Romans: Revealing The Gospel of Grace

Romans
Revealing the Gospel of Grace
2014 Cindy Brown. All Rights Reserved.

This study was written using the ESV.
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Day 1: Background
The gospel of grace was under attack. Some directly contradicted the truth
of the gospel, and others put their own twists on it to suit their own
preferences. The Judaizers said that in order to keep your salvation, you
had to keep the Law. In the other extreme, some taught that since
salvation was by grace, you could do whatever you wanted and God would
forgive you. Paul confronts both of these errors head on and in the book of
Romans, we have the best explanation and defense of the gospel ever
written.
Paul had not visited Rome yet, but he penned this somewhere around A.D.
56 or 57. Nero was the empower at that time and Rome was not a safe
place for Christians.
Nero reigned from A.D. 54 to 68. During the early years of his reign,
Burrus, the chief of the Guard, and the philosopher Seneca administered
Neros government. However, as Nero later began to pull away from his
advisors, he killed his own mother, two wives and a step-brother! He
became a tyrant who ruled with increasing terror. In A.D. 64, much of
Rome was destroyed by a fire. Rumors were swirling that Nero had started
the blaze himself. As a result of this, Nero blamed the Christians and there
began a brief but intense persecution. Listen to how the Roman historian
Tacitus described Nero.
"To kill the rumors (that he had started the fire), Nero charged and tortured
some people hated for their evil practicesthe group popularly known as
Christians. The founder of this sect, Christ, had been put to death by the
governor of Judaea, Pontius Pilate, when Tiberius was emperor. Their
deadly superstition had been suppressed temporarily, but
was beginning to spring up againnot now just in Judaea, but even in
Rome itself, where all kinds of sordid and shameful activities are attracted
and catch on. First, the authorities arrested those who confessed to being
Christians. Then, on information obtained from them, the courts convicted
hundreds more, not so much for starting the fire as for their antisocial
beliefs. In their deaths they were made a mockery. They were covered in
the skins of wild animals, torn to death by dogs, crucified, or set on fire, so
that when darkness fell they burned like torches in the night. Nero opened
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up his own gardens for this spectacle and gave a show in the arena, where
he mixed with the crowd, or stood dressed as a charioteer on a chariot. As
a result, although they were guilty of being Christians and deserved to die,
people began to feel sorry for them. For they realized that they were being
killed, not for the public good, but to satisfy one mans madness." 1
Nero's persecution had not yet intensified at the time when Paul wrote the
book of Romans, but history tells us that both Peter and Paul were later
killed during Nero's reign.
Instead of watering down the message, Paul explains the gospel in all it's
splendor and encourages Christians to live lives that showcase God's
marvelous grace!
The book of Romans can be divided into 7 sections.
Introduction: Romans 1:1-1:17
Sin: Righteousness Required: Romans 1:18-3:20. Paul shows that every
person is condemned under the righteousness that God requires. We all
fall short!
Salvation: Righteousness Reckoned: Romans 3:21-5:11. God credits
righteousness to my account when I claim by faith what Christ has done for
me on the cross.
Sanctification: Righteousness Realized: Romans 5:12-8:39.
Righteousness lived out in my life.
Sovereignty: Righteousness Rejected: Romans 9-11. Israel rejected
Christ as Savior.
Service: Righteousness Reigning: Romans 12:1-15:13. Gods
righteousness reigns in my everyday life. Victory over sin!
Conclusion: Romans 15:14-16:27. 2
1. "Nero Persecutes The Christians, 64 A.D.," EyeWitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com

(2000).
2. Outline from Ernie Richard's Roman class, New Tribes Bible Institute, Waukesha, WI
We are going to read through the book of Romans this week, one section
each day. Today read Romans 1-3:20.
Day 2
Read Romans 3:21-5:11
Day 3
Read Romans 5:12-8:39
Day 4
Read Romans 9-11
Day 5
Read Romans 12-16
Day 6: Romans 1:1-4
Read Romans 1 today.
How does Paul describe himself in verse 1?
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This word servant means a bond servant or slave. It has the idea of "being
completely controlled by someone or something." As a servant of Christ,
Christ should be the one who is controlling us and our will should be
completely submissive to his. In our culture, slavery has a negative
connotation, but as we will see in Romans, the motivation to serve Christ in
this way is not based on fear, but from an overflow of love in our hearts for
what Christ has done for us. Paul never forgot who he was serving.
How would remembering that you are a servant of Christ change the
way you live your life today?
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God called or urgently invited and commissioned Paul to be an apostle.
God sent Paul with a special message. To set apart means "to set
someone aside for a particular task or function."
What was Paul set apart to do?
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Paul is a wonderful example to us of living out this truth. He was
completely committed to sharing the truth of the gospel. Read the following
verses. Note who the focus of his message was and how he proclaimed it.
Acts 28:30-31
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Romans 15:15-21
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Colossians 1:27-29
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As you study the book of Romans, it is my prayer that as you understand
more fully the gospel and all that Christ has done for you, that like Paul, it
will be your purpose in life to tell others this wonderful news!
In verse 2, Paul tells us that the Old Testament prophets bore witness to
this gospel. There are over 60 Old Testament quotes in the book of
Romans. This confirms the faithfulness of Gods Word. God can be
trusted! Romans is all about trusting and believing God so this is an
important way for Paul to start out. Romans asks us to believe some
radical things! (All things work together, that we are dead to sin and its
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power over us, that nothing can separate us from Gods love, etc). If God
was faithful to keep his word in regard to the gospel, He will be faithful and
can be trusted to work in our lives as well.
In verse 3, who does Paul say the gospel message is about?
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I am often bothered by "gospel" messages that make no mention of the
cross. Jesus must be the focus of our message or it is not the gospel.
What aspect about Jesus does Paul highlight in verse 3?
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Read Hebrews 2:14-18. Why is it so important that Jesus became a
man like us?
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What aspect about Jesus does Paul highlight in verse 4?
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According to Paul, what event showed that Jesus was the Son of
God?
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Jesus was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit and that
sets Jesus apart from any other person. That same power that raised
Christ from the dead, is the the same power that has rescued us from the
kingdom of darkness and given us the victory over sin.
Fully God and fully man- both are vital in order for Jesus to be our Savior.
Day 7: Romans 1:5-7

Read Romans 1 again.
In verse 5, what two things have we received from Jesus?
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It is interesting that grace is mentioned first. Before Paul asks us to do
anything in Romans 12, he has prefaced it by 11 chapters of grace! Our
level of commitment and obedience will be in direct proportion to our
understanding of God's grace. Because he has poured out his grace on
us, that enables us to be his apostles or his messengers.
For what reason have we received grace and apostleship from verse
5?
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The obedience of faith- a believing response to the gospel requires action!
It is God's desire for each one of us that we not only believe, but that our
faith changes our lives. The life of every Christian should be about fulfilling
the Great Commission.
Who is this done for?
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For the sake of his name is a theme throughout Scripture. We often think
God works in our lives just for our own good, but ultimately it is for His
name and for his glory. What things are accomplished in the following
verses "for the sake of his name?"
Psalm 106:7-8
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Psalm 23:3
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Psalm 31:3
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Isaiah 48:9
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1 John 2:12
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Life is not about us, it is all about God and His name!
Who is God's heart for in verse 5?
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In verse 6, what does Paul say we have been called to?
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To call means "to issue a summons or invitation." The called are those
who have accepted that call or invitation to become a member of a select
group. The emphasis is on God who extends the invitation. We then
receive or accept that call.
Often times, who you are associated with is what defines you. I am
Clayton's wife. I belong to him and that relationship explains part of who I
am. In the same way, our relationship to Jesus and the fact that we belong
to Him should be represented in the way we live our lives.
Actually the word "belong" is not in the Greek, but has been inserted into
the English for clarity. Literally, in the Greek it reads that we have been
called to Jesus Christ. He has invited us to himself!
What two things does Paul remind the believers of in verse 7?
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The fact that God loves us is going to be explained and demonstrated in
the rest of the book of Romans.
Those who come to faith through the door of seeking happiness in Christ
will think that their happiness is evidence of God's love. They may even
think that God has forsaken them when trials come and their happiness
leaves. But those who look to the Cross as a token of God's love will never
doubt His steadfast devotion to them. - Ray Comfort.
Notice how God describes believers. Look up the definition of saint

in the Greek.
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Generally, the Bible does not refer to saved people as sinners. Look up the
following verses to understand how God sees us now.
Ephesians 1:5
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1 Peter 2:9
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1 John 3:1
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Revelation 1:6
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In almost every one of Paul's letters, he refers to believers as saints. God
tells us that we are now his children, a kingdom of priests, adopted sons,
and loved by God. God has separated us out for himself and this is now
our true identity according to our new birth. It is not based on my
performance! The enemy will tell you otherwise. The enemy will challenge
you to prove you are who you say you are. Dont believe him, believe what
the Bible says about you! You are a saint!
Because we are now a part of God's family, what is offered to us in
verse 7?
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Day 8: Romans 1:8-17

Read Romans 1.
What does Paul thank God for in verse 8?
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What is Paul's prayer request in verses 9-10?
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From verse 11, why does Paul want to see them?
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We don't have specifics, but from verse 12, what might the spiritual
gift be that Paul is referring to?
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What is another reason Paul gives in verse 13 for wanting to visit
Rome?
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According to verse 13, what is at least one of the groups that Paul is
writing to?
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In verse 14, Paul says he is under obligation. This means "one who must
do something. It can also be translated "debtor." Paul felt like he was
indebted to tell those who had not heard the gospel. It was something he
had to do! I don't think this applies to only Paul. Every Christian should
have this same urgency to tell others about Christ.
How does Paul describe his feelings about sharing the gospel in
Rome from verse 15?
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When you think about sharing your faith with someone, what feelings
do you have?
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Often times we feel anxious, fearful or nervous about sharing our
faith. But Paul was eager! Why do you think Paul felt this way?
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I think fear and anxiety about sharing the gospel comes from being focused
on ourselves. What if they laugh at me? What if it changes our friendship?
Fear of how it will affect us often prevents us from speaking to others about
Christ. But if Christ is our focus, we will be eager to share Him with others.
When we remember what Jesus saved us from and all He did to save us,
then like Paul, we will feel eager and obligated to share this good news with
those around us. Spend some time in prayer asking God to give you the
right perspective so that you too, will be eager to share the gospel.
In verse 16, Paul says he is not ashamed to preach the gospel. Ashamed
of the gospel?! No way! It was what he lived for and the highest honor of
his life.
Why is he not ashamed?
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Power of God dunamis (where we get the English words dynamite,
dynamic) It is the wonder working power of God, the power behind the
miracles. It is not that it has, or it shows the power, but it is the power. It
breaks through spiritual darkness and brings dead people to life!
Who is the gospel available to?
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Already 3 times, in verses 4, 5, and 16, Paul says the gospel is for
everyone. It was never intended to be some exclusive club. Gods heart is
for every human being to come to salvation.
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What is the one condition given for salvation?

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Believe claiming by personal choice and relying exclusively upon the
finished work of Christ on the cross to be sufficient payment for my sins.
Paul says when you believe the gospel, it is the power of God to save you
and make you into a brand new person. No wonder he is not ashamed.
He can't wait to tell others this wonderful message!
Verse 17 is the key verse of the book of Romans; this verse led Martin
Luther to faith.
According to verse 17, what does the gospel reveal to us?
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Righteousness that which lines up with the perfect moral character of
God.
I do not believe this verse is talking about Gods character of
righteousness, but the righteousness that God requires from men. This
righteousness is provided by Christs death on the cross for us. It is
received by grace, through faith alone. As opposed to the righteousness of
man, it is the only righteousness he can accept and God gives it to us for
free!
How do we receive God's righteousness?
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From faith to faith: Several possible interpretations.
1. Faith of the Old Testament to the faith of the New Testament this
epistle is anchored in the Old Testament scriptures.
2. Beginning faith to ending faith our life starts and ends with faith.
3. Rhetorical way of saying that it is by faith and faith alone, from
start to finish.
Paul then quotes Hab. 2:4. The just shall live by faith.
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So many times I have read this verse focusing on the word faith. But
instead I think the focus is the life we have because of our faith. The just
(the righteous ones) will live! We will not be condemned to die for our sin,
instead because of the righteousness that God freely gives us through
faith, we will have life! Without faith in Christ, we cannot have life.
Righteousness is only had by faith in Christ + nothing.
Faith is used 4 times in these 2 verses. Faith is taking God at his word; it is
accepting what he says as true. It is relying on Christ completely and not at
all on myself.
This righteous life through Christ, can only be gained by faith and it will be
expressed by faith. As we live a life of believing God, his righteousness in
us will be revealed.
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Read Romans 1.
From Romans 1:18-3:20, Paul begins a detailed explanation of why all men
are condemned before a holy God.
In verse 17, Paul told us that the gospel reveals God's demand for
righteousness. When men don't have God's righteousness, what
does verse 18 say is revealed?
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What is God's wrath against?
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What does Paul say in verse 18 that these people are doing?
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The word suppress means "to prevent, hinder or keep from." You could
also say that 'these people's evil ways (unrighteousness) keep the truth
from being known.
What does verse 19 tell you about God?
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There is some irony in verse 20. Paul tells us that God's invisible attributes
are clearly seen, specifically his eternal power and divine nature are clearly
seen in creation. Below are some attributes of God. Give an example of
how you can see this attribute of God displayed in the world around us.
God's power:
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God's faithfulness:
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God's provision:
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God's wisdom:
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God's love:
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Because people suppress and ignore this truth about God, what does
it say about them at the end of verse 20?
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Look up the word 'excuse' in the Greek and write the definition below.
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God has made his character and attributes to be clearly seen through the
world he has created, but man has suppressed that truth. We see that in
the lie of evolution. Instead of seeing the handiwork of God, they have
completely left God out of the picture. This is the first reason given for men
being condemned. When they stand before Christ they will be without
excuse. They will not be able to give a reasoned defense for why they
rejected God because God has given them clear evidence.
Verse 21 tells us that these people knew there was a God. But what
did they fail to do?
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I think it is interesting that Paul mentions these two things as characterizing
people without the Lord. First, they don't honor God or give him glory. It is
all about them. In one word, we could say they are filled with pride. We
certainly see that in our culture here in America. Secondly, they are not
thankful. I find it very interesting that most of the tribal groups around the
world do not have a word for thank-you. That was certainly true about the
tribe that my parents worked in, in Brazil. They had no way of expressing
thanks in their language. Paul says this is a result of rejecting God!
What two things does Paul say happened to these people in verse 21?
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Another word for futile is foolish. 3 times in verses 21-22, God calls these
people fools. The truth is staring them in the face and they still choose to
reject it.
How is their foolishness displayed from verse 23?
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Read chapter 1 again.
Three times in chapter 1, it says that men exchanged something for
something else and as a result, "God gave them up." Read verses 22-32
and underline the occurrences of "exchanged" and circle the phrase "God
gave them up."
What is the first thing men exchanged?
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As a result of this choice, what did God give them up to?
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Sin always leads to more sin. Idolatry leads to impurity and immoral living.
The phrase "God gave them up" means to deliver a person into the control
of someone else." God turned these people over to their own lusts and
impurity to be controlled by them. Instead of honoring and glorifying God, it
actually says they dishonored their own bodies!
To dishonor means to cause someone to have low status involving
dishonor and disrespect. People think that sex and sin is fun, but God says
you are actually disrespecting yourself when you sin sexually. When we
dishonor God, we also end up dishonoring ourselves, too.
In verse 25, what is another thing that men exchanged?
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How was this evident in their actions from verse 25?
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As a result, what did God give them up to in verse 26?
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What is another thing they exchanged from verse 26?

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Notice the words God uses to describe their actions - dishonorable,
unnatural, and shameless.
How is the last way that God gave them up in verse 28?
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Debased means "pertaining to not being in accordance with what is right,
appropriate, or fitting."
We see a downward spiral in these verses.
First, men suppress the truth that God is Creator (1:18-21)
That leads to idolatry. (1:22-23)
That results in immorality. (1:24)
And finally men dishonor themselves through homosexuality (1:26-27)
As a result, God gave them up to their own lusts and impurity, to
dishonorable passions and finally to a debased or depraved mind. Sin
always leads to more sin!
Verses 29-31 paint a pretty ugly picture of man's condition without God.
Verse 29 says they are "filled with" and "full of" all these evil things listed.
Because they rejected God, God gave them over to the control of sin and it
is not a pretty picture!
Verse 31 ends by saying that they know what God's righteous decree is
against them, but they ignore it. Not only do they ignore it, they approve of
others who practice this sin, too.
What does verse 32 say that God's righteous decree against them is?
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This section of Scripture is very unpopular in America today. If you take a
stand against homosexuality, you will probably be called a bigot, a hater
and intolerant. But we need to listen to what God says. God says it is
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wrong and unnatural and we are only hurting and dishonoring ourselves.
The punishment for this and any other sin is death. The most loving thing
we can do for people is to speak the truth and offer them the hope found
only in Christ.
What group of people do you think this section addresses: Jews of
Gentiles?
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How did you come to that conclusion?
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What do you think is the theme of chapter 1?
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Romans 2
Read Romans 2.
Romans 1 addressed the Gentile heathen who does not have God's Word,
but can clearly see God's attributes in creation. But the Bible says they
reject that light and it is a downward spiral into sin.
After reading chapter 2, who does Paul address next?
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In chapter 1, Paul said the Gentiles were "without excuse." What
does he tell the Jew in verse 1 of chapter 2?
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From verse 1, why are the Jews without excuse?
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Paul says the Jews look at the heathen Gentiles and pass judgment on
them. In a word, they are self-righteous. They think they are better than
the Gentiles because their sin does not look as bad, but God sees the
heart, and God says you are doing the same things that you are passing
judgment on them for.
As an example: maybe the Gentile practices open homosexuality and the
Jew would be quick to condemn him for it. But the Jew struggles with lust
in his heart or views pornography in secret. God says it is the same!
What does verse 2 say will happen to those who practice these
things?
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What is his warning to the Jew in verse 3?
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In verse 4, the Jew, and like many people today, they believed that
because God is kind he will not punish their sin. Instead, what does
Paul say is the purpose of God's kindness?
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To presume to take lightly, to despise, to look down on.
Paul says, just because God may not be judging you right now, dont think
that you can get away with it. Instead, it is because God wants you to
repent of your sin, that he is so kind and patient with you.
Many people think that since God is kind, our sin is not a big deal to him
and he will overlook it. Paul says it is a big deal, and God is kind in order to
turn you away from that sin! We will see exactly what God's kindness looks
like later in Romans.
What kind of heart does Paul say the Jew has?
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What is being stored up for the person with a hard and unrepentant
heart according to verse 5?
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Twice so far Paul has told us that God will judge our sin. (Romans 1:32;
Romans 2:2). So for a person to continue on in their sin and refuse to
repent, Paul says wrath is being stored up for that person on the day of
judgment. That is not a pleasant thought!
It may seem like right now people are getting away with sin and evil. But
there will come a day when God's righteous judgment will be revealed and
he will right every wrong.
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Verse 6 is the key to understanding verse 7. If you read verse 7 by
itself, it seems like Paul is saying that if you are good enough, you
can attain eternal life. But in verse 6, how does Paul say people will
be judged?
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What kind of works does Paul mention in verse 7 will have eternal
life?
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From chapters 1-2 so far, does anyone do this?
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Paul is making the point that if you want to be saved by works, you have to
do the works! We have seen in chapter 1 and Paul is going to explain
further in chapter 3 what kind of works are in the heart of man and they are
not good!
What are the works mentioned in verse 8?
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Again what does Paul say awaits this person?
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Wrath is God's punishment based on His angry judgment against
someone's sin. Fury is intense anger. That is what is being stored up for
the evil-doer.
In verses 9-10, circle the word "does." Again that is the key to
understanding these verses.
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What awaits the person who does evil?

