REBC Adult Bible Study - Romans 8 (Part 2)
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Recap from Part 1
Recap from Part 1
Good evening ChurchTurn your Bibles to Romans 8We are covering what many consider...The most important chapter in the BibleBecause there is so much to cover in this chapter...We will split this chapter up in two parts...And then, after that, we will cover possibly the most controversial chapter in the Bible...
Opening Prayer
Opening Prayer
Before we dive into the text...Please join me one more time in prayer before we start
Part 1 -
Part 1 -
For Part 1...We will be covering the first 25 versesLet’s start with the first five verses
Text Reading:
Text Reading:
Verse 1: There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ JesusThis is the one of the most reassuring verses to give use confidence in our salvationIf you are in Christ...You will not be condemned...You will not be found guilty before God...Because you are covered in the blood of Christ...You stand before God with Jesus’ righteousness...And thank God, not our sinful unrighteousnessVerse 2: The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you freeThe “law of the Spirit of life” is the Gospel or law of faithThis true and powerful message...Of Christ’s perfect work on the cross...Sets us free from the LawVerse 3: What the Law could not do, weak as it was through the fleshAs identified from the last chapter...The law brings about sin and death...Due to our weakness of fleshThe law could not bring about rightousnessVerse 3: God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sinAlthough, the law could not bring about righteounsnesss....God did bring about righteousness How?By sending His Son, Jesus...To stand in our place...Although sinless...He took on God the Father’s wrath...Punished as if He was a sinnerHe became an offering for the payment of our sinVerses 3-4: He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us God’s condemnation against sin...Was fully poured out on the sinless flesh of Christ Why not just forgive us? Why punish Jesus?God is Holy and Good...By His very nature and attributes...God can not let sin go unpunishedEvery sin must be paid for This is the requirement of the LawUntil one accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior of their life...They are on death row...Guilty and with a death sentencePunishment is required...Death is required...Blood is required...Will it be you be paying the bill or will Jesus be paying it for you?Verse 4: Who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.We, as followers of Christ...Walk in the Spirit...We walk in righteousness...We walk on the narrow road...We walk by faith...We become more Christ likeVerse 5: For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the fleshBelievers in Christ...Do not walk according to the flesh...Do not walk in unrighteousness...Do not walk on the wide road...Do not walk by sight...Do not look like the worldQuestions or Comments?
Text Reading:
Text Reading:
Verse 6: For the mind set on the flesh is deathThe wide road...Leads to deathA mind that is occupied with the things of the flesh...Will lead to condemnationIn Chapter 7, we talked about the weakness of the flesh...But our mind, in also in the flesh...Equals deathA mind set on the flesh...Is evidence of one who does not know ChristVerse 6: But the mind set on the Spirit is life and peaceHowever, a renewed mind...A mind set on the Spirit...Is a regenerated mind...This is evidence of one who is born againThe mind of a genuine follower of Christ...Has peace with God and eternal ifeSo, we have to ask ourselves...Do we have a renewed mind?Verse 7: The mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do soSigns of a person who is not in fellowship with God...Someone who does have a mind of the flesh...They are hostile toward GodWhat does that look like?They do not place themselves under God’s law...They do not follow God’s law...Why?They are unable to to follow the law of GodThey are a slave to sinVerse 8: Those who are in the flesh cannot please GodOne who is in the flesh or in the world...Does not have the ability to please GodVerse 9: However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in youHowever, as believers...We do not have to worry about that...As followers of Christ we will appear as pleasing to GodHowever, Paul warns...This is only true for you if the Spirit of God dwells in youEvaluate your life, especially your mind...Are you in the flesh or in the Spirit?Are you in the world or in Christ?Are you dead or alive?I can’t tell you...But God canAs the psalmist prayed in we must also ask:
NASB9523 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; 24 And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.
Verse 9: But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to HimAgain, we must ask ourselves...Who do we belong to?Whose are we?Who is our master?Who do we serve?Let us surrender to Jesus as Lord and Savior of our life...So that we can hear the sweetest words as declared in
NASB9523 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’
And not hear the most dreadful of declarations as in
NASB9521 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’
Questions or Comments?
