March 1, 2013

Romans - Lesson 9


Text1

D. The righteousness of God purposes: “It is the remnant that shall be saved” 9:1-11:36

1. Righteousness upheld by freedom 9:1-29

a. God’s man, Paul, is passionate for Israel 9:1-3

Chapter 9
1 I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit,
2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart.
3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh,

b. God’s nation of Israel is blessed 9:4-5

4 who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises,
5 whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.

c. God’s purpose 9:6-29


6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel;
7 neither are they all children because they are Abraham's descendants, but: "through Isaac your descendants will be named."
8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants.
9 For this is a word of promise: "At this time I will come, and Sarah shall have a son."
10 And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac;
11 for though the twins were not yet born, and had not done anything good or bad, in order that God's purpose according to His choice might stand, not because of works, but because of Him who calls, 2
12 it was said to her, "The older will serve the younger."
13 Just as it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."
14 What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be!
15 For He says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."
16 So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.
17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I raised you up, to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed
throughout the whole earth."
18 So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.
19 You will say to me then, "Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?"
20 On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, "Why did you make me like this," will it?
21 Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use, and another for common use? 3
22 What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?
23 And He did so in order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory,
24 even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.
25 As He says also in Hosea,
"I will call those who were not My people, 'My people,' And her who was not beloved, 'beloved.'"
26 "And it shall be that in the place where it was said to them, ' you are not My people,'
There they shall be called sons of the living God."
27 And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, "Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that will be saved;
28 for the Lord will execute His word upon the earth, thoroughly and quickly.
29 And just as Isaiah foretold,
"Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left to us a posterity, We would have become as Sodom, and would have resembled Gomorrah."

2. The righteousness of God upheld by Jewish failure: Israel’s unbelief 9:30-10:21

a. Rejected God’s way 30-33

30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith;
31 but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law.
32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone,
33 just as it is written,
"Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense,
And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed."
Thought questions for chapter 9

  1. What makes us sorrowful? Why would Paul feel this way, especially after such a joyful chapter as Romans 8? See 9:3
Like Paul, the unbelief of our contrymen. Paul loved the Jews!
  1. If the Jews reject the messiah, has not the word of the Lord come to nothing? See verse 4 How does Paul answer this?
The true Jew is the “descendant of Issac”. The word of the Lord would give the promise to them, not just to anyone.
  1. Who or what is the stumbling stone of verses 32-33?
Jesus
  1. How would a link to Abraham help resolve conflicts between Jews and Gentiles?
Because both Jews and gentiles could believe.
  1. If God is fair, why does HE choose some and not others?
Because God is the maker of all human beings, not humans. As maker, HE has the right to do with HIS creation as HE sees fit.
  1. Assume that Salvation DID depend on your “works”. If God graded on a curve, would you have a better chance of passing?
Perhaps, but I don’t know God’s formula for making such a curve, so I don’t know where I would be in the curve.


For Further thought

How does Paul show that in His election of men, God retains absolute liberty of action without compromising His own righteousness and at the same time not giving man any just grounds for complaint? See verses 14-22 Notice the mercy of God vs. 15, 16, 23-26

God will choose whom HE chooses for HIS purpose



What is the purpose of God’s election, and how do the scriptures which Paul quotes illuminate that purpose? Why is this important to ME?

To call to himself those who have a heart like HIM. God has chosen me, I must choose HIM.

What two principles of election are found in the stories of
  1. Isaac ?
  2. Jacob and Esau ?

God will provide what we need.
God will choose whom HE chooses for HIS purpose


What are the two ways of seeking acceptance with God? Are they mutually exclusive?
See 9:30-10:9
By Law or grace (through Jesus)

How would you summarize the main points of this chapter, and how do they fit into Paul’s overall purpose of the book?
The true descendant of Abraham is the remnant
God is in control, I should not judge.
The Gentiles attained the righteousness of God through faith in Christ.



Promises
I will bless Thee, Gen. 12:2
I will not fail Thee, Josh. 1:5
I will heal Thee, 2 Kings 20:5
I will guide Thee, Ps. 32:8

I will instruct Thee, Ps. 32:8
I will teach Thee, Ps. 32:8
I will deliver Thee, Ps. 50:15
I will satisfy Thee, Ps. 132:15

I will help Thee, Is. Isa 41:10
I will strengthen Thee, Isa 41:10
I will uphold Thee, ; Isa 41:10
I will hold Thine hand, Isa 42:6

I will not forget Thee, Isa 49:15
I will comfort Thee, Isa 66:13
I will forgive, Jer. 31:34
I will restore, Jer. 30:17

I will be your God, Eze. 36:28
I will put my Spirit within you, Eze 36:27
I will save you, Eze. 36:27, 29
I will love him, John 14:21