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What awaits the person who does good?
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But according to Romans 3:12, how many people do good?
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Paul is wanting the Jew to understand that they are no better than the
Gentiles. To be justified before God, you have to do the works of God and
Paul wants them to see they can never do that perfectly.
He makes the point that God is fair and does not show favoritism. He
judges the Jew first, meaning that God's Law was first given to them and
then the Gentiles. God judges both the same and both fall short.
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Read verse 12 very carefully. It says all who have sinned without the law
(the Gentiles), will also die without the law. It does not say they will be
judged by the law. But in verses 14-15 Paul will explain why people who
have never heard God's Word, can still be judged by it.
What people are referred to who have sinned under the law?
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Because the Jews were given God's law, they are accountable to obey it!
Verse 13 really sums up what Paul has been saying. Who according
to this verse will be justified before God?
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Again, circle the word "doers" in verse 13. Paul says it is not enough to
have heard God's law, you actually have to do the work to be saved. He is
building the case that none of us can do that and that is why we need a
Savior.
In verses 14-15, Paul shows why even the Gentiles can be judged
according to the law. What does verse 14 say the Gentiles do?
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All societies have a standard of right and wrong. Verse 15 tells us that this
is because the work of the law is written on their hearts. God has placed a
knowledge of right and wrong in every human heart, but none of these
cultures live up to their own standards.
How will people be judged from verse 16?
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The Jew and the Gentile both will be judged by what is in their heart. The
Jew may look good on the outside, but his heart is corrupt. God sees his
heart! The Gentile may not have the law, but knows in his heart what is
right and wrong. His heart will also be judged! Both have sinned and God
sees into the heart so He can be the righteous judge.
26

List all the reasons the Jews thought they were better and accepted
by God from verses 17-20. This is a good description of how the
Jews viewed themselves!
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What point does Paul make in verses 21-24?
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The Jews thought that because they were God's chosen people and were
given the Law of Moses, that they were better than the Gentiles. They felt
like they had an "in" with God.
What does Paul say the Jews are doing in verse 23?
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Look back to Romans 1:21. How did Paul say the heathen Gentiles
were treating God?
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Paul is showing the Jew that he is no better than the Gentile. They have
both dishonored God with their sin and God will hold them both
accountable.
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Again in verse 23 Paul is making the point that in order to be saved by

works, it is not enough to know the truth, you have to obey it! The very
thing that the Jews took pride in (the law) was the very thing that was
condemning them before God.
What does Paul tell the Jew in verse 24?
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Wow, Paul is making a very strong point here! He tells the Jew that God's
name is being dragged through the mud and it is because of them! They
were given God's word and did not live up to it. Instead of boasting that
they had the Law, instead Paul says it is serving as a witness against them.
28

Read Romans 2 one more time.
Yesterday we saw how Paul said that simply having the law did not make
you right before God. You have to obey it! Today we are going to look at
another thing the Jews took pride in: circumcision.
According to verse 25, when does circumcision have value?
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Look up Galatians 5:3. What similar point does Paul make in that
verse?
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In verse 25, how does Paul say that God views a circumcised Jew
who does not obey the whole law?
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Wow, this was a slap in the face! Paul is telling the Jews that unless they
obey the law perfectly, God views them as an uncircumcised person, a
Gentile! He is slowing tearing down the things they took pride in in order to
bring them to Christ.
In verses 26-27, Paul puts forth a hypothetical situation. We have
seen that no person can keep the law, but if they could, how would
God view an uncircumcised person who obeyed the law?
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In verses 28 and 29, what point does Paul make?
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Paul wants them to understand that just being a Jew does not assure
salvation. It is hard for us to comprehend how earth shattering this would
29
have been for a Jew in Paul's day. Paul has just taken two things the Jews
took pride in (the Law and circumcision) and said they are totally worthless
in terms of making them right with God. They each had a purpose, but it
was not for salvation. The Jews thought they were special because God
singled them out and gave them the Law. They thought circumcision made
them right with God and was a sign that they belonged to Him, and Paul
has just debunked those two ideas. This would have been a hard thing for
the Jews to come to terms with.
Paul has to tell them the bad news first. He has to help them to understand
that their heritage alone will not save them. God is not concerned about an
outward sign of circumcision if their heart is corrupt. What kind of heart did
Paul say the Jews had in Romans 2:5?
__________________________________________________________
Paul says it is a heart issue and that is something we can't fix ourselves.
Paul goes so far as to say that circumcision is a matter of the heart. The
heart is what God sees, not the outward. God is the only one who can
clean up our corrupt hearts and that is through the righteousness that He
gives us. The Jews were self-righteous and Paul tells them they fall short.
What is the theme of chapter 2?
____________________________________________________________
30
Romans 3
Read Romans 3.
In verses 1-9, Paul continues speaking to the Jews, but he does it in a
question/answer format. Paul writes it almost as if he were being crossexamined. He knows the objections a Jewish person might bring up and
he has an answer for each one. In your Bibles, highlight all the questions
in one color and highlight the answers in another color.
What is the first question Paul asks in verse 1? Write it in your own
words.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What is Paul's answer?
____________________________________________________________
To a Jewish person reading this, this would be an obvious question. If what
Paul said in chapter 2 is true, that the law and circumcision do not make
them right with God, then what benefit is there to being a Jew? Paul
responds by saying that out of all the people in the world, the Jews were
given the very words of God, but for the nation as a whole, they did not
believe it. This was a wonderful privilege and blessing, but the nation of
Israel often rejected God's word.
What is the second question Paul asks in verse 3? Write it in your
own words.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
31
Paul's strong response shows he is appalled that someone should think

God would not be faithful. Paul quotes David, their greatest king, when
after he sinned with Bathsheba, was willing for himself to be judged a
sinner and God proved right when he pronounced judgment (Ps. 51:4).
In fact, Gods pronouncement of judgment, as his covenant declared he
would, is a sign of his faithfulness. So instead of our faithlessness
nullifying God's faithfulness, it actually establishes it.
What is the third objection Paul raises in verse 5? Write it in your own
words.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What is the answer?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
If my unrighteousness causes the righteousness of God to shine more
gloriously, then how can God inflict his wrath on me? Paul notes that he is
using a human argument that cannot be taken seriously. If God were
unrighteous, there would be no way he could judge the world, and every
Jew knew that He one day would judge!
What is the next question in verses 7-8? Write it in your own words.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What is Paul's response?
____________________________________________________________
Paul will go into more detail with this last objection when we get to Romans
6. For people to think that they should actually sin more so God's righteous
character will be more revealed- Paul says God will be right to condemn
them.
What is Paul's final question in verse 9?
____________________________________________________________
32
What is his answer?

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Paul ends this section by saying the Jews are not right with God just
because they are his chosen people. Paul makes it very clear that both
Jews and Gentiles are all under sin and will be judged by a righteous God.
33

In verses 10-12, Paul quotes Psalm 14:1-3 and Psalm 53:1-3.
Righteousness is a theme in the book of Romans so we need to make sure
we understand what it means. The word has a few aspects to it. First, to
be righteous means to be in accordance with what God requires.
From our study so far, what does God require?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
See also Micah 6:8 to see God's requirements. Do any of us meet
these requirements?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Another aspect of being righteous is to be in a right relationship with
someone. Because of our sin, we are not in a right relationship with God.
How many negative markers do you see in verse 10 - words like no,
not, etc. ________
What point is Paul trying to make very clear?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Verse 10 closes by saying that no one seeks after God. Look up the
definition of "seeks" in the Greek.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
This word speaks of a determined search. Left on their own, unbelievers
will never seek after God in this way. From Romans 1, we see that people
pursue unrighteousness and evil. No matter how good a person might
34
seem, God sees their heart and He says absolutely no one is righteous and
none seek after him.
In verse 12, Paul says that all have turned aside. That literally means
to turn away from or avoid. What have people turned away from?
____________________________________________________________
Look up the definition of worthless in the Greek.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Verse 12 closes by saying that no one does good, not even one. What is
this verse really saying? Unsaved people do good deeds all the time. We
hear stories of people giving money to the poor, helping out a stranded
motorist, or giving large sums of money to charity. These certainly seem
like good things. So what does God mean by good here? Interestingly, the
word good can also mean "useful."
Look up Isaiah 64:6. How does God view our righteous deeds apart
from Christ?
____________________________________________________________
In light of the word good also meaning useful, I think what God is saying
here is that these good deeds have no saving, eternal value. In fact these
"good" deeds that people do, God does not even view them as good at all!
Because we are all condemned and under sin, these "good" things we do
are useless to bring us to God. God says not one of us is good.
Verses 13 and 14 deal with our words. Paul describes their throat as
an open grave. Think about an open grave for a moment. Write a
description of what it would be like to see an open grave.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Jesus said that out of the heart, the mouth speaks. What is in our heart is
eventually going to come out of our lips. Paul is saying here that because
these people are spiritually dead, that stench of death is going to be
evidenced in their words. An open grave is something people naturally
35
would turn away from - the stench of rotting flesh and decay is disgusting.
God says this is what their speech is like!
They use their tongues to deceive - even a little child knows how to lie!
The venom of asps is under their lips - a snake bite causes pain and
damage, maybe even death. Our words can do this as well.
Their mouth is full of bitterness and cursing - for people without the Lord,
bitterness and curses are in their heart, so that is what comes out.
Verses 15-17 deal with actions.
What is verse 15 saying in your own words?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
The consequences of sin are not pretty. God says ruin and misery
overtake those who are separated from God. Sin ruins lives and makes us
miserable!
Paul says the way of peace they have not known. Jesus is the Prince of
Peace and if they don't know him, their life will not be marked by peace.
Paul paints a pretty bleak picture of what people are like without the Lord.
He references hateful speech, a bitter person full of cursing and a life filled
with ruin and despair. But let's not forget Paul's main point in this section:
we are ALL like this apart from Christ! He is painting an ugly picture to
show us the depth of our sin and why we need a Savior.
Verse 18 sums it all up by saying that people do not fear God. If people
had a reverent fear of the Lord and his judgment awaiting them because of
their sin, they would act differently. Instead, Paul says no one fears God
and that is obvious through their actions.
36

In verse 19, Paul says that what the law says, it speaks to those under the
law. Obviously we know this refers to the Jew, but we also know from
Romans 2:14-15 that it applies to the Gentiles as well.
Based on verse 19, what is one purpose of the law?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Every mouth will be stopped - when those without Christ stand before the
Lord someday, they will have nothing to say. They will not be able to stand
and give a reasoned defense for why God should save them. The law will
stand as a witness against them shining a spotlight on their sin.
The Bible says one day the whole world will be held accountable to God.
God is the one they will have to answer to because ultimately their sin in
against Him.
In verse 20, Paul closes this section with a concise clear statement.
What does Paul say the law cannot do for us?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What does the law do?
____________________________________________________________
The law is very important and can bring us to Christ when used properly.
Paul has made it very clear that every single person on earth is a sinner
and separated from God. There is no way we can be good enough for God
to overlook our sin. The Bible says no one is good when compared with
God's holy perfection. The law is incapable of changing our heart, but it
does expose our hearts. In chapter 2, we learned it is not enough to know
what the law says, but you have to do it perfectly 100% of the time to be
justified and I think we have seen there is no way we can do that. So the
law exposes our wicked hearts and shows us our sinfulness. Galatians
37
2:24 says that the law was our guardian or schoolmaster to bring us to
Christ. The purpose of the law is to show us how utterly sinful we are and
how totally hopeless it is for us on our own. Seeing the perfect standard of
the law should cause us to throw up our hands in defeat and cause us to
run into the arms of Christ, the only one who can save us.
38

Read Romans 3.
Now that Paul has thoroughly shown us our sin and our hopeless state, he
is now going to start a new section and tell us the good news!
In verse 21, when Paul mentions the righteousness of God, I believe
he is referring to the righteousness that God requires of us. How is
this righteousness not gained?
____________________________________________________________
What does this verse tells us the Law and the Prophets did do?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
The Law and the Prophets told about God's righteous standard, but they
did not give us righteousness. Have you ever tried to use a tool in a way
that it was not intended? It is very frustrating! Imagine trying to use a fork
to eat soup. A person who did not know better would say, "This thing is
useless!" and throw it away. No, a fork is not useless, but in order for it to
be useful, it has to be used the way it was intended. It is the same way
with the Law. The Law was never meant to give us righteousness and if we
try to use it that way, it will end in frustration and defeat. So we should not
say the Law is bad and throw it out. We should use it the way God
intended it - to show us our sin against God's perfect standard of
righteousness. Then it drives us to the only One who can give us
righteousness, Christ himself!
According to verse 22, how is this righteousness gained?
____________________________________________________________
Who is it available to?
____________________________________________________________
Because all are condemned under sin, all are in need of salvation, and God
offers his righteousness for free to all. The only condition is faith in His
Son, Jesus.
39
In verse 23, Paul reminds us again that all have sinned. What do you
think it means to fall short of the glory of God?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
In verse 24, Paul tells us we have been justified. Look up the
definition in the Greek and write it below.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Paul has gone to great lengths in the first 3 chapters to tell us that we are
not in a right relationship with God because of our sin. Now he tells us the
wonderful news that our sin problem has a solution through Christ and we
can be justified!
Read the next phrase in this verse. How do we become justified?
____________________________________________________________
That is amazing! God graciously grants us justification (a proper standing
before Him) as a gift. It is completely free. Grace is giving us something
good that we don't deserve. Based on how Paul has described sinful man
so far, we certainly don't deserve to be justified. Reread Romans 1:29-32
again. That describes all of us before Christ! That evil, wicked person (you
and me) God has graciously justified. We are put in a right standing before
God because Jesus took our place and accepted the punishment for our
sin. Because he took our place, our sin has been dealt with and God can
now accept us! Awesome!
Paul goes on to say our justification has been accomplished through
the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Write the definition of
redemption below from the Greek.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
40
Christ has set us free! He paid the ransom price that sin demanded death! His death in our place set us free from the curse and power of sin!
Christ did what the Law never could. The law showed how sinful we are,
but couldn't deliver us. Christ came and set us free!
Verse 25 tells us that God put Christ forward as a propitiation for our sins.
Look up the definition of propitiation in the Greek.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Paul says that God put forward or offered Christ as the payment that
would satisfy God's wrath against our sin. According to verse 25, how
did Christ accomplish this?
____________________________________________________________
How do we receive this for ourselves?
____________________________________________________________
God is the actor in these verses. We are justified by God, redeemed by
Jesus, and God put Christ forward as the satisfactory payment for our sins.
All we have to do is believe!
According to verse 25, why did God offer Christ as a propitiation for
our sins?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
The end of verse 25 is rather interesting. It says that in God's forbearance
he had passed over former sins.
What "former sins" do you think Paul is talking about?
____________________________________________________________
When Paul talks about former sins, it seems that he is referring to all the
sins committed before Christ came, namely those in the Old Testament
under the sacrificial system. The people in the Old Testament did not have
a "once for all" payment for their sins. Hebrews 10:4 says that "It is
41
impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin." But in God's
grace, He knew there would one day be a sacrifice that would take away all
of their sin. So for those in the Old Testament, God passed over their sins
when he saw their faith in the blood sacrifices. When God promises
something, it is as good as done. So God passed over their sins in the Old
Testament because he knew His Son's sacrifice would one day cover and
pay for those sins.
God offered Christ as a propitiation to show that He is a righteous God. He
cannot indefinitely pass over sins without a payment being made. In his
righteousness, he has to judge sin. So he sent Jesus to pay for every sin
ever committed - past, present, and future!
In verse 26, what two attributes of God are displayed by Him sending
Jesus to pay for our sins?
____________________________________________________________
According to this verse, who can God righteously justify?
____________________________________________________________
God has done it all! His standard is perfection and since God knows we
can never measure up, He offers us His righteousness for free! Through
His Son, He can justify us so that our sins are not held against us. All we
have to do is believe in the work that Christ has already accomplished for
us. Amazing grace!
42

In verse 27, what type of boasting might Paul be referring to?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Why do we have no reason to boast? Verse 28 tells us.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Read verses 21-31 again and circle every time faith is mentioned.
What does God give us when we have faith in His Son?
v. 22
____________________________________________________________
v.25
__________________________________________________________
v. 28
____________________________________________________________
This is why we have no reason to boast. God gives us His righteousness.
Christ payment for our sin satisfied God's wrath and because of that He
justifies us when we believe. Christ has done all the work so there is
nothing for us to boast about.
But what is one thing that Paul says we should boast about? See
Galatians 6:14.
____________________________________________________________
In verses 29 and 30, Paul says the Jews and Gentiles are all the same.
Both have sinned and both are justified in the same way. How are we
all justified?
____________________________________________________________
To the Jew, a natural response might be, "Then what good is the law?" To
overthrow means "to invalidate, to abolish, to cause not to function." To the
43
Jew, if the law couldn't give them a right standing before God, they might
be tempted to say they should just get rid of it.
What is Paul's response to this thought?
____________________________________________________________
Based on what we have studied so far, why would Paul have such a
strong negative reaction? To uphold the law means "to acknowledge
the validity of something." If the law can't save us, why is it still
valid?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
44
Romans 4
Read Romans 4.
Based on verse 1, what group of people is Paul addressing here?
____________________________________________________________
Abraham is the father of the Jewish nation, so Paul is going to use him as
an example to show that even Abraham was not justified by his works.
Every Jew thought highly of and took pride in Abraham as their father, so
Paul uses him to make his point in a very powerful way. Not even Abraham
was good enough to be saved by his works. He needed justified too, and it
was only through faith!
In verse 3, Paul uses the authority of Scripture to back up his point.
He quotes Moses, the writer of Genesis. In Genesis 15:6, how does it
say that Abraham gained righteousness?
____________________________________________________________
The word counted is used 11 times in this chapter. It might be good to
mark every time it is used here.
Look up the word counted in the Greek and write the definition below.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
The Scriptures say that Abraham believed God and because of his faith,
God placed righteousness in Abraham's spiritual account! Before,
Abraham was spiritually bankrupt. Now he had a credit of righteousness to
his account.
In verse 4, Paul gives a practical example of a worker and an employer.
When you go to work and get your paycheck at the end of the week, you
don't say to your employer, "Thank you so much for your kindness in giving
me this money." No! You put the money in your pocket and go your merry
way. In fact, if you worked an entire week and didn't get paid, you would be
45
angry because you were not paid the wages that you were due. In that
sense, your employer owed you because you worked for it. If we work hard
for something it is never viewed as a gift, but rather something we have
earned. Paul is going to use this example with salvation. If we work for our
salvation, it is no longer a gift. Paul has already told us in Romans 3:24
that our justification is a gift from God. The logical conclusion then for
someone who wants to work for his salvation, is that he has earned it and
God owes it to him. This of course is ridiculous and even heretical!
From verse 5, what are two prerequisites for having our faith counted
as righteousness?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
According to verse 5, what type of person does God justify?
____________________________________________________________
Paul makes a shocking statement here and says that God justifies the
ungodly! God does not justify those who have worked hard and tried to be
good. God justifies the wicked sinner who believes that Jesus can save
him! When we come to the end of ourselves and come to believe in Christ,
we have the righteousness that God demands from us, credited to our
account!
46

Read Romans 4.
Mark every time you see the words faith or believe in chapter 4. How
many times is it mentioned?
___________________________________________________________
In verses 6-8, Paul quotes another person the Jews highly regarded, King
David. David says it is a blessing when God counts righteousness to us
apart from works.
What three things does David say God does for us?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What is the question Paul asks in verse 9? Write it in your own
words.
____________________________________________________________
What question does Paul ask in verse 10?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
So which came first- Abraham's circumcision or him being declared
righteous?
____________________________________________________________
Why would it matter to a Jew when Abraham was declared righteous
in regard to being circumcised?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
In verse 11, what does Paul call the sign of circumcision?
____________________________________________________________
47
A seal is "that which confirms or attests to the genuineness of something

certification, validation, proof, evidence of genuineness."
When does Paul say Abraham was declared righteous?
____________________________________________________________
So when Abraham was circumcised, it did not give him righteousness, it
just showed evidence or proof of the righteousness he already had.
What was the purpose of Abraham being declared righteous apart
from circumcision in verse 11?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
In verses 11 and 12, Abraham is a forerunner to two different groups
of people. In verse 11 he mentions "all who believe without being
circumcised." Who would this be?
____________________________________________________________
In verse 12 he mentions those " who are not merely circumcised" but
also walk in Abraham's footsteps. Who is this referring to?
____________________________________________________________
So both Jews and Gentiles can be declared righteous apart from their
works! This would have been a revolutionary idea for a devout Jew! I am
so glad, that God made it possible for us as Gentiles to be made right with
God apart from our works!
So based on this chapter, give a one word answer of how we and
Abraham are justified.
____________________________________________________________
48

What was God's promise to Abraham in verse 13?
____________________________________________________________
What do you think this means that God promised Abraham he would
be heir of the world?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
This is the a unique term. We see elsewhere God says he will be the
father of many nations, but here God says he will be heir (possessor,
inheritor) of the world. World means "people associated with a world
system and estranged from Godpeople of the world." So God was
promising Abraham that people all over the world, Jew and Gentiles, would
follow in the footsteps of the faith of Abraham and be made righteous just
like he was! This is an incredible promise and I am so glad I am a
fulfillment of that promise!
How was Abraham and all those who came after him made righteous
from verse 13?
____________________________________________________________
In verse 14, what does Paul say becomes of faith if we are made
righteous through the law?
____________________________________________________________
Look up the definition of "null" in the Greek.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What happens to God's promise?
____________________________________________________________
49
Look up the definition of "void" in the Greek.

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What does the law bring us from verse 15?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
So Paul tells us very clearly in verses 14-15, that there are no benefits for
us in trying to be made righteous by keeping the law. In fact, there are only
negatives! First, faith is discounted and looses its power and significance.
We cannot be declared righteous apart from faith. Secondly, God's
promises are discounted if it all depends on us performing up to a certain
level. Thirdly, we fall under God's wrath. This is not a place I want to be.
For those who want to try to keep the law, they are going to fall under the
wrath of God. They will not be able to keep the law perfectly so the natural
result will be that God will have to judge them for their sin. Paul has done a
pretty good job trying to convince us that trying to be good enough on our
own is not going to work!
50

In verse 16, Paul says that "it" depends on faith. What is the "it" that
Paul is referring to?
____________________________________________________________
What are the two benefits of being justified by faith?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What promise is being referred to in verse 16? Who is the promise
to? (Look back to v. 13).
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Who does Paul say is Abraham's offspring?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
This verse gives us wonderful news! The promise that God gave Abraham
that he and any who came after him could be made righteous through their
faith in God's promise, is amazing! No more striving to measure up. You
don't have to be a Jew to qualify, you just have to believe God! In fact, God
tells us that when we come to him in faith, He promises to make us
righteous. It is a guarantee!
In verse 17, Genesis 17:5 is quoted. The neat thing about this verse, it that
when God made this promise to Abraham, he was still without children. But
notice what God says: "I have made you the father of many nations." God
is making a promise in the past tense! When we make promises, it is
always for the future. "I will do..." But God's Word is so sure, that He is
talking like this has already taken place. When God says something, it is a
done deal! Only God can make promises in the past tense!
51
What two ways is God described in verse 17?

