World Missionary Press

A Bible Study on ROMANS

INTRODUCTION TO ROMANS

The book of Romans in the New Testament is a letter from the apostle Paul to believers living in Rome about 58 a.d. It completely explains the amazing life of Jesus Christ—what He has already done for us and what He wants to do in us.

Paul shows us how God sees us—as desperately in need of a Savior. As sinners, we were all condemned to death and eternal separation from God. But in this letter we see God's wonderful, awesome love for us. He sent His own Son to take the death penalty for our sins so that we might be free to live in marvelous fellowship with Him now and for eternity. Isn't that the best news you could ever hear?

Jesus, who is alive from the dead, wants to share His life with all who trust in Him and make them like Himself. "And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son" (1 John 5:11). Jesus said, "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free" (John 8:32). Paul's letter to the Romans is a message of truth about freedom. Ask God to reveal Jesus to your heart as a living Person, "the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, . . . and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe" (Ephesians 1:18,19a).

Hundreds of books have been written to analyze Paul's letter to the Romans. But don't come to this letter to analyze it. Babies don't analyze their mother's milk; they drink it for nourishment and life. Come to this letter again and again to drink deeply of it, to digest it, to know the Lord intimately, until Jesus Himself is formed in you (Galatians 4:19). —V. R. Benson

©2003 by V. R. Benson
The Bible text used is from the New King James Version ©1979, 1980, 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers. Used by permission.

LESSON 1. PAUL DECLARES THE GOSPEL OF GOD

Romans 1:1-15
¹Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God ²which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, ³concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, ⁴and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead, ⁵through whom we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, ⁶among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; ⁷to all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

⁸First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. ⁹For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, ¹⁰making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you. ¹¹For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established— ¹²that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. ¹³Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you (but was hindered until now), that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles. ¹⁴I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise. ¹⁵So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.

What Is the Gospel?
The word "gospel" means "good news." Paul loved to tell people the good news he had received from God: "that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3b,4). Paul will explain why this is such good news and what it means for you. You will be amazed by God's grace and love for you and the freedom Jesus gives over sin and self. "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" (2 Corinthians 9:15).

Something to Do

Fill in the blanks from the verses on page 1 to find out more about the gospel of God and about Jesus. (You may check your answers with the answers given on page 111.)

1. God promised His gospel through His ____________ in the Holy _______________ (verse 2).

2. The gospel of God is about His Son _______________ _____________ our Lord (3).

3. Jesus Christ was born of the seed of _____­­­_________ according to the _________ (3).[Jesus was born with a human body. The prophets foretold that Messiah would descend from King David (Jeremiah 23:5).]

4. Jesus Christ was declared to be the __________ of _________ with ______________, according to the Spirit of ___________, by the ________________ from the dead (4).[Jesus was divine. He was “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). His resurrection proved it. God would not allow His Holy One to see corruption (Psalm 16:10), so He raised Him from the dead.]

5. Through Jesus Christ Paul had received ___________ and apostleship for ______________________ to the faith among all ______________ for His name (5).

The Believers in Rome

Though Paul had not yet visited Rome, he had heard of the believers there because their faith was spoken of throughout the whole world (the Roman Empire). He knew Jesus Christ had called them (verse 6), that they were loved by God and called to be saints or holy ones (verse 7). We know that fifty days after the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, when His disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke to the crowds which were in Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost, there were in the crowd “visitors from Rome,” both Jews and those converted to Judaism (Acts 2:10). No doubt some of these visitors who believed on the Lord Jesus that day went back to Rome with the joy of Christ in their hearts. Later, when all Jews were commanded by Claudius to leave Rome, a precious couple named Aquila and his wife Priscilla went to live in Corinth as tentmakers (Acts 18:2, 3). When Paul, also a tentmaker, arrived in Corinth toward the end of his third missionary journey, he stayed with them and doubtless heard even more about the believers in Rome. Paul probably wrote this letter while he was staying in Corinth. Believers in Rome were about to face unbelievable persecution and martyrdom (being killed for their faith in Jesus). The truths of this letter would strengthen their faith.

Paul, a Bondservant of Jesus Christ

Paul could have introduced himself to the believers in Rome in many ways. As a Jew he had the highest of credentials and training. He had also been born a Roman citizen, with all of its privileges. He had a tremendously fruitful ministry. But he doesn't refer to any of these; he calls himself a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle (a person sent on a mission, having the authority of the one who sent him). A bondservant is one who gives total allegiance to his master. Paul had not always been a servant of Jesus Christ. In fact, he had once opposed Him with all his might in his misguided zeal for God.Now Paul is about to share with the believers in Rome and with us today the key to living a life transformed by the resurrection power of the Lord Jesus. Paul himself is an example, a living proof, of the truth of his message.

Paul (his Roman name) was once Saul (his Hebrew name) from Tarsus. In his religious zeal, he consented to the death of Stephen, the first Christian martyr, who was stoned to death (Acts 7:54-59), setting off a great persecution of Christians in Jerusalem. "As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison" (Acts 8:3). Christians scattered far and wide, preaching the Word. "Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. And as he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?' And he said, ‘Who are You, Lord?' And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads [pricks of conscience]' " (Acts 9:1-5).

Later, when Paul testified about this experience, He told more of what Jesus had said. "But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me" (Acts 26:16-18).

LESSON 2. THE GOSPEL REVEALS THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD

Romans 1:16-17
¹⁶For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. ¹⁷For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."

God Offers Us His Own Righteousness

The good news about the righteousness of God is that it is a gift from God to those who trust in Jesus Christ. The righteousness of God is revealed ‘'from faith to faith." It is first received by faith—believing that God has declared me righteous because of what Jesus did for me and has given me a new nature.  It is then lived out by faith—trusting Jesus to empower me to live a holy life by His Spirit living in me. 

Salvation Is For Everyone Who Believes

Salvation means deliverance. In the next lesson we shall see just how desperately we need deliverance from sin and from God's wrath on those who sin (John 3:36).

This message of salvation came to the Jews first, because it was God's purpose that salvation should come through the Jews (John 4:22). Then it was to be spread throughout the world through them. God had promised Abraham, the father of the Jewish people, "In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Genesis 12:3b). Abraham would become the spiritual father of all who have faith in Jesus (Romans 4).

Something to Do
Memorize Romans 1:16 and 17. These are key verses.

LESSON 3. GOD'S WRATH IS REVEALED FROM HEAVEN

Romans 1:18-32
¹⁸For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, ¹⁹because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. ²⁰For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, ²¹because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. ²²Professing to be wise, they became fools, ²³and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things. ²⁴Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, ²⁵who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. ²⁶For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. ²⁷Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. ²⁸And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; ²⁹being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, ³⁰backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, ³¹undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; ³²who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

God's Wrath Is Against Sin

God is holy. When Adam and Eve, the first couple, sinned by disobeying God, they had to be thrust out of the beautiful garden God had created for them. They were separated from God (spiritual death), and their bodies immediately became subject to physical death. God's wrath is against any attitude and action that does not meet His high and holy standard of what is right. We need to see how terrible sin is.

Ungodly Pagans Are Without Excuse

Anyone can know of God's power and character by the things He created, even if they have no Bible. "Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness" (Acts 14:17). 

Even those who don't have God's law "show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them" (Romans 2:15b).

Those who do not want to know God suppress the truth about Him. They do not want to change. "They did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness" (2 Thessalonians 2:10b-12). 

One of the ways God judges sin is to let sinners go their own way and experience the natural consequences of their foolish choices. "They soon forgot His works; they did not wait for His counsel . . . . And He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul" (Psalm 106:13,15).

