Romans Chap 4 - Counted Righteous

From the movie, Martin Luther, as spoken in a sermon by Martin Luther:

“So when the devil throws your sins in your face and declares that you deserve death and hell tell him this, ‘I admit that I deserve death and hell, what of it? For I know one that suffered and made satisfaction in my behalf, his name is Jesus Christ, son of God, where he is there I shall be also.’ ” from the video found at http://focusedonchrist.blogspot.com/2009/11/motivation-for-reformation.html

In Romans chapter three we read and adopted as our keyword “There is None Righteous.” This is a very large statement - for when it says NONE it includes us all. Rom 3:19 says the same thing “every mouth maybe be stopped” from any sense of excuse or defense. And “all the world may become guilty before God.”

Rom 3:23 also plainly declaring in truth that “All have sinned…”

Eze 18:4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

Gal 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. (that word “continueth” tells me that under the law you must continue at all times - every moment - with every breath and every beat of your heart. And that word “all” tells me that it must be in everything perfectly. Every point of the law nothing failing must be kept perfectly and continuously. I AM UNDONE)

So the testimony being clear that there is NONE RIGHTEOUS, and we know also that the UNRIGHTEOUS shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.
1Co 6:9-11 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?

But if the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God, and there is None righteous, not even me, where can I go? To whom should I flee, for I, having no righteousness of my own, am at a loss, a great and terrible loss, I with no goodness of my own by which I can enter heaven and stand before GOD. My heart cries out in earnest despair “What righteousness is there then by which I can stand in the day of Judgment?”

IMPUTED RIGHTOUSNESS
GLORIOUS AND EXCEEDINGLY GREAT GOOD NEWS - for what does the scriptures say:
Rom 4:3 - Abraham believed God, and it was COUNTED unto him for righteousness. Surely the scriptures included Abraham when they said there is NONE RIGHTEOUS, and yet Abraham by God was COUNTED righteous. This gives me some hope. This is good news. Can I hope also like Abraham to believe God and by faith to be counted righteous?

Romans Chapter Four assures us that this is the very case:
Rom 4:23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
Rom 4:24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
Rom 4:25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

Jesus Christ suffered and died on the cross in our place and for our sins. Jesus Christ having completed and satisfied in his LIFE and Death all that he set out to do, sin having no more hold on him, HE was raised again, having completed that work which was necessary for our justification.

TO US it shall be IMPUTED, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead. Nothing meritorious in our own faith, but faith the means or instrument which joins us to Christ who did what he did in our place.

THE RIGHTEOUSNESS WE NEED IN ORDER TO STAND IN THE DAY OF JUDGMENT IS OF GOD IMPUTED TO US BY FAITH. So our keyword for Romans chapter four is IMPUTATION or the Greek word LOGIZOMAI.


SOME FURTHER OBSERVATIONS FROM ROMANS CHAPTER FOUR:
In Eleven verses in Romans Chapter Four the Greek word, Logizomai, appears:
Verses 3,4,5,6,8,9,10,11,22,23,24

This Greek word, Logizomai, in Romans Chapter Four translated in various translations as:
Credited, Counted, Reckoned, Imputed, Take into Account

WHAT DO WE MEAN BY IMPUTED RIGTHEOUSNESS?
“When we say that God imputes Christ’s righteousness to us, it means that God thinks of Christ’s righteousness as belonging to us, or regards it as belonging to us. He “reckons” it to our account. … In this way, Christ’s righteousness became ours. Paul says that we are those who received “the free gift of righteousness” (Rom 5:17) 1

EMPHASIS ON ABRAHAM:
- How he was counted righteous, not by works but by faith. (Rom 4:1-5)
- How he is the father of us all which are of Faith (Rom 4:16)

EMPHASIS ON TIMING:
Was it before or after Abraham was circumcised that Abraham was counted righteous? There is a significant emphasis on timing in this chapter that it was indeed BEFORE. (Rom 4:10)
- So that we would know it is NOT by Works BUT by Faith that Abraham was counted righteous.
- So that we would know Abraham is the father of all them that believe even though they are not circumcised. (Rom 4:11)
- So that we would know the promise is not through the law but through the righteousness of faith. (Rom 4:13)
- So that we know that the promise is SURE to those who are of the faith of ABRAHAM (Rom 4:16)
- So that we know that there is no future imputation of righteousness but NOW if we believe we are counted righteous. Not after a life well-lived on the merit of cooperating with the grace of God worked in us, but NOW we are counted righteous even as Abraham was 14 years before he was circumcised who Believed God’s promise of the seed which is Christ. See also Gen 12:3, Gen 15:6, Gal 3:8, Gal 3:16, Gen 3:15.

