Series Break

During Undas, many of us gather before family tombs that hold several generations: Lolo and Lola, Tatay and Nanay, an uncle, a cousin. Each name has two dates: a year of birth and a year of death. The cemetery tells us plainly that human life has a beginning and an end. Where can we find a home that does not pass away, and how should we live the few years we are given?

Psalm 90 is the only psalm attributed to Moses, “the man of God,” and it may be the oldest psalm in the Psalter. Moses knew death well. He led a generation out of Egypt, and because of their unbelief at Kadesh, God declared that their bodies would fall in the wilderness (Num 14:29). For forty years Moses watched that generation die, one grave after another (Num 14:33-35). Out of that experience, Moses wrote a prayer that sets our short lives against the eternal God and asks Him for wisdom.

The Eternal God is in Control

Moses begins not with the grave but with God. The Lord has been the dwelling place of His people in every generation. Before the mountains and the earth existed, He was already God. And this eternal God rules over our lives: He returns man to dust, and He sweeps the generations away.

Psalm 90:1-6: A Prayer of Moses, the man of God. Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. ²Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. ³You return man to dust and say, “Return, O children of man!” ⁴For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night. ⁵You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning: ⁶in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers.

Israel lived in tents in the wilderness, yet Moses could say they were never homeless, because the Lord Himself was their dwelling place (cf. Deut 33:27). The mountains are the oldest things we can see; Mayon and Isarog stood long before our grandparents were born. Yet even the mountains had a beginning. The words “brought forth” and “formed” picture creation as a birth.¹ God has no birthday. Every lapida has two dates, but God has neither.

Notice who acts in verses 3-6. “You return man to dust.” “You sweep them away.” Death is not an accident or blind fate. The God who gives life also determines its length (Job 14:5). A thousand years are like yesterday to Him, or like a night watch that passes while we sleep. Our lives flourish in the morning and wither by evening like grass. Our lives are brief, but they are never out of His control. The loved ones we lost did not slip out of God’s hands.

Our Mortal Life Under Sin

Moses explains why life is short and full of trouble. As children of Adam, we are brought to an end by God’s anger against sin. Even our secret sins are in the light of His presence. Our days pass away like a sigh, seventy or eighty years at most, and they are soon gone.

Psalm 90:7-11: For we are brought to an end by your anger; by your wrath we are dismayed. ⁸You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. ⁹For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh. ¹⁰The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. ¹¹Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you?

Death is not merely natural; it is the consequence of sin. And the sin behind our mortality goes back to Adam. God warned Adam that in the day he ate of the forbidden tree, he would surely die (Gen 2:17). When Adam disobeyed, God pronounced the sentence: “you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Gen 3:19). Moses echoes that sentence in verse 3: “You return man to dust.” Every grave we visit this Undas is a reminder of what happened in Eden.

Paul explains this in Romans. Sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned (Rom 5:12). Adam stood as the head of the human race, and what he did affected all who came from him. Because of one man’s trespass, death reigned (Rom 5:17). One trespass condemned all men, and one man’s disobedience made many sinners (Rom 5:18-19). We do not only die because Adam sinned; we also sin because we are Adam’s children. We inherit his fallen nature, and we confirm it with our own sins. The wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23a).

This is why Moses speaks of God’s anger and wrath. We live our mortal lives under the curse that came through Adam. Moses saw this vividly in the wilderness, where God judged a whole generation (Num 14:29). Nothing is hidden from God; even our secret sins lie in the light of His face. A long life of seventy or eighty years is still filled with toil and trouble, an echo of the curse on Adam’s labor (Gen 3:17-19), and it ends like a sigh. Moses asks who truly considers the power of God’s anger. Few stop to think about it, even at the cemetery. Yet the fear of the Lord is the right response to the reality of death. And the hope that answers Adam’s curse is found only in another Man, the one of whom Adam was a type, Jesus Christ, the last Adam (Rom 5:14-15; 1 Cor 15:45).

Teach Us to Number Our Days

Moses ends with a prayer. Since God is eternal and our days are few, he asks God to teach us to number our days so that we may gain a heart of wisdom. For those in Christ, numbering our days leads us to the hope of eternity.

Psalm 90:12: So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.

“So” ties the prayer to everything before it. Because God is eternal and in control, and because our lives are short under sin, we need God to teach us. To number our days is not to calculate how many years remain; no one knows that. It is to live aware that our days are limited and each one is a gift. A heart of wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord (Prov 9:10) and sees life in the light of eternity.

But Moses saw only part of the picture. Paul answers the lament of Psalm 90. The wages of sin is death, “but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 6:23). Our days pass away under God’s wrath (Ps 90:9), but since we have been justified by Christ’s blood, much more shall we be saved by Him from the wrath of God (Rom 5:9). And God’s work does not stop at forgiveness. “Those whom he justified he also glorified” (Rom 8:30). Paul speaks of glorification in the past tense because it is as certain as if it had already happened.² The Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to our mortal bodies (Rom 8:11). Now we groan as we wait for the redemption of our bodies (Rom 8:23), but the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us (Rom 8:18).

Psalm 90 says we return to dust and wither like grass. In Christ, that is not the last word. The body that returns to dust will be raised in glory, never to wither again. So to number our days wisely is to live our short life on earth in the light of our eternal life in Christ.

Application

1. Trust the eternal God who is in control. Our times are in His hands. Even in grief, rest in the God who has been the dwelling place of His people in all generations.

2. Take sin seriously and turn to Christ. Death is the wages of sin, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom 6:23). Confess your sins and trust Him while there is time.

3. Number your days in light of eternity. Life is short, but for those in Christ it is not the end. Live for what lasts, and as you visit the graves this Undas, grieve with hope for the glory to come (Rom 8:18).

COUNT OUR DAYS
by Ed Pilapil Jr

Before the mountains came to be
Before the earth and sky and sea
O Lord, You were, and You still are
Creator and Eternal God

You turn us back to dust once more
But in Christ, we shall be restored
Like grass at dawn, we rise and grow
By evening’s light, we wither low

The wrath we earned on Christ was laid
He redeemed us; our sins He paid
And those He justified by grace
Shall one day see Him face to face

So teach us, Lord, to count our days
To walk in wisdom all our ways
Though now we wither like the grass
In Christ, to glory we shall pass

Study Guide

1. What does it mean that God is “from everlasting to everlasting”? How do verses 3-6 show that He is in control of our lives and deaths? (Ps 90:1-6).

2. According to Moses, why is human life short and full of trouble? How does Paul explain the link between sin and death? (Ps 90:7-11; Rom 5:12).

3. What does it mean to “number our days”? How does the promise of glorification in Christ change the way we number our days and remember our dead this Undas? (Ps 90:12; Rom 8:18-30).

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Sermon 29 of the Series: “Romans: Gospel Blueprint.”

Review

Paul answered a hard question: if we are God’s children and heirs, why do we still suffer, and how should we view that suffering while we wait for the glory to come? He began by weighing the present against the future. The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us (8:18). That glory already exists, but it is still hidden, and creation itself waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God (8:19). The apostle explained why creation waits. It was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope (8:20). One day it will be set free from its bondage to corruption and share the freedom of the glory of God’s children (8:21). Until then, the whole creation groans together in the pains of childbirth (8:22).

Paul then turned to believers. We also groan inwardly. We have the firstfruits of the Spirit, yet we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies (8:23). In this hope we were saved, and hoping for what we do not see produces patience (8:24-25). Creation groans, and we groan. But that leaves a tender question for every weary believer: what help do we have while we wait, especially when we are too weak even to know how to pray? Paul answers that we do not groan alone. The Spirit Himself intercedes for us, and God is working all things together for good for those He has called.

The Spirit Helps

Paul has not left the subject of suffering. “Likewise” ties this verse to what came before: just as hope sustains us while we wait (8:24-25), so the Spirit also helps us. The “weakness” he names is the condition of believers who wait for the redemption of their bodies (8:23): already sons, yet still mortal and still groaning.

Romans 8:26a: Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness.

The word “helps” carries the idea of taking hold of a heavy load together with someone. The Spirit does not remove us from the burden; He carries it with us. And Paul names one place where our weakness shows most clearly: prayer.^[1] In suffering, we often do not know whether to ask for relief or for endurance.

Paul himself asked the Lord three times to remove his thorn, and the Lord answered that His power is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor 12:7-9). Notice also the three groans in this chapter. Creation groans (8:22), we groan (8:23), and the Spirit groans (8:26). Prayer, then, is not a change of subject. It is how the suffering believer waits.

The Spirit Intercedes

Paul explains how the Spirit helps. We do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And the Father, who searches hearts, knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit prays according to the will of God.

Romans 8:26b-27: For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. ²⁷And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Our inability to pray rightly is part of our weakness in this present age, and Paul does not tell us to fix it by trying harder to discover God’s will. He points us instead to the Spirit’s intercession. Our groaning is the cry of the sufferer who waits; the Spirit’s groaning takes up that cry and turns it into intercession. ^[2]

Even when our prayers are confused, or when we ask for what is not best, the Spirit’s prayer for us is always in line with the will of God. There is no gap between the Father who listens and the Spirit who prays. The Father hears both: our groaning and the Spirit’s intercession.

All Things for Good

Paul moves from what we do not know to what we do know. We do not know how to pray as we ought, but we know this: all things work together for good, and some ancient manuscripts make explicit what the context already implies: that God is the One who works them. The apostle describes the believer from two sides. From our side, we are those who love God. From God’s side, we are those called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:28: And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

“All things” includes the sufferings of this present time that Paul has just described (8:18). Paul is not saying that all things are good or pleasant. He is saying that God turns even the most painful things believers endure into good.^[3] But this is not a promise that every hardship will be reversed into comfort, wealth, or health.

The good must be defined by God, not by us. In context, it is the glory to come: the resurrection and the redemption of our bodies (8:17-23).^[4] Notice also that the promise is not for everyone in general. It is for those who love God, and they love Him because He first called them according to His purpose. How God carries out that purpose, from eternity past to eternity future, Paul explains in the next two verses: the golden chain.

Application

1. Let us carry our burdens to God with the Spirit. When suffering leaves us weak, we do not pull away from God or pretend to be strong. We admit our weakness and remember that the Spirit takes hold of the load with us.

2. Let us pray even when we do not know what to say. We do not wait for the right words or a perfect understanding of God’s will. We bring our sighs, confusion, and burdens to the Father, trusting the Spirit intercedes for us according to God’s will.

3. Let us view our trials in light of God’s purpose, not our feelings. We must not use Romans 8:28 to promise ourselves or others comfort, wealth, or health. Instead, we ask how the Lord may be using our present difficulty to prepare us for glory, and we keep loving Him even when we cannot yet see the good.

^[1] Thomas R. Schreiner, Romans (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament), 2nd ed. (Baker Academic, 2018), 435. Schreiner reads the weakness in verse 26 narrowly, as not knowing what to pray; Moo sees it as the broader condition of believers in this age (The Letter to the Romans, 546). Either way, prayer is where Paul locates it in this verse.

^[2] Douglas J. Moo, The Letter to the Romans, 2nd ed. (Eerdmans, 2018), 546-47. Moo explains that not knowing what to pray for is part of our weakness in this life, and that the Spirit meets it with intercession that perfectly matches the will of God.

^[3] Schreiner, Romans (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament), 442.

^[4] Frank S. Thielman, Romans, ed. Clinton E. Arnold, Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Zondervan Academic, 2018), 8:28. Thielman identifies the “good” as the resurrection of the dead: the glorification of God’s people with Christ and the redemption of their bodies from decay (8:17-23).

