Having been justified before God through our faith in Jesus Christ, we can have peace and hope. Even through trials and difficulties, we develop endurance and strength of character, which give us hope.

Hope is more than just wishful thinking. It is desire, plus confident expectation. And it is hope that is described elsewhere as an anchor for our soul (Hebrews 6:19). A life lived without hope is mere existence. All life is not lived well and the Savior came that we might have abundant life (John 10:10).

Could the sacrifice of one Man, Jesus Christ, really provide hope for all mankind? Could millions of souls be saved through the death of one individual?

Paul reminds us here that it was through one man, Adam, that sin entered the world. Verses 12-21 remind us that just as one man brought sin and death into the world for everyone, so one man, Jesus, brought righteousness and life into the world also.

Many have interpreted verses 12-21 to teach the false doctrine of inherited sin. This passage does not teach that. It is true that we suffer the physical consequence of Adam’s sin, in that all people will die physically. It is not true that we suffer the guilt of Adam’s sin. We suffer the guilt of our own sin and the spiritual consequence of an eternity separated from God.

But God provided salvation for us through the death of His Son. Both spiritual death (due to sin) and spiritual life (through the righteous act of Christ) are conditional. We choose to sin and we can choose to obey God and live forever.

 --Roger Hillis

There are three principles we have discussed so far in Romans.

1) No one can be saved by perfect law keeping, because all have sinned.

2) We must obey the Lord by faith.

3) God’s grace then saves us.

Romans 4 provides an illustration of these principles as set forth in Romans 1-3.

Both Paul (Romans 4) and James (James 2) use Abraham as their example of the relationship between faith and deeds and many conclude that they contradict one another. Such is not the case at all. They were simply answering two different questions and so they approached the subject from opposite directions.

Paul was fighting Judaizers who sought justification by the Law of Moses and so he emphasizes the importance of faith in Christ for salvation, not obedience to the Old Testament.

James deals with those who claim faith in God but it is not demonstrated in their lives. He reminds them that faith without works is dead.

Romans 4 shows us that faith in God has always been essential for salvation, by reminding us that Abraham was justified by faith, before the law of circumcision was given and before the Law of Moses had been revealed. Therefore, neither circumcision nor the Law of Moses is the basis of salvation. Rather, it is our faith and the grace of God that brings about salvation.

--Roger Hillis

Chapter One said the Gentiles were guilty of sin. Chapter Two said the Jews were guilty of sin. Chapter Three, therefore, says that everyone is guilty of sin.

The first 20 verses of Romans 3 conclude that everyone falls under the condemnation of sin. Paul first defends God’s righteous judgment of the world (verses 1-8). Then he quotes numerous verses from the Old Testament (verses 9-18) to show that all people who reach a point of accountability before God rebel against His will and commit sin. Paul then reminds them that obedience to the Old Law will not justify one before the Lord.

The chapter concludes with a discussion of salvation through faith in Christ apart from the deeds of the Law of Moses (verses 21-31).

Two verses stand out in this chapter.

Verse 23 states, in terms that cannot be misunderstood, that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Verse 26 speaks of God’s righteousness and says that He is both “just” (in that all sin is punished in the plan of God) and “the justifier” (the one who delivered this saving plan to mankind).

We do not earn salvation through obedience; it is still a gift of God’s grace. Salvation is never a matter of perfect deeds, but of mature and devoted faith.

--Roger Hillis

The end of Romans 1 was primarily a condemnation of the Gentiles, who had abandoned God as Creator and who began to worship and serve the creation instead. This led them to all sorts of immorality and, God had, therefore, given them up to their own uncleanness.

Chapter Two focuses on the reality that the Jews had likewise rebelled against God and His righteousness and were, therefore, just as guilty of sin before God as the Gentiles.

The chapter contains a warning to practice the truth, not just to preach it to others. It is one thing to know and teach the truth and another thing entirely to practice it in our own lives. The Jews were good at moralizing for others, but in their own lives, they were falling far short of God’s standard.

The goodness of God should lead souls to repentance. His grace offers us a second chance to please Him and should never be looked on as an excuse to sin more. When we realize there are only two options for eternity, God’s reward or His punishment, we should be motivated to serve Him. He will judge without favoritism in the last day.

Chapter Two ends with a reminder that external actions are important as we obey the Lord, but that our hearts, what we are on the inside, will determine whether we are acceptable to God or not. It is possible to appear to others to be serving God when we really are not. The Jews needed to learn that and so do we.

--Roger Hillis

The theme of the book of Romans is “obedience to the faith.” Paul states this theme at both the beginning of Romans (1:5) and the end of the letter (16:26). In this epistle, the apostle explains what is meant by being “justified by faith” (Romans 5:1).

 The letter begins by reminding these first century Christians that Jesus Christ was “declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:4). Everything we are, everything we believe and any hope that we have comes from the reality that Jesus is God’s Son and that He was crucified for our sins and was raised from the dead on the third day.

The message of salvation in Christ is found in the gospel. This “good news” is described in Romans 1:16 as “the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.” And in it (that is, in the gospel) the righteousness of God is revealed (verse 17). How God makes a person righteous, through obedience to the Lord’s will, is delivered to us in this new covenant between God and man, otherwise known as the New Testament. This New Testament is also referred to as “the faith.”

 The existence of God may be known by looking at the universe around us (verse 20; Psalms 19:1-6). But how God expects us to live and serve Him is revealed in His written word (see also Psalms 19:7-11).

 Those who are disobedient to God will be punished (Romans 1:18-32). Many specific sins are listed, representative of all sin against God. Those who “practice such things are deserving of death” (verse 32; Romans 6:23). Only those who obey “the faith” will be saved.

