Some chapters of Romans are well represented in our preaching: 

Chps 1 to 5 – Parts quoted in the gospel 
Chp 6 – at baptisms 
Chp 8 – ministry 
Chp 12 – ministry 

Certain parts are regarded as difficult: 

Chapters 7, 10 and 11 

Some parts the truth is found by some to be unpalatable: 

Chapter 9 

Some parts seem just plane ignored; amongst them chapter 13! 

Is this perhaps because we feel the ministry here is too direct / simple / on the surface and not much more needs to be said about it? 

Is chapter 13…

The Gospel works! 

Even the sceptics have to acknowledge that! 

Charles Darwin, the author of the 'Origin of the Species,'  visited the island of Tierra del Fuego, Darwin included the inhabitants in his 'Descent of Man' regarding them as part of the 'missing link.' Darwin considered them a little above animals and a little lower than man: uncivilised, naked, perhaps with suggestions of cannibalism. 

Darwin: “for the reflection at once rushed into my mind – such were our ancestors,” 

A second visit following…

Romans chapter 12 gives a Biblical view of the personal call to the altar for believers . It is a view which goes beyond the Old Testament view that was apparent to the OT offeror in Leviticus; for the offeror and his sacrifice the altar was the end! If my view of the altar is the same, then this place of the altar will be a place full of foreboding and dread, a place to be avoided at all costs, and I will probably fail either to desire to come here or to actually come here at all. 

Before we can desire…

There is a great danger in this present world of becoming caught up with ourselves. 

This section points us to the fact that we are not what God is doing, neither me, nor a nation, nor a church but rather we are part of what God is doing. 

This section invites me to take a step back and look at the bigger pitcher 

There is something very broad and expansive about this view of Gods dealings in grace. 

One of the sad things about this section is that many have approached it with a desire to rigidly define…

2 groups of people: 

The Remnant (11:4-7) 
The Rest (11:7-10) 

Whilst we have 2 groups I want to think about 3 conditions: 

Sleeping (11:7-8) 
Stumbling (11:9) 
Sold out for God (11:4-7) 

Conditions (1) and (2) really apply to the one group of people – the rest 

But perhaps we can see that there is decline in their condition 

From bad to worse? 

Sold out for God: 

The Remnant of Grace: 

Communicating with Power (11:4) 
Consecrated to a Person (11:4) 
Committed to a Purpose (11:5-6) 

Communicating with Power…

Romans chp 11 – part of the difficult part of Romans? 

Is there an easy part? 

Romans chps 9 to 11 – a parenthesis – it is, but not that much of a parenthesis 

Is it out of place? 

Chps 1 -3 – Sin 

Chps 3 – 5 – Salvation 

Chps 6 – 8 – Sanctification 

Chp 7 – Struggle with the flesh 

Chp 8 – Victory in the Spirit 

chps 9 to 11 – Israel 

Is it there out of habit? 

Is it there out of place? 

Is it there out of order? 

I think rather out of necessity! 

Perhaps chps 9 to 11 are not really primarily about Israel…

The Lordship of Christ, probably one of the least popular truths amongst professing Christians today. 

Preach to us about heaven and Christ, but don't tell us what to do! 

Everything we have studied together over the past couple of years in Romans is being denied today in professing Christendom: 

Total Depravity (Chps 1 -3) 

We have men today invited to do a course, to get to heaven! 

The apostles didn't invite anyone to do a course! 

They preached that God now commands all men everywhere to repent and…

There are perhaps 5 great problems which as Christians we must grapple with at some point in our Christian life, if our faith is to be anything deeper than a vague superstition in spit of the facts and problems of ordinary life: 

• The Problem of Evil 
• The Problem of Suffering 
• The Problem of the life cut short – the child 
• The Problem of the unevangelised 
• The Problem of eternal judgment 

The epistle to the Romans touches on / gives great help on many of these problem areas of Christian…

Consider the apostles presentation of the truth of Divine election in 9:15-24. 

