…at 100 years old it would be impossible for him, of his own, to engender children, let alone the difficulty or the deadness of the womb of Sarah.  So he had to say, “Yes Lord, Your word is true.  I believe what you say.”  So when God says He forgives your sins, then we believe what He says.  If he says, “I am going to give you eternal life, if you believe in Jesus Christ.” (And Jesus said, “Keep My commandments.”)  And He says, “This is a gift that I give to you.  It is a free gift based upon belief.  You don’t have to climb Mt. Everest.  You don’t have to do so many Hail Mary’s and Our Father’s.  You don’t have to build buildings.  You don’t have to make statues or idols.  You believe what I said.”  Now you’re not any more capable of giving yourself eternal life than Abraham was in engendering Isaac.  So then in the same way, if we believe God in what He says, He will fulfill what He says.  Now that’s why grace is so fantastic.  Because the only way this can come is through grace.

“He didn’t doubt to unbelief, but being strengthened in faith giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what He had promised He is able also to do it” (vs. 20-21).  Now notice the word “able”.  It is dunatos, which is derived from the word dunamis, which means He has the power to do it.  And God has the power to perform what He has promised.  “Wherefore it was also reckoned to him for righteousness.”  Because see, when you believe God, God then imparts to you His righteousness to overcome and compensate for our own sins and weaknesses.  Because we cannot be spiritually righteous before God on our own.  “…Reckoned to him for righteousness.  And this was not written only on account of him that it was reckoned, but also on account of us to whom it is about to be reckoned, to those that believe on Him Who raised Jesus our Lord from among the dead, Who was delivered for our offences [and we’re going to see the depth of why He was delivered for our offences], and was raised for our justification” (vs. 22-24).  In other words He had to be raised to go before God the Father, and to have that sacrifice accepted before there was justification.

Now, chapter 5, verse 1.  “Having been justified therefore by faith, peace we have toward God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand…” Now we’re getting into that direct access to God the Father.  “…And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.”  Rather than how good we are and what righteousness we can do, we boast in God and what He can do.  “Not only so. But we also boast in tribulations and knowing that tribulations works out endurance, and endurance proof…”, and I went through this last week, I believe, “…and proof hope, and hope does not make ashamed, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given to us.  For when we were still being without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For hardly for a just man will one die; and on behalf of a good man…” And so even in the flesh you can talk about good people as people view people.  A good person in the world is still a sinner before God.  “…Perhaps someone might even dare to die; but God commends His own love to us that while we were being sinners Christ died for us.  Much more, therefore, having been justified now by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath by His life.”  That is we shall be saved by Him from wrath.  “For if we, being enemies, were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more having been reconciled we shall be saved by His life.  And not only so but also boasting in God through our Lord Jesus Christ through Who we now have received the reconciliation [it says in the King James, the atonement]” (Rom. 5:1-11).

Now verse 12, and this comes to show us why then we need the grace of God, and why only God can give it to us.  Now, let me just draw another little thing here on the board.  As we have our little diagram that I drew before, here is God, and here is Israel, and they were close to God.  They didn’t have direct access to God.  And on a personal basis, even though they were near to God, they were still cut off from God, spiritually, because they sinned.  So here are the Gentiles over here, and these are the two which are going to be made one in Christ.  Now this is why God has to call us.  What cuts us off from God?  Sin does.  But what causes us to sin?  We’ll get into that.  That’s the law of sin and death.  So therefore, God is the One Who has to make the initiating action to us.

#1.  God calls us.  That’s why it says in John 6, “No one can come to Me except the Father draw him.”  God has to call us.  It can’t be done any other way.

#2.  God has to grant repentance.

#3.  God has to forgive sin.

#4.  God has to give His Holy Spirit.

Everything is what God has to do, isn’t it?  That’s why it’s the grace of God.

#5.  God has to do give us His righteousness.  We can’t get that kind of righteousness ourself.

#6.  God has to give the justification.

Ok, what do we have to do?  We have to believe and also keep the commandments.  Notice all that God has to do.  That’s why it says in Galatians that if there were a law given that could give life, verily there it would be given through a law.  But it’s through the grace of God.

Now then we have direct access to God the Father.  That’s why Christ came to reveal Him.  Now we’ll see the thing that has cut us off from God and why we need the grace of God.  That’s very, very important.  Therefore we’re not going to take the grace of God lightly.  Therefore we are not going to even let that thought come into existence that we void the law of God.

