lesson three accountability and obedience

Transcription

1 lesson three accountability and obedience Romans 2:1 3:8 Memory Verse: Do not you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? Romans 2:4, NLT Background: In chapter one, Paul writes to believers about sharing the Gospel and his desire to come to Rome to preach the Good News. Chapter one ends with Paul writing about those who rejected God and did every manner of shameful and wicked things. In chapter two, Paul turns to Jews who thought that because they were God s people they did not need to worry about judgment, believing their sins would not be punished as the sins of Gentiles. Paul emphasizes that God s grace was intended to turn the Jews from their sin, not condone a sinful lifestyle. Reflection: How does your life reflect obeying God s law? Praise God for His truth, and pray for Him to reveal any areas for growth in obedience to Him. Law God gave Moses the Law [Hebrew torah law, direction, instructions; 220x in Old Testament] to provide Israel with instructions to cultivate wisdom and the fear of the Lord, to pursue obedience and godly living, to restrain sin, and to separate from entanglements with the idolatrous surrounding nations. The Ten Commandments are the beginning and best-known portion of the Law, and nine of these commandments are reiterated in the New Testament [the church worships on Sunday to commemorate the resurrection of Christ (Acts 20:7)]. The Mosaic Law contained a total of 613 stipulations (365 positive admonitions and 248 negative commands recorded in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). The Law acted as a tutor (Greek paidagagos a slave or custodian who escorted the heir to school) to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith (Galatians 3:19 29). Paul frequently refers to the law [Greek nomos law, regulation, standard for the administration of justice (76x in Romans)] in Romans, with a variety of meanings determined by context. 1. The Mosaic Law refers to the principles God communicated to Moses in the Old Testament (Romans 2:13, 15, 18, 20, 26, 27; 3:19; 4:15; 7:4, 7 14, 16; 8:3, 4). 2. Law as a general principle or rule: those not having the Mosaic Law are a law unto themselves (Romans 2:14). This general principle of law also included the period between Adam s sin and the provision of the Mosaic Law (Romans 5:13). 3. The law of faith is the standard that demands faith alone, contrasted with and excluding works (Romans 3:27). 4. The law of God in the inner man and the law of my mind refer to the new nature produced by the new birth through faith in Christ and empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit. The believer is led by the Holy Spirit and freed from the compulsion to sin under the law (Romans 7:22 25). continued on next page... 28

2 5. The law of sin is the principle of evil as sin exerts its power and influence on the believer despite the desire to do right (Romans 7:23 25). Believers are freed from the penalty of sin at salvation, yet the power of sin remains, producing a struggle between the flesh and the Spirit The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus signifies that the Holy Spirit imparts life to produce obedience and freedom from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2). 7. The law of sin and death signifies that death is the consequence of sin (Romans 8:2). 8. The law of righteousness emphasizes that the desired outcome of obedience is righteousness (Romans 9:31). 9. The royal law or law of love is to love God and one another (Romans 13:8; James 2:8; Matthew 22:34 40; Galatians 5:14). Christ summarized these commandments: You shall love the Lord with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:28 31). Believers are no longer under the regulations of the Law, for in the New Covenant God has put His law within us and upon our hearts, making the Law obsolete (Hebrews 8; Jeremiah 31:31 34). Fulfill the law of Christ by living like Christ (Galatians 6:2; John 13:14 15; 15:4). Love the Lord with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself, for love covers a multitude of sins and fulfills the Law! u personal prayer Dear Lord, may I be one of Your children who sees Your kindnesses and turns away from sin more and more consistently. Lord, may see how kind, tolerant, and patient You are, and may that realization turn him or her away from sin. 1 Believers are freed from the penalty of sin when we trust in Christ (Justification), from the power of sin as we walk in the Spirit (Sanctification), and ultimately from the presence of sin in our new body (Glorification). See the Word Box for lesson five, The Four Tenses of Salvation, and appendix E, "Definitions of Selected Theological Terms in the Epistle to the Romans." 29

