The following are sermon notes from Romans Soli Deo Gloria. This is a study of the book of Romans. To read more about this series, including the introduction, download the study guide, resources and listen to audio content click here.

Have you ever desired an ally? Someone to help you, stick up for you and tell your side of the story? Have you ever wanted someone who could serve you and help you? Many don’t understand that the God of the Bible is the ally of those He’s saved. He serves us, prays for us and takes care of us.

Our Ally in Prayer

Society likes prayer, but doesn’t understand it. Our culture accepts prayer, but typically, only when great tragedies or deaths occur. Take the Grammys for example. Have the Grammys ever been opened with a prayer? No. However, this year, due to the untimely death of the artist Whitney Houston they were opened with a prayer. Could you imagine the reaction of those attending if LL Cool J had opened up the nights celebrations with a prayer had there been no death? We could expect utter dismay, maybe even anger or outrage. In our culture’s view, prayer is something that is a kind, compassionate gesture, but that is all. Watch LL Cool J’s prayer here.

What we learn in the Bible about prayer is a completely different picture. Romans 8:26-28 tells us that not only are we to pray to God, but that God the Holy Spirit actually prays for us. Some important observations about God’s prayers on our behalf:

• The Holy Spirit prays when we don’t know how to pray (Romans 8:26). This means when you are so overcome with grief, stress or frustrations and don’t even know where to start in prayer, God will pray for you.
• The Holy Spirit intercedes (Romans 8:27). He communicates with God the Father on your behalf, sharing with Him your needs, desires and troubles.
• The Holy Spirit prays in accordance with God’s will (Romans 8:27). When the Holy Spirit prays for something, it is always answered and it is always answered in the affirmative. God the Father always answers “yes” to the Holy Spirit because He prayers perfectly, knowing what the will of God the Father is.

The sum of the Holy Spirit’s prayer is all things working together for good for those who are saved by Jesus (Romans 8:28). Now, it’s important to note that good is not defined by man, but by God. If we are left to define good it will usually end at some kind of temporal pleasure or provision (money, cars, houses, spouses and the like). In the context of Romans “good” can be defined in four ways:

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In Acts 17:22-34 Paul addresses a crowd in Athens understanding their culture and reasoning with them about Jesus through a cultural observation.

“So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus said, ‘Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. Far as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found an altar with this inscription, ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, I proclaim to you’” (Acts 17:22-23).

Paul perceived what was going on in the culture and responded appropriately by telling them about Jesus. This is how every church should respond to their culture. Yet, not all do:

How to Respond:

Paul responds with several things in mind:

1. Tell them about Jesus. Paul has a goal, and that goal is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. In order to do this, he must have some kind of currency with the crowd before him. When perceiving what is going on in culture, look for the opportunity to tell them about Jesus. Don’t look for the opportunity to fight or picket.
2. Respond with respect. Paul doesn’t tell them they are stupid, evil or going to hell. He responds with respect for their culture and what they believe. Enter, converse with and have a posture of respect when responding to the culture. Seek to build mutual respect with others, don’t set the fires of contention by disrespecting others.
3. Respond with love. To share the gospel with someone is to love them, there is no one more loving than our Lord Jesus. You want them to meet Jesus, you want them to know the joy and hope you have in Jesus because you love them. This is why Paul stands up with courage to share the gospel, he tells them about Jesus because he loves them.
4. Respond with boldness. Paul isn’t mean, he isn’t controversial for the sake of being controversial and he certainly isn’t seeking to make the news. However, he refuses to compromise the truth and understands that some will think he is silly. When responding to the culture we must hold Biblical truth as our highest authority unashamedly.

How Not to Respond:

There is a group of people that call themselves a baptist church who like to picket other churches, political events and apparently funerals. This past weekend one of the most horrific crimes in the last few years was committed when a deranged father burned down his own house while on a supervised visit with his two children killing himself and his two small boys. The pain from the loss and utter betrayal this family is experiencing right now is unimaginable. As Christians, we should love this family, support them, pray for them and serve them as best we can.

Yet, this group of people who claim to be Christians are picketing the funeral of the two small children. Why? To protest our state’s decision to allow same-sex marriages. A little bit of a jump right? This group believes that God is punishing Washington State for making such a decision by allowing this terrible crime to be committed. Read the news story here.

