Benjamin Franklin once wrote, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” So far in the book of Romans, Paul has shared with us the glorious news of how Christ has died our death, that we might live His life. But believe it or not, the apostle also deals, with taxes. Romans 13:1-7 deals with the Christian and politics. Now there’s a hot subject! What should be the Christian’s attitude to the government?

The Christian and Politics

“Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God” (Rom. 13:1). It seems clear from this text that Christians are duty-bound to obey the government because it was God who established it in the first place. Paul seems to suggest that even a bad government is better than having none at all. This idea is graphically portrayed to us in one of the worst books of the Bible – Judges. This book is full of slaughter and bloodshed, promiscuity and perversion. But there is a punch-line in that is repeated at least three times throughout the book that I believes helps explain this behaviour, “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25). We can all agree that governments are not perfect, but it is better to have them than anarchy. God established them for our own good. Without civil government life exists only by the law of the jungle.

But how far should we go in obeying the government? “Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment upon themselves” (Rom. 13:2). What? Does that mean we have to submit and follow everything the state might force us to do? It is important for us to remember that here Paul is stating a general principle that operates under normal conditions. He is not setting forth an absolute. John Stott in his commentary on Romans noted:

We need to be cautious… in our interpretation of Paul’s statements. He cannot be taken to mean that all the Caligulas, Herods, Neros, and Domitians of New Testament times, and all the Hitlers, Stalins, Amins and Saddams of our times were personally appointed by God, that God was responsible for their behaviour, or that their author is in no circumstances to be resisted (p. 340).

When Romans 13 is compared with Revelation 13, for instance, we find the state to be a “minister” of the devil instead of a “minister” of God (cf. Rom. 13:4; Rev. 13:2-7). Must we obey the political powers portrayed in Revelation then? Of course not. The midwives in Egypt disobeyed Pharaoh when he commanded the baby boys to be drowned in the Nile River; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego disobeyed Nebuchadnezzar when they were commanded to worship the golden image; Daniel disobeyed the decree of Darius to pray to no one else by the king. The determining principle is found in Acts 5:29: “We must obey God rather than men!” The main point of the apostle’s discussion here is that practical obedience must be given to the government in all areas where it has the right to govern, such as rendering “taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honour to whom honour” (Rom. 13:7, cf. Matt. 22:21).

The Christian and the Law

Romans 13:8-10 is a very important passage: “Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.” He then goes on to list part of the 10 Commandments and then says, “and if there is any other commandment, they are all summed up in this saying, namely, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ Love does no harm to a neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilment of the law.” Jesus also lays this out for us in Matthew 22:37-40. “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Here is the real law of God, the Law behind the laws – LOVE (see study on The Law for a more detailed discussion).

Now some people think that since love is the fulfilling of the Law, they can forget the 10 Commandments. Don’t be silly! Jesus said that all the “Law and the Prophets” spring from the great principle of love. If I love God, I will naturally keep the first four commandments because I won’t want to worship anyone else; I won’t want to worship idols; I won’t take His name in vain; I won’t want to neglect His Sabbath. Likewise, if I love my neighbour, I will naturally be keeping the last six commandments because I won’t want steal people’s stuff; I won’t covet what others have; I won’t be unfaithful or untruthful and so on. You see, love to God and to our neighbours is the centrepiece of Christianity. It points us to the Law behind the laws and reveals to us the motivation for keeping the commandments – because we love God and love our fellow man. And as we mentioned in the last study, this is the driving force of the transformed life of the Christian – selfless love.

The Christian Essentials and Nonessentials

Have you ever met one of those people who seem to make a big deal over nothing? We all know how irritating they can be at times. But we are still to love them and accept their concerns. In Romans 14, Paul deals with a typical situation where some believers were turning hills and into mountains and atoms into worlds. The apostle draws on a contemporary issue of his day to illustrate this timeless issue of tolerance.

“For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables” (Rom. 14:2). Now, regardless of what some sincere Christians believe, this is not saying that vegetarians are “weak.” This passage is not dealing with health. In the early church, an issue rose over eating meat that had been offered to idols (see 1 Cor. 8). Of course the idols could not eat the meat that was offered to them, so following their worship service the meat was sold in the marketplace. Christians would then buy the meat and eat it. But some considered the meat to be unclean, and thus not being sure which meat had been offered to idols and which hadn’t, they didn’t buy any meat at all. These are referred to as “weak” because they were more cautious and sensitive to these things than other believers were.

Paul moves on to another contemporary issue. “One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind” (Rom. 14:5). And no, this is not talking about which day is the Sabbath! If you don’t believe me, read the whole chapter and you’ll find there is nothing about the law or which day Christians should worship on. It is dealing largely with the topic of food and drink, in the larger context of Christian tolerance towards fellow believers. The days Paul is speaking of in this verse are the days on which some Christians chose to fast. “He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks” (14:6). Again, there were some believers who kept those days, and others who didn’t. This is why Paul says in verse 13, “Let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.” Some people have a case to grind that they might think is important, but it may not be the same conviction that another has. But let everyone be convinced in his own mind in regards to these nonessential things is the wise advice of the apostle. Augustine summed it up nicely when he said, “In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity.”

So we’ve seen some examples of peripheral issues. But what are the essentials? Romans 14:17, “The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” In other words, the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.

We have now come to the final section of the glorious book of Romans. In chapters 1-8, Paul has presented to us the science of salvation. We have all sinned and deserve death, but Christ has taken our place as the second Adam, that by believing, we might be saved – by grace alone, through faith alone. Following his discussion on the salvation of the individual, the apostle turned his attention to the salvation of nations in chapters 9-11 as he explained the “problem” of the Jews. They rejected the very One who had come to save them because of their legalism, believing that their own righteousness could save them. But if they accept the righteousness that God provides in Christ, they will be saved.

Now Paul wraps up his discussion on salvation by outlining the practical aspects of the Christian life in chapters 12-16. Though he was a great theologian, he was not all theory. Theology, in its truest sense, is practical. If what I believe does not influence the way I live, it is of no value. So after providing us with the doctrine, the theology, the exposition, Paul gives us the ethics. This is where the rubber hits the road for the Christian.

“I appeal to you, therefore, brethren by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (Rom. 12:1).

Notice that now we have been saved, we are to present ourselves as a sacrifice to God, a living sacrifice. All that we do, we must do for God’s glory. We are a living sacrifice. Paul also speaks along these lines in 1 Cor. 6:19-20, “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” Our bodies are sacred, they are holy, they are God’s, not ours.