ALL THINGS FOR GOOD
by Ed Pilapil Jr.

When words run out, and prayers grow weak
We do not know the thing to seek
The Spirit helps, He takes our load
He walks with us along the road

He intercedes with groans unheard
Too deep for any human word
He prays according to God's will
The Searcher of our hearts hears still

And this we know, it's understood
All things together work for good
For those who love the Lord above
Called by His purpose and His love

So when the pain is hard to bear
And all I have is groaning prayer
The Spirit pleads, the Father hears
His good outlasts my present tears

Study Guide

1. What does “likewise” connect to, and what is the “weakness” Paul names? How does it relate to the groaning of creation and of believers? (Ro 8:22-26a)

2. How does the Spirit help us when we do not know what to pray for? Why can we be confident that His intercession is effective? (Ro 8:26b-27)

3. To whom does the promise of verse 28 apply? What is the “good,” and how does Ro 8:17-23 help define it? (Ro 8:28)

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Sermon 28 of the Series: “Romans: Gospel Blueprint.”

Paul answered a practical question: if the Spirit dwells within us, what do we now owe, and who are we now? He began with an obligation. Believers are debtors, but not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh (8:12). Living by the flesh leads to death, but putting to death the deeds of the body by the Spirit leads to life (8:13). The apostle then moved from obligation to identity. All who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God (8:14). They did not receive a spirit of slavery that brings them back into fear. They received the Spirit of adoption, by whom they cry, “Abba! Father!” (8:15). The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God (8:16). And if children, then heirs: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him (8:17). That last line joins two words most of us would rather keep apart: suffering and glory. If we are God’s children and heirs, why do we still suffer, and how should we view that suffering while we wait for the glory to come? Paul answers by weighing the present against the future, and by showing that the whole creation is waiting with us.

Not Worth Comparing

Paul picks up the word he ended with: suffering. He does not deny it or make it small. He weighs it. On one side is the suffering of this present time; on the other is the glory that will be revealed to us. The scale is not close. And it is not only believers who are waiting for that day; creation itself is watching for it.

Romans 8:18-19, ESV: For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. ¹⁹ For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.

The word “consider” is the language of careful calculation, not wishful thinking. Paul has done the math. Notice also that the glory is “to be revealed.” It already exists, but it is still hidden. Believers are already sons of God (8:14), but the world does not yet see it. On that day, what is true of us now will be shown openly, and creation is leaning forward, eager to see it.

Creation Groans

Paul explains why creation is waiting. Due to sin, it was subjected to futility, not by its own choice, but by the will of the One who subjected it. Yet that subjection came with hope. One day, creation will be set free from its bondage to decay and share in the freedom of God’s children. Until then, it groans like a woman in labor.

Romans 8:20-22: For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope ²¹ that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. ²² For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.

Paul refers to the Genesis curse where creation, despite being sinless, suffers decay and death as a consequence of Adam’s sin.^[1] However, this suffering was given “in hope” and is likened to labor pains rather than death, as creation will ultimately be restored alongside God’s children.

We Groan in Hope

Paul now turns from creation to believers. We also groan. We have the firstfruits of the Spirit, but we still wait for the full blessing: our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. Paul then defines hope. It is waiting for what we do not yet see, and waiting with patience.

Romans 8:23-25: And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. ²⁴ For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? ²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Although believers are already God’s children, their adoption remains incomplete until the bodily resurrection. The Holy Spirit serves as a guarantee of this promise, providing Christians with a certain hope in the unseen future that produces patience rather than panic.^[2]

Application

1. Weigh your suffering against the glory to come. Do not pretend your pain is not real, but do not let it have the final word. When troubles press on you, deliberately set them beside the glory God has promised.

2. View the world’s suffering and decay as labor pains rather than death, signaling both the curse of sin and God’s continued presence. We should care for creation and help those suffering, trusting in God’s ultimate restoration.

3. Groaning does not indicate a lack of faith. Bring your struggles to God in prayer and wait patiently, assured that your salvation, complete adoption, and bodily resurrection are guaranteed.

^[1] Frank S. Thielman, Romans, ed. Clinton E. Arnold, Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Zondervan Academic, 2018), 8:20. Thielman identifies the one who subjected creation as God, in light of the curse in Genesis 3.

^[2] F. F. Bruce, Romans (IVP, 2015), 8:23. Bruce explains that the Holy Spirit indwelling the believer is the firstfruits and foretaste of the full inheritance to come.

Poem

GROANING IN HOPE
by Ed Pilapil Jr.

The sufferings we face today
It’s nothing compared to that day
Not worth comparing, Paul did say
For what’s ahead will not decay

Creation waits, it longs to see
God’s children displaying glory
But now, there is mortal decay
Yet in this form, we will not stay

It groans like birth pains, sharp and long
Not death’s despair, but labor’s song
And we who have the Spirit too
Goran inwardly for bodies new

Already sons, yet still we wait
We so long for that future state
In hope we’re saved, though not in sight
With patience, waiting for the light

Study Guide

1. How does Paul compare present suffering with future glory? What does it mean that the glory is “to be revealed”? (Ro 8:18-19)

2. Why does creation groan, and what does the image of childbirth teach us about its future? Connect your answer to Genesis 3:17-19. (Ro 8:20-22)

3. If believers have already received the Spirit of adoption (8:15), why does Paul say we still wait for adoption? How should this hope shape the way we wait? (Ro 8:23-25)

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Sermon 27 of the series: “Romans: Gospel Blueprint.”

Paul answered a pressing question: if sin still wages war within us, where do we stand before God? He opened with a verdict: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (8:1). The law of the Spirit of life set believers free from the law of sin and death (8:2). God did what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. He sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, and He condemned sin in the flesh (8:3). The righteous requirement of the law is now fulfilled in us, not by us, as we walk according to the Spirit (8:4). Paul then contrasted two mindsets. Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh; those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit (8:5). The mind that is set on the flesh is death; it is hostile to God and cannot please Him. The mind set on the Spirit is life and peace (8:6-8). The apostle then assured the believers that they are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in them (8:9). Though the body is mortal because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness, and the One who raised Jesus from the dead will also give life to their mortal bodies (8:10-11). That settles the believer’s standing before God and the source of his power. But it raises a practical question: if the Spirit dwells within us, what do we now owe, and who are we now? Paul answers with an obligation and, more wonderfully, with adoption.

No Debt to the Flesh

Paul draws a conclusion from what he has just said. Since the Spirit dwells in believers and will give life to their mortal bodies, they owe the flesh nothing. The apostle then gives a warning: living by the flesh leads to death, but putting sin to death by the Spirit leads to life.

Romans 8:12-13: So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. ¹³For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Paul uses the word “debtors.” Believers do have an obligation, but not to the flesh. The flesh was the old master, and its account has been closed. Yet like freed slaves who still hear the voice of their former master, believers can still be tempted to obey it.^[1] The believer must put sin to death, but only “by the Spirit,” by yielding to the Spirit who already lives within.

Led by the Spirit

Paul explains why those who put sin to death by the Spirit will live. It is because they are led by the Spirit, and those who are led by the Spirit are sons of God. The apostle then contrasts two spirits: the spirit of slavery that brings fear, and the Spirit of adoption that brings us near to God as Father.

Romans 8:14-15: For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. ¹⁵For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”

In the Roman world, an adopted son received all the rights and privileges of a natural-born son.^[2] That is our new status: not slaves trembling before a master, but sons welcomed by a Father. And so we cry, “Abba! Father!” Abba was the Aramaic word Jesus Himself used in prayer (Mk 14:36). The Spirit gives us the privilege of addressing God with the same word the Son used.

Fellow Heirs

Paul explains how believers know they are God’s children. The Holy Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit. And if we are children, then we are also heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ. But the apostle adds a sobering condition: the path to glory passes through suffering with Him.

Romans 8:16-17: The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

The Spirit does not only make us God’s children; He also assures us that we are. His witness reaches the deepest part of our being, our own spirit, which is why the cry “Abba! Father!” is sincere and not forced. Then Paul moves from adoption to inheritance. We inherit only because we are joined to the Son, the true Heir of all of God’s promises. But union with Christ means sharing also in His suffering and then entering His glory.

Application

1. Refuse to pay a debt you no longer owe. When the flesh pressures you with its demands, remember that you are not its debtor. By the Spirit, put sinful habits to death by naming them, confessing them, and cutting off what feeds them, rather than tolerating them as harmless.

2. Approach God as a Father, not as a slave master. When you have failed, do not hide from Him in fear or try to earn your way back. Come to Him as His adopted child, and let your prayers begin, as Jesus’ did, with “Father.”

Rest in the Spirit’s witness that you are God’s child, not in your moods or circumstances. When suffering comes because you belong to Christ, do not conclude that God has abandoned you. Endure it as a fellow heir, knowing that the same path that led Christ to glory will lead you there too.

^[1] Douglas J. Moo, The Letter to the Romans, 2nd ed. (Eerdmans, 2018), 518.

^[2] Moo, The Letter to the Romans, 523.

SONS AND HEIRS
by Ed Pilapil Jr.

No longer debtors to the flesh
Its claims are gone, we start afresh
By the Spirit, put sin to death
To live in Him with every breath

All who are led, the Spirit’s own
Are sons of God, no more alone
Not slaves who fall again to fear
But children, adopted, brought near

We call out, “Abba! Father!” too
The word the Son once prayed, now true
The Spirit witnesses within
We’re God’s own children, freed from sin

If children, heirs with Christ the Lord
His glory is our sure reward
But first we share His suffering
Then glory with the Risen King

Study Guide

1. What does Paul mean when he says that believers are “debtors, not to the flesh”? According to the passage, who does the “putting to death,” and how? (Ro 8:12-13)

2. Contrast the “spirit of slavery” with the “Spirit of adoption.” What does each produce in the believer, and what does the cry “Abba! Father!” reveal about our relationship with God? (Ro 8:14-15)

3. How does the believer know that he is a child of God? What does it mean to be “heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ,” and why does Paul connect this inheritance with suffering? (Ro 8:16-17)

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Sermon 26 of the series: “Romans: Gospel Blueprint.”

Paul explained why the struggle with sin continues even though the law is good. He stated the obvious: the law is spiritual, but he is of the flesh, sold under sin (7:14). He did not understand his own actions; he did not do what he wanted but did the very thing he hated (7:15). Yet his hatred of sin showed that he agreed with the law, that it is good, and he identified the real culprit as sin dwelling within him (7:16-17). The apostle then admitted that nothing good dwells in his flesh. He had the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out (7:18). Paul did not do what he wanted; he kept doing what he did not want (7:19-20). The apostle described it as a war within. He delighted in the law of God in his inner being, but another law in his members waged war against the law of his mind and made him captive to the law of sin (7:21-23). Frustrated, he cried out: “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (7:24). His answer came at once: “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (7:25). That cry of thanksgiving points to deliverance, but it leaves a pressing question for every struggling believer. If sin still wages war within us, where do we stand before God? Paul answers with one of Scripture's most comforting declarations.

No Condemnation

Paul opens with a verdict: there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. The reason is not that believers stopped, but that God did what the law could not do. He sent His own Son to deal with sin, so that the righteousness of the law would be fulfilled in those who walk by the Spirit.

