Category: Romans
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Sinful Nature: A Greek Paradigm
For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. Romans 7:18 (NIV) Sinful nature – If it’s in the Bible, it must be true, right? Unfortunately, “sinful nature” is not what…
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Calling on the Name
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Romans 10:13 (KJV) Call – For most of Christianity, we imagine ourselves verbally calling out “Jesus” to receive salvation. In fact Paul writes just three verses earlier, “with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Obviously there’s a message about verbalizing the…
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Firstborn?
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Romans 8:29 (KJV) Firstborn – Who is the firstborn of God? Before you answer, think about how many firstborns can a parent have? One. There can be only…
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You Are Not Predestined
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Romans 8:29 (KJV) Predestinate – For a moment, imagine that Paul’s letter to the Romans is not about you. It wasn’t written to you or any other 21st…
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Written On Their Hearts
14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;…
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Oldness of the Letter
But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. Romans 7:6 (KJV) Oldness of the letter – Chapter 7 of Romans is perhaps one of my favorite chapters of the New Testament. It…
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Word of Faith
But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; Romans 10:8 (KJV) Word of faith – Paul shares something interesting here. First, in verse 1 and 2, Paul expresses his hope for Israel to be saved, and he…
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No “I” in “team”
so there are many of us, and in union with the Messiah we comprise one body, with each of us belonging to the others. Romans 12:5 (CJB) Belonging to the others – This verse is a difficult one to translate. Have you ever read it in the KJV, or the NASB? It doesn’t quite make…
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Is He Writing to You?
Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? Romans 7:1 (KJV) Know – Modern day Christianity loves to apply Paul’s writings as if he was speaking to us personally in our current day culture. But he wasn’t.…
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Special Delivery
But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Romans 6:17 (KJV) Delivered – It seems Paul sent a special delivery to the church in Rome. And in this verse their obedience to this doctrine is contrasted by their former…