Romans 14 – Conscience Sake – God tells us not to judge our brother who is weak in the faith nor the one who is weak in the faith to judge one who is stronger, in food, clothing, or days observed. For God is the judge of all. We will all stand before Him. For conscience sake, we are to uphold the body of Christ. It says that if a brother is offended because you do something, though you have the liberty in Christ, do not do it because of your brother. Again, the younger brother needs to understand that he doesn’t have the liberty in Christ to judge other. It doesn’t make it a sin for the older brother. But what God is saying, is not to offend you brother. Heaven isn’t food and drink, but love, joy and peace in God. God is saying not to judge one another. Because God is the Judge of all. If you have ought against someone, go to them in love and talk to them. Then if you win them over, God has won. This is for Conscience Sake.

Crain Blanchard.

http://www.joseph1637.com

Romans 13 - Christian Ethics - vs.1-2 “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 

Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.”
Be subject to governments (Noahiac Covenant). Vs.3-4 “For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.”
God tells us to obey governing authorities for they are ordained of God, ministers of God. Anyone rebelling against ruling authority is in rebellion to God. God says to pay taxes, give what is owned. vs.8 “owe nothing to any man, but to love him.” If you truly love your fellow man, you will fulfill the law.

Crain Blanchard.

Www.joseph1637.com

Romans 12 – Christian Ethics.
Do you know what ethics are?
vs.1 – present yourselves as living sacrifices.
vs.2 – be not conformed to this world.
vs.3 – don’t be puff up, with your own importance.
vs.4 – everyone is the same, the sons of God.
vs.5 – all are of one body.
vs.6 – each to function according to your faith.
vs.7 – in serving, in teaching.
vs.8 – in exhorting, in giving, in leading, in mercy.
vs.9 – truly loving.
vs.10 – devote yourselves one to another.
vs.11 – serve God, with diligence.
vs.12 – with hope, patience and devotions to God.
vs.13 – contributing to the needs of the saints.
vs.14 – bless everyone.
vs.15 – rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
vs.16 – be of the same mind.
vs.17 – never pay back evil for evil.
vs.18 – be at peace with all.
vs.19 – God will take vengeance.
vs.20 – help your enemy, to show the world who God is.
vs.21 – overcome evil with good.

Crain Blanchard.

http://www.joseph1637.com

Romans 11 – Israel – Has God cast away Israel? No, Israel would not enter in because of unbelief. God turned to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous, so that some might be saved. vs.15 “For if their rejection be the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead.” vs.25-29 “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes. 29 The gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” God has given to Israel the law and promises and will not take them away from her. Be aware that if God remove Israel because of unbelief, it could happen to you for they same reason. We are justified by faith, believing.

Crain Blanchard.

http://www.joseph1637.com

Romans 9 – Israel – chosen ones in Old Testament. vs. 6 “For they are not all Israel who are descendants from Israel.” vs.15 “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” vs.16 “So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.”
Each man has a free will to chose God, but unless God gives repentance, no man will turn to God. God knows who will turn to him and will give his grace to that person. This is election and predestination. That is why we preach the gospel to whosoever will choose God, because only God knows who will serve him. vs.23 “And he did so in order that he might make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory.”
Israel was given the law to show them and the world they were sinners and separated from God. But they wouldn’t believe God and they stumbled over the stumbling stone laid in Zion.

Crain Blanchard.

http://www.joseph1637.com

Romans 8 – Sanctification – vs.8 “and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” vs.11 “but if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to you mortal bodies through his Spirit who indwells you.” vs.14 “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.” We are sanctified by living in the Spirit. Since Adam, the whole world was under the law of sin and death, but now all creation eagerly awaits that new world where the sons of God are revealed. God knew us from the foundation of the world and what we would do. The ones who were predestined to become conformed to the image of Jesus, making him the first born of many brethren. Those whom God knew would serve him, he called. Those that are called are justified, God sees us as finished products and are glorified with him. This is God’s plan for his children. (election and predestination).
This doesn’t give us a license to do what we want. God sees the beginning and the end. He knows who will endure to the end. “For many are called, but few are chosen.” There is nothing that can separate you from God, except you.

Crain Blanchard.

http://www.joseph1637.com

Romans 7 – Sanctification – vs.4 – “you also were made to die to the law through the body of Christ, that you might be joined to another, to him who was raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit unto God.” The flesh and spirit war against each other, that is why we must be dead to sin, but alive to Christ. We are sanctified in our union with Jesus. The law convicted us of sin. So we have to die to sin and be resurrected into the life of Jesus by God. So, that we are dead to sin but alive to Jesus. Paul explains how sin reigned in us and the law pointed it out. But now we join Jesus in death, so God can raise us up. Gal.:2:20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

Crain Blanchard.

http://www.joseph1637.com

Vs.1 “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” Taking God’s grace for granted is called lasciviousness, the works of the flesh. (Gal.5). Vs.4 ” Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” We are sanctified by death to self and through death we are freed from sin and the bondage of the world. Sanctification is the process by which we are cleaned up getting ready for us to go home. What the process takes our will. We have to be willing to let God do his work. With that work comes the fruit of the Spirit, we become the image and likeness of God. Sanctification is a life long project. We cannot be sanctified in a day or a week, It is our walk from here to eternity. It’s not always fun. But it is rewarding, sanctification.

Crain Blanchard.

Www.joseph1637.com

Justification had given us peace with God. God has given us His grace (charisma) through Jesus. vs.3-5 – we aren’t justified by works. But we are matured by tribulation.

Romans 5:3 “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” We are reconciled to God by the blood of Jesus and saved by his life. “Those who endure to the end shall be saved.”
Because of the sin of Adam, all have sinned. Through the sacrifice of Jesus, the guilt and punishment of sin was paid for. As it is written “As a result of the anguish of his soul, he will see it and be satisfied; by his knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, as he will bear their iniquities.” Isaiah 53:11. We are justified through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He paid the price so we can return and repent of our sins before God. And God can receive us back because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ. This is justification before God.

Crain Blanchard.

http://www.joseph1637.com