December 9: Romans 8-10

December 9, Romans 8-10

Romans Continued… All of today’s summaries will be by Bakers Commentary… My Bible is mostly highlights and underlining on most of Romans, and to do the summary for these would be a very difficult task in the time that I have! Have a blessed day in Christ… Enjoy your study today!

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose…”

Romans 8 “A. For God’s children all things work together for good (verses 1–30) In close connection with the immediately preceding paragraph—note “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (7:25)—, as well as with the entire preceding contents of this epistle, this chapter opens with the triumphant exclamation, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Christ’s substitutionary atonement has removed the guilt of their sins. As to sin’s polluting power, the effective operation of the Holy Spirit, who dwells within their hearts and is the controlling influence in their lives, has “set them free from the law of sin and death.”

God did for them what the law, operating by itself, could never have accomplished. Because of sin the law was unable to save. But God, by means of his Son’s vicarious death, brought about salvation. He did this without in any way sacrificing the demand of divine righteousness according to which sin must not be allowed to go unpunished. Only those people whose aim is to live in accordance with the demands of the Spirit can derive comfort from this great truth. On the other hand, those who are “in the flesh,” that is, who allow their lives to be basically governed by their sinful human nature, do not have this comfort. They “cannot please God” (verses 1–8).

Directly addressing his Roman audience, Paul continues, “You, by contrast, are not basically under the control of sinful human nature; on the contrary, you are being governed by the Spirit,” implying, “Therefore you are, indeed, able to please God, and you do, in fact, please him. (Of course, not necessarily every one of you: if any individual reveals by his words, actions, and attitudes that he does not wish to be controlled by the Spirit, that person does not belong to Christ).”

It should be our aim, therefore, to live in harmony with the Spirit’s direction for our lives. Those who do so will truly live. Those who do not are doomed to die. All those, and only those, whose lives prove that they are being led by the Spirit are truly sons of God.

Those people are not slaves but children. The Spirit adds his own testimony to the voice of their regenerated consciousness, thus providing them with a double assurance that they are God’s children. And if they are children, they are also heirs. Their Testator is God. It is he who will bestow on them a glorious inheritance, an inheritance which they will share with Christ, who, being God’s Son by nature, is Chief Heir. They are co-heirs, that is, heirs along with him. Those who here and now share Christ’s suffering will afterward share his glory (verses 9–18).

To the day of this future glory for God’s children the entire sub-human creation is eagerly looking forward. As the groaning of a woman who is in labor indicates both pain and hope, so does also Nature’s groaning. The entire sub-human creation is, as it were, craning its neck in order to behold “the revelation of the sons of God,” because that event will also mean glory for the entire creation.

But this is not the only groaning that is taking place. “Not only this, but we ourselves, who possess the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, as we eagerly await our adoption, that is, the redemption of our bodies.”

Not only does Nature groan and do we groan, but “the Spirit too is helping us in our weakness, for we do not know what we ought to pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with unspoken groanings.”

Such groaning is not ineffective. God discerns and grants the ardent desire of the Spirit, so that full salvation for both soul and body will come to us (verses 19–27).

This is true not because of the saints’ love for God, but because of his love for them, as is shown by the words, “… to those who love God all things work together for good; that is, to those who are called according to his purpose.”

Moreover, this cooperation of all things for good is happening not only now but has always been the case—“For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers; and whom he foreordained, these he also called; and whom he called, these he also justified”—and will continue thus: “and whom he justified, these he also glorified,” that is, “these he will most certainly also glorify.” So certain is this fact that the past tense is used, as if it had already happened! (verses 28–30).

b. Therefore More Than Conquerors Are They (verses 31–39) “If God is for us, who is against us?”

It is God who gives. In fact, he did not spare even his own Son, but gave him up for us all. “How will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”

It is God who forgives. He blots out our sins so completely that no sustainable charge can be brought against God’s elect. “It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns?” The assurance that our sins have been blotted out is, however, not based solely on the fact that Christ died for us, but also on the fact that in addition the Father raised him from the dead, thereby proving that this death had been accepted as a fully adequate atonement for our sins. To make assurance even more sure we are comforted by the Savior’s session at God’s right hand. Here he is interceding for us, without ceasing taking care that the merits of his sacrifice are fully applied to us (verses 31–34).