Romans 8:1-4, ESV: There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. ²For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. ³For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

The law was not the problem; the flesh weakened it. So God sent His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh: truly human, yet without sin. The phrase “for sin” recalls the sin offering of the Old Testament.^[1] Sin was condemned in Christ’s flesh, so it is no longer condemned in ours. Notice the order. The righteous requirement is fulfilled in us, not by us. It is the fruit of the Spirit, not the product of trying harder.

Two Mindsets

Paul contrasts two kinds of people: those who live according to the flesh and those who live according to the Spirit. Each has a mindset, and each mindset has an end. One leads to death; the other to life and peace.

Romans 8:5-8: For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. ⁶For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. ⁷For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. ⁸Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Paul is not describing two stages of the Christian life but two categories of people: the unbeliever and the believer. The mindset on the flesh is not merely weak; it is hostile to God. It does not submit to His law, and it cannot. The flesh cannot please God, but the mind that’s set on the Spirit enjoys life and peace with God.

The Spirit Dwells Within

Paul turns directly to the believers: “you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit.” The proof is the indwelling Spirit. And the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead guarantees the future resurrection of the believer’s body.

Romans 8:9-11: You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. ¹⁰But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. ¹¹If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Paul uses the “Spirit of God,” “Spirit of Christ,” and “Christ in you” interchangeably, a quiet witness to the Trinity. Every believer has the Spirit; one who does not have the Spirit does not belong to Christ. The body is still mortal because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. The One who raised Jesus will also raise us.^[2]

Application

1. Rest in His grace: no condemnation. We do not seek to sin, but when we do, remember that there is no condemnation for those joined to Christ in faith. Let us confess our sins from conviction but believe that there is no condemnation.

2. Examine our own minds. What we think about reveals the direction of our souls. Always set your mind on the things of the Spirit through the Word, prayer, worship, and fellowship with the church.

Live by the power of the indwelling Spirit, not our own willpower. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us. Let us face temptation, weakness, and even death with hope that God will raise us with Him.

^[1] James D. G. Dunn et al., Romans 1-8, Volume 38A (Zondervan Academic, 2018), 437-39. Dunn argues that “for sin” (peri hamartias) carries the technical sense of the sin offering.

^[2] Frank S. Thielman, Romans, ed. Clinton E. Arnold, Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Zondervan Academic, 2018), 8:9-11.

Poem

NO CONDEMNATION
by Ed Pilapil Jr.

No condemnation, none at all
For those in Christ, both great and small
The Holy Spirit set us free
From sin and death’s captivity

What the law could never achieve
God did for all who would believe
He sent His Son in flesh like ours
Condemned our sin with holy power

The mind on flesh is death and war
It will stray and go very far
Set the mind, look to the Spirit
There’s life and peace, yes, believe it

In Christ, there’s no condemnation
Let this be your meditation
The Triune God works within you
For me and you, this has come true

Study Guide

1. Why is there “no condemnation” for those in Christ Jesus? What did God do that the law could not do? (Ro 8:1-4).

2. Contrast the mind set on the flesh with the mind set on the Spirit. What does each produce, and how does this connect to the struggle of Ro 7:14-25? (Ro 8:5-8).

3. What does the indwelling Spirit mean for the believer now and in the future? Draw your answer from the passage. (Ro 8:9-11)

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Sermon 25 of the series: “Romans: Gospel Blueprint.”

Paul answered the question, “Is the law sin?” with an emphatic “By no means!” He again stated the purpose of the law: to reveal sin. The apostle used covetousness as an example. He would not have known what it is if it were not for the law (7:7). Sin was the real culprit. Sin seized an opportunity through the commandment and produced in him all kinds of covetousness (7:8). Apart from the law, sin lies dead; but when the commandment came, sin came alive, and he died (7:9). The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to him, because sin deceived him and, through the commandment, killed him (7:10-11). Paul clarified that the law is holy, righteous, and good (7:12). Did this good thing bring him death? He answered NO. He identified sin as the bringer of death. Through the law, sin was exposed clearly (7:13). The law then is vindicated, but it leads to another dilemma. If the law is good and sin is the problem, why does the struggle with sin continue? Paul would then address this issue.

The Law is Spiritual

Paul stated the obvious: the law is spiritual, yet he is of the flesh.^[1] He shows the conflict within a believer, struggling between the desire to obey God and sinful tendencies. The apostle paints a picture of how the flesh responds to the law because of sin.

Romans 7:14-17: For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. ¹⁵ For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. ¹⁶ Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. ¹⁷ So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

His hatred of sin shows that he agrees with God’s law and recognizes it as good. Sin still dwells within him, but it no longer represents his new identity in Christ. Paul is not denying responsibility for his sins but acknowledges its influence in the believer’s life.

Nothing Good in the Sinful Nature

Paul acknowledges that nothing good dwells in his flesh, even though he sincerely desires to do what is right. He wants to obey God but cannot, not in his own strength. Instead of doing the good that he wants, he continues to struggle with the sin he hates.

Romans 7:18-20: For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. ¹⁹ For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. ²⁰ Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

Paul is not saying that believers have no good in them, because the Holy Spirit dwells within them. Rather, our fallen nature cannot produce true obedience through willpower, discipline, or sincerity alone.^[2] We must stop relying on our own strength and depend on the Holy Spirit to live a life pleasing to God.

War Within

Paul describes the ongoing battle between his desire to obey God’s law and the sinful nature that opposes him. Although he delights in God’s law, he recognizes the pull of sin. Frustrated with this struggle, he cries out for someone to deliver him from this sinful condition.

Romans 7:21-25: So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. ²² For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, ²³ but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. ²⁴ Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? ²⁵ Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

Paul, knowing that he cannot save himself, turns to Christ Jesus to deliver him from the pull of sin. Even though the struggle against sin continues, believers are no longer condemned in Christ and can look forward to their final victory.^[3]

Application

1. Do not lower God’s standard or excuse your sins, but acknowledge your failures and your need for His grace. Let your hatred of sin encourage you, knowing that your desire to obey God is evidence of the Spirit’s work in your heart and your new identity in Christ.

2. Stop relying on your own strength and be honest with God and trusted believers about your weaknesses and failures. Do not despair or become complacent, but depend on the Holy Spirit through God’s Word, prayer, the Lord’s Supper, and the fellowship of the church.

3. Expect the ongoing struggle with sin, and when you fall, turn to Christ rather than doubt your salvation or hide from Him. Live with hope, knowing that your salvation rests on Christ’s finished work, the Holy Spirit is transforming you, and one day your struggle with sin will end.

^[1] Frank S. Thielman, Romans, ed. Clinton E. Arnold, Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Zondervan Academic, 2018), 7:16.

^[2] Richard N. Longenecker, The Epistle to the Romans (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2016), 664.

^[3] F. F. Bruce, Romans (IVP, 2015), 7:14-25.

Poem

WRETCHED MAN
by Ed Pilapil Jr

God’s law is spiritual, that’s right
A holy and shining light
But I am flesh, and I am sold
Enslaved to sin, that’s from the old

I do not want the things I do
I fail the good I would pursue
The thing I hate, that I have done
Sinful flesh, nothing good, there’s none

O, wretched man! What can I do?
Who will deliver, make me new
O, who can save this wretched man?
Praise the Father, He has a plan

In Christ, there’s no condemnation
The Spirit’s regeneration
Of this wretched man, through His grace
Now we can look upon God’s face

Study Guide

1. Explain the dynamics at play with the law, the flesh, and sin (Ro 7:14-17).

2. Explain what Paul meant by “nothing good dwells in me.” (Ro 7:18-20).

3. Why did Paul call himself wretched, and why did he ask who would rescue him? (Ro 7:21-25)

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Sermon 24 of the series, “Romans: Gospel Blueprint.”

Paul answered another anticipated question: if believers are no longer under law but under grace, what is their relationship to the law? He answered using marriage as an illustration. Just as a wife is bound to her husband only while he lives, and is freed to remarry once he dies (7:1-3), so believers have died to the law through the body of Christ (7:4). This death was not our own doing; we died with Christ through union with Him (6:3-5), and its purpose was that we might belong to another, the risen Christ, and bear fruit for God (7:4). Paul then explained why release was necessary: while we were in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in us, bearing fruit for death (7:5). But now, released from the law, having died to what held us captive, we serve in the new way of the Spirit, not the old way of the written code (7:6). That phrase: “sinful passions aroused by the law” raises a dangerous question Paul takes up next.

The Law is Not Sin

Paul anticipates another question. Is the law sin? His answer is NO. He explains the law’s value: to reveal sin. The apostle gives one example: covetousness. Without the law, man would not know what sin was.

Romans 7:7: What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”

Paul shows that sin and the law are closely related, yet explains that the law does not lead us to sin.^[1] Because sin is labeled as covetousness, sin is identified. But aside from that, what makes people sin is the sinfulness within them.

Sin, Not the Law

Paul unmasked the real problem. Not the law, but sin. But the sinful nature and its passions produced covetousness. The apostle explains that the law awakened sin, which led to death. He seems to be alluding to the serpent in Genesis.

Romans 7:8-11: But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. ⁹ I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. ¹⁰ The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. ¹¹ For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.

He uses the pronoun “I,” which might even suggest that his statements are autobiographical, or that they are representative of every man under Adam.^[2] Paul tells of a carefree life until he encountered the law. He refers to the promise of life to all who would keep that law (Lev. 18:5). But sin, the real culprit, interfered.^[3]

The Law Did Not Bring Death

Paul clarifies again that the law is holy, good, and righteous. Did such a good thing bring death? His answer is again, NO. He repeats himself by stating that it was sin that produced death, and so that sin may be revealed. The commandment made sin clear.

Romans 7:12-13: So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. ¹³ Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.

Paul uses the first person as autobiographical, but also representative of all under sin. He emphasizes the enormity of sin. Yet he did mention that grace is greater even though sin abounds (5:20).

Application

1. Do not treat the law as sin, but know that there is a close relationship between the law and sin. Instead, use the law to discover sins such as covetousness, adultery, gossip, deception, and pride.

2. Recognize that within every person is sin, and the knowledge of sin triggers it. Without the Holy Spirit giving us new life, sin produces death and is even triggered by the law, which is good.

3. Give thanks to the Lord for the new life in the Holy Spirit. Consider ourselves as dead to sin and dead to the law, and now joined to Christ. We identify with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection (new life).

^[1] James D. G. Dunn et al., Romans 1-8, Volume 38A (Zondervan Academic, 2018), 400.

^[2] F. F. Bruce, Romans (IVP, 2015), 7:7-13.

^[3] Colin G. Kruse, Paul’s Letter to the Romans (Eerdmans, 2012), 302.

Poem

LAW AND SIN
by Ed Pilapil Jr

Joined to Christ, into fellowship
With Him, we have relationship
But dead to the law and to sin
It is something so real within

Is the law sin, is it evil?
Not at all, it’s your bounded will
Through Adam, bound to sin, we are
It’s clear, sin wants to be the star

Through the law, sin arose within
It seized the chance, yes, that is sin
But the law is good and holy
Yet the fallen man wants folly

Paul’s style: autobiography
Representing humanity
Now his story is our story
In the end, it’s for God’s glory

Study Guide

1. Identify one purpose of the law. Explain (Ro 7:7).

2. How does sin operate with the law? Is there a possible parallel at the temptation in the garden? (Ro 7:8-11).

3. How does Paul describe the law? How does he describe sin? (Ro 7:12-13)

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Sermon 23 of the series, “Romans: Gospel Blueprint.”