This highlights an important principle that is often overlooked in religion – health. Since our bodies are the temple of God, they must be treated with the utmost respect, “you are not your own.” We need to watch what we eat, what we think, what we say, what we wear, as they are all related to each other. As a person thinks in his heart, so is he (Pro. 23:7). You are what you think. You are what you eat. You are what you wear. This is why Paul admonishes us elsewhere that “whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). As Christians, each moment we must ask ourselves, Is what I’m doing, thinking, saying, eating, drinking, wearing, bringing glory to God?

Notice also that this is “your spiritual [act] of worship.” By living lives that are healthy, holy, acceptable to God, we are in fact worshipping Him. This demonstrates how important these things are in the life of the Christian. Worship does not mean going to church, singing songs, kneeling down to pray, and listening to the sermon, though it does include those things. Worship is being a living sacrifice.

We must not be “conformed to this world, but transformed” (12:2). The meaning of the word transformed comes from two Greek words, the first meaning “across” and the second “form.” So to be transformed means to change across from one form to another. The English word we use to describe this is “metamorphosis,” the process by which a slug-like caterpillar becomes a beautiful butterfly. This is perhaps one of the most graphic illustrations of what happens to a person when they meet Jesus. God takes us as we are, proud, self-centred, slug-like sinners, and transforms us into saints. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Cor. 5:17).

According to Paul, our Christian conduct lies in three main spheres: in the church (12:3-8); in the world (12:9-21); and in the state (13:1-7). In other words, our duties are religious, social and civil.

In his usual way, the apostle draws on vivid imagery to show us how these principles apply in the church, by presenting to us a picture of the body. “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others” (12:4-5). He expands on this discussion in 1 Cor. 12. With his usual wit, Martin Luther once said that it is just as impossible to be a solitary Christian as it is to be a solitary adulterer. Being a Christian means becoming part of the body of Christ, the church. We each have our own different gifts and responsibilities that God has given to us to use to His glory. We do not all share the same role, and this is why we need each other. Here Paul speaks of the unity of the church, but also its diversity. Though the church is one in purpose, its various members each make their own contribution, according to their different gifts. “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them; if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness” (12:6-8). Remember what was pointed out earlier, all that the Christian does is to the glory of God.

The apostle continues with his discussion on ethics in chapter 12, with some very “hard” sayings, such as verse 14, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” That’s not normal! When someone does something wrong to us, our first thought is how we can get that nasty so-and-so back and give them what they deserve. But Christianity is anything but normal. The world operates on the principle of selfish love. I’m the centre of my own life. Everything I do is driven by the desire to be the biggest, the best, the greatest. But Christianity operates on the principle of selfless love. God is the centre of my life. Everything I do is for His glory, His honour, His praise. I treat others as I would treat myself. “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing so you will heap coals of fire on his head” (12:20).

We are to love others, the same way God has loved us. This is the aim of the Christian life – selfless love. “Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good” (12:21). In the end, all evil will be overcome by the love of God.

Chapters 9-11 constitute the central section of Paul’s letter to the believers in Rome. The apostle now shifts his focus from the salvation of individuals to the salvation of nations – the Jews and the Gentiles. More specifically, he deals with the problem of Israel. In chapter 9, we are presented with their calling as God’s special people; in chapter 10 we read of their rejection; while chapter 11 speaks of their conversion.

The fact that Paul is now speaking about nations and not individuals is vital for us to remember as we walk our way through this passage. The reason why this is so important is that these chapters have been the primary breeding ground for the doctrine of predestination.  This doctrine teaches that some people are predestined by God to suffer eternal torment, and some to enjoy eternal salvation. They have no say in the matter, God decided it long ago. Not only that, those who hold this belief also teach that the majority of people will be lost. Now how such sincere saints arrive at such a conclusion is beyond me. They seem to believe that Romans 9:11-21 is proof of the doctrine of predestination. But it illustrates a sad reality – that by pulling passages out of context, you can end up creating a theology that even God can’t understand! Why would Jesus instruct His followers to preach the gospel to the world, if the fate of the world’s eternal salvation (and damnation) had already been decided? Why is the gospel invitation open to everyone and not just some – “whosoever believes” (John 3:16), Christ “gave Himself as a ransom for all men” (1 Tim. 2:6), “One died for all” (2 Cor. 5:14)? Clearly, predestination fails to find any support in the Scriptures.

The main question Paul, a Jewish Christian, seeks to address in these chapters is not the predestination of individuals, but the problem of national election: “Why don’t most of our people – God’s chosen people – accept the gospel?”

Chapter 9: Election

Paul begins chapter 9 with a personal lament for his people Israel, even going so far as to say that he was willing to be “accursed from Christ” for the sake of saving his people (v. 3). He continues to describe the special privileges that God bestowed on them:  “To whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God” (9:4-5). How could such a nation that had the spotlight of God’s truth and love shining on it, reject the very One who had come to save them?

Though it is true that the Jewish nation in general rejected and crucified their own Messiah, it is also true that not all the Jews rejected Him. Some did believe and accept Him. In fact, most of His earlier followers were Jews! But it highlights an important point: “they are not all Israel who are of Israel” (v. 6). In other words, simply being a descendant of Abraham doesn’t mean you are part of God’s chosen people by default. Paul then cites a handful of Old Testament examples that illustrate this point. First up is Abraham himself with his two sons. Isaac, the son born according to the promise of God, was chosen, but Ishmael, the son born of natural desire, was not, even though Abraham was his literal father! (v. 7, 9). This was repeated again in the next generation with Isaac. His son Jacob was chosen, but Esau, Jacob’s twin, was not (v. 10-13). Notice that this divine election was “not of works, but of Him who calls” (v. 11).

Now, does this teach predestination? Notice verses 9:12-13: “‘The older shall serve the younger.’ As it is written, ‘Jacob I have loved but Esau I have hated.’” This is a quotation from Malachi 1:1-4, and if you read that passage, the context reveals that the phrase “Esau I have hated,” is referring not to Esau the individual, but to Esau’s descendants, the Edomites (verse 4). So when Paul quotes this passage from Malachi, he uses it to talk about the nations or people, who descended from these two boys – the Israelites from Jacob, the Edomites from Esau – and not the individuals themselves.

But how is it that God chooses one nation above the others to be His beacon of light in the world? Paul gets boldly blunt here. In essence he declares that God can do whatever He likes, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion” (v. 15-16). How can “the thing formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why have you may me like this?’” In the same way, how can the clay talk back to the potter? (v. 20-21). It is significant however, that we find the word “mercy” at least four times in this passage, which indicates that God’s purpose is to show forth His mercy, not just arbitrarily to a select few, but to all those who will accept His mercy.

