There is no human reason why God should be for us. Since all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (3:23) and that the wages of sin is death (6:23), it follows that God ought to be done with us. But God is not like us. That is human reasoning and human wisdom – not the wisdom of God. Godly reason is about grace and the love of God that is demonstrated to us in The Lord Jesus Christ (5:8).

Paul takes us through the logic of how confident that we can be of God’s love since he has proven it to us. Given that he has not held back hi own son for us, surely we should be convinced that he is indeed for us!

The context of this passage is also amidst Paul’s discussion of life here on earth characterised by suffering and frustration. This side of heaven, don’t doubt heaven for a minute. This side of glory, don’t doubt for a second that God has already paid for us to join him. Our struggle is to see that and believe it.

OBSERVATIONS

Paul strings his thoughts at the end of this chapter with a series of rhetorical questions.
V31 – if God is for us, who can be against us?
V33 – who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?
V34 – who then is the one who condemns?
V35 – who [and what!] shall separate us from the love of Christ?

These questions, being rhetorical, give us some great little truths to bank on! 1) God is for us! 2) God himself has chosen his adopted children. 3) there is no condemnation! 4) Christ’s love reaches beyond all boundaries and obstacles.

“Will give us all things” It seems that Paul is addressing the idea that though we are God’s adopted children, we may feel a long way from that when we look at our own behaviours, thoughts and motives. God is working out our path toward glory (8:28-30) and he will certainly make it happen. After all, he’s not about to send his only Son on a salvation mission without finishing the job he started in us. “All things” then, may refer to all the things necessary to work out the good for those who love him – even suffering – or it may refer to our future hope that is our certain hope.

There will be no charges or condemnation now for those who are in Christ Jesus. We are also instructed here to keep our own self-condemnations silenced because we no that Christ himself has justified. And the One who died for us is now interceding for us!

QUESTIONS

1. How does psalm 44:22 fir the context of this passage. NB: whenever the NT quotes the OT, we are being invited by the author to consider what the original context was and how that now fits the new context. Psalm 44 speaks of the faithful being defeated by the enemies of Israel but still waiting patiently for God to act. Our condition on this earth prior to glory does not mean that we are separated from the promises or love of God. Even this time of grief and frustration is part of God’s big plan.
2. At are the things that threaten us in our faith? Aren’t they listed in verse 35: trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger or sword. Some of these relate to conflict with people but not all of them. They are a list of things that describe life prior to heaven. But even these things are not signs that God has abandoned us!
3. How do we conquer? (V37) it is our faith. That is, the trust and knowledge that God loves us in Christ Jesus. These things listed in verse 35 will not destroy us. They are just food and clothing, but God and his words of promise last forever.

APPLICATION

• Consider the state of your salvation. Do you worry about it? Do you doubt if you are saved or not? Consider the message of salvation and the truths of this passage. If God will not condemn you who are in Christ Jesus then don’t you condemn you either!
• Stress and anxiety are common in our society and lives. This passage helps to keep us reminded of the great love that God has for us. Famine, nakedness and trouble are nothing to the plans that God has for you.
• Are you eagerly awaiting for the future glory that we will share with Christ?
• Do you worry that God is not concerned about your concerns? Don’t you know that Christ himself is speaking to the Father on your behalf – interceding for us!
• Give great thanks and praise for the love of God. Take time to thank him. Stop rushing and panicking during the week and thank your Father who loves and cares for you.

Easter is almost on us and so you may be planning to have a break from meeting together in your group. This is both OK to do and healthy for you as a leader and your group. We are not taking holiday’s from God, we are simply in recess together. A break provides breathing space for everyone to stay strong right through the year.

Here is the breakup of the sermon series over the next few weeks – you may want to cover a few weeks in one hit or be ready to just skip some text while you are on break.

• Sunday 13th of April (this week): Rom 5:1-5
• Friday 18th of April (Good Friday): Romans 5:6-8
• Sunday 20th of April (Easter Sun): Romans 5:9-11
• Sunday 27th of April (end of the break): Romans 5:12-21

In my groups, we’ll be looking at Romans 5:1-5 this week and then enjoying the break. We will not study Romans 5:6-21 as a group but will come back together when we look at Romans 6:1-14. You may want to cover Romans 5:1-11 in one week or do some other combination. I can see plenty of discussion coming out of just 5 verses for one week!

Romans 5:1-5

A possible opening question: Why are you a Christian? Answer this as if you were talking to a member of your extended family.

Looking at the text

Verse 1. “Therefore” – as always, the word therefore tells us that the writer (Paul) has finished an argument. We can refer to his discussion from chapters 2-4 or simply refer to chapter 4:25 “[Jesus] was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification”. The point is that we have been justified by faith – not by self-improvement, or earnest effort, or through sincerity toward God – but by “being fully persuaded that God [has] power to do what he [has] promised.” (4:21) He has promised us a clean record if we trust him.

If that is true, as Paul is convinced it is, then Paul tells us what to expect in the rest of verse 1: “we have peace with God”. Colin Buchanan sings “the greatest treasure in the whole wide world is peace with God!” Paul agrees. When Jesus appeared in the locked upper room after his resurrection (Luke 24) the words that he said to greet the disciples was: “Peace be with you.” Neither Jesus, nor Luke the writer, would have used those words randomly. The first thing Jesus teaches his disciples after the resurrection is that they are now right with God! Paul reminds us that it is through our Lord Jesus Christ – we mustn’t forget this. Jesus has made peace between man and God! Apart from Him there is hostility and wrath.

Verse 2. “through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.” Paraphrased: Jesus is the reason for our peace with God. What have we gained access to? It is grace. What is grace? It is an undeserved and priceless gift from God. What is the gift? It is the status of justified and therefore peace with God. Paul makes it very clear as he says over and over again that we have been saved through Christ and not of ourselves at all. How some religions who call themselves Christian can miss what Paul is saying is beyond me – although I know it is because of sin that blinds us.

“And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.” Paraphrased: Our eyes and our hearts are set straight on the reputation of God. Or, what we know and can bank on is that God will be proven right and powerful. The phrase ‘glory of God’ can be a slippery term since it is used in various ways in the bible – the glory of God seems to be his seen, displayed and published qualities – his wealth, worth and reputation. So, we can say when we look at a beautiful landscape which God has created “isn’t God glorious”. And when Moses was in the direct presence of God he could say that he saw the glory of God. John Piper describes the glory of God simply as God being advertised – his character, his attributes and everything about him being published to the world. We see hints of God’s glory as we look at creation or the work of the Spirit in the lives of Christians. One day we will see God face to face – in all his glory. There may be a loose but relevant connection between the words ‘glory’ and ‘boast’ in this passage. We can boast in the knowledge that God is worth boasting about. We can also boast when sufferings come because we see behind the curtain and know that God is at work.

Verse 3-4. “We also glory in our sufferings.” To glory in something or glorify something is to give it weight and worth. So our sufferings are not a mistake of Gods as if he has fixed the problem of the penalty of sin but not fixed the consequences of it. No, Paul says that our suffering produces perseverance. This strengthens our faith. Our faith is put to the test and we grow through it. Paul then says that this produces character. As the Christian grows we see the maturity which comes through the Spirit as we also trust God more and more and can be seen as standing firm in our faith. Our character or our life in Christ is chiselled to reveal the image of God clearer and clearer. Character produces hope. We see God working in us and others see this too and this only adds to the hope which we started out with. Notice the relationship between hope and suffering. Our hope is in God. He has done it and we are proud of that. Suffering is a gift (strangely so) from God which results in more hope or surer hope.

Verse 5. Paul’s method is to build upon things that he has said previously. He introduces here the element of the Holy Spirit which he will amplify later in chapter 8. The word hope, in Paul’s usage, does not equal wishful thinking. The fact that the Holy Spirit is given to all believers is the guarantee that God’s promises are true. This is where Christians can get a little confused and anxious: “How do I know if I have the Holy Spirit or not?” Well, remember how Jesus described the Spirit in John 3? You can’t see the spirit just like you can’t see wind. But you can see the leaves blowing on the tree and know that it wasn’t the tree that came alive and did that – it was the wind. Just so, when a person displays the work of the Spirit, then you know that they have the spirit in them. So, what should we be looking for? Look for faith! See Romans 10:9; Ephesians 1:13; John 16:13.

How is God’s love poured out? The Spirit of God is active in the hearts of every believer to believe and to respond to the promises of God. Our faith which is in God through Jesus is available to us by the Spirit. God loves us through his Son and by his Spirit.

Questions to ask

Is all suffering for this same purpose? In answering this, think about where suffering comes from and what our hope is in – are they always connected?

What do we know about the Holy Spirit? Actually, doing a word search throughout the bible on the word “spirit” is a really useful way of working this out (obviously) but many of us form our opinions and ideas from guesswork. The scriptures aren’t as mysterious as you’d think about the spirit. The Start Living course run by the church has a two lessons which overlap on the subject of the Holy Spirit – the God’s Big Picture Plus course has one lesson on the work of the Spirit also.

What does it mean to persevere? Is this a type of work? Think through practical ways that we can do this.

Applications from these verses

• See how important it is to have peace with God. Paul has spent a couple of chapters convincing us that this is not true for those who continue to suppress the truth. Isn’t this the primary point or problem of the bible: to bring peace back between humanity and God?
• Paul has pointed out that there is no peace with God apart from the LORD Jesus Christ. Christianity is not just a matter of taste, it is an essential truth for the survival of our souls. Reflect again on where this truth sits in your own priorities in life.
• These 5 verses can help us to view suffering correctly. Whether they are huge things or even small, suffering because of sin (yours and the world you live it) is an agent of growth for the Christian. James tells us to rejoice when we face various trials!
• What do you know of the Holy Spirit? Work out a plan to read through the scriptures to find out more. Read Romans 8 as a starting place – or work out when to do the Start Living course.

The Bible Text

Romans 1:16-17
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans+1%3A16-17&version=NIVUK
Context
Paul introduced himself to the church at Rome as one who was called by God for the purpose of proclaiming the gospel (v1, 9) to the Gentiles (v5, 13) – ie, non-Jews. He described the gospel as pertaining to the person of Jesus Christ (v3) – the promised Messiah – and the power of God displayed in the resurrection (v4). The gospel is also about an obedience that comes from faith (v5) and of belonging to Jesus Christ (v6).
The faith of the Roman church is widely known (v8) and Paul longs to visit them so that they can both encourage one another by their faith (v12). Paul is committed (or tied/bound) to preaching the gospel to Greek and non-Greeks, ie to Greeks and beyond! (v14
Structure
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel
​because it is the power of God
​​​that brings salvation
​​​​​to everyone who believes:
​​​​​​​first the Jew,
​​​​​​​then to the Gentile [lit. Greek].

17 ​For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed
​​​​ – a righteousness that is by faith from first to last,
​​just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’

NB the focus of these verses is the statement (I am not ashamed of the Gospel) and the comprehensive reason why: the gospel explains the righteousness of God. The text above is given a new line for each clause that expands on the previous. So, ‘the power of God’ ‘brings salvation’. This salvation is ‘to everyone who believes’. When he says everyone, he means ‘Jew’ and the rest of the world! (Greek culture was dominant throughout the middle east and Europe and Paul had stated in verse 14 that he wanted the gospel to go even beyond the known world!)