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
This was the God that Abraham believed in- a God who could do the
impossible. No one else can raise the dead to life or bring things into
existence from nothing. If God can do that, Abraham was sure he could
also give him a son like He promised.
There are 9 recorded resurrections in the Bible, but Abraham had never
seen one. Yet somehow, he had the faith to believe that His God was so
powerful that he could even raise Isaac from the dead if he had to sacrifice
him.
Look up Hebrews 11:18-19 and note what it says about Abraham's
faith.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Many times people read this and marvel at the faith of Abraham, but really
we should be marveling and standing in awe of our awesome, all-powerful
God. Only God can raise the dead and call things into existence from
nothing. What "impossible" thing are you trusting God for today?
Verse 18 tells us that Abraham believed against hope. He had no reason
physically to hope that he would have a son in his old age. It was
physically impossible!
Instead of looking at his impossible circumstances, what did Abraham
look to?
____________________________________________________________
I love that! God's word trumped what Abraham knew to be practical,
rational or even possible. Abraham took God at His word and believed
what He said despite how the circumstances looked. Oh, that we would be
people of faith like this! Simply taking God at His Word. Remember, God
makes promises in the past tense, so if He says something, we can be as
sure of it as if it has already happened!
52
In verse 19, what two things made it "impossible" for Abraham and
Sarah to have children?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
This verse tells us that Abraham didn't weaken in his faith when he
considered these things. Look up the definition of considered in the
Greek.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Abraham was well aware of the obstacles in front of him. He
considered and thought carefully about them, but in the end he chose
to believe God. Verse 20 says that Abraham did not waver or doubt,
but that his faith grew strong. Verse 21 tells us why. Why was
Abraham able to believe God for the "impossible."?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Abraham was fully convinced that God could be trusted. In order to
completely trust someone, you have to know them very well. You have to
see their track record that they are worthy of your trust. God first made the
promise of a son to Abraham 25 years earlier and through walking with God
those 25 years, Abraham came to believe that he could count on God. He
knew God would not break His word to him. Now Abraham's faith was so
strong that he took God's word over what other people said or what was
considered physically possible. He was fully convinced! I think verse 21 is
a great definition of faith! May we be fully convinced that God can do what
he has promised!
53

Read Romans 4 once more.
Paul finishes up using Abraham as an example. From what we have
learned about Abraham in chapter 4, why did God credit
righteousness to Abraham?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Verses 23-24 give us great hope. What is the good news that Paul
shares with us?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Abraham was not a special case. Paul says we can be made
righteous just like Abraham was. What is the one requirement from
verse 24?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Like Abraham, we too are asked to believe the "impossible" - that God
raised Jesus from the dead. The same God who gave life to Sarah's
barren womb, also gave life to His Son. God is worthy of our trust and can
do anything. He is inviting us to believe Him. When we do, he promises us
righteousness!
In verse 25, why does it say that Jesus was delivered up, or had to
die?
____________________________________________________________
Remember, the wages of sin is death. Someone has to die to pay the
penalty of sin. Jesus chose to go in our place.
What does it say Jesus' resurrection accomplished for us?
____________________________________________________________
54
Look up the definition of justification in the Greek.

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
If Jesus had not been raised from the dead, we would still be in our sins. It
was through the resurrection that He showed He had won the victory over
sin and death. And just like Abraham, we can be justified and declared
righteous when we believe this!
55
Romans 5
Read Romans 5.
Paul now goes on to describe some of the practical benefits of our
justification.
Verse 1, starts out with "Therefore." What verse(s) in chapter 4 is he
referring back to?
____________________________________________________________
What does it say we have now that we have been justified?
____________________________________________________________
What kind of peace do you think this is referring to?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
How is our peace with God made possible?
____________________________________________________________
Actually, some of the Greek manuscripts say, "Let us keep on having (in the
sense of enjoying) peace with God. A believer is not responsible for
having peace in the sense of making it, but in the sense of enjoying the
peace that is already ours through Christ. We never have to worry that our
sins are not forgiven or that God won't accept us. God accepts us in His
Son!
What is a second benefit granted us through Christ? (v. 2)
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
56
Look up the following verses and see what else (who) we have access
to.
Ephesians 2:18
____________________________________________________________
Ephesians 3:11-12
____________________________________________________________
Through Jesus, we now have access to God's grace. Listen to how The
Believer's Bible Commentary puts it. "We enjoy access into an
indescribable position of favor with God. We are accepted in the Beloved
One; therefore we are as near and dear to God as His own Beloved Son.
The Father extends the golden scepter to us and welcomes us as sons, not
strangers. This grace, or standing in favor, embraces every aspect of our
position before God, a position that is as perfect and permanent as Christs
because we are in Him." 3
Before Christ, we faced the brunt of God's wrath against our sin. Now we
stand in his grace!
What is a third benefit we see in verse 2?
____________________________________________________________
We have the hope that one day we will see God in all of his glory. We will
not always struggle with sin. This world is not all there is. We have the
hope of seeing our Savior face to face! This hope is not a maybe, but a
certainty because it is based on God's Word.
It's easy to rejoice in our hope of heaven. But Paul says because we have
been justified, we can also rejoice in things that happen here and now,
even hard things!
What else are we to rejoice in?
____________________________________________________________
What three things can suffering produce in the life of a believer?
____________________________________________________________
3. William MacDonald, Believers Bible Commentary; Nashville, Atlanta, London, Van Couver: Thomas
Nelson Publishers, 1998, p. 1696
57
Look up these three words in the Greek:

Endurance:
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Character:
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Hope:
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
It is hard to go through difficulties, but God promises that He can use it in
our lives to make us more like Jesus. That is why we can rejoice! We
never rejoice that hard things happen to us, but we can rejoice that God
can use it to grow and mature our faith.
Verse 5 tells us that our hope will not disappoint us or put us to
shame for believing something that won't happen. Who is our
guarantee of this hope?
____________________________________________________________
Read 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 and Ephesians 1:13-14. What do these
verses say?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
58

Read Romans 5.
What does verse 6 say our condition was?
____________________________________________________________
Weak here means helpless. What were we helpless to do?
____________________________________________________________
The word "ungodly" only occurs two times in the book of Romans.
From this verse and Romans 4:5, what does God do for the ungodly?
____________________________________________________________
What is the Greek definition of ungodly?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Let that sink in for a moment. To refresh your memory of what an ungodly
person looks like, go back and read Romans 1:29-32. One of the
adjectives used in this section is "haters of God." This is the type of people
God died for, and we were included on that list. When we hated him and
were his enemy, he came to die for us!
Verse 7 explains how out of the ordinary this is. In order to understand
what this verse is saying, we have to know what the words righteous and
good mean.
righteous - doing all that God requires - following the law, having an
exceptional character. (Matt. 1:19) Joseph was a righteous man and so
was going to divorce Mary quietly. He had every right according to the law
to do that.
Paul says it is very rare for someone to die for another, even if he is
righteous.
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good - one who besides being exceptional, is distinguished for his

goodness and kindness to others. Someone who is willing to show mercy
and kindness above and beyond what the Law requires.
Paul says there is a slim chance you might find someone who would die in
the place of a good person.
He is really making the case to show how great God's love for us is when
he died for us when we were neither righteous nor good, but awful sinners.
What does this verse say we can look at to know that God loves us?
____________________________________________________________
In verse 8, it says that God shows his love for us by dying for us. Even
though Christ's death took place over 2000 years ago, it still continues to
show us his love. We never have a reason to doubt that God loves us. His
death still proclaims his love for us today.
We should never use our vacillating circumstances as an indication of
God's love. We must always look to the unchanging fact of the Cross.
There we can bask in his enduring love for us.
In verses 9-11, highlight the phrase "much more" and "more than that".
Paul now is going to make a series of comparisons. In verse 9 he is going
to make the point that we never have to fear God's wrath. If God justified
the ungodly by his blood, he certainly is not going to pour out his wrath on
us now that we are his children!
Who saved us from God's wrath? ( See also 1 Thess. 1:10; 5:9)
____________________________________________________________
God's wrath against our sin was poured out on Jesus. We now stand in
God's grace, not in his wrath!
There is another contrast in verse 10.
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What reconciled us to God while we were his enemies?

____________________________________________________________
What will we be saved by?
____________________________________________________________
Salvation here cannot mean our salvation from the penalty of sin,
because that has already been accomplished. Read Hebrews 7:23-25
to understand what type of salvation is being referred to. What do
you think he is talking about?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
If God purchased our reconciliation so dearly, will He ever let us go?
Absolutely not! If we were reconciled through the death of His Son, which
is a symbol of utter weakness, shall we not be preserved to the end by the
present life of Christ, who is interceding for us continually at the right hand
of God? His resurrection displays infinite power. If His death had such
power to save us, how much more will His life have the power to keep us!
In Rom. 5:3 we are told to rejoice in our sufferings. What (who) does
verse 11 say we rejoice in?
____________________________________________________________
Not only should we rejoice in the spiritual blessings God has given us, we
are to rejoice in the Giver himself!
What does verse 11 say Jesus has given us?
____________________________________________________________
Look up the word reconciliation in the Greek.
____________________________________________________________
Jesus has made peace between us and God. We had declared war on
God, but God didn't reciprocate. Instead he sent a mediator, Jesus, who
brought harmony and peace between us. The war is over! Now we have
peace with God and are in his family!
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Read Romans 5.
Romans 5:12-21 talks about something we call "federal headship."
"Adam is portrayed in these verses as the federal head or representative of
all those who are in the old creation. Christ is presented as the Federal
Head of all those who are in the new creation. A federal head acts for all
those who are under him. For example, when the President of a country
signs a bill into law, he is acting for all the citizens of that country.
That is what happened in Adams case. As a result of his sin, human death
entered the world. Death became the common lot of all Adams
descendants because they had all sinned in him. It is true that they all
committed individual acts of sin as well, but that is not the thought here.
Pauls point is that Adams sin was a representative act, and all his
descendants are reckoned as having sinned in him." 4
You might be thinking that this seems unfair. But hold on. Federal
headship also applies with us and Christ, too, as Paul is going to explain
later.
In verse 12, who is the "one man" referring to?
____________________________________________________________
What came into the world through him?
____________________________
What came as a result of sin?
___________________________________
The Bible says that all have sinned and as a result death spread like a
cancer to all. No one can escape death. It has spread through all of
humanity because we are all born in Adam as our head.
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In verse 13, Paul says sin was in the world before God gave Moses the
Law, but Paul seems to be saying here that no record could be kept of sin,
unless it was sin against a specific command of God, such as the specific
command given to Adam or the specific command contained in the Mosaic
Law. The word "counted" in this verse means "to keep a record of" and is
the same root word used of Abraham's faith being counted as
righteousness.
Sin was in the world and people did sin. God judged the people of Noah's
day and Sodom and Gomorrah because of sin. But God did not keep a
record of their personal sin.
In verse 14, what reigned in the time between Adam and Moses?
____________________________________________________________
Why would death reign over people if God was not keeping a record of their
sin during this time? It all comes back to federal headship.
This is how Wuest describes it in his commentary on Romans: Read it
carefully. It is a lot to digest.
"Until the law was given, that is, during the period between Adam and
Moses, sin was in the world. But sin is not put to the account of the person
when there is no law. Yet, death reigned as king from the time of Adam to
that of Moses, even over those who had not sinned against a specific
command. Since death comes by means of sin, and those living between
Adam and Moses had no sins charged to their account by reason of the
non-existence of the written law, and yet in spite of that, they died, logic
leads us to conclude that their death came by reason of Adams sin and
that they sinned in Adam, their federal head." 5
Verse 14 says that Adam was a type of one to come. Who is that
referring to?
____________________________________________________________
5. Kenneth S. Wuest, Word Studies in the Greek New Testament; Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans
Publishing Company, 1955; commentary on Romans 5:12
63
A type is "a model or example which anticipates or precedes a later

realizationforeshadow, symbol."
Explain in your own words how Adam was a type or symbol of Christ.
Read verses 12-15 to help you.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
64

Read Romans 5.
Highlight the words "much more".
From verse 15, what did Adam's trespass bring to many?
____________________________________________________________
What did Jesus bring for many?
____________________________________________________________
There are two instances in verse 15 where Paul uses words to show
how Christ's gift is greater than the death brought by Adam's sin.
Note the words below.
____________________________________________________________
Again in verse 16, Paul contrasts Jesus and Adam. What did Adam's
trespass bring?
____________________________________________________________
What did God's free gift bring?
____________________________________________________________
In verse 17, what reigned through Adam?
____________________________________________________________
What reigned through Christ?
____________________________________________________________
There are only two ruling kingdoms: life or death. To reign here means to
reign as king. For those born in sin under Adam, death reigned and had
absolute rule and control over them. What a horrible thing to have death
ruling over you! But the wonderful news is for those who have received
God's abundant grace and righteousness, life reigns over them! God
promises eternal, abundant life to us! This life reigns over and defeats the
power of death that we were subject to under Adam.
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Chapter 5 is full of contrasts. In verses 12-21, highlight anything mentioned
that refers to Adam in one color, and highlight anything mentioned that
refers to Christ in another color. For example, in verse 12, you might
highlight the words sin and death in brown because they refer back to
Adam. In verse 15, you might highlight the words grace and free gift that
refer to Christ in yellow. When you finish marking, it will be easy to pick out
what was passed down to us through Adam and what we gained through
faith in Christ.
Now fill in the chart below.
Adam
Christ
In verse 18, how many were condemned because of Adam's sin?

____________________________________________________________
To how many were justification and life offered?
____________________________________________________________
Verses 18 and 19 make it clear that because all were under the curse of
sin, salvation is also offered to all.
In verse 20, it says that the law came in to increase the trespass.
What do you think this means? Refer back to Romans 3:19-20.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
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The law makes us keenly aware of our sin. No matter how much the
law points out our sinfulness, what always abounds over our sin?
____________________________________________________________
Paul is going to address this issue more in chapter 6 and how people might
be tempted to abuse this truth. For now, rejoice in the fact that Christ has
triumphed over sin and death, and as hard as it is to comprehend, there is
always more than enough grace to cover our sin. Instead of making us
want to sin more, this should make us want to sin less as we really come to
understand God's amazing, overflowing, abounding grace. We don't
deserve this outpouring of grace, but it should make us fall more and more
in love with Jesus!
____________________________________________________________
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Romans 6
Read Romans 6.
In verse 1, Paul addresses the question that many people might be
thinking. If there is always enough grace to cover our sin, what's the big
deal? Why don't we just keep on sinning so that God's grace can be
shown in our lives?
What is Paul's answer to this?
____________________________________________________________
In verse 2, what does Paul say is our relationship to sin now?
____________________________________________________________
Death means separation. Paul reminds us that we have been separated
from the power of sin. Remember in chapter 5, when we talked about
Adam being our federal head or representative when he sinned and that
affected us? The wonderful news is that the same stands true in our
relationship with Jesus.
"When Jesus died to sin, He died as our Representative. He died not only
as our Substitutethat is, for us or in our placebut He also died as our
Representativethat is, as us. Therefore, when He died, we died. He died
to the whole question of sin, settling it once and for all. All those who are in
Christ are seen by God as having died to sin." 6
According to one Bible dictionary, to die to sin means "to be unable to
respond or react to any impulse or desire."
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Now we know that we do respond to impulses and desires to sin. But the
truth is, we don't have to! Sin does not have the power to make us
respond. The power source has been cut- the cord has been unpluggedthere is no power anymore. So the only way we sin is when we choose to
do so.
This is a truth we must claim by faith. Just like Abraham, we must choose
to believe God's Word instead of what our circumstances say. Our
circumstances and the enemy will try to convince us that this is not true.
But God says it is. Make the choice today to believe what God says about
you being dead to sin. Then rely on his resurrection power to make this a
reality in your life.
What is the question Paul asks in this verse?
____________________________________________________________
Write what this means in your own words.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Circle the word "know" in verses 1-11. What does Paul say we should
know in verse 3?
____________________________________________________________
The word for buried means to "bury someone along with someone else."
This is very strong imagery here. What Paul is telling us is that when Christ
died and was buried, I died and was buried together with him. What
happened to Christ, happened to me, too! That is why my old sinful nature
has no power. It is dead, rendered weak and ineffective, completely
powerless. Christ death accomplished the victory over sin and death, and
since I was buried right along with him, I too have victory over sin and
death!
This was accomplished through baptism. I do not believe he is speaking of
water baptism here, although water baptism is a visual picture for us of this
spiritual truth. The word baptized means "to be placed into."
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Read Romans 6:3. Who were we baptized into?

____________________________________________________________
So when Christ died, we died and were buried along with Him. Because of
this, we were transferred from the kingdom of darkness into His kingdom
(Col. 1:13) and are now identified with Jesus.
In verse 4, it says again that we were buried with Christ. What also
has happened to us since we are identified with Christ?
____________________________________________________________
What is practical result that we have been raised with Christ? What is
the purpose?
____________________________________________________________
Look up the definition of walk in the Greek.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Look up the definition of newness in the Greek.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Based on these two definitions, what do you think it means to walk in
newness of life?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
70

Read Romans 6.
Draw a box around the words "with him" or "with Christ." What
things have happened to us with Christ? Write them below.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Look up the definition of "united" in the Greek from verse 5.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What does Paul want us to know in verse 6?
____________________________________________________________
Paul wants us to know the truth about the facts. Our old self (the part of us
that was in Adam) has been crucified (put to death) with Jesus. When it
says our old self was crucified with Jesus it literally means "to crucify
someone at the same time that another person is being crucifiedto
crucify together with."
Because this has happened, what does Paul say resulted? (2 things)
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
The body of sin here refers to the reality of sin in our lives. Christ died and
we died with him so that the reality of sin in our lives would be brought to
nothing.
Look up the word "nothing" in the Greek.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Christ's purpose for us is that as believers we should not be enslaved to
sin. To be enslaved means "to be under the control of some influence and
to serve the interests of suchto be a slave to, to be controlled by." Our
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co-crucifixion with Christ ensured that sin could no longer control and
enslave us, forcing us to do what it wanted.
What does verse 7 say is true of us?
____________________________________________________________
The chains are loosed! We have been set free from the power of sin. Sin
is no longer our master. Sin can't tell us what to do anymore because it
doesn't own us anymore. We are free!
What do you think it means in verse 8 when it says "we will also live
with him"? Is it only talking about heaven?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What things are true in verses 9-10 about Jesus since he has been
raised from the dead?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
The truths listed in verse 9 are also true for us! Remember we have been
raised "with him." Just as true as it is for Jesus, we must also claim this by
faith for ourselves.
What are we to consider in verse 11?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Look up the definition of "consider" in the Greek.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
There are some pretty important verbs in this section: know, believe and
consider. Draw a box around or circle these words.
72
What does Paul want us to know in verses 3, 6 and 9?

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What should we believe to be true in verse 8?
____________________________________________________________
And again, what should we consider in verse 11?
____________________________________________________________
Write in your own words what it means to be dead to sin.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
73

Read Romans 6.
What is the command given to us in verse 12?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
To reign means "to rule as a king, with the implication of complete
authority." Give a verse from chapter 6 that tells why we should not
let sin rule over us.
____________________________________________________________
We have a new master now. Jesus has defeated the power of sin and
death. Why would we want to go back and submit to our old master? It
would be like a slave here in America that was released from his slave
owner. His new owner bought him and was good and kind to him. How
ludicrous it would be for him to feel like he had to go back and check in with
his old master everyday! Jesus is our King now! He should rule over us,
not sin!
According to verse 12, if we let sin reign over us, what will the result
be?
____________________________________________________________
The word passions means "to greatly desire to do or have somethingto
long for, to desire very much." Even though the power of sin has been
conquered, the passions of sin are still present.
What is the answer in verse 13, when those passions arise?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Mark the word "present" in the text the same way you marked know,
believe and consider yesterday.
74
Look up the definition of "present" in the Greek.

