January 26 2020

ROMANS
Chapter one

Helpful reading tips.
This book is very direct.
As you read put it in context.
In Joshua we learned  a lot about God. He is direct. He gives commands. For example, Go down to the river Jordan. When  he commands   nature  it obeys. Let there be light. Some of us try to do it but nothing happens. (Joke) We command  and nothing moves. But we learned this is how he speaks. It may not be explanatory but it is more direct. It is about actions. Be still. Come out. Etc.. But  In Romans God speaks through Paul. Paul preaches or explains what God is saying. God speaks in commands but today we can break it into pieces for help with learning. I don't think God will give us all the reasons why we should do it. (The command) but he is patient and kind.
The book of Romans is simple and it is truth and it is light.  I  like to read from an humble position in white flag mode. What I mean by that is, I'm reading to learn. I can't grow unless I expose myself to light and truth. God is right and I am wrong about something. I am learning what is right. If you read on the defense you will defend your feelings about everything this book is saying. You will take it like bruising instead of a loving rebuke or the teachings of a father to a child. Becoming child like is also helpful. My daddy loves me and he teaches me.

ROMANS
Chapter

Who? The Apostle Paul is writing to the church in Rome

What? He is writing about the Gospel

When? After Christ

Where? Rome, To the Romans, The Members of the Roman Church

Why?  What happens after we get save and what happens if we suppress the truth as believers.

ROMANS CHAPTER 1

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,

2(Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)

3Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;

4And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

5By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:

6Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:

7To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

8First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

9For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;

10Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.

11For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;

12That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.

13Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.

14I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.

15So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.

(He begins by saying I am not ashamed of the Gospel. First and foremost what he will say will be different and he is taking a stand for what he believes in.

16For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

17For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

19Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

God has put the truth within every saved person. Paul says that we can suspress the truth. To suppress is to keep something from developing and or hiding it. The dictionary says it means to stop ones action, to cause it to stop, or accepting only certain parts. It is similar to putting a puzzle together. For example a person may want only certain pieces but others they wont even look at or acknowlege.)

20For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

(It is a natural thing to  have reasons why we do what we do but we cannot bring excuses to God. I think the excuse comes from the devil. Would God ever give  us a reason to do evil. On a humanity note it's human nature  for us to make excuses. What is an excuse? Its an unjusitified reason for doing something against the truth. So when we get to the excuse stage it is a flesh device to convince ourselves why we do what we do but in this passage Paul is telling this church God will not accept an excuse because the truth is available. Pilate ask Jesus what is truth? Marvelous question. According to this passage it is in the believer. The fact that he had to ask; God did not show him. Blessed is the church who has the truth but some suppress it. It does not say man gives it to us. It said God shows us. How did you become saved. God put it in you. The truth. 

21Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

I like to remember Paul is not speaking to unsaved people he is speaking to save people he calls them brothers and sisters.  In the opening passage he thanks God for their faith but his letter focuses from a believers perspective or at that time they made a distinction between Jew and Gentiles. The Jews were more respecting of traditions and ceremonies. The gentiles were learning and growing. But back to the truth. Excuses lead to vain imaginations and dark hearts. I don't think God is making them like that; I think truth is absent.

22Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

23And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

(It is almost like a tunnel they go into. The surpressing; then the excuses and Paul calls them fools who think they are wise. They think they are learned and smart but they are foolish. It also says they exchanged the glory of GOd for corruptible man things)

24Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

25Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

(They choose the lie and this is what happens if we choose the lie. We are reading about a church. Today we are the church. There is a spiritual pattern here. As I grow I want to develop and walk in truth. For me it's about being honest with me. For example, this is the best I can do. A lady bump into me firmly three times. I watch her do it on purpose and on the third time I finally told her, hey you keep bumping me. She grew angry she started yelling at me, She says to me just excuse me because I didn't mean to do it. She was mad I called her out on it. The truth was she was being mean. Her excuse was the problem was me. I should have remain silent about it.I thought it was silly but significant. She invited me to her church but I declined. She is not honest about her behavior. We all make mistakes but at some point the same mistakes become choices. It's a pattern and it's okay to be honest. To even say I can't stop doing it. I need help. At least there's honesty present but to engage consistently in the behavior and make excuses. There's a problem. Excuses are lies. No one makes a three time mistake. But if we get honest  and say, I'm mean, I wanted to make you mad or whatever then G

26For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

(This passage is debatable but what I see is; God saying through Paul. The people suppress the truth. They reject what God says. They walk in lies. So God allowed them to walk in all Lies. For example he didn't STOP Them. He gave them up. Or we can say God is saying Go ahead and do what you want. So they begin to go against what was natural.27

And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

(People read this passage and say God made gay people. It is Not saying that to me.....Since he is talking to the Church then he is not addressing unsaved Gay people. What makes them gay? Some in science say they were born like that.  I cannot say  but somehow the bible is connecting truth and people just doing anything or believing anything because truth is not present or if it's present it's suspressed. The world could say trees come from monkeys and some folks would believe it. The world has lots of gay people but within a church it was not to be so because they were to be walking in truth but they did not want the truth. They suppressed the truth. Some people use this passage to say this is why some people are gay. i would argue the world can do anything and just like Pilate they might be asking what is truth?

28And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

(As they denied the truth their mental state became reprobate. It is almost like a pattern. First, second, third, and last. Right now people are realizing the importance of mental health. We wonder what made them do that? Or say that? They walk in lies? 

29Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

30Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

31Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

( THESE WERE ALL THE THINGS THAT THEY BEGIN TO DO AT THIS STATE. First they denied truth. God gave up on them. He stop begging them. He didnt make them do it. They had the glory as his church but they exchanged it. Paul is writing to Rome to say do not become like this. He saying when truth come embrace it. God will not force you but we have to be open to the truth. This list is hard core and I will not make excuses for my behavior but we all can ask for help. God will do the work.

32Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Paul is telling this church in Rome

Hey this is what happens to us when we deny truth.

He is not condeming but he is teaching.'

it is very direct.

It is not written to the world but to the church.

He says I am not ashamed of the Gospel and I am going to tell you the truth. Even if it makes me look a certain way. I want to say that when we walk in truth we walk above lots of things. When we suppress the truth we will begin to do that which is not befitting to us. God will walk away and let you believe whatever you want to believe to be true but sadly he will not allow any excuses.

I think Paul is ultimately saying God will show you the truth and when he does take it. Dont surpress it or  we become worst. I see a pattern in the passage. I also see that it is a natural thing for God to be a God of truth. He will lead and guide us into all truth.