Book 20

 

Through the Bible with Les Feldick

LESSON 2 * PART 3 * BOOK 20

ROMANS 1:16

Let’s begin with our definition of salvation. We’ve listed several words connected with salvation, so we’ll continue with that study. “The next item that God did on our behalf the moment we believed, is that God reckoned us as crucified with Christ.” This isn’t a progressive unfolding upon us. This an act of God instantaneously the moment we believed, and what makes this term “Salvation” so fantastic. God has done all of this without even checking me out to see if I’m worthy of it! So as we study these words associated with salvation, remember these are acts of God, no man can touch them. He alone has done it all! Crucifixion aims at only one thing – death! So you and I as believers have been in the mind of God, put to death. He had to do it that way, because this goes back to the very first law that God gave to the human race, when He told Adam and Eve, and Ezekiel the following:

Genesis 2:17

“But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Then He puts it in just a slightly different way to Ezekiel: “The soul that sinneth shall surely die.”

So if God’s law has determined that every human being is a sinner because we are sons of Adam, then it means that every human being has to die. I don’t know if it’s the right term or not but I’ve often called it a loophole. A loophole is when the law says such and such, but smart lawyers find a way to get through it or around it. Well, God has given us a tremendous loophole to His first law, “The soul that sinneth shall surely die.” And that loophole was that He died in our place, but we still have to experience the same death that He experienced in the Person of Christ. And we called that substitution. Now Romans Chapter 6:

Romans 6:6a

“Knowing this, that our old man…”

Many people don’t know what the Scripture is talking about when it calls us the old man. Well, it’s the old Adamic nature that we are born with that is bent to rebellion. I’ve said: “You take that sweet innocent little new born baby, how soon will he or she sin?” Just as quick as they can. They will show it one way or another even in their total innocence. That little Adamic nature pops up, and they show fits of anger. Then when they get a little older, they can lie like the dickens. Did you teach them to lie? No! Where did it come from? That old Adamic nature. And when they get older still, they will start using bad language. Did you teach them? Probably not, but they know how to use it. Where did they get it? The old nature. And so we are all born with that old Adamic nature, which sins before we are old enough to know what’s what. And what is the decree? It has to die. God has demanded it. But here is the loophole. Reading verse 6 again:

Romans 6:6

“Knowing this, that our old man is crucified (it’s put to death) with him (Christ), that the body of sin (the controlling factor of old Adam) might be destroyed (or put out of commission, it has to have that power over us totally broken. No human endeavor can do that. Only the power of God can break the control of our old Adamic nature. We can’t do it. Oh, to a degree maybe. With Godly parents and a good home life, we can teach kids a certain amount of restraint and teach them not to do certain things, but there comes a point in the best person’s life when they’re still going to give in to the control of old Adam. The only way we can be delivered is that Adam has to die), that henceforth we should not serve sin.” God in a substitutionary manner died my death, He died your death in your place. Paul makes that plain in Galatians Chapter 2.

Galatians 2:20a

“I am crucified with Christ (do you see that? It’s just as plain as it can be): nevertheless I live (Paul wasn’t actually nailed to a Roman Cross, but he was crucified, and he’s alive); yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:…”

That’s called the new life. The new creation he speaks of in II Corinthians Chapter 5. We are a new creation. Why? Because old Adam has been put to death, he’s crucified, his power over our daily behavior has been broken, and he’s dead. And that’s what Paul experienced when he said:

Galatians 2:20

“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 (day by day, as we endure the things of this world) I live by the faith (or faithfulness) of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

It’s because of what Christ accomplished on our behalf, and what He is to us in our everyday experiences that we are able to cope. And so it’s through Christ’s faithfulness, and not ours. And when He said He gave Himself for me, then that’s substitutionary, and an act of God. So that when Christ hung on that Cross, and died, who else did God see in Christ? Every believer! And that is how we are reckoned as crucified. I didn’t make it up, The Book says it. I know that’s the way God looks at it! He said so! So it’s a matter of faith again. We just can’t comprehend these things, except through the eyes of faith. That when He died, you and I died. When He lay in the tomb, for all divine purposes, God saw you and I in the tomb; dead to the old life, and ready for Resurrection to the new. Now let’s turn to the Book of Ephesians Chapter 2. This is a natural follow up, this is written to every believer.

Ephesians 2:1

“AND you hath (past tense) he quickened (Made alive! Why did He have to make us alive? Because He crucified us. He put old Adam to death on the Cross, He reckoned us in the tomb, but He couldn’t leave us there anymore than He could have left Christ in the tomb. Our faith would be for nothing had He not risen from the dead, but He also made us alive), who were dead to trespasses and sins;” Now verse 5:

Ephesians 2:5

“Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ (by grace ye are saved;)”

Do you see how plain that is? Do you believe it? You had better, because that is what The Book says. And so He has quickened us together with Christ, and not by works, or by joining something, but by Grace. The unmerited favor of God accomplished all these things. So it’s by Grace you are saved.

Ephesians 2:6

“And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:”

You don’t feel like you are sitting together in heaven tonight do you? I don’t either, but we are so far as God is concerned. We are already seated in the heavenlies in the Person of Christ. This is beyond comprehension. But The Book declares it, and we had better believe it! God already sees us as together with Him in the heavenlies. Then verses 8 and 9 are favorites of many believers.

Ephesians 2:8,9

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

Remember this is a gift, and we don’t have to work for it. Wouldn’t heaven be a boring place if every believer you met would collar you and say, “Hey, can I tell you what I did to get here?” That wouldn’t be heaven. But that isn’t going to happen. Every believer is going to say the same thing, “I’m here for one reason, the finished work of the Cross, Faith plus nothing.” Then we don’t have any room to boast. Even if you said it’s faith plus working to keep it, then you could boast on what you did to keep your salvation. No! We have to reckon that God has done everything, and we have done nothing but appropriate it by faith. Amazing Grace! Turn to II Corinthians Chapter 5. This is the nitty gritty of everyday Christian living. This is what every believer has to set his hooks into to strengthen his faith, and not be blown about with every wind of doctrine. This is fundamental, and it all began with what God did on our behalf.

II Corinthians 5:14,15

“For the love love of Christ constraineth us (it drives us on); because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.” The Gospel plain as day.

But Grace is not a license. Just because God has declared us forgiven, justified, redeemed, and reconciled, that doesn’t mean we can live as we please, but it brings a love requirement, such a debt for such love that we should want to do all we can to please Him.

II Corinthians 5:16

“Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.”

Paul is referring to Christ’s earthly ministry. Was any of this taught in the Four Gospels? No, because this is all based on His death, burial, and Resurrection, and that hadn’t happened yet. They couldn’t teach doctrine based on His death, burial, and Resurrection. So I maintain you won’t find any of this in the Four Gospels. It’s impossible. I know men were justified in the Old Testament, but not on the same basis as you and I are under Grace. So Paul says he doesn’t even look back at Christ’s earthly ministry. That isn’t where our doctrines lie. Paul and Christ were about the same age. I’m sure that Saul of Tarsus (that religious Jew) was fretting and fuming every time someone came to the Temple area and told him what Jesus was doing. Oh, Paul knew all about Him, as he says in verse 16. Even though he never had a personal contact so far as we know from Scripture, he knew all about Him. Now verse 17, and this is the verse I wanted to bring you to.

