Romans 1:11-12
INTRO: As we stated in our previous lessons the doctrine and goal of Romans is to establish the believer and to teach you who God has made you to be In Christ Jesus. Romans is God’s divine pattern, “the form of sound words” (2 Tim. 1:13). Romans is designed for the edification (education) and establishment of the member of the CBOC (Church the Body of Christ). It is God’s will for you to have a proper understanding and a positive response to the gospel. In other words, a complete understanding of what happened to you the moment you trusted in the finished work of the cross (saved). That is why the book of Romans was written.
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The book of Romans has four major sections or 4 cornerstones. Back in Paul’s day, when building a structure, four cornerstones were installed in the ground to support the concrete foundation being laid. God gave His blueprint for divine edification of the CBOC to Paul, the master builder (1 Cor. 3:10-11). And Paul laid the foundation of edification for the believer to be established (rooted and grounded) in the truth today. The four cornerstones are:
A. Romans 1:15-5:21 Justification: (declared righteous): Establishment in the doctrine of our Justification by grace, through faith. The goal of this first cornerstone is the complete knowledge of our perfect judicial (executive) standing before God having trusted Christ as our savior, and total assurance and the eternal nature of that judicial standing.
B. Romans 6:1-8:39 Sanctification: (set apart, made holy): Establishment in the doctrine of our Sanctification by grace through faith. The goal of this second cornerstone is the complete knowledge of our sanctified standing before God “In Christ” which enables us to “live unto God.”
Establishment in the doctrine of the dispensation of Gentle grace now in effect. The goal of this third cornerstone is to understand and appreciate what God has done with Israel, that His program with them is temporarily in abeyance (interrupted, on hold) and that we live in a new and different dispensation formally kept secret. But Now, made known to all men through Apostle Paul, the dispensation (program) of the grace of God.
C. Romans 9:1-11:36 Dispensational Truth: (a dispensation is a program rolled out at a particular time, wherein God dispensed a set of instructions for man’s obedience.)
D. Romans 12:1-16:20 Walking worthy: Establishment In the doctrine of walking worthy of who we are now as justified, sanctified, members of God’s new creation, (CBOC) and this new dispensation of the grace of God.
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II. Romans 1:15-5:21, (KJV) Justification
1:15-17, Paulis ready to preach (evangelize) the gospel to the Romans who were already saved. They had been (like us) “called to be saints” by the gospel and were the “beloved of God” (1:7, KJV). Now, Paul desires to establish these saints or lay the foundation of fundamental doctrine (teaching). He starts with the first cornerstone of “justification” (to reckon, or to declare righteous.) Paul wanted the saints in Rome (as well as you and I,) to have complete knowledge of what transpired the moment we trusted Christ as our savior.
A. God wants us to understand that He forgave all our sins through the shed blood of the cross. “In whom we have redemption (purchased) through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; (Ephesians 1:7, KJV).
B. The moment you first believed the gospel you were gloriously saved and forgiven. God gifted (rewarded) your faith (Eph. 2:8,9, KJV) with the first of two judicial (executive) transactions, Justification and Sanctification. In that moment you were (1) justified by faith through grace. Even though you are yet a sinner (as Romans 3:23 clearly states), God imputes (credits) the righteousness of His Son, Jesus Christ to your account and then declares you righteous. “For He (God) have made Him (Christ) to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him (2 Cor. 5:21, Rom. 3:24; 4:24,25; 5:1, 9; 8:33, KJV). (Still a sinner, but now, saved by grace).
C. Again, Paul teaches us in Romans 1:15-5:21, about our justification by grace through faith.
D. There are three major results of our judicial justification, and they are your judicial possessions now. You now have:
1. “Peace with God” 2. “Access by faith into this grace wherein we stand” 3. “Rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:1-2, KJV).
2. Remember, the goal of this first cornerstone is for you to have a good understanding and appreciation for the perfect judicial standing you have before God now. Because you trusted Christ as your Savior, justification is a present possession. As a result of your justified standing, you also now possess total assurance in your eternal destiny (Eph. 1:12-14, KJV).
3. How does God view us now? As justified (declared righteous) before Him “in Christ.” The first thing God wants us to know is what took place the moment we trusted Christ as our Savior and what justification contains. My eternal destiny is now forever settled in His Holiness and Righteousness.
