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Romans Chapter Three

(Outline continues from yesterday)

5. Something greater than the Law must be provided in order to justify sinful man according to the Absolute standard of God’s righteousness (Rom. 3:21-26).
   1. The Law and the Prophets (Old Testament) are witnesses to a coming manifestation of God’s Absolute standard of Righteousness (v.21).
   2. The Gospels witness the reality of that manifestation—through the sacrificial work of Jesus Christ on the cross (vv.25-26).
   3. The New Testament witness the application of that manifestation—justification by grace through faith (v.22).
   4. The condemnation of mankind under sin is a universal condition (v.23).
   5. The justification of mankind in righteousness is therefore a universal provision (v.24).
6. The issue in God’s work of human justification is grace through faith (Rom. 3:27-31).

Romans Chapter Four

1. Paul illustrates the principle of justification by grace through faith by using Abraham and David for his Scriptural precedent (Rom. 4:1-8).
   1. Abraham was justified by means of his simple faith in the promises of God (vv.1-5; Gen. 15:6).
   2. David wrote of God’s gracious forgiveness of sin (Rom. 4:6-8; Ps. 32:1-2).
2. Returning to Abraham, Paul points out that Abraham was saved as a Gentile (Rom. 4:9-12).
   1. Therefore, salvation by grace through faith is not limited to the Jews, but a feature for the entire human race.
   2. The redemption of fallen humanity in Adam is achieved by the second Adam as per the Seed of the Woman promise. 
   3. This issue is prior to and not contingent upon what the Seed of Abraham and Seed of David may also perform on behalf of Israel.
3. Abraham was not functioning under Law, but rather he exercised faith according to the Promise (Rom. 4:13-22).
4. For the Believer in the Dispensation of the Church, faith in the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ is our spiritual legacy from Abraham (Rom. 4:23-25).
   1. The death of Jesus Christ on the cross was the payment for our transgressions.
   2. The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave was the foundation for our justification.

Romans Chapter Five

1. The justification of the sinner according to the Absolute standard of God’s righteousness produces a wealth of additional blessings for the new believer in Christ (Rom. 5:1-5).
   1. We are in a relationship of peace with the God of Peace (v.1b).
   2. We stand in a life of grace together with the God of Grace (v.2a).
   3. We hope in glory together with the God of Glory (v.2b).
   4. We are correctly oriented to tribulations, as the Holy Spirit empowers us to endure the testing process from the cross to the crown (vv.3-5).
2. The justification of sinners according to the Absolute standard of God’s righteousness enables God to do “much more” on behalf of the justified saints (Rom. 5:6-11).
   1. God accomplished the MOST DIFFICULT work He has ever done when He sacrificed His beloved Son on behalf of his enemies.
   2. God is now free to accomplish MUCH MORE when He blesses His beloved children.
3. The universal condition of spiritual death is contrasted with the universal provision of spiritual life (Rom. 5:12-21).
   1. Through the first personal sin of Adam, the lost estate of sin became a feature of the κόσμος kosmos (v.12a).
   2. The entire human race became spiritually dead sinners as a consequence of one man’s action (Adam’s Original Sin) (v.12b).
   3. Sin was not a violation of Law, because sin was in the κόσμος kosmos for 4300+ years between Adam & Moses (vv.13-14).  Sin is falling short of God’s glory (Rom. 3:23).
   4. The free gift of salvation is likewise the consequence of one man’s action.  The obedience of Christ serves to redeem mankind from the disobedience of Adam (vv.15-19).
4. The Law was never intended to be a solution to the problem of sin.  
   1. The Law magnified sin.
   2. The grace of God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ abounds more and more in view of the total depravity of mankind, and mankind’s impossibility to achieve righteousness through human merit (Rom. 5:20-21).

Romans Chapter Six

1. Grace is not a license to sin!  May it never be!  μὴ γένοιτο mē genoito 
2. Believers are justified, and believers are identified (Rom. 6:1-11).
   1. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit baptizes us (identifies us) into (with) Christ (v.3).
   2. Because Jesus Christ was crucified to take away our sin, our identification with Him means that we were crucified as well.
   3. Jesus Christ was dead, buried, and raised.  So too were we (through our identification) dead, buried, and raised. 
   4. Our new life is to be lived to God in Christ (v.11).
3. We have a new (spiritual) life, but it resides in a mortal (physical) body (Rom. 6:12-19).
   1. The sin within our mortal body continues to exert its influence, and our volition must reject its lusts.
   2. Instead, our volition ought to obey the righteousness of God according to our new life.
4. The old enslaving life of sin produces death.  These unbelievers have nothing whatsoever to do with righteousness (they are “free in regard to righteousness”).
5. The new enslaving life of righteousness produces eternal life as a free gift of grace.  Such believers ought to have nothing whatsoever to do with sin (we are to be “free from sin”).

Romans Chapter Seven

1. Chapter 7 builds on the believer’s identification with the death of Christ (cf. Rom. 6:1-7).
2. Just as physical death severs the marital relationship, our death to the Law through Christ places us in the freedom of grace (Rom. 7:1-4).
   1. The Law served to identify and categorize particular acts of personal sin (v.7).
   2. The Law also served to arouse the flesh to particular acts of personal sin (Rom. 7:5,8-11).
3. Paul described the battle between the flesh and the believer’s desire to do good according to our new life in Christ (Rom. 7:14-25).

Romans Chapter Eight

1. The new life in Christ is a life of freedom from condemnation—blessing us to fulfill by grace all the requirements of the Law (Rom. 8:1-4; Matt. 5:17).
2. The new life in Christ, lived through faith, is at peace with God and pleases God (Rom. 8:5-8).
3. The new life in Christ is the Spirit-led life as children of God (Rom. 8:9-17).
4. The new life in Christ is an eternal life waiting in hope for the glory to be revealed (Rom. 8:18-25).
5. The new life in Christ functions by His gracious works (Rom. 8:26-30).
   1. The new life in Christ is a life of prayer, utilizing the intercessory ministry of God the Holy Spirit (vv.26,27).  Through prayer, God graciously allows us to participate in His future works on our behalf.
   2. The new life in Christ is a life in which “all things” collectively and continuously work for the absolute good of each believer (v.28).  Through considering our trials to be joy, God graciously allows us to appreciate His present works on our behalf.
   3. The new life in Christ is a culmination of God’s grace eternal plan which foreknew, predestined, called, justified and glorified each redeemed saint (vv.29,30).  Through the study of God’s Word, God graciously allows us to meditate on His past works (eternity past) on our behalf.
6. The new life in Christ is a life of free gifts and blessings that cannot be lost from the Father who loves us in Christ (Rom. 8:31-39).