Some have concluded from this that Paul’s Christian audience in Rome was made up entirely of Gentiles.

• I think it’s more likely, however, that the congregations Paul’s addressing in Rome were a mixed group between Gentiles and Jews.
• And so what he’s signaling here to this mixed audience is, “Now the argument of my making at this point in Rom 11 is particularly directed to you Gentile Christians in Rome.”[1]

 
Romans 11:12-16
12 Now if their transgression brings riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fullness bring!

• Whose transgression?
• Israel for not believing Jesus is the Messiah
• Brings riches for the world
• Salvation has come to the world… the Gentiles.
• This is Paul’s experience throughout Acts.
• He came to each city/region and preached to the Jews first in the synagogue.
• He got rejected by the majority and then would go teach the Gentiles.
• This was repeated everywhere Paul went.
• How much more will their fullness bring
• All of Israel will eventually believe.

13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Insofar as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14 if I might somehow make my own people, jealous and save some of them. 15 For if their rejection brings reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?

• Paul repeats what he said before.
• The Jews rejected Jesus and the Gentiles believed.
• Their acceptance mean but life from the dead.
• All of Israel will eventually believe.

16 Now if the firstfruits are holy, so is the whole batch. And if the root is holy, so are the branches. [2]
 
Romans 11:17-36
17 Now if some of the branches were broken off (Jews – rooted in the soil of God’s promises to the Patriarchs), and you (Gentiles – apart from the promises), though a wild olive branch, were grafted in among them and have come to share in the rich root of the cultivated olive tree, 18 do not boast that you are better than those branches. But if you do boast—you do not sustain the root, but the root sustains you.

• It is not so much an attitude of “I am wonderful” of which Paul is complaining as “I am more wonderful than you.”[3]

19 Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 True enough; they were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but beware, 21 because if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. 22 Therefore, consider God’s kindness and severity: severity toward those who have fallen but God’s kindness toward you—if you remain in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.

• “you too will be cut off”
• Paul never was talking about an individual
• He was always speaking in reference to a generation of Jews or Gentiles.
• Your kindness or lack of, could impact generations to come.

23 And even they, if they do not remain in unbelief, will be grafted in, because God has the power to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut off from your native wild olive tree and against nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these—the natural branches—be grafted into their own olive tree?

• Grafted in is something that is unnatural
• Slide of Olive Tree

25 I don’t want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you will not be conceited: A partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

• The hardening of the heart is something Paul has already talked about in the previous chapters.

26 And in this way (not “then”) all Israel will be saved, as it is written,

• There are, essentially, six interpretations of the expression ‘all Israel’ in Paul’s statement that ‘all Israel will be saved’:
• (i) all Israelites from every age;
• (ii) all the elect of Israel of all time;
• (iii) all Israelites alive at the end of the age;
• (iv) Israel as a whole alive at the end of the age, but not including every individual Israelite;
• (v) a large number of Israelites at the end of the age;
• (vi) Israel redefined to include all Jews and Gentiles who believe in Jesus Christ.[4]
• Is Paul here talking about one step in the process when Jews are included again in the kingdom?
• Or is “all Israel will be saved” a way of summarizing the entire process from beginning to end?[5]
• The phrase occurs almost sixty times there, and very rarely does “all Israel” mean every single Israelite who was, let’s say, alive at that time.
• “All Israel” is a phrase that almost always has a kind of representative significance.
• It talks about a significant or representative number of Jews, but not every single Jew.
• This language is similar to the way we use such language in our day.
• One might say, for instance, “The whole city was talking about the books available to the students,” when in fact we mean, “Well, a significant number of people in the city,” maybe not even a majority of the people in the city.
• Many of the people in the city may not even have heard about the issue, but we use the language of the “whole city” or “all Israel” in this kind of representative sense.[6]

The Deliverer will come from Zion;
he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
27 And this will be my covenant with them (Isaiah 59:20-21 - “The Redeemer will come to Zion,
and to those in Jacob who turn from transgression.”
This is the Lord’s declaration.
21 “As for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord: “My Spirit who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of your children’s children, from now on and forever,” says the Lord. [7])

• The “deliverer” or “redeemer” will come to Zion in Isaiah’s prophecy (to the Jews).
• But Paul quotes it as the “deliverer” or “redeemer” will come from Zion. (from the Gentiles who reach more regions.

when I take away their sins. (Jeremiah 31:31-34 - 31 “Look, the days are coming”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. 32 This one will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors on the day I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt—my covenant that they broke even though I am their master”,—the Lord’s declaration. 33 “Instead, this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days”—the Lord’s declaration. “I will put my teaching within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 No longer will one teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know me, from the least to the greatest of them”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “For I will forgive their iniquity and never again remember their sin. [8])

• Some theologians believe in bi-covenantalism.
• Gentiles are saved by faith in Jesus
• Jews will be saved by the promises made in the Torah.
• I don’t believe Paul has declared that at all.
• He has clearly said that both Jews and Gentiles must come by faith in Jesus to be saved.
• Here Paul is talking about the issue of salvation, spiritual matters, and I think that Paul always views salvation as taking place in Christ and in terms of the Christian church.
• So this salvation of “all Israel” in the last days, it seems to me, will be taking place by their faith in Christ as God graciously works among them and will integrate them into the single people of God, the church of the new covenant era.[9]

28 Regarding the gospel, they are enemies for your advantage, but regarding election, they are loved because of the patriarchs, 29 since God’s gracious gifts and calling are irrevocable. 30 As you once disobeyed God but now have received mercy through their disobedience, 31 so they too have now disobeyed, resulting in mercy to you, so that they also may now receive mercy. 32 For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may have mercy on all.

• God’s purpose is to let salvation come to Gentiles, in turn provoking Israel to repentance (11:11).
• That way, representatives from all peoples, Jewish and Gentile, could have the opportunity for salvation (11:30–33).[10]

 
A HYMN OF PRAISE (doxology)
33 Oh, the depth of the riches
and the wisdom and the knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments
and untraceable his ways!
34 For who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?
35 And who has ever given to God,
that he should be repaid? (Isaiah 40:13-14)
36 For from him and through him
and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever. Amen.[11]

• He has shown that God treats Jews and Gentiles alike in the matters of sin and judgment (1:18–3:20), and that he offers salvation freely to them both and without reference to the law.

God does this on the basis of what he did for them through Jesus Christ, whom he set forward as the atoning sacrifice for their sins, thus showing not only his great love for humanity but also his justice in justifying sinners who put their faith in his Son (3:21–5:21).[12]

[1] Moo, D. J. (2014). NT331 Book Study: Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[2] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Ro 11:12–16). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[3] Morris, L. (1988). The Epistle to the Romans (p. 414). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press.
[4] Kruse, C. G. (2012). Paul’s Letter to the Romans. (D. A. Carson, Ed.) (p. 448). Cambridge, U.K.; Nottingham, England; Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Apollos.
[5] Moo, D. J. (2014). NT331 Book Study: Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[6] Moo, D. J. (2014). NT331 Book Study: Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[7] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Is 59:20–21). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[8] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Je 31:31–34). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[9] Moo, D. J. (2014). NT331 Book Study: Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[10] Keener, C. S. (2009). Romans (p. 132). Eugene, OR: Cascade Books.
[11] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Ro 11:17–36). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[12] Kruse, C. G. (2012). Paul’s Letter to the Romans. (D. A. Carson, Ed.) (pp. 456–457). Cambridge, U.K.; Nottingham, England; Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Apollos.

In chapters 9 and 10 Paul looked more at the negative; that is Israel itself is responsible for her state, failing to respond to the grace of God and to recognize Christ as the culmination of God’s plan in the history of salvation.[1]
 
ISRAEL’S REJECTION NOT TOTAL
Romans 11:1-10
1 I ask, then, has God rejected his people? Absolutely not!

• The suggestion is unthinkable.
• To some it may seem the logical result of what Paul has been saying, but to the apostle it is an utter impossibility.
• God is thoroughly reliable, and it is impossible to think of him first choosing and then rejecting a people.[2]

For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.

• Paul is playing for the Gentiles but he is actually a Jew.
• Ian Kinsler, a major league baseball player, born in Tuscan, AZ
• His family heritage is Jewish
• He played baseball for Israel team in the Olympics
• 8 NBA players were on France’s basketball team.
• Paul is reminding both the Christian Gentiles and Christian Jews that he is a Jew.