Chapter 10: Rejection

But we’re still left with Paul’s pressing question, Why did the Jews reject the gospel? After briefly reviewing their calling, he spells it out at the end of chapter 9 and beginning of chapter 10:

But Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attainted to the law of righteousness. Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone [Christ]… For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they begin ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God” (Rom. 9:31-32; 10:2-3).

So in answering his question about the Israel’s rejection of the gospel, Paul says it was simply because of their legalism – because they looked to their own achievements, because they did not believe in God’s gift of grace, because they wanted to earn their own way to God, thinking themselves good enough.

This highlights an important point in the discussion of national election. God is not simply arbitrary in who He calls. He calls everyone, but sadly only few respond. When God called Abraham, he responded by leaving his country (Gen. 12:1-4). When God called Moses, he responded by leading the children of Israel out of Egypt (Ex 3-4). When God called the children of Israel, they responded by saying “all that the Lord has said, we will do” (Ex. 19:20; 24:7). But unfortunately, they later forfeited their calling by rejecting the One who had come to save them, believing they could win God’s favour by their works. God is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2. Pet. 3:9). But in order for that to happen, we must have the opposite spirit to that of the nation of Israel. We have to remember the words of that great hymn, “Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling.” Notice that Paul hasn’t wandered away from the gospel he has been writing on in the previous chapters. He is still presenting the same gospel here, though now applied on a national level.

The Jews lost their special calling because they “have not submitted to the righteousness of God” (10:3). We must realise our own insufficiency – our lost, corrupt, sinful nature. We must submit ourselves to God, and cling to Him as our only hope. Paul gives the reason why we must submit, “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (v. 4). This doesn’t mean that in Christ the law has come to an end (see study on The Law). No! Paul is saying that Christ is the end of the law as a method for salvation, for those who believe. Christ fulfilled the requirements of the law, that by faith, His righteousness may become ours (8:3-4).

Chapter 11: Conversion

Now that the apostle has answered the question of why Israel in general rejected the gospel, he now poses another question: “I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, ‘Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life’? But what does the divine response say to him? ‘I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal’” (11:1-4). As pointed out earlier, it is important for us to remember that though the nation of Israel in general rejected the gospel, not all rejected it. This is why he goes on to say in the very next verse, “Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace” (v. 5, emphasis mine).  God always has His remnant people in every nation, tribe, tongue, and people who have accepted the gospel of grace.

Now, while this section in Romans has been used to support the dour doctrine of predestination, it has also been used to support another doctrine known dispensationalism. Dispensationalists believe that the nation of Israel is distinct from the Church and that God will fulfil His promises to national Israel by the restoration of Jerusalem and the salvation of all the Jews. This teaching has been based largely on Romans 11:6, “And so all Israel will be saved…” Taken on its own, this verse certainly seems to suggest that the nation of Israel is going to be saved. But again, as pointed out earlier with predestination – you can make the Bible say anything by pulling verses out of context.

To understand what Paul means when he says, “And so all Israel will be saved…” we need to remember what he has previously said, “For they are not all Israel who are of Israel… Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, the remnant shall be saved” (9:6, 27). In other words, only a remnant of the Jews will be saved because not all will respond to God’s salvation. The same way only a few Kiwis will be saved, and only a few Aussies will be saved, because not all will accept God’s gift of grace. Also, prior to this verse in chapter 11, the apostle used the illustration of the branches of an olive tree – some are broken off, while others are grafted in. Paul says that “because of unbelief,” the Jewish branches were broken off (11:20). However, he goes on to say that “if they do not continue in unbelief, [they] will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again” (v. 23). He then says, “and so,” in this manner, “Israel will be saved” – by believing and receiving Jesus as their Saviour. “For there is no other name under heaven, given among men, by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). We are “not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ” (Gal. 2:16). “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His was past finding out! …For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen” (Rom. 11:33, 36).

We have now reached the conclusion, the climax, the mountaintop of the first part of the book of Romans – chapter 8. All of the rivers of truth throughout the Bible meet in this mother of all rivers. It is from this chapter that we can gaze back into the distance and see how the Lord has brought us up out of the low-lying valley of sin. From this chapter we can also look forward to reaching the summit of the Christian life – glorification.

The first four verses of Romans 8 summarise all that the previous chapters have said: we are now free from the wrath of God (chapters 1-5). We are free from the dominion of sin (chapter 6). We are free from the law as a method of salvation because grace has taken its place (chapter 7). As we begin to study this next part of Romans, it is important for us to remember that there were originally no chapter divisions in the Bible. A great scholar once said that there is no more unfortunate chapter division than here – between chapters 7 and 8. It would seem strange for Paul to finish the chapter by saying, “So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin” (7:25). After writing that he did not put his pen down and say, “Time to begin a new chapter.” No, he went straight on with:

 “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” (8:1).

Justification not Condemnation

Here before us, we have one of the greatest truths ever expressed in human language. This is the very essence of the gospel! Later on in the same chapter, Paul says, “Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us” (8:33-34). Who can condemn us if we are in Christ?

Notice however, that he doesn’t say “There is no more sin, no more failure, no more problems.” He says there is “no condemnation.” This is simply another way of saying that the believer has been justified, as justification is the opposite of condemnation (cf. Rom. 5:16). We must never forget the wonderful truth of justification (see study on Romans 4-5). It doesn’t just mean forgiveness. It means that you are declared “not guilty,” which means you’re innocent! No matter what your past, your problems, your struggles, the moment you believe and accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour, you are declared righteous (Rom. 4:3). “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” God meets us where we are and saves us. But that’s not the whole story. Too many people stop there. What follows is the important process of sanctification. Salvation not only involves what God does for us – justification, (through Christ’s death of the cross), but also what He does in us – sanctification (through holy living). One is objective, the other subjective. One is imputed, the other imparted. One concerns our position, the other our condition. These are two distinct things, but must never be separated or confused. God gives these two gifts with both hands; He always sanctifies those whom He justifies. Justification without sanctification would not be salvation at all. It would be like declaring a leper clean and then leaving him to die of his disease. That’s hardly salvation!

The Spirit not the Flesh

So while justification means declaring righteous (no more condemnation), sanctification means becoming righteous, or being made righteous. It is being set apart for God, with the power of the Holy Spirit working in our lives transforming us into His image. God accepts us just as we are, but He transforms us into what we ought to be – from the gutter-most to the utter-most. This is what Paul means when he says that we, who are in Christ, “walk… according to the Spirit…” and “live according to the Spirit…” (8:1, 4-5). This chapter is all about the Spirit-filled life of the Christian – sanctification. With the except of John 13-17, the Holy Spirit is mentioned in Romans 8 more often than anywhere else in the Bible – 20 times.

