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Romans 9:1-33 a short commentary Daddy knows best After the highs of chapter 8 we come to chapter 9 which is probably one of the least popular chapters in the bible. It is about God and how He does things. In this chapter Paul gives a defence of God’s ways and reminds us that we are not God. Some scholars refer to a defence of God’s ways as a ‘theodicy’ though this term is defined by different people in different ways. The main difficulty with this chapter is the doctrine of election in which God seems to have selected certain individuals for salvation but not others. This raises the doctrines of predestination and of non-selection (reprobation). This chapter challenges us to recognise that God is sovereign, and we must trust in His character which love, holiness and justice. Welcome to the spiritual ‘facts of eternal life’. Paul’s Anguish Over Israel 9:1 I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit— 2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race,4 the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship, and the promises. 5 Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! [a] Amen. Paul unburdens his heart of the deep sorrow he feels for most of his fellow Jews who are cut off from Christ. It is perhaps difficult to imagine the intensity or depth of his anguish and perhaps the nearest we feel to this is when one of our nearest and dearest loved ones refuses to believe the Gospel and we fear for their eternal destiny. Paul makes it clear he would not lie about this and that the Holy Spirit confirms in Paul’s conscience that he is telling the truth. This deep sorrow and anguish in his heart is a daily ongoing heavy burden so much so that Paul declares that he would rather lose his own salvation (if that were possible-remember chapter 8) than see most of the Jews go to a lost eternity. What a heart for the lost! It is extremely hard for Paul accept the fact that God’s chosen people Israel who had all the greatest privileges given by God to any people on earth were now cut off from God. Even Jesus Christ on His mother’s side came from the patriarch David and yet the Jews were lost. How could the chosen race fail to respond to the love of God expressed through His Son Jesus Christ? God’s Sovereign Choice 6 It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. 7 Nor because they are his descendants are, they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” [b] 8 In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring. 9 For this was how the promise was stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”c God’s spoken promise to Israel does not pertain to all Israel who were Jews ethnically speaking but only to those who are Abraham’s true seed i.e. to those who have like faith with Abraham. The true line ran through Isaac and Jacob whose offspring were ‘the children of promise’. So it is not all Abraham’s natural offspring who are the recipients of God’s promise but rather the supernatural offspring like Isaac whose mother was barren. God made a clear distinction between Isaac and Ishmael though they had the same father but different mothers. 10 Not only that, but Rebekah’s children were conceived at the same time by our father Isaac. 11 Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad —in order that God’s purpose in election might stand: 12 not by works but by him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” [d] 13 Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” [e] Jacob and Esau had both the same father and the same mother and were conceived at the same time! This situation is a clear illustration of the sovereignty of Almighty God. Everything in this situation was down to God. God’s purpose in their lives is what counted. This does not mean that man has no responsibility to recognise that they have been chosen to believe the Gospel. We need to remember that God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked[1] and that God is not the author of sin. God chose Jacob but did not choose Esau. 14 What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” [f] So is Almighty God being unfair to those He did not choose? Perhaps the real question is why is it that God should choose to save anyone? Our focus should not be on why those who are the non-elect were not chosen but rather on the mercy of God that any of us should be chosen to be saved and inherit eternal life through Jesus Christ. We were not chosen because of any special merit or because we were better in any way than those who were not chosen. God’s holy and just character shows His election of some but not others cannot be in any way capricious or based on a whim. He is the potter, and we are the clay. It is not our job to put God in the dock as C S Lewis put it. It is entirely God’s call as to whom He chooses to show mercy to, and this fact is very unattractive to human nature. This is part of the ‘facts of life’ from God’s point of view and our opinion is not required. 16 It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. 17 For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” [g] 18 Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. So being chosen by God is completely down to His mercies though we do need to choose to believe His Gospel and that He has chosen us. Paul further makes his point by giving the example from Exodus of how God hardened Pharaoh’s heart. After six of the ten plagues sent by the Lord on the Egyptians God reminded Pharaoh that He could have struck all the Egyptians off the face of the earth but rather chose to show mercy although it was undeserved. God spared the Egyptians so He could continue to punish them thereby drawing attention to His power and greatness. God hardened something that was already in Pharaoh’s heart. You could say Pharaoh was ‘en route’ to a cruel decision with God simply making his desires more concrete! God knows best and yet how often we struggle to accept this! 19 One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist his will?” 20 But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” [h] 21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use? If you think all this is unfair then you fail to understand God’s will and character and that it is not the place of man to question his Creator. Is the Lord not the best judge of what to do next? He correctly makes distinctions between men raising them up or putting them down in the same way as a potter does with his clay vessels. We might not understand His actions and decisions, so we simply must trust that God knows best! 22 What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? 23 What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory — 24 even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? God has always been extremely longsuffering with sinners even those who are headed for ultimate destruction. The plagues of Egypt whilst demonstrating His wrath on Pharaoh and his people also highlighted in contrast God’s great mercy to Israel as He delivered them out of bondage. The elect Jews and Gentiles are now one people in Jesus Christ. 25 As he says in Hosea: “I will call them ‘my people’ who are not my people; and I will call her ‘my loved one’ who is not my loved one,” [i] 26 and, “In the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘children of the living God.’” [j] God’s favour will be returned to a remnant of Israel and along with a contingent of the Gentiles. God told Hosea to buy back his wife who had cheated on him as an act of great mercy and in the same way here Paul is alluding to God taking back his unfaithful wife Israel as an act of great mercy. Israel has sinned and has been punished and a remnant of them will be restored to their covenant with God. 27 Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved. The numbers of Israel were going to be greatly reduced by the then upcoming Assyrian invasion. The express ‘remnant’ also means ‘seed’. 28 For the Lord will carry out his sentence on earth with speed and finality.” [k] 29 It is just as Isaiah said previously: “Unless the Lord Almighty had left us descendants, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah.”[l] If it was not for God’s great mercy at various points in history by sparing a seed or remnant of Israel, then same type of judgement as He executed upon Sodom and Gomorrah would have been meant a total wipe out of Israel. God is not finished with Israel and has not totally rejected them. Israel’s Unbelief 30 What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. 32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone.33 As it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.” [m] What mercy God has shown to Jews and Gentiles alike in that it is by faith in Jesus Christ that persons of both groups are saved. The Gentiles were not particularly looking for salvation and the Jews were trying to earn their salvation by trying to keep the law. Jesus Christ is a stumbling block to those who refuse to believe in Him but those who put their trust in Him will never be put to shame in eternity. Our focus must always be on God’s mercy to us and not on how He deals with the unbelievers and yet ever reaching out in evangelism to find those who are the chosen and elect of God. Footnotes: Romans 9:5 Or Messiah, who is overall. God be forever praised! Or Messiah. God, who is over all, be forever praised! Romans 9:7 Gen. 21:12 Romans 9:9 Gen. 18:10,14 Romans 9:12 Gen. 25:23 Romans 9:13 Mal. 1:2,3 Romans 9:15 Exodus 33:19 Romans 9:17 Exodus 9:16 Romans 9:20 Isaiah 29:16; 45:9 Romans 9:25 Hosea 2:23 Romans 9:26 Hosea 1:10 Romans 9:28 Isaiah 10:22,23 (see Septuagint) Romans 9:29 Isaiah 1:9 Romans 9:33 Isaiah 8:14; 28:16 For full text for printout and access to other chapters please click on the link below https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/romans-9-1-33

Why should I read the Bible? When Christians read the Bible, we assume that it is the authoritative Word of God by which God can speak to the bible readers. In other words we have assumed that God inspired the writers who recorded the 66 books of the Bible. On this basis most of what has been taught so far in our first study has been full of scripture. Last time we saw that the Bible is self-consistent giving one overall message throughout its 66 books. Secondly, we defined what most fundamentalist Christians believe about the Bible, which is that we believe in the verbal, plenary, infallible, inerrant inspiration of the Bible in its original texts. However in this study we are going to perform a U- turn and instead of looking out from the Bible we are going to focus in on the Bible itself. Whenever we meet someone who thinks the Bible is merely an ancient book then we need to know how to present our evidence that the Bible is much more than that! In this study and the next we hope to give answers to the following two questions. Is there any internal evidence in the Bible that it is the Word of God? We will then consider some of the science in the scripture that was known to the writer ahead of any scientific discovery. How did God give the bible to us? How did God give the scriptures to the human writers such as Moses, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Paul etc? Turning to our first question, what evidence is there that the Bible is not just an ordinary book just like any other ancient book? There are two standards of evidence required to convince people that the Bible is a communication from God and indeed the very Word of God. The first standard of evidence (internal evidence) should be enough to convince a believer. The second standard of evidence (external evidence) is that needed to convince an unbeliever. Internal evidence: in Mark 12 Jesus acknowledges a human author but goes on to say there was a divine author working through the human author. Mark 12:26 And as touching the dead, that they rise: have you not read in the book of Moses (Exodus), how in the bush God spoke to him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? 