Something to Do
Fill in the blanks to see the downward spiral of sinful man:
1. Although they knew God, they did not _____________ Him as God, nor were _________________ (verse 21).
[The first step away from God into darkness is to be unthankful.]
2. Professing to be _______, they became _______ (22). 3. They changed the ___________ of the incorruptible God into an ___________ made like corruptible man (23).
4. God gave them up to _________________ in the lusts of their hearts, to _______________ their bodies (24).
5. They exchanged the _________ of God for the _____, and worshiped and served the _________________ rather than the ______________ (25).
6. God gave them up to __________ _______________. Even their ___________ exchanged the natural use for what is against nature (26). Also the _________, leaving the natural use of woman, burned in their lust for one another (27). ["You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination" (Leviticus 18:22).] 7. As they did not like to keep God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a _____________ mind, to do those things which are not fitting (28).
8. Knowing the righteous ___________________ of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of ______________, they not only do these things but also _________________ of those who practice them (32).

["Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man [Jesus] whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead" (Acts 17:30, 31).]

LESSON 4. GOD'S JUDGMENT IS JUST

Romans 2:1-16
¹Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. ²But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. ³And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? ⁴Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? ⁵But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, ⁶who "will render to each one according to his deeds": ⁷Eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; ⁸but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, ⁹tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; ¹⁰but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. ¹¹For there is no partiality with God. ¹²For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law ¹³(for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; ¹⁴for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things contained in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, ¹⁵who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) ¹⁶in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.

Religious Sinners Will Also Be Judged

In this lesson we see that some people know that God's judgment is against the wicked, but they feel righteous when sins of others seem much worse than their own. They do not realize that they are guilty of many of the same things and are just as sinful in God's eyes. It is only because God is so longsuffering that they have not already been destroyed.

The goodness of God leads people to repent—to agree with God about their sin and turn from it. Those who do not repent are despising the goodness of God. They have hard and unrepenting hearts, because they hear the Word of God but don't do it. "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves" (James 1:22).

Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Now everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall" (Matthew 7:21, 26, 27). ". . .If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word" (John 14:23a). Those who truly love Jesus will obey Him.

Something to Do
Fill in the blanks with some principles of God's judgment:
1. "The judgment of God is according to __________" (2). 
[God will judge by the facts. "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good" (Proverbs 15:3).] 
2. In the day of the righteous judgment of God, He "will render to each one according to his ___________"(6). Wrath will come on "every soul of man who does ________"(9), but "glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is __________" (10). 
[Jesus was once asked, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" He answered, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent" (John 6:28b, 29b). True faith in Jesus results in doing good works which glorify God (Matthew 5:16).]
3. "There is no ___________________ with God" (11).
[God has no favorites (Galatians 2:6). "But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality" (Colossians 3:25). "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap" (Galatians 6:7).]
4. "God will judge the secrets of men by _____________ _____________" (16).
["For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son" (John 5:22).]

We Will All Be Judged by Jesus Christ

Our relationship with Jesus is a matter of life and death, because He is the One who will judge us. "The hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation" (John 5:28b, 29). "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad" (2 Corinthians 5:10).

There is no way to be good enough to meet the high standards of God's perfection. We all deserve God's wrath (spiritual death forever). But there is a way to be raised to life and judged as righteous: Believe that Jesus died for you and receive His life. "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him" (John 3:36). "He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment [condemnation], but has passed from death into life" (John 5:24b).

LESSON 5. SPECIAL PRIVILEGES DO NOT SAVE US

Romans 2:17-29
¹⁷Indeed you are called a Jew, and rest on the law, and make your boast in God, ¹⁸and know His will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, ¹⁹and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, ²⁰an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in the law. ²¹You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal? ²²You who say, "Do not commit adultery," do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? ²³You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? ²⁴For "The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you," as it is written.

²⁵For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. ²⁶Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? ²⁷And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law? ²⁸For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; ²⁹but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.

Romans 3:1-8
¹What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? ²Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God. ³For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? ⁴Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written: "That You may be justified in Your words, and may overcome when You are judged." ⁵But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? (I speak as a man.) ⁶Certainly not! For then how will God judge the world? ⁷For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? ⁸And why not say, "Let us do evil that good may come"?—as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just.

Something to Do
Fill in the blanks to learn what special privileges the Jews as God's people claimed to have: 

1. "You are called a _________" (verse 17).
[The word "Jew" comes from "Judah," meaning "Praise." Judah was one of the twelve tribes of Israel. God chose the Jews to be a praise to Him. Jesus was born of this tribe, the tribe of Israel's kings.]
2. You "rest on the ________" (17).
[God's law was given to Moses after he led the children of Israel out of Egypt to their promised land. The lives of Jewish people were centered around the laws God had given them.]
3. You "make your boast in _________" (17).
[The Jewish people were proud of the fact that the one true God was their God, who had chosen them to be His people.]
4. You "know His _________" (18).
5. You "approve the things that are ______________" (18).
6. You have been "________________ out of the law" (18).
[They knew the Word of God in the Old Testament thoroughly.]
7. You are "confident that you yourself are a ___________ to the blind, a _____________ to those who are in darkness, an _________________ of the foolish, a _____________ of babes" (19, 20).
[The Jews of Paul's day felt they were superior in every way over all others because God had entrusted His Word to them. Do you consider yourself also to be privileged in similar ways?]

The Danger of Hypocrisy

Paul has questions for those who claim to know God well:
1. "You who preach that a man should not steal, do you ____________?" (21).
2. "You who say, ‘Do not commit adultery,' do you ______________ _________________?" (22).
3. "You who abhor idols, do you _____ __________?" (22)
[The Jews would not have anything to do with idols, but they would use things taken from idol temples for personal pleasure.]
4. "You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through ______________ the law?" (23).

When God's people do not live up to God's standards, they dishonor God's name. This happened when King David committed adultery and gave ". . . great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme" (2 Samuel 12:14a).

It is a terrible thing to bring disgrace on the name of God. Yet today many people who call themselves Christians are bringing shame to God's name by their sinful lifestyle.

Jesus had a lot to say to hypocrites, "Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men' " (Matthew 15:7-9). Even worse, hypocrites prevent others from coming to God, or when they do win people to their way of thinking, Jesus said, "you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves" (Matthew 23:15b).

Those who seem to be righteous to others but are not right with God in their hearts are in great danger. Jesus said to them, "Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?" (Matthew 23:33). "For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he may gain much, if God takes away his life?" (Job 27:8). "But the hypocrites in heart store up wrath" (Job 36:13a). Ask God, who knows your heart, to show you your own heart.

A Truly Spiritual Person

The true Jew who brings praise to God has cut sin out of his life by the power of Christ's death on the cross. Abraham was circumcised (his flesh cut) as a sign of God's covenant with him—an outward sign of what God wants to do in our hearts. "In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ" (Colossians 2:11). Moses had told God's people, "And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live" (Deuteronomy 30:6).

Paul Answers Jewish Objections

How can it be that even Jews are sinners needing salvation! Some might say, "What advantage is it to be a Jew, then?" Paul says there are many advantages, and the chief one is that they were entrusted with the Scriptures. Some might ask, "Will the unbelief of Jews cause God not to be faithful to His promises to them?" Paul says, "Certainly not." God is always faithful to His Word even when people are unfaithful. The last objection could be, "If God is glorified by salvation apart from works, is God just to judge sin? Why don't we sin all the more so that good can come from it?" Scoffers who didn't understand God's grace were slandering Paul by reporting that this was what Paul taught. It is right to condemn such thinking. It is the thinking of sinful man.

Something to Do
Fill in the blanks to learn what special privileges the Jews as God's people claimed to have:
1. "You are called a _________" (verse 17).
[The word "Jew" comes from "Judah," meaning "Praise." Judah was one of the twelve tribes of Israel. God chose the Jews to be a praise to Him. Jesus was born of this tribe, the tribe of Israel's kings.]
2. You "rest on the ________" (17).
[God's law was given to Moses after he led the children of Israel out of Egypt to their promised land. The lives of Jewish people were centered around the laws God had given them.]
3. You "make your boast in _________" (17).
[The Jewish people were proud of the fact that the one true God was their God, who had chosen them to be His people.]
4. You "know His _________" (18).
5. You "approve the things that are ______________" (18).
6. You have been "________________ out of the law" (18).
[They knew the Word of God in the Old Testament thoroughly.]
7. You are "confident that you yourself are a ___________ to the blind, a _____________ to those who are in darkness, an _________________ of the foolish, a _____________ of babes" (19, 20).
[The Jews of Paul's day felt they were superior in every way over all others because God had entrusted His Word to them. Do you consider yourself also to be privileged in similar ways?]

