Thank you Father God for this time of Bible study and for your precious word. Thank you for the book of Romans that establishes us in the sound grace doctrine that you want for us to know, understand, believe and live out. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
We are continuing our study in Romans chapter 1, specifically we are continuing to study the introduction to Romans. We will be going over verses 4 and 5 today.
Verse 4 says,
And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
Jesus has always been the Son of God but he was specifically DECLARED to be the Son of God when He was raised from the dead. God says in Acts 13:33, “This day have I begotten Thee” and John 3:16 says, “His only begotten Son”. He wasn't declared to be Gods Son, even though He's always been Gods Son, until His resurrection.
Jesus conquered death and has power over death. Jesus was also holy meaning he had never sinned. Because He had never sinned, and had kept the whole law perfectly, the grave could not hold him.
Believers will one day also have their bodies resurrected, but we are also spiritually resurrected (meaning we are spiritually alive and we have eternal life!) in Christ from the moment we believe the gospel. This resurrection can never be reversed! We rejoice that Christ was raised from the dead, and that we are now spiritually alive in Him. We also look forward to the rapture because that is the day that we will receive our glorified bodies and are completely free from this world of sin and can be with the Lord in the heavenly places forever!
5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:
All believers are to share the gospel of the grace of God with unbelievers. We have a "ministry of reconciliation".
2 Cor 5:18 - And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
We are also to mature spiritually ourselves through studying God's word rightly divided and then teach what we learn and understand to others so that they too will be established in sound grace doctrine and grow up spiritually.
2 Timothy 2:15
King James Version
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
If you have little understanding, just teach the little bit that you know and direct others to more spiritually mature believers who can help them be edified and established in the grace doctrines of Paul's epistles. This would be other "midacts rightly divided grace teachers". It is important for us to study God's word on our own because it is God’s Spirit in us that will patiently teach us His word over time as we continue to read and study it rightly divided. Thus we should read, study and even meditate upon scripture (this means to really think about the verses) and make the choice to believe it and then obey what we learn, applying it to our lives.
It's also important to study with other MidActs Rightly Divided grace believers. The members of the body of Christ are to teach one another sound grace doctrine and to encourage each other as well. Believers are also to learn how to study God's word and teach this to others- rightly dividing the word of truth is one very important key to bible study.
For women specifically, you could join or start a women's bible study group at home or at your church (teaching other women God's word rightly divided as well as teaching them biblical womanhood); or you could do something similar like me and teach through social media, YouTube, blogging or podcasting. You can also teach other women one-on-one in person or over the phone. If you are a busy mother, especially with young children, remember that ministering to your family should always come before ministering to those outside of your family.
Believers share God's word rightly divided FOR HIS NAME. (Again, verse 5 says "By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:") All glory goes to God! God has a will for mankind and that is 1 Timothy 2:4, KJV: "Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth."
We share the gospel so that others who choose to believe it can have eternal life and we teach sound grace doctrine rightly divided to fellow believers so that they can be edified and established in the faith (if they choose to believe God's word rightly divided) and encouraged by the word. We need to be patient with others as they learn and grow.
2 Corinthians 5:20
King James Version
20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
Our home is now Heavenly but we remain here to 1) Preach the Gospel to the lost (this includes our own family) 2) grow spiritually ourselves by reading, studying, meditating upon and believing God's word rightly divided so that Christ Jesus lives His life through us, 3) then we are to share sound grace doctrine rightly divided with other believers so that they might also grow spiritually and have Christ Jesus living in and through them too (again this includes our family). This brings glory to God!
A wife and mother specifically would primarily focus on teaching sound grace doctrine to her children first - giving them the gospel and teaching God's word rightly divided to them; teaching them about God's love and grace ..
Next week we will go over verses 6 and 7. Father God thank you that as believers, you have given each of us the ministry of reconciliation. We are grateful and thankful that we can now serve you! In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
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