As a Pastor, I’ve already been asked several times if my church believes what Westboro Baptist Church believes, which grieves me. It grieves me that such a crazy, theologically aberrant, insensitive and unintelligent group can confuse people so easily. There is NOTHING Biblical, loving or Christian about what they are doing.

Love

Christians, we are to love the Lord first and foremost and love others. In fact, all of what we do as Christians depends on loving God and loving people. Jesus put’s it this way:

“…you shall love the Lord your God wil all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40).

We are to love! If you could sum up what it means to be a Christian it would be that we are to love God and love people. You cannot call yourself a Christian if you cannot love Jesus. Moreover, you cannot call yourself a Christian if you cannot love people. Westboro’s response is unloving and therefore, not a Christian response.

So we love Westboro, but are disgusted by their protest. We will pray they love instead of picket.

We love the Powell-Cox family and we pledge to pray for them, in particular for comfort in this terrible time and ultimately that a group of true Christians would gather around them, serve them and love them deeply and compassionately.

We love our Governor and we submit to her leadership as the Bible tells us to do. We also pledge to pray for her as she has the incredibly difficult task of leading our state, especially during such tumultuous days.

Let me be clear on this, the funeral is about the Powell-Cox boys, NOT about protesters. Therefore, we will not picket the picketers (which is what Occupy Seattle is planning to do). We will do what we can for the grieving family and pray for their comfort.

Respond, to this terrible crime. Just do so in love. Love.

If you wish to speak with the author of this post please email info@paradoxbc.org.

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The following are sermon notes from Romans Soli Deo Gloria. This is a study of the book of Romans. To read more about this series, including the introduction, download the study guide, resources and listen to audio content click here.

I was adopted. My birth parents were teenagers and rather than abort and kill me, they decided they’d give me to a couple that could not have children of their own. My parents, chose me, loved me and raised me as their own. I was not their child, but they chose to make me their child. They loved me as well as any parent who had their own children could love. They are kind, loving, quirky and wonderful people. They are my parents and I love them deeply.

When I think about my story of adoption, I’m floored by the reality of my parent’s choice. They didn’t need to choose me, there was nothing special about me. In fact, in many parent’s eyes, I could be considered undesirable or damaged. You see, I was born with a birth-defect that is called alternating esotropia (basically, crossed eyes). My parent’s choice to take me in and make me their child was not about what I did or who I was, it was everything about them, it was all about their love!

This is my story and, if you’re a Christians, it’s also your’s. The Bible tells us that all those who are saved by God are adopted by Him. This adoption is a not a mechanical, unloving or capriciously motivated hand of choice. It’s a loving, kind and incredibly wonderful choice. It is with this context that Paul moves in a surprising direction in Romans 8:12-25.

Adopted Heirs

The adoption that is spoken of in the Bible is not just a spiritual one, it’s a legal adoption. This means there are legal implications to this truth that are similar to the legal implications of my parents adopting me. Namely, those who are adopted by God’s sovereign love are made heirs, they will receive an inheritance someday (Romans 8:12-17).

With Jesus we inherit three main things:

1) His Righteousness – 2 Corinthians 5:21. When Christ died, the righteousness that He possessed by being God, living a sinless life and dying on the cross was given or imputed to those who are adopted. Our sin became His and His righteousness became ours. God sees you as righteous, not because of your behavior or what you’ve accomplished, but because Jesus is righteous and He accomplished your salvation.

2) Our Glorification – Romans 8:17. The term that Paul is using here is speaking about bodily glorification. This means, that for those who are saved by Jesus Christ, when we die we will be given a new body without defect, we will feel no physical pain, our body will be perfect. This is promised to all God’s children when they are saved.

3) Eternal Life – Matthew 19:29. This is what we often call heaven. The Bible speaks of death in two parts. There is the first death, that is the physical death where our bodies die and decay, this death applies to all. The second death is a spiritual death, where the soul of the person is sent to a place to be justly punished for every sin they’ve committed. Eternal life refers to the fact that those who are saved by Jesus will never experience the second death because Jesus was already punished for their sins.

Those who are adopted by Jesus will be treated with love and kindness as a loving father would treat his own children. They will receive the inheritance that God has promised for them. What is not promised for God’s children is a pain-free, easy life.

God’s Children Suffer

The truth of the matter is, every person who has ever lived will suffer. Even Jesus Christ, who is God and perfect suffered (Matthew 16:21; Matthew 17:12; Luke 9:22; Luke 17:25; Acts 3:18). Suffering is inescapable. Those of you reading this at this moment are currently, have been or will in the future suffer, you cannot avoid this. Pain is a major part of this world, if you can’t feel pain, you’re not living.

