Understanding the Process of Salvation in Romans (Part 15 - With the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin)

Understanding the Process of Salvation in Romans (Part 15 - With the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin)

Another Law in my Members

Rom 7:5  For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.  (6)  But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

The motions of sin which exist in the flesh, strengthened by the knowledge of the law, work in our fleshly members to bring forth fruit unto death. This is not eternal death, since justification saves us from the wrath of God and hell, but it is a functional death, meaning that we are unprofitable to God, incapable of being used by Him as an instrument of righteousness. 

On the other hand, if the second pillar of sanctification, (deliverance of the law), stands strong and sure in us, then we are married to a different husband, to Christ, and we operate under a different set of principles; not those of law, but those of grace. Actually, Paul says in Rom.7:4 that, “ye should be married to another”. The word ‘should’, is an actionable word, meaning that we could stand idle and remain widowed (unmarried), and exist in that state relying only on our justification, or we could set about to seek another husband and marry him, coming in under a new spiritual set of principles. In this state we can grow and function in the motions of obedience unto righteousness, which exist in the spirit of the mind, Rom.8:5,27, strengthened by the knowledge of the Word of God, producing in us the workings of God, to will and do according to His good pleasure, bringing forth the fruit of righteousness and godliness, even in our flesh, which is being quickened by the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead, Rom.8:11.

Understanding the Process of Salvation in Romans (Part 13 - Shall we sin, because we are not under the law)

Start this lesson series here: 
Understanding the Process of Salvation in Romans (Part 1)

Understanding the Process of Salvation in Romans (Part 13 - Shall we sin, because we are not under the law)

In Romans 6:1-13, Paul teaches us that in a positional (or heavenly) state, we are dead to sin, having been crucified with Christ, and that we need to accept this by faith so that as Christ was resurrected by the power of God, we too can walk in that newness of the resurrection life of Christ. In additional to coming to this understanding concerning sin, we are also introduced to the truth that we are dead to the law by the body of Christ. See these few verses to highlight the fact,

Rom.3:21  But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; …  28  Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. …  

Rom.6:14  For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. 

Though Paul expounds on this topic in chapter 7, he starts this topic in chapter 6 with another rhetorical question to counteract and neutralise the reasoning mind of believers, saying, “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace?”

Understanding the Process of Salvation in Romans (Part 12 - Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?)

Start this lesson series here: 
Understanding the Process of Salvation in Romans (Part 1)

Understanding the Process of Salvation in Romans (Part 12 - Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?)

2Cor.6:11-13  O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged.  (12)  Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels.  (13)  Now for a recompence in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged.

In the passage above, Paul is urging the Corinthians to be more open and receptive to his message. He expresses his affection and fatherhood towards them, desiring to bless and educate them, but points out that their hearts are closed and restricting them from fully receiving his teachings. Paul emphasizes that the restriction is not from his side but from their own hearts and attitude, and he encourages them to open up and respond to the love and openness he has shown, so that he can speak to them without limitations and have them receive the truth he could provide.

We have come to a point in Romans where this same open heartedness and faith is necessary to fully benefit from what Paul is going to teach us. We are about to step up in spirit. We are about to go into deeper spiritual truth. We are going to start receiving information that requires our obedience and our commitment if we are to advance in our Christian walk and in our faith. Is your heart enlarged? Make sure that in no way are you restricted in your reception of the inspired truth that Paul is about to give.

Abounding grace

We have spent time in Romans 1 to 5 concerning justification, the first part of salvation, and utterly saturated in God’s grace. If it were not for God’s grace, and the work of Christ done through grace, we as believers, would have no chance to be recipients of salvation. All the way through Romans 1 to 5, Paul has mentioned the grace of God in the gospel of His Son and our absolute dependency upon it. As a reminder, here are the verses concerning ‘grace’ in Romans 5,

Stablished upon 'the faith'

Stablished upon 'the faith'

For what purpose did Paul receive grace and apostleship? For the obedience to the faith. In Romans, his intention is to impart this to those believers so that they may be established. Now, it's crucial to understand: the faith has already been established and cannot be altered. The Book of Romans states its truths. You can’t change it. Romans says what it says, and it did so long before you got here. It is firmly rooted and established. Our responsibility as a believer is to get your faith in line with what has been imparted, made known, and established for us.