3 days one and two read Romans 2:1 16 The you in these verses is a hypothetical complacent Jew who feels superior to Gentiles and believes he himself is in no danger of judgment. Paul adopts a popular writing style called a diatribe, in which a writer tries to win over an audience to his views by portraying a debate between himself and a hypothetical opponent. 1. Read Jeremiah 7:1 11 and Amos 5:18 27 and summarize the passages. a. How do you think these verses apply to the audience to which Paul was writing? b. In what ways do you see similarities in today s world? 2. Re-read the paragraph at the top of the page. Why do you think Paul adopted this style of writing? 3. Read Romans 2:1. What do you think Paul means at the end of this verse when he says, for you who judge others do these very same things? What does Paul accuse the hypothetical Jew of doing? (See Romans 1:18 32 and Matthew 5 7.) 4. Sharing: Read verse 2:4. How has God been patient with you in your life and patiently turned you from your sin? Why do you think God is so patient with the world? (See 2 Peter 3:9.) Digging Deeper: Read Revelation chapters 8 and 9. What are the seven trumpets of judgment? Who is protected and who is not? How do people respond to these judgments in John s vision? Read Revelation 19:1 2 and 20: How do these verses tie into Romans 2:4 8? 30

4 5. Look up and summarize the following verses. John 3:18 John 14:21 Galatians 2:16 Galatians 2:20 21 Galatians 5:6 Ephesians 2: Read Romans 2:6 7 and 2:13. What point do you think Paul is making in these verses? How do they align with the verses above? 7. Read Romans 2:6 11. List what the results will be for those who do and do not obey. Reference any other supporting Scripture. Those who refuse to obey Those who obey 8. Read Romans 1:16 and Romans 2. Note how many times Paul uses the words Jew and Gentile. Why do you think he keeps comparing and contrasting these two groups? 31

5 9. Sharing: Have you ever observed Christians who did not obey the law they believe in? How did that impact you? 10. Read verses 2: Do you think Paul is referring to Gentiles who are believers or non-believers? Do you think that all men have knowledge of God? Why or why not? Note supporting Scripture. 11. Dr. Thomas Constable asks in his study notes of Romans ( Will God condemn someone who has never heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ, if he or she responds appropriately to the limited truth that he or she has? How would you answer this question? 12. How do you think science supports God our Creator? How do you think our world culture uses science to say God does not exist? How would you respond to them? 13. Sharing: Have you ever compared your life and actions to human standards instead of God s standard? What are practical ways we can avoid this trap? Memory Verse: Don t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? Romans 2:4, NLT 32

6 days three and four read Romans 2: Do you think we have more responsibility to follow the law when we know the law? Why or why not? Cite supporting Scripture. 2. Compare Romans 2:17 20 and Matthew 5: How do they impact each other? 3. Sharing: Have you ever struggled not to be self-righteous with certain individuals or groups of people? Describe what helps. 4. Do you think there are degrees of sin? Why or why not? 5. Look up the verb to judge in a dictionary and write down all the definitions. What type of judgment do you think Paul is discussing here? 33

7 God instituted the Jewish ceremony of circumcision as a sign of his covenant with Abraham; it was to be performed on every male Israelite child. The Jews regarded circumcision as a highly prized mark of Jewish loyalty, especially in the midst of a pagan culture. 6. How would you define spiritual circumcision? 7. Read verses 2: Do you think this was a new concept for the Jews? Do you know anyone who thinks he or she is a Christian because he or she was raised in a Christian family? How would you explain what God requires of us? 8. Do you have any traditions that you are holding on to as necessary to Christian faith when perhaps they are non-essential? 9. Sharing: Read verse 2:29. How have you struggled with seeking praise from man instead of God? Why do you think we, as believers, struggle with this even though we have the Holy Spirit? 10. Re-read the Word Box on Law at the beginning of this lesson. How does this increase your understanding of Paul s arguments? Memory Verse: Don t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? Romans 2:4, NLT 34

8 day five read Romans 3: List the questions Paul asks in these verses and the point you think he is trying to make in each one. Paul s Question Paul s Point 2. How can asking questions bring the Good News to others? How have you used questions to help another believer correct a misunderstanding of Scripture or when talking to a non-believer? 3. What do you think verse 3:2 means by the Jews have been entrusted with the whole revelation of God? 4. If our sins are forgiven when we confess, then why does it matter how much we sin? 35

9 5. Why is God the only One qualified to judge the world? 6. Do you think Christians today can be self-righteous? What are some ways we can prevent ourselves from becoming self-righteous? personal response to God Paul tells us that what is on the inside, the condition of our heart, is more important than how we appear to live on the outside. God knows our secret lives. God delights in obedience. We have to ask ourselves are our thoughts, attitudes, and actions pleasing to Him? God has given us eternal life through His Son, Jesus Christ. We are called to respond by faith, by giving our lives over to God, and by telling the Good News to the world through our words and actions. Pray for God to reveal any secret areas that you are not giving over in obedience to Him. Pray for God to grow your faith and give you opportunities and courage to share the Gospel with others. Memory Verse: Don t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? Romans 2:4, NLT 36