Notes on the Text
V16.
‘For’ tells us that Paul is giving this statement to explain why he is so passionate about visiting the Romans to share his faith (v12) and for preaching the gospel into all the world (v14-15). Why is he committing all his time and energy and life into this gospel? Verses 16-17 are his answer – and the rest of the book expand on the teaching here!
‘I am not ashamed’ – in the positive, this statement might read: I am proud or boastful of the gospel! I will shout it from the rooftops – like a one-eyed football supporter on grand final night. Paul is not shy or bashful to speak of this gospel. There is no place on the earth where he would choose to keep his mouth shut about it.
‘the gospel’ – what is the gospel? Paul describes that It brings salvation and that it is the power of God. Earlier, he described it’s content (see context above).
‘It is the power of God’ – it is the work, power, ability and strength of God. See 2 Tim 1:8; 1Co 1:18; Rom 1:4; 1Co 1:24; 1Cor 4:20; Phil 3:10; 2 Tim 3:5. The gospel is not merely a philosophy or hopeful thinking – it is God’s works done on the cross and his resurrection and his continued transformation of sinners from death to life that is being proclaimed!
‘brings salvation’ – notice that salvation has been brought to us and not bought! This is a tiny difference in language that makes an immense difference in practice. Paul will spend the first three chapters of Romans describing how sinful the human race is. There is no contribution that we do or can make to obtain or earn or barter for salvation. It is the grace of God. A gift. The message that describes the gospel delivers to the ears of believers the power of God to transform them from guilty to not guilty.
‘to everyone who believes’ – although it is a free gift, it is one that needs to be communicated and believed. God has not done a deal to cure sin behind closed doors, like grown-ups paying for school fees t the ignorance of their children. Salvation has been one on the human stage, at the cross, so that the good news could be described and the story retold and so people could choose to believe.
‘first the Jew and then the gentile’ – one school of thought teaches that all Jews will be saved and that salvation is a priority to them. It seems easiest, in the context of Paul’s own words, to think that God gave the Jews the first privilege of hearing the gospel through the OT scriptures and then through the personal testimony of The Lord Jesus Christ. Paul has made it his priority to take the god news to the Gentiles. He is not waiting around Jerusalem for all the Jews to respond.

V17
‘For’ – why is Paul not ashamed of the gospel? Because it reveals the righteousness of God.
‘righteousness of God’ – this describes the truth that all things done by God are right. He is the father of light and in him there is no darkness. He is holy. All his ways are just. Righteousness is almost synonymous with justified. God is justified when he speaks and acts. The question is, how can sinners who are guilty be set free without punishment? How can a just God allow that? The answer is the Gospel. The righteousness of God is the grace of God and the grace of God is the righteousness of God! When the gospel is understood, it is seen that God is justified and righteous.
This righteousness is for us and it is obtained by faith (eph 2:8-9). Faith is all about trust that is handed over to the Father. I am saved because I trust God and pursue a life of trusting him deeper and deeper. My salvation begins by surrendering my life to God and continues that way. Salvation is not the beginning of a life of trying to stay saved by works. The only works I do is the pursuit of continued trust in Him who saved me. That is why Paul ends with ‘the righteous shall live by faith’. The Christian life ought to be defined by faith. Not bible knowledge or outward appearances but by a trust in God.

Theme
The passion of and for the gospel appears as a strong theme here. The content of the gospel message must be gleaned from many parts of scripture to get a complete picture – indeed Paul does an outstanding job for us in all of Romans! – but this passage focuses on the reason for Paul devoting all his life, prayers and duties to proclaiming it.
The gospel as the power of God. That is, the good news is no mere philosophy or Sunday religion. It is God at work in the world! Many will look for signs and miracles and prosperity through religion but the gospel is a revealed knowledge of how God is truly and faithfully and consistently at work in the world. You want to see the power of a God? Look at all who have been transformed by the great news that salvation has come to sinners. Preach the gospel and watch what happens.
Application

• know the gospel. Is it something that has grabbed your heart?
• is your Christian faith something that you keep hidden?
• the world needs to hear the good news and we are able to pray for gospel workers and support them or go ourselves.
• mission work needn’t be far away. We have plenty of opportunies in our lives to take the gospel to others. What is your plan for doing that?

Prayer
Dear Father in heaven, we praise you for the passion you have displayed for this world. We thank you for the gift of salvation that we can receive by faith. Change us, we pray, to be people who are passionate about the gospel. May we not be ashamed to take the message that describes your power and share it in our world. Amen.

Questions
What does it mean to be a Christian?
Are you able to share your Christian story in around 2 minutes?
What does it mean to live by faith?