Paul’s Epistle to the Romans
March 14, 2021
Opening Prayer
Psalm 119
49 Remember your word to your servant,
in which you have made me hope.
50 This is my comfort in my affliction,
that your promise gives me life.
51 The insolent utterly deride me,
but I do not turn away from your law.
52 When I think of your rules from of old,
I take comfort, O Lord.
53 Hot indignation seizes me because of the
wicked,
who forsake your law.
54 Your statutes have been my songs
in the house of my sojourning.
55 I remember your name in the night,
O Lord,
and keep your law.
56 This blessing has fallen to me,
that I have kept your precepts.
Prolegomena
Translations – The English Standard Version, with a little
bit of me
A good resource Bible Gateway – www.biblegateway.com
Logos Bible Software
Romans 2:1-5
Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you
who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself,
because you, the judge, practice the very same things. 2 We
know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such
things. 3 Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those
who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the
judgment of God? 4 Or do you presume on the
riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing
that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5 But
because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath
for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be
revealed.
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Judging and condemning ourselves … because we do
the same thing.
o
Not necessarily the same sin … the same thing…
o
We make gods and follow them
o
That being said, Christians do the same thing –
the same sin.
-
The purpose of God’s kindness and forebearance?
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Storing up wrath …
o
Genesis 15:16 – “the iniquity of the Amorites is
not yet complete.”
o
2 Peter 3:9-10 – The Lord is not slow to fulfill
his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not
wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass
away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and
dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
Romans 2:6-11
6 He will render to each one
according to his works: 7 to those who by
patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give
eternal life; 8 but for those who are self-seeking and do
not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and rage. 9 There
will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the
Jew first and also the Greek, 10 but glory and
honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also
the Greek. 11 For God shows no partiality
(favoritism, prejudice).
-
According to our works?
o
Paul is exposing our inability to earn our
salvation.
o
If we were able to perfectly keep v. 7 we would
earn eternal life.
o
But are we able to patiently – sticking to
righteous living despite obstacles, temptations, difficulties, and temptations
– seek this glory, honor, and incorruptibility?
-
Self-seeking = selfish ambition
-
Obey unrighteousness = they are skillfully
persuaded by, convinced by, seduced, misled, coaxed by/in.
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What do we make of the idea of God’s wrath and
rage?
o
Rob Bell’s Love
Wins.
o
Many modern Christians reject the idea of hell
and eternal punishment.
o
It is an uncomfortable thought.
o
An issue of truth.
o
An issue of Law and Gospel.
-
What do we make of this phrase, “the Jew first
and also the Greek”?
Romans 2:12-16
12 For all who have
sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have
sinned under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it
is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of
the law who will be justified. 14 For when
Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires,
they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They
show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their
conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even
excuse them 16 on that day when, according to
my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.
-
“Pastor, what about the people in the Amazon who
have never had the opportunity to hear about Jesus?”
o
Importance of evangelism.
§
Worldwide and Local
§
We tend to preference/romanticize the worldwide,
but are far more capable of effectively reaching out locally.
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The law is written in their hearts – the work of
the written law in their hearts – both translations point to an external source
of the law – “it is written”
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Conscience – your awareness of yourself
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Accusing and defending thoughts
o
An internal dialog
o
Telling yourself the truth
§
Positively and negatively
§
But how do you know the truth?
o
The whole picture is one of uncertainty of one’s
righteousness.
§
Self-justification
§
Self-condemnation
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The Day of Judgement
o
According to the Gospel
§
Wide sense
§
Narrow sense
o
God judges our secrets.
§
Private confession and absolution.
Homework
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Re-read Romans 2.
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Spend some time examining your internal dialog.
Are you telling yourself the truth? How do you speak to yourself? How is your
internal dialog formed by your faith in Jesus?
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Have a conversation about something that you
learned, remembered, found important about Romans.
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If you felt that this was worth your time,
invite someone to join the study, or share a recording of the study via email
or social media. (An email will go out after it has been posted.)
-
Check out the church’s redesigned website. www.gloriadeihudson.org Go to the About
tab and scroll way down to Recommended Sites (below the staff
pictures) and click on Pastor’s Blog. This is the place to
find handouts and audio recordings of our sessions.
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