-23  *** Dead to Sin and Alive to God in Christ ***  Romans 5 brought us to one of the great climactic points of Paul’s letter. Sin came into the world through Adam, and death through sin. Death not only spread to all men, it reigned over all men, because all sin and fall short of the glory of God.  Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (5:18-21)   This leads Paul to a pivotal question and an explanatory reminder.   First, the pivotal question:  What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound ? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? (6:1-2)   Next, the explanatory reminder:   Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. (6:3-4)  “Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?” Why would anyone even ask such a question?  What will it look like,  practically speaking, if I answer that question with, “By all means”?

140629 The New Way of the Spirit

*** GOD-SHAPED ***  ** Obedience of Faith ** * A Textual Study of the Letter of Paul to the Romans *  2nd and 3rd Qt 2014  Lesson 1 (April 6)  Romans 1:1-15  (To Bring About the Obedience of Faith)  Lesson 2 (April 13)  Romans 1:16-17  (I Am Not Ashamed of the Gospel)  Lesson 3 (April 27)  Romans 1:18-32  (The Wrath of Cod is Revealed)  Lesson 4 (May 4)  Romans 2:1-11  (You Have No Excuse, O Man)  Lesson 5 (May 11)  Romans 2:11-29  (God Shows No Partiality)  Lesson 6 (May 18)  Romans 3:1-20  (Then What Advantage Has the Jew)  Lesson 7 (May 25)  Romans 3:21-31  (Justified by His Grace as a Gift)  Lesson 8 (June 1)  Romans 4:1-25  (Abraham, Who is the Father of Us All)  Lesson 9 (June 8)  Romans 5:1-11  (Peace with God Through Jesus Christ)  Lesson 10 (June 15) Romans 5:12-21  (The Free Gift is Not Like the Trespass)  Lesson 11 (June 22)  Romans 6:1-23  (Dead to Sin and Alive to God in Christ)  Lesson 12 (June 29)  Romans 7:1-25  (The New Way of the Spirit)  Lesson 13 (July 13)  Romans 8:1-17  (Led by the Spirit of Life)  Lesson 14 (July 20)  Romans 8:18-39  (The Glory that is to be Revealed to Us)  Lesson 15 (July 27)  Romans 9:1-33  (Is There Injustice on God's Part)  Lesson 16 (August 3)  Romans 10:1-21  (No Distinction Between Jew and Greek)