Under Authority

The Main Idea: God’s covenant grace changes our relationship to ourselves under God’s law.

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

*The Central Point: Second: Your Relationship to Yourself Under God’s Law. Christ Does Three Things to CHANGE Your Relationship to YOURSELF Under God’s Law:

1.) (Last Time) CHRIST DIAGNOSES YOUR PROBLEM (vv. 13-14) – (Application: Christ has changed your grasp of the seriousness of indwelling sin.)

2.) CHRIST DESCRIBES YOUR PROGNOSIS (vv. 15-20) – (Application: Christ has changed your daily map in the struggle against indwelling sin.)

3.) CHRIST DELIVERS YOUR PROGRESS (vv. 21-25) – (Application: Christ has changed your manner of dealing with indwelling sin.)

The Main Idea: God’s covenant grace changes our relationship to ourselves under God’s law.

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

*The Central Point: Second: Your Relationship to Yourself Under God’s Law. Christ Does Three Things to CHANGE Your Relationship to YOURSELF Under God’s Law:

1.) CHRIST DIAGNOSES YOUR PROBLEM (vv. 13-14) – (Application: Christ has changed your grasp of the seriousness of indwelling sin.)

2.) (NEXT EPISODE) CHRIST DESCRIBES YOUR PROGNOSIS (vv. 15-20) – (Application: Christ has changed your daily map in the struggle against indwelling sin.)

3.) (NEXT EPISODE) CHRIST DELIVERS YOUR PROGRESS (vv. 21-25) – (Application: Christ has changed your manner of dealing with indwelling sin.)

The Main Idea: God’s covenant grace changes our relationship to God’s law.

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

*The Central Point: First: Your Relationship to God’s Law. Christ Does Three Things to CHANGE Your Relationship to God’s Law:

1.) CHRIST DEFINES YOU APART FROM THE LAW (vv. 1-3) – (Application: UNDERSTAND CLEARLY that Christ has changed your name to “Law-follower from the Heart”.)

2.) CHRIST RELEASES YOU FROM THE LAW’S MASTERY (vv. 4-8) – (Application: UNDERSTAND CLEARLY that Christ’s Lordship is now your MASTERY through the Spirit.)

3.) CHRIST DELIVERS THE LIFE THE LAW CAN’T (vv. 9-12) – (Application: UNDERSTAND CLEARLY that Christ, through the Spirit, has fundamentally changed you!)

The Main Idea: God’s grace frees us to live a righteous life!

*The Big Question: How do we live a righteous life?

*The Central Point: Bound to Him We’re Bound to Change! God’s Grace Makes Three Fundamental Changes in Us:

1.) A CHANGE IN DIRECTION (vv. 15-16) – (Application: God’s grace redirects our steps from sin to righteousness.)

2.) A CHANGE IN MOTIVATION (vv. 17-19) – (Application: God’s grace reorients our hearts from self to gratefulness to God.)

3.) A CHANGE IN OBJECTIVES (vv. 20-23) – (Application: God’s grace refocuses our vision from shame to eternal life.)

The Main Idea: Our union with Christ gives us His RESURRECTION POWER to live unto righteousness.

*The Big Question: What does Christ’s RESURRECTION do for us?

*The Central Point: Christ’s RESURRECTION gives us NEW POWER… FOR three NEW CONSIDERATIONS:

1.) NEW WALKING (vv. 1-4) – (Application: Christ’s RESURRECTION is the PLATFORM for walking in newness of life.)

2.) NEW THINKING (vv. 5-11) – (Application: Christ’s RESURRECTION is the KEY unlocking the chains of slavery to sin.)

3.) NEW PLANNING (vv. 12-14) – (Application: Christ’s RESURRECTION is the DYNAMITE blowing up the shackles of sin.)

The Main Idea: God’s Covenant BLESSING brings RECONCILIATION which deepens our appreciation of our true condition.

*The Big Question: How GOOD is THE GOSPEL?

*The Central Point: The GOSPEL is so GOOD that God GIVES us…

1.) LIFE FOR DEATH (vv. 12-14) – (Application: We deserve no less than capital punishment due to Adam’s sin, so appreciate the gift given in the “type” which Adam is, pointing to the real deal in Jesus.)

2.) JUSTIFICATION FOR CONDEMNATION (vv. 15-17) – (Application: We get justified by a free gift because of Jesus’ work was done for our MANY trespasses.)

3.) GRACE FOR SINNERS (vv. 18-21) – (Application: We are sinners by the “one trespass” and so we will be MADE righteous by the “one man’s obedience,” given by grace unto eternal life through Jesus.)

The Main Idea: God’s Covenant BLESSING brings RECONCILIATION with him causing us to rejoice while suffering.

*The Big Question: What GOOD is THE GOSPEL?

*The Central Point: In the Gospel God GIVES us…

1.) PRESENT HOPE FOR PRESENT SUFFERINGS (vv. 1-5) – (Application: Jesus’ justifying us gives us the Holy Spirit RIGHT NOW!) (2 WEEKS AGO)

2.) FUTURE HOPE FOR GREATER SUFFERINGS (vv. 6-11) – (Application: Jesus’ dying for us gives us confidence before God both NOW and at the JUDGMENT!)

The Main Idea: God’s Covenant BLESSING brings RECONCILIATION with him causing us to rejoice while suffering.

*The Big Question: What GOOD is THE GOSPEL?

*The Central Point: In the Gospel God GIVES us…

1.) PRESENT HOPE FOR PRESENT SUFFERINGS (vv. 1-5) – (Application: Jesus’ justifying us gives us the Holy Spirit RIGHT NOW!)

2.) (NEXT EPISODE) FUTURE HOPE FOR GREATER SUFFERINGS (vv. 6-11) – (Application: Jesus’ dying for us gives us confidence before God both NOW and at the JUDGMENT!)

The Main Idea: God’s Covenant BLESSING has been around since near the beginning of time.

*The Big Question: What KIND of GOSPEL is THE GOSPEL?

*The Central Point: Since the beginning it’s been the HEART of the…

1.) HISTORY OF REDEMPTION (vv. 1-8) – (Application: God’s NEVER given up on his promise, so rest assured he won’t… EVER!)

2.) SIGN OF REDEMPTION (vv. 9-12) – (Application: God’s ALWAYS meant what he’s promised… and he ALWAYS will!)

3.) PROMISE OF REDEMPTION (vv. 13-25) – (Application: God’s WORTHY of ALL your TRUST… and he ALWAYS will be!)

The Main Idea: God’s Covenant BLESSING will leave us with our ONLY HOPE… and it’s ETERNAL!

*The Big Question: What KIND of God is the God of the GOSPEL?

*The Central Point: He’s a GIVING God who GIVES…

1.) RIGHTEOUSNESS APART FROM THE LAW (vv. 21-22a) – (Application: BLESS GOD for the GIFT of his “alien” righteousness…)

2.) REDEMPTION TOGETHER WITH JUSTICE (vv. 22b-26) – (Application: BE IN AWE OF A GOD who is both JUST and JUSTIFIER…)

3.) RELIGION BY FAITH NOT WORKS (vv. 27-31) – (Application: BOAST IN A GOD who saves you from his wrath by GRACE and NOT BY WORKS…)