NOT FAITH BUT CHRIST:
We are counted righteous not on account of our faith, but by means of faith. (Remember even faith is a gift Eph 2:8-9)

Wayne Grudem writes: “Faith is an instrument to obtain justification, but it has no merit in itself….Scripture never says that we are justified because of the inherent goodness of our faith, as if our faith has merit before God. It never allows us to think that our faith in itself earns favor with God. Rather, Scripture says that we are justified “by means of” our faith, understanding faith to be the instrument through which justification is given to us, but not at all an activity that earns us merit of favor with God. Rather we are justified solely because of the merits of Christ’s work (Rom. 5:17-19)” 2

From The Everlasting Righteousness by Horatius Bonar.
Faith is not the cross.
Faith is not the sacrifice.
Faith cannot be a sin bearer.
Faith does not expiate any guilt.
Faith does not propitiate the wrath of God. Christ is our propitiation. He is the propitiatory sacrifice for us to God.
Faith is not the blood that washes away all our sins and by which we are redeemed.
Faith is not satisfaction to God.
Faith is not the physician but brings us to the physician that heals.
Faith is not Christ - it is our connection unto him.
1Co 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
Php 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS and IMPARTED RIGHTEOUSNESS:
During our discussion of Romans Chapter Four, I made a big deal over the distinction between these two terms. Citing the comfort and understanding that came to me when I first had this distinction described. Plus the battle that still continues even within myself not to confuse these two truths and realities as I continue daily in my walk with Christ.

By Imparted Righteousness, I mean that change of character which God works in us. It is an internal work of the Holy Spirit. It is the making of the man a new creation. Grace working in him. God working in Him both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
See 2Cor 5:17, Phil 2:13, Rom 8:13.

Wayne Grudem using a synonymous term “infused righteousness” and describes what we mean by imparted righteousness as:
“righteousness that God actually puts into us and that changes us internally and in terms of our actual moral character.” 3 God does this, we refer to this work as taking place in sanctification. If we view this “righteousness imparted” as that by which we merit acceptance with God and as the basis of our justification (or being declared righteous) then as Wayne Grudem also writes “ultimately, the logical consequence of this view of justification is that our eternal life with God is not based on God’s grace alone but partially on our merit as well. … to assign saving merit to man’s internal righteousness and “good works” in this way ultimately destroys the heart of the gospel itself.” 4

The following table contrasting the two doctrines of Justification and Sanctification may prove helpful in understanding how it is NOT by the internal change (imparted righteousness) that we find our PERFECT RIGHTOUES STANDING before God.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN JUSTIFICATION AND SANCTIFICATION 5 (italics added by me)

JUSTIFICATION <--> SANCTIFICATION
Imputed Righteousness <--> Imparted Righteousness
Legal Standing <-->Internal Condition
Once for all time <--> Continuous throughout life
Perfect in this life <--> Not perfect in this life
The same in all Christians <--> Greater in some than in others
Entirely God’s Work <-->We cooperate (this takes some qualification 6)

ILLUSTRATION:
As an illustration showing that Justification involves not only the forgiveness and cleaning of our sins but also the counting us as perfectly righteous through the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to our account by faith consider the following analogy:
Suppose the following to have occurred:

I’m in great debt to the bank.
But bank no longer requires me to pay the debt.
But better yet - not only do I not need to pay the debt the balance is wiped out. I am free of any debt. My debt balance is zero.
But now I am still penniless - I have no money.
But then the bank deposits an equally great sum to my account.

And so also: Not only have I been forgiven by virtue of Christ dying in my place but there is no debt against me. Not just forgiven but cleansed of any debt. Truly forgiven.
But if I hope to get to heaven I must not be merely neutral, I must be perfectly righteous - which righteousness I have in Christ for his righteousness has been reckoned to me.

So justification is more than just-as-if-I-never sinned. It is MORE, We mean more, we mean that plus…., that on the basis of the death of Jesus in my place I have been forgiven plus also his in-my-place-life-of-obedience-and-righteousness which he did is imputed to me by faith. JUSTIFICATION a declaration of righteousness based on both the guilt and penalty of sin fully satisfied in the death and suffering of Jesus and the COUNTING to me of his righteous obedient life.


When we sing the hymn, SOLID ROCK, with words “nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness” we are singing to the truth that it is indeed Christ righteousness alone upon which our hope is built. Not on our cooperating with his Grace and work for a possible recognition of righteousness. And when we sing “I dare not trust the sweetest frame,” we mean that we are NOT trusting some work of grace internally done in us. Which if we belong to Jesus Christ will be done in us and yet this is not our ground of merit for heaven. This sweet frame though a work of grace and of the Spirit of God is a work in progress. It is a righteousness IMPARTED and the sanctifying work of the Spirit. But Justification is a righteousness declared based upon an imputing of Jesus’ own Righteousness, which is perfect and complete, and so we sing of a hope built upon that which is by faith counted to us as our own perfection. And not of a hope based upon good works, good thoughts, good love, which we do by his grace. For what Christ did in our place and for us far outshines in perfection, and holiness and goodness all the good we can hope to do by his grace in this life.

