Lesson 80-81

LESSON  # 80 & 81   (2-20-07 and 2-22-07)

12.  that we might die to sin and live to righteousness . . . 

What does it mean to “die to sin”?  Does it mean that we will never commit another sin?  Does it mean that we will no longer have the desire to sin?   No.  It means that we are dead to sin in a positional sense and it has no power over us.  In an experiential sense, it means that the OSN no longer has an absolute control over us. 

     Remember K. A. S. T.

     K  KNOWING     

Romans 6:6   -  KNOWING this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin;  7) for he who has died is freed from sin.

    A   ACKNOWLEDGE  

Romans 6:11-  Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin,  [ACKNOWLEDGE the fact that you are dead to sin]  but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

    S   SUBMIT   

Romans 6:13  -  and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves  [SUBMIT]  to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.  

    T  THANKFULNESS  

Romans 6:17-18  -  But THANKS be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed,  18) and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

13.  for by His wounds you were healed;   The word translated “wounds” in the English is in the singular in the Greek.  Also the English word translated “stripes” in Isa. 53:5 is in the singular in the Hebrew.  It does not refer to the stripes He received from  physical beatings He endured but to the singular event of the imputations of our sins to Him as He hung on the cross.

14.  healed   IAOMAI   (iaomai)  v. api  to heal, to bring together, to renew. It does not refer to physical healing because the verb’s past tense indicates completed action, the “healing” is an accomplished fact.  It means to heal, to cure; it also means to restore from a state of condemnation. It means to restore someone from the consequences of sin and it refers here technically to the doctrine of reconciliation. It does not refer to physical healing. The Hebrew counterpart means to bring together: “by his bruise we are reconciled, we are drawn together, with God.” So there is no physical healing involved in the atonement.

THE DOCTRINE OF RECONCILIATION

1. Reconciliation is the removal of the barrier between God and man,  Ephesians 2:16; Colossians 1:20,21; 2 Corinthians 5.

2. The barrier includes sin. Sin is removed from the barrier by unlimited atonement and by the doctrine of redemption, Galatians 3:13;1 Peter 1:18,19; Ephesians 1:7; Romans 3:24; Hebrews 9:15.

3. The penalty of sin is spiritual death. This penalty in the barrier was removed by expiation, Colossians 2:14; Psalm 22:1-6. The sins of the world are poured out upon Christ and judged.

4. A part of the barrier is the fact that we are born physically alive and at the same time spiritually dead. The problem of physical birth is solved by regeneration. John 3:1-18; 1 Peter 1:23; Titus 3:5.

5. Man’s human good and relative righteousness is also removed as a part of the barrier. As a result of the cross God imputes to every believer His own righteousness,  Romans 3:22; Philippians 3:9; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 10:14. As a result of the imputation of God’s righteousness the believer is vindicated or justified,  Romans 4:1-5; 5:1; Titus 3:7; Galatians 2:16.

6. God has perfect character and cannot associate with imperfection. The cross also resolves this problem through propitiation,  Romans 3:22-26; 1 John 2:1-2.  The problem of position in Adam is replaced by position in Christ. This is made possible by the cross, 1 Corinthians 15:22; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 1:3-6.

7.  Verse 21  tells us that we are called to suffer and Jesus Christ is our example as to how to deal with undeserved suffering.  There are a few things we should remember:  When a person exercises faith alone in Christ alone, he is automatically enrolled into the “School of Faith”.  In this school,  students are tested just as they are in other  schools.

1)   We should expect tests from God, Gen. 22:1.

2)   Not every adversity we face is a test from God.  We face adversity sometimes because of our own bad decisions and our disobedience to God.

3)   Testing or trials is not the same as temptations, and we must be able to distinguish between the two.

Temptations come from the desires within us, James 1:12-16, whereas testing comes from God with the purpose of refining us so that we can be promoted and blessed.

4)   Temptations are used by Satan to bring out the worst in us while testing is used by the Holy Spirit to bring out the best in us, James 1:1-6.

5)  Temptations seem logical while trials seem to be unreasonable because they include undeserved suffering. Our faith is not really tested until God allows these circumstances that seem unbearable to interrupt our comfortable lives. And He expects us to bear them and do what seems unreasonable or what seems impossible.

6)   We should realize by now that God knows what He is doing, and we shouldn’t expect or demand explanations. The first thing we are tempted to do when we are tested is to ask, “Why?” or “Why me?”  Remember, faith does not demand explanations; faith rests on promises.

7)   Believers are not tested until they are ready for it, and they are never tested beyond what they are able to bear, 1 Cor. 10:13  -  . . . God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.

8)   God will not demonstrate His power and glory through believers who whine and complain about the undeserved suffering that He sends their way. Nor will He reveal it through believers who rely on anything or anyone else other than Him.

9)   In times of testing, it is easy to think only about ourselves and what we want rather than on Christ and what He wants.    We often ask ourselves, “How can I get out of this?” rather than, “What can I learn from this?”   We sometimes waste our suffering when we neglect or ignore opportunities to reveal Christ to others who are watching us go through the furnace.

LESSON  # 82 & 83   (2-27-07 and 3-1-07)

10)   It is easy to focus on the problems instead of God’s promises.  Focusing on the problems makes us weak and brings us down.  Focusing on the promises makes us strong and lifts us up. Instead of desperately seeking a solution to the problem, earnestly seek the Lord and He will take care of it.  Charles Spurgeon used to say that the promises of God never shine brighter than in the furnace of affliction. 

11)    We can be comforted by the fact that when we depend upon the Lord as we  experience the pain and anguish of undeserved suffering, it’s not all for nothing. Our faith, obedience, and suffering are precious in the sight of God, and He promises us that it will be rewarded.  (See verses listed under point #7 on page 54).

1 Peter 2:25

For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

1.  This is a quote from Isa. 53:6  -  All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.

2.  but you have returned,   EPISTREPHOMAI  (epistrefomai)  v. adi;   (a) literally, of physical movement, turn around, turn about, return, turn back;  (b) figuratively, of religious or moral change, to change one’s ways, repent, to change one’s beliefs, to change an opinion.

3.  We all want to do what we want to do, to go in the direction we want to go, and we don’t like anyone telling us anything different.  This verse recognizes that about us, but Proverbs 14:12  and 16:25 comes to mind: There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.

4.  Notice that Shepherd has a capital “S”.  The Greek word is POIMEN  (poimhn)  n. asm,  a shepherd, pastor, minister. Jesus Christ is the Shepherd, and all pastor-teachers are the under-shepherds. They should be in total subordination to Him.  

5.  Peter had much more to say to Christian slaves than he did to Christian masters because there were many more slaves than there were masters in that day.  He did address the masters in Eph. 6:9 and Col. 4:1