Romans: Coming Under Grace

Romans: Coming Under Grace

The Law: Death Brings Life

Father, as my words are true to your word, may they be taken to heart. But if my words should stray from yours, may they be quickly forgotten. I pray this in the name and in the power of Jesus Christ. Amen. Well, the signs of spring are beginning to abound. Many gardeners have started seedlings in pots by windows, and a few have decided to brave the 25-degree nights with…

Set Free to Serve God

In the world we live in, paying someone up front for the work they promised to do is usually considered foolish. Half now, half on completion, something like that. Why? Because once they have our money, what’s the incentive to finish the job? The objection that Paul addresses is similar. Paul, all this grace up front is going to keep people from a righteous life.…

The Triumph of Grace

Romans 6. What a great way to move from Easter back to Romans, just as Jesus died and was raised to life, so too we are dead to sin and alive to him. We look to the reading of God’s word if you join me in prayer. Living God, we ask you to help us to hear your Holy word that we may truly understand and that in understanding we may believe and believing we may follow…

A New Human

Before we look at these verses 12 through 21, let’s pray together. Please pray with me. Our Father in heaven, we give you thanks for this beautiful day in which the creation is revealing your glory and power. We give you thanks for this beautiful day in which there is grace in this place for these people. We give you thanks that this is your Holy word which you gave…

The Blessings of Justification

We’ve obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand. We rejoiced in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoiced in our suffering. Knowing that suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy spirit…

The God of Promise

You’ll join me in prayer for the reading of God’s word. Blessed Lord, in your great and kind providence. All holy scriptures were written and preserved for our instruction. We ask that you would give us grace to hear them proclaim this day. That you would strengthen our souls with the fullness of their divine teaching. That you would keep us from pride in your…

God’s Righteousness Displayed

Forgotten. I pray this in the name and in the power of Jesus Christ. Amen. I don’t know if you know this about me, but I played college baseball. Yeah. Pretty impressive, isn’t it? Yeah. I played second base on the account of my weak arm, and I only started because the real second baseman thought he was too good to show up for practices, and he was quite a bit…

Why Must God Uphold His Righteousness?

Romans 3. Paul is steadily building his argument that all are unrighteous before a holy God, that we need the righteousness of Christ received by faith alone. If you look to the reading of God’s word, though, if you would please join me in prayer. We give thanks to you, a Lord of lords, for your steadfast love endures forever. You alone do great wonders, and by your…

Innie & Outie Religion

Some have referred to this part of Romans as an exposition of the Lord Jesus parable of the two lost sons. Can I have the sex, drugs, and rock and roll son of the younger brother, and then the self-righteousness, the hard-heartedness, the indifference of the older brother seen between Gentiles and Jews. We look to the reading of God’s word if you would just join me…
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