2 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.

• The verb has the sense of God entering into relationship with people ahead of time.[3]

Or don’t you know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he pleads with God against Israel? 3 Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars. I am the only one left, and they are trying to take my life! (1 Kings 19:10, 14) 4 But what was God’s answer to him? I have left seven thousand for myself who have not bowed down to Baal. (1 Kings 19:18)

• These are men who made a choice to follow the God of Abraham.

5 In the same way, then, there is also at the present time a remnant chosen by grace.

• At both times the nation as a whole was not obedient to God, but in both also a minority did obey.
• And in both the minority was a standing witness to the truth that God has not cast away his people.[4]

6 Now if by grace, then it is not by works; otherwise grace ceases to be grace.

• The divider here is whether one is determining that belief is a “work”.
• If belief is a work, then God alone chooses who receives grace.
• If belief is not a work, then grace is purely a way that has been made for salvation.

7 What then? Israel did not find what it was looking for, but the elect did find it. The rest were hardened, 8 as it is written,
God gave them a spirit of stupor,
eyes that cannot see
and ears that cannot hear,
to this day. (Deuteronomy 29:4, Isaiah 29:10. Matthew 12-13)
9 And David says,
Let their table become a snare and a trap,
a pitfall and a retribution to them.
10 Let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and their backs be bent continually. (Psalm 69:22-23)

• What Paul wants to say here is very simple, “Don’t forget, you Roman Christians, that God is continuing to choose Jews to belong to His people.”
• In other words, there are quite a few Jewish Christians in Paul’s day.
• Paul himself is one of them, of course.[5]

 
ISRAEL’S REJECTION NOT FINAL
11 I ask, then, have they stumbled so as to fall? Absolutely not! On the contrary, by their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous.

• God’s purpose is to let salvation come to Gentiles, in turn provoking Israel to repentance.
• That way, representatives from all peoples, Jewish and Gentile, could have the opportunity for salvation.[6]

12 Now if their transgression brings riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fullness bring!
13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Insofar as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14 if I might somehow make my own people, jealous and save some of them.

• Don’t become so arrogant as to believe that God has rejected the Jews and turned only to the Gentiles.
• How does that attitude help reach Paul’s own people?
• Have respect for the Jews.
• Don’t despise their customs.

15 For if their rejection brings reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?

• Paul’s statement here compares to what Jesus did.
• Jesus’ death brought salvation to the world, but even greater was Jesus’ resurrection from the dead because He brought life to believers.

16 Now if the firstfruits are holy, so is the whole batch. And if the root is holy, so are the branches.[7]

• In reference to the patriarchs of faith (Abraham).
• All those who believe in the coming Messiah and Jesus would be considered the whole batch or the branches.
• The remnant of Jews and believing Gentiles. (grace)

Not those who have made the Law their point of salvation. (works).

[1] Moo, D. J. (2014). NT331 Book Study: Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[2] Morris, L. (1988). The Epistle to the Romans (p. 398). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press.
[3] Moo, D. J. (2014). NT331 Book Study: Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[4] Morris, L. (1988). The Epistle to the Romans (p. 401). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press.
[5] Moo, D. J. (2014). NT331 Book Study: Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[6] Keener, C. S. (2009). Romans (p. 132). Eugene, OR: Cascade Books.
[7] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Ro 11:1–16). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

Last week we ended with Romans 10:13 - For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.[1]

• Joel 2:32 - Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved, for there will be an escape for those on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, as the Lord promised, among the survivors the Lord calls.[2]

 
ISRAEL’S REJECTION OF THE MESSAGE
Romans 10:14-21
14 How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him? And how can they hear without a preacher?
15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.

• Isaiah 52:7-13 - How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the herald, who proclaims peace, who brings news of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” 8 The voices of your watchmen—they lift up their voices, shouting for joy together; for every eye will see when the Lord returns to Zion. 9 Be joyful, rejoice together, you ruins of Jerusalem! For the Lord has comforted his people; he has redeemed Jerusalem. 10 The Lord has displayed his holy arm in the sight of all the nations; all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God. 11 Leave, leave, go out from there! Do not touch anything unclean; go out from her, purify yourselves, you who carry the vessels of the Lord. 12 For you will not leave in a hurry, and you will not have to take flight; because the Lord is going before you, and the God of Israel is your rear guard.
  
  THE SERVANT’S SUFFERING AND EXALTATION
• See, my servant, will be successful; he will be raised and lifted up and greatly exalted. 14 Just as many were appalled at you—his appearance was so disfigured that he did not look like a man, and his form did not resemble a human being--15 so he will sprinkle many nations. Kings will shut their mouths because of him, for they will see what had not been told them, and they will understand what they had not heard.[3]

 

• Isaiah 53 - Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 He grew up before him like a young plant and like a root out of dry ground. He didn’t have an impressive form or majesty that we should look at him, no appearance that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering who knew what sickness was. He was like someone people turned away from; he was despised, and we didn’t value him. 4 Yet he himself bore our sicknesses, and he carried our pains; but we in turn regarded him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds. 6 We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the Lord has punished him for the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughter and like a sheep silent before her shearers, he did not open his mouth. 8 He was taken away because of oppression and judgment, and who considered his fate? For he was cut off from the land of the living; he was struck because of my people’s rebellion. 9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, but he was with a rich man at his death, because he had done no violence and had not spoken deceitfully. 10 Yet the Lord was pleased to crush him severely. When you make him a guilt offering, he will see his seed, he will prolong his days, and by his hand, the Lord’s pleasure will be accomplished. 11 After his anguish, he will see light and be satisfied. By his knowledge, my righteous servant will justify many, and he will carry their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will give him the many as a portion, and he will receive the mighty as spoil, because he willingly submitted to death, and was counted among the rebels; yet he bore the sin of many and interceded for the rebels.[4]

 
16 But not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our message? (Isaiah 53:1)

• His point seems to be that using the OT to show that Israel has had opportunity to respond.
• People have been sent proclaiming the good news.
• They have had the opportunity to see what God’s plan was, as they read the OT itself.
• So they are rightly faulted for their failure to understand and respond appropriately.[5]

17 So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ., 18 But I ask, “Did they not hear?” Yes, they did:

• Paul begins to quote OT passages and not using them in their previous context but using them in current context.
• We do that all the time with movie quotes:
• “Go ahead make my day.”
• “There’s no crying in baseball.”
• “There’s no place like home.”
• “May the force be with you.”
• “You can’t handle the truth.”
• “You had me at hello.”
• “I’ll be back”
• “Show me the money.”
• “Freedom”

Their voice has gone out to the whole earth,
and their words to the ends of the world. (Psalm 19:4)
19 But I ask, “Did Israel not understand?” First, Moses said,
I will make you jealous
of those who are not a nation;
I will make you angry by a nation
that lacks understanding. (Deuteronomy 32:21)

• If Gentiles, who were darkened theologically, could understand the gospel, Jews could certainly have understood it.
• Israel is responsible for their unbelief because they had received enough understanding of the way of salvation.
• Their own scriptures should have enabled them to see God at work in the gospel.
• It was to Israel’s shame that they didn’t believe, whereas Gentiles did believe.[6]

20 And Isaiah says boldly,
I was found
by those who were not looking for me;
I revealed myself
to those who were not asking for me. (Isaiah 65:1)
21 But to Israel he says, All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and defiant people.[7] (Isaiah 65:2)

• Paul is in effect saying, “Just as knowledge of God has gone out among all the world (because of the way God created the world), so now through the preachers of the gospel is a particular message of Jesus Christ going out, a message that can’t be ignored, and a message that makes everyone—Jews included—responsible for their response to it.”[8]
• At the end of my notes every week, I have this statement:
• “Understanding the Spirits role, how would you communicate this message if your eighteen-year-old son had made up his mind to walk away from everything you have taught him, morally ethically and theologically, unless he had a compelling reason not to?”

How would you communicate this message?

[1] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Ro 10:13). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[2] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Joe 2:32). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[3] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Is 52:7–15). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[4] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Is 53). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[5] Moo, D. J. (2014). NT331 Book Study: Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[6] Abernathy, D. (2009). An Exegetical Summary of Romans 9–16 (p. 113). Dallas, TX: SIL International.
[7] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Ro 10:14–21). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[8] Moo, D. J. (2014). NT331 Book Study: Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

Last week…

• The emphasis as we’ve seen is on God’s initiative, His sovereignty in determining those within the broader group of Israel who would actually become His own true people.[1]
• We are moving from God’s sovereignty in Romans 9 to human responsibility in Romans 10.