Too often religious teaching will either avoid the topic of suffering or it will, in an effort to attract followers, tell them that their god will alleviate all their suffering. Sometimes you are told that you are to be a victor not a victim and that your suffering can be cured by a simple attitude adjustment. Others will tell you that you just have to think positive enough to end your suffering, it’s all about your mindset. It’s all terrible trash! Could you image walking up to someone who has just lost a child from cancer and saying, “just think positive through this”, or “you’re a victor, do not concentrate on the pain, concentrate on the good”. Lies. Ridiculous, unhelpful, insensitive lies. The pain of this life is very real, deep and unhinging at times. We don’t need to tell people to stop feeling or to “think positive”!

Jesus makes no such promise. In fact, Jesus tells us that, if we follow Him, we will be guaranteed suffering as a result (Acts 9:6; John 15:20). Though we are adopted as God’s children, He will not keep us from suffering, in fact He will allow it.

The difference between someone who is adopted by Jesus and someone who is not, is that when we suffer we have hope. Our hope is not grounded in positive thinking, or some other silliness, it is rooted in our understanding that we will receive an inheritance. Adopted children of God will suffer, yes, but we will receive an inheritance that can’t compare to any seemingly good thing here on earth (Romans 8:18). Think of it, if you suffer and have no hope, what strength do you have to persevere through it?

It is the very hope of the future that produces patience in us to endure all kinds of evil, pain persecution and suffering (Romans 8:24-15). The strength to carry on during terrible pain is hope in what only Jesus can provide. Cling to Him, cry out to Him! Run to the God who has adopted you as His own child and deeply cares for you. Cry out to him as a child would call out to their daddy (Romans 8:15). Our God is not an abusive father, but a loving one!

Our Response

We must do something with this truth. It can’t sit idling in our mind and produce nothing. This is a truth that should drive us to response. Here is how I call you to respond:

• If you are currently suffering, trust that Jesus is with you during your pain. Cry out to Him! Meditate on the truth that you will one day receive an inheritance and the promise of no more suffering.
• If you are not a child of God you need to be counted as an adopted son or daughter of Jesus Christ. It is our desire that you receive His inheritance and a hope to trust on when you suffer.
• All of us need to share this good news! We need to tell those who are suffering that there is hope in Jesus. There will be a day when no child of God will suffer!

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The following are sermon notes from Romans Soli Deo Gloria. This is a study of the book of Romans. To read more about this series, including the introduction, download the study guide, resources and listen to audio content click here.

Your mind is a powerful part of your person-hood. With it every action is performed, every movement initiated. The origin of every behavior (apart form instinctual reaction), attitude and word begins, in it’s infancy, as a thought. Furthermore, even actions and words that are purposely omitted first begin in your mind.

As with much of what we do as people, the amazing intricacies of our minds escapes us. We so often fail to see how connected our behaviors, words and attitudes are to our thoughts.

Believe it or not, the Bible actually communicates the importance of using your mind as a follower of Jesus. Sadly, Christians are often looked at as mindless lemmings who simply follow blindly, unwilling to ask questions or take a look for themselves. While this caricature may be true of some, it in contention with what the Bible actually tells followers of Jesus to be and do.

Condemned

In the book of Romans, Paul continually reminds us that we have done nothing to receive the grace that Jesus offers. Romans 8:1-2 tells us that we are set free from the condemnation we rightly deserve for our sin, by what Christ has done. If it were up to you, you would continue sinning and encouraging God’s righteous condemnation. This is why it is imperative that it is not up to you, it is up to Christ.

This is the contrast that Paul brings up between Christ and the law. We are told that Jesus did what the law could not (Romans 8:3-4), that is, save His people and give the Holy Spirit. Christ fulfilled the law perfectly, meaning, he lived sinless, He broke none of God’s righteous commands. Jesus did what the law required, lived perfectly. Yet, knowing that sinful man could not live perfectly, Jesus became our perfection for us and then was punished as the law required in our place for our sins.

Therefore, those who come to Jesus and trust in His sacrifice are saved and no longer under condemnation for what they’ve done against God. They’ve been set free. Moreover, they are given the Holy Spirit as their guide and help.

