The Miracle of Creation, part 2

Here is a fascinating fact about our incredible world, which I read from John MacArthur's sermon on this chapter:

The earth is 25 thousand miles in circumference. It weighs six septillion, five-hundred and eighty-six, six trillion tons. Hangs in empty space. Spins at a thousand miles an hour with perfect balance and that's important so that you're not just jumping every time the earth moves. At the same time that it's spinning at a thousand miles an hour, it is moving through space around the sun at a thousand miles a minute in an orbit of 580 million miles and does so at a perfect angle set to create the seasons which provide all the crops, which feed its inhabitants."
- John MacArthur, Sermon Transcript: Creation Day 5.

That is what we learned God was doing when we read the first half of this chapter last week. This time, we are going to look at the second half of Genesis chapter 1, and how God created all the living things on earth, including man and woman.

Genesis 1:20-2:3 ESV

Study Notes:
Verse 20
And God said, "Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens."

What is the first thing God did here in this verse? ["And God said..." He spoke.] What did God say? What were the waters to be filled with? [Living creatures that swarm in the waters.] And what did He say should be in the expanse of the heavens? [Birds that fly above the earth across the sky.]

Here we read of the first mention of life on earth. This really amazes me, because only God can make things live. These creatures were to be living creatures. They were not like the lifeless globe that God formed to be the world, or like the galaxies of stars and other planets; or like the water, the land, or even like the plants He made to grow on the earth. None of the things God made on earth before verse 20 were living. [It is possible that He had already created living angels and heavenly creatures, but Genesis 1 does not give us an account of that]. So here is the first sign of life on earth. God gave the command and the waters swarmed with swarms of living creatures.

Do you know what lives in the oceans? All kinds of living creatures: from fish to whales, crabs to sea horses. There are coral reefs, turtles, shrimp, krill, giant squid, eels, sea serpents, sponges, and countless schools of fish (some even with glowing lanterns deep in the dark of the oceans). I once saw a school of small fish swimming around the city of Pittsburgh. I was standing on the point where the three rivers meet, and I looked down into the water, and all the way around the point there were thousands of small fish swimming right up next to the wall. They were swarming, just as God commanded, and the waters of the earth are full of creatures that swarm and swim. Literally full of them! Does any one know how many different kinds of aquatic creatures there are in the earth? Does any one know how many different kinds of birds and flying creatures there are on the earth? [Nobody knows, the earth is simply full of them.]

Verses 21-23
So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves , with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth." And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.

Do you remember what this means when it says, "according to their kinds..."? Well, we already learned that God created plants bearing seed each according to their kinds, back in verse 11. Do you remember what is in the seed? What is needed in order to reproduce? Well, I asked if you understood what DNA was last week. All of you either have learned about it in biology or will if you go to college. DNA contains the genetic information stored within the cells of all living organisms. It is the information that gives exact instructions for every detail that makes up a living thing. So when God created each creature in the sea and in the air according to their kinds, He coded each different kind with specific information that can only reproduce more creatures of exactly the same kind. Hummingbirds produce more hummingbirds, because they have the same DNA and genetic information that gives instructions to build every part of their little bodies - from the color of their feathers to the structure of their wings, every part is built exactly as the DNA is coded for. You know what is really interesting about birds and fish? Something they both have in common? They both have an incomprehensible built-in navigation system that allows them to find their way to certain parts of the world no matter what. You know how Salmon can swim from the ocean all the way to your back yard out in the middle of nowhere, in order to get to the right breeding ground where they were born. There is a certain bird that is hatched in Alaska. As soon as it breeds and lays eggs, it begins eating like a pig. It eats and eats and eats, until it gains all this weight (about 7.5 grams... nothing to worry about, its a small bird). Once a certain time of the year comes around, it has to have all its weight gained at the right time, then it takes off along with all the other little guys. They have to weigh just the right amount of grams, or they can't make the non-stop straight flight from Alaska to Hawaii. That's right, they fly across the Atlantic Ocean all the way to Hawaii without stopping. They all have to fly together or they won't make it, because when they fly in groups one gets behind the other and that saves on gas, you know :). They'll die if they don't eat enough food, or if they don't stick with the crowd. When they get to Hawaii, they all know exactly where to go and they land on the exact shore all the other birds have landed before them, even though they've never been to this place and they don't know what a map is! Their offspring do the same thing, same travel route, same time, same place. No scientist knows how they have this knowledge. Well, its easy to explain, God put it in them when He created them for His own good pleasure.