The Danger of Hypocrisy

Paul has questions for those who claim to know God well: 
1. "You who preach that a man should not steal, do you ____________?" (21).
2. "You who say, ‘Do not commit adultery,' do you ______________ _________________?" (22).
3. "You who abhor idols, do you _____ __________?" (22)
[The Jews would not have anything to do with idols, but they would use things taken from idol temples for personal pleasure.]
4. "You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through ______________ the law?" (23).

When God's people do not live up to God's standards, they dishonor God's name. This happened when King David committed adultery and gave ". . . great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme" (2 Samuel 12:14a).

It is a terrible thing to bring disgrace on the name of God. Yet today many people who call themselves Christians are bringing shame to God's name by their sinful lifestyle.

Jesus had a lot to say to hypocrites, "Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men' " (Matthew 15:7-9). Even worse, hypocrites prevent others from coming to God, or when they do win people to their way of thinking, Jesus said, "you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves" (Matthew 23:15b).

Those who seem to be righteous to others but are not right with God in their hearts are in great danger. Jesus said to them, "Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?" (Matthew 23:33). "For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he may gain much, if God takes away his life?" (Job 27:8). "But the hypocrites in heart store up wrath" (Job 36:13a). Ask God, who knows your heart, to show you your own heart.

A Truly Spiritual Person

The true Jew who brings praise to God is cutting sin out of his life by the power of Christ's life within him. Abraham was circumcised (his flesh cut) as a sign of God's covenant with him—an outward sign of what God wants to do in our hearts. "In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ" (Colossians 2:11). Moses had told God's people, "And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live" (Deuteronomy 30:6).

Paul Answers Jewish Objections

How can it be that even Jews are sinners needing salvation! Some might say, "What advantage is it to be a Jew, then?" Paul says there are many advantages, and the chief one is that they were entrusted with the Scriptures. Some might ask, "Will the unbelief of Jews cause God not to be faithful to His promises to them?" Paul says, "Certainly not." God is always faithful to His Word even when people are unfaithful. The last objection could be, "If God is glorified by salvation apart from works, is God just to judge sin? Why don't we sin all the more so that good can come from it?" Scoffers who didn't understand God's grace were slandering Paul by reporting that this was what Paul taught. It is right to condemn such thinking. It is the thinking of sinful man.

LESSON 6. NO ONE IS RIGHTEOUS BEFORE GOD

Romans 3:9-20
⁹What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. ¹⁰As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one; ¹¹there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. ¹²They have all gone out of the way; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one." 

¹³"Their throat is an open tomb; with their tongues they have practiced deceit"; "The poison of asps is under their lips"; ¹⁴"Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness." ¹⁵"Their feet are swift to shed blood; ¹⁶destruction and misery are in their ways; ¹⁷and the way of peace they have not known." ¹⁸"There is no fear of God before their eyes." ¹⁹Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. ²⁰Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

The Whole World Stands Guilty Before God

Paul has used the approach of an attorney in a court of law to bring charges that all mankind is guilty of sin before a holy God. Even unbelievers who don't know the law of God have a conscience and deserve God's wrath, because they have not glorified the Creator nor have they been thankful (Lesson 3).

Religious people who know the law of God have not obeyed it (Lesson 4). Jews who are circumcised as a sign of their covenant relationship with God and are proud of outward conformity to God's laws are also guilty before God because their hearts are far from Him (Lesson 5).

Something to Do
Fill in the blanks to find the 14 charges which Paul quoted from the Old Testament. These charges are from God:
1. "There is _________ righteous, no, not _______" (10).
[No one can meet the perfect standard of God's holiness except God Himself, who came to earth as a man, "Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 John 2:1b).]
2. "There is _________ who understands" (11).
["But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:14).]
3. "There is _________ who seeks after God" (11).
[Man hides from God. God must seek man. "For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10).]
4. "They have _______ gone out of the way" (12).
[Man wants to go his own way. "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way" (Isaiah 53:6a).]
5. "They have together become _______________" (12).
[Sin makes a man of no use to God. When salt loses its flavor, "it is then good for nothing but to be thrown out . . ." (Matthew 5:13b).]
6. "There is none who does ______________, no, not ________" (12).
["No one is good but One, that is, God . . ." (Matthew 19:17b).]
7. "Their ____________ is an open tomb" (13).
[Apart from God, man is spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1), so words of destruction easily come from his mouth.]
8. "With their tongues they have practiced ________" (13).
["The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit; he has ceased to be wise and to do good" (Psalm 36:3).]
9. "The ____________ of asps is under their lips" (13).
["But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison" (James 3:8).]
10. "Whose mouth is full of ___________________ and ____________________" (14).
[Cursing includes speaking unkindly. Blessing includes speaking well of someone. "Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so" (James 3:10). "Looking diligently lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled" (Hebrews 12:15).]
11. "Their feet are swift to ________ ___________" (15).
[What a picture of our world today! Hatred is the source of murder. "Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him" (1 John 3:15).]
12. "Destruction and __________ are in their ways" (16).
["Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked" (Revelation 3:17).]
13. "And the way of _________ they have not known" (17).
["But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. ‘There is no peace,' says my God, ‘for the wicked' " (Isaiah 57:20, 21).]
14. "There is no ________ of God before their eyes" (18).
["The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance . . . and the perverse mouth I hate. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to avoid the snares of death" (Proverbs 8:13 and 14:27).]

God's Charges Against Mankind

Paul is merely repeating the charges which had already been brought by God Himself (in the Old Testament). "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings" (Jeremiah 17:9,10).

God's Charges Against Man's Character

The first six charges against the character of unrighteous persons are listed in Psalm 14:1-3. "The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.' They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. They have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one."

God's Charges Against Man's Speech

The next four charges have to do with man's mouth. "For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is destruction; their throat is an open tomb; they flatter with their tongue" (Psalm 5:9). "They sharpen their tongues like a serpent; the poison of asps is under their lips" (Psalm 140:3). "His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression; under his tongue is trouble and iniquity" (Psalm 10:7). Why does our speech reveal our heart? Jesus said, "For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matthew 12:34b). Later He said, "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man" (Matthew 15:18).

God's Charges Against Man's Ways

The next three charges have to do with man's feet—his ways. "Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths. The way of peace they have not known, and there is no justice in their ways; they have made themselves crooked paths; whoever takes that way shall not know peace" (Isaiah 59:7,8).

God's Final Charge

The last charge gives the cause of such profound unrighteousness—pride. "There is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flatters himself in his own eyes" (Psalm 36:1b,2a).

The Whole World Stands Guilty as Charged

God has searched all hearts. He has brought the charges. His Word and His law (holy standards) have shown us our sin. Not even by obeying God's laws as much as possible can a man be counted righteous in God's sight. "For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all" (James 2:10).

Now we see the verdict: GUILTY. God finds the whole world guilty on all counts. Mankind is brought to silence. There is no defense before the great and awesome God.

The word "guilty" in Romans 3:19 literally means "under sentence." Mankind is under sentence of death. Adam had been told the consequences of going his own way in rebellion against God's simple command. "And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die'" (Genesis 2:16,17). "For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23a).

Paul wants us to know our guilt before God and to know the absolute impossibility of being right with God on our own. He wants us to see our desperate need for a Savior. He rightly paints a dark picture of mankind so that the brilliant light of the next chapters will shine more gloriously. He wants us to grasp God's plan of rescue like a drowning man gasps for air. How desperate is our situation! But—as we shall see in Lesson 7—how glorious is God's remedy!