 
Romans 9:30-33
ISRAEL’S PRESENT STATE
30 What should we say then? Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained righteousness—namely the righteousness that comes from faith.

• “The Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness” – they hadn’t received the Law and did not even try to line their behavior up with the Law.
• The Gentiles received and were made righteous simply because of their belief.
• They didn’t have to do anything but believe.
• This is the same way Abraham was “credited” righteousness in Genesis 15.

31 But Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not achieved the righteousness of the law.

• Romans 3:20 - For no one will be justified in his sight by the works of the law, because the knowledge of sin comes through the Law.[2]

32 Why is that? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone.

• “Faith” is not a “work”
• Jesus Christ is the stumbling stone.
• So why was the Law even given? As a snare?
• No! It was given for people to realize they can’t attain the Law in their own strength.
• They need a Savior who it will do it for them.
• The Savior’s blood was poured out as a sacrifice for our sinful nature.
• He becomes the Lord of Life when we rest and allow Him to be the “boss” of our life.
• No one will deny that there are many mysteries connected with divine sovereignty and human responsibility.
• Nowhere does God ask us to choose between these two truths, because they both come from God and are a part of God’s plan.
• They do not compete; they cooperate.
• The fact that we cannot fully understand how they work together does not deny the fact that they do.[3]

33 As it is written,
Look, I am putting a stone in Zion to stumble over
and a rock to trip over,
and the one who believes on him will not be put to shame.

• Quoting Isaiah 8 & 28.
• The Jews have been running a race where Christ is the finish line.
• But they have been looking at the Law that was pointing them to the finish line.
• They are so focused on the Law/the track that they never realized they already crossed the finish line.
• They are still running the race.
• That “stumbling block” is the “cornerstone” which is Jesus.
• What God provided as a foundational stone became a stumbling stone.
• We need to remember this truth during seasons when it “seems” as though God has forsaken us.  Yes, those seasons will come.
• They will bear tremendous fruit in the end, however, allowing us to view life from God’s perspective to an ever-increasing degree.[4]

 
RIGHTEOUSNESS BY FAITH ALONE
Romans 10
1 Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God concerning them is for their salvation.

• They didn’t have a need for salvation because they had the Law and could manage it on their own.

2 I can testify about them that they have zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

• The knowledge is based upon “knowing about God” vs “knowing God”
• Since their Babylonian captivity, they had given up on idolatry.
• They had the temple.
• They even doubled down on the Law with their own laws (Mishna).
• It’s not much different today.

3 Since they are ignorant of the righteousness of God and attempted to establish their own righteousness, they have not submitted to God’s righteousness.

• The Jews thought that the Gentiles had to come up to Israel’s level to be saved; when actually the Jews had to go down to the level of the Gentiles to be saved.
• “For there is no difference: for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:22–23).[5]

4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes, 5 since Moses writes about the righteousness that is from the law: The one who does these things will live by them. (Leviticus 18:5)

• This is the product or outward living.
• It’s backwards from what God intended.

6 But the righteousness that comes from faith speaks like this: Do not say in your heart, “Who will go up to heaven?” (Deuteronomy 30:12-14) that is, to bring Christ down 7 or, “Who will go down into the abyss?” that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.

• Paul is using OT passages to say, you can’t physically bring salvation from heaven or below.
• Christ has already done that.

8 On the contrary, what does it say? The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart.

• Paul is more concerned about the inward.
• What is in your heart.

This is the message of faith that we proclaim: 9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

• We’ve been taught that we actually have to something similar to this phrase to receive salvation.
• It is our belief alone that saves us and the byproduct is that “Jesus is Lord” comes out of your mouth.

10 One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.

• Outward confession stems from a profound inward conviction.[6]

11 For the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on him will not be put to shame, (Isaiah 28:16) 12 since there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, because the same Lord of all richly blesses all who call on him.

• John 3:16 – For God so love the world…

13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. (Joel 2:32)[7]
 
Law of Righteousness                     Faith Righteousness
Only for the Jew                                  For “whosoever”
Based on works                                  Comes by faith alone
Self-righteousness                              God’s righteousness
Cannot save                                        Brings salvation
Obey the Lord                                     Call on the Lord
Leads to pride                                     Glorifies God[8]
 
[1] Moo, D. J. (2014). NT331 Book Study: Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[2] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Ro 3:19–20). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[3] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 546). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[4] Bob Warren. (n.d.). Romans 9.
[5] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 545). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[6] Mounce, R. H. (1995). Romans (Vol. 27, p. 209). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[7] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Ro 9:30–10:13). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[8] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 548). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

Last week we talked about God’s love, God’s sovereignty and even God’s foreknowledge.
This is how it works.

• I am elected.
• Luke Dunnuck is not elected.
• Jim David is one of the chosen.
• Wanda Pontious is not one of the chosen.
• Michelle is predestined.
• I am not predestined.

 

• I am elected to have only one son.
• Luke Dunnuck is not elected to have only one son.
• Jim David is one of the chosen to be on the setup/tear down team.
• Wanda Pontious is not one of the chosen to be on the setup/tear down team.
• Michelle is predestined to do my laundry this week.
• I am not predestined to do my laundry this week.

 

• God did not choose (elect) Israel for the purpose of securing the salvation of any Jew.
• He chose (elected) Israel as His wife to bring the Messiah into the world so she, in turn, could take the news of His coming to the Gentiles—an opportunity she has thus far basically neglected.
• Israel has received an abundance of blessings from her Husband, but her rebellion has caused countless Jews to die void of salvation.
• God bestows salvation to Israelites in the same way He bestows salvation to Gentiles— through making them part of His family once they repent and exercise faith while depraved (a truth Paul’s Jewish opponents vehemently opposed). [1]

 
Romans 9:14-33
GOD’S SELECTION IS JUST
14 What should we say then? Is there injustice with God? Absolutely not!

• Paul is answering the questions of his critics.
• The theology of the unbelieving Jews contained two lethal flaws:
• (1) They viewed themselves as having been chosen to salvation prior to physical birth—that their eternal destiny was secured by a choice Jehovah made before they were born.
• (2) They considered the works of the Law as eventually validating their righteous standing before God.
• In their minds, once the Law was obeyed according to Jehovah’s standard, they would be ushered into heaven—their righteous behavior and acceptance into heaven confirming God’s previous choice of them to salvation.
• The Law, however, requires perfection (Matthew 5:48; James 2:10).
• Therefore, Paul taught that no person can achieve access into God’s presence through the deeds of the Law (Romans 3:20; 5:20).[2]

15 For he tells Moses, I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

• Their perception of Paul’s teaching is that God elected and predestined Jacob (the individual) to salvation over Esau (the individual), granting neither party a choice in the matter.
• Genesis 25:23 refutes such thinking, for it confirms that Paul addresses “nations” rather than individuals in Romans 9:10-13.[3]
• Genesis 25:23 - And the Lord said to her:

Two nations are in your womb; two peoples will come from you and be separated. One people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.[4]

• We tend to put the discussion of salvation to be focused on ourselves rather than the provider of salvation.
• Who is saved and who is not saved?
• When God is focusing on the lineage of the Messiah to come.
• God chose the Messiah (Jesus) to come through the Jews and not the Gentiles.
• This verse is not about salvation but whether or not God was going to choose to live among the Jews who were disobedient in creating the fatted calf.
• Yet, some theologians want to make it about salvation.

16 So then, it does not depend on human will or effort but on God who shows mercy. 17 For the Scripture tells Pharaoh, I raised you up for this reason so that I may display my power in you and that my name may be proclaimed in the whole earth.