And how did God see all that He had made in the sea and in the air (end of verse 23) ? ["And God saw that it was good."] Notice again that these creatures were living. This amazes me. God created the stars and galaxies in the billions and billions. He even made other planets in the universe. Some with a blend of cosmic gases and heat, some ice cold, some desert rock and wastes, others contain cosmic storms that never seem to end, but the earth was created for life to dwell on it. It is the only one of its kind. That is very profound when you think about it. Notice how God blessed the living creatures? God's blessing was that they would multiply and fill the earth. Did they do what God said? The earth as we know it, is literally filled with creatures in the sea, in lakes, rivers and water everywhere. There are all types of birds that fly in all kinds of amazing ways, and you see them all over. They're all real, live, breathing, eating, swimming and flying creatures. Like I said, amazing! What day was all of this on? [Thursday is the fifth day.]

Verses 24-25
And God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds - livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds." And it was so. And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

This is another day. The day before this, God had already made living creatures in the waters and the birds of the air. What types of living creatures are mentioned here, and where do they live? ["Let the earth bring forth... livestock... and creeping things... and beasts of the earth according to their kinds."]. God made living creatures to occupy every sphere of the planet earth - fish and creatures in the sea, flying birds and creatures in the air, and finally, living creatures on the earth (on land). Again, "each according to their kinds." This would include every type of giant dinosaur to all the tiny insects. They all reproduce after their kinds (according to the precoded DNA information structure within each kind of animal... no evolution supported here). Evolution says they change from one kind (i.e. a fish) into a completely different kind (i.e. an amphibian, then a lizard, then a mammal and so on). That is not at all what the Bible teaches. The Bible teaches that God created them according to each kind from the beginning. Did you know that science can prove this is true? No one has ever been able to find an animal that changed kinds, they only change traits within their kinds when genes get mixed around after breeding. No lizard has the ability to grow feathers and become a bird. That does not happen, and it is not possible, since there is no built-in genetic info (DNA) to make it happen. However, you can get a variety of dogs from Great Danes to Chihuahuas, from wolves to poodles, but they are all within the dog family.

Again, God said it. It came to be, and now the whole earth is populated with every kind of land animal, beast and creeping thing (which includes insects, lizards and even animals that crawl low to the ground.

How did God see what He had made this time? [v25, "And God saw that it was good."] As we read these miracles of creation, do you get the idea that everything God does is good? :)

Verses 26-27
Then 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 birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Who is being created in verse 26? What did God say He created man like? Notice how God referred to Himself when He said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." This is a clear reference to the plural (or triune) nature of God - that He is Father, Son and Holy Spirit - One God, yet three. The Trinity is a mystery. We have a hard time grasping the idea that God is one, not many, and that God is clearly Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This is a very deep mystery to us in many ways. (God is hard for us to explain outside of what the Bible says about Him).

There are a number of ways in which God created man after His own image and in His own likeness. (First of all, we should note who created man. Since God created man, then man is a creature, a creation of God. We are creatures, which means we are created beings, we are not self-existent. Only God is because He is. We are because God made us who we are. We did not exist from all eternity, but came into being by the power of God when He made living land creatures on day six. You may say, "We already know God made us." That's good, but we need to remind ourselves often, so that we give glory to God and not to ourselves for who we are).

What are some ways God made us in His image and different from everything else He created? [We have the abilities to speak, communicate, skills in building, constructing, making complex tools and instruments, the ability to think rationally, logically, and meaningfully, and so on.] What did God give man dominion over? [God gave man dominion over every living thing on earth, and even over all the earth.] This is one way that God made man in His own image and likeness. He gave man the authority and responsibility to rule over God's creation on earth. He gave no other creature this responsibility and authority, and the reason He gave it to man to have dominion, is because man is made in God's image - that is, to reflect God's governing and ruling glory. We were originally created for the glory of God - to reflect His glory in caring for all that is in the earth.

In verse 27, how did God make mankind? What two people does it say He created? [Male and female.] So we see from the very beginning that God created man to be male and female. This is the relationship that we were created to have. This is where we get the definition for marriage. It is a man and a woman, not a man and many women, not a man and a man or a woman with a woman, not a woman with many men (those are all unnatural relationships) - no, it is one man with one woman. God designed marriage. The government did not invent marriage, God did. The government does not have the right to redefine what God has created to be good. Sexual sin violates the way God created us. You were made to be with one mate of the opposite sex for life, and if you try to go against that, you mess with the way God designed you to be. Again, we've all sinned horribly in this area, and we really need to turn from the way we think about it back to God's original design.