Paul addressed a dangerous question: if believers are no longer under law but under grace, does that free them to sin? His answer was an emphatic NO (6:15). He explained it in terms of slavery. Everyone presents themselves as a slave to one master or another, either to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness (6:16). Genuine believers used to be slaves of sin, but they became obedient from the heart and were set free to become slaves of righteousness, leading to sanctification (6:17-18). Paul reminded them of the fruit each master produces: slavery to sin yielded only shame and death; slavery to God yields sanctification and its end, eternal life (6:20-22). He closed with the verse most of us know by heart: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (6:23). That settles the believer’s relationship to sin. But it opens a new question: if we are no longer under law but under grace, what exactly is our relationship to the law itself? The apostle addresses that question directly, using marriage as an illustration.

Released by Death

Paul begins with a principle both Jew and Gentile in the Roman church would recognize: law has jurisdiction over a person only while that person is alive. He anchors it in something concrete, marriage. A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives; only his death releases her from that bond, free to remarry without any charge of adultery.^[1]

Romans 7:1-3: Or do you not know, brothers^]—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives? ² For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. ³ Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress.

Paul is not teaching about marriage here; he is using marriage to prove a single legal point, that death changes what law can demand of a person. Readers should be careful not to press every detail of the illustration of marriage beyond the main point.

Released to Belong

Paul applies the principle. Believers died to the law, but not on their own effort. Christ’s physical body died; the believer died with Him through their union (6:3-5). The purpose of that death was so that the believer could belong to Christ.

Romans 7:4-5: Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. ⁵ For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death.

The law’s jurisdiction ended, so the believer could belong wholly and exclusively to the risen Christ. The apostle explained that sinful passions were aroused by the law, leading to death. This is a similar point where the law increased sin (5:20).

Released to Serve

Paul repeats the word “released,” borrowing from the widow’s language. Being released was due to death to the law. The result of belonging to God is a new way of living through the Holy Spirit. He contrasts the law with the Holy Spirit.

Romans 7:6: But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.

The new way of the Spirit points to the internal, Spirit-worked obedience promised through the prophets: God’s law written on the heart (Jer. 31:33; Ezek. 36:26-27). The old code could command but never produce what it commanded. Fruitfulness for God was never a matter of trying harder under the old system; it flows from union with Christ and the indwelling Spirit.^[2]

Application

1. Believe that you have died to the law and now belong to Christ. We must believe that we are free from the Old form and now belong to a new way of living through faith in Christ Jesus our Lord.

2. The law triggered sinful passions in us, but since we are no longer under it, we are freed. We bear the fruit of sanctification because we belong to God in Christ Jesus. There is a difference between obeying for the sake of rules versus obeying as a fruit.

3. Always remember that there is a new way of serving: serving in the Holy Spirit. The new way comes from the new life in the Holy Spirit. It is not the old person trying to improve but a totally new life with a new way empowered by the Holy Spirit.

^[1] James D. G. Dunn et al., Romans 1-8, Volume 38A (Zondervan Academic, 2018), 368. Dunn explains that under Jewish law, the woman cannot divorce her husband. She is freed upon the death of her husband.

^[2] Thomas R. Schreiner, Romans (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament), 2nd ed. (Baker Academic, 2018), 343. Schreiner states “Only those who have died with Christ to the law and possess the Holy Spirit have the ability to bear fruit for God.”

RELEASED
by Ed Pilapil Jr.

It’s not about trying harder
For such will not take you farther
No righteousness under the law
Something that the apostle saw

Through death, released from the marriage
Free from the law, free from its wage
And to be joined to another
It’s faith, and not trying harder

Sinful passions, the law aroused
Triggered sin, the letter announced
But there’s a new way of living
Needs renewing of the thinking

To now belong to Christ the Lord
Severed from sin; also the law
Released to sanctification
In this, there is no confusion

Study Guide

1. Compare the marriage illustration in Romans 7:1-3 with the baptism illustration in Romans 6:3-4. What single point is Paul making with each picture, and where should we stop pressing the details of an illustration further than Paul intended?

2. The phrase “in the flesh” appears in 7:5 and “in the new way of the Spirit” in 7:6. Explain the contrast between these two phrases from the immediate context, including what each produces ( Ro 7:5-6).

3. How will you serve God “in the new way of the Spirit” this week rather than “the old way of the written code”? Draw your answer directly from Romans 7:1-6, not from a general idea of trying harder.

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Twenty-second in the Sermon Series. “Romans: Gospel Blueprint.”

Paul explained that all who have died with Christ will also live with him (6:8). His reason: Christ’s own resurrection was final, and death no longer has any claim on him (6:9). His death dealt with sin once for all; his life is now lived entirely to God (6:10). On that basis, Paul issues his first direct command in the chapter: count yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus (6:11). This isn’t wishful thinking. It is reasoning from a settled fact to the way one must live. So the believer must not let sin reign in the mortal body (6:12); do not surrender your members over to sin as weapons of unrighteousness, but offer yourselves to God as those brought from death to life (6:13). And Paul grounds the whole appeal in a promise: sin will not be your master, because you are not under law but under grace (6:14). That last line: “not under law but under grace,” is exactly what triggers the next section. If grace, not law, is now in charge, doesn’t that leave the door open to sin freely? Paul’s answer is an emphatic no, and he explains why using the very metaphor of slavery he’s already introduced.

Not a Slave to Sin

Paul repeats a similar statement (Ro 6:1-2), but this time with the element of the law. Should believers sin because they are no longer under the law but under grace? The answer is the same: NO. Then he explains that sin is the master if you obey it, but it leads to death.

Romans 6:15-16, ESV: What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! ¹⁶ Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?

Paul writes to give them the right perspective of sin and slavery. That is, if one surrenders his body to sin, such a person is a slave to sin. But that leads to death. The author refers to the old life of sin because the new life is different.

Slave to Righteousness

Paul gives thanks to God for the transformation from being slaves to sin to slaves of righteousness. The apostle gave two opposite elements: sin and righteousness, but two supporting terms: slave and obedience. He exhorts them to present themselves slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.^[1]

Romans 6:17-19: But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, ¹⁸ and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. ¹⁹ I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.

Paul mentions the term: sanctification. It is one of the major doctrines of Christianity. In this context, it is about identifying as a slave to righteousness rather than to sin. The sanctified person rejects the dominion of sin, but submits himself to the sovereignty of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

Wages vs Free

Paul explains that the fruit of sin is shame and the consequence is eternal death. Conversely, the fruit of being a slave of God is sanctification, and the reward is eternal life. Paul contrasts wages and free gift in describing death and eternal life in Christ.

Romans 6:20-23: For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. ²¹ But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. ²² But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. ²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

If one thinks about it, wages describe something you deserve; they are a payment. Death is something earned by sin. ^[2] But a free gift is not about earning it, and that was how Paul described eternal life in Christ. How is it received? Genuine faith in Christ Jesus.

Application

1. Stop thinking of sin as an occasional stumble and start asking who you’re actually presenting yourself to. Determine that you are not a slave to sin. You do not have to obey its lusts.

2. Let us continuously present ourselves to the Lord Jesus as slaves of righteousness. We carefully watch our minds, emotions, and the members of our body for the Sovereign Lord of All.

3. Believe in the difference between sin and righteousness, as well as where they lead: death or eternal life. If we have sinned, let us not despair, for grace, the free gift of God, is greater than our sin.

^[1] Colin G. Kruse, Paul’s Letter to the Romans (Eerdmans, 2012), 284. Kruse explains that Paul talks about sanctification as a process but also as a result in a “state of fitness for God’s presence.”

^[2] Frank S. Thielman, Romans, ed. Clinton E. Arnold, Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Zondervan Academic, 2018), 6:23. Thielman states that the free gift also refers to justification in 5:15-16.

SANCTIFIED
by Ed Pilapil Jr

Through faith in Christ, we’re unified
That also means we’re justified
Thus, there is hope for the guilty
Those who confess admittedly

Believer and Christ: unified
With Him, we have been crucified
In His death, we have been baptized
Dead to sin, with Him, we have died

We’re joined to Christ, yes, unified
It also means we’re sanctified
No neutral ground, the line is clear
Do not be stubborn and not hear

To those in Christ, those unified
Let’s live the path that’s sanctified
We are then slaves to righteousness
By grace, we live in holiness

Study Guide

1. What are the similarities and differences of Ro 6:1-3 to Ro 6:15-16? Explain.

2. The word “sanctification” (or holiness) twice. Explain it within the immediate context. (Ro 6:19 & 22)

3. How will you live a sanctified life? Draw your answer from the passage (Ro 6:15-23).

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Twenty-first in the Sermon Series. “Romans: Gospel Blueprint.”

Paul taught that while sin, corruption, and condemnation entered humanity through Adam, far greater grace is available through Jesus Christ. However, the apostle clarifies that abundant grace is never a valid excuse to continue living in sin (6:1-2). The reason he gives is that a person who has genuine faith in Christ has died to sin. Paul illustrates this truth through the term “baptized,” which literally means “immersed.” A true believer is fully immersed into Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. By being united with His death, the believer experiences a death to sin; by being united with His resurrection, they are raised to walk in a new life (6:3-4). Furthermore, Paul emphasizes that the old sinful self, inherited under Adam, was crucified together with Christ (6:5-7). Because of this crucifixion, sin no longer exercises dominion over believers. Therefore, those who have faith must consider themselves dead to sin and continually offer their lives to God as active instruments of righteousness.

No Dominion

Paul explains that those who died with Christ will also live with Him. He reminds them about the fact that Christ rose from the dead and He will never die again. Death has no dominion over Him because His death dealt with sin, but He now lives to God. His death was once in history and no longer repeatable.^[1]

Romans 6:8-10: Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. ⁹ We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. ¹⁰ For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.

People who genuinely have faith in Christ are united with Him in His death and resurrection. Sin has no more dominion over Christ because He had no sin. His death was because of the sins of those who would believe in Him. Christ will never die again. A genuine believer is joined to Him; thus, he will live for eternity.

Dead to Sin

Paul instructs believers to “consider” or “reckon” themselves dead to sin. Believers must believe it, count it as true that they are “dead to sin and alive to God in Christ.” Paul was leading them into a spiritual and mental state; this is not pretension, but a way of living.^[2]

Romans 6:11: So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

The apostle’s instruction is twofold. One is about being dead to sin, but the other is being alive to God in Christ Jesus. A life in Christ is not only about avoiding sin but also about being alive to God, which is the new life in Christ.

Do Not Let Sin Reign

Paul instructs the Roman believers not to let sin rule their bodies. Moreover, he tells them not to present themselves as “instruments of unrighteousness.” It means that although believers were freed from slavery, they must not revert to it. Conversely, believers must present themselves as “instruments of righteousness.”

Romans 6:12-14: Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. ¹³ Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. ¹⁴ For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

Paul does not give a neutral ground. Either a person is an instrument of sin and unrighteousness or a person is an instrument of righteousness in Christ.^[3] The reason why sin must not have dominion over the genuine believer is that they are not under the law but under grace. Remember that the law increases sin, but we are under grace. Thus, we are not to continue in sin (6:1-2).

Application

1. When you feel condemned or enslaved by a recurring sin, the first move is not to try harder; it is to remember whose you are. Let us believe with all our hearts, “I am united to a Christ over whom death and sin have no more dominion.”

2. When an old sin pattern presents itself as though it still has authority over you, consciously say (out loud if it helps), “I am dead to this; it no longer owns me, and I am alive to God in Christ.”

