OUR FATHER WHO IS AN IMPARTIAL JUDGE

Chapter 2 of the Apostle Paulˋs letter to the Romans from verses 1 - 16 pronouces mankind to be without excuse before God and  that all sin will be impartially judged. 

Paul lists the people to whom the judgement of God would visit;

• Those who deign to be judges while practicing the very things they judge
• Those who ignore the call of God to repentance that He offers out of His goodness
• Those whose hard hearts do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness 

1 Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 2 But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. 3 And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? 5 But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who “will render to each one according to his deeds”: 7 eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; 8 but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, 9 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; 10 but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11 For there is no partiality with God.

The apostle Paul clarifies that those that sinned as Gentiles without the law will perish without the law and those that sin in the law will be judged by the law. Paul notes that merely hearing the law does not exculpate a person from judgement but rather doing the things in the law. 

Paul explains that the gentiles, even without the law, are subject to the law written in their hearts which acts as their consciences that counsel them on wrong and right actions. This conscience accuses them of wrong doing and they can either seek repentance or they can excuse their actions but either way, the judgment of God will expose the secrets of men by Jesus Christ.

12 For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law 13 (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; 14 for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, 15 who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) 16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.

The perfection of Christ and His sacrifice of His life and the shedding of His blood is the only way through faith in Him that is given for salvation from the coming judgement for He fulfilled the law in its totality and yet was killed and thus took the judgement for any who would believe in Him and the efficacy His sacrifice to save.

Amen. 

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OUR FATHER WHOM WE NEED TO GET TO KNOW  

The book of Romans chapter 1 verses 26 - 32 continues with the Apostle Paulˋs indictment of mankind in our fallen state.

We humans, who were meant to be rulers over the works of the hand of God and to be crowned by God with glory, got into a position where we discarded the knowledge that we had of the incorruptible God and debased ourselves by worshiping objects made out of the stuff of creation including ourselves. This inversion of the nature of Godˋs highest creation caused us to become subjects  and victims of the prevailing rulership of the kingdom of rebellion and in response, God, respecting our free choices, relinquished us into the domain of those who were in open defiance of the creator.

Under this dominance, we humans began to manifest the rebellious actions against our God and we found ourselved involuntarily being induced into contravening the pattern that should have corresponded to the devine nature in whose image we were created.

26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For, even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

The wholesale ingestion of the rebellious nature in both our physical expressions and our minds changed us from being generative, supportive and loving beings into recalcitrant nihilists who could not help but give expression to all the deeds and attitudes that we knew would invite the judgement of God.

The astonishing thing is that it was for us in our condition that Christ died to redeem us out of the bondage we had sold ourselves into and all we need to do be retrieved out of the kingdom of rebellion we were born into is to voluntarily believe in the authenticity of the salvation offered by Christ. Once we are redeemed, we can then voluntarily submit ourselves to the Lordship of Jesus as willing members of the kingdom of God rather than living in the kingdom of God by compulsion.

In all this history and redemptive action, God gets people into his family who come to him by their own free will and if any people prefer to stay out of Godˋs family, they are also not compelled in any way and are free to do anything they desire to do.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO HAS MADE HIMSELF KNOWN IN CREATION

In the book of Romans chapter 1 verses 18 - 25, the Apostle Paul, having explained the faith paradigm of salvation, presents our nature as that of fallen beings who were able to understand that there was a God who made us and to whom we were answerable and that we needed salvation in order to re-establish a relationship with Him. Paul indicts the fallen man for ungratefully failing to glorify our creator and as a result, our minds were darkened and we became fools even though we proclaimed ourselves to be wise and this led us into the worship of images of humans and creatures from the animal kingdom. 

We bowed down to worship the very things we were made to rule over as Psalm 8 describes when answering the question, ˋWhat is manˋ?

 4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?

5 You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.

6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet:

7 all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild,

8 the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.

In this degraded state of worshipping artifacts of creation,  we humans turned to the practice of unclean activities and pursued whatever cravings entered our hearts even if it meant the dishonoring of our own bodies.