27 He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: you therefore do greatly err. Jesus quotes Moses as the author of the scripture in Exodus but indicates here that it was God who was speaking through Moses. Jesus (quoting from Psalm 110) said in Mark 12: 36 For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The Lord said to my Lord, sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool. Notice that although Psalm 110 was written by David it was inspired by the Holy Spirit. Paul in Acts 28:25 And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spoke the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, quoting Isaiah 28:25. Paul indicates that although Isaiah wrote the passage in Isaiah 28 that it was God the Holy Spirit who spoke the words through the prophet Isaiah. There are many other examples in the both testaments where a human author is inspired by the Holy Spirit e.g. Hebrews 2:11-13 and Psalm 22 2, and Isaiah 8:18 God spoke through the ancient writers, so the scriptures were penned by the human authors as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit. As believers we believe this internal evidence of the scripture informing other scriptures. However if we present this evidence to an unbeliever, they will probably say that all the major religions have a holy book, and all believe that their God gave them their holy book. So what is so special about the bible? In our next study ‘Why should I read the Bible part 2b, we will see that the Bible contains many statements given thousands of years ago that have only recently been verified by modern science. Amen Full text for printout, video version, and access to other parts of About the bible https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/about-the-bible-part-2-a

Romans 8:1-39 a short commentary Last time in Chapter 7 we were left in an apparently hopeless situation... However chapter 8 represents the zenith of Paul’s teaching on justification by faith and describes some of the most triumphant news for the believer in the whole bible. The Chapter splits into two sections Life through the Spirit 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you [a] free from the law of sin and death. By the expression ‘no condemnation’ Paul probably means that we are neither condemned by the guilt of sin nor by sin’s ability to make us slaves. This is extremely good news. Believers in Jesus Christ have been legally released from the curse of the law. Since the believer has been made legally righteous and the Holy Spirit is at work sanctifying the believer’s life i.e. producing more holiness there is from that point no condemnation from God. The believer is fully pardoned, and God is committed to working with us to produce more holiness in our lives. The Holy Spirit is the spirit of life who imparts true life to our spirit, soul, and body. The indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit produces life , abundant life leading to eternal life in the believer. This produces a sense of victory in our hearts even when we struggle with our vestigial old sin nature whose nature is described in Chapter 7. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the sinful nature, [b] God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful humanity to be a sin offering. [c] And so he condemned sin in human flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. Man could never keep the law due to sin nature at work in his flesh. So God graciously provided another way for man to get into right standing with Him by sending His Son as a man to pay the full penalty of sin by His death on the cross. Jesus death on the cross fully met God the Father’s need for justice i.e. God’s wrath on the sin of man was fully poured out on Jesus’ flesh that is his human nature. The theological term for this is propitiation and because of this God is now able to pour out His love fully to us and through us. The indwelling Holy Spirit in the believer’s life reproduces the fruit of the Spirit which is the character of Jesus Christ which helps us be lead by the Spirit rather than according to the sinful flesh. 5 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind controlled by the sinful nature [d] is death, but the mind controlled by siding with the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The sinful mind [e] is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. If our hearts and minds are governed by the old sinful nature then they are set on this world, our flesh and the Devil. But if we side with our Daddy God and focus our lives on the leading of the Holy Spirit then God will fill us with His abundant life, peace and joy which all increase our feeling of security in God. Our deepest life is in our born again spirit and we need to take our leading from there and struggle against the old nature. This is our deepest and most true identity in our inner most man and only from here can we hope to please God in any way. We must not treat the new nature and the old nature as equals but always decide to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in our inmost being. Who is your Daddy? 9 You, however, are not controlled by the sinful nature but are in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life [f] because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of [g] his Spirit who lives in you. We believers are under the influence of the Holy Spirit and not the old nature which we need to reckon as dead. It is impossible for anyone when operating from the old nature to be able to please God. If the Holy Spirit does not reside in a person then they are not a true believer. Although our bodies will die here in this life the Holy Spirit with that same resurrection power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead will raise every true believer when this life is over. Just imagine the level of power required to be able to bring a human corpse back from death to life, hallelujah. 12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. We owe everything to our Abba Father and so with grateful hearts we ought to fulfil our responsibilities to Him by living aright in this fallen world. Notice that Paul includes himself with his brothers and sisters (leaders please note) and we together are obliged to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit to receive the blessings in life and also avoid the sins of the flesh which lead to death. Choose life! Let us keep the old nature crucified and put keep asking God to strengthen us in the struggle against it. 14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Holy Spirit leads us into the abundant family life of blessing not just in this life but in the life to come. He guides us, strengthens and empowers us to walk in the Spirit in obedience to God and to deny the lusts of the flesh. As we submit to the leading of the Holy Spirit we begin to show ‘ just who is our Daddy’ and that we are truly children of the Abba Father in Heaven. This is a lifestyle and we if we trip, slip or fall on occasion we know that if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Our Heavenly Guide helps us navigate through the minefields in our lives which produces confidence in us of His protection and also pours in strength when we need it. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.[h] And by him we cry, “Abba, [i] Father.”16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. The Holy Spirit coming into the believer does not enslave us again or produce fear but rather He produces kinship between God and us since He is the Spirit of Adoption. Here is the order God works in. He saves us, then He adopts us into His family and then He provides wonderful ongoing reassurance that we are indeed His children. The adoption Paul almost certainly has in mind here is Roman form of adoption which was commonly practiced at that time[1]. The Hebrew scriptures don’t have very much to say on the concept of adoption. The still small voice of the Holy Spirit whispers to our spirits ‘Yes, you are a child of the living God’ Our human spirits cry’s out in response ‘You are my Daddy, Father God’. This produces a tremendous reassurance in our hearts and minds and settles our souls knowing that God acknowledges us as our Father and that we can rest upon Him. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs —heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. The blessings go on and on...since we are now children of the Living God then it clearly follows that we must be heirs of God the Father and joint heirs with Jesus Christ His Son. Whatever the glorious inheritance that belongs to Jesus Christ He will surely share with us His siblings. Yes, whatever is coming to Jesus Christ He will share with you and I. This has already started in us for we now share in the abundant life of the Holy Spirit in us and through and one day He will surely resurrect us physically to everlasting life and reward. Our future inheritance will be everlasting like the resurrected life of Jesus Christ. Our future inheritance will include riches such as new name, a crown of gold; we shall reign with Him and be seated with Him in heavenly places. Paul expects that Christians will be willing to suffer for Christ’s sake not in any way to earn our redemption but rather to glorify God in any situation where we suffer because of God and His word. It is a difficult thing to say but surely it is a wonderful privilege that God allows us to suffer for His name! Present Suffering and Future Glory 8:18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Paul is suggesting that if we take all the sufferings of the godly life such as persecution, rejection, hostility, violence etc. etc. and put them into bag and then put the bag onto balance. When we put a large bag of diamonds representing what God has done in us and through us on the other pan, the weight of our sufferings will seem insignificant compare to the weight of God’s glory now and forever. Our suffering will soon be forgotten in eternity. This is Paul’s considered opinion and as such it brings tremendous comfort to all believers. It is worth noting that God’s future glory will be revealed in us. 19 The creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that [j] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. The fall of man had a devastating impact on the rest of creation which was in a sense an innocent bystander. There are now three parties groaning for and earnestly longing for complete redemption from the effects of the fall with its inbuilt decay and death. The three parties are a) the creation b) us (the believers) c) The Holy Spirit. The creation means all nature but probably excludes angels (elect and fallen), Satan and his demons and all the unbelievers. The personified creation is pictured as so longing to be set free from the bondage of decay that it ‘sticks its head forward’ actively seeking the revealing of the sons of God. The glory of the whole creation will be restored at this time, imagine the beautiful pre-fall perfume of roses and them without thorns. Imagine no more infections or disease and no need to kill and eat other creatures [2]. Man when he fell robbed the creation of God’s glory but it will be redeemed man revealed as sons of God that will herald in the redemption of the creation. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. In the same as the creation groans so does our human spirit .As believers we have the deposit of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us who empowers our own spirits to groan for the display of our resurrection bodies which will make publicly manifest that we are indeed truly adopted by our heavenly Daddy. We have not received absolutely our entire salvation package at once but are living in hope for the redemption of our bodies and to see the restored creation. As stated previously, biblical hope means an absolute certainty. The indwelling Holy Spirit produces his fruit of patience in us as we wait. 26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. It often happens that due to our human limitations that we are not sure how or what to pray or even to know what the Lord’s will in the matter is. Some prayer situations are clear but in others we need the Holy Spirit to guide us in the prayer. The exact mechanism of how this works is unclear but we know that the omniscient Holy Spirit groans in us and influences us to groan in turn that lets us pray God’s perfect will into our prayer situation. We can always trust the Holy Spirit to guide our prayers and make them highly effective in bringing God’s will to the particular situation. 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who [k] have been called according to his purpose. Whatever happens in our lives whether good or bad we know that we can be absolutely certain that God has ordained that whatever comes at us that He will eventually use it and turn it around into an eternal blessing. This is a sure promise to all people who have been called into His royal family. God has ordained that His circle of blessing will encompass our whole lives for His greater purposes. God has a plan for you. God has a wonderful and detailed plan for your life. Probably the only thing that can thwart God’s plan for your life is you! God knew you when you were still in your mother’s womb. Even then your Daddy was picturing that glorious golden crown on your head. He has predetermined that one day that you would shine the glory light on Him during your earthly life. Our Daddy wants us to have the same type of character as our big brother Jesus. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. God’s actively delights in rolling out His master plan for each believer’s life. Paul describes God’s plan in 5 stages (some have called this the chain of salvation [3] and each link is used in a way where the predicate of one link becomes the subject of the next link [4]. God always knew which human beings would accept His wonderful gift of salvation and set a clear path for them which will lead them to be truly like Jesus Christ our pre-eminent big brother! These same pre-destined believers each received the measure of faith and answered the call of God on their lives. When they answered God’s call they were made legally righteous before God through Christ i.e. were brought into full legal right standing with God. Those who are thus justified then enter into Christ’s glory, partly in this life and fully at the resurrection of the just. More Than Conquerors through the all pervasive love of God 8:31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? So knowing that all that the Living God has done in us and for us who would dare to mess with His kids? God singlehandedly outnumbers all His enemies. He is our protector. When anything or anybody comes at us against us they must reckon with the Lord God almighty our Daddy and our Protector. 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? If God gave His most precious thing i.e. His Son to die for us why should He hold anything lesser thing back from us? Think of Jesus’ agony on the cross and he cries out ‘My God, My God why have you forsaken me’? and the price that was paid by both Father and Son. Therefore what a tremendous promise to us that He will give us all things (spiritual and material) in the knowledge He has already been willing to give His most precious thing. 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then can condemn? No one. Christ Jesus who died —more than that, who was raised to life —is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. This is a rhetorical question and asks who would be fool enough to bring charges against those elect people who were chosen by God and even if someone dared to bring a charge against them they should know that Jesus Christ has been interceding for the believer all along. Whose will do you think will prevail when the believer is attacked man or fallen angel? 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? This agape love of God is so all powerful and all pervasive that no-one or nothing can get in between us and our Daddy’s love for us. Mental affliction and distress won’t do it. Persecution won’t do it and neither will physical deprivation or danger or even the threat of death. Paul knew what he was talking about from personal experience. 36 As it is written [5]:“For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” All our suffering for the sake of Christ including facing the prospect of death for His sake can only ultimately bring us closer to Him. Such suffering is not a loss but a profit. How great will our reward in heaven be when these things happen to us because of our relationship with Jesus Christ? 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, [m] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. A conqueror defeats his enemy but a super-conqueror not only defeats his enemy but makes the enemy work for him. We can find evidence for this in v28 where we see that all the good and bad things we experience that God will use them all for our eternal benefit. Jesus Christ has brought us into this place of sharing with Him in being super-conquerors. Paul was convinced of many such things and so should we. Death now has to work for us by ushering us into God’s immediate presence. The outrageous slings and arrows of life only bring us closer to God. Even the fallen angels including Satan are not powerful enough to get in between us and God’s love and their various deception, attacks and ploys simply cannot break God’s love from off of us. Time is also on our side, our past has been forgiven, our present is being ordered by God and our future and the creation’s future has been pre-determined by God. No threat from heavens or the depths of hell are strong enough to break the bonds of love between our Daddy God and his children. God has it all under control and has sworn that every setback and difficulty will eventually produce ultimate blessing for His children. Absolutely nothing can separate you from the love of God. Footnotes: Romans 8:2 The Greek is singular; some manuscripts me Romans 8:3 Or the flesh; also in verses 4, 5, 8, 9, 12 and 13 Romans 8:3 Or humanity, for sin Romans 8:6 Or mind set on the flesh Romans 8:7 Or the mind set on the flesh Romans 8:10 Or you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive Romans 8:11 Some manuscripts bodies through Romans 8:15 The Greek word for adoption to sonship is a term referring to the full legal standing of an adopted male heir in Roman culture. Romans 8:15 Aramaic for Father Romans 8:21 Or subjected it in hope. 21 For Romans 8:28 Or that all things work together for good to those who love God, who; or that in all things God works together with those who love him to bring about what is good—with those who... Romans 8:36 Psalm 44:22 Romans 8:38 Or nor heavenly rulers [1] W Hendricksen New Testament Commentary on Romans pages 258-259 [2] 2 Peter 3:13, Rev 21:5 and Isaiah 11 6. [3] W Hendriksen NT Commentary Romans page 282. [4] Ibid This literary device employed here is called ‘sorities’ [5] Psalm 44:22 Full text for printout plus access to other chapters at https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/romans-8-1-39

How do we know it is real? Possible objections to the authority of the Bible If we reject the authority of the Bible, then we appoint someone or something else as the authority for your own faith. We can usually agree that some parts of the scripture are true, but which ones will we accept, and which ones will we reject? We need to pray to the Lord that He will show us what is the truth in the Bible. At this stage, new believers will come to understand that their view of the scriptures will be directly affected by their view of God. If you think that God is distant, and never speaks directly or communicates with people then you will doubt that he communicates through the Bible and directly with us. We need to realize that God both speaks to mankind and that he has written a book specifically for his children i.e. the Bible. The Bible is self-consistent all through its 66 books since it is God who wrote it in tandem with the human authors (see study 2 for more details). God communicates with humans. A few examples of God speaking to humans. Genesis 1:28 God speaks to Adam and Genesis 3:9 God asks Adam, where are you? Genesis 6:13 God tells Noah the technical specifications of the ark. Genesis 12:1 The Lord speaks to Abraham. Deuteronomy 5:22 Two million people heard God, and we learn that the finger of God performs the writing of the ten commandments on the tablets. Exodus31:18 We can read the ten commandments written by God. God is a communicating God. Are you listening? God is a God who intervenes, like in our salvation experience. What do we believe about the Bible? 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God as the authors were moved by the Holy Spirit, we therefore believe that the Bible in its original manuscripts (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek) is without error and therefore it is historically and scientifically true. This view is less popular nowadays. You may wish to look up the lower and higher critics to see how they (former) defend or in the latter case attack the Bible (the JEDP authorship of the Pentateuch). The Bible says in many places that Moses wrote the Pentateuch [1]. In other words, we believe in the verbal, plenary, infallible, inerrant inspiration of the Bible. Why verbal? Some people came along and said, well, the Bible contains truth, but It is not the real words of God that God spoke. Oh yes, it is. We believe in the verbal inspiration of the Bible i.e. that God spoke these very words. Why plenary? The Bible was spoken by God. Did he just miss a little bit out? No all of it (the full scripture in the OT and the NT) was spoken by God. The Bible is filled with the words of God. Why infallible? The Bible is the good rule for our lives. It is the only rule that we have for our lives although this is unpopular with many people. 4. Why Inerrant? This means it is without error, in the original manuscripts. By the way, if you say any part of this has error in it, then why should you believe any of it? So that is what we believe. The Bible is the verbal, plenary, infallible, inerrant, and inspired word of God. God breathed it. That is the word of God that we believe. It is OK to get excited about the Word of God. What a wonderful book. The Bible has 66 books, 1189 chapters every one of them given by God. That is what we believe. Written in three languages. Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek and written over a period of 1600 years. That is the time span between the books written by 40 authors over 60 generations, and the authors are all entirely different types of people. And yet they all agree the Bible is the inspired Word of God. Amen Full text for print and video version at https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/about-the-bible-part-1-b Questions to be answered in Part 2 Why should I read the Bible? Is there any indication in the Bible that it is the Word of God? We will consider some of the science in the scripture that was known to the writers of the Bible thousands of years ahead of the relevant scientific discovery. How did God give the bible to us? [1] Romans 10:5 "For Moses describes the righteousness, which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.

