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What’s Inside: Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Romans: Authorship and Background . . 2

Sermon Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Bible Study Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Week 1 Discussion Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Week 2 Discussion Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Week 3 Discussion Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Week 4 Discussion Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Week 5 Discussion Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Introduction: Romans (Part 4)

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Over the course of its two thousand year history, many efforts have been made to sum up the Chris-‐tian life into short sayings. One of those quick summaries is to refer to the Christian life as “life in the Spirit.” Several times in Romans 8 Paul con-‐trasts the life of the Spirit with the life of the flesh. In short, to be in Christ (a Christian) is to be pos-‐sessed by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit lives within Christians.

Of course, it is not only in Romans 8 that we dis-‐cover that the Christian life is the spiritual life. In Galatians 5:19-‐25 Paul draws some clear contrasts between the fruit of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit:

Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sor-‐cery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rival-‐ries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, pa-‐tience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentle-‐ness, self-‐control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.

Life in the Spirit is a good description of the Chris-‐tian life because the Christian life is to be one that is not only filled with the Spirit, but that produces fruit in accordance with the Work of the Spirit. In other words, the work of the Holy Spirit in a be-‐liever’s life should be evident to the believer by the Spirit’s powerful work in the inner man. The

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work of the Spirit should also manifest itself to the outside world as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-‐control.

The Christian life is the Spiritual Life because it is the Holy Spirit who draws you to Christ and convicts you of sin. It is the Holy Spirit who in-‐dwells you after your conversion. It is the Holy Spirit who sanctifies you and makes you more like Jesus, and it is the Holy Spirit who is the guarantor of your ultimate redemption at Christ’s return.

I look forward digging deeper into this im-‐portant topic with you.

Pastor Craig

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church at Rome, but biblical and historical evi-‐dence discredits this theory. However, using statements by the Roman historian Suetonius, we believe that there were Christians in Rome by AD. 49.

The Roman church was comprised of both Jewish and Gentile Christians and there was apparently some disunity and struggles between the two groups. In A.D. 49, Emperor Claudius’s expelled all Jews (including Jewish Christians) from Rome. Later, when the edict was lifted and Jews were al-‐lowed back, there were some understandable con-‐flicts as the Jewish believers returned to a now-‐Gentile church. These conflicts appear to be part of the background behind Paul’s reasons for writ-‐ing this letter.

Purpose Paul identifies the recipients of this letter as “those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints” so he was writing to the church at Rome (1:7). From his letter, we know that Paul had sev-‐eral reasons as to why he wrote to them. First, he desired for there to be no tensions between the Jews and Gentiles. This is why Paul spends signifi-‐cant portions of Romans discussing the issue of the Old Testament law and its relation to sin, sal-‐vation, and the gospel.

A second reason for Paul writing Romans was to unpack how theology drives actions. Paul spends the first 11 chapters of Romans unpacking the good news of the gospel. Then in Romans 12:1, Paul writes, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” Our beliefs influence our actions. Lastly, Paul wrote to the Romans with the future hope that he would be able to come vis-‐it them so that they could provide spiritual and material resources that would help him take the gospel to Spain (Rom. 15:24, 28).

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When we study books of the Bible, it is important to understand some basic background about the book. Many of these pieces of information like who wrote it, when was it written, to whom was it written and why was it written (i.e. – the “Ex-‐plore” section of our Bible study map) can help us to better comprehend God’s truth. Here is some background information for the book of Romans:

Author Romans 1:1 clearly identifies the author of Ro-‐mans as the Apostle Paul. It is also worth noting that like several of Paul’s letters, he used an amanuensis or scribe to write Romans (Rom 16:22). Some speculate that Paul had an eyesight problem that caused him to rely on a scribe to write down his dictations (see Gal 6:11).