Let us take inventory this week of specific “members.” That includes our eyes, tongue, time, body, and relationships. Let us reflect on whether we have been presenting them to sin out of habit. Then make a deliberate, practical substitution: present that same member to God for righteousness instead.

^[1] Frank S. Thielman, Romans, ed. Clinton E. Arnold, Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Zondervan Academic, 2018). Thielman states “Christ did not die to sin in the same way that believers die to sin. Unlike them he ‘knew no sin.’”

^[2] Colin G. Kruse, Paul’s Letter to the Romans (Eerdmans, 2012), 267.

^[3] Douglas J. Moo, The Letter to the Romans, 2nd ed. (Eerdmans, 2018), 409.

Poem

UNIFIED WITH CHRIST
byb Ed Pilapil Jr

All who died in Christ, they shall live
No payment, nothing we can give
A new life He gives; thus, believe
Grace is not something to achieve

Yet consider the self as dead
Heed what the Apostle Paul said
Dead to sin, alive to God, too
That’s a command for me and you

The mortal self, sin must not rule
Don’t look back; do not be a fool
No longer in unrighteousness
But instruments of righteousness

This is a new way of thinking
It is a new way of living
The old, old self was crucified
In Christ Jesus, we’re unified

Study Guide

1. How does knowing that “death no longer has dominion over” Christ change the way you face a temptation or sin pattern that feels like it has dominion over you? (Ro 6:8-10)

2. What two things, exactly, are believers told to reckon true of themselves, and why might Paul include both rather than just the first? (Ro 6:11)

3. What should a believer do and not do? Explain the mention of law and grace. (Ro 6:12-14)

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Twentieth in the Sermon Series. “Romans: Gospel Blueprint.”

Paul has been explaining the gospel in different ways. Justified by faith, we have peace with God (5:1). While we were still sinners and enemies, Christ died for us (5:8). Then Paul drew a great contrast: Adam’s one act of disobedience brought sin, death, and condemnation to the whole human race. However, Christ’s obedience brought grace, righteousness, and life (5:12-21). Paul pushed the contrast to the extreme by stating that where sin increased, grace increased all the more (5:20). But the apostle must warn the reader not to misinterpret abounding grace. Abounding grace is not a license to sin more.

Grace is Not a License to Sin

Paul begins by staging a debate. He raises a question regarding his previous statement that grace abounds even if sin increases. The objection is almost clever: if my sin gives God more occasions to show His grace, isn’t sinning in favor of God? The answer is NO. Then he gives the reason.

Romans 6:1-2: What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? ² By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

The apostle’s reply to the question is “by no means!” He uses another question to answer the previous question. Those who truly have faith have died to sin. Notice the little word “to.” Paul says we died with respect to sin, not that sin has vanished from the world, and not that we can no longer feel its pull.^[1] It means our fundamental relationship to it has been severed.

Baptized Into His Death

How did we die to sin? Paul answers with being baptized into Christ’s death. The word baptized means to plunge or immerse; the word used for an object completely dropped under water. Although the ordinance of water baptism stands in the background, the main point is that genuine faith plunges the believer into Christ’s death.^[2]

Romans 6:3-4: Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ 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.

Paul would then push the imagery even more by stating that the believer is buried with Him. Burial is done to those who are truly dead. But the apostle does not stop at burial; he pushes the parallel even more. Paul relates the resurrection of Christ to the new life of the believer.

Old Self Crucified

Paul gives an image of unity, of being joined together in His death and resurrection. He shows a concept of the old self being crucified with Christ. The purpose? So that the believer would no longer be a slave to sin, meaning that sin is no longer the master.^[3]

Romans 6:5-7: For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. ⁶ We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. ⁷ For one who has died has been set free from sin.

Note that the old self might refer to Adam. The reader must note that Paul is not promising sinless perfection. He is explaining that sin has no more legal right or claim. Although temptation will always lurk, sin is no longer the owner or master of the body.

Application

1. God’s abounding grace is not a license to sin. Do not treat grace as a legal loophole. We can no longer live as those who pursue sin because we have died to sin. Genuine faith does not pursue sin; it dies to it.

2. We are not Christians trying to merely improve; we are sinners who were justified by faith. Such faith means that you died to sin, were buried, and were given a new life. Christ’s death is our death; His resurrection is our new life.

3. We must stop treating sin as our rightful master. As genuine believers, we can resist its desire to treat us as slaves. However, through faith, we reckon ourselves dead to it and no longer enslaved. The old self is replaced by the new life in Christ because of His resurrection.

^[1] Frank S. Thielman, Romans, ed. Clinton E. Arnold, Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Zondervan Academic, 2018), 6:2. Thielman notes that they have not died in every sense, but they have died with respect to sin citing Daniel B. Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996), 154.

^[2] Thomas R. Schreiner, Romans (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament), 2nd ed. (Baker Academic, 2018), 6:3-4. Schreiner explains that those baptized into Christ “were baptized ‘into his death’.... This means that they were plunged into his death, immersed together with him in it.” He affirms that the reference is to water baptism, while insisting that “baptism itself is not the central theme of the text; the main theme is the believer’s participation with the death and resurrection of Christ.”

^[3] Richard N. Longenecker, The Epistle to the Romans (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2016), 6:5-7. Longenecker writes that believers “have been united with him” and “crucified with him” in Jesus’ death, and yet “at the present time believers in Jesus live their lives in the hope, which has been given by God, ‘that the body of sin will be done away with’ and ‘that we should no longer be slaves to sin.’”

DEAD TO SIN
by Ed Pilapil Jr

Stop the foolish thinking today
In old sinful self, do not stay
Faith also means dying to sin
We cannot make our home therein

How can we remain when we died
That’s from sin and all of sin’s pride
Buried too, there’s no doubt of death
Then, we have resurrection’s wealth

The old self, in the cross was slain
Thus, sinful self no longer reigns
Broke sin’s power, He set us free
Yes, we’re free from sin’s tyranny

We’re dead to sin, in Christ, we’re whole
New life, now lived, in heart and soul
The grace that abounds made it so
Therefore, to sin, we must say NO

Study Guide

1. In your own words, why does Paul consider “keep sinning so grace can increase” not just wrong but absurd? What does the phrase “died to sin” actually mean, and what does it not mean? (Ro 6:1-2)

2. Paul uses two vivid pictures: (1) being “plunged/immersed into Christ” and (2) being “buried with him.” What does each picture teach us about our union with Christ? Where does the power for our new life come from? (Ro 6:3-4)

3. How would you explain “brought to nothing” in your own words, and why is freedom from sin’s slavery different from sinless perfection? (Ro 6:5-7)

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Nineteenth in the sermon series, “Romans: Gospel Blueprint.”

Paul assured that our hope is secure. Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God; we stand in grace and even rejoice in suffering, because suffering produces endurance, character, and hope; and this hope does not disappoint, for God’s love has been poured into our hearts by the Spirit. Paul’s clinching argument was that if Christ died for us while we were still enemies, how much more, now reconciled, will we be saved by his life. That is the settled ground of assurance. But Paul anticipates a fear. If our hope is so secure, what about the two great enemies that still stalk the human race, sin and death? Where did they come from, and can our hope really outlast them? The apostle would contrast two men, Adam and Christ. They are representatives, each one acting on behalf of a whole humanity. The question is simply: whose humanity are you in?

The First Man

Paul first traces how the two enemies got in. Through Adam’s single act, sin entered, and with sin came death, and death “spread to all.”^[1] The proof is striking. Between Adam and Moses there was no written law to break, yet people still died. Paul had already said that “where there is no law there is no transgression” (4:15), so how could they die?

Romans 5:12-14: Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— ¹³ for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. ¹⁴ Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.

His answer is that the reign of death over that lawless period is itself the evidence that sin was already present and reigning. Death is the fingerprint that betrays sin’s universal grip. We are not merely sinners because we imitate Adam; we stand under a condition inherited from him.

The Second Man

Paul contrasts Christ to Adam, but it is not a parallel. Christ did not just pay back what Adam lost; He gave so much more. Paul insists the work of Christ is not merely equal to Adam’s damage but exceeds it. Grace does not just balance the ledger; it goes past it.^[2]

Romans 5:15-19: But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. ¹⁶ And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. ¹⁷ For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

¹⁸ Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. ¹⁹ 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.

Adam brought condemnation, but Christ brought justification. Adam brought sin and death, but Christ brought righteousness and life. Adam brought a sinful nature and a sinful environment upon men. But God, through Christ, sends the Holy Spirit (Ro 5:5, 8:9). Note that “life for all men” refers to all who are justified through faith, both Jews and Gentiles.

Grace Reigns

Finally, Paul folds in the law, the great event at Sinai that his account so far had seemed to skip. The common Jewish assumption was that the law was given to restrain sin. Paul’s claim is startling: the law came so that sin would increase, which may also mean that it would be exposed. Yet even that does not sink our hope, because he adds that where sin multiplied, grace multiplied all the more.^[3]

Romans 5:20-21: Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, ²¹ so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The passage ends in a throne room: sin once reigned in the realm of death, but now grace reigns through Jesus Christ our Lord. The last word of the chapter is not sin’s dominion but grace, righteousness, and eternal life.

Application

1. Everyone is a sinner because everyone sinned; yet all were born into original sin through the sin of Adam. Stop trying to argue that you are the exception. Admitting that we are sinners and helpless makes us appreciate the work of Christ.

2. The question is never “Have I done enough?” but “In whom do I stand?” When sin accuses you this week, do not answer with your effort; answer with your union to Christ, in whom grace abounds all the more.

3. The law was never the ladder to God; it is the mirror that drives us to grace. Let your growing awareness of sin push you not into despair but deeper into the reign of grace, under a King whose rule is toward life, not condemnation.

^[1] Thomas R. Schreiner, Romans (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament), 2nd ed. (Baker Academic, 2018), 276-281. Schreiner cites Murray that all have sinned is unlikely because each person committed a personal sin, but rather, because all sinned in Adam. Schreiner states “Human beings enter the world condemned and spiritually dead because they sinned in Adam.

^[2] Douglas J. Moo, The Letter to the Romans, 2nd ed. (Eerdmans, 2018), 362-68.

^[3] Richard N. Longenecker, The Epistle to the Romans (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2016), 599.

Poem

THE GREATER ADAM
by Ed Pilapil Jr.

In Adam’s fall the whole world died
A shadow spread on every side
Through Adam, the reign of death came
Thus, each man sinned, each man to blame

When the corruption ran so deep
A second Man arose to reap
Paid the price and gave so much more
That’s righteousness, and more in store 

The law came in, and sin increased
The debt in sin, it never ceased
But grace showed, greater than our shame
We have so much more in His name

No longer condemned, we’re not bound
We hear the call, we hear the sound
The sound we hear is Christ alone
The sound we hear is faith alone

Study Guide

1. People died before the law of Moses ever existed. What does that fact prove about sin? (Ro 5:12-14)

2. Why does Paul keep saying “how much more” instead of simply saying Christ undid Adam’s damage? (Ro 5:15-19)

3. If the law made sin increase, how is that good news? (Ro 5:20-21)

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Eighteenth in the sermon series, “Romans: Gospel Blueprint.”

Paul announced the settled privileges of everyone justified by faith: we have peace with God, we stand in grace, and we can even rejoice in suffering because God has poured his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. He assured the believers, calling God’s love the anchor that keeps our hope from ever putting us to shame (Ro 5:1-5). The apostle will explain that the love that was poured out was expressed through Christ’s death while the believers were still sinners. God’s love was not mere talk; it was proven on the cross. The writer gave a clear contrast. God is righteous, but He poured out His love? To whom? To the weak, the impious, sinners, and enemies.

