Romans
A Hope of Glory Study
Romans Lesson 11
March 31, 2022 • Meg Rice
We are coming to the end of Paul’s letter to the Romans. Paul has put forth remarkable insight into the power of God and our weakness as human beings. Chapters 14 and 15 are a continuation of what kingdom living looks like. This section began with Paul’s declaration in Romans 12:1 "Therefore, I urge you brothers in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship."
Romans Lesson 10
March 24, 2022 • Meg Rice
Chapter 12 begins with the word "Therefore", so we need to see what it is "there for". In chapters 1-8, Paul gave us his beliefs about doctrine. In other words, he told us what we need to believe, or our right thinking about God and man. God has wrath against the sinfulness of man, BUT he has provided a way to be saved through his grace and that way is faith in Jesus as His Son. Chapters 9-11 are about the Jewish nation and God’s sovereignty. Because of God’s mercy and sovereignty, we move into the practical application of what righteous living looks like in chapters 12-16.
Romans Lesson 9
March 17, 2022 • Meg Rice
Romans 11 is the final connecting of the dots between Christianity and Judaism. To me, this chapter is one of the most intriguing in this letter. In chapters 9 and 10, Paul has been making logical Old Testament supported arguments in hopes to lead his Jewish brothers to accept Jesus as the Messiah. Yet he realizes that as a nation, Israel is refusing the offer of righteousness through faith in Jesus.
Romans Lesson 8
March 10, 2022 • Meg Rice
Romans 8 could arguably be the pinnacle of Paul’s letter to the Romans. At this point, Paul has argued that no one is saved by their heritage or their works (deeds). It is only through faith in Jesus Christ that grace and salvation come to man. He makes it clear that even the difficulties that we encounter in life, the tragedies, the heartaches are all used by God to bring about His divine plan. And his plan is for our good. In chapters 9 and 10, Paul looks to his Jewish brothers many of whom had not accepted Jesus of Nazareth as the long-awaited Messiah. His focus in Chapter 9 is the absolute sovereignty of God.
Romans - Lesson 7
March 3, 2022 • Meg Rice
Chapter 8 of Romans has changed the lives of many church leaders. It is a chapter that gives us hope for our world, hope for our family, and hope for ourselves. In the last lesson, Paul proclaimed that we are God’s children, part of his family, beloved by the Creator of the universe. The last lesson ended with verse 17, “Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God co-heirs with Christ if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may share in his glory.” These verses give us the hallelujahs and the heartaches in being a follower of Jesus Christ.
Romans Lesson 6
February 24, 2022 • Meg Rice
The first sentence of Romans 8 is one of the most important scriptures in the Bible. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” If you were a Jew at the time of Paul, the Law of Moses, (the 10 Commandments and subsequent laws recorded in Leviticus) were the lynchpin of the Jewish faith and their acceptance by God. From the law came the sacrificial system. This chapter of Romans is about our emancipation from the requirements of the Law which focused on sin and death.
Romans Lesson 5
February 17, 2022 • Meg Rice
I love the next two chapters of Romans. They let you into the thought process of Paul. These two chapters seem to be Paul’s responses to challenging questions that he encountered as he was clarifying doctrine. Remember, Paul is addressing this letter to Christians in Rome many of whom were of Jewish heritage. We will see in further chapters that Paul has a passion to convince his fellow Jewish brothers that Christ is the long-awaited Messiah.
Romans - Lesson 3
February 3, 2022 • Meg Rice
Paul has made an argument that all of us fall short of the glory of God. Our feeble efforts at “being sinless” fall woefully short. Yet Paul makes it clear that “Now, righteousness from God apart from the law, has been made known….This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ.” (Romans 3:21-22). Paul now turns his focus back to the patriarch, Abraham. We need to remember that the Jews at the time of Jesus thought they had an inside track to the Living God. For them, being in the bloodline of Abraham, the rite of circumcision, and the Law of Moses meant they were part of the kingdom of God. They looked down on the Gentiles who were the idol-worshiping pagans.
Romans - Lesson 2
January 27, 2022 • Meg Rice
Paul has given a scathing accusation of those who worship idols and fall into the degradation of sin, but he is not finished with those who are not righteous. In chapter 2 he looks at the moralist or those who may be today’s pew sitters and are more than ready to pronounce judgment on others.
Romans - Lesson 1
January 20, 2022 • Meg Rice
The church in Rome was not started by Paul as many others throughout the known world were. It is believed that after Pentecost, Jewish believers returned to Rome and the seeds of faith flourished. Over time it seems this church had many Gentiles or pagans along with believing Jews. Paul desired to go to Rome, which was the seat of power in the ancient world. To win Rome for Christ meant a giant leap for Christianity.
Introduction to Romans
January 13, 2022 • Meg Rice
This last fall we studied Nehemiah which tells a story. Romans is about doctrine. The theme of Romans is the righteousness of God. In the world we live in today, it is sometimes difficult to see how God is working, how his righteousness is winning. The coronavirus, the global tumult, our nation's divisive attitudes, the rise of crime, all of these can contribute to fear, doubt, and unrest. This can lead us to question the power of God and the plan of God. Romans addresses these thoughts head-on. God does not want us to despair but to prepare. Where Nehemiah taught us how to rebuild our faith, church, and nation, Romans addresses our heart and our faith walk. If this 16-chapter letter to the Romans can change the heart of our historical giants of faith, then it can change our hearts too. If Romans can be the catalyst for a faith awakening like it was in England, then it can do it again in our world today. So, let’s go deep, hold on tight, buckle your seat belts and be ready to be transformed by the “renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2) as we journey through Romans together.