Text Reading:
Text Reading:
Verse 10: If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousnessPaul reminds us again from the last chapter...Yes, our flesh is weak because of sin...But we do not live in sin...We do not live of the world...We are not to be unrighteous in our actions...As we are no longer a slave to sinOur spirit is alive now...Because of the righteousness of Christ...Who impudent His righteousness on us We are transformed...We are a new creationVerse 11: But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in youxxxxxxxxxxxxxVerse 13: If you are living according to the flesh, you must diexxxxxxxxxxxxxVerse 13: But if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will livexxxxxxxxxxxxxQuestions or Comments?
Text Reading:
Text Reading:
Verse 14: For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of GodxxxxxxxxxxxxxVerse 15: For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear againxxxxxxxxxxxxxVerse 15:But you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”xxxxxxxxxxxxxVerse 16: The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of GodxxxxxxxxxxxxxVerse 17: Fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.xxxxxxxxxxxxxQuestions or Comments?
Text Reading:
Text Reading:
Verse 18: For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to usxxxxxxxxxxxxxVerse 19: For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of GodxxxxxxxxxxxxxVerse 21: That the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruptionxxxxxxxxxxxxxQuestions or Comments?
Text Reading:
Text Reading:
Verse 22: For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until nowxxxxxxxxxxxxxVerse 23: We ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodyxxxxxxxxxxxxxVerse 24: For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees?xxxxxxxxxxxxxVerse 25: But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for itxxxxxxxxxxxxxQuestions or Comments?
Closing Prayer
Closing Prayer
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Recap from Part 1
Recap from Part 1
For Part 1...We covered the first 25 verses of
Part 2 -
Part 2 -
For Part 2...We will continue on verse 26
Opening Prayer
Opening Prayer
Before we dive into the text...Please join me one more time in prayer before we start
Text Reading:
Text Reading:
Verse 26: In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness
Our weakness as we have seen can harm us greatly...
However, we have a helper...
A comforter...
The Holy Spirit
So, the Holy Spirit strengthens us in our state of weakness
R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 1993.
Verse 26: For we do not know how to pray as we should
How many times do you open your mouth for prayer...
And struggle to find the words to say
How many times when we pray do we feel...
We are just not communicating what we are really needing
That is fine...
For the Holy Spirit knows the prayers we really need
Consider this:
We may pray for God to take away hard testing we are experiencing...
But the Holy Spirit prays for us to have strength to endure the hard testings
We may pray for finances to pay our bills...
But the Holy Spirit prays we will depend on God to take care of our needs
We may pray for the removal of a illness
But the Holy Spirit may be praying that we trust in God’s sovereignty over all illnesses
So, the Holy Spirit is already helping us by interceding for us in our hearts...
Making requests that the Father will certainly hear
R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 1993.
Verse 26: But the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words
The Holy Spirit is not just praying words to the Father for us...
In fact, the Holy Spirit is praying with groans...
The Holy Spirit is praying with emotions...
Far too deep that words can not be found to discribe
This is our advocate...
This is our helper
Verse 27: He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is
Be reassured...
Their is no doubt...
The Father knows the mind of the Holy Spirit...
So the Father completely understands the Holy Spirit...
For they are in fact one
Verse 27: Because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God
The Holy Spirit intercedes for the true genuine believers...
According to the Father’s will...
So there is complete unity
Verse 28: And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God
This is one of the most assuring verses in the whole Bible
All things in your life are working for a greater good...
If, and that is a big if...
So, if You are in fellowship with God
If you love God...
What does it mean to love God?
Jesus says in
15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
So, our love for God is evoked by knowledge of His love for us
R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 1993.
That means obedience is a fruit of a believer
That means despite the battle of the two natures...
Your renewed mind should led you to a life of obedience to God’s commands
How do we keep God’s commands?
Take a page out of the psalmist’s book
refer to
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.