We saw that in a biblical understanding of the election and sovereignty of God 4 Divine attributes are preserved. 

As you come to consider this great matter for yourself always check does my view of election preserve these 4 key Divine attributes, preserved by the apostle in Romans chapter 9, if it doesn't you do not have a biblical view of election and in fact you may not have a biblical view of God! 

In election and…

The Bible speaks about: 

• Foolish mistakes: “the fool has said in his heart there is no God” 
• Fatal mistakes: “the wages of sin is death” 
• Final mistakes: “this night thy souls shall be required of thee...” 
• Fundamental mistakes: “hath God said?” 

Mans fundamental sin is that of pride (Gen 3) 

That we think that there maybe circumstances in life when we can get one over on God, when we know best. 

We do not really doubt / are ignorant of the reality of God 

We know that He has spoken 

We…

The closing verses of a great chapter 

Chapter 8 is also the closing chapter of a great section of Romans: 

Sin - chps 1 to 3 
Salvation - chps 3 to 4 
Sovereignty - chp 5 
Struggle - chps 6 +7 
Sanctification - chp 8 

Romans chp 8 verses 31 to 38: 

1. Saved 
2. Satisfied 
3. Secure 

Saved 

Full “all things” (8:32) 

A God who gives up His Son or me will hardly withhold any good thing from me! 

The nature of God towards His own is that He cannot withhold any good thing! Even if that good thing is something I…

26th to 27th August 1883 

Largest volcano in living history erupted 

2/3 of the island of Krakatoa disintegrated 

Krakatoa erupted with the power of 13,000 atom bombs the size of the bomb used to destroy Hiroshima 

Bodies were still being washed up on the coast of Africa 1 year later 

Global temperatures were affected for 5 years 

The final explosion was recorded as it reverberated around the globe 7 X! 

When something big happens you feel the after shocks 

We know enough of the person of Christ to know…

Because of Christ there is: 

1.    Purpose in Suffering (8:28-30) - Christ Glorified - to share in His Glory (8:29-30) 

2.    Proof of Gods interest in my suffering (8:31-34) - Christ Crucified 

3.    Power in Suffering (8:34-39) - Power available to transform suffering - Christ Resurrected 

1.    Purpose in Suffering (8:28-30) - Christ Glorified - to share in His Glory (8:29-30) 

To make me like a glorified Saviour 

The worlds problem with suffering: 

1.    Moral issue - Suffering is…

In some ways the story of the bible is the story of how God moves from what is good, even very good (Gen1) to what is utterly glorious. 

How can you improve on a good work of God? 

Not so much that God improves on a good work of God or that there are faults in Gods work which need to be improved upon but rather the good work of God is not the final work of God. 

Gods good work is the platform upon which He will work His glorious work. 

None of that would cause us to blink a theological eyelid I am sure was…

The Spirit filled relationship is marked by: 

Prayer (v15) 
Proof (v16) 

Whatever we get out of v16 and however we expound it must bring us to this – proof and assurance of faith, any exposition of this verse that takes us to less than that is inadequate. 

“bear witness with” : “συμμαρτυρέω” : from “μαρτυρέω” is a word used: 

in the setting of church order to prove, convict or convince another of sin or error (Matt 18:16), it involves the presentation of convincing evidence. 
in a court of law (Matt 26:65…

In this biblical study of Romans chapter 8 we look at one of the great theological problems of the Christian world view; the problem of suffering. We look for answers in text of the bible as to why do people suffer? Why do I suffer? Can there be a God if there is so much suffering and pain in this world?

The biblical teaching on this subject is surprising!

The problem of suffering and of pain in a broken and fallen world was not ignored by the writers of the Bible.

We are not the first ones to ask; why do…

We have looked at the leading of the Spirit in Romans chp 8 so far in terms of: 

What is the leading of the Spirit doctrinally? 