Now let’s pick it up here in verse 12.  “On this account, as by one man sin entered into the world, and by sin death, and thus to all men death passed…” Now that’s where the law of sin and death entered.  And it’s something we all inherit.  Now when babies are born you see these cute little sweet things.  And they’re nice and cuddly and warm until all the natural bodily processes begin and then those other things need to be taken care of.  Same way with our little puppy.  It’s nice and cuddly and cute and everything like that, but it doesn’t know what it should do, and where it should do it, and it’s already done it where it shouldn’t do it and it’s already gotten someone in trouble, and weee, the smell is unbelievable, you know.  And we just got it yesterday afternoon.  So it’s exactly the same way.  These cute little babies, though God calls them innocent, do have in them the law of sin and death from birth.  That is what cuts all human beings off from God.  Now God brought the Israelites close to Him, but He kept all the Gentiles cut off until the time of the receiving of the Holy Spirit.  Then God opened it up for all, making no difference.  “…And thus death passed to all men.”  And then it says, “For all have sinned.”

Now all have sinned and they would still sin, whether they were able…you know like the young man.  He came to Christ and said, “What good thing should I do to inherit eternal life?”  He said, “Keep the commandments.”  He said, “I am.”  He said, “Then go sell all that you have and become perfect [that is become perfectly mature spiritually].”  And he couldn’t understand it.  Well that was one that Jesus didn’t call.  He couldn’t understand it.  Didn’t want to give it up.  But if a person were able to be perfect in the flesh… Now it’s an impossibility but we’ll say ok, the only one to do it was Christ.  But if a person were able, what about his children?  They inherit the law of sin and death and what happens?  They sin.  All have sinned.  See, that’s what it’s talking about.  “Until law [that is until the Old Covenant commonly called The Law was given] sin was in the world.  But sin is not put to account when there is no law” (vs. 12-13).  That’s why God holds all sinners, didn’t He say all have sinned, Jews and Gentiles?  So then that shows God’s laws are active and working all the time, otherwise God could not hold them accountable.  He says those who know to better and sin will be beaten with many stripes.  Those who sin and don’t know any better will be beaten with few stripes.  But they’ll still be beaten.  That was the parable.

“But death reigned from Adam until Moses even upon them who had not sinned in the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is the figure of the coming One [that is Adam was the figure of the Christ], but shall not as the offence, so also be the free gift?” (vs. 14-15).  Now notice the free gift, it is pronounced there charisma, which is gift of grace.  The free gift.  Freely given.  God doesn’t charge us for it.  Now in some organizations you think God does.  God does not charge for it.  He gives it to us free.

“For if by the offense of one many died [because death was passed to many because of that sin], much more the grace of God and the gift in grace…” Now that gift in grace is the righteousness of God imputed to us.  That is a gift.  God says, “Here is the gift of righteousness before Me.  You are as Jesus Christ.”  Now, God has done that to inspire us to want to do better, but don’t get all self-righteous about it because it’s through Christ.  He’s given it to us to inspire us to keep the commandments of God and not get all entangled in our own traditions and things which are against the laws of God.  It is the free gift.  “…And the gift of grace, which is of the one man Jesus Christ, which did abound to many.  But shall not as by the one having sinned…” In other words, shall it not be as it came upon all men to sin, because of the sin of Adam, shall it not be that the grace of God will be given to all of those that God calls?  Yes.  That’s what it means.  “For if indeed the judgment of the one who sinned was to condemnation, but the free gift of many is the justification of offences” (vs. 15-16).  Now if you’re following along in the Greek, the word order is not in the proper order, so that’s why I’m reading it a little differently here, even though I’m reading the same words.

“For if by the offence of one death reigned by the one…” In other words that’s something to think about.  Because Adam and Eve sinned death was passed on to all human beings from them.  Death comes to all human beings, and it is inevitable.   I mean we just heard yesterday that the fellow who invented the diet, rather discovered the process.  He didn’t invent it.  He just discovered some of the laws of health that God had, Pritikin was his name.  And it was that if you exercise, if you cut way down on the fats…I think he’s gone to the extreme to have no fats.  I think the body needs a certain amount, but not animal fats…then the body can recuperate and the heart will recuperate and you can live longer, but he unfortunately got leukemia and he committed suicide day before yesterday.  So death comes to all men.

