Romans - May 26, 2008

Section -- Three: Justification -- Romans 3:21-5:21 continued

IX. {Rom 5:18-21} Conclusion of Justification Section (3:21-5:21)
A. Introduction
1. Review — Paul has addressed justification is not by our personal efforts, not by our obedience to any law granting justification based on how well we follow, thus, earned justification. Paul has shown the graciousness and, beyond any question, the reliability of justification by faith based on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
2. Preview — Paul now draws a conclusion on Justification as he prepares to move to Sanctification. Must not allow Paul’s conclusion to Justification Section( 3:21-5:21) mean any more or any less then what is supported by the section’s context. Any conclusion we draw must have been addressed between 3:21 and 5:21. If Paul has not discussed the conclusion drawn it is not Paul’s conclusion but a conclusion drawn from “church” or personal doctrine.
3. Question For Discussion: What is the primary difference between what Adam did and what Christ did?
B. Questions For Encouraging Discussion...
1. NOTE: The flow 5:18f goes back to 5:12, i.e. without interruption of the parenthetical statement of 5:13-17
a. (5:12) is the beginning of showing contrast between Adam and Christ with 5:18 being the continuation of the thought.
b. (5:18) “so then” [“therefore”] = ara G.686; = a particle denoting an inference more or less decisive, that follows; conclusion of an argument.
(1) (5:12) “Therefore” = G.1223 dia = denoting the channel of an act;
2. (5:18) What contrast between Adam and Christ is stressed?
a. In 5:12 Paul has shown the channel of an act, in 5:18 he is stating the consequences of the act — Contrast of the results.
3. (5:18) What is contrasted with “justification of life”?
a. Issue is not physical life or physical death, thus, the issue is spiritual death or spiritual life — that lost by Adam’s disobedience.
b. Condemnation by the way of one act is spiritual death and Justification by the way of one act is spiritual life
4. (5:19) What contrast between Adam and Christ is stressed?
a. “for” = gar G.1063; assigning a reason; explaining the reason for the contrast just noted.
b. One man’s disobedience made many sinners; one obedience made many righteous — Contrast of the acts
5. (5:19) Why is this not establishing doctrine of TULIP or Universalism?
a. Paul is stressing the contrast between what Adam created (example and environment for sin) because of his disobedience; and what Christ created ( example and environment for righteousness) because of His obedience....
(1) More than Jesus’s death on the cross but the totality of Jesus’ life of obedience [cf. Phi 2:8]
b. Context: Paul is showing it is not possible for one to earn righteous by any law of merit. He is has shown each person has sinned (3:21, 5:14) and all laws of merit did not make one righteous — one is righteous because of Christ’s obedience, thus, allowing God to make one righteous by grace.
(1) No reason to think Paul would bring in a new thought in his conclusion regarding TULIP or Universalism doctrine.
OBSERVATION: In this letter to Christians Paul does not elaborate what one must do to be saved by grace — he just treats what one must do as a fact, thus, mentions what they have done as an accepted fact (cf. Rom 6:3-4) and builds on what they have done.
6. (5:20) What contrast is addressed?
a. Laws of merit and grace — Contrast of sources
7. (5:21) What contrast is addressed?
a. Adam’s act reigned in eternal death; Christ’s act reigned in eternal life — Contrast of reigns (to rule)
b. {1CO 15:55-57} Fear of physical death is removed because fear of spiritual death has been removed.
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A LOOK AHEAD
C. Evidence Applied: What is the primary difference between what Adam did and what Christ did?
1.

Section -- 4: Sanctification (Romans 6:1-8:39)

1. To this point Paul’s argument or defense of the gospel has been...
a. All (Jew and Gentile) stand guilty before God of sin for all have broken whatever law they had [Rom 1:18-3:20]
b. All are justified, not because they kept any law with perfection, but by having faith as Abraham’s faith [Rom 4].
c. Paul also shows what was lost because of Adam’s sin is gain back in Christ [Rom 5]
Section Preview
1. [6:1-8:39] Paul now addresses a logical question: “How should one saved by grace through faith live?” or “Without Law to keep one in line why should one not sin — if they are saved by grace.”
a. In this section Paul is discussing the validity of the contention his gospel logically leads to a life of continuance of sin — c.f. his statement of Rom 3:31.
2. Paul is teaching (chapters 6,7,8) when you have been justified by your relationship with Christ, you are obligated to live differently.
a. He is teaching the kind of life you will life — you have a choice.
3. Paul is not teaching when you have been justified by your relationship with Christ, you now received the better “felt that told power” to break the hold of sin, i.e., you cannot lose you salvation
a. He is not teaching method or how you will life, i.e., not teaching you do not have a choice or control of how you will live for it is in the hands of the Holy Spirit (TULIP).
4. Sanctification defined — {ROM 6:19, 22} G38. hagiasmos; n. the effect of being separate from profane things and dedicate to God
a. KJV translates 5 times and holiness and five times as sanctification.
5. Paul has established Sanctification follows Justification; his readers are working under the concept Justification follows Sanctification —, i.e. when you have done enough or are good enough (Sanctified) you are then saved (Justified).
OBSERVATIONS:
1) The Pharisee did not began as bad guys but in the effort to keep people pure they added to the Law until what they added became more important than God’s word in keeping people pure.
2) Many writers see in chapters 6-8 Paul teaching one justified now lives with the power of Christ physically preventing them from living a life contrary to God's will (cannot sin) — for example...
Kenneth Wuest (paraphrased) “In chapters 6-8 Paul is not teaching the kind of life one will live, but the method or how he will live. God has so worked on the believer that it is a mechanical impossibility for a Christian to habitually sustain the same relationship to the evil nature that he sustained before God saved him [6:2].”

I. {Rom 6:1-7} Why saints are not controlled by sin
A. Introduction
1. Review — Those raise under a law of merit would not see the logic of Paul’s argument that salvation by grace is the only way one can please God, for grace offers, in their mind and experience, nothing to keep one on the straight and narrow.
a. A carnal mind sees a carnal law as the only means to control the desires of the flesh — as was the Law of Moses (e.g., a child needs a list of do and don’t’s).
2. Preview — A logical argument showing why a Christians does not need a system of do’s and do not’s.
3. Question For Discussion? Why does the Christian not just sin all he wants and count on the grace of God to “pull him through”?
B. Questions For Encouraging Discussion...
1. (6:1) In the previous section (3:21-5:21) Paul has shown how one is justified, why would this be a logical question for one rejecting salvation by faith?
a.
2. (6:2) What is required for Paul response to be an effective restraint to sin?
a.
3. (6:2) At what point in time did the Christians in Roman die to sin?
a. (6:3)
4. (6:4) In this verse, what does Paul say is the significance, purpose, or result of being baptized?
a.
5. (6:5) What do those united with Christ in baptism now have because of Jesus’ resurrection [see 6:9]
a.
6. (6:6) What is the body of sin that was done away?
a.
7. (6:6) What is the old man that was crucified enabling them no longer be slaves to the body of sin?
a.
8. (6:7) Based on Paul’s arguments of 3:21 -5:21 does “freed from sin” mean one cannot sin for they have been set free from Satan? If not why not?
a.
C. Evidence Applied: Why does the Christian not just sin all he wants and count on the grace of God to “pull him through”?
1.
D. Conclusion

II. {Rom 6: 8-11} The Christian’s purpose or immediate goal