The Apostles In Plain English Vol. 1: the Apostle Paul

By Rev Paul J. Bern

Five years in the making, this first of a series is a lot more than just a compilation of Bible studies. This collection of Paul's writings presents them from a broader perspective that are much more applicable to modern life than one might expect. These studies of the apostle Paul begin with Romans and end with Philemon, with everything in between. Each study is limited to a few pages for the sake of brevity, depending on the volume of content. This study of Paul's writings is done from a whole new 21st century perspective that is sure to educate while making the process enjoyable. Over 500 pages of enlightenment! A mist-read for believers, whether they attend church or not! An inspirational guide for secular folks too! Volume 2 of this series, the writings of the apostle Luke, are currently in production (no release date set).

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rev Paul J. Bern
• Release date: Jan 31, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370687657

Rev Paul J. Bern

I am Rev. Paul J. Bern, a long-time Atlanta resident and a well-known Web minister, evangelist, and blogger on The Progressive Christian Blog (revpauljbern.wordpress.com or progressive-christian-blog.blogspot.com). Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, I am the published author of "Sole Survivor", "Occupying America: We Shall Overcome", and "The Middle and Working Class Manifesto". They are available on Amazon or from my website at http://www.pcmatl.org/books-and-donations. Prior to becoming disabled in 2008 due to a stroke, a pacemaker implant plus some other health issues, I was a computer/IT professional with 21 years experience. I have been a life-long antiwar activist, and I currently serve as a volunteer church musician at Atlanta's Prayer of Faith Church of God in Christ.

Book preview

The Apostles In Plain English Volume 1: the Apostle Paul

(The letters from the apostle Paul in their order of appearance in the Bible)

Digital Edition

by Pastor Paul J. Bern

Copyright © 2017 by Pastor Paul J. Bern

and Progressive Christian Ministries

of Greater Atlanta, Inc.

All Rights Reserved

Acknowledgment

To my precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ the Son of God: without your continued presence in my mind, combined with the indwelling of your Spirit on my heart, this book would not have been possible for me to write.

Table of Contents

Romans Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Finishing Romans

First Corinthians Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Second Corinthians Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Galatians Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Ephesians Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Philippians Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Colossians Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

First Thessalonians Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

2nd Thessalonians Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

First Timothy Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Second Timothy Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Titus Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Philemon Chapter 1

The Book of Romans

Jews And Non-Jews Are One And The Same

[Romans chapter 1]

Today I will begin a series of studies on the writings of the apostle Paul in the order they appear in the New Testament, beginning with the book of Romans. The book of Romans elaborates on the apostle Paul's ministry in great detail (others do as well, but we'll start with this one because it is the first Epistle – and the first of Paul's letters – after the book of Acts). Bearing that in mind, I will now begin with the first chapter:

"Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God – the Gospel he promised beforehand through the prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared to be the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. Through Him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ" . (Romans 1: 1-6)

The first thing that we notice here is the phrase "...the Gospel he promised beforehand through the prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David...". Jesus was in fact a descendant of King David of Jerusalem from the Old Testament, the writer of the book of Psalms. Since King David ruled ancient Israel, Jesus was also an Israelite who walked the earth as a Jewish man just as David did. But Paul doesn't stop there. "Through Him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ". We have received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles! Therefore, we are all apostles like Paul. Paul was a Jewish man educated in the Jewish theological centers of his day. This would be equivalent to modern-day seminaries, and Paul was definitely a Bible scholar. But Paul takes his argument a step further with this next quote.

"I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome. I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written 'the righteous will live by faith'." (Romans 1:14-17)

Now let's compare that with the first quotation from further above. "Through Him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith." 'The obedience that comes from faith' and the righteous will live by faith is the same faith that Paul calls the salvation of everyone who believes. Also, please note that Paul uses Greeks and Jews as well as non-Greeks and Gentiles interchangeably. Although this is no big deal to the early 21st century Bible student, this was a radical teaching for Paul's time since the Jews, Greeks and every other nation still considered themselves to be separate nations for nationalistic as well as religious reasons. The phrase first for the Jew, then for the Gentile can be taken with a grain of salt since much of the Gospel, including this part, was written by Jewish people.

