Wednesday, February 24, 2010

30 second read - Romans 7:1-6 - Jody Duncan

In Romans 7:1-6, Paul uses the analogy from the marital law of the day. A woman was legally bound under her husband as long as he lived. If she was joined to another man while her husband was alive, she was considered to be an adulterous. However, if her husband died, she was freed from the constraints of the law, and free to marry another man.
Paul uses this analogy to say that since we have died to sin (Romans 6:4) and we are not longer under the law (Romans 6:14) that we have died to the law. Therefore, we are no longer under it, condemned by it, and we are free to be joined to another - to Christ. In our former lives without Christ, the law had served to stir up sinful desires and produced the fruit of death. In Christ we are released from the law to serve God and bear the fruit of God.
There has also been one other change; a change in our attitude toward the law. No longer are we under it, unable to follow it. Now we see the law as the divine standard that it is, with the ability and desire to follow it empowered by the Holy Spirit of God living in us to "serve in newness of the Spirit."

Monday, February 22, 2010

Compassionate Passion - Dave T.

My wife, Jeannie, was asked by a friend how she viewed salvation and the redemptive work of Jesus. This was her answer:

“Having recently adopted children has highlighted many things about salvation for me. One of the things I got teary eyed this morning about was how compassionately passionate I feel about my new children and the depth of LOVE Christ has for me His adopted daughter. I have this deep compassion for their prior lives and the sad circumstances they endured and I feel it makes my love for them even more intense. This must be the way it is for our Lord with us....HE knows our old life and circumstances and sin and knows how weak we are and grieved for our condition and CHOSE to POUR OUT Himself on our behalf because HE LOVED US that much!

What we know, and even what we don’t know, about our children’s backgrounds seems to make our love more intense. It is as though we are trying to make up for lost time.”


The compassionate passion of Jesus is what led him to the cross, for us.

In Christ Alone Romans 7:1-6 from Feb 21, 2010

Rom. 7:1-6
I. Union with Christ results in death to the Law.
-married woman = hupandros
a. Our former life in the flesh.
1. Our passions were stirred up by the law.

2. We produced the fruit of death.
work = energeo
Gal. 5:19-21
b. Our new life in Christ.
1. We are joined to another.
Titus 2:11-12
2. We bear the fruit of God.
John 15:1-5; Gal. 5:22-23
3. We serve in newness of the Spirit.
serve = douleuo = slave
MacArthur "The law is still important to the Christian. For the first time, he is able to meet the law's demands for righteousness (which was God's desire when He gave it in the first place), because he has a new nature and God's own Holy Spirit to empower his obedience. And although he is no longer under the law's bondage or penalty, he is more genuinely eager to live by its godly standards than is the most zealous legalist."
Ps. 119.97

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

In Christ Alone- Romans 6:15-23 -Feb 14th, 2010

Rom. 6:15-23

I. Grace does not provide a license to sin.

a. You become a slave to whom you obey.

obey/obedience = upakouo; from upo = under and akouo = to hear

b. You are either a slave to sin or a slave to God.

-John 8:34

-Being under grace and following Christ cannot be separated from obedience.

II. Grace places us in a position to serve God.

a. We are molded into the image of Christ’s teaching.

form = typos

b. Having been freed from sin, we become slaves of righteousness.

c. Being a slave of righteousness leads to increased holiness.

-sanctification = hagiasmos = process of being set apart for God's service and the development of His character.

III. Grace gives us the beneficial end.

a. The results of slavery to sin.

i. People are unable to do what pleases God.

ii. People do what is shameful.

iii. The end is death.

wages = opsonion = payment for a soldier

b. The results of slavery to God.

i. We are sanctified.

ii. We are given eternal life.

free gift = charisma


Saturday, February 13, 2010

30 Second read on Romans - Jody Duncan

After Paul spoke of the "more than enough" grace of God, he anticipated a misunderstanding. Romans 6 begins with the strongest denial that we shall not persist in sin so that grace may increase. The reason for this is since we have been baptized into Christ have been baptized into his death and burial. The old self is dead. If we have been baptized into his death, we have also been baptized into his life and resurrection. Therefore, we are new creation in Christ and we are not slaves to sin anymore.

Though that explains to us who we are, we also have to act upon that truth. Instead of presenting our bodies to sin for purposes of sinful things, we present our bodies to God for His purposes. Because we are in union with Christ, the Holy Spirit lives in us changing us and transforming us as we are also obedient and submissive to that work of God. Paul is not preaching legalism or moralism, or “let go and let God.” We have responsibility to present bodies to God and be obedient to live in holiness, for we are not under the law but we are under grace.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Sermon Notes from Romans 6:8-14

Because of our union with Christ:

I. Death is defeated.

a. The rule of death is broken.
b. The dominion of sin is ended.(Heb. 7:27, 9:12, 10:10)
c. The life we live is to God.

II. Don't let sin reign in your life.(Titus 2:11-12)

"For a Christian to live out
the fullness of his new life in Christ, for him to truly live as the
new creation that he is, he must know and believe that he is not what
he used to be. He must understand that he is not a remodeled
sinner but a remade saint. He must understand that, despite his present
conflict with sin, he is no longer under sin's tyranny and will never
be again." - John MacArthur


a. Don't use your members for
unrighteousness.

instrument= hoplon = weapon

b. Present your members for
righteousness.


III. Sin is not our master. (Titus 2:11-14)
reign= basileuo = rule, reign
master = kurieuo = have power over,rule over, lord over.

"...from him (Christ) as from a
fountain, sanctification flows into the souls of the saints: their
sanctification comes not so much from their struggling, and endeavors,
and vows, and resolutions, as it comes flowing to them from their union
with him."-Jeremiah Bourroughs