On that great day of judgment if we are found IN HIM (the Lord Jesus Christ) we will be dressed in HIS righteousness alone. We will be faultless because Christ is Faultless. For the righteousness of another, even the Lord Jesus Christ, which he worked on our behalf and in our place has been counted to us by faith.

SOLID ROCK by Edward Mote
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, His covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

Refrain:
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
For a commentary on this hymn see: http://www.jaywingard.com/2007/09/15/my-hope-is-built-on-nothing-less/


BUT HOW CAN THIS WORK?
Which leads to Chap 5 with this Ques. How is it that the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF ANOTHER can be COUNTED to me?

And in answering this question we come to the keyword and memory verse for Romans Chapter Five.

Keyword: REPRESENTATION, or HEADSHIP
Memory Verse: Rom 5:19




REVIEW and Personal Application QUESTIONS: 7
(I found these questions in Bible Doctrines, by Wayne Grudem. It seemed appropriate both as an introduction to Romans Chapter five and as a check to see if we understand the material we have covered this far.)

- Define the word justify as used in the New Testament in verses such as Rom 3:20, 26, 28 Rom 4:5, Rom 8:33.

- Does God’s act of justification actually change our internal nature or character at all? Why or why not?

- God’s declaration of justification involves what two factors?

- How can God declare us righteous when we are in fact guilty sinners? Is this righteousness based on our own actions or actual inner nature? If not, then on what is it based?

- Briefly explain the difference between a belief system which teaches you are declared righteous and justified based on an internal change God has done in you -- verses having the righteousness of Jesus Christ credited to you? Contrast how these might affect the practical living out in an individual, how it would affect the way they view their relationship to God if they held to one or they other view. Contrast how these reflect on these two differing ideas of justification relate to the glory of God.

- What is the relationship between faith and justification? Does faith earn us salvation? Explain.

- If you think of yourself standing before God on the day of judgment, would you think that it is enough simply to have your sins all forgiven, or would you also feel a need to have the righteousness of Christ reckoned to your account?

- Have you ever wondered if God is still continuing to punish you from time to time for sins you have done in the past, even long ago? How does the doctrine of justification help you deal with those feelings?

Wayne Grudem:
It is essential to the heart of the gospel to insist that God declares us to be just or righteous not on the basis of our actual condition of righteousness or holiness, but rather on the basis of Christ’s perfect righteousness, which God thinks of as belonging to us. This was the heart of the difference between Protestantism and Roman Catholicism at the Reformation. Protestantism since the time of Martin Luther has insisted that justification does not change us internally and it is not a declaration based in any way on any goodness that we have in ourselves.

If justification changed us internally and then declared us to be righteous based on how good we actually were, then (1) we could never be declared perfectly righteous in this life, because there is always sin that remains in our lives, and (2) there would be no provision for forgiveness of past sins (committed before we were changed internally), and therefore we could never have confidence that we are right before God. We would lose the confidence that Paul has when he says, “Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1). If we thought of justification as based on something that we are internally we would never have the confidence to say with Paul, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1). We would have no assurance of forgiveness with God, no confidence to draw near to him “with a true heart in full assurance of faith” (Heb. 10:22). We would not be able to speak of “the free gift of righteousness” (Rom 5:17), or say that “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23). 8
(italics in original)

1 Wayne Grudem, Bible Doctrine, Zondervan 1999, p. 318.
2 Wayne Grudem, Bible Doctrine, Zondervan 1999, p. 321.
3 Wayne Grudem, Bible Doctrine, Zondervan 1999, p. 320.
4 Wayne Grudem, Bible Doctrine, Zondervan 1999, p. 320.
5 Wayne Grudem, Bible Doctrine, Zondervan 1999, p. 326.
6 Grudem explains: “The role that we play in sanctification is both a passive one in which we depend on God to sanctify us, and an active one in which we strive to obey God and take steps that will increase our sanctification…Yield…Rom 6:13...Present yourselves Rom 12:1..Put to death .. Rom 8:13...abstain from immorality.. 1The 4:3...purifies himself..1Jo 3:3..” Bible Doctrine, P 331-2.
7 Wayne Grudem, Bible Doctrine, Zondervan 1999, p. 324-5.
8 Wayne Grudem, Bible Doctrine, Zondervan 1999, p. 319.

Robert Dick Wilson

In view of the previous post I made on Gen 4:7, you may enjoy reading the particular quote ascribed to Robert Dick Wilson. What he says below strikes true with me in this respect: True Scholarship will search out a matter to the sources and discover where an error has been made in the continuous propagation of the mis-opinion of an earlier authority.


QUOTE ASCRIBED TO ROBERT DICK WILSON:

“You will have observed that the critics of the Bible who go to it in order to find fault have a most singular way of claiming to themselves all knowledge and all virtue and all love of truth. One of their favorite phrases is, ‘All scholars agree.’ When a man writes a book and seeks to gain a point by saying ‘All scholars agree,’ I wish to know who the scholars are and why they agree. Where do they get their evidence from to start with?"

“I remember that some years ago I was investigating the word ‘Baca,’ which you have in the English Bible — ‘Passing through the valley of Baca, make it a well.’ I found in the Hebrew dictionary that there was a traveler named Burkhart, who said that ‘Baca’ meant mulberry trees. That was not very enlightening. I could not see how mulberries had anything to do with water. I looked up all the authority of the scholars in Germany and England since Burkhart’s time and found they had all quoted Burkhart. Just one scholar at the back of it! When I was traveling in the Orient, I found that we had delicious water here and there. The water sprang up apparently out of the ground in the midst of the desert. I asked my brother who was a missionary where this water came from. He said, ‘They bring this water from the mountains. It is an underground aqueduct. They cover it over to prevent it from evaporating.’ Now the name of that underground aqueduct was Baca."

“My point is that you ought to be able to trace back this agreement among scholars to the original scholar who propounded the statement, and then find out whether what that scholar said is true. What was the foundation of his statement?"

See also in this recent blog post, where the same problem described by Wilson is illustrated in a book review written Con Campbell on Daniel Wallace's book: Granville Sharp’s Canon and Its Kin: Semantics and Significance.

Read Better, Preach Better (blog name)
by Con Cambell

Click here for full post
"Third, the historical survey is very useful, as it answers one question that I’ve held for some time: if Granville Sharp’s rule is both correct and important, why has it been so neglected in Greek grammars and NT commentaries? Wallace convincingly argues that it is basically Georg Winer’s fault. As the preeminent Greek scholar of the nineteenth century, his almost off-hand (and theologically prejudiced) comments on Titus 2:13 set a pattern of neglect of Sharp’s rule through to the present day." http://readbetterpreachbetter.com/2009/12/07/reading-granville-sharps-canon-and-its-kin-by-daniel-b-wallace/

Geneva Bible - Desire

Gen 4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be ^e accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the ^f door. And unto thee [shall be] his ^g desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

(e) Both you and your sacrifice shall be acceptable to me.
(f) Sin will still torment your conscience.
(g) The dignity of the first born is given to Cain over Abel.

I really like this note for the explanation of the phrase "unto thee shall be his desire." Some translations stumble at this verse and replace the translation for the Hebrew Masculine pronoun as "its" instead of "his." With the tendency to interpret the antecedent of the pronoun as "sin" instead of "Abel". Defining and translating what the word "desire" here means affects another significant passage, Gen 3:16. The Hebrew word for desire is teshûqâh, and appears only the the following three verses: Gen 3:16, Gen 4:7, and Song 7:10.

If the antecedent to the personal pronoun in Gen 4:7 is sin and as the modern translators and commentators explain it, "Cain, if you don't do what's right, then, sin is close by and desires to devour you up." And then with that understanding in hand they move over to Gen 3:16 and explain what happens there as GOD Placing a curse upon marriage. Such that the woman will always desire to rule over her husband. And thus marriage is under a specific curse with a specific need in the wife to rule, dominate and subjugate her husband. This passage is also used as an explanation for modern day Feminism - like a specific curse from the mouth of God.

But if the Geneva Note Makers have it right, the word "desire" in Gen 4:7 rather states "Cain if you don't do right, sin is close by - at the door. But if you do well -- then Abel will be as the second born and in proper relationship to you as the first born." So understanding teshuquah then meaning not a desire to devour, but the assuming of a role that is the proper submitting to someone else according to their God ordained role.

So then also, rather than cursing marriage, and placing into the heart of woman a desire to rule over and dominate her husband, we have instead God stating the roles between husband and wife. The husband as the head and the wife submitting to the husband in the Lord.

This post might catch you off guard, I've heard many sermons along the lines opposite of what the Geneva Note Makers ascribe here. I prefer the understanding they have taken over the idea that God has placed marriage under a specific curse. Calvin's commentary on both Gen 3:16 and Gen 4:7 and his treatment of the word desire, teshûqâh, is very helpful. Note: Neither the Strongs nor the Brown Driver Briggs Lexicon will prove helpful in supporting the Geneva Note on this verse. But I am reminded of what I have read Robert Dick Wilson write, that sometimes you must get beyond the Lexicon and not perpetuate the opinion of one Lexicographer from recent history. Besides that, I am confident, you can find Lexicons with this word defined precisely as we see used here in the Geneva Bible Notes. Though as I write this blog post too many years having transpired I cannot recall which ones support this view.