A New Law

Instead of living according to the law of flesh: obeying, yielding to and giving into the desires of our sin, we are called to live according to the law of the Spirit (Romans 8:8-9). This means we listen to the Holy Spirit, rather than our own desires. This means we care more about what God would have us do, compared to what we want to do.

This new law is life whereas the old law, obedience to the flesh, is one of death. This is congruent with Paul’s frequent contrasting death and life throughout his teaching.

So then, if we are to live in obedience to God through the Holy Spirit and in opposition to what our flesh wants us to do, we must ask, “how do we do this?”. Paul’s answer is, “Set your minds on the things of the Spirit” (Romans 8:5).

A Mind that Worships Jesus

Many would likely be shocked to know that the Bible actually tells us to use our minds. We are not to be a people who blindly accept what we’ve been told or given. We need to engage our minds with our beliefs. The call for followers of Jesus to “set their minds on the things of God” is echoed throughout Scripture.

• Jesus rebukes Peter by saying his mind is not set on the things of God (Matthew 16:23; Mark 8:33).
• Jesus tells us that the greatest commandment includes what we do with our mind (Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27).
• Paul tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2).
• Paul, writing to the church in Corinth tells them to have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16).
• In 1 Corinthians we are told that we are to worship with our minds as well as our bodies (1 Corinthians 14:15).
• Paul echo’s his own teaching to the church in Rome about being renewed through your mind to the church in Ephesus (Ephesians 4:23).
• Paul tells the church in Colossae to set their minds on the things above (Colossians 3:2).

It is imperative, for those who follow Jesus to engage their minds! More importantly, they are to engage their minds with the things of God. Therefore, followers of Jesus, you are to think often about who God is, what He’s done, who you are in relation to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You are not to indulge your flesh and allow your mind to think about what you lust for, what you think you need or want, you are to be more concerned with what God wants. Don’t turn off your brain and in so doing become a caricature that those who love to make fun of those who worship Jesus point to and laugh.

Tough Questions

How often do you meditate, think about, ruminate on Scripture? Do you shy away from working hard to understand difficult theological concepts under the cowardly guise of, “We may never know.”? Do you spend more time thinking about sinful, or maybe even just stupid things? Have you even considered what occupy’s your mind?

Do you have resistances to Christianity? Is there something about the Bible or even who God is that you struggle with? Is there something about Jesus that you don’t understand?

At Paradox, we value your questions. Even if you don’t worship Jesus and you’ve got serious questions or even beef’s with Jesus or the church, we want to hear about them if you’re willing to dialogue with us! Paradox is a place where people are encouraged to struggle with questions. Furthermore, if we don’t know the answer readily, we commit to studying and walking through what we learn with you.

Got a tough question? Ask away by emailing here: info@paradoxbc.org.

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Ministry + Idolatry = Midolatry.

Dear Christian, you are an idolater. Before I explain how or why, I need to explain the what. As I do so, don’t forget this, you are an idolater. It may be conspicuous, it may be inconspicuous, but it is the unavoidable truth.

What is idolatry?

Idolatry is placing anything or anyone in the place of preeminence, power or authority over God’s preeminence, power and authority. In the Bible idolatry is inextricably connected to worship. Idol’s are in fact, objects of worship. They can be anything: people, power, money, jobs, zip codes, vehicles, spouses, children, a body type, pleasure, experience, recognition, [insert your own].

Worship = to venerate, adore or give honor to something or someone.  Idolatry = to worship something or someone other than God.

Idolatry is often painted in a satirical tone in the Bible highlighting how ridiculous it can become. Take the following for example:

“He cuts down cedars, or he chooses a cypress tree or an oak and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it. Then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes part of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also he makes a god and worships it; he makes it an idol and falls down before it. Half of it he burns in the fire. Over the half he eats meat; he roasts and is satisfied. Also he warms himself and says, “Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire!” And the rest of it he makes into a god, his idol, and falls down to it and worships it. He prays to it and says, ‘deliver me, for you are my god!’” (Isaiah 44:14-17).

You see how humorous this is right? Imagine grabbing a piece of wood and trying to determine which end is the god and which end is going in the fire?? Imagine if you got it wrong! If it’s not funny to you, I admonish you to put the log down, and read it again –  it’s funny. At the beginning of this same passage of Scripture, we also see that idolatry is terrible:

“All who fashion idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit” (Isaiah 44:9).