• God had “mercy” upon the nation of Israel when Moses unwisely requested that He (God) dwell in the midst of the people.
• God displayed great “mercy” in resisting, for had He entered the camp in the manner that Moses desired the nation would have been consumed (Exodus 33:5).
• Instead, God’s glory entered the camp on Moses’ face and the nation was preserved. [5]

18 So then, he has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy and he hardens whom he wants to harden.

• When God hardened Pharaoh’s heart to further His purposes for Israel and Egypt, to manifest His power more fully, and specifically to complete His judgment upon the gods of Egypt, He was, in fact, only helping Pharaoh to do what that tyrant wanted to do.
• When He sent Moses to Egypt, God declared, “I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go…” (Exodus 3:19).
• This was Pharaoh’s disposition before a word was said about God’s hardening of his heart.[6]
• Chazaq - Hoz-ock - (ḥāzaq) be(come) strong, strengthen, prevail, harden, be courageous, be sore (meaning be severe).
• “Hardens” points to God providing Pharaoh the strength to stand (while Pharaoh exercised his own free will) as He (God) brought destruction upon Egypt.
• It does not point to God giving Pharaoh over to his sin, nor to God creating fresh evil in Pharaoh’s heart.[7]
• The Scriptures clearly teach that God does not tempt nor cause anyone to sin: 
• …for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. (James 1:13)

19 You will say to me, therefore, “Why then does he still find fault? For who resists his will?”

• Answering more questions from his critics.

20 On the contrary, who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? Will what is formed say to the one who formed it, “Why did you make me like this?” 21 Or has the potter no right over the clay, to make from the same lump one piece of pottery for honor and another for dishonor? 22 And what if God, wanting to display his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much patience objects of wrath prepared for destruction? 23 And what if he did this to make known the riches of his glory on objects of mercy that he prepared beforehand for glory--24 on us, the ones he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?

• A God who must cause all things to accomplish His goal (through removing man’s free will) is inferior to a God Who fulfills His purpose while granting man the freedom of choice.
• If a Jew chooses (while depraved) to repent and believe, God makes him a vessel “of mercy.”
• If a Jew chooses blatant rebellion, he remains one of the “vessels of wrath.”
• In no way has God predetermined a single Jew’s destiny from eternity past.
• Yet, the “vessels of wrath” within physical Israel (each possessing a free will) are used of God to bring about His desired end as they prepare themselves “for destruction” (v.22).
• We can conclude, therefore, that God’s ultimate purpose for the world cannot be altered by the free will of man.
• Yet, God’s “purpose” for man can be “rejected” by man (Luke 7:30).
• Losing sight of this truth makes Romans 9 extremely contradictory, reducing God’s sovereignty in the process.
• Paul’s Jewish critic misrepresented Paul’s teaching because it refuted the critic’s belief that God elected Israel to salvation—that Jews are saved due to a choice God made prior to their being born.
• However, the theme of Romans 9 is that Israel was not chosen to be saved but was chosen to bear the Messiah and take the good news of His coming to the Gentiles—a calling she has only partially fulfilled.
• He taught that God was greatly using the Jewish nation to accomplish His strategy without predetermining the salvation of a single person who made up the nation.[8]

25 As it also says in Hosea,
I will call Not my People, My People,
and she who is Unloved, Beloved.
26 And it will be in the place where they were told,
you are not my people,
there they will be called sons of the living God.

• Hosea ministered to the northern kingdom of Israel who had rejected God.
• An event which occurred in 722 BC when Assyria took the northern kingdom into captivity (read Jeremiah 3:6-8 and 2Kings 17:6).  [9]
• Isaiah ministered to the southern kingdom who continued to believe in God and the Messiah to come.
• Later, the southern kingdom would become disobedient and exiled by the Babylonians in 586 BC.
• This would be during Jeremiah’s ministry.

27 But Isaiah cries out concerning Israel,
Though the number of Israelites
is like the sand of the sea,
only the remnant will be saved;
28 since the Lord will execute his sentence
completely and decisively on the earth.
29 And just as Isaiah predicted:
If the Lord of Hosts had not left us offspring,
we would have become like Sodom,
and we would have been made like Gomorrah.[10]

• Paul quotes Isa 1:9 in recognition of God’s grace.
• Israel’s idolatry required judgment, but God did not annihilate them as He did Sodom and Gomorrah[11]
• Some believe that a remnant of Jews were saved in God’s judgment of the Jews in the destruction of the temple in 70 AD.
• Some believe that a remnant of Jews will be saved after the tribulation in future.
• But the fact remains that at some point, be it a Jew or a Gentile, there comes a time when your free will comes into play and you are able to choose or reject God.
• As for us today, our salvation comes from believing that Jesus is the Son of God; the Messiah that was anticipated since Genesis 3:15.
• We have to see the bigger picture and how we are a part of God’s purpose and plan.

We can get caught up in the facts of the plan and totally forget the overall purpose is that God provided a way for us to be forever included in fellowship with Him, His Son, Jesus and the Spirit.

[1] Bob Warren. (n.d.). Romans 9.
[2] Bob Warren. (n.d.). Romans 9.
[3] Bob Warren. (n.d.). Romans 9.
[4] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Ge 25:23). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[5] Bob Warren. (n.d.). Romans 9.
[6] Dave Hunt, in What Love is This?, page 333
[7] Bob Warren. (n.d.). Romans 9.
[8] Bob Warren. (n.d.). Romans 9.
[9] Bob Warren. (n.d.). Romans 9.
[10] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Ro 9:14–29). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[11] Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Ro 9:29). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

Read Romans 9:1-13
Romans 9:1-13 - 1 I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience testifies to me through the Holy Spirit--2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the benefit of my brothers and sisters, my own flesh and blood. 4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the temple service, and the promises. 5 The ancestors are theirs, and from them, by physical descent, came the Christ, who is God over all, praised forever., Amen.
 
GOD’S GRACIOUS ELECTION OF ISRAEL
6 Now it is not as though the word of God has failed, because not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. 7 Neither is it the case that all of Abraham’s children are his descendants., On the contrary, your offspring will be traced through Isaac., 8 That is, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but the children of the promise are considered to be the offspring. 9 For this is the statement of the promise: At this time I will come, and Sarah will have a son., 10 And not only that, but Rebekah conceived children through one man, our father Isaac. 11 For though her sons had not been born yet or done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to election might stand--12 not from works but from the one who calls—she was told, The older will serve the younger., 13 As it is written: I have loved Jacob, but I have hated Esau.[1]

• “Yah… I don’t know… thanks for coming!”

 
I’ve never publicly taught Romans 9-16… or Revelation.

• I have taught Daniel 7-12 here at Leavener.
• There is a reason for this.
• For years, there have been multiple interpretations of the Scripture in many passages.
• It is a lot easier to interpret Scripture that is in the past of history and Scripture itself because we have history and Scripture to proof text it.
• But what do you do with Scripture that deals with prophecy that occurs after the Scripture itself was written?
• This is the issue… this is what has been debated and discussed for hundreds of years.
• In this very room we have people that have different interpretations of the Scripture concerning prophetic issues.
• Have all the prophecies already been fulfilled? If not, what prophecies are yet to be fulfilled?
• Is knowing and understanding these passages of Scripture vital to my own spiritual life? Some will say “Yes” and some will say “No”.
• It is similar to anti-vaxers, to pro-vaxers and those in between. What information are you listening to?
• But let me go back to the issue… it causes division because of opinions, knowledge, lack of knowledge, commitment to the understanding or lack of commitment to the understanding.
• Will the evil one use the Word of God to cause division in the Church?
• This is why we have denominations… and even those denominations become divided.
• Are you kidding me? There have been great wars among the god-fearing believers for years!
• So now we come to the part of the text that stirs up many questions… pre-destination, foreknowledge, prophecies fulfilled, prophecies yet to be fulfilled, who is included in the covenants then and now? Have the covenants been fulfilled?, etc.
• In this very room we have highly educated and knowledgeable students of God’s Word… even greater than today’s speaker.

Deuteronomy 29:29 - “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever,…

• Two facts can be extracted from this verse:  (1) God possesses “secret things” that belong to Him alone (2) God has “revealed” certain “things” to man.[2]
• “Mystery” points to truth that God is in the process of revealing
• Any theological position that elevates God’s sovereignty above His love defames His character in the end—for God is “love” (1John 4:8, 16).
• Yes, He is sovereign; but His sovereignty never, under any circumstance, violates His love.[3]
• In this room, we have people who barely know who Jesus is… much less Paul, Romans and all those terms we just tossed out in the previous statement.
• So somewhere in the middle we have to present a difficult passage of Scripture to a wide variety of listeners.
• I will not go into great depths here but do a flyover and hopefully create opportunities for discussion outside of this gathering and further study by each of you.