LESSON 7. GOD'S SOLUTION TO SAVE SINNERS: THE GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS BY FAITH

Romans 3:21-31
²¹But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, ²²even the righteousness of God which is through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; ²³for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵whom God set forth to be a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, ²⁶to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. ²⁷Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. ²⁸Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. ²⁹Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, ³⁰since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. ³¹Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.

Something to Do
Fill in the blanks to find God's way to be righteous:
1. The righteousness of God is revealed "apart from the _______" (21). It is "through faith in ________ __________, to ______ and on all who ____________" (22).
2. Those who believe are "justified [declared righteous] freely by His grace through the _____________________ that is in Christ Jesus" (24). God set forth Jesus to be a "_____________________ [see page 24] by His _________, through faith, to demonstrate His _________________"(25).
3. God wanted to demonstrate His righteousness, "that He might be ________ and the _____________ of the one who has faith in ____________" (26).
4. "Where is boasting then? It is _______________" (27).
[We cannot boast about something we receive as a free gift and have not earned. "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us" (Titus 3:5a).]
5. "We conclude that a man is justified [declared righteous] by ____________ apart from the _________ of the law" (28). This is called "the law of _____________" (27).

God's Way of Righteousness

We have seen that the Old Testament is a witness to the fact that mankind is guilty on all charges. The inescapable consequence is a sentence of death. Now Paul will prove that the Old Testament is also a witness to another truth: the righteousness of God can be received apart from the law by faith in Jesus Christ. The witness for the prosecution (God's Word) is also the witness for the defense!

What an awesome thing God did for sinners when Jesus died on the cross! God revealed that He is a righteous God, who hates sin and cannot excuse it. Yet at the same time He revealed that He is a faithful God, who keeps His promises, and a loving, merciful God, who has compassion on sinners.

What "Justification" Means

The word "justification" is a legal term meaning "acquitted," "regarded as innocent," or "declared righteous." In the Greek language—the language in which the New Testament was originally written—this word has the same root as the word "righteous." There is a way in which God—the Righteous Judge, who declares man "guilty" on all counts and sentenced to death—can also declare man "acquitted" or "righteous" on all counts and freed from all penalties. What wonderful news! How can this be? We learned in Romans 2:13 that "the doers of the law will be justified" (acquitted or declared righteous). But no one can do all that God's law demands. Yet Someone—Jesus—did! And He did it for us!

God Himself became flesh and lived among men (John 1:1,14) as a Son who lived a life in perfect obedience to His Father in heaven. Speaking of the Messiah (Christ) who would come, Isaiah the prophet said, "My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities" (Isaiah 53:11b). Yes, "He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief" (Isaiah 53:9b, 10a).

God sent Jesus to take our sin upon Himself and pay the death penalty for us. In exchange He wants to give us His righteousness. "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). What an amazing exchange!

This righteousness—God's righteousness—is available as a GIFT to all who trust in Jesus as their substitute. You can be justified (acquitted and declared righteous) freely (without doing anything to deserve it) because of His grace (what God does for you that you cannot do for yourself). 

"Faith"—just believing that what God says is true—is the way your heart receives a free gift from God. "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast" (Ephesians 2:8, 9).

What a wonderful salvation! There is no other way to be saved. "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). Jesus said, "For if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins" (John 8:24b).

What "Redemption" Means

"Redemption" means "to buy back" or "to pay the ransom in full." When Adam yielded to the temptation of Satan, mankind came under the power of sin and death. Jesus paid the ransom—the just penalty required by God—to set man free from sin and death. "The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:28b). "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all" (1 Timothy 2:5, 6a).

"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins" (Ephesians 1:7a). Will you right now thank Him for paying this costly price for your salvation? He is worthy of our praise through all eternity, "for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation" (Revelation 5:9b).

What "Propitiation" Means

The word "propitiation" means the satisfying of God's holy law by meeting its just demands. The blood of Jesus did that for us. "It is the blood that makes atonement for the soul" (Leviticus 17:11b). When Jesus shed His blood for the sins of the world, the law was satisfied. The penalty for sin (death) was paid in full. The same word is used for the "mercy seat" in the temple of God, where blood was sprinkled and where the presence of a holy God dwelt among His people. "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 4:10). "And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world" (1 John 2:2).

LESSON 8. ABRAHAM IS AN EXAMPLE OF BEING DECLARED RIGHTEOUS BY FAITH

Romans 4:1-25
¹What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? ²For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something of which to boast, but not before God. ³For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." ⁴Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. ⁵But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, ⁶just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: ⁷"Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; ⁸blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin."

⁹Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. ¹⁰How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. ¹¹And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also, ¹²and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised.

¹³For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. ¹⁴For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, ¹⁵because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression. ¹⁶Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all ¹⁷(as it is written, "I have made you a father of many nations") in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; ¹⁸who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, "So shall your descendants be." ¹⁹And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb. ²⁰He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, ²¹and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. ²²And therefore "it was accounted to him for righteousness." ²³Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, ²⁴but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, ²⁵who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.

Two Old Testament Examples of Justification

Paul presents witnesses from the Old Testament Scriptures to prove that God justifies people by faith and forgives sin. Abraham was declared righteous by God just because he believed God. David said, "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity" (Psalm 32:1, 2a). Do you know the blessing of your sins forgiven?

How Abraham Was Justified

Was Abraham declared righteous because of the things he did? Was He declared righteous because he was circumcised? (Circumcision was the sign of a covenant between God and Abraham.) Paul explains that the answer is "No." Abraham was not declared righteous because he earned it, like earning wages, but by receiving a gift from God.

Paul reminded the believers in Rome of God's promise to childless Abraham, " ‘Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.' And He said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.' And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness" (Genesis 15:5b, 6). It would be many years before Abraham saw God's promise fulfilled with even one child, but Abraham knew God and trusted Him. His faith was strong. 

Abraham believed God and was justified (declared righteous) by God 14 years before he was circumcised and 430 years before God's law was given to Moses. Although God's promise seemed impossible, Abraham believed God. Abraham's obedience to God was a result of the faith which had already been accounted to him for righteousness.

Those Who Believe God Are the True Children of Abraham

Earlier Paul had written in another letter, "Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham" (Galatians 3:7,9).

Something to Do
Answer these questions from Romans chapter 4:
1. Whose faith is counted as righteousness? "To him who does not _________ but ______________ on Him who justifies the ________________" (verse 5).
2. When was Abraham's faith accounted for righteousness? While he was _________________________ (10).
[It was before he performed any religious rite.]
3. What was the sign of circumcision [cutting of the flesh]? It was "a ________ of the righteousness of the __________ which he had" before he was circumcised (11).
[A seal is a sign given to show that something is true.]
4. Why did Abraham receive this seal of righteousness? "That he might be the ________________ of all those who _________________, though they are uncircumcised, that ________________________ might be imputed [credited] to them also" (11).
5. What did Abraham believe about God? He "gives life to the ________ and calls those things which do not ________ as though they did" (17b).
["And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1). Do you believe that God has done this for you?]
6. How did Abraham show himself strengthened in faith? By "giving ___________ to God" (20).
7. Of what was Abraham fully convinced? "That what [God] had promised He was also able to _______________" (21).
[Are you fully convinced that the blood of Jesus cleanses you from all sin and that you have eternal life through Him as He promised? If so, be strengthened in faith and give Him glory. "I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day" (2 Timothy 1:12b).]
8. Who else will have righteousness credited to them? "It shall be imputed to us who _________________ in Him who ___________ up Jesus our Lord from the _________" (24).
9. Why was Jesus crucified and raised from the dead? He was "delivered up because of our __________ [against God], and was raised because of our ___________________" (25).
[Jesus died to take the penalty for our sins and to remove our sins from us. His resurrection showed that God had accepted the sacrifice and declared us righteous in Him. "And He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again" (2 Corinthians 5:15).]

