The Epic Life - Bob Hallman

15. What’s Your Problem (Romans 7:14-25)

Romans 7:14-15 is quite challenging and the subject of much debate. The question is this: Is Paul talking about his life as an unbeliever, as a carnal Christian or as a struggling believer?
Some believe that Paul is describing his life before Christ because the life he describes is in too much bondage to sin to be considered Christian.a. He identifies himself as “unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.” – verse 14b. He describes himself as “not having anything good living in him. – verse 18c. He describes himself as a “wretched man” – verse 2
 
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The Epic Life
Blessings, The Epic Life 3-2600 Kaumualii HWY STE 1300 #513 Lihue, HI 96766 https://www.theepiclife.org https://www.facebook.com/livetheepiclife https://www.instagram.com/Living_The_Epic_Life https://www.theepiclife.podbean.com

14. TheNecessity of Death (Romans 7:1-13)

In Romans 6, Paul declared that in Christ we died to sin (Rom 6:2). As a result we have:1. Died to our old nature and now have a new nature2. Died to our old way of life and now have a new relationship with God through Christ.a. We have a new nature.b. We have a new power to overcome sin.c. We have a new power to walk in holiness.d. We have a new promise of eternal life.e. We have a new opportunity to serve God with a new attitude and heart.Today, we will discover that we have not only died to sin, but also to the Law. Rom 7:4Was the Law really given for us to as the means of a right standing before God?Was the Law God’s remedy for man’s sinful condition?NO! We have already discovered in our study of Romans that the law was given:1. So that the whole world might be held accountable to God – Rom 3:192. To make mankind conscience of sin – Rom 3:203. So that the trespass might increase – Rom 5:204. To lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith – Gal 3:20The law was given to reveal God’s standard of righteousness and to show us the depth of our sinfulness and the impossibility of living it without a new nature and without His power.The law has never been man’s problem. Rather it is man’s fallen nature that makes the Law impossible to keep.
 
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13. Choose Your Master (Romans 6:15-23)

In Romans 6:1-14, Paul taught that the key to living a life free from sin’s dominance was to:1. Know the corporate solidarity we have with Christ in his death, burial and resurrection!2. Count yourself dead to sin and alive to God in Christ JesusThe power of sin has been broken and we now have a new nature.3. Offer your bodies as instruments of righteousnessPaul anticipated that the statement that we are “not under law, but under grace” would create a firestorm of controversy. The Jews believed that without the law, not only would salvation be impossible, but it would also lead to a rejection of the Law and result in ungodly behavior
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Blessings, The Epic Life 3-2600 Kaumualii HWY STE 1300 #513 Lihue, HI 96766 https://www.theepiclife.org https://www.facebook.com/livetheepiclife https://www.instagram.com/Living_The_Epic_Life https://www.theepiclife.podbean.com
 

12. Dead or Alive (Romans 6:1-14)

One of the dangers of preaching salvation by grace in Christ alone is that there will always be a few who will pervert that grace of God to suit their wishes – usually manifested in two distinct and equally erroneous responses:1. Some will think that grace gives them a license to sin
Jude 1:4 “For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.”
The Corinthian church was a good example of this kind of abuse.2. Some will think that the potential abuse of grace must be curbed through laws and regulationsa. They attempt to keep the Old Testament law (moral and ceremonial)b. They establish various man-made laws to curb the sinful nature.They insist that conformity to countless man-made regulations and ceremony. is necessary for true godliness and is essential to counter man’s propensity to abuse God’s grace. 
Although the intentions are good and even noble – to protect and bolster the pure gospel – the theology is unbiblical, and the experience is miserable! 
Illustration: Alcohol and our previous church “policy”Paul anticipates the objections that his critics might have regarding salvation by faith in the free gift of God’s grace.
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Blessings, The Epic Life 3-2600 Kaumualii HWY STE 1300 #513 Lihue, HI 96766 https://www.theepiclife.org https://www.facebook.com/livetheepiclife https://www.instagram.com/Living_The_Epic_Life
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11. Choose Your Champion ( Romans 5:12-21)

1. In Romans 1:18-3:20 we discovered that the whole world stands accountable to God for our sin and rebellion against God. And that His wrath is being revealed against all ungodliness. And against those who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.
2. However, we also discovered in Romans 3:21-5:11 that circumcision, the keeping of the Law, or any religious ritual can't remedy our situation. The only remedy is found in accepting by faith the gift of God’s Son, Jesus Christ
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Blessings, The Epic Life 3-2600 Kaumualii HWY STE 1300 #513 Lihue, HI 96766 https://www.theepiclife.org https://www.facebook.com/livetheepiclife https://www.instagram.com/Living_The_Epic_Life https://www.theepiclife.podbean.com

10. Rejoicing in Righteousness (Romans 5:1-11)

In this section of Romans, the hopelessly lost sinner who received a right standing simply by believing in the promised Messiah of God, now stands justified before Him.
The believer who was once under the wrath of God is now set free to exult with great joy in the salvation of Jesus Christ.There are several notable characteristics of this passage:1. The bold confidence of its chain of assertions2. The surprising irony that joy can come from suffering3. The change from plural to personal singular in Paul’s writing.In chapters 3 and 4, Paul has established that salvation comes only on the basis of God’s grace working through man’s faith. Man’s only part in becoming saved is to receive forgiveness and reconciliation freely in faith from God’s gracious hand. The person who trusts in anything else, including obedience to the law or circumcision or baptism or any other human work, cannot be saved. 
Faith has always been the only way to salvation. There is no other way! But how is our salvation maintained or preserved? Is it by faith or by good works?If the preservation of salvation depends on what believers themselves do or don’t do, their salvation is only as secure as their faithfulness, which provides no security at all. According to that view, believers must protect by their own human power what Christ began by His divine power,
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Blessings, The Epic Life 3-2600 Kaumualii HWY STE 1300 #513 Lihue, HI 96766 https://www.theepiclife.org https://www.facebook.com/livetheepiclife https://www.instagram.com/Living_The_Epic_Life https://www.theepiclife.podbean.com

9. Abraham’s Righteousness – Part II (Romans 4:13-25)

Last week, we discovered that Abraham was not justified by circumcision, but by faith in God.
In the text we are considering today, Paul takes his teaching on justification by faith alone a step further by saying that just as Abraham was not justified by circumcision, neither was he justified by observing the Mosaic Law
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Blessings, The Epic Life 3-2600 Kaumualii HWY STE 1300 #513 Lihue, HI 96766 https://www.theepiclife.org https://www.facebook.com/livetheepiclife https://www.instagram.com/Living_The_Epic_Life https://www.theepiclife.podbean.com

8. Abraham’s Righteousness – Part I Romans 4:1-12

From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible teaches that salvation is by faith alone!But this offends our natural thinking because we assume that justification (or a right standing with God) should be the reward of those who do good -- and withheld from those who do evil. We want to get our salvation the old-fashioned way, “We want to earn it!”
This has been one of the most successful ploys of Satan in averting mankind from discovering the path of salvation. If Satan can confuse and undermine the doctrine of salvation by faith alone then he can fulfill his diabolical plan to take as many men, women, and children into the pit of hell with him. So, it has been his intention to convince people that they can be made right with God and guaranteed a place in heaven by performing certain rites and ceremonies.
Because of this, every false religion of the world is based on some form of salvation by works. Some are more sophisticated and attractive than others, but they all share the common false belief that man can earn his way to heaven.

7. A Righteousness from God (Romans 3:21-31)

Summary of last week:Paul exposed the comprehensiveness of man's depravity: no one is righteousHe then described the fruit of man's depravity: words and deeds are evilFinally he stated the cause of man's depravity: there is no fear of God before their eyes.
Paul has backed all sinful mankind, Jew and Gentile alike, into the totally dark and seemingly inescapable corner of God's wrath ((1:18-3:20)This situation presents a dilemma for both God and man.1. From God's perspective, sin demands the full expression of His wrath and punishment.Yet, God loves man and desires reconciliation2. From man's perspective, sin eliminates the possibility of a right standing before God.Yet, man also longs to be reconciled to GodThere are only two ways to be right with God:1. Through human achievement -- living a perfect life without sin2. Through divine achievement -- trusting wholly on Christ' sinless perfection.Having presented us with a seemingly hopeless situation, Paul now begins to open the window of divine grace that lets in the glorious light of salvation through the righteousness that God Himself has provided in His Son, Jesus Christ.Enjoy the rest of the message. 
Blessings, The Epic Life 3-2600 Kaumualii HWY STE 1300 #513 Lihue, HI 96766 https://www.theepiclife.org https://www.facebook.com/livetheepiclife https://www.instagram.com/Living_The_Epic_Life https://www.theepiclife.podbean.com

6. No One is Righteous (Romans 3:1-20)

Story: "The Emperor's New Clothes" by Hans Christian AndersenA certain emperor who was quite vain and concerned with appearances.He hired a group of clothing designers to make him some new and expensive clothes.They promised a garment that would be so magnificent, so refined, that only the wise and pure in heart would be able to see it.
Then these con men went to work pretending to weave.The king's officials checked on the progress of the work, and though they couldn't see any clothing being produced, rather than be accused of being foolish and impure, they reported to the king that the garments were extraordinary!
Well, you know the rest of the story:
The king, not wanting to appear stupid, also claimed the new clothes to be beautiful!
He gave the designers medals and then paraded through town in the buff as the whole city praised the beautiful new clothing, lest they be thought of as fools.
However, one little innocent boy timidly finally said, "The emperor has no clothes!" 
At once everyone acknowledged the truth of the statement and the hypocritical pretense of an entire nation was stripped away.
The moral of the story:People, through peer pressure and social stigma, can be influenced into denying what would otherwise be plainly obvious.
The world says that man is basically good. Our persistent problems stem from lack of education, substandard environments, lack of economic opportunity, lack of government intervention, and poor self-esteem. This view is continually reinforced by psychologists, liberal media and even religious leaders.
But in chapter 3 of Romans, Paul strips away the psychobabble and diagnoses our real problem: we are sinners! We may not like to hear that. We may resist it. We may reject it. But it is true, nonetheless. The problem of mankind is sin. Until we admit that the root of all evil in the world is found in the heart of every man woman and child on the face of the earth, any human effort to eliminate the effects of sin will fail.
Paul had spent a great deal of time, going from place to place, teaching the principles found in the book of Romans, so he was very familiar with the fundamental objections that the Jewish mind would raise.
Blessings, The Epic Life 3-2600 Kaumualii HWY STE 1300 #513 Lihue, HI 96766 https://www.theepiclife.org https://www.facebook.com/livetheepiclife https://www.instagram.com/Living_The_Epic_Life https://www.theepiclife.podbean.com