Gary Gleans

                                                                                                 Romans 5:1-5 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,   and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.   There are many blessings associated with the relationship we have with God through faith in Christ.  These blessings should describe our lives as believers.  Those who strive to please God through their own works, will never have the pleasure of experiencing these blessings.  Even though we are saved by faith, many times we don’t experience them either bec

                                                                                  Romans 4:13-25 For   the promise to Abraham and his offspring   that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For   the law brings wrath, but   where there is no law   there is no transgression.   That is why it depends on faith,   in order that the promise may rest on grace and   be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham,   who is the father of us all,   as it is written,   “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed,   who gives life to the dead and calls into existence   the things that do not exist.   In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told,   “So shall y

                                                                                       Romans 4:9-12 Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. Salvation through faith alone, apart from the works of the law or the sing of circumcision is what Paul is seeking to prove.  His argument is directed primarily at the Jews because he

                                                                             Romans 4:1-8 What then shall we say was gained by Abraham,   our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but   not before God. For what does the Scripture say?   “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”   Now   to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but   believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:  “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,   and whose sins are covered;   blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not   count his sin.” Paul has systematically proven that everyone is under sin and that the penalty for sin is death.  However, there is hope for all men to be saved because of the work

                                                                             Romans 3:21-31 But now   the righteousness of God   has been manifested apart from the law, although   the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—   the righteousness of God   through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.   For there is no distinction: for   all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified   by his grace as a gift,   through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God   put forward as   a propitiation   by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in   his divine forbearance he had passed over   former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith   apart from works of

                                                                                  Romans 3:9-20 What then? Are we Jews any better off?  No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both   Jews and   Greeks, are   under sin,   as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;   no one understands;   no one seeks for God.   All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;   no one does good,   not even one.”   “Their throat is   an open grave;   they use their tongues to deceive.”   “The venom of asps is under their lips.”   “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood;   in their paths are ruin and misery,   and   the way of peace they have not known.”   “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Now we know that whatever   the law says it speaks to those who are under the law,   so that every mouth may be stopped, and   the whole world may be held accountable to God. For   by works of the law no human being will be justified

                                                                                  Romans 3:1-8 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, “That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged.”  But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) By no means! For then how could God judge the world? But if through my lie God's truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just. Paul has been arguing that all men: the pagan, the moralist, and the rel

                                                                             Romans 2:25-29 For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision.  So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?  Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law.  For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical.  But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.   A principle that is fundamental to pleasing God is that He cares about what is on the inside much more than He cares about the outside.  It is not that the outside is unimportant.  It is that the inside is what truly counts.  There are no rituals or symbols that will make up for a

                                                                             Romans 2:17-24 But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God   and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law;   and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness,   an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth—   you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal?   You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law.   For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”   Paul continues his systematic condemnation of all of humanity by calling various witnesses against the variety of people.  To condemn the pagan Paul called on t

                                                                        Romans 2:12-16 For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.  For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.   Ignorance of the Law is no excuse.  All men stand condemned before God no matter how much of the Law of God has been revealed to them.  Since all men are sinners, all men stand guilty before God.  Man constantly seeks to justify himself by making excuses

                                                                                  Romans 2:6-11 He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek,   but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek.  For God shows no partiality.   Works demonstrate the realities of our lives and have eternal implications.  There is a danger that one could interpret this passage as teaching a salvation by works.  Instead, we should understand this text in the larger context of the entire book and teaching of Scripture.  Salvation is not by works but for works.  Our works reveal salvation, but we are not saved by works.  Our works ar

                                                                             Romans 2:1-5 Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed. We are all skilled at judging the bad behavior of others.  We can detect pride in the lives of the people around us.  It is common for us to speak poorly of others.  By doing these and many other similar things

                                                                                       Romans 1:24-32 Therefore   God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to   the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for   a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator,   who is blessed forever! Amen.   For this reason   God gave them up to   dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another,   men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.   And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God,   God gave them up to   a debased mind to do   what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousne

                                                                        Romans 1:18-23 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.   One of the great questions we have about the justice of God, is how those who have never heard the Gospel can be condemned.  This passage answers that qu