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Dominion is a curious and powerful word. When we speak of a historical event, if we speak precisely, we will add the two letters AD following the year of the event. If we speak of the same date but without using the AD suffix, we might say, “In the year of our Lord.” This is a common translation of the Medieval Latin phrase, Anno Domini. According to Wikipedia, the AD year numbering system is the most widely used system in the world today. What has that to do with Dominion? Simply look at the word again, and the Latin phrase that is abbreviated AD. A cursory glance reveals…  ( Click for more )

Yes, I know about rules of capitalization. No, I am not reflecting negatively on Christ by using a lower case “c” in His name. Yes, I do have a point to make and I want desperately to catch your attention so it won’t be missed. No, I won’t do anything to make a point, but I will go a long way to try to make this one; it is that important!

“Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death” (Romans 6.3; emphasis mine, jb). This quote is taken from the New King James Version. Consider the weight…  ( Click for more )

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! [God forbid! KJV, ASV, KJ21, etc., etc]. How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6.1-4 NKJV; emphasis mine, jb).

There is a death, a burial, and a resurrection in Romans…  ( Click for more )

Sin abounded; grace abounded much more! This is the essence of Paul’s closing statement in Romans 5. Hear Paul’s (but more properly the Holy Spirit’s) words: “Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 5.20-21; emphasis mine - jb).

This is the fifth usage of the English phrase much more in Romans 5 (see verses 9,10,15,17, and 20). This final usage…  ( Click for more )

The expression much more in the New Testament is frequently used in a way that is roughly equivalent to our saying, “If you think that was something, what do you think about this?” Many times the inspired writers of the New Covenant used this expression as a way of drawing attention to a set of circumstances that was worthy of special notice due to its great significance. The focus text that immediately follows contains two such expressions, both of which serve to draw the reader’s attention to God and to the extraordinary (supernatural) love that His Gospel extends…  ( Click for more )

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” (Romans 5.8-10; emphasis mine, jb).

The phrase “much more” appears two times in today’s focus text. These two expressions are identical in English and Greek. The same expression occurs in two other passages…  ( Click for more )

“For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5.6-8; emphasis mine, jb).

The first use of the word sin in the inspired record occurred with regard to one of Adam’s sons. The record reads, “And the LORD respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry,…  ( Click for more )

Some figures of speech are more picturesque that others; some cause mental images to race into our minds and remain there due to their uniqueness or their beauty. Other figures of speech are not so picturesque, but are nonetheless memorable due to the impact that they have upon us as individuals. The figures contained in Romans 5.5 are a case in point. “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Romans 5.5; emphasis mine, jb).

When a group of people react to a tragedy with empathy…  ( Click for more )

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (Romans 5.1-4; emphasis mine, jb).

Glorying in tribulations truly is a state of mind. The glorying to which Paul alluded was something that believers did while “knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;…  ( Click for more )

The Encarta on-line Dictionary defines access as “a means of entering or approaching a place.” To many with disabilities access means that they have the ability to enter or participate where otherwise they would be without such privileges. Politically access has a special meaning that relates to the availability of a person of influence to someone who desires a hearing or a favor from that person of influence. On the other hand, Access into Grace means the difference between eternal life and eternal condemnation.

Paul writes, “Therefore, having been justified…  ( Click for more )

Paul wrote, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (Romans 5.1-4; emphasis mine, jb).

Luke recorded these words of Jesus during His earthly ministry: “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to…  ( Click for more )

Justification! Everyone needs it, but no one can effect it! God alone justifies. “Now it was not written for his [Abraham’s] sake alone that it was imputed to him, but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed if we believe in Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification.” (Romans 4.23-25; KJ21).

The prominence of sin among all peoples is an obvious theme in the first four chapters of Romans. That theme does not stop there; the entire book refers to our sins and our need for…  ( Click for more )

A “…double-minded man is unstable in all his ways,” so says James the inspired writer (James 1.8). Abraham was the precise opposite of a double-minded man; consider the following quotation. “[Abraham] did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.” (Romans 4.20-21; emphasis mine, jeb).

Paul stated that Abraham was “fully convinced.” In Abraham’s thinking there was no room for God to fail; it…  ( Click for more )

Life without hope is like a sunrise with no sun; something is desperately wrong with the picture. In humanity’s darkest hour, God’s voice broke the silence and hope sprang from the silence. Here’s what the first glimpse of hope looked like: “So the LORD God said to the serpent: ‘Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life. And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall…  ( Click for more )

Describe God? No man can! Yet there are many descriptive phrases in the Bible which speak to some of His attributes or aspects. Today’s message addresses one such passage. Abraham had dealings with God which are chronicled in the Old Testament, some of which are repeated in the New Testament. Paul wrote somewhat extensively about Abraham in the book of Romans; one descriptive phase describing God is contained in the focus text of today’s message.

“For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, because the law…  ( Click for more )

He was a radio comedian during the 50’s and 60’s. He called himself Brother Dave. I recall one of his schemes in which he had come up with a system that would eliminate all crime. That’s exactly what he said, “…eliminate ALL crime!” That, by any standards, would be an impressive feat. Yet, reflecting on his proposal, I think he was right; he had a plan that would result in the elimination of all crime. What was his suggestion? Simple; make everything legal and crime would be instantly eliminated!

Paul wrote about something akin to Brother Dave’s…  ( Click for more )

He was a radio comedian during the 50’s and 60’s. He called himself Brother Dave. I recall one of his schemes in which he had come up with a system that would eliminate all crime. That’s exactly what he said, “…eliminate ALL crime!” That, by any standards, would be an impressive feat. Yet, reflecting on his proposal, I think he was right; he had a plan that would result in the elimination of all crime. What was his suggestion? Simple; make everything legal and crime would be instantly eliminated!

Paul wrote about something akin to Brother Dave’s…  ( Click for more )

“Also He said to them, ‘Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.’ Then He said to them, ‘Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.’”…  ( Click for more )

Justification is a word we need to understand! Now let’s tone that down a bit; justification is a word that we would do well to try to understand. There is a side to justification that rests in God’s prevue and humans are only permitted to benefit from it as we make our own feeble attempts to comprehend it.

However, when it comes to comprehending justification, the truth of the matter is this: When we barely “scratch the surface” regarding the concepts of justification, we soon discover implications about ourselves that are most unpalatable. We find that…  ( Click for more )

Regardless of what anyone says to the contrary, God cannot be put in a box; He is not owned by anyone or by any group of persons. God is God! He transcends all creation. He was before all things and all things that exist were created by Him. It would be the height of arrogance to think that I had any type of monopoly on Him. Yet, that was essentially the attitude of the Jews when it came to Jehovah God and their relationship with Him.

Hear Paul’s words regarding this erroneous attitude: “Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes,…  ( Click for more )

“Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” (Romans 3.20).

The specific law under primary consideration is the Law of Moses, but it could include any law which demands perfect law keeping in order to be right in God’s sight. This fact is true because we become guilty by such laws, justification being something that must occur apart from that law. In every dispensation and era man has come up woefully short when he came to depend upon his own goodness to be in good standing with God. All…  ( Click for more )

Guilty is such a terrible verdict. This is not to say that such a verdict is not correct at times, just that it is not ordinarily that which we desire. “Not guilty” has a much more pleasant ring. No right thinking person wishes to be found guilty of crimes and subsequently to be sentenced as payment for such crimes. Yet, the sad truth is this: All humanity is guilty before God! This may not be what I want to hear, but it is reality. The somewhat lengthy text that follows captures this awful truth and expresses it in such a way as to give hope to otherwise lost humanity. …  ( Click for more )

It isn’t magic; it’s God’s word! From the beginning of time, God has spoken to man. Even if we do not understand how that was done, if one is a believer he has to accept this as absolute fact. The alternatives to this position leave one in a quagmire of subjectivism and touchy-feely nothingness. On the other hand, if God has spoken, and if His words have meaning, humanity has good reason to think that God can be pleased by our actions of faith. This type of reasoning is primer; it is equivalent to “See Jane. See Jane run. See Spot. See Spot run!” The…  ( Click for more )

Just how important are genealogies? They were of great importance during the Old Testament era. Likewise, the New Testament writings of Matthew and Luke virtually begin with genealogies, specifically those that related to Mary’s son, Jesus Christ. Some still see genealogies as having great spiritual significance today. We will examine some of these matters as we look at Paul’s statements to the Romans regarding just who it is that is truly a Jew.

“For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew…  ( Click for more )