LESSON 9. THE BLESSINGS OF JUSTIFICATION

Romans 5:1-11
¹Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ²through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. ³And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; ⁴and perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

⁶For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. ⁸But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. ¹⁰For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. ¹¹And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

Something to Do
Fill in the blanks to find out the many blessings we have when we are justified (declared righteous) by faith in Jesus. Are you delighting in each of these blessings?
1. "We have ____________ with _________ through our Lord Jesus Christ" (verse 1).
2. Through Jesus "we have _____________ by faith into this grace in which we stand" (2).
[Because of what Jesus has done for us, we have favor with God and can approach Him for anything He has promised. "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16).]
3. We "rejoice in hope of the ____________ of God" (2).
[We see God's glory as the Holy Spirit reveals Him to us in God's Word and as we allow Jesus to live in us. "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27b). One day we will see Him face to face and be like Him (1 John 3:2).]
4. "We also glory in ___________________, knowing that tribulation produces ___________________; and perseverance, ________________; and character, _________" (3, 4).
["My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience" (James 1:2, 3). Tribulation is like a threshing instrument which separates the grain from the husks. By God's grace, tribulation can purify our lives. If we truly want to be like Christ, this brings us great joy.] 5. "Hope does not ____________________, because the __________ of God has been poured out in our hearts by the _________ _____________ who was given to us" (5).
[The Holy Spirit floods us with the knowledge that God loves us and fills us with love for Him and others. The proof of God's love is that Christ gave His life for us while we were still sinners (verse 8).]
6. "Much more then, having now been justified [declared righteous] by His blood, we shall be saved from __________ through Him" (9).
["For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him" (1 Thessalonians 5:9, 10).]
7. "Having been reconciled [restored to friendship with God], we shall be ____________ by His _________" (10).
[We are also saved (delivered) from the power of sin in our lives by the resurrected life of Jesus living in us and His intervening for us in heaven. "Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25).]

LESSON 10. A PICTURE OF TWO ADAMS

Romans 5:12-21
¹²Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned— ¹³(For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. ¹⁴Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. ¹⁵But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man's offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. ¹⁶And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. ¹⁷For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) ¹⁸Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. ¹⁹For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous. ²⁰Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, ²¹so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Something to Do
Find out the differences between the first Adam (created by God in the beginning) and the last Adam (Jesus Christ): 

The First Adam
1. "Through one man ________ entered the world, and death through sin, and thus ___________ spread to ______ men, because all _____________" (verse 12).
2. "By one man's offense death _______________" (17a).
3. "Through one man's offense ________________ came to _____ men, resulting in _____________________" (18a).
[Condemnation means to be "declared guilty." "He who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" (John 3:18b).]
4. "For as by one man's __________________ many were made ______________" (19a).
[When Adam sinned, all of his descendants (who were within him) became sinners. We are born with a nature that sins.]
5. "Sin reigned in ___________" (21a).
["For as in Adam all die" (1 Corinthians 15:22a).]

The Last Adam, Jesus Christ
6. "The grace of God and the _______ by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to __________" (15b).
[Grace is what God does for us that we cannot do for ourselves. The gift of life is available to all who receive it by faith in Jesus.]
7. "The ________ gift which came from [because of] many offenses resulted in _____________________" (16b).
[Offenses against God could be taken care of only by a free gift. Jesus paid the penalty for our sins (death); therefore God could declare those who trust in Him "not guilty." Justification means being "declared righteous" and right with God. What a wonderful gift!]
8. "Those who receive abundance of ___________ and of the gift of righteousness will _____________ in life" (17b).
["Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (John 1:17b). Jesus is full of grace, and those who have His life in them can have plenty of grace for victory in life. "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6b). "Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ" (2 Corinthians 2:14a).]
9. "Through one Man's _______________ act the free gift came to _____ men, resulting in justification of ______" (18b).
[The righteous act of Jesus' dying in our place satisfied the penalty demanded by God's law, so He is justified (has good reason) to declare us righteous and give us life. "Even so in Christ all shall be made alive. The last Adam [Jesus] became a life-giving spirit" (1 Corinthians 15:22b, 45b).]
10. "So also by one Man's ____________________ many will be made ___________________" (19b).
["He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross" (Philippians 2:8b). Because Jesus was obedient, all who are united with Him are declared righteous. His powerful life in them also makes them righteous (to be like Jesus).]

You Need to Be Born Again

You were born with the sinful tendencies of Adam which lead to death. The human heart is desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9) and cannot be repaired. You need to be born again with a new heart. God promised, "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you" (Ezekiel 36:26a).

Jesus did not inherit Adam's sinful nature, because God was His Father, not Adam. Only the sinless Son of God could begin a new line of people who, by faith in Him, inherit the righteous characteristics of their Father in heaven.

"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name" (John 1:12). Have you been born a child of God by believing that Jesus died in your place and by receiving Him? If not, receive Him right now. Then thank God for the gift of new life in Jesus! "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17).

In future lessons you will learn how to live this new life.

LESSON 11. HOW TO BE FREED FROM SIN

Romans 6:1-14
¹What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? ²Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? ³Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? ⁴Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. ⁵For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, ⁶knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. ⁷For he who has died has been freed from sin. ⁸Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, ⁹knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. ¹⁰For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. ¹¹Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. ¹²Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. ¹³And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. ¹⁴For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

Our Identification with Jesus Christ

In Lesson 10 we learned that in Jesus we gained "much more" than what we lost in Adam. As condemnation came to the entire human race through one man—Adam, salvation came to the human race through one Man—Jesus Christ.

Those who draw physical life from Adam are in bondage to sin. Those who draw spiritual life from Jesus Christ are freed from the bondage to sin. They are freed to live for God.

Baptism (which literally means "immersion") in water is an outward witness to what actually happens inside those who trust in Jesus Christ. By faith a true Christian knows he has been united with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. Going under the water shows that in Christ the believer's old sinful life has died and been buried. Coming up from the water shows that the believer is united with Christ in His resurrected new life and is alive with a new life to serve God and to be fruitful.

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:20).

In Lesson 2 we learned that the righteousness of God is "revealed from faith to faith." First we are freed from the guilt and penalty of sin when we believe that Christ died in our place. God can declare us "not guilty" and declare us righteous by crediting Christ's righteousness to our account.

Now we see that salvation (deliverance) also includes freedom from the power of sin. Romans 6:1-14 helps us know what to do about sin while we still live in a physical body in a sinful world. These verses help us to know that we can live righteously by the power of Christ's resurrected life working in us, making us more and more like Him. We need not be dominated by sins which controlled us in the past.

Something to Do
Fill in the blanks from Romans 6 to learn what Paul wants us to KNOW, to RECKON, and to PRESENT (yield): Paul tells us to truly KNOW
1. "that our old man was ________________ with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with [meaning ‘not able to operate'], that we should no longer be ___________ of sin" (verse 6). "He who has died has been ____________ from sin" (7).
2. "that Christ, having been _____________ from the dead, dies no more" (9). "He died to sin ___________ for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to __________" (10).
[When Christ died to sin, those who are united with Him died to sin as well. And as Christ lives to God, they also live to God.]

Paul tells us to RECKON (count on, believe as true)
3. "yourselves to be _________ indeed to ________, but __________ to ________ in Christ Jesus our Lord" (11).
[We can be alive to God only by being in Jesus, who is alive to God. "For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:3). Because you died, you don't have to obey what your body wants. "If One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again" (2 Corinthians 5:14b, 15).]

Paul tells us to PRESENT (yield, put at God's disposal)
4. "yourselves to God as being ______________ from the ____________" (13b).
5. "your members [eyes, ears, mouth, hands, feet, etc.] as ________________ of _________________ to God" (13b).

