Under Authority

The Main Idea: God’s covenant grace provides clear revelation of SAVING faith in Christ vs. DECEPTIVE faith.

*The Big Question: How do we receive righteousness from God?

*The Central Point: BY SAVING FAITH IN THE GOSPEL which is:

1.) NOT BASED ON THE LAW OF GOD (vv. 5-13) – (Application: Make sure that what you CONFESS with YOUR MOUTH about Christ is really, truly ABOUT CHRIST!) (LAST WEEK)

2.) BUT BASED ON THE WORD OF GOD (vv. 14-17) – (Application: Make sure you are HEARING the WORD of CHRIST and NOBODY ELSE, including your own voice!)

a. God Commissions the Church with the Gospel (vv. 14-15)

b. Therefore the Gospel Is to Be Heard and Obeyed (vv. 16-17)

3.) AND VOICED OUT OF THE GRACIOUS HEART OF GOD (vv. 18-21) – (Application: Make sure you have NO EXCUSES, because God has called out CLEARLY to EVERYONE, including YOU!) (NEXT WEEK)

The Main Idea: God’s covenant grace provides clear revelation of SAVING faith in Christ vs. DECEPTIVE faith.

*The Big Question: How do we receive righteousness from God?

*The Central Point: BY SAVING FAITH IN THE GOSPEL which is:

1.) NOT BASED ON THE LAW OF GOD (vv. 5-13) – (Application: Make sure that what you CONFESS with YOUR MOUTH about Christ is really, truly ABOUT CHRIST!)

a. Do Not Be Arrogant about Saving Faith (vv. 5-10)

b. Because GOD’S the One Put Saving Faith There (vv. 11-13)

2.) BUT BASED ON THE WORD OF GOD (vv. 14-17) – (Application: Make sure you are HEARING the WORD of CHRIST and NOBODY ELSE, including your own voice!) (NEXT WEEK)

3.) AND VOICED OUT OF THE GRACIOUS HEART OF GOD (vv. 18-21) – (Application: Make sure you have NO EXCUSES, because God has called out CLEARLY to EVERYONE, including YOU!) (2 WEEKS FROM NOW)

The Main Idea: God’s covenant grace provides a secret to attaining successful righteousness with him.

*The Big Question: How do we attain righteousness in God’s eyes?

*The Central Point: AS A GIFT FROM HIM, not by works, but by:

1.) NOT PURSUING IT (vv. 30-31) – (Application: Be SURPRISED by God’s KINDNESS to you in Christ!)

2.) PURSUING IT (vv. 32-33) – (Application: Be RECEPTIVE to God’s KINDNESS to you in Christ!)

The Main Idea: God enacts his SOVEREIGN covenant grace in Christ WITHOUT FAIL.

*The Big Question: What is one thing that God CANNOT do?

*The Central Point: GOD CANNOT FAIL. The Apostle Paul gives us three reasons why GOD CANNOT FAIL to save HIS people in Christ:

1.) BECAUSE OF HIS ULTIMATE AUTHORITY (vv. 6-13) – (Application: God’s got a record ultimate and EARNED authority… SO BANK ON HIS WORD TO SAVE YOU IN CHRIST!)

2.) BECAUSE OF HIS ULTIMATE SOVEREIGNTY (vv. 14-26) – (Application: God’s ALWAYS been about his business of reclaiming… SO BANK ON HIS DETERMINATION TO SAVE YOU IN CHRIST!)

3.) BECAUSE OF HIS ULTIMATE GRACE (vv. 27-29) – (Application: God’s covenant of grace includes ALL the elect in the TRUE ISRAEL… SO BANK ON HIS POWER TO SAVE YOU IN CHRIST!)

The Main Idea: God’s been communicating his covenant grace in Christ from the beginning to the end of biblical revelation.

*The Big Question: What has God been doing as the pages of Scripture unfold?

*The Central Point: Lessons Large & Small Establish Christ As THE Savior. The APOSTLE Paul Teaches That the POINT of Bible History is SALVATION IN CHRIST. He teaches you through:

1.) HIS HOLY CONSTERNATION (9:1-5) – (Application: Don’t get SO CLOSE, and yet be SO FAR AWAY from the GOSPEL of God’s love for you in Christ.)

