Another Look at Romans part two

We left off in our previous post at Romans: 1:16

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is revealed a righteousness of God from faith unto faith: as it is written, But the righteous shall live by faith.

We, seeing that Jesus’s death accomplished the disappearance of our sins and all that could ever condemn us to God. Then, seeing His resurrection. Seeing that God also provided Christ as a door for us- purely out of His love for us.

Moreover, what a door He became  for us! An impossible Door. This door is guarded by two huge Cherubim beings with six wings. Armed with flaming swords. They were put there to turn the way of man and keep the way of the Lord. Since the beginning it was this way. They, the two Cherubim. Waiting for the one man named Jesus Christ. Sometimes He was even called ‘The Way’ by the people. And He found us! Opening an impossible door for us into the very presence of the Father. A door that is only shut when we allow the devil to cause us to believe, that, we are condemned somehow (so it seems) too often we find we turn back to our own flesh for help… We, still staying in the old stuff.

We need to rush back into God’s presence right now! Walking boldly before the Throne of Grace simply by faith in what Jesus has already accomplished. Especially important because the justified (you and I) shall live by faith. Actions will show up as a result of our faith. God is revealed by His perfect righteousness seen through the lens of His perfect love He has this for us. We win in the power of what Jesus has already done. Everything that is our real life is, He is.

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek  For therein is revealed a righteousness of God from faith unto faith: as it is written, But the righteous shall live by faith.

And we are learning His  Ways.

Moving on then, Next, in Romans, we are shown what happened to humanity  which I am posting below, But first let me make my point. We, the saved, see a righteousness of God revealed. But look at what is also revealed:

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hinder the truth in unrighteousness; because that which is known of God is manifest in them; for God manifested it unto them.

For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, [even] his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse: because that, knowing God, they glorified him not as God, neither gave thanks; but became vain in their reasonings, and their senseless heart was darkened.

Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things.  

Wherefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts unto uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves: for that they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 

For this cause God gave them up unto vile passions: for their women changed the natural use into that which is against nature: and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another, men with men working unseemliness, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was due.  

And even as they refused to have God in [their] knowledge, God gave them up unto a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, unmerciful: who, knowing the ordinance of God, that they that practise such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also consent with them that practise them.

So, as mankind choses to drop away from God, He gives them over, in the lusts of their hearts unto uncleanness. Next,  As their hearts and minds draw even further away from knowing God, God’s reply is to gives them up unto vile passions: Finally, as they find themselves further and further away from knowing God because of the darkness of their hearts God gives them up unto a reprobate mind, which expresses itself with the behavior we are seeing almost everywhere today. Fascinated by this passage for many years I am tempted to say that God simply gives them what they want leaving mankind in this present state:

who, knowing the ordinance of God, that they that practise such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also consent with them that practise them.

We were left

‘Worthy of Death’.

We need little interruption here: Let’s take a closer look at the origin of the law- A great mistake for Israel but crucial for us… the born again believer.

The Day God Made A Covenant With Abram

Gen 15:1  After these things the word of Jehovah came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.

Just want to mention that Paul says that we all are the children of Abraham by faith. So this is our inheritance also.  Plus, Romans four establishes that Abraham (Abram at this point in his life) dealings with God is a true model of how God works with us now.
The word ‘word’ used here is not Logos. It basically means something said to someone. Same for this whole chapter-

Gen 15:2  And Abram said, O Lord Jehovah, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and he that shall be possessor of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?
Gen 15:3  And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.

Of course, in those days a man’s servant got everything if the man died without any children.

Gen 15:4  And, behold, the word of Jehovah came unto him, saying, This man shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.
Gen 15:5  And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and number the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. 

Interesting point. Normally, God uses the expression “if you can count the sands of the sea so shall your seed be” Here something very special is indicated. Instead of looking earthly He moves to the Heavenly to represent Abram’s seed.

And we are Abraham’s star seed

Gen 15:6  And he believed in Jehovah; and he reckoned it to him for righteousness.

How wonderful is Paul’s’ use of this scripture in Romans 4:3. Worth a read really, at this point.  Believing what God says to you concerning His promise for you puts you in complete right standing with Him.

Gen 15:7  And he said unto him, I am Jehovah that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.

Another very interesting idea. If you go back and look at Abrams travel toward this destination. Abrams family were already on this track even before God first revealed Himself to Abram. That means that if this is Jehovah who brought Abram out of Ur, it was not a matter of any obedience to Jehovah for Abram’s family set out from Ur with Abram according to what they perceived as their own free will. A bit troubling wouldn’t you agree?Gen 15:8  And he said, O Lord Jehovah, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?

Now, we get closer to the meat of all this. Abram, already believing, will move from believing to knowing! One can believe in Christ without knowing Christ.. This is the  reason I made my statement to you saying I don’t believe you know Him and that if you did you would drop a bunch of clutter from your mind and heart. Didn’t mean it to say I was cooler than you or look at you as in some lower position at all. Just had a desire that you would move into the new level we will continue to watch Abram do. Have you ever asked God sincerely the question Abram did in his situation? Or, are you satisfied that your fine mind (which it is)  is capable of knowing what and Who He is and what it means to be born again as one of His kids?

