The Open Word

Perhaps one of the greatest illustrations Paul uses to describe our salvation is that of adoption. In Romans 8:15–17 Paul explores this metaphor, and shows the meaning and significance of what it means to be adopted as one of God's children. Not only does God become our Father, but we are co-heirs with Christ in His inheritance!

What does it mean to be led by the Spirit of God and what does that look like? In this session we examine Romans 8:12–14 in which Paul gives us the answer to these two important questions.

Having described the unbeliever, that is, one who lives according to the flesh, Paul now describes the characteristics of a believer. These are 1) they have the indwelling Holy Spirit, 2) the body of sin has been destroyed, and 3) someday the mortal will put on immortality.

In this session we examine Romans 8:5–8 in which Paul describes those who walk according to the flesh. There are some who see these as carnal believers, that is, believers who are living in sin, but it is best to see them not as believers, but as unbelievers.

We continue our examination of Romans 8 by looking at the freedom we have in Christ. Not only are we no longer under condemnation, but what the law could not do, Christ did for us. We could not meet the righteous requirements of the law, but Christ did! For those who place their faith in His finished work fulfill the righteous requirement as well, not because of what they have done, but because of...

We begin what I believe to be one of the greatest chapters in the Bible - Romans Chapter 8. In this first session we discuss the wondrous truth that Christ has freed us from the principle of sin and death that Paul outlined in Romans 6-7. Because of this, we are no longer under condemnation!

Paul continues his struggle with indwelling sin by discussing the war that rages within each believer over their flesh, their unredeemed fallenness, and their new life in Christ, their desire to live holy. Thankfully, there is a resolution, which is in Chapter 8, but before the resolution can be appreciated, the struggle needs to be understood

In this passage of Scripture Paul describes his frustration of living the Christian life. The things he wants to do, he does not. And the things he does not want to do, he does. Why? It is because he is fleshy, and his fallen humanness does not allow him to do that which he wants.

We continue our examination of Paul's argument that just like a woman is free from her husband to marry another if her husband dies, so also we have died to sin so we can be joined to another, Christ. We are no longer under the bondage of sin, but now have new life in Christ.

We begin Romans 7 in which Paul makes the argument that the believer has been freed from sin so that we are no longer in bondage to our old master, which leads to death, but are free to server a new master, Christ, in which we now have new life in the Spirit. He uses the axiomatic truth of marriage, in which each member is bound to the other as long as that person is alive, but if their spouse die...

We complete our look at Romans 6 by looking at verses 20-23 in which Paul contrasts the wages of sin with the free gift of eternal life. Men may think that they are free in their sin, but Paul tells us that those who live in sin work hard to receive wages, which will result in eternal death. On the other hand, God offers a way to eternal life by the free gift of salvation in Christ. 

We continue our discussion of Romans 6 by looking at several passages regarding our need to see ourselves as slaves to Christ and not slaves to our flesh.

In our continuing look at Romans 6, we find Paul asking the question in verse 15, "If we are under grace and not law, then can we continue to sin since, after all, we have been forgiven?" His emphatic answer is "NO!" Why? Because it is an axiomatic truth that we are slaves to that which we obey. We have been freed from sin to serve Christ, why would we want to continue to serve sin? The only respo...

In this session we look at how our identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection has freed us from bondage to sin. We are no longer captive to sin, and due to our identity with Christ, we can now experience victory.

Paul continues his discussion of our union with Christ by showing that when Christ died, we died with him, and in doing so the power of sin has been broken in our lives. Sin has no power over those who are dead, and since we died with Christ, sin's power over us has been cancelled.

What enables us to have victory over sin? It is our union with Christ. In Romans 6:3, Paul begins a discussion on this topic by showing that our identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection has freed us from the tyranny of sin.

Romans chapter 6 and 7 deal with the issue of indwelling sin. Why is it that those who have been justified continue to struggle with sin? Does not the Holy Spirit give us victory over sin? In Romans 6:1-2, Paul answers those who believe that if God is glorified in showing grace to us when we sin, they why don't we really sin, so He can be really glorified?

One of the greatest hymns, in my estimation, is Grace Greater Than All Our Sin. In Romans 5:18-21 we read of God's grace, a grace than all of our sins. Some may think that they can sin so much that God gives up on them - but that is not possible. No matter what we have done, and no matter how many times we have failed Him, God's grace is greater.

The bad news that Adam's sin brought death to the entire human race is balanced by the good news that the death of Christ on the cross brings life to all who believe. All men are under the curse of sin but birth, but by placing one's faith in the finished word of Christ, the curse of sin is replaced by the free gift of eternal life.

In this session we explore the reality of sin after the fall of Adam and Eve. Paul makes the argument that even though there was no law prior to Moses, the fact that all men died proves the reality of sin.

We continue our look at the results of Justification in Romans 5. In this session we look at concept of reconciliation. We were once enemies of God and Christ, but by placing our faith in the finished work of Christ we are no longer enemies, but friends. Our relationship with God has been restored, which means we now have the assurance of salvation and the hope of eternal glory.

Paul, having shown that the concept of justification by faith was not a new doctrine, but in fact taught in the Old Testament by using Abraham and David as examples, now turns to the results of justification. In Romans 5:1-5, he lists several results of justification in the life of a believer: peace with God, access to the Father, an expectant joy, perseverance through suffering, a promise of matu...

We complete our study of Romans chapter 4 by examining the life of Abraham. Paul shows that Abraham was a model of justification by faith, and not works, which was directly opposite that of the view of the Jewish rabbis of Paul's day.

Paul continues his discussion of Abraham and David by showing that Abraham justified by faith long before he was circumcised. The Jews thought that circumcision was a means of justification, some rabbis even teaching that Abraham sat at the gates of hell and would not allow any circumcised Jew to enter. Circumcision was a major issue with the rabbis of Paul's day, and in this section of Scripture...

Paul continues his discussion of justification by faith alone (sola fide) by looking at two Old Testament examples. The first is David, and the second is Abraham. Jewish rabbis taught both were justified by their works, but Paul masterfully uses the Old Testament Scriptures to show that both of these men were not justified by their works, but by their faith in God.