Please consider Calvin's Commentary on Gen 3:16 (click here for online version)
“Thy desire shall be unto thy husband,” is of the same force as if he had said that she should not be free and at her own command, but subject to the authority of her husband and dependent upon his will; or as if he had said, ‘Thou shalt desire nothing but what thy husband wishes.’ As it is declared afterwards, Unto thee shall be his desire, (Genesis 4:7.) Thus the woman, who had perversely exceeded her proper bounds, is forced back to her own position. She had, indeed, previously been subject to her husband, but that was a liberal and gentle subjection; now, however, she is cast into servitude.

Also Calvin on Gen 4:7 click here for online version

And unto thee shall be his desire. Nearly all commentators refer this to sin, and think that, by this admonition, those depraved hosts are restrained which solicit and impel the mind of man. Therefore, according to their view, the meaning will be of this kind, ‘If sin rises against thee to subdue thee, why dost thou indulge it, and not rather labor to restrain and control it? For it is thy part to subdue and bring into obedience those affections in thy flesh which thou perceivest to be opposed to the will of God, and rebellious against him.’ But I suppose that Moses means something entirely different. I omit to notice that to the Hebrew word for sin is affixed the mark of the feminine gender, but that here two masculine relative pronouns are used. Certainly Moses does not treat particularly of the sin itself which was committed, but of the guilt which is contracted from it, and of the consequent condemnation. How, then, do these words suit, ‘Unto thee shall be his desire?’

There will, however be no need for long refutation when I shall produce the genuine meaning of the expression. It rather seems to be a reproof, by which God charges the impious man with ingratitude, because he held in contempt the honor of primogeniture. The greater are the divine benefits with which any one of us is adorned, the more does he betray his impiety unless he endeavors earnestly to serve the Author of grace to whom he is under obligation. When Abel was regarded as his brother’s inferior, he was, nevertheless, a diligent worshipper of God. But the firstborn worshipped God negligently and perfunctorily, though he had, by the Divine kindness, arrived at so high a dignity; and, therefore, God enlarges upon his sin, because he had not at least imitated his brother, whom he ought to have surpassed as far in piety as he did in the degree of honor. Moreover, this form of speech is common among the Hebrews, that the desire of the inferior should be towards him to whose will he is subject; thus Moses speaks of the woman, (Genesis 3:16,) that her desire should be to her husband. They, however, childishly trifle, who distort this passage to prove the freedom of the will; for if we grant that Cain was admonished of his duty in order that he might apply himself to the subjugation of sin, yet no inherent power of man is to be hence inferred; because it is certain that only by the grace of the Holy Spirit can the affections of the flesh be so mortified that they shall not prevail. Nor, truly, must we conclude, that as often as God commands anything we shall have strength to perform it, but rather we must hold fast the saying of Augustine, ‘Give what thou commandest, and command what thou wilt.’

Geneva Bible

NEW *** NEW *** NEW

Being greatly encouraged by my friend Jim, It is my hope that by the Grace of God this year, 2010, I will be enabled to read through the 1599 Geneva Bible. So far the process has been very enjoyable. I intend to not only reading the biblical text itself but also all the associated notes. As I have already begun to read, what I am finding in the notes is both explanation of the text, Christ-centered comments, personal application, and much doctrine (truths upon which we build our lives). Some comments I readily agree with, others I don't, while others cause me to think, meditate, contemplate, or file away for future reflection. So in addition to blog posts on the study my girls and I are making through Pilgrim's Progress, our on-going notes in the Keyword Study through Romans, and the occasional spontaneous article, I hope to post those notes that I find interesting either for the new insight they provide, the encouragement I receive, or something quite out of the ordinary. I have been some what prepared for this project through recently reading Gerald Hammond's, The Making of the English Bible, in which, the author made numerous commendable observations concerning the Geneva Translations faithfulness to the original Hebrew.

As I read thru the Geneva, I'm underlining text, marking up the comments and making marginal notes. My intention is to bring the more noteworthy markings to our attention in this blog.

My read-thru-the-bible plan is simple. I took the total number of pages, 1340 divided by 365 days in a year which equates to 3.67 pages a day. Rounding up I determined that if I generally read about five pages a day, I can read the whole bible in one year in a plan that allows me to miss one day a week or 4 days a month. Kind of a slacker plan but it works for me. (I always try after reading five pages to read to the end of a chapter. But if I'm so inclined I may even read more than five pages. So it's a pretty loose read-thru-the-bible-method.)

Enough of the prefatory explanation and on to the NOTES OF INTEREST:

GENESIS CHAPTERS ONE-THREE:

Gen 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

Which note confirms a precious truth and explanation concerning what it means to be made in the image of God:
"This image and likeness of God in man is expounded in (Eph_4:24) where it is written that man was created after God in righteousness and true holiness meaning by these two words, all perfection, as wisdom, truth, innocency, power, etc. "

Gen 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely (m) die.

