Romans Concepts

Lesson 1

Verse: Romans 1:16-17

Reading: Romans 1:1-17, Acts 9:1-22

Summary: Paul wrote the Book of Romans so I as a Christian can fully understand the gospel that he preached

The key verses of Romans are Romans 1:16-17.

Rome, in 57 A.D., was the center of the known world.

Paul desired to visit Rome in order to teach them.

The theme of Romans is the righteousness of God.

The letter to the Romans is not specifically for the Jews.

The impressive credentials of Paul are:

Circumcised on the eighth day

Of the stock of Israel

Of the trick of Benjamin

A Hebrew of the Hebrews

Concerning the law, a Pharisee

God does not describe our righteousnesses as “good tries.”

The distinctives of Paul’s message are:

Justification by faith

The believer’s identification with Christ in His death and resurrection

The gospel of the grace of God

Rapture of the Church and the resurrection of the believers

The Roman church was started by converts who moved there from other cities.

A strong foundation prevents us from becoming shipwrecked in our faith.
Lesson 2

Verse: Romans 3:10-12

Reading: Romans 1:18-3:23

Summary: Every person who ever lived, including me, is a sinner.

In order for the Romans to understand the message of salvation by grace, they would have first have to understand sin.

For there is no partiality with God. (Romans 2:11)

The three types of sinners are:

Those who don’t know about God

Those who think they don’t need God

Those who think they can reach God by their own methods

Ways that God reveals Himself to us:

Creation

History

Conscience

Law

All those who don’t know about God do not live in pagan countries, but in civilized countries like ours.

The attitude of those who think they don’t need God is, “I’m self-sufficient. I’m good enough already.”

All three sinners are the same. They have sinned and therefore are separated from God.

Missionaries have found that tribes who acknowledge a creator are usually responsive to the gospel.

The difference between those who don’t know God and those who think they can reach God by their own methods is they have no qualms about sinning, and they think themselves above the law.

Ways that God judges:

According to truth

According to accumulated guilt

According to works

With no partiality

By the secret of the heart
Lesson 3

Verse: Romans 3:25-26

Reading: Romans 3:24-4:25

Summary: Christ died on the cross so I could be saved by His righteousness.

Church rituals that people sometimes substitute for salvation:

Church membership

Infant baptism

Confirmation

Dedication

The most detailed explanation of justification in the Bible is Romans 3 and 4.

The purpose of the law is to bring the wrath of God.

Paul used Abraham and David as examples of justification by faith.

It might have been difficult for Paul to explain the concept of the righteousness of God apart from the law because he had lived by the law.

God does not demonstrate His righteousness through what you do for Him.

Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

Two parts of justification:

Our sin is forgiven

God’s righteousness was added in sin’s place

Propitiation is the blood of Christ satisfying the requirements of the law.

Justified freely means our justification was without cause.
Lesson 4

Verse: Romans 5:1

Reading: Romans 5

Summary: When I trust Christ, I’m given a new position in the righteousness of God.

The second Adam is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Not only do we have a new standing when we are saved, but also a new headship.

At the moment we believe in Christ as Savior, we are immediately placed in a new standing with Him.

We are not disciplined by justification.

Our new standing with Christ:

Gives us peace with God

Is in grace

Includes eternal salvation

Paul wrote in Titus 2:11-12 that the grace of God taught us.

When Adam disobeyed God, not just he and Eve but all of their descendents fell into sin.

We have inherited Adam’s fallen nature.

Grace is not a one-time gift that applies only to salvation.

Under Adam, many were made sinners. Under Christ, many shall be made righteous.

Lesson 5

Verse: Romans 6:4

Reading: Romans 6

Summary: As a Christian, I am dead to sin and alive in Christ.

Our identification with Adam is finished when we trusted Christ.

Count is count, compute, or take into account.

Paul wrote “… in me … nothing good dwells.” (Romans 7:18)

We can’t say “yes” to righteousness and “no” to sin in our own strength, but rather in the strength of Christ.

Because our old sin nature is dead, we will sin again.

Paul uses the word reign to describe the position sin had in our lives before we trusted Christ as Savior.

The members of our body are as instruments of righteousness.

When we let our dead, sinful nature reign, it’s like living in garbage.

Before we were Christians, we were slaves of sin. Now we are slaves of righteousness.

Half of people in Rome were slaves at the time Paul wrote his letter.
Lesson 6

Verse: Romans 7:6

Reading: Romans 7

Summary: As a Christian, I still struggle with sin as long as I live in a sinful world.

The law of Moses was a written account of what God expected from the people of Israel.

The law of sin and death governed us before we were saved.

The Romans were familiar with the writings of Moses because they had access to the writings.

God gave the law so people could know the guilt of their sin.

Paul wanted the Romans to know about the Mosaic Law:

The law is not a set of rules for the Christian to follow in order to be acceptable to God.

The law shows us our sin.

The law creates conflict in our lives

The law is not a set of rules for the Christian to follow.

The law of sin and death battles against the law of the Spirit of life.

Paul is in anguish because he struggles against sin.

It doesn’t matter how long you are a Christian, the struggle against sin never stops.

The “weapons” that we need to win the battle between our old, sinful self and our new nature are God, prayer, His power, and His will.

Lesson 7

Verse: Romans 8:37

Reading: Romans 8

Summary: Whatever the circumstances, once I’m a Christian, nothing can separate me from Christ.

When we get to heaven, we will have a glorified body like Christ’s.

The Holy Spirit lives within us to help with the struggle.