The Holy Spirit is the key to the sanctified life of the Christian. Let’s look briefly at how important this is. “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses… the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us” (8:15-16, 26). This is why Jesus said to His disciples, “It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you… when He, the Spirit of truth has come, He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:7, 13). Without the Holy Spirit in our lives, we are set sailing on a course towards destruction.

It is also important for us to note how often the “mind” is mentioned here too. The reason for this is that the Christian life involves decision that sets the course of their life – will I serve the flesh, which represents our natural sinful desires, or will I serve the Spirit? Will it be my way, or God’s way? Everyone must make their choice. “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (8:6). I certainly know which I’d rather have!

From Suffering to Glory

As mentioned earlier, this chapter of Romans provides us with the perfect platform for gazing up towards the summit of the Christian experience – the final deliverance from sin. Verse 18: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” What an encouraging verse! Jesus also said something similar to His disciples, “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). As long as we are living in this world, we will suffer at the hands of sin. Just because we have Jesus, doesn’t mean every problem automatically disappears (though there are many times when I wish they would!). Sin no longer reigns but it does remain (see study on Romans 6-7). Verse 17 also provides us with further encouragement: “…if indeed we suffer with [Christ], that we may also be glorified together.” This tells us that the same way Jesus Himself had trials and sufferings, His followers will also. However, in the same way that He was glorified, His follower will be also.

But the apostle goes on to tell us that we are not the only ones suffering: “For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it to hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” (8:20-21). Many forget that when sin entered the world, it didn’t just place a curse on mankind. All of creation has suffered the results of sin along with fallen humanity (Gen. 3:16-19). So here we are told that not only us, but creation itself is waiting for the deliverance from sin (Rom. 8:23).

In the context of this discussion on suffering and the hope of our deliverance from it, Paul pens one of his most often quoted verses: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (8:28). Whenever we go through good times and bad, trials and tribulations, we must remember that as long as we are in Christ, no matter what happens, everything is working out for our own good.

No Separation

Though we may continue to suffer in this life, Paul goes on to write what I consider to be the greatest doxology ever (a doxology is a hymn of praise), in verses 31-39:

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “ For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans chapter 8 begins with, “No condemnation,” and ends with, “No separation.” What a beautiful picture! We need to quote these verses to ourselves day by day. Nothing, not suffering, not death, nor anything else can “separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Amen!

No one would be content with a study of Romans 7 without dealing with the identity of the struggling man in verses 13-25. This passage has probably created more debate than any other in the book of Romans. Whole movements have split over the interpretation of these verses. Does this passage portray the struggle of a converted Christian life? Or is this struggle one from which believers have been rescued by Christ?

Many good and godly people have taken their stand on both of these positions, not to mention many other compromised views which attempt to merge the two understandings. The Reformers held to the understanding that this passage describes the Christian experience, which has remained the standard interpretation up to the twentieth century. A different approach was taken by those known as “pietists,” who reacted against the traditional view, claiming that it had opened the door to a lowering standard of Christian morality.

It seems that one of the primary reasons for siding with one position or the other has been largely based on one’s own theological perspective, rather than on the text itself. This is not altogether wrong, but must not be placed first and foremost in biblical exegesis.

In approaching the passage, it is important for us to remember that convincing arguments can be drawn on to bolster each position. This being the case, it is important to for us to let the text speak for itself and be sensitive to the reasoning of the apostle in this passage so that we may arrive at the understanding he intended.

Context

In any interpretation of a passage, the context must be kept in mind. It is important to remember where this chapter falls in the flow of the letter of Romans. Chapters 1-3 deal with the lost condition of the irreligious, the religious, and in summary, the whole word (3:10).  After presenting the bad news, Paul skilfully leads his readers towards the light in chapters 4-5 in which he covers the conversion and justification of the sinner. Now that the believer knows he is saved, the apostle moves on to talk about the life of the Christian in chapters 6-8, otherwise known as sanctification. Therefore, the context in which the struggling man appears is in Paul’s discussion on sanctification. The man cannot be in a pre-converted state, but a converted state, otherwise it would break the natural flow of the gospel presentation. This can be outlined as follows:

Chapter 5 – Justification
Chapter 6 – Sanctification
Chapter 7 – Struggles of Sanctification
Chapter 8 – Glorification

Change of Tense

Whichever position one takes on the identity of the struggling man, they must be able to sufficiently explain the change in tense between verses 7-12, and 14-25. In the former passage, Paul reflects on his past experience when coming to terms with the spiritual aspect of the law: “I was alive once without the law… for sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me” (v. 9, 11). Paul then transitions into the present tense in verse 14, “I am…” “I do…” (v. 20), “I find…” (v. 21), “I see…” (v. 23). It would seem very strange to do this if he was referring to the past or to someone else’s experience, as he is writing in the first person, present tense. It would therefore seem most natural to understand the passage as being just that – Paul’s present, personal, struggle.

Two Natures

In chapter 6, Paul introduces us to the “old man” who represents our old sinful nature that must be “crucified,” so the new man can be brought to life as Christ was (6:5-6). But the old man also wants to be resurrected, thus creating a struggle to which Paul speaks in 1 Cor. 15:31, where he says, “I die daily.” Though the old nature is to be “crucified” and “buried,” it is not the end of it. This is why Paul instructs us not “to let sin reign” in our lives (6:12). Though when we come to Christ and receive a new mind and heart, we still have a sinful body, thus sin remains with us but should not reign in us. “Sin shall not have dominion over you…” (6:14). The old carnal nature is continually fighting to be resurrected, thus we must continue to drown and bury him (6:4). So we have the battle between the old man and the new man. Then in the first part of chapter 7, the apostle uses another illustration to demonstrate theses two natures by a wife with two husbands. One husband, who has to die, represents our old nature, condemned by the law, while the new husband we marry is our new nature in Christ (7:4). So again, we are presented with our two opposing natures. So when we come to the struggling man in the last part of chapter 7, it is no surprise that again, we find these two natures, this time portrayed as being at war with each other. Some have seen that this is the state of adultery that Paul speaks of in his wife-husband illustration. The first husband has not died and the wife is therefore an adulterer, meaning that the Christian has not said goodbye to his old nature completely, but still wants to have the new nature too. He has one foot in the world, and one in the church. This could very well describe the conflict between the mind and flesh of this struggling man. However, coming from another direction, it seems that only a truly converted person knows of this internal war. It is unknown before we come to Christ and crucify our old nature, because up until that time it has reigned supreme.