(m) By death he means the separation of man from God, who is our life and chief happiness: and also that our disobedience is the cause of it.


Gen 2:22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a (o) woman, and brought her unto the man.

(o) Signifying that mankind was perfect, when the woman was created, who before was like an imperfect building.

Gen 2:23 Then the man said, This now is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. She shalbe called (1) woman, because she was taken out of man.

(1) Or, Manness, because she cometh of man: for in Hebrew Ish is man, and Ishah the woman.

Gen 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: (s) cursed [is] the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat [of] it all the days of thy life;

(s) The transgression of God's commandment was the reason that both mankind and all other creatures were subject to the curse.

I kind of started out slow in my underlining and margin making. Sometimes in the Geneva notes are references to a more literal understanding of the Hebrew as appears in the note for Gen 3:4 where we read in Geneva "Ye shall not die at all." and in the note "Hebrew, die the death." This was of especial interest to me because in the KJV in Gen 2:17 we read "shalt surely die." and in Gen 3:4 the serpent saying "Ye shall not surely die." Which reminds me of something Gerald Hammond wrote in his book that the AV translators very often use "surely" as an adverbial intensifier. Instead of the literal "dying thou shalt die," the translators wishing to translate the effect of the Hebrew phrase into English give us "shalt surely die."

Though I didn't underline the following because they were familiar to me, yet I set them forth here. To show the Christ-Centeredness of the Geneva notes:

Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between (o) thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy (p) head, and thou shalt (q) bruise his heel.

(o) He chiefly means Satan, by whose action and deceit the serpent deceived the woman.

(p) That is, the power of sin and death.

(q) Satan shall sting Christ and his members, but not overcome them.


Gen 3:16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy (r) sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire [shall be] to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

(r) The Lord comforts Adam by the promise of the blessed seed, and also punishes the body for the sin which the soul should have been punished for; that the spirit having conceived hope of forgiveness might live by faith. (1Co_14:34).

Romans - Reviewing Chapters One - Three

This post is part of a study in Romans, whereby we identify keywords and phrases for each chapter with the goal of having a handle on the subject matter and flow of thought within Romans whereby we can preach the gospel to ourselves and others every day. See here for a introduction and description of our study in Romans.

The following is a handout I made to review the previous seven weeks of study and to introduce chapter four with new Keywords and Memory verses.

ROMANS - SUMMARY SO FAR

Keywords:
Chap 1: Without Excuse
Chap 2: The Law Condemns
Chap 3: There is none righteous
Chap 4: Imputation/Logizomai

Alternate Keywords:
Chap 1: The Indictment Begins (Rom 1:18)
Chap 2: (open for suggestions)
Chap 3: All have sinned, Total Depravity
Chap 4: Counted Righteous

Memory Verses:
Rom 1:20
Rom 2:13
Rom 3:10
Rom 4:3

Extended Memory Verses
Chap 1: Rom 1:1, Rom 1:8, Rom 1:16-20
Chap 2: Rom 2:12-16
Chap 3: Rom 3:10-12, Rom 3:18, Rom 3:21, Rom 3:23, Rom 3:28-29
Chap 4: Rom 4:23-25

REVIEW:
Chapter One showing us that we were all WITHOUT EXCUSE. That what can be known of God has been made MANFEST IN us and shown to us by GOD. Even the invisible things of God being clearly understood ever since the creation of the world, from the things that are made, even his eternal power and GODHEAD. God is. Who can deny? No one! All are without excuse. As my little girl almost 10 years old at the time said, “There had to be someone that wasn’t made to make all that was made.”

Moving on to Chapter Two, we find that the there is no law to empower us unto the making of our own righteousness. No standard we can erect will ever serve to justify us in the end before a holy God. Having the standard is never enough we must from the first breath uphold all things perfectly and at all times, for it is not the hearers of the law that are just before God but the doers of the law that shall be justified. Again from the mouth of my little girls: “The law tells you what to do, but it doesn’t give you the power to do it.” And if we might assert “We had no standard to guide us, we had no law written on stone to show us the way, how can we then be judged?” We also learned that we evidence all the time the work of the law written on our hearts, we have a conscience, we look at the actions of one another and say approvingly ‘that was good’ or ‘that was bad.’ We have law enough, which if we sin without law we shall also PERISH without law. So then the Law cannot save us, but only condemn. The Law Condemns, either that law which the Jews were under or even which standard is a “work of the law written in our hearts.”

