Study session scripture: Romans 4:1-12

What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.” Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

Study session topics:

• Abraham as Father of Jews and Gentiles

• Paul bolsters his presentation of the Gospel message by arguing that this was always God's plan of salvation, going all the way back to Abraham

• Abraham is a perfect example to use

• Father of the Jewish people, first to be chosen by God

• Lived before the Law was given

• Paul argues that Abraham gained righteousness from God by faith as the Christian does (Gen. 15:6)

• Misconceptions about Abraham's justification

• God justified Abraham due to his own goodness and piety

• God counted Abraham as righteous due to his faith as a substitute for his works

• Paul also briefly brings in the example of David

• Direct ancestor of Jesus

• King whose throne was promised forever by God

• Man after God's own heart

• Paul argues that Psalm 32:1-2 is David professing salvation by faith

• Scripture here and in Gen. 15:6 uses bookkeeping terminology to describe the process of justification

• Paul folds his Gentile audience back in by universalizing the promise of justification by faith

• This promise is not bound to circumcision because it predates circumcision

• Circumcision as a sign and seal of righteousness by faith, not by the law

• Points back to Romans 2:28-29, circumcision is a matter of the heart

• How were the Old Testament saints saved before the life and death of Jesus?

• They believed the Gospel--they looked forward to it while we look back at it (Gal. 3:7-9, John 8:56)

• Abraham and the other OT saints anticipated a future savior who would rescue them from their sins

Study session audio:

Study session scripture: Romans 3:27-31

Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

Study session topics:

• Righteousness by faith for Jews and gentiles

• The salvation offered by God leaves no room for human pride

• Salvation, from beginning to end, is apart from works

• We cannot claim any credit for any part of our salvation

• Boasting is the most easily identifiable outworking of pride, the first and greatest of all sins

• Satan's pride led him to rebel against God (Isaiah 14:12-15)

• Eve's pride in desiring to be like God, knowing good and evil, led her to take the fruit of the forbidden tree (Genesis 3:1-7)

• Pride is the greatest of all sins because it attempts to place us on the throne that belongs to God--It moves us away from worship of God and toward worship of self

• Pride lies at the root of all sins--We think we know better than God, and therefore our sinful way is better than God's righteous way

• Pride affects us all to one degree or another - western culture, particularly American culture, is very susceptible to pride.

• God, in His wisdom, made a path to salvation that excludes our pride by taking all the work and effort (and thus, all the credit and all the glory) upon Himself

• Justification before God comes by faith, not by our own efforts

• Salvation is a free gift from God (Ephesians 2:8-9) (Romans 11:6)

• What is faith? What does faith look like?

• 3 elements of faith: knowledge, belief, and commitment (Romans 10:13-14)

• Knowledge--One must know the truth about God and ourselves to have effective faith

• Belief--Being moved in the heart, accepting the truth as the truth

• Commitment: putting one's complete trust in the object of one's faith

• Since God is God of all, both Jew and Gentile, there is only one way to gain salvation--by faith

• Paul affirms the Shema (Hebrew for "hear") (Deuteronomy 6:4)--"Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one," rebuking Gentile polytheism while also chiding the Jewish sense of superiority over being God's chosen people -Paul once again drives home to both audiences that it is not rote ritualistic obedience that saves, but faith

• Paul concludes this section by affirming that even though obedience to the Law cannot save, this does not mean we throw the Law away

• Faith does not mean we can do as we please regardless of the morality of our actions--indeed, true faith inspires us to uphold God's morality

Study session audio:

Study session scripture: Romans 3:21-26

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Study session topics:

• The saving righteousness of God

• "But now," a huge turning point in Paul's presentation of the Gospel message

• Paul has exhaustively argued since stating his thesis for the letter that sin is a pernicious, persistent, and pressing problem that affects everyone without exception

• No one is righteous, Jew or Gentile

• The unrighteous will suffer wrath and fury when they are inevitably judged by God

• Now Paul begins to discuss the ultimate solution to sin

• Paul describes a new covenant that God has recently established through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ

• Apart from the Law -Without distinction between Jew and Gentile

• Received by faith as a gift, rather than by human efforts at obedience

• Upholds God's justice and wrath against sin (orge) while allowing Him to justify, or declare righteous, the one who trusts in Jesus

• Jesus as propitiation

• Propitiation: to appease or turn aside wrath, an atoning sacrifice to a deity

• Many people are uncomfortable with the idea of God's wrath needing to be satisfied

• God's wrath is not a fit of pique, but principled opposition to something that goes against His very nature