II Corinthians 5:17

“Therefore (because of His work of the Cross) if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

In other words, when old Adam dies, God imparts to us a new divine nature. And that new nature, beloved, cannot sin, because it’s divine. It is placed there by an act of God, but we still have the old flesh, the old Adam that is still capable of tripping us up, but so far as the new nature is concerned, “No it can’t sin.” Verse 18:

II Corinthians 5:18

“And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;”

We hear a lot about reconciliation lately, broken families, and homes. What’s the best thing that can happen usually? To be reconciled. To be brought back together, and into full fellowship. It’s a lot like redemption. In redemption you have lost control of something. And the only way you can gain control is to buy it back. Someone that has need of reconciliation has been separated, and this is what God wants to do with the whole human race.

II corinthians 5:19

“To wit (that is to say), that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”

I maintain that when Christ died, He paid the sin debt for every human being that ever lived. No one need wake up in eternal doom, and say, “Well, God didn’t supply my needs.” Yes He did! I gave this illustration once. A man had committed a murder, and was convicted and sentenced to death. While he was waiting in death row to pay for his crime the governor of the state pardoned him and wrote a pardon for him. In the man’s anger and rebellion he tore up his pardon and stomped it on the floor, not realizing what it was. So he went to the gallows to be hanged. Just before the trap door was to be opened they asked him if he had anything to say. He said, “Yes, tell the world I’m not dying for murdering a man, I’m dying because I rejected my pardon.” That’s exactly where every human being is. They have all been pardoned. They have been reconciled, they’ve had everything done on their behalf that needed to be done, but some don’t believe it. They stomp it underfoot. And so they will go to their eternal doom, not because of their sins, but rather their “UNBELIEF!”They have rejected the pardon. They refuse to hear The Gospel by which they are saved. The pity of it is that He has reconciled the world to Himself. Now reading verse 19 again:

II Corinthians 5:19

“To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them;…

I think too many people think that lost people are going to go out to their doom because of their sins. Now that will enter into it no doubt, because they will be judged at the Great White Throne according to the books. Plural. But it isn’t their sins that’s condemning them, but their unbelief. Turn to Hebrews for a graphic illustration. In Chapter 3 we find Paul rehashing the activity of Israel when they rejected the Land of Promise at Kadesh Barnea. God had promised He would send hornets ahead of them to drive out the Canaanites. By the time Israel was ready to settle, the Canaanites would be moving out ahead of them. But the children of Israel rejected it. They said, “No, we can’t take the land, we are like grasshoppers in their sights. The cities are walled, we can’t defeat the Canaanites.” So they wept that night and all the next day. The Land was in front of them, but they couldn’t take it. What it all boiled down to we see at the end of this chapter:

Hebrews 3:15-19

“While it is said, `To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? And to whom swear he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that (had sinned so grossly? No but rather because they) believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.” This all happened at Kadesh Barnea with the incident of the twelve spies.

 

Through the Bible with Les Feldick

LESSON 2 * PART 2 * BOOK 20

MANIFOLD RESULTS OF SALVATION

We are still dealing with the word `salvation’ coming out of Romans 1:16. So when we are through with the word `salvation’ we will go back and pick up in Romans 1:18. I probably have 12 or 13 aspects on my mind that we need to cover. The “imputed righteousness” of God is involved in the plan of salvation. In other words the moment we believe, God, by an act of imputation, covered us, or gave to our account his righteousness. It’s none of ours, but rather all of His. We can pick this up in Romans Chapter 3 and let’s start at 19:

Romans 3:19

“Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law (now who was under the law? The Jew, Israel, Judaism, Temple worship): that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.”

How far out does the Law reach? Everybody. It was given to the Jew, he practiced it, it was his religion, and his approach to God. But the Law as we understand the Law, primarily the Ten Commandments, didn’t stop with the Jew; it reached out to every last human being, not to save them, because the Law couldn’t save a Jew either. But only to condemn! This is where people have totally misconstrued the role of the Law. It was never intended to save a Jew, all it was ever to do was show him his guilt. The Law was on cold tables of stone. It wasn’t anything that you would like to embrace and hold to your breast. It just sat there, and could do nothing to help that person keep it, and it could do nothing to help someone keep from stealing or anything that it names. All it could do is condemn, guilty, guilty, guilty. And it didn’t just stop with the Jew, but it convicts the Gentiles just as thoroughly as it does the Jew. Reading on:

Romans 3:20

“Therefore by the deeds of the law (in other words, by doing what the law commanded, by doing good) there shall no flesh be justified in his sight (the law can’t do anything to justify a person): for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” Jesus took the law even further. He took it where no one could wiggle out from under it. He said even if you think a wrong, then you’ve broken the Law.

Romans 3:21

“But (here comes the flip side, remember we are under a whole difference set of circumstances. Christ has died and paid the sin debt. He’s been buried, and raised from the dead, and ascended to the Father’s right hand, and He’s interceding for us) now the righteousness of God (not the individual) without the law is (do you see that? That just puts legalism out in the cold) manifested (being put under the spot light), being witnessed by the law and the prophets (the Old Testament).”

I remember years ago a group of men approached me, and they wanted me to help them start a work in the ministry, and the first thing they told me as we began to visit about some of the things, was that they didn’t want any Old Testament taught. I just stopped that conversation, and said I was going home, because I had nothing to teach if I couldn’t use the Old Testament. You’ve got to use the whole Bible because the Scripture all dovetails together. Paul says it so beautifully here. That even though the law has nothing to do with our salvation with the imputing of righteousness from God to us, yet everything that you and I enjoy in this Age of Grace rests on what took place back there in the Old Testament. Now verse 22:

Romans 3:22

“Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe (do you see that? People don’t like that, they want to add something else to that little word. They will always say they’ve got to do this or that. No you don’t – you believe. Now when I talk about believing I’m talking about really believing. I’m not talking about a head knowledge. I’m talking about when you get to the place that you can rest on these things, and can say, “I believe it with all my heart, I have no doubt. I may not understand it, but I believe it for my salvation”): for there is no difference:”

Paul again is referring to Jew and Gentile. What does it mean to have imputed righteousness? Let’s go all the way back to the first man that experienced it. We find that in Genesis Chapter 3. The man who plunged the whole human race under the curse and made everyone of us a sinner by birth. He was also the first one to experience imputed righteousness, that God alone could impute. Now remember, that word `imputed’ was a bookkeeping term in Paul’s day. And it was like putting it to the account.

Genesis 3:21

“Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins (that implies a sacrificial animal. He had to kill an animal to get their skins, and that of course satisfied the requirement of a blood sacrifice which we know that He demanded. This we will see later in Chapter 4 with Abel. So He kills the sacrificial animals, uses their skins to provide Adam and Eve’s clothing, to take the place of the fig leaves that were their idea), and clothed them.”

Now many people read that and think that it was just the physical clothing that he put on them. We are dealing with the spiritual phenomena here, and it’s the restoration of Adam and Eve back into a relationship with their Creator. And it had to be the bloodbought way, and that’s why he had to kill the animal. The only way God can receive lost persons is by the shedding of blood.

Hebrews 9:22

“And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.” Never has been, nor will be. We don’t hear much about the blood anymore, but that doesn’t take it away. So Adam and Eve have an imputed righteousness that clothed them. You may say, “How do you get that?” It is explained so beautifully in Isaiah Chapter 61. This is exactly what Adam and Eve experienced even as Isaiah did. An imputed covering clothing of God’s righteousness.