Textual Indicators

In verse 14, Paul speaks of being “sold under sin.” This contrasts strongly with what he has said of the Christian in the previous chapter, that the believer has been “set free from sin” (6:18, 22). Some have also seen significance in the meaning of “I myself” in verse 25 as meaning “I, by myself, without the help of the Spirit,” thus implying a convicted, but still unconverted state. On the other hand, there are textual hints that point in the opposite direction. Only the truly converted person will “delight in the law of God” (v. 22), seek to obey it (v. 15-20), and “serve” it (v. 25). It is true that the Pharisees did all that too, but as Paul has already explained in verses 7-12, the true law is spiritual, which the Pharisees, including himself, failed to understand. Paul’s description of the “inward man” (v. 22), is only used to describe the Christian (see 2 Cor. 4:16; Eph. 3:16). It is interesting to note that the only other time the word “wretched” (v. 24) is used in the New Testament is in Rev. 3:17, where it describes the true condition of the Laodicean church, which would seem to indicate the true condition of the Christian as presented in Romans 7. Notice also that this person has accepted Christ as Lord, “I thank God – through Jesus Christ our Lord” (v. 25). These textual hints and phrases seem to lend weight to the understanding that Paul is portraying to us his converted Christian experience.

Theology

A final area that we will look to for evidence on which to rest our case is in the realm of theology and experience. Elsewhere, Paul describes the Christian life in the same language as Romans 7: “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things you wish” (Gal. 5:16-17; cf. 1 John 1:8; Phil. 3:12; 1 Pet. 2:11). We deceive ourselves as Christians if we do not share the cry of Paul: “O wretched man that I am…” Only those who are drawing near to God will experience the awful realisation of our own wretchedness. When Isaiah entered the Divine presence, he cried “Woe is me! For I am undone” (Is. 6:5). When Daniel was in the presence of the Lord, he declared, “There remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption” (Dan. 10:8). It is not until the sunlight floods a room that the grime and dust are fully revealed. So, it is only as we come into the presence of Him who is the light, that we are made aware of the exceeding sinfulness and wickedness that dwells within us. But shouldn’t the Christian be rejoicing? Of course! This is why in the very next verse Paul says, “I thank God – through Jesus Christ our Lord,” and then continues to elaborate on this theme of salvation from this battle with sin in chapter 8, which speaks of our final deliverance from the very presence of sin.

In conclusion, it seems clear, for me at least, that the weight of evidence tilts the scales towards the understanding that this passage is indeed describing the daily Christian experience. We have not surveyed all the arguments in support of other positions, but rather endeavoured to let Paul be our guide as he leads us to the conclusion he intended. That is not to say, however, that it is entirely the correct view. But here we must apply a principle that the apostle outlines later on in his epistle: “Let each be convinced in his own mind” (Rom. 14:5).

Have you ever wondered what it takes to live a victorious Christian life? We have so many wonderful ideals in the Bible about what we should say (and shouldn’t say), what we should think (and what we shouldn’t think), and what we should do (and not do). Yet, how often we find ourselves failing and falling short of God’s glorious standard? In Romans chapters 6 and 7, Paul provides us with an important key that will guide us in our quest to living lives of holiness.

In our previous study, we learned about the precious truth of righteousness by faith. When we believe in God, and by faith, accept Jesus’ death in our place, He provides us with His righteousness. What an amazing transaction – nothing, for everything, sin for righteousness! Paul demonstrated to us how this works in real life by giving us the example of Abraham, he “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness” (4:3). Continuing on in chapter 5, Paul draws on the example of Adam “who is a type of Him who was to come” (5:14). We were ruined without asking for it, many years ago, by the first Adam. But we were also saved without asking for it, many years ago, by the second Adam – Christ. (see study on Romans 4-5). Praise God for His gift of justification by faith – declaring us righteous no matter who we are or what we’ve done!

Chapter 6: Dying Old Men

In Romans 6-8 the apostle changes gear and moves into discussing how we are to live. After sharing the good news of God’s grace abounding much more than sin (5:20), Paul anticipates some objections: “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who have died to sin live any longer in it? …we were buried with Christ through baptism into death… our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin” (6:1-7, emphasis mine). Here we find one of the most important keys to living the Christian life – dying to sin, dying to self.

Have you ever noticed that dead people don’t have a problem with sin? They never get angry, they never tell lies, they never want what their neighbour has. This is what the Christian must do: “reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin…” (6:11). So when the devil comes to you and says, “Do this,” you can say, “Sorry, I can’t. I’m dead!” When we accept Jesus, we also accept the fact that we died with Him, “If One died for all, then all died” (2 Cor. 5:14). The point here is that the victorious Christian life begins with dying, not trying. We must crucify the “old man,” who represents our natural sinful tendencies, our old way of life. We must dig his grave and bury him. This is precisely what baptism symbolises.

So killing the “old man” is important, in fact it’s the first step in gaining the victory over sin. But it’s not the whole story. Equally important as dying to self is living to God: “…just as Christ was raised from the dead…, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection” (6:4-5, emphasis mine). The same way that our faith in Christ would be useless if He had not risen (1 Cor. 15:14), so the life of the Christian would be useless if we chose to remain dead. The sad thing is that such Christians are all too common. Sometimes going to church seems like you’re going to a funeral – to join other dead Christians! No, no, no. The Christian life is about dying and rising again, to “walk in newness of life,” and “to present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead” (6:4, 13).  When we empty ourselves of ourselves, we must invite Someone else to come in and fill the vacancy.

Remaining, but not Reigning

Romans 6:14 has been a controversial passage for many: “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law but under grace.” What does this mean? The first truth we learn from this verse, is that though we have killed the “old man” and been raised with Christ, the “old man” also wants to be raised. Herein lies the struggle of the Christian life, this is why Paul says elsewhere, “I die daily” (1 Cor. 15:31). However, it is not without a fight. We are born in sin (Ps. 51:5). Our very nature is sinful (Eph. 2:3). So though our hearts and minds have been changed by the power of God, we’re still stuck with our sinful old bodies. This is why Paul exhorts us not to let “sin reign in your mortal body” (6:12). Remember, even though we are converted, sin remains, but does not reign. Sin is still resident, but not president. This is what Romans 6:14 is saying. I’m not under the law, I’m under grace. Sin is dethroned, and Christ takes its place.

We are no longer under the law as a covenant, we are under grace. The law says, “Do this, and live.” Grace says, “Live, and do this.” The law says, “Make yourself a new heart.” Grace says, “I’ll give you a new heart.” The law is about doing, grace is about done. Robert Haldane, in his commentary on Romans wrote: “Believers are not under the law as a covenant, because they have endured its curse and obeyed its precept in the person their great Head, by whom the righteousness of the law has been fulfilled in them” (Romans, p. 257). We will see the truth of this statement, and understand Romans 6:14 more clearly when we study 8:3-4.