Date Unlike some of the letters in the New Testament, most scholars agree on the date of Romans. From the book of Romans, we know that Paul was head-‐ed to Jerusalem to bring an offering for poor (Rom 15:25-‐26). He was hoping that this offering would help the relationship between the Jewish and Gen-‐tile Christians (Rom 15:27). Paul then intended to go from Jerusalem to Rome and then from Rome to Spain.

The context clues that we see in Romans would indicate that Paul wrote this letter towards the end of his third missionary journey (Acts 18:22-‐21:17). Some of the people mentioned in Romans 16 would lead us to believe that Paul letter from Corinth which would date it around A.D. 57 during his time in Greece (Acts 20:2-‐3).

Destination Paul identifies the recipients of this letter in as “those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints” (1:7). We do not know much about how the church at Rome was started. Some traditions indicated Peter and/or Paul as having started the

Romans: Authorship and Background

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Sermon Calendar Study Date

Sermon Date

Title Scripture Big Question and Synopsis

Sept-‐6 Aug-‐30 Free to Be You Romans 8:1

In Christ there is no condemnation from sin or the law. In Christ we have been set free. Paul has even more to say about this in Galatians 3:27-‐29 as he explains that the freedom given in Christ breaks down barriers and brings about unity.

Big Question: Are you living free from condem-‐nation?

Sept-‐13 Sept-‐6 The Accom-‐plishments of Christ

Romans 8:1-‐4

Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s law. He did (and continues to do) what the law could not and can-‐not do. He has even made it possible for the law to be fulfilled in us through the power of the gospel.

Big Question: How is the law being fulfilled in you?

Sept-‐20 Sept-‐13 Alive in Christ Romans 8:5-‐11

The law and sin bring death, but in the Holy Spirit Christ has given us life. The Spirit is the guarantor of our salvation. We were dead, but in Christ we have been made alive by an infusion of the Holy Spirit Big Question: Are you living according to the Spirit?

Sept-‐27 Sept-‐20 Our Forever Home Romans 8:12-‐17

Adoption is the result of our salvation. Accord-‐ing to Ephesians 1:5 he has predestined us for adoption, not only salvation. We do not just get delivered from danger, we get brought into the king's home as his children.

Big Question: Are you a child of God?

Oct-‐4 Sept-‐27 Racing Toward

Redemption Romans 8:18-‐25

In Christ we are redeemed from the curse of the law and sin at the moment we are saved. However, we also wait in eager anticipation for redemption from the flesh and the world.

Big Question: Have you been redeemed?

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Bible Study Map

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Free to Be You (Romans 8:1) Week 1 – September 6, 2015

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Sermon and Other Notes Use this space to write down notes from the sermon or your personal study.

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Discussion Guide BIG THOUGHT

Christ has set you free to be the person you were created to be.

INTRODUCTION The Bible teaches us that Jesus is the good shepherd. In John 10 we learn that the shepherd calls and his sheep hear his voice and obey. As our good shepherd he rescues us and protects us. According to Paul’s writing, he delivers us from condemnation. Timothy Witmer writes of Jesus this way:

Ordinarily, the shepherd’s calling was not to die for the sheep but to live for the sheep. Jesus’ charge was unique, however, as he came to provide protection from the ultimate eschatological danger of condemnation for sin through giving his life as the substitutionary atonement for the transgressions of his flock.

In what ways has Jesus’ death enabled you to be the person God created you to be?

EXAMINE 1. When the Bible has a “therefore” in the text it is important for us to ask “What is it there

for?” Why did Paul include a therefore in Romans 8:1? How does Romans 8:1 fit within the context of Romans 7?

2. What is the timeless truth of Romans 8:1?

ENGAGE 1. In Christ there is no condemnation. This implies that condemnation exists outside of Christ.

What brings condemnation to those who are outside of Christ?

2. How does Galatians 3:23-‐29 help you to more fully understand Romans 8:1?

3. Paul writes that there is “no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” What does it look like for you to be “in Christ Jesus?”