Now, how many here have read Adele Davis health books. You all have.  She’s got a lot of stuff there, and boy I imagine in her lifetime she was popping pills by the carload every day.  I mean hands full of pills.  But you know something, she died of cancer of the bone marrow.  It’s given once for all to die. That death was because of the sin of Adam and Eve.  So it passed to all.  So the death of Jesus Christ and His resurrection, how much more is that going to do for those who believe in Christ?  They’ll be given eternal life.  That’s what it says, toward all men of the justification of our offences.

“For if by the one offence death reigned by the one much more to those then who receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness receiving shall reign in life by the One Jesus Christ” (vs. 17).  Now where it’s talking about life, it means eternal life.  Shall reign in eternal life.  “So then, as by one the offence was to all men to condemnation [all condemned to death because of sin], so also by One [that is Jesus] accomplished righteousness toward all men to justification of life.”  Now that could read in the Greek, “into the justification for eternal life”.  “For as by the disobedient of one man all [or, the many] were constituted to sinners, even so by the obedience of One the many shall be constituted as righteous.  But law came in by and by that might abound the offence…” In other words, in order to clearly define that sin is sin God gave His laws to Israel to make it very apparent.  “… But where sin abound grace over abounded…” Because that is able to cover sin, forgive sin.  “…So that as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to life eternal through Jesus Christ our Lord” (vs. 18-21).  Ok, now that’s why we need the grace of God.

Now we need to follow through and continue this in chapter 6.  Now notice again, “What then shall we say?”  And many people have said this, that the more you sin the more grace you need, therefore the more grace that comes the more it glorifies God because God is glorified in giving grace.  Now I’ve almost heard people say it just that way.  “What shall we say then?  Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” (Rom. 6:1, BGI, paraphrased).

Now notice verse 2.  “May it not be!”  In other words here it is again, me-genoito, which is “may this thought never come into existence.”  That’s why they said, “God forbid” in the King James.  It means more than just “God forbid”.  “We who died to sin, how shall we still live in it [or, how shall we live any longer in it]?”  And we can’t live in sin.  Sooner or later if you have the Spirit of God and you have not done despite to the Spirit of grace, sooner or later you can no longer live in sin.  Though you may through weakness of flesh be tempted to living in sin, sooner or later you can’t live in that.  Why?  Because the Spirit of God is going to prick your conscience so much that you are going to come out of it.  You can’t live in it.

“Or are you ignorant that as many as were baptized unto Christ Jesus were baptized unto His death.  We were buried there for with Him by baptism into the death [that is into His death, the death, and also the death can refer to the second death], that as Christ was raised up from among the dead by the glory of the Father, so also we in newness of life should walk.  For if we have been conjoined to become in the likeness of His death, so also we shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that the old man was crucified with Him that He might annul the body of sin that we are no longer subservient to sin.” (vs. 3-6).  Now notice the word subservient.  It is douleuein, which comes from the word doulos, which means slave.  Slave of sin.

“For that he that died has been justified from sin.”  And if you’re baptized you’ve been justified from sin.  “If we died with Christ [that is, through baptism], we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from among the dead, dies no more, and death has no rule over Him” (vs. 7-9) Now that’s the thing we need to realize.  We have, through Christ, been made free from the law of sin and death.  We are going to die because we all die in Adam.  But we have been made free from the law of sin and death, which is in our members though we still have to fight it because God has not removed it, but rather He has given His Holy Spirit.

So if we could look at it this way: if you have two wires…  Now in order to make these two wires from 110 into 210, you have to have a third wire bringing the third lead in.  When you do that something changes.  You don’t remove the wire, but you add another one.  So it is with receiving the Holy Spirit of God.  He does not take out of us the law of sin and death.  But He puts into us His Holy Spirit, which is like that third wire to give us the power and strength to overcome through Christ.  That’s why we have the enigma in the seventh chapter about doing the things he didn’t want to do while he still loved God and loved the law of God.