[We are NOT to allow our bodies to sin as we used to do. Now we give all the parts of our body to God for doing what is right. What a wonderful, awesome partnership with God! He wants to live in us, make us like Christ, and do His work through us, just like He was able to do through Jesus when He was on earth. As you do this, He promises that sin will not have dominion over you (verse 14).]

KNOWING and BELIEVING and YIELDING leads to GOD'S DOING in us and through us what we cannot do.

LESSON 12. BELIEVERS ARE SLAVES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

¹⁵What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! ¹⁶Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness? ¹⁷But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. ¹⁸And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. ¹⁹I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. ²⁰For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. ²¹What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. ²²But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. ²³For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Which Master Do You Serve?

Before God declared us righteous in Christ, we served sin. Sin is a hard taskmaster, making us do things that lead to misery and death. How wonderful it is to serve righteousness! Now that we have been freed from sin, we can yield ourselves to obey the righteous things God wants us to do.

Do you know who your master is? "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other" (Matthew 6:24a). "In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother" (1 John 3:10). Jesus clearly described the difference between the two masters: "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep" (John 10:10,11). Satan, the deceiver and thief, tries to make sin look desirable but comes to destroy us. Jesus, the good Shepherd, came to give us abundant life and to care for us. He even died for us. 

You are a slave of the master you obey. One master, sin, pays wages—death. The other master, God, offers to give you what you cannot earn—eternal life in Jesus. "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent" (John 17:3).

There Is Fruitfulness in Christ

Jesus says, "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). Those who are in union with Christ will bear the fruit of becoming like Him. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Galatians 5:22, 23a). What Christ does in you and through you will last for eternity.

Both Sin and Righteousness Multiply

Being a slave of sin and using your body for lawlessness (going your own way) leads only to more lawlessness.

But when God sets you free from sin (salvation), you become a slave of righteousness with new desires urging you to do what is right. This leads to more and more holiness (sanctification). "For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13).

LESSON 13. FREEDOM FROM BONDAGE TO GOD'S LAW

Romans 7:1-13
¹Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives? ²For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. ³So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man. ⁴Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another, even to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. ⁵For when we were in the flesh, the passions of sins which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. ⁶But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.

⁷What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, "You shall not covet." ⁸But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead. ⁹I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. ¹⁰And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. ¹¹For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. ¹²Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.

¹³Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful.

The Illustration of Marriage

Paul explains the believer's relationship to God's law by comparing it to marriage, which God intended to be lifelong. Paul says that the law of God is like a husband. We are tied to that husband as long as he is alive.

God's law has not died. "Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven" (Psalm 119:89). Jesus said, "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. . . . Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all be fulfilled" (Matthew 5:17, 18). "The word of God stands forever" (Isaiah 40:8b).

Paul turns the illustration around to show that we can die and no longer be obligated to the law. We are then free to start a new relationship. Isn't that interesting? It is our sinful self which must die. How wonderful that Jesus Christ, who fulfilled all the law with His righteous life, died in our place and gives us a new life, to be lived by faith in Him! If we are in Christ (by trusting in Him as our Savior), we died with Christ when He died. We are then free from bondage to the law. Having risen from the dead with Christ, we are free to live a new life, "married" (united) with Christ forever. This union produces the fruit of righteousness. There is no life, no salvation, no holy living apart from union with Jesus Christ.

The Law Cannot Make You Righteous

The law cannot give life or the power to obey God's law. "For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law" (Galatians 3:21b). "For the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God" (Hebrews 7:19).

Life is found in a Person, not in obeying laws. Jesus is Life. He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6b). Jesus said to those who would not believe in Him, "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life" (John 5:39, 40). Jesus said, "He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25b, 26).

The Law Sentenced You to Death

The law says, "A person shall be put to death for his own sin" (Deuteronomy 24:16b). "The soul who sins shall die" (Ezekiel 18:4b). "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23a).

The Purpose of the Law

1. The law was made for sinners (to restrain sin). "Knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate [disobedient], for the ungodly and for sinners" (1 Timothy 1:9a). "So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, that is, the Ten Commandments" (Deuteronomy 4:13a).
2. The law tells us what sin is. "For by the law is the knowledge of sin" (Romans 3:20b). For example, Paul knew that coveting was a sin because it was one of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20). If we did not know God's commands, we would not know how sinful we are (Romans 7:13).
3. The law pronounces us guilty before God. "Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God" (Romans 3:19). The commandments "kill us" because the penalty for breaking them is death.
4. The law prepared the way for Christ. "What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made" (Galatians 3:19a). The Seed was Christ (Galatians 3:16). The law prepared the people for the coming of a Savior. The Word of God prepares people for Jesus today by showing them their need for a Savior.
5. The law was to bring us to Christ. "But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor" (Galatians 3:23-25).

The Law of God Is Holy and Good

Some may say, "If knowing the law makes us sin (rebel) even more, is it because the law is not good?" Paul says, "Of course not!" (Romans 7:13). "Your word is very pure; therefore Your servant loves it" (Psalm 119:140). "The law of the Lord is perfect" (Psalm 19:7a). The law is good; it is we who were not good, and the law could not make us good. God had to give us new life by Jesus Christ. "And that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in righteousness and true holiness" (Ephesians 4:24).

Union with Christ

When God created Adam and Eve, they were one flesh. "And Adam said: ‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh'" (Genesis 2:23a). Marriage is an illustration of how close a believer is to Christ—as close as being a part of His body. "For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church" (Ephesians 5:30,32).

Jesus nourishes and cherishes His bride, the Church, as His own body (Ephesians 5:29). Because we are so united with Christ (like parts of His body and like a bride married to her husband), we are to be holy and let Him nourish and cleanse us continually. "Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, . . . holy and without blemish" (Ephesians 5:25b-27). "But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him" (1 Corinthians 6:17).

Christ Sets You Free from the Law's Demands

"And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross" (Colossians 2:13,14). It was as if a list of all of the laws of God we had broken was nailed to the cross of Jesus marked "Paid in Full." What freedom! This does not mean that we are now free to sin. No! Our new life in Christ wants to please and honor God. "For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God" (Galatians 2:19).

We now have the holy life of Jesus in us to empower us to live a holy life. "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's" (1 Corinthians 6:19,20).

LESSON 14. THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN TWO NATURES

Romans 7:14-25
¹⁴For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. ¹⁵For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. ¹⁶If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. ¹⁷But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. ¹⁸For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. ¹⁹For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. ²⁰Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. ²¹I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. ²²For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. ²³But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

²⁴O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? ²⁵I thank God — through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

The Total Helplessness of Self

How wonderful it is to be dead to sin and dead to the law's demands! Instead, we are alive to God and declared righteous through faith in Jesus Christ. We have seen what Jesus has done for us. Now Paul is showing us a problem that needs to be dealt with before we can live holy lives to God.

Paul is describing the dilemma of everyone who delights in the law of God. He knows God's law is good. He wants to do what is right, and he tries his very best to do it. But everyone who sets out to try to live the Christian life in his own strength comes to the same conclusion Paul did. The mighty struggle between the flesh (human wisdom and effort which is independent of God) and the Spirit of God now living within him (wanting to do what God wants) causes him to cry out to God for deliverance.

Paul found that his "flesh" was no more able to please God after he was saved than before he was saved. He concludes that there is no good at all in his flesh. This is a wonderful revelation, because now Paul calls out for help. There is only one Person who can help. Paul knew that deliverance is found in Jesus Christ and gratefully cried out, "I thank God— through Jesus Christ our Lord!" In the next lessons you will see that we can be delivered from the struggle with the flesh by walking in the Spirit of Christ, who lives in us.

Believers in the region of Galatia had a similar problem. They had received Christ by faith, but then they tried to perfect themselves in their own strength—"in the flesh." Paul, who knew this problem so well, had written to them, "O foolish Galatians! . . . Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?" (Galatians 3:1-3). Those who have received new life by faith in Jesus can live the Christian life only by faith in Jesus. "The just [the person justified, or declared righteous, by God] shall live by faith" (Galatians 3:11b).

