The Big Idea: God exercises His sovereignty to redeem all who trust Him.

Romans 9:19-33

1. Paul’s summary of the matter: (v30-32)
Gentiles vs. Jews and obtaining righteousness: THEIR PURSUIT is the point.

“Pursue” or “strive” = follow with urgency and intensity of effort.

God’s process of hardening some and having mercy on others is not arbitrary.
Romans 11:22-23

2. The Potter and the Clay
Jeremiah 18:1-12

The point of the pottery analogy is not God’s unilateral control, but His willingness to change His plans in response to changing hearts.

3. The Wisdom and Power of God
Romans 9:22-27
Romans 11:33-36 (the Doxology)

Response:
● Stop striving to earn God’s mercy.
● Trust completely in the person and work of Jesus.
● Pray for and participate in God’s redemptive plan.

Romans 9:1-18

Big Idea: God has sovereignly decided that all who relate to Him by faith shall be saved.

A Deterministic View: All things, including human action, are decided by and determined by God, with nothing to do with our own will.

1. EVERYTHING points to Jesus and the ABSOLUTE POWER of GOD’S LOVE.

What is the heart of Jesus?
That all would come to faith in Christ Jesus, and be saved!

John 3:16
If what we are reading does not fit the character of Jesus or the heart of God, then we must not be understanding it yet.

2. God’s covenant reached BEYOND the nation of ISRAEL.

Jews of the day understood God’s faithfulness to them in two ways:
I. Their nationality
II. Their obedience to the law

3. God’s choices are SOVEREIGN, and AGAINST the GRAIN.

“Love” and “Hate” are hyperbolic terms to describe placing favor on one particular thing, over another.

God has no consideration for the common order of things. He has His own plan.

Romans 9:30-32

We (the Gentiles) are now adopted into the kingdom, sitting as co-heirs with Christ, purely by faith. Not your birthright, not your obedience to law. It is by faith.

RESPONSE:
1. Abide in Jesus
● He is truly the only one who can save anybody.
● Put all your trust in Him.
2. Walk closely with Him
● Hold tightly to His Word, and study it!
● Remember if you run into something that doesn’t look like Jesus, you may have to look deeper and ask God to give you clarity.

The Big Idea: The Holy Spirit can transform our suffering through the certainty of our hope.

Romans 8:18-30


“One of the really interesting aspects of this incredible capacity for making up missing information is that it usually comes with a great subjective sense of certainty, and when we act on that certainty we can get ourselves into trouble—by sideswiping a cyclist we just didn’t see but were quite certain we had checked all the mirrors and blind spots, or by accusing a lover, spouse, friend, or child and reacting without first inquiring and getting all the relevant details.”  - Dr. Sara Rosenquist,


Our mind tries to understand and fill the gap when we suffer:

• Life is supposed to be a glorious playground.
• I don’t deserve this.
• God promised me no suffering.
• Life is supposed to be fair.
• God is punishing me.



We live in a world of suffering for two reasons (v. 20-21):
1. We are subjected to FRUSTRATION.
2. Held in BONDAGE to decay.


This suffering causes a collective groan:

• The whole creation GROANS with the pains of childbirth for the sons of God to be revealed.
• We GROAN, eagerly awaiting the redemption of our bodies.
• The Spirit intercedes for us through wordless GROANS.



Deeply held beliefs are powerful foundations.


5 things that are absolutely true of you:

1. God FOREKNEW you.
2. God PREDESTINED you to be conformed to the image of Jesus.
3. God CALLED you to reveal His glory on earth and in the heavens.
4. God JUSTIFIED you so that you are free from condemnation.
5. God GLORIFIED you, like Jesus.

How does all of that happen? Through SUFFERING.


Romans 5:1-6

The Holy Spirit INTERCEDES for us in accordance with God’s will.


Romans 8:31-39



SUFFERING is real.
God is good.
He will REVEAL His glory in us!


RESPONSE:
Help your mind fill in the gaps correctly.
• Suffering is my servant.
• God is on the job.
• He will reveal His glory in us.

Big Idea: Through the Spirit of Life, we are free from death and condemnation.