"The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse... furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind,to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil, they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they follow God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them." (Romans 1, verses 18-20, 28-32)

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men.... Translated into 21st century English this would read, 'The more wicked and evil anyone may harbor in their hearts, the more God will stand against them'. People who are willfully evil, or who are just plain bad individuals for whatever reason (and sometimes for no reason at all), and who do not care whether they hurt anyone or not, aren't being very smart because they only bring more judgment on themselves. Doing these kinds of things makes an already-miserable life even worse, but there are way too many people who completely miss this. The root cause of this seems to be hatred of God, or a refusal to even acknowledge His existence, let alone believe in him exclusively as we should. Paul writes a few lines defining his meaning in the next verse when he wrote, "They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil, they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless." There it is again from Paul's perspective. Evil and wicked people simply don't have any sense, which to me is a nice way of saying someone is incurably stupid. Let's all be on our guard against this, otherwise Satan may steer our lives in such a direction that we cross paths with one of these ruthless characters, all of whom are minions of Satan. Since obviously no one wants to be anywhere near to that, let's be sure and take an internal inventory of ourselves. If any traces or issues concerning any of the things Paul mentioned is found, the best way to repent of whatever it is that presents a problem is to ask Jesus to take it from you.

Sin can sometimes be like kids getting their hands wet when playing outside in the snow, like I used to do when I was little. One day I put my wet hands on a swing-set I used to play on all those decades ago, and they got stuck. My mom had to come out and get my hands unstuck because I was unable. When we have sin in our lives, sometimes people who have been hanging on to certain behaviors and hang-ups have done so for so long that they can't let go on their own. But if we only ask Jesus to help us get rid of whatever character flaw, personality defect, inadequacy or addiction by taking it from us, he will make up the difference. So we should voluntarily surrender our sins to Jesus by lifting them up with both hands and saying, Lord Jesus, please take this from me. I don't want it anymore, but I can't seem to get rid of it. So please help me, in your holy name I pray. Amen. We can all be sure that He will show up, and always with perfect timing, which can sometimes be at the last minute. But when God does that, it is to show us that He was in charge of our lives, situations and circumstances all along. No matter who we are, or who we know, or how much (or little) we know, or how much money we have, God is still in charge of all of it. Be warned that those who put their faith in any of these other things instead of faith in God is living in a state of idolatry, a clear violation of the first two commandments. To avoid eternal death, which will be the fate of all idolaters, seek Jesus Christ, because he is the only correct way to eternal life. And that's all I want from him. Ask him and He will do the same for you.

Obtaining the Approval of God

[Romans 2]

Today we will be continuing our in-depth study of the book of Romans by moving on to chapter 2. Here the apostle Paul continues his train of thought about God's righteousness, which is infinite compared to that of mankind. He puts forth a word of warning to anyone who would disobey God and refuse to keep his commandments. So let's take up where we left off last week starting at verse one.

"You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgments on them and still do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads toward repentance? But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God 'will give to each person according to what they have done'. To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil, first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good, first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism." (Romans 2: 7-11)

You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself.... This is a clear reference to the Gospel of Christ, which was known back then simply as the way. I quote from Matthew's gospel, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. (Matt. 7, verses 1-2) You who pass judgment, according to Jesus and Paul, not to mention the other apostles and their co-workers, do so because you do the same things yourselves. Otherwise, how would they know? Paul continues with, ...we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgments on them and still do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? This question was and still is aimed at all the hypocrites in the world. Unfortunately for Christianity, the majority of hypocrites today, as it was during Paul's time, are found in churches (excluding American politics). Anyone who calls somebody out for alleged wrongdoing while secretly doing similar acts themselves are the ones who will receive the most severe punishment when they stand before the judgment throne of Almighty God.

"God 'will give to each person according to what they have done'. To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger." The Bible quote Paul was using above comes from Psalms 62:12, and it is repeated in Proverbs 24:12. God is God all by himself whether we believe it or not. So the wise course to take is fervent and uncompromising faith. Eternal death is the only alternative. So it's up to each person to make the correct choice by choosing eternal life over eternal death. If we persist in doing good, especially when it doesn't profit us to do so, God sees that and He will richly reward you. If one does not, I implore you that there is still a little time left before Christ's return. Soon the last opportunities for salvation will be closed to many who refuse to believe. I cannot overemphasize the urgency of this matter. If you haven't yet come to recognize Jesus as your Savior and kinsman redeemer, or if you have been skeptical in the past, why not ask him right now? Just say, Dear Jesus, I'm a sinner, and I'm tired of being this way. I want to invite you into my heart so that you may reside there. I can't fix my messed up life by myself. I urgently need your help. If you will help me with all these things I will serve you for the rest of my life. Amen. And now let's continue where we left off.

There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil, ...but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good,.... The phrase first for the Jew, then for the Gentile refers to the Hebrew viewpoint that they are the descendants of Abraham and Moses, and so by definition they are God's chosen people. And the Bible does say that numerous times, especially in the Old Testament. But Paul immediately follows that with verse 11, "For God does not show favoritism". The fact that God does not play favorites is the real point that Paul is trying to make. Bad people will be on the receiving end of trouble and distress and wrath and anger. There will be no exceptions. It doesn't matter what you have done that is bad, there are no degrees of evil in God's sight. You're either doing wrong or you're not. On the other hand, there will be glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good. In either case it won't matter who you are, where you are from, or what religion or church you are a member of (or not). The other things that won't matter include your race, nationality, gender, age, sexual orientation or your economic status. God sees right through all of it.

Now let's bring all this into focus by using a little reasoning. We are all under the salvation of Christ. We are all apostles just as Paul was. We are all equals along with the twelve apostles and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. When our lives are over we will inherit immortality just as Jesus did when he rose from the dead three days after his crucifixion. I cannot overemphasize the fact that we are all equals. Equality is therefore scriptural. It's in the Bible and I just proved it. So, the next time you are feeling down because things aren't going right (or because things are going badly, and it happens to the best of us), just remember this week's lesson. It is truly comforting to know that we are equals with Christ (but never with God, to whom Christ intercedes for all of us) and with the 12 apostles who walked the earth two thousand years ago. Keeping this in mind as we go from day to day helps us all to keep things in perspective. After all, we're all equals. The Bible says so. Since much of what is written pertains directly to the Jewish nation (do I have any Jewish followers and friends out there? If so, let me hear from you!), I will pick through the most relevant scriptures for this particular lesson starting at verse 12.

"All who sin apart from the law will be judged by the law. For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be called righteous. (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things that are required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.) This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares." (Romans 2, verses 12-16)

Paul's statement that Jews and Gentiles alike can be considered righteous in God's sight was considered heresy by the Hebrew religious establishment of that time period. This teaching, which I have previously found to be factual, was very radical even by secular standards. But then Paul goes straight to the heart of the matter when he wrote, "it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be called righteous." So if a Christian honors the Lord by upholding – if not celebrating – the Jewish roots of Christianity by obedience and humility, he or she has done an excellent service to Jesus Christ. "Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things that are required by the law, they are a law for themselves...". Since this statement was written in the Spirit, and since human equality is Scriptural, we know with the utmost certainty these words are true, pure, admirable and loving. It can also mean that God's laws always supersede the laws of humankind, and especially if the laws of mankind run contrary to the original law, the Law of Moses, which was dictated and cast in stone by Almighty God himself.

Paul continues his dissertation with, ..."the requirements of the law are written on their hearts...". During Paul's day, over 90% of the population was illiterate, and I believe this was likely what Paul was referring to. But the meaning is inescapable. It's as if God is saying to his people, Don't tell me how goody-2-shoes you are, or how nice your personality is, or that you think you are a good person. You won't get to heaven when you die just by doing those things. Also, I don't want to hear about how religious you are, or what denomination you belong to, and especially how much money you give to your church or to charities. These things won't get you past the pearly gates either. What it is time for you to do is to ask Me for purity of heart. Jesus said at the sermon on the mount (Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7), Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God". That's how we should be every chance we get. And now let's conclude today's study starting at verse 17.

"Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the Law and brag about your relationship with God… you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself?… You who brag about the law, do you dishonor the law by breaking the law?… Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as those who have not been circumcised. If those who are not circumcised keep the law's requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a law breaker. A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God." (Romans 2, verses 17, 21, and 25-29)

Whether anyone is Jewish or Christian, if they brag about their relationship with God while continuing in sin, then they are hypocrites. Does the church teach others while lacking knowledge of the Bible? Do pastors give their Sunday sermons without acknowledging their source? Or, as Paul put it, "You who brag about the law, do you dishonor the law by breaking the law?" Male circumcision is a very old tradition, dating back at least 1,500 years before the time of Christ. It's in the Law of Moses, otherwise known as the first five books of the Bible. But Paul was right when he wrote that, " A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God."