Gen 15:9  And he said unto him, Take me a heifer three years old, and a she-goat three years old, and a ram three years old, and a turtle-dove, and a young pigeon.
Gen 15:10  And he took him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each half over against the other: but the birds divided he not.

OK, as I’m sure you know, this is the preparation Kings made in those days in order to enter into a binding covenant. This binding was so severe that if either one of the two violated the covenant between them it was reasonable to declare war on the offending king. But this is only the preparation for a possible covenant viewed here. The actual covenant was established only after the two kings passed together between the pieces. Once that occurred there could be no turning back. Abram hadn’t passed between the pieces with God the other suggested  participant yet.

Gen 15:11  And the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.

Now the term ‘birds of prey’ is used as a metaphor for evil in the Old Testament. Abram saw the covenant at risk if these ‘birds of prey’ ate or disturbed these necessary pieces. So he drove them away. But what occurs next is very interesting.

Gen 15:12  And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, a horror of great darkness fell upon him.

As the sun was on its way down. Not night but more likely dusk. By the way in Gen :1 God’s day begins at evening not in the morning as we reckon it today. In other words, a new day was beginning here. A deep sleep falls on Abram. A horror of great darkness. The word horror here means horror. Very fearful and not fun at all for Abram. This you should see is not an external darkness at all .The sun had not gone down yet. It was still light on the outside but a great darkness within Abram. Could sound like many of us today. As David put it in Psalms somewhere, “In thy light we see light”. A light impossible to see with the light provided by our intellect or what ever. It is written in John 1 regarding the logos of God that the logos was light. Jesus (the logos wearing flesh) also said “I am the light of the world”. No other source of God’s illumination is ever referred to in the New Testament.

Anyway at this point Abram still had not passed through the covenant pieces.

Gen 15:13  And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be sojourners in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;

Here it is again. Not believing but knowing. And a knowing which springs out of and possesses a great assurance. Not a suggestion but a command if you will.. God said, “Let there be Light” and there was light. God says “Know of a surety” and there is a knowing of a surety. Again why is this happening? Because Abram wanted to know and asked for it. A revealing now to Abram the great nation that would spring out of his loins but also the future history of the bondage and suffering this nation (Israel) must endure.

Gen 15:14  and also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.
Gen 15:15  But thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.

A very good ending to this deal for Abram personally and his future kids. Not just Israel’s coming out from Egypt but a coming out with ‘great substance’ This little problem of ‘free will’ pokes its ugly head up again. But Abram’s assurance will be based on a covenant with God and Abram’s not passed through the pieces still. Skipping verse 16.

Gen 15:17  And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold, a smoking furnace, and a flaming torch that passed between these pieces.

Now  when the sun is finally down and it’s dark. Abram witnesses a wonderful revelation. He never  passes through the pieces at all himself but sees The Father and the Son fulfilling the covenant requirements instead!  Abram’s not even involved! No chance of Abram messing it up because God took his place! Just as Jesus took our place on Calvary. Have you seen that yet? As Paul puts it somewhere in Hebrews “When He could swear by (to) no one higher, He swore by (to) Himself”. Abram knows now with great surety. God could never fail Himself! God works all things according to the counsel of His own will! Not Abram’s nor yours or my mine!

Want to deal with the idea that Israel’s problems stems from their failure to keep their end of the covenant. Needed to establish Gen 15 as a starting point.

We will return to Romans and the development of their law. Interesting stuff and good for us to know and believe. Till then… God Bless You All!

Here the word has described God’s Covenant with Abram. You and I are counted (as you will see again in a later post on Romans) as his children and this Covenant is for us! and it is the one we’re under. Not the law.

Another Look at Romans

We will be looking at the book of Romans in (hopefully) a bit of a new light for some of you. My intention is not to go line by line but to park, if you will, at some of Paul’s thoughts as the Holy Spirit stops us at certain places in this wonderful book in order to emphasize and open up what it is He intends to say to us. 

 Rom:1-1 Paul, a  servant of Jesus Christ, [called to be ] an apostle, separated unto the  gospel of God,  which he promised afore through his prophets in the holy scriptures,  concerning his Son, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh,  who was  declared the Son of God  with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection  from the dead;

 Paul, a  servant of Jesus Christ, called [to be] an apostle,

(Noting here that the words we see in brackets are not there in the original Greek text but have been inserted for us by the translators).

Of course we could say that Paul was called [to be] an Apostile. But just as in a later place where Paul says that the Roman believers are those who are called [to become] saints, this is somewhat misleading. When God calls us and we answer yes we become born-again in our spirit. Everything we are to be, our ministry etc. is planted by His spiritual seed into our spiritual heart. We are all saints from that moment on just as Paul was an Apostile beginning at that moment.

