Romans Class Session Three

We're going to discuss Romans 6 and 7 today.
Some terms and concepts that help to understand this section:
Grace = Life
Chapters 3-5 talk about that well
Chapter 7 talks about how grace = life because of law
Grace does not = increase of sin
Chapter 6 is about death to sin and chapter 7 is death to law
People argued that his teaching on grace was giving people a license to sin. A lot of people have gone to that extent today.
On the basis of what principle? We've died to sin, how can we live in it any longer?
We have to understand faith and grace in the context of death and life
Jesus introduced the principles of death and life
John 12 is recorded talking about a kernel of wheat and the principle of death and life, where His death is going to bring life to many.
There is a death to us so that we can have His life in us, so we grow spiritually, and so other people can come to God through us (Luke 9:23-26) – core to following Christ.
Denying self is not denying candy during lint but renouncing self
John 3 born again = death to life
John 10:10 have life and have it to the full
Two realities are physical and spiritual
Jesus' death on the cross is both physical and spiritual, being a very real event and yet having so much spiritual implication, where Jesus' death becomes are death as well
Baptism has a spiritual reality and a physical reality because it is physically realized in immersion (in water) and what God is doing spiritually is just as real
Our death is not physically real in the sense that we also die physically but the spiritual reality is just as real
Jesus actually physically died and then the lifeless body physically rose from death, and the same thing transpires with us spiritually—our life in Jesus is just as real has His life after resurrection is real.
Some Scripture that depicts this physical and spiritual reality connection:
Galatians 2:20
Has Paul literally been physically crucified? He is talking about a spiritual reality
2Corinthians 5:14-15
The physical reality has spiritual implications for all of us, where all died.
The practical implications of this death is that we stop living for self and start living for Jesus
Galatians 3:26-27
You continually “put on Christ”
Romans 6:1-13
Baptism is a symbol but not just a symbol.
Dying with Jesus frees us from sin. What are the consequences of sin? We are freed from the power of sin in our lives and freed from the ultimate power of sin. Therefore there is a decrease and end of the choice on our part to sin.
Verse 11 here is how we are to view ourselves, which is another way of saying Galatians 2:20:
"I have been crucified with Christ; and 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 up for me.
Therefore we offer the parts of our body to not sin. For example, in some parts of the world a thief gets his hand cut off. You can still sin without your hand. Where you offered the parts of your body to do God's work. When is a thief not a thief? A thief took from others before, whereas the transformation happens when he becomes someone who produces and gives.
Thief: what's yours is mine.
Selfish person: what's mine is mine.
Christlike: what is mine is God's, therefore given freely.
Two principles here. One is how you view yourself. In Christ I view my life is the life of Jesus. Secondly more physically practical in how the parts of my body are offered: no longer for sin but for doing the will of God.
A lot of people think you earn your salvation by obeying law. Although that is not the way, that does not mean you do not obey God. It is hard to understand right away. It is something you understand relationally. If your mindset is just some adherence to a set of right things, a law, then you'll never attain the kind of relationship it is all about. These principles need to be seen within the context of that relationship.
Jesus never said, nor does it appear, where you pray and Jesus comes into your life. The word says Jesus comes into your life at baptism. That is where He tells us He comes into our life. At that point we don't have an attitude of “I'm now good, and I now get into heaven,” but that is the time when Jesus comes into your life. Both baptism and inviting Jesus into your heart can be falsly perceived as a ticket to get to heaven. Salvation is a relationship with Jesus. It is not about just going to heaven!
Romans 6:14-
It makes sense the Jews had such a hard time breaking free of a legalistic view on righteousness. They had it for hundreds of years.
The only way to escape the authority of law is death.
You have died to the law...so that you can do whatever you want???...no, the purpose of dying to the law is to make a legal contract to belong to God. Romans 7:4 we died to law to be married to Jesus!
Paul never uses the term disciple and discipleship. How does Jesus mention the concept and term so much and Paul never does? Paul talks about discipleship without even using the word by talking about it within the context of the marriage relationship.
Both men and women need to embrace this concept.
Bearing fruit for God sounds a lot like having a baby. How did God view Israel? (Ref many of the prophets) God views Israel as His wife. Hosea is a prime example of God in this relationship.
What components go into a healthy marriage? Not a bunch of legal terms! Love, Respect, Faithfulness, Communication, Joy, Pleasure, Sharing, Compassion, Comfort, Growth, etc. (and all the components that make a healthy friendship)
Jesus does not want to give us a bunch of rules but a loving relationship. You need to understand what is taking place in order to have that level of relationship. No one really understands fully until you get into. You count the cost but the relational dynamics work themselves out when you start.
How do you become a member of God's eternal household—go to heaven?
Cheap grace view and legalistic view on two wrong sides of the pendulum. Rather the right view in the word of God is walking with God.
So many older people married for a long time experience facing the challenge of one dying before the other. It is a very difficult thing to face when you are in a very close relationship. Yet with Jesus, you and Him walk through life and just go on home.
The fault of the law being able to save is not the law. The fault is that we're not perfect. Romans 7:13-25 is Paul expressing this struggle to come to realize our imperfection. We get to that point of crying out for mercy.
There is a link between justification by faith and the things we've been talking about is understanding it relationally not doctrinally with a bunch of doctrinal terms.
Colossians 1:9-14
Jesus' blood (the cross) takes down the wall of separation (Isaiah 59). What qualifies us is not our faith but Jesus' sacrifice? Jesus' blood makes us worthy or holy for the relationship.
At a point it hits the apostle Peter, when Jesus makes the big catch when he lacked faith, that he was not worthy. When you have a conviction of sin you will eventually feel that way. Similar to Isaiah. Anyone who think they can just walk in and think they can have a relationship with the Holy God is an arrogant fool. There will come a sense of “I'm not worthy.”
Father says to the perspective son in law, “sorry, you're not worthy of my daughter.” That would be a hard reality when you must have the father's permission. We're not qualified for the relationship with Jesus. Only Jesus' blood qualifies us for the relationship.
Baptism is the wedding and consummation of the relationship. The initial stages of discipleship are like courtship. You are not saved until you are united with Jesus and come in contact with His blood.
Assignment: In 100-200 words. What is your understanding of the integration of between Paul and Jesus in discipleship? We can see a difference that clashes yet they do not clash. That is a confusion in the religious world.