03/20/2022 – Day 021 – Romans – Chapter 5 and 6 – 1 of 2/ “Death through Adam and Life through Christ” / “The New Life in Christ”
One for each chapter , but I am going to share with you my three footnotes from these two chapters. They are all very instructive.
But first, a personal testimony on 6:12 – 13: “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires. And do not offer any parts of it to sin as weapons of unrighteousness.” One powerful memory in our workplace men’s bible study group, was when we all concluded a great session with a unanimous proclamation that a key marker for growth in the faith (“sanctification”) , is going from “drinking milk to eating solid food”, as Paul noted, translated as : 1) “Oh I messed up, I sinned again!”, to 2) “I have grieved the Holy Spirit!”. Even more so, as the fear of the Lord comes over you ever the more with just the mere thought of it. I remember how, even in the midst of my worst teenager rebellion, the mental image of my father’s disappoinment in his face haunted me. Praise God!
Do y’all resonate with that?
I think each time I go through Romans, I am ever more convinced to keep Romans on my “short” list of Books to cover before embarking on a full read through the Bible in a year.
Now to my footnotes:
5:12: “Employing the concept of corporate solidarity, Paul explained that when Adam sinned all humanity was profoundly affected through that act of rebellion. There is a corresponding corporate solidarity in Christ. Whereas “in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive (1 Corinthians 15:22) Therefore, Paul said later that ‘ no condemnation comes to ‘those in Christ Jesus‘ (Romans 8:1, emphasis added)l. So while the damaging consequences of Adam’s sin, including an inherited tendency to sin, were passed on to all Adam’s descendants, justification likewise passes on to all who receive God’s gift of righteousness secured through Christ’s death (vv 17-19). Note, however, that Paul did not each universalism here. God forces His righteousness on no one; people must receive the offered gift through faith.”
(Jimmy insert: Could anyone even make up a fictional story so unfathomably hopeful and joyful.?)
6:1: “Paul opposed the prevalent idea (which some espouse even today) of antinomianism. That is, since God saves people by grace (5:21), it does not matter how people live. Paul found this idea abhorrent – completely inconsistent with salvation’s purpose, which is to produce holy lives. The result of entering into CHrist’s should be victory over sin — ultimately but also presently. This mandates every effort to counter sin’s effects in a believer’s life.”
6:16,22: “Paul’s positive use of the metaphor of slavery may strike Christians today as offensive. However, slavery’s pervasiveness in the ancient world helped convey his point graphically. In fact, everyone is a slave either to sin — an evil, malicious slave master — or to God. God grants His slaves eternal life and freedom from sin’s destructive power. Sins pays death as wages; God grants life (v. 23).”
Ok , question to the group. If our short list length gets close to reading through all the books of the Bible, then we should probably just forget about the “shorter” preceding read. Of the 66 books of the Bible, 39 old testament and 27 new testament, here is my “short list” , 14 books total, 10 old testament and 4 new testament.:
John (*) ; Genesis; Exodus; Deuteronomy; Proverbs; 1 Samuel; 2 Samuel; Psalms; Job; Isaiah; Daniel ; Acts; Romans; Hebrews.
Carl’s Bezeugen ministry has a tract challenge to read the Gospel of John, one chapter a day, or 21 days total, thereby the “21 day challenge”. (http://enroll.tract.club)
Thoughts? What would your list be today for a new adult christian?
Soli Deo Gloria!