Of course, Paul waited over fourteen years to begin his ministry as an Apostile. God must deal with all of us like a Potter working at His wheel, shaping His creation in order to manifest outwardly what His spiritual seed (sperm) has deposited into our spirit. The fruit of this Spiritual planting in us (the fruit of the Spirit) are not of the sort of things which we can create or earn.

In fact, He has indeed conceived a child, His Spirit with our spirit. Paul refers to this child God has conceived with and in us in various ways. One of these ways is to speak as concerning ‘our inner man’ or another, our ‘spiritual man’. This new child which we now are, must be nurtured by God and must be brought to maturity by God. There is something we can and must do. We can trust God and be obedient to the faith He has given us and we can let the life and circumstances He brings into and around our lives have its work shaping us outwardly into the image of His Son which is exactly what we have become.

Jesus who was  declared the Son of God  with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection  from the dead;

One piece of evidence we can notice that tells us we have truly become a child of God is that we no longer question whether Jesus was actually raised from the dead. For in the tenth chapter of this book it is explained to us:

‘because if thou shalt  confess with thy mouth Jesus [as] Lord, and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved’.

Let us make no mistake here: Believing only with our intellect won’t do. It is a believing  originating from within our spiritual heart that is true faith. When our heart tells us that He was raised from the dead we can say we have true faith. This faith is a gift from God. God’s word of faith which He planted into our heart will eventually grow stronger than if we could have actually witnessed His resurrection.

Our heart says, I know that I know that I know. This is not just believing, but rather, this is true knowing. This is one reason the test put to us in Romans chapter ten insists that you must believe from your heart. Re-read the parable of the sower, perhaps it will make a bit more sense.

Dropping down to verse sixteen, we encounter a very strong and powerful understanding that Paul will build the rest of this letter to the Romans around

 For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is revealed a righteousness of God from faith unto faith: as it is written, But the righteous shall live by faith.

The good news of Jesus (gospel) IS the power of God. What a statement! I hope to show you why this is true and that the whole book of Romans is framed by this statement… that is, it is framed around the Power of God and therefore framed around the good news of Jesus.

It is one thing to say that Jesus died for our sins, and that is true. But He was also resurrected and that was, not for our sins, but that we may have Life and that more abundantly. So not only did He die for our sins but His resurrection opened up a door for all who will enter into Life! 

A Look into the Door-

(Mark 15:37-38 [ASV])
And Jesus uttered a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. And the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom

Here we see plainly that a great door is now open. This veil (or door) in the old covenant was given to the Jews to keep the High Priest from entering into the very presence of God except for one day, the day of atonement.This was once a year. Atonement means cleansing and forgiveness of sins against God. Being the Old Covenant it all represents a type and shadow of the New Covenant which was, and has, come in Jesus. This makes Jesus (if you can follow) the new door in His New Covenant. This was what was foreshadowed by the temple veil in the Old. In fact, in the New Covenant Jesus calls Himself the door.

 John 10:7 Jesus therefore said unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of (for) the sheep.  All that came  before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.  I am the door; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and go out, and shall find pasture.  The thief cometh not, but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy: I came that they may have life, and may have [it] abundantly.

Just a side note, notice that Jesus tells us who the thieves and robbers are: the ones who come to steal, and kill, and destroy: This is not Satan as so often preached, but rather All that came before Him.

Now Jesus is not saying He is the door into the sheep. He is saying that He provides an entrance into the same place the temple veil did, that is, into the very presence of the Living God!

But there’s more. It is the power of God because in it is revealed a righteousness of God. What is perfect ‘rightness or righteousness’? Is it not perfect Love? And isn’t God perfect Love? How did He reveal it? He sent His only begotten Son to die for you and me. In that one event, killing and erasing all sin and all that God could ever condemn us for. Gone! Then with the resulting righteousness we now posses because of the cleansing of Christ’s life given, He also provided this same Christ as a door into His very Heart and His heart into our very heart. But this all is based on our faith, living in our heart and believing these things.

But there is an enemy and his playground is our body and our emotions. He uses these things in us to stray us away from faith  and into condemnation. Hoping we will walk away from the door and God’s presence as Cain did. This is the ‘ faith to faith’ part.We will continuing coming to a place where the faith for these marvelous things will have to be rediscovered or learned more completely and deeply. Do not allow yourself to live in a self-made condemnation! The best way is to go imminently back to God for a renewal of our faith. For those justified (that’s us) shall live by faith.

God’s Love for us is unfailing. We may still sin (if you will) however it no longer brings death, that is, separation from God. For, as we will see a little later when we deal deeper into Romans chapter eight, there can be no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus for the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin which used to (in the Old Covenant) result in our death. The Spirit of Life which is in Christ Jesus has overcome this law for us with a superior law: The law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus The door is never closed for us!

Brethren, learn to get these truths not only in your mind but most importantly into your heart and come to know this is your truth. There are ways to accomplish this which we will also cover later in Romans.

Paul said somewhere that God was in Christ reconciling the world onto Himself- Therefore, be ye reconciled unto God…

Of course, continuing in our next blog-       God Bless.