Then in Chapter Three, the case against us having already been made , yet there is more. We hear an argument from Holy Scriptures written long before the book of Romans. “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one.” A number of scriptures are cited, humbling us, showing us our hopeless state without remedy in ourselves. Some of which are:
Psa 14:1-3, Psa 53:1-3, Psa 5:9, Psa 140:3, Psa 10:7, Isa 59:7-8, Psa 36:1

The charges are numerous, our own inability plainly stated: “None that understands,” “none that seeks after God,” Everyone unprofitable, no one doing GOOD. My Throat like an open grave is a man-eater. (note: I said “my” not “their” for the difficulty for me is to see my own place in this dreadful list, to see these holy charges falling upon me, but they do if I attempt to stand on my own person, ability and goodness.) My tongue has used deceit, and the deadly poison of an asp is under my lips. Mouth full of cursing - (too well do I know that truth.) Destruction and misery in my way. Not knowing the way of peace with my wife, my fellow, my friend, and especially MY GOD. The one true cause of all the previously mentioned is summed all up in the greatest of all sins, “There is no fear of God before my eyes.” Had I feared God aright, my entire passion would be for him, my thoughts always running to him, I would have diligently read His book, prayed without ceasing, this Holy Fear would have flavored my every action. Fear that doesn’t cower but cries out “who do I have in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee.” Not the fear of cowardice but the Holy fear that COMES to God.

Matthew Henry:
The fear of God is here put for all practical religion, which consists in an awful and serious regard to the word and will of God as our rule, to the honour and glory of God as our end. Wicked people have not this before their eyes; that is, they do not steer by it; they are governed by other rules, aim at other ends.

How PRECIOUS therefore is the good news that follows this dreadful list, the righteousness of God without the law, being freely justified, Christ set forth by God to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, and so God is JUST and the JUSTIFIER to him which believeth in Jesus. How can we conclude otherwise except this: “A man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.” So well am I made to see THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS NOT EVEN ME.

Rom 3:21
Rom 3:22
Rom 3:24
Rom 3:25
Rom 3:26
Rom 3:28

AND So the question arises and is yet more fully answered in Chapter Four, “What righteousness is there then by which I can stand in the day of Judgment?”

Pilgrim's Progress - SHAMGAR

As we read through Pilgrim's Progress it is very often this that strikes me, the fullness of Bunyan's entire grasp of the Word of God. Shamgar being a great example. Who is Shamgar? I confess, though I've read Bunyan for a long time, I had not properly internalized Bunyan's use of Shamgar, why I couldn't even recall his mentioning of Shamgar, nor could I remember this Shamgar's appearance in the Word of God, even though I've read of him many times. Spurgeon remarked of Bunyan, "Prick him anywhere — his blood is Bibline, the very essence of the Bible flows from him." Through my not recalling Shamgar, I must admit my blood is not yet Bibline so much as I desire, no not even close.

Today my girls and I read the following passage from The Pilgrim's Progress. I've bold faced a couple of things we spent time on.

"The next day they took him, and had him into the armory, where they showed him all manner of furniture which their Lord had provided for pilgrims, as sword, shield, helmet, breastplate, all-prayer, and shoes that would not wear out. And there was here enough of this to harness out as many men for the service of their Lord as there be stars in the heaven for multitude.

They also showed him some of the engines with which some of his servants had done wonderful things. They showed him Moses’ rod; the hammer and nail with which Jael slew Sisera; the pitchers, trumpets, and lamps too, with which Gideon put to flight the armies of Midian. Then they showed him the ox-goad wherewith Shamgar slew six hundred men. They showed him also the jawbone with which Samson did such mighty feats. They showed him moreover the sling and stone with which David slew Goliath of Gath; and the sword also with which their Lord will kill the man of sin, in the day that he shall rise up to the prey. They showed him besides many excellent things, with which Christian was much delighted. This done, they went to their rest again."

This section of our book drawing at least from the following biblical passages, I invite you to read these scriptures and look into the armory of Palace Beautifual and see the "furniture" of war, and the "engines" employed by God's servants:

The various armor: Eph 6:10-20
Moses’ rod: Exo 4:1-5, Exo 7:8-12
Jael’s hammer and nail: Judges 4:17-22
Gideon’s pitchers, trumpets, and lamps: Judges 7:16-23
Shamgar’s oxgoad: Judges 3:31 - see also Judges 5:6
Samson’s jawbone of an ass: Judges 15:14-17

Ever considered the two words from this passage from Eph 6:18 "Praying always with all prayer.." "All-Prayer" as a weapon in and of itself? ALL-PRAYER, a suitable weapon indeed. But Shamgar's oxgoad, not so suitable against Philistine soldiers or Philistine Bandits armed with swords, and bows, and armor. Yet, this oxgoad, only a famer's stick used to prod oxen along in their work is WEAPON APLENTY when yielded by Shamgar full of GRACE and the SPIRIT OF THE LIVING GOD. Shamgar, Only twice mentioned in all of scripture, yet this twice mentioning is for our learning and admonishment, is also at least twice mentioned by Bunyan. I found him also here in the last stanza of a poem by Bunyan called, "A Book for Boys and Girls or Temporal Things Spiritualized"
click here for online version

And for the inconsiderableness
Of things, by which I do my mind express,
May I by them bring some good thing to pass,
As Samson, with the jawbone of an ass;
Or as brave Shamgar, with his ox’s goad
(Both being things not manly, nor for war in mode),
I have my end, though I myself expose
To scorn; God will have glory in the close.