• God's wrath is well established in the Scriptures

• Paul uses severe terms to describe the unrighteousness of all men, and the Scriptures he references include wrathful responses to man's wickedness

• Propitiation in the Christian sense is distinct from other religions in that it is not man who appeases God, but God appeases Himself by providing sacrifices for sins

• Propitiation and reconciliation are two sides of the same coin

• God's provision of Christ's sacrifice shows His righteousness and justice, so that no one can accuse Him of being unjust in His forbearance toward sin

Study session audio:

Study session scripture: Romans 3:9-20

What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

Study session topics:

• The unrighteousness of all people

• Paul just said the Jews have much benefit in every way, and now he says they are ultimately no better off than the gentiles

• The benefits Paul previously described are things that help one see more clearly their need for salvation, but they themselves cannot save

• The law

• Circumcision

• Paul now pulls together a bunch of scripture passages to show that God's consistent message, both to His people and ultimately to the whole world, is that all are under sin

• Sinful condition (v. 10-12)

• Sinful speech (v. 13-14)

• Sinful action (v. 15-17)

• Summary statement: no fear of God (v. 18)

• The Law itself cannot save us, rather it shows us how wicked we are

Study session audio:

Study session scripture: Romans 3:1-8

Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, “That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged.” But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) By no means! For then how could God judge the world? But if through my lie God's truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.

Study session topics:

• The Unrighteousness of the Jews, concluded

• Paul now responds to some anticipated objections to the arguments he has been making regarding the unrighteousness of the Jews

• If the Jews are condemned by their sins just as the Gentiles are, and true Jews are Jews inwardly, what is the benefit of being an ethnic Jew?

• Paul immediately responds that there is much benefit to being an ethnic Jew, because they were given the very words of God

• The modern equivalent would be growing up in a Christian home and expecting to go to heaven on the basis of one's upbringing

• Simple possession of God's Word and external connection to a favored nation is not sufficient to save one's soul

• If God's covenant with Israel is unconditional, and many Jews live unfaithful lives and thus will not be saved, does this nullify God's promise to save Israel?

• Paul immediately rejects this question and states emphatically that God's faithfulness is inviolable even though man is unfaithful

• God's covenant with Abraham (Gen. 15:7-21)

• This question takes the promises God made to Israel as a nation and erroneously attempts to apply them to individuals who have not laid hold of God's promises through salvation in Christ

• The modern equivalent would be expecting to be saved on the basis of regular church attendance and belonging to a congregation because God promised to save His church

• If our sins and faithlessness serve to emphasize God's righteousness and faithfulness, how can God judge us for making Him look good?

• If this objection had any merit, God could not judge the world. Paul completely rejects the premise of the question because God will judge the world, so this accusation can be dispensed with

• Paul's accusers charge him with teaching "cheap grace," i.e. if God's glory is further emphasized by my sin, and His mercy is further emphasized when He forgives me, then I should sin freely that God's grace may abound all the more

• The Gospel does not promise forgiveness for premeditated sin. if we do not repent of our sin, but rather act as though God is forced to forgive us when we ask and thus we have God in a corner and can live as we please, we mock God and trivialize His holiness by overemphasizing His mercy, and we will meet a rude awakening at our judgment

Study session audio:

Study session scripture: Romans 2:12-29

For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.

But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law.

For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law.

For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.

Study session topics:

• The unrighteousness of the Jews, continued

• God will judge all according to the standard they possessed

• Gentiles by what can be perceived about God in nature

• Jews by the law God gave them

• The Jews throughout history failed to be a holy people

• A warning against externalism

• Emphasis on outward religious practices, rituals, and appearances at the expense of true inward faith

Study session audio:

Study session scripture: Romans 2:1-11

Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed. He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality.

Study session topics:

• The unrighteousness of the Jews

• None of us has room to judge the unrighteousness of another

• This does not mean we must be silent in the face of sin, but that we must point to God’s judgment rather than our own

• We will all stand before God as righteous judge

• God’s current leniency is not an excuse to keep living as you do, but an opportunity to heed His call to repentance

• God will judge us all according to our works

Study session audio:

Study session scripture: Romans 1:18-32

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

Study session topics:

• God’s wrath against sinners: the unrighteousness of the gentiles

• What does the wrath of God look like? Thumos versus orge

• Go’d wrath against unrighteousness is revealed in the downward trajectory of an ungodly world

• Refusal to honor God

• Turning to worship idols

• Sexual sin

• Further depravity

Study session audio: