Notes From Jon

Romans Chapter 7
“The Battle”

Introduction

First off, two disclaimers:

• This chapter is controversial in Christian scholarship, for reasons we’ll see. I realize you aren’t aware of all the problems with the chapter – but I’ll try to help you as I go along. And if you decide you disagree with my conclusion, that’s OK. I’d love to talk with you about it. But know that my sermon today will be based on my understanding of the passage – and it’s the “minority opinion.”
• This chapter, controversial as it is, really has to be taken as a whole to be understood. And it REALLY has to be taken with chapter 8 as well. But we don’t have time for all that this morning, so I’ll try to tie things together and we’ll have to wait for another week.

Previously (ch. 6) Paul has asserted that we are now free to choose whom we will serve – sin or God.  But that doesn’t end the story, unfortunately.  It’s not that one master has been destroyed and there is no longer a choice as to whom we serve.  Just because we are no longer enslaved to sin doesn’t mean that we are unable to sin.  It simply means that we have the choice now.

Old Law vs. “New way of the Spirit”

An Illustration From Marriage

(1) Do you not know, brothers-for I am speaking to men who know the law-that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives? (2) For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. (3) So then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress, even though she marries another man.

Paul now gives another example to illustrate his point.  He’s not giving any kind of teaching about marriage… in fact, this passage really has nothing to do with marriage.  He’s simply referring to Jewish law to make a point.  And his point is this: death brings about a change in the circumstances of the law. Under Jewish law, if a woman is with another man while her husband is still alive, she is committing adultery.  While her husband is alive, she is bound to that contract and “law,” and the consequences for breaking it were severe. Read the rest of this entry »

Even though I’ve had to take a couple of breaks from the series on Romans, it’s still going – and going strong, it seems.  Our church folks are saying they have consistently enjoyed these sermons more than others I have done.

So this post continues into Romans chapter 6.  As some of the prior entries in this series, this post is more “commentary” than sermon – these were the notes I took in preparation for the actual sermon.

Intro: “Easier to Ask Forgiveness…”

(1) What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?  (2)  By no means!

Paul is picking up where he left off before – “where sin increased, grace increased all the more” (5:20).  Using a typical rhetorical device, Paul anticipates the questions and objections of his hearers/readers.  “So if grace is ALWAYS going to be greater than sin, then we can keep on sinning, right?  It will always be forgiven later, after all!”

Before we write this off as something we would never do, think about it.  Have you ever thought like this before?  I have.

And it’s not uncommon for us, as human beings, to think like this.  While we are here on this side of heaven, our nature will always be to work contrary to God.  And sinful ways are tempting – that’s why we want to go back to them.  It’s fun!  That’s just the way we are!

Paul’s answer, of course, is a resounding NO.  In fact, in Greek this phrase, me genoito, is something like “God forbid!” or “heck no!” Read the rest of this entry »

Romans 5:9-21
“The Great Disease”

Greater Than / Less Than

As we read the passage for this morning, we may notice that Paul is using a certain kind of logical argument here.  Do you remember, from early math, the “greater than” and “less than” signs?  Paul’s making an assumption from the start, and we can use these signs to describe grace and sin.

Paul’s logic:  GRACE > SIN – that is, “grace is greater than sin.”

Is this true?  We know it theologically – God’s love and grace will conquer in the end.  But sin and death are awfully powerful forces.  Last time anyone checked, there was still a 100% mortality rate for sin.  Can it really be true that grace is greater than death?  That forgiveness is greater than sin?

It’s true on a theological scale.  And we can prove it by looking at our own lives.

Pretend someone does something to hurt you (not hard to pretend, is it?).  The wrong done (we’ll call it a “sin” against you) always has consequences, it’s true.  It hurts, and very little if anything can be done to take the hurt away. Read the rest of this entry »

This is the second part in my series on Romans, and it was a difficult sermon to preach.  Several people have told me how much they enjoyed it – I just hope it comes across as well on blog as it did out loud!

———————–

Casting the First Stone

Romans 1:24 – 2:16

Catching Up…

Two weeks ago, we started looking at Paul’s letter to the Romans.  Here are some of the things we learned about the book:

• Paul is writing to the church in Rome, which he did not start and which he had not visited.
• He is writing mostly to non-Jews, so he is forced to explain his arguments in ways that non-Jews (like us) can understand.
• Paul is also taking this chance to outline his understanding of the Gospel – our need for salvation and how God provided for that need.

Paul is using an argument that he has carefully thought out.  Paul is a highly educated man, and he is skilled at putting together arguments that are persuasive.  Here is the beginning of the outline of Paul’s argument.

• God’s anger is stirred up against ALL human beings:
  • No human being has an excuse – whether we have heard directly or only perceived in nature and in others, EVERYONE has some sense that there is a God.
  • So it is not IGNORANCE that stirs God’s wrath, but our deliberate rejection of him – especially when we know the Truth and ignore it.

We found encouragement in Paul’s outline of the Good News that God has done something about this already.  But we also found a challenge – especially for those of us who have HEARD the Truth and KNOW what it means to obey… but we CHOOSE to disobey anyway.

Moving Ahead – The Wickedness of “Them”

Now we’ll read 1:24-32.  It’s not an easy passage for us to hear: Read the rest of this entry »