George Cheever in his book Lectures on the Pilgrim's Progress explains for us what we might learn from considering and looking upon the "engines" that God's Servants used in time past:

"The communion of saints was never more sweetly depicted, than in Christian's sojourning in the House Beautiful. But he staid not there for pleasure; that was not the end of his journey, nor the object of it; nor did he there, as in the Arbor, use for an indulgence to the flesh what was meant for the encouragement and refreshment of the spirit. He was up by day-break singing and praying, and then they had him into the study, to show him the rarities of the place ; and the next day into the armory, to show him all manner of warlike furniture, which the Lord of the way had provided for pilgrims, where also he was made to see ancient things, which, if Bunyan could be here to interpret, he would doubtless tell us were intended to symbolize that divine grace by which the servants of the Lord have done so many wonderful things, that grace which, though to the world and the Goliaths in it, it looks as foolish as David's sling and pebble stones against a giant in full armor, is yet stronger than death, and shall overcome every thing ; for the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. "
Click here for online version or see link in the right margin of this blog.

Don't you love it? - Bunyan's description and Cheever's explanation of what our fellowship in the local church should be, could be, and for many of us very happy ones truly is, praise be to God!. Communion sweetly depicted, pilgrim's equipped with such truth as to be a belt around our waist, examples of grace to make our hearts soar to heavenly heights in joy and trust and faith in Jesus Christ our Savior, the Son of the Ancient of Days, who as Bunyan says came of Eternal Generation.

For Brevity I will leave you only with Matthew Henry's concluding remarks on Shamgar from Judges 3:31, but I urge you if you can, to read his entire commentary on this passage which supplies also good background:

Matthew Henry's Commentary, Judges 3:31:
"See here, (1.) That God can make those eminently serviceable to his glory and his church's good whose extraction, education, and employment, are very mean and obscure. He that has the residue of the Spirit could, when he pleased, make ploughmen judges and generals, and fishermen apostles. (2.) It is no matter how weak the weapon is if God direct and strengthen the arm. An ox-goad, when God pleases, shall do more than Goliath's sword. And sometimes he chooses to work by such unlikely means, that the excellency of the power may appear to be of God." Click here for Matthew Henry on Judges Chap 3 - and then scroll down for v31.

The Gospel in a Box of Love

It was my joy today to lead in praying, dedicating to God's purposes the Christmas Boxes so lovingly prepared by my brothers and sisters in Christ and delivered to our church today soon to be sent off for parts around the world. Praying for our great savior to receive all the glory, for his gospel to enter into the ears and sink down into the hearts of the little boys and girls receiving these boxes. It's exciting to to think what blessing the recipients may enjoy. Some knowing Christ, comforted a little, finding some joy that though we do not know them yet we are loving them for Christ's sake. Others, hearing for the first time the name of Jesus and discovering the glorious gospel revealing just who is Jesus and what great things he has done. With this blessing in mind, my three little girls enclosed brief notes of encouragement to be read by whomever receives their particular box.

So today I want to present to you as a guest blogger, an excerpt from the words which my 13 yr old daughter penned and enclosed in her box hoping to bring eternal joy and present comfort in the 10-14 year old girl soon to be opening the Christmas box.

In the beginning God created us, and we loved Him and served Him. God made a rule, too not eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But Adam ate it and disobeyed God. When Adam sinned, we sinned. His sin was counted as ours. We are cursed to sin, we are in bondage of sin, slaves of sin. We have to pay for our sins, by dying and going to hell forever.

But there is a second Adam. His name is Jesus. He is our Savior. He can set us free from sin. We don’t have to be in bondage of sin. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life

Our God is so wonderful, sending his son to die for us sinners. Ones who mocked God, disobeyed God, wanted to do evil against God.

And Jesus came to earth willingly. He became flesh, human. He lived a perfect life, without sin. He bore the cup of God’s wrath, for us. He died on the cross and paid for our sins. He was counted sinful even though he never sinned.

That is the Gospel.

I am so thankful that Jesus died for those who believe in Him and will believe in Him. I am so thankful that he can come in us and work in us to want to believe, and to want to be a child of God, and call him, Abba, Father.

Related Posts:
Gospel Thinking - Jim gives a summation of the gospel. click here
Summarizing the Gospel - Gospel in a paragraph. click here

For more on Samaritan's Purse, Operation Christmas Child, including videos and pictures click here.