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4. Thank God for His justice and positive response to our faith. God has settled our sinful, outstanding account, based on our perfect judicial standing as justified saints. We now have “peace with God,” and “access by faith into this grace wherein we stand (justified),” and we “rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, (Rom. 5:1-2, KJV)” “We shall be saved from wrath (to come) through Him (Rom. 5:9, KJV), “saved from the Lake of fire (Rev. 20:15).
III. Romans 6:1-8:39, (KJV) Sanctification
This brings us to the second judicial transaction that God made to our account the moment we trusted in the “death, burial, and resurrection of Christ” (1 Cor. 15:3-4, KJV).
A. The second cornerstone of our foundation of edification is: Establishment In the doctrine of our sanctification by grace through faith. The goal of this second cornerstone is the complete knowledge of our sanctified (set apart, made holy) standing before God in Christ, which enables us to live unto God. (1 Cor. 1:30, KJV).
B. This second judicial transaction is called sanctification. At the same time God justified you, He also sanctified you. You cannot be sanctified without first being justified, but you can be justified without being sanctified. (Will explain later).
C. The moment you trusted Christ as your savior, God responded judicially by seeing you as justified (declared righteous) before him. He also sanctified you (meaning: set you apart and made you holy.) That is how God sees you now. You are now enabled to live a life above sin, and bring honor and glory to God, in the details of your life. (Rom. 6:1-23, KJV).
D. God has put you in His Son. “he hath made us accepted in the Beloved,” (Eph. 1:6, KJV.)” Paul teaches in chapters 6, 7 and 8, the issue about being “dead to sin, but alive unto God.” (Rom. 6.:11, KJV). He speaks of “neither yielding your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: For ye are not under the law, but under grace.” (6:14,15, KJV).
[CG1] E. Because of my justified, sanctified judicial standing before God, I can now live a life bringing honor and glory to God. “There is therefore now no condemnation (punishment) to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walked not after the flesh, but after the spirit. (Rom. 8:1-4 KJV). ”For ye are dead, to sin and your life is dead with Christ in God.” (Col. 3:3, KJV.
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IV. Romans 9:1-11:36, (KJV) Dispensational Change/Truth
The third cornerstone of our establishment: The doctrine of the dispensation of Gentile grace now in effect. The goal of this third cornerstone is to understand and appreciate what God has done with Israel, that His program with them is temporarily in abeyance (on hold) and that we live in a new and different dispensation formally kept secret. Amen.
A. God wants us to learn that He is not dealing with Israel as a nation any longer. Because of their unbelief, Israel murdered the Son of God, their Messiah (King and deliverer). (Acts 2:22-24). It was Israel’s crime of murder that brought about the great dispensational change. As a result, Israel’s Kingdom program has been set aside, (put into abeyance, postponed, interrupted, suspended.) God is no longer dealing with Israel as a nation. God turned from Israel and “sent salvation (via Apostle Paul) unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.”) (28:26-28, KJV).
1. Chapters 9, 10, and 11, were written so that we can understand and appreciate what God has done in setting aside (suspending) Israel’s Kingdom program and turning to us Gentiles. What does it all mean? Does it mean that Israel’s program is cancelled never to be resumed? (The answer To this question is found below in A-6.)
2. These three chapters were written because God wants us as justified, sanctified members of the CBOC, to view ourselves properly. God does not want us to be Ignorant nor confused. We don’t follow after Israel’s program nor declare ourselves to be spiritual Israel. We are to understand and appreciate the uniqueness of our position/identity. The uniqueness of this new gentle program was brought in by the “preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, Which was kept secret since the world begin but now is made manifest…” (Rom. 16:25-26, KJV). This message was given (revealed) unto Apostle Paul, Eph. 3:1-12). *See Paul’s conversion on Damascus Rd. (Acts 9; 26:13-18.
3. God has not justified, sanctified, and made us members of the Church, the Body of Christ, just to be the recipients of Israel’s covenants and promises today. God has not put us back under the law. The dispensation of gentile grace is now in effect. The problem with most believers is that they have never learned the doctrinal information contained in Romans chapters 9-11. They do not know that we live in a new dispensation formally kept secret, hid in God. (Rom 16:25; Eph. 3:9, KJV).
4. The importance in understanding chapters 9 through 11 is so you can view yourself as a justified person as noted in the first 5 chapters of Romans. Also, to view ourselves as a sanctified people as in chapter 6, 7, and 8. God wants us to learn the third cornerstone
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information in Romans chapters 9,10, and 11, the great dispensational change or truth, so that we MCBOC do not try to apply Israel’s covenants and promises. We are not spiritual Israelites, there is no such thing. This is corrupt doctrine made up by folk that do not rightly divide the word of truth, and never have learned Romans 9-11. And that is also a device (lie) of Satan folks. His desire is to keep believers deceived. Satan’s plan of evil (SPOE) is designed to keep believers as “children, tossed to and fro…” (Eph. 4:14, KJV). And keep you ignorant of what God is doing today. (2 Cor. 2:11, KJV.)
5. In the dispensation of Gentile grace now in effect, God is forming the “one new man,” (Eph. 2:15, KJV), the CBOC, and there is “neither Jew nor Greek” (Gal. 3:28, KJV). We must be established in the fundamental doctrines of justification, sanctification, and the dispensational truth of Gentile grace now in effect, recorded in chapters 9-11. Why? To have a proper view of our identity In Christ[CG3] . God wants us to see ourselves like He sees us. God sees us now as justified, sanctified “in Christ,” “new creatures.” (2 Cor. 5:17, KJV).
6. Know ye not that it is robbery to identify with Israel? Gentiles today are not spiritual Israel. Gentiles are not promised Israel’s covenants and promises. (Eph. 2:11-18, KJV). God Is not finished with Israel. God is going to resume his dealings with Israel in the ages to come. And he is going to resume and fulfill his covenant and promises with Israel. Israel will be saved nationally (Romans 11:26, KJV), after the dispensation of Gentile grace has been concluded.
V. Romans 12:1-16:20, (KJV) Walking Worthy
That brings us to the 4th cornerstone of our establishment. Establishment in the doctrine of walking worthy of who we are now as justified, sanctified, members of God’s “new creation,” CBOC, in this new dispensation.
A. Paul says in 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God …” Paul has just given us three categories of doctrine of God’s mercy and grace expressed unto us.
1. The first category or cornerstone: doctrine of Justification by grace through faith, and its results. God mercifully and graciously dealt with the sin debt and penalty of our sin and set forth His mercy and grace in the gospel.
2. When we first trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as our savior, His mercy and grace connected with God’s perfect justice and produced some judicial results that we are the
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beneficiaries of. They are, “peace with God, access into this grace” and rejoice in the (blessed) hope of the glory of God.” (Rom. 5:1-2, KJV).
3. At the exact same moment we trusted Christ, God’s mercy and grace teamed up with His justice and justified you (made you righteous). But he also sanctified (set you apart and made you holy). His mercy and grace put you into His son and enabled you (putting you into a position) to live a life that brings honor and glory unto Him..
4. “I beseech you therefore, rather and, by the mercies of God, then you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service[CG4] .” (Rom. 12:1, KJV).
“A living sacrifice.” Sacrifices die! You died positionally with Christ. And you are now dead to sin, but you are resurrected with him. Made alive unto God through the Lord Jesus Christ. (Rom. 6:1-5, KJV). The doctrine of your judicial position in Christ is the “key” to a believer’s life. God mercifully and gracefully is dealing with us as Gentiles now. As we are doctrinally, and dispensationally established, we know now where we fit in as “new creatures,” in God’s program for the CBOC. You know what God is really doing now. God Is forming the CBOC, and (our) destiny as members of His body, is to replace Satan, principalities, and powers in the heavenly places. And restore, repossess the heavenly places back unto God. (Col. 2:15, KJV).
B. God wants us to get a good understanding and appreciation for being been made the beneficiaries of His judicial justification, and sanctification. And at the same time having been made dispensationally aware, (astute, edified, educated). God wants us to respond to it, now! Be motivated by it now!
1. Let the “word of God (the doctrine of justification, sanctification, and dispensational truth) effectually work also in you that believe. (1 Thessalonians 2:13, KJV). In other words, take root in the details of your life. Walking worthy means to, “present your bodies of living sacrifice, and be not conformed to this world, but be transformed…” (12:1-2). You now have been made, enabled to serve the Lord, “which is your reasonable service.”
2.Now that we have been justified and sanctified, God wants us to learn what His will is for our lives. “But be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” That is why Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 2:1,5 KJV; to “study to show yourselves approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” Remove what the world values and esteems and replace it with what God values and esteems. Then you will be able to “prove what is that good, acceptable and perfect will of God.”
Colman J. Gilliland 