Ok, let’s continue here for just a minute.  “...Death has no more rule over Him.  For in that He died, He died once for all, but in that He lives He lives to God.  Now so likewise [that means exactly in the same way] also reckon yourselves indeed to be dead to sin…” We don’t have to obey the sin.  We don’t have to obey the temptation.  We don’t have to obey the lust that is there.  See we are dead to sin.  “…But alive to Christ Jesus our Lord.  Therefore don’t let sin reign [rule] in your mortal bodies…” See the sin is still going to be there because of the law of sin and death, but don’t let it rule in your body.  Don’t let it just completely consume you.  Now when you hear these tapes on what the homosexuals do you’re going to see how sin rules in their lives.  Absolutely consumingly rules them in their lives.  We’re not to let sin rule in our lives.  “…For you to obey it [sin] in it’s desires.  Neither be yielding your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but yield yourselves…”  So you see the choice is still there.  There’s still that question of doubt what we’re going to do.  But as long as we remain within the grace of God we will receive eternal life.  “…But yield yourselves to God as those who are alive from among the dead, and your members instruments of righteousness to God.  For sin shall not rule you, for you are not under law but under grace” (vs. 10-14).  And this has been one of the most misunderstood verses that has ever been.  And a source of controversy.

Let’s see exactly what it says.  “For sin shall not rule you, for you are not under law…” What happens when they were under law?  They were near to God but they didn’t have direct access.  Isn’t that correct?  They could have their sins forgiven at the temple but it was impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to blot out sins before God in heaven spiritually.  That’s why Christ died.  So, if you are under law, even under the Old Covenant there is still the motions of sin are death.  But we are under grace.   And what does that grace do?  That grace puts us in contact with God, gives us His Holy Spirit and all the things I said that God does for us, and brings us into the very presence of God the Father through Christ Jesus.  Now that’s why we are under grace.  No way whatsoever is he talking about to keep the laws of God, or the commandments of God the way that God would want us to because we are under grace.  He’s not talking about that at all.  We are not under the Old Covenant.  We are not under the sacrificial system.  We are under the New Covenant, which is the covenant of grace, which brings us into that direct contact with God the Father.

Now notice again what he says.  He says, “…for sin shall not rule over you for you are not under law, but under grace.  Now notice again verse 15, because he has to emphasize it again.  “What then?  Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace?”  Notice again, “May it not be!”  Me-genoito, may this never even come into your mind or thought.  Because isn’t that the way that the carnal mind works?  Isn’t it?  Yes, that’s the way that the carnal mind works.  It’s just the same way with parents.  If you don’t tell them exactly… For example, if they’re going to go someplace, “Please let us know where you’re going and how long you’re going to be gone, and when you’re going to come back and be here exactly at such and such a time.”  Now if you don’t’ tell them that, they’ll say, “Well, guess what?  They didn’t tell me to tell, so I’m not telling.”  That’s a carnal mind working.  And that’s what he’s talking about here.  Don’t be carnally minded in it and think because God wants to forgive our sins, is willing to forgive our sins, is desirous of forgiving our sins, that we say, “Well now, God wants to forgive our sins.  I’ll sin and then, hey, God has to forgive our sins.”  He said, “Don’t let that even come into your thought.  May it never be.  Know you not that to whom you yield yourselves bondsmen…” Now notice the word bondsmen.  It is doulous, which is the plural for doulous, which is slave.  “…Neither yield yourselves to be come slaves for obedience unto sin [that’s the thought of it there], because slaves you are to him whom you obey, whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness..”  Now that obedience involves belief and acceptance and faith in Christ Jesus.  And of course keeping the commandments of God.  “But thanks be to God that you were the servants of sin, but you obeyed from the heart that which was delivered the form of teaching which has been delivered to you.  And you having been set free from sin, you became the slaves to righteousness.  That I speak humanly on account of the weakness of your flesh” (vs. 15-19).

Continuing now, “Humanly I speak on account of the weakness of your flesh.  For as you yielded your members in bondage to uncleanness and to lawlessness unto lawlessness, so now also yield your members in bondage to righteousness unto sanctification.”  Which then, sanctification is another word for holiness.  “For when you were slaves of sin, you were free as to righteousness.  Now what fruit therefore did you have when you then were in those things of which you are now ashamed?  For the end of those things is death.  But now having been set free from sin, and having become the slaves to God [or the servants of God], you have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end eternal life.”  Now notice the word end, telos.  We’ll talk about telos a little later but I want you to be familiar with that word.  Telos means “the pinnacle of”.  It can mean “the end”, but it also means the pinnacle.  Where it says Christ is the end of the law, it doesn’t mean He did away with it, it means that Christ is the pinnacle of the law.  The whole purpose or projection to the law.  You see, and so that you become the servants or the slaves to God and you have your fruit unto sanctification and the pinnacle or the end of this is eternal life.  “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift…” Now it is not really translated properly in the King James because you will see the word for gift is “free gift” or charisma.  “…The charisma, [or the free gift of grace] of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (vs. 19-23).