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
In verse 14, what does Paul say the result is when we present
ourselves to God?
____________________________________________________________
Look up the definition of dominion.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Why does Paul say sin will not rule over us?
____________________________________________________________
To help us understand what Paul is saying, let's look up some verses about
law and grace.
Look up Acts 13:38-39. What does Paul say here about the Law?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
We will get to these verses later and study them more in depth, but for
now, what does Romans 8:2-4 say about the law?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
So the law could not free us from sin because it was weakened by the
flesh. Just knowing what the right thing to do was, did not give our flesh
the power to actually carry it out. Remember, the law had a purpose to
point out our sin, but it could never change us. And Paul says the good
news now, is that we are no longer under the law! Now let's take a look at
what grace can do for us. Verse 14 tells us that sin doesn't have the power
to rule over us because we are under grace.
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Look up Titus 2:11-12. What does Paul say here that grace does for
us?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
This is so exciting! When we really understand God's grace and how he
has saved us, it says grace actually teaches us to say "No!" to sin.
Romans 2:4 tells us that God's kindness is what leads us to repentance,
not a bunch of rules. The more we get to know God and his abundant
grace, it transforms us and gives us the desire and the power to live a
victorious Christian life!
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Day 34: Romans 6: 15-18

Yesterday we saw how sin does not have the power to rule over us
because we are under God's grace. It is God's grace that teaches us to
say no to sinful desires.
In verse 15, Paul again plays the devil's advocate. What is the
question that some people might ask in light of what Paul has
shared?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
In verse 16, Paul gives us the reason that we should not sin. What
does he say?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
In verse 6, Paul told us that we are no longer enslaved to sin, but now in
verse 16 he says that if we obey sin, we are it's slave. What is he talking
about? Let's take a closer look.
Paul has made it very clear that we were co-crucified, co-buried, and coraised with Christ. We are identified with Christ and what happened to him,
happened to us. Because it is true that Christ defeated the power of sin
and death, we also have the power to say no to sin. So our position is that
we are set free from sin. However, if we choose to give in to sin, even
though we are positionally set free, in our practice, we can allow sin to rule
over us. Logically, this makes no sense to willingly make ourselves a slave
to the very thing that Christ died to set us free from. Why would we want to
do that?!
What does Paul say is the result if we willingly sin?
____________________________________________________________
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As a Christian, what kind of death might this be referring to? (See

Galatians 6:7-8).
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What is the result if we walk in obedience?
____________________________________________________________
Every moment we have to make a choice about who we are going to
present ourselves to. There is no middle ground. We can to choose to
yield ourselves to God and as a result Christ's righteousness will be more
and more evident in our lives. Or we can choose to willingly serve sin and
the result is death and corruption. We will still be saved but there are
always consequences to sin. Sin wrecks relationships, causes heartache
and robs us of the victory and peace we already have through Christ.
In verse 17, Paul brings the focus back to God and reminds us that God
should be thanked for what he has done for us. He freed us from sin!
Paul says now, the believers have become "obedient from the heart." True
obedience always flows from a changed heart. We can outwardly conform,
but if our heart is not changed, it is really not obedience. A changed heart
results in changed actions!
In verse 18, what does Paul say is true about the believers?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
How important it is for us to remember this. Our thinking needs to be
changed in this area. So often, we so quickly give in to the temptation to
have a bad attitude, to worry or gossip, when we have been set free! The
chains are loosed. Sin is no longer our master. We now have a new
master - righteousness. The word for slave that Paul has been using in
these verses is the same word that Paul used in Romans 1:1 for servant.
Paul knew and believed that he was a slave to God and to righteousness.
The same is true for us. No matter what our circumstances tell us or how
we feel, we must claim by faith what God says is true about us. God has
set me free from the power of sin!
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In these verses Paul continues his explanation of why a Christian should
not continue in sin.
What did these believers used to present their bodies to?
____________________________________________________________
Look up the definition of impurity in the Greek.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Look up the definition of lawlessness in the Greek.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What does a life of impurity and lawlessness lead to?
____________________________________________________________
Sin leads to more sin. The more a person sins, the easier it is to continue.
Their hearts become hard and calloused until they have a complete
disregard for God's laws or even the laws of society. Paul says that is the
kind of people you used to be! Remember what you have been rescued
from!
What does presenting ourselves as slaves to righteousness result in?
____________________________________________________________
Look up the definition of sanctification in the Greek.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Like we read in Galatians, we reap what we sow, and the wonderful news
is, the more we yield ourselves to God, the more loyal and dedicated to his
service we will be. We don't have to work hard at being dedicated to the
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Lord, it is a result of being submissive to him! Our loyalty to the Lord is a

result of God's work in us, not us striving. I love that!
What do you think it means in verse 20, when it says that a person
who is a slave to sin, is free in regard to righteousness?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
In verse 21, Paul again uses the analogy of sowing and reaping. What
is the end result of being a slave to sin?
____________________________________________________________
What fruit do we get as a slave to God?
____________________________________________________________
Verse 23 is one of the most memorized verses in the Bible. Here Paul
makes the contrast between being paid a wage and receiving a free gift.
The word for wages gives a military picture of soldiers lining up to get paid
for what they have earned for their service.
When we sin, our wage or our pay is death. I believe here he is not only
talking about eternal spiritual death, but also every time we sin, we feel the
effects of death.
What does the wages of sin look like?
Disconnect with God who is our source of Life; barrenness, lack of joy,
alienation, self-absorption, futility, emptiness, frustration, despair, angst,
bitterness ...the list goes on and on.
Death is our payback or wage for sin. It is based on the merit system. You
get what you deserve. Aren't you glad, God does not treat us like that?
But that is how sin treats us, and the end result is not pretty!
But God doesn't treat us based on the merit system, God gives me the free
gift of His own life! It is Christ's life in me so I can have true, abundant life
80
right now and His life gives me the power over sin. I do not have to wait till
I die to receive eternal life. Through Christ, I have eternal life right now!
Paul has made a very strong case in this chapter for why a believer should
not sin. He has asked two questions in verse 1 and in verse 15.
In verse 1, he asks why we shouldn't just keep sinning if there will
always be enough of God's grace to cover our sin. Explain Paul's
answer in your own words from his answer in verses 2-14.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
In verse 15, he asks if it is okay to sin since we are not under law, but
under grace. Explain Paul's answer in your own words from verses
16-23.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
We have victory over sin through Christ's death, burial and resurrection.
May our lives showcase the transforming grace of God as we grow in our
understanding and as we believe this to be true!
____________________________________________________________
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Romans 7

Read Romans 7.
In Romans 6:14, Paul told us that we are not under the law. Now he is
going to explain why and he uses the illustration of marriage.
Who is Paul speaking to specifically in verse 1?
____________________________________________________________
Who does Paul say the law is binding to?
____________________________________________________________
That word "binding" means to rule or reign over. While a person is alive,
the law rules over them. But in Romans 6: 5-11 Paul has said that we died
with Christ, so Paul is going to make the point that because we died with
Christ, the law no longer has the authority to rule or reign over us.
What does Paul say in verses 2-3 about marriage to help us
understand this?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Verse 4 tells us that we have died to the law through the "body of
Christ." What do you think the body of Christ is referring to? What
act freed us from the law?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Aren't you glad you are dead to the law and it does not rule over you any
longer? The moment we trust Christ, God no longer judges us based on
the Law because His Son perfectly fulfilled the Law and then He died in our
place! We have seen earlier in Romans that we can't keep the law. I am
so glad that I no longer have the law lording it over me with its long list of
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rules I can never keep. Christ's death and our death with him severed the
relationship of bondage of trying to obey the law to make God accept us.
You can't have a relationship with someone or something that is dead! We
died to the law so our relationship with it has been broken! Freedom!
Who do we now belong to because of this?
____________________________________________________________
This is not something a lot of people like to think about. We want to do our
own thing, make our own decisions and not have anyone tells us what to
do. But this cannot be how a Christian operates. Read 1 Cor. 6:19-20.
Because God owns us and paid the price of his Son's blood for us,
how should we live from this verse?
____________________________________________________________
What does Romans 7:4 should be the end result in our life of
belonging to God?
____________________________________________________________
Because we now belong to Christ, everything we do should be about Him.
We should glorify Him and bear fruit for Him that points other people to
Him. So in everything we do, we can ask ourselves: Does this glorify God?
This will help us to make wise decisions about what to wear, what movies
we should watch, what books we should read, and how we should spend
our time.
What do you think Paul is referring to in verse 5 when he says "the
flesh."
____________________________________________________________
Before we were saved and enslaved to our old sinful nature, what
aroused sinful passions in us?
_________________________________________________________
We see this played out in little children. The moment you tell a child not to
touch something, that is exactly what he wants to do! When we learn
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through the law that we should not do something, our sinful nature is
aroused to do the forbidden.
What type of fruit does this produce?
____________________________________________________________
There are only two types of fruit: fruit leading to life or fruit leading to death.
A relationship with Christ offers new life and victory over sin. On our own,
we bear the fruit of death and defeat and sin rules over us.
In verse 6, Paul says we are released from the law. This does not mean
that our actions don't matter to God, but it does mean we are not under the
bondage of the law to gain righteousness with God by our works.
Explain what you think it means that "we serve in the new way of the
Spirit." What does this look like? Use references from the book of
Romans to support your answer.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What is "the old way of the written code?" What did this look like?
Again, use references from the book of Romans to support your
answer.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
84

Read Romans 7.
From verse 7 to the end of the chapter, circle every time you see a 1st
person pronoun (I, me, my, myself, etc). How many times did these
words occur? _________________
____________________________________________________________
This would be a natural question. If the law is what arouses sinful passions
within me (v.5) then maybe the law is bad and is actually sinful itself.
What is Paul's answer to this?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Paul goes back to the purpose of the law, to show us our sin and our need
for a Savior. (Romans 3:19-20).
According to verse 8, what produced covetousness in Paul? Sin or
the law?
____________________________________________________________
Verse 8 says that without the law, sin lies dead. Dead here means
"pertaining to being unable to respond to any impulse or to perform some
functionunable, ineffective, dead, powerless." Without a commandment,
sin has nothing to respond to. But as soon as a commandment is given,
sin rears it's ugly head and responds in rebellion.
Verse 9 basically says the converse of verse 8. Without the law sin lies
dead. Once there is an awareness of a commandment, sin comes alive.
What do you think Paul is referring to in verse 9, when he says "I
died."?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
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People have debated whether this section is speaking about a saved or an

unsaved person, but I don't think that is the main point here. Paul is
speaking about the effect that trying to live under the law has on a person,
saved or unsaved. The result is the same. Trying to obey God's law in our
own strength will always produce defeat and "death" in us, whether spiritual
death for the unbeliever or as believers we feel the affects of death, the
peace in our relationship with God is interrupted when we sin.
The point being made here is that we are not under the law, so don't put
yourself under it and try to obey all it's rules. You can't do it! You will fail
and feel the consequences of death every time you sin.
What did sin do in verse 11?
____________________________________________________________
Sin is deceptive and the wages are always death.
How does God describe the law in verse 12?
____________________________________________________________
Of course, we are not speaking here of man's laws but the law that came
from God. We know from James that God cannot do evil and everything
from Him is good. So the very fact that God gave the law means that it is
not bad.
So if the law isn't the problem, what is? (Give a reference).
____________________________________________________________
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Read Romans 7.
____________________________________________________________
It is a logical question a person might ask. If the law is good, how
come it brings death to me? Paul says the law is not what brings
death. What does verse 13 say brings death to us?
____________________________________________________________
Paul refers to the law by "what is good." What is the purpose of the
law stated again in verse 13?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
The good purpose of the law is to show sin for what it is, "sinful beyond
measure." The law exposes how awful sin really is so that we will turn to
Christ. If the law shows us how utterly sinful we are and points us to our
Savior, it is a very good thing!
What is the contrast that Paul makes between the law and himself in
verse 14?
____________________________________________________________
In Romans 6:16, Paul says that we are slaves to whomever we choose
to obey. In chapter 7, Paul has been showing what happens when a
person tries to live under the law. What is the result stated in verse
14?
____________________________________________________________
So even though we have been set free from sin, when we try to live the
Christian life by the law and in our own strength, we are putting ourselves
again under the bondage of sin.
I think every Christian can relate with what Paul says in verse 15. I'm
doing the very things that I hate!
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In verse 16, Paul says by acknowledging that by doing things he doesn't

want to do, he is saying he knows that those things are wrong. So he says
I am agreeing with what the law says. The law says, "Don't steal." When I
steal, I know it is wrong and so I do agree with what the law says even if I
don't always obey it.
In verse 17, Paul is not passing the buck and saying that he's not at
fault. He is simply explaining where the desire to disobey comes
from. Why doesn't he do the things he knows he should do?
____________________________________________________________
The sin living in me refers to the sinful nature that we all have.
In verse 18, what do we learn about ourselves, our flesh?
____________________________________________________________
If every believer would remember this verse, we would save ourselves
a lot of frustration and defeat. What does the second half of verse 18
tell us in regard to obeying God?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Read that again: I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to
carry it out. The law shows us God's standard and we want to follow it, but
in our own strength, we can't! The law shows us the standard but doesn't
give us the power to live up to it.
Paul summarizes again this battle going on within him. This is why
Christians should not put themselves under the law and try to obey it on
their own. We will always fail! The sinful nature that lives within will rebel
against God's standard and we find ourselves doing the very things that we
know are wrong and that we hate.
I hope you can see from these verses the hopelessness and defeat we will
have when we try to live the Christian life in our own strength. The law,
although it is good and holy, incites our flesh and sin seizes the opportunity
to rebel against God. We have seen in chapter 6 how God has given us
the victory and defeated the power of sin and death. Chapter 7 explains
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what the Christian life looks like when we don't believe and claim that
power and instead try to live up to the law on our own. In Christ, we have
power, peace, joy and victory. On our own, we will have defeat,
discouragement and frustration. Our only hope is Christ!
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Day 39:Romans 7:21-25

Mark every time you see the word "law" in chapter 7.
In verse 7, Paul speaks of another law. This does not refer to God's
law, but rather a law or a principle that he has found to be true in his
life. What is this law?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What do you think "inner being" refers to in verse 22?
____________________________________________________________
Our new nature wants to obey God's law, but in our old nature "nothing
good dwells". So there is a battle raging inside us.
In verse 23, Paul refers to several different laws or principles. What
law is he referring to that wages war with in us? (Look back to verse
21.)
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What do you think "the law of my mind" refers to?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What do you think "the law of sin" refers to?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Although we want to do what we know is right (the law of my mind) there is
a war raging inside of us (the law of sin) that wants to go our own way. It is
our new nature in Christ battling against our old, sinful nature.
What does Paul call himself in verse 24?
____________________________________________________________
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Wretched means pitiful or miserable. It is a miserable state to find

ourselves in- wanting to do the right thing but not having the ability to carry
it out (v.18).
Paul throws up his hands and says "Who can deliver me?" This is exactly
the place Christ wants each of to come to, disillusioned with our own efforts
and running straight into the arms of Jesus!
Look up the definition of "deliver" in the Greek.
____________________________________________________________
Paul says he needs delivered from what?
____________________________________________________________
What do you think this refers to?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Even as Christians, when we sin we experience the effects of death.
Remember that death means separation. We are not separated from God
spiritually, but our sin causes a break with our fellowship with God
relationally. And so often we feel the negative earthly consequences of our
sin as well.
What is our answer in verse 25?
____________________________________________________________
Paul will explain more in chapter 8 how we can experience this victory
practically in our everyday lives.
Paul then restates the struggle. Explain it in your own words.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
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Day 40
Mark every time you see the word "law" in this chapter. How many
times? __________
Mark every time you see the words "dead, die or death." How many
times? _________
You should have already marked the first person pronouns. I found 49!
____________________________________________________________
Chapter 7 describes a person trying to live under the law and trying to obey
God's standards in his own strength. Paul has made it clear that this is a
miserable, frustrating place to be. We can't do it because there is nothing
good living in our flesh. We have the desire to do the right thing, but we
are powerless to carry it out. The law incites our flesh, sin rears it's ugly
head, we make the wrong choice and reap the results of death. The only
way to be free from this is to run to Christ. We must claim by faith the
truths taught in chapter 6. When we turn to Christ in faith and understand
his grace, we live in the victory Christ has already won for us. What
freedom!
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Romans 8

Read Romans 8.
Mark every time you see the word "Spirit." How many times?
_____________________
Mark every time you see the words "life or live." How many times?
_____________________
Chapter 7 focused on the law, self effort and death. This week in chapter 8
we will see the opposite of that: living in the Spirit gives life, peace and
victory!
Romans 8:1 is one of the most encouraging verses in the Bible, and it is so
appropriate that Paul shares it now. He spoke in chapter 7 about the
defeat a person experiences when they try to live under the law. Paul says,
even if that is how you have been living, there is no condemnation! Jesus
does not not condemn you for the sin of not believing God and trying to live
the Christian life on your own, because that has already been paid for with
Christ's blood. We are forgiven and God cannot condemn us for something
that He has already forgiven and cleared from our account. RememberHe sees us as righteous!
Look up the word "condemnation" in the Greek.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Who does "no condemnation" apply to?
____________________________________________________________
Those who are not in Christ Jesus are "condemned already." (John 3:18)
Paul introduces us to another law in verse 2. What is it?
____________________________________________________________
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What does verse 2 tells us about the "law of the Spirit."? How is this
different from the law spoken of in chapter 7? Do you see any
contrasting words in verse 2?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
How is the law described in verse 3?
____________________________________________________________
Paul says God sent Jesus to do for us what the law could not do.
What was the law powerless to do? See Romans 7:18.
____________________________________________________________
What did Jesus do in verse 3?
____________________________________________________________
What was the result of Jesus condemning sin? (v. 4)
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
I love verses 3-4. The law demanded absolute righteousness from us, but
it did not give us the power to be righteous. So Jesus did for us what the
law could never do. He gave us His own righteousness! It is only through
life in the Spirit that God's righteousness can be fulfilled or made complete
and be fully evident in our everyday lives. The law could never do that for
us. I am so thankful that I don't have to work and strive to be righteous on
my own - I can't! But Jesus gives me His righteousness for free and that is
what transforms my actions and gives me the power to live the Christian
life.
Who does verse 4 says this applies to?
____________________________________________________________
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Read Romans 8.
Who are the two groups of people Paul mentions in verse 5?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What does Paul say characterizes those who live according to the
flesh?
____________________________________________________________
Look up the word flesh in the Greek.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What does Paul say characterizes those who live according to the
Spirit?
____________________________________________________________
What we think about matters! If our attentions are focused on things of this
world, we will become more and more worldly. The more we think about
how to please ourselves and live for ourselves, the more selfish we will
become. Likewise, the more we set our minds and focus on things of the
Spirit, the more godly we will become. What do you spend the most time
thinking about? The Bible says what we think about will be reflected in our
actions.
In verse 6, what is the result when we set our minds on things of the
flesh?
____________________________________________________________
What is the result when we set our minds on things of the Spirit?
____________________________________________________________
How does Paul describe a fleshly mind in verse 7?
____________________________________________________________
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Remember that this is written to believers. I do not want my mind to be

hostile to God. A mind that is hostile (an enemy) to God cannot obey him.
What a sad place for a believer to be!
What else do we learn about the fleshly mind in verse 8?
____________________________________________________________
The mind that is focused on the flesh can't please God because there is
"nothing good" in our flesh. (Romans 7:18). Our old sinful nature is at odds
with God and cannot obey God. Paul says the result of this is death. After
all we have learned about how God has rescued us and given us the
victory over sin, how sad it is to see a Christian living according to their
flesh and feeling the effects of death in their life. God has made it possible
for us to have so much more, but it all comes down to where we set our
minds.
An unsaved person always lives according to the flesh. But as we've seen
in chapter 7, a saved person can also live according to the flesh and have
the same negative consequences.
What does Paul say is the one indicator that a person is of the Spirit?
____________________________________________________________
What does Paul say about a person who does not have the Spirit?
____________________________________________________________
How will people be able to tell if you have the Spirit or not?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Having the indwelling Spirit shows that we belong to God. He owns us!
Having the Spirit is the evidence that we have been transferred from the
kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light! The Spirit is the down
payment that God has given us to guarantee our eternal redemption. (2
Cor. 1:21-22). Having the Holy Spirit is our assurance of salvation. I am so
thankful God has given me His Spirit to show that I belong to Him!
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Read Romans 8.
In verse 10, it says that for the Christian, their bodies are dead. Of course
it is not referring to being physically dead. Here dead means "pertaining to
being unable to respond to any impulse or to perform some function
unable, ineffective, dead, powerless."
We saw earlier how there is nothing good in our flesh and how it cannot
please God. Paul is saying that in and of ourselves, we are powerless or
dead in response to God.
What does Paul says makes our body "dead"?
____________________________________________________________
That would be really bad news if the verse ended there. But it says since
we have the Spirit, he gives us life! Now through the Spirit's power we are
able to respond to God in a way that pleases Him.
What gives us the Spirit's life?
____________________________________________________________
If our sin still stood in the way between us and God, we would have death.
But we saw in chapters 3-5 how God does not see our sin anymore
because He sees Christ's righteousness. And that results in life- abundant
life!
Verse 11 is one of the most encouraging verses in the Bible! The
same Spirit's power that raised Jesus from the dead now lives in us.
What does it say the Spirit will do for us?
____________________________________________________________
We saw in verse 10 that our bodies are dead because of sin, but through
the power of the Holy Spirit, He gives life to our dead bodies. This is not
only referring to our bodily resurrection, this is talking about right now! Now
through the Spirit, we have power to live and obey God and say no to sin!
Only God can bring dead things to life. Our God is a resurrection God!
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Because we now have the very life of God, what does verse 12 tell us?
____________________________________________________________
Debtor here means "one who is obligated to do somethingone who is
obliged to, one who must."
We are no longer obligated to live according to the flesh because the power
of sin has been broken. We have been transferred from death to life.
What happens if we as Christians live according to the flesh? (v.13)
____________________________________________________________
What do you think this means?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
In verse 13, it says we should "put to death the deeds of the body." To put
to death means "to cease completely from activity, with the implication of
extreme measures taken to guarantee such a cessation."
How does Paul say we should do this?
____________________________________________________________
When in the Spirit's power, we don't sin, what does verse 13 say is the
result?
____________________________________________________________
Explain what it means that we will live.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Based on our choices and obedience to God, there are only two results: life
or death. As we listen to God and live by the power of the Spirit, we will
experience His life and victory over sin. If we choose to disobey, we will
feel the effects of death: our communion with God will be broken because
of our sin. The key here is the Spirit! We can't muster up enough strength
to stop sinning on our own. But through the Spirit's power, He gives life to
our dead bodies and we experience the victory He has already won for us!
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According to verse 14, how do we know we are sons of God?
____________________________________________________________
Led in verse 14 means guided. This does not only refer to us being guided
in making decisions, but the Spirit will never guide us into sin. So the less
we sin and listen to the Spirit's guidance and leading, that is proof that we
belong to God. Only those who have the Spirit will be led to say no to sin.
According to verse 15, what spirit do we have no longer?
____________________________________________________________
What Spirit have we received?
____________________________________________________________
Look up the definition of adoption in the Greek.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
The word Abba is a Greek transliteration of an Aramaic word meaning
father. This is the kind of relationship we have with God now! He is
our Father. Of course, no human father is perfect, but take some time
to write down what a good father might do for his children.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What is another way we are shown that we are God's children in verse
16?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
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Look up the word "witness" in the Greek to see the definition of bear
witness.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
The Spirit gives evidence and support to our spirit that's are His children.
He gives me assurance and testifies to me that I belong to Him!
Not only are we God's children, but how does verse 17 refer to us?
____________________________________________________________
An heir is one who receives an inheritance. Verse 17 says we are "heirs of
God." This means that God is the one giving the inheritance to us. But it
also struck me as I read this that we are heirs of God (God himself is our
inheritance). Some might be heirs of a mansion or a large sum of money.
But we are heirs of God; we get to enjoy, know and worship Him for all
eternity! That is a pretty wonderful inheritance!
Who is our fellow heir (joint heir)?
____________________________________________________________
A fellow heir is one who receives a possession together with someone else.
It is pretty astounding to think that God is making us a co-inheritor with
Christ, that all the privileges and blessings as a son that Christ has, are
ours as well! Amazing!
Let's take a step back and remind ourselves how God used to see us.
Look up the following verses again and write it below.
Romans 1:29
____________________________________________________________
Romans 4:5; 5:6
____________________________________________________________
Romans 5:8
____________________________________________________________
Romans 5:10
____________________________________________________________
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What amazing grace! God has brought us, who used to be unrighteous,
wicked sinners, who were his enemies and He has brought us into his own
family. We have full rights and privileges of an adult son. He has withheld
nothing from us!
Verse 17 ends with a statement about suffering. We have been talking
about being joint heirs with Christ, and since we are a part of Christ's
family, we should not think that we will escape suffering, since Christ didn't
either.
Paul makes an interesting statement that we "suffer with him." Just
as we are joint-heirs, we are also joint-sufferers together! What do
you think he is talking about when he says that we suffer with Jesus?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
For those that suffer with Christ, what do we have to look forward to?
____________________________________________________________
To glorify means "to receive great honor together with someone elseto be
honored together with, to be exalted together with." Jesus will always
receive the ultimate glory, but I think it is pretty astounding that we will
receive honor along with Jesus because of the suffering we have been
through together. Wow! That puts a different light on suffering, doesn't it?
These hard times we go through now, especially if we are mistreated for
the name of Jesus, is what will bring us greater glory when we get to
heaven.
Back in chapter 6, you drew a box around the words "with him." Do the
same for the occurrences in verse 17.
God wants us to understand how closely identified with Christ we really are.
We were crucified with him (6:6), buried with him (6:4), we are raised with
him (6:5), we live with him (6:8), we suffer with him (8:17) and one day we
will be glorified with him (8:17). 2 Timothy 2:12 also tells us that we will
reign with him! Pretty amazing to think about all that we have because of
our union with Christ! We truly are joint heirs!
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In verse 18, Paul helps to put our suffering in proper perspective.
What does Paul say about our suffering right now?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
When he says that our suffering is not worth comparing with our future
glory, it literally means that our suffering has "no comparable value" to the
glory that awaits us. That means that no matter how hard life gets down
here, the glory that awaits us in heaven will far outweigh and surpass the
trials.
Look up 2 Corinthians 4:17. What does this verse say about our trials
and future glory?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Both verses mention that the difficulties on this earth cannot be compared
with the glories of heaven. Why is that? Because we will see our Savior
face to face! We will get to enjoy, for all eternity, the one who paid the price
to redeem us with His own blood. When we stand face to face with Jesus,
truly our trials and afflictions will seem so small compared to the joy of
knowing Christ for all eternity!
We eagerly await that day! According to verse 19, what also eagerly
awaits it?
____________________________________________________________
Because creation has also been affected by sin, Paul uses personification
here to show that creation is also waiting to be set free from the curse.
From verse 20, look up the word "futility" in the Greek.
____________________________________________________________
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Who subjected creation to futility? Look back to Genesis 3 if you are

not sure.
____________________________________________________________
What will creation one day be set free from?
____________________________________________________________
Look up the word 'corruption' in the Greek.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Everything on this earth eventually will rot and decay. It is part of the curse
and Paul says that all of creation is in bondage to being perishable. But
one day, creation will experience freedom as well. Just as God's children
will experience a future glory, so will the creation. Imagine a new heaven
and new earth with no rot or decay. Nothing will ever spoil, fade or rust,
and creation will be freed from the curse and we will enjoy it as it was
meant to be!
In verse 22, why do you think the whole creation has been groaning?
What caused this?
____________________________________________________________
Who else is groaning in verse 23? Be specific.
____________________________________________________________
What are we waiting for?
____________________________________________________________
The redemption of our bodies refers to the time when our adoption and
redemption will be made complete. We have been adopted and redeemed,
and we have been set free from the power or sin, but one day we will be
free from even the presence of sin. Sin will no longer mar our bodies! That
is certainly something we can look forward to with eagerness!
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Day 46: Romans 8: 24-27