We traded the truth of God for a deceptive alternate understanding of reality so that our allegencies could be directed to the creation instead of the creator who is infinitely more worthy of honor and blessing than anything in creation. 

The Apostle Paul explained it this way;

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

Amen

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 OUR FATHER WHOSE GOSPEL CARRIES HIS POWER UNTO SALVATION OF MEN

After starting with an introduction of himself and a blessing, the apostle Paul, in Romans chapter 1 verses 8 - 15, expresses his gratitude to God for those in Rome who were standing in the faith to such a degree that they were renown in the whole world.

Paul tells them that he continually prayed for them and asked that he would be able to come to them because he longed to impart spiritual gifts to them in order than they may become more stable and assured in their walk of faith.

 8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. 9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, 10 making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you. 11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established— 12 that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.

13 Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you (but was hindered until now), that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles. 14 I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise. 15 So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also. 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”

The apostle Paul revealed to the believers in Rome that he frequently planned to come to their city to share in what had been borne among them in the same way that he shared in the fruit among other gentiles who had come to the faith.

Paul informed the Romans that he had a duty to the Gentiles and the barbarians in his calling and so he is always glad to preach the gospel among them for he was not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for the message itself is a self-contained module of Godˋs power that had the strength to bring people unto salvation if they believed the message and this is equally applicable among the Jews and the Gentiles. The gospel contains withn it, the revelation of the righteousness of God and continued to propel those with growing faith to righteousness to fulfil the precept of law which says, ˋThe just shall live by faithˋ 

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHOSE GOSPEL IS GIVEN INTO THE CHARGE OF APOSTLES TO CARRY TO THE WORLD

Starting an examination of the book of Romans, we look at the introduction that the Apostle Paul gives of himself to the saints in the city of Rome who were to be the recipients of his letter.

Paul first gives his volutarily chosen title which was a bondservant of Jesus Christ. A bondservant is one who has given the whole of his life to the service of his master. 

He then gives the title of his calling of an apostle which was an appointment from God that separated him for the work of serving the gospel.

Paul describes this work of the gospoel, though he was a pioneering its spread in the gentile world, to be something that was promised through the ancient prophets in the scriptures.

What was prophecied was that the one named Jesus Christ would be born in the lineage of King David and that this Jesus would be identified as the Son of God by the Spirit of Holiness in which He walked and by His ressurection from the dead when he was slain of a cross.

Paul wrote that he first received grace and  then the calling of apostleship to take the faith in Jesus to all nations among whom were the recipients of his letter.

He then blessed those called to be saints in Rome by pronouncing over them grace and peace from the Father and the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

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

7 To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

And so begins this monumental letter.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO MAKES US A NEW CREATION IN CHRIST

In the book of Galatians chapter 6 verses 11 - 18, the Apostle Paul, approaching the end of his letter to the Galatians, notes that his personal handwriting is in large font but he turned his focus back to the primary issue that the Galatians were being confounded by.

They were being persuaded by false teachers that to attain righteousness, they needed physical circumcision. Paul attributted this conduct to the instinct of avoiding persecution for the cross of Christ which asserts that there is no route to righteousness other than faith in what Christ did for us there. The cross is the sentence of death upon our flesh so that the things of the world are dead to us as well.

Paul notes that even those who were circumcised did not keep the law in full and were only using their influnce over those who they were compelling to be circumcised as a badge of honor for themselves.

He tells the Galatians that that in Christ, circumcision or otherwise gains nothing. In Christ, there is only the new creation in which the categories of physical circumcision are irrelevant.

11 See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand! 12 As many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh, these would compel you to be circumcised, only that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. 13 For not even those who are circumcised keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. 14 But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.

16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.

17 From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

18 Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

Paul blesses those who are ensconced in truth of salvation by faith alone and he blesses the Israel that is in God.

Paul then concludes his letter by instructing the Galatians that they should not trouble him because he had bourne the sufferings of the cross upon his body and blesses them by asking that the grace of the Lord Jesus be with their spirits.

Amen.

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