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EXECUTE 1. How can you use Romans 8:1 as a weapon in spiritual warfare?

2. How can you use Romans 8:1 to edify (build up) a believer who lives with constant guilt over the sins of their past?

3. How can you use Romans 8:1 to share the gospel with those who are not believers?

Prayer Requests

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The Accomplishments of Christ (Romans 8:1-‐4) Week 2 – September 13, 2015

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Christ has done what the law could not do by saving us from sin.

INTRODUCTION Lou Johnson, a 1965 World Series hero for the Los Angeles Dodgers, tried for thirty years to recover the championship ring he had lost to drug dealers in 1971. Drug and alcohol abuse cost him everything from that magical season, including his uniform, glove, and the bat he used to hit the winning home run in the de-‐ciding game.

When Dodger president Bob Graziano learned that Johnson’s World Series ring was about to be auctioned on the internet, he immediately bought the ring for $3,457 and gave it to Johnson, sixty-‐six, who has been drug free for years and a Dodger community relations employee. He did for Johnson what Johnson could not do for himself.

The ball player wept when given the gold ring. “It felt like a piece of me had been reborn,” he said. Likewise, Christians can testify to a spiritual rebirth as a result of the price that Jesus paid on the cross in their place. He did for them what they could not do for themselves.

(Source: Rick Kaufman, “Team Redeems Athlete,” PreachingToday.com)

EXAMINE 1. Paul writes “For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of

sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh could not do.” How does this fit what Paul previously wrote in Romans 7:6?

2. Jesus said “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” (Matt. 5:17-‐18). How does Jesus’ fulfillment of the law fit with Romans 8:4? How does Jesus’ fulfillment of the law allow the law to be “fulfilled in us”?

3. What is the timeless truth of Romans 8:1-‐4?

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ENGAGE 1. Read Hebrews 10:1-‐4. How does the writer of Hebrews explain the law? How does this help

you to better understand Christ as the fulfillment of the law?

2. In what ways has God set you free from the “law of sin and death”? How should your life re-‐flect this freedom?

3. What does it look like for us to “walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit?”

EXECUTE 1. Why, according to Romans 8:1-‐4, should we not encourage non-‐Christians to “try harder” or

“be better”?

2. How can we know whether we are walking by the flesh or walking according to the Spirit? How can your LifeGroup help you to walk by the Spirit? How can you help other believers to walk by the Spirit?

3. How does this passage of Scripture encourage you to share your faith more regularly?

Prayer Requests

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Alive in Christ (Romans 8:5-‐11) Week 3 – September 20, 2015

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The Holy Spirit has given us life and love to heal our brokenness and shame.

INTRODUCTION When I was a child, my father brought home a twelve-‐year-‐old boy named Roger, whose parents had died from a drug overdose. There was no one to care for Roger, so my folks decided they would raise him as their own.

At first it was difficult for Roger to adjust to his new home. Several times a day, I heard my parents saying to Roger, “No, no. You don’t have to scream or fight or hurt other people to get what you want.” “No, no, Roger, we expect you to show respect in this family.” In time, Roger began to change. Did he have to make those changes to become part of the family? No. He was part of the family by the grace of my father. But did he have to work hard because he was in the family? You bet he did. It was tough for Roger to change, and he had to work at it. But he was motivated by gratitude for the amazing love he had received.

Do you have a lot of hard work to do now that the Spirit has adopted you into God’s family? Certainly. But not to become a son or a daughter of the heavenly Father. No, you make those changes because you are a son or daughter. And every time you start to revert back to the old addictions to sin, the Holy Spirit will say to you, “No, no. That’s not how we act in this family.”

(Source: M. Craig Barnes, in the sermon “the Blessed Trinity,” National Presbyterian Church, Washington, D.C. (May 30, 1999))

EXAMINE 1. How does Romans 8:5-‐11 fit with what Paul has written in the previous verses? Why would

Paul write this to the church at Rome?