Or take a look at ...
Which shows the connection of studying Scripture and following God’s commands
8 “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.
So, our love for God is evoked by knowledge of His love for us
That also means that if you love God...
You will meditate on His Word...
You will love His commands...
You will follow His commands...
And you will be reassured...
That all things will work out for good in your life
So, that means your life should not be ruled...
By fear...
By anxiety...
By hopelessness
Instead
We should be confident in God’s power and goodness
We should be trusting in His sovereignty
We should be hopeful in His promises
Verse 28: To those who are called according to His purpose
This is a trailer to
“Those” is referring to...
Those that love God that is mentioned earlier in the same verse
They are called...
Guess what “called” means in the original Greek?
It means…called
So if you call someone...
Say the a king for example...
Well, then you are being summoned to them
And the King of Kings is no different
He calls His own...
He calls His sheep...
He calls His own sheep whom He knew before the foundations of the the earth
So, called specifically means...
The giving of spiritual life and being brought to saving faith in Christ
R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 1993.
Why?
For His purpose
For the glory of His Name
Verse 29: For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son
Those who love God...
Those who are genuine believers...
He foreknew...
As it says in
4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love
He knew His own
What else did He do...
He predestined us...
He predestined His sheep...
He predestined His followers...
He predestined His Elect...
For His purpose
For the glory of His Name
And here that is made obvious since...
He predestined us to conform to the image of His Son
What does this truth mean?
This means God’s providence rules in such a way...
It ensure that everything that happens to us is working for our ultimate good...
R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 1993.
Which Paul immediately identifies as our becoming conformed to the image of Christ
So, before the foundations of the world where laid down...
Before the foundations of the world where laid down...
God knew His own...
That is why Jesus says His sheep will recognize His voice in
27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;
Yes in this world there are really only two kinds of people...
Sheep or goat
Just take a look at
31 “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.
32 “All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats;
33 and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.
Sheep are His followers and although our minds may struggle to comprehend this truth...
God has predestined His sheep to confirm to the image of Christ
Look at the Parable of the Lost Sheep...
It is not of the Goat that became a sheep...
How comforting is it to know that before you where ever born...
God thought of you...
Had a plan to find you when you where lost...
And save you while you where a slave to sin...
He truly loves you, His sheep, unconditionally
So, God’s plan of sovereign saving grace...
Entitling all who now believe to trace their faith and salvation...
Back to an eternal decision by God to bring them to glory...
And to look forward to that glory as a guaranteed certainty
R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 1993.
This is unmerited mercy...
And simply put...
It may not seem fair...
Because fair is for all to parish...
So, why do we object...
When God, out of His mercy...
Saves the few
If you still
Verse 29: So that He would be the firstborn among many brethren
Jesus
Verse 30: These whom He predestined, He also called
Those whom He predestined...
His sheep...
His followers who He would mold to Christ’s image...
His also called...
Or effectively summoned through the gospel into saving fellowship with Christ
R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 1994.
Verse 30: These whom He called, He also justified
For all those who are called...
He justifed
If he calls you...
Then that means He has a plan to justify you...
And that is through placing your trust in Jesus...
And through that surrender to Jesus’ Lordship...
His righteousness in imputed on you...
Because He took on your wrath
Verse 30: These whom He justified, He also glorified
And those who are justified...
If
He will also make gloried...
And that is when He replaces your old flesh...
But
To match your renewed mind
Notice the past tense of “glorified”...
This indicates that from God’s standpoint....
The work is as good as done....
He will complete it as planned
R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 1994.
More details about this still remains to be covered in the chapter...
And will go into detail...
But this is a good start on a very controversial issue
So...
Questions or Comments?
Text Reading:
Text Reading:
Verse 31: What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
Some of you may be thinking…
If God summons someone can they fall away...
Can one reject God effectual call...
I’m not talking about some one sharing the gospel message...
We need to preach the gospel message to all for we have no idea whom God predestined...
We have no idea who is sheep and who is goat...
We have no idea who is God’s Elect
This call cannot refer to the outward call of the gospel that many reject as it says in ...