Romans 8:1-16

FLESH VS SPIRIT
Death is not simply a physical occurrence, but an all-encompassing state of being.

The Spirit of Life brings us into the kingdom of God as true adopted children.

Roman law of adoption:
Rejection of old life - new identity
Entire debt has been wiped out - forgiven

There is no condemnation for you.
Why? In Jesus you live in a new realm: The Spirit of Life.

FREEDOM FROM DEATH
1. Freedom from Condemnation
Ephesians 2:13

2. Freedom from the old nature:
You live in new life.

3. Freedom from the fear of physical death:
Our eternity is set in Jesus Christ. We have an eternal future and hope

How do we live in the Spirit of Life?

Set your minds on Jesus
Romans 8:5

We don’t put our focus on “not sinning” ; We put our mind to the Spirit and what he
desires.
Colossians 3:1-4

AVOID THINKING TRAPS
2 Corinthians 10:5

Ask yourself:
Is this thought true?
Is this thought helpful?

RESPONSE:
1. Accept your position: An adopted and loved Child of God.
2. Practice mindfulness - Take captive every thought.
3. Be led by the Holy Spirit of life-
● Follow Jesus!
● Love your Oikos!
● Have no fear!

The Big Idea: Moral rules can tell you you're sick, but they cannot cure you.

Romans 7:1-25
Psalm 119:165
Psalms‬ 19:7
But… Acts 15:10

Freedom from sin and freedom from the Law go closely together.

The Point of the Matter:
Romans 7:4-6

● We die to the Law so we can belong to another - to Him who was raised from the
dead.
● SO THAT we might bear fruit for God.
● In the realm of the flesh, we bore the fruit of death.
● By dying to what bound us, we serve in the new way of the Spirit, not the old way of
the written code.

Romans 7:21-25

The Law diagnoses my disease, but it cannot treat it.

Colossians 2:20-23

Galatians 5:16-18

We trade the law of sin and death for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.

Our Answer:
Romans 8:1-4

Response:
● Stop staring at the Law of sin and death, and keep in step with the law of the Spirit of
life in Christ Jesus.
● Focus on the inside of the cup and not the outside.

The Big Idea: Freedom from sin is a birthright for Christians

Romans 6:1-23

Two Logic Questions:
1. Since grace abounds, can’t we just go on sinning?

LEGALISM is not the answer to LIBERTINISM.

PAUL TEACHES A BETTER WAY: Radical TRANSFORMATION IN CHRIST, through THE
SPIRIT.

2. Can those who DIED TO SIN, continue to live in it?

Clarity for the Confusion Comes From 3 Ideas:
1. Baptism
2. Crucifixion
3. Slavery

Baptism:
● We are BAPTIZED into HIS DEATH.
● We are buried with Him into death SO THAT body ruled by sin would be done away
with.
○ (Life IN SIN cannot coexist with death TO SIN.)
● We too, along with Him, can be raised to LIVE A NEW LIFE.

1 Corinthians 10:1-3
Colossians 2:9-15

Crucifixion:
Galatians 2:20
Galatians 6:14

Jesus’ death to sin is the FINAL VICTORY.
There is NO SECOND FIGHT and there is NO SECOND FOE.

Slavery:
There are two ways to leave a slave master: death or being sold to a new master.

We are not only justified from our sin, but are also LIBERATED from the tyranny of sin.

Obedience to God is slavery, for you are a slave to the one you obey.

Response:
● Embrace your BAPTISM INTO CHRIST.
● Continually CRUCIFY SELF-LOVE and cling to GOD LOVE.
● Offer yourself as a SLAVE TO RIGHTEOUSNESS. (being right with God) leading to
holiness for slavery has benefits.

The Big Idea: Knowing the whole story changes how you understand the current chapter.

Romans 5:12-21

The Origin Story:
● Humans are the PINNACLE AND PURPOSE of everything God made.
Genesis 1:26-28; 2:72:7

● We wanted MORE and LOST IT ALL.
Genesis 2:15-17

● God REFUSED to accept the reign of death. (Romans 5:14; 17)
Romans 5:14-15

The Current Chapter:
● Two kingdoms REIGN SIMULTANEOUSLY.
Romans 5:12-21

Romans 5:20-21

The Heroes’ Dilemma
Either sin and death EXERCISE CONTROL in an absolute manner over us
OR we EXERCISE CONTROL in an absolute manner through Jesus and His grace gifts.