Isaiah 61:10

“I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he (God) hath clothed me with the garments of salvation (Salvation is always used the same way. For example, someone is about to go bankrupt, but a rich uncle dies, and leaves him a lot of money. What’s the death of that uncle? It’s the salvation of this old boy that’s about to go broke. All of a sudden he’s made whole. That’s what salvation has always meant, it’s bringing someone out of a destitute place), he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness,…”

And isn’t that what we read in verse 22 of Romans 3? He covers us. You and I can’t look at each other and see our own righteousness. It’s impossible. But when God looks at us He doesn’t see my righteousness or yours, but God sees His own righteousness. The imputed righteousness that He has provided. That just leaves us out of the picture all together. There is nothing we can do for our salvation but believe it. We must keep our hands off, and that’s hard for a lot of us to do. Now reading that verse again:

Isaiah 61:10

“I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.”

Even the plainest of girls is always beautiful when? At her wedding! We’ve been to a lot of weddings, and I have never seen a bride that wasn’t beautiful. And I think that’s why the Scripture uses that analogy. When God looks at us He sees something beautiful, but remember he doesn’t see us but rather Himself. Now back to Romans Chapter 3. The same thing that happened to Adam and Isaiah, has happened to us if we are believers. And that is that He has covered us with an “imputed righteousness.” His righteousness and not our own. The Scriptures tell us that our righteousness is as filthy rags. And you and I don’t even want to think what a filthy rag was in the Scriptural account. But God sees His own righteousness. Now after we have imputed righteousness as part of our salvation we are `justified.’ And we find justified in verse 24.

Romans 3:24

“Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:”

We are justified freely without paying anything for it. And my definition of justification is a judicial act of God as the judge sitting on the bench, and that act of God looked down on you and I, the believing sinner, now entering into this great plan of salvation, and He says, “That because you have believed the Gospel, I now declare you just as if you have never sinned.” Now that’s justification! Oh that’s hard for people to swallow. We will come to another one just a little later, `Forgiven.’ Why can God justify us? Because we are forgiven. How can He forgive us? Because we’re justified. And it is all rolled together, and is all involved in that one word `Salvation.’ Which, of course, is prompted by The power of God.Nothing that man can do. Let’s read the verse again:

Romans 3:24a

“Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption…”

We have also been `redeemed,’ and what does that mean? We are bought with a price that has been paid by Someone. Redemption still holds that same definition even today. If you have hocked something at the pawn shop, and all of a sudden you come along with enough bucks to go back to get it, what do you have to do? You have to redeem it. You have to buy it back, and that’s the picture of the human race all through Scripture. Adam fell, and God lost the human race, so what did He have to do? He had to redeem it. And the only way He could redeem it was to pay the price. And Peter says at the close of his life in his little Epistle that you haven’t been redeemed with silver and gold, but rather by the precious Blood of Christ. That’s the price of redemption. If you don’t like the blood, then don’t expect to be redeemed. Without the shedding of blood there can be no remission.

God isn’t some Santa Clause up there that we can manipulate, and there are a lot of people who think He is. He isn’t! God is absolute, He’s Sovereign, He’s Holy, He’s just, and it’s going to be done His way, or no way at all. So He has laid down some of the basic truths, and I don’t care if the liberals do throw it out. Let them. They are the ones that are going to suffer the loss. But we had better hang on to the fundamentals. There are some things that have to be fundamental. You go into the professionals, and we have plenty of professional people here, if they digress away from the fundamentals of their profession, and I don’t care what it is, where are they going to end up? Probably in court with a liability cause. You have to stay with the fundamentals in whatever you’re doing or you’re in trouble. And it’s the same way with this Book. We have to rest on these basic fundamentals, and one of them is, “Without faith it’s impossible to please God” and the second one is, “Without the shedding of blood there can be no remission.” Those are fundamentals and so now we are redeemed, we’re bought back with the precious Blood of Christ.

Let’s look at a couple of other verses so that we don’t just depend on one. Let’s go back to the Book of Ephesians Chapter 1. And this is what The Book says. Remember, here in Ephesians the phrase “in Christ” is used over 90 times.

Ephesians 1:7

“In whom (speaking of Christ) we have redemption through his blood (there is no other way), the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

Notice how these words all fit together to fill that word `salvation.’ And every one of these words we have discussed and will be discussing, can you take them and handle them? Can you lay them out on a table, or put them under a microscope? No, not one of them. They are all intangible, they are all invisible, so how do we know they happen? By faith, and faith alone. That’s the only way I know I have been forgiven. I don’t have any great plaque on my wall at home from God that tells me I’m forgiven. Or any decree that says, “Hey, Les, you’re justified, you’re redeemed.” None of us have any thing like that. What do we have? The promises of this Book. It says it and because The Book says it, then I know that it’s happened. You just claim these verses. You just say, “Now God, this is what You said, and I believe it.” And God increases that faith, and the more faith we have the more we can believe it, and that’s how we grow in Grace and knowledge. Now let’s look at another one in Colossians Chapter 1. We’re still dealing with the aspect of redemption.

Colossians 1:14

“In whom we have (past tense, it’s an absolute, this is it!) redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:”

So we are a forgiven people. You know I’m always warning people that when we talk about believers coming before the judgment seat of Christ, I imagine there are a lot of believers that think that somehow sin is going to be dealt with at the judgment seat of Christ. No way. You will never face your sin when you come up into glory. Your sins have been judged already, they were judged there at the Cross. They are under the Blood. We will come before His judgment seat only to see what rewards we have, for how we have behaved as a believer down here. The judgment seat is never intended to determine your eternal destiny. My, if you haven’t gotten it by that time you never will have, and you won’t be in heaven in the first place.

Now the Great White Throne Judgment is a different story. That’s going to be only for the lost of all ages. Cain and everyone else who has been rebellious, and has had no faith. No believer will be at that judgment, and no lost person will be at the judgment seat of Christ. We are going to be there because we have been redeemed and we have been bought with a price.

Now let’s touch on `forgiven.’ What does it mean to be forgiven? Well it means that God has wiped the slate clean. He no longer has a controversy with you and I as a sin problem between us and Him. It’s done! Now granted, in our Christian walk we are going to fail, we’re going to sin, and fall, but that isn’t what God is dealing with in salvation. That’s something else. After we are a child of God, He will deal with our daily sins, and failures by the matter of confession. And He’s going to recognize, “Yes, you are forgiven” all sins. You mean what I commit tomorrow has already been forgiven? That’s what the Scriptures say. Does that give me license? Absolutely not. You know that. I have never advocated that. I read a great theologian’s book out of London, and he said in that book, “If you really teach and preach the Gospel of Grace as Paul did, then you are going to be accused from time to time of teaching that people who are saved have licenses to sin.” That is just part of the criticism. Paul said the same thing. “I’ve been slanderously reported” But we must understand that God’s Grace was so great that He forgave past, present, and future based on His Grace, but that’s not license. We still have to walk, and work, pleasing in His sight. Don’t tell me you can go out and commit gross sins and still be pleasing in His sight. That’s absolutely not Scriptural.

 

Through the Bible with Les Feldick

LESSON 2 * PART 1 * BOOK 20

MANIFOLD RESULTS OF SALVATION

Let’s pick up where we were at the close of the last lesson. I mentioned in the last lesson the word `salvation’ there in Romans 1:16:

Romans 1:16

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation…”

I’ve made the comment that sometimes new versions just totally water down that word `Salvation,’ and even multitudes of church people do not really comprehend what is in the one word “Salvation.” Most people think of Salvation as just a fire escape, and that means that they are going to escape going to hell, and they are going to Heaven when they die. But you see the word `salvation’ implies so much more than that. I mentioned in our last lesson that I certainly didn’t have time to list all the words and their aspects of Salvation in a 30 minute study. But I would like to take time and run Scripture on some of these words that are associated with the word `Salvation.’ It may take all four lessons to just define that one word. So let’s start back in I Corinthians Chapter 15, because salvation is based upon the Gospel, and again, there is only one portion of Scripture that lays out the Gospel so completely and clearly, and yet so simply in these first four verses. When Paul refers to the Gospel this is what he is referring to.