The Holy Spirit gives us victory over:

Sin

Death

The law

When the Holy Spirit “testifies” that we are children of God, it gives supporting evidence.

The first sentence of Romans 8 is “There is therefore now no condemnation to those we are in Christ Jesus.”

If God is for us, no one can be against us.

Only Christ can condemn the Christian, but he doesn’t.

The battle between our old sin nature and the new creation we are in Christ will not stop struggling when we reach “spiritual maturity.”

Things that cannot separate us from God:

Death

Life

Angels

Principalities

Powers

Things present

Things to come

Height

Depth

Any other creature

Romans 3:38-39 are good proof verse for our eternal security in Christ.
Lesson 8

Verse: Romans 10:12

Reading: Romans 9-11

Summary: Gentiles have been grafted into God’s promises to His chosen people, Israel.

Two chapters which explain the Old Testament system of sacrifice are Leviticus 4 and 16.

The Jewish people who remain faithful to God are called the remnant.

Characteristics of the Jews:

The adoption

The glory

The covenants

The giving of the law

The service of God

The promises

The fathers

Christ coming as the Messiah

Paul’s greatest desire for the Jewish people was that they might be saved.

In the grafting illustration, the wild branch, the Gentiles, are grafted into the tree root, which is Israel.

The Jewish people rejected salvation, even though they had:

Knowledge of the law

The messages of the prophets

They had tried to obtain righteousness on their own and failed

Paul asks the following question in Romans 11:1 – “Has God cast away His people?”

All the people of the nation of Israel will not be saved.

All people are equal before God.

All Jewish people will not receive the benefit of God’s provision.
Lesson 9

Verse: Romans 12:1

Reading: Romans 12:1-8

Summary: Once saved, it’s my responsibility to present myself to God for his service.

The gift of prophecy is different today because no prophecy can come that is not of God’s Word.

Urge is to invite or beg.

When we “offer” our bodies as living sacrifices, we are willing to give everything – our bodies, our personalities and our minds to the Lord.

Do not be conformed to this world means not patterning ourselves after other people, but patterning ourselves on Christ.

So we, being many, are one, and individually members of one another. (Romans 12:5)

The word “gift” comes from charismata, the same root as the word grace.

The people who do a good job leading others have the gift of leadership.

Some people have many “gifts” but, therefore, are not better people.

Everyone does not have just one gift.

“Renovating” room has to do with the renewing of your mind because it is a complete stripping down and cleaning out.

Lesson 10

Verse: Romans 13:8

Reading: Romans 12:9-13:14

Summary: As a Christian, my faith should be reflected in my relationships and behavior.

The word “hypocrite” was originally used to describe an actor on stage or an impersonator.

Cling is to stick to, glue or cement.

Paul’s admonition in Romans 13:12 should have even more of an impact on us because we are 2000 years closer to the night being far spent than Paul’s audience was.

Continuing steadfastly in love means recognizing that the Lord is always there for you, a willingness to talk with the Lord about anything, and that the Lord is involved in every area of you life.

Qualities of genuine love:

Kind

Not lazy

Enthusiastic

Patient

Humble

Recognizing that you can pray at all times

Hospitable

Not looking for ways to get even

Understanding the government of Paul’s day can help us in our attitude toward our own government because the government leaders in Paul’s day (Nero, Pilate, Herod) should be obeyed, then surely our government should be obeyed.

Our citizenship is in heaven so earthly government does apply to us.

When Paul wrote not to owe anyone anything, he was talking about more than money.

Paul meant when he wrote that our love must be without hypocrisy that it cannot be an act put on to fool others.

Paul uses the Ten Commandments to support his argument.
Lesson 11

Verse: Romans 15:1-2

Reading: Romans 14-15:13

Summary: As a strong Christian, I avoid things that tempt me and others.

Our inward relationship with Christ should be evident in our actions in our daily lives.

Things that are definitely wrong the Christian (Col. 3:5-9, Gal. 5:19-21)

Fornication

Uncleanness

Covetousness

Malice

Anger

Filthy language out of your mouth

When faced with a “doubtful” situation, you need to consider what others might think about you choice and how it may affect their Christian life.

Justification in Christ does not give us the freedom to do what we want to do.

Two situations that Paul used to illustrate the Romans’ confusion between right and wrong

Esteeming one day above another

Eating certain foods

The meaning of Romans 14:19 is we should do what we can to preserve harmony between each other.

Strong Christians encourage rather than judge weaker Christians.

Two extremes that are possible in a Christian’s daily living

There is no difference between us and the rest of the world

Everything is wrong

The weak Christian needs to be careful not to judge the strong person.
Lesson 12

Verse: Romans 16:25

Reading: Romans 15:14-16:27

Summary: Like Paul, my faith should spur me to minister the gospel of grace to others.

Between the time that Paul wrote Romans and the time he arrived in Rome, he was imprisoned for two years, then taken to Rome in chains.

Paul wrote the letter to the Romans because they were full of goodness.

Paul explained that he could write boldly and with confidence because God gave him the responsibility of preaching to the Gentiles.

The “mystery” we read about in Romans is that the Jews and Gentiles are both saved by God’s grace and are members of one body, the Church.

Paul needed to go to Jerusalem to take a gift for the poor.

35 people are mentioned in Romans 16.

Epaenetus was Paul’s first convert in the province of Achaia.

Tertius was Paul’s secretary.

Phoebe delivered the letter to the Romans.

Five things that I have learned from this study of Romans:

To give the gift of the gospel to everyone

To live my life so that my faith shows

To trust God for my eternal salvation

To help my fellow Christians

To pray for those who need God