Personal note before continuing in our study of Romans. I took a two week break from Bible Study notes. My wife and I went on vacation and visited our daughter and grandsons in Germany . We had a wonderful vacation. The highlight for me, I lead my 6 year old grandson in a sinner’s prayer. God opened the door wonderfully to share Jesus with him. My prayer is for God to put His word in my mouth, my children’s mouth, and my children’s children mouth!
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“Righteousness Exclusively Through Jesus”
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Romans 9:27 Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel : "Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, The remnant will be saved. 28 For He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness, Because the LORD will make a short work upon the earth." 29 And as Isaiah said before: "Unless the LORD of Sabaoth had left us a seed, We would have become like Sodom , And we would have been made like Gomorrah ."
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In our last study we talked about “whosoever”, showing clearly predestination is through God’s foreknowledge. God indeed had chosen Israel but they missed their time of visitation. In God’s mercy He has still not cut them off completely. In fact we will deal with God’s future plans for Israel when we get further into Romans.
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Romans 9:30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith;
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Paul has never departed from the theme of Romans that a man is righteous exclusively through faith in Jesus Christ. The just shall live by faith.
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Romans 9:31 but Israel , pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. 32 Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. 33 As it is written: "Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."
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What you think of Jesus Christ determines your destiny! There in no one greater than He! He is the exclusive Messiah and there is not another. Many religious people are doing the same stumbling the Jews did; trusting in one’s own works or trusting in the works of the law will never bring God’s righteousness.
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Jesus Himself is the stone that was laid by God. The gospel can never be moved from whoever believes on Jesus will not be put to shame. The enemy has desperately tried to get the church to move off center. Many religious folks have said faith in Jesus plus this work or that work. Others have even said faith in Jesus in not necessary. To add to or take away from the object of our faith being centered in Jesus Christ is the spirit of the anti-christ at work. It is exclusively faith in Jesus; faith in anyone or anything else causes one to stumble over the rock Jesus Christ.
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1 John 5:11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
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Anyone who declares that life in not in the Father’s only begotten Son Jesus Christ is a liar! It is why I have repeatedly stated “what you think about Jesus Christ determines your destiny”. The life that God offers is exclusively found by faith in His Son Jesus Christ. Oh that we learn to trust in the exclusiveness of the name of Jesus.
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Romans 10:1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.
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We must submit to the righteousness of God as Paul has so eloquently laid out. Many have tried to redefine righteousness to their own liking; however that can only end in self-righteousness with no justification before God. Many, many religious folks have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. True understanding of righteousness can only be established when we have distinguished between covenants and have chosen to partake in the righteousness found exclusively in the grace and truth brought by Jesus Christ.
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John 1:17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
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Jesus came full of grace and truth and from that fullness is the only way to receive from God.
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John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth… 16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.
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The righteousness from God comes exclusively through faith in Jesus Christ; this in the new covenant and there can be no righteousness found through the old covenant. Jesus came bringing a better way to God based on better promises. It is why the distinguishing between the law of Moses and the new covenant brought by Jesus is imperative.
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Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. 5 ForMoses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, "The man who does those things shall live by them."
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The covenant of the law which Moses wrote about was always measured by man’s performance. The new and living way is dependant upon Jesus and His performance. Your faith in the eternal work of Jesus Christ is the only way to be made right with God and there is no other way.
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Hebrews 8:6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second.
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Jesus came with a more excellent ministry than the law of Moses. The Word portrays it is a better covenant established on better promises. Many religious folks have strayed because they try and bring back the law of Moses for service to God. It is a forsaking of the better covenant when one goes that direction. If these are just my words feel free to throw it aside; however if I am quoting the Word of God you must heed it. Come and live in the better covenant which is the only way to walk in the greater glory describe in 2 Corinthians 3.
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2 Corinthians 3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 7 But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. 10 For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. 11 For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.
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This above passage is powerful! Paul declared himself to be a minister of the new covenant! He called the law of Moses the ministry of death and the ministry of condemnation. Paul was very specific so we would not misunderstand, he spoke of the law written and engraved on stones. Again these are not my words but the Word of the living God. Can you see it from Paul ’s perspective that the law of Moses only had a fading glory compared to the glory of the new covenant. The greater glory is found exclusively in Jesus Christ. The greater the revelation of Jesus Christ the greater the glory.
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Romans 10:6 But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven? ' " (that is, to bring Christ down from above) 7 or, " 'Who will descend into the abyss?' " (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach):
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The greater glory is the word of faith which Paul preached.
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Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame." 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."
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Many have tried to redefine salvation outside of Romans 10; however any salvation message that takes away from the established truth of reconciliation to God through faith in Jesus is a lie!
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Matthew 10:32 "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 "But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
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Jesus was establishing new covenant truth! Moses and the law witnessed there was a prophet sent from God and Him you must hear! Jesus is that man!
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John 3:35 "The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. 36 "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
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Life is found exclusively in Jesus Christ! There is no other way to righteousness; we are saved through faith in Jesus Christ!
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Romans 5:17 For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) 18 Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous.
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The grace of God brings the gift of righteousness only and exclusively through faith in the One man Jesus Christ. Through one man’s disobedience judgment came to all men! Through one man’s obedience many will be made righteous. Receive the gift of righteousness today!
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Romans 10:13 For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."
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