Romans 5(Bible Study)
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What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? 2 Much in every way! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God.
3 What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness? 4 Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written:
“So that you may be proved right when you speak
and prevail when you judge.”[a]5 But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.) 6 Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world? 7 Someone might argue, “If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?” 8 Why not say—as some slanderously claim that we say—“Let us do evil that good may result”? Their condemnation is just!
9 What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. 10 As it is written:
“There is no one righteous, not even one;
11 there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.”[b]
13 “Their throats are open graves;
their tongues practice deceit.”[c]
“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”[d]
14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”[e]
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 ruin and misery mark their ways,
17 and the way of peace they do not know.”[f]
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”[g]19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.
21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in[h] Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,[i] through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. 28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, 30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. 31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.
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Daniel
Read Romans 5:1-21: The benefits of justification
Read Romans 5:1-21
1. Rom 5:1,2. List all the benefits which justification brings for us to enjoy.
First, there is peace with God (v.1). This is not the same as the peace of God (Phil 4:7). The peace of God is having a calm and shalom in the midst of troubles and pressures. But peace with God means there was a state of hostility between God and us which is now over. It is objective and happens irrespective of feelings. Until salvation, there is a war going on between God and us. When we disobey God, two things happen. You not only break his law, but you assume the right or authority to do so i.e. you claim kingship over yourself and your world. But God claims kingship over the same thing. Whenever two parties claim absolute (kingly) control over something, there is a war. It also means God’s wrath is upon us (Rom 1). In Rom 5:10 says we are “reconciled to God” means his anger is taken away. In Romans 1 we learnt God’s anger is legal. It is not like ours, vengeful or vindictive. There is a sentence on us and it cannot just be quashed or wished away. But Jesus’ death changed it — for through him “we have the reconciliation.”
Second, there is access to grace in which we stand (v2a). The Greek means “an introduction.” We can only develop a personal relationship with a powerful dignitary if someone who knows us both introduces us. That’s what ‘access to grace’ means access to a personal relationship, going beyond “peace with God,” (cessation of hostility). This is friendship with God. We can go to God with our requests and problems and failures and he hears us and relates to us – he knows us.
Third, there is the hope of glory (v.2b). This is certainty of sharing God’s future glory
NB: These 3 benefits of justification are also 3 tenses of our salvation. In Christ, our past is redeemed (we have peace with God), our present is redeemed (we have a friendship with God), and our future is redeemed (promise of glory).
2. Rom 5:9,10. How secure is the future for a Christian, and why?
(What do these verses say to the question of whether a Christian can lose his or her salvation?”)
From v 1- 2 How do I know I’ll endure to the end?” In v 9-10, Paul assures us that Christ’s work for our salvation not only gives us hope for our ultimate future, but for our immediate future. We are assured that we will be “saved” throughout our life and through judgment day. Paul intertwines two arguments in these two verses. First, if Jesus on the cross saved us “when we were God’s enemies” (v10), then “how much more” will he keep us saved as his friends (“justified by blood” – v.9)? If he didn’t give up on you when you were at war with him, what could you do to make him give up on you now that you are at peace with him? (God’s wrath in v9 must be his future judgment day wrath, because Christians have already had God’s wrath turned aside. See Romans 3:25-26). Further, if Jesus effected our salvation when he was dead, “how much more” will he keep us saved since he is alive (v.10b)? It is not until the end of Romans 8 that Paul confronts the issue of “losing salvation” more fully. But here he virtually answers the question indirectly. He says that it is inconceivable that Christ should fail to save us to the end.
3.v3,4 How does Paul answer the quest: “What good are these benefits if we are still going to suffer?” Why does Paul say we should rejoice in our suffering, in not for them? How can we rejoice in suffering? He says in effect, “we have these joys, and these joys stay joys in our sorrow, and even help us in our sorrow.” To rejoice for our sufferings would be masochism. Some people need to feel punished in order to deal with their guilt. Some feel that God owes them his favour and acceptance because we have had such a hard life. People who do not “process” their suffering through the gospel of grace can become proud, superior or deeply cynical. Christians rejoice in suffering. There is no joy in the actual troubles themselves. God hates pain and troubles of this life and so should we. Christians know that suffering will have beneficial results.
4. v. 5-8. By what two ways can we know that God loves us?
Paul again anticipates a question: “How can you really know this hope of glory is right? As we see through the Bible, the Christian’s ground of assurance is two-fold: one is internal and subjective, while one is external and objective.