I Corinthians 15:1-3a

“MOREOVER, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand (that is positionally); By which also ye are saved(nothing else saves us), if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received,…”

Now always remember, Paul is so adamant about not receiving his Gospel from the earthly ministry of Christ. He did not go back down to Jerusalem and check in with the Twelve. But instead he had his own private seminary training with the ascended Lord from heaven, out there on the desert. And when he came away from that experience he begins these doctrines of Grace. I have also been so stringent in maintaining that our Gospel has to come primarily from the writings of this Apostle, because he is revealing things that are revealed to him from The Lord after His Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension, from where He is now seated at the Father’s right hand. So always keep that in mind. In fact the Book of Hebrews Chapter 6:1 tells us:

Hebrews 6:1a

“THEREFORE leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ,…”

Now what does that mean? Well you don’t just stay there, those are elementary principles, and you don’t stay in the elementary, you move on. I’ve always used the analogy of our high school in our secular education. There is no way you can go into higher mathematics if you haven’t had third and fourth grade arithmetic. It’s utterly impossible. But you don’t stay in third and fourth grade arithmetic, you move on, building on what you have learned. And it’s the same way with the Scriptures. You must keep moving on to further revelations and move from Christ’s earthly ministry to the much deeper things that He revealed to the Apostle Paul. Now when the Apostle Paul says that he is referring us to what he has received, then we must sit up and take notice. Now, reading on about the Gospel in I Corinthians. Verse 3 again:

I Corinthians 15:3,4

“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins… And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”

It was all back there in the Old Testament. It was all prophesied, but it was never really explained. No one understood, but now it comes out so plain that when He died, He died for the sins of the world, as full payment for the sin penalty. But He didn’t stay dead, He arose from the dead victorious over sin and Satan and death and Hell! And because He lives, we live. So that’s the Gospel, “That He died for our sins, was buried, and rose again.” Now while we are in I Corinthians, let’s back up a few pages to Chapter 1. Remember, this is all Paul knows throughout all his Epistles. The preaching of what He calls my Gospel, the Gospel of the Grace of God, the Gospel of Christ, the Gospel of God, and that’s all he knows. Now in I Corinthians Chapter 1, if you will come down to verse 18 you will see what I’m talking about.

I Corinthians 1:18

“For the preaching of the cross (do you see that?) is to them that perish foolishness (it doesn’t mean anything, and we will see how the world treats this Gospel a little later in Chapter 1); but unto us which are saved it (The Gospel, the preaching of the Cross) is the power of God.”

I can’t emphasize the power of God enough. Because this flys in the face of reformers. This flys in the face of good works people. There are so many people who think and preach that you have to earn your way into heaven. How can anyone even think that way There is nothing that we can do but take what God has offered. Now let’s drop down to verse 23:

I Corinthians 1:23

“But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block (overall they never could accept Who He said He was), and unto the Greeks foolishness;”

With all their high level intellectual philosophy, they were to believe that this humble carpenter from Nazareth accomplished everything that Paul says He accomplished. Foolishness! But now verse 24:

I Corinthians 1:24

“But unto them which are called (the true believer), both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.”

See, that’s a power that man can’t even begin to touch. And we are going to see it’s a power that has been exercised on our behalf that we can’t explain except by faith. Let’s look at a couple of verses and one of them is in the Book of Ephesians Chapter 1. Remember, Paul always wrote to believers, and for the most part Gentile believers. So he says to the Ephesian believers what he could just as well be writing to believers today:

Ephesians 1:13

“In whom ye also trusted (believed), after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation (believing that Christ died, was buried and rose again): in whom also after that ye believed (notice there is nothing else added, only believe), ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.”

My, what a loaded verse! You know I’ve had people almost drop their eye teeth as I read this verse. Most will tell you that this flys in the face of everything that they have been taught since infancy. But there is nothing in here that can deal with an infant. An infant can’t believe or understand the Gospel. This is something that someone has to be old enough to know right and wrong and that they are a sinner and need Salvation. They must be old enough to understand The Gospel that Christ died for them. Do you see that? And then after they have heard The Gospel and believed it, then God moves in and He seals us with the Holy Spirit of promise. Now before we go back to Romans let’s turn to II Peter for a verse. This is a verse we look at periodically, because it’s also such a loaded verse, and you very seldom see anyone use this verse because they are afraid of it or don’t understand it at all. This is at the end of his ministry and shortly before he is martyred. Paul’s Gospel has been on the scene now a good many years, and even though I think Peter had a hard time comprehending it at the beginning (and he still hasn’t really gotten the full knowledge of it), he knows at least enough to tell us this much:

II Peter 3:15a

“And account (or understand) that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation;…”

That’s the whole theme of this Book from the time man is created, and falls in Genesis Chapter 3, all the way to the end of this Book. It is a Book that is trying to bring about the salvation of a fallen human race. The whole theme of this Book! And in that regard you can find Christ in one form or another on almost every page from cover to cover. Because this is God’s main concern that the human race can find salvation, that’s why He has done so much. Verse 15 again:

II Peter 3:15,16

“And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things (what things? Salvation, and all that attends it); in which are some things hard to be understood,…”

Get back into Peter’s shoes. Peter was steeped in Judaism, steeped in legalism, steeped in Temple worship, steeped in all the Covenant promises coming out of the Old Testament for the Nation of Israel. Then for him to all of a sudden have to admit that God was not dealing anymore with the Nation of Israel on the Covenant promises, but instead, He is out to bring Salvation to the whole human race. That was unthinkable for him (reference Galatians 2:7-9). So Peter has a hard time with Paul’s Gospel, and I know he did. And even here at the close of his life, he’s still hedging just a little bit.

II Peter 3:16b

“…which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest (or twist), as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.”

You know I pointed out to the class last night, how many times can you take a rank liberal, or someone from a different religion all together, and they can speak of the Lord, and the Holy Spirit, and make you think that they know what they are talking about, and they know nothing. But they use all the right words, and that’s what Peter means here, that they twist the Scripture to their own destruction. Let’s go back to Romans Chapter 1, verse 16 again:

Romans 1:16a

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth;…”

Most people think it says to everyone that repents, is baptized and joins the church, but it doesn’t. Or to everyone that does good. Or to everyone that keeps the commandments. You see, it doesn’t say any of those things, but only to everyone that believeth the Gospel. Now why do I stress that from program to program? Let’s go for a moment to the Book of Hebrews Chapter 11:6 We haven’t looked at this verse in a long time. If only humanity could understand this. But the majority completely ignore it. They walk it underfoot:

Hebrews 11:6

“But without faith it is impossible to please him (God);…”

So what does God look for first and foremost? Faith! And when God doesn’t see faith there is nothing that He can do. You can go all the way back to Cain and Abel, and I imagine that Cain was probably a better guy than Abel was. He probably had a more noble personality, and a harder worker, but what was his problem? No Faith! He didn’t believe what God said.Abel did! Esau and Jacob are another perfect example. Esau was probably a better man than Jacob, so far as worldly views were concerned, but why couldn’t God use Esau? No Faith!He didn’t believe a thing concerning what God had said. The Nation of Israel, what was God’s constant controversy with that nation? They wouldn’t believe Him. After all that He had done on their behalf, and the visible manifestation of His power, yet they just couldn’t believe. He said, “Why didn’t they enter into their rest? Because of unbelief!” What’s the problem with the world tonight? It certainly isn’t the lack of technology, or education and intelligence, and the ability to read. What’s the problem then? They can’t believe it when they read it, or hear it. No Faith! And when there is no faith, you cannot even get close to pleasing God! It’s impossible. Back to Romans once again.