I will manifest myself, John 14:21
I will come again, John 14:3
I will sup with him, Rev. 3:20
I will give Thee a crown of life, Rev. 2:10

By way of illustration

God answers prayer; sometimes, when hearts are weak,
He gives the very gifts believers seek.
But often faith must learn a deeper rest,
And trust God's silence, when He does not speak;
For he whose name is Love will send the best.
Stars may burn out nor mountain walls endure,
But God is true; His promises are sure
To those who speak.
M. G. Plantz

The quality of mercy is not strain'd.
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath.
It is twice bless'd:
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.
William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

It's hard to admit a mistake. But I'm not the only one with this problem.
Once when Frederick II, an eighteenth-century king of Prussia, went on an inspection tour of a Berlin prison, he was greeted with the cries of prisoners, who fell on their knees and protested their unjust imprisonment. While listening to these pleas of innocence, Frederick's eye was caught by a solitary figure in the corner, a prisoner seemingly unconcerned with all the commotion.
"Why are you here?" Frederick asked him.
"Armed robbery, Your Majesty."
"Were you guilty?" the king asked.
"Oh yes, indeed, Your Majesty. I entirely deserve my punishment."
At that Frederick summoned the jailer. "Release this guilty man at once," he said. "I will not have him kept in this prison where he will corrupt all the fine innocent people who occupy it."
-- Lloyd H. Steffen, The Christian Century, April 29, 1987.

The Sovereignty of God


The Uniqueness of it: The uniqueness of God Himself

1. One and only 1Tim 6:11-16
2. Over all history Eph 1:3-14; 3:1-11; 1 Pet 1:18-20

The Nature of it : Rule with the attributes of God

1. Greatness Jn 10:24-29
2. Exalted Isa 6:1-3
3. Eternal Psa 66:7
4. Power Rev 11:17

The Morality of it: God has the right to rule because of who HE is

1. Wisdom Matt 11:25; Lk 10:21; 1 Cor 1:18-25
2. Grace Matt 20:1-16
3. Mercy Lk 1:46-54; Rom 9:14-15
4. Compassion Isa 53:1-4
5. Goodness Rom 8:28
6. Righteousness Psa 50:1-6
7. Majestry Psa 93:1
8. Fairness Dt 10:17; Job 36:5; Acts 10:34-35; Col 3:5
9. Uprightness Psa 45:6

The Location of it: Power from

1. Heaven Psa 103:19
2. His throne 1Ki 22:19; Isa 6:1; Dan 7:9
3. His temple Psa 11:4

The Method of it: Through the…

1. The word Jn 1:1-3
2. With Jesus Heb 12:2; 1:3

The Purpose of it: Some things we can understand
Eph 1:3-10; Rom 9:11; Acts 2:22-24; Phil 1:6; 2:13

The Object of it: God rules
  1. Gives rule to whoever
He wishes to Dan 4: 19-25 (34-35); 5:18
2. All mankind Rom 9:14-26; Isa 45:9-12; Acts 17:24-28; Matt
6:24-34; Rom 9:17-22
3. All creation Eph 4:6; Rev 4:9-11
4. Life and death Jas 4:12; Rev 20
5. Earth Psa 50:1


1 Alternative outline
Sorrow for the sake of the brethren 1-5
Selection of the children of promise 6-13
Sovereignty of God in the selection of the remnant 14-29
Stone of stumbling or righteousness by faith 30-33


2 Does God make me bad? If so, when I discover evil within myself it is no my fault, but God’s. Right?! Inheritantly good or rotten? Does not god know the heart of a man BEFORE he acts wickedly? So, god takes a wicked heart and by HIS goodness (in contrast) hardens it. See Jas 1:13-15; 2 Cor 4:6

3 Authority
1. Jesus has all authority Matt 28:18; Heb 1:1-2; Matt 17:1-5

2. Jesus’ authority is in His word Jn 12:48-50; Dt 18:18-19; Jn 6:63, 68; 17:8

3. Jesus’ word was given to his apostles Jn14: 25-26; 16:12-13; 17:8

4. Jesus’ scriptural word is all we need 2 Tim 3:16-17; Jn 20:30-31; Eph 3:3-4;
2 Pet 1: 3-4; 1:15

5. Jesus’ word demands respect 1 Pet 4:11; 1 cor 4:6; Gal 1:6-9; 2 Jn 9;
Rev 22:18

6. Jesus’ gospel went into effect after his death Heb 5:8-9; 9:15-17; Rom 3:21-31

7. Jesus’ word is seen in N.T. conversions Jn 8:24; Heb 11:6; Lk 13:3; Acts 2:38;
Matt 28:19; Mk 16:16; Tit 3:5; 1 Pet 3:20-21; Acts 2; Acts 4:12; Rom 16:25

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