Romans 7:1-25 a short commentary Released From the Law, Bound to Christ Last time in Chapter 6 we saw that when Jesus Christ died for our sins then our old sinful nature is reckoned to have died with Jesus Christ. The old sinful nature has got various names such as the ‘old man of the flesh’ etc. If our old sinful nature is treated as a corpse then it should not be responding to temptations from the world the flesh and the devil. Paul tells the church that we must consider or reckon the old nature as dead to sin. This is because we have a new master, we have a new Daddy, we have a new future, and we have a new past. Our new family identity is in God’s family through Christ. We have been transferred from the lineage of Adam to the lineage of Jesus Christ and in our new family we set our hearts on the heavenly things that are above. Our new lives are in some way hidden in Christ i.e. we are ‘in Christ’. Now that we are indeed new creations in Christ we should offer all our hearts, all our soul and mind and all our bodily faculties/abilities to God to be His instruments or weapons of righteousness. That means placing our whole beings at God’s disposal praying ‘Lord take my whole spirit soul and body and use them for your glory’. This helps me to begin to understand when Paul says ‘it is no longer I that live but Christ that lives in me’ [1]. To be able to do this we need empowering by the Spirit and in pouring of grace. Every human being serves someone either God or the evil one. Paul then used the then every day example of how a slave could be exchanged from one master to another showing that we have been exchanged from our old master (sin) to our new master (Jesus Christ).The old master paid terrible wages (death) whilst our new master (Jesus Christ) gifts us eternal life. Seems like a good exchange to me! Remember who your Daddy is and don’t let Satan steal your new identity in Christ that His life’s blood purchased for you. In chapter 7 we consider why if we are able to reckon our old man of the flesh to be dead to sin then just why is it we battle so much with the temptation to sin in our daily lives? In this chapter Paul is mainly speaking about the natural life i.e. life before the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. 7:1 Do you not know, brothers and sisters--for I am speaking to those who know the law--that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives? 2 For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him. 3 So then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man. 4 So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. 5 For when we were controlled by our sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death. 6 But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code. Paul now lovingly describes to his dear brothers and sisters just how our glorious liberty as the sons of God actually works. Paul is tenderly pleading with his brothers and sisters to move on from any doubt that they needed to keep the law to be saved. When a person dies they are no longer under the law of God or indeed the law of the land. In the movies a cop never books a corpse. Paul now gives an everyday example of what it means when death brings a freedom from a law. In God’s eyes marriage is a solemn l covenant between one man and one woman for life. If either party violates that covenant by marrying another then they have broken God’s law in this matter. However although marriage is a solemn covenant it does not extend beyond life. So if a widow desires to marry then neither God’s law nor indeed the law of the land forbids this. So in the same way that death dissolves the marriage, so when we died in Christ we too were set free from our ‘marriage’ with sin and were free to ‘marry’ the Lord. Sin is our ‘Ex’. Jesus Christ fully paid our debt to the law. When we belong to or ‘marry’ Jesus Christ it is God’s intention that our marriage will bear fruit for God. That love of Christ that is poured into our hearts day by day is producing fruit, the character of Jesus Christ in our lives. The unbelievers see this fruit and are drawn to it and want to taste it. These truths should make our hearts beat faster and be filled with gratitude to the Lord. Notice how Paul changes from ‘you’ to ‘we’ as Paul identifies with his brothers and sisters. V5 When sin was our old boss and we heard the law (10 commandments) something in human nature causes us to rebel against the law and produce dead works in our lives e.g. envy, greed or violence V6 but when the old sin nature dies in Christ we are released from the power of the written law and are now empowered by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The Law and Sin 7:7 What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not![2] Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "You shall not covet." 8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. 9 Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death.11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. 12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good. 13 Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful. V7 Paul here reminds us that the law (10 commandments) were not the problem but as we saw earlier in Romans were given by God to show men just how sinful we really are and the law exposed sin in all its ugliness. When we come up against any law something in human nature wants to break the rules; do not walk on the grass, wet paint -do not touch, no mobile phones seem to produce the exact reactions that are forbidden! It is interesting to consider why was it Paul chose as his example from the law ‘coveting’? This was the last of the 10 commandments [3]. Was this possibly his own weakness? We saw previously that the law could be used as a mirror to see our true moral/spiritual condition. If we look in the mirror of the law and see a dirty face then it is you or I not the mirror that has the problem! V9 There was a time in Paul’s life when he was blissfully unaware of his tendency to covet and it was only when Paul became fully aware as he studied the law that he should not covet that his sin nature started coveting all sorts of things. This produces death to the self life which causes us to begin to realise we will never earn our salvation through works. The law exposes our sinfulness. V10 the law reveals man as utterly fallen and sinful but reveals God as righteous, holy and sinless. Naturally speaking we are totally unable to keep God’s law and the sooner we catch on the better. We need help, we need God’s help. Please note how many times in v14-25 Paul uses the word ‘I’ or ‘me’ etc. This is that evidence that he is describing his personal battle of the ‘old man’ of the flesh versus his inner man (spirit). 14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. V14 the law of God is perfect but Paul as a believer is not (neither are we). He is a saint who struggles to keep the old sin nature at bay in his life [4]. V15 Paul finds himself from time to time doing and saying things that as a man of God he hates. This is the old sin nature rising up in him. V16 In his heart Paul agrees with the indwelling Holy Spirit that God’s law is good. Do not give the old nature squatter's rights! V17-20 Paul makes the distinction that in his innermost being i.e. his heart, his spirit and deepest and truest person he strongly desires to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit but sometimes find that his old sin nature has been calling the shots. The old nature is the culprit, the sinner and the actual offender. The old nature is the wicked squatter [5] in our bodies. We must not grant squatter’s rights to our old man, they must be removed somehow. V21 The sin nature is crouching at the door of our hearts and minds just waiting for a half chance to get in there and do his evil works , trying to turn our good ideas into evil deeds. V22-23 Deep in his heart Paul delights in the holy and perfect commandments of God and wants to please His Daddy God for all His goodness. Paul like all believers has been regenerated in his spirit which is now the real you. Who is the real you? In our born again hearts day by day we are being transformed into the image of Christ. The old nature generates a principle that strives to govern Paul and wants to place all his faculties to be used in sinful ways i.e. when we use our speech, hands , feet etc as weapons of evil. Paul longs to serve God directly out of his heart unhampered by the old sin nature. V24 Paul bitterly complains that he simply wants to serve the Lord completely and whole heartedly to which our hearts will cry Amen. Paul in his distress cries is there an answer to this constant battle between his heart and his old nature? V25 Some commentators think that Paul is talking about a final victory of the old nature when we die and go to heaven. Whilst this idea does give a little comfort I don’t think it fully explains Paul’s exclamation of thanksgiving. The intruder or squatter in our lives who is the old man of the flesh needs to be dealt with each day we live. I believe that Paul’s exclamation of thanksgiving is that he had a revelation of how we gain the victory in the battle between the flesh and the spirit. That revelation is that through Jesus Christ we have the indwelling Holy Spirit who pours love and grace into our hearts thus empowering us to walk in the Spirit and deny the lusts of the flesh [6]. Yes our Daddy God has provided us with the power to walk in victory each day of our lives, will you use it? Amen a. Romans 7:5 - Or "by the flesh" b. Romans 7:7 - Exodus 20:17; Deut. 5:21 c. Romans 7:18 - Or "my flesh" d. Romans 7:25 - Or "in the flesh" [1] Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. [2] Greek meganoito; God forbid or ‘your premise has merit but your conclusion is wrong’. [3] Exodus 20:17 “You shall not covet your neighbour's house. You shall not covet your neighbour's wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.” [4] Galatians 5:16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever [c] you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. [5] W Hendricksen NT commentary on Romans page 234 [6] Romans 8:1-4 Full text for printout please lick on the link below https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/romans-7-1-25