Romans 1:16b

“…to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

Now naturally, when Paul began his ministry back in the Book of Acts, we found that everywhere he went, he went to the Jew first in the synagogues. It was a logical place to start. Because after all, Israel had been the Covenant people of God, they had been steeped in the Word of God. They were the very writers of this Book, and so it was very logical that was the place to start. But after about thirty-some years, and they continued to reject it, Paul comes to that final statement, and says, “From henceforth we go to the Gentiles.” And so for the past 1900 + years, this precious Gospel has been going primarily to the Gentiles, but it’s still open to a Jew. However, he now is going to have to come the same way we do because Paul says over and over in the Book of Romans that there is no difference.

I’ve told my classes over and over that we know that from the very beginning of His dealing with the Nation of Israel, God called out Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the first thing He let them know was that He was going to set the Nation apart. They were to be a sanctified, set apart nation of people. You get into the Exodus with the Nation preparing to come out of Egypt, and the first three plagues also came upon Israel along with the Egyptians. But after that, He put a division between Israel and Egypt where none of the plagues could touch Israel. And He did that to prove His power. And so He put that division between them. And that was the beginning then of this great separation that God put between the Jew and the Gentile. And this continued all the way up through the Old Testament. He was dealing primarily with those Covenant people, the Nation of Israel. But they were `stiffnecked’ (as the Scriptures called them), they were steeped in unbelief, and finally God had to let the Temple be destroyed in 70 A.D. Then the Nation was dispersed, the land was emptied of them.

And that brings a thought today. Why can’t our politicians seem to understand that Palestine has always been the home of the Jew? They sure don’t act like they understand? They act as if the Jew is the impostor, the carpetbagger, the squatter. That’s the way they treat the Jew today. That’s his home land, and you can’t take that away from him. But God providentially uprooted them, because of their unbelief; but at the same time that He uprooted them, what did He promise them? That He would bring them back again. All the Old Testament screams of that. And we should be aware it, that indeed God is still going deal with His national people of Israel.

Romans 1:17

“For therein (that refers to the word `salvation’ in verse 16) is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written (And then quoting from Hab. 2:4, we find), `The just shall live by faith.'”

Martin Luther finally came to this conclusion. He was cloistered in a Catholic monastery, and then all of a sudden the light shone in, and what did Martin Luther conclude? “The just shall live by faith.” Not by works, not by religion, or ritual, but by faith. So that became his great theme of the Reformation. I think Christianity has come close to losing it again. We are all wrapped up in works, and materialism, and do this and do that. We have a program for everything. We are losing the whole idea that the just shall live by faith. And if you have heard me teach for a period of time, you know that I have a clear cut definition of the word faith. And what is it? “Taking God at His Word.” That is all faith is! Let’s go back to the Book of Hebrews and look at the Scripture’s own definition of The Word. Turn to Chapter 11, the great faith chapter.

Hebrews 11:1-3

“NOW faith is the substance (it’s the very core, it’s the epitome) of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (things you can’t touch and see). For by it the elders (Old Testament saints) obtained a good report. Through faith (by taking God at His word) we understand (and know) that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. “ We are dealing with the invisible, and the only way we can comprehend the invisible is how? By faith!

 

Through the Bible with Les Feldick

LESSON 1 * PART 4 * BOOK 20

INTRODUCING ROMANS CHAPTER 1:10-15

Once again we are going to go back to Romans Chapter 1, and pick up where we left off in verse 16. I would like to stress that when you start teaching the Book of Romans, you might not find it as exciting as maybe Genesis or some of the things in the Old Testament or prophecy, But when you get into the nitty gritty of today, and we teach Paul’s Epistle, we are teaching where we are right now, today, and it’s hard to keep people’s attention, because they would rather be talking about something exciting out there in the future, and I can see that. But bear with me because this is what the Church today is about. And when I talk about the Church, I’m talking about that whole realm of people who claim to believe The Bible. I don’t care what denominational handle they have. But when the Church gets back into the fundamentals of Paul, then I think we are going to see some exciting things happen in the Church. And if it doesn’t, we won’t see anything happen, because things will get worse. Now Romans 1:16 and what a tremendous verse. Most kids learn it in Bible School, or Sunday School.

Romans 1:16a

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ:…”

Now the first thing we have to do is find out what the Gospel of Christ is according to Paul’s writings. So come with us to I Corinthians Chapter 15. I’d like to mention an incident regarding this chapter and our TV program, and how a Sovereign God works. It involves just one little family; a husband, his wife and her mother. The chain of events began because one day in the middle of one of our tapings a gentleman came up to me and said, “Les, it’s been a long time since you mentioned I Corinthians 15, The Gospel by which we are saved. Isn’t there any way to work it in for one of the lessons?” So I digressed that next half-hour and spent the whole thirty minutes on The Gospel. We started with I Corinthians 15:1-4. When that program aired one Sunday, this little family was watching and it was exactly what they needed to hear. Weeks later, this young man called and said a unique thing had happened. After watching the program on The Gospel, they said, “If only the other person of the family could have seen this.” Then, by God’s Grace, that same station in Indianapolis just happened to play the same program the next Sunday also, and the individual who needed it was there. They were so thrilled that all of this had just clicked right together. Well, that’s what makes all of this so exciting. Now let’s look at the Gospel as outlined in I Corinthians Chapter 15, and beginning with verse 1. I never tire of repeating it, and I hope you never get tired of hearing it.

I Corinthians 15:1

“MOREOVER, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;”

“…wherein ye stand” is a positional term. That’s why he writes in another place that we are not to be blown about with every wind of doctrine. Some people are so shallow in their understanding of Scriptures, that they see someone on television or someone can come to their door and they have a good line, and a nice approach, and they fall for it. We are supposed to be so well versed in the Scriptures that something like that won’t happen. We are to be like an anchor, steadfast, immovable. Now verse 2.

I Corinthians 15:2,3

“By which also ye are saved (it’s only by this Gospel that you are saved. It’s not by something else), if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.”And now here comes Paul’s Gospel in verse 3:

“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received (here he’s talking about what we saw in Galatians in our last lesson, how that by revelation, “He made known unto me,” Paul says. This is what the Lord revealed to him. We will find that Paul’s Gospel is not based on the Judaistic Law, or just on the fact that Christ was the Messiah of Israel, but it’s that The Messiah of Israel, The Son of God, died on that Roman Cross, shed His Blood, was buried and rose again, and here it is), how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;” This was in the Old Testament. It was all in the pre-eternal mind of God, that all of this would fall into place.

I Corinthians 15:4-6a

“And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.” That’s the Gospel! And to prove that Christ rose from the dead we see in verse 5 and 6 the following.

