Romans #2

Week 2!

I'll list the resources that I use in case you were wondering:

the Holy Spirit!

ESV Study Bible

Reformation Study Bible 

MacArthur Study Bible

KJV New Pilgrim? Bible

Matthew Henry Commentary

Precept Upon Precept

Romans 1:17-32

March 21-26, 2011

17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

·        It-refers to the gospel.

·        The imputation of righteousness happens with an exchange of sin. Christ took away this sin    on the cross, and God declares us righteous through salvation.

·        Righteousness of God or Righteousness from God? It could be referring to God’s character,  encompassing that he is holy and just. OR, it could be the legal standing that we have with  God. He makes us righteous so that we may be in harmony with Him.

·        From faith for faith just recognizes the ongoing process of faith throughout our  sanctification.  It could refer to the faith has been shown from generation to generation as  well. 

·        Christians are to continually trust in God and cling to his promises. Cite comes from Hab.  2:4. The righteous shall live by faith speaks of the endurance of the saints.

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

·       Wrath refers to anger. Although, unlike most of our anger, God’s anger is not selfish. This refers to his perfect discipline to those who do not make Him Lord. It is revealed constantly.

·       His wrath is not all bottled up until Hell; It is displayed here on earth as well.

·       The unrighteous in this passage refers to those who have CLEARLY (conscience, creation, and His word) been told the truth and choose to not accept it or tell anyone else about it. They are ignorant to the good news they have been told about and hold fast to their sin.

·       The ungodly show no respect for God, no relationship.

19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

·       There is NO poor, innocent man in the middle of an island who has no responsibility to accept Christ. There are NO innocent people. We are all sinful and guilty. God has given us a conscience and his creation to clearly show that there is a God who we are to be slaves to.

·       The written word and spoken gospel from another man is NOT required for salvation. We all rejected the evidence beginning with The Fall. God is the one who gives us understanding.

·       Eternal power: He made it all, He sustains it all. He must have great power.

·       Divine nature: faithfulness, kindness, graciousness, etc.

·       Even atheists, in times of trouble, recognize God through seeking Him or cursing Him. He will make Himself known to every person.

·       “the fault is with those who reject the evidence”

21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

·       They knew OF God, not that they knew him as Lord and Savior. They dishonored him by valuing other things over him. The creation over the creator.

·       We are commanded to give him GLORY. That’s everywhere. And to thank Him. Because EVERY good thing comes from God.

·       Futile. Selfish needs. They searched for meaning and purpose from something other than God. This only leads to frustration.  Their hearts were darkened because they did not follow the LIGHT.

22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

·       Man rationalizes sin and became a bunch of dummies because they tried to believe in their selves alone. Idols, here, refers to metal things and house gods that the people chose to worship instead of a living God.

·       Demons impersonate idols.

·       Today, our idols are more mental. We think worshipping metal statues is stupid but we have plenty other objects and thoughts that rise about our thoughts of Christ.

·       Anything to do with creeping is always shady. :)

24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

·       Because God is not going to sit and beg for us to love Him (He displayed His love PLENTY on the cross), He gives those who reject him up. He doesn’t MAKE us worship Him. He’ll let them wander, and if constant abandonment of the gospel is continuous, he will abandon them.

·       God gave them up is a judicial term. Like a prison sentence. Giving up is only recorded 3 times, ALL had to do with idolatry.

·       ALLLLL other religions are a lie. So the unrighteous exchange a perfect, righteous, living, and just God for a LIE, fake, and road to destruction. There is only one path to God. Christ is only in that path.  

26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

·      What happens when God gives you up.

·      The acts are NOT natural because God did not purpose for men and women to have relations with the same sex.

·      Consumed is a strong word. It’s an inward desire.

·      You reap what you show! They were given due penalty for their error.

28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.

·       Debased- not passing the test. God said these minds contain too much impurity…worthless….useless minds.

·       Sin is not only sexual.

32 Though they know God's decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

·       Know refers to blatant rebellion.

·       They give approval, applaud, and encourage other sins. It all goes to selfishness because this makes them feel better about their sin.

****These passages give me a hope in my walk with Christ. They challenge me to not have any of these evil qualities in my life. Yet, these verses TERRIFY me, because I have people in my life that I wish didn't have these qualities.