How do you know the Bible is real? Immediately after my conversion, I assumed that the Bible would require me to set my scientific/logical thinking aside and believe the Bible against all evidence! What a thrill (and relief) it was when I was advised to read the Gospel of John chapter John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. I was amazed that the Bible seemed at first glance to way above anything I was expecting or even hoped for! How were your own first interactions with the Bible? Sooner or later you will be sharing your faith with someone who will challenge your belief in the authority of the Bible. They will ask how we can accept the Bible which is an ancient book and be willing to allow it to direct our lives. New believers might be a bit flummoxed by this although they have usually realized since their conversion that the Bible is true. At this point do not fret because God has given us a solid foundation for our belief in the Bible as God’s word. Here is what you need to know. 1 Peter 3:15, KJV: "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:" This scripture tells us that we should always be ready to explain why we have faith for salvation because our hope is in Jesus Christ. Please note we are required to explain our faith with gentleness and respect even if our faith seems irrational to our enquirer! In such a situation we ought to neither be condescending nor angry with the person. The facts We have all met people who have the attitude of ‘do not confuse me with the facts! No one likes to hear such a response, because Christians should not be the kind of people who have made up our minds without considering the facts of the matter! Sure we may not have all the answers, but we are willing to address genuine questions about our faith. We usually come to faith and then begin to understand the Bible but the enquirer about the Bible has not yet had that experience. By way of some background, have you heard the story about the three cats, two of which are very short-sighted on the garden wall? [1] Three cats — named Fact, Faith, and Feelings (or experience) — walk along a high garden wall. If Faith follows Fact (the clear sighted one), and Feelings follows Faith, all is well. But if the cats get the order wrong, all three take a tumble. The message is clear: feelings must come last, and facts first and so with our Christian walk. The point of the story is that our Bible is full of facts and it is facts that keep us on the wall. The Bible is a mainly historical document filled with factual details including long lists of genealogies of people who lived in history, Surely, any rational person will agree that the Bible is or looks like a historical document and as such ought to be taken seriously. A good starting point with the Bible, is to find a scripture that you do believe to be true in your own experience e.g. Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. or perhaps, 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. This can be a foothold into a wider belief that the Bible is true and is the Word of God. Amen In our next short study 'How do we know the Bible is real 1'(b)', we consider ‘Possible objections to the authority of the Bible’ and ‘What do we believe about the Bible’? [1] The last of three felines on a wall by Martyn Percy The Church Times, 21 June 2011 For full text and printout click on link below https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/about-the-bible

Jacky Wilson - Thought for Resurrection Sunday This portion of Scripture details how the women go to the Lord’s tomb very early in the morning taking with them the spices they had prepared. (Passover had now finished, when the Israelites remember their freedom from under the yoke of slavery to the Egyptians.) These women all have names, and they all have stories. Mary Magdalene was among them. The Lord had cast seven demons out of Mary; then there was Joanna, whom Jesus had healed, a wealthy woman in her own right who helped support Jesus’ travels and preaching from her own financial means. Her husband was a manager in King Herod’s household. Then there was Mary, the mother of Jesus. From the cross Jesus entrusted his widowed mother to John’s care, and she was to live in his home. Also, Salome (the mother of James and John). Then there was Mary the mother of James and the mother of another apostle chosen by Jesus who also walked to the tomb with the other women. What was going through their minds? Were they remembering and talking about the events of the past few days? Just three days earlier Jesus had been betrayed and sentenced to death. The betrayal had broken their hearts. First, their long-awaited Messiah was dead. Second, one of their trusted leaders, one of the Twelve, had sold Jesus for just 30 pieces of silver. Were they concerned how they would roll the very heavy stone away, or did it not enter their minds, were they just concerned with anointing Jesus' body with spices as was custom for the Jewish People as they did not embalm the dead? As the women approached the tomb, they found the stone rolled away. What was going through their minds? Panic? Fear? Has anything happened to Jesus’ body? Mary Magdalene took off running; she ran to Peter and John. The other women stayed. Then suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. The women bowed their faces to the ground. They bowed in reverence. The men said to the women “Why are you looking for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you these things, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’” Then the women remembered Jesus words …. For full text for print out please click on link below https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/luke-24-5-why-are-you-looking-for-the-living-amongst-the-dead

Romans 6:1-23 a short commentary Dead to sin, Alive to Christ Last time in Chapter 5 we saw that when a person believes in Jesus Christ, God declares them to be legally in right standing with Himself thus bringing peace into their relationship with Him. We can thank the Lord today that we are at peace with Him through faith in Jesus Christ. God is able to work through all the sufferings in our lives to produces perseverance which develops character which in turn produces hope. Biblically speaking hope is not ‘maybe it will happen, maybe it won’t happen’ but is rather a case of, what God has said or promised is absolutely certain to happen. This biblical hope in turn increases our faith and the whole cycle is driven by the love of Christ which is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. This is how the fruit of the Spirit is produced. Paul marvelled at the depth and quality of God’s love as showed in His willingness to give His Son’s life for the spiritually dead and totally hopeless mankind. Chapter 5 is one of the big love passages in the bible right up there with 1 Corinthians 13. Paul then explained the parallel that as death came into the world through one man (Adam) so through the one man Jesus Christ did eternal life come into the world. This eternal life begins the minute a person believes in the wonderful sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cruel cross of Calvary. Sin is no longer our daddy, Abba Father is now our Daddy. In the whole bible Romans chapters 6-8 probably provide the most detailed teaching on how to walk in victory in the Christian life. 6:1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Paul poses the question, so if this salvation is all about faith then does it matter how we live in terms of our morality and obedience to God? Can’t we just keep sinning and take the grace of God for granted? This would be a serious heresy (Antinomianism) and was practised by Rasputin the Russian monk. Surely after all that God has done for us transforming us from His enemies to His friends that we ought to live holy or set apart lives? The French have a saying ‘noblesse oblige’ which means that people of high status should act accordingly. We have been born again for such a time as this and are joint heirs with Jesus Christ, we are kings and priests, part of holy nation surely we should live a suitable life in obedience and separation to God? Are we doing that today? As the Holy Spirit is pouring the love of God into our hearts surely we should be getting sanctified progressively. 3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. By baptism our personal relationship with God is brought into the death of Christ. This removes guilt from us and empowers us to fight against sin in our lives. As that majestic power of God the Father raised Jesus Christ from the dead, so will that very same majestic power of God begin to transform each one of us believers into a new life of victory over sin. 5 If we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. Because we are reckoned to have died with Christ we can also be resurrected with Him into a wonderful new life of victory in Him and with Him. When we walk in the Spirit we are living in the revelation of this new life and are able to receive the power of the Holy Spirit . Who is your Daddy, Sin or God? Remember which family you are in and act accordingly. We must not wallow in the sins of the old self life thinking that grace will increase. This is what Bonhoeffer called ‘cheap grace’. This is clearly against the purpose of our new life. The old man of the flesh has been crucified with Christ but we need to keep him crucified at all times! As Galatians 2:20 says I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. V6 the ‘body of sin’ means our ‘old self’. The regeneration of our spirits means that we should no longer delight in sin which means we should never be at home or comfortable with sin in our own lives. Who is your Daddy? V7 A dead body can’t be tempted by delicious food, drugs , alcohol or an attractive person of the opposite sex. So if we are really dead with and in Christ, we should consider our old man dead to the various temptations around us. Picture a corpse being tempted! 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. As a result of Christ’s death for us our old man dies and we are spiritually alive and in fellowship with Him. This has been made possible because after death Jesus Christ has been resurrected to an indestructible and everlasting life. Death could not hold the Holy Sinless Son of God, Hallelujah. Death could not be His daddy nor exercise lordship over Him. Jesus Christ is your new boss; your old masters of sin and death are completely defeated. You are under new management. What a Lord! 