Paul’s Epistle to the Romans
August 1, 2021
Opening Prayer
Psalm 119
169 Let my cry come before you, O Lord;
give me understanding according to your word!
170 Let my plea come before you;
deliver me according to your word.
171 My lips will pour forth praise,
for you teach me your statutes.
172 My tongue will sing of your word,
for all your commandments are right.
173 Let your hand be ready to help me,
for I have chosen your precepts.
174 I long for your salvation, O Lord,
and your law is my delight.
175 Let my soul live and praise you,
and let your rules help me.
176 I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your
servant,
for I do not forget your commandments.
Prolegomena
The 2nd Petition of The Lord’s Prayer – Thy
Kingdom Come.
How does God’s kingdom come? God’s kingdom comes when
our heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that by His grace we believe
His holy Word and lead godly lives here in time and there in eternity.
Three ways we talk about God’s Kingdom – or three types of
kingdoms in which God reigns.
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Kingdom of Power – The created order
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Kingdom of Glory – Heaven – Many assume this the
subject of this petition.
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Kingdom of Grace – Where God’s Holy Spirit
delivers forgiveness and salvation. This is physically present in the Church.
Romans 5:17
17 For if, because of one man's
trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive
the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life
through the one man Jesus Christ.
Mark 1:15 – “The kingdom/reign of God has come, repent and
believe the good news.”
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Through the one man’s trespass death reigned.
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Competing kingdoms – although there is no real
competition.
o
A usurper’s throne
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Reign/Kingdom of this Word seen in Old Testament
gods.
o
Molech – reign of cruelty and power.
o
Mammon – reign of wealth and possessions.
o
Baal and Asherah – reign of sexual desire.
o
Sacrifice is needed.
-
Reign/Kingdom of Christ
o
Mercy and humility.
o
Grace and generosity rooted in love.
o
Contentment and peace as a creature.
o
Sacrifice has been made.
Romans 5:18-21
18 Therefore, as one
trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of
righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For
as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one
man's obedience the many will be made righteous. 20 Now the
law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace
abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin
reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to
eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
18-19
Paul is summing up and restating what he has said above.
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Repetition is the mother of learning.
-
He is driving home his point.
20-21
My Translation: The law came in so that the trespasses might
be caused to increase/made more intense (and wherever the sin increased the
grace increased even more!) so that just as the sin reigned in death, in the
same way also the grace might reign into eternal life through righteousness
because of Jesus Christ our Lord.
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The law came to increase/enlarge the trespass …
why?
o
God is intervening.
o
Finke – “How is God messing with you?”
o
God uses the Law to condemn, but also to open
the door for the Gospel.
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Grace abounded all the more
o
v. 15 the gift of grace is more than
enough/abundant.
o
v. 20 the gift of grace is way more than enough/hyper-abundant
(very much greater or stronger).
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Sin reigned in death.
o
The old order of the penultimate world.
-
God’s new order is that grace would reign into
eternal life.
o
This happens through righteousness – Rom. 3:21!
o
Because of Jesus Chris our Lord.
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Lord – master – the one with the power
This is why it is so essential that we call sin “sin” and
not try to self-justify!
-
To not recognize sin is to not recognize the
cause of death.
o
Spiritual Malpractice
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To not acknowledge God’s grace is to reject the
free gift.
o
In essence, grace becomes unnecessary and Christ
died for nothing.
The gift is freely given and this is cause for joy – eternal
life is ours because of Jesus.
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