The Power of Christ Within Us

After we come to Christ by faith for salvation from the guilt and penalty of sin, we must continue to come to Christ by faith for sanctification, living a holy life with power over the pull of sin. "Jesus" means "Jehovah is salvation." "But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—that, as it is written, ‘He who glories, let him glory in the Lord' " (1 Corinthians 1:30, 31). A Person—Jesus Himself—is our sanctification. In our own strength, we cannot live the Christian life. Only Christ in us can live a holy life. As we live by faith in Him and yield ourselves to Him, He gives us the desire to do God's will and the power to live a holy life. "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:20).

The Flesh and the Spirit

As long as we live under the law, trying to meet the obligations of the law, we will have a problem. Paul explains it this way: "For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh [by human ideas, by Abraham's going his own way], and he of the freewoman through promise [born supernaturally, as God's idea and provision]" (Galatians 4:22,23). The "old man" (our old life) is like the child who was born according to the flesh—a slave to sin and in bondage to the law. The "new man" (our new life) is born supernaturally by the Spirit of God, like the child which God promised, to live in freedom by God's grace.

Since the "old man" and the "new man" can only fight each other, let us do what the Bible says: "But now you must also put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him" (Colossians 3:8-10). You are a new creation in Christ. If you try in your own strength to follow rules (rather than letting the life of Christ live in you), you are no longer free. In fact, those who attempt to win God's favor by keeping the law are estranged from Christ (Galatians 5:2-4). "Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope [certainty] of righteousness by faith" (Galatians 5:1,5).

Paul cautions: "For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another" (Galatians 5:13). Paul makes it clear that no one can say they have liberty (which comes by relying on Christ and walking in the Spirit) as an excuse for doing whatever they want (walking in the flesh). "Put on the new man which was created according to God, in righteousness and true holiness" (Ephesians 4:24b). 

The flesh (what our old "self" apart from God wanted) will always be opposed to the Spirit (what God—and our new godly nature—wants). The solution to this struggle between the flesh and the Spirit is this: "Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law" (Galatians 5:16b-18). Keep yielding to the Spirit of God.

Jesus had some good advice for His disciples: "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41).

We will learn more about walking in the Spirit in the next lessons.

LESSON 15. LIFE IN THE SPIRIT OF JESUS CHRIST

Romans 8:1-4
¹There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. ²For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. ³For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Something to Do
A. Fill in the blanks:
1. "There is therefore now no ____________________ to those who are in ____________ ___________" (verse 1).
2. "For the ______ of the Spirit of _______ in Christ Jesus has made me ________ from the ______ of ______ and death" (2).
3. "For what the ______ could not do in that it was _______ through the ___________, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful ________, on account of ______" (3).
[God's law is holy and wonderful, but it is powerless to make a person righteous, because the flesh is weak. Jesus came in the likeness of man (Philippians 2:7), yet He was without sin (Hebrews 4:15).]
4. When Jesus died for us, God "__________________ sin in the flesh" (3b). Jesus rose from the dead, and we rose with Him, "that the righteous _____________________ of the law might be _______________ in us who do not walk according to the __________ but according to the ___________" (4).
B. Memorize Romans 8:1-4.

Two Powerful Laws

In Lesson 14 Paul saw in himself a powerful tendency to do wrong even when he didn't want to. Now he calls this downward pull "the law of sin and death." This downward pull which makes us sin (resulting in death) is as powerful as the law of gravity in the physical world. We cannot overcome it by our own strength. But another powerful law can overcome it.

Those who are in Christ Jesus are not under condemnation, because they have been justified (declared righteous) by faith in Jesus' sinless life, death, burial, and resurrection on their behalf. The flesh (which obeys the law of sin) is present as long as we live in our mortal bodies. But when we "walk in the Spirit," having glorious fellowship with our Lord and being sensitive to His leading, the flesh is not in control, because a more powerful law is at work—"the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus." This law is like the thrust of power in jet engines which defies the law of gravity and lifts a huge, heavy airplane into the air for long flights even across oceans. The law of gravity is still in force, but it cannot pull the plane down while it is operating under a stronger power.

Life Is in Jesus Christ

"In Him was life" (John 1:4a). Jesus told us, "I am . . . the life" (John 14:6b). Whoever has Jesus living in him has life. "He who has the Son has life" (1 John 5:12a).

The life which is in Christ Jesus is so powerful that those who walk in the Spirit of that life can live free from the downward pull of sin and death. Romans chapter 8 is rich with truth about life in Christ and how to live the Christian life by faith. Life in Christ is worth giving up every fleshly desire. "He who loses his life for My sake will find it" (Matthew 10:39b).

Life in Jesus Is Like Living Water

Life in Christ is meant to be a continual fountain that refreshes and cleanses the believer's life. Jesus once said to a sinful woman at a well, "But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life" (John 4:14).

In the Old Testament God was grieved when His people rejected Him. "For My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water" (Jeremiah 2:13). Isn't this a picture of many people today? Instead of living in a vital relationship with God, they try to find meaning and love in their own way. These man-made ways have no life; they "hold no water."

Life In Jesus Is Far Above Life in the World

Those who are "born from above" have new life in Christ and identify with Him in His death and resurrection. They can identify with His ascension to the right hand of the Father as well. While still living in our bodies, we can live in "heavenly places" with Christ Jesus in our spirit. "Even when we were dead in trespasses, [God] made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:5,6). God has "blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3b). From an airplane or the top of a high mountain, things below seem small and insignificant. When your spirit lives "in the heavenlies" with Christ Jesus, the problems and trials of earth seem strangely small. You see from God's viewpoint.

Life in Jesus Is an Intimate Union

Having the life of Jesus in us, and our life in Him, is a close union like a marriage. It is a love relationship. We receive His love, and we give Him our love. He talks with us through His Word and reveals new things about Himself. As we talk with Him in prayer throughout the day, we confess our sins and needs and tell Him our concerns. We share our joys and our sorrows. We let Him live His life in our bodies, prompting us what to say and do. Our bodies become a temple to honor Him. Even when we wake in the night, we can have sweet communion with Him. "For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you' " (Hebrews 13:5b).

Life in Jesus Christ Changes You

As we walk in intimate union with Jesus, we are changed to become like Him. God is restoring us to His image. Our growing love for Him replaces any lingering love for self or for the world's attractions. Don't struggle against the flesh—it will just grow stronger. Jesus has already provided you new life—the life of God Himself. "Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16b). As you actively cooperate with God's grace (given to the humble) and walk in obedience to His Spirit, things of the flesh are put away by His power. God's Spirit transforms you as you look into the face of your wonderful Savior-Bridegroom. "But we all, with unveiled face [with opened understanding], beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 3:18). Rest in Him, rejoice in Him, enjoy rich fellowship with Him!

Let Him work awesome changes in you.

LESSON 16. THE HOLY SPIRIT'S POWER OVER THE FLESH

Romans 8:5-13
⁵For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. ⁶For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. ⁷Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. ⁸So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. ⁹But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. ¹⁰And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. ¹¹But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

¹²Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. ¹³For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Something to Do
Fill in the blanks to see the contrast between those who live in the flesh (go their own way) and those who live in the Spirit (yield to God's way):

1. "Those who live according to the flesh set their __________ on the things of the _________, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the _________" (5).
2. "To be carnally minded is ___________, but to be spiritually minded is _________ and ___________" (6). 3. "The carnal mind is ___________ against God; for it is not __________ to the law of God, nor indeed _____ be" (7). "Those who are in the flesh cannot ___________ God" (8).
[We can never please God by going our own way. It pleases God when we trust Him. "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6).]

Evidence of Life in the Spirit

Are you "in the flesh" or "in the Spirit"? God says you are "in the Spirit" if the Spirit of God dwells in you (Romans 8:9). "If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His" (Romans 8:9). This is a very serious word from God. If the Spirit of Christ is not in you, you are not a Christian.