Whether the believer wears a what would Jesus do bracelet, or has Christian bumper stickers on their cars, or wears a cross around their neck, outward appearances are meaningless to God. God is not nearly as interested in how much of the Bible one has memorized as he is with the condition of our hearts – our Spiritual condition, so to speak. Such a mans or woman's praise comes straight from the Lord on an express delivery destined for our very souls. It's nice to be well liked by others, but this pales in comparison of being blessed and approved by God, which should be the true ultimate goal for our salvation. Let's keep this in mind this week by doing something for God instead of ourselves. It's the biggest blessing of all.

Justified By Our Faith

[Romans chapter 3]

In today's study we will be moving on to chapter three of the book of Romans, where we find the apostle Paul continuing his remarks from the end of chapter two where he proved conclusively that being a Jew or a Gentile outwardly does not matter as much to God as what kind of person we are inwardly. We can skim through the first few verses in chapter three, where Paul finishes his train of thought on the differences between Jews and non-Jews. I can sum this up starting with verses 3 and 4, and I quote: What if someone did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God's faithfulness? Not at all! Let God be true and every man a liar. As it is written; 'so you may proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge'. (Psalm 51:4) No matter if we have sufficient faith or not, our lack of faith never nullifies the unfathomable love of God. So if you are unsure about your faith, the supreme sacrifice of Jesus on the cross always makes up the difference. Now there is some really encouraging news, so store it in your heart, nurture it, care for it and watch it grow! That's how we draw closer to Christ so he can be closer to us. Moving right along to verse nine, Paul teaches that no matter what our background or lineage, all of mankind is equal in the sight of God.

"What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. As it is written: 'There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, together they have become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one. Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know. There is no fear of God before their eyes.' Now we know that whatever the Law says, it says to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the Law; rather, through the Law we become conscious of sin." (Romans 3, verses 9-20)

Is one group of people any better than the rest? Are there any people who can truly call themselves God's chosen people? Back in the times of Abraham and Moses in the Old Testament, and right up until today, the Bible clearly states that the Jews are God's chosen people. Jewish people, and particularly the modern nation of Israel, still call themselves God's chosen people, and because of this they have endured much persecution over the centuries since the time of Moses. The ultimate persecution of the Jews was during the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who walked the earth as a Jewish man. But in modern times, starting in the mid-1940's up to the present, a movement among our Hebrew brothers and sisters has been born that accepts that Jesus was in fact the Messiah prophesied in the Torah – the Jewish Bible. They are called messianic Jews because they have embraced Jesus as their Messiah. They have swallowed their pride (which is something a lot more people need to do whether they are Jewish or Christian) and have come to terms with the indisputable fact that Jesus was the Messiah all along, and that the majority of people – not just Jewish folks, but everybody – have missed the mark by not recognizing this basic fact. Let's not be like them, because many of them will perish forever because they refused to believe.

Moving right along, today's study reads as follows: "Now we know that whatever the Law says, it says to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the Law; rather, through the Law we become conscious of sin." (Romans 3, 19-20, NIV) This is an elaboration and completion of this matter, both in the good judgment of Paul and in the eyes of the Lord Almighty. There is no one righteous, not even one, the prophet Isaiah wrote approximately 800 years before the time of Christ. That is how God sees us if we do not place our complete faith and our utmost trust in his only Son, Christ Jesus, the Son of the living God. But for those who truthfully and sincerely believe, to the very best of their ability, that Jesus is their risen Savior and Kinsman Redeemer, they will not be judged because their sins have been washed away and their very souls made white as newly fallen snow by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. This means we now all have been made worthy in God's sight, not because of our good works or the lack of them, but because Jesus intercedes for us at the right hand of God Himself through grace. What more can we ask for? And now, let's wrap up today's study beginning at verse 21.