Proven Love

Paul uses “For while” indicating the timing of the cross. Related to timing, the writer also uses the phrase “still sinners.”^[1] The apostle wants the reader to understand how profound God’s love is. Why would He die for the unrighteous? Such is unthinkable, but this love is real.

Romans 5:6-8: For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— ⁸ but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Notice he says God demonstrates His love through the death of Christ. The Father and Son acting together, so that the cross measures the very heart of God toward those who have faith. The love of God is not proven by the believers’ circumstance; it was proven through the death of Christ.

Enemies Reconciled

Paul explains that being justified by the death of Christ, the believer is also saved from God’s wrath (Ro 1:18). Then the apostle shows the real picture: that the believer was an enemy of God, reconciled through the resurrection, but with so much more grace.^[2] So Christ’s blood (death) and His life (resurrection) save the believer.

Romans 5:9-10: Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. ¹⁰ For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

Paul introduces a rich word here: reconciled. Peace back in verse 1 was the headline; reconciliation is the detailed story behind it. It means two warring parties brought back together. In the ancient world, people always assumed humans had to work to appease an angry God. Paul flips it. God took the initiative, at His own expense, while the sinners wanted nothing to do with him.

Rejoice

Paul could have stopped at “you’re safe from judgment.” But he says, in effect, “and not only that.”^[3] Future security is not the finish line; the present joy is. The reconciled believer doesn’t just wait nervously for heaven; they boast in God right now.

Romans 5:11: More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

And notice that word “now.” It states, “we have now received reconciliation.” This is a present possession, something the believer already holds in his/her hands today, through “our Lord Jesus Christ.” Peace with God turns out to be a costly reconciliation, achieved by God’s own initiative, guaranteed by a living Lord.

Application

1. Many of us secretly believe God’s love for us rises and falls with our behavior, that He loves us more on our obedient days and less on our failing ones. But Paul locates the proof of God’s love entirely outside us, at the cross, at the moment we were at our worst.

2. Let us be grateful to the Lord for dying for us while we were yet His enemies. May we always remember that Christ is the way to reconcile the believer to the Father. Through His death and resurrection, we are saved from God’s wrath and judgment.

3. Reconciliation isn’t meant to make you merely relieved; it’s meant to make you glad. This week, build in deliberate moments to rejoice in His name out loud, in prayer or with a friend or in song. Joy is not a personality trait for the naturally cheerful; it is the natural overflow of a heart that grasps it has “now received reconciliation.”

^[1] Frank S. Thielman, Romans, ed. Clinton E. Arnold, Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Zondervan Academic, 2018), 5:6.

^[2] Stanley E. Porter and David I. Yoon, Romans: A Handbook of the Greek Text (Waco, Texas: Baylor University Press, 2023), 5:9. An emphasized contrast is indicated.

^[3] Thomas R. Schreiner, Romans (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament), 2nd ed. (Baker Academic, 2018), 272. The phrase “not only that” may refer to the preceding verse or all the way to verse 3.

Poem

RECONCILIATION
by Ed Pilapil Jr.

While we were weak and far from good
God’s enemies, that’s where we stood
He made a way to save and call
All who believe the Lord of all

Know this: reconciliation
Effect of justification
Through Christ, there is now belonging
And it’s not of our doing

Not one human is deserving
Yet He decided on saving
Reconciling the enemies
Salvation, the Lord guarantees

Not to all, but those having faith
It’s a faith that does not betray
True to His word and the gospel
Fully convinced, that’s His people

Study Guide

1. Explain why Paul uses “still” and “at just the right time.” What do weak, ungodly, sinners describe? (Ro 5:6-8)

2. What has God already done for us? Why can we be sure he’ll finish it? Explain what it means to be “reconciled” to God. (Ro 5:9-10)

3. Is your faith more joyful or more anxious? Explain why reconciliation gives us reason to rejoice today. (Ro 5:11)

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Seventeenth in the sermon series, “Romans: Gospel Blueprint.”

Paul establishes a hard truth: everyone, Jew and non-Jew alike, has rebelled against God and stands guilty before Him, and that rebellion has justly earned His wrath. There is no hope apart from faith in Christ Jesus. To show that this justification is for Jew and non-Jew alike, Paul points to Abraham, whose faith was a full confidence in the promises of God, and such is the faith we too must place in Christ Jesus. From here the apostle unfolds the good news: God, in His grace, makes guilty people right with Himself through faith in Jesus. Having repeated the phrase “justified by faith” and emphasized “grace,” he now introduces a series of rich new themes, “hope,” “peace with God,” and “God’s love.”

Justified, then Peace

Paul, once again, used the phrase, “justified by faith.” The phrase is a courtroom term. God declares those who believe as not guilty. The apostle then introduces a lofty idea: “peace with God.” Peace with God is the result of justification by faith. It means no more war with God.

Romans 5:1, ESV: Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

This peace is not first of all a feeling; it means the war is over, for we were once God’s enemies.^[1] Notice that it comes “through our Lord Jesus Christ”; it is peace Christ purchased, not peace we negotiated. The rebellion is over.

Faith Into Grace

Paul writes that through Jesus we “have obtained access” into grace, and in that grace “we now stand.” Picture being escorted into a king’s throne room; Jesus brings us all the way in, and there we stand, secure and permanent.^[2] Then Paul adds that “we boast in the hope of the glory of God.”

Romans 5:2: Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Because of sin, there was no hope of sharing God’s glory, but now, through Christ, there is a way through faith. This boasting is not proud, self-centered boasting; it is rejoicing in what God has done and promised. Christian hope is not wishful thinking but confident expectation, as certain as God is trustworthy.

God’s Love Amid Suffering

Paul explained God’s wrath in the earlier part of the letter. Now, for the first time, he explains God’s love. Through suffering and hardship, He builds our character, producing hope.^[3] This hope does not put the believers to shame. The reason is God’s love in our hearts through the Holy Spirit.

Romans 5:3-5: Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, ⁴ and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, ⁵ and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

The word hope reminds the reader of Abraham who hoped against hope. The word poured pictures a lavish flood, not a trickle.^[4] Even in the middle of suffering, the Spirit assures us that God truly loves us, so our hope will never end in disappointment.

Application

1. After understanding the wrath and justice of God, we must now understand that the justification through faith leads to peace with God. This is not necessarily about inner peace, although it is part of it. It is about no longer becoming enemies of God.

2. When suffering abounds, remember where we stand, firmly in the grace of God. That security should lead us to rejoicing as we hope for His glory. We live by faith, meaning we are convinced of the promise despite the various trials.

3. Let us rejoice that God’s love is poured in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Note that Paul did not begin with God’s love; he began with God’s wrath against sin. In every season of life, let us meditate on God’s love in the context of His justice, and the justification by faith in Christ.

^[1] Frank S. Thielman, Romans, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2018), on 5:1. Thielman notes that “peace” here is foremost a cessation of hostility between God and believers, though it also carries the subjective sense of a serene conscience. Cf. Douglas J. Moo, The Letter to the Romans, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2018), on 5:1.

^[2] Thielman, Romans, on 5:2, observes that the perfect-tense verbs “we have obtained” and “we stand” emphasize the continuation of this new, gracious situation for believers. On the term “access” as entry into a king’s presence, see also Colin G. Kruse, Paul’s Letter to the Romans, Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2012), on 5:2.

^[3] On the rhetorical “chain” (climax/anadiplosis) that builds step by step toward hope, see Thielman, Romans, on 5:3–4; cf. Thomas R. Schreiner, Romans, 2nd ed., Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2018), on 5:3–4.

^[4] Thielman, Romans, on 5:5, notes that the verb “poured out” emphasizes the lavish, abundant nature of God’s love; the genitive “the love of God” is best read as God’s love for believers, confirmed by 5:8. Cf. James D. G. Dunn, Romans 1–8, Word Biblical Commentary 38A (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2018), on 5:5.

Poem

PEACE WITH GOD
by Ed Pilapil Jr

We’re justified by faith alone
By grace, believing, that we know
War is over, the debt is paid
Through Christ alone, this peace is made

We have access, an open door
Let us rejoice forevermore
Our hope is sure, He made us whole
Eternally sure in our soul

We dare hope despite the trials
No doubt and there’s no denial
Every promise, we dare believe
Assured of the love we received

This hope will never bring us shame
For God poured His love like a flame
Through the Spirit, He floods the heart
A love from which we’ll never part

Study Guide

1. Paul begins with “Therefore.” Explain the connection to chapters 3-4. Then explain the peace of God. (Hint: it is not inner peace) (Ro 5:1)

2. What do the verbs “obtained access” and “stand” reveal about the believer’s position, and how does “the hope of the glory of God” relate to Romans 3:23? (Ro 5:2)

3. Why does Paul arrange the chain in verses 3–4 (suffering → endurance → character → hope) to end on hope, and what reason does verse 5 give that this hope “does not put us to shame”? Ro 5:3-5)

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Sixteenth in the sermon series, “Romans: Gospel Blueprint.”

Paul focused his attention on Abraham. Abraham wasn’t declared righteous by his works. If he were, he could boast, but Scripture says his faith was credited to him as righteousness (4:3). David says the same: the truly blessed person is the one whose sins God does not count against him, apart from works (4:6-8). And crucially, this verdict came before Abraham was circumcised (4:9-12), so he is the father of all who believe, circumcised or not. Now Paul presses one step further: why did God arrange salvation this way? Because a promise received by faith rests on grace, and only grace can guarantee it for everyone. So he unfolds the promise, the people, and the power behind it.

The Promise Through Faith

God’s promise to Abraham was never attached to keeping the law. The law came 430 years later and could not add conditions to what grace had already given. In fact, law “brings wrath.” It names our failures and fixes their penalty. If the promise depended on obeying it, the promise would collapse, because none of us keeps it. Grace and law belong to different worlds.^[1]

Romans 4:13-15, ESV: For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. ¹⁴ For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. ¹⁵ For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.

Once again, Paul highlights righteousness and faith. The law gives clarity of judgment to all who failed to keep all that is in it (Dt 27:26). There is no righteousness in the law. There is only righteousness through Christ by faith.

The Promise Rests on His Grace

The reason why it is by faith is that righteousness depends on His grace. Because it rests on grace, the promise is secured. Abraham is “the father of a multitude of nations,” not merely of his natural children, but of all who follow the pattern of his faith, Jew and Gentile alike.^[2]

Romans 4:16-17: That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, ¹⁷ as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.

Grace makes the family door wide, and grace makes the inheritance certain. If righteousness rests on human performance in keeping the law, then it is uncertain. But because it is through His grace, it becomes certain.

Faith, Fully Convinced

Consider the confidence of Abraham’s faith. He was old, Sarah was barren, and every circumstance said: “impossible.” He didn’t ignore the facts; he weighed them against God’s promise and found God heavier. Abraham was fully convinced that God would keep His promise despite the impossibilities.^[3]

Romans 4:18-25: In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” ¹⁹ He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. ²⁰ No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, ²¹ fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. ²² That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” ²³ But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, ²⁴ but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, ²⁵ who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

He trusted the God “who brings the dead to life.” And Paul says this was written for us, who believe in the God who raised Jesus, delivered up for our sins and raised for our justification.

Application

1. Stop trying to earn what God gives freely. When you make your standing with God depend on your performance, you don’t strengthen the promise; you disrespect it. Rest instead on grace, which is the only ground that can actually hold you.