The redemption of our bodies is our hope! Look up the definition of
hope in the Greek.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What does Paul say we should understand about hope in verse 24?
____________________________________________________________
Of course this is not the wishful thinking sort of hope that we use today.
This hope looks to the future, to what it cannot see, with eager expectation
and assurance that it will be fulfilled. Hope and faith seem very closely
related, don't you think?
In verse 25, what should characterize our hope?
____________________________________________________________
Patience means "the capacity to continue to bear up under difficult
circumstancesendurance, being able to endure."
Because we have the hope of heaven, that will help us to endure the
difficult times we experience here on earth. In fact, the more we
experience trials down here, I think it causes us to yearn more and more for
heaven. Joni Eareckson Tada, a quadriplegic, once said, "Suffering keeps
swelling our feet so that earth's shoes won't fit." This is not all there is!
We have eternity with Jesus to look forward to and the more we suffer
down here, the more it makes us realize that this earth is not our home and
we have a wonderful hope to look forward to!
In the meantime, what help is given to us now, in verse 26?
____________________________________________________________
Sometimes life gets so hard that we don't even know how to pray.
Sometimes we might pray for things that aren't God's best for us. Isn't it
wonderful to know that the Holy Spirit is praying to the Father for you!?
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Look up the definition of 'intercedes' in the Greek.

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
In verse 27, who is it referring to when it says "he who searches the
heart"? See Jeremiah 17:10.
____________________________________________________________
Who is the Spirit interceding for?
____________________________________________________________
What does verse 27 say about the Spirit's intercession for us?
____________________________________________________________
God knows what is in the mind of the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit is
praying according to the will of God! (It's kind of a circular thought!)
Who also is praying to the Father on my behalf? Jump down to
Romans 8:34.
____________________________________________________________
I can't think of any better help in my weakness than to know that the Spirit
and the Son are both praying to the Father for me according to God's will!
When you feel weak and overwhelmed, remember who is praying for you!
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Day 47: Romans 8: 28-30

We now come to one of the most quoted and memorized verses in the
Bible, but let's make sure we understand exactly what it is saying.
First, who is the promise for, that all things work together for good?
____________________________________________________________
Who are those that love God? See Jesus' definition of love in John
14:15.
____________________________________________________________
So I believe this verse is talking specifically to believers who are walking
with the Lord and walking in obedience to Him. None of us are perfect, of
course, but this verse is written to Christians.
Now when it says that all things work together for good, does this
mean that everything will turn out good if we are a Christian? What
kind of good might this be referring to? Write your initial thoughts
below. We will look at this more in depth as we go.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Verse 28 closes with saying that this promise of working things out
for good is for those who have been called according to His purpose.
What is God's purpose for us? Read verse 29 and 30. Look for the
verbs and write what God's plan is for all believers below.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
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So let's break each one down. Look up the definition of each word below
to better understand God's purpose for us.
Foreknew:
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Predestined:
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Conformed:
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Called:
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Justified:
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Glorified:
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Verses 29 and 30 explain how everything works together for good for those
who love God and are called according to his purpose. God foreknew, or
knew beforehand those that would love Him. Those he knew would be his,
God decided ahead of time that we should be conformed (be made in
similar form, to look like) His Son. Notice that God did not decide
beforehand who would be saved. It says he decided beforehand that we
would be made like Christ. That is His good purpose for us. He also called
or invited us to Himself. He justified us and put us in a proper relationship
because of Christ's work on our behalf.
107
All of these things have happened, or are happening. The last, being
glorified, has not taken place yet, but notice how Paul puts it in the past
tense. He says God has already glorified us. Do you remember way back
in chapter 4 where God made a promise to Abraham in the past tense? He
told him He had made him the father of many nations before Abraham had
any children. Here God does it again. He makes a promise in the past
tense! God's Word is so sure that if he says something to us, (even if it
hasn't occurred yet) it is as good as done!
All the things listed in verses 29 and 30 are part of how God works it all for
good for those who love him. Here on earth, the good is that we are
conformed to look more and more like Christ. No matter how devastating
our circumstances might be, God can use it in our lives to make us more
like Christ and that is good! The ultimate good is that one day we will be
glorified- free from the presence and pain of sin. So although things might
not always go the way we want, we can have confidence that for those who
love God, he will accomplish his good purpose in our lives!
108
Day 48: Romans 8: 31-34

What "things" is Paul referring to in verse 31?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
In light of all that God has done for us, what question does Paul ask?
____________________________________________________________
I think too often we minimize God. Here Paul reminds us of the truth that if,
or since God is on our side, all foes pale in comparison to Him.
What proof does Paul give us in verse 32 that God will always be "for
us"?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
"How will he not also with him graciously give us all things?" Who is
"he" referring to?
____________________________________________________________
Who is "with him" referring to?
____________________________________________________________
What "all things" do you think Paul is talking about? See Ephesians
1:3 if you are not sure.
____________________________________________________________
In verse 33 Paul asks a rhetorical question. He makes the point that if you
are "elect" or saved, no one can bring a charge against you in a
condemning way to say you are not saved. To charge here means "to bring
a serious charge or accusation against someone, with the possible
connotation of a legal or court context." Earlier in Romans 3:19, we were
able to be condemned. We could give no reasoned defense for our sinful
actions and we were going to be accountable to God.
109
Now Paul says no one can accuse us. Why is this so according to
verse 33?
____________________________________________________________
If God has declared us right with himself, no one can say otherwise!
In verse 34, Paul makes a similar point saying that no one can
condemn us. According to verse 34, why can no one condemn us?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Jesus took the condemnation for us! He died in our place and was raised to
life to show that he had won the ultimate victory over sin and death.
Where is Jesus now?
____________________________________________________________
What is he doing for us?
____________________________________________________________
This is another reason that we cannot be condemned. God's own Son
is pleading on our behalf before the Father. Read 1 John 2:1 and note
what Jesus is doing for us when we sin.
____________________________________________________________
An advocate is "someone who may be called upon to provide help or
assistance." According to this verse, why can Jesus be our advocate
or helper when we sin?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
List the three reasons we cannot be condemned or accused before
the Father from Romans 8:33-34 and 1 John 2:1.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
110
God truly is for us! He gave His Son on our behalf and has given us every
spiritual blessing through Christ. He has justified us and declared us
righteous so that we will never be condemned! Rejoice today in your
perfect standing before God!
111
Day 49: Romans 8: 35-39

Read Romans 8 once more!
Paul asks one more question that has an obvious negative answer.
What is the question?
____________________________________________________________
According to verse 35, what sort of things might tempt a person to
think that God does not love them?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
In verse 36, Paul says instead of thinking that God does not love you, you
should understand that for a Christian, trials and difficulties should be
expected. Paul quotes Psalm 44:22 here.
According to verse 36, why are Christians sometimes killed and
mistreated?
____________________________________________________________
When we name the Christ, we should expect to face the same
persecution and opposition that Jesus faced. Read John 15:18-20
and Luke 21:17 and note what Jesus promises his followers.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
When hard times come and we are persecuted for our faith, instead of
thinking that God has forsaken us or that God does not love us, it should
instead be an indicator that we belong to Christ. If they treated Jesus
badly, we should not be surprised if they treat us the same way.
Instead of feeling like a victim, what does Paul say we are in verse 37?
____________________________________________________________
112
Why are we conquerors?

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Paraphrase verses 38 and 39 in your own words.
____________________________________________________________
Based on what we have learned in Romans so far, why can we be so
sure that we can never be separated from God's love? Give
references.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
So God's love for us has absolutely nothing to do with our circumstances or
our actions and everything to do with Christ's death on our behalf. Our
circumstances can change and we will not always obey, but Christ's death
for us stands as an eternal declaration of love and absolutely nothing can
separate us from it! Thank you Lord, that you love me so unconditionally!
____________________________________________________________
113
Day 50
Read Romans 8 again. Let's go back and review all the blessings we have
through Christ. Look back to the following verses and note what they are.
8:1
____________________________________________________________
8:2
____________________________________________________________
8:6
____________________________________________________________
8:10
____________________________________________________________
8:11
____________________________________________________________
8:14
____________________________________________________________
8:17
____________________________________________________________
8:18
____________________________________________________________
8:23
____________________________________________________________
8:26
____________________________________________________________
8:28
____________________________________________________________
8:31-32
____________________________________________________________
8:33-34
____________________________________________________________
8:37
____________________________________________________________
8:38-39
____________________________________________________________
114
Romans 9
Read Romans 9.
Paul now changes his focus a bit and in the next three chapters, he is
going to address and speak about a particular group of people, the Jews. It
is very important to understand two things in chapters 9-11. First, Paul is
not talking about salvation, but God's purpose for the Jews. Secondly, Paul
is speaking of the Jewish nation as a whole and not individuals.
Remembering these two things will be a help when we come to some
difficult verses in this section.
How does Paul feel in verse 2?
____________________________________________________________
What is causing this?
____________________________________________________________
What is Paul's wish?
____________________________________________________________
Paul's heart for his fellow Israelites is so evident here. He has "great
sorrow" and "unceasing anguish." Look up the definition of anguish
to understand how Paul is feeling.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Paul makes a pretty shocking statement that he wishes he could be
unsaved if it meant they would come to know Christ! Paul emphasizes how
strongly he feels by saying in verse 1 that he is speaking the truth and not
lying. Oh that God would give us a heart for the lost like this. For Paul, no
sacrifice was too great if his fellow Jews would come to salvation.
Now Paul lists all the blessings the Jews were given. Let's look at them
one by one.
115
First, to the Jews belong the adoption. Look up Jeremiah 31:9 and
Hosea 11:1. Who adopted Israel?
____________________________________________________________
Secondly, Israel was given the glory. Look up Exodus 40:33-35 and 1
Kings 8:9-11. Explain how they were given the glory.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Thirdly, Israel was given covenants. Read the following verses and
note who God is making the covenant with and what he is promising.
Gen. 9:8-17
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Gen. 17:1-14
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Exodus 19:1-6
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Deut. 29:10-15
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Fourthly, God gave Israel the Law. Read Deuteronomy 4:13-14 and
note what you learn about the law.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Next, God gave Israel worship. Read Hebrews 9:1-5 and note what
kind of worship God gave to Israel. Note here that God is the one
telling Israel what kind of worship is appropriate.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
116
Lastly, God gave Israel promises. Read Acts 13:32-33 and note what
God promised Israel.
____________________________________________________________
In verse 5, what two other significant things belong to Israel?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Of all the people on earth, the Jews should have been the ones to embrace
Jesus, but they did not. God reached down and had personal interaction
with Israel. He gave them his Word, the Law, told them how they could
draw near to him in worship, and even promised to one day send One to
save them from their sin. Instead of leading them closer to God, the Jews
took pride in these things and their pride blinded them to the truth. This
should be a warning to us as well, that we should not squander the
blessings God gives, instead they should drive us closer to Him.
117

Read Romans 9.
What does It say about God's word in verse 6?
____________________________________________________________
Based on the verses we looked at yesterday, why might someone
think God's word had failed?
____________________________________________________________
What is the second sentence of verse 6 talking about? Write it in your
own words.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Verses 7-8 explain what Paul is talking about. Paul says just because a
person is a Jew, doesn't mean they are in the family of Abraham spiritually.
Read Galatians 3: 29. Who does it say are Abraham's offspring?
____________________________________________________________
Who do you think the "children of the flesh" is referring to?
____________________________________________________________
Who do you think "children of the promise" refers to? See Galatians
4:28.
____________________________________________________________
This was a very radical statement that most Jews would have had a
problem with. Paul is saying here, that just because you are a Jew, does
not make you a part of Abraham's family. He goes on to say, that if a
Gentile (whom the Jews viewed as beneath them) had trusted Christ, he
would be counted as part of Abraham's family through faith. It's hard for us
as Gentiles to comprehend how absurd this would have seemed to a
Jewish person. Natural birth means nothing. It is all about faith in Christ.
118
The children of promise were those who believed God's word. What
promise did God give in verse 9?
____________________________________________________________
God was not only promising Abraham and Sarah a son of their own,
but he was also promising something much bigger. Look up Genesis
12:3. How do you think all the families on the earth were going to be
blessed by Abraham?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
It is not fully disclosed in Genesis, but God was promising to send a Savior
that would come from Abraham's family. The Deliverer would bless all the
families on earth, making it possible for all who believed to be forgiven of
their sins. That is quite a blessing! The children of promise were those
who believed God's promise and looked forward to the day when the
Savior would come. We as children of promise, look back and see how
God fulfilled that promise.
119

Now Paul is going to explain how God's promise has nothing to do with
man's works.
What promise was given to Rebekah about her children?
____________________________________________________________
Now Esau never actually served Jacob himself, but his descendants,
the Edomites (Genesis 36:9) served the Israelites, the descendants of
Jacob. Read 2 Samuel 8:13-14 and note how this promise was
fulfilled.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
When was this promise given to Rebekah? (v. 11)
____________________________________________________________
According to verse 11, why did God give Rebekah this promise before
the boys were born? What point was he trying to make?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Read Deuteronomy 7:6-9. These verses back up what Romans 9:11
says. From these verses, what does God say are not reasons that he
chose Israel?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Why does he say he did choose them?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
The word "election" in verse 11 simply means, "selection or choice." It is
very important to note here what God was choosing or not choosing. He
was not choosing one to be saved and the other not.
120
Go back and read Genesis 25:22-23. Note the words "nations" and
"peoples." God was electing or choosing one nation (Israel) over
another (Edom) for a specific purpose. Read Isaiah 45:4-6. What was
God's purpose in choosing Israel? What did God want to happen?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Verse 13 is a difficult verse for a lot of people.
First, let's step back and look at what we do know from Scripture. We know
that God does not hate sinners and that would include Esau or Edom.
(John 3:16). God loves every person and wants them to come to salvation.
Next, we need to understand how the word "hated" is used here. It can
also be translated "scorn" or "decrease in status."
Remember that we have been talking about God choosing the nation of
Israel for a special purpose, to make him known to the whole world. So
when God says he "hates" Esau, keep in mind the context. God did not
choose the nation of Edom like he did Israel, so it is only in that sense that
he "hated" them.
In Malachi 1:2-3, it is stated that God loved Jacob, but hated Easu.
But now read Malachi 1:11 and 14. What is God's desire from these
verses?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
These verses help us to see that God does not "hate" Esau's descendents
in the typical way we think of hate. God wants his name to be great among
the nations and he wants his name to be feared among the nations. That
would include Esau's descendants, the Edomites!
Paul is simply making the point that God is in control and can do whatever
he wills. He chose Israel to be the vessel to make him known to the rest of
the world, and it had nothing to do with how good, strong or impressive
they were. It was simply God electing or selecting them for his own good
purposes.
121

We learned yesterday that God sovereignly chose the nation of Israel as
his own people, for his special purpose. Based on that, what is the
question that Paul addresses in 14?
Look up the word "injustice" in the Greek.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What is Paul's answer to the question?
____________________________________________________________
It was not wrong or wicked on God's part to choose Jacob (Israel) and not
Esau. All of us deserve God's judgment and none of us deserve his favor.
So it is a good thing when God shows his mercy to anyone.
So based on the fact that God chose Israel, what was God's election
not based on according to verse 16?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Why did he choose Israel according to verse 16?
____________________________________________________________
God is all powerful, in control of everything and can do whatever he
wills. He used the hardness of Pharaoh's heart to show mercy to
others. From verse 17, how did God show mercy to the people in
Exodus?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Verse 18 can be another difficult verse for some people. It sounds like God
has chosen some to show mercy to and some to harden. Let's look at
Pharaoh as an example.
122
Look up Exodus 8:15,19 and 32. Who hardened Pharaoh's heart?