"But now a righteousness from God, apart from the law, has been made known, from which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ. God presented him as a sacrifice for atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished – he did it to demonstrate his justice at the proper time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who believe in Jesus. Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the Law? No, but on that of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised by that same faith. Do we, then, nullify the Law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law. (Romans 3, verses 21-31)

"...righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe." We don't get our righteousness from God. It is not made known to us through any of our 5 senses. Instead, it is transmitted from Almighty God through his Son, who has already made ample use of himself as the conduit for his limitless power. We as believers plug into this power to grow our faith ever stronger as we continue to solidify our one-on-one relationship with Jesus Christ. With God, Jesus taught, all things are possible, and that directly applies in this example from Scripture. Paul continues by saying we "... are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ. God presented him as a sacrifice for atonement, through faith in his blood." Although it is vitally important that we maintain an ongoing relationship with Jesus as our Lord and Savior, this by itself does not necessarily guarantee that all who do so will be able to spend an eternity with Christ. The apostle Paul wrote elsewhere in his letters to the early Church, faith without works is dead. In fact, that actually works both ways. Works without faith, or with too little of it, is just as dead as the former. Our righteousness comes from Christ and him alone. There is no substitute.

"(God) did it to demonstrate his justice at the proper time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who believe in Jesus." God's justice for us all was demonstrated by the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus. He was the only person who ever walked the face of the earth that obtained eternal life by his own merits. No ordinary person has ever done any such thing on their own. But by placing our greatest faith in Him by being washed in the blood of the lamb, as the old hymn goes, it is our deepest and most uncompromising faith that will save us in the end.

Paul finishes his train of thought by writing, "For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law…. since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised by that same faith." What law was Paul writing about? The Old Law, otherwise known as the Old Testament. Jesus' ultimate sacrifice to which he voluntarily subjected himself was the fulfillment of that Law. Here in the Last Days before His return, it is our faith that justifies us in God's sight. Jesus has already succeeded in justifying us through that same faith. What is the evidence of this faith as far as we are concerned? It is the manifestation of Grace that is dispensed to each true believer. When we ask Jesus to come and live within our hearts, the grace that immediately follows is our proof of the existence of this grace, or unmerited favor, from Almighty God. This is the lesson that Jesus is teaching us about the nature of our faith is timeless and classic, whose depths are unfathomable to mortal men and women like ourselves. Our absolute faith is the glue that holds us all together.

Justified By Faith

[Romans 4]

Today in our ongoing study of the apostle Paul's New Testament letters from beginning to end, we find ourselves moving on to Romans chapter 4. If there are any new readers who don't have chapters 1 through 3, email my business mail box and I'll send them back as Word, Adobe Reader or Rich Text attachments (please specify). The entire chapter is about Abraham and his wife Sarah, so there is a lot of Old Testament stuff in here. If anyone is having any problems mustering up the kind of faith this passage calls for, I challenge you to read this entire – but brief – passage of Scripture. So here goes...

"What shall we say then that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about – but not before God. What does the Scripture say? 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited as righteousness' (Genesis 15:6, 22 NIV) Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited to him as righteousness. David does the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: 'Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never be counted against him.' Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness. Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had been before he was circumcised. (Romans 4, verses 1-12)

To sum this up in a few sentences, Abraham and David are both men who are called righteous – but in Spiritual terms rather than physical. The only time that Abraham ever saw God, or a physical representation thereof, was when the Lord God met him at Shechem (see Genesis chapter 12, verses 6-7). David, to the best my my recollection, did not see any visual manifestations of God. Instead, God spoke to him through other prophets there in Jerusalem at that time. Righteousness is defined in the next verse: "Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited to him as righteousness. David does the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: 'Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never be counted against him.'. This was a clear prophecy concerning the coming Messiah who will rule the world from Jerusalem, none other than the man in the glory Jesus Christ!

In the remainder of this quotation the main thing Paul wrote consisted of comparisons between Old Testament circumcision and New Testament circumcision of one's heart and soul. The circumcision of old was physical. But, since Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Law (see Matt. 5: 17), circumcision is no longer physical. It has extended itself into that of the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ, having left the physical realm only to cross over into the Spiritual dimension that we call heaven. Taking up where we left off, let's proceed with the second half of this study starting at verse thirteen.