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. We serve a Living Saviour who died once and for all for our sins. This has settled the sin matter forever. Jesus glorified the Father on earth and totally completed all the work the Father had given Him. In the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, Jesus says ‘I was dead but behold I am alive forever and I hold the keys of death and hell. The sacrificial death of Jesus Christ was indeed a once and for all time sacrifice that completely purchased the forgiveness of all sins, for all men, for all time,,,but only if they believe... The life Jesus Christ now lives, He lives fully to God. This means it is no longer ‘distracted’ on the sin problem of man but rather is fully focused on the Father and the church. What about you, who are you living for? Jesus Christ today ever lives to make intercession for the saints that you and I, the set-apart ones. 11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. In principle we are already dead to sin through our baptism and must apply this to our flesh when the various temptations come against us. We have risen with Christ, have been made righteous and have God’s love being poured into our hearts. Our identity is in Christ not in the world, nor in the flesh nor in the devil. We should respond to temptation out of the new creation not the old man of the flesh. We are no longer of Adam’s lineage but now are in Christ’s lineage. God is your Daddy and He is Lord and reigns in your heart and soul so let us keep the flesh well and truly crucified. This can be achieved in various ways for instance in Colossians 3:1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. Did you know that Christians can still sin? Christians may not be sinless but we should sin less! We need to refuse to surrender to our fleshly passions and inclinations as weapons for wickedness but rather use all our faculties to serve the Living God. Offer Him our body parts as righteous weapons for His exclusive service. You are a soldier for Christ, use all your weapons for Him as our Commander. It is a straight choice whether you will use your weapons for wickedness or righteousness. The power of the Holy Spirit is available right now and He is able to keep us from falling. Oh what can little hands (eyes, lips, and hearts) to please the King of Heaven[1]? Satan has entirely different options for the use of your bodily functions. How do you think he wants you to use them? Remember which family your are in, remember which army you are in, remember who your Daddy is. Our family does things our Daddy’s way. Our Daddy pours His grace into us enabling us to live His way and do things His way. Grace is the key to success in our spiritual life. Slaves to Righteousness 15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! Paul again poses the same question as in verses one and two. The answer of course is absolutely not.16 Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey--whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance.18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. Sin progressively hypnotises and thus enslaves the human heart and mind (how do you boil a frog?). After some time the enslaved person will become unable to exercise his free will choice not to commit that particular sin. It is a bit like our conscience being dulled to repeated sin and eventually becoming seared and senseless to the evil we are committing. No man has no master i.e. is totally independent as his own boss. No man has no Daddy. Either sin against God or obedience to God will be our master. Whose slave are you? Who is your Daddy? God or sin? V17 Paul thanks God for His grace that He has set the believers free from the power of sin and empowered us to obey the structured teachings of the Gospel in a whole hearted way. We are no longer under the cruel master called sin but we are willingly enslaved by righteousness i.e. now we can know true freedom from the power of sin because we have exchanged our service to the cause of righteousness. Sin is no longer our master, Hallelujah. We might make an occasional slip but our lives should not be dominated by Sin. 19 I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. At the time of writing in the Roman Empire, slaves being bought and sold and transferred from one master to another was an everyday occurrence and this is why Paul used this concept of an ‘exchange of masters’ to illustrate to the Romans the point he was making but in a way they could grasp this important spiritual truth. Incidentally good bible teaching should still be delivered in a way that can be grasped by the hearers and this can be challenging at times. We must no longer offer our faculties as in the service of the world, the flesh and the Devil but rather use all our abilities, heart and strength to pursue righteous living thus promoting holiness. The need to serve our new Master is in a sense pressing and urgent.... 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of ? Those things result in death! When we were slaves to sin we were enemies of righteousness. But now that we are servants of righteousness we have become enemies of sin. These two states are mutually exclusive. Sin is not the boss of you anymore. Sin no longer has you in its power. Sin is not your Daddy. No man can serve two masters [2]. We should love our Daddy and hate our old Master. When we consider our lives under the our old Master when we were enslaved by sin, taken captive at will, we are deeply ashamed of all of the wickedness in thought and deed but only now can we see they were bringing down the path to death, physical death followed by eternal death.22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. You have now exchanged your old life of guilt and shame; a life of bondage, a life enslaved by sin for the wonderful freedom in Christ and are now servants of the Living God. Your former wages of sin your Master was not just death, but everlasting death. You are now a love slave of God but He is the Good and Kind Master who came to give you abundant life and He gently leads you into a life of purity and separation and His gift (not wages-because we could not earn it) is everlasting life. God sets life and death before sinful and tells them to choose life. What a tremendous comfort to know that each believer will enjoy Jesus Christ forever. This is truly amazing grace. In Christ we have a new Father. In Christ we have new family In Christ we have a new Master. In Christ we have a new future. In Christ we have a new ‘past’ In Christ we move from the lineage of Adam to the lineage of Christ. In Christ we have a new lifestyle. Don’t let Satan commit identity theft of your new life and give you back to old obsolete life. Your old man is dead let’s keep him that way! [1] What can little hands do ? Grace W. Hinsdale, 1895. Buds and Blossoms for the Little Ones Oh, what can little lips do To please the King of heaven? The little lips can praise and pray, And gentle words of kindness say :Such grace to mine be given! [2] Matthew 6:24 Full text for printout and access to the other chapters please click on the link below https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/romans-6-1-23

Romans 5:1-21 a short commentary Peace and Hope Last time in Chapter 4 Paul clearly demonstrated that we are justified by faith and not by the outward sign of circumcision (as a token of obedience to the Law). Paul provided a time line that clearly showed that Abraham was justified by believing God several years before he himself was circumcised. Paul then quoted from Psalm 32 showing that David had made a link between the forgiveness of sins and being made righteous. After David’s sins of adultery and murder in the ‘Bathsheba-Gate’ scandal we see that he greatly rejoiced that his sins were forgiven and so can we also rejoice today that our sins are forgiven through Jesus Christ. But salvation is much more than the forgiveness of our sins and includes many other things including eternal life. We then saw that Abraham is truly the father of all who believe God and are credited as righteous both then and now. This is how God fulfilled His promise to Abraham that through him all the nations would be blessed i.e. Abraham set the example of how get into right standing with God by simply believing what He says. Abraham did not stagger at God’s promises though they were not supported by his five senses but rather was fully persuaded that what God had promised he would surely deliver. So should we, like our Father Abraham remember to keep believing, to keep being fully persuaded to keep our dreams and destinies alive in faith knowing that God will keep His promises. 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we [a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we [b] boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we [c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. When someone believes in Jesus Christ as part of their new right standing with God they become at peace with God which then helps them to receive the peace of God (which passes all understanding). We were formerly at war with God and because of this were objects of His wrath but now we are reconciled to Him His peace is in our hearts. This wonderful salvation package is a free gift from God to a totally undeserving mankind. We should notice that faith, hope and love are found together in these verses. The process found here is something like this, when we have faith, then this produces hope which in turn allows God to pour His love into our hearts. This should produce cycles of blessing in us and through to our fellow man. Please note that biblical hope in the context of whether something might happen or not is an absolute certainty not just a possibility. Biblical hope will not disappoint us, because ‘it is moored to the throne of grace’[1] it is anchored within the veil where our great High Priest ever lives to make intercession for us. When the trials and sufferings come in our lives often revealing our weaknesses then we can take great heart that the Holy Spirit is pouring His love into our hearts providing the strength not only to get through the trial but actually makes us stronger characters as well. This character thus produced in turn increases our hope in God and increases our certainty in His promises. This increasing hope recycles to increasing faith and so the cycle goes on and is driven by the love poured into our hearts. The Proven character of His servants is very valuable to God as it makes us of greater service to Him. 6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. These verses are right up there with 1 Corinthians 13 in trying to explain the Love of God. At the exact time appointed by God Himself whilst we were spiritually dead in our trespasses and sins Jesus Christ gave His very life for mankind who were absolutely without any hope or means of salvation. What kind of love is this that gives it very life for utterly sinful people devoid of any good, cringing beggars spiritually speaking and under the sentence of the wrath of God? Perhaps the very best human beings might just be willing to give their lives for a ‘good’ person but Jesus Christ gave His life for the evil, the very evil and the completely fallen mankind just like you and I used to be. He took our death sentence in our place. This wonderful ‘agape’ love of God is as one bible teacher has said, is ‘causeless, measureless and ceaseless'. [i] 9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. The offering of Jesus’ blood as the ‘sacrificial lamb’ of God not only purchased us legal right standing before God but also turned away the deserved wrath of God on sinful mankind including you and I. Furthermore Jesus’ blood also brought us into a personal blood covenant relationship with the Living God. God has befriended His enemies by providing reconciliation of sinful man to the Holy God. Today with Paul we can boast that God has reconciled us as His former enemies to become friends of the Living God. Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ 12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned— Sin entered mankind into our first ancestor Adam and all our DNA to some extent is descendant from him because we were ‘in him’. It seems that our ‘ sin nature’ comes via our natural father but is expressed in both sexes. If this is not the case how then could Jesus born of a woman be ‘sinless’? Paul uses verses 12-17 to bring a discourse on the universality of sin. 13 To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come. Sin entered into Adam in the Garden of Eden when he wilfully disobeyed God. As all men inherit that same sin nature from our first father Adam so the death principle also passes to all mankind. The wages of sin is death and the seed of death having been passed to all human beings is ready to kick in as we start to practice sin. It is not clear exactly which sins the people who lived and died between Adam and Moses (a period of around 2500 years)but my guess it would be the same ones that mankind commonly practices e.g. lying , stealing , cheating etc. Note that death reigned like a king! The law that Adam broke was specifically disobeying the voice of God and so sin existed long before the giving of the Mosaic Law. The one thing that Adam has in common with Jesus Christ is that their actions affected or potentially affected all mankind. Through Adam all men will die but through Jesus Christ all men (who believe) can have eternal life. 15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16 Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ! In startling contrast we see that the one terrible deed of Adam which brought the curse of death on mankind is completely cancelled out by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. This free pardon from the power of sin overflows as God’s free gift to all who will believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. This terrible link between sin and death has broken through faith in Jesus Christ. ‘Death reigned’ means that death condemned all men as sinners and had the last word in a human life , death was the ‘boss’ of us. But when we call upon the Lord Jesus Christ we are under new management and He becomes our new boss and leads us into everlasting life. 18 Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. Paul returns to his theme in verse 12 now showing that the effects of the disobedience of one man Adam are overcome by the obedience of one man Jesus Christ. This is confirmed in 1 Corinthians 15:21 For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a human being. God gave the Mosaic Law not to increase sin numerically speaking but rather to ‘magnify’ its visibility and hence to make it and its effects more clearly seen . So using the law was like shining a light on sin making it more easy to see. As well as making sin more of a ‘stand out’ the law also shows mankind that they were (and still are) unable to keep the law. This then makes mankind much more aware of the grace of God when we see that we are unable to keep His laws and that God has done for us through Jesus Christ what we could never do for ourselves. This wonderful salvation is still available to all those who call upon the name of the Lord. So where sin increases God steps up His grace that it might still be available to all who call upon His name. In summary, the Law; 1. Increases the knowledge and awareness of sin. 2. Directs the sinner’s attention towards the need for God’s grace 3. Guides the forgiven sinner into gratitude towards God. 4. Acts as a restraint on sinful actions. 5:21 Sin as the ‘boss’ of fallen man has the last word by bringing death to all sinners. When Jesus Christ died on the cross for sinners He became the new ‘boss’ of believers and showed who was really in charge. Until Jesus Christ sin brought spiritual and physical death and eventually eternal death. God’s grace in the person of Jesus Christ met sin in a head on clash and completely defeated it praise God. The person who believes in Jesus Christ is declared righteous by God and he/she begins their eternal life from that exact moment though most of us may still experience physical death. This wonderful salvation however was achieved at huge cost when the holy, sinless Lamb of God gave His very life blood (all of it) on the cross at Calvary. We can tell the people of your city, town, or village about this marvellous love and the grace of God that is stronger than death which is just as effective for them today and we can introduce them to our new ‘boss’ Jesus Christ. How rightly do we sing of the amazing grace of God. Let’s spread the Good News. Amen Footnotes: Romans 5:1 Many manuscripts let us Romans 5:2 or let us Romans 5:3 or let us [1] William Hendriksen New Testament Commentary on Romans. [i] Ken Boa Studies in Romans Chapter 5. Full text for print out and access to other chapters please click https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/romans-5-1-21

Will a working knowledge of our Hebraic roots help us understand the Scriptures? SHOULD CHRISTIANS STUDY THE HEBRAIC ROOTS OF THE BIBLE? The first question I would pose would be why not? I don’t understand people who call themselves ‘New Testament Christians’ or the churches called ‘New Testament...’ The ‘New’ Testament is only about a quarter of the whole Bible. I think that part of the reason is the word ‘new’. I have heard people call it the ‘renewed’ Covenant, which is better. Anyway, this Blog post is not about what we call it, but why should we study the Hebraic roots. We may have heard Bible teachers explaining aspects of life in the time of Jesus as they tried to make a point. That can be helpful. We seem to hear a lot about the death of Jesus and its importance for us, and around Christmas we hear a little about His birth. But what about His life? What about His teachings? Do we really understand them? I think that is unlikely unless you are studying the Hebraic roots of the scripture. We can miss so much when we do not. I will give you an example. We read about Jesus teaching in Luke 18:1-8. This passage is usually taught as about persistence in prayer. The heading in your Bible will probably call it ‘The Persistent Widow’. In verse one it says, “that men always ought to pray”. But in v8 we read “...will He really find faith in the earth?” The word ‘faith’ here, in Hebrew is ‘steadfastness’. Jesus knew what was ahead and He was saying to them ‘we are going into darkness but don’t give up’. Then there are the parables. Many Christians think that they came with Jesus. There were parables long before, and since Jesus. The Talmud (the go-to book for Jewish people) has many of them. They are ancient and they are still used today. It was and is a popular way to teach a point. The Hebrew word for parables is ‘example’. Lastly, I lead a group where we are studying Hebraic roots teaching. We have just finished some on the Lord’s Prayer and we have loved it! Just 5 verses in Matthew’s Gospel and 3 in Luke’s, but this prayer is huge! And the implications for us as a church community are incredibly challenging and of great importance. There was nothing new about this prayer, as you will find the themes throughout the Old Testament. As we reviewed all that we had learned, one person said, “it’s a summary of the Old Testament!” The sad thing is that many Christians have reduced the Lord’s Prayer to just being a guide on personal prayer. (I can forward the teachings which are on YouTube if you are interested). Do not keep missing out! Guest blogger Batnabas aka Linda Morris Full text for printout at https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/why-should-christians-study-their-hebraic-roots

Romans 4:1-25 a short commentary Abraham Justified by Faith Last time we looked at chapter 3:9-31 and we saw that whether you are a Jew or Gentile we are all under the power of sin and therefore deserving the wrath of God. Paul then went on to show the biblical evidence that we are all sinners, each and every one of us by quoting extensively from Psalms and also from Isaiah and Ecclesiastes. This evidence was like a ‘welcome to Human Nature Class 101’. Man’s fallen heart and mind are such that no one is in right standing with God, No one even wants to be right with God, No one does anything good as judged by God’s own standard of goodness. We use all our organs of speech, throats , tongues , lips and mouths for evil purposes. Man is prone to violence and we prefer lives of ruin and misery rather than the abundant life God offers. We ‘don’t do’ peace and we ‘don’t do’ reverential fear of God. The fallen nature of a human being is really like the bad boys in the Lord of the flies (by W Golding). Ordinary men are quite capable of becoming homicidal maniacs. We saw that there was absolutely no hope for fallen man unless God Himself intervened. Praise the Lord that He has indeed intervened by sending His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins and that His holy blood turns away the wrath of God when we place our faith in Him. Our only part in this wonderful salvation is to believe since it is by faith alone we are saved by the grace of God. Paul concluded that although the law does not save us it has many things to teach us including our accountability to God. 4:1 What then shall we say that Abraham, the forefather of us Jews, discovered in this matter? 2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. 3 What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”[1] Background; ironically the unrighteous Jews in Paul’s target audience would have agreed with Paul’s choice of Abraham here for they considered that Abraham was one of only seven righteous men to have brought back the Shekinah glory to Israel and was made in right standing with God through his works i.e. he had earned his salvation. Paul goes on to make it clear that Abraham was made righteous through faith not by any good works . 4:4 Now to anyone who works, their wages are not credited to them as a gift, but as an obligation. 5 However, to anyone who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. 6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of those to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: 7 “Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed are those whose sin the Lord will never count against them.”