____________________________________________________________
Now look up Exodus 9:12; 10:1, 20 and 27). Who hardened Pharaoh's
heart in these verses?
____________________________________________________________
God gave Pharaoh many chances to repent, but he hardened his heart
against the Lord. As a result of Pharaoh choosing this path, God later also
hardened Pharaoh's heart. God will not force us to follow him. If we
deliberately choose to reject God, He will eventually give us over to our
sinful choices and we can become so hard to the truth that we will not
repent.
God knew this was how Pharaoh was going to respond, so he used his
hardness of heart to showcase the mighty power of God through the 10
plagues so that His name "might be proclaimed in all the earth." Again, we
see here that it is God's desire that all people come to know him as the true
God.
Based on the fact that God uses some whom he has hardened and
shows others mercy, what question does Paul ask in verse 19?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What is Paul's answer in verse 20?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What analogy does Paul use in verses 20-21 to explain how God
works?
____________________________________________________________
God used Pharaoh's hardness to make known His name among the
nations and he chose Israel to show the surrounding nations the God of
Israel. One was hardened and one was shown mercy, but God's purpose
was the same for both- that his name might be proclaimed in all the earth!
123
In verse 22, it says about God that he "has endured with much
patience" those who are vessels of his wrath. What does this tell you
about God?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Because God is all-knowing, he knows in advance those who will reject
him, but he patiently endures and gives them a chance to repent. So it is
not God's fault that they fall under his judgment.
God shows his wrath and makes known his power by judging sin. For
what purpose does God do this according to verse 23?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What people did this include from verse 24?
____________________________________________________________
For the rest of Romans 9-11, Paul is going to explain how Israel has
become hardened to the truth, but God is not finished with them yet. In the
Old Testament, the focus was on Israel. In the New Testament and today
we see the "mystery" that was not revealed earlier, that Gentiles could
come to faith in Christ and be part of Abraham's family. But one day, God
will turn his attention back to the Jews and many will come to believe in
their Messiah. God is sovereign and in control, and even though many
reject him, it is still his desire to "have mercy on all." (Romans 11:32).
124

Verses 25 and 26 are quoted from Hosea 2:23 and Hosea 1:10. Who
are these verses referring to? Jews or Gentiles? If you are not sure,
go back and read the surrounding verses in Hosea to help you.
____________________________________________________________
Because of Israel's sin and disobedience, how are they referred to in
verse 25?
____________________________________________________________
According to verses 25-26, how will Israel one day be referred to?
____________________________________________________________
What does verse 27 say about Israel in terms of salvation?
____________________________________________________________
Look up the definition of the word "remnant" in the Greek.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Verses 27-29 are quoted from Isaiah when the people of Israel had turned
away from the Lord. They were taken into captivity and only a remnant, a
small portion returned to their homeland. And because of God's judgment
against their sin, Isaiah says it is the Lord's mercy that they were not wiped
out like Sodom and Gomorrah. Paul seems to correlate the small number
of Israel's physical remnant returning to Jerusalem with the small number of
Jews who have accepted Christ.
What do you think it means in verse 30 when it says that the Gentiles
did not pursue righteousness but have attained it?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
From verse 30, how did the Gentiles attain righteousness?
____________________________________________________________
125
According to verses 31-32, why did the Jews not attain

righteousness?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Who is the stumbling stone referring to?
____________________________________________________________
Why is Jesus a stumbling stone for the Jew?
____________________________________________________________
What is another way the Jews view Jesus from verse 33? See
Matthew 5:12.
____________________________________________________________
The Jews stumbled over and took offense at what Jesus said. The Jews
thought they were good enough. They were self-righteous. Jesus came
and shook up their entire worldview saying it wasn't how good you looked
on the outside, but what was in your heart that counted. Several times in
the book of Matthew, Jesus says, "You have heard it said...but I say to
you..." He was showing them that their standard of righteousness wasn't
good enough to make them right with God and it offended them!
For those who trust Christ, what does verse 33 promise?
____________________________________________________________
Look up the word "shame" in the Greek.
____________________________________________________________
Those who put their faith in Christ will not be disappointed or put to shame
in terms of salvation. God will not go back on his promise to save us
through Christ. We will not be ashamed on the judgment day that we have
trusted Christ! What a wonderful promise we have knowing that Christ will
make our salvation complete!
____________________________________________________________
126
Romans 10
Read Romans 10.
Paul starts out chapter 10 in a similar way to chapter 9. What is his
desire and prayer?
____________________________________________________________
What does he say about the nation of Israel in verse 2?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Read Acts 21:20. What were these Jews zealous for?
____________________________________________________________
Read Galatians 1:14. What does Paul say he himself was zealous for
before he was saved?
____________________________________________________________
The Jews had a zeal for following the law, but what did they lack
knowledge about?
____________________________________________________________
We always need to make sure that what we are zealous and excited about
is in line with God's Word!
In verse 3, what were the Jews ignorant about?
____________________________________________________________
How did the Jews try to establish their own righteousness?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
127
Read Matthew 23:27-28. What did Jesus have to say about the
Pharisees righteousness?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What was the result from verse 3?
____________________________________________________________
The Jews tried to establish their own righteousness through good
works and following the law. But according to verse 4, how is
righteousness attained?
____________________________________________________________
How is it not attained?
____________________________________________________________
Paul says that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness. Because
Jesus perfectly fulfilled the law, he now gives us His righteousness. We
don't have to strive to obey the law because Jesus already did it on our
behalf! Now through faith in Christ's work on the cross, we have
righteousness that we could never attain on our own! And he gives it to us
for free!
This is what the Jews missed. Christ was offering His righteousness to
them, but they rejected it and did not submit to it. You can hear Paul's
sorrow and deep desire for the Jews to accept the righteousness that
Christ offers because it is the only one God will accept!
128

Read Romans 10.
In verse 5, how would a person gain righteousness from the law?
____________________________________________________________
Read Ezekiel 20:11,13 and 21. What does God promise those who
keep His statutes and rules?
____________________________________________________________
But now go back and read Romans 7:10. What is the contrast in this
verse to the verses in Ezekiel?
____________________________________________________________
In order for a person to be declared righteous through the law, they actually
have to do the commandments - perfectly. If someone would do that, they
would have life. But as we have seen in Romans, all of us fall short and
instead of life, we are faced with death.
In verses 6-8, Paul quotes Deuteronomy 30:11-14. Go back and read
those verses. Paul is making the point that this righteousness by faith is
accessible and available!
What two places should we not look for it from verses 6-7?
____________________________________________________________
Where is the word of faith found from verse 8?
____________________________________________________________
God's Word is near and available to us. All we have to do is believe it!
In verse 9, Paul seems to mention two things for salvation: confessing with
your mouth and believing in your heart. Let's look at confessing first.
Some would say that you have to make a public confession to be saved.
129
I believe from the rest of Scripture, confessing Christ is the result of being
saved, not something we have to do to be saved! Otherwise that would be
works!
Look up 1 Corinthians 12:3. What does it say about someone who
"confesses Christ"?
____________________________________________________________
For someone to be in the Holy Spirit, they have to be saved because
Romans 8:9 says "Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not
belong to him. ". So it seems pretty clear that those who confess Christ
have already believed. People can't see into our hearts, but through our
words, we make it known to others what we believe.
Verse 11 basically restates verse 10. If we believe in our heart, who
justifies us?
____________________________________________________________
Confession is not necessary for salvation because God already knows our
hearts. But confession before men is important because people can't look
into our hearts.
Read Matthew 10:32-33. What does Jesus say?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Again, only those who have believed in Christ will confess him. Those who
do not believe in him for salvation, will deny him.
There is only one condition for salvation: Faith! But it is expressed in two
ways: by believing and confessing.
In verse 11, Paul restates Romans 9:33. Anything that is repeated in
Scripture is important to take notice of! What does God want us to
understand?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
130
Day 58: Romans 10:12-15

In verse 12, there is no distinction between Jews or Gentiles. How are
both saved?
____________________________________________________________
What does God give those who call on him for salvation?
____________________________________________________________
To understand what these riches are, look up the following verses. Note
what riches are mentioned.
Romans 2:4
____________________________________________________________
Ephesians 1:7
____________________________________________________________
Ephesians 1:18
____________________________________________________________
Ephesians 2:4
____________________________________________________________
Ephesians 2:7
____________________________________________________________
Ephesians 3:16
____________________________________________________________
Colossians 1:27
____________________________________________________________
According to verse 13, who will be saved?
____________________________________________________________
In Romans 1-3 we saw how all have sinned and fall under the judgment of
God. Because all have sinned, all have need of salvation and
righteousness. Here we see it is freely offered to all. All you have to do is
call!
131
In verse 14, underline the four action verbs you see. What are they?
____________________________________________________________
If you start at the end of the verse and work your way backwards, Paul
outlines what is necessary for people to get saved. First someone has to
preach the Good News, people have to hear it and believe it. If they call on
the Lord, they will be saved!
In verse 15, it mentions that those who preach must be sent. Look up
John 20:21 and Acts 13:4. Who does the sending?
____________________________________________________________
So many times, people are waiting on a "call" from the Lord before they will
serve Him, when he just wants to send them! I think we have it backwards.
According to Romans, we are the ones who call on the name of the Lord
and then he sends us off with His message of salvation. Don't wait around
for a "call" to serve the Lord. If you are his child, he has already sent you
as his ambassador!
How does God view those who preach the good news in verse 15?
____________________________________________________________
Several years ago, I read the missionary story of Darlene Diebler Rose.
She and her husband served as missionaries in Papua New Guinea right
before World War II broke out. Her husband had gone on a survey trip to
contact a very remote tribal group. He hiked for weeks in the jungle and
when he returned, his feet were in rough shape. His blisters had broken
open and had become infected. His feet were bloody and oozing with
puss. Yuck! But when a co-worker saw her husband's feet, he smiled and
commented that those were some beautiful feet! "How beautiful are the
feet of those who preach the good news!"
132
Day 59: Romans 10:16-21

In verse 16, who is "they" that have not all believed the gospel?
____________________________________________________________
According to verse 16, to obey the gospel is to believe it!
Do you want to grow and be strong in your faith? Verse 17 tells us
how! Write it in your own words below.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
If I want to grow in my faith, I have to be in the Word, reading and hearing
it. God's Word says, that's how faith comes!
In verse 18, Paul's logical response to this then, is "but Israel has heard!"
Indeed they did. Israel had every opportunity for faith, but they chose to
reject it. Let that be a warning to us!
In verse 18, whose voice is being referred to? Read Psalm 19:1-4 to
find the answer.
____________________________________________________________
So Israel, like the rest of the world, had the witness of God's handiwork in
creation.
In verse 19, it says that Israel will be jealous of those who are not a
nation. Who do you think this is referring to? If you're not sure, jump
over to Romans 11:11.
____________________________________________________________
In verse 20, who is it talking about? Who was not seeking or asking
for God, yet God showed himself to them? Look back at Romans
9:30.
____________________________________________________________
133
How would you describe God's heart for Israel in verse 21?
____________________________________________________________
How is Israel described?
____________________________________________________________
Through every generation, God has been reaching out to the nation of
Israel like a husband pursuing his unfaithful wife. But they have been stiffnecked and stubborn and the nation as a whole has rejected Christ. As a
result, God turned and poured out his grace on the Gentiles (that's us!).
But God is not finished with Israel yet and next week in chapter 11 we will
see more of God's heart and plan for Israel. He never gives up on them!
Aren't you glad he hasn't given up on you either?!
Day 60: Just read Romans 10 once more!

____________________________________________________________
134
Romans 11
Read Romans 11.
Romans 9-11 has been speaking about how God has set aside the nation
of Israel and during this age of grace has turned his attention to the
Gentiles. One might come to the conclusion, that God is through with
Israel. They have killed prophets, rejected God and His word, worshipped
idols and because of their sin, maybe God is just done reaching out to
them. But as we open up Romans 11, Paul is going to show us that that is
not the case at all!
According to verse 1, what is the evidence that God has not rejected
His people, the Jews?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
In verse 2 and 3, Paul reminds us of a time when the nation of Israel
was steeped in idolatry and had turned away from worshipping the
true God. The prophet Elijah had had enough and he appealed to God
against Israel. What was God's reply to Elijah to show he had not cast
Israel aside, despite their sin? (v. 4)
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
In verse 5, what do we learn about Israel now?
____________________________________________________________
A remnant is " a relatively small part which continues to exist." So there are
a few Jews who are saved by grace today, but they are in the minority.
On what basis are they chosen?
____________________________________________________________
135
What does verse 7 say about Israel?

____________________________________________________________
What was Israel seeking? Look back to Romans 10:2.
____________________________________________________________
Why did the majority of Jews not get saved? See Romans 10:3.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Verse 7 tells us most of the Jews were "hardened." It has the idea of being
close minded to the truth.
How is Israel described in verse 8?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What caused them to be this way?
____________________________________________________________
Wow, it seems pretty harsh that God would give them a spirit of stupor.
Stupor means "a state of not being able to think satisfactorily because of
complete bewilderment and stupornot being able to think." Israel had a
spirit of bewilderment regarding the truth of salvation, and it says God
caused this!
In verse 9 we see words like snare, trap, stumbling block and retribution.
Often times in Scripture the word table is used to describe God's blessings.
Reread Romans 9:4-5. These things were part of Israel's table. Instead of
those things leading them closer to God, they became a snare, a trap and a
stumbling block for them. Tomorrow we will see why God did this and
actually caused them to not understand. The answer is pretty exciting!
136
Day 62: Romans 11:11-15

In light of what we learned about Israel yesterday, what question does
Paul ask in verse 11?
____________________________________________________________
In the Greek, the tense of the verb "fall" implies falling without
recovery. So Paul is asking if the nation of Israel has fallen without
the possibility of being restored to God again. What is Paul's
emphatic answer?
____________________________________________________________
Because of Israel's sin, what has happened?
____________________________________________________________
What is the desired result for Israel in bringing salvation to the
Gentiles?
____________________________________________________________
What might Israel be jealous or envious for?
____________________________________________________________
Jump down to verse 14. By making Israel jealous, what result does
Paul desire for them?
____________________________________________________________
Because of Israel's sin and failure, what did that mean for the world
and the Gentiles?
____________________________________________________________
What kind of riches do you think this is referring to? See Romans 2:4;
9:23 and 10:12.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
137
So if at some point Israel is included again, what will that mean for
them?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Paul says he magnifies his ministry. It means he gives his ministry a high
status or rank, or places a high value on it. Again, the reason for this is that
the Jews will be jealous of the Gentiles' relationship with God and as a
result some of them will get saved! God's heart is to save people, not to
exclude them!
In verse 15, the fact that Israel rejected Jesus, what did that mean for
the rest of the world?
__________________________________________________________
What will it mean for Israel when they accept Christ?
____________________________________________________________
You can really hear God and Paul's heart for the nation of Israel in these
verses. God is not through with them and his heart's desire for them is to
be saved and experience eternal life and victory over death!
138
Day 63: Romans 11:16-21

In verse 16, Paul uses the examples of dough and roots/branches to make
his point that God has not rejected Israel.
The example of the firstfruits of the dough comes from Numbers
15:18-21. Read those verses and explain what is happening here.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
So the firstfruits of the dough is not actual fruit, but the first portion of the
dough that they were to present to the Lord. Likewise, the roots also come
first before the branches.
What does God say about the first portion of the dough and the
roots?
____________________________________________________________
So what is Paul saying here? Remember he has been talking about
Israel. Who do you think might be the "firstfruits" of the Jewish
nation? Hint: Who is the father of the Jewish nation?
____________________________________________________________
Every Jew revered and respected Abraham. If God considered
Abraham holy, according to verse 16, how did he view the rest of
Israel (the rest of the dough and the branches?)
____________________________________________________________
Who would be those branches that were broken off in verse 17?
____________________________________________________________
Who would be the wild olive shoot, the branches that were grafted in?
____________________________________________________________
What does Paul warn the Gentiles about in verse 18?
____________________________________________________________
139
Paul gives us the reason that we should not be arrogant and think we are
better than the Jews. He says the root (Abraham) supports us. What Paul
is saying here, is that as Abraham was the father of the Jewish nation,
Jesus eventually came from Abraham's family. So there would not be
salvation at all if it wasn't for the Jews.
140
Day 64: Romans 11:22-27

Read Romans 11.
Again as you read this section, keep in mind that Paul is not addressing
specific individuals, but the nation or group as a whole. That will help us in
understanding this passage.
How is God's severity or harshness shown in verse 22?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Remember God is holy and perfect so God is not being unjust when he
deals harshly with the sin of unbelief against His Son.
How is God's kindness shown?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
In verse 22, Paul says that if the Gentiles don't continue in God's kindness,
they too will be cut off. Remember it is not addressing individuals, but the
Gentiles as a whole. If the Gentiles reject God and his kindness of
salvation, they as a group will be cut off and cease to experience the
blessings of God's favor. It is not saying they will lose their salvation.
What group is Paul speaking about in verse 23? Jews or Gentiles?
____________________________________________________________
What does Paul say will happen if they turn from their unbelief?
____________________________________________________________
When Paul speaks of being grafted in, he is referring to a position of
privilege and blessing. While believing Gentiles share in the blessings of
the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 12:3b) as Abrahams spiritual children (Gal.
3:89), they do not permanently replace Israel as the heirs of Gods
promises. If Israel forsakes their national unbelief, God can bring them
back into their former state of blessings and promises. For now, these
have been temporarily set aside.
141
Verse 24 further explains that God is not through with Israel. If the Gentiles
were grafted in as a wild olive shoot, contrary to nature, as Paul says, how
much more will God be able to graft Israel back in since they were the
natural branches.
Paul refers to a mystery in verse 25. Look up Colossians 1:26 for the
biblical definition of a mystery.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Now Paul explains that Israel will be grafted in again. He says a
partial hardening has come upon Israel until what happens?
____________________________________________________________
In Romans 11:25 there are two specific facts about Israels hardening ((a) it
is partial, in part (because throughout this time there is a remnant chosen
by grace, v. 5), and (b) it is temporary (because it will end when Gods
sovereignly chosen number of Gentiles has been saved).
In verse 26, it says all Israel will be saved. It does not mean every single
Jew will be saved, but should be understood that every believing Jew will
be saved. Many of them will not be saved, as seen by the fact that at the
judgment of Israel, to follow soon after the Lords return, will include the
removal of Jewish rebels (Ezek. 20:3438). Following this judgment God
will then remove godlessness and sins from the nation as He establishes
His New Covenant with believing Israel (cf. Jer. 31:3334). This will take
place during the Millennial reign of Christ.
So the fullness of the Gentiles will occur at the Rapture, when Christ comes
in the clouds to get His bride, the Body of Christ. After that occurs, God
turns his attention back to the Jewish nation and during that time, many
Jews will be saved.
The Old Testament quote in verses 26-27 comes from Isaiah 59:20-21.
Look up these verses and note what God promises Israel someday.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
142
Also look up Jeremiah 31:31-34. What does God promise will one day
take place?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
So we see very clearly that God has not rejected Israel. He has a glorious
plan to one day bring that nation back to Himself!
143
Day 65: Romans 11:28-36

How is Israel described in verse 28 in relation to the gospel?
____________________________________________________________
How are they described in terms of their election, being God's chosen
people?
____________________________________________________________
What is the most important reason that Israel should be loved?
____________________________________________________________
I have heard verse 29 quoted often but rarely in context. Paul is speaking
about Israel here and again making the point that God still has a purpose
and a plan for Israel. The gifts God gave them and the fact that they are
called His children are irrevocable.
Look up the definition of irrevocable in the Greek.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Verses 30-32 sum up God's heart. Let's look at these verses closely.
In verse 30, who was at one time disobedient?
____________________________________________________________
So the Gentiles were at one time disobedient (think of the Gentile
nations in the Old Testament). But because of the Jews being
disobedient and rejecting Jesus, what has happened to the Gentiles
as a whole?
____________________________________________________________
In verse 31, what does God want to do for the Jews?
____________________________________________________________
144
In verse 32, what is true of all, both Jews and Gentiles?

____________________________________________________________
Because all have been disobedient, God desires to do what for all?
____________________________________________________________
None of us deserve God's grace because we have all been disobedient
and sinned. But that's where mercy comes in. He desires to show mercy
to both the Jew and the Gentile and bring both groups into His family. I
can't wait for the day when all of us together are worshipping around the
throne!
In verse 33, Paul seems to acknowledge that he has shared some things
that are difficult to understand. God's wisdom and knowledge go far
deeper than we can comprehend.
He says that God's judgment are unsearchable. Look up the
definition of unsearchable in the Greek.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Look up the definition of inscrutable in the Greek.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
We may not always understand the way God works. We can't understand
His mind or be His counselor, and his ways are far above our ways. But we
know that He is good, He can be trusted and He desires to show mercy to
all!
What does Paul say about God is verse 36?
____________________________________________________________
What response should we have in light of this?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
145
Romans 12
Read Romans 12.
We now come to another section in Romans. Romans 12-15 give us some
practical instructions on how to live the Christian life. It is no accident that
these instructions come towards the end of the book. Paul has gone to
great lengths to show us all that God has done for us. The more we
understand and grow in His grace, the more we will want to live lives that
please Him. Now these instructions don't seem burdensome, but are an
outflow of a grateful heart. Now we have the privilege and joy of serving
the awesome God that saved us!
In verse 1, Paul says he is appealing to them therefore, by the mercies
of God. Verse one ties in directly with Romans 11:32. What does God
want to show to everyone in this verse?
____________________________________________________________
God's mercy is the basis for Paul's appeal to us. Because God has shown
us limitless mercy, it should motivate us to be eager and ready to serve
Him.
Just think back to what our condition was before Christ in Romans 1-3. We
were sinners, unrighteous, ungodly and enemies of God. Now he has
forgiven our sins, brought us into his family and given us His Holy Spirit to
live in us, giving us the power to live a victorious life over sin. That was all
made possible by His perfect Son dying in our place! That is unfathomable
mercy and on that basis, Paul begs us to be living sacrifices!
Paul says we should present our bodies to God. Look up the
definition of present in the Greek.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
All of the other sacrifices in the Bible were dead. Through Jesus' victory
over death, we are now a living sacrifice!
146
What three things in verse 1 describe a living sacrifice?