2. Your place in God’s family doesn’t depend on background, heritage, or track record. If you share Abraham’s faith, you share Abraham’s blessing. And since it rests on God’s grace, not your grip, your inheritance is as certain as God himself.

3. Faith isn’t pretending the obstacles aren’t real; it’s setting them beside God’s word and trusting his power to be greater. The same God who gave life to Abraham’s dead hopes raised Jesus — and that is the God who justifies you today.

^[1] F. F. Bruce, Romans (IVP, 2015), 4:13-15.

^[2] Douglas J. Moo, The Letter to the Romans, 2nd ed. (Eerdmans, 2018), 4:16-17.

^[3] Thomas R. Schreiner, Romans (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament), 2nd ed. (Baker Academic, 2018), 4:18-21. Schreiner stresses that Abraham’s faith was “God-centered” and must “not be confused with breezy optimism, nor does it involve a denial of external reality”; Abraham “carefully ‘considered’ the obstacles.” What sustained him “was a vision of the God who could do the impossible.”

Poem

THE PROMISE
Ed Pilapil Jr

The promise rests on the LORD’s grace
Oh, how marvelous are His ways
If by the law, and not by grace
Then Jew and Gentile have no place

We’re Abraham’s children through faith
A grandfather who is great, great
Not by blood, but in Christ, through faith
God used him to show us the way

Fully convinced of the promise
Despite impossibilities
Abraham believed the promise
Not in his own capacities

His faith was recorded for us
The word, is for us to discuss
Faith that’s all in, that should be us
Locked in, our faith in Christ Jesus

Study Guide

1. The promise to Abraham: why not through the law and why through faith? (Ro 4:13-15)

2. Why should the promise of righteousness depend on faith? (Ro 4:16-17)

3. Explain the quality of Abraham’s faith as Paul explained. (Ro 4:18-25)

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Fifteenth in the sermon series, “Romans: Gospel Blueprint.”

Paul made a bold claim: God makes people right with himself by faith, apart from good works, and this leaves no room for anyone to boast. But a Jewish reader would immediately object: “What about Abraham? He’s our founding father, the greatest man in our history. Surely he earned his standing with God.” So Paul does something brilliant. He doesn’t argue from his own opinion; he goes to the Scriptures they already trusted and puts Abraham himself on the witness stand. And what he finds there overturns the whole idea that we can earn God’s approval.

Credited Righteousness

Paul reaches for the key text: Genesis 15:6: “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Notice the moment. God had just promised the childless, elderly Abraham more descendants than the stars. Abraham couldn’t produce that; he could only trust the God who promised it. And God “counted” that trust as righteousness. Paul then uses a simple accounting picture everyone understands.

Romans 4:1-5, ESV: What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? ² For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. ³ For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” ⁴ Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. ⁵ And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness

When you work a job, your paycheck isn’t a gift; it’s a debt your employer owes you. But righteousness doesn’t work like wages. God gives it as a gift to the person who stops trying to earn it and simply trusts “him who justifies the ungodly.”^[1]

Forgiveness is a Blessing

To seal the argument, Paul calls a second witness: King David. In Psalm 32, David describes the deeply happy (blessed) person, and it’s not the flawless achiever. It’s the one “whose lawless deeds are forgiven, whose sins are covered,” the one against whom “the Lord will not count sin.” Paul’s point is precise. If God is not counting sin against you, then he is crediting you with a righteousness you didn’t produce.^[2]

Romans 4:6-8: just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:

⁷ “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
and whose sins are covered;
⁸ blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”

Both Abraham and David describe the same thing from two angles: God putting something on your account you didn’t earn (righteousness), and God removing something you did earn (guilt). This isn’t a New Testament novelty; it was the heartbeat of the Old Testament all along.

Blessings for Jew and Gentile

Now, Paul springs the trap on the objection. When did God count Abraham righteous, before or after he was circumcised? The timeline is decisive: Genesis 15 comes at least 14 years before Abraham was circumcised in Genesis 17. So God declared him righteous while he was still, in effect, an outsider, an “uncircumcised” man, no different in status from a Gentile.^[3]

Romans 4:9-12: Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. ¹⁰ How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. ¹¹ He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, ¹² and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

Circumcision came afterward, as a “seal,” a sign confirming a righteousness he already had by faith. Why did God arrange it this way? So Abraham could be the father of two families at once: the father of all who believe without the Jewish badge, and of Jews who don’t merely bear the badge but also walk in his footsteps of faith.

Application

1. Stop treating God like an employer you’re clocking hours for. You cannot put him in your debt, and you don’t need to. Your standing with God isn’t a paycheck you earn by being good enough; it’s a gift you receive by trusting Christ. Rest in that.

2. Real happiness isn’t found in a perfect record or a spotless past. It’s found in being forgiven. If guilt haunts you, hear this: for those in Christ, God has chosen not to count your sin against you. Let that settle your soul — you are covered.

3. No one is too far outside to be welcomed by God, and no religious credential can substitute for real faith. Don’t lean on your background, your church membership, or your rituals. What made Abraham right with God, simple trust, is exactly what’s open to you today.

^[1] Frank S. Thielman, Romans, ed. Clinton E. Arnold, Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Zondervan Academic, 2018), 4:4-5.

^[2] Colin G. Kruse, Paul’s Letter to the Romans (Eerdmans, 2012), 4:6-8.

^[3] F. F. Bruce, Romans (IVP, 2015), 4:9-12.

Poem

FATHER ABRAHAM
by Ed Pilapil Jr

Abraham believed God’s promise
Righteousness and faith, the premise
From the Lord God, he earned no wage
It was a gift in his old age

David speaks of a happiness
It’s blessedness in forgiveness
The guilt is covered, judgment done
Due to the Lord, the only One

Faith was before circumcision
That is to our satisfaction
Before the sign, before the seal
God counted faith alone as real

Abraham’s children, we all are
Jews and Gentiles, both near and far
Sands on the shore, stars in the night
God fulfilled His promise all right

Study Guide

1. Why does Paul use the picture of “wages” versus a “gift,” and what does it mean that God “justifies the ungodly”? (Ro 4:1-5)

2. According to David, who is the truly happy person, and how does forgiveness relate to being counted righteous? (Ro 4:6-8)

3. Why does the timing of Abraham’s faith (before circumcision) matter, and what does it mean that he is “father of all who believe”? (Ro 4:9-12)

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Fourteenth in the sermon series, “Romans: Gospel Blueprint.”

Paul has been building a case like a prosecutor. First, he indicts the pagan world that suppressed the truth about God. Then he turns to the religious and moral Jew and says: you’re no better; you judge others while doing the same things. He dismantles the misplaced self-confidence of the Jew. Finally, he sweeps everyone in, Jew and Gentile alike, and closes the case: “None is righteous, no, not one.” The whole world stands silent and guilty before God, with no defense left. That’s the courtroom Paul has us standing in with a clear verdict: guilty. But everything is about to change.

Turning Point

Into that silent, guilty courtroom, Paul drops two words: “But now.” Something new has broken into history. God himself has provided a way to be made right with Him, not by keeping the law, though the law and prophets pointed to it all along.

Romans 3:21-23: But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— ²² the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Notice the perfect tense: this righteousness “has been revealed” and stands revealed still. It’s a settled, finished reality, not a distant hope. And it’s for everyone who believes, no exceptions, the one door out of the courtroom, opened by God.

Justified and Redeemed

Paul mentions several key phrases. First, “justified by His grace as a gift.” Second, “through redemption in Christ Jesus. Third, “propitiation by His blood to be received by faith.” Fourth, “God’s righteousness.” Fifth, “divine forbearance.”

Romans 3:24-26: and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

How can a just God simply forgive guilty people? At the cross, God dealt with sin openly rather than sweeping it aside. So God stays completely just and still declares sinners righteous. He didn’t relax the standard. He satisfied it Himself through Christ.

No Boasting

If being made right is a gift received by faith, then boasting is finished. No one can boast. No one can take credit for a rescue that one didn’t perform. Paul pushes further: Is God only for one kind of people? No.

Romans 3:27-31: Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. ²⁸ For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. ²⁹ Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, ³⁰ since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. ³¹ Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

The same God makes both Jew and Gentile right through the same faith. This flattens every pecking order of race, class, and background. And far from throwing out God’s law, this faith actually honors what the law was always aiming at.

Application

1. Do not climb out of guilt by trying harder or comparing yourself to others. Do not trust in your own merit. There is one exit, and God built it. Your only move is to walk through it by faith; the same door is open to all.

2. Our forgiveness isn’t God looking the other way. It cost Him the death of the Son on the cross. His grace was not soft on sin; it came with a price. Our forgiveness comes from believing this truth.

3. Remove any source of spiritual pride like morality, religion, heritage, or race. Lay them down. Then treat the person unlike you as a full equal, because God is saving them the very same way he saved you.

Poem

TURNING POINT
by Ed Pilapil Jr

The court is called, the charge is read
No mouth can speak, no plea is said
Both near and far, both proud and base
Stand guilty, silent, face to face

But now a word breaks through the night
God brings His righteousness to light
No law we kept, no debt we paid
Yet all is finished, all is made

The sacrifice, the sprinkled blood
Where wrath was met in crimson flood
The judge is just, the standard true
The guilty sinner is made new

So boasting dies, its mouth is stopped
Its crown of pride is bowed and dropped
One faith, one Lord, one open door
Only the Christ, our sins He bore

Study Guide

1. What does Paul mean by “but now,” and how is this righteousness different from the way people usually try to be right with God? (Ro 3:21-24)

2. How does the cross allow God to be both “just” and the one who justifies sinners at the same time? (Ro 3:24-26)

3. Why does Paul say boasting is “shut out,” and what does this mean for how we view people different from us? (Ro 3:27-31)

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Thirteenth in the sermon series, “Romans: Gospel Blueprint.”

Paul has been building a careful case, like a prosecuting attorney presenting evidence before a court. First, the apostle turned his attention to the Gentiles, showing how humanity suppressed the truth, exchanged God’s glory for idols, and was given to its desires. Then the apostle turned his attention to the Jews, the people who received the Mosaic Law. They bore the name of the LORD, yet they have failed to obey the command through Moses completely. Paul dismantled their arguments; he addressed self-righteousness, false confidence, and the major accusations. The advantage of the Jew is knowing the commandments. But God will judge all: Jew and non-Jew.

Universal Guilt

Paul concludes his argument that both Jews and Greeks are “all under sin.” Having already condemned Gentile idolatry (1:18-32) and Jewish presumption (2:1-29), he now levels the playing field: no one has an inherent advantage before God when it comes to judgment. The reason? All are guilty.

Romans 3:9-12: What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, ¹⁰ as it is written:

“None is righteous, no, not one;
¹¹ no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
¹² All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”

Paul anchors his point in a chain of Old Testament citations (drawing especially from the Psalms), beginning with the sweeping declaration that none is righteous, none seeks God, and all have turned away. The point is the universality and totality of human sinfulness. No one seeks God; no one does good.

Severe Sinfulness of Man

Paul illustrates how deeply sin pervades the whole person through a vivid “anatomy of sin.” He moves through the body, throat, tongue, lips, mouth, feet, eyes, showing corruption in speech (deceit, poison, cursing), in conduct (swift to shed blood, leaving ruin and misery in their paths), and in disposition.