Restoration of the origin story - eating the TREE OF LIFE and RULING OVER CREATION
WITH GOD.

The End of the Story That Begins a Better Story:
Revelation 21:1-4

THE MORAL OF THE STORY: There is power in the BLOOD

Response:
● Embrace your ORIGIN story.
● Conquer your HERO’S DILEMMA.
● Start your ETERNAL LIFE today.

Romans 5:1-11
Romans 4:23-25

The Big Idea: Whether you know it or not, the Hero of your life is Jesus.

Through faith we have:
● PEACE with God

Through faith we have access to:
● The GOOD FAVOR of God
● The ability to KISS OUR CROSSES

Why Suffering is my Servant:
● Suffering produces PERSEVERANCE > Produces CHARACTER (knowing the genuineness
of something by examination or testing) > Produces HOPE (high confidence) > Which DOES
NOT PUT US TO SHAME.

Your Worst Time is Just the Right Time:
● We were POWERLESS. (completely helpless)
● Christ died for the UNGODLY. (those with no regard for God)
● This is how God DEMONSTRATES HIS LOVE for us.

Since we have now been JUSTIFIED (definitive, one-time action) BY HIS BLOOD, how much
more shall we be SAVED FROM GOD’S WRATH through Him!

IF-THEN:
IF, while we were God’s ENEMIES (in opposition to God), we were RECONCILED (restored to
right relationship) to Him through the death of His Son - THEN how much more shall we be
SAVED (restored) through His life!

Response:
● Make Jesus your Hero.
● Cash in your rewards.
● Offer Jesus-love to your Oikos.

How does one achieve a proper relationship with God?
And having become right with God, how do I stay right?

The Big Idea: You can work very hard to try and make something real with God or you can live
trusting that it is already real and live your life in the power of it.

Romans 3:21-24
Romans 4:1-13

Why do we struggle to accept this?
What does Abraham teach us?
How should we view our path going forward?
Why is this so hard to accept?

3 Issues:
1. It is a PRIDE issue.
2. It is a CONTROL issue.
3. It is a FEAR issue.

What does Abraham teach us about being right with God?
1. You do not want a wage-based relationship with God.
2. The glory of God is that He justifies the wicked.
3. The quickest way to lose your way with God is religion.
Hebrews 11:6

How should we view our path going forward?
Hebrews 11:8-10

We are living with the hope of Abraham – a promised future we cannot see.

The bottom line: You can work very hard to try and make something real with God or you can
live trusting that it is already real and live your life in the power of it. This makes all the
difference in the world!

Response:
● Confess your utter need of a Savior.
● Thank God that He justifies the wicked.
● Practice ruthless trust in God.

Into the Wild, 3 - Escaping the Rabbit Hole of Depravity
Jim Ladd, Jan 16, 2022

Romans 1:24-32

The Big Idea: The universal pathway of depravity must be intercepted, interrupted, and overcome.

People who want no god “enjoy forever the horrible freedom they have demanded, and are therefore self-enslaved.”  - C. S. Lewis

This depravity spiral is a universal problem!

Romans 3:9-20

"The sins of the flesh are bad, but they are the least bad of all sins. All the worst pleasures are purely spiritual: the pleasure of putting other people in the wrong, of bossing and patronizing and spoiling sport, and back-biting, the pleasures of power, of hatred. For there are two things inside me, competing with the human self which I must try to become. They are the Animal self, and the Diabolical self. The Diabolical self is the worse of the two. That is why a cold, self-righteous prig who goes regularly to church may be far nearer to hell than a prostitute. But, of course, it is better to be neither."  - Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis

The Four Compass Options:
1. The pagan compass.
2. The moral superiority compass.
Romans 2:1-5
3. The Religion compass.
4. The Jesus Compass.
Romans 3:21-25, 28-31

Response:
• Give up every natural idea about how to connect with God.
• Receive your redemption by faith alone.
• Pray for someone you know, right now.