Posts from December 2015

Posts from December 2015

Romans 9 – God’s Sovereign Choice, Israel’s Unbelief

Paul is speaking truth in Christ. He had sorrow in his heart. He wished he was damned and cut off for the sake of his fellow Jews. To them belong adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, the promises, the patriarchs, and from their race in the flesh came Jesus Christ who is God over all. The Word of God hasn’t failed. Not all who descended from Israel belong to Israel, not all are children…

Romans 8 – Life in the Spirit, Heirs with Christ, Future Glory, God’s Everlasting Love

There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. The law of the Spirit of life has set us free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. God has done what the law couldn’t do. He sent his Son, and in Him condemned sin in the flesh, so that the righteous requirement of the law would be fulfilled in us who walk not in our flesh but the Spirit – setting our minds on things…

Romans 7 – Released from the Law, The Law and Sin

For those who know the law – it is binding on him as long as he lives. A married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, after his death she is released. Similarly we have died to the law through the body of Christ, so we belong to Jesus through his resurrection to bear fruit for God. When we lived in sin we bore the fruit of death. Now we are released from the law. We…

Romans 6 – Dead to Sin, Alive to God, Slaves to Righteousness

We don’t continue in sin so that God’s grace may abound. How can we who died to sin still live in it? We have been baptized into Christ’s death, we were buried with Him by baptism into death, and raised from the dead to walk in newness of life. If we have been united with Jesus in a death like his, we will be united with him in a resurrection like his. Our old self was crucified with him we…

Romans 5 – Peace with God Through Faith, Death in Adam, Life in Christ

Since we’ve been justified by faith, we have peace with God through Jesus. Through Jesus we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. We rejoice in our sufferings – (1) it produces endurance, (2) which produces character, (3) which produces hope, (4) and hope doesn’t put us to shame because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit given to us. When we were weak at the right time Christ…

Romans 4 – Abraham Justified by Faith, Promise to Abraham Realized Through Faith

Abraham would’ve had something to boast about if he was justified by works, but not before God. The Scriptures say, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Wages for work are not a gift but what someone is due. The one who doesn’t work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness. David even recognized this in Psalm 32:1-2. This is a blessing regardless of circumcision. How was faith counted…

Romans 3 – God Upholds His Righteousness, No One Is Righteous, Righteousness of God Through Faith

The Jews had great advantage with circumcision. They had God’s Word. Their faithlessness doesn’t nullify God’s faithfulness. The fact that our unrighteousness shows God’s righteousness doesn’t make God unrighteous to inflict wrath on us. If my sin (lie) causes God’s truth to abound to His glory he is still righteous to judge. Sinning so that good may come is not justified and that’s not what the Apostles taught. Jews aren’t any better off, they are still under sin. No one…

Romans 2 – God’s Judgment, The Law

We who judge have no excuse. We condemn ourselves by passing judgment on others for doing what we do. If you do what you judge others for, do you think you’ll escape the judgment of God? Don’t presume on his kindness, forbearance, and patience. These are meant to lead us to repentance. Because of our heard hearts we are storing up wrath on the day of wrath when God’s judgment will be revealed. God renders to each according to his…

Romans 1 – Apostle, Thanksgiving, Not Ashamed of the Gospel, Sin

Paul is an apostle set apart for the gospel of God. His apostleship exists to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of Christ’s name among all nations, including those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. He’s writing to those in Rome that God loved and called to be saints (holy/set-apart ones). He gives thanks to God through Jesus Christ for them. He mentions them always in his prayers. He longs for their mutual encouragement. He…

Summaries & Thoughts on Acts

Below are links to all the posts of chapter summaries and brief thoughts on each chapter of Acts: (1) Acts 1 – Jesus’ Ascension, Church Gathering, Matthias the 12th Apostle (2) Acts 2 – Pentecost, New Testament Church (3) Acts 3 – Healing the Lame Beggar & Peter’s 2nd Sermon (4) Acts 4 – Arrested for Preaching Jesus, Praising God, Preaching the Word, Unity of the Church (5) Acts 5 – Ananias and Sapphira, Arrest and Freeing of the Apostles…