Romans 3:13-18: “Their throat is an open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive.”
“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
¹⁴ “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
¹⁵ “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
¹⁶ in their paths are ruin and misery,
¹⁷ and the way of peace they have not known.”
¹⁸ “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

The catalog climaxes in the root cause: “there is no fear of God before their eyes.” Sin is not merely external acts but a comprehensive condition affecting how humans speak, act, and relate to God. Man has fallen in the deepest mire of sin; he does not and cannot save himself.

The Verdict

Paul draws the legal conclusion. Whatever the Law says, it addresses those under it, so that every mouth is stopped. Everyone who makes excuses or accuses God will not prevail. The whole world is guilty before God.

Romans 3:19-20: Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. ²⁰ For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

Crucially, the Law’s function here is diagnostic, not redemptive: “by works of the law no one will be justified,” because “through the law comes knowledge of sin.” The Law exposes and convicts but cannot save, setting up the pivot to righteousness by faith.

Application

1. Every human being is guilty of sin. Scripture says that there is no one righteous. Thus, we say that we are not righteous; we are guilty. Let us admit that we are sinners; we cannot save ourselves.

2. We have lied and cheated; no one can say that they have not sinned, or perhaps even worse. Let us not make excuses nor sugarcoat our sin. Let us call it what it is: disobedience, defiance, and rebellion against God’s commands.

3. The law reveals the sin, but it cannot save. The verdict is clear: Jew and Gentile are all guilty. Only Christ can save. Thus, we look to Him alone for our justification.

Poem

GUILTY VERDICT
by Ed Pilapil Jr

Jews and Gentiles, in the same state
The judgment is not for debate
Verdict is clear: all are guilty
Is there still room for God’s mercy?

In Christ is the mercy of God
For the Jew, that will be so odd
I believe for the Gentile, too
Both, then, should change their point of view

What then should be the point of view?
The Jews, they are so guilty, too
For the Jew, that will be so odd
All men have turned away from God

Through faith in Christ, there is mercy
First, you must know you are guilty
Shut your mouth and stop your debate
Faith in Christ will transform your state

Study Guide

1. Explain Paul’s conclusion about the verdict for Jews and Gentiles: that no one is righteous. (Ro 3:9-12)

2. Explain the severity of the depravity of man. (Ro 3:13-18)

3. Explain why no one will be justified based on works of the law. What does the law do? (Ro 3:19-20)

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Twelfth in the sermon series, “Romans: Gospel Blueprint.”

Paul has just said something scandalous to his Jewish readers: that God judges Jew and Gentile alike, and that an obedient outsider may fare better on judgment than a disobedient insider. Naturally, the objections come flying. Then what’s the point of being God’s people at all? Is God being unfaithful? Is He even being fair to punish us? Paul then stages a courtroom drama. Sinful humanity puts God in the dock, hurls accusations at Him, and demands that He answer for Himself. And by the end, the verdict is reversed. As one of David’s psalms put it, God is “justified” in His words and prevails when He is judged. Let’s watch the case unfold in three movements.

God’s Faithfulness

Paul anticipates his interlocutor’s accusation: If God judges His people impartially, has He gone back on His promises? Note that the Jew believes that he has a special standing before God. The Jew has the advantage, but not in the manner they think. So, Paul’s answer is emphatic. There is still a great advantage in belonging to the covenant people, and chief among the blessings is that His people were “entrusted with the oracles of God.”[1]

Romans 3:1-4: Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? ² Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. ³ What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? ⁴ By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written,

“That you may be justified in your words,
and prevail when you are judged.”

Notice the asymmetry here. Human unfaithfulness is real, but it does not cancel His faithfulness. God’s reliability does not rise and fall with human performance. He is not faithful because His people are faithful; He is faithful because He is God, and He cannot deny Himself. This is the bedrock of the whole gospel: His promises are anchored in His character, not in people.

God is Not Unrighteous

The second anticipated accusation is more cunning: If my unrighteousness actually shows off how righteous God is, then surely God is unfair to punish me; after all, I’ve made Him look good! Paul even pauses, almost embarrassed, to say, “I am speaking in a human way.” The logic is twisted, and Paul knows it. His answer is a NO. God judges righteously.[2]

Romans 3:5-6: But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) ⁶ By no means! For then how could God judge the world?

The argument collapses under its own weight. If God could not condemn sin simply because His condemnation displays His justice, then He could never judge at all. A God who cannot distinguish good from evil is no righteous Judge worth the name. God’s justice is not God’s cruelty; it is the guarantee that wickedness will not have the last word.

No Excuse to Sin

The third anticipated accusation is the most dangerous, because it dresses itself up in piety: If my lie magnifies God’s truth and brings Him glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner? Pushed one step further, it becomes the slogan Paul says his enemies slandered him with: “Let us do evil that good may come.”

Romans 3:7-8: But if through my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? ⁸ And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.

Paul had repeatedly heard this slander because his grace-centered, Torah-free gospel was accused of promoting disobedience, and he answers it by pronouncing a sober sentence: “Their condemnation is just.”[3] The reasoning behind the slogan makes God out to be fickle, treating the most beautiful truth, that God brings good even out of evil, as a license to keep sinning. But grace that leaves you comfortable in your sin is not the grace of God; it is a counterfeit.

Application

1. Let us build our assurance in Christ, not our own works. If ever we sin, let us confess our sins to him and receive His forgiveness and cleansing. Our life in Him is about Him, not about how good we are. Let us persist in trusting Him.

2. Stop putting God on trial. Much of our quiet bitterness toward God is a low-grade version of the courtroom in this passage. We have no right to cross-examine Him over a loss, a delay, an unanswered prayer, convinced He owes us an explanation.

3. Let us not abuse His grace. Real grace humbles and transforms; it never licenses. Let the kindness of God lead you not to presumption but to repentance (Romans 2:4), and let gratitude, not loophole-hunting, be our guide.

[1] Frank S. Thielman, Romans, ed. Clinton E. Arnold, Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Zondervan Academic, 2018), 3:1-4.

[2] Michael J. Gorman, Romans (Eerdmans, 2022), 3:1-8.

[3] Michael F. Bird and Scot McKnight, Romans (Zondervan Academic, 2016), 96-97.

HIS WORD IS JUST
by Ed Pilapil Jr

Now, is there value in the Old
Were the Jews in the Lord’s sheepfold?
Do they have any advantage?
Yes, but with a certain vantage

They have the oracles of God
But they chose a holy facade
Twisting truth to justify sin
Unfaithful to the Lord within

God is righteous, and we are not
Know this: do not say, “I forgot”
But there is no excuse to sin
Trust the work of His grace within

Why accuse God? His word is just
Use some intelligence and trust
Study His word diligently
Believe the gospel completely

Study Guide

1. Explain the first set of anticipated questions. What is Paul’s response? (Ro 3:1-4)

2. Explain the second set of anticipated questions. What is Paul’s response? (Ro 3:5-6)

3. Explain the third set of anticipated questions. What is Paul’s response? (Ro 3:8-9)

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Eleventh in the sermon series, “Romans: Gospel Blueprint.”

Paul argued that God is impartial to both Jews and Gentiles. The Gentiles who do not have the Mosaic Law will be judged without it. Their conscience will be the basis. The Jew will be judged by the Mosaic Law, whether they obeyed it or not. Paul continues to expose the hypocrisy of the Jews who rely on knowing the law instead of obeying the law. Paul is building up to a truth that would be difficult for the Jew: that no one, absolutely no Jew, fulfilled the law, except Christ. He returns to his interlocutor, whom he identifies as a Jew. By using an interlocutor, Paul is not necessarily stating that all Jews think the same. However, those who do are the ones that he is addressing.[1]

False Confidence

Paul challenges the Jews who rely on the law and boast in God.[2] The verb “relies on” (Greek ἐπαναπαύῃ, epanapauē) pictures leaning on something for support. Israel had leaders who leaned on the Lord yet acted unjustly (Micah 3:11). Paul also refers to Israel’s role in the world as a light, but he does not complete the quotation from Isaiah 42:6-7.

Romans 2:17-20, ESV: But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God ¹⁸ and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; ¹⁹ and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, ²⁰ an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth—

When Paul highlighted the sins of the Gentiles, it was about rejecting the knowledge of God. To explain to the Jew that they are also guilty, he highlights their knowledge of God, yet they still disobey His commands. They have a semblance of righteousness but act unrighteously.

Hypocrisy

After stating the role of Jews in God’s plan, which was to be a light to the darkness, a nation to show other nations the way, he now uses probing questions. The apostle ends with a powerful statement to the self-righteous Jew. He references the exile where the name of God was blasphemed (Isa 52:5).

Romans 2:21-24: you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? ²² You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? ²³ You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. ²⁴ For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

Paul referenced what happened on a national scale to apply it to the inner person. The apostle wants the interlocutor, who represents strong Jewish beliefs, to reflect on whether they have lived in hypocrisy.

Inner Person

Paul shifts to circumcision, a defining badge of covenant identity. Yet he argues that circumcision without obedience “becomes uncircumcision,” while an obedient gentile’s uncircumcision is “counted as circumcision.” What does this imply? It implies belonging to the covenant identity.[3] The apostle also emphasizes obedience, the heart, and the Spirit.

Romans 2:25-29: For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. ²⁶ So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? ²⁷ Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law. ²⁸ For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. ²⁹ But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.

Paul exposes the danger of leaning on the law for security while failing to obey it. Such a posture is false confidence that mistakes religious privilege for righteousness. God would sooner approve an obedient outsider, who has the law on his heart, than a Jew who possesses and teaches the law yet does not live it. Paul’s focus was not to prove that there were righteous Gentiles, but that the Jew must abandon his self-righteousness (his confidence in heritage and ritual).

Application

1. It is possible to know what God expects yet remain disqualified in His eyes. Let us know His word, especially the gospel, and then let us believe in the gospel, repent of our sins, and live a life of faith in obedience.

2. Our hypocrisy is never a private matter. When our lives contradict our message, we don’t merely harm ourselves; we drag God’s reputation through the mud before a watching world. Let us continuously and humbly reflect on our own lives in the light of His Word.

3. The question is not whether we bear the right external signs, like going to church or reading the Bible, but whether the Spirit has done His transforming work within us. And the verdict that finally matters comes not from people, but from God. Never neglect the inner life, the meditations and intents of the heart.

[1] Frank S. Thielman, Romans, ed. Clinton E. Arnold, Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Zondervan Academic, 2018), 2:21-23.

[2] Boasting in God is not wrong. Paul is addressing a misguided confidence. See Douglas J. Moo, The Letter to the Romans, 2nd ed. (Eerdmans, 2018), 170.

[3] Thomas R. Schreiner, Romans (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament), 2nd ed. (Baker Academic, 2018), 136.

Poem

MISGUIDED FAITH
by Ed Pilapil Jr

They believed in the law, but then
Who obeys the law, among men?
O self-righteous Jew, just let go
Your inner state, reveal it so

The posture of high and holy
Replace with the gospel, fully
False confidence is misguidance
It is a form of defiance

Now let go of all defiance
Know the word, reject misguidance
We’re sinners, we confess fully
Saved by the One who is holy

Now my goodness, I know it so
Of self-righteousness, I let go
Christ, our profession among men
We’ll proclaim Him as they did then

Study Guide

1. Who was Paul addressing? Explain the role of the Jewish people as stated in the OT. (Ro 2:17-20)

2. What was the purpose of Paul’s questions? How would you write questions to yourself? (Ro 2:21-24)

3. Explain the statement from its context that circumcision is a matter of the heart. (Ro 2:25-29)

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False Confidence Ro 2 17 29

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Maling Pagtitiwala Ro 2 17 29

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