“And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once;…”

Paul tells us that he also saw Him in person. Paul knew that He was alive. Now back to Romans 1:16. That’s The Gospel – that Christ died for the sins of the world. And that’s what Paul expressly desires to get across to people. It’s so hard for people to comprehend that this is all they have to do. Just believe the Gospel for Salvation. If you really believe He will save you. Now you know that I’m not an easy believer. You know that. I’m not just talking about making a mental acknowledgment and you’re all right. No, what I’m talking about is a Holy Spirit driven belief, that my eternal destiny is based on what He did for me on that Cross. And we will be seeing more and more of that, especially when we get into Romans Chapter 6, where Paul just begins to draw that simple analogy of a little seed that’s planted in the ground, but before that plant can come forth, and bring forth fruit it must die first. So the whole analogy is that, “When Christ died, we died. When He was buried, we were buried. When He arose from the dead, we also arose out of deadness in the old Adamic sin nature to a new life.” Verse 16 again:

Romans 1:16

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it (The Gospel, not our works, or denomination, not anything that we can do, but rather The Gospel) is the power of God unto salvation…”

One of the newer translations waters this down by using the word `salvation’ as a better way to heaven. Salvation is much more than a better way to heaven. Salvation is that all inclusive work of God on our behalf, whereby we are forgiven: He justifies us, He sanctifies us, He glorifies us, He baptizes us into the Body, He seals us with the Holy Spirit, He fills us with the Holy Spirit, and on and on you can go in all that was accomplished on your behalf by an act of God instantly the moment you believe. And you’re not going to necessarily feel any of those things, but they have happened to you if you were genuine in your belief. But how do I know that these things have happened to me? The Book says so. And that’s where faith comes in. That’s what The Book means when it says we are saved by faith and are to live and walk by faith. Taking God at His Word. So, you just simply have to know what The Book says. When you come to Salvation, and say, “I don’t understand this or feel any different,” remember The Book says that it has happened. And that is what God is pleased by. Remember Hebrews 11:6:

Hebrews 11:6a

“But without faith it is impossible to please him:…”

You should be able to say, “Yes, I know that I’m forgiven,” not because I’m so perfect, or any better than anybody else, but simply because I believe what this Book says! I can’t make it any plainer than that. So when an individual realizes that he’s in the cesspool of sin, in that old slave market, and there is no hope of getting out, unless the power of God takes him out; God pulls him out of that deadness in sin, and gives him new life, sets his feet as the Scriptures say, “On a Rock,” and does all these things for him. That’s what believing does! After that, you become a totally new person in your outlook on life, in your desires, and you don’t work for that. Remember, you won’t become a mature Christian overnight. It’s going to take time. The Christian life is like coming into physical life. We come into the Christian life as a babe in Christ, just an infant that needs tender loving care. An infant that needs nourishment, and protection. That’s what a new believer is.

But God doesn’t expect a new believer to stay a babe in Christ. He expects them to begin to grow in Grace, and knowledge and wisdom. To grow in a new lifestyle. Over the years I’ve told my classes the basic fundamental aspect of a Christian life, the part that will immediately become visible to our friends and relatives, and yes, the whole community; a true born again child of God is going to be a good citizen. Have you ever thought of that? When we are a practicing believer, we will be a good citizen. In other words, you won’t find a true child of God giving the police department fits. Now there may be isolated instances, that’s always a possibility. But the basic believer will be a good citizen, and a good parent. He will be a good grandparent. He will be a good child. He will be a good teenager. Now that doesn’t mean we are perfect. Nevertheless, we will be the kind of person that will enhance society. If you could have a community of 100% born again believers, then you would have a pretty decent place to live.

I’m not saying that it would be perfect. It’s just like the local church, no church is perfect. I said on this program once, if it was perfect I’d like to find it, but I wouldn’t dare join it because it would be no longer perfect. But, for the most part, God’s power unto salvation has imparted all these things on our behalf and they will make us different. That doesn’t give us the right to walk around like we are perfect, or better than everybody else. But what we have is an imputed position that God has accomplished on our behalf. We will look at that more in depth later in Chapter 3.

Romans 1:16b

“…for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

I said at the close of the last lesson that there were many things in there that normally people would think should be. Over the years, I have taught to be aware of what is not in Scripture that many of us think should be. Well, here is a good one. Let me read this verse the way a lot of people think it should have been written. This is just an example: “For it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that repents, and is baptized, joins the church, gives ten percent of his income, does good works, and believes.” But it doesn’t say that does it? There are a lot of these things that people just automatically think are requirements for Salvation, and they’re not! They are all right in their rightful place after Salvation. But so far as our salvation is concerned it’s based totally upon our faith in the Gospel, and what God has said concerning the finished work of the Cross. Now verse 17:

Romans 1:17a

“For therein (that is, in the power of God in the Gospel) is the righteousness of God revealed (being unveiled)...”

Remember when Christ was hanging on the Cross, and when He finally gave up the ghost, as it says, what happened in the Temple? The veil was rent from the top to the bottom. What did that indicate? That now the way into the very Holy of Holies, the very presence of God, had been opened up and made available, not just to the High Priest on the Day of Atonement, but to everybody. And that is what we must understand, that when Christ died, He completely fulfilled everything that a Holy God could possibly demand. That’s why when man tries to say, “But I’ve got to do this, or I’ve got to do that,” then it’s an embarrassment to God Himself, because He said it’s done! Everything that we need has already been accomplished. Now completing the verse we find:

Romans 1:17

For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, `The just shall live by faith.'”

Now who are the just? Well, the justified ones. What was my best definition of justification? That judicial act of God whereby He declares the believing sinner just as if he had never sinned. Now that’s the way God sees us. Remember, God hasn’t changed and sin hasn’t changed, it’s still all that it ever was. But the whole sin problem began in Adam, and everyone of us, so far as God is concerned, were in Adam. That’s the beginning of all of our troubles. We were in Adam, but when Christ died on the Cross, and we believe what He says about the Cross, then every believer is removed out of Adam, and placed in Christ. Do you see that difference? And now instead of God seeing us in that cesspool of sin which we were in Adam, now He only sees the righteousness and Holiness of Christ, because we’re in Him. And if you’re in Him, He doesn’t see you at all. He sees Christ. Let me show you a verse in the Book of Colossians Chapter 3. Paul is writing to Gentile believers. He could just as well be writing to you and I in Oklahoma or wherever you are.

Colossians 3:1

“IF ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above (because we now have a whole new mental attitude about things), where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.”

Notice that Christ is not on the throne tonight, that’s why I maintain that Christ is not the King of the Church. I’ve said that over and over. He’s not on a throne tonight. He’s not a King. In His title He’s King of Kings and Lord of Lords, but experientially He’s not on the throne, He’s seated at the right hand of it. Now when He returns and sets up His earthly Kingdom, yes, then He will sit on His throne. Now reading on:

Colossians 3:2

“Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”

You see that’s what has happened to the Christian community today, they are not setting their affection on things above, they are setting their affections on material things. I read a book by an Indian missionary (and I’m sure many of you have heard of him), where he was decrying the wealth of the Christian community in America compared to the abject poverty of Christians in India. I could see his point. He said he came here and visited a great Church in one of our huge cities, and was appalled at the sumptuousness of the whole set-up. I am, too. Whenever I go into some of these places, I am just appalled at the money that is being poured into these beautiful buildings that someone can come in and sit for thirty minutes and enjoy, be entertained, and then go home and forget about it for a week. I personally don’t think God is pleased with that. And this was the point that this missionary was making. That over in India those poor little pastors would just exist on almost nothing for the sake of getting The Gospel to those towns and villages. In this light, we are to set our affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Colossians 3:3

“For ye are dead (that is to the old Adam, that which we were born in. The nature that is rebellious against God, and sinful in all of its appetite. Oh, we try to clean it up, and try to keep it in check with a good home upbringing. That’s why so many of our younger generation are adrift tonight, this is why so many have no principles, and are in trouble with the law. That old Adamic nature is free for the most part. But Paul says we are dead to that as believers), and your life is hid (if the God that created this universe hides something, then I guarantee you that no one but He will ever find it. Isn’t that right? And that’s where we are. We have been hidden by an act of the Almighty God. But look where He hid us) with Christ in God.”