Chapter 7: Dying Husbands

Paul continues to explain the concept of law and grace, old man and new man, by providing two illustrations. In verses 15-23 he uses the example of a master and his servants. Then in chapter 7, he provides an example of a husband and wife. “For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man” (7:2-3). The main thing Paul is trying to teach us here is that death works a change in our relationship to the law. It seems that the wife in the story represents us, our personality. We were once married to a husband who represents our old way of life, condemned by the law. But when we came to Jesus, that old, sinful, selfish way of life died. We died, our former self has been crucified. That had to happen so that we “may be married to another – to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God” (7:4). We are now married to a new husband – our new life in Christ that we may “bear fruit to God.” What fruit? In Galatians 5:22-23, Paul spells it out for us: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”

Is the Law Sin?

At this point, some might have gained the impression that the law is wrong and that Christ come to get rid of it. That’s why we’re now under grace and not the law, right? Anticipating such ideas, the apostle establishes the fact that the law is not sin, it is “holy, and the commandment holy and just and good” (7:12). One of the most purposes of the law is to reveal to us sin, “I would not have known sin except through the law” (7:7). So though we are no longer under the law as method of salvation, it still remains as a standard for holy living (see study on The Law of God).

Three Views of One Man

We now come to one of the most hotly debated passages in the whole book of Romans, chapter 7:14-25:

For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

Who is the man described in these verses – an unconverted person? A convicted person who has not yet been reborn? Or a converted person who knows God’s will and is trying to live a holy life? Arguments, equally strong for each view have been put forward and many godly men have stood for each view. Luther, and most the Reformers believed that this passage describes the struggle that goes on in the daily life of the Christian. While others, such as Wesley and Clarke, have seen in this passage a person who is convicted of the truth, but has not been reborn. While still others believe that it is combination of some of these views.

Whatever the correct view, one of the important things to keep in mind is that Paul has been driving home the point that the law is powerless to save. So whether we believe this struggling man in Romans 7 is a Christian or a non-Christian, the underlying point is that the law cannot save either!

For now, however, I will hold my peace by not wading into the debate until I have given the passage a great deal more depth of study. Watch this space!

Up to this point in Romans, Paul has presented to us the bad news – the irreligious are lost, the religious are lost, the whole world is lost! “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Rom. 3:10). But after diagnosing the problem of sin and the death sentence we’re all under as a result, he then proceeded to share the good news – Jesus has taken our place and suffered our death sentence, that we might take our place with Him in heaven for eternity (3:21-26).

Being the wonderful theologian that he was, Paul has so far presented to us the theological theory behind salvation, but how does this work in real life? In chapter 4, he begins to tell us how.

Chapter 4: The Example of Abraham

The apostle uses the great patriarch Abraham as a good example of how a person is saved. Now, Abraham wasn’t all that perfect. He sold out his wife to a harem, twice no less, by pretending that she was his sister (Gen. 12:10-20; 20:1-18). This guy, the father of the faithful, sometimes let his fear get in the way of his faith, such as when he took matters into his own hand and had a child with Hagar, his wife’s servant (Gen. 16:1-6). But listen to what Paul says, “What does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness’” (4:3, quoting Gen. 15:6). What? Did God forget about the wrong things Abraham had done? He certainly did. By taking hold of God by faith, Abraham’s belief was credited, reckoned, imputed, accounted and attributed to him as righteousness. God counted him righteous by his faith alone, not by his performance. The following verses explain why this is so, “Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work [to earn salvation] but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness” (Rom. 4:4-5, emphasis mine). Faith is believing. Faith is receiving.

Some years ago, two men lost control of their boat while drifting very close to the great Niagara Falls. The current caught them and began carrying them swiftly to the edge where they would surely be drowned. There were a group of people on the shore who saw them, but were unable to rescue them. There was however one man who ran to grab a rope and then hurled it out into the waters. One of the men grabbed hold of the rope, while at the same time the other grabbed hold of a log floating by. In the panic of the moment, he had taken hold of the log instead of seizing the rope. It was a fatal mistake. Both men were on their way to a watery grave, but one was drawn to the shore because he had a connection with the people on the land. Though a bitter-sweet story, it provides us with a good illustration of faith. It is simply the empty hand taking hold of God’s gift of righteousness. Remember that salvation is something received not something achieved.

Paul continues to labour this point in chapter 4 when the inevitable topic of circumcision surfaces again. “Does this blessedness come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised only? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised” (4:9-10, emphasis mine). Abraham was declared righteous 14 years before he was circumcised (cf. Gen. 15:6; 17:10). So again, the point is that there is nothing that we can do to earn or contribute to our salvation. It is all of grace alone through faith alone.

In 4:23-25, the apostle sums up his discussion on Abraham by saying that his experience is to be our experience – we are to be righteous by faith by believing “in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.” That brings us straight into the glorious truths presented to us in chapter 5 in which our attention is now drawn to Adam.

Chapter 5: The Example of Adam

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (5:1). Someone once said that when we see the word “therefore” you should ask what it’s there for. It means that what follows is an explanation of what comes before. There are in fact three “therefores” in Romans. One is here in its reference to justification, the second we find in chapter 8:1 in reference to our sanctification, and the final is in chapter 12:1 with reference to our service.

What does it mean to be justified? It simply means to be declared righteous. It is legal terminology and is the opposite of condemnation (Rom. 5:16). Now, if you condemn someone, does that make them bad or are you declaring them bad? So when we read that God justifies us, it simply means that He declares us righteous no matter how sinful we might have been. This takes place the moment we believe; we are counted righteous and are accepted in the beloved (Eph. 1:6) because we are in Christ. (We will explore this more later when we reached chapter 7-8.)

Notice that as a result of our justification, “we have peace with God.” This is not primarily referring to our state of feelings but rather to the fact that we are no longer at war with God. Remember that we are justified by faith not by feelings and not the other way around. This is an important point as verses 3-5 go on to talk about how we are to “glory in tribulations.” In such times our feelings aren’t very buoyant and we can be led to doubt our experience. But if we are living by faith, our feelings, whatever they may be, will not discourage us. First comes fact – “we are justified,” then comes faith – “by faith,” then comes feeling – “peace with God.”

Paul then moves into his discussion about how we have been saved because we were born and before we even knew about Christ: “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly… God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (5:6-11). The work of saving the world happened over 2000 years ago in the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord. This is why the gospel message is, “Believe it, receive it, take hold of it.” Sin has been atoned for, God has been reconciled to us through Christ, now we must be reconciled with Him by believing and accepting his death in our place (2 Cor. 5:18-21).

Again, to demonstrate how this works, Paul provides us with another example – “Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come” (5:14).

Then as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to acquittal and life for all men. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man’s obedience many will be made righteous. (5:18-19).