Pretty harsh words from the prophet. It’s easy for us to point our fingers at the poor sap that was duped into believing half a log was a god and laugh, but you do the same. Remember who I addressed this post to? Christians. You are idolaters. Again, it’s much easier for us to point our fingers at others and call them idolaters, but no one wants that finger pointed at themselves, especially those that know what idolatry is! How do I know you’re an idolater? It’s easy, it lies within the 10 Commandments in Exodus 20.

Do you know the first commandment? “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). The first commandment is really speaking to the issue of idolatry, because idolatry is THE issue. The reason this commandment is first is because every other commandment is contingent upon that first. Therefore, if you break any commandment, you’ve broken the first. Why would you ever covet your neighbors wife? You do so because you worship sex, a woman’s body, someone’s personality, or the idea of someone else. The point is, your worship is misplaced. If you are an adulterer, you don’t have a sex problem, you have a worship problem. You’re breaking the first commandment.  Therefore, any sin, is a form of idolatry. You’re an idolater.

Idolatry and Ministry

Perhaps the most concerning aspect about idolatry is that idols are most often made of things that are, if not at idol, a very good thing. Take the example above from the book of Isaiah. The word for the man is a good thing, it’s a source of income, a source of warmth and it helps him roast his food. This is a great thing for him. Yet, there in lies the danger.

It is easier to make a “good” thing an idol.

I’ve met and counseled several couples that have turned each other into idols. I’ve counseled individuals who’ve made their children their idols. These idols are often more insidious due to the fact that they derive from good things. Spouses are good things, children are blessings! Those that hold these as their idols rarely ever see that they are in fact idols and need to be repented of.

This is especially true of a ministry.

It’s very easy to look at something good, a ministry that is being used of God to transform people and to turn it into an idol. God has ordained that the church would be the vehicle by which the gospel is promulgated on this globe, it is an exceedingly good thing! Yet, due to our own sinful nature it is very simple thing to turn the ministry into an idol itself.

Now many of you have already written me off. You may think I’m speaking of a particular ministry, pastor or church and you’re wrong. It need not be a large ministry, dynamic preacher, it just simply needs to be any ministry. Furthermore, you may think this is the ranting of some frustrated, jealous church planter, to which you’d be wrong again. Not that I can’t be angry or even jealous, I can be and have been. Yet, this is not a rant, this is an attempt to discuss something that is so often overlooked in the Christian’s life. Something that is incredibly unpopular in a culture that idolizes idolaters, in a culture, that glorifies ministries that are numerically large or pastors that are objectively loud.

I’ve literally heard people say things about a given ministry like, “I don’t think there is, has been, or will be a better ministry/church/pastor”, to which one can only laugh. Another symptom, is talking with a person who has strong theological convictions, but can only quote their favorite pastor rather than their favorite verse. Often times, those who have turned their ministry, church or pastor into an idol will be unwilling to admit they could ever do wrong (and they will frequently fight to maintain the picture of perfection they’ve built in their mind). This is not to say that we are to be critical followers, always looking for sin or problems in our leaders, but we MUST be able to admit, they are human and therefore sinful. Make no mistake, your church has a multitude of problems, your pastor is not infallible and teaches abberant doctrine and says stupid things, we all do.

The most important thing to look for in a pastor, church or ministry is not necessarily theological preciseness, but genuine repentance and humility.

Let me tell you something. When we’re all dead and gone, no one will give a rip about your ministry, church or pastor. When the Christians are in heaven praising Jesus no one will reminisce how amazing some preacher was, or how dynamic some church’s worship was. Why? Because we’ll be with Jesus!

Why Does this Matter

This matters because some Christians make far too big a deal about their church when they should be making a big deal about Jesus. This is important because we need to understand the importance and value of multiple expressions of the church rather than thinking all churches or ministries should be like our favorites.

Lastly, it’s important to understand that your church is not your savior, your Jesus is. The church is run by humans; fallible and sinful humans. Jesus is your pastor first and foremost, He alone is infallible.

• So you may need to stop trying to get people to go to your church and try to get people to see how incredible Jesus is.
• You may need to ask yourself, if my church fails me, am will I still love and follow Jesus as I do now?
• You may need to determine whether or not you’re attending a given ministry or church simply because everyone else is.
• You may need to put down a certain pastor’s book and pick up THE book.
• You may need to turn off the podcast and listen to Jesus.
• You may need to stop quoting your pastor and start quoting your Lord.
• You may need to burn both ends of the log, for neither are god!

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The following are sermon notes from Romans Soli Deo Gloria. This is a study of the book of Romans. To read more about this series, including the introduction, download the study guide, resources and listen to audio content click here.