That brings to mind an old walnut. That old walnut falls off the tree and here’s that big outer shell, and the only way you can get down to the next shell is to break off the outer one. Then you get down to the real tough part, and break that shell, and then way down in the crevices are the meat of the walnut. Every time I break open one I have to say, “Thank you Lord that’s me.” I’m inside that shell hidden in the crevices where no one but God can find me. And that’s you and I. Satan and the world can’t get at us there, no one can touch us, we’re hidden with Christ in God! Can’t you go to sleep knowing that? Now that’s assurance, that’s a promise. I don’t feel some outer covering around me. I’m just as vulnerable and so are you, but faith tells me that this is the way it really is. Because this is what God has said. And God is looking for your faith, you’re believing Him, you’re telling Him, “Yes God You said it and I believe it!” Now back to Romans, and closing verse 17 we find:

Romans 1:17b

“…The just shall live by faith.”

Now what great reformer came to that sudden realization? Martin Luther. Do you remember when Martin Luther began the Reformation? What was his great eye opening statement? Just that! “The just shall live by faith.” Not all the rituals that he had been inundated with, not all the do’s and don’ts of religion. But it was to be by faith and faith alone. And you see when we come into Romans Chapter 4, this is what Paul is going to say about Abraham. He lived by faith!

 

Through the Bible with Les Feldick

LESSON 1 * PART 3 * BOOK 20

INTRODUCING ROMANS CHAPTER 1:5-10

Now let’s Pick up Paul in Romans Chapter 1, that great apostle to the Gentiles, the revealer of all the Church Age doctrines. Someday, I’m going to list all the basic doctrines that come only from this great apostle. You can’t find them anywhere else, and those are what I call Pauline doctrines. How in the world people can ignore that is just beyond me. Well, back to Chapter 1 of the Book of Romans. In the last lesson we were showing that Paul was uniquely called of God to be the apostle of the Gentiles. Not one of many, but rather he is The Apostle to the Gentiles. We know others followed in his footsteps, but nevertheless Paul is the one to whom we must go for our basic doctrines. He’s been separated in verse 1 unto The Gospel of God. Now verse 2:

Romans 1:2,3

“(Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;”

Now I have to stop for a moment, and explain the seed of David. Way back in Genesis 3:15 we have the reference to the Seed of the woman. And what would the Seed of the woman accomplish? He would crush the head of the serpent. That was the promised line of redemption, and as some great theologian once put it, that scarlet thread of salvation that starts with Genesis 3:15 and carries all the way through Scripture. So the Seed of the woman was to crush the head of the serpent. Then in Genesis Chapter 12 we have the Abrahamic Covenant, and you know I’m always putting a lot of emphasis on that. And then Paul states in Galatians Chapter 3, verse 16, the following:

Galatians 3:16

“Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, `And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ.'”

Christ is the Seed of Abraham. We have three distinct seeds that Paul is going to make reference to. First, of course, going all the way back to Genesis Chapter 3, as the Seed of the woman He would crush our archenemy, Satan. Then he refers in Romans 1:3 to Christ the Seed of David. Because out of the seed of David would come Mary, also Joseph, who is the legal father. So now we have not only the Seed of the woman, Who is going to defeat Satan at the Cross, but we have the seed of David which brought Him on the scene in order to become flesh and go the way of the Cross, as well as being the rightful Heir to the throne of David. We also have that reference to the seed of Abraham which brings us into the picture, because when it comes to the realm of faith + nothing, we Gentile believers are referred to by Paul as the seed of Abraham, because, of course, of Christ being the Seed. So repeating verse 3:

Romans 1:3

“Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh:”

In other words, through the line of David and Solomon, here came Mary as well as Joseph. Now verse 4:

Romans 1:4

“And declared to be the Son of God with (what?) power,…”

That’s another word that Paul will use over and over when he talks about his Gospel: that it is the power of God. I like to go back and compare Israel in slavery in Egypt to ourselves: coming out of that slavery, coming up against the shores of the Red Sea with seemingly no hope. They have experienced the death angel flying over because they were under the blood, but yet God brings them out of that experience into almost an impossible situation: the shores of the Red Sea, the Egyptian armies behind them, impossibilities on the right and left, and then He tells them to stand still. Well, that’s exactly where human individuals find themselves. We are without hope, we’ve been in the slave market of Satan.

Recently, we had a super good time again in our class. I made reference again to the slave trade as we knew it in America from history books, and it was awful. Not just the slavery itself in the work of the plantation owners, but the whole slave trade. Conditions in those slave ships that brought those poor human beings over from Africa were totally inhuman. I wouldn’t treat my cattle that way. It was beyond human description what those poor folk went through, simply because they were slaves. But in the spiritual realm, we were in that same ballpark. And we are going to see that in a future lesson, of where we were before we became believers, and where we were as the offspring of Adam. We were under the same kind of circumstances, spiritually, that those poor slaves were back in the 1700’s. All the way from their capture in Africa, across the ocean on those stinking ships, and then into the slave markets they were treated worse than animals; bought and sold. But listen, we were in the same boat spiritually, and God is going to graphically tell us what He saw in everyone of us, and it’s not a very pretty picture.

God bought us out of that slave market. He set us free, cleaned us up, gave us a whole new wardrobe, put us in a beautiful place to live, and remember, I’m talking about the spiritual not the material now. He set our feet upon a Rock, gave us hope, and all we had to do for all of that was believe the Gospel (I Corinthians 15:1-4) for our salvation. Now then, how did God accomplish it? With His Power! You see, in order to buy a slave out of the slave market in Virginia back in the 1840’s and 50’s, you had to have money, you had to have some clout, influence. Then you could go down and buy slaves. Then they could take them home and do with them what they wanted. No doubt, there were benevolent slave holders and then there were some that were task masters. It took a certain amount of power in order to take somebody out of that slave market. Now, with God, it took all the power at His disposal to bring us out of Satan’s slave market. And I’m going to be stressing as we come through these chapters of Romans, that the power of God, the very same power that put everything out there in the universe was concentrated on everyone of us the moment we believed. And it was His power that brought us out of the clutches of Satan’s slave market. And so this is why you will see Paul constantly refer to “The power of God.” Now verse 4 again:

Romans 1:4

“And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness (and what proved it?), by the resurrection from the dead:”

We touched on it a few weeks ago, when back in Acts Chapter 13, the Psalmist declared Him to be the only begotten Son.

Acts 13:33,34

“God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, `Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. And as concerning that (He was the only begotten Son) he raised him up from the dead,…'”

Remember, after looking at Acts 13:33,34, I brought you to Romans 1:4. These two passages show the very terminology of the “Only begotten Son of God” is not a reference to Bethlehem, but rather a reference to His Resurrection. That’s when He became the truly only begotten Son of God. It was the power of Resurrection. Here again, I don’t know the times I’ve had people in my classes come to me and say they have a Sunday School teacher, or a pastor, or a friend who can believe that Christ died on a Roman Cross, but yet they have a problem with His Resurrection. Listen, if we can’t accept the fact that He was raised from the dead, we have nothing! We are totally lost, because His Resurrection from the dead is the very basis of His power.

