Understanding Righteousness: A Deep Dive into Romans, the 'Christian Manifesto', Exercises of Law

Download Understanding Righteousness: A Deep Dive into Romans, the 'Christian Manifesto' and more Exercises Law in PDF only on Docsity! Week 24 - 2020 New Testament Challenge Rev. Timothy J. Henning Romans (Overview) New Beginnings Fellowship - sbc Romans: How to Be Right How to Be Right with God and Others ● Do you ever wonder if God is happy with you? ● Do you get tired of struggling with temptation and long for the answer to living a life of victory? ● Do you wish that you had a better understanding of what it means to live the Christian life as a fully devoted disciple of Jesus Christ? The book of Romans is one of the most important books in the Bible. It gives an “A to Z” comprehensive overview of what Christians believe and how they should live. The book of Romans is the Apostle Paul’s “Christian Manifesto.” It is a must-read (and study) for any Christian serious about growing in discipleship. Warren Wiersbe writes concerning the importance of the book of Romans: “St. Augustine was converted through reading Romans. Martin Luther launched the Reformation on Rom. 1:17: ‘The just shall live by faith.’ John Wesley, founder of Methodism, was converted while listening to someone read from Luther’s commentary on Romans. If there is one book that every Christian should understand, it is this epistle. Why? (1) It presents doctrinal truth—justification, sanctification, adoption, judgment, and identification with Christ. (2) It presents dispensational truth in chapters 9-11, showing the relationship between Israel and the church in the eternal plan of God. (3) It presents practical truth, teaching the secret of Christian victory over the flesh, the duties Christians have toward each other, and their relationship to government. Romans is a great exposition of the faith. It is the complete and most logical presentation of Christian truth in the entire NT…. If a Bible student wishes to master any one book of the Bible, let it be Romans! An understanding of this book is a key to unlocking the entire Word of God.” Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the New Testament, p.360. Central Lesson: We can be (righteous) right with God and with people through faith in Jesus Christ and by living under the control (filling) of the Holy Spirit. Author: The first verse of the book identifies the Apostle PAUL as the author (1:1). The vocabulary, style, logic, and theological development are consistent with Paul’s other epistles. Paul dictated this letter to a secretary named Tertius (ter’ tee-us)(16:22), who was allowed to add his own greeting. Date: Romans was written about A.D. 57 from the city of Corinth while Paul was preparing for his trip to Jerusalem. It was near the end of his third missionary journey (Acts 18:23-21:14; cf. Rom. 15:19). Title: The title of the book is named after the recipients—Christians living in the city of Rome. Paul was not the founder of this church. Possibly it was started by some people who accepted Christ while in Jerusalem for Pentecost (cf. Acts 2:10). It is also likely that Christians from churches established by Paul in Asia, Macedonia, and Greece settled in Rome and led others to Christ. In Paul’s day, Rome was the greatest city in the world with an estimated population between one and four million. Key Verses: The key verses are Romans 1:16-17 “16 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. 17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, ‘It is through faith that a righteous person has life.’” Key Chapter: Romans chapter 3 is the key chapter. Outline: The Life Application Bible outlines the book as: I. What to BELIEVE (Chapters 1-11) II. How to BEHAVE (Chapters 12-16) Bible teacher, Warren Wiersbe, outlines the book as: Introduction (1:1-17) I. SIN—Righteousness Needed (1:18-3:20) II. SALVATION—Righteousness Imputed (3:21-5:21) III. SANCTIFICATION—Righteousness Imparted (6-8) IV. SOVEREIGNTY—Righteousness Rejected (9-11) V. SERVICE—Righteousness Practiced (12-15:13) Conclusion (15:14-16:27) Key Words: • RIGHTEOUSNESS—being right, having a right relationship with God. Used about 66 times (1:17; 3:20-22; 4:3-6). • Faith—trust in, depend on, reliance. Faith is the key to experiencing righteousness. Used about 62 times (1:17). • Justification—to declare or make righteous in the sight of God. Used 17 times (3:28; 4:2; 5:1, 9). • Reconciliation—to restore friendly relations between the sinner and God (5:10-11). • Gospel—the “Good News,” the message of salvation (1:1-2, 15-17). • Law—the regulations that God gave Israel through Moses recorded in the first five books of the Bible (2:12-27; 3:21, 27-28, 31; 7:4). • Circumcision—the sign of God’s special covenant with Israel (Gen. 17:9-14). Also, a metaphoric expression referring to the Jews (2:28-29; 3:30; 4:9). • Atonement—to make payment for sin (3:25). • Grace—God’s unmerited favor (4:16; 5:20; 6:1; 11:6). Central Lesson: We can be (righteous) right with God and with people through faith in Jesus Christ and by living under the control (filling) of the Holy Spirit. ! Accept Christ as your Savior. ! As a Christian, dedicate your life to Christ. ! Invite someone to next Sunday’s study. ! Attend a small group. ! Read the Bible this week & journal meaningful verses. ! Pray for friends that need Jesus.