We live in a society structured by law. As group of people we have great familiarity with laws and the need to follow them as well as the consequences if we don’t. Some of us have experienced these consequences first-hand. Though, we may not understand what the Bible means by “law” we do understand the concept of law very well.

Released

Throughout the book of Romans Paul talks about various aspects of the law. Chapter 7 brings us to the glorious truth that we are released from the moral obligations of the Law as a means of salvation. Paul puts it this way:

“Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another to him who has been raised form the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God” (Romans 7:4).

When people think of religion they think of an unbending and frustrating set of moralistic laws, and for the most part, they are right. Most major world religions have some kind of moralistic law their adherents must follow to be considered part of the religion. While at first glace, Christianity may appear to be included in this, it is not, not at all.

Paul tells us that we are release from the law! This should shock anyone who has a basic knowledge of Christianity who has not studied the Bible (which is much more common that you suppose). Paul basically says that to follow Christ is to be released from following a moralistic set of rules.

“But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the wold way of the written code” (Romans 7:6).

Law Defines Sin

It would be easy, based on Paul’s reasoning to blame the law for our sinfulness. If we are sinful because we broke the law, why not change the law instead of the people, especially because only one person has ever lived perfectly! Paul understands this reasoning:

“What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, ‘You shall not covet’” (Romans 7:7).

It’s not the law that creates sin, the law identifies sin. The law is not sinful itself, it is righteousness spelled out, yet in so doing, it is unrighteousness spelled out. Without God’s law we would not know what sin is. Furthermore, we would not know what God requires of us.

Perfection Demanded

The law that was established before Christ was a law of perfection. The God of the Bible demands perfection from you. If you wish to be saved form your sin then you need to perfectly keep His law. To miss one single command will call God’s righteous judgement. Imagine living a life trying to be perfect, what a depressing thought!

The truth of following Jesus is that it’s truly impossible to do so under our own power. This is why Jesus came, to be live the perfect life and fulfill God’s perfect law. He then died the death that we should have died. When He died upon that cross, the righteousness that Christ secured before God, as God, became our righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). The perfection that God requires, which you cannot perform, was secured in Jesus and is given to those who are saved by Jesus. This is the amazing truth of the grace given to us through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

When we are saved we are given a new power that helps us live a life that glorifies God through obedience, that is, the Holy Spirit (Romans 7:6). This is the continual process after we’ve been saved called sanctification.

The War Within

For those who’ve been saved, you are freed from trying to live up to the law of God due to the fact that Christ has done that and given you His righteousness when He took your sin. This does not mean, however, that you will no longer sin. You will not have a war raging within you. The war is against the new Spirit that resides in you and your own sinful flesh which is still in opposition to God.

In this portion of Romans, Paul lets get a peak at his life and we see this battle raging in the Pastor/Church Planter/Theologian like we’ve never seen from him before (and maybe, never expected).

“For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, i agree with the law that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me” (Romans 7:15). And, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24).

All too often we forgot about this battle. Either, we’ve been convinced that we aren’t as bad as we think, or maybe we’ve given up trying to fight because it seems futile. It could be that we just simply don’t care. Regardless, it is important to be reminded that there is a war within you, part of you is aligned with God and desires to obey Him and part of your is aligned against Him and is fighting against God. Which part will you yield to?

Are you listening more to your flesh than to the Spirit of God within you?

Are you even saved? Have you been released from the perfect law to live for Jesus?

Do you labor under the delusion that you can be a morally good person and go to heaven?

What are you going to to about it?

For more information about this series click here.

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The following are sermon notes from Romans Soli Deo Gloria. This is a study of the book of Romans. To read more about this series, including the introduction, download the study guide, resources and listen to audio content click here.

Slavery always leaves a bad taste in our mouth. No matter how we think of it, slaver is a negative term. Though more accepted in the culture as a norm when the book of Romans was written, to be a slave was still not a good thing. Slaves were third-class citizens that could not vote, could not be trusted and were mere possessions rather than humans. Unfortunately, in our day, slavery is still alive and well all over the world, and yes, even in America.

Imagine this, a new religion begins in a major metropolitan area with extreme cultural and religious influence. Now image this new religion telling you that to truly be considered an adherent to their religion you are a slave. How many people would you estimate would sign up? Not many I’d imagine! There aren’t too many people on the planet that want to become a slave.