It is clear therefore that Christ loves us with a love from which no one and nothing can ever separate us. And for this very reason we are “more than conquerors.” Not merely conquerors, so that the forces that oppose us are neutralized, rendered ineffective, but more than conquerors, so that death, life, angels, principalities, things present, things to come, heights and depths, yes every created thing that has anything to do with us, works in our favor, for in all of them, and in the manner in which they affect us, there is revealed to us the love of God which is in Christ, a love from which no one and nothing will ever be able to separate us (verses 35–39).”

Romans 9 “Paul opens this chapter by solemnly declaring that Israel’s unbelief and consequent rejection is for him a heavy burden. So genuine, profound, and heart-rending is his anguish that he states, “I could wish myself to be accursed (and cut off) from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my natural kinsmen.” In saying this he reminds us of Judah (the son of Jacob and brother of Joseph), of Moses, of David, and, in fact, of Jesus Christ. See Gen. 44:33; Exod. 32:32; 2 Sam. 18:33; Isa. 53:5–8, 12b.

The depth of Israel’s tragedy and of Paul’s grief becomes especially clear when the advantages that enabled this nation to place all others in its shade are listed. Greatest of them all is surely this: “… from them, as far as his human nature is concerned, is Christ, who is over all God blest forever. Amen.” (verses 1–5).

No one should imagine, however, that Israel’s rejection meant that God’s Word—his promise to Israel—had failed. Fact is that this promise was never meant to be realized in the nation as a whole. It was meant for the true Israel, the body of God’s elect from Israel: “Not all who are of Israel are Israel” (verse 6). This true Israel includes Jacob but not Esau. It includes all those, and only those, who are born of the Spirit. In the final analysis who these true Israelites are is determined by God’s eternal decree. “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated” (verses 6–13).

“So then,” says Paul, “it [probably our salvation] does not depend on man’s will or exertion but on God’s mercy.” After the first six plagues God had spared wicked Pharaoh’s life in order, by means of the remaining plagues, now more than ever to display his power in connection with the outpouring of his wrath on Egypt’s king and people, so that God’s name might be proclaimed in all the earth. It is clear that God should not be accused of being unjust when he hardens the heart of a person who has hardened himself against his Maker. Whether God will show mercy to such a person or will harden him is up to God (verses 14–18).

Paul continues, “You will say to me, then, ‘Why does he [God] still find fault, for who is resisting his will?’ ” The objector forgets that God certainly has a right to find fault with the man who disobeys God’s revealed will (Deut. 29:29; Luke 22:22). Besides, “Who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, ‘Why did you make me thus?’ ”

Two facts stand out in God’s dealings with people:

a. He bears with great patience the objects of his wrath.

b. While doing this, he is not forgetting his elect, the objects of his mercy.

In fact, “God … bore with great patience objects [“vessels”] of wrath … in order to make known the riches of his glory (lavished) upon objects [“vessels”] of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom he also called [effectively drew to himself], not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles” (verses 19–24).

With quotations from the prophecies of Hosea (first from 2:23 and then from 1:10b) the apostle now shows that just as for the Israelites of the old dispensation there was a promise of restoration, so also now that promise of restoration to divine favor still holds. However, with a quotation from Isa. 10:22, 23 Paul emphasizes (cf. Rom. 9:6) that he is not speaking about a national but about a remnant restoration. He states, “Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, (only) the remnant will be saved.” Also, quoting Isa. 1:9, the apostle adds, “If the Lord of hosts had not left us a seed, we would have fared like Sodom, and have been made like Gomorrah” (verses 25–29).

Paul’s conclusion is that, although Gentiles had formerly not been seeking to become righteous in the eyes of God, they had, nevertheless, obtained righteousness; that is, they had by faith accepted the Christ of the gospel.

On the contrary, Israel, though ever pursuing (seeking to fulfil) the law of righteousness, had failed to reach the status of righteousness in the eyes of God. Why? Because they relied on their own vaunted works and imagined merits, instead of placing their trust in Christ. He, The Precious Cornerstone, had become for them A Stone of Stumbling and Rock of Offense.

