 And since we died with Christ, we know
we will also live with him.
9 We are sure of this because Christ was
raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any
power over him.
10 When he died, he died once to break the
power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God.
11 So you also should consider yourselves
to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.
12 Do not let sin control the way you live;
do not give in to sinful desires.
13 Do not let any part of your body become
an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God,
for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an
instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.
14 Sin is no longer your master, for you no
longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the
freedom of God’s grace.
15 Well then, since God’s grace has set us
free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not!
16 Don’t you realize that you become the
slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to
death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.
17 Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin,
but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you.
18 Now you are free from your slavery to
sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.
19Because of the weakness of your human nature,
I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this.
Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led
ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous
living so that you will become holy.
20 When you were slaves to sin, you were
free from the obligation to do right.
21 And what was the result? You are now
ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom.
22 But now you are free from the power of
sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to
holiness and result in eternal life.
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the
free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Wednesday, November 9, 2016
Romans 5
Through Christ (3:21-26)Received by Faith (3:27;4:25)- The Fruits of Righteousness (5:1-11)
- Summary: Humanity's Unrighteousness Contrasted with God's Gift of Righteousness (5:12-21)
Romans 5
1 Therefore, since we have been made right
in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ
our Lord has done for us.
2Because of our faith, Christ has brought us
into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently
and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.
3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems
and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.
4 And endurance develops strength of
character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.
5 And this hope will not lead to
disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us
the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.
6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ
came at just the right time and died for us sinners.
7 Now, most people would not be willing to
die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a
person who is especially good.
8 But God showed his great love for us by
sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
9 And since we have been made right in
God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s
condemnation.
10 For since our friendship with God was
restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will
certainly be saved through the life of his Son.
11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new
relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of
God.
12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world.
Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone
sinned.
13 Yes, people sinned even before the law
was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to
break.
14 Still, everyone died—from the time of
Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit
commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of
Christ, who was yet to come.
15 But there is a great difference between
Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought
death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of
forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ.
16 And the result of God’s gracious gift is
very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to
condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even
though we are guilty of many sins.
17 For the sin of this one man, Adam,
caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and
his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin
and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.
18Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for
everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship
with God and new life for everyone.
19 Because one person disobeyed God, many
became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made
righteous.
20God’s law was given so that all people could
see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful
grace became more abundant.
21 So just as sin ruled over all people and
brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right
standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
Romans 3:32 to all of Chapter 4
IV. Righteousness Imputed: Justification (3:21;5:21)
- Through Christ (3:21-26)
- Received by Faith (3:27;4:25)
The Fruits of Righteousness (5:1-11)Summary: Humanity's Unrighteousness Contrasted with God's Gift of Righteousness (5:12-21)
Romans 3:21
21 But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago.
22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
24 Yet God freely and graciously declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.
25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past,
26 for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.
27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith.
28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.
29 After all, is God the God of the Jews only? Isn’t he also the God of the Gentiles? Of course he is.
30There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles.
31 Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.
Romans 4
1 Abraham was, humanly speaking, the
founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with
God?
2 If his good deeds had made him
acceptable to God, he would have had something to boast about. But that was not
God’s way.
3 For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham
believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”
4 When people work, their wages are not a
gift, but something they have earned.
5But people are counted as righteous, not
because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives
sinners.
6 David also spoke of this when he
described the happiness of those who are declared righteous without working for
it:
7 “Oh, what joy for those whose
disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight.
8 Yes, what joy for those whose record the
LORD has cleared of sin.”
9 Now, is this blessing only for the Jews,
or is it also for uncircumcised Gentiles? Well, we have been saying that
Abraham was counted as righteous by God because of his faith.
10 But how did this happen? Was he counted
as righteous only after he was circumcised, or was it before he was
circumcised? Clearly, God accepted Abraham before he was circumcised!
11 Circumcision was a sign that Abraham
already had faith and that God had already accepted him and declared him to be
righteous—even before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the spiritual father of
those who have faith but have not been circumcised. They are counted as
righteous because of their faith.
12 And Abraham is also the spiritual father
of those who have been circumcised, but only if they have the same kind of
faith Abraham had before he was circumcised.
13 Clearly, God’s promise to give the whole
earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God’s
law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith.
14 If God’s promise is only for those who
obey the law, then faith is not necessary and the promise is pointless.
15 For the law always brings punishment on
those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no
law to break!)
16 So the promise is received by faith. It
is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not
we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham’s. For
Abraham is the father of all who believe.
17 That is what the Scriptures mean when
God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.” This happened
because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who
creates new things out of nothing.
18 Even when there was no reason for hope,
Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations.
For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!”
19 And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even
though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as
dead—and so was Sarah’s womb.
20 Abraham never wavered in believing God’s
promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to
God.
21 He was fully convinced that God is able
to do whatever he promises.
22 And because of Abraham’s faith, God
counted him as righteous.
23 And when God counted him as righteous,
it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded
24 for our benefit, too, assuring us that
God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised
Jesus our Lord from the dead.
25 He was handed over to die because of our
sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.
Monday, November 7, 2016
Romans 2 and 3:20
Introduction (1:1-15)Theme: Righteousness from God (1:16-17)The Unrighteousness of All People (1:18;3:20)
Romans 2
1 You may think you can condemn such
people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are
wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge
others do these very same things.
