Paul’s Epistle to the Romans
June 27, 2021
Opening Prayer
Psalm 119
145 With my whole heart I cry; answer me, O Lord!
I will keep your statutes.
146 I call to you; save me,
that I may observe your testimonies.
147 I rise before dawn and cry for help;
I hope in your words.
148 My eyes are awake before the watches of the
night,
that I may meditate on your promise.
149 Hear my voice according to your steadfast
love;
O Lord,
according to your justice give me life.
150 They draw near who persecute me with evil
purpose;
they are far from your law.
151 But you are near, O Lord,
and all your commandments are true.
152 Long have I known from your testimonies
that you have founded them forever. [1]
Prolegomena
The Hypostatic Union – the unity of Christ’s divinity and
humanity as one person.
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John 1:1 – The Word became flesh …
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Colossians 2:9 - For in [Christ] the whole
fullness of deity dwells bodily, …
-
Hebrews 2
Romans 5:6-11
6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
v.8
What does it mean to be a sinner?
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A person who sins … obviously.
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One who loves in opposition to the divine will.
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Consider from the first three of the Ten
Commandments.
o
1st - Heart
o
2nd - Lips
o
3rd - Ears
v. 9
Justified (passively made/declared righteous) by Christ’s
blood.
We will be saved (future passive) from the wrath (of God).
-
God’s wrath is his revulsion against evil, his
settled displeasure with sin and sinners.
o
This is not a popular idea these days.
§ Jonathan
Edwards, Sinners in the Hands of and Angry God
o
The Old Testament has over 580 references to
God’s Wrath.
o
Nahum 1 –
The Lord is a jealous and avenging God;
the Lord is avenging and wrathful;
the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries
and keeps wrath for his enemies.
3 The Lord is slow to anger and great in power,
and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty.
His way is in whirlwind and storm,
and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
4 He rebukes the sea and makes it dry;
he dries up all the rivers;
Bashan and Carmel wither;
the bloom of Lebanon withers.
5 The mountains quake before him;
the hills melt;
the earth heaves before him,
the world and all who dwell in it.
6 Who can stand before his indignation?
Who can endure the heat of his anger?
His wrath is poured out like fire,
and the rocks are broken into pieces by him.
7 The Lord is good,
a stronghold in the day of trouble;
he knows those who take refuge in him.
8 But with an overflowing flood
he will make a complete end of the adversaries,
and will pursue his enemies into darkness.
o
Isaiah 28:21 refers to God’s wrath as his
“alien” or “strange” work.
o
Matthew 27:46 – wrath and loved revealed in one
moment.
§
God’s Word of Law and Gospel.
o
God’s wrath is not the opposite of His love – it
flows from His love.
V. 10-11
This is the real miracle and the good news we call the
Gospel.
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Genesis 3:15 – enmity
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Reconciliation – restoring a relationship.
Do we really rejoice in this?
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St. Augustine – “Make me chase … but not yet!”
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John 8:11 Bastardized – “Neither do I condemn
you. Go and sin some more.”
-
This is a constant struggle that steals our joy
and tears at our sense of reconciliation.
What difference does being reconciled to God make?
[1] All Scripture (unless
otherwise noted) is from The Holy Bible:
English Standard Version. (2016). (Ps 119:145–152). Wheaton, IL:
Crossway Bibles.
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