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Look up the definition of acceptable in the Greek.
____________________________________________________________
This is pretty neat! Before Christ, God viewed even our righteous deeds
like a filthy rag. He did not accept them! But now, because of Christ's work
on the cross for us, God accepts and even invites us to serve Him. Again,
the reason He accepts them is because He has shown us mercy, and
through His Son we are accepted!
God says when we present ourselves to God as a living sacrifice, we are
worshipping him. Instead of spiritual worship, some translations says
"rational service." In the Greek, the word spiritual means "being genuine, in
the sense of being true to the real and essential nature of something
rational, genuine, true."
Why do you think our service to God is described in this way?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
In verse 2 we are told not to conform to this world. Look up the
definition of conformed in the Greek.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Instead we are to be transformed. Look up the definition and write it
below.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
How are we transformed according to this verse?
____________________________________________________________
147
Look up the following verses and explain what it is that renews our
minds.
Titus 3:5
____________________________________________________________
Colossians 3:9-10
____________________________________________________________
According to 2 Corinthians 3:18, what happens when we behold the
glory of the Lord?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
We become whatever we are most focused on. If we focus on money, we
become greedy; if we focus on what we don't have, we become
unthankful; but if we focus on Christ, we become more like HIM!
As we focus on Jesus with the Holy Spirit teaching us from the Word, we
are transformed into His image as our minds our renewed.
There is no middle ground! We will either be conformed to the world or
transformed into the image of Christ. Both of these verbs are passive,
meaning it is something done to me. If I submit myself to the world and its
thinking, I will be conformed to think and act like the world. If I gaze at
Christ in the Scriptures - I will be transformed to have Christ's character. I
don't have to transform myself into the image of Christ. God does that for
me! God has taken me, once his enemy, and is transforming me into
something beautiful that depicts His Son. Wow!
Lastly, as our minds our renewed, we will test and discern what God's will is
for us. Testing means "to try to learn the genuineness of something by
examination and testing, often through actual use."
So to test means I discover, find out and LEARN what the will of God IS
by DOING it and I will prove by my own experience that Gods will for me
is good, acceptable and perfect.
148

Who does Paul say he is speaking to in verse 3?
____________________________________________________________
What is his admonition to us?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
It is our natural tendency to regard ourselves too highly. The term "sober
judgment" comes from a Greek word that means to be of sound mind. We
are not thinking clearly when we think too highly of ourselves!
It is interesting that faith helps us to have the right thinking about ourselves.
When we have faith in Christ and see that we all are in need of grace, it
helps us to have a proper view of ourselves - neither too high nor too low.
Paul uses the human body as an example of how the Body of Christ should
work.
What two things does Paul say about the body in verse 4?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
It is the same with the Body of Christ. There is only one Body, but it has
many members and we all belong to each other because we all belong to
the same Body.
How will remembering this truth affect how you treat and think about
other people?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
149
In verses 6-8, Paul lists some spiritual gifts that God has given to the
Body of Christ. There are seven in this list. Write them below:
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
This is not an exhaustive list. There are also some gifts listed in 1
Corinthians 12:8-10. Here Paul mentions gifts of wisdom, knowledge,
faith, gifts of healing, working of miracles, prophecy, ability to
distinguish between spirits, tongues and interpretation of tongues.
In Ephesians 4:11 apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and
teachers are mentioned.
A spiritual gift is one of these things listed above and every Christian
has at least one, maybe more. According to Ephesians 4:12, what is
the purpose of our spiritual gifts?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
According to verse 6, what are we supposed to do with these gifts?
____________________________________________________________
Prophecy in verse 6 does not refer to telling the future. Since God is not
giving us new revelation anymore now that we have the Bible, a prophet is
simply one who delivers God's Word. He just tells what God says.
How should a prophet deliver God's Word in verse 6?
____________________________________________________________
Some people in the body of Christ are servants; they are the "doers" and
love to help others. Some are teachers. They explain what God's Word
means. Some people have the gift of exhortation. These are the
encouragers who offer comfort and support for those in need. Some love
to give and share with others. God has equipped some to lead and provide
direction. Some are the mercy givers and have tender hearts toward those
in need.
150
As you look over these lists of spiritual gifts, do you have an idea
what yours might be?
____________________________________________________________
If you are not sure, that's ok. God is not trying to keep it a secret from you!
Pray and ask the Lord to show you what your gift is. As you serve him in
different areas, He will make it clear, and as you grow and continue to walk
with God, He will provide opportunities for you to use your gift for the Body
of Christ. Since it is a gift, it will be something that you will probably enjoy
doing!
151

These verses show us what a living sacrifice looks like. Verse 9 starts out
with a simple exhortation. Our love should be genuine, or sincere and
without hypocrisy. In showing love to others, our motives should be sincere
and our care for the other person must be genuine.
We are to abhor evil. It means to have a strong dislike for something
implying repulsion and desire for avoidance.
We used to serve overseas in Papua New Guinea. The house we lived in
was infested with rats. A mama rat had a litter, and it became my mission
to rage war against these rats invading my house. I did whatever I had to
to get rid of them. That is the type of attitude we should have towards
things that are evil. Since we are God's children, we should have the same
attitude towards sin and evil that He does.
On the contrary, we are to hold fast to things that are good. Hold fast
comes from a Greek word meaning "to glue." We are to stick like glue to
things that are good. We are to attach ourselves to good things.
What good things can you think of that you should hold fast to?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
In verse 10, how are we to love each other?
____________________________________________________________
Paul is reminding us that we are all in the same family and our love for one
another should reflect that.
What does it say about honoring others in the Body of Christ?
____________________________________________________________
152
In honoring others, we are to to exhibit a type of behavior far above the

norm. We should go above and beyond in showing honor to our brothers
and sisters in Christ.
When we honor something, we see it as valuable or precious so we treat it
in a special way. Paul is telling us to go above and beyond in showing
other believers how much we honor and value them. This is what Jesus
did for us. He is our example and as we gaze at him and focus on him, he
will produce this in us. This is not something that comes easy to us.
Naturally we think too highly of ourselves (Romans 12:3). We are naturally
seeking to honor ourselves, but as Christ begins to change us, He
produces this in us.
What does verse 11 say we should not be?
____________________________________________________________
Look up the definition of slothful in the Greek.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What do you think might make someone lazy or hesitant to serve the
Lord with zeal?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
We are also told to be fervent in spirit. It has the idea of being eager and
enthusiastic. This is how we should serve the Lord. It is indeed the highest
privilege to be called in to serve the King of Kings and we should be eager
and enthusiastic to serve him.
Read Titus 2:11-14 carefully. Based on these verses, what do you
think makes us eager to do good works?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
153
When we remember where God brought us from and all that He has done
for us, our hearts should overflow with gratitude and thanksgiving and we
will be eager to serve Him. He is worthy and He is worth it!
Because we have hope (a confident expectation) we should rejoice! No
matter what happens to us, because of Jesus we have the assurance of an
eternal hope. That is a reason to rejoice!
Verse 12 assumes we will have tribulation. What should our attitude
be?
____________________________________________________________
Look up the definition of patient in the Greek.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Whether we are rejoicing in our hope, or going through tribulation, we
should be constant in prayer. All day long, we should have a continuing
conversation with God. Sometimes it might just be a short sentence
prayer. During the day we might call on Him for help, lift a loved one before
the throne or simply thank Him for a blessing. But we should never stop
talking to Him. We always have His ear and He will never turn us away.
154
Day 69: Romans 12:13-16

Because we are in the same family, what should we do when someone
is in need?
____________________________________________________________
I like the word contribute. It means "to share ones possessions, with the
implication of some kind of joint participation and mutual interest." Did you
catch the phrase "joint participation"? It has the idea of each one
contributing a portion and as many give a small part, the whole need is
met. This is how the Body should function.
We also should seek or look for ways that we can show hospitality.
Look up the definition of hospitality.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
God wants our love and care to extend beyond our own circle of friends.
As we meet others in the Body of Christ that have need of food and shelter,
we are to look for ways to welcome them and show them hospitality. After
all, we are all members of the same family.
How does verse 14 say we should act towards those who persecute
or mistreat us?
____________________________________________________________
To bless means to ask God to bestow divine favor on; to pray for; to ask
God to do something good for them.
Paul says we are to do this to our enemies!
One way to bless our enemies is to pray for them that they will get saved if
they are not believers. What greater blessing could we ask for them? If
our enemy is a Christian we can pray that God would conform them more
to his image.
155
Paul says bless them, do not curse them - the Greek tense is "stop
cursing." This is what we naturally want to do. To curse has the idea to call
down doom or evil upon another. In a sense, it is praying for harm to come
to them. Instead of praying for their harm, God calls us to pray for their
good.
How does verse 15 say we should interact with others?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
God wants us to sympathize with our brothers and sisters in Christ. When
we are sad, it means so much for someone to come alongside and cry with
us. They are showing they love us and understand our pain. In the same
way when someone has something to rejoice about, we should be happy
with them. This eliminates any jealousy as we thank God with that person
for whatever blessing God has given them.
In verse 16, Paul addresses the subject of humility again. Truly there will
never be harmony if everyone thinks they are better than the next person.
What is one way verse 16 says we can show humility?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
A lowly person is someone who has low or humble status. Maybe they are
not viewed as someone who has any influence. Paul says don't be afraid
to associate with them. Again, we should remember we are no better than
them and we all are in need of God's grace. Because God has poured out
his grace on us, we should show grace as well and not look down on the
"lowly."
What is the last thing Paul says in verse 16?
____________________________________________________________
Wise here means "having an exaggerated evaluation of what one is or of
what one has doneconceit, pride, arrogance."
156
There is no place in the Body of Christ for this attitude. It is easy to think
too highly about who we are or what we have done, but our attitude should
be the same as Christ's in Philippians 2:5-8.
Describe Jesus' attitude in these verses.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Jesus had the right to think highly of himself because He was God. Instead
he laid his rights and privileges aside and humbled himself to the most
humiliating death. He only thought of saving us, the "lowly." Jesus showed
us what humility looks like in the flesh. As his children, humility should
characterize our lives as well.
157
Day 70: Romans 12:17-21

The following verses deal with what our response should be in the midst of
conflict in difficult relationships. Life is hard and sometimes people hurt us,
at times even intentionally. When this happens, our temptation would be to
respond the same way and hurt them back. But a child of God is forbidden
from doing this.
Instead, when people mistreat us, what does verse 17 say our
response should be?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Honorable here means good or praiseworthy. Even when people are
unkind, we are to respond in a way that is honorable and praiseworthy. Of
course the praise should not go to us, but to the amazing God who has
changed and transformed us!
What is the instruction in verse 18?
____________________________________________________________
Paul gives two caveats here. He says "if it is possible." If there is anything
we can do to restore peace, we should do it. He also says "as far as it
depends on you." Sometimes we want peace, but the other party does not.
We can't control that, but we must do whatever we can to live in harmony
and peace with those around us.
In verse 19, why does Paul say we should not seek revenge on
someone who has wronged us?
____________________________________________________________
God is the righteous judge and he will repay. We need to trust God to deal
with that person and not take the situation in our own hands. Because
ultimately, they have sinned against God so we need to let him deal with
that person.
158
What does verse 20 say we should do for our enemies?

____________________________________________________________
We should provide for their most basic needs. What does Paul say
the result will be when we do this?
____________________________________________________________
I used to think this meant that our acts of kindness would make the enemy
feel bad or ashamed for the way they treated us. But read what Wuest's
Word Studies in the Greek New Testament has to say about this verse.
"In Bible times an oriental needed to keep his hearth fire going all the time
in order to ensure fire for cooking and warmth. If it went out, he had to go to
a neighbor for some live coals of fire. These he would carry on his head in
a container, oriental fashion, back to his home. The person who would give
him some live coals would be meeting his desperate need and showing him
an outstanding kindness. If he would heap the container with coals, the
man would be sure of getting some home still burning. The one injured
would be returning kindness for injury, the only thing a Christian is allowed
to give back to the one who has injured him. This act of kindness God
could use to soften the heart of the person and lead him on to repentance."
In verse 20, how are we to overcome evil?
____________________________________________________________
The way to overcome evil is not by fighting against it, but by proactively
doing good.
To overcome means "to win a victory over." We should not let evil have the
victory over us; instead the way we can conquer evil is by doing good.
Sometimes people think they need to fight against the wrong things in this
world. But the Bible says the way we overcome evil is by simply doing
good.
____________________________________________________________
159
Chapter 13

Read Romans 13.
In verse 1, who is Paul talking to?
____________________________________________________________
What is his instruction?
____________________________________________________________
The word "subject" comes from a Greek word meaning to place under. It
just means to submit to orders or to obey. It comes from a military word
and it pictures soldiers arranged in order under a general.
What important thing does Paul tell us about authority in verse 1?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
So the bottom line is, we submit to government authorities because we
respect the authority of God in our lives. We are ultimately showing
respect for God when we submit to our government because he has
allowed them to be in that position.
Now remember to who this was written to and when it was written. It was
written to both Jewish and Gentile Christians who were under the Roman
empire right before Nero came to power. The Roman empire was not
favorable toward Christians at all and they even had undergone some
persecution. But Paul still said they were to submit - pay taxes and obey
the laws unless they went against what Christ taught.
If we resist the authorities, what are we really doing?
____________________________________________________________
160
To resist means to oppose someone, to be hostile toward; to set yourself

against someone. Again it is a military term picturing troops lined up for
battle.
Examine your own heart. Have you ever felt this way about authority?
If you resist the human authority over you, you are really resisting God and
what he has has set up. If you have trouble submitting to human authority,
that is just a symptom of not fearing and submitting to God in your life.
Paul is specifically talking about government authority here, but the
principle holds true for any kind of authority over us.
What does Paul say in verses 3-4 about the authorities? What word
does he use twice to describe them?
____________________________________________________________
We normally don't think of ungodly government leaders as God's servants,
but simply because God has placed them in a position of authority, they are
called His servants. So to rebel against them is to rebel against God.
If we don't want to be afraid of the authorities, what does Paul say we
should do?
____________________________________________________________
Obviously this is a principle and there are exceptions. There are ungodly
authorities who persecute Christians only because they are Christians, but
generally speaking those who obey the law have nothing to fear.
What is one important responsibility that government authorities
have?
____________________________________________________________
God is the ultimate authority, but he has instituted earthly authorities to
maintain control and order and make it safe for us to live by enforcing the
laws. Our government today is becoming more and more hostile to God,
but God still commands us to submit and not resist them. Submission is an
attitude of the heart and when we submit to earthly authorities, we are
really displaying our submission to God.
161

Read Romans 13.
What two reasons are given in verse 5 for submitting to authority?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
None of us like to pay taxes and certainly the people living under the
Roman Empire probably didn't like their money funding Rome's expansion,
but again Paul tells us it is our duty to obey the law and pay taxes.
In verse 7, Paul says we should pay what we owe. God says we are
obligated and we owe it to the government to pay taxes.
Paul really gets to the heart attitude in verse 7. It is easier to write a check
for the money we owe the government, but yet have an attitude of
contempt towards them.
According to Paul, what else do we owe the government authorities?
____________________________________________________________
Look up the definition of respect in the Greek.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Look up the definition of honor in the Greek.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Indeed in Paul's day and today, government authorities often make
decisions that we don't agree with and that are not in line with God's
principles. We may not always approve of what they do, but we are always
under obligation to respect the position that God has allowed them to be in.
It will be much easier to submit to and respect governing authorities when
we can look past them and give them our submission out of reverence for
God.
162
In verse 8, the tense of the verb literally means "stop owing anything to
anyone."
What is one thing we should always be under obligation to give?
____________________________________________________________
What does Paul say about the person who loves others?
____________________________________________________________
Paul explains what he means by this in verses 9-10. Explain what it
means in your own words below.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
We saw earlier in Romans that none of us can keep the law. Now Paul
says if we love each other we have fulfilled the law. How can this be? The
key is in our relationship with Christ. Apart from Christ, we were powerless
to obey the law and it's standards. But now that the Holy Spirit lives in us,
he changes and transforms us and it is His love that pours out of us into
others. After we are saved, when we love others through the power of the
Spirit, God fulfills the law in us, something we could never do on our own!
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Day 73: Romans 13:11-12

In verse 11, what is the reason given for why we should submit to
authorities and love each other?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
We should live our lives with eternity in view. Paul is reminding them of the
Rapture and the Judgment Seat of Christ.
Sleep here refers to a lethargic, lazy Christian life. Paul is saying, "Wake
up!" We don't have any time to waste for the Lord! We are to live our lives
with an urgency because we do not know the day or hour when Christ will
return.
What type of salvation is Paul referring to in verse 11?
____________________________________________________________
One day our salvation will be completely realized. We will stand in His
presence in a glorified body, free from the presence of sin! I certainly look
forward to that day. But until that day, we are to make the most of our time
here on earth. Like Romans 12:11 says, we should not be slothful or lazy,
but should serve the Lord with eagerness.
In verse 12, what do you think it means "the night is far gone and the
day is at hand?" See 1 Thessalonians 5:5 if you are not sure.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Because we are not a part of the kingdom of darkness anymore, we are to
cast off the works of darkness. We should stop living the way we used to.
Those things don't depict who we are now so we are to put those things
away completely.
164
When we cast off the works of darkness, what should we replace it

with?
____________________________________________________________
Armor refers to an instrument used in fighting, either a defensive or
offensive weapon.
We are in a spiritual battle here! No one who goes into battle is asleep or
lethargic! As Christians, we need to wake up, put on the armor of God and
fight for the souls yet to be won!
Look up 1 Thessalonians 5:8 and list what our spiritual weapons are.
Don't focus so much on the parts of armor described, but what they
stand for. In other words, don't list breastplate or helmet, but what
these things represent.
____________________________________________________________
Now read Ephesians 6:13-18. In the same way as you did in the
previous verse, list what weapons we have that God has given us.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Now go back and look at the pieces described (breastplate, helmet,
etc). Most of the weapons listed are defensive weapons, meaning
they protect us from harm. But there is one offensive weapon listed
that we can attack with. What is it and what does it represent?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
We are in a spiritual battle but God has given us the weapons of faith, love,
salvation, truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, the Word of God and
prayer. Let's use these to bring as many people with us into the kingdom
as possible. The time is near!
165
Day 74: Romans 13:13-14

As children of God, we are to walk properly. Look up the definition in
the Greek of "properly."
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Let us conduct ourselves in a becoming way as people who live in the light.
Our actions should reflect who we are and be appropriate.
Then Paul lists some things that are not proper for a Christian:
orgies - drinking parties involving unrestrained indulgence; it has the idea
of letting loose and you can fill in the blanks of what people can do when
they are not restrained.
drunkenness - to become drunk on alcohol so that the alcohol is
controlling you, not the Holy Spirit. As believers we are not to "be drunk
with wine, but be filled with the Holy Spirit." (Eph. 5:18). It is an issue of
control. Is the Holy Spirit controlling you or another substance?
sexual immorality - a general term for any kind of sexual sin.
sensuality - behavior completely lacking in moral restraint, normally in
regard to sexual behavior.
quarreling - conflict resulting from rivalry or discord.
jealousy - strong feeling of resentment or envy against someone.
None of these things are proper or fitting for a child of the King of Kings.
These things we are to cast off and discard.
What are we to clothe ourselves with instead?
____________________________________________________________
166
In the same way that clothes cover our body, Jesus should cover us so he
is the one that people see when they look at us.
The phrase "make no provision" is an interesting one. It means "to think
about something beforehand with the implication that one can respond
appropriately; to have in mind to do something."
So what does it mean practically to make no provision for the flesh?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
So we should not provide our flesh with an opportunity to sin. We should
avoid those situations that we know will be a temptation, especially sexual
sins, and don't let your mind dwell on ways to fulfill your evil desires. Sin
always starts in the mind, so we must be careful what we think about.
The power of sin has been broken, but it's passions are still present. Sin
has no power to force us to comply, but until we go home to be with the
Lord, it's presence will always be with us.
Reread verses 12-14 and note what things are listed that will help us
not to sin.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Day 75: Romans 13

_____________________________________________________
167
Romans 14
Read Romans 14.
After reading chapter 14, what do you think Paul means when he calls
a believer "weak in faith?"
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
How were they to treat a person "weak in faith?"
____________________________________________________________
To welcome means "to accept the presence of a person with friendliness
to welcome, to receive, to accept."
Now for us today, we read this and we don't understand the big deal of
eating or not eating certain foods. But put yourself in the place of a first
century Jewish Christian. In the Old Testament, certain foods were strictly
forbidden according to the Mosaic Law. Imagine being taught your whole
life that you couldn't eat pork because it was unclean. When Jesus came,
he was the fulfillment of the Law and He taught that all foods were clean.
Read Mark 7:15-23. What was Jesus' main point in this passage?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Remember in Acts 11 when Peter was praying on the rooftop? He had a
vision where he saw "animals and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds of
the air." He heard a voice say to him, "Rise, Peter, kill and eat."
Immediately Peter objected and even said that nothing common or unclean
had ever entered his mouth. Even though Peter had personally been with
Jesus and had heard him teach, this area was still hard for Peter to accept.
He was "weak in faith." So it must have been for many Jewish Christians
during this time. They didn't yet have the faith to believe that it wasn't the
foods they ate that made them unclean, but what was in their heart.
168
In verse 1, what does Paul say they should not do?

____________________________________________________________
I imagine there were strong opinions on both sides of this issue, so Paul
warned them about arguing about it.
What was Paul's instruction to the person who felt they could eat
anything?
____________________________________________________________
To despise means "to treat with contempt, look down on, ridicule." It would
be a temptation for the person who understood his freedom in Christ to look
down on at the weaker brother as being unspiritual and immature.
What was Paul's instruction to the one who abstains from certain
foods?
____________________________________________________________
According to verse 3, why should they not pass judgment on
another?
____________________________________________________________
That little phrase "God has welcomed him," must have been mind blowing
for the Jewish person. In the Old Testament, if they ate "unclean" foods,
they were not accepted by God and had to go through a purification
process. (Leviticus 11:24-25). In fact, in Leviticus 11 we find very detailed
descriptions about what kind of animals they could and could not eat. Now
Paul is telling them, they are accepted by God no matter what they eat!
According to verse 4, why do we not have the right to pass judgment
on others?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
To pass judgment on someone has the idea of condemning them. It means
"to judge something to be better than something else, and hence, to prefer
to prefer, to judge as superior, to regard as more valuable."
169
We as fellow servants have no right to condemn or look down on one

another. It is the Master's place to righteously judge.
No matter what side of the issue we fall on, what does Paul say about
the master in verse 4?
____________________________________________________________
God is able to uphold us and cause us to stand. It is the same Word in the
Greek. It means "to continue firmly or well- established in a particular state
to firmly remain, to continue steadfastly."
Does this definition make you think of a person who is weak in faith? No!
So Paul encourages us that as we walk with the Lord, He can strengthen
our faith and cause us to grow through these difficult issues.
170

In the early church there was no doubt a difference of opinion regarding
which day they should worship. Some Jews who were still holding on to
the Mosaic Law thought observing the Sabbath was important. Other Jews
and perhaps Gentiles would want to worship on Sunday, the day Christ
arose from the dead. Paul makes it clear that the day itself is not
important.
What advice does Paul give to both groups in verse 5?
____________________________________________________________
What three areas does Paul address in verse 6 where there may be
difference of opinion?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
For each of these things, what does Paul say the motivation should
be in doing or not doing them?
____________________________________________________________
In verses 7-8, Paul reminds us that whatever we do, should not be for
ourselves, but for the Lord.
Look up 2 Corinthians 5:15 and 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. According to
these verses, why should the Christian not live for themselves?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
So it doesn't really matter what day we worship, if we choose to eat or not
eat certain foods, the real issue is: Is our motivation in doing these things
to glorify God? If that is our heart, Paul says "Go for it!"
What important fact does Paul remind us of at the end of verse 8?
____________________________________________________________
171
How would remembering this help you relate to a person who had a
different opinion on an issue?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
In verse 9, what is one result of Christ's death and resurrection?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Jesus is Lord! There is none above him and as Paul already reminded us,
everything we do should be for His glory and honor.
Even if we believe that another person is in error and we are convinced in
our own mind that we have liberty to act a certain way, we need to
remember that Jesus is the Lord of that person, not us! It is not our job to
straighten them out. Christ is the one they will answer to and we can trust
that as their Lord, He will continue to grow and mature and teach them.
Again, because Jesus is Lord, everything should be done for him. Lord
means ruler and master and Jesus is the kindest master. He is never
harsh or self-serving and because He is so kind and gracious, we should
want to serve and please Him in all we do.
172
Day 78: Romans 14:10-13

Read Romans 14.
Paul warns about passing judgment or despising another Christian.
Look up the word "judgment" in the Greek.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Look up the definition of "despise" in the Greek.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
From verses 10-12, why should we not judge or despise a fellow
Christian?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
How would remembering that we will all stand before the judgment
seat help us to not condemn and look down on others?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
There are two Judgments talked about in Scripture. The Great White
Throne Judgment is for unbelievers. But the Judgment Seat of Christ is for
all believers.
Read 2 Corinthians 5:10. What is the purpose of the Judgment Seat
of Christ?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Now read 1 Corinthians 3:10-15. Although judgment is not mentioned
specifically in these verses, I do believe it is referring to the Judgment Seat
of Christ.
173
Explain in your own words what is presented in these verses.