Paul clearly tells us that we are to be established in the faith. THE faith! How many denominations are there? One. Certainly not. There are thousands! Well, something is terribly wrong! When you have several Christians and each of them have a different belief, there’s something clearly wrong, because the principles in Romans, and the rest of Paul’s epistles, have been established, written, and taught for two millennia. Paul's ministry was concluded before 70 A.D., approximately 1,950 years ago. This disparity among various denominations is shameful, isn't it? Despite this duration of time, numerous Christian denominations exist. Ask about baptism, and you’ll receive several different doctrines. Inquire how to gain forgiveness or justification with God, and you’ll get several unique answers. Why is there such difference?

Our salvation does not end at the cross! There is MUCH MORE to what Jesus did for us!

His cross marks the start of your salvation, His resurrection is God's power to run the race and win the prize of the high calling of God.

Don't be blinded in your mind by the enemy. Don't remain ignorant and childlike in the faith. Get into the Word of God and let it educate and sharpen you unto the full redemption plan of God and His purpose for your future and vocation in the ages to come. Our Lord's cross marks the start of your salvation; His resurrection is God's power to run the race and win the prize of the high calling of God.

Read this important message here:

https://thebigpictureviews.blogspot.com/2024/09/his-cross-marks-start-of-your-salvation.html

Manifesting true righteousness through obedience to Christ

Manifesting true righteousness through obedience to Christ

Romans 6:16 presents a profound concept: "Know ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness." 

This verse is intriguing, and many people miss the peculiarity of it. Take a look at what it says. One is either a servant of sin, which leads to death, or a servant of obedience, which leads to righteousness. You might be persuaded to interpret the verse saying that one is either a servant of sin leading to death or a servant of righteousness leading to life. However, this interpretation is contrary to what Paul taught. Let me explain. Although Paul, as pertaining to the old covenant  said, "For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them", Rom.10:5, and to the Galatians he said, "for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law", look what he said pertaining to our grace doctrine, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.  (21)  I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.", Gal 2:20-21. You see, Paul didn't say that you serve sin unto death or righteousness unto life; there's something else you have to obey, and its obedience. But what does that mean?

Romans 5:19 tells us: "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." 

What does that mean to walk after the Spirit?

What does that mean to walk after the Spirit?

Rom 8:1  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 

What does that mean to walk after the Spirit?

Let me use ‘leading the blind’ as an example. If I'm a blind man, how do I live my life? I need someone else who has eyes to take me by the hand and lead me through this world. Now, in this context, who’s the blind man? That's us: we're blind. We need the Spirit to be out in front of us leading us through life saying, do this and don't do that. And where do those instructions come from? It’s all in the Word of God, and more specifically, in Paul’s epistles. We just need to learn it and know it, and then yield your members unto that leading. 

To be led by the Spirit is not complicated. Paul said the following in Corinthians,

1Cor.12:13  For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. 

How do we determine if something is a sin or not? Is this where our conscience tells us it’s wrong?

How do we determine if something is a sin or not? Is this where our conscience tells us it’s wrong?

QUESTION:

How do we determine if something is a sin or not? Is this where our conscience tells us it’s wrong? Will this work, because the reality is that most people are so used to sin, they won't feel conviction or don't have that Holy Spirit guiding them because they didn't really surrender.

ANSWER:

For the most part, you are correct. Sadly, many believers are ignorant of God’s will for them and remain ‘desensitized’ to sin. People today might come to salvation, but then they do not grow up in Christ. They remain babes in Christ, carnal Christians, not growing up sufficiently to become ‘re-sensitized’ about sin and have the Word influence them beyond their carnal desires.

