03 | Romans | Romans 5-8 | From Death to Life

Scripture Reading — Romans 5:6–11

INTRODUCTION

The Gospel in Romans | the power of God for salvation

Our prayer for this series is that over the coming years the Lord would build for us a foundation for our faith in the power of God for salvation.

Four-part mini-series through the whole book.

Romans 1-4; 5-8; 9-11; 12-16

Read Romans 1:16

The Gospel

The Power of God

For Salvation

To Everyone Who Believes

Last week, we considered this gospel in the first four chapters of Romans.

Romans 1-4 — Grace Alone Through Faith Alone

Romans 1 — The Wrath of God …

… revealed against mankind in our sin and rebellion.

Romans 2 — Failure to Repent

Rather than turn to God in repentance, we turn to our neighbor in judgement.

Proving that we know what sin is, but failing to turn to God for help.

Romans 3 — None is Righteous

Not all of mankind are identical.

Some even, that is, the Jews, received the great blessing of God’s law.

But all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.

Romans 4 — Justification by Faith

The only hope for sinners is in the grace of God to justify the unrighteous by faith.

PRAY

6:00

Romans 5:1-11 — THE GOSPEL

Starts with “therefore” and moves into a summary of what has been stated about the gospel thus far.

Romans 5:1 — Justification by faith brings peace with God (through Jesus Christ — grace)

Romans 5:2 — access by faith into grace and so rejoice

Romans 5:3-5 — Rejoice in suffering, endurance, character, hope!

Paul is bringing his gospel proclamation right down into the circumstances of the lives of the church in Rome.

Romans 5:6-9 — The Gospel

Read v8 — simple gospel statement

Romans 5:10-11 — THEME: Death to Life

APPLY

Please note the theme of rejoicing.

The gospel is to be proclaimed.

The gospel is to be received with faith.

The gospel is to be the ground of a life of worship.

This is what Paul will not hold out to us as being brought from death to life.

It’s not just a transfer from not alive to not dead.

It is a transfer from hardened, narrow, self-centered rebellion …

… to being made alive to the fulness of the glory of our Redeemer!

9:30

Romans 5:12-21 — HOW DEATH AND LIFE ENTERED

Romans 5:12 — Death - Sin through one man

That is, through Adam sin spread like a disease to the entire human race.

Romans 5:14 — Introducing Adam as a type

Adam is the head of humanity, a representative.

One thing that will be come an important theme …

… Paul is clear that those who came after Adam are actual sinners

… from Adam to Moses

… even though they had not been given any explicit law.

But the wrath of God has already been revealed against mankind …

… even before the giving of the law.

Romans 1:21 — For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him …

Romans 5:18 — This is where Paul is going.

Notice the “—” in v12

Read v12 right into v18.

This is how Adam is a type of Christ.

Adam stands as the representative head for mankind in their sin and death.

Jesus stands as the representative head of a new creation in their justification and life.

APPLY

Again, this is the theme of the coming chapters: death and life.

What does it mean to be dead in sin?

What does it mean to be made alive in Christ?

14:00

Romans 6 — WHY STOP SINNING?

Paul does such a good job of asking the questions that are already on our minds.

Read Romans 6:1

And it is such a practical question.

Who here has not loved sin?

Who here has not practiced a pattern, or habit of sin, and thought to yourself …

… why really even work to leave this sin behind?

After all, I like it!

And hasn’t God already saved me?

Why not have life in Jesus …

… and have my own way in sin?

Romans 6:2 — No! If you’re dead to sin, you can’t live in sin.

Remember, sin isn’t just a behavior …

… it is a rebellion.

Romans 6:3-4 — Baptism

v3 - baptized into the death of Christ …

v4 - … and raised with him to walk in newness of life

v6 - The old self is crucified …

v7 - … so that we have been freed from sin

v10 is essential!

It is the fundamental reality of the transformed soul.

16:00

Romans 6:12 — Let not sin reign!

First real imperative

Mark this down in your Bible!

Flows out of imperative “consider” in previous verse.

Right understanding with faith = transformed life

Because God has made something true in Christ …

… it is the truth, the fundamental reality, out of which we live authentically real lives.

Second Question: Romans 6:15 — Are we to sin?

Not under law, but under grace? Yes!

But notice, you’re still under something.

All of mankind, you were in Adam, now in Christ.

For the Jew, you were under law, now under grace.

Romans 6:19 —

You were slaves to sin …

… whether as a rebel in Adam

… or as a sinner under the law.

You’re now slave to righteousness, and that’s good news.

It’s rescue.

Romans 6:21 — Asks such a practical question for the person who wants to continue in sin.

What fruit were you getting from sin? Death!

Read Romans 6:23

Sin makes you work and work and work …

… and then when you get your reward, the wage you’ve labored for

… the wage is death.

But, faith looks up.

Faith is not a clinched fist to labor for some advantage, some benefit, some hard fought wage.

Faith is an open hand that receives a free gift.

APPLY

Justification is a genuine grace.

It is a life-bringing gift.

But we have a pattern of rebellion that leads us to questions …

… that seem hellbent on the pursuit of sin.

But that’s slavery!

By the death of Jesus, you’ve been set free from this old way.

And you’ve been granted a free gift of eternal life.

23:00

Romans 7 — IS THE LAW TO BLAME?

Great! We’ve been made alive by Christ.

How are we now to think of the law?

Illustration: Romans 7:1-6

What is the marriage vow that binds a husband and wife together?

“til death do us part”

We are bound by our vow as long as we live.

But if a women’s husband dies, she is free to marry another.

The same is true of the law.

What if we died to the law?

Interpretation: Romans 7:4 — died to law, belong to Christ

By his righteous life he fulfilled the law

… and by his sacrificial death he put an end to the law.

