Epistle to the Romans

Gospel Light Christian Church
Thru-The-Bible Series (8.2)

The Epistle to the Romans

Romans 4:17-25, 5:1-5 - Read this Bible passage once through before referring to the notes below.

Introduction

In this passage we learn that faith in God glorifies Him. This is one of the main reasons why God saves us through faith.

Justification by Faith Evidenced in Old Testament (Part 2)

v.17 People from many nations, who trust in God, are saved – not only Jews. God made this promise to Abraham – that He would be the one from whom the Messiah would come when he was too old to produce children (ie, reproductively speaking, Abraham was dead).

v.18 Abraham was a hundred years old (GEN 21:5) when he received the promise from God that through him the Messiah would come into the world. Humanly speaking, it was against hope to believe this promise. But he believed in hope, ie, he believed because he had hope based on the promise of God.

v.19 When Abraham was given the promise of a child in his old age, he considered not his own body to be incapable to reproduce, nor his wife’s body too old. The way to have strong faith is to focus on God’s promise, rather than our abilities. Since He is the God who cannot lie and the God is almighty, we can trust His promises – however, incredible they may be to our human understanding.

v.20 Abraham staggered (ie, wavered) not at the promise of God, because he believed that God could do as He had promised. This type of strong faith gives glory to God. Whenever we have no faith in God's promises, we shame Him because we are suggesting to others that God is untrustworthy or unable.

v.21 Though Abraham was fully persuaded, this does not mean that there were no inward conflicts in his mind. However, after he had considered the faithfulness and power of God, Abraham's faith triumphed over his doubts.

v.22 Abraham believed God ‘s promise that He would send a Messiah to save him and by his simple faith in God he obtained righteousness from God, i.e., the Messiah's righteousness was imputed to him because of his faith.

v.23 This passage of scripture was not written for his sake alone, ie, merely as an historical record of Abraham's faith, but to teach us that God's method of salvation is by imputed faith. Even Abraham, who lived in the Old Testament era, was saved by faith in the Messiah that was yet to come. In other words, all men are saved by faith in Christ – those who lived in O.T. times trusted that God would send a Messiah in the future, and those who live in New Testament times believe that God has sent a Messiah in the past. The only difference between the O.T. saints and the New Testament saints is the former looked forward and the latter looked backwards to Christ’s finished work at Calvary.

v.25 This verse describes what Jesus did for us. He was delivered for our offences as the satisfaction to divine justice. He was raised again for our justification, ie, His resurrection is proof that God accepted His offering and that God's justice was fully satisfied. If Christ did not rise from the dead then we are still hopelessly condemned in our sins ("And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins", I CO 15:17).

Romans 5:1-5 - Read this Bible passage once through before referring to the notes below.

Introduction

In chapters 5 to 8, Paul more fully explains the doctrine of Justification by faith. Without a clear understanding of this doctrine, a Christian will often lose his assurance of salvation – because whenever he sins, Satan casts doubts on his salvation. A Christian cannot lose his salvation but can lose his assurance of salvation. And when he loses his assurance of salvation, he does not dare to approach God in prayer or worship – and will thus backslide from God, and lose his testimony and usefulness as a Christian. Since Satan cannot take away our salvation, he does he next best thing, ie, he attempts to take away our usefulness.

Results of Justification

v.l The main effect of the Gospel is the restoration of peace between sinful man and the Holy God. This peace was lost when Adam sinned against God (GEN 3:8).

v.2 We gain access into God’s favour by faith in Christ. We gain access into God’s favour as soon as we trust in Christ as our Saviour. We do not gain access through a gradual process but in one step of faith. By that one step of faith, we leave the place of condemnation and enter into the place of grace. Imagine a man escaping from an angry mob by entering into a safe refuge. Once we have entered into the place of grace, we are safe and secure (ie, “wherein we stand”). This access is not a gradual process, but a step.

Being safe and secure in this place of grace, we rejoice in hope. A hope that is based on the unfailing promises of God – that we will be restored to the glory of God, namely that glory which Adam had before he fell into sin, when he was made in the image of God (GEN 1:27).

v.3 A Christian not only rejoices in the hope of glory, but also glories (ie, boasts) in tribulations, when he undergoes sufferings. Not because he enjoys sufferings, but because he knows that sufferings strengthen his faith (PRO 3:11, HEB 12:11). True faith becomes stronger in trials but false faith diminishes or disappears when tried.

Tribulations produce patience (ie, endurance, perseverance). A Christian undergoing trials sees his faith strengthening and not faltering as he witnesses the reality of God's sufficient grace in his trials. When he notices other "Christians" undergoing the same trials giving up their “faith,” he realises that his own faith is supernatural (ie, God enabled). Therefore, his faith is strengthened and he is further equipped to endure and persevere through subsequent tribulations.

v.4 His patience produces experience (ie, tested, proved and approved character of faith). As a Christian perseveres through the times of trials by faith, his faith is strengthened through the tests. It is thus proved, and he may know that his faith is genuine. And as his faith is genuine, he can confidently expect the eternal hope.

v.5 This hope will not disappoint (ie, maketh not ashamed). This hope that we have through the evidences of the above-mentioned experiences in our life is re-confirmed by the direct assurance of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. In other words, our faith rests primarily on the promises presented in the Bible; it is then strengthened by our experiences, and further strengthened by the direct assurance of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.

Summary

Satan desires to take away our assurance of salvation. Therefore, God often allows us to undergo tribulations so that our faith is proven to be a true faith. When Satan attempts to question our salvation when we sin against God, we can then say “Satan, I’m sure that my salvation is genuine – I’ve seen how God was with me when I went through my tribulations!”