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Notice in verse 12, that it says each of us will give an account of "himself"
to God. We will not be giving an account of how bad or good we think our
fellow Christians are. We are only accountable for ourselves.
To give an account really means to tell or give a record of what we have
done. Every single one of us will stand before Christ, and when that time
comes, there are only two options: we will receive a reward or we will
suffer loss. (1 Cor. 3:14-15).
So in everything we do, we have the opportunity to gain a reward to cast
back at Jesus' feet. Or we can forfeit that opportunity and suffer the loss of
a reward because it wasn't done in Jesus' name or for His glory.
When we stand before Christ, it is an equal playing field for all of us. None
of us are perfect and all of us will suffer some loss. So we are no better
than our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. In the same way, Christ will
righteously judge each one of us and give each one the rewards that are
due. For that reason, we cannot look down on or despise anyone. Christ
is the righteous Judge, not us.
Instead of passing judgment on another, what does Paul say we
should do in verse 13?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
A stumbling block is "something that causes an offense." A hindrance is an
obstacle that causes someone to sin. Our actions can spur others on in
their walk with the Lord, or we can hinder them and put obstacles in their
way. Paul says we should make this a conscious choice, a decision never
to hurt a fellow Christian's conscience by the way that we live.
Again the litmus test is: does this honor the Lord? If we put a stumbling
block or hindrance in our brother' sway, that does not bring glory to God.
174
This will help us to know how to treat others when we have a difference of
opinion with them regarding spiritual issues. No matter our differing
viewpoints, we should always honor the Lord!
175
Day 79: Romans 14:14-19

Read Romans 14.
In verse 14, what does Paul say he is persuaded of?
____________________________________________________________
Since Paul was writing this under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we know
that there are no limits as to what we can eat. No food can defile us or
make us unclean before God.
But what does Paul say makes a food unclean?
____________________________________________________________
So even though before the Lord, we have the liberty to eat any food, if
someone thinks a food will make him unclean and if it violates his
conscience, he should not eat it because then that person would feel like
he has defiled himself before God.
So for the Christian who understands that it is okay to eat anything,
and does so in front of a believer who does not think this way, what
does that do to the weaker believer according to verse 15? Look for
the two verbs.
____________________________________________________________
To destroy means to ruin or cause destruction. We can ruin someone's
walk with the Lord by insisting we have the liberty to do something.
Instead of insisting on our rights, how should we walk before them
according to verse 15?
____________________________________________________________
What might walking in love practically look like in this situation?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
176
In verse 16, how could what we regard as good be spoken of as evil?

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
In verse 17, what is not important in the kingdom of God?
____________________________________________________________
What is God's kingdom characterized by?
____________________________________________________________
So if by eating we disrupt someone else's righteousness, peace and joy,
then we should stop, even though we have the freedom in Christ to do it.
So when we prefer our brother and don't cause an offense, what does
Paul say we are really doing in verse 18?
____________________________________________________________
What are two results when we prefer our fellow Christian in this way
from verse 18?
____________________________________________________________
When we prefer our brother, it is acceptable or pleasing to God. And
because we have not caused an offense, we will be approved by men.
Approved here means "honored or respected on the basis of proven
worth."
Look up the definition of pursue from verse 19.
____________________________________________________________
What two things does Paul say we should be striving after?
____________________________________________________________
This is another good standard that we can use as Christians. We can ask
ourselves: Is what I am doing promoting peace in the Body of Christ? Is it
building up my brothers and sisters in the Lord? If it isn't, then we should
not do it, even if God says it is okay! Love is the key here. If we love
others, we will lay aside our rights so that peace can prevail and the Body
of Christ can be built up.
177
Day 80: Romans 14:20-23

In verse 20, Paul again warns about insisting on our liberty at the
expense of others. What does Paul say this will do?
____________________________________________________________
How do you think God's work might be destroyed if we don't prefer
our brother?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
In verse 20, Paul again states that it is acceptable before God to eat
any food. But when does Paul say it is wrong to eat?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Even though all food is clean, what does Paul say is the better thing
to do in verse 21?
____________________________________________________________
If we feel liberty to eat anything, what is Paul's advice in verse 22?
____________________________________________________________
If God has given us the faith or conviction that it is okay to eat certain
foods, we should not go out and try to convince others that we are right and
they need to agree with us. That should stay between us and God. Since it
is not a matter of sin, we need to allow the Spirit to grow and mature the
other person and keep the issue between us and God so we do not cause
an offense.
In verse 23, it says whoever has doubts. What might they have
doubts about?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
178
So if that person is not "convinced in his own mind" (v.5) and he eats
something that he thinks he shouldn't, what is the result from verse
23?
____________________________________________________________
So according to verse 23, a person who does not eat from faith (a
persuasion or conviction that something is right) is doing what?
____________________________________________________________
So from chapter 14, summarize what Paul's instructions would be to
the person who feels free to eat any food.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What are Paul's instructions to the one who does not feel all foods are
clean?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
The food itself is not the issue here. What is the most important
thing?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What verse or verses do you see in this chapter that talk about what
the real issues are? What is most important to God? Note them
below.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
179
Romans 15
Read Romans 15.
Verses 1-3 are a continuation of the thoughts in chapter 14.
Based on what you learned in chapter 14, who would the strong be?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Who would the weak be?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What two things does he say about the strong in verse 1?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Paul says it is necessary for those who are strong to bear with the failings
of the weak. To bear with means "to continue to bear up under unusually
trying circumstances and difficultiesto endure, to bear up under." Today
we might say, we have to "put up with" the failings of the weak.
The temptation would be to please ourselves and do what we want. We
might think, "Who cares if they have a problem with it! They just need to
grow up!" But that isn't preferring our brother or honoring Christ.
Instead of pleasing ourselves, who should we please?
____________________________________________________________
What is the end goal of "pleasing our neighbor" and not offending
them with our liberty from verse 2?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
180
To build means "to increase the potential of someone or something, with

focus upon the process involvedto strengthen, to make more able, to
build up."
The whole body of Christ benefits when the individual members are
strengthened. Paul says we need to prefer our brother so they can be built
up in their faith.
Who is our example in verse 3?
____________________________________________________________
In what way did Jesus not please himself?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
In verse 4, what time period do you think is being referenced in the
"former days?"
____________________________________________________________
Why were they written down for us?
____________________________________________________________
What two things in verse 4 can give us hope?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
We normally don't think of having to endure difficult circumstances as a
way to give us hope. But as we endure, we find God to be faithful and
worthy of our trust and that helps us to have hope. The Scriptures
encourage us and teach us about who God is and what He has promised
us, and that too gives us hope!
How is God described in verse 5?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
181
What is Paul's prayer for these believers?

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
When believers live in harmony with each other, what is the result in
verse 6?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Again, Paul emphasizes glorifying and honoring God. When we bear with
and put up with each other in a loving and patient way, God is glorified. He
is glorified in the lives of the weak and the strong as we lift Him up together.
Sometimes people can be irritating and get on our nerves, but instead of
focusing on that person's failings, we should focus on honoring and
glorifying Christ. When we focus on serving Christ, that will help us to not
be so bothered by the "weaker" brother.
182

Read Romans 15.
What does Paul tell us to do with each other in verse 7?
____________________________________________________________
Look up the definition of welcome in the Greek.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Again, what is the result when we do this?
____________________________________________________________
I think Paul is trying to make a point. Three times so far in Romans
14:6 and Romans 15:6-7 he mentions honoring and glorifying God. In
verses 5-7, how specifically is God glorified?
____________________________________________________________
In verse 8, what group of people did Jesus come to be a servant to?
____________________________________________________________
What was the result of Christ being a servant in this way to the Jews?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Christ was the fulfillment of the promises given to Abraham, Isaac and to
Jacob. Way back in Genesis 12, God promised that one day all the
families on the earth would be blessed through Abraham. Jesus completed
the promise by offering the blessing of salvation to everyone in the world.
What was the result for the Gentiles?
____________________________________________________________
In the Old Testament, the Gentiles were not part of God's chosen people.
But after Jesus came, the Gentiles were included. Now they praise God for
the mercy He has shown them in saving them.
183
Read Ephesians 2:11-16. Note below how the Gentiles used to be

viewed.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Now note what Christ has done for them, for us!
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
In verses 9-12, we see a progression. In verse 9, David is quoted as
praising God among the Gentiles. In verses 10-11, the Gentiles
themselves praise God and in verse 12, they have put their hope in Him!
In verse 13, how is God described?
____________________________________________________________
Our God is awesome! In verse 5, God gives us endurance and
encouragement and in verse 13, he gives us hope!
What is Paul's prayer that God would fill us with?
____________________________________________________________
We cannot fill ourselves with joy and peace, but God gives it to us as we
believe Him. No matter how hard life gets, when I believe what God says
and count it to be true, God gives me joy and peace. When I don't believe
God, I have stress and anxiety.
Through the power of the Holy Spirit, that resurrection power, I then can
abound or overflow in hope.
184
Day 83: Romans 15:14-21

Read Romans 15.
What three things does Paul commend this church for?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Paul says in verse 15 that in some points he has spoken to them
boldly to remind them. What points do you think he is referring to?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What is Paul's end goal?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
According to verse 17, why does Paul have reason to be proud of his
work for the Lord?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
When we do ministry in the name of Christ and in the power of the Holy
Spirit, it is His work and so we can boast in the Lord, not in ourselves.
Look up the following verses and note what Paul is boasting in and why.
I Corinthians 1:26-31
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
185
2 Corinthians 12:9
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Galatians 6:14
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
So we can see from these verses, that Paul is not proud of what he has
done, but what Christ has done through Him.
What is the only thing that Paul wants to talk about in verse 18?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
From verses 18-19, what ways does Paul say God has used him to
reach the Gentiles for salvation?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What is Paul's ambition in verse 20?
___________________________________________________________
Why?
____________________________________________________________
Verse 21 is a quote from Isaiah 52:15. Isaiah 52-53 are prophecies of
the coming Messiah. Go back and read Isaiah 52:13-15. What do
these verses say about the coming Messiah? Try to list everything
you can.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
186
By referencing these verses, Paul is putting the focus back on Christ. It is

not his work, but the work of the Messiah and he is eager to proclaim His
name to the nations. May that be our heart as well!
187
Day 84: Romans 15:22-33

Read Romans 15.
From verses 21 and 22, what is the reason that Paul gives that he has
been hindered in visiting the church at Rome?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Because the gospel had already come to Rome, Paul did not feel the
urgency to go there and had been hindered from visiting them.
But in verse 23, what reasons does he give for why it might be
possible now for him to visit Rome?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What does Paul say his visit with them will accomplish in verse 24?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
In verses 25 and 26, where is Paul headed next? Why?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Paul says the churches in Macedonia and Achaia wanted to help those in
need in Jerusalem. Locate these places on the map below in relation to
Jerusalem.
188
Why in verse 27 does Paul say these churches owed it to the church
at Jerusalem to help them?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
These were Gentile churches that were giving to a predominately Jewish
church in Jerusalem. Since the Gentiles had come to share in the
blessings of salvation, they should also serve others in the Body of Christ
because they now all belonged to the same family! Jew vs. Gentile doesn't
matter. Since we are all one in Christ, we should help those in need.
What is Paul's planned itinerary in verse 28?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
In verse 29, how does Paul say God will feel about his visit to Rome?
____________________________________________________________
Paul asks that these believers pray for him. What are his prayer
requests in verses 31-32?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What is Paul's desire for these believers in verse 33?
____________________________________________________________
How will they experience God's peace? Look back to Romans 15:13.
____________________________________________________________
Day 85
____________________________________________________________
189
Romans 16
Read Romans 16.
In verses 1-15, Paul mentions 26 people by name as well as two more
unnamed servants. I imagine if you were reading this letter, and Paul
mentioned you by name for your service to the Lord, it must have been
very encouraging!
Paul starts out by commending or giving approval of Phoebe to them.
Apparently, she was the one who brought Paul's letter to Rome! What an
important service Phoebe has given to the church throughout the ages by
delivering this precious letter!
Where was Phoebe from?
____________________________________________________________
Cenchreae was a sea port near Corinth. Phoebe probably came to know
the Lord while Paul ministered in Corinth for a year and a half.
How does Paul describe her?
____________________________________________________________
What are Paul's instructions to the church regarding Phoebe?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Paul describes her as a patron. Look up the word in the Greek.
____________________________________________________________
Read Acts 18:1-3, 18-19 and 24-26. Write down everything you learn
about Priscilla and Aquilla from these verses.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
190
What does Paul say about them in verses 3-5?

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
We don't have an account in the book of Acts of how exactly Priscilla and
Aquilla risked their lives for Paul. But we know they were committed, brave
Christians who risked personal danger in order to see the gospel go forth.
These would be the type of people you would want on your team and Paul
expresses his deep thanks and appreciation for them.
Epaenetus is not mentioned anywhere else in Scripture, but what do
we learn about him here?
____________________________________________________________
What a blessing and encouragement this man must have been to Paul. He
was the first to respond in Asia!
191

Read Romans 16.
In verse 6, we don't know what Mary has done, but what does Paul
say about her?
____________________________________________________________
Now remember Paul had not yet visited Rome, but word had gotten back to
him about Mary's hard work. It is always rewarding and encouraging when
someone notices your service for the Lord, particularly if it has been
difficult.
What do we learn about Andronicus and Junia from verse 7?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
The fact that Paul calls them "kinsmen" leads me to believe they were
Jewish. These two got saved before Paul, and were also imprisoned for
their faith. With so many Jews rejecting the gospel, these two must have
been a great source of encouragement to Paul.
We don't know anything about Ampliatus except that Paul loves him in the
Lord and thought enough of him to single him out.
How does Paul describe Urbanus and Stachys in verse 9?
____________________________________________________________
In verse 10, what does Paul say about Apelles?
____________________________________________________________
We don't know the details, but Apelles had apparently been through some
hard times. The word approved used to describe him means "pertaining to
being genuine on the basis of testing." Apelles had faced the fire and it had
proved that his faith was genuine and Paul commends him for it.
192
Day 88: Romans 16:11-16

Read Romans 16.
What does Paul say about Herodion?
____________________________________________________________
What do we learn about Narcissus?
____________________________________________________________
What does Paul say about Tryphena, Tryphosa and Persis?
____________________________________________________________
As we read these verses, we begin to see that Paul wasn't a one-man
show. He had a whole network of people that helped him personally or
who served the Lord along with him. We don't have details about how
these people served God, but we know that their rewards will be no less
than Paul's for their ministry to Christ and His church.
Read Mark 15:21. We are not certain if this is the same Rufus mentioned
here, but it could be. If that is the case, his father Simon of Cyrene carried
the cross of Jesus.
What kind of relationship did Paul have with Rufus and his mother?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
In verses 14 and 15, Paul lists several people that we don't have any
details about, but had in some way been a blessing to Paul and his
ministry.
In verse 16, the holy kiss mentioned was their traditional greeting. It would
be the equivalent of our handshake today.
Paul also reminded them that all the churches of Christ sent greetings to
them. This must have been a good reminder in the face of persecution that
they were not alone. Many other churches were standing with them in the
defense of the gospel.
193
Day 89: Romans 16:17-20

Read Romans 16.
What is the warning that Paul gives in verse 17?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
How does Paul say we should treat these people?
____________________________________________________________
Those who try to cause divisions and teach false doctrine we are to simply
avoid. Their presence and words will only cause heartache and disunity
and Paul says they are not worth our time. Stay away from them!
Who does Paul say they are serving?
____________________________________________________________
How does Paul describe them in verse 18?
____________________________________________________________
These people are deceivers and if we are not grounded in the truth, it will
be easy to be led away by their smooth talk.
Look up the definition of naive in the Greek.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
In verse 19 what does Paul commend them for?
____________________________________________________________
What is Paul's desire for them in verse 19?
____________________________________________________________
Paul wants us to be skilled or learned regarding things that are good. That
would be things about who God is and His Word. We are to innocent (pure
or unmixed) with things that are evil.
194
What is the word of encouragement that Paul reminds them of in

verse 20?
____________________________________________________________
What wonderful news that is! Sometimes it seems that evil is triumphing in
this world, but Paul reminds us that God has the ultimate victory and one
day Satan will be completely crushed and defeated!
195
Day 90: Romans 16:21-27

Earlier in the chapter, Paul singled out certain ones and sent his own
greetings to them. Now he takes the time to tell of people who are thinking
of them and want to send their greetings to these believers.
In verse 16, Timothy is mentioned as being with Paul. He was Paul's child
in the faith and a faithful fellow worker.
Lucius, Jason and Sosipater, Paul's fellow Jews, sent their greetings as
well.
What do we learn about Tertius in verse 22?
____________________________________________________________
Paul authored this letter under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, but Tertius
was faithful to write down what Paul dictated to him. I am so thankful for
Tertius aren't you?!
Gaius was Paul's host while he was in the city of Corinth writing this letter.
Given that Phoebe was from Cenchreae, a port of Corinth, and she was the
one who delivered the letter, most Bible scholars believe that Paul was in
Corinth when he wrote the book of Romans.
Erastus was the city treasurer of Corinth and he sent his greetings as well.
How important it is for believers to be in government positions, influencing
their cities and countries for Christ.
Paul ends this wonderful book by focusing all the praise and attention on
Christ!
In verse 25, how does Paul say that God will strengthen us?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
196
A mystery in the New Testament is something that was talked about in

the Old Testament, but not fully disclosed. What is that mystery that
Paul is referring to? See Colossians 1:26-27.
____________________________________________________________
Who was this mystery made known to?
____________________________________________________________
Who commanded that it should be known to every nation?
____________________________________________________________
God's heart is for all people to know His Son!
When people come to understand Christ as the fulfillment of that
mystery, what is the end goal in verse 26?
____________________________________________________________
True faith always results in obedience, a changed life! It is not only God's
heart that we get saved, but that our faith in Christ leads to our obedience
and service to Him!
In verse 27, how is God described?
____________________________________________________________
How does God get glory according to this verse?
____________________________________________________________
God gets the glory when Jesus is preached, proclaimed, worshipped and
obeyed. It is our privilege to give all the glory to God through our
relationship with Jesus, and we have the wonderful promise that this glory
to God will last forever! One day there will be no hindrances to His glory.
But for now, may we strive to know Jesus more, tell everyone we can about
him and lives lives that showcase His matchless worth. Because of all that
He has done for us, He alone is worthy!
____________________________________________________________
197
Days 91-95
Your final assignment is to write a paper on the book of Romans. I want
you to look back at the five sections of Romans and explain what each
section is talking about in your own words. Please reference verses to
support your points. I am looking for the major themes and key verses in
these sections. Each section of Romans should be a paragraph. I want
you to also write an opening paragraph and for your closing paragraph,
write about what the study of Romans has meant to you, so you should
have a total of 7 paragraphs. As way of reminder, these are the sections I
want you to cover: (you do not have to write paragraphs on the opening
and closing remarks of the book of Romans).
Sin: Righteousness Required: Romans 1:18-3:20.
Salvation: Righteousness Reckoned: Romans 3:21-5:11.
Sanctification: Righteousness Realized: Romans 5:12-8:39.
Sovereignty: Righteousness Rejected: Romans 9-11.
Service: Righteousness Reigning: Romans 12:1-15:13.
198

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Romans

Revealing the Gospel of Grace

2014 Cindy Brown. All Rights Reserved.

1. "Nero Persecutes The Christians, 64 A.D.," EyeWitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com

Day 7: Romans 1:5-7

Notice how God describes believers. Look up the definition of saint

Day 8: Romans 1:8-17

What is the one condition given for salvation?

Day 9: Romans 1:18-23

Day 10: Romans 1:23-32

What is another thing they exchanged from verse 26?

Day 12: Romans 2:6-11

What awaits the person who does evil?

Day 13: Romans 2:12-16

Day 14: Romans 2:17-24

Again in verse 23 Paul is making the point that in order to be saved by

Day 15: Romans 2:25-29

Paul's strong response shows he is appalled that someone should think

What is his answer?

Day 17: Romans 3:10-18

Day 18: Romans 3:19-20

Day 19: Romans 3:21-26

Day 20: Romans 3:27-31

Day 22: Romans 4:6-12

A seal is "that which confirms or attests to the genuineness of something

Day 23: Romans 4:13-15

Look up the definition of "void" in the Greek.

Day 24: Romans 4:16-21

What two ways is God described in verse 17?

Day 25: Romans 4:22-25

Look up the definition of justification in the Greek.

Look up these three words in the Greek:

Day 27: Romans 5:6-11

good - one who besides being exceptional, is distinguished for his

What reconciled us to God while we were his enemies?

Day 28: Romans 5:12-14

A type is "a model or example which anticipates or precedes a later

Day 29: Romans 5:15-17

Day 30: Romans 5:18-21

In verse 18, how many were condemned because of Adam's sin?

Read Romans 6:3. Who were we baptized into?

Day 32: Romans 6:4-11

What does Paul want us to know in verses 3, 6 and 9?

Day 33: Romans 6:12-14

Look up the definition of "present" in the Greek.

Day 34: Romans 6: 15-18

As a Christian, what kind of death might this be referring to? (See

Day 35: Romans 6:19-23

Lord, it is a result of being submissive to him! Our loyalty to the Lord is a

Day 36: Romans 7:1-6

Day 37: Romans 7:7-12

People have debated whether this section is speaking about a saved or an

Day 38: Romans 7:13-20

In verse 16, Paul says by acknowledging that by doing things he doesn't

Day 39:Romans 7:21-25

Wretched means pitiful or miserable. It is a miserable state to find

Day 41: Romans 8:1-4

Day 42: Romans 8:5-9