How do I get closer to God for good and never sin again?

How do I get closer to God for good and never sin again?

QUESTION:

How do I get closer to God for good and never sin again?

ANSWER:

Your question takes me back to Romans 7. You are facing the same internal conflict as Paul did when he wrote the passage outlined below. Before you read it, consider that in this very passage there are some important things to learn. I will expound on them below.

Rom 7:18-24 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. (19) For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. (20) Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. (21) I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. (22) For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: (23) But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. (24) O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

So, what do we learn from this that can answer your question?

What is the role of good works in salvation according to the New Testament?

What is the role of good works in salvation according to the New Testament?

This is a great question! There are many who are so confused regarding good works and salvation in the New Testament. Let’s get into the Bible and find out exactly how good works and salvation should work together.

We must first start by recognizing that there are two dispensations in the New Testament. Simply read the book of Acts, where the apostle Luke leads us out of the Kingdom dispensation under Jesus and the 12-apostles and into the grace dispensation under the apostle Paul. I mention this because it is vitally important to understand that salvation and the context of good works both change between the two dispensations. 

GOOD WORKS IN THE KINGDOM DISPENSATION

In the Kingdom program, good works were necessary to prove one’s faith for salvation. Read James 2:17-26 to get an understanding that salvation depended upon the works that demonstrated one’s faith confession in the identity of Christ. Salvation began with a confession of Christ as in these examples,

Concerning SIN, the confession of sin, and defeating sin

Concerning SIN, the confession of sin, and defeating sin.

IN RESPONSE TO THIS MEMBER’S COMMENT:

We will sin until we are in eternity with the Lord, when sin will no longer exists. It’s important to confess our sins to Him daily, perhaps begin each day surrendering our will to His. It’s possible to sin less and less though…

ANSWER:

I agree that we certainly will sin less as our minds and hearts get renewed by the living Word of God and our thoughts and actions are brought under the obedience of the Word.

As concerning confession, it is good to sense remorse for sin and come to God with a contrite heart, but there is no need (or law) dictating the importance and ‘must’ regarding daily confessing our sins. Please don’t misunderstand me. I come to God with remorse and sorrow for falling in moments of weakness, but it will not affect my relationship with God if I do not confess my sins every day. Why? Because God already sees you as absolutely righteous because of Christ. His righteousness has already been applied to you. Your flesh remains corrupt and prone to sin, but your spirit is perfect in His sight. If one places oneself under a law (or under a rule) to confess sins, as with any other rule to try to work out your own righteousness, all it will do is bring condemnation. We must be careful not to have laws dictate our relationship with God. We should aim to come out from under law as children and to grow up in the truth of the Word and walk in the liberty of the spirit as sons of God. To be bound by the dictates of laws which can never be perfectly followed anyways is not the way God indented for us to walk.

Why is it that those who argue against the simplicity of obtaining righteousness never tend to strive against the simplicity of obtaining unrighteousness!?

Why is it that those who argue against the simplicity of obtaining righteousness never tend to strive against the simplicity of obtaining unrighteousness!

Have a look at these two verses in Romans 5.

Rom 5:12  Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: 

…….

Rom 5:19  For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. 

There are many people who are fully convinced of our guilt before God because of the sin of ONE man which was imputed to all of us and declared us to be sinners and guilty before God. But I find it interesting that there are very few people who are fully convinced of our justification before God because of the righteousness of ONE man which was imputed to us who believe in Him who declares us to be righteous and innocent before God.

If by one man sin came into the world and death by sin, surely it stands to reason that by one man righteousness came into the world and life by righteousness.

The difference in salvation before and after the cross

STATEMENT/QUESTION:

Are you saying that how people get saved today is different from the Bible times? Was it different before Christ came or different before he died? Please explain how this ‘other salvation’ before Christ works?

