Romans 5--A Life Bent Toward Holiness

The righteousness imputed, or reckoned, to the believer puts him in right-standing before God: he has peace, or reconciliation, with God; whereas, the unbeliever (the unregenerate, the unconverted), in his lost (unsaved) state, is still subject to God's wrathful judgment, poised to fall on all sinners who cannot truly point to Jesus as their Savior (Ro 5:1).

Not only does the believer have reconciliation with God, which saves him from damnation and hell (as if that were not enough!), the believer is granted access to God--a personal audience with the God of the universe! (Ro 5:2). It is no wonder the believer rejoices! He rejoices even in tribulations because he now understands why he has troubles: "...knowing that tribulation produces perseverance, and perseverance, character; and character, hope (Ro 5: 3-4)."

This audience, or personal relationship, with Almighty God, made possible through Christ, enables the believer to live a "saved" life--a life marked by purity (Ro 5:10).

When Adam sinned, he caused the "Fall" of mankind. Thenceforth every child born would have a sin nature; i.e., a bent toward sinning. No person could save himself from this condition--his own sinful nature. No amount of good works or moral, upstanding behavior could alleviate the ultimate consequences of this sin nature: condemnation by a just and holy God.

God, in His mercy, however, provided one way (Jn 14:6) out of this dilemma--the sinner can receive Jesus, the Holy One, as Lord and Master (Jn 1:12). Thus the sinner, now a believer, receives a new nature (11 Corinthians 5:17). This new nature is bent toward holiness, unlike the old nature, which is bent toward sin. The believer, with his new nature, is not sinless, but the mark of his life is holiness.

Sinful man, in his fallen state, does not quickly recognize his depraved condition. Therefore, God gave mankind His law, to show each individual his impure state. If there is any doubt in a person's mind whether or not he is pure, he can read the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20) and ask himself how many of God's laws he has violated, even still violates daily, in thought, word and deed.

Violating God's law is not the normal condition for a true believer. The rejoicing seen in Romans 5 is not just the joy of salvation from hell, it is the joy of salvation from the sin nature. God, through Jesus, has provided a new nature, with a bent toward purity, for the believer. Glory Hallelulia!

Romans 4--Righteousness By Believing God

Romans 2 and Romans 3 explain what righteousness is not: not morality (Ro 2) and not good deeds (Ro 3). Romans 4 explains what righteousness is--believing God.

Ro 4 gives Abraham as an example of a man who believed God and "it was imputed to him for righteousness." (Ro 4:22). God told Abraham that his wife Sarah would give birth to their son. At the time Abraham was about 100 years old and Sarah was 90. Yet Abraham believed God could and would do what He had said.

Anyone declared righteousness by God comes into right-standing with God and is no longer subject to the wrath of God when He judges and condemns sinners. To be declared righteous, a person must believe what God says. In His Word God has said:

1. All men are sinners by nature, separated from God by sin and condemned to hell (Ro 3:23). The wages of sin are death (Ro 6:23).
2. Jesus was God. He was sinless and did not have to die for His own sins like other men.
3. Yet Jesus did die physically, by choice, in order to accept the penalty for sin that would otherwise have condemned all men. He swapped places with the sinner who believes and that believer, instead of receiving the wrath of God in condemnation, receives the righteousness of Jesus by imputation.
4. God accepted this substitution. God's approval is demonstrated by Jesus being resurrected from the dead. Because of Jesus' death and resurrection, some (believers) are saved from condemnation.
5. Those that are saved are the ones who have received Jesus as Lord and Savior (John 1:12).

A person wanting to consider whether he believes what God has said can ask himself if he believes these Biblical truths:

1. I am a sinner, separated from God's grace and condemned by His wrath because of my sin.
2. I cannot work my way into His good grace because my very nature as a human is sinful. Moral behavior and good deeds in the eyes of mankind do not cover up my sinful nature in the eyes of God.
3. Jesus was sinless. Jesus stood in my place and received the penalty coming to me so that I could receive the righteousness that is His.
4. Jesus, being God, is my Creator as well as my Savior and my Lord. My life belongs to Him. I am to obey His Word, the Holy Bible. He gives me power to live righteously--truly righteously--and not just present a superficial righteousness created by men in order to approve one another.