Considered the link with 8:13 and that the leading of the Spirit will lead us to mortify the deeds of the body. 
We considered however that this was not a narrow thing but a broad matter, encompassing the story of Romans so far: dealing with Gods work in us leading us from sin (chp 1) and from self (chp 2) to salvation (chp 3) and sanctification (chp 6-8). 
Considered that this is…

There is a kind of Christianity today that: 

keeps Christ in the past 
Keeps God at arms length 

There is a kind of preaching too that: 

keeps Christ in the past 
Keeps God at arms length 

There can be even a kind of worship that: 

keeps Christ in the past 
Keeps God at arms length 

A kind of Christianity that distinguishes between: 

what we know 
what we practice 

That because we know so much maybe we don't need to practice it! 

Intelligent prayers and high sounding prayers, orthodox doctrine but a religion…

The problem of suffering is amongst the most difficult and perplexing of all problems in life. 

There are those who on the basis of suffering would confidently affirm that there is no God. 

If there is a God He ought to be able, because He is all powerful and willing, because He is good to prevent suffering, since there is suffering, either God is not able to prevent it and so is not all powerful, is not willing to prevent it and so is not good or simply He does not exist. 

Where is the problem in…

“Shall we continue in sin?”  (Rom6:1) 

We considered 4 reasons: 

1. We are Dead to Sin (6:1-6) 
2. We are Alive to Christ (6:5-11) 
3. Because I Serve Another (6:12-20) 
4. Because Sin remains Sin (6:21-23) 

Because I Serve Another: 

We thought about this practically 

Consider how the whole body is used in service, start from the top: 

Our master (6:12) – Tour Head 
Our mortal body (6:12) – Our Human Desires / Lusts of the Body 
Our members (6:13) – Our Hands 
Our motive (6:17-19) – Our Heart 

Our master…

3 great enemies of the believer (James 3:15): 

1. The World 
2. The Flesh 
3. The Devil 

Romans 6 the apostle speaks on the subject of consecration, of a life given over wholly to the service of God, particularly 6:12-20. 

As the apostle turns to look at impediments to that consecration in chap 7 it is to the flesh that he devouts this section to! 

The Devil may well be a smarter enemy 

The world may well be a bigger enemy but 

The flesh is the weakest enemy and paradoxically therefore perhaps the most…

There is no doubt that 'death' brings an end, a closure to matters! 

It is possible to miss the simple message of Romans 6, to get away from the simplicity and clarity of it! 

The Christian life begins with a conversion – an end to the old and a beginning of the new! 

There would hardly be a more clear cut, a more dramatic way of putting it: black and white, right and wrong, life and death! 

This is an absolute! 

We may go on a course, an Alpha Course and answer the questions but if there is no conversion…

“shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” (6:1) 

This might seem a bizarre idea, a strange suggestion 

At times grace shields from our horizon the full consequences of our sin 

God remains a Holy and Righteous God – He has not changed 

It is possible however for this kind of idea to creep into our thinking 

Am I trading on Gods Grace? 

Would my behaviour change if: 

If I thought that my lie / deception would be dealt with the same way as Ananias Saphira's was? (Acts 5) 2 believers lie to the…

What happens when a child dies?

Where does a dead child go?

Is a child who dies saved or lost?

Do all dead children go to heaven?

These and other questions pertaining to the death of a child we wish to answer from what the Bible says and from what the Lord Jesus taught.

The position of children in Grace: 

Far greater and completely different from their position before: 

• The law 
• Roman and Greek society 
• The disciples 

There is perhaps no section that deals with children which turns our thinking…

Part of our series from Romans chapter 5 on what the bible says on the destiny of the child who dies.

Why is it that over 2000 years and 40 authors the answer to the question appears not to be clearly answered? 

Why do we not have a book, a chapter, an epistle that answers the simple question how can a child be saved? After all we have  many passages of scripture that appear to deal in fine detail with every aspect of life: 

Vegetarianism (Rom14) 
Food sacrificed to idols – (1 Co 10) 
Head coverings – (1…