Verse 28
And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

What did God do for them? What did He say to them? [God blessed them. God blessed them as His creatures, which He had made for His own glory, and He blessed them in their relationship to each other as husband and wife. He also blessed them by telling them to multiply and fill the earth and to have complete rule and dominion over all of it.]

Verses 29-30
And God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food." And it was so.

What did God give as food? And who did He say could have this food? [Every green plant was given for food to every living thing with the breath of life in them.] Notice, that God created us to be dependent. Do you know what the word dependent means? Dependent means to rely on something or someone else for aid, support or to have needs met. God created all living things to be dependent on food for life, and He provided that food in every green plant. Now, there are a huge variety of plants in the world, so right here God has provided a vast source of nutrition as well as a variety of taste. But not only that, why were they able to have plants and fruit as food? [The answer is because God gave it to them.]

Verse 31
And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Now how did God describe all that He had made? ["It was very good."] What day did all the creation of every land creature, as well as man and woman take place? [Day six, which is Friday.]

Okay, let's end by looking at the first 3 verses of Genesis chapter 2:
Genesis 2:1-3
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

That ends the brief story of when God created the heavens and the earth in the beginning, as verse 1 had said. Next time, we want to look closer at the creation of man and woman in chapter 2. This will all set us up for a big fall in chapter 3 when Adam and Eve listened to the serpent and sinned against God. Then, going back to Romans chapter 5, we will see clearly that this is the reason death is in the world, it is the result of one man's sin. And that leads us to the fascinating miracle of the birth of Christ who came to be the Savior of mankind. Jesus truly is the Lord of all the earth. He became a man, in order to save mankind from our own sin. He died on the cross, taking our fallen-ness on Himself, and He freely gives His perfection to all who come to Him as their resurrected and living High Priest, Prophet and King.

The Bible teaches us that Jesus made all things. John 1:1-3 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made." And Colossians 1:15-16 says about Jesus, "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things were created through him and for him."

Little Bird... Amazing Traveller!

The Miracle of Creation, part 1

Genesis 1:1-19

The Miracle of Creation, part 1

The definition of the term "miracle"
What is a miracle? A miracle has been defined as a work wrought by a divine power for a divine purpose by means beyond the reach of man. The general idea is that it is something wonderful or unusual - an event, experience, or discovery, so singular and strange as to awaken in one the feeling of awe. Phenomena in nature and events in history are labeled "miracle."
- Herbert Lockyer, All the Miracles of The Bible.

Verse 1
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Here we can find a lot of information about everything. First it says, "In the beginning." So there was a beginning, which means that things did not always exist the way they do now. There was a time when it all began. Second, "God created." What does that tell us about God? God existed. God caused new things to come into existence. What did God create? This phrase includes everything there is. God created all of it. Some dumb person will always say, "But who created God?" Here's my answer: if God had to be created, then would he be God? Now, this verse is ascribing glory to God. It is telling us that there is a God, that He created everything in the beginning, and so everything must point back to God and say, "It is because of Him that I am." Only God can say what He said to Moses, "I AM THAT I AM." (Exodus 3:14). God is because He is. There is no cause for Him, He simply is. "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, says the Lord, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty." (Revelation 1:8).

Verse 2
The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

Here we have a picture described of formlessness, emptiness, and darkness. But the Spirit of God was there, hovering over the face of the waters. That is, the Spirit of God was moving over the water to begin to make something that was unformed, empty and dark, begin to take shape. It is by God's Spirit that things come into being and are formed (like a pot is formed from a lump of clay).

Verse 3
And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.

What did God do? He spoke. (Now we have the Word of God introduced. This is Jesus Christ speaking here - John 1:1-3). What did He say? And what happened? This shows us that the power of God is in His Word. When He wants to make something happen. To make something begin to exist when it doesn't exist, He speaks. When God saves a person, it is a miracle just like when He spoke light into being (2 Corinthians 4:6).

Verse 4
And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.

What did God do in this verse? He stepped back and looked at what He had made. He saw that the light was good. What did God do with the light? He separated it from the darkness. Now this is getting deep. Light and darkness do not mix. They are opposites. 1 John 1:5 says, "God is light, and in him is no darkness at all." God cannot dwell with evil. God will not allow darkness to dwell with light. He will not allow sin and evil to dwell with righteousness and holiness.