 
Romans 9
1 I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience testifies to me through the Holy Spirit--2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.

• Paul, a Jew, passionately loved the Jews.
• Consequently, he could identify with the Old Testament writing prophets along with John the Baptist.
• These individuals risked their lives for the sake of the truth, yet few Jews listened to their counsel.
• Sorrow filled their hearts, a scenario that Paul’s “unceasing grief” understood well. [4]

3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the benefit of my brothers and sisters, my own flesh and blood.

• The audience is the Church at Rome but inside of the letter, Paul is rebutting the Jewish unbelievers; more directly his fellow Pharisees.
• So at some points he is talking to believers of Jesus and at other points he telling them about his discussions with non-believers of Jesus as the Messiah.
• Paul continues answering the questions he received from the unbelieving Jews in Romans 3:1-8—proving, in the process, that a person’s salvation is independent of lineage or good works but totally dependent on whether he has exercised faith in Christ.
• Paul would allow himself to be “accursed” (set apart for destruction) should it mean that his “kinsmen according to the flesh” would find Christ.
• Yes, he was willing to go to Hell and the Lake of Fire in exchange for the salvation of the rebellious Jews.[5]

4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the temple service, and the promises.

• Jehovah has blessed the Jewish nation beyond measure.
• First, they are “Israelites” in that they are physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Jacob’s name was changed to “Israel”—all his descendants belonging to physical Israel).
• “The adoption as sons” of Romans 9:4 does not communicate that all Jews are part of God’s “spiritual” family.
• The physical nation of Israel was adopted as the national son of God, not the spiritual son of God.
• To become a spiritual son of God requires repentance and faith while depraved, which only a small percentage of Jews have exercised.
• Therefore, the wife of Jehovah is Israel, whom He married at Mount Sinai.
• The bride of Christ, on the other hand, is the church—made up of Jews and Gentiles alike with no racial distinction, the church having been birthed in Acts 2.
• Israel also received “the covenants and the giving of the Law” (Romans 9:4), one conditional covenant and four unconditional covenants:
• In the case of an unconditional covenant, the one initiating the covenant is responsible to fulfill the conditions prescribed in the covenant regardless of the recipients’ response.
• 1. The conditional Covenant of Law, the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17)
• 2. The unconditional Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12:1-7; 13:14-17; 15:1-21; 17:1-14; 22:15-18; 26:2-5; 28:13-15)
• 3. The unconditional Palestinian Covenant (The Land Covenant) (Deuteronomy 30:1-10)
• 4. The unconditional Davidic Covenant (2Samuel 7:16; 1Chronicles 17:10-14)
• 5. The unconditional New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34) [6]

5 The ancestors are theirs, and from them, by physical descent, came the Christ, who is God over all, praised forever., Amen.

• Paul sets out sort of a problem that he’s dealing with in the chapters. Israel has been given all kinds of great privileges by God, but still finds itself not saved as a whole.[7]
• This discussion helps prove the fact that salvation is not based on lineage or good works but faith in Christ alone.
• Simply, this is the discrepancy between the promises and privileges God has given Israel and Israel’s reality.
• God chose Israel to be His people. He blessed them, gave them wonderful things, and yet, at the present time, as Paul looks at the situation in the early church, he finds very few Jews who are coming to Christ.[8]
• Free will - Adam possessed the freedom to accept or reject God’s love—to obey or disobey.
• His descendants have had the same privilege, for God’s character prevents Him from forcing His love on the unwilling.
• Hence, the cross was a necessity.[9]
• Genesis 3:15 - I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.[10]
• Jesus would bruise Satan’s “head” (remove Satan’s authority) through allowing Satan to bruise His “heel” (through submitting to crucifixion), for Satan had gained dominion over the earth through Adam’s sin.
• People perish only because they reject God’s plan (or purpose).
• This reality is sovereignty at its best, for the God of the Scriptures, Who can accomplish His goals with man possessing the freedom of choice, is much greater than a “god” who must program man’s every move to accomplish the same.[11]

 

• In these three chapters, Paul basically addresses how the remnant of believers within the physical nation of Israel relates to both national Israel and the church (which began in Acts 2). [12]

GOD’S GRACIOUS ELECTION OF ISRAEL
6 Now it is not as though the word of God has failed, because not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.

• Paul is saying there are two Israels, in a sense.
• Not all who belong to Israel are Israel.
• There is what we might call a physical Israel, as opposed to a spiritual Israel.
• Abraham had two sons. Only one of them inherited.
• Isaac only had two sons, but only one of those—Jacob, not Esau—inherited.
• And so on down through history of Israel there has, in other words, been a selection process going on within physical Israel.
• Jews misunderstood God’s purpose for the nation.
• They were not chosen to be saved, as they incorrectly assumed.
• They were chosen to the very special office of bearing the Father’s Son and taking the news of His coming to the Gentiles.
• Israel was not chosen to be saved, but to function and serve in an extraordinary office.
• She was chosen as “a kingdom of priests” (Exodus 19:5-6) for the purpose of taking the Law and message of the coming Messiah to the Gentile nations.
• Jews alone received the Ten Commandments (read Exodus 20), truth they were to take to the nations.
• The Jews also received the revelation of the coming Messiah through passages such as Isaiah 9:6-7.
• Instead of spreading this magnificent news, they “blasphemed” God’s “name” through disobedience (Isaiah 52:5; Romans 2:17-24a).
• Because God’s limitless foreknowledge allowed Him to foresee Israel’s negative response to His truth, He spoke through the prophet Isaiah (in 700 BC) of how Jesus would be a “light to the nations” (Isaiah 42:5-6) and the Gentiles’ “hope” (Romans 15:8-12).
• Thus, after His crucifixion and resurrection, the gospel was taken to the Gentile nations through Jesus’ Jewish followers (Acts 10:1-48; Romans 11:13).[13]

7 Neither is it the case that all of Abraham’s children are his descendants. On the contrary, your offspring will be traced through Isaac., 8 That is, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but the children of the promise are considered to be the offspring. 9 For this is the statement of the promise: At this time I will come, and Sarah will have a son. 10 And not only that, but Rebekah conceived children through one man, our father Isaac. 11 For though her sons had not been born yet or done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to election might stand--12 not from works but from the one who calls—she was told, The older will serve the younger.

• The blessings promised to Abraham, which come to full fruition through the Messiah, Jesus Christ, were passed down through Isaac (Genesis 26:2-5), Abraham’s son through Sarah (Genesis 21:1-7)—not through Ishmael, Abraham’s son through Hagar (Genesis 16:1-16; 21:8-21).
• The blessings of Abraham (associated with the coming Messiah) were also passed down through Jacob, Isaac’s son through Rebekah—not Esau, Jacob’s twin brother (Genesis 28:1-15).
• Note that none of these passages teach that God detested or despised either Ishmael or Esau.
• In fact, God greatly blessed Ishmael according to Genesis 17:20.
• God chose Isaac (over Ishmael) and Jacob (over Esau) for the purpose of bringing the “seed” of Genesis 3:15, Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:16), into the world.
• Thus, God chose to bless the world through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—a choice that in no way affected the eternal destiny of Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Jacob, or Esau.
• In each case, their eternal abode was based on whether they accepted or rejected the “seed” of Genesis 3:15, Who is Christ (Galatians 3:16).
• This truth is foundational for the proper interpretation of Romans 9-11. [14]

13 As it is written: I have loved Jacob, but I have hated Esau.[15]

• Did God really hate Esau (Romans 9:13), never granting him opportunity to be saved?
• Was Pharaoh’s heart hardened by God (Romans 9:17-18) to prevent him from believing?
• Did God prepare “vessels of wrath” (Romans 9:22) on which to display His wrath, never granting these individuals the freedom to exercise faith in Christ?
• Those persons who answer these questions in the affirmative choose to elevate God’s sovereignty above His love.
• In fact, according to their view, God must cause all things if He is to maintain His rightful position as the sovereign Ruler of the universe.
• If so, all events are a direct result of God’s will, making the “war” between Satan and God a sham—actually no war at all, should God be the cause of Satan’s every move.
• The war between Satan and man would also be bogus, for man’s response to Satan’s schemes (either good or bad) would not only be a result of God’s doing, but also God’s will.  For God to hold man responsible for sin He has caused and willed would prove Him doubly unjust.
• Should God will and cause all things, He would will and cause everything that occurs— all sickness, misfortune, calamity, and hardship.  He would also be the source of evil.  Where man spends eternity would also be God’s choice—never man’s.[16]

