EXPLORE The Roman Road – God’s Solution (5)

Romans 5: 1, 6-9
1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
6You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.
7Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.
8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!

Key messages / Key Questions
- How can God give us a gift but still punish us?
- How does trusting one man who live 2000 years ago take away all the punishment that we deserve?
- CROSS is the center of Christianity because it shows that how God demonstrate both his LOVE and JUST

Insights
- The word “justify” is taken from the Greek root word “righteous.”
- Temptation: Justify whether God is good/love based on circumstances. Circumstances change all the time. We should look at the cross which is a historical fact and it will never change to understand how God has demonstrated his love to us (Romans 5: 8).
- (2 Timothy 3: 2) 2In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted…however…(Romans 5: 2-5)2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
- 5:1 is similar with 5:9
- 5:6 is similar with 5:8

EXPLORE The Roman Road – God’s Justice (4)

Romans 3: 23-24
23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Key message
25God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—
26he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

What is my name???

My name – Mathew
Two big issues happened on my name – Mathew

Single ‘t’ vs Double ‘t’
I didn’t know that my name is Mathew instead of Matthew. Before I took UPSR, I always thought that my name was having double ‘t’s. Details confirmation or double checking needed to be carried out before sending out my registration details by my school. During the confirmation of my details, I was 100% sure that my name was having 2 ‘t’s instead of 1. So, I told my teacher there was an error on my name in front of the whole class. However, one of the students who helped my teacher to do the checking insisted that he/she was certain about the spelling was correct because careful checking was being carried out based on my IC. But this was my name, how could anybody know my name better that I do. I became even more confident when lots of classmates were backing me too. Perhaps they thought that I knew my name better than everybody else as well. In order to prove that I was ‘innocent’, I checked again on the spelling of my name. Since then, I started to realise that my name is having single ‘t’ when I was 12.

Pronunciation of ‘tew’ vs ‘thew’
I never ever thought that I will encounter another ‘unknown’ for my name after the first incident. This was a much greater amazement for me. I discovered this when I came to the UK. When I introduced or pronounced my name to others, most of the time they will either ask me to repeat my name or to spell it for them especially for those who are non-Malaysians. I felt very weird because how could they not familiar with the spelling of such a common name. In addition, isn’t this name supposed to be a name which is regularly used in the UK? I was not sure whether it was fortunate or unfortunate that I came to know about the problem from a Chinese friend. Basically, there was no difference when I pronounced the words with ‘t’ or ‘th’ (I think many Malaysians are having the same problem too). The pronunciations of ‘tree’=‘three’, ‘tin’=‘thin’, so the way that I pronounced ‘Mathew’ was as though ‘Matew’. It was 22 when I came to know about this.

Having two surprises for my name help me to become a more open minded person because who knows whether there will be any more unexpected on my name in the years to come!

EXPLORE The Roman Road – God’s Offer (3)

Romans 3: 21-22
21But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.
22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.

Key message
There is a gift.
To: All who believe
From: God with love
Gift: Righteousness (right relationship with God)

Insights
- Gift FROM ~ verse 21
- Gift TO ~ verse 22
- The capital letters of ‘L’-Law and ‘P’-Prophets ~ Law is the first five books of the Bible, Prophets are God messengers
- 2 words were used to summarise the Old Testament ~ Law, Prophets
- Righteousness is not about how we can live to please God but it is to live according to God’s way that pleases Him.
- Verse 21: It is a gift which requires no work to earn for it. It is made known and revealed by God. It has been told by the Old Testament. It is not a new idea.
- Verse 22: Faith is trusting /believing God’s promises. It is like a mean or arms to receive the gift.
- 2 Timothy 3: 15 ~ How to be saved?
- 2 Timothy 3: 16 ~ How to live once we are saved?
- 2 Timothy 3: 16 ~ Bible is God-breathed, God’s words.

My Testimony

My Testimony

EXPLORE The Roman Road – God’s Verdict (2)

Romans 3: 10-12
10As it is written:
"There is no one righteous, not even one;
11there is no one who understands,
no one who seeks God.
12All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one."

Questions and thoughts
- What do some Christians still act wrongly according to Bible? (eg: homosexual)
- Responding to the verses above: What, we are not criminal!

Insights
- no one who understands ~ intellectual (mental)
- no one who seeks God ~ motivational
- all have turned away ~ decisional
- they have together become worthless ~ level of value

1) Root/Heart problem vs Symptoms
Root/Heart problem ~ Human has turned away from God and this is the underline desease
Symptoms ~ envy, murder, adultery, arrogant…

2) Romans 1: 21-32 ~ Exchanges
- Creator vs Creation
- Truth vs Lie
- Natural relations vs Unnatural relations

3) Romans 1: 21-32 ~ “gave them over” x 3 times

4) Romans 1: 29-31 ~ the list of sins
- “big” and “small” sins are all listed in the list, these are the consequences of the real/root problem