Verse 5
God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

What did God do in this verse? He named the light and the darkness. What did He call them? Light He called Day, and darkness He called Night. Notice something, who called them by these names? This is the beginning of language. Language did not start with apes who developed speech in their brains when they became human (that is not even naturally possible). It didn't begin with humans. Language began with God. It is His original way of communicating, and we should be careful never to defile His design. In other words, don't mess with what God originated. Don't misuse what He designed to be used rightly. We are all guilty of this, and oh, how we need grace for how we have stolen God's good way of communicating and tried to do with it what we pleased! Jesus said, "By your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." Therefore, speech is very important to God. It is He who named light and dark, day and night.

Notice also what happened next - "And there was evening and there was morning, the first day." What is the first day of the week? Sunday is the first day. It is the day God created light, and separated it from dark, and named it.

[Some people have a problem with the length of the days in this chapter. However, if God was weak, and He could become tired, then He might not have had the strength and energy to finish all that He set out to do in one day? In that case, we might have to say, "Well, God needed a little more time to do some of these things in one day. So let's say it took Him a lot longer to do it." The Bible says, "Is anything too hard for the LORD?" (Genesis 18:14). and "With God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26). Do you think God could ever run out of power? We cannot see God because of our sin, but does that mean that we cannot see from nature and the universe that He is very powerful? So if God wanted to create in a day, He could have. Isaiah 40:28 says, "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength." We must understand this by faith, since we were not there to see it all happen. Hebrews 11:3 says this, "By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible." God has told us what happened here in the book of Genesis. It is by faith that we believe God's word].

Verses 6-7
And God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters." And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so.

What did God do again at the beginning of verse 6? He "said," God spoke. What did He say? Now, verse 7 says, "And God made." So, when God says something, and it happens, it is because He made it happen. So what did He do? God made an expanse (firmament, foundation - in this case I believe it refers to the separation of water on earth and water in clouds above the sky). Now, when we look at a river, a lake, or an ocean, we can see clearly that there is a lot of water there. When we look into the sky on a cloudy day, how much water can we see? Well, to put it simply, you might see something around 100,000 gallons of water floating above you in a cumulus cloud. That would be weighing about 400 metric tons. So on day two, God did something really cool, He separated water on earth from water that can fly around over the earth at up to 50,000 feet above us!


I love the ending phrase in verse 7, "And it was so." God said it, it happened, and there it is. We now have weather, evaporation, condensation, clouds, mist, rain (which began after the flood), and all the amazing stuff that goes along with that. Job 26:7-8 says, "He stretches out the north over the void [emptiness] and hangs the earth on nothing. He binds up the waters in his thick clouds, and the cloud is not split open under them." And verse 14 says, "Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways, and how small a whisper do we hear of him!"

Verse 8
And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

Again, what did God do here? He called the expanse Heaven, or Sky; He named it. We see God creating things by the power of His Word, and then He is naming what He has done. God creates and God gives names to what He creates.

And what day was that on? Notice the "evening" and "morning." The world is turning, God has already established time. There is light and dark, day and night. This was done on Monday.

Verses 9-10
And God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear." And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

What did God say this time? Did the waters listen? Yes! When God speaks, they obey! Luke 8:25 says, "He [Jesus] said to them [to His disciples after He had just calmed the storm], "Where is your faith?" And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, "Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?"

Again God names what He just made. What did He call what He made? Earth [or Land] and Seas. Before this, the world was covered with water. 2 Peter 3:5 says about unbelievers, "For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God." [The emphasis here is that everything exists and was made by the Word of God].

What else did God do? "And God saw that it was good." He stepped back and looked at what He just made. He was satisfied with it, and saw it to be good.

Verses 11-13
And God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth." And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.

Verses 9-13 described a number of things God did in one day. What day was it? The third day, that would make it Tuesday. What are some of the things that He did on this day? Back in v9-10, He made dry land appear, and divided it with the sea. What else did He do after that? God commanded plants with seed, fruit trees, and all kinds of vegetation to sprout up from the ground. Notice that He made them "each according to its kind" (v12). This means God originated plants from different kinds, i.e. fruit and nut trees, vines and bushes, etc.. We know we can produce hybrid plants, but only plants that are from the same kind originally mix together. For example, it is not possible to get a conifer to mix with a daisy. They are both plants, they are just completely different kinds. The seed God made plants produce contains DNA, which is the most complex information system we know of in the universe. DNA contains all the information necessary for plants to reproduce more plants exactly after their kind.