Romans 3--Dangers of Doing Good Deeds

In Romans 2 God condemns people who exhibit a superficial, external morality in order to be seen as respectable. In Romans 3 God condemns religious people who go about doing good deeds in order to be seen as respectable. In these chapters the Apostle Paul repeatedly emphasizes that it is not good conduct that brings a person into favor with almighty God.

God views all mankind, regardless of conduct, as depraved sinners (Ro 3:9-18). Acting moral and respectable cannot fix a person's naturally sinful nature.

The marvelous thing is that God has provided a way for some to be saved from this innate condition of sin. Jesus, holy and righteous, can stand in the place of the sinner being judged by a holy God and God will declare that sinner innocent.

But not everyone is saved from this condemning verdict. Good conduct and respectability cannot save. To be saved from the sin that convicts him, a person must see and admit his sinful state. Then he must see and admit that Jesus is righteous and the only one who can stand in his place and be found innocent.

On Romans 2--Dangers of a Superficial Morality

As Romans 1 presented the dangers of self-deception, Romans 2 presents the dangers of a superficial morality.

After listing the sins of utter depravity (Ro 1:24-32), the Apostle Paul warns the respectable persons, including the religious leaders, that they, too, are subject to the wrath of God because they, too, have hard and impenitent hearts.

While externally they appear to be righteous, internally they steal, commit adultery, and practice idolatry (Ro 2:21-22).

Moral conduct, or a reputation for morality in the eyes of men, is worthless to God if there is no genuine holiness, or purity, according to His standards. The Lord commands: "Be ye holy; for I am holy." ( See 1 Pe 1:15-16.) Can anyone not be humbled by such a command from such a holy God?

Praise God for the assurance found in 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." His people are to please Him and not just other people.

From Romans 1--Dangers of Self-deception

Jesus is proved to be the Son of God by His Resurrection (Ro 1:4). By God's grace He calls out (separates unto Himself) a people to be His saints, or "Holy Ones" (Ro1:5-7).

Those that are saved (from God's wrath and from their own state of sinfulness) are saved through the power of God, the same power that raised Christ from the dead (Ep 1:19-20).

However, those that spurn God and His Word are subject to God's wrath. They do not realize their predicament. "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools" (Ro 1:22). They are self-deceived!

A person can be a church-goer and well respected in the community and think himself to be right with God. But Jesus says, "My sheep hear my voice and ... they follow me." So the question is, "Do I really hear Jesus speaking directly and personally to me and then do I obey what He says?"

Self-deception is dangerous.

Vanity of the Mind

Vanity means both conceit and emptiness or worthlessness (Webster).

Scripture warns of the dangers of vanity. Ephesians 4: 17-18 states that believers/Christians are to "walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, 18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart. "

In other words, a vain person is ignorant, without understanding, blinded to truth, foolishly prideful, and oblivious to his own sad condition. The vain person is a fool who thinks he is smart ("Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools...." (Ro 1:22).

Before dismissing these passages as inapplicable to one's own life, the wise person will ask God to reveal those areas of vanity/conceit/ emptiness in his own life. Can anyone truly say he is fully cleansed from vanity?

Envy Is Surely Sin

Romans 1:28-32 lists envy as one of the sins of a reprobate mind, along with such sins as fornication, murder and haters of God. Galatians 5:19-21 includes envyings in a list with adultery, witchcraft, heresies, murder, drunkenness....

Envy differs from covetousness in that envy is thoroughly odious. It is "discontentment at the sight of another's success, accompanied by some degree of hatred" (Webster). The origin of the word is invidia, meaning hatred, ill will. With envy, not only does a person inordinately desire the success or the possessions of another person, he hates the person that he envies.

Covetousness can be positive in meaning "eagerly desire" or negative in meaning "to desire inordinately, to long for that which is unlawful to obtain or possess" (Webster). The last of the Ten Commandments warns: "Thou shalt not covet ... thy neighbor's wife...." (Exodus 20:17) A person may covet his neighbor's wife and envy/hate his neighbor for having her.

How does one recognize envy in his heart? The psalmist went into the sanctuary of God (God's presence) and it was revealed to him. (Ps 73) What was his response to this revelation? Something similar to this: "Oh what an ignorant fool I've been!"

May the Lord help His people be set free from this insidious trap called envy.