We were ruined without asking for it, many years ago, by Adam. But we were also saved without asking for it, many years ago, by the second Adam – Christ. All we must to is “believe God and [it will be] accounted to [us] for righteousness.” It is as simple as that. Because we were ruined without having anything to do with it, why should it be difficult to understand we are redeemed without having anything to do with it?

This is God’s gift of grace to us. Christ died for the ungodly, He justifies the ungodly, all while we were still sinners! This is good news, not good views. Five times we are told in chapter 5 that salvation is a gift. Now, a gift by definition is free. If my parents bought me a fancy watch for my birthday and then said, “Now, that cost $3000, we’d like that back in cash please,” would that be a gift? Of course not! A gift, by definition is free. But God knows how thick we are, so He says that salvation is a free gift five times in this chapter alone, just so we don’t miss it. Grace is a gift that we don’t earn and don’t deserve. All of us, every person who has ever lived, deserve nothing from God but eternal death (Rom. 6:23). As we have been reminded by Paul in chapters 1-3, we have rebelled against God and have made ourselves the centre of our lives and broken God’s law. The wages of such things is death. But praise God for Romans 5:20, “where sin abounds, grace abounds even more.”

Isn’t it interesting that everywhere you go in the world, everyone is trying to keep up with the Jones family. Everyone wants what other people have. If your neighbour gets a flash new TV, you also want to get one so you can “keep up” with modern technology, right? No! It’s really so you can keep up and compete with your neighbour. And you know, that is really how we got into this mess called sinned. First of all, somewhere way back in eternity, an angel in heaven by the name of Lucifer – which means “morning star” – wanted to “keep up” with God. He fancied himself to be a pretty special angel, and indeed he was. He was known as the “covering angel” (Ezek. 28:14). So he began to scheme how he could get the others in heaven to start giving him a little recognition. You know how the rest of the story goes.

Ever since that time, Satan has been seeking to divert the praise and worship of God to himself. This is revealed throughout the whole Bible, but most clearly in the book of Revelation. The key issue through the whole last book of the Bible is who will you worship – God or Satan? (see especially chapters 13-14). So how does the Devil seek to get everyone to worship him? By counterfeiting God.

A counterfeit, of course, is something that resembles something true, but is actually false. If I wanted to counterfeit a $3 note, would that work? No, because there is not even a real $3 note. So the Devil has subtly devised a way to counterfeit God himself. As Christians, we know that God is a triune God, and though He is one indivisible essence, He consists of three individual persons – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (see Matt. 28:19; John 14:25-26; 2 Cor. 13:14). So how does Satan manage to counterfeit that? Revelation reveals how.

The Dragon vs. The Father

In chapter 12, we are introduced to the “great, fiery red dragon” that had “seven heads and ten horns” (12:3). Verse 9 tells us that he is none other than “that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan.” Now, we read that he comes up against some problems. First of all, he tries to devour a Child as soon as it is born, but fails (12:4-5). Then he tries to destroy the woman who gave birth to the Child, but fails (12:6). Finally, he goes out to make war with the rest of the woman’s offspring (12:17). In order to be more effective, he “went away” to call up some allies to help him out. First, he calls up a beast from the sea: “Then he [the dragon] stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns… and the dragon gave him his power, his throne and great authority” (13:1-2). Do you notice some similarities between these two antichristian powers? The sea beast very closely resembles the dragon as they both have “seven heads and ten horns” (cf. 12:3; 13:1). Notice also that the dragon gave his power and “authority” to the sea beast?

The dragon therefore seems to be a counterfeit of the Father. Jesus said that “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me” (Matt. 28:18). He also said that “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). So in the same way the Son reflects His Father and receives His power and authority from His Father, so the sea beast also reflects the dragon and receives his power from him.

The Sea Beast vs. The Son

John continues to describe the sea beast in 13:3, “And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded (σφάζω), and his deadly wound was healed.” So at some point, this beast had died, so to speak. It had received a mortal or fatal wound. But, it was healed. A resurrection had taken place. This seems to be a very clear parody of Jesus as He was also mortally wounded on the cross when He died. That fatal wound was healed when He rose from the dead. In fact, the underlying Greek makes this connection even more clear as Rev. 13:8 uses the same word to describe the slain Lamb: “The Lamb slain (σφάζω) from the foundation of the world.”

We continue to read that as a result of the healing of the fatal wound of the sea beast, “The whole world was astonished and followed the beast” (Rev. 13:3). The very same thing happened with Jesus, “And I, if I am lifted up [on the cross] will draw all people to Myself” (John 12:32). The whole world is drawn to the sea beast when it is resurrected from death, the same way the world is drawn to Christ through His death and resurrection.

Chapter 13 goes on to tell us how long the sea beast would rule: “The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months” (Rev. 13:5). Wasn’t the ministry of Jesus also three and a half years (forty-two months)?

It seems clear by now that here Revelation is not really talking about animals and wild beasts. The message behind these symbols is that there will be a counterfeit of Jesus Christ in the last days of earth’s history. There will be powers and perhaps even a person (see 2 Thessalonians 2:8, 9) that will walk, talk, and look like Jesus Christ. Is this excitingly scary or what? The Bible tells us these things in order that we can be prepared to avoid the deception in the final crisis of world’s history.

Now, if the dragon is a counterfeit of God the Father and the sea beast is a counterfeit of God the Son, then the land beast would seem to be a counterfeit of the Holy Spirit.

The Land Beast vs. The Holy Spirit

Notice Revelation 13:12: “He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf.” We know that the Holy Spirit speaks not of Himself, but rather of Christ (John 16:13).

The land beast also makes “the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast” (Rev. 13:12), in the same way that the Holy Spirit invites us to worship and follow Jesus (John 16:13, 14).

We continue to see a parody of the ministry of the Holy Spirit by the land beast in Rev. 13:13: “And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men.” You will recall that it was the Holy Spirit who brought fire down from heaven to earth to anoint the disciples at Pentecost (see Acts 2). What we seem to have here is a counterfeit of not only the Holy Spirit, but Pentecost.

Why does the fire come down here? Verse 14 says: “And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to perform.” This point is important as it seems to indicate that there may well be a counterfeit revival of Pentecost in the last days in order to deceive people into worshipping “what they know not.” In contrast to this, the Bible says that the Holy Spirit’s role is not to deceive people, but rather to “convict the world of sin” (John 16:8).

So, how does Satan “keep up” with God? By receiving worship. And how does he achieve that? By counterfeiting God – the Father by himself as the dragon, the Son by the sea beast, and the Holy Spirit by the land beast. Praise the Lord that He has revealed to us the importance of keeping true to His word in order to avoid being sucked into the greatest deception of earth’s history! May we all stand firm for God’s truth, not only then, but each and every day.

Picture yourself in a courtroom, standing before the judge. You have been convicted of committing a crime that carries the death penalty. You have broken the law and are now on death row. Imagine the guilt and shame and loneliness, standing there with no one to defend you. Just the lawyer with his detailed brief outlining every detail of the crime you have committed.

The Irreligious are Lost

This is how Paul begins the book of Romans. After introducing himself to the believers in Rome and giving his theme for the letter (1:16-17), he launches into his own lawyer’s brief. He begins by saying, “You see those irreligious people? They’re lost!” “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (1:18). He continues to describe the charge brought against them: “…they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him… and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man… who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator” (1:20-25). What can be said against such a charge? It gets worse. Paul continues to list some of the sins they’re guilty of: “sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful” (1:29-31). What a horrid list! These nasty irreligious people outside the church are goners! In fact, it says three times in chapter one that “God gave them up… God gave them up… God gave them over…” (1:24, 26, 28). They are totally lost.

The Religious are Lost

But then Paul shifts his focus onto the religious people in chapter two and says, “Don’t be so smug. You religious people are also lost!” “You are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practise the same things” (2:1). Notice how many times he mentions you, you, you, and then says that you all do the same things as those nasty sinners our there! “And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?” (2:3). Paul is saying, Hey wait a minute. You think that being religious and attending church each week is going to save you. But you are also goners, just like those who don’t go to church. He continues his with his brief, “You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal? You who say, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonour God through breaking the law?” (2:21-23). Then he concludes his case against the religious by saying that by all their hypocrisy, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles” (2:24). It reminds me of something that famous philosopher Nietzsche once said, “The strongest argument against Christianity is Christianity.” By that he meant the hypocrisy of religion destroys its credibility. But he forgot that the strongest argument in favour of Christianity is a Christian’s changed life. But anyway, back to Romans.

The Whole World is Lost

First, Paul dealt with the irreligious, pagan, non-church goers in chapter one and said “They’re lost!” Then he shone his spotlight on the religious, Christian, church goers in chapter two and said, “You’re lost too!” Now in chapter three, he sums up his case, “Look, the whole world is lost!” “There is none righteous, no, not one” (3:10). And singling those out who think they still had a chance of survival by keeping the law, the apostle says “Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, the every mouth be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh shall be justified” (3:19-20).

So there you have it – we are all lost! Now, remember you are still standing before the judge and you have now heard the full case brought against you. You have nothing else to say except “guilty.” Just as you are about to be sentenced, a Man stands up and takes his place next to you. He begins to defend your case before the jury by stating that He has taken the penalty for all of your crimes upon Himself, that you may go free. You shack your head in amazement at what you’ve just heard. Could it really be that He died for me?

The Acropolis of the Christian Faith: Romans 3:21-26

This is considered by many to be the most important passage in the whole Bible. Listen to how the New Living Translation puts it:

But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.

Read it again and again until the reality begins to seep in. After giving us the devastating news of our lost, sinful, fallen condition, Paul says “But now…” here is the good news – Jesus died in your place! And when you believe and accept His sacrifice on your behalf, He declares you righteous no matter who you are or what you’ve done. You are “accepted into the Beloved” (Eph. 1:6) and “complete in Him,” (Col. 2:10) the moment you believe. Won’t you open the door of your heart and let Him come in today?

The book of Romans is without question one of the most influential documents in history. When Augustine studied this book, he changed world history. When Luther studied this book, he changed church history. When Wesley studied this book, he changed the social history of England.

Frederick Godet, the French theologian, was right when he called Romans, “The cathedral of the Christian faith.” It is the only book in the Bible that systematically tells us of the plan of salvation. It provides the answer to of life’s questions. It provides the remedy to life’s problems. But most importantly, it explains how we can be right with God, right now.

It is generally agreed that Paul wrote this letter to the believers in Rome in the spring of 58 A.D. while he was in Corinth (cf. Rom. 15:25; 1 Cor. 16:1-4). At this time he was nearing the end of his Third Missionary Journey and had been evangelising for more than ten years. So the presentation of the gospel he articulates in this letter is his mature understanding of salvation, both in theory (Rom. 1-8) and practice (Rom. 12-15).

Typical of Paul’s writing style, Romans is a well structured book, falling into three main divisions between an introduction and conclusion. Taking a bird’s eye view of Romans, these divisions have been summed up by different authors, such as:

1) Philosophy of Salvation in chapters 1-8
2) Philosophy of History in chapters 9-11
3) Philosophy of Conduct in chapters 12-16

1) Doctrinal in chapters 1-8
2) National in chapters 9-11
3) Practical in chapters 12-16

1) Exposition in chapters 1-8
2) Explanation in chapters 9-11
3) Application in chapters 12-16

Whichever division headings you choose, they all basically express the same idea. In chapters 1-8, the problem of sin is explained, followed by the solution. Chapter 1 tells how those outside the church are lost. Chapter 2 tells how even those inside the church are lost. In chapter 3, Paul goes on to say that the whole world is lost! He then moves on to explain the solution God has provided for us, “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous” (Rom. 5:19). Paul explains how this works through the theological concepts of justification, sanctification and glorification in chapters 4-8.

Chapters 9-11 deal with the Jews: their election (chap. 9), their rejection (chap. 10), and their conversion (chap. 11). It covers the past, present, and future explanation of the nation and their relation to the righteousness of God.

In the final division, chapters 11-16, Paul reveals that he is not just a dry theorist. In these chapters he applies what has been discussed in the first part of the letter and explains how it relates to Christian living. The Christian lives in a matrix of three spheres: in the church (12:3-13); in the world (12:14-21); and in the state (13). In other words, the apostle articulates the principles that must govern our religious, social, and civil duties.

Unlike Paul’s other letters, Romans is not written to address a specific local issue or problem. The simple reason for this is that he had not been involved with establishing the church in Rome and had not yet been there himself (Rom. 1:11). So he expresses his desire to simply “preach the gospel to you who are in Rome” (Rom. 1:15). And so he begins:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith” (Rom. 1:16-17).

If the whole book of Romans could be summed up, these verses would be it. This passage contains the theme for the entire book. In brief, but comprehensive terms, Paul captures the basic truths that he expounds upon in the rest of his letter. These verses are his touchstone, not only for this letter, but for his entire gospel ministry.

So, are you ready to study the most influential document in Christian history? If so, I promise you that your life will be completely changed. A well known Bible scholar once cautioned us to “Beware when you begin to study Romans. Anything can happen.” So watch out – the book of Romans has the ability to change not only your personal world, but the whole world! You have been warned.