We also see in these verses that God began with water, moved the water to form land, miraculously spoke seed into being planted in the ground, made them grow, and they produce fruits and oxygen. That prepares the world for the next thing God would make on earth - living creatures. But before He did that, He made some things higher up to prepare the earth for life.

Verses 14-19
And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and for years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth." And it was so. And God made the two great lights - the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night - and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.

First, we notice this is the fourth day, which is Wednesday. On this day, God made "lights in the expanse of the heavens," and He tells us specific reasons why. What are some of those reasons? God made the heavenly lights to separate day from night, to be for signs and seasons, and mark days and years, and to give light upon the earth. The light shining on the earth is necessary for plants to grow and produce oxygen. God made two very specific and close lights to the earth. What were they? They were the sun and the moon. Only the sun contains its own light source, the moon reflects light on the earth at night. It also pulls on the earth's gravity to make waves and tides in the ocean, and performs some other amazing tasks for the earth. What is the third light source mentioned? The stars. Stars truly are wonderful. Have you ever gone to a place where there is very little light from streets or houses, and you can see multitudes of stars! Well, the universe contains billions of galaxies with billions of stars in each galaxy. And God says they are to give light to the earth. Amazing! Psalm 147:4 tells us how carefully God created the stars, "He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names. Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure."

Conclusion:
This is a brief look at the wonders of God's creation of all that exists. God was in the beginning. God is because He is God. God chose to make things exist out of nothing. Creation displays His glorious power. God created the heavens and the earth by His Word. Everything was made by God in the beginning. God the Father was working, God the Son was working, and God the Holy Spirit was working when He made everything, so we see that God is triune. This is why we say God is a Trinity - He is three in ONE. This is our Maker, our Creator and our God. The one we must worship and listen to and love. I want to encourage every one of you to make it an interest of yours to study the works of God's creation, and to think about these things whenever you see the beauties and wonders of nature. Next week, we will finish reading chapter one of Genesis, and learn about when God created life on earth, as well as man and woman. Please make it your ambition to come learn these lessons, and read your Bibles, because I can only point you to the well, where there is an abundance of living waters for your everlasting enjoyment if you believe in the Son, through whom all things were made (John 1:1-3).

[See Psalm 86:8, "There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours."; Psalm 92:5, "How great are your works, O LORD! Your thoughts are very deep!"; Psalm 104:24, "O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures."; Psalm 111:2, "Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them."].

You Are A Creature!

I'm currently studying Genesis chapter 1 for our teen Bible study. All I can say is that, I am absolutely blown away by God's great and wonderful power to create. God is God. There is none like Him. He is AWESOME! Here is a cool picture of some of His really beautiful creations. Fall down and worship your Maker!

Also, you can click here for some very interesting articles and resources about creation & science: http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/qa.asp

The Gospel in Romans, part 11

Romans 4:16-25

Text:
Romans 4:16-25 ESV:
That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring - not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations" - in the presence of of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, "So shall your offspring be." He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was "counted to him as righteousness." But the words "it was counted to him" were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

Intro:

Paul showed us in Romans 1-3 why the gospel is good news. He began by showing how the Law condemns us, since we all fall short of the righteous standard of it. He also proved that Jews, as well as Gentiles, will be condemned for their own disobedience. He went on to show how no one does right at all, but everyone is so depraved that we cannot make ourselves righteous before God by any works we perform. The last half of chapter three demonstrated how God gives people the gift of righteousness by faith apart from works of the law. God is able to be both a Just God who shows no mercy toward sin, and yet justify all who have faith in Christ Jesus, His Son. He did this by propitiation. What does propitiation mean? Propitiation is a wrath-appeasing sacrifice. It is a sacrifice offered for sin that satisfies God's holy anger and justice, and also pleases Him so that He accepts those for whom the propitiation was made for. Jesus is that propitiation. Romans 3:23-26 says, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." So God is righteous, and upholds His righteousness by condemning His Son instead of those who believe in Jesus. Paul also said this eliminates all boasting in what we do to try to be justified, since righteousness comes only as a gift through faith apart from our works.

Now, in chapter four, we learned that Abraham was also justified by faith, since God justifies those who are ungodly when they repent and believe. Do you remember what David said about this blessing? "Blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin." (Rom. 4:8). That is complete and total forgiveness! The Jews understood that Abraham had been given the covenant of circumcision, so Paul discussed how it was not his obedience in circumcision that justified him, but it was by faith before he was circumcised, so that Abraham would be the father of all who believe whether or not they have the outward sign of the covenant.

Now in verses 13-15 (which we looked at last week), we learned that God promised Abraham a seed [an offspring]. We also looked at Genesis 3:15, and saw that He spoke of the "seed of the woman," which is Christ. Abraham and his spiritual offspring (all who believe like he did), are heirs of the world through Christ, who is the promised Seed. What world are they heirs of? This one, or another world promised to come? Since this world will be destroyed (2 Peter 3:10), then they are heirs of a new heavens and a new earth (2 Peter 3:13). Paul's case is that salvation comes by a promise and not by Law, "For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression." Now we move on to verse 16, which shows that this is why it depends on faith through grace...

Study Notes:

Verse 16
That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring - not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,
What depends on faith? The answer is in verse 13-14, the promise of receiving an eternal inheritance depends on faith not law. Those who are just [righteous] are the heirs, and they get that way by faith [trusting] in God through Jesus. What does the promise rest on? The promise rests on grace - grace is the free, undeserved favor and gift of God. Why does it rest on grace? So that it would be "guaranteed to all his offspring," and not only to believing Jews, but to Gentiles also who share Abraham's faith. So if eternal life depended on law, it would not be guaranteed, but since it rests on grace (the free, unmerited favor of God), then it is guaranteed to all who have faith like Abraham. What a promise!
Paul said Abraham is "the father of us all," because God chose him to be the one through whom the promise of Christ would come. Remember, "Christ" means "Messiah," which means "Anointed." Christ is the one whom God has anointed with His Holy Spirit to be the crusher of Satan's head, and the Ruler of the world to come forever and ever. He is the Prophet, the Priest, and the King. He is God come down to humans, to be their Savior.

Verse 17
as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations" - in the presence of of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
Where is it written? It is written in the book of the LORD... the holy Scriptures... the Bible... in the Old Testament... back in Genesis 17:5. What did God say he made Abraham the father of? Do you know what the name Abraham means? Abraham actually means "father of a multitude." Many of the Middle East people groups can trace their roots back to Abraham. But he is more than a father of racial peoples, he is also the father, in a spiritual sense, of a multitude of those who are saved from "every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages" (Revelation 7:9). This was written in the presence of the God in whom he believed. What kinds of things does it say God does? He gives life to the dead, and He calls things into existence that do not exist. In other words, God does the impossible! Abraham believed God would do as He had promised, even that He would raise the dead and bring about what did not yet exist. If God can make a universe out of nothing, and set it in order so that not one star is out of place, and not one planet is off course, and everything is held together by the command of His word, then is it hard for Him to make the dead come back to life?

Verse 18
In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, "So shall your offspring be."
Abraham was a "hopeless case," nevertheless, in hope he believed against all hope. What was it that he believed? That he would be the father of many nations, just as he had been told, "So shall your offspring be." In other words, Abraham believed the word of God, against all apparent hopelessness. God said it, just as it is written in the Bible, and Abraham believed exactly what God said. Many people think faith is believing that God is going to get them out of a bad situation, or that He will give them what they ask for if they believe hard enough, or that faith is believing a dream or a vision, seeing miracles happen, or getting some outward sign from God and believing on that. But you know what Abraham's faith was like? Abraham believed the Word of God. And that is why he was justified. He trusted God's faithfulness to do exactly as He had promised.

Verse 19
He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb.
Abraham considered his own body to be as good as dead, but he believed in God who gives life to the dead (both spiritual life and physical life). How old was Abraham? Sarah was only about ten years younger than he was. Neither of them could produce children. Abraham's body could not produce seed and Sarah's womb was dead and barren. But did he weaken in faith because of that? Did he doubt God's promise because of those circumstances? No, he did not weaken in faith or waver...

Verses 20-21
No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.
Did Abraham doubt God? How did he "grow strong" in his faith? It says his faith was strengthened "as he gave glory to God." And how did he give glory to God? He gave glory to God by being "fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised." Abraham did mess up a lot. He wasn't a perfect man, and he didn't have perfect faith, but he did trust God to be faithful to His promises. That is what we are called to do, to trust the faithfulness of God who promised eternal life to all who come to Jesus for it. God is faithful. He will surely do just as He says, and when we believe that, He is glorified through our trust in Him (as John Piper says, "The giver gets the glory").

Verse 22
That is why his faith was "counted to him as righteousness."
Abraham was not righteous. There were times where he acted like a coward, he lied, he even tried to make God's purposes happen in the flesh by sleeping with his wife's slave girl (it was actually Sarah's idea). I do not doubt at all that Abraham felt horrible remorse for his sins, that he was turned from them by the grace of God, and that he hated them. However, God did not count his sin against him (Rom. 4:8). What was counted to Abraham as righteousness? Why was his faith counted as righteousness? Verse 21 tells us it was because he was "fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised." Are you fully convinced of God's faithfulness to do exactly what the Bible says He will do? Abraham was.

Verses 23-25
But the words "it was counted to him" were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
Was it written for Abraham's sake alone that his faith was counted to him as righteousness? Who else was it written for? How do we know if righteousness will be counted to us also? "It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord..." (we must believe God who raised Christ from the dead, and us with Christ when He raised us from spiritual death, and in the future from physical death and eternal death). What makes it possible for God to count us righteous by faith? It is because Jesus "was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification."

Conclusion:

Since God delivered Jesus over to death on the cross and raised Him from the dead with great power and glory on the third day, then all who trust in Him are forgiven of all sin, and through Him are counted to be righteous forever. Does this free gift come by the works you perform (good deeds, obedience to the law, religious efforts)? Or does it come by faith (trusting in Christ) apart from any works you do? Why? Because Christ performed all the work by living in absolute obedience to the will of His Father on our behalf, and died on our behalf, and was raised back to life on our behalf, so that in Him, we have eternal life. John 5:21-24 says, "For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death unto life." Amazing! Do you hear and understand God's Word? Are you believing Him who sent Jesus into the word? Then this promise is for you... you have eternal life, you will not come into judgment, but you have already passed from death unto life! You have life by the Spirit of God in you, you have the right to eternal life, and you will be raised to new physical life when Christ returns. This is all God's word and God's promise. Do you believe it?

Examine yourselves, whether you are truly believing. If you are, then knowing these things should be causing you to be filled with joy and peace. Chapter five will teach us more about why and how we are saved by Christ, then in chapter 6, we will learn how this grace works in our lives to change us so that we live for God and not for our old life of sin.

The Gospel in Romans, part 10

Romans 4:9-15

Romans 4:9-15 ESV:

Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.

Intro:

First, in order to prove that God only saves people by faith and not by their works, Paul brought up Abraham as an example. What did Abraham find? If he was justified by works, he could have something to glory in or boast about, "but not before God." (v2). The Scripture says he was counted righteous when he believed God (Genesis 15:6). Those who rely on works for justification are under debt, not grace. But those who are counted righteous before God are justified by faith while they are still ungodly. This is grace... it is a free gift. The person who is justified by faith is the most blessed of all! Why? Because their iniquities (their disobedience to the Law) are forgiven, and their sins are covered over. Romans 4:8 says [paraphrased], "Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord won't count." That is the blessing of all blessings! Those who are justified by faith will never be charged guilty with sin!

Study Notes:

(Paul continues using Q & A as a format in this chapter).

Verse 9
Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness.
Who gets the blessing, Jews only, or Gentiles also?
It is faith that was counted to Abraham as righteousness. So then, could a person who is not circumcised have faith also?
(There are many people, ministers, churches, so-called Christians, Bible study leaders, who will tell you that being right with God [or justified] is dependent upon YOU and the works YOU do).
Paul says, "When was Abraham justified?"

Verse 10
How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised.
Not after, but before he was circumcised, i.e. before he performed the sign of the covenant or did any works.

Verse 11-12
He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
Circumcision was God's command to Abraham and all his people for a sign and a seal that he was already righteous by faith in the one true GOD, YHWH.
So salvation is by faith alone, both for the man who is circumcised and for the man who is not.
Abraham was made the father of all who believe, both Jew [circumcised] and Gentile [uncircumcised], (and for everyone else believing in Christ).

Verse 13
For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith.
The Bible is clear that God will destroy the earth and everyone in it who has not obeyed Him out of faith and love, when His righteous judgment is revealed. So when the Bible says, "Abraham and his offspring... would be heir of the world..." we should think, "What does that mean? What offspring? Heirs of what world?"

Do you know what God told the serpent after Adam and Eve were decieved by him into disobeying God? Genesis 3:14-15 says, "The Lord God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” God said the serpent would have "offspring" or "seed," and the woman would have an "offspring" or "seed." These are two heads, or fathers of peoples. There are two offspring, one of the serpent, and one of the woman. The two offspring, or seeds, are the rulers of two different groups of people (only on of them inherits the world, according to Romans 4:13). What does the word "enmity" mean? They would be enemies [enmity=enemy] of each other. What does the woman's offspring do? And what does the serpent do? Which is worse, a bruised head, or a bruised heel? (Now for the tricky part) has any woman on earth ever produced a seed? Seed in Greek is "sperma." Did Mary commit adultery before she was married? Absolutely not, she was a virgin. Then how was she pregnant? The Holy Spirit caused her to conceive before being married to a man. So Jesus is the "seed" of the woman, and He is the Head of all those who will inherit the earth.

Back in Romans 4:13, when God promised Abraham and his seed [offspring] that he was to be heir of the world, we see a connection with what God had said about the woman and her offspring who would destroy the serpent. Jesus, the seed of the woman, would come through Abraham as his offspring. There is also a connection here with believers, who are Abraham's offspring through faith. Every person who is born of the Spirit (which is a miraculous birth, like the birth of Christ) will be an heir of the world just as God promised Abraham.

Now we can ask, how does that promise come? Does it come to you through your obedience to the law? Not through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. (There is no mistake, you must be righteous to be saved. How did Abraham become righteous? It says, he believed God, and righteousness was counted to him).

Verse 14
For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void.
Faith is useless and the promise is empty if one becomes an heir of the world-to-come by law. Why? Well... verse 15 says,

Verse 15
For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.
What does the law bring? Wrath! "But where there is no law, there is no transgression."
Faith justifies apart from works of the law. Romans 3:28 says, "For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law."

If you trust God as Abraham did, then God counts you to be righteous and not guilty of breaking any law. Why not? Because Jesus died for those who believe and trust the Word of God. So it is His blood and death on the cross that atones for all your sin if you come to Him. And He rose again to be the Ruler, the King, the Head of all the people of God. You can be an heir of the world, if you believe the Word of God. It comes only through Jesus and no other.

Conclusion:

So, are you believing God's Word? Do you trust God to be faithful, just as Abraham did? Do you believe all the Bible says concerning the Son of God, Jesus Christ our Lord?
What does the Bible say? The Bible tells us of the wrath of God, which is "revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness." (Romans 1:18). The wrath (indignant anger) of God is against all who commit sin. He feels righteous anger everyday, and is ready to kill those who will not repent (Psalm 7:11-13). Here is a short list of some sins that bring God's wrath: cowardliness, pride, self-will, faithlessness, hatred, coveteousness (wanting what doesn't belong to you), disobedience to parents, jealousy, uncontrolled anger, slander, sexual immorality, idolatry, adultery, homosexuality, theft, greed, drunkenness, abusive language, swindling, lying, evil thoughts, gossip, boastfulness, selfishness. This righteous judgment of God against those who do these things is a reality. Do you believe it?
The Bible says "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23). Do you believe that you have sinned? Do you believe that you deserve the righteous anger and judgment of God? (I sure deserve it).

Now, with that said, do you believe God's gracious promises? First, do you know any of His promises? Dear friends, if you don't know the promises of God, then you don't have any hope. God promises to justify the ungodly through faith in Jesus Christ, His Son (Romans 4:5). He promises to pardon every sin you have ever committed through faith in Jesus (1 John 1:7-9). God promised that all who put their hope in Him who raised Jesus from the dead will be counted righteous before Him. That means to have no sin, to be perfect, to be upright and blameless. It is a free gift (Romans 3:24)! He promises to give His Holy Spirit to every believer who comes to Jesus (Ephesians 1:13). God promises believers will never die (John 11:25-27). Though our bodies wear out like old rags, or decompose in the dust, or get eaten by worms, God will raise them again, forever new to be with Him and to see His face (1 Corinthians 15:35-38,56-57; Revelation 22:1-4).

All these promises and more, are to those who come to Jesus Christ alone for satisfaction and life and rest (Matthew 11:28; John 6:35,37). They are not made to anyone else, because it is only through Jesus that they come to us. Do you believe Him? Have you repented and thrown yourself down at the feet of Almighty Jesus? If you do, He will most certainly save you. It is a promise (John 6:37).

Don't put off believing for another time. If you continue in unbelief, you may never have another chance to be turned and saved. Today is the day... Now is the time... Call on Jesus! Ask Him to make it possible. God bless.