 
Genesis 27:41 - Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. And Esau determined in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob.” [17]

• Hate – Miseo (mi-say-o) – Greek word that ranges in meaning from disfavor to detest.
• Some will define hate here as “love less”
• NLT translated it as “rejected”

[1] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Ro 9:1–13). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[2] Bob Warren. (2014). Romans 9.
[3] Bob Warren. (2014). Romans 9.
[4] Bob Warren. (2014). Romans 9.
[5] Bob Warren. (2014). Romans 9.
[6] Bob Warren. (2014). Romans 9.
[7] Moo, D. J. (2014). NT331 Book Study: Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[8] Moo, D. J. (2014). NT331 Book Study: Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[9] Bob Warren. (2014). Romans 9.
[10] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Ge 3:15). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[11] Bob Warren. (2014). Romans 9.
[12] Bob Warren. (2014). Romans 9.
[13] Bob Warren. (2014). Romans 9.
[14] Bob Warren. (2014). Romans 9.
[15] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Ro 9:1–13). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[16] Bob Warren. (2014). Romans 9.
[17] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Ge 27:41). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

Good morning, my name is Rob Duffy and I am grateful for this opportunity to share with you this morning.  A few years ago, I was challenged regarding the topic of predestination by two former pastors in a bible study I attend so I reached out to Rusty.  Of course, this means in God’s infinite wisdom, and sense of humor, Rusty asked me to speak on predestination today.  This morning we will also be covering the Holy Spirit intervening on our behalf and our victory in Christ in Romans 8:26-39.  I am praying the Holy Spirit intervenes today so that Christ will use this time to reveal His victory in each of us.
 
Before I jump in, I want to take a moment to share a little more about me and my testimony.  I have been married to my best friend Beth for almost 32 years.  Thank God she is a strong woman of faith, as you will understand as I share more about me.  We have three awesome children, Charlie, Tyler and Rose, two wonderful daughters-in-law, Shelby and Cassidy, and the latest addition to our family, our granddaughter Livia June Duffy.
 
I was born and raised in Southern California by loving parents with an older brother and two younger sisters.  Our family, to include grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins were very close, and they all had a significant influence in my life.  We were always very involved in the church, my Grandma Holdcroft led me to Christ when I was six years old as my Sunday School teacher.  My dad and both my grandpas were leaders and teachers in their respective churches, my mom was a Sunday School teacher and led vacation Bible School.  My brother and I were involved in our children’s church puppet ministry and all my siblings were involved in teaching Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, mission trips and our youth group.  I tell you all this because until a few years ago, I was caught up in the activity of church but didn’t truly understand God’s grace.
 
Contrary to all the above, I was the kid growing up that was not afraid to push boundaries.  My buddies knew that I didn’t have much fear so they always said, “Duff will do it.”  I could give you hundreds of examples, but I don’t want to bore you.  One example was a day over the summer, we were playing baseball at the elementary school and our ball went on the roof, so we found a drainage pipe that went just shy of the second story roof top.  Of course, I said I can climb it to get our ball.  At that same elementary school, if you got in trouble at recess you had to go stand on the wall, my mom said to me one time, Robert, I just wish I could come to school one time and not see you standing on the wall.  Side note, my elementary school principle went to our church so he had free reign from my parents to paddle me.  I continued to push boundaries through junior high, high school and college.  So yes, this is another reason to pray for Beth as I still have not grown up much.  I played all sports growing up but was drawn to football.  I was blessed to have men of faith throughout my football career, from youth football up through college. 
 
Beth and I met in college, she played basketball and ironically, four of her teammates married four of my teammates.  We served in Germany while we were in the Army and when we got out, we moved to Ohio, where Beth is from just outside of Cleveland.  Less than a year later we moved to Green Bay, Go Pack.  Our desire to get us closer to family brought us to Indy and that is where we met Rusty at Northside over 24 years ago.  Rusty asked Beth and I to help him start Upward Basketball, a program that led all three of our children to Christ.  I learned during that time that I could combine three of my passions, Christ, kids and sports.  I coached and served on youth sports board for the next 20 years.
 
As the journey of youth sports began to wind down, I learned that I did have a significant fear, a fear of failure.  I was so competitive in everything, and some would argue that I still am.  I saw anything short of perfection or what I perceived to be success as failure.  The evil one latched onto that fear, and as Nick Ford said a few weeks ago, the evil one attacked the personal side of sin, “I am a failure”.  The power of sin told me I was a failure as a husband, a father, a coach, a business leader, you name it.  I knew this was not true, and I am not saying this to boast, but I have been successful in all those areas through Christ.  However, the doubts mounted, and I turned to alcohol to mask the feelings of failure.  The power of sin was attacking my flesh which was causing my faith and my relationships to suffer.  Flash forward a few years and Rusty suggested I meet with Luke Dunnuck to go through the Romans study.  Luke and I could not be more opposite in terms of personality, and the worst part is that Luke beat me in the fourth-grade rec football championship game back in 2003.  Talk about failure.  But seriously, Luke and I have several of the same passions that unite us, Christ, our wives, our families, and of course football.  God, and Rusty, foreknew that this study would open my eyes, talk about predestination.  Luke and I are involved in several studies now, one of them is with guys we have coached with over the years.  What a blessing it is to see these guys walk with Christ.  And yes, we are also in the Friday morning varsity study, or as we call it now, the “apes and peacocks” study.
 
We are reading through the Old Testament in the Friday morning study and one of the things we talk about is that we all fall into the same power of sin trap that the Israelites did, the Israelites align with God to reach the pinnacle, then they fail miserably, then God saves them, wash, rinse, repeat.  The power of sin still attacks my flesh, and in my flesh, I still sin but now I know I am perfect in Christ.  As the song by Mercy Me says, “the cross has made you flawless”.  Let’s dive into the Holy Spirit intervening on our behalf, predestination and our victory in Christ.           
 
Romans 8:26-39
 
          26      In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;
          27      and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
 
At times, we do not know what to pray for, the good news is that the Holy Spirit does, and the Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf.  When Beth and I first moved to Indy, I had taken a job here that was a train wreck.  I was distraught because I left a great career in Green Bay, moved our family here and we were in the process of building a house.  About that time was when Rusty asked Beth and I to start Upward Basketball.  I thought, God, what is this?  Through my prayers I felt like God said trust Me.  Beth and I agreed to work with Upward, and it should be no surprise to anyone that things started falling into place according to His perfect will.  The Holy Spirit intervened.  God knows our heart, He knows our needs before we do.  Many of you know Woody Cumbie, he came to one of my football games and asked why I didn’t pray for victory before the game.  I prayed with the teams I coached before every game.  He said to me, God knows that’s what you want so you might as well ask.  That does not mean we will win, but it does mean the will of God will be done and that is what we truly need.  My Grandpa Holdcroft, a man I love and respect dearly, used to pray without ceasing.  God used him to pray for his large family of children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and the community of believers.  At his funeral, the church was standing room only and flowing out the doors.  The Holy Spirit used him to intercede praying for others.  I wish he were alive today so we could just sit and talk about grace and peace, I know he got it.     
 
          28      And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
 
I was so focused on failure; I could not get past it to see the awesome good God was laying out.  I was in this beautiful forest, a God of grace and peace, a beautiful loving wife, wonderful children, a great career, coaching success, and all I could see was the one or two trees that didn’t fit with the picture in my mind.  Yet, this was all part of God’s masterful plan.  I was and still do waste so much time worrying versus trusting and resting.  I used to read the Bible and get so frustrated that I didn’t understand all of it, every word, every verse, every story, every theme, yet I knew that God reveals what He wants us to understand through the Holy Spirit.  I learned to change my focus while reading the Bible through many mentors and a book I read from Pastor Wayne Cordeiro, he called it the SOAP Bible study method.  S= Scripture – read the scripture. O=Observation – what stood out to you, what does it say, what is the context?  A=Application – What does this mean to me?  How does this impact my personal journey?  P=Prayer – Ask God to help you apply this truth to your life.  God will work out His plan for you according to His purpose, what can be better than that?
 