"It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless, because law brings wrath. And where there is no law, there is no transgression. Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all of Abraham's offspring – not only to those who are of the law but also to all those who are the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. As it is written, 'I have made you the father of many nations'. He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed – the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were. Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been sent to him, 'So shall your offspring be'. Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead – since he was about 100 years old – and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. That is why 'it was credited to him as righteousness'. The words 'it was credited to him' were written not for him alone, but also for us, whom God will credit righteousness – for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to our death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. (Romans 4, verses 13-25)

"... the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all of Abraham's offspring – not only to those who are of the law but also to all those who are the faith of Abraham." Here is an example of how the Bible uses Abraham to illustrate faith, which is given to us by the grace of God. We are all descended from Abraham. So, we have all inherited his faith that he had in God. We can do all things through God who gives us strength. The promise God made to Abraham, "I have made you the father of many nations", applies to everyone who sincerely believes in Spirit and in truth that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Jews and all non-Jews get equal treatment according to the apostle Paul, who was himself a Hebrew and a scholar of the Law of Moses. Considering that Jews back in those days would have nothing to do with Gentiles – much like today in many cases – this statement coming from Paul is quite remarkable. Whereas the Hebrew nation, which is modern-day Israel not counting millions more from around the globe, considered themselves separate and set aside, Paul makes it crystal-clear that God sees Jews and non-Jews as being equals. Besides the supreme sacrifice of Christ on the cross, having shed his blood freely for all our sins, this unconditional equality among all peoples, nations and races reflects the sum total of the very essence of the New Testament.

"He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed – the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were. Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations... ". In the same way that God gave Abraham and Sarah new life by allowing them to conceive a child when they were 100 years old, so he did with Jesus by raising him from the dead on the morning of the third day after he died (temporarily) on the cross. But since Jesus' resurrection made him immortal, so we are all going to receive that same immortality after we die, thanks to Jesus, our Kinsman Redeemer, who rose first. Since Abraham was very much alive when he believed God's promise to him, so are we when we give our lives to Jesus Christ, whose death and resurrection takes our sins away. So Abraham and ourselves, the Jewish and Gentile nations of the world, are joint heirs of the Kingdom of God when Jesus comes back to take home his bride, which is not only the church, but all those who believe.

Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead – since he was about 100 years old – and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. That is why 'it was credited to him as righteousness'. The Bible defines faith as being the evidence of things hoped for, and the belief in things which cannot be seen. Abraham was in full compliance with these prerequisites, knowing full well that God "calls things that are not as though they were". If God can do this through his spoken and written Word for Abraham, then he can and will for all of us who believe as well. "The words 'it was credited to him' were written not for him alone, but also for us, whom God will credit righteousness – for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead." If we have sufficient faith in God who raised Jesus from the dead, and having never met Christ in person, then we already have the same righteousness in God's sight as Abraham had.

God allows us to have challenges in our lives in order to build us up. He strengthens us by having us go through negative experiences in order to extract a positive result. As the verse says, ...we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance character; and character hope. This hope that is produced by our character development is where our faith comes from. Our faith, in turn, is what justifies us before God (that and our unwavering belief in Jesus). The more developed our character becomes, the closer we become with God through Christ Jesus, and so the greater our faith. They are all proportional to one another. We are to keep focusing on these facts while ignoring all the negative that can so easily keep us off track. Despite what goes on around us we are to remain focused on the positive. We have to keep the faith to get our just reward.

Grace and Faith In Christ Explained

[Romans chapter five]

Today's study will be Romans chapter five, in which the apostle Paul goes into a lengthy explanation – fortunately for posterity's sake if nothing else – of the death and resurrection of Christ, and how it directly applies to us all, even those who do not yet believe. With respect to the length and scope of Paul's writing, I will skip the introduction this one time and plunge directly into this insightful passage of Scripture, beginning at verse one.

"Therefore since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance character; and character hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by His Holy Spirit, whom He has given us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more will we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation." (Romans 5: 1-11)

Our faith in Christ justifies us in God's sight because no man or woman who ever lived could ever do so on their own merits no matter how hard they tried. Our belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God is credited to us as faith by God just as Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness. Faith, then produces the grace of God, which empowers us and propels us to supernaturally live for Christ. One of the ways he can make us capable of this is to allow each of us to run into at least a little turbulence from time to time to keep us on our toes. Just as those in the military and law enforcement go back for additional training, God allows us to have challenges in our lives in order to build us up. He strengthens us by having us go through negative experiences in order to extract a positive result. "... we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have access by faith into this grace in which we now stand". Our sinful natures – and everybody has this in one form or another – keep us separated from God. And so it is only through our reconciliation to Christ that we can have peace with God. As the verse says. ...we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance character; and character hope. This hope that is produced by our character development is how our faith is generated. Our faith, in turn, is what justifies us before God (that and our belief in Jesus). The more developed our Godly character becomes, the closer we become with God through Christ Jesus. They are all proportional to one another.