 --Roger Hillis

This chapter is a dedicated song of praise to God after Barak and Deborah defeated the idolatrous Canaanites. It is important to note that Deborah and Barak sang this song of praise together, and that no matter how their individual efforts (and those of the army’s) contributed to the success, God gets all of the credit.

We notice in Deborah’s song how Israel’s sin led to their depraved state of sin and idolatry. Deborah’s account of the activities of the various tribes is detailed and telling in that it reveals a lack of unity.

God worked through the people to complete this victory, and verse 21 shows how He also used the Kishon as an aide in the victory.
The chapter closes in a declaration of the silly and futile side of sin. As Sisera died at Jael’s hand, Sisera’s mother supposed his delay in returning was due to his reveling in the spoils of war. 

Deborah’s song is beautiful in its absolute recognition of God’s power and providence. No wonder she was known as a mother of Israel when she had such solid surety of faith in the Lord.

Tonight, I ask myself, when God works in my life, am I a doubter like Barak? Or am I convinced as Deborah? And do I give God His due?

— Cory Byrd

This post originally appeared on Monday Night Bible Study.

Lord willing, beginning February 1, we will begin a daily study of the book of Romans, with a chapter summary of each section of this marvelous book about faith and obedience. We hope you can study together with us.

--Roger Hillis

Satan tempted Eve to take of the fruit God had forbidden. In response, Eve clearly stated God’s warning: “You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.” In response to this, the serpent claimed, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God…” (Gen. 3:3-5)

It is curious that Satan’s first attempt to convince Eve was to undermine a word from God (“you will not surely die”) and his second was to credit a position like God’s (“you will be like God”). These two phrases are at the heart of everything which tempts. Ultimately, we wish to be like the Divine. However, our problem is that we wish this in a way that misunderstands the true nature of the Divine.

In our hopes to be like the divine, we usually seek the unlimited knowledge and the power of words with which Satan taunted Eve. We want to become sovereign over ourselves, our comrades, and our world. But while these might make us like a god, these are not the most important attributes that will make us like YHWH God.

Crucial to our God’s existence is his unadulterated holiness and continual self-sacrifice for the good of others. The cross is the grandest manifestation of this, and it gives us a target to shoot for in our daily living. Again and again, we are given the opportunity to behave in holiness and humility. It is in doing this—not in grasping for our own power—that we will truly be like the one true God.

- Dan Lankford, minister

Matthew’s record of the Great Commission reads like this: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).

The book of Acts is the inspired account of how the early church carried out that great mission. It also contains the pattern for how God’s people can evangelize the world in every generation (Colossians 1:23).

In Acts 28, the apostle Paul arrives in the major city of the first century world, Rome. He meets with Jewish leaders to explain his relationship with God, “persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets.” The book of Acts ends with the information that Paul spent two years under house arrest, with the freedom to teach everyone who came to him.

It was during this time frame (from when Paul was first arrested in Acts 21:33 through this two year house arrest – approximately A.D. 60-63) that Paul wrote four letters, commonly called his prison epistles. They are Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon.

After the events of Acts 28, Paul is released for a period of time. It was then that he wrote 1 Timothy and Titus and Hebrews (if he wrote Hebrews).

Paul was later arrested again and, during this imprisonment, he wrote his final letter, the book of 2 Timothy. Shortly after he wrote that last epistle, Paul was put to death, in approximately A.D. 68. History (or perhaps, legend) tells us that Paul was beheaded.

One more spiritual lesson. When Paul preached to these listeners in Acts 28, there were two responses. “And some were persuaded by the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved” (verse 24). There are only two responses to the gospel, obedience and disobedience. There are two groups of people, saved and lost. There are two eternal destinies, heaven and hell.

World evangelism is accomplished one soul at a time.

--Roger Hillis

Paul could have been set free because he was innocent of any crime. Why then did he appeal to Caesar? Wouldn’t it have been better for him to be free? Couldn’t he have reached more people for the Lord living free rather than being a prisoner?

Perhaps so, but now Paul has the opportunity to preach the gospel to the most powerful man in the world, the Roman Caesar. His name is Nero and as the leader of the Roman Empire, he is well known for his disdain for Christians. The Great Persecutor is about to meet the great apostle to hear about the Great Savior.

Just imagine how much good could have resulted from Nero’s conversion. Everyone would know about it. Everyone could have the chance to hear about salvation in Christ, in many cases, sooner rather than later.

Is he likely to be converted? Probably not, and of course, history tells us he was not. He is more likely to order Paul to be executed immediately. Nero could easily reject the gospel message and we now know that he did.

But to Paul, it is a chance worth taking. He understands that the Great Commission says: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” Paul’s job is not to pre-judge anyone’s response to the gospel, even Caesar’s. His mission is to preach the truth to everyone and to let each soul make the personal decision to accept or to reject the gospel. That was his point in 1 Corinthians 1:17-18.

We can learn from his example that we should just teach the message of the cross every chance we get and then allow the Holy Spirit to work through those efforts to convert the lost. We plant the seed and water it. God gives the increase, or not. We must simply be faithful to meet our responsibility. And we must not pre-judge someone’s interest and decide not to give him the chance to accept or reject the message.

Acts 27 chronicles Paul’s treacherous voyage by ship toward the headquarters of the Empire. There are many dangers and problems but the Lord’s providence sees Paul and the other 275 passengers through. Verse 37 tells us that Luke is accompanying the apostle on this hazardous trip. This account describes one of three shipwrecks that Paul suffered in his life (2 Corinthians 11:25).

Slowly, but surely the apostle Paul is making his way toward Rome.

--Roger Hillis