So, all who are in Christ are now free from the law and its demands …

… and so free to be bound to another, that is to the grace of God in Christ

… v6 - the new way of the Spirit.

25:00

Romans 7:7 — Is law sin?

I mean, its under the law that sin and rebellion are brought into stark clarity.

ILL: Think of a thief.

Before the law, when a thief stole something …

… was it really theft?

Consider a guy named Bob: a notorious thief in a quiet little town.

Recently he stole a nice new BMW from a lady named Susan.

He parked the car in his front driveway to show off his new ride.

About a week later, another guy, named Bill, steals Bob’s new ride from his driveway.

Bob’s gonna be ticked!

Remember Romans 2?

He who steals is quick to judge those who do the same?

Now, the mayor of the city gets sick of all the theft and decides to write up a new law called: “Thou shalt not steal!”

Bob and Bill are in jail and Susan has her BMW back.

Everyone in town is buzzing about this new law.

And at the same time, they start to notice Susan’s sweet BMW.

They don’t steal the car because they don’t want to end up like Bob and Bill.

But man, would they like to have Susan’s BMW.

Now, at the same time, the mayor also made another law: “Thou shalt not covet!”

Because he saw that the real problem with Bob and Bill wasn’t their theft, but their inordinate desire to have what their neighbor has.

The citizens of the town had never really noticed before how much they coveted Susan’s car.

Did the law, “Thou shalt not covet,” create their sin?

No! Their sin lay dormant, until it was revealed by the good mayor’s law.

But, now, while there is a bit less outright theft commited in the public eye …

… there is a lot more subtle things going missing throughout the town

… because while the citizens never considered themselves thieves like Bob and Bill

… their covetousness has been with them the whole time.

ILL: I don’t like making rules in my house.

For example, if I make a rule that you have to be out of bed by 7am …

… you can pretty much guarantee no one will be up even a minute earlier.

If I make a rule that you can only play video games for 1 hour a day …

… its like a made a rule that you have to play every single day

… and that we have to argue about 5 more minutes every single time.

The law, while good, showing the human heart what is right and good …

… also serves to activate the hearts sin to press every boundary in willful rebellion.

Romans 7:13 — Law brings death? No, sin did.

You can add law after law after law …

… and the laws are good and true.

But as a sinner, no law is going to change my heart.

It’s only going to reveal what’s been there the whole time.

v14 — As a fleshy man, I don’t stand a chance!

Read Romans 7:24-25 — Who will deliver me? Thanks be to God!

30:00

APPLY

Of Romans 7 — Everett Harrison - EBC Romans 7 performs a service by calling into question certain popular notions that lack biblical foundation: that the soul’s struggle is essentially against specific sins or habits (Paul talks here not of sins but of sin); that human nature is essentially good (cf. v. 18); that sanctification is by means of the law; that if one will only determine to do the right, one will be able to do it.

These corrective teachings in chapter 7 open up for us clarity for chapter 8.

32:00

Romans 8 — UNION WITH CHRIST BRINGS LIFE!

Romans 8:1 — No Condemnation

Under the law I am condemned.

If I’m not condemned for breaking the law …

… I am condemned for my sinful desire to find some way around it.

But Jesus has not only freed us from bondage to the law …

… but also from the underlying issue of sin and its wage, which is death.

Romans 8:5-8 —

There is a mind that is set on the the flesh.

And there is a mind that is set on the Spirit.

One leads to death and the other to life and peace

Romans 8:9-11 —

Because Jesus has put sin to death …

… he has purchased for us the new way of the Spirit.

Romans 8:12-15 — By Spirit put to death deeds of body and live

Jesus has dealt with the penalty of sin and secured the gift of life.

Now, what remains for us is to walk in this new life.

Read Romans 8:16-17 — We are children of God!

Last night I received a call from someone I care about very much.

As I hung up the phone I began to pray.

It took me a while to get past the first word of my prayer.

I started with the word “God.”

And, I thought, no, he’s God, but that’s not what I’m supposed to call him.

That’s what he is, but when I talk to my wife I don’t say, human.

Then I said, Lord and then Master.

I was trying to think of what word to use for God that would show that I really needed him, but also respect him.

Then I remembered how Jesus taught us to pray …

… and I said, Father!

Yes that’s it. Father.

That’s who you are and how you are and the good name for your children to call you by.

And, the amazing thing is I didn’t pray much else.

I wasn’t sure exactly how to pray.

But, there is something right there, in that word that says everything that prayer needs to say.

I just looked up for help and said, “Dad? Please help.”

Romans 8:18ff — Suffering vs. Glory

Creation suffers and waits.

v23 - We also groan, suffer and wait!

Romans 8:26ff — The Spirit helps us

And all that Romans 8:28 —

Our good Father in heaven works on our behalf.

Romans 8:31 — God for, who against?

v32 - God gave son, give all things.

v33-34 - Who brings charge or condemn?

v35 - Who shall separate from love?

Read Romans 8:37-39 — More than conquerors!

42:00

APPLY

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APPLY

Romans 5:1-11 — THE GOSPEL

Justification by faith brings peace with God

Romans 5:12-21 — HOW DEATH AND LIFE ENTERED

Humanity has shown ourselves to be sinners and rebels ever since our first parents.

But we have a new life, not in Adam, but in Christ that has been secured for us by the cross and resurrection.

Romans 6 — WHY STOP SINNING?

Because that old way of rebellion has been put to death.

And the new way of righteousness has been opened to us

Romans 7 — IS THE LAW TO BLAME?

‌You and I don’t have a law problem.

We have a sin problem.

The law is good, but it can’t save us.

Romans 8 — UNION WITH CHRIST BRINGS LIFE!

The God who redeemed us is for us.

He who redeems all of creation from its groaning.

Will surely bring our salvation to completion.

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