A BETTER WAY FROM A BETTER SOURCE

FOR BETTER REASONS WITH BETTER RESULTS

Politically, we have had Napoleon, Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Kim and Xi Jinping, for example, and there appears much in common,  from which one can learn. In general, one political magician seems to collect pockets of power, will he rules and then without reason, demands adoration, love, worship, or unmeasured obedience or some combination. Thus such people often take the place of an idol, till all sinks in a seething shame. This is the way of the godless who seek destiny, even to control it sometimes, only to fall for their folly, before the truth which never evacuates.

But God always there, acted as He willed in creating,  man  as he would in falling and judgment tempered by mercy, allowing the horrors we now find, in the curse, and the wonders still available in the Gospel, through which the repentant can come to be redeemed and receive the gift of eternal life instead of the wages of sin, which is death.

Morally much the same take-over is attempted: neo-morals, contrary to those God declared, quasi-morals, corrosive morals, godless morals, these attempt a take-over through the blatant force of sin, and when this crosses paths with the political decay as above, then you have persecution of the godly by the godless, even in terms of these corrupted and baseless morals!

This morning we plan to look over Romans 5-6, in its major thrust, where a major part of the Gospel of divine grace may be found.

ROMANS 5-6

Preliminary. As in Romans 4, we learn that salvation is received by faith, and those who do so are justified by faith, that is, having taken the offer of God to cover their sin with His cross, dying the just for the unjust, they are regarded as sin-and-guilt paid for persons, now at peace with God.

1. DEVELOPMENT OF CHRISTIAN CHARACTER.

Now we turn to Romans 5:1-4. As a result their weathering of all storms develops Christian character.

"We have access by faith to this grace," which a living gift of the living God, shepherds us spiritually.

2. DYNAMIC OF DI VINE ACTION.   Romans 5: 6-11:

"When we were yet sinners, Christ died for us," Romans 5:8.

3. THE CONTRAST OF CONDEMNATION AND COMMENDATION.
Romans 5:12-21:

"Where sin abounded, grace much more abounded," Romans 5:20.

4. GRACE IS NOT A SIN EXPANSION KEY.     Romans 6:1-14:

"Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound!" Romans 6:1.

5. THE COVER FOR GUILT IS ALSO THE RELEASE OF THE RESOURCES OF GODLINESS. Romans 6:15-23:

"Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace!"

It is like a building in process, with various struts. These may later be removed, and it can then stand on its own foundations aptly. So the pictures and precepts of the Law were a preparation for their fulfilment in Christ; but now that He has come, this does not mean that they are struck out, but frankly direct. "I did not come to destroy the law," said Jesus the Christ (Matthew 5:17). Every least part, He declared in the next verses, would be fulfilled - that is, what had not yet been, would be. The pictorial part was about to be, and the principle part would be, unalterable in principle and performance. This applied to both the LAW AND the PROPHETS!

Just as love frees people from servility, so it drives them to service! Not unfeeling obedience but the inward pressure of love is the thrust (John 14:19-24). Love does not release from truth, but expresses it (I Corinthians 13:6).