Many lessons ago when we were in the Four Gospels, you may remember I made mention of the fact that there was one thing that changed the total attitude of the eleven disciples, who, at the time of His Crucifixion, scattered and ran for their lives out of fear. What changed that fear? The Resurrection! Because you see, after Christ rose from the dead, Peter never again would have kowtowed to a young maid and swore that he never knew Christ. Peter stood up to Rome and, as near as I can tell, all eleven of the apostles were martyred without fear. Why? Because of the truth of Resurrection. And it’s the same way with us. We can say with Paul, that we don’t have to worry what men can do to this body because they can’t touch the invisible immortal part of us which one day is going to be resurrected. And this makes all the difference in the world as far as Christians are concerned, we have the hope of the power of Resurrection. First, in salvation out of deadness, as we will see in Ephesians Chapter 2:1

Ephesians 2:1

“AND you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;” How did He do it? The power of Resurrection! Back to the text:

Romans 1:5

“By whom (here Paul comes back with his apostleship again) we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith (there is only one) among all nations, for his name:”

Do you see the difference? For a moment, let’s go to the Book of Matthew for sake of comparison that there is not a contradiction ever. There is just a change in the program. Back in Matthew Chapter 10, Jesus has just chosen the Twelve up around Galilee.

Matthew 10:5,6

“These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, `Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.'”

Do you see how plain that is? They were directed only to the Nation of Israel, and throughout His three years of earthly ministry He Himself confined His ministry only to Israel, with only two exceptions. That was the Roman centurion, and the Canaanite woman, who at first He even ignored, and the Twelve said send her away. Why? Because she was a Gentile. But now come back to Romans and you see it seems like a contradiction. but it isn’t, because now God has set Israel aside and now God is going to go to the Gentiles. So now Paul can write:

Romans 1:5,6

“…for obedience to the faith among all nations (not just Israel), for his name. Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ: To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints; Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Called to be saints! Now a saint isn’t someone who walks around with a halo around his head, or someone who is of sinless perfection. Far from that description. But a saint is someone who has believed what God has promised. Then by virtue of God’s imputation, not of anything we have worked for or deserved, but by the act of imputation, God has imputed to us His righteousness simply because we believe. Strictly because of our faith in what He has said. God does that all on our behalf, and we will be looking at that more in-depth as we study the Book of Romans. In imputation, this fact that you and I deserve none of it, He has put it to our account. He has literally inundated us with everything that He has accomplished on our behalf. That’s what it means to be a saint.

Romans 1:8

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.”

Now remember at the time Paul’s writing the Roman Empire was pretty much the then-known world. I know a lot of people have wondered when I’ve said that I felt Paul’s Gospel had penetrated all the way from Great Britain on the West across both shores of the Mediterranean Sea, and all the way out to the Ganges River of India (because that is as far as the Roman Empire extended), that if Rome was so pagan, and transportation was still relatively slow, how did it happen in that period of time?

Consider the chronology: Paul was converted about 37 A.D., he went for three years of that time to “God’s personal seminary,” as I call it. That takes you to approximately 40 A.D., then he goes up to his home town of Tarsus and begins his work among the Gentiles, and, of course, he always approaches the Jew first. Then in Acts chapter 15, we had that counsel in Jerusalem, where the Jews were now calling Paul on the carpet for having gone to Gentiles. Look at the time interval. From the time he begins his ministry among the Gentiles in his home town of Tarsus, till that counsel in Jerusalem, it’s already 11 years, and see, in that 11-year period of time, he still hasn’t written any of his epistles. But he has been seeing Gentiles brought into the Body of Christ.

He wrote his first Epistle to Thessalonica in about 54 A.D. Then four years later in 58 A.D. he writes the little letter of Galatians. Now remember, he has already been on his missionary journeys and established these Churches. But now he has to write to them to admonish them, and encourage them. Then I Corinthians is written in 59 A.D. and the next year he writes II Corinthians in about 60 A.D. Then the same year he writes this Book of Romans, and then four years later in 64 A.D. he writes from Rome in prison, under house arrest, to the Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. And then the next year while he’s still under house arrest in Rome (that would be 65 A.D.), he writes I Timothy and Titus. Then in the last year of his life (probably martyred in either the end of 66 A.D. or the early part of 67 A.D.), he writes his final little Epistle to II Timothy, and that’s the letter where he says in Chapter 4 the following:

II Timothy 4:6-8

“For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”

I want you to remember that Paul has been ministering to Gentiles for about twenty-three years before he gets to Rome. That’s a long time, and in that twenty-three year period the Book of Romans hasn’t even been written yet. So never lose sight of all these things. This just didn’t happen in a month or two, this was progressively taking place over the years. And it’s the same way with his letters. Paul won’t cover all the deep doctrines of Romans when he writes to the Thessalonians, and the further you come into Paul’s revelations the deeper they get. And when you reach those final letters like Ephesians and Philippians, most people won’t even touch them at all. But that’s because it’s so deep, it’s a higher plane, and this is where God wants us to be, studying to show ourselves approved. He wants us to learn and grow. Back to the question I had earlier.

How did the Gospel get completely through the Roman Empire if Paul’s in prison? I have a pet theory. The Roman Army was proud of the way they treated their troops. America is the same way. The Pentagon likes to feel they treat their military quite fairly. They are good at rotating their military personnel. The same way with the Romans. They didn’t put some poor soldier at Paul’s side, and let him rot there, but after a few weeks or months they would bring in several more to take turns guarding him. And knowing the Apostle Paul, by the time those Roman young men would come in and spend a few days chained to him, how did they leave? Believers! I have to believe that. Remember in another one of his letters it says that his Gospel had even penetrated the Roman Palace. We know Paul didn’t, so how did it? By these Roman soldiers. They would go from Paul’s house to maybe duty at the Roman Palace and Emperor. Maybe they went to India or Spain. But wherever these Roman soldiers went, if they had become believers, then they would take The Gospel with them to the ends of the earth. That’s why he also says in the letter to Titus:

Titus 2:11

“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath (past tense) appeared to all men.” The Holy Spirit would never have permitted him to say that if it were not true. So from this one man Christianity just scattered throughout the whole Roman Empire. Now Romans 1:9:

Romans 1:9

“For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son (that’s another thing that you want to watch for: the various terms that Paul puts on his Gospel. He will never call it the Gospel of the Kingdom, never! He will call it the Gospel of God, Gospel of His Son, My Gospel, The Gospel of the Grace of God, The Gospel of Christ, and so forth, but it’s always uniquely Paul’s Gospel), that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;”

Along with all of his preaching and teaching, Paul was a man of prayer. And I feel that every believer can also be if he wants to be. We can all be prayer warriors.

Romans 1:10,11

“Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.” He is writing this in about 60 A.D., and he’s not going to get there until 63 A.D. So he is still writing from another point in the empire in reference to the day when he will get to Rome.

“For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;” Paul at this time had never been to Rome. The Roman congregation was established by the witnesses of other Gentile Believers. Not this apostle. And Paul recognizes that, but he wants to still have a part in it. Now verse 12:

Romans 1:12-15

“That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles. I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.”

Rome was just constantly on this man’s heart, and God, of course, didn’t permit it’s fulfillment until he finally went as a prisoner.

Romans 1:16

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that (most people think many other words should be here rather than) believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”