2 And we know that God, in his justice,
will punish anyone who does such things.
3 Since you judge others for doing these
things, why do you think you can avoid God’s judgment when you do the same
things?
4 Don’t you see how wonderfully kind,
tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you
see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?
5 But because you are stubborn and refuse
to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For
a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.
6 He will judge everyone according to what
they have done.
7 He will give eternal life to those who
keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God
offers.
8 But he will pour out his anger and wrath
on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live
lives of wickedness.
9 There will be trouble and calamity for
everyone who keeps on doing what is evil—for the Jew first and also for the
Gentile.
10 But there will be glory and honor and
peace from God for all who do good—for the Jew first and also for the
Gentile.
11 For God does not show favoritism.
12When the Gentiles sin, they will be destroyed,
even though they never had God’s written law. And the Jews, who do have God’s
law, will be judged by that law when they fail to obey it.
13 For merely listening to the law doesn’t
make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight.
14 Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s
written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even
without having heard it.
15 They demonstrate that God’s law is
written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse
them or tell them they are doing right.
16 And this is the message I proclaim—that
the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone’s secret
life.
17 You who call yourselves Jews are relying
on God’s law, and you boast about your special relationship with him.
18 You know what he wants; you know what is
right because you have been taught his law.
19 You are convinced that you are a guide
for the blind and a light for people who are lost in darkness.
20 You think you can instruct the ignorant
and teach children the ways of God. For you are certain that God’s law gives
you complete knowledge and truth.
21 Well then, if you teach others, why
don’t you teach yourself? You tell others not to steal, but do you steal?
22 You say it is wrong to commit adultery,
but do you commit adultery? You condemn idolatry, but do you use items stolen
from pagan temples?
23You are so proud of knowing the law, but you
dishonor God by breaking it.
24No wonder the Scriptures say, “The Gentiles
blaspheme the name of God because of you.”
25 The Jewish ceremony of circumcision has
value only if you obey God’s law. But if you don’t obey God’s law, you are no
better off than an uncircumcised Gentile.
26 And if the Gentiles obey God’s law,
won’t God declare them to be his own people?
27 In fact, uncircumcised Gentiles who keep
God’s law will condemn you Jews who are circumcised and possess God’s law but
don’t obey it.
28 For you are not a true Jew just because
you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony
of circumcision.
29 No, a true Jew is one whose heart is
right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the
law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with
a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.
Romans 3
1 Then what’s the advantage of being a
Jew? Is there any value in the ceremony of circumcision?
2 Yes, there are great benefits! First of
all, the Jews were entrusted with the whole revelation of God.
3 True, some of them were unfaithful; but
just because they were unfaithful, does that mean God will be unfaithful?
4 Of course not! Even if everyone else is
a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say about him, “You will be proved right
in what you say, and you will win your case in court.”
5 “But,” some might say, “our sinfulness
serves a good purpose, for it helps people see how righteous God is. Isn’t it
unfair, then, for him to punish us?” (This is merely a human point of
view.)
6Of course not! If God were not entirely fair,
how would he be qualified to judge the world?
7 “But,” someone might still argue, “how
can God condemn me as a sinner if my dishonesty highlights his truthfulness and
brings him more glory?”
8 And some people even slander us by
claiming that we say, “The more we sin, the better it is!” Those who say such
things deserve to be condemned.
9 Well then, should we conclude that we
Jews are better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all
people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are under the power of sin.
10 As the Scriptures say, “No one is
righteous— not even one.
11 No one is truly wise; no one is seeking
God.
12 All have turned away; all have become
useless. No one does good, not a single one.”
13 “Their talk is foul, like the stench
from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with lies.” “Snake venom drips
from their lips.”
14“Their mouths are full of cursing and
bitterness.”
15 “They rush to commit murder.
16 Destruction and misery always follow
them.
17 They don’t know where to find
peace.”
18 “They have no fear of God at all.”
19 Obviously, the law applies to those to
whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and
to show that the entire world is guilty before God.
20 For no one can ever be made right with
God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we
are.
Sunday, November 6, 2016
Saturday, November 5, 2016
Romans Chapter 1
- Introduction (1:1-15)
- Theme: Righteousness from God (1:16-17)
- The Unrighteousness of All People (1:18;3:20)
- Romans 11 This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News.2 God promised this Good News long ago through his prophets in the holy Scriptures.3 The Good News is about his Son. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line,4 and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord.5 Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name.6 And you are included among those Gentiles who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ.7 I am writing to all of you in Rome who are loved by God and are called to be his own holy people. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.8 Let me say first that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith in him is being talked about all over the world.9 God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by spreading the Good News about his Son.10 One of the things I always pray for is the opportunity, God willing, to come at last to see you.11 For I long to visit you so I can bring you some spiritual gift that will help you grow strong in the Lord.12 When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours.13 I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to visit you, but I was prevented until now. I want to work among you and see spiritual fruit, just as I have seen among other Gentiles.14 For I have a great sense of obligation to people in both the civilized world and the rest of the world, to the educated and uneducated alike.15 So I am eager to come to you in Rome, too, to preach the Good News.16 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them.20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused.22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools.23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.24 So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies.25 They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.26 That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other.27 And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.28 Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.29 Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip.30 They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents.31They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy.32 They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.
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