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Recap of 25 gospel principles from Ro 1:1-6:4:
1) Grace was given to Paul to (call, thereby bringing about in others) obedience of faith. (1:5)
2) The gospel is the power of God to salvation to everyone that believes, because
a) salvation is the forgiveness of sin (Lk 1:77), which saves from God's wrath (Ro 5:9)
at the final judgment,
b) it reveals a righteousness from God (Ro 1:17, 3:21), a free gift (5:17), that is through faith
by grace, not by obedience.
This righteousness = justification = declared guiltless, position of right standing before God.
The cause of justification (position of right standing) is faith only.
The result of justification (position) is actual sanctification, through the obedience of faith. (1:16-17).
3) God's wrath is shown by giving men over to their sin, by judging (punishing) sin
with increased sin. (1:18)
4) God judges
according to truth (2:2), for those who hold the truth in unrighteousness,
according to deeds (2:6-11), for those who possess the Mosaic law, and
according to the light one has (2:12-15), for Gentiles who do not possess the Mosaic law. (2:2-16)
5) Jews had the advantage of the word of God and the law, but they were not
the saving advantage of true faith. (3:1-2)
6) Though Israel was unfaithful to God, God is faithful to his promise to punish sin
and unbelief. (3:3-5)
7) God cannot be unjust in bringing his wrath on unbelief, even if unbelief benefits
God by bringing out his righteousness more clearly, for Scripture states that he is
the just judge of the world who can do no wrong
(Dt 32:4; 2Ch 19:7; Job 8:3, 34:10-11, 36:23; Ps 119:137; Eze 18:25; Da 4:37, 9:14).
If he were unjust, how could he be the just judge of the world? (3:6)
8) God has shut up all men in sin. (3:19)
9) God is both just in requiring penalty for sin, and the justifier in providing the payment
of the penalty. (3:26)
10) Righteousness through faith, apart from the law, has always been the teaching
of the OT (Ge 15:6). (3:28)
11) We do not "establish the law" by being made righteous according to it. That is anti-gospel.
We "establish the law" in the NT by establishing the right use of the law,
we don't overthrow the law, we establish its standing by setting it on the right basis;
i.e., although we cannot be saved by it as a covenant, we submit to it in Christ's two
commandments (Mt 22:37-39), which are subject to the law of grace. (3:31)
12) Salvation is the forgiveness of sin (Lk 1:77),
which removes our guilt and God's wrath on it at the final judgment.
We are saved from the wrath of God at the final judgment, by forgiveness of our sin,
not by works of obedience. (4:8)
13) Circumcision was not an action (work) required to confirm faith.
Circumcision was a sign only, given as a seal to guarantee one's righteousness by faith,
apart from works. (4:11)
14) Those under the law cannot be heirs to the promise because
inheritance by law keeping makes faith worthless, and
law keeping effectively voids the promise, by disqualifying everyone and producing
only wrath. (4:14-15)
15) The promise can be guaranteed only if it is based on faith, because basing it on
law keeping can result only in wrath (Gal 3:10), it cannot result in fulfillment of the promise.
Righteousness by faith was guaranteed by the sign of circumcision (4:11), and the
promise is guaranteed by grace through faith (4:16).
16) True saving faith is the conviction of belief, which obeys. (4:20)
17) Jesus rose from the dead as the firstfruits of the resurrection of all believers,
as proof that he was who he said he was, Christ the Redeemer, of his people
from the wrath of God (Ro 5:9) by forgiveness of their sin (Lk 1:77),
through faith in him (Jn 3:16, 18, 36).
The resurrection shows that Jesus' sacrifice (death) was accepted as atonement for sin (Ro 3:25) and,
therefore, we have, indeed, been justified (declared guiltless, position of right standing before God)
by his atoning death.
Christ's blood was poured out (Lk 22:20) on the ground at the base of the cross (Jn 19:34, 36-37),
just as the animals' blood was poured out on the ground at the base of the altar
(Lev 4:7, 18, 25, 30, 34).
Christ was physically resurrected, not so he could take his physical blood into a physical sanctuary
to physically sprinkle it on physical things (no physical blood, it had been poured out on the ground).
The heavenly things (gospel graces for the redeemed) of Heb 9:23-24 were purified by his Spirit,
the Holy Spirit, when
his work was finished,
his Spirit departed at his death (Jn 19:30),
returned to God, and
established the gospel graces of his atoning death for the redeemed.
And those graces are now applied by him in his living resurrected body, through his Spirit (Ro 8:27)
in the presence of God (Heb 9:24), where he ever lives to intercede for us (Ro 8:34; Heb 7:25).
Christ's death atoned for sin (Ro 3:25),
and his life now applies that atonement to the redeemed in justification (position of right standing)
by faith alone. (4:25)
18) We are justified (position of right standing) by faith, apart from any other actions of obedience,
as was Abraham (Ge 15:6). (5:1)
19) We are saved. . .from the wrath of God at the final judgment, because we have been
justified (declared guiltless, position of right standing before God) through faith in Christ's
blood (Ro 3:25), which is his atoning death. (5:9)
20) Since God saved us from his wrath through justification (declared guiltless, position of
right standing before God) by Christ's atoning death, he shall also save (sanctify, glorify) us
through Christ's resurrected life, who ever lives to intercede for us (Heb 7:25; Ro 8:34). (5:10)
21) Although sin was not taken into account between Adam and Moses
when there was no Mosaic law to transgress,
yet all mankind died as the result of sin (Ro 6:23).
So for what sin were all men held guilty and subject to death, when sin was not taken into account?
They were all held guilty of Adam's sin. (5:12-17).
22) Just as the one act of trespass and disobedience of the first Adam made the many sinners
and resulted in their condemnation,
so the one act of obedience and righteousness of the second Adam made righteous and justified
(position of right standing, guiltless before God) the many.
Man was both made a sinner and made righteous, not because of what man did, but because of
what Adam and Christ did.
Man is born a sinner and unrighteous, because of Adam's sin "imputed" to him at natural birth (Ps 51:5).
Man is justified, made righteous (position of right standing, guiltless) because of Christ's righteousness
"imputed" to him at spiritual rebirth. (5:18-19)
23) Just as sin was increased by the law, so grace was increased by sin (5:20-21).
24) So in 5:12-21:
a) our own sin/sinfulness is not the ground for our condemnation,
it is our guilt of Adam's sin that condemns us (Ps 51:5),
the very nature with which we are born (sinful) condemns us (Eph 2:3); and
b) our own obedience/sanctification is not the ground for our justification (position of right
standing, guiltless), it is the righteousness of Jesus Christ's obedience to death that
justifies us, through faith alone, which is the burden of Ro 4 and Ro 5. (5:12-21)
25) Baptism is the when and how of our death to sin.
When: in our union with Christ in baptism, which is a union in the benefits of his death.
How: by entering into the purpose of his death - to redeem us from sin,
- - - -by living according to the model of his death - who died for sin,
- - - -by being raised with Christ - to die to sin. (6:1-4)
