Reflections on the Bible, and Other Writings, from a Christian Perspective.
The history of Adam's sin, and the consequences that follow it, are tragic for us all. Thankfully, they are not the only things that the apostle Paul writes about in the fifth chapter of Romans. The last couple of paragraphs from that section shares a number of contrasts between Adam and Jesus. They speak of the great blessings that are available to us through Christ.
In the New Testament there are a few places where the words, "No law," are found. It occurs twice in the book of Romans and once in Paul's letter to the Galatians. One of these instances is in a passage that we recently studied, but didn't include last time. In Romans five the apostle Paul connected sin entering the world through Adam with the reign of death. He did so by speaking of no law.
Last time we studied from Romans we took great encouragement by God's love being shown through Jesus' death for us while we were yet sinners. His sacrifice was an incredible event, and with the resulting resurrection, we have great hope today. As the passage continues, Paul goes on to discuss another action that had a great impact on us all. That being the sin of Adam and death that follows to this day.
To those who are not Christians, it can seem that those who follow Christ are obsessed with His death. I don't deny that. The same can be said for His resurrection. One reason is because the Bible mentions them extremely often. For example, in Romans chapter five the apostle Paul refers to it three times in less than ten verses. In it, he connects God's love for us with Jesus' death.
Although the concept of a resurrection is not natural, it is spoken of repeatedly in the New Testament, and is often connected with Jesus Christ. Many of the letters explicitly mention it. All the Gospel accounts share testimonies of the Lord after He rose from the dead. As we know, the apostle Paul used Christ's Resurrection in many of his teachings too. One place where he does so is at the end of the fourth chapter of Romans.
Last time we studied from the book of Romans we considered the patriarch Abraham and him being accounted righteous apart from works of the Law. This truth was, and is, a fundamental part of us becoming Christians. It's also non-negotiable, as is the case for many other topics in the New Testament. Two of these include Jesus' death and resurrection, the former of which we'll examine today.
Sometimes it is good to return to core principles of the Faith. Not necessarily to learn something entirely new, but rather to be refreshed and reminded again. Such is the case for our examination of the apostle Paul's teaching on Abraham's faith in Romans chapter 4. Let's explore some main ideas from it in relation to righteousness.
One of the most famous verses in the Bible is Romans 3:23. As many of us know, it teaches that we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. As we go through the book of Romans together, I felt that it was necessary for us to study this humbling truth, and the justification that is available through Christ.
Students of the Bible will be aware of the act of circumcision that was performed in the Old Covenant. It was commanded of Abraham, and also in the Mosaic Law. These are good to remember, but some may be surprised by other circumcisions in the Bible. Those being the circumcision of the heart, and the circumcision of Christ.
When one is a hypocrite, he or she judges another, but also does the same thing. This is how the man is condemning himself. Because God's judgment is according to truth, He judges against all who practice such things.
James L. Hutton 