Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor at Christ Lutheran Church in Hebron, CT, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Romans 7:1-13.

Christians are under grace; they are no longer under the law. How did this happen? St. Paul uses the human example of the law of marriage. All Christians can understand this truth from God’s Word. Marriage, the good gift of God before the fall into sin, unites one man and one woman for life. When the husband dies, however, the law of marriage no longer applies to the wife; she is now free. The example of death setting free from law is applied to Christians. Christians have been put to death through their connection to the death of Christ. They belong to Him, the One raised from the dead. Whereas their life in the flesh took advantage of the law to produce more sin, their life in the Spirit through Christ produces the good fruit God has given. This does not mean that the law is sinful, however. In fact, God’s law is good and holy. Paul uses his own life prior to Christianity as an example. Our sin takes advantage of God’s good law. When the law reveals our sin, sin takes the opportunity to bring even more sin. Sin deceived us into thinking we had life; in reality, we had death in sin. This was not the doing of God’s righteous Law. This was sin’s fault. This was the sinner’s fault, the fault that is forgiven only in Christ.

“The Righteousness of God for You” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. Human righteousness cannot save, because all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory. Only the righteousness of God can bring life and forgiveness to sinners. This is the righteousness that He has fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is the righteousness that is revealed in the Gospel, the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. This is the righteousness that is not earned, but is freely given by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

Rev. Clint Poppe, pastor at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Lincoln, NE, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Romans 6:12-23.

God’s gracious action in Christ delivered in Holy Baptism means that sin is no longer the Christian’s king or lord. Therefore, St. Paul commands that we must not live in our bodies as if sin is our king. Though we think sin is under our control, sin quickly progresses to control us. However, this is not our reality in Christ. Our members are not weapons put into service for sin and unrighteousness, but instruments of good works that God has given to us as He has brought us from death to life. This action of God by His grace is our controlling reality, not so that we would continue in sin, but so that we would present ourselves as obedient slaves to righteousness. God be praised! This is exactly what has happened, not out of compulsion, but from willing, grateful hearts molded by God to the doctrine that Jesus has given us. Such slavery is not to be understood in the human way of tyranny. Rather, Jesus is our gracious Lord who sacrifices Himself for our good. Though sin deceptively offers freedom from righteousness, its fruits are only full of shame and the wage paid is death. Our gracious God, however, freely gives to His people eternal life in Christ Jesus the Lord.

“The Righteousness of God for You” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. Human righteousness cannot save, because all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory. Only the righteousness of God can bring life and forgiveness to sinners. This is the righteousness that He has fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is the righteousness that is revealed in the Gospel, the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. This is the righteousness that is not earned, but is freely given by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

Rev. Steve Andrews, pastor at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Lee’s Summit, MO, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Romans 6:1-11.

If God loves to forgive and we love to sin, should we just keep on sinning? St. Paul answers in clearest terms: “Absolutely not!” Sin no longer is the defining reality for Christians because Christians have died to sin. God has accomplished this in Holy Baptism. When a person is baptized, that person is united with Christ. In Baptism, Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection become our death, burial, and resurrection. This is His gift to us right now by faith even as we await its full fulfillment by sight on the Last Day at the resurrection of all flesh. St. Paul reminds us that our connection to Christ in Holy Baptism is the defining reality for our lives right now. Because we have died with Him, we have been set free from sin, and we will be raised with Him on the Last Day. The basis for this truth is Jesus’ own death and resurrection. He has died once for all and has been raised so that death no longer has any dominion over Him. For this reason, the Apostle commands us right now to consider ourselves the way God considers us in Christ: dead to sin and alive to Him.

“The Righteousness of God for You” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. Human righteousness cannot save, because all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory. Only the righteousness of God can bring life and forgiveness to sinners. This is the righteousness that He has fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is the righteousness that is revealed in the Gospel, the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. This is the righteousness that is not earned, but is freely given by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

Rev. David Vandercook, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in North Little Rock, AR and Shepherd of Peace Lutheran Church in Maumelle, AR, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Romans 5:12-21.

The unrighteousness of all can be traced to one man, Adam, just as the righteousness of God freely given to all can be traced to one man, Jesus Christ. Sin invaded God’s good creation through Adam. Through this original sin, inherited from one generation to the next, death spread to all. That was true even before the Law was given through Moses. The reality of sin still led all people to death, even when the transgression was not like Adam’s sin against God’s specific commandment. Yet this one man, Adam, stands as a type of another man, Christ. In Christ, God’s gracious gift abounds far more than man’s sin. Though Adam’s one trespass led to condemnation for all, Christ’s one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. This remains objectively true even though some do not receive the gift subjectively through faith. God’s grace in Christ to justify us sinners far outweighs the sin and death that still attack us in this life, giving great comfort to us and all Christians.

“The Righteousness of God for You” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. Human righteousness cannot save, because all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory. Only the righteousness of God can bring life and forgiveness to sinners. This is the righteousness that He has fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is the righteousness that is revealed in the Gospel, the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. This is the righteousness that is not earned, but is freely given by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.