My assertion is that there is no other salvation and there never was. From Genesis to Revelation salvation has always been through faith in the promised Messiah to come and take away our sins and set us free.

Agreed? Yes or no?

ANSWER:

Regarding your question on previous gospels:

I agree that every gospel is based on faith. If one does not place faith in believing God’s instructions to be saved, then one will not be saved, irrespective of works or not. Thus, irrespective of gospel, faith is required! However, God’s instructions for salvation did not remain the same over time. What God told Noah did not apply to Abraham. What God told Abraham to do did not apply to Peter, James, and John!

DM#10: Debtors to the Spirit

Doctrine of the Mysteries #10

Debtors to the Spirit

Rom 8:12-14  Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.  (13)  For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.  (14)  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Our principal duty as believers, which is also the will of God for us, is to come to the knowledge of the truth, 1Tim 2:4. How do we come to the knowledge of the truth? We study the written Word of truth and learn how to rightly divide it, 2Tim 2:15. We allow the Word of God to dwell in us richly, Col 3:16. We allow it to renew our mind so that it makes us wise unto its doctrine, allowing it to reprove, correct, and instruct us.

Being led by the Spirit of God is not being led by some ethereal voice or premonitions, but rather, it is simply having a knowledge and understanding of the written Word within you. You walk by the Spirit (or walk by faith) when you obey the truth of God’s Word, applying it to your life circumstances and scenarios. Notice what Paul says here,

DM#7: Dead to sin

Doctrine of the Mysteries #7

Dead to sin

The book of Romans does not waste any time in getting a believer straight in their faith. Romans is a foundational book, and it sets the standard, going forward, for the mystery doctrine. Having come through the first five chapters that bring us to justification, delivered to us as a free gift through Christ, and by the perfect grace of God, we come to chapter 6, an incredibly important, mile-marker chapter, and it packs a proverbial punch. The first 4-verses of Romans 6 sets a strong precedent for a believer who is committed to learning and living the mystery doctrine. Let’s see what it says,

Rom 6:1-4  What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?  (2)  God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?  (3)  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?  (4)  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

What do we do between justification and glorification?

What do we do between justification and glorification?

Rom 8:30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

Paul tells us that if we truly believe in Jesus Christ by hearing and responding to the grace gospel, we are freely justified by the ‘decree’ of God, and we can have peace with God, and access to the grace that He provides, Rom 5:1-2.

Through faith in the gospel of grace, we are transferred from the administration of death, which is in Adam, into the administration of life, which is in Christ. When we belong to Christ’s administration, we are now identified with righteousness, peace, and life, as Paul continues to tell us,

Rom 5:17-19 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) (18) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. (19) For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

All this activity happens the moment God saves us. We do not feel anything new. We do not sense anything different. Nothing changes in our flesh or in our mind. What has changed has all happened in the spiritual realm. We have a new relationship to God. We are identified in Christ. We are sealed into the family of God. We know this and believe this because the written Word tells us.

So, what now? If I’m saved in my spirit, what happens to my life here on earth? What happens in my circumstances? What do I do from here on?

DM#1: From faith to faith

Doctrine of the Mysteries #1

From faith to faith

It’s interesting to note that Paul’s letter to the Romans has a similar statement in both the starting and ending. I’ll highlight the statement in both locations,

Rom 1:3-5 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; (4) And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: (5) By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:

Rom 16:25-26 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, (26) But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:

What is ‘the faith’ and ‘obedience of faith’

What is ‘the faith’ and ‘obedience of faith’

In the epistle of Romans, Paul lays out the foundational doctrine of the grace believer. He writes about the key elements of our faith, how to walk effectually in the faith, and what the resulting fruits of living in that faith would be. Before the dispensation of grace, Israel had to walk in obedience to the rigid letter of the Mosaic law, Exo 31:18; Exo 32:16, but now, grace believers are expected to walk in obedience to a new doctrine, not of the letter, but of the spirit, Rom 7:6, imparted into their hearts by the Word of God.

THE FAITH