Now, I’ll just review chapter 7 because I want you to go through and read chapter 7.  Especially beginning with verse 7 where he says, “What shall we say then, is the law sin?”  There we have that statement again.  “God forbid…”  Where it is, “Don’t ever let that thought come into your mind”, would be a modern vernacular way of translating that.  “We know sin by the law, but the law is spiritual and holy and just and good.  But I as a human being have sin in my flesh which is called the law of sin and death. Therefore because of that law of sin and death…”, now I’m just paraphrasing chapter 7 because I want to get to chapter 8.  “Therefore that law of sin and death causes me to practice the things that I hate, that I don’t want to do.  But through the grace and the goodness of God, because I am serving the law of God and serving Christ through grace with my mind, therefore it is only the law of sin and death in my members that is making me sin and not my pre-determinate will.”  Now that’s a summation of chapter 7.

Go to the last couple verses in chapter 7 where he says because of this conflict going on, verse 21, “I find then the law that there is the will in me to practice what is right, but when I practice what is right evil is present with me.”  That’s a conflict that goes on.  You still have the law of sin and death that has been cancelled out spiritually before God because He presents you as Christ, that you are righteous to Him.  As long as we are under the grace of God He is not going to condemn us because we have the law of sin and death in us.  Rather He has compensated for it with God’s Holy Spirit.  And before God the Father we have been made free from the law of sin and death.  It’s still there to plague us in the flesh but we are not to yield ourselves to it.  We are not to let it rule in our lives.  Rather we are to let the Holy Spirit rule in us.

“For the law being powerless…” Now why was the law powerless.  The law was powerless to compensate for the law of sin and death.  The law was powerless to give eternal life because the law stated what brought death.  Therefore what brings death cannot bring life.  So the law was powerless.  “For the law being powerless, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, having sent His Own Son in the likeness of flesh of sin and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh…” Condemned it.  We’ll see how He did when we come to the Passover time, very clearly.  “…That the requirement [that is the righteousness] of the law should be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.  For they that walk according to the flesh, the things of the flesh must mind, and they that are walking according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit mind.  For the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace.”  And that is with God.  “Because the mind of the flesh is enmity toward God for to the law of God it is not subject, for neither indeed can be [it’s an impossibility], and they that are in the flesh cannot please God” (Rom. 8:3-8, BGI, paraphrased).  That’s quite a statement.  You need to think on that.  Cannot please God.  Someone without the Spirit of God cannot please God - it is impossible.  They can be as good as they want to.  See that’s the whole story of Job.  Cannot please God.  Only thing that can please God is where His Spirit is.

“But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwell in you.  But if anyone has not the Spirit of Christ, he is not of Him.  But if Christ be in you, the body indeed is dead on account of sin, but the Spirit is life on account of righteousness.  And if the Spirit of Him Who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He Who raised up Christ from among the dead will quicken also your mortal bodies on account of the Spirit that is dwelling in you.  So then brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh to live according to the flesh, for if you live according to the flesh you are about to die.  But if by the Spirit you live, the deeds of the body you will put to death, you will live.  For as many as are let by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God” (vs. 9-14).

Well, I’m going to go ahead and end it there, because that ends the thought right there at that point.  Now I hope that we can all understand more about the grace of God and why we need the grace of God.  Now I wanted to go through this in detail because next week then I’m going to go through a majority of the places where the grace of God is used in the New Testament and we are going to see that when Paul starts out his letters and says, “Grace be to you…” , he is saying that there is something coming from God to you.  And that’s a tremendous thing.  We read over that, yes.  “Paul, an apostle to God, grace and peace be to you from our Lord Jesus Christ…”, then now we’re ready to get into it.  No, we missed all that, that was right there at the front.  And so next time we’ll go through the majority of scriptures.  I won’t take the time to go through every one, though I intended to.  But I’ll organize them in such a way that we’ll understand it.  So the next one will be the last tape on the grace of God.