“Accepting”

Focus: Believers should accept and encourage other believers to facilitate unity

Context Passage: Romans 14:1-15:13

Study Passage: Romans 14:1-12

Insights you can take away to strengthen your walk with Jesus?

• Don’t argue about matters of religious practices
• Don’t look down on or judge others
• We live or die for the Lord.  He’s got our lives in His hands
• Each of us will give an account of himself to God

Focus: Believers should seek to represent Christ well in their communities and world

Romans 13 - Study Passage: Romans 13:1-14

 Insights you can take away to strengthen your walk with Jesus?

• Authorities that exist are instituted by God
• Submit to the authorities that God has put in place
• Love our neighbor as yourself
• Put on the Lord Jesus Christ

“Sacrifice”

Focus: Believers are to demonstrate Christlike character by presenting their bodies as a living sacrifice

Context Passage: Romans 12:1-21

Study Passage: Romans 12:1-2,9-18

 Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

 Christian Ethics

9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Detest evil; cling to what is good. 10 Love one another deeply as brothers and sisters. Take the lead in honoring one another. 11 Do not lack diligence in zeal; be fervent in the Spirit; serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. 13 Share with the saints in their needs; pursue hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Give careful thought to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes. 18 If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

What insights can you take away to strengthen your walk with Jesus?

• We should present our bodies as a living sacrifice
• Genuine love comes from a transformation through the power of the Holy Spirit by the renewing of your mind
• The supernatural life of a Christ-follower that totally surrenders their life to Jesus produces amazing Christ-like qualities

“Mercy”

Focus: The gospel continues to be offered to all people, Jews and Gentiles

Context Passage: Romans 11:1-36

Study Passage: Romans 11:17-32

Insights to strengthen your walk with Jesus?

• We should not boast or think we are better than someone because of our salvation
• Salvation will always be through faith in Christ’s completed work on the cross
• God has had mercy on us all and desires that we come to Him through faith in His son Jesus!

“Saved”

Focus: Salvation has always been granted through faith in Jesus

Context Passage: Romans 9:1-10:21

Study Passage: Romans 10:5-15

 5 since Moses writes about the righteousness that is from the law: The one who does these things will live by them. 6 But the righteousness that comes from faith speaks like this: Do not say in your heart, “Who will go up to heaven? ”that is, to bring Christ down 7 or, “Who will go down into the abyss?” that is, to bring Christ up from the dead. 8 On the contrary, what does it say? The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. This is the message of faith that we proclaim: 9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, (1) Everyone who believes on him will not be put to shame, 12 since (2) there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, because the same Lord of all richly blesses all who call on him. 13 For (3) everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

14 (1)How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? (2) And how can they believe without hearing about him? (3) And how can they hear without a preacher?15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news. 

Focus: All who accept the gospel have a sure hope for a future as children of God

Context Passage: Romans 8:1-39

Verses 1-11 tells us that there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.  We are set free from the bondage of sin because Jesus was our sin offering in order that the law’s requirement would be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Those that have not put their faith in Jesus for salvation have their mind set on things of the flesh while those that have put their faith and trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins have their minds set on the things of the Spirit. 

THE MINDSET OF THE FLESH IS DEATH (SPIRITUAL)

•  mindset of the flesh is hostile to God
• it does not submit to God’s law
• it is unable to do so
• cannot please God
• he does not belong to Jesus

BUT THE MINDSET OF THE SPIRIT IS LIFE AND PEACE

• Spirit of God lives in you
• Spirit gives life
• brings our mortal bodies to life through his Spirit who lives in you

Study Passage - Romans 8:12-25

12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh, 13 because if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba,[i] Father!” 16 The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, 17 and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation for God’s sons to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility—not willingly, but because of him who subjected it—in the hope 21 that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now. 23 Not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits—we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24 Now in this hope we were saved, but hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? 25 Now if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with patience.

“Raised”

Focus: Salvation comes through Jesus’ death and resurrection

Context Passage: Luke 24

Study Passage – Luke 24:1-12

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came to the tomb, bringing the spices they had prepared. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb. 3 They went in but did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men stood by them in dazzling clothes. 5 So the women were terrified and bowed down to the ground.

“Why are you looking for the living among the dead?” asked the men. 6 “He is not here, but he has risen!Remember how he spoke to you when he was still in Galilee, 7 saying, ‘It is necessary that the Son of Man be betrayed into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and rise on the third day’?” 8 And they remembered his words.

9 Returning from the tomb, they reported all these things to the Eleven and to all the rest. 10 Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them were telling the apostles these things. 11 But these words seemed like nonsense to them, and they did not believe the women. 12 Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. When he stooped to look in, he saw only the linen cloths. So he went away, amazed at what had happened.

Study Passage - Romans 6:1-14

What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? 2 Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness[a] of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be[b] in the likeness of his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self[c] was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin[d] might be rendered powerless so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, 7 since a person who has died is freed[e] from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him, 9 because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, will not die again. Death no longer rules over him. 10 For the death he died, he died to sin once for all time; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.[f]

12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey[g] its desires. 13 And do not offer any parts[h] of it to sin as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead, offer yourselves to God, and all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness. 14 For sin will not rule over you, because you are not under the law but under grace.

The Theme of Romans

The gospel is the power of God for salvation and radically changes the lives of all who put their faith in Christ Jesus. Paul’s passion for the gospel is seen from the opening verse to the closing of the letter.  He had been set apart to proclaim the gospel to unbelievers.  The same gospel would strengthen believers in Rome                                  

Study Passage - Romans 5:1-11

5 Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, (1)we have peace[a] with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 We have also (2) obtained access through him by faith[b] into this grace in which we stand, and (3)we rejoice[c] in the hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, 4 endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. 5 This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For rarely will someone die for a just person—though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. 8 But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 How much more then, since we have now been declared righteous by his blood, will we be saved through him from wrath. 10 For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. 11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received this reconciliation.

• There will be a time of distress like never before
• All people will be judged.  Jesus is the only one who will save you.  He will look in the “Book” to see if you name is written.  If you have truly repented of your sin and asked Jesus to save you from your sin your name will be written in the book!  All others to “shame and everlasting contempt”
• When we are in “Christ we are new creations” and we will rise to receive our allotted inheritance
• How will you live the rest of your life with this information?