So here we go,    
 
          29      For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;
          30      and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
 
I will address this straight on since this has always confused me and while I still need to study it more as we always need to dig deeper, here is how I see it.  We need to read the words in order, pay attention to the verb tense, the context of 66 books and verses before and after.  God knows everything, past, present and future.  God foreknew you would accept Him and believe in Christ.  This does not take away your freewill or choice, He knew you would choose Him, so you were predestined to be conformed to His image.  God calls everyone, but only some choose to follow, and those that follow are predestined to be justified and glorified.  As I said, I am a football guy so the way I think about it is when I was coaching, I would call plays to see how players would react which would tell me what to do next.  Typically, I studied film in advance to see how the players would react to plays so I knew or foreknew what to do next.  Once I saw the decision the players made, I knew or predestined, the play I would call next.  The player still had the choice to stay with his responsibilities and execute his assignment, but I knew the decision they would make and the result.  And since we live in Indiana, I will use a basketball example.  I coached my daughter’s travel and AAU basketball teams and over time I realized the girls would run plays to run the plays.  They followed the rules of the play exactly how I told them to run it versus exercising free will to adjust as the play progressed.  My intent was for them to run the play to get an open opportunity to score, to exercise free will by shooting the open shot or attacking the basket.  I saw that they were predestined to run the play and I foreknew the outcome would be them continuing to run the play.  I scrapped the offense, or the law, for them in sixth grade.  We established three formations with guiding principles for each formation, the goal of each move was to find the opening and score.  I gave them free will to make a choice, and in our case, the hope of scoring a goal.  God laid out the play through Christ and it is our choice to follow him; however, when we choose to follow Him, He predestined each of us to be His children, justified and glorified saints.  This is significantly better than scoring a touchdown or making a basket.  In Ephesians 1:5, Paul emphasizes this critical fact, “He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will”.  I encourage you to read the rest of Ephesians 1, so you clearly see the progression of God’s plan laid out through Christ according to His grace.
 
The next few verses are so powerful, just think about what Paul is saying here.
 
          31      What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
          32      He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?
          33      Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies;
          34      who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.
          35      Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
          36      Just as it is written,
         “FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG;
         WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.”
          37      But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.
          38      For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
          39      nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
 
Who is the One that is able to justify us?  God is the only one that can justify us, so if He justified us through His only living Son, Jesus Christ, who has the authority to condemn us?  Jesus overcame the condemnation and sin of this world through His death, burial and resurrection. 
 
1 Timothy 2:5 says, “For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,”
 
Christ intercedes on our behalf and once He indwells us, we have the ability to conquer every hardship.  How can the evil one or anything of this world separate us from the love of Christ?  His love is always there for us and He will do absolutely everything to help you understand hope in Him.
 
I will leave you with this verse, Philippians 4:8  “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”  See the forest through the trees so you can realize God’s perspective for you.

Romans 7
1 Since I am speaking to those who know the law, brothers and sisters, don’t you know that the law rules over someone as long as he lives? 2 For example, a married woman is legally bound to her husband while he lives. But if her husband dies, she is released from the law regarding the husband. 3 So then, if she is married to another man while her husband is living, she will be called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law. Then, if she is married to another man, she is not an adulteress.
 
4 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you also were put to death in relation to the law through the body of Christ so that you may belong to another. You belong to him who was raised from the dead in order that we may bear fruit for God. 5 For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions aroused through the law were working in us to bear fruit for death. 6 But now we have been released from the law, since we have died to what held us, so that we may serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the old letter of the law.
 
Sin’s Use of the Law
7 What should we say then? Is the law sin? Absolutely not! But I would not have known sin if it were not for the law. For example, I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, Do not covet. 8 And sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind. For apart from the law sin is dead. 9 Once I was alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life again 10 and I died. The commandment that was meant for life resulted in death for me. 11 For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me, and through it killed me. 12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good. 13 Therefore, did what is good become death to me? Absolutely not! But sin, in order to be recognized as sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that through the commandment, sin might become sinful beyond measure.
 
The Problem of Sin in Us
14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold as a slave under sin. 15 For I do not understand what I am doing, because I do not practice what I want to do, but I do what I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want to do, I agree with the law that it is good. 17 So now I am no longer the one doing it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For the desire to do what is good is with me, but there is no ability to do it. 19 For I do not do the good that I want to do, but I practice the evil that I do not want to do. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, I am no longer the one that does it, but it is the sin that lives in me. 21 So I discover this law: When I want to do what is good, evil is present with me. 22 For in my inner self I delight in God’s law, 23 but I see a different law in the parts of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and taking me prisoner to the law of sin in the parts of my body. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I myself am serving the law of God, but with my flesh, the law of sin.
 
Romans 8
1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, 2 because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do since it was weakened by the flesh, God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh as a sin offering, 4 in order that the law’s requirement would be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit have their minds set on the things of the Spirit. 6 Now the mindset of the flesh is death, but the mindset of the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mindset of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit to God’s law. Indeed, it is unable to do so. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him. 10 Now if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through his Spirit who lives in you.
 
12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh, 13 because if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!” 16 The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, 17 and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
 
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation for God’s sons to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility—not willingly, but because of him who subjected it—in the hope 21 that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now. 23 Not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits—we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24 Now in this hope we were saved, but hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? 25 Now if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with patience.
 
26 In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
 
28 We know that all things work together for the good[l] of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.
 
31 What, then, are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He did not even spare his own Son but gave him up for us all. How will he not also with him grant us everything? 33 Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies. 34 Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; he also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us. 35 Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:
 
Because of you
we are being put to death all day long;
we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered.[m]
 
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
 
Brent Absher
Brent, you have obviously been through a major crisis. You come here every week. Why?
What are you hearing?
In the midst of pain, where are you finding joy right now?
 
Robert Baldonado
Robert, I want to hear about your journey and your choice to jump ship from your previous church to Leavener after you married Haley.
Can you be a hippie and love Jesus?
 
Bogdan Calin
Bogdan, I would love it if you talk about your personal journey… coming to know Jesus, praying for your parents to understand what you believe, your struggles and trusting through the future.
 
Sven Christiansen
Sven, you grew up pretty legalistic, if I might say (I was one).
But you are fishing with a different perspective now. How has that changed your ministry?
 
Mike Schnese
Mike, you’ve had your share of struggles (share as much as you want) but you come here every Sunday and listen.
What does your faith mean to you now?
 
Bill Shepard
Bill, I just want people to know you.
You and Anna have been coming for years now…
Why are you coming?
How is this message impacting your family?

Coming!

ROMANS 8.1-11                                                                                                                                        5.30
 
Romans 8:1-11 It is this amazingly freeing chapter for us as Christ followers.  I only hope I can do it justice as it is such a key piece in our Grace abounding journey.
Paul starts out this chapter with a Therefore.  As he does plenty of the time in his writing.  I think Keith said this is in summary or read backwards to get context before you proceed. With that lets quickly touch on the amazing teachers we have had up to this point in our Romans’ journey.
Romans’ teachers