First, v.5 tells us that we can know that God loves us because of the experience of his love. “This hope does not disappoint us, for God poured out his love into our hearts.” It comes through the Holy Spirit. Therefore, every Christian has some inner experience God’s love. Generally the people who have the most of this inner experience God’s love are those who are experienced and disciplined in prayer, meditation, life-balance, obedience. Some have experienced this assurance very powerfully. William Guthrie “It is no audible voice, but it is a ray of glory filling the soul with God as life, love and liberty. It is like the word to Mary. The Lord only said her name MARY, and filled her soul so she no longer doubted she was his! Oh, how glorious is this manifestation of the spirit!”
Second, v6-8 tell us that we can know God loved us because of the death of Jesus. Paul argues v7a “It would take a very loving person to die to save another v7b but even a very loving person would not die for an evil one, a good one yes, but an evil or wicked one? No.” v.8 – “But that is what Jesus Christ did, by the will of the Father. While we were rebelling, and while we were resisting him, he died for us. Therefore God loves you. ‘Therefore’ v12 as Jesus has a special relationship to us as did Adam (v.14). And as Adam’s sin transfers to us, Christ’s obedience transfers to us.
5. v.12 What are the signs that you are rejoicing in your reconciliation?
A. You are satisfied with the doctrine of justification by faith. You rejoice and speak to others.
B. You think of your past in terms of it. Despite past failings by his grace I am forgiven and free
C. When you fail again and come to God you don’t doubt God’s love, you feel closer to him, and his grace for you becomes more precious in your sight.
D. When your conscience accuses you, you say: “Even if I hadn’t done it, that would not have made me acceptable in his sight anyway! Jesus died for me, and his blood can covers all
E. When you face criticism, you know you are a much worse sinner than they know!
F. When you face death, you know you are going to be with your Lord and friend.
6 Note that v13 demonstrates that all die not because they sinned like Adam, but in Adam?(12-14) Why is this teaching repugnant to modern people and especially us in the West? “We cannot point the finger at [Adam] in self-righteous innocence, for we share in his guilt. And it is because we sinned in Adam that we die today.” – John Stott
Offer and discuss analogies that make it more understandable. Westerners dislike this teaching because we are highly individualistic. People of other centuries and other cultures are better at accepting the fact of human solidarity. Many other cultures accept the idea that the individual is part of the whole family or clan, and is not a whole in him/herself.
When it comes to Romans 5:12-21, the rub for westerners is two-fold. First, we dislike the very idea of someone standing in for us. We say, “That’s not fair that I should be judged for what someone else did! I should have had a chance at the probation in the Garden of Eden myself!” But secondly, we dislike the fact that we did not elect Adam as our rep, we had no say in it. But God did not simply choose Adam, he created Adam to be our representative. He was perfectly created and designed to act exactly as you, personally, as an individual would have acted in the same situation. And so we are guilty in Adam because we actually sinned in him
7. What is the similarity between Adam and Christ of which Paul speaks in v.14? Paul calls Adam a “pattern” of Christ (v.14). The similarity is mainly that many people have been involved in one man’s deed. Adam and Christ “stand in representation” to a body of people, and in both cases, what they do is transferred to us. See v.16 One sin… brought condemnation; The gift… brought justification… v.18 The result of one trespass was condemnation; The result of one act of righteousness was justification v.19 Through the disobedience of one, the many were made sinners; through the obedience of the one, the many will be made righteous. The similarity is that their action is transferred to us. Adam’s sin “made” us sinners, Jesus’ act “made” us righteous. This is a legal transfer — Adam’s guilt to us, then Christ’s righteousness to us.
8 . What are the dissimilarities between Adam & Christ that Paul mentions in v15-21?
1. The motivation at the heart of the deed was very different. Paul calls Adam’s deed a “trespass” or sin, but calls Jesus’ deed, the free gift. Adam’s action was a breaking of the law, but what Jesus did was an “act of righteousness” (v.18) and “obedience” (v.19) a total fulfilment of the law.
2. The results of the two deeds are opposite. a) Adam’s resulted in “death” (v.15) while Christ’s results in “life.” b) Adam’s resulted in “condemnation” (v.16), and Christ’s in “justification.” c) By Adam’s sin “death reigns” (v.17), “we reign in life” (v.17). In the new kingdom of Christ, we become kings ourselves! Christ’s kingship makes us kings.
3. The power of the two is different. Contrast “sin” and “grace” or “gift.” Our condemnation is justice, deserved. But our justification is an act of grace, and grace overflows and abounds, giving us more than we deserve. John Stott
If Christ is our rep. whatever is true of him is true of us, what difference does it make in daily life?