Paul closes this chapter with a quotation from Isa. 28:16, “But he who puts his trust in him will not be put to shame.” The apostle, as is clear, has not forgotten his theme. Cf. Rom. 1:16, 17; 3:21–24, 28–30; 4:3–8, 22–24; 5:1, 2, 9, 18, 19; 8:1 (verses 30–33).”

Romans 10 “This chapter consists of two main parts: verses 1–13; verses 14–21.

As at the beginning of chapter 9 so also here Paul reveals his tender affection for his kinsmen. He states that his prayer to God is that they may be saved. He testifies that they have a zeal for God, but deplores the fact that this zeal is not based on proper insight into God’s revelation concerning the way of salvation (verses 1, 2).

Israel’s tragic error consisted in this, that they sought to establish their own righteousness and refused to accept the righteousness provided by God in Christ. It is Christ, he alone, in whom the law attained its goal, so that, as a result, there now is righteousness for everyone who exercises saving faith (verses 3, 4).

It was Christ who came from heaven and who, in his people’s stead, suffered the agonies of hell. The hard work was done by him, and should therefore not be attempted by us. Moses (Deut. 30:11–14) already made clear that Canaan was God’s free gift, not the product of human exertion. As it was with Canaan so it is with salvation in general. It is given to those who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, “if on your lips is the confession, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and in your heart the faith that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved … For the Scripture says, ‘No one who puts his trust in him will ever be put to shame’ ” (verses 5–11).

Ethnic considerations play no part in the bestowment of salvation: “there is no distinction between Jew and Greek. For the same Lord (is Lord) of all and richly blesses all who call on him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (verses 12, 13).

In the second part of this chapter Paul, by means of a series of questions, arranged in effect-to-cause order, stresses the supreme importance of taking to heart the messsage of the duly authorized preacher. He who accepts his message accepts Christ. He who rejects it rejects Christ. It is understood, of course, that this is true only when the preacher truly represents Christ and actually conveys Christ’s message.

To those who in the proper frame of mind listen to the gospel, blessings abound. To them the feet of those who bring good news are indeed beautiful (verses 14, 15).

There are many, however, who refuse to accept the gospel, as Isaiah proves by saying, “Lord, who has believed our message?” Everyone should therefore examine himself to see whether he really belongs to the company of those who heed whatever it is that God, through the proclamation of the word, is saying.

Excuses will not avail. The gospel is being circulated far and wide, reminding us of the heavens which all around are declaring God’s glory (verses 16–18).

Israel too not only heard God’s message, but understood it well enough to be responsible for its lack of faith. Rejection and replacement are God’s penalties imposed on the rejecters. Moses declared. “I will make you envious of a non-nation. And with a nation (that is) senseless will I make you angry” (Deut. 32:21b). And Isaiah was so bold as to say, “I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me” (Isa. 65:1). Concerning Israel he said, (65:2) “All day long I have stretched out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate—literally contradicting—people” (verses 19–21)”

To sum it all up: 

• Justification. We have been justified before God when we have Jesus as our Savior. 
• Christ took on our condemnation and sin and ‘atoned’ for our sins - He was our substitute and is now our Savior… we must live out our lives in gratitude to Him.
• Through Jesus’ death we are saved - He took on our sins that would lead us to death - and died Himself as a perfect man/sacrifice. 
• We can truly only please God when we have the Spirit and live for Christ.
• If we are of God, we are no longer slaves, but His children! If we are His children, then we will be His heirs! If we are His heirs, our ‘inheritance’ is Eternal Life!
• That is what we are to live with anticipation of… our adoption in Christ!
• We are justified because of Christ and then God promises us to work everything out for His purposes. It takes all the pressure off of us… all we need to do is be obedient in Christ. 
• Literally - if God is for us, who can be against us and does it matter if they are against us? I think not…
• We are literally more than conquerors in Christ - nothing can change that or separate us from His love.
• Our salvation depends upon God, not us. We accept the gift of Salvation - we don’t initiate the free gift, He does!
• We are not saved by works but by having Faith in Christ. Do you share this faith?
• Our ‘imputed’ righteousness is found only in Jesus. Without him we are considered unrighteous.