The counter-cultural message of becoming a slave would be too much for any culture to accept, it’s just too crazy. Frankly, this is why you will rarely, if ever, see a cult begin on this premise. All false religion and cults are built upon the lie that if you become an adherent you will gain everything.

Now let’s compare this to what Paul says in the book of Romans.

Saintly Slaves

To be a Christian is to be a slave. I know, sign me up right? You’d be right, except when you consider this: you are already a slave. The question is not, “Would you like to be a slave?”, rather, it is, “Who or what are you a slave to?”. The gospel is not, “become a slave!”, the gospel is, “trade your master!” (Romans 6:16).

If you’re not a slave to Christ then you are  slave to something or someone else. Maybe you’re a slave to what others think if you, so you must dress, speak and act in a certain way in order to gain the approval of your master. Perhaps your a slave to your career so you smudge on ethics, ruin someone else so you can be promoted or even ruin your relationship with your spouse to get ahead. Could it be that your a slave to something as pathetic as money, so you hoard it, recklessly try to acquire it (e.g. gambling, stealing, etc.), or stupidly think you can purchase affection from others with ‘things’? I could go on. The truth is, you are a slave to something. You know what is the most sad thing about this truth, your master has you convinced that you are free, but you are not, furthermore, your master will destroy you someday and you’ll be surprised.

Here is the question you should ask of your master: What can you free me from and what does this freedom lead to?

All masters will pretend to be saviors like Jesus. However, the salvation they promise is an illusion.

Servitude by Marked Behavior

In Romans 6:19 Paul tells us that it can easily be determined who our master is by simply looking at what we do. Disclaimer: we do NOT teach that you can be saved by what you do, but if you are saved, we will be able to tell by what you do.

There is a popular clip going around online of a young man preaching the gospel through rhyme. While this production is very well done and I’m sure this person has great intentions in mind and most of what he says is very good, he got one thing very wrong. He says, “Religion says do, Jesus says done.” This is not true. Jesus says, “done” AND “do” (If you love me, you will keep my commandments – John 14:15).

You see if Jesus simply says done then you will begin to gravitate to taking advantage of the grace God has given you. Paul puts it this way:

“What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!” (Romans 6:15).

While we are not saved by what we do, we are saved to a life of good works! This obedience is done in loving worship of the God who saved us from Satan, sin, death and the wrath of God.

Paul speaks specifically about your body in relation to the master you serve by saying, “For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification” (Romans 6:19).

Who is your master? What master does your behavior point to? Who or what are you a slave to?

Jesus can rescue you from all other masters and what He can provide is far superior!

Revealed by the End

Jesus as master will lead to eternal life with Him in perfection.

Anything else as master will lead to death.

Which master will you serve?

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The following are sermon notes from Romans Soli Deo Gloria. This is a study of the book of Romans. To read more about this series, including the introduction, download the study guide, resources and listen to audio content click here.

We are surrounded by the two extremes of life and death. Furthermore, all of our lives are bracketed by them and their presence in our lives is inescapable. Yet, our understanding of life and death is wrong. The Scriptures paint a remarkable paradox in our minds regarding what death really is and what true life really is. This paradox changes everything. This means life is not what it truly is as well.

So then we must ask, what does the Bible say about death and life? The book of Romans will help us answer this question.

Time For You to Die

In our world the definition of death in a person is really just the absence of biological activity – you’re not breathing and your heart is no longer beating. The Scriptures tell us something completely different. In the Bible, death is not limited to biological function, but includes the condition, position and future of our soul – death is also spiritual.

In fact, to become a Christian you must die. As we’ve been studying in the book of Romans, you are born a son or daughter of Adam and therefore, born a sinner by nature and choice, opposed to God as His enemy. There is only one way to become God’s friend while you are still His foe, that is, death (Romans 6:3; Romans 6:5)

Your sinful nature, your proclivity to fight against the God of the cosmos must be dealt with. It must be destroyed. Only through the death of your old self can you be saved by and become friends with the Eternal One.

Time For You to Live

If you simply die, and your sinful nature is put to death, but there is no life the truth is incomplete. There is another great paradox here, and that is the truth about life. True life is only life that is found in Jesus through the salvation that only He can provide (Romans 6:7; Romans 6: 8).

This means, though people may be walking around breathing they are not truly alive until they have met Jesus and been saved by Him.