1. David Olthoff taught us that Paul wrote this letter on his third mission, was the longest of all his epistles.  He had never been to Rome, so it was a full picture letter of so many pointed truths that Paul found imperative to share with the Church.  Really the core principals of what our life and faith should look like when we let God live thru us.
2. Keith Tyner taught us that Adam started us down this trajectory of having a sinful nature. In doing so his brain now had a conscience. This cannot be trusted, and Paul begins to lay out that Jews and Gentiles are not exempt from being unjust do to which they are or whether they are circumcised or not.
3. Doug Shrieve laid out for us that the wrath of God is just.  That all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God due to nature that we are born with.  However, we are justified by faith apart from works of the law. Romans 3:28.
4. Ryan McCall expanded on the justified by faith concept using Abraham as a for instance. Abraham was made righteous long before the law was around.  How could that be? Only by faith, not works or law or circumcision.
   1. Al Costlow, Brandon Leum, Chris Pickrell, David Speckman, Brett Sutton, Danny DiSalvo, Greg Dugger gave us some beautiful summary of Romans 1-4 along with some personal reflection.
5. Kevin Willard talked about chasing the phantom of being “a good Christian”. Talked thru since we are justified by faith, we should have peace with God.
   1. Ed Henz told us thru how our reliance on the Holy Spirit is the only way we get thru trial or temptations.
   2. The Leubker’s taught us a little ditty about how Christ died for us while we were enemies and unrighteous. Laying the groundwork for our identity.
   3. Dan Luedke began to introduce us to how man is a 3 part being.  Spirit, Soul, and Body. He started to talk us thru the old man or “Adamic or sinful nature” that we start out with and what that looks like. On the flip side he showed us what our new nature begins to look like upon our being justified by faith.
   4. The amazing youth of our church gave us some great insight and analysis of Romans 5 to close out the chapter.
6. Luke Dunnick gave us a few laughs.  However, he homed in on the tree of life and the tree of knowledge and good and evil.  How we have been united with Christ and our old self was Crucified with him as well.
   1. We had the amazing Teen Challenge weekend.  Everyone say Thank you Jesus!
   2. Shannon Cox really dove into what is should look like to be dead to sin and alive to God. Diving deeper into the “old man” who is done away with and the new man who is Holy, Blameless, Redeemed etc.  She also filled us in on Ron’s driving……..maybe he should be racing today?!
   3. The amazingly encouraging and funny Matt Tully took us to his rehearsal dinner trivia, as well as drove home that we should not be chasing anything other than God.  All other things are fleeting, God is fulfilling and forever.
   4. On Mother’s Day we had some amazing mothers come up and share some raw experiences and wisdom going back over Romans 6. Therese, Amy, Jeannie, Amy, Angela, Nicole, Caroline wow thank you for sharing. We have some amazingly strong women here.  I think Nicole said it looks like we all have it together, so she is intimidated and does not feel like she fits in.  I hope after all the teaching through this series you can see we are all dealing with junk.  I am here to tell you I sure do not have it together.  I am glad you are here Nicole.
7. The brothers of Thunder. Man, I want to be like those guys when I grow up!  Can you tell that these guys are passionate about showing everyone their identity?  I think so!
   1. Wes opened in a powerfully transparent talk about how evil can be present within our flesh and run if we let it. It will take us prisoner if we let it.

• What an amazing group of teachers.  What an amazing group we are a part of here. Where else can you get honesty, vulnerability and transparency and support like this? I love how everyone has shared some of their struggles, I really feel like in doing so it brings them all to light, takes power away from them as we all share in it.  I am so thankful for this place.
• Alright let us get into the scripture
  • 8.1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
  • Mic drop

con·dem·na·tion
 
1.
the expression of very strong disapproval; censure
2.
the action of condemning someone to a punishment; sentencing.
Opposite of praise
Everyone of us deals with this.  Daily. What is the main source of this we deal with this? THOUGHTS! Where do these thoughts come from? Lies from the POS! We have learned that these evil thoughts that enter our mind can enter our brain because what is our brain- its flesh, therefore the POS can live in our flesh and generate these thoughts. If we do not have a filter to filter these out though we can be tricked into thinking these truths are our own.  We can start to believe these lies.  These lies would try to tell us that it is our nature that we are still battling that is producing these thoughts or lies.  However, our old man Adamic nature is done away with once we are justified by faith. It is the POS that resides in our flesh, and once we know and can filter that it is a lot more identifiable. If its not you generating this thought, or God generating this thought you can easily overcome the POS while we rest right!

• Scripture
• Helmet with screen synopsis
• Let’s create a filter for these thoughts
• How do most of these thoughts or lies start…. first person right. Any of these thoughts that condemn us as a person are from the POS.
  • I am a bad father
  • I am a terrible friend
  • I will never be a good follower of Christ
  • I am a bad mother
  • I do not have anything to live for
  • I know god cannot love me
• Any of these thoughts that condemn us as a person are from the POS. This should be an immediate filter for us.
• Thoughts from God
  • I hate lying
  • I do not approve of adultery
• This starting to make sense.
• If we are grounded in our identity, we can easily filter these.  I am not saying it is easy to do on the constant, rather we should be able to discern easier with these truths.
  • I am Holy
  • I am a Saint
• Picture of Cohen and screen time
  • Was probably uncertain because his brain was telling him that there would be condemnation from us
  • Listened to his mind to speak truth
  • Holli loved him
• 8.2 because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death
  • Law we are no longer under, correct? According to romans 7:6 But now we have been released from the law since we have died to what held us, so that we may serve in the newness of the spirit and not in the old letter of the law.
  • This is tricky because the word law in Greek can also mean principle, which is the case here in verse 2.  A trick I learned here is big L means Gods law, little l means principle.  So, lets read this again with plugging that in.
  • Romans 6:22-23 But now, since you have been set free from sin and have become enslaved to God, you have your fruit, which results in sanctification—and the outcome is eternal life! 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
• 8.3 For what the law could not do since it was weakened by the flesh, God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh as a sin offering,
  • Big L so back to mosaic law here in terminology
  • How was the law weakened by flesh?
    • We are born with a sinful nature because Adam’s choice, therefore there is no way to overcome that to completely fulfill the law in our own strength. Therefore, we cannot gain righteousness from the law.
    • Christ was the perfect offering, not born of sinful nature so He could fulfill the prophecy and become the perfect Savior
• 8.4 in order that the law’s requirement would be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. [1]
  • This passage is referring to the mosaic law and the requirements that we cannot fulfill as we walk according to the flesh (meaning unredeemed, lost)
  • If we have been justified by faith and letting the spirit live our lives for us the requirements of the law will be fulfilled by our “new nature” and the spirit living inside us leading us
• 8.5 For those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit have their minds set on the things of the Spirit.[2]
  • Once again to verify living according to the flesh is an unredeemed person, lost, still living in their sinful nature
  • I think the Brothers of thunder talked about a story where Rusty held up a red shovel and said do not look at the shovel.  What do you want to do, stare at the shovel. Great example of this.
  • Keep your eyes on the Lord!
• 8.6 Now the mindset of the flesh is death, but the mindset of the Spirit is life and peace.
  • Paul is hammering home that the flesh is focused on death, it is apart from Christ.
  • What does the flesh contain – POS
  • What does the POS contain?
    • Lies
    • Condemnation
    • Guilt
    • Shame
  • In John 10:10 Jesus says A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.[3][4]
  • Replace thief here with
    • Flesh
    • POS
• 8.7 The mindset of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit to God’s law. Indeed, it is unable to do so.[5]
  • Work electrical situation example
  • The flesh is born of a sinful or Adamic nature due to Adam’s decision
• 8.8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.[6]
  • What is someone who is in the flesh?
    • Unredeemed, lost
• 8.9 You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him.[7]
  • What is the distinction that Paul is trying to make here?
  • Paul is stating that a believer who has been redeemed by faith is in the Spirit, and someone who is lost is unredeemed and does not have the Spirit living inside of them.
  • What about a Christian who has turned away from God and is living their life not according to the Spirit?
  • They are walking by the flesh but not in the flesh.  Does that make sense
    • They are still redeemed, but for a period they may be walking by the flesh. Big difference from being lost.  They can repent of their sin.  Someone who is in the flesh or lost must be redeemed by faith first.
• Grandma story
  • I believe it is very important to understand that distinction
• 8.10 Now if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.[8]
  • Shannon and Matt gave us a great illustration of what man looks like in a three part being.
    • Body
    • Soul
    • Spirit
  • Paul is saying that the body, which is born, or an Adamic or sinful nature remains that way. Aka dead
  • When we accept Christ, our Old man is done away with. 
  • 2 Corinthians 5:17 says    Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.[9]
  • What is our old man?
    • Our Spirit and Soul born out of our Adamic nature is transformed.  It is made new giving us life and life eternal!
    • We are made
      • Holy
      • Redeemed
      • Saint
      • Righteous
• 8.11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through his Spirit who lives in you. [10]
  • We have the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead living inside of us
  • Let me say that again
  • He came to bring life and life abundantly
  • Car/IndyCar comparison
• Closing
  • Such a pivotal section of scripture
  • Life your life abundantly
  • I want to encourage you to be intentional when encountering these thoughts of condemnation.  Run them thru the filter of discernment.
  • Live without CONDEMNATION, GUILT, REGRET, SHAME
  • Live like you have the Spirit of God living inside you!

[1] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Ro 8:4). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[2] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Ro 8:5). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[3] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Jn 10:10). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[4] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Ro 8:6). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[5] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Ro 8:7). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[6] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Ro 8:8). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[7] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Ro 8:9). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[8] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Ro 8:10). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[9] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (2 Co 5:17). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[10] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Ro 8:11). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.