ENGAGE

1. Paul writes, “The mind set on the flesh is hostile to God.” In Colossians 1:21, Paul says something similar when he says “And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, do-‐ing evil deeds…” What can cause this hostility to stop? How does this peace or reconcilia-‐tion happen?

2. What does it look like for a mind to be set “on the things of the Spirit”?

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3. Galatians 5 explains the difference between the fruit of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. How does Galatians 5 help you to better understand Romans 8?

4. How does this passage of Scripture speak against the way that you live your life? How does this passage encourage you in the way you are living your life?

EXECUTE 1. How can you practically make sure that you set your mind “on the things of the Spirit”? How

can you encourage your brothers and sisters in Christ to do the same?

2. How might you pray for someone who appears to be living for the flesh and not the Spirit? How would you use this passage to plead with them to come to Christ?

3. How can you use this passage of Scripture to encourage believers who feel defeated by sin and shame in their lives?

Prayer Requests

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Our Forever Home (Romans 8:12-‐17) Week 4 – September 27, 2015

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We are adopted in Christ.

INTRODUCTION If you go to Scotland or anywhere there are a lot of sheep, sooner or later you will see a little lamb run-‐ning around the field with what looks like an extra fleece tied onto its back. There are little holes in the fleece for its four legs and usually a hole for its head. If you see a little lamb running around like that, that usually means its mother has died.

Without the protection and nourishment of a mother, an orphaned lamb will die. If you try to introduce the orphaned lamb to another mother, the new mother will butt it away. She won’t recognize the lamb’s scent and will know the new baby is not one of her own lambs.

But thankfully, most flocks are large enough to have an ewe that recently lost a lamb. The shepherd skins the dead lamb and makes its fleece into a covering for the orphaned lamb. Then he takes the orphaned lamb to the mother whose baby just died. Now, when she sniffs the orphaned lamb, she smells her own lamb. Instead of butting the lamb away, she accepts it as one of her own. In a similar way, we have be-‐come acceptable to God by being clothed with Christ.

(Source: Peter Grant, in the sermon “In What Way is Jesus Christ Different?”)

EXAMINE 1. What is the difference between a slave and a son? What does it mean to be an “heir”? What

are we “heirs” of in Christ?

2. How might the believers in Rome have reacted to Paul’s use of slavery terminology and the promise of adoption as sons in Christ?


ENGAGE

1. We were adopted as God’s sons based on his love for us, not based on our works. How does our adoption as His children change the way that we live? Why is it important that we em-‐phasize life change taking place after our adoption and not before it?

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2. How does Romans 8:12-‐15 help you to view your church as a family and not as some sort of social club? If we have been adopted in to God’s family, then what are our responsibilities to our family members?

3. Paul talks about suffering in Romans 8:17. How can suffering be part of our lives and yet we still have a good heavenly Father?

EXECUTE 1. How can you use this passage to share with those who do not know Christ? How can you use

this passage to bring comfort to those who struggle with personal pain, hurt, or abandon-‐ment?

2. How can you use this passage to provide hope in the midst of your own personal suffering?

Prayer Requests

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Racing Toward Redemption (Romans 8:18-‐25) Week 5 – October 4, 2015

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There is hope in the life to come.

INTRODUCTION There was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So as she was getting her things in order, she contacted her Pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes.

She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what out-‐fit she wanted to be buried in. Everything was in order and the Pastor was preparing to leave when the young woman suddenly remembered something very important to her.

"There's one more thing," she said excitedly.

"What's that?" came the Pastor's reply.

"This is very important," the young woman continued. "I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand."

The Pastor stood looking at the young woman, not knowing quite what to say.

"That surprises you, doesn't it?" the young woman asked.

"Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request," said the Pastor.