There are two really disturbing aspects about this truth. The first is that there are many who are reading these words now, or there are many whom you know that are not truly alive, yet they don’t even know and you may not even care. You need life! You need to share this life you’ve been given! Furthermore, Christian, you should be broken, hurt distraught over those whom you love who are dead! Do something about it by sharing about true life! It is urgent and it is exceedingly important!

The second disturbing aspect is that there are so many Christians who live a life unconvinced of this truth. They may know it theoretically or theologically, but practically, this truth has no bearing on their life.

A Profound Affect

If you are saved and are a Christian by God’s grace, you need to understand that your sin is dead. It need not hold any strength over you, for it has none!! The only strength it has is the strength YOU GIVE IT! (Romans 6:12-13).

Those of you who are stuck in habitual sin, pornography, lying, gossip, you have forgotten that your sin is dead and you are now alive in Christ. Go and sin no more!

In addition, if you are reading this and you are not saved by Christ, that is, you have never trusted that Jesus’ death on the cross is the only means by which you can be saved, you need to do so! You are dead where you sit! It is our hope that you would be made new and truly ALIVE in Christ!

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The following are sermon notes from Romans Soli Deo Gloria. This is a study of the book of Romans. To read more about this series, including the introduction, download the study guide, resources and listen to audio content click here

Do you lie your dad? Like anyone who has a present, average father, we’ve been positively influenced by our dads and negatively influenced by our dads. In the Bible we are told that apart from our fathers who gave us our last name, we all have the same dad and his name is Adam. Disappointingly, your first dad is a less than stellar example. Moreover, you are more likely to emulate him than any other person you know.

Our message is not one of hopelessness, however.

Everyone Needs Hope

If the Bible simply told us that our first dad’s name is Adam and that his sin lead to the fall of human-kind and that we are doomed to be just like him, we would have no hope. Thankfully, it doesn’t stop there.

Everyone on the planet is in need of hope. Often, hope is the fuel on which we live. Without it, there is no motivation for life.

• The hopeful need security in their hope.
• The hopeless need to find hope.

The Bible is the most hopeful book ever. There is no hope in anything, except what is found in the Scriptures. Romans 5:12-21 speaks of this great hope.

In Adam There is No Hope

 ”Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man (Adam), and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all men sinned” (Romans 5:12).

Here Paul is explaining something theologians call the doctrine of Federal Headship and the doctrine of Original Sin. What this means is that when Adam sinned, we all are implicated in that sin. He was the head, the first and therefore the representation of all mankind. Through his one sin, we all sinned and the consequence of sin spread from him to everyone that will ever live since apart from Christ Jesus.

So you are guilty. You were counted as guilty and sinful before you could even speak. In addition, all you could do was to continue in this sinful state. In Adam, there is no hope. Humanity offers no hope, self development offers no hope, positive thinking offers no hope, because they are all inventions of man derived from Adam. The only hope you have is in the death of the Second Adam who is Jesus.

Christ is Our Only Hope

Romans 5:15-18 explains this truth best. Here we see Paul offer the greatest hope of all, hope in our Lord.

“Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:18-19).

Now before you think Paul is a universalist when he says “life for all men”, take a look at what he continues to say “many will be made righteous”. Not everyone will be saved, but everyone is able to come to Jesus and place their hope on His death and not their own actions. Christ is the Second Adam, who did what he could not do, died the death he should have died and secured what he could not secure. Our salvation from Satan, sin, death and the wrath of God.

With Christ:

• Life is greater than death
• Grace is greater than trespass
• Righteousness is greater than unrighteousness
• Obedience is greater than obedience.

We worship and praise Jesus for His obedience which won us our salvation!

Your Hope

• What does hope apart from Christ provide?
• Have you ever had that which you hope on betray you or leave you empty?
• Do you need to recenter your hope of Christ?
• Do you need to place your hope on Christ for the first time?
• Do you need to share the hope you currently have in Jesus with someone else?

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The following are sermon notes from Romans Soli Deo Gloria. This is a study of the book of Romans. To read more about this series, including the introduction, download the study guide, resources and listen to audio content click here

What God has done for us:

1. Delivered up Jesus for our sin and raised Him for our justification (Romans 4:25).
2. Granted us access through Jesus Christ by faith to grace (Romans 5:2).
3. Poured His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5).
4. Given us the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5).
5. Reconciled us to Himself while we are still weak, still ungodly and still sinners.

Because of all this:

We have peace with God! No more striving or working to earn His favor, and no more fighting.

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