14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”
No, this is in fact an It is an inward call of God...
. It is an inward call of God, by the Holy Spirit, that accomplishes what He intends.
By the Holy Spirit, that accomplishes what He intends
R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 1994.
So, the question is if God calls you by name...
When God says Lazarus…Rise up
Did Lazarus think to himself...
I wonder if I should accept life...
If God is for us...
If God has a saving plan for you...
Who can really be against you?
Verse 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?
What does it mean when God is for you...
This is why this doctrine is in actuality so comforting
The reason God reveals how he saves us...
Is to let us know...
We are not saved by accident...
We are not saved by our merits...
We are not saved by works...
He intentionally made a plan to save you...
He intentionally did not spare His Son for you
Let’s remember Abraham...
In loving allegiance to the Lord...
Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac, his beloved son...
R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 1995.
But at the last moment he was not required to do so
However, the patriarch’s covenant loyalty was a reflection of...
God’s infinitely more costly love...
By which the Father did not withhold His only Son from death itself for our sake
The Father laid on the Son the full wrath meant for us...
So, the Father laid on the Son the full wrath meant for us...
Don’t you realize...
If He already did all this for you...
Then He will not withhold anything for you...
When we cross over to our eternal destination
Verse 33: Who will bring a charge against God’s elect?
Again, be reassured...
No one will be able to bring a charge among God’s elect...
The judge has already dealt with all charges against us...
In the death and resurrection of Christ
Self-justification is futile, and the accusations of Satan against believers will be ineffective
We can be assured that His resurrection secures our justification as well
R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 1995.
R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 1995.
Also, remember Jesus’ words in
37 “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.
All whom the Father gave Christ...
All who are predestined...
All who He foreknew...
All who He elected...
Al He choose...
Will be given to Christ...
These are His sheep
And these sheep...
Will come to Jesus...
They will in their life time at some point....
Go from lost sheep to found sheep...
And all His sheep that come to Christ...
Will never be cast out...
No one can separate God’s elect from Him
Verses 33-34: God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns?
So if God justifies His elect...
Who can condemn you?
No one
Verse 34: Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us
And just to really drive home the point...
Jesus intercedes for you...
While you are going through spiritual battles...
He is interceding for you
While you have enemies all around you plotting your demise...
He is interceding for you
While you feel weak and defeated...
He is interceding for you
Verse 35: Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Who can separate us from this bond....
Who can separate us from this love...
Who can separate us from Christ?
You have tribulation...
God’s got it covered
You have distress...
God’s got it covered
You have persecution...
God’s got it covered
You have famine or nakedness...
God’s got in covered
You have peril or sword...
God’s got it covered
Nothing in all creation can tear us apart from this divine love
R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 1995.
Verse 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.”
Even when we go through the most extreme...
As His sheep being led to the slaughter...
We can be reassured it is not in vain...
In fact it is for His Names’s sake
Our trials, if we are His sheep, bring glory to His great Name
Questions or Comments?
Text Reading:
Text Reading:
Verse 37: But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us
So, no matter what you face...
Be reminded it is all part of His plan...
We are serving His purpose...
We are conquering through His power...
We are conquering through His love for us
Physical death becomes the means...
By which martyrs conquer their accuser through the blood of the Lamb...
R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 1995.
And the word of their testimony...
And death, the last enemy, has had its sting (sin) removed by Jesus’ death and resurrection
Verse 38-39: For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 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.
Again Paul makes a list to reassure us...
So let me ask you Church...
Can death separate us from Jesus?
No
Can life separate us from Jesus?
No
Can angels separate us from Jesus?
No
How about principalities?
No
Things not present?
No
Things to come?
No
How about powers or heights or depth?
No
Any created thing?
No
And let me add a little Pauline response...
A Thousand Times No!!!
No aspect of the created order...
Nor any event or being within it...
R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 1995.
Can end our enjoyment of the active love of God to us in Christ
Questions or Comments?
Closing Prayer
Closing Prayer