2.) HIS MISSIONARY HEART (10:1-4) – (Application: Don’t think going to church and trying to be a “good Christian” will get you anywhere with God... ONLY the GOSPEL of God’s love for you in Christ will.)

The Main Idea: God’s covenant grace in Christ gives us the beginning and the end of salvation.

*The Big Question: What is the Christian SECRET to living life?

*The Central Point: Because of Christ You Can SEE God LOVES You. God wants you to envision Himself as:

1.) THE CHEERFUL GIVER: HE DELIVERS ALL THINGS TO YOU IN CHRIST (vv. 31-32) – (Application: He doesn’t merely save your soul, but GIVES to you ALL THINGS in Christ.)

2.) THE JUSTIFYING JUDGE: HE DECLARES YOU RIGHTEOUS IN CHRIST (vv. 33-34) – (Application: Not even Christ can speak a word of CONDEMNATION against you because God CHOSE you in Christ.)

3.) THE SOVEREIGN KING: HE DECREES THAT YOU’RE ETERNALLY SECURE IN CHRIST (vv. 35-39) – (Application: Christ, filled with God’s love, makes YOU SURE he will NEVER abandon you.)

The Main Idea: God’s covenant grace shows us that as we SUFFER we can KNOW he loves us.

*The Big Question: What is the Christian SECRET to getting through suffering?

*The Central Point: Because of Christ You Can KNOW God LOVES You. God gives you two KEYS to UNLOCK this secret:

1.) WHAT YOU CAN KNOW (v. 28) – (Application: Your SUFFERING is in God’s loving hands directing it toward his purpose for you.)

2.) WHAT GOD KNOWS THAT YOU CAN KNOW (vv. 29-30) – (Application: In God’s loving hands your SUFFERING will make you like Christ, the Savior whom you love.)

The Main Idea: God’s covenant grace shows us how to relate with Christ through the Spirit as we SUFFER.

*The Big Question: What MUST you UNDERSTAND CLEARLY to live a righteous Christian life?

*The Central Point: Fifth: How to Handle Your Suffering with Christ. Christ, by the Spirit, Wants You to Have Three Evaluation Points to Deal with Your Suffering with Christ:

1.) EVALUATING YOUR SUFFERING (vv. 18-21) – (Application: The Spirit gives you the vision of glory you have with Christ so you can have real hope and NOT “I hope so...”)

2.) EVALUATING YOUR SPOT (vv. 22-25) – (Application: The Spirit explains why you now groan in suffering so you can know you are God’s child through Christ’s redemption.)

3.) EVALUATING YOUR STRENGTH (vv. 26-27) – (Application: The Spirit walks with you in weakness to teach you how to lean on Christ through prayer.)

The Main Idea: God’s covenant grace shows us how to relate with Christ through the Spirit.

*The Big Question: What MUST you UNDERSTAND CLEARLY to live a righteous Christian life?

*The Central Point: Fourth: How You Gain a Sense of Christ’s Activity in Your Life. Christ, by the Spirit, Gives You Three Senses for Living a Righteous Christian Life:

1.) A SENSE OF OBLIGATION (vv. 12-13) – (Application: The Spirit frees you from obliging the flesh so that you can please Christ.)

2.) A SENSE OF PRESENCE (vv. 14-16) – (Application: The Spirit leads you out of orphan fear to the Fatherly safety secured by Christ.)

3.) A SENSE OF PURPOSE (v. 17) – (Application: The Spirit guarantees your present suffering will yield future glory with Christ.)

The Main Idea: God’s covenant grace changes our relationship with Christ through the Spirit.

*The Big Question: What MUST you UNDERSTAND CLEARLY to live a righteous Christian life?

*The Central Point: Third: Your Relationship with Christ Through the Spirit. Christ, through the Spirit, Gives You Three Keys to Living a Righteous Christian Life:

1.) A SPIRIT-BORN FREEDOM (vv. 1-4a) – (Application: Christ removes the sting of the law of sin and sets the believer free by the law of the Spirit of life.)

2.) A SPIRIT-CENTERED MINDSET (vv. 4b-8) – (Application: Christ removes the weakness of the flesh and clarifies the aim of the believer.)

3.) A SPIRIT-EMPOWERED RESURRECTION (vv. 9-11) – (Application: Christ removes the deadness of the human spirit and breathes new life into the believer.)