The young woman explained. "My grandmother once told me this story, and from that time on I have always tried to pass along its message to those I love and those who are in need of encouragement. In all my years of attending socials and dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, 'Keep your fork.' It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming...like velvety chocolate cake or deep-‐dish apple pie. Something won-‐derful, and with substance!"

So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder "What's with the fork?" Then I want you to tell them: "Keep your fork . . . the best is yet to come."

(Source: www.Guideposts.org)

EXAMINE

1. What are some ways that the persecuted believers in Rome would have been encouraged by his words in Romans 8:18-‐25?


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ENGAGE 1. What is the future glory that Paul writes about? How does knowledge of a future hope help

you to endure suffering in this life?

2. How do these verses fit with what we read in the first three chapters of Genesis?

3. How does this passage shape the way that you view salvation? Will God’s ultimate redemp-‐tion be about more than people?

EXECUTE 1. How can you live in light of the future that is coming? How does the future glory affect the

way that you approach your job and your family?

2. The Kingdom of God is best defined as the people of God in the place of God under the rule and blessing of God. How can we expand God’s Kingdom?

Prayer Requests

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Book Resources

Five Perspectives on Election – One of the major themes in the book of Ro-‐mans is God’s work of election. This book gives a great overview of five dif-‐ferent views on election through a de-‐bate between five different theologians.

Paul’s Letter to the Romans: A Socio-‐Rhetorical Commentary – Withering-‐ton focuses on the background of the readers to whom the book of Romans was original written.

Romans: The Randall House Bible Commentary– F. Leroy Forlines writes as a free-‐will Baptist, but his commen-‐tary is approachable for students of all levels and well researched. The author has included several essays within the commentary that add to the study of Romans.

Hard Sayings of Paul – Drawing on years of pastoral experience and study, Manfred Brauch takes on forty-‐eight of Paul’s hardest sayings. Brauch helps be-‐lievers to understand and apply these difficult passages to their Christian Life.

The Epistle to the Romans: NICNT Commentary – This is the expanded commentary by Dr. Douglas J. Moo who also wrote the NIV Application Com-‐mentary. This commentary delves deeper into the exegesis of the text.

Systematic Theology – Wayne Grudem’s textbook is among the most used by evangelicals today. Grudem clearly and systematically lays out the theological themes introduced by Paul.

The Message of Romans – John Stott has written what many consider to be the best popular-‐level commentary on the book of Romans. His approach is both pastoral and devotional and offers deep insights from a balanced perspec-‐tive.

Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God – Two of the overarching themes of Romans are God’s sovereignty and evangelism. J.I. Packer explores how the two concepts work together through God’s church. This is a classic work on evangelism.

Online Resources The Story – If you are looking for an easy visual way to share the gospel, check out viewthestory.com. This website unpacks God’s “big story” of salvation through the themes of creation, fall, rescue, and resto-‐ration in the Bible. It is a colorful and sensible way for people to understand our sin and need for a savior. You can even download a free app to your iPhone or Android phone. Blue Letter Bible – The Blue Letter Bible is an online resource that offers multiple translations of the Bi-‐ble, translations, and definitions from the original languages, and some commentaries. Inn addition to the website, there is an app you can download to your tablet or smartphone. http://www.blueletterbible.org.

John Piper’s Sermons on Romans -‐ Dr. John Piper’s sermons on the book of Romans can be found at his ministry’s website, http://www.desiringgod.org. Dr. Piper is an example of a godly and patient pastor who spent many years working through the book of Romans. His sermons on this book serve as a model for many.

Paige Patterson’s Lectures on Romans – Southwestern Theological Seminary has made a series of lec-‐tures of Dr. Paige Patterson on Romans available on YouTube. Dr. Patterson was one of the leaders in the conservative resurgence in the Southern Baptist Convention and continues to be one of the convention’s leading voices. You can view the first lecture at http://youtu.be/0Jqd7C1wu0s or by going to YouTube and searching for “Focused Study in Romans.”

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