God's Word says, "For to be carnally minded is death" (Romans 8:6a). "For if you live according to the flesh you will die" (Romans 8:13a). Please believe God's Word. Do not be deceived. Some may say to the carnally minded, to those who make a practice of walking in the flesh, "You will not surely die." This is what Satan said to Eve in the garden of Eden (Genesis 3:4b). Paul said, "But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ" (2 Corinthians 11:3). Do not put up with a different gospel!

Remember, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). But for those who are not in Christ Jesus, there is condemnation. "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" (John 3:18).

The purpose of Jesus' coming was to take away sins and to live in us so that we would have His power not to sin. Anyone who has the sinless life of Jesus living in him will not be able to continue a lifestyle of sin. "And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. . . . In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother" (1 John 3:5,6,10).

The apostle John wrote these words so that Christians would not sin. But he also knew that Christians are not perfect, so he tells us what to do: "And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 John 2:1b). "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). After we confess our sins and are cleansed, we can continue walking in the light of God's presence. "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).

Walking According to the Spirit

God had promised His people that He would put His Spirit in them to help them to walk in His ways. "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them" (Ezekiel 36:27). Walking in the Spirit means to live by the life of God in you. It means to walk in your new life (Romans 6:4). It means walking by faith in the Son of God, who loves you, and has given His life for you (Galatians 2:20). It means allowing God to make changes in your life as He brings things to your attention and you depend on His power working within you.

Walking in the Spirit means having fellowship with God throughout the day. It means asking Him questions, following His directions, rejoicing in hope, believing His promises. It is becoming continually aware of the presence of Christ living in you. It is a growing companionship with God, agreeing with Him and loving Him, honestly sharing your struggles and joys, and honoring Him in what you think, say, and do. "He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked" (1 John 2:6). Jesus is not merely an example to imitate. He is our life.

The Carnal Mind

"Carnal" in the New Testament is the same word often translated "fleshly." It describes those who are driven by the passions of their old nature.  Sometimes the word "flesh" refers to the human body, which is not evil. Jesus Himself was God "made flesh" (John 1:1,14)—given a human body to live among people in this world—yet He was sinless.

Sometimes immature Christians live in carnal ways, not knowing about or believing in the deliverance and freedom from sin which they have in Christ. Paul knew this when he wrote to believers in Corinth. "For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?" (1 Corinthians 3:3b). The carnal mind is too proud to submit to God or to depend upon His grace. A true Christian should set his mind on being spiritual by the power of God. He does not make it a practice to walk in the flesh. If he acts in carnal ways at times, the Spirit within him will convict him. He will confess it to God, receive cleansing, and walk again in fellowship with God. He will depend on God's power within him to bring forth the fruits of righteousness (see page 38). This is how the carnal deeds of the body are put to death by the Spirit (Romans 8:13).

The Spiritual Mind

The spiritual mind is the complete opposite of the carnal mind. It is the mind of Christ—dependent on God, loving God and others, serving God, and thankful in everything. This kind of mind is life and peace, not discord and death. "But we have the mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:16b). Paul describes the mind of Christ: "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others" (Philippians 2:3,4). Do these verses describe you? The spiritual mind is not proud, but humble. This mind is obedient to God's will and submits to the death of the cross like Jesus did. Those who are "in Christ" can say with Paul, "Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin" (Romans 6:6). 

We saw in Lesson 3 that the first step toward a depraved mind is to be unthankful. The spiritual mind is a thankful mind. "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-19).

The Spirit of Christ Gives Life

Your physical body is destined to die (Hebrews 9:27). But if the Spirit of Christ is in you, you have eternal life because of His righteousness (Romans 8:10). As the Spirit of God had the power to raise Jesus from the dead, He will one day raise your physical body from the dead (Romans 8:11). "And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power" (1 Corinthians 6:14). Even now, the life-giving Spirit of Jesus within you often revives a weary or sick body for His service when you ask Him. "Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day" (2 Corinthians 4:16).

LESSON 17. BEING MATURE CHILDREN OF GOD

Romans 8:14-18
¹⁴For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. ¹⁵For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." ¹⁶The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

¹⁸For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Something to Do
Find four ways we can know we are children of God:
1. "As many as are ________ by the ____________ of God, these are sons of God" (verse 14).
[When God's Spirit pulls us toward holy living, we respond.]
2. "You did not receive the spirit of _____________ again to __________" (15).
["Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty" (2 Corinthians 3:17). "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7).]
3. "The ___________ Himself bears ___________ with our spirit that we are children of God" (16).
[One witness to the truth that we are children of God is God's Word: "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:26). Another witness is the "inner witness" of God's Spirit that makes our spirit aware that we belong to God, that "I am His, and He is mine." We call God "Father" and know it is true.]
4. We are children of God, and joint heirs with Christ, "if indeed we _____________ with Him" (17).

Jesus Lived as a Mature Son

Jesus, the Son of God, enjoyed a close relationship with His Father in heaven. They were one. Jesus said, "The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does the Son also does in like manner" (John 5:19b). "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me" (John 6:38). "I always do those things that please Him" (John 8:29b).

The Spirit of Adoption

We come into God's family by the new birth. "Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God" (1 John 5:1a). The word "adoption" in the New Testament means "being placed as an adult child." The Greeks in Paul's time raised their children under guardians with many rules and regulations to follow until the time appointed by the father, when each child would receive his inheritance as an adult child. A mature child does not have to have rules and regulations imposed on him. He has an inner desire to please his father.

Children born of God receive the Spirit of adoption with all the privileges and responsibilities of mature adult children. They will live as Jesus did, willingly allowing themselves to be led by God's Spirit and God's Word. A child of God is not in bondage to the "letter" of the written law, but follows the "spirit" of God's law, which is written in his heart. "The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide" (Psalm 37:31). "I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart" (Psalm 40:8).

The Spirit of Christ (God's Son) in us can call God "Father" as Jesus did. "And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!' Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ" (Galatians 4:6,7). Just before Jesus was tried and executed on a cross, He prayed to His Father in heaven, calling Him "Abba, Father" (Mark 14:36). "Abba" in the Aramaic language was the intimate, personal expression of a small child calling out to his father, "Da-da!" We can have this same close relationship with our Father in heaven.

Children of God Share Christ's Suffering and Glory

Jesus, though sinless, had to suffer. "Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered" (Hebrews 5:8). We, too, may suffer as we learn to deny ourselves and obey the promptings of God's Spirit in us.

The world will hate us as it hated Him (John 15:18).  Suffering  in persecution give us an opportunity to have deeper fellowship with Jesus. "That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death" (Philippians 3:10).

As joint heirs with Christ, we share in His suffering as well as in His glory. "For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake" (Philippians 1:29).  But any suffering we experience now is small compared with an eternity of joy and blessing in heaven. "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (2 Corinthians 4:17). "Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:2). Jesus said, "To Him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne" (Revelation 3:21).

LESSON 18. THE FUTURE GLORY OF THE SONS OF GOD

Romans 8:19-30
¹⁹For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. ²⁰For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; ²¹because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. ²²For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. ²³And not only they, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. ²⁴For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? ²⁵But if we hope for what we do not see, then we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. ²⁶Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. ²⁷Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. ²⁸And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. ²⁹For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
³⁰Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

Something to Do
Fill in the blanks to find out who is groaning and why:
1. "The whole ________________ groans and labors with ___________ _________" (22). "The creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the _________ ____ ________" (19).
2. "We also who have the firstfruits of the _____________ . . . groan within ourselves, ________________ waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our _____________" (23).
3. "The __________ Himself makes _________________ for us with groanings which cannot be uttered" (26b). "He makes intercession for the _____________ according to the will of God" (27b).

The Groaning of All Creation

When Adam sinned, bringing sorrow and death on all people, even the earth itself was cursed. But the earth, along with the children of God, will be delivered from the bondage of decay when Christ returns. "Nevertheless we, acc