The Open Word

Paul addresses one of the most controversial topics in our passage today: election. Paul confronts the belief that God is unfair, and makes the argument that God is not. Rather He is sovereign. Instead, God has the prerogative to show mercy on whom He will, and to show His wrath to the others.

Paul makes the argument that the problem that Israel as a whole has not believed is not because God's word or promise has failed, but that just because someone is descended from Abraham does not automatically make them a "true Israelite." Not every descendant gets an automatic pass. His illustration is Abraham had two sons, Isaac and Ishmael, but only one was the child of promise. Isaac had two so...

In Romans 9–11, Paul turns his attention to the question of the Jewish people. If Christ was their Messiah, and He was, then how is it that the Jewish nation missed it? Paul begins his discussion of this topic in Romans 9:1–5 by showing his true heart and concern for the Jewish people. 

In Romans 8:31–39 we find one of the greatest assurances for the believer, that is their eternal security. Paul describes this security in terms that leaves nothing in the universe out, and that shows that those who have placed their faith in the Gospel are forever secure as nothing can separate them from God's love.

In this session we discuss one of the most hotly debates themes in all of Scripture, that of election, predestination, and the sovereignty of God in salvation. Romans 8:29–30 is a key text in understanding this debate. Although there is still an element of mystery surrounding this topic, there are some comforting truths to be examined in this text.

What does it mean that all things work together for good to those who love God and those who are called according to his purpose? In this session, we explore this promise that God sovereignly orchestrates all the experiences of the believer to bring about His eternal purpose and the believer's best interests.

One of the greatest ministries of the Holy Spirit is His intercessory work on behalf of believers. In this session we explore His intercession in the realm of prayer, where when we do not know for what we need to pray, He does, and intercedes on our behalf.

Paul continues his discussion of the redemption of nature when the Lord returns and those of us who are believers receive our glorified bodies. Nature is personified as a living thing that longs for that day, the day we receive our full adoption and the curse on the created order is lifted.

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?