[2] Even the measure of faith that each is given to each new believer is a gift from God and leaves absolutely no room for any of us to boast or brag. Christ died for us sinners whilst we were dead in our trespasses and sin. God owes us nothing, absolutely nothing. Paul here (v7-8) in quoting David in Psalm 32:1-2 shows a connection between forgiveness of our sins and being made righteous. David after ‘Bathsheba-gate’ greatly rejoiced his sins had been forgiven and so too can we greatly rejoice today because our own sins have been forgiven through Jesus Christ. God’s grace is very much in view here and please note only God is doing any work! Forgiveness of our sins is great but entering into place of blessedness goes beyond just being forgiven. 4:9 Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness.10 Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! 11 And he received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. 12 And he is then also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. Paul now refers to Genesis 15:6 where because Abraham believed God, God credited it to him as righteousness. This righteousness is for all who have faith in God. Paul shows the time line for Abraham being credited as righteous was in Genesis 15:6 but he was not circumcised (outward sign of obedience to the Law) until Genesis 17:24. Even the most conservative estimates show that his righteousness came at least 14 years before he was circumcised. This clearly demonstrates faith producing right standing with God many years before the ‘work’ of circumcision was performed. Circumcision in itself just like communion and baptism today although powerful symbols cannot save us but rather it is our only our faith in God that saves us whatever our ethnic origin. Abraham truly is the father in faith of all who believe since he was the first man to be made righteous for his faith. This is a ground breaking message to the Roman Church. 13 It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14 For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless, 15 because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression. God made Abraham various promises so which one is in view here where Paul talks about ‘heir of the world’? It is probably not the possession of Canaan or even having even offspring like the dust of the earth but it is more likely the promise ‘to be heir of the world’ meant that through Abraham all the nations would be blessed by simply following Abraham’s example and believing God. This promise of God (to be heir of the world) came before the Mosaic law since God knew in advance that man would not be able to keep the law and in a sense gave mankind a much better opportunity to become righteous. 16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. 17 As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” [3] He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not. Spiritually speaking Abraham is the father of all who believe and like Abraham are counted as righteous by God and enter into His promise of salvation by faith just like Father Abraham. Paul explains this in Galatians 3:6-9 which says 6 So also Abraham "believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." 7 Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. 8 Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you." 9 So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. 18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”[4] 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. In spite of his old age and the fact that Sarah was past the age of child-bearing Abraham dared to keep believing that God would keep His promise and give him a natural son and heir. What about you are you remembering to keep believing the promises that God has given you. Are you fully persuaded that the Lord can and will do what He has promised to you? Is your dream still alive? Like Abraham our father in the faith our focus must also continue to be on the word and character of our faithful and trustworthy God. All the promises of God are yes, and Amen in Him. This is a thrilling message and one where the New Testament is clearly linked to the Old Testament. 22 This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” 23 The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, 24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.I keep saying in this study that it is relevant to us today and here is proof in v24 ‘but also for us’ when we exercise like faith in Jesus Christ. It is relevant today for us as we share the Good News with unbelievers that if they exercise faith in Jesus Christ they too will be counted as righteous and receive salvation. We ought to be full of gratitude about what God has done. Here is the suffering servant of Isaiah 53 whose sacrifice was accepted by Father God as we find clear proof that salvation through faith by grace is firmly rooted in the Old Testament as well as the New Testament. [1] Genesis. 15:6 Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness [2] Psalm 32:1 Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 2 Blessed are those whose sin the LORD does not count against them (and in whose spirit is no deceit). [3] Gen. 17:5 1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. 2 Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers." 3 Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, 4"As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. 5 No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. 6I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. [4] Gen. 15: 5 He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars--if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."6 Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness. Full text for print plus other chapters at https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/romans-4-1-25

We need to know the entire bible If you look at your bible while it is closed there are a few things you can tell. Firstly, if all the pages are new and unworn, this means one of two things, either your bible is new or else if it is not then you do not use it very much! If the last third or so is worn but the first two thirds unworn then you spend most of your time in the New Testament. Conversely, if the first two thirds are worn and the last third unworn then you spend most your time in the Old Testament. Each Testament has its own unique emphasis however, either one is incomplete without the other. Someone has calculated that there are 6,600 cross references between the Old and New Testaments. This poem attempts to explain the relationship between the two testaments. Poem The New is in the Old Contained The Old is in the New Explained The New is in the Old Enfolded The Old is in the New Unfolded The New is in the Old Concealed The Old is in the New Revealed Yes, there is a wonderful harmony between the Old and the New Testament. 66 books written by some 40 authors, all inspired by the same Holy Spirit. Today, we are going to see from God`s word the need for Christians to read and to know all of God`s word i.e. both testaments of the bible. Key Scripture Acts 20:17-30 Verse 20; Paul kept back nothing from them that he knew about God, about God`s word, about God`s will, about salvation and about the Gospel. He gave them all that would profit them whether it suited them or not. He taught them about all things pertaining to life and godliness. He preached the cross and Christ crucified to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness. Verse 26; Innocent of the blood of all men, why? Because he did not shun/neglect to tell of all God’s word. Verse 27; The whole counsel of God The whole/complete/perfect will of God for man. Do you want to be innocent of the blood of all men? Perhaps like Paul we need to be able to declare/ to explain/to share the whole counsel of God to our fellow men. But where did Paul get/find the whole counsel or perfect will of God for man? Paul did not have a copy of the New Testament like we do today because it had not been written yet. But Paul understood the whole counsel of God by; ❖ Studying the Old Testament Scriptures ❖ Receiving revelation of them by the Holy Spirit Christians who only read the New Testament please note that the Apostle Paul only had the Old Testament to study to. (see Psalm 33:11) Acts 17:10-12; They searched the scriptures daily to find out if what Paul and Silas preached was true. Do you search the scriptures daily to find out if what your leaders are preaching is true? What scriptures did the Bereans search? Again, it was the Law and Prophets of the Jewish The Old Testament. Jesus Christ fulfilled all the prophecies about Messiah in the Old Testament. 2 Timothy 3:12-17 Verse 16 All scriptures from Genesis to Malachi, and from Matthew to Revelation are inspired by God. It is all God breathed. It is all full of Life. It is all full of Power. It is sharper than a two-edged sword and is given ability to penetrate the thought and motives of our hearts. Although men wrote the books of the whole Bible, it was the Holy Spirit who breathed God`s life into them! All scripture is profitable for doctrine, good wholesome sound godly teaching. All scripture is profitable for reproof for telling you off where you are wrong. All scripture is profitable for corrections. How to get it right now you admit you admit your errors. All scripture is profitable for instruction in righteousness. For showing you that you are righteous in/through Jesus Christ and that we have no righteousness of our own, and tells us how to walk in that righteousness. Verse 17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God that you the man of God, the woman of God, may be thoroughly fully equipped for every good work. Would you like to be thoroughly equipped? Then read the scriptures daily, read all the scriptures, both the Old and the New testaments. Matthew 13:52 On every occasion, you can receive a living word as Holy Spirit brings to you something old and something new. Something old from the Hebrew scriptures (the law) and something new from the New Testament (grace). Let us read the poem again. Poem The New is in the Old Contained The Old is in the New Explained The New is in the Old Enfolded The Old is in the New Unfolded The New is in the Old Concealed The Old is in the New Revealed Let us be like Paul and know the whole counsel of God and declare it. And be guilty of no man’s blood. Amen Practical Note: It is never too early to start to prepare your plans for reading God`s word. Prayer: Pray for a new balance in your own scripture reading. Amen For a print copy and much more please click below https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/the-whole-counsel-of-god