"God has poured out His love into our hearts by His Holy Spirit, whom He has given us... God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Like grace, which is the unmerited favor of God, God has also given us his Holy Spirit, which is the living Spirit of Christ. If someone sees a ghost, they see the apparition of a dead person. But the Holy Spirit is very much alive, vibrant, and penetrating all the way down to the very soul of every living person on the earth. This happens whether anyone believes in it or not. Their disbelief changes nothing. The Holy Spirit is present everywhere all the time, and this free gift is like God's stamp of approval on the foreheads of all sincere and diligent worshipers and believers. "Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we saved from God's wrath through Him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!" When Jesus Christ achieved eternal life by raising from the dead on the morning of the third day, we all achieved eternal life with him, just as Jesus prophesied, When I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all men unto me.

We are all justified before God by the blood that Jesus shed on the cross upon which He died for everyone who has ever lived. This means that we will be shielded from the wrath of God that is directed at those who refuse to believe in Jesus and what He did at the cross of Calvary. Our belief in Jesus will give us immortality that is not achievable in our present form. And not only so, but we are happy about it beyond words! Now we know that our lives in their current form are only temporary, and so we should often begin to look at life that way. It helps to put all the negative things into context relative to what Jesus did for us by his crucifixion, death and resurrection on the morning of the third day. Nothing can take that away from us, and so we gain a more positive perspective of our lives and the people and situations that lie therein. Make no mistake about it, this is very powerful stuff! And now let's move on to the second half of today's study, beginning at verse 12.

Therefore, just as sin entered into the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned – for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was the pattern of the one to come. But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Again, the gift of God is not like the result of one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one, death reigned through that man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. (Romans 5, verses 12-17)

For if the many died by the trespass of one man, refers to Adam. When Adam and Eve committed original sin and got themselves banished from the garden of Eden, that same original sin was passed down to all their descendants (the actual story takes place in the book of Genesis, we'll study that another time). God's solution for this was the sacrifice of Christ Jesus upon the cross, followed by His resurrection on the morning of the third day. "...how much more did God's grace and the gift that came from the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!" Right here is where the apostle Paul gives us the good news about Christ's salvation right between the eyes. If the sin of one man brought so much wrath from God, then how much more will none other than the Son of God himself bring us his gift of salvation by his unending grace, just as it explains in the following sentence: "the judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift involved many trespasses and brought justification". Here the gift is once again the salvation of Christ, pouring Himself out as an offering on God's sacrificial altar for all of us. God did all this for us to cover up our imperfections, inadequacies and shortcomings that separate us from God. God loves us so much that He does this for all of us just to bring us closer to Him.

Paul sums it all up in the following sentence. "For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in the one man, Jesus Christ." If death reigned through Adam and Eve, how much more will eternal life rule and reign through Jesus Christ our Lord! Paul is comparing the original man, Adam, to the new man who is Christ. He is contrasting original sin which Adam and Eve did commit just prior to being expelled from the Garden of Eden, to Jesus, the originator of the salvation that saves us all and grants us eternal life with him.

The supreme sacrifice of Christ on the cross saved everyone from Adam and Eve on up to the present, as well as the future – everyone who ever has or ever will live on the entire earth. "For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!" Paul then finished this portion of his commentary when he wrote, "For if, by the trespass of the one, death reigned through that man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ." All of this paragraph can be summarized in a single word – grace. To be brief, grace is what happens to each of us when we embrace our salvation in Christ as we step aside and allow Jesus to take charge of our lives. We receive endless grace when we make Him the captain of our ship. Try this and you will see for yourself. If it works for me then it can for you too. And now let's conclude today's study starting at verse 18.

"Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was the condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of one man the many will be made righteous. The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign in righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 5, verses 18-21)

The original sin of Adam and Eve condemned us all, but the blood that was shed on Calvary is what saved us all. "For just as through the disobedience of one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of one man the many will be made righteous." This is the very essence of the ministry of Jesus Christ. When Jesus said, I have come that you may have life, and that you may have it abundantly, he wasn't just talking about having fun and enjoying our lives, even through that does have an importance of its own. He was talking about eternal life in heaven without end, which is the ultimate payoff of the faith that we have kept in Him, just as I wrote at the beginning of this lesson. "... where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign