Romans – Faith and Works

June 28, 2010

Chapter 6 of Romans starts a new section in Romans, dealing with the necessity of using our faith to be conformed to the Lord’s will. We must thus strive for holiness, apart from which no man will see God. We must increase in love to establish ourselves unblameable before God and make holiness perfect in the fear of God. Paul thus makes it clear that our souls must grow or else we cannot be doing God’s will.

Some have chosen to selectively quote the first five chapters to mean that works are not necessary to life in Christ, but the rest of the Bible tells us that this is wrong. Works of the law do not justify us, but works of faith are essential. James rails against this belief, telling us that faith is not of any worth if it isn’t evidenced by works. James calls that dead, in fact. Paul tells us in Ephesians that we are made to do good works. We are certainly saved by grace alone, but we are given a faith that works through love.

Some misinterpreted the statement that where sin increased, grace increases all the more that we should sin to increase grace. Paul denies this, since we have died to sin, and sin should be antithetical to our existence. Our sinful selves died with Christ, and we must not go back to that state.

Not only did we die with Christ, but we were buried with Him in our baptism, a sort of miraculous circumcision of the heart, but made without hands. This baptism puts certain obligations on us, as well.

The closing theme is Gerard Satamian’s Chansons Sans Paroles Op. 2 Pastorale, from the album Dry Fig Trees. www.magnatune.com

  • /
Update Required
To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.

Download MP3 (48:28; 27 MB)

Acts Lecture 40 – The Affliction in Asia, Part II

February 1, 2022

Acts Lecture 39 – The Affliction in Asia, Part I

January 25, 2022

Acts Lecture 38 – The Philippian Jailer

January 18, 2022

Acts Lecture 37 – Mission to the Galatians

January 11, 2022

Acts Lecture 36 – The Second Missionary Journey

January 4, 2022

Acts Lecture 35 – The Prohibition of Blood

December 28, 2021

Acts Lecture 34 – The Council of Jerusalem, Part II

December 21, 2021

Acts Lecture 33 – The Council of Jerusalem, Part I

December 14, 2021

Acts Lecture 32 – A Drama of Ideas, Part III

November 30, 2021

Acts Lecture 31 – A Drama of Ideas, Part II

November 23, 2021

Acts Lecture 30 – A Drama of Ideas, Part I

November 16, 2021

Acts Lecture 29 – Paul and Barnabas

November 2, 2021

Acts Lecture 28 – Rejection

October 26, 2021

Acts Lecture 27 – Paul’s Speech

October 19, 2021

Acts Lecture 26 – Bar-Jesus

October 12, 2021

Acts Lecture 25 – The Holy Spirit Speaks

October 5, 2021

Acts Lecture 24 – Barnabas in Antioch

September 28, 2021

Acts Lecture 23 – Herod Agrippa

September 21, 2021

Acts Lecture 22 – Communion of Churches

September 14, 2021

Acts Lecture 21 – Peter and the Gentiles

September 7, 2021

Acts Lecture 20 – Cornelius the God-fearer, Part II

August 31, 2021

Acts Lecture 19 – Cornelius the God-fearer, Part I

August 24, 2021

Acts Lecture 18 – The Christians Disperse

August 17, 2021

Acts Lecture 17 – Paul in Damascus

August 10, 2021

Acts Lecture 16 – The Good Pharisee

August 3, 2021

Acts Lecture 15 – The Ethiopian Eunuch

July 20, 2021

Acts Lecture 14 – The First Heretic

July 13, 2021

Acts Lecture 13 – Saul of Tarsus

July 6, 2021